Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated a large naval base on the Mediterranean Sea close to border with Libya today (Sunday).
The ceremony was also attended by Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, and by the chairman of Libya’s Presidential Council Mohamed al-Menfi.
On the occasion naval forces performed exercise that including the firing of missiles, parachute jumps and an amphibious landing.
ISLAMABAD: National Security Advisor Dr. Moeed Yusuf says the initial investigation into the recent terrorist blast in Lahore has provided concrete evidence of Indian involvement in terrorist activities in Pakistan.
He was addressing a joint news conference with Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain and Inspector General of Police Punjab, Inam Ghani in Islamabad today (Sunday).
Dr Moeed Yousf said the mastermind and handlers of the blast have been identified through forensic analysis of the electronic equipment recovered from the terrorists involved in the incident.
He said we have absolutely no doubt that the main mastermind of the blast is an Indian national, who belongs to the Indian intelligence agency RAW.
Appreciating Pakistani agencies effective role in apprehending the culprits involved in the Lahore blast, Dr Moeed Yusuf said right after the incident, thousands of attempts of cyber-attacks against Pakistan’s critical investigation structure were made to deflect attention of our police and security agencies to avoid apprehension.
He said our cyber security is strong enough that we were able to thwart these attempts.
The Advisor said Prime Minister Imran Khan has instructed his team to use all possible legal and political means to get to the people outside Pakistan, who are part of this international terrorist network.
He said we will share all information with international community and expose the nefarious designs and real of face of the state in our neighbourhood that is constantly sponsoring terrorism against our innocent civilians.
Dr Moeed Yusuf urged international community to stop turning a blind eye towards India’s illegal actions and play its legally binding role for safety of innocent Pakistanis if it really believes in peace and stability in this region.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said that the Indian establishment as well as government are fully involved in nurturing and supporting terrorist networks inside Pakistan.
He said, after the arrest of Indian Terrorist Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav, Pakistan got strong evidences of India’s involvement in terrorist activities inside Pakistan.
Chaudhary Fawad Hussain said that Pakistan has fought a war against terrorists and rendered unmatched sacrifices which were also acknowledged by the international community.
Speaking on the occasion, IG Police Inam Ghani said Punjab Police, Counter Terrorism Department and other law enforcement agencies successfully investigated the case and unearthed the plan.
He said Peter Paul David was the linchpin of the Lahore blast who is a Pakistani citizen and resides in Karachi. The IG said Peter Paul David arranged the car to be used for the blast.
Inam Ghani said Eid Gul, an Afghan refugee, installed vehicle-borne improvised explosive device in the car and drove it from Islamabad to Lahore.
He said the people involved in the incident tried to escape but due to prompt action of law enforcement agencies they did not get enough time.
Conversation between the terrorists on telephone was also released in the news conference.
Another eruption at the Philippines’ second-most active volcano can occur anytime soon, government scientists warned on Sunday amid “anomalously high” volcanic gas emissions.
More than 3,000 residents from high-risk villages around Taal volcano in Batangas province, 66 kilometres south of Manila, have fled their homes since Thursday, when the volcano erupted, spewing a dark, one-kilometre-high plume of volcanic gas and steam.
Since then, several bursts of volcanic gas and steam have been generated by Taal.
On Sunday, “the highest levels of volcanic sulfur dioxide gas emission was recorded … at an average of 22,628 tonnes per day, the highest-ever recorded in Taal,” the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said in a bulletin.
The emissions were accompanied by 26 strong and very shallow low-frequency volcanic earthquakes “associated with magmatic degassing,” it added. “These observations may indicate that an eruption similar to the 1 July 2021 event may occur anytime soon,” the institute said.
Phivolcs raied the alert at Taal volcano to level 3, which means that there was “ongoing magmatic extrusion at the main crater that may further drive succeeding explosions.”
Taal last erupted on January 12, 2020, displacing more than 376,000 people from surrounding towns. At the time, 39 people died due to illness while in evacuation centres and accidents caused by thick ash fall, according to the provincial government.
Taal has erupted 33 times since 1572.
It is a popular tourist destination for its picturesque crater lake.
Taal also has the distinction of being the only known volcano in the world within a lake on an island.
ISLAMABAD – Evidence gathered during the investigation of the blast in Lahore’s Johar Town last month clearly points to “Indian-sponsored terrorism”, National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf said on Sunday.
“The IG said we have intelligence of foreign intelligence agency, so today without a doubt I want to say, [the circumstances] of this entire attack lead to Indian-sponsored terrorism,” the NSA said.
