The Destination Issue 57 Vol 1

WEATHER ISLAMABAD Scattered Thunderstorms

ISLAMABAD ISSUE: 57 VOL: 1

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Precipitation: 80% Humidity: 75% Wind: 13 km/h Tuesday – July 18, 2017

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Shawal 23, 1438 AH.

PM strongly condemns ter ror ist at t ack i n Peshawar

An officer of Frontier Corps, Major Jamal Sheran, was martyred and seven people, including three FC personnel were injured when their vehicle was hit by a suicide bomber riding a motorcycle near Bagh-e-Naran in Hayatabad Peshawar on Monday. Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has strongly condemned the attack. He expressed deep grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of Major Jamal Sheran and prayed for eternal peace of his departed soul and grant of courage to the bereaved family.

PM sets new record of transparency in development projects: Shahbaz

China targets Indian bunkers killing 158 soldiers

At least 158 Indian soldiers have been killed on Monday as China fired rockets across the border. Reportedly, several soldiers were wounded in the attack yesterday. The development came in after China flexed its political muscle in the area close to Tibet border yesterday with a fully equipped brigade indulging in live ammunition drill. A twominute video clip was broadcast on China that showed the soldiers attacking an enemy position using rocket launchers, machine guns, and mortars. Another military exercise witnessed use of missiles and anti-tank grenades.

Success against Da’esh in Mosul historic victory for Iraq: Ambassador Ali Yassin

Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to Pakistan, Dr. Ali Yassin Mohammed Karim said that Iraq’s success against Da’esh in Mosul, a “historic victory” against terrorism, which is not confined to Iraq only, it’s a global success of all peace loving nations. Dr. Ali Yassin Mohammed Karim was addressing a press conference at Embassy of Republic of Iraq in Pakistan. Interaction with media was with the special reference to Iraqi forces’ conquest over Daesh (ISIS) in Mosul. He opined that Nine months ago, the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces announced the start of operations with the name (Ninawa, we are coming) to liberate the city of Mosul.

AIOU to launch new academic session from August 1

Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) will start its new academic session (admissionsAutumn 2017) from August 1, 2017. The admission will be open from Matric to PhD level.

According to Directorate of Admissions, a number of new programs of BS, M.Phil and Ph.D-level would be introduced from the new semester as well. Besides this, shortcourses of professional nature will also be launched as per the new initiatives recently taken by the Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Shahid Siddiqui. The University is expanding its scope of academic programs according to the market’s needs and interests of general public.

Marriyum Aurangzeb says JIT report not equal to SC decision

Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that JIT report is not equal to a decision by the Supreme Court.

She also said that contrary to the JIT report, the Supreme Court will give verdict according to law and constitution and that PM Nawaz Sharif will be successful. According to her, the volume 10 of the JIT report has still not been made public despite repeated requests.

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PML-N marks candidates to replace PM Nawaz if plan B required LA HOR E —Although the leadership of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has refused to accept the Panama Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report and made it quite clear that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will not step down, however the possible candidates for premiership are under consideration in plan B if PM has to leave his office. According to details, the names of Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, Defence Minister K hawaja Asif, M i n ister for Com merce Engi neer Khurram Dastgir and Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi are being discussed as Nawaz Sharif’s replacement.

Sources have further revealed

that two federal ministers are against Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan’s appointment as the prime minister because they do not consider him a senior member, and have openly opposed him as a nominee.

The probability of selecting a candidate from any coalition party is also being discussed, and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is a strong candidate for that.

Some groups are also backing Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq for the aforementioned post as he had defeated Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in the 2013 general elections, and his appointment as PM would surely hurt PTI chief.

Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Finance Minister

Ishaq Dar were the best options to replace Nawaz Sharif, but the JIT report has knocked out complete Sharif family, therefore, their names are not under consideration anymore. On the other hand, a debate has arisen in the PML-N camps regarding the seniority of members to replace PM Nawaz. It is now also a test for Nawaz Sharif, who is party chairman as well as the premier, to lead PML-N and the government out of trouble by taking right decisions. Furthermore, a responsible government official informed Dunya News that Nawaz Sharif will nominate the next PM himself if has to leave his office, but all the authorities to take official decisions will remain with him.

Uzbek Ambassador appreciated the professionalism of Pakistan Armed Forces LAHORE—Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif on Monday said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has set new records of transparency in development projects. “Indubitably, the credit of revolutionary steps of development and prosperity of the people goes to the Pakistan Muslim L e ag ue -Nawa z ( PM L N) government working under the leadership of PM Nawaz Sharif,” he said while talking to a delegation of PML-N is Lahore.

He said, “The people are fed up with politics of Pakistan Teh re ek- e -I n saf ( P T I ) Chairman Imran Khan, based on allegations, falseness and hypocrisy as he has set world-record of speaking lies at every occasion. The conscious people of Pakistan have rejected such negative politics of blame-game and deceitfulness.”

He said, “First a deepening conspiracy was hatched against the development and prosperity of the people

through sit-ins, then another plot was designed in shape of lockdown and now, the sit-in group is trying to play again with the destiny of the nation through deceit and allegations.” He said, “The elements trying to create political uncertainty and a situation of doubtfulness do not want progress and prosperity of the people. These elements are creating hardships for the people for their personal motives and are bent upon holding back the speedy process of development and prosperity of the country.” He said, “Imran Khan promoted a culture of name-calling and loutish in politics. His politics revolves round lies, hypocrisy and personal interests. However, the PML-N government has always given precedence to people’s prosperity as our politics is based on norms and good manners.

He said, “Imran Khan has always done the politics of chaos, allegations and lies and the sit-in group

obstructed development and prosperity of the country at every occasion. These defeated elements are active to disintegrate national unity and development by promoting anarchy. When the country is developing on solid grounds and various development and energy projects are being speedily completed in a transparent way, then any attempt to promote anarchy tantamount to enmity with the people.”

