Prime Minister has ordered a commission to be formed for the investigation of the Reko Diq case. This commission will also fix the responsibility of the penalty imposed by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) on Pakistan.

On Sunday the foremost directions were provided in a statement that was issued from Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP)’s office. No official response was given to the $5.976 billion penalty from Pakistan’s side previously. This is the first direction given by PM Imran Khan. .

According to AGP’s statement Prime Minister Imran Khan’s the commission will investigate into the reasons that lead Pakistan into this predicament. Also, to figure out the culprits who made Pakistan  suffer such a great loss and point out the lessons learnt. The aim is to ensure that no mistakes of similar gravity are repeated in the future.

“The government notes with disappointment the award by ICSID in the matter of Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) vs Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The tribunal has rendered an award of $4.08 billion in favour of TCC against their claim of $8.5 billion,” further said the statement.

The Balochistan government, AGP office and other stakeholders, are studying the case and carefully examining its legal and financial implications. And the government will also take consultation from provincial governments to plan out future strategy.

The statement said that the government of Pakistan for now reserves its right to proceed with any and all legal solutions available under the international law, ICSID and all other relevant laws to resolve this case and safeguard its interests

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Emphasizing on the commitment of the government to International obligation the AGP statement said that Pakistan is welcoming all foreign investors and assert surety to them that their interests, assets and lawful rights shall always be protected.

Reko Diq’s mineral resources are the collective resource of the natives of Pakistan and Balochistan. Pakistan is keen for development of this resource to ensure that the development needs of some of the poorest people on the planet are addressed.

“International tribunals are also urged to consider the implications of their decisions and the impact on development and poverty alleviation.”

The TCC is the largest foreign direct investment mining project in the country.

More than 10 years ago, this group discovered vast copper and gold deposits In Balochistan at Reko Diq. After which a hugely lucrative open-pit mine will was planned. However, the project was halted in 2011 after the local government of Balochistan rejected the offer to renew the consortium’s lease. , and in 2013 Pakistan’s top court declared it invalid.

The World Bank’s international arbitration tribunal committee on past Friday awarded a $6 billion penalty to Pakistan for the damages to TCC because of the decision of the government to shut down the mine.

TCC’s William Hayes added that they are open to discuss potential negotiations for settlement with Pakistan on this case. They will continue to protect their legal rights and commercial interests until the dispute’s conclusion is presented.

On 3rd July, PM Imran Khan inaugurated Sir Syed Express on being invited by Minister Railway Sheikh Rasheed. He also spoke on the ceremony about the importance of development of railway and how far it has been a success. Lauding Sheikh Rasheed, PM Khan mentioned that he has brought down the railways deficit to 32 billion rupees from 36 billion. This is a huge achievement as it happened only in the matter of 9 months. 

PM Khan added that he was glad Sheikh Rasheed invited him for it as this train is going to benefit the poor. The previous government’s corruption which was led by PPP and PML (N) has ruined the state institutions. He said that they have left the country in a trap of debt where the poor only becomes poorer.

“We will not spare those who have looted and plundered the country,” said Khan. PM Also said that asset declaration scheme will benefit the country.

However, those who are currently denying all corruption charges on themselves return half of the money they looted from national exchequer it would save the country from the collapsing economy situation. Which in the first place is prevalent today because of them.

PM Imran Khan congratulates Sheikh Rasheed the Railway Minister of Pakistan expressing the hope that the betterment and profitability of Pakistan Railways will continue to prevail and will become a profitable institute.

Minister railway told the journalists at Expo center Lahore that all possible measures are being taken to ensure provision, modern, swift, comfortable and safe means of transport. He added that the on-going efforts In Pakistan Railway are underway to eradicate the deficit of PR within five years.

Rashid has managed to remove 36 kilometers of encroachments on Karachi circular Railways.

He further said that not a penny was spent on the development of railway track in Sindh in the government of former rulers.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed commitment towards facilitating the common people of Pakistan by laying down new railway track. He added that railway is the most mode of transportation for commoners. Also that civilized societies are always determined to improve the system of their railway.

