ISLAMABAD
Caretaker Interior Minister Dr. Gohar Ejaz offering Friday prayer at Faisal Mosque
ISLAMABAD
97% of HFH’s work completed: Dr Jamal
RAWALPINDI, Jan 26 (APP): Provincial Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare and Population Welfare Dr Jamal Nasir Friday said that under the revamping project of Holy Family Hospital (HFH), 97 per cent of the work of the basement, ground and first floor of the old block had been completed.
During a visit to the HFH to inspect the ongoing work of the hospital, he said that 78 per cent work of the emergency block had been completed while around 700 workers were engaged in repair and renovation work of the hospital in three shifts.
The minister directed the officials concerned to accelerate the speed of work and achieve the set target within a week.
Dr Jamal said that apart from Holy Family, funds had been given to Benazir Bhutto Hospital and DHQ, hospital for the upgradation of the Rawalpindi health facilities.
Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari waving hand to the public gathering in connection with upcoming General Elections 2024
MULTAN
Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressing a public gathering in connection with upcoming General Elections 2024
MULTAN
President promulgates Apostille Ordinance waiving attestation of foreign public documents
ISLAMABAD, Jan 26 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi has promulgated the Apostille Ordinance 2024 waiving attestation of foreign public documents.
The ordinance had been issued to facilitate the citizens in Pakistan and the diaspora abroad and to fulfil Pakistan’s obligations under the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (Apostille Convention) of 1961.
The Apostille Convention facilitates the use of public documents abroad by waiving the traditional requirement of multiple legalizations/attestations. Earlier, the federal cabinet had approved the accession of Pakistan to the Apostille Convention in March 2022 and the Convention had entered into force for Pakistan in March 2023.
The President promulgated the Ordinance, on the advice of the Prime Minister, in terms of Article 89 (1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
SC allows Pervaiz Elahi to contest election from PP-32
ISLAMABAD, Jan 26 (APP):The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the decision of election tribunal for rejection of nomination papers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and allowed him to contest polls from PP-32 Gujrat.
A three-member SC bench comprising Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Athar Minallah, which heard the appeal of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to print his name and election symbol on the ballot paper.
Pervaiz Elahi’s lawyer Faisal Siddiqui adopted the stance that the returning officer objected that his client, who was contesting elections from five constituencies, had not opened separate bank accounts for election expenses in each constituency.
He said that his client was also accused of hiding a 10-marla plot in his nomination papers, which he never owned.
The court observed that there was no restriction in the law for having a joint or separate bank accounts for each constituency for running election expenses.
It said that the objection regarding the property could also be addressed later on.
The top court, subsequently, approved the nomination of Pervaiz Elahi and allowed him to participate in the elections.
Governor Balochistan for adopting scientific innovation to overcoming energy crisis
QUETTA, Jan 26 (APP): Governor Balochistan Malik Abdul Wali Khan Kakar has said that we have to adopt scientific innovation to overcome the energy crisis in modern methods of generating solar energy. There is severe energy crisis in the whole country, especially in Balochistan which is a big challenge for all of us to meet, he said.
He expressed these views while addressing at the ceremony organized in connection with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Science (BUITEMS) Quetta and Balochistan Rural Support Program (BRSP) here Friday. Vice Chancellor of BUITEMS University Dr. Khalid Hafeez and Chief Executive Officer BRSP Dr. Tahir Rashid signed the MoU.
The Governor said that we had to adopt scientific innovation because we would be able to overcome the energy crisis only by adopting modern methods of generating solar energy.
Under the said MoU, the Balochistan Center of Excellence located in BUITEMS University, Balochistan Rural Support Program will get rid of the existing conventional electricity system and transfer it to alternative renewable solar energy.
On this occasion, Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr. Abdul Rehman, Registrar, Dr. Zahid Rauf and Dr. Nazir Durrani from BUITEMS University, while Chairman BRSP Malik Anwar Saleem, Board of Director Members Roshan Khursheed Brocha from Balochistan Rural Support Program Nasrullah Bareach, General Manager Program Dr. Shahnawaz Khan and Program Coordinator Naseeb Agha were also present.
Art reminds us of beauty, emotions, stories in a world data,: CM
KARACHI, Jan 26 (APP): The Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar believed that in an era that is often dictated by numbers and data, the arts serve as a reminder of the beauty, emotions, and stories that make us human.
This, he said on Friday while speaking at Arts Council Academic Convocation-2024 organised by the Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP), Karachi. The program was attended by Minister of Information & President Mohammad Ahmed Shah, diplomats from different countries, faculty, alumni, students and parents.
The CM said that this convocation was meant to celebrate the achievements of the talented graduates from the ACP Academies, who would be receiving their diplomas in music, theatre, dance, fine arts and textile.
He said, “This is a special day, not just for the graduates, but for the entire community that supports and values the arts.”
The disciplines are the heartbeat of our cultural identity—expressions of the soul, reflections of our rich heritage, and gateways to creativity, the CM said and added that in a world often dominated by numbers and data, the arts reminded us of the beauty, the emotions, and the stories that make us human.
Baqar told the graduates that their journey has been more than acquiring a diploma; it has been a voyage of self-discovery, a pursuit of passion, and a commitment to excellence. “You have polished your craft, pouring your heart and soul into your work, and today, we celebrate the fruits of your dedication,” he said.