Shahbaz Sharif said, “The architect of negative politics has even left no stone unturned to put the national interests at stake just for the sake of power. The elements attempting to hamper the development and prosperity of the country and China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are enemies of the nation and the history will never forget such political elements trying to play havoc with the bright future of the country.” He said, “The elements attempting to create

anarchy, confrontation and chaos want to obstruct rapid development of Pakistan and the world-record holder politicians of U-turn are playing havoc with the destiny of the nation. These elements who are trying to create chaos have no concern with the development and changing destiny of the nation.” He said, “PML-N is a public party and believes in public service. The elements afraid of the popularity of PML-N government, in fact, are scared of speedy development of the country.”

“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is rapidly furthering the journey of national development and public welfare and Pakistan will definitely attain the destination of development and prosperity under the leadership of the Prime Minister, while the negative tactics of elements conspiring to put the country back will remain unsuccessful,” concluded the Chief Minister.

Pakistan warns India of ‘befitting response’ as DGMOs make hotline contact

Pakistan Army has warned of more strong and effective measures in case of any deliberate attempt to

target Pakistani side of the Line of Control (LoC) by Indian troops. The warning came from Director

General Military Operations (DGMO) Pakistan Major General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, during his weekly

hotline contact with his I ndia n cou nter pa r t on Monday. T he Di rector General notified Pakistan’s demarche to his Indian counterpart to protest deliberate targeting of Pakistan Army’s vehicle, resulting in martyrdom of four soldiers and injuring one soldier and a civilian passerby.

He emphasized the importance of controlling tactical actions of under-command troops, since these indiscretions can potentially spiral major standoffs. He said such acts have the potential to escalate, which will be extremely detrimental to peace and stability.

PESHAWAR—An explosion in Hayatabad area of Peshawar Monday morning has martyred Frontier Corp Major Jamal Sheeran and while 4 others have been reportedly injured, Inter Services Public Relations

(ISPR) informed in a statement. The security official was said to be on a routine patrol in the Hayatabad area, the statement said.

According to reports, the blast targetted a Frontier Corps vehicle while it was

moving. The bomb disposal unit officials stated that the bomber was riding a motorbike, wearing a suicide jacket with 10-11 kilogrammes of explosive material. They added that the attacker detonated the

explosive vest while bringing the motorbike close to the side of the vehicle where the major was sitting.

The area has been cordoned off while the wounded have been shifted to Hayatabad Medical Complex.

Explosion in Peshawar martyrs security official, injures 4

RAWALPINDI—H.E. Mr. Furkat Sidikov, Ambassador of Uzbekistan called on

General Zubair Mahmood H a y a t , C h a i r m a n JC S Committee at Joint Staff

Headquarters, Rawalpindi.

Matters related to bilateral security and defence cooperation between the two brotherly countries and regional security environment were discussed during the meeting. Both sides reaffirmed the resolve to continue supporting efforts for peace and stability in the region. The Uzbek Ambassador appreciated the professionalism of Pakistan Armed Forces and sacrifices made by Pakistan in war against terrorism.

2 Tuesday- July 18, 2017

THE DESTINATION

NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL PHOTO OF THE DAY

Education no more an attractive profession for teachers Low-quality teachers a threat to society, economy I S L A M A B A D —T h e Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) said that education is no longer an attractive profession for teachers which is a threat to the country.

Teachers suffer from general lack of respect and bad questionable working conditions which has forced many to opt for other profession resulting in increased gap in demand and supply which is a threat to country’s future, it said. The state-run education has become dysfunctional while private institutions

continue to exploit teachers more profit, said Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President PEW. Contrary to the business world the education and academic workforce enjoy very limited opportunities with no chance of changes on the horizon, he added. He asked the government and masses should stop teachers not worthy of higher pay and shorter hours which is not going down well with educators.

Dr. Murtaza Mughal said that student-teacher ratio, teacher

recruitment practices, management, attendance, teaching practices and absence of performance monitoring system in the majority of schools are resulting in problems. A prosperous future can only be ensured if it is realised that every child needs a teacher for which creation of thousands of new posts is required.

The supply of teachers is failing to keep pace with the demand, the world needs 7.5 million teachers to ensure every child’s right to basic

education, he added. He said that progress on reducing the number of out-of-school children has stalled which is a threat to the country. Policies and initiatives to address the problem of exclusion from education and reduce inequalities remain inadequate in many countries including Pakistan, he noted.

Government spending, as well as international aid, has seen cuts due to multiple reasons which has jeopardised future of millions of children.

China’s economy records steady growth in H1

Khanpur Dam is a dam located on the Haro River near Potowar Plateau and the village of Khanpur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, about 25 miles (40 km) from Islamabad, Pakistan.And 15 km from Haripur. It caters to domestic water supplies in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, and irrigation water to many of the agricultural and industrial areas surrounding the cities.

More than 400 acid attacks in Britain in just six months

LONDON—Britain’s Home Secret a r y A mber Rudd an nounced Sunday new measures to curb the growing number of acid attacks. Her move follows a spate of five attacks within a 90-minute period towards the end of last week in London. Two teenage boys were arrested after those attacks, and one of them aged 16 has been charged with criminal offences. Rudd said victims and survivors will be at the center of a new government strategy aimed at tackling the problem.

The announcement came as figures from the National Police Ch iefs’ Cou ncil

(NPCC) show that more than 400 acid or corrosive substance attacks were carried out in the six months up to April 2017 across police force areas in England and Wales.

In most of the attacks bleach, ammonia and acid were the most commonly used substances. The proposed new measures will be outlined in the House of Commons Monday by the Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability, Sarah Newton.

During the debate Labour MP Stephen Timms, will call for carrying acid to be made a crime, similar to carrying a knife.

Home Secretary Rudd said: “It is vital that we do everything we can to prevent these sickening attacks happening in the first place. We must also ensure that the police and other emergency services are able to respond as effectively as possible, that sentences reflect the seriousness of the offences and victims are given the immediate support they need.” As part of the action plan, the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) guidance to prosecutors will be reviewed to classify acid and other corrosive substances as dangerous weapons.

