Winter Vacations Again : Punjab Educational Institutions Will Remain Off Till 31 Jan

ISLAMABAD: This Urgent Decision will take off due to Hard Winter in whole Punjab. Also, there are a chances of terror attack. 

So, At Late Night, Govt Took Decision of Vocations in Whole Province Of Punjab From 26 January 2016 To 31 January 2016.

According To the issued Notice, Only Educational Institutions will remain Off.

Vacations Due To High Winter In Punjab, Pakistan

Pakistan Army Chief GEN. RAHEEL SHARIF Says He Will Retire On Time

PAKISTAN ARMY CHIEF HAS DISMISSED REPORTS THAT HE WOULD SEEK AN EXTENSION TO HIS TENURE LATER THIS YEAR.

Chief Of Army Staff (COAS) Gen. Raheel Sharif confirmed Monday he will retire at the end of his tenure later this year, ending media speculation surrounding his role and opening up arguably the most powerful position in the country.

Sharif, widely credited with bringing a semblance of security back to the insurgency-plagued country, said in a meeting with his top officials on Monday that he planned to seek no extension. “Pakistan Army is a great institution,” Army spokesman Lt. Gen. Asim Bajwa quoted Sharif as saying on Twitter. “I don’t believe in extension and will retire on the due date.”

“Efforts to [root] out terrorism will continue with full vigor and resolve. Pakistan’s national interest is supreme and will be safe guarded at all costs,” he added.

Sharif was named Army chief in 2013, when his predecessor General Ashfaq Kayani’s term, which had been extended by three years, came to an end. Sharif is due to step down this year.

Former military leaders Pervez Musharraf and Zia-ul-Haq also extended their own rule during their time in power.

The announcement, which came less than a week after Taliban-linked militants killed 21 people in an attack on a university in the troubled northwest, was quickly praised on social media and broadcast television.

Under Sharif, the Pakistani military launched an offensive in the tribal areas in June 2014, where militants had previously operated with impunity. The Army claims to have killed thousands of insurgents and swept many others over the porous border into Afghanistan, contributing to a boost in security in 2015.

However, critics are concerned that rights are being rolled back in the name of defeating terror, citing the creation of military courts and the resumption of hangings after a six-year moratorium, among other moves.

Pakistan has been ruled by the military for more than half its 69-year history and the armed forces are widely seen as controlling defense and foreign policy. Whoever takes over Sharif’s role will face an array of daunting challenges, including keeping homegrown militants in check, vexed relations with India and the role Pakistan wants to play in promoting peace in Afghanistan.

Five terrorists involved in Bacha Khan University attack identified, arrested: Bajwa

Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt General Asim Bajwa on Saturday said five of the terrorists and their facilitators involved in Charsadda attack have been caught and their identities ascertained.

At least 22 people were killed as terrorists armed with ammunition and bombs targeted Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on January 20.

“These five terrorists have been identified as Riaz, Noorullah, Adil, Zia and Ibrahim,” DG ISPR said while addressing a press conference.

“While Omar commanded the militants from Afghanistan during the attack, Adil, who had earlier worked as a mason in Bacha Khan University, receded to provide information to the attackers.”

“A few days ago, Adil, a labourer, was doing some masonry work in the university, where he made a map of the campus which he could explain to the rest of the assailants,” Bajwa said, adding, “Adil is also the one who helped the attackers figure out their way into the university.”

Ameen Rehman has also been identified as one of the terrorists and his credentials confirmed with NADRA, Bajwa maintained.

The militants entered Mardan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through Afghanistan’s Torkham border and stayed in two houses there, he said adding, “They were provided with arms and ammunition from Darra Adam Khel area.”

DG ISPR reiterated that phone calls were made from Afghanistan to carry out the attack.

Investigation is still underway to confirm financial resources of terrorists, he added.

Russian Army to hold first ever military exercises with Pakistan in 2016

Russian Army Commander-in-Chief Oleg Salyukov on Friday said that Russian ground forces will hold first ever military exercises with Pakistan in this year.

