Shujaat Hamza

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan and Turkiye on Friday inked the Preferential Trade Agreement aimed at boosting trade in goods between the two countries.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif witnessed the inking of the PTA at a ceremony held here at the PM Office, as the visiting Turkish Trade Minister Dr Mehmet Mus and Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar signed the accord. Commonly known as Trade in Goods Pact, the PTA includes comprehensive provisions on bilateral safeguards, balance of payment exceptions, dispute settlement, and periodic review of the agreement.

Prime Minister Sharif in his remarks termed the agreement “a great moment and a milestone” in the brotherly and historic relations between Pakistan and Turkiye. He recalled that following his official visit to Turkiye in May, the untiring efforts of the ministries of both sides resulted in the signing of the agreement. He said immense business opportunities existed between the two countries and expressed confidence that the accord would further explore the trade avenues in diverse sectors.

The prime minister said Pakistan would continue to work with Turkiye on strengthening bilateral ties.

Trade Minister Dr Mehmet Mus said the occasion marked a significant milestone which would contribute in a long way to further strengthening and expansion of trade ties. He said meeting expectations of all stakeholders was not easy, however added that dedication and step-by-step measures led to conclusion of the accord.

He thanked PM Shehbaz Sharif for his leadership to seal the agreement for the betterment of the two countries and enhancing linkages between their business communities.

Syed Naveed Qamar hoped the PTA between Pakistan and Turkiye would open up new opportunities to boost bilateral trade across various sectors. He said Pakistan also looked forward to working towards materializing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Turkiye.

He stressed the need for increasing business-to-business interaction for strengthening trade and investment relations between the brotherly countries.

The key highlights of the trade concessions offered by both sides under the agreement are as follows: (i) Turkiye had offered concessions to Pakistan on 261 Tariff Lines, which include key items of Pakistan’s export interest to Turkiye from both agriculture and the industrial sectors.

UNITED NATIONS, /DNA/ – The “alarming” situation at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant had reached a “grave hour,” the head of U.N.’s nuclear watchdog said Thursday, as he called for an immediate inspection of the facility by international experts.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi warned that parts of the nuclear plant had been knocked out due to recent attacks, risking an “unacceptable” potential radiation leak.

“IAEA experts believe that there is no immediate threat to nuclear safety,” but “that could change at any moment,” Grossi said.

“These military actions near such a large nuclear facility could lead to very serious consequences,” Grossi told the Security Council at the meeting requested by Russia,  that  was marked by resounding calls to allow the Agency’s technical experts to visit the area amid mounting safety concerns.

IAEA has been in frequent contact with both Ukraine and Russia to ensure that it has the clearest picture possible of the evolving circumstances.

Providing an overview, the IAEA chief said that on 5 August, the Zaporizhzhia plant – Europe’s largest – was subjected to shelling, which caused several explosions near the electrical switchboard and a power shutdown.

One reactor unit was disconnected from the electrical grid, triggering its emergency protection system and setting generators into operation to ensure power supply.

The senior UN official said that there was also shelling at a nitrogen oxygen station.  While firefighters had extinguished the blaze, repairs must still be examined and evaluated.

He recalled his recent address to the ongoing Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, where he outlined seven indispensable pillars that are critical for nuclear safety and security.

These included aspects dealing with the physical integrity of the plant, off-site power supply, cooling systems, and emergency preparedness measures.

“All these pillars have been compromised if not entirely violated at one point or another during this crisis,” flagged the IAEA chief.

“Any nuclear catastrophe would be unacceptable and thus preventing it should be our overarching goal”.

He asked both sides to cooperate with the UN atomic agency.

“This is a serious hour, a grave hour, and the IAEA must be allowed to conduct its mission in Zaporizhzhia as soon as possible”.

Presenting his case, the Russian delegate said Ukrainian forces used heavy artillery against Zaporizhzhia on 5 August, shelling the plant during a shift change to intimidate staff – their own citizens.

He upheld that on 6 August, those forces attacked with cluster munitions, and on 7 August, a power surge occurred, blaming.

The Russian Ambassador blamed Kyiv for refusing to sign a trilateral document issued by IAEA, stressing that Moscow strictly complies with the IAEA Director General’s seven principles.

Soft Launch of 11TH Edition of International Defence Exhibition And Seminar – IDEAS – 2022

DNA

ISLAMABAD: : “It is indeed a matter of great pleasure to see the IDEAS gaining prominence with every passing year, over a span of twenty two years”, Federal Minister for Defence, Khawaja Muhammad Asif stated during Soft Launch ceremony for International Defence Exhibition And Seminar IDEAS – 2022,.  He further expressed, “I wish the organizers of this event success in the conduct of IDEAS and look forward to an overwhelming participation from defence industries from inland and abroad”.  Towards the end of his address, the Minister for Defence formally declared the launching of IDEAS – 2022. Upon arrival at the venue, he was received by Secretary Defence Production Lt Gen (R) Humayun Aziz and Director General Defence Export Promotion Organization (DEPO) Maj Gen Muhammad Arif Malik.

DG DEPO in his welcome address stated that the 11th edition of IDEAS is planned to be held at Karachi Expo Centre from 15 – 18 November 2022, the year of 75th celebration of Independence of Pakistan. He added that despite a gap of four years, more than 70% of the available space has already been booked by exhibitors from inland and abroad and hoped that IDEAS-2022 will substantial in size and stature than ever before.

 The ceremony was attended by the Ministers, Federal Secretaries, large number of Ambassadors, High Commissioners, Senior Military and Civil officials, CEO Badar Expo Solutions – the Event Manager of IDEAS 2022 and elites from the Media and Business community. The ceremony was followed by unveiling of a Commemorative Postage Stamp by Federal Minister, which will be issued by Pakistan Post on 14th August 2022, signifying the holding of 11th edition of IDEAS in 75th year of independence of Pakistan.

New York, Aug 10: Donald Trump on Wednesday declined to answer questions under oath in New York over alleged fraud at his family business, as legal pressures pile on the former president whose house was raided by the FBI just two days ago.

Trump said he had “no choice” but to invoke the fifth amendment — which allows individuals to remain silent under questioning to protect against self-incrimination — during a deposition at the New York attorney general’s office.

In a statement apparently issued after the deposition began, Trump said, “I declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution,” adding he took the advice from his legal counsel.

“I once asked, ‘If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?’ Now I know the answer to that question,” he continued.

“When your family, your company, and all the people in your orbit have become the targets of an unfounded, politically motivated Witch Hunt supported by lawyers, prosecutors, and the Fake News Media, you have no choice.”

The deposition follows an extraordinary Federal Bureau of Investigation search earlier this week on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, signaling an escalation of legal probes into the 45th president.

Trump took aim at the search in his statement Wednesday, saying, “The current Administration and many prosecutors in this Country have lost all moral and ethical bounds of decency.”

He arrived early Wednesday in a convoy of cars guarded by the secret service at the offices of New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose investigation is one of several active probes into the brash billionaire’s business practices and other actions.