PR No. 3
PRESS RELEASE
MEETING FOR SIGHTING CRESCENT OF Ramzan-ul-mubarak, 1431 Hijri to be held on 11.08.2010
Islamabad: August 02, 2010Ministry of Religious Affairs has announced that the meeting of Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee for sighting the crescent of Ramzan-ul-Mubarak, 1431 Hijri will be held on Wednesday, 11th August, 2010 (29th Shaban 1431 Hijri) in the building of Pakistan Meteorological Department, Karachi whereas the Zonal/District Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will hold their meetings at their respective places on the same date and time.
All information about the position of crescent will be conveyed to the Chairman, Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee at Karachi on Cell # 0300-9285203 and Phone Numbers 021-5688307, 021-9204761, 021-5684550, 021-99261404 (Met Department) for final announcement.
The Chairman Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will announce the decision of crescent sighting or otherwise subsequently on the basis of information received to this end.
PR No. 4
PRESS RELEASE
Islamabad 2 August, 2010
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Raja Paksa telephoned Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani today to convey condolences and commensurations of his Government on the loss of precious lives and properties in the recent floods in Pakistan. He expressed the solidarity of Sri Lankan Government and people with the people and Government of Pakistan.Expressing his sympathy with flood victims, he offered to send a team of doctors along with medicines to boost the support relief efforts being undertaken by the Government of Pakistan and help in control of any possible outbreak of epidemics among the flood affectees. He also offered to send tea for the flood victims.
The Prime Minister thanked the President and people of Sri Lanka for their kind sentiments of assistance and this gracious gesture.
**PMMO/Ahmad**
PR No. 5
PRESS RELEASE
International Housing Conference on safe and sustainable housing on August 5 in lahore
ground breaking ceremony of housing scheme
Islamabad August 2, 2010Ministry of Housing & Works, National Housing Authority is organizing a one-day International Housing Conference and Exhibition on Safe and Sustainable Housing on August, 5, 2010 at Lahore.
Federal Minister for Housing & Works, Rahmatullah Kakar will inaugurate the conference. The event will also include Ground Breaking ceremony of an Affordable Housing Project in Lahore being launched under the Prime Minister’s Housing Programme. Ministers/Federal Secretaries and representatives from Public and Private sector organizations including Chief Executives of foreign construction companies will attend the conference. The conference will provide an opportunity for brining together eminent experts and professionals who will share their insights, initiatives and strategies in the area of sustainable housing development in Pakistan with a focus on housing for low income groups and also ensuring that all buildings/houses/structure are constructer in compliance of the requirements of new Building Code of Pakistan-2007 as well as Building Energy Code-2010.
The conference will also focus on strategies for effective enforcement of Building Code of Pakistan 2007 in all parts of the country for ensuring better safety standards for construction. Prime Minister has already directed the Ministry to create awareness among all concerned stakeholders to understand the importance and urgency of implementing the guidelines provided in the Building Code of Pakistan-2007 for ensuring safety of buildings/structures in order to prevent loss of human lives and collateral damages in future disasters.
It may be added that under the Prime Minister’s Housing for all Program, the Ministry of Housing & Works has launched an ambitious program for construction of one million housing units all over the country. The Pakistan Housing Authority and Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation have started a number of housing projects in various cities of the country for the shelterless people on affordable cost. The PHA has recently started work on construction of about 2000 “D” & “E” type flats in I-16/3 sector, Islamabad and construction of flats in Karachi were in progress.
*MN/Ahmad**
PR No. 6
PRESS RELEASE
Islamabad August 2, 2010In view of the directions of the prime minister of Pakistan regarding flood relief activities, the federal minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim is in touch with the Sindh provincial government, and personally monitoring the relief activities in the province. The Federal Minister expressed his satisfaction over the safety measures being taken by the Sindh government to protect the lives and properties of the people. Makhdoom Amin Fahim expressed this in a meeting with the Governor Sindh Dr. Ishrat Ul Ibad to discuss with him the latest situation of floods in the province. Evacuation of people from kacha area and Indus river banks were discussed. Makhdoom Amin Fahim expressed that all possible efforts would be made to evacuate the poor masses. On this occasion, Makhdoom Amin Fahim also directed his followers of Sarwari Jammaat to be on stand by position to support the affectees of flood, if a call is made to them. Volunteers of the Jammat (Sarwari) had already come out for rescue operations in parts of interior Sindh.
