FARUKH SHEHZAD

ISLAMABAD, MAR 31: The National Assembly is scheduled to assemble today at 4pm for a crucial session during which debate on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan will be held.

The resolution against the embattled premier was tabled by the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on March 28 and it was approved for debate the very same day.

According to a 24-point agenda of the session today, the debate on the no-trust motion against the PM is fourth in order.

Yesterday, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said Prime Minister Imran Khan had decided to present a 'secret letter' — purportedly containing details of a "foreign conspiracy" to topple his government — during an in-camera session of the NA or a joint session of parliament, however, no date for when such a session would be called was given.

The premier hopes that after becoming aware of the alleged letter's contents, his party dissidents, as well as disgruntled allies, would change their mind to vote in favour of the no-trust resolution.

Yesterday, the premier had shared the letter with the cabinet members in a hurriedly called meeting, which was not attended by its two major allies — Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) — despite being invited.

The premier had also called a selected group of TV anchors and informed them that "the language of the letter was threatening and arrogant" and that Pakistan would face dire consequences if the no-confidence motion failed.

Parliamentary committee meeting at 6pm

Following the premier's decision to show the letter to parliamentarians, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Thursday summoned a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security at 6pm.

In a statement, the National Assembly Secretariat said the meeting would be presided over by the speaker while the leaders of all parliamentary parties have also been invited to attend.

"A briefing on the secret letter will be given in the national security committee meeting," according to the statement.

PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, MQM-P convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui — all of whom are among members of the committee — have been invited to attend the meeting.

Amongst those specially invited are Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar, Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf, BAP Senator Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti, MNA Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, MNA Makhdoom Hussain Qureshi and MNA Amer Ali Khan Magsi.

Later in the day, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib said that the government "will put all the points in front of you so that tomorrow no one blames us".

"The opposition shouldn't run away now," he said at a media talk in Islamabad.

Habib refused to confirm if Prime Minister Imran would attend the meeting but said that the foreign minister, who was in China for a three-day session on Afghanistan, would be returning today.

"He [Qureshi] will reveal the details in the meeting," the minister added.

Sherry calls for voting today

Meanwhile, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman on Thursday said the NA speaker had no "constitutional" or "moral" justification to delay voting on the no-trust motion and demanded that it be held today.

In a series of tweets, she said that Imran Khan's "artificial" majority had now turned into a minority. "If the no-confidence vote is held, today will be the last day of Imran Khan's selected government. What unseen help is Imran Khan waiting for?"

Earlier in the week, federal Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid had said that voting on the no-confidence resolution would take place on April 3.

In her tweets today, Rehman claimed that the "sinking ship" of the government was using the alleged 'secret letter' to escape.

"After the MQM, BAP, Jamhoori Watan Party and independent members joined the opposition alliance, Imran Khan should not have held the post of Prime Minister for a single day," she tweeted, adding that it was better for the prime minister to resign.

Opposition has upper hand

A day earlier, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), previously a key ally of the PTI-led coalition government, formally announced that it was joining the opposition ranks.

After pulling out the seven-member MQM-P, the opposition parties have now managed to cross the magical figure of 172 — the minimum number required to form the government at the Centre — and now enjoy the support of 177 members in the National Assembly even without nearly over a dozen dissidents of the ruling PTI, who had already publicly declared the withdrawal of their support to the prime minister.

"We had 26 seats in the previous assembly. Under planning, these were reduced to seven. But now we have proved that neither a government can be formed nor removed without these seven seats," said MQM-P convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui while formally making the announcement of the party's decision which, he added, had been endorsed by the party’s decision-making Rabita Committee.

Delay in tabling resolution

A delegation of senior opposition lawmakers had on March 8 submitted the no-trust motion against the premier to the National Assembly Secretariat.

According to the assembly's rules and procedures, from the day the resolution is moved, it "shall not be voted upon before the expiry of three days, or later than seven days".

The no-trust resolution against the prime minister was expected to be tabled on March 25, but the proceedings were deferred after the NA speaker adjourned the sitting within minutes and ignored Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif who wanted to seek the floor to deliver a speech.

He did not allow the opposition's no-trust resolution to be tabled after offering fateha for the deceased PTI MNA from Hangu, Khayal Zaman, as per the parliamentary tradition. Qaiser had stated at the time that according to tradition, the agenda was deferred to the next day when a member of the lower house passed away.

