DNA

ISLAMABAD, DEC 27 – Issues as delicate as the recognition of Israel must be addressed in line with the popular opinion and sentiments in Pakistan and through parliamentary debates as such a measure taken against the national ideology and policy environment will create chaos in the country. It was also deplored that the debate initiated on the issue in the policy arena by some vested interests is untimely and counterproductive as it does not present any vision and proactive plan to benefit from such a major foreign policy shift.

Rather, Pakistan does not seem to gain anything by accepting Israel in material terms in the security or economic arena except causing a casualty of its own national ideology, which is the real binding force of the Islamic republic.

This was the crux of the deliberation titled ‘UAE’s recognition of Israel and its implications for the Middle East and Pakistan’ which was held at Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Islamabad. The session was chaired by Executive President IPS Khalid Rahman, and addressed by Ambassador (r) Javed Hafeez, Ambassador (r) Tajammul Altaf, senior IPS associate, Brigadier (r) Tughral Yamin, associate dean, Centre for International Peace and Stability Studies-National University of Science and Technology (CIPS-NUST) and IPS fellow, Brigadier (r) Said Nazir Mohmand, senior IPS associate, Naufil Shahrukh, GM-IPS and other members of the Institute’s research faculty.

Speaking from a diplomatic viewpoint, the discussion underscored that while it was important to carve paths of pragmatism from within the underlying grey areas of diplomacy and foreign policy, it is also imperative that no step was taken at the cost of the country’s identity, sovereignty or fundamental ideology. Likewise, it should also be made sure that no compromises were being made out of any fear, threat, or greed.

It was also pointed out that unfortunately, it was this argument of pragmatism that was being used on many occasion to get important decisions made without bringing them into public debate, and a similar attempt was being made in the case of Israel’s’ recognition issue as well, as it is very easy to anticipate that any such discussion in the public domain is less likely to garner much support.

Deliberating over the economic aspect, it was stressed that the real issue Pakistan was faced with was not its economic debt but extreme mismanagement of economic resources that was caused by poor governance. It was highlighted that Israel too was under considerable debt itself, but it was rather their efficient utilization of the loans that was turning out to be the deciding factor in making their borrowed money beneficial instead of a burden. Similarly, it was also pointed out that if the economic weakness was being deemed as the major reason behind the recognition of Israel, then why rich and self-reliant Muslim countries like UAE have chosen to walk that path?

Over the argument of security and intelligence sharing between Pakistan and Israel, the question was raised asking with whom such kind of cooperation would be against? If it was supposed to be against terrorism, would it still be relevant in the case of CPEC and Balochistan as these two were the major areas where the country was faced with growing threats, most noticeably from its Western neighbor?

The speakers also lamented that one of the biggest dilemmas faced by the Muslim world at present is that their leadership is not a true representative of its masses, and the phenomenon is not only rendering them ineffective at the international scale but also weakening them from within.

Overall, the participants were unanimous that the recognition of Israel was a sensitive and complex issue having many dimensions associated with it. It was reiterated that while it is true that any matters related to the country’s foreign policy should only be decided in relevant forums and not in streets, it was also not possible to disregard public opinion at any level, and thus either by convincing the people or by getting convinced, the decision-makers must always be on the same page as the public while making their call.

BEIJING, Dec 27 (DNA): Pak-China cooperation in bee products sector enjoys broad prospects, says Yang Rong, chairman of China Bee Products Association (CBPA), Gwadar Pro reported on Sunday.

“Billion Tree Honey Initiative launched by PM Imran Khan last Monday will be an available and workable project to alleviate poverty and develop the bee products sector.

Also, it will lead to broad prospects of Pak-China cooperation in this field,” Yang Rong said.

Rich natural and human resources have equipped Pakistan favorable conditions to develop the bee products industry.

Most of Pakistan’s land is subtropical, which provides a warm climate for vegetating nectariferous plants. “Meanwhile, mature agriculture and diverse fruit plantation also lay a foundation for industrial development,” Yang analyzed.

He said, “development of the bee products sector, a typical labor-intensive industry, will effectively alleviate local poverty in Pakistan. Actually, this method has made fruitful achievements in China.

A lot of Chinese local governments have chosen developing apiculture since 2013 and successfully solved poverty even led the regions to prosperity. Considering the problems of employment and rural revitalization, the mature experiences of China are also suitable for Pakistan.”

The apiculture in Pakistan is facing the challenges of pest and obsolete technology which can be solved under Pak-China cooperation.

“Bee mite has been reckoned as one of the biggest menaces of Pakistani agriculture. From 1908 to 1979, Pakistan tried to import bees and develop apiculture 17 times, but all of those attempts failed due to bee mite.

Yang said, “Nowadays, through scientific breeding, drug treatment, and the most advanced physical treatment, Chinese beekeepers have controlled it very well and at a world leading level. We can share all of those techniques with Pakistan to improve its apiculture.”

“Under CPEC agriculture cooperation, we’d love to share other experiences and techniques with our iron brother as well, such as scale development of apiculture, vegetating nectariferous plants, scientific payoffs, bee species breeding and so on,” Yang added.

