Beijing: China supports Arab countries in strengthening unity and playing a greater role on the issue of Palestine, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday.

During the 33rd Arab League Summit held in Bahrain recently, the Bahrain Declaration was issued, emphasizing the unified position of Arab countries on the Palestinian issue and appreciating China’s support for Arab countries.

 In response at a regular press briefing, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the ministry, said China commended the meeting for urging the implementation of the two-state solution, convening an international peace conference and calling on the international community to abandon “political calculations” and “double standards” when dealing with international crises.

China was ready to continue working with Arab countries to strengthen coordination and cooperation and make contributions to de-escalating the tensions of the conflict and bringing the Palestinian issue back to the right track of the two-state solution, said Wang.

Lahore: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhary Parvez Elahi released from Kot Lakhpat jail on Tuesday (today) after months-long imprisonment.

Chaudhary Parvez Elahi reached Zahoor Palace after being released from Kot Lakhpat jail.

The Lahore High Court had earlier ordered his released from the jail.

The jail officials also confirmed the development, saying that the PTI leader was released in compliance of the court order.

During his incarceration, Chauhdary Parvez Elahi remained associated with PTI and its founder Imran Khan and did not get back from his stance. He preferred to stay in jail and faced troubles rather than quitting the party.

Earlier in the day, Chaudhary Parvez Elahi got a big relief from the Lahore High Court (LHC) as his bail application in the case of recruitment in the Punjab Assembly was approved.

Justice Sultan Tanveer of LHC issued a protective decision. During the hearing, Parvez Elahi’s lawyer Amir Saeedran told the court that anti-corruption registered the case two years late.

Lawyer Amir said that Parvez Elahi did not receive any recruitment money from any candidate, he had nothing to do with this recruitment. The anti-corruption made a fake recovery from Elahi's residence.

On this, the anti-corruption lawyer stated that the case against Parvez Elahi has been registered according to law, he was arrested on October 25, 2023.

Later, the Lahore High Court reserved the decision.

It is pertinent to note that on March 27, 2024, the court rejected Parvez Elahi's bail application, after which he again filed the application in the court.

The court had reserved its decision on March 26 after the arguments of the lawyers were completed.

Later on April 28, the High Court fixed Pervez Elahi's petition for hearing in May.

Islamabad: In order to combat fraudulent practices, the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Technology Wing has so far blocked 170 fake websites and deactivated 37,389 SIM cards involved in scams with the help of concerned departments.

This was disclosed during a briefing given to the Chairperson BISP, Rubina Khalid by the Technology Wing officials during a meeting held here Tuesday.

The officials revealed the significant achievements by the Technology Wing including the blocking of 170 fake websites in cooperation with the FIA and the deactivation of 37,389 fraudulent SIM cards.

The meeting was aimed at discussing the ongoing efforts and future strategies to counter fraudulent activities associated with BISP. The meeting was also attended by the Additional Secretary of BISP, Dr. Muhammad Tahir Noor.

The primary focus of the meeting was to brief the Chairperson about the Technology Wing’s functions and the measures taken so far to combat fraud. Rubina Khalid emphasized the need to publicly identify and shame those involved in fraudulent activities that defame BISP.

She advocated for a “name and shame” policy to deter future misconduct and protect the integrity of the program.

During the meeting, Rubina Khalid instructed the Technology team to organize a meeting next week with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and other relevant stakeholders to address and resolve security issues collaboratively.

She also directed the Technology Wing to draft a comprehensive proposal to present to the FIA, aiming to strengthen their efforts in tackling individuals, organizations, and elements committing fraud in the name of BISP.

The Technology Wing also outlined the extensive security measures implemented, especially prior to the release of each quarterly Kafaalat tranche, to safeguard the interests of BISP beneficiaries. Rubina Khalid instructed Additional Secretary Dr. Muhammad Tahir Noor to arrange a meeting with the National Socio-Economic Registry team of BISP.

This meeting will focus on discussing the data-sharing mechanisms with relevant parties, reviewing the survey mechanism, and the registration of beneficiaries. Additionally, the geo-fencing of devices will be examined to enhance security protocols.

To further protect beneficiaries and the general public, the Chairperson suggested disseminating proper awareness messages through BISP’s social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

She proposed using the BISP call center number 0800-26477 and the 8171 messages as a ringtone to ensure that the official number remains prominent in users’ minds, thus preventing innocent people from falling victim to scams. This proactive approach highlights BISP’s commitment to transparency and security, ensuring that complete financial assistance reaches the rightful recipients and that fraudulent activities are minimized.