Col Saad, Charge d’ Affaires of the Embassy says Daily Islamabad Post, CENTRELINE journal and Diplomatic News Agency have made praiseworthy contributions towards strengthening the Pakistan-Uzbek relations

ISLAMABAD (DNA):  The Charge d’Affairs at Embassy of Uzbekistan  COL. Saadulla A Tashmatov has greeted the editor Daily Islamabad Post and Diplomatic, CENTRELINE journal and News Agency, Ansar Mehmood Bhatti on his contributions towards strengthening the Pakistan-Uzbek relations. In a letter, the Uzbek charge d’affaires said that every year on June 27, Uzbekistan celebrates media workers’ day, we congratulate every representative of Uzbek as well as Pakistani journalists on their contributions to the development of Uzbek-Pakistani relations.

It added that there is no doubt that active work of the diplomatic mission is inconceivable without strong shoulder of a brother journalist. We are grateful to your responsiveness, care and sincerity that you render to us. Despite the difficult period when the pandemic has swept the world, your firm support and assistance in properly reporting on pressing problems, achievements and victories are worthy of strong respect and honor.

The Uzbek charge d’Affaires said that we are convinced that your professionalism and sincere desire to elevate Uzbek-Pakistani relations to a new qualitative level will continue to serve as inspiration in the development and strengthening of cooperation between the two brotherly states.

The Uzbek Charge d’Affaires then wished Ansar Mehmood Bhatti for great achievements, good health and success in his endeavors and family happiness.

It may be mentioned here that Pakistan and Uzbekistan enjoy excellent relations in all fields. Bilateral relations between the two countries have witnessed some marked progress in past few years.

Ambassador Furqat Sidikov who has recently been appointed as the Deputy Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan played central role in bringing both countries even closer.

It is expected that his predecessor COL. Saadulla A Tashmatov, the Charge d Affaires will put in his best efforts to maintain this momentum and further promote and strengthen bilateral relations.

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned former foreign minister and Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif tomorrow in a case pertaining to alleged corruption in the Sialkot housing society.

The anti-graft watchdog directed him to appear on July 3 (Friday) along with relevant documents.

The PML-N leader on June 26 had skipped NAB appearance in the Kent View Housing Society case. A lawyer appeared before the bureau on behalf of the PML-N leader stating that his client can’t appear today because he will be attending a post-budget session in the National Assembly. He submitted the relevant documents to the NAB.

The former federal minister has been accused of illegally building a private housing scheme, Kent View Housing Society, in Sialkot. He is required to provide the money trail of the funds invested in the scheme.
Last year in March, he was summoned by the NAB to record his statement in connection with its probe into a complaint against him for allegedly accumulating assets beyond known sources of income.

The bureau had asked Khawaja Muhammad Asif to bring the relevant record of the assets he owns in the country and abroad. The Executive Board of the NAB had approved an inquiry against him last year.

An enhanced  compatibility in trade infrastructure on both sides will help realise the shared goal of optimum trade, connectivity and people to people facilitation: Ambassador Sadiq

ISLAMABAD (DNA)- Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ambassador (R) Muhammad Sadiq said that Pakistan shared Torkham and Chaman border terminal master plans with Afghanistan to enable concurrent and complementary development on the Afghan side.

In his tweets, he stated that “In the spirit of brotherly cooperation and regional connectivity, Pakistan shared Torkham and Chaman border terminal master plans with Afghanistan to enable concurrent and complementary development on Afghan side.” He further added that ”An enhanced  compatibility in trade infrastructure on both sides will help realise the shared goal of optimum trade, connectivity and people to people facilitation between the two countries.”

Earlier US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad called on Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in which they discussed Afghan peace process. Amb(R) Muhammad Sadiq along with Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood were also present on the occasion.

RAWALPINDI, JULY 02 (DNA) : Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar Thursday said Indian news of Pakistan Army’s additional deployment along the Line of Control (LoC) and use of Skardu Airbase by China is false, irresponsible and far from truth.

Major General Babar Iftikhar tweeted, “News circulating in Indian electronic and social media claiming additional deployment of Pakistan Army troops along #LOC in GB and alleged use of Skardu Airbase by #China is false, irresponsible and far from truth.”

“No such movement or induction of additional forces has taken place. We also vehemently deny presence of Chinese troops in Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Imran Khan over the government’s recent steps towards the realisation of South Punjab province.