“As part of interaction with our foreign colleagues in 2016, we have scheduled seven joint exercises with the involvement of the relevant units of foreign states. The Army will hold the Russian-Vietnamese exercise and the first ever Russian-Pakistani special drills in mountainous terrain,” Russian Army Commander -in-Chief said.

“The Peace Mission – 2016, the joint drills of peace-keeping forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization code-named Indestructible Brotherhood, the Frontier-2016 joint command and staff drills, the Indra-2016 Russian-Indian exercises and the Selenga-2016 Russian-Mongolian drills will be held,” Oleg Salyukov added.

Also, joint anti-terror command and staff exercises of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation will be held, he said.

Terrorists attack Bacha Khan University in Charsadda Pakistan : Search Operation Continue

CHARSADDA: Blasts and heavy gunfire were heard from inside Bacha Khan University in Charsadda as gunmen broke into the premises early Wednesday morning.

Emergency has been declared at all hospitals in the area while army personnel arrived at the scene. 15 have been killed in the attack so far while over 20 are injured.

Meanwhile, PTI MPA Shaukat Yousufzai said over 20 people have been killed. “The situation inside is bad and we expect the death toll to rise,” he adds.

ISPR Asim Bajwa said in latest tweet that :

Charsadda Update:clearance of university block by block continues by Army troops.No firing being heard

Saudia & Iran don't consider each other enemies: PM Nawaz

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Iran do not consider each other enemies. "Both nations are against hostility and conflict," he said adding that, “There exist some misunderstandings and issues which needed to be resolved through bilateral consultation in a peaceful manner”.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif along with Army Chief Raheel Sharif is in Tehran to diffuse tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Iranian Defence Minister said this visit of PM Nawaz Sharif is 'extremely important'. “We hope that his meeting with Iranian President will be fruitful,”

Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran have waxed and waned. Relations between the two countries soured particularly after the Iranian Revolution, the nuclear programme, the 2011 alleged Iran assassination plot and more recently the execution of a prominent Shia leader - Nimr al-Nimr – by the Saudi government.

Iran is not a part of the 34-nation anti-terrorism alliance announced by Saudi Arabia. The Islamic Military Alliance was announced as a measure to counter terror outfits, especially the Islamic State militant group. The Syria crisis – however – speaks of a different situation.

Pakistan uplift ban on YouTube. Now Youtube will open in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday Atlast lifted ban from YouTube, It was blocked from 3 years across the country due to blasphemous content which sparked violent protests.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has now ordered to all internet service providers (ISPs) to unblock the popular video sharing website.

Earlier, the Ministry of Information Technology issued a directive to the PTA to restore YouTube service within 48 hours.

Talking to media, the Ministry of Information Technology Spokesman Sagheer Anwar Wattoo and PTA officials confirmed that the directive was issued.


On Saturday, the PTA requested the Supreme Court of Pakistan to revoke a ban on YouTube after the website launched its localised version for Pakistan.

In its petition, the PTA informed the court that the Pakistani version of the website did not contain any sacrilegious material and there was no need to block YouTube now.

However, the PTA said, the authority will keep monitoring the online content on the video portal.

YouTube was blocked in Pakistan on September 18, 2012 after its administration and Google Incorporation refused to comply with a request by Islamabad and some other Muslim countries to remove a blasphemous video from the site.

It may be mentioned that YouTube ban has been a major issue for researchers and students in Pakistan and there was a big reaction from educationalists and students when YouTube was banned in Pakistan.

Pakistan National Assembly Launches Social Media Accounts (Facebook & Twitter)

Pakistan’s National Assembly Now finally be stepping into the 21^st century after deciding to launch their social media accounts. Decision to creat accounts on social media  was undertaken recently, following the meeting chaired by Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker National Assembly.

The National Assembly will now have official social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter, reflecting how modern democracies are building towards e-governance initiatives by connecting the public and media at large.

The Objectives for Social Media Accounts of National Assembly

According to Mr. Ayaz Sadiq, it is the need of the hour for the august body to grant extensive public access to the Parliament and for the purpose of spreading timely and official information in this technological age. The Speaker said that it is important for new strategies and policies to be implemented for effective public communication and the move to establish social media accounts for National Assembly is a move in the exact direction.

