DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Unidentified gunmen killed a security official in Bajaur tribal district as he was returning from his polio duty on Monday.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Emergency Operation Center (EOC) moved to launch a three-day anti-polio campaign in the tribal region from Monday under tight security to vaccinate 913,193 children under the age of five.
“Vaccination of children crossing into tribal districts in polio high-risk areas is our priority to prevent the polio virus from entering tribal districts,” said provincial coordinator EOC Mahmood Aslam Wazir.
The anti-polio campaign will last three days, followed by a catch-up of missed children to ensure that no child is left unvaccinated.
However, in North Waziristan, Khyber and South Waziristan tribal districts, the campaign will be conducted from Monday till Friday, followed by a catch-up of missed children.
The wild poliovirus has been found in Bajaur through environmental sampling, but Wazir urged the teams to vaccinate every child coming into Bajaur and all the tribal districts.
He said all the teams will go beyond the call of duty to implement the Polio Eradication Initiative activities to navigate the campaign to success.
“In the entire tribal districts, 913,193 children below the age of five will be vaccinated with oral polio vaccine by a total of 3,971 teams, comprising 3,666 mobile teams, 216 fixed and 89 transit teams,” he added.
The teams, he said, will also administer vitamin A capsules to a total of 829,997 children. Of these, Blue Vitamin A capsules will be administered to 92,222 children between the ages of six and 11 months and red Vitamin A capsules will be administered to 737,775 children between 12 and 59 months old.
“No case emerged in tribal districts for around 26 months because of the cooperation of parents/caregivers, the relentless efforts of frontline workers, the support of partners and commitment of higher echelons,” Wazir observed.
Tribal elders said that concerted efforts are direly needed from the authority to eradicate the life-threatening disease in the entire tribal region bordering Afghanistan.
Musa Kaleem, a tribal elder from North Waziristan, said tribal people are ready to extend all-out cooperation to the visiting teams vaccinating their children for a better tomorrow.
“There is no hindrance to the anti-polio drive. Our people want to protect our children from a lifelong disability,” he said.
However, Monday’s tragic incident, in which a levies personnel deployed with an anti-polio team was fatally shot, has once again demonstrated how difficult it can be to stop the virus from circulating in the remaining few pockets of tribal districts.
Soon after the attack, the authorities cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to catch the miscreants trying to scuttle their campaign against the dangerous virus.
Meanwhile, Dr. Nadeem Jan, a technical focal person, urged parents and caregivers to continue cooperating with Sehat Muhafiz (polio workers) when they knock on their doors to “be part of making history by the complete eradication of polio and stopping its transmission in tribal districts.
“We need to maintain performance with the same determination and diligence until eradication is achieved,” he said.
The EOC said that tribal districts have completed two years without any polio case in the region as of July 27 this year.
Polio is a contagious viral illness that in its most severe form causes nerve injury, leading to paralysis, breathing difficulties and sometimes death.
One dead as anti-polio drive kicks off in tribal districts to vaccinate nearly a million children
One dead as anti-polio drive kicks off in tribal districts to vaccinate nearly a million children
- P launch a three-day anti-polio campaign in the tribal region from Monday under tight security to vaccinate 913,193 children under the age of five
- Unidentified gunmen killed a security official in Bajaur tribal district as he was returning from his polio duty on Monday
Pakistani FM, Digital Cooperation Organization’s secretary-general discuss economic cooperation in Riyadh
- Digital Cooperation Organization is an inter-governmental body that seeks to bridge digital gap in member states
- Foreign Minister Dar meets DCO secretary-general at sidelines of World Economic Forum meeting in Riyadh
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Digital Cooperation Organization’s (DCO) Secretary-General Deemah AlYahya on Sunday resolved to continue their joint collaboration and cooperation for economic development, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The DCO is an inter-governmental body established in 2020 which is dedicated to achieving social prosperity and growth of digital economic. The DCO aims to achieve this by unifying the efforts of its member states to advance digital transformation and promote common interests of member states. DCO member states include Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Rwanda, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, The Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Jordan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cyprus and Djibouti.
