ISLAMABAD, Nov 15 (APP): Saira Peter, a British-Pakistani soprano and Sufi opera singer, called on Jamal Shah, Caretaker Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture, at the Division here Wednesday to discuss mutual interest issues pertaining to the music industry.
During the meeting, Saira Peter, accompanied by her official manager Zafar Francis and her husband Stephen Smith, an ethnomusicologist and pianist/harmonium player, proposed the organization of her solo concert at the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA).
Presently, Saira Peter collaborates with British artists in creating the world’s inaugural full-scale “Sufi Opera,” a musical stage drama centered on the narrative of Umar Marvi, one of Latif’s “seven heroines” of Sindh. Upon its completion, the production is scheduled to be performed in London, with Saira Peter assuming the role of ‘Marvi’.
Muhammad Ayub Jamali, the Director General (DG) of the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA), attended the meeting.
On the occasion, the minister presented her with a shield.
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 15 (APP): As Israeli military continues to pound Gaza, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in the besieged enclave “in the name of humanity”.
In a brief statement issued Tuesday after the collapse of several medical services in Gaza, the UN chief said he was “deeply concerned by the horrible situation in several hospitals” and by “the dramatic loss of life.”
Subsequently, and during the daily press conference of his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, confirmed that since Monday, all hospitals in the northern half of the Gaza Strip except one — al-Shifa — where 500 patients remain — have been out of service.
The spokesperson said those services had gotten disrupted by the disabling of electrical medical devices resulting from shortage of fuel.
On the other hand, the lack of fuel in Gaza – since Israel refuses to allow the entry of gasoline or diesel – has already caused a water distribution plant in the south of the enclave to be out of service on Monday, affecting 100,000 people.
Besides, If Israel does not lift its fuel ban, the trucks that now bring in humanitarian aid – 1,096 to date, 150 yesterday alone – will stop entering within 48 hours..
The Israeli Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, on an official visit to Geneva to pressure international organizations in favor of the release of the hostages in Gaza, assured today that UN Secretary General Guterres “does not deserve to be head of the United Nations”.
“He has not promoted any peace process in the region,” claimed Cohen, accompanied by relatives of hostages kidnapped in Gaza, at a press conference at the European headquarters of the United Nations, shortly before meeting with the Director General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“Iran, a country that advocates the destruction of Israel, should not be a member of the United Nations, but you can see how Guterres sits with them,” Cohen dded
BEIJING, Nov 15 (APP): Many Pakistanis exited China through the Khunjerab Pass in Tashikurgan Tajik autonomous county in Kashgar, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region last week.
On Nov 6, hundreds of Pakistani passengers lined up to clear customs, carrying packages filled with Chinese goods, China Daily reported on Wednesday.
Saifullah Baig, a Pakistani businessman, has travelled through the pass for the last 30 years, selling Pakistani handicrafts to China and bringing Chinese clothes and shoes to Pakistan. He commutes between the two countries about 10 times every year.
“The services of immigration inspection and customs clearance are very good,” he said, “The staff members work till 3:00 a.m. to help us.”
He added that from the time he began making the trip, the number of daily travelers increased from 20-40 to between two and three hundred, but the efficiency is still very high. It takes about 10 minutes for him to complete the process.
“China is very friendly to Pakistanis doing business here. China is the best friend of Pakistan. We are neighbors and family,” he said, adding that he earns about 800,000 yuan ($109,000) annually.
Ismail Shah, a PhD student from Wuhan, Hubei province, planned to return home through the pass.
“I chose this route because it’s very near to my hometown. It takes about six hours to reach my home. It’s very convenient and cheap,” he said, adding that using this route costs about 1,500 yuan, whereas taking an airplane would be double the price.
At the outdoor waiting area, many Pakistanis board a bus to Sust in Pakistan. The ticket price is 225 yuan.
Opened in 1982, the pass is the only land port between China and Pakistan and acts as an important gateway for people-to-people exchanges.
Since the resumption of passenger transport clearance on April 3, the inflow and outflow of passengers at the pass has increased.
The number of inbound and outbound passengers exceeded 40,000 by Nov 3, an increase of 63 percent compared to the same period in 2019, data from the Khunjerab immigration inspection station showed.
ISLAMABAD, Nov 15 (APP): The per tola price of 24 karat gold increased by Rs.2,000 and was sold at Rs 214,800 on Wednesday as compared to its sale at Rs 212,800 on last trading day.
The price of 10 grams of 24 karat gold also increased by Rs 1,714 to Rs 184,156 from Rs 182,442 whereas the prices of 10 gram 22 karat gold went up to Rs 168,810 from Rs 167,238, the All Sindh Sarafa Jewellers Association reported.
The price of per tola and ten gram Silver remained stagnant at Rs 2,580 and 2,211.93 respectively.
The price of gold in the international market increased by $23 to $1988 from $1,965, the Association reported.
