AZAADI TRAIN

The Azadi Train has started its journey from Margalla Railway Station Islamabad on August 11 to Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The train would cover about four thousand kilometers long journey within a month which would be culminated in Karachi. The train will stop at all the big stations for three to four hours where musical programmes and cultural dances by the artists would be organized by Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) and Lok Virsa for entertaining the public participating in Independence Day celebrations. The Coordination Committee on Azadi Train, finalized all the arrangements for running the train across the country to showcase various aspects of the Independence Day and cultural colours of the motherland. Azadi Train will contain coaches representing the culture and traditions of all the four provinces, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. The Coordination Committee was set up at a high level meeting held in first week of this month to review arrangements of Azadi Train in connection with the Independence Day celebrations. The committee is headed by Secretary Railways Board, Aftab Akbar who chaired its meeting.

The artists of PNCA would also hold puppet show on national themes as part of the Independence Day programmes, the committee members said. Two coaches of the Azadi Train will be reserved for Inter  Services Public Relations (ISPR) which would highlight sacrifices of the war heroes and pay tributes to the Armed Forces for their services for the nation. Another coach will highlight different aspects of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. Radio Pakistan has already composed two new songs which would be played on the occasion of the Independence Day. The main objectives for running Azadi Train are to highlight the aspects of Freedom Movement, sacrifices of Armed Forces for the defense of the country and culture and heritage of all the regions.

Now on the directions of the Minister for Railways, Faisalabad and Sargodha Railway stations have also been added on the route of Azadi Train.

Courtesy: Associated Press of Pakistan Corporation

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THE PAKISTAN MOVEMENT

The Pakistan Movement did not start abruptly. It grew out of necessity, slowly and gradually. Muslims of India were surrounded by inimical alien rulers and well organized Hindus.

The British had not forgotten the War of Independence waged by the Muslims against them. The Hindus had never forgiven the Muslims for having ruled India for centuries. Therefore, both the communities conspired against the Muslims to turn them into a poor, helpless and ineffective minority.

The Hindus soon learnt the English language, adopted the western ways of living and occupied important government posts. Muslims were left far behind socially, educationally and economically. Then the events took a new turn. Hindus who had received western education in England or some other countries of Europe formed in connivance with the British rulers a political party called the Indian National Congress which aimed at sharing power with the British in ruling India. They were successful in their plans. But Muslims were losers and so when councils were set up, they were left out. The ruling British sensed this and felt concerned because the Muslims did not get adequate representation.

In the meantime, a deputation of Muslims known as 'Simla Deputation' led by Sir Agha Khan met Lord Minto, the then Viceroy of India on October 1,1906 and expressed the concern of the Muslims of India over the situation and also impressed upon him to look into the genuine demands of the Muslims. The Viceroy promised to sympathetically and judiciously consider the Muslim viewpoint. It was probably the result of these efforts that the Muslims were granted the right of separate electorate in the Minto-Morley Reforms of 1909.

Indian National Congress was founded in 1885, which was an overwhelmingly Hindu body. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan advised the Indian Muslims to stay away from it. The Muslims of India had no political organization of their own; therefore in 1906 they decided to form a political party known as All India Muslim League. The objective of the All India Muslim League was to safeguard and promote interests of the Muslims of India and also strive for better understanding among different communities of India particularly the British.

The annual meeting of the Muslim League which was held at Allahabad in 1930 was presided over by Allama Iqbai who in his Presidential address said that the N.W.F.P. Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan should be combined in one State. AJIama further said that there was no way out; it was destined to become an independent state because this was the only way by which Muslims could live an honourable life. They must have a homeland so that they could preserve their culture, civilization and modes of worship. Thus a forceful demand was put forward for an independent Muslim State. The Allahabad address caught the imagination of the Muslims who started working hard for the preservation of their rights and ultimate independence.


The British Prime Minister, at the failure of the Cabinet Mission as well as the Interim Government announced the Intention of the British Government to transfer power to the people of the subcontinent and also announced the appointment of Lord Mountbatten In place of Lord Wavell.

