FAISALABAD: August 18
FAISALABAD: August 18 – Federal Minister for Human rights and Women Empowerment Khalil George, visiting the affected areas of the Christian Colony Esa Nagri Jarranwala. APP/ZID
Federal Minister for Human rights and Women Empowerment Khalil George, talking to the media persons during his visit at the affected areas of the Christian Colony Esa Nagri Jarranwala
FAISALABAD: August 18
FAISALABAD: August 18 – Federal Minister for Human rights and Women Empowerment Khalil George, visiting the affected areas of the Christian Colony Esa Nagri Jarranwala. APP/ZID
Interim Federal Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugit talking to media after oath taking ceremony of Caretaker Balochistan Chief Minister
QUETTA: August 18
Ali Mardan Domki is administered the oath of Caretaker Balochistan Chief Minister by Governor Balochistan Wali Muhammad Khan Kakar
QUETTA: August 18 –
QUETTA: August 18 – Caretaker Balochistan Chief Minister Ali Mardan talking to media as completion of taking oath ceremony at Governor House. APPMNN/ABB/ZID
PM meets delegations from Balochistan
ISLAMABAD, Aug 18 (APP):Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar Friday here held meetings with delegations that came from different parts of Balochistan.
The delegations felicitated him on assuming the office of prime minister and expressed their best wishes for him.
The notables of the delegations expressed the view that appointment of caretaker prime minister from Balochistan strengthened belief of people in the political system and democracy of the country.
The delegations presented bouquets to the prime minister and some of the guests gave the gift of books according to his literary taste.
Dr Umar Saif takes charge as IT Minister, commits to propel ICT exports beyond $10 bln
ISLAMABAD, Aug 18 (APP): Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Technology, Telecommunication, Science & Technology Dr Umar Saif on Friday expressed his commitment to propel the IT exports beyond $10 billion and lead a nationwide digitalization effort.
Addressing the ministry officers after assuming the charge, he said,” My priorities are to fully implement the Digital Pakistan Vision and further promoting the of IT (information technology) & telecommunication sectors. We will take all the stakeholders on board in this regard.”
The minister said increase in the ICT exports could help stabilise the economy and in the provision of decent employments to skilled people, as well as the desire to fully digitize all the government and semi-government departments, and organizations of the country.
Earlier on his arrival at the ministry, Dr Umar Saif, who took oath as minister on Thursday, was received by Secretary IT Navid Ahmed Shaikh along with other senior officers. He was introduced to all the officers and staff of the ministry. Later he was given a detailed briefing about the completed, ongoing, and future projects of the IT Ministry.
Dr Umar Saif said as per the Constitution of Pakistan, the responsibilities and powers of the caretaker government were limited, as its main objective was to conduct free, fair and impartial general elections.
However, monitoring and taking care of the important ministerial affairs were also necessary during the period, he added.
Dr Umar Saif is a very well-reputed and known figure in the world of ICT. He is the first Pakistani to receive a PhD in Computer Science from Cambridge University at the age of 23. He is also graduated from the School of Executive Education on Global Leadership and Public Policy.
The IT minister has an extensive experience in academia, management, consulting, and entrepreneurship in the field of IT.
He has served in several important positions in the country’s IT sector. He has also served as Chairman of the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and Vice Chancellor of Information Technology University.
In 2014, he was awarded Sitara Imtiaz, one of the highest civilian awards of Pakistan, in recognition of his outstanding services for the country.
He is the first Pakistani to be included in the World’s Top 35 Young Innovators (TR35) in 2011 by MIT Technology Review.
He is also the first Pakistani to receive the Google Faculty Research Award in 2011. He was also selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2010.
Dr Saif received the MIT Technovator Award in 2008, Mark Weiser Award in 2008, IDG CIO Technology Pioneer Award in 2008 and Digital Award from Microsoft Research in 2006. His research papers have received best paper awards at ACM CHI 2013 and IEEE Perco in 2008 and many other international awards.
Muslim Council of Elders denounces attacks on Churches in Jaranwala
ISLAMABAD, Aug 18 (APP): Under the guidance of the esteemed Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Muslim Council of Elders on Friday vehemently denounced the recent assault on religious harmony in the wake of the Jaranwala incident.
According to a statement received here, extremists who defiled copies of the Holy Quran and initiated an unfortunate series of events have drawn sharp condemnation from the Council. The subsequent retaliatory strikes on multiple churches in Jaranwala, Pakistan, executed by yet another faction of extremists, have further intensified concerns.
