ISLAMABAD, Jun 6 (APP): Two-day annual tent pegging competition held in connection with Margalla Sports Festival concluded here on late Sunday at Fatima Jinnah Park.

ISLAMABAD, June 6 (APP): National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) has enrolled 82,166 children in 5681 feeder schools across the country.

ISLAMABAD, June 6 (APP): Finance Minister, Senator Mohammad
Ishaq Dar here on Monday sent letters to all the four chief
ministers, calling upon them to take steps to ensure prices of
various commodities stable in the holy month of Ramazan.

The Minister said that the Federal Government would monitor prices of different commodities in areas under its jurisdiction. According to a statement issued by the Finance Ministry quoted Ishaq Dar as saying that the government had announced a consumer and business friendly budget.

Furthermore, prices of petroleum products were kept unchanged for the month of June to maintain prices stable in the holy month of Ramazan.

Given this fact, there is no question that anyone should
indulge in profiteering, the statement said.

ISLAMABAD, June 6 (APP): The British High Commissioner to
Pakistan, Thomas Drew CMG Monday greeted the Muslims of Pakistan and the region on the beginning of the holy month of Ramazan.

“At the advent of the holy month of Ramzan, I would like to
extend my best wishes to you, your families and friends. The holy
month of Ramzan teaches the virtues of tolerance and being good to
others. It is a time to turn our thoughts to helping those who are
disadvantaged,” the high commissioner said in a statement issued
here.

He extended Ramazan greetings to all Muslims in Pakistan, the
UK and around the world, who would sacrifice their day-to-day
comforts to show their devotion to God.

FAISALABAD, June 6 (APP): Federal Minister for Planning Development
and Reform Ahsan Iqbal said on Monday that business community should play a proactive role to establish special CPEC Cells in various chambers to fully exploit the opportunities to bring Pakistan in to 25 major economies of the world by 2025.

Addressing the business community of Faisalabad at Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI), he said that when PML-N government came into power, the unemployment was at the highest level in the country, workers as well as industrialists were on roads, foreign exchange reserves were dwindling to 10 billion dollars.

“Besides all these problems the government managed to bring qualitative change and now within a short span of three years, our economy is at a takeoff position”, he added.

He said that Prime Minister during his first visit to China on July 5,
2013 signed a Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) for CPEC (China
Pakistan Economic Corridor) and the MoU has now become a huge portfolio of 46 billion dollars and all international think tanks were discussing its impacts on Pakistan and regional countries.

He said that CPEC would bring a new wave of development, progress and prosperity and particularly the business community should prepare itself to fully en-cash its benefits.

The minister said that loading shedding has reduced from 18 hours
to 6-8 hours. Similarly LNG terminal has been completed within a record period of 11 months. Our foreign exchange reserves have also jumped to 21.6 billion dollars. Our growth rate is 4.7 percent which was highest in the last 8 years.
He said that our GDP target in next year is 5.7 percent and the
incentive offered to industry and agriculture sectors would certainly
help us to achieve this target.

However, we have to take our GDP to 6 percent by 2018 to achieve the
required GDP target.

Ahsan Iqbal said that world economists were terming Pakistan as one of
the fastest growing economy but we have to concentrate to attract foreign investment and to achieve it political stability, security, sound economic policies and reliable infrastructure were essential elements.
He said that during last 15 years no major infrastructure project has
been undertaken. Our critics were now realizing that without infrastructure we cannot give quantum jump to our economy.

He said that 35 billion dollars have been allocated for energy related
projects in CPEC.

“We have coal reserves in Thar from which we could generate 5000
megawatt electricity annually for at least 400 years”, he added.
He further said that work on Lawari Tunnel has started. Pakistan
Railway was ignored by previous governments but we have allocated hefty money for it during last and current year budget.

Responding to a question about direct benefits of CPEC to Faisalabad,
he said that Faisalabad is one of the main load centers of electricity and certainly it will get maximum benefits from the new energy projects completed under CPEC.

Continuing, he said that after completion of major infrastructure
projects, economic zones would be established in various parts of the country and our private sector has to work on it by searching potential partners for joint ventures.

Earlier in his address of welcome, FCCI President Chaudhary Muhammad
Nawaz paid best tributes to Ahsan Iqbal for his vision 2025 to put country on road to progress and prosperity.

