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KP SWD-MDs, UOP sign MOU to strengthen child protection, youth empowerment with UNICEF support

By
Ali Ali
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PESHAWAR, Nov 19 (APP):In a significant step toward institutionalizing child protection within government systems, the Social Welfare Department Merged Districts (SWD-MDs), under UNICEF’s advocacy and technical guidance, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of Peshawar.
The agreement aims to enhance collaboration in innovation, entrepreneurship, youth empowerment, and community development through a strong child protection focus.
The MOU was formally signed by Prof. Dr. Johar Ali, Vice Chancellor, University of Peshawar, and Obaid Ur Rahman, Director SWD-MDs.
The ceremony was attended by key representatives, including Dr. Ather Hussain Bangash, Director Planning and Development, UOP, Dr. Shakeel Khan, Focal Person, Business Incubation Centre (BIC), UOP, Amjid Mahmood, Program Manager, PMU–Child Protection SWD-MDs and Kainyat Farooqi, Project Coordinator, PMU–Child Protection SW-MDs
Under this partnership, both institutions will jointly implement Child Protection programs, research projects, capacity-building initiatives, and field-based interventions to support vulnerable communities across KP.
The collaboration will also expand opportunities for adolescents and youth through social entrepreneurship, innovation challenges, and incubation support facilitated by the University’s Business Incubation Centre.
Officials at the ceremony noted that the initiative will further strengthen academic–government linkages, enrich the Child Protection ecosystem, and help develop sustainable, evidence-based, and scalable solutions to social challenges faced by children and youth in the province.

1 new dengue case reports in ICT as 29,518 inspections, 963 fogging drives push city toward target

By
NNPS Desk
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ISLAMABAD, Nov 19 (APP): The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration dengue control efforts have moved closer to the official target, with only one new case reported and more than 29,518 inspections and 963 fogging operations completed across high-risk zones.

According to the spokesman of ICT administration here, the city is now seeing a steady decline that may lead to a dengue-free status in the coming days.

Islamabad’s district administration has shared its latest daily surveillance report on dengue, showing consistent reduction in new cases and steady progress toward this season’s control target. According to officials, only one new dengue patient has been reported in the federal capital, and that case came from a rural area. Urban localities have reported zero cases for several days, reflecting the success of recent field operations.

The administration stated that under the ongoing anti-dengue campaign, dedicated teams completed fogging drives in 963 identified high-risk zones. These operations were carried out according to the city’s daily response plan, which focuses on rapid coverage of vulnerable areas.

Along with fogging activity, teams also completed 29,518 comprehensive inspections across residential, commercial, and open spaces. These inspections were aimed at detecting and eliminating breeding points before the spread of the virus. Officials confirmed that during these visits, larvae were found at 54 open locations, while all commercial hotspots were declared clear after inspection. No positive larvae were detected at sites identified earlier for follow-up.

Meanwhile, hospitals across the city have also reported encouraging updates. The number of dengue patients currently under treatment has dropped to nine, with most earlier patients having fully recovered and been discharged. Health teams continue to monitor case trends and share data with the administration for timely decision-making.

Authorities said the city avoided a wider outbreak due to immediate response measures and coordinated field action. Daily tracking, rapid fogging, and routine inspections helped teams reduce potential breeding spots early in the season.

Furthermore, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad, Irfan Nawaz Memon, said the district administration remains fully active in its efforts to make Islamabad dengue-free. He added that strict action has been taken where dengue SOPs were not followed. Several locations violating guidelines were sealed, and multiple individuals were detained during the campaign.

The DC noted that public cooperation has played a central role in bringing case numbers down. Residents have been repeatedly urged to keep their homes and surroundings clean, remove stagnant water, and report any suspected cases or violations. According to him, the decline in cases is directly linked to citizens’ participation in preventive steps.

He further stated that the administration is confident that Islamabad will be declared dengue-free in the next few days if the current trend continues. Teams are monitoring areas with past dengue activity and increasing outreach where needed to ensure complete elimination of breeding sources.

The district administration said it will continue its field work without pause and maintain strict enforcement to prevent any resurgence. Officials have appealed to citizens to stay alert, follow guidelines, and support teams working across the city.

15 criminals nabbed

By
Ali Ali
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SARGODHA, Nov 19 (APP):Sargodha police arrested 15 alleged criminals during a crackdown across the district here on Wednesday.
A spokesman said that the teams of different police stations raided at various localities and arrested Khalid, Khaleel, Asghar, Nouman, Naveed, Nasrullah, Muhammad Ashfaq, Muhammad Aslam, Tariq, Waqas, Waleed and others, besides recovering 2-kg hashish, 2-kg opium, 231 litres of liquor, nine pistols, nine guns, 203 bullets.

