A.M.BHATTI

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has once again emphasized the need to create awareness among masses to strictly follow standard operating procedure to prevent spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking in the National Assembly Thursday, he said our health system can cope with the challenge of pandemic if people strictly follow the preventive measures and burden on hospitals will increase if SOPs are not adhered in letter and spirit.

The Prime Minister said that it is an obligation on us to protect our elderly and sick people, patients of heart and blood pressure and chronic diseases.

Imran Khan said that Tiger Force has been deployed to convince people to observe SOPs to prevent contagion.

Imran Khan said we introduced smart lockdown instead of complete lockdown to protective our people from the disease and hunger. He said thirty-four percent people have gone below the poverty line in India due to complete lockdown which vindicate our stance of not going for complete curfew.

The Prime Minister dispelled the impression that there was any confusion on part of the government in taking measures to cope with the challenge of coronavirus. He said we enforced lockdown as soon as we detect just twenty cases in Pakistan but it has been my consistent fear that corona is a phenomenon that nobody can predict anything about it.

He said in view of high density population in Pakistan we cannot enforce complete lockdown for longer period of time as we have to protect our people both from coronavirus and hunger.

He said the government established National Command and Operation Centre to gather data, get expert opinion from doctors, input from provinces and evaluate world’s trends in dealing with the pandemic. He said now we have verified and updated data about corona patients and availability of necessaries medical equipment, including personal protective equipment, ventilators and beds in hospital.

Shaheen Qureshi

ISLAMABAD : Prime Minister Imran Khan held a telephonic conversation with Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today. The two leaders discussed bilateral relations, regional situation and a broad range of other issues.

Prime Minister Imran Khan commended the efforts made by Sri Lanka to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. He briefed the Sri Lankan President about the latest situation in Pakistan and the steps taken by the Government to contain Covid-19 and efforts to save lives, secure livelihoods, and sustain the economy.

The Prime Minister apprised the President about his “Global Initiative on Debt Relief” for developing countries to mitigate the severe socio-economic impacts of the pandemic. The Prime Minister underscored that developing countries were particularly vulnerable. Stressing the need for a holistic solution, the Prime Minister underlined the importance of the developed and developing countries growing together.

The Prime Minister shared his perspective on the grave situation in Indian occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IOJ&K) and underscored the imperative of peaceful resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute.

In the context of regional situation, the Prime Minister underlined that rather than confrontation, cooperation must be the key dynamic to help realize the true potential of more than 1.5 billion people in South Asia. He underlined that the goals of sustainable development and prosperity should be advanced through regional cooperation, including the platform of SAARC.

The Prime Minister reiterated the invitation to the Sri Lankan President to visit Pakistan once the Covid-19 situation improves.

The two leaders agreed to remain in close contact to coordinate regional response to the Covid-19-related and other challenges and to realize the opportunities.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka are bound by a close, friendly relationship based on mutual trust, mutual respect and sovereign equality.

(Raja Furqan)

ISLAMABAD : Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan received the Ambassador of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to Pakistan Nawaf Saeed A. Al Malkiy at his office in the National Assembly. Ghulam Sarwar Khan acknowledged the effective measures taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to prevent the spread of Covid-19. He expressed his desire to further enhance cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia especially with respect to aviation, in the strenuous Covid-19 circumstances.
Nawaf Saeed A. Al Malkiy apprised the Federal Minister of the current status of the spread of Corona Virus in Saudi Arabia. He said, “Lockdown in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been completely lifted with strict implementation of SOPs”.
Ghulam Sarwar Khan told ambassador that the government of Pakistan has ensured that employees of PIA are not laid off due to the Corona Virus as has been done around the world. Nawaf Saeed A. Al Malkiy also stated that the government of KSA has also not laid off any employee of the state airline due to Corona Virus. Nawaf Saeed A.

Al Malkiy told Ghulam Sarwar Khan that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has decided to limit the number of Hajjis to ten thousand keeping in view the pandemic of Corona Virus. He said that the government of KSA has allowed special quota of around 500-600 to the children of shuhda of the Army of KSA, medical professionals who have served to fight Covid-19 and military personnel who have been injured on official duty.

The remaining seats will be open for the foreigners already working in their respective embassies in Saudi Arabia.
Ghulam Sarwar Khan and Nawaf Saeed A. Al Malkiy agreed to increase collaboration between the Aviation Industry of the two countries in order to provide better services to the people of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Ghulam Sarwar Khan emphasized the necessity of strengthening the brotherly ties between the two countries.

