DNA

ISLAMABAD, SEPT 29 – Pakistan categorically rejects unwarranted and irresponsible remarks made by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) regarding elections in Gilgit Balistan.

India has no locus standi on the issue — legal, moral or historical. The regurgitation of false and fabricated claims by India can neither change the facts nor divert attention from India’s illegal actions and perpetration of the worst human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK).

For over 72 years, India has been in illegal and inhuman occupation of IIOJK. However, despite the incessant brutalization of the Kashmiri people at the hands of Indian occupation forces, the indigenous Kashmiri resistance movement has only become stronger.

Pakistan calls upon India to immediately end its illegal and forcible occupation of parts of Jammu & Kashmir and comply with its international obligations by allowing the Kashmiris to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination through a free and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations as enshrined in the relevant UNSC Resolutions.

Navid Miraj

ISLAMABAD – In another episode of internal rifts in Prime Minister Imran Khan’s cabinet the Minister for Privatization and Advisor to PM on Finance have developed differences over holding meetings without consultation.

Sources in the Privatization ministry revealed that the minister for privatization had convened a few meetings at the privatization commission for which invitations were sent to various members of the Cabinet Committee On Privatization (CCoE). These meetings were also participated by some officials from the ministry of Finance as well.

Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance Hafiz Sheikh who by designation is the Chairman of CCoE and he did not take the issue lightly. In his opinion any meetings of the members of the CCoE can only be held with him in the chair. Hafiz Sheikh reportedly informed the Prime Minister about this violation of the procedures.

Prime Minister Imran Khan then spoke to the minister for Privatization and told him to take Hafiz Sheikh into confidence over such matters and not hold meetings of the CCoE members.

DNA

PARIS, SEPT 29 – The Bureau of International Exhibitions (BIE) started a two-day online interactive training of officials of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) covering all facets of BIE, preparing Pakistani officials to participate in the international expos including next year’s Dubai Expo in the most useful way.

In his opening remarks Mr. Dmitri S. Kerkentzes, Secretary General of the organization said BIE is an intergovernmental organization of 169 states which was created through a Convention relating to international exhibitions signed in Paris in November 1928.

It arranges international expos and specialized expos all over the world.He informed that this is the first capacity building program that BIE has designed for its member states. It took more than a year in designing the course and Pakistan is the first country to benefit from the newly designed modules, he informed.Mr. Kerkentzes briefed the participants about BIE and outlined the theme of the training.

He said that Expos are unique global events, which are among world’s largest gatherings, bringing together governments, businesses, international organizations, civil society, and the general public. Addressing themes of global concern, Expos maintain a high profile and credibility among international events.Secretary TDAP Mr. Ahsan Ali Mangi said that TDAP’s role is to promote trade in Pakistan and assist local businesses in accessing international markets.

He said the exchange of ideas and experiences would immensely help the country and its traders and manufactures to learn from international best practices.Expressing his views in the inaugural session, Charge d’Affaires a.i. Mr.  M. Amjad Aziz Qazi thanked BIE for arranging this training. We have always participated in BIE activities and played an important role in its various initiatives, he said.Mr. Qazi said that with this training program a step has been taken towards cementing our already friendly ties and expressed the confidence that this will equip TDAP and its officers for effective participation in international Expos and Specialized World Expos. It will also help them organize their own events in a more professional manner, he added.

Pakistan has been an active member of BIE since becoming a member in 2007. Dr. Moin Wani, Commercial Counsellor of Pakistan Embassy in France is currently chairing the Rules Committee, which is one of the four committees of BIE. Prior to that he was heading BIE’s Information Committee.

Initially the BIE team had planned to go to Pakistan for this training but due to Covid-19 restrictions, it is now being conducted online, which has been divided into five segments relating to country branding, multilateral public diplomacy opportunities, participation procedure, developing a brand statement, impact evaluation of participation and Customs/Logistics, in addition to several others.

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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