Yusuf said the government had the fakes names, real identities and location of the suspects because of efficient coordination between different agencies.
On June 23, a powerful blast near the residence of Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed in Johar Town had killed three people and injured 24 others, including a police constable.
Six-year-old Abdul Haq, his father Abdul Malik, 50, and a young passerby died in the explosion that left a four-foot-deep and eight-foot-wide crater on the road and damaged several houses and shops nearby.
Quoting intelligence and surveillance staff, a report submitted to the chief minister had confirmed that the blast was carried out through remote control.
NSA Yusuf said Pakistan had been repeatedly saying that India was involved in terrorism against Pakistan.
“The cyber attacks were carried out so that our investigation could not be successful and it would face obstacles and time could be gained for the network to disperse,” he said, adding that the country’s institutions were “successful” because they had been strengthened to work on cybersecurity.
“We have no doubt that the Johar Town and cyber attacks are linked. And the number in which [the cyber attacks] were done, there is no doubt that there was state involvement of our neighbour,” he added, referring to India.
He recalled that Pakistan had presented a dossier last year regarding Indian state-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan. “This event is another aspect of that process where our enemy continues to do this,” he said.
According to Yusuf, the “direct origin” of the money through which the attack was financed was from India. “Money was sent through third countries; now time has come to pay attention to real criminals,” he said.
He revealed that one of the primary suspects who executed the attack, Eid Gul, was originally from Afghanistan and had lived in Pakistan.
“Pakistan will bring this international network in public view and India’s real face will be exposed, as we have done before.”
Referring to India, the NSA said the country could not tell the world that it wanted to “move forward”, while in reality it made plans “to martyr Pakistan’s citizens”.
“I want to make sure our message is heard clearly that [in] this particular incident, we have concrete evidence and intelligence that point to direct Indian sponsorship of these terrorists,” he emphasised.
“We have identified the main mastermind and the handlers of this terrorist attack and we have no doubt in informing you that the main mastermind belongs to RAW, lives in India and is an Indian citizen.”
Besides the cyber attacks, Yusuf said, “there has been a whole drama about some mysterious drones flying in Indian-occupied Kashmir. The logic of that is very clear, and we can again say with confidence that it was a deflection tactic.”
ISLAMABAD, JUL 4 /DNA/ – Justice (RETD) Javed Iqbal, Chairman NAB has said that corruption breeds poverty, undermines social and economic development of the country.
NAB being the focal agency of Pakistan under United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) is determined to weed out this scourge of corruption and to make Pakistan Corruption free by adopting “Accountability for All” policy.https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7078513716629609&output=html&h=280&adk=3941263968&adf=2136154190&pi=t.aa~a.2356292401~i.8~rp.4&w=696&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1625406985&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=2527759049&psa=1&ad_type=text_image&format=696×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamabadpost.com.pk%2Fnab-determined-to-weed-out-scourge-of-corruption-chairman%2F&flash=0&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=174&rw=696&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&adsid=ChEI8LiFhwYQ3fvElLuIi8aAARJIAGZw7UcJC1_wLKurpnnoje-0Qw3T8judqs-OIM2F-uyzRTx-u85eCm4LKVu0merPcpXmh_TKGQv2-M1my8o8HAieXvP8DNyj&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiNi4xIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiOTEuMC40NDcyLjEyNCIsW10sbnVsbCxudWxsLG51bGxd&tt_state=W3siaXNzdWVyT3JpZ2luIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9hZHNlcnZpY2UuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbSIsInN0YXRlIjo2fSx7Imlzc3Vlck9yaWdpbiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXR0ZXN0YXRpb24uYW5kcm9pZC5jb20iLCJzdGF0ZSI6N31d&dt=1625406982831&bpp=7&bdt=14977&idt=8&shv=r20210630&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D2cab8dd1d7a97507-2251d758ada700c6%3AT%3D1619371132%3ART%3D1619371132%3AS%3DALNI_MbCWjL6fpbAI7C_Q4Gb9OcZB0P5kA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C1200x280&nras=3&correlator=3928044758497&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=528309865.1625406982&ga_sid=1625406982&ga_hid=2137449639&ga_fc=0&u_tz=300&u_his=29&u_java=0&u_h=768&u_w=1366&u_ah=728&u_aw=1366&u_cd=24&u_nplug=3&u_nmime=4&adx=141&ady=1289&biw=1349&bih=657&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=21067496%2C31061683&oid=3&pvsid=740991355853891&pem=180&eae=0&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1366%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1366%2C657&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&jar=2021-07-04-13&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=8hc2xL7ean&p=https%3A//islamabadpost.com.pk&dtd=2383
NAB being the apex anti-corruption agency and mandated to eliminate corruption, corrupt practices, is operating through a three pronged strategy of Awareness, Prevention and Enforcement.
