Audio leaks: FIR sought against Shaukat Tarin for attempting to sabotage IMF deal
RAWALPINDI, Aug 30 (APP): The Rawalpindi Chapter of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) youth wing on Tuesday organized a protest demonstration outside the Liaquat Bagh against the audio leaks of the former finance advisor Shaukat Tarin.
The protesters demanded the government to lodge an FIR against Shaukat Tarin and the provincial finance ministers of Punjab and KPK for trying to sabotage the interest of Pakistan.
Speaking on the occasion, the President Youth wing Syed Atif Shah termed the statement of Tarin against the integrity of the country and said that Tarin’s directions to provincial finance ministers to cause jeopardy to the International Monetary Fund deal was like conspiring against the the national interest of Pakistan.
A view of T-20 cricket match played between Balochistan and Southern Punjab teams during National T-20 Cup 22-23 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
Floods caused Rs 98 billion loss to Balochistan’s Agriculture Sector
QUETTA, Aug 30 (APP): Director General Agriculture Balochistan Abdul Wahab Kakar on Tuesday said that devastating rains and floods had caused Rs 98 billion losses to the agriculture sector of the province.
“The loss incurred to the agriculture sector of Balochistan alone is estimated as Rs 98 billion,” DG Agricultural said during a meeting held here at Agriculture office to review the losses caused by the rain in the province.
Director Agri-Engineering Syed Bashir Ahmed Agha besides other officers attended the meeting.
The DG Agriculture said that due to heavy downpour and accompanying flash floods, crops, orchards, 15,800 tube wells, ponds and solar systems had been damaged on an area of 190 thousand acres.
On the directives of Provincial Agriculture Minister Mir Asad Baloch, a summary has been moved to CM Balochistan seeking Rs 50 billion for repair of the damaged infrastructure and compensation.
He said that over 60 percent people of Balochistan was directly or indirectly attached with the agriculture sector for their means of livelihood.
Recent floods followed by incessant rains, like other sectors also caused massive losses to the agriculture sector.
The DG noted that on the directives of the minister, a team comprising PDMA officials, district administration and agriculture experts carried out a joint survey assessing the exact losses.
While demanding release of early funds, DG said with the approval of required funds repair work would be initiated to restore the disrupted communication system.
A view of T-20 cricket match played between Balochistan and Southern Punjab teams during National T-20 Cup 22-23 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
President urges business community to contribute to flood relief efforts, adopt latest ICT tools
ISLAMABAD, Aug 30 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday urged the business community, especially the small traders and industries, to contribute generously to the flood relief efforts and support the flood-affected countrymen.
The president, addressing the Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industries (ICST&SI) Achievement Awards distribution ceremony, also urged the business community to adopt the latest Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools to expand their businesses and bring value addition to their products.
He asked the businessmen to explore new markets to expand exports and overcome the current economic difficulties being faced by the country.
The president emphasised the need to invest in the human resources of the country, saying that upskilling our youth bulge and women population in different sectors of the economy, especially the IT sector, could help Pakistan achieve fast-paced growth in the short term.
He said that Pakistan should focus on the development of a knowledge-based economy and equipping its enormous human resources with soft and latest technical skills to put the country on a path of progress.
He advised the business community to base their business and trade upon ethical values of honesty, integrity, responsibility, quality, trust and respect and customer satisfaction to consolidate their position in the market in a sustained manner.
President Alvi said that new markets could be captured by maintaining the quality of goods and services to gain the trust, confidence and loyalty of customers and fulfilling their corporate social responsibilities.
He called upon the chambers of commerce to motivate their members to organize trade fairs and exhibitions of their products and services in the country as well as abroad, besides using online marketing facilities to substantially increase their customer base and expand their businesses.
Highlighting the importance of exports in bridging the current account deficit, he said that the country needed to bring about a paradigm shift in the pace of its economic progress.
Therefore, he called upon the chambers of commerce and industry to further consolidate their efforts to increase their production without compromising the quality, promoting tax culture, and expanding their memberships to bring more businesses in their purview.
The president highlighted that the decision-makers should take timely decisions through a consultative process to increase country’s productivity and to remain competitive in the local and international markets.
He called upon the members of the business community to market their products internationally while maintaining globally accepted ethical values, environmental, hygiene, health and safety standards.
The president said that it was the government’s responsibility to take stock of the proposals of the business community and through consultation and negotiations and providing due concessions to the business community to improve the ease of doing business.
He added that it would not only improve their businesses but would also increase employment opportunities in the country.
While highlighting the importance of trade, he said that trade was a noble profession and had been practised by the messengers of Allah, including our Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
He added that Islam spread in most parts of the world not by the power of the sword by due to the fair, just, honest and truthful conduct of Muslim traders.
The president also called upon the business community to increase the participation of women in businesses and industry by providing them with a safe, secure and harassment-free working environment and facilitating them at the workplace.
He said that barring women from socio-economic activities had no religious basis rather it was based on cultural and human biases embedded in our culture and society.
He said that such beliefs needed to be discouraged as Hazrat Khadeeja (RA) was a businesswoman who used to participate in business activities and actively managed her business enterprises.
The president said that cultural and structural hindrances against women’s inclusion should be removed by educating the people, and taking affirmative action in different sectors, including business, trade, investment and manufacturing.
Earlier, the representatives of the Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industries thanked the president for his continuous patronage and encouragement and said that the purpose of these awards was to recognize and honour the dedicated businesspersons for their contributions to the socio-economic development of the country.
It was highlighted that ICST&SI was providing guidance and counselling to entrepreneurial youth and had imparted trainings to youth in e-commerce and digital marketing, besides signing MOUs for cooperation with emerging start ups.
President ICST&SI Muhammad Zahid, and members of the business community attended the event.
Gypsy boys searching onion from trash at vegetable Market
Pakistan, other developing countries should not be left at mercy of climate change: PM
ISLAMABAD, Aug 30 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that international community, particularly the developed world, should not leave developing countries like Pakistan at the mercy of climate change.
”If it is us today, it can be somebody else tomorrow. Threat of climate change is real, potent and staring us in the face,” the Prime Minister said in a tweet after he met members of international media to brief about flood ravages in Pakistan.
He said that the devastation was evidence of seriousness of the threat posed by climate change.
Despite having less than 1% share in carbon emission, Pakistan was ranked 8th in terms of exposure to climate hazards, the Prime Minister added.
UNICEF offers cooperation to restart educational activities in flood-affected areas of KP
PESHAWAR, Aug 30 (APP): A delegation of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) here on Tuesday offered cooperation in restarting educational activities in flood-affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The delegation, headed by Country Representative Mr Abdullah A Fadil, called on KP Minister of Elementary and Secondary Education (E&SE) Shahram Khan Tarakai at his office.
The minister lauded the efforts taken by UNICEF for supporting elementary and secondary education in a difficult time.
Shahram termed the partnership between UNICEF and E&SE as the most credible and productive. The flagship project on Alternative Learning Programmes (ALPs) was turning out to be a landmark success as a quality education provision system, he said.
The provincial government, he said, was replicating and scaling up the education model, and the department was utilizing all resources for upgrading its technical support.
He appreciated the role of UNICEF as a grant agent of GPE and marked its credibility with the government.
Fadil thanked the minister and vowed to help starting educational activities in the flood affected areas and said that UNICEF had appealed for support to respond to this high-scale emergency.