Later, the opposition had lashed out at the speaker for not giving the floor to Shehbaz, stating that it was also a parliamentary tradition that the opposition leader was always given the floor whenever he stood up to speak.

No prime minister in the country's history has seen out a full term, and PM Imran is facing the biggest challenge to his rule since being elected in 2018, with opponents accusing him of economic mismanagement and foreign-policy bungling.

Last year in March, the premier had voluntarily sought a trust vote following an upset in Senate elections. In a show of strength, he had secured 178 votes — six more than required — to win the vote of confidence from the National Assembly.

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Courtesy Dawn News

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• "We are strong supporters of the Middle East region's green ambitions," says the Huawei executive

• Huawei is investing in the future through expansive R&D; 22.4% of its total 2021 revenue was spent on R&D

ISLAMABAD, MAR 30: During an exclusive Middle East roundtable to discuss Huawei's 2021 annual results from a Middle East business perspective, Karl Song, VP of Global Communications, Huawei, highlighted how the company has been at the forefront of the ICT industry, reiterated its competitiveness across the world and commitment to supporting the Middle East digital transformation. 

Commenting on Huawei's recently announced annual report, Song said, "Our total revenue in 2021 reached 99.9 billion dollars and we generated a net profit of 17.8 billion dollars with a net margin of 17.9%. 

Huawei recorded an increase of 75.9% year-on-year in terms of net profit, and overall, we wrapped up the year in a solid financial position." 

"The harder things get, the more we are investing in the future. In 2021, we increased our R&D investment to 22.4 billion dollars, representing 22.4% of our total revenue. 

Both our R&D expenses and R&D expense ratio reached a 10–year high in 2021, and Huawei ranked second in the 2021 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard. Our total R&D investment over the past decade is more than 132.5 billion dollars," added Song.

Song further reiterated Huawei's intention to continue investing heavily in R&D to strengthen its innovation in systems engineering and drive fundamental changes in three areas: fundamental theories, architecture, and software.

The company reported steady performance in its ICT infrastructure business while new business segments like digital power, which is of special importance to the Middle East markets and cloud grew rapidly and its ecosystem development efforts have entered the fast lane. 

"In the Middle East, Huawei continued to play a pivotal role in the development of the region's ICT industry, enabling digital and intelligent transformation accelerated across industries. Innovations in 5G, cloud, AI and other fields are pushing the digital economy into a new phase of development," said Song. 

"The Middle East is ahead of many other regions when it comes to adoption of advanced technologies. Because of the fast roll-out of 5G, for example, some countries in the region serve as a real proof point of how technology can help to advance the development of all industries, especially when integrated with technologies such as cloud and AI," he added.

Globally, Huawei collaborated with carriers and partners to sign more than 3,000 commercial contracts for industrial 5G applications. In 2021, 5G saw large-scale commercial deployment in many industries, including manufacturing, mining, steel, port, chemical, cement, power grid, and healthcare. 

Huawei's 5G solutions for industries have been replicated at scale across eight typical application scenarios, including remote equipment control, data collection, and product quality inspection.

"5G remains a crucial enabler of digital transformation across the Middle East. Huawei enabled the first wave of 5G deployment in many countries across the region. 

Moving forward, we remain committed to contributing to the Middle East countries' technology ambition, especially in light of the mega-events such as the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and help create unparalleled value and experiences for the users," he stated.

Song also highlighted the trend for green development, which has become a globally recognized mission, specifically vital to the Middle East's sustainable future in-line with the carbon neutrality targets many countries in the Middle East have already set. 

As a leader in the global ICT industry, Huawei has been developing innovative green technologies that make ICT products more energy efficient. Using its simplified site solution, renewable energy, and intelligent technologies, Huawei helped carriers in more than 100 countries deploy green sites. 

"We are strong supporters of the Middle East region's green ambitions and the strategies of countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and others to move towards carbon neutrality. Many of our partners across the technology landscape also desire to participate in climate change action. 

This movement involves innovating green, low-carbon networks and data centers while promoting clean energy development. We are doing this today through Huawei Digital Power, including many strategic projects in the Middle East," said Song during the roundtable.

Huawei Digital Power looks at five areas of business globally: Smart PV, data center facilities, mPower for electric vehicles, site power, and integrated energy solutions. Song reiterated that Huawei Digital Power sees the Middle East region and the Gulf specifically as strategically important as it seeks to contribute to a low-carbon, smarter society powered by digital technologies. 

