Friday, January 2, 2026
Home Blog Page 30764

World culture diversity day celebrated

By
Uploader
-
0

PESHAWAR, May 23 (APP): People from different faiths and cultures celebrated “World Cultural Diversity Day” with an aim to promote peace and religious harmony and ensure a safe place for people of all ethnicities to live together.

To mark the day, an event was jointly organized by Peace Education and Development (PEAD) foundation in collaboration with Norwegian Church Aid here at historical Tehsil Gorghatri.

Participating by representatives of different faiths, creeds and
cultures, prominent among them were district councilor Asia Khattak, Gurpal Singh, Reena Patrek, Kabir Das, PEAD representatives Shagufta Khaliq, Nida Jameel, NCA coordinator Faisal Jalil and others. On the occasion, a skit was presented on the theme of social cohesion followed
by peace songs.

Addressing the occasion, Shagufta Khaliq said that the purpose of the event was to gather people from different faiths and cultures living in Peshawar and spread love among them.

She said unfortunately cultural variations have resulted in conflicts, which has destroyed the peace of the country.

Cultural diversity is the beauty of life and we must tolerate each others, she said adding that the day provides us with an opportunity to deepen understanding of the values of cultural diversity and to learn to live together” she added.

Other speakers were of the view that there will be no peace among the religions without dialogue. It is the call of the day to bridge the widening gap between faiths and cultures through such events.

At the end of the ceremony, special prayers were offered for
peace and stability of the country.

Aisam to feature in French Open

By
Uploader
-
0
Sri Lanka to host Asia/Oceania Group II event
File Photo

LAHORE, May 23 (APP):- Pakistan’s tennis ace, Aisam ul Haq will be representing Pakistan in French Open Grandslam Tennis Championship which started on Sunday.

This will be his 9th appearance in the French Open and 34th in Grandslam events. The super sportsman of Pakistan continues to bring laurels for his country. This year Aisam is partnering with Daniel Nestor of Canada and they are seeded 14 in the Doubles event of this championship.

Aisam’s best performance in French Open was reaching the Semi Final in 2012. He was also the runner up in US Open in 2010.

ICCI hails government for 25 basis point cut in the benchmark interest rate

By
Uploader
-
0

ISLAMABAD, May 23 (APP): Businessmen in a meeting at
Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry here on Monday hailed the 25 basis point cut in the benchmark interest rate bringing it down from 6% to 5.75% and termed it a positive move as it would be instrumental in reducing cost of credit for private sector and spurring economic activities in the country.

Addressing the meeting, Atif Ikram Sheikh, President,
Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry hoped that cut in policy rate to over 40-year low would support the economy to perform better.

He said the low policy rate has a direct impact on
industrial growth as it reduces the cost of production and
provides credit to private sector at affordable cost.
Therefore, this move should help private sector in reviving
the economy.

Atif Ikram Sheikh said that despite grant of GSP Plus status by EU to Pakistan the textile exports had declined by 7.68 percent coming down to $10.395 billion during the first 10 months of the current year (July-April) as compared to $ 11.26 billion during the same period of last fiscal year.

However, he was optimistic that historic cut in benchmark interest rate would help the industrial sector to avail low cost credit for upgradation of technology and machinery as one of the major reasons of fall in exports was that the local industry failed to invest in modernization and diversification to explore new exports avenues.

The businessmen were of the view that the industry was
accounting for nine percent to GDP and more than 60 percent to exports, however, it was facing liquidity crunch on account of delay in export refunds of about Rs 50 billion by the FBR due to which the exporters were losing competitiveness in the international market.
They urged that FBR should ensure timely clearance of
refund claims to facilitate the exporters that would help them
in overcoming liquidity issues and reviving exports of the
country.

 

PHF hails PM announcement of laying synthetic turf at Swat hockey stadium

By
Uploader
-
0

LAHORE, May 23 (APP):- Pakistan Hockey Federation has hailed the announcement of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Patron-in-Chief, PHF, for laying a synthetic hockey field at SWAT Hockey Stadium.

“PHF is truly indebted to the Government of Pakistan for making sincere efforts for developing the physical infrastructure of hockey in Pakistan,” said a spokesman of PHF here on Monday.

This kind of gesture of the Prime Minister will encourage talented players of Swat to take part in their national game with pride and honour.

