CHINIOT
A worker busy in making traditional chair (moorah) at his workplace near Sargodha road
CHINIOT
Need to capitalize local potential for self-employment
By Altaf Hameed Rao
MIRPUR (AJK), Sep 10 (APP):In any land of political turmoil, the politicians and the policymakers keep spending their abilities on political engineering keeping their eyes off the local products in strengthening the economy and revenue earning.
Since we are the ones living in such a situation over the decades, the marvelous products of our beloved country remain neglected from promotion in potential local, regional, and international markets.
The uncertainty prevailing during the transitions, as well as routine governments’ tenure, is deemed to be one of the major factors hampering our prospect gains in different areas.
Our Azad Jammu and Kashmir region can validly be quoted as an example of being rich in natural resources, a skillful workforce, and different products.
Spanning 13,297 sq. km of the picturesque area with a population of 4.5 million people, this region besides its snow-covered and lush green mountainous, thick forests and precious minerals, is also known for quality handicrafts.
Once globally famous for its traditional ancient handicrafts produced of Kashmiri silk yarn, pashmina shawls, embroidery dresses, and pheran, these products are gradually losing world markets due to improper marketing and value addition.
Even under the umbrella of the State Departments of Commerce and Industry, the sericulture and small industries are yet to be groomed to the level of competing internationally.
The full-fledged revival of the cottage industry is direly needed to benefit from the skills of a talented workforce through a consistent and well-planned approach and methodology to promote their products locally and internationally.
“Protecting Kashmiri craftsmanship is still a challenge. We have a rich potential in our experts that needs to be protected and promoted,” remarked Syed Asghar Ali Shah, Retired Director of AJK Small Industries Corporation.
“Our traditionally known arts are dying day by day and this expertise is also not being transferred to our younger generation.”
He informed that Kashmiri handicrafts like Ring / Pashmina Shawls were still in demand remarkably due to their peculiar nature and unique quality, work and designs.
“Therefore, the Azad Jammu Kashmir Small Industries Corporation and the State Sericulture Department should diligently focus on their modernization and promotion,” Asghar Ali said.
He pleaded that promoting handicrafts and silkworm rearing would help in local employment generation as well as earning handsome foreign exchange.
“Therefore it is direly needed to enhance investment in the cottage industry to promote business activity and business activities should be promoted and established at various parts of the state by engaging the local population in accordance with the environment and availability of local raw material, so that, the alarming/double-digit rate of unemployment can be addressed”, he underlined.
Experts have suggested that besides promoting the production of natural silk and silk cocoons through silkworm rearing within 35 days, other raw materials can also be utilized for preparing potential walnut wooden carved products, hand-knitted carpets, pashmina shawls, Kashmiri embroidery dresses, paper machie, numda, gabba, chain stitch, loi, pattu and traditional Kashmiri Kangri (a manual heater Kashmiris use keeping it in their Pheran or Phirin.
Since raw materials and experts are locally available what is needed is patronage, availability of resources, and exploring new markets.
Although the state government has announced five years of tax holidays for new industries, the intending entrepreneurs may have the required industrial plots available in Industrial Estates in various parts of AJK for the establishment of handicraft production units on easy installments.
Since AJK is fully enriched with huge natural potential with a conducive environment and locally produced raw materials for the promotion of the cottage industry, the experts recommend the formation of farmers’ clusters, promote craftsmen for sustainable productivity, and ensure the supply chain of their products.
Furthermore, they pleaded to establish handicrafts export warehouses at dry ports, enhance a number of handicrafts display centers, organize workshops and training courses to equip the craftsmen with the latest techniques, and develop linkages with allied departments working in various provinces of Pakistan.
Besides the provision of hybrid mulberry plants with imported silk seed to intending farmers for maximum production of silk cocoons and natural silk, it has been also recommended to recognize the skills of artisans, craftsmen, and farmers vying to promote these businesses.
Silk, goat, and rabbit farmers should be provided certificates, craftsmen should be provided special training to improve the quality of silk as per international requirements, identification of potential international markets, and encourage unemployed youth to engage in this business for the welfare of their families as well as economic progress of the state.
As many of the world economies bank on their cottage industry for economic growth, it is imperative for us to revive our cottage industry as a whole as well as specifically focus on the rare production of rare commodities to attract more buyers, starting afresh by incentivizing small and cottage industry for self-employment of the inflation stricken populace of the country.
A vendor displaying bird nests and wooden stools to attract customers at his roadside setup in the Federal Capital
ISLAMABAD
People purchasing vegetables from a stall at Sunday Bazar Peshawar Morr
ISLAMABAD
RDA lodges FIR against owners of ‘Ruden Enclave’
RAWALPINDI, Sep 10 (APP):Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has lodged a FIR in Saddar Baroni police station against the owners of an illegal housing scheme namely ‘Ruden Enclave.’
