ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP): Zong 4G, the leading network provider in Pakistan, has introduced a cost-effective international roaming bundle, specifically tailored for pilgrims traveling to Iran.
Recognizing the significance of staying connected, Zong 4G aimed to provide unparalleled convenience and affordable solutions that cater to the diverse needs of travellers, said a news release.
Whether individuals are embarking on a journey to Iran for Ziyarat during the sacred month of Muharram or for business purposes, Zong 4G’s affordable bundles ensure they remain connected with their loved ones back home.
The latest offering includes an exclusive calling bundle, allowing travellers to stay in touch effortlessly. Prepaid customers can avail themselves of 60 minutes of uninterrupted calls for 30 days by paying just Rs.1000 plus tax.
For those with longer stays in Iran, Zong 4G offers an extended package, providing 200 minutes of talk time for Rs.3000 plus tax, with a validity of 60 days. Subscribers can easily access these bundles by dialling *4225# from their mobile phones or by visiting the Zong online shop at https://www.zong.com.pk/onlineshop/ir-bundles or through the My Zong App.
The official spokesperson of Zong 4G expressed his thoughts on the new promotion, stating, “Zong 4G has always been committed to addressing the needs of its customers and providing suitable solutions. This offer enables users to perform Ziyarat while staying connected with their loved ones back at home, without any worries.”
This roaming bundle demonstrates Zong 4G’s dedication to enhancing the overall travel experience, reflecting its relentless pursuit of innovation and customer-centric services. As a frontrunner in revolutionizing travel connectivity, the company understands the importance of offering reliable and affordable means for customers to stay connected during their journeys.
ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP):Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Thursday said that the present government during its 14-month rule had taken several steps to transform the Pakistan Television Corporation and the Radio Pakistan into financially viable organizations.
Apprising the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting about the reforms carried out in the state broadcasters, the minister said the former government had planned to auction the national assets, including Radio Pakistan and PTV.
The committee meeting chaired by Javaria Zafar Aahir, was attended by its members Zaib Jafar, Kiran Imran Dar, Zulfiqar Ali, Naz Baloch, Dr Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Nasir Khan Musazai and Asiya Azeem.
Secretary Information and Broadcasting Sohail Ali Khan, Principal Information Officer Mubasher Hassan, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Chairman Saleem Baig and other officers of the Ministry of Information also attended the meeting.
The minister said now both the Radio Pakistan and the PTV were now on moving path of self-reliance and due to the prudent policies of the present regime, the latter had earned a record profit worth Rs 5.5 billion during the current year.
The government, she added, had regularized all contract employees of the PTV to boost its performance.
She informed the panel that the PTV Peshawar Center had started 24-hour transmission of its programmes in regional languages, including Pashto, while Multan and Karachi centres were airing round-the-clock their programmes in Saraiki and Sindhi languages respectively.
All studios of the PTV Lahore had been upgraded, she said, adding a virtual studio was set up in the PTV Islamabad Center.
Marriyum said for the promotion of filmmaking, the PTV Film Division had been established, besides setting up the Film Production Institute at the PTV Academy.
She said now film production and media related courses were being started in the PTV Academy.
Cinemas were being established on the premises of the Radio Pakistan Lahore and Peshawar, and their foundation stones had been laid, she added.
The minister said 12 new studios were established in the Radio Pakistan Islamabad, while the work of digitizing the entire archive of Radio Pakistan had started.
“On May 9, the building of Radio Pakistan Peshawar was burnt down, but we have started a project for its restoration,” she informed the committee.
The minister recalled the then Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government had introduced the first film policy in 2017-18, and now money had been allocated for the purpose in the current year’s budget.
In the film policy, she added, filmmakers had been given immense incentives. Moreover, she said, health insurance funds had been established for artists and journalists.
The minister said they had worked round the clock during the last 14 months to complete the projects.
“When we came into power, we used the national assets for the people and did not opt for their auction,” she said recalling the tenure of former information minister who had come up with the policy of selling everything.
