Group photo of students with their teacher on the World Teacher’s Day at SD High School in the city
Pakistan desires robust business ties with Zimbabwe: Naveed Qamar
ISLAMABAD, Oct 5 (APP):Pakistan wants strong business ties with Zimbabwe to enhance trade, connectivity and mutually beneficial partnership, said Federal Minister for Commerce and Investments Syed Naveed Qamar.
The minister expressed these views in a meeting with Non-Resident Ambassador of Zimbabwe, Lt Gen (Retd) Martin Chedondo, who visited the Minister’s office here on Wednesday.
Talking to the High Commissioner of Zimbabwe, Syed Naveed Qamar expressed the government’s desire to enhance cooperation in corporate sector especially in the fields of agricultural, pharmaceutical and machinery.
The minister stressed for enhancing bilateral trade volume to its fullest potential.
He said that Zimbabwe being a member of South African Development Community (SADC), could play a vital role in upcoming third Pakistan-Africa Trade Development Conference & Single Country Exhibition scheduled to be held from November 29 to December 1, 2022 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
And expressed the hope that business community from Zimbabwe would actively participate in the exhibition which ultimately would step forward in exchanging of business delegations establishment of joint working groups on trade and trade agreements.
The High Commissioner said that Pakistan and Zimbabwe’s relationships are historical and based on mutual respect for each other as Pakistan always stood with Zimbabwe since the country gained official independence in 1980.
However, he urged the need to enhance interactions between the business communities as well as the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the two countries to fully achieve the potential of bilateral trade volume.
Chedondo said that bilateral trade between the two countries is constantly increasing but the volume of bilateral trade between the two sides does not commensurate with the actual potential.
The High Commissioner assured his full support in upcoming Exhibition and agreed upon the exchange of business delegations in future to explore the opportunities and ways to boost bilateral trade between the two countries especially in agricultural, mining, defense and machinery.
Mr. Chedondo also condoled on the current situation of the Pakistan due to flood and expressed his deep grief on the loss and assured his support in this hour of trail.
Murad for efficient water use to ensure food security in climate hit areas
KARACHI, Oct 05 (APP):Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, on Wednesday, stressed on efficient use of agriculture water to ensure food security amid changing cropping patterns due to climate change.
In a meeting with Australian High Commissioner Neil Hawkins here at CM House, Murad Ali Shah said that Pakistan, particularly the people of Sindh has become the first victims of climate change and millions of internally displaced persons (IDPs) were facing numerous problems due to unprecedented heavy rains and flooding.
The CM said that in the early Kharif Sindh was facing acute shortage of water and then heavy monsoon downpours turned everything upside down.
He added that water was becoming an expensive commodity therefore we have to ensure its efficient use for agricultural purposes.
Food security could only be ensured by focusing on agriculture research and introducing modern high-yield varieties of wheat and rice crops requiring less water, the CM Shah opined.
He informed that issues of out break of dengue, malaria, and skin disease in IDPs was being dealt with by establishing medical camps to provide treatment to the patients while efforts for swiftly draining out accumulated water were underway.
The Australian HC accompanied by First Secretary Ashleigh Light and Political Secretary Fareeha Shamim expressed profound grief and sorrow over the loss of life caused by the recent floods.
Impact of climate change has started emerging in the shape of heavy downpours, scorching heat, and melting of heat; the high commissioner noted and suggested release of flood water into the River and finally discharged in the sea which might help maintaining stability of the ecosystem.
The visiting diplomat and the chief minister also agreed to take benefit from each other’s experiences in respect of cropping patterns and high-yield crops.
The chief minister presented shield, Sindhi ajrak, and cap to the visiting guest, who reciprocated with presenting a book to Murad.
A teacher teaches his students in a classroom on the World Teachers’ Day at SD High School in the city
Convener MQM (P) Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui calls on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.
A vendor sells ceramic items and toys for children on roadside his setup in the provincial capital city
Javed Latif moves IHC to quash FIRs
ISLAMABAD, Oct 05 (APP): Federal Minister Mian Javed Latif on Wednesday approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to quash the first information reports (FIRs) registered against him in different cities.
The minister, in his petition, prayed the court to terminate the cases against him by declaring them illegal. He said only the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) could take action if he had spoken something wrong on a TV channel.
He stated said that criminal cases could not be instituted on basis of mere criticizing a politician. He had addressed a press conference to bring some facts about Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on record, he added.
