A girl poses for picture at ghost stall during “The Fall Family Festival” organized by Interactive Learning & Child Care at Lok Virsa Garden
A woman with her child poses for photograph at “The Fall Family Festival” organized by Interactive Learning & Child Care at Lok Virsa Garden
CDWP approves Rs 40 billion for uplift of 20 vulnerable districts
ISLAMABAD, Nov 12 (APP): The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Saturday approved Rs40 billion projects for the uplift of 20 poorest districts of Pakistan, besides addressing disparity in economic development in the country.
The Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives has launched the program, which is comprising on 5 years (2022-27) and would be completed on 50 percent cost sharing basis by federal government and provincial governments.
The CDWP met here with Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal in chair, said a press release issued by the ministry.
Speaking on the occasion, Ahsan Iqbal said that this is the first of its kind project in the economic history of Pakistan where the federal government is undertaking a national intervention to uplift the poorest districts and address disparity in economic development in the country.
During our last tenure, we completed the Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index survey with the help of the United Nations Development Program, which for the first-time mapped poverty at district levels across the country,” he added.
Identified on the basis of scores in this MPI, the selected 20 districts include 11 districts from Balochistan, 5 from Sindh, 3 from KKhyber Pakhtunkhwa and 1 from the Punjab, he said adding that many of these districts have been direly affected by the recent flood disaster, especially in Balochistan and Sindh.
He said that the main objective of this project is to promote inclusive growth and equitable development through targeted investments in infrastructure and human capital development in the poorest districts of the country, adding that investments in human capital development, especially young people and women, is among the primary pillars of the project.
Aligned with Pakistan Vision 2025 and the Global Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030, the project aims to make a significant contribution towards reducing regional inequality and strengthening national integration and harmony in the country, he added.
He said that the project is part of the Youth Development Program launched by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last month, adding the other initiatives under this program include 2,000 internships for young engineers, besides 250 mini-sports complexes initiative, Pakistan Innovation Fund and 75 National Top Talent Scholarships.
Pak- Uzbekistan direct air flight to be started soon: Uzbek Deputy PM
ISLAMABAD, Nov 12 (APP): Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Cultural Heritage Aziz Abduhakimov said the direct air flight between Pakistan and Uzbekistan will be started soon which would promote bilateral economic and tourism ties.
In the first phase, the flight will be started from the city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan to Lahore, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Cultural Heritage Aziz Abduhakimov told APP, also adding that the tourism conference will also be held in Samarkand.
He said that in the second phase, direct flights to Karachi and Islamabad will be started from other cities of Uzbekistan, including Tashkent and Khiva.
He said that the direct air link will increase bilateral economic and trade activities and tourism on both sides and it will help the people of both countries to come closer.
Aziz Abduhakimov said the Tourism Conference to be held in Uzbekistan will increase the tourism integration of Uzbekistan not only with Pakistan but also with all the Muslim countries of the world.
He said that holding such a conference would strengthen Uzbekistan’s partnership with other countries in the future and promote local tourism.
He said that there is a lot of potential for Islamic tourism in Uzbekistan which can be visited by tourists from Islamic countries.
Uzbek Deputy PM said that Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva are the centers of Islamic heritage and learning which are very attractive places for Muslim tourists.
He said that Muslim saints and Sufis, including the shrine of Hazrat Imam Bukhari, are in Uzbekistan where millions of Muslim tourists come every year.
He said that the leadership of Uzbekistan is paying full attention to the promotion of tourism here and tourism has a very important role in the economy of any country.
Aziz Abduhakimov said that according to the vision of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev tourism has a very important place in the economy of Uzbekistan and special attention is being paid to it.
He said that the government of Uzbekistan is promoting direct flights with various countries of the world, which will improve economic, trade and tourism links with these countries.
He said that apart from this, “we are also relaxing the visa policy and providing ease in the visa process for tourists,”
He said that in the last ten months till October 30, 3.6 million tourists visited Uzbekistan and in the next two months this number is likely to reach 5 million.
The minister said that this number is 40 percent more than the number of tourists visiting Uzbekistan in 2021.
He said that the United Nation body, UNESCO has declared Samarkand as the best destination for international tourism.
He said that there are all kinds of facilities for tourists from Islamic countries, including Halal food, which they can take advantage of.
