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KARACHI: Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Chief Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu on Wednesday discussed joint air exercises, exchange training programs and expanding bilateral defense ties with his Romanian counterpart, Lt Gen Leonard-Gabriel Baraboi, during his visit to the European country, the Pakistani military said.

Sidhu was given a guard-of-honor at the Romanian Air Force Headquarters in Bucharest upon his arrival, the Pakistani military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said. Later, he and Baraboi discussed regional security dynamics and reaffirmed the importance of bilateral cooperation to strengthen regional and global security, according to the ISPR.

The meeting in Romania follows Pakistan’s military confrontation with India in May, when the PAF claimed it downed six Indian fighter jets. India’s defense chief acknowledged that it lost fighter jets to Pakistan but rejected the claim that six had been shot down by Pakistan. Several countries have sought closer ties and collaboration with the PAF since then. 

“The Air Chief held detailed discussions with Lt. Gen. Baraboi centered on advancing operational cooperation, including joint air exercises, exchange programs and training of air and ground crew,” the ISPR said. 

“During the meeting, the two air chiefs discussed expanding air force cooperation and strengthening defense-industrial partnerships in advanced aerospace technologies.”

The ISPR highlighted that the PAF chief’s visit to Romania marked a milestone in the military relations between the countries and their enduring commitment to peace and development in a rapidly evolving security environment.

Pakistan has also attempted to enhance defense ties and initiate air force training programs and exercises since its skirmishes with India in May. 

In June, the PAF committed to providing basic and tactical-level training to Belarusian fighter pilots, followed by Sidhu’s visit to the US, the first by a serving PAF chief in more than ten years.

Senior PAF and Turkiye air force officials also agreed in September to enhance cooperation in joint training, mutual exercises and multi-domain operations.

In September, the PAF and Iraq resolved to enhance training initiatives and joint exercises between the two countries to improve interoperability.

ISLAMABAD: Imperial College London on Tuesday rejected media reports that it was opening an overseas campus in the eastern city of Lahore as part of the planned Nawaz Sharif IT City. 

A flagship infrastructure project spanning about 853 acres near Bedian Road in Punjab, the initiative aims to serve as an education and tech hub with commercial and residential zones.

Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said in a social media post on October 18 that the chief minister had chaired a meeting in which “important decisions were made.” She said an Imperial College London campus will be established in the Nawaz Sharif IT City, which would also include a state-of-the-art 300-bed hospital. She added that the project’s foundation stone would be laid in November.

“Reports that Imperial College London plans to open a campus overseas are incorrect,” the UK-based institution said on its website.

“There have been erroneous reports in the media and online that Imperial is opening a campus at Nawaz Sharif IT City in Lahore, Pakistan,” it added. “Imperial has no such plans, with all the university’s campuses based in the UK.”

However, the Central Business District Punjab (CBD) clarified that the upcoming project at the Nawaz Sharif IT City [NSIT] was a health care university and affiliated medical college, adding that it is a collaborative initiative between NovaCare and the Imperial College Healthcare National Health Service (NHS) Trust of the UK. 

It clarified that Imperial College NHS Trust was an independent institution of the NHS. 

“The project remains firmly on track under the NovaCare–ICHT partnership, advancing our mission to establish a world-class hub for health care education, research, and innovation at CBD NSIT [Nawaz Sharif IT City], Lahore, under the direct supervision of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (UK),” it added. 

Nawaz Sharif IT City is backed by the Punjab administration of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz who has named the initiative after her father who previously served three times as the country’s prime minister.

The project promises to make Lahore a major regional hub for technology, education and innovation.