Talks with Baloch nationalists: Govt to focus on agenda, says Fawad Chaudhry

 SLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the government is focusing on setting an agenda for talks with Baloch nationalists and insurgents.

Taking to Twitter Tuesday, the minister said India's terrorist network in Balochistan had been dismantled to a large extent.

"Now, we have to set an agenda for talks with Baloch nationalists," he tweeted.

The information minister's remarks come on the heels of PM Imran Khan's statement Monday that the government is mulling talks with Baloch insurgent groups.

Fawad also spoke about development projects in Balochistan, saying that the federal government intended to complete 131 projects worth a whopping Rs731bn in the province.

"The Balochistan government's development package, for this year alone, is Rs180bn," he added. "Prime Minister Imran Khan holds Balochistan close to his heart," he added.

'Govt mulling talks with Baloch insurgents'

The premier had announced that the government was considering the option as the situation in the province had changed, and Pakistan was moving towards a better future.

PM Khan was speaking at an event in Balochistan, where he said insurgents might be upset with the state due to some past grievances or India might have used them to spread terror in Pakistan.

"But now, the situation has changed," he had noted.

PM Khan, on his day-long visit to Gwadar, inaugurated the Gwadar Free Zone, Expo Center, Agriculture Industrial Park, and three factories; he also witnessed the signing of various MOUs aimed at constructing a state-of-the-art hospital, airport, and vocational institute.

The prime minister had said his sole aim was not only to win the elections but also to develop Balochistan after becoming the prime minister.

The premier said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had visited London 24 times, but he never came to Balochistan, while former president Asif Ali Zardari visited Dubai 51 times, but he never had the time to visit Gwadar.

"A person who thinks about Pakistan will think about Balochistan as well, but if a person wants to win elections, they will focus on Faisalabad division, which has more seats in the Parliament than Balochistan," he had said. 

Asif Zardari seeks pre-arrest bail in New York apartment case

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on  Monday opened a probe into former president Asif Ali Zardari, accusing him of hiding the ownership of a New York flat that the bureau says he owns. 

The PPP leader, in response, has filed a petition at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking pre-arrest bail in the inquiry. 

NAB has informed the former president, via a notice, that he had not disclosed in Pakistan that he owned the New York apartment.

NAB also pointed out in the notice that the anti-graft body could not obtain records confirming that any legal sum was sent from Pakistan to buy the flat in New York.

The former president wrote in the petition that he received NAB's notice on June 15 and had sought time to respond to the notice. Zardari said he had requested for time so he could gather information about the property.

"There is a history of NAB targeting me," stated the former president in the petition. "I am suffering from several ailments, and getting treatment from doctors," he added.

Zardari requested the high court to grant him bail till the final verdict in the case, and to declare the notice sent by NAB, illegal.

Ali Zaidi shares property tax bills of Zardari’s alleged NY apartment

Federal minister Ali Haider Zaidi, in 2018, tweeted the property tax bills of a New York apartment allegedly owned by the PPP co-chairperson.

The PTI had filed a reference with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against Zardari for allegedly hiding the property in his nomination papers.

The petition was submitted by the PTI's Khurram Sher Zaman and Firdous Shamim Naqvi moved the ECP Sindh to take notice of the matter and disqualify Zardari as a member of the National Assembly. The provincial election commissioner had maintained that only the ECP Islamabad could take action over it.

The property documents tweeted by Zaidi mentioned address of the apartment as: 524 East 72 street, Apt 37F, NY, NY Manhattan 10021. Zaidi tagged Zaman in the tweet, and said: "@khurram2004 more info for your petition."

