ISLAMABAD, May 10 (APP):Islamabad Model Postgraduate College (IMPC) H-8, Islamabad clinched the Inter Collegiate Athletics (Boys) 2017-18 on Thursday here at the National Library Auditorium.
The prize distribution ceremony of the Quaid-i-Azam University’s 6th Inter Collegiate Tournaments (Boys & Girls) was held here at the Auditorium on Thursday in which IMPC) H-8, Islamabad got the first position with 60 points while IMPCC H-8/4, Islamabad secured the second spot with 56 points and ICB G-6/3, Islamabad took third position with 48 points.
IMGC (PG) G-10/4, Islamabad got first position in the Inter Collegiate Athletics (Girls) 2017-18 with 56 points while IMCG Model Town Humak, Islamabad took second position with 15 points and IMCG (PG) F-7/4, Islamabad was third with 10 points.
IMCG G-10/4, Islamabad took first position in Badminton (girls) and volleyball (girls) while IMCG (PG) G-10/4, Islamabad clinched first position in table tennis (girls), tennis (girls), volleyball (girls).and cricket (girls).
IMPC H-8, Islamabad got first position in Hockey (boys), IMPCC H-8/4, Islamabad took first position in tug of war (boys) and kabaddi (boys). IMCB F-10/4, Islamabad bagged first position in cricket (boys).
Federal Directorate of Education Director (Colleges) Amber Sultana who was the chief guest on the occasion said we should indulge youth in healthy activities and we must provide them with various healthy activities. “By involving our youth in sports we can counter terrorism,” she said.
IMPC Islamabad clinch Inter Collegiate Athletics (Boys)
MD PTDC calls on Ambassador of Iran
ISLAMABAD, May 10 (APP):Managing Director Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor Khan has called on Iranian Ambassador Mehdi Honardoost in Pakistan.
During meeting, he briefed Iran Ambassador about his recent visit to Iran and meetings with senior government officials about promotion of tourism between the brotherly countries, said a press relesse.
He said that tourism related issues were discussed in these meetings, and two-way views were discussed. Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor assure that he was ready to cooperate with you all the time as brothers. Managing Director PTDC said that tourism is a sector where people of one country meet people of other countries and relationships and links increase.
Iran’s Ambassador Mehdi Honadoost said that Iran value its relationd with Pakistan, adding that “both brotherly countries are enjoying very cordial relations”.
Ambassador said by promotion of tourism, we can bring our nations more closer and we may create more employment opportunities to alleviate poverty. Through this, the message of love, brotherhood and peace can be conveyed to the world.
He announced that soon after Ramazan, high level Iranian delegation will visit Pakistan and during this time the agreement will be finalized for the tourism sector, which will further boost the relations between the two countries.
Four-day Chilam Joshi festival to start from tomorrow
ISLAMABAD, May 10 (APP):A four-day Chilam Joshi Festival would be held in Kalash Valleys of Bumburate, Birir and Rumbur from May 11 (Friday).
The annual festival was held in three Kalash valleys of Bumburate, Birir and Rumbur where Kalasha girls and boys dance to the tune of traditional drum beats.
A large number of tourists including foreigners from all over the world would participate in the festival.
The Chilam Joshi Festival would be started with ‘Milkday’ on which Kalash people offers libations of milk that had been saved for 10 days prior to the occasion.
The celebrations would highlight their cultural richness, plethora of colours and the underlying message of peace. In the festival the Kalasha people would seek the blessing of their God and pray for the safety of herds and crops of the community.
The women would be dressed up in traditional clothes of vibrant colours, gold and silver jewellery and elaborate headgear. Men wear traditional Shalwar Kameez with a woolen waistcoat. The Kalash women and men dance and sing in a circle on the rhythmical chant of drum beats.
Kalashi festivals are famous throughout the world. Three festivals are more important celebrated in different months of year. Chilam Joshi is the most important festival celebrated in May. Uchal festival held in autumn season and Chomos festival in mid- winters.
