KARACHI, May 4 (APP):In order to provide better health care facilities to Karachities , the Edhi Foundation in an agreement got connected with a ride-hailing services app ‘Careem’ for swift access to the patients on Friday .
Talking to APP, Faisal Edhi , son of Abdul Sattar Edhi and Head of Edhi Foundation said, “We are working on a plan to embrace modern technology to improve efficiency and accessibility as our services deal with sensitive and emergency issues.”
He said “the World was hanging around the internet and we cannot remain isolated especially when citizens unfortunately do not have access to basic health care facilities, meant to be provided by the State.”
“Careem has partnered with our foundation and it will give us the chance to further optimize our services with the use of technology and enhance connectivity for the benefit of under privileged“, he added.
Careem’s Public Relation Officer Sibtain Naqvi from Karachi said customers could now book an ambulance using its app for which a dedicated “ambulance” category is featured in this regard.
They would receive a booking confirmation via message and the ambulance would arrive at the assigned time and location, he informed.
He said that the customers would now be able to call an ambulance through their app for patient’s transportation “from and to” home and hospital.”
For this online connectivity using Careem’s app the customers would not be charged and they would pay to only Edhi Foundation for hired services adding that the Careem’s app service for Edhi customers at the moment is available in Karachi only and soon country’s other cities would also be connected.
Junaid Iqbal Managing Director of Careem Pakistan said “Our mission is to bring more and more ease to people’s lives by providing them variety of convenient transportation to respond to emerging needs.
He said the quick availability of ambulance in Karachi was a need of the hour and “we are proud to be able to extend further
Edhi Foundation’s cause”.
The Edhi Foundation was founded by late philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi in 1951 and its ambulance service is fulfilling the need of majority of Karachities in case of emergency as country’s biggest city is still deprived of a government based ambulance service like ‘Rescue 1122’.
Edhi gets connected with ride-sharing app to improve health care needs
PML-N to win next election based on performance; Deserters to bear loss: PM
ISLAMABAD, May 3 (APP):Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Thursday said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz will bag victory in upcoming general election just on the basis of its performance during the ongoing stint.
In an interview with Pakistan Television, the prime minister said the party had strong candidates in all the constituencies to contest next polls. It was their personal decision who had deserted the party but they will have to bear the loss like others in the past.
He said despite all notions, the government was about to complete its term.
He said after he assumed the office of prime minister, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif never dictated him however, the government was toeing his vision of national development.
To a question, he said every political party must be given level playing field for the election but the judicial activism, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) proceedings and cases in the accountability courts were impacting the government functions.
About his meeting with Chief Justice of Pakistan, he said he had apprised him about the prevailing situation when the
government officers were reluctant to take any decision.
Asked about the decision by Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to contest from three constituencies, he hoped that former interior minister would contest poll on PML-N ticket and would succeed too.
Regarding the caretaker prime minister he said few names were being discussed to shortlist a person who is a political and undisputed. He however, stressed that the decision should be made at the parliamentary level without letting it go to the election commission.
Asked about the 11-point agenda by Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan, the prime minister said one should ask them as how much they had implemented these points in the PTI- run Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
When asked as why Miftah Ismail, a non-elected person, was selected to present the budget, the prime minister said constitutionally, it was not wrong, though it had never been practiced earlier. He said it was Miftah Ismail who had prepared the
budget, so he was supposed to present and defend the same.
To another query, Prime Minster Abbasi said the federal government had presented the budget for the whole fiscal 2018-19 and the next government would be free to revise it as per its priorities.
Prime Minister Abbasi ruled out the impression that the government had surpassed the limit of foreign loans and said it stood at 62 percent of the GDP, however the government was striving to bring it below 60 percent.
He said except very few, the states could not run their affairs without foreign loans which were paid back with the increase in exports following the growth of the economy.
He said as rupee had been brought to its actual value, the exports were on rise and the economy was growing.
He viewed that the economic growth could have touched 6.5 percent mark had there been no incidences of Panama or sit-ins.
About frequent increase in oil prices, the prime minister said no country could subsidize petrol otherwise it would have to take loans to bridge the gap. However, he said the oil prices in Pakistan were still 30 percent lower than the Indian market.
