QUETTA, Dec 19 (APP): Caretaker Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Ali Mardan Domki called on Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar here on Tuesday and discussed matters relating to mutual interests.
During the meeting, they also discussed various matters of the Balochistan province, a statement issued by the Prime Minister Office Press Wing said.
ISLAMABAD, Dec 19 (APP): The Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) is all set to initiate new residential projects in eight major cities of the country to provide housing to government employees and the general public.
“The authority has already received several applications from land owners, companies and firms interested in the mega projects,” sources in the FGEHA told APP.
They said the applications were invited from land owners, developers, firms and eligible individuals for the supply of land for housing schemes (plots, houses and apartments) projects in major cities of the country.
The procedure for applications and selection was being followed as per Joint Venture Regulations 2020, they added.
They said the authority was planning to launch new residential projects in eight major cities of the country, including the twin cities Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Other cities are Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan, Faisalabad and Karachi.
“The new housing projects will be started for federal government employees and the general public on the basis of a joint venture,” they added.
To a question, they said that the FGEHA would complete the development work of Green Enclave-II residential project of the government employees by 2025.
“The work of the first part of the project Green Enclave-II (Commoners Sky Garden) is going on vigorously. The Housing Authority Green Enclave II-Project is a joint venture of FGEHA, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Housing and Construction, with Sky Garden to provide low-cost plots/flats to government employees,” they added.
They said the work on the first part of Green Enclave-II was progressing towards completion, which consisted of about 11,000 kanals of land, and the development work on about 2403 kanals of the first part consisting of (A, B, C, D & E) blocks of Phase-I to be completed by the end of 2025 while 20 per cent work is completed in Block D.
The road work and other facilities would also be completed soon as per promises made by the Housing Authority would be fulfilled within the stipulated time period, they added.
ISLAMABAD, Dec 19 (APP): Pakistan Railways has significantly raised the Right of Way (ROW) charges for a single-track crossing to Rs. 3.8 million for five years which would help the department to generate more revenue.
Historically, Pakistan Railways charged Rs. 100,000 per track crossing for 10 years when telecom operators installed fiber broadband, sources in the Ministry told APP.
In 2007, they said the charges were increased to Rs. 2.7 million for five years, as the use of fiber broadband expanded. However, in 2022, the PTI-led government reduced the crossing charges to Rs. 600,000 per crossing for a lifetime to promote fiber broadband.
They said that in contrast, cable TV operators continue to pay only Rs. 100 per year.
It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan Railways has offered to lay fibre optics cables along the railway tracks across the country, in a joint venture with private sector investors to generate revenue for the department.
Pakistan Railways has around 7,791 kilometers railway network across the country which will not only help the department to improve its financial condition but also attract investors to invest.
The matter also came under discussion during a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), in which the Ministry of Railways pointed out that the department was offering an excellent opportunity for laying fibre optics cables along its track for digital connectivity across the county.
During the meeting, Pakistan Railways informed that it has a network of 7,791 km, which passes through high-density population areas and connects major cities in the four provinces.
With the average assets and hefty pension bills, Pakistan Railways contended, but its financial health was deteriorating, and unless new revenue sources were identified, the reliance on government subsidy would keep on growing.
Pakistan Railways was of the view that right-of-way charges on fibre optics cables would offer the department a decent source of earnings.
\395
QUETTA, Dec 19 (APP): Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Tuesday said Pakistan as a federation derived its strength from diversity of its cultures, traditions and languages with every ethnicity having a unique binding factor.
“Pakistan is not about monotony or uniculturism, but a blend of cultural identities that strongly hold and integrate each other,” he said at the launch of a Pakistan Television’s programming in Hazargi language.
PM Kakar said like other provinces, Balochistan was a rich kladioscope of ethnicities and tribes with their cultures and values imbibed with Baloch values.
He lauded the Hazara community of Balochistan, terming their contribution as significant for the development of Quetta and the province.
