UNITED NATIONS, May 25 (APP):The hydraulic extraction of natural gas, commonly known as ‘fracking’, produces cleaner energy than oil and coal, but it is not necessarily in the best interests of the world’s poorest countries, UN development experts say.
A new report by UNCTAD, the UN Conference on Trade and Development, describes natural gas as a useful ‘bridge fuel’ for States aiming to move towards more environmentally-friendly renewable power sources.
But it has disadvantages too, not least the fact that its main component is methane gas, which has a global-warming potential 28 times higher than the carbon dioxide found in other fossil fuels.
The fuel ‘should contribute ‘¦to achieving a low-carbon economy” by 2030, the report says, while pointing to “gaps in local geological and hydrological knowledge” and inadequate regulations that may represent “major obstacles to hydraulic fracturing as a method of extracting shale gas.”
Janvier Nkurunziza, Chief of UNCTAD’s Commodity Research and Analysis Section, said that the report was “not saying (fracking) is good or bad”. That was something that only governments could do, the UN official added, based on variables including their investment capacity and the possible contamination of underground water sources.
“Whether it’s really good, or bad, depends on a number of factors that we analyze in this report: geology, sources of water for example; if you are increasing your water stress by using a lot of water, infrastructure and so on and so forth,”said Nkurunziza, adding that “we are not saying it’s good or bad, just look at the conditions and the region (where) you want to explore this resource, and then you can determine whether you can do it or not.
That was something that only governments could do, the UN official added, based on variables including their investment capacity and the possible contamination of underground water sources.
Citing data from the United States Energy Information Administration, the UNCTAD report indicates that the world has around 60 years’ worth of shale gas left before the resource is exhausted.
Around half of the 215 trillion cubic metres this represents is in Algeria, Argentina, Canada, China and the Untied States “ although the US is the world’s leading shale gas producer, with 87 per cent of total output.”
“The U.S. is like an exception,”said Nkurunziza, noting that no other country has the “huge investments” necessary to fund shale gas exploration on such a scale.
Thanks to this financial strength, the North American giant also became a net exporter of natural gas in July last year, while the country’s massive commitment to liquefaction facilities has also put it on course to hold the third largest processed stock of the energy source in the world, after Australia and Qatar between now and 2020.
Other factors such as land ownership, also explain the US dominance in shale gas exploration, Nkurunziza said, highlighting that in the US, “if you want to use your land to frack it’s up to you”.
The UNCTAD official added that the world’s largest economy also has “highest technology that’s available” for fracking to happen, along with a highly flexible financial system capable of resisting the ups and downs of commodity price changes.
“In the U.S. sometimes when the prices go down they stop fracking, when the prices increase the investments are there, so investors will come and do it, so it’s very flexible”.
Developing countries should approach ‘fracking’ with caution: UNCTAD
Calligraphy Gallery at NLPD to be inaugurated on Monday
ISLAMABAD, May 25 (APP):Advisor to Prime Minister on National History and Literary Heritage (NH&LH), Irfan Siddiqui will inaugurate Calligraphy Gallery at National Language Promotion Department (NLPD) in a ceremony on May 28 (Monday).
A number of calligraphic art pieces of renowned calligraphers from across the country have been placed at the gallery for the visitors.
NH&LH Division Federal Secretary Engineer Aamir Hasan and Head of NLPD, Iftikhar
Arif will also be present in the ceremony.
The newly established Calligraphy Wing of NLPD will start classes for the students from July so that they can utilize their summer vacation in a better way and learn this art by prominent artists.
The students will be taught the intricacies of calligraphic art following the recently prepared syllabus by a committee.
The syllabus committee was constituted by NLPD and included renowned calligraphers including
Rasheed Butt, Khalid Yousafi, Wasil Shahid and Nasir Khan Seemab.
90% literacy rate to be achieved by NTI master trainers training: Razina Alam Khan
ISLAMABAD, May 25 (APP):National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) has set up the first-ever National Training Institute (NTI) to train the master trainers for non-formal education to achieve 90 percent literacy rate across the country.
Talking to APP, NCHD Chairperson former senator Razina Alam Khan said the NTI has been widely appreciated by educationists, intelligentsia and politicians.
She said it was realized that an institution should be developed to provide training in the field of multi-grade teaching and a team of experts should be raised to train the master trainers in this neglected field. Low literacy rate and 57 million illiterates also demanded a focused approach to create such facility, she added.
Razina Alam Khan said the NTI was established with an aim to fulfill training needs of the professionals working in the field of non-formal education.
