ISLAMABAD, Feb 19 (APP):Governor Sindh Muhammad Zubair on Monday said that the government was working to attract foreign investment, modernize transport system and water projects in Karachi.
Talking to in a private news channel program, he said that peace in Karachi had been restored with the efforts of the federal government.
The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), government after coming into power had focused on Karachi and discussed the matters with all stakeholders for restoring peace in this big business hub of the country.
The government had given full authority to Rangers and law enforcement agencies to launch operation in Karachi without
any discrimination. “We never interfered in the working of law enforcement agencies regarding Karachi operation, ” he said.
Now, after restoring peace, the focus was on attracting foreign investors besides streamlining the transport and water
system for the people of Karachi, he added.
To a question he said that there was a political vacuum in Karachi after rift in Mutahida Quomi Movement.
To another question, the Governor said that federal government had launched many projects for rural Sindh.

LAHORE, Feb 19 (APP):Advisor to Prime Minister on Civil Aviation Sardar Mehtab Khan Abbasi called on Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, here Monday.
During the meeting, different matters of mutual interest including development schemes and political situation in the country came under discussion.
Sardar Mehtab Khan Abbasi congratulated the Chief Minister over wonderful success of the PML-N in by-election of NA-154 in Lodhran.
Talking on the occasion, the chief minister said, by-election in Lodhran was a writing on the wall for the elements engaged in negative politics as the voters had shown full confidence over the leadership
and policies of the PML-N.
He said, the policies of transparency, public service, trust and honesty had won while the elements that
created hurdles in national development through sit-ins had been defeated.
In fact, he said, there was no room for politics of anarchy in the country saying the pivot of the politics of PML-N was public service and due to this record of public service, people had succeeded the
PML-N inevery election.
He said, PML-N had become the most popular
party in the country due to its positive politics while the opponents
of national development and prosperity had been politically alienated.
The negative politics of sit-in and lockdown had died down. Those who adopted the approach of individualism had incurred heavy losses to
the country,” concluded the chief minister.
Sardar Mehtab Khan Abbasi said, chief minister Shehbaz Sharif had greatly served the people of the province and the masses love Shehbaz Sharif from the core of their hearts. “The examples of development
in Punjab are given everywhere,” he added.

LAHORE, Feb 19 (APP):Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif presiding over a meeting here on Monday to reviewed in detailed the progress made on health sector reforms programme.
Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister said that every possible step was being made to provide quality healthcare facilities adding that he is desirous of making healthcare system in Punjab as better than the best.
The Punjab government has provided resources, to the tune of billions of rupees, for bringing improvements in healthcare facilities in hospitals and no lack of resources will ever occur to further improve the system, he added.
He said that further hard work should be carried out to achieve the targets of ongoing reforms programme of health sector because achieving these targets would play an important role in providing better treatment facilities to the people.
Effective strategy should be developed and be immediately implemented upon to achieve the targets in the districts which are lagging behind and results should be achieved by implementing the steps taken for the ailing humanity, in this regard, everyone will have to do hard work to move further with commitment because we have been blessed with tremendous resources by Allah Almighty and there is no need to look on others, he said.
Positive results have been achieved due to the bifurcation of health sector in two parts. Keeping in view the needs of the future, a third section of the health sector should also be pondered over and final recommendations should be presented soon.
The Chief Minister said that by the grace of Allah Almighty and due to the hard work of Health Department, many improvements had been achieved in the standard of medical facilities available
in public sector hospitals, basic health units and rural health centers and that have given new confidence to the patients.
Latest ultrasound machines have been provided to 60 BHUs and this number will be further increased soon.
He said that vaccination coverage had been expanded but efforts should be accelerated to further expand it.
He maintained that effective monitoring of ongoing health
reforms programme is very essential. Meanwhile, 100 filter
clinics had been set for control of hepatitis in the hospitals
across the province.
The Chief Minister directed that lady health workers
should be given training to keep them abreast of modern needs
and requirements and the LHVs showing good performance should
be encouraged.
Similarly, nutrition of mother and child should be given
particular importance and an organized awareness campaign
should be launched about the utility of lactation for the
infants.
Special TB Centers will be established in public
sector hospitals under TB Control Programme to provide 100
percent free healthcare facilities.
The Chief Minister expressed the satisfaction that every
step of the Punjab government is aimed at benefiting the ailing
humanity and added that people serving the patients are crown
of his head. I shall fully encourage such ministers, officers
and officials, he added.
The Chief Minister commended the performance of provincial
ministers Khawaja Salman Rafiq, Kh. Imran Nazir, Advisor Umar
Saif, Chairman P&D, Secretary P&S Health, Members Health P&D,
CEO PPHA and other officials over their good performance in
health sector reforms programme.
Provincial Ministers Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, Kh. Salman
Rafiq, Kh. Imran Nazir, Advisor Dr. Umar Saif, Addl. Chief
Secretary, Chairman P&D, Secretaries of Finance and P&S
Healthcare, CEOs Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab
and Punjab Healthcare Commission, VC UHS, medical experts,
high officials and others attended the meeting.

