DNA

RAWALPINDI, SEPT 29 – Cantonment Board Rawalpindi President and Station Commander Brigadier Ijaz Qamar Kayani visited the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) and talked to the business community about the ongoing development projects in the city, parking issues and tax relief.

Brigadier Ijaz Qamar apprised the business community that under the Scheme “Public Outreach” a program has been launched to regularize illegal residential buildings.

There are more than 30,000 illegal buildings and the major aim of this scheme was to legalise all illegal structures in the cantonment areas to bring the practice to an end and provide relief.

Under the scheme illegal residential buildings can get the map approved in just 3 days as RCB charges a meager amount of Rs2,500 from the people to get their plans surveyed and regularized.

In addition, property taxes have been waived due to the Corona epidemic. Under which residential property will be taxed at 10% instead of 20% and commercial property at 15% instead of 30%.

To address the parking issue, a new parking site has been identified where shop owners and salesmen can park their cars/ motorbikes free of cost, he added.

Station Commander also shared the latest update on remodeling and extension of Ammar Chowk and Kutchery chowk. A beautification project has been launched to beautify entry and exit points of Rawalpindi and also work is in progress to save the heritage and old buildings.

Earlier, President RCCI Saboor Malik, lauded RCB for the key steps taken to end encroachment in the city, addressing the parking problem in Sadar area and beautifying the city and said that the business community was very grateful to the station commander for taking personal interest.

Group leader and former president RCCI Sohail Altaf said that the scope of construction package should be extended to Cantonment and immediate steps should be taken in this regard as December 31 is the last date.

On this occasion Senior Vice President Nosherwan Khalil Khan, Vice President Hamza Sarosh, Former Presidents Asad Mashhadi, Shahid Saleem, Newly elected President Nasir Mirza, Senior Vice President Usman Ashraf and Vice President Shahrai z A Malik, Members of the executive Committee, Representatives of Anjuman-e-Tajiran , Sheikh Hafeez, Zahid Bakhtawari, Zafar Qadri, Munir Baig and Chamber members were also present.

DNA

MUZAFFARABAD, Sept 29: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan has strongly condemned the freezing of bank accounts of the Amnesty International by the fanatic BJP regime and forcing it to halt its India operations.

The watchdog has also accused the Indian government of indulging in a “witch-hunt of human rights organisations”. Amnesty International said its bank accounts have been frozen and it’s been forced to lay off staff in the country, and suspend all its campaign and research work.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, AJK President said that India’s Hindu fanatic regime is targeting the Amnesty International, a global human rights watchdog, because the organization is always voiced against the worst human rights violations being committed by the Indian Army and the police particularly in occupied Kashmir.

He asked what the Indian rulers, if they are not guilty conscience, wanted to hide through revengeful actions against the Amnesty.

While commenting on the statement of pro-India National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah in which he has said that the people of occupied Kashmir do not like to be called the Indian citizens, the AJK president asserted that the Kashmiri people have never accepted the Indian slavery nor have they considered themselves to be Indian citizens during the last more than 70 years.

This is, however, a separate issue that Farooq Abdullah and his cronies had been so blind in the lust of power that they could not see the worst Indian repression against the Kashmiri people.

Sardar Masood Khan said that despite occupation of Kshmir for the last 70 years, India failed to win hearts and minds of the Kashmiri people and to integrate them into Indian society because its invasion of the state and the policy to suppress the Kashmiri people were unnatural.

He said that India has always declined to grant right of self-determination to the Kashmiri people because it was very well aware of the outcome of a free and fair plebiscite in the state.

While expressing grave concern over the use of chemical weapons by the Indian Army against the people of occupied territory, the AJK president appealed to the international community to get these reports probed through independent experts.

Referring to the ongoing freedom struggle in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the President said India has been using brutal force against the innocent Kashmiris for the last 70 years to suppress their voices, but its brutal tactics to silence the voices of Kashmiri people will never succeed.

He strongly condemned the Indian firing from across the LoC targeting the civilian population and said India continuously violating the ceasefire agreement to dislodge the civil population residing along with the liner of Control LoC. But our valiant people will not be intimidated by such cowardly acts of India, he maintained.

President Masood Khan strongly condemning unprovoked Indian firing in Samahani sector in violation of the ceasefire agreement which left a Pakistani army soldier and a youth martyred and four others injured, the AJK president described it a cowardly act of the Indian Army.

He said that India was intentionally attempting to create tension at the Line of Control in order to divert attention from the situation of occupied Kashmir.

MUHAMMAD TAHIR

Faisalabad, SEPT 29: The incidence of abuse and malpractice is increasing day by day Recently, a shopkeeper abused a mentally handicapped and orphaned girl in Jaranwala According to his FIR Saira, 13, went to the shop to get a bargain Shopkeeper Abdul Jabbar forcibly raped the girl.

The second incident took place in the area of People’s Colony No. 2 of Batala Colony Police Station in the presence of daughters. According to the case, the accused Iftikhar and Ramzan forced their way into the house after drinking alcohol.

