ISLAMABAD, Sep 5 (APP):Caretaker Minister for Education and Professional Training Madad Ali Sindhi Tuesday assured that his government would ensure a uniform and quality educational system in the country and vowed to improve the ability of public sector teachers to modernize the education system.
“Quality education was the highest priority of the present government and assured the students of resolving their problems on immediate basis and that they would be assisted in every possible way”, he said while talking to a Private news channel.
“Our main focus is to pay special attention to the higher education as well as character building of the students at school level so that they could use their leadership abilities for the betterment and sustainable development of the country”, he added.
“The condition of government schools will also be improved, adding, the services of private schools cannot also be ignored.
The public-private schools would equally be standardized across the country, he mentioned.
Replying to a question, he said the development of nations was possible only through improvement in the field of education, adding that an equal education system would be introduced so that our young population of rich and poor could get education together.
Govt committed for uniform, quality education system on modern lines: Minister
Healthcare commission seals 48 illegal health centres in KP
PESHAWAR, Sep 05 (APP):Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Care Commission in its performance report for the month of August on Tuesday claimed to have sealed 48 illegal and unregistered health centers across the province.
It said that the teams of the commission inspected 409 health centres in the province and issued notices to 123 centres while 48 were sealed over gross violation of health facilities.
The Healthcare Commission completed a comprehensive review of nine major hospitals about healthcare facilities and assessed diagnosis, infrastructure, treatment and examination facilities for the patients.
Similarly, the Commission issued registration certificates to 617 health centres in one month and completed the training of eight major hospitals for the provision of services.
The Healthcare Commission conducted successful crackdowns against quackery in several districts including Abbottabad, Peshawar, Swat, Malakand, and Bannu and sealed the unregistered and uncertified quake centres.
The commission expressed resolve to continue its efforts to elevate healthcare standards and provide exceptional medical services to the community of KP.
Amb. Masood Khan discusses water resource management with US lawmaker
WASHINGTON, Sep 05 (APP):Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Masood Khan, Monday discussed the issue of water resource management with US Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury in Albuquerque, the largest city in the U.S. state of New Mexico.
Ms. Stansbury considers water as ground zero for climate change and has extensive experience in the field of water resources.
“Pakistan is grappling with the challenges of erratic climate change including the issue of water resource management which is critical to meet the requirements of population, especially the agriculture sector which is the backbone of our economy,” the ambassador said during the meeting, according to a press release of the Pakistani embassy.
He said that Pakistan and New Mexico could forge mutual beneficial partnership in extractive industry, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and tech-start-ups.
Ambassador Masood Khan, who is on a 3-day visit to New Mexico, also thanked Congresswoman Stansbury for her continued support to Pakistani diaspora in New Mexico, especially during last year’s murder case of Pakistani-American Muhammad Afzal Hussein.
Afzal Hussein was shot and killed outside his Albuquerque apartment complex. The culprit, later named as Muhammad Syed, a 51-year-old Afghan origin man, had also carried out three other killings of a sectarian nature in the area.
“We are deeply indebted to you for your steadfast support to the community and to the family of late Muhammad Afzal Hussein. It had helped restoring the confidence of diaspora after the tragic incident,” the ambassador said.
Welcoming the Ambassador, Congresswoman Stansbury noted the presence and important role being played by Pakistani community in socio-economic life of New Mexico.
“We consider Pakistani community here in New Mexico as a part of the fabric of our culture,” he said.
She expressed her deep condolences over the tragic killing of Afzal Hussein stating that he was an ‘extraordinary man”.
“I don’t know that I’m actually fully recovered from it myself; It was a challenging time and it was definitely a great loss,” she said recalling his contribution towards her campaign and also his help to the communities.
The Ambassador also expressed appreciation of the top New Mexico leadership’s commitment to create an enabling environment for minorities in New Mexico to integrate themselves into the mainstream.
The Ambassador also shared his proposal for establishing sister-province agreement with New Mexico which was fully endorsed by Ms. Stansburry.
Masood Khan also extended an invitation to the congresswoman to visit Pakistan which she accepted, the press release added.
APHC decries worsening HR situation, drug menace in Kashmir
Dry weather forecast for city
BAHAWALPUR, Sep 05 (APP):The local Met Office has forecast dry weather for the city for the next 24 hours.
