Pakistan rejects baseless Indian allegations
DNA
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan categorically rejected the groundless allegations levelled by the Prime Minister of India against Pakistan. We view these as part of India’s desperate attempts to divert international attention from its state-terrorism in IIOJK and state-sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan. It is evident that India has stepped up anti-Pakistan propaganda, following presentation of the Dossier by Pakistan providing irrefutable evidence of India’s state-sponsorship of terrorism.
The Dossier presented by Pakistan extensively documents India’s active planning, promoting, aiding, abetting, financing and execution of terrorist activities against Pakistan. Bland denials and regurgitation of old litany of charges by the Indian side will not change facts.
Raising the ‘bogey’ of so-called “cross-border terrorism” time and again does not lend any credibility to India’s false narrative. On the other hand, India’s history of conducting false flag operations in IIOJK and inside India to malign Pakistan is too well-known. We have consistently sensitized the international community about the possibility of India resorting yet again to a false flag operation, and we take this opportunity to forewarn the world again.
Use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy by India makes it guilty under international law, UN sanctions regime, and international counter-terrorism Conventions. It is the collective responsibility of the world community to hold India to account and take practical steps to proceed against the Indian nationals involved in patronage of terrorist entities.
Pakistan calls upon the UN counter-terrorism bodies to proceed on the basis of evidence provided by Pakistan and urge India to renounce use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy, dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism it has established to inflict terrorism on Pakistan, and stop the use of other countries’ soil for its terrorist activities directed against Pakistan.
CDA begins construction of public toilets in major shopping malls
ISLAMABAD: Capital Development Authority (CDA) has started construction of modern toilets in major shopping malls, shops and public parks across the city, while existing toilets are also being upgraded.According to a press release of CDA, 100 toilets in the first phase and 15 more toilets in the second phase would be constructed. More toilets would be constructed in each sector as per requirement later on.
Upgraded and new toilets would be leased out to private companies for the period of 10 years, the PR added.According to the details, as per the need and demand of the city and traders, the Sanitation Department of CDA has started construction of toilets in all major and small markets, shopping malls and shops of the city. In this regard, the sanitation wing was constructing new toilets in F-6, F-7, F-8, F-10 and F-11 sectors.The staff of the Sanitation Department will be available round the clock for cleaning and maintenance of these toilets.
FBR notifies tax exemption for 61 items used in COVID-19 vaccines
KARACHI, NOV 20 (DNA) – The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has issued a notification for tax exemption on imports of 61 items used in the preparation of COVID-19 vaccines.
The federal cabinet had earlier given approval to exempt imports of 61 items used in the preparation of COVID-19 vaccine from taxes and duties on November 17.
Sources told that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) took three days to issue the notification in this regards. The tax exemption will ensure availability of necessary medical equipment to the hospitals besides expediting the preparation of the coronavirus vaccine and reducing its cost, sources said.
According to FBR officials, the importers will be given tax exemption till June 30 – 2021 to bring in the essential items related to the medication of novel coronavirus. Earlier in the day, a private channel reported the lack of interest of the revenue board in duty-free imports of 61 items of COVID-19 vaccine despite getting approval from the federal cabinet.
The commerce ministry had also issued a statutory notification (SRO) regarding the items. Sources told that the FBR’s lack of interest is delaying the duty-free imports of the essential items which would be used for timely commencement of coronavirus vaccine and reducing its cost.
In another development on Friday, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) approved a technical supplementary grant for the advance purchases of COVID-19 vaccines.
The Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination sought $150 million funds from the federal government for advance booking of COVID-19 vaccines, it was learnt earlier in the day. =DNA
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Faisalabad playing pivotal role in strengthening national economy: Sanjrani
FAISALABAD, NOV 20 (DNA) – Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani has said that Faisalabad is one of the most important cities among other industrial ones which is playing a pivotal role in strengthening national economy.
He was talking to the media after inaugurating a new textile spinning mills at the Faisalabad Industrial Estate on Friday.
He said that future of Pakistan was directly linked with industrialization as it would not only help industrialists to earn profit but also create much need job opportunities in addition to paying taxes to run the country.
He appreciated the resilience of local industrialists and said that they had faced difficult times and now they were going to harvest fruits of development very soon. He invited the industrialists to invest in Gawadar which would be new future of Pakistan.