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An MOU has been signed between the current government and China regarding ML-1 to upgrade the tracks of Pakistani railway. According to PM Khan the completion of ML-1, will bring huge investment towards Pakistan. It will also reduce the travel time to around 10 hours.

The Prime Minister says they have started the Ehsas programme with the same intent to serve the poor. The earmarked amount in the budget for this programme has been defined 200 billion rupees.

Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed offered reservation of 1,000 stalls across Pakistan at various railway stations for the beneficiaries of Ehsas programme. Imran Khan responded to this request saying that alottation of those stalls will be carried out through a transparent balloting targeting needy people.

Earlier in the ceremony, Minister Railway said during the last 9 months, 24 new trains have been started, and railway has earned five billion rupees more profit than before. He said that in coming 5 years total debt of Pakistan Railways will be ended.

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As we know, Pakistan has been fighting against the disease for over a decade. However, we still encounter a new controversy about the anti-polio campaign every once in a while. Previously, these controversies were hard to propagate but now with such an outspread tool like social media, making something go viral is just a matter of few shares.

The False Rumors About The Polio Vaccination

There were some stories stirred up by some clerics that the polio vaccine campaign is part of Western plot to make Muslims sterile. How unbelievable can people be to make up such stories at the cost of lives of the future of our country?

Well the people have been feeling so vulnerable at the hands of West that they are willing to believe anything. Hence, believing the story puddled by clerics a resistance was observed in the people against the polio campaign.

Due to this false rumor, thousands of children were left unvaccinated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against this paralyzing disease which could even lead to death. Only because their families were infused with the lie about the vaccine.

Anyhow, an inquiry was run to find out the origin of the rumor. It was found that two schools in Peshawar were responsible for the constant refusal of people to health workers against the vaccine.

No Action Taken After Arrests

The sad part is there were no actions taken to punish the culprits.

A man was also identified and arrested in the case of infusing misleading lies in the mind of people via a video where he was telling some children to pose unconscious after having the vaccine. This video had gone viral on the internet for days manipulating people with lies.

The arrest did not lead to any further actions as the man was spared after mild

16 more men were arrested in the allegation of threatening the vaccination team openly on the streets. However, these men were also left unpunished, setting no example for other people who are thinking of spreading a similar fallacy.

The militant groups are running errands and since 2012, uptil now they have killed around hundreds of health workers along with the guards meant to protect them. On their assumption that they might be spying on them on orders of West. Their suspicion traces back from the tactics used by US to trace Osama Bin Laden.

In the recent past, a medical worker and two policemen guarding the vaccination teams were shot dead at the hands of militants in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Awareness Campaigns By The Government

The government of Pakistan has been driving awareness campaigns of polio for people on every platform and level. The public somehow still tends to believe the false rumors instead of the message being conveyed to them by the government.

Even Muslim religious leaders are recruited to reassure people of the one true reason behind these polio vaccinations. But the suspicion of the public still not ready to go away.

Is it because of the lenient handling of the misinformation? Do we have any strategy to deal with these kind of situation in the future or are we just going to keep sacrificing more lives?

Polio Has Been Dealt With Globally Except Three Countries – One Of Three Is Pakistan

The global campaign against polio have been a success only 33 polio cases were reported in 2018. Unfortunate for us, mostly were from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Risk of polio’s spread doesn’t die until all the countries in the world are immune to it. Even if a single child grows up infected with it even the polio-free countries remain prone to it.

Pakistan has been striving against polio and has remained a relatively successful with every passing year. But we still remain on of the three countries – the other two are Nigeria and Afghanistan – where polio is still affecting children at full-strength.

In the current drive officials had to say that they succeeded in immunating 37.6 million children. 1.4 however, are still in a vulnerable state, walking unprotected.

The government is still responsible to save those left out 1.4 from the suffering and ill-fate.

