ISLAMABAD
Vice Chancellor AIOU, Prof Dr Nasir Mahmood giving shield to Caretaker Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, Madad Ali Sindhi during 3rd International Conference on “Modern Trends in the Arab Novel in the Second Half of the Twentieth Century” organize by AIOU at Academic Auditorium
ISLAMABAD
Caretaker Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, Madad Ali Sindhi addressing the 3rd International Conference on “Modern Trends in the Arab Novel in the Second Half of the Twentieth Century” organize by AIOU at Academic Auditorium
ISLAMABAD
Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi is addressing the media during his visit to Sialkot
SIALKOT
APP32-131223
SIALKOT
National Jr Taekwondo C’ship from December 15
ISLAMABAD, Dec 13 (APP):Pakistan Taekwondo Federation in collaboration with Korean Embassy, was organizing 16th Korean Ambassador National Junior Taekwondo Championship here at the Liaquat Gymnasium of Pakistan Sports Complex from December 15 to 16.
The championship was set to be a mega event with the active participation of over 200 to 250 officials and athletes. Distinguished guests, including the Korean Ambassador and Senior Services Officers would be in attendance for the opening ceremony on December 16.
The participating teams include Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air Force, Wapda, Railway, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab, Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and WT Care Pogramme Team.
President promulgates ordinance to declare power theft a cognisable offence
ISLAMABAD, Dec 13 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday promulgated an ordinance to declare the theft of electricity a cognisable offence.
Through the Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance 2023, the president amended the Section 462 (O) of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860.
According to a President House statement, the electricity distribution companies were earlier facing difficulties in the registration of FIRs of power theft incidents.
However, under the new ordinance, the incidents of electricity theft will be a cognisable offence.
After the Ordinance, theft of electricity will be a cognisable offense on the complaint of not only by officers of grade 17 or above but also the nominees of CEOs of electricity distribution companies.
The president issued the Ordinance under Article 89-1 of the Constitution
The said ordinance will help curb power theft in the energy sector worth around Rs 590 billion.
SAPM Jawad Malik for higher job opportunities in hospitality sector in KSA
ISLAMABAD, Dec 13 (APP):Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development, Jawad Sohrab Malik held an interactive session with Pakistani professionals from the hospitality industry at the Embassy of Pakistan, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The SAPM, Jawad Sohrab Malik assured the participants of the will and the resolve of the government to train the workers in accordance with the requirements of the hospitality industry in Saudi Arabia in order to get the maximum share for Pakistanis in the Saudi job market, said a press release.
The Participants briefed the SAPM on the trends in the hospitality sector with the focus on areas where Pakistan could benefit.
The SAPM was informed that the Kingdom accorded priority to the tourism industry under its ambitious Vision 2030 and therefore the hospitality industry was growing at a rapid pace.
They highlighted the specific skill-set and qualifications that were sought after in the Saudi Arabian hospitality industry, such as the working level language proficiency in Arabic and English.
OICCI takes lead in shaping private sector climate action at COP28
ISLAMABAD, Dec 13 (APP): The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) demonstrated its commitment to driving meaningful climate action at COP28 by hosting a pivotal high-level dialogue in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC).
Nestled within the exclusive Blue Zone of the Pakistan pavilion in Expo City Dubai, the dialogue, themed ‘Decarbonization and the Role of the Private Sector’, tackled pressing issues such as mobilizing private capital for achieving Net Zero carbon emissions, evaluating carbon market efficacy, and fortifying public-private partnerships.
The distinguished panel comprised experts from various sectors, such as Dr. Karen Olsen, Carbon Market Advisor, United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), Dr. Charles Ehrhart, Global Head Climate Risk, Resilience; Adaptation, Partner, KPMG International, Dr. Anis Nassar, Lead Decarbonization; Circularity, World Economic Forum (WEF), Fiona Duggan, Global Sustainability Senior Manager for Climate Advocacy, Unilever, Lina Osman, Regional Head of Sustainable Finance – West, Standard Chartered Bank, and Angelo Sartori, Director Regional Engagement, Verra, said a news release received here on Wednesday.
The panel underscored the urgency for businesses to decarbonize supply chains, emphasizing affordable levers such as circularity, efficiency, and renewable power.
It identified OICCI, along with other businesses, as critical platforms for mobilizing multi-sector business coalitions to drive sustainable practices and inform public policies. Amir Paracha, President, of OICCI, highlighted the significance of private sector engagement in achieving Pakistan’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), stating, “Our dialogue at COP28 was not just a conversation, but a commitment to sustainable practices.
The private sector plays a pivotal role in driving innovation and solutions for a resilient, low-carbon future. OICCI is dedicated to spearheading this effort and supporting Pakistan’s climate goals.” Earlier during the year, furthering its commitment to climate action, OICCI organized its second Pakistan Climate Conference on November 01, where the urgent need to boost financial efforts for the environment took center stage.
Abdul Aleem, CE/Secretary General, OICCI, said “By partnering with MOCC at COP28, OICCI reaffirmed its commitment to champion private sector leadership in climate-resilient infrastructure, green energy, and sustainable agriculture.
This commitment,” Abdul Aleem said, “is crucial for Pakistan and will help focus the efforts to mitigating climate disasters and empowering the affected communities.” The OICCI is the collective voice of major foreign investors in Pakistan, with over 200 members, from more than 30 countries. OICCI members contribute over one-third of Pakistan’s total tax revenue and are involved in 14 sectors of the economy.
They facilitate the transfer of technology and skills and employ a significant number of people.
About a third of OICCI member companies are listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange, and many are associates of Global Fortune 500 companies. OICCI members also engage in corporate social responsibility activities benefiting 46 million persons from underprivileged communities.
PCCC, CABI to embark on joint research on organic cotton, IPM under MoU to be signed Friday
MULTAN, Dec 13 (APP): Country’s ace cotton research body, Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC), and Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) are scheduled to ink a memorandum of understanding on Friday, (Dec 15), for research cooperation on organic cotton and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system to encourage production of pesticides-free cotton, organic cotton and touch new high in production volume and quality.
Dr. Taswar Hussain Malik, the Director Research, will be signing the MoU representing PCCC while Dr. Muhammad Babar Bajwa, the CABI Country Head, will be representing CABI. Commencing from December 15, the new CABI office located at the PCCC headquarters would be fully operational, fostering an environment of collaboration and knowledge exchange, officials said on Wednesday.
“The collaboration between PCCC and CABI is not confined to office space; both organizations will embark on joint research initiatives focusing on organic cotton and Integrated Pest Management (IPM). This strategic partnership aims to leverage the expertise of both entities, contributing to advancements in sustainable agriculture practices. The Dec 15 signing ceremony will mark the official commencement of this collaboration, opening new avenues for innovative research and development in the agricultural sector.”
The initiative, officials said, would speed up Pakistan’s strides to organic cotton and pesticides-free pest management system and would be instrumental in enhancing production and quality of the silver fibre and meet demands of quality conscious lucrative international markets for enhanced exports.
CABI, sometimes also referred to as CAB International, is a UK-based nonprofit inter-governmental organisation for scientific research and publishing on agriculture and the environment.
Federal Ombudsman Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi and Dr Arshad Muhammad are giving a briefing to the media about the performance of the department at Ombudsman office
LAHORE
A view of the construction work of Hamayun Road during development work in the city
MULTAN