Youngsters bathing in water pond to get relief from scorching hot weather
A farmer ploughing and leveling field in a traditional way before the next crop by the help of bulls at the outskirts of the city
Over Rs. 67 billion disbursed among 7.4 million beneficiaries under Benazir Kafaalat
ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP):Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has disbursed over Rs. 67 billion among 7.4 million beneficiaries till Thursday (evening) under Benazir Kafaalat initiative.
BISP is disbursing the 4th quarterly tranche of Benazir Kafaalat for the Financial Year-2022-23.
Under Benazir Kafaalat, 9 million registered beneficiary families are entitled to a quarterly instalment of Rs 9,000 per household.
BISP has already released over Rs. 81 billion to its partner banks, that is, Bank Alfalah and Habib Bank Limited (HBL) for disbursement among the beneficiaries through their retail distribution network.
Along with Benazir Kafaalat, Benazir educational scholarships are also being given out to the children of registered families, however, 70% attendance in the school is mandatory to receive educational scholarships, said the spokesman of the programme.
In case of any complaint, beneficiaries can approach the nearest BISP Tehsil Offices or call on toll-free helpline number 080026477 of Benazir Income Support Programme.
The BISP spokesman reiterated that any messages from BISP is sent only from 8171 and message from any other number should not be trusted.
Amir Muqam, Awais Leghari call on PM
ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP): Adviser to PM Engineer Amir Muqam called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and discussed with him overall political situation in the country.
Amir Muqam praised the prime minister over his recent announcement to establish a university for the people of the erstwhile tribal areas.
He expressed confidence that the university would help the youth of the area to excel in educational and professional fields.
Separately, Secretary General of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Punjab chapter and former parliamentarian Awais Leghari called on the prime minister and discussed with him political situation in the country.
He lauded the prime minister for his efforts in finalization of the deal with International Monetary Fund and for revival of national economy.
‘Overdose of negative news’ on electronic media irks NA body
ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP): The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Thursday took exception to massive broadcast of negative news on the private news channels and issued directives to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to ensure projection of positive developments in the country as well.
The committee members, in the meeting chaired by Javaria Zafar Aheer, opined that sensationalism of crime related incidents and tragic events was projecting a negative image of Pakistan abroad.
Naz Baloch said private media channels hardly aired positive news nowadays. One of the responsibilities of the media was to educate the viewers but unfortunately Pakistan’s electronic media ignored informative content, she added.
Dr Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro said PEMRA should issue directives to the media outlets to produce informative programmes.
Asiya Azeem said images and videos of violent crimes had left a very bad impact on the psyche of the nation. She underlined the need to introduce check and balance in the coverage of events related to crime.
Javaria Zafar Aheer said unfortunately, private media threw ethics of journalism to the wind and even resorted to glamorizing crimes on screens.
PEMRA Chairman Salim Baig informed the committee that the Authority had taken actions against those media outlets, but many times courts gave stay orders.
He said PEMRA’s mandate was of oversight and the Council of Complaints was the forum to decide complaints of the viewers.
He said an amendment in the PEMRA Act was being tabled in the next session of the National Assembly to empower the Authority.
Javaria Zafar Aheer assured that the committee members would support such an amendment.
Secretary Information and Broadcasting Sohail Ali Khan told the committee that the proposed bill was finalized after a thorough consultation with stakeholders.
During the discussion on the agenda item ” The Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals (Amendment) Bill 2023″, the committee was informed that the law had already been passed and only two sections were proposed to be amended.
The secretary information told the committee that only two procedural changes were made in the bill.
About the Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Registration ( Amendment) Bill 2023, it was told that only a couple of procedural changes were being made in it.
The meeting was attended by members of the National Assembly Aasiya Azim, Naz Baloch, Nasir Khan Musazai, Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Zulfiqar Ali Behan, Kiran Imran Dar and Zeb Jafar.
APP MD visits residence of Afzal Butt to condole his mother’s demise
ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP): Managing Director Associated Press of Pakistan, Muhammad Asim Khichi on Thursday visited the residence of Afzal Butt, President of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalist (PFUJ) to condole the death of his mother.
Muhammad Asim Khichi expressed his deep grief over the sad demise of Afzal Butt’s mother and prayed for the departed soul.
MD APP praying for high ranks of the departed soul in Jannah, said that there was no alternative of parents.
Secretary General of National Press Club Islamabad Raja Khalil, Senior Journalists Nawabzada Khursheed, Rana Imran Lateef, Shakeel Ahmad Abbasi, and Secretary Information Young Media Working Journalists Association Nawabzada Shah Ali were also present on the occasion.
Rana Sanaullah inaugurates women’s police station
ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP): Minister for Interior, Rana Sana Ullah on Thursday inaugurated a Women’s Police Station in the federal capital in order to empower and cater needs of women by providing state-of-the-art facilities.
“The government has completed all the demands of Islamabad police by the establishing women’s police station, increasing salaries and paying due allowances. Now, it is the responsibility of the police to ensure the safety of the citizen,” he said while addressing the inaugural ceremony.
The minister said that Islamabad was the face of the country as a huge diplomatic community lived here and analyzed the social setting of the country through the infrastructure and intuitions of Islamabad.
“Therefore, every institution of the federal capital should be a role model, particularly the police department as it deals the public mostly,” he added.
Stressing the need of maintaining discipline in the force, Rana Sanaullah said a well-disciplined police department in the federal capital would help create a positive image of the country across the globe.
He said that the PML-N government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif left no stone unturned to make the city modern and started different development projects in that regard.
Divulging details of the projects, he said that a total development projects worth Rs150 billion were underway in the capital out of which Rs 100 billion would be completed before elections.
“We have recruited 1700 more personnel in the force including 208 women which would help to maintain the law and order situation in the city,” he said.
Paying homage to the Inspector General of Islamabad Police Nasir Akbar, he said that the credit for establishing women’s police station went to him as he initiated the remarkable project and took great efforts for it.
“The behaviour of Islamabad police with citizens is commendable which more needed to be improved,” he added.
Sen. Irfan Siddiqui pays tribute to PM on finalization of IMF deal
ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP): Senator Irfan Siddiqui on Thursday called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and paid him tribute on the finalization of deal with International Monetary Fund (IMF) .
Senator Siddiqui also lauded the prime minister’s effort for the revival of national economy.
Both discussed political situation in the country.
IDB president assures PM of continued support to Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP): President of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Dr Sulaiman Al Jasser on Thursday assured Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of continued financial support to Pakistan.
The IDB president, in a telephonic conversation with PM Shehbaz, termed Pakistan a brotherly country and vowed to cooperate with it, the PM Office said.
The prime minister thanked the IDB president IDB for giving one billion dollars to Pakistan and said the received amount also played an important role in finalizing the standby agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
He said without the IDB’s support, the IMF’s deal with Pakistan’s was difficult to materialize.
The prime minister said the Islamic Development Bank was an important partner of Pakistan, which helped it in difficult times.
He recalled his meeting with Sulaiman Jasser in France, and said Pakistan was keen to further strengthen its partnership with the IDB.
He apprised the IDB president of the recently established Special Investment Facilitation Council for the promotion of investment in the country.
The body has been set up to increase investment in various sectors of the country.
The prime minister invited Dr Sulaiman Al Jasser to visit Pakistan.
Despite conspiracies, coalition govt brings country out of deep crisis in the shortest period: PM
ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP):Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said despite challenges and conspiracies hatched by the political opponents, the coalition government had successfully managed to put the country in the right direction in the shortest period.
The prime minister, in his over 14-minute address to the nation, said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme agreed by the previous government on the toughest conditions, was the biggest obstacle in the way of the country’s economic revival.
The last regime had brought the country to the brink of default by deviating from that agreement, he added.
He said ironically, the political opponents remained busy in hatching conspiracies and creating hurdles while the coalition government was trying to resume the programme.
The incumbent government had to face the biggest challenges and conspiracies in Pakistan’s democratic history in the shortest period, and steered it out of the deep crisis, he added.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the coalition government was going to end in August on completing its tenure and would hand over the reins to the caretaker set up.
“During the short period of one and a quarter years, due to our collective wisdom and prudent policies, we cleared the debris and economic landmines laid by the previous government,” he added.
He said the period of his government was a journey of moving from the destruction towards construction, economic stability, helping the flood affected people, providing maximum employment to the jobless and relief to the people hit by inflation, and revival of freedom of speech, media freedom and national integration.
He said the coalition parties sacrificed their politics for saving the country from default by taking the toughest decisions. “We always remained worried about increasing the foreign exchange reserves instead of thinking about our vote banks.”
The prime minister said despite anti-state conspiracies, the government did not loose its heart and succeeded to reach a staff level agreement with the IMF.
“Today on behalf of the whole nation, I sincerely thank friendly and brotherly countries China, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, which once again supported Pakistan with sincerity under very difficult situation and that can never be forgotten,” he added.
He said the way, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan played their role in bringing Pakistan out of the crisis, was praiseworthy.
The prime minister also acknowledged the efforts of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on the diplomatic front. Similarly, he also appreciated Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of the Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir for their untiring efforts to help stabilize the economy.
Now, he said, the time had come to regain the country’s lost glory by moving forward with collective wisdom and struggle. For that purpose, he added, a comprehensive national plan of economic revival had been finalized. The Special Investment Facilitation Council had been set up, which had initiated its work and was paving the way for big investments from the Gulf countries in various fields including agriculture, industry, energy, IT, defence production and minerals, he said.
PM Shehbaz also assured the nation that on this national agenda, the federal government, all the provincial governments, and the armed forces were adopting the whole of the government approach to make it a success.
Expressing satisfaction over the overall economic situation, the prime minister said the trust of the business and investment communities was also reviving while the international rating agency Fitch had also improved Pakistan’s rating to triple C.
Similarly, he said, the United Nation’s Human Rights Council had also testified the improving situation of human rights in Pakistan whereas the country had also showed improvement by seven points in the International Freedom Index.
Shehbaz Sharif said when the staff level agreement with the IMF was announced on June 30, the investors expressed their full satisfaction through the Stock Exchange Market as the KSE-100 index jumped by record 2446 points in a single day.
Now the Stock Exchange had crossed the 45,000 points level which was the highest in 14 months, he said adding that the value of Pakistani Rupee was also improving.
The prime minister said the Rs 1,150 billion historical development budget, Rs 2,000 billion agriculture development fund under Kissan Package, conversion of agriculture tube wells to solar energy, Rs 80 billion Prime Minister Youth Programme, interest-free and concessional loans in agriculture industry, IT and other sectors, provision of laptops to the talented students, educational scholarships, women empowerment, special scholarships to families of martyrs, and timely completion of infrastructural projects were few of the achievements of the incumbent government.
Resolving to break the begging bowl, he asked the youth to come forward to take the country to new heights of development and prosperity.