ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP): Minister for Law and Justice Zahid
Hamid on Thursday assured the National Assembly that Adviser
to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz would brief the house on Friday on existing situation at Line of Control (LoC) and India’s human rights violations.
Assuring the House, the minister said that there would be complete debate on the situation in the house for having proper knowledge of parliamentarians on the matter.
Earlier, Chairman National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Sardar Awais Laghari thanked the opposition leader for raising this important issue in the parliament.
He said that the situation at the LoC was worst now since 2003 ceasefire. He added unfortunately several innocent citizens from Pakistan area lost their lives due to Indian army firing at the LoC.
He said that ambulances were being targeted near LoC by Indian forces which was against the human norms. He added India was also targeting Kashmiris in Indian Occupied Kashmir.
He said that India was becoming a religion focused country as people were being victimized on religion basis in India.
He suggested that Pakistan should move to the United Nations Security Council and inform them about the Indian human rights violations. He added the council should be informed that peace in the region was not possible if India continues its aggression.
He said that Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs should come to the parliament and inform the parliamentarian on the situation at LoC.
He said India’s aggression was a threat to the regional peace and it was high time to inform the international community about India’s such aggression across LoC and atrocities against Kashmiri people.
He advised that the Pakistan should participate in Heart of Asia Conference in India and properly defend its stance.
Earlier, MNA Ghaus Baksh Mahar, Syed Naveed Qamar and Khalid Maqbool demanded to start debate in the parliament on the situation at LoC.
Sartaj Aziz to brief parliament on LoC situation, Indian aggression
World exports witness decrease in 2015: Senate told
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP): Minister for Commerce Engr. Khuram Dastagir Thursday told the Senate that world exports did witness
decrease in 2015 and Pakistan was also effected due to this decline.
Replying to a question in the Senate, the minister said that
trend of exports is being witnessed in developed, emerging and developing economies.
The exports have dropped in USA by 7.1percent, in Europe 12.5
percent, China 2.9 percent and India 17.2 percent, he added.
He said Pakistan’s export volume depend (among others) on
its competitiveness (market share effect) and on the development in world GDP at constant prices (market volume effect).
The Minister said Pakistan’s major trading partners like US, China, EU have witnessed sluggish economic growth during past few years. Major chunk of exports go to US, China and EU.
Therefore, slowdown in China and European economies and aggregate weak demand have significantly impacted Pakistan’s export growth, he said.
Italian Envoy meets chairperson SBI
KARACHI, Nov 24 (APP): Ambassador of Italy in Pakistan, Stefano
Pontecorovo held a meeting with leading businessmen of Pakistan,
chaired by Chairperson Sindh Board of Investment (SBI), Ms. Naheed
Memon here.
The businessmen called upon the Italian Ambassador that the Economic Minister of the Italy along with a trade delegation which is expected to tour Pakistan next month, should also visit Karachi, said a statement on Thursday.
All leading companies of Pakistan which are engaged in trade with
Italy have their head offices in Karachi, they noted.
Italian Consul General in Karachi, Gianluca as well as leading businessmen from Pakistan include Chairman Gul Ahmed Textile, Bashir Ali Muhammad, Chairman Kings Group, Aziz Memon, Chairman Lucky Group, Muhammad Ali Tabba, President Bank Al falah, Atif Bajwa, Chief Operating Officer Omni, Salman Younis, Executive Director Hashwani Group of companies Ameen Hashwani and others were also present in the meeting.
Pakistan’s share in global market of food products better than its share in overall global trade : Senate told
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP): Minister for Commerce Engr. Khuram
Dastagir on Thursday told the Senate that Pakistan’s share in the
global market of food products was 0.22%, which is better than it’s share in overall global trade i.e. 0.14%.
Replying to a question, he said the size of global food export in 2014 was US$ 1486 billion and Pakistan’s exports of food items in 2015 16 were US$ 3.4 billion.
