2 Hindu men set to join Pakistan’s federal civil service
Islamabad, May 3: Two men from the minority Hindu community are set to join the federal civil service of Pakistan, where representation of such groups in government jobs is historically low. Jeevan Rebari and Khem Chand Jandora, both from Sindh province, were among the 170 candidates qualified to join the Central Superior Services (CSS) following the declaration of results by the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) on Thursday. With a total population of 3.8 million, Hindus are the largest minority community in Pakistan, mostly residing in Sindh province, according to the 2023 population census. Minority representation in Pakistan’s CSS is historically low, prompting the government to launch initiatives like the special training programme in 2025 to increase inclusion. According to the FPSC, 12,792 people across the country appeared in the written examinations, out of which 355 passed, and the total number of selected candidates stood at 170 after further rounds. According to the official data, 123 seats reserved for minorities are vacant, which further highlights the importance of these men making it to the top list. (PTI)
New Indian envoy to China arrives in Beijing; gets warm welcome
Beijing, May 3: India’s Ambassador-designate to China Vikram Doraiswami on Sunday arrived in Beijing to take up his new assignment, and was accorded a warm welcome by senior Chinese and Indian officials. Deputy Director, Asia Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Li Jianbo and Charge d’Affairs of the Indian Embassy Angeline Premalatha, along with senior officials of the Indian mission, received Doraiswami when he arrived from Shanghai, officials said. Doraiswami reached Shanghai on Saturday to take up his posting amid expectations that his appointment will add momentum to the current normalisation process of Sino-India relations. (PTI)
More than 130 foreign nationals held in Sri Lanka for cyber fraud
Colombo, May 3: More than 130 foreign nationals were arrested in Sri Lanka for alleged cybercrime operations over the last two days, police said. The police actions are part of a wider crackdown on cross-border online fraud networks operating from the island nation. In a raid in Thalangama, a suburb of Colombo, the police arrested 37 Chinese nationals on Saturday. One of them was a woman, two of them did not have valid visas, and one did not possess a passport, according to the police. All of them were aged between 24 and 44. In a separate raid on Sunday, more than 100 people were arrested in Rajagiriya, another Colombo suburb. Those arrested in the second raid were from different countries that include China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Madagascar, the Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia. They were operating from a rented apartment, the police said. Those arrested in the raids have been booked under the Computer Crimes Act – Sri Lanka’s main law to counter cybercrime, hacking, and data misuse among other things. These arrests follow a series of similar operations in recent months, police said. (PTI)
