In her tweet from the official twitter handle of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Alice Wells said, the US is pleased to see that Moody’s has revised Pakistan’s credit outlook to stable.

Pleased to see that @MoodysInvSvc has revised Pakistan’s credit outlook to stable thanks to @FinMinistryPak’s reform efforts and IMF program. With bold economic reforms, Pakistan can boost growth, attract private capital, and expand exports. AGW

— State_SCA (@State_SCA) December 3, 2019

She lauded the efforts of Pakistan’s Foreign ministry for reform efforts and IMF program and added that with bold economic reforms, Pakistan can boost growth, attract private capital, and expand exports.
On December 2, Moody’s rating agency had changed Pakistan’s outlook to stable from negative owing to economic reforms made by the government.

The Moody’s has kept Pakistan’s rating outlook unchanged to B-3. It further had said the Pakistani economy is improving and the biggest challenge being faced by the Pakistani economy, the current account deficit, is also shrinking.

Pakistan's newly-appointed Permanent Representative to the OIC Rizwan Saeed Sheikh has presented his credentials to the Secretary General Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen at the Organization’s headquarters.

According to the Foreign Office press release, establishing Permanent Mission to OIC, coinciding with the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the OIC in 2019, is based on Pakistan’s desire to further strengthen its engagement with the OIC .  

With 57 members, OIC is the world’s second largest intergovernmental organization after the United Nations.

Pakistan values OIC’s steadfast support on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and other causes of the Islamic Ummah.

He will represent Pakistan in the second Kuala Lumpur Summit Ministerial meeting in Doha.

Earlier on Monday Qureshi meets President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo and discussed bilateral relations, regional situation and matters of mutual interest.

Read Momre: FM QURESHI REACHES SRI LANKA ON TWO-DAY OFFICIAL VISIT

Shah Mehmood On behalf of Pakistani leadership and nation, felicitated Gotabaya Rajapaksa on his election as the seventh President of Sri Lanka.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi also handed over a letter of President Arif Alvi to the Srilankan President inviting him to visit Pakistan.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Miftah Ismail are currently on judicial remand in the case related to the liquefied petroleum gas (LNG) scandal.

Sources within the NAB, said the former secretary and ex-MD petroleum have become witness in the reference.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Karachi had requested to file a reference against the former prime minister of Pakistan, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, on September 11.

The former prime minister is facing charges of corruption and awarding an LNG import contract at exorbitant rates in 2015, which caused a big loss to the national exchequer. Sources said that he had granted a tender worth Rs220 bn to a firm in which he himself was a shareholder.

NAB sources said that Abbasi, in 2013, had awarded an LNG import and distribution contract to the Elengy Terminal in violation of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules and relevant laws.

Abbasi is also accused of misusing his authority during his stint as a petroleum minister. The case was registered on a complaint by Shahid Sattar an energy expert and former member of the Planning Commission and the SSGC board of directors on July 29, 2015.

According to details, the meeting will discuss the country’s overall economic and political situation, parliamentary politics while meeting likely to take a vital decision in connection appointment of new Election Commissioner and members of the provincial election commission.

The meeting is likely to endorse the decisions made by the ECC.

He said this while talking to Chief Executive Officer of IRW Naser Haghamed who called on him in Islamabad.

The Prime Minister lauded the services of IRW in Pakistan especially in health, post disaster and disaster risk reduction, water and sanitation, education and climate change.

He shared his vision of inclusive and sustainable development of all segments of the society without any discrimination, and encouraged IRW to partner with the government's flagship Ehsaas program. 

Naser Haghamed appreciated the Prime Minister's vision and assured that IRW will continue to contribute towards the well-being of Pakistanis through projects conceived and developed in consultation with the government, and in line with the government's priorities.

It is pertinent to mention that IRW is the largest Islamic INGO which has been working in Pakistan since 1992. Its headquarters is in the United Kingdom and works in 47 countries worldwide. 

