ISLAMABAD, Sep 04 (APP): The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Saturday announced that the partially vaccinated individuals can get their schedules second jab without waiting for the message throughout the week.
The NCOC in an important update said that all people who have had their second dose scheduled can get inoculation from any vaccination center.
The Forum informed that Sunday was set as exclusive day for administration of the second dose.
ISLAMABAD, Sep 04 (APP): The business community of Afghanistan has said that Afghanistan needs the world help so it can sustain economically.
The country is passing through a critical juncture and after Taliban’s take over, the business community wanted to flourish the system and institutions, including investment by the international community must not be lost, Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industries president Khan Jan Alkozai said in an interview with APP.
Foreign aid formed about 40 percent of Afghanistan’s GDP during Ashraf Ghani’s administration. Following the Taliban takeover the United States has suspended Afghanistan’s foreign reserves of around $9 billion.
He said, according to Asian Development Bank data 47.5 percent people in Afghanistan are living below the poverty line and continues wars has badly affected economy of the country.
The business community underscored the need for continuity in policies, as consistency establishes trust of the people in the system.
“The world is very advance and moving ahead in every field at a fast pace,” he said, adding, “After Taliban clinched the power in Afghanistan, our worries are that the system developed here in the last 20 years should continue, because we have experts of this system in all fields.”
Alkozai said that the business community of Afghanistan is looking forward increase its bilateral and Afghan transit trade with Pakistan and wanted Pakistan’s linkages with the Central Asian Republics (CARs), the Russian Federation, adding all political and security-related issues lying in it must be resolved.
Both countries should change their economic and security policies for the promotion of trade, besides improving the Customs and banking systems between the two countries, he said.
The CASA-1000 and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan and India (TAPI) gas pipeline projects could be materialized when peace and stability is restored in Afghanistan.
Alkozai said that there were 1,500 members of Pak-Afghan Joint Chambers of Commerce and Industries, besides local traders and they have assured of smooth functioning of trade between the two countries.
The bureaucratic bottlenecks must be removed and more facilities at Torkham and Chaman borders and Karachi seaport be provided to enhance bilateral trade, he said, adding that 2,000 containers, most of which have food items, got stuck at the Karachi Port due to nonpayment and the traders needed help of the Pakistan government, in this regard.
Welcoming the extension in the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA) for the next three months, he urged upon Islamabad and Kabul to reconstitute a new transit agreement in consultation with the respective business communities and stakeholders on both sides of the border.
Alkozai, however urged for simplification of rules and regulations for carrying out smooth bilateral trade and transit trade.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan Chambers of Commerce and Industries president Muhammad Younas Khan Momand said that the Taliban leadership had assured the business community restoration of peace and security and they were hopeful of fulfillment of their pledges.
Talking to APP, he said, there was a vast potential of increasing bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan after the restoration of peace and stability.
In 2012, the bilateral trade between the two countries had reached $3 billion but later due to security and political reasons, it dropped to $1 billion, but now it was again on the rise.
He said Afghanistan was a landlocked country and the maximum number of its imports come through Karachi and Gwadar ports, adding that Pakistan was also the major beneficiary of the bilateral trade, as the maximum number of imports come from Pakistan.
Afghanistan imports electrical goods, steel, cement, bricks, clothes, kinnow, banana and other edible items from Pakistan, while Afghanistan exports fresh and dry fruits to Pakistan.
Momand said that the tax on perishable items between the two countries should be zero per cent or bring it down to its minimum level.
The trade and politics should be separated from each other, as both countries could take great benefit from its geographical location, he said, adding that there should be smooth trade between the two countries.
Lauding the efforts of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for focusing on regional connectivity with Afghanistan and five landlocked Central Asian countries, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, he said, these efforts could cause a major economic upturn for these countries.
However, he termed peace in Afghanistan as the “foremost factor” to materialise such a vision of prosperity.
Momand said that an international joint border market was the need of the hour, as it would provide maximum investment opportunities to the business community of the two countries and foreign investors.
There was great scope for joint investment in the marble and mining sectors, he said, adding that the Taliban leadership had guaranteed foolproof security to the businessmen and foreign investors.
ISLAMABAD, Sep 4 (APP): The theft of over 200 kilograms of nuclear material over the last two decades in India poses a serious threat of nuclear terrorism, necessitating action by the global powers to address poor safety standards in the country.
China and Pakistan, the countries neighbouring India, have been calling for strengthening regulations following repeated incidents of theft of nuclear material in India.
Such incidents have raised concerns about India, which has emerged as a potential hotspot in the illegal trade of nuclear technology and materials vital for a malicious nuclear supply chain for state and non-state actors.
According to a timeline issued by The South Asia Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI), 18 nuclear material’s theft and lost incidents were reported in India from 1994 to 2021 involving over 200 kg of nuclear material.
The Indian authorities recovered 2.5 kg uranium in 1994; 111 kg in 1998, also involving an opposition leader; 59.1 kg in 2000; 200 grams in 2001; 225 grams in 2003; 4 kg in 2008; 5 kg in 2009; 9 kg in 2016; 1 kg in 2018 and 13.75 kg in 2021 in several other incidents.
According to a research paper jointly issued by SASSI President Dr Maria Sultan and now Human Rights Minister Dr Shireen Mazari, the reports of Indian involvement in the theft of nuclear fissile material dates back to the early 1970s, but the magnitude of the threat increased manifold in the 1980s and 1990s.
