ISLAMABAD, Mar 11 (APP):Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf Sunday vehemently condemned the unethical act of shoe throwing at former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Jamia Naeemia, Lahore.
In a statement the minister also strongly condemned ink throwing at Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif in Sialkot the previous day.
He said such abhorable incidents were tantamount to conspiracy against the country and also aimed at earning bad name for it.

ISLAMABAD, Mar 11 (APP):Director General (DG) International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano would arrive on a three-day official visit
to Pakistan on Monday.
During his stay, he would visit various centers of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in Islamabad, Faisalabad and Karachi, besides calling on the Prime Minister.
As a founding member of IAEA, Pakistan has deep cooperation with IAEA in areas of nuclear power, industrial application
of nuclear techniques, non-destructive testing, food and agriculture, soil improvement, radiation induced mutation, radiation
oncology and nuclear medicines, environmental protection and isotope hydrology, etc, said a press release.
Widely known as the world’s “Nuclear Watch Dog” organization within the United Nations family, the IAEA is the
international center for cooperation in the nuclear field. The Agency works with its member states and multiple partners worldwide
to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology.
Yukiya Amano hails from Japan. He has held the post of DG IAEA since December 2009. Before being appointed to the
IAEA’s top job, Mr Amano held a number of high-level policy positions, including Chairman of the IAEA Board of Governors (BoG)
from 2005-2006. He has extensive experience in disarmament and non-proliferation diplomacy, as well as nuclear energy issues.
Official visit of the IAEA chief is of key national interest for Pakistan as many new vistas of cooperation between IAEA and
Pakistan would be explored during the visit.

ISLAMABAD, Mar 11 (APP):President Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Masood Khan has strongly condemned shoe throwing at former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in Jamia Naeemia.
In a statement, he said shoe throwing is an abhor able act and such should be discouraged en bloc by all political parties. The unscrupulous elements involved in such unethical acts should be awarded exemplary punishment.
He said politics and democracy teach the lesson of tolerance and forbearance. Time is ripe to evolve an understanding on a code of ethics to avoid such immoral acts.

ISLAMABAD, Mar 11 (APP):Under Prime Minister’s Fee Reimbursement Scheme, an amount of Rs7.5 billion has been reimbursed to around 149,695 students belonging to less developed districts of the country.
PM Fee Reimbursement Scheme 2018 is offering its services to almost 114 less developed Districts of Pakistan and around 108,036 students are benefiting from the scheme with scholarships worth around Rs5 billion.
Under this scheme, the students would get waiver of full Tuition fee, Registration Fee, and admission fee, library charges and laboratory charges along with the other educational expenditures.
The Prime Minister has set the list of the specific regions that are eligible for this fee reimbursement scheme and the regions include Baluchistan, Azad Jammu Kashmir, Gilgat Baltistan, FATA, Interior Sindh, and Soutern Punjab.
Meanwhile students from other districts of Punjab including Khushab, Mianwali, Attock, Bhakkar, and that of Khyber Pakthunkhwa including Chitral, Lower Dir, Malakand, Upper dir ,Buner, Swat, Shangla, Malakand, Kohistan, Dera Islmail Khan, Tank, Lakki Marwat, Battgaram, Torghar, Kohat, Karak and Bannu, besides refugees of Azad jamu and khasmir2018 have also been included in the scheme.
The domicile holders of the above mentioned districts are eligible to benefit from the scheme provided that they get admission in the public sector universities recognized by Higher Education Commission located in those less developed areas of the country.
However, the students of PhD hailing from the above mentioned less developed areas of the country can benefit from the scheme by seeking admission in any HEC recognized public sector university in the county.
Talking to APP, Chairperson of the scheme Leila Khan said that PM Fee Reimbursement Scheme was enabling youth and poor segments of society to get stress-free opportunities of higher education, economic empowerment, and acquiring skills needed for lucrative employment.

LAHORE, Mar 10 (APP):Imam-e-Kaaba Dr Al-Sheikh Saleh bin Muhammad al-Talib on Saturday said Motorway police were
performing a noble job which was a matter of pride for Pakistan.
The Imam-e-Kaaba expressed these remarks while addressing a ceremony at Motorway Police Training College Sheikhupura.
Federal Minister for Communication Hafiz Abdul Kareem welcomed the Imam-e-Kaaba and other guests.
Dr Saleh bin Muhammad al-Talib said it was a matter of pride for him to find himself among people who were honestly working hard.
On this occasion, the minister said officers of Motorway police were working hard with honesty, adding it was because of the good performance of Motorway police that accident ratio had been reduced to 70 per cent.
Ambassador KSA Nawaf Bin Saeed Ahmed Al-Maliki, Inspector General NH&MP Syed Kaleem Imam, Additional IG Khalid Mahmood, Additional IG Ghulam Rasul Zahid, Additional IG Faisal
Shahkar, DIG Mirza Faran Baig, DIG Ahmad Arlsan Malik, DIG Mahboob Aslam and other officers were also present.

