Saturday, August 1, 2026
Home Blog Page 2577

Qureshi, British MP discuss Kashmir issue

By
admin
-

Saifullah

ISLAMABAD:  Member of the British Parliament Lord Qurban Hussain along with Chairman Jammu Kashmir Self-Determination Movement International (JKSDMI) Raja Najabat Hussain called on Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday and discussed matters of mutual interest.

The meeting discussed diplomatic efforts of the members of the British Parliament and international forums in highlighting the human rights violations in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The Foreign Minister lauded Lord Qurban on raising the issue of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in the British Parliament and for speaking out against the atrocities perpetrated against the oppressed Kashmiris.

He congratulated Raja Najabat Hussain on holding a successful webinar on the situation in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Qureshi said the Kashmiris around the world had categorically rejected the unilateral and unconstitutional measures taken by the Indian government in occupied Kashmir on August 5, 2019.

He mentioned that all minorities in India were insecure due to India’s Hindutva policies and said that the nefarious conspiracies to alter the demography of Kashmir had been exposed. He said protests were held on Thursday all over Pakistan in solidarity with Kashmiri brothers and against India’s unilateral measures.

Qureshi said Pakistan wants peaceful relations with all countries of the region, including India. Peace in the region, he said, could not be established without resolving Kashmir issue in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions and aspirations of Kashmiri people. He called upon India to withdraw its unilateral measures taken in occupied Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019. Referring to a recent letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the President of the Security Council, the Foreign Minister said that Pakistan would continue to provide political, moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiris. 

TURKEY REVISES QUARANTINE RULES FOR STUDENTS AND RESIDENCE/WORK PERMIT HOLDERS

By
admin
-

ANKARA, AUG 6 /DNA/ -: The Turkish Government has revised quarantine rules for travellers arriving from Pakistan. 

At the request of this Embassy and keeping in view the hardships faced by Pakistani students who will be joining their academic institutions in Turkey after summer break, they will be allowed to undergo the mandatory quarantine of 10 days at the designated dormitories instead of private hotels. This rule is effective from today till 1 September 2021. 

Students will be quarantined at the Higher Education Credit and Hostels Institution (KYK)’s Muhteşem Süleyman Dormitory in Istanbul and Tahsin Banguoğlu KYK Dormitory in Ankara. A valid student identification document showing that they study higher education in Turkey would be required. Pakistani students studying at universities based in provinces other than Istanbul or Ankara, will only be able to travel to the provinces where their registered universities are based after the end of the quarantine period in KYK dormitories in Istanbul or Ankara.

Those coming from Pakistan who have valid residence and work permit will be exempted from hotel quarantine and will spend their mandatory quarantine period in their residence. However, such persons will only be allowed to go to their residence by private vehicle and cannot use domestic flights or public transportation.

Other than current students and holders of Turkish residence or work permit, those coming from Pakistan for visit or tourism purposes, will be quarantined at the designated private hotels as per previous practice.

The Embassy of Pakistan in Ankara conveys deep appreciation and gratitude to the relevant authorities who amended quarantine rules on our request.

The Pakistan Missions in Turkey are available to assist our nationals to the best of our abilities.

Pakistan-Korea joint trade ventures discussed

By
admin
-

Zubair Ahmad

Islamabad: Sang-Pyo, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Pakistan, paid a courtesy call on the convener, Senator Zeeshan Khanzada, and members of the Pak-South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group in the Parliament House.

Senator Khanzada, also the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Commerce welcomed the Korean Ambassador on behalf of the members of the Pak-South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group and thanked the Ambassador for making this visit possible on such short notice.

The Korean Envoy thanked the convener and the members of the Pak-South Korea Friendship Group. It asserted that Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani has always extended his support in resolving issues’ pertaining to Korea’s trade and business activities.

Senator Samina Mumtaz while welcoming the Ambassador of Korea said that Pak-South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group Forum will enhance economic development.

During the meeting, both parties agreed that better joint business ventures between the two countries could significantly help to broaden bilateral cooperation in all areas.

Chairman Commerce Committee Senator Zeeshan Khanzada invited the Korean Companies to do Joint Business Ventures with Pakistan.  Senator Sana Jamali added that the business communities of both countries could take advantage of the available opportunities and promote mutual trade and investment.

The Pak-South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group also put forward their suggestions on business-to-business meetings, exchange of high-level trade delegations and bilateral exhibitions at the Parliamentary level, which would provide excellent and profitable business opportunities to foreign investors and traders.