Lord Mountbatten studied the political situation and later with the approval of the British Government announced the June 3 Plan in which it was decided to partition the sub-continent. Punjab and Bengal were to be divided on the basis of Muslim majority and Hindu majority areas. A Boundary Commission was also to be appointed to demarcate the boundaries of Pakistan and Bharat.

Provincial Assembly of Sindh and 'Shahi Jirga' of Balochistan were to decide about their future. N.W.F.P. was given an option to hold a referendum and decide their own fate. Similarly, Sylhet of the Assam Province was given the option to decide about their future.

When it was decided to partition Punjab and Bengal the British Government appointed Sir Radcliff, as the Chairman of the Boundary Commission. Mountbatten and Radcliff, betraying all norms of fair play and justice, gave some of the Muslim majority areas to Bharat. By giving away Gurdaspur, a Muslim majority district to Bharat, the British Government gave Bharat an access to Kashmir which ultimately proved to be the greatest hurdle in the smooth neighbourly relations between Bharat and Pakistan.

In the distribution of assets, Mountbatten again showed great partiality and Pakistan was deprived of her legitimate share In the finances, defence equipment, railway engines and bogies and the like.

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VISION 2025- BETTER PAKISTAN

For a nation to progress it must have a clear idea of its longer-term aspirations. Without this clarity it will neither be able to prepare a coherent roadmap for action nor adopt and implement the policies that would lead towards the objectives. A national vision is meant to provide clarity to our shared vision of the future. Indeed, Pakistan was founded on such a vision—the “Pakistani Dream”, a vision of a prosperous, equitable, tolerant, and dynamic society—which was at the heart of the Independence Movement, even if, over the years, its clarity has diminished. It was the foundational vision for the new country, inspired by that generation of leaders, and articulated through the struggles of our people for independence and nationhood. The purpose of this document and all that has gone into its preparation is to recreate this vision, re-build upon it, and help translate it into reality. Since 1947, Pakistan has made considerable progress on many fronts. However, on the eve of our 68th independence day, there is consensus that the pace of progress has not  been commensurate with the promise and potential of our nation; we need to do better and faster. There is a general misconception that faster means no or less planning and more action. The reality is that the quality of planning is one of the key determinants of the speed of action and desired outcomes. Over time, the nature and role of planning has undergone a major transformation. Today the national planning process is more participatory, collaborative, people and market oriented. Plans succeed when they manifest the aspirations of a nation, empower the citizens, and especially the private sector,to play their respective roles, provide equal equitable opportunities to all and assign a very well defined role to government as a supporter, facilitator, regulator and performance driven service provider.


Pakistan Vision 2025 is designed to represent an aspirational destination. It will serve as a critical guide-post for the development of an effective strategy and road-map to reach our national goals and aspirations. It is not meant to represent the resultant strategy and programme itself. The Vision will be realized through strategies and programmes defined in associated five-year and annual plans. Pakistan today faces formidable social, economic, security and governance challenges. Many nations have faced similar challenges in history and successfully turned them into opportunities through sound economic planning, good governance and consistency in policy implementation. We believe that, once effectively addressed, our challenges likewise offer unprecedented opportunities for transformational progress. As we pass through an era of unprecedented change and complexity, it is imperative that we refresh our framework for national development. A renewed commitment to the founding vision is needed, both to address the current challenges and set out realistic and ambitious targets for the future—including ensuring that Pakistan succeeds in achieving the proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of zero poverty and hunger, universal access to health services, education, modern energy services, clean water and sanitation, and join the league of Upper Middle Income countries by 2025.

