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.
Pakistan urges UN to address International Factors leading to Violent Extremism
Candidates for next UN chief to face member states for first time
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.
People to vote on performance in 2018 polls: Pervaiz Rashid
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.
UN chief calls for global partnership to prevent violent extremism
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.
Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai's message of love, peace being promoted: Marvi
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.
Pakistan Embassy helping stranded Pakistanis in Xinjiang
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.
Work on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects in progress
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.
Transparent, stable PML(N) govt to be formed in AJK: Dr Asif Kirmani
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.
SBP's Monetary Policy Statement
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.
JOCC to launch vigorous action against terrorists, facilitators
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.
PM condols Maulana Ubaid's death at Jamia Ashrafia
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.
Pakistan Navy Inducts Zarb Missile
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.
Meeting reviews progress of withdrawal of concessionary SROs
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.
Dar to attend WB, IMF spring meetings in Washington from 15-17 April
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.
Chinese investors invited to Punjab's Safe Drinking Water Project
BEIJING, Apr 9 (APP): Government of Punjab province will welcome Chinese businessmen, firms and joint ventures to invest in a multi-million dollar project to provide clean drinking water facilities to the people of rural and peri-urban areas of the Punjab province, reports Chinese official media Saturday.
The Punjab provincial Minister for Public Health, Housing and Urban Development Tanveer Aslam Malik offered invitations to Chinese investors during a Seminar held at the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing Friday, reports China official news portal China.org.cn.
The Minister led a delegation from Punjab province to showcase the project in China and to invite prospective investors.
PML(N) Parliamentary Board discuss candidates for AJK elections
ISLAMABAD, Apr 9 (APP): Parliamentary Board of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Azad Kashmir held a meeting at Punjab House on Saturday and discussed award of tickets to candidates for the next elections of AJK Legislative Assembly.
The meeting, chaired by PML(N) Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq,
was attended by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Dr Asif Kirmani, Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan Hafeezur Rehman, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Barjis Tahir, Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan, Raja Farooq Haider, Shah Ghulam Qadir, Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, Dr Najeeb
Khan Naqi, Chaudhry Muhammad Aziz, Sardar Abdul Khaliq Wasi, Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan, Naseeb Ullah Gardezi and Siddiqul Farooq.
Talking to media on the occasion, Dr Asif Kirmani said during
the meeting of the Parliamentary Board of PML(N) AJK, the candidates of Legislative Assembly LA-1 to LA-12 of Mirpur Division informed the Board about the election situation in their constituencies.
Siddiqui for promoting Allama Iqbal's ideology
LAHORE, April 9 (APP): Prime Minister’s Advisor on National History and Literary Heritage, Irfan Siddiqui Saturday underscored the need for formulating short and long-term programmes aimed at promoting ideology of the great thinker and Poet of the East Dr. Allama Muhammad
Iqbal (RA).
Chairing the 44th Governing Body meeting of Iqbal Academy Pakistan (IAP) here at Aiwan-e-Iqbal, he said the IAP must now pay serious attention towards the targets and objectives for which this Academy had been established.
The IAP Governor Body meeting also took various decisions pertaining to re-freezing of the IAP accounts; payment of long-pending dues to the quarters concerned and publishing of books on the life and ideology of Allama Muhammad Iqbal.
SECP organizes roundtable on employees provident fund rules, 2016
ISLAMABAD, Apr 9 (APP): The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has conducted a consultative roundtable to seek feedback on Draft Employees Provident Fund (Investment in Listed
Securities) Rules, 2016 (Rules) from market participants.
The said rules are aimed at regulating the investment made
from the employees’ provident fund by companies and institutions and important to safeguard the employee’s savings, said a statement here on Saturday.
A large number of stakeholders from corporate sector, professional associations, and members of bar associations attended the roundtable.
34 militants killed in Balochistan: Home Minister
QUETTA, April 09 (APP): The Provincial Home Minister, Mir Sarfaraz Bugti has said that 34 alleged militants including a top commander Mir Abdul Nabbi Bangulzai have been killed in security operation in Johan area during last three days.
Addressing a press conference along with spokesman for Balochistan government, Anwar Ul Haque Kakar, here on Saturday, he said that security operation was underway in Johan area of Kalat district for last three days, during that around 34 alleged militants among them a top commander were killed.
Commander Abdul Nabbi Bangulzai was also among the militants who were killed in Johan security operation, he said.