Thursday, 18 March 2021
ISLAMABAD, MAR 18: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday inaugurated the balloting ceremony of a housing scheme for labourers in the capital, terming it a "first in the history of Pakistan".
According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), 1,008 flats and 500 houses will be allotted in the first phase.
Talking to reporters after the inauguration ceremony, the prime minister said people would soon begin to see the progress on the government's housing initiatives.
"You will all see the impact of it from this year because of the level of construction which is happening. You will yourself see the level of economic activity that will be generated in Pakistan and people will get livelihoods and there will be wealth creation."
Prime Minister Imran said no government in the world could build houses for everyone but what it could do instead was to facilitate and provide opportunities to people so they could "easily" build or purchase their own houses.
Turning to his government's efforts in this regard, the premier said his government had "for the first time" in the country's history approached banks and offered them incentives to set aside Rs380 billion for housing finance.
"All private banks put aside this amount which the SBP (State Bank of Pakistan) is monitoring. The government is giving a subsidy of Rs300,000 for up to 100,000 houses. For example, if a house is worth Rs2.1 million and you get a subsidy of Rs300,000 on that, it [costs] Rs18m. This means the instalments to be paid monthly are further reduced.
"This makes it easier for the common man. What he pays in rent can [now] be paid in instalments and he gets to own the house as well," he elaborated.
The foreclosure law that took two years to pass had made it easier for banks to offer housing loans, the premier recalled. "You will hopefully see the housing industry rise."
When asked about the delay in the completion of the project, he replied that the land had been purchased 25 years ago by the Workers' Welfare Fund (WWF) which he said was a "mass of corruption".
"The government had decided that this should be done, so it revived a 25-year-old scheme. A whole society was built in front of you in 2.5 years."
Talking about cooperation from the provinces, PM Imran said he could not comment on Sindh because "we do not get any response from them". However, he added that work was being carried out "very rapidly" in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.
Listing out the government's projects, the premier mentioned Bundal Island, Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project, and Lahore's Central Business District which he termed as a "completely modern project".
He said that even if the Bundal Island project could not be completed, the Ravi Riverfront Project, Naya Pakistan Housing Project, and the Central Business District would lead to the construction of five million houses.
Houses were also being built for hawkers, the premier said. "We are working together with the NGO (non-governmental organisation) Akhuwat and have created 7,800 homes for the [lowest-income] segment."
Talking about steps to facilitate overseas Pakistanis who wished to invest in the construction industry, Prime Minister Imran said the government had declared a "jihad (holy war)" against land mafia.
"Land mafias and qabza groups (occupation forces) in all the cities are big and powerful people with connections to politicians. They were so powerful that neither did the police say anything to them nor did anyone have the strength to go to courts and get the encroachments removed.
"That jihad has been started and I think the Punjab government has recovered land worth more than Rs200bn from qabza groups."
He added that the government had also established special courts for overseas Pakistanis which would fast-track their cases.
When asked whether the PTI government would be able to complete the targets it had set by 2023, the prime minister said that people would "start to see things [happening] in front of you now that half of our tenure has passed".
This would include two big dams, he said. However, the construction would not be completed till 2023, he said, noting that dams were not built in the past because earlier governments thought of "carrying out work shortly before the elections".
This resulted in a "great injustice to the country" because water reservoirs were not built, he added.
When asked about the government's plan for food security and the environment, the prime minister said he would launch a new food security plan on April 8 or 10.
He said the PTI government was the first one that was making master plans of cities and once they were made, cities would start expanding vertically. Some of these master plans would be completed by the middle of this year while others would be completed by the end of 2021.
Elaborating on why the master plans for cities were important, the premier said that unless cities were expanded vertically instead of horizontally, there would be concerns about food security and it would be difficult and expensive to provide utilities to people living there.
