Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Pakistan will rise faster next time PTI comes to power: PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday stressed that Pakistan would "rise faster" next time the PTI government was elected.

He made the comment while speaking about economic growth figures at a ceremony in Ziarat. At the outset of his speech, the premier prayed for the families of four Frontier Corps soldiers who were martyred in a terrorist attack in Quetta a day earlier.

The premier said the country was "getting out of a very difficult time", adding that the opposition parties had been "making noise" that his government would fail ever since it came to power.

"They [opposition parties] were afraid that if this government took Pakistan out of a difficult economic time, their political shops would be closed. They kept saying for over two years that our country and economy have been destroyed."

Last year, the economic growth rate was projected at 0.5 per cent when "conditions were really bad" and analysts said a similar growth rate would be expected in the current fiscal year, the premier said.

However, when figures released by the National Accounts Committee last week — projecting 3.94 per cent economic growth this fiscal year — were made public, "the entire opposition said these figures were incorrect because if they were correct, it would mean the [opposition] had been lying," he added.

Prime Minister Imran said his government "considers Balochistan ours" in a way that previous governments had not done. Previous governments had not spent money on the province's development, he said, adding that his government would "use all of our resources in this difficult time" to ensure progress.

"We are under so much debt due to previous governments [that] all our money goes towards paying installments. We have very little money to spend on people. Despite this, we have given as much funds to Balochistan as we could have. My governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab tell me often that [I] have been too generous towards Balochistan but the reason is that [the province] has really been ignored in the past," he elaborated.

The money that was previously given to the province was not spent properly, the premier said, adding that if that had been the case, Balochistan's "condition would be very different today".

He said Ziarat could become a tourist hub which would increase the incomes of local people and reduce poverty. He gave the example of KP which he said had the "worst conditions" in 2013 when the PTI government came to power in the province.

"War on terror was going on, some 500 policemen had been martyred, there was no [rule of] law, the businesses had shut down. The biggest business [back then] was kidnapping for ransom." However, the condition of the province was turned around because of tourism, the premier said.

"A UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) report said between 2013 and 2018, poverty in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was reduced at the highest rate as compared to other provinces. The most money spent on people's health and education was in KP.

"One of the biggest reasons for that was tourism," he said, adding that the provincial government had "developed tourism fully".

Another reason for KP's progress was the provision of the health card, Prime Minister Imran said. "Because of the card, people could get treatment of up to Rs1 million at any hospital."

Sharing the benefits of the scheme, he said that when people in villages had health insurance, the private sector built hospitals there and a network was laid. "You're seeing a proper health system coming in Pakistan," he added.

The premier asked Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani, who was also present on the occasion, to provide health cards to residents of the province.

In his speech, Alyani had requested the premier to ensure the provision of gas to Balochistan. Responding to the chief minister, Prime Minister Imran said he would discuss Alyani's idea of establishing a LNG (liquefied natural gas) plant in the province.

"I will go and talk about its feasibility because you know our budget is nearly made. We will make full efforts to start work on this in the new fiscal year to make it easy for people here," he said, adding that he was "not a king but a prime minister and could not throw bags of money around".

The premier said despite reservations from Punjab and KP that he was being "too generous with Balochistan", it was the government's "responsibility to make full efforts" because the province had been ignored in the past.

"Pakistan's development will only be in real terms when it is inclusive [and] when the whole country develops," he iterated.

"I will keep coming here and checking the progress. We are giving another package for roads. We will give funds wherever there is room," the premier concluded.



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Pakistan launches locally-developed PakVac vaccine at a ceremony in Islamabad

Pakistan launches locally-developed PakVac vaccine
Pakistan on Tuesday launched the coronavirus vaccine developed in the country with Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan, saying the country will soon be able to start the production of the important drug.

Faisal, while speaking at the launch ceremony, said that the is an opportunity in every difficulty. He also added that during the pandemic, China stood out as a friend of Pakistan.

“China was already a friend and came forward when coronavirus [hit Pakistan],” said Dr Sultan. He also lauded the National Institute of Health (NIH) for developing the vaccine.

Developing the vaccine from raw materials is not an easy task. [We are] proud of the people that developed the vaccine at the NIH,” said Dr Sultan.

Meanwhile, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) chief Asad Umar remarked that today was an “important day”.

Umar also spoke about the coronavirus situation of the country and said that the number of patients in hospitals was higher in the third wave compared to the first wave. He added that the number of patients on oxygen support was 60% more than it was during the first wave.

Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong, in his address, said that the vaccine’s production is an example of the friendship between the two countries. He added that Pakistan is the first country that accepted the Chinese vaccine as a gift.

Last month, Pakistan locally finished a coronavirus vaccine with the help of Chinese experts after raw materials for the vaccine were transported to Islamabad in April.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan took to Twitter and make the announcement.

Dr Sultan congratulated the National Institute of Health for the achievement, adding that the move will step up the country's vaccine supply. He added that the finished vaccine — named PakVac — has passed rigorous internal quality control checks and testing.


"Congratulations to the NIH Pak team and its leadership for successful fill/finish (from concentrate) of the Cansino vaccine with the help of Cansino Bio Inc. China. The product has passed rigorous internal QA testing. An imp step to help in our vaccine supply line," wrote Dr Sultan.

Back in April, NIH officials had said they would start the local production of CanSinoBio's coronavirus vaccine in May.

According to the NIH official, the raw material for the vaccine reached Pakistan in early May after which the production of the vaccine was started immediately.



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500,000 Sinopharm doses reach Islamabad

 Sinopharm vaccine doses reached Islamabad from Beijing
Five hundred thousand Sinopharm vaccine doses reached Islamabad from Beijing Capital International Airport on Tuesday via a special Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight.

Another 500,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine will be transported from China to Pakistan on Wednesday morning via the national flag carrier, Qadir Bux Sangi, PIA Country Manager for China told APP.

Last Sunday, a special flight PK6852 transported a consignment of 500,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine from Beijing to Islamabad.

The government has decided to run a massive vaccination drive across the country and inoculate 70 million doses to fight the pandemic. So far, nearly 5.3 million people have been vaccinated.

A Chinese foreign ministry’s spokesperson, in a statement, said China has always attached great importance to Pakistan’s demand for vaccines to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic and carried out close cooperation with that country.

“Chinese vaccines manufacturers have cooperated with Pakistan in the development and production of vaccines from the very beginning and will continue to export vaccines to Pakistan,” he said.

The Pakistani health authorities had launched a nationwide vaccination drive with around a million doses of Sinopharm vaccine donated by China, starting with older people and frontline healthcare workers, in March.

The drive began with a focus on the oldest people in the community, generally over the age of 80, and worked its way down.

Initially, the government had to deal with vaccination hesitancy and a shortage of vaccine supplies and had limited shots for people aged 30 or over.

Islamabad received the first COVID-19 vaccine consignment after a military aircraft transported it from Beijing on February 1, this year.



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Pakistan will rise faster next time PTI comes to power: PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday stressed that Pakistan would "rise faster" next time the PTI government was elected.

He made the comment while speaking about economic growth figures at a ceremony in Ziarat. At the outset of his speech, the premier prayed for the families of four Frontier Corps soldiers who were martyred in a terrorist attack in Quetta a day earlier.

The premier said the country was "getting out of a very difficult time", adding that the opposition parties had been "making noise" that his government would fail ever since it came to power.

"They [opposition parties] were afraid that if this government took Pakistan out of a difficult economic time, their political shops would be closed. They kept saying for over two years that our country and economy have been destroyed."

Last year, the economic growth rate was projected at 0.5 per cent when "conditions were really bad" and analysts said a similar growth rate would be expected in the current fiscal year, the premier said.

However, when figures released by the National Accounts Committee last week — projecting 3.94 per cent economic growth this fiscal year — were made public, "the entire opposition said these figures were incorrect because if they were correct, it would mean the [opposition] had been lying," he added.

Prime Minister Imran said his government "considers Balochistan ours" in a way that previous governments had not done. Previous governments had not spent money on the province's development, he said, adding that his government would "use all of our resources in this difficult time" to ensure progress.

"We are under so much debt due to previous governments [that] all our money goes towards paying installments. We have very little money to spend on people. Despite this, we have given as much funds to Balochistan as we could have. My governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab tell me often that [I] have been too generous towards Balochistan but the reason is that [the province] has really been ignored in the past," he elaborated.

The money that was previously given to the province was not spent properly, the premier said, adding that if that had been the case, Balochistan's "condition would be very different today".

He said Ziarat could become a tourist hub which would increase the incomes of local people and reduce poverty. He gave the example of KP which he said had the "worst conditions" in 2013 when the PTI government came to power in the province.

"War on terror was going on, some 500 policemen had been martyred, there was no [rule of] law, the businesses had shut down. The biggest business [back then] was kidnapping for ransom." However, the condition of the province was turned around because of tourism, the premier said.

