LAHORE, Apr 18 (APP):Secretary Sports Punjab Muhammad Aamir Jan said on Wednesday that upcoming high-profile swimming training camp will be a great opportunity for our young swimmers to update themselves with the international swimming rules and regulations.
The 4-week swimming training and coaching camp for beginners will start at State of the Art Punjab International Swimming Complex on April 20.
Aamir Jan said that the best performers of training camp will
be groomed for national and international swimming competitions.
He said Sports Board Punjab will provide best facilities to participants of the training and coaching camp. “We are quite
confident to have plenty of top class swimming talent after the
completion of training and coaching camp”.
Secretary Sports Punjab said that leading experts will teach
modern swimming techniques to young local swimmers during the camp.
Swimming training camp to promote swimming, Secretary Sports Punjab
Operationalization of new Islamabad Airport rescheduled to May 3
ISLAMABAD, Apr 18 (APP):The operationalization of new Islamabad international airport has been rescheduled to May 3 with an aim to do more tests and trials for improving reliability and efficiency of systems, Deputy Director General of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Amir Mehboob said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a news conference here at the new airport, he said the new date of operationalization was given after Adviser to the Prime Minister on Civil Aviation Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan visited the airport on Wednesday morning.
The airport was earlier scheduled to be inaugurated on April 20.
Amir Mehboob said the Adviser had expressed satisfaction at the overall preparedness for operationalization, however, he asked for further testing and conducting trial of modern equipment installed at the airport so as to bring it
to the level of international standards. “Now we have got some more days to do further tests and trials,” he added.
He said, “The airport, which has been built on 4,238 acres of land, consists of four level passenger terminal buildings, two runways, taxiways, an apron, and parking bays for wide-body aircraft. There is a cargo terminal, air traffic control complex, fuel farm as well as a fire crash and rescue facility.”
Amir Mehboob said the new airport was equipped to handle all types of aircraft, including the new generation.
He said the airport, which had been built at a cost of over Rs 100 billion, would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
Amir Mehboob said the Islamabad Metro Bus project was also being expanded to connect the airport.
To a question, he said transport authorities in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad had decided to start a shuttle service with the cooperation of a private company, Faisal Movers, to ferry passengers from the different locations to the airport.
Being the first greenfield airport of the country, a significant portion of its land had been earmarked for commercial purposes such as duty-free shops, a five-star hotel, a convention centre, branded coffee shops, business centre, food courts, multifunctional
shopping mall, theme park, cinemas, golf course and recreational facilities, he added.
He said it took 11 years to build the new Islamabad airport after the groundbreaking in April, 2007. “The four level passenger terminal building is 190,370 square meters, specifically designed to facilitate passengers and stakeholders. It is completely high-tech and fully computerized with integrated systems of international standards,” he said.
Sharing further details, he said the airport was spread over 4,238 acres of land. Spreading on 282 acres, Ramma Dam had been built inside the airport to cater the water needs, while work on Kasana Dam, spreading over 667 acres, was in progress for future requirements.
He said the new airport had two runways, the one was primary and the second was secondary. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) was in the process of acquiring 2,833 acres of land for the third runway for future extension. In addition, the airport had facilities such as taxiways, including six taxi links, three rapid taxi ways and five aprons, he added.
Amir Mehboob said the new airport had Integrated Building Management System, which was designed to keep track and control of various systems in the passenger terminal building. The Integrated Aircraft Stand System installed at the airport would allow airport operators to monitor the use of equipment and the apron from a single source, he added.
He said the new airport was equipped with fire alarm system, sprinkler system, total gas flooding system, smoke ventilation system, fire house cabinets and fire telephone systems. “The baggage handling system installed at the airport is the advanced
baggage handling system in Pakistan with standard two and three screening machines with capacity to handle 5,500 bags per hour in departure and 6,000 bags per hour in arrival lounge,” he added
The CAA Deputy DG said the airport operations control centre was a state-of-the-art command, coordination and control centre, which focused on end-to-end processes of operations, bringing together three major operational areas for departure and arrival passengers, baggage and aircraft.