Our ultimate aspiration is to see Pakistan among the ten largest economies of the world by 2047 – the centennial year of our independence. Pakistan is currently facing serious challenges on various fronts. These include the  combination of low growth and high inflation, which is one of the major factors leading to the perpetuation of poverty and unemployment. Energy shortages have posed great problems to the citizens as well as businesses and agriculture. Social indicators reflect serious deficiencies in education, health and population, gender equity and social services. The law and order situation in the country poses a critical threat to security as well as the economy. The decade-long struggle against terrorism and extremism continues to impose immense social, economic, and human costs. The challenges are compounded by a number of adverse exogenous developments, especially the looming threat of climate change, the aftermath of global economic, financial, and energy crises, unabated fragility of the global financial system, and the continued stagnation in developed country import demand as well as aid flows. The situation calls for a consensus-based national vision and comprehensive strategy to not only combat these challenges, but also proactively embrace the future based on ‘The Pakistani Dream’, which lay at the heart of the movement for the creation of Pakistan.

Notwithstanding the multitude of challenges, recent developments, both internal and external, also provide a basis for optimism. Recent years have witnessed the transformational impact of the deepening of democratic culture and institutions. There is a growing consensus that the future of the country is linked with the upholding of the principles of the rule of law, independence of the judiciary and constitutionalism. The space for freedom of expression through the growing voice of a vibrant media has expanded. In spite of attacks on journalists, the resolve of Pakistan’s media has only grown stronger to show that this phenomenon is irreversible. There is a growing and engaged civil society in the country, which is giving greater voice to citizens in shaping the future direction of the country


Having taken necessary short-term actions to stabilize the economy, it is logical that the focus shifts towards the medium to long term framework that will bring Pakistan’s economy to its full strength and potential. Pakistan Vision 2025 should be seen as the first stage in the development journey, providing a balanced and solid platform of sustainable growth and development, and enabling the achievement of the larger vision of transforming Pakistan into a high income economy by 2047 - the first centenary of Independence.
Pakistan Vision 2025 was arrived at after extensive consultations with a very wide range of stakeholders, including representatives of political parties, federal and provincial governments, parliamentarians, national and international private sector entrepreneurs, development partners and financial institutions, academia, think tanks, independent experts, Non-Governmental Organizations and civil society. A national consultative conference was held on November 22, 2013. The conference was chaired by the Prime Minister and attended by the Chief Ministers of all four Provinces and the Prime Minister of AJ&K, as well as over one thousand  stakeholders from different sectors and domains. In order to streamline discussions and obtain coherent inputs from all sectors of the economy, the conference was divided into seven broad thematic groups, which were further sub-divided into fiftythree sub-groups. The national conference was followed up by consultative workshops in the four provinces and AJ&K, with the objective of clarifying recommendations and mustering support. In order to avoid duplication and reinventing the wheel, the best ideas put forward in earlier vision documents and medium-term plans were also drawn upon in preparing Vision 2025.

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PAKISTAN VOWS TO HIGHLIGHT INDIAN ATROCITIES ON KASHMIRIS

Pakistan has always played a pro-active role in highlighting the longstanding issue of Jammu and Kashmir on all the important international forums. In view of recent wave of Indian atrocities on inncocent Kashmiris, Pakistan is raising the plight of Kashmiris internationally.

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has recently said it is an obligation for him to become the voice of Kashmiris who are being oppressed in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).

“I will leave no stone unturned to make the world understand the plight and the legitimate struggle of the people of Kashmir,” he said.

The Prime Minister was chairing a preparatory meeting on the United Nations General Assembly UNGA at here at the PM House, said a press release.

He observed that denial to right of self-determination for Kashmiris in the IOK was one of the persistent failures of the United Nations.

The right of self-determination was the basic right of the Kashmiris, he said, adding that they would make every effort to support the Kashmirs in IOK to achieve their goal.

Advisor to PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi and Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative in the UN Dr Maliha Lodhi, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Jalil Abbass Jilani and other senior officials attend the meeting.
The meeting reviewed the agendas to be included in the next session of the United Nations General Assembly in which the Prime Minister was expected to participate.
It observed that Kashmir remained an unfinished agenda of the United Nations and accordingly, India must realize that Kashmir was not its internal matter, rather it was a matter of regional and international concern.

