ISLAMABAD, Jul 17 (APP): American Ambassador in Pakistan David Hale awarded certificates of completion to 66 students from Punjab,Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and northern Pakistan who recently returned from a yearlong academic exchange in the United States.

Ambassador Hale also met with 105 Pakistani secondary school students who will spend the 2016 2017 academic year in the United States, said an embassy’s press release Sunday.

“I have seen firsthand how exchanges can generate new ideas, challenge old stereotypes, build mutual understanding, and spark new friendships,” Ambassador Hale said.

He said together, the American and Pakistani governments were committed to expanding their educational cooperation, fortifying Pakistan’s education system, and building connections between people.

The 171 students from all across Pakistan earned the
opportunity to participate in the Kennedy Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program on the basis of written applications, English proficiency tests, and interviews.
The YES Programme, funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, gives secondary school students from 37 countries the opportunity to study at American high schools and live with American host families for one academic year.

In addition to attending academic classes, participants also
engage in extracurricular activities such as community service projects and youth leadership training.

The participants also act as cultural ambassadors, helping
Americans gain a better understanding of other countries and
cultures.

The International Education and Resource Network (IEARN)
Pakistan selects YES programme participants in coordination with the American Embassy.

The YES programme is one of a wide range of exchange programmes supported by the American Embassy in Islamabad; every year, more than 1,300 Pakistanis travel to America on academic and professional exchange programmes.

LAHORE, July 17 (APP): Federal Minister for Defence Production and Science & Technology Rana Tanveer Hussain said on Sunday that international community would have to shun double standards for ensuring peace in the world.

He said this while addressing the inaugural ceremony of a road at Sharaqpur, says a press release issued here.

He said that Pakitsan could not stay silent at the
atrocities the Indian Army was committing against the innocent Kashmiris, adding that the incumbment government had raised the issue at all international forums.

Rana Tanveer said that it had officially been decided to observe July 19 and July 20 as the “Youm-e-Ilhaq Kashmir” (accession day) and ‘black day’, respectively. A decision in this regard was made in the recent federal cabinet meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.

He said that the PML-N would hold rallies across the country
to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir.

The minister said that the killing of innocent Kashmiris and
violation of human rights in the held valley should be stopped, adding that Pakistan’s desire for peace should not be considered as its weakness.

He said that progress and prosperity of the country was
the focus of the PML-N politics, adding that there was no exmaple of the development which took place during the last three years in the country.

Rana Tanveer said that billion of rupees had been spent
on development works in NA-131 and NA-132, adding that mega projects had been completed in Muridke, Narang Mandi, Ferozwala and Sharaqpur. These projects include water filtration plants, provision of Sui-gas and electricity,
construction of new schools and colleges, upgradation of
Tehsil Headquarters Hospitals and construction of new roads.

He said that now the people of Sharaqpur would be given a
gift of a motorway from Lahore to Karachi and soon Prime
Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif would inaugurate work on it.

Earlier, talking to the media, he said that dictatorship
could never be an alternative of democracy and added that all problems were being solved with concensus.

ISLAMABAD, Jul 17 (APP): National Disaster Management
Authority (NDMA) has identified 10 priority areas under NDM Plan (2013 2022), aimed at enhancing capacity to respond natural disasters such as floods, landslides and earthquakes.

National Disaster Management Plan (MDMP) a strategic plan
which provides for enhancing capacity of country to prepare for and respond to disasters such as floods (urban/flash riverine), landslides, earthquakes, drought, tsunami, cyclone, glacier lake outburst flood (GLOF), avalanches and tropical sea storms by defining measures necessary for disaster management.

Giving details, official sources on Sunday said the plan has
identified 10 priority areas, 41 strategies and 122 projects in domain of institutional development, capacity building, awareness, early warning system, human resource development, hazard and risk assessment etc.

