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Improving patient safety: Collaboration between health institutions stressed

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LAHORE, Jan 31 (APP):Institute of Public Health (IPH) head Professor Dr. Zarfashan Tahir Wednesday highlighted the primary goal of healthcare system: ensuring access to quality treatment, while safeguarding patient rights.
In a two-day training workshop, organised by the IPH, in collaboration with the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) here on Wednesday, health professionals and managers gathered to enhance awareness on “Essentials for Patient Safety.”
Dr. Zarfishan commended PHC’s efforts in organising training programmes, emphasising their role in enhancing healthcare delivery and administrative efficiency in hospitals.
PHC Director Dr. Mushtaq Ahmed Sulehriya, underscored the importance of patient safety fundamentals and the implementation of minimum service delivery standards (MSDS) across public and private healthcare facilities. He emphasised PHC’s integrated monitoring policy and grievance redress system, aimed at improving healthcare quality and addressing patient concerns.
During the workshop, participants were briefed on access to treatment facilities, infection control measures, and regular patient care. Dr. Imtiaz Ali of PHC emphasized the significance of infection prevention and control in hospitals.
The workshop, attended by health professionals and managers from various government and private hospitals, served as a platform for collaboration and knowledge sharing to strengthen the healthcare delivery system and uphold patient rights across the province.

Nothing educates & illuminates better than cinema: Solangi

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Murtaza Solangi

ISLAMABAD, Jan 31 (APP): Caretaker Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi on Wednesday underlined the need for promoting cinemas in the country to foster cultural values of tolerance and harmony in the society.

Addressing the screening ceremony of a Kazakh movie at the Pakistan National Council of Arts, he said, “Nothing impresses, educates and illuminates better than cinema. Probably hundreds of high-pitch, hyperbolic and hyper ventilating speeches cannot educate you like this movie, I am sure, can educate and sensitize you better.”

He expressed gratitude to the ambassador of Kazakhstan in Pakistan and Caretaker Minister for Culture and Heritage Jamal Shah for inviting him to speak on the screening of “Kazakh Khanate”.

“Nobody probably in this auditorium can truly represent cinema better than Jamal Shah. He lives and breaths cinema,” he said while expressing the resolve to work with his cabinet colleague to promote the culture through cinema.

“We will try both with and without the government to do our job to address the challenges people faced today,” he said while highlighting the urgency for the next elected government to address the poly crises such as culture of intolerance, extreme polarization amid the heavily divided global landscape.

“We have huge challenges in front of us and one of those challenges in the domain of culture and perception is extreme intolerance, and personality cult and cult worship that won’t be cured by criminalizing things,” he noted.

The minister said, “Law will and shall take its course but when it comes to dealing with long term consequences, there is nothing better than culture. In culture, cinema holds special place, so we must promote good cinemas. “

He assured the Kazakh envoy of all-out support of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and its attached departments.

“Kazakhstan is not a far away land” as it was connected with Pakistan both geographically and culturally, he added.

“There is a great future for cooperation between Pakistan and Kazakhstan,” he said, noting that the screening of the film “should be a learning experience and a point of departure to deepen our relationship to new heights.”

JUI-F candidates withdraw in favour of MQM-P

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KARACHI, Jan 31 (APP):Several candidates fielded by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal-ur-Rehman (JUI-F) for National and provincial assemblies slots in Karachi during the February 8 elections have announced to withdrawal in favour of the candidates of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P).
The announcement to this effect came in a joint press conference by MQM-P senior leader and candidate for NA-237 Rauf Siddiqi and JUI-F leader Molana Ghayas, at Karachi Press Club here.
They told the media at KPC that the JUI-F-supported candidate from NA-237 Karachi Maulana Ehsanullah Hazarvi has withdrawn in favour of MQM-P candidate Rauf Siddiqi, JUI-F candidate for Sindh Assembly seat PS-104 Karachi, in favour of MQM-P candidate Daniyal Siddiqi and JUI-F candidate for PS-103 Jamal Khan Kakar has withdrawn in favour of MQM-P’s Faisal Rafiq.
JUI-F’s candidate for PS-102 Qari Saif-ur-Rehman has withdrawn in favour of MQM-P’s Aamir Siddiqi, JUI-F’s candidate for PS-101 Maulana Abdul Salam Soomro in favour of MQM-P’s Moeed Anwer and JUI-F’s candidate for PS-98 Molvi Abdul Aziz has withdrawn in support of MQM-P’s Arsalan Pervez, they said.
JUI-F leader Maulana Ghayas said that the decision to withdraw the party’s candidates in favour of MQM-P was taken by the central leadership of the party and we are ensuring compliance with the directives of our leadership.
He also called upon the MQM-P leaders to withdraw their party candidate Rana Shaukat in PS-99 (formerly PS-(97) in favour of JUI-F’s candidate Aslam Ghauri to which Rauf Siddiqi said that he would convey this message to the MQM Rabita Committee.
Rauf Siddiqi also expressed gratitude to JUI-F leader Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman for taking this important decision during the general elections in 2024 and said the JUI-F chief has always supported his party in all testing times.
In reply to a question, he said that MQM-P has already decided to withdraw its candidate in PS-105 in favour of Grand Democratic Alliance’s (GDA) Irfanullah Marwat during the February 8 elections.