New guidance will also be

given to police officers on preventing attacks, including searching potential perpetrators for harmful substances.

Further work will also take place with retailers to agree measures to restrict sales of acids and harmful substances.

The Home Office said the measures will form part of a wide-ranging review of the law enforcement and criminal justice response, existing legislation, access to harmful products and the support offered to victims. Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Kearton, national police spokesperson for corrosive attacks, said Sunday: “Police have dealt with a number of high-profile cases in recent months and we continue to collect data from police forces across England and Wales to understand the scale and extent of these attacks and develop our ability to support and protect victims.”

In the journal Scars, Burns & Healing published on Thursday, acid attack survivor Katie Piper said victims face a life sentence.

In the article Piper said: “I will continue to need operations and therapy for life. For acid attack survivors, the aftermath is a life sentence.”—Xinhua

16 pilgrims killed, 27 injured in India bus accident Deadly road accidents are common in India, caused by overloading and bad condition of roads

S R I N AG A R , I n d i a n Occupied Kashmir—At least 16 Hindu pilgrims were killed and 27 others injured Sunday after a bus carrying them skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said. The accident took place in Ramban district, about 107 km south of

Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

“This afternoon a pilgrim bus skidded off the road and fell into Nashrana Nallah on Srinagar Jammu highway,” a police spokesman said.

“At least 16 pilgrims were killed on spot, while 19 are seriously injured and eight

others have suffered minor injuries.” Following the accident police and locals rushed to the spot to carry out rescue work and retrieve bodies. “The critical ones have been airlifted to Jammu, while as others with minor injuries have been referred to the nearest hospitals.”

The annual pilgrimage to

Hindi shrine of Amarnath began on June 29. More than 100,000 pilgrims have so far paid obeisance at the cave shrine perched high in the Himalayas. Deadly road accidents are common in India often caused by overloading, bad condition of roads and reckless driving.

BEI J I NG ( X i n hu a) - China’s economy continued steady expansion in the first half of this year with GDP up 6.9 percent year on year to about 38.2 trillion yuan (5.6 trillion U.S. dollars), data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Monday. The reading is well above the government’s target for the year of 6.5 percent. In the second quarter, GDP held steady at 6.9 percent year on year, flat from the first quarter.

China’s economy is operating within a reasonable range, maintaining stable, coordinated and sustainable development, said NBS spokesperson Xing Zhihong, “laying a solid foundation for achieving the annual target.”

On a quarterly basis, the economy grew 1.7 percent in the second quarter from

the previous quarter.

Industrial output expanded 6.9 percent year on year in the first six months, against 6 percent in the same period last year. Retail sales of consumer goods grew 10.4 percent year on year, up from 10 percent for the first quarter.

Fixed-asset investment grew 8.6 percent year on year in the first half, down 0.6 percentage points from the first quarter, while private sector investment was up 7.2 percent to 17 trillion yuan, accounting for 60.7 percent of the total. Xing said the steady growth was the result of progresses in supply-side structural reform and new development concepts.

The service sector, already accounting for 54.1 percent of the overall economy, expanded 7.7 percent year on year in the first half,

outpacing a 3.5 percent increase in primary industries and 6.4 percent in secondary industries, according to NBS data. Industrial capacity utilization stood at 76.4 percent in the first half, up 3.4 percentage points from a year ago. In terms of de-stocking in the property market, the floor space of unsold homes were down 9.6 percent at the end of June. Some 7.35 million new jobs were created in China’s urban regions from January to June, 180,000 more than the same period last year, while per capita disposable income grew 8.8 percent.

China aims to create more than 11 million jobs this year, 1 million more than last year’s target.

Xing also warned that there are still uncertainties and instabilities internationally,

while domestic long-term structural contradictions remain prominent. Looking ahead, Xing said more positive changes are on the way, and that the firming will be consolidated by improvement in the real economy and expansion of both external and domestic demand.

Nomura Securities said in a report after Monday’s data release that given the data, it is raising the forecast for the Q3 growth to 6.8 percent from the previous 6.6 percent, and the annual growth forecast to 6.8 percent from 6.7 percent. The forecast of a gradual growth slowdown due to a weakening property sector and the possible moderation of domestic demand, as well as uncertainties over external demand remained valid, said the report.

Gwadar to be made modern port city: Ahsan Iqbal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal Sunday said Gwadar would be made a modern port city of international standard and a master plan was being prepared for the purpose.

Number of development projects were underway there which would change the fate of the area as well as of

the region, he said talking to a private news channel. He said educational institutions were being set up including schools and a world class university to provide best education facilities. Project to provide clean drinking water has been launched while an electricity generation project has also been

started, he said.

The minister said that a state of the art hospital was also being established to provide modern health facilities to the people. Gwadar was a small town in 2013 which was now changing in a fast growing and developing city, he added. Ahsan Iqbal said economic activities

were increasing day by day in the port city and pace of speedy progress would further increase in the future.

He said that Pakistan was enjoying deep rooted relations with China and huge investment under ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was its evidence

Ex-Afghan intelligence chief announces the formation of new political party The former chief of the Afghan intelligence, National Directorate of Security (NDS), Rahmatullah Nabil, announced regarding the formation of a new political party. Speaking during a gathering in Kabul, Nabil said the new political party has been established under the name of Mehwar. Nabil further added that fight against discrimination is among the top perspectives of Mehwar political party.

