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Multan to have 20 new parks

By
Waseem Iqbal
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0
PHA
MULTAN, Jun 11 (APP):Parks & Horticulture Authority (PHA) has  submitted  a summary to government  for  constructing  20 new parks  in the city.
DG PHA,  Asif Rauf stated this during a briefing to Additional Chief Secretary (ACS)  South Punjab, Fuad Hashim Rabbani at his office here on Tuesday.
The director general stated that an expenditure of Rs 130 million for the restoration of Jinnah Park, Rs 220 million for Shamsabad Park, and Rs 150 million for the repair and maintenance of and Rs  one billion had been estimated  Qasim Park.
 The ACS issued instructions to upgrade parks in major cities of South Punjab and the Parks & Horticulture Authorities of Bahawalpur, Multan, and DG Khan had been tasked with this upgrade and with preparing a strategy to obtain development funds by outsourcing the parks.
The ACS issued these instructions during a meeting held to review the current situation of the parks.
Secretary Services South Punjab, Engineer Amjad Shuaib Khan Tareen, attended the meeting while DG PHA Multan, Asif Rauf Khan  briefed the meeting.
Rabbani emphasized that green belts and parks were the beauty of any city and that it was the administration’s duty to develop recreational places for citizens.
 He highlighted the urgent need for a large park with upgraded facilities in Multan.
 The ACS instructed  DG PHA to prioritize the restoration of Jinnah Park and Shamsabad Park, adding that facilities in both parks should be enhanced and jogging tracks constructed, while Quaid-e-Azam Park should remain open for visitors.
Rabbani also directed that trees be planted in maiden of  Bosan Road, Khanewal Road, and other major city roads, and that a comprehensive plan be prepared for planting trees in open spaces.

LHC grants bail to Bhatti in PA illegal recruitment case

By
Waseem Iqbal
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0
LHC
LAHORE, Jun 11 (APP):The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday granted bail to Muhammad Khan Bhatti, the former principal secretary to the chief minister of Punjab, in the Punjab Assembly illegal recruitment case.
Justice Sultan Tanvir Ahmad announced a reserved verdict on the post-arrest bail petition filed by Muhammad Khan Bhatti. The court had reserved the verdict upon the completion of arguments by the parties a day earlier.
In his final arguments, the petitioner’s counsel argued that the allegations against his client were baseless as no evidence was available. He submitted that the case was registered with a delay of two years and pleaded with the court to grant the benefit of bail to his client.
However, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab’s prosecutor opposed the bail and requested the court for its dismissal.
The ACE Punjab had registered the case against the former chief minister of Punjab, Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, Muhammad Khan Bhatti, and others on charges of recruiting 12 Grade-17 officers in the Punjab Assembly against merit after receiving kickbacks. Allegedly, qualified candidates were denied positions while those who had not taken exams were appointed.
It is pertinent to mention here that the LHC had already granted bail to Parvez Elahi in the recruitment case on May 21.

Two arrested in land fraud case

By
Waseem Iqbal
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0
SARGODHA, Jun 11 (APP):The Anti-Corruption Establishment Sargodha on Tuesday arrested two people in a land fraud case.
According to a press release issued by ACE office, Javed Iqbal s/o Muhammad Ishaq, of Chak no 142 SB of district Sargodha, submitted an application to Regional Director ACE Hafiz Muhammad Imran Khokhar, stating that Muhammad Wakeel and others showed in documents that his grandfather, Ghulam Qadir s/o Mola Baksh, had no child and got transferred his land in collusion with officers of the revenue department. He said Ghulam Qadir had three sons and two daughters.
The Regional Director Anti-Corruption Sargodha took action and handed over the inquiry to Deputy Director (Investigation) Anti-Corruption Mianwali Farrukh Sohail Sindhu. During the inquiry, records were thoroughly scrutinized and statements of witnesses were recorded and the accused could not prove their innocence.
The Regional Director Anti-Corruption, Sargodha, gave orders to file a case against the accused  with Police Station Anti-Corruption Bhakkar and entrusted the investigation of the case to Circle Officer, Anti-Corruption Bhakkar Amir Abdullah Khan.
The anti-corruption Bhakkar’s team under the supervision of the investigating officer, raided and arrested accused Numberdar Sajjad Hussain and Muhammad Akram and started an investigation.
Raids are being conducted to arrest the rest of the accused, the ACE spokesman said.

Federal Ombudsman’s decision enables payment to Postal Life Insurance policyholders

By
NNPS Desk
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0

ABBOTTABAD, Jun 11 (APP): The intervention of Federal Ombudsman Ejaz Ahmed Qureshi has enabled Postal Life Insurance policyholders to receive their due payments.