DC takes action against over-charging at parking lot

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LAHORE, Jan 31 (APP):In a recent operation at Mayo Hospital parking area, the district administration apprehended seven individuals, including key figures associated with the parking mafia, and filed cases against the offenders.
Under the guidance of Lahore Deputy Commissioner Rafia Haider, the initiative was led by Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Muhammad Shojain Vistro in response to complaints of overcharging. He executed a comprehensive crackdown on contractors and employees involved in the practice.
DC Rafia Haider affirmed the parking company’s firm stance against any form of overcharging, emphasizing that stringent actions await officers who fail to ensure reasonable parking rates in hospitals. She asserted that those found collecting more than the prescribed parking fees would face immediate dismissal. In appeal to the public, she encouraged reporting any complaints against individuals demanding excessive fees.
DC Rafia Haider also directed officers to conduct daily checking at hospitals and other parking sites, reinforcing the commitment to maintaining fair and transparent parking practices.

Malaysian envoy for cooperation with Pakistani hilal meat industry

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Malaysian
ISLAMABAD, Jan 31 (APP):Malaysian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Mohammad Azhar Mazlan on Wednesday emphasized the imperative of bolstering collaboration with Pakistan in the Hilal meat industry, highlighting the promising prospects of its potential for the production of Hilal meat, chicken, and dairy products.
He made the remarks during a guest lecture at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) in connection with the ‘Distinguished Lecture Series’ of IPRI.
The lecture, under the theme ‘Diplomatic Reflections’ was focused on ‘Pakistan-Malaysia Relations in the New Era.’
The High Commissioner noted that Pakistan was Malaysia’s third-largest trading partner export destination and second-largest import source.
He said that the imports of palm oil by Pakistan from Malaysia had been increasing since the Malaysian Free Trade Agreement (FTA) came into effect in 2008.
Pakistan imported 9% of its palm oil from Malaysia, while the rest was imported from Indonesia, he added.
“As of January 2023, the total number of foreign workers in Malaysia is 1,493,581 whereas the number of registered Pakistani workers is 49,409, which is 3.31 percent of the total number of foreign workers in Malaysia,” he remarked.
It is estimated that currently Malaysia was home to more than 100,000 Pakistani diaspora, and the official recorded number of Malaysian diaspora stands at 150 people, while there are huge local Malaysian population living in Buner district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
As a way-forward, the envoy pointed out avenues such as elevating the existing Strategic Partnership and covering all areas of economics, technology and defence, enhancing leadership and people-to-people cooperation, addressing concerns in climate change and renewable energy sectors; evolving high-tech industry and benefiting from Pakistan’s potential as a an agricultural powerhouse, and work for policy reforms for a shared and inclusive growth.
The envoy said that as one of the founding members of ASEAN, Malaysia was highly committed to further strengthening ties between ASEAN and Pakistan.
He said that with an aggregate GDP exceeding USD 3 trillion, ASEAN was now ranked as the fifth-largest economy globally, poised to ascend to the fourth spot by 2050.
He said that Pakistan was projected to be the 16th largest economy by 2050, and the total trade between ASEAN and Pakistan presently was over USD 11 billion.
High Commissioner Azhar Mazlan said that Malaysia would never recognize Israel, until and unless there is a Two-State solution in the Middle East, and an independent State of Palestine is carved out.
He remarked that Malaysia was a beneficiary of competent leadership, and through 12 consecutive Sustainable Programs, it has scaled new heights of success and development.
“Having right leaders at the right time is essential,” he said and hoped that Pakistan too would overcome political instability to come out strongly.
He hoped that in the next 10 years, Malaysia would be the world’s top 25th economy.
He observed that Pakistan must convince the international audience that it was a safe destination for investment and tourism.
He made a special reference to the surgical and sports industry in Sialkot, and termed it as one of the best and competitive in the world.