"A UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) report said between 2013 and 2018, poverty in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was reduced at the highest rate as compared to other provinces. The most money spent on people's health and education was in KP.

"One of the biggest reasons for that was tourism," he said, adding that the provincial government had "developed tourism fully".

Another reason for KP's progress was the provision of the health card, Prime Minister Imran said. "Because of the card, people could get treatment of up to Rs1 million at any hospital."

Sharing the benefits of the scheme, he said that when people in villages had health insurance, the private sector built hospitals there and a network was laid. "You're seeing a proper health system coming in Pakistan," he added.

The premier asked Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani, who was also present on the occasion, to provide health cards to residents of the province.

In his speech, Alyani had requested the premier to ensure the provision of gas to Balochistan. Responding to the chief minister, Prime Minister Imran said he would discuss Alyani's idea of establishing a LNG (liquefied natural gas) plant in the province.

"I will go and talk about its feasibility because you know our budget is nearly made. We will make full efforts to start work on this in the new fiscal year to make it easy for people here," he said, adding that he was "not a king but a prime minister and could not throw bags of money around".

The premier said despite reservations from Punjab and KP that he was being "too generous with Balochistan", it was the government's "responsibility to make full efforts" because the province had been ignored in the past.

"Pakistan's development will only be in real terms when it is inclusive [and] when the whole country develops," he iterated.

"I will keep coming here and checking the progress. We are giving another package for roads. We will give funds wherever there is room," the premier concluded.



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LHC judge declines to hear Khawaja Asif bail plea

LHC judge declines to hear Khawaja Asif bail plea
A Lahore High Court (LHC) judge on Tuesday refused to hear a petition moved by PML-N MNA Khawaja Asif seeking post-arrest bail in an assets case.

Judge Asjad Javed Ghural, a member of the division bench that was to take up the petition, recused himself from the case, after which the matter was referred to the LHC chief justice to fix it before another bench for hearing.

He refused to hear the case over the petitioner’s lawyers issuing statements against him.

Asif through his counsel Barrister Haider Rasul Mirza filed the petition which stated that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had arrested him from Islamabad last year on December 29.

He contended that the corruption watchdog apprehended him despite the fact that he had provided it all the relevant records regarding his assets. Besides, the same record is also available with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

Khawaja Asif pleaded with the bench to order his release on bail.

In its reply, NAB opposed the bail plea stating the corruption watchdog launched an assets beyond means inquiry against him as his assets do not match with his income.

NAB further said that he failed to give satisfactory replies when grilled by it. The bureau has pleaded with the court to reject the plea of the PML-N leader as an investigation against him is still underway.



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PM Strongly condemns terrorist attacks in Balochistan

PM Strongly condemns terrorist attacks in Balochistan
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday strongly condemned last night’s terrorist attacks in Balochistan that martyred four soldiers and injured eight others.

In a message on his official Twitter account, Prime Minister Imran Khan said: “My prayers & condolences go to the martyrs families. We will continue our fight ag these terrorists & will not allow them to sabotage peace & dev in Balochistan.”
Four Frontier Corps (FC) soldiers were martyred and eight others sustained injuries in separate terrorist attacks in Quetta and Turbat, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said late Monday night.

The military’s media wing said in a statement that in the first incident, an FC post near Pir Ismail Ziarat was targeted by terrorists. In an ensuing exchange of fire, four FC soldiers embraced martyrdom and six sustained injuries.

In the second incident, terrorists targeted an FC vehicle with an IED in Turbat. Resultantly, two FC soldiers got injured. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said such coward acts by inimical elements backed by anti-state forces cannot sabotage the hard earned peace and prosperity in Balochistan.



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Salaried class to get big relief in upcoming budget: Fawad Chuadry

Salaried class to get big relief in upcoming budget: Fawad Chuadry
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said Kuwait has started issuing work visas to Pakistanis after a ten-year-long suspension, reported.

In a series of tweets, Fawad Chaudhry said, Pakistan’s recovery from the coronavirus has surprised the world. The positivity rate across the country has dropped down to below 4 per cent except for Karachi.
“Salaried class to get big relief in the upcoming budget,” he added in his tweet and also expressed hope that Pakistan will be closer to its destination in the coming two years under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The decision to restore Kuwaiti visas for Pakistanis after about a decade-long suspension had been taken during a meeting between Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah and Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed.



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Islamabad court dismisses Gill’s bail plea in sedition case

A District and Sessions court of Islamabad dismissed the post arrest bail petition of PTI leader Shahbaz Gill on Tuesday. Additional Dist...