He said that Uzbekistan is currently on top in the Global Muslim Tourist Index and thus many global rating agencies have declared Uzbekistan as the best place for tourism.
The Deputy PM said that Samarkand is the tourism hub of Uzbekistan where there are great opportunities for tourism. In this way, we are providing modern tourism facilities and all kinds of infrastructure in this place, which will boost the local tourism.
He said that Samarkand is also the world center of Islamic culture and science, where great scientists and sociologists and scholars of world fame were born.
From survivors, politicians to intelligentsia, all denounce premature release of Rajiv Gandhi’s killers
ISLAMABAD, Nov 12 (APP): The Indian supreme court on Friday ordered a premature release of six people convicted for killing former Indian premier Rajiv Gandhi, prompting a strong reaction from the victim families, the politicians and intelligentsia calling it “shocking” and another “blot” on the reputation of the BJP-influenced Indian judiciary.
In 1991, a women suicide bomber had killed Rajiv Gandhi in Indian state of Tamil Nadu when he was 46.
The assassination was carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a Sri Lankan separatist group. A total of 16 people were killed in the 1991 suicide bombing, including Rajiv Gandhi, 9 police personnel and 6 others.
The court released the killers based on their “satisfactory conduct” in prison and that they had served over three decades of jail time.
However, the decision was widely denounced in India and being dubbed as another tactic of the BJP government to pursue Hindutva ideology through arm-twisting the political opponents and ethnic minorities across the country.
Some critics called it out as “national disgrace,” “egregious” and “dangerous precedent”, while others opined that it could only happen in “banana judiciary.”
Be it is Babri Masjid, Samjhauta Express blast, Bilkis Bano rape or Hijab ban case, this is not the first time, the Indian judiciary has passed a judgment siding with the RSS agenda and letting the hardcore elements go free putting the lives of millions from the minority communities at risk.
The Indian National Congress came up with a strong reaction with its general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh calling the decision “totally unacceptable and completely erroneous”.
“The Congress party criticises it clearly and finds it wholly untenable. It is most unfortunate that the Supreme Court has not acted in consonance with the spirit of India on this issue,” he said.
Chairperson Social Media and Digital Platforms of Indian National Congress Supriya Shrinate, said, “The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi was an attack on the soul of India – it can never be pardoned.”
“Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination was a national tragedy… His assassins’ release is a national disgrace. It sets the worst kind of soft-state precedent,” said Shekar Gupta, Founder, ThePrint, an Indian online newspaper.
Renowned Indian journalist Barkha Dutt calling the release of Rajiv Gandhi’s killer “egregious” said “We cannot possibly complain about the release in other rape and murder cases if the assassination of an Indian prime minister is not sufficient reason to mean Life for Life.”
Indian news anchor Rajdeep Sardesai believed that the release of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassins serving a life sentence sets a very dangerous precedent. “They are guilty of a heinous crime, rarest of rare. Life in such cases is, and ought to be life.”
Indian billionaire business magnate and the founder and CEO of Zoho Corporation, Sridhar Vembu said it was sad to see the Supreme Court prematurely release convicted criminals, whose guilt in the brutal assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and so many others was beyond doubt.
“Commuting the death sentence to make it a life sentence is mercy. This is mockery. There is a difference,” he wrote on Twitter.
Prominent Indian Editor Aarti Tikoo, who has been vocal on human rights issues called the court decision as “shameful” as “only in the ‘banana judiciary’ of a soft state could the assassins of former Prime Minister of India, get freedom from jail.”
The release of Gandhi killers also hurt the survivors and victim families.
“How is this justice?” said Abbas talking to the Indian media, who was orphaned after his mother died in the blast. “They planned and killed a PM and innocent Tamils. This is unacceptable,” he says.
“What about justice for those killed and injured survivors?” asked a survivor Anusuya Daisy Ernest, a retired woman police officer who was regulating crowd when the blast took plave.
Talking to Indian news agency PTI, Ernest said, “I am still undergoing treatment for pellet injuries. This is the plight of the injured people. Where is justice?”
The history of the Indian judiciary was replete with the controversial decisions, ignoring the facts as well as the ground realities.
