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PR. No. 278. The Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Information & Broadcasting, Senator Liaquat Ali Bangulzai, has expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the sad demise of the wife Editor, Daily Jang, Rawalpindi, Rana Tahir Muhammad, who breathed her last in Faisalabad on Friday. In his message of condolence to the Editor, he prayed that the Allah Almighty may rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage and fortitude to the members of the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss with equanimity.
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PR. No. 279. Federal Tax Ombudsman Justice ® Munir A. Sheikh has directed Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to re-open order-in-original issued by the Principal Appraiser Customs Department, Lahore to M/S Uni Build Associates, Lahore in connection with the import of Air-conditioning units for installation at the Lahore General Hospital under an award of contract. This decision was taken by the FTO on the complaint of M/S Uni Build Associates (Pvt.) Ltd. Lahore against the impugned O-I-O issued by the Principal Appraiser of the Customs Department who was not authorized and competent to pass an illegal O-I-O to the complainant. The FTO has ruled that the custom official has committed an act of maladministration. He has recommended to the FBR to direct competent authority to reopen the O-I-O under Customs Act, 1969, set it aside and pass a fresh speaking order on the merits of the case in accordance with the provisions of law after dealing with all of complainant’s arguments, including the argument that the show cause notices were vague and after providing him an opportunity of hearing. He has also observed that the order should also disclose the correct name of the appellate forum from which the complainant may seek remedy as provided in law and compliance in this regard, be reported within 30 days of the receipt of this order. FK/AZC
PR. No. 280. The Federal Minister for Environment Mr. Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi left here to day on an official visit to Bonn, Germany, to attend the Ministerial Segment of the ninth meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP-9) to the Convention on Biological Diversity which is being held from 28-30 May, 2008, to discuss the progress on negotiations on international regimes for access to biological resources and benefit sharing; 2010 targets to significantly reduce the current rate of biodiversity loss; and Life Web initiative for protected Areas. DKK/AZC
PR. No. 281. The Speaker National Assembly Dr. Fehmida Mirza has said that Pakistan attaches great importance to its relations with USA and both the countries share views and perceptions on regional and global issues. The Speaker said this while talking to 3-member US Congressional Delegation headed by Adam Schiff, that called on her in the Parliament House, today. The speaker said that democracy in Pakistan was restored after a prolong struggle and sacrifices and it needed to be strengthened through the support of democratic countries like USA. She expressed her gratitude for US support for smooth transition of democracy in Pakistan. The Speaker said that the people have voted for progressive parties in country and were expecting much from their Parliament. She said that the new Parliament was committed to come up to expectations of the people. The Speaker stressed the need for enhanced interaction between the Parliamentarian of both the countries for sharing and learning from the experiences of each other. The Speaker said that terrorism and extremism were common enemies of humanity and can be purged through eliminating its root causes. She said that the biggest challenges Pakistan was facing were poverty alleviation, unemployment, illiteracy and energy crises and Pakistan needed US support in these areas besides its support in fight against terrorism. She stressed the need that US should establish relations with the people’s representatives besides establishing people to people contacts. The Head of US Delegation Adam Schiff said that USA was interested to develop multi faceted long term relations with Pakistan . He said US wanted Pakistan to be strong democratic country and was ready to support Pakistan in this regard. He underlined need to expedite efforts for ending terrorism and extremism from the region. He said that US would expand its support in economic, educational and social sector development. Members of US Delegation congratulated Madam speaker for her election as 1st Woman Speaker of the Pakistan and Muslim World. MT/AZC
PR. No. 282.
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has ordered grant of Rs.1 million for the family of the late Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, the journalist who was recently killed in Bajaur. The Prime Minister has directed his Advisor on Interior, Mr. Rehman Malik to ensure that the family of Muhammad Ibrahim Khan is well taken care of and receives the grant immediately.
