QUETTA, Feb 17 (APP): On the instructions of Health Minister Syed Ehsan Shah and Secretary Health Balochistan Saleh Nasir, a meeting was held by the Director General Health Services Balochistan Dr. Noor Muhammad Qazi regarding the ambulance services of Merck 1122 in respective hospitals of Balochistan.
The meeting was attended by the Project Director Covid-19 Dr. Naqibullah Niazi, Additional Director Logistics Dr. Ghulam Mustafa, Focal Person DG Health Emergency Dr. Hafeez Panizi, Director Technical 1122 Dr. Amir Bakhsh Baloch, Director Operation 1122 Riaz Raisani and other assistant staffs.
Director General Health Services Balochistan Dr. Noor Muhammad Qazi said that the Merck 1122 ambulance services have been started in all major hospitals of Balochistan, the services would include emergency care services. He also handed over the monitoring of 21 life support ambulances of Balochistan Covid-19 Project to other administrative matters to Merck 1122 along with Project Director Covid-19 Dr. Naqibullah Niazi.
Director General Health Services Balochistan Dr. Noor Muhammad Qazi was informed about the implementation and performance of the decisions of the previous meeting. He said that the Merck 1122 would appoint a focal person in all districts, all MS Merck 1122 centers could appoint medical technicians, dispensers and drivers in order to provide 24-hour services, saying that all ambulances in the province would be in touch with Merck 1122 control room. Merck control room will monitor the services of ambulances.
The Director said all ambulances were equipped with a tracker system, fuel charges have been fixed at Rs 50 per km as per the decision of the apex committee. He said that all MSs Executive Directors would present the performance of Merck 1122 ambulances on daily basis. The Merck 1122 Control Room is contact Number & Mobile Number 081920 4771, 03331032988 and 03167861122, he said.
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ADIYAMAN TURKIYE: February 17 - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif consoling a young survivor Burhan, rescued by Pak Army Urban Search & Rescue team. APP/ABB
ISLAMABAD, Feb 17 (APP): A delegation of the Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) Lahore headed by Director Electronic Media Rana Sohail on Friday visited the Directorate of Electronic Media and Publication (DEMP), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
A detailed discussion about the modern system and procedure of electronic media monitoring was held in detail, said a news release.
Officials of both institutions exchanged views on technical issues and experiences regarding electronic media monitoring.
Executive Director General DEMP Dr Tariq Mehmood briefed the DGPR delegation about the media monitoring system.
Director DEMP Nighat Ahsan, Director Information DGPR Rawalpindi Muhammad Awais, Deputy Director IT Shahid Nawaz and Information Officer Zaheer Ahmed were also present on the occasion.
DG Dr Tariq said that monitoring of electronic media was very essential to create a balance between public awareness of issues and government policies as the effectiveness and public acceptance of media channels had increased significantly.
He said that national electronic channels were monitored 24 hours a day in three shifts at the DEMP. A plan was also being worked on for the monitoring of international TV channels to gain awareness of any content that was broadcast directly regarding Pakistan and its foreign policy, he added.
Director DEMP Nighat Ahsan praised the efficiency of DGPR regarding electronic media monitoring and said that regular communication between the Federal and Punjab governments regarding electronic media monitoring was an important step.
She said that electronic media monitoring was a fast-paced process and the use of modern technology and data sharing process was of utmost importance.
DGPR Director Electronic Media Rana Sohail said that DGPR was diligently carrying out the process of monitoring electronic media channels in the largest provincial unit of Pakistan and a province with a large population.
He said,” The DGPR not only monitors the news content aired on the channels but also the talk shows are evaluated with regard to the public perspective.”
He said there were many opportunities to learn about modern technology and skills regarding electronic media monitoring.
ISLAMABAD, Feb 17 (APP): Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to Pakistan Jemal Beker Abdula on Friday urged academia to play their due role to bring the people of both countries more close for bolstering bilateral ties.
“The Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Pakistan has been striving to bolster people-to-people ties between the two countries by establishing institutional linkages, but the academia of both the countries must come forward for the purpose,” the ambassador said while addressing the Pak-Ethiopia Pre-delegation Forum titled ‘Explore Emerging Giant of Africa–Ethiopia’ at the University of Sialkot.
According to a news release, he said bright minds were groomed and ideas created in educational institutions which did not only contribute to the betterment of society, but also connect the globe.
