ISLAMABAD : In his message on Defence Day being celebrated today, Prime Minister Imran Khan said September 6 is a day in Pakistan’s glorious history that is commemorated as a symbol of courage, strong will and unmatched spirit of sacrifice by the country’s gallant armed forces.

Together with the brave Pakistani nation, he said, officers, soldiers, sailors, and airmen proved to the world, on this day, 55 years ago, that they are ever ready to defend every inch of the motherland no matter whatever the cost.

“The nation and the men in uniform proved that it’s not the size that matters, but it’s the courage and devotion that matters the most,” PM Khan said.Highlighting the plight of the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir, he said with the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A India has not only violated the UN Charter but has also unleashed a reign of terror on innocent Kashmiris.

He said Indians are also showing aggressive posture on the Line of Control and such provocations are aimed at diverting the world attention from Indian atrocities in IIOJK. “Pakistan is for peace but this must not be misconstrued as our weakness; world understands that our desire for peace is for economic wellbeing and prosperity of the people of this region,” the premier maintained.

“We need to work together for peace and securing a brighter future for our coming generations. The resilient nation and the battle-hardened Armed Forces of Pakistan have time and again proved that they are fully capable of defending the country and are fully prepared to meet any kind of eventuality.”

He paid homage to Shuhada and Ghazis, and pledged anew to defend Pakistan, safeguard its security and sovereignty at all costs with the same spirit, undaunted courage, unconquerable and indomitable spirit as was displayed by the Shuhada and Ghazis of 1965 war.

LAHORE, SEPT 5 (DNA) – Sources have revealed what went on inside the emergency meeting of Pakistan Muslim League (N) leadership in Lahore today. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has apparently shown willingness to leave England without completing his treatment and return to Pakistan.

According to details, the meeting was held at the residence of PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif in Model Town, Lahore.

The meeting had a one-point agenda of discussing Nawaz Sharif’s health. It was attended by key leaders of PML-N.

According to sources, all provincial officials of PML-N attended the meeting through video link. During the meeting, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif showed willingness to leave his treatment incomplete and return to Pakistan, which senior party members disagreed with. Party leadership refused and demanded that he not return to Pakistan until he fully recovers.

During the meeting, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif briefed Nawaz Sharif on telephone about the decisions of PML-N leaders across the country. DNA

==============

MUZAFFARABAD, SEPT 5 (DNA) – The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President, Sardar Masood Khan on Saturday urged the youth to revive the spirit of 1965 war to frustrate India’s evil designs and warned that if we fail to rise up, the Kashmir would be lost for good.

“Narendra Modi and the RSS by settling five million Hindus in occupied Jammu and Kashmir are hell-bent on expelling the Muslims from the state and to remove Kashmir from the world map,” he maintained.

Speaking as chief guest at a function held in connection with Defence Day of Pakistan organized by the Youth Forum for Kashmir, he said that the Pakistani and the Kashmiri youth need to promptly rise up to foil this Satanic plan and defeat India on political, diplomatic, media, and if needed, on the military fronts.

The AJK president said that Pakistan had certainly fought the wars of 1947, 1948, 1965, 1971 and 1999 for the cause of Kashmir, and similarly, the youth of Azad Kashmir by joining Pakistan Army have also been defending the motherland for the last seven decades.

He said that a 23 years old young army officer Lt. Nasir Khalid, who embraced martyrdom the other day, was also belonged to Azad Kashmir. “This was neither the first nor the last sacrifice by any Kashmiri youth, but thousands of youth have sacrificed their lives while thousands more are prepared to sacrifices their lives for the supreme cause,” he added.

Sardar Masood Khan said that in 1947, our elders through their sacrifices had provided us with an opportunity to breathe in an environment of freedom and it is our sacred duty now to protect this liberty by all means.

Khan regretted that on the other side of the Line of Control, under foreign occupation, the life of a 10 years old child to 80 years old man is at constant risk of being killed, maimed or blinded by Indian occupation forces. The innocent women are being dishonoured while the youth are subjected to target killings in fake encounters.

The AJK president said that we have no hope from the international community or the United Nations, and we are to do on our own what we can to get freedom. However, he added that we can enhance pressure on the international community and the United Nations to resolve the Kashmir issue by turning our struggle into a global movement.

Addressing the function, Executive Director of Youth Forum for Kashmir Maria Iqbal Tarana paid great homage to the martyrs of 1965 war, and said that these martyrs inflicted a severe blow on enemy’s five times big army, and defended every inch of Pakistan.

Prominent Anchorperson Maria Zulfiqar urged the youth to expose the enemy’s sordid designs against their motherland irrespective of which segment of society they belong to.

Senior Vice President Central Press Club Basharat Mughal, in his address, said that the journalists at the risk of their own lives have been reporting under the Indian Army shells at the Line of Control in order to carry forward the national cause.

The event also addressed by former President Central Press Club Roshan Mughal, Syed Samar Abbas, Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Human Rights Council Humayun Zaman Mirza and others.

The function was attended by prominent journalists Syed Arif Bihar, Wahid Iqbal Butt, Imtiaz Awan, Aljazeera TV’s Asim Khan, Ashfaq Shah and a large number of other journalists. Later, the state president conferred Youth Forum for Kashmir Awards on more than one dozen journalists who have been reporting the situation erupted because of Indian Army firing at the Line of Control. DNA

=============

DNA

Islamabad, SEPT 5 – The climate experts urged the federal and provincial governments for strong local governance, mainstreaming of climate adaptation and meaningful planning and implementation of disaster management. All this needs to have vigorous policy advocacy and incorporation of climate vulnerability into the development projects, besides awareness raising among the stakeholders including grassroots communities.

