Official Blog Of Press Information Department

Courtesy:- S M Hali    Pakistan is losing precious lives due to terror attacks but few people realise that road accidents take a higher toll of lives. According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, in the last decade, Pakistan suffered a loss of 50,987 lives due to terrorism while, in the same period, traffic accidents claimed 130,000 lives. Thus, while every effort is being made to counter terrorism, from negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to surgical strikes and now the ongoing military operation Zarb-e-Azb to root out terrorists from North Waziristan, little or no attention is being paid to eradicate the menace of road accidents.

Courtesy:-  S Rahman Common Economic Destination is not merely a collection of three words mentioned in PM  Nawaz Sharif ’s letter to his Indian counterpart Nirandera Modi but a solid objective that the leaders and people of both the countries ought to pursue to come out of the ever-deepening abyss of abject poverty and miseries.

Courtesy:- MALIK MUHAMMAD ASHRAF After exhaustive and determined efforts to sort out issues with the TTP through dialogue as authorized by the APC held in September 2013, notwithstanding the continued terrorist acts against the security forces and security installations, the government perforce has instructed the Army to launch a full-fledged ground assault against the terrorists based in North Waziristan, supported by airstrikes at the hideouts and communication installations of the terrorists by PAF jets. The operation named ‘Zarb-e-Azb’ as stated by the Prime Minister and the COAS will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated. According to the ISPR and media reports, the operation is proceeding successfully and more than 150 terrorists, mostly Uzbeks including the mastermind of the Karachi attack have been killed. To make sure that the terrorists do not cross over to Afghanistan, the Afghan National Army and Afghan border security force have also been contacted to seal...

Courtesy:-     MALIK MUHAMMAD ASHRAF It has taken care of all the segments of the society The budgets that the governments all over the  world  announce annually are of immense interest to all segments of the society, as they embody strategies to propel growth in the economic and social sectors as well as the fiscal and monetary measures that not only provide necessary fiances to the governments for their obligatory undertakings but also affect economic situations of the masses in varying degrees. The judgment on whether a budget is good or bad is based on the overall impact that it is going to create in surmounting debilitating economic factors, developmental activities that it envisages to generate, the scheme of distribution of resources it contemplates and above all the range of relief measures that it stipulates for the poorer sections of the society. The budget for 2014-15, the second by the incumbent  government , announced by the finance minister...

Courtesy:- S Rahman Pragmatism and concern for the poor are the salient features of the Federal Budget 2014-15 announced the other day by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. At no point in the budget speech, the minister has tried to draw a rosy picture of ‘all okay on all fronts’ as has been usual with many of our finance ministers of the past. Even at the first, cursory look, the budget gives the impression of a realistic outlay of incomes and receipts of a country where the government has taken it upon itself to try in dead earnest to fulfill all the state obligations towards its citizens. That means the protection of the masses against impoverishment, food insecurity and against homelessness and despondency. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has himself pinpointed in his post-budget press conference that 90 million people live in this country below the poverty line. “They are our target.” He aimed to reach to the poorest of the poor.

Courtesy:-   Nauman Ashraf Prime Minister Nawaz Shrif presided over the second computerized balloting for grant of 6000 loans to the youth including women, under Prime Minister’s Youth Business loans Scheme on Wednesday. The first balloting held recently also disbursed loans to the same number of men and women. The Youth Business Loan Schemeinitiative differs from the previous failed schemes in many respects.  It is being implemented through commercial banks who can take care of all aspects of the loans without political interference in line with the policies chalked out by the government. Another aspect is the commitment of the government to ensure utmost transparency in advancing these loans to make sure that the loans are given only to the really deserving individuals. 

Courtesy:-   MALIK MUHAMMAD ASHRAF And politics of opportunity Forming alliances is a democratic right of the political entities, desirous of orchestrating strong opposition to the policies of the sitting  government  and resisting its indiscretions contemplated not to be in the public interest, with the underlying purpose of strengthening democratic culture in the country. We in the land of pure have not had an enviable experience with the politics of alliances which were mostly formed to dislodge the incumbent elected governments or prevent certain political parties from winning the right to rule, with the connivance and backing of the anti-democratic praetorian powers. The result is that even after more than six decades of our existence as an independent state, we are still groping in the dark to find the avenue that could lead us to our cherished destiny of a truly democratic polity.

Courtesy:-   WARDA ALI GOHAR The reliable friendship between China and Pakistan is exemplary. Regardless of the detrimental law and order situation in Pakistan, Chinese investment has consistently increased. Along with governments of both countries, the business leaders of private sectors are also playing an important role in strengthening economic relations. Pakistan’s relationship with China complements the elements of growth. Now, the need of the hour is proper planning and its implementation. The increasing trade deficit, inflation and energy crisis in Pakistan has decelerated the movements of our industrial wheel. The economic crisis has brought us to a crossroads: either we continue to run crippling government corporations with public-private partnerships or we privatize them. By relieving the government treasury of this burden, consequently we may bring the trade deficit down. Nowadays, safeguarding ones’ economic benefits is the first priority of every countr...