Category: Top News

RAWALPINDI (INP): President Asif Ali Zardari visited the National Aerospace Science and Technology Park (NASTP), a flagship project spearheaded by Pakistan Air Force.

During the visit, the President was briefed in detail regarding various set-ups established at NASTP.

Declaring NASTP a major landmark in PAF’s journey towards progress, the Chief of the Air Staff was also present on the occasion.

President Zardari emphasized that the project is of national importance, poised to form basis of knowledge and technology-based economy in Pakistan. NASTP aims to bridge the gap by seamlessly fusing private and public sector enterprises in Space, Cyber, IT, Artificial Intelligence & Aerospace domains.

It was emphasized that the National Aerospace Science & Technology Park is all set to become one of the best Aerospace, Cyber & IT clusters in the world and will transform the national landscape with design, R&D and innovation centres for emerging and disruptive technologies to foster research, innovation and development in related technologies.

This endeavour will for sure maximise social, economic, security and scientific dividends for the country.

The President Asif Ali Zardari lauded PAF, and its skilled personnel and conveyed his admiration for the state-of-the-art technological ecosystem witnessed during his visit to the National Aerospace Science & Technology Park which will serve as a beacon of innovation to promote futuristic aerospace and aviation capabilities.

He also commended Pakistan Air Force’s leadership for the vision and proactive approach towards addressing modern warfare challenges and completing this project of national strategic importance in an unprecedented time frame.

The National Aerospace Science and Technology Park will play a pivotal role in shaping the country’s aerospace industry, fostering strategic partnerships and contributing to the economic growth of Pakistan.

The visit of the President of Pakistan to the National Aerospace Science & Technology Park is a testament to the success of this mega project and highlights the unwavering dedication of the Pakistan Air Force in promoting an environment of research and development in the country.

ISLAMABAD (INP): The Supreme Court of Pakistan judge, Justice Aminuddin Khan on Friday remarked that there was no second opinion that any law contrary to the Constitution could not remain in effect.

A seven-member constitutional bench, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, is hearing intra-court appeals against the trial of civilians in military courts.

At the start of the hearing, the lawyer for former Chief Justice, Justice Jawad S. Khawaja, Advocate Khawaja Ahmad Hussain, continued his arguments, stating that ordinary civilians are not subject to military law, and the Army Act only applies to civilian employees of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi asked whether the Army Act applies in cases of attacks on airbases, while Justice Musarrat Hilali asked what the difference is between the incidents of the Army Public School (APS) attack and the May 9 protests.

Advocate Hussain responded that the APS was a terrorist attack. Justice Hilali remarked that all the victims at APS were civilian children, to which Advocate Hussain replied that their case is not outside the Constitution. The May 9 accused should not be tried in military courts.

The head of the constitutional bench, Justice Aminuddin Khan, remarked that there is no disagreement that any law that contradicts the Constitution cannot stand.

Advocate Hussain also referred to the ISPR’s statement issued on May 15 regarding the May 9 incident and was asked by the court if he had any objections to the statement. Khawaja Hussain responded that he had no objection to the statement itself, but he questioned how a fair trial could be expected in military courts after such a statement was issued by the Corps Commander.

Justice Aminuddin Khan then referred to the example of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, noting that in the case of Jadhav, not only the Pakistan Armed Forces were affected. Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar stated that if Section 2(1)(d)(2) of the Army Act were declared invalid, similar military trials could not be conducted in cases like Kulbhushan Jadhav’s. Advocate Khawaja Hussain stated that the Jadhav case had not been discussed in the court’s decision, to which Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi asked what would happen if a foreign spy was captured in the future.

Khawaja Hussain responded that the trial would take place in an anti-terrorism court.

Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi smiled and remarked that it would be strange if a law’s provision is invalidated, but exceptions are made for special remedies.

Advocate Khawaja Hussain continued his arguments, mentioning that in a Field General Court Martial, one cannot choose their lawyer unless permitted by the Army Chief. Justice Musarrat Hilali asked if they were representing the accused in this court, to which Khawaja Hussain explained that in a Field General Court Martial, the lawyer is appointed by the Army Chief, and without the Army Chief’s permission, a preferred lawyer cannot be appointed.

