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PM Imran approves Rs3.2 hike in petrol price

ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday approved an increase of Rs3.2 per litre in the price of petrol, a little over a third of what the Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) had sought.

The premier also approved an increase of Rs2.95 per litre in the price of high-speed diesel (HSD). Additionally, the prices of kerosene and light diesel oil were also increased by Rs3 per litre and Rs4.42, respectively.

The price changes would be applicable from midnight.

This is the third time in four weeks that fuel prices have been increased. On December 15, the ex-depot prices of HSD and petrol were increased by Rs3 per litre while the prices of kerosene and LDO were raised by Rs5 per litre.

Then on December 31, the price of petrol was increased by another Rs2.31 per litre, while that of HSD was increased by Rs1.80 — a little over one-fifth of what the Ogra had recommended. At the same time, the price of kerosene and light diesel oil (LDO), meanwhile, were jacked up by Rs3.36 per litre and Rs3.95, respectively.

A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office had said, “While considering relief for the people, Prime Minister Imran Khan approved the minimum possible increase in prices of petroleum products against Ogra’s recommendations.”

On Thursday, a senior official as saying that an increase in the prices of key petroleum products for the next 16 days was likely.

The official had said that the Ministry of Finance had received a working paper from Ogra, which worked out a Rs9-9.50 per litre increase in the price of petrol and HSD for the Jan 16-31 period. He said the impact of increase in oil prices in the international market over the last 15 days was about Rs3.50 per litre on petrol and about Rs2.10 per litre on HSD.

At the time, sources said that authorities were divided over increasing the rate of petroleum levy. However, given the government plans to revive the IMF programme, the government would recoup a part of petroleum levy it had reduced in recent months but would not fully implement Ogra’s working paper.

Transformation plan launched to bring transparency to PRCS: Abrar ul Haq

Chairman says concrete plan of action designed to transform PRCS into a role model of swift and efficient assistance towards vulnerable segments of society 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) Chairman Abrar ul Haq has said that a first-of-its-kind initiative for digital transformation of the organization has been launched to bring more transparency and efficiency to the humanitarian assistance and service delivery.

“Transparency and efficiency are the hallmark of any leading humanitarian organization. Since assuming charge around a year back as chairman, I have laid special focus on digital transformation in order to bring transparency especially in human resource, logistics, inventory, finance, transport and procurement departments to make the processes more efficient, plug any existing loopholes and utilize the full potential of this huge platform for service to humanity,” Abrar ul Haq said while addressing media at a dissemination session held here  Thursday at the PRCS National Headquarters.

The chairman said that a concrete plan of action has been designed to transform PRCS into a role model of swift and efficient assistance for survival, recovery and socio-economic empowerment of the vulnerable segments of the society. “A number of new initiatives have been launched and we are in touch with several local and international organizations and institutions to expand PRCS outreach and find new avenues of cooperation and collaboration,” he said.

Spelling out a few of the initiatives taken by the PRCS recently, Abrar ul Haq said being an auxiliary to the government of Pakistan, the PRCS has been in the forefront of the national effort to contain the spread of coronavirus right from day one. He said state-of-the-art Red Crescent Corona Care Hospital was set up in Rawalpindi within record 20 days. Equipped with 15-bed ICU, 15 ventilators and 80 oxygen points, the hospital has been further transformed into high density unit to fight the pandemic in Pakistan. He said so far, hundreds of patients have been treated successfully at the hospital.

Abrar ul Haq said the unique idea of ‘Muhafiz Force’ comprising trained volunteers benefitted around 96,000 households across country during the Covid-19 pandemic. The idea was appreciated by the US media which declared it the most workable solution to the issue, he said, adding that a nationwide Covid-19 awareness campaign was also launched by the Muhafiz Force through mosque announcements, pamphlets distribution and community sessions. He said thousands of PPEs and hygiene kits have so far been distributed among healthcare professionals at different government-run hospitals across country.

