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World’s future hinges on this region teeming with trade opportunities: PM

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ON BOARD PM’S AIRCRAFT, Dec 13 (APP): Prime Minister
Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Sunday said the world’s future hinged upon this region due to its fast growing trade potential and greater connectivity linking Central Asian Republics with South Asia and China.

During an interview with media persons on board the aircraft during his return journey after ground breaking ceremony of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, the Prime Minister said the project had created a ‘win-win situation’ for the economies of its component countries.

He said about 2 to 3 billion people lived alone in South Asia and China with unprecedented potential to rise as a hub of the world’s rapid growing economies.
It was his cherished dream to forge strong connectivity and relationship with energy rich Central Asia and South Asia, he added.

With the completion of TAPI, the Prime Minister said, the energy requirements of Pakistan would be met. It would be a ‘game changer’ as the country would be able to get 1.3 billion cubic feet gas annually from it.

“With the clean energy supply, the power plants would work efficiently producing inexpensive power when compared to oil-run units. About 70 per cent energy needs would be met with this project,” he added.

Annually 1 billion dollar could be saved, which was by no means a little saving, he said.

To a question, the Prime Minister replied that he had also talked to the presidents of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan over his vision of enhanced connectivity, and they also appreciated and supported it.

“Every country should safeguard its economic interests and nations work for peace. Nowadays, the economic interests rule the world. Politics revolves around economy and without a sound economy, there is no progress,” he added.

About recent developments on Pak-India ties, Nawaz Sharif said they had taken a firm stand on the interests of Pakistan.
He maintained that Pakistan wanted good ties with all neighbours, including Afghanistan and India. The relationship with these countries unfortunately remained uneven in the last 65 years, but now it was hoped that the same would be settled.

“The issues can be settled on a negotiation table. On our principles, we are firm. In Paris, I told Indian PM Modi if you wanted to talk, we would also talk. It was followed by a meeting of NSAs (national security advisors) in Bangkok and then a visit of Indian External Minister Sushma to Pakistan improved things. The joint declaration was good and it is hoped that it would move forward,” he added.

About Afghanistan, the Prime Minister said that he had told Afghan President Ghani that they would help in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table.

But he made it clear that they had absolutely no control over them, only through influence to some extent, they could bring Taliban to the negotiating table, he added.

Nawaz Sharif said he had held bilateral, trilateral and quadlateral meetings with heads of different countries on the Afghan issue, which were a part of Pakistan’s continuing efforts.

He, however, said it was not the sole responsibility of Pakistan, other countries should also share their responsibility in that regard.

He wondered how could Pakistan tolerate terrorism in someone’s country when it had remained a victim of the menace itself in which the nation rendered unprecedented sacrifices, besides its economy suffered colossal loss.

He said the Zarb-e-Azb operation was launched by his government as its moral obligation and not under any outer influence.

The Prime Minister said that under a wide political consensus in the shape of National Action Plan, the Constitution was amended and now the military courts were delivering verdicts.

Peace had been restored in Karachi and the residents there bore witness to it. The world leaders had also appreciated the government’s efforts in rooting out terrorism, he added.

Taliban attack on Kunduz killed 289 Afghan civilians, injured 559 others: UN

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UNITED NATIONS, Dec 13 (APP): The United Nations (UN) says the recent  offensive on the northern Afghan city of Kunduz by Taliban militants killed at least 289 civilians and wounded 559 others.

A report by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), which was released on Saturday, documented the abuses in Kunduz committed by Taliban during the offensive, which took place in the city and the districts surrounding it between September 28 and October 13.

The injured  included at least 30 killed and 37 injured in a U.S. air strike on a hospital run by Medecins Sans Frontieres, a French charity, UNAMA said in a report.

It said the figures were likely to rise as further information became available, noting that unstable security meant its officials had been unable to conduct detailed investigations in Kunduz.

Medecins Sans Frontieres said on Saturday that its own count of the death toll from the Kunduz hospital attack had risen to 42, a figure UNAMA said it was verifying.

Apart from the losses in the air strike on Oct. 3, it said most casualties had been caused from small arms fire or explosives during heavy fighting in residential areas.

“In most of these cases, UNAMA could not attribute the casualties to a specific party to the conflict,” it said, although it also detailed reports of deliberate killings by the Taliban of civilians including people associated with the government.