According to Nabil, the leadership council of Mehwar party consists of 74 members. In other parts of his speech during the gathering, Nabil said the party will never support the collapse of the current government in power. He also insisted that the party has not been formed with an aim to seek role or partnership within the government of national unity. The former intelligence chief also criticized

the government of national unity for the lack of a proper perspective. He also called on the government leaders to take immediate steps to take the country out of the uncertainty and end the ongoing differences.The new political party, Mehwar’s formation was announced almost three months after a political coalition. The new political front was established by key political figures, including the first vice president

General Abdul Rashid Dostum, Balkh governor and Jamiat-e-Islami chief executive Ata Mohammad Noor, and deputy chief executive Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq. The leaders of the parties informed regarding the formation of the coalition earlier this month and said the political front has been established to rescue the country from the ongoing crisis.

Saudi Arabia launches new tourism initiatives within Vision 2030

R I YA DH — A s t o u r i s m becomes a major driver of the Saudi economy with its huge employment-generating potential, Saudi Arabia has launched six major initiatives to stimulate the travel and tourism industry. “The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) is reviewing its strategies to

be in conformity with Vision 2030 and contribute in achieving the goals of the National Transfor mation Program (NTP) 2020,”. Al-Nashmi pointed out that SR9.93 billion ($2.64 billion) have been allocated for these projects in the 2017 budget. According to a statement released by the SCTH, “the six initiatives

are aimed at streamlining the travel and tourism sector.” “ T he L ong Live Saud i Arabia Program is another initiative, while the development of Okaz city in Taif is yet another,” he added.

Other initiatives include “the Kingdom as a Muslim destination initiative,” “the development of integrated

tourism destinations,” and “the Kafalah program initiative” to finance commercial establishments for tourism projects. While 18 million people visited the Kingdom in 2016, most of them came for pilgrimage. Hence, the SCTH plan is to promote its travel and tourism sector to foreign and domestic tourists.

114 students graduated from Nangarhar medical faculty

Iranian President voices condolence on death of math genius

Malaria caused around 2000 deaths in South Sudan

Success against Da’esh in Mosul historic victory for Iraq

At least one hundred and fourteen students graduated from the medical faculty in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. According to the local government officials, a group of nineteen female students are also among those graduated from the faculty. The head of Nangahrar medical faculty Dr. Yahya Fahim said students from various provinces of the country are currently studying medical sciences in Nangarhar medical faculty.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a message expressed condolence on the sad demise of Iranian renowned math genius Maryam Mirzakhani. Maryam Mirzakhani was a well known math genius in Iran and the world who died out of cancer. In the message, President Rouhnai highlighted moral characteristic of the female math genius who was source of pride for Iranian women and youth that spared no efforts to conquer picks of scientific advancements globally.

The United Nations says malaria has caused around two thousand deaths in South Sudan during last six months, warning that the situation is likely to deteriorate in coming days. The United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in its latest report that over nine hundred twenty eight thousand malaria cases have been reported in the country since last January. UN and other Humanitarians organizations are into it.

Iraqi ambassador to Pakistan, Dr. Ali Yassin Mohammed Karim said that Iraq’s success against Da’esh in Mosul, a “historic victory” against terrorism, which is not confined to Iraq only, it’s a global success of all peace loving nations.

Dr. Ali Yassin Mohammed Karim was addressing a press conference at Embassy of Republic of Iraq in Pakistan. He opined that Nine months ago, the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces announced the start of operations

THE DESTINATION

Tuesday- July 18, 2017

3

NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL Rana Tahir Shahbaz Source: tourism.gov.my

M

alaysia has an abundance of theme parks spread out across the country, and with many more to come. Currently home to 16 theme parks and water parks and with plans to open another 10 in the next few years, Malaysia is fast becoming the theme park capital of Southeast Asia. They have theme parks to satisfy any taste. Whether it’s action and adventure or family-friendly fun you’re after, you’ll be able to find it in Malaysia.

Sunway Lagoon – Selangor (www.sunwaylagoon.com)

A’Famosa – Melaka (www.afamosa.com) Founder and Chief Editor: Rana Tahir Shahbaz Editor: Tayyaba Imran Contact #: 051-8314196 Fax#: 051-8315196 Mob#: 0300-8503803, 0347-5959747 www.thedestination.com.pk info@thedestination.com.pk

MALAYSIA

Top 5 amusement parks Located just 40 minutes away from KL city centre, this immense park contains 80 attractions over a 360,000 square meter area. It includes both a water park and a dry park providing nonstop fun for the whole family. The water park is home to the world’s largest water ride, the Vuvuzela, as well as the world’s largest man-made surf beach with waves reaching up to 8 feet. The Extreme Park contains Malaysia’s first bungee and thrill seekers will certainly find something for them in the Scream Park. There really is something for everyone.

Lost World of Tambun – Perak

This is one of the earliest of the bunch, opening its doors way back in 1992 as a water park.

It has since expanded and is now home to a number of different parks. Highlights include the Animal Safari World in which animals roam around and perform tricks, the Cowboy Town taking you back to the Wild West with nightly shows, and of course the Water World, home to magnificent water slides and pools. Another great advantage of A’Famosa is that just outside the doors lies the historic and fascinating town of Melaka to explore.

Escape Adventure Park – Penang (www.onlypenang.com)

Legoland – Johor (www.legoland.com.my)

This is a definite must for all Lego lovers out there (of which there are many!). After opening in 2012, Legoland Malaysia theme park has expanded to include a water park, Lego hotel and the brand new NINJAGO World! The park is split into themed areas including Lego Kingdoms, the Land of Adventure and Miniland these include interactive rides and shows for all ages.

Even the hotel itself is an experience. It boasts guestrooms in the themes of pirate, kingdom or adventure so you can immerse yourself and get lost in the magic of the place.

50 College Instructors Become Cisco-Certified Trainers

The Lost World of Tambun has loads of attractions to keeps you busy for days. Unbelievably it contains an amusement park, water park, adventure park, petting zoo, tiger park and tin-mining experience! Included in this in Malaysia’s longest man-made river adventure, clocking in at 660 metres in length. Lost World by name and lost world by nature, this park is located in the stunning natural rainforest and Limestone Mountains of Perak, giving visitors the feel of escaping the hustle and bustle of city life.