Makhdoom Amin Fahim also appreciated the role of law enforcing agencies and particularly of the Army and Rangers for giving immediate relief to the flood affected people by evacuating them to safer places.**SH/Ahmad**
PR No. 7
PRESS RELEASE
EMERGENCY FLOOD RESPONSE PLAN
Islamabad August 2, 2010The Prime Minister has directed the Economic Affairs Division and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to approach the United Nation for preparing an “Emergency Flood Response Plan”. This would facilitate the government in engaging the international community for providing relief/assistance to the people affected by the recent unprecedented floods in the country through an institutional arrangement.
DO/wh
PR No. 8
PRESS RELEASE
PM CONDEMNS ASSASSINATION OF MQM MPA
Islamabad August 2, 2010Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has strongly condemned the killing of MQM-MPA Raza Haider. He ordered the concerned authorities for holding an immediate enquiry into the sad incident so that the real perpetrators could be brought to justice.
The Prime Minister conveyed his heartfelt condolences and sincere sympathies to the members of the bereaved family. He prayed to Almighty Allah to shower his blessings upon the departed soul and great strength to his family members to bear this immense loss with equanimity.
The Prime Minister appealed to MQM Party workers to control their emotions for foiling the nefarious designs of the miscreants who committed this heinous crime to disrupt the peace of Karachi. He assured that the perpetrators of this cowardly act will be brought to justice very soon with the help of the peace loving people of Karachi.
PMMO/wh
PR No. 9
PRESS RELEASE
High Level Meeting Reviews Health Response to Flood Situation
Medicines, Anti-Snake Venom and Food Supplements Rushed to the Affectees
Islamabad August 2, 2010On directions of the Federal Health Minister, Makhdoom Shahabuddin, health response to the flood situation has been intensified with flood-hit areas in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh being provided necessary medical supplies to cope with the situation, a high level meeting of health partners held in the Ministry of Health today chaired by the Additional Secretary Health, Agha Nadeem was informed. The meeting was attended among others by the Federal Director General Health, Prof. Rasheed Jooma, Representative of World Health Organization, Dr. Shadoul, Representative of UNICEF, Martin Mogwanja, and Representatives of the US Embassy, Janet Castillo and Department for International Development, U.K and National Disaster Management Authority.
The meeting was told that on the orders of the Federal Health Minister, consignment of medicines in the first round have been dispatched to all affected districts of KPK while a second consignment is being dispatched. Medicines for affected districts of Punjab including Mianwali, Layyah, Bhakkar, DG Khan and Rajanpur were provided by the Federal Government on 31st of July. Another consignment of medicines is being sent to districts of Punjab at risk of floods including Jhelum, Gujrat, Sialkot and Hafizabad, the meeting was told. The floods were worst in the KPK region since 1929 and 18 districts of the province were affected the meeting was informed. 65 mobile health teams were operating in the affected areas providing medical relief whereas to meet the challenge of spread of gastroenteritis and cholera, 17 cholera kits and 3 IEHK kits have been provided in the affected area.
The meeting was told that there is a serious challenge in the area of water and sanitation and currently over 80 percent of tube wells and drinking water sources in the affected areas were non-functional. The water was turbid and unfit for human use. With support of WHO, 20,000 aqua tabs for water purification have been provided in KPK whereas 1,000 hygiene kits, mini health kits and diarrhea treatment kits have been rushed to the affected areas in Balochistan. The Director General Health informed that Disease Early Warning System has been activated in the affected areas and the potential risk areas and disease surveillance was assigned to polio surveillance teams in these areas. Oral rehydration Salt packets have also been provided in sufficient quantity and more can be rushed if required the meeting was told.
The Federal Health Ministry is alive to the situation and the Health Minister is personally supervising the health response and medical relief effort, the partner agencies present in the meeting were told.
DKK/wh
PR No. 10
PRESS RELEASE
PRESIDENT ZARDARI MEETS FRENCH PRESIDENT SARKOZI,
VISITS GHANDHARA EXHIBITION
CALLS FOR SETTING UP JOINT ECONOMIC COMMISSION AND FRAMEWORK FOR STRATEGIC DIALOGUE
Islamabad August 2, 2010President Asif Ali Zardari today called for early establishment of a framework for strategic dialogue with France, establishment of a Ministerial level Joint Economic Commission, aggressive support for preferential access to EU market and parliamentary exchanges to deepen the political understanding between the two countries of Pakistan and France, according to press release received from Paris here today.
