Tag: The Pakistan Times

2nd meeting of Policy & Strategy Committee/Oversight Board on post flood ResilientThe 2nd meeting of Policy & Strategy Committee/Oversight Board on post flood Resilient, Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Framework (4RF) activities was held under the chairmanship of the caretaker Federal Minister for Planning Development & Special Initiatives Muhammad Sami Saeed here in Islamabad on Friday.This meeting was attended by high officials, including the Minister for Planning of Gilgit Baltistan, Secretary Planning, Secretary EAD, Chief Secretary GB, Country Director World Bank, Country Director Asian Development Bank (ADB), Country Director European Union Islamabad, Deputy Resident Director UNDP and representatives from NDMA. Additionally, Chief Minister Baluchistan an...

Opening Remarks for the Weekly Press Briefing by Spokesperson Thursday, 12 October 2023Thanks for joining us for the Weekly Briefing. Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani participated in the 27th Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) on 9-10 October 2023. The meeting, which was chaired by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov, focused on the theme of "Green Transition and Interconnectivity".In his statement, the Foreign Minister reiterated Pakistan's steadfast support for ECO's mission of fostering economic growth and regional prosperity. He emphasized the vital role of integrated regional cooperation among member states in areas such as trade, investment, tourism, and infrastructure de...

CHIEF OF STAFF QATAR ARMED FORCES VISITS AIR HEADQUARTERSA high level delegation, led by Lieutenant General (Pilot) Salem Hamad Eqail Al-Nabet, Chief of Staff, Qatar Armed Forces, called on Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force at Air Headquarters, Islamabad today.During the meeting, evolving regional security and geo-strategic environment, avenues of defence cooperation in the field of technology sharing and development alongside key areas of mutual interest were discussed.On his arrival, a smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Air Force presented him guard of honour following which he was introduced to the Principal Staff Officers of Pakistan Air Force.Later, the visiting dignitary called on Air Chief Marshal Zaheer A...

The Pakistani Army won a silver medal in Wales, UK's "Cambrian Patrol"The Pakistani Army won a silver medal in Wales, UK's "Cambrian Patrol," one of the hardest military events in the world. The competition, according to Army and Air Attache Pakistan High Commission UK Col. Taimur Rahat, has been going on since 1959 and is regarded as NATO's most difficult patrolling exam with top-notch testing criteria. A total of 113 teams, including 38 overseas teams, participated this year.Editor: Raja Kamran

Federal Secretary for Railways, Syed Mazhar Ali Shah chaired a meeting to review the preparations of upcoming visit to ChinaThe Federal Secretary for Railways, Syed Mazhar Ali Shah chaired a meeting to review the preparations of upcoming visit to China on the eve of the Belt and Road Forum (BRF). The Ministry of Railways has planned to promote ML-1 project for early commencement of work. In addition, other key railway projects would also be shared with investors for implementation.Some of the key projects would be Gawadar connectivity, upgradation of Quetta Taftan rail link, new link between Quetta-Zhob and Dera Ismail Khan, Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) between Karachi Port and Pipri, new rail link between Kohat, Thal and Kharlachi, Solarization in Railways and development an...

ISSI hosts Roundtable Discussion with Special Envoy of the OIC Secretary General for Jammu and Kashmir/ Assistant Secretary General Ambassdor Yousef AldobeayIndia Study Centre (ISC) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) hosted a roundtable discussion with Ambassador Yousef Aldobeay, Special Envoy of the OIC Secretary General for Jammu and Kashmir/ Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs. Dr. Khurram Abbas, Director ISC in his introductory remarks welcomed the delegation and highlighted OIC’s consistent support to Pakistan’s stance on Jammu and Kashmir dispute. He said OIC has always raised a strong voice for the people of Jammu & Kashmir.Other participants included Mr. Ghulam Muhammad Safi, Former Convener of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC); ...

President calls for stronger economic and defence ties with QatarPresident Dr Arif Alvi has called for further strengthening ties with Qatar in the fields of economy and defence for the mutual benefit of the two brotherly countries. He said that Pakistan and Qatar enjoyed excellent relations, which needed to be translated into mutually rewarding business and economic ties.The President expressed these views while talking to the visiting Chief of Staff of Qatar Armed Forces, Lt Gen (Pilot) Salem Hamad Eqail Al-Nabet, who along with the members of his delegation called on him, at Aiwan-e-Sadr, today. Pakistan’s Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshall Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, and senior officials of the government also attended the meeting.Welcoming the delegation, the President...

Ambassador Blome’s Trip to Northern Sindh Calls Attention to Acute Malnutrition Emergency, U.S. Support in Education, Water, and HealthOne year after Pakistan’s devastating 2022 floods, millions of Pakistanis still need urgent support. As UNICEF reported, more than 1.5 million children require lifesaving nutrition interventions; floods damaged vital infrastructure, including 30,000 schools, 2,000 health facilities, and 4,300 water systems; and access to safe drinking water and sanitation remains worryingly low. As demonstrated by Ambassador Blome’s fourth trip to Sindh on October 10-11, the United States is still hard at work – helping the poorest, hardest hit parts of Pakistan rebuild and recover. Specifically, the United States is helping Pakistan meet urgent needs in the areas of...

High level meeting regarding Pakistan International Airlines under the chairmanship of caretaker Prime MinisterThe meeting was given a detailed briefing on various issues of PIA. Prime Minister expresses concern over delay in decision making on PIA issues. The country is suffering from economic problems and the deficit of national institutions is causing these problems to increase. Prime Minister said it is no longer possible to meet the deficit of these institutions from public taxes. The process of privatization of PIA and other loss-making government enterprises (SOEs) should be accelerated. With the reforms of the aviation sector, the people will be able to provide the best travel facilities. It is very important to determine those responsible for the loss so that steps can be ta...

Minister for Finance, Revenue, and Economic Affairs, met with the Governor of the Central Bank of MoroccoDuring her official visit to Morocco in conjunction with the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Minister for Finance, Revenue, and Economic Affairs, met with the Governor of the Central Bank of Morocco. The importance of international financial cooperation was highlighted as the two sides engaged in in-depth conversations, explored opportunities for economic cooperation, and exchanged essential ideas on economic issues of shared concern.Pakistan Caretaker Minister of Finance also met with Anna Bjerde, World Bank Managing Director of Operations and exchange views on the macroeconomic outlook and stabilization measures bei...