In order to eradicate this evil from society, it has consistently engaged all stakeholders and is incessantly combating this national menace with unflinching resolve through its multi-pronged strategy, which has started yielding remarkable results.
In addition, NAB has played a role of torch bearer for other anti-corruption organizations by putting a maximum limit of 10 months for expeditious disposal of – white-collar mega corruption cases.
In order to discourage money laundering; it has established “Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML & CFT) Cell”.
This shows the Bureau’s commitment and compliance towards the resolution of the international community. NAB is also the founding Chairman of the SAARC Anti-Corruption Forum and is a role model for SAARC countries.
It is also pointed out that due to its strong resolve against corruption, the Bureau’s endeavors have been appreciated and endorsed by different reputed national and international organizations like PILDAT, Mishal Pakistan, Transparency International, World Economic Forum that testifies people’s confidence and trust upon NAB’s performance.https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7078513716629609&output=html&h=280&adk=3941263968&adf=2153007668&pi=t.aa~a.2356292401~i.20~rp.4&w=696&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1625406985&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=2527759049&psa=1&ad_type=text_image&format=696×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamabadpost.com.pk%2Fnab-determined-to-weed-out-scourge-of-corruption-chairman%2F&flash=0&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=174&rw=696&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&adsid=ChEI8LiFhwYQ3fvElLuIi8aAARJIAGZw7UcJC1_wLKurpnnoje-0Qw3T8judqs-OIM2F-uyzRTx-u85eCm4LKVu0merPcpXmh_TKGQv2-M1my8o8HAieXvP8DNyj&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiNi4xIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiOTEuMC40NDcyLjEyNCIsW10sbnVsbCxudWxsLG51bGxd&tt_state=W3siaXNzdWVyT3JpZ2luIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9hZHNlcnZpY2UuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbSIsInN0YXRlIjo2fSx7Imlzc3Vlck9yaWdpbiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXR0ZXN0YXRpb24uYW5kcm9pZC5jb20iLCJzdGF0ZSI6N31d&dt=1625406982853&bpp=9&bdt=14999&idt=9&shv=r20210630&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D2cab8dd1d7a97507-2251d758ada700c6%3AT%3D1619371132%3ART%3D1619371132%3AS%3DALNI_MbCWjL6fpbAI7C_Q4Gb9OcZB0P5kA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C1200x280%2C696x280&nras=4&correlator=3928044758497&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=528309865.1625406982&ga_sid=1625406982&ga_hid=2137449639&ga_fc=0&u_tz=300&u_his=29&u_java=0&u_h=768&u_w=1366&u_ah=728&u_aw=1366&u_cd=24&u_nplug=3&u_nmime=4&adx=141&ady=2193&biw=1349&bih=657&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=21067496%2C31061683&oid=3&pvsid=740991355853891&pem=180&eae=0&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1366%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1366%2C657&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&jar=2021-07-04-13&ifi=4&uci=a!4&btvi=2&fsb=1&xpc=eNCQ7CvRFd&p=https%3A//islamabadpost.com.pk&dtd=2548
Similarly, having confidence in the impressive performance of NAB, China has also signed an MoU with NAB to oversee CPEC projects being undertaken in Pakistan.
He said that under Section-33 of NAO, 1999, NAB is mandated for awareness and prevention. Under NAB’s Awareness and Prevention Strategy, NAB has engaged different Governmental, Non-Governmental Organizations, Civil Society, and other segments of society to join hands with NAB’s awareness and prevention drive to create awareness among the people, especially the youth, Universities/Colleges and schools students.
In this regard a MoU with HEC has also been signed by NAB to create awareness among students against corruption as youth is considered a cutting edge in this fight.
Due to this effective three pronged anti-corruption strategy, NAB since its inception, NAB has recovered an amount of Rs. 814 billion directly and indirectly while in the year 2020, it has recovered Rs. 323 billion directly and indirectly as per law.
Beside this, currently 1273 references are under process in Accountability Courts. In addition, NAB’s conviction ratio is about 66 percent, which is one of the best conviction ratios as compared to other sister organizations.