Shops, firms fined Rs192,000 for Consumer Act violations

By
Ali Ali
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RAWALPINDI, Nov 19 (APP):The Consumer Authority Rawalpindi has imposed a fine of Rs192,000 on various shopkeepers and companies for violating provisions of the Punjab Consumer Act during inspections carried out in local markets.
The enforcement drive was conducted on the instructions of Adviser to the Chief Minister Punjab Salma Butt; Secretary Price Control and Commodities Dr Kiran Khurshid; and Director General, Price Control and Commodities Imran Qureshi.
The officials have recently activated consumer authorities across the province to ensure the provision of quality goods and services to buyers.
Under the Punjab Consumer Act, all retailers are required to display price lists prominently, mention manufacturing and expiry dates and ingredients on products, and clearly state their return-and-exchange policies. They are also bound to issue proper receipts to customers, bearing the seller’s full name, address and details of items sold.
A spokesman said the Rawalpindi Consumer Authority inspected various markets and found several retailers and companies in breach of these mandatory requirements. Fines totalling Rs192,000 were imposed and deposited under Head C02955 in the Punjab Government Treasury.
Under the Act, he added, violators might be fined up to Rs100,000 depending on the nature and severity of the infringement.

Pakistan presses UNFCCC for stronger climate finance at COP30

By
Ali Ali
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ISLAMABAD, Nov 19 (APP):Pakistan has pressed the UN climate leadership for a major scale-up in global climate finance and stronger support for adaptation, as senior officials met on the sidelines of the COP30 summit in Belem, Brazil.
In a bilateral meeting with the UNFCCC Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell, Pakistan’s head of delegation and Secretary for Climate Change, Aisha Humera Chaudhry, set out the country’s updated climate commitments and warned that progress under the Paris Agreement risked stalling without substantial financial backing for vulnerable nations.
Aisha briefed Stiell on Pakistan’s newly submitted Third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), a revised roadmap laying out the country’s emissions-reduction pathway to 2035.
The updated plan includes an increase in Pakistan’s domestically financed mitigation contribution, rising from 15% to 17%, while reiterating that half of the targeted emissions cuts depend on international assistance.
She said Pakistan would require an estimated US$565bn by 2035 to deliver its full climate ambitions, arguing that previous pledges had not materialised at the scale promised.
“We are meeting our reporting obligations and submitting our NDCs and transparency reports on time,” she said, “but delivery on commitments from developed countries remains far below expectations.”
The Secretary underscored that adaptation must be elevated to equal footing with mitigation, particularly for states already grappling with worsening climate shocks. Even a tripling of adaptation finance, she cautioned, “would not close the gap, given how low the current baseline is”.
Calling for additional, grant-based funding to support national adaptation plans and resilience programmes, Aisha urged the UNFCCC to ensure financial mechanisms — including the Loss and Damage Fund — respond more effectively to developing-country needs.
She also highlighted Pakistan’s fragile mountain ecosystems and the accelerating risks posed by melting glaciers across the Hindukush, Karakoram and Himalayan ranges.
Pakistan, she said, is working to draw global attention to threats to the cryosphere and has hosted a high-level event at COP30 on the issue.
She invited UNFCCC leadership to next year’s Cross-Regional Glacier Resilience Summit in Pakistan.
Stiell welcomed Pakistan’s timely updates to its NDCs and sought clarity on its expectations from the ongoing summit.
The meeting also touched on Pakistan’s collaboration with the NDC Partnership, which is supporting efforts to implement national climate targets.
The devastation caused by the 2025 floods and repeated glacial lake outburst events, Aisha noted, illustrated the scale of the challenge — and the urgency of global action.

