LAHORE, Dec 3 (APP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed the authorities concerned to take all possible steps to overcome the shortage of gas and power, and reduce public difficulties.
The prime minister gave the said directives while chairing a meeting to deliberate on the formulation of a strategy to cope with the shortage of electricity and gas, a PM Office statement said.
KARACHI, Dec 03 (APP): Former president of Pakistan and President Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians Asif Ali Zardari, while congratulating Sindh on celebrating the Sindhi Culture Day falling on December 04 (Sunday), Saturday said that conscious and civilized nations never forget their culture, civilization and language.
“The founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto established the Ministry of Culture to highlight the importance of various cultures of Pakistan,” he added.
Asif Ali Zardari said that Sindh had always kept its history and culture revered.
The former president said that Sindh was the land of Sufi elders, learned friends and brave people.
He also urged the people of Sindh to keep their culture alive and should not give place to any kind of extremism on their land.
KARACHI, Dec 03 (APP): Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation & Social Safety and Chairperson of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Shazia Atta Marri has expressed deep sorrow and grief over the death of former senator Begum Najma Hameed.
In a condolence message, here on Saturday, she said that we offer heartfelt sympathies and condolences to Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) senior leader Tahira Aurangzeb over the sad demise of Begum Najma Hameed.
Najma Hameed was the maternal aunt of Marriyum Aurangzeb.
She prayed that may Almighty Allah grant higher ranks to the departed soul in heaven and patience to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss.
KARACHI, Dec 03 (APP): Sindh Minister for Information and Transport Sharjeel Inam Memon has congratulated PPP’s Waqar Mehdi for being elected as the senator unopposed and thanked MQM-Pakistan for withdrawing its candidate.
He said that it is the continuation of the policy of reconciliation of former president Asif Ali Zardari.
“Pakistan Peoples Party has a majority in Sindh Assembly and Waqar Mehdi would have won it easily,” he said, adding “but the vision of the leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party is to take everyone together”.
The provincial minister said that the Pakistan Peoples Party had brought it’s anther political worker to the Upper House of the Parliament.
He called the election of Waqar Mehdi as the senator the victory of Pakistan Peoples Party workers. He said the Pakistan “Peoples Party is a party of workers, laborers, and marginalized segments of society”.
KARACHI, Dec 03 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi has urged the business community and private organizations to create opportunities in collaboration with the government for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) so as to help assist them to lead a better life and contribute to society.
While addressing an Interactive Dialogue on ‘Persons with Disabilities’ (PWDs) organized by World Health Organization (WHO) at Governor House Sindh, he said that the government was making all-out efforts to provide disabled persons with their rights and facilities.
President Dr. Arif Alvi said, “The government alone cannot do it all and the private sector should come forward in this regard.”
First Lady Samina Alvi was also present on the occasion.
He said that the society needed inclusiveness and acceptability. He said that persons with disabilities including physically challenged, visually impaired, hearing impaired and mentally challenged persons be provided with more easy access to technology and increased accessibility to public places by making good conditions for them.
The president emphasized that the inclusion of PWDs into the mainstream would help them grow as more fruitful citizens of society. He said that mainstreaming would also help dispel prejudiced notions among our populations and transform the dependence of PWDs into their freedom through job creation opportunities for them.
He urged the federal all provincial government stakeholders for technologies to maximize the job opportunities for PWDs.
He said that educational and training institutes should be encouraged to enroll PWDs, especially those with physical, visual or hearing disabilities without discrimination and stressed on availability of the trained teachers.
He said that approximately 10 percent out of total population of the country was of PWDs. He said that the issuance of Disability Cards by NADRA to PWDs was appreciable.
While stressing the need for accurate date of persons with disabilities, he said that there should be more effective and comprehensive awareness campaigns so that the PWDs could come forward to register themselves and avail facilities.
Dr. Alvi also stressed on ensuring moveable ramps and availability of wheel chairs in different places including education institutions and other organizations.
He on the occasion sought suggestions and inputs from the participants of the dialogue to overcome the challenges being faced by the PWDs.
The President also lauded and appreciated the role of federal and provincial governments, representatives of WHO, NADRA and others, participated in the dialogue.
Earlier, WHO Technical Advisor Disability Dr. Maryam Mallick said that the International Day of Persons with Disabilities was observed every year and theme of this year was ‘Transformative Solutions for Inclusive Development: The Role of Innovation in Fueling an Accessible and Equitable World.
She said that it was the third Dialogue of the series and such two programmes had already been held in Islamabad and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
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