Adviser to Prime Minister for Political & Public Affairs, National Heritage & Culture, Engr Amir Muqam addressing during Ten Days Folk Festival Lok Mela ceremony at Lok Virsa.
Ashrafi for joint strategy to counter defamation drive against Pakistan Army
ISLAMABAD, Nov 26 (APP): Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Interfaith Harmony and Middle East Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Saturday said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) should devise a joint strategy to counter the defamation drive against the Pakistan Army and national security institutions.
On twitter, Ashrafi who is also the chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council said launching malicious campaign against the national defense institution’s head, in fact, is a nefarious design to weaken the resolve of the country.
He said that the most important countries of Islamic world had been weaken through false propagandas. “It is our collective responsibility to give a befitting response to those who are allegedly involved in anti-state and nation activities,’ he added.
Shedding light on the professional potential of the nominated army chief Gen Syed Asim Munir, Ashrafi said that he had served as the head of two most sensitive institutions; Military Intelligence and Inter-Services Intelligence and he was well-acquainted with the internal and external affairs of the state.
He said that General Asim Munir was a man of good character with a clear mind of the defensive policy of the country. “If someone was planning to shift his criticism from the outgoing COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa to the newly designated army chief General Asim Munir is not acceptable anyway,” he added.
He also said that media should play a responsible role while publishing any news story about the Pakistan Army and national defense institutions. The media should not misuse the definition of ‘freedom of speech’ by spreading false notions against anyone without any research and solid evidence.
Dar chairs meeting of Apex Committee on Reko Diq Project
ISLAMABAD, Nov 26 (APP): Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar here on Saturday chaired a meeting of Apex Committee on Reko Diq Project to review the progress on implementation of agreed steps for completion of the Reko Diq arrangement.
The Finance Minister highlighted the importance of early completion of the remaining steps under the agreed arrangement and stressed upon all concerned to ensure that the deadline of December 15, 2022 is successfully met and the project revived soonest after the settlement, said a press release issued here.
The meeting was informed that after the advice of the Supreme Court on reference already filed is received, necessary legislative steps would be taken for which the relevant provinces concerned are fully on board.
The provincial governments have also assured to complete all the codal formalities within the due date.
The meeting was of the view that successful completion of the agreed arrangement by the deadline would add to the confidence of the international investors. The revival of Reko Diq project would give a fillip to the economy by boosting investment sentiments and will increase employment opportunities in the country.
Federal Law Minister Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Masood Malik, SAPM on Revenue Tariq Mehmood Pasha, DG (MI) Maj. Gen. Iftikhar Hussan Chaudhry, Director (MI) Brig. Atif Rafiq, Additional Attorney General Ahmed Irfan Aslam as well as senior officials from Attorney General’s office, Petroleum Division and Finance Division attended the meeting in person while Chief Secretary Baluchistan and officials of the Government of Baluchistan joined the meeting on zoom.
Rice import from Pakistan; outcome of meetings with PM Shehbaz: Azerbaijan President
ISLAMABAD, Nov 26 (APP): Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev has said that the decision to import rice from Pakistan with tax exemption of five years was the outcome of his meetings with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held in the last couple of months.
Addressing at an international conference “Along the Middle Corridor: Geopolitics, Security and Economy” held at ADA University, Baku, the other day, the president said during these meetings, they discussed the agenda of their bilateral relations.
The president of Azerbaijan was responding to questions raised by Executive Director of Center for Global and Strategic Studies of Pakistan Khalid Taimur Akram, as a participant.
The president said he discussed with Pakistan’s Prime Minister, the prospects of further intensifying the bilateral economic and trade cooperation and the decision over special regulations for rice from Pakistan, was a reflection of that.
He said they had decided to take this step in order to stimulate the growth of mutual trade between the two countries. He had discussed with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif what kind of goods they could provide to each other, he added.
“Why should we buy rice from some other place if we have high quality rice in the brotherly country. So, that decision was clearly based on our brotherly relations,” the Azeri media quoted the president as saying.
Commenting further, the Azerbaijan president said that his country enjoyed excellent relations with Pakistan.
President Aliyev further said, “We are very grateful to Pakistan for continuous support which the country demonstrates with respect to Azerbaijan-Armenia relations. During the times of occupation, during the war, and after liberation of our territories, Pakistan was always with us. And this political and moral support is highly appreciated by the people of Azerbaijan.”
He said that he knew that the Gwadar Port of Pakistan was transforming into a big international hub. And to connect it with their infrastructure was not a difficult thing, as they had to properly address the issue of tariffs, legal framework, coordination on regulation and to have a teamwork.