The campaign is being launched in Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan, Kolai Palas, Shangla, Battagram, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Charsadda and Mohmand districts.

More than one-million children below the age of five will be administered anti-polio drops during the campaign.

The government has devised comprehensive plan for security of the polio teams.

Parents have been appealed to cooperate with polio workers to eliminate this menace from the province.

The Committee will consider nominations for appointment of Members of the ECP from Sindh and Balochistan forwarded by the Treasury and the Opposition.

The Treasury and the Opposition have forwarded their nominations for appointment of Members of the Election Commission of Pakistan to the Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser and the Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjarani.

According to details, three passengers were traveling to Islamabad from Jeddah by a PIA flight PK/742 when the three suffered a heart attack.

One of them, identified as Mahala, died on the spot while the others were shifted to a hospital by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

As the passengers complained of chest pain, the pilot contacted the control tower at Karachi airport and sought to make an emergency landing which was allowed by the air traffic controller.

As the plane touched down on the airport, a doctor’s team and ambulance of the Civil Aviation Authority reached Karachi airport and shifted the other two passengers to the hospital.

Additional Secretary of Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and high officials from Pakistani High Commission welcomed the Foreign Minister at Bandaranaike International Airport Colombo.

Upon his arrival in Colombo, he was received by Ambassador P Selvaraj, Additional Secretary Bilateral Affairs (East), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sri Lanka, Pakistan High Commission in Sri Lanka in a tweet said.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi will call on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa today (Monday) and felicitate the new Sri Lankan leadership.

The foreign minister will have separate meetings with his newly-appointed Sri Lankan counterpart, Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. The two sides will exchange views on the entire gamut of bilateral relations and matters pertaining to regional and international issues.

It may be added that Pakistan and Sri Lanka enjoy close, cordial ties based on mutual trust and understanding. The bilateral relationship is broad-based and multifaceted, covering diverse fields including political, trade, commercial, defence, people-to-people contacts and cultural exchanges.

High-level visits are a regular feature of Pakistan-Sri Lanka relations.

The Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told that Whatever the government did regarding extension in the army chief’s tenure it did remaining within the ambit of constitution.

He said the government would proceed with the matter after issuance of a detailed verdict by the Supreme Court. “It is hoped that the opposition will cooperate in legislation,” Qureshi added.

The comments by the foreign minister came days after the Supreme Court decided to extend General Bajwa’s tenure as the army chief for six months. The court had asked the government to submit an undertaking that the parliament would enact a law on this in six months.

Qureshi further said the government wanted to fix any imperfections in the procedure. The opposition would demonstrate responsibility by cooperating with the government, he added.

The day is an opportunity for public and private partners to spread awareness about the status of the pandemic and encourage progress in HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care around the world.

This year theme of World AIDS DAY is Communities make the difference, the Radio Pakistan reported.

In his message pertaining to the day, the UN Secretary General António Guterres said we need to harness the role of community-led organizations that advocate for their peers, deliver HIV services, defend human rights and provide support.

“Whatever the government did regarding extension in the army chief’s tenure it did remaining within the ambit of constitution,” the minister told reporters in Multan.

He said the government would proceed with the matter after issuance of a detailed verdict by the Supreme Court. “It is hoped that the opposition will cooperate in legislation,” Qureshi added.

The comments by the foreign minister came days after the Supreme Court decided to extend General Bajwa’s tenure as the army chief for six months. The court had asked the government to submit an undertaking that the parliament would enact a law on this in six months.

Qureshi further said the government wanted to fix any imperfections in the procedure. The opposition would demonstrate responsibility by cooperating with the government, he added.

The Pilatus PC-12, a single-engine turboprop plane, crashed shortly after take-off approximately a mile from the Chamberlain airport and was carrying as many as 12 people, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Among the dead was the plane’s pilot, NBC News reported, citing the Brule County state attorney’s office.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a tweet that it was “investigating today’s crash of Pilatus PC-12 near Chamberlain, SD.”

