PAKISTAN NEWS

U.S. Government Announces Scholarships for Flood-Affected Students in PakistanThe U.S. government announced 500 new scholarships to Pakistani university students from flood-affected districts to assist them in completing their degrees. U.S. Ambassador Donald Blome announced the scholarships at an event celebrating the achievements of female scholars in honor of International Women’s Day at the Higher Education Commission in Islamabad.Present at the event were Federal Minister of Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Higher Education Commission Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, National Disaster Management Authority Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik, Higher Education Commission Executive Director Dr. Shaista Sohail, USAID Mission Director Reed Aeschliman, university vice chancellors, studen...

Defence Production Potential in Pakistan: Increasing through Public-Private Partnership – A Policy Construct'To exploit its defence production potential to the fullest, Pakistan needs to develop and progress in the fields of education, quality HR, R&D, industrialisation, technology, academia-industry linkages and provide an enabling environment to the private sector.’ This was the key message of the eminent speakers at the seminar on ‘Defence Production Potential in Pakistan: Increasing through Public-Private Partnership – A Policy Construct’ organised by the Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS) in Islamabad.The Keynote Address was delivered by General Zubair Mehmood Hayat, NI (M) (Retd), Former Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Other distinguished speak...

Prime Minister’s telephone call with Mr. Bill Gates, Co-Chair of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif had a telephone call with Mr. Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) today. The Prime Minister appreciated the valuable support extended by the BMGF to Pakistan in polio eradication and improving immunisation, nutrition and financial inclusion in the country particularly during the recent floods in the country. He also reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire to further strengthen the fruitful partnership with the Foundation in all the ongoing areas of cooperation.The Prime Minister apprised Mr. Gates of the efforts of Federal Minister for National Health Services and his team to eradicate Polio from the country and a...

Two-day U.S.-Pakistan Counterterrorism Dialogue Concludes in IslamabadSenior officials of the United States and their Pakistani counterparts opened the Pakistan-U.S. Counterterrorism Dialogue on March 6 at the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad. The two-day policy-focused meeting was chaired by the U.S. Department of State Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism Christopher Landberg and Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Additional Secretary for the UN and Economic Diplomacy Syed Haider Shah.The Dialogue provided an opportunity to discuss the counterterrorism landscape in Pakistan and the broader region, with a focus on areas where the United States and Pakistan can better collaborate to counter regional and global threats, improve cooperation, prevent and ...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif's big decision to save the poor people from inflationA big Ramadan package is ready for the poor people suffering from inflation. Approval to provide free flour to poor families under Ramadan package. Decision in the review meeting of providing free flour under the Ramadan package in Punjab chaired by the Prime Minister. This is a first of its kind package to provide free flour to poor families for the first time. On the special instructions of the Prime Minister, a package of free flour supply was prepared. In the first phase, free flour will be provided to the poorest people in Punjab province under a special Ramadan package. Prime Minister's directive to complete the comprehensive strategy for the supply of flour to the poor families under th...

Govt. in no hurry to arrest Imran Khan, dealing with restraint: Khwaja AsifMinister for Defence, Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Tuesday said the federal government was in no hurry to arrest Imran Khan rather it was dealing with restraint. Addressing a news conference here, the Defence Minister said the former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan was desperately running here and there. Khawaja Asif said he (Imran Khan) was exposed before his supporters and the common man has come to know that he is a coward.Imran Khan, he said, had a chicken's heart, and courage cannot be bought with money. He suggested that Khan should learn to have some heart from Mian Nawaz Sharif. The Minister said for the past few days Imran Khan had staged a drama. “No criminal in the pa...

Minister of State meets with her German CounterpartDr Tobias Linder, German Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office held a meeting with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar in Islamabad. This was Dr Tobias's maiden visit to Pakistan. Underscoring the high importance Pakistan attaches to its longstanding ties of amity and cooperation with Germany, the Minister of State shared Pakistan's keen desire to further strengthen the multifaceted bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, higher education, vocational training, migration and mobility, and renewable energy.Both sides appreciated the recent signing of Letter of Intent for promoting legal migration between the two countries. Thanking Germany for its substantial support toPakist...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led federal cabinet on Tuesday approved the imposition of 25 per cent sales tax on luxury itemsPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led federal cabinet on Tuesday approved the imposition of 25 per cent sales tax on luxury items, fulfilling another condition set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the revival $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) stalled for months. The cabinet approved 25pc general sales tax (GST) on luxury items through a circulation summary. The formal notification will be issued by the Federal Board of Revenue in the coming days.Editor: Raja kamran

Pakistan Navy has foiled a major drug smuggling attempt in the Arabian SeaPakistan Navy has foiled a major drug smuggling attempt in the Arabian Sea. A Pak Navy ship seized 280 kg of crystal ice during a regional maritime security operation. The value of seized drugs in the international market is more than 4 billion rupees. Arrested smugglers and seized drugs were handed over to law enforcement agencies for further action. The successful operation against drug smuggling is the result of effective surveillance at sea by Pakistan Navy.Editor: Raja Kamran