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PM Imran Khan inaugurates Hassan Abdal Railway Station

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Attock on Friday to inaugurate the Hassan Abdal Railway Station, which has been renovated and reconstructed after 127 years.

At the inauguration event, PM Imran Khan was briefed about the various facilities installed for the passengers’ convenience.

Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed accompanied the premier.

Earlier today, Rashid had reviewed the arrangements ahead of the premier’s visit to inaugurate the Hassan Abdal Railway Station, the reconstruction of which cost Rs300 million.

The British-era railway station has been upgraded to a two-storey structure, with 24,502 square feet of covered area. The boundary of the railway station covering a total area of 101,610 square feet, including passengers’ facilities, was also improved.

In a briefing, Divisional Superintendent (DS) Railways Syed Munawar Shah apprised the railways minister of facilities at the new structure.

Water plants and a new tube well have been constructed to provide clean and cold water to the passengers, while a 300 KV generator was installed for uninterrupted power supply at the Hassan Abdal Railway Station, Shah told Rashid.

A canteen and a cafe were set up near the waiting area, he added.

Later in the day, PM Imran Khan, accompanied by provincial and federal ministers, would visit Swat, where he will inaugurate a new block of the Saidu Sharif hospital.

The prime minister would also attend a ceremony in connection with the distribution of Sehat Sahulat cards and address the gathering there.

Kamran Akmal thinks Mohammad Rizwan should open in limited-overs cricket

Karachi : Wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal thinks that the men’s team current wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan should open the batting in limited-overs cricket.

The 38-year-old believes that the team management must look at Rizwan’s batting position to create a good balance of the side.

“Team combination would remain unbalance unless Rizwan won’t open the batting in the limited-overs format. Rizwan also batted well in the National T20 Cup and Head coach Misbah must think about his position,” Kamran said.

“Team management has to evaluate if they want to form a better limited-overs team, wicketkeeper batman must open whether it’s Rizwan or any other keeper. The team balance will automatically become great but for this, one must have a match-winning attitude rather than just playing for survival,” he added.

It must be noted that Rizwan also revealed during National T20 Cup, that his promotion up the order for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was due to the instructions given to him by High-Performance Center (HPC) coaches and the national selectors.

Rizwan had a bad ODI series against Zimbabwe recently as he only managed to score 25 runs in three innings.

‘Pakistan lost an iconic sportsman’: COAS on demise of hockey legend Abdul Rashid

RAWALPINDI : Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday expressed heartfelt grief on the demise of hockey legend Abdul Rashid Junior.

“Pak[istan] has lost an iconic sportsman & a great human being. May Allah bless his soul & give strength to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss, Ameen,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) quoted the army chief as saying that in a Twitter statement.

On November 4, legendary hockey player former captain Olympian Abdul Rashid Jr. had died at the age of 79.

According to sources, he was suffering from kidney disease and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Islamabad.

The Olympian was considered as the best center forward of his time and was the only legendary athlete to win gold (1968), silver (1972), and bronze (1976) medals in the Olympic games. By the time he retired, he had scored the most 96 international goals for Pakistan.

Rashid Jr. was also the manager of the national team that won the 1994 Hockey World Cup.

1,376 new infections, 30 deaths reported in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD : Pakistan has recorded 1,376 new infections and 30 deaths during the last 24 hours, whereas, the number of active cases of coronavirus went up to 16,242 from 15,317.

317,086 patients have recovered from the virus, according to statistics of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

35,745 tests were carried out for the detection of COVID-19 during the last 24 hours as the country has so far conducted 4,609,513 tests.Earlier on Wednesday, the health ministry had recommended purchases of potential coronavirus vaccines under last-stage trials and allocation of $100 million funds for its advance booking.

Pakistan made a decision to purchase the possible vaccines of COVID-19 in advance and permission was sought from the Prime Minister Imran Khan by the health ministry, sources privy to the development told ARY News.

The Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination had written a letter to PM Imran Khan to seek permission for advance booking of coronavirus vaccines.

Uzbek President takes part in China Intl Import Expo 2020

DNA

TASHKENT, . President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, at the invitation of President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, delivered a welcoming video message to the participants of the opening ceremony of the third China International Import Expo CIIE-2020 in the city of Shanghai, reports “Dunyo” IA correspondent.

According to the Press Service of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in his speech, the head of our state noted that such a large-scale event as this Expo is indicative of China’s success in restoring the national economy and the exceptional demand for broader international cooperation amid the current pandemic.

