4
Daily
Gwadar Times
PM directs two PIA planes to evacuate
Pakistanis from Yemen
Efforts being made for safe
exit of Pakistanis from
Yemen: FO
ISLAMABAD,Foreign
Office Spokesperson Tasnim
Aslam has said every possible effort is being made for
safe evacuation of Pakistanis
from Yemen.
In a twitter message, the
spokesperson said the airports of Yemen are closed
while ground route is unsafe.
However, all possibilities are
being reviewed in order to
ensure safe exit of Pakistanis.
For this purpose, Pakistan is
also in contact with the
neighboring countries of
Yemen.
The spokesperson said the
Pakistani community in
Yemen had been directed for
evacuation two months back.
Online
Leather exports to hit
$3 b if livestock export
banned ? Hamid
leather
KARACHI,The
sector cannot benefit from the
duty-free access to EU market
under
Generalized
System of Preferences (GSP)
unless
the
government
resolves the long time pending issues including slapping
a ban on livestock export,
refund stuck-up claims,
resolves energy crisis, etc.
Chairman,
Pakistan
Tanners Association (PTA)
South Zone, Hamid A Zahoor
while demanding complete
ban on export of livestock
said that contrary to the huge
potential of leather products,
exports of the leather industry
have remained stagnant at
$1.22 billion for the last six
years, said PTA chief insisting that just a bit of support
from the Ministry of
Commerce can push exports
to $3 billion in three years
and make the industry the
second biggest after textiles.
In its proposals for trade policy as well as budget 2015-16
presented a copy of which
sent to the FBR, the PTA has
demanded the government to
also curb massive smugglling
through the borders in the
garb of export .Hamid
Zahoor while endorsing the
PTA?s budget proposals, has
asked the government to
include hides and skins in 6th
Schedule of Sales Tax Act
1990, besides reducing custom duty on basic leather
chemicals. The PTA chief
also requested the TDAP
chief to make strong recommendation for inclusion of
PTA?s proposal for budget
and trade
policy for the year 201516.
He demanded the release
of pending Sales Tax claims
of PTA?s members, saying
that a significant ratio of
working capital of leather
exporters is stuck-up in
refund regime at a time when
the leather export has already
declined by over 17 percent
during the last six
years from $1.22 billion in
FY 2007-08 to $1.01 billion
in 2012-13 and even down to
5 percents in 2014-15. The
growth rate of leather sector
exports was in minus and
exports reduced to 14 percent
as against positive growth in
the region with 47 percent, 40
percent, and 102 percent in
China, India and Bangladesh,
respectively during the last
fiscal year.Online
KARACHI: Members of the Christian community stage a
demonstration in support of their demands outside
Karachi Press Club.
Chairman of inquiry committee probing into Baldia
town inferno changed
KARACHI,Head
of
inquiry constituted to probe
into Baldia Town tragedy has
been changed and DIG Police
Sultan Khawaja has been
appointed as new chairman of
the committee.
Sources said DIG Aftab
Pathan was appointed chairman inquiry committee by
home department in Baldia
Town tragedy but he is proceeding on leave due to his
illness. Therefore, Sultan
Khawaja has been appointed
new chairman of inquiry
committee in his place.
On the other hand Shakil
Chota, accused in Baldia
Town case has confessed
before the Anti Terrorism
Court (ATC) that he was
involved in setting ablaze the
factory by throwing chemical.
On police request the court
has remanded 4 accused
including Shakil Chota to
police custody till April 3 for
investigation.
The accused Shakil Chota
is connected with a political
party and a case of possessing
unauthorized arms and explosive material has been registered against the accused persons The court has already
issued non bailable arrest
warrants of Rizwan Qureshi,
prime accused in Baldia
Town factory case.
Online
Mr. Qamar Zaman Chaudhry, Chairman NAB chairing a meeting to review work plan of
NAB’s new Regional Bureau at Multan
MQM will get through tough
times, says Altaf
LONDON/KARACHI:Las
hing out at authorities for
allegedly running a media
trial of the Muttahida
Qamumi Movement (MQM),
Altaf Hussain early on
Saturday said that dreams of
those who want to finish the
party would never come true.
Speaking to workers at
MQM headquarters NineZero via telephone from
London, he said the process
for ‘dismantling’ his party
had begun from March 11.
Wanted criminals were
brought at Nine-Zero and
portrayed as if they were
arrested from there, he added.
