Dubai-based prodigy has new dream: Becoming youngest Pakistani to sit for public service exams

Pakistani child prodigy Sitara Brooj Akbar talks to Arab News on October 17, 2020 in Dubai, UAE. (AN photo by Asma Ali Zain)
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Updated 22 October 2020
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Dubai-based prodigy has new dream: Becoming youngest Pakistani to sit for public service exams

  • Minimum age limit to take Pakistan’s Central Superior Services exams is 21, Sitara Brooj Akbar is 20
  • She has written to Prime Minister Imran Khan, now awaits cabinet approval of her request to take CSS exam despite not meeting age limit

DUBAI: A Dubai-based Pakistani child prodigy, who is one year short of the minimum age limit to appear in civil service exams, has requested the prime minister to bend the rule for her so she can fulfill her dream of becoming a civil servant.
The minimum age limit to participate in Pakistan’s Central Superior Services (CSS) exams is 21. Sitara Brooj Akbar is 20.
Native of Pakistan’s Punjab province, Akbar moved to the UAE with her parents in 2015. She is now considering pursuing doctoral studies in oncology but also dreams of sitting for the civil services exam.
“I wrote to the prime minister on July 25 of this year and received a reply on August 11 saying that such a decision cannot be taken without the cabinet convening and agreeing to it,” Akbar told Arab News last week.
At age 11, Akbar became the world’s youngest person to pass five subjects in O-Levels, exams usually taken by sixteen year olds. A few years later, she was the highest IELTS band scorer.
At age 17, she became the youngest person to receive a certificate from the US-based Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists.
Now she wants to break another record: be the youngest person to take the CSS exams.
“I cannot explain in words the love I feel for my country and my goal is to eventually go back and serve my country,” Akbar said.




Pakistani child prodigy Sitara Brooj Akbar receives an award from Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al-Nahyan, the UAE minister for culture, youth and social development, in Dubai, UAE, on August 14, 2017. (Photo courtesy: Sitara Brooj Akbar)

Akbar has already been recognized in Pakistan. In 2013, she received a Nazriya Pakistan Council award and in 2016 was honored with a gold medal from Pakistan’s ambassador to the UAE for outstanding achievements in education. In 2017, she received the Pakistan Award for Excellent Community Work from the Pakistani government, handed to her during a special ceremony in Dubai by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al-Nahyan, the UAE minister for culture, youth and social development.
“I have already moved a petition [with the PM] and am hoping that I am allowed to appear for this [CSS] exam soon,” she said. “When we say we will empower our youth, we need to see that in practice as well.”
Akbar and her 10-year-old brother, Qamar Muneer Akbar, are both homeschooled.




Pakistani child prodigy Qamar Muneer Akbar talks to Arab News on October 17, 2020 in Dubai, UAE. (AN photo by Asma Ali Zain)

“I used to attend school until grade one but Pakistan’s education system is so geared toward conventional learning that I was unable to cope,” Akbar said, saying her teachers complained that she asked too many questions. “I had to drop out of school and since my mother was a chemistry teacher, she started teaching me at home.”




Pakistani child prodigy Qamar Muneer Akbar with officials from the British Council Pakistan in 2018. (Photo courtesy: Sitara Brooj Akbar)

Qamar is quickly following in his sibling’s footsteps. In 2018, he broke Akbar’s record and passed O-levels at the age of eight. He said he enjoys coding and developing apps and hosts a kids’ radio show in the UAE.
“I showed interest in chemistry and it was fun for me and that is the reason I chose to appear in the exam,” said Qamar, who is now hoping to break his sister’s IELTS record also.
When asked about his inspirations, he named Pakistan’s first foreign minister, Zafarullah Khan, and Abdus Salam, a theoretical physicist and the first Pakistani to receive a Nobel Prize in science.
“I really look up to Dr. Abdus Salam … he is a Nobel laureate,” Qamar said. “And also Dr. Zafarullah Khan who was the first Pakistani to serve as the president of the International Court of Justice.”


