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Gulf Today
30-06-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Pakistani Mango Festival showcases the 'King of Fruits' in Abu Dhabi
The Embassy of Pakistan in the UAE, in collaboration with the Overseas Pakistani Foundation (OPF), hosted the Pakistani Mango Festival 2025 at Le Royal Meridien Hotel, Abu Dhabi, on Monday. The event brought together a large gathering of distinguished Emirati dignitaries, diplomats, business leaders, and members of the vibrant Pakistani community in the UAE. The event commenced with a welcome address by Dr Muhammad Farhan, the lead organiser of the festival, who thanked Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Pakistan's Ambassador to the UAE, and the embassy of Pakistan for their wholehearted support in arranging the event. Officials and dignitaries attend the Pakistani Mango Festival in Abu Dhabi. In his address, Tirmizi highlighted Pakistan's global standing as the 4th largest producer of mangoes, renowned for their distinctive taste, aroma, and wide variety. He noted that nearly 60% of Pakistani mango exports are directed to the Gulf region, underscoring their strong demand and popularity in the Middle East. Tirmizi emphasised the vital role such cultural and promotional events play in enhancing the international image of Pakistani products. He remarked, 'Festivals like the Mango Festival not only celebrate our agricultural excellence but also build bridges of understanding and friendship between the people of Pakistan and the UAE.' Pakistani community members during the mango festival in Abu Dhabi. The festival featured an impressive display of Pakistan's finest mango varieties, which were served and showcased to the delight of attendees. Earlier, Ambassador Tirmizi and Hussain Muhammad, Consul General of Pakistan in Dubai, attended the 4th Mango Festival held at the Expo Hall in Khorkafan, Sharjah. Faisal Niaz Tirmizi at a staff of the Pakistani mangoes during the Khorfakkan Mango Festival. For the first time, Pakistan participated in the Khorkafan Mango Festival, showcasing the country's rich and diverse varieties of mangoes, a press release, on Sunday, said. Tirmizi underscored the importance of such events in promoting Pakistani mangoes and enhancing their export potential across the region. The Pakistan Business Council Sharjah set up a dedicated Pakistani pavilion, attracting attention from visitors of various nationalities. The display celebrated Pakistan's reputation as one of the world's leading producers of high-quality mangoes.
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Express Tribune
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Govt to appoint focal persons for expatriates
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has decided to appoint focal persons for overseas Pakistanis in the CM's, chief secretary's and inspector general of police's offices. It was decided during a meeting between the chief minister and Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) Managing Director Afzal Bhatti that the focal persons of the Punjab government would play an effective role for solving the problems pertaining to the expatriates. It was agreed to take prompt measures to make the Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission active. The chief minister directed all government departments and the district administrations to take steps to resolve the issues of overseas Pakistanis as soon as possible. The MD gave a detailed briefing about matters pertaining to overseas Pakistanis belonging to Punjab, including issues related to the OPF housing societies and schools. Afzaal Bhatti highlighted that the overseas Pakistanis had celebrated the victory in the war against India across the globe. She stated that the winning candidate would come up to the expectations of the people of Sambrial who have reposed their trust in her leadership.
