RAWALPINDI, SEPT 23 – Pakistan Army joined National Polio and Tree Plantation Campaign. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa planted a tree as part of Sarsabz-o-Shadab Pakistan and also attended a ceremony of polio free Pakistan.
29 million trees planted from 2018 onwards and 5 millions trees being planted in this monsoons by Pakistan Army formation as part of Sarsabz-o-Shadab Pakistan.FWO as part of “Green Motorways Initiative” planting around one million saplings astride its motorways in the next two and half years.
The Initiative encompasses planting and nurturing 600,000 plants along Lahore-Islamabad Motorway (M-2), 180,000 plants along Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway (M-9), 120,000 plants along Lahore-Sialkot Motorway (M-11) and over 100,000 plants astride Swat Motorway.
ISLAMABAD, SEPT 23 (DNA) – Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani said that Pakistan highly values its relations with Norway and desires to strengthen its relations in all spheres especially in political, economic and educational fields. Chairman Senate expressed these views in a meeting with Ambassador of Norway Kjell-Gurnar Erikson at the Parliament House on Wednesday.
Chairman Senate underscored the need for high level visits and parliamentary exchanges to deepen bilateral cooperation as well as to develop understanding for each other’s on important global and regional developments. Chairman Senate observed that parliamentary friendship groups can play a robust role in bringing two nations more closer.
Regarding investment, the Chairman said that Norway has been a promising partner for investment and development cooperation in Pakistan. He stressed the need to enhance trade volume from its current level.
Ambassador informed that Pakistani diaspora in Norway is playing active role in development of Norway. He said that Pakistanis are making a mark in different fields of life. Chairman Senate expressed his well wishes to the Envoy. DNA
ISLAMABAD: PML-N leader and daughter of party supremo Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday denied knowledge of any party member meeting with Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Maryam’s denial comes two days after news circulated that parliamentary leaders had met with the army chief and Inter-Services Intelligence Director-General Lt Gen Faiz Hameed..
Speaking to the media outside the court, Maryam stated that she knows that a meeting was held in Rawalpindi but no member of the PML-N attended the meeting.
However, senior PML-N leader Khawaja Asif confirmed his attendance in the meeting when speaking to a private news channel on Tuesday night.
According to the sources, the PML-N delegation included Shehbaz Sharif, Khawaja Asif and Ahsan Iqbal, while the PPP’s comprised Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Sherry Rehman.
She also clarified that Nawaz Sharif cannot undergo a surgery till the risk of coronavirus lasted.
During the meeting, according to a military official, the military leadership made it clear to the parliamentary leaders that the army should not be dragged into rivalries of political parties, saying that it is “not involved, directly or indirectly, in any political process of the country”
“If required, the army will stand with the civilian government,” sources quoted a senior military official telling the parliamentary leaders during a meeting last week.
The parliamentary leaders had called on army chief and the country’s spymaster to discuss administrative matters of Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) and the role of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) among other issues.
The sources said that during the meeting the army told the parliamentary leaders that the army should be kept away from matters like the election process, polling. “Civil affairs and matters should be handled by the civil administration,” the sources quoted the military leadership as saying.
The participants suggested that the task of elections in G-B be left to the new assembly, they said, adding that it was agreed in the meeting that the new G-B Assembly would pass the resolution itself.
As the parliamentary leaders expressed concerns over the role of NAB, the military leadership told them that they had no role in creating NAB.
According to the sources, PPP Chairman Bilawal with reference to the G-B elections said, “It is a matter of national security.”
The businessmen who attended the luncheon praised role of the high commission in building and strengthening bilateral linkages
EXCLUSIVE
Ansar M Bhatti
ISLAMABAD: High Commissioner of Malaysia Ikram Mohammad Ibrahim hosted lunch for the business community, media lawyers at his residence in order to recognize their services which they had rendered to promote relations between Pakistan and Malaysia.
The High Commissioner introduced all guests one by one and talked about their contributions towards promotion and strengthening of bilateral relations.
High Commissioner Ikram M. Ibrahim thanked his guests and deeply appreciated their contributions, which they had made to cement bilateral relations.
The high commissioner also talked about various initiatives that he had taken in order to diversify and make bilateral relationship more meaningful.
The businessmen who attended the luncheon praised role of the high commission in building and strengthening bilateral linkages. They were of the view the Malaysian high commission in Pakistan spearheaded by High Commissioner Ikram Mohammad Ibrahim had done a lot in facilitating those seeking business opportunities in Malaysia and vice versa.
