Pakistan

NSC meets to approve ‘guidelines’ on economy, national security

Published

11 months ago

Farwa

Sources say NSC to approve action against terrorists.
Meeting is continuation of the one held last week.
PTI questions KP CM’s exclusion from NSC meeting.

ISLAMABAD: The National Security Committee (NSC) meeting is underway to deliberate on the proposals shared in its last meeting and give approval to a guideline on economic and national security amid rising terrorism cases, sources told Geo News.

Officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the meeting is expected to grant approval of decisive action against terrorists.

The meeting is a continuation of the one held last week.

Senior civil and military officials are attending the meeting that is being chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

PTI slams centre for KP CM’s exclusion from NSC

Meanwhile, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry has claimed that the government did not invite Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan for the NSC meeting.

In a statement, Chaudhry said that the Taliban leadership only trust former prime minister Imran Khan.

He added that elections are the need of the hour as it is Pakistan’s need, saying that there is a need for consensus for the betterment of the economy and the elimination of terrorism.

‘Pakistan’s interests to be secured at all costs’

On Friday, the NSC meeting decided to turn up the heat on militancy with relentless counter and preemptory measures to neutralise the threats present in the country in any form.

In a statement, the PM Office said the participants of the NSC meeting unequivocally resolved that Pakistan’s national interests would not be compromised and no one would be allowed to undermine national security.

The meeting came after the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) announced an end to the ceasefire with Pakistan and ramped up attacks on security forces, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

During the meeting, the participants took stock of the country’s economic and security situation, the statement said.

The government and state institutions resolved that Pakistan’s fundamental interests for existence, security and progress will be well-protected with bravery and lasting strategy.

“Unequivocal opinion was expressed to defend the country’s national interests and not allow anyone to undermine the key concept of national security.”

Participants of the meeting also paid tribute to the great sacrifices of martyrs and extended their condolences towards their families.

It was determined in the meeting that terrorists are Pakistan’s enemies and the entire nation is united on the single narrative of standing against terrorism.

“Those challenging writ of the state will get a full force response.,” the statement read.

A spate of terror attacks

For the past few weeks, Pakistan has witnessed a fresh wave of terrorism with the most recent spate of terror attacks carried out in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

On December 28, Pakistan Army’s top brass resolved to uproot terrorism “without any distinction” as the country battles a fresh wave of insurgency, which has left many soldiers martyred and several others injured.

PM Shehbaz had also reiterated his resolve to uproot the menace of terrorism by using all available resources.

The premier said he would take all possible steps to control terrorism in all its forms in the country.

In seven separate blasts across districts in Pakistan’s southwestern province, five soldiers were martyred and more than a dozen others were injured.

Last month, militants also took over a Counter-Terrorism Department’s (CTD) compound in KP’s Bannu area, which was cleared by the Pakistan Army soldiers three days later. However, four soldiers embraced martyrdom and 10 sustained injuries.

Pakistan

Sindh schools winter vacations from Dec 22

Published

3 days ago

Farwa

KARACHI: The Sindh government on Thursday announced the winter vacation schedule for public and private educational institutions across the province.

According to a notification issued by the Sindh School, Education, and Literacy Department, the educational institutions in the province will observe winter vacation from December 22 to 31.

“In pursuance of decisions taken in the steering committee meeting, all public and private educational institutions under the administrative control of School Education and Literacy Department Government of Sindh shall remain closed w.e.f 22-12,023 to 31-12,023 for Winter Vacation.”

Sindh schools winter vacations from Dec 22

After the winter break, the educational institutions will reopen on Friday (January 1, 2024).

Meanwhile, the new academic year in the public and private schools across Sindh will commence on April 15, 2024, and August 1, 2024, in the colleges.

The matriculation and intermediate exams will be started from the last week of May 2024, while the results will be announced on July 31 and the second week of August, respectively.

Pakistan

COAS Gen Asim Munir meets Kuwaiti crown prince

Published

4 days ago

Farwa

PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar to meet Kuwaiti crown prince today.
Both army chief and PM are in Kuwait on official visit.
PM Office says multiple MoUs expected to be signed during visit.

Army chief General Asim Munir on Tuesday met Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as part of his official visit to the gulf country, reported Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).

The meeting was also attended by Caretaker Law Minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam, Pakistan Ambassador to Kuwait Malik Mohammad Farooq and other members of the delegation.

Meanwhile, PM Kakar has also arrived in Kuwait City after concluding the UAE visit and is expected to meet the crown prince today, the PM Office said on Wednesday.

The premier will also meet his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Ahmed Al-Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

The PM office said that a number of memorandum of understanding (MoUs) will be signed for mutual cooperation in various sectors including manpower, information technology, minerals and mining, food security, energy and defence.

In UAE, Pakistan signed several MoUs worth multi-billion dollars in a range of areas on Monday to boost economic and strategic cooperation between the two countries, PM Kakar said.

The prime minister said with the signing of the MoUs, the bilateral economic and strategic relations had entered into a new era of bilateral cooperation.

Congratulating the people of Pakistan and the UAE, he said the foundation of friendship with Pakistan which was laid by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in the 1970s, had been taken forward by his son Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to a new era.

PM Kakar expressed the hope that the MoUs that were signed by the two countries would turn into tangible projects very soon.

Pakistan

Haj 2024: Pakistanis to get ‘free SIMs with internet’

Published

5 days ago

Farwa

Caretaker Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony Aneeq Ahmed said Tuesday that the government would provide free-of-cost mobile SIMs with roaming internet packages to Pakistanis performing Haj in 2024.

In conversation with a private news channel, the caretaker minister said abayas would also be given to female pilgrims, having a Pakistani flag on the backside, and 13kg suitcases would be given to all.

The minister called the reduction of around Rs100,000 in the Haj cost a “historic step” taken by the caretaker government, noting that a further Rs50,000 would be slashed and the amount would be refunded to the people in their accounts.

He said a new mobile application has been designed to assist pilgrims, which will provide navigation support and enable constant communication between pilgrims and relevant officials.

Initially available in English and Urdu, the application will later incorporate various regional languages, he said, adding, that the app would also provide digital training programmes to every pilgrim.

The minister also disclosed a project that Haj ministry, with the collaboration of the education ministry, has planned to convert city mosques into schools to enroll out-of-school children where the mosques’ imams would play a leading role.

The minister said that mosques will play their role as community centers in every city areas, adding that imams will resolve community issues as well after offering prayers.

He said that haj ministry is taking all four provinces on board and enhancing the connectivity of mosques.

While describing another project, the minister said that his ministry with the collaboration of the health ministry has another project in the works, in which medical clinics will also be part of mosques.