Hussain regretted the fact
that Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif and PTI Chairman
Imran Khan’s residences
were not raided for arresting
Gullu Butt and releasing
arrested from police custody
respectively.Has residence of
Another suicide
attack
victim expires:
death toll rises to 21
Lahore,One more wounded
of Youhanabad suicide attack
expired on Saturday at
General hospital Lahore,
which has raised the death
toll to 21 dead people.
According to hospital
administration, Noor Din a 40
year man was receiving medical treatment at the General
hospital after receiving
injuries in the suicide attack
at Youhanabad.
He was shifted on ventilator two days ago due to his
critical condition, but could
not recuperate with the
injuries and passed away yesterday. The dead body was
shifted to morgue for post
mortem at General hospital
Lahore.Online
40 passengers
injured in road
accident in
Multan
MULTAN:As many as
forty people were injured
after a speedy passenger bus
overturned here on Saturday.
According
to
rescue
sources, the accident took
place near The injured people
were shifted to Nishtar
Hospital where doctors said
that four of them were in a
critical condition.
Online
any party chief been raided
like mine?” he questioned.
PM Nawaz’s promise of
forming a monitoring committee to oversee ongoing
operation in Karachi has not
been fulfilled as yet, Altaf
Hussain lamented. He urged
the prime minister and
Interior Minister Chaudhry
Nisar not to issue anti-MQM
statements.
MQM leaders have repeatedly expressed their reservations regarding the police and
Rangers operation against
criminals and terrorists, saying the party was being targeted in the guise of the operation.
Dozens of MQM workers
among wanted convicts and
suspects were arrested from
and around the party headquarters Nine-Zero in a raid
conducted by Rangers earlier
in the month.Commenting on
prevailing situation in Middle
East, Hussain said Pakistan
should not intervene in the
war between Saudi Arabia
and Yemen.
The MQM chief also
raised his voice against
adverse actions against Geo
News and urged authorities to
take steps in restoring the
channel on its previous numbers. He said the TV channel
has run out of funds to pay
off wages to its employees,
who were suffering badly.
Altaf Hussain said that the
media group should be forgiven for any mistakes it
made in the past and all
restrictions should be lifted
against it.
He also lauded the services
rendered by founder of Geo
and Jang group Mir Khalilur
Rehman for the creation of
Pakistan.
Online
FIA Islamabad team visits
Karachi Central Jail to
ascertain true age of Shafqat
Hussain
Karachi,FIA Islamabad
team has arrived in Karachi
central jail to investigate to
ascertain true age of death
row prisoner Shafqat Hussain
whose legal councils now
claim was a minor at the time
of sentencing.
The government despite
making claims hasn’t been
able to take any practical step
so far. Instead of forming a
medical board to determine
convict’s age, the government has asked the FIA to
scrutinize documents.
According to sources, on
the directives of Federal
Interior
Ministry
FIA
Islamabad team under the
command Deputy Director
Gulfarm had visited Karachi
central jail.
According to FIA source,
the jail record was checked
by FIA team and during interrogation by the team Shafqat
Hussain kept trying to hide
his face.
He had shaved off his
moustache and beard to
appear younger than his real
age.
According to jail sources, a
prisoner less than 14 year
cannot be brought in Karachi
central jail.
The relevant record has
been collected by the team
and the final report will be
submitted
to
Interior
Ministry.Online
India Willing to Sell
Gas to Pakistan
NEW
DELHI,India’s
Petroleum minister said New
Delhi is willing to sell gas to
Pakistan.
Our public sector units are
strong enough to sell LNG to
Pakistan’s domestic sector at
a cheaper rate than what the
neighbouring nation is buying at currently,” Pradhan
said, BusinessLine newspaper reported.
Due to diplomatic and
geopolitical issues involved
the proposal to sell gas to
Pakistan is on hold, Pradhan
said while speaking at an
event in the Indian capital.
According to the deal, the
LNG to be sold to Pakistan
would be imported through
terminals in Maharashtra or
Gujarat and transported to
Jalandhar using GAIL’s existing pipeline network. It
would then have to be gassified to send to Pakistan.
Online
while the PTI was resolving
the real issues of masses.
Talking about police
reforms, he said that police
system in Punjab and Sindh
was badly destroyed due to
the political interference. He
said that PTI government has
introduced latest and unique
FIR registration system in the
province. Now KP people can
register online FIR without
any disturbance and pressure,
he added.
Imran said that vice chancellors of the KP universities
would be appointed through
ex-federal minister and former Chairman of Higher
Education Commission Dr
Attaur Rehman.