--------------------------------------------------
COURTESY DAWN NEWS
--------------
These amazing clicks are of the nephew of Farukh Shehzad, Editor-In-Chief DIPLOMATICNEWSPK.BLOG
He lives in Lalamusa/Gujrat, The historic city of Pakistan
These amazing clicks are of the nephew of Farukh Shehzad, Editor-In-Chief DIPLOMATICNEWSPK.BLOG
He lives in Lalamusa/Gujrat, The historic city of Pakistan
-------------------------------------------------------
These amazing clicks are of the nephew and niece of Farukh Shehzad, Editor-In-Chief DIPLOMATICNEWSPK.BLOG
These amazing clicks are of the nephew of Farukh Shehzad, Editor-In-Chief DIPLOMATICNEWSPK.BLOG
------------------------------------------------
ISLAMABAD, MAR 18: Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Thursday that lasting peace in the sub-continent will remain elusive until the resolution of the Kashmir issue, stressing that it was time for India and Pakistan to "bury the past and move forward".
Addressing the audience on day two of the first-ever Islamabad Security Dialogue, Gen Bajwa noted that stable Indo-Pak relations were the key to unlocking the potential of South and Central Asia by ensuring connectivity between East and West Asia.
But this potential has always remained hostage to the disputes and issues between the two "nuclear neighbours", he said.
"The Kashmir issue is obviously at the heart of this. It is important to understand that without the resolution of Kashmir dispute through peaceful means, [the] process of sub-continental rapprochement will always remain susceptible to derailment due to politically motivated bellicosity."
"We feel it is time to bury the past and move forward," he said, adding that the onus for meaningful dialogue rested with India. "Our neighbour will have to create a conducive environment, particularly in occupied Kashmir."
Bajwa's comments come a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan said that India would have to make the first move to normalise ties with Pakistan.
“We are trying, but India would have to take the first step and unless it does that we cannot move ahead,” the prime minister had said while inaugurating the two-day dialogue.
The prime minister, however, did not elaborate what he expected India to do as the first step to resumption of ties.
'Multi-dimensional challenges'
Commenting on national security challenges, the army chief said: "The world has seen the ravages of the world wars and the Cold War, wherein polarisation and neglect of virtues blighted the future and brought catastrophic consequences for humanity.
"Today the leading drivers of change in the world are demography, economy and technology.
"However, one issue that remains central to this concept is economic security and cooperation. Frayed relations between various powers centres of the globe and boomeranging of competing alliances can bring nothing but another stint of Cold War."
History has taught us that the way ahead has always been through an inter-connected, inter-dependent and collective sense of security, he said,
The army chief added that it was naive to apply the failed solution of yesteryears to the challenges of today and tomorrow. "It is important for the world that leading global players must reach a stable equilibrium through convergence instead of divergence."
In this environment, developing countries like Pakistan face multi-dimensional challenges which cannot be be navigated single-handedly, he said, adding that a similar situation was being faced by other countries in the region.
"Therefore, we all require multi-lateral, global and regional approach and cooperation to overcome these challenges."
'Disputes dragging South Asia back into poverty'
The COAS also stated that unsettled issues in South Asia are dragging the entire region back into poverty and underdevelopment.
"It is sad to know that even today it [South Asia] is amongst the least integrated regions of the world in terms of trade, infrastructure, water and energy cooperation.
"On top of it, despite being impoverished, we end up spending a lot of our money on defence, which naturally comes at the expense of human development."
He also noted that "despite rising security challenges, Pakistan has been one of the few [countries] that has resisted the temptation of involving itself in an arms race", citing a decrease in the country's defence expenditure.
"This has not been easy, especially when you live in a hostile and unstable neighbourhood. But having said that, let me say that we are ready to improve our environment by resolving all our outstanding issues with our neighbours through dialogue in a dignified and peaceful manner," he said.
The army chief stated that this was "deliberate and based on rationality" and not as a result of any "pressure".
"We have learned from the past and are willing to move ahead towards a new future. However, this is contingent on reciprocity."
He said that Pakistan intended to leverage its geo-strategic location for its own regional and global benefit.
Afghan peace process
The army chief also praised Pakistan for its "robust role" in the current quest for peace in Afghanistan and said that it was proof of the country's "good will and understanding of global and moral obligations".
Commenting on the historic peace deal between the United States and Taliban, Bajwa attributed it to Pakistan's close collaboration and support for the peace process which paved the way for intra-Afghan dialogue.
