Pakistan has officially stated that no single nationality is the target of the current campaign against illegal immigration. Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the continuing action envisions repatriating people who have either overstayed their visas or do not have the proper documents to stay when responding to questions at her weekly news briefing in Islamabad today. According to her, Pakistan can act in this situation within the bounds of its own domestic laws, which are sovereign. She made it clear that this operation had nothing to do with the 1.4 million Afghan refugees that Pakistan has been generously and hospitably housing for decades despite its own difficult economic position. The spokesperson stated that Pakistan’s national policy towards Afghan refugees has not changed and that Pakistan continues to work with Afghanistan to establish favourable conditions for their safe return. Mumtaz Zahra Baloch denied media allegations that Pakistan has cut off transit commerce with Afghanistan and said bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan continues, but Pakistan will not tolerate abuse of the trade infrastructure as it stands. Any actions made previously or in the future, according to her, will follow this understanding. The spokesperson responded to a query by saying that Pakistan has very clearly stated its worries on the use of Afghan soil for terrorism. He claimed that while Islamabad believes in diplomacy and communication, it still engages Kabul to combat the menace.
ISLAMABAD: Cartaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has said that Pakistan would continue to provide political, moral, and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir on Thursday, referring to the Kashmir dispute as an unfinished agenda of the division. The prime minister promised to support Kashmiris until the conflict was settled in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and the resolutions of the UN Security Council at a meeting with the prime minister of Azad Kashmir, Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, who paid him a visit. The AJK prime minister praised PM Kakar for speaking out in favour of the Kashmiri people at the UN General Assembly session.
ISLAMABAD: Murtaza Solangi, the interim federal minister for information and broadcasting, declared on Thursday that Pakistan sought to advance by establishing itself as a progressive, democratic country that wished for peace both within its borders and around the world.Speaking at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI)’s international conference “Navigating Peace & Security in the Region and Beyond: Pakistan’s Role,” he said: “We want to be a nation that wants to look after its people and intends to focus on the welfare of its masses.”According to the minister, the Pakistani government now has a clear vision to focus on its people and economic recovery. It has also lately launched a number of efforts to support the economy and look into new trade and investment opportunities.
Dr. Umar Saif, the cvaretaer Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, expressed optimism that the move to permit IT companies to keep half of their export revenues in designated foreign currency accounts will result in a rise of $4 billion in IT exports. This ground-breaking action satisfies a long-standing need of the IT sector and highlights Dr. Saif’s unrelenting dedication to the development of the sector. This decision was a key step towards streamlining financial operations and enhancing the potential of the IT industry because previously, IT companies could only keep 35 percent of their export revenues in foreign currency accounts. An important step was reached when “digitization and enhancement of forex retention for IT companies” was added to the agenda of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) meeting.
ISLAMABAD: Dr. Luay Shabaneh, the UNFPA representative in Islamabad, met with Dr. Nadeem Jan, the acting minister of health, on Thursday to discuss matters pertaining to the health sector. The minister said that the “All Pakistan Women Convention on Family Planning and Population Management” will be held at the Convention Centre on October 16, 2023, and will be organised by the Ministry of National Health Services. The minister said that the government was implementing a comprehensive plan to manage the expanding population. A thorough plan for population management was being implemented by the Population Task Force. Dr. Luay Shabaneh expressed appreciation for the steps made to slow population growth and pledged UNFPA’s full assistance in this endeavour. The minister stated that the goal of this convention is to empower mothers and women by increasing women’s awareness of population issues and family planning based on the Islamic concept of “Tawazun,” which calls for a balance between the population and the available resources. 500 women from rural and peri-urban areas who are of reproductive age will attend the Convention, he claimed. The convention will feature participation from academics and national and international specialists to showcase the Islamic perspective on family planning.