DNA

The Islamabad Policy Research Institute organized a special webinar under its National Dialogue Series on“Security and Development in Balochistan: Existing Dynamics and Way Ahead” here in the capital today.

Eminent speakers included Lt. General (R) Nasser Khan Janjua, Former National Security Advisor and Southern Command Commander;Mr Jan Jamali, Former Chief Minister Balochistan;MrRafiullahKakar, a development and policy expert from Balochistan; and Dr Farhan Hanif Siddiqi, Director at School of Politics and International Relations, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.

In his Opening Address Acting President IPRI,Brigadier (R) RaashidWaliJanjua flagged the attention of panelists towards multidimensional nature of Baloch grievances, focusing on human security imperatives and their linkage with overall security and development of the province. Without a healthy symbiosis between state’s security efforts and province’s development needs with a people-centric focus, peace and development would remain an elusive goal.

Delivering his Keynote Address titled “Reflections on Balochistan Issue”, Lt. General (R) Nasser Khan Janjua, Former National Security Advisor, highlighted that Balochistan is gifted in terms of its geostrategic location as well as being a well-spring of natural resources which if fully utilized could be a catalyst for the entire region. He lamented that since the inception of the state of Pakistan, these unique attributes have made Balochistan a target for Pakistan’s adversaries, being aggressively used as a front by both internal as well as external rogue elements to destabilize the country. He stressed that visible and real improvement in the Balochistan situation can only come about not by imposing force, but by ruling the hearts and minds of the people through love and accommodation. He acknowledged that the initial fault lay in failure to integrate Balochistan. However, he asserted that it was not only the state’s failure to integrate Balochistan, but also the failure of sections in Balochistan to get integrated. The root cause of insurgency, he said, was sub-nationalism. He highlighted that to control insurgency, “a people-centric civil-military strategy was formulated which helped Balochistan transition from flag burning to flag raising.”Balochistan, Lt. Gen. Janjuasaid, has the greatest potential in fisheries, agriculture, wind &solar energy, and vast mineral wealth. It has close to USD 50 trillion worth of resources. Balochistan has the potential to become a massive trading hub of Asia. Asia was becoming an economic giant and Balochistan has a pivotal role to play amid this scenario, he said. “Balochistan needs special focus of think tanks and academia since the province needs all the support it can get,” he urged.

Mr Jan Jamali, Member Provincial Assembly of Balochistan, Chief Organizer Balochistan Awami Party, and former Chief Minister Balochistanspoke about the external threats facing Balochistan. He opined that Balochistan is stuck in the Great Game of the 21^st Century with India and the United States having their interests in the region which do not coincide with the interests of the people of Balochistan. He advised that we not only need to play this Great Game but also win it. He added that the Baloch people need to be given respect and their just and equitable rights. Mr Jamali stressed that Islamabad needs to understand the Baloch way of life and their culture and traditions. “There is a need to build trust and to develop and enhance the capacity of the Baloch peopleso that they can be responsible for managing their own resources. It is essential to create opportunities for the young generation.”

Providing a “Review of CPEC: Impact on Balochistan”, MrRafiullahKakar, a development and policy expert from Balochistan, shared that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) can be  game changer for Pakistan and Balochistan. But outlined that Baloch people have grievances regarding CPEC given the minuscule share of theprovince in terms of CPEC projects and funding outlay. He said Baloch people continue to have concerns about the project since several infrastructure projects that were part of CPEC remainedunfinished. MrKakar asserted that despite partial successes, sectarian and militant groups continue to launch brutal attacks every now and then. Similarly, a low-level Baloch insurgency lingers on. He recommended that restoration of durable peace in the province requires a holistic but differentiated strategy, and called for a constitutional amendment tobe introduced to enhance the powers of Senate and replace the current method of indirect election with direct elections. “Pakistan’s current majoritarian federal design makes Balochistan the least rewarding political constituency for political parties seeking to come to power at the federal level. It offers little or no incentive to these parties to care about the province. A directly elected and powerful Senate is likely to incentivise state-wide parties to take a serious interest in Balochistan. This will, in turn, induce more political competition and bring technical expertise and experience to the province. Besides, enhanced powers will give provinces like Balochistan more say in decision-making at the federal level,” he recommended.

