By Raziq Ali Shah
ISLAMABAD, May 25 (APP): The government is embarking on ambitious plan to overcome menace of load-shedding as some over 17000 MW additional electricity will be added to the national grid system by 2018.
The incumbent government’s pragmatic steps will not only end power load-shedding in the country but also usher in a new era of progress and prosperity.
ISLAMABAD, May 26 (APP): Legendary sitar player Muhammad Sharif Khan also known as Ustad Sharif Khan Poonchwaley’s 36th death anniversary was observed on Thursday, May 26.
Ustad Sharif Khan was a classical player of Sitar, vichitra veena and raza been (rudra veena). He learned sitar from his father Ustad Rahim Bakhsh Khan.
He was born at Poonch in 1926 to a family of renowned veena and sitar players. Ustad Sharif Khan, belongs to Poonch gharana (traditional school) of sitar.
He played a key role in promoting the sitar in Pakistan. Everywhere he went and charmed the audiences with his stylishness.
He performed as a young sitar player at the YMCA Hall in Lahore in 1942.
Some renowned luminaries of music also performed there with him including Bade Ghulam Ali Khan of Kasur, Ustad Fayyaz Khan of Baroda and Ustad Amir Khan of Indore. All of these musicians were invited to participate in the 2-day music festival at Lahore in 1942.
He played a key role in promoting the sitar in Pakistan.
He was a member of the early original team hired by the first Managing Director Aslam Azhar of Pakistan Television, Lahore Center to perform as a sitar player, when it first started TV broadcasts in 1964.
Sharif Khan was awarded the Pride of Performance Award in 1968 for his services to Pakistan.He died on 26 May, 1980 at the age of 66 years.
ISLAMABAD, May 26 (APP): Special Assistant to the Prime
Minister on Law, Barrister Zafarullah Khan has said that the UN Committee on Rights of Child has appreciated steps taken by Pakistan for advancing child rights.
Leading the Pakistan delegation to presentation of Pakistan’s
Periodic Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the United Nations in Geneva on May 25 26, he said the Committee has also appreciated the Government’s willingness to have an open and frank dialogue with the Committee on measures taken and the challenges faced, a message received here Thursday from Geneva said.
He underscored the commitment of the Government of Pakistan to implement its human rights obligations flowing from treaties to which it is party.
The SAPM stressed that the promotion of child rights and the
best interest of the child were a national priority and a moral imperative. He added that the vision of a democratic, progressive and peaceful Pakistan can be fully realized by assuring our children a bright future.
The delegation included Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Geneva, representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Education, Health and Pakistan’s Mission to the UN Geneva.
Pakistan presented its fifth period report on the
implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child to the 18 member Committee of international child rights experts.
Zafarullah said the Pakistan Government was unequivocally
committed to the advancement of the rights of children. During the interactive dialogue with the Committee, he shared legislative, policy as well as administrative measures taken by Government to guarantee the realization of the rights of all Pakistani children.
He also elaborated measures undertaken by the Government to provide children, access to education, health and enabling environment and protect them from violence, abuse and harm.
ISLAMABAD, May 26 (APP): Minister for Finance Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Thursday said that parliamentary committee had completed its preamble with consensus as it was a good beginning to resolve the matter.
The committee had talked on Terms of Reference (ToRs) on
Panama Papers and both government and opposition had showed flexibility on their stances, he said while talking to a private news channel.
The minister said, in a second phase, the committee would
discuss ToRs and 56 act of the constitution as all the commission were constituted in accordance to this act except last judicial commission regarding allegations of rigging in 2013 general elections.
If consensus was not developed on any point then it would
not be implemented, he added.
Replying to a question, he said the government and
opposition members had prepared a press release and no other information was shared to media regarding the meeting of the committee.
Ishaq Dar said the information would be shared to media
after evolving consensus on ToRs.
He expressed hope the committee would complete its task on time.
ISLAMABAD, May 26 (APP): Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah has arrived in South Africa on a four-day visit where he will meet his South African counterpart and discuss ways on cooperation between the two navies.
Admiral Zakaullah arrived in Johannesburg Wednesday evening at the invitation of his South African naval chief, a message from Pretoria, South Africa said received here.
Pakistan’s High Commissioner to South Africa Najmus Saqib along with the officials of host country accorded a warm welcome to the visiting Naval Chief at the O.R.Tambo Airport, Johannesburg.
Admiral Zakaullah is scheduled to meet the chiefs of South African Navy, the South African National Defence Force and the South African Air Force.
During the visit, Admiral Zakaullah will be briefed on a number of mutually beneficial defence-related matters.
He will also visit Denel Dynamics, a South African-based innovative defence organisation in advanced systems technology, will hold talks with its CEO and be briefed on the defence production capacities of the Organisation.
The Naval Chief will visit the South African Fleet Command Headquarters and discuss matters of mutual interests.
Pakistan and South Africa are enjoying warm, cordial and friendly relations ever since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1993.
The governments of Pakistan and South Africa are actively engaged in enhancing their bilateral relations in a number of fields including defence cooperation.
RAWALPINDI, May 26 (APP): Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Thursday visited Southern Command Headquarters Quetta where he was briefed about operation matters and security situation in Balochistan.
According to ISPR, THE COAS appreciated the efforts of Law
Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) with special regard to the Intelligence agencies in unearthing foreign agencies networks which have been working against the state of Pakistan by destablising it.