"While we will have cooperation with businesses in all of the previously mentioned five domains in the GCC, I believe that Smart PV and data center facilities are particularly important to this region," he added.

The Huawei executive noted that in UAE, the company partnered with Moro Hub, a subsidiary of DEWA, to roll out the largest 100% green power DC in the region. In Saudi Arabia, Huawei is constructing one of its largest projects in the Red Sea to roll out an energy storage infrastructure with a capacity of 1,300 gigawatt-hours. 

"Even in a post-pandemic environment, we see clear opportunities to support Middle East organizations in their digital transformation and reimagine the future. It involves bringing technological advances to even more industries and creating new value by helping governments and enterprises go digital while operating more intelligently. The task ahead is about ensuring all people benefit from technological progress," Song concluded.

Huawei remains committed to contributing to the development of the region's ICT ecosystem and nurturing local talent through cooperation with governments, universities, and industry organizations. Its annual initiatives include the Huawei ICT Academy, Seeds For The Future, and the Huawei Middle East ICT Competition— the latest edition benefited 15,000 students across the region. 

Through these programs, Huawei has already empowered the skilling and upskilling of many young people in the region.

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Munaza Kazmi

Year 1979, when Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan, that resulted in a huge amount of Afghan refugees crossing the border into Pakistan; same people who voted negatively at the time of creation of Pakistan. 

This influx started through Torkham border, hence a million of Afghan refugees entered the country. Till today the country is showing hospitality towards thoseAfghan refugees, nevertheless the number became swollen hugely in the past forty years.

In the early years, Pakistan was receiving a handsome support globally, including food assistance from World Food Program to feed those empty stomachs, nevertheless that assistance was withdrawn in 1995. 

Gradually that made the Afghan refugees to move from the camps and turn themselves to the urban areas of Pakistan, nevertheless this was in good favor of those Afghan refugees, but still local government put a strain of limited resources.

If we contemplate the idea today then we could analysis how badly it turned for the country of Pakistan, first to let those Afghan refugees cross the border and then let them move to Pakistan’s civil areas, today much of Pakistan’s land is polluted with the whereabouts of these Afghan refugees.

Later the donors, like UNHCR, USA, EU, KSA, and other Islamic countries that first supported Pakistan in feeding thoseAfghan refugees have also set back, backing the 9/11 terrorist attack, since there seemed a drastic ideological change among the communities worldwide regarding the region.

Nevertheless, UNHCR somehow continued its support which assisted Pakistan in improving the Afghan refugee’s lives, but due to the recent global crises, mainly Syria, the focus of international community had diverted, which made Pakistan single handed in carrying this never-ending burden.

Over last four decades the Government of Pakistan and its populace is hosting millions of Afghan refugees. Currently there are 1.4 Million registered and God knows how many are wondering here and there undocumented.

Hence, the Government of Pakistan has reflected a very flexible conduct in handling the Afghan refugees’ issues and has allowed them to live with freedom, the liberty of moving, the luxury of education, food and safety. 

Even Pakistan have went so far in providing them with POR card from which they could open accounts in any bank.Moreover, several different programs had been initiated by private public partnership to provide the Afghan refugees with skills so that they could earn their livelihood. 

Even though Pakistan been so generous that the countryhas allowed the Afghan refugees to have higher education, encouraged them to join the national sport teams and domestic cricket tournaments.

But the sole purpose of hosting the Afghan refugees was to provide them with “asylum” until the situation easy in Afghanistan, which was a sign of humanity. But unfortunately, these Afghan refugees have rooted them selves which the wish of living in the heaven of Pakistan forever, as theses Afghans seem reluctant to go back to their country. 

It has been more than forty years that Pakistan is under the liability which never belonged to it. Today Pakistan have much more Afghan refugees spreading everywhere, which I believe was one of the biggest mistake Pakistan ever come across. 

While the country remained a generous host till all those years, the continued presence of Afghan refugees marked a burden on our precious resources.

Moreover, with the advancement of Taliban in Afghanistan, the government of Pakistan in 2021 however for the cause of humanity had taken a costly and foolish decision of allowing a huge number of refugees to reenter in Pakistan. Nevertheless, this was for a few months, but these few months had been turning into year, which is a disastrous sign, since the whole country is infiltrated with Afghans, our every business of life is being cruelly disturbed. 