Iftikhar took Nasreen into the room and allegedly raped her The third incident was the alleged gang rape of two cousins abducted from Satiana police station area. The accused abducted the two girls from the fields outside the house and took them to Jhang and continued to gang-rape them. As soon as the girls got a chance, they called 15 police and Jhang police rescued them The report was sent to the District Public Prosecutor by all the prosecutors District Public Prosecutor Zul Sabteen Amir Told

In the last one year, 410 cases of abuse of women and children have been registered in Faisalabad police stations In only 13 cases were the accused convicted by the courts Accused acquitted in 82 cases

206 cases of abuse of women and children are currently awaiting verdicts And 293 cases of abuse of women were registered The accused were convicted in 12 cases of rape Accused acquitted in 73 cases of rape 149 cases of abuse of women are pending Faisalabad police stations registered 117 cases of misconduct during the last one year Only one case of misconduct was convicted The accused were acquitted in nine cases of misconduct 57 cases of malpractice are pending The tradition of timely submission of challan by the police is also maintained A letter has been written to the CPO regarding sending the challan soon In most cases, the accused are acquitted due to the deviation of witnesses.

ISLAMABAD, SEPT 29 (DNA) – Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) and Telenor Microfinance Bank Limited have signed an agreement for provision of physical and Virtual Data Center (VDC) Hosting Services bundled with industry’s leading Managed Security solution.

Zarrar Hasham Khan, Chief Business Services Officer, PTCL and Khurram Gul Agha, Chief Information Officer & Operations Support, Telenor Microfinance Bank, signed the agreement at a special ceremony recently held at PTCL Zonal office in Karachi. Umar Farooqi, General Manager, Digital Services Sales, PTCL, Javaid Sher Ali, Executive Director, IT Planning & Architecture, Telenor Microfinance Bank and Nadeem Ashfaq, Director Information Technology, Telenor Microfinance Bank, were also present on the occasion, along with other senior officials.

PTCL is providing Telenor Microfinance Bank with its state-of-the-art infrastructure and platform solutions that are equipped with latest technology, managed security and DDoS filtering solution.

During the signing ceremony, Zarrar Hasham Khan, Chief Business Services Officer, PTCL, said, “We are pleased to sign an agreement with Telenor Microfinance Bank to support them in fulfilling their business needs. PTCL, being a national company, is leading the digitization effort across the country to support the Prime Minister’s vision of a Digital Pakistan. Through such partnerships, PTCL continues to play its key role in the development of telecom infrastructure by providing innovative and secure solutions to the corporate sector that will further contribute towards the overall economic growth of the country.”

On the occasion, Khurram Gul Agha, Chief Information Officer, Telenor Microfinance Bank, said, “In light of the current fast-paced banking activities specially through mobile and online platforms, regular upgrades to the security apparatus are crucial.

We are pleased to sign this agreement with PTCL as our trusted partner for our Virtual Data Centers. Keeping our data secure is of utmost significance and we believe in providing our customers the best financial solutions which can provide them with the peace of mind required to fully embrace a digitally enabled financial lifestyle. This partnership with PTCL is a step in the right direction given the scale and quality of services that we offer.”

PTCL endeavours to provide best-in-class services to its corporate customers across various industries in Pakistan. This agreement is part of the growth momentum in the diverse areas of ICT and Security Solutions, which is key to a digital banking eco-system in Pakistan. DNA

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DNA

ISLAMABAD, SEPT 29 –  The 15^th Session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Forum was held in the format of a video conference. The Forum was chaired by the National Institute for Strategic Studies of the Kyrgyz Republic. Major General Syed Khalid Amir Jaffery, HI(M), (Retd), President CGSS while representing Pakistan delivered the welcoming remarks and speech at the Forum.

Major General Syed Khalid Amir Jaffery, HI(M), (Retd), President CGSS presented speech on the topic “Peace, Stability and Regional Security Cooperation: Cornerstone of Shanghai Cooperation Organization”. He stated that SCO can promote and further expand bilateral and multilateral trade and also the joint implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, promoting broader and more practical multilateral security cooperation. SCO can enhance international cooperation in providing the impetus to world economic recovery especially after COVID-19.

Furthermore, he stated that it is important to develop an SCO member states’ Cooperation Programme for the Development of Multi-Modal Transport and Logistics Centers. There is a dire need to implement a joint solution for multilateral trade, economic and investment cooperation among the SCO member states. There should be a continuous pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals till 2030.

A key factor in establishing mutual trust, friendship and neighbourly relations between SCO member States is their People to People Contact and cultural exchange and collaboration in cultural, educational and scientific spheres. Expanding cultural interactions within the SCO region, strengthening mutual understanding among its peoples, respecting their cultural traditions and customs, and preserving and enhancing cultural diversity within SCO member States should remain top priorities for our work aimed at promoting peace and ensuring security and sustainable development.

Adding to his speech, he stated that cooperation between authorities of SCO member States have proved to be fairly successful. Yet in order to effectively combat the drug threat, it will be necessary to consolidate the efforts of the international community as a whole. In this regard, SCO must continue its close collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. A dedicated setup within SCO to coordinate anti-narcotics activity and liaise with UNODC would be beneficial.

