A view of kabaddi match between Sanjha Punjab Kabaddi Club and Bandesha Royal Belgium Kabaddi Club during Faisalabad Gold Kabaddi Club Tournament at Al-Fateh Sports Complex
Pak-Saudia agree for certification of Pakistani skilled workforce
ISLAMABAD, Dec 05 (APP):Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a landmark momentous agreement for certification and employment of Pakistani skilled workforce through Takamol and National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) yesterday.
The Agreement was signed by Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training, Shafqat Mahmood from Pakistan side and Dr. Ahmad Jabbar Al Yamni, from Saudia Arabia Takamol side.
The Agreement signing ceremony took place at Ministry of Human Resources & Social Development, Saudi Arabia and it was witnessed by senior officials of both countries.
This important cooperation between both countries has far-reaching impact for enhancing the employment opportunities for skilled Pakistani work force by joint certification and testing by Takamol Saudi Arabi and NAVTTC National Vocational and Technical Training Commission Pakistan.
This will also safeguard the existing Pakistani work force in Saudi Arabia. In order to facilitate Pakistani expatriate workforce, NAVTTC under the leadership of Shafqat Mahmood, Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training, Chairman NAVTTC Syed Javed Hassan and Executive Director NAVTTC Sajid Baloch worked hard to achieve this hallmark far-reaching Agreement between NAVTTC and Takamol.
It is expected that millions of Pakistani skilled workers will get gainful employment opportunities with higher earning as a result of the efforts of the Government of Pakistan.
Under this partnership, NAVTTC, National Vocational and Technical Training Commission Pakistan and Takamol, a subsidiary of Government of Saudi Arabia are establishing the testing regime under the Skills Verification Program, by exchanging the NOS (National Occupational Standards) and to facilitate skill verification of candidates through competency-based assessment (Theory & Practical) at exam Centers in Pakistan for candidates desirous of working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
This will enable Pakistani skill workforce to have authentic and internationally recognized joint certification by both Takamol Saudi Arabia and NAVTTC Pakistan, through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) assessment.
The Ministry of Human Resource and Social Development of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has introduced Skill Verification Program (SVP) implemented from July, 2021 in order to regulate its labor market. After implementation of SVP in KSA, the skill verification has become necessary for the Pakistani skilled workers, who intend to have employment in Saudi Arabia.
It is important to note that the largest number of Pakistani expatriate workforce is based in Saudi Arabia, who contribute substantially to Pakistan’s economy through foreign remittances. Most of the present Pakistani workforce in KSA fall in the category of un-skilled or semi-skilled labour, which means reduced remunerations and it also impacts remittances negatively.
Moreover, in the changing scenario of labour laws and dynamics of the labour market overseas, a large number of Pakistani skill workforce require skills certification as presently they face non-recognition of their qualifications, skills and certification.
This cooperation will help a large number of these workers, also leading to national productivity and development.
A Large number of people participating during the celebrations of Sindhi Ajrak Topi Culture Day outside Press Club
A view of falling leafs to mark autumn session
A female viewing the displayed stuff at a stall setup during the celebrations of Sindhi Ajrak Topi Culture Day outside Press Club
A Large number of people participating during the celebrations of Sindhi Ajrak Topi Culture Day outside Press Club
Abandoning Afghanistan to be a grave mistake: governor
LAHORE, Dec 05 (APP):Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar said on Sunday that abandoning Afghanistan in the current context would be a grave mistake that would have dire consequences.
According to a spokesman for Governor’s House here, Ch Sarwar expressed these views in his meeting with British Minister Zac Goldsmith in London while discussing Pak-UK relations, the current situation in Afghanistan and the region, among other issues.
“If the important issue of Afghanistan is not addressed, a humanitarian crisis can arise there and it will become hard to control,” he added.
He said the whole world including the United Kingdom, must support Afghans unconditionally. “A strong and stable Afghanistan is in the interest of the whole world, not just Pakistan and the region,” he added.
Governor Mohammad Sarwar also briefed the British minister on the economic and other issues facing the people of Afghanistan and the steps being taken by Pakistan for Afghan peace process.
The governor said that meeting of the OIC Council of foreign ministers on Afghanistan’s one-point agenda will be held in Pakistan. “It is now the responsibility of the whole world including the Muslim Ummah to play its role in providing basic amenities to the people there and protecting humanity, instead of pursuing a policy of ignoring the issue of Afghanistan,” he added.
He said the world needs to understand that if this important issue of Afghanistan is not addressed, there could be a humanitarian crisis, just as there could be an economic crisis if food is not provided on time.
