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Political Secretary to PPP Chairman, Jameel Ahmed Soomro submits his nomination form from PS 11 to returning officer for upcoming General Election 2024
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Anti-polio campaign from Jan 8
FAISALABAD, Dec 21 (APP):Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh has said the next anti-polio campaign in the district will be observed from January 8 to 14.
A total of 4,869 teams will be on duty to administer vaccine to more than 1,536,000 children up to five years of age.
He said this while presiding over a meeting of the District Polio Eradication Committee in which Additional Deputy Commissioner Headquarters Kashif Raza Awan was also present.
He ordered for utilising all available resources to make the polio campaign 100 per cent successful.
Punjab govt approves Rs3b for up-gradation of Fort Qasim Bagh
MULTAN, Dec 21 (APP):Commissioner Multan division, Engineer Aamir Khattak, said on Thursday that the provincial government has approved a Rs 3 billion scheme for the up-gradation of Fort Qasim Bagh.
He expressed these views while addressing the meeting of 34 senior management course officials. He said that the government offices at Fort Qasim were being shifted to the Metro Command and Control Center building and added that the open door policy was imposed in Commissioner Multan’s office. Mr Khattak said that the efforts were being made to resolve the public problems in every possible way by increasing the efficiency of the institutions.
The investment was being made in various sectors for development, prosperity, and beauty across the division adding that the government paying special focus to the completion of health projects. Administrative officers of relevant departments were present at the meeting. The delegation presented the shield to Aamir Khattak and the Commissioner also gave a souvenir to the delegation.
Multan museum to be operational by June 2024
MULTAN, Dec 21 (APP):Multan Museum would be fully operational and open for the general public to have a peep into the way of life and history of their forefathers and the overall region, on or before June 2024.
Incharge Archaeology Department Bahawalpur, Muhammad Sajjad, who holds additional charge of Multan archaeology, told APP on Thursday that civil work is completed by over 90 per cent and Buildings Department Multan is expected to hand over the building to the archaeology department in January next year.
He, however, added that completion of the project would largely depend on the release of funds amid financial constraints being faced by the country.
Sajjad said that once it is handed over to the archaeology department, a consultant would design the interior to decide placement of artifacts on pedestals or inside showcases to enable people to have a peep into the untold stories from ancient times. The three-dimensional display of history would reveal the saga of ages for tourists, students or any other visitor.
The project cost was earlier estimated at Rs 80 million, however, later, the price surge and dollar parity increased the cost. The project is now expected to be completed at a cost of around Rs 85 million subject to the availability of funds, the official said adding that fund utilization stood at around 84 per cent. The rest of the amount would be utilized to complete the remaining civil work, installation of the air conditioning system, security system etc.
The museum is spread over six kanal areas at the foot of Qasim Fort mound along the waterworks road in the heart of the city. The building depicts traditional architecture with a main dome at the centre and domelets around and the facade is decorated with red brick and traditional tile panels in Kashikari with designs in blue to enhance its beauty.
PSX turns around to bullish trend, gains 245 points
ISLAMABAD, Dec 21 (APP):The 100-index of Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) turned around to bullish trend on Thursday, gaining 245.56 points, a positive change of 0.39 percent, closing at 62,693.57 points against 62,448.01 points the previous trading day.
A total of 812,383,481 shares valuing Rs.16.687 billion were traded during the day as compared to 1,187,368,881 shares valuing Rs. 26.038 billion the last day.
Some 358 companies transacted their shares in the stock market; 251 of them recorded gains and 93 sustained losses, whereas the share prices of 14 remained unchanged.
The three top-trading companies were K-Electric Ltd with 209,399,163 shares at Rs.5.60 per share, Cnergyico PK with 101,559,312 shares at Rs.5.49 per share and WorldCall Telecom with 59,818,169 shares at Rs.1.58 per share.
