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Hyderabad police arrests accused, recovered over 2 Kg hashish

By
Iqra Yousaf Iqra Yousaf
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HYDERABAD, Dec 14 (APP):The Hyderabad Police have arrested a suspected drug supplier with 2 kilograms of hashish.
According to the spokesperson of the district police, during an operation, market police arrested the narcotics supplier Hamza alias Golu Abbasi near the animal hospital and recovered 2.19 kilograms of hashish from his possession.
The police stated that the apprehended suspect was associated with an organized narcotics supply group.
Market police have registered a case against the accused under the Narcotics Act and initiated further investigations.

Pakistan warns against any move to change ongoing UN process to reform Security Council

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NNPS Desk
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United Nations Security Council

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 14 (APP): Pakistan has called the current Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) on reforming the U.N. Security Council as the “best platform” to accomplish the objective, saying, any “hasty or rushed process with a piecemeal approach” will disrupt efforts to reach an agreed outcome in the process to expand the 15-member body.

“Any new process will have to start ‘de novo’ and face the same challenges as those being addressed in the IGN process,” Ambassador Usman Iqbal Jadoon. deputy permanent representative to the UN, told delegates when the long-running negotiations aimed at restructuring the Security Council resumed on Wednesday.

The Pakistani envoy’s remarks came amid a renewed push by India, Brazil, Germany and Japan — known as the Group of our — for permanent membership of an expanded Security Council.

“Only through a patient exchange, mutual accommodation, and compromise can we broaden the areas of convergence and reduce the points of divergence and thus evolve a ‘model’ for the reform that can be accepted by the widest possible majority of Member States,” Ambassador Jadoon said.

“We all want to see a Security Council that is more representative, more democratic, more transparent, more effective, and more accountable,” he said, adding, “This goal can only be attained through a comprehensive reform that caters to the interests of all Member States – small, medium, and large.”

Referring to reform ‘models’ proposed by various groups and member states, Ambassador Jadoon said, “Any artificial move to propel the reform process towards a disproportionate focus on ‘models’ is likely to polarize positions and pull the member states further apart.”

“Instead of breathing new life, this will further complicate the prospects of a meaningful outcome,” he said in his remarks during the session.

The Security Council reform process, which began in February 2009 have so far remained stalled. The IGN process deals with five clusters — the categories of membership, the question of veto, regional representation, size of an enlarged Security Council, and working methods of the council and its relationship with the General Assembly.

Despite a general agreement on enlarging the Council, as part of the UN reform process, member states remain divided over the details.

The Group of Four , which is campaigning for permanent seats on the Council , has shown no flexibility in their campaign for expanding the Council by 10 seats, with six additional permanent and four non-permanent members.

On the other hand, the Italy/Pakistan-led Uniting for Consensus (UfC) group, which firmly opposes additional permanent members, has proposed a new category of members — not permanent members — with longer duration in terms and a possibility to get re-elected.

The Security Council is currently composed of five permanent members — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — and 10 non-permanent members elected to serve for two years.

Turning to the five inter-linked clusters, the Pakistani envoy said the UfC was of the view that adding more permanent members will compound the paralysis of the Security Council, and prevent representation of the majority of the UN’s small and medium-sized states

About UfC’s proposal for longer-term elected seats, he said, “We see the expansion to newly elected members from less represented regions going hand-in-hand with the principle of regional representation.”

The UfC, he said, can consider ways and means to accommodate “regional” seats for Africa, noting that Asia, with 57 member states, was also under-represented, as was Latin America.

”Equitable geographical representation also implies that there is no reason to add any further seats for Europe, which is presently over-represented,” Jadoon pointed out.

In contrast, he said, additional and individual permanent seats undermine inclusive regional representation by creating the illusion that a country elected only once and with a life tenure would represent that region in its entirety, and that any permanent seat in a region statistically reduces the opportunity for other member states from that same region to get elected to the Council.

Concerning the veto power, the Pakistani envoy said if the five permanent members do not renounce their privileged position, as demanded by many countries, further extending the veto to more states would only exacerbate – not mitigate – inequality, creating more obstructions to the Council’s decision-making process, and ultimately adding new impediments to the solution of important peace and security issues.

