Pakistan Pavilion formally inaugurated in Shanghai, China

Thu, 24 Nov 2022, 6:13 PM

BEIJING, Nov 24 (APP): The Pakistan Pavilion was formally inaugurated to display a broad range of products of Pakistan’s export interest including cultural and specialty products in Shanghai, China.
Consul General of Pakistan in Shanghai, Hussain Haider attended the launching ceremony and announced its opening.

Located at Waigaoqia at China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (SHFTZ) and having an area of over 100 sqm, the Pavilion has been established with the support of Waigaoqiao International Trading Operation Centre and will be managed by Shanghai based Pakistani companies.

In his opening remarks, the Consul General, while appreciating the support of Waigaoqiao Center and Pakistani companies involved in the establishment of the Pavilion, said that the Pakistan Pavilion, which is the first such pavilion established in Shanghai, will provide a platform to showcase Pakistani products.

The Consulate General will support and collaborate with the companies to ensure smooth operation of the Pavilion and will make it an important window that leads to the successful building of a trade and friendship bridge, linking and strengthening trade and economic relation between China and Pakistan.

The Pakistan Pavilion Shanghai will broaden the sales channels of imported goods and will help establish connection between buyers and sellers, enabling more Pakistani products enter into the Chinese market.

PTA organizes workshop on GSMA mobile connectivity index

NNPS Desk

Thu, 24 Nov 2022, 6:06 PM

PTA organizes workshop on GSMA mobile connectivity index

ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP): Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Thursday organized a workshop on GSMA’s Mobile Connectivity Index (MCI), here, at its headquarters.

The workshop was conducted in collaboration with Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA), said a news release.

It focused on the GSMA’s MCI with an objective to improve Pakistan’s future MCI scores by understanding how indicators were assessed and how effectively PTA and other stakeholders can collect and share data with GSMA.

The workshop was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Information Technology & Telecom (MoITT), the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the Frequency Allocation Board (FAB), the Universal Service Fund (USF), National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MoFEPT) and mobile operators.

Senior officers from PTA also participated in the workshop.

During his opening remarks, Member Compliance & Enforcement, Dr. Khawar Siddique Khokhar said that PTA had always strived for the provision of affordable and advanced services and technologies across the country.

“It is closely working with GSMA on MCI in terms of provision and verification of telecom data.”

During the workshop, GSMA speakers presented on the role of connectivity in building an inclusive society and guidelines for using the MCI which was followed by an interactive session and discussion with the participants.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman PTA, Maj. General Amir Azeem Bajwa (R) stated that Pakistan’s overall MCI scores had increased from 39.8 in the year 2019 to 43.9 in 2021. Pakistan had witnessed improvements in all 4 categories: infrastructure, affordability, consumer readiness, and content.

He said that the active participation of stakeholders at the workshop meant that concerned problem areas, identified in MCI, would be addressed in an effective way in the future for a true representation of Pakistan’s MCI scores.

The chairman also thanked GSMA for conducting the workshop.

Swat Sports and Culture Festival begins

NNPS Desk

Thu, 24 Nov 2022, 5:38 PM

PESHAWAR, Nov 24 (APP): The three-day Swat Sports and Culture Festival organized by the District Administration and Regional Sports Office Swat got underway with a colorful and grand opening ceremony at FizaGhat Mingora, Swat.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Sohail Ahmed Khan was the chief guest of the opening ceremony of the three-day festival on this occasion.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (Finance) Abdul Latif, Regional Sports Officer Swat Kashif Farhan, Youth Officer Farhad Ali, senior officials of the local district administration, hundreds of local and foreign tourists and local people were also present.

A large number of people and artists were also present during the musical show before the chief guest cut a ribbon during the formal inauguration of the Sports and Culture Festival in District Swat.

Speaking on the occasion, ADC Sohail Khan praised the district administration and Regional Sports Officer Malakand for holding the colourful festival.

He said that Swat has always been a peaceful place and such festivals would always be organized as we will not allow anyone to destroy the peaceful atmosphere in District Swat, having 70 percent of the tourism potential of Pakistan.

