ISLAMABAD, NOV 23 – Saudi Arabia has approved issuance of transit visit visas for a validity period of 48 hours (two days) and 96 hours (four days) costing Saudi Riyal 100 and SR300 respectively.

The Council of Economic and Development Affairs and the Cabinet’s General Committee, as well as the decisions of the Shura Council, local has recommended for the issuance of short-term visit visas for transit passengers.

The cabinet decided to amend a paragraph of the Schedule of Visit, Hajj and Transit Visas by land, sea or air in this regard, the Saudi Gazette reported .

The cabinet’s decision came in the framework of improving and developing the regulations related to the entry visas to the Kingdom.

The new move will add fillip to the Saudi tourism sector as the authority expects hundreds of passengers will make use of this.

Before suspending international air services due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of passengers had passed through the kingdom’s airports on daily basis. Those on the connection planes had to stay in the transit area for hours without a chance to get out and the short-term visas would likely to help such passengers.

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Mark Meng, CEO of Huawei Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, NOV 23 - Pakistan is one of the fastest-growing and maturing ICT markets in the region today. The nation’s leaders recognize that digital infrastructure forms the building blocks of a more intelligent society, and that the people who work within the sector are helping to spur all local industries forward while contributing to the Digital Pakistan Vision.

Nurturing local talentis thus essential for Pakistan to reap the full benefits of digitalization, tounlock more opportunities for people and business, and to acceleratenational recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.A talent-focused and “innovation” mindset is the only way to addresses the requirements of a more digital-centric andsustainable future.

The essential role of connectivity has never been more prominent than in 2020. In the field of education, for example, new challenges arose in providing students with the means to advance their education without the use of physical labs and traditional curriculums. 

Without fast connections provided by advanced telecom networks, video conferencing, cloud computing, and other technologies, all work would have ground to a halt. Creating new value with synergy across these tech domains is therefore key to the development roadmap of Pakistan today.

While digital infrastructurehas evolved to combat COVID-19 more broadly, we will need to simultaneously focus on equippingthe country’s youth with advanced technical skills.Developing these skills will create a more versatile generation who are well-suited for future employment,and who can rise to be the future leaders in achieving the targets of their country’sambitious national visons. 

In recent decades we have seen tremendous efforts made by the Pakistani government to grow ICT talent. Building on that progress, continued work is needed as new priorities emerge.

That starts by encouraging knowledge and experience-sharing to create more open ecosystems. These provide more opportunities for technology to evolve in ways that are beneficial to society. Promoting the value of public-private partnerships to nurture an innovation mentality and to foster talent growth is also essential, particularly in terms of practical skills development. 

Technology companies working in collaboration with public and private sector partners will provide the most comprehensive opportunities to enhance the ICT talent pool. 

Universities must also strive to adapt their curriculum to meet the requirements of future talent cultivation, with stakeholders such as government authorities, telecom operators, and ICT vendors making contributions through collaborative initiatives and activities.

For our part, Huawei is committed to providing the full range of its capabilities in Pakistan so that people here can avail the latest breakthroughs in vital areas like 5G, AI, cloud, and more.We are keen to share our expertise with all partners inthe countrywhile encouraging talent through initiatives such as the Huawei ICT Competition, Huawei Academy, Seeds for the Future program, and others.

It is an ongoing journey as we collectively seek to foster innovation and prepare the next generation of Pakistan’s ICT leaders for an intelligent world.

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 23 - The groundbreaking ceremony of the second out of five Centres of Excellence (CoEs) aimed at improving the quality of technical and vocational education and training in the country under the donor-funded TVET Sector Support Programme  (TVET SSP) was held here on Monday.

The Centres of Excellence aim to promote excellence in the training delivery for youth and TVET practitioners, hence supporting the development of a skilled and competitive workforce and improved employment opportunities. The CoE Islamabad is being established at the National Training Bureau.

The establishment of the CoEs is a very important part of the support being provided by TVET SSP, which is funded by the European Union and the governments of Germany and Norway. TVET  SSP is being implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in close collaboration with the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), Technical Education and Vocational Training Authorities (TEVTAs) and a number of public and private sector organizations at national and provincial levels.

