ISLAMABAD, DEC 02 (DNA) — Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will visit United States of America by the mid-December.   Sources said that the foreign minister will participate in various functions of the United Nations that will be held at its headquarters in New York. 

Bilawal will chair the Group 77 ministerial meeting going to be held from Dec 15-16. It will be the last meeting of the Group 77 under the chairmanship of Pakistan. Pakistan became the chair of the group in Jan 2022. Foreign Minister Bilawal will hand over the chairmanship to Cuba during the main ceremony. 

The Group 77 was founded on June 15, 1964 by the 77 non-aligned nations at the end of first session of UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva. =DNA

• Khan warns to dissolve Punjab, KP houses if polls not announced.
• 66% of Pakistan to vote for by-polls if assemblies dissolved.
• Says PTI seeks political stability for economic turnaround.

ISLAMABAD, DEC 2: PTI Chairman Imran Khan Friday invited the PDM-led government to talk over the possibility of early general elections and warned that if they dissolved the assemblies in two provinces, around 66% of Pakistan would have to vote for by-polls.

“Give us a date for elections or we will dissolve the KP and Punjab assemblies,” Khan said in a video address to the PTI’s Punjab parliamentary party from his Lahore residence in Zaman Park.

“We have the full backing of PML-Q. CM Punjab Chaudhry Pervez Elahi will disband the provincial assembly on my call.”

He said PTI’s demand for early general elections was the part and parcel of the PTI’s resolve to shore up the country’s economy as the party was totally focused on bringing Pakistan back to its feet.

Khan said the whole world was saying “Pakistan is galloping towards default”. “Remittances have started falling, tax collection is shrinking, default risks are growing higher and higher, while Ishaq Dar is sitting silent in a corner.”

He said economic stability was tied to political stability and there was no other way around it.

“No elections, no political stability in the country,” Khan declared, adding that the coalition government was not willing to consider snap polls because they know they would be wiped out.

Berating the government for botching the economy, Khan said they did not have a roadmap to turn the economic situation of the country around.

“The only plan they have is to somehow have me declared disqualified by filing cases against me and other party leaders.”

Khan — who called off his long march to Islamabad last week — had announced quitting assemblies across the country, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

The party’s leadership, according to PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry, has approved the dissolution of assemblies in both provinces, but the final decision will be made after further consultations.

Sanaullah welcomes Khan’s proposition

In response to Khan’s invitation to talks, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leadership “will not refuse dialogue with PTI”.

“Talks against dialogue are considered non-political and undemocratic by the PDM. Its leadership will not refuse to sit and talk. We believe in resolving political matters in a political manner,” he said in a statement reacting to Khan’s invitation.

“When political parties and politicians sit down, deadlocks end and paths to resolve conflicts are found.”

Citing differences within the PDM on various matters, the minister said the coalition would respond to this offer after due consultations.

The interior minister said the government’s stance on conducting elections on time was unchanged. “The government will condemn if PTI attempts to dissolve assemblies, even if the move will favour the PML-N.”

“We do not welcome the act of dissolving assemblies and consider it undemocratic. They can dissolve assemblies if they want to. They will be responsible for it,” the minister maintained.

“We will be in a better position to contest elections if they dissolve assemblies. If elections take place, we will defeat them in Punjab and get majority [seats],” the minister said, adding that the government would be in a better position if polls were held in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“If we contest the Punjab Assembly’s elections while being in the federal government, then we are in a better position,” he explained.

KARACHI, DEC 2 /DNA/ – Sarmad Ali, President and Nazafreen Saigol Lakhani, Secretary General of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society have expressed profound grief on behalf of APNS Office Bearers and members of the Executive Committee over the sad demise of veteran journalist and playwright  Mr. Imran Aslam, President, Jang – Geo Group.

The APNS acknowledges his role and contribution towards the development and promotion of media industry in Pakistan.

The APNS offered condolence to the bereaved family and his colleagues and prayed that Almighty Allah may rest the departed soul in eternal peace and give them courage and patience to bear the irreparable loss. DNA

ISLAMABAD, DEC 2 /DNA/ – More than 11,096 applications have been received for the Prime Minister’s National Innovation Award (PMNIA), a flagship initiative of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme.

The scrutiny process for these applications will start in the coming week. The scrutiny committee will comprise industry and development sector experts and academicians. The applications will be scrutinized purely on merit basis. Applications for this programme were received from aspiring youth aged 15 to 30 years through a dedicated online portal: www.pmyp.gov.pk till November 30, 2022.

The objective of the PMNIA is to improve Pakistan’s ranking in the Global Innovation Index, foster entrepreneurial culture among the youth, and transform ideas into successful businesses. It is an open opportunity for Pakistani youth to propose innovative ideas; get funding, and technical support from industry experts along with a 6-months incubation facility to augment their ideas into a flourishing business.

A total of 250 innovators will be finalized and given rigorous pitching training from January to February in 2023. Also, a pitching competition process will be held simultaneously. In this process, 50 ideas will be finalized for the award, and the maximum funding provided to a single startup will be Rs. 02 million which is divided into two portions.  Initially, an amount of up to Rs. 01 million will be provided to the top 10 selected ideas, while the rest of the 40 ideas will be provided up to Rs. 0.5 million.

In the corresponding phase, all 50 winners may also request supplementary funds of up to Rs. 1 million in addition to the award money as per their requirements through Business Incubation Centers (BICs) and will be linked to startup deliverables.

PMNIA intends to motivate the youth to use their innovative and novel ideas to help society resolve its problems through sustainable solutions improving the country’s glaring economical uncertain situation. This will also help in resolving the local challenges faced by Pakistan through creative ideas.

The award is open to all kinds of innovative ideas including but not limited to information technology, sustainable energy, food security, water management, etc. The selection of awards will be made through an open, rigorous, transparent, competitive, and merit-based process.

HEC with an aim of shaping the future of youth through financial empowerment, engagement in healthy activities, and skill development is executing five different youth-centric projects under its umbrella including the National Innovation Award, Talent Hunt Youth Sports League, Establishment of Sports Academies and Resource Centres, Green Youth Movement, and Digital Youth Development Centres.