Lebanon’s medicine importers Sunday said they had run out of hundreds of essential drugs and warned of more shortages, as the country’s dire financial crisis batters the health sector.
Lebanese are grappling with a raft of shortages, including petrol, as the caretaker government discusses lifting subsidies it can no longer afford amid what the World Bank says is one of the world’s worst financial crises since the 1850s.
The local currency has lost more than 90 percent of its value on the black market, but the central bank had been providing importers with dollars at a much more favourable official rate to cover a large part of the cost of imported drugs.
Medicine “imports have almost completely ground to a halt over the past month”, the association of pharmaceuticals importers said in a statement.
The syndicate said the central bank has not released the promised dollars to pay suppliers abroad, who are owed more than $600 million in accumulated dues since December, and importers cannot obtain new lines of credit.
“Importing companies’ stocks of hundreds of medicines to treat chronic and incurable diseases have run out,” it warned.
“And hundreds more will run out through July if we cannot resume imports as soon as possible.”
Syndicate head Karim Gebara told AFP some drugs to treat cardiac diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and multiple sclerosis were already out of stock.
If nothing is done, “the situation will be catastrophic by the end of July” depriving “hundreds of thousands of patients” of their medication, he warned.
On Thursday, President Michel Aoun said he had agreed with ministers and the central bank chief to “continue subsidising medication and medical supplies” selected by the health ministry according to priority.
‘LIVES WILL BE AT RISK’
The Lebanese state is providing less than five hours of electricity a day in most areas, as it struggles to come up with the foreign currency for fuel imports.
For the past months, Lebanese motorists have had to queue for hours outside petrol stations in scorching heat as fuel has become in short supply.
Filling up a car with petrol has increased by 55 percent in the past two weeks, as the government has slashed fuel subsidies.
Hospitals have also warned that worsening power cuts and fuel shortages were are also gravely impacting the health sector.
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper quoted the head of the private hospital syndicate Sleiman Haroun as saying that hospitals had enough fuel stocks to operate generators for just two days, instead of two weeks.
Firass Abiad, the head of the Rafic Hariri main public hospital battling the Covid pandemic, said the lives of patients were also at risk.
“For most hospitals in Lebanon, the major concern currently is not the (coronavirus) Delta variant, nor shortages in supplies. The major worry now is electricity, without which medical equipments cannot work,” Abiad wrote on Twitter.
“Old generators cannot continue running nonstop. When they breakdown, lives will be at risk.”
The government resigned after a deadly port explosion on August 4 last year, but a deeply divided political class has failed since to agree on a new cabinet to lift the nation out of crisis.
DNA
KARACHI, JUL 4 – Pakistan is going to sign trade agreements with Uzbekistan in July to explore over US$90 billion exports potential in central Asia for achieving its unprecedented exports target of US$35 billion set for the fiscal year 2021-22.
For the purpose of central Asia connectivity, Prime Minister Imran Khan is leaving for Uzbekistan on July 13, 2021. During his three-day visit (July 13 to 15), Pakistan and Uzbekistan will sign Transit and Preferential Trade Agreements said the prime minister’s commerce adviser Abdul Razak Dawood in an exclusive talk with the members of the Karachi based Council of Economic and Energy Journalists (CEEJ) in Islamabad. https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7078513716629609&output=html&h=280&adk=733168572&adf=2389148898&pi=t.aa~a.2356292401~i.10~rp.4&w=696&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1625402789&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=2527759049&psa=1&ad_type=text_image&format=696×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamabadpost.com.pk%2Fus90-billion-exports-potential-in-central-asia-abdul-razak-dawood%2F&flash=0&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=174&rw=696&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiNi4xIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiOTEuMC40NDcyLjEyNCIsW10sbnVsbCxudWxsLG51bGxd&tt_state=W3siaXNzdWVyT3JpZ2luIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9hZHNlcnZpY2UuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbSIsInN0YXRlIjo2fSx7Imlzc3Vlck9yaWdpbiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXR0ZXN0YXRpb24uYW5kcm9pZC5jb20iLCJzdGF0ZSI6N31d&dt=1625402789762&bpp=6&bdt=8888&idt=-M&shv=r20210630&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D2cab8dd1d7a97507-2251d758ada700c6%3AT%3D1619371132%3ART%3D1619371132%3AS%3DALNI_MbCWjL6fpbAI7C_Q4Gb9OcZB0P5kA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C1200x280&nras=3&correlator=5808234834786&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=2028837536.1625402788&ga_sid=1625402788&ga_hid=998036754&ga_fc=0&u_tz=300&u_his=22&u_java=0&u_h=768&u_w=1366&u_ah=728&u_aw=1366&u_cd=24&u_nplug=3&u_nmime=4&adx=141&ady=1440&biw=1349&bih=657&scr_x=0&scr_y=270&eid=21067496&oid=3&pvsid=1042085041995324&pem=180&eae=0&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1366%2C0%2C1366%2C728%2C1366%2C657&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=yIoaNH4z5V&p=https%3A//islamabadpost.com.pk&dtd=77
“Both countries have agreed to allocate dedicated space in Gwadar and Tashkent for establishing warehousing facilities to help each other in the transportation of goods to other regional countries,” he said.