Writers are requested to send their contributions at editor@thedestination.com.pk

Escape describes itself as “Low Tech, High Fun”, and that’s what you get at this back-to-nature adventure park. Here, you get to do some of the work for yourself from climbing trees like a monkey to flying through the forest on a zip wire like a lemur and leaping from the treetops on a safety wire. They also have downhill tube racing, aerobatics and, for the young ones, the monkey school and tots trail.

This is a great way to get the kids active and out in nature while having the time of their lives.

UAE orchestrated hacking of Qatari govt sites WASHINGTON—The United Arab Emirates (UAE) orchestrated the hacking of Qatari government news and social media sites in order to post incendiary false quotes attributed to Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani, in late May that sparked the ongoing upheaval between Qatar and its neighbors, according to U.S. intelligence officials. Officials became aware last week that newly analyzed information gathered

by U.S. intelligence agencies confirmed that on May 23, senior members of the UAE government discussed the plan and its implementation.

The officials said it remains unclear whether the UAE carried out the hacks itself or contracted to have them done. The false reports said that the emir, among other things, had called Iran an “Islamic power” and praised Hamas. The hacks and posting took place on May 24, shortly after President Trump completed a lengthy

counterterrorism meeting with Persian Gulf leaders in neighboring Saudi Arabia and declared them unified. Citing the emir’s reported comments, the Saudis, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt immediately banned all Qatari media. They then broke relations with Qatar and declared a trade and diplomatic boycott, sending the region into a political and diplomatic tailspin that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has warned could undermine U.S. counterterrorism efforts against the Islamic State.

In a statement released in Washington by its Ambassador, Yousef al-Otaiba, the UAE said, “The Post article was false.” “The UAE had no role whatsoever in the alleged hacking described in the article.

What is true is Qatar’s behavior. Funding, supporting, and enabling extremists from the Taliban to Hamas and Qadafi. Inciting violence, encouraging

radicalization, and undermining the stability of its neighbors,” the statement said. The revelations come as emails purportedly hacked from Otaiba’s private account have circulated to journalists over the past several months. That hack has been claimed by an apparently pro-Qatari organization calling itself GlobalLeaks. Many of the emails highlight the UAE’s determination over the years to rally Washington thinkers and policymakers to its side on the issues at the center of its dispute with Qatar. nAll of the Persian Gulf nations are members of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State. More than 10,000 U.S. troops are based at Qatar’s al-Udeid Air Base, the U.S. Central Command’s regional headquarters, and Bahrain is the home of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.

All are purchasers of U.S. defense equipment and tied to U.S. foreign policy priorities in numerous ways.

Chinese delegation interested to invest in Pakistan’s agriculture sector

Peshawar—The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) held a graduation ceremony today for 50 instructors that completed a 10 day IT course offered by Cisco through the Skills for Youth Project. The instructors will go on to deliver the training to young men and women in Cisco academies across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. The training is part of the U.S. Government’s commitment to impart employable skills to 132 instructors and more than 3,200 students and to establish 40 Cisco academies at public institutions.

“The benefits of ICTs are not limited to economic development—it also enables a wide range of opportunities for social development, including improved access to education, communication & Information technology, public service and healthcare. USAID Skills for Youth Project has provided our youth an opportunity to choose a path towards stability,” said Ms. Razia Sultana Vice Chancellor Shaheed Benazir women University Peshawar.. Arshad Umerzai, Special Advisor on Technical Education to the KP Chief Minister.

The 18 month, $2.9 million USAID-funded Skills for Youth Project is USAID’s f irst Global Development Alliance-based activity in Pakistan. Through the project, USAID has partnered with Cisco Systems and World Learning in the private sector and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa IT Board to bring cer tified employable skills to the youth in KP and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

The project is also working with potential employers to place the top 30% trainees under internships and job opportunities.

A delegation of Chinese entrepreneurs led by Lee of Ministry of Commerce, China visited Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) on Monday and showed interest to make investment in Pakistan’s agriculture sector to produce silk worms, mulberries and many other agro products.

Speaking at the occasion, Lee said that Chinese entrepreneurs were looking for suitable land to set up an agriculture farm in the first phase and in the second phase they would set up a factory in Pakistan to produce silk. He said their investment was likely to create 30,000 new jobs in Pakistan. He was of the opinion that the establishment of silk factory in Pakistan would make it self-sufficient in silk production and it will not have to import silk from China.

The Chinese delegation discussed many possibilities

of investment in local agriculture sector as they considered Pakistan a potential country for business and investment in this sector.

Speaking at the occasion, Khalid Iqbal Malik, President, ICCI said that Pakistan was an agriculture country and it offered huge investment opportunities to foreign investors in various sectors of agriculture including crops, seeds and tree farming, livestock, dairy farming, milk processing.

He stressed that Chinese investors should bring in latest machinery and technology in agriculture sector that would help in improving Pakistan’s agricultural productivity and enhance its per acre yield. He said by investing in Pakistan, Chinese investors could export agri products to Middle East, Central Asia, Europe, Afghanistan and many other countries.

He said Potohar region and District Chakwal were suitable for production of many agro products including silk worms, olive oil, mulberries, grapes and others. He assured that Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry would fully cooperate with Chinese investors in identifying land for agriculture investment in this region. Khalid Malik Senior Vice President ICCI received the Chinese delegation and introduced them to the local business leaders. He said that Pakistan was endowed with fertile land for agriculture and Chinese investors should take benefit by investing in Pakistan. Tahir Ayub Vice President ICCI, Zafar Bakhtawari, Baser Daud and others also spoke at the occasion and informed the Chinese delegation about potential areas of investment in local agriculture sector. DNA

HBAC of Senate meets House Business Advisory Committee (HBAC) of the Senate met here at the Parliament House on Monday.