To a question, he hoped that the budget will be passed smoothly and assured the opposition that the government would incorporate their positive proposals in the document.
About the performance of sick public sector units, the prime minister said the governments could never run businesses. He said currently the PIA’s liabilities had soared to Rs 500 billion which was Rs 100 billion above the whole annual expenditures of the country’s government.
Rejecting the opposition’s criticism, the prime minister said the government had offered all including Sindh government, PIA union or pilots’ association to take over the PIA and turn it into profit-earning entity.
Regarding the FATA reforms, he said it required the constitutional amendment and the exclusive reforms committee had convened the meeting of parliamentary party leaders on Monday to apprise them on the roadmap.
Asked about the sudden increase in the load-shedding, the prime minister said the supply had been reduced following the water shortage and technical issues with some power units; however hoped the situation would be overcome soon.
He explained the government had added above 10,000 MW to national grid, however the technical difficulties will remain there. The areas having excessive power theft would also face the power outages otherwise the government would have to bear the loss which could even soar to Rs 250 billion.
To another question, the prime minister said Khawaja Muhammad Asif had challenged high court’s decision of his disqualification in Supreme Court and in case he did not get relief, the government would appoint anyone else as foreign minister.
He said contrary to past, the incumbent government had successfully defended the country’s position and sovereignty to protect the country from diplomatic isolation.
About Afghan issue, the prime minister said Afghan government had finally accepted Pakistan’s longstanding stance that Afghan issue must be resolved by Afghans and Pakistan could only facilitate the dialogue process.
About the Kashmir issue, the prime minister said Indian government was perturbed over the escalation of the situation by local Kashmiri people. However, he reiterated that Pakistan would continue pressing the world community to force India implement the UN resolutions on Kashmir issue.
Pakistan highlights India’s rights abuses in Kashmir at UN drawing Indian objections
UNITED NATIONS, May 3 (APP):Pakistan has called on the United Nations to highlight the serious violations of human rights taking place in Indian Occupied Kashmir, a call that evoked strong objections from India.
Speaking in a session of the UN Committee on Information, a world body’s key forum, the Press Minister at the Pakistani Mission to the UN, Masood Anwar, raised the issue of Kashmir, saying that human rights violations are taking place against the oppressed Kashmiri people.
“The world we live today is marred with conflict and strife while we maintain unity in fighting terrorism and extremism.
Countering the narrative of this twisted ideologies is imperative,” Anwar said.
He said the UN’s Department of Public Information (DPI) can play an important role in defusing tensions and promoting
interfaith harmony.
“Human rights violations in particular are a matter of serious concern to the international community,” he said.
He urged DPI to highlight situations where “grave violations of human rights are taking place”, especially against the
Rohingya, Kashmiris and Palestinians.”
India rejected Anwar’s reference to Kashmir, saying his remarks were irrelevant to the work of the committee.
“We have seen another attempt here today to make reference to issues extraneous to the agenda of the committee. We completely reject these remarks as they have no relevance to the work of the Committee,” S. Srinivas Prasad, minister in the
Indian mission to the UN, said during the debate.
In his speech, Masood Anwar, the Pakistani delegate, also said that large movements of refugees and migrants trying to escape conflict and strife had rightly engaged the attention of and elicited the deep concern of the international community.
However, situations of protracted refugee presence where persons remained displaced for decades must not be forgotten.
Recalling that Pakistan had hosted millions of Afghan refugees for more than 40 years, he urged the Department to focus
on such situations, also drawing attention to his country’s renaissance in music, art and film. Young Pakistanis were breaking stereotypes, and society now reflected modernity and vibrancy rooted in the country’s ancient civilizational roots.
As Pakistan was one of the main troop contributing countries to United Nations peacekeeping operations, he said it
was working with other contributors on norm building discussions including on the reform of that key United Nations enterprise
and urged the Department to bolster its efforts to support that project.
PM rejects possibility of any delay in next general election
ISLAMABAD, May 3 (APP):Rejecting the possibility of any delay in the next general election, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday said the election would be held within 60 days after the completion of current assemblies’ constitutional term.
He said the name of caretaker prime minister had not been finalized so far, adding, however, if the Opposition Leader gave him a name today he was ready to decide it right away.