The sources said NDMP identifies roles and responsibilities
of various stakeholders involved in disaster management and facilitates various organization/agencies to undertake interventions as identified in NDMP to achieve desired results.

Moreover, NDMA has also formulated National Disaster Risk
Reduction (DRR) Policy which provided an overall guiding frameworkfor building resilience of the country to disasters.

The policy aims at strengthening disaster preparedness and
response capabilities, improving the early warning system, building capacities of disaster management practitioners at all levels and that of communities as well as strengthening structural and nonstructural resilience of infrastructure.

As per NDM Act 2010 Provincial Disaster Management
Authorities (PDMAs) and District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) have been assigned to examine vulnerability of different parts of the provinces to different disasters and specify prevention and mitigation.

NDMA progressively attained the capacity to support about 300,000 people all over the country through its well stocked warehouses located on regional basis in any kind of disaster.

Highlighting important aspects of NDMP, the sources said
national hazard and vulnerability assessment, macro level risk assessment for entire country has been completed, while micro level assessment under progress.

Similarly, drought assessment has been carried out in
districts of Balochistan, early warning and evacuation systems for communities have been established through SMS alerts, enforcement of building codes being pursued through Ministry of Housing and Works while National Fire and Life Safety Codes are being developed for first time in country with collaboration of Pakistan Engineering
Council (PEC).

Moreover, the sources said awareness and advocacy was
conducted through public service messages during monsoon as well as during earthquake 2015 while NDMA implementation roadmap is in focus with respect to preparation of Multi Hazards Vulnerability Risk Assessment (MHVRA), Capacity Building of Community through Mobilization of Voluntary Emergency Response (MOVERE) and capacity building of government officials through concept of Government Officials Emergency Response Exercise (GOERE).

The sources said National Fund for Disaster Management is
being established, major part of which will be used for DRR activities i.e. Early Warning System (EWS) and flood mitigation, comprehensive national guidelines for school safety are being prepared to bring awareness as well as to ensure safety of children and gender and child cells have been established at NDMA and PDMAs to grant much needed attention to vulnerable groups during entire spectrum of disaster.

PESHAWAR, July 17 (APP): Adviser to the Prime Minister Amir Muqam Sunday said Pakistan Tehreek-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan topped the list of off-shore companies owners.

Criticizing both Imran Khan and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, he suggested Jamat-e-Isami chief Siraj Ul Haq, coalition parters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), to have a train march for a corruption-free KP where he claimed more than Rs 50 million corruption was done in different government departments every day.

Muqam was addressing a workers convention and Eid Milan Party of Pakistan Muslim League-N here. Thousands of PML-N workers, including women and leaders attended the convention, who raised vociferous slogans in favour of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.

He termed the presence of large number of people in the convention showed their trust in the Prime Minister and his policies for a prosperous Pakistan. The life standard of the common man had improved and with the grace of Allah Almighty, Pakistan was now out of the crises and was the track to become a progressive nation of the world.

The people of other countries, he said, were now calling Pakistan as the Asian Tiger due to to its economic progress.
He said the people had reposed their trust in the Prime Minister by voting for PML-N candidates in the by-polls.

He said Nawaz Sharif would be Prime Minister even after 2018 on the basis of his performance.

Amir Muqam said those making hue and cry for accountability of others should come forward and present themselves for the process as the PML-N
already wanted a broad-base Ehtisab (accountability).

Corruption, he said, has decreased during the present PML-N government.

He said Imran’s politics of ‘Darna’ (sit-in) was not for seeking
solution of problems being faced by the people, rather it was aimed at to become prime minister. The top slot, he said, could only be achieved by serving the people and not through creating problems for them through staging sit-ins.

He said Imran Khan had bought a flat in London through an offshore company. He himself admitted that he formed the offshore company to buy the flat in 1983 to evade British taxes.

Evading taxes, whether in London or Pakistan, was a crime which was committed by Imran, he added.