Pakistan signs MoU with Chinese firm for vessels, funding to boost shipping sector

Updated 58 min 29 sec ago
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Pakistan signs MoU with Chinese firm for vessels, funding to boost shipping sector

  • Chinese company’s cooperation with Pakistan is expected to cover ship acquisition and operational services
  • The development is part of Pakistan’s broader push to modernize shipping industry, enhance seaborne trade

KARACHI: Pakistan on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China’s Shandong Xinxu Group to deepen cooperation in ship leasing, sales and crew management, marking what officials described as a “new chapter” in maritime collaboration between the two countries.

The agreement between the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) and the Chinese firm is part of Islamabad’s broader push to modernize its shipping industry to enhance seaborne trade, Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said during the signing ceremony in Islamabad.

“This agreement marks the beginning of joint development,” Chaudhry said. “It will strengthen Pakistan’s role in the growth of the shipping industry and create an enabling environment for further investment in the maritime sector.”

Under the MoU, the Chinese company has principally agreed to provide capital and vessels to PNSC, with cooperation covering ship acquisition, leasing, marketing and operational services.

The announcement comes just days after Pakistan halved port charges at Karachi Port, the country’s largest deep-sea facility, as part of a series of reforms aimed at cutting logistics costs and supporting low-emission, climate-resilient maritime practices.

“By lowering operational costs and streamlining logistics, we are not only boosting trade competitiveness but also contributing to climate resilience,” Chaudhry said over the weekend.

The ministry has also decided to deploy technologies such as artificial intelligence and drones to monitor port activity and reduce container dwell times by up to 70 percent.

Shandong Xinxu is one of several Chinese firms expanding investment in Pakistan under the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) cooperation.


Pakistan’s deputy PM scheduled to chair Security Council meeting on UN-OIC cooperation today

Updated 24 July 2025
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Pakistan’s deputy PM scheduled to chair Security Council meeting on UN-OIC cooperation today

  • Meeting is among the signature events of Pakistan’s UN Security Council presidency in the ongoing month
  • A presidential statement urging deeper UN-OIC engagement is expected to be adopted during the session

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is expected to chair a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting today, Thursday, on ties between the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), according to Security Council Report, an independent entity that closely monitors the Council’s work.

The meeting is among the signature events of Pakistan’s UNSC presidency this month and falls under the broader agenda of UN cooperation with regional and subregional entities.

A presidential statement, initiated by Pakistan, is expected to be adopted unanimously during the session.

“The agreed text of the draft presidential statement notes the interest of utilising the existing and potential capabilities of the OIC, including through encouraging its member countries to resolve differences peacefully through dialogue, reconciliation, consultation, negotiation, good offices, mediation, and judicial settlement of disputes,” Security Council Report said.

“Among other issues, it recognizes the importance of OIC interaction with the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) in support of nationally owned peacebuilding efforts and commends OIC member states for their commitment to international peacekeeping and peacebuilding, including through the contribution of troops to UN peacekeeping operations,” it added.

Founded in 1969, OIC includes 57 member states across four continents and serves as a platform for collaboration on political, economic and social issues affecting Muslim communities.

Presidential statements are formal expressions of the Council’s consensus but are not legally binding. They require unanimous approval and are often preceded by complex negotiations.

In a concept note circulated earlier this month, Pakistan said the meeting aimed to take stock of UN-OIC collaboration and identify ways to deepen cooperation on peacekeeping, conflict prevention, counter-terrorism and institutional dialogue.

The note also posed questions about how the UN could help enhance the OIC’s conflict resolution capacity and better align institutional efforts on global peace and security.


Grenade attack kills one, injures three in southwest Pakistan

Updated 24 July 2025
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Grenade attack kills one, injures three in southwest Pakistan

  • Incident took place in the mountainous town of Aab-e-Gum, located in Balochistan’s Kachi district
  • No group has claimed responsibility, though the area is considered a stronghold of BLA separatists

QUETTA: A man was killed and three others injured in an attack on Wednesday night in southwestern Balochistan province after unknown individuals threw a hand grenade at a group of civilians sitting outside their house, a senior police official said.