He invited the people across the country to come to Swat Valley for the three-day festival and also promised them full protection and security.

Apart from musical activities, various stalls have been set up in the festival, children’s play area has been arranged, music has also been arranged.

The culture of Swat and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been highlighted in the festival.

The aim of the festival is to promote winter tourism. This is the first festival of its kind in Swat after the devastating floods.

After the flood and the recent terrorist incident, the government and the district administration of Swat had decided to organize a festival to end the atmosphere of fear.

A music night was organized on the occasion of the opening ceremony, in which artists from local and other districts performed their art well, which was well appreciated by the audience.

Talking to the media, RSO Kashif Farhan said that the Swat Festival would prove to be important in the promotion of tourism with tourists from all over the country coming to Swat to enjoy and economic activities will be promoted at the local level.

He said that last year, Malam Jabba and Gabin Jabba Snow Sports Festivals were held, this year also many sports, cultural and other activities will be organized.

He said that steps are being taken to promote tourism in Swat and provide all possible facilities to tourists, which are showing positive results.

Pakistan has many strengths required to achieve prosperity: President

Ishtiaq Rao

Thu, 24 Nov 2022, 5:37 PM

ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday said that Pakistan had many strengths and opportunities which should be communicated to the coming generations to provide them with a baseline and motivation to make their country stronger and prosperous.

The president, virtually addressing a seminar on the role of the Presidency organized by the London School of Economics Students Union Pakistan Development Society, the constitution provided the role of the Presidency as a unifying force where the President was the head of the state and the elected prime minister enjoyed the executive powers.

The session was chaired by the Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Baroness Minouche Shafik.

The president said that he had been playing his role within the confines of the Constitution.

He said that despite the fact that Pakistan had been facing difficulties and challenges, it had many strengths which helped it to successfully overcome many crises.

He said that during the COVID crisis, Pakistan used a unique and customized, home-grown strategy to counter the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The leadership, the relevant institutions and health machinery worked in uniformity, adopting the partial lockdown strategy and supplementing it with aggressive communication, awareness and education tools. It helped the country to save the lives and the livelihood of the people, kept our mosques, businesses and industrial sites open, and we came out of this crisis much better than our neighbours and many other countries of the world,” he added.

The president said that Pakistan advocated for peace throughout the world on the basis of equality, dignity and sovereignty and wanted resolutions of outstanding international and regional conflicts through negotiation, discussion and deliberations.

He stressed that the international community and the United Nation should play their role to resolve the long outstanding issue of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in the spirit of the UN Security Council’s Resolutions and take stock of rising religious extremism in India, its Hindutva ideology, Islamophobia and persecution of minorities, especially Muslims.

While touching upon another strength, the president said that Pakistan took up the challenge of countering global warming and climate change despite meagre resources and embarked on an ambitious program to plant a billion trees, and later building on its success, the government launched 10 billion tree plantation drive to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, mitigate the impacts of climate change and save flora and fauna and nature for future generations as our share for a better world tomorrow”, he added.

He said that Pakistan generously and willingly opened its arm to the refugees displaced due to a crisis of international nature and was hosting millions of Afghan refugees for over 40 years, which was unprecedented in global history.

President Alvi said that all refugees should be treated as equals and should be given the same treatment irrespective of their race, colour or religion.

He said that the Presidency took an active part in addressing the social and health issues faced by the nation and promoting preventive modes of treatment by focusing on self-examination and early diagnosis to avoid expensive, intrusive and scarce curative treatments.

The president said that Pakistan faced a prevalence of breast cancer much more than the world average due to social and cultural taboos attached to it and a lack of education and awareness.

He further said that this situation was now changing with the launch of continuous and persistent awareness, education and pursuance campaigns over the last four years spearheaded by the First Lady with an emphasis on self-examination and early diagnosis by using all forms of communication, including social and conventional media and cell phones.

President Alvi said that more and more women were now seeking medical help at the early stages of breast cancer which had an over 90% recovery rate.