Muqam said the KP people had given his (Imran’s) party mandate in last general election but his party failed to serve the people.

He said despite publishing of an advertosement in the media against one KP minister by the Managing Director of Khyber Bank, Imran did not take any action aginst him. Rather more incentives were given to the
minister by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, he added.

He asked Imran to tell the people who was responsible for the corruption as both BoK MD and the minister concerned were still on their posts.

He reminded Imran of talking construction of 360 dams in the province.

It was just a castle in the air, he should rather to take practical steps, he added.

Amir Muqam said Shakeel Durrani had resigned due to rampant corruption and same was the case with the Director General Ehtisab Commission Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who alleged that things were not going in a right direction.

He said all the claims of the PTI government of providing free education, free health facilities, facilities at the hospitals to the public, changing in polive culture andgiving power to local government elected representatives were just hallow slogans.

He also asked PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to bring back his father. “There is neither any Mr 10 percent or any Raja Rental in the PML-N government,” he added. The PML-N believed in serving the people without any political affiliation and would continue by honouring
their mandate given to it, he added.

Amir Muqam urged the international community to take notice of the Indian-army atrocities in occupied Kashmir where hundreds and thousands of innocent Kashmiries lost their precious life for the just cause of the right of self determination under United Nation resolutions.

Criticizing the Indian army atrocities against innocent Kashmiries, he said Kashmir was on top of the PML-N agenda.

Amir Muqam also paid rich tribute to Abdul Sattar Edhi for rendering great sacrifices for the humanity.

He said all the promises the PML-N had made with the people of PK-8 would be fulfilled without any delay.

ISLAMABAD, July 17 (APP): All the Pakistanis stuck at
Istanbul airport in the wake of recent developments in Turkey were facilitated and safely returned to Pakistan.

The Pakistan Embassy and Consulate General in Istanbul
immediately established two emergency helplines and deputed a team of officers at the Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul to expedite the process of return.

The missions closely liaisoned with the Turkish Airlines
(THY) and arranged deployment of bigger aircraft and
additional flights to bring back these Pakistani nationals
numbering several hundred, said Foreign Office in a press
release on Sunday.

Accordingly, a total of four Turkish Airlines flights
were operated last night (16 July) to Karachi, Lahore and
Islamabad and the Foreign Office kept the media and the public abreast about the latest information.

“We are grateful for the cooperation and assistance
extended to our Missions by the Turkish Airlines and the other relevant Turkish authorities,” the Foreign Office said.

As a result of these intense efforts, the backlog of
Pakistanis in transit had been fully cleared and several
hundred Pakistani nationals safely travelled back to Pakistan.

The Prime Minister, who had issued special instructions
to assist the Pakistanis at Turkish Airports, was kept
informed by Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq
Fatemi, it added.

It expressed the hope that as the Turkish Airlines
completely resumed its normal operations, the residual issues, if any, would also be resolved.

MUZAFFARABAD, July 17 (APP): The Civil Society Forum of
Pakistan here on Sunday staged a protest rally against the Indian atrocities in Indian Held Kashmir (IHK).

The speakers on this occasion strongly condemned the Indian atrocities in Indian Held Kashmir unleashed by Indian brutal forces and called upon the UN and five Vito powers to intervene on Kashmir issue and pressurize India for implementation of UN resolutions as per the wishes of Kashmiri people and also stop India from its
continued massacre and genocide of Kashmiri people.

The speakers demanded the government of Pakistan to speed up its diplomatic efforts all over the world and unveil the Indian so called secular and democratic face and highlight the Kashmir issue and inform the world community about the recent Indian atrocities and gross human rights violations perpetuating against innocent Kashmiri people by its tyrannical forces in IHK.

The speakers denounced the continued curfew imposed by local puppet administration for the last consecutive 10 days which badly paralyzed the day to day life of the people due to shortage of medicine and necessary commodities and asked India to stop terrorizing Kashmiri people by using heinous tactics.

