Month: June 2023

Opening Remarks for the Weekly Press Briefing by Spokesperson on 22 June 2023Thank you for joining us for the Weekly Briefing.​I will begin by sharing our condolences at the unfortunate incident of the capsized boat off the coast of Greece in which several Pakistanis are feared dead. Our hearts go out to all the victims and their families.We have briefed the media on the developments. To recap, twelve Pakistani nationals are among the 104 survivors. They are in good physical condition. Unfortunately, we have been unable to verify the number and identity of Pakistani nationals among the deceased and missing. Greek authorities have recovered 84 bodies. Their identification will take place through DNA matching. Relevant authorities have started collecting DNA samples from the fa...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif meets IMF Managing Director Kristalina GeorgievaOn the sidelines of the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact being held in Paris, France, Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif met Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Views were exchanged on the ongoing programmes and cooperation between Pakistan and IMF.Recalling their recent telephone conversation on 27 May 2023, the Prime Minister apprised Ms. Georgieva of Pakistan’s economic outlook. The Prime Minister outlined the steps taken by the Government for economic growth and stability. He underscored that all prior actions for 9th Review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) had been completed and the Government of Pakistan was fully committed...

President appoints Justice Qazi Faez Isa as next Chief Justice of PakistanPresident Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday appointed Justice Qazi Faez Isa as the next Chief Justice of Pakistan.Justice Qazi Faez Isa will assume office on September 17, 2023, following the retirement of the incumbent Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial, a President House statement said.The incumbent chief justice will reach the age of superannuation on September 16, 2023, under Article 179 of the Constitution.The president, who appointed Justice Qazi Faez Isa under Article 175A (3) of the Constitution, would also administer the oath of office to him on September 17, 2023.

HEC impose a ban on celebrating festivals of other religionsHigher Education Institutions (HEls) are inter alia responsible for dissemination of knowledge and are essential actors in transforming youth into humane, caring, and cultured individuals, besides creating a work force that has skill sets in accordance with the prioritized needs of the country and also espouses the cultural and moral values as laid down by our religion. HEls have an ultimate responsibility to polish and nurture the exuberance of youth into learned, mature, and responsible citizens - ready to take on the reins of the country and play their role in nation building. The public and private sector HEis across the country are consequently relied upon to groom our youth into compassionate, discerning, and refined i...

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Islamabad issued advisory regarding prevention & control of Dengue FeverKeeping in view the seasonal trends of Dengue Fever, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) of National Institutes of Health (NIH) Islamabad issued advisory regarding prevention & control of Dengue Fever. The objective of the advisory is to sensitize human and animal health care authorities to further strengthen and improve the level of preparedness in prevention and control of the disease before the alert season. According to the advisory, Dengue is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes (Aedes aegypti & Aedes albopictus). It is endemic in almost all geographical regions of Pakistan and there are substantial evidences that its multiple serotyp...

H.E. Mr. Donald Blome, Ambassador of theUSA to Pakistan called on Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Mohammad Ishaq DarFinance Minister Senator welcomed H.E. Mr. Donald Blome and valued the deep rooted historic and durable bilateral relations with the United States on economic and trade fronts. The Finance Minister also shared the economic policies and priorities of the government to address the challenging economic environment and set the economy on the path to stability and growth.The two sides also exchanged views about areas of common interest and how the existing bilateral relations between the two countries can be enhanced further. The Finance Minister further informed the US Ambassador about the government’s budgetary measures to reduce the fiscal gap in order to mee...

Prime Minister statement on Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC)Prime Minister statement on Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). "He said I have fervently advocated a unified approach to steer the country out of the economic challenges on a path to sustainable growth. Employing a whole-of-the-the-government approach, the coalition government has decided to set up a Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) with a mandate to frame economic policies that ensure policy predictability, continuity & effective implementation to revive the economy.By virtue of its composition, the SIFC will serve as a top decision-making forum to push through fundamental reforms in the structure of the economy. To begin with, the forum will focus on leveraging key sectors ...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif statement about his visit to FrancePrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif statement about his visit to France. He said "The reform of international financial architecture has long been a key demand relentlessly made at different forums by public policy scholars, policy practitioners & world leaders especially from the Global South. The grave nature of challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, environment, rising levels of debt and energy transitions has rung alarm bells. The globalisation of the problems has necessitated the need for creative approaches to rethink the global financial system to make it representative and equitable. This is where the New Global Financing Pact Summit in France represents a unique opportunity to the world to come tog...

U.S. Ambassador Blome’s Visit to Gomal Zam Dam Highlights Economic Accomplishments of Bilateral PartnershipU.S. Ambassador Donald Blome today visited the multi-purpose Gomal Zam Dam in the South Waziristan District of the Newly Merged Districts (NMDs) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He was accompanied by the Chairman of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Lt. General (retired) Sajjad Ghani, and the Secretary of the Agriculture Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Muhammad Javed Marwat.The dam is a joint project of the governments of the United States and Pakistan that has yielded remarkable outcomes. Under the U.S.-Pakistan “Green Alliance” framework, our two countries are working together to advance water management, clean energy, and climate-smart agriculture initiatives. This...

Prime Minister's Visit to Paris to attend the New Global Financing Pact SummitAt the invitation of H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to France to participate in the New Global Financing Pact Summit being held in Paris from 22-23 June 2023. The Summit affords an opportunity for the leaders to discuss the contours of a new global architecture capable of meeting the challenges of financing sustainable development, environment, energy transition and climate change agenda. In the run up to other important international events and conferences during the next two years, the Summit aims to define the principles and steps required for a comprehensive reform of the international financial system, and pave...