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THE REASON BEHIND THE RISE OF US DOLLAR WITH PKR 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HnURN-oeyQ
MAIN ADDRESS - PRIME MINISTER IMRAN KHAN  
WORLD GOVERNMENT SUMMIT 2019





PM IMRAN KHAN SPEECH AT PTI 100 DAYS CEREMONY 
29th November 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_Fhz2gISL0

PM KHAN TALKS ECONOMY, GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL MILITARY TIES IN WIDE RANGING TV INTERVIEW
https://www.dawn.com/news/1449190/pm-kha...-interview


LETTER TO PM : TRUMP ACKNOWLEDGES AFGHAN WAR COST BOTH TO USA AND PAKISTAN
https://www.dawn.com/news/1449174/letter...a-pakistan
MADINA STATE AND NAYA PAKISTAN 
https://www.dawn.com/news/1450178/madina...a-pakistan

PRIME MINISTER Imran Khan says naya Pakistan shall soon resemble the seventh-century state of Madina. Beginning with his inaugural address of Aug 20, he has repeated his vow on no less than 11 separate occasions. Although all Muslims acknowledge the Madina state as a model of perfection, Khan leaves unsaid just how closely naya Pakistan shall be its image. Is achieving egalitarianism and welfarism the goal? Is the Madina state also a template for Pakistan’s political and judicial reconstruction?


To create a prosperous welfare state is an admirable — and universal — objective. Serving the needs of their citizens without prejudice, a few modern states already have operational systems in place. To join them, just five minutes of serious contemplation can tell you what needs to be done here in Pakistan.  It’s almost a no-brainer: eliminate large land holdings through appropriate legislation; collect land and property taxes based upon current market value; speed up the courts and make them transparent; make meritocratic appointments in government departments; change education so that skill enhancement becomes its central goal; make peace with Pakistan’s neighbours; choose trade over aid; and let civilians rule the country rather than soldiers.


That’s pretty hard! Implementation shall need no less than a revolution, bloodless or otherwise. But if Imran Khan wants to emulate the Madina state as a political entity, it will be way trickier. Modern states have geographical boundaries, a practice that followed the Treaty of Westphalia (1648) between European powers. But for the Madina state, borders were irrelevant — where you lived did not matter.

Is Imran Khan’s goal to adopt the Madina state’s laws and emulate it as a political entity? 

Built around a tribal accord, Misaq-i-Madina, citizenship required only that an individual submit to the authority of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Perhaps anticipating that his followers would someday spread beyond the oases of Makkah and Madina, he very wisely left unspecified which territories constitute Dar-ul-Islam.


How to reconcile the contradictory notion of a borderless ummah versus an Islamic state with borders? Islamic scholars from the time of Al-Mawardi (972-1058) to the anthropologist genius Ibn-i-Khaldun (1322-1406) have differed. Another, Maulana Abul Ala Maudoodi, while residing in pre-Partition Hyderabad (India), opined that creating Pakistan as a separate entity was contrary to Islamic teachings and traditions. Instead, he said, India as a whole must be converted to Islam. This wasn’t easy and so ultimately he supported the demand for Pakistan. 


Time has increased, not decreased, territorial affiliations. Everywhere, inside and outside Islam, large national armies protect borders and nationalism competes fiercely against religion as an emotive force. Imran Khan’s pledge to grant citizenship to 1.5 million desperate Afghan refugees was potentially a first step towards the Madina state, one inclusive of all Muslims.


Human rights activists were ecstatic. But, once the adverse reaction set in, Imran’s U-turn followed. He cannot be blamed alone: previous Pakistani governments refused to naturalise Bengali refugees and Burma’s persecuted Rohingya minority. Nationalism often trumps religious solidarity these days.