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PR. No. 283. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has expressed confidence that despite challenges Earthquake Rehabilitation & Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) would be able to meet the targets for early completion of rehabilitation & reconstruction work. The Prime Minister expressed these views during his meeting with the Deputy Chairman ERRA, Lt. General Akram Sajjad at the Prime Minister’s House this morning during which he presented annual progress report of ERRA for the year 2007. The Prime Minister said that in order to speed up the reconstruction and rehabilitation work in the earthquake affected areas, he had given a commitment to the affectees during his visit to the affected areas that despite his busy schedule he would hold a monthly meeting of ERRA Council to personally review the progress of work. The challenges arising out of socio-economic factors he said would be overcome with appropriate measures and commitment. The Prime Minister desired that the Mega Projects of Muzaffrabad should be expedited to benefit the people. He also asked the Deputy Chairman ERRA to specifically attend to the grievances of the people of Balakot as the city was totally destroyed and the people need to be rehabilitated at the earliest. The Prime Minister further said that it has been observed that some of Government sponsored educational projects of ERRA are running behind schedule which require immediate attention to expedite the work and assured government’s support in this regard. The Prime Minister was pleased to lift the ban on employment for the projects related managerial and technical posts of ERRA in order to facilitate the speed of reconstruction work. It may be recalled that the Prime Minister had already chaired an ERRA Council meeting on 26th April as well as visited the Earthquake affected areas to see for himself the reconstruction and rehabilitation work. He attaches special concern for the affectees who had undergone great sufferings because of the catastrophic earthquake. The Prime Minister said that the sufferings of the earthquake affectees could not be forgotten and the government would leave no stone unturned to provide them better facilities than before. He said that the government would extend all possible support to create better environment for the people to live a better life. Appreciating the work done by the ERRA in confronting the holistic task of reconstruction and rehabilitation in the earthquake affected areas of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJ&K) and NWFP, the Prime Minister said that although the reconstruction work was a huge challenge already being handled effectively, the resilience and commitment of the people undoubtedly played a supporting role. The Prime Minister said that the spirit of nationalism and unity displayed by the people of all the provinces at the time of catastrophic earthquake was a mark of solidarity and brotherhood. He said that the contribution made by the people of Pakistan was unparallel, nevertheless the assistance extended by the entire world was equally significant to cope with this un-imaginable task. The Prime Minister said beside the fact that the earthquake resulted in a great loss to the people; the reconstruction process has generated new opportunities of self-reliance and self-confidence for the people. He said that affiliation of more than half a million people with the reconstruction business has ushered in a new era of social & economic activities in the area. The Deputy Chairman ERRA apprised the Prime Minister of the progress on a number of projects in various sectors in the affected areas of AJ&K and NWFP. The Prime Minister was informed that all the international agencies have reposed their full confidence in ERRA for the excellent execution of reconstruction and rehabilitation work in the earthquake affected areas. He also informed that as per Prime Minister Directive the elected representatives of the affected areas are taken on board to facilitate the process of early completion of the reconstruction work. This he said would ensure their participation as well as ownership of the facilities being developed. AZC
PR.
No. 284. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has directed the newly appointed Chairman Pakistan Steel, Mr. Moeen Aftab Shaikh to run the organisation on professional lines with a view to eventually making it profitable. The Prime Minister was talking to him here at the PM’s House this evening. The Prime Minister expressed the confidence that the new administration would take measures for achieving optimum level of production and making Pakistan Steel cost effective. Mr. Moeen thanked the Prime Minister for reposing confidence in him and said that he would do his utmost to come up to the expectations of the government. AZC
PR. No. 285. The government of Pakistan is fully committed to eliminate the power crises prevailing in the country and all out efforts are underway to cope with the menace of load shedding in the country by adopting rationale mechanism to generate more electricity through private sector. The present government is also pursuing liberal policy to rebuild the investors’ confidence and all possible support will be provided to facilitate them in this respect. This was stated by the Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf while talking on the occasion of the bids opening ceremony of 500 MW each Independent Power Projects at Faisalabad and Dadu. The ceremony was held at Private Power & Infrastructure Board (PPIB) which was attended by Managing Director PPIB Mr. Fayyaz Elahi, all Directors of PPIB and other senior government officials of Finance, NEPRA and Ministry of Water and Power. The bids were opened by the bid evaluation committee in the presence of representatives of the bidding parties and the media. The Minister stated that the present energy crisis was a great challenge for the government which would be tackled prudently with cooperation of all stakeholders. He was of view that the present government believes in processing all projects with transparency, and observed that there would be no compromise on transparency, adding that this was the main reason, that for the first time in the history of Pakistan, bids of about US$ one billion worth of projects were being opened in public in presence of the national and international media, and the people of Pakistan as witness. He told that the government welcomes the investors with open arms and will facilitate them for development of the projects and will not face any undue hindrances, as right now time is of the essence and we need power projects to be commissioned as soon as possible to meet the future requirement of power in the country. He also said that bids for another 1200 MW power projects have been invited and will also be opened in the presence of media on June 30, 2008. He expressed his hope that due to the measures being taken by the government, load shedding will be eliminated from the country by August 14, 2009. He also stressed the need to adopt measures to conserve energy as announced by the government to avert the burden of load management. The bid evaluation committee informed that the bids would be evaluated in accordance with the requirements of the Request for Proposals (RFPs) within the prescribed time. AJM/ank
PR.
