Day: June 24, 2024

Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain has left for a three-day official visit to Turkmenistan. During the visit, the Minister will hold talks with Turkmenistan's officials for promotion of cooperation in different fields including trade, industries and agriculture. Cooperation in the energy sector will also be discussed. Source: Radio Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed the resolve to completely eradicate polio from the country. He was addressing a meeting of National Taskforce for Polio Eradication in Islamabad today, attended by Bill Gates and officials of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Prime Minister said the federal and provincial governments are working in unison with unflinching commitment to wipe out this menace forever. He said it is in this spirit that we have undertaken five polio campaigns in the last six months. Shehbaz Sharif told the meeting that our polio eradication efforts will produce results in weeks and months. He also mentioned other areas of mutual cooperation with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation including digitalization. The prime Minister thanked the Foundation for its speedy cooperation in this regard. He said digitalization will bring huge dividends to Pakistan's economy. He lauded and acknowledged the contribution of Bill Gates for suffering humanity especially in eradication of poli o and malnutrition from Pakistan and in areas of mother and child healthcare. Speaking on the occasion, Bill Gates said the Foundation's program to end polio from Pakistan will continue for next two and a half to three years to ensure absolute zero polio case in the country. Source: Radio Pakistan

International Day of Women in Diplomacy was observed on Monday. The theme of the day was "women's leadership in multilateral diplomacy". Source: Radio Pakistan

Minister for Board of Investment Board Abdul Aleem Khan and Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan presided over a high-level meeting in Islamabad today, to review follow-up measures regarding investment from China in Pakistan. The meeting discussed progress made so far on MoUs with Chinese companies and business groups. During recent visit of Abdul Aleem Khan to China, 30 MoUs were signed between 107 Pakistani and 250 Chinese business groups. The Minister for Board of Investment said joint ventures between Chinese companies and Pakistani business entities should be launched at the earliest. He said the Chinese embassy in Pakistan should organize meetings of business groups of Pakistan and China. During the meeting, reports were submitted on progress of petroleum, health, industry, information, power division, IT and other ministries. Pakistani trade officials from Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou gave briefings in the meeting via video link. Source: Radio Pakistan

Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has said that government is committed to extend full support to the emerging technologies like semiconductors industry, Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Technologies. He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of International Nathiagali Summer College on Physics and Contemporary Needs today. The Minister said the government has taken proactive steps to support the development of quantum technologies in Pakistan. As a first step in this direction, the Minister announced to setup a National Centre for Quantum Computing this year. Ahsan Iqbal said the government is investing in human capital development in the field of quantum science and technology through scholarships, training programmers and capacity building initiatives. He lauded Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission for playing an effective role in the development of medical, agriculture and energy sectors. The Minister stressed the consistency of policies for a strong economy and implementation of sens e of mission to steer the country towards path of development and prosperity. Source: Radio Pakistan

Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja has expressed the confidence that IT exports will cross the mark of three billion dollars this year. Taking the floor in the National Assembly, she said the IT exports are expected to touch the mark of 25 billion dollars in next five years as per the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The Minister of State said the IT sector remained one of the key sectors during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's visits abroad. She said an agreement was signed with the Huawei Company of China under which Islamabad will be made a smart city, while the safe city project will be extended to other cities of Pakistan. She added that 300,000 youth will be trained under this understanding which is beginning from the next month. Shaza Fatima Khawaja said training will be started with Google, Microsoft and other leading IT companies of the world to prepare at least 1.5 million IT certified individuals over the next five years. She said the D igiSkills programme will be further expanded. She said we are working on establishing the Centre for Excellence for Gaming to promote the gaming industry in the country and start-up ecosystem where all the students have uniform opportunities to grow in the IT sector. On the legislative side, the Minister of State said Pakistan's first ever Cyber Emergency Policy, draft of the National Artificial Intelligence policy, and Personal Data Protection Bill have been prepared, while a committee on National Semiconductor policy has been formed. Shaza Fatima Khawaja said Pakistan's National Digitization plan has been prepared, which include Digital Economy, Digital Governance, and Digital Society. Source: Radio Pakistan

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur says more than three hundred thousand foreigners from the province have been repatriated to their native countries. Talking to a delegation of UNHCR in Islamabad today, he said the government is providing all possible facilities to the foreigners who are voluntarily repatriating to their countries. Ali Amin Gandapur said the government is ready to provide healthcare facilities to the Afghan nationals if UNHCR issues health cards to them. Source: Radio Pakistan

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar has lauded the services of Pakistani women diplomats for their tremendous contributions in the field of diplomacy. In his message on social media platform X on the occasion of International Day for Women in Diplomacy, he said stalwarts like Begum Raana Liaquat Ali Khan, Madam Shaista Ikramullah, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and many other who broke barriers and set the path of hundreds of women diplomats who continue to represent Pakistan at the international stage with grace and dignity. The Foreign Minister applauded them all and thanked them for their services and contributions. Source: Radio Pakistan