Pakistan Press International
ISLAMABAD:Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser has underlined the need for cementing parliamentary contacts between Pakistan and China for further cementing bilateral relations.
Talking to Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong here on Wednesday, he said the present government is committed to take that exemplary relation to new heights.
He said Pakistan is proud of its all-weather unique friendship and strategic partnership with China.
ISLAMABAD:Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has appreciated Pakistan’s positive role for regional stability, especially Afghan peace process.
Talking to Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa in Rawalpindi on Wednesday, he pledged to keep working for better relations between the two brotherly countries.
The Army Chief said enhanced Pakistan-Iran cooperation will have positive impact on regional peace and stability.
The two sides discussed matters of mutual interest, regional security situation, including Afghan reconciliation process. They also exchanged views on Pak-Iran border management and border markets.
ISLAMABAD:The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) has called for banning large public gatherings and enhancing restrictions in high risk areas due to COVID-19 resurge.
The NCOC meeting chaired by Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar here on Wednesday reviewed the epidemic curve data and disease prevalence in the country. The forum suggested certain urgent measures to National Coordination Committee to check spread of the pandemic.
These measures include ban on all public gatherings of more than five hundred people, early and extended winter vacations, closure of cinemas, theatres and shrines with immediate effect and only outdoor dining till 10 pm at restaurants and take away.
Issuing guidelines about marriage ceremonies, the NCOC decided that only outdoor marriages with upper limit of five hundred people will be allowed from 20th of this month.
The forum was told that the disease had increased three folds since the NCOC recommended to ban large public gatherings and outdoor activities on 12th of the last month and third of this month to the National Coordination Committee for its final decision. The forum was briefed that there is increasing positivity ratio in educational institutions and there is a need to check this trend.
The forum decided that on 16th of this month, the Federal Minister for Education would chair a special meeting at NCOC with provincial education ministers on board to assess and review the positivity prevailing in educational institutions. After consultative discussions the recommendations would be shared with the provinces for consequent decision and enforcement.
ISLAMABAD:Pakistan and Iran have agreed to make joint efforts for peace and stability in the region, including Afghanistan.
The understanding was reached at a meeting between Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif here on Wednesday.
The two foreign ministers also expressed concern over the tendency of rising Islamophobia in some European countries and made it clear that blasphemous attitude in the garb of freedom of expression is not acceptable at all.
They exchanged views on bilateral relations, promotion of bilateral cooperation in diverse fields, and the Coronavirus pandemic. They also discussed better border management, promotion of mutual contacts, and provision of better facilities to the Zaireen.
On the occasion, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan and Iran can benefit from regional and other important forums for promotion of cooperation in bilateral trade, investment, security and other areas of mutual interest.
Expressing grief and sorrow over deaths due to Covid-19 in Iran, the Foreign Minister appreciated the Iranian government’s efforts to control spread of the pandemic.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said durable peace in Afghanistan is imperative for peace and stability in the region. He said the Afghan leadership has a unique opportunity in the form of intra-Afghan dialogue and they should not let this opportunity go.
He also apprised his Iranian counterpart of India’s atrocities and gross human rights violations in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
ISLAMABAD:President Dr Arif Alvi has said Pakistan is heading in the right direction, showing positive indicators in various sectors, including economy, law and order and social development.
He said this while addressing the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants (ICMA) Pakistan Convocation here on Wednesday.
He said current account deficit has been successfully tackled and exports of the country are on the rise despite Covid-19. The President said Pakistan has overcome the challenge of terrorism while extremism and polarization are rising in India.
ISLAMABAD:Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz has said all political parties should show responsibility and implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to prevent spread of coronavirus during their political public gathering.
Talking to a private news channel, he said coronavirus pandemic is increasing day by day, therefore, everyone should have to take it serious otherwise the deadly virus could spread at large scale in the country.
He said political parties are dragging their feet from Pakistan Democratic Movement’s platform as Pakistan People’s Party is not supporting Nawaz Sharif’s narrative, against the national institutions. Shibli Faraz said Nawaz Sharif is trying to create unrest by giving anti Pakistan statements from abroad.
ISLAMABAD:As many as 1708 people tested positive for COVID-19 and twenty one more died due to the infection in the country over the last twenty-four hours.
According to the latest statistics of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the figure of patients recovered from the virus has reached 320,065. There are now 21,098 active cases in the country.