ABBOTTABAD, Jun 19 (APP):Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi Monday said his government after coming into power provided relief to the masses by controlling the price of essential commodities and cutting expenditures.
“In 2018 when we handed over the federal government to PTI wheat flour price was 980 rupees while a year ago when PDM took charge wheat flour price was 2300 rupees and today once again the price is even 50 rupees less than the price of 2022,” said the minister.
He was addressing a public gathering here at Abbottabad after the inauguration of the Sui gas provision project worth 3.8 million rupees.
Murtaza Abbassi said the federal government has also approved a huge amount of 800 million rupees for the reconstruction of the Karakoram Highway from Haripur to Mansehra which was badly damaged during the past few years and the then government did not pay any attention to this important road.
He stated that PTI lead government was the real enemy of the people of Hazara division particularly Abbottabad as during 2018 PML-N government allocated 500 million rupees in funds for the construction of the Abbottabad Interchange which was cancelled after 2018 when the PTI government came into power.
They have waisted 4 billion rupees on the so-called beautification of Abbottabad city while there was a dire need for football and cricket stadiums for the youth, unfortunately, the existing grounds were also closed to the general public, moreover, graveyard which was the major issue of Abbottabad city was completely neglected, he said.
While criticizing the PTI chief the minster said on 9th May he left his party workers to the destruction of the country and to fight with the law enforcement agencies, being a politician and a parliamentarian after the vote of no confidence he must have come to the parliament and inform us about the achievements of his government, but he started agitation and demanding re-election which was completely illegal.
LAHORE, Jun 19 (APP):The nation observed a mourning day on Monday over the Greece boat disaster, in which dozens of precious lives were lost. An overloaded ferry had capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Greece on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif had announced Sunday observance of a mourning day to share the grief of the grieving families. The national flag flew at half-mast across the country.
Various bar councils and civil society members held special prayers, ‘Ghaebana Namaz-e-Janaza’ (funeral prayers) and ‘Fateha khawani’ in the native villages, towns and cities of victims of the ferry disaster.
The United Nations Human Rights office said in a statement on Sunday that at least 500 people were still missing and that dozens of people were known to have perished. A good number of women and children were among the missing persons in the ‘horrific tragedy’ that left at least 78 people dead. The ferry boat was carrying up to 750 people that went down 50 nautical miles off Pylos in southern Greece, it further said.
In his condolences message on Saturday, PM Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences with the bereaved families, who lost their loved-ones in the unfortunate ferry disaster. On his Twitter handle account, he said: “My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families who lost their loved-ones in the unfortunate ferry disaster in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Greece.” He further said Pakistan’s embassy in Athens had identified 12 Pakistanis rescued by Hellenic Coast Guard. The embassy was in contact with the Greek authorities for further updates.
Conditions on the boat were so bleak that even before the ferry sank, there had already been six deaths, after it ran out of freshwater, a noted British daily newspaper ‘The Guardian’, claimed on Sunday.
Meanwhile Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Chaudhry Anwarul Haq on Saturday expressed his profound grief and sorrow in a statement over the loss of precious human lives in boat disaster in Greece, in which dozens of Pakistanis including those hailing from Azad Jammu Kashmir, had reportedly died.
Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) on Sunday observed state mourning over the boat disaster in which at least 700 people, including over 50 belonging to AJK, feared drowned.
Meanwhile, according to the FIA sources, the anti-human trafficking circle on Monday made a big breakthrough by arresting one of the key suspects involved in the Greece boat tragedy. The travel agent, identified as Waqas, had taken over Rs2 million to send a victim to Europe.
Earlier, another man, Sajid Mahmood, wanted in connection with the ferry tragedy, was also offloaded and arrested by the FIA at the Karachi airport. The accused was making an attempt to fly to Azerbaijan. Sources informed APP that so far, a total of 12 human traffickers had been arrested.
A statement from the Foreign Office said on Monday that there was still no confirmed information about how many Pakistanis were aboard the vessel. However, the FO added the number could be in hundreds. The FO said that 12 Pakistanis, who were confirmed to have survived, were in contact with the Pakistani authorities.
The spokesperson said that the Pakistan Mission in Greece was in a close contact with the authorities for carrying out identification of the 78 recovered bodies. The identification process would take place through DNA-matching with close family members included parents and children only.
The FO spokesperson also said that a helpline had been set up to allow families of victims, and hundreds of families had contacted the authorities already. The spokesperson said that apart from the Greek authorities’ own investigation with Interpol, the FIA was conducting its own investigation in Pakistan.
On the directions of the PM Shehbaz Sharif, a committee had been formed to probe the boat tragedy. Director General National Police Bureau (NPB) Ahsan Sadiq is heading the committee, whereas Joint Interior Secretary Faisal Nisar and Additional Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs Javed Imrani are members of the committee.
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LARKANA: June 19 - Political Secretary to PPP Chairman, Jameel Ahmed Soomro giving away shield to Nadeem Akhtar Soomro Photojournalist APP and Chairman Photography/Documentary Department Arts Council of Pakistan Larkana for providing excellent coverage of Sindh Theatre Festival 2023 during closing ceremony at ZA Bhutto Open Air Theater Art Council. APP/ MAF/TZD/FHA
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LARKANA: June 19 - Commissioner, Ghanwar Ali Laghari administering oath to newly Elected Mayor of Municipal Corporation, Adv Anwar Ali Luhur and Deputy Mayor Muhammad Amin Shaikh at Begum Nusrat Bhutto Auditorium Jinnah Bagh. APP/NAS/MAF/FHA
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LARKANA: June 19 - Artists performing in stage drama "Ghungroo” during Sindh Theatre Festival 2023 at ZA Bhutto Open Air Theater. APP/NAS/MAF/FHA
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LARKANA: June 19 – Artists performing in stage drama “Ghungroo” during Sindh Theatre Festival 2023 at ZA Bhutto Open Air Theater. APP/NAS/MAF/FHA
ISLAMABAD, June 19 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday stressed that they have to make huge investments on the country’s youth because those nations had always excelled whose youth got skills and requisite degrees in different fields.
