LAHORE, March 27 (APP):Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of the tragic incident taking place at Services Hospital Lahore and sought a report from the health minister and secretary.
He expressed deep sense of sorrow and grief over the passing away of a person and extended sympathies to the bereaved family.
He also ordered for hold an inquiry into the incident and said that legal action would be initiated against the responsible persons.
CM orders probe into brawal at Services Hospital
Pakistan National Day Reception Held in Dubai
ISLAMABAD, Mar 27 (APP):The 78th National Day of Pakistan was celebrated with traditional zeal and patriotic spirit by Pakistanis living in the UAE.
The “Pakistan Day” Reception was hosted by the Pakistan Consulate at a local hotel in Dubai, said a message received here on Tuesday.
The Reception was attended by a large number of Consul Generals and their representatives, officials of the UAE Government, media and members of Pakistan community. His Excellency Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Cabinet Member and Minister of Economy was the Chief Guest on the occasion.
Consul General of Pakistan-Syed Javed Hassan welcomed all the guests. “Pakistan Day is a manifestation of the resolve of the muslims of South Asia and their resolute will, resulting in the creation of Pakistan under the dynamic leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah; a homeland where they could live in peace and harmony” said in his speech.
He paid special tributes to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. “In fact H.H Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was the founder of Pak-UAE relationship and called Pakistan his second home”, he said.
“President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces continue to follow Pakistan friendly policies and infact UAE armed forces contingent’s participation on our National Day Parade in Islamabad was a manifestation of our brotherly ties”, he added.
ICCI for cutting in tax rates in next budget to improve tax revenue
ISLAMABAD, March 27 (APP):Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Sheikh Amir Waheed Tuesday said the government should cut tax rates in the forthcoming federal budget because it would help in expanding tax base, improving tax-to-GDP ratio and enhancing tax revenue of the country.
He was talking to MPA Raja Hanif Advocate during his visit to Chamber House here, a press statement said.
Zubair A Malik Chairman Founder Group, Khalid Chaudhry, Dildar Abbasi, Iftikhar Sethi, Ashfaq Chatha, Muhammad Faheem Khan, Saifur Rehman Khan, Nisar Langa and others were also present at the occasion.
Sheikh Amir Waheed stressed that in the coming budget, the government should also abolish super tax as there was no further justification for it.
He proposed that in the next budget, the government should reduce GST to single digit level that would provide significant relief to the common man, reduce cost of doing business and give boost to business activities.
He said the prevailing withholding tax regime had made taxpayers of private sector as withholding agents for FBR due to which business community had to spend sufficient time on collection of WHT for the tax department.
He urged that in the next budget, the government should streamline WHT regime and assign the responsibility of collecting WHT to FBR officials so that business community could fully focus on promoting business activities.
ICCI Senior Vice President Muhammad Naveed said the average rate of tax on corporate income in the region was less than 23 percent while in Pakistan due to multiplicity of taxes including 2 percent workers’ welfare fund and 5 percent workers’ participation fund, average tax rate on corporate income went up to 38 percent, which was not justified.
He said in the next budget, the government should bring down average tax rate on corporate income that would encourage new investment and strengthen corporate sector in the country.
Speaking at the occasion, MPA Raja Hanif Advocate supported the proposals of ICCI office bearers for reduction in tax rates and stressed that the government should finalize budget proposals in consultation with private sector.
He said business community was playing key role in the economic development of the country and their key issues needed to be resolved on priority.
He assured that he would take up the highlighted issues with relevant authorities for redress.
UAE keen to further strengthen trade ties: Envoy
SIALKOT, Mar 27 (APP)::UAE Ambassador to Pakistan Hamad Obaid Salem Al Zaabi said on Tuesday that UAE was keen to further strengthen mutual trade ties with Pakistan.
Addressing a meeting at Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), he said that UAE intended to develop Business-to-Business and people-to-people contacts.
He said that UAE would ensure easy access of Pakistani businessmen and exporters to international trade markets of UAE, saying that Sialkot exporters had great potential to explore and capture the UAE markets.
He said that Pakistan as an ideal country for foreign investment and there was no security issues in Pakistan.
He pledged that UAE investors would soon visit Pakistan to explore opportunities for foreign investment
in different trade fields.
The UAE Ambassador also pledged to make sincere efforts to promote soft image of Pakistan globally, saying that Pakistani and international media should present the positive and true picture of Pakistan.
He said that both Pakistan and UAE would work together to find the potential of mutual trade ties and develop strong and sustain Business-to-Business contacts between the
businessmen of both Pakistan and UAE.
He said that Pakistani investors would be welcomed in Dubai.
