QUETTA, JUN 1 (DNA) – Chief of Army Staff (COAS),General Qamar Javed Bajwa, visited Command & Staff College Quetta, and addressed officers and faculty of Command and Staff College.

Speaking on the occasion, COAS said that a well trained and professionally competent Army is guarantor for peace.

Pakistan Army with the backing of the Nation is one such formidable force. While highlighting emerging internal and external security challenges, COAS said that future of enduring peace & stability in South Asia hinges on ability to resolve long pending disputes within the region.

This can be complemented through meaningful international support & will to take on challenging regional issues, COAS remarked.

COAS emphasised that officers to stay focused on pursuit of professional excellence and keeping abreast with latest developments to overcome new challenges.

Dilating upon COVID -19 pandemic, COAS said that Pakistan Army along with other state institutions will do all to mitigate the challenges faced by people of Pakistan. Only a cohesive national effort shall take Pakistan to  progress & prosperity COAS concluded .

Earlier on arrival at Quetta, COAS was received by Lieutenant General Muhammad Waseem Ashraf, Commander Southern Command & Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum, Commandant Command & Staff College Quetta.=DNA

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Pakistan is in contact with Saudi authorities regarding quota for this year’s Hajj, Pakistani Religious Affairs Minister Noorul Haq Qadri said Monday.

Saudi authorities have presented their recommendations regarding Hajj to King Salman, Qadri told.

The recommendation regarding conducting this year’s pilgrimage on a limited scale is under consideration, he said.

Saudi authorities are considering allowing 20% Pakistani pilgrims to perform the pilgrimage, the minister said.

However, a final decision in this regard is expected next week, he added.

The Pakistan government has allowed people to do business five days a week during the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision was made at a meeting of the National Coordination Committee. It was presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Shops and businesses could function with SOPs from 9am to 7pm, the meeting decided. There will be a complete lockdown in the country every Saturday and Sunday.

The NCC gave a go-ahead for running 10 more passenger trains. Pakistan Railways would now be operating 40 trains in the country.

All Pakistanis stuck abroad would be brought home through special flights, the meeting decided.

It also asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to prepare its suggestions regarding reopening of tourist spots.

PM Khan briefed the media after the meeting. He said the situation in Pakistan was different from Europe.

“We have poverty here,” he said. “A majority of the people can’t even have two meals a day.”

The premier said they had to live with coronavirus until a vaccine was not developed.

“Lockdown is not a cure of the virus,” he said. “It can only reduce the spread of the virus.”

PM Khan said his government distributed $8 billion among people affected by the lockdown. He said there was no guarantee that the virus would not spread after easing restrictions.

“Coronavirus has to spread, I had said it on the day one that it would increase,” the prime minister said. “People must demonstrate responsibility and strictly act upon the SOPs.”

He said the ones affected by diabetes and blood pressure and the elderly people were more vulnerable.

Regarding ventilators, PM Khan said his government was speedily increasing their numbers. “We have more than 50% ventilators vacant even right now.”

He assured healthcare professionals that his government was concerned about their safety.

“Doctors and other healthcare professionals are waging Jihad,” the premier said. “We are aware of their difficulties.”

He said the lockdown had adversely affected the economy, reduced tax collection by 30% and brought investment to a halt.

Pakistan had imposed a countrywide lockdown in the last week of March to stem the coronavirus spread.

The country has gradually eased restrictions in the past few weeks. But this easing of restrictions came with a spike in coronavirus cases across the country.

The number of known cases in Pakistan has jumped to 72,678. The virus has so far killed 1,543 people in the country.

ISLAMABAD, JUN 1 / DNA / = Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has announced that it will accept web-based provincial certificate (result) to facilitate its students taking admissions in Spring, 2020 semester.

As per the announcement, the eligible students could apply for admission for BA Associate Degree and BEd four years till June 5, along with the required documents.

Recently declared results have been placed at the University’s official website and simultaneously, result intimation cards were issued to the students at their postal address.

