ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office on Thursday urged both Iran and South Korea to exercise restraint and resolve their differences under international law.
The statement was issued after South Korea moved its forces near the Strait of Hormuz after Iran seized its oil tanker along with the crew on Monday.
“We have noted the development [in the Strait of Hormuz]. We urge all sides to exercise restraint,” the foreign office spokesman, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, said in a press briefing in Islamabad.
“All the differences pertaining to maritime affairs should be resolved as per international laws,” he added.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard stormed the South Korean tanker earlier this week and forcefully took it to an Iranian port nearby.
The South Korean Navy sent its destroyer to the area amid escalating tensions. A South Korean delegation also left for Iran on Thursday to negotiate an early release of the oil tanker and its crew.
“A dangerous situation is developing in the area that must wisely be addressed in this early stage. Any disturbance in this part of the world, which contributes about 65 percent to the world oil trade, should be a matter of grave concern. The stakes are high for every country,” retired naval officer and maritime affairs expert, Rear Admiral Saleem Akhtar, told Arab News.
He added that the development was particularly challenging for Pakistan due to its close proximity to the Strait of Hormuz.
“Our 95 percent of the trade comes from this place,” he said. “If it escalates, it can be a very dangerous situation for Pakistan. It will affect our merchant ships and make trade far more expensive and difficult.”
Pakistan should use its close relations with Iran to deescalate the situation and mediate, Akhtar suggested.
Another maritime affairs expert, Vice Admiral Khan Hasham bin Saddique, said it was a good sign that South Korea had sent its delegation to Iran to diplomatically resolve the issue.
“The Strait of Hormuz is extremely important for the whole region. A diplomatic solution to the problem is good for everyone in the neighborhood and since peace in this area is vital to international trade,” he told Arab News.
Pakistan urges restraint from Iran after South Korea tanker seizure
https://arab.news/5wdh3
Pakistan urges restraint from Iran after South Korea tanker seizure
- Iran's Revolutionary Guard recently stormed a South Korean oil tanker and took it to a nearby port
- All differences pertaining to maritime affairs should be resolved as per international law, says the foreign ministry
Pakistani student launches ‘Urdu ChatGPT’ AI model
- Developer says “Qalb” is largest large language model built exclusively for Urdu
- Project highlights push to localize artificial intelligence for non-English users
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani student studying in the United States has launched an artificial intelligence model designed exclusively for the Urdu language, a development its creator says could help bridge longstanding gaps in access to advanced digital tools for millions of speakers worldwide.
The project, called Qalb, is positioned as an Urdu-first large language model at a time when most generative AI systems are primarily trained on English and other widely used global languages. Supporters of language-specific models argue they can improve accuracy, cultural relevance and accessibility for users in education, business and public services.
Urdu is spoken by more than 230 million people globally, including in Pakistan, India and diaspora communities, but remains under-represented in advanced AI systems. Efforts to localize artificial intelligence have increasingly been seen as critical for widening participation in digital economies, particularly in developing countries.
“Qalb is now recognized as the world’s largest Large Language Model created exclusively for the Urdu language,” Taimoor Hassan, the project’s developer, was quoted this month in a report in state-run news agency APP.
“Trained on a massive dataset of 1.97 billion tokens and benchmarked across seven-plus international evaluation frameworks, Qalb outperforms existing Urdu-focused AI models on key real-world performance indicators, setting a new standard for natural language processing in Pakistan,” Hassan said.
“This is a development model and in the next phase we would soon launch App for mobile and web so that people could use and benefit from Qalb ChatGPT.”
Hassan completed his undergraduate degree in computer science at FAAST University’s Peshawar campus and is currently studying for a master’s degree in computer science and software engineering at Auburn University in the United States. According to APP, he is a serial entrepreneur who has previously launched and exited multiple startups and has represented Pakistan at international technology forums.
“I had the opportunity to contribute in a small way to a much bigger mission for the country,” Hassan said.
“Together with my undergraduate roommates and teammates, Jawad Ahmed and Muhammad Awais, we are committed to continuously fine-tuning localized models for niche industries, which we believe can become a major breakthrough for Pakistan.”
Both collaborators are also graduates of FAAST University Peshawar Campus and are currently studying in Germany, APP reported.
The team behind Qalb said the model is intended to support local businesses, startups, educational platforms and voice-based digital services, arguing that meaningful innovation is no longer limited to large technology firms.
“Technology is no longer locked behind big budgets or big teams. With the right mindset, even a small group can build products that educate, automate, and serve millions,” Hassan told APP.