India needs to answer the world how can the state allow its street criminals to posses uranium. Someone would have used this for terrorism & India would have claimed it was Pakistan. The truth has been exposed. The world must ask India to answer. https://t.co/3NMLQM20r9
— Fakhr-e-Alam (@falamb3) May 7, 2021
In the late 1980s, the CIA had concluded that India was trying to develop a sophisticated Hydrogen bomb. In 1994, on a tip-off, a shipment of beryllium was caught in Vilnius, worth US $ 24 million.
“The material could fall into the hands of extremists and terrorists in India with disastrous consequences. The out-of-control material could also be a cause of concern due to the proliferation reasons. It is also the responsibility of global organizations and India’s partners to raise the standard of nuclear safety and security in the country and investigate shortcomings for maintaining tight controls on nuclear and radioactive materials,” said Sarman Ali, an Islamabad-based defence analyst.
Should look seriously in this . As it is most dangerous radioactive element used for atomic bomb. Countries signed no use of nuclear weapons & this declined our image. In. Covid national security can’t be compromise.
— swapnil choudhari (@swapnIIIIL1) May 7, 2021
Pakistan had repeatedly called for a thorough investigation of such incidents and sought measures for strengthening the security of nuclear materials to prevent their diversion.
The latest incident was reported by the Indian NDTV from Kolkata, while quoting a senior officer, where the West Bengal Crime Investigation Department has arrested two persons from an area near the Kolkata airport for illegal possession of radioactive substances, which have an “estimated worth of ₹ 4,250 crore [Indian Rupee].”
Foreign Office spokesperson said in a recent statement said that such incidents were a matter of deep concern as “they point to lax controls, poor regulatory and enforcement mechanisms, as well as the possible existence of a black market for nuclear materials inside India.
Imagine, 7.1kilos of highly radio active stolen uranium worth Rs 30 crores was on sale in India, pedalled by Jayesh Pandya, a Modi acolyte, who heads the Indian nuclear mafia. The IAEA owes the world an explanation. The UNSC must ask for an investigation.
— Zafar Hilaly (@ZafarHilaly) May 7, 2021
He pointed to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) which made it binding on states to ensure stringent measures to prevent nuclear material from falling into wrong hands.
Following the recovery of 7,100 grams of radioactive uranium by the police in Mumbai in May this year, China had called on all the countries to join treaties for non-proliferation aimed at ensuring nuclear safety.
More than two decades Pakistan was painted as unsafe country vis their nuclear arsenals while during same period India was epitome of Uranium black market. World remained/remains silent.
Hello @FATFNews @iaeaorg are you watching? pic.twitter.com/0X2cCxBfq8
— 𝐼𝓂𝓇𝒶𝓃 𝐿𝒶𝓁𝒾𝓀𝒶 (@Lalika79) September 3, 2021
“Nuclear terrorism is the security challenge faced by the international community. All governments have the responsibilities to strengthen regulation of nuclear materials to combat nuclear trafficking to ensure the nuclear safety and security,” Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Hua Chunying said.
Dr Maria Sultan in a tweet said it was time that the Indian state establishes an independent nuclear regulatory authority, else “India will soon be the only state proliferator of nuclear materials to non state actors and terrorists.”
May be it is time that the Indian state should establish an independent nuclear regulatory authority otherwise India will soon be the only state proliferator of nuclear materials to non state actors and terrorists https://t.co/g2oV2dUFPa
— Dr Maria Sultan (@DrMariaSultan1) August 29, 2021
At least 11 states in India have uranium reserves with Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and Meghalaya recording the largest reserves of radioactive material.
ISLAMABAD, Sep 4 (APP): The exports from the country witnessed an increase of 27.59 percent during the first two months of the current fiscal year (2021-22) as compared to the corresponding months of last year, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported.
According to PBS data, the exports from the country stood at $4.573 billion during July-August (2021-22), as against the exports of $3.584 billion recorded during July-August (2020-21), showing growth of 27.59 percent.
The imports during the months under review also went up by 72.59 percent by growing from $6.990 billion last year to $12.064 billion in July-August (2021-22).
Based on the data, the trade deficit during the period under review was recorded at $7.491 billion, showing an increase of 119.94 percent over the deficit of $3.406 billion recorded during July-August (2020-21), the PBS data revealed.
Meanwhile, on year-on-year basis, the exports of the country increased by 41.04 percent during the first two months as compared to the exports of July-August (2020-21).
The exports during July-August (2021-22) were recorded at $2.234 billion against the exports of $1.584 billion in July-August (2020-21), the data revealed.
The imports into the country increased from $3.316 billion July-August (2020-21) to $6.463 billion in July-August (2021-22), showing growth of 94.90 percent.
On month-on-month basis, the exports from the country however witnessed a decline of 4.53 percent during July-August (2021-22) as compared to the exports of $2.340 billion recorded during July (2021-22).
Likewise, the imports into the country during July (2021-22) witnessed 15.39 percent growth as compared to the imports of $5.601 billion in July (2021-22), according to the PBS data.
ISLAMABAD, Sep 04 (APP): Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill on Saturday said former Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif spent the entire budget of the province in one city for kickbacks.
In response to the statement of Marryam Aurangzeb, he said the monthly expenditure of the Orange Line train was about Rs 540 million against its revenue of Rs 60 million only.
He said as a CM Shahbaz Sharif benefited the sugar mill owned by his sons.
The past rulers did not consider abuse of power a crime for personal business gain, he added.
Gill said the purpose of their politics was not public welfare but to expand their businesses.
He said they money laundered kickbacks under the guise of business. The businesses of former rulers grew rapidly, he said.
He said despite tall claim of not committing a single penny corruption, money laundered billions of rupees.
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