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Showing posts from September, 2018

New dry port in Nowshera to promote commerce in KP

PESHAWAR: While the new dry port being set up in Nowshera district may become operational by the end of October, analysts believe that both Pakistan and Afghanistan need to promote peaceful coexistence for peace and trade in the region.Prof Dr Zahid Ali Marwat from Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan told The News that the dry port in Nowshera would improve trade prospects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and also promote trade with Afghanistan. However, he said the declining Pak-Afghan trade is because India has grabbed the market in Afghanistan.“Afghan soldiers are being trained by India, which is also carrying out projects in Afghanistan,” Dr Zahid Marwat said. He felt it remains to be seen if the recent visit of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi can result in positive outcomes. “Since the inception of Pakistan, our relations with Afghanistan have mostly remained hostile,” he recalled.The dry port at Azakhel in Nowshera district would become functional by the end of October. “We h

Terrorist arrested

PESHAWAR: An alleged terrorist was arrested during an intelligence-based operation in rural areas of the provincial capital on Sunday. Police said Hamza was arrested during an intelligence-based operation in areas of Badaber close to the boundary with Khyber tribal district. The police also arrested eight alleged proclaimed offenders during the operation. from The News International - Peshawar https://ift.tt/2IuFH9C

ETEA entrance test for medical, dental colleges held across KP

PESHAWAR: The Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA) entrance test 2018 for admission to the public and private sector medical and dental colleges of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was held on Sunday at seven centres in the province simultaneously.The test centres included Islamia Collegiate School Ground in Peshawar, Haripur University in Haripur, Grassy Ground at Saidu Sharif Swat, Gomal Medical College new building in DI Khan, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Cadet College Kohat and Malakand University at Chakdara, Lower Dir.A total of 38,065 candidates including 23,461 male and 14,604 female students appeared in the test, which was organised by the Khyber Medical University (KMU).Officials said the results of the test will be announced within 24 hours and will be available on the KMU website www.kmu.edu.pk as well as on ETEA website www.etea.edu.pk while the result will also be communicated to the candidates individually via SMS on their mobile phone numbers.According to the offici

Bacha Khan Chowk cleared of encroachments

PESHAWAR: The cantonment administration on Sunday conducted an anti-encroachment drive in the city.Magistrate, Cantonment Board Peshawar, Quratul Ain Wazir accompanied by enforcement staff and traffic wardens cleared Bacha Khan Chowk. She also deputed three personnel of the enforcement staff to keep the locality clear of the encroachers.These personnel would submit daily report to the cantonment administration on a daily basis.Quratul Ain Wazir said that she had also sought the file of the cattle market on Pajagi Road and would clear the area if it fell in the jurisdiction of Peshawar cantonment. from The News International - Peshawar https://ift.tt/2ItdNLq

Action under harassment law starts in KP

PESHAWAR: Punishment and imposition of fine on complaints regarding harassment at workplaces have been started in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2010.The federal government has appointed a regional commissioner for dealing with the complaints and harassment cases in consultation with the federal ombudsperson.A week ago, the regional commissioner imposed penalty of Rs250,000 fine and stopped one year increment of additional director, Institute of Kidney Diseases (IKD), Hayatabad in a harassment case of a head nurse.Regional Commissioner Bashir Ahmad Khan announced the penalties after seeking approval from the federal ombudsperson in Islamabad, Kashmala Tariq. A copy of the verdict is available with The News.In the first penalty, it said, one year increments is to be stopped from the respondent doctor (Liaqat Ali) as a penalty for taking benefit of his prerogative by compelling the head nurse to send the female staff to his office by

Over 20,000 KP police officers trained at specialised schools

PESHAWAR: Seven specialised training schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have so far imparted training to 20,878 police officers and jawans during the last few years.Seven specialised schools were established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the last several years for the capacity building of the policemen. These include Police School of Investigation, Peshawar, established on June 18, 2014; Police School of Intelligence, Abbottabad, set up on October 3, 2014; Police School of Public Disorder and Riot Management established on January 1, 2015 in Mardan; Police School of Explosive Handling set up in Nowshera on February 9, 2015; Police School of Tactics established in Peshawar on August 18, 2015; Police School of Information Technology set up at the police lines in Peshawar on September 8, 2015 and Police School of Traffic Management established in Kohat in 2017.“Different capacity building courses of two and four weeks are being held in these schools, including Core Investigation, Cellular Foren

