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MQM-P forms negotiation committee regarding government formation

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KARACHI, Feb 17 (APP):The spokesperson of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan Saturday said that the coordination committee of MQM Pakistan has constituted a three-member negotiation committee regarding contact with political parties and government formation.
 Senior Deputy Convenor Syed Mustafa Kamal, Dr. Farooq Sattar, and Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori are included in the negotiation committee.
 The negotiation committee will hold talks with the leaders of various political parties of the country on political relations, government formation, and other issues.

Gang busted: 2 arrested, 5 stolen bikes recovered

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DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Feb 17 (APP):Dera Police in their on­going operations against car and bike lifter gangs busted a gang and rounded up their 2 members be­sides recovering 5 motorcycles, and Rs 3.7 million cash of stolen vehicles from their possession in the limits of Cantt police station here on Saturday.
According to the police spokesman, on the direction of District Police Officer Dera Abdul Rauf Babar Qaisrani, Police Station Cantt under the leadership of SDPO City Muhammad Adnan along with SHO Gul Sher Khan conducted a successful operation and succeeded in busting a bike lifter gang. The police arrested Akram and Ikram along with recovering 5 stolen motorcycles from their possession
Police also recovered cash amounting to Rs 3.7 million of stolen bikes and cars from the accused.
DSP City Muhammad Adnan told the media persons that while taking action on the rising incidents of motorcycle theft in the city, District Police Officer (DPO) Abdur Rauf Babar Qaisrani directed to launch of a comprehensive crackdown against criminals involved in numerous bike lifting and robbery activities.
He said that a special police team was formed, after which the team traced the accused and arrested 2 criminals who were involved in various incidents of robbery in the city. He said the team was successful in recovering 5 stolen motorcycles and cash from the accused.

Kiagaoge Kang bags ITF World Jr title

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 17 (APP):Pakistan’s Hamza Roman lost to Kiagaoge Kang of China in boy’s singles of the ITF Pakistan Khawar Hyat Khan Memorial World Junior Championship Leg-1 here at PTF-SDA Tennis Complex on Saturday.
Kiagaoge outplayed Hamza by 6-4,6-4 and won the ITF Leg-1 Championships.
In the girl’s singles final, Kira Kalinouskaya (BLR) beat Katsiaryna Dubik (BLR) by 6-1,6-3.
In the boy’s doubles final, Dong Hyeon Euom (KOR), Jiwan Park (KOR) beat Bilal Asim, Ahmed Nael Qureshi (PAK) 6-4,6-4.
In girl’s doubles final, Gyuree Nam (KOR), Chaewon Whang (KOR) bt Paramee Takaew (THA), Jungke Yan (CHN) 6-0,6-0
A total of 45 players boys & girls from Kazakhstan, Turkey, USA, Hongkong, China, Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Romania, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, and Thailand participated in the Championships. As many as 27 Pakistani boys & girls featured in the Championships.
Nageen Hyat wife of Khawar Hyat Khan and their children Daniyal Hyat Khan, and Sadia Hyat Khan were the Chief Guests at the Closing Ceremony. Senator Salim Saifullah Khan and Iftikhar Rashid were the Guests of Honor at the Closing Ceremony.
The closing ceremony was also attended by Col. Gul Rehman (R), Mansoor Ahmmad Khan DDG-PSB, and a large number of players, coaches, parents, media persons, and tennis lovers.
Senator Salim Saifullah Khan President PTF praised the services and untiring efforts of Khawar Hyat Khan for the promotion of tennis in Pakistan, which will not be forgotten. The Ex-President of PTF thanked the media for the wide coverage of the event.
The Championships was supervised by Arif Qureshi, ITF White Badge Referee.
The main draw of the ITF Pakistan Zainab Ali Naqvi Memorial World Junior Championships Leg-II would be held on Monday.

EuroVillage family-focused festival amuses residents of twin cities

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 17 (APP):Thousands of people gathered at the Jinnah Convention Center here on Saturday to participate in “EuroVillage,” a family-focused festival organized by the European Union and its Member States.
This year’s celebration centered on the theme of co-creating a sustainable future, entitled “Stronger Together – Sustainable Forever.”
The event showcased over 60 years of the strong connection between the EU and Pakistan, highlighting the collaborative partnership in development, trade and investment, culture, education, environment and a wide array of other areas said a news release.
In her welcome remarks, Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan,  Dr. Riina Kionka, noted: “EuroVillage is a special event for us; we cherish the people-to-people connections it offers. This year, we want you to experience our journey of co-creating a sustainable future. Europe has the ambition to be the first climate-neutral continent but also wants to support its partners toward the green transition. Pakistan is one of the countries at the greatest risk from climate change. The EU is working with Pakistan to help address challenges and create a sustainable future for all.”
The fifth edition of EuroVillage hosted the residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi to experience European sustainability and enjoy an afternoon of culture, music, and food. The festival features interactive information displays by the EU and Member States, offering games, quizzes, food, and various activities, providing visitors with an afternoon of learning, interaction, and entertainment.
The event also featured live performances by Pakistani artists including Farhan Saeed and Quratulain Balouch.
As a symbol of this partnership, an EU-Pakistan Dosti truck was displayed at the event blending the well-known Pakistani truck art with European symbols and designs.
Euro Village was co-organized by the diplomatic missions of the European Union and Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain.

