Tag: Minister

ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari, on advice from Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, on Friday appointed Senator Maula Bukhsh Chandio law minister after Dr Babar Awan vacated the seat on April 13.
Despite his appointment Chandio may not attend the Judicial Commission's meeting at 10am today (Saturday) as the oath-taking ceremony is unlikely to be held before the start of JC meeting. Talking to Pakistan Today, president's spokesman Farhatullah Babar said on Gilani's advice,

ISLAMABAD - Following Dr Babar Awan's resignation as federal law minister, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry asked the government on Thursday to fill the vacant ministerial slot to ensure that the Law Ministry was represented at the Judicial Commission (JC)'s meeting on Saturday. The CJP, who is also chairman of the JC, ordered that Awan's resignation be brought to the notice of principal secretaries of the president and prime minister, as well as the cabinet

WASHINGTON - Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh is expected to highlight Pakistan's progress towards economic reforms, export trajectory, growth prospects and the importance of international partnership in the country's development in a series of talks at annual World Bank (WB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) meetings.
The finance minister will lead a team of Pakistan's top economic managers at spring meetings that bring together leaders of the world finance and heads

ROME - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is unlikely to seek reelection at the next elections in 2013 and has named a possible successor as incumbent Justice Minister Angelo Alfano. During a private dinner on Tuesday evening with foreign journalists, Berlusconi, 74, told reporters off the record that he would not be standing as a candidate in the next elections -- news that was then leaked by the press. "I could head the list, but I don't want to have an operational role," the

ISLAMABAD - Expressing dissatisfaction over the progress so far made in the recovery of missing persons, the Supreme Court on Wednesday summoned the interior minister, provincial home ministers, home secretaries and inspectors general of police of all the provinces.
A three-member SC bench, comprising Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed and Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, heard the cases of missing persons one by one. The court observed that parliament should legislate to

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan presented his resignation in the Supreme Court on Wednesday to appear as a lawyer in Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's reference case.
"I prefer this case to my portfolio as the minister," Babar replied to Pakistan's Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry when asked he (Awan) couldn't pursue the case as a minister.
"My arguments are based on facts, not sentiments," said Awan.
"We all are serious

LAHORE - The APTMA Chairman Gohar Ejaz called on the Federal Textile Minister Makhdoom Shahab-ud-Din, on Monday, and apprised him of the APTMA initiatives, imperative to achieve the textile industry exports target of $25 billion by 2014-15. APTMA has proposed five key initiatives to the government.
These include revamping agriculture research for increase in cotton productivity, continuous energy supply, zero rating regime for textile value chain without hassle of refunds'

LAHORE - Punjab Board of Investment and Trade Chief Executive Officer Saadat Muzaffar in Bosnia Herzegovina to attend the second Sarajevo InvestmentForum has called on Minister for Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia Herzegonia, Malden Zirojevic.
According to a handout received Saturday, on the behalf of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Saadat Muzaffar met the Minister to discuss means to boost trade and investment between the two countries. He was accompanied by

KARACHI - Sindh Information and Archives Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon asked the secretary of his department on Saturday to empower the functioning of the media cell and float a summary to hire contractual staff for the chief minister's approval.
He was presiding over an introductory meeting with the senior officers of the Information Department. He also stressed the need for reactivating the print media monitoring system and ensure timely action on news items pertaining to

KARACHI - Ambassador of Federative Republic of Brazil Alfredo Leoni called on Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah at the Chief Minister's House on Friday.
According to an official handout, both the leaders discussed matters of mutual interest.
The Brazilian ambassador said that cordial relations exist between Pakistan and Brazil, and the relations will be further strengthened day by day.
The chief minister briefed the ambassador on the performance and efforts made

COLOMBO - The sports minister in Sri Lanka has pledged to rejuvenate the game of cricket in Sri Lanka after the defeat by India in the World Cup final. "We have to begin a new journey, new approach in the game in the near future," Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage told BBC Sinhala service, Sandeshaya.
He was commenting after the series of resignations from captain Kumar Sangakkara, his deputy Mahela Jayawardena and the select committee chaired by Aravinda de Silva. The minister

KARACHI - Till four days ago, traders on M.A. Jinnah Road were livid with the government over its failure to curb extortions and looting. The resignation of Dr Zulfiqar Mirza from the post of home minister, however, has changed the mood of the markets: despite very few arrangements to provide extra security or create police pickets in and around markets, many are now willing to allow time to the government to emerge from the political crises it finds itself in.
In a survey

KARACHI - The provincial Health Department is in the process of adopting a multi-pronged approach to counter the growing threat of drug resistance in hospital settings as well as among the people exposed to irrational medication, said Sindh Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed.
He said this while addressing the participants of a health walk arranged on Thursday by the Health Department to observe the World Health Day 2011.
Ahmed said the current year's health day theme 'Combat

LONDON - A British minister said on Wednesday that more than a quarter of the world's population was expected to watch television broadcasts of this month's royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman said a figure of 2 billion people was provided by Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt during a briefing at a cabinet meeting where he also said preparations for the April 29th nuptials were going well.

BEIRUT - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has appointed Adel Safar, who served as agriculture minister in the government which resigned last week, to form a new government, an official Syrian source said on Sunday.
He said Safar was expected to announce his new cabinet within two days. Assad accepted the resignation of Naji al-Otari's government on Tuesday after a wave of protests in which witnesses and activists say 60 people have been killed.
The government has little

BEIRUT - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has appointed Adel Safar, who served as agriculture minister in the government which resigned last week, to form a new government, an official Syrian source said on Sunday.
He said Safar was expected to announce his new cabinet within two days. Assad accepted the resignation of Naji al-Otari's government on Tuesday after a wave of protests in which witnesses and activists say 60 people have been killed.
The government has little

KARACHI - Sindh Culture Minister Sassui Palijo will inaugurate the three day 'Pictorial and Book Exhibition' today (Sunday) at the Sindh Museum Hyderabad, in memory of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the founding chairman of the Pakistan People's Party, on the eve of his 32nd death anniversary on April 4. The exhibition will last till April 5.
Culture Secretary Abdul Aziz Uqaili, Director General Muhammad Ramzan Awan, Director Manzoor Kanasro and others will also attend the