A carpenter making different designs on wooden sheets at his workplace
A vendor arranging and displaying caps to attract the customers at his roadside setup
A vendor cutting wood into pieces at his warehouse in timber market
FM arrives in Iran to discuss Afghan issue
TEHRAN (Iran), Aug 26 (APP): Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday arrived in the Iranian capital on the last leg of his four-nation tour to hold discussion with leadership on the evolving situation of Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran Rahim Hayat Qureshi and senior Foreign Ministry officials welcomed Foreign Minister Qureshi at the Mehrabad Airport.
During his visit, the foreign minister will hold meetings with newly elected Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi and Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amir Abdul Hayan.
The meetings will focus on bilateral relations, enhancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest and the law and order situation in the region, including Afghanistan.
Motorcyclist and cyclist crossing rail track while train approaching on the same tracks may cause any mishap and needs the attention of concerned authorities
Chairman Almi Mutahida-Ulama-o-Mashaikh Council Allama Muhammad Shoaib addressing a press conference at Press Club
A painter paints on the body of delivery truck at his workplace setup at Ring Road
A vendor preparing traditional summer drink lemonade for customers at his roadside setup
A vendor displaying fresh dates to attract customers at his roadside setup
World acknowledging 10 billion Tree Tsunami projec: Zartaj Gul
FAISALABAD, Aug 26 (APP):Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Thursday said that the ’10 Billion Tree Tsunami’ plantation project is continuing successfully across country and it is being acknowledged at international forums.
She was addressing the inaugural ceremony of Miyawaki Forest at Bagh-e-Jinnah here. Parks & Horticulture Director General Asma Ejaz Cheema, officers and a large number of staff were also present.
The minister said that the government had taken a number of initiatives for provision of a clean and green environment to future generations.
She said that environmental issues had increased in urban areas especially in big cities and the situation could only be improved through maximum plantation at parks, green belts and all other available places.
She said that the credit of the 10 billion Tsunami programme, urban plantation and Miyawaki forestation visions goes to Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The minister said that environment pollution had been increasing in the cities especially in industrial city Faisalabad due to heavy industry and waste exhausted from factories adding that Miyawaki forestation is the best solution to provide clean and green environment to citizens.
She said that Pakistan had offered to host ‘World Environment Day’ which is an honour for the country.
She said that the international Jury and SSG13 climate control said that Pakistan has reached near to achieve its environment target 10 years before.
The minister said that the government was working on health, education and law & order situation despite other challenges including COVID-19.
Zartaj said that Prime Minister Imran Khan stands among 5 best leaders in the world who talked to tackle or address the climate issues.
She said that Pakistan was the 5th biggest country which has a climate threat but we would be able to tackle this situation.
She said that the PTI government had rehabilitated 80,000 power looms units including 50,000 old looms, resulting in hundreds of jobs being created.
Later, she planted a sapling in Bagh-e-Jinnah. She also visited a children library set up in the garden.
Social protection budget doubles as compared to past government’s: Dr. Sania
ISLAMABAD, Aug 26 (APP):Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar Thursday said that the budgetary allocations for social protection has been doubled as compared to any past government’s budget and 100% budget utilized over the last three years.
In her statement on the completion of three years of government and Ehsaas, the SAPM said the first-ever National Ehsaas survey has been completed to identify socio-economic status of households after lagging 10 years, despite COVID-19 pandemic.
Around 15 million families (100 million people) have been supported during the COVID-19 (half of the country’s population) under the Ehsaas Emergency Cash which was the third largest program globally and the fastest the world over (World Bank).
A total of 12 million families would get cash grants this year, 30 percent of the country’s population under this initiative, she said.
Dr. Sania conveyed that children in all classes, in every district, of all Ehsaas eligible families are eligible for Ehsaas education stipends.
A total of 50 Ehsaas Nashonuma centers have been opened to address stunting and the program is being upscaled nationwide. Under the largest scholarship program ever run in the country, 142,000 Ehsaas undergraduate scholarships granted in two years.
One Window Ehsaas was being upscaled nationwide while 20 other Ehsaas programs were also running, including Ehsaas Langars, Ehsaas Panagahs and Ehsaas Koye Bhooka Na Soye.
Phase 1 of “Ehsaas Building and Rebuilding Institutions Initiatives” was complete, the deepest reform ever carried out in the history of the country.