Head of a Milan hospital tells RAI TV that recent swab tests show less viral load compared with previous findings.

ROME (DNA) -The new coronavirus is losing its potency and has become much less lethal, a senior Italian doctor said.

“In reality, the virus clinically no longer exists in Italy,” said Alberto Zangrillo, head of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan in the northern region of Lombardy, which has borne the brunt of Italy’s coronavirus outbreak.

“The swabs that were performed over the last 10 days showed a viral load in quantitative terms that was absolutely infinitesimal compared to the ones carried out a month or two months ago,” he told RAI television.

Italy has the third-highest death toll in the world fromCOVID-19,  the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, with 33,415 people dying since the outbreak came to light on February 21.

It has the sixth-highest global number of cases at 233,019. However, new infections and fatalities have fallen steadily in May and the country is unwinding some of the most rigid lockdown restrictions introduced anywhere in Europe.

Zangrillo said some experts were too alarmist about the prospect of a second wave of infections and politicians needed to take into account the new reality.

“We’ve got to get back to being a normal country,” he said. “Someone has to take responsibility for terrorising the country.”

The government urged caution, saying it was far too soon to claim victory.

“Pending scientific evidence to support the thesis that the virus has disappeared…I would invite those who say they are sure of it not to confuse Italians,” Sandra Zampa, an under-secretary at the health ministry, said in a statement.

Sajjad Shaukat

In his book, ‘The Prince’, Machiavelli advises the rulers to have a lion-like image outwardly, and

act upon the traits of goat inwardly. He also suggests them, the use of terror to obtain their goals

and foreign adventures to divert the attention of public from internal crises. In his sense, a good

ruler should be a good opportunist and hypocrite.

It is regrettable that since Narendar Modi, the leader of the ruling party BJP, became Indian

prime minister, he has been following the discarded tactics of Machiavelli in the modern era of

renunciation of war, peaceful settlement of disputes and economic development.

Taking the risk of nuclear war, besides Pakistan, Indian extremist Premier Modi is acting upon

the dangerous strategy against China and Nepal.

In this regard, PM Modi, BJP, RSS and VHP are acting upon ideology of Hindutva ((Hindu

Nationalism). Indian extremist rulers’ various moves such as abrogation of the special status of

the Jummu and Kashmir to turn Muslim majority into minority in the Occupied Kashmir (IOK),

continued lockdown in the IOK, martyrdom of thousands of the Kashmiris there, introduction of

new domicile law against the majority of Kashmiris to completely end any sort of dialogue with

Islamabad to settle the Kashmir dispute, persecution of religious minorities especially Muslims,

anti-Muslim laws-CAA/NRC, under the guise of coronavirus, discriminatory policies against the

Muslims, assaults on Muslims by the fanatic Hindus, blaming Indian Muslims and Pakistan for

spreading of this novel virus in India and imposing various restrictions on the Muslims are

notable.

Implementing the August 5 announcement of last year, Indian central government issued a

notorious map on October 31, 2019. In accordance with it, Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated

into two union territories—Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and identifies Pakistani side of

Azad Kashmir as well as certain areas of Gilgit-Baltistan as an Indian territory.

In this respect, Pakistan Foreign Office has said in a statement that Islamabad “rejects these

political maps, which were incompatible with the United Nations’ maps….no move by India

could change the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir…India’s expansionist intention has

manifested itself in another dangerous move of formally annexing Indian-held Kashmir.”

China also objected to the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories as

“unlawful and void”, adding that India’s decision to “include” some of China’s territory into its

administrative jurisdiction “challenged” Beijing’s sovereignty.

While, Indian fanatic rulers are escalating tensions with Pakistan to divert attention from the

drastic situation of the IoK and other internal matters like failure of Modi’s economic policies

and have continued shelling inside Pakistani side of Kashmir by violating the ceasefire

agreement in relation to the Line of Control (LoC).

