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P.R. No. 83
He said this while chairing a special meeting to review the
current wheat stock position and assess the production of new crop. The
meeting was held here this afternoon at PM’s Chamber at
Parliament House.
P.R. No. 84 Advisor to Prime Minister for Information Technology, Sardar Muhammad Latif Khan Khosa has said Pakistan has working friendly atmosphere as there is a lot of potential to invest in the telecom sector. We want cooperation of cellular companies to achieve our targets for the expansion of information technology and telecom sector. The Advisor expressed these views while talking to a three member delegation of Telenor ASA, which called on him under the chairmanship of its Asia Head, Sigve Brekke here on today. The Advisor sought the cooperation of the company to rebuild telecom infrastructure in NWFP which has been badly damaged by the terror activities and added: Infrastructure is being reinstalled in the Malakand Division after normalcy has turned to the area. Sardar Muhammad Latif Khan Khosa appreciated the contribution of the Telenor for providing basic telephony and data services in Malakand Division and said we want to spread the benefits of the telecom revolution to all corners of Pakistan. He said Ministry of Information Technology is putting all efforts to promote the development of telecommunication services in un-served and under-served areas throughout the length and breadth of the country. “Telecom services being provided in the country, include basic telephony, broadband internet, infrastructure for the services (like Optic Fiber) and Community Tele-centers for those who cannot afford the necessary instruments/devices”, The Advisor maintained. Sigve Brekke informed the minister that Telenor Pakistan is the 2nd largest mobile operator in Pakistan with largest data coverage and has invested over USD 2.0 billion and interested more to invest in the country. The Advisor assured the delegation to provide protection and safety and said our homeland has friendly environment for investment adding the menace of terrorism has been wiped out. Peace has been restored to NWFP and a Ministerial level conference will be held in Malakand Division very soon. **MA/Ahmad**
P.R. No. 85 Namira Saleem, a renowned overseas Pakistani and the First Pakistani astronaut called on Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis, Dr. Farooq Sattar here today. During the meeting, Namira Saleem briefed the Minister about her adventures and achievements. She informed that in addition to her achievement as a qualified astronaut, she is also the first Pakistani to set foot on North Pole in April 2006 and the first Pakistani to hoist flag of Pakistan on South Pole in January 2008. She is also the first Pakistani to skydive from an altitude of 29, 480 feet above Mount Everest, thus, touching the third pole of the world in a unique way. Her exemplary deeds have earned her accolade from all over the world. She has received “Emirates Woman of the Year Award” in 2008. The Minister appreciated unparalleled achievements of Namira Saleem. He appealed to the President and the Prime Minister to award her a prestigious civil award as she has won laurels for her country and projected the name of the country all over the world.
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No. 86 Australia’s National Security Advisor, Mr. Duncan Lewis, called on Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi today. He was accompanied by the Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Mr. Tim George and other members of his delegation. Welcoming the Australian National Security Advisor, the Foreign Minister said that Pakistan attached great importance to its relations with the countries in Asia-Pacific Region. Pakistan viewed with satisfaction the enhanced engagement and development of partnership between Australia and Pakistan. The Australian National Security Advisor expressed the hope that the Foreign Minister would be able to visit Australia soon. Both sides expected concrete outcomes from his visit. The Foreign Minister raised the question of reported ban on shipment of scientific equipment to Pakistan with the National Security Advisor. Earlier, taking note of the media reports, he had instructed the Pakistan High Commissioner in Canberra to take up the matter with the Australian side. The National Security Advisor assured that it was not a Pakistan - specific action.
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No. 87 A delegation of Telenor Pakistan headed by Mr. Sigve Brekke, Vice President and Head of Telenor for Asia Operations met with Minister of State/Chairman, Board of Investment Mr. Saleem H. Mandviwalla at the Board of Investment. The Minister of State / Chairman, Board of Investment welcomed the delegation and appreciated the Telenor Pakistan efforts and lauded their continued support and investment towards developing the telecom sector in Pakistan. Mr. Brekke Sigve Brekke said, “Telenor has brought in US $ 2 billion as the largest European FDI in the country and is continuing to contribute in terms of ongoing investments. We seek Board of Investment’s support in rationalizing the taxation structure for the telecom sector to ensure continuous development of the industry. The move will also fuel channeling of resources towards infrastructure expansion and provision of more innovative services, like easypaisa.” Mr. Mandviwalla also suggested that they should look into the manufacturing of mobile handsets in Pakistan and establish their own manufacturing plant. He further elaborated on the salient features of the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and the benefits that it provides to foreign and local investors with tax breaks, fiscal and financial incentives. A draft SEZ act has been framed and will be presented in the cabinet very soon for approval. Mr. Saleem H. Mandviwalla, Minister of State / Chairman, Board of Investment in the end thanked the members of the delegation for investing in Pakistan and assured the delegates that BOI being the facilitator will extend full support and cooperation for rationalizing the taxation structure for the telecom sector in Pakistan. The delegation reciprocated by appreciating BOI for all their efforts and cooperation in helping Telenor every step of the way to establish themselves in Pakistan.