Chilam Joshi festival of Kalash valley is of four days. It starts at Rumbur valley and then moves on to the other valleys. In this festival Kalashi people pray for the safeguard of their fields and animals before going to their fields and for this purpose they used to spread milk on their Gods.
Pakistan, India need to engage, resolve disputes: Nasser Janjua
ISLAMABAD, May 10 (APP):National Security Adviser Lt General (R) Nasser Khan Janjua Thursday said Pakistan and India were nuclear powers and both needed to engage each other, resolve disputes and move forward as their tense relationship was having an effect on the whole region.
Speaking at a seminar on “peace a dividend for development and stability in Afghanistan”, he said relations between India and Pakistan were not good. “Both countries are not talking to each other and the relations between them are tense.” The two countries had to think whether they wanted to remain enemies forever, he added.
He said Pakistan would continue to play its role for peace in the region and would work along with Afghanistan under their cooperative framework to achieve regional stability. “Peace in Afghanistan is necessary for stability in the region. Pakistan direly wanted peace and progress in Afghanistan.”
He recalled that Afghanistan was abandoned by world powers after the withdrawal of USSR which created a vacuum. Afterwards, the attack on United States on 9/11 created chaos and everyone supported United States in the war on Afghanistan and the US dismantled Taliban regime by using excessive force. “We are now trying that Taliban join the political process but at that time after 9/11 they were not allowed to take part in the elections.”
The adviser said 35,000 Pakistani citizens and 22,000 soldiers of all ranks and seniority were martyred because of militancy in Pakistan, which had to bear financial cost of billions of dollars.
He told that it was very difficult to manage the Pak-Afghan border because of the treacherous terrain. Hundreds of routes existed in FATA areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from where thousands of people daily cross borders.
He opined that Pakistan and Afghanistan were ideally located, had huge economic potential and by developing cooperative relationship could have a great common future.
He welcomed the Afghan leadership’s desire seeking peace through dialogue saying Pakistan would facilitate the noble initiative as peace in Afghanistan was essential for peace in Pakistan, which had supported efforts for political reconciliation. “Pakistan will continue to support peace efforts in Afghanistan.”
The adviser said Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan needed to become massive trade corridors, adding Pakistan could become an industrial hub and could connect consumer markets from Asia to Europe.
Ambassador (R) Rustam Shah Mohmand said it was not true that there was complete disorder and catastrophe in Afghanistan, adding new power stations, hospitals, universities and infrastructure projects were built in Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands of children were going to schools and agriculture sector growth was phenomenal.
Afghanistan had tremendous reserves of natural resources like oil, gas, gold, copper, iron ore, lithium and other precious metals, he added.
He said however, this was one side of the picture, and the downside was frightening in scale. Afghanistan which had revenues of $ two billion was spending $4.5 billion every year on its police and security forces.
The unemployment was at an alarming rate of 40 percent, 39 percent of the population was living below the poverty line and the opium production had gone up to 6,000 tonnes increasing heroin addicts in the region by millions destroying social fabric of societies, he added.
CM inaugurates pathology lab, first OPD block, hepatitis filter clinic at DHQ Hospital Jhelum
LAHORE, May 10 (APP):Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated pathology lab, first OPD block and hepatitis filter clinic at DHQ Hospital Jhelum, on Thursday.
Provincial Minister Kh. Imran Nazir, assembly members from Jhelum and concerned officials were present on the occasion.
After the inauguration, Shehbaz Sharif prayed for success of new initiatives and announced that foundation stone of a new hospital will be laid immediately after the elections of 2018 if an opportunity is accorded by Almighty Allah. This hospital will be completed in a span of one year with Punjab Speed, he added.
He said hospital culture has been totally transformed in Punjab. Earlier, patients were afraid of going to government-run hospitals and now they will feel satisfied in their treatment in public sector hospitals, he added. He said, “PTI and Peoples Party should come to us to get training of public service.”
The chief minister inspected different sections of filter clinic and asked the patients about the availability of different facilities. He also went to chest clinic to inquire the patients about treatment facilities and availability of medicines. Patients expressed their pleasant surprise over the presence of Chief Minister in first OPD block of the hospital.
