ISLAMABAD, Apr 18 (APP): Azam Khan experienced discomfort in his right knee and right calf muscle while batting in the nets during Wednesday’s training session at Pindi Stadium Rawalpindi.
He has promptly received medical attention and treatment. Azam is currently under the care of the medical team, and a decision regarding his participation in the upcoming matches against New Zealand will be made pending the results of radiology reports.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would provide further updates in due course.
Pakistan would kick-off their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 preparations on Thursday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium when they take on New Zealand in first of the five matches.
The venue would also host matches on Saturday and Sunday, while Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will stage for the remaining two matches next week on Thursday and Saturday.
This would be the third five-match series between the two sides inside a 12-month period. Last year, Pakistan and New Zealand drew the series at two-all in Pakistan, while New Zealand clinched the series 4-1 earlier this year in their backyard.
ISLAMABAD, Apr 18 (APP): Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Thursday stressed the need for enhanced collaboration between the public and private sectors to fast track the process of economic development of the country.
Addressing the First Pakistan Semiconductor Summit, he said that the Special Investment Facilitation Council had been set up to attract investment in Pakistan and ensure ‘ease of doing business’. He said it was main thrust of the government policy to encourage innovation
and investment in the country.
He said that Pakistan, as the fifth largest democracy in the world, was endowed with great natural resources and its biggest resource was its human resource. ” We are blessed with a huge population of youth which constitutes 68 per cent of its population”. That is a huge
potential which we can offer to the world, he added.
He said Pakistan was strategically located at the crossroads of the world which was a source of pride for the nation.
He said that the Government of Pakistan as a policy encouraged innovation and investment in the country which this summit was offering precisely – a collaboration between public and private sector.
He said that the federal cabinet meeting on Wednesday had approved a public private partnership policy framework to eventually facilitate investment in the country.
He said that the job of the government was not only to regulate but also facilitate investment. He said unfortunately sometimes governments forgot their primary responsibility as a facilitator which hampered the investment.
He said that the government could fulfil this responsibility through collaboration between public and private sector and by ensuring ‘ease of doing business’.
He said that Pakistan has been producing 50,000 engineering graduates every year and it has the best engineering universities in the world. ” Our engineering graduates are well placed globally but unfortunately we are not able to reap the benefits of the semiconductor industry. It is $ 550 billion industry at this moment with the projection of $ 1
Trillion by 2030.”
Tarar said that Pakistan had great potential to deploy its human resource in this industry.
The minister said that he was proud to inform that Shehbaz Sharif during his stints as chief minister of the Punjab had attached great importance to vocational training and skill development. From day one, the priority of the PML-N was skill development of the youth.
“The manifesto of the political party that I represent, highlights the importance of enhancing skills and placing importance on skill development, on setting up institutes where skills training is imparted to youth and this is the way forward”, he remarked.
Expressing gratitude to Founder and CEO of GS Microelectronics (GSME) Farhat Jahangir, he said he had done a great job by organising this summit to bring public and private sectors together and bringing members of esteemed universities of Pakistan under one roof for optimum collaboration.
He urged the luminaries from leading universities to come up with workable solutions and tangible proposals. He assured that the government would be on the forefront in these endeavours.
Saying that several discussions have been held on semiconductor business, he expressed the optimism that it would be from chip designing to providing skill development to enhancing research in development and planning,
He said Pakistan had a lot of expertise in skill development as well as research and development, adding though research and development was one area with regard to chip designing, Pakistan could contribute immensely in this regard.
“I hope one day we may develop some capacity towards manufacturing ( semiconductors) after a few years”, he said. However he said there was a need to set a direction, and set an objective and goal,”, adding experts in the summit who had spent decades in this field
could guide the way forward.
Thanking the forum for hosting the event, he hoped that collaboration in this sector would continue and Pakistan could be linked with the global economy. ” This is something we need to emphasize and focus on which will help our economy in a big way as the world is opening up”, he opined.
He said since coming to power this year, the present government had received many delegations from abroad. ” We just hosted a Saudi Arabian delegation a few days ago and the Iranian President is due next week, so there are a lot of positive activities “.
Attaullah Tarar said that economic indicators were positive and international financial institutions and international financial journals were unanimous that Pakistan had great potential for economic development. ” If we put our heart into it, the sky is the limit; and with good intentions, we set on this path”, he said.
He assured the participants that the government would not only provide resources, but it would be at the beck and call to support the semiconductor business in Pakistan.
MUZAFFARABAD, Apr 18 (APP): The University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (UAJK) is gearing up for the forty-second (42nd) three-day Pakistan Congress of Zoology, scheduled to commence on the 23rd of this month at the scenic King Abdullah Campus of the university.