Let’s say the rental values of homes have been climbed drastically, once the minimal cost of commodities of everyday use have surmounted, along crime rate, drugs mobility and a lot more. Moreover, it’s a threat to our culture, our language and our tradition, this’s basically against the national interest. 

As we have been their host for a long long time, instead of going back, herds of refugees had come once more.

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Munaza Kazmi holds MPhil in Management Sciences (Bahria University Islamabad, 2020). She’s a travel writer, an author, & co-author of scientific contributions in national & international publications. Her main areas of research include tourism & quality management.

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LAHORE, MAR 29: Lahore Zonergy Solar development Pakistan, Pakistan’s Leading Solar Solution provider, has showcased a complete range of its Solar products in Country Biggest 10th Solar Pakistan and 3rd Electricity International renewable energy exhibition held in Lahore expo Center. The 3 days exhibition, started from 26th to 28th March, is organized by Pakistan renowned exhibitor FAKT Exhibitor Pvt Ltd. The Event has become the center of attention for the leading Renewable Energy traders and manufacturers who not only displayed their top-of-the-line products but forged business partnerships with other stakeholders. Zonergy showcases its ESS system, Solar Panels, On-grid and Hybrid Inverters for visitors to experience our products. The event is inaugurated by Mr. Noman Kabir President of Lahore Chambers of Commerce with leading industry personalities like Chairman of NEPRA Mr. Tauseef H Farooqi, CEO AEDB Mr. Shah Jahan Mirza, MD NEECA Dr. Saradar Moazzam and Chairman EDB Mr. Almas Haider who visited participating companies' booths and appreciated the participants. Chief Guests Show special interest in Zonergy Booth along with other companies stalls to get brief about Solar products.

The 3 Days Exhibition attracted a massive crowd of more than 20,000 visitors from leading Industry producers and distributors to forge partnerships and sign business deals. The Event got extensive coverage of all Media outlets including print, Electronic and digital Media channels. Center of attention is Zonergy Booth which has provided product experience and customer dealing to more than hundreds potential business Clients. The various renowned companies from Solar Energy Sector, SME, Engineering firms, and existing customers approached Zonergy to extend the business cooperation. Some of the leading firms’ senior representatives showed keen interest in entering into collaboration with Zonergy for business partnerships by signing billions worth of contracts.

GM Pakistan Mr. Max Maa appreciated the FAKT Exhibitors Pvt Ltd for organizing SOLAR Pakistan and ELECTRICITY Pakistan Exhibition he further said “The exhibition played a vital role in bridging the gap between end user and the industry. It’s a good omen in Post COVID Scenario and provides an opportunity to give first-hand experience to end product users. Zonergy always believes in providing experience base products to its customers and welcome the client feedback to offer best competitive solar solutions. We’ll continue our journey towards excellence to elevate the solar industry in Pakistan and ensure to raise the bar by offering state-of-the-Art Solar solutions to our consumers. Our aim is to take the Solar industry to the next level in Pakistan with the most advanced technology”.   

Zonergy has been working with the Pakistan government to develop a complete Solar ecosystem in Pakistan to reduce energy cost and transform the Energy sector of the country. Currently, Zonergy acquires more than 30% market share of distributed PV energy storage in Pakistan. Currently it has 64 franchise networks spread across Pakistan to ensure timely delivery of products and quality customer services. Zonergy has an ambitious expansion plan for this year in which the Company intends to inject more investment in terms of providing Hi-Tech Solar products to its customers, generation more employment by increasing its workforce, expanding franchise network to provide quality services to every part of the country and helping the country to meet its growing demand of clean energy.

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ISLAMABAD, MAR 29: Pakistan’s leading cellular and digital services company, Zong 4G, has joined hands with Tracking World Pvt Ltd to offer state-of-the-art vehicle infotainment solutions for leading vehicle brands in Pakistan. 

Leading the digital innovation in the country, the partnership will bring new advanced solutions that will contribute to the digital transformation of vehicles in the country. 

Through this partnership, the companies will integrate their suite of technologies, primarily by incorporating Tracking World’s vehicle solution as part of Zong 4G’s connectivity and digital solutions. 

The partnership was signed by the management of both companies during the ceremony held in Lahore. 

Moreover, the partnership will facilitate the leading automakers in Pakistan for connected vehicles through in-car operation software systems focusing on 4G-powered cockpits, high-definition mapping and connectivity products. 

Zong is one of the leading operators to provide customized solutions to corporates of all domains and sizes in the industry. The partnership with Tracking World is in line with Zong’s efforts to help businesses digitalize and provide innovative solutions.

