KARACHI, Nov 24 (APP): The Pakistan Women Cricket squad on Friday left for New Zealand to play three T20I and three ODI matches.
The team left for New Zealand via Dubai.
Pak women cricket team leaves for New Zealand
PSQCA declares 20 brands of bottled water unsafe: Senate told
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP): Ministry for Parliamentary Affairs, Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi on Friday informed the Senate that Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) declared 20 brands of bottled water unsafe due to certain issues during its quarterly report for a period of April-June 2023.
Replying to a question during Question Hour, the minister said out of the total declared unsafe, only two were registered with PSQCA while others were not registered. The action was taken against the registered brands and their production was stopped, he added.
He said the remaining brands were fake and action was also taken against all such groups which were producing substandard and unsafe things.
However, he said as per PSQCA law, only a Rs 50,000 fine and one-year jail punishment could be awarded to such culprits through courts. Rs 50,000 fine and one-year imprisonment was very insufficient as such people were putting the lives of common people in danger, he said.
He said it needed effective legislation to enhance fines and punishment for such culprits.
The minister said PSQCA was mandated to formulate Standards and monitor the quality of products falling under the Compulsory Certification Mark Scheme.
In response to Senator Mushtaq Ahmed query, he said that it was regrettable to dub a government institution a hub of corruption without any evidence. If the Senator has any proof of corruption in the institution, the government would certainly investigate it, he said.
Workshop in domains of Astronomy and Astrophysics on November, 28
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP): Space and Astrophysics Research Lab (SARL) of National Center of GIS and Space Applications, Institute of Space Technology (IST) has planned to organize a one-day workshop in the domain of Astronomy and Astrophysics
on Tuesday.
The workshop titled “General Relativity, Cosmology, Astrophysics and Particle Physics” will be held at IST.
The experts including Dr. Asghar Qadir from Pakistan Academy of Sciences (General Relativity), Dr. Azad Akhter Siddiqui from National University of Science and Technology (General Relativity), Dr. Mansoor Ur Rehman from Quaid-i-Azam University (Cosmology), Dr. Muhammad Jamil Aslam from Quaid-i-Azam University (Particle Physics), Dr. Muhammad Rehman from COMSATS (Particle Physics) and Dr. Noraiz Tahir from Italy (Astrophysics) will be resource persons of the workshop.
The intended participants can register through the web link https://rb.gy/dfufd4 till November 26.
Islamabad Capital Police launch special two-day campaign for safety of motorcyclists
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP): Islamabad Capital Police have started two-day campaign to ensure safety of motorcycle riders and educate them about traffic rules.
Following the directions of Islamabad Capital City Police Officer (ICCPO) Dr. Akbar Nasir Khan, this campaign has been launched to ensure safe ride of motorcyclists. This campaign has been partnered with a private company and Chief Traffic Officer Muhammad Sarfaraz Virk would overall supervise it.
During the inaugural phase of the campaign, the education team is disseminating crucial information to citizens, emphasizing road safety and traffic regulations. As part of this effort, motorcycle side mirrors and electric components will undergo thorough checks to ensure secure travel for riders.
Following the awareness phase, strict enforcement actions will be taken against riders of motorcycles lacking side mirrors and those using faulty electric components. The second phase will specifically address motorcycles without glass and those with defective electric equipment.
Under Chief Traffic Officer Muhammad Sarfaraz Virk’s supervision, specialized squads have been also constituted to oversee the campaign’s execution. City residents are urged to rectify their motorcycle side mirrors and electric components, including signals, front and backlights, within the designated two-day period.
In the subsequent phase of the campaign, legal measures will be enforced against motorcycle riders failing to adhere to the rules, especially those without glass and possessing defective electric components.
The primary goal of this special initiative is to provide citizens with maximum protection and awareness concerning road safety and traffic laws, ultimately reducing the occurrence of accidents.
Islamabad Capital Police is taking proactive measures to enhance the city’s traffic system and provide improved travel facilities for its residents.
58 students of Air University visit Senate
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP): A delegation of 58 students from Air University Islamabad, accompanied by faculty members on Friday visited the Parliament House.
The high-ranked officials of the Upper House welcomed the delegation, said a news release issued by the Senate Secretariat.
The delegation visited the Senate Museum, where the students were shown a documentary highlighting the history of the Upper House.
The Senate officials briefed the delegation on the functioning, legislative process, and the importance of factions in the Upper House.
The delegation expressed interest in the sculptures and historical images of the country’s prominent politicians in the Senate Museum. Later, the delegation observed the proceedings of the Senate.
