ISLAMABAD, Feb 6 (APP):British Prime Minister’s Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Gareth Bayley met National
Security Adviser, Nasser Khan Janjua on Tuesday and discussed matters pertaining to regional peace, security and
stability.
Both sides discussed security situation in Afghanistan at length.
During the meeting held here, Nasser Janjua explained the complexities of perpetual conflict and highlighted
role played and contributions made by Pakistan to fight menace of terrorism.
He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to peace and stability of the region and said Pakistan had always supported all peace initiatives for Afghanistan.
“Peace in Afghanistan means peace in Pakistan. We are sincere and committed to Afghanistan and its people. For sustainable peace in region, peace in Afghanistan is a prerequisite,” he said.
The ambassador acknowledged and appreciated Pakistan’s efforts against terrorism and also highlighted positive role of British government for a sustainable peace in Afghanistan.
Nasser Janjua admired the efforts of United Kingdom (UK) for investing in peace in Afghanistan and said the UK had always played a positive role for peace and stability of Afghanistan and the region.
Both sides agreed that it had to be a cooperative framework and both Pakistan and Afghanistan should resume engagements at all levels to include government, diplomatic, military, intelligence and more so from people to people.
He, however, reaffirmed that more than anyone else the sitting government of Afghanistan could play a major role to bring peace in Afghanistan and “We have to find a way for a better future.”
Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation to ensure lasting peace in Afghanistan and the region. British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Thomas Drew was also present during the meeting.
Nasser, UK’s special envoy discuss regional peace, security
Lok Virsa introduces digitized archives, featuring famous folk artists music
ISLAMABAD, Feb 6 (APP):National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa) has introduced a digitized archives and ‘Lok Tunes’ website, featuring all of the musical recordings of famous folk artists at Lok Virsa.
Executive Director Lok Virsa Dr. Fouzia Saeed told APP that the launch of digitized archives and ‘Lok Tunes’ website is historic progress in preservation of culture and promotion.
She said that a large number of people already started listening music on the ‘Lok Tunes’ website www.loktunes.com.
Dr. Fouzia Saeed said that the focus will now be on the promotion of folk heritage of the country, adding that the promotion of folk heritage will also create more space for expressing diversity within our culture, asserting cultural autonomy and dignity as well as contributing towards a stronger democracy and nation. “These archives can be accessed online from anywhere in the world” she said.
Dr. Fouzia said that the ‘loktunes’ website visitors can enjoy popular genres of music including instrumental, folk, Ghazal, Sufi, classical and Kafi in Balochi, Kashmir, Pashto, Punjabi, Saraiki, Sindhi and Urdu languages.
The website visitors can access songs of legends singers including Abida Parveen, Bali Jutti, Surraiya Multanikar, Pathanay Khan, Allah Bachayo Khoso, Faiz Mohammad Baloch, Khamiso Khan, Fateh Ali Khan, Ghulam Ali, Iqbal Bano, Mehdi Hasan Khan and etc.
FC Balochistan arrests 11 suspects in intelligence-based operations
RAWALPINDI, Feb 6 (APP):The FC Balochistan, along with intelligence agencies, conducted intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Surkhab Afghan Refugees Camp, Kanak valley and Moro River/ Bolan areas.
During the search operations, as many as 11 suspects have been apprehended, besides recovering weapons and ammunition including explosives, mines, detonators and fuzes, mobile sims and communication equipment, said an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release Tuesday.
PNCA to organize three-day National Artists Convention
ISLAMABAD, Feb 6 (APP):Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) would organize a three-day National Artists Convention from February 24 to 26 at PNCA.
An official of PNCA told APP that National Artists Convention is an initiative to underscore various issues and problems confronting the artist’s community and as a consequence adversely affecting the cultural environment of the society at large.
“Seminars, youth contests, exhibition, short films screening, fashions, cultural pavilions, panel discussions and cultural stalls will also be arranged during three-day convention” he said.
He said that stalls of traditional food and cuisine from Pakistan and China will be established in the premises of PNCA. Handicraft would be displayed, followed by a photo exhibitions of visual and performing arts. All the events will be live streamed.
Canadians brave arctic weather to express solidarity with Kashmiris
ISLAMABAD, Feb 6 (APP):Kashmiri and Pakistani Canadian community Tuesday held a peaceful demonstration in front of the Canadian Parliament to express solidarity with just struggle of the Kashmiris.