Commenting on the partnership, the spokesperson of Zong 4G shared, “As part of our mission to bring innovative digital solutions and follow our slogan of ‘Let’s Get Digital’, we are collaborating with companies such as Tracking World to offer products and services, to offer unmatched user experience. Through our partnership, together we will ensure the digital of the vehicle industry in Pakistan.”

Tracking World Pvt Ltd is one of the most renowned tech companies in Pakistan and is engaged in vehicle management, surveillance, and infotainment for a long time. The company is making infotainment technology more sophisticated and robust with the goal of bringing a high-quality user connectivity experience. 

“We are excited to partner with Zong 4G, as they will leverage their most-advanced connectivity and solution to bring unparalleled opportunity for transformation across the vehicle industry in the country. We aim to make the selection and adoption of infotainment solutions easier, more accessible, and affordable for all vehicles.”

The infotainment solution of Tracking World underpinned by the widest and best-in-class 4G network in the country, Zong 4G, will adhere to provide new technologies that will digitally transform the infotainment solution whilst building customer trust.

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ISLAMABAD, MAR 28: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday barred the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from initiating action against Prime Minister Imran Khan for allegedly violating the code of conduct during the ongoing campaign for the second phase of the local government polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Justice Aamer Farooq observed that the electoral body could issue notices over a breach of law but couldn’t impose fines or disqualify candidates.

The ECP earlier issued notices to Prime Minister Khan, KP Governor Shah Farman, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, federal ministers Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar and Murad Saeed, and others for allegedly violating the canvassing rules ahead of the polls, set to take place on March 31.

After receiving the ECP notices, PM Imran and Planning Minister Asad Umar had petitioned the IHC, claiming that since the presidential ordinance last month that amended election laws in the country, public office holders were now allowed to canvass during election campaigns.

On March 18, the IHC had declined to issue an interim order to restrain the ECP from proceeding against Prime Minister Imran Khan and federal ministers and asked Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan for assistance in this matter.

During proceedings today, Justice Farooq asked the AGP if the ECP had approached him for consultation on the revisions it made to the ordinance amending the Elections Act, to which he replied in the affirmative.

He, however, argued that a prime minister was the head of the party and a “star performer”.

“How can you exclude the star performer from the campaign?”

The president, he said, was the head of the state and, therefore, could be stopped. “But the prime minister is the leader of a party and can’t be bound.”

He pointed out that if a party’s head was the PM, he was stopped, but opposition leaders could run campaigns and gained benefits out of it.

The AGP proposed that the PM could be stopped from some things during the election campaign such as announcing a development package.

Justice Farooq inquired if the ECP held disqualification powers, to which the AGP said it could. “According to the law, the ECP can issue a notice to any political party or a member contesting the elections.”

But, he contended, the PM was neither a political party nor a candidate. “How can a notice be issued to him?”

The court then asked if the PM was issued a disqualification notice. AGP Khan said that the premier was expected to receive one after April 2.

The attorney general added that the PM received notices every other day. “One of them directed him to appear before the district monitoring officer in Mingora. This is unlawful. Only the ECP can summon the prime minister.”

At this point, the counsel of ECP pointed out that a public office holder could go to his constituency but couldn’t participate in an election campaign. He added that during the election drives, government machinery such as helicopters was used.

The AGP countered him by citing a notification issued by the interior ministry which said that the PM bore all the expenses of election campaigns himself. In spite of that, he pointed out, “as soon as the PM leaves for a rally, the ECP issues a notice”.

It had even imposed a fine of Rs50,000 on the prime minister, he added.

The court, subsequently, adjourned the hearing till April 6 and barred the ECP from acting against the premier until then.

The election ordinance

Last month, President Dr Arif Alvi had promulgated an ordinance amending the Elections Act and added Section 181(A) to it, allowing members of parliament, provincial assembly or elected members of local government to visit or address public meetings in “any area or constituency” before elections.

However, the chief election commissioner, during a consultative meeting with the representatives of some 17 political parties, sought the draft code of conduct for the next elections. According to a statement issued by the ECP, the commission revised the code of conduct for all stakeholders in light of the consultation.

It allowed ordinary members of parliament and provincial assemblies to take part in canvassing but issued notices to Mr Khan and ministers summoning them on March 14.

