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IGHDS stresses to give rights to older people

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IGHDS
SUKKUR, Sep 30 (APP):Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Inter Global Human Development Society (IGHDS), Advocate Jameel Ahmed Shakeel said that Ageing is not recognized explicitly in existing human rights standards, which makes it possible for ignoring people’s rights as they grow older.
Speaking in an event, organized by IGHDS here on Friday, he said that Age is just a number adding that eliminating all forms of age discrimination and providing an environment in which older people are protected from violence and abuse will help them exercise their choices and contribute to society.
He further said that the Sindh Province has taken some very positive steps in the form of legislation for the protection of the rights of older people. However, there is still a significant implementation gap between policy and practice.
CEO Advocate Jameel Ahmed Shakeel further said that the senior citizens are considered the most revered members of our society but their treatment is quite the contrary.
Old age is an inevitable part of human life but people fear old age and the youth should aim to create a place where they do not fear old age or consider it a difficulty but look forward to it as a time of ease, he added.
Ms Nosheen said that this aim cannot be achieved instantly through administrative means it requires the utmost importance and urgency by the common people of society to bring light to the problems of the elderly.
Maqsood Imam, a senior journalist said that the elderly of society has reached a point in their life where they don’t ask for much. All they need is extra care, affection, and support because they have become physically, mentally, socially, and financially weak.
He said that the conception of old age homes is still in its infancy in Pakistan adding that they are offered to older people as an alternative place to spend their lives, the physical and psychosocial wellbeing of the elderly residents needs to be researched more in order to understand how this will impact their quality of life.

CM taking priority steps for prosperity of farmers: Minister

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LAHORE, Sep 30 (APP):Provincial Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani has said that Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif is taking priority steps for the prosperity of farmers and agricultural development.
During a meeting with the delegation of Pakistan Kisan Ittehad, here on Monday, the minister said that the deterioration in  Agriculture sector was due to the failed policies of the previous governments. The government has allocated a huge amount of 64 billion rupees for the development budget of agriculture, which is 250 percent more than the previous financial year, he said.
The minister said that the unprecedented measures and mega projects that the present government has initiated for the development of agriculture in the short period of the last six months cannot be exampled in the past. The Chief Minister Punjab has launched the mega projects of Kissan Card, Green Tractor Scheme, Solarization of Tube wells to get rid of the high cost of electricity and diesel and provide interest-free agricultural loans under the Transforming Punjab Agriculture Programme, he added.
Kirmani said that according to the vision of the Chief Minister Punjab, practical measures are being taken for the provision of quality seeds, agricultural marketing and reducing the production cost of the farmers for development in agriculture sector.
On this occasion, President of Pakistan Kissan Ittehad Khalid Khokhar informed the minister about the problems faced by the farmers. He said that due to climate change, the agriculture sector is facing a crisis and this year the farmers have faced losses in cotton, rice, mango and sesame crops due to which they are suffering from economic crisis. In this regard, the federal government may be approached and requested to approve the collection of farmers’ bills in installments, he said and added that apart from this, the government should provide support to the farmers to reduce the cost of production and reduce the prices of agricultural inputs, especially fertilizers, so that the farmers can cultivate the next crop of wheat.
On this occasion, Minister Kirmani assured to solve the legitimate problems of the farmers and in this regard, the Chief Minister  Punjab will soon contact the federal government to solve the legitimate problems of the farmers.  He further endorsed that the objective of Agriculture Department and Farmer’s Organizations is the improvement and development of agriculture for which both have to work together.
Secretary Agriculture Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, Director General Agricultural Information Punjab Naveed Asmat Kahloon along with Provincial President Kisan Ittehad Chaudhry Rizwan Iqbal, Central General Secretary Ehsan Akram and Central Leader Mustafa Watto and other representatives  participated in the meeting.