Galyat Snow Festival begins

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PESHAWAR, Feb 17 (APP): Director General Galyat Development Authority, Shahrukh Ali Khan on Saturday inaugurated the Galyat Snow Festival at Abbottabad.
Director Tourism, Tamas Khan, Director Administration, Fawad Khattak and other concerned officials were also present in the inauguration ceremony.
Speaking on the occasion, Shahrukh Ali Khan said that the event was aimed to attract tourists and inform people about the tourism potential of Galyat.
He said that the festival would also impact the socio-economic conditions of area people by creating growth opportunities.
It is worth mentioning that the festival would include various snow sports events, musical concerts, hiking, horse riding, zip lining, and tracking.

PTA cracks down on illegal SIMs activation, unlicensed ISPs

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 17 (APP): Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Zonal Offices in collaboration with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) conducted several raids against franchises involved in the illegal activation of SIMs and illegal Internet Service Provider (ISPs) on Saturday.

56 suspicious SIMs were confiscated in the Sukkar, and during the raid in Kasur, 26 active SIMs were confiscated. The accused individuals have been apprehended by the FIA and First Investigation Reports (FIRs) have been lodged against them, said a news release.

Moreover, two raids were conducted to target illegal ISP setups in Chichawatni. During the raids, a significant amount of equipment was recovered at different locations in Chichawatni which included 12 Optical line terminals (OLT), 04 dish antennas, 01 UPS, 2 batteries, 350 meter OFC cable, 01 Optical Network Terminal, 01 OLT charger, and a manual billing book.

Additionally, an illegally erected tower carrying numerous dish antennas was dismantled by the FIA team. Ongoing investigations are in progress.

These raids are part of the PTA’s ongoing efforts to eradicate the illegal issuance of SIMs and illegal ISPs.

People enjoy peacock dance during their visit to Bird Aviary at Lake View Park

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People enjoy peacock dance during their visit to Bird Aviary at Lake View Park
APP01-170224
ISLAMABADPeople enjoy peacock dance during their visit to Bird Aviary at Lake View Park

People enjoy peacock dance during their visit to Bird Aviary at Lake View Park

People enjoy peacock dance during their visit to Bird Aviary at Lake View Park

APP04-170224
ISLAMABAD

Trader bodies urge govt to reconsider recent hike in gas tariff

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 17 (APP):Trader bodies on Saturday urged the federal government to reconsider its decision to hike in gas tariff to address concerns of the business community.
President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari and President, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI)Iftikhar Ahmed Sheikh made the demand during a meeting held here, said a news release.
They have shown concerns over the federal cabinet’s approval of a 67 percent increase in gas tariffs as it would increase production costs, reduce industrial activities, and badly hurt exports.
During a meeting, they urged the government to take solid measures and ensure competitive energy tariffs for the industry to boost industrialization and exports.
President ICCI said that the economy of Pakistan is in deep trouble as the manufacturing sector is still struggling to recover, textile sector exports declined by around 3 percent during July-January 2023-24, and foreign exchange reserves of US$ 8 billion are insufficient to cover only 6 weeks of imports.
He said Pakistan needs US$ 22 billion in external financing during 2024-25 to meet its financing needs.
To cope with these challenges, Pakistan urgently needs to boost industrialization and exports. However, the repeated hikes in electricity and gas tariffs have made the cost of doing business very high which is hurting production activities and making exports uncompetitive in the international market.
President KCCI said that the industry of Karachi was demanding a reduction in gas tariffs to improve industrial activities and the increased gas tariffs would create more problems for the industry that would slow down the economic growth of the country.
 He urged that the new government in consultation with the private sector should fix the utility tariffs for the next 10 years to enable better growth of business activities and revive the economy.
Zafar Bakhtawari, former President ICCI and Secretary General UBG stressed that the government should privatize all loss-making utility companies to reduce their burden on the national exchequer and improve their performance.
Both Chambers called for political stability in the country, which is the key requirement to achieve economic stability.
They urged that the new government should give top priority to promoting ease of doing business to make Pakistan a hub of business and investment activities and enable it to emerge as a strong economy.
 Both chambers agreed to work in close cooperation to address the key issues of the business community and create a conducive business environment.
Muhamad Ejaz Abbasi former President ICCI, Maqsood Tabish, Khalid Chaudhry, and others were present on the occasion.

