LAHORE, Mar 28 (APP):Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad
Shehbaz Sharif has said that people have no concern with
empty slogans, hollow claims and negative politics as they
are interested in national development and solution of
their problems.
Imran Niazi has promoted the negative culture of deceit
and falsehood in the politics and these elements have tried
to hoodwink the people at every occasion with their mendacity
but the conscious people of Pakistan have failed every negative
strategy of the sit-in group.
The time has come that torch-bearers of falsehood should
realize facts in the larger interest of the country. Everyone
will have to be united to heal the wounds of the people and
collective efforts are needed to make the country great.
He expressed these views while talking to different
delegations in London on Wednesday, says a handout.
He said, “We will continue to move further without
caring for the promoters of politics of falsehood to develop
the country”. Those who wasted precious time of the nation
with their negative politics got nothing in reward except
regrets. “We have not let the journey of public development
to stop despite the impediments of sit-ins”, he added.
The chief minister said that faces of people trying to
obstruct the development process by spreading chaos have been
exposed and 22 crore people will forever bury the negative
politics of such elements in next elections.
He said that improving the quality of life was our
agenda while a prosperous and self-reliant Pakistan was our
destination. Chief Minister said that makers of new Pakistan
with empty slogans have done nothing except spreading
deprivations in the masses and their politics was moving
around baseless allegations and crudity.
Imran Niazi was known as a record-making politician
of U-turns. A politician that reverts back to its talks
again and again has no ability to lead the nation.
He said that people have given lessons to the elements
obstructing the process of development again and again but
these elements have not learnt anything from their mistakes
nor have changed their attitude.
Talking about change while standing beside those who made
a dacoity on the pockets of the poor nation was meaningless,
Shehbaz Sharif said and added that these elements divided the
nation for their personal interest when the nation needed unity.
He said that corrupt rulers of the past who made the
nation a hostage of darkness will have to be answerable to
the nation. Those involved in loot and plunder in the past
have committed cruelty with the poor nation, he added.
He said that these rulers have committed criminal
negligence by delaying energy projects and the people have not
forgotten the mega corruption scandals of corrupt rulers of
the past.
People have no concern with empty slogans: CM
Increase in education budget is one of many other positive initiatives of ruling party: Baligh
ISLAMABAD, Mar 28 (APP):Although still there are several loopholes in the country’s education system, however increase in annual education budget from Rs 550 billion to Rs 850 billion was one of many other positive initiatives taken by ruling party, said Federal Minister for education Engr Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman on Wednesday.
He said that number of out of school children decreased significantly from 26 million to 22.6 million during 2013-17.
Besides, the minister said the government is on the path to progress and expects to increase the economic growth rate to 6 percent and add around 10,000MW to the national grid by the end of this year.
The minster was addressing to the ground breaking ceremony of new campus of Center for Advanced Studies in Engineering (CASE) here at sector B- 17.
He said that Pakistan has been gifted with young population which would prove to be a valuable asset for the country.
“Establishment of such institutes would be a big opportunity for the youngsters to get enroll themselves with this institute and enhance their capabilities at maximum level”, he added.
While recalling the some odds faced by CASE due to non-fulfillment of criteria set by Higher Education Commission (HEC), Baligh Ur Rehman said these obstacles ultimately proved positive for the CASE as it got huge piece of land to build a vast campus which, he said, would be converted in university hopefully.
He suggested the CASE administration that although they have a good team to perform, however the quality of education should not be compromised at any cost.
The minister further said that large number of students was beneficiaries from public-private partnership programs being run in the country very successfully.
Talking about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and many other mega projects, he said “I know many projects were long run and could not be completed overnight in his party tenure as some of them are set to complete by 2030.
However, they all would go in benefit of the country and nation”.
“The social action projects are student-led initiatives that tackle issues related to local communities, ranging from environmental actions to issues of social justice and gender abuse.
These projects help develop students’ leadership and team building skills and also to enhance their understanding of local issues making them committed to change”, he recalled.
While recalling the past, he said that in 2012 there were rumors about the country’s breakup but now days almost all think-tanks are taking that the Pakistan is being developed and if it kept continue with same pace soon it will be enlisted in developed countries.
Similarly, he added, in the past overall there are 26 percent faculty members in the universities are PhD which now increased to 40 percent that should be increased more as the developed countries have 100 percent ratio of PhD faculty members in their universities.
To reply a question by a media person, the minister claimed that his partyever respected constitution. “I fully endorsed it that no one is above constitution but some elements misused constitution though out history in the past”, he regretted.
