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IHC reserves verdict in plea against re-polling in NA-43

By
Waseem Iqbal
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0
ISLAMABAD, Feb 15 (APP):The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday reserved its verdict in a petition challenging the decision of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for re-polling in six polling stations of NA-43 Tank.
Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard the petition filed by independent candidate Dawar Khan Kundi against the ECP decision.
The petitioner’s lawyer Afnan Karim Kundi said that the voters’ turnover was low due to the security issues.
He said his client had defeated the son of Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the constituency, and Form 47 was issued. But the ECP ordered re-polling without receipt of any complaint, he added.
The lawyer prayed the court to set aside the ECP’s order for re-polling.
The ECP’s Director General Law adopted the stance that the body had received several complaints, some of them were disposed of while re-polling was ordered at some polling stations.
It was reported that the people did not cast their votes in the area, he added.
The court reserved the verdict after hearing arguments from the respondents.

Arrangements finalized for the mega event of PSL: DC

By
NNPS Desk
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0

MULTAN, Feb 15 (APP): Deputy Commissioner (DC) Capt (retd) Rizwan Qadeer said that arrangements have been finalized for the mega event of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) ninth edition going to be started in Multan on February 18.

During his visit to Stadium and route here on Thursday, the DC said that a central control room has been set up at the DC office where representatives of the all concerned departments and strict security would remain present. He said that movement of the teams would be monitored from the control room.

Rizwan added that keeping in the view the public facilitation, the routes would not be closed unnecessarily. He said that special transportation would be made available in the city during the whole event.

The DC maintained that ticket sale points have also been set up in the city along with the facility of online ticket purchase. He said that district administration and security departments were fully prepared to deal any emergency situation adding that stern action would be taken in case of any untoward incident.

Sherry confirms nomination of Zardari for presidency

By
Waseem Iqbal
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0
ISLAMABAD, Feb 15 (APP):Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senior leader Senator Sherry Rehman clarified on Thursday that no formal discussions have taken place with Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) regarding coalition government formation.
Talking to a private news channel, Senator Rehman emphasized that while there have been discussions with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) regarding government formation, no such talks have occurred with the PTI.
Sherry Rehman expressed openness to dialogue with all parties, stating, “Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) seems to be confused; PPP’s doors are open for everyone for discussion.”
Furthermore, she highlighted the ongoing formation of provincial committees and the process of provincial government formation with allies.
Senator Rehman said that peaceful protest was the the democratic right of everyone, but apolitical sit-ins and mob demonstrations could undermine national stability.
She underscored the importance of political and economic stability for the country’s progress.
Responding to a query about the presidential candidacy, Sherry Rehman confirmed Asif Ali Zardari as the PPP’s nominee.

IHC reserves verdict in plea against NA-163 election results

By
Waseem Iqbal
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0
ISLAMABAD, Feb 15 (APP):The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday reserved its judgment in a petition of Shaukat Basra against the victory of Ijazul Haq from NA-163 Bahawalnagar.
Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard the petition against the election results in the said constituency.
The petitioner claimed that that he had Forms 45 of all the polling stations, according to which he was on first position by getting over 98,000 votes while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate stood second. But the ECP notified the victory of Ijazul Haq, who was on number three.
The court reserved the verdict after hearing arguments from the petitioner.