Abrar ul Haq said the PRCS is developing a Red Crescent Corps (RCC) of volunteers across country to achieve its objective of a ‘First Aider in Every Home’ under its flagship program of First Aid. He said during the last one year, PRCS has completed 15 emergency responses in Balochistan, Sindh, KP, Merged Areas, and AJK in which over 2 million beneficiaries have been provided with the humanitarian assistance.

The chairman said for years, the PRCS had been mostly dependent on foreign funding. In order to maximize funding to support different initiatives, the Resource Mobilization Department was set up which has raised a huge amount of Rs 130 million within a few months. Keeping in view the importance of social media in the emerging world, he said, a dedicated department has been set up to highlight the activities of the PRCS and to sensitize the general public to health and social issues.

Abrar ul Haq said during his recent visit to Saudi Arabia, the PRCS and Saudi Red Crescent Authority agreed to facilitate Pakistani citizens detained in Saudi Arabian jails by their repatriation. He said as part of its RFL Programme, the PRCS is also in contact with other countries to ensure repatriation of Pakistanis detained there. He also mentioned the recent repatriation of 24 Bangladeshi nationals who were charged under the Foreigners Act and had completed their jail terms in Pakistan.

The chairman said under the newly developed strategic plan, the PRCS plans to extensively work in four core areas of health services, disaster risk reduction, migration and social services during the next five years.

PRCS Acting Secretary General Dr Adeel Nawaz and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.

Special pay scale case: SC orders action against NBP board officers

ISLAMABAD : The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed the petition of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) in special pay scale case besides ordering action against board officers for granting permission to it.

The top court upheld the verdict of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) in special pay scale case which stated providing perks to non-MTO employees of NBP equivalent to the MTO workers.A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed heard the case related to the approval of special pay scale to NBP employees.

The NBP lawyer argued that the verdict given by PHC will put a burden of Rs16 billion to the bank.

CJP remarked that the bank’s management would have thought about it before making discrimination among its employees. He expressed outrage over the NBP senior officers and remarked that the officers are apparently considering the bank as their personal asset.

Later, the apex court dismissed the petition of NBP and upheld the verdict of PHC for providing same perks and facilities to non-MTO employees as MTO workers.

Pakistan, China Universities to build Center of Excellence in Mineral Resources

BEIJING, Jan. 15 : The Center of Excellence in Mineral Resources Engineering is going to be jointly built by China University of Mining and Technology (CUMT) and Pakistan-Austria Fachhochschule: Institute of Applied Sciences & Technology (PAF-IAST).

In this connection, the two universities held an online agreement signing ceremony, China Economic Net (CEN) reported on Friday.

“The signing of this agreement is not only the first major international event of CUMT in 2021, but also a tribute to the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-Pakistan diplomatic relations.

We believe the Center will provide strong talent and scientific support for the development of PAF-IAST, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Belt & Road Initiative (BRI),” CUMT President Song Xuefeng addressed the cerenomy.

CUMT President Song Xuefeng is signing the agreement on the Center of Excellence in Mineral Resources Engineering.

Since 2018, the two universities have held rounds of consultations on the Center’s establishment. Focusing on mineral resources engineering, the Center will launch varied cooperation in talent cultivation, scientific and technological research and development, and technology transformation.

Specifically, the two universities will carry out joint master’s degree and PhD program of mining engineering as well as mineral processing engineering in the future.

“Mineral resource cooperation is one of the top priorities identified by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. We sincerely hope to cooperate with CUMT in teaching and scientific research related to this area.

We look forward to resuming exchange visits as soon as possible after the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Prof. Atta-ur Rahman, Chairman of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Task Force on Science and Technology at the ceremony.

It may be mentioned here that PAF-IAST was inaugurated by Imran Khan on September 17, 2020. The Institute aims to improve credible technical education infrastructure both at tertiary and hi-tech industry levels.

Many renowned Chinese universities including CUMT, Guangdong University of Technology (GDUT) and Jiangsu University (JSU) are providing generous support in a wide range of disciplines.

