Wednesday, 21 September, 2022 I 24 Safar, 1444 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XIII No 83 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
PM Shehbaz MeetS PreSident Macron, other leaderS aS UnGa oPenS
NEW YORK
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staff report
RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday met with President of France Emmanuel Macron, on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly here. It was the first meeting between a Pakistani leader with President Macron following the diplomatic ties got affected after caricatures published by a French magazine following which mass protests broke out in Pakistan with demands for sending back the French Ambassador. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral ties as well as matters of regional and international importance. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, Minister for Information and Broadcast-
ing Marriyum Aurangzeb, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar and SAPM Tariq Fatemi. The Prime Minister also held a meeting with President of Iran Seyed Ebrahim Raisi. During the meeting, the prime minister recalled his warm and cordial meeting with President Raisi on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Samarkand on September 15 and underscored his commitment to enhance PakistanIran relations in diverse fields. He reiterated his gratitude to President Raisi and to the people of Iran for their solidarity and support with the Pakistani nation in the wake of massive floods. During the meeting, the two leaders agreed to further deepen and broaden bilateral cooperation across a broad range of areas, including economic and trade, energy and connectivity, cultural contacts, and peo-
ple-to-people links. The prime minister conveyed that Pakistan highly valued the Supreme Leader’s strong and steadfast support for the just struggle of the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). He expressed the hope that, on the invitation extended by him, President Raisi would be able to undertake an early visit to Pakistan. Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also met Federal Chancellor of Republic of Austria Karl Nehammer here. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen mutual cooperation in multiple fields. The Prime Minister also met his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sánchez here and discussed bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on matters of regional and international importance. The prime minister, who is currently on a US visit to attend the UNGA session, also held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer earlier. PM SAyS dEEPly TOUChEd by PAlESTINE’S RESCUE TEAM fOR PAkISTAN’S flOOd VICTIMS: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday expressed gratitude to Palestine’s President Mahmoud Abbas for sending the response and rescue team for the flood-affected people in Pakistan. The prime minister in a tweet said he was moved by the gesture of the people of Palestine. “Deeply touched by Palestinians’ gesture of sending their Rapid Response and Rescue team to help flood victims in Pakistan,” he said. PM Sharif termed it as a representation of the brotherhood between the people of Pakistan and Palestine. “It is a reflection of a strong bond of love and brotherhood we have for each other,” he said. “We will never forget this gesture.”
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EU envoy calls on COAS: Pakistan values multi-domain ties with EU RAWALPINDI staff report
Ambassador of European Union (EU) Dr Riina Kionka on Tuesday called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa here at General Headquarters (GHQ) and expressed her grief over the devastation caused by catastrophic floods in Pakistan. The EU ambassador also offered sincere condolence to the families of the victims. During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security situation and bilateral cooperation with European Union (EU) were discussed, an Inter Services Public Re-
lations (ISPR) news release said. The COAS said Pakistan valued its relations with EU countries, adding, “We earnestly look for-
ward to enhance mutually beneficial multi-domain relations based on common interests.” The COAS congratulated the
ambassador for assuming her new appointment. Both the dignitaries hoped to further enhance bilateral engagement based on common interests. The visiting dignitary offered full support for the people of Pakistan. She also appreciated Pakistan’s Army efforts for assisting civil administration in rescue and relief efforts in the flood affected areas and pledged to play her role enhancing relations between Pakistan and EU. The COAS thanked for the EU’s support and reiterated that assistance from the global partners would be vital in rescue and rehabilitation of the victims.
Imran’s quest for power thru ‘blackmailing, intimidation’ to fail: Marriyum ISLAMABAD staff report
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Tuesday dubbed Imran Khan a ‘bluff master’, saying the PTI chief was trying to return into power through ‘blackmailing and intimidation’. “It is not possible for you (Imran Khan) to get power (back) through blackmailing, bluff and lies,” the minister said in a news statement. The minister’s remarks came as a reaction to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman’s statement. Those, who were advising on (striking) a balance in the civil-military relationship, should better care about Imran’s ‘mental health’, she said while referring to Fawad Ch’s statement. Imran Khan first hurled allegations and then resorted to giving clarifications, which showed that his mental condition was in total disarray, she declared. The PTI chief, she said, “is a coward, otherwise, he should name the persons who are threatening him and his party leaders”. She said Imran Khan, who was a “coward” and “liar”, sent his political opponents to jails while assuming that the time would never change for him. The minister said Imran Khan had assumed that he could frighten Maryam Nawaz by sending her to jail, but, in fact, he was afraid of her growing popularity among the masses. It was astonishing that Imran Khan, who himself was obsessed with the thoughts of Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, was talking about ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ (real freedom), she added. Marriyum said the only response Imran Khan’s remarks against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was that the same should be completely ignored. He (Imran) should be put under medical observation as Shehbaz’s successful foreign visits might have an adverse impact on his health, she added. As regards Imran Khan’s plan for another march towards Islamabad, she said he had abandoned his workers in the midway after giving a call for long march on May 25. “He is begging for support while his spokespersons are giving clarifications,” she added.
Shaukat Tarin to head PTI’s core team to prepare economic roadmap: Imran ISLAMABAD Mian abrar
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Tuesday formed party’s Core Economic Group headed by former Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin and tasked it to prepare a comprehensive roadmap to steer the country out of the prevailing economic mess. A high level meeting was held here with Imran Khan in the chair. PTI Central Secretary General Asad Umar, Central Senior Vice Presidents Fawad Chaudhry, Dr. Shireen Mazari and former finance minister Shaukat Tarin among others attended the meeting. The meeting also discussed the country’s political situation and deterio-
rating economic situation were discussed threadbare. The core economic group would present the report to PTI leadership on economic cost of regime change, currently crisis point and remedial action plans along targeted subsidy for vulnerable sections. Shaukat Tareen briefed the meeting on the strategy to put the country’s economy on the path of improvement and to protect the poor from the worst effects of economic disaster. He highlighted 17 key economic areas that included Fiscal, Energy, Industry, Social sector, Financial sector, commerce & Exports, construction & housing, Agriculture, Tourism & Blue economy, Digitalisation, SoEs & Privati-
sation, water & climate, sports, education, health, Arts & Culture, and Science & Technology. Each area would be headed by experts of concern area and aided by specialised team. It was informed that overall, the economic situation was very bleak due to ill economic policies of the current government. Experts have pointed out grave concerns related to hyper-inflation, economic contraction, exchange rates, supply-chain management and badly conceived IMF conditionalities, resulted into miseries of common man. Imran Khan stated that a well-performing and booming economy was destroyed by imposing incompetent on the nation through foreign conspiracy.
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