The prime minister expressed these views during an informal interaction with the newsmen here at a farewell dinner hosted by Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq in the honor of the country’s 14th National Assembly.
To a question, he was confident that the general election would be transparent. The present government would complete its term, he added.
To another question, the prime minister said the caretaker prime minister could be a retired judge, a retired bureaucrat or a businessman. The name of a retired politician can also be considered for the caretaker prime minister, but it was possible only if that person was not affiliated with any party, he added.
About the political future of former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Abbasi said, he (Nawaz Sharif) had a future today and would have the future tomorrow as well.
To a question about the “aliens”, PM Abbasi replied in a lighter mood that as he lived on earth it was better to talk about local species first.
About the reported torture of journalists by police in Islamabad on Thursday, the prime minister said if anyone had done so, he was sorry for that. Every day in Pakistan was a day of freedom of journalism, he added.
Tackling challenges facing media requires joint efforts by democratic forces, civil society, media organizations: Marriyum
ISLAMABAD, May 3 (APP):Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb in a message on the eve of World Press Freedom Day, on Thursday, has said that media faced multiple challenges and threats and tackling them required joint efforts by democratic forces, civil society and media organizations.
She said some of those challenges were structural, institutional, personal and transient. The minister said only a joint front could defeat the enemies of press freedom.
She said the freedom of press was no longer a luxury or a choice, but It was the foundational stone of all modern societies without which they could not function.
The minister said on the one hand World Press Freedom Day was being celebrated and on the other hand the media faced many restrictions.
Marriyum said in a country where independent media was drifting towards censorship and it was not independent in the true sense, it depicted a very regrettable situation.
Shoaib Sultan Khan meets High Commissioner
LONDON, May 03 (APP):Chairman Board of Directors, Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN)/National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) Shoaib Sultan Khan, met Pakistan’s High Commissioner to United Kingdom (UK) Syed Ibne Abbas here at Pakistan High Commission on Thursday.
He was accompanied by CEO NRSP Dr. Rashid Bajwa, said a statement issued by the Pakistan High Commission here.
During the meeting, Shoaib Sultan Khan briefed the high commissioner about his work on poverty
alleviation in Pakistan and South Asia through the launch of various Rural Support Programmes especially NRSP.
Khan also informed about NRSP’s micro-financing initiatives and setting up of a Rice Processing Plant at Hafizabad to help the local farmers in securing a higher level of productivity and better price for their produce.
He appreciated Pakistan High Commission’s support in connecting his delegation with the leading British Rice buyers and other relevant organizations.
The high commissioner commended the services of Shoaib Sultan Khan in poverty alleviation and rural development.
He hoped that NRSP would continue its good work for poverty alleviation in Pakistan.
Turkish Chief of General Staff calls on PM
ISLAMABAD, May 3 (APP):Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of Turkey, General Hulusi Akar called on Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi
here at the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday.
Minister for Defence Engr. Khurram Dastgir Khan was also present on the occasion.
General Akar conveyed the greetings of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the Prime Minister and expressed satisfaction
at the high level contacts between the two countries.
The two brotherly countries supported each other within all international and regional organizations on issues of mutual
interest.
He said that there was a need to further increase cooperation at the defence level with focus on increasing contacts,
training and joint exercises.
The Prime Minister, while reciprocating the greetings of the Turkish leadership stated that the governments and people of Pakistan and Turkey enjoyed exemplary fraternal relations.
He expressed satisfaction over bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries. He also briefed the Turkish Chief
of the General Staff on Pakistan’s successful counter-terrorism efforts.
Both sides reiterating the close and cordial ties between Pakistan and Turkey, emphasized the need to further enhance
and strengthen their brotherly relations.
Federal Cabinet directs ministry to ensure best Hajj arrangements, affordability
ISLAMABAD, May 3 (APP):The Federal Cabinet on Thursday directed the Ministry of Religious Affairs to ensure the best arrangements
for facilitation of Hajj pilgrims, besides making the pilgrimage affordable for the people.
The cabinet gave these directives in a meeting held at PM Office with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan
Abbasi in chair wherein the members were briefed about the progress into balloting process and Hajj
Policy 2018.
The cabinet accorded in-principle approval for establishment of Pakistan Physical Therapy Council and
Pakistan Allied Health Professionals and Paramedics Council.
