ISLAMABAD, AUG 6 /DNA/ – Lecture on protozoan drug discovery: Old drugs, new targets and mining for novelty، delivered online by Professor Paul W. Denny, Professor in Biosciences Department, University of Durham, United Kingdom. This was a second lecture of COMSTECH-NTD Network joint lecture series.

Prof. Paul said that it is very important initiative to engage with COMSTECH, it is very important to reach out beyond the consortium to other countries and individuals who are interested in and suffering burden of neglected tropical diseases, which we are trying to mitigate.

He said, our primary aim is to identify new molecular targets which are essential for the parasite and can be exploited for drug therapy by March 2022.

He mentioned that the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a major health and economic burden in member states of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.  He informed that the control and elimination of NTDs requires both a scaled-up and integrated global mass treatment programmes, along with new tools and technologies to tackle these diseases.

COMSTECH, in collaboration with NTD Network – Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, has launched a virtual lecture series for researchers across the Muslim world.  This programme offers opportunities to enhance knowledge, skills and connections of researchers, to help grow our shared global capacity to tackle these rapidly growing NTDs.

The NTD Network, funded by UKRI’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), is a consortium of academic researchers from South America, Asia, and the UK, seeking new therapeutic solutions to Leishmaniasis and Chagas diseases.

Both COMSTECH and NTD Network aim to promote global scientific cooperation and build research capacity to find new and better therapeutic solutions for NTDs.

This webinar was open to academics, scientists and the general public from all OIC member states. More than 190 people joint this lecture online.=DNA

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ISLAMABAD, AUG 6: The Supreme Court on Friday censured Punjab police for failing to safeguard the Hindu temple that was attacked by a mob in Rahim Yar Khan two days ago, and ordered immediate arrests of the culprits as well as temple’s restoration.

On Wednesday, hundreds of people had vandalised the temple in Bhong and blocked the Sukkur-Multan Motorway (M-5) after a nine-year-old Hindu boy — who allegedly urinated in a local seminary — was granted bail by a local court.

On Thursday, the apex court took suo motu notice of the incident after patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council Dr Ramesh Kumar called on Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed to draw his attention to the incident.

The CJP had summoned Punjab’s chief secretary and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Inam Ghani to appear before the court along with a report on the incident.

“The temple was attacked. What were the administration and the police doing?” the chief justice questioned during today’s hearing.

Ghani replied that the assistant commissioner and assistant superintendent of police were present at the scene. “The administration’s priority was to protect 70 Hindu homes around the temple,” Ghani said. He also told the court that terrorism clauses had been added in the first information report.

“If the commissioner, deputy commissioner and the DPO can’t perform, then they should be removed,” the chief justice remarked. He said the incident had damaged Pakistan’s reputation at an international level.

“The police did nothing except [for] watching the spectacle,” Justice Gulzar said.

Upon being told that no arrests were made in the case so far, Justice Qazi Amin said: “The police failed in fulfilling its responsibility.”

Justice Amin added that even if arrests were made, the police would release the suspects on bail and try to make the parties reconcile.

“Three days have passed [since the incident] and not one person has been arrested,” the chief justice noted, adding that the police lacked “enthusiasm”.

“The matter would have been resolved by now if there were professionals in the police force,” he said.

“[A] Hindu temple was demolished. Think [about] what they must have felt. Imagine what would have been the reaction of Muslims, had a mosque been demolished,” the chief justice remarked.

Additional Attorney General Sohail Mahmood informed the bench that Prime Minister Imran Khan had taken notice of the incident. The CJP said the premier should continue with his work but the court would look into the legal aspects of the case.

The court noted that the culprits at large could cause problems for the Hindu community as it sought assurances that such incidents do not happen again.

The court also expressed dissatisfaction at the Rahim Yar Khan commissioner’s performance and sought a progress report from the IGP and the chief secretary within a week.

It also instructed the formation of village committees for peace and religious harmony and adjourned the hearing till August 13.

ISLAMABAD, AUG 6: /DNA/ – Hashoo School of Hospitality Management (HSHM) has collaborated Lahore Consultancy Services(LCS) a sister company of BlueSky Students Consultancy Services to promote Pakistan’s first premier hospitality and tourism management institute.

In this connection, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed byMaj (Retd) Faisal Naeem Khan, Director Education, Hashoo School of Hospitality Management and Ms Aroosha Qamar Director Operations and Mr. Muhammad Aslam Khan Lohdi, Director Marketing and Development from Lahore Consultancy Services in PC Hotel, Lahore.