BEIJING, Nov 15 (APP): Serene Air, a Pakistani airline, is set to launch a new international route from Karachi to Islamabad to Beijing, starting on November 19.
The route will operate twice a week, symbolizing the strengthening of bilateral ties between China and Pakistan.
The inaugural flight is planned to depart from Karachi at 23:00 local time on November 18.
After a brief stopover in Islamabad, the flight will arrive at Beijing Daxing International Airport at 10:20 the following day.
Zeng Qiang, the head of Serene Air’s Beijing representative office, told media, “The inauguration of the new China-Pakistan international route signifies the growing friendship between our two countries. We are optimistic about increased Pak-China collaboration in the aviation sector.”
Zeng Qiang also highlighted the recent signing of a General Sales Agent (GSA) joint venture agreement between Serene Air and Joyu Group Air, a prominent conglomerate in China’s tourism and technology sector.
This partnership plays a crucial role in the marketing and sale of the newly launched route.
By harnessing the industry chain capabilities and resource advantages of both companies, this collaboration aims to provide global travelers with a diverse range of products and high-quality services.
ISLAMABAD, Nov 15 (APP): Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Wednesday said the Main Line (ML-1) railway project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would prove a favourable transit route for countries in the region.
The prime minister vowed to complete ML-1 on a priority basis, saying the project would also improve connectivity between the country’s seaports with its economic zones.
Chairing a meeting to discuss ML-1 here at the PM House, the prime minister said the project would contribute to the improvement of communication network in the country.
PM Kakar said there existed huge potential for foreign investment in Pakistan Railways and stressed the need for early materialization of its projects.
He stressed meeting the targets of the project within stipulated time and directed the formulation of a comprehensive reform strategy for Pakistan Railways to maximize the benefits of the ML-1.
Emphasizing transparency in the implementation of ML-1, he said, the project would result in the creation of new employment opportunities and reduced travel time and freight rates.
The meeting was told that the ML-1 project was in its final stage of modalities and its ground-breaking would be performed by early next year.
The project will be completed in two phases. In the first phase, a 930-kilometre-long rail track will be laid from Karachi to Multan. Also, the railway infrastructure damaged by the 2022 flood will be upgraded as per international standards.
In the next phase, the 796-kilometre-long rail track from Multan to Peshawar will be laid in line with the requirements of the future.
The meeting was attended by caretaker federal ministers including Shamshad Akhtar and Sami Saeed, PM’s Adviser Ahad Khan, PM’s Special Assistant Jahanzeb Khan, and senior officials of the ministries concerned.
KARACHI, Nov 15 (APP): Shipping activity reported at the port where five ships namely, MSC Nassau, Maersk Denver, MSC Medelaine, Southern Robin and Milaha Raslaffan carrying Container, Palm oil and LNG,berthed at Qasim International Container Terminal, Liquid Cargo Terminal, and Engro Elengy Terminal respectively on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, another ship ‘Blue Majesty’ also arrived at outer anchorage of the Port to load 3,550 tonnes of Bitumen on November 15.
A total of nine ships were engaged at PQA berths during the last 24 hours, out of them four ships, Maersk Denver, MSC Nassau, Clemens Schulte and Al-Berta are expected to sail on today afternoon.
Cargo volume of 203,577 tonnes, comprising 148,868 tonnes imports cargo and 54,709 tonnes export cargo carried in 4,985 Containers (2,905 TEUs Imports and 2,080 TEUs export) was handled at the port during last 24 hours.
There are 09 ships at Outer Anchorage of Port Qasim, out of them a containers ship ‘CSL Manhattan’ & two more ships, Clemens Schulte and Minerva Olympia carrying Containers and Petroleum Product are expected to take berths at Container Terminal and Oil Terminal respectively on today, meanwhile another Containers ship ‘Vancouver’ is due to arrive at Port Qasim on Thursday.
ISLAMABAD, Nov 15 (APP): Pakistan Basketball Federation (PBBF) would be holding the National Basketball Championship for Men 2023 at the Government College University, Lahore from November 20 to 24.
According to the Pakistan Basketball Federation (PBBF) Secretary General Khalid Bashir, top eight teams from around the country will be in action in the national men’s basketball championship organised by Punjab Basketball Association and all arrangements have been completed for the successful five-day championship.
He said top eight teams were divided into two groups as Pool A comprises defending champion Pakistan Army, Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF), Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Faisalabad while Wapda, Lahore, Navy and Islamabad are included in Pool B.
Bashir said four matches would be played everyday during pool round matches in the championship as well as the top two teams of each group will qualify for the knockout round.
The semifinals would be held on November 23 while final of the championship on November 24.
The opening match of the championship starting from November 20 would be played between defending champions Pakistan Army and Faisalabad, while Wapda and Islamabad, POF and PAF, Lahore and Navy will compete on the first day of the event.
ISLAMABAD, Nov 15 (APP): Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Wednesday calling Israeli barbarism in Palestine unparalleled even in the medieval era, reprimanded the world’s double standards on war ethos and its “bizarre and surreal” rationalization of the killing of children in Gaza.
