Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif visits the under-construction Nistar II Hospital
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif visits the under-construction Nistar II Hospital
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif visits the under-construction Nistar II Hospital
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif visits the under-construction Nistar II Hospital
Sultan urges Kashmiri expatriates to intensify their efforts for Kashmir solution
ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP):Azad Jammu and Kashmir President, Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry has urged the Kashmiri expatriates to intensify their efforts at the international level to resolve the long-pending Kashmir dispute.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry, while talking to delegations of Kashmiri migrants from Norway, America and Britain in Islamabad, highlighted the worsening political situation and human rights violations by Indian troops in Indian illegally Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
He also expressed concern over the killing of innocent Kashmiris during fake encounters and so-called cordon and search operations in the occupied territory by Indian troops.
PM pays tributes to Kashmiris martyred on July 13, 1931
ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP):Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday asked the people of Pakistan to join their Kashmiri brothers and sisters in solemnly observing Kashmir Martyrs’ Day and paying rich tributes to those who laid down their lives on July 13, 1931.
He said these Shuhada chose to embrace martyrdom but refused to give in to the oppression of Dogra Raj. The spirit of sacrifice had been embedded in the Kashmiri DNA, he said in a tweet.
Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and world over are observing the Kashmir Martyrs’ Day, today to pay homage to the martyrs of July 13, 1931, who laid their lives to break shackles of Hindu subjugation.
“While the oppressors may have changed, Kashmiris’ defiance has remained unwavering. It is this firm belief in their destiny and strong conviction in the justness of their cause that continues to blaze the path even in darkness,” the prime minister remarked.
PM Shehbaz visits Abdul Ghaffar Dogar’s residence, condoles on his wife’s death
MULTAN, Jul 13 (APP):Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif here on Thursday visited residence of Prime Minister Special Assistant, Malik Abdul Ghaffar Dogar and expressed heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of his wife.
He offered Fateha and prayed to Allah Almighty to rest the departed soul in peace and grant courage to the bereaved family to bear the irreparable loss with fortitude.
The prime minister was accompanied by Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Maryam Aurangzeb, Punjab Governor Engineer Muhammad Baligh Ur Rahman, State Minister for Interior Abdur Rahman Khan Kanju, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, SAPM Ata Tarar, and others.
Two Pak cyclists, one coach to attend training camp in Korea: PCF
ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP):Pakistan’s two promising cyclists Syed Aqib Ali Shah and Mohsin Khan will proceed to South Korea along with national coach Sarmad Shahab to attend a one-month training camp at the World Cycling Centre (WCC), Pakistan Cycling Federation (PCF) said on Thursday.
“The camp being funded by International Cycling Federation (UCI) and the Korea Cycling Federation will be held from July 23 to August 24. The camp is aimed at educating the potential riders from Asian countries about the basics of cycling,” PCF President Syed Azhar Ali Shah told APP.
“The WCC Korea is one of the world’s best cycling training centres wherein top quality UCI instructors give professional coaching lectures and training to riders on the advanced scientific lines.
He said the camp at WCC offered a big opportunity for Pakistani riders and coaches to gain the latest knowledge and race experience.
“We are thankful to the UCI and Korea Cycling Federation for accommodating our cyclists and coaches,” he added.
Sarmad, who is a level 2 road coach, will be doing the level 2 track coaching course and if he successfully completes it he will be the third Pakistani after Haroon General and Sardar Nazakat, who will be having level 2 coaching certification in both tracks and road cycling.
“The certificate will qualify him to independently plan, deliver and evaluate cycling activity sessions for aspiring cyclists,” he said.
According to Shah, the PCF is making an all-out effort to promote cycling in the country and every year sends two to three riders and coaches for training in Korea.
“Recently our young woman cyclist Sumaira has returned after attending the training camp at WCC.
“We only send those riders and coaches, who are well educated and efficient in English as lectures at WCC are given in it [English],” he informed.
He said due to the PCF efforts the country could hold any level of a cycling event as there were a number of UCI qualified coaches and commissaries.
“We also have over dozen level 1 coaches, including women coaches now, who can impart training, enabling our cyclists to excel at the national and international stage.
“We are determined to nurture talent and elevate the sport to new heights in the country,” he added.
Nepal’s Ambassador hails Pakistan’s initiative to promote Cultural Buddhist Legacy
ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP):Nepal’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Tapas Adhikari on Thursday praised the government of Pakistan’s commendable efforts to promote the ancient Gandhara civilization.
The envoy also appreciated the government of Pakistan for organizing a symposium entitled “Cultural Diplomacy: Reviving Gandhara Civilization and Buddhist Heritage to create awareness about Pakistan’s rich historical and cultural Buddhist Legacy.
