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Call for donations at ICT schools to help victims of quake hit countries

By
Raiq Qureshi
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0
Call for donations at ICT schools to help victims of quake hit countries

ISLAMABAD, Feb 11 (APP):All educational institutions in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) launched a mega-campaign to collect donations for the earthquake victims of Türkiye and Syria, death toll from devastating quake took at least 24,000 lives so far.

The campaign was launched after the appeal of the prime minister to help victims and survivors and show solidarity with the people Türkiye and Syria, following the disastrous situation the quake hit countries.

Students expressed their commitment and determination to lend a helping hand to the Government of Pakistan in helping earthquake affected people in Türkiye and Syria, who lost their families, home and livelihoods in the earthquake. This is high time that we all rise up to help our brethren in need, in every possible way.

The students and administration set up a donation box to collect donations and teachers and students had awareness and motivational sessions for students to encourage them in taking part in this activity.

Schools administration asked students to contribute to the funds, with as little as Rs. 10. Together they can make the difference in the lives of afftected people.

Earlier, Federal Directorate of Education under Federal Minsitry of Education and Professional Training has instructed educational institutions to raise funds to help earthquake victims.

The amount will go to the ‘Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for Earthquake Victims’, to generate funds for Turkiye, which was rocked by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Monday.

The fundraising activity started in 5 schools including Islamabad College for Girls, F-6/2, Islamabad College for Boys G-6/3, Islamabad Model College for Girls F-7/4, Islamabad Model College for Girls F 10/2 and Islamabad Model College for Boys F – 8/4.

As per reports, the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria have resulted in endless suffering and angst with the death toll over 24 thousand people at the time of writing. With over 82,987people suffering from non-fatal injuries, at least 391,000 displaced people, around 6,589 structures reduced to rubble, and over 24 million people affected in total so far; this is the worst natural tragedy to hit the region in recent history.

Pak-China naval drills contributing to safeguarding sea lines, CPEC

By
NNPS Desk
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Pak-China naval drills contributing to safeguarding sea lines, CPEC

BEIJING, Feb 11 (APP): The Pakistan-China multinational maritime exercise in Karachi is expected to enhance the participants’ interoperability against instabilities and threats in the Indian Ocean region and safeguard vital international sea lines of communication and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

A grand opening ceremony for the five-day AMAN-23 exercise was held on Friday morning at the Pakistan Navy Dockyard, in front of the PNS Taimur, a Type 054A/P guided missile frigate that China built for Pakistan. Honor guards raised the participating countries’ national flags, while balloons and pigeons representing peace were released into the skies.

Under the motto “Together for Peace”, this is the eighth edition of the AMAN exercises since 2007. It is divided into two phases: harbor and sea.

The harbor phase involves seminars, operational discussions, and professional demonstrations among other preparations, and the sea phase includes tactical maneuvers, anti-piracy, counterterrorism, search and rescue, live-fire shooting as well as air defense exercises, and will be followed by an international fleet review.

AMAN is a message of peace and of being together with our friends and partners from all over the world, including China, Vice Admiral Ovais Ahmed Bilgrami, Commander of the Pakistan Fleet, told the Global Times on the sidelines at the opening ceremony.

“We want to build mutual capacities and mutual understandings so that we can all work together to ensure peace and security at sea,” he said.

“China has been our greatest friend. There’s no doubt that whatever the future holds for us at sea, it would not be possible without China. The China and Pakistan friendship is going to prosper further at sea,” said Commodore Sohail Ahmed Azmie, Commander of the Auxiliary and Mine Squadron of the Pakistan Navy.

He told the Global Times at the event that the Pakistan Navy has been operating with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, and in the future, this trend is going to be enhanced.

The participating vessel from China is the Nanning, a Type 052D guided missile destroyer that is part of the PLA Navy’s 43rd escort task force to the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia, which set out from a naval port in Zhanjiang, South China’s Guangdong Province on January 10.

It is the Nanning’s first time participating in such a mission. The domestically developed warship has received an upgraded propulsion system among many other modifications, the PLA Navy said in a press release at the time.

The Nanning arrived at Karachi on Thursday, and was met with a warm welcome from the host country.

Admiral M Amjad Khan Niazi, Chief of the Naval Staff of the Pakistan Navy, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview prior to the exercise that there are a number of non-traditional threats that prevail in the wider Indian Ocean region such as terrorism, piracy, drug smuggling, and arms trafficking.

The vastness of the oceans makes the maritime arena an attractive avenue for illegal activities, and no country has the capability to singlehandedly counter these challenges.

The exercise is conducted with the aim of developing synergy between participating naval units to tackle maritime security challenges by enhancing interoperability between regional and extra-regional navies at different levels of technological prowess, he said.