HBL Beijing branch to open next month

BEIJING, Jan. 15 : The Habib Bank Limited (HBL) Beijing branch is expected to commence its operation and offer a full range of products and services next month, an official of the branch told China Economic Net (CEN).

Its head office will allocate to the Beijing Branch in a freely convertible currency equivalent to RMB 300 million, in which the foreign exchange working capital is no less than convertible currencies on a par with RMB 200 million, according to an approval released by the Beijing Office of China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission.

“As HBL’s management bank in China, Beijing branch will make full use of the capital city’s advantages in geographical location, market resources and human resources, lay a solid foundation of strategic development for the head office and focus on state-owned enterprises and organizations in a bid to expand footprint in the country,” the branch official said.

The Beijing branch will be HBL’s second branch in China as it has already opened a branch in 2017 with RMB business license in the city of Urumqi, Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Touching on the significance of the Beijing branch, the official said HBL has always attached great importance to the Chinese market and its overseas branches are in high coincidence with countries along the Belt and Road routes.

“Over the past few years, China has implemented many opening-up policies towards financial sector, and the transparency of its financial market has been continuously improved.

As a beneficiary of those policies, I believe that the opening of HBL Beijing branch will set a good example for more foreign institutions to set up branches in Beijing,” the official added.

Habib Bank is the first and only bank from Pakistan to offer end-to-end RMB intermediation in China.

Beijing and Urumqi branches will bring benefits to HBL’s business in China and serve the interests of Chinese companies working on projects in countries where HBL has a branch network.

Differences between Ehsan Mani and Wasim Khan intensified

Lahore : The differences between Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ehsan Mani and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Wasim Khan have been intensified.

According to sources, Wasim Khan is not willing to work without authority as the chairman has the right to make all kinds of decisions.

Sources further revealed that due to disagreements between the two powerful figures of PCB, progress on the grass-root level is not being done while the cricket clubs are also suffering due to the non-functioning of grassroots cricket.

Source added that the media criticizes Wasim Khan while all decisions are made behind the scenes by Ehsan Mani.

On the other hand, Wasim Khan in his statement regarding news of differences said that he himself was surprised at the news of my differences with the chairman.

Wasim added that they are working and are also delivering together. It’s normal to have a consensus on every issue.

Terrorism De-Shapes MENA

Dr. Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan

Conflicting geopolitical and geostrategic realities have been haunting deserts and plains of the countries of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) due to which unfortunately, humanity remained at the receiving end.

MENA has been easy “prey” of complex and complicated proxies due to which its socio-economic prosperity, greater regional integration and sustainable development undermined. Caravans of “non-state” actors have been on the horses of social, ethnic and political marginalization and economic malaise for the last so many years. Now sanity seems to be prevailed and non-state actors will be dealt with iron hands with server sanctions too.

Most recently, the US has made a wise decision to designate Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) which has multiplier socio-economic, geopolitical and geostrategic implications for the MENA and beyond.

The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, announced the decision which has brightened the prospects of a stable Yemen. However, relief organisations greeted the news with dismay and termed it “pure diplomatic vandalism” which may disturb aid distribution channels in the struggling country.

The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah captured Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, in 2014, prompting President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi to flee. The rebels have been receiving financial and military support from Iran. On the hand, a Saudi-UAE led coalition of Arab nations have been fighting to just a cause of restoration of peace, harmony, economic development and last but not least, political stability in Yemen. Both countries have also been jointly working to restore the internationally recognised government.

The Houthis have siphoned off aid, routinely imprison and torture dissenters, and harass and detain humanitarian workers. The UN has termed it as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis killing more than 112,000 people and leaving most of the 30 million-strong population dependent on aid to survive. According to many regional NGOs and international organizations about 70 percent of Yemenis live in areas controlled by the Houthis, making them especially vulnerable to the new US sanctions. But humanity must not be left only to the mercy of Houthis for continuing blood baths.

They fear that malnutrition and outbreaks of disease such as cholera may be rampant  are rife. The arrival of Covid-19 and western aid reduction in 2020 has driven what remains of Yemen’s healthcare system to the brink of collapse.

