Nazir Siyal

KARACHI: Jeroen Willems, Head of Cooperation at the European Union Mission to Pakistan, called upon Speaker of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh, Syed Awais Qadir Shah, here on Tuesday.

CEU Mission to Pakistan leader Jeroen was accompanied by Ms. Huma Ikramullah, Provincial Coordinator for Mustehkam Parlimaan, and Ms. Barbara.
Speaker SA Awais Qadir Shah welcomed the European Union delegation to the Sindh Assembly.

On the occasion, key matters, including capacity building of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh, parliamentarians, caucuses, committees, and the training of officers was discussed during the meeting.

Strategic plans for 2024-2029 were also deliberated, focusing on how the European Union and the Provincial Assembly of Sindh can collaborate to ensure effective implementation.

Important issues such as the Internship Program, E-Parliament Program, and Inter-Parliamentary Exchange Programs were also part of the discussions.

The European Union delegation thanked Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah for his time and valuable input during the meeting.

Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah expressed his gratitude to the European Union for its efforts toward the welfare of the people of Pakistan and for being a steadfast partner to the country.

As a gesture of honor, Speaker Awais Qadir Shah presented the delegation with a legacy shield of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh, along with a traditional Sindhi Ajrak and historical Sindhi Cap.

ISLAMABAD, OCT 29  (DNA) — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Tuesday calling the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a “wonderful gift” of China to Pakistan, said that his country was committed to taking the project to the next level to deepen cooperation in the fields of agriculture, industrialization, renewable energy and others.

The deputy prime minister in his remarks at the International Conference “China at 75: A Journey of Progress, Transformation and Global Leadership” said that being the symbol of China-Pakistan cooperation, CPEC helped uplift the country’s energy infrastructure to address the load-shedding woes of the people.

He said the government was taking action to materialise the Chinese offer of sending 1,000 students to China for training in agricultural technology. He said that Pakistan deeply valued China’s support in addressing long-standing issues including Kashmir and Palestine and reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support to the One-China policy.

He said that being time-tested friends, both China and Pakistan supported each other in all circumstances whether they were natural disasters, economic disruptions, or geopolitical shifts.

Lauding China’s development journey, Deputy Prime Minister Dar said that over the past 75 years, China, despite leg pulling from certain parts of the globe, unprecedentedly achieved a milestone through a “light-speed” and was also contributing to a better world.

Citing the commitment and hard work of the Chinese leadership and the people, he expressed the hope that China would become the biggest economy in due course. He said from space exploration to artificial intelligence, medical science, green development and cutting-edge technology, China had achieved a massive transformation to become an economy with over $17 trillion GDP.

Ishaq Dar also appreciated the Chinese contribution to peace and stability at global political and economic landscape besides strengthening the role of multilateral diplomacy.

He told the gathering that after a hiatus of 27 years, Pakistan had successfully hosted a mega event of SCO CHG meeting which drew admiration from the participating leaders including Chinese and Russian premiers.

On the issue of Dr Aafia, the deputy prime minister highlighted the government’s efforts to persuade the American leadership for pardon which could not bear fruit.  He said Prime Minister Shehbaz sent a letter to the US President requesting to pardon Dr Aafia on humanitarian grounds as the US presidents usually grant certain pardons before relinquishing the office.

However, he said a three-member committee had been formed to meet the US parliamentarians to lobby in favour of her pardon, release, and sending her back to Pakistan. Coming to unabated Israel’s barbarism in Gaza, he said that Pakistan was one of the rare countries which spoke vocally in favour of the Palestinian people and called for an immediate end to genocide, and implementation of the UNSC resolutions and ICJ rulings.

He said 48, 000 innocent Palestinian people have been killed with the majority of them being women and children and another 80,000 injured.  Expressing concerns over the attacks in Lebanon and Iran, he said Pakistan had sent 10 big consignments of relief goods to Gaza and had started hosting Palestinian medical students in Pakistan’s public and private medical colleges to make them complete their education. —DNA

ISLAMABAD, OCT 29 /DNA/ – Russian Federation’s Deputy Minister for Defence, Colonel General Alexander V. Fomin called on Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf at Naval Headquarters, Islamabad. During the meeting, professional matters of mutual interest including bilateral collaboration and regional maritime security were discussed. The Naval Chief expressed that Pakistan greatly values its relations with the Russian Federation and desires to forge a long-term, multi-dimensional partnership with Russia. Various avenues  including bilateral training, exchange of visits and conduct of bilateral naval exercises between the two Navies were also focused.