PHA to establish public libraries in Sargodha parks

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PHA
SARGODHA, Sep 30 (APP): In line with  Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz’s vision of “Padho Punjab, Barho Punjab” (Read Punjab, Grow Punjab), the Parks and Horticulture Authority  (PHA) is actively working to reconnect people with books.
This was stated by Director General Parks and Horticulture Authority, Syed Tauqeer Haider Kazmi, while talking to APP here on Monday. He said small public libraries, modeled after those in the United States, are being set up in Sargodha parks. These libraries would house books on a wide range of topics, including national, economic, and social issues, providing guidance on all aspects of life, the PHA DG said.
Syed Tauqeer Haider Kazmi said a committee headed by Deputy Director Administration and Finance Shafique ul Rahman Niazi is overseeing this entire process.
He said that after completing the pilot project in the botanical garden, small public libraries would also be established in other major parks of Sargodha, where university and college students, as well as ordinary citizens, could get benefit. He added that the public library project is a welcome addition for the residents of Sargodha, especially those visiting parks.
These libraries would offer books on literature, national issues, economics, sociology, ethics, and other important aspects of life, which would not only promote knowledge, literature, and reading habits but also foster a sense of patriotism among people, he added.

PDWP approves three development schemes

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LAHORE, Sep 30 (APP):In the 33rd meeting of the Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) for CFY 2024-25, chaired by Chairman P&D Board Barrister Nabeel Ahmad Awan, three development schemes were approved, amounting to Rs 3470.721 million.
The approved schemes are: Widening/Improvement of Road from Bhera to Phularwan, (New) District Sargodha at the cost of Rs 825.379 million, Rehabilitation of Pakpattan Kamir Road from Chowk Arian Pakpattan to Saqb Adda 26/EB via Saleem Kot Jhal L=37 Km District Pakpattan at the cost of Rs 1563.207 million and Rehabilitation/Reconstruction/ Carpeting of Metalled Road from Rahim Yar Khan (Noor-E-Wali Railway Crossing) to Sadiq Abad (Fire Brigade Office Chowk) Length 20.25 km, District Rahim Yar Khan at the cost of Rs 1082.135 million.
The meeting was attended by Secretary P&D Board Dr Asif Tufail, Chief Economist Masood Anwar, Members P&DB and other senior officials.

Malaysian PM due in Islamabad Wednesday for a three-day visit

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ISLAMABAD, Sep 30 (APP): Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to arrive here on Wednesday for a three-day official visit to Pakistan from October 2-4, 2024, at the invitation of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers, deputy ministers and senior officials, according to a curtain raiser issued by the Foreign Office.

During the visit, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will meet Prime Minister Shehbaz wherein the two sides will discuss a wide-ranging agenda to further strengthen Pakistan-Malaysia ties in diverse fields including trade, connectivity, energy, agriculture, halal industry, tourism, cultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts. They will also discuss regional and global developments.

Pakistan and Malaysia enjoy strong bilateral ties anchored in history, culture and faith. This visit provides an important opportunity to further strengthen Pakistan-Malaysia relations.

CM take notice of molestation of female student in Sargodha

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LAHORE, Sep 30 (APP): Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif took notice of an alleged molestation incident of a female student by the sub-inspector and a private security guard in Sargodha.
The Chief Minister sought a report from the Inspector General of Police Punjab in this regard. The CM asserted that the accused should be brought to justice at the earliest.

PTI in severe panic after two flop public meetings: Azma

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LAHORE, Sep 30 (APP):Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari has said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is in severe panic after holding two consecutive flop public meetings.
Talking to media here on Monday, she said that a political party was creating unrest in the country. “KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur is hurling threats to run over the federation,” she added. Azma Bukhari said that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had provided maximum relief to people of Punjab during six months, adding that now people were fed up with the irresponsible behaviour of the PTI.
She said that payment to media was ongoing while a process was being prepared to make payments on monthly basis. She said that the Punjab Chief Minister would soon visit the DGPR and it was top priority of the government to solve problems of journalists.
Punjab Information Secretary Tahir Raza Hamdani and Director General Public Relations Sagheer Shahid also spoke.

