President Dr. Arif Alvi addressing the Seminar on “Rule of Law” at Governor House
President IFAC calls on Finance Minister
ISLAMABAD, Mar 20 (APP): President International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) Asmaa Resmouki Monday called on Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar.
SAPM on Finance Tariq Bajwa, SAPM/Chairman RRMC Ashfaq Yousuf Tola, and senior officers from Finance Division attended the meeting, said a press release.
Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar welcomed Asmaa Resmouki, President IFAC and extended felicitations on becoming the first Muslim lady President of IFAC.
Highlighting the role of accountants in the economic development of a country.
Finance Minister stressed high-quality corporate reporting based on international standards which is key to mobilizing financial resources and helping in reducing corruption and mismanagement.
Ishaq Dar also highlighted the economic and financial outlook of the country and expressed the resolve of the government to overcome the economic challenges and steer the economy towards growth.
Asmaa Resmouki, President, IFAC highlighted the role of IFAC as the global voice for the accountancy profession and said that IFAC serves the public interest through advocacy, development and support for member organizations.
She also discussed the economic challenges globally and in this context appreciated the economic policies and programs initiated by the government in Pakistan for achieving sustainable economic development.
Asmaa Resouki became IFAC president in Nov, 2022. Prior to becoming President, she was appointed Deputy President of IFAC in Nov 2020 after serving the IFAC board since Nov 2017.
Info Ministry briefs NA panel on draft legislation pertaining to attached departments
ISLAMABAD, Mar 20 (APP): The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Monday was given a briefing on draft legislation pertaining to attached departments of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, including the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), Pakistan Information Department (PID), Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), Associate Press of Pakistan (APP) and other related acts.
While briefing the panel, Secretary Information and Broadcasting Shahera Shahid said seven bills were under consideration, which would be forwarded by the ministry to the Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC) after making amendments.
In that regard, she said, the ministry had been persistently holding consultations with the stakeholders to seek their input as directed by the Islamabad High Court.
She said the ministry was also working on the draft bill for journalists’ protection, which would be finalized after incorporating suggestions from the stakeholders.
The Information Secretary said the cases pertaining to the protection of journalists and media professionals were transferred from the Human Rights Division to the Information Division, which had now transferred them to the Parliamentary Affairs Division.
The panel expressed dissatisfaction over the briefing given by the Secretary Information regarding the draft legislation.
The committee meeting chaired by Javaria Zafar Aheer directed that the Minister for Information and Broadcasting should brief the committee on the amendments in its next meeting.
The representative from the Islamabad Capital Territory Police briefed the committee on the progress of the cases pertaining to the protection of journalists and media professionals. He said directives had been issued to the patrolling officials of the ICT Police for the security of the media houses as well as the residences of the media professionals.
He said that as per the court directions, only one first information report would be registered in one case.
The committee directed the Minister for Interior to brief it regarding the measures taken by the ministry for the protection of journalists in the next meeting.
Later, the panel deferred the Private Member’s Bill titled “The Indecent Advertisement Prohibition (Amendment) Bill, 2022” (moved by Muhammad Jamal-ud-Din, MNA) along with other legislative business and decided to consider the same in the next meeting.
The meeting was attended by members of the National Assembly Zulfiqar Ali Behan, Ms. Naz Baloch, and Prof. Dr. Shahnaz Naseer Baloch and Nasir Khan Musa Zai, while Kiran Imran Dar and Ms Zaib Jaffar joined it through video-link. MNAs Moulana Abdul Akber Chitrali, Muhammad Jamal-ud-din and Aliya Kamran, movers of the respective motions / bills, also attended the meeting.
Senior officers from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and its attached departments, the Ministry of Law & Justice, and the Ministry of Interior were also present during the meeting.
Mr. Fatih Kemal Ebiclioglu, Chairman Dawlance along with a delegation calls on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif
Media plays key role in bringing positive change in society
ISLAMABAD, Mar 20 (APP): United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Reed Aeschliman on Monday said that media was playing a key role in bringing positive change in society.
“Media acts as an effective catalyst for social change,” he said while addressing a formal closing ceremony to mark the grand success of the recently telecast project with the support of USAID.
Aeschliman said, “In all societies, media plays a vital role in building perceptions. It serves as a platform to educate, guide and build a better understanding.”
A serial aired in collaboration between USAID and a private broadcaster in which the idealistic goals of development initiatives such as gender equality and women’s empowerment in Pakistan were beautifully presented, he added.
The concept of the play is also given by Shehla Rizwan, USAID Outreach and Communication Head.
Speaking on the occasion Shehla Rizwan, Executive Producer of the serial said, “Through ‘Sar e Rah (on the roadside), we tried to bring the stories of the unsung heroes of the society to people.”
She said that the majority of the characters in this project are based on real life. Through this drama, the unsung heroes who have not only made their lives better with the support of USAID but also played their role to create a positive impact on society, have been brought to the fore.
The objective of this drama is to produce an entertainment-focused series with strong intertwined messages from a behavior change communication aspect, she added.
Shehla Rizwan said it weaves the theme of gender equality and social inclusion through multiple sub-stories, representing different individuals, social classes, and demographics. Each story unwinds the struggles women and men face through their journey of empowerment amid societal challenges.
APP/zah-fur
A large number of people standing in queue outside Utility Store to get free flour bags under “Ramadan Package” at Millat Road
A large number of people standing in queue to get free flour bags under “Ramadan Package” at G-7 in Federal Capital
A vendor displaying mosquito nets to attract customers at his roadside setup
Labourers busy in unloading iron rods on worksite during construction work at Murree Road
CDA workers fixing national flags on flyover at Srinagar Highway in connection with National Day of Pakistan
