Author: Gulsah Dogar

The China-built Karot hydropower project in Pakistan, under the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is playing a vital role in ensuring the country’s energy security and promoting sustainable and green development, said Pakistani parliamentarians. Located on the Jhelum River in Pakistan’s Punjab province, the Karot hydropower project is constructed by the China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG). It is a living example of sincere cooperation, friendship and mutual benefit between Pakistan and China, the parliamentarians said during the “Open Day” event at the hydropower project recently. Talking to Xinhua on the sidelines of the event, Muhammad Asad Ali Khan…

Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Thursday stressed on increasing trade and investments with Vietnam, saying there was huge but untapped potential to expand the bilateral trade between the two countries. “What Pakistan needs in international relations is cooperation with industrially-advanced nations; so that, the dream of rapid industrialisation, import substitution and value-added exports can be materialised,” FPCCI president Irfan Iqbal Sheikh said.It is pertinent to note that a high-profile Pakistani trade delegation visited Hanoi, Vietnam along with the president of Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) Peter Mc Mullin. Pakistan was represented…

Former Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Friday that Pakistan as a resilient country has great potential to develop its economy. Being a time-tested and iron-clad friend, China is always holding the hand of Pakistan firmly. Given the regional and international challenges, Pakistan is not alone because China is standing by Pakistan to grow and progress together. Zhao Lijian made these remarks in a meeting with Foreign Affairs Expert Muhammad Mehdi at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China. During the meeting, Mehdi categorically supported the one-China policy. Mehdi said Pakistan believes that it is the rightful and…

On May 1, United Nations member states’ special envoys on Afghanistan will meet in Doha, Qatar to discuss how to address the Taliban’s latest restrictions on humanitarian operations. The two-day meeting follows a week of confused messaging from the UN that could directly affect next steps for helping Afghans in need of aid. On April 18, the UN Development Programme Administrator Achim Steiner warned that unless the Taliban revoked their ban on Afghan women working for the UN, the UN was “ready to take the heartbreaking decision to pull out of the country.” The next day, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohamed suggested member states…

Yevgeny Roizman, a prominent Kremlin critic and popular former mayor, stood trial on Wednesday over accusations of “discrediting” the Russian military. Roizman is one of just a few leading opposition figures who remain in Russia and have not been jailed. He faces up to five years in prison. Since invading Ukraine in February last year, the Russian authorities have intensified their crackdown on domestic critics, with almost all of the Kremlin’s major opponents in exile or behind bars. In 2013, Roizman became Russia’s most prominent opposition mayor, serving for five years in public office in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg.…

At least seven people were killed after a car on a moving passenger train caught fire overnight in southern Pakistan, officials said Thursday.  Railways official Mohsin Sial said the train caught fire in Khairpur, a district about 500 kilometers (300 miles) north of Karachi, the capital of Sindh province. He said six people were killed in the blaze while a woman died when she jumped from the window of the moving train. The blaze also badly damaged several other cars in the train, he said, and the cause remained unclear. TV footage showed several burned sections of the train, which was…

Pakistan should demonetise its Rs 5,000 note – the highest denomination in circulation – to come out of the current economic crisis, a Pakistani economist has suggested. Ammar Khan, an energy economist, recently said India’s demonisation worked “tremendously well” and its “tax collections” rose after that move. “There is Rs 8 trillion of cash is sloshing around in the (Pakistan) economy,” Khan said in a podcast that has gone viral. He said this cash was driving consumption in the country but taxes were not coming to the government, which has been facing serious cash crunch and decades-high inflation. Pakistan is…

Turkey was reportedly less interested in buying more batches of Russian-made S-400 air defense systems during the Ukraine war. A senior Turkish defense industry official recently said that Ankara may not need the Russian S-400 system to protect itself and will prioritize domestically produced technology over Russian systems. While the Turkish manufacturer’s boast may sound premature, it is an analysis based on reality. Turkey has made significant progress in its domestic air defense industry, giving Ankara the confidence to say no to Russian systems. Turkish defense manufacturers said that Ankara is working hard to develop its own missile defense system, “We are…

Former attorney general of Pakistan retired Justice Malik Muhammad Qayyum died at the age of 79 in Lahore. Family sources said his funeral prayer would be offered in Johar Town area of the provincial capital. People from legal and political fraternities are expected to attend his last rites. Mr Qayyum, who is brother of interim Punjab Health Minister Dr Javed Akram and the late politician Muhammad Pervaiz Malik, had served as judge of the Lahore High Court and president of the Supreme Court Bar Association. Retired Justice Qayyum was born on Dec 18, 1944 to former Supreme Court judge Justice Muhammad…

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers on Sunday flocked to register for the Jail Bharo Tehreek (JBT) ahead of PTI chief Imran Khan’s call for incepting the movement on Feb 22. The party has established seven registration camps in Karachi’s seven districts. Opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh along with PTI workers got themselves registered for the movement. Mr Sheikh said it reflected people’s enthusiasm and not a relief camp. “No one can face this enthusiasm”, he added. The PTI would, he said, bury its political opponents before sending Mr Khan to jail.  Source : Dunya News