Courtesy: Associated Press of Pakistan Corporation

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JAMMU AND KASHMIR BLEEDS

Since the beginning of the recent uprising in January 1990, the Kashmiris have been demanding an end to the illegal occupation of India.The extent of torture, killings and rapes perpetrated on Kahmiris by Indian forces are already creating a new record of atrocities. Gouging eyes, cutting of the genitals of men, use of ever new methods of torture and endless curfew are tactics of Indian forces to suppress the freedom movement of Kashmiri people. The Indian forces' deviltry such as gang rapes, burning of entire villages, destruction of economic life of whole community must be taken into account by the International community.

Recent violence inflicted on Kashmiris by the Indian armed forces has been so gruesome and horrific that Foreign media (Western and even India's own private media) and International Human rights organizations had to come up to condemn the actions of Indian forces.

Breaking its silence over the recent violence in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the Amnesty International has asked India to stop using pellet guns on unarmed innocent Kahmiris. The use of the horrific pellet guns by Indian armed forces has deprived more than hundred Kashmiri of their eyes, most of them are innocent children.

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MERA PAKISTAN

Mera Pakistan is an up-coming programme to be telecasted on Pakistan Television Network during the Independence Day exclusive transmissions. The programe is a joint venture of Cyber Wing, Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, Pakistan Television Corporation and Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation.

The programe is aimed at involving the masses of Pakistan and encourage them to click a photo or record a video with regard to anything related to Pakistan and send it to PTV. Best click or video will be selected by the authorities concerned.

Here comes the promo..

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TARGETING TERROR: NATIONAL ACTION PLAN & OPERATION ZARB-E-AZB

                           National Counter Terrorism Authority Briefing

Recently the Coordinator National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) Ihsan Ghani has revealed the successes of National Action Plan being carried out by the Civilian and Military leadership to eliminate terrorism and extremism from the country. Mr. Ihsan while briefing  said that almost 70,000 terrorists had so far been arrested in the country under the National Action Plan (NAP). 8,852 armed militants and from banned outfits were arrested from different parts and 11 others were killed in retaliation.

Under the National Action Plan (NAP), 14,000 people had been arrested through the established helpline 1717.  126 accounts with accumulated deposits of over Rs1 billions of banned organizations had been frozen.  Due to Karachi operation there was 70 percent reduction in target killings and murders and 80 percent reduction in terrorist incidents in the port city. A total of 69,179 criminals, 890 terrorists, 676 proclaimed offenders, 10,426 absconders, 124 kidnappers, 545 extortionists and 1,834 murderers were also apprehended and 16,306 weapons seized during the Karachi operation. Meanwhile Concrete efforts were being made to ensure that extremists do not get a foothold in Punjab.  Over 1,130 hardcore elements were pointed out in Punjab and 649 persons were booked for facilitating hate speeches. In Baluchistan 625 Fararis had surrendered to the authorities concerned and the government was in contact with estranged Baloch nationalists. The deadline for the return of registered Afghan refugees had been set at December 31st this year.  Similarly, a total of 2,159 terrorists have been killed and 1,724 arrested by law enforcement agencies under the NAP. According to the report, 332 persons had been executed under the Anti-Terrorism Act so far.

Furthermore 98.3 million SIMs had been blocked for dismantling communication networks of terrorists.   At least 933 URLs and 10 websites of militant organizations have also been blocked by the Ministry of Information Technology. 2,337 cases were registered over hate speeches and hate material while 2,195 people were arrested and 73 shops sealed. Likewise, 9,164 cases were registered, 9,340 persons were arrested and 2,452 pieces of equipment confiscated for misuse of loudspeakers.

Under NAP, 8,195 persons were included in ‘fourth schedule’ and movement of 2,052 people was restricted as measures against re-emergence of proscribed organisations and individuals. Uniform registration and data form was developed by NACTA and Ittehad-e-Tanzeemat-e-Madaris Pakistan (ITMP) and shared with stakeholders for registration and regulation of madressahs.

As many as 167 madressahs in Sindh, 13 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two in Punjab were closed.

Under the NAP, list of activists and proscribed organizations was shared with the information ministry and PEMRA for strict implementation of ban on glorification of terrorism in media.

