ISLAMABAD, Feb 1 (APP): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced February 8th (Thursday) as a public holiday, aiming to provide voters the opportunity to cast their votes conveniently.
The ECP spokesperson said in a statement that the declared holiday, referencing sections (4) and 8 © of the Election Act 2017, is granted to empower voters in exercising their right to franchise freely and conveniently.
PESHAWAR, Feb 01 (APP): In preparation for the upcoming general elections, the management of Khyber Teaching Hospital convened an essential meeting here on Thursday.
Chaired by Hospital Director Dr. Muhammad Zafar Afridi and Medical Director Professor Dr. Muhammad Ayaz Khan, the meeting was attended by Associate Dean Professor Wazir Muhammad, managers, and security staff.
The meeting, held by directives from the health department, aimed to finalize preparations.
All staff leaves have been canceled to ensure readiness for the elections. Adequate medical facilities will be available to the public during holidays.
Furthermore, security arrangements within the hospital will be bolstered, with high-alert orders in effect.
On 8th February, OPDs will remain closed, but emergency staff will be doubled, as per the decision made during the meeting.
Additionally, orders were issued to augment staffing and medications in the emergency department.
All staff members have been instructed to remain on high alert.
RAWALPINDI, Feb 01 (APP):Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital on Thursday announced that genetic testing was being planned to prevent and control eye cancer in children.
Prof. Dr. Tayyab Afghani, consultant and Head Of Department of Orbit and Oculoplastic Department at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital said a genetic testing lab was under construction and will start functioning in five months to end this fatal disease.
Pakistan was witnessing a high prevalence of eye cancer in children as compared to neighboring countries, adding the trust had decided to redouble its efforts to combat the menace, he added.
Prof. Dr. Tayyab Afghani said that around 700 children with eye cancer were treated annually at various trust facilities.
The number was double in its neighboring India as India registered only 2000 children per annum with eye cancer while its population was five times larger than Pakistan.
He informed that genetic testing of parents can help control this occurrence in future generations while genetic tests could be done on a tissue sample removed during a biopsy or surgery.
These tests provide information about how likely cancer would be possible in children, he informed.
Prof Dr. Tayyab Afghani said timely detection could restore sight while the problem could be more complicated and cause vision loss, loss of the eye, or even total blindness.
Eye cancer should not be taken lightly, and a doctor must be consulted without delay as the number of people with eye cancer was on the rise, he said and added that patients were brought to hospitals only in the final stages.
He said that most children with eye cancer belonged to low-income families living in remote areas, and healthcare facilities were not available to them as specialized eye hospitals were not available in their nearby locations.
Afghani said that some tumors were incurable, while others may severely disfigure eyes, requiring complex surgical procedures.
He informed that equipment had been purchased for setting up the genetic testing lab.
ISLAMABAD, Feb 1 (APP): At least three people were injured on Thursday in a bomb explosion in Dera Allahyar town of Jaffarabad district in Balochistan.
According to a private news channel, a cracker bomb explosion occurred outside the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) election office in Dera Allahyar, injuring at least three people.
Police and rescue officials shifted the injured to the District Hospital in Dera Murad Jamali.
ISLAMABAD, Feb 1 (APP): The envoys of Pakistan in Australia and Mexico held separate interactions with the senior office holders of renowned universities of the two countries and explored possibilities of cooperation in education and food security.
Pakistan’s High Commissioner in Australia Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri had a “productive” meeting with Professor Steve Rogers of PVC Darwin University and Project Manager of Northern Australia Food Technology Innovation Dr Warren Hunt.
Had a productive meeting with PVC Darwin University Prof Steve Rogers and Project Manager Northern Australia Food Technology Innovation Dr Warren Hunt. Discussed possibilities for collaboration in food preservation technologies & food security between 🇵🇰 & Northern Territory 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/RyV4XqlZWC
— Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri (@Zhchaudhri) February 1, 2024
In the meeting, they discussed possibilities for collaboration in food preservation technologies and food security between Pakistan and the Northern Territory.
Similarly, Ambassador of Pakistan in Mexico Shozab Abbas met with Director General of Geology Institute of UNAM, Mexico Ricardo Barragan.
Ambassador Shozab Abbas met with Mr. Ricardo Barragan, DG, Geology Institute of UNAM, Mexico and briefed about the potential of Pakistani universities and proposed to enhance educational cooperation between Pakistan and Mexico.@GovtofPakistan @PkPublicDiplo @ForeignOfficePk pic.twitter.com/XTEBsHki4m
— Pakistan Embassy Mexico (@PakinMexico) January 31, 2024
In the meeting, the envoy briefed about the potential of Pakistani universities and proposed to enhance educational cooperation between Pakistan and Mexico.