Amir Mehboob said the airport would become the country’s hub that would boost business and economy. He said the successful completion of the airport reflected the ability of CAA to build a world-class airport that had become the pride of the country.
UN migration chief calls for tackling root cause of internals displacement
UNITED NATIONS, April 18 (APP):More than 40 million people are displaced by conflict and another 25 million annually by disaster within the borders of their own countries with children, on average, making up over half those numbers, according to the United Nations migration agency.
In 1998, internal displacement was recognized as one of the worlds greatest tragedies and 20 years later, it still is,
William Lacy Swing, who heads the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said while marking the twentieth anniversary of the principles that identify the rights of internally displaced persons.
On 17 April 1998, the then-UN Commission on Human Rights took note of the Guiding Principles that identify the rights and guarantees of internally displaced persons, known as IDPs effectively launching them as a global standard for States and humanitarian actors, it was pointed out.
Twenty years later, the footprint of these Principles is clear, the UN said. They are widely accepted as the standard for protecting and assisting internally displaced people, many States have incorporated them into national legislation, they have inspired regional agreements and they underscore all major work in this area.
Twenty years on, the number of internally displaced people has nearly doubled due to ongoing new displacements, a lack of solutions for those being left behind in protracted crises and a chronic shortfall of almost 50 per cent of funding needed to meet basic humanitarian needs, Swing added. The daily tragedy of internal displacement continues for millions.
As the international community embarks on a year of reflection and action to mark the 20th anniversary, everyone can and must do more, he said.
More than a humanitarian imperative, it makes good economic sense and is socially advantageous to empower States and populations in their own preparedness, in strengthening their resilience, and in helping to resolve internal displacement.
In the spirit of leaving no one behind, the momentum behind the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, greater attention must be focused on addressing the root causes of displacement and reducing risk, he said.
According to Swing, when displacement is a life-saving necessity, concerted efforts must minimize its impact and resolve it as quickly as possible with safety and dignity, using means to prevent it from happening again.
Throughout this year, with partners, we will use the 20th anniversary of the Guiding Principles as an opportunity to do three vital things: raise awareness on the centrality of the Guiding Principles to the assistance and protection of internally displaced people; call on Governments to incorporate the Guiding Principles into their national legislation; and strengthen partnerships that contribute to effective and accountable programming to help realize the untapped positive potential and agency of internally displaced people in their communities, including empowering them in their own responses and giving a platform to their voices, he concluded.
Wapda wins National weightlifting championship title
LAHORE, Apr 18 (APP):Showing all round lifting ability and extra ordinary power, lifters from Wapda won the Pakistan Railways Chief Executive National weightlifting championship here on Wednesday at Railways stadium.
Chief Executive Pakistan Railways, Muhammad Javed Anwar was the chief guest on the occasion and witnessed the competition with keen interest.
President ,Pakistan Railways Sports Board, Muhammad Tahir, Vice President, Dr Farhan yar, organizing secretary of the meet, Sheikh Muhammad Anwar also present.
Wapda maintained their all time supremacy in the three-day premier meet by accumulating 102 points to win the trophy. Pakistan Army finished at the runners up place having won 58 points followed by hosts Pakistan Railways with 52 points.
Teams from Army, Wapda, Railways, Police, Higher Education Commission and the four provinces including Punjab, Sindh, KPK and Balochistan participated in the premier activity.
Speaking on the occasion the chief guest, Muhammad Javed Anwar highlighted the efforts of Pakistan railways for the cause of national sports and termed ‘railways’ as an institution which is serving country’s sports since long with undying spirit and commitment.
He said healthy and keen competition was witnessed during the national weightlifting championship which will also help in the further uplift of the game.
Chief Executive, Pak Railways said Railways will continue to patronage weightlifting and next year a national championship for women will be organized to supplement the ongoing efforts of Pakistan weightlifting Federation for the development of the game.
Later, he distributed medals and prizes among the winning team.
NPO holds conference on energy efficiency, conservation
ISLAMABAD, Apr 18 (APP):The National Productivity Organization (NPO) hosted on Wednesday a conference on Energy Efficiency and Conservation here to demonstrate best environmental practices.