Muslim Council of Elders Secretary-General, Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, expressed strong dissent against such reprehensible actions.
He affirmed that these criminal deeds stand in stark contradiction to the values upheld by divine religions, laws, and human ethics.
“The core principles of mutual respect and refraining from targeting places of worship are shared across these teachings. The Holy Quran’s teachings are unambiguous in their emphasis on safeguarding places of worship and abstaining from any form of aggression directed towards them,” he added.
In an urgent appeal, the Muslim Council of Elders called upon leaders on both sides to promptly address the discord that has arisen.
“Countering hate speech with dialogue, promoting tolerance, nurturing coexistence, and fostering human fraternity are highlighted as the means to bridge the divide,” he maintained.
As Pakistan faces this critical juncture, the Council invoked the blessings of Allah Almighty to shield the nation and its
people from all adversity and harm.
Jaranwala culprits to be punished according to law: caretaker federal minister
FAISALABAD, Aug 18 (APP):Caretaker Federal Minister for Human Rights and Women Empowerment Khalil George said on Friday that all culprits involved in the Jaranwala incident would be punished according to the law, while Christians’ residences and churches, ransacked by mob, would be rehabilitated soon.
Talking to the media during his visit to Christian Colony (Issa Nagri) Jaranwala on Friday, he said the Jaranwala tragedy was a calculated move. The anti-Pakistan elements hatched a deep-rooted conspiracy to spread anarchy and create rift in Christian-Muslim harmony. He advised the Christian community to show patience and forge unity among their ranks so that nefarious designs of the anti-state elements could be foiled.
He said that the police had registered five cases regarding the Jaranwala incident in addition to arresting 128 accused. Such incidents had also occurred in Gojra, Shanti Nagar and Joseph Nagar and their culprits had met their fate whereas the victims were compensated.
He also promised punishment to all culprits involved in vandalising of Christian localities and churches and said that the constitution of Pakistan granted protection to all religions. Hence no one would be allowed to deprive Christians of their legal rights. He strongly condemned the Jaranwala tragedy and said that Muslims were as worried about the situation as were the Christians, because teachings of Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not allow harming Christians or destroying their houses.
He said that the law-enforcing agencies were investigating the incident to unearth real facts so that such incidents could not take place in future. He said that the government, army chief and chief justice of Pakistan were at one page to punish all culprits of Jaranwala incident. However, Christians should show patience and forgiveness in greater national interest as they had always given sacrifices for national solidarity and integrity, he added.
He said the government would also restore the Christian residences and churches and in this connection, special teams would visit Jaranwala soon to estimate the damages caused in the Christian localities. He appealed to the Christian community to cooperate with the local administration and the police so that accurate estimate of their damaged houses and churches could be worked out and the culprits could be taken to task.
Earlier, the minister also visited Christian localities and churches in Jaranwala and expressed sympathies and solidarity with the Christians.
Divisional Commissioner Madam Silwat Saeed, Regional Police Officer (RPO) Dr Muhammad Abid Khan, City Police Officer (CPO) Usman Akram Gondal, SSP Operations Dr Rizwan and others were also present on the occasion.
Governor briefed about flood situation, precuationary measures
BAHAWALPUR, Aug 18 (APP):Commissioner Bahawalpur Division Dr. Ehtesham Anwar on Monday briefed Governor Punjab Muhammad Baligh-ur- Rehman about flood situation in the region and precautionary measures in that regard in a meeting.
The meeting was held in the circuit house here.
The governor directed that to complete arrangements for the flood on time.
He said that precautionary measures should be implemented properly under the guidelines issued by the Punjab Disaster Management Authority.
The governor directed to take measures to shift people and livestock to safe places in possible floods on priority.
The commissioner informed about the steps taken by the concerned departments to deal with the floods.
He also briefed the governor ongoing development projects in the division.
Mangla Dam packed
MIRPUR (AJK), Aug 18 (APP):Mangla Dam on Friday reaches at its peak after it was fully filled to the stipulated maximum level of 1242 feet.
According to media wing of WAPDA, at present 7.356 million acre feet (MAF) water is available in Mangla reservoir.
The other two major reservoirs Tarbela & Chashma have also filled to their maximum level. Resulting in the maximum availability of water in the dams, which is being regarded a good omen for agriculture and hydel power generation in Pakistan in the days to come, WAPDA officials said.
As per details, the water storage at Tarbela Dam is 5.809 MAF and Chashma is 0.278 MAF. The cumulative quantum of water available at present in Mangla, Tarbela and Chashma reservoirs stands at 13.443 MAF.