In 2020, an Indian court, despite audio and video evidences, acquitted Hindu nationalist leaders in the Babri Masjid demolition case which had sparked nationwide riots and killed more than 3,000 people in a decades-long dispute.
In another verdict, the Indian supreme court observed that all insults to persons belonging to Dalit or tribal communities would not be considered an offence.
In 2020, the Indian apex court granted bail to all 14 convicts in the Sardarpura massacre that took place in wake of the Godhra train burning incident in 2002.
In the recent past, the Karnataka high court banned the wearing of ‘hijab’ by Muslim girls in educational institutions failing to uphold the principle of freedom to religious practices.
A special India court had acquitted four men accused of bombing a Samjhauta Express train which had killed 68 people in 2007.
In August this year, the Gujarat government ordered the premature release of 11 men sentenced to life imprisonment in the Bilkis Bano gang rape case.
Climate catastrophes in Pakistan this summer inflection point for country, entire world: Mushahid
ISLAMABAD, Nov 12 (APP):Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Defence Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed on Saturday said what happened in Pakistan this summer was an inflection point for Pakistan and the entire World.
Speaking during a panel discussion titled “Is Adaptation The New Climate Normal” held in Pakistan Pavilion at COP27 Sharm El-Sheikh, Senator Mushahid Hussain highlighted that Climate Change was a “borderless issue”, a news release received here said.
Referring to Climate Justice and Climate Financing, he termed these two issues as a priority and a collective responsibility towards humanity.
Responding to a question on political debate regarding Climate crisis, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed recalled his first public hearing of the Climate Change committee in 2014 which he organized in Pakistan Parliament, wherein he stressed for redefining national security towards people centric approach. The National Security Policy was adopted in consultation with all the stakeholders is leading to a paradigm shift and redefinition of national security. Now, the focus is more towards human security, environmental security, livelihoods, health, population and education of the people.
Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed commended UN Secretary General for becoming an advocate of Climate Justice. At global level, he demanded the major powers should shift their focus from geo-politics to humanitarian issues.
Pak-Indonesia posses potential to enhance future economic ties: Deputy Foreign Minister Jailani
ISLAMABAD, Nov 12 (APP): Deputy Foreign Minister of Indonesia for Asia Pacific and African Affairs Abdul Kadir Jailani on Saturday said that Pakistan and Indonesia posses a huge potential in the development of economic, trade and diplomatic ties in the future.
“In order to enhance the existing capabilities in the relations between the two countries, more intensive economic diplomacy is going on and there is already a consensus in both countries for that matter,” Deputy Foreign Minister of Indonesia for Asia Pacific and African Affairs told APP in in exclusive chat from Jakarta.
The bilateral trade between the two countries had already reached $4 billion dollars with more potential to be executed in the future, he said.
He said that there was already a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between Pakistan and Indonesia which would help to promote mutual free trade in both sides.
The minister said that Pakistan was an important country in terms of its geographic location which shared borders with Central Asia, Middle East and China.
He said that Indonesia would prove to be a gateway for Pakistan in the Association of South East Asian Nation (ASEAN) countries and that Pakistan was also willing to give Indonesia market excess in its region on which there is consensus in both sides.
He said the private sector of the two countries needed to come closer through dialogue through which both the economies could get better results by connecting with each other through mutual economic integration.
Replying to a question, he said that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)is an important project in which Indonesia was also thinking to investment.
Kadir Jailani said that Indonesia has its interest to invest in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Pakistan, which would promote economic and trade relations between the two countries.
He said the economic, socio-cultural connectivity was of utmost importance in both countries and at the same time giving importance to the relations between the people of both sides would lead to the strengthening of relations.
In response to another question, he said that after the Covid-19, the global supply chain was greatly affected, which impacted sector including health, education and livelihood.
He said that by connecting to the global supply chain both countries could increase their trade and livelihood.
He said that Pakistan and Indonesia were the two largest Islamic countries in terms of population with a combined population of 500 million “which is a potential market for economic and trade cooperation and can open new avenues for bilateral economic cooperation”.
The deputy minister said that both sides were working to enhance bilateral economic, trade, diplomatic, political and cultural cooperation, and new avenues of cooperation would open up in this regard in the future.
The minister said that the mutual relations between Pakistan and Indonesia had been strong since independence, which needed to be further improved so that our future generations are also the guardians of this heritage.
