LAHORE, MAR 24 (DNA)- Education is one of the greatest engines for societal development, laying a strong foundation for economic empowerment. To support Pakistan’s initiatives of making education accessible to its children, Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has donated essential supplies and limited-edition, handcrafted backpacks from its ‘Air crafted by Emirates’ collection to a non-profit organisation in Pakistan.
Pakistan has made significant reforms in its education system, continuously improving its infrastructure and resources to provide equal opportunities to children across the country. To support their efforts in rolling out access to education for children in rural areas, Emirates assisted the students of SOS Children’s Villages by donating 107 practical, stylish backpacks filled with stationery, books and hygiene supplies. The NGO was selected carefully as it serves local communities by creating a nurturing and inspirational space for financially disadvantaged youths to continue their education. The institute has a longstanding legacy of supporting youth and a particular focus on education. The initiative reinforces the airline’s commitment to ‘connecting communities’ by building enduring relationships and making meaningful differences in the destinations it serves.
Mohammed Al Nahari Alhashmi, Vice President, Pakistan for Emirates said: “We are pleased to collaborate with organizations such as SOS Village that share our commitment to advancing UN Sustainable Development Goal No. 4 to ensure every child has access to quality education and gets a chance to learn, thrive and unlock their full potential. With 17 branches across Pakistan, SOS Children’s Villages has a wide network in the country. They have been carefully selected for their dedicated work in providing abandoned or orphaned children with a safe and stable home where they can pursue their education.
“Donating the Aircrafted KIDS bags made with recycled materials and filled with essential stationary, learning and hygiene items will equip children with confidence and tools to make their everyday learning journey easier. We take pride in sharing our upcycled bags as this initiative not only promotes sustainability but also connects children in Pakistan with a piece of our history.”
Saba Faisal, the National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Pakistan, said: “It was a pleasure to host the Emirates team, and we would like to thank them for supporting the educational development of our children, who come from vulnerable backgrounds yet possess immense potential to achieve success and positively contribute to society. We are grateful for companies such as Emirates for their contribution towards the wellbeing of our students and impact them in such a positive way. It was a delight for our children to meet the Emirates team, receive the bags, and create happy memories they will cherish forever.”
To ensure the NGO received exactly what they needed for each and every student, SOS Children’s Villages handpicked the specific bags they required from the ‘Aircrafted KIDS by Emirates’ collection, accounting for children of all ages. The backpacks were then handmade by Emirates Engineering in-house, with materials upcycled from the airline’s iconic A380 and B777 aircraft that underwent refurbishments.
In addition to the bags, Emirates provided school and hygiene supplies such as pens, pencils, erasers, calculators, notebooks, sanitizers, soaps, toothpastes and more. The airline also purchased books which blend culturally rich stories with interactive learning opportunities. The books can be swapped and discussed amongst the students, further developing their understanding of the material.
Under the Aircrafted program more than 50,000 kg of materials from 191 aircrafts slated to undergo the airline’s interior cabin retrofit programme are expected to be recovered and repurposed. In addition to the donations made in Pakistan, Emirates provided organisations in Bangladesh and India with bags, bringing the total donation to 700 in Asia alone after donating 1,239 in Africa in the previous months.
![PESHAWAR, JAN 12 /DNA/ - Owing to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's precarious law and order circumstances, the provincial assembly has written a letter to the Peshawar corps commander seeking an in-camera briefing on ongoing operations and the security situation in the province. "The [special] Committee desires to receive a detailed briefing from Headquarters XI Corps, Peshawar, particularly in the context of the ongoing operations being conducted by the federal government and LEAs in the merged districts of KP," reads the letter issued by KP Assembly Deputy Secretary Tariq Noor, while referring to the Special Committee (on Security) constituted by the house. The committee features more than 40 members, including the leader of the house, the leader of the opposition and provincial ministers, along with parliamentary leaders of respective political parties. The letter, dated January 8, also points out that the committee has received detailed briefings from key stakeholders, including the chief secretary, the additional chief secretary, the IGP, and now seeks a briefing as part of the consultative process. Letter written by KP Assemblys deputy secretary to Headquarters XI Corps. — Reporter Letter written by KP Assembly's deputy secretary to Headquarters XI Corps. — Reporter The KP Assembly's request for a briefing from a senior army commander comes as the province, as stated by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry in a recent media briefing, accounted for nearly 71% of all the terrorist incidents in 2025. The overwhelming share of KP in facing terror incidents, as per the military's spokesperson, was due to a "politically conducive environment and the flourishing political-criminal-terror-nexus" in the province. Noting that the Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in KP was resisting counterterrorism efforts at every forum — a claim denied by the PTI — Lt Gen Chaudhry highlighted that the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) carried out 75,175 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across the country in 2025, of which 14,658 IBOs were conducted in KP. Out of the total 5,397 terrorism incidents reported nationwide in the previous year, as many as 3,811 incidents occurred in KP. The issue of terrorism and military operations has been a point of contention between the PTI's KP government and the Centre in recent times, where the former has time and again stressed a political solution and dialogue, whereas the latter has pressed on with taking action against the terrorists. This is also reflected by the KP Assembly's letter to the Headquarters XI Corps, Peshawar, which says that the Special Committee (on Security) "acknowledges the importance of security measures but considers that operation alone without broader political, social and developmental initiatives may not ensure suitable peace and stability and could risk further unrest in the province".](https://islamabadpost.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/security-forces-218x150.jpg "KP Assembly seeks Peshawar corps commander’s in-camera briefing on security situation")
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