“The most effective and feasible way of balancing the power of veto is to increase the number of elected members in the Security Council,” Jadoon said..

About the size of the Security Council, he said the deliberations in the IGN have revealed that enlargement of the Council up to the mid-twenties was a relevant convergence among member states, and that UfC agreed with it.

On the Council’s working methods, the Pakistani envoy said the measures proposed include offering member states more informal opportunities to interact with the subsidiary bodies, or convening more frequent, timely and informative briefings for non-Council members on matters discussed in closed meetings and informal consultations, and in its subsidiary bodies.

He said that text-based negotiations would only be fruitful when there was a broad agreement on the parameters of an outcome covering all the 5 clusters. “This will require reconciling the wide divergences that still exist on size, regional representation, categories, and veto, besides the Security Council’s working methods.”

 

KP Governor inaugurates badminton, squash courts at Benazir Bhutto women university

By
Iqra Yousaf Iqra Yousaf
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0
PESHAWAR, Dec 14 (APP): Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali here Thursday inaugurated the badminton and Squash court at Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Women’s Unversity.
The Governor in his address said that participation of girls students in sports activities was a welcome step and he was pleased that students of this university remained position holders in sports events at national and world levels.
He said the establishment of the university for girls students was a precious asset that helped them to get knowledge with self-confidence.
As a Chancellor, he was very pleased that the number of girls students were high compared to boys in public sector universities of Khyber Pakthunkhwa.
Besides education and sports, he said that today women were excellently performing the responsibilities and duties of their families, adding Islam had given great respect and honour to them.
The Governor expressed the hope that students of the university would take full advantage of the excellent environment, studies and sports events and significantly contribute to their families and country’s well-being and development.

ISSI launches Pivot’s special edition reminiscing CPEC’s 10 years, brushing aside hostile propaganda

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NNPS Desk
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CPEC

ISLAMABAD, Dec 14 (APP): The China-Pakistan Study Centre (CPSC) of the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) on Thursday launched the special edition of its flagship Pivot Magazine encompassing the ten years journey of achievements of the two friendly countries under the first phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and brushing aside hostile propaganda against the path-breaking initiative.

The ISSI convened leading experts, diplomats, academia and media on the launching ceremony of the special edition of the Pivot Magazine titled “10 Years of CPEC; Unlocking Pakistan’s Potential and Future Prospects”.

In his opening remarks, Director General, ISSI Ambassador (R) Sohail Mahmood said this edition holds particular significance as it sheds light on the journey of the past decade travelled by Pakistan and China. He on behalf of the Institute extended his gratitude to the senior Chinese Embassy colleagues for their cooperation in compiling the publication.

Ambassador Mahmood noted that since it was the tenth year of celebration of CPEC, the visionary project of President Xi,
over the past seven decades, the Pak-China ties have emerged from strength to strength and are that’s why termed as all-weather strategic friendship. “Under CPEC, over 200,000 jobs have been created, and 30 projects related to energy and infrastructure have been completed,” he said.

The ISSI DG noted that the CPEC project was converted into a tangible reality at present, adding, “The second phase of CPEC focuses on energy mining, agriculture, e-commerce and other sectors. It will also cater for many other connectivity initiatives like ML-1, Karachi Circular Railway, and the full operationalization of the Gwadar Port.”

He added that the leadership on both sides agreed that the CPEC had entered into a new modern phase and therefore, conscious of the inimical attacks on CPEC exercising vigilance to protect it. The CPEC not only brought economic growth but enhanced regional coordination, he said.

Head CPSC, ISSI and Chief Editor of Pivot, Dr Talat Shabbir briefed the participants on the launching of special edition. He said the Institution had published 16 pivot issues and five special editions so far. He added that CPEC is a game changer for Pakistan and the region, whereas it has emerged from an infrastructure initiative to a multisectoral enterprise of economic development.

