Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Dec 19 (APP): As COVID-19 caseload in India crossed 10 million mark, the opposition leaders attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over failure of the “unplanned lockdown” strategy to fulfill his claim of defeating virus within 21 days.

India’s COVID-19 caseload surpassed 10 million mark on Saturday, adding one million cases in nearly a month, while the total number of recoveries surged to 9.5 million, according to the Indian health ministry data.

ISLAMABAD, Dec 19 (NNN-APP) – The Pakistani military said last night that, a cross border firing by the Indian forces, hit a vehicle of the United Nations’ military observers, near the Line of Control (LoC), in the disputed Kashmir region.

16 Dec 2020; MEMO: Pakistan has returned $1 billion to Saudi Arabia as a second instalment of a $3 billion soft loan, as Islamabad reaches out to Beijing for a commercial loan to help it offset pressure to repay another $1 billion to Riyadh next month, officials said on Wednesday according to a report by Reuters.

ISLAMABAD, Dec 17 (NNN-APP) – Pakistani Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, kicked off a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates today, for talks on bilateral matters, the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan said.

A foreign ministry statement said, Qureshi will hold discussions with the UAE leadership on all areas of mutual interest, including regional and global issues.

“The foreign minister will exchange views on bilateral cooperation, in particular, trade, investment and the welfare of Pakistani diaspora,” it said.

Islamabad, Dec 15, IRNA -- Iran and Pakistan are scheduled to open Rimdan-Gabd cross-border gateway on December 19 in presence of senior officials.

The opening of the Rimdan-Gabd crossing would help accelerate economic activities in the bordering region with creating more opportunities for expanding economic and trade ties between the two countries. 

In recent years, Iranian and Pakistani officials have put on the agenda a plan to increase border crossings.

ISLAMABAD, Dec 14 (APP): The Jammu and Kashmir Youth Social Forum (JKYSF) has urged the United Nations and other world major powers to intervene for settlement of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the Kashmiris’ aspirations.

JKYSF spokesman Shafiq Ahmad strongly denounced the continued harassment, arrest and anti-Kashmir designs of Modi regime asking New Delhi to give up its oppressive policies towards Kashmir, and pave the way for settlement of the dispute in its historical perspective, Kashmir Media Service reported.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan has increased its funds allocation for purchasing COVID-19 vaccines amid a surge in the coronavirus.

Dr. Nausheen Hamid, parliamentary secretary for National Health Services, says the budget for the vaccines has been enhanced to $250 million. Earlier, the government had set aside $150 million.

Pakistan recorded 3,369 new cases of the virus and 72 new deaths on Saturday.

A surge in the virus comes amid massive disregard by people for precautionary measures despite constant warnings by the authorities.

ISLAMABAD, Dec 10 (NNN-APP) – Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan, and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, agreed to continue working together, on the shared objectives of combating the COVID-19 pandemic and eradicating polio in the country, the prime minister’s office said.

A statement from the prime minister’s office, yesterday said, Khan held a telephone conversation with Gates on the day and exchanged views on the COVID-19 situation and polio eradication efforts in Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD, Dec 7 (APP): Japan’s ambassador Matsuda Kuninori on Monday paid tribute to around 285,000 polio workers in Pakistan who remained engaged in a door-to-door vaccine administration campaign even during the current second wave of COVID-19.

He appreciated the successful implementation of nation-wide polio immunization campaign last week, where over 39 million were vaccinated, making it equivalent to 98 percent of the target.

ISLAMABAD, Dec 03 (APP): Pakistan on Thursday said as India martyred another 15 Kashmiris in “unabated state-terrorism” in November, the world community and human rights organizations must take cognizance of brutal suppression of Kashmiris’ rights in utter violation of international laws and conventions.