Express Tribune
12-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Pakistan to host first overseas Pakistanis convention in Islamabad
Listen to article The Government of Pakistan, in collaboration with the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF), will host the first-ever Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad from April 13 to 15. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, the objective of the convention is to warmly welcome overseas Pakistanis back home, listen to their concerns, and incorporate their valuable suggestions into improved policymaking, Express News reported. The government has decided that all overseas Pakistanis attending the convention will be accorded the status of state guests. Special arrangements, including welcome banners and reception protocols, are being made at airports for their arrival. Participants will be received with full honours and respect, and public celebrations will also be held in their honour. Under special instructions from the Prime Minister, these arrangements reflect the government's commitment to making overseas Pakistanis feel that Pakistan is truly their home. The convention aims to provide a shared platform where overseas Pakistanis, government officials, and national institutions can engage under one roof. To facilitate this, various government departments are setting up help desks at the venue to provide information, guidance, and services in one place. This initiative reflects the seriousness of the Government of Pakistan in addressing the concerns of overseas Pakistanis and offering timely solutions. The convention will also invite the overseas community to actively contribute to Pakistan's development journey and explore improvements in existing services and policies for expatriates. Islamabad in need of 'world-class' expo centre Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has said Islamabad should have a world-class expo center where international traders could exhibit their products in a better way, according to a report on state-run PTV World. Speaking at the inaugural session of Gujranwala expo in Islambad, the finance minister said steps are underway for economic stability and government is committed to promote export-based economic growth. Muhammad Aurangzeb said economy will become stronger only by promoting exports. He said the expo gave a lot of encouragements that Pakistan has such products that are internationally competitive and could become global brand as we go forward.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
The Marine Corps has settled the debate over the size of a rifle squad
A standard Marine Corps rifle squad will continue to be 13 Marines with at least one rifleman trained for expertise in long-range weapons like drones, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith announced on Monday. 'This includes a school-trained squad leader sergeant and three fire teams,' Smith said at the Navy League Sea-Air-Space 2025 conference at National Harbor, Maryland. 'While this structure sounds familiar, it now includes an organic precision fires specialist.' Precision fires are weapons soldiers use to attack an enemy from a distance beyond that of a direct assault, such as mortars, rockets or loitering munitions and drones. The Marines have experimented with squads with as few as 12 Marines to as many as 15. The changes that Smith announced apply to both traditional infantry battalions and the Marine Corps' new littoral combat teams, said Lt. Col. Eric Flanagan, a spokesman for Combat Development and Integration. The Marines have tinkered with the size of a standard infantry squad — the basic building-block of the Marine Corps' frontline units — for several years. Starting in 2018, the Marines experimented with adding an assistant squad leader and squad systems operator to rifle squads, but this was limited to experimental battalions, Flanagan told Task & Purpose. Previous infantry battalion experiments had also looked at having 14-Marine squads divided into two fire teams, along with a Navy corpsman, which would have increased the total size of the squad to 15, Flanagan said. 'Recent Fleet Marine Force feedback and in-stride reading of IBX [Infantry Battalion Experimentation] efforts make the case for maintaining the 13-Marine Rifle Squad and reorganizing it into three teams of four Marines, with a school-trained sergeant squad leader, corporal assistant squad leader, and corporals assigned as fireteam leaders,' Flanagan wrote in an email. The decision to add a precision fires specialist to rifle squads was largely based on what Marine leaders have learned from Ukraine, Flanagan said. Loitering munitions are becoming increasingly precise, offer real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and have a psychological impact. 'Over the last few years, we experimented with our Organic Precision Fires (OPF) capability to provide multiple echelons of the FMF [Fleet Marine Force] with an organic, loitering, beyond line-of-sight precision strike capability,' Flanagan wrote. 'This extends the range and increases the lethality of our Marine infantry squads and platoons.' Smith said his decision on the size composition of rifle squads is part of a 'campaign of learning' based on feedback from battalion commanders. In another force structure change, Smith announced that the Marines are establishing a dedicated fires and reconnaissance company within infantry battalions by shifting resources from headquarters and services companies. 'By consolidating our 81mm mortars, our organic precision fires, and a scout platoon into a single unit, we're better postured to integrate intelligence, precision fires, and reconnaissance at greater ranges – it's all about range – to better enable battalion maneuver – and it is all about range,' Smith said. Here is the training that the Army says is no longer mandatory Navy fires commander of Colorado-based Information Operations Command Firefighters help paratrooper finish jump after missing the ground Pregnant pilots and aircrew grounded for first trimester under new Air Force flying rules Mold in privatized housing cost this Navy family their health and reenlistment bonus
