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PR.No.45. Dr. Fahmida Mirza, Speaker and Faisal Karim Kundi, Deputy Speaker National Assembly, have expressed sorrow and grief over the sad demise of Rana Tariq Mehmood, Member Provincial Assembly, Punjab who died in a road accident last night. In their separate condolence messages, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker said that they were deeply grieved over the passing away of Rana Tariq Mehmood. They prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved family to bear the loss with equanimity “Amin”. MMS/AZC
PR.No.46. Rawalpindi: May 07, 2008 Pakistan and Australia have underlined the need to develop strategic relationship and expand the existing ties in the areas of trade, economy and defence. This was discussed at a meeting between Minister for Defence, Chaudary Ahmad Mukhtar, and the visiting Australian Chief of Defence Forces, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, who called on the Minister here today. The meeting discussed the security situation of the region with focus on war on terror. The Minister highlighted the counter-terrorism measures taken by Pakistan. He conveyed to the Australian Chief of Defence Forces that Pakistan would not allow its territory to be used as launching paid by the extremists and terrorists elements. He informed the visiting dignitary that Pakistan had adopted a three-pronged strategy based on negotiations, economic development and the use of force to stem the tide of terrorism. He said that terrorism posed a greater challenge to the world peace and stability and its elimination was only possible by addressing its real causes like poverty, ignorance and sense of deprivation. He said that the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) needed the development of economic infrastructure so as to generate economic and employment opportunities in the area. The Australian Chief of Defence Forces Mr. Angus Houston, said that his country was very keen to promote a strategic relationship with Pakistan for the mutual benefits of the two sides. He told the Minister that his country wanted to work together with Pakistan to stamp out terrorism. He said the role of Pakistan was very crucial in eliminating the menace of terrorism. He held out an assurance to assist Pakistan in combating and defeating terrorism. He also lauded the key role played by Pakistan against the war on terror. /AZC
PR.No.47. Islamabad: May 07, 2008 Federal Senior Minister, Ch. Nisar Ali Khan said Pakistan wants to strengthen ties with United States and attaches great importance to its relations with United States. He said this while meeting with Ms. Anne W. Patterson, Ambassador of United State to Pakistan. The Minister said bilateral relations between the two countries have a long history and we want durability and sustainability in this relationship. The Minister said people of Pakistan are peace loving and they have never supported and will not support terrorism in any form. The Ambassador said Pakistan is a very important country and United States considers Pakistan a true friend and close ally. The Minister said the present democratic coalition is true representative of people of Pakistan and future of Pakistan as a democratic and progressive country is very bright. He stressed the need of strengthening trade and economic tries between the two countries. He emphasized on enhancing bilateral cooperation in education and health sectors. NR/AZC
PR.No.48. President Pervez Musharraf has said that Pakistan Armed forces have been equipped with latest state of the art equipment and weapons to make the Defence of our country impregnable. The President was addressing the Officers, JCO(s), NCO(s) and Jawans of 4 AK. Regiment at a darbar here today. Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaque Pervez Kiyani, Corps Commander Ltd. Gen. Mohsin Kamal and other senior officers were present on the occasion. The President said that the operational preparedness of our Armed forces is best among the best in the world and due to this the defence of our country is in safe hands. He said Pakistan is a peaceful country but a strong defensive line is a sine qua non for the attainment of peace. He said that there is always room for the enhancement of training and the level of operational preparedness of our Armed Forces. The President while emphasizing on the need for strong economic base of the country said that the security of our country is directly associated with the economic development of our country. He lauded the services of 4 AK Regiment during war and peace time and wished the unit success in its new station of duty. It may be mentioned the unit was performing duties of Guard Battalion at Islamabad and Rawalpindi. SMA/AZC
PR.No.49 To motivate and provide incentives to technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions to focus on providing quality training, National Vocational & Technical Education Commission (NAVTEC) would establish 42 Government Technical Training Centres (Male & Female) in rented buildings in uncovered tehsils in Punjab and 42 Skill Development Centers in AJK. The approved cost of 02 projects is Rs. 354.655 million and Rs. 188.392 million respectively. The execution period of the schemes is 30 months. The schemes have been recently approved by Central Development Working Party (CDWP) in its meeting held on 12-01-2008 according to all codal formalities and guide lines approved by ECNEC. In Punjab, 16 trades of 3-6 months duration of courses in 21 tehsils will be covered where proposed number of beneficiary centers is 42. A total number of 10425 persons will be trained. Similarly, in AJK 8 trades of 3-6 months duration of courses in 12 tehsils will be covered where proposed number of beneficiary centers is 42. A total number of 11760 persons will be trained. Range of the courses includes