ISLAMABAD, Feb 8 (APP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressing dissatisfaction over the performance of the Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA), formed a committee to ensure revival of the body’s operations.
The prime minister, chairing a high-level meeting on the STZA, said the committee would be headed by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and comprise IT minister, law minister, Advisor Ahad Cheema, Senator Afnanullah and Chairman of the Capital Development Authority.
He instructed the committee to present its recommendations within a week and also directed to immediately operationalise the STZA’s board of governors which should consist of experts from the relevant field.
The prime minister said any wastage of public resources would not be tolerated. Pakistani skilled youths were earning livelihood at their own while the relevant authority was lying dysfunctional.
He said instead of investing in real estate, the STZA’s real objective was to promote technology. No delay in the reformation and operationalisation of the STZA would be acceptable, he commented.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said that in its tenure, the Pakistan Muslim League-N introduced skill education to the youth with a view to enhance IT exports. During the COVID pandemic, hundreds of thousands of youngsters earned livelihood by using laptops given by the government, he remarked.
In the briefing, the meeting was told that 400 companies were registered with the STZA, out of 63% were from Pakistan and rest belonged to China, USA, Turkey and other countries.
The participants of the meeting were also apprised of the issues regarding the Authority’s board of governors.
The prime minister directed the STZA to ensure effective implementation of the measures for promotion of country’s IT exports.
Federal ministers Ishaq Dar, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Syed Aminul Haq, Advisor to PM Ahad Cheema, SAPM Jahanzeb Khan and other relevant officers attended the meeting.
ISLAMABAD, Feb 8 (APP): Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan has directed all police officials to improve the “information and coordination system” among various police wings as well as police stations for effectively combating criminal elements.
In a meeting with police officers, the IGP directed to take further effective steps to control crime and ensure better security in the city.
He asked to adopt a professional as well as responsible attitude to mitigate the sufferings of the people. He said that strict surveillance and patrolling should be made to ensure effective policing and a special crackdown against suspicious elements to be initiated. Modern cameras of the safe city should be used for the purpose and effective checking at the entry and exit points of the city to be maintained, he added.
Dr Akbar stressed that the officials should ensure the use of bulletproof jackets and helmets at duty points while the personnel present in pickets should be equipped with weapons and perform alert duty.
The meeting was told that vigilance at pickets of diplomatic enclave entry points had been further tightened and checking of visitors and vehicles was being made through modern systems.
The IGP directed all heads of police stations and officers to “further tighten the security in the federal capital”, adding that the protection of the lives and property of the citizens was among the top priorities of the force.
Rescuers and civilians look for survivors under the rubble of collapsed buildings in Kahramanmaras, close to the 7.8 magnitude earthquake’s epicentre, a day after it struck the country’s southeast [Adem Atlan/AFP]
ISLAMABAD, Feb 8 (News Agencies /APP Web Desk): The death toll from the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday has risen to more than 11,000.
At least 8,574 people have died in Turkey, the country’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. At least 2,530 have been killed in Syria.
Erdogan was speaking from Kahramanmaras during a visit to some of the areas worst hit by the temblors.
Turkish President Erdogan in Kahramanmaras:
– Victims can stay in contracted hotels in Antalya, Alanya and Mersin – Do not worry, we will never let you stay on the streets – Initially, we will start giving affected families $531 each#TurkiyeQuakespic.twitter.com/HBSzwRSzmP
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has acknowledged that there were some issues in responding on the first day since the earthquakes but has urged Turkish people to be patient and united.
He said there had been problems with roads and airports but that everything would get better by the day.
Erdogan also said citizens should only heed communication from authorities and ignore “provocateurs,” as thousands of people complain about a lack of resources and slow response by officials.
New houses will be built, he said, promising that no one will be left in the streets.
“This is the time for us to be united,” Erdogan added.
The bodies of victims are kept at a sports hall following a deadly earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey [Dilara Senkaya/Reuters]
Hundreds of bodies in stadiums and parking lots lie on the ground as relatives carefully lift blankets from their faces to try to identify them.
Nada, a Syrian woman, and her Turkish husband ask a staff member how best to find their niece and aunt among the more than 100 bodies lined up in the parking lot of the Hatay Research Hospital near the southern city of Antakya, Reuters reported.
Nearly 250 schools in Syria’s government-controlled areas have been damaged due to the earthquakes, the country’s state-run SANA news agency reported quoting education minister Darem Tabbaa.
The damaged schools are in Aleppo, Lattakia, Tartous, Hama, and Idlib, Tabbaa said, adding that 126 schools have been turned into shelters.
Algerian rescue teams take part in the search and rescue operations in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo [AFP]
The White Helmets leading efforts to rescue people buried under rubble in rebel-held areas of earthquake-hit Syria have appealed for international help in their “race against time”.
