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Over 80 Pakistani firms to participate in major Gulf tech show this month

Over 80 Pakistani firms to participate in major Gulf tech show this month
Participants attend GITEX Global conference in Dubai in 2023. (GITEX)
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Updated 01 October 2024
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Over 80 Pakistani firms to participate in major Gulf tech show this month

Over 80 Pakistani firms to participate in major Gulf tech show this month
  • Gitex Global is considered one of the world’s largest IT events 
  • This year’s event slated to be held at Dubai World Trade Center 
Updated 01 October 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan
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ISLAMABAD: More than 80 Pakistani companies will be showcasing their products and services at the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (Gitex) 2024, slated to be held this month in the United Arab Emirates, state-run media reported on Tuesday.

Gitex Global is considered one of the world’s largest tech shows, connecting industry leaders from big tech and innovative startups, as well as government officials, expert investors and corporate buyers. This year’s event will be held from Oct. 14-18 in Dubai. 

“The Pakistan Software Export Board and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan will be attending the event with more than 80 leading companies and start-ups participating,” Radio Pakistan said on Tuesday. 

Last year, representatives of Pakistani IT firms described the Gitex event as a “great” platform for Pakistani companies to connect with global firms and sign agreements and partnership deals. 

Last year’s 43rd edition of the Gitex event, focusing on AI innovations, featured over 6,000 exhibitors and at least 180,000 tech executives from 170 countries.

Topics: Pakistan Dubai Ties

Pakistan’s polio fight stumbles as two new cases surface

Pakistan’s polio fight stumbles as two new cases surface
Updated 01 October 2024
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Pakistan’s polio fight stumbles as two new cases surface

Pakistan’s polio fight stumbles as two new cases surface
  • The fresh cases in Karachi and Sujawal in the southern Sindh province bring this year’s tally to 26
  • Pakistan’s polio program says recent environmental samples show the virus is actively circulating
Updated 01 October 2024
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Pakistan’s fight against poliovirus suffered another setback on Tuesday as two new cases were reported in the southern Sindh province, the country’s polio program said, bringing the nationwide tally to 26 this year.
The latest cases, one in the Karachi East district and the other in Sujawal district, underscored the persistent threat posed by the poliovirus in Pakistan. The National Emergency Operations Center for Polio Eradication confirmed that the virus was found in environmental samples in both areas, indicating active circulation within communities.
Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, Ayesha Raza Farooq, expressed deep concern over the continued threat to Pakistani children, emphasizing the importance of vaccination as the only effective way to protect them against polio, a disease that can cause irreversible paralysis.
“There is no cure for polio. Once a child is paralyzed, it is forever and irreversible,” she said in a statement, urging parents, caretakers, teachers, community elders and neighbors to understand the urgency of the situation and take immediate steps to get all children in their care immediately vaccinated.
“The decisions we take today are extremely critical to protect the future of our children.”
The South Asian country has reported 26 polio cases this year, including 15 from Balochistan, seven from Sindh, two from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Farooq said one child affected by polio means hundreds of children around them could be silent carriers of the virus.
“No child anywhere is safe until all children in Pakistan are repeatedly vaccinated for polio, building a wall of protection so the virus cannot break through,” she explained.
The Pakistan polio program said it was implementing a strategic roadmap to control virus spread and interrupt transmission by mid-2025.
As part of this roadmap, it said a mass vaccination campaign concluded last month that reached 33 million children in 115 districts of the country and a second vaccination drive is being planned from October 28.

Topics: Polio polio attack

Pakistan’s Sindh invites Chinese businessmen to invest in e-vehicles, waste-to-energy projects

Pakistan’s Sindh invites Chinese businessmen to invest in e-vehicles, waste-to-energy projects
Updated 01 October 2024
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Pakistan’s Sindh invites Chinese businessmen to invest in e-vehicles, waste-to-energy projects