While speaking on the skilled and unskilled workers employment opportunities in Korea, the Visiting dignitary noted that 10,000 Pakistani laborers were working in Korea before the Covid-19. “Unfortunately, as per standard operating procedures, no new workers can enter Korea after the Covid-19”, he added. The Korean Ambassador underlined that Korean Industry needs more skilled workers from Pakistan and shall revise their visa policies to enhance the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Pakistan will become a transit hub in future, underscored Senator Zeeshan Khanzada while discussing the potential in the area of tourism between the two countries. The members of the Pak-South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group also discussed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of tourism for boosting the country’s revenue and creating employment opportunities.

The meeting was attended by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Senator Samina Mumtaz and Senator Sana Jamali.

Afghanistan seeks Pakistan’s help in ‘dismantling’ Taliban

By
admin
-

The Afghan ambassador addressed an open meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan

News Desk

NEW YORK: Pakistan should help Afghanistan in dismantling the Taliban for peace to prosper in the war-torn country, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations Ghulam M Isaczai said Friday.

The Afghan ambassador’s comments came during an open meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan.

The discussion was requested by the Afghan government, as well as Norway and Estonia. The Security Council last met on Afghanistan in June, but the situation in the conflict-ridden country has rapidly worsened since then.

Peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban negotiators started last year in the Qatari capital of Doha, but have not made any substantive progress.

Isaczai, who represented Foreign Minister Haneef Atmar in the meeting, said the Taliban had launched brutal attacks which had caused further instability in the country.

“It is our job to stop it.”

In recent days, the Taliban and their affiliated groups have launched more than 5,000 attacks in 31 of the 34 provinces, Isaczai said, slamming the group for going against the Doha peace deal.

The ambassador said the group had gone against the peace deal by not cutting off ties with international terrorist organisations.

“And their ties cannot be broken off,” he alleged.

“Those who indulge and participate with them also reap the benefits,” he said, adding the Taliban were linked to 20 foreign terrorist organiations.

The Taliban are in contact with Al-Qaeda, Daesh, and Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan’s militant organisations, the Afghan representative told the UNSC meeting.

“We request Pakistan to dismantle Taliban infrastructure and pipelines,” Isaczai said, noting that Taliban attacks are intensifying with every passing day.

Afghanistan’s UN Isaczai urged the Security Council to act to “prevent a catastrophic situation.”

“We’re alarmed by reports and incidents of gross human rights violation by the Taliban and their foreign terrorist associates in almost half of our country and we are extremely concerned about the safety and security of people in cities under Taliban attacks,” he said.

Meanwhile, UN special envoy for Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, told the Security Council the war in Afghanistan had entered a “new, deadlier, and more destructive phase” with more than 1,000 civilians killed in the past month during a Taliban offensive.

“A party that was genuinely committed to a negotiated settlement would not risk so many civilian casualties, because it would understand that the process of reconciliation will be more challenging the more blood is shed,” Lyons said via video link from Kabul.

“The Security Council must issue an unambiguous statement that attacks against cities must stop now,” Deborah Lyons told the 15-member council.

“This is now a different kind of war, reminiscent of Syria, recently, or Sarajevo, in the not-so-distant past,” Lyons said.

Deputy US Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Mills urged the Taliban to halt their offensive, pursue a political settlement and protect Afghanistan’s infrastructure and people. “The Taliban must hear from the international community that we will not accept a military takeover of Afghanistan or a return of the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate,” he said.

PAF training plane crashes near Attock, pilots safe

By
admin
-

ATTOCK, AUG 06 (DNA) – A training aircraft of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) was crashed near Attock on Friday.

According to a spokesperson of Pakistan Air Force Friday, both the pilots were safe as they ejected the aircraft timely. There was also no loss or damage on the ground as the plane crashed far from the populated area.

The aircraft was on a routine training mission. The Air Headquarters has formed a high-level board to investigate the reasons behind the crash of the aircraft.

No loss of life or property has been reported so far on ground. A Board of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the accident. = DNA

=======================

FM QURESHI PARTICIPATES IN 28TH ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM (ARF)

By
admin
-

ISLAMABAD, AUG 6 /DNA/ – Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi participated in the 28th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) held online today. The meeting was chaired by Brunei Darussalam and attended by Foreign Ministers and senior government officials of the ASEAN Regional Forum.

In his video remarks, the Foreign Minister called for a concerted international effort to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and to develop a vaccine that is accessible to all as a global public good. Pakistan remains opposed to any politicization of the issue.

Foreign Minister Qureshi also apprised the Forum about the progress made by Pakistan in the field of counter-terrorism. He urged the ASEAN Regional Forum members to raise voice against the rise of “Islamophobia” and extremist tendencies in the region and around the globe.