According to a RDA spokesman, Metropolitan Planning and Traffic Engineering Directorate (MP&TE), RDA on the directives of the Director General Muhammad Saif Anwar Jappa lodged FIR No. 1260/2023 in Saddar Baroni police station against the owners namely Rahimuddin and Usman Shahid.
He informed that the sponsors were also warned to immediately stop marketing of illegal housing scheme.
The owners of the illegal housing were illegally advertising the project which was not approved. The housing society was also running a social media campaign for publicity of the project, using pictures of a meeting with Commissioner Rawalpindi Division, he said adding, the RDA enforcement squad was sent for an operation against the housing scheme but, the representatives of the illegal housing scheme presented a stay order.
He said that the illegal housing scheme was misleading the general public as it’s not an approval project.
The spokesman said that the RDA on the special instructions of the DG had advised the citizens not to invest in illegal and unauthorized housing schemes. The citizens should check status of the housing projects at RDA’s official website www.rda.gop.pk, he added.
He said that the owners and sponsors of illegal housing schemes were misleading the public through advertisements. The Planning Wing of RDA had also requested the Cyber Crime Wing of FIA to take legal action against the illegal and misleading advertisements of the illegal housing schemes.
Khalistan veteran leaders accuse the Indian state of killing Hardeep Nijjar on Canadian soil
VANCOUVER, CANADA, Sep 10 (APP): Pro-Khalistan Sikh community leaders firmly believe that India cannot stifle their voices, noting an exceptional tenfold increase in the community’s dedication to freedom, particularly among the youth, following Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s assassination here three months ago by the suspected Indian agents.
Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), which is running the Khalistan Referendum voting campaign worldwide, decided to hold the voting for Sunday 10 September at Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara-Surrey Delta where Nijjar was assassinated and he was also President of the same Gurdwara.
He was on India’s “most wanted” list and the Indian govt had seized his assets back home and registered dozens of false cases against him.
Dr. Bakhshish Singh Sandhu, President of the Council of Khalistan, and Bhupinder Singh Hothi, Secretary-General of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara-Surrey Delta, anticipated a substantial Sikh community turnout for the rights of Sikhs.
Dr. Sandhu, President of the Council of Khalistan, highlighted that the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara is a special place for the Khalistan referendum, as it was the site where Hardeep Singh Nijjar, leader of the Canadian Chapter of Khalistan Referendum, assassinated by Indian agencies on June 18, 2023.
Dr. Sandhu accused the Indian government of involvement in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Khalistani activist who was Khalistan Referendum’s Canada President and also local leader of SFJ. Nijjar, aged 46, was tragically killed outside a gurdwara in Surrey, Canada. Notably, a reward of Rs 10 lakh was placed on his head, as declared by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) earlier this year. The NIA had leveled charges against him for his involvement in terrorism-related activities and his alleged role in waging war against India.
Dr. Sandhu welcomed the decision of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to initiate public investigations into foreign interference, including those linked to India, expressing his satisfaction. During his visit to India for the G20 meeting, Justin Trudeau had previously announced in a statement that if granted the opportunity by Prime Minister Modi, he would address the issue of eliminating foreign interference in Canada.
In response to a question, Dr. Sandhu pointed out that similar referendums have already taken place in countries like the UK, Australia, Italy, and Switzerland. Now, it’s happening in (another city of ) Canada, where there is a significant Sikh population.
Bhupinder Singh Hothi, Secretary-General of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara-Surrey Delta, confirmed that the Canadian police and intelligence services were investigating the killing of Nijjar. He said that Nijjar’s killing had further re-established the fact that the Indian Hindutva establishment didn’t like the Sikhs in any form and would go to any length to eliminate Sikhs. However, he said that Sikhs were more determined than ever before to fight for their separate homeland called Khalistan.
He expressed strong disapproval of the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar and pointed out that India’s assumption of suppressing the Sikh community’s voice was mistaken. He highlighted the remarkable tenfold increase in the community’s determination, particularly among the youth, to attain freedom.
Pangs allay as philanthropists join hands with flood affectees
By: Aatif Ismail & Aftab Zahoor
MULTAN, Sep 10 (APP):Tears welled unrestrained when Khairan Mai, a woman ensnared by destitution, witnessed her solitary mud room home crumbling beneath the relentless onslaught of ferocious floods in the Sutlej River.
A resident of Old Saldaira Village in district Vehari, Khaira Mai had constructed a mud home after an incessant struggle of many years where she was residing with her two children and a differently-abled husband. She had to leave her home after warnings of floodwater.
Within the humble confines of the dwelling were two cots (Charpai), a modest array of clothes, and essential utensils of their kitchen.
The merciless surge of the River Sutlej forced her and her family to abandon their home. Upon her temporary revisit to check the condition of her home, Khairan Mai’s world shattered as she gazed upon the complete collapse of her abode.
