LAHORE, Feb 06 (APP):President, Pakistan Hockey Federation, Brig (R) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar and Secretary, Shahbaz Ahmed on
Tuesday expressed their grief over the demise of father of sports journalist, Sanaullah.
Both of them prayed to Almighty Allah to bless the departed soul with internal peace and grant courage to the bereaved family to bear the loss.
PHF condoles death of father of sports journalist
PM offers connecting CPEC with six routes of SCO
ISLAMABAD, Feb 6 (APP):Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday offered to connect China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with six approved routes of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to enhance region’s connectivity.
This would become a conduit linking Eurasian landmass, China, Russia and Central Asia with the Arabian Sea, the Prime Minister said in his meeting with Secretary General of SCO Rashid Alimov here at the PM Office.
This is the first visit of SCO Secretary General after attainment of Pakistan’s full membership of SCO.
The Prime Minister expressed support for various SCO’s initiatives including establishment of SCO Development Bank, SCO Development Fund, SCO Business Council, SCO Interbank Consortium and it’s Small and Medium Enterprises.
He thanked Secretary General for his support in steering the process of Pakistan’s membership of SCO and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment towards “Shanghai Spirit” of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, respect for cultural diversity and pursuit of common development.
He said Pakistan shared with SCO and its members, deep-rooted historical and cultural links and strong economic and strategic complementarity.
Highlighting Pakistan’s active participation in all the SCO activities, the Prime Minister appreciated that SCO had established itself as a significant and influential player in the international arena by leveraging its comparative advantages.
The Prime Minister said SCO’s unique and pragmatic portfolio of economic, trade, development, security and counter-terrorism cooperation distinguished it from other international organizations.
He expressed support for the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) and reiterated Pakistan’s strong opposition to the evils of terrorism, extremism and separatism.
The Secretary General appreciated Pakistan’s active participation in all SCO activities and said the the inclusion of new members like Pakistan had greatly strengthened SCO as a true cross-regional and cross-continental organization playing a multifaceted role in the world politics.
He said SCO could enormously benefit from Pakistan’s experience in successful combating of the menace of terrorism, narcotics and drugs as well as its economic strengths and connectivity potentials.
PHL likely to be moved from April to July
ISLAMABAD, Feb 6 (APP):The Pakistan Hockey League (PHL) is likely to be shifted from April to July this year due to the schedule of the national hockey team.
Talking to APP, a Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) official said Pakistan team has to participate in the Commonwealth Games in April followed by the Holy month of Ramzan in May therefore the League is likely to be played after Eid in July.
“Six franchises are set to participate in the inaugural edition of the league,” he said and added each franchise would have three to four players in the team.
He said players from Australia, Argentina and other foreign countries would be participating in the league.
“Besides providing financial support to PHF, the league will prove a landmark in regaining lost glory of the national game. We are sure it will help rebuild our supremacy in the game internationally,” he said.
Aqeel wants PTF to prepare young players for future Davis Cups
ISLAMABAD, Feb 6 (APP):Pakistan tennis ace Aqeel Khan has urged the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) to talent hunt for young players who can play on grass courts and prepare them for future Davis Cups.
It may be mentioned here that recently Pakistan beat South Korea by 4-0 in the recently held Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Zone Group-I tie to which the credit goes to the duo of Aqeel Khan and Aisam ul Haq.
Talking to APP, Aqeel said PTF must dig out for young players from all over the country who are used to grass courts in order to prepare and groom them for future Davis Cups.
Speaking about Aqeel and Aisam’s replacements in future, he said there is a lot of talent in the country and hopefully young talented players will come to fore who can replace us in future.
“I believe those young players will produce good results for the country as we (Aqeel and Aisam) have made our nation proud,” he said.
He said there is immense talent of every game in the country but all that is needed is support from the higher authorities.
Talking about Pakistan’s next Davis Cup tie against Uzbekistan to be held this April on 6 and 7, he said we will perform with all our might in the tie.
“Currently Uzbekistan player is among top 50 in the ranking and the tie will be tough but we will give it our best shot,” he said.
SAARC Chamber committed for greater economic integration among the member countries
ISLAMABAD, Feb 6 (APP):President SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry Suraj Vaidya on Tuesday reiterating his pledge to take concrete and result -oriented steps for greater economic integration by fully exploiting all indigenous natural resources for the progress, prosperity, development and welfare of the people mainly aimed at to do away with abject poverty in South Asia.
He was presiding over a meeting of SAARC Chamber 72nd Executive Committee and 22nd General Assembly meetings of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry here today.
He said in an increasingly developed world, the objectives of peace, freedom, social justice and economic prosperity are best achieved in the South Asian region by fostering mutual understanding, good neighborly relations and meaningful cooperation among the member states which are bound by ties of history and culture.
