UNITED NATIONS, Apr 9 (APP): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday that a paradigm shift was needed to address violent extremism affecting communities across the globe.
“Violent extremism is a direct assault on the UN charter and the universal declaration of human rights. It represents a grave threat to international peace and security,” he said following a session of the Geneva Conference on Preventing Violent Extremism: The Way Forward.
Noting that the international community’s response to violent extremism has centered on countering the threat, the UN chief cautioned that security and military actions alone cannot defeat the spread of groups such as ISIL, al-Qaida and Boko Haram.
UN chief calls for global partnership to prevent violent extremism
Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai's message of love, peace being promoted: Marvi
HYDERABAD, Apr 9 (APP): State Minister and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Marvi Memon has said that poetry of great Sufi Saint Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai preached the message of love, peace, affection and brotherhood.
She said that the present government under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is making all out efforts to root out terrorism and maintain law and order by following the philosophy of the great mystic poet.
She expressed these remarks while speaking as chief guest at a ceremony organised in connection with 335th birth anniversary of Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai at his mazar at Bhitshah late Saturday evening.
Pakistan Embassy helping stranded Pakistanis in Xinjiang
ISLAMABAD, Apr 9 (APP): Pakistan Embassy in Beijing, China has been in contact with the Chinese Foreign Office and the authorities in Xinjiang to provide relief to 45 Pakistanis reportedly stranded in Tashekuergan in the Xinjiang province.
According to Pakistan Embassy in Beijing, around 45 Pakistanis were stranded primarily as a result of the bad weather conditions and cancellation of Rayan Air flight between Kashghar and Islamabad, said a press release of the Foreign Office on Saturday.
The Embassy has been in contact with them for the last two
days when it first learnt about the situation.
Work on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects in progress
LAHORE, April 9 (APP):Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad
Shehbaz Sharif has said work on China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor projects is in progress speedily and energy projects
worth billions of dollars are being set up in Sindh, Khyber
Pakhtookhawa, Balochistan, Punjab and other areas of the
country.
He expressed these views while addressing a ceremony
arranged by Chinese company Hauneng Shandong Ruyi, working on Sahiwal coal power plant, for distribution of certificates among engineers here at University of Engineering & Technology, on Saturday.
The chief minister said coal-based power projects in
Sahiwal and Port Qasim will be completed by the end of next
year and produce 2640 megawatts electricity.
Transparent, stable PML(N) govt to be formed in AJK: Dr Asif Kirmani
ISLAMABAD, Apr 9 (APP): Special Assistant to Prime Minister Dr Asif Kirmani Saturday said a transparent and stable government of Pakistan Muslim League (N) would be formed in Azad Kashmir in the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.
Dr Kirmani was expressing his views on the occasion of joining of former candidate Legislative Assembly AJK and former student leader Sardar Tahir Iqbal Khan in PML(N), at Kashmir House here.
Sardar Tahir resigned from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and belonged to constituency of Central Bagh. He invited people to join Pakistan Muslim League(N) if they wanted to see Azad Kashmir as developed and prosperous and desired
resolution of Kashmir issue according to UN resolutions.
Craftsmen mesmerize visitors with their artisanship at Lok Mela
ISLAMABAD April 9 (APP) : The on-going Folk Festival of Pakistan ‘Lok Mela’, organized by Lok Virsa, here at Shakarparian is immensely contributing towards documenting and preserving traditional folk crafts and projecting craftsmen.
The glimpses of rural folk and traditional heritage of different provinces and regions including remotest parts have coloured the grounds of the federal capital for ten consecutive days.
Besides several other features for families and children, exhibition of Artisans-at-work is a major attraction for the visitors at Lok Mela.
SBP's Monetary Policy Statement
KARACHI, April 9 (APP): The Monetary Policy Committee of the State Bank of Pakistan has decided to maintain the policy rate at six percent.
This was announced in the monetary policy statement issued by the SPB here on Saturday. It said that after bottoming out in September 2015, both the Year-on-Year (YoY) headline CPI and period average inflation are on a rising trend.
The monetary policy statement issued by the SBP further stated that while the YoY inflation rose from 1.3 percent in September 2015 to 3.9 percent in March 2016, the period average inflation increased from 1.7 percent to 2.6 percent during this period. Similarly, the YoY core inflation measures kept their increasing trends; Non Food-Non Energy increased for the fifth consecutive month and the Trimmed Mean for the third month.
JOCC to launch vigorous action against terrorists, facilitators
LAHORE, Apr 9 (APP): Joint Operations Coordination Committee (JOCC) has decided to vigorously undertake coordinated action across the board against all terrorist outfits and their facilitators.
The JOCC took the decision during its meeting here on Saturday, following the earlier meeting between Punjab Chief Minister and Commander Lahore Corps, held on April 5.
According to ISPR, the meeting was attended by senior civil
and military officials of Punjab and heads of civil and military intelligence agencies. The forum agreed to revitalize the committee to carry out intelligence assessment, joint development of security mosaic and direct all operations in Punjab.
PM condols Maulana Ubaid's death at Jamia Ashrafia
LAHORE, Apr 9 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Saturday visited Jamia Ashrafia without any protocol and condoled death of Maulana Muhammad Ubaidullah with Mohtamim (Administrator) of the Jamia, Maulana Hafiz Fazl-ur-Raheem.
Qari Ahmed Ubaid, Qari Arshad Ubaid, Amjad Ubaid, Hafiz Asad Ubaid and a number of Ulema were also present on the occasion.
Expressing profound grief, the Prime Minister said that
Pakistan had been deprived of a great religious scholar with
demise of Maulana Muhammad Ubaidullah. However, people would continue to benefit from his religious educational services, he added.
Pakistan Navy Inducts Zarb Missile
KARACHI, April 9 (APP): Pakistan Navy has successfully conducted test launch of shore based anti-ship Zarb Missile on Saturday.
A PN statement said that the trial was conducted in Arabian Sea and weapon launched from coastal site successfully engaged the surface target.
The test further consolidates Pakistan’s capability for defence
of the country. The PN statement said that speaking on the occasion, Vice Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Operations), lauded the efforts of those involved.