The Committee, presided over by Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani, discussed in detail the business to be transacted during the 264th Session of the Senate. Current session has been summoned on the requisition of opposition. The Committee also offered condolences on the sudden death of Agha Shahbaz Durrani. Members of the Committee paid rich tributes to the services of late Agha Shahbaz Durrani.

While offering Fateh, the Committee prayed to Allah Almighty to rest the departed soul in the eternal peace. Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani said, “Late Agha Shahbaz Durrani was most vocal voice of Balochistan and always raised issues related to the people of Balochistan. His services for democracy would long be remembered.” Besides other important issues of national and international significance the Session took up condolence resolution and reference for Senator Agha Shahbaz Khan Durrani, sitting

member of the Senate of Pakistan who passed away on 25th June, 2017.

The meeting was also attended by Leader of the House Raja Muhammad Zafar ul Haq, Leader of the Opposition Aitzaz Ahsan, Senator Taj Haider, Senator Ilyas Ahmad Bilour, Senator Saleem Zia, Senator Mushahidullah Khan, Senator Azam Khan Swati, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Aftab Ahmed Shaikh, Secretary Senate Amjed Pervez Malik and other senior officers of the Senate Secretariat. DNA

NATO urges Turkey, Germany to resolve airbase dispute

Syrian army seizes string of oil wells in southwest Raqqa province

India to face discomfiture if it doesn’t withdraw troops from Doklam

South Korea proposes military talks with North Korea

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has called on Turkey and Germany to put an end to their dispute over lawmakers’ visiting Turkish air bases. The disagreement between the two countries began after Turkey refused to allow German lawmakers to visit military personnel at Incirlik and Konya bases.

China says India will face embarrassment if it does not withdraw border troops to its own side from the Doklam region. Official Xinhua news agency in a commentary said there is no room for negotiations to resolve the military face-off and the only solution is withdrawal of Indian troops. It said India should not regard the existing situation as the same or even similar to the previous two standoffs in 2013 and 2014 near Ladakh when the diplomatic efforts helped to end the frictions.

First round of Brexit talks begins in Brussels yesterday

The first round of negotiations on Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union began in Brussels yesterday. Brexit Secretary David Davis will meet the EU’s Michel Barnier for four days of talks between their teams. Michel Barnier will press Davis to agree to Britain covering substantial British financial commitments and offer more detail on other British proposals.

Syrian army has seized a string of oil wells in southwest Raqqa province. State-owned Ikhbariyah television quoted a military source as saying the army had taken control of Wahab, al Fahd, Dbaysan, al-Qseer, Abu al Qatat and Abu Qatash oil fields and several other villages in the desert area that lies in the southwest of Raqqa.

Talking to media, South Korea’s Vice Defense Minister Suh Choo-suk proposed Friday for military talks with the North Korea at Tongilgak to stop all hostile activities that raise military tension at the military demarcation line. The proposal came roughly a week after President Moon Jae-in said the need for dialogue with North Korea was more pressing than ever to curb Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs.

Britain to take responsibility for money it owes to EU after leaving bloc

Britain says it will take responsibility for the money it owes to the European Union after leaving the bloc. This was stated by British Finance Minister Philip Hammond while talking to BBC. Hammond said Britain’s financial settlement would be top of the agenda when the Brexit negotiations resume in Brussels.

Published by Rana Tahir Shahbaz from Office # 2 , First Floor, Abbasi Plaza , Bani Gala Islamabad (ph: 051-8314196, fax: 051-8315196) & Printed at Roohani Art Press Islamabad

THE DESTINATION

4 Tuesday- July 18, 2017

Export management, trade diplomacy needs improvement: Small traders ISLAMABAD—Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders said textile sector which is the backbone of the economy is slowly collapsing, therefore, the government should take note of the plight of this sector.

Weak trade diplomacy and semi-educated export managers proved to be a double whammy for the export sector which was already reeling under various problems, it said. Failed trade diplomacy is one of the reasons behind dwindling exports which has forced the government to borrow from international lenders repeatedly to save the country from default, said Patron Islamabad Chamber

of Small Traders Shahid Rasheed Butt.

He said that fundamental changes should be introduced in the export sector otherwise the government will have no option to borrow to keep forex reserves within respectable limits.

Textile sector, the backbone of the economy is going down for which incompetent export managers who were appointed on political considerations are responsible for the current dismal situation, he added. Shahid Rasheed Butt said that exports of the other countries are going well but local authorities get comfort in blaming the global recession. He said that Rs 14

billion textile sector holds 57 percent share in exports, 46 percent in manufacturing, 38 percent in labour and nine percent share in GDP which was left at the mercy of the incompetent officials who prefer to spend most of their time abroad.

He said that textile sector continues to await refund claims worth billion rupees which has compromised its ability which is a great threat to 3.5 million people linked to it. Other countries stabilise their forex reserves through exports while Pakistan is forced to beg for it which required radical changes in the export sector plagued by nepotism, he said.

Spotlight: New twist emerges in Brazil’s political crisis

by Edgardo Loguercio BRASILIA—Brazil’s political crisis saw fresh developments this week after a congressional commission rejected the corruption charges against President Michel Temer, while former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for corruption. Far from stabilizing matters, the developments are only increasing the uncertainty. Temer survived the vote in the Chamber of Deputies’ Commission on Constitution, Justice and Citizenship (CCJ) because his allies swapped 13 members of the CCJ at the last minute.

This marked the first time a sitting president has received criminal charges. The case against Temer began in May when Joesley Batista, owner of the meatpacking group JBS, confessed to investigators that he had paid bribes to the president. He also turned over an audio recording, in which Temer can seemingly be heard signing off on bribing public officials.

The CCJ vote is a plus for Temer, but it is only a nonbinding recommendation for the Chamber, which is set to vote on the charges after its current two-week recess. According to Ricardo Caldas, a professor of political science at the University of Brasilia, the government obtained some breathing space through this victory, especially after the Senate approved Temer’s landmark labor reform. “Temer’s victories with the approval of the labor reform and in the CCJ were positive. He reinforced his image somewhat, he won some time. His margin of operation increased. His exit

is not a done deal,” Caldas told Xinhua.