SAARC Chamber has been proactively advocating stronger commercial and economic relations, for a prosperous and integrated South Asia. Since its inception, SAARC CCI has played an integral role in providing an institutional framework for promoting economic and regional cooperation in South Asia,” said Suraj Vaidya.
He further stated that SAARC should adopt a global approach and should focus on a wide range of activities like poverty alleviation, improvement of the health sector, trade and commerce in the region.
He said South Asia comprises 3 percent of the world’s area, 21% of the world’s population and 3.8% (US$ 2.9 trillion) of the global economy. The respective governments are trying to give its people a much higher quality of life racked by high illiteracy, dismissal health care and sanitation.
He remarked that initiatives may be taken to utilize the potential of cooperation in the areas of tourism and energy of the region. He said that with a view to ensuring trade facilitation in the region the problems regarding SAARC VISA Sticker, removal of trade barriers including NTMs, acceptance of standard certificate, limitations of infrastructure in the land ports, etc should be removed.
He said the leading business communities of all 8 countries feel that closer collaboration amongst businessmen is integral for regional integration and is a win-win situation for all stakeholders. “At SAARC CCI, our aim is to facilitate businesses of South Asia and to encourage investors from SAARC region and beyond to invest in SAARC countries. We strongly feel that this exchange will address major challenges the region faces; job creation for the youth of South Asia, our region’s biggest asset; and poverty,” he added.
Meanwhile Vice President SCCI Iftikhar Ali Malik underscored that unless strong commitment was shown by all nations in the region towards respecting and honoring sovereign equality, the progress of SAARC will keep getting hampered.
He said SAARC should adopt a global approach and should focus on a wide range of activities like poverty alleviation, improvement of the health sector, trade and commerce in the region.
Pakistan, China sign executive programme of cultural agreement
BEIJING, Feb 6 (APP):Pakistan and China have signed Executive Programme of
Cultural Agreement for further consolidating cultural relations and
promoting people-to-people contacts between the two states.
Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary
Heritage, Marriyum Aurangzeb and Chinese Minister of Culture Luo
Shugang signed the agreement on behalf of their respective countries.
Ambassador of Pakistan to China and senior officials of both the
countries were also present on the occasion.
The main features of the agreement include cooperation in the realm of
Broadcasting and Films, Culture and Art, Education and Research, Press
and Publication, Sports and Youth and Miscellaneous.
The agreement stipulates that the two sides will
strengthen the mutual cooperation in technology field of radio
broadcasting, films and television between state radio, films and
television organizations of both the countries.
The two sides shall strengthen the news sharing mechanism between
Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation and China Radio International. It also endeavors to
exchange visit of a six-member government cultural delegation for
five days and to exchange visits of a 25-member performing arts troupe for seven days as
well as exchange of art exhibitions.
It will also encourage the artists from the two sides
to carry out academic exchange in the field of culture and arts.
Promotion of exchange between art galleries, theatres, archival
institute and cultural relic; restoration labs of each other’s country
is also a part of the agreement.
Based on mutually-agreed terms and conditions, Lok Virsa may organize
a week-long exhibition on Pakistani folk arts and crafts in China. The
exhibition aims at introducing the folk life and status quo of
cultural heritage of Pakistan to the Chinese through photos, audios
and videos.
Reciprocally, Lok Virsa will accept a similar exhibition
from China. In education and research both sides shall support the
exchange and cooperation between the China Scholarship Council and the
Higher Education Commission of Pakistan. The two sides shall
facilitate the Pakistani side to send and finance the young teaching
staff to pursue master’s degree/doctoral degree in China.
In press and publication, the two sides shall exchange a six-member delegation
relating to press and publication for a period of seven days, and
encourage the publishing institutions to participate in the
international Book Fair held in each other’s country.
In the field of Sports and Youth the two sides shall strengthen the exchange of sports
and continue to support the visits of a hundred-member youth delegation.
In her meeting with the Chinese Minister of Culture before the
signing ceremony, the Minister of State said that the relations
between the iron brothers and strategic partners were deeper than
oceans and higher than mountains and were based on mutual trust and
respect.
She expressed the confidence that China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor (CPEC) would take the bilateral relations between the two
countries to new heights.
Marriyum said that people of both countries
wanted to enhance the cultural collaboration and added that President
Xi Jinping’s vision of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was a historic
milestone not only for the countries along the belt and road, but also
the region and beyond.
The minister said that relationship between Pakistan
and China had been further strengthened by CPEC, a flagship project of
BRI.
She said that after signing the agreement, there was a greater
responsibility on both the countries to strive for time bound
implementation process.
