ISLAMABAD : The Supreme Court on Thursday gave the government four more weeks to overhaul loss-making Pakistan Railways in order to turn it into a profit-making national entity.

Headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, an apex court bench was hearing a suo motu case pertaining to financial losses the Railway department has been inflicting on the national kitty.

The SC extended the deadline for overhaul of the railways on a request by the Planning Commission.The court also sought a progress report on revival of the Karachi Circular Railway from the railways and the Sindh government.

CJP Ahmed observed that the Karachi-Hyderabad bridge might collapse any time, but the British-era Kotri bridge is still in its right shape. There isn’t a single bridge over Indus River that the nation can take pride in, he added.

The bridge built during the regime of former military ruler Ayub Khan is the only beautiful bridge the country has at present, he remarked. He said bridges were poorly built after the Ayub Bridge and called for construction of quality bridges under the ML-1 project. Indus River be accorded respect for running the country’s economy, he stressed.

The railway secretary said state-of-the-art bridges will be built as part of the ML-1 project whose phase one will be completed in three years. At this, the CJP snapped three years is a long period as Chinese people lay down railway tracks in months.

He directed the government to complete the project at the earliest if funds are available.

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi departed on Thursday for China on a two-day official visit to attend the second round of Pakistan-China foreign ministers’ strategic dialogue.

He will also hold meetings with senior Chinese officials during his Beijing visit. Issues of mutual interest, bilateral cooperation, the phase-II of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and regional security will come under discussion in these meetings.

It is noteworthy that the first Pakistan-China foreign ministers’ strategic dialogue had taken place in March.Shah Mahmood Qureshi will also deliberate Chinese President Xi Jinping’s likely visit to Islamabad in meetings with Chinese leaders, they said.

Earlier, diplomatic sources had said that dates are being finalised for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Pakistan.

It is expected that the Chinese president will make announcements for further investment plans for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, said the sources, adding that he is also likely to address the parliament during his visit.

In February, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had announced that the Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Pakistan, whereas, some sources claimed that the visit was likely in June this year. Prime Minister Imran Khan had invited President Xi Jinping to visit Pakistan last year in Oct.

The W-GDP Fund support of $2 million will help USAID/Azerbaijan to increase the capacity of women-led and women-focused business and professional associations in Azerbaijan. These platforms play an important role for women in business to raise their voices, and provide collective access to training, resources, and markets 

BAKU (DNA) -Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Bonnie Glick, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun and Advisor to the US President Ivanka Trump announced $122 million in new activities and partnerships under the White House-led Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative, established by President Trump in February 2019. USAID/Azerbaijan will receive $2 million from the W-GDP Fund at USAID, which was established by the Initiative and is now in its second year.

The W-GDP Fund support of $2 million will help USAID/Azerbaijan to increase the capacity of women-led and women-focused business and professional associations in Azerbaijan. These platforms play an important role for women in business to raise their voices, and provide collective access to training, resources, and markets. W-GDP funding will help women entrepreneurs and business owners access markets, financing, networks, mentorship and other resources that enable them to overcome the obstacles of starting and growing firms.

“The W-GDP Fund was created to source and scale the most innovative programs to advance women’s economic empowerment. We are leveraging the resources and expertise of the U.S. government and the private sector so that activities have enduring, deep effects on the communities they reach,” said Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump.

This year, Azerbaijan joins more than 60 other countries around the world advancing the W-GDP Initiative. W-GDP aims to enhance opportunities for women to participate meaningfully in the economy and advance both prosperity and national security. When women are economically empowered, they re-invest in their families and communities, producing a multiplier effect that spurs economic growth and contributes to global peace and stability.

In February 2019, the White House established the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative, the United States’ first whole-of-government approach to women’s economic empowerment. W-GDP seeks to reach 50 million women in the developing world by 2025 by focusing on three pillars – Women Prospering in the Workforce, Women Succeeding as Entrepreneurs and Women Enabled in the Economy. W-GDP leverages a new innovative fund, scaling private-public partnerships which address the three pillars. In its first year alone, W-GDP programs reached 12 million women across the globe.

ISLAMABAD : President Dr Arif Alvi has summoned a joint session of the parliament today [Thursday] to formally start the third parliamentary year of the National Assembly.

The president has summoned the joint sitting under Article 54(1) and 56(3) of the Constitution. According to the notification, the president will address the joint sitting to mark the start of third parliamentary year of the incumbent government.

Pakistan armed forces leadership, diplomats, all four Governors, Chief Ministers have been invited to attend the joint session of parliament, said an agenda released by NA secretariat.Parliamentary sources said that the president in his address will throw light on government’s two years performance. He will also make Pakistan’s renewed pledge for support of Kashmir cause.

President has summoned both the sessions in the exercise of powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 54 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the session of the National Assembly will commence on August 10.

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will travel to China today (Thursday) on a two-day official visit.

He will hold meetings with senior Chinese officials during his Beijing visit, the sources said, adding issues of mutual interest, bilateral cooperation, China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, and regional security will come under discussion in these meetings.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi will also deliberate Chinese President Xi Jinping’s likely visit to Islamabad in meetings with Chinese leaders, they said.

Earlier, diplomatic sources had said that dates are being finalised for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Pakistan.

It is expected that the Chinese president will make announcements for further investment plans for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, said the sources, adding that he is also likely to address the parliament during his visit.

In February, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had announced that the Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Pakistan, whereas, some sources claimed that the visit was likely in June this year. Prime Minister Imran Khan had invited President Xi Jinping to visit Pakistan last year in Oct.