ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 (APP): Minister for Finance, Mohammad Ishaq Dar has called upon the provincial governments to keep a vigilant eye on increase in the prices of different commodities under the pretext of additional revenue measures that became effective on 1st December, 2015.
PM arrives to attend centenary celebrations of Islamia College Peshawar
PESHAWAR, Dec 11 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif arrived here Friday to attend centennial celebrations of Islamia College of Peshawar.
He was received by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor, Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan, Speaker Provincial Assembly, Asad Qasiar, Vice Chancellor Islamia College University, Principal and other senior officers of the provincial administration.
The students and teachers warmly welcomed the Prime Minister upon his arrival at the Historic Islamia College Peshawar founded by great Muslim League leader Nawab Sir Sahibzada Abdul Qaiyum Khan in 1913.
Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Father of the Nation, had great love for Islamia College Peshawar and visited it in 1936, 1945 and 1948 and highly lauded the services of its students towards making of Pakistan.
The Islamia College Peshawar has now attained the status of a University and its students are serving their countrymen on key positions.
The celebrations continued as people of all walks of life are visiting this historic college after completing over 100 years by spreading rays of knowledge in the province.
COAS pins badges of Colonel of Battalion on shoulders of Brig Khizar
RAWALPINDI, Dec 11 (APP): Chief of Army Staff, General (COAS), Raheel Sharif pinned the badges of rank on the shoulders of Brigadier Khizar Sultan Raja to install him as Colonel of Battalion of a Frontier Force Regiment at Lahore.
Fundamental freedoms are ‘inalienable’- UN
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 11 (APP): The United Nations has called on the world to guarantee fundamental freedoms “long recognized as the birthright of all people,” freedom
from fear, freedom from want, freedom of speech and freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
“In a year that marks the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, we can draw inspiration from the history of the modern human rights movement, which emerged from
the Second World War,” the secretary-general said in a message to mark Human Rights Day, celebrated annually on 10 December.
He hailed the four basic freedoms identified by former United States President Franklin Roosevelt “freedom of expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom
from fear,” and stressed that today’s extraordinary challenges can be seen and addressed “through the lens of [those] four freedoms.”
The Secretary-General highlighted the condition of millions of people, who are denied freedom of expression and are living under threat and urged to defend, preserve and expand democratic practices and space for civil society for lasting stability.
Ban also noted that across the globe, terrorists have “hijacked religion, betraying its spirit by killing in its name,” or targeting minorities and exploring fears for political gain,
thereby denying people their freedom of worship.
“In response, we must promote respect for diversity based on the fundamental equality of all people and the right to freedom of religion,” the Secretary-General stressed.
Speaking about freedom from want, UN chief said much of humankind is plagued by deprivation and called on world leaders to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development with the aim of ending poverty and enabling all people to live in dignity on a peaceful, healthy planet.
Ban also said that millions of refugees and internally displaced persons are a tragic product of the failure to fulfil the freedom from fear, adding that not since the Second World War have so many people been forced to flee their homes.
They run from war, violence and injustice across continents and oceans, often risking their lives.
In response, we must not close but open doors and guarantee the right of all to seek asylum, without any discrimination. Migrants seeking an escape from poverty and
hopelessness should also enjoy their fundamental human rights, he said.
Lastly, reaffirming UN’s commitment to protecting human rights as the foundation of the Organization’s work, Mr. Ban highlighted the features of the Human Rights Up Front initiative, which aims to prevent and respond to large-scale violations.
Echoing those sentiments, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein added that “freedom is the ideal that underpins what we now recognize as international human rights law, the norms and regulations that protect and guarantee our rights.”
In a video message, Zeid noted that Human Rights Day 2015 marks the launch of a year-long campaign to celebrate the 50th anniversary of two of the oldest international
human rights treaties “the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.”
These two documents, along with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, form the “International Bill of Human Rights”, which together set out the civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights which are “the birth right of all human beings,” Zeid said.
He also stressed that freedoms set out in these documents are universal, applicable to everyone, everywhere and noted that traditional practices, cultural norms, cannot justify taking them away.
Team needs coach like late Bob Woolmer: Yousuf
ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 (APP): Former captain, Muhammad Yousuf felt Pakistan team needs an established coach like the late Bob Woolmer as things are not improving under present head coach Waqar Younis.
Cadets witness NA proceedings
ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 (APP): A 34-member group of students and staff of the Cadet College Mastung on Friday visited the National Assembly and witnessed its proceedings.
NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq made announcement about their presence in the guests’ gallery when the question-hour session was in progress. Parliamentarians welcomed them by thumping desk.
They observed lawmakers taking up calling attention notices, introducing bills, presenting motions and resolution besides holding debate on various issues of public interest.
Murtaza Abbasi invites Qatar’s investors to invest in energy, economic sectors
ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 (APP): Deputy Speaker National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbasi Friday said immense potential exists in energy and economic sectors of the country.
Talking to Ambassador of Kingdom of Qatar Saqr-Bin-Mubbark Al-Munsouri who called the Deputy Speaker here, he invited Qatari investors in Pakistan to take advantage of such opportunities.
The Deputy Speaker said that Pakistan and Qatar were intertwined in in bounds of religion, history and culture.
He expressed the desire to further consolidate this relation through people to people, parliamentary and economic cooperation.
He also stressed the need for unity amongst Muslim Ummah for countering the negative portrayal of Islam.
The Deputy Speaker said that Pakistan appreciates support of Qatar on international and regional forums.
Javed Abbasi also underlined the need for enhancing bilateral trade and cooperation between both the countries.
He appreciated the support of state of Qatar that has been extended to Pakistan for its socio-economic and infrastructure development specially education and health sectors.
The Deputy Speaker said that Qatar could benefit from the skilled human resource potential of Pakistan.
Underlining the need for enhancing parliamentary contacts between legislatures of both countries, the Deputy Speaker said that parliamentarians from either side could bring both the nation closer and learn from each other’s experience.
He also invited members of parliament of Qatar to visit Pakistan.
Ambassador of Qatar Saqr-Bin-Mubbark Al-Munsouri said that Qatar also attaches great importance to brotherly relations with Pakistan and desires to strengthen them through cooperation in diverse sectors.
He assured his government’s all out support for addressing energy constraints.
He also appreciated contributions of Pakistan expatriates living in Qatar and said that his country was keen in importing skilled Pakistani human resource.
He also agreed for enhancing parliamentary contacts between legislatures of both the countries.
SECP registers 494 companies in November
ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 (APP): The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has registered 494 new companies in November 2015, indicating an increase of 57 percent as compared to same period last year.
ECC approves Telecom Policy 2015 for benefit of people, economy
ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 (APP): The Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet (ECC) on Friday approved the Telecommunications Policy 2015 aimed at availability of universal, affordable and quality telecommunication services.
Local Body polls prove PML-N’s popularity, clean-bowls adversaries
ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 (APP): Despite harsh criticism and tall claims of the opposition parties to clean sweep, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz thwarted all designs of the adversaries and foiled the myths of incumbency factors by bagging thumping victory in all three phases of the local government elections in Punjab.