The President also called for massive international assistance in meeting the situation arising out of recent floods in the country that had washed out hundreds of villages, killed more than 1200 people in Khyber Phukhtoon khwah province alone and rendered homeless hundreds of thousands of people.
The call came during President Zardari’s meeting with President Sarkozi in the Elysee palace today first at the delegation level followed by a one on one meeting between the two leaders, Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said while briefing the media about President Zardari’s second visit to France during the last fourteen months. Those who attended the meeting included PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Defence MinisterChaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir, Secretary to President Malik Asif Hayat.and Pakistan Ambassador in France Mr. Shafkat Saeed Those who attended the talks on the French side included Foreign Minister Kouchner, Advisor onForeign Policy and Political Matters Mr Levitte, chief of Staff Mr. Gueant, Security Advisor Mr. Richer and France’s Ambassador in Pakistan.
The President said that Pakistan attached great importance to the ongoing defence cooperation including the up-gradation of AGOSTA submarines stressing also the need for further strengthening defenc cooperation between the two countries. Pakistan was also keen to engage with France in a serious and substantive engagement in civil nuclear cooperation, he said.
President Zardari appreciated French support to Pakistan in the Friends of Democratic Pakistan forum and called for early disbursement of the assistance pledged at the Tokyo conference of the FoDP. Next meeting of the FoDP will be held in Brussels on October 15.
About Pakistan’s efforts in confronting militancy the President said that the democratic government had built political consensus and given ownership to the war against terror even as it paid a huge cost in terms of human and material losses. No other country in the international coalition has paid such a heavy price in this fight as has Pakistan, the President said and added that it was unfortunate if some people continued to express doubts and misgivings about our will and determination to fight the militants to the finish.
Such misgivings will only undermine the international effort against militants and extremists, he said. The President said that despite resource constraints compounded lately by the calamity of the floods that had devastated parts of Pakistan particularly in the KPK province where more than eight hundred people had been swept by torrential rains and billions lost in material damages Pakistan was tenaciously fighting the militants. However, Pakistan’s efforts and contributions have not been matched by the international support he said and called for greater international support to Pakistan’s ravaged economy and infrastructure.
Besides bilateral issues the two leaders also discussed the regional situation. AboutIndia the President said that Pakistan wanted to have friendly and good neighborly relations with India and an early resumption of dialogue on all issues as agreed at Thimpu. However, Pakistan cannot be selective on the issues that have to be discussed between the two countries of India and Pakistan, he said. The two countries need to build on the progress achieved during the last four years under the Composite Dialogue process, he said. President Zardari said that Pakistan was more than willing for a constructive engagement and called for a cooperative approach to deal with the common threat of terrorism instead of the futile blame game.
About Afghanistan the President said that Islamabad supported the objectives of the London Conference and the Peace Jirga and was encouraged by the outcome of the Kabul Conference. President Zardari said that the international community needed to focus on creating a viable Afghan state and the transition towards this end should be all comprehensive and not merely focused on withdrawal. He also called for international support in counter narcotics measures to dry up source of funding for the militants. He said that Pakistan was ready to assist Afghanistan in capacity building and reconstruction efforts adding also that any approach that ignored Afghanistan’s neighbors will have little chance of success.
President Zardari said that Pakistan looked forward to warmly welcome President Sarkozi.
President Sarkozi appreciated Pakistan’s fight against militancy and said that Pakistan will continue to support Pakistan in its fight as well as in its demand for access to EU markets.
“The success of Pakistan is the success of France”, President Sarkozi said assuring President Zardari of unstinted French support both in the economic development and security areas. President Sarkozi said that France would continue to provide all embracing support to Pakistan to meet the challenges it was faced with. He said that President Zaradri’s visit would further strengthen the bilateral relations adding also that he looked forward to visit Pakistan before the end of this year.
Soon after meeting the President will proceed to visit the Guimet museum in Paris featuring “Pakistan in Paris” through a month long exhibition of Gandhara artifacts
Farhatullah Babar said that the festival “Pakistan in Paris” featuring cultural activities and showcasing Pakistani music and cinema and Gandhara artifacts has been organized to promote soft image of the country that had been battered by violence and extremism. To promote soft image of the country the President will also give interview to the French Daily Le Monde.