Businessmen call for commercial activities at Ghulam Khan, Kharlachi border posts

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PESHAWAR, Feb 17 (APP):Businessmen dealing in Pak-Afghan trade have demanded Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Ministry of Commerce to open Ghulam Khan and Kharlachi borders with Afghanistan for full-fledged commercial activities in the wake of the excessive transportation burden on the Torkhem border post.
In a joint press statement issued here on Saturday, Coordinator Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI), Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi and former Senior Vice President (SVP) Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Engr Manzoor Elahi said due to closure of Chaman border for the last three months and limited operation at Ghulam Khan and Kharlachi border posts, all the workload of trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been shifted to Torkhem border.
“Excessive transportation of goods from Torkhem to Afghanistan and Central Asian Countries (CARs), ensued in prolonging travel duration of goods laden trucks from ten days to around one and a half month and excessive increase in charges,” they explained.
Transportation charges for trucks nowadays has been hiked to an exorbitant level of Rs. 1.1 million (1100,000) because of prolonged travel duration of around one and a half months which makes it almost impossible for businessmen to bear the expense, they went on to say.
Zia said a truck carrying goods to Afghanistan returns to Pakistan after around 45 days and the owners are now preferring local transportation within the country, instead of sending their vehicles to Afghanistan which is creating an acute shortage of vehicles.
He said the Chaman border has been closed for the last three months, Kharliachi is confined to only import and export operations which does not allow the transportation of transit goods, while the Ghulam Khan border is operational only for a few hours till 5:00 p.m.
In such circumstances, all the burden has been shifted to Torkhem resulting in the accumulation of huge traffic, prolonged travel duration, and exorbitant increase in transportation charges.
As a result of workload and accumulation of loaded trucks, the return of empty trucks from Afghanistan is also held, exacerbating the problem, they added.
Both Zia Sarhadi and Engr. Manzoor also suggested shifting the entry of trucks carrying soapstone and coal from Afghanistan to Kharlachi and Ghulam Khan.
They said daily around 70 to 80 trucks of coal and around 150 to 200 trucks of soapstone arrive from Afghanistan through the Torkhem border which creates traffic jams in the parking areas and on the main highway. Ongoing work on the NLC terminal at Torkhem is also creating space shortage and delays in the passage of trucks, they added.
Both the businessmen reiterated their demand from FBR and the Ministry of Commerce and Trade to take notice of hardships being faced by the business community due to excessive transportation charges and prolonged travel duration due to the rush of vehicles at the Torkhem border post.

No country aspires to achieve progress sans public participation: President

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 17 (APP):President Dr Arif Alvi on Saturday said that no country could aspire to attain progress and prosperity without the participation of its people and Pakistan being the fifth populous country in the world, possessed immense potential to excel in every field of life.
Addressing an awards distribution ceremony of the annual Invitational Golf Tournament held at Margalla Greens Golf Club, the president said that the people were a vital driving force for making contributions to the overall progress of a country.
No country aspires to achieve progress sans public participation: President
“About 250 million people of Pakistan with their collective efforts can make a difference; they can transform and rebuild Pakistan by utilizing their potential and intellect,” he observed.
Under the ‘Sports Diplomacy’ initiative, Serena Hotels hosted the tournament in collaboration with the Margalla Greens Golf Club. A number of golfers, diplomats and sports buffs attended the event.
In his address, President Alvi further underscored the significance of promoting active lifestyles and outdoor pursuits, emphasizing the positive impact on national well-being and the betterment of communities.
No country aspires to achieve progress sans public participation: President
Congratulating the organizers, he said that the event was enjoyable amidst the natural verdant atmosphere.
He observed that due to the modern lifestyle, people were accustomed to the latest facilities and moving away from hectic physical activities which were not beneficial for health.
The human body responds to different exercises daily and they continue to decline with the passage of age, if no proper physical activity was adopted, he added.
The president further said that during Covid 19, Pakistan emerged as the third most successful performing country in the world due to the collective efforts by all the institutions and compilation of data.
He said that precedent could be taken as a guiding event that could help overcome different issues being faced by the country, adding that about 26 million children were out of school besides, the numerous issues of malnutrition and stunting being faced in the health sector.
The president stressed that Pakistan should also learn from the experiences of different developed countries that wade through diverse challenges.
“Things in Pakistan will turn around, I have firm belief as the people have huge potential,” he opined.
Speaking on the occasion, CEO Serena Hotels Aziz Boolani said that they would continue to utilize sports as a platform to connect with people from different segments of society to foster stronger relationships and cultivate a spirit of teamwork.
In the closing ceremony, the president gave away prizes to the winners and runners-up across all four categories.
No country aspires to achieve progress sans public participation: President
Golfers from a diverse range of categories, including diplomatic, government, and armed forces officials, corporations, and women participated in the event.
With approximately 110 golfers in attendance, including a notable contingent of women players, the competition showcased an impressive display of skill and technique across the course.