He said that during the current flood, the Indonesian government helped Pakistan in every way and sent three aircraft as aid and “we are in touch with the government of Pakistan to extend further help in rehabilitation in the future”.
He said that Indonesia did not believe in any rivalry anywhere in the world, but “we believe in global economic and trade integration”.
He further said that Indonesia was determined to develop our economic and trade relations with all regions of the world including South Asia, Central Asia and Africa.
Kadir Jailani said that Indonesia attaches importance to mutual economic and trade integration among ASEAN countries and its economic relations with the rest of the world were extremely important.
There are good economic and trade relations in the Pacific region and ASEAN countries and “we valued this partnership and cooperation in the future”.
He said that due to the Russia-Ukraine war, food security problem had arisen in the world and efforts were being made to resolve it which would yield good results.
The deputy foreign minister said that ASEAN is currently an emerging economic bloc in the world economically and commercially with free trade and other agreements with various countries including China and Pacific Asia through which Pakistan can reap the benefits through Indonesia.
“Talks are underway between the two sides to promote trade between the two countries, which can not be ruled out in the future as the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will be signed between the two countries,” he apprised.
Talking about the promotion of tourism in Pakistan and Indonesia, he said that there were many opportunities for the promotion and cooperation of tourism in both the countries and tourism was an important sector of Indonesia’s economy.
He said that Pakistan was a very beautiful country and it was rich in natural beauty.
Kadir Jailani said that regular awareness was needed for the promotion of tourism in the two countries, for which people-to-people contacts on both sides would have to be enhanced.
He said that Pakistan and Indonesia were large countries with youth population in which cooperation of both the countries was very important for providing education and skills to the young population.
Ishaq Dar meets management of leading commercial banks of Dubai
ISLAMABAD, Nov 12 (APP): Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar held meetings in Dubai with management of the leading commercial banks, which deal commercially with Pakistan and Ministry of Finance.
These banks including Dubai Islamic Bank, Ajman Bank and Emirates NBD, said a press release issued by the Ministry of Finance on Saturday.
The commercial banks reposed their confidence in current economic policies of the government and assured their continued support for Pakistan.
Azerbaijan keen to enhance bilateral trade with Pakistan: Envoy
ISLAMABAD, Nov 12 (APP):Ambassador of Azerbaijan Khazar Farhadov on Saturday said Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Turkey have good potential to develop an economic block to achieve better outcomes for their respective economies.
He said that Azerbaijan was keen to enhance bilateral trade with Pakistan, which would be very beneficial for both countries.
He said that Azerbaijan and Turkey were collaborating in a variety of economic fields and their bilateral trade was in billions. Therefore, Azerbaijan wants to develop similar kinds of trade ties with Pakistan to complement the economy of each other, he added.
Addressing the business community during his visit to Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), the envoy said that Azerbaijan’s economy had been on a steady growth trajectory and had positioned itself as a strategic transport hub between Europe and Asia. Therefore, close cooperation of Pakistan with Azerbaijan would open up new avenues for Pakistan to promote trade ties with Central Asia.
He said that many Pakistani products including pharmaceutical products, textiles, optic and medical equipment, rice and fruits can find a good market in Azerbaijan. Similarly, Azerbaijan can export many products to Pakistan including tomato, hazelnuts, strawberries and other fruits, berries, vegetables, fruit juices, sauces and other preserves, cotton and cotton yarn, polymers and black fermented tea.
He said that Azerbaijan has set up many industrial zones and Pakistani investors should explore them for JVs and investment.
He highlighted potential sectors for investment in Azerbaijan including agriculture and processing, construction, petrochemicals, renewables, transport, trade, logistics, mining, digital economy, tourism and light industry.
He said that ICCI should form another delegation for Azerbaijan and assured that his Embassy would fully support it to make its tour successful.
Speaking at the occasion, Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President, ICCI said that Azerbaijan was rich in oil and gas reserves while Pakistan is facing problems in purchasing LNG. He urged the Azerbaijan to cooperate with Pakistan to address this issue.
He said that Pakistan and Azerbaijan were enjoying cordial relations that should be transformed into growing trade and economic relations to achieve better benefits for both countries.