Rescue 1122 urges strict precautions as gas leak incidents surge in winter

By
Ali Ali
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0
RAWALPINDI, Nov 19 (APP):Rescue 1122 Rawalpindi has warned citizens to exercise extreme caution as gas leakage and fire-related incidents rise sharply with the onset of winter.
Rescue 1122 spokesman Muhammad Usman Gujar, in a statement on Wednesday, expressed concern over the increasing number of accidents caused by public negligence, faulty gas appliances and unattended heaters, which, he said, could largely be prevented through timely precautions.
He noted that most cases occurred at night when residents inadvertently left gas heaters or stoves switched on, allowing gas to accumulate in closed spaces and triggering explosions or fires. “The citizens must ensure that all gas appliances are turned off before going to bed and confirm there is no leakage,” he stressed.
Gujar advised that in the event of a gas smell inside a house, residents should avoid switching any electrical appliance on or off and refrain from lighting a match, as even a minor spark could lead to a major blast. Instead, he said, they should immediately open doors and windows to ventilate the area and move everyone to safety.
He stated that the use of gas heaters in tightly closed rooms was highly dangerous in winter, as poor ventilation allowed carbon monoxide to accumulate, posing a potentially fatal risk. He added that incorrect use of geysers and inadequate airflow in bathrooms had also claimed several lives.
The spokesman urged households to regularly inspect gas pipes, regulators and heaters, and to contact the relevant department if any fault was detected.
“Old or damaged pipes are hidden hazards that can lead to serious accidents at any time,” he said.
He added that some individuals continued to use substandard equipment, pressure boosters and illegal compressors, endangering themselves and others. Placing clothes or blankets too close to heaters, he said, also “remains a leading cause of winter fire incidents”.
Rescue 1122 emphasised that in any emergency — particularly gas leakage, explosion, or fire — the citizens should immediately call helpline 1122, as timely information enabled a faster response.
The spokesman said the Rescue teams remained operational round the clock, but public cooperation was essential in preventing avoidable tragedies.
“If every citizen makes basic caution a routine practice, most winter-related accidents can be entirely avoided,” Gujar added.

SCO can play greater role in promoting good global governance: Chinese Premier

By
NNPS Desk
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BEIJING, Nov 19 (APP): The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is equipped and capable of taking the joint implementation of the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) as an opportunity to play a greater role in bringing the world under good governance, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said.

Li made the remarks when addressing the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the SCO.

Leaders and representatives from SCO members, observers and dialogue partners, guests of the host country, as well as leaders of international organizations attended the meeting, which was chaired by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, CGTN reported on Wednesday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping solemnly put forth the GGI at the SCO Tianjin Summit in September, offering Chinese wisdom and solutions to help the international community jointly address global transformation and urgent challenges, Li said.

He underscored the SCO’s importance in building and reforming the global governance system.

Firstly, the SCO should leverage its unique strengths, Li said.

Noting that the Shanghai Spirit is highly aligned with the core concepts of the GGI, Li said that the SCO has extensive practical experience and solid institutional guarantees, and should make full use of these advantages to make greater contributions to global governance and help build a community with a shared future for humanity.

Secondly, the SCO should focus on the key areas of development and security, he said.

He urged SCO countries to promote development and security through cooperation, enhance the alignment of development strategies, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, ensure the stability and smooth flow of global industrial and supply chains, and jointly build an open and inclusive world economy.

He said China stands ready to work closely with all SCO members to establish the SCO Development Bank as soon as possible and proposes the establishment of a China-SCO cooperation center for metabolic diseases.

Li also called for efforts to strengthen security cooperation mechanisms, give full play to the important role of the four security centers, and work with the international community to jointly uphold multilateralism and promote universal security and lasting peace.

Thirdly, the SCO should stimulate strong vitality for innovation and transformation, he said. He urged joints efforts to strengthen cooperation in science and technology as well as industrial innovation, and promote cooperation on traditional energy and renewable energy.

Li said China welcomes the active participation of all parties in the SCO Digital Economy Forum and the China-SCO Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Forum, adding that China is willing to jointly build and make good use of the China-SCO digital economy cooperation platform and the sci-tech innovation cooperation center, and steadily increase the installed capacity of photovoltaic and wind power each by 10 million kilowatts in the next five years.

Li pointed out that leaders at the SCO Tianjin Summit jointly approved the development strategy for the SCO in the 2026-2035 period.

He said China is willing to work with all member countries to pay more attention to strategic coordination, effectively promote the implementation of cooperation, optimize and improve the operation mechanism, further enhance cohesion, capacity for action, and influence, and continuously make the SCO better and stronger.

Other parties attending the meeting noted that the SCO is playing an increasingly pivotal role in promoting regional integration and facilitating the establishment of a just and equitable multipolar world.

They called on all parties to join hands to implement the outcomes of the SCO Tianjin Summit, optimize the organization’s mechanism, align with the Belt and Road Initiative, and implement the SCO’s development strategy for the 2026-2035 period.

They also urged various sides to bolster cooperation in areas such as connectivity, economy and trade, security, as well as people-to-people exchanges, implement the GGI, and safeguard multilateralism and the central role of the United Nations.

Following the meeting, Li and other leaders signed the joint communique and cooperation documents concerning economy and trade, railways, social development and security, and approved relevant resolutions on the construction of the SCO.

UN calls for ‘concrete and urgent steps’ in Gaza after ceasefire resolution

By
NNPS Desk
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0

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 19 (APP): The United Nations is prepared to play “any role” needed to advance the breakthrough Security Council resolution endorsing the United States-led Gaza peace plan, according to UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Aziz Haq

He told regular noon briefing at UN Headquarters in New York that it was “essential now to translate the diplomatic momentum into concrete and urgently needed steps on the ground.”