Talking about the issue of mental health, the president said that the topic was still considered taboo in Pakistan, despite the fact that 24% of Pakistanis were under some kind of mental stress.

He stated that Pakistan had fewer than 2000 mental health professionals for a population of about 220 million which was highly insufficient and stressed the need to use technology and web-based IT tools to substantially increase the reach of mental health aid to a large population.

The president said that the Presidency had spearheaded the program for the skill development of youth, particularly in the field of IT, as he believed that it was the fastest route for Pakistan’s development.

He said that the youth bulge in Pakistan was a great asset which could be converted into an economic force by imparting quality education and skills in information technology, computing, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and blockchain technologies and other such sophisticated and critical disciplines which he said would meet the ever-growing needs of the country and other countries of the world.

He said that 2.4 million people had benefitted from the prime minister’s online digital skills program which shows the interest of the youth in these disciplines.

He called upon the Pakistani diaspora to help create an IT-based business ecosystem in the country

President Alvi said that he had been actively engaging all stakeholders both in the public and private sectors to bring more than 50% of the women population into the active economic stream by encouraging the stakeholders to create enabling environment for them to realize their full potential.

He said that he has been addressing the issue of fake news which was exacerbated due to the permeation of social media at the grassroots level.

He called for training and educating the masses to only entertain news which were originated from an authentic source and was credible and reliable before disseminating it any further.

He said that education, training and awareness regarding sifting authentic news from fake news was perhaps the best solution to counter fake news.

While touching upon the political and economic situation of the country the president said that he believed that political stability was closely linked with economic stability. Therefore in his personal capacity he had been trying to bring the relevant stakeholders to one table for developing a consensus to address the major issues faced by the nation.

PSX gains 23 points

Muhammad Ashraf Wani

Thu, 24 Nov 2022, 4:43 PM

ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP):The 100-index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) gained 23.34 points on Thursday, depicting a nominal positive change of 0.05 percent, closing at 42903.65 against 42880.31 points on the previous day.

A total of 153,126,848 shares were traded during the day as compared to 138,573,519 shares the previous day, whereas the price of shares stood at Rs 5.861 billion against Rs 5.140 billion on the last trading day.

As many as 345 companies transacted their shares in the stock market,184 of them recorded gains and 128 sustained losses, whereas the share price of 33 companies remained unchanged.

The three top-trading companies were WorldCall Telecom with 25,621,366 shares at Rs1.45 per share, Hascol Petrol with 9,135,000 shares at Rs 7.96 per share, and TRG Pak Ltd with 9,105,915 shares at Rs 147.16 per share.

Allawasaya Textile witnessed a maximum increase of Rs Rs 209.61 per share price, closing at Rs 3004.48, whereas the runner-up was Pak Tobacco with a Rs 52 rise in its per share price to Rs922.

Sapphire Fiber witnessed a maximum decrease of Rs 67.01 per share closing at Rs 1150 followed by Siemens Pakistan with a Rs 65.36 decline to close at Rs 817.05.

Donor Conference likely in first week of January: Ahsan Iqbal

Raiq Qureshi

Thu, 24 Nov 2022, 4:41 PM

ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP):Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday said the donors conference to collect funding for reconstruction and rehabilitation activities in the flood-hit areas was expected in the first week of January.

Presiding over a meeting here regarding the strategic plan for post-flood reconstruction and rehabilitation at National Flood Response and Coordination Center (NFRCC), the minister said roadshows would also be held in major capitals of the world for reconstruction and rehabilitation projects.

He said the strategy of 4R (Resilient, Recovery, Rehabilitation, Reconstruction) and 3I (Infrastructure needs, institutional requirements and investment) should be adopted in the rehabilitation and reconstruction plan.

Various financing options should be considered to fund short-term and long-term reconstruction and rehabilitation projects, he said adding that the international community must be informed about the steps taken by the government of Pakistan so far after the flood.