She said now national broadcasters were playing their due role in providing information to the public in a better way.
RAWALPINDI, Jul 13 (APP):Chief of Staff, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Jody Lyle on Thursday said women’s role in nature conservation and national park service as active and competent guardians of nature was gaining pace in the United States which was a role model for the societies and other countries to take inspiration.
The U.S. Embassy organised an event to interact with young students and media here at the Fatima Jinnah Women University to discuss her journey and achievements while serving at different national parks at home and abroad which will be serving as a source of motivation for young girls and university graduates intending to pursue their careers as nature guards and conservationists.
Addressing the gathering at the Lincoln’s Corner Library, FJWU, Jody Lyle said the US National Park Service was a civilian agency established in 1916 which includes almost 20,000 employees across the US with a budget of $3.48 billion. The protected areas or national parks comprised 423 sites with a total area sprawling over 30 million hectares.
In the US, she said there had been several parks focussing different areas including fossil reserves, architectural and historic parks, science parks including the famous Thomas Edison lab, the Women’s Rights National Historic Park, Cesar E. Chavez National Monument and among others Yosemite National Park famous for unique rock formations.
Lyle said throughout her career she had focussed on environmental education and awareness of people of different age cohorts and races. There was great gender diversity in the US’ national park service as Yellowstone National Park in 1925 had 7% women and 93% men in its workforce whereas the entire agency at present possessed 40% female and 60% male staff and it was also the same in the leadership as well.
She underlined that the Park was right next to Hollywood whereas the movie history of the national park was also preserved which includes around 80 workers at the Park team to manage patrolling, law enforcement, conservation and education and survey. She said, “We employ both men and women and racially diverse people.”
Lyle highlighted that recreation was a big challenge as 180 million people lived next to the national park. However, the national park service used to hire trail crews for maintenance of the forest area and trails. In 1978, a backbone trail was conceived and started in Santa Monica Mountains National Park which was completed in 2016.
She added that the Park was mostly funded by government finance. “However, we generate revenue through permits and leasing largely for filming and still photography. Hollywood producers still come to us and pay the fee for film shooting.”
The Wildfires, she said another challenge as due to climate change wildfire regimes were changing rapidly and it demanded new regimes to cope with the risk.
She said, “The national park service at Santa Monica works closely with sister agencies to put out fires in time. We have shared information on social media and in the press along with the Park rangers who used to hold online lectures for students and also arrange trail hikes for school students under the public programmes through which hundreds of volunteers participated to chip in the plantation and afforestation efforts.”
The Wildlife Research and Action, she said was another intervention of her department and its most famous work was the Carnivore Study under which Mountain Lions were ear tagged and tracking collar belts were installed to study its habitat and nature, she added.
Lyle said, “Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing project is in the pipeline which is inspired by the P-22 Mountain Lion who had trespassed the freeway and travelled to other areas which was not its living place. After the wildcat passed away due to aging a memorial service for expressing love for the lonely animal was held in Los Angeles.”
She mentioned that the National Parks and conservation help promote environmental, social, health, economic and diplomatic benefits. “The national parks are vital part of US economy and help drive a vibrant tourism. Some 297 million tourists and visitors visited protected areas in 2021 and spent $20.5 billion during their fun activities that helped in creating jobs for the local communities.”
Responding to various queries of the University, she said women were having a collaborative role in national park conservation as they had started joining law enforcement area which was traditionally for men only whereas they had been making inroads in science as well and would make the gender ratio to 50-50 in the future.
While responding to media persons queries, she said her purpose of the visit was to focus on Margalla Hills National Park and held interactions with the management of the Park and discussed different areas of interest.
Chairperson, Department of Biotechnology, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Prof. Dr. Azra Yasmin in her welcome remarks expressed her gratitude to the visiting delegates. She also briefed the guests on the faculty and facilities of the varsity and environment provided to the students to flourish as promising graduates.
ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP):The Universal Service Fund (USF) has awarded a contract worth approximately PKR 6.78 billion to Ufone for providing High-Speed Mobile Broadband services in the Sibbi district of Balochistan province and Motorway M-8.
Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Syed Amin Ul Haque and Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Agha Hassan Baloch witnessed the contract signing ceremony and launch of the Research Impact Assessment Study here on Thursday.
Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Syed Amin Ul Haque and Federal Minister for Science and Technology Agha Hassan Baloch witnessing contract signing of High Speed Mobile Broadband Projects for Balochistan in Islamabad on July 13, 2023.
Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary, CEO of USF, signed the contract with Hatem Bamatraf, President and Group CEO, PTCL & Ufone 4G.
While addressing the ceremony, the minister said, “We are gathered here today to commemorate the signing ceremony of two new projects that target the provision of uninterrupted voice and 4G broadband data services in Balochistan. One of these projects is worth Rs.. 1.96 billion that aimed to empower around 34,000 individuals residing in 47 Mauzas of the Sibbi district.
He said additionally, another project worth Rs. 4.82 billion has been initiated to ensure voice and 4G coverage on 478 km of previously unserved road segments along the M-8 motorway. One of the salient features of this project is that national roaming will be enabled for commuters for uninterrupted services. These road segments pass through various districts including Gwadar, Kech, Awaran, Khuzdar, and Jhal Magsi in Balochistan Province, as well as Kambar Shahdad Kot and Larkana in Sindh Province.
Amin Ul Haque thanked Federal Minister, Agha Hassan Baloch for his time and apprised him of the developments of the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication in Balochistan.
He said, Ministry of IT and Telecommunication through USF has been at the forefront of digital transformation in Pakistan, with a dedicated focus on extending meaningful access to connectivity for the people of Balochistan. These efforts included implementing projects to provide 4G Broadband services to unserved populations, deployment of optic fiber cable as well as providing seamless coverage to National Highways and Motorways in the province through national roaming.
He said during the last 5 years, USF has launched 21 new projects worth Rs. 27.12 billion under its high-speed broadband program that targets the provision of 4G data services across the province. Under these projects, 936 BTS sites will be deployed to serve approx. 2.9 million people residing in 2,760 mauzas, and 2,205 km of unserved road segments on Motorway M-8 (Rato Dero to Gwadar), Coastal Highway, National Highway 25 & 65 and 50 & 70 will be provided with connectivity, he added.
Amin Ul Haque said Out of these, 527 BTS sites (approx. 56%) have already been deployed serving a population of approx. 2 million residing in 1,726 mauzas, and 1,727 km of unserved road segments. It is also worth mentioning that among the total 3,096 BTS sites installed in Balochistan, approximately 36.5% (1,131 sites) have been deployed through USF projects. Of these USF sites, around 87.3% (988 sites) are currently utilized for offering voice and high-speed broadband (4G) services across the province.
The Ministry of IT and Telecommunication will continue to provide its unwavering commitment to improving the lives of the local communities of Balochistan by providing them improved access to employment opportunities, education, and healthcare facilities.
While addressing the ceremony, Federal Minister, Agha Hassan Baloch expressed his gratitude towards Federal Minister, Syed Amin Ul Haque, for his initiation of development projects in Balochistan.
He emphasized that the Ministry of Science and Technology is committed to providing full assistance and support for the advancement of the IT industry.
He also commended the dedicated teams of USF and Ufone for their outstanding efforts, acknowledging their potential to bring about transformative change in the lives and livelihoods of individuals. By connecting people to the digital world and creating avenues for growth and development, these initiatives hold the promise of unlocking new opportunities for a brighter future.
Sharing his thoughts at the ceremony, CEO of USF, Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary said: “I am delighted to witness the contract signing ceremony of Sibbi and M-8 projects for Balochistan with Ufone and thrilled to announce the launch of the Research Impact Assessment Study.
