Martyred troops are nation’s pride: PM
ISLAMABAD, July 12 (APP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday terming martyred soldiers the “pride of the nation” said their invaluable sacrifices of lives could never be forgotten.
The prime minister expressed these remarks in a statement issued after four soldiers of the Pakistan army lost their lives in a terrorist attack in the Zhob garrison of Balochistan.
He paid tribute to the martyred soldiers and said that their sacrifice for the homeland would be remembered forever.
Separately, on his Twitter handle, the prime minister said that they were indebted to the supreme sacrifices of the sacred blood of their shuhada and ghazi that had ensured the defence and solidarity of Pakistan.
He said the ongoing fight against terrorism was a fight for the future of the nation, adding in the last decade the valiant forces and the nation together had eradicated the cancer of terrorism and would do the same to root out the specter by offering any sacrifice.
The prime minister further said that the security and defence of the country was not only their mission but also a responsibility that was dearer to them than their lives.
Marriyum Aurangzeb announces launch of regional transmission by PTV Peshawar Center
ISLAMABAD, Jul 12 (APP): Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Wednesday that she was glad to announce launch of regional transmission by Pakistan Television.
In a tweet, she said that PTV Peshawar Centre would run its transmission seven day a week round the clock.
She said the transmission was available in all local languages and dialects of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and was also available on satellite to make it accessible for overseas Pakistanis.
The minister said start of this initiative marked the fulfillment of a long standing demand of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since the inception of PTV National.
She said this transmission provided a platform for information, education and infotainment content addressing local issues and celebrating rich and vibrant culture and heritage of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
It would also help develop a local media ecosystem which would better serve the interests of local communities, she maintained.
Pakistan eyes to enhance pharma exports to $5 bln by 2030: Naveed Qamar
ISLAMABAD, Jul 12 (APP):Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar Wednesday stressed the need for collective efforts to boost pharmaceutical exports upto $1 billion by 2025 and by $5 billion by 2030 to improve exchange reserves of the country.
Realizing the export potential of the pharmaceutical sector, he said the government, pharma industry players and regulatory bodies should join together to tap the true potential of this particular sector and help economic development of the country.
Speaking at the 6th Pakistan Pharma Summit and Pharma Export Summit and Awards (PESA) 2023, the minister outlined the government’s plans to significantly increase Pakistan’s pharmaceutical exports.
The event was organized by the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association (PPMA), brought together industry leaders, experts, and stakeholders to discuss strategies for growth and innovation in the pharmaceutical sector.
While highlighting the immense opportunities for growth in the global pharmaceutical market, valued at $1.4 trillion, the minister emphasized the need for Pakistan to benefit from it .
Expressing gratitude to Chairman of PPMA Syed Farooq Bukhari, and Chairman of the organizing committee Dr. Kaiser Waheed, for their exceptional leadership in arranging the prestigious summit, the minister said pharmaceutical market of Pakistan was growing very fast and together, we could make Pakistan a leading player in the global pharmaceutical market.
He said in order to enhance pharmaceutical exports, we must prioritize local manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to reduce our dependence on imports besides aligning with international standards.
This would not only make us self-reliant but also create opportunities for export-oriented growth, he remarked.
He said by complying with global regulations and certifications, we could access more lucrative export markets, ensuring the quality and competitiveness of our pharmaceutical products.
“The government was committed to providing support and incentives to facilitate the growth of pharmaceutical industry. Duties on APIs have already been abolished besides allowing toll manufacturing, and setting the pharma industry tariff under the commerce ministry” he added.
The minister said the government was also working on rationalizing tariffs and creating a conductive regulatory environment that fosters innovation and growth.
Naveed Qamar also urged all stakeholders to explore opportunities for growth, invest in research and development, and strive for excellence in quality and standards.
Earlier, Chairman Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacture Association (PPMA) Syed Farooq Bukhari said the summit aimed at showcasing for export purpose and recognizing those companies which performed well in the pharmaceutical sector.