“At some point, Temer will face trouble to continue. I feel the president will not make it to the end of the government, but there is no doubt that he increased his chances of political survival this week,” he added. The ongoing political crisis was complicated by a lack of positive signs in the economy. On Friday, the Central Bank announced that economic activity had contracted by 0.51 percent in April. This somber situation shows that the 1 percent growth seen in the first quarter, after two years of recession, has not continued.

Such permanent stagnation is favoring the opponents of the government. Yet Lula, who has been regarded as the presumptive favorite for the 2018 elections, is now facing being barred from holding public office.

Federal Judge Sergio Moro found Lula guilty on charges of receiving bribes from the construction company OAS S.A., although the former president has firmly denied the accusation. The verdict will only apply if Lula loses

his appeal and he has combatively vowed to run for president next year. “The condemnation of President Lula was expected. Uncertainty remains over whether he will be a candidate or not, but ... I do not think he will,” Caldas said. Lula’s appeal could last from six to 18 months, meaning that, if it is drawn out, he might still have a chance. Brazilian political forces on all sides are taking advantage of the current recess to debate potential strategies. For Temer and the government, the main risk comes from the Chamber of Deputies. If the Chamber sees a two-thirds majority, or 342 votes, in favor of the charges, the case will return to the Supreme Court, which will decide on whether or not to put Temer on trial. If so, the president will step down for up to 18 months while an impeachment process begins.

Chamber of Deputies Speaker Rodrigo Maia would assume the presidency in an interim capacity. Both sides have agreed to hold a full Chamber vote on Aug. 2, but a debate may push this back.—Xinhua

Pakistan Council on China to host its annual forum on CPEC Pakistan Council on China (PCC) is going to hold its annual forum on the prospects and challenges of ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on Wednesday in Islamabad.

Deputy Chief of Mission at Chinese Embassy in Pakistan,

Lijian Zhao and Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua will be the key note speakers of the forum.

The aim of the conference is to help foster better understanding for the future prospects and challenges in the implementation of-CPEC.

Director of Pakistan Council on China, Hamayoun Khan said, “The main objective of this conference is to discuss how Pakistan can benefit more from CPEC which is the f lagship project of Chinese President Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative

Export management, trade diplomacy needs improvement: Small traders

NEW YORK—Even though investments towards sustainable development in developing countries have fallen short by nearly $2.5 trillion each year, emerging financial products and encouraging policies illustrate that both public and private sectors are serious about correcting that trend, the United Nations environment arm has said. In its new report on green finance, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has noted that the G20 and other countries have taken huge strides over the last year towards mobilizing public resources and private capital needed to make sustainable

development and climate action a reality.

“The world has committed to creating a better future for people and planet. But we will not be able to achieve [this] vision without the global financial system using its capital to fuel the transformation,” said the Executive Director of UNEP, Erik Solheim, in a statement announcing the findings. “This new research shows encouraging progress in this regard. From a record number of new green finance measures to ambitious plans for green finance hubs, we are seeing the smart money move to green financing,” he added.

CPLC launches separate websites to identify stolen cell phones KARACHI—The CitizensPolice Liaison Committee (CPLC) has launched two websites for identification of unclaimed bodies and verification of snatched or stolen cell phone. An official of the CPLC said the information about the identification of unclaimed bodies will be available on shanakht.cplc.org. pk. Thousands of recovered mobile phones have so far been returned to the owners after due verification, says mobilephone. cplc.org.pk website. The website has been developed to facilitate the buyers to verify the IMEI numbers of used mobile phones before purchasing.

Buyers can also verify the IMEI numbers through CPLC Helpline 1102.

Chief CPLC Sindh Zubair Habib said in a message said identification of unknown dead bodies always posed a challenge to law-enforcement agencies. “The usual reasons of non-identification of dead bodies are the non-availability of a proper history of the deceased and decomposition. Such dead bodies are kept in mortuaries for some time in the hopes that the next-of-kin may come looking for their loved ones and claim the bodies for burial after appropriate identification,” he said. The chief CPLC Sindh

said the results in this regard were not encouraging, probably because of the lack of knowledge about the whereabouts of such morgues. To address this problem, CPLC in collaboration with the Edhi Trust, has taken an initiative through a project called Shanakht, for the identification of such bodies, with the motive that there should be an effective mechanism so that whenever a dead body is found, relatives of the missing persons should be contacted to identify it, he said.

“Under this project, unidentified bodies are identified through the biometric scan technology that utilizes

China, Poland urged to seize opportunity of Belt & Road Initiative for closer cooperation WARSAW (Xinhua) -- China and Poland should seize the new opportunities arising from the Belt and Road Initiative and “China-CEE 16+1 mechanism” to deepen mutually-beneficial cooperation, China’s top legislator Zhang Dejiang has said.

Zhang, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), paid an official friendly visit to Poland between July 12 and July 16, during which he met with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Prime Minister Beata Szydlo and parliamentary leaders. During his meeting with Duda, Zhang said that traditional friendship between the two peoples is consolidated. In the past two years, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Duda exchanged visits and the two nations work to build a comprehensive strategic partnership, which opens a new chapter in the Sino-Polish relations, Zhang said.

China, Zhang said, attaches great importance to developing relations with Poland and regards Poland as an important cooperation partner in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the European Union (EU).

The two sides should seize the new opportunities generated by the Belt and Road Initiative and “China-CEE 16+1 mechanism”, so as to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in the areas of economy, trade and investment, and to forge ahead with bilateral relations, Zhang said.

Duda praised China’s development, saying that his country looks forward to deepening cooperation through construction of Belt and Road Initiative projects, strengthening communication and coordination on international issues, safeguarding common interests and continuously enriching the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in 2013, refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. It aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes. The 16+1 mechanism is a platform created in April 2012 by China and 16 Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries.