No. 286. Pakistan and United Kingdom (UK) have underscored the need for promoting closer cooperation in various fields for the mutual benefits of the two sides. This was discussed at a meeting between Federal Minister for Defence, Chaudary Ahmad Mukhtar, and the visiting UK Secretary of State for Defence, Mr. Des Brown, who called on the Minister here today. Both sides exchanged views on the geo-political situation of the region. The meeting discussed the anti-terror efforts made by Pakistan. The Minister highlighted the counter-terrorism measures taken by Pakistan in this regard. He told the visiting dignitary that Pakistan was committed to fighting and eliminating the menace of terrorism and extremism. He further stated that the Security Forces of Pakistan were actively engaged to stop cross-border infiltration on its border with Afghanistan. Mr. Des Brown expressed gratitude for the valuable support provided by Pakistan against the war on terror. He deeply admired Pakistan’s key role and significant contribution in combating the menace of terrorism. The UK Secretary Defence said that his Government was supporting the agreement and the process of reconciliation with the insurgents as initiated by the Government of Pakistan. The meeting also discussed the Pak-Afghan relationship. The Minister conveyed to UK Defence delegation that Pakistan was endeavoring to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan because a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was not only in the interest of Pakistan but the whole region as well. The UK Defence Secretary said that it was essential to promote a closer cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan as it would bring peace and prosperity to the region. He further stated that his country was significantly interested in strengthening the democratic institutions of Pakistan. The Minister thanked the British Government for encouraging and supporting the democratic process in Pakistan.
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PR.
No. 287. Pakistan and Italy have reiterated their desire to further promote and intensify bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade, economy and particularly defence. This was discussed at a meeting between Federal Minister for Defence, Chaudary Ahmad Mukhtar, and the Ambassador of Italy to Pakistan, Mr.Vincenzo Prati, who called on him here today. The Minister told the envoy that Pakistan and Italy enjoyed excellent relations which needed to be further broadened and expanded for the mutual benefits of the two countries. The meeting noted that there was room for promoting security understanding between the two countries. The Ambassador said it was essential to promote people to people and military to military contacts which would help in promoting greater understanding between the two sides. The meeting emphasized the need to enhance cooperation in the field of defence collaboration as well as exchange of delegations at political and military levels. AM/ank
PR.
