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FM QURESHI GREETS TAJIK PRESIDENT ON SUCCESSFUL STEWARDSHIP OF SCO

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ISLAMABAD, JUL 14 /DNA / – Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi called on President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon , along with Foreign Ministers of SCO member states.

During the call, the Foreign Minister congratulated the Tajik President on successful stewardship of SCO under its Presidency, during which new areas were identified to further strengthen cooperation under SCO.

Foreign Minister Qureshi, recalling Tajik President’s visit to Pakistan in June 2021, remarked that the visit provided fresh impetus to already strong bilateral ties and opened new vistas of collaboration.

The Foreign Minister highlighted government’s Vision Central Asia policy to enhance outreach to Central Asian Republics.

Underlining that absence of connectivity impedes strong ties, Foreign Minister Qureshi reaffirmed Pakistan’s interest to work with Central Asian Republics on rail, road and energy projects which would link Central Asia with Pakistan. The Foreign Minister added that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) provides an ideal opportunity in this regard.

On the regional security situation, the Foreign Minister emphasised that withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan had opened new challenges and opportunities. He expressed the hope that SCO would continue to play its due role in support of peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan.

Foreign Minister Qureshi is in Dushanbe to participate in the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting and the SCO Contact Group on Afghanistan.

E-Paper 14-07-2021

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E-Paper 14-07-2021

Three-day holiday for Eidul Azha

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Shaheen Hanif

ISLAMABAD:Pakistan has approved three-day holidays for Eidul Azha, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry announced Tuesday.

The holidays will be from July 20 (Tuesday) to July 22 (Thursday), the information minister said while briefing the media about the decisions during the Cabinet meeting.

The NCOC had suggested a five-day holiday but the cabinet decided on the following dates, he shared. The centre has, however, advised people to wear masks if they are indoors and maintain social distance.

The federal minister advised people to get vaccinated as soon as possible. “Don’t focus on conspiracy theories and protect the people around you.”

Dr. Faisal Sultan, the SAPM on health, told the cabinet that Pakistan administered 525,000 doses in one day and this is a new record for the country.

“We have inoculated 20 million people so far.” The NCOC will soon submit a report on this and share its data.

Two jawans martyred in Kurram

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Nehal Miraj

KURRAM: Two security forces personnel were martyred during an area sanitisation operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram District, the military’s media wing said Tuesday.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement, said the operation was conducted after security forces had received reports of terrorists’ presence in the area.

During intense exchange of fire, three terrorists were killed, the military’s media wing said, adding a-cordon-and-search operation is underway to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area.

The security forces personnel who were martyred include: Captain Basit, 25, who is a resident of Haripur; and Sepoy Hazrat Bilal, 22, who is a resident of Orakzai. 

Last month, a soldier of the Frontier Corps Balochistan was martyred during an attack launched by militants on M-8 near Shapak, District Hoshab.

Sepoy Kifait Ullah, a resident of Sibi, embraced martyrdom when militants attacked a water bowser through a pressurised IED. 

Turkish envoy shares details of July 15 coup

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Ambassador of Turkey Ihsan Mustafa Yurdakul says Turkey will never forget Pakistani support during difficult times; announces plantation ceremony on 15th in Fatima Jinnah Park

Ansar M Bhatti

ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Turkey Ihsan Mustafa Yurdakul has said on 15 July one of the most treacherous attempts was made on the people of Turkey with a view to making the Turkish people slaves, but the brave Turkish people valiantly thwarted that attempt.

Ostensibly, the Turkish people had to pay a price also. And what was that price; the price was bombing of the presidential palace; bombing of the Turkish national assembly and bombing of police headquarters; intelligence headquarters and Special Forces headquarters. But at the end of the day will of the people prevailed and the move was vehemently rejected.

The ambassador expressed these views during a press conference on Tuesday. A commemoration ceremony will take place on July 15. The ambassador shall also plant a tree in the Fatima Jinnah Park.

The Ambassador further said, 15th of July coup attempt was planned by the FETO leadership and carried out by members of the organization, whom infiltrated into our army by disobeying the chain of command of the armed forces.

 “We have never before witnessed such savagery and treachery in our history as the one exhibited by the perpetrators of this coup attempt: our Parliament Building, the Presidential complex, the building of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), buildings of the Turkish National Police, the Headquarters of the Police Special Operations Department located in Ankara was bombed by rogue pilots”.

While giving an account of what happened on July 15 the ambassador said Tanks were driven to the streets to mow down innocent civilians, while helicopters and jets dropped bombs from the air and shot everyone in sight. That night, two hundred and fifty one citizens were killed and more than two thousand people were injured.