The wildlife ministry is considering installing a chairlift for tourists. The benefits of this will be twofold, according to the ministry: people will be able to visit the area and get a great view, and they’ll stop using so many cars.

Environmental experts have also endorsed this idea. Everyday, 5,000 cars cross the foothills of the Margalla. Officials want to protect the hills and Islamabad’s national parks.

Dr Aneesur Rehman, chairperson of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, said they hope to install a chairlift here, so that people stop using the road. People who want to see the Margalla National Park will get a better view too, he said.

As part of the proposal, a special bus service for tourists will be started ahead of Daman-e-Koh.

The ministry still needs to make a decision about how the National Park employees will get to the park. It will be made after discussing it with them.

The wildlife ministry is considering installing a chairlift for tourists. The benefits of this will be twofold, according to the ministry: people will be able to visit the area and get a great view, and they’ll stop using so many cars.

Environmental experts have also endorsed this idea. Everyday, 5,000 cars cross the foothills of the Margalla. Officials want to protect the hills and Islamabad’s national parks.

Dr Aneesur Rehman, chairperson of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, said they hope to install a chairlift here, so that people stop using the road. People who want to see the Margalla National Park will get a better view too, he said.

As part of the proposal, a special bus service for tourists will be started ahead of Daman-e-Koh.

The ministry still needs to make a decision about how the National Park employees will get to the park. It will be made after discussing it with them.

The IGP Sindh has directed Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dadu to submit details of the incident. He also directed him to ensure the delivery of justice and stern punishment to those involved in the crime.

The incident occurred on November 21 in Johi, a small town in Dadu, where an 11-year-old girl was stoned to death in the name of honour and was later secretly buried.
The police responded to the reports and arrested parents of the victim and two other facilitators. A case was also registered with the Dadu police.

According to the FIR, the girl’s father, his relative, and four others had “hatched a conspiracy for the murder of the girl and killed her by stone-pelting”. They then bought a shroud and buried her near Lak graveyard.

The authorities were investigating the matter from different views to ascertain the facts.

Sources said that during one of the meetings with members of the Punjab cabinet and MPAs at the CM Secretariat, the PM said that he knew everyone sitting in the meeting wanted to become the chief minister, but he would continue standing with CM Buzdar.

“Those aspiring to replace Mr Buzdar should wait for the next four years,” asserted the prime minister.

He said Mr Buzdar was neither living in palatial houses nor spending Rs800 million per annum on his personal security.

“The reforms implemented during the PTI government’s tenure have never happened before in Punjab. We need to hold seminars and publicise the reforms implemented in Punjab,” he said.

During meetings with MPAs, senior government and police officials and at a press conference, Mr Khan said his government had fought with the “mafia” during the past 15 months and survived.

In separate meetings, Imran outlines decisions taken to fight pollution, assures bureaucrats their tenure of posting will be protected.

He said although the “mafia” and opposition parties were sure that the PTI government would not survive beyond a few months, but “Pakistan has come out of the crisis and good times are round the corner”.

The prime minister said the government in consultation with former bureaucrats had gone through a rigorous exercise for three weeks and posted bureaucrats at all positions on merit.

He hoped that the new team of bureaucrats would streamline governance affairs and bring about a positive change in Punjab.

The prime minister, however, parried a question that the bureaucracy had stopped taking bold decisions and launching new initiatives following his warning that anyone found involved in corruption would be taken to task.

Mr Khan, in his earlier days, had also held meetings with the bureaucracy in Lahore and Islamabad but his ministers and other top brass continue complaining against the bureaucracy’s inaction when it comes to taking decisions and launching initiatives that involved big finances.

In the meeting with senior government and police officials, the prime minister told them to focus on governance and law and order. “We need to discard the old system and mindset in Naya Pakistan,” he said.

Promising that the tenure of the new team would be protected, Mr Khan demanded that the bureaucracy take decisions without taking political pressure into account and bring about real change in Punjab.