Dr Shabbir said the Pivot Special edition is highlighting the chronological order of achievements of Pakistan and China under CPEC. It has also delved on other facets of CPEC like it has created a platform for cross-border collaboration between investors and traders of both the friendly countries, bringing communities closer and together. He appreciated the researchers and contributors for their efforts in the compilation of the special edition.

He felicitated the Chinese Embassy for the launch of special edition and lauded its ever-ready cooperation.

Former Pakistani envoy to China, Ambassador Masood Khalid said Pakistan has benefitted from the CPEC and scores of projects have been completed that added to the economic security of the country.

He added that there have been agriculture, science and technology, social development and other new components of CPEC that made this initiative an all-encompassing initiative.

“We should welcome it and thank Chinese friends for supporting Pakistan when it was facing serious energy, infrastructure, and technology deficits. CPEC has unleashed a new discourse in Pakistan centered on development, where all our regions want to benefit from the dividends of the CPEC,” he added.

CPEC, he said had opened new opportunities for Pakistan, it has increased interest among the regional countries to benefit from it’s ports for their international trade.

“We will have to achieve harmonisation of policies to ensure smooth implementation of CPEC. We need to take an objective review and analysis of our progress made under CPEC and notice challenges that are bound to emerge to hamper our way and prepare to tackle them,” he said.

Executive Director, Euroasian Century Institute, Irfan Shahzad said the issues indicated by Pivot special edition are pertinent, whereas the publication can be used as a piece of reference for researchers, practitioners, and students working on CPEC. “It’s an encouragement for the youngsters to write for Pivot. However, in the effort to retrospect past ten years of CPEC, the ISSI should also write on the next ten years of CPEC,” he said.

Former, Pakistani Ambassador to China, Naghmana Hashmi said the special edition is the high potency concentrated dose of positivity on CPEC which is very timely and necessarily required on CPEC.

There was a need to counter the negative propaganda against CPEC especially to sensitize the masses to observe CPEC as a transformational project, especially by the youth, the media and experts.

“CPEC has played an important role in the development of Gwadar Port. We are now thinking of developing new ports, blue economy etc. The foundation of CPEC has been laid which is very strong,” she added.

The second phase of CPEC would roll out jobs and increase trade and investment hence boosting socioeconomic development in the country, she said.

Acting, Deputy Head of Mission, Chinese Embassy, Bao Zhong said the credit goes to the leadership of China and Pakistan including the media, think tanks, and business community, and all those who played their role in making CPEC a success.

During the state visit of President Xi Jinping, she said the Chinese Premier opined to roll out CPEC across Pakistan to benefit every single individual of the country. “CPEC is the corridor of growth, livelihoods, green development, and openness,” she said.

“We are all confident about the future prospects of CPEC cooperation, whereas the Embassy is committed to promote positive outcomes and initiatives under CPEC,” she added.

Director General China, MoFA, Mohammad Aamir Khan said CPEC has added a new depth and dimension to Pak-China friendship and cooperation. “CPEC has helped in the development of over $25 billion infrastructure, and 8,000 MW electricity generation capacity. It will be transformed into a corridor of growth, livelihoods, green cooperation and innovations with an additional focus on food security, agriculture, innovation and environment preservation. We firmly believe that embracing the CPEC vision can help us overcome conflicts and create a win-win situation with thriving future for our coming generations,” he said.

Chairman ISSI BoG, Ambassador Khalid Mehmood said Pivot magazine had always promoted the China-Pakistan exemplary development promotion through the CPEC. “This special edition gives the genesis of CPEC, it’s contents and various projects, progress, and its prospects. It’s a comprehensive compendium on CPEC,” he added.

He added that the CPEC project had the distinction of combining both sea and land with a confluence point at Gwadar under its projects which would give a boost to western China.

He said it has been ensured that all projects under CPEC were people-centric, adding, “CPEC is the jewel in the BRI crown and will play it’s crucial role in other BRI projects development,” he said.

