ISLAMABAD, Jun 13 (APP): President Mamnoon Hussain Monday said that Pakistan offered best investor friendly policies and urged investors to avail them by investing in Pakistan.

In a meeting with a delegation of Telenor Group headed by President and CEO Sigve Brekke at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, here, the President noted that Pakistan was a big market for the Information Technology industry and hoped that Telenor Group would expand their network to provide more services to the people.

Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecom Anusha Rahman Ahmad Khan was also present on the occasion, said a President House statement.

President Mamnoon said that the government encouraged the development of information technology, telecommunication and digital services in the country and appreciated the telecom sector’s contributions in the development and growth of the country’s economy.

He commended the role of Telenor for introducing modern facilities to facilitate the people and assured government’s support for the company’s future plans.

He said that further penetration of mobile broadband technology was vital for the economic growth and development of Pakistan in different social sectors.

The President underscored that faster progress could be made in the field of telecom technology through public-private partnership adding that low cost internet services and its easy availability was a top priority of the government.

He appreciated the achievement of Ministry of Information Technology in curbing the grey traffic, which was adversely affecting the telecom industry.

Speaking on the occasion, President and CEO of Telenor Group Sigve Brekke apprised President Mamnoon Hussain about various services being offered by Telenor Group in the banking, education, health and agriculture sectors in Pakistan.

He stated that Pakistan was a promising and model market for telecom industry and expressed his satisfaction at the cooperation being extended by the Government of Pakistan to his organisation.

The Telenor CEO said that his company was committed to support Pakistan’s efforts to become a digitally enabled nation.

ISLAMABAD, June 13 (APP): Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi Monday said that in this age of transformation with fast paced changes at the global level, Pakistan was fully alive to counter them.

In a talk show programme aired by a private TV channel, the Special Assistant said these changes at the global arena were impacting the alliances, attitudes and policies across the world.

He said the government was closely monitoring the changes and adjusting its policies accordingly.

To a query, Fatemi replied that they had fully supported the Ashraf Ghani government in Afghanistan but there were certain core issues which required to be addressed including border management and regulation of masses’ movement on border checkposts.

He said they wanted the world to facilitate the process of repatriation of Afghan refugees living inside Pakistan for decades.

The improvement in border management on part of the Afghanistan would greatly help reduce the problems, he added.

The Special Assistant said that the Quadrilateral Coordination Group was formed to address the Afghan issue.

He maintained that the US drone attack had caused negative
impacts on this initiative.

About relations with India, Fatemi said Pakistan had sincerely initiated peace process with the neighbouring country, but all those moves were not adequately reciprocated. “It is not a one way traffic,” he pointed out.

He said a serving Indian army officer was arrested who was running a terrorist cell in Balochistan.

There should be comprehensive and sustained dialogue over all
core issues, including Kashmir and Siachen, he responded to another
question.

With regard to Pakistan-Iran ties, the Special Assistant said that these had durability and deep strength covering over 60 years.

He said Pakistan’s viewpoint at various world fora had been acknowledged and adopted including its suggestions in the Climate Conference.

About firing incident at Orlando, US, Fatemi opined that it would strengthen the anti-Muslim and anti-Islam lobbies, but termed the US President’s statements in the aftermath of the incident mature.

ISLAMABAD, June 13 (APP): Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan bin
Salman bin Abdulaziz has sent a message to Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif wishing him speedy recovery.

The Saudi Prince in his message to Prime Minister Sharif
wished him good health and expressed hope that he would soon be able to resume office, a Foreign Office statement said Monday.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is in London where he underwent a
heart surgery some two weeks ago.

ISLAMABAD June 13 ( APP) : Pakistan on Monday lodged a strong protest with Afghanistan over the unprovoked firing by the Afghan forces at Pakistani forces at the Torkham border crossing.

Two soldiers and nine civilians including women and children were injured in the incident Sunday evening.

A statement from the Foreign Office said the Afghan Charge d’Affaires was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and asked that the incident be thoroughly investigated and the findings be shared with Pakistani authorities.

“It was further emphasized that all steps should be taken for avoiding recurrence of such incidents in the future,” the statement said.

The Afghan Charge d’Affaires was told that the firing incident was contrary to the spirit of friendly relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Foreign Office said the firing was aimed at disrupting the construction of a gate well inside Pakistani territory at the border, designed to facilitate cross-border movement of people and vehicles.

It was conveyed to the Afghan side that the regulation of movement at Torkham was part of government’s policy to strengthen border management.

The Foreign Office said the Afghan government’s cooperation was needed to enhance mutual security and help combat the threat of terrorism.

ISLAMABAD, June 13 (APP): Federal Minister Planning, Development and
Reform Ahsan Iqbal said that concerned departments should take preemptive measures to deal with flooding situation in view of expected 20 percent higher than the normal rains in the upcoming monsoon season.

The concerned departments should be prepared to minimize the losses
of expected high floods in the country in the coming monsoon season, said  a statement issued here.

He said that national preparedness is a composite for preparedness
at provincial levels to deal with calamity like situation due to more
than normal rain in monsoon season.

Ahsan Iqbal made these observations while chairing a high level
meeting monsoon 2016 impact and level of preparedness at Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform.

