ISLAMABAD, Feb 22 (APP):Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal Thursday said peace and development were linked and
Pakistan could not move ahead without political stability and continuity
of policies.
The minister was speaking at a seminar on “Disparities in Police System in Provinces and
Federal Capital” organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute
(SDPI) here.
The minister said the state of Pakistan had been facing an uncertain situation for the last
70 years.
He said in 2013, Newsweek declared that the most dangerous country of the world was not
Iraq but Pakistan.
In 2017, the situation changed and Pakistan was declared one of the fastest growing economies
in the world, he added.
The minister said, “better policing is needed for the implementation of development projects
and help people in positive contribution towards progress of the country.”
“Police hold the key to stability and development,” he remarked.
He said police should be citizen friendly and play a leadership role in the communities. “Police
should be source of strength for the weak.”
Ahsan Iqbal said police reforms could not be successful without taking all stakeholders on
board.
If there was uncertainty in the country, reforms could not be undertaken in any sphere of life,
he stressed.
One reason for lack of reforms in police was the differences between different
stakeholders, he noted.
He appreciated the sacrifices of personnel of armed forces, civil armed forces and
police and said the forces remained in the forefront in the battle against
terrorism.
He said a unit of anti-riot police was trained for Islamabad, adding a 500-member counter terrorism
police force was also raised.
The minister said role of individuals was important in creating effective institutions.
He said the government was in contact with foreign governments to arrange training sessions
for police.
He said a project was underway to set up 22 model police stations in Islamabad.
Ahsan said human systems were organic in nature and change did not come at once but with
sustained efforts spread over years.
He said according to experiences of developed countries, change comes gradually with
constant training and change in old habits.
“If we want to reform, we give up our old habits and adopt new habits. It has to be a
collective effort.”
Executive Director SDPI, Dr Abid Suleri, Dr Shoaib Suddle, Lt Gen(R) Moinuddin Haider,
Humaira Masiuddin and others spoke on the occasion and highlighted different
aspects of police laws and reforms undertaken in the past.

ISLAMABAD, Feb 22 (APP):Turkmenistan has completed construction of gas pipeline in its section under TAPI project, following which a groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled to be performed at the Turkmen border city of Serhetabat on Friday to take the pipeline to Afghanistan.

The grand inaugural ceremony would be preceded by a Steering Committee meeting of the project’s participating countries – Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) – at Mary City in Turkmenistan.

Talking to APP, Managing Director Inter State Gas Systems (Pvt) Limited (ISGSL) Mobin Saulat, who is in Turkmenistan to attend bilateral and multilateral meetings on the TAPI project, called the event “historic and substantial positive turn in the pipeline’s history.”

Answering a question, he said the ISGSL, which is the project execution company in Pakistan, had initiated FEED (Front End Engineering Design) activities of the TAPI gas pipeline project’s Pakistan section in March, 2017.

“Since then the company has moved diligently towards TAPI gas pipeline’s practical implementation,” he said.

The TAPI gas pipeline, first envisaged in the 90’s had been lying in the back-burner for many years but saw revitalization in the present government’s tenure, which made it a key component of the government’s National Energy Policy to import gas.

The MD said the pipeline would substantially add cheap, reliable and environment friendly energy into Pakistan’s national pool and help in achieving socio economic progress in the region.

Highlighting importance of the project, Mobin Saulat said the pipeline would help increase the power generation capacity to meet the country’s future energy needs, create more job opportunities in backward areas along the pipeline route and further strengthen the national economy.

Under the project, a 56-inch diameter 1,680km pipeline, having capacity to flow 3.2 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) gas, would be laid from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Pakistan up to Pak-India border, which is scheduled to complete in the year 2020.

Through the pipeline, funded by Asian Development Bank, Pakistan and India would be provided 1.325 bcfd gas each and Afghanistan would be getting the share of 0.5 bcfd gas.

Meanwhile, official sources told that in Pakistan, financial close of the TAPI gas pipeline was expected to be achieved this year, following which construction work would start on this multi-billion dollars project.

“The construction work on the project will start after the completion of technical studies and achieving the financial close, which expected to be completed during this year,” they said.

They said TAPI Pipeline Company Limited (TPCL), the project executing company, had been jointly formed by the four TAPI parties, which appointed the consultant to undertake the Pre-FID activities including the detailed survey of the entire route, environment impact assessment studies and Front End Engineering Design (FEED).

The sources informed that the procurement process for lines pipe, long lead items and appointment of Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractor had been started. While, the company has appointed a legal counsel for rendering legal services on the agreements to be executed by the company, they added.