The visiting dignitary appreciated and acknowledged the Pakistan Navy’s efforts and commitments in support of collaborative maritime security. Both the leaders agreed to further strengthen and diversify the scope of existing bilateral defence relationship particularly in maritime domain and naval technologies.

ISLAMABAD, OCT 29 /DNA/ – A distinguished Russian delegation, led by H.E. Ms. Valentina Matvienko, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, visited the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on 29th 9ctober, 2024. The delegation was warmly welcomed by Dr. Bilal Karim, Director PRR, along with PNCA officers, including Ms. Saba Zia, Designer VAD, who guided the delegation on a tour of the Council’s galleries.

The delegation had the opportunity to experience a diverse array of Pakistani art, particularly showcasing impressive artwork of Masters and modern masters. The Russian representatives expressed their admiration for the creativity and cultural depth embodied in these works.

During this visit, both sides engaged in meaningful discussions on shared interests and potential collaborations in arts and culture, further strengthening the cultural ties between Pakistan and Russia. Dr. Bilal Karim, Director PRR and Ms. Saba Zia Designer VAD, expressed their gratitude for the visit and presented an overview of PNCA’s key initiatives and achievements.

To commemorate the occasion, PNCA presented the delegation with cultural books as a token of friendship and mutual respect.

This visit marks an encouraging step toward cultural exchange and cooperation, and PNCA remains committed to fostering strong artistic connections on an international scale.

Rawalpindi, OCT 29 /DNA/- Colonel General Alexander V. Fomin, Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, met General Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), Chief of Army Staff (COAS) at the General Headquarters (GHQ) today.

The meeting addressed the regional security environment and matters of mutual interest, including the enhancement of bilateral defense and security cooperation.

COAS reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening traditional defense ties with Russia, while both sides affirmed their dedication to bolstering collaboration in various security and defense domains.

Colonel General Fomin commended the Pakistan Army’s achievements in combating terrorism and highlighted the importance of a unified, cooperative approach among the global community to counter extremism.

RIYADH: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday arrived in Riyadh on a two-day official visit to Saudi Arabia to attend the 8th edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII).

According to an official statement, Deputy Governor of Riyadh Province Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz warmly received the premier at the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport.

The ambassador of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia and senior Saudi officials were also present at the airport.

PM Shehbaz will participate and address the plenary session of the investment moot which will be held at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center from October 29-31.

The Future Investment Initiative (FII) serves as an important platform for countries to showcase their economic strength, draw foreign investments, and engage in dialogue to shape a sustainable future.

This year’s FII is themed “Infinite Horizons: Investing Today, Shaping Tomorrow” and will focus on global investments aimed at addressing major issues such as artificial intelligence, robotics, education, energy, space, finance, healthcare, and sustainability.

The premier is also expected to call on the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud as well as other senior Saudi leadership.

After his arrival, PM Shehbaz took to X saying, “Just landed in the beautiful city of Riyadh at the invitation of my brother HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to participate in the 8th Future Investment Initiative Conference.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifs post on X. — X/@CMShehbaz
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s post on X. — X/@CMShehbaz
He said that he looked forward to attend this impressive gathering of political, business and corporate world leaders to shape a better future for all.

The prime minister said that in his meetings with the Saudi leadership, he would reaffirm our common desire to further cement Pak-KSA ties through robust and mutually beneficial partnerships in trade and investment.

Earlier this month, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia inked several memorandums of understanding (MoUs), worth over $2 billion, to boost bilateral trade and investment during the Islamabad visit of a Saudi delegation, headed by Minister for Investment Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih.

The Khalid-led delegation comprised Saudi companies from various sectors including construction, engineering, financial services, IT, hospitality, agriculture, food, energy, and petroleum are part of the visiting delegation.

The agreements include a $70 million investment in the agriculture sector, the establishment of advanced semiconductor chip manufacturing in Saudi Arabia, the establishment of a textile industry, a white oil pipeline project, an MoU for exploring investment opportunities, a hybrid power project, development of transformer manufacturing facilities in both the countries, cyber security measures for customers and businesses, and the export of spices and vegetables from Pakistan.

Additionally, the agreements outline the establishment of a manufacturing facility for surgical and dental equipment and collaboration on the federal government’s E-Taaleem and digitalisation programmes.