“This will also provide the PHF an opportunity to establish training camps of senior, junior & women hockey teams at the venue,” he said.

Zarb e Azb produced positive results; normalcy returning to FATA agencies: President

By
Uploader
-
0
Zarb e Azb produced positive results; normalcy returning to FATA agencies: President

ISLAMABAD, May 23 (APP): President Mamnoon Hussain
Monday said that operation Zarb e Azb had produced positive results and situation was returning to normalcy in seven agencies of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

Talking to a delegation of tribal elders from FATA that
called on him at the Aiwan e Sadr, here, the President said
the government had allocated a large sum for resettlement of displaced persons.

Continue

Pakistan expresses concern over drone strike; US Ambassador called in by SAPM

By
Uploader
-
0

ISLAMABAD, May 23 (APP): Pakistan on Monday expressed
its concern over the drone strike in its territory on Saturday
and described it “a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and a
breach of the United Nations Charter”.

“The Ambassador of the United States, David Hale was
called in today by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on
Foreign Affairs (SAPM), Syed Tariq Fatemi, to express concern over the drone strike on Pakistani territory on Saturday, May 21, 2016,” a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here said.

In the meeting, Tariq Fatemi pointed out that the drone strike was a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and a
breach of the United Nation’s Charter that guarantees the
inviolability of the territorial integrity of its member
states.

He also emphasized that such actions could adversely
impact the ongoing efforts by the Quadrilateral Coordination
Group (QCG) for facilitating peace talks between the Afghan
Government and the Taliban.

The Special Assistant to the Prime Minister also underlined that Pakistan and the United States had been closely coordinating in the fight against the menace of terrorism and that this cooperation needed to be maintained, the press release added.

Special Cell be set-up to check illegal land grabbing in Capital: Nisar

By
Uploader
-
0

ISLAMABAD, 23 May 2016: Minister for Interior, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Monday directed Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration to establish a Special Cell to check illegal land grabbing in Capital.

Chairing a meeting here, he directed, “Establish a Special Cell
comprising Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue), Superintendent of Police, Islamabad and officials of revenue department to address land grabbing issue in Islamabad.”, a Spokesman quoted the Minister as saying.

The meeting was also attended by Secretary Interior, Chairman National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Director General Immigration and Passport, ICT administration and senior officials of the Ministry.

Ch. Nisar said, “Innocent and poor owners of land in ICT rural
areas are hoodwinked by land mafia on rates far lower than original market rates and this practice must be stopped.”

The Minister said, he would fully support all schemes and
housing societies, aimed at providing residential facility to
low income government employees.

Ch. Nisar said, he has no objection on land acquisition
in city subject to fact that buyer and seller of land are mutually agreed and the land is purchased at market rates.
He directed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to submit
short term, medium term and long term plan for re-organization of the Agency with a set timeline.

The Minister also approved in principal a proposal by Capital
Development Authority (CDA) and ICT administration for establishment of new sectors in Federal Capital to cater to ever growing needs of low income government employees.

Meanwhile, with upcoming month of Ramadan, he directed ICT administration to ensure reasonable prices of daily kitchen items for consumers and speed up anti-adulteration campaign in the city.

“The traders must be taken on-board for the campaign of
controlled pricing of kitchen items and in action against the
adulterators,” directed the Minister.

The Director General Immigration and Passport, and Chairman NADRA briefed the Minister over progress of suspension of Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) and passports of proclaimed offenders and absconders.

Chairman NADRA informed, “NADRA was in process of  making a centralized data bank of proclaimed offenders and absconders.”

The Chairman said so far it has received a list of 7,678
proclaimed offenders and absconders from FIA, ICT Police and Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF).

A proposal of hosting Executive Members Committee meeting of Geneva based International Civil Defence Organization (ICDO) in Islamabad in 2017 was also approved by the Minister.

The Minister was apprised by Director General Civil Defence
that Pakistan’s membership of executive body of ICDO has been extended for term of another four years by Geneva based organisation.
The DG Civil Defence said hosting of executive body meeting
would contribute to soft image of Pakistan and would help in
highlighting its positive role in achieving overall goals and
objectives of ICDO.

 

Business confidence in Pakistan improved during last six years: Survey

By
Uploader
-
0

ISLAMABAD, May 23 (APP): The economic outlook in Pakistan is at six-year high with significant improvement in the confidence of foreign investors due to political stability and improved security situation in the country, a survey revealed.

