ISLAMABAD: A medical board on Tuesday examined former president Asif Ali Zardari at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) here.
According to sources, the blood pressure and sugar level of the People’s Party leader are fluctuating repeatedly and the doctors have decided to enhance the insulin dose suggested to him to control his sugar level.
The doctors were also considering to change the medicines suggested for cardiac treatment of Asif Ali Zardari, sources said.
The former president still feeling persistent pain in lower back and neck, according to the hospital sources.
“His heart beat gradually returning towards normal, while the problem of dizziness also goes down considerably.”
The doctors have advised him to continue the tranquilizers, while also directed him to start walking in the hospital room.
He is undergoing a session of physiotherapy on daily basis, the sources added.
Asif Ali Zardari had been complaining of lower back pain, weakness and anxiety due to which he was shifted to PIMS from Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on Oct 22 where a number of medical tests were carried out.
His platelet count was also showed 120,000, which is low but according to doctors it wasn’t unusual as the former president was taking a number of medicines.
Asif Ali Zardari facing a number of accountability references against him and the cases against him were transferred to Rawalpindi from Karachi.(Additional Input From INP)
Queen Máxima was addressing Pakistan Innovative Finance Forum in the federal capital.
Monarch of Netherlands, who is also UN Secretary Generals Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development Queen Maxima, said on Tuesday the financial inclusion will also create more opportunities for the people of Pakistan. “Situation of ease of doing business in Pakistan has improved a great deal.”
Madam Máxima was appreciative of the government’s revised financial inclusion strategy targeting sixty-five million active digital accounts by 2023 including twenty million to be held by women.
The Netherlands’ queen has been the UN Secretary General’s Special Advocate (UNSGSA) for Inclusive Finance for Development since 2009.
On Monday, Queen Maxima had chaired a meeting on financial inclusion in Islamabad.
Speaking on the occasion, she had said Pakistan has made advancement towards the financial inclusion but still more needs to be done.
She stressed the need for use of technology to bring improvement in financial inclusion.
Netherlands Monarch along with six-member delegation landed at the Islamabad airport via flight TK-711 earlier in the day.
She was accorded warm welcome by the officials of the Foreign Office and Dutch embassy
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad’s revised Master Plan would provide more facilities to the business community and citizens living in capital, said Amer Ali Ahmed, Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA). on Monday.
He was talking to a high level delegation of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) that visited CDA Headquarters led by President Muhammad Ahmed Waheed. Tahir Abbasi Senior Vice President, Saif ur Rahman Khan Vice President ICCI, Muhammad Ejaz Abbasi Vice President FPCCI, Tariq Sadiq, Mian Shaukat Masud, Ch. Waheed ud Din, Nasir Qureshi and representatives of market associations were in the delegation. Humayun Akhtar Member Engineering, Faisal Naeem Director BCS and Sheikh Ejaz Director Planning CDA were also present at the occasion.
Amer Ali Ahmed said that government had formed a commission to revise the Islamabad Master Plan and its recommendations have been approved by the Federal Cabinet that were yet to be notified. He said that before implementation, conducting survey was necessary for which a consultant would be appointed. He said that all CDA laws would be compiled in the form of a book and thereafter obtaining their approval from CDA Board would not be necessary that would also reduce the powers of CDA officers. He said that no change in zoning was made while in future high rise buildings in Islamabad would be preferred. He said that survey of sewerage and other issues would be conducted. He said that provision of a new industrial estate was made in the revised master plan while lease renewal process would also be streamlined under Islamabad’s revised Master Plan.
Speaking at the occasion, Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry showed reservations on Islamabad’s revised Master Plan and urged that ICCI should be given permanent representation in CDA administrative setup that would help in resolving key issues of business community. He said that CDA should meet the demand of new industrial estate in Islamabad and make lease renewal of industrial and commercial plots easier. He said that CDA should ensure clean drinking water in Islamabad and take measures to resolve other major issues of business community.
Muhammad Ejaz Abbasi, Vice President, FPCCI said that role of CDA was vital for facilitating the growth of business activities, but for the last four years, no development work was done in market that was also affecting the development of city. He urged that CDA laws should be amended in commensurate with the current day needs of trade and industry.
Tahir Abbasi Senior Vice President and Saif ur Rahman Vice President ICCI said that about four years ago, CDA Board had approved amendments in building byelaws for industry but the same were not notified as yet and urged that CDA should notify the approved byelaws. They said that CDA Board had also approved automatic extension of 33 years lease up to 99 years, but CDA officers have not implemented the decision and emphasized that approved decision should be enforced. The representatives of markets also highlighted various issues of their markets and stressed for their early solution.
ISLAMABAD: Queen Maxima of the Netherlands arrived in Pakistan on Monday for a three-day visit in her capacity as the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Advocate (UNSGSA) for Inclusive Finance for Development.
The Dutch queen was received by senior officials of the foreign ministry and representatives of the Embassy of Netherlands at Nur Khan Air Base.
Last week, the Foreign Office (FO) announced Queen Maxima’s visit.
In a press release, the FO said that the Dutch queen will call on President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan during her visit, in addition to her engagements with stakeholders from the public and private sectors.
Queen Maxima Zorreguieta Cerruti will also attend the launch of the ‘Micro Payment Gateway’, which the FO described as “an initiative of the State Bank of Pakistan aimed at reducing the costs of small payments and boosting digital transactions to benefit people and promote financial inclusion”.
The statement had added that inclusive finance for development is one of the “key priorities” of the government and the country has taken a number of steps in recent years to promote financial inclusion.
