• ‘Great privilege and honour’: PM Shehbaz on PhD degree.
• Premier reaffirms resolve to serve the nation with sincerity.
• Leadership a sacred trust, to be exercised with honesty: PM.
  

KUALA LUMPUR: The International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) on Tuesday conferred an Honourary Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership and Governance on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in recognition of his outstanding leadership and contributions to nation-building.

The conferment of the honourary degree took place at a Special Convocation Ceremony held at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation of IIUM’s Kuala Lumpur Campus, which was officiated by the university’s Constitutional Head, Tengku Ampuan Pahang Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.

At the invitation of his Malaysian counterpart, PM Shehbaz is on a three-day official visit to Malaysia, wherein he met Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and held delegation-level talks, besides addressing an investment conference.

A day earlier, the two countries had signed six accords to strengthen bilateral cooperation covering different areas, including education, Halal certification, tourism and combating corruption.

In his acceptance address today, PM Shehbaz described the conferment as a “great privilege and honour,” emphasising his delight in being associated with IIUM, an institution renowned for championing the integration of knowledge, faith, and ethics.

Recalling his stints as Punjab chief minister, he highlighted his four-decade-long service as a “public servant” and noted that, now as the prime minister, he remained committed to serving the nation with sincerity and unwavering resolve.

Acknowledging the honour with “heartfelt gratitude,” he expressed the hope that his presence at IIUM would further strengthen academic partnerships and collaboration between the university and Pakistan’s leading institutions of higher learning.

The prime minister said that leadership was a sacred trust which should be exercised with honesty, sincerity, justice, and transparent accountability.

Highlighting the challenges facing the Muslim Ummah, he called for unity, compassion, and moral integrity and stressed the need to hold steadfastly to Islamic values and ethics to reclaim their rightful place in the comity of nations.

He called Pakistan’s youthful population a blessing and underscored the responsibility to provide them with platforms to serve suffering humanity with compassion and commitment.

In her address, Tunku Azizah said that for over four decades, [Shehbaz] Sharif had demonstrated visionary leadership, discipline, and compassion, dedicated to transforming lives and uplifting communities through advancements in education, healthcare, and opportunity creation.

“His initiatives, such as the Punjab Education Endowment Fund, have opened the doors of higher learning to thousands who might never have dreamed of university education.

“That is leadership that touches hearts and transforms futures [.…] At a time when the world often prizes image over integrity, His Excellency [Shehbaz Sharif] reminds us that good governance is about sincerity, service, and steadfastness,” she said.

Commending Pakistan’s longstanding friendship with Malaysia, she said the bilateral ties had further strengthened under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

“Today, our Pakistani students, academics, and alumni continue to enrich the university and uphold our shared mission of serving the Ummah. This conferment is more than a recognition of achievement. It is a celebration of the values we hold dear: justice, service, and excellence guided by faith,” she added.

• Case registered at Shaqri police station.
• FIR filed by Sanam’s friend in Peshawar.
• Incident happened on busy road in Peshawar: FIR.
  

A case has been registered at Peshawar’s Sharqi Police Station over the alleged abduction of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activist Sanam Javed.

According to the first information report (FIR) filed by her friend on Tuesday, who is a female lawyer, Sanam Javed was reportedly stopped by five unidentified individuals on a busy road in Peshawar and forced into a vehicle before being taken away.

The complaint, in the FIR, termed the incident a serious breach of law and order, stating that such an act raises questions about the enforcement of the law in the city.

She called for an immediate investigation into the matter and the arrest of those involved in the alleged abduction, reads the FIR.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary Information Sheikh Waqas Akram claimed on Monday that party leader Sanam Javed has been picked up from Peshawar, The News reported.

According to Sheikh Waqas, the incident took place on one of Peshawar’s busy roads, where two vehicles intercepted Sanam Javed’s car, adding the individuals reportedly dragged her out of the vehicle in front of her companions and forced her into their own cars before speeding away.

Waqas termed the incident an act of abduction and demanded her immediate release.

He said such actions are part of a continuing campaign of political victimisation against PTI leaders and workers.