A committee headed by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz was constituted for Fata reforms.

Two Years achievements of Operation Zarb-e-Azb

On June 15, 2014 Operation Zarb-e-Azb was started with the aimed of rooting out menace of terrorism. Two years have passed since the start of Operation Zarb-e-Azb and law and order situation has significantly been improved.

The security situation was very precarious when the government took power. The mosques, churches, markets and other place had become soft targets of the terrorists.

At that time, the incumbent government and the security forces with the mutual consensus initiated decisive action against terrorism. Now, peace has largely been restored in the country. Especially, people of Karachi are now carrying out their day to day activities without any fear.

The phenomenal gains made in the first two years of Zarb-e-Azb became possible only because of a national consensus and single-mindedness among all stakeholders and key institutions for which the federal and provincial governments, political parties, Parliament, the Supreme Court and armed forces deserve immense acclaim and approbation.

The federal government and political parties hammered out a consensus and accorded political ownership to the military campaign; the parliament passed the requisite amendments in the Constitution and the army law; the Supreme Court validated these changes; and the armed forces carried out the operation in an exceptional manner. Every institution earned kudos and congratulations for its role.

The accomplishments achieved by Pakistan’s security apparatus in two years are felt by all and sundry. The fruits of the Zarb-e-Azb are matchless, and the nation is beholden to the armed forces and all other state institutions and political players, who, setting aside their differences on other issues, joined hands against terrorists.

The operation was launched in phases and people were provided opportunity to be shifted to safe areas. The terrorists’ hideouts were destroyed in Shawal and many operations were carried out in Fata and Swat for establishing writ of the government with sacrifices of the troops.

Intelligence Based Operations (IBOs) and combing operations were carried out in the four provinces to stop terrorists from spreading. Operations were also undertaken against the facilitators with the help and cooperation of the citizens.

Facts & Findings

During the operation, 7,591 IEDs, 35,310 mortar bombs and rockets and 2,481 land mines and suicide jackets were recovered. The troops seized about 253 tons of explosive which according to some calculations was enough for the terrorists to make ammunition and IEDs for 15 years.

During the two years operation 3,500 terrorists were killed and 992 of their hideouts were destroyed. In achieving this, 490 troops lost their lives while 2108 others were wounded. The wounded included those who had either lost their legs or arms or eyes or much more. It was no less embarrassment that a real no-go area also existed in the tribal belt.  Because of restoration of law and order, Sixty-one per cent of the IDPs have returned, while the remaining ones would be back by the end of the year.

During the rehabilitation phase in Fata, schools, mosques and markets were being built and basic infrastructure was being developed and 700 kilometer long road was being built in Waziristan. The new wings of FC and para-military forces were being raised to man the check posts allowing the visitors after proper verification along 2600km porous border with Afghanistan.

Alongside Zarb-i-Azb in North Waziristan, the army had initiated IBOs in other parts of the country to pre-empt threat of backlash. So far 19,347 IBOs had been carried out in which 213 terrorists were killed. Regarding the Karachi operation, 1,203 terrorists from Al Qaeda in the Subcontinent, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and Tehreek-i-Swat had been apprehended. This included 636 targeted killers from proscribed organisations and political parties.

The fight against terrorism and extremism was a long one, which had been successfully brought to a point where the country was getting relief. Action against “roots of terrorism and extremism” would continue in other parts of the country.

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Nuclear Suppliers Group's Membership- An Insight into successful diplomacy of Pakistan

Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is an organization for regulatory the Nuclear item, (NSG) is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seek to prevent nuclear proliferation by controlling the export of materials, equipment and technology that can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons.

Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a 48 member grouping that was formed in the aftermath of India’s 1974 nuclear test with the aim of ensuring non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and nuclear technology.

The 48 members of the NSG include the five nuclear weapon states, US, UK, France, China and Russia. The other 43 are signatories to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The NSG Guidelines also contain the “Non-Proliferation Principle,” adopted in 1994, whereby a supplier, notwithstanding other provisions in the NSG Guidelines, authorizes a transfer only when satisfied that the transfer would not contribute to the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

 NSG; how it operates?

