ISLAMABAD: March 21 –
Mr.Jiang Zaidong, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China called on Attaullah Tarar, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting
ISLAMABAD: March 21 –
Rain likely in upper KP, GB, Kashmir: PMD
ISLAMABAD, Mar 21 (APP):Rain-wind/thunderstorm with light snowfall over hills is likely in Gilgit-Baltistan, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir and adjoining hilly areas during the next 24 hours according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast.
Dry weather is expected in most parts of the country, while partly cloudy in upper areas. As per synoptic situation, a shallow westerly wave was affecting upper parts of the country and likely to persist till tomorrow.
During the last 24 hours, light to moderate rain occurred at isolated places in Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Upper Punjab, Northern Balochistan, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
While dry weather remained elsewhere in the country.
The rainfall recorded during the period was (mm): Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Kalam 11mm, Dir (Lower 07), Pattan 07, Malamjabba 05, Chitral, Mirkhani 02 and Parachinar, Saidu sharif, Drosh 01mm.
The maximum temperatures recorded were Shaheed Benazirabad 41C, Chhor, Sakrand 40, Mithi, Mohenjodaro, Hyderabad, Padaidan and Tando Jam 39 C.
Ambassador attends Iftaar hosted by ruler of Ras Al Khaimah
ISLAMABAD, Mar 21 (APP): His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, received Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi in Ras Al Khaimah on Thursday at an Iftaar hosted for all Resident Ambassadors accredited to the United Arab Emirates.
Ambassador Tirmizi conveyed the Ramazan greetings from the President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan to the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah.
Pakistan to enhance role of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes: FM
BRUSSELS, Mar 21 (APP): Minister for Foreign Affairs Ishaq Dar Thursday said Pakistan will remain a steadfast partner of the international community and the IAEA in further enhancing role of nuclear technology for energy and other peaceful purposes.
Speaking at the Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels, he said the Summit was taking place in times of rising energy demands and associated supply-side challenges triggered by wars, contestations and climate change concerns.
Energy security stands high on global priorities — for both developing and developed world, he said adding, “We need clean and cost effective energy.”
With immense power density, negligible carbon footprints and no Greenhouse emissions, nuclear energy offers a viable solution for the future, he said adding, “We endorsed nuclear energy as one of the low-emission technologies in the recent COP-28.”
The minister said it was gratifying that technology innovations continue to make nuclear energy safer and more cost-effective.
“We must continue our focus on safety, waste management, and proliferation. States must also continue to ensure focus on nuclear safety and security, waste management and compliance with non-proliferation obligations.”
Small modular reactors hold the promise of bringing nuclear power to remote or underserved communities, providing access to clean and affordable energy where it is needed most, he added.
He said Pakistan had 100 reactor-years experience of safely operating nuclear power plants.
“We started construction of first nuclear power plant in Karachi in the early sixties (1960s). Presently, Pakistan has six operating nuclear power plants generating 3,530 MW of electricity. Nuclear energy constitutes around 8% of our installed electric generation capacity.
“Given rising domestic energy demands and climate vulnerabilities, nuclear energy is being prioritized in both our National Electricity Policy and National Climate Change Policy.
The installed nuclear energy capacity in the country has avoided more than 100 Million tons of CO2 emissions so far. Pakistan has fully trained human resource capable to support nuclear power infrastructure,” he continued.
The minister said, “Our robust regulatory infrastructure ensures comprehensive safety and security of national nuclear installations and materials across all domains. Pakistan also stands ready to share its experience and expertise in peaceful uses of nuclear technology with the world.”
“We value our partnership with IAEA, which is not limited to energy only.”
“We have 3 IAEA collaborating centers for nuclear safety and security, food and agriculture and Applications of Innovative Nuclear Technologies,” he remarked.
He said, “We wish to further enhance our cooperation on initiatives of DG IAEA including ‘Atoms4NetZero’, ‘Atoms4Food’, ‘Rays of Hope’, ‘Zodiac’, ‘NUTEC Plastics’ and ‘Marie Curie fellowships’.”
He said, for further development of nuclear energy, he would like to emphasize three points:
“One, access to technology, provision of nuclear power reactors, nuclear fuel and other associated infrastructure to the developing countries in accordance with respective Safeguard obligations.”
“Two, financing nuclear power projects.
Financing for nuclear energy, through IFIs and multilateral development funds, need to be catalyzed,” he added.
“Three, increasing IAEA technical cooperation fund. IAEA’s capacity for technical assistance in peaceful uses of nuclear energy may be facilitated through either a dedicated funding stream or through enhanced allocations to existing technical cooperation fund,” he concluded.
Tribunal reserves verdict on Sanam Javed’s appeal against rejection of nomination papers
LAHORE, Mar 21 (APP):An appellate tribunal on Thursday reserved its verdict on an appeal filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activist Sanam Javed Khan against the rejection of her nomination papers for the Senate elections.
