ISLAMABAD : The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) agreed to file references against PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Ahsan Iqbal, former principal secretary to ex-pm Nawaz, Fawad Hasan Fawad, and others.

The development took place during the NAB Executive Board meeting pn Thursday during which the anti-graft body approved four investigations, the statement.

According to NAB, investigations have been approved against PML-N Punjab president Rana Sanaullah and PTI MPA Aleem Khan as well.

NAB said that references will also be filed against two other important personalities, former foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry and ex-Intelligence Bureau chief, Aftab Sultan.

The anti-graft watchdog has alleged that Iqbal, the former planning minister, had increased the scope of the Narowal Sports City from Rs30 million to Rs3 billion.

Moreover, NAB has decided to file a corruption reference against Fawad Hasan and Iqbal.

During the meeting, it was also agreed to file a corruption reference against former Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman Farkhund Iqbal, former DG Planning Ghulam Sarwar Sindhu, Mehboob Ali Khan, former director Waqar Ali Khan, former member planning and design Abdul Aziz Qureshi, former CEO NTS Haroon, former estate management officer Latif Abid, former project director clean drinking water for all Sikandar Javed, General Manager Nespak Jamil Bajwa and others.

The Graduating Students of Fall 2018 &Spring 2019 were awarded degrees of BS, B.Ed., MA and MPhil 

SAIFULLAH/DNA

ISLAMABAD: The Graduating Students of Fall 2018 &Spring 2019 were awarded degrees of BS, B.Ed., MA and MPhil. Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri attended the session as a Chief Guest. The Convocation was declared open by VU Rector, Mr. Naeem Tariq. During his speech, he mentioned the achievements of Virtual University, its leading role in delivering information and communication technology-based education and highlighted the provision of quality education to the remotest areas of the country.

The Rector welcomed the guests, students and their parents for gracing the event with their presence. He said parents, as well as teachers, deserved to be congratulated on the great efforts. He asked students to always remain respectful to their parents and set targets and goals to achieve better results.

The Chief Guest of the Ceremony Mr. Qasim Khan Suri stated that students of today are leaders of tomorrow. He urged the students to transform the challenges into opportunities. He added that Federal Government is trying its best to facilitate the students of Baluchistan for higher education. He said very soon students of Baluchistan will get all those facilities which are available in Punjab and Islamabad.

He hoped that the knowledge being imparted to the students by VU would help them in their practical life. At the end of the Convocation Chief Guest Mr. Qasim Khan Suri along with Rector VU, Mr. Naeem Tariq distributed degrees among the passing students.

Indian leadership must not underestimate the resolve of Pakistani nation as well as the capacity, professionalism and the level of preparedness of our battle hardened Armed Forces 

Naveed Miraj/DNA

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office Spokesperson on Thursday said that the visit of the President of Bosnia has been postponed for now and new dates shall be announced soon.

This was stated by Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri while responding to a question during his weekly news briefing in Islamabad.

The Bosnian president was due to visit Pakistan on October 21, however due to some reasons the visit has been postponed. Bosnian newspaper had published a number of articles about illegal Pakistanis going to Bosnia and then sneaking into neighboring countries.

The spokesman added any misadventure by India in Gilgit-Baltistan or Azad Jammu and Kashmir will invite a full spectrum response by it.

The Spokesperson said the Indian leadership must not underestimate the resolve of Pakistani nation as well as the capacity, professionalism and the level of preparedness of our battle hardened Armed Forces.

He said the entire nation stands absolutely united against any ill designs by India.

Zahid Hafeez said our advice to India would be to peacefully resolve disputes with the neighbours, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, for lasting peace in South Asia.

Responding to another question, the Spokesperson said we have seen the malicious and fabricated news reports and propaganda campaign in some sections of the Indian mainstream and social media, planting baseless stories about Pakistan.

He said such attempts by the Indian media on the behest of the Pakistan-obsessed BJP-RSS regime are reflective of a particular, though familiar, mindset. Needless to say that Indian media continues to hit new lows.

The Spokesperson said India cannot wash away the truth about its own gross and systematic human rights violations in IIOJK and unabated anti-minorities policies and actions through peddling fake news and running its propaganda machinery overtime.

The Spokesperson said over 800 million people in India are considered as poors, making the largest poor population anywhere in the world. He said India needs to focus on socio-economic development of its people instead of blindly pursuing its dangerous strategic ambitions.

inaugural round of bilateral political consultations between Pakistan and Uzbekistan will soon be held in Islamabad 

Shujat Hamza

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said Pakistan and Uzbekistan enjoy deep fraternal relations and leadership of both the countries is committed to further strengthen the bilateral relations.

He expressed these views during a telephonic conversation with Foreign Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov on Thursday.

The Foreign Minister said inaugural round of bilateral political consultations between Pakistan and Uzbekistan will soon be held in Islamabad.

He said Pakistan is committed to continue its reconciliatory efforts for establishment of peace in the region including Afghanistan.

Both the foreign ministers also agreed to increase the trade volume between the two countries.

ISLAMABAD : The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has released the voters’ figures of final electoral lists.

The country have overall 115,748,753 voters, according to the figures released by the ECP.

A spokesperson for the ECP says that the ratio of male and female voters in electoral rolls has been 55:45 percent respectively.Sindh have total 2,43,51,681 voters, while Karachi’s District Central has been the largest district of the province with regard to the number of the registered voters, the ECP statement said.

The District Central have 19,66, 945 voters, while District West have 16,46,187 voters and the District East have 15,07,445 voters, according to the ECP electoral rolls.

Moreover, Korangi District in Karachi have 13,67,106 and South District have 11,74,124 voters.

Punjab have maximum voters in Pakistan’s provinces, the number over overall voters in the province is 6,62,36,144 voters according to the final electoral rolls, the election commission said.

Federal Capital Islamabad have 825,833 voters, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have 1,95,33,964 voters and Balochistan have 48,01,131 number of voters, the ECP said.

ISLAMABAD : Advisor to PM on Accountability Shahbaz Akbar on Thursday said that India has started propaganda against Pakistan over the recent issue of Safdar Awan’s arrest.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad flanked by Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Shibli Faraz, he said that opposition hue and cry provided an opportunity to India to start anti-Pakistan propaganda.

Terming the arrest of Safdar Awan as per law, Mr Akbar maintained that he was arrested by the province’s police, which is sovereign after the 18th amendment.“Sindh police tweeted about the arrest and termed it as per law”, he added.

People are aware that who gives directions to the Sindh police, the advisor said and urged Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah to name the federal minister who pressurized the police.

Replying to a query, he said that provinces are sovereign after the 18th amendment and the Sindh province has to inquire about the matter.

Commenting on the opposition’s criticism on Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav case, Shahzad Akbar advised the opposition parties to read the judgement of International Court of Justice (ICJ) before making statements on the case.