Governor for resolving problems of private schools

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Governor for resolving problems of private schools

MULTAN, June 11 (APP): Punjab Governor Malik Rafique
Rajwana on Saturday said education played a vital role in
progress and prosperity of any society.

He said the incumbent government was aware of problems
of private schools and trying its best to resolve them.

The governor was talking to a delegation of Federation of
Registered Schools Punjab led by Shiekh Akram and Farid Khan
Bangish.

He said private schools were performing an important role
in educating the society and preparing new generation.

“We will have to pay more focus on education to come up to a
level of developed nations”, the governor maintained.

The governor gave patient hearing to issues of
private schools and assured the delegation that he would play his effective role in resolving their problems.

Hot, dry weather predicted in KP

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Hot, dry weather expected in country during next 24 hours — Dust-thunderstorm with gusty winds likely at scattered places

PESHAWAR, June 11 (APP): The provincial Metrological Office Saturday predicted that mainly hot and dry weather is expected over most parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

However, rain-thunderstorm with gusty winds, dust storm is expected at few places in Hazara, Malakand division and at isolated places in Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan divisions and FATA (Kurram and Khyber Agency) during evening/night of coming 24 hours.

Similarly, the met office also predicted that mainly hot and dry weather is expected over most parts of the province.

However rain-thunderstorm with gusty winds, dust storm is expected at few places in Hazara, Malakand and at isolated places in Peshawar, Kohat (Kohat, Karak), Bannu, DI Khan divisions and FATA (Kurram, Khyber Agency) during next 48 hours.

Pakistan, India need to pursue closer ties on security front: US

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WASHINGTON, June 11 (APP): Pakistan and India need to pursue
closer relations on security front to counter threat of terrorism,
a US Statement Department spokesman said, stressing that the United
States need to seek closer ties between both countries.

“There’s no zero-sum game here,” Spokesman Mark Toner told a
regular briefing at the State Department, responding to a question
about the recent remarks by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi he
made during his 3-day visit to Washington this week.

Asked to comment on mention of cross-border terrorism during
his address to the US Congress, the spokesman refused to say what
his intended audience was, but added that there was no zero-sum
game here.

“We need to pursue closer relations with India, with Pakistan,
and they need to also pursue closer relations on the security front, certainly, with each other,” the spokesman said and added that such relationship would benefit all in the face of continuing serious
terrorist threats.

“We all need to work in a concerted and coordinated fashion
to address it, and we’re trying to do so,” he added.

A day before Mr. Modi was to address the Congress, a
bipartisan group of 18 Congressmen wrote a letter to Speaker Paul
Rayn, urging him to put the issue of severe violence against
Muslims, Christians and Sikhs in India on top of his agenda
during meeting with Prime Minister Modi.

Prime Minister Modi was scheduled to address the joint session
on Wednesday, but a day before the Human Rights Commission of the
US Congress held a hearing to discuss the human rights violation in
India.

They told the Speaker that religious minorities in India,
including Muslims, continue to live in a climate where known
perpetrators commit violence with impunity, an obvious reference
to activists of ruling BJP who have been involved in such
incidents.

In the letter, the lawmakers cited several specific examples
of violent attacks that have killed or displaced religious
minorities in India.

Human rights groups in India have investigated and traced
these attacks to specific groups, but a current climate of
impunity exists in India around such attacks and many victims
never receive justice.

The letter to the Speaker came a day after the Human Rights
Commission of the US Congress held a hearing on human rights
violation in India, and expressed their serious concern over the
growing incidents against the country’s religious minorities.

At UN, Pakistan reaffirms commitment to control HIV/AIDS epidemic

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UNITED NATIONS, June 11 (APP): Pakistan has told the UN General
Assembly that it remains committed to controlling HIV/AIDS epidemic, providing strong national and provincial support for prevention,
treatment and care and reducing stigma and discrimination.

Speaking in the 193 member Assembly high level plenary meeting
on ending AIDS, Darshan Punchi, Parliamentary Secretary for National
Health Services, said Pakistan’s national response to HIV prevention
and treatment was backed by the government’s firm political commitment, guided by its strategy to control the epidemic by 2020.

