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PR
No. 160 Federal Minister for Defence, Ch. Ahmad Mukhtar has strongly condemned a bomb blast in Quetta, today and has expressed profound grief over the loss of precious human lives. Denouncing the blast, the Minister said that the terrorists are the enemies of this country and wanted to weaken it but every effort would be made to eradicate them. He said it was a highly cowardly act to shed the blood of innocent people. The Minister sympathized with the bereaved families and prayed for early recovery of the injured. **AM/Ahmad**
PR
No. 161 Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said that the Government believes in upholding the Constitution and establishment of rule of law. During his meeting with the Chief Justice of Federal Shariat Court, Justice Agha Rafiq Ahmad who called on the Prime Minister this morning at the Prime Minister’s House, the Prime Minister said that the unanimous passage of 18th Constitutional Amendment has streamlined the system and removed all distortions and anomalies inserted at the behest of dictators. Chief Justice of the Shariat Court congratulated the Prime Minister on passage of the 18th Constitutional Amendment and appreciated the Government’s key role in the establishment of a truly independent judicial system in the country. **PMMO/Ahmad**
PR
No. 162 Governor Punjab Mr. Salman Taseer called on President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr today.
**FU/Ahmad**
PR
No. 163 Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit-Baltistan, Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo, Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan, Syed Mehdi Shah and Federal Minister for Labour & Manpower, Khursheed Shah announced the cabinet of Gilgit-Baltistan in a Press Conference here on Friday. The GB Cabinet will consist of 10 members, i.e. 6 ministers, 2 advisors and 2 special aides. M Jaffer Senior Minister, Ali Sharr, Eng Ismail, M Ali Akhtar, Shakeel, JUI member will be Ministers and Syeda Danish and Aftab will be Advisor to CM. Naseer and M. Musa will be special aides to CM. Wattoo said that PPP govt is coalition government and the PPP govt is the era for the rights and rule of people of Pakistan. 18th Amendment has been approved by the consensus of all parties and that is a big achievement of Political Parties, the 1973 constitution has been restored to its real form with consensus, he said. GB autonomous status and giving powers to the 2 million people of Gilgi-Baltistan is a big achievement of PPP government. CM Gilgit-Baltistan, Speaker, Deputy Speaker have been elected and now President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari will finalize the Cabinet. **AZ/Ahmad**
PR
No. 164 President Asif Ali Zardari today called upon the representatives of private universities and institutions in Pakistan to play their role in equipping the students with steel armour to win the battle of life. It is reassuring that the private sector has also stepped forward and is playing a commendable role in producing quality graduates. This he said during his meeting with the Association of Private Universities & Institutes of Pakistan (APUIP) in Aiwan-e-Sadr Friday afternoon. Those who were present during the meeting included Dr. Asim Hussain, President APUIP, Mr. Khalid Amin, Vice President APUIP, Syed Ali Abbas Abidi, General Secretary of the association, Chancellor Iqra University Mr. Hunaid Lakhani, Executive Director CBM Mr. Talib Karim, Vice Chancellor Hamdard University Dr. Nasim Ahmed, Chancellor KASBIT Mr. Arif Bokhari, President Indus Institute of Higher Education Mr. Muhammad Ahmed Amin, Rector FAST Dr. Aamir Muhammad, Syed Asad Hussain Director SZABIST Islamabad Campus, Mr. Salman Faruqui, Secretary General to the President, Secretary Education Mr. Imtiaz Hussain Kazi, Secretary Planning & Development Mr. M. Ashraf Hayat and Spokesperson to the President former Senator Farhatullah Babar. Sardar Aseff Ahmad Ali, Adviser to Prime Minister on Education was also present during the meeting. The President said that Educated and trained human resource is the real wealth of a nation. Institutions of higher learning and Universities play an important role in producing this national wealth. While appreciating the role played by the private sector in education sector the President said that the Government was encouraging the private sector so that it should be able to complement the public sector. The President said that let us work together to give our children their basic right to education thus creating a promising future for them so that they could contribute towards socio-economic development of the country. The President said that the Government is committed to accord priority to the education sector and that the concept of compulsory free education as enshrined in the 18th amendment to improve literacy rate in Pakistan is a clear manifestation of our resolve. President Zardari informed that efforts are also underway to improve education of science and engineering and develop a culture of need based research. It is highly gratifying to note that the private sector has also joined the effort. They must play a pivotal role to produce highly trained and competent manpower capable of accepting the challenge and making Pakistan achieve the status of a highly developed country, he added. The President said that the mission of both public and private sector must be to impart and provide quality education for all. President APUIP Dr. Asim Hussain briefed the President about the role as well as problems faced by the private sector in this area. The President assured the members that the Government could continue facilitating them in their professional pursuits and would continue to provide all possible assistance to them. **FU/Ahmad**
PR