“I am in extreme pain,” she sobbed overwhelmed by grief as her tears flowed down her cheeks unabated. “I do not know what would happen in the future. How shall I rebuild my home.”
Khairan Mai, however, felt some relief when a local landlord and philanthropist stepped in and promised to rebuild her shattered home after the situation turned out to be normal. The pledge made by local landlord Sajjad Saldaira raised a new hope in her life amidst the pains of devastation.
A resident of district Vehari, Sajjad Saldaira revealed about floodwater stretching up to 20 kilometers from the riverbanks, engulfing hundreds of villages and causing extensive damage to infrastructure.
“The situation is painful whenever flood hits localities sweeping valuables of poor people and leaving thousands homeless,” stated Sajjad who himself weathered the flood’s impact on his own house and farmland.
“For me, although I can endure these losses what to do of vulnerable families contending this insurmountable challenge.”
Sajjad said, “My heart aches for the poor families who are under immense stress.”
Sajjad’s compassion extended to contributions for several families as he underscored the urgent need for broader assistance in flood-ravaged areas.
“I praise the commendable efforts of Rescue 1122, especially the dedication of young rescuers who’ve earned respect and gratitude of the affected communities”, Sajjad said.
Similar tales of courage and compassion abound in the flood-hit regions, where communities would be grappling to cover up financial losses in the aftermath of disaster.
One such story is that of Kali Sheikh, a determined young man who turned to selling his domestically brought chickens to meet the needs of his family.
However, Nature intervened in the form of another philanthropist Qasim Saldaira, whose promise turned Kali’s despair into hope.
Qasim extended donations and managed eatables for the poor family.
These are just the isolated instances as the recent flood had left behind countless heart-wrenching stories with most families expressing fears of their upcoming financial hardships.
Local people, administration, and rescue departments swiftly moved to secure people soon after the flood warning was issued. Despite individual efforts by the local people, a planned operation was executed by Rescue 1122 to evacuate people to safe places.
“As many as 278,271 individuals have been safely evacuated using 417 boats, along with the relocation of 17,073 animals to safer grounds till August 31,” informed Farooq Ahmed, spokesperson for Rescue 1122 (Punjab).
Sharing statistics about rescue operations in flood-hit regions, Farooq revealed that the ongoing operation of Rescue 1122, with its dedicated team of 1,638 rescuers, spanned over Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Vehari districts and beyond.
He also mentioned to challenges confronting the rescue teams in the wake of this calamity as well as the general tendencies of the rural people.
“It was not the flood alone but also the unwillingness of the people to abandon their homes due to precious belongings,” he informed. “But, we managed to evacuate them as human lives were more precious to us than the belongings.”
“Finally, we succeeded in persuading them although amidst their feeling of despair and hopes for rehabilitation of their houses,” Farooq said.
“The situation posed multiple risks to affected people as well as rescuers but we did our best.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Director Information Vehari, Majid Naqvi informed that the administration had established tent villages to provide shelter for flood-affected.
He said these tents were endowed with essential facilities as the district administration was utilizing all available resources to extend maximum relief to those impacted by flood.
Besides philanthropists, some local politicians were also lending a hand in relief activities for affected people, especially Jehangir Tareen of Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party.
“We are standing beside our people in this hour of turmoil and make every possible effort for their rehabilitation,” Tareen stated, addressing the affected people in his Lodhran district.
As the people bear the pains of losing their homes and valuables, it is the duty of state departments and the local influential to come forward for their respite and rehabilitation to return them to a settled life.
FIFA transfer report shows new heights in international market
GENEVA,Sept 10 (Xinhua/APP):A series of all-time heights were reached in 2023 as the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) published Friday its International Transfer Snapshot.
A total of 7.36 billion U.S. dollars was spent on transfer fees in the 2023 mid-year window from June 1 to September 1, which is a record-breaking figure and also 26.8 percent increase compared to the previous record in 2019.
England led the list of spending with 1.98 billion U.S. dollars, and Saudi Arabia was second with 875.4 million, ahead of France (859.7 million), Germany (762.4 million), Italy (711.0 million) and Spain (405.6 million).
The women’s transfers increased for the sixth year in a row with 829 transfers, 66 of which were with fees – both are new records.
Agent fees also reached a new high, with 696.6 million U.S. dollars paid during the mid-year window, bringing the total for 2023 to date to 853 million.
5-days training workshop on productivity assessment concludes
ISLAMABAD, Sep 10 (APP): A 5-day international training workshop for assessors of the productivity specialist’s certification programme concluded here, the other day.
National Productivity Organization (NPO) in collaboration with the Asian Productivity Organization (APO), in Japan organized the training workshop.
Seventeen from APO member countries and five local participants attended the training while resource speakers from Singapore, Malaysia, and Mongolia delivered the lectures.