The tribunal, comprising Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan, heard the appeal and reserved the verdict upon completion of arguments by the parties.
During the proceedings, the applicant’s counsel argued that the returning officer rejected his client’s nomination papers contrary to the law. He submitted that his client’s nomination papers were rejected based on the unfounded objection of concealing a plot, as she does not possess any such property. He also complained that jail authorities did not cooperate for fulfilling the necessary legal requirements regarding the nomination papers. He pleaded with the tribunal to allow his client to contest the election after accepting her nomination papers.
However, a counsel for the Election Commission submitted that the applicant did not provide details of assets and accounts of her spouse, as required under the Election rules.
On March 19, Provincial Election Commissioner Punjab Aijaz Anwar Chohan, who also served as the returning officer for the Senate polls in Punjab, rejected the nomination papers of Sanam Javed Khan for women-reserved seats.
FMs of Pakistan, Turkiye agree to enhance trade, investment
BRUSSELS, Mar 21 (APP): Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Minister of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of Nuclear Energy Summit 2024 in Brussels today and discussed matters of mutual interest.
The Ministers reviewed Pakistan-Turkiye ties and noted with satisfaction the upward trajectory in bilateral relations in all domains. They reaffirmed commitment to further enhance bilateral trade and investment.
The two Ministers also agreed to further enhance defence and strategic cooperation and to enhance cooperation in all peaceful uses of nuclear technology. Foreign Minister Dar reiterated Pakistan’s readiness to share experience and expertise in nuclear energy and applications.
Easypaisa, Unilever’s Knorr join hands to transform digital payments landscape
ISLAMABAD, Mar 21 (APP):Easypaisa, Pakistan’s leading digital financial services platform, and Knorr, Unilever’s biggest food brand, have joined forces to revolutionize the digital payments landscape in the country.
The alliance represents a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to modernize and streamline the value chain for sampling initiatives, marking a significant step forward in leveraging technology to enhance convenience, accessibility, and affordability in digital payments, said a news release.
By combining the strengths of easypaisa’s robust digital payment platform with Knorr’s renowned brand presence, both organizations are poised to deliver unparalleled value to customers across Pakistan.
The initiative is currently being executed in 20 marketplaces across 14 cities, including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Faisalabad.
Through this partnership, customers purchasing two packs of Knorr Chotu from shops will have the opportunity to participate in an engaging Wheel of Fortune (WOF) game – which is part of our collective effort to digitalize the product sampling process.
This game offers customers a chance to win exclusive gifts, including Easypaisa ‘peel & win’ voucher codes and additional Knorr Chotu packs.
To claim the easypaisa vouchers, customers need to simply scan the QR code provided on the ‘peel & win’ vouchers. On successfully scanning the QR code the customers will be rerouted to the Easypaisa app, where they will enter their unique voucher code in the designed Knorr branded module. Upon successful redemption, customers will receive Rs. 50 in their Easypaisa account balance.
To gain actionable insights on the efficacy of the initiative, a digital customer feedback form will also be circulated to users within the Easypaisa app to gather real-time feedback regarding the product and the activity, a testament to our commitment to a customer-first approach.
FM, DG IAEA discuss issues related to nuclear energy
BRUSSELS, Mar 21 (APP):Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar Thursday met Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, on the sidelines of the Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels.
The Foreign Minister appreciated IAEA’s role in enhancing peaceful uses of nuclear technology and for organizing the First ever Nuclear Energy Summit. He highlighted that as a founder member, Pakistan attached great importance to the Agency’s work.
The Foreign Minister also highlighted the importance of nuclear energy in combatting climate change and Pakistan’s desire to enhance share of nuclear energy in the energy mix. He also underscored the importance of technical cooperation work of the Agency to which Pakistan is also making significant contribution.
Foreign Minister Dar stressed that the international financial institutions and banks should support nuclear energy projects in developing countries to enable them to meet their energy needs and achieving zero emissions goals. He urged IAEA to continue its role in sensitizing the world about the importance of nuclear energy as a clean source.
The Director General IAEA appreciated Pakistan’s collaboration with the agency. He added that in Asia, Pakistan is playing a key role in sharing experience and expertise with developing countries. He agreed that financing of nuclear projects was an issue and that he would soon engage with International Financial Institutions to resolve the issue.
The Director General IAEA fondly recalled his visit to Pakistan last year, when he had the first hand experience of visiting Pakistan’s facilities and witnessing Pakistan’s progress in the field of peaceful applications of nuclear technology.
People break their fast during Iftar arranged by NGO during holy month of Ramazan at Press Club Chowrangi
KARACHI: March 21 –
KARACHI: March 21 – A large number of people breaking fast (Iftar) in the holy month of Ramzan ul Mubarak at road side. APP/AMH/ABB
Federal Minister for Interior, Narcotics Control and Chairperson Pakistan Cricket Board Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi calls on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif
ISLAMABAD: March 21 –