In this respect, the Uzbek leader expounded on key issues pertinent to the enhancement of mutually advantageous trade and economic interaction and the development of ties among regions of countries in the context of the global crisis.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev spoke of the steadfast measures taken in Uzbekistan to liberalize the national economy, simplify the foreign trade regime and export-import procedures, harmonize the regulatory framework with international standards, shape green corridors, join the World Trade Organization, and deliver an even more favorable investment climate.

Consolidation of cooperation in transport and expansion of Central Asia’s transport and transit potential remains an important priority, the head of our state noted.

In light of Uzbekistan’s active support for the One Belt One Road initiative, which opens up extensive prospects for bolstering the regional and interregional connectedness, confidence was expressed that Central Asia, as in the days of the Great Silk Road, could again become a hub of transport and transit corridors between Europe and Asia.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev stressed the great importance of the initiative to create new corridors connecting the railway systems of Central and South Asia, which would seal the land transport system of the Eurasian continent.

In this regard, the head of state informed the ceremony participants that our country is in favor of accelerating the realization of a project for the construction of railroad along the route of the new multimodal transport corridor China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan.

In addition, it was proposed to unite efforts in forming an integrated network of land ports, logistics and wholesale distribution centers within the framework of the One Belt One Road initiative.

Taking into account the demand for these initiatives, hope was expressed for the active support of partners and international organizations for Uzbekistan’s proposal to establish a Regional Center for Transport and Communication Interconnectedness under the auspices of the United Nations, voiced during the 75th session of the UN General Assembly.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the country’s readiness for vigorous advancement of industrial cooperation, organization of new joint ventures, primarily for the deep processing of mineral resources and the production of goods with high added value for export markets.

To this end, the head of our state suggested that a joint program be adopted to promote industrial cooperation and stimulate business representatives of the two countries to spearhead specific projects using various instruments of joint investment funds, investment guarantees and insurance.

Uzbekistan’s leader drew the attention of ceremony participants to the fact that in the context of the pandemic, speeding up digitalization processes of the economy has acquired particular urgency.

In this respect, Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed to develop joint measures on an even wider introduction of information technologies in international trade, customs clearance, transport, education.

The President spoke about the pressing need for closer international coordination and interaction at the bilateral and regional levels to overcome the socio-economic crisis caused by the coronavirus contagion.

No country, it was highlighted, can overcome the consequences of the pandemic by its own in the face of production decline, the growing demand for medical supplies, financial instability and disruption of global supply chains.

In conclusion, Shavkat Mirziyoyev wished the participants of the Expo successful work and expressed confidence that the exhibition will afford an additional impetus to the process of restoring world trade and boosting the international economic cooperation.

Leaders of Serbia, Chile, South Africa, Spain, Pakistan and other countries, heads of a number of international organizations also delivered statements to the ceremony.

Within the framework of the third China International Import Expo 2020, the Uzbek-Chinese business forum is due November 5 in Shanghai. About 150 representatives of major Chinese trade and investment companies are expected to attend the event.

The forum is to play host to a presentation of the investment, export and tourism potential of Uzbekistan. In particular, Chinese business circles will get acquainted with new opportunities for cooperation with Uzbek partners in the oil and gas, textile, chemical, electrical engineering, metallurgical, food, agricultural and construction industries.

Occasion participants will also be informed about the favorable business climate in Uzbekistan, conditions for doing business in free economic zones, achievements in economic development across sectors.

Dr Zafar gets Japanese award

MATSUDA Kuninori, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan extends  his heartfelt congratulations to Zafar 

Shujaat Hamza

ISLAMABAD: The Government of Japan announced the recipients of the 2020 Autumn Imperial Decorations, which includes Mr. Zafar Mahmood of Pakistan in recognition of his significant contribution towards further promoting friendly relations and mutual understanding between Japan and Pakistan.

Zafar Mahmood, Former President of MEXT Alumni Association of Pakistan (MAAP), visiting Professor at the Department of Japanese Language, National University of Modern Languages (NUML), will be decorated with The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, one of the highest orders awarded in the name of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan.

On November 3, the Government of Japan announced the foreign recipients of the 2020 Autumn Imperial Decorations that includes 141 foreign nationals who have made significant contributions to the promotion of relations between Japan and other countries in their respective fields.