The workshop was aimed at developing qualified assessors in national productivity organizations that can serve as APO-accredited certification bodies and explain the methods, criteria, and competencies required to conduct assessments for the certification of productivity specialists.
The speakers addressing the closing ceremony of the event were of the viewpoint that the programme would help in promoting the cause of producing certified productivity professionals to support the agenda of creating a productivity improvement culture in Pakistan.
Addressing the event as chief guest, Faad Waheed, Senior Vice President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) lauded the role of APO in the development of the Asia-Pacific region.
“It was time to revitalize our commitment to achieve its vision of inclusive and innovation-led productivity growth in the region.”
“Working in tandem with APO, Pakistan will be able to find solutions to long-standing issues of productivity”, he added.
Zafarullah Khan, program officer, APO Tokyo, Japan expressed his gratitude to the government for its efforts to continue the productivity movement and apprised the participants about the APO’s journey of success stories and major achievements in the region.
CEO NPO, Muhammad Alamgir Chaudhry thanked guests and participants for their presence.
It is worth mentioning here that three other APO member countries including Malaysia, Vietnam, and Mongolia in the recent past, got their certification bodies accredited by APO as desired by the top leadership of their countries, with the assistance of the APO, Japan.
Chowk Yadgar: A historic monument of colonial era needs govt patronage to remove encroachment, making expansion
PESHAWAR, Sep 10 (APP): Being a gateway to Indo-Pakistan subcontinent with nearly 3, 000 years old history, Peshawar has a unique geographical location, historical buildings and archaeological heritage sites for the foreign and domestic tourists to explore.
Chowk Yadgar is among one of the key historical monuments at Peshawar City that drawn foreign tourists in the past due to its political and cultural significance besides Mughal-British architectural design.
Built in the early 20th century near the historic Balahisar Fort and Mohabat Khan Mosque, the visitors would be disappointed now to see piles of garbage, encroachments and traffic mess in its surroundings that marred its original beauty.
“Chowk Yadgar is the identity of Peshawar, and reclaiming of its encroached lands, shifting of washrooms and road would help restore its original grandeur and prestige,” said Misal Khan, a former Information Officer while talking to APP on Sunday.
Almost in every election campaign in Pakistan since 1947, Chowk Yadgar and Jinnah Park were center of political activities in Peshawar where top political leadership had addressed Peshawarties and informed them about their party manifestos,” he said.
He said it was highly regrettable that the iconic square has been encroached by traders, currency dealers, vendors and shopkeepers after the change of its historical design. He said the past governments had paid a deaf ear to address its poor road engineering and building design issues.
“The historic monument had witnessed the vigour of Afridi tribesmen and British army after the former tried to expel the latter from Balahisar fort,” said Bakhtzada Khan, senior research officer, Archeology and Museums Department while talking to APP.
It also saw international traders, who stayed at historic Qissa Khwani bazaar where they exchanged tales of each others culture, civilization, music and heritage besides political development in the region while enjoying the mouthwatering Chappli Kabab with traditional Qehwa before coming here.
The old name of Chowk Yadgar was Hastings Memorial. Famous historian S.M. Jaffar in his book ‘Peshawar City on the Frontier’ states that Hasting Memorial was erected in 1892 in the memory of Col EC Hastings, who died on December 2, 1884.
“The square was named after the heroes of 1965 war in 1969. The structure of Chowk Yadgar was changed several times in the past. It was famous venue for political rallies and protest demonstrations till recent past.”
“Originally, Chowk Yadgar had been constructed in the early 20th century to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Peshawar in 1905,” Bakhtzada said. Its main structure is a grand archway with four minarets and a dome at the top. The archway is decorated with intricate floral designs and calligraphy in Persian and Urdu languages.
The square is surrounded by several bazaars and traditional shops, giving it a vibrant and bustling atmosphere in the past.
He said its original structure was a grand archway that marked the entrance to the city, but it was destroyed in a flood in 1929.
The square is once a home to several traditional street food vendors, making it a popular destination for food lovers.
Chowk Yadgar has undergone several renovations and restorations to preserve its historical significance.
It was completely renovated in 2017 with the installation of new fountains, lighting, and seating areas that was now hardly seen.
“Its hurts me to see that Chowk Yadgar has become a permanent abode of drug addicts, who could be seen sleeping here. The pedestrians are forced to cover their noses while passing through it to avoid foul smell of the garbage, washrooms and pollution,” said former PESCO employee Qaisar Khan.
He demanded regular cleanness, shifting of washrooms and removal of encroachment from Chowk Yadgar to restore its original grandeur and make it again the centre of cultural and political activities of Peshawar.
He also demanded showcasing such historical monuments through digital media to generate revenue through promotion of tourism and inclusion in the curriculum for the education of students.
APP/fam