It also joined calls for an independent investigation into the attack on the hospital, which it said may amount to a war crime if it were proved to be deliberate.

An estimated 150,000 people were trapped in the city by the most  prolonged period of urban fighting in Afghanistan since the U.S.-led campaign against the Taliban in 2001.

Some 13,000 families fled, adding to the hundreds of thousands already displaced by violence and lack of security, UNAMA said. The report detailed food shortages, lack of electricity, looting and
allegations of human rights abuses by fighters on both sides as well as by other armed men who took advantage of the chaos.

“The insecurity, absence of governance and the breakdown of rule of  law during this period resulted in a loss of protection of the most basic human rights, including the rights to life and security of person,” it said.
“This chaos enabled an environment in which arbitrary killings, and other forms of violence against civilians and civilian objects, criminality and destruction of civilian property took place.”

It said the Taliban had created a “climate of fear” with systematic searches for women’s rights activists and civilians working for human rights organizations which prompted many to flee the city.

However, it did not find evidence of any large scale or systematic violence against women and girls by the hardline Islamist movement, which has strongly denied harming women deliberately.

PML-N to win 2018 election due to performance: Ahsan

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 13 (APP): Federal Minister for Planning,
Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal on Sunday said that next general election would be held in 2018 and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz  (PML-N) would again get the people’s mandate due to its performance.

Talking to a news channel, he said the PML-N government would rid the country of all the crises, including energy and terrorism.  

Blackmailing will not hamper Karachi operation: Abid

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 13 (APP): Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali Sunday said that blackmailing and political influence would not be allowed to hamper the ongoing operation in Karachi.

Abid Sher Ali said Rangers did not get extension in policing powers as a result of possible ill-intention of Sindh government, a news channel reported.

Work on TAPI pipeline starts; a trailblazing project for regional integration: Nawaz

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MARY, Turkmenistan, Dec 13 (APP): Prime Minister  Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Sunday joined the regional leaders to formally launch work on the historic Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline, the largest gas pipeline project in the region.
The ground breaking ceremony of, what Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called the ‘trailblazing project’, was held near the city of Mary, the fourth largest and industrial city of the Central Asian state.
The Prime Minister was joined by Afghan President Ashraf
Ghani, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimohamedow and Indian Vice President Muhammad Hamid Ansari in inaugurating the work on the 1735-kilometer pipeline by pushing the button.
The four leaders also put their signatures on the pipeline to
record the historical moment.
Upon completion by 2019 at the cost of around $10 billion,
the project will supply Pakistan 1325 mmcfd (million cubic feet per day) supply of natural gas to help mitigate its energy crisis.
Addressing the ceremony, the Prime Minister said the presence of regional leaders at the ground-breaking ceremony clearly signalled the importance they attached to this `game changing project’ and their commitment for its early completion.
He said it was a momentous day that an achievement had been made possible through the perseverance, patience and collective endeavours of all stakeholders.
He also thanked the Turkmen President without whose involvement and keen interest, the project could not have seen rapid progress.
He also congratulated the Indian and Afghan leadership for
their commitment to make the gas pipeline a success.
“TAPI is not just a gas transit initiative connecting energy-
rich Central Asia with energy starved South Asia but a trailblazing project,” the Prime Minister said, adding it would open up door to regional economic progress and integration.
Nawaz Sharif said the flagship project would usher a new era of transformation of the lives of millions of people making the TAPI a symbol of shared prosperity and socio-economic development.

Pervaiz Rashid left for Saint Petersburg to attend 4th Cultural Forum

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Pervaiz grieved over sad demise of journalist’s father

ISLAMABAD, Dec 13 (APP): Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid has left for Saint Petersburg to participate in the 4th Saint Petersburg International Cultural Forum which is being held on December 14-16.
The opening ceremony of the Cultural Forum will be held on December 14th, with the theme “Handing over of Batton from Literature to Movies”.
In a statement issued here on Sunday, Information Minister said that culture is a hall mark of every civilization as it leads to peace, love and brotherhood among Nations.
He said closer cultural contacts not only strengthen bonds among the people of various States but also enable them to understand each other values and culture.
He said such a Cultural Forum also provides an opportunity to interact with the participating countries, exchanging views and learning from each other’s experiences and best practices particularly in the field of art and culture.
The forum is being organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the city Administration of Saint Petersburg.
Culture Ministers participating in the forum include the Minister of Culture of Abkhazia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Malta, Serbia, Italy, Malaysia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Afghanistan,
Qatar, Palestine and South Sudan.
Besides, Director General UNESCO, top ranking representatives of the Russian Government, Head of Diplomatic Missions, Heads of major Museums and Theaters, prominent figures from the world of art and experts in international cultural cooperation would also be participating in the Forum.