The Ambassador asked the Sialkot exporters to divert their business activities to UAE and ensure their maximum participation in Dubai Expo 2020 international trade exhibition in which 80 countries would participate.
SCCI president Zahid Latif Malik was also present on the occasion.
World’s oldest temple in Turkey introduced in China
BEIJING, Mar 27 (AA/APP):Gobeklitepe in southeastern Turkey, the site of the world’s oldest temple, was introduced in a tourism seminar in Chinese capital on March 26.
Hosted by the Turkish Embassy in Beijing, Mehmet Ozdogan, a professor of archeology at Istanbul University, and Ambassador Abdulkadir Emin Onen delivered speeches to the audience, explaining the importance of the historical site in southeastern Turkish province of Sanliurfa.
Ambassador Abdulkadir Emin Onen stated that the beauty and mystery of Gobeklitepe and the nearby sites had been heard in many parts of the world.
He underlined that Gobeklitepe dated back to 6,500 years before the Stone Age and was 7,000 years older than the oldest Egyptian pyramid. He noted that diverse historical artifacts dating back 12,000 years had been discovered in the site.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency after the seminar, Ozdogan said Gobeklitepe was “the common culture of humanity”.
Professor Ozdogan said there was no information on the language used by the civilization that once lived here, adding that DNA detection studies were being carried out on the remains discovered in Gobeklitepe.
“It is not possible to say that well-preserved DNA samples have been found, nor can we clearly establish which civilizations the sites belonged to,” he said.
Gobeklitepe is on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is recognized as the oldest temple in the world by many international organizations. During preparations for its candidacy, a 4,000-square-meter steel roof was erected to protect the site.
After being temporarily closed to visits due to work on its new roof, Gobeklitepe partially reopened last month.
Alibaba to train Pakistani, other Asian entrepreneurs in e-commerce innovation
BEIJING, March 27 (APP):E-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd will train a class of 37 Asian entrepreneurs including Pakistan on e-commerce innovation under a partnership with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
The 11-day course is part of a commitment by Jack Ma, Alibaba Group’s founder and executive chairman and UNCTAD special advisor, to empower 1,000 entrepreneurs from developing countries in five years, the company said in a statement.
Following a rigorous selection process, the final candidates from Pakistan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam will embark on an 11-day intensive course providing first-hand exposure to e-commerce innovations from China and around the world and become eFounders Fellows.
All participants are founders of their respective startup companies, ranging from e-commerce, big data, logistics, fintech, payment and tourism. Upon graduation, these young entrepreneurs are set to become catalysts in their home countries who will spur the digital transformation of their economies.
The initiative is about bridging the digital divide for young entrepreneurs and unlocking their potential.
The program comes after the success of the inaugural class of 24 African participants last November.
Pakistani musicians enthrall audience with stunning performance at SCO Secretariat
BEIJING, March 27 (APP):Two renowned pianists from Pakistan enthralled audience with their soul stirring and stunning musical performance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Secretariat here.
Shahbaz Abdullah and Haroon Shad, two eminent pianists from Pakistan who were in the Chinese capital in connection with Pakistan Culture Day, played Pakistani, Chinese and western tunes much to the delight of the audience during their performance.
The Pakistan Culture Day was co-hosted by the Embassy of Pakistan and SCO here last night. The Event was titled as “Nine Magical Notes”.
Welcoming the guests, Secretary General of SCO, Rashid Alimov said that today’s musical performance by Pakistani musicians is symbolic as music brings people together and unites the world.
The SCO Secretary General said that he is convinced of this by listening to the virtuoso performance of talented pianists from Pakistan.
He expressed hope that such events shall contribute to the deepening and expansion of cultural dialogue between the SCO member states.
Pakistan Ambassador to China, Masood Khalid lauded the efforts of the SCO Secretary General for hosting the event and said that such events contribute to the strengthening of cultural linkages and in fostering Shanghai spirit between the SCO member states.
He said that Pakistan is the birthplace of civilizations, characterized by harmony and cultural co-existence between various segments of society.
Ambassador Khalid termed music as a timeless manifestation of our culture which transcends geographical and cultural boundaries.
In addition, paintings by famous Pakistani artists, Pakistani handicrafts, and artifacts were also on display. The guests also enjoyed a taste of Pakistani cuisine.
The event was attended amongst others by SCO Secretary General, Ambassadors of SCO member states and diplomatic representatives from SAARC countries.
PSO to sign POL products’ sale/purchase agreement with Turkish company
ISLAMABAD, Mar 27 (APP):Pakistan State Oil (PSO) is in the process of starting negotiations with Turkish Petroleum International Company (TPIC) to sign an agreement for sale and purchase of petroleum products.
