A view of PSL8 T20 cricket match between Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars at Pindi Cricket Stadium
A view of T20 cricket match between Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United teams during PSL 8 at Pindi Cricket Stadium in twin cities
A batsman of Lahore Qalander hitting a ball with his full force between Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United teams during PSL 8 at Pindi Cricket Stadium in twin cities
A batsman of Lahore Qalander hitting a ball with his full force between Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United teams during PSL 8 at Pindi Cricket Stadium in twin cities
A view of T20 cricket match between Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United teams during PSL 8 at Pindi Cricket Stadium in twin cities
Shehbaz invites applications for PML-N tickets for Punjab elections: Marriyum
ISLAMABAD, Mar 9 (APP): Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Thursday said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had invited applications from the prospective candidates for party tickets to contest Punjab Assembly election.
The minister, in a series of tweets, said the PML-N president had also directed the candidates to submit papers in their relevant constituencies as the Election Commission of Pakistan had already announced March 14 as the last date for filing the nomination papers.
صدر پاکستان مسلم لیگ ن نے صوبہ پنجاب کے لئے پاکستان مسلم لیگ (ن) کے امیدواروں سے پارٹی ٹکٹ کے لئے درخواستیں طلب کر لیں۔شہباز شریف نے پارٹی صدر کے طور پر جمعرات کو یہ ہدایات جاری کیں۔
— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) March 9, 2023
The interested candidates must reach out the party’s Central Secretariat at 180H Model Town, Lahore for submission of their applications, she added.
Marriyum said the parliamentary boards were also advised to finalize the lists of candidates for Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa elections.
She said the PML-N president also directed to work out a strategy for carrying out the election campaign in the provinces.
Marriyum cited the message of Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to the candidates to get prepared for contesting the elections.
صدر پاکستان مسلم لیگ ن نے انتخابی مہم چلانے کے لئے حکمت عملی کی تیاری کی ہدایت کر دی ہے۔ انتخابی امیدواروں کو درخواستیں جمع کروانے کے لئے 180 ایچ ماڈل ٹاؤن لاہور پارٹی کے مرکزی سیکرٹریٹ رابطہ کرنے کی بھی ہدایت کی ہے۔
— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) March 9, 2023
She said the PML-N had been striving to serve the country and masses. It had had always steered the country out of every crisis under the leadership of Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and would do so again with the blessings of the Almighty.
She said the reduction in inflation, elimination of terrorism and development of road infrastructure on modern lines were the hallmark of the PML-N governments, which ruled the country under the visionary leadership of Nawaz Sharif.
The minister said Shehbaz Sharif had resolved to chart the country on the path of progress and development like the previous government tenures of PML-N when the country had emerged as an economic force especially after generation of excessive electricity.
She said the prime minister had vowed to continue to provide laptops, jobs, education, scholarships and health to the youth during the current government’s tenure.
The minister quoted Shehbaz Sharif as saying that the nation fully knew those who had pushed the country into the economic quagmire through extreme inflation during their government tenure,
Pakistan to continue supporting just settlement of Kashmir dispute: FO
ISLAMABAD, Mar 9 (APP): Pakistan will continue to extend political, diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiri brothers and sisters for the just and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions, said Foreign Office Spokesperson here on Thursday.
Speaking about the unending ordeal of the women in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) during the weekly press briefing, she said that Pakistan will continue to advocate for the rights of Kashmiri women and invite the international community’s attention towards the grave situation of Kashmiri women in IIOJK.
“At least 682 women civilians have been victims of extrajudicial killings by the Indian forces since January 2001. Instead of providing them protection, Indian security forces molested or raped 11,256 women during the same period. Women constitute majority of the Kashmiri people suffering from psychiatric problems that are widespread in the climate of oppression and fear. Over two dozen women leaders and activists, including Asia Andrabi, remain incarcerated in different jails of IIOJK and New Delhi.”
“Women across the globe should take cognizance of their Kashmiri sisters’ plight and urge India to protect women’s rights in IIOJK. For its part, Pakistan will continue to invite the international community’s attention towards the grave situation of Kashmiri women in IIOJK,” she added.
The spokesperson said United Nations Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General for Afghanistan, Markus Potzel, will visit Pakistan from 09-10 March 2023. He will call on the Foreign Secretary and exchange views on the situation in Afghanistan, with a special focus on the humanitarian situation and international assistance for the Afghan people. Pakistan considered UNAMA as an important partner in our international engagement efforts on Afghanistan.
Next week, two important dialogues will be held between Pakistan and the United States. These include the Energy Security Dialogue and the Climate and Environment Working Group to be held in Islamabad, she added.
She said Energy Security Dialogue is scheduled for 15 March 2023. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources Assistant Secretary Geoffery Pyatt will lead the U.S. delegation. Secretary Power and Secretary Petroleum will lead from the Pakistan side. Discussions will be held on energy priorities, advancing the renewable energy transition, and economic and commercial opportunities in the energy sector.