The meeting directed to present the draft legislation before Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases.
The Federal Cabinet ratified the recommendations of the Cabinet Committee for Legislative Cases
(CCLC) held on 24-4-2018 and the decisions taken by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC)
of the Cabinet in its meetings held on April 12, 2018 and April 17, 2018.
The meeting also ratified the decisions taken by the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCE) in its
meeting held on April 23, 2018 in Karachi.
The body approved the appointment of Professor Dr. Ghazala Siddiqui as Director, Center of Excellence
in Marine Biology, University of Karachi.
The Federal Cabinet accorded approval to the appointment/repatriation at Special Customs, Taxation
and Anti-Smuggling Courts in Lahore and Peshawar.
During the meeting, Minister for Water Resources was also authorized for issuance of notification
regarding determination of tariffs by NEPRA in case of Hydel Power Plants. The meeting also approved
the nomination/appointment of Director/Chairman of Pakistan-Iran Investment Company (PICL).
Minister for Power also briefed the Federal Cabinet about the current demand and supply situation
of electricity in the country.
IMF acknowledges Pakistan strong growth
WASHINGTON, May 3 (APP):“The International Monetary Fund has acknowledged Pakistan’s strong GDP growth due to improved energy supply
and strong credit growth.
In its latest Regional Economic Outlook, IMF also said that additional efforts are also being made by the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan (MENAP) countries to bolster the business environment.
“Improved energy supply, investment related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and strong credit growth helped to
raise Pakistan’s growth to an estimated 5.6 percent in FY2018, from 5.3 last year, the IMF report noted but projected the
growth to moderate to 4.7 percent in FY2019.
The report also noted that upcoming elections in Pakistan, Lebanon, Mauritania and Tunisia and a more challenging political environment could slow the reform process.
Stronger prospects for the euro area should benefit the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MENAP)
region, especially oil importers, through higher exports. The region should also benefit from a marginal strengthening of the
outlook for China, a key partner for the region.
According to the recent project, following three years of decline, exports of MENAP oil-importing countries that included Pakistan grew by 6.4 percent in 2017 and are projected to accelerate by 8.4 percent in 2018 and 8.6 percent in 2019.
“This largely reflects improved external demand, greater exchange rate flexibility (Egypt, Pakistan, Tunisia), gains in competitiveness (Morocco, Tunisia), and a pickup in the prices of phosphates (Morocco, Tunisia), metals (Mauritania), and
cotton (Pakistan).”
In spite of higher oil prices relative to 2017, which posted strong growth in the second half, import growth is projected
to slow to 4.8 percent in 2018 from 6.8 percent in 2017 and remain broadly steady around 5.5 percent over the medium term.
This import compression partly reflects an anticipated slowdown in capital imports for infrastructure projects in Pakistan,
Djibouti and Mauritania.
Following three years of decline, exports of MENAP oil-importing countries, including Pakistan, grew by 6.4 percent in
2017 and are projected to accelerate by 8.4 percent in 2018 and 8.6 percent in 2019. This largely reflects improved external demand, greater exchange rate flexibility in Pakistan, Egypt and Tunisia and gains in competitive is some other regional
countries. Exports in Pakistan also posted growth due to pickup in prices of cotton, the report said.
The report said that to enhance resilience, the authorities need to continue to strengthen regulatory and supervisory frameworks in Djibouti, Mauritania, insolvency and bankruptcy regimes and Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and in some
cases deposit insurance arrangements in Egypt and Pakistan.
Overall, the global growth continued to strengthen in the second half of 2017 and is now estimated at 3.8 percent for
the full year, the highest level since 2011 and 0.2 percentage point stronger than forecast in the October 2017 World
Economic Outlook.
Sana urges production of high standard films
LAHORE, May 03 (APP):Film star Sana said that only Pakistani films produced on international standards
can hit the box office and compete with Indian movies.
Talking to APP here on Thursday, she said that if a substandard film is flopped, the public could not be
blamed for it.
She said that people wanted to watch the best films for their entertainment. She said that during the last few years, some films of international standards were produced, with unique stories and high quality music and songs. They did successful business as compared to Indian films.
She urged the film producers and directors to focus on producing high standard films.