Existing formal system was adding about one percent literacy rate annually and through the existing pace Pakistan could only achieve 68 percent literacy rate by 2025, she added.
She said there were still 57 million adults illiterate and 6.4 million children in the age group of 8 to14 years, who could not be addressed through formal education system.
She emphasized that without non-formal education we could not become a part of literate society. The NTI was devising a National Plan of Action under the ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training in collaboration with all the stakeholders to achieve educational target of Vision 2025, she added.
The NCHD chairperson said the NTI would serve as a laboratory for the stakeholders working in the field of literacy and non-formal education.
It would develop manual and modules and conduct trainings to build capacities of literacy and non-formal education personnel, prepare learning resource packs for learners under accelerated learning programmes and conduct research studies to be utilized for highlighting grey areas and improving non-formal education system, she added.
She said the NTI would also devise National Plan of Action for policy makers which would serve as a road map to achieve SDG-4.
To a question, she said in under-developing countries it was required to place a system of education that could be success even with minimum budget.
Multi-grade teaching technique, she said, was one such strategy adopted by most of the under-developing countries to cut the cost being invested in hiring teachers for individual grades.
She said the NTI had introduced this technique in 5,949 feeder schools and results were fruitful. The NTI had trained master trainers and had developed a training manual for multi-grade teaching techniques which could be utilized by all the stakeholders working in non-formal education.
It is pertinent to mention here that Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Engineer Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman inaugurated the first National Training Institute in Islamabad on May 15, and said the government had taken a number of supportive steps to improve education in the country.
He was of the view that there was still need to work hard in this sector as there more than 40 percent children were out of school in the country.
He said there was a well-organized formal system of education for primary grades, but we were far away from achieving 90 percent literacy rate. In order to complete the unfinished agenda there was need to utilize and activate non-formal education system, he opined.
Senate passes FATA merger bill
ISLAMABAD, May 25 (APP):The Senate on Friday passed the constitutional amendment bill regarding the merger
of Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Provincially
Administered Tribal Area (PATA) with their respective provinces.
Minister of Law and Justice Chaudhary Mahmood Bashir Virk moved the bill, to further
amend the Constitution Amendment Bill, 2018 in the House.
Seventy-one (71) lawmakers voted in favour of the bill and five voted against it. Earlier,
all the clauses (2 to 7) and preamble and title of the bill were passed by the House with more
than two third majority.
Two allies of the ruling party, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the Paktunkhwa
Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) opposed the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2018.
The bill will be further tabled in the Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the passage.
It is to mention that the bill aimed at integrating the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas
(PATA) with the respective provinces and the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) with
the province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and bringing the people of tribal areas in the mainstream.
In the article 1 of the Constitution which defines the territories of Pakistan, it seeks to omit
the paragraph “C” of sub-clause-2 of the Article-1 under which FATA is placed as separate
territory of the country like the four provinces. After the “C” omission, the federally administered
tribal areas shall form part of the territory of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
It also seeks to amend the clause-1 of the Article-51 which defines the number of seats in
the National Assembly as three hundred and forty-two. The draft bill seeks to reduce the number
of seats from 342 to 326 and also replaces the table which gives the seats division between
provinces and federal capital given in the clause-3 with a new one with total 326 seats.
It adds a new clause called “3A” after the clause 3 to give legal cover to the representatives
who will be elected from FATA in general polls 2018. They will continue as member of the national
assembly till dissolution of the National Assembly and thereafter this clause shall stand omitted.
It removes the word “Federally Administered Tribal Areas,” from the clause-5 under which
seats of the national assembly are allocated on population bases.
The bill also seeks changes in the Article-59 which deals with Senate. It reduces the number
of Senate members from 104 to 96. It omits the sub-clause (b) of the clause-1 of the Article-59
which gives 8 members to FATA thus FATA members will be deleted.
It also deleted the sub-clause (b) of the clause-3 of the same Article which states that 4 of
the Senators elected from FATA shall retire after three years and 4 four after next three years.
Under Amendment to Article 106 of the Constitution, new clauses (1 A) and 1 (B) are inserted
which deals with number of seats of FATA in the KP provincial assembly. Out of total 21 seats, 16
seats will be for general, four for women and one for non-Muslim. However, elections to the aforesaid
seats shall be held within one year after the General Election, 2018.
The Articles-246 which deals with tribal areas, the clause “C” which defines and names the
federally administered tribal areas is omitted. Furthermore, a new clause “d” is inserted which states
that the laws applicable in these areas, will remain applicable until repealed or changed by competent
authority.