No. 165 Pakistan Day Reception was held at the residence of Ambassador of Pakistan, Mr. M. B. Abbasi here yesterday. It was attended by Hamid Baghaee, Vice-President and Head of the Cultural Heritage Organization, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Akhunzadeh, members of the Iranian Majlis, senior Iranian officials, scholars, journalists, diplomats based in Tehran and a large number of Pakistani community. Foreign Minister Mottaki during a meeting with Ambassador of Pakistan M.B. Abbasi while offering felicitations to the Government and people of Pakistan said that Iran and Pakistan enjoy growing relations. He said the two countries’ leaders are trying to make use of all the existing opportunities to further promote cooperation in all areas. He expressed his satisfaction with finalized agreement on piping Iranian gas to Pakistan. Dr. Mottaki also assured the Ambassador that Iran would like to find out some quick solutions to resolve the crisis in the energy sector of Pakistan immediately. Iran is also planning to send high powered energy delegation to Pakistan, he said. Ambassador M.B.Abbasi voiced Islamabad’s readiness to materialize the agreement adding that a group of Pakistani experts would come to Tehran next week to finalize details of the agreement. Ambassador Abbasi also briefed Foreign Minister Mottaki about the upcoming meeting of Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. He added that the meeting will play a major role in settlement of regional problems. Commenting on Pakistan-Iran ties, he said nothing can damage these historical and amicable relations. He also expressed his satisfaction with the boost in bilateral trade between the two neighboring states. Both the Ambassador and the Iranian Foreign Minister expressed their happiness over the release of Hashmatollah Atterzadeh, an Iranian diplomat. The wife of Mr. Atterzadeh, also attended the function. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Pakistan Day Reception, Ambassador M.B. Abbasi underscored the significance of Pakistan-Iran relations adding that Pakistan is interested in enhancing its relations with Iran in all fields. As Pakistan National Day coincides with Norouz holidays in Iran, the National Day reception was held on Wednesday, says a press release received here today from Tehran. **MMHJ/Ahmad**
PR
No. 166 Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has said the passage of 18th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2010, is a historic success of the democratic dispensation which not only endorses the supremacy of the Parliament but also reflects the aspiration of the entire nation. The Prime Minister was talking to Federal Ministers and Parliamentarians who called on him at PM’s House here this afternoon. The Prime Minister while lauding the hard work and sagacity of the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms said that their commitment above the party lines and broad mindedness reflected a national spirit. The entire nation is proud of them for preparing a document of historical nature. He specially mentioned the efforts of the Chairman PCCR, Senator Mian Raza Rabbani whose character and devotion was the main driving force in reaching the consensus on major issues. Appreciating the role of both Houses of the Parliament during the passage of the bill, the Prime Minister observed the members showed maturity and worked hard in protecting the rights of the people. The Prime Minister said that after the passage of the bill the responsibilities of the government have further increased as the government will be answerable to both House of the Parliament. The Federal Ministers included Federal Minister for Labour & Manpower Syed Khursheed Shah, Minister for Information & Broadcasting Mr. Qamar Zaman Kaira, Minister for Petroleum Syed Naveed Qamar, Minister for Food & Agriculture Mr. Nazar Muhammad Gondal and the Parliamentarians included Chairman PCCR Senator Mian Raza Rabani and Leader of the House in Senate Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari. **PMMO/Ahmad**
PR
No. 167 Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has directed the economic team in a pre-budget meeting that the next year National Budget should be a pro-poor and relief oriented in line with the commitment of the government. He expressed satisfaction over achievement of macro-economic stability in the country during the last two years. Welcoming the participants of the meeting at PM House this morning, the Prime Minister said that the budget making for the next year has become even more challenging after 7th NFC Award, therefore, the committee needs to review the status of revenue collection, debt profile and commitments with the IMF under the stabilization programme. He termed the 7th NFC Award as a historic achievement and said the Federal Government had transferred about 10 % of divisible pool resources to provinces. The Prime Minister also guided the committee that the next budget should be growth oriented and supportive of business, industry and agriculture. He asked the Ministry of Finance to work on a macro-economic paradigm where Pakistan could sustain a reasonable level of economic growth consistently. This is necessary to actualize our growth potential, eliminate poverty and achieve a decent living standard worthy of a civilized nation, he added. While we work on the new paradigm, the Prime Minister said, the Finance Ministry should provide adequate resources to fund immediate relief measures for the poor and marginalized segments of the society. He made it clear to the budget committee that the poor has the first right on the national exchequer. He also asked economic team to bring down the inflation to provide relief to the common man. The Prime Minister said the country is in the middle of the war on terrorism, therefore, the cost on security, defence, law & order and re-settlement of IDPs has substantially increased. However, he added, we must continue to ensure the necessary allocation of financial resources for this purpose. The Prime Minister said his Government inherited a serious energy crisis which has seriously affected the economy of the country and created difficulties for the common man. He assured that the Government would overcome this challenge in the near future. He directed the Ministry of Finance to ensure the implementation of new initiatives in power and water sector, and should not delay these due to financial constraints. Earlier while briefing the meeting, the Advisor on Finance Mr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh apprised the Prime Minister of the progress with regard to preparing budget for the next financial year i.e. 2010-2011. He specially mentioned that the objective before the economic team is to gradually move towards economic self reliance. The secretary Finance informed the meeting about the possible receivables and expected expenditures. Advisor to PM for Finance Dr. Hafeez Shaikh, Secretaries Finance, Planning & Development, Revenue Division, Statistics Division, and Economic Affairs Division were also present in the meeting.