This event marks another milestone in our journey towards enhancing connectivity in rural areas. While we have been making remarkable strides in improving connectivity, it was essential to quantify the level of empowerment within each family and assess the consumption of e-services for enhancing their lives. This report holds immense value, not only domestically but also internationally, enabling our stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding interventions and prioritize the needs of our communities effectively. The positive response we have received thus far reinforces our commitment to continue our efforts in bringing about positive change and empowering these communities.”
Sharing his views on the occasion, President and Group CEO, of PTCL & Ufone 4G, Hatem Bamatraf said, “As a crucial player in the telecommunications industry, Ufone 4G plays a pivotal role in shaping connectivity nationwide. We firmly believe that connectivity is the cornerstone of socio-economic development, enabling individuals to access vital services, education, healthcare, and employment opportunities.
He said by actively contributing to the nation’s progress, we strive to make a lasting impact on the lives of millions of Pakistanis. Through this strategic partnership, Ufone 4G and USF are dedicated to expanding the network connectivity footprint in the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan. Ufone 4G understands that these regions have unique needs and require focused efforts to bring them into the digital era. By combining our resources and knowledge with USF, Ufone 4G strives to create an inclusive, digitally empowered Pakistan, where no citizen is left behind.”
At the ceremony, CEO of Agahi, Puruesh Chaudhary said: “It is an honour to witness the positive impact of USF efforts through the launch of Research Impact Assessment study, which sheds light on the remarkable influence on USF initiatives and the impact it has had on the lives of rural communities across Pakistan. This study provides valuable insights into the transformative power of bridging the digital divide. By connecting these communities, we not only did USF bring them closer to the digital world but also foster a sense of community and overall wellbeing.”
ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP):Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Faisal Karim Kundi Thursday said that around 7.2 million families received their quarterly payments under the Benazir Kafaalat programme till today.
Addressing a press conference, the SAPM said that the Benazir Education stipends were also being disbursed among the beneficiaries along with the Kafaalat payments.
He advised the beneficiaries of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) to only follow the messages which was sent through BISP official number 8171 and ignore the fake messages from other numbers.
The SAPM said that around 0.3 million cards of the beneficiaries, earlier blocked during the previous government tenure, had been reactivated to provide relief to the poor while the remaining cards would be reactivated soon after completing the necessary requirements.
To a question, Faisal Kundi said that beneficiaries of BISP would be able to open their accounts in any bank available near to them instead of only two banks which were designated for this purpose in the past.
Expressing his concern over the Parachinar issue, Faisal Kundi urged the political parties and ulemas (Religious Scholars) from all school of thoughts to intervene for resolving the issue of Parachinar.
“There is need to resolve the issue immediately to ensure peace as Muharram is near”, Faisal Kundi said.
Land occupation was still a major issue in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf led government did nothing for resolving such issues, he said.
Criticizing the attack on the military installations on May 09 by rioters, Faisal Kundi said those involved in the incident must be punished.
“What happened on May 9 was an insult to our martyrs whose families proudly say that our sons died for the sake of our country”, he said.
The minister also criticized International Monetary Fund delegation’s visit to meet a person in Zaman Park who was wanted by the state in different cases and urged the relevant authorities to convey a strong message on it.
ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP): Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik on Thursday witnessed the signing ceremony of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NDMA and Save the Children, International (SCI,UK) organization to extend partnership to enhance emergency preparedness, response, rehabilitation and recovery initiatives in the country.
The agreement was signed by Member Disaster Risk Reduction from NDMA, Idrees Mehsud and Country Director from Save the Children, Muhammad Khuram Gondal, a press release said.
Under the MoU, NDMA and SCI will work on capacity-building programs, joint advocacy efforts, awareness campaigns, and institutional strengthening activities, ensuring that children’s unique needs and vulnerabilities are adequately addressed- ultimately minimizing the impact of disasters on children.