Governor’s House Peshawar finally opened to public

PESHAWAR: The Governor House was formally opened to the general public as students from Frontier College for Women Peshawar and Government Girls College Kohat visited the British-era historic building here on Sunday.An official handout said the students went round different parts of the building and strolled in the lawns.Talking to the students, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman said it was the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s policy to provide the general public access to the governor’s houses so that they can keep a check on affairs. He said as the first step girl students were provided the opportunity to visit the Governor’s House and later it would be opened for the general public.He said a separate park for women in the Governor House and establishment of a museum were under consideration. On the request of the students, the governor allowed them to visit the main part of the building.Prime Minister Imran Khan during his visit to the provincial capital on Friday d

KP govt plans to build 750,000 houses for poor people in line with PM’s policy

Ag APPPESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has planned to construct around 750,000 houses in different districts of the province for poor people and low paid income groups in next five years in line with policy of Prime Minister Imran Khan of constructing five million houses in the country.“We are ready for implementation of prime minister’s vision in the targeted period, which is subjected to provision of timely funds for construction of these houses. We have chalked out a comprehensive and inclusive mechanism to achieve this gigantic task,” said Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, Additional Director Planning, Provincial Housing Authority (PHA).With the construction of 750,000 houses, he said, the demands of affordable households would considerably decrease.The housing department would launch two mega housing projects namely ‘Peshawar Model Town (PMT)’ in Peshawar and ‘CPEC City’ near Swabi on Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway where majority of the houses would be constructed in line with PM’’s p

SCCI president seeks business-friendly policies, industrialisation in KP

PESHAWAR: The newly elected president of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Faiz Muhammad, has asked the government to opt for business-friendly policies and take measures for promotion of industrialisation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.Addressing the annual general body meeting of SCCI after assuming charge of office, Faiz Muhammad expressed his resolve to protect interests of business community of the province and vowed to render selfless services for solution to the problems being faced by industrialists and trader community.Leader of the Businessmen Forum Ilyas Ahmad Bilour, President FPCCI Ghazanfar Bilour, outgoing president SCCI Zahidullah Shinwari and leading businessmen of KP were present on the occasion.Faiz Muhammad also demanded the government to rescind the decision regarding increase in ratio of tax and price of gas. He said that obstacles in way of tax reforms and payment of refund over the income tax and sales tax should also be removed.He paid tribute to the busin

Govt decides to take control of KP Ehtesab Commission’s assets

PESHAWAR: The provincial government has decided to take control of KP Ehtesab Commission s assets.The assets will be handed over to the province s Establishment and Administration Department, reported a private Tv channel quoting sources.Further the Ehtesab Commission s cases will be transferred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Directorate of Anti-Corruption. While some of the commission s staff will be able to opt for a golden handshake others will be added to the surplus pool. from The News International - Peshawar https://ift.tt/2IqGM2i

9 drug peddlers arrested

Islamabad : The Islamabad Police conducted grand and targeted search operation against criminal elements and arrested nine drug pushers, three outlaws and 22 suspects besides recovery of 8.810 kilogram hashish and 210 gram heroin from them.Following directions of State Minister for Interior Sheheryar Afridi and IGP Islamabad Jan Muhammad, Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) Syed Mohammad Amin Bukhari constituted special teams for effective crackdown against criminal elements.These teams under supervision of SP (Saddar) conducted grand and targeted search operations in areas of Ramana and Shalimar police stations including areas of Mera Badia, Sector G-12, Dhoke Kashmirian, Aslam Market and areas in its vicinity. These operations were participated by DSP (Shlaimar Circle), Station House Officers of Ramana and Shalimar police stations, personnel of Counter Terrorism Force (CTF), Anti-Riot Unit (ARU) and Rescue 15.Police teams nabbed nine drug pushers and recovered cache of narco

Orientation programme for army officers concludes

Islamabad : The armed forces of Pakistan are the pride of entire Muslim World as they have always remained ready for the protection of religion and ummah besides own country.This was stated by Prof Ahmed Yousef Al Draiweesh, president of the International Islamic University, in the concluding ceremony of 34th Islamic Orientation Programme (IOP) for the officers of armed forces of Pakistan. The one-month programme was held by the Dawah Academy of the University.As many as 20 participants from Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Navy participated in the Islamic Orientation Programme.During the one month IOP, different sessions included, Quran, Sirah of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Character Building, Meaning and Methodology of Da’wah, Qur’an an Introduction, Islamic Personality and Spiritual Development, Power Potential of Muslim Ummah, Purpose of Life, Human Behaviour and interaction, Islam and Secularism, Islam and Terrorism, Islam and the West, Misunderstandings about Islam, Concept of Le