The chief guest of the ceremony, Shafqat Mahmood, the Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training along with the Ambassadors of the EU, Germany and Norway laid the foundation stone for the CoE.

Speaking at the occasion, the Minister emphasized the need for such Centres of Excellence, adding that the completion of this Centre will pave the way towards allowing the Pakistani TVET system to sustainably improve delivery of training and assessment, career counselling and job placement. The CoEs will be state-of-the art facilities ready to offer training for TVET practitioners and vocational students alike.

The CoEs will be places to both learn and implement TVET and to serve as a hub for communities of practice and private sector engagement. The close linkage to the private sector will ensure the relevance of the training for the economy. It will lead to skilled human resources that meet the needs of the labour market. This will ultimately result in an improved image of the TVET sector in the country.

Mr. Mahmood further said that the groundbreaking ceremony testifies the importance the present Government at the Federal level gives to the TVET sector. He added that the involvement of the private sector in all steps of the value chain, from the design of training content to training delivery and assessment is key to ensure that the offered services are market-driven.

The Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan, Androulla Kaminara, addressing the participants, stressed the importance of quality technical and vocational education and training to empower the youth of the country, which is only possible through a sustainable allocation of resources by both state and private sector.

“Teachers are one of the pillars of TVET and it is encouraging to see that the centres of excellence will also focus on enhancing their skills to ensure they can play their role more effectively. Furthermore, I am particularly please so see how the COE are going to play an important role in women’s empowerment by ensuring that at least 30 percent of the trained teachers and students are women. Equipping women with necessary skills to join the workforce not only empowers them, it is beneficial for the families, communities and all of Pakistan’s society and economy.”, she remarked.

“It is matter of great satisfaction that NAVTTC being the apex body of the TVET sector is setting standards. This is evident through the groundbreaking ceremony. It speaks of the commitment from the relevant authorities, especially the Federal Government”, remarked Dr. Deichmann, the chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of Federal Republic of Germany to Pakistan.

The Ambassador of Norway to Pakistan, Mr Kjell-Gunnar Eriksen highlighted the contribution of the Norwegian Government for the development of TVET sector of Pakistan. “The engagement with private sector is a cornerstone in modern TVET delivery. These Centres of Excellence will bring together the expertise of the industry for a better and more modern TVET system for the youth and teachers”, he remarked.

The Chairman of NAVTTC Javed Hasan remarked at the occasion that NAVTTC is working hand in hand with the private and public sector across the country for bringing quality into the TVET sector. He furthermore mentioned the Skills for All Strategy of the present Government.

The Acting Executive Director of NAVTTC Dr. Faheem Mohammad said that the TVET sector is being reformed in Pakistan for the provision of skills and jobs for the Pakistani youth. He thanked the donors the EU, Germany and Norway for their extensive support to the country in this regard.

The CoEs, which are being established in KP, ICT, Sindh, Punjab and Baluchistan, will offer a functional and sustainable model of quality training of TVET managers, instructors, assessors, career counselling and job placement officers as well as the open public. The CoEs will be steered with the help of a digitized monitoring system as well as a quality management system based on international good practice.

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Attiya Munawer

The Lord of the Universe has exalted the remembrance of His Beloved Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) so much that as long as the muezzin continues to raise the voices of the exaltation of Allah in the azan, he will continue to raise the Mustafai of Muhammad (SAWW).

Therefore, by selling the words of the infidel atheist and the enemy against Islam and the Khair-ul-An’am (SAW) or by insulting the honor of the Messenger of Allah, neither the virtue and greatness of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) has diminished nor can it be till the Day of Judgment. Allah Almighty has revealed the Holy Quran and has taken the responsibility of protecting it till the Day of Resurrection. In the same way, the sanctity and survival of Islam and the chastity of the Prophet of Islam is also under His protection. 

For this reason, in order to protect and guard His tawheed (monotheism) and risalat (prophethood) in every age, Allah has been creating the guardians of tawhid (monotheism) in the Muslim Ummah that dedicated to himself and the love of the Prophet (SAW) and will continue to do so till the Day of Resurrection.The famous religious scholar, Allama Maulana Khadim Hussain Rizvi, the founder of the religious and political party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), was also a true lover and a guardian of the sanctity of the Holy Prophet (SAW). He devoted his entire life to the service of religion. 