FIA arrests 3 for human smuggling, visa fraud

By
Iqra Yousaf Iqra Yousaf
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0
FIA
LAHORE, Dec 14 (APP): The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested three individuals on Thursday in connection with human smuggling and visa fraud in different areas of the city.
According to a spokesman for the agency, the Anti Human Trafficking Circle launched a crackdown on human smugglers. Three suspects, including an absconder Umar Shahbaz, Mehak Babar and Ahsan Elahi were arrested.
The accused used to lure people with promises of overseas employment and extract substantial amounts from them.
Absconder Umar Shahbaz extracted Rs 272,000 from a citizen with a promise to send him to Dubai. The female suspect also received  lakhs of rupees from various people in different cities by falsely promising to send them to Canada. She had already been booked in three cases.
Ahsan Elahi, another suspect, fabricated bank statements for obtaining a visa at the Turkish embassy, and he was arrested on a complaint from the embassy.
Deputy Director Anti-Human Trafficking Circle Lahore Riaz Khan formed a specialised squad for arrest of human smugglers.

SNGPL disconnects 158 connections, imposes Rs 14.7m fine

By
Iqra Yousaf Iqra Yousaf
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0
SNGPL
LAHORE, Dec 14 (APP): The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) executed a series of targeted raids in
Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad, resulting in the disconnection
of 158 illicit gas connections.
Simultaneously, 649 cases of under billing were meticulously processed, and fines
totaling Rs 14.7 million were levied.
According to a spokesman for the company, Lahore team disconnected 14 connections
and 15 for compressor use while an FIR was lodged against gas pilferer while
in Rawalpindi four connections were disconnected besides two in Islamabad.
The regional team of Multan disabled four connections, Sheikhupura 19, Peshawar and Karak 83 with
an FIR, Sahiwal one, and Faisalabad faced four connections for illegal gas usage.

Various properties sealed in LDA, TEPA crackdown

By
Iqra Yousaf Iqra Yousaf
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0
LAHORE, Dec 14 (APP): The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency (TEPA), in a joint operation, demolished multiple properties besides sealing several others on parking violations here around Shadman Main Boulevard and Civic Centre on Thursday.
In response to Commissioner Lahore and Director General LDA Muhammad Ali Randhawa’s directives, all encroachments in the said locality were cleared. During the three-hour operation, illegal encroachments from commercial properties were removed, including demolition of over two dozen properties involved in unauthorised construction on parking spaces in Shadman.
In the vicinity of Shadman Main Boulevard, violations were eradicated from established storefronts. Fatima Memorial Hospital’s Right of Way obstacles were also removed.
Sewera Store, Break Out and Broad Way Pizza faced closure for encroachments in setback areas while two commercial plazas were sealed for encroaching on parking areas.
Jalal Sons and Kamran Steel faced closure for encroachments, three pharmacies on Shadman Main Boulevard were sealed and eight illegal temporary shops in Civic Centre were demolished.Prior to the operation, multiple notices were issued for corrective measures on these properties.
The operation included participation from the Director Parking Enforcement TEPA, Director Private Housing Scheme, Deputy Director PHS, Deputy Director Town Planning, Enforcement Wing, and TEPA officers, alongside police and heavy machinery.

PARC to establish 574 m2 aeroponics green houses and 21,600 m2 screen houses

By
NNPS Desk
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0
PARC

ISLAMABAD, Dec 14 (APP): Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) in collaboration with Korea Program on International Agriculture (KOPIA) will construct 574 m2 aeroponics green houses and 21,600 m2 screen houses in order to enhance output of potatoes and to achieve self-sufficiency in certified seed potato production.

The facility will be established under the project “Pakistan-Korea Joint Program on Certified Seed Potato Production System” to produce 160,000 tons of certified seed potato annually, said an official of PARC here on Thursday.

He said that in this regard the KOPIA signed technical cooperation projects and contract for construction of green/screen houses for seed potato production through Aeroponics.

The Aeroponics potato projects will pave ways for self-sufficiency in seed potato production, he said adding that innovations in agricultural research will maximize agricultural productivity, he added.

Pakistan and Republic of Korea are working jointly on agriculture technology transfer projects for seed potato production through aeroponics, fodder production, chili drying and improvement in artificial insemination in cattle, he added.

He said that the conventional potato plants typically yield only five tuber seeds, whereas aeroponics plants have the potential to produce 50 to 60 seeds each, he said adding that the Pakistan currently cultivates potatoes on approximately 300,000 hectares of land.