Meanwhile, on May 5, this year, tensions escalated between India and Nepal and India and

China, which resulted into loss of face for India.

In this connection, thousands of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops moved into

sensitive areas along the eastern Ladakh border, setting up tents and stationing vehicles and

heavy machinery in what India considers its territory. China’s actions have been in response to

India’s construction of roads and airstrips adjacent to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which

will improve connectivity and enable easier mobility for Indian troops in the area.

Besides, two skirmishes between forces of the two countries on 5 and 9 May in the border areas

of Pangong Lake and North Sikkim in Ladakh injured more than 100 soldiers from both sides.

In response, the Indian army has moved several battalions from an infantry division usually

based in the Ladakh city of Leh to “operational alert areas” along the border.

Meanwhile, Zhao Lijian, Chinese spokesman for ministry of foreign affairs said: “China is

committed to safeguarding the security of its national territorial sovereignty, as well as

safeguarding peace and stability in the China-India border areas.”

In this context, Chinese official newspaper Global wrote: “Long Xingchun from Beijing Foreign

Studies University said the latest border friction was a planned move by New Delhi…India in

recent days has illegally constructed defence facilities across the border into Chinese territory in

the Galwan Valley region, leaving Chinese border defence troops no other options but making

necessary moves in response, and mounting the risk of escalating standoffs and conflicts between

the two sides.”

In this respect, Indian news website “The Print.in” reported that “Now, news agency ANI has

reported that Chinese troops have moved in “nearly 10-15 km from the Indian post KM 120 in

the Galwan Valley, and have pitched tents and stationed themselves close to the post. Post KM

120 lies on the strategic Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldi road whose inauguration last year caused much

discomfort to China”.

As far as tensions between India and Nepal are concerned, a new road opened by New Delhi

which passes through the disputed territory has roused territorial dispute between the two

countries. The link road connects Dharchula in the India state of Uttarakhand to the Lipu Lekh

pass near the LAC–India’s border with China. India said the new road would facilitate the

movement of pilgrims to Kailash-Mansarovar, claiming that it will significantly cut down the

duration of the journey. But, the southern side of the Lipu Lekh Pass, called the Kalapani

territory, is a disputed region between India and Nepal. Lipu Lekh Pass is on LAC with China

and is of huge strategic importance. Observers believe that India’s move to open road aims at

monitoring Chinese movements.

The Makhali river situated along the disputed boundaries has many tributaries. New Delhi claims

that the river begins at Kalapani, but Nepal says that it begins from Lipu Lekh Pass, which is the

source of most of its tributaries.

India and Nepal had both shown Kalapani and Lipulekh in their political maps. India and Nepal

share a 1,800 km open border.

In the recent pass, Nepal’s Prime Minister K.P. Oli said in Parliament that Lipulekh, Kalapani

and Limpiyadhura belong to Nepal and vowed to “reclaim” them through political and

diplomatic efforts. He also stated that Indian strain of coronavirus is more lethal than the

Chinese.

And Nepal on May 20, 2020 published an authoritative map, showing the areas of Lipulekh,

Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura as part of its territory, toughening its stance against New Delhi.

Amid lockdown in Kathmandu due to coronavirus endemic, Nepalese people and students held a

protest procession on May 11, 2020, shouting slogan against the Indian government’s

inauguration of a new road.

It notable that India and Nepal have inaugurated South Asia’s first cross-country oil pipeline,

allowing Nepal to receive an uninterrupted supply of oil from India. But, tensions between New

Delhi and Katmandu and the closure of the border have led to disruptions of the supply.

While, India and China have 3,500 kilometers long un-demarcated border which runs along

Himalayas and is generally a very difficult terrain. Beijing has developed infrastructure and road

network in Tibet and Aksai Chin region so that they could have a good access up to the border.

Same is being done by India on its side.

Currently, there are three pressure points developing: one is the China-Sikkim border, Nepal-

India border, and the third is in Ladakh region where there is a lake and river.