Private Hajj bookings set to commence on Friday: Ashrafi

By
Waseem Iqbal
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0
ISLAMABAD, Feb 15 (APP):Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Religious Affairs and Pakistani Diaspora in Middle East and Islamic Countries, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi on Thursday announced that the private Hajj organizers would start booking for the Hajj 2024 from Friday, February 16, nationwide.
Addressing a press conference along with Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan (HOAP) Chairman Jamal Khan Tarakai, Vice Chairman Haji Sanaullah and other representative, said the intending pilgrims within the country and abroad could grab this sacred opportunity till February 25.
Ashrafi who is also the chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council expressed optimism about the possibility of extending the application submission deadline by a month through private Hajj organizers’ platform. He revealed that Hajj quota allocated to the private Hajj organizers was 89,604 pilgrims, with fifty percent quota of 44,802 pilgrims is reserved for Sponsorship Hajj Scheme.
Ashrafi urged the government to provide all possible assistance to the intending Pakistani overseas pilgrims for smoothly remitting their funds in the local financial institutions. He proposed that it would be far better if they could be allowed to send their money into the private Hajj organizers’ accounts in Saudi Arabia through International Bank Accounts Numbers (IBAN).
Ashrafi informed that the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony had established a dedicated helpline in collaboration with HOAP for further convenience of the pilgrims.
He expressed gratitude to the government of Pakistan and as well as Saudi Arabia for making state-of-the-art arrangements for the intending pilgrims in advance.
Ashrafi said this year, due to the special efforts of Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir and Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, the cost of Hajj had been reduced due to controlling the dollar’s value in financial market.
He said HOAP had ensured to provide maximum ease and comfort to the pilgrims and furthermore, it had devised a self-accountability mechanism within the private Hajj organizers to address pilgrims’ grievances immediately and penalize the particular Hajj organizers for bad conduct with the affected pilgrims.
Concluding his remarks, Ashrafi said, “Hajj is a religious obligation that every capable person must fulfill once in life.”
Meanwhile, HOAP Chairman Jamal Khan Tarakai announced that under the leadership of Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, a consolidated training programme was being initiated for pilgrims across the country. He said this comprehensive programme would help intending pilgrims to perform their religious rites in a more comfortable environment in the Kingdom.
To save themselves from any fraud, he asked the intending pilgrims to book their spiritual journey through registered Hajj organizers mentioning that their complete list was available on the official website of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.
HOAP Vice Chairman Haji Sanaullah said the private Hajj organizers were providing a big facility to Pakistan overseas pilgrims that they could directly travel to Saudi Arabia from their resident countries to perform this sacred obligation.
Both leaders urged the government to provide transactional convenience to the overseas pilgrims so that they could send their remittances directly in the private Hajj organizers IBAN in Saudi Arabia.

Abbottabad traffic police initiates “No Helmet, No Fuel” drive

By
Waseem Iqbal
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0
ABBOTTABAD, Feb 15 (APP):The Abbottabad police once again launched a campaign against underage motorcyclists and those without helmets on Thursday.
The newly appointed SP Traffic Warden, Suleman Khan, commenced the drive in compliance with the directives of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Hazara, Ijaz Khan, initiating the “No Helmet, No Fuel” campaign. SP Traffic Warden Khan emphasized that the lack of helmet usage has significantly contributed to the rise in serious traffic accidents in Abbottabad District.
Khan further stated that, in order to curb traffic violations, the police have issued a ban, under section 144, on providing petrol to motorcyclists without helmets. This measure has yielded positive results in previous drives, leading to a reduction in the daily road accident rate in the district.
The Abbottabad Traffic Police have also launched a rigorous crackdown on underage motorcyclists, reckless driving, helmet-less riders, and individuals engaging in one-wheeling. Several citations have been issued, and numerous individuals have been booked under section 279 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
It is now mandatory for motorcyclists to wear helmets, and petrol pumps are obliged to refrain from selling fuel to those without helmets. Any petrol pump found violating this ban will face strict consequences.

Training on leadership traits for BISP officers conducted

By
Waseem Iqbal
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0
ISLAMABAD, Feb 15 (APP):Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Dr. Muhammad Amjad Saqib Thursday emphasized the significance of leadership, stating that it encompasses vision, knowledge, skills, and traits.
He underscored the importance of integrity and humility, highlighting that integrity is the alignment between words and actions, and humility is essential in inspiring others.
While addressing the officers of grade 17 and 18 (BISP HQs and BISP field offices) in a training session at the Institute of Rural Management (IRM) today, Dr. Amjad Saqib reiterated that it is a collective dream and an apolitical program dedicated to serve 9.3 million poor families across Pakistan, regardless of caste, color, or creed.
He stressed that BISP stands as one of the nation’s premier institutions, committed to uplifting marginalized communities.
The session aimed to enhance the leadership skills and capabilities of BISP officers in effectively serving the community. Dr. Amjad Saqib shared his firsthand observations of extreme poverty among women beneficiaries during his visits from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to Sindh.
He urged the importance of serving these deserving individuals, equating it to an act of worship.
Addressing BISP employees, Dr. Amjad Saqib urged them to provide comprehensive assistance to needy women visiting BISP centers for registration or to receive their quarterly stipends. He underscored the importance of providing shelter, clean drinking water, and education on social and moral values, including environmental conservation and the significance of education for their children.
During the interactive session, Dr. Amjad Saqib engaged with participants, responding to their queries and concerns. Participants expressed their appreciation for the training, noting its significant contribution to their personal and professional growth.
They described the training as fruitful, enhancing their fieldwork experience and grooming them both personally and professionally.
The training session reflects BISP’s commitment to empowering its officers with the necessary skills and knowledge to better serve the community and fulfill its mission of poverty alleviation.