Shehbaz Sharif inquired after the patients and prayed for their early recovery. He also examined gynae OPD, operation theater block and dialysis centre and inquired about the working of the dialysis machine there.
He also visited the pathology lab and keenly checked different steps of medical tests. He said that establishment of pathology lab in DHQ Hospital Jhelum is a gift of the PML-N government for the people. He announced that pathology tests will be held free of cost in all outdoors of the hospitals in Punjab and fee will be paid by the Punjab government. In DHQ Hospital Jhelum, the facility of medical tests will be provided through Islamabad Diagnostic Center, he added.
The patients said that the chief minister has won the hearts of the people with new initiatives and now standard of the hospital is no less than any good hospital. You have transformed the hospital’s culture and it does not give the appearance of a public sector hospital, they added.
Talking to the media-persons afterwards, the chief minister said the real revolution has been introduced in the healthcare sector and culture of public sector hospitals has been totally changed. Now, the patients are getting quality medicines free of cost in government-run hospitals. He said that DHQ Hospital Jhelum has been totally revamped and CT scan machine will be installed here within a week to provide round-the-clock facility to the patients.
He said the Punjab government has spread a network of CT scan machines in the province and the culture of asking the patients to conduct their CT scans from outside has been done away with. “This is the service which we have done for the ailing humanity,” he added.
He said revolutionary steps in the health sector are satisfying but the journey is long and it has to be completed with unified efforts.
He said incinerators are being installed in government hospitals to dispose of the hospital waste. The French and UK made plants have been set up in 15 DHQ hospitals and their installment in other district hospitals is in progress speedily, he said and added that incinerating plant will be set up in DHQ Hospital Jhelum in the month of August.
He said that health projects have been completed with Punjab Speed and this passion has been transformed to Pakistan Speed now.
The chief minister invited the PTI and Peoples Party leadership to come here for learning about serving the ailing humanity and how hospitals are established. “We will tell them that what honesty, hard work and trust are,” he added. “Different countries have surpassed us by following these golden principles and we have to work very hard so that Pakistan could gain a position of respect and honor in the comity of nations by continuously working hard as a unified nation,” concluded the Chief Minister.
PM Abbasi’s stance on chairman NAB good omen: Nawaz Sharif
ISLAMABAD, May 10 (APP):Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqqan Abbasi’s statement in the National Assembly about chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was a good omen.
He was talking to media outside accountability court here Thursday when he arrived with his daughter Maryam Nawaz to appear in the court pertaining to Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference.
Nawaz Sharif said that NAB was exceeding its powers in many affairs and added that former president General (R) Pervez Musharraf had constituted the anti-graft body for his own designs.
He said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s statement regarding chairman NAB was commendable. “We have to decide whether we should act in accordance with the laws made by dictatorship or democratic governments,” he added.
Regarding a question over the inclusion of Southern Punjab Province Front into Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Nawaz Sharif said that no one knew leaders of the said Front.
Nawaz Sharif said those who joined PTI stood with Imran Khan while the rest of the nation was standing by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
He added that Imran Khan was not a trust worthy politician as he had dual standards, saying a politician with dual standards have no worth.
Week-long Spring Festival starts at Lok Virsa
ISLAMABAD, May 10 (APP):A week-long Spring Festival started here at National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa) organized by National Cultural Development Forum (NCDF) in collaboration with Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and National Press Club (NPC), Islamabad.
The event was started with colourful cultural show at Open Air Theatre of Lok Virsa. A popular Punjabi folk singer Laila Jutti performed in the opening ceremony of the week-long festival and enthralled the audience.
Laila Jutti stole the show with her superb performance on ‘Bhalay Bhaley’ and a few other popular Punjabi songs.
The musical show entertained the audience with soothing melodies by the singers accompanied by instrumental music on various popular tunes.
The audience termed the show as an excellent opportunity to enjoy the melodies and traditional songs in a live concert.
