RAWALPINDI, SEPT 27 –  Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar has said that Indian aggressive behaviour and ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) gave indication of a full-scale war between India and Pakistan.

“The threat of a full-scale between India and Pakistan exists as such instances has been witnessed during the past and its main reason is India’s belligerence and preparations,” he told the private channel during the visit of a foreign delegation to the LoC, arranged by the ISPR the other day.

The DG ISPR said when he said that it is a time to go beyond negotiations, its major focus is towards International community. Pointing out the escalated ceasefire violations committed by India along the LoC, he said “That’s needed to be stopped and for this to stop, International community has to come in.”

Iftikhar said the ceasefire violations frequency along the LoC was different from 2014 as there was a massive escalation in existing environment due to use of high caliber firearms. India has been using every kind of calibers and weaponry system along the LoC ranging from snipers to normal artillery ammunition to air-burst and smart ammunition.

“It’s been a massive escalation as far as ceasefire violations are concerned and as far as their lethality is concerned.”

Rejecting India’s allegations of infiltration attempts by Pakistan, he said a foolproof anti-infiltration grid was installed along the LoC which had three tiers. It started with mine fields and bunkers and then came fence, electronic gadgets, sensors and observations posts.

He said India had been propagating that 200 persons were sitting on jump-point to infiltrate into its territory which was a mere propaganda as India had already taken all sort of measures to prevent infiltration into its area.

It was humanly not possible to infiltrate from a counter-infiltration grid system, installed along the LoC. The spokesman said the world already knew about the ground situation along the LoC as the visits of foreign delegates including ambassadors and journalists were being arranged frequently. India used to increase cease fire violations in an attempt to launch a false flag operation as it did in the past, he said, citing example of fake surgical strikes in 2016 and Pulwama incident in 2019.

India could not dare to attack Pakistan due to our preparations and presence along the LoC. The Pak army is absolutely prepared to respond any Indian misadventure, he stressed while responding to a query.

DNA

ISLAMABAD, SEPT 27 (DNA) – The District Administration Islamabad has sealed campuses of NUML University and Pak Turk schools as virus cases have been reported in these institutions.

According to notification issued by the District Magistrate Hamza Shafqaat on Sunday, both the educational institutions have been sealed and students barred from coming to these institutions.

Sources, say the decision has been taken a number of corona virus cased were reported from these institutions.

These institutions will remain closed until further orders.

A.M. Bhatti

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has expressed deep concern on the deteriorating security situation in Nagorno-Karabakh region. The intensive shelling by Armenian forces over the weekend on civilian populations of Azerbaijani villages of Terter, Aghdam, Fizuli and Jabrayil region is reprehensible and most unfortunate. This could compromise peace and security of the entire region. Armenia must stop its military action to avoid further escalation.

Pakistan stands with the brotherly nation of Azerbaijan and supports its right of self-defence. We support Azerbaijan’s position on Nagorno-Karabakh, which is in line with the several unanimously adopted UNSecurity Council resolutions. DNA

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DNA

MOSCOW, — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to halt any armed conflict along the contact line of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

To ease heightened tensions in Transcaucasia, Lavrov held separate phone talks with Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Azeri Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Expressing serious concern about the conflicts along the contact line of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, Lavrov urged an early ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, according to press releases by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Russia will continue to undertake mediation efforts to stabilize the situation, he said.

Earlier in the day, the ministry issued a statement calling on the parties to immediately cease fire and start negotiations.

The Armenian Defense Ministry said Sunday that it has shot down two Azerbaijani helicopters and three drones.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said it is currently launching a counter-offensive in the region.

DNA

ISLAMABAD, SEPT 26 – COMSATS joined the global efforts of United Nations in favor of promoting South-South Cooperation by holding a webinar involving experts from Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago and Pakistan. The webinar was hosted at the Secretariat of the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS), Islamabad, and was entitled “Current Challenges: Imperative of South-South Cooperation”.

Following senior officials and representatives shared their intellectual inputs during the webinar:  H.E. Mr. Chad Blackman, Barbados Ambassador to United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Switzerland; Mr. Denis Nkala, Regional Coordinator/Representative, Asia Pacific Regional Office, United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC); Senator Hazel Thompson-Ahye of Trinidad and Tobago; and Ms. Ellen Thom, Technical Officer, Reproductive Health at World Health Organization Pakistan.

Their talks shed light on various dynamics, opportunities and challenges related to South-South Cooperation and highlighted its growing importance in view of the ongoing pandemic. Some issues highlighted included: Need for microfinance opportunities for the most vulnerable nations; clearer cooperative mechanisms; reducing reliance on the North; and re-assessment of expertise, issues, priorities and timelines in the region (South). Institutions of the South were urged to work in cooperation with IGOs like COMSATS to fight global issues such as climate change and pandemics. Mutual cooperation and support was considered absolutely necessary for achieving the global agenda of 2030 in these challenging times. Stronger collaborations and partnerships in health sector were urged.