ISLAMABAD, Feb 22 (APP):Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Thursday said that Rs 200 million have been allocated to CADD in fiscal year 2017-18 for cancer hospital under different head of expenditure.
Speaking in the Senate during question hour, the minister said that PC-I with approximate cost of Rs. 5 Billion was submitted to CA&DD for onward submission to planning Division.
He said that Planning Division held a pre CDWP meeting for the discussion and deliberation on the different aspects of the said above PC-1 while the project is waiting for the approval of Central Development Working Party (CDWP).
Replying to a question, Dr Tariq said that the F.G. College of Home/Economics and Management Sciences is the only institution offering BS Home Economics Professional program in this region since 1976.
He said the study of Home Economics was initiated as a faculty in F. G. College for Women F-7/2, now known as IMCG (PG) F-7/2 adding, the college after its up-gradation will provide teaching/ learning facilities for BS, MS, & Ph. d in specialized fields of Home Economics.
He said that 85 percent work for up-gradation of Block B, C, D, E (Academic Block) has been completed while architectural design of Block G is under process, adding that 74 percent work on Block F (Administrative Block) is completed.
The completion date of the project is 2018, he added.
The minister said the project “Establishment of Islamabad Model College for Girls CIMCG), G-13/1 has been prepared while the scheme has not been approved yet.
However, the minister said that the revised PC-I of the scheme is prepared for submission to the Planning Commissions adding, an amount of Rs.50 million was allocated during Fiscal -Year 2017-18.
However, no utilization of the allocated funds has, been made yet as the administrative approval of the project is still awaited, he concluded.

ISLAMABAD, Feb 22 (APP):Ministry of Housing and Works has approved three cases of retired employees of the constitutional bodies for allotment of government accommodations to their children.
“The allotment was made under rule 15(2) (b) of Accommodation Allocation Rules, 2002, which have been approved during the period from April to December, 2017,” an official in the ministry told APP.
He said the ministry has moved a summary to the Prime Minister for amendments in Accommodation Allocation Rules, 2002 to make the employees of constitutional bodies eligible to get government accommodation from Estate Office pool.
However, the official said the decision in the regard is still awaited.
To a question, he said 22 cases of corruption surfaced in the Estate Office, Islamabad during last three years and those involved have to face disciplinary action.
He added that some of the employees were convicted and disciplinary action was taken against them.
About the Bhara Kahu Housing Scheme Phase-I for federal government employees, he informed that the Housing Foundation issued provisional offer letters on First come first serve basis.
However, possession of plots will be handed over after completion of development work. As per main agreement M/s Green Tree (Pvt) Ltd, will carry out the development work and complete it within two years from the inception of development work.

ISLAMABAD, Feb 22 (APP):Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Pervez Rashid Thursday said people were being deprived of their fundamental ‘right to rule’ under a democratic system.
Talking to media at the Islamabad International Airport on arrival of Nawaz Sharif from Lahore, he said rein of the party would be given to whom Nawaz Sharif would deem appropriate.
He said court decisions were implemented and it was the discretion of the public to accept them or not.
Pervez Rashid said the public had posed complete confidence in the leadership of Nawaz Sharif time and again, adding that those who were violating the constitution would meet the same fate, the violators had met in the past.
He said all the decisions handed down against Nawaz Sharif were rejected by the masses and they would give a befitting response to them by stamping on the PML-N election symbol ‘Tiger.’ in the coming 2018 elections .

BAHAWALPUR, Feb 22 (APP):Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, Government of the Punjab, Ali Jan visited several hospitals in Hasilpur, Ahmedpur Sharqia and Yazman tehsils of Bahawalpur district and inspected facilities being provided to patients there.
According to a press release issued here, Secretary
Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department arrived in Bahawalpur and he visited state-run hospitals in Ahmedpur Sharqia, Yazman and Hasilpur teshils. He inspected facilities being provided to patients at these hospitals.
He also made surprise visits to few rural health centers located in these tehsils. During the briefing, he was told that registration
of 3387 people including men, women and children had been done during second day of ‘Health Week Campaign’.
He was informed that according to blood screening reports of registered people conducted during the health week drive, 353
persons were found suffering from diabetics and 400 infected with hepatitis-C and 67 with hepatitis-B.
Speaking on the occasion, the secretary health said
that on the directives of Chief Minister Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif, efforts to provide maximum health facilities at hospitals continued.

ISLAMABAD, Feb 22 (APP):Pakistan Muslim League (N) Chairman Raja Zafar ul Haq Thursday issued party tickets to the candidates for contesting Senate elections being held in March.
Talking to media persons, he said the chairman held the authority for issuing party tickets.
The PML (N) was following directives as per decisions of the court, he said.
“We are executing the decision of the court and there was no ambiguity in that regard, ” he added.
To a question about party president, he said that the matter of interim president would be discussed in consultation with the party’s members.
To another question, he said it was written in the document that central working committee or party president could authorize the concerned person for party tickets.

ISLAMABAD, Feb 22 (APP):Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunications Anusha Rehman Thursday said that ministry had launched the projects of Rs 20 billion for providing broadband services in Balochistan.
Speaking in the National Assembly during question hour session, the minister said that through these projects, a massive broadband coverage was being given to different areas of the province.
She said that many of these projects were near completion adding, the broadband services was a gift for the people of Balochistan.
She said that now the 3G services were being provided in those areas of the province where even PTCL was not providing its services.
Now all cellular companies were ready to provide their services in Balochistan on the demand of people of the area, she added.