In addition to offering support to the Afghan peace process, Pakistan also took unprecedented steps to enhance Kabul's trade and connectivity, the army chief said.
Pakistan's economic potential
The army chief also said that Pakistan was a country with "tremendous" economic potential, adding that it was important for the country to embark on a solid roadmap to carve a promising future for the people.
He maintained that the geo-economic region was centered around four main pillars: moving towards lasting and enduring peace within and outside, non-interference of any kind in the affairs of our neighbours and regional countries, boosting intra-regional trade and connectivity, bringing sustainable development and prosperity through establishment of investment and economic hubs.
Pakistan has been working towards all four aspects, he said. "We had realised that unless our own house was in order, nothing could be expected from the outside."
He said that after combatting terrorism and extremism, Pakistan had moved towards working on sustainable development and improving the economic condition of underdeveloped areas.
Gen Bajwa noted that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) had been at the heart of Pakistan's economic transformation plan and the country had sought to make the project inclusive, transparent and attractive for all global and regional players.
But "while CPEC remains central to our vision, only seeing Pakistan through [the] CPEC prism is also misleading", the army chief stressed.
He said Pakistan's vital geostrategic location and a transformed vision made it a country of immense and diverse potential which could very positively contribute to regional development and prosperity.
"This vision, however, remains incomplete without a stable and peaceful South Asia," he said, adding that Pakistan's efforts for reviving Saarc and for peace in Afghanistan, and its "responsible and mature behaviour in crisis situation with India" manifested its desire to "change the narrative of geo-political contestation into geo-economic integration".
The COAS emphasised: "It is time that we in South Asia create synergy through connectivity, peaceful co-existence and resource sharing to fight hunger, illiteracy and disease instead of fighting each other."
National security
Congratulating the National Security Division on organising the dialogue, Bajwa stated that the contemporary concept of national security was not just about protecting countries from an external and internal threat.
It is also about providing a conducive environment for ensuring human security, national progress and development, he said.
"Surely, it is not solely the function of the armed forces anymore," he said, adding that national security in the age of globalisation, information and connectivity had become an "all encompassing notion".
"National security is thus multi-layered. The outer layer being the exogenous factors of the global and regional environment, and the internal layers being indigenous factors of internal peace, stability and developmental orientation.
"A nation at peace and a region at harmony are thus essential pre-requisites for attaining national security in the true spirit."
Whether it be extremism, human rights, environmental hazards or the pandemic, "responding in silos is no more an option", he said.
'Co-existence and win-win cooperation'
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, while addressing the conference, outlined Pakistan's stance to no longer take part in geo-political competition and rivalries, but instead pursue "co-existence and win-win cooperation".
"Pakistan has decided not to be a part of any regional conflict and has consciously chosen to be only a partner for peace and development."
The foreign minister said that Pakistan was being positioned as an economic hub and "melting pot" of positive global interests.
With the country's focus shifting from geopolitics to geo-economics, Pakistan was now centring its economic security on the three pillars of "connectivity, providing economic bases as development strategy and peace within our borders and beyond," said Qureshi.
"To leverage the economic potential of the country, multiple variants of diplomacy are being actively employed by the foreign ministry – including economic, public, digital and science diplomacy."
-------------------------------------------------------
COURTESY DAWN NEWS
------------------
ISLAMABAD, MAR 18: On the sidelines of this week’s Milipol Qatar summit, the President of Huawei Middle East reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting digital transformation across the Middle East by building stronger ICT ecosystems supported by cooperative cybersecurity mitigation programs. This ecosystem will ultimately contribute to the realization of national development visions over the coming years.
When it comes to 5G in particular, Huawei has noted that the GCC countries have been among the world’s first wave of 5G deployments, now becoming a reference point for global commercial use. These investments will demonstrate their value once again during mega-events like the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, Hajj season and similar events enabling brand-new experiences such as 8K live broadcasts and exciting in-home viewer experiences through augmented and virtual reality.
Over recent days, Huawei has been working closely with other global manufacturers, security and safety experts, governments, and enterprises at Milipol to help establish a more secure digital ecosystem in the region.Building and fully implementing an end-to-end global cybersecurity assurance and privacy protection system is one of Huawei’s most crucial strategies for the region, according to Yang.
