Epaper – November 30 KHI 2021

Page 1

Tuesday, 30 November, 2021 I 24 Rabi-us-Sani, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 152 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

Pakistan backs saudi ProPosal to host oic summit on afghan crisis g

Islamabad offers to host the summit

ISLAMABAD MiAn AbrAr

f

OREIGN Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi welcomed on Monday Saudi Arabia’s move to request an extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers to discuss the situation in Afghanistan and announced that Pakistan had offered to host the meeting in Islamabad on December 17. According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO), Qureshi said Pakistan “fully endorses” the initiative taken by Saudi Arabia and expressed confidence that other OIC members would also back

the proposal. Saudi Arabia, which is the chair of the OIC summit, made the call for the extraordinary session the same day, according to state-run Saudi Press Agency. The agency reported that the meeting had been called to discuss the situation in Afghanistan and “pathways for an urgent humanitarian response”, acknowledging Pakistan’s offer to host the summit. ince the Taliban took over Afghanistan on August 15, the country — already struggling with drought and severe poverty after decades of war — has seen its economy all but collapse, raising the spectre of an exodus of refugees. According to the FO’s statement,

coronavirus in

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

1,284,365

LAST UPDATED AT 11:46 AM ON NOVEMBER 29, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

5

176

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

1,241,761 28,709 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

475,248

442,950

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

179,928

33,479

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

34,547 / 10,411

107,626

Qureshi, too, highlighted the need for providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan in these difficult times. “Afghanistan is a founding member of the OIC. As part of the Islamic Ummah, we are bound by fraternal bonds of amity and brotherhood with the people of Afghanistan,” he said, stressing that “today, our Afghan brothers and sisters need us more than ever before.” Describing the situation in the warntorn country, he said Afghanistan currently “faces a serious humanitarian situation — millions of Afghans, including women and children, confront an uncertain future due to [the] shortage of food, medicines, and other essential life supplies”. And the advent of winter had exacerbated this humanitarian crisis, the foreign minister added.He emphasised the need for the OIC to “step in to help our Afghan brethren”. “We should step up our collective efforts to alleviate the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people, provide immediate and sustained support to them, and continue to remain engaged with them for the wellbeing and prosperity of Afghanistan.” According to the FO, the first extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers was held in Islamabad in January 1980, also on the then situation in Afghanistan. “Next month, we would, once again, gather in Islamabad, to reaffirm our abiding solidarity with and support to the Afghan people,” it quoted Qureshi as saying. The foreign minister added that he was confident about the meeting considering “concrete steps to help address the humanitarian and economic challenges facing Afghanistan,” and that he looked forward to welcoming his fellow foreign ministers from OIC member states to Islamabad.

Govt all set to launch mega vaccination campaign to fight new variant g

Asad Umar urges people to get vaccinated against ‘extremely dangerous variant ’ ISLAMABAD Agencies

Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar Monday said the government was all set to launch a mega vaccination campaign in next three days to help people fight the variant and urged citizens to get vaccinated against the virus. Asad, also the head of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), while addressing a press conference along with SAPM Faisal Sultan, said that the new variant of coronavirus, Omicron, is extremely dangerous and next two to three weeks are extremely important in this regard. He said the new variant is spreading around the world but vaccination provides the only protection against the virus. Asad further said that the government is taking steps to control the spread of the new coronavirus variant in the country. On the occasion, Faisal Sultan said that Omicron variant is spreading faster as compared to other variants. Unvaccinated people are being affected by the virus all

SBP, Saudi Fund for Development sign pact for $3bn Saudi deposit g

Central bank to add deposited amount to forex reser ves KARACHI TLTP

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has signed an agreement for a deposit of $3 billion from Saudi Fund for Development (SFD). The SBP in a statement on Monday said that a deposit agreement between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), and the government of Pakistan, represented by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), was signed by the Chief Executive Officer of SFD Sultan Bin AbdulRahman AlMarshad and the Governor SBP Dr Reza Baqir at the State Bank of Pakistan in Karachi, Pakistan. Under this deposit agreement, SFD shall place a deposit of USD 3.0 billion with SBP. “The deposit amount shall become part of the central bank’s foreign exchange reserves,” it said. “It will help support Pakistan’s foreign currency reserves and contribute towards resolving the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.” Cording to the SBP, the deposit agreement reflects the

around the globe, he added. The PM’s aide further said that millions of people have been vaccinated and but still millions are yet to get their jabs. On the other hand, Omicron, heavily mutated Covid-19 variant, spread across the globe on Sunday, shutting borders and renewing curbs. The variant, first discovered in southern Africa, represents a fresh challenge to global efforts to battle the pandemic. Several countries have already re-imposed measures. “We know we are now in a race against time,” said European Commission Chief Ursula Von der Leyen. Vaccine manufacturers need two to three weeks “to get a full picture of the quality of the mutations”, she added. A long list of countries have already imposed travel restrictions on southern Africa, including Pakistan, Qatar, the United States, Britain, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Netherlands. Angola became the first southern African country to suspend all flights from its regional neighbours Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

MORE INSIDE

FBR tightens noose around real estate agents, developers STORY ON BACK PAGE

Rupee slumps to new historic low of 176.20 STORY ON BACK PAGE

strong and special relationship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and it is expected to further augment the economic ties between the two brotherly countries. On October 27, Saudi Arabia agreed to provide $3 billion to Pakistan in the shape of cash assistance along with a $1.2 oil facility on deferred payment. This is the second financial assistance package that

the kingdom has extended to Pakistan in the past three years, aiming to help the countr y manage a brewing external sector crisis. The kingdom had extended a similar package valuing at $6 billion in October 2018 to provide breathing space to Pakistan before the countr y went to the International Monetar y Fund for an extended loan facility.

No back channel with India on Kashmir dispute until enabling environment is created, Shah Mahmood Qureshi STORY ON PAGE 02


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