On this occasion, the Civil Society Forum of Pakistan passed
a resolution and demanded the world community not to become silent spectators and move forward and take serious note of Indian brutalities in IHK and send their representatives in the held state to witness the recent gross human violations.

The resolutions also demanded the government of Pakistan to remain in touch with APHC leadership to evolve the strategy with their consultation for resolving the Kashmir issue amicably.

Members of Civil Society Forum of Pakistan including Admiral
(Retd) Fasih Bukhari, Major (Retd) Ghulam Sarwar, Pundit Chundun Lal, Maria Iqbal Tarana and leaders of (APHC) AJK Chapter including Ghulam Muhammad Safi, Mushtaq Ul Islam, Muhammad Farooq Rehmani and others also spoke on this occasion.

LAHORE, July 17 (APP): Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday that black day against Indian cruelties in occupied Jammu & Kashmir would be observed actively.

Talking to members of national and Punjab Assembly here, he said elected representatives and workers should take active part in the functions on the occasion of black day for the right of self-determination of Kashmiris and exposing Indian cruelties.

Shehbaz Sharif said that India could not deprive the Kashmiris of their right of self-determination through brutalities. “We salute the struggle of independence of Kashmiri sisters and brothers,” he said and added that Indian government should fully understand that it could not crush spirit of independence of Kashmiri people through bullets.

The chief minister said the policy of violence and atrocities of Indian government had further increased the desire of freedom in hearts of Kashmiri people. He said freedom was a basic right of Kashmiris and India could not deprive them of right of self-determination for a long time through state-terrorism.

Shehbaz Sharif said he saluted the brave mothers of Kashmir whose sons and daughters had embraced martyrdom for independence. He said that there was no moral justification for silence of world community against the bloodshed of innocent Kashmiris.

He said that international community should pressurize India to stop bloodshed in Kashmir as murder of unarmed Kashmiris was open violation of human rights. World community should take immediate practical steps for checking Indian cruelties against Kashmiris, he added.

Pakistan would continue its diplomatic and moral support for
Kashmiris, he resolved.

Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafiq, MNAs Pervaiz Malik, Mehar Ishtiaq Ahmad, Shaista Pervaiz Malik, Provincial Ministers Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Malik Nadeem Kamran, MPAs Khawaja Imran Nazir, Zaeem Hussain Qadri, Manshaullah Butt and other elected representatives were also present.

ISLAMABAD, July 17 (APP): Member National Assembly Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Talal Chaudhry Sunday said that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan was criticizing the PML-N government in a state of frustration and disappointment while addressing empty chairs in front of him.

“Imran Khan has today acknowledged that he can not compete with the PML-N leadership,” he said while talking to a private news channel.

He said Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif lived in the
hearts of people as he believed in the politics of development not that of levelling allegations.

He said PML-N government had delivered in three years by
launching energy projects, China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and operation against terrorism.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would win the AJK general elections like it had won in Gilgit-Baltistan, he added.

MUZAFFARABAD, July 17 (APP): As many as 427 candidates of different political parties as well as independent ones, are in the run for the upcoming Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative  Assembly elections, scheduled for July 21.

According to the final list issued by the AJK Election
Commission, 328 contestants will be vying from 29 constituencies of AJK’s nine districts, while 99 will be competing from 12 constituencies of Kashmiri refugees, spreading over four provinces of Pakistan.

The highest number of candidates in the run is from AJK’s
Capital Muzaffarabad where 67 candidates are in the run for the six constituencies, which have a total of 429,276 votes, including 191,112 female votes.

President PML N Azad Kashmir Raja Farooq Haider is contesting from LA XXVIII, Muzaffarabad V, where 12 other candidates are also in the run.

Muzaffarabad is followed by district Poonch where 51 candidates from four constituencies will be trying their luck. The total registered voters in district Poonch are 310,968, which include 141,334 female voters.