PR
No. 168 Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has directed to hold a two day Energy Conference from coming Monday to discuss all aspects of power shortage in the country and formulate concrete proposals to resolve the issue at the earliest. He asked all the Chief Ministers and concerned Ministers to attend the conference alongwith their team of experts to sort out all impediments. The agenda given for the Energy and Power Conference was identified as follows: a) Utilization of existing capacity of power projects. b) Diversification of gas to the power sector c) Resolution of issues of payments to PEPCO d) Resolution of circular debts e) Enable fuel base IPPs to increase production f) Better management to improve efficiency of power plants as well as transmission losses g) Focus on medium term projects for expanding capacity through construction of hydel, coal and other sources of energy h) Better load management i) Efforts for energy/electricity conservation. The Prime Minister was chairing a special meeting on energy sector particularly the power shortage in the country causing great inconvenience to the people. The meeting held at the Prime Minister’s House here this evening was also attended by the Chief Ministers of the provinces. The Prime Minister said that public protests in various cities against load shedding are becoming a daily routine and source of serious concern for the government. He appealed to the nation to show patience, as the government is seriously working to overcome the energy shortage in minimum possible time. The new projects he added have been commissioned, while more are on track for commissioning in coming weeks and months. He expressed confidence that the country will soon start benefiting from the fruits of the policy measure taken by the government. The Prime Minister said political leadership has shown remarkable maturity on NFC Award and 18th Constitutional Amendment and the same kind of spirit is required to address the issues of the people. He added the energy shortage is major one and it need to be taken on priority. The Prime Minister soon after his return from foreign tour called the meeting on energy and power shortage and invited all the provincial Chief Ministers to personally attend the meeting. It was both in spirit of consultation and in wake of urgency of situation that the Prime Minister called for the meeting. Highlighting the causes of energy shortage, the Prime Minister said one of the major reasons of present energy situation is the issue of circular debt. He added this has hampered our persistent endeavors to eliminate the load shedding. He expressed the hope that Federal and Provincial Governments to sit together and resolve the issue once for all. The Prime Minister asked the concerned agencies to take immediate measures to ensure fuel supplies to fully utilize the power generation capacities presently lying idle. He also asked for making conservation measures more consistent to have visible impact in the situation on ground. He called for cooperation on the part of Provincial Governments in energy conservation by ensuring early closure of the markets and social functions in the evening by a designated time. He said that the IPPs and RPPs already cleared must be implemented as soon as possible. The Prime Minister asked the Ministry of Water and Power to fast track their efforts for the commissioning of new hydel and thermal power projects. He directed the Ministry to avoid unannounced load shedding and follow the load management schedule to reduce the hardships of the people. Earlier while briefing the meeting the Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz said that the situation is likely to exist for another fortnight till enough water is available in major dams for producing more electricity. Till the time the situation improves conservative measure will have to be undertaken to minimize the difficulties of the people. He also apprised the meeting that the sugar mill owners have been called for a meeting after three days to finalize details for purchasing electricity from them as per decision of the Cabinet. He further mentioned that pilot project of running tubewells on solar energy has been quite successful and if this system can be adopted in the entire rural areas around 3000 MW of electricity can be saved. The bigger projects initiated by the government are planned on long term basis and are economically feasible as cost per unit is much less. He further informed that the 220 MW project gifted by UAE would be shipped to Pakistan soon and would be installed in Faisalabad. He also revealed that Pakistan is ready to buy gas and electricity from Iran but it would take Iranian Government about five years to complete gas pipeline and transmission lines up to the border, with Pakistan. The meeting was attended by Federal Minster for Information, Mr. Qamar Zaman Kaira, Minister for Water and Power, Raja Parvez Ashraf, Minister for Petroleum, Syed Naveed Qqmar, Advisor on Finance, Mr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Chief Minister Punjab, Mian Shahbaz Sharif, Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Chief Minister, NWFP, Amir Haider Khan Hoti, Federal Secretaries of the concerned Ministries and other Senior Government Officials.
(NOT
TO BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, TELECAST BEFORE THE MORNING OF
17TH APRIL,
2010) Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has sent a message of greetings to the Prime Minister of Syria, Engineer Muhammad Naji Otri, on their National Day falling on April 17. The Prime Minister in his message said “on behalf of the Government of Pakistan, and on my own behalf, I have great pleasure in conveying our warmest felicitations on the happy occasion of the National Day of the Syrian Arab Republic. Pakistan and Syria enjoy fraternal relations. I am confident that through our mutual endeavours these relations will be further strengthened in the years to come for the benefits of our two peoples. I would like to convey my best wishes for your personal well being and for the continued progress and prosperity of the brotherly people of the Syrian Arab Republic”. (NOT TO BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, TELECAST BEFORE THE MORNING OF 17TH APRIL, 2010)
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