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Pakistani students find China’s development model inspirational

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Pakistani students find China's development model inspirational

ISLAMABAD, Jun 11 (APP):Aamir Bizenjo, a 22-year-old student of Gwadar University in Pakistan’s southwest Balochistan province, found China’s development quite interesting and inspirational, Xinhua reported on Sunday.

He has been witnessing the development in the port city of Gwadar under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and has now got a vision for the development of his province during his trip to Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, in which he met Chinese officials and visited different platforms and consortiums under the collaboration of the two countries.

He was part of a delegation comprising several Gwadar University students and faculty members that visited Islamabad from Thursday to Saturday, which was jointly organized by the Chinese embassy in Pakistan and the Islamabad-based think-tank Pakistan-China Institute.

“I am thankful to the Chinese for arranging this visit to give us exposure. We exchanged ideas with each other about economic growth and how the two countries can develop together, and seeing how China achieved prosperity gave me a new sense to work for the development of my province,” Bizenjo said in an interview with Xinhua.

According to Bizenjo, the delegation visited the Chinese embassy where they saw presentations on China’s path to modernization, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and Chinese projects in Pakistan, especially the CPEC.

“After knowing about these initiatives and projects, I got a better understanding of China and the Chinese people,” Bizenjo said, who had earlier got a China-funded scholarship at the university.

“They are not just looking for the future of China but are emphasizing that no one should be left behind and to uplift everybody,” he added.

The delegates enjoyed the interaction, and exchanged ideas with the Chinese diplomats and explained to them the situation of CPEC projects in Balochistan, particularly in Gwadar.

“Chinese are very nice people. We have seen that they always have smiles on their faces and their hospitality is very good,” Rizwan Asgher, a student of the Information Technology Department of Gwadar University, said in a conversation with Xinhua.

The Pakistani delegates appreciated China’s investment, especially their efforts under corporate social responsibility like the distribution of solar panels, laptops, health facilities, vocational institutes, etc.

They specifically thanked the Chinese for the educational scholarships, which they believed were very helpful to the youth of Balochistan and they hoped that the scope of such programs would be further expanded in the future.

“Now I want an opportunity to visit China for my capacity building and professional growth in order to learn from the Chinese universities so that I can become a good teacher,” Sadia Naseer, Director of Student Affairs at Gwadar University, told the Chinese diplomats.

“On the other hand, highlighting the economy of Pakistan, the Chinese friends told us that youth has the most important role in the economic growth of a country,” Bizenjo said.

A country achieves economic growth when its youth becomes energetic and skillful, he quoted the Chinese diplomats as saying.

The delegates also had engagements, and interactions with the members of the All-Pakistan Chinese Enterprises’ Association (APCEA), officials of the Chinese desk at Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, and took a trip to the Confucius Institute at Islamabad-based National University of Modern Languages where they also had a dialogue with its faculty and administration.

Bizenjo said the engagement at APCEA had been very productive as he got a lot of business ideas from it and is now interested in exploring them in Balochistan in the future.

The group also took a tour of a China-funded compassionate home Islamabad China-Pakistan Youth One Heart Step and Cure Home, where underprivileged children, including orphans, suffering from long-term diseases, and attendants of patients who had been admitted to hospitals for long-term treatment got free of cost accommodation, food, and education.

“The most inspirational moment for me was to visit this place where the Chinese are taking care of orphans and other kids. I gave them my contact number and said that I want to open its branch in my hometown as well,” said Bizenjo.

Wang Shengjie at the Chinese embassy said this year marks the harvest year for the Gwadar port as the new international airport will be established this year, and the desalination water plant will also be built.

“With the joint efforts made by the Chinese and Pakistani governments, and in particular, the local people, we can make the dream come true,” said Wang.