According to the statistics, water level in Tarbela is 1550 feet and Chashma 649 feet above mean sea level.
The water inflow from Rivers Indus at Tarbela is 221000 cusecs and Outflows 199600 cusecs, inflow from River Jhelum at Mangla is 26000 cusecs and Outflows 10000 cusecs, and water inflow at Chashma is 310400 cusecs and Outflows 243100 cusecs.
The water level in the reservoir was recorded as 1242.00 feet against maximum conservation level of 1242.00 feet with live storage of 7.356 MAF on Friday, the sources said
Jhelum River to the reservoir at Mangla was reported 28700 cusecs with the outflows of 18400 cusecs from the reservoir Friday, the sources said.
The overall position of the river inflows and outflows at Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma along with the reservoirs levels and the barrages remained on Friday as under:
Rivers: Indus at Tarbela: Inflows 212100 cusecs and Outflows 223200 cusecs, Kabul at Nowshera: Inflows 35500 cusecs and Outflows 35500 cusecs, Khairabad Bridge: Inflows 237000 cusecs and Outflow 237000, Jhelum at Mangla: Inflows 28700 cusecs and Outflows 18400 cusecs, Chenab at Marala: Inflows 64000 cusecs and Outflows 43600 cusecs.
Barrages: Jinnah: Inflows 232300 cusecs and Outflows 224300 cusecs, Chashma: Inflows: 281100 cusecs and Outflows 259900 cusecs, Taunsa: Inflows 239900 cusecs and Outflows 220900 cusecs, Guddu: Inflows 254800 cusecs and Outflows 225900 cusecs Sukkur: Inflows 186100 cusecs and Outflows 133500 cusecs Kotri: Inflows 168000 cusecs and Outflows 127800 cusecs Trimmu: Inflows 73500 cusecs and Outflow 59900 cusecs Panjnad: Inflows 70500 cusecs and Outflows 54700 cusecs.
The current situation of Reservoirs (Level and Storage) were Tarbela: Minimum operating level 1402 feet, present level 1549.60 feet, maximum conservation level 1550 feet, live storage today 5.786 MAF.
Mangla: Minimum operating level 1050 feet, present level 1242.00 feet, maximum conservation level 1242 feet, live storage today 7.356 MAF.
Chashma: Minimum operating level 638.15 feet, present level 649.00 feet, maximum conservation level 649 feet, live storage today 0.278 MAF.
The inflows and outflows of River Indus at Tarbela, Jinnah and Chashma, River Kabul at Nowshera and River Jhelum at Mangla have been reflected as mean flows of 24 hours, whereas the other flows have been gauged at 6.00 a.m on Friday.
SECP seeks public consultation on proposed amendments to Listed Companies Regulations
ISLAMABAD, Aug 18 (APP):The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), has notified draft amendments to the Listed Companies (Substantial Acquisition of Voting Shares and Takeovers) Regulations, 2017 soliciting public comments.
The proposed amendments are focused on creating a conducive environment for takeover transactions through the acquisition of shares of listed companies in a fair, transparent and competitive manner, said a press release issued here.
As part of SECP’s progressive review of regulatory requirements, the subject amendments also address key observations emanating from feedback provided by various stakeholders in relation to prevalent takeover regulatory regime.
The subject amendments provide greater flexibility to the minority shareholders of the target company in exercising their rights, whereby an option is being inserted for consideration to such shareholders to be paid either wholly in cash; or if consideration is being offered in the form of securities, the same to be accompanied with a wholly cash alternative.
Criteria for securities that can be offered as consideration is being improved, whereby only shares of listed companies, listed debt instruments, and government securities with remaining maturity of maximum of 364 days can be offered as a consideration during the public offer. The mechanism for valuing the securities to be offered as consideration is also being improved.
Moreover, only highly liquid securities would be admissible as security to be furnished to the manager to the offer by the acquirer for the performance of obligations under the public offer.
Efforts have also been made to ensure that terms already used in the regulations but not previously defined are properly codified in the definitions section for clarity and to enable consistent interpretation throughout the regulations.
A consultation paper explaining the key considerations in drafting the proposed amendments inclusive of notification of draft amendments to subject regulations has been placed on the SECP website at https://www.secp.gov.pk/document/consultation-paper-draft-amendments-to-the-listed-companies-substantial-acquisition-of-voting-shares-takeovers-regulations-2017/?wpdmdl=48882&refresh=64df383c84db91692350524.
Comments can be submitted to the SECP within a period of fourteen days from the date of the notification by emailing at takeoverfeedback@secp.gov.pk.