Meanwhile, the bill also seeks to omit the Article 247 of the Constitution.
Opponents of the bill claimed it was denying the right of the people of FATA who should have right
to decide about their own fate.
They termed the amendment a disaster and warned that it would haunt the country in the days to
come.
Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri while opposing the bill said that opinion of the people of FATA should
be sought before the passage of the bill.
Usman Khan Kakar termed it as black day and said his party was in favour to end FCR. “We want
identity of the people of FATA and reforms in the area”, he added.
He said that people of FATA are against the terrorism and rendered unmatched sacrifices in the
war against terrorism. He said hundred of elders of FATA had been killed by the terrorists.
Opposition leader in the Senate Sherry Rehman congratulated all the members on the passage
of bill and said time would prove it as a very good decision.
She said the bill would address the grievances of people of FATA to a great extent besides
removing the anomaly.
Mian Raza Rabbani said it was matter of satisfaction that a colonial system had been eliminated
from the country. He said this was not only the bill of merger but it had virtually eliminated the
differences, which were created between FATA and rest of the country.
He also appreciated the efforts of former lawmakers Farhatullah Babar and Afrasiab Khattak
for their contribution for the merger of FATA into KPK.
PTI Senator Azam Swati termed the passage of the bill as historic and said the merger will
bring happiness for the people of FATA.
Jamaat-e-Islami leader Sirajul Haq said lawful rights to the people of the Federally Administered
Tribal Areas (Fata) would be given after passage of this legislative proposal. He said that credit for
the merger of FATA into KPK goes to all the political parties.
He said that struggle was started by the Pakistan Peoples Party for the merger of in to KPK.
Parliament to play role in capacity building of its members: Speaker NA
ISLAMABAD, May 25 (APP):Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq Friday said Parliament will continue to play its role in capacity building of its members and the staff.
He was speaking at a ceremony of signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Parliament’s Sustainable Development Goals Secretariat and Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here.
Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Executive Director of SDPI Abid Sulehri signed the MoU.
The Speaker said various steps have been taken for training and capacity building of members of Parliament so that they can take part in the affairs of the Parliament more effectively.
Cooperation will continue with other institutions to conduct research and take benefit from the new knowledge, he noted..
He said gaining of knowledge was a constant pursuit and the effort to acquire education should continue throughout the life.
According to the MoU, SDPI will conduct workshops, carry out different initiatives and provide research to help parliamentarians in enhancing their capacity for effective oversight of the government, evidence based legislation. The Institute will also give technical assistance to the Parliamentarians and Standing Committees.
Convenor of the Parliamentary Task Force on SDGs Marriyum Aurangzeb and other members of the Parliament were present on the occasion.
Civilians in IoK & Palestine facing attacks in violation of int’l law, Pakistan tells UNSC
UNITED NATIONS, May 25 (APP):Reminding that civilians have become the principle objects of attack in armed conflicts, Pakistan has called for focusing on the root causes of decades-old international disputes like Kashmir and Palestine and their resolution in a bid to promote world peace and security.
“Gone are the days when the impact of armed conflicts on civilians was limited to collateral damage,” Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi, permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, told the UN Security Council on Thursday.
“Targeted attacks, sexual violence, forced conscription and indiscriminate killings collectively paint an extremely bleak picture of the human costs of modern day armed conflict,” she said in an open debate on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict.
The Geneva Conventions for protection of civilians and respect for human life were being violated, and in some the perpetrators of such crimes were awarded honours by their military commands, the Pakistan envoy said, adding that, “these crimes continue to be perpetrated in Palestine and Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, two of the oldest disputes on the agenda of this Council.”
“Inaction by the Security Council in cases of foreign aggression and occupation produces situations where such crimes breed,” Ambassador Lodhi told the 15-member body.
As a result, civilian casualties continue to grow, requiring ever-greater need for humanitarian assistance and protection for people displaced by conflict, Ambassador Lodhi said.
In 2017, the UN recorded more than 26,000 civilian deaths in just six situations of armed conflict, with 128 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and protection.
In this context, she underlined that host countries bear the primary responsibility for protection of all civilians without discrimination. Violations could be mitigated by the consistent use of national and international judicial and non-judicial means for promoting compliance with the International Humanitarian Law, and that military training must include familiarization those laws.
“As one of the world’s leading troop contributors to UN Peacekeeping, blue helmets from Pakistan have contributed to many of its success stories in Africa, from Liberia to Sierra Leone,” Ambassador Lodhi said.