“It is now the bureaucracy’s duty to take all decisions on merit and refuse any illegitimate order of any politician,” he said.

He said the bureaucrats’ good governance would eventually help the government to attain economic stability. Mr Khan also congratulated his economic team for steering the country out of the crisis and leading it towards economy stability.

The prime minister chaired a meeting on the issue of smog and environmental pollution. He later told a press conference that his government was giving priority to controlling the smog and measures “should have been taken decades ago as recommendations were always available”.

Lamenting that smog and environmental pollution is severely affecting the health of elderly persons and children, the prime minister explained that the cutting of 70 per cent trees in Lahore, traffic pollution, burning of crops’ residue in Indian Punjab as well as thick smoke emitted by oil furnaces and brick-kilns were contributing to environmental degradation.

Considering these life-threatening factors, the prime minister said five decisions had been taken to avert the pollution crisis gradually in the next three years.

He said the government had decided to import Euro 4 oil (instead of Euro 2 oil) that had much less chemicals and could guarantee lessen air pollution by 90 per cent. The government would convert buses on CNG from the beginning of the next calendar year.

Mr Khan said oil refineries would be given three years to improve their technologies to better refine crude oil and added duty on scrubber would also be abolished. He said brick-kiln owners would be offered loans on six per cent to convert kilns on the zigzag technology.

He said the government would import machinery at a cost of Rs300 million that would uproot the crops residue, which could later be sold.

The prime minister said trees serve as a major resistant to pollution and sapling would be planted on 60,000 kanal land in Lahore. “The people will see a clear-cut decline in environmental pollution in the next three years,” he said.

The prime minister said previous governments with experienced teams had increased the country’s debt by four times but the economic team of the PTI worked hard and steered the country out of the fiscal crisis.

Afraid for being held accountable for corruption and money laundering, Mr Khan said the opposition parties joined hands and marched on Islamabad under the leadership of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman. “The marchers did not even know why they were marching on Islamabad,” he said and alleged the Maulana was not going to “conquer” the capital but win a “diesel permit”.

The prime minister said the government had allowed former PM Nawaz Sharif to go abroad for treatment purely on humanitarian grounds since the medical reports presented to him explained that the patient was on the verge of death.

“Since the court has sought Mr Sharif’s medical reports every two weeks, let’s see what will come out,” the prime minister said.

Meanwhile, the PM attended a programme to sign a service level agreement between the Punjab Land Record Authority (PLRA) and major private commercial banks for rapid agri loans.

He said 95 per cent farmers had 12 acres of agriculture land and they would be facilitated to get loans by just getting their land record verified.

In a tweet, she said Pakistan commends the huge projects that Saudi Arabia has witnessed in the past five years in various fields. 

نهنئ خادم الحرمين الشريفين صاحب الجلالة الملك سلمان بن عبد العزيز، بمناسبة #ذكرى_البيعة_الخامسة لتوليه زمام الحكم في #السعودية، ونشيد بالمشاريع الضخمة التي شهدتها المملكة العربية السعودية في السنوات الخمس الماضية في شتى المجالات.

— Firdous Ashiq Awan (@Dr_FirdousPTI) November 30, 2019

Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said Pakistan-Saudi fraternal relations have been strengthened in economic, cultural, and defence fields and these unique relations will continue to expand and deepen for joint action on bilateral and regional issues.

As per details, PM will meet Governor, Chief Minister, new chief secretary and IG Punjab in his short visit.

PM Imran will also chair joint meeting session with Chief Minister where provincial government will brief PM about the condition of smog in Punjab.

A shuffle might take place in Punjab cabinet as PM is expected to wipe out the ministers who have failed to deliver their respective tasks.

Earlier yesterday, Provincial Minister of Punjab for Information Mian Aslam Iqbal, while talking with AbbTakk news confirmed about the shuffling in bureaucracy.

Mian Aslam further said, Chief executive have right to change the team. Everything will get clear in coming two days.