No. 288. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has stated that the priority of the democratically elected government is to promote the socio-economic development and ensure peace and stability in the country. While reiterating government’s resolve to fight terrorism and extremism, the Prime Minister said that a multi-pronged strategy is being evolved to confront the issue effectively as this is in Pakistan’s own interest. The Prime Minister was talking to US Senator Mr. Russ Feingold, who called on him here at the Prime Minister’s House this afternoon. US Ambassador in Pakistan, Ms. Anne W. Patterson was also present during the meeting. The Prime Minister stressed the need to address the root causes of terrorism which stem from socio-economic disparity and unresolved political disputes. He said Pakistan has been consistently fighting this menace and has sacrificed a lot in this regard, including the assassination of its leader Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. The Prime Minister said that dialogue and economic empowerment of the people in FATA is the key to addressing the issue of extremism in that region. He expressed the confidence that initiatives being undertaken in these areas would help increase economic activity as well as creating economic opportunities for improving the standard of living of the people. He called upon the need for expediting the legislation process in the US Congress for the early establishment of Reconstruction Opportunity Zones in the areas bordering Afghanistan. The Prime Minister said that Pakistan accords high priority to its strategic relationship with the US. Pakistan, he added, is eager to enhance cooperation in the fields of defence, education, health, energy and science & technology. He also called upon the US to provide greater market access to Pakistani products in the US. The Prime Minister said that a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan is in the best interest of Pakistan and the region at large. He said that Pakistan believes that the international community should come forward and do more to accelerate the process of socio-economic development in Afghanistan. While appreciating Pakistan’s efforts in curtailing extremism and terrorism, Senator Russ Feingold said that the US and Pakistan a have long history of working together for ensuring regional and international peace. He said that the significance of Pakistan in the region cannot be ignored and expressed US desire for further developing a stable and multi-faceted relationship with Pakistan. The Senator expressed the confidence that democracy would lead Pakistan towards progress and prosperity. He said that the US Senate would be pleased to work with the new government and extend all possible support for the economic development of Pakistan. DSG/ank
PR. No. 289. Governor NWFP, Mr. Owais Ahmed Ghani called on Advisor to the Prime Minister on Interior, in the Ministry of Interior today. The call on was to discuss law and order situation in FATA. During the meeting with the Jirga in Peshawar, the Advisor Interior had promised to extend all possible support for the return and rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from South Waziristan. The Governor gratefully acknowledged and thanked Mr. A Rehman Malik for provision of tents and food items for the IDPs. The Governor informed the Advisor Interior that due to assurances and support of the Federal Government, IDPs have already started returning to their homes and hearths. The Governor, while expressing resolve to eliminate terrorism emphasized that our tribal areas would not be allowed to be used for cross border terrorism. We are committed to ensure the security of forces on both sides and therefore, we are exerting more efforts to enhance the security of the coalition forces, exactly the way Pakistan is doing for own forces. We are opposed to cross border movement and will extend full cooperation to NATO forces to secure both sides of the international border. The Government of Pakistan has not undertaken and will not undertake any dialogue with extremists/ terrorists. The Advisor assured the Governor of full support of the Federal Government and urged creation of conducive environment for the return of IDPs in South Waziristan. NAK/ank
PR. No. 290. The Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Mr. Qamar Zaman Kaira has said that the government is determined rid the common man of the housing problem. Housing is a basic necessity of the people and housing among ‘Roti , Kapra, aur Makan’ a fundamental issue being addressed on top priority. Mr. Qamar Zaman Kaira made these remarks at the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected members of the administrative committee of Jammu and Kashmir Cooperative Housing Society at sector G-15 Islamabad. Mr. Kaira expressed the hope that the present elections would augur well for the society which is one of the biggest housing societies in the private sector. He assured all possible facilitation for the society, however all members of the housing society should be getting the plots, he added. One of the priorities of the government is to provide housing to the people and one of the priorities of the present government in its 100 days’ programme is to build 10 lakh houses by the end of the year to overcome the accommodation shortage, he maintained. Chaudhury Muhammad Yasin chairman of the housing society, Ch.Abdul Majeed, Shazia Akbar, Ghulam Sadiq and Khawaja Syed Bilal Chisti of Ajmer Sharif were also present at the ceremony. Asifur Rehman/ank
