MUBAHSHAR BHATTI

PARIS. In a virtual meeting with French media, academia, think tanks, human rights organizations, and civil society, President Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Masood Khan said that India was using the cover of coronavirus pandemic to break the will of Kashmiris by denying them their right to self-determination  and by altering the status of the internationally recognized disputed region.

The virtual  video conference was convened  by the Embassy of Pakistan, Paris in which the Ambassador of Pakistan to France Mr. Moin ul Haque, prominent French media persons, scholars, intellectuals and civil society representatives participated.

The President AJK in his address contrasted  the worldwide Covid-19 lockdowns to save the people from deadly pandemic with the 9-month old lockdown in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir where 8 million Kashmiris were virtually under siege like conditions, without access to food, education, medicine, livelihood and freedom of movement and speech.

He also apprised the participants of Indian attempts to change the demography of the disputed region first by unilaterally and illegally revoking Article 370 and 35A of its Constitution and later through new domicile law, which were in contravention of several resolutions of the United Nations Security Council which forbade both India and Pakistan to unilaterally change the status of the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir.

Sardar Masood Khan also called upon the world leaders, intellectuals and media persons to take notice of the atrocities committed by Indian security forces against innocent Kashmiris and raise their voice for the resolution of the dispute in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions and wishes of the people of Kashmir.

The President AJK also responded to several questions raised by the participants.

ISLAMABAD, May 8 (DNA):Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday stressed the need for a multi-stakeholder global perspective approach to address the COVID-19 pandemic keeping in view its socioeconomic impact across the world.

He was addressing foreign intellectuals through video-link under his ‘FM Connect Digital with Global Thought Leaders’ initiative.

The guests included Dr William Ury (Harvard University), Professor Kishore Mahbubani (National University of Singapore), Dr Kevin P Gallagher (Boston University) and Dr Adil Najam (Boston University).

Foreign Minister Qureshi discussed with international experts the post COVID-19 realities on the global geo-political and socioeconomic landscape.

He apprised the intellectuals that in Pakistan, COVID-19 affected 24,073 persons and claimed 564 lives.

He said Pakistan’s healthcare system needed improvement to cater to the needs of emergency situations.

He said the government had allocated $8 billion to deal the economic impact of coronavirus situation. Under Ehsaas socio-welfare programme, Rs144 billion were being distributed among 12 million needy people, he added.

Qureshi said an amount of Rs75 billion was allocated for labourers and workers who lost jobs due to lockdown.

He mentioned that Pakistan suffered a dip in exports by 41 percent and feared fiscal deficit to increase by 10 percent due to the current situation.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan in the same perspective proposed international community for ‘Global Debt Relief’, adding that announcement by G-20 Forum to provide financial assistance to weaker economies was welcoming.

The foreign minister said Pakistan was ready to host next SAARC Conference, however India changed the situation with its unilateral action of revoking the status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5.

He said despite India’s irresponsible attitude, Pakistan recently hosted the SAARC meeting of health ministers through video-link amid coronavirus pandemic.

The intellectuals expressed their views on the COVID-19 scenario and the ways to tackle the situation.

Dr William Ury, co-founder of Harvard University’s Programme on Negotiation and one of the world’s leading experts on negotiation. He is currently a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Harvard Negotiation Project and a bestselling, award winning author.

ISLAMABAD )DNA) -Prime Minister Imran Khan has conveyed felicitations to Mustafa al-Kadhimi on his assumption of office as the Prime Minister of Iraq.

The Prime Minister expressed the confidence that under Prime Minister Al-Kadhimi’s leadership, the goals for reforms, national unity and development in Iraq would be further advanced.

Underlining the close fraternal ties between Pakistan and Iraq, Prime Minister Imran Khan conveyed that he looked forward to working with Prime Minister Al-Kadhimi to further deepen bilateral cooperation in diverse fields.

GAAC distributes ration/relief package among needy people

The people of the area have shown their satisfaction for this valuable in time help. They thanked Dr.Erose President GAAC and Engineer Alam Country Director GAAC Pakistan for their support and help.

PESHARAR (DNA) -Whenever Pakistan nation face natural disaster either the huge influx of Afghan refugees or disasters of earthquake or terrible floods, German Aid for Afghan Children under the dynamic  and able administration of Dr.Erose has always extended helping hand to minimise hardships of Pakistani national.

Recently Corona diseases has been declared an other international disaster throughout the whole world claiming hundreds of precious lives.

At this very need of time GAAC has decided to provide basic human needs in shape of food stuff and sanitary items to the vulnerable poor community who are suffering from long lockdown.

In this respect distribution plan has been made with the consent and approval of local authority in Charsadda District wherein free distribution is being made to the needy people.

The people of the area have shown their satisfaction for this valuable in time help. They thanked Dr.Erose President GAAC and Engineer Alam Country Director GAAC Pakistan for their support and help.

In an interview Alam showed his desires to continue food distribution amongst poor community in future also.

ISLAMABAD (Dna) – Prime Minister s Focal Person on COVID-19 Dr Faisal on Thursday said that the patients suffering from other diseases were being ignored due to novel coronavirus pandemic.

In a media briefing, after National Coordination Committee meeting regarding COVID-19, in Islamabad on Thursday, he said that the prevention of coronavirus is in our hands.

The focal person urged the people adopt precautionary measures. “We have ventilators and other facilities otherwise the pandemic would get out of our hands.”

Dr Faisal said undoubtedly, tally of corona cases has gone up in the country, which has put some pressure on our health system, but it should be clear that our health system has the capacity to handle the situation and we have yet not reached to a saturated point.

He urged people to observe social distancing and SOPs recommended by the government for the containment of the pandemic.

ISLAMABAD (Dna) – Federal Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar has outlines plans to gradually reopen industries on Thursday.

In a media briefing, after National Coordination Committee meeting regarding COVID-19, in Islamabad on Thursday, that it has been unanimously decided to open allied industries of the construction sector, which include paint and pipe mills, tiles, electrical and industry and hardware stores across Pakistan.

Hamad Azhar said that the shops of essential commodities have already been opened and pipe mills, paint manufacturing, ceramics, tile shops will now open. In addition, electrical cable, steel and aluminum shops will open.

The minister said that the hardware stores will also open, while shops in markets and neighborhoods have also been allowed to open. “Shops will be closed 2 days a week,” he said.

ISLAMABAD (DNA) – Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood on Thursday said that the educational institutions will remain closed till 15 July.

In a media briefing, after National Coordination Committee meeting regarding COVID-19, in Islamabad on Thursday, he said that all the board examinations have been cancelled and students will be promoted to the next class and they can get admission in colleges and universities on the basis of their previous result. For example, a student can get admission in a university on the basis of his 11th class result.

Earlier, the federal minister said that the government is considering to start Radio Education program to expand the distance learning project to far flung areas of the country.

Mehmood said the federal government would strengthen the Tele education system by including feedback mechanism to facilitate the students, moreover online education for higher classes would be more improved with the passage of time.

Responding to a question, the minister said the National Coordination Committee would take the final decision regarding reopening of educational institutions after prime minister Imran Khan’s approval.

”I think it is not possible to open school now, pandemic would likely to hit its peak in May as the experts have predicted so,” he said.

Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf promised with the nation to clean the national politics from corruption, National Accountability Bereau(NAB) was an independent authority, he added.