Likewise, he said it was vital for business community to connect the two countries that had huge potential for bilateral trade in the diverse sectors of economy including manufacturing,agriculture, agro processing, textile, cement, chemicals, technology, fertilizer, steel and pharmaceutical sectors.
Jemal Beker said Pakistan needed to increase its footprint in Africa especially Ethiopia which was a gateway to the continent of 1.4 billion people.
He said the embassy had planned a trade delegation to assist Pakistan in this regard which would be held in Addis Ababa (Capital of Ethopia) on March 5.
He said the 5-day trade delegation would include subsidized airfares and accommodation, business-to-busines and government-to-business meetings as well as grand receptions and cultural nights hosted by the country’s leadership.
“Don’t mislocate yourself as this is right time to enter in Ethiopia which will connect you with the entire Africa,” he remarked.
He said Ethiopia was the fastest growing economy in the world offering lucrative business, trade and investment opportunities with cheap cost of production including clean energy and skilled labour.
“We have almost completed the largest Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam with 6,500 MW capacity,” he said, adding his country had already been exporting energy to South Sudan, Djibouti and others.
Jemal Beker said the government of Ethiopia was supportive of the foreign investors as it has opened up its economy and encourageing private sector to take lead for development of the country.
Multiple incentives and one-window services were among the other initiatives to attract Foreign Direct Investment, he added.
Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Abdul Ghaffor Malik said there was a huge trade, business and investment potential in Africa which Pakistan needed to explore to increase its exports.
He suggested active engagement of Pakistani businessmen with their counterparts in Africa and exchange trade delegations with the African countries.
Minister of State and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Romina Khurshid Alam thanked the ambassador for gracing the University of Sialkot with his esteemed presence and lauded his vision and efforts for Ethiopia and Pakistan relations.
Meanwhile, he also visited Awan Sports in Sialkot which produced finest sports equipment in the world.
The ambassador alongside Minister of State Romania Khurshid also inaugurated the Sustainable Development Goals centre.
ISLAMABAD, Feb 17 (APP): As the 16th anniversary of 2007 Samjhauta Express bombing arrives on Saturday, netizens are speaking up against Hindu nationalists for perpetrating the terrorist act condemning Indian government for sitting over multiple pieces of evidence, denying justice to victim families.
On February 18, 2007, an improvised explosive device (IED) blast was carried out in the Samjhauta train, which ran between New Delhi and Lahore, at Panipat in Haryana. The incident had claimed 68 lives, including 43 Pakistani nationals, 10 Indian citizens, and 15 unidentified persons. About 12 others, including 10 Pakistanis and two Indians, were also injured in the attack.
Initially, a Muslim group was blamed for the incident, but later on, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) arrested Kamal Chauhan of the Hindu extremist organization Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) in New Delhi. Chauhan was an explosives specialist, who had planted the bomb in that train.
“Samjhauta Express blast done by Sanghis,” TrueJay, a Tweitterati wrote.
The investigations revealed that the said Hindu activist and several other persons had been involved in the blasts at Ajmer Dargah, Hyderabad’s Makkah Masjid and Malegaon. The Hindu chauvinists also confessed their involvement in these acts of terror.
Col. Prohit himself had confessed during the investigation of Samjhauta express tragedy for giving training to Hindu terrorists to initiate an armed conflict between Pakistan and India. This statement clearly reflects the sick mentality of Indian Army .
The Head of Maharashtra Police Inspector General Hemant Karkare and several political commentators had called it “Hindutva Terror” or the “Saffron Terror”. Later, Hemant Karkare was targeted and killed during the 2008 Mumbai operation.
It was also reported that Swami Aseemanand, an RSS leader, was found guilty before a judicial magistrate for his involvement in the attacks on Samjhauta Express, and mosques in Malegaon in Maharashtra state and Andhra Pradesh’s state capital Hyderabad, besides a Muslim shrine in Ajmer in Rajasthan. Indian Army Col Prohit himself had confessed to have trained Hindu terrorists to initiate an armed conflict between Pakistan and India.
The opposition leader in the Indian parliament Rahul Gandhi truly confirmed that the growth of Hindu extremists presented a greater threat to India than the Muslims.
Pakistan had urged India to share findings of the investigation into the Samjhauta train blasts after it was disclosed that Hindu extremist outfits were behind the terrorist activities in February 2007.