PR. No. 291. The Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications Mr. Qamar Zaman Kaira has urged to bring dynamism, efficiency into the organization to make it more vibrant and enhance its self sustainability. He was attending a briefing on the Telecom Foundation by Mr.Iftikhar Ahmad Raja, the Managing Director of the Foundation and other senior officers. The Minister appreciated TF’s advancement since its 16 years of inception especially in creating welfare infrastructure and subsidiary companies running solely on self-reliance basis. He discussed various ways and means of bringing increasing dynamism into the organization. Member Telecom Mr. Noor-ud-Din Baqai and Executive Vice President PTCL Mr.Ali Qadir were also present during the meeting. Asifur Rehman/ank
PR. No. 292. Federal Minister for SAFRON, Najmuddin Khan has said that the present government is committed to improve the life standard of the poor and neglected people and give relief to the low paid employees at any cost, as it was the vision of our great leader Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, who sacrificed life for the welfare of the poor and democracy. He said this as a chief guest at the convention of All Pakistan Secretariat Employees coordination Council, Islamabad. He went on to say that we had inherited lot of problems but we are ready to accept the challenge, as Pakistan People Party never bow down against the problems but faced crisis boldly like in 1970, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Shaheed steered the ship of the country. He further mentioned that we would strengthen the institution because all the institutions have been destroyed by the past rulers for their own interest. Judges would be restored and Parliament would be empowered at any cast through constitutional package. During the convention, charter of demands have been presented by Chaudhry Mukhtiar, President of All Pakistan Employees the charter of Demands state; (i) salaries should be increased, 20% Secretariat Allowance should be restored, Conveyance Allowance should be Rs. 1500/- per month, up gradation of the employees and houses for the low paid employees on their retirement etc. The Minister appreciated the crucial role of Secretariat employees and promised that he would present their views and demands to the Prime Minister and Co-Chairman of PPPP. The Convention was attended by Dr. Israr, Tariq Chaudhry and Aqeel Anjum MNA. Zubaidullah/ank.
PR. No. 293. A Pakistani Parliamentary delegation led by Chairman Senate Muhammad Mian Soomro had a very vigorous and active participation in a four days NATO Parliamentary Assembly Session in Berlin today. The main focus of this important session was campaign against terrorism, says a press release from Berlin here today. Pakistani delegation comprising Senators Mushahid Hussain Syed, Mohammad Azam Khan Swati, Sardar Muhammad Latif Khosa and Seemi Yousaf Siddiqui spoke about the Role of NATO and Pakistan and its contribution in the stability of the region. Their comments evoke a positive reaction from the audience which included Parliamentarians, Politicians, Academicians and senior leaders of NATO. Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee expressed concern that US imitative of National Missile Defence could spark a new cold war in the region given its strong opposition by Russia and China. He added that this in turn could undermine the efforts of regional countries as well as NATO in stabilizing Afghanistan. Commenting on the speech of the Military Chief of Afghanistan General Karimi he said that Pakistan has a strategic stake in the stability of Afghanistan and the destiny of two countries are interlinked. He added that, “Pakistan and Afghanistan are sailing in the same boat and we know that our interests are so convergent that we will sink and swim together”. He emphasized that there can be no military solution to the conflict and political means must be applied through dialogue to attain peace in the region. Senator Sardar Mohammad Latif Khosa said that Pakistan was the biggest victim of terrorism and our people have suffered heavily due to terrorism. In this regard he particularly mentioned the tragic assassination of former Prime Minister and Chairperson of Pakistan Peoples Party Mohtarima Benazir Bhutto and said that she was a victim of terrorism. He urged NATO to devise a strategy that could bring peace in Afghanistan. He expressed the hope that unlike past the West will not abandoned Afghanistan again. Senator Mohammad Azam Khan Swati said that Pushtoons on both sides of the border are suffering from terrorism along with the people of Pakistan. He mentioned that 2000 Pakistani soldiers have lost their lives in the fight against terrorism. He added that Pakistan with its meager resources has deployed 120,000 troops along in the FATA area and have established around 1000 posts on the border while NATO has deployed only 47,000 troops in Afghanistan. He said that tremendous sacrifices made by Pakistan outnumbered any other country in the world. He emphasized that wrong perception about Pakistan created by the West must be stopped. He urged upon NATO members that they must acknowledge the sacrifices made by Pakistan in the fight against terrorism. He said that that democracy, peace and stability in Pakistan is interconnected with the stability in Afghanistan.
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