Online
Pak envoy expresses grief
over demise of President’s
youngest brother
Colombo,The Acting High
Commissioner of Pakistan at
Colombo, Dr. Sarfraz Sipra
expressed deep shock, heartfelt condolences and sympathies on behalf of the people
and the Government of
Pakistan on the very sad and
tragic demise of Mr.
Priyantha Sirisena, the
youngest brother of the
President of Sri Lanka.
Talking on telephone to the
family members of the
deceased on Saturday, Dr.
Sipra conveyed heartfelt condolences and deep shock and
grief on the very tragic loss of
Mr. Priyantha Sirisena on
behalf of the people and
Government of Pakistan, and
on his own behalf. On the
occasion, Dr. Sipra prayed
that the departed soul may
rest in peace and the
aggrieved family may have
the courage and patience to
bear this irreparable loss with
fortitude.
Online
Steps being taken to resolve
problems of overseas
Pakistanis: CM
LAHORE:Punjab Chief
Minister Shahbaz Sharif says
the provincial government is
taking steps to resolve problems of overseas Pakistanis.
He was talking to a delegation of Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawab
(PML-N)
Middle East in Lahore on
Saturday.The Chief Minister
said Overseas Pakistani
Commission (OPC) has started working in Punjab to
address grievances of overseas Pakistanis.
Online
ISLAMABAD,On
the
directions of Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif a comprehensive plan was devised on
Saturday for the evacuation
of Pakistanis stranded in
Yemen.
Pakistan
International
Airlines has arranged two airplanes which are ready for
departure as soon as they
receive clearance from aviation authorities and the
Embassy of Pakistan in
Sanaa.
As state system is collapsing in the war-torn country,
most airports are no more
functional, because of which
some families would also be
safely taken, in the form of
convoys, to Yemen’s neighbouring countries and airlift-
Gas being
imported to
overcome
crisis: Khurram
GUJRANWALA,Commer
ce Minister Khurram Dastgir
Khan has said that the government has started import of
gas to rid the country of energy crisis.
Addressing a ceremony in
Gujranwala, he said elimination of energy crisis, terrorism, extremism, poverty and
unemployment is top priority
of the government.
About the issue of terrorism, Khurram Dastgir Khan
said
Prime
Minster
Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is
himself leading the operation
against terrorism but cooperation of the nation is very
important to eliminate the
menace.Online
WA S H I N G T O N : T h e
United States has lauded
Pakistan's sincere efforts for
peace in Afghanistan.
US Special Representative
for Pakistan and Afghanistan
Dan Feldman during a briefing in Washington said
Pakistan wants to make the
best use of the current environment by aiding a negotiated political settlement to the
conflict in Afghanistan.
Online
LB polls on
non-party basis
challenged in
LHC
LAHORE:Local bodies
elections in cantonment areas
on non-party basis has been
challenged in Lahore High
Court (LHC) 2 of 17 article in
Cantonment Ordinance 2002
it is also illicit to conduct
elections on non-party basis,
therefore, the court should
annul this local bodies elections.
Online
Durable peace in region directly linked to
peaceful solution of Kashmri issue: Pak Envoy
Berlin,Pakistan's
Ambassador to Germany,
Syed Hasan Javed has said
Durable peace in the region is
directly linked to a peaceful
solution of the KashmirIssue
and the sooner it is resolved
the better it would be for
peace, progress andprosperity in the region.
He said this while talking
to a 20-Member delegation of
the German Society for
Foreign Relations during
their visit to the Pakistan
Embassy here Saturday under
its 'Ambassador's Briefing'
Programme.
He underlined Pakistan has
paid a heavy price in its fight
against terrorism but the government and the people of
Pakistan are determined to
uproot it completely from the
country at any cost.
The delegation was briefed
on "Pakistan's Prospects and
Challenges."
Head of the Chancery, Mr.
Sajjad Haider Khan gave an
overview of Pakistan's current
situation
and
Government of Pakistan's
future plans in economic,
energy, education and social
sectors. It was followed by
Ambassador's interactive talk
in Q & A format moderated
by the General Secretary of
GATE-Pakistan
(German
Economic Forum), Ms.
Philomena Poetis.
Replying to a question
about removal of ban on execution of death penalty in
Pakistan,
the Ambassador said that
extraordinary steps were
needed to meet the challenges
On a question of IndoPakistan relations, Syed
Hasan Javed said that
Pakistan always advocated
solution of all bilateral issues
including the core issue of
Jammu and Kashmir through
a dialogue and negotiations
but India always tried to
avoid taking refuge in non-
issues making and presenting
them mountains out of a
mole.