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Courtesy Dawn News

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ISLAMABAD, MAR 28: Huawei released its 2021 Annual Report today, revealing that the company had maintained solid operations throughout the past year. As per the report, Huawei achieved USD 99.9 billion in revenue in 2021, and USD 17.8 billion in net profits, an increase of 75.9% year-on-year. 

The company's R&D expenditure reached about USD 22.38 billion in 2021, representing 22.4% of its total revenue, and bringing its total R&D expenditure over the past 10 years to over USD 132.5 billion. Moving forward, the company also plans to continuously increase investment in R&D.

Guo Ping, Huawei's Rotating Chairman, stated at the press conference, "Overall, our performance was in line with forecast. Our carrier business remained stable, our enterprise business experienced steady growth, and our consumer business quickly expanded into new domains. In addition, we embarked on a fast track of ecosystem development."

Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's CFO, also spoke at the event, "Despite a revenue decline in 2021, our ability to make a profit and generate cash flows is increasing, and we are more capable of dealing with uncertainty." 

Thanks to the enhanced profitability of its major businesses, the company's cash flow from operating activities dramatically increased in 2021, amounting to USD 9.3 billion. Its liability ratio also dropped to 57.8%, and its overall financial structure has become more resilient and flexible.

In 2021, Huawei's carrier business generated USD44.1 billion in revenue and helped carriers around the world deploy leading 5G networks. Third-party test results have found that 5G networks built by Huawei for customers in 13 countries, including Switzerland, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia, provide the best user experience. 

By working with carriers and partners, Huawei has signed more than 3,000 commercial contracts for industrial 5G applications. These kinds of 5G applications are currently seeing large-scale commercial use in sectors like manufacturing, mines, iron & steel plants, ports, and hospitals.

Thanks to continuing digital transformation trends, Huawei's enterprise business also grew rapidly, generating USD 16.06 billion in revenue during 2021. In the past year, Huawei launched 11 scenario-based solutions for key sectors such as government, transportation, finance, energy, and manufacturing. 

The company also established multiple dedicated teams, including a Coal Mine Team, a Smart Road Team, and a Customs & Port Team, to combine resources in a way that more efficiently serves the needs of its customers. Over 700 cities and 267 Fortune Global 500 companies have chosen Huawei as their digital transformation partner and Huawei now works with more than 6,000 service and operation partners around the world.

Huawei's consumer business zeroed in on consumer wants and needs, further building out the global ecosystem for a smart, all-connected era, as part of the company's Seamless AI Life strategy for consumers around the world. This business generated USD 38.17 billion in revenue in 2021 and continued to see steady sales growth in smart wearables, smart screens, true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds, and Huawei Mobile Services (HMS). 

In particular, the smart wearable and smart screen segments both saw 30%+ year-on-year growth. In total, HarmonyOS was used in over 220 million Huawei devices as of 2021, becoming the world's fastest growing mobile device operating system.

During the past year, Huawei also focused on building out its openEuler, MindSpore, and HarmonyOS ecosystems based on the principles of open collaboration and shared growth. Over eight million developers are currently using Huawei's open platforms, open-source software, and development tools to explore new business scenarios and business models.

Guo stressed, "Moving forward, Huawei will advance its journey of digitalization, intelligent transformation, and low carbon. Relying on talent, scientific research, and an innovative spirit, we will continuously increase investment to reshape our paradigms for fundamental theories, architecture, and software, and build our long-term competitiveness."

All financial statements in the 2021 Annual Report were independently audited by KPMG, an international Big Four accounting firm. To download the 2021 Annual Report, please visit https://www.huawei.com/en/annual-report/2021. 

Note: The 2021 closing exchange rate is USD1.00 = CNY6.3753

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ISLAMABAD, MAR 28: The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has announced PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as its candidate for Punjab chief minister after incumbent Usman Buzdar presented his resignation to the prime minister.

In a message on Twitter, the prime minister’s aide on political communication, Shahbaz Gill, made the announcement. Later, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib confirmed that Buzdar had presented his resignation to the prime minister. Habib further said that PML-Q had decided to support the government in the no-confidence resolution submitted against PM Imran by the joint opposition.

Shortly before Gill’s announcement, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry hinted that a “big change” in the Punjab government was in the offing, saying “it is obvious that the decision for a change in the [provincial] government has to be taken [now]”.

His comments came after the opposition submitted a no-confidence motion against incumbent Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar in the Punjab Assembly today.

Chaudhry made the remarks during an informal talk.