First responders from the group that was formed a decade ago to save the lives of civilians during Syria’s civil war sprung into action early Monday when a 7.8-magnitude quake rocked Turkey and Syria.
“International rescue teams must come into our region,” said Mohammed Shibli, a spokesperson for the group officially known as the Syria Civil Defence.
Agencies have said those numbers could rise significantly as many people remain trapped under the rubble.
Pictures emerge showing successful rescue operation. A young Turkish boy is saved after being pulled out from under a destroyed building in Hatay, one of the country’s worst-affected areas.
Eight-year-old Yigit Cakmak in his crying mother’s arms after [Erdem Sahin/EPA]
The White Helmets, volunteer first responders in northwestern Syria, have reported at least 1,280 deaths in rebel-held areas.
⛔Death toll from #earthquake in NW #Syria has risen to 1,280+ deaths & 2,600+ injured. Number is expected to rise significantly as hundreds of families remain trapped under the rubble more than 50 hours after the earthquake. pic.twitter.com/LAeQgZK5TI
The death toll could further surge as rescue workers continue search for survivors under the rubbles of thousands of toppled buildings despite freezing-cold weather.
Relatives of victims, and global rescue teams including from Pakistan have also joined the rescue efforts in the worst-hit cities.
“Another miracle,” said the White Helmets, a rescue organisation operating in rebel-control areas in northwestern Syria.
“A child rescued after more than 40 hours of being trapped under the rubble of her house in the city of Salqin in the countryside of Idlib,” it added in a Twitter post.
Countries and organizations from across the globe have responded to the crisis with money, equipment and boots on the ground. Doctors Without Borders says it has 500 staff working in Syria — some of whom lost family members in the quake. NATO said its members are sending more than 1,400 emergency response personnel, CNN reported.
Following the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, @UNICEF is responding with life-saving assistance.
Teams are working around the clock to provide safe drinking water, sanitation services, food & nutritional support, medical supplies & more. https://t.co/mjg6ppTPm0
The World Health Organization estimates up to 23 million people could be affected by the earthquake. The situation is particularly dire in Syria, where the UN says nearly 70% of the population was in need of humanitarian assistance before the quake — an issue that has only been compounded by the tragedy.
We are all shocked by the images and reports coming from #Türkiye and #Syria. Over 4,000 people have been killed and over 18,700 are injured, but these numbers will continue to rise as the situation evolves. My full update on how @WHO is supporting: https://t.co/WgpXz956Wnpic.twitter.com/LOh2ajnSMy
The damage caused a temporary disruption to the UN’s cross-border aid into Syria, with UN humanitarian teams exploring all avenues to reach those in need. Meanwhile, hospitals in war-hit Syria are “absolutely overloaded,” UNICEF’s representative in Aleppo said.
"As the people in the region deal with the devastating consequences of this tragedy, we want to tell them that they are not alone."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will go to the country’s southern region to inspect areas struck by the earthquakes, state-run Anadolu news agency has said.
Erdogan is expected to visit Kahramanmaras city centre first and then the Pazarcik district that was the epicentre of one of Monday’s earthquakes, the agency repoted. The president is later expected to head to Hatay for inspections, it added.
Following the violent earthquakes, throngs of trapped victims used social media to reach out for help and pinpoint their locations for rescuers.
“Friends, we are stuck under the earthquake,” Firat Yayla, a YouTuber known as Charmquell, said in the video shot in a dark space.
“Mother! Are you okay? Mother! Tell me you hid somewhere. Please help!” he added before ending the video with his home address.
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria early Monday. Centered near Gaziantep in southern Turkey, the quake was felt as far away as Lebanon and Israel.
Note: Based on assessment as of 8:00 a.m. E.S.T. on Feb. 6. Source: U.S. Geological Survey By Pablo Robles
ISLAMABAD, Feb 8 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday, in a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), asked an immediate announcement of the date of the elections.
“The president has asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to immediately announce the date of elections for provincial assemblies as per Elections Act, 2017,” the letter read, as shared by the media wing of the President’s House.
In his letter, the President referred to the dissolution of the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and said that the election of an assembly is to be held within 90 days of the dissolution as provided by Article 224(2) of the Constitution which emphasized the holding of election in 90 days.
He added that the conduct and holding of elections was the primary and essential duty of the ECP as per PART VIII of the Constitution, particularly Article 218 (3) which assigned the duty to the ECP to ensure the holding of fair and free elections.
He conveyed that it was ultimately the Commission, which if it failed to discharge its functions and duties, was to be held responsible and answerable for the violation of the Constitution of the country.
Referring to Article 42 and Third Schedule, the President stressed that he was under oath ‘to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution being the Head of State.