He emphasized the need
for an active role by the international community and the
world leadership for an early
solution of Kashmir issue as
per aspirations of the people
of Kashmir and the UN
Security Council's resolutions on it in the larger interest of regional and world
peace and security.
In his reply to a question
on education in Pakistan, the
Ambassador informed that
the rate of enrollment in educational institution at all levels i.e. primary, secondary
and higher had registered a
significant increase in the last
few years. Female students'
enrollment at higher education level has also increased
and now the male and female
students' ratio is almost 50
percent each gender at this
level, he added.
Online
IMF release of tranche worth $501.4m for Pakistan
ISLAMABAD:Internation
al Monetary Fund (IMF) has
approved immediate release
of 501.4 million dollars
tranche for Pakistan.
In a statement IMF said,
the Fund's Executive Board
completed the sixth review of
Pakistan's economic performance.The latest disbursement
is part of about 6.12 billion
dollars 36-month program
supported by an Extended
Fund Facility arrangement,
which Pakistan secured in
September 2013.It signifies
the Fund's confidence in
Pakistan's progress towards
economic
growth
and
reforms.
The latest approval brings
total disbursements under the
arrangement to about 3.5 billion dollars.Online
of Pakistanis from Yemen, as
the second day of Saudi-led
airstrikes in the area continues.
Further, the prime minister’s top aide Sartaj Aziz said,
“Withdrawal of Pakistanis
from Yemen will begin in
next 24 hours.”
Aziz further said, there are
around 3,000 Pakistanis currently in Yemen.
An account officer at a
Pakistani school in Sanaa,
Waheed Rehman speaking to
a private news channel said,
“People have started gathering at the school.”
The Pakistan embassy has
started devising a plan for the
evacuation,” he added.
Online
Four Lyari gang-war
suspects killed in police
‘encounter’
KARACHI:Police claimed
to have killed four suspected
members of Lyari gang-war
in an encounter early on
Saturday besides recovering
grenades and grenade launchers among other weapons and
ammunition from their possession.
SSP City Division Fida
Hussain Janwari told the
media that two gang-war suspects were killed in an
encounter in Lyari’s Photo
Lane area while the other two
were gunned down during a
search operation in Kharadar
immediately after the first
raid.
He said that grenades,
grenade launchers, two
SMGs and TT Pistols were
recovered from the possession of the killed suspects.
SSP Janwari said that the
suspects belonged to Baba
Ladla and Uzair Baloch
groups of the Lyari gang-war
and were wanted in killing of
police officials among other
targeted killings, extortion
and kidnapping for ransom
offenses.
Online
PESHAWAR: MNA Nasir Khan Afridi, MNA Haji Shahji
Gul Afridi and Latif Afridi seen sitting on stage during a
seminar organized by Kokikhel tribe.
Afghanistan journalists
delegation meets DGPR
LAHORE,A 14-member
delegation of journalists from
Afghanistan arrived on a 4day visit to Lahore on the
invitation of Pakistan Federa
Union of Journalists.
The delegation called on
Director General Public
Relations Punjab Athar Ali
Khan in his office. Dr. Nasir
Jameeli and Izhar Khushhal
Afghani, were leading the
delegation told about the
journalistic
demands and changing
political situation in their
country.
They appreciated the hos-
pitality extended to them during their visit to Pakistan particularly Lahore. President
PFUJ, Rana Muhammad
Azeem was also present
on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion,
DGPR Athar Ali Khan
termed the exchange of delegations of journalists as a
good omen. He also informed
Afghani journalists about
public welfare steps taken by
Chief Minister
Punjab
Muhammad
Shahbaz Sharif and Punjab
government.
Online
Imran Khan Terms by-election of Mirpur as
Muk MUka OF PPP and PML (N)
Supermodel
Ayyan's
father shot
and wounded
Adviser to the PM Sartaj Aziz and Special Assistant to the PM Syed Tariq Fatemi in a
group photo with the Executive Committee of PFOWA during the Annual Spring
Festival in Islamaba.d
ed to Pakistan from there.
The premier further directed all concerned departments
to take all possible measures
for ensuring safety of each
and every member of the
Pakistani community living
in Yemen.
The Prime Minister is himself monitoring the situation
and has asked to be kept
updated on an hourly basis.
According to unofficial
estimates, 560 Pakistanis are
stranded in the besieged
Yemeni capital of Sanaa.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry
officials say around 2,145
Pakistanis are currently living in Yemen.