According to a message recived here, participants, in a chilling minus 25 degrees centigrade, held placards highlighting sufferings of the Kashmiris at the hands of Indian armed forces in held Kashmir.
They chanted slogans against human rights violations in the valley to draw the attention of the international community towards the gross human rights violations and use of pallet guns against innocent civilians.
The protestors urged the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Parliamentarians, civil society and the government to take up the issue of human rights violations with the Indian government and for immediate implementation of the United Nation Security Council’s resolution for ascertaining wishes of the Kashmiri people to decide their own future.
PPP shrinks to Mochi Gate: Safdar
ISLAMABAD, Feb 6 (APP):Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Capt. (Rtd) Muhammad Safdar Tuesday said that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has just shrunk to Mochi Gate after losing its nationwide popularity of the past.
“It is under the leadership of Asif Ali Zardari that once nationwide popular party of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto has now just shrunk to Mochi Gate as shown by skeletal presence of workers at the gathering,” he said talking to media out side Accountability Court.
On the other hand, he said, the mammoth gatherings at public rallies of Nawaz Sharif had proved that people still think him savior of Pakistan.
“Zardari does have sufficient money for horse-trading and toppling governments. But, number of people gathered at Mochi Gate should be an eye opening for him to gauge his party’s popularity in Punjab,” he added.
He said it is valiant message of Nawaz Sharif for Kashmiri people to celebrate their freedom from Indian yoke, in Srinagar. Nawaz Sharif believes that people in occupied Kashmir would be liberated one day from Indian occupation.
“Believers of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah are out to save Pakistan, Constitution and judicial system,” Capt Safdar said.
To a question regarding Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief, he said, saga of Imran Khan’s marriages reached D Chowk from Los Angeles.
In Chicago, Kashmiris assured of Pakistan’s support until freedom from India
CHICAGO, Feb 6 (APP):Speakers at an event organized by Pakistan’s Consulate General in Chicago to express solidarity with the oppressed people of Indian occupied Kashmir pledged to stand by them until the realization of their “sacred” right to self-determination.
They denounced the large-scale human rights violations taking place there, and urged the international community to help resolve the decades-old Kashmir dispute in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and protection of their fundamental rights.
Attending the meeting were prominent members of Pakistani-American and Kashmiri-American communities, scholars on South Asia from various universities and Kashmiri activists.
Speaking on the occasion, Consul General Faisal Niaz Tirmizi said that India had turned Kashmir into the world’s most militarized disputed territory. Even after the passage of more than seven decades, he said, the people of Jammu & Kashmir continue to be deprived of the fundamental right of self-determination, despite the promise made to them by the international community through the United Nations Security Council Resolutions.
Indian occupation forces were resorting to state terrorism, war crimes and grave human rights violations to suppress the just struggle of the Kashmiri people, Consul General Tirmizi said. The inhuman use of pellet guns had blinded more than 200 people, including women and young children depriving them of any chance of leading normal lives. He paid tributes to the valiant struggle of Hurriyat leaders, specially Yasin Malik who wrote an open letter to Ms. Sushma Swaraj, the Indian external affairs minister, reminding her of Indian hypocrisy: While she repeatedly refers to the alleged mistreatment of Indian spy Kulbushan Jadhav, India itself was guilty of torturing many Muslims of Kashmir detained in Indian jails. Even Yasin Malik was tortured in the Indian jails whereas several Kashmiri freedom fighters had been hanged without due process of law.
The consul general reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to extend its moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir for a peaceful settlement of the dispute. He urged the community leaders to spread the account of the plight of Kashmiris in their respective communities so that a narrative could be built against Indian high-handedness to build a global opinion against Indian oppression.
Other speakers included Kashmiri-American activists — Dr. Rizwan Kadir and Babar Rathor — who apprised the audience of historical facts about the Kashmir dispute s well as the plight of Kashmiri people under Indian occupation.
A young Pakistani-American Mohammed Ibrahim, who has been accepted in Yale University on full scholarship, spoke about Kashmir’s linkages with Pakistan.
Hifzur Rehman, a retired Pakistan Army major, gave a presentation about military aspects of India Occupied Kashmir. While criticizing the human rights violations being committed by the Indian Army, he said its troops were professionally demoralized.
Dr. Tipu Siddique, a scholar, said there are many commonalities between Kashmir people’s struggle for self-determination and Jacksonians’ concepts of freedom.