چین کو دھمکانے کا وقت گیا، کسی طاقت نے دھونس جمانے کی کوشش کی تواس کا سر دیوار چین پر مار کر پاش پاش کردینگے، صدر شی پنگ

چین کو دھمکانے کا وقت گیا، کسی طاقت نے دھونس جمانے کی کوشش کی تواس کا سر دیوار چین پر مار کر پاش پاش کردینگے، صدر شی پنگ

بیجنگ (اے پی پی/جنگ نیوز)چینی صدر شی جن پنگ نےکہا ہے کہ چین کو دھمکانے کا وقت گیا ،کسی طاقت نے دھونس جمانے کی کوشش کی تو اسکا سر دیوار چین پر مار کر پاش پاش کردینگے،بیرونی طاقتوں کیخلاف پنجہ آزمائی میں کوئی ہمیں طاقت اور اختیار میں کم نہ سمجھے،اپنی افواج کو طاقتور بنا رہے ہیں غیر ملکی افواج کو بدمعاشی نہیں کرنے دینگے ، ہمارے ڈیڑھ ارب عوام کمزور نہیں پڑینگے، صرف سوشلزم ہی چین کو بچاسکتا ہے،چین نے کروڑوں لوگوں کو غربت سے نکالا ،جدید اور خوشحال شہر تعمیر کیے، ہمیشہ عالمی امن کے تحفظ کیلئے کام کیا۔ کمیونسٹ پارٹی کی 100 ویں سالگرہ پر پریڈ کے موقع پر جنگی طیاروں اور کبوتروں کی پرواز نے سماں باندھ دیا۔گزشتہ روز چین کی حکمران جماعت چائنا کمیونسٹ پارٹی(سی سی پی) کے قیام کی 100ویں سالگرہ کی بیجنگ میں تیانمن اسکوائر میں ہونےوالی تقریب سے خطاب کے دوران صدر شی نے کہا کہ ہم نے ماضی میں کسی بھی ملک کے عوام کو دھونس ، جبر اور محکومی کا نشانہ نہیں بنایا اور نہ ہم آئندہ ایسا کریں گے، چینی کمیونسٹ پارٹی نے گزشتہ 100 برسوں کے دوران نہ صرف کروڑوں لوگوں کو غربت سے نکالا بلکہ بہت سے جدید اور خوشحال شہر بھی تعمیر کیے ہیں، چینی عوام صرف پرانی دنیا کو ختم کرنے میں ہی اچھے نہیں ہیں بلکہ انہوں نے ایک نئی دنیا بھی تشکیل دی ہےاورصرف سوشلزم ہی چین کو بچا سکتا ہے، چین نے ہمیشہ عالمی امن کے تحفظ کے لئے کام کیا ، عالمی ترقی میں اپنا حصہ ڈالا اور بین الاقوامی نظام کی بقا کے لئے کردار ادا کیا۔ انہوں نے انسانیت کے مشترکہ مستقبل کے ساتھ انسانی برادری کی تشکیل کے فروغ کی کوششوں کے تسلسل پر بھی زور دیا۔ملک کی سکیورٹی کے حوالے سے صدر نے کہا کہ ملک کوقومی دفاع اور مسلح افواج کی جدت کاری کو تیز تر کرنے کی ضرورت ہے۔بیجنگ کے تیانمن اسکوائر میں ہونے والی اس تقریب میں ہزاروں گلو کاروں اور موسیقاروں نے اپنے اپنے بینڈ کے ساتھ مارچ کیا اور حب الوطنی کے جذبات پر مبنی نغمے پیش کئے۔اس موقع پر چینی جنگی طیاروں اور ہیلی کاپٹروں نے بھی تیانمن اسکوائر پر پروازیں کیں اورمختلف کرتب دکھائے، ان طیاروں پر کمیونسٹ پارٹی کے پرچم کے ساتھ ہی 100 کا ہندسہ بھی درج تھا۔

Ex-Sindh CM Arbab Ghulam Rahim joins PTI

 ISLAMABAD: Former chief minister of Sindh, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, has joined the PTI after meeting Prime Minister Imran Khan, Geo News reported. 

Rahim said PM Khan tasked him with organising the party in Sindh, adding that people would get to hear plenty of "good news" from the province in the coming days. 

In May 2013, the former chief minister merged his party, the People’s Muslim League (PML) with the PML-N after meeting former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif in Lahore.

Arbab Ghulam Rahim: a brief profile

The former PML-Q member served as the chief minister of Sindh from 2004 to 2007.

Born on September 15, 1957, Rahim sought his early education from a village in Tehsil Diplo, District Tharparkar and then, joined the Cadet College Petaro.