According to a news release, the policyholders had lodged complaints with the Federal Ombudsman Secretariat Abbottabad that the Postal Life Insurance had failed to pay their dues after the maturity of their policies.

Regional in-charge Federal Ombudsman Secretariat in Abbottabad Abdul Ghafoor Baig issued notices to the Postal Life Insurance Department.

Following a thorough investigation, Federal Ombudsman Ejaz Ahmed Qureshi ordered the officers of Postal Life Insurance to immediately disburse the outstanding amounts to the policyholders.

“This decision resulted in the complainants receiving their overdue payments,” the news release said.

The policyholders expressed their gratitude to the Federal Ombudsman and the institution for resolving their longstanding issue.

UVAS distributes certificates among French language courses candidates

By
Waseem Iqbal
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0
LAHORE, Jun 11 (APP):The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore in collaboration with French Center Lahore arranged a certificate distribution ceremony among successful French language courses candidates at City Campus here on Tuesday.
UVAS Vice-Chancellor Meritorious Prof Dr Muhammad Younus (DLA.I, T.I) and Director French Center Lahore M Fabrice Disdier co-chaired concluding ceremony and distributed certificates among 25 candidates who recently passed French language course (DELF A1 and DELF A2) examinations while Dean Faculty of Veterinary Science Prof Dr Aneela Zameer Durrani, Chairman Department of Parasitology Prof Dr Kamran Ashraf, Prof Dr Imran Rasheed and number of candidates were present.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dr Muhammad Younus said that UVAS is providing opportunities of learning of French language to students through French language courses. The students are also provided information about French Universities for higher education studies, he added. M Fabrice Disdier said their motive is to promote French language in Pakistan.

Pakistan Economic Survey 2023-24 launched

By
Waseem Iqbal
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0
Muhammad Aurangzeb
ISLAMABAD, Jun 11 (APP):Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb Tuesday formally launched the ‘Pakistan Economic Survey 2023-24’, the pre-budget document which shared key economic indicators and the performance of different economic sectors during the outgoing fiscal year.
The survey comprehensively covered the country’s economic situation, besides giving a detailed picture of growth and investment, agriculture, manufacturing, mining, fiscal development, money and credit, capital markets, inflation, debt and liabilities.
The survey also highlighted the performance of agriculture, education, health and nutrition sectors, besides showing the overall population, labour force and employment, poverty, transport and communications, and per capita income.
It highlighted the main features of policies undertaken by the government that focused on bringing the macro-economic stability and putting the economy on growth trajectory.

Policy rate cut to relieve businesses, industry: Iftikhar Malik

By
Habib Hanif
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0
LAHORE, Jun 11 (APP):SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s former president Iftikhar Ali Malik said here  Tuesday that reduction in the policy rate by State Bank of Pakistan would provide much-needed relief to businesses and industries by lowering borrowing costs.
He added that it would not only help in sustaining current operations but also encourage new investments, fostering economic growth and job creation.
He emphasized that it would enhance liquidity in the market, making credit more accessible to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which are the backbone of the economy. He described the move as a significant step towards stabilizing the economic landscape of Pakistan, which is facing a myriad of financial challenges.
Malik pointed out that this decision  could potentially boost consumer spending by reducing the interest burden on loans and it would also have a positive impact on aggregate demand, which has been subdued in recent times due to high inflation and economic uncertainty. He suggested that the SBP’s move could help in stabilizing the exchange rate by attracting foreign investment, given the more favorable interest rate environment.
He  expressed optimism that the reduction would pave the way for a more robust and resilient economic recovery. He urged the government and relevant stakeholders to support this initiative with complementary policies aimed at sustainable economic development.
While acknowledging the positive aspects of the rate cut, Malik also cautioned that it must be accompanied by structural reforms to ensure long-term economic stability. He also called for addressing the underlying issues such as fiscal deficits, inflationary pressures, and improving the overall business environment