A worker busy in cutting marble with machine at local marble factory

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A worker busy in cutting marble with machine at local marble factory
APP04-110623 ISLAMABAD: June 11 – A worker busy in cutting marble with machine at local marble factory. APP/SMR/FHA
A worker busy in cutting marble with machine at local marble factory
APP04-110623 ISLAMABAD:

A volunteer distributing free food among deserving people at Mauve Area G-7

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A volunteer distributing free food among deserving people at Mauve Area G-7
APP03-110623 ISLAMABAD: June 11 – A volunteer distributing free food among deserving people at Mauve Area G-7. APP/SAK/FHA
A volunteer distributing free food among deserving people at Mauve Area G-7
APP03-110623 ISLAMABAD:

People filling drinking water from filtration plant at Ghori town during hot day in the Federal Capital

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People filling drinking water from filtration plant at Ghori town during hot day in the Federal Capital
APP02-110623 ISLAMABAD: June 11 – People filling drinking water from filtration plant at Ghori town during hot day in the Federal Capital. APP/SAK/FHA
People filling drinking water from filtration plant at Ghori town during hot day in the Federal Capital
APP02-110623 ISLAMABAD:

A vendor sprinkling water on the seasonal fruit lychee to keep them fresh during hot day in the Federal Capital

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A vendor sprinkling water on the seasonal fruit lychee to keep them fresh during hot day in the Federal Capital
APP01-110623 ISLAMABAD: June 11 – A vendor sprinkling water on the seasonal fruit lychee to keep them fresh during hot day in the Federal Capital. APP /SAK/FHA
A vendor sprinkling water on the seasonal fruit lychee to keep them fresh during hot day in the Federal Capital
APP01-110623 ISLAMABAD:

Pak-Turkiye bilateral cooperation in diverse fields to open vistas of economic prosperity: PM

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ISLAMABAD, June 11 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday said that the enhanced bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Turkiye through joint investment and ventures would prove ‘a win-win’ situation for both countries.

In an interview with Haber Global, a Turkish Tv channel, the prime minister highlighted that a target of bilateral trade to the tune of $5 billion, in the next three years, between the two countries was very much achievable.

The prime minister said that the areas of solar and hydropower energy in Pakistan possessed huge potential, and the Turkish investors could avail of this opportunity.

“I want to assure as Prime Minister of Pakistan to do everything to facilitate Turkish investors. There is great scope between the two countries to make this wonderful journey more successful,” he added.

The prime minister opined that respective sectors of Turkiye had potential in these areas of Pakistan and it could play its role.

Our labor was more skilled, and if they have Turkish investment, it would be a good combination, thus opening vistas of opportunities for joint ventures, he added.

The prime minister, to another query, replied that the railroad network between Pakistan, Iran and Turkiye could play a very important role which required improvisation.

It would definitely result in reduction of the cost of transportation and making their production of goods very compatible in the global markets, he said, adding that his aim was make this network more efficient.

Felicitating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his reelection, the prime minister said that the president had proved himself as an established statesman and politician.

The prime minister said that he was looking forward to working closely with president Erdogan to further cement their bilateral relations and trade and investment ties.

Comparing Pakistan and Turkiye as ‘one soul two hearts’ he said the relations between the two countries dated back to centuries.

Turkiye had always supported Pakistan in difficult times, ie; during floods and quakes, it had gone an extra mile to support them, he added.

Similarly, different governments of Pakistan irrespective of the political party in power, they always supported their Turkish brothers and sisters. When it came to Turkiye, all the political parties were one.

“This is the journey we have adopted and hope to achieve our mission through hard work and sincerity of purpose,” he stressed.

The prime minister said that these personal bonds of brothers and friends always helped them to come through every thick and thin.

The prime minister said that Pakistan and Turkiye enjoyed strong strategic partnership as they had also entered into joint ventures over ship making industry, adding while there were other areas in which both brotherly countries had shared interests.

He reaffirmed support to Turkiye’s territorial solidarity and  integrity and said that Turkiye had always supported Pakistan on the issue of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.  

The prime minister, responding to a question, said that they had been passing though difficult challenges, prices were sky rocketed due to imported inflation, the floods had displaced 33 million people while crops were completely washed away and infrastructure stood damaged which had cost them around $30 billion losses.

Still, he reiterated that the people of Pakistan were strong and facing these challenges, and expressed his optimism that they would negotiate through these challenges with joint efforts.

The prime minister, to another question, maintained that the coalition government had successfully galvanized the international community after floods last year and arranged a Geneva donors’ conference where the intentional community made pledges, thus it saved the country from serious dangers of default.

The previous government reneged its agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that led to very serious economic situation. They coalition government was able to negotiate with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and Pakistan was out of the grey area.

“The credit goes to the coalition government which was a big achievement,” he added.

The prime minister said that despite these challenges, they were focused on improving the economy and cited recent wheat and cotton crop yields, saying that they economy of Pakistan was improving.