The survey titled, Business Confidence Index is conducted
twice a year to assess the country’s economic outlook and sponsored by the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI).

The OICCI is a representative body of 196 multinational companies operating in Pakistan since 2010.

The survey revealed that the business confidence in Pakistan
has improved to a positive 36% during last six months from October 2015 to March 2016. It shows a surge by 14 percentage points compared to 22% during previous six months.

The survey findings also show a record increase of 55 percent in the confidence level of foreign companies operating in the country, what it said was record high during last six years.

The positive improvements in country’s economic outlook has been achieved consequent to relative political stability, improving security situation, low inflation due to record low international oil prices and 42-year low interest rates. These are some of the factors that have created an atmosphere in the country in which investors are looking for investment opportunities, the survey said.

It says that the business confidence has changed significantly
during last two years. Economic outlook has gradually improved by 36 percent during last three biannual surveys that had remained stagnant for one and half years.

According to the survey, when the PML-N government came into power in 2013, the business community was much enthusiastic and confident but it dropped as the opposition parties went for a sit-in lasting four months.

Rain-thunderstorm expected at few places of upper region

By
Uploader
-
0

ISLAMABAD, May 23 (APP): Rain-thunderstorm is expected at few places of upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Federal Capital, FATA, Gilgit Baltistan and Kashmir while hot and dry conditions would continue elsewhere in the country.

Rainfall was likely at Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Kohat, Mardan divisions, Islamabad, Sargodha, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Lahore divisions, FATA, GB and Kashmir.

Low pressure area lies over North Balochistan with its trough
extending southeastward. A fresh westerly wave is affecting upper and central parts of the country and may persist till Tuesday, an official of Met office told APP.

In last 24 hours weather remained very hot and dry in most
parts of the country. However rain-thunderstorm occurred at scattered places in upper Punjab, upper KP and Kashmir while at isolated places in Sh.Benazirabad during this time duration.

Rainfall recorded during this time span remained Parachinar
30mm, Rawalpindi 20mm, Sialkot A/P 18mm, Garhi Dupatta 17mm, Sialkot Cantt 16mm, Muzaffarabad 15mm, Jhelum, Balakot 09mm, Gujranwala 08mm, Murree, Rawalakot, Mirkhani, Saidu Sharif 07mm, Kamra, Pattan 06mm, Malamjaba, Sargodha , Drosh, Kalam 04mm, Kakul, Cherat,
Islamabad Z.P 03mm.

Maximum temperatures recorded on Monday were Sibbi,
Jacobabad, Sh Benazirabad, Bhakkar 50øC, Larkana, Moenjodaro, Noorpul Thal 49øC, Dadu, Sukkur, Rohri, Padidan 48øC, R.Y. Khan, D.I. Khan 47øC, Islamabad 42øC, Lahore 43øC, Karachi 37øC, Peshawar 44øC, Quetta 37øC, Gilgit 36øC, Chitral 37øC, Hunza 29øC, Muzaffarabad 40øC, Murree 31øC, Skardu 31øC, Faisalabad 45øC, Multan 45øC, Hyderabad 43øC, Dir 38øC and Kalat 32øC.

Govt to remove reservations of opposition regarding ToRs: Dr Tariq

By
Uploader
-
0
Profile Picture

ISLAMABAD, May 23 (APP): Minister of State for Capital Administration & Development Division (CADD), Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry Monday said that the government would remove reservations of the opposition regarding terms of reference (ToRs) on Panama issue.

Talking to a private TV channel, he said the government wanted to develop a consensus about ToRs on Panama Papers as government was sincere to resolve the matter.

He said that the Prime Minister had announced a commission soon after revelation of Panama Papers.

He had presented himself and family for accountability despite of his name was not mentioned in Panama Papers.

Replying to a question, he said people would elect that
political party which served the masses of the country.

1...30,76330,76430,765...31,276Page 30,764 of 31,276

ABOUT US

Serving the nation since 1947 by providing an accurate, objective, uninterrupted flow of news to the people, the national news service is pursuing a comprehensive strategy to transform the existing news operations into a forward-looking service – APP Digital for its diverse subscriber-base and the public.

Contact us: news@app.com.pk

FOLLOW US

Copyright © Associated Press of Pakistan