P.R. No. 88 Dr. Fehmida Mirza, Speaker and Faisal Karim Kundi, Deputy Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan have condoled the sad demise of mother of Mustafa Kamal, former Nazim Karachi. In their separate condolence messages to Mustafa Kamal, the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker expressed grief and sorrow over the passing away of his mother. They prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage and forbearance to the bereaved family to bear the irreparable loss with equanimity.
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No. 89 The Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation, Dr. Filemon A. Uriarte, Jr., received Ambassador Sanaullah at the Foundation’s office in Jakarta, Indonesia. He gave Ambassador Sanaullah a detailed briefing on the mandate and activities of the ASEAN Foundation and presented him a copy of ASEAN Quest, containing information about ASEAN, and a copy of his latest book “Introduction to Knowledge Management.”,says a press release received from Embassy of Pakistan Jakarta, here today. The Ambassador expressed his support to the programnes of the ASEAN Foundation. He observed that Pakistan enjoyed cultural commonalities with the ASEAN countries which could serve as a basis to enhance mutual understanding and cooperation. He made a special mention of the Buddhist/Gandhara heritage of Pakistan. The Ambassador also reiterated his proposal he had made to ASEAN envoys to hold a joint photographic exhibition and a food festival. He also proposed joint projects for enhancing closer ties. The Ambassador on this occasion also presented Dr. Uriarte a copy of the book Gabriel’s Wings by the Islamic scholar Annemarie Schimmel. It may be mentioned here that Ambassador Sanaullah presented his Letter of Credence to the Secretary General, ASEAN on 3 March 2010. He is also accredited as Pakistan’s envoy to Indonesia.
P.R. No. 90 Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) initiated an action against more than 100 illegal / unregistered satellite TV channels being on-aired through cable distribution networks all across the country. These illegal / unregistered channels were not only violating PEMRA laws but also were incurring huge financial losses to the government exchequer. Furthermore, these illegal satellite channels have blocked the space which as per laws is a legal right of local satellite TV channels which are licenced / registered by PEMRA since 2002. This action was therefore, taken in a bid to create space for legitimate satellite TV channels which have obtained licences and paid their respective dues to the Authority. PEMRA being a regulator is steadfast to promote its licencees and this initiative has been taken to support local broadcast industry. Cable TV networks in Pakistan are operating on analog technology, restricting their channel capacity to 90. Whereas, PEMRA has granted 82 licences for satellite TV channels and 28 permissions for Landing Rights, these licenced channels are facing exploitation from cable distribution networks either by not carrying them on their respective networks or by tuning them at the last numbers having poor signal quality. In order to increase their subscription, Cable TV operators, generally, prefer foreign satellite TV channels which on the contrary are illegal for distribution purposes. Moreover, action taken by PEMRA was across the board without discriminating channels airing foreign or Pakistani content, in any genre i.e. entertainment, sports, kids, news/ currents affairs etc. Notwithstanding, this action has been taken in order to protect legitimate rights of licenced satellite TV channels and to pursue other channels to get them registered / licenced with PEMRA. Once all the satellite TV channels banned at the moment are registered / licenced by PEMRA, they will be allowed for distribution through cable TV networks.
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No. 91 H.E. Mr. Jauhar Saleem, Ambassador of Pakistan to Bosnia and Herzegovina also accredited to the Republic of Croatia has appreciated the good work being done by Pakistani compatriot, Mr. Naveed Hussain, Head of UNHCR in Bosnia & Herzegovina to highlight the plights and problems being faced by the displaced persons in Bosnia,says a press release received from Embassy of Pakistan Sarajevo here today.. In order to draw attention of international community, Mr. Naveed Hussain at his own initiative arranged the visit of UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie along with husband Brad Pitt to Bosnia and Herzegovina to meet some of the displaced persons. Ambassador Angelina expressed her resolve to extend all possible assistance to them. It has been noted that some aspects of the visit by Angelina Jolie has been misreported in the Pakistani media which needs to be corrected. Accordingly a factual brief is being attached along with some photographs of the visit.
