KARACHI – Pakistani currency continued to stabilize for the second consecutive working day, as it made fresh recovery against the US dollar in the inter-bank market on Monday.
According to details, the local currency appreciated by Rs2.63 against the greenback and closed at Rs237.02. The rupee had closed at Rs239.65 on Friday, according to Pakistan’s central bank data.
With the latest day-to-day gain, the rupee has cumulatively recovered Rs2.7 in the past two working days.
In open market, the local unit has posted a massive recovery of Rs7 and was being traded around Rs238.
The bull has also returned to the Pakistan Stock Exchange as benchmark KSE-100 index gainedover 400 points and was being traded around 41,000 points.
ISLAMABAD, /DNA/ – The Education Testing Council (ETC), viz. Higher Education Commission (HEC) has announced that its portal etc.hec.gov.pk will remain open until October 3, 2022 midnight for the third batch of students who wish to take the Undergraduate Studies Admission Test (USAT). Their USAT will be held on October 16, 2022. If there is a change in the test date, it will be communicated to applicants individually as well as through email/ SMS.
The ETC conducts USAT for admission at the undergraduate level in universities operating all over Pakistan. The USAT is designed on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) pattern and covers all known disciplines of Engineering, Medicine (Allied Health), IT, Management and Social Sciences at the undergraduate entry level. The students after qualifying respective USAT would stand eligible to all relevant universities accepting it, like the SAT.
The students who have passed the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) or equivalent/Grade 12 education and those who have appeared in the final examination and awaiting results can apply for USAT.
The ETC conducts the USAT in six categories based on relevant academic streams, including USAT-E for Pre-Engineering, USAT-M for Pre-Medical, USAT-A for Arts & Humanities, USAT-CS for Computer Science, USAT-GS for General Science, and USAT-Com for Commerce.
Doctors and medical workers have been battling the increase in waterborne
diseases and other infections, and struggling to treat the sick and deliver medicines
ISLAMABAD, /DNA/ – Emirates Field Hospital has successfully treated more than 7,000 children, women and the elderly affected by floods in Pakistani villages.
Since the start of the unprecedented monsoon rains and flooding, more than 1,600 people have died and thousands more have been injured. The floods have affected 33 million people, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.
Doctors and medical workers have been battling the increase in waterborne diseases and other infections, and struggling to treat the sick and deliver medicines, food supplies and tents to people displaced by the floods.
The Emirates Field Hospital in Sindh Province in Pakistan is on the frontline to provide medical assistance to the flood-hit families through mobile medical teams, mobile clinics and a field hospital equipped with the latest diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive equipment.
Working under the supervision of the UAE Embassy in Islamabad and the Consulate General in Karachi in coordination with the Pakistani Ministry of Health, it is operated with the participation of UAE and Pakistani doctors who are volunteers in the Emirates Medical Relief Programme.
The joint initiative of UAE and Pakistani health and humanitarian institutions has proven to be a distinctive model of joint humanitarian work to alleviate the suffering of patients, especially children, women and the elderly.
Dr Adel Al Shamri Al Ajmi, CEO of Zayed Al Ataa Initiative, chief physician of the UAE and director of the Emirates Medical Relief Programme, said that the Emirates Field Hospital enhances its humanitarian tasks through its mobile medical teams in villages located in the vicinity of flood-affected areas in Sindh province, Gulf news reported .
This is done according to a study prepared by the team to cover the segments that have not been reached by humanitarian and health services to reduce the effects of the disaster in Pakistan.
He pointed out that UAE doctors launched their programme in various Pakistani villages through the efforts of volunteer doctors in the Emirates Medical Relief Programme.
The initiative continues its diagnostic and therapeutic programmes with more gradual expansion to accommodate the largest number of affected segments in the vicinity of its humanitarian services to reduce the seriousness of the health situation and the repercussions of the disaster on the most affected groups.
