By Mudassar Iqbal
ISLAMABAD, Apr 10 (APP): Renowned humorous poet Anwar Masood has called upon concerned official quarters to institutionalize the weekly gatherings (Mushairas) of poets of this genre.
This, he told APP in an interview, would be a good mean for the promotion of culture and literature of Pakistan.
He said not only homour-poets’ “Mushairas”, the government should also focus on other cultural and literary activities to give people a respite and diversion from everyday problems.
ISLAMABAD, Apr 10 (APP): A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck major cities of the country, including northern areas on Sunday.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the
epicenter of the earthquake was Ishkisham, Afghanistan and its focal depth was recorded at 236 kilometers.
Strong shocks were felt in all the major cities of the
country including Lahore, Multan, Sialkot, Faisalabad and
twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
By Muhammad Atif Noor
ISLAMABAD, Apr 10 (APP): Airports of a country generally portray its reflection to the world and a lot is done across the globe to equip them with state-of-the-art facilities in order to facilitate both local and foreign passengers.
Where the formation of New National Aviation Policy 2015, after 15 years, goes to the credit of the incumbent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, it has also done a lot to streamline the airports of the country.
Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIAP) of the federal capital speaks well of the endeavors of the government in this regard as the overall management and facilities at the airport have improved considerably during the past three years.
ISLAMABAD April 10 (APP): Indian troops on the Line of Control (LoC) resorted to heavy unprovoked firing and shelling in Neza Pir sector late last night.
According to ISPR, Unprovoked firing which started at 2340 hrs last (Saturday) night lasted till 0445 hrs early morning (Sunday).
Pakistan Army troops befittingly responded to Indian unprovoked firing and shelling.
No loss reported so far.
ISLAMABAD, Apr 10 (APP): Pakistan on Sunday expressed its
deep condolences over the loss of lives, consequent to the
breakout of fire in the temple in South Kerala.
“The people and the Government of Pakistan express their
deep condolences on the loss of precious lives, resulting from fire breakout in the temple in South Kerala, India,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
“Our sympathies are with the bereaved families. We wish
early recovery to all injured people,” it added.
ISLAMABAD, Apr 10 (APP): Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Tehmina Janjua, urged the global community to address the international factors responsible for the growing threat of violent extremism in a comprehensive manner.
In her address, at Geneva Ministerial-level conference on
Preventing Violent Extremism – A way forward, Ambassador Janjua said that the view that only local factors such as poor governance, lack of human rights and poor socio-economic conditions gave rise to violent extremism was incorrect, said a press release received here Sunday.
She observed that the key drivers of violent extremism were
often international factors such as foreign interventions and
foreign occupation, prolonged and unresolved international disputes, denial of the right of the people to self-determination, xenophobia and Islamophobia in the Western countries.
UNITED NATIONS, Apr 10 (APP): The selection process for a new United Nations Secretary-General, traditionally decided behind closed-doors by the five permanent members of Security Council, will for the first time in the organization’s 70-year history involve public discussions with each candidate campaigning for the world’s top diplomatic post.
Each of the current eight candidates will be formally introduced to the General Assembly “which includes representatives from all 193 Member States, and Observers, the State of Palestine and the Holy See” in three days of informal dialogues beginning on Tuesday. The general public can ask questions through civil society members and social media.
“This is a potentially game changing process,” Mogens Lykketoft, the Assembly’s current President, said.This will be yet another occasion to increase transparency around the whole machinery of the United Nations, through that also the influence of a broader public on what we do here.
ISLAMABAD, Apr 10 (APP): Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid Saturday said people would vote on performance in 2018 election and they will reject the politics of blame game.
Talking to a news channel, he said its my duty to run
state channel (PTV) on equality basis, adding chief of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf Imran Khan delivers his speeches through out the year.
He said people of the country are witnessed for reduction in
loadsheding and they also wanted eradication of terrorism and energy crisis.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
ISLAMABAD, Apr 9 (APP): Finance Minister Senator Ishaq
Dar on Saturday held a meeting with senior officials of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to review progress of complete withdrawal of concessionary SROs and Tax exemptions.
Chairman FBR briefed the meeting about the third and
final phasing out plan for withdrawal of concessionary regime
under the head of Income Tax.
Earlier last month a meeting, held at FBR, had discussed
the phasing out plan in respect of Sales Tax, Federal Excise
Duty and Customs.
ISLAMABAD, Apr 9 (APP): Finance Minister, Senator
Mohammad Ishaq Dar, along with a delegation, would be
visiting Washington from April 15-17 to attend the World
Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) spring meetings.
During the visit, Finance Minister will also represent
Pakistan at the Global Connect Initiative (GCI) event, which
is being co-hosted by President WB and US Secretary of State.
He will also visit the Woodrow Wilson Center for a talk
on the growth strategy of Pakistan.
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