He conveyed the message of the Holy Quran in every city, street, town, and village and praised the Tajdar e Ambiya (SAW), In addition, he continued to call the people to the religion and prepare them to stand on the end of the prophethood of Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H) and make sacrifices for this great cause. While protecting the Prophet’s sanctity, he himself has gone to his true Creator.

The sudden demise of Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi has made the lovers ofthe Prophet restless. A few days ago, he was thundering in the Faizabad sit-in and he was in the field for the Prophet’s sanctity, but with the setting of this bright star of courage, bravery and fearlessness, grief has fallen on the followers of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

The courage and bravery with which Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi kept challenging the falsehood, it is now difficult to find such a precedent in this age of famine. He gained immense popularity in a very short time mainly because he was a true lover of the Holy Prophet (SAW). Moreover, he was a memorizer of the Qur’an as well as Shaykh al-Hadith, Allama Iqbal’s Urdu and Persian words were also memorized by him. 

Iqbal’s poems were often quoted in his speeches in such a beautiful way that while the common man understood the poems, the audience also resounded with the slogans of “Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (SAW)”. He spent his entire life preaching Islam and the sanctity of the Prophet, even though he was in a wheelchair during the previous government. A long sit-in was called in Faizabad on the news of controversial changes in the blasphemy laws. Similarly, in the last few days, after the publication of blasphemous sketches in France, they again staged a sit-in in Faizabad demanding the deportation of the French ambassador. But, the sit-in was ended by an agreement with the government. 

Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi’s love for the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) can also be gauged from the fact that even during the sit-in, he complained of high fever and difficulty in breathing, but persevered for the sake of honoring the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H). 

It was not wrong to call himself a watchman of Islam. He has proved himself to be a watchman by guarding the honor of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H).

Allama Khadim Hussain came to teach the lesson of Ishq Nabi (SAW) and has done his job.

It is very unfortunate that Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi, who guarded the sanctity of the Holy Prophet, has passed away, but the candle of Khatm e Nabuwat (the end of prophethood) and sanctity of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) has been lit from the platform of Tehreek-e-Labeek which will continue to provide light to future generations. 

Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi has continued the journey of Islam all his life and for the purpose for which he has sacrificed his life, Insha Allah the Muslims of Pakistan will carry it forward. 

The protection of the law of Khatm e Nabuwat(the end of prophethood) is the first duty of all of us. In a country built in the name of La ilahaillallah Muhammad ur Rasulullah, no one will be allowed to tamper with the law of the end of prophethood, nor will one hesitate to sacrifice one’s life for the sanctity of the Prophet. The demise of Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi is an irreparable loss for the propagation of Islam. 

It is the responsibility of the leadership of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to carry out this great cause in the absence of Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi in accordance with the true spirit. To teach the lesson of love of the Prophet, we also have to teach our children the lesson of Khtam e Nabuwat in order to keep alive the spirit of sacrificing everything for the sanctity of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). 

By keeping the spirit of Ishq-e-Rasul, not only our world and the hereafter will be enlightened, but also the soul of Allama Khadim Hussain will be overwhelmed and will be the source of his ascension.

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ISLAMABAD, NOV 23 - Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood has said that all educational institutions, including schools, colleges and tuition centres, will close down from November 26 (Thursday).

Earlier today, the country's education ministers met to review Pakistan's Covid-19 outbreak and to take a final decision on extended winter vacations for school students.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan, Mahmood said that from Thursday students will continue their education at home.

In a tweet shortly after addressing the media, the education minister said: "When we say all educational institutions will close on Nov 26 and students will home learn, we mean all institutions without exception."

During the press conference, the minister and the PM's aide explained the various decisions taken during the meeting with all the country's education ministers.

"Where possible, homework will be given out online. Where this is not possible, the provincial governments will decide the course of action. But all efforts will be made to make sure that education continues from home," said Mahmood.

The minister said that "home learning" will continue from November 26 to December 24. "From December 25 till January 10, 2021 there will be winter vacations. Then from January 11, if the situation improves, we hope we can once again open all educational institutions."