“Our well-trained and professional peacekeepers have protected civilians, provided them much-needed medical care and rebuilt their lives,” she added.
In conclusion, the Pakistani envoy underscored the need for preventing the outbreak of armed conflict to accomplish the goal of protection of civilians.
“Our collective efforts need to be geared towards that goal. Otherwise, we will be treating only the symptoms and not the cause.”
Human suffering in Yemen at risk of further deterioration, warns UN aid chief
UNITED NATIONS, May 25 (APP):An escalation in fighting, increasing obstacles to aid delivery and lack of food and fuel, is compounding Yemen’s dire humanitarian crisis, the United Nations top relief official has warned, calling on all parties to the conflict to end the violence.
Across Yemen, more than 22 million people are dependent on humanitarian assistance or protection, of whom around 8.4 million are severely food insecure and at risk of starvation, Mark Lowcock, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, said in a statement.
“If conditions do not improve, a further 10 million people will fall into this category by the end of the year,” Lowcock cautioned.
Also looming is the threat of a resurgence in deadly cholera, together with watery diarrhoea, which infected over 600,000 people during the last outbreak, he added.
Of particular concern is the situation of Yemen’s children “one in four are out of school”, not only deprived of education but also at risk of recruitment by armed groups and exploitation.
“Humanitarian staff are being detained and intimidated and visas are being delayed and denied. Programmes and missions are being interfered with in ways which contradict humanitarian principles,” he added, calling on the Government to act on the assurances it made in the past and lift restrictions.Amidst worsening suffering in the war-torn country, humanitarian agencies are also facing increasing restrictions on their work, Lowcock added.
Lowcock, who is also the UN Humanitarian Affairs chief, said that imports of aid and commercial food has declined recently.
“Confidence among commercial shipping companies has eroded due to delays, including as a result of inspections undertaken by the Saudi-led Coalition after these vessels have been cleared by UNVIM,” he said.
The UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen “ UNVIM for short “ was established to facilitate commercial shipping in and out of Yemeni ports, in order to manage clearance requests and coordinate inspection of cargo at the ports of Hudaydah, Saleef and Ras Isa.
Lowcock said that humanitarian agencies stand ready to increase their delivery of assistance to the people of Yemen, and called on all warring parties to cooperate more, to ease civilian suffering.
“Finally, I urge all parties to engage meaningfully with the UN, without preconditions, to achieve a lasting, negotiated settlement towards sustainable peace,” he said.
U.N. Chief urges dialogue after Trump cancels summit with North Korean leader
UNITED NATIONS, May 24 (APP):United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday that he was “deeply concerned” by the cancellation of the planned summit meeting between the leaders of the United States and North Korea, with his spokesman saying that the UN chief was available to the parties to facilitate the process.
Speaking in Geneva on Thursday, where the Secretary-General unveiled his new Agenda for Disarmament, Guterres called on the two parties “to continue their dialogue to find a path to the peaceful and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”
The decision to cancel the summit, which was due to take place in Singapore on 12 June, came in the form of a letter from the White House, although both sides had cast doubt in recent days that talks would go ahead next month, according to news reports.
US President Donald Trump was due to sit down to discuss denuclearizing the Peninsula with North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, for what would have been the first-ever face-to-face meeting between the leaders of the two countries.
IN New York Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, responding to a question whether Guterres would play any role in trying to restore the Trump-Kim meeting, said, “The secretry-general is available to all parties to facilitate the process.”
“The US announcement came just a few hours after an announcement from North Korea, that it had dismantled and closed its nuclear test site at Punggye-ri.
According to media reports, three tunnels at the site were reportedly collapsed in explosions conducted Thursday morning and afternoon, local time.
The closure has, however, not been verified by international experts.
Spokesperson Dujarric said it was regrettable that international experts were not invited to the site closing.
The statement added that Guterres hopes the site’s closure will contribute to efforts towards sustainable peace in the region.
The Korean Peninsula remains one of the world’s longest unresolved conflicts, which began in June 1950. An armistice brought about a ceasefire in 1953, but the war never officially ended.
The leaders of the two Koreas held a historic meeting on the line dividing their two countries at the end of last month.
Pakistani youth very talented; can compete in every field of life: PM
ISLAMABAD, May 24 (APP):Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday said Pakistani youth, including the girls, were very talented and equipped with all abilities to excel and compete in the world in every field of life.
The Prime Minister expressed these views while a meeting a group of girl students from National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) here at the PM Office.
The students, who have produced a racing car to participate in International Formula Student Competition to be held in Silverstone car racing track, United Kingdom, in July, showed the car to the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister expressed his pleasure over the students’ hard work and praised their technical abilities and mechanical skills in producing the racing car.
