Students performing in tableau during ceremony in connection with Kashmir Day at IMCG F/11-3
Students of Institute of Food Science and Nutrition – University of Sargodha visting different stalls during Home Economics Exhibition.
Work on none of NHA’s 110 road infrastructure projects suspended
ISLAMABAD, Feb 2 (APP):National Highway Authority (NHA) has been carrying out 110 highway building projects under Public Sector Development Programme 2022-23 all over Pakistan.
An official of NHA told APP on Thursday that the ongoing projects were at varying degrees of implementation and none of these projects was currently suspended by any contractor, however, some projects are delayed due to several reasons.
To a question, he said that delay in project completion was due to varying reasons including shortage of PSDP releases as compared to the cost, delay in the relocation of utilities by the departments concerned, and cutting of trees by forest departments. He said that one reason for the delay was contractual disputes and litigation or late possession at the site and land acquisition issues.
He said that sometimes delays occurred due to late issuance of NOCs from other departments like the irrigation department, railways, etc., or due to obstruction in the right of way or removal of built-up properties.
For timely completion of the ongoing projects, he said that the NHA was taking all measures including funds availability, efficient and timely land acquisition, and measures for timely and sufficient fund release for the ongoing road infrastructure projects.
PML-N to clean sweep upcoming elections: Maryam
BAHAWALPUR, Feb 02 (APP):Senior Vice President and Chief Organizer of Pakistan Muslim League-N, Maryam Nawaz Thursday said that her party would clean sweep upcoming elections by defeating political opponents.
She accompanied by Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Minister for Interior, Rana Sana Ullah, PML-N leaders including Saud Majeed and others was addressing a news conference here.
She said that PML-N had fully prepared to contest upcoming elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa and National Assembly seats.
“PML-N is largest political party of the county which will clean sweep upcoming elections by defeating Imran Khan and his allies,” she said.
The PML-N senior vice president said there was no truth in propaganda of political victimization.
She said that the person should be punished and brought to justice who had committed guilt and crime.
“We are not in favour of political victimization and it is clear that there is no truth in propaganda of political victimization raised by our political rivals,” she said.
She said that our political rivals had been making false and baseless propaganda that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had some difference with the party’s leadership.
“Former prime minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is like that of my brother and he is our companion,” she said, adding that Abbasi was like that member of Sharif family.
She said that PML-N had made all arrangements to contest upcoming elections.
Referring to Peshawar Mosque bomb blast, she raised question why the borders with a neighbor country were opened by previous regime.
“Who opened borders for terrorists,” she raised question.
Maryam said that previous regime was responsible for woes, problems and difficulties being faced by the masses.
“Wrong financial policies introduced by Imran Khan-led government caused financial constraints for people of the country,” she said.
She strongly condemned Pehswar explosion that claimed innocent lives of police personnel.
She lamented that Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) had no even building for office in Peshawar despite the fact that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) had remained in power in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa for 10 years.
The PML-N senior vice president said that huge funds were provided to PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa to combat terrorism and ensure rule of law, adding that but even KP police could not be equipped with modern weapons and equipments.
“PTI-led KPK government even could not establish forensic laboratory as still they avail forensic laboratory of Punjab government”, she added.
She said that she was in fovour of protection of rights of journalists’ community.
She, however, said that some wrong persons in guise of so-called-journalists had been airing false and baseless propaganda against the government and PML-N.
She said that on the direction of the central leadership of PML-N, she had launched party campaign from Bahawalpur.
EPT fines CEO ‘Multi Garden B-17’ Rs 0.5 mln
ISLAMABAD, Feb 2 (APP): The Environmental Protection Tribunal has imposed a fine of Rs 0.5 million on the Chief Executive of Multi Professional Co-operative Housing Society ‘Multi Garden B-17’ for flouting environmental laws.
Tribunal Chairman Adil Anwar and Member Technical Dr Muhammad Bashir passed a judgment on February 1 in which a fine of Rs 500,000 was imposed, upon non-compliance of Environmental Laws by the Chief Executive of Multi Professional Co-operative Housing Society, which was to be paid within 15 days of the date of judgment, Environmental Protection Tribunal Registrar Bakhtawar Irshad told APP.