National Assembly Standing Committee on education and professional training Chairman Amir Ullah Marwat speaking on the occasion said that many local leaders of his party insisted him to give approval of CASE bill, but I ever rejected requests due to condition that “the set legal criteria could not be ignored in this regard”.
He said that country needed creativity instead production of just more PhDs. “without industry linkages with academia, no country can be developed”, he suggested.
CASE’s official briefed to participants of the ceremony that so for the institute has produced over 50 PhDs and over 1850 graduates and others while it offered 10 percent merit based scholarship in each academic program.
“Now the institute has special focus on cyber security system due to which it has got almost 12 awards for showing best performance in Information Technology sector”, he claimed.
Secretary Sports Punjab condoles the death of ex-DSO’s father
LAHORE, Mar 28 (APP):Secretary Sports Punjab, Muhammad Aamir Jan has expressed his heartfelt grief and sorrow on the
demise of father of former Divisional Sports Officer Bahawalpur Mateen Shah.
In his condolence message here on Wednesday, Aamir Jan expressed his heartfelt sympathies with the members of the
bereaved family and prayed to Allah Almighty to grant courage
to them to bear this irreparable loss with fortitude. He also
prayed that the departed soul may rest in eternal peace.
Director Admin Javed Rasheed Chohan, Deputy Director Tariq
Wattoo and Deputy Director Hafeez Bhatti have also condoled
the death of Mateen Shah’s father.
PR seeks Rs 73bln for ongoing, new projects in next PSDP
ISLAMABAD, Mar 28 (APP):Pakistan Railways (PR) has purposed Rs 73 billion for ongoing and new projects in the next Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for fiscal year 2018-19.
“We have purposed Rs 70.500 billion for ongoing projects while Rs 2.500 billion for new projects” official sources told APP here.
They said that Rs 5,861 million had been purposed for procurement of 585 Hopper Wagons and 20 bogie brake vans for coal transportation.
“We have also purposed Rs 8,863 million for procurement of 780 High Capacity Bogie (Hopper) wagons and 20 bogie brake vans for transportation coal” they said.
They said that Rs 6558.524 million has been purposed for rehabilitation of 27 HGMU-30 class diesel electric locomotives.
A sum of Rs 7,142.102 million has been purposed for rehabilitation of rolling stock, tack, repairing of 800 coaches, 2,000 wagons and acquisition of land for railway container yard, station and railway line from sea port to coastal highway at Gwadar respectively.
The official said that 1,703.5 million has also been suggested in the PSDP for doubling of existing track from Port Qasim to bin Qasim Station , feasibility study to connect Gwadar with Karachi, and feasibility from Gwadar to Besima and from Besima to Jacobabad via Khuzdar.
The sources said that Rs 11,022.634 million has been purposed for preliminary design for up-gradation of main line (ML-1), establishment of dry-port near Havelian under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor and hiring of design vetting consultations and reopening of rail car from Kohat to Rawalpindi on experimental basis.
LPGDAP hails setting up of 20 mmcfd gas processing plant in Kohat
ISLAMABAD, March 28 (APP):Chairman Liquefied Petroleum Gas Distributors Association of Pakistan (LPGDAP) Irfan Khokhar on Wednesday appreciated the government for establishing a 20 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) gas processing plant at Tolanj, Karak, terming it a big achievement and significant step towards attaining self-sufficiency in the energy sector.
The Tolang Gas Process Facility, inaugurated on Tuesday, has been established at a cost of $15 million and would contribute $ 31 million revenue annually to the national kitty. The processing facility was commissioned on December 5, 2017.
Irfan Khokhar said the facility would also produce 500 metric ton LPG per year and help provide inexpensive fuel to consumers. “With increased production of LPG in the country, it will be 60 percent inexpensive as compared to petrol and diesel, and 10 percent Compressed Natural Gas,” he claimed.
Due to effective strategy of the government, he said the LPG production had significantly increased during last four years.
He said the sale of LPG had increased from 502,232 mt to 1,176,496.47 mt during the last four calendar years, showing a remarkable growth of 134.25 percent.
“Total sale of the LPG was 502,232 mt in the year 2014, which increased to 875,087 in 2015, 1,164,706 mt in 2016 and 1,176,496.47 mt in 2017. This sector witnessed remarkable growth due to effective policies of the present government,” he said while sharing official data.
Giving further details, he said local production of the commodity was 440,115 mt in 2014, 629,509 mt in 2015, 650,918 mt in 2016 and 715,142 mt in 2017, while its import gradually increased from 62,117 mt to 461,354.47 mt during the period.