The aim of these social media accounts is not only to be a source of instant information but also to benefit the public by bringing in accessibility, transparency and accountability in the affairs of the National Assembly. Journalists will also be able to report easily given the direct public access they gain with the parliament’s representatives via the social media accounts.

Following the directives of the Speaker of the National Assembly, the National Assembly’s media wing has launched social media pages on Facebook and Twitter. You can find them here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalAssemblyofPakistan
Twitter : https://twitter.com/NAofPakistan

National Assembly of Pakistan Goes Social

At the meeting, Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq directed the officials of the Secretariat of the National Assembly to prepare a social media team that’s quick, timely and exhibits the highest standards of professionalism in managing the accounts.

YouTube Launch A Local Version For Pakistan

YouTube Introduce a localized version for Pakistanis

Also, YouTube has started displaying “YouTube PK” as its default logo on the website for users in Pakistan. While its not entirely clear, this move hints that a localized version of YouTube has been in play instead of default global version that Pakistanis used to get till few days ago.

Although, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Saturday filed a petition in Supreme Court to unban YouTube, Private News Channel reported.

According to details, PTA has filed a petition requesting formal removal of ban on YouTube maintaining the ban in Pakistan is not necessary after the launch of the localized version.

The PTA has submitted that it had put a nationwide ban on YouTube in light of the apex court’s order. It said YouTube has launched a localized version in Pakistan which does not carry content offensive to Muslims.

The petition further claimed that the YouTube administration would remove the blasphemous content on the localized version if ever uploaded again.

The petition says the ban on the world’s largest community powered video site is not necessary after the launch of the localized version.

With 165 Million People Offline, Pakistan is 4th Most Unconnected Country in World

The internet remains unavailable & un-affordable to majority of the world’s population including Pakistan, Here, 165 million population remains offline, According To Report.

India at top of the list with offline population of 1.063 billion, China 755 million, Indonesia 213 million and Bangladesh 148 million.

According to the Report, total global population stands at 7.4 billion including 7 billion within mobile coverage, 5.2 billion with mobile phones, 3.2 billion total internet users and 1.1 billion having access to high-speed internet.World Bank report says that while the internet, mobile phones and other digital technologies are spreading rapidly throughout the developing world, the anticipated digital dividends of higher growth, more jobs, and better public services have fallen short of expectations, and 60 percent of the world’s population remains excluded from the ever-expanding digital economy.

The Overall In The World : STATS ARE

PM Nawaz Sharif & Army Chief to leave for Saudi Arabia and Iran Visit

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif will leave for Saudi Arabia and Iran on Monday on-day trip for defusing tension between the two countries.According sources in the Prime Minister's Office, the prime minister and the army chief would offer Pakistan mediation between two Muslim countries in the best interests of the Muslim ummah. They would meet Saudi King and the Iranian president during his two day trip to Saudi Arabia and Iran. Nawazwould also take other Muslim countries into confidence for defusing tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan And NZ to play first T20 today at 11 AM

AUCKLAND – Pakistan will face New Zealand in the first Twenty 20 International of the three-match series on Friday at the Eden Park in Auckland. 

The match will begin at 11:00 hours PST.

The eyes of the cricket world will be on Pakistan in New Zealand on Friday with Mohammad Amir set to make his international comeback after serving a jail term and five-year ban for spot-fixing.

The 23-year-old is expected to be named in the starting lineup for the tour-opening Twenty20 when Pakistan will pit their hostile bowling attack against a New Zealand unit brimming with form batsmen.

Conditions in New Zealand usually facilitate swing and movement, and Amir will bolster a Pakistan pace attack already brimming with big names. The prominent duo of Umar Gul and Wahab Riaz apart - Pakistan’s squad also contains the likes of Anwar Ali and Aamer Yamin.

Hindu Extremists Attack Pakistan Air Lines office in New Delhi

NEW DELHI: A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) office in the Indian capital was vandalised by Hindu extremists, reported the state radio.