FCCI senior vice president Syed Zia Alamdar Hussain thanked the present government for declaring 5 export sectors zero rated and said that government has attained major achievements.

Various economic parameters were in the right direction. Electricity and
gas were available round the clock. Later, a shield was presented to the minister.

ISLAMABAD, Jun 6 (APP): Minister for Kashmir Affairs and
Gilgit-Baltistan Barjees Tahir Monday said Pakistan Muslim League-
Nawaz (PML-N) government would spend Rs 50 billion to build roads
and rehabilitate infrastructure in Azad Jammu and Kashmir during
next five years.

Addressing a press conference along with Minister for
Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz
Rashid and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Affairs
Dr Asif Kirmani, he said modern hospitals would be established in
every district of the AJK valley.

While existing hospitals would be upgraded, equipping them with
modern facilities to extend maximum facilities to the suffering
humanity, he added.

The minister said trauma centers will be established in every
district of the valley, adding that AJK would be provided five air
ambulances for lifting of the patients in emergency cases.

He said a parliamentary committee would be set up to address
the issue of Mangla Dam affected people, making it clear that the body’s recommendations would be implemented in letter and spirit according to the instructions of the prime minister.

Barjees also announced provision of natural gas for Mirpur and
adjacent areas besides opening gas company’s offices.

The minister also announced setting up of two universities in
the AJK, saying one university would be established in the district
Sudhanoti and the other one – an agriculture university – would be
built in the district Bhimber.

Barjees said the Mirpur-Muzaffarabad expressway would be
completed by end of the fiscal year 2016-17.

He said work on the Leepa Valley Tunnel would be started in
the year 2016-17.

The minister said on directives of Punjab Chief Shahbaz
Sharif, Kahuta- Azad Pattan road would be completed at a cost of Rs
one billion in a year to facilitate commuters and motorists.
The PML-N government, he said, had already initiated different
development projects worth Rs 35 billion in the valley.

As per directives of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, he
said the Kashmir Council’s budget was passed in Muzaffarabad instead
of Islamabad. Besides, Rs 2.5 billion have been allocated for
constructing a building for the AJK Parliament, he added.

He also announced measures for beautification of the AJK
capital Muzaffarabad.

Barjees said 3G and 4G services would be started in AJK by
September this year.

Answering a question, he expressed confidence that load-
shedding would be overcome by 2018, saying that the government was
following an effective strategy and it succeeded in curtailing the
loadshedding duration from 22 hours to six-eight hours a day.
He said uninterrupted supply of electricity and natural gas
was being ensured to industrial sector after signing of agreement
with Qatar for import of LNG.

Replying to another question, he said, the PML-N twice had an
opportunity to bring no confidence motion against the present AJK
government, but the party did not go for it and preferred to bring
change through vote.

Barjees said the federal government gave development funds
amounting to billions of rupees but the AJK government failed to
initiate even a single mega project.

“The present AJK government befooled the common man in five
years and now the time has come for its accountability,” he
remarked.

Minister for Information Broadcasting and National Heritage
Pervaiz Rashid said the time of AJK elections had arrived and the
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had finalized a dynamic
manifesto for progress and prosperity of the valley.

“If we will be given a chance, we will be duty-bound to
implement the manifesto,” the minister said.

He said that Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had a
special affiliation with the people of Kashmir and wanted to see the
valley progressing and flourishing.

“The PML-N will carry out and complete the announced mega
development projects after wining the upcoming elections in Azad
Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

Pervaiz Rashid said it was the track record of the PML-N that
it always fulfilled the promises made with the people of Pakistan and
vowed that the party would continue with the same spirit in AJK.

“Forming the government for the third time is evident of the
fact that the PML-N always stands by its commitments and fulfills
promises made with people of the country,” he remarked.

Answering a question, the minister said the PML-N received 220
applications for 29 seats in different parts of AJK, while other
political parties failed to get a matching response.

He expressed confidence that the PML-N would win the AJK
elections with a thumping majority and form its government.
Replying to another question, he said the corrupt elements
would be brought to justice and corruption would be stopped.
“The public hold the politicians accountable through vote
in elections,” he added.