He said Pakistan’s share in the global market of food products was 0.22%, which is better than Pakistan’s share in overall global trade i.e. 0.14%. It implies that Pakistan’s food exports are faring well in the global food trade, when compared with the overall share of Pakistani exports in the global trade, he added.
The minister said the major sub sectors in food are rice, fish and its products, fruits and vegetables, spices, animal feeds, seeds, molasses, guar and guar products, tobacco, wheat etc.
The reasons behind low share in the World Food Market are low productivity, post harvest losses, high cost of doing business and shortage of gas and electricity.
He said Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) organized participation in 19 international exhibitions related to food sector during 2015 16 and TDAP sent seven (7) trade delegations during 2015 16 to promote exports of Agro Food Products from Pakistan in the world market.
Abdul Qadir meets with UNHCR officials
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP): Minister for States and Frontier Regions Lt Gen ® Abdul Qadir Baloch Thursday met with various officials of UNHCR.
The officials included Director of UNHCR’s regional bureau for Asia and the Pacific David Kaatrud and Deputy Director of UNHCR’s regional bureau for Asia and the Pacific Ayaki Ito, said a press release.
The minister briefed them about the current status of Afghan refugees and ensured the UNHCR that no Afghan refugee will be sent back unless he or she volunteers to do so.
The minister has briefed them about the pace of returning Afghan refugees to their homes and suggested the UNHCR to expedite the availability of funds and financial assistance to the refugees.
UNHCR director has also expressed gratitude over the extension
of date for the stay of Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
Also, Gunnar Wiegand, Managing Director for Asia Pacific, european external action service has called on the federal minister and discussed matters relating to afghan refugees IDPs, reforms in FATA and other counter terrorism measures.
Pakistan protests Indian attack on civilian bus in Kashmir with top UN leaders
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 24 (APP): A top Pakistani diplomat Wednesday raised with senior UN officials the latest round of atrocities by Indian troops which involved targeting a civilian passenger bus and an ambulance in Kashmir, calling it a grave violation of international humanitarian law.
According to a press release of the Pakistan Mission to the UN,
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN, Maleeha Lodhi said the attack on an ambulance trying to evacuate the injured was a particularly “abhorrent act” that was a breach of the most fundamental legal and humanitarian laws.
Briefing the Deputy Secretary General, Jan Eliasson, and the Chef de Cabinet of the Secretary General, Edmond Mulet on Wednesday, Ambassador Lodhi said that this situation posed a “grave threat to international peace and security”.
She said that this attack led to the martyrdom of nine innocent people and severe injuries to nine others.
Ambassador Lodhi told UN officials that escalating tensions on the Line of Control was a deliberate attempt by India to divert the attention of the international community from the gross human right violations being committed by the occupation army in Indian held Kashmir.
She also told UN officials that a particularly deplorable aspect of the
latest escalation was the deliberate targeting by Indian troops of innocent civilians.
The Pakistani envoy reminded them of the UN’s obligations in this regard and urged them to live up to these commitments.
UN officials shared Pakistan’s concern that the escalating situation
could spin out of control, the press release said.
The UN Department of Peace-Keeping Operations was separately asked to mobilize UNMOGIP to effectively monitor the Line of Control and the Working Boundary as a step to help de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan.
Ambassador briefed UN officials about the latest phase of the Kashmiri uprising that started with the assassination of young Kashmiri leader, Burhan Wani, on July 8. Wani’s funerals held all over Indian Occupied Kashmir was attended by hundreds and thousands of Kashmiris.
But this indigenous uprising of the Kashmiris has again been met by brutal repression by India’s occupation force of over half a million, it was pointed out.
She urged the UN to not only take action to halt the human rights abuses being committed by Indian forces but also to act before the escalating tensions snowball into a full-fledged crisis.
In recent months statements by the UN Secretary General have repeatedly called for de-escalation of tensions between Pakistan and India but New Delhi has ignored these and continued to act with impunity in the disputed territory of Kashmir.