He mentioned the prominent figures of the Hazara community including former Governor of Balochistan General (retd) Muhammad Musa, Sardar Sadaat and Brigadier Khadim Hussain who earned respect due to their integrity.
He paid tribute to the Hazara community who demonstrated resilience while braving the challenge of terrorism, which hit all segments of the country.
He expressed the resolve that with unity, the nation could defeat the elements that created divide and differences among communities.
PM Kakar vowed to make Balochistan and Pakistan a hub of peace, saying that peace prospers arts.
The prime minister felicitated the Hazaras on the launch of PTV’s programming in their regional language and termed it as a tribute to all the martyrs of Hazara community who sacrificed their lives for the homeland.
He expressed confidence that the talented community would use the platform to highlight their beautiful culture as an important feather to the country’s diversity.
PM Kakar said PTV was a historic asset that glued the nation through its outstanding programmes and vowed the government’s continued assistance for the uplift of the organization.
On the occasion, PM Kakar inaugurated the new logo of PTV Bolan.
Information Minister Murtaza Solangi expressed satisfaction that PTV Bolan which was already telecasting programmes in Balochi, Brahvi and Pashto languages had achieved another milestone with addition of Hazargi language.
Solangi mentioned that on his proposal, the prime minister took personal interest in the launch of Hazargi language programme, terming it close to his heart.
From today, he said, PTV Bolan would run the terrestrial broadcast for an additional hour to cater to the viewers in far-flung areas. The re-braodcast centres are now 23 with a recent addition of one, he said.
He said PTV Bolan would give equal representation to all the regional languages and would go round the clock.
Hazargi poet Qadir Nail paid tribute to PM Kakar and Information Minister Murtaza Solangi for the historic launch of the Hazargi language programme, and said that it made a beautiful addition to the bouquet of regional language programmes.
Singer Zeba Noori sang a Hazargi folk song and the children clad in traditional Balochi dresses presented dances to the tunes of Hazargi songs.
RAWALPINDI, Dec 19 (APP): Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Syed Asim Munir called on Commander United States Central Command (US CENTCOM), General Michael Erik Kurilla during his visit to the Headquarters Central Command at Tampa Bay, Florida.
According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) news release on Tuesday, during the meeting, matters of shared interests, particularly cooperation in regional security matters came under discussion.
Both the sides discussed avenues of joint training and reiterated the need for enhancing training interactions between CENTCOM and the Pakistan Army. The COAS also visited the CENTCOM Joint Operations Center during the visit.
KARACHI, Dec 19 (APP): CURRENCY SELLING BUYING
USD 286.49280.32
GBP 362.72 354.89
EUR 313.02 306.84
JPY 1.9966 1.9535
SAR 76.37 74.72
AED 78.02 76.84
LIBOR
LIBOR FOR CALCULATING INTEREST ON SPECIAL USD BONDS
LIBOR 1M 5.47023
LIBOR 3M 5.62560
LIBOR 6M 5.74812
US DOLLAR Indicative FBP Rates
CURRENCY SIGHT/
15 DAYS1M2M 3M4M 5M 6M
USD281.72280.38277.52274.01270.89267.56264.81
EUR 308.02306.75 304.02300.54297.51294.21291.56
GBP 356.71355.04351.49347.08343.17 338.96335.48
APP/as/
KARACHI, Dec 19 (APP): Following are the selling/buying rates Of major currencies issued by the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), here on Tuesday.
CURRENCY SELLING BUYING
USD 286.49 280.32
GBP 362.72 354.89
EUR 313.02 306.84
JPY 1.9966 1.9535
SAR 76.37 74.72
AED 78.02 76.84
APP/as
Serving the nation since 1947 by providing an accurate, objective, uninterrupted flow of news to the people, the national news service is pursuing a comprehensive strategy to transform the existing news operations into a forward-looking service – APP Digital for its diverse subscriber-base and the public.
Contact us: news@app.com.pk
Copyright © Associated Press of Pakistan