He pointed out that the doctors of the UAE-Pakistan Field Hospital have succeeded in gaining the best and specialised medical competencies from the UAE and Pakistan.
The facility is enabling them to volunteer in the field and virtually to provide diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive services to thousands of women, children and the elderly through the mobile clinics of the field hospital.
This is in line with the directives of the wise leadership led by the President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to adopt innovative humanitarian projects, and to translate the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, by activating the humanitarian partnership and empowering young people in the service of humanity.
Dr Adel explained that the volunteer medical teams focused on meeting the needs of those affected by chronic diseases in light of their inability to reach the health clinics where they are treated. This was in addition to providing various pharmaceutical items and conducting medical examinations that revealed many different pathological conditions.
Dr Mumtaz Al Balushi, director of Humanitarian Physicians in Pakistan, said that the Emirates Field Hospital and its mobile units have delivered the necessary medical services and dispense free medicines to those affected in the most affected areas, despite the logistical challenges caused by the damage to infrastructure and the dredging of roads leading to those areas.
LAHORE, Sep 26: US ambassador to Pakistan Donald Armin Blome on Monday visited historic Wazir Khan mosque in the old city and praised the cultural heritage of Lahore.
During his three-day maiden visit to the provincial capital since his arrival in Pakistan, the US ambassador will visit various places besides watching the flag-lowering ceremony at the Wahga. He will also watch the Pakistan-England T20I match at the Gaddafi stadium during his sojourn.
Wazir Khan mosque, since 2009, has been restored and preserved through the Ambassador’s Fund while the work on the restoration of the domes inside and different shops and ‘hujras’ outside the mosque was in progress.
Speaking on the occasion, Blome said Lahore was custodian of the rich cultural heritage and the United Satets government is proud of playing its role in the preservation of the cultural sites in the different parts of the country through the Ambassador’s Fund, adding that some 32 such cultural sites were preserved in the country through the US funding since 2001.
“It is inspiring to see work done at this cultural heritage of such magnitude and it continues to be done. The United States government is committed to preserve the cultural heritage sites in Pakistan and the projects like this exemplify depth and breadth of our partnership”, the diplomat said, adding that he looks forward to continue the Pak-US partnership in future.
Terming people to people contacts as strength of US-Pak bilateral relations, the ambassador underlined the importance of the people to people contacts, adding that the projects like this add to the community bonding. He said the Pakistani community in the US was playing a vital role in furthering the mutual ties.
Donald A. Blome said,”Pakistan is passing through the most difficult times due to the incessant flooding in most parts of the country and was saddened by the loss of lives and livelihood”, adding that the United States government stands side by side with Pakistan.
The US envoy said his visit to the city was significant as Pakistan and the US celebrate 75 yeas of diplomatic ties, adding such projects were hoped to shape the surroundings and future of our children.
Ambassador Blome was accompanied by US Counsel General Lahore William K. Makaneole, Public Affairs officer US Consulate Lahore Bryce A. Isham and Deputy PAO Carl R. Rogers.
Earlier, the Director General Walled City Lahore Authority (WCLA) Kamran Lashari briefed ambassador Donald Blome on the restoration and preservation at the Wazir Khan Mosque. He also shed light on the restoration of other cultural heritage sites by the WCLA.
The ambassador Donald Blome visited different parts of the 17th century Mughal era mosque. He was shown round the houses renovated on the Northern side of the gate while had had the aerial view of the mosque from the adjacent roofs. Blome also visited the mosque and hailed the intricate faience tile work and the fresco on the interior surface of the mosque. He also showed keen interest in the calligraphy work.
The ambassador visited different artifact shops in the outer courtyard of the mosque and interacted with the shop keepers. He admired the tireless efforts of the architects, artists and the artisan in restoring the beauty of the spectacular place.
RAWALPINDI, Sep 26 (DNA): A Pakistani Army helicopter on Sunday night crashed during a flying mission near Khost area of Harnai in Balochistan that resulted into the martyrdom of all six personnel on board including two pilots.
