ISLAMABAD, Mar 19 (APP): Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid on Saturday congratulated the national women cricket team over defeating Indian women cricket tea in a World Cup T20 match in India. He said this memorable victory has demonstrated that our women have the abilities to prove their mettle in any field of life.

ISLAMABAD, Mar 19 (APP): Finance Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar here on Saturday chaired a meeting to review the performance and overall working of the State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan (SLIC). Federal Minister for Commerce, Khurram Dastgir was also present on the occasion. Chairperson SLIC, Nargis Ghaloo briefed the meeting about the financial profile of the corporation and dilated on its investment portfolio which encompasses Govt. Securities, TFCs/Approved Govt. Securities, Equities, Bank Deposits, Investment properties and Policy Loans, said a statement issued by Ministry of Finance.

KARACHI, Mar 19 (APP): Pakistan desires good friendly ties with all its neighbours including India and Afghanistan. This was stressed by Syed Tariq Fatimi, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs. He was addressing the members of the Karachi Council on Foreign Relations (KCFR) at a hotel Saturday. Fatima said that `we are looking forward to a new era of peace as well as progress and development in Afghanistan’ and to this very end Pakistan was extending every sort of assistance and collaboration.

ISLAMABAD, Mar 19 (APP):The third meeting of Pakistan-Belarus Joint Ministerial Commission (PBJMC) would be held in September this year to further promote bilateral trade and investments between the two countries. Both the countries have been working for enhancing bilateral economic cooperation in different sectors of economy, particularly in agriculture, energy, industries, investments and health sectors, official sources said.

KETIBANDAR, Mar 19 (APP): The Chairperson of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Marvi Memon, visited fire victims of Keti Bandar, District Thatta, along with Bait-ul-Mal Team. A BISP statement Saturday said that the Chairperson of BISP Marvi Memon visited the grieved families of fisher folks whose 10 members burnt alive in the ghastly fire incident from the scattered diesel used as fuel for the fishing boats at Keti Bandar on February 8.

LAHORE, March 19 (APP): Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has announced Rs 100 billion for growth and development of the agriculture sector in the province. He made this announcement while addressing a “Punjab Agriculture Conference 2016” at a local hotel on Saturday. Shehbaz Sharif said education, research and planners were needed for enhancing per acre yield of crops. He added that modern technology and cheap agri inputs were vital to increase yield of crops.

SIALKOT, Mar 19 (APP): Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal on Saturday stressed the need of providing equal education opportunities to male and female students belonging to urban and rural areas. He said the PML-N government was striving to curb darkness of ignorance through spreading light of knowledge and education as per vision of the government by promoting public-private partnership in the education sector.

ISLAMABAD, Mar 19 (APP): Pakistan on Saturday strongly condemned the suicide bomb blast in Istanbul, Turkey in which according to initial reports several innocent lives were lost, besides injuries to others. “Pakistan condemns this terrorist act in the strongest terms and reiterates its condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” said a Foreign Office statement.

ISLAMABAD, Mar 18 (APP) Federal Minister for Commerce, Khurram Dastagir Khan on Friday told the National Assembly that Pakistan is expected to share its counter terrorism experience in the alliance of 34 Muslim countries led by  Saudi Arabia. Replying to question, he said that Pakistan has consistently supported all regional and international efforts to combat militancy, extremism and terrorism.