ISLAMABAD, MAY 24 /DNA/ – Federal Minister for Information and Culture Attaullah Tarar, Ambassador of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Kistafin, Ambassador of Azerbaijan Khazar Farhadov and others watching the Kazakh movie “Kazakh Khanate – The Golden Throne, at the PNCA.

The minister lauded the effort of the Kazah embassy and assured his full support in further strengthening especially the cultural linkages between the two countries. The minister promised to arrange country-wide screening of the movie. – DNA

ISLAMABAD, May 24 (APP): Pakistan has rejected the Indian Supreme Court’s recent order on Jammu and Kashmir. The court upheld its earlier ruling supporting India’s decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019.

“We reject the recent Indian Supreme Court order,” said Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch.

She stated that the verdicts fail to recognize Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory.

The spokesperson emphasized Kashmiris’ right to self-determination as per UN Security Council resolutions.

Pakistan opposes unilateral decisions by India on the status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Baloch welcomed the recognition of the Palestine state by Ireland, Spain, and Norway.

This follows similar recognitions by the Bahamas, Tobago, Jamaica, and Barbados.

She called it a milestone for the Palestinian people’s quest for self-determination.

The spokesperson highlighted the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

She stressed the urgency of establishing an independent Palestinian state with Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

Baloch mentioned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent visit to the UAE.

He met President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and discussed investment cooperation.

The UAE committed to investing $10 billion in various sectors in Pakistan.

The prime minister also visited Iran to offer condolences on the demise of Iranian officials.

He met with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Acting President Mohammad Mokhber.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar visited Astana for the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting.

He later traveled to Bishkek to address the welfare of Pakistani nationals affected by violence.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan recently visited Pakistan.

He met with PM Shehbaz, the Senate Chairman, military leaders, and Foreign Minister Dar.

Preparations for the Pakistan-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council were assessed.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov is scheduled to visit Pakistan from May 29-30.

He will meet Pakistani leadership and hold talks with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar.

ISLAMABAD, May 22 (DNA): Former Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi has stressed the urgent need of increasing taxes on tobacco products to save Pakistani youth and economy.

In a collaborative effort to tackle the urgent issue of tobacco consumption in Pakistan, the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) organized an event to celebrate World No Tobacco day 2024. The event, aimed to highlight the voices of youth against big tobacco.

While addressing the participants of the event, former Caretaker Minister of Information and Broadcasting of Pakistan Mr. Murtaza Solangi shared that, Pakistan has the largest generation of young people ever recorded in national history. However due to relaxed tobacco control policy in Pakistan, this group is severely exploited by tobacco industry, putting their health and future at extreme risk.

He said that tobacco and Nicotine addiction serves as a gateway to many other forms of substance abuse and may cause serious health and mental health issues among youth. If the attempts of tobacco industry to attract young customers are not kept in check through proper mechanisms, they will grow more powerful and keep being the cause of deaths and diseases in the country.

The former caretaker minister further stated that, Pakistan faces a significant challenge with widespread tobacco consumption, with over 31.9 million adults aged 15 years and above identified as current tobacco users, constituting nearly 19.7% of the adult population. Smoking-related illnesses claim over 160,000 lives annually, both the World Health Organization and the World Bank have consistently recommended Pakistan to improve its tobacco taxation.

Malik Imran Ahmad, Country Head Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) said, that a 26.6% FED increase for the fiscal year 2024-25, appears to be a significant step forward. Not only could it help recoup a substantial portion of healthcare costs, but it also has the potential to discourage hundreds of thousands of individuals from smoking. Additionally, the projected revenue increase could be valuable for funding various public health initiatives and strengthening the national economy.

ISLAMABAD, MAY 22 /DNA/ – Canadian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Leslie Scanlon called on Federal Minister for Finance & Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb at Finance Division today.