Light Engineering, Hospitality, Construction, Skills for women, Agriculture and Food Processing and Services Sector. The courses are offered free of charge and the selected candidates will be paid a stipend of Rs. 2000/- per month during the course. Duration of the courses is from three to six months. The schemes are aimed at equipping unemployed youth with modern technical skills, upgrading their skills for better jobs to raise their income and ultimately alleviate poverty. National Vocational & Technical Education Commission (NAVTEC) supports Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions (TVET) that are running courses relevant to market needs. NAVTEC also supports TVET institutions to create additional capacity to train unemployed educated youth in the sectors facing skills shortage as envisioned by the President and under Prime Minister’s special initiative for skills development. Schedule for training courses will be announced by concerned training providers training institutes in National/regional media later on. Special emphasis has been given to training of women and disadvantaged section of society and backward areas of AJK and Punjab which have so far uncovered in technical and vocational education. SMA/AZC
PR.No.50. Government of Pakistan is determined to stop at every cost the smuggling of the children used as camel Jockeys in camel race in UAE and other Middle East countries stated by the Advisor on Interior to the Prime Minister Mr. A. Rehman Malik after his meeting with the Ambassador of UAE His Highness Ali Muhammad Al-Shamsi. The Advisor appreciated the role of His Highness Khaleefa bin Al-Nahyaan the ruler of Dubai, Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Al-Nahyaan, Foreign minister Abdullah Bin Al-Nahyaan in controlling this activity in UAE and with out their cooperation it was not possible to deal with this menace. The Advisor also appreciated the initiatives taken by the UAE government to rehabilitate the deprived children through rehabilitation Centers where they are properly treated and made active members of the civil society and repatriated to their countries for reuniting them with their families. The Advisor also thanked the Ambassador for contributing an amount of $67000 US for endowment fund for the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau from the Government of UAE for the rehabilitation of child jockeys who were recovered from camel jockeys smugglers. Currently 48 such children are under treatment. Pakistan and UAE are brotherly countries and they have historic and traditional relations and the help and cooperation of people and the government of UAE during the earthquake in October 2005 is praise worthy. In the present democratic dispensation in Pakistan the relations between these two Islamic countries will be strengthened further and this cooperation will be extended in every field, The Advisor added. The Advisor said that government of Pakistan is taking every possible step to stop this heinous crime and will take strict action against any government functionary and any other elements involved in this activity. The immigration authorities and other law enforcement agencies have been directed in this regard and no leniency will be shown in dealing with this crime. A special directive has been issued to the DG, FIA in this regard. MK/AZC
PR.No.51. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the construction industry is very important for country’s economic growth, infrastructure development as well as employment generation. The government, he said, would take steps for solving its problems and ensuring its growth and progress. The Prime Minister said this while talking to a delegation of All Pakistan Contractors Association (APCA), who called on him at the PM’s Secretariat this evening. The Prime Minister asked all the concerned ministries to adopt a concerted approach in consultation with the representatives of APCA for removing the difficulties, which the construction industry is facing. The Prime Minister asked the construction industry to train manpower not only for meeting the country’s domestic requirements but also the needs of the foreign markets. He asked the representatives of APCA to keep liaison with government bodies like TEVTA and NAVTEC in this regard. The representatives of the construction industry assured the Prime Minister that despite operational difficulties they would gear up efforts so that the government’s vision of ensuring housing for all can be achieved. The Prime Minister was apprised that the construction sector provides direct employment to unskilled labour who are trained in various disciplines. He was further informed that 29 local technology based industries are directly related to the construction business. APCA delegation also briefed the Prime Minister about the potential in the construction sector with regards to improving national economy, infrastructure development and employment generation in addition to meeting the housing needs of the people. The Prime Minister was further informed that the construction sector of the country is almost entirely working within the country and if it gets organized the sector has the potential of exporting its labour as well as consultancy services which can help the country earn foreign exchange worth billions of dollars. Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Chairman FBR, Secretary Communication, Secretary Industries & Production and Secretary Housing also attended the meeting. DSG/ank
PR.No.52. Newly appointed Foreign Secretary Mr. Salman Bashir called on Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani at the PM’s Secretariat this evening. The Prime Minister expressed the confidence that with his vast experience and international exposure Mr. Salman Bashir would be able to promote Pakistan’s stance on important regional and international issues. The Foreign Secretary assured the Prime Minister that he would do his best to live up to the expectations of the government. DSG/ank