Pakistan’s Sindh invites Chinese businessmen to invest in e-vehicles, waste-to-energy projects
  • Chinese investment and financial support have been key for the South Asian country’s struggling economy in recent years
  • Since 2013, Beijing has also invested billions of dollars in projects in Pakistan as part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
Updated 01 October 2024
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: The government in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province has invited Chinese businessmen to invest in electric-vehicle and waste-to-energy projects in the province, the Sindh chief minister’s office said on Tuesday.
The statement came after Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s meeting with a delegation of Chinese investors, led by Belt & Road (B&R) Group Chairman Wan Xiaowu, according to the Sindh chief minister’s office.
The Chinese delegation expressed interest in investing in waste-to-energy, wastewater treatment, desalination water plants, manufacturing of e-buses, and kits to convert patrol motorcycles on electricity.
“Government would provide all necessary facilities to the Chinese firms to set up their plants,” CM Shah was quoted as saying by his office.
He said the Sindh government would welcome Chinese public and private firms to invest directly in the projects of their choice or strike a public-private partnership with the provincial administration.
Both sides agreed to have another sitting with the provincial planning department and the investment board to select the projects so that work could be initiated, Shah’s office said.
In May this year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asked Pakistani officials to carve out a “comprehensive plan” for business-to-business (B2B) engagements with Chinese firms.
Chinese investment and financial support have been key for the South Asian nation’s struggling economy in recent years, including the rolling over of loans so that Islamabad is able to meet external financing needs.
Since 2013, Beijing has also invested tens of billions of dollars in energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a major segment of China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.
The corridor will connect China to the Arabian Sea and help Pakistan expand and modernize its economy through a network of roads, railways, pipelines and ports built in the country with Chinese loans. A flagship of the Chinese corridor is a deep-sea port at Gwadar in Balochistan.

Topics: electric vehicles electric vehicles in Pakistan

Cultural showcase unites Saudi, Pakistani communities in Jeddah

Cultural showcase unites Saudi, Pakistani communities in Jeddah
Updated 01 October 2024
Arab News
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Cultural showcase unites Saudi, Pakistani communities in Jeddah

Cultural showcase unites Saudi, Pakistani communities in Jeddah
  • The event, organized in collaboration with the Pakistan Investors Forum, aimed to strengthen Pakistan-Saudi ties and highlight shared cultural and social values
  • Pakistani Consul General Khalid Majid emphasized the role of art and culture in diplomacy, noting the unique bilateral relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia
Updated 01 October 2024
Arab News

JEDDAH: The Consulate General of Pakistan recently organized a joint event to celebrate the national days of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

The event, organized in collaboration with the Pakistan Investors Forum, aimed to strengthen Pakistan-Saudi ties, and highlight shared cultural and social values.

High-profile diplomats, entrepreneurs, community members, and media representatives from both countries attended the event, which was held at a grand banquet hall in Jeddah.

The event began with the national anthems of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. An art exhibition showcased the shared cultural heritage.

Consul General Khalid Majid emphasized art and culture’s role in diplomacy, noting the unique bilateral relations based on strong religious, cultural, and socioeconomic ties.

He praised King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s contributions to regional peace and stability.

Pakistan Investors Forum Chairman Shafqat Chaudhary highlighted the Pakistani business community’s role in Saudi Arabia’s development and praised the Kingdom’s leadership.

The event featured cultural performances by Pakistani and Saudi artists, and concluded with a cake-cutting ceremony.

Topics: Pakistan Saudi Ties

WHO says trachoma blinding disease no longer ‘public health problem’ in Pakistan

WHO says trachoma blinding disease no longer ‘public health problem’ in Pakistan
Updated 54 min 9 sec ago
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WHO says trachoma blinding disease no longer ‘public health problem’ in Pakistan

