KARACHI: The top official of the Prime Minister’s Youth Program applauded two professional Pakistani female weightlifters on Thursday for winning gold medals at an ongoing sports championship in South Africa, praising their dedication and describing them as the “pride of the nation.”
The Pakistani sisters, Cybil and Veronica Sohail, competed in the 52- and 57-kilogram categories, winning four gold medals each in the squat, bench press, deadlift, and total categories.
Pakistan is actively promoting various sports fields among male and female athletes amid an environment where cricket is overwhelmingly popular.
Female athletes in Pakistan face significant challenges due to societal norms and limited access to facilities, with sports like wrestling and weightlifting usually not considered ideal for women due to cultural perceptions.
“Our daughters like Cybil and Veronica Sohail are the pride of our nation,” Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Program, Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, said in a social media post. “These girls have proven their abilities on the global stage by winning gold medals.”
Mashhood said the Sohail sisters had also participated in the Punjab Youth Festival, adding that the Prime Minister’s Youth Program was trying to provide full support to such athletes.
“To engage the country’s youth in positive activities, we need to revive the sports fields,” he added. “Encouraging young Pakistani athletes will enable our country to win more gold medals.”
The two sisters went to South Africa to participate in the tournament after being sponsored by the Punjab Sports Board.
Their third sibling, Twinkle Sohail, is scheduled to compete in another weightlifting category on July 13.
‘Pride of the nation’: Two Pakistani female weightlifters win eight gold medals in South Africa
https://arab.news/862ak
‘Pride of the nation’: Two Pakistani female weightlifters win eight gold medals in South Africa
- Cybil and Veronica Sohail competed in the 52- and 57-kilogram categories, winning four medals each
- Their third sister, Twinkle Sohail, is scheduled to participate in the weightlifting championship on July 13
Dubai International Chamber opens office in Karachi to expand trade, investment links
- New Karachi presence launched under ‘Dubai Global’ initiative to scale international footprint by 2030
- Pakistani membership at Dubai Chamber of Commerce up 161 percent since 2022, with 6,850 new firms in 2025
KARACHI: The Dubai International Chamber has opened a representative office in Karachi as part of an effort to deepen trade and investment flows between Pakistan and Dubai, the chamber said in a statement after an inauguration ceremony on Tuesday.
The expansion is tied to the Dubai Global Initiative, which aims to set up 50 international offices by 2030 to support cross-border business activity and position Dubai as a global gateway market. The move comes amid a period of heightened commercial engagement between the two markets, driven by Pakistani investor interest in Dubai and Dubai-based companies exploring Pakistan’s consumer and industrial sectors.
The office was inaugurated in Karachi in the presence of UAE Consul General Dr. Bakheet Ateeq Alremeithi, alongside officials and members of Pakistan’s business community.
Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, said the new presence was intended to accelerate bilateral commercial ties.
“The inauguration of our new office marks a strategic step that reflects our firm commitment to strengthening the robust economic partnership between Dubai and Pakistan,” he said.
“We aim to broaden the scope of bilateral cooperation between our business communities and advance our vision to create new paths for the flow of trade and investments.”
The Karachi office will support Pakistani businesses seeking entry into Dubai by offering market intelligence, regulatory guidance, and introductions to potential investors and commercial partners. Officials said the office will also assist Dubai-based companies exploring Pakistan’s market through sector briefings, partner sourcing and investment facilitation.
The chamber said its goal is to enable firms on both sides to scale internationally using Dubai as a springboard into global markets, while expanding the emirate’s footprint inside Pakistan’s industrial, digital and consumer-growth sectors.
Pakistan remains one of Dubai’s fastest-growing partner markets. According to figures released by the chamber, Pakistan’s non-oil trade with Dubai reached more than Rs1.74 trillion ($6.1 billion) in 2024, while the number of Pakistani companies registered as active Dubai Chamber members rose 161 percent between early 2022 and Q3 2025, reaching a total of 33,110 firms. A further 6,850 companies joined in the first nine months of 2025 alone.
