PR. No. 155.
PRESS RELEASE
PAKISTAN-MALAYSIA AGREED TO CONSTITUTE FTA REVIEW COMMITTEE
Islamabad, 14th September, 2010Pakistan and Malaysia have agreed to constitute a Joint Committee to Review Malaysia Pakistan Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement(MPCEPA) signed in November, 2007 to further enhance and facilitate trade, investment and economic cooperation between the two countries, says a press release received here today.
The High Commissioner for Pakistan in Malaysia, Mr. Masood Khalid while commenting on the concurrence of the two governments to hold the Joint Review Committee said in Kuala Lumpur today that it was an important step forward in promoting the trade, investment and economic cooperation between the two countries and added that Joint Committee would review the implementation and operation of MPCEPA as provided under article eight (8) and nine (9) of the Free Trade Agreement.
The High Commissioner said that the Joint Committee will also review the implementation and operation of the agreement, consider and recommend any amendment in the FTA, facilitate the avoidance and settlement of disputes arising from the agreement, supervise and coordinate the work of Sub-Committees and adopt necessary decisions. In the negotiation, the Malaysian side will be led by Ministry of International Trade and Investment and Pakistani side will be led by Ministry of Commerce, he added.
He said that various Sub Committees on trade in good, trade in services; customs procedures investment and economic cooperation will also be constituted to submit recommendations on their areas of focus to the Joint Committee for final adaptations.
While welcoming the Malaysian initiative to hold the first meeting of the Joint Review Committee and various subcommittees in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the High Commissioner said that meeting of the Joint Committee would certainly help in resolving some of the most pressing implementation issues and would pave the way for greater economic cooperation between the two countries in any area within the scope of the Agreement as may be mutually agreed upon.
PR. No. 156.
PRESS RELEASE
NUMBER OF FEMALE DOCTORS DOUBLED
China dispatches second medical team to Pakistan
Islamabad; September 14, 2010China dispatched its second medical team comprising 59 doctors and paramedics, to Pakistan this here morning. The team was sent off at the Beijing Airport by Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Masood Khan and Chinese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Zhang Zhijun., says a press release received here today.
Speaking on the occasion Ambassador Masood Khan said that Pakistan and China are all-weather and time-tested friends. “China has always helped Pakistan in difficult times. Once again, Pakistan is passing through a difficult time and China is there to help us.”
He said the team is going on a noble mission. “Pakistan is not a foreign country but your own neighbour, friend, brother, and partner – Pakistan. You are going to your second home,” he added.
Commenting on the flood situation he said “In the past eight weeks, we have been hit by massive floods. This is the worst calamity in our history. Some 20 million people have been affected. Eight million people are without homes. Hospitals, schools, crops, livestock, roads and bridges have been washed away.”
Because of the devastation of the flood, millions of people have moved into relief camps or spontaneous settlements. The biggest danger in these camps is disease and epidemic, he added.
Appreciating the contribution of the medical team already working in Pakistan, he said “The rescue team that preceded you has done a marvelous job. In extreme weather conditions, they have already seen and treated thousands of patients. It is a 55-member team but sometimes it has seen as many as 700 patients a day.”
He regarded Chinese help to Pakistan as timely, substantial and unconditional. “The Chinese Government has helped us by providing urgently needed relief goods by air and by road. Chinese citizens have contributed generously to our Prime Minister’s Relief Fund,” he concluded.
Earlier, Ambassador Masood Khan held meeting with China’s Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Zhang Zhijun and Deputy Chief China Earthquake Authority, Zhao Heping at the airport.
He thanked the Chinese government for providing timely support to Pakistan. He also praised the services of the Chinese Medical team sent on August 26th, which has so far treated nearly ten thousand flood affected patients.
Mr. Zhang Zhijun informed the Ambassador that keeping in view the need of the people the number of female doctors and paramedics has been increased from 12 to 25 in this second rescue and relief team.
Ambassador Masood Khan also updated them on the recent flood situation in Pakistan.
This 59-member medical team would replace the team sent to Pakistan three weeks ago but some members of the previous team would also continue in Pakistan.
PR. No. 157.
PRESS RELEASE
Beijing School children donate for flood relief in Pakistan
PRESS RELEASE
Islamabad; September 14, 2010About 100 primary level students of Beijing International Academy of Arts and Science, including those of the kindergarten, donated RMB 21378.75 (US$ 3100 approx.) for the flood affectees of Pakistan at a ceremony held at the Academy Campus here today, says a press release received here today.
Faculty members of the Academy also contributed to this amount which ranged from ten Jiao (Rs. 1.5 approx.) to RMB 10,000 (Rs. 130,000 approx.). Most of the students made donations from their pocket money.