Notification regarding Aun Chaudhry’s victory withdrawn: IHC told

By
Waseem Iqbal
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0
ISLAMABAD, Feb 15 (APP):The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that it had withdrawn the notification regarding the victory of Aun Chaudhry from NA-128 Lahore in the general elections.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard the petition of independent candidate Salman Akram Raja Advocate against the election results.
Addressing the ECP’s Director General Law, the court said that the Commission should have first decided the petitioner’s application, which was already pending with it..
The petitioner’s lawyer adopted the stance that the results’ consolidation was not done in his client’s case.
After taking instructions, the DG Law informed the court that the notification regarding the results in the said constituency had been withdrawn.

Commission inaugurates HFH Catholic Church expansion

By
Waseem Iqbal
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0
RAWALPINDI, Feb 15 (APP):Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Liaqat Ali Chatta on Thursday said that the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan had provided equal opportunities to the minorities with all the basic rights of citizenship and freedom to practice their religion.
He said this while inaugurating the expansion and renovation work project of the Catholic Church at the Holy Family Hospital(HFH).  He said that due to the same entrance of OPD of the hospital and Church, the patients and the Christian community had to face many problems.
In addition, the basement of the church which was being used by the hospital was handed over to the church management after the approval of the district administration, he added.
Chatha informed that during the up-gradation of HFH, it was decided to separate the path of the church. He said that the issue was resolved within a short period.
The Commissioner said that an amount of Rs 200,000 had also been provided to the Church administration for the expansion and other works. He said that Islam is a religion of peace, unity, love, and mutual tolerance, adding that inter-faith harmony was the need of the hour.
Bishop of Rawalpindi Islamabad Dr Joseph Arshad, Bishop Nazia Abrar Khan, Father Sarfraz Simon, Babu Sajid Amin Khokhar, and a large number of the Christian community were present at the opening ceremony of the church.
The Christian community on the occasion paid tribute to the Commissioner for solving the long-standing issue of the Holy Family Catholic Church.

ICCI organizes business role model award

By
Waseem Iqbal
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0
ISLAMABAD, Feb 15 (APP):The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) organized a business role model award ceremony to give awards to business leaders for achieving great success in their respective business fields. Governor Punjab Muhammad Baligh ur Rehman was the chief guest, said a press release.
Speaking on the occasion, Muhammad Baligh ur Rehma  said that the business community is making a great contribution to the socio-economic development of the country and taking an active part in philanthropic activities, which is laudable.
He said that the Special Investment Facilitation Council has brought all stakeholders on the same page and hoped that the incoming government would turn around Pakistan’s economy towards better growth and development.
He said that Pakistan needs to highlight positivity and discourage negativity to move forward. He highlighted the achievements of Edhi and Akhuwat as the outcomes of positive efforts. He acknowledged the need to bring out-of-school children to schools to educate them.
He threw light on the achievements of the Punjab Skills Development Fund from 2013 to 2018 which were made case studies by Harward and the London School of Economics.
He said that the business community needs ease of doing business to improve the economy. He assured that he would support the representation of the business community in the syndicates of universities to promote academia-industry linkages to address issues of industry and improve economic growth.
Speaking on the occasion, Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry thanked the Governor Punjab for his support of the new industrial estate project of ICCI.
He said that the land for the said project has been identified in the district Chakwal and urged that the work on this important project should be expedited to complete it to promote industrialization and exports.
He urged all the parties to accept the election results to move forward as Pakistan needs political stability to achieve economic stability.  He said that Pakistan needs foreign investment, industrialization, and an increase in exports to revive the economy for which stability is the key requirement.
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