LONDON, Apr 14 (APP):Syed Ibne Abbas, Pakistan High Commissioner (HC) to the United Kingdom (UK) met with the Pakistani community at a reception dinner in Manchester on the other day and emphasized on education for youth and active role for women in the society.
According to a statement of the Pakistan High Commission issued here on Saturday, this interaction was part of the High Commission’s community outreach efforts.
Afzal Khan MP, Yasmin Qureshi MP, Wajid Khan MEP, Sajjad Karim MEP, High Sheriff of Greater Manchester Dr Robina Shah, Barrister Amjad Malik, Chairman OPF Board of Governors and Aamar Aftab Qureshi, Consul General attended the event.
Besides, a number of Mayors/Councillors, professionals, entrepreneurs, youth and media representatives were also in attendance.
Speaking on the occasion, the High Commissioner commended achievements of the Pakistani diaspora in various walks of life. He, however, laid special emphasis on education for youth and a proactive role for women to further add to these achievements.
The High Commissioner said that 2018 would be the year of youth engagement and to strengthen their ties with their origins, the High Commission would send five British Pakistani youth to Pakistan under the “Explore Pakistan Programme”.
Giving an overview of High Commission’s community outreach efforts, he said: “We are holding our next Councillors Convention in Manchester in June this year, which aims at having a dialogue with your elected representatives on social, economic and political issues and on the ways to strengthen the ties between UK and Pakistan through the diaspora.”
The High Commissioner urged the community to fully participate in the upcoming local elections in the UK and be part of the mainstream British society.
The High Commissioner said the US move to put Pakistan on Grey List of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was politically motivated. He said it was disappointing that the UK, despite our friendly relations, also sponsored this move.
He called upon the community to lobby with their local MPs in a unified way to put across Pakistan’s stance on such important international issues.
On this occasion, the High Commissioner condemned the ongoing human rights abuses in Indian occupied Kashmir and called upon the international community to play its role to end the sufferings of the Kashmiri people.
He reiterated Pakistan’s political, diplomatic and moral support to the legitimate cause of Kashmir.
The HC also invited the British Pakistanis to take advantage of the business and investment opportunities in Pakistan, especially in the wake of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
He added that there would be great potential for bilateral trade between Pakistan and the UK post-Brexit and the British Pakistanis could play an effective role in enhancing the business ties between the two countries.
The attendees also put forward useful suggestions relating to community matters and promotion of bilateral relations between the two countries.
HC meets community in Manchester,emphasizes on education for youth ,active role of women
ECP rejects objection on preliminary declamation of NA-15, 16
ABBOTTABAD, April 11(APP)::Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday rejected the objections of the appellants against two preliminary declamations of constituencies of district and considered only one complaint.
According to ECP verdict, grievances against the two constituencies
of district Abbottabad NA 15,16 were rejected while only one objection
about provincial constituency PK-38 Abbottabad-III, was accepted.
Twenty one objections were registered including the complaint of Deputy Speaker National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbassi, former
Deputy Speaker NA Sardar Yaqoob, Provencial Minister for Food
Qalandar Khan Loodhi, PML-N Senator Barrister Javed Abbassi,
Tehsil member Iftikhar Khan and others.
The ECP only accepted the objection of member Tehsil Council
Havelian Iftikhar Khan and ordered to cut three Union Councils Ghari Phul Garan, Rajoya and Bandi Attai Khan from PK-37 and add to PK-38 while Union Council Salhad to add into PK-37 from PK-38.
After the verdict of ECP, Senator Javed Abbassi has decided to file a petition in Supreme Court against the new declamation of the constituencies since ground realities of the area had been ignored
and new electoral constituencies had been formed.
Earlier in district Abbottabad, the list was finalized about four
provincial constituencies including PK-36 Abbottabad, comprising
the areas of Tehsil Bakot, Tehsil Loran and Patwar Circles of Tarnawai and Bandi Dhoonda. PK-37 Abbottabad-II consists of patwar circles of Tehsil Havelian, Kokal Barseen, Jhangra, Bagan, Galyat, Orush circle, Chatri, Dhamtoor I, II and Nagaki.
PK-38 Abbottabad III included Tehsil Lower Tanawal, Sherwan
Patwar Circle, Chamhad, Kasakki Kalan, Pawa, Rach Bahan, Havelian Cantonment, Municipal Committee Havelian, Havelian Patwar circle, Jhangra patwar circle, Kokal, Baldheri, Banda Qazi, Gojri, Jhangi, Salhad I and II.
While PK-39 Abbottabad IV consists of Abbottabad Cantonment,
Abbottabad Municipal Committee, Nawan Shar Town Committee, Nawan Shahr western I and II, Nawan Shahr east I and II Shaik ul Bandi I and II and Banda Peer Khan.