AlYahya is a Saudi digital economy expert and the founding secretary-general of the organization since her election to the post in April 2021. As DCO secretary-general, AlYahya is responsible for connecting heads of state, government ministers and private sector digital economy leaders to bridge the digital gap in member states.
She called on Foreign Minister Dar at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s Special Meeting in Riyadh on Sunday, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said.
“The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan and the SG DCO affirmed their resolve to continue close collaboration and cooperation for the economic development and digital transformation of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other DCO member states,” MoFA said.
AlYahya recounted her visit to Pakistan earlier this month and spoke of the country’s “great potential” for technological advancement and digital transformation of its economy, MoFA said. “She emphasized that as founding member of DCO, Pakistan brings great value to the organization and has a significant role to play in its rise and progress,” it added.
Dar stressed the need for DCO member states to achieve capabilities in emerging technologies in the fast-evolving tech landscape, MoFA said. “In this connection, he appreciated DCO for providing the suitable platform to its member states for their digital advancement,” the statement said.
AlYahya separately posted about her “great meeting” with Dar on the social media platform X.
“With 64 percent of the population below 30 years old, many of whom are actively involved in the freelance industry, it is critical to ensure we undertake all collaborative efforts that will enable an ecosystem which lets the youth thrive and prosper in the new digital landscape,” she wrote on X.
PM Sharif, Saudi crown prince discuss bilateral ties and regional situation in Riyadh
- PM Sharif attends Special Dialogue and Gala Dinner hosted by Saudi crown prince in Riyadh
- Sharif is in Riyadh to attend two-day World Economic Forum meeting, engage with world leaders
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Sunday evening during which the two leaders discussed bilateral relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the regional situation and Israel’s war on Gaza, Sharif’s office said in a statement.
Sharif, who arrived in Riyadh on Saturday to attend a two-day special meeting of the World Economic Forum, attended a Special Dialogue and Gala Dinner hosted by the Saudi crown prince in Riyadh. Sharif congratulated the Saudi crown prince for successfully organizing the WEF Special Meeting, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
“The Prime Minister conveyed his prayers and good wishes for the health, happiness and long life of The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud,” the PMO said. “In addition to bilateral ties, the regional situation, particularly with regards to the crisis in Gaza, was also discussed.”
Sharif thanked the Saudi crown prince for sending a high-powered delegation, headed by Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Minister Faisal bin Farhan, to Pakistan earlier this month. The delegation held key meetings with Pakistani ministers and businesspersons to enhance economic cooperation between the Kingdom and the South Asian country.
“To continue the discussion, the Prime Minister said that he has brought with him a high-powered delegation to Riyadh, including key Ministers responsible for investment, so that follow-up meetings could take place between relevant officials,” the PMO said.
Sharif reiterated his invitation to the Saudi crown prince to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience, the PMO added.
Separately, Sharif met Saudi Arabia’s ministers of finance, investment and industry on Sunday at the sidelines of the WEF meeting. In his meeting with the Saudi finance minister, the two sides agreed that Saudi Arabia would explore more opportunities for investment in Pakistan.
Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan reiterated the Kingdom’s support for Pakistan’s economic development, Sharif’s office had said in a statement.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense and cultural ties. The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates and serves as the top source of remittances to the cash-strapped South Asian country.
Both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been closely working to increase their bilateral trade and investment, and the Kingdom recently reaffirmed its commitment to expedite an investment package worth $5 billion discussed previously with Islamabad.
Gunmen kill two laborers from Punjab province in southwest Pakistan — official
- The two laborers were working inside a garage in Tump area of Balochistan's Kech district when they came under attack
- No group immediately claimed responsibility, but Baloch separatists have previously targeted people from other provinces
ISLAMABAD: Unidentified gunmen on Sunday shot dead two laborers, who hailed from the eastern Punjab province, in the country's restive Balochistan province, a local official said.
The two laborers were working inside a garage in Tump area of Balochistan's Kech district when they came under fire by gunmen riding motorbikes, according to Saeed Umrani, commissioner of Makran Division where Kech is located.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Baloch separatists have previously targeted people from other provinces on suspicion of spying for state agencies.
"Both laborers, who were residents of the Punjab province, were killed on the spot," the official said.
Umrani said bodies of the deceased had been sent to their hometowns and the district administration was hunting for the perpetrators.