ISLAMABAD, Feb 19 (APP):Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Monday administered oath to the newly elected member of National Assembly form Lodhran Muhammad Iqbal Shah of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N).
Later, the MNA signed the roll of members as required by the rules.
Addressing in the parliament, he said that the PML-N has received success in Lodhran bye-election due to pro-poor policies of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif.
He said that PML-N will win the next general elections from whole country including Lodhran. He thanked the people of Lodhran for their support and confidence on him.

ISLAMABAD, Feb 19 (APP):Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal on Monday said putting Pakistan’s name on the watch list of countries funding terrorism would be counter-productive for war against terror.
Talking to media-persons at the launch of Inclusive and Sustainable Development Report here, he said the United States along with its allies – United Kingdom, Germany and France – had forwarded a proposal to global anti-money laundering watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for including Pakistan’s name in its watch list and to put pressure for certain reasons.
He said Pakistan was a sovereign country, which was fighting the war against terrorism not only for the security of its own people but also of the region.
Pakistan, he said, had rendered matchless sacrifices and achieved unprecedented successes against terrorists for which it deserved appreciation by the international community. He asked the move to put Pakistan on the FATF’s watch-list would serve whose interest as it would hurt its capability to fight against terrorism.
He said Pakistan was approaching different countries through diplomatic channels to apprise them of the measures taken by it to root out terrorists.
He expressed the confidence that the international community would recognize sacrifices of Pakistan rendered in the war against terror and would not take any step that would hamper its anti-terror strategy.
To a question, he condemned continued unprovoked firing by India along the Line of Control (LoC), which, he said, was aimed at diverting world’s attention from atrocities being committed by its forces against the people of occupied Kashmir.
Replying to another question regarding inclusion of the name of former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in the Exit Control List (ECL), Ahsan Iqbal said there was a set procedure for the purpose and the Interior Ministry was not bound to follow proposals of any institution in that regard.
He said in the past the ECL was misused for political purposes but now all institutions were working according to law. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government had not even put names of Dr Asim Hussain and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, members of its opponent party, on the ECL.
To another question, he said deployment of Pakistan Army in the brotherly country of Saudi Arabia was for peaceful purposes and it would not take part in attack on any other country.
Earlier, addressing the report launching ceremony, Ahsan Iqbal said for the last four years the government was giving special focus on sustainable and inclusive growth.
For the first time in country’s history, the government had managed poverty mapping at district level in an effort to find out exact figures of poverty, he added.
He said the report aimed at overcoming social and economic inequalities in the country and it would serve as a focal point for the inequality debate in Pakistan.
The minister said the government has tried its best to mitigate the social and economic inequalities by providing best services in health and education sectors, besides building infrastructure, which had helped connecting the far flung areas of the country to major cities.
Moreover, he said, due to extreme energy crisis in the country, inequalities among rich and the poor were widening. However, due to heavy investment in the energy sector by the government, the power generation had improved with load-shedding duration reduced to only two hours from 20 hours a day.
The report authored by economist Dr Akmal Hussain highlights that there has been a historical shift in the conceptual basis for growth policy and the earlier view that economic inequality is a necessary concomitant to high growth has been overturned by new research which shows that high economic inequality is harmful for growth sustainability.
It includes mechanisms to increase gender equality and development providing entrepreneurship opportunities to youth, women and minorities, building resilience against climate change, addressing water challenges, utilizing hydro power potential and instituting change through which local governments can play an effective role in participatory democracy and inclusive development.

ISLAMABAD, Feb 19 (APP):Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has left for Russia on a four-day official visit at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.
During his stay in Moscow, Khawaja Asif is expected to hold talks with Sergey Lavrov on the entire spectrum of bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest, a Foreign Office statement here said on Monday.
“The visit would provide an opportunity to explore ways and means to further strengthen cooperation in political, economic, trade and investment, defense, education and cultural fields,” the statement added.
The Foreign Office said relations between the two countries had been growing steadily in all fields. Regular high level exchanges between the two countries in the last few years were a manifestation of mutual desire for translating political goodwill into a substantive and multidimensional partnership, it added.
Pakistan and Russia are also celebrating the 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations this year.
The two ministers had earlier met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York in September 2017.

ISLAMABAD, Feb 19 (APP):Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday said that 25 candidates will contest Senate elections from Balochistan province.
According to ECP, Monday was the last day for withdrawal of nomination papers from Balochistan province.
It said that on technocrat seat, National Party’s candidate Nazimudin had withdrawn his nomination papers in favour of National Party’s candidate Tahir Bazenjo.