Speaking to The Wire, Vikash Narain Rai, a former Haryana police officer who headed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) from 2007 to early 2010, said the police recovered an unexploded bomb from the train.
It was found that all the parts of that ‘incendiary device’ were purchased by the people linked to the RSS and its associate groups. A special court on March 20, 2019 acquitted Swami Aseemanand and three others in the case. NIA special judge Jagdeep Singh also dismissed the plea of a Pakistani woman for examining eyewitnesses from her country.
Pakistan believes that the systemic Indian decision to gradually exonerate and finally acquit the perpetrators is not just a reflection of India’s callousness towards the families of the deceased Pakistanis, but also reflective of the Indian state policy of promoting and protecting the Hindu terrorists. In fact, India had been using similar incidents to lay a basis for the false flag operations against Pakistan, which had also been proved in many other instances to deceive its public about the culprits and perpetrators.
Swami Aseemanand, the leader of RSS, and his fellow RSS activists were accused of their involvement in the Samjhota Express Blast and many other such prominent attacks. Col. Prohit himself had confessed during the investigation of Samjhauta express tragedy for giving training to Hindu terrorists to initiate an armed conflict between Pakistan and India. This statement clearly reflects the sick mentality of Indian Army,” a netizen Iqra Fatima tweeted.
Samjhauta express bombings -2007, Ajmer Dargah Attack -2007, Malegaon blasts -2008. These are few of instances nincompoop, not mentioning the lynching of Muslims on a daily basis and gross human rights abuses in Kashmir,” a Twitter handle Incognito said.
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KARACHI: February 17 - Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman addressing 14th Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) at a local hotel. APP/SDQ/ABB
ISLAMABAD, Feb 17 (APP): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday directed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to share the copy of proposed amendments in PEMRA law with the respondents, which is meant to provide a legal forum to address the issues faced by electronic media journalists.
During the course of proceedings, the court was informed that due to financial/budgetary constraints, the ITNE tribunals at provincial offices had not yet been established. At this, the chief justice directed the secretary information to take up the matter with the Ministry of Finance to provide budgetary support.
Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard the identical cases filed by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), and Islamabad High Court Journalists Association (IHCJA) seeking measures for the protection of journalists’ rights. Secretary Information Shahera Shahid, Secretary Law and Justice Raja Naeem Akbar, Additional Attorney General Munawar Dogal, petitioners’ lawyers, and representatives of journalists’ bodies appeared before the court.
At the outset of the hearing, the officials of the Information Ministry informed the bench that amendments had been proposed in the PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority) law to protect the rights of journalists. At this point, the court instructed the ministry to share a copy of the proposed amendments with the respondents.
The chief justice remarked that it would be appropriate to expedite the legislative process given the importance of the rights of media workers, as the issue had been pending for a while.
The Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) also submitted its application through its lawyer Faisal Saddiqi Advocate to become a party in the case.
Addressing the lawyer, the chief justice asked as to why the PBA wanted to create a hurdle when the matter was being brought towards the legislation process.
The PBA’s lawyer responded that they did not deny the exploitation of working journalists. His client was an important party to be affected by the proposed legislation and hence, it was essential that PBA should be part of the case. However, he emphasized that the protection of electronic media workers needed to be addressed through appropriate legislation.
Chief Justice Aamer Farooq remarked at the end that it was necessary to consult all stakeholders of the media industry prior to the legislation because the case had been pending before the court since 2021.
The court, however, allowed the PBA to become a party to the case and adjourned the hearing till March 3.
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ISLAMABAD: February 17 - A delegation from Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) Lahore headed by Director Electronic Media Rana Sohail in a group photo with Executive Director General DEMP Dr. Tariq Mehmood and others during their visit to the Directorate of Electronic Media and Publication (DEMP), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Islamabad.APP/ABB
MULTAN, Feb 17 (APP): The world-renowned thespian Zia Mohyeddin and the younger generation’s popular most poet Amjad Islam Amjad were paid glowing tribute by poets and writers at a weekly literary sitting “Adbi Baithak’ at Multan Arts Council on Friday.
Presiding over the condolence reference organized in the honour of the two iconic literary personalities, noted writer, researcher and intellectual Dr. Anwaar Ahmad said that the departed souls left a vacuum behind that could hardly be filled for the many years to come.
