Day: March 21, 2024

Appeals against the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers for senate elections can be filed till today. The tribunals will dispose of the appeals on Monday while the revised list of the candidates will be issued on the Tuesday. The candidates can withdraw their nomination papers by Wednesday. Polling will be held on second of next month. In the federal capital, National Assembly members will elect senators for one general seat and one seat for technocrats, including Ulema. The members of the four provincial assemblies will elect senators, including seven for general seats, two for women seats, and two for technocrats, including Ulema, from each province. One senator for non-Muslims will be elected each from Punjab and Sindh provinces. Source: Radio Pakistan

The apex committee of Special Investment Facilitation Council has vowed to ensure continuation of policies and take tough decisions in the larger interest of the country by setting correct economic priorities. The committee met in Islamabad today with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in the chair. The meeting was briefed about the SIFC initiative and major contributions made towards investments, privatization and overall micro-economic stabilization of the country. The Committee underscored the need for continuing a consensual approach under SIFC to overcome the challenges being faced by the country. It admired the leadership of Prime Minister for envisioning and launching the SIFC last year, which evolved progressively under the caretaker setup. Addressing the forum, Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said deep rooted structural reforms are inevitable to ensure macroeconomic stability in the country. He underscored the need to introduce structural reforms, including digitalization in the Federal Board of Revenue, to bridge the gap between receipts and expenditure. He said 1350 billion rupees can be saved by addressing such challenges. Shehbaz Sharif said the federal government cannot handle these challenges without the cooperation of provinces. He expressed the belief that the federal and the provincial governments have the capacity to deal with these difficulties and challenges with unity and resolve. He urged the Federal Cabinet to keep political differences aside, and work as a cohesive team to keep the momentum of economic stability. The Prime Minister further said the burden of tough decisions should be on those segments of society which have strength to bear it. He said the poor man is already suffering from poverty and the government will have to protect him. He commended the outgoing caretaker government for continuing larger national economic agenda in a befitting manner. On the occasion, Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir reassured the fullest support of Pakistan Armed Forces to backstop the economic initiatives of the government and ensure the provision of safe, secure and conducive environment to nurture country's true economic potential. The meeting was attended by former Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar Ul Haq Kakar, Chief of the Army Staff, members of outgoing and incoming Federal Cabinet and Provincial Chief Ministers and senior government officials. Source: Radio Pakistan

Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Munir Akram has called for addressing the challenges of conflict, poverty, inequality, religious intolerance and climate change. He made the remarks at an annual meeting at the UN headquarters in New York to celebrate the International Day of Nowruz. He said we should also remember our brothers and sisters in Palestine, who are enduring a tragedy. Ambassador Munir Akram highlighted the essence of Nowruz as a symbol of nature's renewal and the resilience of human spirit. He emphasized the importance of Nowruz as a moment for forgiveness, fresh beginnings and acceptance. He said that Nowruz is not just celebration, it is also a moment of deep reflection. Source: Radio Pakistan

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has called for ensuring access to technology, financing nuclear power projects, and increasing IAEA technical cooperation fund for further development of nuclear energy. In his remarks at the Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels today, he said provision of nuclear power reactors, nuclear fuel and other associated infrastructure to the developing countries in accordance with respective safeguard obligations should be ensured. He said financing for nuclear energy, and multilateral development funds, need to be catalyzed. The Minister said International Atomic Energy Agency's capacity for technical assistance in peaceful uses of nuclear energy may be facilitated through either a dedicated funding stream or through enhanced allocations to existing technical cooperation fund. Ishaq Dar said Pakistan will remain a steadfast partner of the international community and the IAEA in further enhancing role of nuclear technology for energy and other peaceful purposes. Highlighting the potential of Pakistan in Nuclear energy sector, he said the country has hundred reactor-years' experience of safely operating nuclear power plants. He revealed that nuclear energy constitutes around eight percent of our installed electric generation capacity as currently Pakistan has six operating nuclear power plants generating 3,530 MW of electricity. The Foreign Minister reaffirmed that Pakistan stands ready to share its experience and expertise in peaceful uses of nuclear technology with the world as country has fully trained human resource capable to support nuclear power infrastructure. Ishaq Dar further said that our robust regulatory infrastructure ensures comprehensive safety and security of national nuclear installations and materials across all domains. Source: Radio Pakistan

Special Investment Facilitation Council is also focusing on the installation of new solar projects in the country. National Transmission and Dispatch Company Limited (NTDC) has acquired 2553 acres of land for development of 600 MW solar power project in Muzaffargarh district. The solar power project will contribute to the renewable energy transition drive, which is being run through the platform of SIFC. The 600 MW solar power project will help reduce dependence on expensive fuel-based power generation. Source: Radio Pakistan

Country Director Asian Development Bank Young Ye called on Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in Islamabad today to discuss ongoing collaborations and future initiatives aimed at fostering economic development in Pakistan. ADB Country Director Young Ye congratulated the Minister on staff level agreement with the IMF and stated that the market has positively responded to the development. During the meeting, Muhammad Aurangzeb expressed appreciation for the support provided by the Asian Development Bank over the years. He particularly highlighted ADB's assistance through Policy Based Lending to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic and floods. Furthermore, the status of ongoing policy-based programs, including the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Program and the Climate and Disaster Resilience Enhancement Program were also discussed. Acknowledging Asian Development Bank's pivotal role in promoting climate-conscious programs across Asia and the Pacific, the Minister emphasized the alignment of ADB's climate operations with Pakistan's own climate goals and commitments. He outlined government's priority areas for achieving macro-economic stability and sustainability, including measures to enhance revenue, State Owned Enterprises reforms, privatization, and public-private partnerships. Both the sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the partnership between Pakistan and the Asian Development Bank, with a shared goal of promoting sustainable economic growth and development in the country. Source: Radio Pakistan