MATSUDA Kuninori, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, has extended his heartfelt congratulations to Zafar for being among the foreign recipients of this year’s autumn decorations. “The conferment of Japan’s prestigious Imperial Decorations upon a Pakistani national this year is acknowledgement of the recipient’s efforts towards friendly and stronger Japan- Pakistan relations”, said the Ambassador.

SBP foreign exchange reserves increase by $61 million

KARACHI : The foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) increased by $61 million to $12.182 billion during the week ended on October 29.

According to data released by the central bank, net reserves held by the SBP stood at $12.182 billion.

The overall liquid foreign exchange reserves held by the country stood at $19.353 billion, including $7.171 billion forex holdings of the commercial banks.

On October 29, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) had announced an increase of $55 million in the foreign reserves of the country during the week ended on 23 October. The total liquid foreign reserves held by the country stood at $19.296 billion.

The reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan stood at $12.121 billion and those of the commercial banks at $7.175 billion.

PIA gets Saudi’s nod to operate Al-Qassim flights

KARACHI : Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has granted Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) permission to operate flights to and from the kingdom’s Al-Qassim region.

On being given a go-ahead to operate Al-Qassim flights, the national flag carrier issued its schedule for flights with a first flight to fly to this new station from Multan on November 18.

The PIA will use Airbus 320 for flights on this route.A spokesperson for the airline said these flights will facilitate Pakistani diaspora living in Al-Qassim. He said the PIA will operate flights to Al-Qassim from Islamabad and Multan.

On October 26, PIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Marshal Arshad Malik had met with Saudi Arabian Ambassador Nawaf Bin Saeed Al-Malki to explore areas of enhanced cooperation.

During the meeting, the CEO requested the Saudi ambassador for his support for starting flights to Al-Qassim region. He also sought permission to operate more flights to the kingdom due to increasing number of passengers intending to travel to Saudi Arabia.

Arshad Malik, in a statement, said the PIA management had been in contact with Saudi authorities to get permission to operate more flights. He expressed hope that the Saudi government will permit PIA to operate more flights to the kingdom, including the new station Al-Qassim from next month.

The United States And Pakistan Increase National Energy Capacity

A.M.Bhatti

ISLAMABAD – In partnership with the United States Government, the Managing Director of the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) inaugurated the Patrind Power Transmission Project today.  This mutual investment from the United States and Pakistan will add 147 megawatts (MW) of hydroelectric capacity to Pakistan’s National Energy Grid.  The United States Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), supported the effort by constructing transmission lines and upgrading grid stations in the Azad Kashmir/Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) region.  This effort will ultimately strengthen private sector investments in clean-energy projects.

With this NTDC and USAID investment, Patrind is now selling electricity to the national grid and repaying its debt and equity obligations.

This achievement demonstrates that with strategic government support, the energy sector can be a driver of local and national economic growth.

“The U.S. Government is partnering with the Government of Pakistan to strengthen Pakistan’s energy sector and make it more competitive through the use of sustainable energy sources like hydroelectricity,” said USAID Mission Director Julie Koenen.  “Working with the Government of Pakistan, we have supported infrastructure projects, operational improvements, and policy reforms to help the energy sector function more efficiently and sustainably.  These efforts are helping Pakistan meet the needs of its growing population and economy.”

Since 2010, USAID has partnered with the Government of Pakistan to add more than 3,600 MW to the national grid.  These investments are benefitting more than 43 million Pakistanis, reducing costs for energy distribution companies by $429 million, and leveraging more than $2.3 billion in private investment.  USAID has also supported the construction of new transmission lines and substations to evacuate power from wind power projects to the national grid, as well as rehabilitated thermal and hydroelectric power plants.

To ensure Pakistan’s future energy security, the U.S. Government will provide technical assistance to improve planning processes and operational procedures, introduce new technologies, and transition toward a competitive market structure with more participation by private sector companies.

‘We are under attack’: Aamir Liaquat, wife test positive for coronavirus

Karachi : Television anchor and PTI leader from Karachi Aamir Liaquat Hussain on Thursday announced he and his wife have both tested positive for coronavirus.

“We are under attack,” Hussain wrote on Twitter, in a dramatic post that  added: “Attacker detected, the notorious #COVID-19. Victims: Aamir Liaquat and Syeda Tuba Aamir.”

The TV celebrity, who shot to fame with his Ramazan quiz shows, said that today marks the second day of being infected.

“Today is the second day. Ginger, Garlic, Kalongi, Black Pepper, Clove, Star Maze and Cinnamon are the helpers,” he said, speaking of his bid to relieve symptoms.

“Prayers needed,” he added.

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