An illuminated view of a mosques decorated with colorful lights on Eid Milad un Nabi (SAWW) celebrations in Provincial Capital
Sindh turns to be first victim of climate change: CM Sindh
KARACHI, Oct 05 (APP):Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah Wednesday said that agricultural water is becoming an expensive commodity; therefore we would have to use it efficiently to ensure food security by changing cropping patterns.
This he said while talking to Australian High Commissioner Neil Hawkins who called on him here at CM House, said a spokesperson of the CM Sindh.
The meeting was attended by CM Special Assistant Syed Qasim Naveed, Secretary to CM Rahim Shaikh while the Australian high commissioner was accompanied by First Secretary Ms. Ashleigh Light and Political Secretary Fareeha Shamim.
At the outset of the meeting, the Australian High Commissioner expressed profound grief and sorrow over the loss of life caused by the recent floods.
He added that the impact of climate change has started emerging in the shape of heavy downpours, scorching heat, and melting of heat.
Syed Murad Ali Shah said that Pakistan, particularly the people of Sindh has become the first victims of climate change. He added that internally displaced persons (IDPs) were facing numerous problems.
Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the issues of dengue, malaria, and skin have broken out among the people living along the main roads and camps. “We have established medical camps to provide treatment to the patients and try to drain out accumulated water at the earliest so that these issues could be controlled,” he said.
The high commissioner said that the flood water could be released into the River so that it could be discharged into the sea. He added that it would help maintain the stability of the ecosystem.
At this, the chief minister said that unfortunately some of our people believe that releasing water into the sea through the rivers was waste [of water], as a matter of fact, it was necessary to stop sea intrusion.
Syed Murad Ali Shah said that in the early Kharif we faced an acute shortage of water and then heavy downpours turned everything upside down.
He added that water was becoming an expensive commodity, therefore we have to make its efficient use for agricultural purposes.
According to the CM, food security could only be ensured by introducing low delta and high-yield crops. “Now, various varieties of rice and wheat have come into the international markets which have a high yield,” he said and added he was focusing on agriculture research so that desired seeds and varieties could be introduced.
The visiting diplomat and the chief minister agreed to take benefit from each other’s experiences in respect of cropping patterns and high-yield crops.
The chief minister presented his shield, Sindhi ajrak, and cap to the visiting guest, and the guest presented a book to the chief minister.
Past regime of PTI amended NAB laws for political victimization: Atta Tarar
ISLAMABAD, Oct 5 (APP):Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Narcotics Control Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday said it was the past regime of PTI that started amending National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws for political engineering and victimization of opponents.
“It is clarified that all amendments in the NAB laws have not been initiated during the tenures of PML-N and PPP. These (NAB law amendments) had been carried out during the tenure of Imran Khan Niazi with certain purpose and background,” he said while responding to PTI leader Chaudhry Fawad Hussain’s objections over the recent amendments in NAB laws at a news conference here.
He said the height of political victimization and the NAB-Niazi nexus could be gauged from the fact that all opposition members of the first two rows in the National Assembly were behind the bar, due to the accountability laws which he called ‘black laws.”
He said it was unfortunate that Shehbaz Sharif was arrested by the NAB officials when he had already passed six-month imprisonment in a bogus case, while Maryam Nawaz Sharif was arrested in front of her father Nawaz Sharif. All the unlawful things were done by the NAB just because Imran Niazi wanted to see happening this, he added.
The SAPM said the PPP and PML-N did not bring amendments to the NAB law during their past tenure (2008-2013 & 2013-2018) because they never wanted to use it as a tool against political opponents.
It was the past regime of PTI that felt the need of amending the NAB law for the arm-twisting of opposition leaders, he added.
Now, he said, the incumbent coalition government had just rectified the NAB laws for the smooth working of routine official matters as government officials and contractors were avoiding taking any initiative, in the presence of black laws.
Tarar made it clear that the recent amendments in the NAB laws were not meant to benefit any members of the cabinet or partners of the coalition government. He said the courts had cleared all the leadership of PML-N and PPP under old NAB laws.
He was of the view that the amendments in the NAB laws had benefited the leadership of the PTI including Imran Khan.
He alleged that Farah Gogi had been given an ‘NRO’ by the Punjab government in all the corruption cases. He questioned why five Director Generals of Anti-corruption had been changed in a short time. “The DGs of Anti-Corruption had been changed just to give NRO to Farah Gogi,” he said.
Farah Gogi did all the corruption in line with the direction of Imran Khan’s family and she was facilitated by the PTI leadership to fly abroad, he maintained.
To a question, he said it was under consideration to issue to Red Warrant for the repatriation of Farah Gogi.