Islamabad : A delegation from Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) called on Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Ahmad Khan Buzdar in Lahore.
The delegation apprised the Chief Minister about problems being faced by business community and industrialists.
Speaking on occasion, the Chief Minister said the government will take all possible steps to facilitate business community and industrialists as they are backbone of the economy.
ISLAMABAD, Mar 18 : For the first time in the country’s history, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday allotted 1,008 flats and 500 houses for poor workers and widows on low-cost mortgage in a bid to uplift the weaker segments of the society.
The Prime Minister performed balloting at the site of affordable residences constructed in the suburbs of Islamabad, under the Naya Pakistan Housing Project carried out by Workers Welfare Fund and Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development.
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said the project was in line with the vision of facilitating the lower class which faced hardship in owning a house particularly in the urban areas.
“Naya Pakistan is in fact a vision of empowering weaker segments of the society through economic emancipation and provision of basic necessities of life,” he said.
The Prime Minister said under mortgage system, the rent paid would be converted into the installments of the total cost of the house or flat.
He said the government would give Rs 0.3 million subsidy on each house and would also ensure that the markup rate did not exceed by five percent.
He lauded the efforts of team of Workers Welfare Fund for reviving the project that lingered on for last 25 years and regretted that previous governments never gave priority to working class.
Imran Khan acknowledged that without the support of banks, the project could not be accomplished.
The passage of new foreclosure law for banks took two years to get approval by the courts, he added.
He said in first phase, over 1,500 flats and houses would be distributed and the same number would be replicated in second phase as well. The project will be expanded to other parts of the country as well, he added.
Imran Khan said owning a house was a big dream in one’s life, adding that even rich countries could not give away houses free of cost but on mortgage.
He said the government gave concessions to the construction industry during pandemic that resulted in a boom, including increase in demand of cement.
He said the construction industry would generate massive employment opportunities, expressing hope that the step would lead to wealth creation and strengthening of economy.
The Prime Minister inspected the constructed houses and flats and also planted a sapling in the premises.
PM’s Special Assistant for Overseas Pakistanis Zulfikar Bukhari said the keys of houses and flats would be handed over at payment of 10 percent of the total cost, while 90 percent of the rest of installments could be paid in a period of 20 years.
He said the concept to uplift poor was in line with the ideals of Islam’s first socio-welfare State of Madinah.
Senator Faisal Javed said the project was reflective of the fact that for Prime Minister Imran Khan, the emancipation of lower class was a priority.
ISLAMABAD, Mar 18 : Prime Minister’s aide on health Dr Faisal Sultan on Thursday said that around 40,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine is being administered to the citizens on daily basis.
He said that third batch of 500,000 more consignment doses developed by Chinese drug maker Sinopharm vaccine has also reached Pakistan yesterday.
He informed that more than 1.2 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered across the country since the country began its immunisation drive.
He said federal government has been distributing COVID-19 vaccination doses to all provinces including Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and Kashmir on equal basis.
He further explained that the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) had decided to allow people aged 70 years and above, who have registered themselves on the helpline 1166, to walk into any vaccination center to get inoculated against Covid-19.
Citizens above the age of 70 can directly visit to any nearest vaccination centre along with their CNICs for COVID vaccination, he added.
Currently, we are vaccinating the healthcare workers and people over the age 60 and 70,he added.
Pakistan has so far received three batches of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine, he said, adding, besides the delivery from China, Pakistan is also on the list to receive 17,160,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines through the global COVAX platform.
We have placed an order for the purchase of CanSino Biologics Inc.’s single-dose vaccine and preparations are underway, he mentioned.
“The positivity rate in some cities is constantly rising and third wave is looming, which poses a serious and imminent threat to public health, he added.
To a question, he said that every citizen should realize their responsibility and get vaccine as it is safe for public after Scientific trials.
Islamabad, 18 March 2021 : Pakistan strongly condemns the terrorist attacks in Tillaberi region of Republic of Niger that resulted in loss of so many precious lives.