The plan, he said, emphasizes targeted, evidence based and high
impact quality assured interventions in high risk groups and was based on a coordinated and multi sectoral approach to target all its drivers and consequences.

Pakistan, he said, had a low HIV prevalence, below 1 per cent.
Yet, prevalence among injection drug users was 27.2 per cent.
Ending HIV/AIDS and alleviating poverty must be supported by international cooperation, Punchi said.

Scientific breakthroughs and lessons learned from scaling up
the AIDS response provided the tools to end AIDS by 2030.
In this regard, the Pakistan delegate, welcomed the valuable
support of international partners, UNAIDS and other UN agencies as well as relevant NGOs and civil society organizations.

“The Government of Pakistan is aware that in next five years, we have a narrow window of opportunity to radically change the trajectory of the HIV epidemic; and we will utilize this opportunity to fill the gap between estimated and registered number of patients by achieving three 90s target set out in the 2016 Declaration.”

Rs 869.1 bln Sindh budget presented

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KARACHI, June 11 (APP): Sindh Minister for Finance Syed Murad Ali
Shah Saturday presented the Sindh Budget 2016-17 for Rs 869.1 billion in the Sindh Assembly.

Speaking in the assembly, he said the Annual Development Programme
(ADP) for the coming financial year would be Rs 225 billion,
39 per cent increase over the current year’s ADP, which he termed was
a great achievement.

He said the Sindh government would be able to mobilize additional resources through better revenue generation as well as through
borrowing from the domestic market as per the ceiling given by the
NEC (National Economic Council).

These additional revenues would be spent on development
portfolio, as the government would ensure that the current budget
should not increase by more than 13 per cent.

This, he said, was despite the fact that the salary and pension expenditure had to increase in order to provide relief to government employees and also to create new jobs. Moreover, the provincial
government had also ensured that allocation for such important
functions, as maintenance and repair of the existing infrastructure, non-salary expenditure of schools, and budget for the medicines and
other equipment of the hospitals should increase substantially.

The minister said the focus of this budget was the overall
betterment and welfare of the people, for which efficient and optimal utilization of the resources was mandatory, given that effective public financial management has direct impact on service delivery.

The government, he said, aimed at to move towards a peaceful
and prosperous Sindh by bringing about sustainable and inclusive socio-economic, infrastructural and human resource development.
Referring to the status of National Finance Commission (NFC), he
said it was the responsibility of the Federal Government to announce
the NFC Award for a period of five years under Article 160
of the Constitution. The last NFC award was to end on June 30, 2015.
He called for the earliest completion of NFC.

Sindh Minister for Finance Syed Murad Ali said that another
key feature of the budget 16-17 was a significant increase in
the allocations for some of the smaller departments, which perform
important social welfare functions but generally get smaller share
in resource allocation.

He said these departments include Social Welfare, Special
Education, Sports and Youth Affairs, Women Development and
Minorities Affairs.

The budget for Social Welfare department was being increased
by 65.5%, with the additional amount to be spent on improvement of
facilities like Dar-ul-Amans and Dar-ul-Atfals etc.

The overall budget for Special Education Department had been
increased by 35%, but the non-salary budget has surged by 433% and
this additional amount would be spent on improving the 50 facilities
meant for Special children across the province.

The budget for the Sports and Youth Affairs department had
been increased by 46% to provide better avenues of development for the youth of the province.

The budget for the Women Development department has been increased by 149%, most of which will be spent to provide microfinance facilities to women entrepreneurs and also to provide legal aid services to needy women.

The grant for Minorities is being increased from Rs 100 million
to Rs 300 million, an increase of a massive 200%, which will be spent
on different welfare schemes for the minorities.

The minister said the Sindh Government’s tax administration was performing well and hoped that the current year’s target of
Rs 124 billion would be achieved.

Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) had done exceptionally well in achieving
the challenging target of Rs 61 billion, which he said, had been
possible due to the efforts of its staff but the credit would
go to ts chairman Tashfeen Niaz.

He said the Excise and Taxation department also succeeded in
achieving the target.