He reminded the CEC and the members of the ECP about their fundamental duty as per their Oath under Article 214 and Third Schedule of the Constitution that says ‘I will discharge my duties……faithfully in accordance with the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan’ and the Elections Act, 2017 to avoid serious consequences of breach/violation of the Constitution/law and announce election schedule of the two dissolved Assemblies forthwith.
Highlighting the significance of the Preamble/Objectives Resolution, the president said that the Preamble stated in unambiguous words that ‘the State shall exercise its power and authority through the chosen representatives of the people’.
“Such is the unflinching resolve and commitment by the forefathers of the Nation who drafted the Objectives Resolution duly made part of the Constitution (Article 2A).
Thus, there remains no obscurity about the democratic principles and values that are to be adhered to, observed, and followed,” he further wrote.
The president emphasized that the oldest democracies had never delayed elections even during wars.
In this regard, he quoted the examples of the United States, which held elections despite being at war with Great Britain in 1812 under President James Madison. He further stated that in 1864 during the American Civil War, top advisors of the-then President Abraham Lincoln wanted to postpone elections due to the civil war but he disagreed with them, and even though he thought that he was going to lose the elections, he never really contemplated suspending the elections.
He said that the Commission itself had already taken an appropriate constitutional step and had announced the holding of bye-elections of National Assembly seats of different constituencies.
The president concluded that he was of the firm view that there were no such circumstances in the country that provided any justification for delaying or postponing the elections.
He stressed that recent world history had shown that the postponement of constitutionally-mandated elections had caused serious long-term setbacks to democracy.
ISLAMABAD, Feb 8 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday said strict implementation of traffic rules and public awareness about road safety was crucial in the prevention of accidents, thus reducing fatalities.
The president urged the legislators to incorporate comprehensive road safety programmes into national planning.
Highlighting the role of parliamentarians in carrying out effective legislation on road safety, he stressed educating the communities for better enforcement.
Addressing here at the ‘Road safety conference for parliamentarians’, the president said with increased traffic volume on roads, the importance of ensuring safety measures increased manifold to save precious lives.
Parliamentarians from across the world joined the conference, which was organized by the International Parliamentarians Congress (IPC) in collaboration with ‘Mutehtakm Parlimaan, a European Union-funded project, and the Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services.
President Alvi said traffic accidents were one of the leading causes of deaths, mostly due to cranial injuries, and could prove traumatic for the entire family.
He said implementation of traffic rules through surveillance cameras, safe road infrastructure, easy-to-understand traffic illustrations, and proper inspection of vehicles could contribute towards reducing accidents.
The president also emphasized self-discipline by motorists, particularly the use of seatbelts and wearing of helmets.
He advised road users to remain mentally and physically alert to avoid traffic crashes.
Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani, also the President International Parliamentarians Congress (IPC), said globally around 1.3 million people die and 50 million get injured in traffic accidents annually.
In Pakistan, he emphasized prioritizing the efforts to enact road safety laws at par with international standards and educate the stakeholders.
President Inter-Parliamentary Union Duarte Pacheco said road safety must be considered a serious health-related problem due to its direct and indirect costs and called upon the parliamentarians to act together on national health safety programmes.
Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Pakistan Thomas Seiler stressed the importance of a holistic approach to road safety and urged the governments and partners to implement an integrated safe system approach.
Director General World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in his video message mentioned that the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 emphasized reduction of traffic deaths by half.
The conference discussed five pillars of road safety including safety management, safer roads and public mobility, safe vehicles, safer road users, and post–crash response.
ISLAMABAD, Feb 8 (APP): The government has released funds amounting to Rs 4.21 billion to execute Information Technology related projects during the first six months of the current fiscal year under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP 2022-23).
According to official data available with APP, the government has authorized the utilisation of development funds amounting to Rs 4,211.21 million out of a total allocation of Rs. 6330.70 million for various ongoing and new projects of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication.
Out of the total authorized/disbursed amount, the total amount spent on the development projects during the corresponding period (July-December) stood at Rs 3,662.30 million.
NEW YORK, Feb 08 (APP):Human Rights Watch (HRW), a New York-based watchdog body, Tuesday urged the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to work with Pakistan’s government to protect the economically disadvantaged by broadening social protection systems and minimizing reform measures that risk further harm to the most vulnerable people, as the country faces its worst economic crisis.
Formal negotiations between the Pakistani government and the IMF team began on February 1, 2023, to discuss a plan to rescue the economy, including an installment of US$1.1 billion in loans from a $6.5 billion bailout that had been designed to ward off economic meltdown in 2019.
“The IMF and the Pakistani government have a responsibility to address this crisis in a way that prioritizes and protects low-income people,” Patricia Gossman, Associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said. .
Pakistan’s State Bank foreign exchange reserves decreased by 16 percent, to $3 billion, in the week ending January 27, an amount covering less than three weeks of imports, with the acute shortages of foreign currency making many imports, including essential medicines scarce or unobtainable.