A specially prepared documentary depicting the deteriorating human rights situation in Kashmir was screened on the occasion.
Nawaz Sharif decides not to become part of proceedings challenging Election Act 2017
ISLAMABAD, Feb 6 (APP):Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that he would not become part of the proceedings challenging his re-election as party chief, following the passing of the Election Act 2017.
A three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan resumed hearing of petitions challenging the Election Act 2017.
During the course of proceedings, Advocate Azam Nazeer Tarar counsel for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif appeared before the bench and informed that his client had decided not to take part in the court proceedings, because he felt that PML-N had elected him as the head and it was a matter of his party and parliament to defend that law.
The former premier in his reply stated that the matter would have far-reaching consequences relating to the
country’s politics and it had been taken up by the court on the motion of many other affected parties. He
added that his participation in the case might bring prejudice to the proceedings.
The chief justice remarked the court would proceed ex-parte in case Nawaz Sharif did not become part
of the proceedings. He, however, offered that if the counsel desired, he could join the proceedings at any time.
PML-N Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq appeared in court today on behalf of his party and was represented by counsel Salman Akram Raja.
SC gives Talal Chaudhry one week to submit reply in contempt case
ISLAMABAD, Feb 06 (APP):The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued show cause notice to Pakistan Muslim League– Nawaz (PML-N) leader Talal Chaudhry and directed him to submit reply in contempt case in one week.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and comprising Justices Maqbool Baqar and Faisal Arab heard the case.
During the course of proceedings, Talal Chaudhry appeared before the bench and requested the court to allow him three weeks to arrange for a lawyer. Upon this Justice Ejaz questioned why he has not sought adjournment for three months or three years even.
Talal Chaudhry said that lawyers are busy with cases and thus he could not arrange a counsel.
The bench then gave the defendant a week to finalise his counsel and adjourned the hearing until February 13.
Global cooperation key to ending poverty: Pakistan
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 6 (APP):Pakistan has called for global cooperation to eradicate poverty and achieve social development for all, as the effort required multi-pronged solutions.
“It is only through realistic and determined social and economic policymaking and implementation that we can combat poverty,” Ambassador Maleela Lodhi, permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, told the 56th Session of the Commission for Social Development, an advisory body responsible for one of the pillars of global development.
“Only inclusive economic growth can provide sustainable jobs and promote equality,” she said, while noting that despite the tremendous progress made in reducing global poverty, significant disparities remain between and within countries.
She said that social discrimination and exclusion based on religion, race, gender and ethnicity was hindering global efforts to sustainable development. “With growing vulnerability and exclusion, persistence of unaccountable institutions and continuing conflicts and violence, our efforts to transform the world are under threat”, she stressed
Poverty and inequality are multifaceted challenges that need multi-pronged solutions, Ambassador Lodhi said.
Arguing that there was an inextricable link between social development and economic growth, Ambassador Lodhi said that both were complementary and mutually reinforcing.
Emphasizing the importance of social and economic development of the people, she said that it is no coincidence that the overarching objective of the UN’s 2030 Agenda has put people and prosperity at the front and center of sustainable development.
She told the Commission that Pakistan has put in place a robust results-based monitoring system to evaluate the progress of a wide range of strategies to ensure implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Pakistan, she said, was also implementing ˜people first strategies to lift people out of poverty. “Our policies aim to promote financial inclusion, agricultural growth, rural development, provision of educational opportunities and poverty eradication, she added.
Ambassador Lodhi referred to the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project as an example of South-South cooperation for the achievement of shared economic and development objectives. “This game-changing project will be pivotal to our efforts to combat poverty and achieve SDG targets. A win-win venture, it offers economic opportunities not only for the people of Pakistan but also for the entire region and beyond”, she added.
The Pakistani envoy thanked the Secretary General for his comprehensive report, which, she said was an inspiring expression of his vision of promoting the social development agenda to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development for all. “It clearly charts out progress made globally in eradicating poverty and highlights the gaps and challenges in addressing inequalities and poverty in all its dimensions”, she said.
Earlier, the Pakistani envoy also welcomed the Commission’s theme, “Strategies for eradicating poverty to achieve sustainable development for all”, and said that social development offers a comprehensive framework to generate economic growth, achieve social justice, reduce poverty, protect the environment and strengthen governance.