Under the auspices of the Zoological Society of Pakistan, the congress is set to draw top scientists and researchers from around the world, hailing from countries such as the United States, Australia, Switzerland, Greece, China, Turkey, and beyond.
With more than 1000 participants expected, including scientists, faculty members, and scholars, the congress offers a dynamic platform for sharing ideas. Over 500 researchers are scheduled to present their latest Zoology findings.
Confirming their participation, Vice-Chancellors from esteemed institutions such as the University of Baltistan, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Sindh, Preston University Karachi, Islamia College University Peshawar, University of Okara, Baba Gronanak University Faisalabad, Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Federal Urdu University of Arts Sciences and Technology, among others, are set to grace the occasion.
A joint meeting of heads of management committees, led by Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi, Registrar Meritorious Prof. Dr. Ghulam Murtaza, Chairperson Department of Zoology Prof. Dr. Nuzhat Shafi, Dean Sciences Prof. Dr. Khawaja Muhammad Rafique, Director Finance Prof. Dr. Khawaja Basharat, and Provost Hostels Dr. Rukhsana Said, among other administrative officers, meticulously finalized the arrangements for the congress.
Highlighting the significance of this congress, Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi expressed the University’s pride in hosting such a prestigious event and underscored its commitment to ensuring its success.
Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi reiterated the University’s commitment to fostering excellence in education and research, not limited to zoology but encompassing all sciences and social sciences. Emphasizing the pivotal role of conferences, seminars, and debates in igniting research interests among students, he affirmed the University’s dedication to providing a conducive environment for academic growth.
The University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir extended a warm invitation to all delegates from around the world, assuring them of a meticulously organized and intellectually enriching experience at the 42nd World Pakistan Congress of Zoology.
ISLAMABAD, Apr 18 (APP): British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ms Jane Marriott, here on Thursday called on the Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui to discuss the challenges and opportunities being faced by the country in the education sector.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary of Education Mr Mohyuddin Wani and the Country Director British Council Mr James Hampson.
Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that the Ministry of Education is working on a programme that aims to declare education emergency in Pakistan.
He said that the number of out-of-school children in Pakistan is ballooning and the only way to address this issue is by making it a national agenda. The minister said that due to rapid and uncontrolled urbanisation slums in major cities are propping up.
He said that these slums are ignored in every education policy. He highlighted the importance of ensuring that no child should be left behind. He encouraged the UK to provide support in the cause of eliminating out-of-school children.
We need to bring all the stakeholders especially donors on the same platform so that all the effort can be channelled and streamlined, he added.
“We are burning the midnight oil in ensuring that the cause of education becomes one of the main agendas of national effort towards progress”.
Ms Jane Marriott, British High Commissioner to Pakistan said that UK and Pakistan are the oldest partners and have been shoulder to shoulder since 1947. She informed the minister that the UK encourages expansion of its green programme which can lead to an increase in enrolment of Pakistani students in UK universities via distance learning.
She also informed the minister that Google Education is highly interested in supporting Pakistan in its bid to address the issue of access to education.
British High Commissioner and the education minister also discussed the challenges and opportunities that come with the devolution of education to the provinces.
Secretary of Education Mr Mohyuddin Wani highlighted that the Ministry of Education is developing a comprehensive plan which will declare an education emergency in the country and will furthermore align all the stakeholders on the same page.
He said that all the donors and NGOs operating in Pakistan are working in silos and compartments.
He said that there is a concerted effort on the way to ensure that a single platform can align and channel the efforts of all stakeholders in the education sector of Pakistan.
Khalid Maqbool said that we have set a target to train one million youth in the IT sector.
He said that he hopes that in the medium term, Pakistan will become one of the biggest suppliers of IT professionals to the world. He asked the UK to help in attaining IT certification for this IT-trained professional that would be recognised globally.
Furthermore, he said that the mental health of our students must be also catered to by professionals.
He said that the education ministry aims to establish mental health awareness and support desks in all of the colleges in Islamabad.
He said that efforts have been underway to address the education woes of Pakistan however, more effort and more focus is still required.
He told the British High Commissioner that a National Nutrition Program in Islamabad has also been launched to increase enrolment. He said that expense on education is not expenditure but investment.
James Hompson, Country Director British Council told the minister that after China the biggest British Council Programme is in Pakistan. He requested the minister that the Global Chief Executive of the British Council visit Pakistan in May and would like to visit him.
The Federal Minister welcomed the initiative from the British Council and expressed a deep desire to enhance collaboration between the British Council and Pakistan, especially concerning increasing educational outreach programmes for slums in the metropolitan cities of the country.
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