In 2020 alone, Huawei supported the stable operations of over 300 networks internationally, and helped operators to provide online services and minimize the impact of the pandemic on their business. Huawei has also signed more than 1,000 contracts for industrial 5G applications in more than 20 industries, demonstrating the trust that governments and its customers have in Huawei.
“Our responsibility has always been to make secure, trustworthy, and high-quality products,” noted Yang. “Huawei has not had any major cybersecurity incidents while working with more than 500 telecom providers for nearly 20 years in 170 countries. No other vendor can claim this level of cybersecurity success.”
In parallel with its cybersecurity emphasis, Huawei is doubling down on its research efforts in the region and internationally. The company is already one of the largest patent holders in the world. In 2020, Huawei was the top filer of patents for the fourth consecutive year, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The company has also been leading in areas like 5G patents for some time, and has in turn been featured on rankings such as the EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard in 2020.
“In the post-pandemic era, local governments and enterprises are all actively pushing for industrial digitalization, upgrading smart systems and solutions to enhance the level of public services,” said Yang.“As a consequence, they are looking at enhanced cybersecurity and privacy frameworks to guide how that transformation can happen. New policies, organizational structures and processes will need to be determined, and will ultimately nurture a vibrant ecosystem that promotes innovation in the Middle East.”
That future will also require bolstering local ICT talent, added Yang. Huawei's talent ecosystem currently consists of four parts: a Seeds for the Future program, the Huawei ICT Competitions, an internship program, and various ICT Academies. Yang also cited how in 2020, the LearnOn online learning platform was launched in the Middle East. Over the last five years, this talent the ecosystem has included work with 440 universities in the region, more than 20 ministries and commissions, with more than 35,000 people being trained and over 9,000 being certified by Huawei in areas like 5G, AI, and cloud. Yang stressed that the company will continue to work with local universities, partners, governments, and enterprise customers to cultivate more qualified ICT talent.
“With powerful technologies, a local talent ecosystem, and well-established cybersecurity frameworks, we are confident that advanced digital applications across all industries can become more widespread in the region” concluded Yang.
Huawei’s cybersecurity practices have already gained the trust of global value chain partners and industry-leading organizations. To date, more than 700 cities and 228 Fortune 500 companies—among which 58 are from the Fortune 100—have selected Huawei as a digital transformation partner.
----------------------------------------------------------------
OSLO, MAR 18: Winter is still clinging to the far north, and large parts of the country will be able to feel spring weather this weekend and next week.
“I can believe that people think it feels like spring is underway,” on-duty meteorologist Tone Christin Thaule at the Meteorological Institute said.
But during the periods of sunny weather and fewer clouds in the south of the country, minus degrees will still be present at night in several places. That is especially true in the interior and higher parts of the country.
In Northern Norway, the winter will last through the weekend. Next week, the temperatures will also mostly stay below zero.
Northern Norway
The meteorologists believe that the common denominator for the weather this weekend is that the low-pressure area in the Barents Sea will impact the situation over most of Norway.
In Northern Norway, winds will increase on Friday. There will be sleet and snow, which, when it gets milder, will turn to rain on the coast. The cold weather will continue only in the far east of Finnmark. But at the end of the weekend, the temperatures will drop again, and there will be a stiff and strong gale in exposed places.
“It looks better in the south at the beginning of the weekend. The wind will be calmer, but precipitation from the north will reach Trøndelag and Møre og Romsdal during Friday,” the meteorologist added.
There will also be more clouds in the far north of Eastern Norway and Western Norway, while the weather will be better further south.
On Saturday, the precipitation will pull a little south, but the weather will still be good, with sunny weather in the far south of Western Norway, Eastern, Norway, and Agder.