PR.No.53. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that Pakistan and Bangladesh are bound in enduring ties of shared faith, history and culture and both countries need to further strengthen their bilateral relations in all fields. This was stated by the Prime Minister while talking to Dr. Iftikhar Ahmed, Advisor for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, who called on him at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat this afternoon. The Prime Minister called upon the need for enhancing people to people contacts, frequent exchange of business delegations and high level visits from both sides in order to understand each other and help in promoting cooperation in all fields including economic, political, diplomatic, education, defense and security matters. Dr. Iftikhar conveyed the greetings of the leadership and the sentiments of the people of Bangladesh to the Prime Minister for assuming his office and obtaining unanimous vote of confidence. He also extended the invitation from the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh to the Prime Minister to visit Bangladesh at his earliest convenience. Talking about the need for cooperation among South Asian nations the Prime Minister said there is a lot of potential in these countries and they can share the best practices with each other. Pakistan, he said, considers SAARC an important organization to promote regional cooperation, peace, prosperity and harmony in South Asia, which should be further energized to meet its true potential. The Advisor for Foreign Affairs said that Bangladesh attached high priority to its relations with Pakistan since both countries have commonality of views on international and regional issues. He expressed the hope that Pakistan would soon rejoin the Commonwealth and Bangladesh would support Pakistan in this regard. The Advisor also underlined the need for further promotion of relations in the filed of trade, economic, shipping, cultural and education. He said that both the countries have strong historical ties and are contributing towards peace and development in South Asia. DSG/ank
PR.No.54. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that coalition’s government would take all necessary measures to redress the difficulties of the people and come up to their expectations. The Prime Minister was talking to the Chief Minister Punjab, Sardar Dost Muhammad Khosa, who called on him here at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat this afternoon. The Prime Minister said that both PPP and PML(N) are committed with Charter of Democracy (COD) signed by their leaders which extend ample opportunity to lead the country towards real democracy. In this context, he said that this historic document envisage restoration of 1973 Constitution, Supremacy of the Parliament, Independence of all state institutions including the Judiciary, Election Commission and media. The Prime Minister said that the democratic governments both at the Centre and Provincial level are confronted with a lot of challenges but expressed the resolve to address these issues on priority basis. He specifically mentioned the crisis of food and energy which require focused approach to mitigate the sufferings of the people. On the issue of law & order and anti-smuggling measures, he said that concerted efforts are needed to ensure availability of wheat in all parts of the country. The Chief Minister apprised the Prime Minister of various measures undertaken by the Punjab government to check smuggling of wheat and improving the law & Order situation. He said that both the coalition parties are working with commitment to bring about the change in the life of people and to provide them basic facilities of life. DSG/ank
PR.No.55. Federal Minister for Information Technology & Telecom Mr. Qamar Zaman Kaira has said that his ministry is determined to take all stake holders along to meet the challenges faced by the Telecom sector in the country. The Minister said this while chairing a meeting during his visit to PTA Headquarters in Islamabad today. Chairman PTA, Major General (Retd) Shahzada Alam Malik briefed the Minister about the functions of PTA, regulatory initiatives and performance of the telecom sector. The Minister said that in view of the ever changing global telecom scenario, both the ministry and the regulator should work out modalities for the future expansion of the telecom services to the people as well as for the introduction of new technologies in the country in order to fully exploit the true potential of the industry. He appreciated the role of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in bringing about regulations for the uplift of telecom sector that has led to valuable exchequer to the Government as well as provision of quality and affordable services to the people of Pakistan. On the issue of verification of mobile antecedents, the minister instructed that a comprehensive strategy be formulated in line with the guide lines of the senate standing committee that would take into consideration the interest of all stakeholders. Chairman PTA said owing to the investor- friendly policies of the Government and a fair regulatory regime adopted by PTA, Pakistan’s Telecom sector has been able to achieve unprecedented growth in recent years. He said the over all teledensity of the country stands at 56.70 percent which is highest in the region with the number of cell phone users having crossed 82 million. Chairman PTA apprised the minister in detail about the implementation process of the Telecom Deregulation Policy through the award of new Telecom licenses that has resulted in attracting renowned global telecom players to invest in Pakistan. He also briefed the Minister about the challenges faced by the telecom sector and continued efforts of the regulator to address them. The meeting was also attended by the senior officers of PTA. AK/wh