The Finance Minister welcomed the Canadian High Commissioner and informed her about the successful completion of the nine-month Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He further stated that the Government is currently in talks with the IMF mission for further engagement. Senator Mr. Muhammad Aurangzeb also apprised the High Commissioner about Government’s key priority reform areas that include tax-to-GDP ratio by bringing untaxed segments into the tax net, end to end digitalization and administrative reforms. The Minister said that the consultants have been engaged in this regard.

The Federal Minister, while mentioning the privatization initiatives affirmed the Prime Minister’s commitment to privatize State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs). He added that a positive response has been received from local and foreign investors for privatization of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). The Minister also explained the complex energy equation, informing that DISCO boards have been reconstituated with the subject matter experts from private sector, to increase their efficiency. Furthermore, the Finance Minister emphasized the role of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) as a pragmatic single-window platform, designed to streamline investment processes and attract foreign investments.

The High Commissioner Ms. Scanlon recognized the efforts of Government to improve the country’s economy. While expressing hope for the economic growth and stability in the country, she assured that the Canadian government will continue to support the socio-economic development of Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD, MAY 22 /DNA/ – The Centre for Strategic Perspectives (CSP) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) organized an in-House meeting with a delegation from ‘Global Bridges’, Germany. The 17-member delegation – including decision-makers from politics, business, academia and media – exchanged views with the ISSI side that included Director General Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, Chairman BoG Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, Director China Pakistan Study Centre (CPSC) Dr. Talat Shabbir; Director CSP Dr. Neelum Nigar; and other members of CSP and CPSC.

Dr. Talat Shabbir presented an overview of the broad range of ISSI’s research work and outreach. Dr. Christian Altenhofen made remarks about Global Bridges’ mission and initiatives as well as the purpose of its study tour to Pakistan.

In his remarks, DG ISSI Ambassador Sohail Mahmood shared perspective on the evolving global geopolitical landscape, noting the key economic, security and power dynamics influencing international relations. He highlighted the broad spectrum of traditional and non-traditional security threats and challenges at the global level, underlined the transformation visible in the global order, and stressed the importance of addressing global issues through a collaborative rather than combative approach. He also highlighted how Pakistan was navigating this complex web of geopolitics and was focused on accentuating its pivot to geo-economics.
Dr. Talat Shabbir spoke on the salience of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and aspects of Pakistan’s ties with regional countries. Dr. Neelum Nigar touched on Pakistan’s National Security Policy and the importance of international cooperation in tackling climate change and other non-traditional security challenges.

Representatives from the delegation, including Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger and Dr. Hans Albrecht, highlighted Global Bridges’ emphasis on dialogue and mutual understanding; stressed the importance of addressing the key drivers behind global changes; and underscored the need for pursuing approaches that help foster peace regionally and globally.

This was followed by an absorbing interactive session. Ambassador Khalid Mahmood presented memento to the visiting delegation.

Karachi, May 22, /DNA/ – In the last 13 years, the Sindh government, under its public-private partnership model, has successfully treated 6 million children in public hospitals across the province. Through this partnership, the government has modernized children’s Emergency Rooms (ER) of all public tertiary care hospitals, resulting in a significant increase in the survival rate of critically ill children in these ERs. Along with this, the government of Sindh has deployed telemedicine technology across all tehsils of the province, making quality emergency care accessible to children closer to their homes. “Today, the public-private partnership has ensured that every child in Sindh is within 30 minutes from quality emergency care”, said Dr. Ahson Rabbani, CEO – ChildLife Foundation. 

This collaboration has been crucial in reducing the child mortality rate in Sindh. As per UNICEF’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), the under-5 child mortality in Sindh has more than halved, from 104/1000 live births in 2014 to 46/1000 live births in 2018-2019. This remarkable progress has placed Sindh at the forefront of transforming the children emergency care landscape in Pakistan. 

The Sindh government’s public-private partnership program has been ranked as the 6^th best in Asia. The impact of their combined efforts is undeniable, reflected in the 6 million children who have been treated in the last 13 years, as well as in the financial relief provided to their families, preventing them from falling into the debt trap.