The speakers at the conference shared the progress of the green productivity campaign, an energy efficiency campaign attempts to address the current energy gap and global environmental challenges through the creation of demonstration companies.
The NPO organized the event in collaboration with Asian Productivity Organization, and Serena Hotel.
The chief guest of the event was Secretary for Industries and Production, Mian Asad Hayaud Din and was attended by First Secretary Embassy of Japan, Shinichi Honda, Chairman Board of directors, Muhammad Ibrahim Shah, CEO Serena Hotel, Aziz Boolani CEO NPO, Abdul Ghaffar Khattak and GM Serena Hotel, Michel Galopin.
The speakers said that increasing the energy performance of buildings can have a positive effect in economic terms along with vibrant impact on public health and safety by improving indoor climate.
They also stressed the need for developing high technical skills to achieve improved energy performance of buildings.
It may be mentioned here that APO enhanced the capacities of Demonstration Companies in energy conservation and efficiency resulting in reductions in cost, changes in the mindset of employees and laying the groundwork for the formulation of an energy policy.
Serena Hotels, along with Pakistan Engineering Company Limited (PECO) and Asian Food Industries Limited, selected to be the demonstration companies.
NPO in collaboration with the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) and other national and international organizations developed the capacities of the demonstration companies to enhance resource efficiency, reduce per unit production cost and decrease CO2 emissions.
As a result of the intervention, up to 10 per cent saving potential has been identified and more than 800 technical staff has been trained through class room and/or shop floor trainings.
Serena Hotels is collaborating with NPO and APO to develop a case study on energy efficiency and conservation with the support of Japanese experts and the NPO Green Productivity Center.
Experts from Japan led the program, sharing Japan’s energy-efficiency schemes, best practices and technologies there by contributing to sustainable development.
The demonstration companies will disseminate techniques for energy conservation to individual companies and encourages similar efforts by SMEs and public and private-sector organizations throughout the country. The demonstration companies will share examples of applications of energy management tools and techniques as well as the results achieved nationwide.
During the course of the campaign, The NPO-APO teams visited Islamabad Serena Hotel and Serena Business Complex multiple times making expert recommendations that were implemented at Serena.
The Hotel is committed to improving and preserving the environment. Responsible natural resource management has always been one of the top priorities of Serena Hotels.
Therefore, as the business expands, Serena Hotels will continue to inculcate ecologically sustainable policies by focusing on projects related to climate change, air emissions, the carbon footprint and most importantly water and energy conservation.
To this end Serena Hotels is compliant with several important international standards, such as the ISO 22000, OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001.
The demonstration companies appreciated the efforts of campaign as industries, commercial entities, large building complexes and public utilities can accrue substantial savings in energy bills by adopting energy efficient techniques, systems, and technologies in their processes and facilities and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Environmentally responsible business practices also create a positive image of the company.
Nawaz leaves for London
LAHORE, April 18 (APP):Former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif left for London from Allama Iqbal International
Airport here on Wednesday to attend his ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz, who is undergoing chemotherapy.
Nawaz Sharif was accompanied by his daughter Maryam Nawaz and grand daughter Mahnoor Safdar.
Pak-Russia partnership to promote South-Asian peace, stability: Rana Tanveer
ISLAMABAD, Apr 18 (APP):Federal Minister for Science and Technology Rana Tanveer Hussain on Wednesday said, strong bilateral trade and economic ties between Pakistan and Russia would help to promote peace and stability in South Asia.
The minister is currently visiting Moscow and extended his felicitations to the Russian President Vladimir Putin on his resounding victory in the elections, said a press releases received here.
He along with senior officials of Ministry of Science and Technology of Russian Federation and other Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member States presented congratulations to the Russian head of state.
Rana Tanveer said that friendly relations with Russia remain a high priority for the foreign policy of Pakistan and urged that there was a consensus in Pakistan on the need to further strengthen and diversify relations with Russia.
Meanwhile, in another meeting with Russian Minister for Education & Science Olga Yuryevna, Federal Rana Tanveer said that Pakistan wants to forge a long term and broad based partnership with Russia, especially in the field of trade, energy, defence, security, peaceful use of energy, culture & education.