Moving on: what about judicial matters? Shall laws of the Madina state apply in naya Pakistan? Viewed through the prism of history, the accord negotiated by the Holy Prophet was perfectly logical at a time of bitter intertribal wars. The interested reader may consult Dr Tahirul Qadri’s PhD thesis on the Misaq-i-Madina. This lists 63 rules for determining diyat (blood money); ransoms to settle tribal feuds; life protection for Muslims and Jews; apportioning of war expenses; etc. These led to peace within the framework of Arab tribal justice. But justice is an ever-evolving concept in every culture and religion. So, for example, 2,000 years ago, Aristotle had argued that some individuals and races are “natural slaves” better enslaved than left free. And, until 200 years ago, socially respectable Americans were slave owners. Kinder ones treated slaves better but slave-owning is now viewed as utterly abhorrent.  Among today’s Muslims, apart from the militant Islamic State group and Boko Haram and a few others, no one defends slavery. Countries legally forbid it even if slaves are to be treated extremely well. In Pakistan too, owning slaves is a criminal offence. Pakistani law also makes it illegal to barter women as goods or as booty. Owning another human being was considered okay once but isn’t kosher anymore and anywhere — and under any circumstance.


The notion of egalitarianism has evolved as well. Nearly all societies now accept, or give lip service, to the idea that all people are equal before the law. Limited to men at first, it was extended later to include women as well. In 2009, Pakistan legally recognised transgender as a separate category; earlier this year some transgender candidates ran for elections, albeit unsuccessfully.


Blood money, common in earlier times, also takes on a very different flavor. Pakistanis were outraged when a grinning Shahrukh Jatoi emerged from jail after murdering 20-year old Shahzeb Khan in cold blood. Jatoi’s wealthy parents had purchased his pardon through diyat, probably by pressuring Khan’s family. Months earlier, CIA contractor Raymond Davis had been released after the families of the two men he had killed were paid $2.4m as blood money.


The world of yesterday and the world of today bear no comparison. One marvels at the Holy Prophet’s sagacity in negotiating a better deal for all warring Arabian tribes. Still, we should appreciate just how different the world has become from those times. The combined population of Makkah and Madina was less than Kharadar’s, a typical Karachi neighbourhood. Joblessness and lack of housing were non-issues; air pollution and load-shedding hadn’t been conceived; and white-collar crime was awaiting invention centuries later. No police or standing army existed in the Madina state. There were no jails.


It is easy to see why certain religious slogans appeal to the popular imagination. In a country that is deeply unequal and plagued by huge class asymmetry, people yearn for an unblemished past when everything was perfect. But when political leaders promise to take us there, how seriously should we take them? The masses had responded favourably when Gen Ziaul Haq had raised a similar slogan in the 1980s — that of Nizam-i-Mustafa. Disappointment soon followed. Can it be different this time?
PAKISTAN MUST BE MADE PART OF PRODUCTION CHAIN
https://www.dawn.com/news/1453996


ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that economic diplomacy is the need of the hour and called for concerted efforts to make Pakistan part of the global production chain. In his address of welcome at the envoys’ conference on economic diplomacy on Thur­sday, he said the world over only those economies had prospered that had innovated, mel­ding ideas, knowledge, skills and resources to produce quality, cost-effective and value-added products that captured markets.

'Pakistan first' at the core of new foreign policy, asserts Shah Mahmood Qureshi

“If Pakistan is to develop on a sustainable basis; if Pakistan is to break the begging bowl once and for all; if we are to become an integral part of the global value chain, then we must better leverage our diplomatic machinery and harness our regional and global linkages, in pursuit of national development agenda,” he said. Mr Qureshi said the government had placed economic revival and growth at the highest pedestal of its reform agenda.

Qureshi says economic revival, growth top on government’s reform agenda

“Our manifesto speaks of roadmaps on politico-economic diplomacy, on enhancing exports, boosting investments and alleviating poverty. Our 100-day performance attests to the priority we attach to it. In these 100 days, we have been able to secure support from key allies, and avert imminent balance of payments difficulties. But crisis aversion neither was, nor will be good enough. We have to do much better. The people of Pakistan expect this of us. Pakistan’s innate potential and inherent prospects, its immutable resilience and immense resources demand this of us.”

