Pakistan, Russia sign road transport agreement

Thu, 17 Nov 2022, 8:11 PM

ISLAMABAD, Nov 17 (APP): A road transport agreement has been signed between Pakistan and Russia to pave way for promoting commercial and public relations between both countries.

Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Maulana Asad Mahmood had an important meeting with Russian Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev in which an international road transport agreement was signed, said a press release.

On the occasion, the Minister said Russia was a resource-rich and technologically advanced country. “This agreement will pave way for establishing commercial and public relations between the two countries. The agreement will provide a framework for the movement of passengers and goods trade between the two countries,” he said.

He said it would make travel and delivery of goods easy between Pakistan and Russia. “Pakistan exports fruits, garments, surgical instruments, leather and agricultural products to Russia. On the other hand, Russia is the fourth largest LNG exporting country in the world and has offered to sell LNG to Pakistan at a lower price than other countries,” he said.

He was of the view that this agreement between Pakistan and Russian was need of the hour. It may be mentioned that through this agreement, transport operations would be carried out on basis of road transport permits, which will be provided free of cost to the transporters by the competent authorities of both countries.

A joint working group would be formed soon to streamline the operational rules and regulations and to examine issues related to its implementation.

Peace would be restored and business activities will resume in the region in future after the resolution of political issues related to Russia-Ukraine war.

China displays advanced weapons, equipment at Pakistan defense expo

Abdul Hanan

Thu, 17 Nov 2022, 8:08 PM

BEIJING, Nov 17 (APP):China is displaying many advanced weapons and equipment, including drone and anti-drone systems, at an ongoing defense expo in Pakistan, a move analysts said indicates that the two countries’ defense cooperation will continue to deepen under their ironclad friendship, with Pakistan’s armed forces already operating advanced main battle equipment of Chinese origin.

The 11th session of the International Defense Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) kicked off on Tuesday at the Karachi Expo Center in southern port city of Karachi, with seven Chinese defense trade companies participating under the delegation “China Defence” led by the country’s State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence.

Exhibits of the Chinese delegation include the Wing Loong series drones, CH series drones, the WJ-700 drone, a comprehensive anti-drone system, a type of multi-role drone ship, the Y-9E transport aircraft, the LY-70 air defense system, the VT4 main battle tank, the SR5 multiple launch rocket system, the YLC-2E multi-role radar, a command information system, an electronic warfare defense system and a communications navigation system.

China’s State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence said that the Chinese delegation’s participation in international defense expos aims to display the country’s advanced military equipment and technologies, promote international cooperation and communication in science, technology and industry for national defense, and build a defense security community to safeguard regional peace.

The armed forces of Pakistan have commissioned many advanced weapons and equipment of Chinese origin, including the VT4 main battle tank, the SH-15 self-propelled howitzer, the Type 054A/P frigate, the JF-17 fighter jet, the J-10C fighter jet and the ZDK-03 early warning aircraft, according to official announcements and media reports.

China and Pakistan are expected to continue to deepen their defense cooperation, as Chinese weapons and equipment have boosted Pakistan’s national defense as a system, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times.
With China-Pakistan defense cooperation as an example, the expo is also a chance for China to have more defense cooperation with other countries in the region, the expert said.

The Russia-Ukraine crisis has highlighted the importance of drones and anti-drone systems, and Chinese defense firms have answers to that, the expert said.

Pakistan has consistently held the biennial event since 2000, except in 2020, when the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. IDEAS has become a defense expo of key influence in Asia.

Shah appointed Member Development Commission WBSC

NNPS Desk

Thu, 17 Nov 2022, 7:56 PM

ISLAMABAD, Nov 17 (APP): Pakistan Federation Baseball (PFB) President Syed Fakhar Ali Shah PFB has been appointed as Member Development Commission of World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC).

WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari has issued a letter appointing Shah as a member of the commission after the approval of the executive board, said a press release.

The appointment was a matter of honor for Pakistan and baseball circles.