Prime Minister condemns Parachinar blast

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MARY, Turkmenistan, Dec 13 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Sunday condemned the blast took place in Parachinar and expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of life and property.
The Prime Minister, who is in Turkmenistan on two day visit,
also commiserated with the bereaved families and directed the authorities concerned to provide special medical care to the injured.
“Our resolve to eradicate the menace of terrorism is getting
stronger and stronger with the loss of innocent lives and sacrifices of the officials of Pakistan Army and law enforcement agencies,” the Prime Minister said.
He said the fight is an irreversible process until this
terrorism is rooted out from the country.

Universities ranking improved: Minister

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MULTAN, Dec 13 (APP): State Minister for Education Baleegh-ur-Rehman said that the ranking of Pakistani universities have improved during the tenure of incumbent government.
He was addressing the convocation of a local college Saturday night.
He said that there were only two universities included in the list of 300 best universities of Asia in 2006.Now, 10 universities of Pakistan are included in that list.
The minister informed that incumbent government was striving hard to promote and improve standard of education throughout the country.
In Past, the HEC budget was Rs 40 billion but incumbent government increased it to Rs 80 billions.
The government launched fee-reimbursement scheme for M.A, M Phil and PHD scholars, provision of laptop scheme, Endowment funds, and emergence of different universities especially in South Punjab, he said and adding that the government also prioritize South Punjab for provision of educational as well as other facilities also.
The minister lauded the role of private sector education institutions for promoting and improving standards of education. He stated that quality education help putting country on way leading to progress and prosperity.

Quoting example of different countries including Japan,
Germany and some others,  he stated that these countries made progress by the dint of excellence in education sector.
The state minister warned that he would not allow fictitious or bogus campuses to operate and loot students. He urged students to get education in institutes present in list of HEC.

Pakistan pursuing robust cooperation for regional prosperity: PM

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APP74-12 ASHGABAT: December 12 - Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif delivering his statement at the opening ceremony of 20th Anniversary of the Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan conference. APP

Irfanullah Khan
ASHGABAT, (Turkmenistan), Dec 12 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said that Pakistan was pursuing a policy of strong cooperation with regional countries, especially with the next door neighbours, for prosperity and enhanced connectivity.

He was speaking at an international conference “Policy of Neutrality: International cooperation for peace, security and development” held here in connection with 20th anniversary of the host country’s policy of permanent neutrality.      

PM launches education reforms programme

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APP46-11 PUNJGRAN: December 11 - Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif interacting with students at Islamabad Model College for Girls. APP

ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Friday launched his Educational Reforms Programme aimed at upgrading facilities in 422 schools and colleges in the Federal Capital.

Prime Minister Sharif unveiled the plaque of the programme at the Federal College for Women, Panjgaran Chak Shahzad.

Under the Programme the facilities of science and IT labs,libraries, sports, better classrooms and play areas would be upgraded in educational institutions. Some 21 educational institutions in the federal capital will be upgraded in the first month, while the remaining would be upgraded in 10 months.

The Prime Minister visited various sections of the college. He visited classrooms, talked to students and teachers and inquired about the facilities required and the problems they face.

He had candid discussion with the students and the teachers.
Principal of the college Mrs Tasneem Sami briefed him about the changes brought about after the visit of Ms Maryam Nawaz to the College, few weeks back.

The multi-million programme has been developed by Ms Maryam Nawaz Sharif to address the concern about dilapidated buildings, poor teaching standards in government schools and colleges, particularly those in the suburbs of the Capital.

The Prime Minister was also shown a documentary showing the condition of the college before the renovation.

State Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry informed the Prime Minister that besides refurbishing the infrastructure it would also include refresher courses for teachers. Foreign scholarships will be offered to the most promising young teachers, he said.

Maryam Nawaz, Minister for CAD Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Minister for Health Saira Afzal Tarar and Minister for Information Pervaiz Rashid accompanied the Prime Minister.