He said that these two South Asian literary icon rendered invaluable services in promoting and contributing to literary and cultural activities.
“They embellished the world of letters and voice by their treasures of creativity,” Dr. Anwaar said.
Director Information Multan Sajjad Jahanian said that Amjad Islam Amjad and Zia Mohyeddin reached the summit of excellence in their respective genres by their hard work, inborn creative talent and commitment.
Dr. Maqbool Gilani, poet Qamar Raza Shahzad, director arts council Saleem Qaisar, Shakir Hussain Shakir, Prof. Zahoor Nadeem, playwright Shahid Raheel, Dr. Abid Rongha and Dr. Abdul Baseer were among the speakers.
Speakers said, the two men of letters introduced words and voice to a new world of creativity and left their indelible impact on literature and culture.
Noted vocalist Ustad Sagheer Ahmad, Javed Ali Asim, Muhammad Azeem, Arshad Mahmood advocate, Ejaz Sumra, Tania Abdi and others also spoke. Singer Hafsa Nadeem mesmerized the participants by singing Amjad Islam Amjad’s poem sans music.
Poet and calligrapher Muhammad Mukhtar Ali paid glowing tribute to the two literary personalities in a poem.
ISLAMABAD, Feb 17 (APP): The opposition senators on Friday proposed the government to fully implement austerity measures and cut its expenditures to steer the country out of the economic crisis.
Taking part in the debate on the supplementary finance bill in the Senate, they opined that the government would have to take some bold decisions in a bid to put the national economy on the road to progress and prosperity.
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Dr Shahzad Waseem expressed the apprehension that the measures proposed in the bill would further hike inflation in the country. The government should better adopt austerity measures to cope with burgeoning inflation and ailing economic conditions, besides reforming the tax collection department.
The Federal Board of Revenue had sought approval for the purchase of 155 luxury vehicles, he regretted.
Dr Shahzad Waseem urged the government to continue the programmes initiated by the previous regime for the less privileged segments of society.
He proposed fresh elections to get the country out of the prevailing economic crisis.
Jamaat-e-Islami’s Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan said there had been some tough conditions, which had been okayed by the International Monetary fund (IMF). The new steps would cause problems, particularly for the poor masses, which needed to be reviewed, he added.
Currently, there was already high inflation in the country and the supplementary bill would further to the people’s problems, Senator Mushtaq said.
He called for reducing the number of Federal Cabinet members to 27, in addition to curtailing their perks, privileges, and protocol to ensure austerity in an effective manner. He also called for a full review of the bureaucratic set-up in order to avoid extra financial burden on the exchequer.
He pointed out that approximately 200,000 vehicles were being used and maintained by the government departments, which eventually burdened the national kitty.
National Party’s Senator Muhammad Tahir Bizinjo stressed that all political parties should be united on one platform for devising a comprehensive economic policy. Curtailing the cabinet’s size and taking austerity measures were a must for a stable Pakistan, he added.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Senator Mohsin Aziz said as per budgetary documents, Rs 170 billion taxes proposed in the supplementary bill would be collected in four months, while its net effect would be Rs 510 billion by the end of the fiscal year.
He urged the government to take the Upper House of Parliament on board about the IMF agreements so that they could present their suggestions accordingly. Some 1.5 million people had been rendered jobless due to the economic crisis, he added.
Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s Senator Kamil Ali Agha claimed that said it was not a budget to impose Rs 170 billion rather it would cost Rs 600 billion in nine months due to the hike in transportation charges.
He said the increase in the sales tax rate would directly affect poor people because it would be levied on the daily-use items.
Awami National Party’s Senator Hidayatullah Khan disapproved the supplementary budget, saying it would further increase the financial burden on poor people.
He proposed the government to reduce the size of the Federal Cabinet to 30. He also asked the government to control the expenses of local government administrators keeping in view their lavish lifestyles, including fringe benefits with cozy residences being availed by them.
PTI’s Senator Walid Iqbal also proposed a cut in the number of cabinet members.
Independent Senator Hidayat Ullah highlighted the issues pertaining to Federal Administered Tribal Areas and said there must be a shadow government to chalk out a financial plan for the future as the general elections were a bit close.
He opined that all political parties should unitedly work out a strategy to meet the economic challenges.