As a maritime nation, Pakistan has substantial stakes in keeping its seas safe and secure, including the operationalization of the CPEC project and the global energy highway, the Global Times learned at the exercise.

The first edition of the Pakistan International Maritime Expo and Conference (PIMEC) was also launched on Friday in Karachi, concurrently with the AMAM-23 exercises.

Initiated by the Pakistan Navy, PIMEC aims to showcase the potential of Pakistan’s maritime sector and draw attention to the contribution that the maritime industry can make to the development of the blue economy.

Ministry of Human Rights hosts govt officials from Nepal on ‘Peer Learning Session’

By
Raiq Qureshi
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0
Ministry of Human Rights hosts govt officials from Nepal on 'Peer Learning Session'

ISLAMABAD, Feb 11 (APP):Ministry of Human Rights hosted the Mission of the Government of Nepal with the support of the United Nations Development Programme on a peer learning session on National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.

The session was held to share the experiences of the Ministry of Human Rights, Government of Pakistan while drafting and implementing its National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (2021 – 2026) (NAP-BHR). The Government of Nepal is in the process of drafting its own National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights; therefore, UNDP Nepal and Pakistan arranged for a peer-learning exercise between the relevant departments of the two governments so the Government of Pakistan could share its takeaways with the Government of Nepal

The Nepalese Mission comprised senior-level officials from the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security; Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies; Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Office of Prime Minister and Council of Minister; National Human Rights Commission of Nepal and UNDP Nepal.

Opening the session, the Secretary, the Ministry of Human Rights, Mr Ali Raza Bhutta welcomed the Nepalese delegation to Pakistan and stated that such exchanges should be frequent and that South Asian countries have a lot to learn from each other in the context of development, human rights and other policies because of their regional proximity and shared values.

Director General, the Ministry of Human Rights, Mr Muhammad Arshad, stated that the Ministry of Human Rights is dedicated to implementing NAP-BHR. He further said that the Ministry is focusing on the areas of anti-discrimination, provision of equal opportunity and adherence to human rights due diligence in businesses for the current year.

During the session, the Director Ministry of Human Rights, Mr Shahzad Ahmed Khan, gave a comprehensive presentation on the development and implementation of the NAP-BHR and shared key takeaways with the officials. The Government of Nepal also gave a presentation highlighting major areas of the first draft of their action plan detailing thematic and priority areas, issues faced and implementation mechanisms.

The Joint Secretary, Mr Jhakka Prasad Acharya, Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Government of Nepal stated that he was thankful for the warm welcome extended by the Ministry of Human Rights.

He further stated that the structure of the Inter-Ministerial and Inter-Provincial Steering Committee for implementation of National Action Plan on Business and Human rights and the objective of formalizing the informal sector were two key takeaways from this peer learning visit.

Furthermore, he extended the invitation to the Ministry of Human Rights to attend the 4th UN South Asia Forum on Business and Human Rights which will be held in March 2023 to further learn from each other in the context of BHR.

Closing the session, the Secretary, the Ministry of Human Rights, stated that the Government of Pakistan is willing to extend its support in the form of experiences with the Government of Nepal to develop their Action Plan on Business and Human Rights and expressed well-wishes to the Nepalese delegation in this regard.

National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (2021 – 2026) Pakistan is a policy document developed by the Ministry of Human Rights. It pertains to 08 priority areas and 69 action points that reinforce following the “Protect-Respect-Remedy” framework of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to safeguard human rights in the business sector of Pakistan. NAP-BHR can be viewed at: www.bhrpak.org.

World Radio Day to be marked on Feb 13

By
Raiq Qureshi
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0
World Radio Day to be marked on Feb 13

ISLAMABAD, Feb 11 (APP):The World Radio Day will be marked on February 13 (Monday) across the globe including Pakistan to highlight the importance of radio as a way of educating the people, providing information and promoting freedom of expression across cultures.

Each year, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) celebrates the World Radio Day by planning activities with broadcasters, organizations and communities around the world.

Despite being over 100 years old, the radio is one of the most popular medium to exchange information, provide social interchange and educate the people all over the world.

It has been used to help people, including youth, to engage in discussions on topics that affect them. It can save lives during natural or human-made disasters and it gives journalists a platform to report facts and tell their stories. The first World Radio Day was officially celebrated in 2012.

Collective efforts, sacrifices, hard work keys to overcome difficulties: PM 

By
Irfan Khan
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Collective efforts, sacrifices, hard work keys to overcome difficulties: PM 

LAHORE, Feb 11 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that no doubt, they were passing through hard times, but it was his firm conviction that with collective efforts, sacrifices and hard work, they would overcome these difficulties. 

The prime minister said all segments of the society, including the elite class, would have to come forward and support the nation with generosity, adding that there was no other way to reach to destination except adherence to these qualities. 