Bilateral trade to get major boost with Pak business delegation’s visit to Ethiopia: Envoy
ISLAMABAD, Nov 26 (APP): Ambassador of Ethiopia Jemal Beker Abdula here on Saturday urged Islamabad business fraternity to join in the business delegation which was set to fly to Ethiopia by next year start for exploring Ethiopian markets.
Addressing the media, he said the business delegation would fly to Ethiopia in the maiden flight of Ethiopian Airlines which was all-set to start its operation in Karachi by the start of next year.
Flanked by Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), the Ambassador said that it was high time for Pakistani investors and businessmen to enter Ethiopian markets which offered lucrative investment and business opportunities in the diverse economic sectors such as agriculture, agro-processing, manufacturing, mining, textile, health sector and tourism.
“Our government opened the financial sector some three months ago and now looking forward to the establishment of traditional banks and stock exchange in Ethiopia,” he said, adding that Ethiopia was becoming a manufacturing hub of Africa producing the cheapest clean energy in the world.
He said that Ethiopia was exporting clean energy to Kenya, Sudan, and Djibouti, while efforts were afoot to sell it to other countries and ensure regional integration through energy grid. “My country has almost completed the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam which is being built on the Nile River and set to produce 6,500 MW of electricity. Many others are in vault as Ethiopia is striving to integrate the African region through energy, trade, air service, and tourism connectivity.”
He said that Ethiopia was energy tower of Africa hence becoming the manufacturing hub. We have already established multiple manufacturing zones for different industries including textile, pharmaceutical, laser and laser products, he added.
The Ambassador said that Ethiopia was geographically located at a very important position close to the Middle East, the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea. For Pakistan, Ethiopia would be a gateway to Africa, he said.
He said that Ethiopia attached great importance to advancing the bilateral relationship with Pakistan and opening of our mission in Islamabad reflected our commitment in this regard.
He said that Ethiopia and Pakistan established their diplomatic ties in 1958 and Pakistan set up its embassy in Ethiopia in 1973. Both countries have been enjoying the cordial relations since then and working on bilateral, regional and global issues in a remarkable way. “I express my gratitude to the people and the government of Pakistan for extending support to Ethiopia for non-permanent candidacy in the United Nations. I am also grateful to the Government of Pakistan for standing by Ethiopia in the UN Human Rights Council over the human rights issues in northern part of Ethiopia which is politically motivated resolution.”
He said that both the countries were part of the UN Peace Keeping Mission in Congo, Liberia, Burundi, Somalia and South Sudan which showed convergence of their interests for international peace and security. Both the governments have been working on many agreements which would be instrumental in increasing political cooperation, economic engagement and people-to-people contacts through tourism promotion, the envoy said.
He said that the bilateral trade between the two countries was minimal and amounted to 78 million US dollars. However, my target is to take it to 300 million US dollars by the end of 2023, he added.
We have identified the products which will be exported to my country from Pakistan. Pakistani business community can contribute to the Pakistan’s economic development by exporting rice, pharmaceutical products, medical equipment, sports items and construction material to my country, he said and added, the Government of Pakistan can import agricultural products such as coffee, tea, pulses, oilseeds and vegetables from Ethiopia at affordable prices which will eventually help it mitigate the growing demand of the edible.
Giving the similarities between the two countries in different aspects, he said there is a marriage of convenience between them which is reflected in the demand made by the heads of both the states at the COP27 for establishment of a climate fund.
Ethiopia and Pakistan share similarities in many ways as both are heirs of ancient civilizations, influential diaspora and share social, cultural and political values. It has a federal system like that of Pakistan which holds elections at regular intervals, the Ambassador told.
He said that Ethiopia was on upward trajectory registering a double-digit economy which had transformed the livelihood and well-being of its citizens. It had developed a home-grown economy as a result of the reforms initiated in 2018.
The envoy said that the steps taken to address the bottlenecks for FDI, trade and business services at micro, macro and structural level had started paying dividends especially in five major economic sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, mining, tourism and ICT.
He said that the government of Ethiopia attached great importance to the agriculture sector and has taken multiple steps to enhance production and productivity of this sector through technological transformation innovation. For livelihood, he added around 80 percent of population is largely dependent on the agriculture sector which makes 90 per cent of exports and 45 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product.
The Ambassador said that a one-window facility was on the cards where the investors would have all the facilities for import and export under one roof, adding it would work like a one-stop shop for the investors. Ethiopia has been offering multiple incentives to the investors who will be exporting the products to other destinations after ensuring their manufacturing in the country, he told.