Bata Pakistan witnessed a maximum increase of Rs.46.80 per share price, closing at Rs.1,696.80, whereas the runner-up was Sapphire Textile Mills with a Rs.46.65 rise in its per share price to Rs.1,330.00.
Unilever Pakistan Foods witnessed a maximum decrease of Rs.444.00 per share closing at Rs21,355.00, followed by Nestle Pakistan Limited with Rs.194.00 decline to close at Rs.7,906.00.
PHF women hockey league starts at Gojra
FAISALABAD, Dec 21 (APP):Pakistan’s first PHF Women Deputy Commissioner flood-light hockey league started at the international stadium Gojra, here on Thursday.
The league will continue till December 24. The opening match was played between teams of Al-Baraka Mall and Marriage Hall, which remained tied with one goal from both sides.
Commissioner Faisalabad Silwat Saeed was the chief guest at the opening ceremony. Deputy Commissioner Toba Tek Singh Muhammad Naeem Sindhu, District Police Officer Ibadat Nisar, and a large number of people watched the match.
At the end of the opening match, a spectacular display of fireworks and a Qawwali was also organised by the famous band.
Later, Faisalabad commissioner awarded prizes among the players.
The deputy commissioner said that 120 national and international women players are participating in the hockey league.
Efforts in collaboration with mosques vital to educate out-of-school children: President
ISLAMABAD, Dec 21 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday stressed the need for making all possible efforts in collaboration with the mosques to educate around 28 million out-of-school children in the country.
The president, chairing a meeting to discuss the role of mosques in promotion of education, said the mosques could be used for promotion of literacy in the country.
Caretaker Minister for Religious Affairs, education ministers of Sindh and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, provincial education secretaries, and representatives of Auqaf and Religious Affairs departments attended the meeting.
In the meeting, the president was briefed about the Accelerated Learning Program.
It was told that over 70,000 out-of-school children in Islamabad were enrolled in the schools.
The Accelerated Learning Program Model envisages the provision of five-year education within 24 to 30 months and enrollment of the out-of-school children.
The meeting was told that the grown children, who were deprived of education, could benefit from the said program.
It was told the said program was flexible, focused and low-cost initiative which could also be implemented at the places provided by the community, religious seminaries and second shifts in schools.
Religious Affairs Minister Aneeq Ahmed said the federal government would extend all possible facilities to educate the out-of-school children.
The participants of the meeting agreed to formulate a policy paper to utilise the platform of mosques for the education purpose.
The draft of the policy paper would be presented before the federal cabinet for approval.
Two dacoits arrested
FAISALABAD, Dec 21 (APP):The Madina Town police arrested two dacoits and recovered booty from them, here on Thursday.
According to a police spokesperson, a police team conducted a raid in Chak No 208-RB and arrested accused Muhammad Ejaz and Muhammad Faisal. Two pistols, two cell-phones, Rs 10,000 in cash and a stolen motorcycle were recovered from them.
The accused confessed to committing crimes in the limits of two police stations, Madina Town and Mansoorabad.
Punjab to determine popularity of political parties in 2024 election: expert
PESHAWAR, Dec 21 (APP): Political experts here on Thursday said that four key factors including the large number of voters of Punjab would decide the popularity of 175 political parties during the 2024 general election.
“Following announcement of election schedule by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and submission of nomination papers in all provinces of the country, the mainstream political parties including PMLN, PTI, PPP and the newly established Istehkam e Pakistan Party (IPP) have started eying on Punjab province to get maximum seats of the National Assembly from there and form next government till 2029,” said Muhammad Ali Malik, former Professor of Political Science Department, Govt Post Graduate College Nowshera while talking to APP on Thursday.
“Any religious-political party that achieved victory in Punjab having 127,688,922 population would easily form government in center as well as in the country’s most populous province,” he said, adding Punjab province having about 73,207,896 registered voters, have about 173 seats including 141 general seats in the National Assembly and that is why the top political leaders started election campaign from there to obtain maximum seats from there.