We have planned to transport goods under the TIR Convention because the first-ever truck from Uzbekistan reached Pakistan under the TIR Convention in 48 hours, he said.
“The government is contemplating offering loans to the transporters to update the country’s dilapidated logistics network,” he said.
As the tariff rationalization as an instrument of growth, the government has made products exports competitive in federal budget 2021-22 by rationalizing the tariff lines of over 4000 raw materials which is around 42 percent of total imported raw materials. The focus area for tariff rationalization was active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), poultry, engineering, and textile. The tariff of packaging raw materials, iron and steel, agricultural products would also be rationalized in the next fiscal year, Razak informed.
Talking about the restructuring of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), he said that some 10 commercial councilors have been removed since September 2018, due to poor performance and now the officials in TDAP, who used to own country-based responsibilities, have been assigned product-based responsibilities to improve their performances,” he said.https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7078513716629609&output=html&h=280&adk=733168572&adf=4018978294&pi=t.aa~a.2356292401~i.20~rp.4&w=696&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1625402789&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=2527759049&psa=1&ad_type=text_image&format=696×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamabadpost.com.pk%2Fus90-billion-exports-potential-in-central-asia-abdul-razak-dawood%2F&flash=0&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=174&rw=696&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiNi4xIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiOTEuMC40NDcyLjEyNCIsW10sbnVsbCxudWxsLG51bGxd&tt_state=W3siaXNzdWVyT3JpZ2luIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9hZHNlcnZpY2UuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbSIsInN0YXRlIjo2fSx7Imlzc3Vlck9yaWdpbiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXR0ZXN0YXRpb24uYW5kcm9pZC5jb20iLCJzdGF0ZSI6N31d&dt=1625402789762&bpp=4&bdt=8888&idt=-M&shv=r20210630&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D2cab8dd1d7a97507-2251d758ada700c6%3AT%3D1619371132%3ART%3D1619371132%3AS%3DALNI_MbCWjL6fpbAI7C_Q4Gb9OcZB0P5kA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C1200x280%2C696x280&nras=4&correlator=5808234834786&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=2028837536.1625402788&ga_sid=1625402788&ga_hid=998036754&ga_fc=0&u_tz=300&u_his=22&u_java=0&u_h=768&u_w=1366&u_ah=728&u_aw=1366&u_cd=24&u_nplug=3&u_nmime=4&adx=141&ady=2318&biw=1349&bih=657&scr_x=0&scr_y=270&eid=21067496&oid=3&pvsid=1042085041995324&pem=180&eae=0&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1366%2C0%2C1366%2C728%2C1366%2C657&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&ifi=4&uci=a!4&btvi=2&fsb=1&xpc=aXIbHZFZwD&p=https%3A//islamabadpost.com.pk&dtd=106
“Under the Strategic Trade Policy Framework, the incentives are now linked with product diversification and now the exporters have to show more diversifications in their products to get more incentives from the government,” Razak said.
Pakistan has witnessed record-high exports of US$25.3 billion, including $15.5 billion in textile and $2 billion in IT services in the fiscal year 2020-21, which were nearly $4 billion higher than the US $21.4 billion achieved in 2019-20.
While admitting the impact of the covid situation on the record-high exports, Razak is advocating a ‘high-target, high-achievement approach’, informing that the government has fixed US$35 billion export target, including $28 billion for goods and $7 billion for services for the current fiscal year 2021-22.
“We know it would be a herculean task to achieve because the world is opening and everybody is going to get into the export market but everybody should move and try to make it achievable,” he said.
DNA
ISLAMABAD, JUL 4: Zubair Tufail, President, United Business Group Pakistan, has said that Pakistan is a rich country in all the resources provided by nature.
We need to make Pakistan a prosperous and developed country by using these resources according to appropriate strategies and procedures.