When considering a new nation to be admitted into the group, the NSG has certain prerequisites countries have to meet. The country should have the ability to supply items, including items in transit. The country should adhere to and act in accordance with the guidelines of the group. The nation needs to also implement a legally based domestic export control system which gives authorisation to the commitment to act in accordance with the guidelines. Adherence to one or more of the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty), the Treaties of Pelindaba, Rarotonga, Tlatelolco, Bangkok, Semipalatinsk or an equivalent international nuclear non-proliferation agreement, and full compliance with the obligations of such agreement(s).

US President Barack Obama on June 7, 2016 has announced that his country is backing India’s bid to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). A day after India received support from the United States' for Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership, Pakistan cautioned the cartel of nuclear technology holders that country specific exemptions would negatively impact strategic stability in South Asia. India's membership of the NSG is "not merited until the country meets the group's standards. The group's membership has signed the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty but India has refused to do so, which means "it has not accepted legally binding commitments to pursue disarmament negotiations, halt the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons and not test nuclear weapons". President Barack Obama could take advantage of the US-India ties and push for India’s adherence to nuclear proliferation standards. However, the US has for years “sought to bend the rules for India’s nuclear programme” to maintain a cooperative relationship to counter growing Chinese influence in the region, and Obama has been lobbying for India to gain NSG membership.

Since 2008, despite being a non-member and a Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) state, India has finalised more than a dozen nuclear cooperation agreements with NSG’s members. As part of a 2008 deal signed with the US during the Bush Jr era, India promised it would be “ready to assume the same responsibilities and practices” as other member states, but has fallen short by continuing to produce fissile material and expand its nuclear arsenal, the NYT said.

Pakistan's Diplomatic Efforts for NSG membership

Pakistan applied for nuclear supplier group membershipon May 20, 2016 in order to counter possible Indian inclusion into Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG).

Pakistan has managed to gather support from China. Other countries opposing Indian membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) include New Zealand, Ireland, Turkey, South Africa and Austria.

Pakistan argues that in the wake of India gaining easy access to fissile material and technology for its civilian nuclear programme, it would have that much more material for its military nuclear programme and India gaining NSG membership will eventually lead to a nuclear arms race.

Pakistan wishes to have friendly, cooperative and good relations with its neighboring states and believes in peaceful co-existence.

However, India’s first nuclear test in 1974 injected nuclear dimension in strategic relations in South Asia. Pakistan was compelled to develop nuclear capability purely for self-defense.

Pakistan has formally asked the US administration and the Congress to support its application for joining the NSG after it submitted an official application in Vienna, expressing its desires to join the group on solid grounds of technical experience, capability and well-established commitment to nuclear safety.

Pakistan has been struggling to maintain equilibrium and act as a balancer in the tilt of changing nuclear cartels which are governed without principles. Pakistan conducted its nuclear test in 1998 keeping in mind the hostile behavior of its neighbor.

Pakistan has made a convincing case for its right to become a member of the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group – which was established to ensure that civilian trade in nuclear materials was not diverted for military purposes.

Essentially, Pakistan needs a civilian nuclear deal similar to the Indo-US accord, which allows India access to nuclear technology despite not being a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, has contacted the foreign ministers of Russia, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea, as part of Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts for mobilising support for membership in the NSG. Calls were made as part of Pakistan’s continuing diplomatic efforts.

In order to mobilise support for Pakistan’s NSG membership, a briefing session held in Islamabad on June 8, 2016 with NSG countries diplomatic missions invited.

Pakistan has urged Nuclear Suppliers Group countries to adopt objective and non-discriminatory criteria for awarding membership to the non-NPT states.

Pakistan has the expertise, manpower, infrastructure and the ability to supply NSG controlled items, goods and services for a full range of nuclear applications for peaceful uses.

As part of the ongoing diplomatic efforts, the envoys from NSG countries were urged to adopt objective and non-discriminatory criteria for the membership of Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) states.