Speaking on the occasion Principal of the Academy Ms. Zhu Mingying told the children about Pakistan-China friendship and encouraged them to donate generously for supporting their Pakistani brothers and sisters in their hour of need.
PR. No. 158.
PRESS RELEASE
GE GIVES 1 MILLION TO WFP FOR PAKISTAN FLOOD VICTIMS
Islamabad 14th September, 2010In response to the unprecedented flooding catastrophe in Pakistan which has destroyed crops in 23 per cent of land under cultivation, General Electronics has announced a one million dollars grant to World Food Program to provide much-needed food relief supplies.
Bob Corcoran, President and Chief Executive of GE Foundation, handed over a cheque for the aid to Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani, which would be administered by WFP in the flood zone. US Deputy Special Representative for Pakistan and Dan Feldman, Richard Leach, President and CEO, World Food Program, USA and Karan Bhatia, VP, International Govt. Relations and Policy General Electronics, also attended the event at the Pakistan embassy.
Ambassador Husain Haqqani informed the gathering of the massiveness of the devastation caused by monsoon flooding over one fifth of the country’s land and said the international community has now stepped up its aid for the challenging relief effort in the swamped areas, after an initial tepid response.
He welcomed the General Electronics’ contribution and expressed the hope that other corporations will follow its example and ramp up aid for more than 20 million people affected by the natural disaster. Millions of people have been displaced, with a large number of children facing the risk of waterborne diseases.
The ambassador said the loss of all kinds of crops in the flood zone means the victims will have to be provided nutrition for a longer period of time. He appreciated the United States’ assistance – by far
the largest with around 260 million dollars – and expected more contributions from the American people. He noted that the floods are a new challenge for Pakistan and said the epic humanitarian situation and huge rebuilding requirements demand new international assistance and not just re-appropriation of old aid pledged by the country’s development partners. The envoy reaffirmed Islamabad’s resolve to ensure transparency in the use of flood relief and recovery assistance.
Haqqani regretted that a part of the media started focusing on political dimensions of the tragedy from the word go, before actually reporting the extent of human suffering and the staggering economic losses resulting from the crisis.
In his remarks, Bob Corcoran called for understanding the colossal devastation and hoped for more robust cooperation from other companies. According to Josetta Sheeran, WFP Executive Director, the GE contribution will help save Pakistani lives and inspire others to contribute more generously to the effort. The GE had previously donated $ 250,000 to the flood relief assistance and now the company’s contribution stands at 1.25 million dollars.
Dan Feldman said the United States business companies are joining hands with the administration in extending a helping hand to the Pakistanis in their hour of need. He reiterated U.S. commitment to urge more international aid for Pakistan at the upcoming UN and international meetings.
PR. No. 159.
PRESS RELEASE
The Minister for Minorities, Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti met with Foreign
Minister Franco Frattini today.
Islamabad , 14th September, 2010Mr. Frattini welcomed Mr. Bhatti and reiterated Italy’s support to Pakistan bilaterally as well as in the context of European Union and internationally. The Italian Foreign Minister stated that Italy was committed to inter-religious dialogue and harmony. He recalled President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to Italy and his meeting with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi whereby they had pledged to improve cooperation on the rights of minorities. He stated that his Government was particularly attached to this issue and had sponsored a European resolution on the subject. He expressed satisfaction that the European Foreign Ministers in their meeting a couple of days ago agreed on the need to provide immediate access to Pakistan of European markets, says a press release received here today.
Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti briefed Mr. Frattini on the situation resulted from unprecedented floods in Pakistan and thanked the Italian government for providing assistance to Pakistan. He underlined the need for continued Italiansupport during the rehabilitation and reconstruction phases. He elaborated various steps being taken by the Government to ensure the rights of minorities and promotion of inter-faith harmony particularly at the grassroots level. He specifically mentioned the steps being taken to establish inter-faith harmony committees at the district level.
Foreign Minister Frattini commended the initiatives of the Government of Pakistan for inter-faith harmony and stated that these measures needs to be further highlighted. Mr. Frattini invited Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti to speak to a gathering of the 15 Foreign Ministers of the European Peoples Party, a group of Christian Democrats parties in Europe. Mr. Bhatti accepted the invitation.
Foreign Minister Frattini informed that he plans to undertake a visit to Pakistan in October to formally announce the 80 million Euro relief package for Pakistan. Mr. Bhatti invited him to visit a model inter-faith relief camp established near Islamabad.
Mr. Bhatti also requested for Italian assistance in the construction of dams. The Minister for Minorities Affairs is also meeting members of Parliaments, NGOs and Italian and international media.
PR. No. 160.