She said that during the 19th Congress of the
China Communist Party (CPC), President Xi Jinping stressed upon
cultural exchanges as the fourth core component of the BRI. The
minister said that the economic cooperation, infrastructure
development, energy projects and the people-to-people exchanges would
enhance contacts, and share and promote the heritage of both countries.
She said that the relationship between Pakistan and China had been
embedded into our culture, adding that the Ministry of Information,
Broadcasting and National History and Literary Heritage was actively
pursuing the cultural contacts between the two states.
She informed her host that during the last year, CPEC Cultural Caravan was
organized from Xinjiang to Gwadar. Chinese group of visual artists and
performing arts also participated.
She observed that today’s agreement
would translate into extensive cultural contacts between the two
countries and also impart sustainability to the cultural ties.
The Minister of State proposed mutual photography exhibition at the
Pak-China National Culture Center in Islamabad and also the grant of cultural
scholarship to students in universities.
She also proposed to establish a FM Radio with an access
along the CPEC route in Pakistan. Marriyum Aurangzeb particularly
mentioned the Chinese Cultural Counselor in Pakistan who made this
agreement a reality.
Chinese Minister for Culture Luo Sugang welcomed the minister and her
delegation and said that China and Pakistan had special relations and
friendly bonds particularly after the visit of President Xi Jinping to
Pakistan in 2015.
In culture, both the countries shared progressive
relations and would enrich cultural relationship in future.
He said that CPEC as flagship project of BRI was not only a corridor for
economic and trade activity, but it also was a conduit to enhance
cultural exchanges between the two brotherly countries.
He invited the Minister of State to attend the Silk Road Cultural festival scheduled
to be held in China in September this year.
He also thanked the government of Pakistan for helping in establishing
China Cultural Center which was inaugurated in Islamabad last year,
adding that, till now 38 different types of events including
exhibitions and performing arts had been introduced in less than a
year.
The Chinese Culture Minister said that the two countries could
work together in archeology and heritage preservation and offered
Chinese assistance for establishment of archeology and heritage
center in Pakistan. “We can provide training to archaeological
professionals in this centre.”
Among other things, Marriyum Aurangzeb and Luo Shugang discussed
the future plan in regards to the establishment of Pak-China National
Cultural Centre, Cultural Film Academy and Pak-China Cultural Sister
College and University.
The proposal of holding International Cultural
CPEC Conference as well as exhibition of Pakistani movies in Chinese
Cinemas also came under discussion.
Minister of State and Minister of Culture, China both emphasized the need of formal agreement in
establishing archeological centre in Pakistan and joint production of
Pak-China cultural documentaries.
“CPEC being a route of peace and prosperity is also a cultural
corridor and would further encourage people-to-people contacts,” Marriyum
said. China and Pakistan will work closely to upgrade preserve and
rehabilitate archeological sites in Pakistan, she added.
Earlier, talking to media, Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Pak-China
friendship was a part of our culture and as a nation all the segments
of Pakistani society had consensus on it.
She opined that China was
now altering the world’s economic map and said the way it was
progressing; it would soon become number one economy of the world.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the infrastructure development and energy
projects focused on the people of two countries, adding, the
development and progress would change the lives of the people of the
two countries as well as the region.
The Minister of State said that the socio-economic condition of the
people was getting better due to job opportunities under CPEC and
the people-oriented projects would also have positive impact on the
coming generations.
Lauding the role of Pakistani media regarding
CPEC, she said it created awareness among the people about the project
adding, the print media contributed a number of editorials and
articles while the Expo at Gwadar was telecast live by news channels
of Pakistan.
She said that more than 5,000 businessmen and representatives of
different countries participated in the Gwadar investment Expo, which
was a big success for the country.
While commenting on Pak-China
friendship, she said it was an example for the world as relations
between both the countries were based on shared prosperity and mutual
trust.
She said that China’s Spring Festival was celebrated with great
enthusiasm in Pakistan as well. A number of cultural activities were also
arranged at the schools and cultural centers across the country.
Tariq Azim urges Canadian PM to take up issue of Kashmiris with Indian government
ISLAMABAD, Feb 6 (APP):Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Canada Tariq Azim Khan has urged Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau to take up the issue of gross human rights violations by Indian forces in occupied Kashmir during his upcoming visit to India.
He said the use of pallet guns by Indian forces were responsible for blinding, killing and traumatizing thousands of civilians in held Kashmir.
Tariq Azim said this in his remarks at a function organized at the Pakistan High Commission premises in Ottawa in connection with the Kashmir Solidarity Day, and to express solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir. A large number of Pakistani-Canadians participated in the event, according to a message received here from Canada on Tuesday.
The high commissioner called upon the international community to be cognizant of its responsibilities on Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India and urged it to demand an independent investigation into the ongoing gross human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Kashmir and to fulfill its obligations under the relevant UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions on the Jammu & Kashmir dispute.
