Banking Mohtasib provides Rs 3b relief to customers during four years

Mon, 17 Jul 2023, 3:42 PM

ISLAMABAD, Jul 17 (APP): The Banking Mohtasib has provided the monitoring relief worth over Rs 3 billion during April 2019 to July 2023 to the banking customers by disposing of a total of 106,486 cases.

The performance of the institution was discussed as Banking Mohtasib Muhammad Kamran Shehzad paid a farewell call on President Dr Arif Alvi, at Aiwan-e-Sadr here.

The Mohtasib apprised the president about the steps taken by him for providing financial relief to the banking customers by disposing of a large number of cases during his tenure.

He highlighted that the institution provided financial relief amounting to Rs 2.3 billion to the banking customers during 13 years (2005 and 2018) whereas during his tenure (April 2019- 17th July 2023) he had provided over 3 billion rupees to the banking customers.

President Alvi deeply appreciated the efforts made by Banking Mohtasib for providing over Rs. 3 billion financial relief to the people.

IRSA releases 319,400 cusecs water

NNPS Desk

Mon, 17 Jul 2023, 3:39 PM

ISLAMABAD, Jul 17 (APP): Indus River System Authority (IRSA) on Monday released 319,400 cusecs of water from various rim stations with an inflow of 357,400 cusecs.

According to the data released by IRSA, the water level in River Indus at Tarbela Dam was 1514.77 feet and was 116.77 feet higher than its dead level of 1,398 feet. Water inflow and outflow in the dam was recorded as 176,700 cusecs and 180,000 cusecs respectively.

The water level in River Jhelum at Mangla Dam was 1205.65 feet, which was 155.65 feet higher than its dead level of 1,050 feet. The inflow and outflow of water was recorded at 51,300 cusecs and 10,000 cusecs respectively.

The release of water at Kalabagh, Taunsa, Guddu and Sukkur was recorded as 215,200, 166,500, 139,100 and 77,300 cusecs respectively.

Similarly, from River Kabul, a total of 45,700 cusecs of water released at Nowshera and 55,500 cusecs released from River Chenab at Marala.

ECP dismisses baseless claims about EMS software

NNPS Desk

Mon, 17 Jul 2023, 3:38 PM

Political parties asked to submit statement of accounts by August 29

ISLAMABAD, Jul 17 (APP):The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) spokesperson on Monday refuted all rumours circulating in the media regarding the Electronic Management System (EMS).

According to the spokesperson, the EMS software was functioning perfectly, and there were no issues with its operations.

The spokesperson emphasized that the reason behind the delay in EMS training lied with the data entry operators who were scheduled to participate.

These operators are responsible for data entry, validation, transmission, and accuracy, and they have been assigned duties until July 20, 2023.

The spokesperson firmly stated that such claims held no validity and urged the public not to be swayed by misinformation.

The election commission urged all stakeholders to rely on accurate information from official sources and avoid being misled by false reports.

Shipping Activity at Port Qasim

NNPS Desk

Mon, 17 Jul 2023, 3:20 PM

KARACHI, Jul 17 (APP): Two ships namely, Duyen Hai-1 and Andiamo, carrying 24,000 tons of Palm Kernel and 59,600 tons of Coal, berthed at Multipurpose Terminal and Bulk Terminal respectively on Sunday.

Meanwhile, four more ships, Bum Shin, Ellora, DM-Dragon and Al-Daayen with Palm oil, Mogas, Chemicals and LNG also arrived at the outer anchorage of Port Qasim during the last 24 hours.

A total of 06 ships were engaged at PQA berths during the last 24 hours, out of them two ships, Meratus Jayawijaya and Jenz Oldendorff sailed out to sea on Monday morning (today).

A cargo volume of 84,909 tonnes, comprising 36,874 tones imports Cargo and 48,035 tonnes export cargo, including containerized cargo carried in 3,313 Containers (607 TEUs Imports and 2,706 TEUs export) was handled at the port during last 24 hours.

There are 05 ships at Outer Anchorage of Port Qasim, out of them two ships, DM-Dragon and Al-Daayen & another ship, Maersk Boston carrying Chemicals, LNG and Container are expected to take berths at, Engro Vopak Terminal, Engro Elengy Terminal and Container Terminal respectively on 17th July, while two more ships, Maersk Kinloss and MSC Greenwich are due to arrive at Port Qasim on Tuesday.