When asked whether Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervez Elahi will meet Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chaudhry said the meeting was taking place today.

“Many big changes are about to take place,” said the minister.

Chaudhry said details of the “big decisions” would be divulged very soon.

Earlier today, a delegation of senior lawmakers submitted the no-trust motion against Buzdar with Punjab Assembly Secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti. The secretary confirmed that the motion had been submitted, adding that it would be presented to the assembly speaker according to the rules and regulations.

“Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi will take action on the no-confidence motion and requisition [notice] in accordance with the Constitution and the law,” he said.

An official handout issued by the provincial assembly stated that 127 lawmakers had signed the no-trust motion against Buzdar while 120 had signed the requisition notice.

“As per the Constitution, the signatures of 74 members are required to requisition the provincial assembly session,” Mashhood said in a video, adding that Buzdar can’t dissolve the assembly once the no-trust move is submitted.

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Courtesy Dawn News

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BAKU, MAR 28: The Azerbaijani Army, led by President Ilham Aliyev, is strengthening its positions by conducting dislocaton works, Azerbaijani lawmaker Javid Osmanov, who is also a member of the Board of the Yeni Azerbaijan Party, told Report.

“Thus, the Farrukh village, one of our ancestral territories, has also been transferred under Azerbaijan’s control,” he said.

“In the 44-day Patriotic War, under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev.

our brave Army won a historic victory, liberated our lands that were held under occupation for 30 years and ensured our territorial integrity. At the same time, Armenia knelt down and signed an act of capitulation, and on November 10, 2020, a tripartite statement was signed by the Presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia.

“According to the statement, a Russian peacekeeping contingent was deployed in part of our territories, in our historical lands,” he said.

The lawmaker added that the transfer of Farrukh village of Khojaly district to the control of Azerbaijan is another historic victory.

Courtesy azerbaycan24.com

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ISLAMABAD, MAR 27: Prime Minister Imran Khan is currently addressing his party’s power show titled Amr Bil Maroof (enjoin the good) and billed as a “historic” event at Parade Ground in Islamabad.

The prime minister took the podium after his fellow PTI leaders took turns addressing their party workers and supporters, who have assembled at his call ahead of a no-trust move against him in the National Assembly.

“First of all, I thank my nation. The way you turned up on my call from all corners of Pakistan, I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart,” PM Imran said in his opening remarks. “I also pay tribute to my team of parliamentarians as ‘you were offered money and attempts were made to bribe you but you made me happy and I am proud of you.’

“I want to speak my heart out and I want you to listen to me quietly. I invited you for Amr Bil Maroof to emphasise that our Pakistan was built on the ideology of Islamic welfare state. We had to build the country on the basis of Riyasat e Madina.

“Shah Mehmood Qureshi had said [in his speech earlier that] there is an external interference in Pakistan … I will speak about it later. [First], you must understand that we cannot become a nation until we stand by our actual ideology.

“I want to clarify that I also did not know the ideology of Pakistan for quite some time. I left for abroad at the age of 18. As I began to understand the religion, I noticed that the orders of Allah to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) were implemented more in the West.

“In Britain, free medical treatment, free education, unemployment benefits, and free legal aid is given to the people. Our Prophet had created Riysat-e-Madina where the state had taken responsibility of its people.”

The prime minister recalled what he said were his government’s measures to alleviate the burden on the public.

“We are providing loans to families for housing, technical education and small businesses. As soon as our tax was enhanced, I announced a subsidy and reduced rates of petrol and ‘Fazlur Rehman’,” he said. “I also offered a subsidy in power tariff. I promise I will spend more money on my people as our government collects more capital in taxes.”

The premier arrived at the venue in a helicopter as footage shared on the PTI’s Twitter account showed a large crowd in attendance, with buses and cars lined up outside.

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Courtesy Dawn News

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ISLAMABAD, MAR 27: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday urged his party workers and supporters to reach Islamabad’s Parade Ground early ahead of his party’s “historic” power show.

Islamabad is all set to host the rally amid mounting political tensions days before the National Assembly goes to vote on the no-confidence resolution submitted by the opposition against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Workers and leaders of PTI begun descending in the capital as the party prepared to make its Amr Bil Maroof (enjoin the good) public meeting a bigger success than tit-for-tat rallies being led by opposition parties.

In an audio message released on Twitter early on Sunday, PM Imran said that today’s rally was not just PTI’s war but belonged to the entire nation. “This is a battle for the future of Pakistan.”

