PTI to hold protest demonstrations across the country on daily basis: Raoof Hasan

DNA

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Core Committee hammered out a multi-pronged strategy to deal with the judges’ letter issue, ensure independence of judiciary and rule of law in the country.

Giving a briefing about the decisions taken in the PTI Core Committee, PTI Central Information Secretary Raoof Hasan said that the forum strongly rejected an inquiry commission tasked to probe the judges’ letter and demanded a commission comprising of sitting judges to conduct open and transparent investigation into the matter.

He said that judicial conference should also be summoned and all judges including the six who faced coercions and intimidations should be invited and they should be listen.

Raoof made it clear that the country cannot go forward and make progress until put a stop on the institutional interference, as PTI’s people were kidnapped and tortured and their homes were destroyed. 

Raoof Hasan announced that PTI would hold protest across the country for independence of judiciary and reclaiming stolen mandate on daily basis epically in Islamabad.

PTI CIS went on to say that PTI leaders and workers would tell the nation their stories of detentions and the hardship they faced during incarceration.

Moreover, he stated that PTI would enhance its interaction with local as well as international media. Raoof said that an adjournment motion was tabled in the national assembly so as to hold discussion of the issue of the letter in detail.

LAHORE, Mar 29 (APP/DNA) Secretary Establishment Division Inamullah Khan Dharejo on Friday stressed upon officers to stay loyal to the country’s constitution and follow an approach aimed at bringing about a positive change to serve people in the real sense.

Addressing the passing out ceremony of the 51st Common Training Programme at Civil Services Academy Walton here, he said that today all porbationary officers had accomplished a significant milestone. He said that the Civil Services Academy had also acheived a milestone by conducting an extremely productive training programme for 232 officers.

He said, “It is heartening to see that a good number of lady officers are passing out today.

There was time when the civil service was described as men bureaucracy but today the things have changed. Now women were working on most challenging fronts without any hesitation.”

He further said that the inclusion of women in all tiers of the government would surely bring more objectivity and inclusiveness in public policy formation and implementation.

He said, “Your presence here is a testimony to the fact that you have passed a very competitive selection process.”

Inamullah Dharejo said that officers must keep in mind that they owe this success to the country and nation which provided them with an opportunity to avail it.

He said that officers had not only gone through conventional academic modules but they also undertook multiple field exercises that helped them understand challenges of the common man.

The secretary said that it was very good that the training programmes consistent with evolving national requirements and international best practices, with the aim of enabling young officers to develop into responsible, responsive, empathetic, accountable and efficient civil servants, capable of creating public value by keeping public governance and institutional effort well-aligned with the community’s welfare.

He said it was a pleasure for him to announce that Islamabad study tours of officers would continue as it was devised for officers of the 51st Common training programme.

He said, “Military attachment stands resumed from the 52nd common training programme as this exposure will be very beneficial for officers.” He said that the government intended to make the CSS exam more competitive, analytical and logical besides re-defining the model of promotion.

Civil Services Academy Director General Farhan Aziz Khawaja, Common Training Programme Director Fizza Parvez Afzaal and others were also present.

Shields and prizes were also distributed among officers who showed best performance during

the 5-month training.

The Civil Services Academy DG also presented a souvenir to the Secretary Establishment Division.

ISLAMABAD, MAR 29 /DNA/ – Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting on measures against Spectrum of Illegal activities, today. Members of the Federal Cabinet, General Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), Provincial Chief Ministers and high-level government officials were present in the meeting.

The agenda of the meeting was “Measures against Spectrum of illegal activities & Criminal Mafias”. The participants were briefed in detail on steps taken against the criminal mafias,  smuggling, hoarding, money laundering, power theft and repatriation of illegal foreigners etc.

The participants acknowledged the importance of such actions and their positive impact on the economy and well being of the people of Pakistan.  

The meeting showed firm resolve to take action against smugglers, hoarders and market manipulators, who have impacted the economic trajectory and to provide immediate relief to common citizens.

The meeting gave approval of agreements among Federal and Provincial governments on Anti-Power Theft policy, restructuring of Power Distribution Companies on modern lines, installation of Smart meters for full eradication of Power Theft and ordered strict action against the corrupt officers.

Chief of the Army Staff assured unwavering resolve of Pakistan Army to support government’s initiatives aimed at economic recovery of the country.

At the end, the Prime Minister directed all the stakeholders to vigorously pursue various initiatives against spectrum of illegal activities & criminal mafias to ensure their accomplishment within stipulated timeframe.

