ISLAMABAD, Feb 26 (APP):Federal Minister for Defence, Engineer Khurram Dastagir Khan visited Abu Dhabi on the invitation of the UAE government to attend the third session of the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference.According to a message received here on Monday,
on the sidelines of the conference, Dastgir had a detailed meeting with UAE Minister of State for Defence,
Mohammad Bin Ahmad Al Bowsrdi and discussed ways and means to further strengthen the existing cooperation in the field of
defence between the two countries.The minister also congratulated the visionary leadership of UAE on the successful holding
of the exhibition.

ISLAMABAD, Feb 26 (APP):Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday allowed wife of Ahad Cheema to meet her husband on humanitarian grounds. The meeting continued for over an hour.
A statement issued here said NAB did not create any hurdle in the meeting.
NAB does not believe in discrimination and maltreatment with anybody and ensures self respect of every accused.
Ahad Cheema was looking composed, fit and fresh and his picture of meeting with wife also testified the fact, the statement added.

LAHORE, Feb 26 (APP):Regional Director UNICEF Ms Jean Gough paid tributes to the abilities of the Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz harif
here on Monday said that Shehbaz Sharif is a visionary leader.
Due to his dynamic leadership, Punjab enjoys definite edge over other provinces in health, education and other social
sectors, she added.
The positive change is visibly seen due to innovative steps of
Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his leadership is of great
importance for the people.
Decrease in death rate of newborn babies, health of
mother and child, increase in schools enrollment and decrease
in drop out ratio are a proof of success of Punjab government
steps.
Similarly, the steps of the Punjab government are yielding
positive results for elimination of child labour. Along with
it, Punjab has emerged as an example with regard to its
success in polio-vaccination and extended programme of
immunization, she added.
She said that UNICEF is cooperating in the planning of
digital birth registration programme, education and health
schemes.

FAISALABAD, Feb 26 (APP)::State Minister for Textile Hajji Muhammad Akram Ansari on Monday said the government was providing best facilities in educational institutes to improve literacy rate.
He was addressing a ceremony after laying foundation stone for new academic block at Government Boys’ High School Ghulam Muhammad Abad, here.
The block will comprise of 8 new classrooms which would be completed with an estimated cost of Rs 12 million.
The State Minister said the government had focused its attention on the provision of best education facilities because national development could not be possible without equipping the young generation with modern and quality education.
He said that good results in education could be achieved by providing conducive teaching environment to the students and the Punjab government was spending huge funds for the up-gradation of educational institutions besides providing modern educational facilities.
He hoped that the problems regarding shortage of classrooms in educational institutions would be solved with construction of new academic block.
He directed the Building department officers to ensure quality construction work and timely completion of the project.
MPA Nawaz Malik and others were also present on the occasion.

RAWALPINDI, Feb 26 (APP):A four-member Iranian delegation Monday visited Headquarters of Anti-Narcotic Force (ANF) and discussed issues of bilateral interest in connection with drug situation in the region with special focus on counter narcotics measures and initiatives taken by Pakistan and Iran.
The delegation was headed by Brig. Gen. Mohammad Masoud Zabetian, Head of Anti-Narcotics Police,
Iran while the DG ANF Major General Musarrat Nawaz Malik headed the dialogue from Pakistani side.
Other members of Iranian delegation included Seyed Ali Mir Ghaderi, Consultant of Head of Anti Narcotics Police, Mohammad Nasiri, Chief of Anti Narcotics Police of Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Iran, Mehdi Honardoost, Ambassador of Embassy of Iran, Islamabad and DLO Iran in Pakistan Omid Sarvari. ANF participants included the officers from fields of International Cooperation,
Law, Intelligence and Enforcement.
The delegates from both sides emphasized the need to further enhance the brotherly relations of both the countries, result-oriented implementation of MoU signed in1999, effective utilization of Bilateral/Regional CN Mechanisms, Timely intelligence
sharing and elimination of impediments in coordinated and internationally controlled delivery operations.
Furthermore they also updated on establishment of Taftan/Mirjaveh Border Liaison Office (BLO). Moreover, the delegation
discussed the strengthening of Joint Planning Cell (JPC) established under the triangular initiative. Need for regular interaction, communication and sharing of best practices were also discussed.
In near-past, cooperation of Narcotics Control Agencies of both the countries had resulted into many successful seizures of drugs and precursor chemicals. The Iranian delegation was apprised about the appreciation given by relevant Pakistani stakeholders for signing the Letter of Cooperation between the two sides during the visit of DG ANF to Iran last year.
The visit of Iranian delegation is regarded as a milestone for bilateral cooperation on drug issues between the two countries. In the past, Narcotics Control Agencies of both the countries had remained in cooperation with each other in the fields of capacity building, including Canine, Technical up-gradation and Drug Law Enforcement Training.