Ukrainians attack attempts to undermine stable political situation in Russia: Ambassador P.Khorev

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ISLAMABAD, Sep 30 (APP):Ambassador of Russia to Pakistan Albert P.Khorev on Monday said the Ukrainians attacked the Russian Kursk region in an attempt to undermine the stable domestic political situation in Russia.
Realizing that the strategic initiative “on the ground” is in Russia’s hands along the entire line of contact, the Kiev regime unleashed large-scale military activities against the civilian population of our regions, and on August 6 this year the Ukrainian fighters invaded the peaceful, border region of Kursk, the Ambassador said.
Ambassador of Russia to Pakistan Albert said this while addressing to press conference on the situation in and around Ukraine war.
“I would like to reiterate that Russia is in favor of a political and diplomatic settlement of the conflict. The conditions for such a settlement, if you like, the “Putin formula”, were set out in detail in a speech by the President of Russia on June 14 of this year at the Russian Foreign Ministry.”
He said the withdrawal of Ukrainian armed forces from the territories of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Luhansk People’s Republic, Kherson and Zaporozhya regions of Russia, Kiev’s refusal to join NATO, the abolition of all illegal sanctions against Russia adopted without the approval of the UN Security Council, and respect for the rights of the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine.
Russian envoy said that an early negotiated end to the conflict will benefit Russia and Ukraine, as well as countries in the Global South, including Pakistan.
He said that Russia is a reliable trade and investment partner that offers opportunities for equitable, mutually beneficial cooperation with Pakistan.
He said the lifting of illegal Western sanctions on the transportation of Russian products would significantly contribute to Pakistan’s energy and food security, as Russia is the largest exporter of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium fertilizers and has vast oil and gas reserves.
The escalation of geopolitical tensions provoked by the West is largely due to the changing nature of the global world order to maintain its world domination at any cost on the basis of the ancient principle of “Divide and Rule”, he added.
He said that against the backdrop of changing economic patterns and the emergence of new centers of power, they rapidly losing its monopoly in a number of areas, particularly in the area of development financing.
But what kind of negotiations can we talk about with a regime that attacks civilians, threatens the entire world with nuclear catastrophe, and seeks to attack nuclear power plants?
According to statistics, since the beginning of the pecial Military Operation, 39,005 shelling incidents have been recorded in this region, which has suffered the most at the hands of the Kiev regime, including 38,063 with the use of heavy weapons, he added.
The ambassador said that over this period, 5,063 civilians, including 151 children, were killed on the territory of Donbass. 6,944 people, including 466 children, were injured with varying degrees of severity. 164 civilians, including 11 children, were blown up by “Lepestok” anti-personnel mines. Three victims died as a result.
He said that in total, 9,437 people, including 242 children, were killed and 1,763 people, including 935 children, were injured in the Donetsk People’s Republic between 2014 and 2024.
In the Zaporozhya region, the Ukrainian armed forces regularly shell the Zaporozhya nuclear power plant, the largest civilian nuclear facility in Europe, endangering the lives not only of the region’s inhabitants, but also of the entire continent, he said.
Russian envoy said the fact of the shelling, which once again brought the world to the brink of disaster, was recorded on August 11 this year by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. The situation around the Kursk nuclear power plant, which is being attacked by Ukrainian drones, is no less tense, as Mr. Grossi was again able to see for himself on August 27 this year, he said.
He said that settlements and civilians in the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Orel and Kherson regions have recently been subjected to regular enemy shelling.
Already back in March 2024, Moscow officially demanded that Kiev cease its terrorist activities, extradite those responsible for the terrorist attacks and compensate for the damage, he claimed.
Moscow took this step in accordance with the 1997 International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and the 1999 International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, he said.
The principle of self-determination of peoples enshrined in the Declaration was realized even before its adoption through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, which is still struggling for its right to exist.
The same principle was also realized through the free accession to Russia of the Crimeans and the inhabitants of the former regions of southeastern Ukraine.

NCHR elected to GANHRI Bureau

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ISLAMABAD, Sep 30 (APP): The National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) of Pakistan has been elected to the Bureau of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) for a four-year term.

