SKARDU: January 29 –
An attractive and eye catching view of Snow covered RCC Bridge along with Indus River during first snow fall in the catchment area of Pakistan.
SKARDU: January 29 –
Young artisan busy carving design on wood at his workshop.
LAHORE: January 29 –
President inaugurates ‘Sundas Foundation Karachi Centre’
KARACHI, Jan 29 (APP):President Dr. Arif Alvi inaugurated ‘Sundas Foundation Karachi Centre’ on Monday.
The centre is aimed at providing blood and hematological services to patients.
The President, soon after inaugurating the Centre, visited Blood Transfusion section of the facility and met patients present on the occasion.
Dr. Alvi enquired about the health of the patients and distributed fruit baskets for them.
Earlier, the President was received by the Sundas Foundation President Yaseen Khan and other management of the foundation. He was also briefed about the Centre.
Power suspension for different KP feeders notified
PESHAWAR, Jan 29 (APP):Peshawar Electric Supply Company on Monday notified that due to maintenance work power supply will remain from Hayatabad grid station on 31st January from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. resultantly, consumers of Khyber 1, 2, Hayatabad 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, IMS feeders will face inconvenience.
Likewise, it said power supply will remain suspended from Hayatabad grid station on 30th January from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. resultantly, consumers of Old Hayatabad, Hayatabad 7, 11 feeders will face inconvenience. The power supply will also remain suspended from Peshawar City Grid Station on 31st January from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. resultantly consumers of Sikandar Pura, Lala, Hashtnagri, Chughalpura, Chamkani, Jahgra, Radio Pak, Sethi Town, Gul Barg, Hassan Abad, Zaryab, Phandu Road, City Home, Bana Mari, Urmar, Islamabad, Faqir Abad, Sheikh Abad, Molvi G, Nishtarabad, NHA feeders will face inconvenience.
The power supply will also remain suspended from Mardan Grid Station on 31st January from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. resultantly, consumers of Mohabatabad, Express, SIDB, Shaikh Maltoon, Industrial , SIDB, Janabad, Pakistan Chowk, Canal Road, New Charsadda Road, New Manga, Saleem Khan, Gujar Ghari, Town, Muslim Abad, New Saleem Khan, Bacha Khan, MED, Benazir Children Hospital, Muhabatabad Road, Nissata Road, Sheikh Maltoon , Ahmat Abad, Misri Abad, PRC, Eid Gah, Green Area , New Sheikh Maltoon feeders will face inconvenience.
The power supply will remain suspended from Bannu – Kuram Ghari Transmission Line on 30th January from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. resultantly, consumers of 66 KV Kuram Ghari grid connected feeders will face inconvenience. The power supply will remain suspended from Abbottabad Grid Station on 31st January from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. resultantly, consumers of Damtoor, Bagnotar, Jahangi, Madian feeders will face inconvenience.
EU providing additional €100 mln to enhance post-flood resilience
ISLAMABAD, Jan 29 (APP):The European Union (EU) would provide an additional EUR 100 million to reinforce Pakistan’s resilience in the aftermath of the devastating 2022 floods that severely impacted the nation.
According to press statement issued by Economic Affairs Division, EU Ambassador to Pakistan, Ms. Riina Kionka and Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Dr. Kazim Niaz signed five new EU grant agreements in this regard.
“These agreements, under Team Europe’s response to the 2022 post-flood Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Framework, signify a substantial commitment of nearly EUR 100 million (equivalent to over PKR 30 billion),” the statement added.
The new EU support package aims to fortify Pakistan’s resilience in the aftermath of the floods, bringing the total Team Europe response to the 2022 floods to over EUR 930 million.
The specific focus areas include revitalising the rural economy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and restoring the disrupted livestock value chains in flood-affected Balochistan.
Notably, these activities align with the expansive EU Global Gateway initiative, the largest EU investment program designed to propel the global green transition. Moreover, the package extends its impact by fortifying Pakistan’s long-term resilience through targeted investments in human rights, gender equality, and civil society.
On the occasion, Dr. Kazim Niaz thanked the EU for their support and further emphasised that there were unmet needs in the flood affected areas that require assistance of development partners.
Speaking on the occasion, EU Ambassador, Dr. Riina Kionka said Pakistan was not alone in overcoming its challenging phase of economic crisis and flood recovery.
“The EU and Team Europe partners are committed to building back better, sustainably improving lives in the most affected communities in KP and Balochistan,” she added.
The EU’s commitment to Pakistan encompasses a vision of a stable, democratic, and pluralistic country that respects human rights and maximizes its economic potential.