UN voices outrage over rape and murder of young girl in Indian-held Kashmir
UNITED NATIONS, Apr 14 (APP):The United Nations has voiced its outrage over the brutal rape and murder in Indian occupied Kashmir, of Asifa Bano, an 8-year-old Muslim girl, and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
Responding to a question at the regular noon briefing, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesman said the United Nations was aware of this “horrific case” of the abuse and the murder of a young girl.
“We very much hope that the authorities will bring the perpetrators to justice so they can be held accountable for the murder of this young girl,” Spokesman Stephane Dujarric added.
Eight Hindu men, including two police officers, have been arrested in connection with the case, according to media reports.
Asifa Bano was kidnapped and allegedly taken to a temple in Kathua, drugged, gangraped over two days, strangled and her body was dumped in a forest.
The attack took place in January, but the details were only released by police this week.
The issue was communalised with some in the Hindu community holding meetings in support of those arrested and lawyers trying to block the court to prevent the case being filed.
Conditions not yet conducive for Rohingya refugees to return to Myanmar
UNITED NATIONS, Apr 14 (APP):The United Nations refugee agency and the Government of Bangladesh have signed a cooperation agreement on the safe, dignified return of Rohingya refugees to their homes in Myanmar, “once conditions there are conducive.”
Noting that such conditions are not present at the moment, the UN refugee agency urged Myanmar authorities to create them as well as to take concrete measures to address the root causes of displacement.
“The responsibility for creating such conditions remains with the Myanmar authorities, and these must go beyond the preparation of physical infrastructure to facilitate logistical arrangements,” the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stressed on Friday.
The agency also noted that in the absence of a UNHCR-Myanmar-Bangladesh agreement, it has continued to engage with both Governments in negotiations on two separate memoranda of understanding (MOUs), meant to ensure that any future returns are conducted in line with the international standards.
More than 670,000 members of the Muslim minority Rohingya community fled violence in Myanmar since August 2017, joining an estimated 200,000 Rohingya who have sought shelter in Bangladesh, arriving in waves over the past decades.
According to UNHCR, the refugees have said that before considering return to Myanmar, they would need to see concrete progress in relation to their legal status and citizenship, security, and their ability to enjoy basic rights at home in Rakhine state.
UNHCR also urged the Myanmar Government to immediately provide full and unhindered access to refugees’ places of origin in Rakhine, which would enable it to assess the situation and provide information to refugees about conditions in the places of origin, as well as to monitor any possible future return and reintegration of refugees.
“Another practical measure will be to ease restrictions on movement for the internally displaced persons encamped in the central townships of Rakhine state, which would also help to build confidence among refugees in Bangladesh,” it added.
“Such concrete measures will help demonstrate to refugees that the Government of Myanmar is committed to a sustainable solution.”
Cold War is back with a vengeance, UN chief warns
UNITED NATIONS, Apr 13 (APP):The Cold War has returned, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday in describing the military crisis in Syria.
“The Cold War is back with a vengeance, but with a difference. The mechanisms and the safeguards to manage the risks of escalation that existed in the past no longer seem to be present,” Guterres told the U.N. Security Council.
“Increasing tensions and the inability to reach a compromise in the establishment of an accountability mechanism threaten to lead to a full-blown military escalation.”
He advised countries to “act responsibly in these dangerous circumstances.”
His reference to the post-World War II faceoff between the United States and the Soviet Union, and their allies, came at a Security Council meeting noted for its hostility.
Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused the U.S. of unfairly taking advantage of reports of a chemical attack against Syrian citizens to plot the topping of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government, which has been linked to the attack that killed dozens of people last weekend in the rebel-held town of Douma.
Nebenzia also condemned what he called the “bellicose rhetoric” of President Donald Trump’s threat of a missile strike in Syria. He said such threats are counter to the U.N. charter and that the United States is “unworthy” of a permanent seat at the Security Council.
“I’m in awe, Vassily, of how you say that with a straight face,” U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley retorted. She against accused the Assad government of using chemical weapons on its own citizens on at least 50 occasions, and added that Russia failed to uphold a 2013 agreement by which Syria would dispose of all its chemical weapons.
“It is Russia alone that used its veto six times to prevent the condemnation of use of chemical weapons in Syria,” Haley responded. “We must not stay silent in the face of chemical weapons use in our own time. No country can be allowed to use chemical weapons with impunity.”
French ambassador Francois Delattre added that his government has evidence that the Assad government is responsible for the Apr. 7 chemical attack. Delattre added that the Syrian government’s decision to use chemical weapons meant that it had “reached the point of no return.”
Guterres told the Security Council that “the norms against chemical weapons must be held.”
Pakistan, China have everlasting friendly relations: President
ISLAMABAD, Apr 13 (APP):President Mamnoon Hussain on Friday said Pakistan and China had everlasting friendly relations, which were also the basis of the country’s foreign policy.