Digital design moot ends on high note

Islamabad : The country’s two-days premier design moot ended on a high note here on Sunday. The organisers declared the National Digital Design Conference (ND2C) 2018 a success insisting it provided creatives and design enthusiasts with a platform to share thoughts and experiences. They also said the event brought an array of amazing design events and opportunities to the local talents.“The National Digital Design Conference is Pakistan’s very own design movement. It is an initiative that provides a platform for promising minds in the creative scene,” said ND2C co-founder Sana Khalid.The idea for the event was jointly conceived by Sana Khalid, chief executive officer of Minerva, a social enterprise that works on employability, and Nida Salman, head of Create Original, a branding and design consultancy.The participants included graphic designers, illustrators and animators, educators, marketers and branding experts, digital product designers, freelancers, design thinkers and other creat

Rabies notified as priority zoonotic disease

Islamabad : Pakistan has recently notified Rabies as a ‘priority zoonotic disease’ and the National Institute of Health (NIH) is in the process of establishing a surveillance system for nationwide reporting of rabies cases, with an emphasis on provincial coordination.The Executive Director of NIH, Dr. Aamer Ikram shared this piece of information at a walk organised by NIH on Friday to raise awareness about the prevention of rabies, a zoonotic disease that kills 2,000 to 5,000 people in Pakistan every year. ‘Share the Message: Save a Life,’ was the theme of a walk, which coincided with World Rabies Day observed every year on September 28.The walk was attended by students of different universities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, along with the staff and students of the College of Medical Laboratories Technology (CMLT), and senior officers of NIH and WHO. It was led by Dr. Aamer Ikram. The Mobile Unit of NIH was sent to distribute printed awareness material to educational institutes and the

People are talking about —

-- the state in which the general public left the grounds of the Governors House in Lahore and how it must have been heart-breaking for the persons who maintain the grounds, not to say anything about the bad impression given by this behaviour as images went viral on social media. The government should first make proper rules about what is and what is not admissible within the premises of these heritage buildings and have proper security to see that they are implemented.-- the criticism voiced by the opposition over the mini-budget and how it does not give a true picture of the financial plan. The saying, ‘if you repeat a lie often enough it appears to be the truth’ is being brought into play to fool the masses and the government should counter these allegations by taking out ads in the media that only those who can afford to do so will pay higher prices for utilities like gas and electricity.-- the manner in which the government is taking decisions and then changing its mind and how th

Awareness must to prevent disease and reduce deaths

Islamabad : Rabies is one of the most neglected diseases in Pakistan though its incidence is very high with an estimated 2,000 to 5,000 cases every year meaning the disease claimed 2,000 to 5,000 lives every year as it is 100 per cent fatal after developing symptoms however the concerned government authorities seem to have done little both for its prevention and treatment.Rabies, one of the oldest and deadliest diseases known to mankind is said to be the mother of all infectious diseases and it is believed that nothing can be more painful and horrific than rabies. Known as the poor man’s disease, rabies also known as “Hydrophobia” (fear of water), is an acute infectious zoonotic disease of the central nervous system, which can affect almost all mammals, including humans and is transmitted to other animals and humans through close contact with saliva of infected animals through bites, scratches, licks on broken skin and mucous membranes. After appearance, it causes convulsions, inabilit

Pakistan turns down clandestine meeting of Pak, India FMs

Islamabad : Turning down a proposal for a clandestine meeting between visiting foreign ministers of Pakistan and India at the brinks of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) summit session in New York this week, Pakistan has reminded that it wouldn’t be helping for improvement in the situation.Highly placed diplomatic sources told The News here Saturday that tempers are exceptionally high at the UN headquarters since Pakistan and India are trading barbs and serious accusations against each other publicly. The United Nations witnessed unprecedented fire-work between Pakistan and India during the ongoing session of the UNGA.Pakistan’s head of delegation and Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi spoke on Saturday evening session of the UNGA as his Indian counterpart Ms. Sushma Sawaraj had already spoken in the day. Both the foreign ministers attained significance in the World Body courtesy to their rhetoric.The sources pointed out that Indian bureaucrats were activel

Mercury use banned for children, pregnant women

Islamabad : Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) has termed the action of federal government to restrict the use of mercury dental amalgam for children below 15 and pregnant women as a step in the right direction at a right time.The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, in an advisory note, directed all the health departments in four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan not to prefer and restrict the dental mercury amalgam fillings for children and pregnant and breastfeeding women.The decision came as a result of SDPI’s research and regressive advocacy campaigns to ban mercury dental amalgam use in the country from time to time.The research on chemicals and sustainable industrial development led by Dr Mehamood A Khwaja, Senior Advisor, SDPI, over the last few years was appreciated not only in Pakistan but also organisations working on mercury-related issues in the region.SDPI is hopeful to eliminate mercury dental amalgam use no