---------------------------------------------------
COURTESY norwaytoday
------------
ISLAMABAD, MAR 18: Embassy of Hungary, Islamabad and Center for Global & Strategic Studies, (CGSS), Islamabad are jointly organizing an Article Writing Competition titled “The Socio-Economic Dimensions of Hungary”. The details for participation are as below:
Eligibility Criteria & Incentives
- Intermediate Students
- Age Limit 14 – 18 years
- Best Articles to be published in renowned national & International Newspapers
- Certificate of Appreciation for best articles by the Embassy of Hungary, Islamabad
Topics
- The rich heritage and distinct culture of Hungary
- Tourism in Hungary
- Hungary’s Economic Development in the last decade: A success story
Author Guidelines:
- Word Limit: 1000 - 1200 Words
- Articles must be solely written by the participant
- Copy-pasting is not allowed
Rules:
- Articles must be submitted in Word Format
- Include Name, Age, City, Contact number, Email ID and your photograph
Kindly Email your articles at cgssarticles@gmail.com
Last Date of Submission is 15th May 2021.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ISLAMABAD, MAR 18: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that India would have to make the first move to normalise ties with Pakistan.
“We are trying, but India would have to take the first step and unless it does that we cannot move ahead,” Mr Khan said while inaugurating the first edition of the two-day Islamabad Security Dialogue hosted by the National Security Division in collaboration with government-funded think tanks.
The prime minister, however, did not elaborate what he expected India to do as the first step to resumption of ties.
The perpetually tense relations between the two countries, which have fought three wars, besides engaging in several episodes of limited conflict, to quote the words of PM Khan, suffered a “breakdown” after India forcibly and illegally annexed Occupied Jammu and Kashmir on Aug 5, 2019.
However, the two countries sprung a surprise last month by announcing resumption of ceasefire at the Line of Control (LoC) after a ‘hotline contact’ between the director generals of military operations of the two countries. Many believe that agreement was made possible through a backchannel, although Pakistani officials strongly deny it.
Imran says Kashmir issue is lone irritant between two countries
No violation has since then been reported at LoC and importantly there has been visible reduction in rhetoric from both sides. Prime Minister Khan’s speech at Islamabad Dialogue too was without the usual criticism of the Indian government, whom he had in the past likened to Nazis of Germany, and its actions, especially in Kashmir.
In an apparent explanation of the change in the tone, the prime minister said Pakistan could not fully exploit its geo-economic potential unless it improved its ties with neighbours by strengthening trading connection and establishing peace in the region.
Mr Khan said Kashmir issue was the lone irritant standing in the way of better ties between Pakistan and India.
“We have to see how we can resolve it through dialogue and establish relations like civilised neighbours,” the prime minister further said.
Peace, he said, would benefit both countries. “If poverty has to be eradicated, our trading and economic ties should be strong in addition to greater connectivity,” he maintained.
India, Mr Khan said, could access resource-rich Central Asia if there was peace.
He also touched upon efforts for peace in Afghanistan and said that there was a hope for political settlement of the protracted conflict after a very long time. He at the same time noted that there were still enormous challenges in the way of peace in Afghanistan. “No one should underestimate how difficult it is. There are still many challenges,” he maintained.
Pakistan is participating in a meeting of the ‘expanded troika’ on Afghan peace being held on Thursday in Moscow. Meanwhile, the US is preparing for setting up a regional compact on Afghanistan, whose meeting is likely to be held next month.
The peace talks between Taliban and Afghan government currently underway in Doha are stalemated and much of the diplomatic effort is currently focused on accelerating the process and achieving some sort of understanding before the May 1 deadline for troops withdrawal in US-Taliban agreement signed in Feb 2020.
The prime minister also called for a comprehensive and expanded view of national security in the light of emerging non-traditional threats like climate change, food security, and economic security.
Mr Khan, on this occasion, also launched a Policy Advisory Portal, which has been developed by the National Security Division to engage over 100 think tanks and academia over policy making.
-------------------------------------------------------
COURTESY DAWN NEWS
----------
ISLAMABAD, MAR 18: The Patients’ Aid Foundation (PAF) is a non-profit healthcare management organization that works closely with JPMC officials and the Government of Sindh under a public-private partnership to transform the healthcare landscape at JPMC.
Dr. Amtul Qaddus Latif, Head of Clinical Department, JPMC, believes that the continuous support PAF has provided to the department is very noteworthy.
-------------------------------------------
Social Media
Search