Although the UN has no defined role in either finalizing the Board of Peace chaired by President Trump – which will oversee the transition and reconstruction of Gaza – or the planned International Stabilization Force, Farhan Haq said the UN was “committed to implementing the roles entrusted to it in the resolution.”

It is tasked with scaling up humanitarian assistance for stricken civilians across the war-shattered following more than two years of Israeli war “and supporting all efforts to move the parties toward the next phase of the ceasefire.”

The 15-member Council endorsed the US peace plan and the international force for Gaza by 13-0 on Monday, with Russia and China abstaining.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the resolution as an important step in consolidating the ceasefire, underlining the importance of moving towards the second phase of the US plan – which includes a political process for the achieving a two-State solution, in line with previous UN resolutions.

On the ground in Gaza on Tuesday, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, stressed humanitarians in the enclave remain committed to providing life-saving support – including shelter.

Tent distribution continues along with tarpaulins and other essential items to affected families, it was stated.

The UN said it is fast-tracking funds to bolster those efforts, said Farhan Haq, including $18 million from the occupied Palestinian territory Humanitarian Fund, as winter approaches and heavy rains begin to compound dire living conditions.

The funding has already allowed partners to move ahead with more than 30 planned projects covering everything from food and nutrition to water, health, shelter, protection and other essential support.

As of Sunday, the number of operational health service points in Gaza rose to 219, compared with fewer than 200 in October.

DPM Dar due in Brussels today for Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue

By
Ishtiaq Rao
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0

ISLAMABAD, Nov 19 (APP): Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar is scheduled to undertake an official visit to Brussels from November 19-21, at the invitation of the EU High Representative and Vice President for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas.

During the visit, the deputy prime minister will co-chair the 7th session of Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue, which is the highest level of institutionalised interaction between the two sides.

The Dialogue will review cooperation between Pakistan and the EU in all sectors under the Pakistan-EU Strategic Engagement Plan 2019.

During the visit, Deputy Prime Minister Dar will also participate in the 4th EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum. A number of bilateral meetings and engagements with the senior EU officials are also planned on the sidelines of the Forum.

DPM Dar’s visit to Brussels marks a significant milestone in Pakistan-EU relations. Pakistan remains committed to developing a comprehensive and mutually beneficial partnership with the European Union.

Winter chill fuels dry fruit demand as prices rise in Islamabad

By
NNPS Desk
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0

Tayyab Zarif

ISLAMABAD, November 19 (APP): As temperatures continue to fall in the federal capital, the demand for dry fruits has surged sharply, turning local markets vibrant with seasonal buyers seeking warmth, nutrition and flavour.

Freshly harvested winter dry fruits have begun arriving from various regions, boosting both market activity and consumer interest.

Dry fruits have become a household staple during the winter months, finding their way into traditional delicacies such as Gajar Ka Halwa and Sohan Halwa, as well as bakery products enriched with nuts. Residents say they increasingly rely on these nutrient-packed treats to stay warm and energized.

Despite a noticeable rise in prices, footfall in the capital’s dry fruit markets remains high. Vendor Pervaiz Khan told APP that demand is at its peak, adding that consumers continue to purchase dry fruits for both their taste and their natural ability to combat the cold. He said prices have climbed compared to last winter due to increased cultivation and transportation costs.

Many buyers cite the health benefits of dry fruits as the main reason for their rising consumption. Shopper Muhammad Ahmed described them as an ideal winter diet, while another customer said she primarily buys nuts to garnish and add flavour to Gajar Ka Halwa. The seasonal trend has also boosted sales of confectionery items made with dry fruits.

E-commerce platforms are witnessing a parallel uptick in sales, with online stores offering competitive rates. However, sellers say they also face challenges such as order cancellations and higher delivery charges. “Online selling is very appealing during winter,” said one online store owner, “but cancellations push operational costs up.”

Suppliers continue to source dry fruits from across Pakistan and abroad. According to supplier Wazir Hashmat, pine nuts arrive from Balochistan, walnuts from Gilgit–Baltistan and Balochistan, while peanuts come from different parts of Punjab. Rising farming inputs and transportation costs, he said, are key factors driving price increases.

Nutrition experts underscore the extensive health benefits of dry fruits, which are rich in nutrients, fibre, antioxidants and healthy fats. Regular consumption supports heart health, digestion, bone strength and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.

Clinical Nutritionist Zahra Mumtaz called dry fruits a complete diet full of proteins and calories, noting they are particularly beneficial in winter for people of all ages, including children and the elderly. She recommended consuming at least one dry fruit item daily to help maintain warmth and support overall well-being.

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