BCCI delegation arrives in Lahore

Mon, 4 Sep 2023, 8:37 PM

LAHORE, Sep 04 (APP):A four-member delegation of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), led by President Roger Binny and Vice-President Rajiv Shukla, arrived in Lahore via Wagha border crossing, here on Monday.

The delegation arrived on the invitation of Chairman PCB Management Committee Zaka Ashraf. Secretary UP Cricket Association Yudhvir Singh and Secretary to Vice-President BCCI Mohammad Akram were other members of the delegation.

PCB Director International Zakir Khan and Director Commercial Salman received the delegation at the Wagha border crossing. The BCCI delegation is the first of its kind since 2008 and reflected the thaw in relations between the BCCI and the PCB.

Later, talking to the media persons outside a local hotel, BCCI Vice President Rajiv Shukla said they had been invited by the PCB, host of the Asia Cup 2023, and they took it as an honour to come and watch the matches.

He said the BCCI and the PCB enjoyed decades long cricketing relationships, and they were pleased to reciprocate the invitation. Shukla said they will take fond memories of the visit back home to India.

President BCCI Roger Binny, who is a former fast bowler, said he had visited Pakistan back in 2005 when he worked with the Pakistan fast bowlers for the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). He thanked the PCB for inviting them to watch the Asia Cup 2023 matches.

The PCB Management Committee chairman welcomed the BCCI delegation, adding that he was thankful to the dignitaries for accepting his invitation to watch matches in Lahore. He expressed the hope that the bilateral cricketing relations between India and Pakistan would grow from here onwards, adding that the visit would strengthen ties between the two countries.

The PCB hosted a dinner for the visiting Indian delegation and the cricket teams at the Governor’s House in the evening.

KP govt assures SMEDA of close coordination for SME development

Abdul Hanan

Mon, 4 Sep 2023, 8:35 PM

LAHORE, Sep 04 (APP):The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has assured the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) of close coordination for implementation of the National SME Policy 2021 and coordination for small and medium enterprises development in the province.

A spokesperson said here on Monday that SMEDA had made great strides towards implementation of the National SME Policy 2021 in an effective manner despite numerous challenges and constraints. He said that it had been acknowledged by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government through a letter written by Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry that irrespective of scarcity of financial and human resources, the organisation had initiated many projects such as National Ideas Lab (NIL), SME One Window (SOW) and SME Database Development.

The SMEDA also achieved remarkable progress in a number of other areas in a short span under leadership of Farhan Aziz Khawaja, as the chief executive officer (CEO). Besides, allocation of substantial funds for ongoing projects in PSDP, land acquisition at Industrial Estates in Lahore & Quetta for establishment of SME Facilitation Centres as well as pursuing of various funding options and submission of 15 projects proposals for Export Development Fund and 22 project proposals for the Pakistan Innovation Fund speak volumes about the commitment of SMEDA team. The letter hoped that all these initiatives would significantly contribute towards development of the SME sector in the country.

Chaghi, Panjgur potential to produce thousands of MW renewable electricity: Speakers

Abdul Hanan

Mon, 4 Sep 2023, 8:33 PM

QUETTA, Sep 04 (APP):Balochistan’s Chaghi and Panjgur districts have the potential to produce thousands of megawatts (MW) of renewable electricity (RE) from wind and solar energy but financial, administrative and political problems are hampering this potential from becoming a reality.

These views were expressed by speakers while addressing a consultative conference held in Quetta on Monday.

They highlighted various electricity problems faced by the people of Balochistan, such as low levels of access to electricity, high electricity costs and long hours of load-shedding, and said that the most effective option to address these problems is to produce electricity from renewable sources close to where people need it.

They also underscored the fact that Balochistan-based electricity projects in general and renewable energy projects being planned in the province, in particular, get neglected because of the fragile law and order situation, lack of policy preparation and policy planning at the provincial level and the absence of coordination between the provincial and federal authorities.

The conference, titled Balochistan’s Renewable Energy Journey: Making accessible, affordable and sustainable power in the Province, was organized by the Institute for Development Studies and Practices (IDSP), a non-governmental organization working in Balochistan since 1998.

It was helped in this endeavour by two Islamabad-based think tanks, Renewables First and Policy Research Institute for Equitable Development (PRIED).

Rabia Mirani and Zubair Khan, two young researchers working with ISDP on a draft renewable energy policy for Balochistan, told the participants of the conference that the governments as well as the private sector are highly reluctant to invest in the province’s electricity sector.

“This reluctance owes to many factors including extremely low recovery of electricity bills, especially from the owners of agricultural tube-wells, and the requirement to lay very long transmission and distribution networks to take electricity to the highly dispersed and sparse provincial population,” they said.