Addressing a ground breaking ceremony of Bab-e-Pakistan and the expansion and infrastructure upgradation of Walton Road, the prime minister said that they had once again gathered at the historic place for which millions of migrating Muslims from the sub-continent had offered historic sacrifices, and strived under the great leadership of Quaid-e-Azam, for the creation of a separate homeland.  

Collective efforts, sacrifices, hard work keys to overcome difficulties: PM 

On their way to the newly created homeland, they came across worst kind of carnage, with thousands of children and women braving the onslaught, he added.  

Federal Minister Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi, parliamentarians and officials were present during the ceremony. 

Referring to the Walton road, the prime minister said it was the place where thousands of migrants from India took refuge and the locals supported them which renewed the precedent of Ansar-e-Madina. 

The unique precedent would always be remembered, he added.  

He observed that the Muslims migrated to a newly created country to get rid of the foreign rulers and with desire to establish a society in which merit, justice and equality would prevail. 

About construction of Bab-e-Pakistan, the prime minister said Nawaz Sharif laid its foundation stone during 1991 and then in 1997, when the PML-N came to power work on the project was expedited. 

Collective efforts, sacrifices, hard work keys to overcome difficulties: PM 

He regretted that the project hit snags during 2008 when its contract was awarded during the rule of late Musharraf. About a billion rupees of the nation was buried in its ruins. The contractor was a fraud and lacked experience who wanted to import granite from Italy at a cost of worth Rs900 million, he added.  

The prime minister opined that it would be a shame for a poor country like Pakistan, where the basic necessities of life like health and education were scant, to use costly imported tiles for the construction of the historic monument   

With import of tiles, what message they had to give to the outer world! he said, adding that he refused to allow import of such material. The contract was awarded to a person without bidding.  

The prime minister further said that with such a display of callousness, country’s billions of rupees were wasted.  

He said such cases also raised questions about the performance of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) that targeted the innocent people, but did not summon the people involved in such like cases.  

“It were the double standards that had caused harm to Pakistan. The rule of ‘might is right’ must be buried forever by the 220 million people of the country,” he said, adding the country could not move ahead on the path of progress and prosperity unless they collectively resist these tendencies.  

About Bab-e-Pakistan, the prime minister said it should be a place for the young generations and the visitors to get themselves aware of the history of Pakistan.  

On the occasion, Minister for Railways and Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafique said they had gathered at a historical place where the people of the sub-continent had resolved for creation of a new homeland.  

He said all the development projects across the country had been initiated and accomplished during the PML-N governments.  

He praised the CBDA for the launch of different projects and observed that with the completion of work, Walton road would also see a vital change. 

While Bab-e-Pakistan would offer sports facilities for the common man, he added. 

Earlier, Central Business District Development Authority (CBDA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Imran Nadeem presented an overview of the projects. 

Int’l Day of Women and Girls in Science marked

By
NNPS Desk
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0
Int'l Day of Women and Girls in Science marked

ISLAMABAD, Feb 11 (APP): International Day of Women and Girls in Science marked on Feb 11 (Saturday) across the globe including Pakistan aiming to ensure full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls.

According to a UN study from 14 countries, the probability for female students graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in science is 18 percent, while the male equivalent is 37 percent.

The resolution states that women continue to be excluded from participating fully in the economy even though representing half of the world’s population and that women have a vital role to play and a right to participate in sustainable development policies, programs, and decision-making at all levels.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is a term that is often used when referring to the academic disciplines of science. STEM education starts with young pupils in a blended learning environment, and the curriculum shows students how the scientific method can be applied to everyday life. It is often aimed to attract women and girls.

Twitter blocks official handle of APHC in IIOJK

By
NNPS Desk
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0

ISLAMABAD, Feb 11 (APP): In Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Twitter has blocked the official handle of the Srinagar-based All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC).

In a statement in Srinagar, the APHC announced from its new Twitter handle that its previous official account had been withheld as it was creating awareness on the Kashmir situation globally.

It said our efforts to bring awareness to the situation in Kashmir worldwide will not stop. It also urged people to help APHC in reaching a wider audience.

China encourages Pakistani new energy companies for collaboration

By
NNPS Desk
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0
China encourages Pakistani new energy companies for collaboration

BEIJING, Feb. 11 (APP): Haining city has a number of advanced photovoltaic energy storage and other new energy enterprises, looking forward to strengthening technical exchanges and cooperation with Pakistani and other Belt and Road Initiative countries in the field of commerce and new energy.

These views were expressed by Jin Hongxian, Deputy Director of Economic Development Office of Zhouwangmiao, Haining City, Zhejiang province, China in a recent business matchmaking between Haining and Pakistani technology companies.