Candidate wise Mirpur district stands at number three where
48 contenders will be challenging each other from four constituencies, which have a total of 233,518 voters 127,274 males and 106,244 females.

AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed is contesting from
LA II, Mirpur II, where in total 16 candidates are in the run.
While President Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) Azad Kashmir Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry is in the run from LA III, Mirpur III, where in total seven candidates are contesting.

A total of 47 candidates will be competing from five
constituencies of District Kotli, which also surpasses AJK’s all districts in number of voters with 442,839 people (246,230 males and 196,609 females) to exercise their right to vote.
Sardar Farooq Sikandar Khan, the son of top PML N Azad
Kashmir leader Sardar Sikander Hayat is contesting from LA IX, Kotli II.

From the three constituencies of Bhimber district, which
have a total of 243,165 votes, 45 candidates are in the run.

District Sudhnoti with 166,143 votes will see 29 candidates
facing each other from its two constituencies, whereas from district Bagh, which has three constituencies for its 232,572 voters, a total of 25 candidates are in the run.

All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference’s President and
former AJK Prime Minister Sardar Attiq Ahmed Khan is vying from LA XIII, Bagh I.

District Neelam and district Havelli (Kahuta) have one
constituency each for their 96,584 and 80,637 voters, respectively. From Neelam eight candidates are competing, while the same number of candidates is also in run from Havelli.

A total of 99 contestants are running for the 12 constituencies, spreading over four provinces of Pakistan where overall 438,884 people will cost their votes.

PESHAWAR, July 17 (APP): Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday strongly condemned military coup in Turkey.

Talking to the media here at JUI-F secretariat, Maulana Fazlur Rehman termed failed military coup in Turkey an international conspiracy against the Muslim world. The JUI-F, he said, fully supported Turkish President Recep Tayyep Erdogan and the continuation of democracy there.

He said the parliamentary committee on Kashmir was highlighting the issue. But the committee was unjustifiably criticised for the atrocities committed by Indian army people on people in held Kashmir.

The media should better highlight the Kashmir issue and the Indian barbarity in the occupied valley, he added.

Maulana Fazl said the JUI-F had also recorded their protest on the ongoing human rights violations in held Kashmir.

He said terms of reference (for commission to probe Panama Papers) should not be decided on roads. There was constitution and judiciary for the purpose. Coming to roads was an immature approach, he added.

Responding to a question, he said displaying of banners and posters regarding the Army Chief was an unconstitutional act and against the democratic norms. Those involved in it should be dealt according to thelaw, he added.

RAWALPINDI, July 17 (APP): Two policemen were killed and a passerby was injured in firing by unidentified assailants on Peshawar Road near Kohinoor Mills here in the wee hours of Sunday.

Head Constable Nadir Khan and Constable Imran were on partolling duty on Peshawar Road in the precincts of Naseerabad Police Station here. They signalled two suspected motorcyclists to stop. They instead
of stopping opened fire killing the two policemen and injuring a passerby.

Reportedly one of the killers was crushed by a vehicle and the other managed to flee from the scene.

Meanwhile, Namaz-e-Janaza of the slained cops was offered at here Police Lines. Regional Police Officer Fakhar Sultan Raja and other officials attended the funeral prayer.

LAHORE, July 17 (APP): State Minister for Petroleum
Jam Kamal called on Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif here on Sunday.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that
the PML-N government was taking all out steps for the progress of the country and prosperity of the people, adding the development projects of billions of rupees were being completed speedily in a transparent manner.

He said that improving situation in Pakistan was also
being acknowledged by international institutions.

Shehbaz said that some political elements once again were
out to stop the journey to progress of the country, adding that the sit-ins of these defeated elements were failed and their designs would not be fulfilled in future as well.

Jam Kamal congratulated the chief minister on saving
national resources of billions of rupees in the projects and
said that its credit goes to the determined leadership of Punjab Chief Minister.