Thursday, 8 April, 2021 I 24 Shaban, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 280 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
With eyes on AfghAnistAn, RussiA And PAkistAn to bolsteR secuRity ties g
PM IMrAN reAFFIrMS reSOlve TO COMMeNCe WOrK ON gAS PIPelINe PrOjeCT AS eArly AS POSSIBle
ISLAMABAD
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staff report
ONClUDINg his visit with a pledge to focus on efforts to bring peace to Afghanistan, russian Foreign Minister Sergey lavrov on Wednesday said that Moscow and Islamabad will boost ties in the fight against terrorism, with his country providing defense equipment to Pakistan and the two holding joint military exercises. In Pakistan on the final day of a two-day visit, lavrov’s visit is the first by a russian foreign minister in nine years, part of a warming in once frosty relations. The visit comes as Moscow seeks to increase its stature in the region, particularly in war-torn Afghanistan, where it has sought to inject itself as a key player in accelerated efforts to find a peaceful end to decades of war. Pakistan has been a key player in setting up direct negotiations, first between the United States and the Taliban — which has been fighting Afghan forces
since it was toppled in a US-led invasion in 2001 — and again in facilitating the now-stalled intraAfghan dialogue process in Qatar capital of Doha. expressing concern over the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, lavrov said Pakistan and russia have agreed to further facilitate the stakeholders to reach an amicable solution through an inclusive political dialogue to bring an end to the decades-long war. “We stand ready to strengthen the anti-terrorist potential of Pakistan, including by supplying Pakistan with special military equipment,” he said, without going into detail about the equipment. As Washington reviews an agreement it signed more than a year ago with the Taliban and rethinks a May 1 withdrawal of its soldiers, Moscow has stepped up its involvement in Afghanistan, emerging as a significant player. last month it hosted talks between the Taliban and senior government officials and
lavrov suggested another highlevel meeting could again be held in Moscow. lavrov arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday from India, with whom Moscow has had a long relationship. The apparent reset in Pakistan-russia relations, however, is, by contrast, a recent phenomenon. Addressing a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, lavrov expressed satisfaction over a 46 per cent increase in trade between the two countries. he, however, stressed there is a need to further diversify it, radio Pakistan reported. Discussing the opportunities in the energy sector, he said that both the countries are now discussing a new protocol on the Stream gas Pipeline Project — an ambitious project to transport 1.6 billion cubic feet per day of regasified liquefied natural gas (lNg) from Karachi to lahore — and as soon as it is signed, the construction work will begin.
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Confirmed Covid-19 cases cross grim 700,000 mark ISLAMABAD staff report
Struggling to contain a third wave of Covid-19, the country reported 4,004 new cases over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 700,188, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said on Wednesday. Sindh has been the worst hit with 267,238 cases followed by Punjab where 237,594 people have been tested positive, the NCOC said in a statement. A total of 102 people died across the country during the last 24 hours, raising the death toll to 15,026, the official statement said, adding that 4,529 patients are being treated in hospitals across Pakistan. Urging the people to strictly follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) to stop the spread of the virus, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the third wave of Covid-19 is extremely dangerous in
comparison to the previous two waves. “We have so far been protecting our people. We are not imposing a complete lockdown or closing our factories. We are only imposing minor restrictions so that this wave does not spread rapidly,” he said in a recent telethon. “But if this spreads, it will have a very negative impact and we will be forced to take steps.” To counter the deadly third wave, the authorities have recently taken several measures by banning all kinds of both indoor and outdoor mass gatherings, closing educational institutions in some areas of the country, and suspending inter-provincial transport two days a week from April 10 to 25. Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, who also heads the NCOC, said on Tuesday that increased restrictions, broader lockdowns, and strong enforcement of standard operating procedures (SOPs) have started to show give dividends.
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more inside
Disgruntled Tareen says ‘loyalty being tested’ STORY ON PAGE 02
Majestic Fakhar leads Pakistan to ODI series win against South Africa STORY ON PAGE 11
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COAS BAjWA SAyS PAKISTAN WelCOMeS All INITIATIveS FOr PeACe AND STABIlITy IN AFghANISTAN