Pakistan considers that the nature of threat that exists today, needs to be addressed collectively and therefore, sees itself as a likeminded partner in the global non-proliferation efforts being member of the nuke supplier band.

As a responsible state, Pakistan is participating in and cooperating with the international community in efforts to prevent and control proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Pakistan nuclear has three major objectives i.e.  To achieve and maintain credible minimum deterrence and survival in highly nuclearized environment such as India, Russia and China, and meeting its growing nuclear energy needs.

Pakistan has operated secure and safeguarded nuclear power plants for over 42 years. Safe and sustainable civil nuclear energy is essential for Pakistan’s future energy security and its economic development.

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COMBATING POVERTY

Present Government has used a new indicator methodology by which to measure poverty. It is called the Multidimensional Poverty Index, and it uses metrics like education, health and standard of living, thus giving a more detailed understanding of poverty.This makes it a slightly superior methodology compared to the traditional measurements that use income, consumption and wealth as the main dimensions, thereby enabling a more comprehensive view of poverty in the country.

According to the country’s first ever official Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), which shows a sharp decline with national poverty rates falling from 55 % to 39% from 2004 to 2015. The headcount of multidimensional poverty in FY2015 was 38.8 percent while the intensity of deprivation is 51.0 percent.  Since FY2005, multidimensional poverty has continuously reduced in Pakistan.  The headcount reduced from 55.2 percent to 38.8 percent between FY 2005 and FY 2015.

The report states 38.8% of Pakistan’s population lives in poverty. A majority of the rural population (54.6%) lives in acute poverty while this ratio is only 9.4% in urban areas. Among the provinces, multidimensional poverty is the highest in Balochistan and the lowest in Punjab. The poverty came down largely because of the growth in the informal economy. “It is unfortunate that many millions are still left behind. Pakistan has set zero poverty goal much before the year 2030, reduction of multidimensional poverty is one of the core objectives of Pakistan’s Vision 2025.

Inclusive and balanced growth, which benefits everyone and especially the marginalized communities, is government priority and is essential for promoting harmony in society.

WHAT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS UPTO?

Since assuming responsibilities, the present government has focused on reaching out to the most deserving segments of the population in underserved areas. The  government  is  fully  committed  to  follow  a  sustained  poverty  reduction  strategy  and  to allocate  a  minimum  of  4.5  percent  of  GDP  for  social  and  poverty  related  expenditures.  The government  prioritized  17  pro-poor  sectors  through  the  Medium  Term  Expenditure  Framework. Expenditure on pro-poor sectors in 2011-12 stood at 9.7 percent of GDP. In 2012-13, these were 8.5 percent of GDP and in 2013-14, 7.7 percent of GDP. These expenditures were well above the requirement under the law.  During  2014-15,  total  expenditures  for  these  sectors  were  increased and amounted to Rs 2,162.7 billion, which was 7.9 percent of GDP. During July-December of the current fiscal year 2015-16, Rs.  1,123 billion expenditures have been made in these sectors.

Per Capita Income, which stood at $1334 in FY2012-13, is projected to increase to $1561 in FY2015-16, showing a growth of 17% in dollar terms, while it increased by 24% in terms of rupee.

BENAZIR INCOME SUPPORT PROGRAME

BISP is continuing to eradicate extreme poverty through provision of cash transfers. The monthly installment was enhanced by the present government to Rs. 1200/ per family in July, 2013 which has subsequently been increased to Rs. 1500/per family in 2014. The present government has yet again increased the annual stipends from Rs.  18,000 per annum to Rs.  18,800 per annum per beneficiary w.e.f. 1st July, 2015

The  present  government  has  increased  the  BISP  budgetary  allocations  from  Rs.70  billion  in FY2013 to Rs. 75 billion in FY2014, which has subsequently been enhanced to Rs. 97 billion in  FY2015 and for the fiscal FY2016-17 r it has been enhanced to Rs. 115 billion which representing a nearly three-fold increase since 2012-13

The  number  of  BISP  beneficiaries  is  expected  to  increase  from  5.0  million  in  FY2015  to  5.3 million by the end of FY2016. By the end of next financial year the number of beneficiary families would further rise to increase to 5.6 million.

