Vietnam’s 77th National Day celebrated in Islamabad
ISLAMABAD, Sep 3 (APP): Ambassador of Vietnam to Pakistan Nguyen Tien Phong has said that over the past 50 years, Vietnam and Pakistan have enjoyed excellent friendship and cooperation in many fields, including trade, investment, and technology.
He made these remarks while addressing a reception to celebrate the 77th Anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Islamabad.
The event was attended by Ambassadors, Charges d’Affairés, and representatives of international organizations. All ASEAN ambassadors shared the stage with the chief guest and host to celebrate the event in a befitting manner. Additional Secretary ( Asia Pacific) Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mumtaz Zahra Baloch was the chief guest.
In his speech, Ambassador also expressed his deep and profound sympathy and condolences over the loss of more than 1000 lives resulting from the recent unprecedented floods and calamities in Sindh and Balochistan. He wished that Pakistan and the people would soon overcome these natural catastrophes.
He said this year, 2022, Vietnam and Pakistan are celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations. Fifty years ago, on November 8, 1972, Vietnam and Pakistan officially established diplomatic relations, opening a new page in friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
In terms of economic and trade, notably, the trade volume between Pakistan and Vietnam increased from 54 million USD in 2005 to more than 700 million USD in 2017 and reached more than US$ 794 million in 2021, increasing 54.41% compared to 2020. However, it is still very low compared to both sides’ huge potential.
Currently, Viet Nam and Pakistan are preparing to organize the third Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) and the fifth Joint Misterial Commission (JMC) and Joint Trade Commission (JTC), he added.
Additional Secretary ( Asia Pacific) Ms. Mumtaz Zahra Baloch addressing the ceremony, felicitated the Ambassador on the 77th Independence Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
She said in 77 years, Vietnam has become one of the most vibrant economies and a role model for developing nations. Since the establishment of our diplomatic ties in 1972, bilateral relations between Pakistan and Vietnam have grown in all spheres of cooperation.
This year both countries are celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations. Pakistan and Vietnam are committed to further deepening and enhancing mutually beneficial partnerships in all areas of cooperation. There is a deep reservoir of goodwill for Vietnam in Pakistan.
She added that Pakistan is grateful for Vietnam’s continued support to Pakistan in (ASEAN) including in its quest to become the Full Dialogue Partner of the ASEAN.
Pakistan has also included Vietnam in the list of business-friendly countries whose nationals can get a visa on arrival in Pakistan. This year Pakistan was registered as an exporting country of plant origin products to Vietnam.
She concluded that Pakistan is committed to supporting businesses in both countries to enhance the bilateral trade of agricultural products.
NFRCC to coordinate, articulate and synergize flood relief efforts
ISLAMABAD, Sep 3 (APP): The establishment of National Flood Response Coordination Centre (NFRCC) with representatives from the federal, provincial governments and armed forces is aimed to better articulate and synergize flood relief efforts during the rescue, relief and rehabilitation/reconstruction activities.
According to an official notification regarding the establishment of NFRCC, the centre would asses, plan, execute and coordinate various facets of the response to the current flood situation while synchronizing internal and international elements of relief efforts.
Besides, NFRCC would ensure the provision of requisite preparatory foresight in the long run for introducing required resilience in the national system/ infrastructure against such future disasters.
The Coordination Centre would be headed by the Prime Minister as chairman with Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives as its deputy chairman while Commander Army Air Defence Command will act as National Coordinator.
Ministers of Economic Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Interior, Finance, Climate Change, Communications, Minister of State for Finance, Advisor to the PM on Establishment, Coordinator to the PM on Economy & Energy and Chairman NDMA would be its members.
Given the unprecedented nature of flood situation in Pakistan during the current Monsoon season, the prime minister had directed for the establishment of a national-level response coordination centre to better synergize national response to the disaster caused by recent floods.
NFRCC will act as a bridge between government Institutions, disaster management authorities and donors to ensure a seamless rehabilitation process of flood affectees all across Pakistan.
The Secretariat of NFRCC will be housed at the NEOC, ERRA Headquarters and function under the National Coordinator.
