Tag: Spokesperson to the President

Islamabad, December 30, 2012 (PPI-OT): President Asif Ali Zardari today urged for taking Pak- UAE already existing strong bilateral ties to new heights with focus on trade and Commercial relations. The President said this in his meeting with His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates.

Matters pertaining to bilateral relations, ways and means to further enhance mutual cooperation in diverse fields and regional issues were discussed during the meeting. Spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the President during meeting underscored close and fraternal relations between Pakistan and UAE and said that relationship between the two countries were rooted in cultural affinities, shared faith and traditions and interests.

President Zardari while expressing delight at the upward trajectory in Pak- UAE relations, said that during the past five years the bilateral ties have grown from strength to strength in all spheres of cooperation and added that Pakistan was keen to further cement bilateral cooperation in all sectors. During the meeting he also
invited UAE investor to avail the business and investors friendly liberal incentive packages the present government is offering to foreign and domestic entrepreneurs. He said that investors can now invest without any fear as all the incentives and facilities being offered to them have now been protected by a law passed by the
Parliament.

The President said that UAE is Pakistan’s largest trading partner in the Middle East and expressed hope that visit of the President of UAE would further boost trade and investment cooperation to the mutual benefit of the two countries. The President highlighted the great potential that existed between the two countries to further strengthen their relations especially in the area of trade and commerce.

The President appreciated the assistance extended by UAE to the government and people of Pakistan during every hour of need including earthquake in 2005 and devastating floods in 2010.

The President while noting the presence of around 1.2 million Pakistani diaspora working in UAE expressed confidence that they are positively contributing towards its socio-economic development and have also served as a strong bond between the two countries.

The President thanked the people and government of UAE for welcoming Pakistanis to their country and expressed confidence that this human bridge between our two brotherly countries would continue to grow and strengthen with every passing day.

The President said Pakistan greatly admire the wise and visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan adding that his leadership has
taken UAE to new heights of social and economic development.

His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates thanked the President and government of Pakistan for the warm welcome and hospitality and said that UAE would continue its cooperation and assistance to the government and people of Pakistan in every hour of need.

For more information, contact:
Farhatullah Babar
Spokesperson to the President
Tell: +9251 920 4530 and +9251 920 4974
Email: farhat.babar@president.gov.pk

Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari has stressed the need for Pakistan and China to deal with the world economy together and act in accordance with the new global demands. In an interview with China People’s Daily Online, the President said as the world is settling in new situation, Pakistan and China need to find new comfort zone for further collaboration in all dimensions. President Zardari termed growth of China as emergence of a new Japan, the largest economy in the world and added that all friends of China would be part of that rise.

He said Pakistan and China have strong bonds of friendship and mentioned that both the countries are the home to the old civilization of Buddhism.

Zardari said Pakistan established diplomatic relations with China at a time when the latter was not open in relations with the outside world.

He said the theory of looking towards the East owed to the founder of Pakistan People’s Party and the former Prime Minister of Pakistan Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

The President said he felt that there was room for more interaction with China. He said he had been visiting China since 1988, even before assuming the office of President of Pakistan. He mentioned that Chinese language had been introduced as an optional subject in schools in Sindh province.

Referring to the Karakorum Highway damaged by the floods, President Zardari said Pakistan and China were working on enhancing the road and railway connectivity.

He said the governments of both countries had the determination of increasing their bilateral trade by more than 10 billion US dollars.

President Zardari also extended new year greetings to China on start of its lunar year of Dragon. China flagship newspaper People’s Daily and its website People’s Daily Online conducted separate exclusive interviews with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani.

Once the schedule of the interview was announced on People’s Daily Online, it caught widespread attention from Chinese citizens, who put forward thousands of topics and questions during quite a short time and sent their best wishes to Pakistani people on the website.

For more information, contact:
Farhatullah Babar
Spokesperson to the President
Tell: +9251 920 4530 and +9251 920 4974
Email: farhat.babar@president.gov.pk

Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari today directed to speed up the training programme under the Sindh Waseel-e-Haq scheme to enable the Benazir Income Support Programme beneficiaries set up their own small businesses and extricate themselves from poverty. He also directed to begin a project aimed at reclaiming and renovating the old natural drainage channels in the province and complete it before the monsoon season begins.

The President also directed to speed up work on the ongoing developmental projects in the province to meet the targets by the close of financial year in June.

The President gave these multiple directions during a meeting held at Bilawal House here Wednesday to review progress made in the ongoing developmental projects, flood control measures and training of BISP beneficiaries to set up their own small businesses with the help of interest free loans.

The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, provincial ministers Agha Siraj Khan Durrani, Syed Ali Nawaz Shah, Jam Saifullah Khan Dharejo, Ms. Shazia Marri, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Nawabzada Mir Nadir Ali Khan Magsi, Ms. Sharmeela Farooqi and Pir Mazh-ul-Haq, Chief Secretary and relevant provincial secretaries and heads of departments.

Chief Secretary Sindh briefed the meeting on the status of ongoing development projects, the total allocations under the ADP is Rs111 billion.

The President said that more than half of the current financial year had already passed and asked for stepping up the pace of work to complete the projects during the remaining period of the financial year in accordance with the stipulated schedule.

President Zardari said that the country had witnessed two floods during the last two consecutive years and preparations should be made to minimize the damage if floods were to recur this year.

He directed the government to reclaim and renovate the natural drains in the province that have not been in use for variety of reasons for several decades. The President asked the chief minister to appoint a monitoring committee to supervise the work pertaining to reclaiming the historical old drainage channels. He said that the Presidency should be kept fully informed about the progress of this project.

The meeting was informed that 900 people will complete their training during the next two weeks in necessary skills to undertake their own small businesses with the help of 300,000 interest free loans advanced to them under the Waseela-i-Haq programme of BISP.

Over 30,000 people will be trained under this scheme by the end of June this year, the meeting was informed. The President called for stepping up the training programme of BISP beneficiaries.

For more information, contact:
Farhatullah Babar
Spokesperson to the President
Tell: +9251 920 4530 and +9251 920 4974
Email: farhat.babar@president.gov.pk

Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani have felicitated the national cricket team over their glorious 72 runs victory in the second test match against England in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

The President and the Prime Minister in their separate messages lauded the outstanding performance of the national team in the second test against England, which gave Pakistan a decisive 2-0 win in the three-test series.

They praised Misbah-ul-Haq for his astute captaincy and lauded the performances of Abdul Rahman, Saeed Ajmal, Azhar Ali and the entire team.

This is a moment of pride and rejoicing for the whole nation, Prime Minister Gilani said in his message from Davos.

The President and the Prime Minister hoped that Pakistan cricket team will continue to perform well to bring more laurels for the country and nation.

For more information, contact:
Farhatullah Babar
Spokesperson to the President
Tell: +9251 920 4530 and +9251 920 4974
Email: farhat.babar@president.gov.pk

Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday expressed deep sorrow over the death of workers in a mine collapse in Batkanala village near Abbottabad. The President ordered compensation to the families of deceased workers.

In a message, the President offered condolence with the bereaved families and prayed for the departed souls to rest in peace.

Since the mine collapse on Wednesday, nine bodies have been recovered and search for others is going on. Fourteen mine workers were feared buried alive.

For more information, contact:
Farhatullah Babar
Spokesperson to the President
Tell: +9251 920 4530 and +9251 920 4974
Email: farhat.babar@president.gov.pk