“GANHRI is closely linked to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which supports the National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) through technical assistance, capacity-building, and advocacy,” an NCHR news release said on Monday.

The GANHRI Bureau serves as the management committee of GANHRI, which is the global body of NHRIs. Tasked with implementing the decisions of the GANHRI General Assembly, the Bureau ensures smooth operational management and strategic direction between General Assembly meetings.

Additionally, it oversees the work of GANHRI’s various subcommittees and working groups, which report to the Bureau, and reviews key issues, including statements to United Nations human rights bodies.

“This achievement is a prestigious recognition of NCHR’s dedication to human rights, marking a significant milestone for both Pakistan and the broader Asia Pacific region,” NCHR Chairperson Rabiya Javeri Agha said.

According to the news release, NCHR Pakistan as part of the Bureau would work closely with other elected representatives from Africa, the Americas, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region, each of whom were selected from ‘A’-status accredited NHRIs.

“These institutions, like NCHR Pakistan, have met the stringent requirements set by the Paris Principles, ensuring their independence, impartiality, and effectiveness in promoting and protecting human rights. Election to this role is only open to NHRIs with A-status accreditation, highlighting the credibility and impact of Pakistan’s human rights work on the international stage.”

Throughout its four-year term, NCHR Pakistan, with the support of the Asia Pacific Forum (APF) Chairperson and Secretariat, would act as a key advocate for the region’s NHRIs in discussions at the Bureau.

The NCHR would not only represent the views of APF members but also play a pivotal role in reviewing and making decisions on GANHRI’s subsidiary bodies, the news release added.

“One of the most important responsibilities will involve providing input on the outcomes of the Sub-Committee on Accreditation, a body critical for ensuring that NHRIs meet international standards of independence and effectiveness.

“By representing the Asia Pacific region on this global platform, NCHR Pakistan will actively contribute to shaping international human rights policies and dialogues, including its involvement in high-level discussions with UN human rights mechanisms.

“This election solidifies NCHR’s position as a leader in human rights advocacy, furthering its mission of promoting justice, equality, and dignity for all.”

NCHR Pakistan has also been nominated to the Governance Committee of the Asia Pacific Forum (APF).

“This dual recognition marks a huge honor for Pakistan, further elevating its role within the global human rights community,” the news release said.

Rabiya Javeri Agha, in her comments, said: “Our achievements are not a destination, but simply milestones in our ongoing commitment to human rights. Despite the numerous human rights challenges Pakistan faces, NCHR has been working tirelessly both domestically and internationally to ensure we fulfill our mandate and institute meaningful change within the system. We are dedicated to bringing human rights conversations to the forefront of the global agenda.”

US, TRC launch Pakistan’s first climate change curriculum to empower future environmental leaders

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ISLAMABAD, Sep 30 (APP):The United States (US) on Monday partnered with the Teachers’ Resource Center (TRC) to launch Pakistan’s first climate change curriculum for schools.
This programme will educate students from grades 1-10 on the science behind climate change and provide them with tools to protect the environment for future generations.
US, TRC launch Pakistan’s first climate change curriculum to empower future environmental leaders
The curriculum, created by TRC under the Climate Change Awareness and Action for Nature, Diversity, Livelihoods, and Ecosystems (CANDLE) initiative, includes an interactive toolkit for teachers.  It also features easy-to-use lesson plans covering essential topics such as climate science, the impact of climate change, and practical solutions for adapting to a rapidly changing environment.
Minister Counselor for Public Diplomacy at the US Embassy, Lisa Swenarski said, “By introducing climate education in schools, we’re empowering young minds to take meaningful action.
“These students will grow up with a deep understanding of their role in protecting the environment, and that’s where real change begins.”
Senior federal and provincial education leaders, as well as representatives from both public and private sector attended the launch and emphasized the vital role education plays in addressing the climate crisis.  The new curriculum reflects the shared commitment of both the US and Pakistan to fostering a sustainable and resilient future.
By integrating climate education into schools through this innovative initiative, Pakistan is preparing its youth to become environmental leaders, empowering the next generation to protect their communities and the planet.