Ehsaas regarded by the World Bank as a program from which other countries can learn. Ehsaas has shifted the governance paradigm in the country from, as stated by Sir Michael Barber, “Shift from politics of patronage to politics of performance”.
PDM’s past performance reflects failures, shame: Farrukh
ISLAMABAD, Aug 26 (APP):Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Thursday asked the multi-party alliance—Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to review its own performance instead of criticizing the government for its three-year in power.
During the last couple of years, the parties to the alliance did nothing, but only resorted to infighting and washing each others’ dirty linen in public, he said while addressing to opening ceremony of the first-ever tennis ball cricket tournament of Video Journalists Association of Islamabad.
He said the PDM was fully disintegrated as currently there were two factions in the alliance pursuing different narratives. One was insisting on politics of resistance while the other called for politics of reconciliation, he added.
Farrukh said the past performance of PDM reflected nothing but shame, failures and humiliation. Their movement was solely limited to the blackmailing (the government) for getting an NRO like concession and closure of National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
He said their movement had nothing to do with common man. There would have been two-party system in the country, if they really had cared about layman, he added.
The minister said the opposition parties during their respective tenures did nothing for welfare of people, but only focused on building properties abroad and amassing corrupt money through Telegraphic Transfers (TTs) and fake bank accounts.
About the proposed Pakistan Media Development Authority, he said a media complaint commission would be set up under the initiative for protection of journalists’ rights.
He said the commission would serve as an effective forum to curb financial exploitation of media workers. It would not only help resolve salary related issues of media workers, but also ensure their job security in an effective way, he added.
To a query, the minister said it was the first government in the country history’s which had set the tradition of presenting yearly performance reports before public on regular basis. Prior to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, the country was only ruled by those parties that used to put their performance under rug.
He said the main purpose of issuing yearly performance was to inform the public about the achievements made by the government on economic, foreign and social fronts.
Farrukh said the economic indicators were on upward trajectory as there were record remittances pouring in in the country, while exports were surging at fast pace. The current account deficit which left by PML-N at $19 billion was now at its lowest level and the debt-to-GDP ratio was also declining, he added.
He said an amount of Rs 260 billion was allocated for the Ehsaas programme to steer the people out of poverty. The Health Card was another major initiative of the government as around health insurance of Rs one million was being offered to each card holder.
The minister remarked that the initiative like health card was not even launched in the developed countries.
He said an amount of Rs 100 billion was allocated for youth under the Prime Minister’s Kamyab Jawan Programme. So far, soft loans amounting to over Rs 22 billion had been disbursed among young people under the programme, he added.
He also mentioned Kamyab Pakistan programme under which the state would provide Rs 500,000 loans to the citizens without any collateral.
Under the ‘Apna Ghar, Apna Khawab’, he said the banks had received a large number of applications for low cost houses worth Rs 145 billion. Out of this, applications for housing units worth Rs 50 billion had been approved.
He said this was the first government in the history of Pakistan which had taken steps for each and every strata of the society.
Govt. undertakes heavy legislative agenda of public interest, reforms in last three years
ISLAMABAD, Aug 26 (APP):The government undertook heavy legislative agenda in last three year upholding the best parliamentary practices to facilitate people in various sectors.
According to the three-year performance report of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, the legislative business of the government, in both Houses of Parliament including Senate and National Assembly was efficiently and effectively perused.
A total of 100 bills were passed by the National Assembly while 57 legislative proposal have become Act after the approval of the President.
Likewise, a total of 43 reports were laid in the National Assembly and 37 in Senate. As many as 119 government assurances in the Parliament was also followed during the period.
All Ministries/Divisions were asked to speed up legislative process of the government business and Common Man’s Galleries were established in both the Houses of Parliament.
The federal government also took initiatives for electoral reforms being spearheaded by the Prime Minister for transparent, free and fair elections. This reform package also include granting right of votes to overseas Pakistanis and using EVMs (electronic voting machines) in elections.
A government Bill on electoral reforms titled “Election (amendments) Bill 2020” as approved by the Cabinet was introduced in the National Assembly, which after consideration has passed and transmitted it to the Senate and referred to Standing Committee concerned.
Amendments have been incorporated into Election Act, 2017 through Ordinance for granting right of votes to overseas Pakistanis and using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in general elections.
