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Tag: Pakistan

  • Be potent force for peace and justice, Osinbajo tells D-8 countries

    Be potent force for peace and justice, Osinbajo tells D-8 countries

    Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has urged the D-8 countries to remain a potent force for peace, justice and the observance of fundamental freedom, at all times, to enhance trade relations.

    He gave the advice when he declared open the sixth D-8 Ministerial Meeting on Industrial Cooperation on Tuesday in Abuja.

    The D-8, also known as Developing-8, consists of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.

    Osinbajo said maintenance of peace and justice in the D-8 countries was necessary, especially with the social upheavals, conflicts and tensions flaring up everywhere.

    He told the ministers that though the present situation in the world was a time of great challenges, it was also a time of enormous opportunities.

    “The fall in commodity prices has led us to deepen diversification of our economies and challenge industries to greater productivity and cost effectiveness.

    “Most of our nations are achieving great milestones in the use of renewable energy while our young people, in spite difficulties, are competing with their peers in commercial use of innovation and technology,’’ he said.

    He also said it was time to leverage on the clear vision of the founders of the organisation for economic cooperation by advancing the positions of developing countries in the world economy.

    Other areas, he said were; diversification and create new opportunities in trade relations, enhance and provide better standards of living for the people.

    Osinbajo said the organisation must begin to make concrete plans for collaboration and partnerships for areas it had marked for cooperation.

    He said it could this by using its strengths and comparative advantages to advance the good of one and all of its nations.

    The areas of collaboration are; finance, banking, rural development, science and technology, humanitarian development, agriculture, energy, environment and health.

    He reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to enlarge the opportunities for trade and investments amongst the D-8 countries and its readiness to continue to support the work of the organisation in the areas of collaboration.

    The D-8 Secretary-General, Dr Seyed Mousavi, in an address said trade was the backbone of the D-8 member states’ cooperation, adding that it needed to be improved substantially.

    He said though the value of the D-8 inter-trade increased from 50 billion dollars in 1997 to around 100 billion dollars in 2015, the revenue remained below the target of the D-8 set at 500 billion dollars.

    Mousavi said there was room for improvement to achieve the target set by the founding leaders, stressing that participation of member countries was very important to realise the objective.

    He said networking among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the D-8 organisation was also very vital to enable them have access to knowledge and expertise.

    The D-8 was established in 1997 to primarily promote industrial and other economic activities in the global economy using the same platform to fast-track the position of member countries’ activities.

    The 3-day meeting is scheduled to end on Thursday.

    NAN

  • Italy donates $5m to help eradicate polio in Afghanistan

    Italy donates $5m to help eradicate polio in Afghanistan

    The Italian government donated 5 million dollars ( 4.3 million euros ) to the UNICEF and WHO to help eradicate polio in Afghanistan, a UNICEF statement said on Tuesday.

    “Of this amount, 2.9 million dollars (2.5 million euros) will go to UNICEF and WHO, which are both working in the framework of the National Emergency Action Plan for Polio (NEAP) aimed at interrupting the disease transmission in Afghanistan”.

    The statement also noted that the remaining 2.1 million dollars (1.8 million euros) have been granted to UNICEF to improve the coverage and quality of nutrition services for children under five, adolescent girls and mothers in the most deprived provinces.

    “Improving the nutritional status of children in Afghanistan is a priority,” said Adele Khodr, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan quoted in the statement.

    “When children don’t get the nutrients they need at a young age, they are not able to reach their full potential and Afghanistan misses out on one of its most valuable resources — its children.

    “Polio remains endemic in only three countries in the world — Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria.

    Around 10 million children under the age of five receive vaccinations multiple times every year, in all areas of the country, UNICEF said.

    There has been immense progress in eradicating polio in Afghanistan and the country is closer to stopping transmission than ever before, the statement said.

    NAN

  • ‘250,000 Nigerian women die of cancer annually’

    About 250,000 women die of cancer annually in Nigeria, wife of Kebbi State Governor, Dr Zainab Bagudu, stated yesterday.

    She said this during a walk to create awareness on cancer in Abuja with the theme: “Walk away Cancer’’.

    According to her, the walk was to create awareness and save 250 women who die from cancer annually.

    Bangudu noted that 95 per cent of women who have cancer in developed societies have five years of survival, saying that Nigeria has only five per cent survival rate.

