Economic reforms plan ready: Shaikh

2-day Pak Development Forum starts today

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan would present to the international community its economic reform and stabilisation plans at the Pakistan Development Forum meeting at Islamabad over the weekend, a top US official said. The two-day Pakistan Development Forum (PDF) will begin here today (Sunday) with an agenda of focusing and sharing with the participants and development.

“We are holding the Forum in 2010, as the last PDF was held in 2007″, Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said.
He said that the Forum would provide opportunity to have comprehensive dialogue with our development partners on government’s strategic direction, priorities and policies.
Shaikh said that deliberations of the PDF influence forthcoming the country Partnership Programs/Strategies of the Donors adding that in addition, feedback from the development community facilitates alignment of government policy with international best practices.
He said that the event is particularly significant this year in view of the devastation caused by the floods and the consequential economic fallout.
“High level local and international participation including US Special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke, Vice President of World Bank and ADB , UK Minister for International development and senior officials of the IMF are expected in the forum”, he remarked.
He said that to make the forum more representative the Chief Ministers of the provinces and civil society organizations including Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) would also participate and share the development strategies in their respective provinces.

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Posted in: Pakistani News,World News

Pakistan woos Chinese trade

Zardari addresses corporate leaders at Pak-China Forum

Investors offered irrigation, housings, energy sectors

GUANGZHOU, CHINA: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday invited the Chinese investors and entrepreneurs to benefit from Pakistan’s geostrategic location as well as its trade and economic potential for a win-win situation for the two neighbourly nations having time-tested ties.

“I invite you to take advantage of the geostrategic location, trade and economic potential and the warm-waters of Pakistan, which has all the ingredients to become a progressive and developed country,” the President said while addressing the corporate leaders of the Guangdong province here at the Pakistan-China (Guangdong) Forum on Economic Reconstruction.
Besides the Chinese business leaders, the Forum held here on the sidelines of the 16th Asian Games and jointly organised by China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and Pakistan Consulate in Guangzhou was also attended by Vice Governor of Guangdong province, Liu Kun and representatives of Guangdong provincial government.

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Pak used terror as a hedge against India: US

WASHINGTON: Islamabad used to support terror outfits as a hedge against India and an unfriendly Afghan regime, so that the two neighbours of Pakistan do not undermine it, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said.

“They (Pakistan) have in the past hedged against both India and an unfriendly regime in Afghanistan by supporting groups that will be their proxies in trying to prevent either India or an unfriendly Afghan government from undermining their position,” she said. Clinton said now things are “changing”, but she cannot confirm whether Pakistan has stopped the use of terror against India and Afghanistan.
“That is changing, now, I cannot sit here and tell you that it has changed, but that is changing,” she told ABC News in an interview, the transcripts of which was released by the State Department.
Clinton accepted that the US had created certain radical outfits and supported terrorists like Osama bin Laden to fight against the erstwhile Soviet Union, but that backing has boomeranged.
“Part of what we are fighting against right now, the United States created. We created the Mujahidin force against the Soviet Union (in Afghanistan). We trained them, we equipped them, we funded them, including somebody named Osama bin Laden. And it didn’t work out so well for us,” she said.
The Secretary of the State also said Pakistan is paying a “big price” for supporting U.S. war against terror groups in their own national interest. “But I think it is important to note that as they have made these adjustments in their own assessment of their national interests, they’re paying a big price for it,” Clinton said.

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GUANGZHOU: The Asian Games officially opened with a glitzy gala ceremony on Friday, culminating years of planning for a massive event that is set to reinforce China’s regional sporting dominance. The extravaganza heralds the most ambitious Asiad so far with more than 14,000 athletes and officials from 45 countries and territories angling for gold in 42 sports.

The Games run until November 27, with hosts China heavily favoured to top the medal table, with South Korea and Japan battling for second place.
“After six years of hard work, I am pleased to announce that the preparatory work of the 16th Asian Games has been completed,” said Guangzhou vice mayor Xu Ruisheng.
Security forces mounted a sweeping operation to isolate the fenced-off venue for Friday’s opening ceremony, on an island in the Pearl River, with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao due to attend.
But as dusk fell over the city thousands of people streamed to the spectacular setting near the giant Canton Tower ahead of the start.
Just as Beijing did before the 2008 Olympics, Guangzhou has poured billions of dollars into getting this sprawling southern metropolis ready.
While the city does not have the glamour of Beijing and Shanghai, officials here are hoping the Games will help transform it into one of Asia’s top destinations.
In preparation, it has embarked on several huge infrastructure projects – a new rail station, a gleaming trade centre, subway lines, housing projects, highways and bridges. It has also constructed or renovated 70 sporting facilities.

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Zardari House under thick layers of security

ISLAMABAD: Following the gruesome bomb blast at the CID Centre Karachi on Thursday night, security has been further tightened outside ‘Zardari House’ located in the heart of Capital in Sector F-8/3 after Taliban aired attack threats.

Well-placed sources told Online that the entire street has been declared as Red Zone and no one will be allowed to enter the premises without methodical checking.
It has been further told that following Taliban threats to attack Zardari House, all kinds of political activities have been halted for a while. Beside that Presidency and its adjacent buildings have also been kept on a high alert with additional police and Rangers contingents. Traffic has been virtually suspended and close vigilance is on, sources said. Sources further added that all kinds of heavy traffic have been strictly directed to be stopped outside the city limits in view to avoid any untoward incident. On the other hand, Chinese detectors have been installed on the ways in Turnol and Sihala so that goods could be screened and then allowed to enter the city while the entire city is on a red alert.-Online

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Chinese auto-titan turns head to Pakistan

GUANGZHOU: Chairman Guangdong Automobile Industrial Group (GAIG) Zhang Fangyou Friday called on President Asif Ali Zardari here and voiced keen interest for exploring business opportunities in Pakistan.

The President was accompanied by the Chairman Board of Investment Saleem Mandviwala and delegation members including Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Nawabzada Malik Amad Khan, Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan Syed Mehdi Shah, Ambassador to China Masood Khan, and Spokesman to the President Farhatullah Babar.
President Zardari informed the head of the Chinese automaker of huge potential of this industry in Pakistan.
He directed the Chairman BOI to stay back and discuss with him the prospects of GAIG’s operations in Pakistan. Guangzhou Automobile Group Co Ltd, is engaged in research and development, manufacture and sale of passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, engines and autoparts.-APP

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UN $2bn flood-aid call answered 45pc

UNITED NATIONS: UN has said the $2 billion aid appeal  for   Pakistan’s flood victims, the largest-ever launched by any international body for a natural disaster, now stands funded by 45 per cent.

To a question at the regular noon briefing, Spokesman Farhan Haq said although the response to the appeal was improving, the United Nations continues to urge the international community to provide more funding. The appeal was launched a month ago, more than quadrupling the original $460 million sought in August as the full scope of the floods became clear. The disaster has claimed some 2,000 lives, exposing over 20 million others to homelessness, malnutrition, risks of epidemics and loss of livelihood as the waters steamrolled down from north to south, damaging or destroying nearly 1.9 million homes and devastating at least 160,000 square kilometres.
To another question, Farhan Haq said the UN is assessing the health situation in flood-affected areas and is taking measures to prevent the outbreak of any disease.The UN has said the over 2.06 billion dollars appeal would cover 483 projects to be implemented by 15 UN organisations, the International Organisation of Migration and 156 non-governmental organisations.

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Posted in: World News