He said investments and trade were critical to the economic diplomacy agenda, but equally important was the need to scale up and prudently utilise development assistance flows and increase remittance through enhanced employment opportunities abroad for the country’s labour force.

Noting that there was no reason for pessimism, he talked in detail about the immense potential Pakistan was blessed with. He pointed out that Goldman Sachs had identified Pakistan as one of the Next Eleven economies that would become drivers of global growth this century.

He said Pakistan was projected to be the next big thing in international tourism. “Following exchange rate adjustments, our exports have been picking pace, increasing by 14 per cent, from $20.45 billion in 2016-17 to $23.33bn in 2017-18.”  

The minister said the country’s GDP was expected to cross the 36-38 trillion rupee mark this year.

He said in the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a chain of special economic zones is set to be established across the length and breadth of the country. He underlined the need to effectively attract foreign investment, diversify export base and raise the country’s trade profile.

Mr Qureshi said unarguably, comparable countries with a smaller base, had done a much better job. “Unquestionably, the war on terror, the security situation and the chronic energy deficits have taxed our economy, and diverted our attention. But these are now past us. A more promising future beckons, provided we prepare for it,” he remarked.

He said the Foreign Office respects and understood the role of institutions. “We neither have the intent nor the capacity to assume that role. What we do have is a set of skills and a vantage point, which we feel, can add to the strength of other ministries.”

He, however, said there was a need to evolve genuine partnerships and build real synergies within departments, with the private sector, academia and research community. “Only then, will outcomes be scaled up and tangible benefits accrue to the people of Pakistan.”

The foreign minister said there was no reason for Pakistan to lag behind and expressed the confidence that the conference would be able to produce insights, and come up with an action plan of implementable recommendations.
IMRAN KHAN : PAKISTAN's 'GOLDEN ERA' 

TURKEY-PAKISTAN AIM TO BOOST TRADE TO $10 BILLION ANNUALLY

NEW VISA POLICY TO FACILITATE TOURISM INCLUDES E- VISA FOR NATIONALS OF 175 COUNTRIES 
https://www.dawn.com/news/1459707/new-vi...-countries

PAKISTAN’s NEW VISA POLICY FOR FOREIGN TOURISTS EXPLAINED 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAfsjBBFBLw


Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Friday said the government is introducing a "new revolutionary visa policy" to encourage tourism in the country.  Pakistan's visa regime "used to be open until about 1965 onwards", he said, adding that the country is "a paradise for tourism".   "We have mountain tourism, religious tourism, beach tourism, cities and huge food tourism. For this initiative, all agencies and departments put their heads together at the prime minister's suggestion," Chaudhry said.

The government has decided to provide the e-visa facility to 175 countries and visa on arrival to 50 countries, he said. Visa on arrival will also be provided to Indian-origin British and American citizens holding United States or United Kingdom passports. Tour operators that are approved by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) will now be allowed to bring groups of tourists to Pakistan, he said.

Additionally, the process for acquiring a work visa to nationals of 96 countries for business purposes has been eased, Chaudhry said, with applicants receiving their visa in 7-10 days after the Board of Investment issues them a letter. The duration of diplomatic and student visas has been extended from one year to three years, and one year to two years, respectively, while a visa for religious purposes will remain valid for 45 days, the information minister added.

The processing of journalist visas will be done through the information ministry, Chaudhry said, and restrictions on journalists to limit their movements to just three cities have been lifted. Foreign tourists will not require no-objection certificates (NOCs) to visit open cantonments, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit Baltistan, Chaudhry said. "They can go anywhere in Pakistan, they don't need an NOC anymore."

"We want tourism to be promoted, to become the foundation for change in Pakistan," Chaudhry said.  The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader compared the incumbent government's term to the previous government, saying that it had "brought Pakistan back on the world map".

The PTI in its manifesto promised to develop 20 new tourist destinations during its tenure, at an average of four a year. The tourism department intends to explore tourism potential in Kurram tribal district and the Samana hill station in Orakzai tribal district under the plan, and has also selected 25 areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where sites will be identified for the promotion of tourism.