DNA

ISLAMABAD: The High Commissioner of Malaysia to Pakistan, Ambassador Mohammad Azhar Mazlan hosted the “Iftar Dinner Reception for Pakistan’s former participants of the Malaysia Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP)” at the Malaysian High Commission in Islamabad.

The reception was attended by distinguished guests including officials from Pakistan’s key ministries, the Malaysian High Commission and Pakistan’s former participants of the MTCP. The purpose of the reception was to promote continuous engagements with the aim of fostering a long-lasting and strong bond of friendship between the officials of both countries.

During the reception, Ambassador Azhar in his speech welcomed the guests and shared salient features of the program. He stated that the event aimed to establish closer relations and strengthen networking between the High Commission of Malaysia in Islamabad and Pakistan’s former MTCP participants. Malaysia attaches great importance to its bilateral relations with Pakistan. He added that the long- standing bilateral relations and close cooperation between the two brotherly countries have covered various areas including trade, investment, education, tourism, culture, defense, and technical assistance on human capital development, among others.

The MTCP was officially launched on 7 September 1980 at the Second Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to signify Malaysia’s commitment to South-South Cooperation in particular technical cooperation among developing countries, with its main objective to achieve sustainable economic and social development among the countries. The MTCP is a flagship programme of the Malaysian government, aimed at providing technical assistance and capacity- building to developing countries. The MTCP also emphasises human resources development mainly through training, short-term courses in public and private Malaysian training institutions, and long-term courses in Malaysian public universities. It entails prioritising developing countries of strategic interests, focusing on Malaysia’s area of expertise, demand-driven courses/ programmes, cultivation of potential participants who would later serve as ‘Friends of Malaysia’, Public-Private Partnership, and collaboration with new development partners beyond MTCP’s traditional partners.

Annually, Malaysia’s flagship MTCP offers more than 60 technical training and capacity-building programmes in vast areas of development in collaboration with leading local training institutions and international development partners. Since its

inception, the MTCP has benefited thousands of participants from various countries, including Pakistan, by offering training and knowledge-sharing opportunities in various fields.

The High Commissioner ended his remarks by mentioning that Malaysia aims to encourage more future participation from Pakistani officials in the MTCP, as it would not only be beneficial for the bilateral relations, but would also assist in the career development of the participants. He reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to further enhancing cooperation with Pakistan through programmes like MTCP.

Ms. Maryam Mushtaq, Assistant Director of Economic Diplomacy and International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who is also a former MTCP participant, expressed her sincere gratitude to the Malaysian government for managing the MTCP efficiently. She stated that the MTCP not only provided a chance to further enhance her professional skills but also provided an opportunity to truly immerse in a cultural experience. She added that the MTCP has provided participants from an array of professional backgrounds to further polish their skills. She hoped that the MTCP would be continued as it benefited thousands of participants from various countries including Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD, MAR 29: /DNA/ – Ambassador of Palestine to Pakistan, Ahmed Jawad Rabei, called on President Asif Ali Zardari, at Aiwan-e-Sadr.

ISLAMABAD, MAR 29: /DNA/ – Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, called on President Asif Ali Zardari, at Aiwan-e-Sadr.

ISLAMABAD, MAR 29 /DNA/ – Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb holds key meeting with SBP Governor Jameel Ahmed and Banking Sector Leaders.

The Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Mr. Muhammad Aurangzeb, convened a significant meeting with the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Mr. Jameel Ahmed during his visit to Karachi.

The meeting was also attended by CEOs and Presidents of various leading banks in Pakistan.

The primary agenda of the meeting was to discuss and strategize on enhancing financing and lending to priority sectors to stimulate economic growth and development in Pakistan.

During the meeting, Minister Aurangzeb provided a comprehensive briefing on the current economic situation of the country, highlighting the government’s ongoing efforts to promote economic stability, fiscal discipline, and sustainable growth. He emphasized the critical role of the banking sector in supporting the government’s development agenda and urged the banks to increase financing and lending to priority sectors, namely agriculture, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), and Information Technology (IT).

Furthermore, Minister Aurangzeb requested the Pakistan Banks’ Association (PBA) to lead a task force comprising representatives from the banking sector, government, and relevant stakeholders, with the primary objective to accelerate financing in the priority sectors and devise actionable strategies to overcome the existing challenges and bottlenecks hindering the growth of these vital sectors.

Governor Jameel Ahmed expressed his support for the Minister’s initiatives and emphasized the SBP’s commitment to facilitating an enabling environment for banks to increase lending to priority sectors. He highlighted the SBP’s role in providing regulatory support, policy guidance, and financial incentives to encourage banks to expand their financing activities in alignment with the government’s priorities.