The prime minister expressed the confidence that the IMF’s 9th review would sooner of later be approved as they had met all the points.

Prime Minister Sharif further said that the Indian atrocities and the sacrifices of Kashmiri people were known to the entire world.

He said that India was adamant and had a hegemonic attitude, stressing “It was a high time for the world to resolve the Kashmir issue as per UN Security Council resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.”

Unless, the issue was resolved, peace could not return. Only holding of peaceful talks was a way forward for the peaceful resolution of the issue, he said, adding the both countries needed to feed and create jobs for its population and eliminate poverty by spending their resources on these areas.

To a question, the prime minister maintained that they had formed a committee to hold parleys with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and to arrive on a peaceful settlement of holding of elections nationwide. The committees were agreed but Imran Khan refused.

He said that national and provincial assemblies elections in Pakistan were held together.

The prime minister said that the current National Assembly would complete its tenure after which elections would be held on time to strengthen democracy. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would decide about holding of polls and they would follow its instructions.

He also dispelled the allegations over provincial hegemony and said that Punjab province always acted like elder brother of the three provinces. They contributed and shared their bounties and sufferings together.

Referring to May 9 vandalism, the prime minister said that PTI chief Imran Khan was arrested on serious corruption and graft charges.

During PTI’s tenure, he had sent all the political leaders behind bars on false allegations but they had not protested in this manner, the prime minister said.

“His (IK) bunch of thugs acted on his instructions to attack vital institutions including the military installments,” he said, adding  if a serious crime was committed, the law would take its course.

 To a query, he replied that he had brought mangoes as gift to President Erdogan and his spouse.

As it was the start of mango season in Pakistan, he had brought Sindhri variety which was a very sweet one and full of aroma.

He said the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) had also advised the exchange of gifts to bring more affection and fraternity.

Ambassador Haque, CEO of ICBC Pakistan discuss financial cooperation

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Ambassador Haque, CEO of ICBC Pakistan discuss financial cooperation

BEIJING, June 11 (APP):Pakistan Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque met Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ICBC Pakistan, Zhou Bo and discussed ongoing financial cooperation.

Both discussed the ongoing financial cooperation, the Ambassador tweeted on Sunday.

The ICBC is one of China’s top bank, the key partner in China-Pakistan Economic Cooperation (CPEC) projects and the official clearing bank for RMB settlement between People’s Bank of China (PBOC) and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the Ambassador added.

Green Pakistan: A key initiative to combat climate change, desertification receives major share in budget 2023-24

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Green Pakistan: A key initiative to combat climate change, desertification receives major share in budget 2023-24

PESHAWAR, Jun 11 (APP):Grean Pakistan, a key initiative of the federal government to combat the climate change, desertification and reverse deforestation have received substantial allocation in the budget 2023-24 aimed at strengthening of the forestry and wildlife resources.

Being implemented through the Ministry of Climate Change Division with a huge allocation of Rs 4050 million under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) in the budget 2023-24, the government under its Green Pakistan programme has announced various key projects for the promotion of forestry, wildlife, environment and biodiversity resources in all provinces of Pakistan for well being of people.

“The budget is pro-forestry and agriculture as evident from the huge allocation of Rs4,050 million for various gigantic projects of the climate change division for the upcoming fiscal year that would make Pakistan green,” said Gulzar Rehman, former conservator of forests KP while talking to APP on Sunday. He said the huge budget for green sector would greatly help in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Pakistan is confronted to monster challenges of desertification, eco-degradation, deforestation and climate change and whopping plantation was the most viable option to address these environmental issues with less investment,” he said.

The National Forest Policy 2015 has revealed that Pakistan was losing about 27,000 hectares of forests per year due to high rate of deforestation, wood demands of increasing population and socioeconomic imbalances.

The forest resources were under tremendous pressure mostly in community and private-owned natural forests in Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakthunkhwa, the Policy said. In watershed areas, deforestation was making a negative impact on agriculture yield and quality of water at outlets besides triggering land degradation, floods and the loss of biodiversity.

The policy further said in riparian, low-lying and coastal areas, the deforestation and climate change-induced weather patterns including rainfalls, floods and glaciers’ melting were posing threats of amplifying sea water intrusion.

He said preciously, the agricultural land was badly affected by the last year’s devastating flood due to which the salinity increased in the soil making it unproductive for agriculture purposes.