Mahmood added that a "review session" will be held during the first week of January to gauge the country's Covid-19 outbreak and a decision will be made accordingly. "God willing, educational institutions will reopen from January 11."

The education minister stated that all examinations scheduled for December have been postponed. "Exams will commence from January 15." He added that there were some "professional exams" that would, however, continue as per schedule.

Sultan said that entrance exams would be held as per routine. "The reason for this is that it is possible to manage standard operating procedures (SOPs) for such exams."

The education minister added that this would also include exams for recruiting teachers. "However all exams for school students have been postponed till mid-January. Higher education universities will commence online learning and their hostels will be allowed to house students up to one third of their capacity."

The two officials added that institutes for vocational learning and for training senior medical professionals would remain open.

Mahmood said that educational institutions will decide if teachers can instruct from their homes or if they need to come to the school.

"We are also recommending that board exams that were scheduled for March or April, be pushed forward till May and June. This is because when educational institutions will reopen, students will get time to complete their course work.

"Further, we have also recommended that the new academic year — which begins in April at government schools — be postponed till August and summer vacations are reduced," the education minister concluded.

In recent weeks, the country's Covid-19 cases and deaths have seen a sharp increase. On Monday, the National Command and Operation Centre was informed that hospitalisations due to Covid-19 have doubled in the last two weeks while the positivity ratio increased to 7.46 per cent in the last 24 hours.

In Pakistan, the maximum positivity rate had reached 23pc in June as it had increased from 6pc in May, while the positivity rate was brought down to 1.7pc in September.

There had also been an increase in the number of infections reported at educational institutions across the country, with 19pc of total Covid-19 cases being recorded among students. The positivity ratio in educational institutions rose from 1.8pc to 3.3pc during the last week — an increase of 82pc.

Educational institutions had faced a six-month closure from March to September due to Covid-19 and now in the pandemic’s second spell, education ministry officials had said the closure had become imminent due to the rising numbers of cases.

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COURTESY DAWN NEWS

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ISLAMABAD, NOV 23 -/DN/ - Infinix the leading smartphone brand of Pakistan has now opened up pre-orders for the highly-anticipated Note 8 series. The Infinix Note 8 and Note 8i is exclusively available for pre-order from Daraz for Rs. 29,999with a free sports Bluetooth earphones as a gift from Infinix on every pre-order with Note 8.

After the successful launch of the Note 7 series earlier this year, the smartphone company bumped up its predecessor's specs to launch this new addition in the Note family. The Note 8 is equipped with 64MP quad-camera set-upa 16 MP Selfie camera and a portrait lens next to it to capture every precious moment anytime, anywhere. Infinix Note 8 series is powered by the MediaTekHelio G80 chipset for smooth gaming experience. 

Note 8 series is equipped with6GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage to store more ultra HD quality pictures and videos. Not only this, Note 8 is backed by a 5,200 mAh battery that charges at a super-fast speed of 18W with type-C.The phone runs an Android 10 and has a 6.95″ HD+ dual infinity-O displaywith immensely slim bezels to enhance better viewing experience.

The second variant from the Note 8 series, the Infinix Note 8i, also powered by the MediaTekHelio G80 chipset. As for the camera set-up, the Note 8i boasts an 8MP primary selfie camera and a quad-camera set-up at the back with a 48MP primary lens.

The mid-to-high range Note series from Infinix has garnered a lot of positive feedback from the consumers, making it one of the best sellers from the smartphone brand. With the pre-orders opening from today, log on to Daraz to book your new device and avail goodies worth Rs. 1400 from Infinix Pakistan.=DN

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About Infinix

Launched in 2013 and targeting the young generations, Infinix Mobile is a premium online-driven smartphone brand. With “THE FUTURE IS NOW” as the brand essence, Infinix aims to allow consumers to stand out in the crowd and to show the world who they really are. Infinix is committed to providing the most cutting-edge technologies, bold and stylish designs, keeping consumers on trend and up-to-date. Infinix’s portfolio spans five product lines – ZERO, NOTE, HOT, S, and SMART; empowering users to own innovative technologies and experience intelligent lifestyles! Infinix has a presence in more than 30 countries around the world, covering Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and South Asia.

