ISLAMABAD, Aug 24 (APP):Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Senator Syed Shibli Faraz and Ambassador of Portugal to Pakistan, Paulo Neves Pocinho in a meeting held here on Tuesday explored avenues for strengthening cooperation in the field of science and technology.
The federal minister was called upon by the Ambassador, Mr. Paulo Neves Pocinho in the former’s office.
The focus of the meeting was to work on strengthening linkages in the field of Science and Technology between the two countries.
Speaking on the occasion, Shibli Faraz said, “Portugal is a small but an important country and Pakistan and Portugal have a history of friendly relations. We look forward to co-operation and joint ventures in the field of Science and Technology.”
Shibli Faraz said, “Increased co-operation in the field of Research and Development (R&D) will certainly bring fruitful results”.
Moreover, the minister highlighted that the present government was interested in doing sustainable projects to benefit people for a long duration.
Thus, carrying the vision of the government forward, the Ministry of Science and Technology would play its due role to enhance cooperation with other countries in the field of Science and Technology to achieve greater benefits for the country, he said.
Speaking during the meeting, the ambassador expounded that Portugal was currently focusing more in Science and Technological development and welcomed proposals related to Science and Technology and establishment of small to medium enterprises.
“Portugal looks forward to extensive engagement with Pakistan in the aforementioned areas”, he said.
QUETTA, Aug 24 (APP):Spokesperson of the Balochistan government Liaquat Shahwani Tuesday said the Balochistan would soon serve as an engine of growth for the national economy.
Sharing three years performance details of the Balochistan government in a press conference here, he said the delivery phase of the government was rapidly progressing while the living standard and basic amenities for the local people were being improved.
He was of the view that the civic life in Balochistan had been improved to a great extent with successful implementation of the development schemes and strategic initiatives taken by its government.
He claimed that the provincial government, led by Chief Minister Jam Kamal, enjoyed the full confidence of the public.
Shahwani said Balochistan government had started construction work of first ever Cancer Hospital in the province at Shaikh Zahid Hospital, Quetta.
He said the government is all set to complete 120-bed Quetta Cardiac Hospital within the stipulated time period as 90 per cent construction work had been completed over the project.
The establishment of 20-bed fully equipped Intensive Care Units (ICU) at District Headquarter Hospital Zhob, Naseerabad and Turbat were in process with a cost of Rs 100 million each, the spokesperson informed.
Balochistan government has installed 10 tele-health facilities at various Basic Health Units (BHUs) in rural areas of the province in order to provide the best healthcare to the people. The program would be extended to almost all BHUs in other areas too, he added.
The Balochistan government has also established District Headquarters (DHQs) hospitals in Naseerabad and Taftan while two more would also be constructed at Sohbatpur and Surab.
The government has constructed 104 new Basic Health Units (BHUs) in the province to ensure best health care facilities for the masses at their nearest.
The Balochistan government has also established 150 labs at the existing BHUs in the far-flung areas of the province. He said the government has appointed as many as 1300 doctors in various districts and teaching hospitals on adhoc basis to tackle the challenges and overcome the shortage.
Balochistan government had also established medical emergency response centres on main highways at cost of Rs 3921 million to provide medical facilities to the victims of road accidents.
Shahwani said the government had announced to launch Balochistan Health Card facility at ith a cost of Rs 5.914 billion to provide health cover upto Rs one million each to around 1.875 million families of the province.
The provincial government with the collaboration of Child Life Foundation was establishing early Child Care Centre at Civil Hospital Quetta.
The provincial government has expanded its Nutrition Programme from seven to 22 districts, he added.
ISLAMABAD, Aug 24 (APP):All Parties Hurriyat Conference has expressed its deep concern over the most critical situation faced by the people of Kashmir and said that the fresh spree of barbarism unleashed by Indian forces has exposed the New Dehli’s claim that it enjoys any public support in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
The APHC spokesman, in a statement issued in Srinagar, lashed out at some local stooges of India who exploited the anti-India sentiments of the people of Kashmir to grab the political power.
He said that these stooges by using the tags of regional parties are dancing to the tunes of their masers in New Delhi while the fact is that they have been taking oaths under the Indian constitution, and have been, therefore, recognized by India as its own people,Kashmir Media Service reported.
The same people, the spokesman added, are now issuing hard-hitting statements against Indian brutalities only to buy the sympathies of the Kashmiris. However, he made it clear that that gone are the days when these double-faced leaders succeeded in hoodwinking the masses.
The spokesman clarified that the people of Kashmir have rendered innumerable precious sacrifices in terms of blood, honour and material property for the sacred cause of freedom and not for any humiliating accords like that of 1975 within the Indian constitution.
He cautioned such political chameleons to desist from such mean political gimmicks of grabbing political power at the cost of our precious sacrifices given for the end of Indian illegal occupation in Kashmir.
The APHC spokesman urged the United Nations to fulfill its moral and legal obligations on Kashmir and force India to stop genocide of the Kashmiri people.
Meanwhile, APHC leader and Tehreek-e-Muzahamat Chairman Bilal Ahmed Sidiqui in a statement said that New Delhi in its stubbornness is going too far to malign pro-freedom leadership by leveling unsound and dubious charges against it. “This only shows India’s unwillingness to resolve the Kashmir dispute, he added.
“Instead of wasting energies and resources in such cheap and failed tactics, New Delhi should shun its stubbornness and work towards the resolution of the Kashmir dispute according to the wishes of people of Jammu Kashmir,” he concluded.
ISLAMABAD, Aug 24 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday urged the universities to increase the quantum of online education and focus on research and innovation to promote quality education in the country.
He said that the universities needed to shape their vision in a way to prepare students to cope with challenges of the fast changing world.
The President gave these remarks during a briefing on National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Islamabad, here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
Rector NUML Major General (retd) Muhammad Jaffer gave a presentation about the role of university in promotion of education in the country.
The Rector NUML highlighted that 22,000 students were enrolled in various programmes of the university and over 77,000 had graduated from it.
He informed that the university had awarded scholarships to students, including the persons with disabilities, amounting to Rs. 340 million during the fiscal year 2020-21.
Appreciating the role of universities in the educational development of the country, the President emphasized that higher education institutions required to produce intellectually supreme graduates to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
He asked the management of the university to establish an IT Department to provide the youth with employable skills so that they could contribute to the nation’s economic development.
The president also appreciated the performance of NUML University in the fields of research and publications in different languages.
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