“Together we will defeat any nefarious design of hurting
Pakistan and root out hostile enemies from our country,” COAS reiterated.
ISLAMABAD, May 26 (APP): Federal Minister for Petroleum
and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Thursday said government wanted to reduce dependence on imported gas.
The government would continue to cooperate with foreign companies like OMV Pakistan to produce more gas.
“I hope that the company would make efforts for exploration of more gas in Pakistan,” he said speaking as the chief guest, to celebrate the completion of OMV’s 25 years of business success in Pakistan.
OMV hosted a grand event, which was attended by
key regulatory authorities, the oil and gas industry, OMV Executive Management and employees.
The minister congratulated OMV team for the
successful partnership and looked forward to OMV’s continued investment success in unlocking new energy supplies.
He expressed the hope that OMV would complete another
25 years successfully in Pakistan.
Chairman of the Executive Board; CEO
OMV Aktiengesellschaft Dr. Rainer Seele said that the company has been operating in the middle indus desert areas of Sindh since 1991. It has grown to one of the largest international investors in Pakistan’s petroleum sector.
He thanked in particular the Federal Government, the provincial governments of Sindh, Punjab
and Balochistan, joint venture partners, contractors and the notables and the communities from the area of OMV’ activities for their support.
In particular he thanked the federal minister
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
He also thanked OMV employees and contractors
for their commitment through the years.
Austrian Company, OMV as a foreign operator has
earned the trust of its stakeholders and carrying out its operations in a safe and responsible manner and is working continuously to generate more gas and condensate supplies to the national networks, refineries and to the people of Pakistan.
The event was also attended by Maria Mittermair, SVP
International and Governmental Relations, Erwin Kroll, SVP Middle East and Africa, Kurt Wagner, General Manager, Ambassador of Austria to Pakistan Dr. Brigit Blaha and Amjad Latif MD SNGPL.
QUETTA, May 26 (APP): Pakistani intelligence agencies have arrested six trained agents of Afghanistan’s intelligence agency who were involved in targeted killings, bomb blasts and killing 40 people in Pakistan.
This was disclosed by Balochistan Home Minister, Mir Sarfaraz Bugti who along with senior officials was addressing a press conference, here on Thursday evening.
He said, “Our intelligence and security agencies have successfully arrested six agents of Afghanistan’s intelligence agency who have confessed their involvement in killing 40 innocent people, targeted killing, bomb blast and other heinous crimes in Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan province.”
He said that these Afghan agents in guise of Afghan refugees entered Pakistan and lived in Afghan refugee camps.
“We hosted Afghan refugees but the agents of Afghanistan’s intelligence agency stabbed our back by killing innocent Pakistani people in targeted killing and bomb explosions,” he said.
He said that both Indian intelligence agency, RAW and Afghan
intelligence agency, NDS were jointly involved in acts of terror in Balochistan and other parts of the country.
“RAW and NDS jointly got their agents entered into Pakistan who committed targeted killings of innocent people,” he said.
Narrating the details of the arrested Afghan agents, he said that Lt, Rozi Khan was serving officer of Afghan National Army and resident of Ghazni area of Afghanistan.
“Rozi Khan had Pakistani national identity card and was living in Kuchlak area of Quetta,” he said.
The Home Minister further said that three army generals of
Afghanistan’s intelligence agency, NDS including General. Momin, General. Naeem and General Malik were handling their agents to create unrest in Pakistan.
He said that Mehmood Khan and Asmat Khan the agents of NDS were involved in targeted killings in Pakistan.
During the press conference, a video was also screened before the journalists which was showing agents of NDS, confessing their heinous crimes which they committed in Pakistan.
He said that now Afghan refugees would have to repatriate back to their country, Afghanistan as saying their were creating several problems for Pakistan.
He urged all stakeholders to devise a strategy for repatriation of Afghan refugees.
ISLAMABAD, May 26 (APP): Planning Commission was hopeful that all the funds earmarked under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the year 2015-16 would be disbursed, the Senate Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Reform was informed here Thursday.
The meeting, which was chaired by Senator Col (R ), Syed Tahir Hussain Mushhadi, was attended among others by Senators, Mufit Abdul Sattar, Muhammad Usman Khan Kakar, Saeedul Hassan Mandokhail, Saud Majeed, Muhammad Mohsin Khan Leghari and Saleem Mandviwala as special invitee.
Additional Secretary Planning, in his detailed presentation said he was hopeful of 100 percent disbursement of the PSDP allocations for the current year.
ISLAMABAD, May 26 (APP): The Islamabad Sports Board (ISB) on Thursday announced 18-member squad for the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Inter-Provincial Under-17 Football Championship scheduled to be played from May 28 at Gilgit.
According to Islamabad Sports Board, Secretary, Muhammad Asghar Ali, the 18-member squad includes Muhammad Ijaz, Sultan Khan, Roohullaha, Ifnan Shahid, Haseeb Ahmed Khan, Ammar Arshad, Zeeshan Zulfiqar, Syed Mustafa, Muhammad Ahmad, Saifullah Abbasi, Hassan Shereen, Syed Abdullah Shah ,Hurara Farooqi, Amir Hamza, M.Osama Naeem, Nofil Hussain, Abdullah Shoukat and Hamza Shoukat.
“Rana Tanveer Ahmed and Muhammad Ramzan Qasuri will accompany the team as Coordinator/Coach and Manager, respectively,” he said.
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