ISLAMABAD, Jan 17 (DNA): According to Global Firepower Index 2021 released this week, Pakistan Army is among the world’s 10 most powerful militaries in the world leaving behind Canada, Germany and Australia.

The Global Firepower ranked the armies of 138 countries by taking into consideration a number of factors including the diversity of each country’s weapons, manpower, population, geography and state of development.

The Global Firepower ranking utilises over 55 factors to determine a country’s PowerIndex score. The formula allows smaller, more technologically advanced countries to compete with larger, less developed ones.

A perfect PwrIndex score is 0.0000, which is realistically unattainable. The closer countries are to that number, the more powerful their military is.

As per the ranking, Pakistan has an estimated total of 1,204,000 military personnel. The United States holds first place in the ranking. Russia is second, and China is third.

The top ten also includes India, Japan, South Korea, France, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Pakistan.

Here is a ranking of the world’s top 10 most powerful militaries in 2021, according to Global Firepower:

1 UNITED STATES: Nearly 12,000 US Troops Will Pull Out of Germany at Cost of Billions, SecDef Says | Military.com

For 2021, United States is ranked 1 of 138 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. It holds a PwrIndx* rating of 0.0721

2 RUSSIA: For 2021, Russia is ranked 2 of 138 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. It holds a PwrIndx* rating of 0.0796

3 CHINA: China’s Modernizing Military | Council on Foreign Relations

For 2021, China is ranked 3 of 138 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. It holds a PwrIndx* rating of 0.0858

4 INDIA: For 2021, India is ranked 4 of 138 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. It holds a PwrIndx* rating of 0.1214

5 JAPAN: A new front – Japan’s Self-Defence Forces are beginning to focus on China | Asia | The Economist

For 2021, Japan is ranked 5 of 138 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. It holds a PwrIndx* rating of 0.1435

6 SOUTH KOREA: For 2021, South Korea is ranked 6 of 138 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. It holds a PwrIndx* rating of 0.1621

7 FRANCE: France’s ‘yellow vest’ protesters march in Paris as troops join police to prevent trouble

For 2021, France is ranked 7 of 138 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. It holds a PwrIndx* rating of 0.1691

8 UNITED KINGDOM: For 2021, United Kingdom is ranked 8 of 138 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. It holds a PwrIndx* rating of 0.2008

9 BRAZIL: File:Brazilian Army Parade.jpeg – Wikipedia

For 2021, Brazil is ranked 9 of 138 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. It holds a PwrIndx* rating of 0.2037

10 PAKISTAN: For 2021, Pakistan is ranked 10 out of 138 countries considered for the annual GFP review. It holds a PwrIndx* rating of 0.2083.

ISLAMABAD, Jan 17 (DNA): Pakistan said on Sunday that in recent months, the world community has been presented with irrefutable evidence of India’s state-sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan and anti-Pakistan disinformation and smear campaign globally.

The transcripts included in the Mumbai police charge-sheet against the Republic TV anchor in the TRP case have further exposed India’s sinister designs and vindicated Pakistan’s long held position, the foreign office said.

A statement said the latest revelations further confirm what Pakistan has consistently pointed out: The BJP government stages “false flag” operations; maligns Pakistan with terrorism-related allegations; stokes hyper-nationalism in the country; claims to have launched so-called “surgical strike”; and then deviously manipulates national sentiment in its bid to win elections.

The statement further said the pattern is unmistakable, and has been repeated to suit the RSS-BJP regime’s electoral calculations.

“We had, at the outset, rejected India’s malicious propaganda against Pakistan and highlighted that the biggest beneficiary of the Pulwama attack in February 2019 was the BJP government, as it secured landslide victory in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections,” the statement said, adding that The transcripts provide further evidence of how this whole enterprise from ‘false flag’ operation to massive electoral success was scripted and fully realized.

The statement said the transcripts also illustrate the unholy nexus between the ‘Hindutva’ regime and its cronies in the Indian media.

“On the one hand, they show how far and deeply the extremist agenda of the RSS-BJP combine has permeated India’s institutions and pillars of the State.

On the other hand, they show how the rights and freedoms of Indian citizens and democratic values in Indian society are being seriously jeopardized through cynical manipulation,” the foreign office said.

The statement pointed out that equally important, they show how actions of this reckless regime driven by considerations of domestic politics are gravely imperiling regional peace and security.

The statement said Pakistan, for its part, will continue to counter Indian falsehoods with truth and act firmly and responsibly in the face of India’s provocations.

