Official Blog Of Press Information Department

Courtesy:-   Malik Muhammad Ashraf The existence of informal economies is a debilitating phenomenon wherever they thrive as they are considered barriers to inclusive growth and exclude the majority of people from accessing opportunities of productive growth in the economic realm and deprive them of entitlement at work because of their informal status. In comparison, the workers engaged in formal registered, tax compliant businesses and units are legally covered for social protection. The undocumented economy or the informal economy also hinders proper economic planning for socio-economic development. The growing influence of the informal economy, especially in developing countries, has created great concern and is a big challenge for political and economic managers.

Courtesy: -   Malik Muhammad Ashraf RELATIONS between Pakistan and India unfortunately witnessed a nosedive during Modi’s first tenure as Prime Minister and before the general election in India the two nuclear powers almost came to the brink of war in the backdrop of Pulwama incident. That possibility was averted by sagacious restraint shown by Pakistan. It not only released the Indian pilot immediately after his capture but also sought the involvement of the international community in defusing the volatile situation which confirmed Pakistan’s credentials as a peace loving nation in spite of having a matching strength to retaliate against any aggression as it demonstrated during the short-lived confrontation.

Courtesy:- Editorial Records upon records tumbled as Pakistan completed a whitewash in a five-match ODI series against Zimbabwe. The 5-0 triumph is Pakistan’s seventh, and a third against Zimbabwe. Others include two against Bangladesh and one each against New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

Courtesy:-   Waqar Ahmed The CPEC route provides immense opportunities to CARs, a region that entered the world after the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, to expand trade with Pakistan and also go through China for trade expansion.  In the context of geo-strategic situation in the region, CPEC offers an alternative solution to link up Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, which directly border China, as well as Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, to the route, thus ruling out reliance on the traditional perception that all roads from Pakistan into the Central Asia go through Kabul or Wakhan strip.

Two significant events happened earlier this week. The first was Khawaja Asif’s meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi after participating in SCO Council of Foreign Ministers moot. The second was CPEC Summit 2018 where Prime Minister (PM), Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, representatives of all provincial governments and other official reiterated the benefits of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that Pakistan can secure for itself. One thing that is common in both events: Islamabad suggesting its dependency on China for economic and strategic gains from now onwards.

Courtesy:   EDITORIAL Addressing the Boao Forum in China's Hainan province, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has pointed out that regional connectivity, open trade and increased economic growth are the key to promoting tolerance and deny space to extremism and that Pakistan is partnering with China to usher in a new era of peace and prosperity through enhanced connectivity. Describing development and security as intrinsically indivisible, the prime minister reportedly said: "Only by spreading the dividends of open trade and shared innovation will we be able to promote tolerance and amity and deny space to extremism." According to him, the China-Pakistan-Afghanistan trilateral framework is aimed at achieving these very objectives while connectivity remains the cornerstone of Pakistan's plans.