MrSanaullah Baloch, Member Provincial Assembly of Balochistan and Member Central Committee of Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) discussed how Balochistan’s development landscape is worsening day by day, leading to more despair and distress. A province that suffers from multiple crises is no way politically and economically equipped for a positive takeoff. He warned that Balochistan might see a relapse into violence due to feelings deprivation amongst a large cohort of young educated population. The feeling can be assuaged if the people are provided health and education opportunities on the same lines as the other provinces. Regarding CPEC, he said that the potential of this mega project ought to be realized as a way to win the hearts and minds of the common Baloch as this might be the last chance to straighten things out in the right direction..Mr Baloch also stressed the need for non-interference in the province’s political representation process and the formulation of a long-term development strategy based on long-term allocation of commensurate funding to reduce the development gap between Balochistan and the rest of Pakistan.

Dr Farhan Hanif Siddiqi, Director and Associate Professor, School of Politics and International Relations, Quaid-i-Azam University, in his talk on “Governance Reforms: Political Empowerment of People,” highlighted that it is unfortunate that good governance has always eluded Balochistan. Governments have not only failed to make good on their promises, but also weren’t able to restore confidence in protecting the lives of the inhabitants of the province. The politics of this area has always been dominated by tribal lords, local chiefs who have always used the funds from the federation to consolidate their power and wealth. With no real devolution of power and efficient local government structure, the Baloch are yet to taste the true meaning of democracy – having actual representatives from their community or stratum. History is replete with instances where these powerful chiefs blackmailed the government in the centre to become part of coalitions in exchange for hefty incentives and powerful positions in both the federal and provincial cabinets. These political goliaths of the governmental edifice were never concerned about the large underprivileged Baloch populace – several of these “respectable” tribal chiefs have been involved themselves in criminal activities in the province and still members of the Balochistan Assembly highlighting the blatant irony here.

In his ClosingAddress,Brig.(R) RaashidWaliJanjua, Acting President, IPRI, shared that Balochistan was the largest province of Pakistan with tremendous strategic and resource potential. A largely unexplored mineral rich province with a large coastal belt holds tremendous promise for national development as well as strategic connectivity, with regional countries through land and sea routes. The province, however, has seen a recrudescence of violence in the recent past beside some political undercurrents of dissatisfaction due to varying reasons. The external factors in fermenting unrest in the province and shifting focus away from development activities and human security has been discussed and highlighted at different fora. He explained that the webinar is an attempt to analyse the reasons behind the recent acts of violence and factors inhibiting the national efforts to actualize the full development potential of the province. Brig. Janjua highlighted that there has been less focus on human security while framing the parameters of security debate on the Balochistan issue in the past. The human security concept that espouses the safety of humans from hunger, disease, joblessness and poverty should form the basis of any political discourse on Balochistan’s current talks. “The uncertain security situation has significantly diminished prospects of foreign investment and resource exploration of our mineral and energy rich province. There is no doubt that due to the remoteness of geography and low population the cost of service delivery is very high in Balochistan. But the will to deliver can certainly overcome all the barriers. People-centric, equitable development and inclusive polity is, therefore, thescarlet thread that would bind the state in human security into a symbiotic relationship of the welfare and prosperity of Balochistan as well as the federation, he concluded.

ISLAMABAD (DNA): Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Thursday said it had grounded 150 pilots with “dubious licenses”, a day after the preliminary report of the Karachi plane crash blamed the pilots and the air traffic control (ATC) for the incident.

A spokesperson for the national carrier said those pilots who get their licenses verified will be allowed back on duty. “Grounding so many pilots will affect the PIA flight operation,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added they have already dismissed six pilots with fake degrees.

“We have asked the Civil Aviation Authority to send the list of the remaining licenses,” the spokesperson said. “We acknowledge the report and are working on making our standard better.”

In a letter to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), PIA chairman requested the aviation authority for details of the remaining pilots with dubious and fake commercial licenses.

“Action will be taken against all those pilots with fake licenses,” PIA chairman said, adding they will take all the necessary steps to make the commercial operation safe.

Shujaat Hamza

ISLAMABAD(DNA): Pakistan has rejected US state department’s annual report on terrorism, stating that it failed to recognize Pakistan’s efforts for countering terrorism.

Foreign Office on Thursday said that we are disappointed with the U.S. State Department’s Annual Country Report on Terrorism for 2019, which is self-contradictory and selective in its characterization of Pakistan’s efforts for countering terrorism and terrorist financing.

While the Report recognizes that Al Qaeda has been seriously degraded in the region, it neglects to mention Pakistan’s crucial role in decimating Al Qaeda, thereby diminishing the threat that the terrorist group once posed to the world.

Similarly, the Report acknowledgs the sharp decrease in the incidence of terrorist attacks in Pakistan. However, it neglects to explain that this was only possible because Pakistan’s resolute counter-terrorism operations have targeted proscribed groups and outfits without discrimination.

