Day: June 8, 2022

ISLAMABAD: Her Majesty The Queen’s Birthday and Platinum Jubilee celebrations started here at the British High Commission in Islamabad on Wednesday night.

It was the first in a series of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee week which will also see birthday events in Karachi and Lahore – the latter closing with a performance from Qawwali singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, says a statement issued by the British High Commission here on Wednesday.

Hosted by British High Commissioner Dr Christian Turner, the event in Islamabad was attended by the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif as chief guest along with other senior ministers, foreign dignitaries and celebrities. During his speech the High Commissioner reminded guests of Her Majesty’s life dedicated to service. Events across the world have been marking Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee and her 70 years of service to the people of the UK, the Realms and the Commonwealth.

It is also the year marking 75 years of Pakistan and UK’s bilateral relationship. As part of the Platinum Jubilee on the weekend of June 4-5, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the British High Commission lit a beacon to celebrate the occasion at the same time as it was done in the Commonwealth capitals.

The Pakistan Monument in Islamabad was lit up on Wednesday night in purple, the colour of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. The event also underlined Pakistan and the UK’s 75-year partnership – at the heart of which is our people to people links, a 1.6 million Pakistani diaspora in the UK, 500,000 approximate annual visits in both directions, and around 100,000 British nationals based in Pakistan.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson last month spoke to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the phone and welcomed the United Kingdom and Pakistan’s strong partnership over the past 75 years. They agreed to strengthen those ties further and boost trade and investment.

British High Commissioner to Pakistan Dr Christian Turner CMG said: “Her Majesty The Queen’s 70 years of servant leadership show a remarkable record of integrity, hard work and selflessness that are needed more than ever today. We are honoured to celebrate her Birthday, her Platinum Jubilee and also 75 years of deep UK-Pakistan relations.”

 

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of the American Business Council comprising members of Pharma, Food Processing IT, E-Commerce, Retail, Textiles, Sports and Logistics sectors called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif here in Islamabad on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion, he said it is for the first time that the government is calling for the consistency of the policies as the subjects of the national economy and public welfare were above politics. The Prime Minister told the delegation that the government is making efforts to ensure the production of export quality agricultural products. He directed the Ministry of Commerce and Investment Board to resolve issues faced by the investors.

He further directed the formation of task forces to attract investment in multiple sectors. The task forces would be formed in the fields of tourism, pharmaceuticals, information technology, e-commerce, large-scale manufacturing, and agriculture.

Speaking on the occasion, the participants said that confidence of investors has boosted due to investment policies of the government. They said the government’s consultation with all stakeholders prior to budget is commendable. Federal Ministers Syed Naveed Qamar, Ghulam Murtaza Mahmood, Marriyum Aurangzeb and high ranking officials were also present in the meeting.

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb has said the government is taking all possible measures for revival of the film industry in the country.

Addressing the launching ceremony of PTV’s Film Logo here in Islamabad on Wednesday, she said present government wants to provide a platform where all stakeholders come together for resolution of the problems of the industry.

The Information Minister also inaugurated the PakFlex project to make Pakistan Television drama and other content in archives available online for the benefit of viewers, especially those living abroad. She said all the material of PTV will be kept on-line in Pak-Flex. She said long-term reforms are necessary in the film sector and first step should be to promote the content immediately.

Appreciating the role of PTV, Marriyum Aurangzeb said it has maintained its reputation till date due to its strong foundations, integrity and credibility. She said steps are being taken regarding resolution of the problem of children’s content in PTV. She said Ministry of Information is setting up a film directorate to facilitate the producers, directors and distributors of the industry. Earlier, the Information Minister inaugurated the PTV movie by pressing a button.

ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Tajikistan to Pakistan Ismatullo Nasredin called on Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif here in Islamabad on Wednesday.

They discussed matters pertaining to bilateral defence cooperation and ways to further explore new avenues for enhancing it. The Defence Minister expressed best wishes for the military and civil leadership of Tajikistan, and its people and highlighted that being neighbors of Afghanistan, both Pakistan and Tajikistan are facing similar security challenges and threats.

He said Pakistan believes in peaceful resolution of all issues and appreciates the efforts of Tajikistan in promoting peace and stability in the region. The Defence Minister proposed friendly sports competitions between the Armed Forces and display of military band on reciprocal basis on special occasions of both countries.

During the meeting, matters related to bilateral defence cooperation, besides exploring new avenues of enhancement in defence cooperation, were discussed. The Tajik Ambassador assured his government’s commitment and pledged to work with Pakistan to strengthen their bilateral ties.

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) Naseer Khan Kashani called on Federal Minister for Science and Technology Agha Hassan Baloch here at the Ministry of Science and Technology, on Wednesday.

In the meeting, the issues related to the ongoing projects in the Gwadar were discussed. The Minister stressed upon utilizing the potential of youth in the area through means of modern education and skills development for the prosperity of the country.

He said engaging the local people and fishermen will create a sense of ownership in the local community. The Minister expressed the resolve of the present government to enhance the living standard of the underprivileged people in the country especially focusing on the educational development of the people of Baluchistan.

He said this is the top priority and vision of the Balochistan National Party leadership Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal to uplift the socio-economic status of the province. He remarked that the complex of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the development of Gwadar port would help to create employment opportunities as well as bring prosperity to the province of Balochistan.

It has huge potential for economic development and progress of the region, he added. Agha Hassan Baloch lauded the efforts of Gwadar Port Authority for the development of the region’s most strategically well-located port.

Naseer Khan Kashani briefed the Minister about all the ongoing Gwadar Port operations and projects. He said we are working on different avenues for the talented youth of the Balochistan to fully exploit these opportunities.

He said a state of the art vocational and training institute is operational under the Gwadar Port Authority to empower and maximize the employment opportunities for local youth. Chairman Gwadar Port Authority invited the Federal Minister for a detailed tour of the area and appreciated the support of the Government for the economic development and progress of the Gwadar.

 

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the government has taken tough decisions necessitated by circumstances, but will successfully bring the country out of this situation.

In a series of tweets, the Prime Minster said the government has introduced austerity measures to share the burden felt by the people. Thanking the agriculturalists, commerce, trade, industry, IT and finance experts for their active participation in Pre-budget Business Conference, the Prime Minister said the conference provided a perfect platform for exchange of views on the economic challenges and the way forward.

The Prime Minister said land is a limited asset, which is being swallowed up by housing societies and government will introduce measures to discourage unproductive use of land. He said Information technology and agriculture sector need enabling policies to turn around the national economy.

He noted that if right set of policies are in place, IT sector is capable of exporting up to 15 billion dollars in 2-4 years. The Prime Minister said during his foreign visits, he prioritized areas for mutual cooperation in the fields of IT, commerce, finance, energy, infrastructure and investment.