He said such brilliant youth were the country’s pride who could bring laurels to the country.
Through excessive effort and hard work, the 15-member ‘Team Auj’ has successfully secured its place as a registered participant of the International Formula Student Competition.
The team was not only determined to land a position among the top most teams of the competition, but was also prepared to have its impact on the society by encouraging able women to put their knowledge and creativity to a better and more practical use.
PML-N government completing its term despite various challenges: PM
ISLAMABAD, May 24 (APP):Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday said as the PML-N government was going to complete its Constitutional tenure despite various challenges it faced over the last five years, the masses would give their verdict on the government’s performance through the July 2018 general election.
“After July 28 court verdict, different deadlines were being given by some people in television talk shows about the end of PML-N government with some even claiming that Senate elections will not be held, but we are proud that we faced all such challenges and continued our journey,” he said while speaking in a private television talk show.
To a question Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said after the July 28 court verdict, he was given the responsibility of heading the government by his party and since then he had served the country and people according to his best ability.
He, however, added it were not the individuals who matter but the parties and the policies and the people would make their decision about the PML-N government’s performance in the upcoming general election.
The Prime Minister in response to a question said the government abolished permission for use of automatic weapons by private people and general public, and simplified the procedure for getting arms licenses for non-prohibited weapons.
To another question, he said, with the exception of May and June, which was also due to water shortage and line losses the government had succeeded in ending electricity load-shedding during 10 months.
The Prime Minister was of the view that the issue of circular debt could be addressed through the privatization of DISCOs (Distribution Companies), which was also evident from the fact that K-Electric did not owe any such debt.
About the water issue, he said, Pakistan would be facing the challenge of water scarcity in the coming years, adding, it was the PML-N government which had worked seriously on that issue and the country’s first water policy was formulated.
“We have to understand and realize this fact of water scarcity, and it could be addressed through various measures including water conservation and storage,” he added.
To a question about the involvement of a US Embassy official in a recent accident in Islamabad that caused the death of a motorcyclist, the Prime Minister said the official enjoyed diplomatic immunity, so the government could not stop him from leaving the country.
He, however, added that it was the moral duty of the government to compensate the victim’s family.
The Prime Minister also rejected as “baseless” the report of an Indian newspaper that he and the Chinese president talked about Hafiz Saeed during their recent meeting on the sidelines of Boao Forum or in any other meeting.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in response to a question about Supreme Court’s direction for implementation in Asghar Khan case, said it would be placed before the next Cabinet meeting and the Supreme Court would be informed about it.
About Musharraf case, the prime minister said he (Musharraf) was sent abroad for medical purposes on court’s order.
He said that 30 years had passed in Asghar Khan case but there was no evidence in it.
The prime minister said the country had witnessed major incidents like assassination of the first prime minister of Pakistan, Fall of Dhaka, Kargil, Asghar Khan case etc and the time had come that a Truth and Reconciliation Commission should be formed so that facts could be ascertained and such kinds of incidents could be avoided in future.
The formation of such a commission would not be aimed at persecuting anyone, or to award punishment, but at least the facts behind the major events could be unfolded before the people, he added.
He said it was practiced worldwide, and mentioned the example of South Africa where the apartheid system ruined the society, but they formed a commission to ascertain the facts which had a positive effect on their society.
To another question about Nawaz Sharif interview to The DAWN newspaper, he said, the former prime minister never said that the Mumbai attackers were from Pakistan.
“Whatever impression the Indian media gave about this interview was damaging and had nothing to do with the reality,” he said. Nobody had read the interview but were giving comments, he remarked.
The prime minister said he told the National Security Committee meeting that the statement of Nawaz Sharif was misreported and not a reality.
About the interim prime minister, Abbasi said consultation between him and leader of the opposition was going on, adding, both have forwarded three names each for the interim PM but still there was no consensus on it.
The prime minister said if the issue was not resolved between him and Khursheed Shah then two names each from both sides would be sent to Parliamentary Committee, adding even if it was not decided there, then it would be decided by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
The prime minister appreciated all the political parties on smooth passage of the 31st Constitutional Amendment bill, 2018, by the National Assembly for merging FATA into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and to bring the people of tribal areas in the mainstream.
He said not only FATA would be integrated with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) would also be integrated with the respective provinces.
He said both FATA and PATA would be exempted from tax for the next five year.
The prime minister said only parliament was the proper forum for resolution of all issues faced by the country.