Due to the substandard quality of domestic seeds, the country imports 15,000 to 20,000 tons of potato seeds annually, he said adding that by implementing the aeroponics potato seed project, Pakistan could potentially save Rs2-3 billion each year and attain self-sufficiency in potato seed production.

Gold rates up by Rs.5,700 per tola

By
NNPS Desk
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0

ISLAMABAD, Dec 14 (APP): The per tola price of 24 karat gold increased by Rs.5,700 and was sold at Rs.218,300 on Thursday compared to its sale at Rs.212,600 on the last trading day.

The price of 10 grams of 24 karat gold also increased by Rs.4,887 to Rs.187,157 from Rs.182,270 whereas the price of 10 gram 22 karat gold went up to Rs.171,561 from Rs. 167,081, the All Sindh Sarafa Jewellers Association reported.

The price of per tola silver increased by Rs.70 to Rs.2,650 whereas that of ten-gram silver went up by Rs.60.01 to Rs.2,271.94.

The price of gold in the international market increased by $54 to $2052 from $.1,998, the Association reported

`BISP Saving Scheme’ to change poverty landscape; make people self-reliant: Dr. Saqib

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NNPS Desk
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dr amjad

ISLAMABAD, Dec 14 (APP): Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Dr Amjad Saqib Thursday said that the newly launched `BISP Saving Scheme’ will change the poverty landscape in the country by focusing on savings which can help make the people self-reliant.

Addressing the launching ceremony of the BISP Saving Scheme held at a local hotel, the chairperson said “Like many other schemes of BISP, the Saving Scheme can change the poverty landscape with our focus on savings which is extremely important”.

He said that poverty is like a poison and poverty eradication is the first and prime responsibility of every person on this planet.

The chairperson said that around 150,000 people will be selected under this scheme on a first come first serve basis through Pakistan’s selected districts however the scope of this scheme will be further expanded in future.

The beneficiaries have to save a small portion of their income in their ‘savings accounts while the government will pay additional forty percent of consumer savings which will come in handy for consumers to deal with any uncertain situation and emergencies.

The scheme is for both men and women, he said while urging those eligible to be a part of this scheme.

Dr Saqib said that the objective of the BISP Savings Scheme is to inculcate financial independence and saving habits among consumers.

The savings will be a protective measure to support deserving people during the emergencies when informal economy shrinks and people lose jobs.

He said that BISP is an internationally acclaimed and largest social protection program which has been working for the last 15 years through gaining strength and implementing many pro-poor initiatives.

The primary initiatives of BISP include Benazir Kafaalat, Benazir Education Stipends, Benazir Nashonuma, and Benazir Undergraduate Scholarship however one of the biggest achievements is the creation of the National Socio-Economic Registry which is truly reliable and benefits the deserving ones besides extending support in emergencies.

The chairperson of BISP said that microfinance is one of the most important strategies for poverty alleviation which means the provision of financial services to the poor in the form of credit, savings, insurance, transfer of money etc.

Speaking on the occasion, Additional Secretary BISP, Dr Tahir Noor said that the scheme, as a pilot project, has been launched in Gilgit and Astor in Gilgit Baltistan; Muzaffarabad and Neelum in Azad Jammu and Kashmir; Peshawar and Lucky Marwat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Lahore and Multan in Punjab; Quetta and Qila Saifullah in Balochistan; Karachi and Sukkur in Sindh and Islamabad.

Dr Tahir Noor said that the BISP saving scheme as a hybrid social protection initiative has been launched to support vulnerable communities, making them elf-sufficient.

The hybrid scheme blends social assistance with social risk mitigation elements to promote savings that the vulnerable segments can fall back on in case of shocks.

The basic model is a contributory saving scheme with matching incentives, with a short-to-medium-term horizon for withdrawals.

The World Bank, Asian Development Bank, UNICEF, GIZ, German Corporation, Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Security Subsidiaries representatives and senior government officials participated in the event.

The certificates were distributed among needy women participating in the saving scheme through the BISP portal.

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