Economic Coordination Committee seeks report on measures to control locust

Islamabad, December 12, 2019 (PPI-OT): The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has directed the Ministry of National Food Security and Research to brief the ECC in its next meeting on the measures taken so far, including the areas treated so far with spray and pesticides, to control the threat of desert locust in different parts of the country. The direction was issued in a meeting of the ECC held at the Cabinet Block with Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh in the Chair.

For coping with the emergency of desert locust threat in Pakistan, the ECC approved a technical supplementary grant of Rs. 459.5 million on a proposal moved by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research. The ECC was informed that nine districts of the country are affected by the Locust and the Department of Plant protection has been given the responsibility of dealing with the threat. So far 170,000 hectares have been cleared and the Ministry has been provided updates on daily basis.

The ECC also directed that in the next meeting of the ECC a detailed briefing on the control of the threat be presented in the ECC. The ECC also approved the “Enactment of Pakistan Single Window Bill, 2019” to be sent to the Cabinet. The enactment of the Bill will highly facilitate the businesses in Pakistan. The ECC was apprised that 42 government agencies are involved in granting approvals for different business.

Through this Single window, all parties involved in trade and transport can lodge standardized information and documents with a single-entry point to fulfil all import, export and transit related regulatory requirements. The Customs Wing in FBR developed NSW Roadmap and implementation Framework, in April 2018 with the help of International Experts. This initiative is expected to improve Pakistan’s rating at ease of doing business index.

It is expected that the project will be completed in December 2021. The ECC also allowed the continuation of funding facility by Gas Holding Private Limited (GHPL) for Inter state Gas Systems (Private) Limited for another 2 years. There will be a provision in the agreement that as soon as the first project reaches closure, ISGS needs to be financially self-sustaining and it should put forward a business plan as how it will return the loan it has taken.

The ECC approved the placement of the Annual Report of the National Economic Council (NEC) (as required by Article 156 of the Constitution), before the Cabinet after the Chair was briefed that the points raised regarding the report for its placement before the Cabinet, had been duly addressed. Ministry of Energy got the approval of a proposal for the extension and Rehabilitation of gas network in oil and gas producing districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Phase 1). Supply of gas to villages falling beyond 5-KM radius of Mardan Khel-III District Hangu and supply of Gas to Hafizabad.

Accordingly, SNGPL was allowed to execute gas development schemes recommended by DWP and endorsed by the Board of Directors of SNGPL along with appropriate share of the funding shared between SNGPL and Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. On the proposal sent by the Ministry of Interior, the ECC approved the allocation of Rs300 million through Technical Supplementary Grant (TSG) for raising of 1 Special Wing of Pakistan Rangers for (Protection of) Kartarpur Corridor on the recommendation of GHQ. The ECC directed that a three-members committee consisting of Adviser to Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms and Austerity Dr. Ishrat Hussain, Secretary Finance and a representative of Ministry of Interior shall look into the details of the proposal and further rationalize the costs.

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Launch of Pakistan’s Ecosystem Restoration Fund

Islamabad, December 12, 2019 (PPI-OT): Pakistan’s Ecosystem Restoration Fund was successfully launched at COP25 in Madrid today by the Advisor to the PM on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam who is heading Pakistan’s delegation to the UN climate conference. The theme for this COP is “Time for Action” and Pakistan showed on a global stage that it is serious about pursuing ecosystem restoration to address climate change challenges in the country. Pakistan’s unique land mass which ranges from its high mountains down to the Arabian Sea at a steep incline makes the country extremely diverse and vulnerable to flooding from glacial melt combined with monsoon rain in the summer months.

The ambitious Ecosystem Restoration Fund (ESRF) would effectively manage its water resources and address this vulnerability while steering the country onto a more sustainable pathway. The ESRF is essentially a nature based adaptation initiative with 6 thematic areas: 1. Afforestation 2. Recharge Pakistan – Integrated water management 3. Conserving Biodiversity and Mitigating Land Degradation 4. Conserving Marine Life and Promoting Blue Economy 5. Promoting Eco Tourism 6. Electric Vehicles The ESRF has been placed within the National Disaster Risk Management Fund where General Nadeem Ahmad is the CEO of the fund, which will allow Pakistan to align itself with the global climate change agenda.

Martin Frick, the Senior Director for Policy and Program Coordination at the UNFCCC and Pablo Vieira, the Global Director of the NDC Partnership Support Unit, were also invited to be panellists at the launch ceremony held at the NDC pavilion at the COP. Pakistan’s ambassador to Spain, Khayyam Akbar, also joined the panellists. Both Martin Frick and Pablo Vieira appreciated Pakistan’s efforts in pursing ambitious climate and development actions, and assured the Advisor that Pakistan would find the international support needed for the fund.

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Indian troops launch operations in IOK

Srinagar, December 12, 2019 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, Indian troops have launched cordon and search operations in different district areas of south Kashmir. The troops cordoned off Aliyarpora area of Shopian district and Awantipora and Dangerpora areas of Pulwama district and launched door-to-door searches. The troops have sealed all entry points of these areas. The operations were going on till last reports came in.