    She said that this year’s event was using football as a tool to mobilise and create awareness, adding that “cancer is a global epidemic but it is worse in Africa’’.

    She stressed the need for every hand to be on the deck to remedy the situation.

    “Health care facilities in Nigeria are poor and weak and there is no effective screening system in place.

    “We at MedicAid Cancer Foundation are reaching out for the low and poor people, and to improve awareness and as well disabuse the minds of people about cultural and traditional beliefs that cancer is caused by witchcraft.

    “We also bring people together to raise funds so as to help the poor and the ignorant women of Nigeria who are dying from cancer yearly.

    “Early screening of the breast and cervical for cancer will help to effectively detect and treat it,” she said.

    A cancer survivor, Folake Olabisi, said that early detection was important to saving lives and therefore stressed the need for women to have routine checks.

    She admonished women with family history of cancer to always have themselves checked as well as pass on the habit to their children and future generations.

    Kanu Nwankwo, a former Green Eagles player, in his words advised that the awareness be taken to the rural areas  to reach the unreached.

    He also appreciated the wife of the executive governor for the cause and pledged his support for the walk against cancer.

     

  • Nigeria, Pakistan Joint Commission back soon, says Buhari

    Nigeria, Pakistan Joint Commission back soon, says Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Istanbul said the Nigeria-Pakistan Joint Commission will be revamped to strengthen economic and trade relations between both countries.

    Buhari gave the assurance at a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Shahid Khakan Abbasi, on the margins of the ninth D-8 summit in Istanbul, Turkey.

    The President, who expressed satisfaction at the level of defence and military cooperation between both countries, however agreed with the Prime Minister there was still room to do more.

    Buhari, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, regretted relations on economic and trade fronts had fallen far short of what can be achieved by both countries.

    He said: ‘’Nigeria-Pakistan cooperation is very historical. Military training has been very consistent and I am impressed by the efficiency of officers trained in Pakistan.

    ‘’But the performance of our countries in relation to trade and industrial cooperation has been very disappointing.”

    While noting that Nigeria had failed to use past earnings to create a commensurate level of socio-economic development, the President said that his administration is ardently working to promote national development through international trade, industrial growth and improvement of infrastructure.

    He urged Pakistan to take full advantage of the new climate of investment promoted by his administration.

    ‘’There are a lot of opportunities, for us to harness, in the manufacturing sector, agriculture, commerce, solar energy and the electricity sector,’’ the President said.

    On the fight against terrorism, Buhari told the Pakistani Prime Minister that Boko Haram remains degraded.

    ‘’We have moved them out from their strongholds in the North East, we have denied them space and even their attacks on soft targets are becoming less often.

    ‘’Even the opposition (party) recognises that there is a considerable improvement of security in the North East,’’ he said.

    Abbasi said both countries had similar prospects and challenges, including large population, key regional players in economy and security, the fight against terrorism, improving governance and the domestic economy.

    He said Pakistan will continue to share experiences with Nigeria in the fight against terrorism towards developing effective strategies and results.

  • Photosnews: Buhari meets Conde, Abbasi in Turkey

    Photosnews: Buhari meets Conde, Abbasi in Turkey

    President holds Bilateral meetings with President of Guinea Conakry H.E. Alpha Conde and Prime Minister of Pakistan H.E. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in Istanbul Turkey.

  • Pakistan finance minister denies corruption charges

    Pakistan finance minister denies corruption charges

    Pakistani Finance Minister, Ishaq Dar, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to owning assets beyond his means, an official from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz said, amid a corruption investigation into former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif.

    The Supreme Court in July disqualified Sharif for not declaring a small source of income and ordered an investigation into Sharif, his children and Dar, Sharif’s former accountant.

    Dar’s son is also married to one of Sharif’s daughters.

    “Dar told the court that he was innocent and he will prove that his assets are legitimate,” Jan Achakzai, a PML-N official, said.

    Dar did not speak to the media after his appearance in court in Islamabad but has dismissed all the allegations against him.

    Sharif has also denied any wrongdoing and has been critical of the judiciary, calling the corruption proceedings against him a conspiracy.

    Several senior PML-N figures, including Sharif’s daughter Maryam, have hinted that Pakistan’s powerful military were behind Sharif’s ouster. The army denies playing any role.