On the other hand, PTI leadership and supporters on social media asked how such an incident could happen under a PTI-led government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with many demanding Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur personally intervene to ensure her safe recovery and bring those responsible to justice.

• President Zardari, Mohsin Naqvi to discuss PML-N-PPP friction.
• PPP members boycott NA, Senate sessions over Maryam’s remarks.
• Party laments divisive rhetoric coming from Punjab towards Sindh.

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: The tensions between coalition partners Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) escalated sharply after heated exchanges over Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s public remarks, The News reported on Tuesday.

The PPP lawmakers, a day earlier, staged walkouts from both the National Assembly and the Senate and demanded a formal apology, while PML-N ministers rejected the demand and counterattacked Sindh’s governance record.

However, President Asif Ali Zardari stepped in to defuse the growing tensions between the Sindh and Punjab governments who summoned Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to Karachi for urgent consultations.

The president held a telephonic conversation with the interior minister to discuss the ongoing friction between the provincial government of Punjab and Sindh and summoned him to Karachi immediately.

The president’s intervention comes against the backdrop of the ongoing verbal spat between the PPP and PML-N — the key ruling parties at the Centre — who have been at odds over flood relief, water resources, and the performance of their respective provincial governments in Sindh and Punjab.

On Monday, the PPP lawmakers staged walkouts from the Senate and National Assembly, demanding an apology from the Punjab chief minister. In National Assembly, the PPP and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers separately staged walkouts.

The PPP members boycotted the House proceedings in protest against what they termed “regrettable remarks” made by Punjab CM against their leadership.

Speaking on a point of order, former prime minister and senior PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said his party would not participate in the proceedings until the government provided a satisfactory explanation regarding the Punjab CM’s statements.

“Bilawal Bhutto never criticised any PML-N leader; rather, he appreciated the Punjab CM’s governance. We are part of this government for the sake of Pakistan’s federation, not confrontation,” Raja said.

He added that PPP’s tolerance should not be mistaken for weakness, reminding the House that the party had faced much tougher times, including military dictatorships.

Ashraf also criticised the withdrawal of security for the PPP’s parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly and called it a violation of the spirit of the Charter of Democracy.

“We must not use divisive language or resort to blame games. Respect is more important for us than power,” he added.

Speaking on the floor of the House, PPP parliamentary leader Senator Sherry Rehman expressed concern over what she described as “divisive rhetoric” coming from Punjab towards Sindh and the PPP leadership at a time when the nation was reeling from devastating floods.

“Over 6.5 million Pakistanis have been affected by floods — these are not Punjabis or Sindhis, they are Pakistanis. Instead of focusing on their plight, divisive rhetoric is growing. This is no way to manage a crisis or a coalition,” she said.

Sherry Rehman said the ongoing “war of words” between Punjab and Sindh was hurting both the coalition and national unity. She asserted that the PPP had shown restraint and solidarity but a red line was crossed when PML-N leaders “played the Punjab card” and criticised Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Aseefa Bhutto Zardari.

She lamented that the Punjab government had even withdrawn the security of PPP’s parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly.

Defending Bilawal’s recent comments, she said he had merely suggested that the Punjab government use Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) data to identify and compensate flood victims.

Calling BISP one of the world’s most effective social protection mechanisms, she cited a World Bank report to support her point. Sherry maintained that “an apology brings more respect” and that PPP did not believe in “politics of division or hatred”.

“If an apology is not offered, then don’t take our support for granted. The PPP remains the largest party in the Senate,” she warned before leading her party’s walkout.

Responding to her remarks, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar struck a conciliatory tone, saying that President Asif Zardari had already taken cognisance of the situation and stepped in to play his constitutional role.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif are both proponents of reconciliation. The political temperature will come down soon,” Tarar said, adding humorously that the opposition should not celebrate these “ups and downs” in coalition politics.

Meanwhile, separately, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has clapped back at PTI’s Asad Qaiser for suggesting that PPP move a no-confidence motion against the government, telling him to focus on fixing his own party first.