Considering this excellent performance, the minister said the
Sindh Government had set more challenging targets for these two
entities in next financial year. Our overall tax collection was
estimated at Rs 154 billion for fiscal year 2016-17, which was
24% higher than the current year’s target.

He said there were no new taxes which would affect the common man.
“In fact we are reducing the rate of sales tax on service from the
current 14% to 13%. We have rationalized certain taxes.”

He said the SRB was being assigned a task to collect Rs 78 billion
which would be 28% higher than the current years’ collection. It was
an ambitious but achievable goal.

He said the Excise and Taxation department also got a challenging
target of Rs 52 billion, 24% higher than the current year’s target of
Rs 42 billion.

The minister said the Board of Revenue had been assigned a target
of Rs 16.8 billion with the confidence that it would achieve it by introducing reforms and automation in its collection mechanism.
“Our efforts in tax collection have been a source of satisfaction
for us as we have seen a growth of 18% during last three years, higher
than the growth in tax collection achieved by any other government
in Pakistan,” he claimed.

The additional revenues the government had generated, he said,
were available to finance the very healthy ADP of Rs 225 billion
budgeted for the next fiscal year.

It was the result of better fiscal management during last three
years that such a high growth in development portfolio was aimed for,
he added.

The minister said the government had managed to keep a check on unproductive government expenditure. Austerity measures were introduced into the financial management. A whole set of PFM reforms aiming at more transparency and accountability were introduced. There had been a ban on procurement of new vehicles except for the operational vehicles for police and hospitals etc.

He said procurement of other luxury items like air conditioners etc.
had also been kept under control.

Sindh’s Senior Minister for Finance, Planning and Development Syed
Murad Ali Shah started his budget speech with thanks to all political
groups and their leaders for cooperating and supporting Sindh Government, which he said, will continue in future.

The Minister said, “the budget of 2016-17 has also been prepared
in consonance with the collective vision of our leaders and he feels
honored to present the people-friendly Budget of fiscal year 2016-17.”
He said Pakistan Peoples Party has made innumerable sacrifices
primarily for the successful continuation of democracy and to ensure
that the people of Pakistan not only have a say in setting out
priorities of governance and development, but they shall be the actual
drivers of change.

For this purpose, this year’s budget has also been set out in
the spirit of reconciliation and participatory politics, aimed
towards the establishment of a just, equitable, and egalitarian
society. The ruling party in Sindh, PPP believed in the politics of
inclusion, participation and reconciliation. Thus, the government will
try to ensure that every step is taken jointly and every decision is
made with participation and consensus of all parties involved.

He thanked the members of the Assembly, both from the
treasury and opposition benches, for their support and looked
forward to their cooperation in future.

He acknowledged the leadership of political parties both in
the assembly and outside, especially Altaf Hussain (MQM), Pir
Sahab Pagara of PML(F), Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (PML-N), Imran Khan (PTI), Asfandiyar Wali (ANP), Moulana Siraj-ul-Haq (JI) and Moulana Fazl-ur-Rehman (JUI-F).

He said that the whole democratic setup including this house stands
for the service of the people of Sindh. Through the democratic process
they have reposed their faith in us, and it is incumbent upon us to
live up to their expectations.

He said PPP leadership and the government’s vision was across the
board service of the people of Sindh. Through this budget, we have put
in maximum efforts to translate this dream into actionable plans.

Zahid Hamid visits Ramzan Bazaar

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SIALKOT, June 11 (APP): Federal Minister for Law and
Climate Change Zahid Hamid on Saturday said the basic purpose
of Ramzan Bazaar was to provide commodities and eatables on cheaper rate to the masses.

He expressed these views while visiting Ramzan Bazaar
in Pasrur. The minister inspected quality of different commodities
and asked customers about their suggestions regarding
Ramzan Bazaar.

He directed administration of the bazaar that stern
action should be taken against price hikers and black marketers.
Later, the minister held an open court at the PML N
House Pasrur and listened to complaints sympathetically and
issued orders.

MPAs Rana Muhammad Afzal, Munawar Gill, PML N leaders
Ahsan Bajwa, Malik Ziauddin, Rana Ijaz and Ch Javed Bajwa
were also present.