The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Monday informed that the martyred officers and soldiers included Major Muhammad Muneeb Afzal (Pilot), Maj Khurram Shahzad (Pilot), Naik Jalil (Crew), Subedar Abdul Wahid, Sepoy Muhamad Imran, and Sepoy Shoaib.
The Military’s media wing further mentioned that more details were to follow. However, as per the details of the Shuhada (martyrs) Major Khurram Shahzad (39) was resident of Attock, married and had a daughter, Major Muhammad Muneeb Afzal (30) was resident of Rawalpindi, married and bore two sons, Subedar Abdul Wahid (44) was resident of village Sabir Abad, Karak who was married and had four children including three sons and a daughter, Sepoy Muhammad Imran (27) was resident of Makhdoompur, Khanewal, married and had two daughters and a son, Naik Jalil (Crew) was 30 years old and resident of village Bhutta, Lohara, Tehsil Kharian, District Gujrat, married and had two sons. Sepoy Shoaib (35) was resident of village Khatarphatti Post Office Syeeda Tehsil Jhand, District Attock, was also married and had a son.
KARACHI: The Government of Indonesia has joined the international community in providing humanitarian assistance for the flood victims in Pakistan. The President of Indonesia JokoWidodo today dispatched humanitarian assistance by two special aircrafts, in the form of packages of medicines, tents, clothes, blankets, sleeping bags, mosquito nets, and generators.
In his remarks, President Jokowi expressed deepest condolences on his personal behalf and also on behalf of the Indonesian people to Pakistani brothers on the loss of precious human livescaused by heavy floods and landslides. President JokoWidodo also pledged to provide humanitarian grant of USD 1 million and to send a medical team to Pakistan.
The Indonesian Humanitarian Assistance Team is led by the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Prof. Dr. Muhajir Effendi, along with the Chairperson of Commission 8 of the Indonesian House of Representatives AshabulKahfi, Head of Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Lt. Gen. Suharyanto and Director of South Asia at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and representatives from other relevant Ministries/Agencies.
The total Indonesian non-cash grant assistance to Pakistan is worth USD 1.2 Million and weighing around 90 tons. Currently, a need assessment is being carried out at the flood affected areas in Pakistan by a team from Indonesian NDMA in close consultation with Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs. Together, these institutions have taken several initiatives to raise humanitarian assistance to Pakistan from various segments in Indonesia’s community including from state enterprises, entrepreneurs and civil society.
On separate occasions, the Indonesian Embassy in Islamabad and the Indonesian Consulate General in Karachi have also taken the initiative to raise humanitarian aid in collaboration with Indonesian students and Indonesian diaspora in Pakistan. The aid worth 1.8 million PKR has been sent through the Pakistan Red Crescent Society. Besides, Indonesian volunteers from DompetDhuafa organization have also built two houses in one of the flooded areas in Sindh Province.
The flash floods in Pakistan have killed more than 1,600 people, and submerged one-third of Pakistan’s territory. Around 33 million people were affected by the monsoon floods which the UN Secretary-General called “climate carnage”, including 650,000 pregnant women. The flood damage was estimated at USD 30 billion that destroyed 2 million houses and damaged 23,900 schools, 1,460 health facilities and 13,000 km road network. More than two million hectares of agricultural land was also swept out by the floods while in some areas, the water inundation is still high and has not receded. The flood refugees are under threat of post-flood diseases such as dengue fever, malaria, and diarrhea.
Karachi: Pakistan won by three runs in a final over thriller that saw the teams’ fortunes seesaw until Haris Rauf took two back-to-back wickets in the penultimate over that set up the Greenshirts’ victory in the fourth Twenty20 against England at the National Stadium in Karachi.
The two teams are now levelled 2-2 with the next leg of the series set for Lahore (September 28, 30 and October 2).
Earlier, England captain Moeen Ali won the toss and sent Pakistan in to bat in the fourth Twenty20 at the National Stadium in Karachi on Sunday.