Dr Malik said that 26,994,769 voters of Sindh province would elect candidates on about 75 total seats including 61 general while 55 seats of KP with 21,928,119 voters, 20 seats of Balochistan with 5,371,947 voters and three seats of federal capital with 1,083,029 voters would give added advantage to the parties that win majority in Punjab.
“The Central and Northern Punjab have maximum number of seats in National Assembly compared to Southern Punjab districts and the political leaders were persuading its voters through their election manifestos to reach the power corridors. The other two important factors that will determine the outcome of the 2024 general election are young voters and religious-political parties’ manifestos,” he said.
Out of 128.585 million registered voters in Pakistan, he said 69.263 million are male voters and 59.3 million are women voters, adding the majority of these voters are youth whose votes will play a deciding role on February 8, 2024.
“This election is unique due to increased number of young voters whose ballot would determine which party will rule Pakistan for next five years,” he said. Over 45pc of the voters have aged between 18-35 i.e 57,095,197 and about 22 million new voters have been added to the electoral rolls since last general election which is 18 percent of the electorate, he said and added that most of these young voters were educated and their active participation with high turnout would help elect candidates with better people’s service record.
Dr Muhammad Ali Malik said that large barardaris (communities) would also play a key role in the outcome of 2024 general election.
Besides others tribes, he said that the role of Wazir and Mehsud tribes in Wazirsitan, Bangash tribe in Orakzai, Hangu and Kohat, Salarzai tribe in Bajaur, Khattak tribe in Karak and Nowshera, Youfzai tribe in Swat, Swabi and Mardan, Khalil and Mohmand tribes in Peshawar and Afridi and Shinwari tribes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be significant.
Similarly, he said that in Hazara, the candidates are eying to get support of Gujar, Jaddon and Abbasi tribes in Abbottabad, Haripur and Manshera while in Bathani tribe and Marwat tribes in Tank and Lakki Marwat besides Bannoichi in Bannu whose role would be of paramount importance.
The political scholar said that political parties’ manifestos would play a key role in election results. He said people wanted solutions to their problems including unemployment, poverty, price hike, houses and illiteracy and any party that provided its solution would get an edge over others.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has recently announced key points of his party’s election manifesto including construction of three million houses for the poor, launching of welfare cards for labourers, patients and farmers besides increasing BISP assistance during various public addresses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he told.
He said that PMLN manifesto revolved around supremacy of constitution, legal reforms and access to justice; economy, poverty alleviation/reduction in inflation and unemployment, trade, industry and natural resources, overseas Pakistanis, elimination of corruption, education and health, sustainable development and climate change etc.
Dr Malik said that ANP was taking credit of giving identity to people of KP by renaming NWFP as Khyber Pakthunkhwa and construction of a maximum number of public sector universities while PTI’s manifesto revolved around Sehat Cards, BRT and youth empowerment reforms.
He expressed the hope that the popularity graph of political parties would be cleared as General Election 2024 comes nearer. Dr Malik said that the overwhelming response of people ahead of the election campaign was a positive sign for democracy of Pakistan and urged masses, political parties and the entire nation to unite for the 2024 general election.
Two drug dealers held with over 1300g drugs
DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Dec 21 (APP):The Dera police on Thursday arrested two drug dealers recovering 1031 grams of hashish, 242 grams of heroin, and 54 grams of Ice drug from their possession here in the limits of Gomal University police station.
According to a police spokesman, a team from Gamal University Police Station led by SDPO Paroa Circle Anwar Khattak along with SHO Kazim Hussain took different actions against the menace of drugs.
The police team arrested drug dealer Muhammad Bilal son of Rabnawaz and recovered 1031 grams of hashish and 157 grams of heroin from him. In another action, the police arrested Muhammad Tufail son of Muhammad Rafiq, and recovered 85 grams of heroin and 54 grams of Ice drug from his possession. The police registered separate cases against the arrested accused.