Answering a question, the chairman said the government had successfully brought down and maintained the LPG prices between Rs 80 and 100 per kilogram during the last four and half years, which was earlier being sold at Rs 350 and Rs 400 per kg in different parts of the country.
Children’s education latest victim of Yemen conflict : UNICEF
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 28 (APP)::Yemen’s education system has been devastated by the country’s brutal conflict, the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said Wednesday, reporting that at least half a million children have dropped
out of school since the 2015 escalation of the war.
“An entire generation of children in Yemen faces a bleak future because of limited or no access to
education,” Meritxell Relano, UNICEF Representative in Yemen, said. “Even those who remain in
school are not getting the quality education they need.â€
According to “If Not In School,” the total number of out-of-school children now stands at 2 million,
and almost three quarters of public school teachers have not been paid their salaries in over a
year, putting the education of an additional 4.5 million children at grave risk.
More than 2,500 schools are out of use, with two thirds damaged by attacks, 27 per cent closed
and 7 per cent used for military purposes or as shelters for displaced people, the UN said.
Children risk being killed on their way to school. Fearing for their children’s safety, many parents
choose to keep their children at home.
The lack of access to education has pushed children and families to dangerous alternatives,
including early marriage, child labour and recruitment into the fighting.
UNICEF appeals to the warring parties, those who have influence on them, government
authorities and donors to put an end to the war, pay teachers, protect children’s education
unconditionally, and increase funding for education.
On 26 March 2015, a coalition of countries intervened militarily at the request of President
Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi to secure the return of the Government to Sana’a, which had been
seized by Houthi militias and allied units of the armed forces when the conflict initially erupted
in 2014.
Three years on, the fighting is still raging and the ensuing humanitarian crisis has only
deepened in a country that was already one of the region’s poorest.
The UN, through its envoy, has been engaged in helping Yemenis to find a peaceful
solution. UN agencies and partners are also on the ground to deliver life-saving aid.
CAA conducts emergency exercise at Lahore airport
LAHORE, Mar 28 (APP):Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Wednesday conducted a
full scale emergency exercise here at Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore in which the CAA
fire and medical services played a pivotal role.
To make the event closer to reality,CAA arranged to
extinguish a large scale fire at the airport after which the
simulated injured were rescued promptly from the aircraft by
the CAA fire fighters and handed over to medical services to
provide necessary first aid to the casualties on sight and
transported them to nearest hospital for medical treatment.
Pak Army,Pakistan Air Force (PAF),Punjab Emergency Service
(Rescue 1122),city government health services,PIA,Edhi
ambulances and other departments participated along with CAA
medical services.
The entire exercise proceedings were observed by Pak
Army,various hospitals and HQ CAA.They appreciated the role
performed by CAA fire fighters, medical services, and other
participating agencies.
Earlier, addressing on the occasion, Airport Manager
Sardar Tahir Sikandar said the purpose of the exercise was to
apply risk management,appropriate control measures associated
with aircraft incidents and evaluate the effectiveness of
emergency plan made by CAA to counter any fire incident.
“We are able to deal with any kind of emergency
effectively with the cooperation of other departments”,he added.
He also appreciated the participation of Pak Army,PAF,
Rescue 1122 and other departments in the mock exercise.
UNHCR, Pakistan poverty alleviation fund launch new livelihoods programme
ISLAMABAD, Mar 28 (APP):The UN refugee agency and the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) Wednesday launched a pilot
programme to help provide sustainable livelihood opportunities to both Afghan refugees and Pakistani
nationals.
The poverty graduation programme is an approach that targets families living in extreme poverty on
less than USD 1.25 a day and having no access to basic services. This approach brings innovative and market-based methods together to help people become independent by providing them with sustainable livelihoods opportunities, said a press release.
The signing ceremony was attended by UNHCR Representative for Pakistan, Ms. Ruvendrini Menikdiwela and the chief executive officer of PPAF, Mr Qazi Azmat Isa and other government officials. The 18-month project – worth USD1.2 million – will benefit 2,000 households. Seventy per cent of the people will be Afghan refugees and 30 per cent Pakistani host communities in Swabi, Khyber Pakhtukhwa and Pishin, Balochistan.
The poverty graduation project focuses on vocational training skills development, enterprise development and agriculture initiatives. The trainees will be given toolkits to start an economic activity and will be assisted to create their own business plans.