The Arts Council of Pakistan has been a steadfast ally in nurturing and promoting these disciplines, the CM said and added that through tireless efforts, the Council has played a pivotal role in the cultural development of our nation, serving as a catalyst for change and artistic expression and providing a platform for artists to flourish. “It is heartening to see that this institution has actively been working to ensure that the future of arts and culture in the country is safeguarded by future generations of artists,” he said.
The chief minister said that the significance of the arts could not be overstated. “They are bridges that connect us across generations, transcending language and boundaries,” he said and added that the arts were not just a luxury but a necessity.
He said that artists breathe life into our existence, making us more compassionate, more connected, and more alive. “My final message to the graduates is simple: Carry the torch of creativity forward and do not let its light dim,” he concluded.
Minster urges political parties to prioritize education in their election manifestos
KARACHI, Jan 26 (APP): Caretaker Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, Madad Ali Sindhi on Friday urged all the political parties to prioritize education and governance agenda in their election manifestos for the next five years to improve the quality of education in the country. We need to focus on developing educational infrastructure, improving learning system, framing sustainable policy and initiatives as well as ensuring training of teachers and enrollment of out of school children to achieve objectives of quality education for all, he underscored.
The minister expressed the views while presiding over meetings during visits to the regional offices of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and Inter Board Coordination Commission (IBCC) at Karachi and talking to media persons on the occasion.
The minister visited different sections of the regional offices where he received the briefing on the working, role, functions and issues being faced and future strategies of the organizations.
Madad Ali Sindhi observed that over 25 million out of school children, the dilapidated condition of public sector educational institutions, disconnection between teachers and parents, non-utilization of earmarked funds and other issues indicate that the education sector could not get proper attention of political parties in the past and remained excluded from their manifestos while bureaucracy also failed to play a positive role in the regard. Now it has been inevitable that whichever political party comes into power after the upcoming general elections must dedicate its five year term to improve the education in Pakistan as it was the only option for development of the country, he maintained and emphasized that people should also urge their representatives for taking measures in the regard.
The minister said that during the short tenure of the caretaker government, he had adopted a proactive approach to improve the educational standards and deal with the issues and 20 out of 50 schools of federal capital were selected for reforms. Those educational institutes were being transformed as model schools with provision of missing facilities and improvement of their management, he said and added that the caretaker government was also focusing on universities and boards and measures were taken to resolve their issues while chairmen of educational boards were directed to improve the system and ensure transparency in examination and assessment processes by utilizing modern digital technologies.
Madad Ali Sindhi expressed concerns on issues of drug abuse and harassment in educational institutions and said that the government was taking steps to do away with the issues but there should be close coordination between parents and teachers and teaching faculty keep an eye on the students and their behaviors to help overcoming such issues.
He emphasized on a comprehensive policy, coordinated efforts and joint initiatives by federal and provincial governments for educational improvement and said following the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the education sector has been devolved to provinces.
Earlier, Executive Director IBCC, Prof. Dr. Ghulam Ali Mallah, briefed the minister that one window procedure and online system for verification was functional in IBCC and it had facilitated the students to a great extent.
Assistant Regional Director AIOU Karachi office, Zulfiqar Ali Zardari briefed that 56 campuses of Allama Iqbal Open University were functional around the country and there was a need of more campuses to cater the large number of students.
Commissioner, RPO DG Khan visits Muzaffargarh, discuss Feb 8 election arrangements
MUZAFFARGARH, Jan 26 (APP):Commissioner Dr Nasir Mahmood Basir and Regional Police Officer (RPO) Dera Ghazi Khan Captain (retd) Sajjad Hassan Khan on Friday visited district Muzaffargarh where they held a meeting with the administrations of Muzaffargarh and Kot Addu districts and discussed election-related arrangements.
Presiding over the meeting jointly, the divisional heads of DG Khan administration and police discussed the matters about security arrangements at polling stations in Muzaffargarh and Kot Addu, installation of CCTV cameras at sensitive polling stations, transportation of election material to polling stations, cleanliness and other related issues.
Deputy Commissioner/DRO Muzaffargarh Mian Usman Ali, DC Kot Addu Munawwar Abbas Bukhari, and DPO Syed Husnain Haidar gave a detailed briefing on election arrangements.
The commissioner said that the ECP code of conduct would be implemented strictly and full cooperation would be extended to ECP for holding the Feb 8 general elections.
Additional teams of police, health department and Rescue 1122 would remain alert to move swiftly in case of any emergency.
DC Muzaffargarh said that Feb 8 polls would be held for four National Assembly and eight Provincial Assembly seats, adding 3,470 polling booths were being set up in the district. DPO Syed Husnain Haidar said that 161 polling stations have been declared sensitive and flawless security arrangements have been made there.
Deputy Commissioner Kot Addu Munawwar Abbas Bukhari said that the district comprises two National Assembly and three Provincial Assembly constituencies and 1495 polling booths would be set up to facilitate voters.
ADCG Muhammad Yousuf Cheena, AC Muzaffargarh Nasir Shahzad Dogar, Deputy Election Commissioner Muzaffargarh Muhammad Aslam and other officials were present.