FIFA President hopes football World Cup 2026 to be the greatest ever

By
Waseem Iqbal
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0
FIFA President Gianni Infantino
LAHORE, Jun 11 (APP):FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said that that the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the most inclusive and greatest tournament ever in the history of the sport to be hosted by Canada, Mexico and USA in June 2026.
In a press release, showing the FIFA chief standing beside the glittering trophy, issued on Tuesday, Gianni Infantino was quoted as saying that the upcoming mega event will feature 48 countries and be hosted by 16 cities across three countries.
The FIFA World Cup 26 is due to kick off at the iconic Estadio Azteca Mexico City on June 11, 2026 while the final will be played in New Jersey (New York) on July 19.
The Estadio Azteca Mexico City – one of three venues in Mexico along with Estadio Monterrey and Estadio Guadalajara – will make history at the tournament, having also hosted the opening matches of the FIFA World Cup 1970 and 1986.
“It will be the first stadium to host three inaugural (FIFA) World Cup football matches,” said the FIFA President, adding that “We’ve never seen this before, and to experience it at an iconic stadium like the Azteca is something very, very special. We all know the epic football matches that have been played there in the past while absolute champions like Pelé and Diego Maradona played and won at the Azteca.”
“In two years from now, the world will stand still and watch what is happening in North America. The trophy is already here, ready – we take care of it – and we are all getting ready, gearing up for the competition, preparing everything.”
He said a number of qualifying matches are being played as the milestone was reached. Eighteen games were scheduled to take place in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifiers, bringing the second round of qualifying to a conclusion and determining which 18 teams would proceed to the third stage. Matches in North, Central America and Caribbean (Concacaf), and in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) are also scheduled on the day. The ball started rolling in South America in September 2023.The FIFA President said preparations were well on course across the three host nations. “At the host cities, of course, FIFA is working with the authorities, with the stadium owners and operators, with the local communities,” he said of the two Canadian, three Mexican, and 11 US venues. “(There is) fantastic collaboration everywhere. They are looking forward to millions and millions of fans from all over the world. The stadiums are absolutely beautiful.”
Talking about the major milestones in the upcoming FIFA World Cup 26 milestones, Gianni Infantino said these include qualifying draws in both Asia and Oceania, adding that 18 team will vie for eight direct slots during the AFC qualifying in September this year while 11 nations will compete for one direct slot in the Oceania Football Confederation from September as well. H said the UEFA qualifying, meanwhile, will take place between March 2025 and March 2026, with 16 berths available for European teams.

Pak-Australia agreed to collaborate on water security

By
NNPS Desk
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0

ISLAMABAD, Jun 11 (APP): PM’s Coordinator on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination met with Australian High Commissioner Neil Hawkins here on Tuesday and discussed range of bilateral issues of mutual interest including COP-29, water security, forest fires, climate resilience community, GLOFIII and Climate Change Authority.

Both sides agreed to closely collaborate on water security and agriculture. The Australian side would provide technical assistance to Pakistan for water security management, a news release said.

The PM’S Coordinator underscored, water security is Pakistan’s most critical development challenge and sustainable management of water is indispensable for sustainable development.

Keeping the significance of water in view, she is working on GLOFIII project in Pakistan which will at one hand reduce the risks of floods in northern areas while on the other hand provide huge reservoirs of water to be used by water scarce districts, she added.

H.E Neil Hawkins while reiterating his resolve of close collaboration with Pakistan, stated that the Australian Government’s main focus in Pakistan was to work on climate change and gender. Australian High Commissioner also presented a coffee table book ‘ Australian Journey-Our Country’ to the PM’s aide. The both sides agreed on consistent engagements to further deepen their ties in climate initiatives.
The meeting was marked with traditional warmth, understanding and trust.

Traders briefed on Tajir Dost Scheme at FPCCI

By
Habib Hanif
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0
LAHORE, Jun 11 (APP):Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has introduced an easy registration procedure for traders under the Tajir Dost Scheme. A simple tax return is created and traders can take full advantage of it.
Chief Coordinator to Prime Minister for the FBR’s Tajir Dost Scheme, Muhammad Naeem Mir and Chief Commissioner Regional Tax Office Lahore, Ahmed Shuja Khan, stated this while addressing an awareness seminar on FBR Tajir Dost Scheme here at Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Regional Office on Tuesday.
They said that the Prime Minister has given excellence awards to taxpayers, asserting that tax is the bloodline of a country. The problems of the business community will be solved on a priority basis, they assured. FPCCI Chairman & Vice President Zaki Aijaz emphasized that a strong and transparent tax system is needed for the growth and stability of the country’s economy. For the successful implementation of the Tajir Dost Scheme, the opinion and problems of the traders must be considered. “Consultation will not only increase the effectiveness of the policies but also restore the traders’ confidence,” he remarked.
He said that this scheme should simplify the tax system and the tax return procedure so that it is easier for small traders to pay taxes and submit returns. The government should also give incentives to traders and industrialists.
Zaki Aijaz said that electricity and gas prices should be reduced so that industrialists and traders can reduce their cost of production and better contribute to the country’s economy. He added that the requirement of monthly advance tax payment under the Trader Friendly Scheme should be reviewed. He suggested that tax should be collected from retailers at the final stage.
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