����ֱ��

KARACHI: Pakistan’s southern Sindh province will deploy its first cohort of female bike ambulance responders by the end of the current quarter, health authorities said on Wednesday, adding the women will be part of a gender-inclusive emergency response team and operate motorbikes to reach patients in hard-to-access areas.

The initiative, launched by Sindh Integrated Emergency and Health Services (SIEHS-1122), aims to improve access to pre-hospital care in congested urban neighborhoods where conventional ambulances are often delayed.

It also marks a move toward greater gender representation in emergency services, with female and male responders working in integrated teams across Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur.

“By the end of this quarter, 50 trained female responders will be deployed across Sindh — each stationed at designated take-off points to deliver swift care,” SIEHS said in a statement. “They’ll be riding 150cc bikes, not the usual 70cc — purpose-built vehicles fitted with essential life-saving equipment, communication devices, and emergency drugs.”

According to SIEHS, the responders underwent four weeks of field-based training in simulated emergency conditions, including drills and navigation under heat stress, to prepare them for rapid medical intervention in densely populated localities.

Each bike is equipped to function as a mobile unit for stabilizing patients prior to transport, and the service is expected to complement existing ambulance fleets already operating in the province under the 1122 emergency network.

The statement said the initiative will help Sindh join a growing list of jurisdictions worldwide adopting bike-based emergency models to shorten response times and expand coverage in urban and peri-urban areas.

SIEHS said the program builds on earlier initiatives, including the deployment of female ambulance drivers in Sanghar, and reflects ongoing efforts to improve community-level access to emergency care while promoting gender inclusion in public service roles.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Türkiye’s navies concluded their first-ever bilateral amphibious exercise in the port city of Karachi, aimed at enhancing “maritime collaboration and interoperability,” state media reported on Wednesday.

A naval amphibious exercise is a military drill that simulates the landing of troops from ships onto a coastline, designed to strengthen coordination and combat readiness for assaults, evacuations or disaster response operations.

The exercise featured combat firing techniques, amphibious operation drills, convoy escorting drills along with military operations in urban terrain.

“Live firing drills and close combat scenarios designed to sharpen tactical coordination and readiness in littoral environments were also a part of the exercise,” the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said in its report.

“The exercise culminated with a comprehensive amphibious drill in the designated coastal area validating operational readiness of both navies.”

It added the bilateral exercise reflected the “deep-rooted” defense partnership between Pakistan and Türkiye, reaffirming their shared commitment to regional peace through regular joint training.

Pakistan Navy Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf also visited to Türkiye recently, where he was conferred the prestigious Turkish military honor, the “Legion of Merit,” in recognition of his efforts to enhance maritime cooperation between the two countries.

Pakistan and Türkiye maintain strong diplomatic, economic and defense relations.

Turkish defense firms have played a significant role in modernizing Pakistan’s Agosta 90B-class submarines and have also supplied Islamabad with advanced military equipment including drones

The two nations regularly hold joint military drills to boost cooperation and synergy. The last exercise, Ataturk-XIII in February, brought together special forces for combat training to enhance interoperability.