He then went to Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences at Jamshoro to study medicine, but later transferred to Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, where he completed his five-year MBBS.

He first contested the local government election and was elected as Nazim of Mirpur Khas district in 1983.

He became a member of the Sindh Assembly in 2002 on the ticket of the PML-Q from the PS-60 constituency in Tharparkar.

Shahid Afridi bats for relatives of PK-8303 air crash victims

 Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has urged Prime Minister Imran Khan to provide compensation to the relatives of those who died in the PK-8303 air crash. 

The swashbuckling all-rounder posted a tweet in which he can be seen meeting relatives of the victims of the tragic plane crash.

"Families of the victims of PIA 8303 plane crash are already bearing the loss of their loved ones. Not clearing the dues furthermore exacerbates their situation," wrote Afridi.

"Requesting Arshad Malik, @Official_PIA @ImranKhanPTI to look into this matter & to help alleviate their pain," he added.

PM Imran Khan says Pakistan accepts Chinese version on Xinjiang

 ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday said Pakistan believed the Chinese version of events on the Xinjiang situation and highlighted Western bias in this regard.

In an interaction with the Chinese media, the premier said it is hypocritical that there is no mention of the worst human rights violations being carried out in the Indian occupied Kashmir in the western media.

“There are UN Security Council resolutions on the Kashmir dispute which accept the right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people,” he pointed out.

This is for the first time that PM Imran has publicly spoken on the matter and endorsed Chinese side. 

Previously, whenever he was asked about the Xinjiang situation by the foreign media outlets, he had told them that the two countries talk behind closed doors.

‘Pak-China ties will not change under any pressure’

Taking a jibe at the US, the premier said it is inappropriate to pressure countries to take sides, stressing that ties between Pakistan and China will not be affected by any sort of pressure.

The prime minister said that Islamabad's ties with Beijing will not change, despite any amount of pressure on Pakistan.

“The United States expects Pakistan to choose a side. This is not appropriate," he stressed.

“The relationship between Pakistan and China is very deep, it’s not just the governments, but it’s a people-to-people relationship,” he added.

“Whatever will happen…[the] relationship between our two countries, no matter what pressure is put on us, is not going to change,” the prime minister said in response to a question.

He mentioned the US-sponsored regional alliance, ‘Quad’ including India and a couple of other countries, and said it was part of a great power rivalry in the region that could create problems.

“Pakistan thinks that it is very unfair of the US and other western powers……[to ask]…for countries like Pakistan to take sides. Why should we take sides? We should have a good relationship with everyone,” he said.

The prime minister said when Pakistan had been in trouble politically or internationally or was involved in conflicts with its neighbour, China always stood by it.

The people of China have a special place in the hearts of the people of Pakistan, he said.

“You remember friends who stand with you in all times. In good times, everyone stands with you, but in difficult, tough, and bad times, you remember those people who stood by you.”

‘Great leader’

PM Khan praised President Xi for his success in the fight against poverty and corruption in China.

“China has lifted 700 million people out of poverty in a few years, which is a great achievement. We want to further develop political, economic and trade relations between the two countries.”

PM Khan said that Pakistanis are impressed by the Chinese president's fight against corruption and consider him “a great politician of modern times”.

“President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign is effective and successful.”

'CPC is a unique model'

Felicitating China on the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China, the premier said it a unique model and flexible enough to accommodate change.

The premier was of the view that the Chinese system is better than Western democracy.

"China's process to hunt talent and then polish it is better than any electoral democracy."

In our society and western countries, he said, it is difficult to bring changes and that it is always not possible to do what is better for the society.

"China's success lies in the ability of its system to accept change."

CPEC

PM Imran Khan said a high-level committee has also been constituted to monitor progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) related projects and make sure there is no impediment in their way.

The premier said he is also going to Gwadar next week to oversee the pace of corridor related projects. He said his visit to China is also in the offing which will focus on further strengthen the bilateral relationship.

He said Pakistan hopes to attract the Chinese industries in the Special Economic Zones being established under the second phase of the CPEC.

He said we are also looking to benefit from the Chinese expertise in the agriculture sector to bolster the productivity of this sector of the economy.