Recently, the government also announced it would open the Kartarpur Corridor to Sikh pilgrims from India in 2019, and has outlined a plan to facilitate them.



IS PAKISTAN BECOMING THE NEXT DIGITAL HUB 
IN 2019? 


WHY SAUDI ARABIA IS INVESTING 10 BILLION ON OIL REFINERY IN GWADAR OIL CITY ?


DETAILS ABOUT HUGE INVESTMENTS ANNOUNCED BY BIG  GLOBAL BRANDS IN PAKISTAN


DEMOCRACY NEVER FLOURISHED IN PAKISTAN BECAUSE RULERS WERE HANDPICKED IN PAST

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said that democracy in Pakistan could only flourish if it is based on accountability and merit. Addressing graduates at Namal College’s sixth convocation in Mianwali, the premier said the reason democracy never strengthened in Pakistan was because its previous leaders never actually worked to attain power.

“In a functioning democracy, there is no space for hereditary politics and sincere leaders only rise to power after a period of struggle. Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif faced no such struggles; they were hand-picked for positions of power,” the premier said. “Similarly, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his father, Asif Ali Zardari, inherited leadership of their party.” “Democracy replaced monarchy as the preferred governance system because it is based on meritocracy and accountability,” PM Imran said.

Citing China as an example, he said though the economic giant does not have a traditional democratic system, its governance model is one based on merit and accountability. “China’s leader, President Xi Jinping, rose to power after a 30-year struggle. Today, China has a system that does not afford any individual special privileges; almost 400 ministers have faced accountability in China on charges of corruption.”

Reiterating his commitment to serve the masses, the prime minister asserted that a nation can only rise if public money is spent on public welfare.  The prime minister also spoke on the pressing need to improve the country’s economy.  “We are blessed with natural resources which we have failed to ever properly utilise. Today, we are disproportionately reliant on imports and our exports have consistently declined over past decades,” he said.  “A major reason for this has been our failure to adapt modern technology. Our agriculture sector lags behind because our farmers do not know the latest techniques and do not have the latest tools.”

In his concluding remarks, Premier Imran reposed confidence in Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and criticised Shehbaz Sharif’s recent comments about his successor.  
“He [Shehbaz Sharif] had something to say about Usman Buzdar. My question to him, though, is who are you to say anything after getting everything through your brother?”
WHEN VISION 2025 AND VISION 2030 CONVERGE 
THEIR NATURE AND IMPLICATIONS WILL BE REVIEWED. ALSO WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON?

AL ARABIYA INTERVIEW WITH PAKISTANI PM IMRAN KHAN 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WboRjqFTbQ


AS MBS ARRIVES, PAKISTAN SEALS SAUDI TIES WITH $20bn IN DEALS 
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/m...41295.html


PAKISTAN PULLS OUT ALL THE STOPS TO WELCOME SAUDI CROWN PRINCE  
https://www.dawn.com/news/1464593/in-pic...own-prince

PRESIDENT ALVI CONFERS NISHAN E PAKISTAN ON SAUDI CROWN PRINCE
https://www.dawn.com/news/1464584/presid...own-prince


PM KHAN, COAS GEN BAJWA SEE OFF SAUDI CROWN PRINCE AS ROYAL VISIT COMES TO AN END 

SAUDI CROWN PRINCE ORDERS RELEASE OF OVER 2000 PAKISTANI PRISONERS 
https://www.dawn.com/news/1464580/saudi-...-prisoners
PAKISTAN MALAYSIA SIGN AGREEMENTS FOR 5 BIG PROJECTS 
https://www.dawn.com/news/1471200/pakist...g-projects


Malaysia and Pakistan signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) for five "big projects" on Friday, Finance Minister Asad Umar revealed during an informal discussion with journalists.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is paying a three-day visit to Pakistan, along with a high-level delegation including leading businessmen, on Prime Minister Imran Khan's invitation. The finance minister said Malaysia has shown interest in purchasing JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, halal meat and rice from Pakistan. He said that Islamabad would soon fulfil its agreement to provide anti-tank missiles to Malaysia. Umar said that both countries had also agreed to open branches of their respective banks in each other's countries, and that Pakistan would try to make use of Malaysia's knowledge of tourism as it looks to revive the local industry.