“China, as the largest bee products producer and consumer in the world, has a full range of mature solutions to develop apiculture.

Pakistan can import from China techniques and production modes, meanwhile export bee products to the Chinese market where bee products including honey, bee milk, bee wax, and especially propolis are in great demands.

It will stimulate the Pakistani economy, create jobs, and also alleviate local poverty,” says Yang, “CBPA will do its best to promote Pak-China cooperation in apiculture and support Pakistani bee products industry, ” he added.

DNA

ISLAMABAD, DEC 27 – As the Afghan peace process is making encouraging progress towards a political solution of the conflict, Pakistan would like to reiterate its firm commitment for lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan. While Pakistan’s efforts are acknowledged and appreciated by the Afghan society and the international community, we are concerned about some negative comments which continue to emanate from certain official as well as unofficial Afghan circles.

We would continue to emphasize the mutually agreed fundamental principle that all bilateral issues including security and intelligence matters should be addressed through relevant bilateral forums and channels. Appropriate institutional forums are in place for such discourse in the relevant Working Groups of APPAPS. In addition, during the visit of Prime Minister of Pakistan to Kabul in November 2020 the two sides also agreed on further strengthening their contacts on matters related to security and peace process.

We wish to highlight that public blame game is detrimental to the Afghan peace process as well as to our shared efforts for enhancing bilateral cooperation.

Pakistan has continued to emphasize that there is no military solution to the Afghan conflict and solution of the conflict through a political process is the only way forward. Towards this end, Pakistan has been engaged in serious efforts to facilitate an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process. During the current year, our long-held position was vindicated and Pakistan’s serious efforts facilitated important breakthroughs in the peace process, including: (a) U.S.-Taliban Peace Agreement of 29 February; (b) commencement of Intra-Afghan Negotiations on 12 September; and (c) agreement among Afghan parties on the Rules and Procedures on 2 December 2020.

As the negotiations enter an important and critical phase from 5 January 2021, the negotiators will be focusing on the substantive issues relating to a comprehensive future political settlement. In this delicate phase of the Intra-Afghan Negotiations, it is important for the negotiating parties to avoid accusations and to demonstrate wisdom, sagacity and vision for the larger objective of lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has also continued to express its deep concern at the increasing level of violence in Afghanistan during the current year.The Prime Minister of Pakistan, on several occasions, has reiterated his calls for reduction in violence leading to ceasefire.

It is important to underline the need for Afghan government to take pro-active measures to fulfill its responsibility for internal security, law and order and protection of Afghan lives. Pakistan stands ready to extend all possible cooperation in the area of security and effective border management through effective institutional collaboration.

Recently, the two countries have witnessed positive trajectory in bilateral relations with significant progress on important bilateral matters including revision of APTTA and commencement of negotiations on PTA. High level leadership contacts and bilateral visits including that of the Prime Minister of Pakistan are a manifestation of further strengthening of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations. The two sides must continue to build on the momentum and prevent domestic and regional detractors from their subversive designs.

Pakistan desires and continues to support a peaceful, stable, united, independent, democratic, sovereign and prosperous Afghanistan.It is important that Afghans should seize this historic opportunity for reaching an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement to bring an end to the decades-long internal conflict in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON, DEC 27 – Millions of Americans are about to see their jobless benefits expire on Saturday as U.S. President Donald Trump has so far refused to sign into law a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package, insisting that it does not do enough to help ordinary people.

Trump stunned Republicans and Democrats alike when he said this week he was unhappy with the massive bill, which provides $892 billion in badly needed coronavirus relief, including extending special unemployment benefits expiring on December 26, and $1.4 trillion for normal government spending.

Without Trump’s signature, about 14 million people could lose those extra benefits, according to Labor Department data. A partial government shutdown will begin on Tuesday unless Congress can agree on a stop-gap government funding bill before then.

After months of wrangling, Republicans and Democrats agreed to the package last weekend, with the support of the White House. Trump, who hands over power to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden on January 20, did not object to terms of the deal before Congress voted it through on Monday night.

But since then he has complained that the bill gives too much money to special interests, cultural projects and foreign aid, while its one-time $600 stimulus checks to millions of struggling Americans were too small. He has demanded that be raised to $2,000.

“I simply want to get our great people $2000, rather than the measly $600 that is now in the bill,” the president tweeted on Saturday.

His refusal to sign prompted sharp rebuke from Biden, who called on the outgoing Republican president to act immediately.

“This abdication of responsibility has devastating consequences… This bill is critical. It needs to be signed into law now,” said Biden, who is spending the holiday in his home state of Delaware.

Many economists agree the bill’s aid is too low but say the immediate support is still welcome and urgently necessary as Americans face an unprecedented holiday season amid a pandemic that has killed nearly 330,000 people in the United States, with a daily death toll now repeatedly well over 3,000 people, the highest since the pandemic began.

Trump last week vetoed a $740 billion bill authorising the nation’s defence programmes. On Monday, the House is scheduled to vote on overriding Mr Trump’s veto. If the House vote succeeds, the Senate could hold its vote as early as Tuesday. Both chambers passed the defence spending bill with margins well over the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto.