PSB gives Rs 13 million cheque to PHF for Aikman’s outstanding salary

Thu, 22 Jun 2023, 7:45 PM

ISLAMABAD, Jun 22 (APP):Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) on Thursday handed over a cheque of over 13 million rupees to Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for the payment of outstanding salary of former coach of national men’s hockey team, Siegfried Aikman.

“The board has initially given a cheque of Rs 13,013,432 for the foreign coach’s five months’ outstanding salary,” A PHF press release said.

The Dutch coach, who was appointed as the Pakistan head coach until 2026 in November 2021, resigned last month due to unpaid salaries for the past year.

Secretary General PHF Haider Hussain received the cheque from Director General PSB Shoaib Khoso. Member Selection Committee Olympian Shakeel Abbasi was also present on the occasion.

Haider said that he was thankful to Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Ehsan Ur Mazari and DG PSB for their efforts for the payment of foreign coach’s salary.

He said that the development of the national sport was not possible without the support of the Government of Pakistan, IPC Ministry and PSB.

“The PHF has ensured participation in international events despite the scarcity of funds. The national team’s ranking is improving.

In the recently-held three international events, Pakistan claimed two medals. With this, the journey of the revival of Pakistan hockey has begun,” he added.

Shakeel Abbasi on the occasion lauded DG PSB saying he was doing an exemplary job. “He is playing an active role in the restoration of the national game, which is highly commendable,” he said.

MNAs demand action against corruption, address key issues in constituencies

NNPS Desk

Thu, 22 Jun 2023, 7:44 PM

MNAs demand action against corruption, address key issues in constituencies

ISLAMABAD, Jun 22 (APP): Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) on Thursday emphasized the need to combat corruption and address pressing issues in their respective constituencies.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) MNA Mahar Irshad Ahmad Khan said that the incumbent government is making all efforts to eradicate the menace of corruption.

He called for a united front against corruption, urging all leaders in the assembly to take an oath to eradicate this menace through efforts.

He also highlighted the challenges faced by his constituency and emphasized the importance of establishing a university, improving basic amenities, and establishing the province of Seraiki to uplift the people of Southern Punjab.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) legislator Qaisr Ahmed Sheikh emphasized the support of the business community for Pakistan’s economy and stressed the importance of gaining their trust. He also demanded the repair of roads connecting his constituency with other cities.

PPPP MNA Pir Ameer Ali Shah Jeelani expressed confidence in his leadership and praised the Sindh government’s efforts to uplift marginalized segments of society.

MNA Israr Ahmed Tareen from the Balochistan Awami Party drew attention to transportation difficulties faced during the rainy season in his constituency and appealed to the Speaker to direct the National Highway Authority (NHA) to address this issue.

China’s traditional Dragon Boat Festival expected to see 100 million tourist trips

NNPS Desk

Thu, 22 Jun 2023, 7:39 PM

China's traditional Dragon Boat Festival expected to see 100 million tourist trips

BEIJING, June 22 (APP):As the traditional Dragon Boat Festival kicked off, China’s consumption has been firing on all cylinders on the first day of the three-day break.

It is expected that the number of tourists during this year’s holidays will top over that of pre-virus level in 2019 to hit 100 million passenger trips, generating a tourism income of 37 billion yuan ($5.15 billion), making it “the hottest” holidays in five years in terms of consumption.

It is expected that a total of 16.2 million passenger trips will be made on Thursday, with 10,868 trains in operation, according to data released by the China Railway.

On Wednesday, a total of 13.86 million passenger trips were made, up 11.8 percent compared with that of 2019.

It is also estimated that from Wednesday to Sunday, considered the Dragon Boat Festival ‘travel rush,’ a total of 71 million passenger trips will be made by rail, averaging a volume of 14.20 million per day.

According to data released by China’s Ministry of Transportation, the national highway is estimated to carry 30.95 million passenger trips on Thursday, up 66.3 percent year-on-year from the same period in 2022.

A total of one million passenger trips are expected to be made by water on Thursday, up 164.82 percent year-on-year.

Traditional folk tourism has been gaining popularity among Chinese travelers during the festival.

For example, cities well known for “dragon boat racing,” such as Foshan in South China’s Guangdong Province, have received a large number of tourists from other provinces and regions, the paper.comÂ reported earlier, citing data from domestic travel platformÂ Mafengwo.com.

The Global Times learned from multiple travel platforms that short distance travel is another trending travel option during the three-day holiday.

A Beijing-based white-collar worker surnamed Zheng told the Global Times on Thursday that he was traveling to Ji’nan, East China’s Shandong Province, a nearby city that takes about two hours to reach by high-speed train. He estimated the trip will cost about 5,000 yuan.

“A number of sightseeing spots in Ji’nan are crowded with tourists, and the hotels I stay in have also been fully booked,” Zheng said, pointing to the rapid recovery of China’s tourism market. Last year, he spent the holidays in Beijing with his friends.

Data from online shopping platforms Meituan and Dianping showed that as of June 14, tourism reservations for the three-day holidays have jumped by 600 percent year-on-year. And relevant searches for “round trip” have risen by 650 percent year-on-year in this week.

Meanwhile, outbound trips have increased 12 times during the festival, data from trip.com showed.

About 65 percent of the outbound tourists choose to fly to Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore, according to a report by travel platform Tongcheng Travel.

Domestic spending during the festival will likely ramp up, as the festival closely follows the May Day holidays and the “618” online shopping festival, while a continued shopping spree for traditional products and services will fire up a consumption recovery, Zhang Yi, CEO of Media Research Institute told the Global Times.

It is expected that consumption will be a mainstay of China’s economic drive, with the contribution of final consumption accounting for above 60 percent to economic growth, the observers claimed.

Dai Bin, head of the China Tourism Academy, estimated that a total of 100 million people will make trips during this year’s Dragon Boat Festival, up 30 percent compared with last year. The travel consumption will also expand 43 percent year-on-year to 37 billion yuan, according to a report by the state broadcaster the China Central Television.

During the Dragon Boat Festival in 2022, a total of 79.61 million tourist trips were made, generating total revenue of 25.82 billion yuan, data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism revealed.

Chinese policymakers have been stepping up efforts to propel the recovery of domestic consumption, said the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top economic planner.

Pakistan Learning Conference concludes with plan to transform ECE

NNPS Desk

Thu, 22 Jun 2023, 7:39 PM

ISLAMABAD, Jun 22 (APP):The two-day Pakistan Learning Conference 2023: Building Foundations organized by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training concluded on Thursday with a comprehensive action plan to transform Early Childhood Education (ECE) and foundational learning.

The diverse gathering of global educators, policymakers, and experts delved into crucial topics, fostering the development of a bright future for children.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal congratulated the Education Ministry for addressing the crucial topic of Early Childhood Education (ECE) and foundational learning.

He emphasized that we were currently in an era of knowledge revolution, innovation, and creativity, and highlighted the significance of the first 1000 days of a child’s life as the most productive period for skill development.

Furthermore, he stressed the importance of combining both formal and informal education within ECE and the strong connection that existed between early education and the nation’s progress.

The minister highlighted that a country’s future was reliant on the extent to which creativity and innovation were integrated into the classroom and laboratory.

He also emphasized the importance of fostering observational skills and critical thinking abilities in children.

Ahsan shared with the participants that a fund of Rs 25 billion had been established specifically for Out of School Children (OOSC) and added that a significant portion should be allocated for Early Childhood Education (ECE).

He provided reassurance on behalf of the Prime Minister, affirming the government’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that out-of-school children were enrolled in schools.

Secretary Education, Waseem Ajmal Chaudhary talked about carrying the spirit of this conference forward through fostering innovation, inclusivity, and equity in early childhood education.

He spoke about translating the event into “Pakistan Learning Movement”.

The secretary said that with the movement, the education ministry could create an educational landscape to empower the children, equip them with essential skills, and nurture their curiosity and love for lifelong learning.

He informed that MoFEPT would receive feedback and inputs for aggressively contributing towards the movement.

He thanked all the international and national participants for their dedication to advancing early childhood education and foundational learning.

He also appreciated them for their commitment to shape a brighter future for children.

Before the closing session, Gailius Draugelis (World Bank Group), Jo Moir (FCDO), Salman Naveed Khan (PAMS) spoke about next steps and conference reflections.

Their collective emphasis highlighted the importance of working together to address issues with regards to ECE and foundational learning.

They stressed upon adopting the recommendations that were devised during the conference and incorporating them into approaches at national scale for taking meaningful strides towards ECE.

Jo Moir said that Foundational learning could keep children in school and put them on a different learning trajectory.

The notable speakers included Mark Hubert (British Council), Meredith McCormac (RTI), Toby Linden (World Bank Group), Mohiyuddin Wani (Chief Secretary-GB), representatives of provinces, educationists, policy makers etc.