The activists reportedly broke windows and computers at the office. A PIA spokesman told Radio Pakistan that the staff is safe. The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has contacted the Indian government and has asked for a probe into the incident and sufficient security for PIA offices. Security personnel reached the site and assessed the damage. A PIA statement has said that the national carrier’s operations will continue until instructions are received from the government. Flight operations will not be suspended nor will the staff be called back, it said.

Pakistan and India agree to ‘reschedule’ talks

Once Again: Pakistan and India agree to ‘reschedule’ talks

NEW DELHI: Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said on Thursday that the expected meeting between India and Pakistan’s foreign secretaries has been rescheduled to “some time in the near future”.

Address a press conference, he said the Indian government welcomes Pakistan’s move to form a special investigation team to probe the Pathankot air base attack and will cooperate with Pakistan in the inquiry. “We look forward to the visit of the Pakistani Special Investigation Team (SIT). We will extend it our full cooperation,” Swarup told reporters. The spokesperson elaborated that the decision to reschedule the talks has been made mutually, and is not a unilateral decision by India. Responding to a question, Swarup stated that he does not have any information regarding the meeting of the national security advisers (NSA) prior to the foreign secretaries meeting.

“The foreign secretary spoke to his Pakistani counterpart and they agreed to reschedule talks in the near future.” Swarup also stated that the NSAs of both nations have been in regular contact in recent days, when asked if the NSAs have spoken on the phone. Answering another question, Swarup categorically denied that the foreign secretaries of the two nations have met in the past few days, following the attack on the Indian airbase. He said the Indian intelligence agencies will work with Pakistan and provide all support. “Action taken against Jaish-e-Mohammad is an important and positive first step.”

“We have given actionable intelligence to Pakistan regarding all people associated with the Pathankot attack,” stated the spokesperson. The Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson expressed hope that Pakistan will continue its investigations into the airbase attack and bring all perpetrators to justice. Answering another question regarding Pakistan’s offer to send a SIT, Swarup stated that India welcomes Pakistan’s offer, but the modalities of SIT’s visit, their mandate and access to information will be decided at a later date. Foreign secretaries of both countries were scheduled to meet in Islamabad on Jan 14-15, 2016.

The government of Pakistan said on Wednesday that it had started a crackdown on the banned Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), which had been accused by India of being involved in the attack on the Pathankot airbase. The government statement, which followed a national security meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to discuss the actions taken on the leads provided by India, had also said that Pakistan is considering to send a special investigation team to Pathankot, in consultation with the government of India.

At least seven Indian military personnel were killed in the first week of January during an explosion and days long gunbattle at India’s Pathankot air base near the border with Pakistan. The attack took place a week after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a stopover in Lahore to wish Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on his birthday and attend the latter’s granddaughter’s wedding at Jati Umra. Prime Minister Nawaz had later assured Modi that Islamabad would not hesitate to take “prompt and decisive action” if the involvement of Pakistan-based elements in the attack on the Indian airbase was proved beyond doubt.

Foreign Office said on Thursday that the secretary-level talks between Pakistan and India have been delayed for some days but not cancelled, as Islamabad and New Delhi are considering new dates. Addressing a weekly briefing here in Islamabad, Foreign Office spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah said Pakistan was extending its support to India for the eradication of terrorism in that country. However, he expressed lack of knowledge about the apprehension of chief of banned Jaish-e-Muhammad Maulana Masood Azhar.

On Wednesday, a statement issued by the PM House said that Maulana Masood Azhar, his brother Rauf and brother-in-law were arrested. The spokesperson said that he cannot comment further on the statement of the PM House. Expressing lack of knowledge about the meeting of national security advisers in Paris, he said Pakistan was ready to support all countries, including India. Commenting on Saudi-Iran tensions, he denied having any information about a delegation being sent to Saudi Arabia or Iran. He said Pakistan wants to enhance bilateral ties with Iran.

Replying to a question about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) routes, he said that authorities were in contact with Chinese officials. The FO spokesperson rejected the allegations of Afghan ambassador about the presence of the Islamic State in Pakistan, terming them baseless. The Afghan ambassador to Pakistan had told a seminar that 70 percent of terrorists have fled to Afghanistan and joined IS after military operation in Orakzai and Mohmand agencies of Pakistan.