    Dar was credited with steering Pakistan’s economy to a sounder footing following a 2013 balance of payments crisis but over the past year those economic gains have begun to erode, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and analysts.

    Growth in the 300 billion dollars economy hit 5.3 per cent last fiscal year (July-June), the fastest pace in a decade, but foreign currency reserves have dwindled.

    The 2016/17 current account deficit has more than doubled to 12.1 billion dollars.

    Dar’s reluctance to let the rupee weaken to ease current account pressures has courted criticism from economists, who say the PML-N is making economic decisions with one eye on the next general election, likely to be held in mid-2018.

    Some analysts have warned Pakistan may need to go back to the IMF for another bailout package if current trends continue.

    Under new Prime Minister, Shahid Abbasi, Dar has been removed from the post of chairing the cabinet’s powerful Economic Coordination Committee.

  • Natural disasters affect 41 million people in Bangladesh, India, Nepal

    Natural disasters affect 41 million people in Bangladesh, India, Nepal

    The UN on Thursday said at least 41 million people in Bangladesh, India and Nepal have been directly affected by flooding and landslides from the monsoon rains that begun in June.

    The monsoon, according to the UN, might continue until October.

    It said that over 1,700 people have died in catastrophic floods in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan as torrential rains pound swathes of South Asia during its worst monsoon season in more than a decade.

    Estimates from the National Disaster Management Authority ( NDMA ) and reports showed that more than 1,300 people, mostly villagers died since the beginning of the rainy season in India alone.

    The eastern Indian state of Bihar is the worst-affected with more than 500 deaths, as major rivers in spate caused large-scale inundation affecting hundreds of villages across 21 districts.

    The country’s financial capital, Mumbai was slashed by heavy rains on Tuesday that claimed over 30 lives, including several from a building collapse on Thursday which officials said was caused by the intense downpour.

    “In neighbouring Pakistan, heavy rains caused a massive deluge in the port city of Karachi on Thursday, killing at least a dozen people.

    “The overall death toll for the season stood at more than 100, Nepal was also experiencing heavy floods which have claimed 159 lives so far,’’ NDMA said.

    The country’s eastern hills and plains along the border with India were severely affected.

    In Bangladesh, 141 people have died after floodwaters from upstream rivers from Indian hills swelled Bangladeshi river systems.

    “Tens of thousands of homes, as well as schools and hospitals, have been destroyed leaving people displaced and homeless,’’ the UN said.

    According to Jagan Chapagain, Undersecretary General for Programmes and Operations at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said “this is the worst flooding that parts of South Asia have seen in decades.

    “Entire communities have been cut off, and the only way to get aid to some of these villages is by boat and many are running out of food.”

    Floodwaters also become a breeding ground for diseases such as diarrhoea and malaria, aid agencies have warned.

    The death toll across the region could rise as conditions could deteriorate in the coming days with more rain forecast.

  • U.S: Don’t make us a ‘scapegoat’ for Afghan failures -Pakistan

    U.S: Don’t make us a ‘scapegoat’ for Afghan failures -Pakistan

    Pakistan rejected on Wednesday U.S. criticism of its efforts to fight terrorism saying it should not be used as a scapegoat for the failure of the U.S. military to win the war in Afghanistan.

    U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his policy for Afghanistan on Monday, committing to an open-ended conflict there and singling out Pakistan for harbouring Afghan Taliban insurgents and other militants.

    U.S. officials later warned that aid to Pakistan might be cut and Washington might downgrade nuclear-armed Pakistan’s status as a major non-NATO ally to pressure it to do more to help bring about an end to America’s longest-running war.

    Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif added his voice to a chorus of indignation in Pakistan over the U.S. criticism, reiterating Pakistan’s denial that it harbours militants.

    “They should not make Pakistan a scapegoat for their failures in Afghanistan,” Asif said in an interview to Geo TV late on Tuesday.

    “Our commitment to the war against terrorism is unmatched and unshaken.”

    Pakistan has for years been battling militants who are seeking to overthrow the state with bomb attacks and assassinations.

    critics say the Pakistani military nurtures other Islamist factions, including the Afghan Taliban, which is seen as useful to Pakistan’s core confrontation with old rival India.

    Asif said Pakistan had suffered great losses from militancy.

    The government estimates 70,000 people have been killed since Pakistan joined the U.S. “war on terrorism” after Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

    He said Pakistan’s efforts to fight terrorism were being taken for granted and dismissed the notion the U.S. could “win the war against terror by threatening us or cornering us”.