The government and people of Pakistan extend their deepest sympathies and condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured.
Pakistan reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all forms and manifestations. We reaffirm our strong support and solidarity with the government and people of Niger in this moment of grief.
ISLAMABAD, Mar 18 : The “1965 War Hero” Muhammad Mahmood Alam, popularly known as M M Alam was remembered (Thursday) on his 8th death anniversary to pay glowing tributes for his heroics unforgettable services.
Legendary war hero MM Alam’s record of shooting down five Indian war planes in less than a minute remains unbeaten.
Alam, nicknamed as ‘Little Dragon’ popularly, while piloting an F-86 Sabre, shot down five Indian war planes in less than a minute during 1965 Pak-India war and altogether, downed nine war planes in the aerial fight.
MM Alam was the first ever fighter pilot for PAF, listed on top in the hall of famers’ list at the PAF Museum in Karachi. Alam is considered as a national hero for Pakistan, most significantly, for his remarkable show of brilliance in the war of 1965 he was awarded the ‘Sitara-e-Jurat’ and also the BAR medal.
The war hero was born on July 6, 1935, in Calcutta, India and was the eldest of 11 siblings. No one in his family before him had been part of the military, and in fact, he joined the armed forces against his father’s will.
In 1965, when India started war in the late mist dark night, Alam who was the first commanding officer of the first squadron of Assaults Mirage III, took his F-86 Sabre jet plane equipped with AIM-9 sidewinder missiles and fly over the skies of Sargodha to defeat the enemies who entered in Pakistani Air Space.
Here, MM Alam made the unforgettable history by knocking down nine Indian Fighter Jets ‘Hawker Hunters’ in air to air combat despite Hawker Hunter superiority over F-86. He shot down as he sets an unbeaten world record by downing five Indian aircraft in thirty seconds.
Alam announced to the radar controller that he had shot down nine IAF aircraft and when Radio Pakistan announced his brilliance, people of Pakistan started rising the slogans of “Allah o Akbar”.
The Air Force legend was battling illness since December 2012, and was admitted to Pakistan Naval Station Shifa Hospital in Karachi.
After a protracted illness, Alam died in Karachi on March 18, 2013 at the age of 77. He retired in 1982 as an Air Commodore.
BEIJING, March 18 : Pakistan to set up two new Special Economic Zons (SEZs) to host mega Chinese investments. Owais Mir, CEO of DEA told China Economic Net (CEN) that negotiations with Chinese investors have been concluded, and multi-billion Chinese companies have confirmed their plans to establish manufacturing facilities, global service centers, R&D labs and sales centers in these SEZs with an estimated investment USD of 5-7 billion in the next five years.
Pakistani company Dynamic Engineering and Automation (DEA) has launched the SEZs at Pir Patho District Thatta and Padshahan, District Chakwal to promote Foreign Direct Investment, in line with the vision of Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan.
Owais Mir further said that DEA has signed agreements on Tuesday with multiple Chinese companies to act as the local partners and facilitators. Companies include Shenyang Biotech Group, Neusoft Medical Systems, HE Vision Group, Lovol heavy industries, Wondfu medical, Kaper technologies, Green agrotech, Shenglin metallurgical Group, Red Crown Intelligent Technology, Shanghai Rich Tai Industries and Dandong automation.
“These Chinese investors will establish industries in the medical sector, metal recycling, automobiles including EV, paint, marbles, agriculture and farming, renewable energy, paper recycling, and artificial intelligence.
The master layout of the SEZs will be prepared by China Urban-Rural Holding Group, which specializes rural and urban revitalization, eco-friendly designs and implementation of balanced development of regions in China,”
He said that the decision to formalize the partnership through these MoUs for establishing various projects has already been made from both sides; he added that key milestone for both countries in their long-term relationship was to make it public after extensive evaluation and identifying the core competencies and strong synergies between them.
These initiatives would generate employment and business activities in the henceforth neglected rural areas.
Owais said that DEA in the health care initiative is collaborating with HE Vision China to build a state-of-the-art eye hospital that will be fully equipped with advanced technology.