Riccardo Fraccari said Shah’s expertise and knowledge of our sport would be a great asset to this commission and I look forward to his contribution to the growth of our organization and success of the game.

Chairman of Member Development Commission Angelo Vicini congratulated Shah on the appointment and wished him success.

Shah thanked for welcoming him on his appointment and said this position has been awarded for the first time in our region and it was a matter of honor for Pakistan and baseball circles.

Some Chinese cities no longer check 48h Covid test results

Abdul Hanan

Thu, 17 Nov 2022, 7:55 PM

China to launch two weather satellites this year

BEIJING, Nov 17 (APP):Some Chinese cities no longer require 48-hour negative test results following the release of 20 measures to optimize COVID-19 response, which include shortened quarantine periods for international arrivals and cancellation of circuit breakers for inbound flights.

East China’s Shandong Province, China’s second-most populous province with more than 101 million people, has canceled checking of negative COVID-19 test results within 48 hours for people entering Shandong from other provinces. People returning from high-risk regions do not have to go to centralized quarantine zones but should stay at home for seven days, Global Times reported.

The city of Luoyang in Central China’s Henan Province is also no longer asking for test results when citizens use public transport or enter public places except schools.

China has also relaxed the previous strict requirements on cross-provincial travel. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced on Tuesday that tourists could travel to other provinces with public transportation if they could present 48-hour negative test results.

All these moves came after China’s 20 optimized measures to ease some of the burden in combating COVID-19. The measures included shortened quarantine periods from 7+3 (seven days of centralized quarantine and three days of health observation at home) to 5+3 for international arrivals and close contacts of confirmed cases.

Pak- Kazakhstan agrees to sign transit trade agreement: Ambassador Yerzhan

NNPS Desk

Thu, 17 Nov 2022, 7:54 PM

ISLAMABAD, Nov 17 (APP): Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan Yerzhan Kistafin said a transit trade agreement between Pakistan and Kazakhstan is expected to be signed soon to accelerate the bilateral trade.
Ambassador as Chief Guest in a seminar organized by ‘Pakistan in the World’ in collaboration with the Centre of Pakistan and International Relations (COPAIR), said that air, railway and road links are very important for regional economic connectivity, for which a lot of progress has been made in both countries.
The Ambassador said that Kazakhstan’s national airline SCAT will start its operations to major cities of Pakistan including Islamabad and Karachi from January 2023, said a news release.
The Ambassador of Kazakhstan said that direct flights between the two countries will strengthen mutual economic and trade relations, along with the possibility of improvement in bilateral tourism.

The Ambassador said that the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev will soon visit Pakistan and it will be very important in developing close relations between the two countries.

On the occasion, he said that the Minister of Commerce and Industry of Kazakhstan likely to visit Pakistan in December and he will also discuss mutual trade and Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between the two countries.

He said that the Joint Working Group is already working for the improvement of economic relations and regional economic integration in Pakistan and Kazakhstan, which is an excellent forum for mutual discussions.

Yerzhan Kistafin said that the Kazakhstan region believes in regional connectivity, and in this regard, mutual economic integration of the South and Central Asian regions will lead to prosperity in the region.
He said that the work is going on for the connection between the business communities of the two countries and Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Sargodha Chamber of Commerce and Industry will visit Kazakhstan next month and review the business and trade opportunities there.

He said that the current volume of mutual trade between the two countries is $197 million, which can easily be taken up to $ 1 billion.

He said that information technology, pharmaceutical, textiles and agriculture and food sectors are very important in mutual trade.

The Ambassodor said that major changes have taken place in the global economic scenario, which can improve the livelihood of a country.

He said that the large population of Pakistan and Kazakhstan consists of youth and both countries can benefit from it.
He said that Kazakhstan is the largest economy in the Central Asian region where there is a huge economic potential.
He said that sport is an important sector in both countries in which new ways of mutual cooperation could be opened and sports diplomacy is extremely important.