The Ordinance laid as Election (2nd amendments) Bill, 2020 has also been passed by the National Assembly and transmitted to the Senate. Demonstration of EVMs was organized for media persons in the Parliament House, Islamabad under live coverage in electronic media.
During this period, the government appointed Chief Election Commissioner and two Members of the Election Commission of Pakistan under Articles 213 and 218 of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973. Meanwhile, 40 Parliamentary Secretaries were appointed and their terms and conditions including salaries and allowances etc. were effectively disposed of. The Prime Minister’s Public Affairs & Grievances Wing disposed of 52495 out of 66,581 petitions.
FATF related legislation remained top priority of the Federal Government to steer the country out of global money-laundering and exit from the grey list. Accordingly a number of amendments were incorporated into different laws in addition to three fresh enactments including Mutual Legal Assistance (Criminal Matter) Act.
Human rights also remained priority of the Government for legislative interventions to ensure fundamental rights guaranteed under Constitution of Pakistan.
The important legislation on the subject, inter-alia, includes Zainab Alert Response and Recovery Act, 2020 (for right to life and protection from violence, abuse, abduction or exploitation of children), Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Act 2020, JCT Senior Citizen Bill 2021 and the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill 2021.
PM’s three livestock initiatives: A momentous source to alleviate poverty, bolster meat production in KP
By Fakhar Alam
PESHAWAR, Aug 26 (APP):The Rs3,214 million three mega livestock and dairy development projects initiated by Federal Government under the landmark ‘Prime Minister National Emergency Agriculture Program’ worth over Rs309.7 billion to alleviate poverty, increase meat and milk production have started trickling down blessings at the grassroots level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) including merged tribal districts.
The gigantic projects including ‘Poverty Alleviation Through Development of Rural Poultry’ amounting to Rs.834 million, Save the Calf worth Rs1,554 million and Feedlot Fattening Programme of Rs826 million launched in 2018-19 under the Prime Minister National Emergency Programme worth over Rs309.7 billion, have started providing much-needed relief to price-hike stricken people, women, persons with disabilities and under-privileged segments of society in KP including merged tribal districts.
Rahat Bibi, a poor housewife and mother of nine children at village Chamkani, Peshawar is among 167,000 poor people and women who are being benefited from PM’s Poultry Project. “My daughter and I had received 12 poultry birds including 10 hens and two cocks from the Livestock and Dairy Development Department under PM’s poultry initiative, which made us financially stable,” she told APP.
“I collect about six eggs daily from my 10 hens out of which my children consume three eggs at home and sell the remaining three at the rate of Rs30 per egg, thus earning around Rs2,700 per month with no feeding expenses,” the 50 years-old lady pushing chicken’s to shed to protect them from scorching heat told APP.
Operating a poultry farm on the roof of her four-marla house for the last one-year besides rearing a buffalo to financially support her family, Rahat Bibi said, “this is a very good scheme for poor people of KP. I feel proud to support my husband, who is working in a factory to meet the education expenses of our children, dowry for daughters’ marriages and kitchen needs,” she said.
“More than one unit should be given on one identity card to underprivileged women so that they can attain maximum benefits from the PM initiative,” she suggested.
Like Rahat Bibi, hundreds of thousands of poor people and women are being benefited from the PM’s poultry program across the country including Azad Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and KP.
These three livestock and dairy development projects had been approved by the Prime Minister after a series of consultations and meetings by the Agriculture and Livestock Task Force with relevant stakeholders, regional and provincial departments in the PTI Government’s first 100 days aimed at revamping this vital sector for the benefits of the common man.
“These projects are smoothly underway in Punjab, KP, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and Islamabad where beneficiaries have started receiving substantial income from it including the poultry program,” said Dr Aftab Ahmad, Project Incharge, PM Poultry Program KP while talking to APP.
“KP had been given a target of distributing one million poultry birds in four years (2018-2022) among poor people. So far, we have distributed about 700,000 poultry birds of quality breed including five hens and one cock on subsidized rate at Rs1050 per unit among poorer people with priorities to widows, persons with disabilities and calamities affected families ” he said.
In Spite of COVID-19, he said distribution of poultry units continued in KP including seven merged tribal districts and hopefully the remaining 300,000 target would be achieved by the end of this year subject to availability of funds. Dr Aftab said about 167,000 poorer people including women would benefit from this landmark initiative of the Prime Minister.