LAHORE, Mar 10 (APP):Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday took notice of death of a youth
due to alleged torture in Sohdara near Wazirabad and sought a report from the RPO Gujranwala.
He directed that the incident should be investigated immediately and said the provision of justice would be ensured in Khawar Abbas case and no influential person was above the law.

ISLAMABAD, March10 (APP):Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage Ms Marriyum Aurangzeb, referring to Imran’s tweet while talking to the media outside the Convention Center here Saturday, said that Imran was lying persistently to deflect the attention of the people from the questions raised on the performance of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government, submission of fake documents in the Supreme Court which he had confessed to have done, horse-trading done by PTI in Senate elections, developments leading to fall of Balochistan government and the flanking of the Balochistan chief minister by himself and Zardari shaking hands stealthily.
However, the people were keeping strict watch on his antics, she added
She said that Imran had tweeted those documents on the basis of which the investigations were carried out for two years, JIT was formed and the case was heard in the SC. She said that this act on his part reflected his inner fears and he had done so at a time when he was aware about his own theft, adding that he should have at least read the dates mentioned on the documents.
She said before trying to befool the people Imran should realize that they knew the reality. He relished churning out lies, hurling allegations of corruption against those who delivered, shaming and insulting the opponents and waiting for the umpire’s finger, she added.
Referring to the cases of Nawaz Sharif, she said that supplementary reference after reference were being filed against him and the time line for finalizing the cases had also been extended. She said that no evidence of any corruption had been established during the last two years against the man who was thrice elected as prime minister and twice the chief minister of Punjab.
The minister observed that the company that was hired in London in regard to the investigations with the public money was bankrupt and its own record was not available there.
She said that Imran tried to derail democracy with the umpire’s finger and staged sit-ins and yet had the audacity to say that Nawaz Sharif was talking about judiciary and the SC. She said that the PML-N was the only party which had accepted all verdicts given by the SC though Nawaz Sharif and people of Pakistan did not agree with them. She said that when the verdict was given against Imran he threatened to lock-down Islamabad but neither any suo moto notice was taken nor any law was invoked.
The minister said that electricity bills were burnt on the containers and people were asked to bring in money through Hundis because Imran himself had been doing the same.
Alluding to the cases against Nawaz Sharif, she asked which corruption and which crime he had committed, adding that he was shown the door for not accepting salary from the company of his son because they could not establish any other crime against him.
Marriyum said that the Balochistan government was destabilized, senators from Balochistan were declared independent while the people of Pakistan were watching. She said that the elected prime minister was disqualified on the basis of an ‘Iqamaâ, debarred from being president of the party and his party was also deprived of its symbol for the elections but all those parties, who raised slogans against Nawaz Sharif, were today looking up to him for the nomination of chairman of the Senate.
She said that the PML-N had not indulged in any horse-trading and Imran must explain as to how Chaudhry Sarwar got elected from Punjab obtaining 44 votes whereas the party had only 30 members in the assembly. She said that Imran should tweet about this development asking his member why he indulged in horse-trading, besides answering his own act of submitting fake documents in the Supreme Court.
Marriyum said that volume ten was brought as evidence in the cartons and now they were saying it was irrelevant. She asked was it a joke that they were treating the thrice elected prime minister like that. She said that they would not let that happen because Nawaz Sharif fulfilled all the promises that he had made with the people. He made a promise to make Pakistan a nuclear power, to build a network of motorways, ending darkness from the country and bringing CPEC for the posterity and now he had made a pledge to restore the sanctity of vote.
The minister reiterated that from Gilgit-Baltistan to KP, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, wherever Nawaz Sharif went the people made the pledge for the revival of the sanctity of vote and joining the caravan.
She said that attempts were in the offing to weaken the PML-(N but more they tried more it emerged stronger and united.
Marriyum observed that not only the PML-N but the people of other provinces also appreciated the performance of Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and wished a chief minister like him, adding that the entire world also acknowledged it.
She said that Imran neither did anything constructive nor the nation expected him to do so.She said that she felt sorry for those who voted for him in the 2013 elections as he had failed to come up to their expectations.
The minister said that the Senate elections were nearing completion and similarly the general election 2018 would be held as per schedule and the people would vote for the person whom they trusted and who had served them. Responding to a question, she said that Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had decided to finalize the names for Senate chairman and deputy chairman in consultation with the coalition partners and soon their names would be made public. The minister said that Nawaz Sharif had sent Raza Rabbani’s name to Asif Ali Zardari through Maulana Fazlur Rehman conveying the message that if he was nominated then the PML-N would vote for him because he wanted to reinforce the ideology that he was trying to promote and uphold.
The PML- N would trust the person who would work for strengthening democracy and establishing ascendency of the parliament, she added.
Answering a question about an incident between Kashmala Tariq and journalist Matiullah Jan, she said that efforts were being made to resolve the issue amicably. She said that whatever happened was quite regrettable.
Replying to another question, Marriyum said that Imran was fearful of Maryam Nawaz and that was why he was trying to follow the media conventions addressed by her and her tweets in Urdu.
She said that Wajid Zia would be cross-examined and he did not know what would happen to him.
She said that if the PML-N government was compared with the governments during the last 70 years it would transpire that it was only the PML-N that had served the masses. She said that the governments could not be formed on the basis of false promises and hollow slogans.
The minister said that when the PML-N government assumed power the economy was in complete shambles, the country was confronted with burgeoning terrorism and the worst energy crisis. She said that the projects initiated by the PML-N government now were being inaugurated. The votes would be secured on the basis of performance only, she added.
Marriyum reiterated that the people had rejected the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif.