Queen Maxima had visited Pakistan in February 2016 as well. (With additional input from INP)
ISLAMABAD: JUI-F (Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl) has summoned a conference of all opposition parties in Islamabad on November 26, said a spokesman of the party.
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman invited heads of the Pakistan Peoples Parties, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Awami National Party and Qaumi Watan Party to attend the conference.
Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, National Party, Jamiat Ulema Pakistan and Jamiat Ahle Hadees have also been invited for the conference.
PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif named on Sunday members of his party who would attend the Nov 26 conference. Raja Zafarul Haq would lead the PML-N delegation to the conference.
Ahsan Iqbal, Ayaz Sadiq and Ameer Muqam would also be part of the party delegation.
The JUI-F previously staged a protest sit-in in Islamabad against the government for nearly two weeks. Along with other opposition parties, it sought Prime Minister Imran Khan’s resignation and a snap election in the country.
Jamiat Ulema e Islam -Fazal ended its sit-in and went on to block highways in the country in a bid to mount pressure on the government. However, neither of its two plans could achieve the desired result.
Opposition parties would now mull their next strategy against the government at the conference.
ISLAMABAD: The federal government has formed a national body called National Strategic Advisory Group on Polio Eradication and Immunisation to materialise the dream of polio-free Pakistan.
The body constituted in consultation with Prime Minister Imran Khan will be led by his Special Assistant on Health Dr Zafar Mirza and include former PM’s focal persons on polio eradication Shahnaz Wazir Ali and Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq besides former Pakistan Permanent Representative at the UN Zamir Akram.
Other key members include Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Health Khalid Magsi and Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services Dr. Nosheen Hamid and member of the Sindh Assembly Dr. Sanjay Gangwani.
“We have constituted this National Strategic Advisory Group to eradicate polio from Pakistan and effectively protect children from other vaccine preventable diseases through a truly national effort”, Dr. Zafar Mirza said.
He said this decision has been taken in consultation with the PM in the wake of a spike in polio cases in the country this year.
So far 91 Wild Polio Virus (WPV1) cases along with the recent emergence of circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus Type 2 (cVDPV-2) in northern Pakistan have been surfaced, he said, adding the high burden of vaccine preventable diseases in Pakistan has been a daunting challenge over years.
Moreover, the special assistant said the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination was particularly concerned over the steep polio upsurge that affected all provinces touching alarming proportions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. (With additional input from INP)
ISLAMABAD: A special anti-terrorism court on Tuesday reserved its verdict over an acquittal plea filed by Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Pakistan Television (PTV) and Parliament attack case. The verdict will be announced on Dec 5.
Earlier, Khan’s defence counsel Babar Awan completed his arguments in the courtroom and maintained that anti-terrorism provisions could not be imposed in violation of Section 144 and speeches during sit-ins.
The government prosecutor, instead of opposing the acquittal plea of PM Khan, said that the prosecution has no objection to his acquittal.
“These cases are filed on political grounds […] these doesn’t have any outcome, only court’s time is being wasted,” the government prosecutor said. (With additional input from INP)
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb on Sunday said that an air ambulance for the transportation of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif will arrive in the country on Tuesday.
The former information minister said that the doctors conducted a thorough examination of Sharif today and also held discussions on how to make the PML-N leader ready for his travel.
Meanwhile, the party’s Twitter account issued a statement of the spokesperson, urging the nation to pray for the PML-N supremo’s health.
Separately, Nawaz’s personal physician Dr Adnan Khan stated that the PML-N leader will travel to London in the next 48 hours once he’s “clinically stable”.
The chief executive of the Sharif Medical City tweeted, saying: “He [Nawaz Sharif] will make the journey in a fully equipped and medically staffed air ambulance [which will be] arriving soon.”
The doctor stated that the former prime minister is scheduled to travel abroad once he’s clinically stable and ready for air travel. (With additional input from INP)
RAWALPINDI: Police on Saturday claimed to have arrested third accused of a racket, who ran a child pornography ring on the so-called Dark Web from Rawalpindi.
As per details, the accused named Aijaz was arrested by a special team of the police from Sadiqabad.
The police have also recovered videos and important evidence from the custody of the held accused.
Earlier this week, police had arrested leader of a global child pornography syndicate, who confessed to harrowing tales of child abuse and forced filming of underage adolescents in compromising positions.
The accused had been ousted from Italy and Britain over allegations of pedophilia in the past.
He was caught in the jurisdiction of Rawat Police Station revealed the Capital City Police Officer (CPO).
Obscene videos and pictures were confiscated from the accused, the pedophile also confessed to filming the act of abuse performed on his most recent victim, whose report became the catalyst for the inquiry and arrest of the criminal.
The CPO revealed that the accused had confessed to more than 30 counts of child abuse in Pakistan.
The accused also revealed that the abhorrent, systematic practice was taking place in various countries and many are involved in the dastardly act.
Videos and pictures are sold on the internet or by paying customers, upfront, the sex offender had confessed. (With additional input from INP)
LAHORE: An anti-narcotics court on Saturday further extended judicial remand of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah for 14 days in alleged drugs recovery case
During the hearing Rana Sanauallah was produced before an ANF court under strict security.
Sanaullah’s defence counsel pleaded the court to grant complete record of the case against his client.
“We have not been granted record and the list of witnesses in the case,” the defence counsel argued.
To this, the court directed the counsel to give in writing what record was needed.
The Judge ordered the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) to produce again the former Punjab law minister in the case hearing on November 30 after 14-day judicial remand.
Media correspondents were not allowed in the room as judge Shakir Hassan has banned media in the court room.
Addressing media persons, Sanaullah’s lawyer said, We have requested court to provide the footage, about which Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Khan Afrdi discussed. (With additional input from INP)