The Foreign Minister condemned moves by states to alter the demographics of disputed territories under their illegal occupation and stressed the importance of peaceful resolution of disputes according to relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

The Foreign Minister underscored that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was central to regional peace. Highlighting Pakistan’s positive contributions, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process. The Foreign Minister also underlined the importance of an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement through Intra-Afghan Negotiations.

On the issue of South China Sea, the Foreign Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the ongoing negotiations of Code of Conduct and underlined that the concerned parties may find solution through consensus.

The Foreign Minister also announced that Pakistan will be co-hosting the 24th ARF Heads of Defence Universities/Colleges/Institutions Meeting with Malaysia in 2021.

NEED FOR GREEN PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS ON CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY CRISIS

By
admin
-

Islamabad, AUG 6 /DNA/ – To respond to growing challenges related to climate change and ever-increasing energy crisis, the formulation of a green parliamentary caucus is the urgent need of the hour. The platform would play much needed role in advancing discourse around the critical issues and thus, to contribute to the right policy actions. 

The parliamentarians and experts from environment and energy sectors said this during a meeting of parliamentarians on ‘Proposed Parliamentary Caucus on Energy Transition in Pakistan’ organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) and Rural Development Policy Institute (RDPI), Islamabad. MsRukhsana Naveed, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) said that Pakistan could not show considerable progress on SDGs amid lack of implementation capabilities. 

The challenges, such as unauthorized deforestation, need to be dealt with on an urgent basis to save environmentthat is why the government responding to this challenge  has been providing alternate  choices to the people in place of fuel wood and legislation is now there to curb activities such as illegal cutting of trees.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Trade, Ms Aliya Hamza Malik, highlighted that Pakistan aims to achieve 30% energy through renewable resources which is both an ambitious and realistic target. The formulation of a green parliamentarian caucus could play a vital role in dealing with these pertinent issues as such actions are immensely important for  betterment of future generations.

Ms Nafisa Shah, MNA, was of the view that energy is a critical issue for development of the country. Therefore, we need awell-defined leadership, structure, and pre-defined objectives for formulation of a relevant platform/caucus of the parliamentarians. 

Ms Romina Khurshid Alam, MNA, emphasized that we need short, medium, and long term goals to tackle critical issues relating to climate change and energy. She suggested that the role of think tanks and CSOs in building the technical capacity of the parliament and evidence-based policy formulation should be enhanced.

Dr Abid QaiyumSuleri, Executive Director, SDPI, said that  SDPI and RDPI can provide secretarial, research and other technical support including coming up with relevant policy briefs to the proposed parliamentary caucus.  He said that the role played by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in capacity building of parliament and the recent initiative of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through the British Council are commendable to advance the much needed discourse around climate change and energy.

The parliamentarians from various political parties, including Riaz Fatyana,Coordinator SDGs Task force ,MsSyma Nadeem, MNA, MsAndleebAbbass, MNA, Mr. Faisal Javed, Member, Senate of Pakistan,  Ms Rubina Khalid, Member, Senate of Pakistan,  Ms Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, MNA, Mr Sher Ali Arbab, MNA, Ms Sitara Ayaz, Member, Senate of Pakistan,  Ms Shahida Rehmani, MNA, Ms SairaBano, MNA and representatives from various development agencies including MsAmmara, UNDP, and Mr Nadeem Ahmad, Policy Manager of Climate Change, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO),  highlighted various aspects of the impacts of climate change, environmental challenges and energy crisis in Pakistan and said that a national consensus to deal with all these issues is critical need of the country. 

Dr Hina Aslam, Research Fellow, SDPI, earlier highlighted the impacts of climate change and the need for an energy transition in Pakistan. She mentioned that the issues of clean energy and climate change have become global urgencies due to changing weather patterns, droughts, floods, and threats to food security. Dr Hina further shared various aspects of the initiative with the participants and said this collaboration would play an important role to suggest right policy actions to respond to emerging challenges.  

China slams U.S. offer of ‘safe haven’ for Hong Kong residents as interference

By
admin
-

BEIJING – China’s Foreign Ministry on Friday attacked a U.S. offer of temporary refuge for people from Hong Kong as a “vain attempt to stigmatize” the semi-autonomous southern city and China’s central government.

The statement from the ministry’s office in Hong Kong came hours after President Joe Biden made the offer in response to Beijing’s increasing moves to tighten its control and crush the pro-democracy opposition.

Biden signed a memorandum allowing people from Hong Kong currently residing in the United States to live and work in the country for 18 months, in direct response to Hong Kong‘s sweeping new national security law and other measures that undercut the rights promised when the former British colony was handed back to China in 1997. It also comes as China and the United States are at odds over a range of foreign policy and trade issues.

