LAHORE,Dec 21 (APP): PML-N Central leader Hamza Shahbaz (MNA) said Local Bodies system will help resolve peoples’ genuine problems at their doorstep.

LAHORE, Dec 20 (APP): President Mamnoon Hussain Sunday stressed the need for putting in place a mechanism to get optimum benefits from modern medical research and experiences so that a better access to modern method of cure could be ensured and foreign dependence on medical treatment could be reduced.
Addressing the 36th Annual Winter Meeting-2015 of the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) at a local hotel, he said that doctors and physicians associated with APPNA were not only serving the ailing humanity in North America but also rendering great service as non-formal ambassadors of Pakistan.
The President said that Polio had become a major challenge due to which Pakistan faced various kinds of sanctions at international level.
In fact, he said, Pakistan was not responsible for this problem but the global circumstances, which landed the region into troubles/strife, had impacted the anti-polio drive.
He urged the doctors that being non-formal ambassadors of Pakistan, they must convey Pakistan’s stance to the world community and convince it to adopt a sympathetic approach instead of imposing undue sanctions.
The President said that by the grace of Allah Almighty, new constructive opportunities are being created in the region after a long period of war/strife.
Now positive changes are occurring in Pakistan’s relations with Russia and Afghanistan for which China was playing a key role.
Being pivot of the region, Pakistan was ready to reap benefits of these opportunities including the projects under the China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC) he said, asserting that completion of the CPEC projects were of immense importance for Pakistan’s economy.
“Therefore, we all must get united and set aside our petty ethnic and political mileages for economic well-being of Pakistan,” he added.
Mamnoon Hussain urged the nation as well as overseas Pakistanis to foil all those moves, which directly or indirectly impact negatively on country’s economic fabric.
The President said that corruption and dishonesty had eaten the vitals of the country in the past, and no nation could develop itself without getting rid of these menaces.
He mentioned that since inception of present government in 2013, no corruption scandal had so far come forth, adding that country’s economy was now more stable and had better rating at global level.
Mamnoon Hussain said that his priorities were education, health, support to finance sector and struggle (Jehad) against corruption.
He called upon the doctors to help eliminate corruption and dishonesty in the health sector.
Pakistani doctors’ impressive services abroad help them to have an easy access to scientific/medical research and enhance their professional knowledge and skills.
Their improved professional skills indirectly benefit their own country that was evident from the establishment of liver transplant centre in Islamabad, he added.
The President observed that doctor community’s welfare and health initiatives across Pakistan could become more effective through proper planning, so they should chalk out a comprehensive programme within given resources to improve effectiveness of their projects for the ailing humanity.
This would also reinforce the government’s endeavors for improving public health facilities, he maintained.
Mamnoon Hussain also called upon the doctors to support the government efforts for eradication of diseases in far-flung areas of the country and prepare such studies/reports, which prove instrumental in diagnosing and curing fatal diseases through modern and effective methods.
Increasing prices and lowering quality of medicines are also major problems, which entail administrative, ethical and technical aspects, as unfair procedures are adopted for consumption/sale of spurious and sub-standard medicines, he mentioned and sought suggestions from the doctors and physicians’ to overcome this grave problem and assured them of his full cooperation for the purpose.
Punjab Governor Muhammad Rafique Rajwana also attended the meeting, while APPNA President Mubasher Rana, KEMU Vice Chancellor Prof. Faisal Masud and FJMU VC Prof. Sardar Fakhar Iman also spoke on the occasion.
At the end, the President Mamnoon Hussain also gave away shields to the selected members of the APPNA.