Atif Ikram, former President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a well-known Pakistani businessman told this scribe that he had been doing business with Malaysia since long and was very much satisfied the way they have been treated and facilitated by the Malaysian officials both in Malaysia and Pakistan.
The Senior Regional Manager of the fly Dubai who also attended the lunch told that fly Dubai after a gap of three months had resumed its operations from Pakistan.
He told that the airline was following all required SOPs adding even in future the airline would continue to extend maximum possible facilities to its valued passengers.
The guests enjoyed delicious Malaysian and Pakistani cuisines. The high commissioner assured to continue this tradition even in the coming days.
Full Coverage of the event shall be published in the October 2020 issue of CENTRELINE magazine.
LAHORE — The ‘selected’ PM has failed to solve the problems of Pakistan, said PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif. He was addressing a press conference in Lahore on Wednesday.
“You made so many promises of developing the nation and bringing the prices down but everyone can see how much progress we have made,” he remarked.
The way things have been running needs to be changed. Otherwise, no one will be able to save Pakistan.
This is the height of injustice. The FIA and IB are active now and innocent people are being ‘harassed’ by the agencies, Shehbaz claimed.
ISLAMABAD, SEPT 23 – President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum and All Karachi Industrial Alliance, and former provincial minister Mian Zahid on Wednesday expressed apprehension that coronavirus can kill globalisation.
After the 2008 global financial crisis the US-China trade war has shaken the foundations of globalisation and the pandemic may be the last nail in the coffin of free-market mantra, he said.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that the concept is getting unpopular among people, US is not ready to play its due role due to financial difficulties, other nations are not well-placed while China is ready to go to any extent to safeguard its interests which can shatter globalisation.
Talking to the business community, the veteran business leader said that many countries have lifted or eased lockdown triggering economic activities but the movement of goods, services, immigrants, capital, services and flow of information may never gain pre-pandemic levels contracting global economy.
He said that the US is discouraging overseas investment and migration while it is pressurising companies to shift their manufacturing back to the US so that the maximum number of Americans can get jobs.
EU, Japan and other countries are also following the suit while India is trying to attract almost 1000 US companies which may leave China. Resultantly, China has also cut investment in the US which will be reduced gradually.
The emerging scenario will make goods and services costly in the developed world while efforts of the developing nations to defeat poverty will get a blow.
Nationalism and protectionism will create a gulf between nations hitting efforts to combat global problems. Many countries may allow trade and migration from only those nations where health similar protocols are followed which will be a doomsday situation for free trade.
He said that China will spend four trillion dollars on Belt and Road initiative (BRI) which has been accepted by 138 countries. Pakistan’s government, policymakers and business community should try to get maximum benefit from the opportunities arising from the Chinese move and adjust to the international market.
ISLAMABAD – PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday said that political decisions should be made in the parliament, not at the General Headquarters (GHQ).
Maryam, who was at the Islamabad High Court for a hearing of an appeal against her conviction in the Avenfield property reference, was responding to a question from a reporter about Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa and head of the ISI Lt Gen Faiz Hameed’s meeting with key opposition figures.
“I don’t know about a dinner, maybe it was not a dinner [but] I heard about the meeting. From what I understand it was called to discuss Gilgit-Baltistan which is a political issue, an issue of the people’s representatives, for them to solve and deliberate upon.
“These decisions should be made in parliament, not in GHQ,” she said.
When asked whether former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif was aware of the meeting, she said: “I don’t know whether he was aware of [the meeting] or if he learnt of it later.
“But the political leadership should not be called nor should it go to discuss such issues. Whoever wishes to discuss these issues should come to the parliament.”
Earlier in the week, it emerged that the army chief and the head of the ISI had held a meeting with key opposition figures before their multiparty conference and counselled them to refrain from dragging the military into political issues.
The September 16 meeting was attended by about 15 opposition figures including Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Jamaat-i-Islami emir Sirajul Haq, ANP’s Amir Haider Hoti, JUI-F’s Asad Mahmood, PML-N leaders Khawaja Asif and Ahsan Iqbal, PPP’s Senator Sherry Rehman and a few government ministers.
Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid, while confirming the meeting and its participants in a conversation with Dawn, had said the meeting was held to discuss the impending changes in the constitutional status of Gilgit-Baltistan.
However, the opposition had used this opportunity to flag its concerns about other matters, especially the military’s alleged interference in politics and allegations of persecution of its leaders on the pretext of accountability.