It further added that Pakistan is fully aware of its responsibilities as a sovereign state. We reject any insinuation about any safe haven. Pakistan will not allow any group or entity to use its territory against any country. The Report is again either silent or vague on the origins and locations of these terrorist groups.

Pakistan remains committed to fulfilling its obligations under the UNSC 1267 sanctions regime for the freezing of assets and denial of funds and economic resources to all designated entities and individuals, it said.

Pakistan said that the Report also fails to acknowledge the full extent of Pakistan’s support for the Afghan peace process, which has created a historic opportunity for lasting peace in the region.

Pakistan’s positive contribution and facilitation of U.S.-Taliban direct talks culminating in the Peace Agreement of 29 February 2020 are widely acknowledged, including by the U.S. and its leadership. Pakistan hopes that future U.S. reports will fully acknowledge the entire spectrum of Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts and present a fair and correct perspective of this global threat.

ISLAMABAD, JUNE 25 (DNA) : The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced the start of its preparations for the local body elections across the country.

In this regard, the ECP has issued a schedule for the delimitation of local government jurisdictions.

According to a notification, the Election Commission of Pakistan has constituted committees for the delimitation of local government jurisdictions in Punjab.

In a notification, the ECP directed provincial election commission to complete the delimitation of constituencies in 36 districts of Punjab in four months.
The delimitations of constituencies will be completed from July 6 to October 13, reads the notification.

Last week, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Thursday moved a petition in the Sindh High Court (SHC) challenging fresh delimitation of constituencies in various cities of Sindh.

MQM-P leaders Kunwar Naveed Jameel, Amir Khan, and Wasim Akhtar jointly filed the petition, alleging that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) carried out fresh delimitation of constituencies in a way to favour its candidates in utter disregard for relevant laws.

They stated that certain urban areas were merged into rural areas and vice versa. The MQM-P leaders, therefore, pleaded with the SHC to declare fresh delimitations void.

Last month, the MQM-P had approached the Election Commission to stop the process of delimitation of local government constituencies in Sindh till the final publication of the results of the sixth population census held in 2017.

ISLAMABAD : Prime Minister Imran Khan is addressing a session of the National Assembly on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Addressing criticism by opposition parties that the prime minister and his government was ‘confused’ on how to react to the pandemic, he issued a challenge to detractors.

“I want to challenge you to point out a single contradiction in my statements since we imposed the lockdown on March 13,” he said.

PM Imran reiterated that Pakistan’s population density, circumstances and economic conditions were different from Wuhan City, Singapore and New Zealand.

The prime minister said that ever since the pandemic broke out in Pakistan, his government faced a lot of criticism for not imposing a complete lockdown across the country.

He said that provincial governments criticised him and said that a stricter lockdown should have been imposed. The premier said that if Pakistan followed the lockdown policies of the western governments then it would mean difficulties for the poor.

ISLAMABAD, June 25: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has extended the fee-depositing date for the Post-Graduate continuing students (Semester Spring 2020) till June 30.

The programs for which the date was extended are: BA, BS (ODL), B.Ed, M.Ed, M.A, MSc and Post-Graduate diploma.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Zia Ul-Qayyum allowed the students to avail the opportunity of deposing the fee till June 30 after receiving demand from them through various email messages, said Director Admissions.

ISLAMABAD (DNA) : The convocation & graduation ceremony of No 33rd Air War Course was held at Air War College, Karachi today. Air Marshal Ahmer Shehzad, Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force was the Chief Guest at the occasion.

Addressing the graduating officers, the Chief Guest said, “You must be aware of the contemporary geopolitical and strategic environments since it would not only have a deep influence on the overall security calculus, but  its sound understanding would also facilitate better preparedness and timely response to emerging threats.” He further said that in South Asia context, the situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir and the emerging developments between China and India are precarious for the region. He added, that in today’s warfare, both conventional and unconventional, no service could achieve success single-handedly. Jointness remains central and cross domain deterrence is the need of the hour; while, cyber, space and hybrid warfare are the avenues to be explored and mastered.”  Later on, the Chief Guest awarded certificates to the graduating officers. Top graduate trophy was awarded to Group Captain Tanveer Ahmed.

PAF Air War College is a premier institution of Pakistan Air Force, where senior and mid-level officers of Pakistan Armed Forces and friendly countries are prepared in domains of Air Power doctrine, strategy and employment for higher Command and Staff appointments. The officers from tri-services of Pakistan, along with the officers from thirteen allied countries including Bangladesh, Bahrain, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Malaysia, Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe were amongst the graduates. The ceremony was also attended by various high ranking Civil & Military Officers and diplomats from allied countries.