He said that Ethiopia had access to African Continental Free Trade Areas where everything was sold out to every part of Africa. “My country is a gateway to Africa and Pakistani investors can do a good business by investing in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is the land of Origin, the Lucy, the human fossil that is believed to be the first human and also the land of coffee. It is the land of Hazrat Bilal Habshi and King Najashi. So, visiting the land of origin is like going back to your ancestral land, the envoy expressed.
“We have very natural safari which has almost every specie of the animals and our people are very hospitable which makes it the next best tourist destination of the world.”
He said the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is another major sector in which Ethiopia is making strides with development of technology transformation road map, innovation ecosystem and conducive technology center, adding that his country was endowed with precious metals and minerals, natural gas and oil. Our government, he added has recently identified various areas for mining of those materials and undertaking research in collaboration with international firms.
“I can assure Pakistan investors that their investment in Ethiopia will be protected by the government and will also have international guarantee as my country is member of the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency.”
The government of Ethiopia is taking multiple steps to facilitate the foreign investment in our country. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed chairs meeting of the Board of Investment in every two months to address the challenges faced by the investors in our country, he concluded.
Swat Sports & Culture Festival in full swing
SWAT, Nov 26 (APP): The Swat Sports and Culture Festival is in full swing as a large number of citizens have gathered here at resort Fiza Ghat, Mingora on Saturday.
A large number of local and countrywide tourists showed up to spend a quality time with their loved ones.
Providing healthy recreational activities to the citizens was the first priority of government institutions, said Kashif Farhan, Regional Sports Officer when contacted.
In order to promote tourism and provide recreational opportunities to citizens in the Swat Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a three-day Swat Festival has been organised in collaboration with the district administration and the Regional Sports Officer Malakand.
Men and women, who came to attend the festival from all over the country, were absolutely delighted. The ongoing Swat Festival in Fazagat was inaugurated by Additional Deputy Commissioner Swat Sohail Khan on Friday while Regional Sports Officer Kashif Farhan, Youth Officer Farhad Ali and other notable personalities were also present.
The festival featured performances of local artistes, including Shahid Khan Malang and Ayaz. In the festival, along with sports competitions for children, various stalls have also been set up.
Local citizens and poets thanked the district administration for organizing the event to bring joy to people in these challenging circumstances.
Kashif said, “On the special instructions of Deputy Commissioner Swat Junaid Khan, we have been trying hard to provide various opportunities, including arranging sports activities for the citizens, especially for the youth.” He said that Swat, rather the entire Malakand division was a centre of tourism, where the district administration along with the tourism department were working hard to facilitate tourists.
PM welcomes prospects of ECO’s outreach to CARs
ISTANBUL, Turkiye Nov 26 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday welcomed the prospects of expansion of Economic Cooperation Organization’s (ECO) outreach to the landlocked Central Asian Republics (CARs) for exploring wider economic and trade dividends of the region.
Talking to President of ECO Trade and Development Bank during a signing ceremony of financial assistance to Pakistan, the prime minister welcomed the prospects of inclusion of CARs in the ECO.
The prime minister further suggested hosting of ECO members countries’ summit including the CARs with proper agenda after consensus which would give a push to the economic activities and regional cooperation.
The prime minister urged the ECO to further tap potential of Central Asian countries which had a huge population and offering diverse potential of railways and land network connectivity.
He said developing countries like Pakistan required foreign investment and the CARs could be connected via Afghanistan, and these linkages would broaden the economic relations among all the regional countries.
He opined that economic priority was on the ECO agenda and further prospects could provide further opportunities to the developing countries like Pakistan.
The prime minister termed the idea as ‘a game changer’, adding the Gwadar port would serve as hub for transporting gas to the world.
He opined that railroads and roads connectivity would shape the regional landscape, through a vision of three-way economic cooperation. The countries rich with the natural resources could export their goods through these linkages, he added.
He also invited the president of the bank to visit Pakistan.
EUR 150 million financial assistance from ECO Trade and Development Bank would also be utilized for flood relief.
PM appreciates Turkish business enterprises for strengthening Pakistan economy
ISTANBUL, Turkiye Nov 26 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday appreciated the contribution of Turkish business’ enterprises operating in Pakistan and contributing to the development and growth of Pakistan’s economy.
The prime minister held one-on-one meetings with leading businesspersons of Turkiye. The delegations of Pak Yatirim, Anadolu Group, Zorlu Enerji, Albayrak and Guris Holdings were led by their respective owners and CEOs, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
The prime minister urged the businessmen to invest in Pakistan, particularly in the evolving energy sector, especially in the renewables and assured complete support of Pakistan’s government.