The conference showcased a total of 9 international and 37 national speakers from various educational fields, presenting a wide range of perspectives.

This diverse lineup of speakers contributed to the conference’s wealth of knowledge and offered valuable insights, inspiring concepts, and worldwide best practices, enhancing the overall experience for all participants.

Master Plan for reconstruction, rehabilitation of flood-affected areas by July 15: Dar

NNPS Desk

Thu, 22 Jun 2023, 7:36 PM

ISLAMABAD, Jun 22 (APP): Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Thursday announced finalizing a Master Plan for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the flood affected areas by July 15.

“It has been agreed [by the special committee formed by the PM] that the Ministry of Planning sit together after the budget [passage] and finalize the $16.3 billion Master Plan of reconstruction and rehabilitation of the flood affected areas tentatively by July 15,” he made this announcement on floor of the National Assembly.

He said the government had allocated sufficient funds in the budget to execute projects of urgent nature in flood-affected areas.

The minister said immediate rescue and relief work had been done throughout the country with disbursement of
Rs 80 billion through the BISP programme, adding almost Rs100 billion had already been spent in addition to the assistance extended by National Disaster Management Authority in kind.

On urgent basis, he said the relief goods had been taken from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) store, and the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet recently approved Rs12 billion to replenish its stock, keeping in view the predicted threats of the monsoon and the cyclone.

He said a comprehensive report had been prepared in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Union and the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, following the widespread destruction caused by the heavy rains and floods in 2022.

The report calculated that Pakistan collectively suffered over $30 billion in economic and physical loss.

He said funds amounting to $16.3 billion were required to execute the physical work like repair of damaged houses and infrastructure, under the ‘4RF’ strategy i.e. resilient recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction. The estimate was for the projects to be completed in 4 to 5 years, he added.

Ishaq Dar clarified that 50 per cent expenses of reconstruction and rehabilitation work would be borne by the federal government and 50 percent by the respective province.

Roughly $11 billion, out of $16.3 billion would be spent in Sindh, and the rest in the flood-affected areas of Balochistan and Southern Punjab on the basis of inflicted losses, under the 4RF policy, he added.

In the Geneva Donors Conference, the minister said around $8 billion in pledges was made but they lacked details that which donor would provide assistance in what field.

Sharing some details of the urgent nature projects to be carried out in the Sindh province, he said a Flood Emergency Housing Scheme for Sindh to be executed at a cost of $727 million, for which Rs 500 billion had been earmarked in the next fiscal year, out of which Rs 25 billion each would be provided by the federal government and the Sindh Government.
Similarly, he said Rs 6 billion were required for the water supply projects and the Federal and Sindh government share would be Rs 3 billion each.

Likewise, the finance minister said Rs 11.9 billion were required for the construction, repair and rehabilitation of 1,800 schools affected by the flood and its expense would be equally shared by the federal and provincial governments.

He said the projects in Balochistan and southern Punjab will also be completed on the same basis because a report on the flood-affected areas had been prepared by a team of international experts.

Ishaq Dar said the budget for the Benazir Income Support Program had been increased from Rs 250 billion to Rs 450 billion in a short span of 14 months, which reflected the incumbent government’s commitment to help needy segments of the society.

He appreciated Minister for Poverty Alleviation Shazia Marri for doing a great job for the welfare of the needy and mitigating their financial sufferings.

The finance minister recalled that it was the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government that gave the idea of ‘hand-handling’ of deserving women and allocated Rs34 billion in 2008. “So, the BISP is my brainchild which has been expanded from Rs34 billion allocation to Rs450 billion.”
APP/mag-zah-raz-muk

Dar chairs CCoIGCT meeting

NNPS Desk

Thu, 22 Jun 2023, 7:24 PM

ISLAMABAD, Jun 22 (APP):Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar Thursday chaired a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Inter-Governmental Commercial Transactions (CCoIGCT).

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Faisal Ali Subzwari, Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar, Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Masood Malik, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Finance Tariq Bajwa, Attorney General of Pakistan, Secretary Finance, Secretary Maritime Affairs, Secretary Law and Justice, and other senior officers attended the meeting, said a press release issued here.

The CCoIGCT considered summary of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs regarding recommendations of the negotiation committee on the commercial agreement to be signed between KPT and AD Ports UAE.

