Chairman NPC emphasizes educating youth about struggle behind creation of Pakistan
Shahid Afridi leads KSL trials, new dates announced for aspiring cricketers
ISLAMABAD, Aug 11 (APP):The organizers of the Kashmir Supreme League (KSL), the most prestigious and eagerly anticipated cricket league in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, have announced a revised schedule for their upcoming trials, taking into consideration the recent changes in weather conditions.
The trials are now set to begin on August 17 at the iconic Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium, according to a press release issued here on Sunday.
The first phase of trials will be conducted on August 17–18 at the Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium for aspiring cricketers from Muzaffarabad and Neelum districts.
Following this, the trials for Bagh and Jhelum Valley districts are scheduled for August 20 at Bagh Cricket Stadium. On August 22, Rawalakot Cricket Stadium will host the trials for Haveli and Rawalakot districts.
The cricket action will then move to Kotli on August 24, where the trials for Kotli and Pallandri districts will be held at Kotli Cricket Stadium. Finally, the trials will conclude on August 26 at Mirpur Cricket Stadium for participants from Mirpur and Bhimber districts.
Shahid Khan Afridi, a globally celebrated cricketer and former captain of Pakistan’s national team, continues to be the brand ambassador for the Kashmir Supreme League. His involvement has added significant prestige to the league, attracting widespread attention from both local and international cricketing communities.
Legendary wicketkeeper and former captain Moin Khan is also deeply involved in the league’s operations, ensuring that the KSL is managed with the highest standards of professionalism and excellence.
The Kashmir Supreme League is more than just a sporting event; it is a significant opportunity for the region’s emerging cricket talent to showcase their skills on a grand stage.
The league is expected to feature some of the most distinguished national and international cricket stars, who will not only compete but also mentor the young talent from Kashmir, sharing their vast experience and knowledge.
Beyond the cricketing realm, the league is expected to draw prominent figures from various fields, both nationally and internationally. The presence of such esteemed personalities underscores the league’s broader mission to promote mutual relations, tourism, and sports activities within Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Since the league’s announcement, there has been a palpable wave of excitement among the youth of Kashmir. Young cricketers from across the region have been diligently preparing for the trials, eager to earn their place in what promises to be a historic cricketing event.
The Kashmir Supreme League has already captured the imagination of cricket enthusiasts, and the upcoming trials are expected to further elevate the anticipation and excitement surrounding this landmark event.
Mohsin Naqvi meets Turkish ambassador Dr. Mehmet Paçaci
ISLAMABAD, Aug 11 (APP): Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with Turkish Ambassador Dr. Mehmet Pacaci at the Ministry of Interior.
During the meeting Pakistan-Turkey bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest were discussed in detail.
Furthermore, both sides agreed to enhance cooperation in the fields of security, police, and civil armed forces. It was also decided to send Pakistani police officers to Turkey for training under the exchange program.
On the occasion, the minister said that from August 14 this year, Turkish citizens will be able to obtain free online visas. He added that this step will make it much easier for Turkish brothers and sisters to visit Pakistan.
He stated that he will visit Turkey in October at the invitation of the Turkish Government, where productive steps will be proposed to increase mutual cooperation.
The minister mentioned that Pakistanis consider Turkey as their second home. “Both countries have long-standing religious, cultural, and trade ties and we are desirous of further strengthening these relations”, he added.
The release of Pakistani prisoners in Turkey was also discussed in the meeting and it was agreed to soon finalize the agreement in this regard.
Turkish Ambassador Dr. Mehmet Pacaci said that Turkey renders huge importance to the brotherly relations with Pakistan and will continue the cooperation with Pakistan in various fields.
Federal Secretary Interior Khurram Ali Agha and Additional Secretary Interior Riffat Mukhtar Raja were also present on the occasion.
Exploding Lithium batteries of solar panels erupted H-9 inferno: Report
Ali Jabir
ISLAMABAD, Aug 11 (APP): The H-9 inferno erupted on July 10th that turned a large number of shops, makeshift stalls, pushcarts, and merchandise to ashes, occurred due to exploding Lithium batteries attached to solar panels after it got overheated owing to excessive charging.
The Directorate of Emergency and Disaster Management of Municipal Corporation Islamabad (MCI) in its report submitted to the Parliamentary Committee, revealed that there was no electricity supply to the Bazaar as it was a one-day operations trading hub.
The report revealed that as many as 625 stalls were affected out of the total 2,743 in almost all the sections of the Bazaar, even though there were trained individuals capable of undertaking fire fighting efforts the massive scale of fire left all helpless.