The attack was reported at 10 PM in the mountainous town of Aab-e-Gum, located in Kachi district, after unidentified men lobbed a hand grenade at four people, Rana Muhammad Dilawar, Superintendent of Police in the area, told Arab News over the phone.

“One man identified as Ahmed was killed in the grenade attack and three others were injured,” he said, adding: “The injured were shifted to Mach District Headquarter Hospital before two of them were referred to Quetta.”

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, though Pakistan’s restive province has been the site of a separatist insurgency for several decades, with militants belonging to groups like the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) often targeting members of the Pakistani armed forces, state-backed tribal leaders and non-local workers in such attacks.

“Police have been investigating the motives behind targeting civilians with a grenade attack,” Dilawar said. “Hunt for the attackers is also underway in the area who fled by taking advantage of the dark.”

Aab-e-Gum is a small town located some 73 kilometers southeast of Quetta, surrounded by rugged mountains, and has remained a stronghold of ethnic Baloch separatist groups, particularly the BLA.

The group has previously targeted Punjab-bound passenger trains in the area that cross the Bolan Pass.


Gor Khatri archaeological site in Peshawar tells a 2,000-year story of empire and faith

Updated 51 min 33 sec ago
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Gor Khatri archaeological site in Peshawar tells a 2,000-year story of empire and faith

  • Caravanserai built by Mughal princess Jahan Ara sits atop archaeological layers dating to the Indo-Greek era
  • Excavation site, museum, mosque and temple reveal history of religious, cultural coexistence in Pakistan’s oldest city

PESHAWAR, Pakistan: In the heart of the ancient walled city of Peshawar, perched on one of its highest elevations, stands a site layered with millennia of history.

Gor Khatri, literally, “Warrior’s Grave,” is a sprawling archaeological complex where 13 successive civilizations have left their mark, from the Indo-Greeks of the second century BC to the British Raj.

Located at a strategic point in what is now northwestern Pakistan, the complex was once a major caravanserai on the trade routes linking Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent. Today, it remains one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban settlements in South Asia — a rare living museum.

Peshawar’s strategic geography has long made it a magnet for conquest, trade and religion.

An old fire brigade caravan on display in Gor Khatri, situated in Peshawar, Pakistan on July 16, 2025. (AN Photo)

Nestled at the mouth of the Khyber Pass — the historic invasion route into the subcontinent — the city has served as a crossroads between Central and South Asia for over two millennia. Greek settlers, Buddhist monks, Persian merchants, Mughal princesses and British generals have all passed through this terrain, leaving behind a mosaic of cultural and architectural legacies.

“Peshawar is one of the oldest living cities of South Asia,” said Dr. Numan Anwar, field supervisor at Gor Khatri for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Directorate of Archaeology and Museums.

“The site has the footprints of 13 civilizations.”

The current 160-by-160-foot square structure dates to 1641, when it was commissioned by Mughal princess Jahan Ara, daughter of Emperor Shah Jahan, and named Sarai Jahanabad. Built as a caravan rest stop, the complex included cells, chambers and grand gateways, many of which still survive.

“When Jahan Ara Begum came to that [caravan resting] spot and saw people from many regions gathering here, she had the present building constructed,” said Dr. Zakirullah Jan, associate professor at the University of Peshawar’s Department of Archaeology.

“The cells, rooms, gateways, all were constructed during the Mughal period.”

“BUDDHA’S BOWL”

The site’s significance reaches far deeper than the Mughal era.

Gor Khatri has yielded the earliest archaeological material ever found in Peshawar, dating back to the Indo-Greek period, roughly the second or third century BC.

Overview of Gor Khatri, an archaeological site in Peshawar, Pakistan, pictured on July 16, 2025. (AN Photo)

“The earliest level that has been discovered related to the history and archaeology of Peshawar came from the site of Gor Khatri,” Dr. Jan said.

“When Alexander came, and when the Indo-Greeks came, the Mauryans came, it touches that time.”

Excavations began in earnest in 1992 through a joint initiative by the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums and the University of Peshawar.