PRESS RELEASE
Islamabad, 14 th September, 2010Minister for Minorities Affairs met with the leading Italian NGOs and their umbrella organizations today to discuss the contribution in the flood relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts. The meeting was organized by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the request of the Embassy of Pakistan. The Minister briefed the NGOs on the scale of devastation caused by the flood, the immediate relief requirements, the short term rehabilitation and long term reconstruction requirements. The Minister thanked the Italian NGOs for their contribution and urged them to mobilize greater support particularly through the Italian public and media to sustain this support in the next two phases, says a press release received here today.
The NGOs that are participated in the meeting are: INTERSOS, Cesvi, ISCOS CISL, Groce Rossa Italiana, PROSUD, Action Aid, Civil Protection, AGIRE, Italian NGO Association, AIFO. The representatives of the NGOs assured the Minister for Minorities Affairs of their continued engagements in relief and rehabilitation process in the flood affected areas of Pakistan.
PR. No. 161.
PRESS RELEASE
USA-Pak Grant Agreement Signing Ceremony
Islamabad, September 14, 2010Grant Agreement signing ceremony is being held tomorrow in Ministry of Environment, Islamabad between the Government of the United States of America and National Energy Conservation Centre, Ministry of Environment. According to the agreement, America agrees to fund the cost of goods and services required for a feasibility study on the proposed “Liquefied Petroleum Gas Transport Fuel Conversion Project” in Pakistan.
Federal Minister for Environment Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi and U.S Ambassador in Pakistan Ms. Ann Peterson and other high officials of Ministry of Environment and U.S Embassy would participate in the ceremony.
PR. No. 162.
PRESS RELEASE
Socio-Economic Uplift of Flood Effected People Is Top Priority of the Government………..Afridi
Islamabad, September 14, 2010Federal Minister for Environment Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi has said that humanitarian support and sentiments of love the affection has given a sigh of relief and console the calamity-hit people of Pakistan.
He expressed these views while talking to delegation of FATA and other areas who called on him at Islamabad on Tuesday. The Minister said that it the due priority of government to expedite the pace of relief and rehabilitation work yet, cooperation of different organization and people of Pakistan as well as international community is highly praiseworthy. He also appreciated the generous support of our general community and friendly countries that had fulfilled their promises and provided all possible assistance to help the displaced persons in different areas of Pakistan.
Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi said apart from relief activities for flood affected people every possible steps were being adopted to mitigate the suffering of people by extending basic necessities of life and resolving their genuine grievances.
Referring to various problems pointed out by the delegation members Federal Minister Environment assured for adopting appropriate measures to resolve them after taking up these issues with the concerned authorities. He also appreciated the spirit of affected people who had been trying their best to rebuild their damaged houses on their personal initiatives and assured that government would never leave no-stone unturned to provide every possible relief and financial assistance for their rehabilitation.
PR. No. 163.
PRESS RELEASE
MINISTER FOR MINORITIES AFFAIRS MR. SHAHBAZ BHATTI MEETS VATICAN OFFICIALS
,Islamabad, 14 September 2010Today, the Minister for Minorities Affairs Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti met with Vatican Foreign Minister Archbishop Dominique Mamberti at the Apostolic Palace. Archbishop Mamberti stated that “His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI prayed for all those affected by the floods and would continue in supporting relief efforts made by the Vatican”. The Minister thanked Archbishop Mamberti for the concerted efforts of the Holy See to alleviate the sufferings of the flood victims in Pakistan and requested that this endeavour should also take into consideration reconstruction projects in the long term. The Minister was particularly grateful to the Christian charitable agencies, which are spearheading the world wide collection of donations for flood affectees. The Minister also discussed various aspects of Pakistan’s relations with the Holy See and Inter-religious dialogue , says a press release received here today.
Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti also met with Cardinal Jean Louis, the President of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue. Cardinal Tauran stated that the Vatican appreciated Pakistan’s role to promote interfaith dialogue, harmony and understanding. The Minister noted that Pakistan appreciated the efforts of the Council which meets annually with the Permanent Committee of Al-Azhar, participates in the World Conference on Dialogue, and is part of the Catholic-Muslim Forum. Cardinal Tauran spoke of the “need for education of the new generation, respect for each human being, appreciation of all of God’s creation, and the importance of both heart and mind to effect real change”. The Minister briefed his interlocutors on the establishment of Interfaith Harmony Committees at the grass roots level and other recent initiatives of the Ministry for Minorities Affairs.
Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti also availed of the opportunity to brief Cardinal Tauran on relief works in Pakistan in the aftermath of the devastating floods, and reiterated that Pakistan needed the support and cooperation of the international community to assist those who have in a brief span of time lost their loved ones, their homes and their livelihoods. Cardinal Tauran reiterated that the “Catholic Church was among the first to help Pakistan in flood relief efforts”. The Minister thanked Cardinal Tauran for the concern and compassion shown by Christians around the world, who had collected donations for Pakistan.