The TORS of the NFRCC are: Interface with international and bilateral donors to ensure availability of required relief and rehabilitation resources to enable national relief and rehabilitation effort; interface with INGOs to help integrate their efforts with overall national response; undertake required international/ local procurements of relief items, as required, coordinate with PDMAs for smooth conduct of relief operations by NFRCC, arrange and coordinate visits of diplomatic community and foreign journalists etc. in coordination with concerned ministries; collect and analyze latest information and share with relevant stakeholders for an apt response, achieve optimum synergy between Federal/ Provincial Departments, Disaster Management Authorities, donors and Armed Forces by acting as a bridge; oversee and ensure availability of required resources to facilitate provincial efforts with respect to ongoing rescue operations, synchronize and synergize collection efforts of relief items from government departments, relief items collection points and other local donors, liaise and coordinate reception, packaging and transportation of relief goods obtained from international donors with NDMA, identify immediate relief needs of affected areas in coordination with various stakeholders, organize a comprehensive joint survey of affected areas by multli- agency stakeholders to enable a merit-based provision of relief assistance, oversee execution of finalized National Rehabilitation/ Reconstruction, plan in synchronization with Federal/ Provincial stakeholders with judicious allocation of resources to enable execution of various projects and establish priority for revival/ reconstruction of damage and destroyed national infrastructure.
According to the official notification, the NFRCC would keep the prime minister regularly updated through progress reports.
Various secretaries of the relevant ministries, provincial governments and regional and armed forces representatives would be the permanent members of NFRCC.
All the concerned Ministries/Divisions, Provinces, AJ&K/GB and other Organizations were further requested to immediately nominate their representatives for the National Flood Response and Coordination Centre (NFRCC).
All cabinet members help flood victims; says Sharjeel Memon
SUKKUR, Sep 03 (APP): Sindh Minister for Information and Mass Transit, Sharjeel Inam Memon has said the Sindh chief minister, ministers, advisers, special assistants, and MPs, as well as MNAs were in the field to support district administrations to provide help to the flood victims.
According to statement issued here on Saturday, Memon informed that the victims were being shifted to the makeshift relief camps in schools and in the tent cities, where they were being provided two meals per day, while medical facilities were also given.
He said under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Rs 25,000 financial assistance was being given to each affected family, besides distributing 91,630 ration bags to the victims throughout the province. He further claimed that 119,972 tents, 503,345 mosquito nets and 76,810 plastic tarpaulins had also been provided to the affected people.
No negligence in rescue, relief works would be tolerated: Wassan
SUKKUR, Sep 03 (APP): Advisor to Chief Minister Sindh for Agriculture Manzoor Hussain Wassan has said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari had given clear instructions to ensure all possible necessary facilities to the flood affected people, adding that no negligence in rescue and relief works would be tolerated.
During inspection of relief work in Khairpur on Saturday, Wassan said at least 522 people have been died and 21,885 injured, while101,901 livestock have also been killed due to the rain or flooding, saying that 1,455,251 houses have also been damaged and 10,539,130 people had been displaced.
He told that the standing crops on 3,173,383 acres have been destroyed and 670,602 people have already been shifted to the relief camps
Deputy Chairman Senate, Mirza Muhammad Afridi addressing as a chief guest at 19th Convocation 2022 of National University of Modern Languages (NUML)
A family feeding corn to monkeys on the roadside in Federal Capital
A view of construction work of bridge at IJP Road during development work in the city
An attractive view of scattered clouds hovering over Faisal Masjid
Pakistan receives 12th relief flight from UAE
ISLAMABAD, Sep 3 (APP): In continuation of humanitarian air bridge established between Pakistan and United Arab Emirates (UAE), Nur Khan Air Base received the 12th relief flight scheduled for arrival on Saturday.
It carried food, medical supplies and tents etc for the relief assistance. The second humanitarian relief flight from UAE is expected at the Nur Khan Air base around 1930 hours tonight, said a statement.
Pakistan is thankful to the government and the people of UAE for showing solidarity and valuable support in this time of unprecedented crisis.