He stated that Pakistan’s inclusion in Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is optimistically seen as a turning point in the changing geopolitical landscape of the Eurasian belt, as well as bringing new opportunities for Pakistan. The practice of multilateral diplomacy has helped in mitigating regional tensions and augmenting collaboration in the world history, and SCO is the most suitable multilateral forum for Pakistan. SCO has offered opportunities to Pakistan to strengthen its trade relations with Eurasian countries.

Concluding his speech, Major General Syed Khalid Amir Jaffery HI(M), (Retd) extended gratitude to Mr. Vladimir Norov, Secretary-General, SCO for his exceptional work for making SCO, a conducive platform for the member states to maintain peace stability and also to promote cultural, educational and scientific exchange

The delegation from Pakistan also included Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhary, Director-General of Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad and Dr. Maria Sultan, Chairperson and President  of South Asian Strategic Stability Institute Islamabad, Pakistan who also participated and delivered speeches at the Forum.

The event was attended by the heads of research centres that are members of the Forum, as well as representatives of analytical think tanks in the SCO observer states and dialogue partners. The participating countires included Pakistan, Kyrgyz Republic, China, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

The participants exchanged views on building sustainable peace and stability in the SCO region, new approaches and multilateral economic cooperation in the SCO space during the pandemic and the role of SCO Forum for cooperation in addressing the challenges of the pandemic.

ISLAMABAD : Chairman of the Afghan High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR) Dr Abdullah Abdullah on Tuesday thanked Pakistan for facilitating the Afghan peace process and the country’s efforts in ensuring the opportunity for dignified, durable and sustainable peace in the war-torn country.

“Pakistan has played an important role in facilitating this moment, and my delegation and I, thank you, the government and people of Pakistan for their efforts,” said Dr Abdullah in an address to the Institute for Strategic Studies in Islamabad.

The Afghan leader, who is in Islamabad for a three-day trip, emphasised that the start of negotiations between the Kabul and the Taliban movement is an “important opportunity”. He added, that as he was speaking in Pakistan, delegations from both the sides were in Doha “sitting around a table discussing ways and means of ending the decades of conflict through a political settlement in Afghanistan”.

The chairman for the reconciliation council urged that there is a “need to go beyond the usual stale rhetoric and shadowy conspiracy theories”.

“We cannot afford to pursue business as usual. We need fresh approaches that our people demand from us. It is more urgent than ever to look to our region as one region,” observed Dr Abdullah.

“We also need to draw necessary lessons of our gains and losses, threats and opportunities,” said Dr Abdullah. He added that there was also a need to look at the where “we could have been today if we would have aimed for stronger cooperation, reduced tensions, promoted moderation, increased regional connectivity.

The visiting Afghan dignitary said that Pakistan and Afghanistan are facing a “series of common threats including various shades of terrorism, extremism and intolerance”. He added that the “current geo political contest of the region” has also opened up new windows of opportunities.

“The time is now for both nations, to make a further detour, define a new vison, address outstanding issues as well as our shared interest, [and] realise that peace and stability in Afghanistan or any country in our south and central Asian geography [will] have a far reaching ripple effect,” said Dr Abdullah.

Dr Abdullah, while shedding light on his role, said that his job was to build consensus and “manage the collective efforts” for a just, inclusive and honourable end to the conflict and seek a political settlement.

“This transformed nation also wants to preserve its core accomplishments including the rights and liberties of all men and women of all communities and groups in Afghanistan,” said Dr Adbullah. He also assured the gathering that the country in the ongoing talks does not want any terrorist footprint in the country or allow any entity to “pose a threat to another nation”.

Dr Adbullah agreed that the “current talks offer the best hope” and that patience was key for “dignified, durable and sustainable peace “

Earlier, Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Dr Abdullah understood the “ground realities, the challenges, the strengths, weaknesses and compulsions”. He added that his current position as chairman of the reconciliation council was the “most challenging job of his career”.

“I wish him well. Because in his success lies my success. So, it is important that we see eye to eye. It is important that we engage, we connect, and we exchange views frankly, honestly and in a candid manner,” said foreign minister Qureshi.

The foreign minister also said that to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table “was not easy but it happened”. He added that where the peace process had arrived did not happen overnight and the “convergence” had evolved with time.

The foreign minister said that today the Afghan peace process had “regional support”, adding that it cannot move forward without it.

“There is a greater realisation in Afghanistan and Pakistan that if we want a prosperous future for ourselves, we need peace and that realisation is dawning on us — on you [Dr Abdullah], me, and our nations, and that’s the positive thing I see,” said Qureshi.

The foreign minister emphasised that the realisation has “evolved over the years”, adding that the country’s calls to all stakeholders to realise there is no military solution to the Afghan conflict have finally been heard.

The foreign minister, once again, emphasised that there will be “spoilers” and warned the Afghan leader that there was a need to keep an eye on them.

He reminded him that “there are many who have benefited from the war economy” but the “overwhelming majority” felt that the peace process was the “right way forward”.

Qureshi also said that Pakistan feels that “Afghans and only Afghans can determine the future of Afghanistan”.

“Sustainable peace can come from within Afghanistan, it cannot be imposed on Afghanistan,” said Qureshi