With a GDP of RMB 119.63 billion in 2021, Haining has forged a new energy emerging manufacturing cluster with an industrial output value of RMB 50 billion above scale. Located in the Yangtze River Delta integrated development core area, Zhouwangmiao is the birthplace of Haining leather, and was once named “China’s No. 1 Leather Town” by the Chinese Ministry of Light Industry. The town’s economy is guided by electronic information, high-end equipment manufacturing, and biomedicine.

Jin added that in the past 10 years, as the backbone of the emerging manufacturing industry and the traditional foreign trade strong city, Haining’s foreign trade partners have gradually expanded from North America, Europe, Japan and South Korea to Thailand, Pakistan and other emerging economies such as the Belt and Road countries, and the proportion has been rising year by year. Haining encourages more Pakistani solar and leather companies for win-win cooperation.

It is not a hidden secret that China excels in the solar and photovoltaic industry, contributing more than 50 percent of the world’s electricity and photovoltaic power generation, said Sami Iqbal, founder of Nanjing Enfiniti Tech Development Co., Ltd, who is also engaged in solar cell materials research at the School of Materials at Southeast University. He hopes to find companies that understand the demand for solar energy and related equipment manufacturing in developing countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

“Pakistan has enormous advantages and opportunities to develop the photovoltaic industries, including transportation, agriculture, small and medium industry, commercial and public services, etc. We would like to form partnerships with quality PV companies in Haining to enhance the manufacturing and operational maintenance capabilities of the PV industry in Pakistan.” added Sami. On the occasion, Yu Linjie, General Manager of Zhejiang Chuanda New Energy Co., Ltd expressed his interest in working with Pakistani PV companies in the investment plan, after sales services and equipment upgrades.

At UN Pakistan calls for reduction in inequality gaps between nations

By
NNPS Desk
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0
Pakistan assumes presidency of the Committee on Information for two-year term

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 11 (APP): Pakistan has underscored the need for addressing the multiple crises — including the COVID-19 pandemic, rising conflicts and climate change — that have exacerbated existing inequalities between and within nations.

“The worsening inequality has in fact accelerated since the global financial crisis at the end of the first decade of this century,” Ambassador Aamir Khan, deputy permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, told the Commission for Social Development — one of the eight functional commissions established by the UN Economic and Social Council since 1946 to advise and assist it in carrying its work.

Speaking in the general debate, the Pakistani envoy said one particular Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) — reduced inequalities — has not only lacked progress but has, in fact, experienced a regression in recent years.

The gap between rich and poor, both between and within nations, is growing, despite unprecedented global gains, he said.

“The poor are still poor; the rich are much richer.”

Emphasizing that just 26 people own a full half of the world’s wealth, he said the poly-crises triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, rising geopolitical tensions and climate change have only exacerbated those existing inequalities and vulnerabilities.

“It is today the pandemic of inequalities that are playing havoc with people’s lives,” he remarked.

While richer nations have injected around $17 trillion to stimulate their economies, developing countries are struggling to find even a fraction of the $4.1 trillion they are estimated to require to recover and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Calling for more international solidarity, Aamir Khan emphasized that the developing countries must be provided with the necessary means to recover from the crises and to achieve the SDGs.

“I call for food, finance, and fuel solidarity at these difficult times.”

Aamir Khan outlined Pakistan’s employment statistics, noting the government is working to improve job opportunities for youth by boosting the private sector, creating a robust environment of entrepreneurship, improving exports and improving the access to Internet services.

Pakistan is also still reeling from the worst natural disaster in its history, namely unprecedented flooding, he pointed out.

Among the suggestion put forward by the Pakistani envoy to enable the developing countries recover economically was for rich countries to fulfill their commitment of the 0.7 percent ODA (official development assistance) target without delay; redistribution of the $650 billion SDRs and allocation of new SDRs; concessional finance from the multilateral institutions and development banks; and debt relief and restructuring.

Maryam Nawaz to address PML-N organizational convention in Islamabad today: Marriyum

By
NNPS Desk
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0
File photo

ISLAMABAD, Feb 11 (APP): Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Saturday said that the organizational convention of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) would be held here today.

Senior Vice President and Chief Organizer of PML-N Maryam Nawaz would address the organizational convention, she said in a statement.

Marriyum Aurangzeb said the officials related to the organizational structure of the party would attend the convention.

She said the organizational meeting of the party will also be held in Islamabad tomorrow. The party’s organizational structure and performance will be reviewed in the meeting, Marriyum said who is also the spokesperson of the PML(N).

In the meeting, there would be consultations regarding organizational matters of the party and suggestions would be received in this connection, she said.

Earlier, Maryam Nawaz had visited Bahawalpur Division and Abbottabad and chaired the organizational meetings.

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