He recalled that first ever meeting of the Chairman State Duma to Pakistan in December 2017 was a milestone in Pak-Russian ties.
He also thanked the Russian counterparts for offering 16 educational scholarships to Pakistani students. Federal Minister further elaborated to explore the possibility of establishing joint Study Programmes in numerous universities of Pakistan.
Rana Tanveer, proposed Russian Minister for Education & Science, Olga Yuryevba to establish Pakistan-Russia Centre for Science and Technology Cooperation in Pakistan. He also proposed to establish a common fund of SCO for development of Science and Technology to support those countries that lag in the fields of Science and Technology.
8th death anniversary of Iqbal Bano on 21st
LAHORE, Apr 18 (APP):The 8th death anniversary of famous singer Iqbal Bano will be observed on April 21.
Iqbal Bano earned the world fame as a singer due to her Ghazals, classical songs and Thumri.
She earned music and singing from Ustad Chaand Khan.
She was born in Dehli in 1935 and later shifted to Pakistan after the partition.
Iqbal Bano started her career from the Radio Pakistan Lahore in 1950.
She sang scores of melodius songs and Ghazals for Pakistani films as her song “Payal mein gheet hain chamm chamm kai, tu lakh chele re gouri thum thum kai” was still alive in people.
Iqbal Bano died on April 21,2009 after a brief illness at 74.
Reduction in loadshedding helps boost economic activities: Shehbaz
LAHORE, Apr 18 (APP):Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad
Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday said economic activities had been
increased due to sufficient reduction in load-shedding
and terrorism.
“Sufficient improvements have been witnessed in trade and
investment sectors,” he added.
He stated this while talking to Governor Sindh Muhammad
Zubair, Federal Minister Kh Saad Rafiq, Minister of State for
National Food Security and Research Saeed Ayaz Ali Sherazi and
office bearers of PML-N Sindh who called on him.
The chief minister said energy crisis had been overpowered
to much extent, adding the time was not far when load-shedding
would become a thing of the past. Due to sufficient decrease in loadshedding, he said economic activities had been boosted up
in Karachi and other parts of the country. The duration of
electricity supply to the industrial sector had been increased.
He said law and order was a chronic problem in Karachi but
due to the efforts and sacrifices of Pak Army and other law
enforcement agencies, peace had been restored in Karachi.
“The credit goes to the PML-N government which has dedicatedly
worked to overcome the menace of terrorism through national
action plan,” he added.
Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan belonged to all of them and they
jointly had to run it. “We all have to collectively work hard
for national development,” he added.
Different matters, including re-organisation of the
PML-N, phase-wise elections of office bearers and different
organizational matters came under discussion and the participants
presented different proposals.
Senators, including Rahila Magsi, Syed Asif Ali Kirmani,
Asad Ali Khan Junejo and Saleem Zia, attended the meeting.
PM’s Youth Programme trains juvenile inmates of Central Prison Haripur
ISLAMABAD, Apr 18 (APP):Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, in collaboration with the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism, successfully completed technical training of juvenile offenders of Central Prison Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in tailoring and electrician trades under a “Project for the Rehabilitation of Juvenile Offender in Prison Setting.”
A certificate distribution ceremony in this regard was held at the Central Prison Haripur, in which training completion certificates were distributed among 20 successful pass out juvenile inmates; 13 in tailoring and seven in electrician trades, a press release issued by the the PM Media Wing here Wednesday said.
In her message on the occasion, Ms. Leila Khan, Chairperson Prime Minister Youth Programme said, “PML-N government is committed to the socio-economic uplift of youth. It has, therefore, accorded equal importance to the skills training of juvenile offenders in prison settings, so that that they can become a productive citizens of the country after serving their terms of prison.”
She said that Prime Minister Youth Programme had also completed a similar training course for the juvenile offenders of Central Prison Quetta, Balochistan, whereas training was underway in Hyderabad Prison.
Expressing satisfaction over the success of the training activity, Ms Leila Khan praised the efforts of prison authorities, KPK TEVTA administration, and UN consultant for making this project a success. She urged upon the juvenile offenders to best utilize the skills for the benefit of their families and societies.