He expressed these views while addressing a dinner hosted by former National Assembly member Kanwar Qutbuddin in honour of Zubair Tufail President UBG and Zafar Bakhtawari Secretary General UBG last night.
He said that Pakistan has the best water resources in the world and we are not making good use of these resources for producing Cheap electricity by water .
We should produce electricity by water, wind and solar energy.
In his address, Zafar Bakhtawari, Secretary General of the UBG said that in our society, the businessman does not have that respect as was in the early Islamic society.
We need to present a positive image of the businessman in our society and bring the businessman forward in this society as a role model for the next generation which can make Pakistan a prosperous and ideal society.
Islamabad Chamber of Commerce President Sardar Yasr Ilyas has said that Pakistan can earn foreign exchange by exporting mangoes, kinnows and other fruits.
We should promote our agro technology in this regard. Pakistani embassies should hold exhibitions of mangos and kinno all over the world.
In order to increase the production of wheat, rice, cotton, sugarcane and ghee in Pakistan, work should be done on urgent basis.
He said that in the last 25 years, rich people from all over the world have invested in the UAE because there is no question asked for bringing capital to that country. UAE has become developed country beacuse of its free capital movement policies. We should also adopt such policies to develop our country.
We should give attractive incentives for the investors so that Pakistan can be made a prosperous and developed country. Former Member National Assembly Kanwar Qutb uddin in his address said that United Business Group has elected dynamic and active leadership in the form of Zubair Tufail and Zafar Bakhtawari.
It is a good initiative that will promote the unity and solidarity, which will solve the problems of business community.
Bristol, United Kingdom, July 4:England captain Eoin Morgan won the toss and elected to field in the third one-day international against Sri Lanka at Bristol on Sunday as the hosts eyed a 3-0 series sweep.
Despite leading 2-0 in the series, after wins at Chester-le-Street and the Oval, England resisted the temptation to give left-arm quick George Garton a debut or deploy batsman Tom Banton or spinner Liam Dawson.
Instead, they made just the one change, with pace-bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes replacing fellow World Cup-winner Mark Wood.
Sri Lanka too made one change, with Oshada Fernando replacing Charith Asalanka.
Teams
England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow (wkt), Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (capt), Sam Billings,Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Tom Curran, David Willey, Adil Rashid
Sri Lanka: Kusal Perera (capt, wkt), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dasun Shanaka, Oshada Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Binura Fernando, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando
Umpires: David Millns (ENG), Michael Gough (ENG)
TV umpire: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)
ISLAMABAD – Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood has iterated that board exams for classes nine to 12 will take place across the country as per the schedules announced by the respective boards.
“This is a unanimous decision of our provinces and stakeholders. Exams will take place according to the schedules announced by the boards,” he stressed.
The education minister advised students to not believe in rumours, saying there were 29 educational boards in the country, each of which had issued their own schedule and the exams would take place on those dates.
Regarding a question about summer vacations, Mahmood said it had been left up to the provincial governments to decide whether they would give holidays or not. “These are not ordinary conditions and whatever the provinces decide in these conditions, it will be correct,” he said.
The minister said that education had been “badly affected” because of the closure of schools, adding: “Schools should be kept open as far as it is possible in view of the weather and keeping in view the coronavirus situation.
“The teaching that can be done in classrooms cannot be done anywhere else. A lot of the course has to be covered and the deficiency has to be overcome. That is why we have left it to the provinces and private schools to do what they think is appropriate,” Mahmood said.
The minister’s comment comes days after hundreds of students protested in front of Higher Education Commission (HEC) in Islamabad and demanded cancellation of secondary school certificate (SSC) and higher secondary school certificate (HSSC) exams.
The protesters chanted slogans against the government and demanded cancellation of physical exams. They said that they were taught online throughout the pandemic and were not fully prepared which is why the exams should be cancelled.
A number of such protests have taken place across the country in recent months as the coronavirus pandemic dragged on, affecting educational activities.
Lahore on Saturday, Mahmood recalled that last year, exams were cancelled and all students were passed. However, this year, provincial ministers and all stakeholders had decided that grading would not happen without exams, he said.
“Exams of A2 Level have already taken place and now exams of [classes] 9, 10, 11, 12 are about to take place in the coming few days. I am telling students: continue your studies because exams will neither be postponed nor cancelled.”
He advised the students who were already preparing to continue studying, adding that for students who were hoping the exams would be cancelled, “it will not happen.”