In a video statement put out this morning, he said the additional chief secretary (ACS) and the additional inspector general of police (AIG) have been appointed for the south Punjab secretariat.

He said the two officers will establish their offices in Multan and Bahawalpur to address the problems of people.Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the practical realisation of the dream of south Punjab province has begun today as people of southern areas of the province will not have to travel to Lahore to get their administrative issues addressed.

He said administrative issues and those related to police will now be resolved in Multan and Bahawalpur, terming the devolution of powers to the grassroot levels a crucial step. He stressed a need for a Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) award on the pattern of the National Finance Commission (NFC).

The foreign minister said the PFC will help disburse funds to all districts according to their population, needs, and deprivation. Like the past, South Punjab’s funds will not be squandered for the purpose other than they are set aside for, he added.

Shah Mahmood said people of Punjab will get justice at their doorstep now.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court will take up today the federal government’s appeal challenging the Sindh High Court’s June 23 stay order that restrained it from taking action against sugar mills in light of the sugar inquiry commission’s recommendations.

Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed, a two-judge bench of the apex court will hear the case.

The government through the attorney general filed the appeal in the apex court, requesting it to set aside the restraining order the high court gave on a petition moved by sugar mills owners.The federal government has stated in the appeal that the SHC had no jurisdiction to halt an investigation into a matter, adding the high court gave relief to the petitioners without affording it a fair hearing.

On June 23, the Sindh High Court had stopped the government from further action on the sugar inquiry commission report till next hearing. A petition was filed against the sugar inquiry commission report by Khairpur Sugar Mills and 20 others, which was taken up and further action on the report was temporarily halted.

The SHC sought an explanation from the sugar mills by June 30 while the petitioner has also been asked to explain why the matter was referred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Shahzad Akbar.

ISLAMABAD, JULY 01 (DNA) – Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Wednesday paid glowing tributes to the policemen hailing from Jamshoro, Nawabshah and other parts of Sindh who displayed courage during the attack on Karachi Stock Exchange.

Holding a press conference in Lahore today, the PPP Chairman also paid tribute to the policeman who belonged to Lyaari Hassan Baloch and the other brave sons of Sindh.

“We have announced rewards for them all; we are living peacefully in Karachi due to the sacrifices of these martyrs, who have also saved our economy,” he said.

Chairman Bilawal said that the important issue that is of Covid-19 and its fast spread. It is a white lie that the rate at which it is being transmitted is decreasing. Imran Khan’s government has sabotaged the country.

“Yesterday, Punjab’s young doctors have demanded a risk allowance and we support their demand and the doctors, nurses and health workers should all be given a risk allowance. We have provided a risk allowance to all doctors in Sindh. The government has not made an increase in the pensions and salaries of the people,” Bilawal said.

He said: “throughout history, we have never been faced with such challenges. We are combating the locust issue. Floods have been predicted and the PTI makes each issue a disaster such as in the case of Covid-19 and the locust issue which have been made into disasters. The government has increased the issues facing us.”

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the people should be provided with relief by imposing taxes on the rich. The way that they have dropped a bomb on the people by increasing the petrol price is through an illegal notification which they released and the losses suffered by oil companies are being compensated for through burdening the people. These are all the PTI government’s front men and now we are expecting a tsunami of price hike. In every budget of theirs, there is pain for the people and relief for the rich.

Chairman PPP said that Imran Khan speaks in our absence and does not answer our questions; I had challenged him to a debate on television. The problem with Imran Khan is that he is not ready to be the prime minister of our country but is happy to be that of his own party. We want Imran Khan to sit with us and debate so that he understands what Covid-19 is and what is locust and what are the threats but Imran Khan is a prime minister only on Twitter and Facebook.

Strongly condemning Imran Khan for calling notorious terrorist Osama bin Laden a shaheed, Chairman Bilawal said that he calls a terrorist who killed Pakistani citizens, soldiers, journalists, men, women and children a Shaheed. Who was behind Yousaf Ramzi, who was behind 1994 failed mutiny, who was behind destruction in Swat, he asked. Imran Khan refuses to call Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto a shaheed but calls a terrorist a shaheed. So far, Imran Khan has not clarified his statement and thus, bringing Pakistan to disrepute.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the loss due to Imran Khan plonked as prime minister is the destruction of our foreign policy, our economy and failure to combat Covid-19. Imran Khan is the first prime minister who ran the election campaign of Modi. Imran Khan has become a joke and whenever he opens his mouth, a joke comes out. He has never met representatives of doctors, nurses and labourers. Whenever he met, he met the rich people. There is no health or education in his budget. He is only giving relief to his cronies. This budget is a PTIMF budget.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Imran Khan attacks the constitution consistently. He attacks the 18th amendment because he wants to revert to one-unit. Pakistan will be at a great loss by reverting back to one-unit which means ending the autonomy of the provinces. Imran Khan is against provinces and federation and against those who talk in the interest of the country. Mir Shakeel ur Rehman is still languishing in jail without a case against him. Similar is the case of Syed Khursheed Shah who is in jail for no crime but on the other hand, those PTI ministers who have cases against them are free.