Justice Jamal Mandokhail remarked that how could they deviate from judicial decisions like the F.B. Ali case, in which legal provisions were upheld. The 21st Amendment decision was made by seventeen judges. He stated that it is worse to convict an innocent person than to let a hundred guilty ones go free, and that only God can deliver justice. He shared a personal experience of being a target of terrorism, where a bomb blast nearly claimed the lives of several judges in his convoy. He emphasized that without evidence, the accused must be acquitted, and if that doesn’t happen, the judiciary would be criticized.

Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi remarked that no one can be convicted without evidence. He noted that witnesses are afraid to testify, and cases are adjourned multiple times due to lack of testimony, especially in murder cases.

Justice Jamal Mandokhail noted that the 21st Constitutional Amendment was intended for four years and led to the formation of special courts. He asked if the amendment had achieved any benefit.

Later, the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench adjourned the hearing of intra-court appeals against the trial of civilians in military courts until Monday, with Advocate Khawaja Ahmad Hussain continuing his arguments on that day.

Jafar Khan Mandokhail emphasizes modern farming techniques, local seed production, and water conservation strategies for sustainable growth

QUETTA(ANN): Governor Balochistan, Jafar Khan Mandokhail, has expressed concerns over the stagnation of Balochistan’s agriculture sector despite its vast potential in agriculture and livestock. Speaking at a consultative session on agricultural trade in Quetta, he stressed the need for a comprehensive agricultural trade strategy to modernize farming and reduce dependency on imported seeds.

Governor Mandokhail highlighted that Pakistan is projected to become the third most populous country by 2050, necessitating strategic planning to ensure food security. He underscored the importance of adopting modern agricultural techniques and enhancing expert input to improve productivity.

The session, organized by Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water, and Marine Sciences (LUAWMS), was attended by LUAWMS Vice-Chancellor Dr. Abdul Malik Tareen, BUITEMS Vice-Chancellor Dr. Khalid Hafeez, Loralai University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Ehsan Kakar, Principal Secretary to the Governor Hashim Khan Ghilzai, and former Vice-Chancellor Dr. Dost Baloch, along with policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders.

Governor Mandokhail commended Lasbela University’s efforts in promoting agricultural trade and stressed the need for revolutionary steps to modernize agriculture and livestock. He pointed out that Balochistan has the potential to meet the country’s livestock demands, particularly in districts like Musa Khel and Zhob, where monsoon rains provide favorable conditions.

He emphasized utilizing modern science and technology to convert arid lands into cultivable fields, improving both yield and quality through expert guidance and bioengineering innovations. He also called for educating farmers on drip irrigation techniques to address water scarcity, advocating for low-water-consuming crops like olive trees from Zhob to Khuzdar.

Governor Mandokhail reiterated that with 44% of Pakistan’s land area, Balochistan could lead the country’s agricultural development. By enhancing agricultural research, Pakistan could not only achieve self-sufficiency in food production but also emerge as a key agricultural exporter in the region.

At the conclusion of the session, the governor distributed commemorative shields among the organizers and experts in recognition of their contributions.

ISLAMABAD (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed the relevant authorities to further reduce power tariffs and expedite the implementation process of the action plan of the future power generation projects.
Chairing a meeting to evaluate and discuss the future electricity and power plans of country, the prime minister stressed to prioritize the low-cost power projects based on local resources. During the meeting, the prime minister was informed about the progress of the ongoing hydro power projects across the country.
PM Shehbaz said that the low-cost power project produce environment friendly and affordable electricity. He further directed that the current electricity generation capacity should also be shifted to solar energy. Globally, electricity is being produced from environmentally friendly, low-cost solar energy, he noted, adding that Pakistan was fortunate in this regard as the country had vast potential for solar energy.
The prime minister was also briefed on the progress of phasing out inefficient power plants that consume more fuel but produce less electricity. He ordered the immediate closure of such outdated power plants adding that closing these plants would not only save valuable foreign exchange, but also reduce electricity costs for consumers. The Prime Minister instructed that immediate action be taken against all officials deliberately obstructing reforms in the power sector.
He also directed that reforms in the electricity transmission system be expedited. The power transmission system should be upgraded according to international standards, the prime minister further directed. He further directed swift implementation of a system based on modern technology for the selection and transmission of low-cost electricity. The prime minister issued instructions to complete all measures for the reform of the power sector within the specified timeline. The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Ahad Khan Cheema, Sardar Awais Khan Leghari, Dr Musadik Malik, Minister of State Ali Pervaiz Malik and other relevant high officials.