It was informed that the negotiation committee constituted by CCoIGCT held its meetings on 19th ,20th and 21st June, 2023 under the chairmanship of the Minister for Maritime Affairs and negotiated the commercial agreement for acquiring operation, maintenance and development rights of the Container Terminal by the AD Ports UAE.

The CCoIGCT after detailed discussion and comparative evaluation of the ToRs, recommended the commercial agreement for approval by the federal cabinet.

Justice Isa, Justice Tariq recuse from hearing May 9 riots trial case

NNPS Desk

Thu, 22 Jun 2023, 7:19 PM

Justice Isa, Justice Tariq recuse from hearing May 9 riots trial case

ISLAMABAD, Jun 22 (APP):A nine-member bench of the apex court for hearing petitions about the trials of accused of May 9 riots and arson in military courts was dissolved on Thursday after Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Sardar Tariq Masood recused from hearing the matter.

As the hearing began, Justice Isa observed that he was astonished to see his name in the cause list which was issued last night at 8 p.m.

He said the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill was in the preparation phase when the nine-member bench issued a stay order against it on April 13 and adjourned its hearing till July.
The Constitution authorized the SC to hear cases and a judge took decisions about them as per his oath.

He said the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill was a law and he was not part of the bench hearing the case about it. In his opinion, he said, a law could be suspended but it could not be terminated.

Justice Isa said the petitions, which were filed in the last, had been fixed for hearing before others. He was not expressing excuse from hearing the instant case but he wanted to firstly conclude the case pertaining to the SC Practice and Procedure Bill, he added.

Justice Sardar Tariq Masood also recused from hearing the case, saying he endorsed the stance of Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

After this, the nine members of the bench left the courtroom and later on a seven-member bench was formed to resume the hearing of the case.

PM meets John Kerry; emphasises resources mobilisation under Loss and Damage Fund

Ishtiaq Rao

Thu, 22 Jun 2023, 7:05 PM

ISLAMABAD, Jun 22 (APP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said that the realisation of the pledges for resources mobilisation under the Loss and Damage Fund established at COP 27 was of utmost importance.

The prime minister, in a meeting with
Special US Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, on the sidelines of New Global Financing Pact Summit here, said being a common problem, the environmental issues required joint strategy and efforts.

Both the leaders expressed good wishes for each other.

The prime minister appreciated John Kerry and the US Administration for their priorities on the environment-related issues. The first-ever appointment of John Kerry as Special Presidential Envoy for Climate also manifested the realisation of the importance of the issue.

The prime minister observed that environmental problems were adversely affecting the development and growth rate of the developing countries.

He highlighted that the unprecedented floods of 2022 had exacerbated the economic woes of Pakistan.

The prime minister urged the developed countries to help the developing word overcome the negative impacts of the environmental issues on their growth rate.

He believed that the New Global Financing Pact Summit being held in Paris was a ray of hope for the developing world.

Moreover, he said the reformation of the international financial infrastructure was also important to provide resources to the developing countries.

John Kerry endorsed the prime minister’s viewpoint of threats posed by the climate change to the developing world.

Both the leaders agreed to keep up the contacts and consultation to carry out the joint efforts for the purpose.

PSX loses 68 points

NNPS Desk

Thu, 22 Jun 2023, 7:01 PM

ISLAMABAD, Jun 22 (APP): The 100-index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) shed 68.75 points on Thursday, a slight negative change of 0.17 per cent, closing at 40,152.05 points against 40,220.80 points the previous day.

A total of 116,478,645 shares were traded during the day as compared to 97,020,043 shares the previous day, whereas the price of shares stood at Rs.2.560 billion against Rs. 3.572 billion on the last trading day.

As many as 309 companies transacted their shares in the stock market; 106 of them recorded gains and 169 sustained losses, whereas the share price of 34 companies remained unchanged.

The three top-trading companies were K-Electric Ltd with 27,046,841 shares at Rs.1.68 per share; WorldCall Telecom with 25,455,644 shares at Rs.1.12 per share and Bank of Punjab with 3,297,500 shares at Rs.3.30 per share.

Unilever Foods witnessed a maximum increase of Rs.1,450.90 per share price, closing at Rs.23,449.90, whereas the runner-up was Mehmood Tex with an Rs.28.85 rise in its per share price to Rs.648.85.

Nestle Pakistan witnessed a maximum decrease of Rs.202.50 per share closing at Rs.6,447.50; followed by Bata (Pak) with Rs.57.00 decline to close at Rs.1,693.00.