“This Eye Hospital project focuses to be part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and will fall under the classification of CPEC Healthcare Sector in Pakistan under the ‘Belt and Road’ initiative.
The hospital aims to provide free of cost eye treatments and checkups in the less privileged poor areas”, he mentioned.
Mir also stated that the DEA is already providing Energy Solutions, e.g., Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) and LNG equipment services in Pakistan and focusing on the health care, manufacturing and industrial parks development sector.
Mrs. Fareena Mazhar, Secretary, Board of Investment, had graced DEA’s signing ceremony and “He Vision.”
she said that to effectively meet the global challenges and international competitiveness, the Government of Pakistan has created SEZ scheme in Pakistan, which has become a basic tool to assist investment policy.
She further said that the establishment of SEZs will help attract FDI and the SEZs law will create industrial clusters with liberal incentives, infrastructure facilities, tax reliefs, and investment facilitation services to enhance productivity and ease in doing business through one window operation.
In this regard, Project Director PMU-CPEC-ICDP of the Board of Investment (BOI) on Industrial Cooperation (IC) under CPEC, Asim Ayub also witnessed the MoU Signing Ceremony between Neusoft and DEA for establishing Sino-Pakistan Advanced Imaging Technologies, AI, Health Management, Academic, and Training and Education programs.
Considering the vital need to improve health infrastructure in Pakistan, the PD PMU stressed the need for smart SEZ development. BOI lays special emphasis on promoting joint ventures between local and foreign firms
Vaccination centers across the country will remain closed on Sundays and national holidays
ISLAMABAD: NCOC Morning Session held today . Mr Asad Umar chaired the session. NCOC was apprised on implementation of various health guidelines as already issued to all federating units. NCOC was apprised that implementation on those guidelines needs comprehensive review. NCOC showed Serious concern on rising disease trend and mortality rate.
The forum was briefed that a sharp rising trend in disease is visible and positivity has crossed 7.5 percent.
Almost all major cities have crossed 5% positivity.
Provincial Administrations have been asked to take immediate actions for strict implementation of SOPs.
Serious concern was shown on general disregard of SOPs by masses. Mass violations of SOPs and disrespect of orders including not wearing of mask, disregard of social distancing are widely reported. Appeal was made to Citizen to once again display good example of social behavior and follow the SOPs in letter and spirit.
, otherwise strict measures will have to be taken which may result into closure of business and restrictions on economic and social activities.
It was decided that COVID Vaccination centers across the country will remain closed on Sundays and national holidays
ISLAMABAD, March 18 : A mega Chinese construction firm has expressed interest in exploring investment opportunities in Pakistan’s housing sector, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province with a view to contribute to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of constructing five million housing units.
Gwadar Pro reported on Thursday that Pak China Development Private Limited (PCDPL) has approached the provincial government of KP to explore investment potential in the housing sector.
In this regard, a zoom meeting was held on March 16 between the officials of PCTDPL and Provincial Housing Authority (PHA), KP.
“The first meeting was held in a friendly environment; the Chinese firm is interested in investing in KP’s housing sector,” an official of PHA told CEN, adding that “further discussions will take place during our upcoming meetings”.
According to the official, if both parties reached an agreement, the Chinese company will provide “investment, state-of-the-art technology and real estate development experiences”.
For investment through joint venture mechanisms, the Government of KP has developed different models to meet the objective of “housing for all”.
PCDPL signed MoU with Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority (NAPHDA) in 2020 to develop five million houses in the country.
PCDPL will collaborate with excellent reputation real-estate company, InfraRed Capital in Hong Kong to execute the housing program in Pakistan and to develop the real estate sector in the country by bringing in financial support, building technology and excellent property management models.
PCDPL is located in Pakistan with its head office in Hong Kong. With the continuous growth of Hong Kong head office and reputation in the market, the Chinese firm has been directly working with the federal government for encouraging investment, trade and technology export covering various sectors in Pakistan.