Ch Sarwar said that due to the lack of financial resources of the Afghan leadership, problems such as food shortages were on the rise. He feared that 22.8 million Afghans could suffer from malnutrition if the action was not taken in time, asserting that leaving Afghanistan alone in the current context would be a huge mistake.
Therefore, it was imperative that the world to take notice of the current situation in Afghanistan and provide full support to the Afghan leadership to provide basic services to the people there so that any major crisis can be avoided.
During the meeting, British Minister Zac Goldsmith agreed to ensure measures for the protection of basic amenities and human rights in Afghanistan and said that the protection of humanity in Afghanistan was everyone’s responsibility and for this the British government would definitely play its role.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony Maulana Tahir Ashrafi addressing a press conference
PNS ALAMGIR visits Senegal’s Port of Dakar, sets free medical camp
ISLAMABAD, Dec 05 (APP):Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) ALAMGIR Sunday visited Dakar, Senegal and established free Medical Camp as a good will gesture.
Upon arrival, Pakistan Navy Ship was received by the officials from Ministry of Health of Senegal, Naval Officials and Defence Attache of Pakistan, said a Pakistan Navy news release here received.
During the port visit, Mission Commander along with Commanding Officer of PNS ALAMGIR called on Minister of Defence of Senegal, Chief of Naval Staff of Senegal Navy and Chief of Air Staff of Senegal. During the interactions, matters of mutual interests were discussed and enhancement of bilateral ties in all spheres was re-affirmed.
Taking the opportunity, Mission Commander conveyed good wishes of Chief of the Naval Staff for the people of Senegal in general and the Senegal Navy in particular.
As a goodwill gesture and to extend humanitarian assistance, free Medical Camp was established in city of Dakar by Pakistan Navy. A specialized team of Pakistan Navy doctors and paramedics provided medical treatment and medicines to over 2000 patients.
The implementation of COVID-19 SOPs was ensured during the Medical Camp. Establishment of free Medical Camp by Pakistan Navy was widely appreciated by the local populace.
Upon completion of port visit, PNS ALAMGIR conducted bilateral passage exercise with Senegal Navy Ship to enhance interoperability between the two navies.
The ongoing deployment is aimed at fostering friendly ties with African Countries, enhancing naval collaboration, extending humanitarian assistance and developing interoperability with the host Navy.
The visit of PNS ALAMGIR to Senegal provided an opportunity for both countries to further enhance the existing close diplomatic ties and cordial relations.
President Alvi felicitates on Sindhi Culture Day
ISLAMABAD, Dec 5 (APP): President Dr. Arif Alvi Sunday extended felicitations on celebrations of Sindhi Culture Day.
In a tweet on social media platform Twitter, he said, “Congratulations to all of us celebrating
Sindhi Culture Day.
It is symbolic, proof of a great tradition of peace. The land of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai has much to teach Pakistan about living together with love & humility worrying about human misery rather than religious extremes.”
FM Qureshi to visit Brussels from Dec 6-8
ISLAMABAD, Dec 5 (APP): At the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Belgium Sophie Wilmes, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi will be visiting Brussels from 6-8 December 2021.
Pakistan and Belgium enjoy a cordial and friendly relationship, based on shared values of democracy, pluralism, mutual respect, and close cooperation, according to the Office of the Foreign Office Spokesperson.
Over the years, the partnership has grown stronger in diverse fields, including political, economic, trade, education and culture, and people-to-people contacts. With a trade volume of US $982 million, Belgium is the fifth largest trading partner of Pakistan in the EU.
As a key component of the visit, the Foreign Minister will co-chair the 6th round of Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue with EU High Representative and Vice President Josep Borrell.
The European Union is one of the largest trade and investment partners of Pakistan and the current volume of bilateral trade stands at US $ 10.883 billion. Pakistan’s relations with EU are manifest in frequent and close engagements through structured dialogues. The two sides signed the Pakistan-EU Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP) in June 2019, which provides a solid framework and blueprint for future Pakistan-EU cooperation. This would be the first in-person session of the Strategic Dialogue since the signing of the landmark SEP.
It has been preceded by the 7th round of Pakistan-EU Political Dialogue, co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood and Deputy Secretary-General Enrique Mora, and held online on 3 December 2021.
During his stay in Brussels, the Foreign Minister will meet NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. The two sides have remained closely engaged on Afghanistan as well as undertaken joint training and capacity-building programs for military and civilian personnel.
The Foreign Minister will have an exchange of views with Belgian Parliamentarians and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).
The Foreign Minister will also meet and address members of the Pakistani diaspora residing in Belgium and Luxembourg.