    “Our contributions, sacrifices and our role as a coalition country have been disregarded and disrespected,” Asif said.

    The relationship between Pakistan and the United States has endured periods of extreme strain during the past decade, especially after al Qaeda militant leader Osama bin Laden was found and killed by U.S. special forces in Pakistan in 2011.

    U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who is due to meet Asif in coming days, on Tuesday outlined a range of options to change Pakistan’s approach but conceded there were concerns about putting too much pressure on Pakistan.

    Asif said Pakistan was also angered by Trump’s appeal to India to do more in Afghanistan.

    “Attempting to isolate Pakistan will not yield anything but a dangerous sharpening of strategic fault lines,” said Sherry Rehman, a senior opposition politician and former Pakistani ambassador to the United States.

    Former cricket star turned opposition politician Imran Khan said Pakistan should finally learn a valuable lesson: “Never to fight others wars for the lure of dollars,” he said on Twitter.

  • China defends Pakistan after Trump criticism

    China defends Pakistan after Trump criticism

    China on Tuesday, defended its ally, Pakistan after U.S. President Donald Trump said that U.S. could no longer be silent about Pakistan’s “safe havens” for militants.

    Trump had warned saying that Pakistan had much to lose by continuing to “harbour terrorists”.

    Trump on Monday committed the U.S. to an open-ended conflict in Afghanistan, signalling he would dispatch more troops to America’s longest war and vowing “a fight to win”.

    Trump insisted that Afghan Government, Pakistan, India and NATO allies stepped up their own commitment to resolving the 16-year conflict, but he saved his sharpest words for Pakistan.

    Senior U.S. officials warned that security assistance for Pakistan could be reduced unless the nuclear-armed nation cooperated more in preventing militants from using safe havens on its soil.

    Critics said that Pakistan sees militants such as the Taliban as useful tools to limit the influence of old rival, India.

    Pakistan, however, denied allowing militants refuge on its territory, saying it took action against all groups.

    Asked about Trump’s speech, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Pakistan was on the front line in the struggle against terrorism and had made “great sacrifices” and “important contributions” in the fight.

    “We believe that the international community should fully recognise Pakistan’s anti-terrorism.

    “We are happy to see Pakistan and the U.S. carry out anti-terror cooperation on the basis of mutual respect, and work together for security and stability in the region and world,” she said.

    The spokesperson told a daily news briefing that China and Pakistan considered each other “all-weather friends” and had close diplomatic, economic and security ties.

    “We hope the relevant U.S. policies can help promote the security, stability and development of Afghanistan and the region.”

  • Pakistan begins documentation of unregistered Afghans refugees

    Pakistan begins documentation of unregistered Afghans refugees

    Pakistan has commenced documentation of one million unregistered Afghan refugees in the country, officials of the two countries said on Wednesday in Islamabad.

    According to the UN refugee agency, Pakistan is host to about 1.45 million registered Afghan refugees.

    The refugees were given Proof of Registration (POR) cards to stay legally in Pakistan until Dec. 31 this year.

    Pakistani officials said the documentation would enable the authorities to know the exact number of unregistered refugees, where they live and what they do in Pakistan.

    They would also be given cards for their identification.

    Officials said that 21 registration centres had been set up across Pakistan, including its capital Islamabad for the registration.

    Pakistan’s National Data Base Registration Authority is providing technical support to the government in the documentation process.

    The Afghan government had also sent officials to monitor the process.

    The registration follows three years of consultations between the governments of Afghanistan, Pakistan and UNHCR.

    It forms part of Pakistan’s Comprehensive Policy on Voluntary Repatriation and Management of Afghans, which was endorsed by its cabinet in February this year.

    The UNHCR said the programme seeks to register undocumented Afghans living in the country, many of whom had lived in Pakistan for nearly four decades and raised their children there.

    Under the scheme, Afghans would be issued with Afghan citizen (AC card) to provide legal protection from arbitrary arrest, detention or deportation under Pakistan’s Foreigner’s Act.

    The documentation process is expected to be completed in six months, Pakistani officials said.

    The Afghan government had already launched the passport programme for the refugees in Pakistan and Iran.

    The registration would help to regularise the stay for many refugees at a time when they could not return to their home country.