ISLAMABAD: Commending Islamabad for its role in the war against terror, Egypt on Tuesday appreciated the efforts of Pakistan’s army in comments made to its top commander, General Qamar Javed Bajwa who is on an official visit to the country, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
During the meeting with General Mohamed Zaki, Commander in Chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces and the Minister of Defense and Military Production, General Bajwa discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries in various fields. The meeting was also attended by Lt. Gen. Mohamed Farid Hegazy, Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces.
“Both sides agreed to increase bilateral cooperation in multiple fields including joint ventures, defense production, training, and intelligence,” the statement read on Monday, adding that the two “also agreed to improve cooperation for regional peace and stability”.
General Bajwa also met Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar who lauded the efforts of Pakistan’s army in eliminating the scourge of terrorism from the country, the statement read.
Al-Tayeb appreciated the issuance of the ‘Paigham-e-Pakistan’ – a fatwa or religious decree issued by religious scholars representing all schools of thoughts in Pakistan and pertaining to matters arising from extremism. In January this year, the fatwa was signed by 1,829 clerics who declared all forms of terrorism as un-Islamic.
“He added that Islam is a religion of moderation and a complete code of conduct, which must not be linked with terrorism/extremism in the global community,” the statement read.
General Bajwa also emphasized “the need to harness Muslim youth toward enlightenment, technological advancement, moderation, and harmony”.
In February this year, at the invitation of Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Egypt’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam had visited Islamabad and endorsed the fatwa.
Egypt all praise for Pakistan’s role in war against terror
Egypt all praise for Pakistan’s role in war against terror
- Lauds country’s efforts in combating militancy during Army Chief’s visit
- General Bajwa also met with Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar
ADB, Pakistan sign over $300 million agreements to undertake climate resilience initiatives
- Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in weather patterns
- The projects in Sindh and Punjab will restore nature-based coastal defenses and enhance agricultural productivity
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed more than $300 million agreements to undertake two major climate resilience initiatives, Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID) said on Tuesday.
The projects include the Sindh Coastal Resilience Sector Project (SCRP), valued at Rs50.5 billion ($180.5 million), and the Punjab Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon Agriculture Mechanization Project (PCRLCAMP), totaling Rs34.7 billion ($124 million).
Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns. In 2022, monsoon floods killed over 1,700 people, displaced another 33 million and caused over $30 billion losses, while another 1,037 people were killed in floods this year.
The South Asian country is ramping up climate resilience efforts, with support from the ADB and World Bank, and investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, particularly in vulnerable areas.
“Both sides expressed their commitment to effectively utilize the financing for successful and timely completion of the two initiatives,” the PID said in a statement.
The Sindh Coastal Resilience Project (SCRP) will promote integrated water resources and flood risk management, restore nature-based coastal defenses, and strengthen institutional and community capacity for strategic action planning, directly benefiting over 3.8 million people in Thatta, Sujawal, and Badin districts, according to ADB.
The Punjab project will enhance agricultural productivity and climate resilience across 30 districts, improving small farmers’ access to climate-smart machinery, introducing circular agriculture practices to reduce residue burning, establishing testing and training facilities, and empowering 15,000 women through skills development and livelihood diversification.
Earlier this month, the ADB also approved $381 million in financing for Pakistan’s Punjab province to modernize agriculture and strengthen education and health services, including concessional loans and grants for farm mechanization, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, and nursing sector reforms.