LESCO detects 407 power pilferers in 24 hours

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LESCO
LAHORE, Jan 31 (APP):The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) detected a total of 407 connections from where consumers were pilfering electricity in all its circles of five districts: Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Kasur and Okara, on the 144th day of anti-power theft campaign.
A LESCO spokesman told the media on Wednesday that the company also submitted FIR applications against 407 electricity thieves, out of which 170 FIRs were registered with the respective police stations, while six accused were arrested.
On the 144th consecutive day of the anti-power theft campaign, the spokesman added, large commercial consumers were also found involved in electricity theft and all of them were also disconnected and charged with detection units. Among the seized connections, 13 were commercial, two agricultural and 392 domestic, and all the connections were disconnected and charged with a total of 319,132 units as detection bill amounting to Rs 10.924 million.
Apprising the media about some major power pilferers, he explained that LESCO charged Rs 299,580 detection to an electricity pilferer in Phool Nagar; Rs 190,000 fine in the form of detection bill to a customer stealing electricity in Race Course area of Lahore; Rs 150,000 to another power pilferer in Shadman area and Rs 150,000 detection bills respectively to two power thieves in Naulakha area.
During the 144 days of grand anti-theft campaign, the spokesman mentioned, the LESCO detected pilferage on 49,730 power connections and submitted 49,269 FIR applications against electricity thieves in the relevant police stations out of which 46,929 FIRs have been registered, while 17,424 accused have so far been arrested by the police. The LESCO has so far charged a total of 69,811,699 detection units worth Rs 2,705,989,526 to all the power pilferers.

China‘s acceptance of new Afghan ambassador, normal diplomatic arrangement: Wang Wenbin

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Wang Wenbin

BEIJING, Jan 31 (APP): China’s acceptance of the appointment of the new Afghan ambassador to China by the Afghan interim government is a normal diplomatic arrangement, Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson, Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday.

“It is normal diplomatic arrangements for China to receive the new ambassador to China, sent by the Afghan interim government and for him to present his credentials to the Chinese leader,” he said during his regular briefing in response to a question whether China formally recognizes the Afghan interim government?

He said that China’s policy on Afghanistan was consistent and clear. As a traditionally friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, China was committed to a foreign policy of friendship towards all Afghan people and has maintained diplomatic ties and exchange and cooperation in various areas with Afghanistan.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday in Beijing received credentials of ambassadors from many countries, including Afghanistan.

The spokesperson hoped that the international community would step up engagement and exchange with the Afghan interim government, encourage it to actively respond to international concerns, jointly help with Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development, and support Afghanistan’s effort to combat violent terrorist forces and contribute to regional peace, stability and prosperity.

When asked whether China officially recognizes the Afghan interim government, he said that China believed that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community.

“We hope Afghanistan will further respond to the expectations of the international community, build an open and inclusive political structure, adopt moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, firmly combat all forms of terrorist forces, develop friendly relations with other countries, especially with its neighbors, and integrate itself into the world community,” he added.

He said that the Chinese side believed that diplomatic recognition of the Afghan government would come naturally as the concerns of various parties were effectively addressed.

Group of probationary officers of 51st Common Training Programme (CTP) visiting senate museum at Parliament House

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Group of probationary officers of 51st Common Training Programme (CTP) visiting senate museum at Parliament House
APP42-310124 ISLAMABAD: January 31 - Group of probationary officers of 51st Common Training Programme (CTP) visiting senate museum at Parliament House. APP/TZD/ABB
Group of probationary officers of 51st Common Training Programme (CTP) visiting senate museum at Parliament House
APP42-310124
ISLAMABAD: January 31 

CDA starts cleanliness drive

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 31 (APP):Capital Development Author­ity here on Wednesday s started special drive for cleaning of markets in the federal capital.
The special cleanliness drive was started from Aabpara market and it will be extended rest of the commercial areas of the city.
 Different teams were formed by the Sanitation Directorate for said special campaign, which will wash the roads, footpaths.
 Director Sanitation, Mashuq Ali Sheikh personally supervised the process and announced that other markets across the city will also be specially cleaned on the pattern of Aabpara market.

A group photograph of probationary officers of 51st Common Training Programme (CTP) in the Senate Hall at Parliament House

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A group photograph of probationary officers of 51st Common Training Programme (CTP) in the Senate Hall at Parliament House
APP41-310124 ISLAMABAD: January 31 - A group photograph of probationary officers of 51st Common Training Programme (CTP) in the Senate Hall at Parliament House. APP/TZD/ABB
A group photograph of probationary officers of 51st Common Training Programme (CTP) in the Senate Hall at Parliament House
APP41-310124
ISLAMABAD: January 31 –