Pakistan were sent to bat first and restricted to a 167-run target that by all accounts should have been easy to chase for an English side that set a mammoth 222-run score in the previous match.
But it was not to be.
Even as the Pakistani batters failed to find their footing, the bowlers delivered, literally and figuratively, with Haris Rauf (3-32), Mohammad Hasnain (2-40) and Mohammad Wasim (1-30) pressuring the English side with their pace, while spinners Mohammad Nawaz (3-35) and Mohammad Iftikhar (0-23) restricting the run rate.
The match was Pakistan’s 200th T20, the first team to reach the milestone.
England made three changes from the last game. Alex Hales and David Willey came into the side while Olly Stone was handed his international T20 debut.
They replaced Dawid Malan, Sam Curran and Mark Wood.
Pakistan left out Haider Ali (unfit) and Shahnawaz Dahani to bring Asif Ali and Naseem Shah.
Teams
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood, Asif Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Usman Qadir, Mohammad Wasim
England: Moeen Ali (captain), Will Jacks, Harry Brook, Olly Stone, Ben Duckett, Liam Dawson, Alex Hales, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, David Willey
Umpires: Asif Yaqoob (PAK) and Faisal Afridi (PAK)
JEHANGIRA: Former Defense Minister and PTI leader Pervez Khattak said Sunday that he is involved in all the matters related to his party and assured workers and supporters that news related to early elections will be revealed in two to three days.
Khattak, while speaking during a rally in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Jehangira town, warned that he will demonstrate how to overthrow the throne once he reaches Islamabad.
“No one in the world is ready to trust the coalition government and they will be taught a lesson on how to be removed from power”, he said. “These people will not be able to leave Islamabad as the decision [about their future] will be made on the ground.”
“They will either have to resign and dissolve the assemblies or come face to face with us”, he added.
On Thursday, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal told the PTI leadership that if it was interested in holding early elections, then chairman Imran Khan should dissolve the assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“If he does so, he will go one step closer to his demand”, Ahsan said, adding that he doesn’t want to part ways with the governments.
He further said that Khan could not recover from the setback of losing power, therefore, he was waging a war against the country to avenge his defeat. That too at a time when the country was undergoing unprecedented devastation because of the floods.
ISLAMABAD, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail on Sunday tendered his resignation to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in a party meeting held in London.
Senior PML-N leader Ishaq Dar would replace Miftah as new finance minister. Ishaq’s nomination was put forth by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a meeting, held under the chair of PML-N supremo.
The meeting threadbare discussed overall political and economic situation of the country. It was of the opinion that the incumbent government had to steer the country out of the economic crisis caused by the previous government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Miftah Ismail thanked Nawaz Sharif for reposing confidence on him. He said he served the country in last four months with best of his abilities.
Nawaz Sharif appreciated the efforts of Miftah for carrying out the responsibilities under the most difficult conditions.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Miftah Ismail, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, and Ahad Cheema attended the meeting.
We are living in a fascinating world. A world whose charm is unending. We are lucky to be the inhabitants of this charismatic globe which offers countless pleasures. Our ancestors were however star-crossed as they lived in a comparatively less-fascinating world. They missed its hundreds and thousands of gratifications including gladdening themselves from electronic gadgets, booting out Boeings and air-buses, hanging down on manuscripts for knowledge, enjoying online shopping with virtual currencies and so on and so forth. List of our forefathers’ deprivations is too long.
Nothing is perpetual except ‘change’. The perennial presence of ‘change’ is an unchallenged fact and history is also clear-cut testimony to it. None of the surviving societies has remained static so far, nor can it afford to remain so. Those who resisted ‘change’ are now nowhere. Even history has wiped them out from its pages. Let us accept this reality in toto.