Pindiites need civic sense

“I haven’t understood yet why Pindiites despite being educated lack civic sense to keep their city clean. Many outclass each other in spitting, littering, misbehaving and using foul language,” says Imran Haider from Dhoke Khabba.“One can’t even fail to notice encroachment on roads and other public land in different localities of the city. I did not find any market which is free from encroachment. People extend their houses and shops and encroach upon public space. It is a normal scene in the majority of the city market areas in and even in front of schools, mosques, where ‘rehriwallas’ are found to sell their food items to the students and namazis, says Ali Kazmi from Glass Factory Chowk.On Iqbal Road, close to Committee Chowk, where fish shops abound, within a span of half an hour I saw one evening ten people, who spat on the ground. Similarly, on another occasion, near Chandni Chowk area, I came across several people spitting in public places. They included typically men and not a si

UIPM urges world leaders to mitigate sufferings of minorities

Islamabad : Universal Interfaith Peace Mission, Chairman and Coordinator, United Religions Initiative, Multi Cooperation Circle, Islamabad, Dr Allama GR Chishti has appealed to Prince Ghazi bin Mohammad bin Talal, prime mover of ‘A Common Word Movement’, special envoy to King Abdullah II of Jordan, Bishop William Swing, Head of United Religions Initiative Global, UN Secretary General António Guterres , Jan Figel, International Envoy of European Union for Religious Freedom and Parliament of World Religions Head Dr. Robert P. Sellers to take note of the persecution of Baha’i community at the hands of Houthis in Yemen, says a press release.Dr Chishti said that persecution of minorities on the basis of their faith harms the overall efforts of promotion of interfaith harmony around the world.UIPM chairman said that indictment of 20 Baha’is by a court in Yemen could sabotage the efforts of global interfaith peace and harmony. “It is responsibility of the world leaders to mitigate the sufferi

Right to Information alliance launched

Islamabad : To conduct research on current situation of Right to Information (RTI) and to create awareness on RTI law, civil society organisations working on RTI has launched Pakistan Alliance on Right to Information (PA-RTI).Under this alliance, awareness activities, policy seminars and a national level briefing of Federal Minister for Information Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on ‘Vision of New Government for Transparency & Right to Information’ were organsed by Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) and Centre for Inclusive Governance (CIG) in collaboration with other partners of Pakistan Alliance on Right to Information.The alliance members included civil society organisations, academic institutions and activists of Right to Information across Pakistan. Pakistan Alliance on Right to Information (PA-RTI) will organize research on current situation of Right to Information, massive awareness campaigns through local partners and inclusion of young students from academic institu

QAU appoints board of studies members from ICT colleges

Islamabad : The academic council of the Quaid-i-Azam University has appointed 50 teachers of Islamabad Capital Territory's government colleges as members to the Board of Studies (BoS) for 10 disciplines for a term of three years (2018-21).The Board of Studies will recommend courses of studies, books and reading materials for subjects concerned, teaching and examinations plans.It will also be responsible to revise and update the syllabus from time to time and submit its recommendation in this regard to the Academic Council of the University for Approval.In the subject of English, the council appointed Javaid Iqbal Mughal, Associate Professor IMPC H-8, Ghayoor Hussain, Associate Professor IMCB F-8/4, Aasia Rafiq Associate Professor ICG F-6/2, Rubina Mughal Associate Professor IMCG (PG) F-7/4 and Muhammad Rashid Associate Professor IMCB F-10/4 as members.Sadia Razzaq Assistant Professor IMCG, F-7/4, Mumtaz Jabeen Assistant Professor IMCG (PG) F-7/4, Sumera Kanwal Lecturer IMCG (PG) F-

World Tourism Day celebrated

Islamabad : Pakistan is abundant with tourism sites — sky-kissing mountains, winding lakes, awe-inspiring deserts, mighty rivers and lovely beaches — we only need to protect and project them to the world.Award-winning photographer and renowned tourist Syed Javaid A Kazi said this while speaking at a ceremony organized by the Pakistan Youth Hostels Association to mark the World Tourism Day here on Thursday.This year’s theme of World Tourism Day is “Tourism and the Digital Transformation.” One could see a large number of youths, travelers and adventurers, environmentalists attending the ceremony.Javaid Kazi gave a presentation of his pictorial work on the occasion showing some of the mind-blowing photos he took during his travels right from the rooftop of the world K-2, Deosai and Nanga Parbat peaks to the beaches of Gwadar.Pakistan, he said was the only country where eight peaks of over 8,000 metres are situated.Our northern areas have the potential to attract a large number of tourists