The EU annually provides approximately EUR 90 million in grants for development and cooperation, supporting Pakistan’s initiatives to combat poverty, enhance education, promote good governance, human rights, rule of law and ensure sustainable natural resource management.
The EU’s cooperation spans across all of Pakistan, with a special focus on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan, Balochistan, and Sindh.
Pakistan assembles around 9mln mobile phones worth $1.5bln in two years : Dr Umar Saif
ISLAMABAD, Jan 29 (APP): Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Dr Umar Saif on Monday said that the country had assembled approximately 9 million mobile phones worth around $1.5 billion during the last two years.
Addressing the Pakistan Mobile Summit, the first-ever mobile conference in the country, he said currently about 35 different mobile phone brands were actively contributing to the local mobile phone manufacturing industry.
He said the country had exported nearly 250,000 mobile phones and earned around $ 200 million dollars foreign
exchange.
The minister said local handset manufacturers in Pakistan had produced around 57 million phones, surpassing the annual domestic demand of 25 million units.
He also informed the audience about efforts being made at the local level to prepare some components, with the goal of eventually manufacturing fully assembled phones within the country.
He said that Pakistan was the 7th largest market of cellular users in the world with 191 Million cellular connections. However, “We import most of our mobile phones. We need to manufacture them locally and develop an industry to export made-in-Pakistan phones” he added.
He said : “The Pakistani government has played a pivotal role in supporting the growth of this industry by offering various incentives.”
Dr. Saif said : “Just the number of broadband users in Pakistan is more than the entire population of Canada. The number of social media users in Pakistan is more than the entire population of many countries in Europe.”
Dr Umar Saif expressed the optimism about the industry’s potential for growth and the positive impact on the country’s economy.
Highlighting the progress made in the IT and electronics industries over the last three years, he called for the formulation of policies in these domains.
He pointed out that the government had decided to grant a 3% Research and Development (R&D) allowance to mobile manufacturers, scheduled to be implemented starting from the next fiscal year. Furthermore, the R&D allowance will be increased from 3% to 8% in the upcoming years, he added.
He expressed the view that this decision was expected to encourage and support local mobile manufacturers in their research and development endeavors. “The move aligns with the government’s broader strategy to boost the technology sector and promote self-sufficiency in the production of electronic devices within Pakistan.”
He expressed confidence that 5G services in the country would be launched by July-August of the current year, and a 300MHz spectrum would be offered for auction.
Before the launch of 5G services, the optic fiber network had to be enhanced. Currently, only 6,000 mobile towers are related to optic fiber cables (OFC), out of around 56,000 towers across the country.
The minister also highlighted the steps taken by his ministry for the uplift of the IT industry, stating that during the five months, the government had established a Telecom Tribunal to fulfill a longstanding demand of the telecom sector.
“The effective implementation of the Right of Way Policy, the Special Investment Council has removed all departmental hurdles, and all decisions in the interest of the country and the nation have been approved without delay,” he added.
He said that under the nation’s first space policy approved by the federal cabinet, international companies would be allowed to provide communication services through low-orbit communication satellites.
Dr Saif mentioned that satellite communication technology was advancing rapidly, and many private companies worldwide wanted to provide communication services through low-orbit satellites.
“Satellites used to be geostationary, far away from the land. They are useful for broadcasting TV signals, but communicating is difficult because there is latency,” he said.
Dr Saif said that communication services and Internet services could be offered through low-orbit satellites, which were relatively closer.
He mentioned that there had been a lot of development in this regard in the private sector.
“Now it has become possible for communication services in Pakistan to be provided through satellites, and the private sector has this technology,” he said.
The Pakistan Mobile Summit, the first-ever mobile conference in Pakistan, had a distinguished guest list of top industry leaders and over 250 attendees. The event provided an excellent platform for engaging in insightful discussions, sharing innovative ideas, and building collaborative networking within the dynamic landscape of the ever-evolving mobile industry.
This momentous evening gathered some pivotal figures in the mobile phone ecosystem, ranging from government representatives, operators, regulators, manufacturers, and app developers to advocates for digital and financial inclusion (D&I) as well as sustainability.
Prominent names, including Muzzafar Hayat Piracha, CEO Airlink, Major General (R) Hafeez ur Rehman, Chairman PTA, Fatima Asad-Said, CEO ABACUS, Aamir Allawala, CEO Transsion TECNO Electronic, Muhammad Imran Saleem, Country GM, Careem Pakistan, Ehsan Saya, Managing Director, Daraz, Mr. Anwar Kabir, CEO Brand Spectrum, and others, attended the event.