The timing of the meeting and its disclosure was linked by the onlookers to the opposition’s multiparty conference held on Sep 20 in which Nawaz had bitterly criticised the Army, saying there was “a state above the state in the country”.
Rashid had said the army chief clearly told the participants of the meeting that the Army was not in any manner linked to the political processes and had no involvement in matters concerning election reforms and accountability.
The army chief, however, had said the military only responds to calls for assistance by the elected civilian government and it would continue doing so irrespective of who is in office.
Gen Bajwa had reportedly categorically conveyed that no one would be allowed to create chaos in the country.
Speaker National Assembly invited Qatari investors to bring their investments in Pakistan to benefit from the conducive environment for investment in Pakistan
Saifullah/DNA
ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser says Pakistan attaches great importance to relations with Qatar and strongly desires to further cement them.
Talking to Ambassador of State of Qatar Sheikh Saud bin Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al-Thani in Islamabad on Wednesday, he said Qatar has always stood by Pakistan in every difficult hour.
He opined that parliamentary cooperation between legislative bodies of both the brotherly countries would bring them more closer apart from benefiting from each other’s experiences.
The Speaker National Assembly invited Qatari investors to bring their investments in Pakistan to benefit from the conducive environment for investment in Pakistan.
Referring to the CPEC, he said the projects under the umbrella of CPEC will open new horizons for development in the region with creation of new investment and employment opportunities.
He said that cooperation between Pakistan and Qatar in energy sector had helped to meet energy deficit in the country.
Ambassador of State of Qatar Sheikh Saud bin Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al Thani said that Qatar values its close ties with Pakistan.
He said that his country considers Pakistan, a brother and an important trading partner. He said that Qatar will continue cooperation with Pakistan in all fields.
He informed the Speaker that Qatari investors want to bring investment in Pakistan in all sectors specially energy sector.
He said that Qatar will continue all possible cooperation with Pakistan to strengthen its economy.
He further informed that collaboration in diverse sectors of economy was being actively pursued at state Level from both sides.
By Lieutenant Colonel Khalid TaimurAkram (Retd), Executive Director, Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad
Agriculture is one of the basic and vital sectors of the national economy of Uzbekistan and is considered as a backbone of the social, economic, and cultural development of the country. The agricultural sector in Uzbekistan is not just associated with providing food for the populous, the sector also provides the raw material for the progress and development of various industries. It is crucial in providing employment opportunities for the nation, therefore holds immense significance for the economic development of the country. Being one of the biggest industries, the agriculture sector is one of the top priorities for key reforms in Uzbekistan. The government pays great attention to the progress and development of the agricultural sector and is continuously taking measures to further strengthen and enhance its efficiency.
For the development in this extremely important sector, the Government in Uzbekistan under the meticulous and visionary leadership of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan – His Excellency ShavkatMirziyoyev, has attempted to diversify agricultural policy and is extensively working on to bring radical reforms in the agricultural sector by transitioning into a liberal market economy. Efforts to optimize the effects of the reformed agricultural sector, new agribusiness enterprises, and industrial progress were the key achievements of public policy. As a result of the gradual transition strategy, Uzbekistan created its own expanding agricultural input-output market. To ensure food security in the country, the Government has increased wheat-growing areas and developed wheat production technologies, launched a quota-based system for cotton and wheat producers, reformed land ownership and tenure, and introduced a new type of farmers who acts independently under governmental support. The growing effect of economic diversification is mitigating the risk of the deterioration of the quality of life in the whole region. Over the last two decades, the agricultural sector in Uzbekistan has managed to maintain stable growth constituting an annual 6-7%. To diversify its economy, the country has adopted a more effective and competing strategy to overcome the issues faced by the agricultural sector.
Challenges to the Sector
The agricultural sector in Uzbekistan faces several challenges including population growth, climate change, desertification, deforestation, and scarcity of water for irrigation due to shared rivers among all five Central Asian Republics.The agricultural sector in Uzbekistan has experienced a significant slowdown in the recent past, however, due to progressive policies of the current leadership, the country has managed to raise the impetus for economic and agricultural development.