P.R. No. 92 Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani congratulated Chairman, Parliamentary Committee on Constitution Reforms, Senator Raza Rabbni on adoption of the 18th Amendment Bill in the National Assembly. He appreciated the hard work and expertise of the members of the committee in drafting the far reaching amendment with consensus since adoption of 1973 Constitution. The Chairman, Parliamentary Committee on Constitution Reforms thanked the Prime Minister for playing a leading role in evolving consensus in the Parliament on the Bill. During his call on the Prime Minister at PM chamber in the Parliament this evening, he eulogized Prime Minister’s policy of accommodation and reconciliation which created a congenial atmosphere in the Assembly for unanimous adoption of this historic constitutional amendment. He said that all dictatorial inclusions had been weeded out and the 1973 constitution had been restored in its original form and glory after a very long time. The Federal Minister for Population Welfare, Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan also congratulated the Prime Minister for his political acumen and leadership in unanimous adoption of the 18th Amendment in the National Assembly. A group of parliamentarians also called on the Prime Minister in his chamber and felicitated him on unanimous adoption of the Amendment Bill in the National Assembly.
P.R. No. 93 Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said development and uplift of FATA is a priority area of the government to bring a positive change in the lives of the local people. He asked the elected representatives of FATA to prioritize the development schemes keeping in view the most important requirements and subsequently supervise the progress of development work personally so that time could be saved and quality could be maintained. The Prime Minister was talking to the Senators and MNAs of FATA who met him here at the Prime Minister’s House this evening. The Prime Minister congratulated the Parliamentarians of FATA and appreciated their role during the passage of 18th Amendment Bill. The contribution of members he added exhibited their commitment and devotion to matter of national importance. The democratic process, he said, will promote democratic culture in the areas left behind in progress. The same process and culture he mentioned, would bring about a change in the lives of the people awaiting to see peace and prosperity. Lauding the role of the people of NWFP and FATA in the war against militancy, the Prime Minister stressed that the Parliamentarians belonging to these areas need to keep close liaison with the people to solve their problems. He paid rich tribute to the martyrs and expressed sympathies for all those who suffered at the hands of terrorists. He said they are fighting the war of Pakistan and have sacrificed their present for the better future of their countrymen. He said the reconstruction in the areas affected by militancy is the top priority and the elected representatives should come forward to assist the government in implementing this agenda. The Senators and members of National Assembly from FATA congratulated the Prime Minister on the passage of 18th Amendment Bill in the National Assembly. The atmosphere of the House and the enthusiasm shown by the elected representatives they said is a result of the reconciliatory efforts of the Prime Minister which will develop this environment. They assured their complete support to the policies of the government in future as well. They also appreciated the concern shown by the Prime Minister for the development and progress of FATA and other region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa. The Senators lauded the Prime Minister for his policy of reconciliation and consensus and extended their complete support. They thanked him for his special attention to the development of NWFP and FATA especially the militancy affected areas. The delegation also informed the Prime Minister about various matters related to the tribal areas including bringing about improvement in the existing health and education facilities as well as the road network. Those who met the Prime Minister included Senator Eng. Rashid Ahmed Khan, Senator Haji Khan Afridi, Senator Hafiz Rasheed Ahmed, Senator Maulana Mohammad Saleh Shah Qureshi, Malik Bilal Rehman MNA, Mr. Sajid Hussain Turi MNA, Haji Munir Khan Orakzai MNA, Mr. Jawad Hussain MNA, Mr. Mohammad Kamran Khan MNA, Mr. Shaukat Ullah MNA, Mr. Noor ul Haq Qadri Minister for Zakat & Ushr, Mr. Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi Minister for Environment. Minister for Interior Mr. Rehman Malik, Minister for Petroleum & NR Syed Naveed Qamar, Minister for Water & Power Raja Parvaiz Ashraf, Advisor on Finance Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, and Advisor on Political Affairs Nawabzada Ghazanfar Gul were also present in the meeting.
P.R. No. 94 Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani attended a dinner hosted by Federal Minister for Labour & Manpower, Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah in honour of the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms this evening. Chairman Senate Mr. Farooq H. Naek, Speaker National Assembly Dr. Fahmida Mirza, leader of the House in Senate, leader of the Opposition in National Assembly, Federal Ministers, leaders of the political parties, and Parliamentarians also attended the dinner.
P.R. No. 95 President Asif Ali Zardari has congratulated the whole nation, the government, the opposition, members of parliament, Constitutional Reforms Committee, all political parties and democratic forces on the unanimous approval of 18th Amendment Bill by the National Assembly on Thursday. The National Assembly, in a very charged atmosphere, Thursday unanimously passed the historic Constitution (18th amendment) Bill, 2010, aimed at restoring the 1973 constitution to its original form. The President in a message hailed the approval of 18th Amendment Bill by the Lower House of Parliament as vindication of struggle for democracy and hoped that Senate (the Upper House of Parliament) will also adopt the bill very soon. President Zardari said the passage of 18th Amendment Bill by the National Assembly showed the political wisdom, maturity, patriotism and commitment to democracy of all political parties and leaders.
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