The four years project was launched in 2018 with an estimated cost of Rs834 million including a substantial share of Rs643 million from the KP Government, Rs16 million from the Federal Government and Rs175 million from beneficiaries, he said.
“People’s interest is overwhelming. The department considers extending the project after 2022 with a target to distribute an additional one million poultry birds among underprivileged if the Government provides funds for it,” Dr Aftab said.
The Government in order to fulfill the meat demand of over 210 million population of Pakistan, has launched “Save the Calf” project across the country including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “In KP, as many as 1,20,000 male buffalo calves would be fattened by 2022, said Dr Abbas Khan, Project Incharge, Save the Calf KP while talking to APP.
He said Rs 6,500 per calf were being provided to farmers and livestock growers after six month rearing besides 10 KG free milk replacers and life saving vaccines.
Dr Abbas said about 30,000 buffalo calves were being fattened per year in KP, adding farmers were being encouraged to register calves aged 15 days to one month and rearing them for six months to avail Government’s incentives package. He underscored the need for simplification of the package’s disbursement procedure in order to facilitate farmers and livestock growers.
The livestock growers and farmers of all 35 districts of KP including merged tribal districts have shown keen interest in Save the Calf worth Rs1,554 million that includes KP Government share of Rs1,243 million and Rs 135 million contribution by the Federal Government.
Abbas said the project has made a positive impact on overall meat production in KP besides bringing stability to meat prices in local markets.
Dr Akhtar Munir, Monitoring Officer, Feedlot Fattening Project told APP that work on Rs826 million project was in full swing in KP including merged tribal districts where farmers with at least 15 buffalo and cow calves aged 9-15 months were being registered to get government package including free vaccines, fodder choppers and training besides Rs4,000 per animal after successful completion of the three months fattening cycle.
He said the programs were being closely monitored by the monitoring officers of the Livestock, Planning and Development departments besides the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, Islamabad.
Dr Asal Khan, Planning Officer, Livestock and Dairy Development Department KP told APP that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government had allocated record Rs8,298 million for 132 livestock, agriculture, fisheries and others related projects including Rs6036.14 million for ongoing and Rs 2261.846 million for 17 new schemes in budget 2021-22. He informed that 57 ongoing schemes would be completed during the current fiscal year.
Work on five new mega projects including genetic improvement through cross breeding of quality breed amounting to Rs2,400 million, community meat and dairy development project worth Rs1000 million, establishment of veterinary dispensaries in rented buildings, establishment of environmentally controlled poultry housing shed systems worth Rs1,000 million and setting up state-of the- art veterinary university worth Rs1,000 million in KP has been started.
“PC-1 of the genetic improvement project has been cleared by the provincial working development party (PDWP) while PC-1 of the community meat and dairy development and veterinary dispensaries projects has been submitted to the relevant forums for approval,” he said.
Dr Asal said the planning of environmentally controlled poultry housing/sheds project was in advanced stage and its PC-I would soon be submitted to relevant authorities for approval. “Livestock Survey 2020-21 has been completed in KP and initial statistics revealed an increase in number of Azakheli buffalos in Malakand division courtesy to successful implementation of Azakheli buffaloes’ conservation project during previous tenure of the PTI Government.
“Early, these buffaloes mostly found in Madain and Khawazakhel have been declared endangered after a substantial number died during 2010 devastated floods and 2008-09 militancy in Swat and resultantly, the meat and milk production besides income of poor people has been adversely affected in different districts of Malakand division.
He said cooperation of masses and district administration was imperative to counter challenges of milks’ adulteration, processing and marketing, genetic and breed improvement of different livestock besides checking prices and quality of meat in open markets.
A worker preparing breakfast for customers at his roadside setup
A lady health worker administering anti-corona vaccine to a lady citizen at Anti Corona Vaccination Center at KKF Hospital
Taliban flag hoisting on an American arm vehicle in the city
After remaining tense, women now also seen in bazaars
Players in action during a cricket match played between Islamabad Tigers & Lahore Lions during MCL T-10 Cricket League at Niaz Stadium
HYDERABAD: August 26 Players in action during a cricket match played between Islamabad Tigers & Lahore Lions during MCL T-10 Cricket League at Niaz Stadium. APP photo by Akram Ali