It is interesting to note that the Indian leadership right from Narendra Modi to Ajit Doval, Bipin

Rawat and even Indian army chief has not given any clear public statement as to what is

happening. Whereas there is a clutter on social media that Indian has lost hundreds of square

kilometers of area and it is being dubbed as ‘second Kargil’ by the Indian media.

If we look at South Asia, India has created problem with every SAARC country: military

conflicts, water disputes, border disputes etc. Generally, Pakistan is blamed, even by its own so-

called liberals that we have problems with our neighbors, whereas actually it is India which is the

‘bad apple’ and now even smaller nations within the South Asian region are realising that Indian

bully has to be stopped.

Interestingly, Indian media also claimed that Chinese had detained some of their soldiers along

with weapons briefly and then set them free. Notably, Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan was

also briefly detained by Pakistan and as a peace gesture, Islamabad released him.

Nevertheless, these drastic developments show the dismal state of Indian army’s morale, which

is a highly demoralized army now.

Dr. Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan

President of Uzbekistan Mirziyoyev has appointed Ambassador Furqat SIDIQOV, deputy foreign minister which showed a paradigm shift in the foreign policy of Uzbekistan based on “engaging” world through “commercial diplomacy” and Ambassador Furqat SIDIQOV is indeed a “champion” of commercial diplomacy.

On his appointment as Deputy Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan, the Center for Global & Strategic Studies, Islamabad congratulated Ambassador Furqat SIDIQOV which is indeed recognition of his tireless hard-work and superior professional qualities.

Ambassador Furqat SIDIQOV has been “striving” hard to achieve desired goals of bilateral trade volumes, foreign direct investments (FDIs), and regional connectivity since his arrival in Pakistan. He has been pursuing diversified but integrated plans to achieve greater commercial diplomacy, religious diplomacy, economic integration, and science and technology cooperation for further strengthening of bilateral relations between the two sides.  Uzbekistan and Pakistan offer lots of untapped potentials which ambassador SIDIQOV successfully explored and untapped for the betterment of bilateral relations of both the countries.

Diplomacy is a sensitive job which requires height of professionalism and human traits and Ambassador Furqat SIDIQOV is the ideal combination of both the arts through which he revolutionized the nature, composition, utility and prospects of Uzbekistan-Pakistan bilateral relations. He has been an innovative, purposeful, and result oriented diplomat in Pakistan who successfully demonstrated real beauty and economic potential of his beloved country, Uzbekistan, the land of human wisdom and knowledge.

He has been pioneer of cultural, people, commercial, digital and last but not least military diplomacy in Pakistan. He has been a living wire even in diplomatic community in Islamabad who always institutionalized true colors of Uzbekistan’s diversity, rich culture, heritage, traditions, civilization, humanity and hospitality in national receptions, seminars, conferences and events.

Many prominent experts of modern diplomacy pinpoint three important benchmarks to evaluate overall performance of an ambassadorial slot i.e. close political affiliation/consultation or better understanding, rise to bilateral trade volumes, business and commerce activities, rise to commercial diplomacy and last but not least cultural ties and Ambassador Furqat SIDIQOV undoubtedly, achieved a grand success in all these fields of diplomacy and professional career during his stay in Pakistan.

Uzbekistan-Pakistan bilateral relations were further strengthened during ambassadorial tenure of Ambassador Furqat SIDIQOV  because of the better political understanding, improvement in bilateral trade volumes, phenomenal rise to tourism and last but not least joint efforts to bring peace and harmony in the region especially in Afghanistan.

According to latest statistical data of Board of Investment and finance ministry (March, 2020), trade turnover of Uzbekistan with Pakistan reached more than 122 million dollars in 2019. In 2018 the volume was estimated at 98 million dollars while in 2017 it was just 36.6 million. Through rigorous commercial diplomacy of Ambassador Furqat SIDIQOV bilateral trade may reach to US$300 million in the days to come. Thanks to his immaculate qualities of commercial diplomacy, trade & commerce and people-to-people connectivity, the Republic of Uzbekistan has now become one of the largest trading partners of Pakistan in Central Asian Region (CAR).