Investment projects in Pakistan including housing, agriculture, energy, mining, tourism, fintech and manufacturers are in progress with investors from China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, including public and private sectors.
PESHAWAR, Mar 18 : The Khyber Pakthunkhwa Government has submitted Rs276.599 billion PC-I to Planning Commission for construction of 365 kilometers Peshawar-D I Khan Motorway that would bolster regional connectivity and served as international trade corridor.
Engineer Barkatullah Khan, Project Director Pakhtunkhwa Highway Authority (PkHA) told that work on Peshawar-D I Khan Motorway, which was the second motorway project of PTI Government, was in advanced stage and construction work would soon start after approval of Rs276.599 billion PC-I submitted to Planning Commission (PC) and ECNEC.
He said the project was taken up with CPEC’s Joint Working Group (JWG) for its inclusion in CPEC framework and was discussed in 9th Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting held in Islamabad on November 5, 2019 wherein it was agreed for consideration.
He said Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) had approved its PC-I and the provincial government was considering to execute the project under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode during next four years in case it was not included in CPEC framework.
However, he said a development scheme had already been reflected in ADP of the current year with an allocation of Rs 320 million for DI Khan Motorway and Rs 10 million for conducting feasibility studies and detained engineering designs. Engr Barkatullah Khan said its feasibility studies were completed and the project was in advance approval stage.
The six-lane motorway would begin from Chamkani Area of Peshawar and would pass through Dara Adamkhel, Kohat, Hangu, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank, and would finally terminate at Qureshi Mor in D I Khan on N-55 from southern side.
He said KP was strategically located in close proximity with Afghanistan and gateway to Central Asian States (CAS) and would become a hub of trade, industries and others economic activities following construction of Dera Ismail Khan-Peshawar Motorway and 81 kilometers Swat Motorway (Phase-II.
These two mega projects would serve as trade corridors between Pakistan and Afghanistan after its linkage with Khyber Pass Trade Corridor up to Torkhum.
D I Khan Motorway would become an international trade corridor (ITC) by providing direct access to Afghanistan and CAS to increase their exports through Karachi and Gwadar ports of Pakistan.
The motorway would be onward linked to CPEC western route for easy access to Gwadar and Karachi ports in future. The project upon completion would also reduce vehicles’ transportation costs.
It would also connect Punjab through Drya Khan bridge in Bhakkar district on River Indus and onwards to Sindh through N-55 besides linking through Hakla-Yarik Motorway and DI Khan-Zhob-Quetta Road leading to Gwadar sea port.
The motorway would link South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Orakzai and Kurram tribal districts through links roads and 19 interchanges and would be completely fenced motorway having 365 km length, 100 meter right of way, two major tunnels with 120 kilometers per hour speed in plains and 60 kilometers per hour in hilly areas.
While terming it a game changer for southern and western districts of the province, the official said the project would be completed with an estimated cost of Rs 276.599 billion and with an additional cost of rupees 20 billion for purchase of land. Two tunnels including one at Dara Adamkhel near Kohat of 5.6 kilometers long and 1.6 kilometers at Banda Daud Shah in Karak district would also be constructed.
ISLAMABAD, Mar 18 : The 27th Men and 10th Women National Judo championships have been postponed due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the country, Pakistan Judo Federation (PJF) said on Thursday.
The championships were scheduled to be held from April 9 to 12 at Qayyum Stadium Peshawar in collaboration with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Directorate and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Judo Association.
“Due to ongoing wave of COVID-19, our some affiliated units have conveyed their inability to continue preparation and training camps. They told us that their training venues have been closed due to a ban on sport activities.
“Although at the competition venue, regular sports activities are being conducted in normal routine, all sports activities have been seized on government’s order in the province of Punjab,” Mansoor Ahmed, secretary general PJF said in a statement.
“The PJF is of the opinion that the safety of the athletes is the foremost priority which cannot be compromised at any cost. It is therefore decided to postpone the championships. Fresh dates will be intimated as and when the situation improves,” he added.