LAHORE, Dec 20 (APP): President Mamnoon Hussain on Sunday said school, college and university students should be introduced the teachings of Father of the Nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in order to groom their personalty.
He said this would help them evaluate and assess positive and negative values – ultimately avoiding corruption, intolerance and narrow-mindedness.
He was addressing a ceremony in connection with birthday of Quaid-i-Amam Muhammad Ali Jinnah held under auspices of Nazria-i-Pakistan Trust here at Aiwan-i-Karkunan-i-Tehreek-i-Pakistan.
He said the Nazria-i-Pakistan Trust should play its role in enlightening the youth as well as the old so that future generations could be more tolerant towards the minorities and aware of their moral responsibilities.
Recollecting the early years in Pakistan’s history, he said every department had been deteriorated after the 70s, adding it is collective responsibility to make Pakistan a prosperous country.
Mamnoon Hussain said: “Quaid-e-Azam believed in ‘hardwork, hardwork and hardwork’ and “it is by truthful adherence to the sayings of the Quaid that we can achieve glory”.
President Mamnoon said the government of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had been making efforts to put the country on a right path though it inherited a poor economy with Rs 14,800 billion in foreign debt.
He regretted that previous regimes did not construct new dams and allocate sufficient funds for education, health and energy sectors.
He said the government was almost ready to build Diamer Bhasha Dam which would generate 4,500 MW electricity, adding it has also been working on the Gwadar Port, Lahore-Karachi Motorway and the Hazara motorway projects while production of electricity was also sought through solar, coal and wind projects.
He urged people to reject the detractors of these development project of the government.
The President called upon people to support Nawaz Sharif’s government as the completion of these projects would fulfil the dream of Allama Dr Muhammad Iqbal as per the vision of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
He urged female students to seek higher education as their role was vital for being half of the population.
The President said the people must wage a Jihad against corruption and raise voice and boycott the corrupt elements in the society.
Mamnoon Hussain stressed the need to follow the golden principles of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah like Faith, Unity and Discipline so that corrupt could be made accountable.
He admired the role of the Armed Forces to weed out terrorism from the country, adding that sacrifices of the Jawans would be written in golden words.
He saluted the spirit and valour of the soldiers and law-enforcement agencies, adding that Zarb-e-Azb would bring the fight against terrorism to its logical end.
He said that terrorists would not be spared at all.
The President said Nazria-i-Pakistan Trust must hold
such ceremonies so that the new generation could be taught about the idealogy of the country.
Punjab Governor Malik Muhammad Rafique Rajwana, Chairman Nazria-i-Pakistan Trust and former President Muhammad Rafique Tarar, vice chairman Dr Rafique Ahmed and former Chief Justice Shriah Court Mian Mehboob Ahmed also attended the ceremony.
Chairman Nazria-e-Pakistan Trust Muhammad Rafique Tarar presented a shield to President Mamnoon Hussain on the occasion.

ISLAMABAD, Dec 20 (APP): Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar Sunday said the PML-N government has no plans whatsoever to privatize the national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
He said the government, in fact, only intends to seek a strategic partner for the airline and added efforts would be made to invite credible and reputed international strategic partners to the extent of 26%, in only the core business of PIA.
The process of selecting the strategic partners would be carried out ensuring complete transparency, he said in a statement issued here.
The Finance Minister said there will be no layoffs in PIA and the employees would continue their jobs and careers without any change in their normal terms and conditions of employment.
He said even if a strategic partner for the airline could not be found, the government remained committed to ensuring that PIA regained its lost glory in the shortest possible time.
The PML-N government, the Minister emphasized, actually initiated the restructuring exercise for PIA immediately after assuming office in June 2013.
As a result of government’s efforts, there has been a visible improvement in the overall working of the airline, he added.
He said number of operational aircraft available with PIA has increased from 18 in June 2013 to 38 at present. This figure will rise to 40 by the end of this month, he added.
Similarly, the average aircraft age has been reduced from 14 years to 9 years and the government is aiming to bring it further down to 6 years, he said.
In addition, he said, the on-time performance of PIA has improved to 82% which is comparable with the top Middle Eastern airlines.
He said the Ordinance issued by Government recently was aimed at freeing the PIA management from government control and enabling it to take its decisions promptly and independently in a transparent manner in the best interests of the company and ensuring early implementation of those decisions.
As the same time, conversion of PIA from a corporation to a company will ensure higher protection to all shareholders which will increase investor confidence, leading to higher investment in the company, he added.
PIA, he said, will now follow the Code of Corporate Governance which will help create a better environment for the management by reducing legal problems and chances of fraud.
All this will ultimately lead to availability of better human resource and healthier financial position, thereby ensuring more aircraft, more routes and better services for PIA’s customers.
The Minister reiterated that, with concerted efforts, PIA will Inshallah, regain its past glory.
He also expressed the confidence that all its employees would put in their best to help ensure that PIA achieved international service standards.

ISLAMABAD, Dec 20 (APP): Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Sunday directed to take action against Emirates Airlines for airlifting of an Australian
cricketer Dean Jones to Pakistan without visa.
The minister said all the international airlines should ensure to
follow the concerned laws as Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was also bound to observe these laws while flying to other countries, says a press release.
He rejected the mis-perception that Interior ministry could allow any foreigner to travel Pakistan without having visa documents.
He said everyone who was willing to travel to Pakistan or any international airlines shall obey the state and international travel laws for flying to Pakistan.
“Gone were the days, when the laws were violated, but now, the laws, sovereignty and respect of the country would be upheld, at any cost.”
Meanwhile, the minister also took notice of travelling of a lady from Lahore to Dubai with the passport of her son.
He said the responsible officers of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been dismissed after an inquiry.
Nisar said it should also be ensured that if the PIA staff show any kind of laxity to check travel documents of any passenger, the FIA officials should not allow the traveller to fly abroad without complete checking of his or her travel documents.