PTA between Pakistan, Turkey much awaited

KARACHI: The Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between Pakistan and Turkey is under technical discussions for more than three years. Both the governments should move fast ahead by resolving the technical issues to materialise the PTA. 

Zakaria Usman President Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) at interactive session of Pakistan-Turkey Business Council of FPCCI said the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Turkey would be further developed by the implementation of the decisions of Istanbul Forum 2014 held in Turkey. Though the balance of trade is in favour of Pakistan but statistics show the volume of trade have been reduced to $621.5 million in 2013 as compared to $1.2 billion in 2011.

Those opposing Modi will have to go to Pakistan, says BJP leader Giriraj Singh

Despite a spirited intervention by the Election Commission – when it recently banned election speeches in UP by Narendra Modi aide Amit Shah and SP strongman Azam Khan for divisive statements – hateful, intimidating and threatening poll rhetoric is showing no signs of ebbing. BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi addresses a public rally in Lakhimpur. (Shadab Raza/ HT photo)

Only on Friday, Giriraj Singh, a BJP leader from Bihar told an election rally in Jharkhand: "Those who want to stop Narendra Modi from becoming prime minister will have no place in India in the coming days. They will only have place in Pakistan."

Pakistan plans huge desert solar park

For years Pakistanis have sweated and cursed through summer power cuts, but now the government plans to harness the sun's ferocious heat to help tackle the country's chronic energy crisis.

In a corner of the Cholistan desert in Punjab province, power transmission lines, water pipes and a pristine new road cross 4,000 hectares of parched, sandy land.

The provincial government has spent $US5 million ($A5.35 million) to put in place the infrastructure as it seeks to transform the desolate area into one of the world's largest solar power parks, capable one day of generating up to 1,000 megawatts of electricity.

Pakistan library named ‘bin Laden,’ as memory fades

ISLAMABAD: Most didn’t notice the new library at this Islamic seminary for girls near Pakistan’s capital, until locals saw the paper sign in Urdu posted on its wooden door: “Library of Osama bin Laden, the Martyr.”

Cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz, a radical preacher who runs the Jamia Hafsa madrassa, wanted to honor the memory of the al-Qaida leader, killed in a May 2011 raid by U.S. Navy SEALs on his hiding place in Abbottabad, a garrison town about 125 kilometers (75 miles) north of the capital, Islamabad.

How Easter is celebrated across Pakistan

A day before Easter, Sumaira Kafue set off for her hometown to celebrate the festive occasion with her family. But unlike hundreds of Christians who travel to their hometowns in Punjab, Sumaira instead heads off for rural Sindh. In Mirpurkhas, where the 22-year-old’s family and six other Christian families live, they all claim to be natives of the province and call themselves Sindhi Christians. “People are surprised when I tell them that I am a Sindhi Christian. Everyone has heard of Punjabi Christians but not of Sindhi Christians,” muses Sumaira.

The young woman, who works in a house in Karachi, says that her ancestors belong to Sindh and have lived there all their life. However, her father married a Punjabi Christian.

Pakistan Horti-Fresh Processing approves SOP: HWT to serve exporters as Common Facility Centre

Pakistan Horti-Fresh Processing Hot Water Treatment (HWT), a joint venture of the Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) and Durrani Associates, is ready to serve the exporters as Common Facility Centre. The Board of Directors of Pakistan Horti-Fresh Processing (Pvt) Ltd has approved Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to facilitate mango exporters of the country. 

According to a spokesperson of the PHDEC, Pakistan Horti-Fresh Processing (Pvt) Ltd has been established as Joint Venture between Durrani Associates and PHDEC through funding from Export Development Fund (EDF). The purpose of the project is to meet SPS requirements of importing countries of mango and other horticulture products, quarantine pest management, post-harvest disease management and improved produce quality and shelf life.

Pakistan among best performing stock markets in world: MSCI

KARACHI: Positive news on the economic front and aggressive foreign buying has led Pakistan among the top performing markets in the world during April, as according to MSCI, whose benchmark indices are widely followed by investors, Pakistani market gained 10 percent so far in April, analysts said on Saturday.

Among 12 countries in Asia as defined by MSCI, the Pakistani market has so far generated highest return in dollar terms during April, they said.

Pakistan will have to act against Taliban

KARACHI: Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, while talking in Geo programme ‘Aaj Kamran Khan Kay Sath’, said that an organised network of terrorists involved in sectarian terrorism had been busted in Lahore and its members arrested. The objective of the network was to trigger Shia-Sunni riots and to spread terror in the country.

Brigadier (R) Saad Mohammed said in the programme that Pakistan would have to ultimately act against the Taliban. MQM’s Faisal Sabzwari said that hundreds of party activists had been implicated in false cases.

Road accident kills 36 in southern Pakistan

KARACHI, PAKISTAN: Pakistani police say a passenger bus has rammed into a disabled flatbed trailer parked on the side of a highway in the south, killing at least 36 people, including 17 women and children. Police officer Zia Soomro says the bus was headed north near the town of Pannu Aqil when it hit the truck early Sunday. He also said 20 people were injured in the crash. He said some of the injured were admitted in serious condition to the town hospital and that the death toll could increase.

Soomro said the accident's cause is unclear. He said one track of the road is closed at the site due to construction work. Bad road infrastructure, poor driving and massive disregard for traffic rules often cause such accidents in Pakistan.

Giriraj Singh reprimanded by BJP for 'Modi critics go to Pakistan' statement

Godda: After BJP leader Giriraj Singh on Saturday sparked a controversy by saying that the party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi baiters should go to Pakistan, his party distanced itself from the statement.

According to reports, the Bihar leader has been told by BJP leader Rajnath Singh to refrain from making such comments that hurts party's poll prospects and stoke any further row. Meanwhile, Congress today jumped on the chance to attack the BJP and slammed Giriraj's comments saying they were inflammatory. 

The Congress party also said that the it will take the matter with the Election Commission and demanded that Singh be jailed. "EC must take cognizance of this and send Giriraj Singh to jail for his statement," Congress leader Meem Afzal.