The Chairman NDMA emphasized the significance of local community engagement in order to enable disaster resilience. He highlighted the need for an efficient Early Warning System (EWS) in place to mitigate the adverse impacts of such disasters.
He also emphasised the importance of the region-wise grouping of humanitarian organisations to enhance coordination during emergencies and better disaster preparedness.
Country Director Save the Children, Pakistan chapter, Muhammad Khuram Gondal appreciated the envisioned National Emegencies Operation Centre (NEOC) and assured every possible cooperation in the fields of disaster risk reduction.
He reiterated strengthening emergency preparedness and response mechanisms to safeguard the rights and needs of children during disasters through collaboration with NDMA.
The signing of the MoU represents a significant milestone in combining the expertise and resources of NDMA and Save the Children, Pakistan to make a tangible difference in protecting the lives and futures of Pakistani children in times of crisis.
ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP): The second edition of the Wheelchair Cricket Asia Cup 2023 has been pushed to September due to the expected heavy rains in Nepal during the ongoing month, the Pakistan Wheelchair Cricket Council (PWCC) said on Thursday.
The event, being hosted by Pakistan at the neutral venue of Kathmandu, Nepal, was earlier scheduled to take place during the ongoing month.
“The month of July is considered a rainy season in Kathmandu. Hence, we have decided to move the tournament to September,” PWCC President Rookhsana Rajpoot told APP on Thursday.
Earlier, the PWCC had said that it was all set to host the event in Pakistan but due to some issues, it was decided to shift it to Nepal.
Rookhsana said every effort would be made to make the event a real success. “We will try to ensure fans enjoy exciting contests during the event,” she added.
The matches will be played at the two grounds in Kathmandu. Teams from Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan will participate in the Asia Cup.
Meanwhile, a PWCC delegation met Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori at the Governor House. Member of the National Assembly Kishwar Zahra of Muttahida Qaumi Movement was also present on the occasion, said a press release.
The PWCC delegation was comprised of captain Muhammad Zeeshan, vice-captain Syed Arslan Ahmed, Sajid Ali Abbasi, Imran Amin and Warseemuddin Sheikh.
Promotion of wheelchair cricket, holding of tournaments at the regional level, encouragement of wheelchair cricketers and other issues were discussed in the meeting.
The Sindh governor said the PWCC’s efforts for the promotion of wheelchair cricket were commendable. He assured all-possible support for the development of wheelchair cricket. He said the preparation of world-class players was the need of the hour.
Rookhsana told him that Pakistan was the reigning Asian champion as it won the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2019. “We are confident our team will repeat their past feat to retain the title,” she added.
ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP):Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and world over on Thursday observed the 92nd Youm-e-Shuhada-e-Kashmir (Kashmir Martyrs Day) to commemorate the martyrdom of 21 Kashmiris, who sacrificed their lives while braving the brute and indiscriminate firing of Dogra forces in 1931.
On that day, the Kashmiri people were protesting against the Dogra ruler over a case registered against the Freedom Movement leader Abdul Qadeer Khan Ghazi.
Police killed a young man when he tried to offer Azan (Zuhr prayer’s call) during protest outside the Central Jail, Srinagar where proceeding of the case against Abdul Qadeer was in progress.
Meanwhile, another person stood up to offer Azan, who also was killed by the police. While completing Azan (prayer’s call), as many as 21 Kashmiris embraced martyrdom.
This tragic day is an important milestone in the struggle against the occupation of Kashmir.
Despite the anger and resistance of the Muslims, the British sold Jammu and Kashmir to the Hindu Maharaja Gulab Singh for Rs 750,000. The anti-Islam Maharaja had banned the preaching of prayers, allowed the desecration of the Holy Quran and evicted many Muslims from their lands.
The 100-years era of the Dogra rule remained a dark chapter of the history of sufferings of the Jammu and Kashmir’s Muslims.
In Jammu and Kashmir, 13th July was officially observed as Kashmir Martyrs’ Day since 1949, but after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, New Delhi removed it from the list of public holidays.
