ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia will help Pakistan arrange the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s meeting on Kashmir in Islamabad, said the Kingdom’s envoy to the country, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, while giving an exclusive interview to Arab News on Thursday.
“The case of Kashmir is very important and the chairman of Saudi Shoura Council, Dr. Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al-Sheikh, has called for an OIC conference on Kashmir in Pakistan,” Al-Malki said.
“The delegation of the Saudi Shoura Council met with the Saudi-Pakistani Parliamentary Friendship Committee before interacting with the speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly and the chairman of the Senate,” the Saudi envoy continued while informing that the delegation had discussed economic relations between the two brotherly countries.
Al-Malki said the speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly would travel to Saudi Arabia on a reciprocal visit by the end of the month.
One of the members of the Saudi delegation, Osama Abdul Aziz Al Rabiah, said the two sides had discussed ways and means to strengthen relations between the Saudi Shoura Council and the National Assembly of Pakistan.
“We have agreed to sign an MoU [Memorandum of Understanding] to strengthen relations between the two countries’ parliaments during the upcoming visit of National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser to Saudi Arabia later this month,” he told Arab News while reiterating that Saudi Arabia would not only attend but also support Pakistan with the OIC meeting on Kashmir in Islamabad.
“We have also been informed about many business opportunities in Pakistan which we will share with Saudi companies,” he added while praising expat Pakistanis in his country by saying: “Saudis give special respect to the Pakistani community in the Kingdom.”
The Pakistani convener of the parliamentary friendship group, Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, said both sides had discussed several areas of cooperation, but special focus remained on investment opportunities in Pakistan in the fields of tourism, infrastructure development, agriculture and other businesses.
“We had informative meetings with the delegation. We have shared with its members details of improved security situation in Pakistan and how it has increased business opportunities in the country,” Khan told Arab News, adding: “We have discussed the Kashmir issue in detail and they gave us a very strong response by saying that Saudi Arabia was ready to help Pakistan on the issue, whether it was in the international arena or anywhere else. This was very encouraging for us.”
Saudi Arabia to call OIC meeting on Kashmir in Islamabad, says envoy
Saudi Arabia to call OIC meeting on Kashmir in Islamabad, says envoy
- The Kingdom will sign an MoU with Pakistan to strengthen relations between their parliaments in Riyadh later this month
- Pakistanis apprise the visiting Saudis about investment opportunities in their country
Pakistan launches digital tools to trace life insurance claims, tighten motor insurance enforcement
- SECP rolls out SMS-based Life Insurance Policy Finder, orders insurers to join Motor Insurance Repository
- The regulator says centralized data will help authorities verify coverage, reduce long-unclaimed benefits
KARACHI: Pakistan’s securities regulator on Monday announced two digital initiatives aimed at overhauling how insurance data is stored and accessed, in a push to strengthen enforcement, improve transparency and make it easier for citizens to trace insurance coverage.
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) announced in two separate statements it had introduced a nationwide Life Insurance Policy Finder to help families identify policies held by deceased relatives. It also directed all non-life insurers to join a centralized Motor Insurance Repository (MIR).
Both systems, developed with the Central Depository Company (CDC), seek to address longstanding gaps in a sector where weak records, low compliance and limited data-sharing have left motorists, policyholders and beneficiaries without reliable recourse.
“The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), in collaboration with the Central Depository Company of Pakistan Limited (CDC) and the Insurance Association of Pakistan (IAP), has introduced the Life Insurance Policy Finder Service,” it said in one of the statements. “This initiative is designed to facilitate the general public in locating life insurance policies of deceased loved ones.”
“The service addresses a long-standing challenge faced by families who remain unaware of life insurance policies held by their deceased relatives,” it added. “This lack of awareness often results in legitimate claims and benefits remaining unclaimed for years.”
The SECP said the initiative aims to strengthen consumer protection, promote transparency and provide structured and secure access to insurance benefits for rightful heirs and beneficiaries.
Under the new policy-finder service, which goes live on Dec. 15, individuals can send the CNIC number of the deceased via SMS to 99833.
If a policy exists, the relevant insurer will contact the beneficiary to verify details and guide them through the claims process. Life insurers and family takaful operators have also been instructed to participate fully and respond to queries within set turnaround times.
Separately, on the motor insurance side, all non-life insurers underwriting vehicle policies are required to sign a service-level agreement with the CDC within 60 days and begin uploading complete and validated policy data to the MIR.
The repository will allow provincial and federal authorities to verify third-party insurance coverage, a requirement that exists on paper but remains loosely enforced nationwide.
The SECP said the measures form part of its broader effort to promote digital transformation, improve compliance and safeguard consumer interest.
“A centralized and validated data repository will allow authorities to verify insurance coverage efficiently, addressing significant gaps in compliance,” it added.