Rs21 million contributed to dam fund

Islamabad : Sardar Group of Companies has once again deposit a huge amount in Diamar Bhasha Dam Fund, says a press release.Under the leadership of Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, Chief Executive Sardar Group of Companies, all the sub groups joined hands. Among these, the announced dam fund by Taj Residencia Rs10 million, Taj Residencia Associates Rs2.1 million, Multi Brand dealers of Centurus Mall Rs7 million and Aroma Marketing is Rs500,00 million.The employees of Centurus Mall also did not step back and contributed their two-day salary equivalent to Rs1.5 million for the Dam Fund. Sardar Group of companies has already bestowed Rs20 million in Diamir- Bhasha Dam. from The News International - Islamabad https://ift.tt/2xJDCCP

ICCI office-bearers sworn in

Islamabad : The newly elected office-bearers and Executive Members of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) have taken oath of their portfolios in the 34rd Annual General Meeting of ICCI.Ahmed Hassan Mughal was sworn in as President, Raffat Farid, Senior Vice President and Iftikhar Anwar Sethi as Vice President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the year 2018-19.Zubair Ahmed Malik, Chairman, Founder Group administered oath to the newly elected Office Bearers and Executive Members. Muhammad Ejaz Abbasi, former President ICCI performed the role of Stage Secretary. After taking oath Ahmed Hassan Mughal, newly elected President ICCI said that he along with his team would work hard to serve the cause of trade and industry.The newly elected Senior Vice President Raffat Farid Malik, Vice President Iftikhar Anwar Sethi, outgoing Senior Vice President Muhammad Naveed Malik and Vice President Nisar Mirza also spoke at the occasion. from The News International - Islam

Former MPA’s damages suit: Court orders publication of notice in newspaper for Imran Khan to respond

PESHAWAR: The additional district and sessions judge on Saturday ordered that court notice be published in a national daily for Prime Minister Imran Khan to submit reply to damages suit against him by a former PTI female MPA or the case would be decided ex-parte.Additional District and Sessions Judge Shah Waliullah accepted the application filed by the appellant Bibi Fauzia to order publication of court notice in a reputable national daily.The court directed the appellant to publish the notice in a newspaper before October 24, which is the next date of hearing of the case.The court passed the order after the prime minister failed to submit reply even after three notices were issued to him in the damages suit.The judge at the previous hearing had issued notice to Imran Khan to submit reply or the court would decide the case ex-parte after getting the public notice published in a newspaper.The court was hearing the damages suit filed by the former PTI MPA from Chitral against Imran Khan

Governor’s House opens to public today

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government announced on Saturday to open the historic Governor’s House to the general public today.The provincial government has decided to open the palatial building that serves as official residence and workplace of the provincial governor after the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan.The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will open the Governor’s House Peshawar for general public from today.A spokesman told the media that initially the Governor’s House would be open to public on Sundays. However, he didn’t give any timing schedule and other details for the visitors.He added that on its first opening day students of two girls collages would visit the Governor’s House and in future the historic building would be opened to families.However, he did not specify the limits to which the public would be allowed to stroll into the lawns and compound of the Governor’s House.The Governor’s House is a historic building in Peshawar. Built after the formation of th

German diplomat visits paraplegic centre

PESHAWAR: Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany Martin Kobler paid a quick visit to Paraplegic Centre here on Saturday.The ambassador visited the centre on the invitation of the “Friends of Paraplegics”, a local NGO working for the rights of people with physical impairments.He was warmly received by the chairman, Chief Executive Officer of Dr Syed Mohammad Ilyas and all the department heads of the centre in the presence of a delegation from the “Friends of Paraplegics.”A little girl with spinal cord injuries presented the guest with a bouquet of flowers. The ambassador and his delegation were briefed by chief executive officer regarding the history and services of the centre. Kobler and his delegation took keen interest in the centre’s activities and appreciated the services provided, to destitute people with spinal cord injuries from all over the country and Afghanistan.Kobler was surprised to know that the Paraplegic Centre has the honour to have treated and comprehensively r

Nepotism alleged in award of PTI ticket for PK-71 by-polls

PESHAWAR: An aspirant for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ticket to contest the by-election for PK-71 on Saturday asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to take notice of the award of ticket to the brother of Governor Shah Farman.Speaking at a press conference here, Tariq Ali said that he was one of the founding members of the PTI and had rendered matchless sacrifices for the cause of the party.He said that he had submitted an application seeking the PTI ticket to contest the by-election for the provincial assembly constituency PK-71, but his application was turned down.He added that the ticket was awarded to Zulfiqar, the brother of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman, which was injustice and amounted to nepotism.Tariq Ali said that he had told the parliamentary board of the party that he was an electable candidate and would emerge victorious.He maintained that Shah Farman had lost election from one constituency so his brother could not win the election.Tariq Ali said that Shah Farman