The Kashmiris are not allowed by the brutal Indian government to commemorate the day but they always remember the importance of the day.
Banning the commemoration of this day in Occupied Kashmir since 2019 is part of India’s plan to alienate Kashmiris from their history and culture.
However, in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the Kashmir Martyrs’ Day is observed with fervor by organizing different activities.
Even today, Kashmiris, with the spirit of freedom, are sacrificing their lives against the Indian occupation of their land.
ISLAMABAD, Jul 13 (APP):Defending champions Pakistan Shaheens were all set to open their campaign in the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup when they take on Nepal at the Colombo Cricket Club Ground in Sri Lanka on Friday.
The eight teams in the 50-over tournament are divided into two pools. Afghanistan A, Bangladesh A, Oman A and Sri Lanka A are a part of Group A, while Pakistan Shaheens along with India A, Nepal and UAE A are in Group B.
After taking on Nepal, Mohammad Haris-led Shaheens would take on UAE A on July 17 at the P Saravanamuttu Stadium, while their last group match will be against India A on July 19 at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium. Top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals which will be played on July 21. The final of the tournament will take place on July 23.
Before arriving in Colombo on Tuesday night, Shaheens were involved in a six-day training camp at Lahore’s National Cricket Academy. They also underwent two-day training sessions in Colombo under the coaching panel led by Mohammad Masroor.
The previous edition of the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup was held in Bangladesh from 14 to 23 November 2019. Pakistan Shaheens won the 2019 iteration of the tournament beating hosts Bangladesh in the final by 77 runs at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
In the first semi-final of that competition, they defeated India Emerging Team in a thriller by three runs at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. In that match Omair Bin Yousuf and Amad Butt – the only two players part of the current Shaheens squad for the forthcoming tournament – contributed significantly to the team’s win. Opening batter Omair scored 66, while right-arm fast Amad took one for 43 including a brilliant death overs spell to help his side reach the final.
On the eve of Shaheens’ opening match, Omair and Amad shed light on the team’s preparations as they looked forward to the tournament. Amad said, “We have prepared well for this event and are excited to be in action.
“This is a very important tournament for each one of us. This presents a comeback opportunity for me and I will strive to utilise it in order to gain a spot in the national side.”
Omair said, “I am eager to repeat the same performance that I have produced in Shaheens recent tour to Zimbabwe. I will try to execute my plans on the match day that I have practiced in the nets here.
“We will focus on executing our plans effectively and making every effort to emerge victorious.
“This tournament provides a great opportunity for any youngster to perform and get a chance to represent the national team, so I will too try to grab it with both hands by giving good performances.”
Squad includes Mohammad Haris (captain, wicketkeeper) (Peshawar), Omair Bin Yousuf (vice-captain) (Karachi), Amad Butt (Sialkot), Arshad Iqbal (Swabi), Haseebullah (Quetta), Kamran Ghulam (Peshawar), Mehran Mumtaz (Rawalpindi), Mubasir Khan (Islamabad), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (North Waziristan), Qasim Akram (Lahore), Sahibzada Farhan (Charsadda), Saim Ayub (Karachi), Shahnawaz Dahani (Larkana), Sufiyan Muqeem (AJK) and Tayyab Tahir (Gujrat).
Non-traveling reserves – Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Junaid and Rohail Nazir.
Player support personnel: Shahid Aslam (manager), Mohammad Masroor (head coach), Hanif Malik (batting/fielding coach), Umar Rashid (bowling coach) and Imtiaz Ahmed (physiotherapist).
Pakistan’s fixtures in ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup: Group B: v Nepal- July 14, Colombo Cricket Club Ground (10am local time); v UAE A- July 17, P Saravanamuttu Stadium (10am local time); v India A- July 19, R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium (2pm local time).
APP52-130723
MULTAN: July 13 - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif visited the residence of former MNA Abdul Ghaffar Dogar and offered condolence on the death of his spouse. APP/MAF/TZD