Central to the discussions was the profound impact of 5G, exploring its transformative potential for digital advancements and B2B services, alongside other pertinent topics. Complementing the discussions, an exhibition area was set up to highlight the diverse contributions of organizations within the mobile industry.
A vendor arranging and displaying clay made pot at his setup in the Federal Capital
ISLAMABAD
PSX witnesses bearish trend, loses 1,039 points
ISLAMABAD, Jan 29 (APP): The 100-index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed bearish trend on Monday, losing 1,039.34 points, a negative change of 1.63 percent, closing at 62,773.72 points against 63,813.06 points the previous trading day.
A total of 317,577,239 shares valuing Rs 10.693 billion were traded during the day as compared to 412,823,322 shares valuing Rs.16.185 billion the last day.
Some 348 companies transacted their shares in the stock market; 73 of them recorded gains and 253 sustained losses, whereas the share prices of 22 remained unchanged.
The three top-trading companies were K-Electric Limited with 46,691,829 shares at Rs.4.85 per share, PIAC(A) with 22,938,500 shares at Rs.9.93 per share and WorldCall Telecom with 21,480,705 shares at Rs.1.25 per share.
Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited witnessed a maximum increase of Rs.1,000.00 per share price, closing at Rs.22,500.00, whereas the runner-up was Sapphire Fibres Limited with a Rs.97.00 rise in its per share price to Rs.1,577.00.
Mari Petroleum Company Limited witnessed a maximum decrease of Rs.99.21 per share closing at Rs.2,353.16, followed by Siemens (Pakistan) Engineering with Rs.26.37 decline to close at Rs.597.62.
SC bench hearing appeals regarding army courts dissolved
ISLAMABAD, Jan 29 (APP):A six-member larger bench of the Supreme Court (SC), hearing intra court appeals pertaining to the civilians’ trial in army courts, on Monday dissolved after Justice Sardar Tariq Masood recused himself from it.
The court sent the matter the three-member judges committee for formation of new bench.
A six-member larger bench headed by Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and comprising Justice Amin ud Din Khan, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Irfan Saadat Khan heard the case.
As the hearing began, the counsel for petitioner Jawad S. Khawaj raised objection over formation of the bench.
At this, the Justice Tariq Masood who was presiding the hearing recused himself from the bench after this the matter was sent to the three- member judges committee.
WAPDA organises Road Show in Bangkok to woo contracting firms
ISLAMABAD, Jan 29 (APP):WAPDA organized a day-long Road Show in Bangkok on Monday for the 300 MW-Floating Solar Project, the first of its kind in Pakistan.
The aim of the Road Show was to foster enhanced competition among prospective bidders for the project, according to a news release received here.
As many as 58 delegates from 50 international firms participated in the event. Among the attendees were Chairman WAPDA Engr Lt Gen Sajjad Ghani (Retd), Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires in Thailand Yasir Hussain, World Bank representatives, WAPDA high-ups, and the project’s consultants.
Expressing gratitude for the active participation, the Chairman highlighted the excellent business opportunities for contracting firms in the WAPDA floating solar project.
He emphasized the transparent international competitive bidding process and WAPDA’s strong asset base and professional expertise in implementing mega projects in the water and power sectors.
The Chairman expressed hope that contracting firms from around the world would bid for the project in large numbers, considering the highly secured and easily accessible project site.
Later in the event, WAPDA Member Finance, Member Power, GM (Coordination and Monitoring), and the consultants briefed the participants on WAPDA, its revenue streams, collaboration with international financial institutes, and development portfolio.
They also discussed financial, technical, and bidding details of the 300 MW-Floating Solar Project in Pakistan. The Chairman, along with the WAPDA team and consultants, responded to queries during the question-answer session.
Before the Bangkok Road Show, WAPDA organized a Pre-Bid Conference in Pakistan in November last year.
WAPDA’s 300 MW-Floating Solar Project aims to generate clean energy from Tarbela-Ghazi Barotha Complex through the development of an environmentally friendly, innovative floating solar and hydropower hybrid system.
The project involves deploying two 150 MW floating solar plants, one at Ghazi Head Pond at Tarbela Complex and the other at North Pond at Ghazi-Barotha Complex.
These plants will be connected with the Switch Yards of Tarbela and Ghazi-Barotha Hydel Power Stations to provide 484 million units of low-cost electricity to the National Grid annually.
The World Bank has expressed interest in providing 95% financing for the project. WAPDA has already released bidding documents in October 2023 in accordance with the World Bank’s procurement guidelines, with the bidding submission deadline set for March 12, 2024.