The businessmen appreciated the gesture of the prime minister and assured to continue their contribution in deepening bilateral trade and economic relations.
Taliban curbs on women amount to crimes against humanity: UN experts
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 26 (APP): A group of United Nations human rights experts has warned that Taliban restrictions on women’s rights and freedoms in Afghanistan could amount to a “crime against humanity”.
“In recent months, violations of women and girls’ fundamental rights and freedoms in Afghanistan, already the most severe and unacceptable in the world, have sharply increased”, they said in a joint statement on Friday.
In a statement pushing back on the Taliban’s violations, the Special Rapporteurs argued that gender persecution is a crime against humanity, which can be prosecuted under international law.
While girls remain excluded from secondary education, women have also been stopped from entering parks, gyms, and other public places – and in at least one region, recently blocked from entering their university.
“Banning women’s access to parks also denies children the opportunity for leisure and exercise and their right to engage in play and recreational activities”, the experts pointed out.
“Confining women to their homes is tantamount to imprisonment and is likely leading to increased levels of domestic violence and mental health challenges”.
At the same time, Taliban officers have been brutally beating men accompanying women wearing colourful clothing, or without a face covering.
Moreover, they are removing women and girls’ agency by punishing male relatives for the purported offences of women – instrumentalizing one gender against the other by encouraging men to control the behaviour, attire and movement of women and girls in their circles.
“We are deeply concerned that such actions are intended to compel men and boys to punish women and girls who resist the Taliban’s erasure of them, further depriving them of their rights, and normalizing violence against them”, the statement underscored.
On 3 November, a press conference was disrupted and attendees detained, including activist Zarifa Yaquobi, who along with four men, remain incarcerated by the Taliban’s intelligence department.
The experts raised their concern over the well-being of the arrested human rights defenders and reminded the Taliban that “arresting people for exercising their fundamental rights is unlawful and constitutes arbitrary detention”.
The Special Rapporteurs called on the de facto authorities to abide by all international human rights obligations and commitments and fully implement human rights standards, including the rights of all girls and women to education, employment, and participation in public and cultural life.
The experts also stressed that Zarifa Yaquobi, and the men detained with her, be “immediately and unconditionally released”, or that the Taliban publicly state the reasons for their detention and allow contact with their families and lawyers.
Other calls to action were for the Taliban to respect the fundamental rights to assemble without intimidation and attacks; repeal the edict that punishes male family members for perceived transgressions of women and girls; open all secondary schools for girls and ensure their continued access to university education; and remove all restrictions from accessing public locations.
Meanwhile, the experts also called on the international community to demand the reversal of women’s restrictions and ensure respect and protection of their rights during all discussions with the de facto authorities.
Additionally, global leaders should take steps to investigate and prosecute those responsible for gender persecution in appropriate international and extra-territorial jurisdictions; increase support to Afghan human rights defenders, especially women and girls; and promote and provide safe platforms for women to engage in decision-making processes on the country.
The experts are: Richard Bennett, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan; Dorothy Estrada Tanck (Chairperson), Ivana Radacic (Vice-Chair), Elizabeth Broderick, Meskerem Geset Techane and Melissa Upreti, Working Group on discrimination against women and girls, Alexandra Xanthaki, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on the right to education, Clement Nyaletsossi Voule, Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly, and Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.
PM highlights govt’s efforts to remove obstacles hampering Turkish investment: Marriyum
ISLAMABAD, Nov 26 (APP):Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday underlined Pakistan government’s diligent efforts to ameliorate key obstacles hampering Turkish investment in Pakistan and assured the government’s commitment to ensure ease of doing business.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, using her twitter handle, said that the PM stated this while addressing Pak-Turkiye Business Council meeing in Ankara.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif underlined Pak govt's diligent efforts to ameliorate key obstacles hampering Turkish investment in Pakistan and assured govt's commitment to ensure ease of doing business. #PMShehbazinTurkey
— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) November 26, 2022
She said that Shehbaz Sharif drew attention towards immense untapped business and trade aspects between the two countries. She said the Prime Minister persuaded Turkish business community about Pakistani govt’s unflinching support and vowed to herald new era of Trade diplomacy.
PM @CMShehbaz addressed Pak-Turkiye BC and drew attention towards immense untapped business and trade aspects between two countries,persuaded Turkish business community about Pak govt's unflinching support and vowed to herald new era of Trade diplomacy. #PMShehbazinTurkey
— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) November 26, 2022