Pakistan is facing its highest inflation levels since 1975, with the cost of perishable food items rising more than 60 percent in January, it said, and inflation expected to continue to rise.
In response to IMF demands, on January 29, the government increased fuel prices and removed a cap on the foreign exchange rate, leading to a drastic depreciation of the Pakistan rupee’s value, including a 9.6 percent loss in one day in January.
Pakistan’s deepening economic crisis comes amid devastation caused by cataclysmic floods. Floods in August 2022 killed over 1,700 people and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes and millions of acres of crops, affecting more than 30 million Pakistanis and causing billions of dollars in damage. Forty percent of Pakistan’s 230 million people faced food insecurity in 2020, yet only 8.9 million families received assistance to mitigate the impact of rampant inflation. Rural areas were particularly hard-hit by the floods.
The IMF programme should conduct a thorough assessment of the direct and indirect impact these adjustments would have on low-income people and adequately mitigate them, Human Rights Watch said. It should use part of the anticipated savings to strengthen social safety nets by including a structural benchmark to significantly broaden coverage and increase social spending. The IMF should urge Pakistan’s government to enact policies to increase women’s access to employment by reducing barriers, including by providing state-funded maternity leave and access to affordable menstrual hygiene, HRW said.
New tax measures should be progressive in nature and should not exacerbate inequality and increase the cost of living in ways that undermine rights, it said. Any cuts in subsidies for electricity, fuel, and natural gas should be preceded by a comprehensive reform plan that ensures everyone is able to access energy supplies essential for basic rights.
The IMF’s recommendations should encourage government spending on social services, such as education, health care, and poverty-reduction programmres while shoring up government revenues by improving the tax collection infrastructure and adopting stringent and transparent accountability measures, HRW said.
The IMF should use its procedures to make needed funds available as soon as possible, putting into place safeguards to protect people’s economic and social rights, it added.
Pakistan’s negotiations with the IMF, which continue through February 9, are meant to clear the IMF’s ninth review of its Extended Fund Facility, aimed at helping countries with balance-of-payments crises. The IMF bailout installment would ease the crippling shortage of foreign exchange and unlock access to other funding, including from multilateral and bilateral donors.
“Pakistan’s government should use the influx of funds to expand support for those worst- affected by the economic crisis,” Ms. Gossman said. “The IMF should provide Pakistan the time and flexibility to achieve a sustainable, inclusive, and rights-based recovery.”
ISLAMABAD, Feb 8 (APP): Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Wednesday transported over 21 tons of relief assistance to Turkiye and Syria which faced widespread destruction caused by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake.
“On behalf of the NDMA, two PIA planes carrying relief assistance have left for Istanbul and Damascus from Islamabad on Wednesday morning,” a PIA spokesman said in a brief statement here.
He said PIA flights PK-705 & PK-9135 carrying 7.4 tons and 14 tons of cargo (quake-relief assistance) departed from Islamabad to Istanbul and Damascus at 8:45 am and 10:30 respectively.
The spokesman elaborated that the 14 tons of assistance, which had been dispatched to Damascus, also contained winter tents and blankets aimed at protecting the flood-affected people from the cold weather harshness.
On Tuesday, the national flag carrier had airlifted a 51-member team for Turkiye to participate in rescue and relief activities in the areas affected by the massive quake.
The PIA administration has already announced the delivery of relief goods free of charge on humanitarian grounds for Turkiye and Syria. The relief assistance can be delivered to PIA’s cargo terminals through National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
He said the national flag carrier had always been at the forefront during emergencies for relief assistance and vowed that PIA would extend all possible services to bring back the quake-affected Pakistanis to the homeland if needed.
ISLAMABAD, Feb 08 (APP): Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman on Wednesday appealed to the public for aid to the earthquake victims of Turkey and Syria.
In a series of tweets, the federal minister shared the relief and earthquake devastation in Turkiye and Syria.
Senator Sherry Rehman said the death toll from earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria was rising alarmingly.
She added that the death toll has reached 8,000 while the search for people buried in the debris was still going on.
“We have heartfelt sympathy for our brothers and sisters in Turkiye and Syria. The heart of every citizen of Pakistan is sad for Turkiye and Syria,” Sherry Rehman said.
During the recent floods, she added that Turkiye provided full support to the government of Pakistan and the flood victims in every way.
“Pakistan also stands with Turkiye and its people in this difficult situation. The C130 and PIA relief flights have left for Turkiye with supplies and relief teams,” the Minister informed.
She added that Pakistan must continue a non stop relief flow of emergency aid to our brothers and sisters in the earthquake-affected areas of Turkiye and Syria.
“The aid should not stop till the complete recovery of the earthquake-affected people. Let’s make aid to our brothers and sisters in Turkiye and Syria a national effort,” Sherry Rehman ended.