ISLAMABAD, Feb 01 (APP): Caretaker Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi on Thursday expressed deep grief and sorrow over the death of Saraiki novelist, researcher, critic and intellectual Aslam Rasulpuri.
In his condolence statement, the minister said that the literary services of late Aslam Rasulpuri would be remembered for a long time.
By editing the Sindhi poets Sachal Sarmast, Bedil Sindhi and Hamal Leghari’s Siraiki poetry, Aslam Rasulpuri brought out the harmony of the sources of Sindhi and Siraiki traditions of Sufism.
He said this research achievement of Aslam Rasulpuri would always be remembered.
Murtaza Solangi prayed to Allah Almighty to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved family to bear this loss with fortitude.
ISLAMABAD, Feb 1 (APP): As Pakistanis prepare to vote in the National election to elect representatives for the National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies on February 8, Google has committed to collaborating with the government, industry, and civil society to provide voters with helpful and authoritative information while keeping its platforms safe from abuse.
In a news release issued on Thursday, Google said, “We know that in the run-up to elections, people need useful and relevant information to help them navigate the electoral process. We make reliable information easily available with helpful product features, showing data from trusted, nonpartisan organizations on how and where to vote across our products.”
Google’s ranking systems are designed to elevate authoritative information and provide context to users on various election-related information. Additionally, the Google homepage will include links directing voters to authoritative information on ‘how to vote’ and ‘how to register to vote.’
For news and information related to the election, YouTube’s recommendation system will prominently surface content and relevant context from authoritative sources, including local and national news sources on the homepage, in search results, and the “Up Next” panel, to connect people to high-quality election news and information.
To assist the media and the public in exploring what voters care about in this election, Google has launched a Google Trends page, a tool that helps surface the top queries, topics, and interests in parties running in the elections. The page also includes data on the top election-related topics searched in each part of the country, providing unique insights into what people are searching for.
Google will run a series of workshops to equip journalists with the right resources to inform their news coverage during elections, including teaching them about tools for news verification, digital security, and using Google Trends.
Farhan Qureshi, Google’s Country Director for Pakistan, stated, “In the lead-up to the election, we have focused our efforts on supporting Pakistanis who are expected to cast their vote by helping them connect to useful and relevant election-related information online. We have also invested in the news ecosystem and trained journalists and newsrooms on reporting authoritative and credible news ahead of the election cycle. Recently, we launched a Google Trends Pakistan General Election page to make it easier for the media to find this data for their stories.”
Google and YouTube have longstanding policies to keep their platforms safe, including during elections. YouTube’s Community Guidelines include policies against hate speech, harassment, incitement to violence, technically manipulated content, and certain types of election misinformation. The platforms rely on a combination of machine learning and human reviewers to identify and remove content that violates their policies.
Qureshi added, “Election integrity is a top priority for YouTube, and we’ve been working to ensure the right policies and systems are in place to support the country’s elections. On top of connecting people to authoritative and quality information, we remove violative content in a timely manner with the help of machine learning and trained reviewers. Our goal is to maintain the right balance between protecting our community from harm and enabling a diversity of viewpoints to thrive on YouTube.”
Google’s mission is to make the world’s information accessible and useful, and the company is committed to surfacing and connecting voters to authoritative and helpful information online.
ISLAMABAD, Feb 1 (APP): In a move to streamline essential civic services and bring them closer to the community, Deputy Commissioner (DC)Islamabad, Irfan Nawaz Memon on Thursday initiated an exclusive drive to facilitate citizens at Trail-3 parking lot from 3 to 5 pm.
The excise staff will be on-site, offering a hassle-free experience for vehicle owners seeking registration, transfers, and token tax processing, ICT spokesman Dr Abdullah Tabasum said.
He said that, this unprecedented initiative not only caters to vehicular paperwork but also introduces the ICT Doorstep Service. The citizens are encouraged to avail the opportunity to obtaining your Domicile Certificate, Birth Certificate, Power of Attorney, International Driving Permit, Fuel Permit (Domestic/Commercial), or Motor Vehicle Registration, all at one convenient location, he added.
He further emphasized that the Facilitation Center’s Doorstep ICT Vehicle will be present, providing a seamless and efficient solution for various administrative needs.
He said that whether you’re a vehicle owner looking to sort out your paperwork or in need of essential documents, this event promises efficiency with a touch of convenience to the masses.
The citizens are urged not to miss this opportunity to simplify bureaucratic processes and get everything done at the Rose and Jasmine Garden parking lot today.
Serving the nation since 1947 by providing an accurate, objective, uninterrupted flow of news to the people, the national news service is pursuing a comprehensive strategy to transform the existing news operations into a forward-looking service – APP Digital for its diverse subscriber-base and the public.
Contact us: news@app.com.pk
Copyright © Associated Press of Pakistan