No one can deny the fact it was Muslims’ readiness to revere perpetual nature of ‘change’ that they enjoyed their ‘Golden Era’ in a dashing way. They were cordial, accommodative, tolerant and ready to mould their societies as per requirements of ‘change’. They didn’t resist the perpetual process of ‘change’; rather they devised strategies to accept ‘change’ as reality at the same time holding their faith tightly. And unluckily when they didn’t respond timely to the ‘change’ or at least miscalculated the speed of ‘change’ , they were among the losers and they also paid for it. Victory has thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.
Muslims’ readiness to accept change as reality is also envisaged in their religion. We term this readiness as ‘Ijtehad’. No fault lies in our religion; it lies in our slackness.
Ijtehad is usually taken as a theological term that refers to the process of deriving laws of Islamic Shariah from its supreme sources i.e., Holy Quran and Sunnah. But if you peep deeper into the spirit of Islamic Shariah, ijtehad does not appear as such limiting; it invariably comes out as a concept that invites collective wisdom of each and every Muslim society around the globe to be part of a ‘mega collective wisdom’ that can become instrumental in handling the problems that perpetual process of ‘change’ poses or has been posing since centuries.
Early Muslim theologists rightfully believed that ijtehad could perpetuate the efficacy of Islamic jurisprudence in face of ever-changing socio-religious or politico-economic conditions of the globe. These wise men, through their God-gifted wisdom, had predicted that ‘change’ is perpetual and Islamic jurisprudence can only match up this if ijtehad is made a regular phenomenon of Muslim societies. Muslims societies have always adorned true mujtahidins. History is a clear-cut testimony of this fact.
However, during later medieval period and even till the time large swathes of Muslims’ land were colonized by the European powers, Muslims ignored the true spirit of ijtehad by making it a purely religious subject used for deliberating upon purely ideological matters which have very less to do with the practical social lives of common Muslims.
Irrespective of their glory or downfall, Muslim societies from within have always remained vibrant. Muslims are blessed in the sense that they accept wisdom as their ‘lost treasure’. As narrated by Abu Hurairah (RA), the Holy Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The wise statement is the lost property of the believer, so wherever he finds it, then he is more worthy of it.”
Arab Republic of Egypt through its Ministry of Awqaf is currently hosting a general conference on “Ijtehad as the Necessity of the Modern Era” under the auspices of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the Egyptian President. This is an event which can be safely termed as the most sincere effort from a Nation-state to redefine the word ‘ijtehad’.
Egypt, since the period of auspices of Fatimid dynasty, holds great significance in history. Even afterwards, it has immensely contributed to humanity’s intellectual and Cultural Revolution. Courtesy to University of Al’Azhar (which was opened in Cairo for prayers in 972) and vibrant leadership of this land, Egypt has been continuously patronizing intellectual growth of Muslim Ummah.
What can be more captivating than the fact that the conference even invites the focus of Muslim societies vis-a-vis protection of environment in the light of Quran and Sunnah through the institution of ijtehad. The conference has timely and aptly invited mega collective wisdom of Muslims across the globe on each and every contemporary subject: virtual currencies, corneal transplantation, machine slaughtering of animals, climate change, afforestation, media landscapes, etc. It is a big opening. Egypt has become harbinger. It would be injustice if the magnificent presence of the delegation of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is not praised and acknowledged. His Highness Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the Crown Prince His Highness Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud have always been supportive to all efforts carried out for the glory of Islam.
Praise and applaud is also due to Islamic Broadcasting Union ( IBU), which is a subsidiary platform of OIC, for inviting its members to participate in this two-day conference in Egypt. The way elders of IBU, especially Mr. Ahmed Al Murtda has been facilitating the guests from various Muslim countries so that they are able to reap the benefits of this conference is extremely praiseworthy.
Change is perpetual so is the religion of Islam. Muslim Ummah is once again on the path of searching out its lost treasure, the wisdom. Again congratulations to Arab Republic of Egypt.
( The writer is Director General in Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of Pakistan and is currently attending 33rd General Conference of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Egypt. ).