Addressing a ceremony of Prime Minister’s National Innovation Awards, the prime minister expressed his pleasure over the strides made by the country’s youth in different fields by utilizing their talents and skills.
The country’s future was in the safe hands and they had to make investments on the youth’s talent as they direly deserved it, he added.
The prime minister said that it was a matter of satisfaction as these young people strived during their educational careers and showed their innovative skills in IT sector, biodiesel, traffic lights, motorbike etc.
Under Prime Minister’s National Youth Award Programme, a total of Rs 160 million were distributed among the 100 talented youths who had achieved innovative business projects.
The prime minister said that Pakistan was facing financial challenges, but he was confident that they would steer the country out of these issues.
Such situations arose in the lives of nations, he said, stressing that the Pakistani nation has to make the determination and chart its way forward and once they had decided, then nothing could hamper it.
The prime minister also expressed his gratitude to China for supporting Pakistan during the economic constraints by extending $1 billion loan facility.
During the last 75 years, he opined that foreign debts proved a hefty burden upon Pakistan whereas those nations had progressed that utilized the foreign loans and returned it on the basis of their talent, honesty and skills.
“We have to get rid of these debts as they could not thrive on the foreign debts,” he said, adding the country was gifted with precious resources.
The prime minister, without naming the previous government, said that he would not go into details about the man-made crises in the past.
He said the challenges were faced by the nations and stressed that they should make a promise to change fate of Pakistan without seeking foreign debts.
Referring to 1971, he said they lost one part of Quaid’s Pakistan but never learnt lessons from the past.
The prime minister said the leg-pulling and game of allegations must be ceased and they all have to agree upon unified national agenda as being practiced by different countries.
“The whole nation has to decide upon one national agenda with salient contours for foreign and economic policies,” he reiterated.
The prime minister also regretted that words of certain personalities in the previous government had annoyed China.
Despite all this, China stood by Pakistan in difficult time, he said and lauded the role of other brotherly and friendly countries of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar. China had made a $30 billion investment in flagship China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Terming the achievements of young innovators as ‘outstanding’, the prime minister lauded the contributions of their teachers and parents, adding, the entire nation felt pride over them.
Referring to awarding amount, the prime minister said that one million rupees to each winner was not sufficient considering the current inflation, as it was less when compared with the past.
In the past, he said as Khadim-e-Punjab, he introduced Punjab Skills Development company initiative which was first launched in the southern Punjab.
He said that millions of rupees were spent not on brick and mortar type of structures, but training was imparted to the talented youth.
They gave away Rs10,000 per student and companies trained them, he added.
Further elaborating his point of view, the prime minister said that governments always played a catalyst role to spur activities for industries and agriculture.
Whereas thousands of laptops were given to the high achievers in Punjab province on pure merit. Similarly, these were also distributed in Gilgit and Baltistan and Kashmir, he added.
The prime minister said during the Covid pandemic, these laptops helped the students to continue their educational activities besides, providing them with self-employment opportunities.
He said during the tenure of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif laptops were also distributed by the federal government.
He said it was his desire to provide laptops to every child of the country.
On the occasion, the prime minister called the ambassador of Azerbaijan on stage and appreciated Azerbaijan leadership for an agreement to supply LNG to Pakistan.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Shaza Fatima Khawaja, in her speech, said meetings of the youth with top business ideas would also be arranged with the investors to implement their ideas.
She said Rs 100 billion business loans were dispersed in the last decade while over one million free laptops have been distributed among talented students that proved life-changing for them.
On average, she said Rs 7 billion per year business loans were distributed in last 10 years while Rs 30 billion in business loans were distributed among the youth in last one year.
QUETTA, Jun 19 (APP): Balochistan Governor Malik Abdul Wali Khan Kakar Monday expressed his heartfelt sorrow and grief over the demise of several Pakistanis in a boat sinking incident in Greece.
In his condolence statement, he said that the people of Balochistan equally shared the grief and stood with the bereaved families in this time of grief.
He prayed that to Allah Almighty to rest the departed souls in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved families to bear the loss.
ISLAMABAD, Jun 19 (APP): Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, Commander of Islamic Republic of Iran Navy called on Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) here on Monday and lauded the professionalism of PAF personnel.
The meeting was focused on areas of mutual interest and regional developments, a PAF news release said.
During the meeting, the Chief of the Air Staff highlighted that the advancement in space, electronic warfare, cyber and niche technologies coupled with artificial intelligence had profoundly affected the traditional environment of national security.
He briefed the visiting dignitary about various ongoing projects being carried out by Pakistan Air Force with special focus on modernization and development of indigenous capabilities.
The Air Chief also emphasized that Pakistan and Iran enjoyed longstanding religious, cultural and historical bonds which were manifested through strong ties between both the countries.
Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, Commander of Islamic Republic of Iran Navy commended the exceptional progress made by Pakistan Air Force on its path to modernization.
He also appreciated Pakistan’s continuous efforts for regional stability and pledged to play his role for further improvement in military-to-military ties especially in the domains of operations, training and aviation industry.
The meeting between Chief of the Air Staff and Commander of Islamic Republic of Iran Navy is a testament of the deep-rooted friendship and unwavering commitment between the two nations to work towards a peaceful and stable region.