The prime minister, addressing the annual Margalla Dialogue 2023 conference held by Islamabad Policy Research Institute
on “Evolving World Environment: Charting the Course for Our Future,” said Israeli forces were targeting vulnerable people in hospitals and eliminating children.
Referring to his discussions with some diplomats who defended Israeli actions by citing Israeli children’s deaths, he expressed his surprise at the argument. However, he reiterated that the killing of any child, regardless of faith or origin, is condemnable.
“So how many Palestinian children have to be killed to appease and address the Israeli anger? One, five, ten, 500, 1000, 4,700? Can they give us a number so that we can satisfy those parents to wait as some 10,000 children needed to be killed to address the Israeli anger,” he remarked.
He said those claiming to be the followers of Prophet Moses, were actually following the footsteps of Pharaoh by killing the children which was “utterly unacceptable.”
The prime minister, who had also been the IPRI’s board member, highlighted the potential for connectivity with the countries in the region including India, and said Pakistan never shied away from establishing trade links with India but it could not beg that as trade should be for mutual benefits.
However, he said before such links, it was essential to speak out on the Kashmir conflict as without addressing that issue, it was challenging to have normal relations with the current Indian regime.
He told the gathering that the Kashmir issue demanded attention aligned with the aspirations of its people as despite promises and UN guarantees, the Kashmiris could not be given their right to self-determination. Postponing the issue is not a solution as the historical resilience against colonization is evident, he added.
He observed that the right of Kashmiris people to decide their future could not be denied for long, though. “Neither Pakistan nor India should impose a solution on Kashmiris,” he added.
He talked about the western borders of Pakistan with Afghanistan and said that the day Kabul has a legitimate government, issues will start settling down.
Referring to the Hindutva ideology infesting Indian society, he said such policies were a recipe for disaster.
He said contrary to the ongoing persecution in India, the minorities in Pakistan were sharing their destinies with Pakistan having deep entrenched roots in business as well as society.
The prime minister said Pakistan was faced with the challenge of non-state actors but the country was prepared to respond that, without needing anyone’s tangible assistance.
Giving a historical account of human history to the formation of modern-day political groups, the prime minister said amidst the containment policy, China arose to become the second biggest economy of the world.
He said, unlike India, Pakistan never incentivized the conflicts.
Prime Minister Kakar said the country was ready to give a push to its economy by exploiting its potential of land and mineral resources and that the energies of a huge youth population needed to be channelised which was yet under-invested in terms of human resource as well as skill development.
Coming to climate change, he said it was becoming an existential threat even more than a military challenge as recent floods caused devastation even more than some small conflicts. This challenge cannot be overcome by a single power or group of powers.
To a question, the prime minister said the government was designing the projects in renewable energy and other areas of focus which also required global coordination and cooperation as the country was trying to stimulate the discourse at domestic, regional and global levels.
Earlier, IPRI President Ambassador Ambassador Raza Muhammad told the gathering that the conference featured six forums.
The event also marked the launch of an IPRI’s publication titled “Persecution of the Indian Minorities” highlighting the plight of the Indian minorities which faced a difficult time there.
The IPRI president also presented a copy of the book to the prime minister.
ISLAMABAD, Nov 15 (APP): The British High Commission in Islamabad hosted the first ‘King’s Birthday Party’ since 1951, marking His Majesty, King Charles III’s 75th birthday.
Utilized as a ‘national day’ by the UK, the event had an environment and climate change theme. This was reflective of both the King’s interests and the high priority given to this work by the UK.
Speaking to an audience of over 700 high-profile attendees, including the Chief Guest Foreign Minister, Jalil Abbas Jilani, the British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott CMG OBE, outlined the depth of UK-Pakistani cooperation on the environment and climate change. Noting that since the 2022 floods, the UK has more than doubled investment in climate finance, and climate resilience and adaptation in Pakistan.
Jane Marriott also used the occasion to announce the start of two new climate-related initiatives. This included the start of phase two of the UK’s Climate Finance Accelerator Programme, which will see eight innovative Pakistani-based projects receive technical support to help them find private investment to tackle climate-related issues. As well as a new program to expand a piloted AI-based ‘Early Warning Forest Fire Detection System’ to cover more forested areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa as well as the Federal Capital Territory, which will help protect lives, jobs, livelihoods and Pakistan’s biodiversity.
UK High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott CMG OBE said, “With terrible conflicts occurring around the world, international focus on climate change is being tested. However, with COP28 just around the corner, and with time not on our side, conversations and actions on climate change must continue. We are utilising our King’s Birthday Party – the UK’s National Day – events to do just this, with conversations ranging from how to build on Pakistan’s negotiating success on a Loss and Damage Fund at COP27, to how Pakistan can safeguard its marine economy via the Commonwealth’s Blue Charter.”
