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TIES WITH ISRAEL DEPEND ON NATIONAL, PALESTINIAN INTERESTS: FM JILANI Monday, 25 September, 2023 I 8 Rabi ul Awwal, 1445
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ISRAELI FM CLAIMS ‘SIX TO SEVEN MUSLIM STATES’ SET TO NORMALISE TIES WITH ZIONIST STATE
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JILANI FAILS TO RULE OUT TIES WITH ISRAEL, SAYS HE DIDN’T MEET WITH COHEN AT UNGA
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ARETAKER Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani Sunday said that Pakistan’s decision regarding establishing relations with Israel would be determined with consideration of both Pakistan’s national interests and those of the Palestinian people. The statement came in response to Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen’s remarks regarding normalisation of Israel’s relations with the Muslim world. Cohen, as reported by Israeli media outlet Kan News, suggested that “six or seven” Islamic nations were likely to normalise ties with Israel, following Saudi Arabia’s potential inclusion in the Abraham Accords, which already involved the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. The Israeli minister also claimed to have met with leaders from several Muslim countries who have not recognised Israel yet. Jalil, in response to the Israeli FM’s assertion, clarified that Cohen has not met with any Pakistani official in recent times. In 2005, during the tenure of former president General Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s then-foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri met with his then-counterpart Silvan Shalom in Turkey, Istanbul.
This was the first meeting that took place publicly and was a result of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s efforts. However, no such meetings at the level of foreign ministers or higher have been reported in the media since then.
KARACHI
Caretaker Minister for Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Shamshad Akhtar says the caretaker government is determined to
take the country out of the economic crisis. This she said while talking to Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori at Governor House in Karachi this morning. Shamshad Akhtar said remis-
Punjab govt bans injection allegedly responsible for loss of vision, announces free treatment
LAHORE The Punjab government on Sunday banned for two weeks the sale and usage of a locally manufactured injection, allegedly responsible for causing loss of vision in several patients in the province, until quality check results were obtained. On Saturday, the Punjab government formed a five-member committee to probe the loss of eye-
sight among patients after allegedly being administered locally manufactured injection “Avastin” at different hospitals in the province. The committee will be led by King Edward Medical University Dr Asad Aslam Khan as convener. Other members include Director General Drugs Control Muhammad Sohail, Mayo Hospital’s Dr Muhammad Moin, Lahore General Hospital’s Dr Tayyaba and Services Hospital’s Prof Dr Mohsin.
According to reports, diabetic patients in Lahore, Kasur, and Jhang districts were administered Avastin injections to address retinal damage. However, these injections led to severe infections, ultimately resulting in the loss of eyesight of approximately 12 patients, including the brother of senior PPP leader Chaudhry Manzoor and his friend. Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) today, Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi said a crucial meeting was held with the health department and doctors to address the Avastin-related blindness cases and an action plan for devised. As per the plan, “immediate strict action” would be taken against drug inspectors responsible for the availability of non-sterile injections with a pending inquiry. Naqvi said the government of Punjab would provide free treatment to all the patients and a high-powered inquiry team had been formed for swift investigation. “The police have been instructed to ensure the arrests of those responsible,” the CM added.
Injection responsible for loss of vision recalled: Dr Nasir LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
A locally manufactured injection, marketed to treat conjunctivitis but allegedly responsible for causing loss of vision in Punjab, has been recalled from the market and a case has been registered against suppliers, said Interim Health Minister Dr Nadeem Jan on Sunday. On the orders of caretaker Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Jamal Nasir, all stocks of spurious injections, manufactured by a pharmaceutical company, have been removed from the province’s pharmacies. Speaking to the media in Islamabad, flanked by Punjab Minister Dr Jamal Nasir, the minister said that around 20 people had suffered from blinding infections after taking the injection. “The Punjab Health Department has sent a sample of the injection to the lab for testing, and the test report will be available in two to three days.” Such reports have been received from Multan, Kasur, Lahore and Sadiqabad. A five-member committee was formed a day prior to assess the situation concerning the spread of this eye infection. It’s primary objectives include submitting a comprehensive report within three days and providing recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future. Dr Asad Aslam Khan from King Edward Medical
A senior Pakistani diplomat, on the condition of anonymity, hoped that Pakistan would not have to make a decision on this matter in the near future. In his address at the 78th United Nations General Assembly this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said peace with Saudi Arabia means peace between the Muslim world and Jews. Netanyahu also claimed Israel is “on the cusp” of normalising ties with Saudi Arabia while holding maps showing the West Bank, Gaza, and Golan Heights as part of Israel. His statement has since sparked a new debate about which Muslim countries, after the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, will establish relations with Israel. It should be noted that Cohen has claimed that six or seven Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, will soon recognise Israel. However, he did not mention the names of those seven countries due to the situation in Libya, international affairs experts believe. A significant diplomatic issue with Libya was sparked less than a month ago by Cohen, whose office disclosed that then-former foreign minister of Libya, Najla Mangoush, had met with him in Rome. Mangoush was fired as a result of the discovery, which also caused widespread protests in North Africa, and fled to London. Following his error, US officials reprimanded Cohen for “killing” the conduit of communication with Libya, The Cradle reported.
Govt determined to take country out of economic crisis: Dr Shamshad STAFF REPORT
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University has been appointed as the committee’s convener. Other members include Director General Drugs Control Muhammad Sohail, Dr Muhammad Moin from Mayo Hospital Lahore, Dr Tayyaba from Lahore General Hospital, and. Dr Mohsin from Services Hospital. Caretaker Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare, Dr. Jamal Nasir, informed the media that stocks of the infection-causing injection had been withheld and sealed. He also mentioned that drug inspectors across Punjab were mobilized to halt the sale and purchase of the injection. A directive was issued to all doctors and patients, advising them not to use that specific drug. Medical stores, wholesalers, and distributors were prohibited from selling it, and the drug was sent for laboratory testing. Concurrently, a case was registered at the Faisal Town Lahore Police Station upon the request of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP). The case specified that the conjunctivitis treatment injection was manufactured in Faisal Town and prepared in a private hospital laboratory. Police are currently conducting raids to apprehend the lab owners, Naveed Abdullah, and employee Bilal Rasheed. The FIR indicates that Bilal supplied the fake injections in Kasur, in violation of the DRAP and the Drug Act of 1976 and 2012. The accused were involved in manufacturing and stockpiling unlicensed drugs and selling unregistered injections.
sions are offered to the investors to increase investment in the country. The Sindh Governor said on the occasion lauded the steps being taken by the government for the deal with economic challenges confronted to the nation.
UNGA: Kakar vociferously spells out Pakistan’s views on regional, global perspectives ISLAMABAD
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Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Karkar has emphatically conveyed Pakistan’s views on key regional and global issues, during his recently concluded five-day visit to New York, where he addressed the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, besides holding sidelines meetings with the world leaders. Contrary to the impression created by a section of media regarding the prime minister’s visit, the State news agency, APP, claimed that the “successfully marked visit drew immense interest among the world leaders and governments representatives” who harkened to the prime minister’s forthright viewpoints which were broadly highlighted by the international media. The visit was also marked with prominence amidst Canadian prime minister announcing Indian state’s role behind a gruesome murder of Khalistan Sikh leader in Canada. In New York, PM Kakar told the world leaders about ‘India’s rogue behaviour’ which vindicated Pakistan’s persistent stance about alarming rise of extremists ruling saffron junta of RSS-inspired BJP whose religious fanatics are not only hell bent upon persecuting the minorities in India, but also the growing Hindu supremacist trend poses an existential threat to the regional and global peace.
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