Speaking to a webinar on “Pakistan’s preparedness for climatic calamities”, the experts also showed their grave concerns over the rapidly increasing population and decreasing ratio of per capita social investment. All federal government policy frameworks would mean nothing if provinces don’t adopt it in a letter and spirit and trickle down funds to strengthen the local governance.

The webinar was organized by the Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) on Saturday in the context of sustainable urban management. The panel included Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam, Chief Engineering Advisor Ministry of Water Resources Ahmad Kamal, UN-Habitat Country Manager Jawed Ali Khan, climate and water expert Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, and senior journalist Shabina Faraz. Well-known environmentalist and Devcom-Pakistan and DTNTV Director Munir Ahmed hosted and conducted the webinar.

Malik Amin Aslam said Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate impact is rising very fast. In recent years, the frequency and intensity of extreme events has gone up by three times while the funding resources have been reducing. We need to act efficiently on adaptation mechanisms for which the climate induced practices and development need to be promoted on all levels. After the 18^th amendment, the provinces are more responsible for taking care of the grassroots management of sewage, water and sanitation, encroachments on the pathways of the flash floods.

He said disintegrated decision making would lead to more damage to lives and livelihood if adaptation mechanisms are not implemented on grassroots level. He also cited several steps taken by the federal government to combat the climate change impact. He said Sindh province is more vulnerable to climate impact and the provincial government need to act accordingly while the federal government is all out to support the provinces for their portative initiatives.

Ahmad Kamal said flood management plans have worked efficiently because of the early warning systems installed on the riverine system that has reduced the impact significantly. A well-defined disaster management system is in place with the leading role of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) where all provincial and national authorities and organizations mandated to cope up with the challenges of natural disaster interact.

He said the problem is with city governments where right and rational decision making is absent on sustainable urban management. He suggested strong local governance based on inclusive and participatory mechanisms.

Ali Tauqeer Sheikh asked for the private sector to support the city governments. The government should provide soft loans and incentives to the private sector to manage its sewage, water and sanitation, and solid waste management. There are more than one organizations taking decisions about the fate of people. The segregated decisions are hampering the sustainable management of cities. The other foremost challenge is rising population. Most of the newborn are in the poverty group, hence vulnerable to climate impact from day one.

Shabina Faraz while citing the miseries of Karachi city said it is very unfortunate that different interest groups are playing havoc with the citizens. Funds are not invested in the actual development of infrastructure while the political groups playing blind on the encroachments, different mafia are active. When the media highlights the actual playful tactics, the journalists are maligned and blamed for blackmailing and negative reporting.

KARACHI, SEPT 5 – Prime Minister Imran Khan announced a historic Rs1,100 billion package for Karachi Transformation Plan on Saturday, during the premier’s one day visit to the country’s economic hub.

The package would mainly address chronic issues including the water and sewage issues of the city, alongside transport and solid waste management. “One year and three-year plans for Karachi’s transformation have been devised,” said PM Khan.

Sitting alongside Governor Sindh and Sindh Chief Minister, the Prime Minister said both the federal and provincial governments will contribute to this package. “We want to tackle all the issues of the city in one go,” said Imran Khan in his media conference.

Provincial Coordination And Implementation Committee (PCIC) has been established which will include all the stakeholders including federal and provincial members as well as the military, informed the PM saying that the committee would implement and monitor all the decisions.

Stressing on reforming the transport system in the metropolis, PM Khan informed that the Green Line and various BRT lines were included in the plan.

PM Khan said that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) will clear the Nullahs in Karachi. “There are encroachments in Nullahs and the Sindh government has taken the responsibility to settle the families who will displace as a result of the clearance of the Nullahs,” said PM Khan.

Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a meeting of the Karachi Committee at Governor House with Federal Ministers Asad Umar, Senator Shibli Faraz, Syed Ali Zaidi, Amin-ul-Haq, Governor Sindh Imran Ismail, CM Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, and others present. The PM was briefed regarding the situation in Karachi after record rains wrecked the city’s infrastructure, while the sewage system also collapsed.

DNA

KARACHI, 05 Sep – Pakistan Navy relief operation continued to meet post-flood eventualities and to ensure restoration of flooded areas with rescue/ relief efforts at various localities of Sindh.

Pakistan Navy  Emergency Response teams are consistently supplying basic food necessities and medical care to flood-ridden victims.Pakistan Navy diving teams equipped with boats and  special diving kits carried out Search and Rescue operation at District Badin and District Tando Bago in coordination with District administration.

Additionally, Pakistan Navy diving and response teams are stationed at various locations in Karachi/ Sindh for relief activities and to counter any emergency situation due flooding. Pakistan Navy troops and mobile medical teams provided relief goods and free medicines to hundreds of locals in areas of ALLAH Bux Goth, Mirpur Bathoro, Ramzan Ghagar Goth, Umer Ghagar Goth, Sain Dino Jutt Goth, Allah Bux Jutt Goth, Ghulam Rathoo Jutt Goth, Rajab Khan Goth and Misri Jutt Goth in Sindh. Beside, medical team also provided medical aid to over 300 people predisposed to various diseases due flooding at Sujawal and Mir Pur Mathelo.In continuation to relief assistance, Food packets and clean water were distributed amongst more than 2500 vulnerable families at Hindu Goth, Surjani Town and Korangi in Karachi.

Pakistan Navy is determined to continue humanitarian assistance and mobilize resources to help flood-stricken families in different parts of Sindh.