PR.No.56. The visiting Pakistan Hajj delegation headed by Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah, Federal Minister for Hajj and Religious Affairs called on the Saudi Hajj Minister, Mr. Fawad Abdul Salam Al Farsi to discuss the arrangements for the forthcoming Hajj. Welcoming the guests, Mr. Farsi said that the welfare of Hujjaj is the Prime concern of this meeting. He invited the Minister to raise issues of their concern. Says a press release received from Jeddah here today. Mr. Khursheed Shah appreciated the role of Khadimul Haramain Al Sharifain King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz who devoted himself for the services to Hujjaj. He said that their services cannot be rewarded but they can pray for the life and health of the royal family. Allah may grant them strength to serve the Pilgrims, he added. The Minister said that the services of the King and the Kingdom to the Ummah are laudable and we keep them in high esteem. The Minister said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have deeply rooted historical relationship and these days we are equally confronted with the problem of terrorism. However, we do hope that we will succeed in overcoming this problem, he added. Mr. Khursheed Shah said that he is aware of the problems such as accommodation etc. but in view of our historical relations, he hoped that a large number of the pilgrims from Pakistan would be accommodated. The meeting discussed issues relating to transport, passport, accommodation in Makkah Al Mukarramah and Madina Al Munawara and services especially provision of the medical facilities to the Pilgrims. The meeting was also attended by the Ambassador Admiral Shahid Karimullah (Retd), Secretary, Hajj Mr. Wakil Ahmad Khan, Joint Secretary Hajj, Director General, Hajj, and a number of Deputy Ministers and high officials of the Ministry of Hajj. *** PR.No.57. The visiting Pakistani Federal Minister for Labour and Overseas Pakistani, Syed Khrushid Ahmad Shah alongwith the Consul General of Pakistan visited Bin Ladan Camp, to meet the Pakistani Community in the Makkah Al-Makaramah yesterday. The Camp Manager Mr. Omar Al-Amoudi welcomed the Federal Minister and thanked him for gracing the Bin Ladon Camp which is housing a large number of Pakistanis and other expatriates. Says a press release received from Jeddah here today. Lauding the contribution of Overseas Pakistanis in the development of the country, the Minister said that their role in strengthening the economy can not be underestimated for they are contributing a lot to the foreign exchange. He said that he is conscious of the problems of the Overseas Pakistan and is trying his best to work for the welfare of those who deserve to be given due importance. The Federal Minister said that democracy rules in the world but we have not allowed the people to participate in the government. It is the commitment of the new government to take along the people and allow them to share the governance, he added. The Federal Minister said that Pakistan has been bestowed with abundance of resources with a variety of seasons. Plateau, culture and colours of life but what is lacking is the honesty, sincerity and the service to the Nation. Mr. Khursheed Shah said that the role of independent judiciary in a free country is supreme and their government is committed to uphold the supremacy of law, tolerance, and justice. Responding to the issues raised by Overseas Pakistanis, he said that his Ministry has taken up all the matters relating to the education of their children, housing scheme, facilities to be given on the OPF cards, etc. The issues relating to Passport, Kafalat and ID cards will be discussed with the Consulate General and the Embassy, he added. Earlier Mr. Ghulam Mursleen, one of the expatriate Pakistani presented the problems of the Overseas Pakistanis. ***
The visiting Pakistan Hajj delegation headed by Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah, Federal Minister for Hajj and Religious Affairs called on the Saudi Hajj Minister, Mr. Fawad Abdul Salam Al Farsi to discuss the arrangements for the forthcoming Hajj. Welcoming the guests, Mr. Farsi said that the welfare of Hujjaj is the Prime concern of this meeting. He invited the Minister to raise issues of their concern. Mr. Khursheed Shah appreciated the role of Khadimul Haramain Al Sharifain King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz who devoted himself for the services to Hujjaj. He said that their services cannot be rewarded but they can pray for the life and health of the royal family. Allah may grant them strength to serve the Pilgrims, he added. The Minister said that the services of the King and the Kingdom to the Ummah are laudable and we keep them in high esteem. The Minister said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have deeply rooted historical relationship and these days we are equally confronted with the problem of terrorism. However, we do hope that we will succeed in overcoming this problem, he added. Mr. Khursheed Shah said that he is aware of the problems such as accommodation etc. but in view of our historical relations, he hoped that a large number of the pilgrims from Pakistan would be accommodated. The meeting discussed issues relating to transport, passport, accommodation in Makkah Al Mukarramah and Madina Al Munawara and services especially provision of the medical facilities to the Pilgrims. The meeting was also attended by the Ambassador Admiral Shahid Karimullah (Retd), Secretary, Hajj Mr. Wakil Ahmad Khan, Joint Secretary Hajj, Director General, Hajj, and a number of Deputy Ministers and high officials of the Ministry of Hajj. ***
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