It would also allow policy makers and other stakeholders to sit together for formulating cohesive policy for the pharma sector, he added.
Chairman organizing committee and MD Medisure Laboratories Dr Kaiser Waheed while welcoming the distinguish guests including from abroad, said that this was 6th event in last 10 years which was organized to recognize the efforts of pharmaceutical industry.
The government’s vision was to boost exports , he added.
The minister said we could not only share our concerns through such events but also how could we provide cost effective medicines to Pakistan and abroad.
Meanwhile, CEO Martin Dow Javed Ghulam Muhammad said the purpose of the summit was to discuss challenges and export potential of pharmaceutical industry, adding that currently the global pharmaceutical market export stood at $ 1.8 trillion with five per cent annual growth.
The minister said North America was a major player in pharma export with 43 per cent while rest of the world had 25 per cent.
Shipping activity at Port Qasim
KARACHI, Jul 12 (APP): Four ships namely, MSC Alma-VII, GC-Argon, Santa Ace and Milaha Qatar, carrying Container, Palm oil, Coal and LNG, berthed at Qasim International Terminal, Liquid Terminal, Electric Power Terminal and Gas Port Terminal respectively on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, four more ships, MSC Shanelle-V, Aurelia, Leon and Al-Areesh with Container, Palm oil, Coal and LNG also arrived at the outer anchorage of Port Qasim during the last 24 hours.
PQA berths were engaged by 07 ships during the last 24 hours, out of them three ships, Lisa, MSC Alma-VII and Atrotos Heracles are expected to sail on Wednesday.
A cargo volume of 193,843 tonnes, comprising 166,643 tones imports Cargo and 27,200 tonnes export cargo, including containerized cargo carried in 4,200 Containers (2,600 TEUs Imports and 1,600 TEUs export) was handled at the port during last 24 hours.
There are seven ships at Outer Anchorage of Port Qasim, out of them three ships, Leon, Al-Areesh and MSC Shanelle-V & MSC Cape Town-III carrying Coal, LNG and Container are expected to take berths at, Bulk Terminal, Engro Terminal and Container Terminal respectively on 12 July, while another containers ship, Vancouver is due to arrive at Port Qasim on Thursday.
APP/sh
Kerb currency market
KARACHI, Jul 12 (APP): Following were the Opening Rates of
foreign currencies in kerb market issued by the Forex Association
of Pakistan (FAP), here on Wednesday.
F.C. LOW RATE HIGH RATE
U.S $ (Inter Bank) 277.00 277.55
U.S $ (Cash Free Market) 277.00 280.00
SAUDIA RIYAL 73.00 74.00
UAE DIRHAM 75.00 76.00
EURO 300.00 303.00
UK POUND 356.00 360.00
AUD $ 182.00 184.00
CAD $ 208.00 212.00
CHINESE YUAN 42.00 44.00
APP/msq
Four soldiers embrace martyrdom, three terrorists killed in Zhob Garrison attack
RAWALPINDI, Jul 12 (APP):Four soldiers of Pakistan Army on Wednesday embraced martyrdom while bravely thwarting a terrorist attack on Zhob Garrison in Northern Balochistan and killed three heavily armed terrorists during the ensuing fire exchange whereas another five soldiers were critically injured.
According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), on July 12, in early hours of the morning, a group of terrorists launched a dastardly attack on Zhob Garrison in Northern Balochistan.
However, the initial attempt of the terrorists to sneak into the facility was checked by the soldiers on duty.
In ensuing heavy exchange of fire, the terrorists were contained into a small area at the boundary. A clearance operation by the security forces was underway to apprehend the remaining two terrorists as well, the Military media wing said.
The four martyred soldiers had embraced, Shahadat (martyrdom), during the clearance operation.
“The Security Forces remain determined to thwart all such ghastly attempts at destroying peace of Balochistan and Pakistan,” the ISPR vowed.
192 Pakistani students get scholarships in European universities
ISLAMABAD, Jul 12 (APP): The highest number of 192 Pakistani students have received scholarships to study in European universities under the EU’s flagship Erasmus Mundus Joint Master scholarships programme including 103 men and 89 women during the current year.