India cannot brow beat Pakistan: Qadir Baloch
ISLAMABAD Nov 24 (APP): Minister for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Abdul Qadir Baloch on Thursday said, India cannot brow beat Pakistan by cowardly acts if targeting innocent people on Pakistani side of Line of Control (LoC).
“India’s hawkish attitude is meant for ruining regional peace. We expressed restraint but it should not be taken for granted. We have reached a cut off point and if India will resort to aggression there will be a tit for tat,” the minister said in the National Assembly.
Responding to a statement by Opposition Leader Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah in the House, the minister dispelled the impression that the government was not responding effectively to Indian aggression.
“We are fully alive to defend our country and nation and our forces are well equipped to thwart any aggression.”
India is mistaken to think that it can brow beat Pakistan. Rather the fact is that if at all India will drag Pakistan into a war India will suffer colossal losses, the minister said.
We are well aware of capability of our armed forces and weaponry. It is not a threat but a caution to keep India aware of our response if compelled to a way, he warned.
The Minister also clarified that the government had no soft corner for India. “We are an elected government and fully aware to peoples’ aspirations who have thrice elected us to this Parliament.”
He said Pakistani forces effectively responded to Indian aggression. “Killing of our people do not go unattended as they also suffer casualties. But, we cannot target civilian areas like India because firstly the people on other side of the LoC are also our Kashmiri brothers and secondly Pakistan is not cowardly like India to target civilian population.”
Capital to have 3 new 500-bed hospitals: Senate told
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP): State Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division (CAAD) Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary Thursday informed the Senate that the Prime Minister has announced to set-up 46 state of the art hospitals across the country and out of these three hospitals each 500-bed would be established in the federal capital.
Responding to various supplementary questions during Question Hour, the minister said patients load at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Federal Government Hospital (FGH) would significantly reduced after setting up three new hospitals in Islamabad. Around 10,000 patients visit PIMS for treatment, he said.
He said new emergency was also set up in PIMS to facilitate the patients
adding that all pathology tests’ results have been computerized.
To a question, he said incubators installed at PIMS were working adding
that all of out of order ventilators at FGH have been repaired besides purchasing new ventilators.
Rana Tanveer meets with South African Deputy Defence Minister
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP): Deputy Minister for defense South Africa, Emmanuel Ramaotana Kebby, along with his delegation, Thursday met with Minister for Defense Production, Rana Tanveer Hussain at Expo Centre, Karachi.
Minister said that Pakistan valued its relations with South Africa and desired to further enhance the existing ties, said a press release issued here.
He pointed out that military relations between Pakistan and South Africa had the potential to grow further.
The minister told the delegates that Pakistan had a well established defense industry so both the sides might explore the possibilities of joint ventures for manufacturing of defense equipment.
Both sides appreciated the existing training cooperation between the two countries and expressed the desire to expand it further.
Moreover, both the countries also stressed on the need for
frequent exchange of visits by the technicians in order to identify more areas of cooperation.
Defense delegations from Iran, Italian Ambassador, and delegation from South African Defense Company Paramount also had meetings with the Minister for Defense Production.
Minister thanked all the delegates for their participation in IDEAS 2016.
Capital to have 3 new 500-bed hospitals: Senate told
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP): State Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division (CAAD) Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary Thursday informed the Senate that the Prime Minister has announced to set- up 46 state of the art hospitals across the country and out of these three
hospitals each 500-bed would be established in the federal capital.
Responding to various supplementary questions during Question Hour, the minister said patients load at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Federal Government Hospital (FGH) would significantly reduced after setting up three new hospitals in Islamabad. Around 10,000 patients visit PIMS for treatment, he said.
He said new emergency was also set up in PIMS to facilitate the patients adding that all pathology tests’ results have been computerized.
To a question, he said incubators installed at PIMS were working adding that all of out of order ventilators at FGH have been repaired besides purchasing new ventilators.