“Climate and Environment Working Group meeting is scheduled for 16 March 2023. The U.S. Department of State’s Oceans and International Environment and Scientific Affairs (OEC) Assistant Secretary Monica Madina will lead the U.S. delegation. The two sides will discuss Pakistan’s climate priorities and energy transition, water management, climate smart agriculture, biodiversity and protected national areas, air quality, and solid waste management. This will be the second round for the Energy Security Dialogue and the Climate and Environment Working Group. The first rounds were held virtually in September 2021.”
She said in the coming days bilateral dialogues will be held with countries in East Asia including Australia, China, Japan, and Malaysia.
Pakistan accedes to Apostille Convention on foreign public documents
ISLAMABAD, Mar 9 (APP): The government of Pakistan has acceded to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (Apostille Convention) of 1961.
According to the Foreign Office, the convention shortens the public document authentication process to a single formality i.e. issuance of an authentication certificate called ‘Apostille’ by the designated authority of the country where the document was issued. Thus Foreign public documents authenticated by Apostille can be directly presented to the concerned authorities without any other attestation requirement.
In line with the obligations as contracting state of the Convention, concerned authorities of Pakistan will now accept the Foreign Apostille Certificates issued by the members/contracting States of the convention from the date of entry into force i.e. March 9, 2023, without any requirement of attestation from Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Pakistan Missions abroad.
The process of issuance of ‘Apostille Certificates’ by Pakistan will also commence in a few months upon completion of necessary legislation and other requirements.
Normal Attestation Services will continue as usual at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Camp Offices, and Pakistan Missions abroad.
British High Commission vows measures to increase digital access for women
ISLAMABAD, Mar 9 (APP): The British High Commission Islamabad has marked International Women’s Day by vowing to support women and girls in Pakistan, with a further pledge to take measures which could increase the digital access for them.
Chargé d’affaires Andrew Dalgleish, while speaking at the reception held at the High Commissioner’s residence, said that “women and girls are at the heart of everything we do here in Pakistan and globally”.
He further said that International Women’s Day was a reminder to reiterate this commitment. Andrew Dalgleish said the “UK will do everything it could to ensure that all girls and women, in all their diversity, have the freedoms and capability to fulfil their potential and dreams in Pakistan and everywhere else through education, empowerment, and protection”.
Pakistan Minister of Climate Change Sherry Rehman, Mark Eastwood (MP), the UK’s Trade Envoy for Pakistan and Maheen Rahman, Chief Executive officer of Infrazamin also spoke at the occasion and emphasized on ending the gender gap in digital access.
Earlier in the week, similar events were held at the British Deputy High Commission offices in Karachi and Lahore.
UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in London marked this day by launching its first women and gender strategy.
Imran Khan miserably failed to end political inheritance, says Kundi
MULTAN, Mar 09 (APP): Minister of State for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Faisal Karim Kundi, said on Thursday that Pakistan Tehreek Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s tall claims to remove political inheritance ended in smoke as he miserably failed to prove his assertion.
Addressing a news conference at Multan Press Club here, Faisal Karim Kundi said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) always awarded tickets to its workers in the elections on merit basis.
He said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan was a thankless person as he parted ways with his party leaders who stopped financing him.
“If Imran Khan is a gallant leader, why he is seeking bails in the court cases”, Kundi remarked adding that PTI Chairman had taken away gifts from Tosha Khana along with him after no confidence motion against him.
About PTI rally in Lahore on Wednesday, the minister said that PPP believes in free speech adding that peaceful protest was a democratic right and his party condemns untoward incident during the rally.
He said that the interrogation about the incident was underway to bring the facts to light.
Kundi said that PPP leadership was paying visits to various parts of Punjab and they would give a ‘suprise’ in the upcoming elections. He refuted the allegations that PPP hesitated from elections saying that the party was ready to go into the polls and it was also working for KPK elections.
Replying a question, he appealed to the apex court to fix the cases of former prime ministers Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhuttoo and Shaheed Benazir Bhuttoo for hearing to give them justice.
To another question, the minister termed existing foreign policy better than the previous PTI government as UN Secretary General paid visit to Pakistan besides other foreign dignitaries.
Criticizing PTI past regime, the minister informed that Imran Khan even couldn’t organize local body elections during his around four years tenure. The PTI approached National Assembly Speaker for reversal of resignations from NA after tendering resignations.
“How can Shah Mahmood Qureshi being nominated as leader of the opposition as he himself announced his resignation as MNA on the floor of the house.
He informed that the federal government had pledged to compensate to 2.8 million flood hit families with Rs 70 billion and they had disbursed the assistance among 98 percent affected people so far.
PPP local leaders Khawaja Rizwan Alam, Naseem Labar, Rao Sajid and other workers were also present.