Dar leaves for London

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ISLAMABAD, June 11 (APP): Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar left Islamabad for London here on Saturday.

During his short one day stay in London, Finance Minister will meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and enquire about his health, a statement issued by the ministry of Finance said.

Irfan Siddiqui condoles journalist’s mother death

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ISLAMABAD, Jun 11 (APP): Advisor to Prime Minister on National History and Literary Heritage Irfan Siddiqui on Saturday condoled the death of mother of Khalid Mehmood, Senior Journalist.

In his condolence message to Khalid Mehmood, he expressed his
heartfelt grief and sorrow over the sad demise of his mother.

He prayed to Allah Almighty to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage to him and the bereaved family to bear the irreparable loss with equanimity.

UN slams attack targeting Afghan civilians gathered for Friday prayers

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UNITED NATIONS, June 11 (APP): The United Nations envoy in Afghanistan has condemned an attack targeting civilians gathered for Friday prayers at the Hisarak Jami Mosque in Rodat district of Nangarhar province.

According to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the attack killed at least three civilians and injured more than 70 others’ including 31 boys’ with at least two in critical condition.

An improvised explosive device planted at the mosque detonated, killing a “mullah”, one man, and one boy as they prayed on the first Friday of the Holy Month of Ramadan.

“An attack deliberately targeting civilian members of a community praying together in a mosque can never be justified and highlights the perpetrators’ intent to destroy lives, and spread terror among the civilian population,” Nicholas Haysom, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA, said in a statement.

“International humanitarian law prohibits the deliberate targeting of civilians, including at their places of worship, and imposes a specific obligation on combatant parties to allow religious personnel to carry out their work. At face value, this attack a war crime and the perpetrators must be held accountable,” he stressed.

On behalf of the United Nations in Afghanistan, Haysom expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.

Met office warns of unusual rains this monsoon

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ISLAMABAD June 10 (APP): Pakistan Meteorological Department has
predicted unusual rains this summer and warned of low magnitude flood in some areas of the country.

Director General Met Office Dr Ghulam Rasool told a private news channel that north-eastern areas of the country including Rawalpindi, Lahore and Gujranwala would receive 40 percent more rain than the normal in upcoming monsoon season.

Similarly, Karachi Hyderabad and Thar would also receive more rain than
the normal with Karachi having 100 to 120 mm rain that may result in brief urban flood if the water courses and sewerage are not timely cleaned.

Dr. Ghulam Rasool said the change in weather phenomenon El-nino would disturb the normal rains schedule in Karachi as the city had been in the grip of el-nino during last two years.

Answering a question, he said, the prediction of the Met office is
authentic and at par with the predictions of the internationally institution recognized in accuracy.

“Upcoming two months are important in terms of planning as how much we are prepared to cope with such a situation,” he added.

He said due to local and international climate change, Pakistan will
receive overall 20 percent more rain that does not mean that it will happen across the country. Rather, in some areas it will be 40% and in some areas there will be no rain.

Under this weather pattern, he said, North-eastern areas and Karachi and Hyderabad will receive more rains.

First Pakistani artist wins Jameel Prize in Istanbul

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ISLAMABAD, Jun 10 (APP): Pakistani artist Ghulam Mohammad has
won the prestigious Jameel Prize-4 for his works in contemporary
Islamic art, becoming the first Pakistani to achieve the distinction.

The Jameel Prize, an international award for contemporary art
and design inspired by Islamic tradition, was awarded to Ghulam
Mohammad at a ceremony held at Pera Museum in Istanbul, said a
statement received here Friday.

According to the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum, London,
which organizes the Jameel Prize and exhibition in partnership with
Art Jameel every two years, “Its aim is to explore the relationship
between Islamic traditions of art, craft and design and contemporary
work as part of a wider debate about Islamic culture and its role
today.”

The prize is open to artists and designers from any ethnic, religious or cultural background. The first Prize was awarded in 2009. The subsequent prizes and exhibition of work of finalists were held at V&A, London.

This is the first time the prize and exhibition have been held at an external venue, i.e. Pera Museum in Istanbul, Turkey.

