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September 14, 2018: National Current Affairs
1. Plan to turn heritage buildings into parks, museums approved
- The federal government on September 13, 2018 formally announced details of its plan for turning Prime Minister House, governor houses and several other heritage buildings in use of government functionaries into museums, parks, educational institutions and hotels.
- Federal Minister for National History and Literary Division Shafgat Mehmood said that government spent a total of Rs1.15 billion annu-ally on these buildings.
- Mr Mehmood, who also holds the portfolio of education and professional training, said Rs470 million was spent on PM House, spread over an area of 137 acres, every year. The government decided to convert it into a state-of-the-art university, a committee having Dr Attaur Rahman and Dr Tariq Banuri as members was taking further steps to establish the university.
2. CDA placed under administrative control of interior ministry
- The federal government has decided to place the Capital Development Authority (CDA) under the administrative control of the interior ministry.
- The civic body was till now under the administrative control of the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD), but the cabinet on September 13, 2018 decided to abolish CADD.
- The government also decided that CADD`s functions will be divided among various ministries such as the education department will be placed under the federal education ministry and the health department under the Ministry of National Health Services.
- Placing the CDA under the interior ministry is expected to improve service delivery as the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration, police and the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad are already under this ministry.
3. Haroon Sharif appointed BoI chairman
- The federal cabinet on September 13, 2018 approved the appointment of Haroon Sharif as chairman Board of Investment (BoI) a one window facility under the Prime Minister Office for promotion of local and foreign direct investment.
- Minister for Information Chaudhry Fawad Hussain confirmed that the cabinet approved the induction of Sharif as the BoI chairperson. He succeeds Naeem Zamindar who was appointed by the PML-N government in November 2017 from the private sector and resigned in June this year.
- BoIis required to assist local and international investors and helps them build joint ventures in the country.
- The new chairman is a well-known global expert of economic policy, international development, economic diplomacy and financial markets who worked as the Regional Advisor to the World Bank Group for promoting economic cooperation in South and Central Asia and was involved in the execution of CASA-1000 and Islamabad-Kabul-Dushanbe Expressway.
4. COAS, UK envoy discuss security situation
- British High Commissioner Thomas Drew called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on September 13, 2018 here at the General Headquarters (GHQ). During the meeting matters of mutual interest including regional security situation were discussed. The visiting dignitary also pledged to keep working for better relations between the two countries.
- Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on September 13, 2018 visited National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad and appreciated improvement in its standing at the international level ranking.
- The COAS said NUST was a leading University in Pakistan, which would have presence in all four provinces after establishment of Quetta Campus, said a press release issued here by ISPR.
5. Turkish Legion of Merit awarded to PAF chief
- Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force was awarded the Turkish Legion of Merit in recognition of his services for promoting defence ties between Pakistan and Turkey.
- An impressive ceremony was held at the Headquarters of Turkish Air Force at Ankara. On arrival at Headquarters of Turkish Air Force, a smartly turned out contingent of Turkish Air Force presented him the guard of honor.
- Later the Air Chief called on General Hasan Kucukakyuz, Commander of Turkish Air Force. Both the dignitaries discussed matters related to professional interests.
- During the meeting the Air Chief thanked Turkish government for the august award and said that two countries enjoyed enviable brotherly ties spread over years.
6. Veteran journalist Ashfak Bokhari passes away
- Veteran journalist Ashfak Bokhari passed away on September 13, 2018 morning in Australia after a long illness. He was 75.
- Former president of the Karachi Press Club, Mr Bokhari was suffering from liver cancer.
- Two months back his son, Sunnil Bokhari, who lives in Malbourne, took him and his mother to Australia where he remained under treatment since then for his ailment without any recovery. On September 13, 2018 at 11am when all his immediate family members wife, son and daughter were at his bedside, he passed away.
- Mr Bokhari had joined Dawn in April 1983, contributed regular columns for EBR weekly and worked as assistant editor looking af ter editorial pages before his retirement in 2003.
7. Pakistan rejects allegations made in India-US joint statement
- Taking strong exception to an unwarranted reference against it in the India-US joint statement issued at the conclusion of talks between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis with their Indian counterparts, Pakistan has rejected the allegations as baseless.
- `We have conveyed our position to the US side,` Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal said at a weekly press briefing here on September 13, 2018.
- `What is more ironic is that many other thorny issues involving the third country were avoided in the joint statement by the Indian side on the pretext of the same diplomatic practice,` he said, adding that the Mumbai attacks trial was ongoing in an antiterrorism court and the judicial process would take its course.
September 14, 2018: International Current Affairs
8. India, Israel amongst shameful countries for HR violations: UN
- The United Nations has listed India and Israel, two best allies, among 38 shameful countries, which it said had carried out reprisals or intimidation against people cooperating with it on human rights, through killings, torture and arbitrary arrests.
- Allegations of ill-treatment, surveillance, criminalisation, and public stigmatization campaigns targeting victims and human rights defenders were also included on the list.
- Authorities repeatedly charged human rights activists with terrorism or charged them for cooperating with foreign entities or damaging the state’s reputation or security, it added.
- “There is a worrying bias in the use of national security arguments and counter-terrorism strategies by states as an argument for barring access by communities and civil society organizations to the United Nations,” the report said.
9. Spain to go ahead with bombs sale to Saudis
- Spain will go ahead with the controversial delivery of 400 laser-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia, engaged in a bloody conflict in Yemen,
- The Spanish government had announced a week ago that it would block delivery of the weapons for which longtime ally Riyadh has already paid 9.2 million euros ($10.7 million).
- That announcement came after an air strike in August on a crowded market in part of Yemen held by Houthi rebels that killed 40 children.
- Current Spanish Foreign Minister: Josep Borrell
- Current Spanish Defence Minister: Margarito Robles
10. Riyadh-based airline to recruit Saudi women as co-pilots
- Riyadh-based carrier Flynas has announced plans to recruit Saudi women to work as co-pilots and flight attendants for the first time, just months after the kingdom lifted a decades-long ban on female motorists.
- Women are not legally barred from working in the aviation sector, but jobs as flight attendants with Saudi carriers have largely been held by female foreign workers from countries such as the Philippines.
- Nearly 1,000 Saudi women have applied for co-pilot positions with Flynas in the past 24 hours, as the ultra-conservative Islamic kingdom relaxes gender restrictions amid the far-reaching liberalisation drive.
- `Flynas is keen to empower Saudi women to play an impodant role in the kingdom`s transformation,` the low-cost carrier said on Wednesday in its call for applications.