KP Senior Citizens Act 2014: Elderly people urge govt to implement law

PESHAWAR: Zareen Khan, 63, is concerned due to his old age because he has no male child and dependable source of income as the international community is all set to celebrate the World Senior Citizen Day.The day is celebrated on October 1 across the world to create awareness about the problems of senior citizens, their services for the families, communities and assess their needs.Pakistan ranked sixth among the country on the population index. There are approximately 10 million senior citizens who constitute 7 per cent of the total population of the country. The figure is estimated to reach 40.33 million by 2050.The number of individuals aged over 60 year of age in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is estimated 2.8 million.The previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government had introduced the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senior Citizens Act 2014 to protect their rights and provide incentives to the senior citizens.Under the act, people who reached 60 years of age can apply and would be issued senior cit

Heart disease getting shape of epidemic

Islamabad : The heart disease in Pakistan has almost emerged as an epidemic and the problem needs to be tackled on priority because the country is losing young people in the prime of their age.Various studies reveal that 30 to 40 per cent of all deaths in Pakistan are due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) that claim well over 200,000 lives every year in the country. The coronary heart disease (CHD) has now become a leading cause of death in Pakistan and at least 12 Pakistani die every hour due to heart attack.According to health experts, there may be a number of risk factors associated with heart disease and stroke but the major ones are tobacco use, alcohol use, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, physical inactivity, stress and unhealthy diets. Doing work in a hurry, becoming angrier and sleeping less than 6-8 hours may be harmful for your heart.Other risk factors linked to heart diseases are tooth loss, gum disease, synthetic oils, high salt intake, skipping bre

Education college students look towards SC over ‘affiliation fraud’

Islamabad : Accusing the H-9 Federal College of Education's administration of an ‘affiliation fraud’, many BS Education (Honours) students of the Federal College of Education H-9 Islamabad have sought the intervention of the Supreme Court chief justice to save their time and money spent at the college from going to waste.In a human rights petition, the students, mostly girls, insisted that they're enrolled by the public sector college in the 2014-15 BS Education (Honours) session claiming to be affiliated with the University of the Punjab.They said the claim turned out to be false afterwards as the college showed 2016 as the year of their registration in their exam result cards despite enrolment in 2014.The first semester’s exam was supposed to be held in March 2015.According to the students, the college earlier promoted them to the next semesters without holding exams and only on the basis of their attendance and class performance just to collect fee and hostel dues but when t

FAS elects office-bearers

Islamabad : The Floral Art Society (FAS) Rawalpindi/Islamabad chapter holds elections every two years and it used to be a well contested affair some years back but these days the general camaraderie that exists between the members makes it a tame and ‘foregone conclusion’ affair – there is no contest and all those who give in their names for various positions are ‘elected!’Elections and a talk on succulents was the programme for this month. The meeting was well attended, indicating that there was an interest about the process - the talk on succulents being an additional attraction. The programme began with a recitation from Holy Quran by Hina Kamran. The multimedia presentation and talk on succulents and cacti was presented by Osman Maqbool, an engineer by training, while his hobby is the propagating of succulent plants. He has collected eighty varieties over the years and shared his experience with the audience, giving useful tips for caring for these wonderful plants which grow profu

Joint efforts against radicalisation stressed

Islamabad : Panelists at the concluding session of an international conference called for joint efforts to check radicalisation in society.The three-day moot on 'Radicalisation: perceptions, realities and challenges of campus life' was organised at the Air University here.The sub-themes of the conference were religion, education, identity, culture and media.The conference was a collaborative endeavour of the Air University, Council of Islamic Ideology, Muslim Institute and Centre for Research and Security Studies.On the last day, a workshop on the theme of countering extremist narratives was held.Dr Khalid Zaheer of the Al-Mawrid Institute delivered a lecture in which he stressed that only a counter narrative from within the religion could counter religious extremism.A TV anchor Anwarul Hassan said electronic media needed proper regulation as part of efforts to counter radicalisation. from The News International - Islamabad https://ift.tt/2y0xTHX

Book reading week held at SLS

Rawalpindi : All campuses of Sadeeqa’s Learning System (SLS) Montessori & High School celebrated Book Reading Week, says a press release.Students of Montessori Section Harley Street Campus celebrated Book Reading Week through a series of week-long activities which included morning assemblies and some extra time for reading.The week started off with students visiting the library. They discovered some new books and learned new vocabulary words. The school building looked no less than a fairytale castle with pictures of story book characters hanging in the galleries adding magic to the surroundings.To improve the writing skills of the students a creative writing activity was done by class 1 in which each student selected a book and wrote a review about it. Lots of colorful bookmarks were made in the art class which the students later presented to their loved ones. The colorful book cover making activity had all the students excited. Coming up with innovative ideas the students made be

