Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari

Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to the SDGs through a meeting between First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari and the UN country team, but remains off-track on key goals like polio eradication, child nutrition, and healthcare access despite international cooperation. The article highlights governance failures, inconsistent implementation, and urgent needs in public health, education, and climate resilience.

Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari met with the UN Resident Coordinator and UN agencies in Pakistan to commit to closer cooperation on development, climate resilience, and health initiatives. The discussion highlighted efforts to strengthen public health, polio eradication, maternal and child nutrition, and the use of AI for outreach.

Doctors in Quetta announced an indefinite strike to protest an acid attack on Mahnoor Nasir, a female colleague at Civil Hospital. The attacker, Humayun Shah, was killed in an encounter, while Dr. Nasir remains in stable condition in Karachi. Abdul Razzaq, a ward boy who aided her, was recognized for his actions, and political leaders condemned the incident.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti announced a civil award for Abdul Razzaq Tarakai, a man who assisted a female doctor after she was attacked with acid at Quetta’s Civil Hospital. The doctor, Mahnoor Nisar, sustained severe burns, and Tarakai’s intervention was praised by CM Bugti and MNA Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, who requested the President to confer the highest civilian award on him.