Chairman PPP said that the government wants to murder President Asif Ali Zardari. When President Zardari was in jail he was not provided medicines and today NAB wants him to be infected with Covid-19. President Zardari has two cases against him, in one case he has an exemption to come to the court and the second case is in which NAB wants him to come to the court. Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani was infected with Covid-19 when he appeared before the court in the same case. This government does not respect old people as well as women but rest assured that we will not go back on the 18th amendment. He said that PPP does not want any NRO and will face the cases but your cases do not have substance and you are unable to convict us, he challenged.

Imran Khan has given several NROs to his cronies and the first NRO he gave to his sister Aleema Khan, who has not given her money trail. Imran Khan introduced amnesty scheme for thieves because he himself is a beneficiary of General Musharraf’s amnesty. Chairman Bilawal said that Imran Khan has many faces but the reality is that Imran Khan is the biggest hypocrite in history.

Imran Khan boasts about money given to poor people through BISP which is a program introduced by PPP government to help women. He changed the name of BISP to Ehsaas and the money (Rs. 12000) was accumulative money of this monthly help to the people given by PPP government. It is also a fact that Imran Khan took back that Rs. 12000 from the poor people in the shape of electric bills. He asked if Imran Khan has any empathy for the poor people then why he allocated Rs. 34 billion less for poor people.

He said that the governance can only be seen in Sindh and Balochistan. Punjab, the biggest populated province of Pakistan has been handed over to a trainee Chief Minister who is in quarantine for the last two years. He said that the federal government not only deprived Sindh of its due share from divisible pool but also took away Rs. 483 billion of Punjab.

This PTI government is unable to collect its own revenue so why the failure of federal government should be shouldered by the people of Punjab. If people are not given relief, then the people will drag prime minister Imran Khan out of the prime minister house. Imran Khan did not accept my challenge to show me a single hospital anywhere in the country which parallels the NICVD.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Imran Khan has destroyed our national airline because he does not know that through what difficulties a pilot and other staff go through during their employment. He does not know that every pilot’s license is reviewed every six months. A minister whose own degree is fake, accuses pilots of having fake licenses. This is shameful, he said.

Chairman PPP said that Pakistan will be isolated like Sweden because of mismanagement by the PTI government. He said that the PTI government wants to take advantage of one accident and sell the national airlines. This government also wants to sell Roosevelt Hotel. These are Pakistani assets.

“Our pilots are our assets because they are famous for their excellence all over the world. Many airlines have employed Pakistani pilots because they are the best in the world. Imran Khan is selected and his government is a fake government and now it wants to destroy PIA. The auditor general of Pakistan issued a report which says that during last year, this PTI government did a corruption of Rs. 273 billion. This is Imran Khan’s corruption and he will have to be accountable. He would have to be accountable of sugar report. He will have to be held accountable for giving benefits of billions of rupees to his front men,” said Bilawal.

Responding to the questions of journalists, Chairman Bilawal said that opposition have never talked about minus one but Imran himself is talking about minus one. Democracy is threatened by Imran Khan and his ego. The PTI government is on a vilification campaign against Sindh government because Sindh is the only province which has shown governance.

He said that Imran Khan does not have a mandate, he is selected and his mandate is fake, which can evaporate any time. He said that he hopes that PML-N will support PPP’s stance with zeal and vigour and also hopes that Shehbaz Sharif will get well soon and will contact PPP for holding an APC.

He said that PPP takes nobody’s signal but the people of Pakistan. He challenged that the people who rigged senate election should come out in open and tell the people that how this rigging was managed.

Chairman Bilawal said that there is a unanimous opinion in the society against PTI government and Imran Khan. He said that PPP will put this point across in the APC that the speaker of the national assembly is running the sessions of the National Assembly partially and we will raise the issue of no confidence against the speaker in the APC. = DNA