Both leaders are currently attending the Pak-Malaysia Business Leaders’ Roundtable Conference, where they addressed business leaders of both countries. At the investment conference, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday praised his counterpart's outspoken stance on issues affecting Muslim communities once again.

"You say things which other Muslim leaders are scared to say. And it's because a lot of them are not leaders. They are office-holders. Leaders are the ones who have an ideology, who have a clear stand on moral issues, and who take positions. Unfortunately, non-leaders do not take positions. They want to please everyone," he pointed out.

"It's because of the stands you have taken over the course of a period of time [...] That's why there is such a great response to you honouring us on an occasion which is very important for us, March 23," he told Mohamad.

The prime minister said the conference was about "improving increasing trade between the two countries, learning from the Malaysian model, and investment opportunities".

He said both countries had decided on the formation of a "strong ministerial-level committee which will meet regularly and keep interacting, so we know exactly how we can keep enhancing and increase trade between the two countries."

Earlier today, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was given a welcome reception at PM House. The national anthems of both countries were played and the visiting dignitary was given a Guard of Honour by a contingent of the armed forces.

Following the ceremony, the visiting dignitary met President Arif Alvi and held a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The top-level meetings were followed by delegation-level talks and a joint press conference addressed by both Mohamad and Prime Minister Khan.

An investiture ceremony was held at the Aiwan-i-Sadr in the evening where the Malaysian prime minister was awarded a Nishan-i-Pakistan, the highest civil honour in the country. A banquet was held in his honour following the ceremony. Tomorrow, Mohamad will be the chief guest at the Pakistan Day parade.
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Earlier today, at the joint press conference following their meetings, Prime Minister Imran Khan appreciated his counterpart for taking a stand for Muslims a week after the Christchurch terror attacks.

"Unfortunately, very few Muslim leaders do take stands on the issues that affect the other Muslim world," the prime minister said.

"We also admire you for your stand against corruption," the premier added. "We actually believe that countries are not poor, corruption make them poor. Corruption destroys state institutions."

"We almost took pride in the way Malaysia developed and raised the standard of living and became like a model for the Muslim world, and that too under your premiership," he told Mahathir Mohamad.

The premier said that all Muslims across the world are blamed for any crime committed by any Muslim. He held Islamophobia responsible for the New Zealand terror attacks.

"Any crime committed by a Muslim is immediately blamed on all 1.3 billion Muslims and this was reflected in the Christchurch killings where a man, a terrorist, brazenly filmed shooting innocent women and children and innocent people in a mosque and then he didn't regretted. This was because of Islamophobia."

The Malaysian premier said that the two countries can "exchange information on how to combat corruption in our countries".

Talking about the Muslim bloc, he regretted that here was not a single Muslim country that could be considered developed. He said that Malaysia had planned to become developed by 2020 but unfortunately due to changes in the government it became a target impossible to achieve.

"We still have the target of becoming a developed country by year 2025. We hope it is not only confined to Malaysia; other Muslim countries must also strive to develop themselves so as to be at par with the developed countries of the world," he added.

Mohamad, while talking about the bilateral relations, said he believed that increased trade between the two countries will enhance the bilateral relationship.

"We need to identify what you can sell to us and what we can sell to you," he said. "[There is] no doubt that if we increase our trade with each other, we will benefit in growing our economies.

"We believe that the trade between us will increase because we now have outlined the measures that we should take. We also talked about the possibilities of foreign direct investment (FDI) by both the countries."

The Malaysian premier also said that he is "very glad to renew friendship with Pakistan" and attend Pakistan's national day ceremony. "We have been very well received by the prime minister as well as the government of Pakistan," he added.