PM announces Tamgha i Shujaat for Malik Adnan for his efforts to save Sri Lankan citizen
ISLAMABAD, Dec 5 (APP): Prime Minister Imran Khan saluted the moral courage and bravery of Malik Adnan who tried his utmost to shelter and save Priyantha Diyawadana from the vigilante mob in Sialkot, endangering his own life by physically trying to shield the victim.
In recognition of demonstrating exemplary bravery, in the midst of a violent mob, the Prime Minister announced Tamgha i Shujaat for Malik Adnan.
In a tweet on social media platform Twitter on Sunday, he said, “On behalf of the nation I want to salute moral courage & bravery of Malik Adnan who tried his utmost to shelter & save Priyantha Diyawadana from the vigilante mob in Sialkot, endangering his own life by physically trying to shield victim. We will award him Tamgha i Shujaat.”
Talking to APP, Malik Adnan said he was working in the sports factory for the last 16 years while the late Sri Lankan manager was working there for seven years.
He thanked Prime Minister Imran Khan for announcing Tamgha i Shujaat for him and said this step will encourage other people to help persons in distress.
He said such incidents of terrorism should be stopped, adding nobody has the right to take the law into their hands.
Talking about the incident, he said he received a call that Priyantha Diyawadana was attacked. He went out of his office and tried to save the Sri Lankan manager but as a huge number of people had gathered to attack him, he could not save him.
The Sri Lankan manager could not read and write Urdu and had removed a poster for cleaning a wall, he added.
Religious fraternity want CJP to treat Sialkot lynching as test case: Ashrafi
LAHORE, Dec 05 (APP):Special Representative to Prime Minister on Religious Affairs Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi has said that followers of all religions and religious parties in the country strongly condemn the Sialkot lynching of a Sri Lankan factory manager and want the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) to treat it as a test case and order a speedy trial for it.
Addressing a press conference at Quran and Seerat Academy, along with the religious leaders from different schools of thought on Sunday, he said that perpetrators of the Sialkot incident should be awarded exemplary punishment to avoid recurrence of such incidents in future.
He said that all leaders of religious organisations expressed grief and concern for linking the sad incident with religion. Those involved in the incident had not only brought bad name to the religion but the country as well, he added.
The special representative said that as per the information, so far 19 key suspects had been arrested. He said the case would be tried in an anti-terrorism court.
Tahir Ashrafi said that law of Tauheen-i-Namoos-e-Risalat and Tauheen-i-Mazhab were there in the country; therefore, no one was allowed to take the law into his hands. The courts and legal procedure were there to decide the complaints in that regard, he added.
He said that a delegation of ulema, headed by Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, would visit Sri Lankan embassy to express their grief over the tragic incident.
He said that Muslim, Hindu, Christian and Sikh communities of Pakistan wanted to tell it to the Sri Lankan people “we are ashamed of the incident and we apologise to them on this incident”. He said that all-out efforts would be made to eliminate the culture of extremism from society.
He said the incident was an action of an individual and it did not represent the whole nation.
Educational institutions being upgraded in underprivileged areas: Sheikh Rasheed
RAWALPINDI, Dec 05 (APP):Federal Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has said that the educational institutions were being upgraded in Rawalpindi particularly in all underprivileged areas.
He said that a multi-purpose Hall at Government Associate College for Women, Satellite Town was recently constructed to facilitate the students.
The Minister informed that 60 educational institutions were set up in Rawalpindi and the government schools and colleges were being upgraded particularly in areas of poor people.
Sheikh Rasheed said, “We are trying to establish an Information Technology University in the city.”
Rawalpindi was at top position in female education across the country, he said adding, “We have provided education facilities at the door steps of the female students. After completing the educational institutions’ task, we would move towards health sector,” he informed.
The Minister said, “I am thankful to Almighty Allah as I succeeded to complete the mission of education in my life.”
Waqar un Nisa Women College had also been upgraded and made a university, he added.
He informed, “When the actual educational institutions plan was conceived for promotion of education in Rawalpindi city then I selected Dhokes like Dhoke Hassu, Dhoke Khabba, Dhoke Ratta, Dhoke Naju, Dhoke Elahi Bukish for establishment of schools and colleges as the citizens of labour class live in these Dhokes and cannot afford private educational expenses.
“We utilized all available resources to establish schools and colleges in the city,” he added.
He said, all possible facilities were provided to the students in schools and colleges and credit of uplifting of schools and colleges goes to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.
No one could defeat the girls of Rawalpindi city as they were educated, he said.
The minister advising the teaching staff urged to play more efficient role and educate the females with more commitment and dedication.