The Tribunal in its judgment also directed the Director General of Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) to initiate proceedings and file complaints in the Tribunal positively within 15 days of the passed ruling against all housing schemes or societies in the federal capital that had started construction without obtaining necessary environmental approvals.
“And also take to task all housing schemes or societies which have obtained environmental approvals but are not abiding by the conditions imposed thereof. If required, the DG Pak-EPA may seek the assistance of the Chairman CDA in this regard,” it added.
IIoJK witnesses 707 killings, 141 custodial killings from Aug 2019 till Oct 2022
ISLAMABAD, Feb 2 (APP): The Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIoJK) has witnessed a total of 707 killings and 141 custodial killings or fake encounters from August 05, 2019, till October 27, 2022.
According to an official document, a total of 2303 people have been tortured or critically injured, 18,354 arrested 1,101 Arson (Houses, Shops, etc), 43 women widowed, 108 children orphaned, 126 women gang-raped or physically abused while 15,208 cordon and search operations were witnessed during the period.
During the period from 1989 till October 27, 2022, the IIoJK has witnessed a total of 96,140 killings, 7,265 custodial or fake encounter killings, 165,293 civilians arrested, 110,494 structures/ houses destroyed or damaged, 22,951 women widowed, 107,883 children orphaned and 11,256 women gang raped or physically abused.
Kashmiris’ ordeal persist amid struggling for right of self-determination
ISLAMABAD, Feb 2 (APP): More than 75 years have passed and the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) are still struggling to get their legitimate right of self-determination as promised by the world powers at their top forum, the United Nations (UN).
On October 26, 1947, India landed its troops in Srinagar with sinister designs to annex the Muslim-majority Kashmir with New Delhi in sheer violation of the sub-continent’s partition formula, and till-date it is working on the same agenda.
When the Kashmir dispute was intentionally crafted in 1947-1948, the United States, Britain, China, France, Canada, Argentina, Belgium and Columbia championed the stand that the future status of Kashmir must be ascertained in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people of the territory.
Accordingly, the UN Security Council on April 21, 1948 adopted a resolution. The basic formula for settlement of the issue was incorporated in the resolutions of the UN Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) adopted on August 13, 1948 and January 5, 1949.
These were not the routine resolutions as their provisions were negotiated in detail by the UN Commission with India and Pakistan after getting the consent of both the governments, constituting a binding and solemn international agreement about the settlement of the Kashmir dispute.
“The current situation of IIOJK is a big challenge for the international community and appealed to the world powers to help settle the lingering Kashmir dispute according to the UN resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people” said Khadim Hussain, a prominent Kashmiri leader, wrote in one of his articles.
Kashmir, he said, was the only international dispute where the solution of the conflict ‘right to self-determination’ was suggested by the parties themselves, India and Pakistan.
After going through the decades-long physical and mental agony, now the people of IIOJK are facing the worst type of repression at the hands of Modi-led fascist government which has stripped the held territory of its special status, on August 5 last year, by revoking Articles 370 and 35-A to change its demographic apartheid.
It is quite clear that New Delhi took this illegal, immoral and unconstitutional action out of frustration as its around-the-clock curfew, communication blackouts, arrests and killings and forceful suppression of protesters fell flat before the indomitable spirit and struggle of the Kashmiri people, whose commitment gets stronger with every intensive move of the so-called secular state.
The world community knows very well the tragic story of the IIOJK where around one million Indian troops are continuously putting the innocent Kashmiris under siege, killing and raping children and women with impunity and denying every fundamental right.
Kashmiris had been waiting for their inalienable right for self-determination promised by the international community but despite the passage of several decades, they had not been given their due right, said Human rights activist Mushaal Hussein Mullick while talking to APP.
“The Kashmiri people had given huge sacrifices for the last seven decades and would continue to do till they achieve complete success,” she said.
Illegally detained Hurriyat leader, Abdul Samad Inqilabi in a statement in Srinagar said Kashmiri people all over the world are protesting against the atrocities on the Kashmiris by Modi-led fascist Indian government and demanded that the Kashmiris should be given their birthright to self-determination according to the United Nations resolutions.
Acknowledging the measures taken by Pakistan after India’s illegal actions of August 5, senior leader of All Pakistan Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Syed Faiz Naqshbandi said now the ugly face of India and its so-called claim of being a secular state had fully been exposed before the world.