The cultural festival aimed at promoting culture, arts, crafts, folk music and traditional skills of the country.
A traditional local cuisines stalls also arranged in the premises of Lok Virsa, Garden Avenue Shakarparian.
The craft bazaar featuring arts and crafts also arranged in the premises of the Lok Virsa.
The festival will continue till May 13.
Legal Practitioners, Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill introduced in NA
ISLAMABAD, May 10 (APP):A bill to amend the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Act, 1973 (The Legal Practitioners and Bar
Councils Amendment Bill, 2018) was introduced in National Assembly (NA) on Thursday.
Minister for Law and Justice Chaudhary Mahmood Bashir Virk introduced the bill in the House.
China classical music concert to be held tomorrow at PNCA
ISLAMABAD, May 10 (APP):The Embassy of People’s Republic of China, China Cultural Centre in collaboration with NICE, a network of international culture entities would organize a concert of China Classical music “Moonlight Over the Spring River” on May 11 at Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA).
China Opera and Dance-Drama Theatre artists would present classical music of China in the concert.
“Spring Moonlight on the Flowers by the River” is one of the most famous Chinese traditional music works. It had been popular among ordinary people before the year 1875 and has become one of the masterpieces in the treasury of Chinese classical music.
Spring Moonlight on the Flowers by the Riveris one of the most famous Chinese traditional music works. It had been popular among ordinary people before the year 1875, and has become one of the masterpieces in the treasury of Chinese classical music.
It was originally named as Pipa tune Flutes and Drums at Dusk, and was adapted by Liu Yaozhang, a member of Shanghai’s Datong Music Conservatory and renamed as Spring Moonlight on the Flowers by the Riverby Zheng Jinwen in 1930.
Since 1949, it has undergone many revisions, until now it is a highly polished piece. The intro has a background of musical harmony, and then a Pipa is plunked faster and faster, giving out drumbeat-like notes. At the same time, deft fingering on a vertical bamboo flute produces the melody.
The contrast between the two instruments — one producing pellet-like short notes by twanging, and the other producing long-drawn-out notes — conjures up a picture of a river in springtime. The technique, often used in folk music, of phrases repeated over and over, and seemingly chasing one another, gives a vivid impression of ripples on water.
The understated melody, the fluid rhythmical meter, the ingenious subtlety, together with random orchestration, combine to paint a tranquil scene of a river on a moonlit night in spring, and is paean of praise to the countryside south of the Yangtze River.
The whole work is divided into ten sections, each having a different title.
This music is based on a famous poetry of Tang Dynasty:
Pakistan seeks cooperation with SCO states in sports, medical tourism
BEIJING, May 10 (APP):Tourism cooperation among Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states will bring more opportunities for Pakistan’s economic development, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Pakistan Embassy, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said.
Speaking at the first SCO tourism ministerial meeting held in Wuhan, China, she said the SCO member states are connected in areas such as of history, culture and civilization.
Sports and medical tourism are new areas in which Pakistan will seek cooperation with China and other countries.
The country also will seek cooperation in travel products related to traditional Pakistani festivals and galas to bring prosperity both to Pakistan and countries involved in exchanges, she added.
During the first tourism ministerial meeting between the SCO member countries, the delegates from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, India, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan introduced their countries’ tourism development and proposed deepening cooperation on tourism exchanges with other member states.
They agreed on the progress made in tourism cooperation between SCO member countries under the framework of the 2017-2018 action plan, initiated in 2017 to implement the SCO Tourism Cooperation Program inked by the heads of the member states during the 16th SCO Summit on June 24, 2016.
The meeting also approved an action plan that will serve as a guideline for tourism cooperation between SCO member states from 2019 to 2020.
The joint action plan specifies cooperation among the national tourism administrations, as well as measures the member states could take to improve tourist experience and safety, develop tourist products and promote smart tourism.
The joint action plan will be submitted for official inking at the upcoming 18th SCO Summit hosted by the Chinese city of Qingdao.
Member states say they are confident that the implementation of the plan will contribute to further tourism development in their respective countries.