So far, BISP has achieved all the targets set under IMF’s Extended Fund Facility which has been acknowledged by IMF in eleventh review meeting held in May 2016.

PAKISTAN POVERTY ALLEVIATION FUND

Pakistan  Poverty  Alleviation  Fund  (PPAF)  also  provides  assistance  in  microcredit,  water  and infrastructure,  drought  mitigation,  education,  health  and  emergency  response  interventions.

During  July  2015  to  March  2016,  PPAF  has  disbursed  an  amount  of  approximately  Rs.11.96  billion  to  its  partner  organizations  (POs)  under  PPAF  core  interventions  administered  under various operational units. 

An amount of Rs.  5303.53  million  is  distributed  in  bulk  for  Zakat  amongst  the  provinces  and other administrative areas for FY2016.

Pakistan  Bait-ul-Mal  (PBM)  is  also  making  efforts  for  eradication  of  poverty  by  providing assistance.  During  July  2015  to  March  2016,  PBM  has  managed  to  disburse  an  amount  of  Rs. 3132.39 million to its core projects.Bait-ul-Maal Budget for next financial year has been increased Rs.4 billion.

The efforts of the present federal government are another milestone in inculcating prosperity at grass root level.

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Pakistan has entered Shanghai Cooperation Organization as Full member (Another Milestone for Pakistan's successful diplomacy)

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a Eurasian political, economic, and military organisation which was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. These countries, except for Uzbekistan had been members of the Shanghai Five, founded in 1996; after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organisation. 

The Shanghai Five grouping was created 26 April 1996 with the signing of the Treaty on Deepening Military Trust in Border Regions in Shanghai by the heads of states of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. On 24 April 1997, the same countries signed the Treaty on Reduction of Military Forces in Border Regions in a meeting in Moscow.

The SCO is primarily centered on its member nations' Central Asian security-related concerns, often describing the main threats it confronts as being terrorism, separatism and extremism. However evidence is growing that its activities in the area of social development of its member states is increasing fast.

Pakistan has become a full member of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) after signing Memorandum of Obligations (MoOs), on June 24, 2016. The memorandum was signed by Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz at SCO’s Heads of State Summit at Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Radio Pakistan reported. The document was jointly signed by the Foreign Ministers of Six SCO member states, Secretary General SCO and the Adviser on Foreign Affairs.

"Pakistan has been an observer at SCO since 2005. It has been a regular participant in the meetings of SCO and was the first SCO observer to apply for full membership in 2010,” a statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office said.

Pakistan’s request for membership was approved in principle by the Heads of State Summit held in Ufa, Russia, in July last year. The Heads of State Council had agreed to launch the procedure of accepting Pakistan as a member state of SCO with the consensus of all the founding members.

SCO will allow Pakistan to underscore its interest in regional peace, stability, development and its support for regional cooperation against terrorism, separatism and extremism. It will provide us with a platform for forging closer ties with China, Russia and other members of SCO. It will also allow us to explore greater economic linkages and cooperation with Central Asian countries in the areas of energy and transport. The Expansion in SCO membership will enhance importance and relevance of the Organization as its 8 Members would represent 45 percent of the total global population.

Pakistan had been striving for the permanent membership of SCO. Pakistan has always maintained a policy of friendly relations with its neighbouring countries. Also, it has substantially contributed to the working of another regional organization i.e. SAARC. The all-encompassing policies of Pakistan have convinced China to make an investment as huge as 46 billion dollars under CPEC. Pakistan has always played an active role in all international organizations. SCO membership will serve as a confidence building measure for other countries to invest in Pakistan.

Pakistan has described its permanent membership to Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as an important milestone with regard to its national objectives. Foreign Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakariya said this would provide a platform to Pakistan to collectively work with other SCO member states in different fields, including security. Due to the strategic location of Pakistan, other regional countries can also take full benefit of it for the promotion of trade and economic activities through enhanced connectivity.

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