The meeting was attended by officials of federal ministries, provincial departments, Met Office and NDMA.

Meeting reviewed the expected rains in view of Met Office’s forecast and its impacts in details.

Minister Planning and Development said that proper steps should
be taken to inspect the conditions of water reservoirs and headworks
before arrival of monsoon season and preparedness should be made for  relief activities and provision of medical facilities in the backdrop
of expected flooding in various parts of the country.

Ahsan Iqbal directed for eliminating all the shortcomings in the relief operations, which hampered the relief activities in past when massive floods hit the large parts of the country.

The Minister said that the country is passing through abnormal conditions due to climate change distortions in recent years, which
warrants sound national level preparedness to minimize the losses of
floods.

He said early warning system is first defence line against the more than normal rains and subsequent flooding and emphasized the need  to put in place a state of the art early warning system to check the  losses from flood like natural calamities.

He assured all possible resources for installation of the early  warning system to save the country from devastation caused by floods.

Ahsan Iqbal urged to utilize the youth bulge for volunteerism in flood related relief activities and asked Civil defence to take necessary steps for inducting high number of youth in its volunteer network.

He also stressed for combing operations to remove the snags  in drainage system and storm water nullahs at district level.

ISLAMABAD, June 13 (APP): Prime Minister’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs
Sartaj Aziz Monday said Pakistan was trying to promote trade relations
with Iran following the lifting of international sanctions.

Responding to an adjournment motion moved by MQM’s Muhammad
Atteeq Shaikh in the Senate, he said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had already been inked for declaring Gwadar and Chah Bahar as sister ports. There was a suggestion to establish a railway link between Gwadar and Chah Bahar, he added.

He said the region needed more ports and there would be no threat to Gwadar Port from Chah Bahar Port. Gwadar Port, he said, would be completed soon and it would progress rapidly if China shifted its 10 per cent trade to it.

Sartaj said the deep water port of Gwadar had more importance than
the Iranian Chah Bahar Port. It would progress by leaps and bounds when China would start its trade through it, he added.

As per reports, China is contemplating to shift 17 per cent oil imports to Gwadar.

The Advisor brushed aside the impression that work on the Gwadar
Port was going slow. Sufficient work on the port had been done during
the last one year.

He said Pakistan was concentrating on maintaining physical contacts
with neighbouring countries. Pakistan had provided various facilities
for Afghan Transit Trade and work was going on several road projects
between the two countries.

Sartaj Aziz said rail track from Peshawar to Jalalabad and from
Chaman to Spin Buldak was also under consideration.
He said Pakistan had countered the address of Indian Prime Minister
Narendera Modi to the American Congress. Evidences of activities of Indian inelligence agency RAW (Research and Analysis) inside Pakistan were being collected for preparing a dossier, he added.

Sartaj Aziz said India would not get exemptions for inclusion in
the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

Pakistan, he said, had considered opinion that criteria based approach was imperative for including non-NPT countries in the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Its point of view had been authenticated by various countries and the result would be in favour of Pakistan, he added.

Regarding increasing US-India relations, he said there was a geo-political factor behind it especially to impede Chinese increasing influence. Further actions would be taken in that regard, he added.
He said India was accusing Pakistan of non-state actors while
the later had evidence of RAW’s involvement in Balochistan.

Responding to the queries of Senate Chairman, the Advisor said
Pakistan was decreasing its dependence on foreign aid.

Regarding India-US military cooperation, he said imbalance in the
region must not be increased. Pakistan had safeguarded its national
interests. Besides facing a seven times big enemy, Pakistan was
successfully countering terrorism. “Our efforts for elimination
of terrorism are exemplary.”

ISLAMABAD, Jun 13 (APP): Pakistan has categorically asked the United
States to make its objetives clear if it wants dialogue or war to achieve peace in Afghanistan, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry said on Monday.

At the joint meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence and
Foreign Affairs at Parliament House, the Foreign Secretary said the U.S representatives had been told that U.S drone strike killing Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhter Mansour was a hasty move.

The meeting took up the agendas of withdrawal of proposed subsidy on sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan by the United States and the situation arising out of the May 22 drone strike in Balochistan.

Foreign Secretary Chaudhry said the United States was oblivious of Pakistan’s security concerns, adding that drone strikes were on priority of the government’s agenda.

He said with the United States, “there could be no compromise on certain issues”.

He said the United States had exhausted 16 years in war in Afghanistan and had it be better if even six months for peace were given a chance.
Aizaz Chaudhry mentioned that according to passport details, Mullah Mansour was travelling from Iran and added that the record of Iranian city Taftan was available as well.

However, he said that Pakistan was investigating the veracity of the passport of Mullah Mansour, focusing on the fact that why the document remained unburnt inside the charred car following the drone strike.

The Foreign Secretary pointed that terrorists had their safe hideouts in Afghan refugee camps.

He said Pakistan had hosted the Afghan refugees for 30 years and called upon India and Iran being the “new friends of Afghanistan” to come forward to share this burden.

On halt of subsidized sale of F-16 jets to Pakistan, he said the U.S Congress played a major role in this regard.

He said the foreign policy of Pakistan was in the right direction and was in best national interests.