KARACHI: Pakistani Minister of State and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Public Communication and Digital Platforms, Fahd Haroon, met with H E Bakheet Al Romaithi, United Arab Emirates Consul General in Karachi.
They both discussed the importance of public communication in raising awareness about food security and the impacts of climate change.
The meeting centred around the UAE food programme for Pakistan, initiated by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
During the meeting, Haroon also informed a visiting media delegation from the UAE about the initiatives taken by Pakistan, particularly in the Sindh province, to combat food insecurity. The Consul General expressed satisfaction with the cooperation between the government of Sindh and UAE on the ‘Emirates Humanitarian’ medical campaign in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province to provide health facilities to the poor.
Pakistan and UAE have a long history of friendly relations, with the UAE serving as a trusted ally for Pakistan. The UAE Pakistan Assistance Programme (UAE-PAP) reflects His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s love for the people of Pakistan. The programme has provided assistance in various social and humanitarian fields, including health, poverty alleviation, education, and disaster relief.
According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Acute Malnutrition analysis, acute malnutrition is at a Critical level in eight districts in Sindh and at a serious level in one district. The UAE’s food assistance programme aims to address this pressing issue. As per the data, the overall malnutrition prevalence in Pakistan is 38.3per cent, with 17.7 million stunted and 9.7 million wasted children under five years of age.
In the past, UAE has executed several humanitarian assistance programmes in Pakistan, including the UAE Polio Vaccination Campaign, which vaccinated over 86 million Pakistani children under the age of five between 2014 and December 2020. UAE’s assistance in the healthcare sector has helped Pakistan combat various diseases and increase life expectancy.
Pakistan and the UAE share a strong trade relationship with a significant Pakistani population residing in the UAE. According to the State Bank of Pakistan, Pakistan received $531.4 million in remittances from the UAE in 2022.
The UAE is Pakistan’s biggest trading partner in the Middle East and North Africa region, with exports from the UAE to Pakistan amounting to $7.13 billion in 2021. The main products exported from the UAE to Pakistan were refined petroleum, crude petroleum, and scrap iron.
During the last 18 years, exports of the UAE to Pakistan have increased at an annualized rate of 9.57per cent, from $1.38 billion in 2003 to $7.13 billion in 2021. Pakistan exported $1.28 billion worth of products to the UAE in 2021, with refined petroleum, bovine meat, and rice being the primary products. The exports of Pakistan to the UAE have increased at an annualized rate of 0.74per cent, from $1.12 billion in 2003 to $1.28 billion in 2021.
The meeting between Fahd Haroon and the Consul General H E Bakheet Al Romaithi reflects the shared commitment of Pakistan and UAE to address food insecurity and improve the well-being of vulnerable populations.
The UAE’s food assistance programme, along with Pakistan’s initiatives in the Sindh province, will help address the issue of malnutrition in Pakistan.
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PTI has finalized strategy if talks with government fail: Fawad
LAHORE, April 30 (Internews): PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said on Sunday that his party wanted negotiations with the government – on the impasse on elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – to be successful but at the same time contended that it had a “strategy” in place if the talks failed.
“PTI wants the success of negotiations [with the government], but it has formulated a strategy in case of failure,” the former minister tweeted.
“It is not possible for the PTI to sit silently if the Constitution is considered as a piece of garbage and the public as insects,” he said, calling on the people to prepare for a “movement”.
“The movement is starting tomorrow with rallies in Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar, culminating into a historic long march,” Fawad added.
Talks between the government and the PTI commenced earlier this week on advice of the Supreme Court. The development was seen as a breakthrough in the weeks-long deadlock on elections between the ruling coalition and the opposition.
After two rounds of talks, the parties are now expected to hold the final round of negotiations on May 2.
However, it seems Tuesday will be a tough day for the PTI and government negotiators, with the former seeking the dissolution of assemblies before May 14 and the latter appearing in no mood to entertain this demand.
The bonhomie on display throughout this week between the two sides was jolted by the late-night raids on former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi’s home.
With both major parties refusing to budge from their respective stances, cha-nces that the dialogue will yield positive results are starting to look “very slim”.
Speaking to party workers on Satur¬day night, former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan said his party would be ready to discuss the election date only after the dissolution of the NA before May 14 – the cut-off date for elections in Punjab as per the apex court’s April 4 order.
“The PTI’s negotiating team will meet the government’s team for the third round on Tuesday (May 2) and present its demand to dissolve the National Assembly before May 14, otherwise [PTI] will go ahead with the Punjab general elections as per Supreme Court’s order,” Imran said and added the PTI would also approach the apex court for earliest general elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the constitutional time frame of 90 days had already passed.
The PTI chief said the people of Pakistan were coming out for peaceful protests under the banner of the PTI as they were waiting for elections. “If elections will be denied, these people will not stay peaceful and Pakistan may face a situation worse than Sri Lanka,” Imran said in a warning to the powers that be.
The former premier also announced Labour Day rallies in Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar on May Day (Monday) with a secondary objective: ‘Save Constitution – Save Pakistan’. Imran said he would lead the Lahore rally from Liberty to Nasser Bagh, while Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Pervez Khattak will lead rallies in Islamabad and Peshawar, respectively.
Separately, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at Model Town a day earlier, the senior leadership of the PML-N decided it would not back down from its demand for simultaneous polls across the country.
During the meeting, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar updated the party leaders on the status of talks with the opposition as the huddle, also attended by Nawaz Sharif, resolved that the coalition government will stick to its demand for timely elections, a party insider said.
He said the meeting resolved that all coalition parties especially the JUI-F would be taken on board regarding the final decision on the demands of the PTI. The source was of the view that in case of an agreement between the ruling coalition and the PTI on polls, even though “chances are slim”, party supremo Nawaz Sharif will try to win Maulana Fazlur Rehman over. —INTERNEWS
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Dubai company launches campaign to attract Pakistanis
LAHORE, April 30 (Internews): Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET) have launched a new campaign that targets Pakistani travellers with a YouTube series.
The episodes, featuring Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood, former members of the popular band Strings, take viewers on a thrilling journey through the vibrant city of Dubai, showcasing its unique experiences and attractions suitable for visitors of all ages.
The campaign aims to promote the diverse range of offerings available in Dubai for travellers all year round.