COMSATS’ perspective came from Ambassador Shahid Kamal, Advisor on Climate Change and Environment, and Engr. Qaiser Nawab, who introduced COMSATS as an active proponent of South-South Cooperation and highlighted its pivotal role in harnessing South-South cooperative efforts in the region. It was noted that COMSATS’ mandate of South-South cooperation is a manifestation of solidarity among people and countries of the South and encourages interventions for cooperation for self-reliance among nations as well as national development.

With South-South Cooperation at the core of its operational mechanism, COMSATS is contributing greatly to the Global Development Agenda 2030 of UN.

DNA

ISLAMABAD, Sept. 27: (DNA) – A delegation of Chinese enterprises led by Consul General Li Bijian called on Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and donated Rs. 25 million for relief of rain-affected people of the province.

According to Gwadar Pro, the delegation expressed profound grief on the losses of life and property and assured the chief minister that the Chinese government would also help the affected growers.

The chief minister thanked the Chinese government for their support, recalling the Chinese aid and support in curbing the locust swarms and relief supplies during the 2010 and 2011 floods.

DNA

SAHIWAL: Center of Excellence, Dukhtran e Pakistan Punjab has patronized the Community Development Foundation (CDF) and Shahid Javed Burki Institute of Public Policy at Netsol (BIPP) for launching pilot project Phase of  “KISAN KI BETI  in collaboration with major partners like Women Economic Development Initiative Punjab (WEDIP), Agri-Byt. Government of Punjab’s Women Development Department (WDD) on 24th of September 2020 at 4:00 PM at Conference Hall, Anaya Chinese Restaurant, Sahiwal.

MRS MUNIBA KHAWAR (Provincial Coordinator Punjab  for Dukhtran e Pakistan) and Mrs Shafqat Jabeen (District Coordinator Sahiwal, Dukhtran e Pakistan) patronized the launching ceremony in conference hall of a local Hotel in Sahiwal wherein Mrs Maryam Khan, (CEO Kisan Ki Beti) , Dr Ejaz Sundhu (Burki Institute of Public Policy), COO, Women Economic Development initiative Punjab, and regional and district heads from Khanewal and Bahawalnagar attended the maiden conference of Kisan Ki Beti Programme.

Major aim of the project is to improve the living standards of rural women especially KISAN KI BETI and people living in marginalized areas of Punjab Pakistan through skills training, business competences, entrepreneurship, education and support.

Muniba Khawar and her team earns lot of accolades from The Diaspora of Sahiwal for launching this project which is “Women becomes the center of professional excellence in agricultural, Social, cultural and economic development from the perception of economic growth”

Project will generate the bigger outcome through collective mission KKB is committed great success for women in the agricultural sector which is defined as its primary responsibility by securing women at larger scale with their needs and interests mutually across all programs and projects.

Skills and knowledge are the engines of economic growth and social development of any country.  KISAN KI BETI (KKB) program is the best example as a value added product to produce best results in rural areas of Punjab Pakistan with special focus on Farmers’ Daughters. Project core teams have collected ground information under the set framework with time lines in which they found major gaps and deficiencies for this segment of society which are unable to speak only because of the profession of their father or bounding from the forefathers to face lot of social and cultural barriers, in result a large number of women youth sitting at home, having no skills, not much educated and not even secure for their marriages as well.

The Pilot Project will start from September 2020 to December 2020 in three major districts like  Sahiwal, Jangh and Toba Tek Singh is being launched. First phase from JAN 2021 to December 2021 in 20 districts is being imitated at large level and will be handled by Community Development Foundation CDF, Shahid javed Burki Institute of Public Policy at Netsol (BIPP) and other valuable partners locally and nationally across Pakistan. The “KISAN KI BETI” project is to communicate information about effective business education programs related to enterprise development and make possible efforts as starter ups by daughters of Farmers.

The areas of intervention of the upcoming project are located in 20 Districts of Punjab Pakistan, with the target of 15000 families and more than 30000 young females living in rural areas, often in  conditions of poverty and vulnerability, with low or no possibility to afford  education, entrepreneurship programs along with safety and security for their selves and their families.

This platform for rural women will help women earn in four ways (1) Earning through certified vocational courses (2) Selling their own local brands as entrepreneurs (3) Link them with local markets (4) Providing access to online selling especially Agriculture based products and engage them in agriculture activities .