The Foreign Ministry said Biden’s move “slandered and smeared Hong Kong‘s national security law, nakedly intervened in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs, and blatantly trampled on international law and the basic norms of international relations.”

The U.S. was “weaving lies and slandering Hong Kong‘s national security laws, blatantly beautifying the anti-China chaos in Hong Kong, and presumptuously offering the so-called ‘safe-haven,'” the ministry said. “It is a vain attempt to stigmatize Hong Kong, stigmatize China, and stop at nothing to undermine Hong Kong through petty actions.”

The people of Hong Kong and China would respond to such “shameless political manipulation” which is “doomed to failure!,” said the statement, attributed to an unidentified spokesperson and posted on the office’s website.

The safe-haven offer is the latest in a series of steps taken by the administration in response to Beijing’s crackdown, including suspending an extradition treaty with the territory and other special treatment not extended to the rest of China, along with imposing visa bans on Hong Kong and Chinese officials and cutting them off from the U.S. financial system.

“Given the politically motivated arrests and trials, the silencing of the media, and the diminishing space for elections and democratic opposition, we will continue to take steps in support of people in Hong Kong,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

China imposed the national security law on Hong Kong in response to months of pro-democracy street protests in 2019. Police have arrested at least 100 opposition politicians, activists and demonstrators, imposed severe limits on political speech, reorganized the local legislature to ensure an overwhelming pro-Beijing majority and demanded that anyone holding public officer prove their loyalty to China.

Pro-democracy activists in exile pleaded with Congress last month to pass legislation to provide both temporary refuge and permanent refugee status in the U.S., after Hong Kong police confirmed they had a list of more than 50 people who would be arrested if they attempted to leave.

There are several thousand people from Hong Kong in the United States who would be eligible to remain and avoid being deported under what is formally known as deferred enforced departure, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Psaki didn’t rule out extending refuge beyond 18 months depending on developments in Hong Kong.

COMSTECH ORGANIZES LECTURE ON DRUG DISCOVERY FOR LEISHMANIASIS

By
admin
-

ISLAMABAD, AUG 6 /DNA/ – Lecture on protozoan drug discovery: Old drugs, new targets and mining for novelty، delivered online by Professor Paul W. Denny, Professor in Biosciences Department, University of Durham, United Kingdom. This was a second lecture of COMSTECH-NTD Network joint lecture series.

Prof. Paul said that it is very important initiative to engage with COMSTECH, it is very important to reach out beyond the consortium to other countries and individuals who are interested in and suffering burden of neglected tropical diseases, which we are trying to mitigate.

He said, our primary aim is to identify new molecular targets which are essential for the parasite and can be exploited for drug therapy by March 2022.

He mentioned that the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a major health and economic burden in member states of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.  He informed that the control and elimination of NTDs requires both a scaled-up and integrated global mass treatment programmes, along with new tools and technologies to tackle these diseases.

COMSTECH, in collaboration with NTD Network – Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, has launched a virtual lecture series for researchers across the Muslim world.  This programme offers opportunities to enhance knowledge, skills and connections of researchers, to help grow our shared global capacity to tackle these rapidly growing NTDs.

The NTD Network, funded by UKRI’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), is a consortium of academic researchers from South America, Asia, and the UK, seeking new therapeutic solutions to Leishmaniasis and Chagas diseases.

Both COMSTECH and NTD Network aim to promote global scientific cooperation and build research capacity to find new and better therapeutic solutions for NTDs.

This webinar was open to academics, scientists and the general public from all OIC member states. More than 190 people joint this lecture online.=DNA

================

RCCI INKS MOU WITH HAMDARD UNIVERSITY

By
admin
-

Rawalpindi, AUG 6 /DNA/ – A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) and Hamdard University. The purpose of the MOU was to strengthen industry-academy linkages and provide scholarship access and internship facility to deserving students.

RCCI president Mohammad Nasir Mirza and Mueen Batlay from Hamdard Univeristy signed and exchanged the mou document at a ceremony held in Chamber House Rawalpindi here on Friday. RCCI president Nasir Mirza said that the RCCI has MoUs with more than 20 universities and colleges. Global Entrepreneurship Week is held annually in the Chamber. He also briefed Director Mueen Batley about the installation of Rainwater Harvesting and Recharge System in the Chamber. DNA

1...2,5762,5772,578...4,140Page 2,577 of 4,140

Stay Connected

64FansLike
60FollowersFollow

Latest Reviews

Exchange Rates

USD - United States Dollar
EUR
1.14
GBP
1.34
AUD
0.70
CAD
0.71

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

© Centreline Magazine