He said environmental degradation and climate change in Pakistan are adversely affecting the economy, livelihood of the poor and sustainable development.

Gulzar said that Green Pakistan was an important initiative of the government launched through climate change division that showed Govt highest priority to strengthen forestry sector to counterbalance the effects of environmental challenges.

Tauheedul Haq, former Conservator KP Forest Department hailed Federal Budget and Green Pakistan program, adding such programs were helpful in maintaining of ground watertable.

He said Pakistan was gradually heading towards water stress country due to climate change-induced weather patterns and shortage of dams, which might lead to food insecurity for living creatures in future.

According to National Water Policy, the per capita surface water availability had declined from 5,260 cubic meters per year in 1951 to around 1,000 cubic meters in 2016 and this quantity would likely to further drop to 860 cubic meters in next few years if deforestation continues with existing pace.

The policy warned that the groundwater situation was expected to further drop in the country mostly in Punjab and Sindh provinces, where about one million tube wells were currently pumping about 55 million acres feet (MAF) of underground water for irrigation, which is 20pc more than that available from canals.

The budget document revealed that under the ongoing schemes, the government had allocated Rs 3,950 million for three ongoing schemes including Rs 26.5 million for capacity building on water quality and monitoring and SDG (6.1), Rs 20.95 million for Climate Resilient Urban Human Settlements Unit and Rs 3,902.55 million for a revised project of Up-scaling of Green Pakistan Programme.

Under the new schemes, he said that Rs 100 million was earmarked for the Pakistan Bio-safety Clearing House (Pak-BCH) for GMOs Regulation, Rs. 2,800 million for a national programme for the improvement of watercourses phase-II, Rs. 900 million for the national programme for enhancing the commend area in Barani areas of Pakistan and Rs. 700 million for the promotion of olive cultivation on a commercial scale.

Talking to APP, Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, Deputy Project Director of Ten Billion Trees Afforestation Project welcomed the Federal Budget 2023-24 and Green Pakistan program. He said that the Program would help combat climate change and environmental challenges. He said climate change is expected to increase the frequency of heavy precipitation in the country, especially in KP, which can harm agricultural crops by eroding soil and depleting soil nutrients.

He said heavy rains can also increase agricultural runoff into oceans, lakes, and streams that can harm water quality and negatively impacted wildlife and aquatic resources, adding water table is dropping due to excessive water usage by the car washing stations and fast glaciers melting.

The Met Office spokesman told APP that the national rainfall recorded last month was excessively high and above average i.e plus 127pc and stands second wettest rainfall in May during the past 63 years as 34.30 mm rainfall was recorded in 1987.

The record breaking rainfall and hailstorms recorded in May last and the yesterday’s devastated storms coupled with rainfalls in Bannu and Lakki Marwat have badly affected the production of watermelon, melon and tomato crops in these areas.

To counter climate change and deforestation, he said the Billion Trees Afforestation Project was launched in 2014 under which around 1.20 billion saplings were planted in its first phase in Khyber Pakthunkhwa.

He said the program was later extended to all provinces of Pakistan in 2018 where 10 billion plants including the additional one billion in KP would be planted to offset the effects of climate change and deforestation.

He said that the national project was being implemented by the Ministry of Climate Change along with provincial forest departments and would continue in the upcoming fiscal year.

Ibrahim said that 690.16 million plants including 352 million through 6081 enclosures and 337.06 million by farm forestry under the 10 billion trees afforestation project were planted by April 30, 2023. The provincial climate change policy 2016, range land policy and the REDD plus strategy were implemented in the province, he added.
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From devastation to reconstruction: Pakistan’s path to climate resilience

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From devastation to reconstruction: Pakistan’s path to climate resilience

By Andleeb Khan

ISLAMABAD, Jun 11 (APP): Climate change knows no borders, and Pakistan bears witness to its indiscriminate wrath. The country finds itself at the mercy of a tumultuous climate, where rising temperatures disrupt rainfall patterns and plunge communities into a perpetual cycle of water scarcity and water-related disasters. Striving for resilience, Pakistan unites with international partners, undertaking bold measures to protect its people, rebuild shattered lives, and forge a sustainable future.

