A vendor displaying the dates to attract the customers on his cart
Gypsy women busy in washing the crockery outside their hut near Railway Station Area
Interior Minister visits Diamer Bhasha Dam project
ISLAMABAD, Feb 13 (APP): Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah Khan on Monday visited Diamer Bhasha Dam Project, being constructed on River Indus, 40-Kilometre downstream of Chilas town.
He was accompanied by Federal Secretary Interior Yousaf Naseem Khokhar, Chairman WAPDA Engr Lt Gen (Retd) Sajjad Ghani and National Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) Muhammad Tahir Rai, said a press release.
The visit was aimed at assessing the overall security scenario on the mega multi-purpose project, which is of vital significance for the national development in the years ahead.
Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Imdad Ullah Bosal, Chief Secretary Gilgit Baltistan (GB) Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani, IG Police KP Akhtar Hayat Khan, IG Police GB Saeed Wazir, Home Secretary KP Khushal Khan, Home Secretary GB Iqbal Hussain, General Manager (GM) Security WAPDA Brig (Retd) Muhammad Tufail, Chief Executive Officer Diamer Basha Development Company Amir Bashir Chaudhary, GM Diamer Basha Dam Dr. Khawar Munir, Commissioner Hazara Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, Commissioner Diamer-Astor Division Dildar Ahmed Malik, Deputy Commissioner Upper Kohistan Asif Khan, Deputy Commissioner Diamer Fiaz Ahmed and representatives of the consultants and the contractors were also present on the occasion.
During the briefing, the minister was apprised in detail about the security arrangements, which are in place to facilitate smooth construction work on different sites in the project area.
Addressing the meeting, the Federal Minister said that the scheduled completion of Diamer Basha Dam Project was directly linked with the safe and congenial environment at the project sites, and that could only be made possible by enforcing well-thought out and coherent security plans in the project area. Earlier, the federal minister reviewed the construction activities and security arrangements at the work site.
Scheduled for completion in 2029, Diamer Basha Dam will have a gross water storage capacity of 8.1 MAF to irrigate 1.23 million acres of additional land. It will have the installed power generation capacity of 4,500 MW and provide 18 billion units of green and clean hydel electricity to the National Grid per annum. A sum of Rs.78.5 billion is being spent on resettlement of affectees and CBMs in health, education and infrastructure development.
Thor Hydel Power Station, Thak Hydel Power Station and Cadet College Chilas are among these CBMs. In addition, the locals are being accorded priority in employment opportunities on Diamer Basha Dam Project.
President emphasises enhanced trade, education cooperation with Senegal
ISLAMABAD, Feb 13 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday underlined the need for enhanced cooperation with Senegal in the areas of trade, economy, and education.
The president, talking to Pakistan’s Ambassador-designate to Senegal, Saima Sayed, who called on him here, said that both countries had great potential to increase bilateral trade and economic relations for the mutual benefits of the two sides.
He said that Pakistan considered Senegal as an important country in the West African region, and asked the ambassador to make concerted efforts towards further expanding the bilateral ties.
He urged the ambassador to work on arranging bilateral exchanges at the ministerial level between the two countries.
The president expressed satisfaction over the participation of Pakistani businessmen in Trade Fairs (Dakar International Trade Fair-FIKDAK) in Dakar for many years,. Such exhibitions would help in further promoting trade relations between the two countries.
President Alvi asked the ambassador-designate to arrange more trade exhibitions in collaboration with the concerned ministries to boost bilateral trade volume.
He called for increased cooperation between Pakistan and Senegal in the area of education.
He said that 8000 foreign students were currently enrolled in different programmes of the Virtual University of Pakistan (VU), and Senegalese students could also benefit from the online and distance education being offered by VU and Allama Iqbal Open University.
President Alvi also asked Saima Sayed to highlight India’s anti-minority and anti-Muslim policies as well as the reign of terror unleashed by her against the innocent people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir for over seven decades.
Speaker National Assembly Raja Perviaz Ashraf, pose for a group photo with organizers and participants at the National Convention of Women Parliamentarians for empowering women in leadership at Pakistan National Council of Arts, (PNCA) in Federal Capital
Speaker National Assembly Raja Perviaz Ashraf, pose for receiving souvenir at the National Convention of Women Parliamentarians for empowering women in leadership at Pakistan National Council of Arts, (PNCA) in Federal Capital
Speaker National Assembly Raja Perviaz Ashraf, addressing at the National Convention of Women Parliamentarians for empowering women in leadership at Pakistan National Council of Arts, (PNCA) in Federal Capital
Heavy machinery being used in road construction work at Jhumra road bypass to Millatr road during development work in the city
A young laborer carrying basket sacks of orange on his head after auction by traders as shopkeepers participating in bidding of fruit (orange) at Fruit Market
President underlines need for attitudinal change towards family planning
ISLAMABAD, Feb 13 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday called for bringing attitudinal change in society towards family planning to advance reproductive health and effectively manage the growing population in Pakistan.
He said the rapid population growth was placing tremendous strain on the national resources, and family planning was the key intervention to check the increasing population growth.
The president expressed these views while talking to Country Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr Luay Shabaneh, who called on him, at Aiwan-e-Sadr, President Secretariat Press Wing said in a press release.
The president said that religious scholars, media, and opinion leaders could help bring positive behavioural changes in society by supporting family planning processes in the country.
He said that national religious scholars and media were needed to raise awareness about family planning by educating the people. He emphasized that all stakeholders should make coordinated efforts to promote family planning and better family health as basic human rights of married couples.
The president highlighted that 50% of pregnancies in Pakistan, out of 9 million, were unwanted due to the unmet need of its population for family planning products and services.
He underscored the need for taking measures to improve the health and nutrition of its people, especially maternal and reproductive health, reducing the maternal and infant mortality rate, and stunting and malnutrition.
He called for taking effective measures by the provincial governments, civil society, NGOs, media organizations, religious scholars, and relevant government departments and agencies to advance the agenda of family planning and better health in the country.
Dr Luay Shabaneh briefed the president about the role of UNFPA in the promotion of family planning services in Pakistan.
He informed that UNFPA had been a lead organization which supported all the demographic and health surveys conducted in Pakistan so far, besides supporting country’s efforts towards the accelerated delivery and accessibility of high-quality family planning information and services.
He further informed that UNFPA had been providing technical and financial support to Pakistan for the past 50 years.