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:Â 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)
LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami chief Senator Sirajul Haq has urged the government and opposition to sit together to introduce election reforms in the country.
Addressing a five-day training workshop of the JI workers at Mansoora on Saturday, the political parties came with the proofs of rigging after every election which put question mark on the mandate of the ruling party.
Protest demonstrations and lengthy litigation against the rigging were become a norm in the country, he said. Therefore, he added, election reforms should be on the top agenda of the political parties to get rid of this norm in future.
He said a powerful, impartial and independent election commission should be formed with the consultation of all political parties. He said no one could deny the role of establishment in the formation of present and previous government. There was a need to end the role of establishment in the next polls, he said.
Siraj said only rich and elite class could contest election in the country and there was an urged need to end this practice. Few affluent families had been ruling over the country for decades and become the part of every government due to power of their wealth, he said, adding this was a main hurdle to bring any change in the country.
The JI chief said the people had lost trust on the courts as there was no justice for those who were without money. He said a system based on the brilliant principles of Islam was the key to solution of country’s problems.
He advised the party workers to start preparation for the local government polls. He said those who came into power in the name of change were failed to bring any reform. He said the people had tested every party and they were left with the only option to choose the JI in next polls.
Meanwhile, JI chief made a telephonic contact with JUI-F head Maulana Fazlur Rahman and congratulated him on holding an organized and peaceful sit-in in Islamabad. (With additional input from INP)
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday underwent a hernia operation at a private hospital.
Abbasi, who is in judicial custody in connection with an inquiry into LNG scandal, was shifted to the hospital on November 4. He is expected to stay in the medical facility for few more days.
According to details, the government has been informed about the former prime minister’s stay in the hospital.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had arrested the former prime minister on July 18. The accountability court continues to extend his remand as the anti-graft body has yet to file a reference against the former premier.
Abbasi told the court on October 28 that a medical board had advised him to have a hernia surgery. He had requested the court to allow him to have the surgery on his own expenses from a private hospital.
The court had extended his remand till November 19. (With additional input from INP)
ISLAMABAD: The Government of Japan has decided to provide financial assistance of $60,613 for a street pavement project in Union Council Beer, in Haripur District.
The grant will be provided to Badban
Enterprises Development Forum- a local non-government organization in Haripur
district.
Agreement for the project was signed on Wednesday
between the Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, Kuninori Matsuda and head of the
recipient organization at the residence of the Ambassador of Japan in
Islamabad.
The grant of $60,613 to BEDF will be utilized for the pavement of streets, along with construction of drains, in six different villages of Beer Union Council. At present, due to broken or unpaved streets, mobility of local residents, particularly during rainy days, is extremely difficult. It is expected that the project will benefit 11,685 individuals of the six villages with better streets infrastructure. Â
While addressing in the ceremony, the
Ambassador, Kuninori Matsuda congratulated the recipient organization for
winning the Japanese grant for their development project. He expressed his hope
that the projects will help in ensuring easy mobility to local residents, especially
women, children and elderly people of six villages.
Government of Japan will continue to support the people of Pakistan to improve their living standard and this project will contribute to strengthen decades long friendly relationship between the people of Japan and Pakistan, Matsuda said.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has agreed with China for allowing utilization of Chinese currency RMB for execution of all new projects of energy sector under multi-billion dollars China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Instead of US dollar, use of RMB will be a major development if this agreement turns into reality. Now a summary will be moved before the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet for getting formal approval to this effect.
Sino-Pak Joint Working Group (JWG) is already agreed to use RMB for all new energy projects in Pakistan. The JWGs meetings held last week between Pakistan and China teams prior to upcoming the Joint Coordination committee (JCC) meeting scheduled to be held in Islamabad this week, reports Gwadar Pro Net, quoting official sources.
In the JWG meeting, Pakistan and China evolved consensus that RMB would be used for making arrangement to execute all new projects of energy sector under CPEC. This important development was also shared in a roundtable organized by Pakistan China Institute (PCI) led by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed in Karachi on last Sunday.
The delegation of parliamentarians and media persons also participated in this roundtable. The MPs team was on three-day visit to witness different CPEC projects completed at Port Qasim and Islamkot, Thar.
Earlier in a bid to promote trade between Belt and Road countries, China has been encouraging all its partners to trade in Yuan also. For Pakistan, this is a bright prospect since it will reduce pressure on Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves. However, officials of the two countries considered it necessary that the huge trade imbalance that exists is brought down, through business-business agreements. As part of the China-Pakistan Free-Trade-Agreement (FTA) phase II, Pakistan is now at par with the ASEAN countries.
In order to reduce dependency on the greenback gradually over time, Pakistan decided to use Chinese yuan for bilateral trade as well.Through this move, the two countries aimed to promote monetary cooperation between the central banks, implement existing currency-swap arrangements, research to expand the amount of currency and explore to enrich the use and scope of bilateral currency swap and assign the foreign currency to domestic banks through credit-based bids to support the financing for projects along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
This means Pakistani and Chinese banks will, in the course of time, be able to open import letters of credit in rupees and yuan (also known as renminbi, or RMB). Moreover, Pakistan will be able to pay for imports from China in yuan rather than in dollars, and Chinese companies investing in CPEC projects will bring in yuan-denominated funds here and remit back their profits and dividends also in yuan instead of dollars or other foreign currencies.
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC) Pakistan has been allowed to establish a local yuan settlement and clearing setup in Pakistan enabling it to open yuan accounts of the Chinese banks operating in Pakistan and to facilitate settlement of yuan-based transactions such as remittance to/from China.
It is believed that with the opening of Bank of China in Pakistan, the access to Chinese markets will strengthen further. Considering the recent local and global economic developments, particularly with the growing size of trade and investment with China under CPEC, yuan denominated trade with China will increase significantly and will yield long term benefits for both the countries.(Additional Input From INP)