"We noted that there is a feeling of fear and enmity towards us, Muslims. That was why 50 Muslims, including nine Pakistani and three Malaysians, were killed in New Zealand. This happened because of the feeling of hatred that has been generated by the press and others. We need to learn how to handle this."
[url=https://twitter.com/PTIofficial/status/1109016614999998464]

Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Mahathir bin Mohamad addressing the Joint Press Conference in Islamabad with Prime Minister Imran Khan. 


$900m deals to be signed
Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) covering $800-$900 million worth of investments with Malaysian investors will be signed today, covering deals in IT, telecom, power generation, textile, agriculture, and halal food industries. More than 25 heads of top Malaysian companies are accompanying the Malaysian prime minister. Board of Investment Chairman Haroon Sharif said yesterday that joint venture agreements would be signed in the telecom, auto and halal food sectors, adding that after the prime minister's visit to Malaysia, business-to-business partnership was moving ahead and now is the time to consolidate it.

The visit of Malaysian investors is a signal of a major shift in the present government’s policy to expand economic and trade relations with other countries. PM’s Adviser on Investment Razak Dawood said yesterday that the advantage of having trade and investment ties with Malaysia would be to enter markets of East Asian countries since Malaysia's inroad to Asean is much better. Dawood explained that Malaysian investors are long-term players and would like to see a good market share for their country in the region.

Malaysia offers an opportunity for Pakistan to open up the Asean market for trade and investment through strategic partnerships. Asean is a market of estimated 651 million people, with an estimated GDP of $3 trillion and high human development index. Pakistan is gearing up to tap into one of the largest commercial hubs of the world – Asean, which has goods trade volume of around $2.6 trillion, services of volume of around $703 billion and $136 billion in foreign direct investment.
IMRAN , MAHATHIR PLEDGE TO COMBAT ISLAMOPHOBIA 
https://tribune.com.pk/story/1934860/1-i...conference

Prime Minister Imran Khan and his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad addressed a joint press conference in Islamabad on Friday.

PM Khan spoke on his government’s commitment to emulate Mohamad’s achievements in Malaysia. He highlighted the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) focus on rooting out corruption and said Malaysia’s progress in that sphere was a prime inspiration.

“We firmly believe that nations are not poor and, rather, it is corruption that leads to a loss of resources. Corruption destroys institutions and negates efforts for human development.”

“My party, the PTI, started a campaign against corruption 22 years ago and our drive continues with even greater strength today,” said Imran as he invited Mahathir to take the stage.

“I am happy to join you in celebrating Pakistan Day. We have been very well received by PM Khan and the government of Pakistan. We have held bilateral discussions on significant issues affecting Pakistan, Malaysia and the larger Muslim world,” said the Malaysian prime minister.

“We deliberated on ways to enhance our economic relationship with Pakistan, and there is no doubt that both of us stand to benefit from increased trade.”

“We have discussed the possibility of foreign direct investment and outlined other measures that Pakistan and Malaysia need to take to boost trade,” said Mahathir, adding that having common laws could prove particularly beneficial.

“Malaysia remains very concerned by corruption. As PM Imran said, no nation is poor but is brought to that state because of corruption. This is why we came back to power with a promise to combat the corruption that was rampant under the previous government.”

“It is sad to note that not a single Muslim-majority country is truly developed. Malaysia’s aim was to become a developed nation by 2020, but due to corruption, our target has been pushed back till 2025.”

Mahathir also spoke on the need for unity among Muslim nations amid a rising wave of Islamophobia around the world.

“I have noticed that there is a fear of and enmity towards us as Muslims. The recent terror attack in New Zealand claimed the lives of nine Pakistanis and affected three from Malaysia. This attack happened because of the feeling of hatred towards Muslims.”

“Pakistan and Malaysia both understand the need to find ways to combat Islamophobia. This is our priority. We must work to improve the perception of Muslims in the world. We must change the prevailing atmosphere of fear; we must also realise that fighting back does not always mean killing each other.”

The Malaysian prime minister said discussions were also held on efforts to tackle terrorism. “We believe there is room for cooperation in this area and look forward to working out a comprehensive plan.”
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