The remaining 2,118 stalls were saved due to effective fire fighting operations conducted by the authorities that involved 31 fire tenders, 255 firefighting staff including 12 from MCI, four from Rawalpindi Administration, four from Pakistan Navy, two from Pakistan Air Force, nine from other departments and 16 water tankers in the entire operation.
An official from the Directorate of Emergency and Disaster Management, MCI claimed that the department was working out proper solutions to address fire risks and was mulling over a centralized electricity supply system or complete wrap-up of operations at night to be ensured.
Moreover, he said that a committee of the vendors was formed to ensure localized awareness and mitigation efforts against fire hazards in the bazaar.
The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration official claimed that the Rescue 1122 and the Emergency and Disaster Management wing of MCI had 10 fire brigades to manage the entire federal capital which was insufficient to manage the present scale of the metropolis’ population and sprawling infrastructure. However, in 2022, two episodes of mass fire in H-9 Bazaar had occurred after the UPS batteries had blown off, he added.
He informed that there was no insurance for the solar panels of shops that got impacted by fire and since it was a temporary bazaar, all electricity connections were removed after repeated fires.
The Capital Administration was preparing a summary to place Rescue 1122 under the Capital Development Authority (CDA) with a complete autonomous Director General that would also involve a complete beef up in resources, capacities and personnel. Moreover, revalidated standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fool proof fire prevention arrangements as a professional team was engaged to create the system, the official said.
Students to get opportunity to explore universe through telescopes
ISLAMABAD, Aug 11 (APP): Students of the educational institutions run by Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) will be able to explore celestial objects through the use of telescopes and stimulate their interest in the space sciences.
In this regard, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MoFEPT) and FDE are launching an initiative to promote astronomy and STEM education among students.
According to an official source, the Ministry of Education and Professional Training through FDE will provide support to the schools to purchase telescopes.
The initiative will help promote STEM education and inspire the next generation of scientists and explorers.
This initiative is a significant step towards nurturing scientific curiosity and interest in astronomy among students.
The knowledgeable staff member will supervise students during telescope use while the staff and students are being trained on telescope operation and safety.
The regular observation sessions will be held even during significant astronomical events. The students are supposed to maintain an Observation log during the Observation Sessions, the source said.
The regular cleaning and inspections of the telescopes will be maintained to prevent damage.
The telescope use will be integrated into science curriculum and research projects and astronomy clubs will be encouraged. The resources will be utilized from Kainat Studios, PakAstronomers and Pakistan Science Club.
The objective behind this initiative is to inspire passion for astronomy and scientific discovery among students and foster a generation of curious, informed, and enthusiastic scientists.
About the implementation of this initiative, the official source said that the school principals have to utilize allocated funds judiciously and ensure telescopes are used to their fullest potential to enrich students’ educational journeys.
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River Chenab likely to experience medium flood in next 24 hours: FFC
ISLAMABAD, Aug 11 (APP): The Federal Flood Commission (FFC) has said that medium flood is expected in River Chenab and medium to high level flows also likely in nullahs in catchments of rivers Ravi and Chenab in next 24 hours.
According to daily FFC report on Sunday, at present River Indus is flowing in “Medium Flood” in Taunsa-Guddu reach. It is in “Low Flood” in Tarbela-Kalabagh reach and at Sukkur Barrage while River Kabul continues to flow in “Low Flood” at Nowshera.
All other major rivers in the Indus River System i.e. Rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej are discharging normal flows, the report said.
The current Combined Live Storage of the country’s major reservoirs (Tarbela, Mangla & Chashma) stands at 10.353 MAF (77.53% of the total live storage capacity of 13.354 MAF).
According to the Flood Forecasting Division (FFD), Lahore, Yesterday’s trough of Westerly Wave over northern parts of Afghanistan lies over northern parts of the country and yesterday’s upper air cyclonic circulation over central Jharkhand (India) lies over south Uttar Pradesh (India).
Active monsoon trough extends from Bay of Bengal to Northeastern Punjab. Moderate to strong moist currents are penetrating upper parts of the country from Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal up to 5,000 feet. Seasonal Low persists over northeast Balochistan.
According to FFD, Lahore scattered to widespread thunderstorm rain of Moderate to Heavy intensity with isolated Very Heavy Falls is expected over the upper catchments of all the major rivers along with Islamabad during the next 24 hours. Scattered thunderstorm rain of Moderate Intensity with Isolated Heavy Falls is expected over Punjab (Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Lahore, Bahawalpur & D.G. Khan Divisions), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu & D.I. Khan Divisions) alongwith Isolated thunderstorm rain of Moderate Intensity over Balochistan (Zhob, Sibbi, Nasirabad & Kalat Divisions) during the same period.