ISLAMABAD, Feb 26 (APP):The Higher Education Commission (HEC), and the Embassy of France held its bilateral committee meeting to review proposals submitted for the award of research grants under the Pak-France PERIDOT Phase IV.
PERIDOT is the Franco-Pakistani Hubert Curien Partnership (PHC) executed in Pakistan by HEC and in France by Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, a news release on Monday said.
The objective of this programme is to develop new scientific and technological cooperation between French and Pakistani higher education institutions and research laboratories by supporting mobility of researchers.
Under the programme, projects are approved for funding for three years in five priority areas including Energy, Health, Human and Social Sciences, Climate Change, and Information Technology for Peace and Conflict Resolution.
The meeting was chaired by Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC along with Marc Baréty, Ambassador of France to Pakistan.
Dr Arshad Ali, Executive Director HEC, Dr Muhammad Latif, Advisor R&D, HEC, Noshaba Awais, Director R&D, HEC, André de Bussy, Counsellor for Culture and Cooperation, French Embassy, and Matthieu Gaulon, Attaché for Science and Technology, French Embassy were also among the participants of meeting.
After thorough deliberation, the committee scrutinised a number of proposals received under PERIDOT Phase IV. The results of the award winners would be announced in due course.

ISLAMABAD, Feb 26 (APP):Federal Minister for Communication, Hafiz Abdul Kareem Monday said that national highways and motorways were imperative for socio-economic development of any country.
During his visit to the projects of Lahore-Sialkot Motorway, Lahore Eastern Bypass and Peshawar- Karachi Motorway, the minister said that the government under the mega project of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was establishing an integrated system of national highways, motorways and expressways.
The western route of the CPEC was being completed on priority basis, the minister said adding that the government was making effort to complete the projects of Lahore-Sialkot Motorway, Lahore Eastern Bypass and Peshawar- Karachi Motorway before the given schedule.
He stressed the engineers to speed up the construction work by utilizing modern techniques so that these projects would be completed at par with international standard.
On the occasion, the Chairman NHA told the minister that 78 percent work on different sections of Peshawar-Motorway has been completed while, 54 percent on the package-one of Lahore-Eastern Bypass and 83 percent of package-two has also been completed.
It was informed during the briefing that Lahore-Sialkot Motorway would be developed with cost of Rs 43 billion.
The 16 km Lahore eastern Bypass would be completed in May of this year, while a part of 230 km Peshawar-Karachi Motorway would be completed in the May, 2018 with cost of Rs 148 billion.
Earlier, the minister was briefed about the projects of national highways in the regional office of National Highways Authority (NHA) Lahore.
The minister was accompanied by Chairman NHA Jawad Rafiuqe Malik, Member NHA Naveed Iqbal Wahla, Mansoor Ahmad Sarohi and the senior officials of the projects.

ISLAMABAD, Feb 26 (APP):Senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Ishaq Dar on Monday said that China and
Saudi Arabia had always supported Pakistan in every difficult hour.
Talking to a private news channel, he said that Saudi Arabia and China would also support Pakistan, in Financial
Action Task Force (FATF).
Expressing his reservation over the FATF meeting outcome, he said including the name of Pakistan in the watch list
would have negative impact on economic rating.
Pakistan had given a lot of sacrifices in fighting war against terrorism but that the efforts were not acknowledged
properly at international level, he said.
He said, “We should have to focus on the issues to streamline the system.”
Meanwhile, Senator Javed Abbassi of PML-N, while talking to news channel said that America with the help of Allied Forces had failed in Afghanistan due to which, the United States was putting pressure on our country through FATF.
He said that India and the US both the countries were trying to malign Pakistan in one pretext or the other.
To a question regarding corruption, he said action should be taken against any person found involved in the corruption
activities and that should be done without discrimination, he added.