SATRC exemplary platform of sub-regional digital cooperation, mutual assistance: Amir Azeem

NNPS Desk

Thu, 17 Nov 2022, 7:48 PM

ISLAMABAD, Nov 17 (APP): Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Maj General Amir Azeem Bajwa (R) has said that the South Asian Telecommunication Regulators’ Council (SATRC) is an exemplary platform of sub-regional digital cooperation and mutual assistance.

He said this while attending the 25th anniversary of the SATRC held in Tehran, said a news release received here on Thursday.

Speaking at the occasion, Chairman PTA congratulated the members and APT leadership for the outstanding achievements of the council over the last two and a half decades. The forum has imparted collective knowledge and regulatory experience of nine South Asian countries in a structured and efficient manner for the past 25 years.

The chairman reaffirmed PTA’s commitment to the council affairs and highlighted the need for enhanced collaboration in addressing common challenges of the region.

The annual meeting has been organized by the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) and hosted by the Communications Regulatory Authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran (CRA). Heads of the regulators from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as well as delegates and industry executives, attended the meeting.

Chairman PTA also participated as a panelist in the Regulators Roundtable Session on “Universal and Meaningful Connectivity”, sharing digital profile of Pakistan and future plans to bridge the digital divide and ensure provision of seamless connectivity to the people of Pakistan.

It may be further added that, SATRC is a sub-regional cooperation forum of the telecommunication regulators, operating under the umbrella of APT. It is a platform to discuss and coordinate mutually agreed issues related to telecom/ICT, by forming joint working groups, as part of the broader actions plans.

PTA is among the founding members of the forum and also the current chair of SATRC Working Group on Policy, Regulation and Services.

SC hears Imran Khan’s petition challenging NAB amendments

NNPS Desk

Thu, 17 Nov 2022, 7:44 PM

SC issues notices to AGP, political parties in provincial assemblies election case

ISLAMABAD, Nov 17 (APP): The Supreme Court on Wednesday heard former prime minister Imran Khan’s petition challenging amendments in the National Accountability (NAB) Ordinance by the government.

A three-member SC bench, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, heard the case.

During the course of proceedings, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, discussing the amendments in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law, said that the error was not in the law but in its misuse.

The Chief Justice told Imran Khan’s lawyer Khawaja Haris that he was right that corruption was a disease and accountability of corruption was necessary for constitutional governance, adding the economy was also affected due to this problem.

He said that the question before the court was where to draw the line that fundamental rights had been affected. The fault was not in the NAB law but in its misuse, he added.

The Chief Justice said that corruption should be dealt with strictly. He asked if the court reached this conclusion, then what would be its benchmark?

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah said that the court on a daily basis took decisions on matters that conflict with fundamental rights and added If a citizen stated that there was no anti-corruption law in Pakistan, then should court should ask the parliament to enact a law.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah said that those citizens would come again and stated that the law against corruption was not strict as people were being exempted, and give instructions to enact a strict law, then the court would give instructions for a stringent law.
He said that there was no greater threat to Pakistan than the climate change. More important than the NAB laws was the legislation to deal with climate change, he added.

He said that all of Pakistan was being destroyed as it was facing floods and natural calamities.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah said that in case a citizen came and stated that the law was not strict to deal with climate change, and order the Parliament to this effect.

Addressing Imran Khan’s lawyer, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah asked whether it was court’s job to do this task.
Khawaja Haris said that there were judicial precedents to address this question. On which, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah said that he was also waiting for this day.

Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial said that Khawaja Haris had pointed out that fundamental rights were eventually affected by corruption.
Khawaja Haris said that the NAB amendments were against the ‘social contract’ and the Constitution between the people and the elected representatives. Under current law, public officials as trustees, would be exempted from accountability, he added.

He said that if four questions raised in the application, should be kept on the front and find the answer, then it was against the life, property and human dignity of the people.

The court adjourned the hearing on the petition against the NAB amendments till November 29.