WHO says trachoma blinding disease no longer ‘public health problem’ in Pakistan
  • Trachoma is an eye disease caused by infection with Chlamydia trachomatis bacterium
  • The infection can result in irreversible blindness if it is left untreated, the WHO says
Updated 54 min 9 sec ago
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday stressed the need for effective supervision to prevent the return of trachoma to Pakistan after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the disease was no longer a public health problem in the South Asian country.
Trachoma is a disease of the eye caused by infection with the Chlamydia trachomatis bacterium and can result in irreversible blindness if left untreated. Pakistan is the 19th country globally to reach this historic milestone, according to the WHO.
Speaking at a ceremony held with regard to trachoma’s elimination, PM Sharif said it was a “very fortunate day” in the history of Pakistan.
“It is hoped that this disease will never return to Pakistan,” he said in televised comments. “For this, we will always have to keep in place whatever preventive measures are there, and keep a very effective supervision and check and balance.”
The WHO earlier said Pakistan’s success in eliminating trachoma underscored the government’s political commitment to public health, the value of WHO technical support and the incredible contributions of health professionals, endemic communities, civil society and partners.
“The achievement is a significant marker in the global fight against preventable diseases and their elimination,” it said.
In 1997, Pakistan became the first country to be certified free of dracunculiasis (Guinea-worm disease) transmission, according to the WHO. Elimination of trachoma as a public health problem adds to this legacy.
The world health body said Pakistan’s successful elimination of trachoma as a public health problem served as a powerful reminder that the control, elimination and eradication of many neglected tropical diseases was an attainable goal.
In a statement, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the elimination of the disease as a “monumental achievement” for Pakistan.
“This milestone is a testament to the unwavering dedication of Pakistan’s health workers, including many working at community level,” Ghebreyesus said.
“It underscores the power of collective action, innovative thinking and a shared commitment to a healthier future for all. I commend Pakistan for its dedication and success in safeguarding the vision of millions.”

Topics: WHO World Health Organization (WHO) trachoma

Punjab bans public gatherings as ex-PM Khan’s party announces rallies in three cities

Punjab bans public gatherings as ex-PM Khan’s party announces rallies in three cities
Updated 01 October 2024
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Punjab bans public gatherings as ex-PM Khan’s party announces rallies in three cities

Punjab bans public gatherings as ex-PM Khan’s party announces rallies in three cities
  • Khan’s party is protesting the government’s proposed constitutional amendments that it says will suppress the judiciary’s freedom, an allegation the government denies
  • Punjab home department says any political gathering or assembly could provide a soft target to militants in view of prevailing law and order situation and security threats
Updated 01 October 2024
Aamir Saeed

ISLAMABAD: The government in Pakistan’s Punjab province has banned all public gatherings in Bahawalpur, Faisalabad and Mianwali cities, the Punjab home department said on Tuesday, following the announcement of protest rallies by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is protesting the government’s proposed constitutional amendments that it says are being used to suppress the freedom of the judiciary, an allegation the government denies. The party has announced rallies in the three Punjab cities on Oct. 2. It also aims to build public pressure on the government for the release of Khan, who has been in jail on a slew of charges from treason to corruption.
In a notification issued on Tuesday, the Punjab home department said that in view of prevailing law and order situation and security threats, any political gathering or assembly could provide a soft target to militants and was likely to cause “threat to public peace and order as well as inconvenience to public at large.”
“Therefore, Government of the Punjab, in exercise of powers vested under Section 144 (6) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, hereby, prohibits all kinds of political assemblies, gatherings, sits-in, rallies, demonstrations, jalsas, protests & such like other activities in district Bahawalpur with effect from October 02 to 03,” the home department said.
Similar notifications were issued with regard to Faisalabad and Mianwali cities, local media reported. The Section 144 provision allows authorities to prohibit assembly of four or more people.
On Saturday, situation became tense in and around the garrison city of Rawalpindi as police fired tear gas shells to disperse hundreds of Khan supporters ahead of a protest in the city to demand Khan’s release.
The ex-PM has been in jail since August last year on multiple charges including corruption, sedition and terrorism. Khan says the cases against him are politically motivated to keep him and his party away from politics.
After a rally in Islamabad on Sept. 8, a number of PTI legislators were arrested on charges of violating an agreement on the basis of which permission for the rally was given, including abiding by a time limit and supporters sticking to certain routes to reach the designated venue for the rally on Islamabad’s outskirts.
Khan’s party says the challenges in holding rallies are part of an over year-long crackdown it has faced since protesters allegedly linked to the party attacked and damaged government and military installations on May 9, 2023, after the former premier’s brief arrest the same day in a land graft case.
Hundreds of PTI followers and leaders were arrested following the riots and many remain behind bars as they await trial. The military, which says Khan and his party were behind the attacks, has also initiated army court trials of at least 103 people accused of involvement in the violence.
Khan, who has been in jail since last August, was ousted from the PM’s office in 2022 in a parliamentary vote of no confidence after what is widely believed to be a falling out with Pakistan’s powerful military, which denies being involved in politics.

Topics: Imran Khan PTI Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

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