Earlier, the Foreign Office
said every effort is being
made for the safe evacuation
US lauds
Pakistan's efforts
for peace in
Afghanistan
Islamabad,Chairman PTI
Imran Khan said that once
again the people are witnessing muk muka by PMLN and
PPP.
Nawaz Sharif has withdrawn PMLN candidate in
favour of Asif Zardari’s PPP
candidate in the Mirpur byeelection schedule for tomorrow.Imran Khan further said
KP departments record to be
computerized till 2017: Imran
Mardan,Chairman Pakistan
Tehree-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran
Khan has said that his government is introducing computerised system in all
departments of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and added
that till 2017 the record
including revenue and land of
all government departments
would be computerized.
He stated this while
addressing the land record
computerizing
ceremony
here on Saturday. He said that
after the completion of this
task elelemt of corruption
would be fully eliminated
form all departments.
He said that Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif’s new KP only
limited to run Metro Bus
29 March 2015
RAWALPINDI,Ayyan's
father Muhammad Hafeez,
who was on his way to attend
the hearing of his daughter's
case, was shot by unknown
motorcyclists near Gujar
Khan area.
Hafeez had departed from
Gujar Khan on the outskirts
of
Rawalpindi
when
unknown men opened fire at
him near Jinnah Hotel.
Police arrived at the scene
and shifted the injured man to
Rawalpindi's
District
Headquarters
(DHQ)
Teaching Hospital where he
was later reported to be out of
danger.
Hafeez
had
earlier
expressed his concern to
media personnel about having
personal enmities.
Ayyan's father separated
from her mother 10 years ago.
Speaking to reporters after
becoming stable, Ayyan’s
father Raja Hafeez, said he
has nominated Rehman
Malik’s brother, Khalid Malik
in the FIR pertaining to the
shooting incident.
He further added that he
had been receiving threats
over the past few weeks.
Sources have said this is
the third attack on her father
since she was arrested on
March 14 from Islamabad airport.
The hearing today comes
just a day after customs officials deemed her proof of currency ownership as dubious
following interrogation.
Her
property
dealer
Mumtaz was made a part of
the probe following her
claims that the money was
earned after selling her five
properties.
Online
it is supposedly being done in
the name of the Charter of
Democracy but is in fact yet
another muk muka by Nawaz
Sharif and Asif Zardari,
whose only ideology is to
protect their billions stashed
abroad.
PTI chairman said the status quo is petrified of the PTI
and its increasing strength
amongst the masses and so it
always gangs up when threatened by this PTI power of the
people.
Imran Khan urged the voters to turn up in huge numbers for tomorrow Mirpur
election to defeat the status
quo.
Online
Pakistan urges rich nations
help developing countries
counter climate change
ISLAMABAD,Federal
Secretary of the Ministry of
Climate Change Arif Ahmed
Khan has said that climate
actions should be taken within the context of our efforts to
eradicate poverty and promote sustainable development.
and urged the global community to ensure that the new
global climate agreement,
which will be adopted at the
Paris global climate conference in December 2015 and
implemented from 2020, is
ambitious and viable.
Addressing at the three-day
Economic
Cooperation
Organisation (ECO) international conference on Climate
Change held in Safranbolu
(Turkey), Khan highlighted,
“We are at the crossroads and
Climate Change is the defining issue of our times. It not
only post risk to sustained
economic growth and development but also intensifies
existing political, social, economic and security challenges.Besides, it poses addi-
tional stress on our resources
and serves as impediment to
the whole spectrum of socioeconomic development, he
added.
He added that developing
countries, however, face
greater challenges of climate
risks, impacts and protracting
poverty simultaneously.
Talking about Pakistan’s
contribution to global warming, he told the ECO conference
participants
that
Pakistan’s contribution in the
overall global carbon emissions is very little. Yet,
Pakistan has been placed
among top 10 countries
ranked as the extremely vulnerable countries by a host of
scientific studies and climate
change indices.
We are threatened in multiple ways. Climate-induced
drought, desertification, glacial-melt, sea level rise and
recurrent floods, are just to
name a few,” Arif Ahmed
Khan said.
Online
RAWALPINDI:Chairman Tehreek-e-Naujawanan-ePakistan Muhammad Abdullah Gul addressing during a
conference on Urdu. General (r) Hameed Gul, Rana
Abdul Baqi and Prof Saleem Hashmi are also seen sitting on the stage.