Spectators enjoying during PSL 8 cricket match between Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators at Multan Cricket Stadium
DG IAEA inaugurates Cyber Knife at NORI; visits PINSTECH, PCENS, CNPGS
ISLAMABAD, Feb 15 (APP):Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi Wednesday visited various nuclear facilities including Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) to discuss matters related to mutual cooperation.
The DG IAEA arrived in Pakistan on a two-day official visit to discuss matters related to Pakistan-IAEA collaboration. This is his maiden visit to Pakistan after assuming office in 2019.
During his stay in Pakistan, Director General Grossi visited various nuclear facilities including that of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) whereas Dr. Raja Ali Raza Anwar, Chairman PAEC accompanied the state guest.
At the outset of his visit, Grossi inaugurated the latest Cyber Knife facility at PAEC’s flagship cancer-care hospital in the capital named Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute (NORI). With the inauguration of this facility, NORI became the first public sector cancer hospital of the country to provide cyber knife treatment.
During his visit at NORI hospital, he visited various departments and facilities and appreciated the services of the 19 PAEC cancer hospitals, especially NORI, in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in line with the IAEA’s ‘Rays of Hope’ initiative.
It is to mention here that ‘Rays of Hope’ focuses on prioritizing a limited number of high-impact, cost-effective and sustainable interventions in line with national needs and commitment.
The initiative aims at contributing to the fulfilment of the UN 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goal-3 (SDG-3) i.e. Good Health and Well-Being.
The DG IAEA highlighted the IAEA’s assistance in strengthening cancer hospitals in developing countries to provide treatment to patients at par with international standards.
The guest was also briefed about the role of PAEC’s 19 cancer hospitals established in all provinces of Pakistan that are shouldering the responsibility of diagnosing and treating over 80% of the country’s cancer-affected patients in line with the IAEA’s slogan – ‘Cancer Care for All’.
Later, DG IAEA visited the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH) to see various laboratories including the isotope hydrology lab and isotope production facility that is supplying radiopharmaceutical kits for cancer patients throughout the country.
He also met with female fellows enrolled in the IAEA’s Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme (MSCFP) which aims to help increase the number of women in the nuclear field.
Launched by IAEA in 2020, MSCFP provides financial support to 100 plus female students from around the world towards tuition and living costs, and an opportunity to undertake internships facilitated by IAEA to gain practical experience in various fields of nuclear science, medicine, engineering, safety, security and safeguards.
The DG IAEA also visited the Pakistan Centre of Excellence for Nuclear Security (PCENS) and lauded the Centre’s outstanding efforts by offering cutting- edge education and training in the field of nuclear security.
Day one of DG IAEA’s official visit concluded with a detailed tour of Chashma Nuclear Power Generating Station (CNPGS) located in Chashma District, Mianwali, which houses four nuclear power plants that are generating and supplying to the national grid 1330 MW of clean, cost-effective and reliable electricity.
The DG also visited the Master Control Room (MCR) of Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit-3, a simulator established at Chasnupp Centre for Nuclear Training (CHASCENT) where nuclear power operators receive training to run the nuclear power plant safely in accordance with international standards.
Chief Secretary Sindh directs commissioners for ensuring census in flood-hit areas
KARACHI, Feb 15 (APP): Chief Secretary Sindh Dr. Muhammad Sohail Rajput, on Wednesday, directed commissioners of all divisions of the province to make necessary arrangements for ensuring digital census in flood-affected areas.
The CS Sindh while presiding over a meeting, held here, to review and finalise arrangements for the census 2023 said the first digital census in the country would be held from March 1 to April 1, 2023, and the Sindh government had ensured all the security and other arrangements in the regard.
The CS Sindh said that census was an important activity and all future policy planning, allocation of resources and delimitation of constituencies would be carried out on the basis of data collected in the digital census.
He said that all buildings would be geo-tagged for the purpose of the house enumeration phase of the digital census while 43,838 census blocks had been constituted in 30 districts of the province.
Committees had also been formed at district and taluka levels for the purpose, he informed and directed divisional commissioners to ensure census in flood-affected areas.
The provincial commissioner Statistics Rafiq Ahmed Buriro informed the meeting that the process of self-enumeration in the digital housing and population census would begin from February 20 and will continue up to March 3 which people would be able to access the census portal and enumerate their houses and family members by themselves.
The meeting was informed that National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has purchased 126,000 tablets for digital census and out of them 30,000 tablets had been provided to Sindh.
He informed that training of 28,706 enumerators has been completed while Census data enumeration portal would also be
ready in next few days through which every staff member would be able to access the concerning data online.
Secretary Home Saeed Ahmed Mangnejo, Secretary School Education Ghulam Akbar Laghari, all commissioners and deputy commissioners attended the meeting.
Qadir inaugurates basic health centre at Golra Sharif
ISLAMABAD, Feb 15 (APP):Minister for National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination Abdul Qadir Patel on Wednesday inaugurated the state-of-the-art Basic Health Centre at Golra Sharif to serve the local community.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the minister said that a large number of people living in surrounding areas will get direct benefit from this unit with having all necessary medical services.