He said that the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Azerbaijan was quite low as compared to their actual potential. Both countries can trade in many items for which it is very important to develop strong business linkages between the private sectors of both countries to explore all untapped areas of mutual cooperation, he expressed.
Faad Waheed, Senior Vice President ICCI said that Pakistan and Azerbaijan can cooperate in multiple fields including military, defence industry, security, agriculture, trade, banking, energy, tourism, transport, information and communication technologies, science, education.
Zafar Bakhtawari, former President ICCI urged Pakistan and Azerbaijan to explore promoting trade through road links that would boost bilateral trade ties.
US returns 192 stolen artifacts to Pakistan; Consul General Ayesha Ali expresses ‘gratitude’
NEW YORK, Nov 12 (APP):The United States has returned 192 stolen antiquities — valued at nearly $3.4 million — to Pakistan, after an investigation into a notorious Indian-American art dealer, Subhash Kapoor, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office in New York announced Friday.
The announcement said that 187 of the artifacts were recovered from Kapoor, identifying him as “one of the world’s most prolific antiquities traffickers.”
The art pieces and artifacts were returned at a special repatriation ceremony hosted by the Pakistan Consulate, where Consul General Ayesha Ali welcomed the Chief Operating Officer, District Attorney’s Office, Wesley Gibson, and US Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Special Agent-in-Chare Thomas Acocella.
Thanking them for their “tremendous” amount of work in recovering the stolen antiquities, Ayesha Ali said, “We cherish our rich cultural heritage and we are happy to receive the treasurers back, which will be returned to Pakistani museums to be seen by hundreds and thousands of Pakistanis and others from around the world.”
Pakistan, she said, continues to encourage tourism along the ancient routes and centers of this art.
“On behalf of the people of Pakistan,” the consul general added, “please accept our huge gratitude for the tremendous work you do”.
The art pieces and artifacts included a Gandharan statute depicting a maitreya, or an enlightened form of the Buddha, which was looted from Pakistan and smuggled into New York during the 1990s.
Kapoor had owned an art gallery in New York called Art of the Past and a side business that specialized in selling antiquities from southeast Asia when he was accused of smuggling and selling stolen artifacts.
The antiquities were looted from a Neolithic archaeological site in Pakistan before being trafficked to New York. They were placed in a storage unit rented by agents of the Art of the Past until their seizure by U.S. authorities this year.
The archaeological site of Mehrgarh in Pakistan was discovered by archaeologists in 1974 and subsequently faced looting.
Kapoor was arrested in October 2011 at Frankfurt International Airport in Germany and extradited the following year to India on charges of having received stolen artifacts from temples in southern India, which he then sold to museums around the world, according to the announcement.
He has been held in an Indian jail ever since and was convicted of receiving stolen property, habitually dealing in stolen property, and conspiracy by a special court in Kumbakonam, India, last week. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison and ordered to pay a fine.
In the United States, the office of former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. obtained a warrant for Kapoor’s arrest in 2012 and he was formally indicted with seven co-defendants in a conspiracy to traffic the stolen antiquities in 2019.
Snjeeve Asokan, a co-defendant in the New York case against Kapoor, was also convicted and sentenced by the Indian court.
Prosecutors in the U.S. also previously sought to have Kapoor extradited and said they are “continuing to pursue prosecution.”
Two other co-defendants in the New York case have already been convicted, including Richard Salmon in 2020 and Neil Perry in 2021. Three other co-conspirators were also convicted.
“Subhash Kapoor was one of the world’s most prolific antiquities traffickers, yet thanks to the work of our dedicated investigators and analysts, we have been able to recover thousands of pieces looted by his network,” Manhattan District Attorney Bragg said.
“We will continue to pursue full accountability against Mr. Kapoor and his co-conspirators, who showed a blatant disregard for the cultural and historic significant of these antiquities.”
In her remarks, Consul General Ayesha Ali also thanked the District Attorney and his team for their personal vigilance and commitment in returning the stolen artifacts as well as the Department of Homeland Security for its vital role in ensuring that the criminal networks led by Subash Kapoor and others engaged in theft and smuggling of valuable cultural heritage are being purused and prosecuted.
“It is never an easy task and involves teamwork, very painstaking investigation and personal leadership,” she added.