“We hope that the international community would take full cognizance of the situation and hold India accountable for its actions vitiating the regional environment and endangering peace and security in South Asia,” the statement concluded.

DNA

ISLAMABAD, JAN 17  – “Sitting under the umbrella initiative of Ehsaas, six Nashonuma Centres are opening in Kalat and Zhob districts of Balochistan in the first phase of Ehsaas Nashonuma programme.

The flagship initiative of the government aims to tackle stunting and improve the nutrition of the poorest children through a combination of cash stipends, nutritional food, medical examination and training”, said SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar who heads Ehsaas programme.

National Nutrition Survey 2018 found that 46.6% of children in Balochistan are currently impacted by stunting due to malnutrition, with significant consequences for their health and educational outcomes. To ensure that this form of malnutrition does not continue to compromise the human capital required to sustain the socioeconomic development, Ehsaas has rolled out Ehsaas Nashonuma programme.

Across Pakistan, 48 Ehsaas Nashonuma Centres in 13 districts are being opened at the district and Tehsil level health facilities in the first phase of the programme.

However, catering to the scattered population and wide geographical spread out of Balochistan, the Ehsaas Nashonuma Centres are being opened at the basic health unit level to ensure easy access to the facility.

Ehsaas Nashonuma  centers in Balochistan are opening in collaboration with provincial government and the World Food Programme. To provide all Ehsaas Nashonuma facilities under one roof, four centres have been established in Kalat at DHQ Kalat, DHQ Surab, BHU Iskalkoo and BHU Lakorian. In Zhob district, two centres will be operational next month. The programme will be expanded to other districts in the next phase.

Ehsaas Nashonuma is a three-year programme that is fully funded by the government of Pakistan. The programme is pegged on improving nutrition and health in the first thousand days of life, that is the most critical period in early childhood development, starting at conception and finishing at age of two. Every quarter, conditional cash-transfers are being provided to the poorest pregnant and lactating women and those with children under two years old; Rs.1500 for a boy child and mother, and Rs. 2000 for a girl child.

As stated by Ehsaas policy, beneficiaries will be identified through the Ehsaas ecosystem and programme enrolments will be made through an android based Ehsaas Nashonuma application. The android application not just enables the electronic registrations but also tracks beneficiary women and children. Nashonuma stipends are disbursed to mothers through biometrically enabled Ehsaas payment system. Payments are conditional upon the consumption of specialized nutritious food, immunizations, and attendance in health awareness sessions.=DNA

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ISLAMABAD, JAN 17 (DNA) – Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) has directed the concerned authorities to make F-10 Service road east a signal free road while utilizing all the men power, machinery, and resources of the authority here on Sunday.

Chairman CDA visited F-10 along with Director MPO, Director Environment and other officers. He inaugurated F-10 signal free project.

Speaking at the occasion, Chairman CDA said that available resources should be utilized. The said project will be completed by the utilization of the available resources, machinery, and men power with the help of the department of MPO.

Construction material for F-10 signal free project will be prepared by CDA’s own Asphalt plant which will cut down the expense of the project.

CDA wants to complete this project as soon as possible, he added. He said that this project will facilitate the citizens coming to F-10 markaz and F-9 park. This traffic plan will help in reducing the traffic pressure side by side reducing.=DNA

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ISLAMABAD, JAN 17 (DNA) – Committee of Chairman of the Intermediate Board (IBCC) and the largest network of universities in the Pakistan, Inter University Consortium for Promotion of Social Sciences Pakistan    (IUCPSS) have jointly launched weekly live program “Live with Vice Chancellor”

The first guest was Vice Chancellor of The Islamia University of Bahawalpur Engineer Prof. Dr. Athar Mehboob.

Secretary Inter-Board Committee of Chairman Prof. Dr. Ghulam Ali Mallah and National Coordinator Inter-University Consortium Muhammad Murtaza Noor were also present in the live session while Mr.Shabbir Hussain conducted the question answer session  on the behalf of students

Speaking in the session, Dr. Athar Mehboob said that various departments have been set up in Islamia University for the social, mental and educational development of the students. He said that the admissions for the university for spring 2021 have been announced. He said that for the first time we have started special buses to Ahmadpur Sharqiya, Yazman and other places to facilitate the students from far flung areas. Talking about the co-curricular activities of the students, he said that 19 student societies are engaging students in various healthy activities. He said that through effective mechanism, student societies are playing an important role to inculcate the values of responsible citizenship, peace, tolerance and co-existence. Regarding the provosion of student scholarships, he said that full financial support has been made available for deserving students through various scholarship programs.

