A 6.8 magnitude earthquake — with its epicentre being the Hindu Kush region — jolted parts of the country on Tuesday, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department. The US Geological Survey said the quake rocked Afghanistan and parts of India as well, adding that the quake epicentre was 40 kilometres south-southeast of the Afghan town of Jurm.

Witnesses said that the strong earthquake lasting for at least 30 seconds was felt across much of Pakistan on Tuesday night.

“People ran out of their houses and were reciting the Quran,” an correspondent in Rawalpindi said, with similar reports coming from Islamabad, Lahore and elsewhere in the country.

Dawn News reported that shocks were felt in Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Jhelum, Sheikhupura, Nowshera, Multan, Swat, Shangla and other places.

TV footage showed citizens out on the streets from their homes and buildings after the quake shocks were felt.

Rescue 1122 director general Dr Khateer Ahmad said the department had received a phone call each from Swabi and Lower Dir on which rescue teams were despatched.

“No confirmed reports of any loss of life or property have been received yet. Rescue 1122 is on high alert and ready to provide services during any emergency,” he said.

So far there have been no confirmed reports of human loss or property damage. Tremors were felt in the country’s capital New Delhi.

Rawalpindi, MAR 21: /DNA/ – During an encounter with the hard-core terrorists in general area Angoor Adda, South Waziristan, intense fire was exchanged. Brigadier Mustafa Kamal Barki from Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), while leading the encounter from the front, embraced Shahadat while 7 x members got injured (including 2 critically wounded).
Brigadier Barki and his team put up a valiant resistance against the terrorists during the encounter and the officer sacrificed his life for peace of the motherland.
Defence Forces of Pakistan and Intelligence Agencies pledge to reaffirm and demonstrate firm resolve to eliminate the menace of terrorism from every inch of the country.

ISLAMABAD, Mar 21 (DNA): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday felicitated the newly elected members of All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), an organization of major Pakistani newspapers and publishers.

The prime minister congratulated Nazafreen Sehgal Lakhani and Sarmad Ali as the unanimously elected president and secretary general, Imtenan Shahid as senior vice president, Muhammad Aslam Qazi as vice president, S.M. Munir Jilani as joint secretary, and Shahab Zuberi as finance secretary of the APNS.

PM Shehbaz expressed hope that the newly elected APNS body would take steps for the promotion of mass media in the country.

He urged the media to work towards ensuring peace and tolerance besides promoting ethical and democratic values.

The Prime Minister emphasized the role of newspapers in eliminating fake news and raising public awareness on issues concerning social problems, especially women, and persons with different abilities.=DNA

ISLAMABAD, MAR 21 (DNA) — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Tuesday inaugurated One School for All, Teleschool Pakistan – Mobile App to provide online education to students from Grade-1 to 12.

Inaugurating the revolutionary step of materializing the vision of digital education in Islamabad this afternoon, he emphasized on promoting online education that can ensure continuity of learning in far flung areas as well as during catastrophes and pandemics.

He said we have to invest in our future generations to equip them with modern skills. He said vocational training centers should be established across Pakistan in cooperation with the provincial governments. He said private institutions can be hired in a transparent manner to impart skill education to students.

The Prime Minister also called for supporting orphan and poor students through Education Endowment Fund. He said the federal government is also planning to help Balochistan Government in establishing Danish Schools in the province to provide quality education to the children.

Highlighting importance of quality teachers’ training, Shehbaz Sharif advised the Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training to chalk out a coordinated programme in consultation with provinces to equip teachers with modern education and skills. He said teachers’ attendance should be digitized.

The Prime Minister, on the occasion, also distributed chrome books among students.   Earlier, briefing the audience, Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Rana Tanveer Hussain said 22.8 million children are out of school in Pakistan and this initiative will certainly help cater to the educational needs of such students.

He said efforts are being made to make Islamabad a model territory in terms of provision of education by bringing the number of out of school children to zero. He said we are also focusing on teacher training and girls’ education.

Secretary for Federal Education and Professional Training Waseem Ajmal said digital content of high quality comprising around 6,000 video lessons has been created to impart education to students in all subjects through six digital channels. He said chrome books are also being provided to children with the cooperation of Google for Education. — DNA

PESHAWAR, MAR 21 (DNA) — The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is going to hold its session in Peshawar on Wednesday (March 22, 2023) for sighting the Ramazan moon. Maulana Abdul Khair Azad will chair the meeting.

The Met Office said there are strong chances of a Ramazan moon sighting on March 22, (29 Shaban 1444) and first of Ramazan is likely to start on Thursday. It said the Ramazan moon’s birth will take place on March 21 at 10:23 pm.

It has further said that in the event of 30-day Ramazan, then it will conclude on April 21 (Friday) and Eidul Fitr will be celebrated on Saturday, April 22, 2023. Besides that, there will also be meetings of Zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Committees in different cities across the country.

The decision about the sighting of the moon and announcement will be made by the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee. Representatives from central and zonal committees from Peshawar, ministry of religious affairs and ministry of science and technology will participate in the meeting. — DNA

ISLAMABAD, MAR 21 (DNA) — Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) staff has returned a lost wallet containing $9500 to a passenger, setting an example of honesty in a country full of corrupt officials.

According to CAA spokesman, a passenger Anwar Aman and his family had flown from America to Islamabad by flight number QR-632. He, however, left his hand pouch on the chair while retrieving luggage from the belt in the lounge. He left the arrival lounge at 2:30 am with luggage. At 3 am, he returned to airport at 3 am and started looking for his pouch in the lounge.

After failing to locate his pouch, he requested the authorities to check the CCTV footage, but since there was no CCTV surveillance at the place of disappearance, nothing could be done.

Later, Adviser to the Prime Minister Aun Chaudhry called to the passenger complaint cell and CAA Vigilance Assistant Rab Nawaz re-investigated the matter through CCTV. Similarly, the civil aviation team checked each passenger with the help of cameras.

A family was suspected in this connection and the data of the female passenger and her other family members were collected. Moreover, the husband of the female passenger in the UK was also contacted and informed of the entire incident. Thus, the CAA team was able to recover the pouch containing $9500 from the woman. The recovered currency worth Rs2.7 million was handed over to the owner Anwar Aman. — DNA