But Pompeo assured the UN and other Food/aid agencies would take appropriate measures such as issuing special licences by the US Treasury would allow US aid to continue to easy and smooth flow of aids and for humanitarian organisations to continue to work there.

Saudi Arabia also welcomed the move. On its part, the kingdom’s Foreign Ministry expressed its hope that the US designation would force the leaders of the Houthi militia backed by Iran to seriously return to the negotiating table. It hoped that it would prevent the group from staging more attacks. Being genuine promoter of the regional peace the Kingdom also expressed its readiness to work with relevant officials at the United Nations with international and non-government organisations and other international donors to topple any humanitarian issues.

The designation should be viewed as a tool to stop the Houthis’ deplorable behaviour while its application was not designed to harm relief and humanitarian operations, said Yemen’s Foreign Minister, Ahmed bin Mubarak.

“Indeed, it is intended to push the Houthis to end their machinations and compel them to genuinely pursue realising a secure and sustainable peace,” bin Mubarak said.

On its part, Yemen’s internationally recognised government also welcomed the US decision to designate the Iran-backed Houthi rebels and their leaders as global terrorists, effective from January 19. It is going to be imposed to hold Ansar Allah accountable for its terrorist acts, including cross-border attacks threatening civilian populations, infrastructure and commercial shipping.

Yemeni foreign ministry spokesman further added that the rebels have led a brutal campaign that has “killed many people, continues to destabilise the region and denies Yemenis a peaceful solution to the conflict in their country.

Yemen’s Minister of Information, Muammar Al Eryani, said that opposing a designation would be “a shortcoming in realising the Houthi tenets and creed, which is based on murder and terrorism.

He urged to regional as well international community to revise their adverse opinions about the US sanctions and do not  ignore the will of the Yemeni people who have been raising their voices for weeks calling for the Houthis to be designated a terrorist organisation and to be sanctioned internationally.

Three Houthi leaders Abdul Malik al-Houthi, Abdul Khaliq Badr al-Din al-Houthi and Abdullah Yahya al-Hakim will also be listed as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.

It seems that the US designations are also intended to advance efforts to achieve a peaceful, sovereign, and united Yemen that is both free from Iranian interference and at peace with its neighbours.

The secretary of state termed targeting the airport in the southern city of Aden on 30 December, in which 27 people were killed as “callous attack”. Yemen’s foreign ministry said it supported the move and called for further “political and legal pressure” on the Houthis.

The UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Anwar Gargash, praised the decision and welcomed the US administration’s decision to classify the Houthi militia as a terrorist organisation, and to place its leaders on terrorist lists.

He upheld that the Houthi militia’s coup remained violent against the state and its institutions, and the Yemeni society and its social and civil fabric, sparked violence and chaos and led to the tragic deterioration of the humanitarian situation in brotherly Yemen.

Being prominent regional expert of the GCC & MENA I fail to understand why the UN and other global food and agencies are opposing the US designations against Houthi militias to stop ongoing spells of horrendous crimes against humanity. On ground, weaker factions and various communities have been on the mercy of Houthi militias and thus provoking terrorism in different parts of Yemen.

I plead that the imposition of the US sanctions and the classification of the Houthi militia as a terrorist group must be viewed as a wise cumulative step for the efforts of the international community and many countries led by the Saudi Arabia, to support the transitional phase in Yemen from 2011 until 2014. The Houthi militias participated in the comprehensive national dialogue that lasted for 10 months, in which the Yemenis developed solutions and processes for each Yemeni issues, including the Saada issue.

With the help of Saudi Arabia and international community/stakeholders the work on writing of the Yemeni constitution has been started. However, the Houthi militias, as usual, did not abide by this and turned against more than 70 agreements of the Yemeni government, local authorities, tribes and the United Nations.