Jaffar Mandokhail urges elected public representatives to devise strategy for tackling challenges and preparing public friendly policies

QUETTA (6 AM Report): The Governor Balochistan, Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail has stated that the civil officers are the face of state, and people have lot of expectations from the political leadership and bureaucracy to steer them out of swamp of poverty and backwardness.
He exhorted the civil officers to use knowledge and experience for welfare of the general public, keep doors of their offices open, make decisions on merit besides using proper use of their authority so that the training they acquired may prove to be result-oriented and fruitful.
The Governor was addressing the closing ceremony of the Mid-career Management Course at the Balochistan Civil Service Academy on Friday.
Addressing the civil officers, Governor said that it is a matter of pride that they (officers) have acquired modern training at the academy of their province. Therefore, it is necessary for them to utilize their knowledge and experience for welfare of people of their province, adding he stressed.
He said that the responsibilities of provincial governments have been increased significantly after passage of 18th amendment.
In this regard, investment is needed to be made for training and building capacity of the government officers and other employees.
He noted with pleasure that the provincial government made realization of the need and filled the gap by establishing a provincial institution for training and capacity building of the civil officers.
He also appreciated the endeavours made by the political leadership and senior bureaucracy for investing in training of the on-job civil servants.
The Governor said that Balochistan is the area-wise largest province of the country, which is blessed with rich mineral and natural resources.
Besides, there is a strategic coastal belt in the province which share the borders with Iran and Afghanistan.
He believed that we can achieve speedy development by developing the human resource, learning modern skills to youth and empower women of the province.
With this, the living standard of people would also be improved, adding he believed. He on the occasion also urged the elected public representatives to devise comprehensive strategy to cope with the challenges and prepare public friendly policies.
Earlier, the Governor appreciated performance of Director General of Civil Service Academy, Dr. Hafeez Ahmed Jamali and his whole team.
Also present on the occasion were Vice Chancellor of Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University, Professor Dr. Rubina Mushtaq, former Chairman Chief Minister Inspection Team, Dostain Khan Jamaldini, Secretaries of different provincial government departments, Ms. Saira Atta, Abdullah Khan Noorzai, Abdul Rauf Baloch, Principal Secretary to Governor, Muhammad Hashim Ghilzai and members of faculty of the Civil Service Academy.
He gave away certificates among the participants of course. He also distributed commemorative shields among the organizers.

QUETTA (6 AM Report): In a significant development in agriculture sector, the Kachhi canal project has reached its final stages of completion thanks to the efforts made by the federal and provincial governments.
With this, a new chapter of development of agriculture and promotion of economy would begin.
Needless to mention here is that the President Asif Ali Zardari took personal interest and make sincere endeavours in the Kachhi canal project.
The Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif had formally inaugurated the supply of water in the Kachhi canal at Tonsa on November 15 this year.
The 1000 cusec water left in the Kachhi canal at Tonsa reached Balochistan. With completion of the project, it is anticipated that the Kachhi canal project would usher a new revolution in agriculture sector in the province besides strengthening the water infrastructure and promoting agriculture.
It may be mentioned here that Kachhi canal project is 499 kilometer long canal, which is situated in Punjab and Balochistan areas. The project has been revised with cost of Rs. 80.5 billion, as mentioned in an official hand out issued here on Friday.
The Indus River starts from Tonsa barrage in Punjab and ends in Balochistan. The Kachhi canal provides water for irrigating some 72,000 acres of agricultural land in Balochistan and some 30,000 acres of land in Punjab.