The special messages of the president and prime minister of Pakistan, released on Kashmir Solidarity Day, were read out.
US trade gap spikes 12% in 2017 on record imports
Washington, Feb 6 (AFP/APP):President Donald Trump’s first year in office saw the US trade gap leap to its highest level in seven years due to record imports, the government reported Tuesday.
The annual trade deficit rose 12.1 percent from 2016 to $566 billion, driven higher by rising crude imports and a ballooning goods deficit with China, which hit its highest level on record at $375.2 billion, the Commerce Department reported.
Trump has made trade the signature issue of his presidency, threatening to cancel trade agreements, making aggressive use of retaliatory measures against trading partners like China and ratcheting up protectionist rhetoric.
But the broadening trade gap could weigh on growth. The trade deficit grew in the final month of the year, adding 5.3 percent to reach $53.1 billion in December, the highest since October 2008, and overshooting an analyst forecast by $800 million.
Total exports of goods and services in 2017 rose 5.5 percent to $2.3 trillion, their second highest on record. And services exports hit a record $777.9 billion.
But imports rose faster, rising 6.7 percent for the year to reach $2.9 trillion, the highest level ever, according to the Commerce Department.
With crude oil prices recovering in the latter part of the year, imports rose 30.6 percent, while imported industrial supplies gained 14.5 percent.
Within the numbers, however, were signs of robust cross-border commercial activity last year.
The US posted all-time record goods exports to 29 countries, with $243 billion exported to Mexico, $130 billion to China and $56.3 billion to the United Kingdom.
Pakistan to continue moral, political and diplomatic support for Kashmir Cause: Ambassador Naghmana A. Hashmi
ISLAMABAD, Feb 6 (APP):Pakistan’s Ambassador to Belgium, the European Union and Luxembourg Mrs. Naghmana A. Hashmi has reiterated Pakistan’s stance for continuing moral, political and diplomatic support for the just cause of right to the self-determination of people of Kashmir.
The Ambassador was speaking at an event organized by the Embassy of Pakistan in Brussels, said a message received here on Tuesday. The event in which both Pakistani and Belgian community participated with full fervour was organized to express solidarity with the innocent people of Indian Occupied Kashmir on 5th February.
Prominent among the speakers besides Ambassador Mrs.Naghmana A. Hashmi were Professor Alexandre Thys, Journalist Anita Bolandi, Mr. EminOzkara, Vice President Brussels Parliament, Mr.HasanKoyunchu, Member Brussels Parliament, Dr. ManzoorZahoor, Member Brussels Parliament and Councillor ShaziaManzoor.
Several members of European Parliament who wanted to attend the event but could not do so because of parliamentary session in Strasbourg sent their recorded messages for the event. These included messages of MEP Julie Ward, MEP Jean Lambert, MEP Amjad Bashir and MEP Wajid Khan.
The speakers expressed solidarity with the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir and condemned the atrocities being committed by the Indian forces of occupation particularly highlighting the illegal use of pellet guns and rape as weapon to suppress the freedom struggle of people of Kashmir.
A documentary on Kashmir and special song on Kashmir released by Ministry of Information Broadcasting and National Heritage were also shown besides a presentation on Human Rights Violations in Kashmir. An exhibition of photographs and posters depicting the sufferings of people of Kashmir at the hands of Indian occupation forces was also arranged at the event.
On 4th of February a candlelight vigil was organized by Kashmir Council Europe (KC-EU) in order to express solidarity with people of Kashmir suffering from crimes committed by Indian occupation forces for the last seven decades.
The vigil was attended by a large number of people from all walks of life. The speakers condemned violence against innocent people and detention of leaders and political workers in Indian occupied Kashmir.
The participants asserted that Kashmiri people would continue their struggle for freedom from Indian occupation. They also urged European Union to play its role in the peaceful resolution of the issue.
PCB not offering merit-based jobs, an official
ISLAMABAD, Feb 6 (APP):Pakistan Cricket Board’s employment criterion has raised grave concern for citizens as it was giving
undue favour to a specific region, an official said on Tuesday.
An official on request of anonymity disclosed that the board’s anomaly has been discussed and question
was raised among members for giving extra favour to Punjab province.
He said the majority of contractual employees hired belong to Punjab while other provinces were denied
right to job on merit.
“The major chunk was offered to Punjab i.e.142 out of 190 recruited employees” he said. While from Sindh (21),
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (11), Balochistan (8), AJK (6) and one each from Fata and Gilgit-Baltistan were offered
appointment, he added.
The official said this appointment criterion would promote nepotism and the performance of the institution
would badly be affected.
“There are currently 866 total employees working in PCB,” he said.