A photographic exhibition of Gandhara civilization was also held at the Expo 2010 in Shanghai last month to promote the country’s soft image amd dispel negative images about the country, he said.
The President will meet French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner tomorrow leaving for London Tuesday evening on a four-day visit during which he will meet Prime Minister Cameron and also address members of Pakistani community in Birmingham.
In reply to a question the Spokesperson also debunked reports in a section of the media that hugely expensive hotel rooms costing seven thousand pounds per day had been reserved for the President and members of the entourage. Describing such reports as most unfortunate the Spokesperson said that the Presidential suite in the London hotel reserved for the President cost 2,500 pounds per night while the rooms booked for other members of the entourage cost only 195 pounds per night. The Presidential entourage also was limited, as it comprised only of the Defence Minister, officials of the Foreign Office, the President’s personal staff and the official media teams, he said. This he said was in sharp contrast to the expenses during the London visits in the past by the previous heads of state.
In reply to another question the Spokesperson rejected the notion that the President should have cancelled UK trip to protest Prime Minister Cameron’s remarks in Banglore. He said that Cameron’s uncalled for remarks and the fact that these were made in India had disappointed the people of Pakistan and it was all the more important that the President’s visit to UK went ahead as planned to raise this and other issues with the British Prime Minister.
FU/wh
PR No. 11
PRESS RELEASE
PEMRA REJECT CLAIM OF BLOCKING SOME CHANNELS.
Islamabad August 2, 2010Apropos various reports and comments carried by some media outlets alleging PEMRA and the Democratic Government for blocking transmission of certain TV channels; PEMRA strongly rejects such reports. Neither PEMRA nor the Democratic Government has any role in stopping the transmission of any TV channel. All PEMRA licensed channels are being shown across the country without any discrimination. PEMRA strongly believes in freedom of speech and expression and has been endeavoring towards this end without any prejudice or antagonism.
It has come to PEMRA’s knowledge that a dispute between certain TV channels and two cable operators, namely World Call and Media Plus Communication (MPC), has resulted in partial discontinuation of ARY News, AAJ and News One by the cable operators.
The Authority is making all efforts under its law to resolve the grievances between the two parties with the objective to restore transmission of these channels as soon as possible, per the directive of by the Hon’able Sindh High Court dated July 31, 2010. The two cable operators, who have discontinued airing ARY News, AAJ and News One channels, as a result of their personal conflict, have been served legal warnings/notices in line with the directives of the Court. In case of non-compliance on their part, PEMRA would duly initiate a legal course of action against them.
PEMRA affirms unequivocally that there is no restriction/censorship on media in Pakistan. In pursuance of the Democratic Government’s media policy, electronic media in Pakistan enjoys full freedom in expressing its views on all political and social issues. The impression, therefore, being created by some elements that there is any kind of restriction on media in the country is absolutely false, baseless and devoid of justification.
DO/wh
PR No. 12
PRESS RELEASE
PRESIDENT VISITS “PAKISTAN IN PARIS” FESTIVAL
Islamabad August 2, 2010
President Asif Ali Zardari today visited the “Pakistan in Paris” festival in the Musee Guimet museum in Paris.
Besides Gandhara artifacts the month long festival features cultural activities and showcases Pakistani music and cinema to promote the soft image of Pakistan that has been battered by violence and extremism.
The President was received by the French Cultural Minister on arrival at the festival.
The President was presented book “Pakistan: Where Civilizations Meet” and French translation of “Daughter of the East” during visit to the exhibition.
A photographic exhibition of Gandhara civilization was also held at the Shanghai Expo 2010 last month that was also visited by the President to promote the country’s soft image.
SAK/wh
PR No. 13
PRESS RELEASE
Islamabad August 2, 2010
Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has rang up Governor Sindh Dr. Ishrat ul Ibad Khan and expressed deep grief and sorrow over the killing of MPA Raza Haider in Karachi today.
The Prime Minister asked the political leadership to show maturity and sagacity and appealed to the people to remain calm to help the investigation process. He said that the real perpetrators shall be brought to justice.
The Prime Minister prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and grant courage to the bereaved family on the irreparable loss with equanimity.
ZY/wh