Interior Minister welcomes Imam Kaaba at his residence
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP): Imam Kaaba Dr Saleh bin Abdullah bin Hameed Friday visited Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti on his special invitation at his residence.
Interior Minister organized breakfast in honour of Imam Kaaba.
Interior Minister’s warmly welcome to Imam Kaaba and said, “The Imam Kaaba’s visit to his home is a blessing for him and his entire family.”
He said, “The people of Pakistan love the land of Hijaz immensely and the servants have immense devotion to the Haram Sharif.”
The minister said, “Pak-Saudi relations encompass shared faith, history and people-to-people ties and Pakistan highly values ??brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia.”
Muslims fully believe in Tawheed, minor differences should not be allowed to lead to hypocrisy, said Imam Kaaba.
“There is a need to promote unity among the Ummah,” he said.
“The main reason for the problems facing the Muslim Ummah is sectarianism and unnecessary differences,” Imam Kaaba said.
He urged for respect each other’s opinions and promote mutual harmony and win each other’s hearts and not impose your opinion.
Faryal hails PPP leaders for successful ‘Worker convention’ in KP
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP): Central President of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Women’s Wing Faryal Talpur hailed the party leadership and workers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chapter for conducting successful workers convention in the province.
During the meeting with leadership of KP, she said that sentiments and enthusiasm of the masses for Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during his visit was remarkable.
“The maximum participation of masses in the ‘Workers convention’ of PPP in the province is a referendum before the general elections which is scheduled in the month of February,” she said.
“The public of KP have announced their decision that the next Prime Minister of the country would be Bilawal Bhutto Zardari,” Faryal Talpur claimed.
The party leaders who met Faryal Talpur included PPP Secretary Information Faisal Karim Kundi, Muhammad Ali Bacha, Shuja Khan, Zahir Ali, Rubina Khalid, Nilofar Baber, Mehar Sultana, Shazia Tahmas and others.
During the meeting, the overall political situation and party matters of KP were also came under discussion.
PM outlines interim government’s key steps as ‘legacy of good governance & reformative approach’
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP):Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Friday said with its good governance and reformative approach, the interim government would leave a legacy on the domestic front.
In an interactive session titled ‘Breakfast with the Prime Minister’ organized by Jang Group of Publications, PM Kakar said the caretaker government had to its credit for tackling tough challenges in areas including economy, privatization, and connectivity.
The prime minister spoke about his vision about the prospects for a better Pakistan, terming “skilled human capital as the answer to several challenges”.
He said Pakistan, being an important regional member of the Economic Cooperation Organization, boasted a strategic location at the confluence of central and south Asia besides its rich natural resources. The 240 million population with a huge youth bulge under the age of 25 adds value to human capital, he added.
He, however, pointed out that it was utmost crucial to provide skill sets to youth through targeted training programmes and warned that non-utilization of their energy could lead to detrimental consequences.
Kakar said one of the priorities of the caretaker government was to focus on a programme, which would train one million nurses in one decade.
Also, the government was exploring partnerships with international conglomerates including Siemens, Germany for the development of skills in different areas.
The prime minister said the government was fast-tracking the privatization of State Owned Enterprises and related entities, with Pakistan International Airlines on priority in the list. In this regard, he said, some tangible results were expected to be achieved by mid-January.
PM Kakar dismissed the notion that people leaving the country to move abroad was a sign of any failure.
“Brain drain can become a brain asset [in future] and this is a sanguine and positive way to perceive it… Pakistan is a civilization of diversified creative potential which makes it “rich” in a true sense,” he said.
On attracting foreign investment, he said the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) was providing an opportunity for ease of business, adding that the country expected good news in weeks about foreign investment of billions of dollars in areas of agriculture, information technology and mining.
He expressed confidence that SIFC, a platform with representatives from civil and military domains, would ensure the continuity of projects despite the change of governments. He also endorsed the idea of including members of the business community to expand its potential.
He said EXIM (Export-Import) Bank was working on providing financial services to Pakistan, which would help the local businessmen and traders to carry out financial transactions abroad.
Highlighting connectivity as a crucial area, he said the Trans-Afghan railway would connect Uzbekistan with Pakistan. Also, the work on the improvement of Quetta-Taftan rail network is underway, he said.
The recently launched direct flights with Azerbaijan would reduce travel time and promote trade, he said.
The prime minister favoured reforms in taxation and said his government believed in cutting expenditures and was also working on the forthcoming reforms of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
Wealth creation through taxation is the best tool for a government to use the revenue for establishing schools, hospitals, and road infrastructure, he said.
He said the media in the country was enjoying freedom and was “beyond any sort of control particularly the social media”.