The European Union Delegation to Pakistan hosted a pre-departure event to celebrate the achievement of the recipients of the scholarship, said a news release.
This is the second year in a row that Pakistan ranked top in the world for the number of scholarships awarded and remained in the lead in terms of scholarship applications.
In his welcome remarks, EU Chargé d’Affaires a.i, Thomas Seiler said, “Today we congratulate the young men and women who will embark on an educational and cultural journey through the Erasmus+ programme over the coming months. I am sure that they will return with strong knowledge and rich experiences, and their exposure to European universities will also contribute to the development of Pakistan.”
The EU Chargé d’Affaires a.i. further added, “The results of the scholarship’s selection demonstrate that Pakistani students are well prepared and that the Pakistani universities provide them with the necessary skills to compete at the global level.”
He added that he is particularly pleased to see more students from Pakistan have accessed the Erasmus+ programme.
This year 2,835 students from 128 countries were selected for the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master scholarships.
The pre-departure event was organized in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission (HEC). It provided an opportunity to the scholarship holders to prepare for their education in Europe and to network amongst their peers and Erasmus+ Alumni. The Erasmus+ Alumni shared their experiences, followed by a question and answer session.
Higher Education Commission Executive Director Dr Shaista Sohail, representatives from EU Member States and members of the Erasmus+ Alumni Association also attended the event.
Erasmus+ is the EU´s premier programme to support education, training, youth and sport across the world. The first Erasmus+ Programme was launched in 1987, initially for exchanges within Europe only. It was extended beyond Europe´s borders in 2004. It funds programmes, projects, scholarships, and fosters cooperation both within the European Union and globally.
The current Erasmus+ programme was launched in March 2021 and brings over 23.2 billion Euro worldwide to support mobility and cooperation in the higher educational sector.
Conspiracies against country can only be thwarted through transparent elections: Javed Latif
ISLAMABAD, Jul 12 (APP):Federal Minister Mian Javed Latif on Wednesday said the threats and conspiracies against the country could only be thwarted through transparent and timely elections.
Addressing a press conference here, he said the vision of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) regarding the upcoming general elections was very clear as people and institutions of the country agreed that only Nawaz Sharif could steer out the country from the prevailing crises.
The minister said that decision regarding the upcoming government would be taken by people of the country.
He said that if efforts had been made to stop threats, blackmailing and attacks in 2014, the incident of 9th May would not have happened.
“Facilitators are equally complicit with the main culprit. Today, Israel is talking about going to the United Nations. When such a game (played in Pakistan) takes place in these countries, do other states try to protect these criminals,” he questioned.
Javed Latif observed that foreign funding was given to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) chief from India and Israel with the aim to destabilize Pakistan.
He was of the view the objectives which our enemy could not achieve by army, it achieved on 9th May by investing in the PTI chairman.
The minister said that today some institutions were deliberately expressing pressure on them but in actuality, there was no pressure on them, adding that Parvez Elahi also got relief.
The injustice with Nawaz Sharif should be redressed and action should be taken against the elements involved in the conspiracy, he demanded.
Javed Latif said that senior lawyers and politicians had admitted that injustice had been done to Nawaz Sharif adding that the state was not weak and conspiracies against the country would be foiled in future.
He said “It is in the interest of the country to hold fair and transparent elections on time. The people of Pakistan will decide who will be the next government. If fair and free elections are held, Nawaz Sharif will be elected as Prime Minister for the fourth time”.
“Today, institutions also agree with the public opinion regarding Nawaz Sharif that if he comes, the era of prosperity will begin in the country in two years. The CPEC project will be completed and its fruits will start coming” he added.
In response to a question, Javed Latif said that the way threats were being made and conspiracies hatched, the only solution was timely and fair elections and the thinking of Muslim League-N was clear in that regard.
In response to another question, the minster said that arresting or releasing a criminals was not the responsibility of governments, but the work of state institutions.