He said different financing options should be considered for short-term and long-term plans of reconstruction and rehabilitation while the international community should also be informed about the steps taken so far by the government of Pakistan.

The minister directed that the strategic plan for reconstruction and rehabilitation should be shared with the stake holders at least one month before the donor conference.

“The documented strategy plan for rehabilitation and reconstruction should be made comprehensive and futuristic in all respects” Ahsan Iqbal said.

The meeting was also attended by National Coordinator NFRCC Lt. Gen. Zafar Iqbal, Secretary Ministry of Planning and Development, representatives of World Bank and other relevant officials

The meeting was briefed on the Strategic Plan (4RF) containing short-term and long-term plans for post-flood reconstruction and rehabilitation.

Ahsan Iqbal appreciated the role of all national institutions, international community, donor partners in dealing with flood disasters.

The session also deliberated on finalizing the documented strategic plan for reconstruction and rehabilitation ahead of the proposed donors’ conference.

Combination of 7 unique features make Swat ideal destination for winter tourists

Raiq Qureshi

Thu, 24 Nov 2022, 4:39 PM

Combination of 7 unique features make Swat ideal destination for winter tourists

KALAM, Nov 24 (APP):Known as Switzerland of Pakistan, the beautiful valley of Swat has a combination of seven distinctive features that is hard to find together in any tourist destination of Pakistan and was all set to attract an influx of tourists and adventure sports enthusiasts during the winter season.

Besides being home to primitive Gandhara civilization, the Swat’s unique features including ice skiing, river rafting, adventure sports, snow-clad mountain peaks, trout-fish, and the Swat motorway has made it an ideal destination for winter tourism.

These distinctive characteristics, which are second to none in any other district of the country, draw adventure sportsmen, archeologists, water rafters, mountaineers, snowfall lovers, foodies, and eco-tourists throughout the year following the construction of the Swat Motorway that opened up Malakand division for winter tourism.

The 150-kilometer-long freshwater of the river Swat originating from different glaciers and lakes including Mahodand and Gabral mountains offers unique opportunities for adventure sports enthusiasts to explore in a single trip along with loved ones.

Fazagut, Fatehpur, Barikot, and Chakdara are most suitable for water rafting in river Swat and if developed on modern lines could attract a large number of tourists during winter.

Bestowed with more than 50 high-altitude small and big lakes, Swat’s Mahodand lake is an exceptional source of attraction for tourists enjoying its blue- waters and boats riding amid cold breezes and snowfalls.

“I came from Nowshera to enjoy Swat’s trout fish and explore the mesmerizing natural beauty of Kalam, especially of Mahudhand lake,” said Riaz Khan, a former PST teacher while talking to APP. Impressed by the beauty of Mahudand and Gabrial lakes, he said its unique charm, clean air and nearby birds chanting valleys take tourists into a lap of serenity.

He advised tourists to bring warm clothes and sweaters while coming to Upper Swat these days in the wake of chilly weather.

Besides its famous Deodar trees and precious wildlife, the Swat’s snow-clad tall mountain ranges of Falakser, Mankial and Elum peaks offer great challenges to mountaineers and trekkers to explore especially during winter. Likewise, its extensive plains and orchards that bear fruits and vegetables carried a unique comparative advantage.

Attracting Buddhists, monks and archaeologists from across the world throughout the year, the Swat’s archaeological treasures and ancient artifacts housed at Saidu Sharif Museum become a distinctive feature taking tourists to the glorious history of Swat.

The most celebrated monk from Thailand, Arayawangso along with 20 disciples has recently visited different Buddhist sites of Swat including Saidu Sharif Museum and Stupa besides Buthkara Buddhist monastery which impressed him a lot. He said Swat was very important in terms of Buddhist history in Pakistan and must be visited by followers of Bhuddism from all around the world to explore.

Another striking feature of Swat is skiing sports being played at Malam Jabba every year during winter. Trout fish also attract foodies amid heavy snowfall at Kalam, Madain and other areas of the district.

Malik Luqman, senior planning officer, KP tourism department told APP that a mega project costing Rs238 million was prepared for organizing different winter sports and tourism events in various districts including Swat.