Archaeologists have since unearthed layers revealing Roman coins, Kushan pottery, Scythian jewelry and even traces from the White Huns and the Ghaznavid Empire.

Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang, the 7th-century Buddhist monk who translated sacred texts from Sanskrit to Chinese, is believed to have visited the site. In his writings, he is known to have described a location where “Buddha’s giant bowl was kept,” which many historians believe refers to Gor Khatri. The bowl, some researchers say, was historically kept in Peshawar and Kandahar before being moved to the Kabul Museum.

Today, a small museum inside Gor Khatri showcases pottery shards, coins, beads, seals and kitchen tools from the many civilizations that passed through.

A man pushes a cart outside the entrance gate of Gor Khatri, a Mughal-era caravanserai, in Peshawar, Pakistan, on July 16, 2025. (AN Photo) 

The complex also houses a mosque and the Goraknath Temple, a Hindu shrine built between 1834 and 1849, which now coexists in the same space — a testament to religious diversity.

“There is not a single break in the cultural history of this region,” said Dr. Jan. “Since the second century BC till now, there is a continuity of culture. That’s why the site is important.”

The British-era governor’s residence still stands at one corner of the site. Paolo Crescenzo Martino Avitabile, an Italian general in the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, once ruled Peshawar from this post between 1838 and 1842. Locally remembered as Abu Tabela, his tenure is part of the site’s colonial legacy.

On a typical day, students and families explore the site’s pathways and peek into excavated trenches, standing on layers of millennia-old soil.

“Whenever my friends come from cities like Mardan, Swat, or Lahore, I take them here to show them the positive side of Peshawar,” said Hamza Khan, 21, a student of Peace and Conflict Studies.

“This place represents religious and cultural diversity.”

The excavation work at Gor Khatri concluded in most parts in 2012, but archaeologists say there is still much to study.

What remains today is not just an ancient structure, but a microcosm of Peshawar’s civilizational depth — where Buddhist monks, Mughal princesses, British soldiers and local pilgrims have all, at some point, passed through.


TikTok says removed nearly 25 million videos in Pakistan during first quarter of 2025

Updated 24 July 2025
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TikTok says removed nearly 25 million videos in Pakistan during first quarter of 2025

  • TikTok says 95.8% of these videos were removed within 24 hours of their posting
  • Pakistani authorities have banned video-sharing service several times since 2020

ISLAMABAD: Video-sharing platform TikTok said this week it removed nearly 25 million videos in Pakistan during the first quarter of 2025 for violating its community guidelines, underscoring its efforts to ensure a safe digital space for everyone. 

TikTok shared the information in its Community Guidelines Enforcement Report, which covers data from January to March 2025.

“In Q1 2025, TikTok removed a total of 24,954,128 videos in Pakistan,” the video-sharing platform said in a press release on Wednesday.

“Proactive removal rates in Pakistan remained high at 99.4%, with 95% of these videos removed within 24 hours.”

TikTok said globally it removed around 211 million videos worldwide during the quarter, which represents about 0.9% of all content uploaded to the platform.

The platform said that of the total globally removed videos, 184,378,987 were detected and taken down using automated detection technologies, while 7,525,184 videos were reinstated after further review.

“The report also indicates that a significant portion of total removed videos— 30.1%— contained sensitive or mature themes that did not align with TikTok’s content policies,” the statement said. 

The platform said that an additional 11.5% of the videos removed globally breached the platform’s safety and civility standards, while 15.6% violated privacy and security guidelines.

“Additionally, 45.5% of the removed videos were flagged as misinformation, and 13.8% of the videos removed were flagged as edited media and AI-generated content,” it added. 

This is not the first time that TikTok has removed videos from Pakistan. It took down millions of videos in Pakistan last year also for violating community guidelines.

In the past, Pakistani authorities have banned the video-sharing service several times, with the first ban instituted in October 2020 over what was described as widespread complaints about allegedly “immoral, obscene, and vulgar” content on the app.

The service has been prohibited from operating in the country thrice for more than 15 months since then. In November 2021, a Pakistani court finally reversed the ban after TikTok assured the government it would control the spread of objectionable content.