Ammar Qaseem, a researcher associated with Renewables First, briefed the conference on how the federal government’s planning document for the energy sector, Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP), is made and how its low focus on renewable energy is hurting Balochistan’s interests.

“Not a single renewable energy project from Balochistan has been included in the latest edition of IGCEP. This means that no renewable energy project will be installed in Balochistan in the next ten years unless the makers of IGCEP change their policy focus and prioritize renewable energy over other sources of energy,” he said.

Fayyaz Chaudhry, director of LUMS Energy Institute and a former managing director of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), informed the conference that Balochsitan could start its renewable energy journey by setting up wind and solar power plants in Chaghi district.

“Two major mining projects – Reko Diq and Saindak are located there. Both of them have a very high electricity requirement which can be easily met by installing wind and solar power plants in the same district,” he said.

Four dacoits, two drug peddlers held in Muzaffargarh

Abdul Hanan

Mon, 4 Sep 2023, 8:31 PM

MUZAFFARGARH, Sep 04 (APP):Muzaffargarh police claimed to have arrested six dacoits and recovered arms and valuables from their possession.

Station House Officer (SHO) Police Station City Alipur, Muhammad Ayub, and his team conducted an operation against illegal weapon holders and recovered a Kalashnikov, along with bullets, from the accused.

Meanwhile, SHO Zarif Khan of Gujrat town police station intercepted the criminals involved in robberies. His team managed to recover four stolen motorcycles, along with a sum of Rs one lakh, from four accused. Additionally, a Kalashnikov was confiscated from Shahid Abbas and another from Muhammad Naeem. Notably, a repeater 12 bore was also seized during the operation.

Furthermore, a crackdown against drug dealers led to the recovery of a staggering 3540 grams of hashish from two accused. All the perpetrators were arrested.

In another operation, SHO Sadat Mohammad Shakir of Khairpur police station targeted illegal weapons holders and successfully confiscated a Kalashnikov and ammunition from accused Abdul Rauf.

Five liquor supplier held, illegal arm recovered

Abdul Hanan

Mon, 4 Sep 2023, 8:30 PM

RAWALPINDI, Sep 04 (APP):Police have arrested five liquor suppliers and recovered 20 liters of liquor and illegal weapons from their possession during crackdown here on Monday.

According to a police spokesman, Pirwadhai police recovered 10 liters of liquor from Ashraf. Similarly, Bani police seized 05 liters of liquor from Saleem. While, Dhamyal police held Shahid and recovered 05 liters of liquor from his possession.

Following operation, New Town police recovered 01 pistol 30 bore from Muhammad Abrar. Saddr Wah police recovered 01 pistol 30 bore from Usman.

Police have registered separate cases against the accused and further investigation was in progress.

SSP Operations Faisal Saleem appreciated the performance of police team and said that crackdown will be continued against illegal arm holders and drug suppliers without any discrimination.

Under-training police officers delegation visits PSCA

Abdul Hanan

Mon, 4 Sep 2023, 8:27 PM

LAHORE, Sep 04 (APP):A delegation comprising police officers, undergoing training at the Chung Training Centre, visited the Punjab Safe Cities Authority here on Monday.

The delegation was briefed by the Safe Cities officers about working of the authority. The visitors were informed about the operations and monitoring centre, 15 emergency help centres, call dispatch control centre and also briefed about the e-challenging system.

The delegation was told that the PSCA electronic data analysis centre has provided digital evidence in more than 20,000 cases.

The police officers said the Safe City cameras were providing full support in police operations and investigations. The plan is very important for guiding law-enforcement agencies. For that, the scope of the Safe Cities project would be extended to the whole of Punjab.

DC chairs meeting to improve educational standards in public schools

Abdul Hanan

Mon, 4 Sep 2023, 8:25 PM

PESHAWAR, Sep 04 (APP):Deputy Commissioner (DC) Peshawar, Shah Fahd on Monday chaired a meeting to discuss the ways to enhance the educational standards in government schools.

The meeting was attended by officials from the education department, including the District Education Officer female.

During the meeting, in-depth discussions were conducted regarding the educational standards and facilities in Peshawar’s government schools. Shah Fahd instructed the officials to further improve the educational standards in these schools.

He stressed the importance of officials regularly visiting schools, assessing educational standards and facilities, and submitting their reports.

Furthermore, it was decided that Peshawar’s monitoring team would conduct ongoing inspections of schools. Postings and transfers would only take place after the specified tenure had been completed, with principals playing a vital role in enhancing educational standards.