Ambassador said in the past three years, the fight against FETO both inside and outside Turkey has constituted one of the main priorities of our State. Within Turkey, our efforts are being conducted under three pillars:  a) Firstly, on the basis of the rule of law, the perpetrators of the 15th of July coup attempt have been brought to justice.  b) FETO’s organizational structure within governmental institutions has been unveiled; administrative and judicial procedures have been initiated against its members and hence the “parallel state structure” has been brought down. Ambassador Ihsan Mustafa thanked people of Pakistan and Pakistani government for standing shoulder to shoulder with the people of Turkey by extending whole hearted support. He said the FETO organization also made inroads into Pakistani society by establishing schools.

Ban on TLP to stay: Fawad

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The Cabinet also approved proposed agreements with Uzbekistan, which shall be signed during the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister of Pakistan to Tashkent

Shujaat Hamza

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Cabinet has decided to continue ban on Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan.

This was stated by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, while briefing media, in Islamabad this afternoon, about decisions taken by the Federal Cabinet, which met in the federal capital today (Tuesday) with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair.

The minister said that the Cabinet also approved proposed agreements with Uzbekistan, which shall be signed during the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister of Pakistan to Tashkent.

Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said the cabinet approved Interior Ministry’s report recommending the ban on TLP to continue. He said the ban on TLP had been imposed on merit and in light of solid facts as the organization was involved in arson and torture of police personnel. He said the Law Ministry is working to get the election symbol of TLP cancelled as per law.

The Minister said the cabinet also gave approval to 25 percent special allowance to the armed forces to bring their salaries at par with other departments. He said the Prime Minister also instructed to extend this facility to Rangers and FC as they were not included initially. He said it was also approved to fix retail prices of 49 medicines.

Chaudhry Fawad said the cabinet was informed that Saudi Arabia would release 85 Pakistani prisoners on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha. He said a special plane would be dispatched to bring them back from Saudi Arabia. He said the government is also making strenuous efforts to bring Pakistani citizens detained in different countries on minor charges.

He said a detailed briefing was given on Electronic Voting Machine, Internet-Voting, biometric. He said EVM is vital to ensure transparency in the next general election. To this effect, the cabinet was informed that unanimity of views has emerged on several issues and efforts are being made to sort out the remaining points.

Regarding Covid situation in Pakistan, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said 20 million people have so far been vaccinated. He said over half million people were vaccinated yesterday alone, which is the highest number since the start of vaccination drive. Urging the people to observe Standard Operating Procedures to prevent spread of the pandemic and to get them vaccinated, the Minister said cases in Karachi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa increased in last few days, while situation in Punjab is under control.

Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said Asset Management Company is being established to manage the properties of the federal government. He said the Prime Minister expressed concerns on the depleting green areas in Islamabad due to unplanned expansion of residential societies. He said the Prime Minister also directed different institutions, including Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Air Force, to remove fences from their properties to protect green areas. Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said Imran Khan also instructed the Chairman of Capital Development Authority to make the federal capital an encroachment free area. He said the Prime Minister also directed to take necessary measures to allow common people in VVIP clubs.

The Minister said that the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions presented a report on Afghan Refugees in Pakistan. He said the international community should extend maximum cooperation to bring peace in Afghanistan and resolve the issue of Afghan refugees.

Blame game will not serve region

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The Foreign Minister expressed these views during a meeting with Afghan FM Hanif Atmar

DNA

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday said that blame game would not serve the region, urging his Afghan counterpart to address all concerns through established institutional mechanisms.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi also reaffirmed Pakistan’s consistent support to a peaceful and united Afghanistan, at peace with itself and with its neighbours.

“Pakistan supports a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, which would yield mutual dividends and benefits in terms of peace in the region, economic prosperity and regional connectivity,” he added.

The Foreign Minister expressed these views during a meeting with Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Hanif Atmar held on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Dushanbe.

During the meeting, views were exchanged on the latest developments in Afghanistan and the way forward.

In view of the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan, the Foreign Minister urged the Afghan leaders to achieve a negotiated political settlement at the earliest, adding that such an outcome would bring peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan.

He remarked that Afghan leaders should seize the historic opportunity and take advantage of international convergence on the final settlement of the Afghan conflict by working together an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement.

The Foreign Minister expressed concern on high level of violence, which has resulted in innumerable loss of lives. He emphasized immediate steps to decrease violence, leading to comprehensive ceasefire.

Highlighting that negative statements could not cloud Pakistan’s positive contribution to the Afghan peace process, and that blame game would not serve the region, the Foreign Minister urged his Afghan counterpart to address all concerns through established institutional mechanisms, including Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS).

He said that Pakistan looked forward to hosting review meeting of APAPPS in Islamabad at the earliest.

‘Joint strategy needed for peace’

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News Desk

DUSHANBE: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday said that Pakistan wanted to adopt a joint strategy on Afghanistan after consultation with important countries of the region.