The highest maximum temperature of 37 centigrade and the lowest minimum 26 centigrade were recorded during the last 24 hours.
The dry weather has also been forecast for the rest of the region.
President Xi sends congratulatory letter to SCO justice ministers meeting
BEIJING, Sept 5 (APP): Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a congratulatory letter to the 10th meeting of judicial ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states.
Xi Jinping pointed out that since the operation of the meeting of the ministers of justice of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in 2013, the member states have adhered to and carried forward the “Spirit of Shanghai”, supported each other, cooperated sincerely, continuously promoted the construction of the rule of law in various countries, strengthened intergovernmental exchanges and mutual learning in the judicial field, and continued to carry out pragmatic cooperation in the field of legal services.
It has played an important role in firmly maintaining the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law.
Xi Jinping stressed that China attaches great importance to the fundamental role of the rule of law, stabilizing expectations and long-term guarantee, and actively participates in the reform and construction of the global governance system.
China is willing to work with other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to continuously deepen exchanges and cooperation in the fields of law and judicial administration of various countries in the new era, promote the high-quality economic development of various countries in the form of the rule of law, maintain regional peace and stability, and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.
The 10th meeting of judicial ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member countries was hosted by the Ministry of Justice and opened in Shanghai on the 5th.
Exchange rates for currency notes
KARACHI, Sep 05 (APP): CURRENCY SELLING BUYING
USD 309.06 302.45
GBP 390.03 381.63
EUR 333.39 326.85
JPY 2.1060 2.0609
SAR 82.39 80.63
AED 84.16 82.90
LIBOR
LIBOR FOR CALCULATING INTEREST ON SPECIAL USD BONDS
LIBOR 1M 5.44335
LIBOR 3M 5.66391
LIBOR 6M 5.88150
US DOLLAR Indicative FBP Rates
CURRENCY SIGHT/
15 DAYS 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M
USD 304.92 304.32 302.76 301.21 299.15 297.13 295.42
EUR 329.13 328.78 327.54 326.33 324.84 323.12 321.70
GBP 384.78 384.02 382.07 380.08 377.59 374.98 372.76
NBP Exchange Rates
KARACHI, Sep 05 (APP): The Treasury Management Division of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) on Tuesday issued the following
exchange rates.
CURRENCY SYMBOL TT Selling TT Buying
U.S DOLLAR USD 306.00 305.50
EURO EUR 330.70 330.16
JAPANESE YEN JPY 2.0851 2.0817
BRITISH POUND GBP 386.17 385.54
SWISS FRANC CHF 345.72 345.16
CANADIAN DOLLAR CAD 224.77 224.40
AUSTRALIAN DOLAR AUD 196.76 196.44
SWEDISH KRONA SEK 27.89 27.84
NORWEGIAN KRONE NOK 28.75 28.70
DANISH KRONE DKK 44.29 44.22
NEWZEALAND DOLLAR NZD 181.16 180.86
SINGAPORE DOLLAR SGD 225.44 225.07
HONGKONG DOLLAR HKD 39.19 39.13
KOREAN WON KRW 0.2309 0.2305
CHINESE YUAN CNY 42.17 42.10
MALAYSIAN RINGGIT MYR 65.69 65.58
THAI BAHT THB 08.65 08.63
U.A.E DIRHAM AED 83.90 83.76
SAUDI RIYAL SAR 81.58 81.44
QATAR RIYAL QAR 83.95 83.81
KUWAITI DINAR KWD 992.19 990.56
CONVERSION RATE FOR FROZEN FCY DEPOSITS
USD 305.5338
GBP 385.767
EUR 329.9154
JPY 2.0866
SETTLEMENT DATE: 07-09-2023
APP/msq
AGP Awan attends SCO Member States Justice Ministers meeting
SHANGHAI, Sep 5 (APP): Attorney General for Pakistan, Mansoor Usman Awan participated in the 10th Ministers of Justice Meeting of the member countries of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held in Shanghai, China on Tuesday.
Talking to APP, after the opening ceremony, he said that Pakistan attaches great importance to the SCO.
