ISLAMABAD, Dec 2 (APP):Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) MNA, President Women Wing Lahore Shaista Pervaiz Malik on Friday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s ex-ministers are still enjoying perks despite tendering their resignations collectively where individual verification has not taken place, which was an imperative part of the process.

“The coalition government will not believe that U-turn master Imran Khan will stick to his decision of quitting the assemblies, she said while speaking to a Private news channel.

She asked PTI leadership to verify their resignations and present their resignation letters individually to the speaker if they are serious and stick to their words.

MNA said that Khan will have to take a U-turn from his decision to quit the assemblies as the PTI leaders would not be willing to resign from their assembly membership.

Replying to a question, she lashed out that “a greedy person deprived of power” was targeting state institutions, adding, the election would be held in time.

ISLAMABAD, Dec 02 (APP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday expressed deep grief over the death of Imran Aslam, president of Jang and Geo Media Group.

The prime minister prayed for the departed soul of Imran Aslam to rest in peace and for the grant of patience to his family.

He said late Imran Aslam was a renowned figure in the field of journalism. 

Shehbaz Sharif said the services of Imran Aslam for journalism in Pakistan would always be remembered. 

Saddened by the passing of veteran journalist and president of Geo TV Imran Aslam. He belonged to a breed of journalists who made eminent contribution to the development of Pakistani journalism. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family, friends & colleagues.

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) December 2, 2022

ISLAMABAD, Dec 1 (APP):Dr Joshua Snider, distinguished faculty of UAE National Defence College, on Thursday stressed over resources, ‘political will’, and planning (strategy) as the capacity forums in defeating terrorism and extremism.

He delivered an exclusive talk on “Preventing and countering violent extremism in the Indo-Pacific: Policy, programming and the challenge of capacity building.”

Dr Arshi Saleem Hashmi, Professor at Peace and Conflict Studies, at National Defence University, was the discussant.

The discourse was part of the Islamabad Policy Research Institute Distinguished Lecture Series.

The distinguished scholar who has immense experience in counter-terrorism studies said “‘Counter Violent Extremism’ is almost a science, and a durable solution to extremism literally depends on articulating political tools and an appropriate strategy to address revulsion”.

He said the National security and development priorities of member states matter a lot in defeating insurgencies and terrorism.

This is why there is a chord between extremism and terrorism, he said, adding that though the focus was on Islamist movements and the wayward activities of non-state actors, the debate was humbly graduated to list out the irritants in the socio-economic milieu of the region and beyond.
Dr Snider’s scope of study was Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, as he shed light upon extremism and terrorism tendencies in the region.

He further said prevention is a political process and thus political engagement and people inclusivity will allow the state to have a successful CVE and CT strategy – and its ownership on all levels is of utmost importance.

For Pakistan, the counter terrorism (hard strategy) was easier to implement than Counter Violent Extremism, (softer strategies) and that’s why there needs to be more investment in long-term softer strategies for sustainable peace, Dr Arshi Saleem observed.

With a case study on Indonesia, Dr Joshua, explained how terrorism mixed with struggles of secular nationalism versus what people wanted — the globalization of the religio-political ideology only added to this violent extremism.

ISLAMABAD, Dec 1 (APP): The second meeting of the open-ended OIC Intergovernmental Group of Experts considering the OIC Convention on the Rights of the Child in Islam was held at the OIC General Secretariat.

The meeting was meant to conclude consideration of the draft convention for onward submission to the next session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Nouakchott, Mauritania, for adoption, said a press release received here Thursday.

In his opening remarks OIC Secretary-General, Hissein Brahim Taha, read on his behalf by the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian, Cultural and Social Affairs Ambassador Ali Tarig Bakheet, reviewed the stages through which the drafting of the convention has passed.

He mentioned that the second draft of the convention was prepared in coordination between the OIC General Secretariat and the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission, with the aim of incorporating and revising Member States’ views so that discussions on it would be concluded at this meeting.

The secretary-general called for concerted efforts and cooperation by member states to protect the rights of the child and to translate into concrete reality those rights guaranteed for the child by Islam and international regimes and instruments.

This, he said, is to be achieved by strengthening coordination mechanisms among national institutions on the one hand and between those institutions and the OIC organs and institutions on the other, and by taking important steps to implement the convention.

He also urged the participants to consider ways to enhance the role of relevant OIC institutions in exchanging expertise, setting standards and mechanisms and following up of implementation of the convention.

For his part, the chairman of the meeting Ambassador Rezwan Sheikh, Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the OIC, as Pakistan is the current chair of the Council of Foreign Ministers, made a presentation on the development of the draft convention.

He underscored the need to benefit from best practices from member states and from national, regional and international human rights conventions and instruments on the child.

He emphasized the need to conclude the drafting of the convention at this meeting in order to submit it to the next session of the Council of Foreign Ministers.