“As Pakistan is fulfilling its responsibilities, the improved situation in Afghanistan will benefit all. If, God forbids, the situation in Afghanistan deteriorates, all will be affected.” Qureshi said in a statement from Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan.

The Foreign Minister said since he was in Tajikistan to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting, he wanted to utilize the opportunity to discuss the situation in Afghanistan with important countries of the region, who were also monitoring the situation.

Qureshi said with a detailed discussion already held with his Tajik counterpart on the situation in Afghanistan on Monday, he besides holding meetings with Foreign Ministers of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan on Tuesday, was also expected to meet with the Foreign Ministers of China and Russia.

The Foreign Minister said that India by playing the role of a spoiler in Afghanistan was disturbing regional peace. He urged the international community to prohibit India from the negative attitude, adding, India should also let Afghanistan live with peace.

Qureshi said that as the neighboring countries would be affected by the situation in Afghanistan, it was a golden opportunity to take consultative process forward.

The Foreign Minister said that Pakistan was the only country which despite its limited resources was hosting three million Afghan refugees since decades, adding, however, if the situation in Afghanistan deteriorated again, it cannot afford to welcome more refugees from Afghanistan.

Qureshi said Pakistan by sacrificing 70,000 lives and suffering huge economic losses had paid a heavy price in the war against terrorism. He said that since under the guise of Afghan refugees, some anti-Pakistan elements can enter the country, it was their obligation to remain cautious.

The Foreign Minister said he considered most of the Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan as innocent who wanted to return to their country. He said that Pakistan wanted to help the Afghan people on humanitarian ground, but also wanted to ensure the safety and security of its own people.

PM advocates equal vaccine access for all

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Speaking of Pakistan’s efforts to fight COVID-19, the prime minister said that the country has been “more fortunate than other countries”

Special Correspondent

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday urged the countries currently producing vaccines for coronavirus to ramp up production and ensure rapid distribution to all, including developing countries.

“While the support offered by some major nations is commendable, more needs to be done,” the prime minister said, while addressing the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2021.

He earlier remarked that the forum is being held “at a critical moment in human history”.

“The world is facing an unprecedented triple challenge: the COVID-19 pandemic; the reversal of economic progress; and the existential threat posed by climate change,” he said.

He commended the “excellent role” played by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and “the entire UN system’s relief and recovery efforts in the wake of the pandemic”.

Speaking of Pakistan’s efforts to fight COVID-19, the prime minister said that the country has been “more fortunate than other countries”.

“Through our policies of ‘smart lockdowns’ and focus on the disadvantaged, we have been able to somehow contain the virus. We managed to save precious lives and at the same time livelihoods,” he said.

PM Imran Khan appreciated the international recognition of Pakistan’s pandemic containment strategy and the Ehsaas social protection programme.

“We are now making all possible efforts to accelerate our vaccination campaign,” he said.

The premier said that unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic had “revealed and accentuated the endemic inequalities which exist within and amongst nations”.

“The global economy will not recover fully until all countries — rich and poor — are enabled to accelerate and expand investment for achieving the SDGs (sustainable development goals) and climate goals,” he continued.

The premier said that he believes the following actions, at the national and international level, are “indispensable to respond effectively to the triple crisis”.

PM Imran Khan said that it is “essential” that universal and affordable access to COVID-19 vaccines be ensured “to defeat the virus and to revive global trade, investment and growth”. “The world must ramp up vaccine production, including in the developing countries, and ensure its rapid distribution. While the support offered by some major nations is commendable, more needs to be done,” he stressed.

PIA airlifts 2m doses of Sinovac vaccine

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DNA

ISLAMABAD: A special plane of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has airlifted another batch of two million doses of Sinovac vaccines from Beijing Capital International Airport to Pakistan to help health authorities prevent and control Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

So far, 16.5 million doses of Sinovac and six million doses of Sinopharm have been transported from China to Pakistan, Qadir Bux Sangi, PIA Country Manager for China said on Tuesday.

Pakistan has been using mainly Chinese vaccines namely Sinopharm and Sinovac, although others are also available and so far around 20 million people have been vaccinated.

The government has run a massive vaccination drive across the country to achieve the target of providing 70 million doses of vaccines aimed at fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

It may be mentioned that Pakistani health authorities had launched a nationwide vaccination drive with around a million doses of Sinopharm vaccine donated by China, starting with older people and frontline healthcare workers, in March.

The drive began with a focus on the oldest people in the community, generally over the age of 80 and worked its way down.

Initially, the government had to deal with vaccination hesitancy and a shortage of vaccine supplies and had limited shots for people aged 30 or over. Now it is available for the people aged over 18 years.

Islamabad received the first COVID-19 vaccine consignment after a military aircraft transported it from Beijing on February 01, this year.

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