In partnership with
Profit
PAKISTAN SUPPORTS IAEA’S ROLE IN PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE USE OF NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY: PM Wednesday, 18 February, 2026 | 29 Sha’ban, 1447
g
g
PREMIER SHEHBAZ MEETS IAEA DG RAFAEL MARIANO GROSSI, PRAISES STRONG PAKISTAN-IAEA PARTNERSHIP GROSSI LAUDS PAKISTAN’S CONTRIBUTION TO WORK OF IAEA IN AREAS OF NUCLEAR SAFETY AND SECURITY
g
g
Rs 20.00 | Vol XVI No 225 | 8 Pages | Lahore Edition
BOTH WITNESS AGREEMENT SIGNING TO DESIGNATE INMOL LAHORE AS IAEA COLLABORATING CENTRE FOR NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND CANCER CARE
PM ALSO CALLS FOR RENEWED GLOBAL COMMITMENT TO INCLUSIVE, EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT, HIGHLIGHTS PAKISTAN’S VULNERABILITY TO CLIMATE DISASTERS DESPITE LOW EMISSIONS
PM Shehbaz arrives in London after Austria visit, to travel onward to US LONDON
staff report
P
VIENNA/ISLAMABAD saleem jadoon
RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) role in the promotion of responsible use of nuclear technology during an official visit to Vienna. “Premier Shehbaz Sharif reaffirms Pakistan’s support for the IAEA’s role in the promotion of responsible use of nuclear technology in areas such as cancer diagnosis and treatment, agriculture, nuclear power generation and industrial
applications,” said a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday. PM Shehbaz was talking with IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi during a meeting at the Vienna International Centre, the statement said. “He praised the strong partnership between Pakistan and the IAEA, while observing that Pakistan was not only a beneficiary of the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme but was also contributing to the work of the IAEA through the provision of its experts and conducting international trainings for IAEA member states,” the PMO said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reached London on Tuesday for a brief two-day stay after wrapping up his official visit to Austria. The prime minister’s aircraft touched down at Luton Airport, where he was received by Pakistan’s envoy to the United Kingdom and senior mission officials before leaving for his accommodation in the city. He is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant Syed Tariq Fatemi. Officials said that after completing
The statement added that the IAEA director general acknowledged Pakistan’s “experience and expertise in the peaceful uses of nuclear technology and the high quality of its engineers, scientists and technicians”. “Among other things, he appreciated Pakistan’s contribution to the work of the IAEA in the areas of nuclear safety and security,” the statement said.
engagements in London, the premier will travel onward to the United States to participate in President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace meeting focused on Gaza. Diplomatic sources indicated that Asim Munir is also expected to be present in Washington during the same period. The forum, scheduled for February 19, aims to reinforce the ceasefire and coordinate financial assistance for rebuilding the conflict-hit enclave. Earlier, the prime minister termed his Austria tour highly important, noting that it marked the first visit by a Pakistani premier to the country in over 30 years and coincided with seven decades of diplomatic relations between the two states.
It said that Grossi further said that Pakistan was “well placed” to help other member states in the “peaceful applications of nuclear technology”.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03
Opposition sit-in enters fifth day as PTI demands Imran Khan’s hospital transfer ISLAMABAD
staff Correspondent
The sit-in by the Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ain Pakistan (TTAP) and the Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) entered its fifth consecutive day on Tuesday, with protests continuing at two key locations inside the Red Zone amid heightened security and mounting political tensions. The primary demonstration is being staged within Parliament premises under the leadership of Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai, alongside Opposition Leader in the Senate Raja Nasir Abbas. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, senior leader Asad Qaiser, Salman Akram Raja and several lawmakers are also participating. A parallel sit-in remains underway outside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House, where K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is present. Addi-
tional prison vans have been stationed outside the premises, signalling authorities’ preparedness for possible detentions. Strategy Meeting Underway A high-level consultative meeting chaired by Achakzai is ongoing in the Opposition Chamber to determine the next phase of the protest. Sources said the opposition is weighing options ranging from expanding parliamentary agitation to intensifying legal recourse. Lawmakers have reiterated that the sit-in will not end until former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan is shifted to a specialised medical facility and granted access to his family and personal physicians. Medical Board Report and PTI’s Rejection A federal medical board comprising senior ophthalmologists Dr Nadeem Qureshi and Dr Arif examined Imran at Adiala Jail on Sunday. According to the report, his unaided vision in the right eye was 6/24 (partial), improving to 6/9 (partial) with corrective lenses, while the
left eye measured 6/6 with correction. The report noted mild vitreous haemorrhage and moderate retinal haemorrhage in all four quadrants of the right eye. It added that swelling in the macula had reduced significantly — from 550 to 350 microns — and outlined ongoing medication, recommending OCT angiography and fundus fluorescein angiography after completion of anti-VEGF therapy. However, it did not advise hospital transfer. PTI leaders, however, questioned the transparency of the medical evaluation. Latif Khosa wrote to Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi expressing concern over what he described as secrecy surrounding the examination. Imran’s sister, Aleema Khan, categorically rejected medical reports circulating in the media and demanded his immediate transfer to Shifa International Hospital under the supervision of Dr Asim Yousuf, in the presence of family members.
Sri Lanka removes Pakistan from negative visa lists COLOMBO
staff report
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed authorities to immediately remove Pakistan from all “negative” visa lists following a meeting with Pakistan’s Federal Interior Minister and Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi. The move is seen as an important step toward facilitating travel for Pakistani nationals and improving bilateral relations between the two countries. During the meeting, Naqvi highlighted the problems faced by Pakistanis in obtaining Sri Lankan visas. In response, President Dissanayake instructed officials to eliminate Pakistan from restrictive visa categories, a decision expected to benefit tourists, businesspeople and other travellers. The directive was issued during talks between the Sri Lankan president, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain. President Dissanayake acknowledged Pakistan’s support to Sri Lanka during challenging periods and reaffirmed his intention to strengthen ties. He also announced that Sri Lanka’s prime minister would soon undertake a visit to Pakistan. Discussions between the delegations covered cooperation in counter-terrorism, anti-narcotics operations and joint training of security forces. President Dissanayake thanked Pakistan for agreeing to play a T20 World Cup match against India in Colombo, describing it as a gesture of goodwill. Naqvi conveyed appreciation for the Sri Lankan leadership’s efforts to deepen bilateral relations and extended an invitation from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for President Dissanayake to visit Pakistan. He also thanked the Sri Lankan government for the hospitality and arrangements provided to the Pakistani delegation during the cricket event. In a message posted on his official X account, President Dissanayake said he had met Naqvi and Salik Hussain and that both sides reaffirmed their longstanding friendship while expressing gratitude for Pakistan’s support to Sri Lanka in difficult times.