The meeting concluded with a mutual understanding to strengthen collaboration between the Ministry of Finance, SBP, and the banking sector to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth in Pakistan. Minister Aurangzeb reiterated the government’s commitment to working closely with the banking sector to address the financing needs of priority sectors and ensure the effective implementation of the proposed strategies and initiatives.

QUETTA: There will be no polling for the 11 Senate seats from Balochistan as all the candidates — seven on general seats and two each on seats reserved for women and technocrats — have been elected unopposed ahead of the election slated for April 2.

Nine senators were declared winners a day earlier while the result was awaited on the two remaining technocrat seats.

According to a Geo News report, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl’s (JUI-F) Maulana Abdul Wasey and Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Bilal Khan Mandokhail have been elected on the reserved seats.

Moreover, the other nine candidates elected unopposed to the Senate from Balochistan include former caretaker prime minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar who has returned to the upper house as an independent candidate on a general seat.

Similarly, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Syed Nasir and Agha Shahzeb Durrani, PPP’s Sardar Umar Gorgej, National Party’s John Buledi, Awami National Party’s Aimal Wali and JUI-F’s Ahmed Khan have also been elected on general seats.

Additionally, PML-N and PPP have secured the two women’s seats that were up for grabs in the province. The candidates that have been elected are PML-N’s Rahat Jamali and PPP’s Hasna Bibi.

In total, PML-N and PPP managed to get 3 seats each while JUI-F got two and ANP and National Party bagged one seat each.

Punjab senators elected unopposed
Earlier, seven candidates were elected unopposed as senators from Punjab on general seats.

Those who have been elected as senators without facing any contest include PML-N leaders Pervaiz Rasheed, Nasir Mehmood and Talal Chaudhry.

Subsequently, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema were also elected unopposed as senators.

Moreover, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC)-backed Raja Nasir Abbas, and Hamid Khan were also among the newly-elected parliamentarians.

However, in Punjab, not all senators have been elected unopposed as elections will be held on the five seats reserved for technocrats, women and minorities.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had announced holding the Senate elections on April 2 in order to fill 48 vacant seats.

52 seats in the upper house of parliament fell vacant after the expiration of the 6-year term of the incumbent senators last week.

However, the ECP had announced polls for 48 seats as the four reserved seats for the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) had been abolished after the 25th Constitutional amendment.

By: Qamar Bashir

The tragic incident that deeply shook the core of the Pakistani nation was the malicious, deceitful, and heartless attack on our Chinese  brothers. These selfless individuals left behind their homeland, families, and loved ones to contribute to the construction of vital energy, transport, and communication infrastructure in remote areas of our country, far from the bustling urban centers. They dedicated their days, weeks, and years to this noble cause, with the sole aim of providing a conducive environment for all Pakistanis to enjoy reliable electricity, safe transportation on well-constructed roads, highways, and motorways, and access to efficient public transport systems such as Metro bus services, green buses, and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). The attack on them not only robbed us of invaluable lives but also struck at the heart of our collective aspirations for progress and development.

The enemy, driven by ulterior motives, callously disregarded the longstanding tradition of Pakistani hospitality, which dictates that even the fiercest adversary’s guests should be protected and cared for. The ruthless and heartless terrorists, with their stone-eyed resolve, cowardly attacked innocent, unarmed Chinese civilians around 1 p.m. on March 26 near Bisham, resulting in the martyrdom of five Chinese nationals and one Pakistani working on the Dasu Hydropower Project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. Their sole aim was to strike at the heart of our nation by targeting our Chinese friends, who selflessly offer their assistance to our country without seeking anything in return.

The profound bonds of friendship and brotherhood with our Chinese allies are treasured and esteemed deeply. Their unwavering support and genuine gestures of affection resonate profoundly within our hearts. The enemy, recognizing the significance of our relationship, maliciously targeted our Chinese friends, knowing that such an act would evoke intense pain, sorrow, and outrage across every corner of Pakistan. This collective anguish transcends geographical, social, and governmental boundaries, profoundly impacting every Pakistani who holds our Chinese brothers and sisters close to their hearts.

In times of adversity, our Chinese counterparts have consistently extended their helping hands to us, demonstrating unwavering support and solidarity without any expectation of reciprocity. They epitomize true family members, standing by us through thick and thin. The cowardly attack not only inflicted physical harm but also inflicted a deep wound on the collective spirit of our nation, serving as a stark reminder of the invaluable bond we share with our Chinese brethren.