He said that an amount of Rs 60 million has been utilized for the construction of this modern health centre, where all necessary services will be provided including mother and child healthcare and vaccination besides family planning.
He said that daily several hundred patients can visit this center for the treatment of various diseases and added that
more such modern centres will be established in the federal capital.
He said that the aim of the government was to provide all basic health services in every place and village so that citizens have all such services at their doorsteps.
He said that the major hospitals of the federal capital have been facing a burden of patients and with the setting of new basic health centers, this burden will gradually decrease.
He said that several innovative steps have been taken to make improvements in the health sector and to ensure provision of all basic health facilities to the country’s people.
PM offers condolence on death of Ahad Cheema’s mother
LAHORE, Feb 15 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday visited the residence of his Adviser Ahad Cheema to offer condolence on the death of his mother.
The prime minister prayed for the high ranks of the departed soul and for the bereaved family to bear the loss with equanimity, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
He observed that the demise of a mother was an irreparable loss to anyone.
CTD foils major terror bid, arrest terrorist
HYDERABAD, Feb 15 (APP):The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has foiled a bid of major terrorist attack here by arresting a suspected terrorist reportedly trained by the Indian intelligence agency (RAW).
Senior Superintendent of Police, CTD, Asif Ahmed Bughio told a press conference on Wednesday that the most wanted terrorist identified as Munir Abro alias Maulvi was arrested along with explosives which he had planned to use in a terrorist activity.
“Munir has been involved in several acts of terrorism since 2012, including attacks on railway tracks, and foreign nationals”, the SSP said.
He further said that the accused, who belonged to the banned outfit ‘Sindh Revolutionary Army’, was preparing a suicide jacket for a terrorist attack at the time of his arrest.
Asif Baghio said, “The banned organization is funded by Inam Abbasi and a woman named Surath Lohar. The arrested terrorist used to change his identity and reside at different places.”
The SSP further revealed that Munir Abro along with Asghar Shah, Zulifiqar Khaskheli and Mashooq Qambrani was involved in the delivery of weapons to different areas of Sindh, since 2012.
Some 295 grams explosive materials, besides 470 grams of white explosives, three silver electric detonators, three non-electric silver detonators, and ball bearings were recovered from the possession of the accused, he added.
APP/abd
China’s participation in Pak naval drill boosts cooperation with foreign countries: Experts
BEIJING, Feb 15 (APP): China’s participation in the multinational maritime exercise hosted by Pakistan Navy marks a boost in its military exchange and cooperation with foreign countries, which have been hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past three years, and more such activities will take place, experts said on Wednesday.
The five-day exercise that started on Friday culminated on Tuesday in the North Arabian Sea with an international fleet review followed by the spectacular AMAN-23 Formation, comprising the Pakistan Navy and foreign naval ships including the Type 052D destroyer Nanning of the PLA Navy, with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif in attendance.
The drills started with seminars, operational discussions and professional demonstrations among other preparations in harbor, before switching to the sea where scenarios included tactical maneuvers, anti-piracy, counterterrorism, search and rescue, live-fire shooting as well as air defense exercises.
Having closely cooperated with forces from other countries, the PLA Navy ship Nanning displayed a high level of professionalism as well as command and control capability, as the drills enhanced the participants’ capabilities to deal with maritime security threats together and demonstrated their determination to jointly safeguard maritime security, said the PLA Navy in a statement on Wednesday.
The traditional friendship between China and Pakistan was highlighted in the Nanning’s port call in Karachi, with Pakistan’s Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Amjad Khan Niazi among other high-ranking Pakistan Navy officers boarding the Chinese ship during the exercise. Niazi said at the international fleet review on Tuesday that the Nanning was a wonderful ship.
Some 50 countries participated in the AMAN-23, with Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia,Sri Lanka and the US also sending warships.
It marks China’s first major military diplomatic event since it entered a post-COVID era this year, observers said.
The drills hosted by the Pakistan Navy served as a bridge that allowed countries to display their capabilities and conduct face-to-face meetings, which enabled them to enhance mutual understanding, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times.
China’s military development serves to safeguard world peace and regional stability, as it will continue to boost military exchanges and cooperation with more countries in the future, Song said.
It can enhance military transparency between countries and help control and manage differences, Song said. “China is confident, and is willing to communicate,” he said.
China’s next foreign military exchange event is expected to come soon, as South Africa will host a joint exercise with Russia and China on its east coast from Friday to February 27.
APP/asg
Noor Ahmad Jaral speaking at a seminar on the occasion of Wasif Ali Wasif’s 31st death anniversary at Al Hamra Arts Council
A man is sitting over a sofa on a motorcycle rickshaw on his way to destination
Construction workers busy in repairing a wall of the historical Pakka Fort to restore by Heritage Department at Station Road