The premier urged supporters to reach the venue early as there were fears of blockades. “I’m scared you may not be able to reach on time because of this.

“God willing, we will make history in Pakistan today,” he added.

Meanwhile, federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary said that a “brave nation needed a brave leader”, adding that PM Imran would never let the nation bow down. In a video message, he urged citizens to attend the “historic rally”.

Islamabad police also provided directions for participants making their way to the venue. The Islamabad deputy commissioner added that all roads were open in Islamabad while entry and exit points were clear.

“Only Srinagar Highway is closed at H-9 area but alternate routes are open,” he said.

PTI supporters make their way to Islamabad

Social media was abuzz in anticipation of the prime minister’s rally, with supporters sharing images and videos of them making their way to Islamabad.

A PTI Sindh caravan, led by Opposition Leader in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh, had reached Islamabad on Saturday. The caravan had started its journey from Karachi on Friday. Additionally, the party said that a train — carrying supporters from Karachi — had reached Lahore on Sunday morning. Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood, too, led a “large rally” from Lahore, which is on its way to the capital.

“Other PTI caravans are on their way from across the country to participate in the historic public meeting,” PTI Senator Faisal Javed said.

PTI added that caravans — being led by federal ministers and local PTI leaders — from Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit-Baltistan had also left for the rally.

Fawad asks party workers to facilitate media

The information minister said that Pakistan’s media fraternity and more than 43 representatives from international media organisaitions had gathered at Parade Ground to cover the rally.

He directed PTI workers to facilitate media workers, saying: “The world will see this historic rally through the eye of the media.”

On Saturday, a PTI spokesperson announced that the media professionals would not be allowed to use professional cameras to record the event as “cameras pose security risk”.

This led to organisers and media crew exchanging arguments after the latter were told that cameras belonging to private TV channels would not be allowed due to the “security protocol” of the prime minister but they would be allowed to use their mobile phones for footage and photos.

Sheikh Rashid warns JUI-F against creating unrest

Separately, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid warned the JUI-F against creating unrest in the capital. He also told the opposition that PM Imran would “play until the last ball and the last over”.

Speaking to the media in Islamabad, the minister said that the PML-N had been given permission for staging a rally on March 28 (tomorrow), predicting that voting on the no-trust move would be conducted by April 4.

Rashid also informed the nation that the interior ministry’s command and control centre was operational round the clock, adding that he was personally monitoring it. He stated that any incident could be reported on 0519206660 and 0519218594.

“All of Islamabad is open. Don’t go off of rumours.”

He also revealed that the prime minister wished to address the rally around 5pm, despite the large number of people that were still en route to the capital. “Even though the political committee said to delay [the speech], he wants to do it earlier during the day time,” he said, urging citizens to make haste in reaching Parade Ground.

In case there are obstacles, we have approximately 15,000 security personnel to maintain law and order, he said.

Addressing the JUI-F protesters, the minister said that the Islamabad High Court chief justice had issued directives for keeping Srinagar Highway open. “If you come and resort to violence, then the law will be enforced according to the chief justice’s orders whatever the result may be.”

He said that the party had a right to stage a rally, but warned that the capital administration would take action against them if they resorted to violence.

“I want to say this to JUI-F specifically: Srinagar Highway should be kept open. Stay within your area. The time allotted to you is up. The PML-N has asked for this place on March 28 […]. If your aim is to spread chaos or stop the people travelling for Imran Khan’s rally, that won’t happen. We are sitting right here.”

The minister also predicted that the opposition would be left empty-handed. “Whatever the result, I have inside information, you will get nothing and Imran Khan will prevail.”

Opposition’s march

Workers and leaders of the JUI-F, under the banner of the opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), had already come to take the stage on the Srinagar Highway while PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz, along with Punjab opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz was leading her party caravan via GT Road to the capital, calling it the last nail in the coffin of the PTI government.

The PML-N said the PDM’s long march could stay in the capital for two or more days depending on the political situation despite the interior minister’s warning that the opposition would not be permitted to extend its stay.

The Islamabad High Court on Saturday warned the JUI-F against violating conditions of the no-objection certificate for holding a public gathering under the PDM banner and directed the capital administration to act against violators in accordance with the law.

The organisers of the JUI-F public gathering assured the capital administration that they would follow the terms and conditions of the NOC in letter and spirit.

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Courtesy Dawn News

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