The announcement about Jameel Prize 4 notes that over 280
nominations were received from around the world, while works of 11
artists were short-listed by a panel of judges, chaired by V&A
Director, Martin Roth. According to the judges, Ghulam Mohammad’s
work “stood out for its excellence of concept and execution.”
“Using second-hand books, Ghulam Mohammad’s intricate collages
of paper cuttings of Urdu script pasted on Wasli paper create new
meanings and celebrate the great heritage of Islamic art, craft and
design,” the announcement by V&A noted.

The eleven short-listed artists and designers included David
Chalmers Alesworth, Rasheed Araeen, Lara Assouad, CANAN, Cevdet
Erek, Sahand Hesamiyan, Lucia Koch, Ghulam Mohammad, Shahpour
Pouyan, Wael Shawky and Bahia Shehab.

Asye and Ece Ege, founders of Turkish fashion label Dice Kayek
and winners of Jameel Prize 3, presented the Prize to Ghulam
Mohammad.
On the occasion, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkey Sohail
Mahmood said this was “great news for Ghulam Mohammad, for
Pakistan’s young artists, and for the broader art community in
Pakistan.”

“The fact that this took place in brotherly Turkey makes it
even more special,” he said.

He commended both V&A and Pera Museum for their collaboration
in this edition of Jameel Award, adding that it would further
showcase the creative genius of Pakistani artists, and especially of
young artists whose works were being increasingly recognized
internationally and adorned the best art galleries and museums of
the world.

Five art works of Ghulam Mohammad as well as those of other 10
short-listed artists are now on display at Pera Museum (Istanbul)
from 8 June to 14 August 2016.

The V&A houses one of the world’s notable collections of Islamic art in its Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art. The late Zaha Hadid, award-winning architect, was Patron of the Jameel Prize.

Governing Board of PCB to meet on Saturday

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Training camp for ODIs against West Indies underway

LAHORE, June 10 (APP):- The Governing Board of Pakistan Cricket Board will meet here tomorrow, Saturday at National Cricket Academy.
Chairman, PCB, Shaharyar M Khan will preside over the meeting which will be the third in the current year, said a spokesman of PCB on Friday.

He said the meeting will take important decisions pertaining to the
development of the game besides reviewing performance of committees.

Rain turns weather pleasant in Islamabad

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ISLAMABAD, Jun 10 (APP): A rainfall in the federal capital
on Friday evening turned the weather pleasant giving sigh of relief
to citizens.

According to Met Office during next 24 hours, rain-dust-
thunderstorm with strong gusty winds is expected at isolated places
in Hazara, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad divisions,
Islamabad and Kashmir.

Rain-dust-thunderstorm is also expected at few places in
Malakand, Mardan, Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, D.I Khan, Multan, D.G
khan, Bahawalpur, Sukkur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad, Quetta, Zhob divisions, FATA and Gilgit-Baltistan during evening/night.
However, mainly very hot and dry weather is expected in most
parts of the country during day time.

Weather remained very hot and dry in most parts of the country
during last 24 hours. However, light rain-thunderstorm occurred at
few places in Kashmir and Gujranwala division.

Seasonal low lies over north Balochistan with its trough extending south-eastwards. Moderate moist currents are penetrating
in eastern parts of the country and likely to continue till Monday
morning. Westerly wave is also likely to affect upper and central
parts of the country during weekend.

According to the seasonal forecast issued by the Met Office,
monsoon rainfall is likely to be 10 to 20 per cent above than normal
all over the country.

More than average rainfall is expected over Punjab, Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, AJK and Northeast Balochistan. Some extreme
rainfall events are likely to occur in the catchment areas of major
rivers and other parts of the country which may cause floods.

Future strikes could impact Pak US ties: Pakistan warns

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ISLAMABAD, Jun 10 (APP): Pakistan on Friday conveyed a
strong message to the United States of America on violation of its sovereignty by a drone strike targeting Afghan Taliban leader and said any future strike would be detrimental to their ties.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz
told the visiting US delegation that the May 21 drone strike was not only a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and breach of the principles of the United Nation’s Charter, but has also vitiated bilateral ties.