The government of Pakistan’s initiative to promote Gandhara Tourism in Pakistan and remarkable and commendable.
Highlighting the rich Buddhist heritages in Nepal, while talking to APP he said, “We can work together and explore the potential for collaboration between Nepal and Pakistan in revitalizing religious tourism.”
The ambassador expressed gratitude to the government of Pakistan for embarking on various initiatives to promote Buddhism in the Buddhist culture in a programme organized by the Embassy of Nepal in Islamabad on the sidelines of the Symposium on 12 July 2023.
He highlighted that Nepal was a centre of all three major schools of Buddhism, including Theravada, Mahayana and Bajrayana, and a lot of people from around the world, including from Pakistan, visited Nepal for spiritual quests.
He also touched upon the contribution of Guru Padmasambhava also known as Guru Rimpoche who was born in ancient Udiyana which is presently called Swat Valley in Pakistan in promoting and spreading Buddhism in the region.
He also underlined the importance of Takshyashila and Gandhara in Buddhist literature.
The programme was attended by venerable Buddhist monks and Buddhist scholars from Nepal as well as by many Buddhist practitioners and enthusiasts.
During programme of the Embassy, the Monks and scholars highlighted various aspects of Buddhist values such as non-violence, love, compassion, meditation etc.
They also organized a small session of meditation for the participants.
Dr. Nadeem Omer Tarar, a scholar at Gandhara Chair, University of Wah, said that the Symposium 2023 was the reaffirmation of Pakistan’s state commitment for promoting the Buddhist heritage as a symbol of global peace.
By inviting monks from the Asian Buddhist communities and scholars from Pakistan and around the world in an engaging dialogue, the organizers of the Gandhara Symposium had set a precedent for successive regimes to follow, he added.
He said Pakistan needed a public policy and institute to brand Pakistan as an attractive tourist destination for the Buddhist world.
Nepal was Pakistan’s friendly Buddhist neighbour which could play a vital role in boosting religious tourism if the air connectivity was restored, he added.
Kashmir Martyrs Day Illumines the Heroic Journey of Kashmiris struggle for freedom: AJK PM
MIRPUR (AJK), Jul 13 (APP):Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq reflects upon the significance of Kashmir Martyrs Day on Thursday, a day etched in the annals of history as a glorious chapter in the relentless struggle for the Kashmir freedom movement.
In a resounding message issued regarding Martyrs’ Day, PM Haq emphasized the profound historical significance of July 13, which witnessed the martyrdom of 22 courageous Kashmiri Muslims at the hands of the oppressive Dogra forces within the confines of the occupied Srinagar central jail.
With utmost reverence, the Prime Minister paid homage to these valiant Kashmiri martyrs, acknowledging the exceptional nature of the events that unfolded on that fateful day in 1931.
It was a moment unparalleled in Islamic history, where 22 Kashmiris, one after another, fearlessly offered their lives in the pursuit of Azan (the call to prayer), he added. Remarkably, each martyr bore the indelible mark of a bullet on their chest, symbolizing their unwavering commitment, as none had been shot in the back.
Reflecting on the abhorrent policies of the Dogra Maharaja, PM Anwar Haq shed light on the tyrannical and anti-Muslim practices that plagued Kashmir during the early 1930s. Muslims were subjected to dehumanization, their worth undermined, while the desecration of mosques and the Holy Quran became a haunting norm. The government, on one hand, imposed a merciless tax regime, and on the other, stripped Kashmiri Muslims of their right to own land, he said.
“In the face of oppressive rulers, there was no room for dissent or the slightest protest against the cruelty and tyranny,” lamented the Prime Minister.
PM Anwar Haq also acknowledged the pivotal role played by Abdul Qadeer Khan in stirring a revolt that shook the very foundations of the Maharaja’s regime. On June 25, during a gathering of the Young Muslim Association at Khanqah Moala in Srinagar, Abdul Qadeer Khan delivered a stirring speech, passionately urging the Kashmiri people to rise against the Maharaja’s brutal regime, he added.
Although he was apprehended on the same day, his arrest and subsequent trial served as a catalyst for a massive revolution against the oppressive Dogra regime in the region.
The Prime Minister proudly stated that the courageous people of Kashmir, undeterred by the horrors inflicted upon them, have written a new chapter in the annals of resistance. Whether it be their struggle against the despotic Maharaja or their unwavering resistance against India’s illegal occupation of the majority of the Jammu and Kashmir State, the resilient Kashmiris have epitomized indomitable spirit and unwavering courage, he added.
As the world observes Kashmir Martyrs Day, the legacy of those 22 selfless martyrs resonates, reminding the world of the ongoing struggle for freedom in the beautiful valley of Kashmir, PM said.
APP/AHR