Food Security
Food security is another important challenge in Uzbekistan. Major factors affecting food security include population growth, low incomes, increased demand for land, water, and energy resources, and increased risk of climate-change-related threats from droughts, flooding, hail, etc. In recent years, as a result of a series of measures to bolster food security in the country, Uzbekistan has strengthened its position in the world, gradually improving its position in the Global Hunger Index for 2018, where Uzbekistan is now ranked 52nd out of 119 countries. However, there remain significant on-going challenges to ensure the stable supply of food for vulnerable segments of the population, increasing the purchasing power of low-income households, and preventing sharp fluctuations in prices and outputs.
High-Cost Low Profit
An important factor in ensuring agricultural competitiveness is the development of more integrated and efficient value chains. The current high costs for collection, transportation, storing, processing, packaging, and certification of products from the field to final consumers significantly reduce the competitiveness and profitability of Uzbek agricultural producers and processes. The low level of development of the food industry limits the capabilities for increasing the volume of production of high value-added products. To attract investment in agri-food market infrastructure there is a need to develop new financial instruments, improve the business climate and design targeted measures aimed at expanding the agri-food processing sector and promoting the development of more integrated and accessible value chains.
Irrigation
Only 20% of the 20 million hectaresof cultivated agricultural land is currently irrigated. Over the last 15 years, the availability of irrigated land per capita has declined by 24% (from 0.23 ha to 0.16 ha). This is the result of population growth, reduced water supply, and the transfer of agricultural land to other categories of land fund. According to forecasts, over the next 30 years, irrigated land may be reduced by another 20% to 25%.Approximately 80% of the country’s water resources come from transboundary watercourses. The existing water infrastructure is facing challenges however, the government is taking prudent measures to overcome these challenges by reconstructing these facilities and introducing effective policies. Currently, drip irrigation is implemented on only 1.7% of irrigated lands yet water supply expenses are being augmented to adopt water saving technologies.
Reforms
Agricultural development through multidimensional reforms in Uzbekistan underwent series of market-oriented reforms such as the introduction of business activity, different types of land ownership, permit to use natural resources for agricultural businesses, different types of agro-industrial plants, financial and technical support of the government. Multifaceted reforms have led to improvement in all aspects of the life of the population and an increase in economic performance. Crop diversification, yield maximization, and land use optimization frameworks were launched and have been operating in some parts of the country with considerable successes which can be seen in enhanced life quality of the population, market saturation, and ongoing industrial modernization programs. This allowed the diversification of the agricultural sector by developing animal husbandry, poultry farming, fish farming, horticulture, gardening, and beekeeping. Decreasing rate of poverty, quality growth, and economic activeness in people’s life reflects the socioeconomic wellbeing.
To bring a progressive change in the agricultural sector, several important reforms have already been introduced. This includes the abolition of the export monopoly of UzAgroExport which previously controlled all agri-food exports from Uzbekistan and the abolition of the system for the mandatory sale of 25% of hard currency earnings. Due to the introduction of a liberal economic system, today exporters are allowed to keep 100% of the value of their income. Liberalization of the transport service is another important aspect in this regard which has provided the agri-food exporters to use any form of transportation to move their products for export which was previously restricted to using only the national railroad system. to make the trade environment more conducive, the government in Uzbekistan has established a number of “green corridors” at various Uzbek border crossings, to ensure the smooth passage of agri-food products both into and out of the county. Furthermore, the elimination of minimum export prices; the removal of full prepayment requirements for export contracts; and a significant improvement in access to credit for horticulture agribusinesses to invest and modernize all are aimed at improving productivity, quality, and diversity of products grown and traded. All of these changes have significantly improved the efficiency of agri-food trade flows both from and to Uzbekistan.
Cotton Sector
Cotton production is of particular importance in achieving sustainable economic development of the country. It is known that Uzbekistan is one of the leading places in the production and export of cotton fiber. The government has also introduced a commercialization program that promotes the establishment of integrated private sector cotton clusters, and in 2019, these new cotton clusters were responsible for managing over 50% of the cotton-growing areas in Uzbekistan.
Wheat Sector
In the wheat sector, significant reform progress has also been made in recent years, including the removal of the state price subsidy for ‘social’ bread. This inevitably led to an increase in average household expenditures by 4% which was compensated for by the introduction of social measures to support targeted vulnerable households. To stabilize the market, wholesale market prices for flour were fixed in 2018. Subsequently, in 2019, the state wheat procurement price was increased, as part of a gradual policy of closing the gap between state and world market prices to be introduced over the next two years, thereby allowing for full liberalization of the wheat sector by 2022. Most significantly, the government launched a process for the design of a new agri-food development strategy.
