RAWALPINDI, Apr 25 (APP):Minister for Defence, Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan said on Wednesday that Pakistan had
eliminated terrorism from its soil at a monumental cost in blood of its soldiers and citizens.
“We have suffered economic losses in excess of US $120 billion in our war
against terror. Through its elected government and Parliament, Pakistan has
adopted a comprehensive National Action Plan to combat terrorism in the
non-kinetic realm,” according to a press release issued here by Ministry of Defence.
The minister stated this while addressing the 15th Defence Ministers Meeting of
the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Beijing.
This was the first assembly of the SCO Defence Ministers after the organisation was
expanded in 2017 for the first time to add India and Pakistan as full members.
Chinese State Councilor and Minister for Defence, Gen. Wei Fenghe chaired the
meeting.
Khurram Dastgir Khan headed the Pakistan delegation that included
Director General Joint Staff (DGJS) Lt.Gen. Zafar Malik, DG SCO, Zahoor Ahmed from Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Brig. Ahmed Bilal, Pakistan’s Defence Attaché in Beijing.
The minister indicated continuing turmoil in Afghanistan, including presence of ISIS, as a
source of insecurity for its neighbors and for the entire region.
“Serious challenges facing the region include violent extremism, poverty, lack of
trans-boundary water management, drug trafficking, refugees, human trafficking,
and border controls,” said the minister.
He acknowledged the existence of bilateral issues between SCO members, but
asserted that these should “never be allowed to impede our collective work.”
He encouraged his counterparts to face collective challenges with “courage,
harmony and cooperation.”
In his first official SCO meeting, the minister signed a communiqué with other
participants. The communiqué offered support for the “Shanghai Spirit” of building a shared community with peace and stability, development and prosperity.
Defence ministers from the SCO member states including those from China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and India attended the meeting. Defence Minister of Belarus attended
as an Observer.

ISLAMABAD, Apr 25 (APP):Commerce Minister Pervez Malik has said that consultations are underway with stakeholders to prepare national tariff policy and it will be finalized soon.
The Minister said special incentives will be announced for services and production sectors in the upcoming federal budget, Radio Pakistan reported.
The duties on raw material of industries will be further reduced in the budget, he mentioned.
He said foreign companies in Pakistan enjoy more protection today than that of the
past.
Earlier, the Commerce Minister said macroeconomic stability has been achieved in the country, and nobody can ignore contribution of the women in this regard.
He said that sustainable development is not possible without engaging women in business sector.

ISLAMABAD, Apr 25 (APP):Overseas Pakistanis Foundation Tuesday informed that it would facilitate the returnee migrants for technical and economical complications being faced by them on their return to home after compilation of their data under its recently launched pilot project of Facilitation and Reintegration Center (FRC) for returnees.
Talking to APP, OPF’s Additional Director Mustafa Haider said there was no available data of returnee migrants that was imperative to reintegrate and assist the returnee workers in finding jobs at home and abroad.
“The pilot project consists of two phases and first phase with duration of six weeks solely focuses on preparatory work, besides, our department will compile and share the data of all migrant workers with all relevant institutions” ,he added.
The consultant would execute the project’s action plan after consultation with the department in its second phase having duration of three months, he informed.
FRC was aimed to facilitate and guide the returnees for employment and establishing business in the country and abroad but not for any financial assistance, he explained.
He said the department would refer the intending skilled repatriate to National Education Foundation for the enhancement of their skills and later disseminated their information and enhanced capability level in other countries through overseas employment promoter recommended by Bureau of Emigration.
OPF would help the other semi-skilled and non-skilled migrated workers in getting micro-finance loans from private banks to start a business in Pakistan, he added.
“Short And Medium Enterprises Development Authority will provide the business development services to returnees willing to start business on their own “, he said.
The project was, he said, the extension of OPF’s earlier project of Rehabilitation Programme for Migrants that was only aimed at facilitating the families of returnees with some financial assistance who were either died or return to the countries with physical disability.
The department would hire a consultant for short term, had a great experience in rehabilitation of returnee, to develop a strategy to oversee and achieve desire results from the pilot project,he said.
He would also watch over the project to make it successive and effective by formulating the policies for provision of reintegration services to overseas Pakistanis and would also give his feedback throughout the trial project, he added.
He said consultant would review the success of project and take some corrective measures for the hurdles come into way of the initiative, accordingly.
He said that OPF felt necessitate to launch this project after about 4.5 million foreign workforce was affected in the wake of economic shifts in GCC since 2015.
He said the department had requested to the Pakistani embassies for sensitizing the overseas nationals on this count and would also install the awareness desk in coming days.

ISLAMABAD, Apr 25 (Global Times/APP):China is fast-tracking the development of third-generation nuclear power plants both in terms of domestic design as well as nuclear projects under construction, a situation that experts said reflects the “sheer size” of State players that have abundant capital and the ability to absorb risks.