MoU signed for breast cancer awareness

Islamabad : Noted clothing brand Nishat Linen Private Limited has joined hands with Pink Ribbon Pakistan, a non-governmental organisation working on breast cancer awareness and healthcare facilities, for the PINKtober 2018 campaign, which hinges around raising funds for the on-going construction of Pakistan’s first dedicated breast cancer hospital.A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in this respect. Under it, Nishat Linen will support Pink Ribbon throughout the PINKtober campaign being launched with #SaveThe9th theme to show solidarity with Pink Ribbon’s lifesaving cause. from The News International - Islamabad https://ift.tt/2y1qzvT

Kiani promises better health facilities

Islamabad : Committing further increase in taxes on tobacco products and sugary drinks, Minister for National Health Services Aamer Mehmood Kiani promised tangible improvements in health facilities available to the residents of Islamabad following the reassignment of various health institutions to the Ministry of Health, where they originally belonged.Speaking at the first-ever health fest organised by Hashoo Foundation, Kiani said, the administration of health in Islamabad was scattered, with different health organizations and facilities parked in several ministries. “All these institutions have now been assigned to the Ministry of Health. Soon, the residents of Islamabad will see tangible improvements in health facilities being provided in the capital,” he claimed.Kiani said the PTI government is seriously concerned about health issues in Pakistan, which is why health is one of the top priorities for the present government. He stated having written to the finance ministry to enhance

Towards a roadmap to strength nursing

Islamabad : The Ministry of National Health Services took the first baby step towards devising a roadmap for strengthening of the nursing and midwifery profession in Pakistan by calling a stakeholder meeting to take stock of the situation in hand.Minister for Health Aamer Mehmood Kiani, Secretary Health Zahid Saeed and Director General Health Dr. Assad Hafeez were prominent at Saturday’s meeting, which was also attended by renowned professionals of international repute, heads of institutes and armed forces’ nursing services, and provincial representatives.The meeting was focused on sharing the government’s vision to bring the profession at par with international standards, and to meet the country’s requirement to achieve the ‘Health for All’ vision through skilled and trained nurses and midwives. The group appreciated the government’s initiative to lift the profession, enhance the quality of nursing and midwifery through quality education and skill-based training.The minister was infor

Digital design moot attracts creatives

Islamabad : The two-day National Digital Design Conference (ND2C) opened at a local hotel on Saturday attracting creatives from within the country and abroad.The organisers said the event was all about design inspiration and good designs.“It is a place for creatives to find inspiration, learning, and a magical community of design enthusiasts,” a member of the organising team.He said the ND2C was not just an event, it was the country’s very own design movement.The Jang Media Group is the media partner for the event, which is the brainchild of Sana Khalid, chief executive officer of Minerva, a social enterprise that works on employability, and Nida Salman, head of Create Original, a branding and design consultancy.Hosting graphic designers, illustrators and animators, educators, marketers and branding experts, digital product designers, freelancers, design thinkers and other creatives, the event had noted international designers Valentina D’Efilippo of the UK and Miroslav Azis of the IBM

Consultation on high fee charged by private schools held

Islamabad : National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR) directed the private schools associations’ representatives to submit record and data of private schools and identify schools that are violating the rules by exploiting innocent people in the name of quality education.The direction came at the end of the consultation organised by NCHR over the high fee issue charged by private institutions. The consultation was presided by NCHR Chairman Justice (r) Ali Nawaz Chowan where as a large number of parents and representatives of private schools along with representatives of Private School Network Pakistan, National Association of Private Schools, Private Schools Association Islamabad and representatives of PIERA and Ministry of Education attended the consultation.Speaking on this occasion, parents complained about the approach of private schools. They said that these schools are run like business empires without much focus on equality and quality of education. They said that the fee charge

Operationalisation of RTI laws still a far cry

Islamabad : The Coalition on Right to Information conferred RTI Champions Awards 2018 on Riaz Khan Daudzai and Zohaib Hassan in the Journalist and Citizen and Best Performing PIO categories respectively, at an award ceremony held here Friday.The ceremony coincided with an open discussion on International Right to Know Day, where senior government officials, present and former information commissioners, public information officers, investigative journalists, common citizens and CSOs brushed shoulders and and reflected on the significance of the day.Senator Ferhat Ullah Babar was the chief of the ceremony. Riaz Khan Daudzai, the winner in the Journalist category, had made effective use of existing national and sub-national RTI legislation in the country to do his investigative stories. His stories not only unearthed corrupt and unlawful practices, but also led to course correction in some cases. Zohaib Hassan, the winner in the Citizen category, being a person with disability, he has mad