They even committed all kinds of terrorist acts such as killing, bombing houses, child recruitment and forcing them to battlefields. They continued to launch missiles and drones, randomly, targeting civilians in Yemen and threatening international shipping and energy sources in the Gulf region. As well as their ideological extremist discourse that calls for violence and spreading hatred, as they clearly declare this.

Since the Houthi militia coup, the international efforts of the United States of America and the European Union have relied on diplomacy without any means of pressure on the Houthi militias who exploited this in order to continue the war and without seriously getting involved in the political process.

It seems that the US sanctions would support the existing political efforts and force the Houthi militia leaders to engage in serious peace negotiations, and to oblige the Houthies to implement any agreement they signed. Ultimately it will marginalize the Houthi militia’s financial resources after businessmen stop the ongoing commercial participation with the Houthi leadership.

Yemen is another extension of Iranian proxies in the region which forced the other regional countries mainly Saudi Arabia and the UAE to counter it since 2015. Now Iran has acquired a non-state ally in the Arabian Peninsula along with a base to threaten the Bab el-Mandeb, the strategic waterway that links Europe to the Indian Ocean. Iran-Houthis trans-regional alliance has put the regional energy and food security at risk due to which regional socio-economic prosperity has further weakened and deteriorated.

I conclude that so called civilized world and preachers of peace and stability should not forget Houthis horrendous crimes against humanity. Let us hope that sanity may prevail to put again the MENA & Yemen on the path of political stability, economic sustainability and social cohesion.

Yemen is dire need to develop national consensus against terrorism and its foreigner promoters, Iranian schemers and executers to achieve the desire goals of immense socio-economic prosperity, and regional energy and food cooperation. Let us shun power politics of hegemony, horrendousness, brutality, blasts, conspiracies, conflicts and contradictions to rescue the dying children, women and elderly Yemenis from the clutches of Houthis to live a decent life.

PM to perform groundbreaking of Sheikhupura-Gujranwala road

LAHORE : Prime Minister Imran Khan will perform groundbreaking of Sheikhupura-Gujranwala road today (Friday).

The project will be completed at a cost of over Rs5 billion. The 43 kilometre-long road will be built under Public-Private partnership.The road that will connect the two industrial cities of Punjab will be maintained by a private company for the next 25 years after its construction.

Prime Minister Khan will be arriving in Lahore today for a day-long visit. During the visit, sources said, he will hold important meetings with Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar, high officials and other noted personalities.

CM Buzdar will brief the prime minister about the provincial matters. The prime minister will also  chair a meeting pertaining to universal health coverage plan. He will also inaugurate “inspector-less regime” program to facilitate the industries and factories.

Pakistan records 2,417 cases, 45 coronavirus deaths in a day

ISLAMABAD : The statistics of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has shown that the coronavirus pandemic claims 45 more lives, whereas, 2,417 new infections were reported during the last 24 hours.

In the past 24 hours, 45 more people succumbed to the disease, taking the death toll to 10,863. 2,072 patients have recovered from the virus in a day and 2,294 patients are in critical condition.The total count of active cases is 34,169.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), with fresh inclusion of the infections in the country the national tally of cases now currently stands at 514,338.

A total of 40,359 tests were conducted across the country during this period. Overall 469,306 people have recovered from the deadly disease so far while 7,284,009 samples have been tested thus far.

Mihai Eminescu and the Culture Day of Romania

Romanian culture offers a variety of forms of folk art that have survived years of outside interference and domination. Wood carvings, brightly ornamented costumes, skillfully woven carpets, pottery, and other elements of traditional Romanian culture remain popular and, with the growth of tourism, have become known internationally

DNA

ISLAMABAD: Nicolae Goia, Ambassador of Romania has said that Romania’s National Culture Day celebrated on January 15 is the birth date of Romanian poet and novelist Mihai Eminescu, a canonical figure of Romanian literature and a representative of the local Romanticism, considered the most important poet of the Romanian language, and is cherished as a national poet in both Romania and Moldova.