Ambassador Furqat SIDIQOV’s passionate persuasions of commercial diplomacy, close consultation and motivation with interested Pakistani businessmen, investors and of course partners, Uzbekistan has succeeded to seek investments in restaurants, hotels, trade companies, textile and pharmaceutical factories, and chemical industries of Uzbekistan.

He successfully institutionalized concept of “Uzbek-Pakistani Joint ventures” as well as establishment of trade representation in Tashkent, which both countries acknowledged beneficial for further development of mutually valuable trade and economic cooperation as one of the key priorities in bilateral relations. As a true serviceman of his country and expert of international marketing he introduced the Uzbekistan’s agricultural-machinery in Pakistan with the possibilities of exporting the output to contiguous countries expanding from year to year. He arranged various “Road-Shows” for the projection of Uzbek agricultural machinery in different cities of Pakistan i.e. Multan, Karachi and Sialkot.

Ambassador Furqat SIDIQOV’s had urged Pakistani farmers to explore possibilities of importing Uzbekistan manufactured high quality tractors, agriculture machinery, heavy duty trucks and buses that would help in improving agriculture productivity and transportation facilities in Pakistan.

Ambassador Furqat SIDIQOV’s has been staunch supporter of greater socio-economic integration and regional connectivity. He always showed his country keen interest to be part of the CPEC, reaching Pakistani sea ports Gwadar and Karachi.

Most recently, he signed a meaningful Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood to establish a ‘Joint Working Group’ for trade and investment. Being pioneer of bilateral, trilateral or cluster trading propositions, he assured the Uzbek support to join Quadrilateral Traffic in Transit Agreement (QTTA).

Uzbek Ambassador to Pakistan Furqat Sidikov had a fruitful meeting at the Ministry of Commerce, Islamabad during which both sides expressed their desire to enhance trade relations between the two countries, establishing joint ventures in the fields of agriculture, textile, pharma, tourism and construction.

Pakistan and Uzbekistan also agreed on greater utilisation of the institutions like Inter-Governmental Commission and Joint Business Council for giving impetus to Government to Government and Business to Business cooperation.

Ambassador Furqat SIDIQOV established Uzbekistan-Pakistan Business Council which instrumented to realize mutual untapped potential and will of business circles of both the countries towards further enhancing trade & investment cooperation, economic coordination, investments, tourism and cultural collaboration as well as to bring private sectors’ active interaction.

For the further strengthening of bilateral relations, the Business Council proved a game changer and organized more than 30 bilateral business visits to Uzbekistan and Pakistan as well as organized 63 Pak-Uzbek business forums in the cities Lahore, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Karachi, Multan, Rawalpindi, Swabi and others. Moreover, 200 Pakistani companies visited Uzbekistan in order to hold negations on the matters of export and import of wide range of goods and to realize joint investment projects.

Due to his assiduous advocacy Pakistani importers showed their interest in Uzbek textile yarns, petrochemical products, 100% natural and healthy fruit-vegetables, red & white kidney beans, green mugs, peas, pure Uzbek silk products and agricultural machinery. On the other hand, Uzbek importers got interested in Pakistani ready textile and leather garments, pharmacy, sugar and potatoes as well as mango and kinnows. As a result of this, in 2018-2019 years Uzbekistan became main trade partner of Pakistan in Central Asian states.

It is worth mentioning that he separately worked out establishment of trade houses of five cities of Pakistan which deemed to project trade & commerce potential of Namangan province of Uzbekistan.  Through these trade houses volumes of import-export of Uzbekistan-Pakistan would be further increased.