For more information, please visit: http://www.infinixmobility.com/

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• Says opposition will be responsible for consequences
• NCOC reports 2,665 new cases, 59 deaths

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said the government would be compelled to enforce complete lockdown if the opposition did not desist from holding public gatherings at a time when the country was reeling under the impact of Covid-19.

During the last 24 hours, the highest number of positive cases was reported with 2,665 people getting infected and 59 losing their lives.

Taking to Twitter, Prime Minister Khan said the opposition’s Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) would be responsible for the consequences if it continued with public gatherings despite a surge in Covid-19 cases. “In (Pakistan), the PDM by continuing with Jalsas (public gatherings) is deliberately endangering lives and livelihoods (because) if cases continue to rise at the rate we are seeing, we will be compelled to go into complete lockdown & PDM will be responsible for consequences,” Mr Khan said in his tweet.

He said the data was quite alarming as there was a 200 per cent increase in the number of patients on ventilators in Peshawar and Multan during the last 15 days. It was 148 per cent in Karachi, 114pc in Lahore and 65pc in Islamabad.

Seventy per cent ventilators were in use in Multan and Islamabad, he added.

The prime minister said the world was facing a second wave of the virus with many countries going for complete lockdown. “I do not want to take measures like a lockdown that will start hurting our economy which at the moment is showing signs of a robust recovery,” he tweeted.

About PDM’s public meetings, Mr Khan said the opposition was callously destroying people’s lives and livelihoods in their desperation to get relief in cases against their leaders.

“Let me make it clear: they can hold a million Jalsas but will not get any National Reconciliation Ordinance-like concession,” he said, adding that unfortunately the opposition’s only goal was to get an NRO at the cost of people’s lives and the country’s economy.

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COURTESY DAWN NEWS

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AT the recent China International Import Expo (CIIE), a Chinese-speaking Pakistani jeweller, Aqeel Ahmed Chaudhry, was very happy because the sapphires and other jewels he exhibited attracted many Chinese businessmen.

He was among many Pakistani businessmen who actively participated in this major global trade gala to explore market opportunities in China. The CIIE has successfully concluded with a cumulative intention of trade of $72.62 billion, an increase of 2.1 per cent over the previous year.

In his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the third CIIE, President Xi Jinping pledged to turn the Chinese market into a market for the world, a market shared by all, and a market accessible to all, so as to bring more positive energy to the global community. President Xi’s speech fully demonstrated China’s confidence of cooperation with the international community, which arises from three aspects.

First, it comes from China’s major strategic victory in fighting the Covid-19 pande­mic. The Communist Party of China adheres to the people-centred policy and the life-first principle. From 30-hour-old babies to the elderly in the 100s, every life is fully protected.

At present, China’s daily new cases have dramatically dropped to single digits. Meanwhile, China’s economy has shown a stable improving trend. Positive economic growth has been achieved in the first three quarters. Foreign trade increased by 0.7pc and the actual use of foreign capital increased by 5.2pc, providing a big boost for the recovery of the global economy.

Secondly, China’s confidence comes from the great achievements made during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020). It is estimated that in 2020, China’s GDP will exceed RMB 100 trillion. As many as 55.75 million rural people have been lifted out of poverty, more than 60m new jobs have been created in urban areas, and the world’s largest social security system has been established in China with the basic medical insurance covering more than 1.3 billion people and basic endowment insurance covering nearly 1bn people.

Thirdly, China’s confidence comes from the development targets for the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) proposed by the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. This year, China will achieve the goal of finishing building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and eradicating poverty. From next year on, China will begin a new journey towards fully building a modern socialist country.

Answering to the changing circumstances and new requirements, we have set out to foster a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other. What we envision is not a development loop behind closed doors, but more open domestic and international circulations. We will do so not only to meet China’s own development needs but also for the greater benefit of people in all countries. Facing the impact of Covid-19 to the global economy, some countries have chosen to pursue protectionism and set up trade barriers, while China has chosen to strengthen cooperation and communication and expand opening up. As President Xi pointed out, we must uphold the principle of mutually beneficial cooperation; we need to build trust rather than second-guess each other; we need to join hands rather than throw punches at each other; and we need to consult rather than slander each other.