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Assam on boil over CAB; people defy curfew

Guwahati, December 12, 2019 (PPI-OT): In India, the people defied curfew in Guwahati on Thursday morning to protest against the Citizen (Amendment) Bill as the situation remained tense throughout the state. Guwahati, the epicentre of anti-CAB protests, was placed under indefinite curfew, last night, while the Army was called in at four places and Assam Rifles personnel were deployed in Tripura as the two northeastern states plunged into chaos over the hugely emotive Citizenship (Amendment) Bill or CAB.

Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti appealed to the people to come out on the road for peaceful protest. The people were on the road in the night despite curfew. Indian Railways has suspended all passenger train services in Tripura and Assam and short-terminated long distance trains to the region to Guwahati following protests.

The decision was taken Wednesday night in view of the security situation in the region, Northeast Frontier Railway spokesperson Subhanan Chanda said, adding many passengers are stranded in Kamakhya and Guwahati.

After a railway station in Dibrugarh’s Chabua, the hometown of the Assam chief minister, was set on fire by protestors and the Panitola railway station in Tinsukia district was torched, 12 companies of the Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) have been dispatched to the region, DG of RPF Arun Kumar told media.

Also, several private airlines have cancelled flights from Kolkata to Assam and other Northeastern states.

The Army conducted a flag march in Guwahati on Thursday morning. Vehicles were stranded in various cities of Assam due to heavy blockade. Several vehicles have been burnt by the angry protesters so far. The houses of BJP and AGP (Asom Gana Parishad) leaders were attacked in various parts of the state.

An RSS functionary told media that the organisation’s office in Dibrugarh, Sadya and Tezpur were attacked. The BJP office in Tezpur was also attacked.

Meanwhile, over 500 students at Aligarh Muslim University have been booked in connection with their protest against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, on Wednesday night. Thousands of students participated in the protest, which was also joined by some teachers. They resolved to reject the Bill and challenge it on all public fora. Students were holding torches and copies of the Bill were burnt during the protest.

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Flight operations affected on 7th day at Srinagar Airport

Srinagar, December 12, 2019 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, flight operations were hit on the seventh consecutive day at Srinagar airport due to poor visibility. “All morning flights to and from the airport have been cancelled as the landing of flights cannot take place amidst fog,” Director Srinagar Airport, Santosh Dokay told media men in Srinagar.

The airport runway is enveloped with a blanket of fog which has lowered the visibility levels. The operations will be resumed once the weather gets better, he said. The cancellation of flight operations has affected the travel plans of thousands of passengers.

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India has converted IOK into military garrison: Reshi

Srinagar, December 12, 2019 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, the APHC leader and the Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Democratic, Muhammad Shafi Rishi, has said that India has converted the territory into a military garrison.

Muhammad Shafi Rishi in a statement issued in Srinagar said that the army of a so-called democratic and secular India was involved in massive human rights violations in occupied Kashmir. He said that the Kashmiri people, rejecting the illegal rule of India and the unilateral action of August 5, were continuing the civil disobedience movement to express their anger.

He deplored that the authorities had kept the Hurriyat leadership under house arrest and in prisons while they had detained thousands of Kashmiris, most of them youth, under black law, Public Safety Act (PSA). He said that a large number of youth, including children aged ten, had been arrested in Kashmir and even the reason of their arrest was not being provided to their relatives. He said that it was a violation of human rights that the Indian army had subjected the youth to the worst torture before their parents.

The Hurriyat leader said that the Indian government was depriving the Kashmiri people of all basic rights by following the fictitious agenda of Hindu extremist organization, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Singh. He appealed to the international community to impress upon India to stop its atrocities in occupied Kashmir and implement the UN resolutions to allow the Kashmiri people decide their fate by themselves.

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Indian SC judge raises referendum in Article 370 case

New Delhi, December 12, 2019 (PPI-OT): Judge of Indian Supreme Court, Surya Kant mentioned referendum while seeking to know how the Indian government could have ascertained will of the people of Kashmir in the absence of an elected assembly.

Surya Kant made the remarks while hearing a host of petitions challenging the validity of the Indian government’s actions of stripping Kashmir of its special status and dividing it into two union territories as part of a five-judge bench led by NV Ramana.

He also raised the point that if the decision rested with people then will it be a case of referendum, concurrence or consultation. “Who’s the competent authority? How is it to be done? Through a referendum? through elected representatives? How?,” Kant asked senior advocate, Raju Ramachandran when the latter argued that the Indian government could not have unilaterally changed the status of Kashmir without taking into consideration the will of the Kashmiri people.

Ramachandran, who is appearing for former bureaucrat, Shah Faesal and activist, Shehla Rasheed, said, “There are no elected representatives.” The territory was under President’s Rule when its special status was scrapped, he said. “The people have been sidelined and their Constitution violated,” he added.

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