Ambassador Furqat SIDIQOV was the pioneer of religious diplomacy in Pakistan and introduced “Ziarat tourism” which achieved a grand success.  He institutionalized the initiative of Uzbekistan’s president to develop “Ziarat Tourism” for foreign pilgrims. He developed religious tourism quickly and created the most favourable conditions for tourists.

His sincere efforts showcasing his country religious treasure to rest of the world and especially Pakistan motivated them to pay homage to great Islamic scholars and thinkers such as Al-Khorazmiy, Al-Beruniy, Imom Al-Bukhariy, Bahouddin Naqshbandiy, Al-Motrudiy, At-Termiziy and others.

He truly projected greatness and holiness of ancient and precious cities such as Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Termez, Kokand and Namangan among Pakistani tourists which has been geared up having direct flights between Uzbekistan and Pakistan (Tashkent-Lahore-Tashkent in April 2017).

Because of his untiring efforts, direct flights from Tashkent to Lahore and from Lahore to Tashkent were resumed. Annually 12 thousand passengers of Pakistan use this direction. It served as an only bridge connecting Pakistan with Central Asian countries.

He has been center of gravity in terms of greater socio-economic integration, high bilateral trade volumes, regional connectivity, booming commercial diplomacy, military ties, tourism, cultural activities and last but not least, close liaison of political understanding. The CGSS, Pakistan wishes him great success in all his future ministerial commitments.

Millions of people need aid in Yemen, whose government was removed from the capital, Sanaa. by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in 2014. The next year, a Saudi-led military coalition intervened to restore President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power

DOHA (DNA) -Saudi Arabia has confirmed it will host a virtual donors’ conference next week for Yemen together with the United Nations, which has said the conflict-riven nation risks being overwhelmed by the coronavirus.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency cited a directive from King Salman confirming Tuesday’s donor conference with which the UN aims to raise $2.4bn in one of the biggest aid operations so far.

“If we don’t get the funding we need and if more isn’t done to suppress the virus, COVID-19 could engulf Yemen,” Lise Grande, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, said in a statement.

Millions of people need aid in Yemen, whose government was removed from the capital, Sanaa. by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in 2014. The next year, a Saudi-led military coalition intervened to restore President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power.

Yemen has reported nearly 300 infections and 55 deaths so far, amounting to a fatality rate of 20 percent, compared with a global average estimated by the UN at seven percent.

Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), last week said aid workers in Yemen were forced to turn people away because of a lack of medical oxygen or sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Meanwhile, questions have been raised over Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the donor conference, given that it has been accused of war crimes in Yemen.

Laerke said the UN had voiced concerns “forcefully and vocally” over alleged abuses committed by all the sides in the five-year war.

He, however, added that Saudi Arabia was also the largest humanitarian donor to Yemen in recent years.

“They gave very large amounts of money. They gave it unconditionally, no strings attached,” he said, adding that the billions in Saudi donations had helped fight cholera outbreaks and looming famines.

War-ravaged Yemen, whose malnourished population has among the world’s lowest immunity levels to disease, is divided between the Saudi-backed government based in Aden and its foe, the Houthi group in the north.

Beijing warned Washington Monday of retaliation after President Donald Trump announced restrictions on Chinese students in the US in protest over a new national security law in Hong Kong.

Trump said Friday that the United States would ban some Chinese graduate students and start reversing Hong Kong’s special status in customs and other areas, as Beijing moves ahead with a plan to impose a controversial security law.

The US president said the Chinese government had been “diminishing the city’s longstanding and very proud status”.

But China reacted angrily to the moves on Monday, saying it was “detrimental to both sides”.

“Any words and actions that harm the interests of China will be met with counter-attacks on the Chinese side,” said foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian at a regular briefing, without providing details.

He said Washington’s measures “seriously interfere in China’s internal affairs and undermine US-China relations”.

China’s rubber-stamp parliament on Thursday approved plans for the law, which would punish secession, subversion of state power, terrorism and acts that endanger national security, as well as allow Chinese security agencies to operate openly in Hong Kong.

The move followed seven months of huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong last year.