In order to encourage female students enrolment at the university, IUB has  provided  a home-like environment by providing full security to female students, he said. He  announced that in collaboration with IUCPSS, IUB would host students convention wherein the students across the country would showcase their skills and talent. The Vice Chancellor of Islamia University said that we would welcome students from all over the country in the city of Nawabs along with the honourable Vice Chancellors.

At the end of the session, the Vice Chancellor of Islamia University appreciated the initiative of the Inter-University Consortium and IBCC and announced to work together on a campaign to connect students of different colleges in the region with the university.=DNA

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Devcom-Pakistan webinar is a timely effort to brainstorm on Pakistan-China partnership for national and regional security in the context of US-India emerging alliance: Senator Mushahid Hussain

DNA

Islamabad – The experts speaking at a webinar said that the interdependence for Pakistan and China has increased in the given geopolitical circumstances in the region. Common interests of both countries are intertwined now whether they are of human security in the era of pandemic, socio-economic or strategic alliance to counter the increasing US-Indian collaboration against China. Taking over the lead position on the two UN Security Council committees namely Taliban sanctions and Terrorism, India will be having more space to fiddle around the geopolitical situation in the region.

They said that Pakistan and China have to be more efficient and vigilant about the emerging situation and act more wisely in the coming days. Both countries might be having more difficult situations as India is expected to have hegemonic interventions in the region including undue interference in Afghanistan.

The webinar “Pakistan-China partnership for national security” was organized by the Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) on Sunday. Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed and Lt. General (Retd) Talat Masood were the keynote speakers. Senior journalist from Washington Anwar Iqbal, Executive Director Devcom-Pakistan Munir Ahmed, Prof Sarwat Kazmi and development expert Azhar Qureshi also spoke on the occasion.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said with India as chair of the UNSC Taliban Sanctions Committee, the conflict in the region is feared to rise up. Pakistan needs to take China along with Iran on board very sincerely on the Afghanistan peace process where Taliban has to be given due share in the governance for sustainability of peace in the region. At the moment, The US is supporting India by all means at the moment as it is for the love of India but to strengthen a new proxy war agent against China. The strength of the region lies in unity beyond pity differences and conflicts.

Senator Mushahid said President Donald Trump’s policies have weakened the US economic streams, and same is the case with the western countries. Now, the balance of power is shifting to the east, and we the countries in Asia including central and south need to act smartly and stand united. The stronger countries have to lead the alliance whether it is form or informal in nature. In the emerging situation, Pakistan and China both need each other more than any time in the past. They need to increase their collaboration in all fields sooner than later.

Lt. General (Retd) Talat Masood said strategic convergence of Pakistan and China is vital for the national security of Pakistan, economic stability and regional peace. China has proved to be a reliable partner in all the moments of need. So we trust them in future as well. But we need to make our system efficient enough to match the pace of Chinese one. National security for Pakistan is just not strengthening the defense system, we need to focus on socio-economic development. Unfortunately, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is not performing up to the expected level, and it may become a debt trap for Pakistan for which China would not be liable. We talk a lot but practically we are a sluggish and underperforming country where resources are depleted for nothing.

He aid we need to improve our defense capability that should be based on the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) instead of purchasing weapons for conventional war. The CPEC phase-2 is said to be launched for Chinese collaboration in agriculture and industry. It should have major initiatives in AI capacity building for defense systems and against cyber-attacks and to face the challenges of drone technology being used against Pakistan.

Devcom-Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed said China is a fast-paced country and the leader of the global economic future. Even in the pandemic year 0f 2020 only China could survive through thick and thin. No doubt China is a friend but it means business. We will survive only if we play well. CPEC is not a free ride, it could be a ‘game-changer’ for Pakistan if we could know how to benefit from it. Otherwise it would turn to be another debt trap as we are already trapped by IMF, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and others. Human resource development and engaging it more productively shall be the main target of Pakistan while learning from China and getting the friendly country’s partnership in it.

Senior journalist Anwar Iqbal said China means business with Pakistan and every other country. Its blue eyed boys are the performing countries and economies with a huge lot of consumers. It is up to you how you benefit from it. China can provide soft loans for efficient investments, knowledge and expertise but at the end of the day it is up to your skills and priority how you use the available resources for your human security and defense systems. All the countries in the region get together to defuse the emerging US-India alliance. It is not only against China but against the peace and prosperity of the region. With Joe Biden in the presidency, there will be no significant change in the policy for the region. The countries have to take all the measures against any unexpected moves from the US-India alliance.