ISLAMABAD, March 10 (APP):Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Saturday said the government would act upon if the court ordered to bring Pervez Musharraf back to Pakistan.
The prime minister, in an interview with a private television channel (Dawn News), said Musharraf was removed from the Exit Control List and allowed to travel abroad on court orders for medical treatment and was ready to bring him back if the court ordered so.
Asked as to why the government had not placed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on the ECL, he said it was the government’s discretion and believed that being the leader of the biggest political party, Nawaz Sharif would never leave the country.
He said Nawaz Sharif was disqualified on weak grounds and his cases had been made time bound. His cases were being heard thrice a week, he added.
He reiterated his party’s stance to confront those who had reached the Senate using their riches as such people would have different priorities and would deliver nothing.
About the National Accountability Ordinance, he said it was promulgated by a dictator that should have been abolished long ago. Even the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had once evolved consensus over a draft of the amended law but, later, both the opposition parties changed their minds.
To a question about appointment of Ali Janagir Siddiqui as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, he said the prevailing circumstances required a political diplomacy, different from the traditional one. The matter remained under review for two months and then it was decided to appoint a highly educated person as the envoy. The people would feel the difference, he added.
He ruled out the rumours that Siddiqui was his business partner and explained that he had decided the matter on merit and never obliged any of his relatives.
To another question, the prime minister said Nawaz Sharif had been appearing before the courts as legal obligation.
Asked as to whether any conspiracy was being hatched against the former prime minister, he said any decision, which hurt the country, was considered a conspiracy.
He said Shehbaz Sharif was the candidate for the premiership, however, the party would take the final decision after its got the majority in the next general election.
Regarding Pakistan’s possible placement on the FATF’s grey list in June, the prime minister said a lobby had worked against the country, but despite not being member of the body, it presented its viewpoint and steps very clearly. The country’s position had been clearly explained to the world, he added.
Regarding the registration of Milli Muslim League backed by Hafiz Saeed Ahmed, he said the Election Commission of Pakistan would decide the matter and the government would review it if the court had ordered so.
To a question about the fate of Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, he said no one was ready to fund the project as Iran was not allowed to export gas. Moreover, the financiers were reluctant to support as the funding was not protected under certain laws.
He called for an end to Indian atrocities in the occupied Kashmir and said Pakistan had been urging the world to pressure India to resolve the dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council’s resolutions.
He said Pakistan wanted peace in Afghanistan as any lawlessness in that country directly impacted it. The Afghans must sit together to resolve their issues themselves, he added.
Responding to a query, Prime Minister Abbasi said the improvement of Pakistan’s economy was being acknowledged worldwide as many of the challenges had been handled and the rest were being addressed.
About PIA’s privatization and restructuring, he said the entity had incurred Rs 45 billion loss last year, which could not go for long.
He openly offered to the opposition parties criticizing the process, to take over the PIA even without any money but they should prove by reviving it.

RAWALPINDI, Mar 10 (APP):Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa Saturday visited the operation areas of Panu Aqil Division on Eastern Border. The COAS was briefed about operational preparedness of the formation. He appreciated operational readiness and high morale of the troops, an Inter Services Public Relations press release here said.
Earlier, the COAS visited Salehpat to witness All Pakistan Mehran Shooting Championship as chief guest. Pakistan Army won the four-day championship. The COAS appreciated interest and high shooting standards of the civilian firers. Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah, other dignitaries from the area, Commander Karachi Corps Lt General Shahid Baig Mirza, GOC Pannuaqil Division Major General Zafarullah Khan and other civil military officials were present.