But as core nuclear technologies such as engines and primary pumps are still in the hands of foreign rivals, experts warned that domestic companies should scale up efforts to master such techniques to avoid encountering the plight of ZTE Corp.

The nuclear power industry in China has “made significant headway in recent years, with its advantages basically taking shape,” read a report issued by the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA) on Monday. With regard to industry scale and business prospects, China has become a global center of third-generation nuclear power.

“China is the fastest-expanding nuclear power generator in the world, underscoring the huge potential of the country’s nuclear sector at a time when traditional giants like the US are retreating,” Lin Boqiang, director of the China Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

China has 20 nuclear power plants under construction, more than any other country, according to the CNEA report. By the end of 2017, the country had 37 reactors with installed capacity of 35.8 gigawatts (GW), ranking No.4 after the US, France and Russia.

The 20 include the Sanmen nuclear power plant constructed by China National Nuclear Corp and the Haiyang nuclear power reactor in East China’s Shandong Province. Some of these are being jointly built by Chinese and foreign companies.

Chinese nuclear companies are also independently building the domestic third-generation reactor known as Hualong One, whose safety standards have achieved world-class levels, CNEA Secretary-General Zhang Tingke was quoted as saying in the report.

There are four domestic and foreign projects under construction using the Hualong One reactor, including two reactors in Karachi, Pakistan. Units 5 and 6 in Fuqing, East China’s Fujian Province, as well as Units 3 and 4 of the Fangchenggang nuclear project in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region are also “progressing smoothly,” Zhang noted.

More than 85 percent of the parts and components of nuclear reactors with installed capacity of more than 1 GW are supplied by domestic companies, the report said.

“China has an incomparable advantage in developing nuclear power — the sheer size of State-owned nuclear enterprises, which have long-term stability and rich financing sources to support research and development spending. They are also not as vulnerable to market risks as their private counterparts,” Lin said. “The huge injection of capital at the initial stage could be balanced by quantity production in later phases, providing economic efficiency.”

However, domestic companies still lack the ability to manufacture core parts, Han Xiaoping, chief analyst at energy industry website china5e.com, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

For example, “the engines of most reactors in China are imported from foreign rivals like France’s EDF Group or Germany-based Siemens,” Lin said. Domestic nuclear power plants still use the main pumps and control systems made by US manufacturers.

“Chinese companies should draw a lesson from ZTE’s case… How can we expand nuclear power facilities with key technologies still owned by foreign competitors?” Han asked.

The growing use of nuclear power is crucial for China, which looks to reduce its reliance on coal while maintaining growth momentum. Coal now accounts for over 70 percent of the electricity generated in China, Han said.