The United Nations and the Government of Pakistan co-hosted the ‘Climate Resilient Pakistan’ conference in Geneva on January 9, 2023. The conference aimed to highlight the serious threat posed by climate change, especially in the aftermath of the devastating floods in 2022. Several countries and development agencies made pledges during the conference, collectively covering over half of the required $16 billion for reconstruction as requested by the Pakistani government.

In mid-June 2022, Pakistan experienced unprecedented monsoon rains, resulting in the worst flooding the country had seen in a decade. According to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), over 33 million people were affected, and more than 1 million houses were destroyed or damaged. The floods claimed the lives of at least 1,100 individuals and submerged vast areas spanning several provinces, including Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Sindh.

The NDMA report also highlighted the significant economic crisis caused by the destruction of livestock and agriculture during the 2022 floods. This crisis resulted in severe food shortages, leaving the flood victims vulnerable to malnutrition. Moreover, the healthcare system was severely affected, with outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea, dengue fever, and malaria. Pregnant women faced additional challenges due to limited access to maternity services and essential menstrual hygiene products in flood-stricken areas.

Despite the immense challenges posed by the floods, the Government of Pakistan, with the assistance of the United Nations, provided $245 million in cash support to 2.2 million households. However, the daunting task of reconstruction and rehabilitation still lies ahead.

Collaborating with the UN, the World Bank Group, the Asian Development Bank, and the European Union, Pakistan has prepared a comprehensive post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA). The assessment estimates that flood damages exceed $14.9 billion, economic losses surpass $15.2 billion, and reconstruction needs amount to over $16.3 billion.

The revival of livelihoods will involve the reconstruction of private housing and public infrastructure, including roads, bridges, schools, and hospitals. Dr Imran Khalid, Director Governance and Policy at WWF-Pakistan, emphasized the need for Pakistan to shift its energy reliance from coal to renewable sources. While Pakistan’s contribution to global CO2 emissions is less than 1%, Dr Imran stressed the importance of proactively reducing dependence on coal and transitioning to alternative energy sources, considering that many other countries are already making the shift.

Dr Sardar Sarfraz, chief meteorologist of the Meteorological Department, explained that westerly winds typically bring thunderstorms and snowfall during the winter season. However, in recent years, the pressure of these winds has extended beyond the usual timeframe. In Ma

y, several parts of the country experienced above-average rainfall, resulting from the prolonged presence of westerly winds. Dr Sarfraz stated that average temperatures are expected for the first few days of June, with no significant deviations.

The specter of devastating floods looms large over Pakistan as the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issues a stark warning: there is a 72% likelihood of such catastrophic events occurring this year. In the face of this alarming prediction, urgent measures must be taken and a robust plan formulated to avert the potential risks and minimize the far-reaching damages.

Dr. Imran Khalid, Director Governance and Policy, WWF-Pakistan emphasizes the critical need for a dual approach of climate adaptation and mitigation in Pakistan to address the effects of climate change and avert further disastrous consequences. Climate

adaptation involves implementing actions and policies that reduce the adverse impacts of climate change, while mitigation focuses on measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions, tackling the underlying cause of climate change.

A crucial aspect that demands attention is enhancing the capacity of farmers, empowering them with the necessary knowledge and resources to adapt to changing climatic conditions. Additionally, concerted efforts must be made to develop flood-resistant housing designs that can mitigate flood damages and equip communities with the skills and resources required to cope with heatwaves.

As Pakistan grapples with the projected flood risks, swift and decisive action is imperative. By formulating a comprehensive plan encompassing climate adaptation and mitigation strategies, strengthening community resilience, and addressing governance shortcomings, the nation can reduce vulnerability to devastating floods and pave the way for a more sustainable and secure future. The time to act is now, for the safety and well-being of present and future generations.

PACF arranges free eye camp at Noor Eye Hospital in Kabul

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ISLAMABAD, June 11 (APP): A free medical camp was established at Noor Eye Hospital, Kabul under arrangements of Pak Afghan Cooperation Forum (PACF) on June 7-10 to provide free treatment to a large number of patients.

PACF arranges free eye camp at Noor Eye Hospital in Kabul

In the free medical camp, a total of 91 different surgeries were performed. These included cornea transplant, tectonic graft, occuloplastic, vitreo-retinal and cataract surgeries, a press release said on Sunday.

PACF arranges free eye camp at Noor Eye Hospital in Kabul

A large number of patients were provided with free medical treatment.