Wednesday, January 20th, 2016
Food security achievable despite climate change
ISLAMABAD, 20 JAN (DNA) – Some 1.2 billion people—almost one fifth of the world—live in areas of water scarcity, while another 1.6 billion face what is called economic water shortage. The situation is only expected to worsen as population growth, climate change, and inefficient use of existing water resources are reducing the available water per head day by day. It is estimated that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will live in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, with almost half of the world living in conditions of water stress.Read More
World Bank appreciates Pak’s Polio drive
ISLAMABAD, 20 JAN (DNA) – A World Bank delegation led by Dr. Robert Oelrichs, Task Team leader for National Immunization Support Project (NISP) called on Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq, Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication in Islamabad Wednesday. The meeting was also attended by Dr. Rana Muhammad Safdar, Coordinator of the National Emergency Operation Centre. Sharing progress on Polio, the Prime Minister’s Focal Person mentioned more than 80% decline in Polio cases during 2015 over the preceding year along with persistent confinement of virus transmission in terms of geographicalRead More
President calls for efforts to strengthen Pak-Nepal ties
ISLAMABAD, 20 JAN (DNA) – President Mamnoon Hussain has called for making vigorous efforts to strengthen economic relations between Pakistan and Nepal underlining that new sectors for bilateral economic cooperation have to be explored to expand economic cooperation particularly in the textile sector. The President said this while talking to Pakistan’s ambassador-designate to Nepal, Mazhar Javed, who called on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, Islamabad on Wednesday. The President advised the envoy-designate to consult the Karachi and Lahore Chambers of Commerce and identify products having competitive advantage for increasing trade withRead More
Pakistan calls for protecting civilians in armed conflicts
NEW YORK, 20 JAN (DNA) – Pakistan has condemned the deliberate targeting of civilians by both state and non-state actors in ongoing armed conflicts. Speaking in a debate in the UN Security Council, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations Dr. Maleeha Lodhi called for strengthening accountability measures to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law. Dr Maleeha Lodhi drew attention to the fact that civilians have become an ever-rising majority of victims in ongoing conflicts, which have been expanding in scale and intensity in an era widely portrayed as one ofRead More
Pakistan reiterates its support to ‘One-China’ Policy
ISLAMABAD, 20 JAN (DNA) – Pakistan firmly believes in ‘One China’ policy, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. “Pakistan will continue to provide staunch support to the Government of the People’s Republic of China in its efforts to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Foreign Ministry spokesman said in response to a question about the recent regional elections in Taiwan. The spokesperson said in a statement that abiding by the “1992 Consensus” is essential for peaceful and stable development of cross- Strait ties. DNA
Attack on Bacha Khan Un a potential war crime: AI
LONDON. Jan 20 (DNA) – The armed men who carried out this morning’s deadly armed attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, north-western Pakistan, violated the central principle of international humanitarian law by deliberately targeting civilians in what appears to be a war crime, Amnesty International said. Responsibility for the attack has been claimed by a high-ranking Pakistani Taliban commander who also allegedly masterminded a massacre on a military-run school in nearby Peshawar in December 2014, which killed at least 142 people – including 132 children. However, there have beenRead More