Ruvendrini Menikdiwela said: “Poverty graduation is a practical approach, with the potential to contribute towards the creation of durable and sustainable livelihood solutions for refugees who live in Pakistan.”
Menikdiwela said such projects will focus on skills and enterprise development and assist refugees in seeking employment both in Pakistan and help provide sustainable reintegration if they decide to return to Afghanistan. UNHCR aims to expand and replicate the project in other priority districts where Afghan refugees are living after an evaluation has been carried out.
Pakistan continues to host 1.4 million Afghan refugees. In recognition of the support provided by the government and people of Pakistan for nearly four decades, UNHCR’s budget to support refugees in the country has increased in each of the past four years. The budget approved by UNHCR’s Executive Committee for Pakistan to support Afghan refugees in 2018 is USD 57,725,000. In 2015, this budget stood at USD 44,568,000.
UNHCR also implements the Refugee Affected and Hosting Areas (RAHA) Programme to support Afghan refugees and their host communities. Since its launch in 2009, the RAHA programme has provided assistance to over 10.6 million people through 4,100 projects worth USD200 million in Pakistan in the sectors of education, health, livelihood, water, sanitation, infrastructure and social protection.
Pakistan Investment Forum successfully held in Paris
ISLAMABAD, March 28 (APP):Pakistan Investment Forum mutually organized on Wednesday by Pakistan Board of Investment (BoI), Embassy of Pakistan to France and Mouvement des Entreprises de France (MEDEF) held in Paris.
Minister of State and BoI Chairman Naeem Y Zamindar led a 17-member Pakistani business delegation to the forum that was chaired by BoI chairman and Thierry Pflimlin, President Pakistan-France Business Council, said a message received here.
Presentations were made by the representatives of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtnkhwa investment boards about business and investment opportunities in their provinces. A large number of major French companies including Renault, Total, Suez, GE, Gemalto, Vinci, Credit Agricole, Surys and Engie attended the event.
Addressing the opening session of the Forum, BoI chairman said Pakistan with its 207 million strong consumer base, growing economy and skilled workforce offers an excellent opportunity to the French companies for investment.
He invited them to benefit from Pakistan’s lucrative and liberal investment policies and assured about government’s full support and facilitation for their investments in Pakistan.
Ambassador of Pakistan to France Moin ul Haque said Pakistan’s economy was going through a transformation with large scale infrastructure development and connectivity projects being undertaken under CPEC.
He said it was a high time for French companies to explore Pakistan, which was fast becoming a regional hub for trade and business.
President of France-Pakistan Business Council Thierry Pflimlin, appreciated government of Pakistan’s initiative to hold the investment forum in Paris.
He recalled the visit of the French business delegation to Pakistan last year and noted that such interactions would strengthen the trade and investment relations between the two countries. Noting Pakistan’s impressive economic performance, he also urged France companies to invest in Pakistan.
Naeem Y Zamindar also held separate meetings with Thierry Pflimlin who was also the president of TOTAL Global Services, and representatives of Renault, French Development Agency and Credit Agricole.
He also interacted with French newspapers Le Figaro and Liberation.
The representatives of the Pakistan business delegation held B2B meetings with their French counterparts in diverse fields such as infrastructure development, agri-products, energy, IT, pharmaceuticals, security equipment and water management.
Chinese archeologists begin excavation of old gateway for Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia
BEIJING, March 28 (APP):The Chinese archaeologists joined an excavation of ancient seaside ruins known as al-Serrian in Saudi Arabia.
Located at the southwest tip of the Arabian Peninsula, al-Serrian was one of the major gateways for Hajj pilgrims to Makkah and played an important role as a trade hub leading to the north, according to a local newspaper here on Wednesday.
As many as five archaeologists, from the National Center of Underwater Cultural Heritage under the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, will take part in the excavation of the ruins until April 13.
According to the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, six Saudi archaeologists will work alongside the Chinese experts to explore the Saudi port ruins on the Red Sea.
With the support of the governments of both countries, the team will make use of high-tech equipment such as mapping, aerial drones, and digital surveys, as well as 3D modeling during the project.
Cooperation on studying and researching the finds from the excavation will continue for a period of five years.
Jiang Bo, the team leader for the Chinese archaeologists, explained that according to ancient travelogues al-Serrian used to be a busy port with mosques, markets and residential areas during the 13th century.
It is believed the port was a major trade point along the ancient Maritime Silk Road.
The Maritime Silk Road was an ancient route that connected China to Southeast Asia, the Indonesian archipelago, the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian Peninsula and Africa.