The agreement is being finalized in line with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Pakistan and Turkey on February 23, 2017, official sources told APP.
They said a draft term sale/purchase agreement for petroleum products had been prepared and shared with the Turkish company to materialize the deal, adding that negotiations between the PSO and TPIC were expected to start soon.
The negotiations from PSO side would be led by the Price Negotiation Committee which has been constituted by its Board of Management.
CCI agrees to adopt National Water Policy, after incorporating proposals of provinces
ISLAMABAD, Mar 27 (APP):The Council of Common Interests (CCI) Tuesday reached a consensus on the need to adopt the National Water Policy, keeping in view the changes in the climate and rapidly depleting water resources in the country.
The 36th meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) was chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi here at the PM Office. The participants agreed that the proposed policy be brought before the next CCI meeting after incorporating suggestions from provinces for a final approval.
Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak, Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Quddus Bizenjo attended the meeting. Punjab was represented by Minister Finance Dr. Ayesha Ghaus Pasha. Chief Secretaries of all provinces and federal secretaries besides senior officials from Federal and Provincial Governments were also present.
Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Sartaj Aziz briefed the meeting in detail about the draft National Water Policy (NWP). It was emphasized that Pakistan was rapidly becoming water-scarce country and obligations towards Sustainable Development Goals require adoption of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM). Population growth and water demands for various sectors of the economy necessitate urgent measures to enhance storage capacity, he said.
The CCI was briefed that the draft NWP includes strategic initiatives and was in line with the National Climate Change Policy 2012. It was informed that the draft NWP includes establishment of administrative bodies at the federal and provincial levels, including National Water Council, Provincial Water Authorities to improve coordination regarding water resource management.
Secretary, Statistics Division presented an update on CCI’s earlier decision of carrying out a validation exercise of Census results 2017. The meeting reiterated that 5% validation exercise shall be undertaken through a third party as per the decision taken at CCI’s meeting on November 24, 2017.
Finance Secretary gave a detailed briefing on various subsidies being given by the Federal Government on different commodities including subsidy being provided to PASSCO for maintaining strategic wheat reserves, subsidy on essential items through Utility Stores Corporation, Ramzan Relief Package and support for export of wheat and sugar.
Pakistan Alliance for Mathematics and Science also gave a presentation on way forward for promoting science and mathematics education in the country.
Japan extends grant aid worth 2,892 mn Yen for 2 projects
ISLAMABAD, March 27 (APP):The Japan Tuesday agreed to extend grant assistance to the Pakistan, namely “the Economic and Social Development Programme”, worth 500 million Japanese Yen (approximately 4.7 million US dollar), and “the Project for Improvement of Airport Security (Phase 2)” worth 2.392 billion Japanese yen (approximately 22.5 million US dollar).
Charge d’Affaires ad interim of the Japan embassy, Takashi Harada and the Secretary of Economic Affairs Division (EAD), Syed Ghazanfar Abbas Jilani signed the agreement here.
The grant for “the Economic and Social Development Programme” will be used to procure equipment for meteorological observation. It will enable the Pakistan Meteorological Department to improve the accuracy of weather forecasts and to disseminate the early warnings for climate disaster.
The second project, “the Project for Improvement of Airport Security (Phase 2)” is a follow-up of the grant aid signed in 2013. Through the second phase project Japan will provide the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) with security equipment for screening of check-in baggage, hand baggage and vehicles at Karachi, Faisalabad, Multan and the New Islamabad International Airports, while the phase one project provided security equipment for Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad airports.
This equipment embrace the latest technology matching the international security standards set by the United States and the European Union. By installing this equipment, the risk of security related incidents at the four airports will be reduced, and operation of the airports will be improved.
Chief Representative of JICA Pakistan Office Yasuhiro Tojo said this project would support the Pakistan to achieve the key objective of the National Aviation Policy 2015 which is “to improve the governance and oversight for the compliance of ICAO standards of aviation safety, security and efficiency” in the country.
Acting Japanese Ambassador Takashi Harada said, “We appreciate the tireless efforts of the Pakistan for socio-economic development and improvement of security situation.”
He further emphasized that the two grants from Japan would support the work of the Pakistan and would strengthen the existing bond of friendship between the two countries.
The Japanse official while talking to a select group of the journalists here last night informed that Japan would not construct anything under those projects but would provide financial assistance for the purchase of the equipments.
About the airport security project, he said it would be completed within two years from preparing tender documents to installation including local human resource development to run and maintain the equipment.
An official from the CAA informed that the new Islamabad airport had been equipped with the screening facilities but at present those were manual proceedings. The Japanese assistance would ensure automatic processing and would enhance the efficiency.