In his meeting with Prime Minister Beata Szydlo,

Zhang mentioned Szydlo’s attendance to the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in May, during which leaders of the two countries reached a series of new important consensuses on strengthening China-Poland relations.

Both nations, Zhang said, could make use of existing mechanisms and platforms to deepen infrastructure cooperation, improve service of the China-Europe freight trains and expand new areas of cooperation. Zhang also said China attaches importance to developing relations with the EU and is willing to work with the EU countries, including Poland, to continually promote the relations between China and the EU. For her part, Szydlo said the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi is of great significance to a more balanced and sustainable development of global economy. Poland is implementing a new development strategy, and would welcome China’s participation in Poland’s infrastructure construction and closer cooperation in small- and medium-sized enterprises, she said.

During his stay in Warsaw, Zhang also held

talks respectively with his Polish counterparts, Stanislaw Karczewski, Marshall of Polish Senate and Marek Kuchcinski, Speaker of Poland’s Sejm (or Lower House of the Polish Parliament).

Zhang made suggestions on strengthening cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries. He said the legislative bodies should maintain the momentum of friendly exchanges, constantly enhance mutual trust and understanding, and support each other’s core interests.

Zhang also called for reinforcing exchanges of experience between the two countries in the area of legislation and supervision, and promoting friendly exchanges in culture, education and tourism.Karczewski and Kuchcinski agreed that strengthening exchanges and cooperation between the legislative bodies is of great significance to the development of two-way ties.

Polish Senate and Sejm have supported the government to strengthen cooperation with China and are willing to make more efforts in this end.

Zhang and Kuchcinski signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the China’s NPC and the Polish Sejm

Pakistan Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PCMEA) has expressed resentment over the cold shoulder of the government toward decrease of exports in the country. Address the participants of the weekly meeting here on Sunday, Senior Vice Chairman PCMEA Riaz Ahmed has said that India was busy to reduce the Pakistani exports in international market and a huge sum of amount is being spent by Indian government to decrease the Pakistani exports. He said although a large number of incentives have been announced by the government to boost the country’s exports, but the exports could not gained the desired results due to cold attitude towards the export industry. He also said that textile sector which is the backbone of the economy is slowly collapsing, therefore, the government should take note of the plight of this sector also. He urged the government to provide sufficient incentives to the exporters to enable them

to compete with the tradition rival, India along with other competitors in the international market. He said that practical steps of the government are very important to gain the desired results. He said failed trade diplomacy is one of the reasons behind dwindling exports which has forced the government to borrow from international lenders repeatedly to save the country from default. “Weak trade diplomacy and semi-educated export managers proved to be a double whammy for the export sector which was already reeling under various problems,” he said. Textile sector, the backbone of the economy is going down for which incompetent export managers who were appointed on political considerations are responsible for the current dismal situation, he added. On the occasion, he said that due to government support in Bangladesh, the country has reached the target of US 34 billion dollars, due to which the exports of

the country are increasing on day by day. He said the Bangladeshgovernment is trying to further expand the export by US 50 billion dollars.

He said that exports of the other countries are going well but local authorities get comfort in blaming the global recession. As compared, Pakistani exports are decreasing day by day, he said. He said that the 35th International Carpet Exhibition is scheduled to be held in Lahore from 5-7 October this year. He said that major countries of the world including South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member states are also scheduled to participate in the exhibition. Riaz Ahmed reiterated his demand to direct the Commercial Attaches in Pakistani Embassies including Consulates abroad for marketing and advertisement of Pakistani products for enhancing exports of Pakistani products in international market.

India busy to enhance exports to discourage Pak exports in int’l market

Micro-credit outreach witnesses 22 % growth

British carrier easyJet planning new Austria-based airline

Indonesia’s export reaches 11.64 b USD in June

Honda recalls more than 1 mln cars in U.S. over battery fires

The micro-credit outreach domain in the country, continued to exhibit upward trend, has witnessed 22 percent growth during 2016.

The government, recognizing need to protect the poor and the vulnerable, has launched several social safety net programmes and one of them was micro-finance which is considered an important player in promoting financial inclusion agenda. During the period, Gross Loan Portfolio registered a 47 per cent growth while micro-savings, on the other hand, posted considerable growth under active savers by 65 per cent and value of savings by 88 per cent which is attributable to increase in m-wallet accounts and taping higher ticket size.

British budget airline easyJet Friday announced it plans to set up a new airline headquartered in Vienna, Austria, having already applied for an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and an airline operating license here. If granted the accreditation would give the airline permission to establish a third company wing, called “easyJet Europe” alongside its existing operations in Britain and Switzerland. All are to be owned by Britain-based parent easyJet plc. The move is being interpreted by Austrian media as a means for the airline to be able to continue to offer flights within the European Union (EU) in anticipation of the upcoming Brexit.

Export of products from Indonesia was recorded at 11.64 billion U.S. dollars in June, the national statistics bureau announced here on Monday. That compares with 12.92 billion U.S. dollars shipment of the products overseas in June of last year. The cumulative exports by June grew 14.04 percent to 79.96 billion U.S. dollars from a year earlier, head of the bureau Kecuk Suhariyanto told a press conference at the bureau headquarters. Experts have said that a seasonal factor of shorter working day and a trend of lower commodities’ prices have contributed to the decline of shipment of Indonesia’s products overseas in June 2017.

Honda will voluntarily recall more than 1 million Accord vehicles in the United States after receiving several reports of the cars’ battery sensors causing fires in the engine, the Japanese automaker said Thursday in a statement. Approximately 1.15 million Accord vehicles produced between 2013 and 2016 in the United States would be subject to the recall, said the company.

Honda said it had received four reports of engine compartment fires in the United States related to this issue, all within the states where salt is used to clear roads in the winter. According to the company.