Day: April 17, 2024

Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman is expected to visit Pakistan next month, according to diplomatic sources.

The Crown Prince, who also serves as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom, will be coming to Pakistan at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The details of the visit are currently being coordinated through diplomatic channels.

On the other hand, the Saudi Foreign Minister held productive meetings with political and military leaders before departing late Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s defense ministry in a statement said that the Saudi Assistant Defense Minister Talal Bin Abdullah Bin Turki Al-Otaibi has arrived in Pakistan to finalize defense-related bilateral projects. Al-Otaibi will spend two days in Pakistan, the ministry added.

In the photos released by the ministry, the Saudi Assistant Defense Minister can be seen being greeted by Pakistani military and government officials and Saudi diplomats.

The two countries have maintained a strong military partnership for decades
. Pakistan has also been providing extensive support, arms, and training to the Saudi armed forces.

Moreover, the two countries frequently engage in various joint ventures and defense exercises to deepen their military collaboration.

Source: Pro Pakistani

A high-level delegation of Election Commission of Pakistan led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja undertook a visit to Brazil to evaluate the possibilities of the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the elections.

During the visit, the Pakistani delegation held useful and constructive meetings with the Brazilian election authorities, who briefed them about the election system and its various stages including the use of EVMs.

The Chief Election Commissioner also held an important meeting with the President of Brazilian Tribunal Superior Electoral Alexandre de Moraes in which matters pertaining to the use of EVMs were discussed.

In a statement, a spokesperson of ECP said they will continue to further study the electoral system of Brazil in the context of the use of EVMs in pilot projects in Pakistan. The Information Technology Wing and the Project Management Unit (PMU) of the Election Commission will jointly prepare a plan of action for the future.

It merits mentioning here t
hat Brazil’s electoral system is ranked amongst the best and most technologically advanced in the world.

Source: Radio Pakistan

Trouble brewed for Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz when the Punjab government decided to distribute McDonald’s meal bags as gifts to school children in Murree on Tuesday.

The move stirred controversy as the famous fast-food chain had previously faced international boycotts and protests.

Following the October 7 attacks in Gaza, McDonald’s announced its intention to provide free meals to the Israeli military, leading to widespread condemnation.

In various countries, including Pakistan, McDonald’s encountered boycotts amid allegations of supporting Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Maryam Nawaz’s visit to a government girls high school in Murree on Monday, during which she inspected school facilities, including health services, preceded the distribution of McDonald’s meal bags by the provincial government the next day.

The incident prompted criticism and sparked discussions on social media platforms, with the PML-N sharing videos related to the issue with their followers on X.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Pakistan’s three oil refineries, Attock Oil Refinery, National Oil Refinery and Pakistan Oil Refinery, will soon sign an agreement with the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) under Brownfield Refinery Policy.

This initiative will increase the efficiency and capacity of oil refineries which will contribute to the country’s energy security and economic development.

The Brownfield Refinery Policy was approved by the Federal Cabinet last year in August, which aims to encourage existing refineries to upgrade, modernize and expand their facilities.

OGRA will soon hold a meeting with the refineries to discuss the progress of signing the agreements.

The signing of the Brownfield Refinery Policy is also important to enable refineries to go ahead with their plans to upgrade to produce Euro-V compliant fuel.

This agreement marks the beginning of a strategic partnership with the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to support the production of environmentally friendly fuel.

The implementation of thi
s policy will increase local production of petrol and diesel as per Euro-V standards, which will reduce the burden on imports and save foreign exchange.

Source: Radio Pakistan

There has been significant headway in the case involving seven air hostesses, including the PIA air hostess apprehended in Toronto.

The Aviation Division’s Inquiry Committee has initiated a probe to ascertain the individuals responsible for the recruitment of these air hostesses. As part of this investigation, statements have been taken from GM Scheduling Ali Abbas, Deputy GM Qudratullah, and other relevant parties.

According to reports, the statements provided by the employees seem to indicate an effort to shift blame onto each other. This arose due to the alteration of the arrested flight attendant’s day off, despite explicit instructions not to assign duty to seven flight attendants for the Toronto flight.

Interestingly, an officer linked to the case has been retained in the department despite being transferred multiple times previously.

Assurances have been made by the PIA spokesperson that the aviation division will extend full cooperation to the ongoing inquiry. They have vowed to take stringent ac
tion against any individual implicated in the findings of the inquiry committee.

It’s noteworthy that last month, Canadian authorities arrested a PIA air hostess for possession of multiple passports. Hina Sani, a PIA stewardess arriving in Toronto on PK-789, was detained after Canadian immigration authorities discovered several passports belonging to different individuals among her belongings.

It has also come to light that seven additional flight attendants were part of the crew on flight PK 789. However, all of them were designated as ‘no-flyers’ by the airline for the Toronto route.

Reports further revealed that the crew obtained special permission from the deputy general manager (DGM) of Flight Services, using his personal identification.

Source: Pro Pakistani