Bearing in mind the common interests that bind us all, countries need to work toge­ther to make economic globalisation more open, inclusive and balanced for the benefits of all. Going forward, China will steadfastly expand all-round opening up and explore more efficient ways to connect domestic and foreign markets and share factors of production and resources. It will bring more opportunities for China-Pakistan cooperation.

The first opportunity arises in synergising the development strategies of the two countries. China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic partners, offering each other development opportunities. From now to 2035, China will work towards basically realising the long-term goal of socialist modernisation. China’s overall national strength will continue to rise, enhancing its capacity of participating in international economic cooperation and competition.

We appreciate the efforts of the Pakistani government to build a ‘Naya Pakistan’ and are ready to work with Pakistan in exchanges of experience of governance, and join hands for common development.

The second opportunity is the BRI cooperation. As an important pioneering project of the BRI, the CPEC has progressed rapidly in recent three years, bringing transformation to Pakistani economy and society. Accor­ding to the latest statistics, against the adve­rse impact of Covid-19 pandemic, the Chin­ese investment in Pakistan rose to $332.1bn in the first four months of this fiscal year (July-October), accounting for 45pc of the total FDI.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China will promote the high-quality development of BRI, advance the CPEC projects with high standards, ensure a smooth implementation and operation of ongoing projects, and divert more resources to industry, agriculture, science and technology and social welfare, so that more common people can enjoy the benefit of our bilateral cooperation.

The third opportunity is exports to China. With a population of 1.4bn and middle-income people of over 400m, China is the largest market in the world. China is also the biggest trade partner and second largest export destination for Pakistan. As the CPFTA Phase II came into effect this year, the zero-tariff items between the two countries have been widened to 75pc. China not only applies zero tariff to products such as yarn, leather and nuts from Pakistan, but also actively promotes the export of Pakistani agriculture products of cherry, potato and onion. In the next five years, China will expand its domestic mega-market with robust consumption, promote the dual circulations at home and abroad. This will help Pakistan expand its exports to China, promote its economic recovery, and help to solve the problem of trade imbalance.

The fourth opportunity is for collaboration in poverty reduction. Under the leadership of President Xi, China has astonished the world with the miracle of poverty reduction by enabling over 10m people annually to rise out of poverty over the past seven years. This year, China will achieve its target as scheduled to enable all of its rural poor below current standard to rise out of poverty. Prime Minister Imran Khan also attaches great importance to poverty reduction and has on several occasions spoken highly of China’s achievements in this aspect.

At the recent SCO summit, President Xi declared that China supported setting up an SCO joint working group on poverty reduction. Bilaterally and multilaterally, we will share our experiences in poverty reduction with Pakistan, and contribute to its poverty reduction drive through cooperation.

Peace, development and win-win cooperation are beliefs both China and Pakistan uphold. Let’s follow the trend of the times to make full use of the golden opportunities of China’s development, and jointly work for a closer China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future in the New Era.

The writer is China’s ambassador to Pakistan, Nong Rong

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COURTESY DAWN NEWS

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59 Pakistanis died, 2,665 tested coronavirus-positive in last 24 hours

Rawalpindi Express criticises the mindset of the 37-year-old

Former Pakistan’s star fast-bowler Shoaib Akhtar has said that pacer Mohammad Asif wasted his career due to poor behaviour.

The Rawalpindi Express, shared his personal experience of playing with his 37-year-old.

“I hit him once with the bat once in 2006,” Akhtar said. “I should have done it twice with the way he was behaving then. The country had never produced such talent before.”

The former cricketer added that the Sialkot Stallions fast-bowler was behaving in a shady manner since 2006. “I am not saying that he was involved in match-fixing back then. He did not have the right mindset towards the game. He was involved in one thing after the other. I have nothing to do with his personal life but I was deeply disappointed with his attitude.”

Akhtar added that he had rendered an apology to Asif who in return went to then-captain Shoaib Malik and gave an ultimatum that only one of them can stay in the team.

He added that he was feeling mentally exhausted to play in 2007.

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COURTESY SAMAA.TV

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