He added that: “Overall environment in Baluchistan is feasible for investment and there is no issue of law and order especially in Gawadar”. He invited industrialists to personally visit and see peaceful environment in Gawadar where regularly international conferences and seminars were held.
He said that establishment of industrial units in Gawadar would also help exporters to save extra charges of transportation and they could export their foreign consignments without wastage of time. “Their investment will not only help Baluchistan but also benefit Pakistan as a whole”, he added.
He also appreciated the courage of industrialists who boldly faced coronavirus. He said that it was time when many countries bowed down and closed their units, but Pakistan tactfully faced the pandemic and not only saved the people but also continued the manufacturing process in the country.
Chief Executive Officer Faisalabad Industrial Estate Management Company (FIEDMC) Amir Sleemi, Sheikh Danish of Best Exports Group and prominent industrialists were also present.
Earlier, the chairman also visited Sadaqat Mills where CEO Sheikh Khurram Mukhtar briefed him about industrial activities. =DNA
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China provides Rs 17m to PRCS as medical and livelihood assistance
DNA
ISLAMABAD: China has provided an emergency grant of Rs 17 million to the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) for medical and livelihood assistance of the people severely hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.An MoU in this regard was signed between PRCS and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Islamabad here on Friday. PRCS Secretary General Khalid bin Majeed and Chinese Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Mrs Pang Chunxue signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.
PRCS Chairman Abrar ul Haq also attended the MoU signing ceremony. Speaking on the occasion, he thanked the Chinese Embassy for the much-needed support. He said the donation will help alleviate sufferings of the people affected by Covid-19 pandemic.
Abrar ul Haq said keeping in view the challenges in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak, the PRCS not only launched special programmes to provide cash and livelihood assistance to the worst-hit segments of the society but also spared no effort to augment the government’s endeavors to contain the pandemic.
He said the Red Crescent Corona Care Hospital in Rawalpindi has been in the forefront of providing much-needed free-of-cost screening and treatment facilities to the Covid-19 patients.PRCS Secretary General Khalid bin Majeed said the Red Cross Society of China has always been at the forefront in provision of relief items to the PRCS in the time of need, especially during major disasters like floods and earthquakes.
He said the RCSC has extended huge support to the PRCS in the ongoing fight against coronavirus through provision of funding as well as medical supplies and hygiene kits. He said the relationship between Pakistan Red Crescent Society and the Red Cross Society of China is a role model for other Movement Partners.Chinese Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Mrs Pang Chunxue appreciated the services of the PRCS for humanity and pledged to continue extending all-out support to the Society for provision of humanitarian services to the downtrodden segments.
Online expos playing important role in current business situation: SM Imran
DNA
LAHORE – Online expos are playing an important role in the current business situation, SM Imran said Lahore (Commerce Reporter) Online expos are playing an important role in the business situation faced by Corona.
These views were expressed by Vice Chairman Lahore Development Authority SM Imran in a meeting with Naeem Saqib, Chief Executive of Virtual Expo.
SM Imran said that Corona has dealt a severe blow to the economy and especially the heart of Pakistan, Lahore. Activities are badly affected. Although the construction and development projects of Lahore have been temporarily slowed down, they should be completed as soon as possible and insha’Allah, economic activities will see growth in the days to come.
He said that Virtual Expo was playing an important role in promoting real estate business across the country, especially in Lahore. On the occasion, Naeem Saqib, Chief Executive of Virtual Expo, Pakistan’s first online exhibition, assured the Vice Chairman LDA of his full support for the construction and development of Lahore
TPL Trakker to Provide Fleet Management Services to Sialkot Dry Port Trust
KARACHI: TPL Trakker, Pakistan’s leading IoT Company, has been chosen as the sole Fleet Management Partner for Sialkot Dry Port Trust (SDPT), Asia’s first ever Dry Port in the private sector.
Following the partnership, TPL Trakker will provide SDPT a customized solution catered to address their business needs. These services will include Online Tracking of their fleet, Business Insights on Drive Time and Distance Travelled, a Live Dashboard indicating Real-Time status of the fleet, Creation and Monitoring of Geofences as well as SMS Alerts, helping SDPT efficiently manage its fleet of customs bonded vehicles. SDPT is the largest Bonded Carrier in the private sector with over 100 vehicles providing quality services in terms of efficient transit time, safety and reliability.