ISLAMABAD, Apr 25 (APP):National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has rationalized pricing (fee) of
Computerized National Identity Card (CNICs) and National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP)
within country and those abroad.
The decision has been taken in light of directives of
Supreme Court. Subsequently, Federal Cabinet has also approved
rationalized fee structure of CNIC/NICOP.
A notification issued about new fee details of CNIC and
Smart National Identity Card (SNIC)issued on Wednesday revealed:
New CNIC (Teslin) Rs. 0 (First time), Rs. 1150 (Urgent),
2150 (Executive).
CNIC Modification (Teslin) Rs. 400 (Normal), Rs. 1150 (Urgent),
2150 (Executive).
CNIC Duplicate (Teslin) Rs. 400 (Normal), Rs. 1150 (Urgent),
2150 (Executive).
CNIC Renewal (Teslin) Rs. 400 (Normal), Rs. 1150 (Urgent),
2150 (Executive).
New Smart NIC Rs. 750 (Normal), Rs. 1150 (Urgent),
Rs. 2500 (Executive).
Smart NIC Modification Rs. 750 (Normal), Rs. 1150 (Urgent),
Rs. 2500 (Executive).
Smart NIC Duplicate Rs. 750 (Normal), Rs. 1150 (Urgent),
Rs. 2500 (Executive) and Smart NIC Renewal Rs. 750 (Normal),
Rs. 1150 (Urgent), Rs. 2500 (Executive).
Regarding fee detail of NICOP and Smart NICOP for Zone A,
the notification revealed:
New NICOP (Teslin) fee Rs. 4250 (Normal), Rs. 6350 (Urgent)
and Rs. 8450 (Executive).
NICOP Modification (Teslin) fee Rs. 4250 (Normal), 6350
(Urgent) and Rs. 8450 (Executive).
NICOP Duplicate (Teslin) fee Rs. 4250 (Normal), Rs. 6350
(Urgent) and Rs. 8450 (Executive).
NICOP Renewal (Teslin) fee Rs. 4250 (Normal), 6350
(Urgent) and 8450 (Executive).
New Smart NICOP fee Rs. 4600 (Normal), Rs.6700 (Urgent)
and 8800 (Executive).
Smart NICOP Modification fee Rs. 4600 (Normal), Rs. 6700
(Urgent) and Rs. 8800 (Executive).
Smart NICOP Duplicate fee Rs. 4600 (Normal), Rs. 6700
(Urgent) and Rs. 8800 (Executive).
Smart NICOP Renewal fee Rs. 4600 (Normal), Rs. 6700
(Urgent) and Rs. 8800 (Executive).
Similarly, for Zone B the new fee is :
New NICOP (Teslin) fee Rs. 2000 (Normal), Rs. 3200 (Urgent)
and Rs. 4350 (Executive).
NICOP Modification (Teslin) fee Rs. 2000 (Normal),
Rs. 3200 (Urgent) and Rs. 4350 (Executive).
NICOP Duplicate (Teslin) fee Rs. 2000 (Normal),
Rs. 3200 (Urgent) and Rs. 4350 (Executive).
NICOP Renewal (Teslin) fee Rs. 2000 (Normal),
Rs. 3200 (Urgent) and Rs. 4350 (Executive).
New Smart NICOP fee Rs. 2350 (Normal), Rs. 3550 (Urgent)
and Rs. 4700 (Executive).
Smart NICOP Modification fee Rs. 2350 (Normal), Rs. 3550 (Urgent)
and Rs. 4700 (Executive).
Smart NICOP Duplicate fee Rs. 2350 (Normal), Rs. 3550 (Urgent)
and Rs. 4700 (Executive) and Smart NICOP Renewal fee Rs. 2350
(Normal), Rs. 3550 (Urgent) and Rs. 4700 (Executive).
Meanwhile, in his comments on the pricing (fee)
rationalization, a Spokesman of NADRA said the Authority
does not make profit on the issuance of ID card.
However, in fact, an analysis of NADRA’s financial
statement, presented during Supreme Court’s Suo Motu cognizance
revealed that NADRA incurred loss of Rs. 40 per card issued to Pakistanis.
During the proceedings, it was also observed that
higher prices of overseas card (NICOP) were being used to
subsidize the local cards.
In interest of justice on directives of Supreme Court,
the subsidy on local cards has been reduced in order to minimize
prices on NICOP.
However, the new prices ID card in normal and urgent
categories are less than the cost incurred in issuing the card.
Giving further details, the Spokesman said previous
structure of NICOP fee, which was on higher-side, was due to
subsidizing the CNICs and smart CNICs issued to Pakistanis
within the country on low price.
He said high fee was also due to fact that NADRA
incurred costs which are specific to overseas cards i.e running
and operating 14 centers overseas across the world, additionally
incurring costs at 26 foreign Missions and maintaining
high-availability of web-based technology infrastructure
round the clock (24/7) that allows people overseas to apply for
identity documents online anywhere in the world.
Therefore, NADRA incurred an average cost of Rs. 976.56
per card issued to Pakistanis within country and abroad. Whereas,
the CNIC older Teslin card was issued either free of cost or
in Rs. 75.
While, smart card was being issued in different
categories at rate of Rs. 400 (normal) and Rs. 800 (urgent). Thus,
the CNICs and Smart NICs were being issued to Pakistanis within
country greatly on subsidized rates.
In a nutshell, at end of day NADRA received an average
fee of Rs. 936.37 for every card, wherein, average fee received
for a local card comes to Rs. 494 at loss of Rs.40 approximately
per card.
The average fee received for an overseas card came to
Rs. 5,000 which clearly indicated that higher prices of overseas
cards were subsidizing local cards.
In view of above, the Supreme Court was apprised about
higher side of fee of NICOP and subsequent subsidy on identity
card issued within the country. The Honorable court ordered to
rationalize large price disparity between the pricing of cards issued to Pakistani citizens within the country
and those abroad.

ISLAMABAD, Apr 25 (APP):The ‘World Malaria Day’ was observed on Wednesday across the globe including Pakistan to raise awareness of malaria and generate support for the fight against this preventable and treatable disease.
This year’s theme is, “Ready to Beat Malaria”. The theme underscores the collective energy and commitment of the global malaria community in uniting around the common goal of a world free of malaria.
It is a day for recognizing the global effort to provide effective control of malaria.
The Day provides opportunity for countries in the affected regions to learn from each other’s experiences and support each other’s efforts; for new donors to join a global partnership against malaria; for research and academic institutions to flag their scientific advances to both experts and general public; and for international partners, companies and foundations to showcase their efforts and reflect on how to scale up what has worked, Private news channel reported.
Newspapers, websites, and magazines, as well as television and radio stations, may used World Malaria Day as the chance to promote or publicize awareness campaigns about malaria.
Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected mosquitoes. About half of the worlds’ population is at risk of malaria, particularly those in lower-income countries.
The World Health Assembly instituted World Malaria Day in May 2007. The purpose of the event is to give countries in affected regions the chance to learn from each other’s experiences and support one another’s efforts.
World Malaria Day also enables new donors to join in a global partnership against malaria, and for research and academic institutions to reveal scientific advances to the public. The day also gives international partners, companies and foundations a chance to showcase their efforts and reflect on how to scale up what has worked.