Our fight is against the prevailing ignorance and putting a stop to the sources of misinformation that is jeopardising the system.

Precious lives of our health workers and policemen are at risk. Thousands of children are unprotected against the life-threatening disease. Government has to take a step forward in taking strict legal actions for the safety of Pakistan’s future.

The Stance Of PTI Government Against Polio

According to PTI-led government significant progress is being made in the eradication of polio from the country. They are positive that the country is shifting to a better place concerning the vaccination campaign as in the current 3-day polio drive there haven’t been any reported incident regaring threats to the lives of health workers and it was successfully started right on schedule.

“This is the first step in New Pakistan’s journey of change,” said Babar bin Atta, the Focal Person to Imran Khan.

PTI government is dedicatedly providing support to the Polio Eradication Initiative. As the programme is of national interest they are ensuring satisfactory conduct of the drive in secured environment, added Babar.

They are targeting to achieve their goal without making any arrests of the resisting parents. He urged media, religious organisations and civil societies to play their part in making it successful he said that they need to create awareness that the vaccine is safe.

Further explaining the strategy of PTI-government he said that it is decided that Youtube and Facebook will be reached out in a bid to take-off any video being used to spread anti-vaccine propaganda and misleading materials affecting the campaign.

Despite the challenges being faced in the polio eradication campaign, the government is doing all the efforts to stop virus transmission.

On the successful run of the campaign Babar expressed satisfaction and said that the campaign went well and positive results will be observed by the end of October.

He also claimed that, soon Pakistan would be declared as a polio-free country, he added.

What else should Pakistan do to make the campaigns successful? Leave a comment and let us know.

Indian media like everytime has been twisting the facts leading people to believe that anything Pakistan’s Army does is going the wrong way in the line of order. But Pakistanis themselves have absolute trust on their defense forces because the forces have always managed to keep them safe and have stood upfront fearlessly on the borders even on the times of the year when all we want to do it be with our families.

On 5 June Major General Asif Ghafoor the spokesperson for Pakistan Army slammed Indian Media for spinning the facts of Pakistan’s internal defence budget.

Director General Inter Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) addresses in his tweet, “Indian fake media busy spinning on our internal defence budgeting choice.”

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He also warned India not to forget 27th feb 19, establishing that fact that they are the same forces with the same capability and capacity to retaliate. Adding that budget is not what makes their army and soldiers great rather it is the resolve & the nation’s trust and support that firmly stands besides them all time making them the best at their respective duties.

Director General of the Public Relations wing of the Armed forces reminded the world by his powerful message that the voluntary cut in the budget for national interest does not in any way take the determination of the soldiers away. Pakistan shall still remain one of the strongest defense force in the world.  This online News from Pakistan went quickly viral in the sub contenent.

Prior to DG ISPR’s tweet, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa who celebrated eid on LoC also had a take on the matter saying that the voluntary cut in the defence budget for the coming financial year will not assert any impact on the potential of Pakistan army to respond to threat or in provision of a quality life for soldiers. Further adding that the decision of not granting incentives in only limited to the officers and not the soldiers. Hence, the shortfall will not impact any of the mentioned aspects. He also institutes the fact that the defence forces have not taken this action as any kind of favor, rather its their duty because they are one with the nation through thick and thin. Fawad Chaudhry, Minister for Science and Technology, also endorsed the tweet of DG ISPR by tweeting, that the India media acts like a pet to its establishment line and agencies by toeing them. Adding that they also earned themselves worldwide notoriety for promoting a war situation in the region

General Ghafoor also delivered the fact to the public that the voluntary cut was a much needed initiative for investing in the development projects in Balochistan and Tribal Areas. He ensured that the safety and security of the country will not be compromised because of the cuts.

Prime Minister Khan also appreciated the military’s initiative of “voluntary cuts” in spending of defence forces, in his tweet on Tuesday. He said in confirmation that the budget will be used by PTI government in developing merged tribal areas & Balochistan.