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Sino-Pakistan trade corridor: A regional ‘game changer’

By: Haroon Baloch Chairman Pakistan-China Institute, also an active legislator in upper house of Pakistani Parliament, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed stressed Pakistani leadership to join international community’s bandwagon, especially the deeds of China if development is its desired outcome. Economic cooperation between China and Pakistan, the two time-tested friend countries, do not reflect the true nature Sino-Pakistan ties. Bilateral trade between the both nuclear powers is not more than 13 billion USD with Pakistan’s exports to China slightly over 3 billion UDS. The volume of its imports abuts 10 billion USD, which shows a clear trade imbalance. Both the countries have extensively cooperated in the defense sector. JF-17 Thunder fighter jets and modern tank technology like Al-Khalid are results of this cooperation. Pakistan is also a client of Chinese missiles, flight system, radars and satellite. Former Air Chief Marshal, Pakistan Air Force Rao Qamar Suleman, in an i...

Imran makes 6 promises to nation to build a new Pakistan

March 23, 2013 By Haroon Baloch Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chief Imran Khan has made 6 promises with the nation to build a new Pakistan. Addressing a public gathering in Lahore on Saturday evening‚ Imran Khan said he will always speak truth with nation and will stand with oppressed class. Imran Khan said he will have no property or assets outside Pakistan and will live and die in the country. He pledged that he will never benefit from power and will not allow any of his relatives to benefit from his being in power. He will not make factories after coming in to power. He will protect money of public taxes and will not allow anyone to evade tax or spend it on luxuries. He said he will build play grounds and turn Governor House building into a library. Imran Khan said he will also stand against the brutalities on overseas Pakistanis. He pledged that promises made in the manifesto would be fulfilled. In his address‚ Shah Mahmood Qureshi said if voted to power‚ his party will end tradit...

Jashan e Baharan Festival kicks off at Lok Virsa Islamabad

Fe bruary 2 4 , 2013 By: Haroon Baloch     The 3-day colourful Jashn-e-Baharan Festival reflecting the culture and music of the country begin in Lok Virsa Islamabad today Minister for National Heritage and Integration Samina Khalid Ghurki who inaugurated the festival said that the colorful festival is a warm welcome to the spring season in a traditional way. She said this will be a source of entertainment and relief for the citizens from their daily hectic routine. Minister said such type of healthy activities transmit positive image of the country across the world. In the festival‚ artisans of all cultures of the country have displayed their local products so to promote their handicrafts. Executive Director of Lok Virsa Khalid Javed told our correspondent Haroon Baloch that to celebrate spring was a centuries' old tradition including Pakistan. He said extremism has never been our culture; rather our society was famous for religious harmony‚ tolerance and dialogue. S...

Parliamentary Committee sets 5-point criteria for appointment of caretaker PM

March 20, 2013 By: Haroon Baloch & Saeed Ahmed The first meeting of the parliamentary committee for nomination of caretaker prime minister was held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Ghulam Ahmed Bilour. Later‚ talking to media PPP leader and a member of the committee Syed Khursheed Shah said the committee has decided to nominate caretaker prime minister with two-third majority. He said the quorum of the committee will be 5 members. He said the chairmanship of the committee will be rotated. Syed Khursheed Shah said the committee discussed various aspects of two nominees for the office including Mir Hazar Khan Khoso and Rasool Bukhsh Plejo today (Wednesday). Chairman of the committee for today Ghulam Ahmad Bilour said the committee will only discuss 4 names forwarded by the prime minister and leader of the opposition. He said next meeting of the committee will be held at 11.00 a.m. tomorrow (Thursday). A member of the committee from opposition Mehtab Ahmad Khan Abbasi told m...

Seminar seeks state attention to local languages

February 26, 2013 By: Haroon Baloch National University of Modern Languages Islamabad organized a seminar Tuesday for the promotion of regional languages of Northern Areas of the country. Talking to our correspondent Haroon Baloch‚ the famous poet and writer Iftikhar Arif lamented that regional languages have been neglected ever since Pakistan was created. He said local languages serve as base for the survival of cultures and stability of the country. Literary personalities of Shina‚ Balti‚ Hindko‚ Kashmiri and Pashto languages presented their papers on the occasion. Talking about the importance of Shina language in his paper‚ Aziz Ali Dad said Radio Pakistan has played a vital role for the promotion of Gilgit-Baltistan languages. He said it's a dilemma that regional languages have not been given their due importance‚ hence they have been fading away. He stressed the need to preserve the endangered local languages by developing their scripts. Poetry‚ music and cultures of these...

Mashal Trust a symbol of commitment in development of education sector

January 11, 2013   By: Haroon Baloch Individual contribution for the development of country's education sector at the grass root level is equally important as government is committed for its betterment. Zeba Hussain has become a symbol of commitment for rest of the country when it comes to the development of education sector. She has successfully been running a high school for the last four years in Bari Imam‚ a slum area of federal capital‚ which is exclusively dedicated for internally displaced children from various parts of the country. "I have a strong feeling for these children whose parents are unable to send them to schools for whatever reasons. Their parents are even unable to provide them with enough food"‚ told Director Mashal Trust‚ Zeba Hussain adding that I have also been training them with vocational skills so to better fulfill their future needs. C lick Here for Vide o   She has been running this trust with the help of her personal frien...

Baig & Durrani involved in 90 conspiracy: SC

By: Haroon Baloch File photo from Social Media ISLAMABAD: The apex court has ordered to instigate civil proceedings as per law against the ex-military generals Aslam Baig and ex-DG ISI Asad Durrani for their involvement in distribution of money among politicians during 1990 general elections. Supreme Court also ordered to abolish election cells, if any, in intelligence agencies.  Supreme Court issued its short verdict on IJI case, for which retired Air Martial Asghar Khan submitted the petition in 1996. Supreme Court has ordered the Federal Government to recover distributed money among politicians with interest and to initiate civil cases against culprits who violated the constitution.  "The elections of 1990 were rigged to influence the political process and called for investigation by the FIA against those politicians who accepted the public money before the 1990 elections", the apex court said in its October 19th verdict. An amount of eighty million rupees ...