Mir Sarfraz Bugti directs all secretaries to take ownership of schemes instead of leveling allegations against anyone

QUETTA (6 AM Report): The Chief Minister Balochistan, Mir Sarfraz Bugti has expressed displeasure over performance of the provincial government departments utilizing less development budget.
He directed to the departments to complete their development projects within stipulated time anyway.
He asserted that we have to spend development budget of Rs. 210 billion, and if there was weak planning, then it would not be possible to achieve the set target.
The Chief Minister was chairing the review meeting of progress on the Provincial Development Programme for the financial year 2024-25, here at the CM’s secretariat on Thursday. Those who were present in the meeting were included: Provincial Ministers, Bakht Muhammad Kakar, Noor Muhammad Dummar, Ms. Rahila Hameed Durrani, Advisors to Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, Shakeel Qadir Khan, besides the administrative secretaries of provincial government departments and other concerned high ups.
The meeting was briefed about progress on the ongoing and new development projects.
The meeting was also briefed about authorization of sector wise development projects, and release of funds for them.
The concerned authorities also informed the meeting about the 50 percent or above utilization of the development budget.
Addressing the meeting, Chief Minister directed to the concerned to make physical progress on all development projects before end of next financial year.
He directed to the secretaries to change strategy in this regard and submit progress report of the schemes on daily basis.
On the occasion, he issued standing directives to complete 25 sports complexes within six months, and appoint a separate project director for the project.
He asked them to take ownership of the schemes instead of levelling allegations against anyone.
He stressed that the unapproved projects should be got approved from the relevant forum at the earliest and submit report.

KARACHI (APP): President Asif Ali Zardari has called for greater Chinese investment in diverse sectors of Pakistan’s economy to boost economic and commercial cooperation between the two brotherly countries.
He also emphasized the need for enhanced interaction between the people of the two countries, especially between the investors and businesses, to increase bilateral trade and economic relations.
The President expressed these views while talking to a Chinese business delegation, led by the Chinese Consul General in Karachi, Yang Yundong, at Bilawal House, Karachi.
Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Minister for Transport and Information, Sharjeel Inam Memon, Minister for Energy, Planning, and Development, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, and Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Investment and Public Private Partnerships, Syed Qasim N Qamar, also attended the meeting. The delegation expressed interest in investing $1 billion to establish a medical city in Pakistan to advance the country’s healthcare sector.
The delegation also expressed interest in investing in diverse sectors of Pakistan’s economy, especially agriculture, livestock, energy, transport, and manufacturing.
Welcoming the delegation, the President said that Pakistan and China shared commonalities of interest and views on important issues, besides enjoying deep-rooted and historic brotherly ties.
“We have been close friends for decades, and it was my vision to develop Gawadar Port into a regional trade and economic hub that would not only improve regional connectivity but would also boost regional trade and economic cooperation,” he stated. The President said Pakistan would welcome Chinese investors and preferred doing business with China.
He stated that Pakistan was committed to facilitating and supporting Chinese investors in every possible way.
The President highlighted that Chinese language courses had been introduced in Sindh, which would be an important step towards strengthening people-to-people and cultural linkages between Pakistan and China.

ISLAMABAD (6 AM Report): The Governor Balochistan, Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhel has we are determined to form such judicious and equitable society where every woman can lead life with dignity, honour and freedom. We need to wage joint struggle for protection of rights of women for all women especially those living in the rural areas.
He said that this is matter of pride for all of us that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has the honour to bring hundreds of women in the Senate of Pakistan, national & provincial assemblies.
The Governor was speaking to the delegation who called on him under leadership of president of PML-N Women Wing and Member National Assembly, Begum Nuzhat Fazil, in Islamabad on Thursday.
During the meeting, Member National Assembly Jamal Shah Kakar, former Senater Saeed ul Hassan Mandokhel and Member Provincial Assembly Zarak Khan Mandokhel. Governor Balochistan said that our government has introduced several laws and initiatives aimed at protecting rights of women and promoting gender equality.
He said that this is proof of our firm resolve for empowerment of women and promotion of gender equity. He stressed that men would have to work shoulder to shoulder with women to ensure national development.
He said that it is a fact that we can’t achieve goal of development alone, and as such we would be needing support and participation of you all, as he told the women.