ISLAMABAD, Jan 26 (APP): Former President Asif Ali Zardari and Chief of Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam (F) Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif here on Thursday.
During the meeting views were exchanged about the overall political situation in the country.
Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Economic and Political Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafiq were also present in the meeting.
ISLAMABAD, Jan 26 (APP): The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has sold 33 plots worth over around Rs 40 billion during a three-day open auction that concluded here on Thursday.
“The authority got an overwhelming response as a large number of investors took part during the last day of the auction,” said the CDA in a news release.
The open auction of the residential and commercial plots, supervised by a committee headed by Member Finance of CDA, was held at Jinnah Convention Centre.
The auction committee included CDA’s Member State, Member Planning and Design, DFA-II, DG Law, Director Public Relations, Director Urban Planning, Director Regional Planning, Director State Management-II and Director Finance.
The CDA said that the committee had made effective arrangements to ensure a transparent and competitive environment for conducting the auction.
ISLAMABAD, Jan 26 (APP): Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi on Thursday called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif here.
In the meeting, they discussed the matters pertaining to the Pakistan Navy, a PM Office statement said.
ISLAMABAD, Jan 26 (APP): Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Faisal Karim Kundi, Thursday said the incumbent government had announced a targeted subsidy for the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) beneficiaries to extend relief through providing essential food items at subsidized rates.
Addressing a press conference flanked by Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri, the SAPM said under the package, the beneficiaries could buy a 10-kilogram flour bag for Rs 400, sugar for Rs 70 per kg, and ghee for Rs 300 per kg with per monthly limit of 5 kg each.
The beneficiaries could send their Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) numbers on 5566 through SMS and then purchase the above food items from the nearby Utility Store, he added.
He said the beneficiaries could register their complaint, if any, at the toll-free helpline number 0800-05590.
Highlighting the BISP’s contributions, the SAPM said about Rs 70 billion had been disbursed among the 2.8 million flood-hit people through a transparent mechanism.
He said the first-ever dynamic survey was going to be launched soon to bring more deserving persons under the umbrella of the BISP.
The quarterly payments of Benazir Kafalat and Benazir Education Stipends were underway, he said, urging the beneficiaries to get registered complaints if an illegal deduction was made.
Criticizing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan for his “unrealistic” speeches, Kundi said the government could arrest the PTI chief, however, it did not believe in political victimization.
“Imran Khan’s dialogues can be used in movies but they are impractical. The system through which Imran Khan was imposed on the nation has been infected with a virus,” he said.
The SAPM said the PTI had always targeted state institutions and politicized every matter. Its leader Chaudhry Fawad Hussain was arrested in a first information report lodged by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), he added.
Kundi said unlike the PTI which had made U-turns on many issues, the PPP was ready to contest local government and general elections.
He urged the institutions to investigate unprecedented corruption that had taken place in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province during the last 10 years.
Shazia Marri, on the occasion, said Pakistan was facing the economic crisis due to the ineffective policies of the previous PTI government. However, the present coalition government was striving hard to put it back on the right track.
She urged all the political parties to sit together and find out a viable solution to the prevailing economic crisis for providing relief to the masses.
Shazia Marri said all the claims of positive economic indicators made by the PTI government were merely an illusion. The real indicator to gauge economic development was the living standard of the people and the availability of their basic necessities.
Terming the recent floods another major challenge, she said the government had to divert a big chunk of resources toward the rehabilitation of flood-affected population.
She criticized Imran Khan for using abusive language against his political opponents. “Nobody is above the law and will be treated in accordance with the country’s law.”
Imran Khan and his followers, she added, were persistently instigating the people for violence while the country needed stability.
She said there was not a single political prisoner during the last government of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the party still pursuing its that legacy of not victimizing political opponents. “PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari has always pursued the policy of reconciliation and tried hard to bring all the political parties on a single platform in the larger national interest.”
To a question, SAPM Kundi said Fawad Chaudhry was arrested not on political grounds as an FIR was registered by an institution against him for inciting the public to violence against it.
ISLAMABAD, Jan 26 (APP):Canadian High Commissioner Ms. Leslie Scanlona here on Thursday called on Federal Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Rana Tanveer Hussain and discussed the exchange of expertise and knowledge regarding Vocational and Technical Training.
The Minister said that in the field of Non-Formal Education, National Skills University (NSU), Islamabad is providing Technical Skills to Pakistani youth, which can be enhanced to a Skill Learning Centre for current and aspiring Pakistani youth to work in Canada.
He said that there can be a Student Exchange Program, similar to the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program of the United States Department of State.
Under this proposed initiative, he said, selected students from Pakistan and Canada will attend one semester in each other’s Higher Education institutes to promote mutual understanding of each other’s culture, traditions and educational systems.
Rana Tanveer welcomed the exchange of teachers and students to further mutual cooperation, especially for Skilled Vocational Training. He said that there is significant potential for cooperation between the two countries.
He said that it provided the best opportunity for people to find jobs adding that Pakistan and Canada through NAVTTC should exchange teachers and students to learn from the expertise of each other.
Rana Tanveer praised the current government’s efforts in modernising the education system of Pakistan.
The Minister thanked the Ambassador and highlighted the cordial and friendly relations between the two countries.
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