“It was emphasized that any future drone strike in
Pakistan will be detrimental to our common desire to
strengthen relations,” according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office here on Friday.

A US drone strike killed the Afghan Taliban leader
Mullah Akhtar Mansour in Balochistan as he was travelling in
a car after crossing into Pakistan from Iran.

Sartaj was talking to US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Olson and Dr. Peter Lavoy, Senior Adviser and Director for South Asian Affairs at the National Security Council who met him here at the Foreign Office. Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry also attended the meeting.

“Candid discussions” were held on bilateral relations,
regional security situation and the Afghan peace process in the wake of May 21 drone strike in Balochistan, a statement from the Foreign Office said.

The Adviser expressed his concern that the drone strike
had seriously undermined the ongoing efforts for Afghan peace
and reconciliation process at a time when Pakistan, along with
other Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) countries, was
engaged in serious efforts to revive peace talks between
Afghan Government and the Taliban.

The Foreign Secretary recalled that in QCG’s fifth
meeting on May 18, it was decided that peace negotiations remained the only option for a political settlement.

He emphasized that this would require collective efforts
on the part of all QCG members to promote lasting peace in Afghanistan.

In response to US queries on safe havens for Taliban, it
was emphasized that Pakistan was already pursuing its objective of eliminating all militants and terrorists from its soil in accordance with the National Action Plan.

“At the same time, Pakistan would have to safeguard its
own security through better border management and early repatriation of Afghan refugees,” the statement said.

“Pakistan also expects action by Afghan forces against
Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan operatives in Afghanistan. These
steps would also help to promote better relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan and reduce mistrust,” the Foreign Office said.

Dr. Peter Lavoy, while conveying President Obama’s good
wishes for Prime Minister’s speedy recovery, said that President Obama was committed to improving relations with Pakistan as emphasized during Prime Minister’s visit to Washington in October 2015.

National jr & sr badminton championships

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LAHORE, June 10 (APP): Lahore will host the national junior and senior
badminton championships next month at New Khan badminton Hall.
These championships are part of our annual activity plan and we are
optimistic to find new talent from both the competitions, said a spokesman of Pakistan badminton federation while talking to APP on Friday.

He said all the affiliated units of the PBF have confirmed their
participation and we expect tough competition among the participation teams.

The holding of junior as well as senior championship is a step forward
to promote the game as the juniors will be learning a lot by seeing the senior players in action whereas seniors will be aiming to perform to a higher level to add thrill and making the competition competitive, he added.

He said a number of events will be contested in both championships.
We will soon be announcing a number of committees for the smooth
conduct of the competition, he added.

The spokesman said the outstanding junior and senior players will be
shortlisted, adding that the players will be considered for selection in respective teams to represent the country in coming international events abroad.

Besides, the junior players will be invited to attend a training
programme to sharpen their skills and improve the level of their game under the watchful eyes of national coaches, he said.

Exports increases by 6.39% in May

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Exports grow by 26.68% to $12.3bn in five months of FY22

ISLAMABAD, Jun 10 (APP): The country’s merchandise
exports in May increased by 6.39 per cent as compared to that
of April, 2016.
The exports increased from US $1.722 billion in April,
2016 to $1.832 billion in May this year, according to a data
revealed by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday.

Similarly the merchandise imports also increased from
$3.842 billion in April to $4.008 billion in May this year
thus showing an increase of 4.21 per cent.

On year-on-year basis the exports declined by 6 per cent
from $1.949 billion in May, 2015 to $1.832 billion in May this
year whereas the imports increased by 7.63 per cent from
$3.724 billion in May, 2015 to $4.008 billion in May this
year.

During first 11 months of current fiscal year (2015-16),
the trade deficit increased by 8 per cent to $21.166 billion
as compared to the deficit of $19.86 billion in July-May
(2014-15).

The exports during the period under review decreased by
12.37 per cent from $21.859 billion in July-May, 2014-15
$19.155 billion in first 11 months of current fiscal year.

Similarly the imports also witnessed decline of 2.74 per
cent as it went down from $41.458 billion last year to $40.321
billion this year.