The president said this while talking to Lieutenant General Ding Laihang, Commander People’s Liberation Army Air Force of China, who called on him here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
The president earlier also conferred Nishan-i-Imtiaz upon him during a special investiture ceremony at the Aiwan-e-Sadr. Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, Chinese Ambassador Yao Jiang and senior officials were present on the occasion.
The president stated that defence relations between Pakistan and China were the guarantee of peace and stability in the region. He appreciated the efforts of Chinese authorities for successfully holding the joint exercises of the air forces of Pakistan and China and hoped that such exercises would also be held in future.
He thanked the Chinese government and Commander of its Air Force for providing quality support to the Pakistan Air Force. He emphasized that Pakistan fully supported the One Belt One Road project of China. Pakistan also supported China on the issues related to Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang and South China Sea, he added. He thanked the Chinese government for its support to Pakistan on the regional and security issues.
The president also expressed satisfaction over the progress of different projects under China Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC). He underlined that frequent exchange of high level delegations between the two countries should continue to further enhance the bilateral relations.
Commander People’s Liberation Army Air Force Lieutenant General Ding Laihang thanked the president and the Government of Pakistan and resolved that he would continue to play his role towards promoting relations between the two countries.
Enhanced interaction between Pak-Turkish intellectuals to further strengthen ties: President
ISLAMABAD, Apr 13 (APP):President Mamnoon Hussain Friday said enhanced interaction between the intellectuals of Pakistan and Turkey provided opportunities of a new linguistic contact between Central Asia and ECO countries, which would help in getting maximum benefits from the modern silk route, and achieving peace and stability in the region.
The president expressed these views while inaugurating a pictorial exhibition organized here by Yunus Emre Institute of Turkey. Turkish Ambassador in Pakistan Ahsan Mustafa Yurdakul, Dr. Khalil Toqar, and renowned intellectual Farooq Adil also addressed the ceremony, which was attended by a large number of people, including diplomats and intellectuals.
The president said the warm and brotherly relations between Pakistan and Turkey were rooted in common history and the unending love between the people of two countries.
He recalled the difficult Turkish era when the Muslims gave huge sacrifices for the survival of Khilafat-e-Usmania, adding, even the women donated their ornaments for this cause.
The president said he was happy to note that Turkish people were fully abreast with the history and were transferring the facts to the new generation.
He said like the Turkish children, Pakistani youth were also fully cognizant of history, particularly the courageous cooperation of Khilafat-e-Islamia and independence-loving leaders like Sher-e-Masoor Tipu Sultan Shaheed and others for saving the subcontinent from foreign occupation.
The president said such exhibitions showed the love and affection at bilateral front and hoped that those relations would further strengthen with the passage of time.
He said the establishment of a cultural center and institute named after the renowned poet Yunus Emre in Pakistan had started a new era of Pak-Turkish literary and cultural relations. The continuous visits of Turkish poets, writers and intellectuals to Pakistan would further strengthen the ties, he added.
Earlier, Farooq Adil, in his address, said Pakistan and Turkey were bound with close, friendly and historic relations and their ties would continue to strengthen.
Verdict of disqualification for life has unleashed a new era of Nawaz’s politics: Marriyum
ISLAMABAD, Apr 13 (APP):Minister of state for Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage Ms Marriyum Aurangzeb talking to the media here Friday said that the SC verdict of disqualification for life under Article 62(1) f of the Constitution had unleashed a new era of Nawaz’s politics.
She said that they were innocent to entertain the thought that they could decimate politics of political leaders through disqualifying them. Ultimately the people of Pakistan would decide about disqualification or otherwise, she added.
She said that the decisions like disqualification of the former Prime Minister, not allowing him to head the party, stopping the PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) from participating in the Senate elections and the life-long disqualification could not change the verdict of the masses.
The minister said that the elected Prime Minister was disqualified even before the trial. She said that the trial of the Supreme Court verdict was continuing in the Ehtsab Court.
Marriyum said that consequent upon similar decisions, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was sent to gallows and Benazir Bhutto was martyred. She said that the thrice elected Prime Minister had once again been disqualified today and it was the same joke, which had been perpetrated on seventeen prime ministers at different times and in different ways. It was exactly the same decision which Ali Baba and forty thieves presented in the JIT report with the help of inconclusive and incomplete documents, she added.
She said that the person, who violated the constitution and threw it into the waste paper basket, was enjoying his life sitting abroad and nobody had taken any suo moto notice about that.
Marriyum said that when they failed to find anything they invented the doctrine of necessity but this time around only the people would use the doctrine of necessity to uphold the sanctity of and respect for vote.
The minister said that the former Prime Minister had always talked about prestige of the judiciary and supremacy of the constitution and law, however, reaction on the SC verdict was the constitutional right of Nawaz Sharif as well as the people. She said that all the constitutional institutions were sanctimonious and everybody should give them due respect.