The attack came two weeks after armed men abducted nine passengers, who hailed from Punjab, from a bus and killed them near Balochistan's Noshki district.
The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had information that plain-clothed spies were on the bus. The group offered no evidence to support its claim.
Balochistan has been the scene of a long-running insurgency by separatist militants who seek independence from the central government in Islamabad.
Although the government says it has quelled the insurgency, violence has continued to persist in the province.
Pakistan PM, Kuwaiti emir discuss transformation of bilateral ties into economic partnership
- The meeting came on the sidelines of a two-day World Economic Forum summit in Riyadh
- PM Shehbaz Sharif assured of efficient implementation of Pakistan-Kuwait deals signed in Nov.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday met with Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in Riyadh and discussed with him transformation of Pakistan-Kuwait ties into an economic partnership, Sharif’s office said.
The meeting came on the sidelines of a two-day World Economic Forum (WEF) summit on global collaboration, growth and energy on April 28-29.
PM Sharif thanked Sheikh Mishal for his congratulatory letter upon his re-election and congratulated him on assuming the role of the emir of Kuwait.
“The Prime Minister expressed his desire to work closely with His Highness to transform bilateral ties into a mutually beneficial economic partnership that would serve the best interests of the peoples of both countries,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.
The development came months after Pakistan and Kuwait signed several trade and investment agreements worth $10 billion during the visit of caretaker Pakistan PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar to the Gulf country.
Besides these agreements, the two countries had signed three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) in the fields of culture, environment and sustainable development.
Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, had also accompanied the caretaker prime minister on the Kuwait visit in November, which was part of the Pakistani leadership’s ambitious plan to attract investment from the Middle East amid an economic slowdown at home.
“The Prime Minister assured the Kuwaiti leadership that these MoUs and agreements would be implemented in an efficient and timely manner,” the statement added.
“In addition to bilateral ties, the regional situation, particularly with regards to the crisis in Gaza, was also discussed.”
PM Sharif, IMF chief discuss Pakistan’s new loan program on WEF sidelines in Riyadh
- Pakistan’s $3 billion IMF loan program, which helped Islamabad avert a default last year, is due to end this month
- Pakistan faces a chronic balance of payments crisis, with nearly $24 billion to repay in debt over next fiscal year
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday met with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in Riyadh, where the two figures discussed a new loan program for the cash-strapped South Asian country, Sharif’s office said.
The meeting between PM Sharif and the IMF managing director took place on the sidelines of a two-day World Economic Forum (WEF) summit on global collaboration, growth and energy in the Saudi capital on April 28-29.
Sharif thanked Georgieva for her support to Pakistan in securing a $3 billion IMF loan program last year that is due to expire this month. The IMF executive board is expected to meet on Monday to decide on the disbursement of the final tranche of $1.1 billion to Pakistan.
“MD IMF shared her institution’s perspective on the ongoing program with Pakistan, including the review process,” PM Sharif’s office said in a statement.
“Both sides also discussed Pakistan entering into another IMF program to ensure that the gains made in the past year are consolidated and its economic growth trajectory remains positive.”
Sharif informed the IMF chief that his government was fully committed to put Pakistan’s economy back on track, according to the statement.
He said he had directed his financial team, led by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, to carry out structural reforms, ensure strict fiscal discipline and pursue prudent policies that would ensure macro-economic stability and sustained economic growth.
Pakistan secured the $3 billion IMF program in June last year, which helped it avert a sovereign default. Islamabad says it is seeking a loan over at least three years to help achieve macroeconomic stability and execute long-overdue reforms.
Finance Minister Aurangzeb has said Islamabad could secure a staff-level agreement on the new program by early July, though he has declined to detail what size of the program it seeks. If secured, it would be Pakistan’s 24th IMF bailout.
The $350 billion South Asian economy faces a chronic balance of payments crisis, with nearly $24 billion to repay in debt and interest over the next fiscal year — three-time more than its central bank’s foreign currency reserves.
Pakistan’s finance ministry expects the economy to grow by 2.6 percent in the fiscal year ending in June, while average inflation for the year is projected to stand at 24 percent, down from 29.2 percent the previous fiscal year.