Govt launches crackdown against illegal loan application: Amin

NNPS Desk

Mon, 17 Jul 2023, 3:14 PM

ISLAMABAD, Jul 17 (APP):Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Amin-ul-Haque Monday said in a decisive move to combat fraudulent loan applications, the government initiated a crackdown against illegal loan providers .

In a statement, he said, that Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Major General (r) Hafeezur Rehman directed immediately to take swift action on the illegal loan applications.

Under the orders issued, 43 loan applications had already been blocked, said Amin-ul-Haque. The targeted companies, operating within the lending industry, were registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, he added.

Highlighting the severity of the issue, Amin-ul-Haque shed light on the involvement of mafia groups operating through social media platforms, particularly Facebook.

These unscrupulous entities have resorted to blackmailing innocent individuals, exploiting their financial vulnerabilities.

To raise awareness and safeguard the public, a comprehensive public awareness campaign has been launched.

The citizens are urged to report any suspicious loan applications or incidents involving the loan mafia groups to the PTA, the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cybercrime wing, or their local police stations.

The collaborative efforts of various law enforcement agencies aimed to address the increasing cybercrime wave in the country.

To ensure effective coordination, the minister has a direct contact with the Director-General of FIA, providing regular briefings on the progress of the operation.

Amin emphasized the need for proactive measures, rather than waiting for complaints to accumulate, against those involved in fraudulent loan schemes.

He stressed the importance of protecting the public from financial exploitation and curbing such illegal practices within the lending industry.

The minister condemned the tactics employed by loan mafia groups, including threats of violence, blackmail, and misuse of personal data.

He reaffirmed that these actions were in clear violation of the law and must be halted immediately.

The citizens are advised to exercise caution when engaging in online financial transactions and refrain from sharing personal information with unknown parties.

The ministry has noted the prevalence of online posts promoting money-making schemes, urging individuals not to respond to such advertisements and avoid sharing sensitive data or money.

The government’s crackdown aims to safeguard the interests of the public and maintain a secure online environment for all citizens.

As the operation progresses, the authorities remain vigilant in their efforts to bring the culprits to justice and protect the citizens from falling victim to fraudulent loan schemes.

British-French Star Jane Birkin dies at 76

Sadia Saeed

Mon, 17 Jul 2023, 2:41 PM

British-French Star Jane Birkin dies at 76

Birthday wishes pour in for Sonya Hussyn

Sadia Saeed

Mon, 17 Jul 2023, 2:26 PM

Birthday wishes pour in for Sonya Hussyn

China-Pakistan cooperation in nutrition, health highlighted

NNPS Desk

Mon, 17 Jul 2023, 2:22 PM

BEIJING, July 17 (APP):In the future, we will strengthen cooperation with International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences in carrying out joint research on key technologies, application of international cooperation projects, training of international TCM talents, academic exchanges and other aspects to promote scientific and technological innovation in the field of nutrition and health.

These views were expressed by Prof Wang Fengzhong, director of Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), while addressing the 2023 China-Pakistan Nutrition and Health Center Cooperation Forum held here.

On the occasion, Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, director of International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), Pakistan, was invited to be a visiting professor in IFST-CAAS by Prof Wang Fengzhong, China Economic Net (CEN) reported on Monday.

Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries that experience many floods and droughts as a result of climate change, which poses a threat to food preservation.

Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, Minister for Health & Population Welfare, Sindh was impressed by how IFST’s technology helps extend the shelf life of food while retaining its flavor and nutrition, especially those made for women and children.

Following her proposal, both sites agreed to deepen cooperation in technology transfer from China to Pakistan in packaging, processing, and so on.

As per experts on site, China and Pakistan both have a long history of traditional medicine and rich resources in herbal products.

The long-term technical cooperation between China and Pakistan in this field is of great significance for safeguarding the lives and health of the people of the two countries.

Back on 9th June, 2021, IFST and ICCBS established the China-Pakistan Traditional Chinese Medicine Center and signed a memorandum of cooperation.

Over the years, both sides have established a long-term friendly cooperative relationship in talent cultivation, academic exchanges, and other aspects.

On December 22, 2021, IFST and ICCBS jointly held the “2021 China-Pakistan Food and Drug Resources Research and Application Conference”, at which the “China-Pakistan Nutrition and Health Research Center” was unveiled.

APP/asg