What the enemy failed to comprehend is that the bond between the Chinese and Pakistanis transcends mere material considerations—it is a connection of blood and soul. The people of both nations are intertwined as one body and one soul. When any part of this body is harmed, the entire entity feels the pain. However, rather than driving a wedge between us, cowardly attacks only serve to strengthen our resolve and deepen our unity.

In the face of such heinous and reprehensible acts, the consequences could have been dire if they had targeted nationals of any other country. There may have been swift actions such as the withdrawal of nationals from Pakistan, issuance of travel advisories, halting of ongoing projects, and advisories to cease business activities with Pakistan. Threatening statements may have been issued, placing blame on Pakistan and its security forces for failing to protect their citizens and workers within the country.

The statement issued by the articulate spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry stood in stark contrast to what might have been expected from any other nation under similar circumstances. Strongly condemning the terrorist attack, the spokesperson reaffirmed the unwavering bond between China and Pakistan, describing them as “all-weather strategic cooperative partners” and “iron-clad brothers.” Furthermore, the spokesperson emphasized the critical role of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistan’s socio economic development, asserting that no attempt to undermine this cooperation would succeed.

Expressing China’s staunch opposition to terrorism in all its forms, the spokesperson reiterated firm support for Pakistan in its fight against terrorism. Promising even stronger commitment to safeguard the safety and security of Chinese personnel, projects, and institutions in Pakistan, the statement delivered a resounding message to the terrorists and their backers.

This robust and unequivocal response undoubtedly dealt a significant blow to the terrorists and their network of masterminds, handlers, financiers, abettors, and facilitators. It must have left them feeling frustrated and dejected, as their sinister aims and objectives were thwarted. The statement served as a powerful deterrent, rendering their strategy, planning, financial resources, and human assets futile in the face of unwavering solidarity between China and Pakistan.

The heartless terrorists are undoubtedly well aware of the formidable prowess, professional competence, and the far-reaching effectiveness of the Pakistani armed forces and security forces. Once a target is set, they execute their operations with meticulous planning and finesse. Retribution for such cowardly acts will not be delayed. 

These terrorists are also cognizant of the history of the Pakistani military, which has a track record of delivering swift and decisive responses. From repelling Indian aggression to defending the nation’s sovereignty against incursions from Iran and Afghanistan, the Pakistani armed forces have demonstrated their strength and resolve time and again. 

Furthermore, the same military force stood resilient against the might of the USSR during its invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Not only did Pakistan resist the invasion, but it also played a pivotal role in ultimately defeating and dismantling the USSR, freeing numerous nations from its dominance in the process.

It’s only a matter of time before the long arm of our security forces tracks down the perpetrators of this heinous and cowardly attack whose target wasn’t an equal adversary but innocent, unarmed civilians. This wasn’t an act of bravery or gallantry, but one of cowardice and cunning. Rest assured, such actions will not go unpunished, regardless of the cost.

The highest echelons of Pakistani leadership, both civilian and armed forces deeply aggrieved, hurt and anguished by these cowardly attacks has also set in place an elaborate mechanism to rootout terrorism once for all. This includes full activation of the fourteen-point National Action Plan which unanimously conceived after the APS Peshawar incident played a pivotal role in defeating terrorism on our soil.

Furthermore, tighter and foolproof border control measures will be enforced to halt the cross-border movement of terrorists. Efforts to push out illegal aliens will be intensified to shrink the space for abettors and facilitators of terrorism. Both foreign and local facilitators and abettors will be held accountable and brought to justice. Moreover, all safe havens and sanctuaries of terrorists will be identified and neutralized.

Equally aggressive actions are likely to be initiated on the diplomatic front  to garner international support in countering terrorism and addressing its root causes. Diplomatically, Pakistan will engage in active diplomacy by convening multilateral forums such as the United Nations and regional organizations to advocate for collective action against terrorism.

Politically, Pakistan is working to address the root causes of terrorism by promoting socio economic development, education, and by  implementing policies aimed at reducing poverty, inequality, and marginalization, which are often exploited by extremist groups to recruit followers.

Furthermore, Pakistan actively counters extremist narratives and propaganda through public diplomacy campaigns and religious outreach programs by challenging extremist ideologies through education and media initiatives.

Despite the cowardly act of terrorism targeting our esteemed Chinese brothers and sisters, and irrespective of the outcomes of kinetic and diplomatic counter-terrorism efforts, the enduring friendship between China and Pakistan, along with the profound bond of love and affection between the Chinese and Pakistani people, will only grow stronger with each passing day.

By: Qamar Bashir

Press Secretary to the President(Rtd)

Former Press Minister at Embassy of Pakistan to France

Former MD, SRBC