Sheikh Rasheed said that Rawalpindi city had been made a center of education and the dream of laying a network of educational institutions in the city had been fulfilled.
He said, “Promotion of education has always been my priority and I made earnest efforts to make the city a center of education.”
The dream had come true as three women universities were set up in Rawalpindi including Fatima Jinnah Women University, Sixth Road Women University and Waqar-Un-Nisa Women University.
The girls of Rawalpindi city were getting positions and appearing in CSS exams, the minister added.
Opposition Leader in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh addressing to PTI workers gathering to mark Sindh Culture Day
A street vendor displaying facemasks to attract the customers
Labourers sorting good quality of onions at Vegetable Market
Murad Saeed leads “Sindhi Culture Day” rally in Umerkot
UMERKOT, Dec 05 (APP):Federal Minister for Communication and Postal Services Murad Saeed on Sunday visited Umerkot and attended “Sindh Culture Day” rally organized by Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf MNA Lal Chand Malhi and the party’s local leadership.
Federal Minister along with opposition leader in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh, MNA Lal Chand Malhi led the Culture Day rally in Umerkot city and congratulated people of Sindh on the “Day of Unity”.
Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi also addressed the rally via telephone.Shah Mehmood Qureshi greeted the people of Sindh on “Culture Day”.
While addressing the rally and party’s workers convention, Federal Minister for Communication and Postal Services Murad Saeed said Pakistan People’s party had ruined Sindh since last 13 years rule as it had failed in providing basic necessities to the people of the province.
He said the PPP government had destroyed education, health, law and order and all other institutions in Sindh, adding that police was being used for implicating PTI leaders and the political opponents in fake cases as they were raising voice against their misdeeds.
He said Bilawal Zardari was claiming himself as champion of democracy but his government was not allowing opposition leader in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh to speak in the Assembly.
No member of the opposition has been given representation in Sindh Assembly’s committees,Murad Saeed said and regretted that Sharjeel Memon and Faryal Talpur have been made members in the accountability committee.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced to provide health Insaf cards to poor people of Pakistan and all people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were already availing this facility,Murad Saeed said and added that people of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit- Baltistan were also getting this facility while people of the Punjab would get this facility from next month but Sindh Government had refused to avail this facility.
Murad Saeed asked if it was not the right of the people of Sindh province to get a health Insaf card but “Zardari League” chief minister Murad Ali Shah had refused to take this facility.
He said the federal government had released Rs 600 billion to Sindh for the people of the province but the Sindh government deposited this amount into Zardari’s fake accounts.
He said”Prices of wheat flour, sugar and other essential commodities are higher in Sindh as compared to other provinces due to wrong policies and corrupt practices of the provincial government.”
Murad Saeed said”The opposition leader in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh had not been allowed to speak in the Assembly and political opponents are being implicated in fake cases to keep them under pressure. Bilawal Zardari is claiming to be the champion of democracy,but Sindh Police has been used to implicate political opponents in fake cases, Murad Saeed bemoaned.”
He said”Now the time had passed and the people very well know who
is benevolent and who is against them.He claimed that the PTI will form the government in Sindh after the 2023 general elections.”
“PPP Co Chairman Asif Ali Zardari is responsible for the bad governance and anti people policies and he was involved in occupying almost all sugar mills of the province by misusing government authority,” Murad Saeed alleged and appealed to the people to reject such people who had destroyed Sindh for their personal gains.
He said the PPP government had turned Karachi and other urban centres of Sindh into gutters and piles of heaps were being seen everywhere and cities’ roads were filled with sewage water.
Addressing the workers convention, Governor Imran Ismail said Hesco, being a federal government institution, should serve people irrespective of their political affiliation.
“Hyderabad Electric Supply Company is a federal government institution but it was creating problems for the people,” the Governor said, adding that he would complain to Prime Minister Imran Khan about HESCO’s performance.
He said he had always raised Sindh’s case at every forum and with the help of Murad Saeed HESCO’s matter would be raised before concerned quarters so that people could be provided relief.
The opposition leader in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh, federal parliamentary secretary and MNA Lal Chand Malhi, MNA Jai Parkash and others also addressed the programs.
Federal Minister Murad Saeed also inaugurated different road projects of the National Highway Authority.
The officers of National HighWay Authority briefed the minister and the governor Sindh about road projects.
Murad Saeed said after completion of these road projects people of Sindh will get more travel facilities.
He assured that the federal government had decided to start further development projects for the benefit of the people of Sindh.
A vendor preparing iron pots outside his shop
A family capturing the view through their cell phone camera in a mustard field