Palestinian President, Sri Lankan FM extend good wishes for PM

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abbas copy — Palestinian President accorded red carpet welcome

ISLAMABAD, June 10 (APP): President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas
and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera Friday extended good wishes for Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif after he underwent a cardiac surgery in London last week.

“It was a great pleasure for me to know about the successful
surgical operation performed for your health. I deeply thank Allah Almighty on your safety and pray to Allah Almighty to bless you a speedy recovery,” the Palestinian President said in his message received here.

He also prayed that Allah Almighty keep the prime minister
free from all harms, and wished him continued good health and happiness, and to the people of Pakistan fraternal progress and prosperity .

“It would be an Eid to your country and your brotherly people
if you are in the best of health,” Mahmoud Abbas remarked.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera wished the
prime minister a speedy recovery and good health and conveyed his sincere well wishes to him and his family.

In his message, Sheikh Suroor Bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, a member
of the ruling family of the UAE, presented a bouquet for the prime minister to Pakistan’s High Commission in London.

He wished the prime minister a speedy recovery and early
recuperation.

President for ensuring protection to women at work place

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President for ensuring protection to women at work place

ISLAMABAD, June 10 (APP): President Mamnoon Hussain on Friday directed the Federal Ombudsman for Protection against Harassment of Women at the Work place to equip women with advanced technology, give them protection and increase their confidence at the work place.

He said this while talking to Federal Ombudsman for Protection against Harassment of Women at the Work place, Justice ® Yasmin Abbasey who called on him here at the Aiwan e Sadr, a press release issued here said.

The President said that effective participation by women at the workforce was necessary to ensure national development but to achieve this objective they must be provided with confidence and security for which Federal Ombudsman for Protection against Harassment of Women at the Work place plays a vital role.

He advised the Federal Ombudsman for Protection against Harassment of Women at the Work place to redress the grievances of working women and effectively use advanced technology so that women do not have to travel far distances for provision of justice.

The President also said that the concerned departments would be directed to resolve the problems of Federal Ombudsman for Protection against Harassment of Women at the Work place Secretariat.

PM concerned over killing of woman who married person of her choice

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PM directs for making arrangements for return of bodies of Kuwait inferno incident

ISLAMABAD, Jun 10 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Friday expressed deep concern and anguish over the killing of a woman in Lahore, as she married a person of her choice against the wishes of her family.

The Prime Minister in a message termed the incident in which the woman was reportedly killed by her relatives, against the values and traditions of Islam, directed the authorities in Punjab to immediately apprehend all those responsible for this reprehensible act
He also sought a comprehensive report on the tragic incident.

Commander CRSMA, USSRAP meet COAS

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RAWALPINDI, Jun 10 (APP): Commander Resolute Support Mission
in Afghanistan (CRSMA) General John Nicholson and US Special
Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan (USSRAP) Ambassador
Richard Olson on Friday called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General
Raheel Sharif at General Headquarters.

Regional security situation, with particular reference to
border management, peace and stability in Afghanistan in the post
May 21, US drone strike environment came under discussion, ISPR in
a news release stated.

Expressing his serious concern on the US drone strike in
Balochistan as a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty, COAS
highlighted as to how it had impacted the mutual trust and respect
and was counter productive in consolidating the gains of Operation
Zarb e Azb.

All efforts for durable peace in the region have to be
synergized with shared commitment and responsibility in order to
make them successful.

Chief Of Army Staff said that while Operation Zarb e Azb was launched against terrorists of all hues and sanctuaries of terrorists have been
dismantled without discrimination, all stakeholders need to
understand Pakistan’s challenges with regard to porous border,
inter tribal linkages and decades old presence of over 3 million
refugees.

Blaming Pakistan for instability in Afghanistan is
unfortunate, the statement said.

Raising the demand of targeting Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan
(TTP) and Mullah Fazlullah in their bases in Afghanistan, COAS
reiterated Pakistan’s resolve not to allow hostile intelligence

agencies’ efforts, especially RAW and NDS, of fomenting terrorism.
The COAS reaffirmed the need for continuing harmonized efforts
against terrorists and effective border management as ways to
regional peace and stability.

He said Pakistan is committed to work for a long term peace
process for Afghanistan under the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) framework.

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