Describing Mihai’s legacy, Ambassador Nicolae Goia said his works were indebted to the Romanticism of Western European poetry, but placed an emphasis on his own national allegiances. Greatly influenced by the literature of Western European authors and the philosophical doctrines of German academics such as Arthur Schopenhauer. His romantic inspirations led to poetry which reinterpreted traditional narratives of the mythological, fabled and metaphysical. Often credited with igniting a complete revolution of Romanian verse and a colossal enrichment of the Romanian language, Eminescu’s poetry debut came in 1866 when he was just 16 years old.      At 19, Eminescu moved to Vienna and began his university studies, reading both Law and Philosophy. During his time at university Eminescu became an active member of the literary scene and a frequent contributor to various newspapers and student-run publications. He stood firmly against any kind of oppression and promoted heroically the aspiration of Romanian people for liberty, freedom and independence. After completing his education abroad, Eminescu worked as a university librarian, newspaper editor and journalist although he continued to write and publish poetry. Eminescu’s masterpiece ‘Luceafărul’ (‘Evening Star’) was published in 1883. It is an epic love poem engaging the beauty of the natural world and interrogating the psyche of man. Although he left various texts, manuscripts, poetry volumes and countless letters after his death, Eminescu would only see the publication of one full collection of poetry in his lifetime, 1884’s Poems (written and published with the help of his mentor Maiorescu).

Eminescu is celebrated for both his technical achievements, his expert control of the concise, declarative language he uses, and the philosophical weight of the themes of his verse. Although known for his accomplished career in poetry, Eminescu was also an author of fictional works, his most praised prose pursuits are the Sărmanul Dionis and Cezara. Eminescu also worked as a freelance journalist and in this capacity he was a brilliant observer of the political, economic and social society of his time.

Eminescu remains one of the region’s most celebrated and luminous literary presences, both in Romania and Moldova.

The Day of National Culture represents a moment of celebration but equally an opportunity   to deeply reflect on the place and role of the Romanian patrimony within the European and universal culture as well as the importance of cultural diplomacy.

“A Latin island on a Slavic sea” or a “Latin enclave at the Orient’s gate”, Romania is the only European place where Western traditions meet the Eastern ones, where Romanic, Gothic and Renaissance churches lay in communities together with Byzantine churches, synagogues or mosques.

Moldavian style that illustrates our medieval art and Byzantine picture includes Gothic architectural elements coming from the West. While Michelangelo and his disciples painted the Sistine Chapel, anonymous Moldavians painted Voroneț, Arbore or Sucevița monasteries, offering the World similar artistic values.

Romanian culture offers a variety of forms of folk art that have survived years of outside interference and domination. Wood carvings, brightly ornamented costumes, skillfully woven carpets, pottery, and other elements of traditional Romanian culture remain popular and, with the growth of tourism, have become known internationally. Folk art is characterized by abstract or geometric designs and stylized representations of plants and animals. In embroidery and textiles, designs and color schemes can be associated with particular regions of the country.

Romania is home for over 20 ethnic minorities, who preserve their language and traditions while living in multi-ethnic communities and enriching thus Romanian culture.

In this context, I would like to express my gratitude to all my Pakistani friends, for coming up over the years with splendid initiatives to celebrate our national poet and the Culture Day. The culture is one of the most important  components which defines our national and individual identity and promoting an active cultural diplomacy represents a fundamental pillar of our diplomacy through participation to the European and global intercultural dialogue.  Romania’s membership to the European Union gives us the chance to promote the diversity of our national culture  and the creative spirit of Romanians in the process of reaffirming our attachment toward the European values as well as toward universally accepted values.

We have a long and rich tradition of cultural ties with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The very fact that Mihai Eminescu and the great Pakistani poet Alama Iqbal have a joint monument in Islamabad shows now and forever that the geniuses have no boundaries and that Romania and Pakistan are much closer than the geographical realities indicate. Today we honour the memory of Alama Iqbal as much as we honour the personality of Eminescu for both of them, hand in hand, like in the monument in Islamabad, are illustrious figures of the universal treasure of culture.

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