To mark the occasion, a digital signing ceremony was held at the SDPT Head office located at Sambrial, Sialkot, recently. Present at the occasion from TPL Trakker, were Khurram Baig, Regional Head, Central and Muhammad Mubashar Afzal, Hub Manager. Muhammad Khalid Butt, General Manager and Mohsin Ashraf, Head of IT, represented SDPT along with management team members from both Companies.
Commenting on the signing ceremony, Talha Dawood, Head of Asset Tracking, TPL Trakker, said, “We take deep pride in partnering with the continent’s first privatized Dry Port. This is a unique milestone for us at TPL Trakker, helping Pakistan’s economy by facilitating trade through SDPT during such challenging times. I am confident that this will be a long and fruitful partnership for both Companies.”
Muhammad Khalid Butt, General Manager, SDPT, said, “At SDPT, we are striving to address some of the most complex logistics challenges in Pakistan and bringing tremendous efficiencies for our clients. We have evaluated and found TPL Trakker’s Fleet Management Solutions to be ideally suited to meet our business needs and have full faith in the partnership being mutually beneficial both for us and TPL Trakker.”
ECC approves supplementary grant to purchase COVID-19 vaccines: sources
ISLAMABAD, NOV 20 (DNA) – The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has approved a technical supplementary grant for the advance purchases of COVID-19 vaccines.
The Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh chaired a session of ECC on Friday to discuss a six-point agenda including the allocation of funds for purchases of COVID-19 vaccines sought by the health ministry.
The ECC members deliberated upon the six-month extension of payment of interest on loans acquired from G20 countries and the matter related to gas supply to Engro Fertilizers. The committee’s members approved gas supplies to Enro Fertilizers.
Moreover, the committee granted permission to Punjab province for importing 340,000 tonnes wheat through the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP).
Sources told that the committee allocated funds for the payment of salaries of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) workers; a technical supplementary grant worth Rs500 million for education ministry; approval of Rs683.3 million budget for National Information Technology Board (NITB); a technical supplementary grant worth $150 million for the purchases of COVID-19 vaccines.
The federal cabinet will give the final approval to the decisions of the ECC. The Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination sought $150 million funds from the federal government for advance booking of COVID-19 vaccines, it was learnt earlier in the day.
Sources told that the health ministry sent a summary to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) in which it sought allocation of $150 million funds for advance booking of COVID-19 vaccines.
It is pertinent to mention here that PM Imran Khan had approved specific funding for the advance purchase of the Covid-19 vaccine. =DNA
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COMSTECH Int’l workshop and exhibition kicks off on Tuesday
ISLAMABAD, NOV 20 (DNA) – Realizing the importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the healthcare systems, COMSTECH is going to inaugurate a two-day workshop and exhibition on AI in healthcare in collaboration with Sir Syed CASE Institute of Technology. It will be inaugurated at the COMSTECH headquarters, Islamabad on November 24, 2020.
Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Pakistan will grace the occasion as guest of honor.
This event is being organized under the kind patronage of Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman (FRS., N.I., H.I., S.I., T.I.), Chairman Prime Minister Task Force on Information Technology. Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Chaudhary (H.I., S.I., T.I.), Coordinator General COMSTECH and Prof. Dr. Shoab A. Khan, founder CARE, Islamabad are the chair and co-chair of the event respectively.
The objective of this International workshop and exhibition is to bring together the researchers, industrialists, and practitioners interested in the specification, design, and development of AI to cultivate smart healthcare systems that will improve personal healthcare in a better way.
Intelligent hospital management, health software architecture, framework, design & engineering, internet of things for healthcare, intelligent technologies for healthcare, programming paradigms and tools for health applications, automated diagnosis and prediction, and data discovery are the main themes of the workshop.
Dr. Atif Mashkoor, Johannes Kepler University, Austria, and Professor Ashiq Anjum, University of Leicester, UK, are the resource persons among others.
The agenda of the event includes technical talks, exhibition of AI products/Services, poster presentation, and training session on AI for health.
Healthcare professionals, students, researchers, young entrepreneurs and policymakers from Pakistan and the OIC member countries will participate.=DNA
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