He, however, stressed the need to formulate regulations after deliberations with stakeholders to cater to the challenges of digital media “without stifling and putting restrictions on it”.
PM Kakar said the current political scenario was “not a crisis, but a continuation of process in the transitional democracy of Pakistan”.
He expressed optimism that with the continuity of the democratic process, the people would gradually start linking parties with their performance and service delivery.
PM Kakar emphasized the importance of local government system to address the civic problems faced by the people in remote areas such as south and north Waziristan.
“There is a need to shun the urban-oriented governance and adopt a more inclusive approach of bringing the far-flung areas of the country at par with developed cities,” he said.
Business leaders call for Pak- Kazakhstan FTA to increase bilateral trade up to $1b
By Shams Abbasi
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP): The local business leaders and traders on Friday called for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to take bilateral trade between Pakistan and Kazakhstan up to the level of $1 billion.
After the FTA, there is huge potential to take bilateral trade to $1 billion on both sides, in which the role of the business community is vital, President Federation Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Irfan Iqbal Sheikh told APP here.
He said that the joint trade potential of Pakistan and Kazakhstan was very important in regional trade as Kazakhstan was the largest economy in Central Asian Republics.
Irfan said that Pakistan and Kazakhstan were geographically significant in the region. Both countries want to work on regional economic integration using their geo-strategic position, he said.
He said that at the end of 2022, mutual trade between Pakistan and Kazakhstan was $195 million, which was much less than its potential.
President FPCCI expressed the hope that the business communities of Pakistan and Kazakhstan will play a significant role in increasing bilateral trade in the near future.
He said that recently direct flights have been started between the two major cities of Lahore and Almaty, which will benefit the business communities of both sides.
Meanwhile, President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce, Ahsan Zafar Bakhtavari said that Pakistan and Kazakhstan are major two countries in the region whose bilateral trade volume is much less than its potential.
He said that Central Asia is very important in the global trade and energy resources with which Pakistan has centuries-old trade relations.
Ahsan Bakhtavari said that the growth of trade between Pakistan and Kazakhstan depends on the businessmen of both countries, whose relations are very important.
He said that we have strong ties with the communities of Kazakhstan which need to be further enhanced in the future.
Meanwhile, President, Faisal Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Khurram Tariq said that recently Kazakhstani businessmen and various Kazakh brands have visited Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and important negotiations were held on both sides.
He said that since Faisalabad is the textile city of Pakistan, the business communities of both the countries can benefit from each other’s experiences on textile trade from here.
Dr. Khurram Tariq said that Central Asia has historically been a trade partner of Pakistan with which Pakistan wants to increase its trade relations in the future.
He said that since Kazakhstan is the largest economy in Central Asia, mutual trade between the two nations is important for economic integration in the region.
It is pertinent to mention that Kazakhstan, a hydrocarbon and mineral-rich country has experienced impressive economic growth and the country is prone to the shocks in oil and extractive minerals market. Kazakhstan’s strategic location makes it a transit hub for emerging economies.
Kazakhstan’s export basket consists of mineral fuels, iron and steel, ores, slag and ash, copper, and inorganic chemicals. At the same time, the import basket is dominated by mechanical appliances, vehicles, electrical machinery, and pharmaceutical products.
Kazakhstan is Pakistan’s non-traditional trade partner and the main export basket consists of cereals, edible fruits and nuts, pharmaceutical, surgical, and leather products.
While Pakistan’s imports consist of inorganic chemicals, raw hides, iron and steel, and man-made filament, Keeping in view the socio-economic structure.
Pakistan needs to initiate PTA negotiation in the medium term with FTA in its long-term strategy for CARs.
For fruits and vegetables and other perishable items, cold storage cargo is not available to Pakistani exporters.
Besides this, now direct cargo flights are available between the two countries that can facilitate medicaments and other perishable items.
Payment challenges need to be considered by the State Bank of Pakistan by opening Pakistani banks and establishing strong linkages with local Kazaks banks for exporter facilitation.
8th martyrdom anniversary of Marium Mukhtiar observed today
ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP):The 8th martyrdom anniversary of Pakistan’s first female fighter pilot, Marium Mukhtiar was observed on Friday.
Marium Mukhtiar was born on 18th May 1992 in Karachi.
She joined the Pakistan Air Force in 2011 and completed her graduation in 2014.
On 24th November 2015, she was on a routine training flight with her instructor Saqib Abbasi when her jet developed a fault and crashed at Kundian area in Bhakra near Mianwali.
The Government of Pakistan posthumously honored Marium Mukhtiar with Tamgha-e-Basalat on 23rd March 2016.