Masood Khan, the ambassador of Pakistan to the United States, met with 16 US foreign service officers chosen for positions at American embassies in Pakistan on Wednesday and urged them to foster strong economic ties and people-to-people connections between the two nations. According to a press statement from the Pakistani embassy here, he addressed the officers chosen to work at the US Embassy in Islamabad and US Consulates in other places. “The two countries have stood side by side with each other in their decades-long relationship,” he said. At the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), where these officers are enrolled in a 32-week Urdu language course and Culture Training, the Pakistani envoy remarked, “Your efforts would bring the two countries, especially the people of Pakistan and the United States, closer to each other.” Ambassador Masood Khan advised them in Urdu to use public diplomacy as a way to allay mistrust and misunderstandings amongst them. He claimed that the two nations were working to fortify their economic links and bolster their already-existing partnership in non-security-related fields. The Ambassador emphasised the country’s assets in his remarks, paying particular attention to its unrealized potential, natural resources, geographic location, and rich cultural legacy. He asserted that an essential component of the bilateral partnership that enables Pakistani young to contribute to socioeconomic advancement is educational collaboration. In this context, he emphasised the crucial function being performed by a solid network of 39,000 alumni who benefited from various educational institutions and places of learning in the United States.
ISLAMABAD: Najy Benhassine, the Country Director of the World Bank (WB) for Pakistan, met with interim planning, development, and special initiatives minister Muhammad Sami Saeed on Thursday to discuss the status and execution of the rehabilitation and reconstruction projects in the flood-affected areas. According to a news release, senior Ministry officials and Secretary Awais Manzur Sumra also attended the meeting that examined the projects’ implementation’s present status. The WB-funded projects for infrastructure development, energy, the environment, and other flood-affected rehabilitation were discussed between the two parties. The WB country director praised the work of the interim administration, particularly the Ministry of Planning for putting projects into action quickly, and he pledged that his organisation would continue to support Pakistan in the future.
ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Energy Minister Muhammad Ali has outlined the government strategy to effectively satisfy future oil and gas needs by boosting up hydrocarbon exploration activities in promising regions throughout the nation. “We are coming up with a policy for tight gas, policy for shale gas, we have already announced bids for onshore exploration and in December for offshore exploration,” he said in an interview with the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the ADIPEC Conference in Abu Dhabi. This year, Pakistan, according to him, has a significant representation at ADIPEC, with about ten firms from the exploration, oil marketing, and allied industries. It’s a promising beginning, and we were pleasantly surprised by the response on the first day. All of our businesses are involved and receiving a lot of interest for their goods. The presence here is off to a great start,” he declared. Decarbonization and electrification were highlighted by Muhammad Ali as essential elements of Pakistan’s long-term energy plan. “There is a strong focus on these aspects presently, even though they may not have gotten enough attention in the past. Initiatives include energy saving, electrification efforts, and the use of natural gas as a fuel source to power electric appliances and cars, the official said.
ISLAMABAD: General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), paid a historic visit to the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) National Aerospace Science and Technology Park (NASTP). The purpose of the tour was to draw attention to the significance of this innovative project and its potential to completely alter the national landscape in the areas of computers, cyber, and aerospace. The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, welcomed the distinguished visitor upon his arrival at the National Aerospace Science and Technology Park. High ranking civil and military authorities, as well as Principal Staff Officers, attended the event, according to a PAF news release.
RAWALPINDI: Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi and cabinet members paid a visit to the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) and dug a hole in the ground to lay the cornerstone for the display centre for small and medium-sized businesses and cottage industries. The chief minister suggested in his speech that the business community take control of a government hospital and run it autonomously. The CM emphasised the government’s coordinated efforts to provide relief to the people while describing the cabinet meeting in Rawalpindi as a notable honour. Positive outcomes can only be obtained when the team works together, according to CM, who emphasised the significance of cooperation. By utilising all of the available time, we are committed to bringing relief to the general population. He declared that the Central Business District Authority will now cover Rawalpindi in addition to Lahore. Naqvi also emphasised the business communities’ inclusion in a number of boards based on merit and gave the assurance that this inclusion will also apply to other boards. With the opening of the Central Business District within a month, the CM anticipated a surge in economic activity in Rawalpindi while addressing a number of issues of the business community.
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