ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday held a video call with Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Amer Al-Swaha to discuss bilateral cooperation in the field of information technology.
According to an official handout circulated by the foreign office of Pakistan, Qureshi highlighted the significance of information technology for the two countries since they both have significantly large segments of youthful population.
“Foreign Minister Qureshi underlined the historic and deep-rooted fraternal ties, which form the basis of enhanced cooperation in all fields between the two countries,” the statement said. “He said that the two countries shared the focus on development of information technology, which was the need of the modern digital age.”
Qureshi also added that “the two countries had a wide-ranging scope of expanding ties and enhancing collaboration in this field, which could be mutually beneficial for both.”
The Saudi minister reciprocated the warm feelings and echoed the sentiments of the Foreign Minister, terming Pakistan as a close brotherly country.
“The two Ministers agreed to enhance bilateral ties and continue close collaboration on all matters of mutual interest,” said the statement.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia to strengthen cooperation in information technology
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Pakistan, Saudi Arabia to strengthen cooperation in information technology
- In a video call with Saudi commerce minister, FM Qureshi emphasizes IT’s significance for the youthful populations of the two countries
- The two ministers agreed to enhance bilateral ties and continue close collaboration in all possible areas of their interest
Pakistan’s Mahnoor Omer named among TIME’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026
- Omer moved a Pakistani court against the so-called ‘period tax’ in Sept. 2025 which has since sparked a national debate
- Taxes on sanitary pads in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to retail price, UNICEF says only around 12 percent women use such products
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani women’s rights activist Mahnoor Omer, who fought against taxes on menstrual products, has been named among the TIME magazine’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026.
Omer’s efforts have been recognized alongside 16 activists, artists, athletes and businesswomen in the TIME’s Women of the Year 2026 list, including Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Chloe Zhao.
Dissatisfied with the efforts to educate Pakistani girls about sexual violence, Omer founded the Noor Foundation at the age of 14 and held her own workshops with village girls about everything from climate change to menstruation, according to the TIME magazine.
Two years later, a conversation with a domestic worker about the price of pads made her realize that not everyone could afford these essentials. She moved a court against the so-called “period tax” in Sept. 2025 and the case has sparked a national debate on the subject, considered a taboo by many in Pakistan, since its first hearing late last year.
“A decade and one law degree after her interest in activism was sparked, Omer, now 25, is putting her passion and expertise to work in the name of gender equity,” TIME wrote about Omer on its website.
Taxes imposed on sanitary products in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to the retail price. UNICEF estimates just 12 percent of women in the country use commercially produced pads or tampons. The alternative, using cloth, risks health impacts including rashes and infections, and can make it impossible for girls to attend school while menstruating.
Omer’s suit, which awaits the government response, has sparked a national discussion. She says she spoke about menstruation to her father and male cousins, who thanked her for standing up for their daughters.
The 25-year-old, who is currently enrolled in a master’s degree in gender, peace, and security at the London School of Economics, sees this case as just the first of many.
“I’m not free until every woman is free,” she was quoted as saying by TIME. “I want to leave no stones unturned in terms of what I can do with the next few decades, as a lawyer for the women in my country and gender minorities in general.”