Farming
Uzbekistan has strived for self-sufficiency in production and food security fields and the recent trends suggest that the country has been able to achieve this goal. Uzbekistan’s agricultural policy has undergone significant changes after His Excellency Mirzeziyov became the President. The country adopted a more liberal economic approach and abolished state-controlled agricultural enterprises and the collective sector. The farmers were given more liberty by providing ownership to them and above all new technologies were adopted by the government to revolutionize this extremely important sector. Currently, more than 67,800 agricultural farms are operating in Uzbekistan. In the year 2018, 17500 new farms were established in the country and the agriculture sector provided employment opportunities to more than 250 thousand people. Uzbekistan has introduced a system of preferential crediting of agricultural projects and expanded service networks in rural areas. Under this, the government supplies fuel and lubricants, biological and chemical fertilizers, plant protection products, seeds, and others to the farmers.
Horticulture
The share of horticulture in agricultural exports has increased rapidly in recent years. In 2017 horticulture exports rose to 43% and in 2018, to over 60% of total agricultural exports, with much of this export growth coming from non-traditional markets in East and South Asia. This emerging trend signals the beginnings of a very significant opportunity for the agri-food sector which will be further accelerated through targeted policy reforms and the attraction of new investment.
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday appreciated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for “once again raising his voice in support of the rights of the Kashmiri people” during his address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
“Turkey’s unwavering support remains a source of strength for the Kashmiris in their legitimate struggle for self-determination,” said the premier.
Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif also expressed gratitude to President Erdogan “for raising the Kashmir issue”. “Kashmiris will remember him as their great friend who advocated their right to self-determination at every forum of the world.”
Erdogan, in his address via video-link on Tuesday, called the Kashmir conflict — which he said was also key to the stability and peace of South Asia — “a burning issue”.
“Steps taken following the abolition of the special status of [occupied] Jammu and Kashmir further complicated the problem. We are in favour of solving this issue through dialogue within the framework of the UN resolutions and especially in line with the expectations of the people of Kashmir.”
Meanwhile, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations T.S. Tirumurti called Erdogan’s remarks “gross interference” in the country’s internal affairs.
“Turkey should learn to respect the sovereignty of other nations and reflect on its policies more deeply,” said Tirumurti.
Since Aug 5, 2019, when India illegally merged the occupied territory with it and imposed a communication lockdown as well as a curfew, Pakistan has raised the Kashmir issue three times inside the council with China’s support.
The Indians, however, argue that the merger — although illegal — has ended the disputed nature of occupied Kashmir and therefore it should be removed from the council’s agenda.
Turkey has repeatedly backed Pakistan’s stance on the issue as Prime Minister Imran called attention to India’s actions in occupied Kashmir on international platforms.
In a call with President Arif Alvi in August, Erdogan had assured his country’s support for Pakistan’s stance on the Kashmir issue.
The annual meetings of the United Nations began in New York on Monday with Kashmir on the agenda as an unresolved dispute. In doing so, the world body ignored India’s efforts to remove the 72-year-old issue from the UN Security Council’s agenda for this year.
The current session, which is the 75th session, is unique in the world body’s history with leaders not attending in person and other meetings being held online.
Islamophobia
The president, according to Daily Sabah, said racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and hate speech have reached an “alarming level”.
“Muslims are the most exposed to these dangerous tendencies fueled by prejudice and ignorance,” he was quoted as saying.
“Those who are primarily responsible for this dangerous course are politicians who turn to populist rhetoric for the sake of votes, and marginal segments who legitimise hate speech by abusing the freedom of expression.”
He reiterated his call for March 15, the day of the terrorist attack perpetrated in New Zealand against Muslims, to be declared by the United Nations as ‘International Solidarity Day Against Islamophobia’.
Palestine
Speaking on the conflict between Israel and Palestine, he said it could only be solved with an “independent, sovereign Palestine with geographical continuity and east Jerusalem as its capital”.
“Countries that voice their intention to open an embassy in Jerusalem only serve to further complicate the (Palestine-Israel) conflict,” Erdogan was quoted as saying. “Turkey will not support any plan that the Palestinian people do not give consent to.”
According to the Turkish daily, Israel’s UN envoy who participated in the UNGA in-person meetings, walked out of the hall during Erdogan’s address.
His comments follow the signing of accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in Washington a week ago, which Palestinians view as a betrayal of their cause and a blow to their quest for an independent state in Israeli-occupied territory.