Had Pakistan not adopted a proactive approach to effectively highlighting the lingering issue of Kashmir after the August 5 actions, he said, the world would have never realized the sinister designs of India in IIOJK.
“Now, it is the prime responsibility of the international community, especially the influential countries, to come forward and play their due role in giving the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir their legitimate right of self-determination, which has been denied since 1947,” he said in an interview with APP.
He said that millions of Indian army, security and para-military forces are deployed in every corner of Kashmir even hostels, schools and colleges are not left alone. Faiz said that mass graves, bloodshed spilling fear in every corner of the valley, they were innocent Kashmiris who were arrested, killed and thrown in mass grave just because they demanded their basic right of self-determination.
“We have never seen such tyranny”, Faiz Naqshbandi said. “Parents have no idea about their children, kids lost their guardians and living in a depress situation, one cannot imagine”, Faiz added.
On February 5, Pakistanis and Kashmiris residing in all parts of the world would express complete solidarity with the people of IIOJK, reminding the international human rights ‘champions’ of their lawful and moral obligation of ensuring the right to self-determination to Kashmiris.
NA body for jointly resolving Baluchistan issues
ISLAMABAD, Feb 2 (APP):National Assembly Special Committee on Baluchistan on Thursday highlighted the importance of working in a unified manner to address the long-standing problems faced by the province and ensure the welfare of its people.
The meeting chaired by National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf stressed the importance of involving all relevant stakeholders in the decision-making process to ensure that their perspectives and concerns are taken into account.
The meeting was aimed at addressing the pressing issues faced by the Baluchistan province and working toward their resolution.
The Committee comprising prominent members from various political parties and government stakeholders decided to frame Terms of Reference (TORs), and prepare a list of the most pressing issues for their fast tracking.
Initially, the committee agreed to take up the issues of non-provision of gas to local residents in certain areas of Baluchistan, rehabilitation of flood-affected people, repatriation of Internally Displace Persons (IDPs), illegal occupation of land by oil and gas companies and fixation of job quotas.
Besides that, the Committee members discussed various initiatives and plans to improve the standard of living, provide basic necessities, and create job opportunities for the residents of Baluchistan.
The speaker expressed his satisfaction with the proceedings of the meeting and emphasized the need for continued cooperation and collaboration among the members to achieve the desired outcomes.
He thanked the members for their participation and commitment to finding solutions to the challenges faced by the province.
Besides Speaker, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq (Federal Minister for Economic Affairs), Asad Mehmood ( Federal Minister for Communications), Ehsan Ur Rehman Mazari (Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination), Nawabzada Shazain Bugti (Federal Minister for Narcotics Control), Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar (Federal Minister for Law & Justice), Noor Alam Khan (Chairman PAC); MNAs Khalid Hussain Magsi, Usama Qadri, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, Prof. Dr. Shahnaz Baloch. Zia Lango (Home Minister Balochistan), Nawabzada Mir Gohram Khan Bugti (Advisor Labour & Manpower, Govt. Of Balochistan), and government functionaries from the federal and provincial government were also present in the meeting.
BRT receives finalist of ‘Prize for Cities’ Award
PESHAWAR, Feb 02 (APP): Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Peshawar has received the award of the finalist of the ‘Prize for Cities’ in a ceremony held at New York, said a spokesman of TansPeshawar here on Thursday.
He said Zu Peshawar has won a cash award of 25,000 US Dollars for its selection amongst the five best projects of the World Resources Institute. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) TransPeshawar, Fayyaz Ahmad Khan received the award while representing Zu Peshawar.
TransPeshawar is the operator of BRT Peshawar. A total of 260 projects of 175 cities of 65 countries were scrutinized for the Award of the Prize for Cities.
During the award ceremony, Zu Peshawar, especially its services for bringing positive change in the lives of the residents of Peshawar and especially of the marginalized classes of society were appreciated at global level.
Theme of the award for the current year was ‘Thriving Together in Turbulent Times’ and those projects, which have made the lives of the people easy during Covid-19 pandemic were included in the contest.
BRT Peshawar started its services during Covid-19 pandemic in August 2020 and provided traveling facilities to 54 million commuters during that period.
Zu Peshawar is providing transportation facilities to more than 300,000 commuters on its various routes on a daily basis and getting access to 70% part of the city.