She minister said that the people were witnessing yet another decision of the court concerning Nawaz Sharif, which was similar to the one delivered against him during 1999 in the plane hijacking case.
Marriyum said that Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was disqualified on the basis of ‘Iqama’ and not receiving any salary from the company of his son while the trial of that case was taking place in the Ehtsab Court, adding that the trial on the first verdict was still inconclusive. She said that during the proceedings of the trial corruption of not even a single rupee had been proven.
She said that an elected Prime Minister was disqualified but the JIT (Joint Investigation Team) head Wajid Zia had confessed in the court that they had not found any documentary evidence in regard to Nawaz having received any salary from the company of his son. She said that the trial in regard to the allegations on which Nawaz was removed was now in progress in the Ehtsab Court while an elected Prime Minister was disqualified today.
The minister said that 40 persons according to Wajid Zia had participated in the investigations against a person, who was disqualified today but he refused to divulge their names. They were reluctant to tell who formed the JIT through a WhatsApp call and who leaked the picture of Hussain Nawaz, she added.
Marriyum reiterated that Nawaz Sharif had been disqualified for life for making Pakistan a nuclear power, for ending darkness from the country, checking terrorism in its tracks and completing the projects, which were pending for the last 66 years. She said that the history of the country was replete with such decisions and the nation was still suffering from their consequences. She said no disqualification like the verdict in the Panama case would be acceptable till the time Nawaz dwelled in the hearts of the people.
The minister said that the slogans of minus one formula echoed in 1980, 1990 and 2000, adding that the people knew that the PML-N was the largest political party of the country and today’s decision had unleashed a new era of its politics. She said that the opponents of PML-N by the grace of God should feel scared of that. She said that the slogan of ‘give respect to vote’ given by Nawaz Sharif would gain strength and the people who vote for choosing their representative could not tolerate such decisions.
She said that the PML-N would move forward with the support of the people to ensure that in future no Prime Minister was treated the way the seventeen prime ministers had been dealt with in the past.
The minister observed that the voters of PML-N were courageous and determined and the SC decision would further reinforce their resolve. She said that from now onward nobody would be allowed to trample the sanctity of the vote. She claimed that under the leadership of Nawaz Shairf the people of Pakistan belonging to different schools of thought and voters of the PNL-N were united like a rock and God willing Pakistan would succeed.
PM directs CAA for provision of complete facilities to passengers at New Islamabad Airport
ISLAMABAD, Apr 13 (APP):Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Friday directed the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for provision of complete and state of the art facilities to passengers at the new International Islamabad Airport on a par with other modern international airports.
The prime minister stated this while visiting various sections of the new International Islamabad Airport.
Advisor to the PM on Aviation, Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan and senior officials briefed the prime minister on operational preparedness and facilities for THE passengers.
Punjab Governor Muhamamd Rafique Rajwana, Defence Minister Khurram Dastagir Khan, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and National Heritage Marriyam Aurangzeb, officials from the Aviation Division, the Civil Aviation Authority, the Airport Security Force and Pakistan International Airlines were also present.
The prime minister was told that the new airport was completed at an estimated cost of Rs 85 billion. It has two runways and will be capable of handling nine million passengers every year, with 90 operational immigration counters.
The airport is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, including modern aerobridges, radars, and a landing and airfield lighting system. It will have 15 passenger boarding bridges and a vast parking area.
Marriyum for closer cooperation with Morocco in films, culture
ISLAMABAD, Apr 13 (APP):Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting, National History & Literary Heritage Ms Marriyum Aurangzeb, in a meeting with Ambassador of Morocco Mohamed Karmoune here Friday emphasized the need for formal engagement and cooperation in the arena of film and culture.
She said such an arrangement between the two states was quite imperative with a view to understand each others’ culture, values and enhance people-to-people contact.
She said that films were not only a unique medium to promote and project core values, culture & heritage of any society, but also generated greater economic activity besides providing entertainment to the public at large.
The minister said that present democratic government had taken an initiative to re-vitalize the dormant film industry of Pakistan by encouraging artists and providing various fiscal incentives for the revival of industry and cinema in the country. She said that Pakistan was a land of beauty and splendors and projecting it through Screen tourism was sine quo non to promote the peaceful and softer image of Pakistan at global level.
Pakistan attached great importance to its relations with the brotherly Kingdom of Morocco, a country held in high esteem by the people of Pakistan, she added.
The ambassador agreed with the minister on inevitability of formal collaboration in the field of film and culture. He said that Morocco enjoyed strong bilateral economic ties with Pakistan and it would further like to enhance cooperation in areas mutually beneficial to each other.
He also hailed unequivocal support of Pakistan to the cause of freedom of Moroccan people during early fifties.