“We have great strategic and economic ties with China and China being leader of SCO and also of course, the inclusion of other regional countries, including Russia and Iran, I think, this organization offers a great opening for Pakistan,” he added.
He opined that it is time now that the economic ties with SCO member countries get to grow deeper.
Mansoor Awan said that in order to bolster investment in Pakistan from SCO member states, there is great significance to this conference.
“Pakistan now needs to earnestly focus on developing an efficient answer to the investors concerns in the sense that the alternative dispute resolution system has to now evolve and respond and answer the needs of the investors of these countries,” he added.
The attorney general emphasized that Pakistan needs to take substantive and concrete steps to make sure that the foreign investors particularly from SCO member countries feel confident that the legal system for Pakistan adequately protects their investments.
Earlier, in his welcome address, Chinese Justice Minister, He Ring said that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the mechanism of SCO Justice Ministers meeting.
With the aim of advancing rule of law construction, enhancing security cooperation, fostering economic and trade collaboration and promoting cultural exchanges among the SCO member states, China is hosting this important conference, he added.
SCO Secretary General, Chang Ming also addressed the participants.
The theme of the forum is “Deepening Legal Service Cooperation to Boost Regional Economic and Trade Development.”
Two subtopics within the theme included “Legal Service and Economic and Trade Cooperation” and “Promoting Legal Service Modernization through Modern Science and Technology.”
The Justice Ministers of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Iran attended the conference.
A total of 300 representatives home and abroad participated in the forum including government officials, and professionals from the legal service industry, academia and business sectors.
Through efforts, US and Pakistan brought their ties back on ‘even keel’: Masood Khan
WASHINGTON, Sep 05 (APP): Pakistan and the United States have succeeded in developing and retaining their cooperation in the realm of security and expansion of economic ties following intense efforts over the past two years, Ambassador Masood Khan has said.
Speaking at Global Santa Fe, a think-tank of the US state of New Mexico, he said although the Biden administration has withdrawn its troops from Afghanistan and decreased its footprint in that region, the threat of terrorism was still potent, as TTP terrorists were killing Pakistanis.
The event in Santa Fe was chaired by the President of the Global Santa Fe, Mark Asquino,
“We have lost more than 1500 people since US withdrew its troops from Afghanistan,” he told the gathering of academics, members of thin-tanks, former diplomats and community leaders.
“But,”, he said, “the United States and Pakistan have resolved to eliminate this menace together through cooperation in counter-terrorism,”
Pakistan and United States, Masood Khan said have a shared responsibility to steer Afghanistan towards stabilization because the stability that entire region depends on the stableness in Afghanistan.
“So it is a common objective.”
The withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan was a traumatic experience for the United States as well as for the region, he said.
“There was uncertainty following that about Pakistan-United States relations,” the ambassador said, declaring that that uncertainty has been removed.
“The US and Pakistan are now fully engaged”, he said.
“The doubters and skeptics at that time said that Pakistan-US relations have no future. The Biden Administration and Pakistan Government have proved the doubters wrong. We have re-engaged and recalibrated our relationship. We have brought this relationship back to an even keel.”
Recounting $450 million Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Pakistan for F-16 sustainment and related equipment, the biggest donation of COVID vaccines during the pandemic and generous assistance during last year’s devastating floods, Masood Khan said, “We need to reinvest in the relationship with immense energy so that it is beneficial for our peoples.”
He also referred to the recent high-level engagements and dialogues on climate change, renewable energy, health, anti-narcotics and counter-terrorism that clearly suggest a new phase of Pakistan-US relations in the post withdrawal period.
Masood Khan stressed the need for promoting people-to-people contacts and strengthening economic, trade and investment ties, terming it the future of the relationship.
He invited entrepreneurs and business community to invest in Pakistani startups, science, engineering, technology, extractive industry, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and others for reaping benefit of a large market of Pakistan and its surrounding region.
He also lauded New Mexico’s top leadership for its strong support to Pakistani community and providing them with an enabling environment to get themselves integrated into the mainstream.
Masood Khan said that he was encourage by positive response toward the idea for establishing sister-city agreement to institutionalize relations at the state level.
He expressed the hope that his exploratory visit, the first-ever visit to New Mexico by a Pakistani Ambassador, would help promoting people-to-people exchanges and cementing economic ties with New Mexico.