Students fare badly in BA/BSc exams

Islamabad : The Quaid-i-Azam University announced results of BA, BSc and B.Com Part-I and Part-II annual exams 2018 with low pass rate.There are 14 girls and boys colleges in Islamabad Capital Territory which are affiliated with the QAU degree courses.According to the gazette notification, 2,115 candidates appeared in the Bachelor of Arts Part-II exam and only 813 of them remained successful with the pass percentage coming to 38.4. The Bachelor of Science Part-II exam was taken by 1,442 candidates and only 704 of them passed it.The pass rate was 48.8 per cent. Similarly, the commerce group students also fared badly in exam. A total of 435 candidates sat the exam but 153 of them remained successful with the pass rate reaching 35.2 per cent.In BA Part-I exam, a total of 1,645 candidates appeared but 603 passed it. The pass percentage was 36.6, while BSc Part-I exam was taken by a total of 1071 candidates and 384 of them remained successful with pass rate reaching 35.9 per cent. As for BC

Chinese envoy visits RMS

Islamabad : China Radio International (CRI_ Millennium Confucius Classroom in collaboration with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, Cultural Counselor Office, here marked the 5th anniversary of Confucius Institute Day and the 69th anniversary of People’s Republic of China at Roots Millennium Schools (RMS), Wahid Campus F-10/2,says a press release.Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China Yao Jing graced this auspicious occasion as a chief guest, accompanied by the Chinese Cultural Counselor You Yi, First Secretary Pan Yuqi and Director CRI Confucius Classroom Pakistan Chen Xiang.Students of RMS, Wahid Campus dressed up in alluring Chinese Cultural attire embellished with gold ornaments sang welcome song for ambassador and guests. Dozens of flag-bearing pupils lined up the pathway, where Yao Jing was welcomed by the dragon dance which symbolises good luck to the community in Chinese Culture.Mona Kanwal, manager, Chinese Language Department formally greeted the Ambassador

ACCA marks 75 years of thought leadership

Islamabad : This year marks a very important milestone - ACCA’s 75th anniversary of thought leadership. Starting off in 1943 as a technical advisory committee (now called technical research committee) - publishing their first report a mere four years later - and over the years transforming into the expert thought leadership team that professional insights is today.ACCA’s research has pushed forward the state of debate on topics from accounting for water resources to the effect of tax havens on the taxation of corporate income. As we move further into the 21st century, the changing shape of business and society is reflected in research into robotics and AI, and the importance of the human element in accountancy.ACCA has also been at the forefront of the integrated reporting movement, as the first international professional body to examine integrated reporting in the ACCA Qualification and the first to produce an integrated report on its own corporate performance.ACCA has been a bold inn

Poor sewerage system at Ghouri Town

Islamabad : The residents of Ghouri Town, PhaseB-4, have complained of the poor sewerage system in the society and called for solving the problem, says a press release.A number of residents said they had been facing a lot of difficulties for a couple of days after the sewerage line got choked and the gutter water inundated the streets of the locality.They said the streets had become impassable after accumulation of sewerage water and even the gutter water had started entering houses, adding the stinking water had become a nuisance for them. from The News International - Islamabad https://ift.tt/2Otl6s5

NHA initiates afforestation programme

Islamabad : Following directive of the Federal Government and on special instructions of State Minister for Communications Murad Saeed, the National Highway Authority (NHA) has chalked out 75-day action plan under which 180,000 saplings will be planted along national highways and motorways network to make them environment friendly, says a press release.The NHA will plant 50,000 saplings along Hakla-D.I. Khan section of the CPEC and that 4,545 plants are to be grown every week. Likewise 50,000 plants will also be planted along Pindi Bhattian-Gojra Motorway out of which 1,100 saplings are planted during the running week. Hazara Motorway will also be beautified through afforestation by planting 30,000 saplings out of which 2,000 saplings have been planted. Under this programme, 3,000 plants will be planted all along Lahore-Abdul Hakeem Motorway in currency of this week. Afforestation will also be extended at Peshawar-Islamabad and Lahore-Islamabad Motorways, Airport Road Junction and Gojr

World Maritime Day

The World Maritime Day (WMD) is being annually celebrated under the ambit of International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in the last week of September. The IMO, for those who may not be aware, is the principal organ of the United Nations dealing with and coordinating all maritime related issues ranging from safety, security and environmental concerns to training standards of seafarers and even technical cooperation aspects. It is this organisation which, mindful of the massive contribution made by the international maritime industry in bolstering the global economy, instituted the World Maritime Day that has since become a regular annual feature in the calendar of all seafaring nations.The first time this day was celebrated was on 17 March 1978 to mark the 30th anniversary of the convention which created the IMOs parent organisation, the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organisation. The member states have since swelled from 21 to 174 at present. Pakistan became member of IMO in 1