He said Kalam’s winter gala and tour-de-cycle race would be organized in December-January in Swat while first-ever sports rafting at River Swat would be held besides an international paragliding event at Saidu Sharif. He said a youth leadership conference and skiing event at Malam Jabba were also planned.

To reduce tourists’ load at Kalam, Malam Jabba and Bahrian, he said new tourists spots would be developed at Sola Tanar, Puchar and Jargo valleys while walking tracks would be developed to promote ecotourism in Swat.

To maintain natural beauty and avoid pollution at tourist spots in Swat, he said camping pods would be established at new tourists’ destinations besides Kalash culture events in Chitral. To link new tourist destination with Swat Motorway, he said that Rs4.8 billion were being spent on development and construction of new roads while tourism police was made operational at Malakand and Hazara divisions to facilitate tourists.

Luqman said the tourism budget has been swelled to Rs8.6 billion during 2022-23 while work on the world bank’s assisted KP Integrated Tourism Project costing Rs17 billion was underway in the province. He said that the construction of 15 jeepable tracks was also proposed in Malakand and Hazara divisions. He said the six tourist facilitation centers were established and work on seven others started.

He said that a Rs 365 million project for feasibility studies for the identification of new tourist spots was planned. To promote ecotourism in southern districts of KP, he said that a road to Sheikh Badin tourist resort located at the confluence of DI Khan and Lakki Marwat districts would be constructed with an estimated cost of Rs3 billion while a tourist wing for merged areas was being established to monitor and oversee tourism-related activities there.

Chinese investment helping Pakistan diversify its energy mix: President

Shumaila Andleeb

Thu, 24 Nov 2022, 4:20 PM

ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday said the Chinese investment and contributions to Pakistan’s energy infrastructure were increasing the country’s ability to diversify its energy mix based on nuclear, hydel, solar and wind energy in a bid to help meet its energy needs.

The president stressed focusing on alternate and renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, besides using efficient and critical technologies to minimize the emission of greenhouse gases from coal and oil-based energy sources.

The president expressed these views while talking to the General Manager of China Energy International Group Co. Ltd, Lyu Xiufeng, who led a delegation here at Aiwan-e-Sadr.

During the meeting, the president was briefed on Neelum Jhelum, Dasu, Suki Kinari, Azad Pattan and Mohmand hydropower projects and Karachi K2/K3, Bhikki Combined Cycle Power Project, Jhimpir Wind Power Projects and M-4 Motorway projects.

Talking to the delegation, the President Alvi said the warm relations between the leadership and people of Pakistan and China formed the bedrock of the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Partnership.

The president stated that CPEC was a multi-dimensional project, which was helping the country in improving its road, port and communication networks, besides promoting industrialization in the country and meeting its energy and power needs.

He said that the smooth and expedited implementation of CPEC projects would ensure the realization of its full potential in a given time frame.

The president also expressed his gratitude to the Chinese Government and the Chinese people for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Pakistan in wake of the recent devastating floods and appreciated the initiatives taken by the China Energy International Group for contributing to the rehabilitation of flood victims in the most affected areas of the country.

While expressing his satisfaction with the pace of progress of various power and communication-related projects, President Alvi expressed the need to ensure the safety, security, longevity and soundness of the projects to realize their full potential for the people of the country.

The president also appreciated the initiative of China Energy for focusing on and undertaking solar energy-based projects which, he said, were cost-effective, easy to install, and maintain, and gave clean and cost-effective energy.

Briefing the President, Lyu Xiufeng, General Manager of China Energy International Group, said that China Energy had its presence in Pakistan since the 1990s and they had been involved in 21 mega projects in Pakistan with a total investment of more than USD 12 billion. He said that China Energy had invested USD 3.5 billion in two projects in Azad Pattan 700.7 MW and Suki Kinari 870MW.

He said that company was also keenly working for the energy stabilization, transportation connectivity and social prosperity of the people of Pakistan.