HSHM is Pakistan’s first premier hospitality and tourism management school in collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University, UK, and in partnership with Construction Technology Training Institute (CTTI). HSHM’s first campus is located on IJP Road Islamabad and is now accepting admissions for fall semester 2021.

Lahore Consultancy Services is a leading consultancy firm providing educational guidance and dedicated to skill development of students. LCS is also providing guidance to students for their career development as well.

After having studied for two years at HSHM, qualifying students will have the option to study the third academic year at Sheffield Hallam University in the UK to complete their BSc Hons degree. This is a golden opportunity for students who want to save a substantial cost while obtaining an international hospitality degree that is recognised worldwide along with landing a confirmed job as soon as they graduate. HSHM which also plans to expand and have its campuses at Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar very soon

MS. Aroosha Qamar added, “HSHM is offering a golden opportunity for students who can’t afford to study three years from UK but can afford the final years study at a prestigious university like Sheffield Hallam University and secure a assured job placement. Mr. Muhammad Aslam Khan Lohdi while speaking on the occasion also added that LCS is very glad to join hands with HSHM and assured of his all-out support to HSHM in future”.

LCS is also holding a free introductory seminar for all potentials students interested in the field of hospitality and tourism management in collaboration with HSHM on 7 August at 4 pm at 32 Civic Center, Allama Iqbal Town, Lahore.

ISLAMABAD, AUG 6: /DNA/ – Prime Minister Imran Khan and General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), visited Peshawar Corps Headquarters today. Governor and Chief Minister KP accompanied PM.

Upon arrival, PM laid floral wreath at the Martyrs’ Monument. He was briefed in detail about prevalent security situation, ongoing stabilisation operations, fencing along Pak-Afghan Border and socio-economic development projects being undertaken in Newly Merged Districts (NMDs). PM was also apprised on various contingencies planned to tackle the evolving security situation along Pak-Afghan International Border.

PM expressed his satisfaction over the efficacy of Pakistan’s comprehensive Border Management Regime and the pragmatic measures being taken to ensure effective border control and Internal Security. PM lauded security forces for providing enabling environment for completion of socio-economic development projects in the Newly Merged Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which are vital for enduring stability and sustainable progress of the area. PM also appreciated formation for its dedicated assistance to civil administration during COVID, Locust, anti polio campaigns and tree plantation drive.

Abrar ul Haq urges donors to rise to challenge and play their role in saving precious lives amid COVID19 pandemic 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) Chairman Abrar ul Haq on Friday appealed to the people to come forward and donate blood to help save lives amid serious shortage of blood due to ongoing Covid-19. 

In a statement issued to media, the PRCS chairman said pandemic affected millions of people worldwide and caused disruptions at the global level including in healthcare provision. He said thousands of people have lost lives to Covid-19 across country, however even more lives are at risk due to blood shortage, especially those suffering from leukemia, thalassemia, hemophilia, anemia or those undergoing critical surgeries or injured in road accidents.  

Abrar ul Haq said the PRCS Regional Blood Donor Centre (RBDC) housed at the National Headquarters in Islamabad would usually collect 500-1000 donations in any given month, which have now fallen to around few dozen units only. He said around 90% of PRCS blood supply has been threatened by cancelation of community blood drives due to Covid-19 pandemic. He said educational institutions and industrial units have been the major source of blood collection and their closure in days of pandemic severely impacted the blood donations. 

He said majority of blood donors fear that they might contract coronavirus during the blood transfusion process, calling for a serious intervention through a robust awareness campaign to ward off people’s concerns. “The COVID virus cannot be transmitted through the blood donation process or blood transfusion as respiratory viruses are not transmitted by donation or transfusion”, he added. 

Abrar ul Haq said the PRCS has always been in the frontlines for arranging and donating blood and its components for the deserving patients. He said PRCS volunteers are working selflessly round the clock to ensure availability of blood for the patients and also contributing in the blood campaign through their own blood donations. “PRCS has implemented all necessary safety measure needed during the pandemic and we would like urge everybody to continue donating blood”, he added. 

He said donating blood is not only a great deed but it also helps donors to stay healthy, energetic and rejuvenated all the year round. He urged the people to fulfil their human, national, moral and religious obligation and come out to save precious lives through blood donations in these testing times. 

TOKYO, Aug 6 :The Tokyo metropolitan government reported 4,515 daily COVID-19 cases, and Osaka Prefecture confirmed a record 1,310 infections Friday, with growing concerns about the potential collapse of medical systems in Japan amid a resurgence of COVID-19.

   Hosting the Olympic Games while under a state of emergency, Tokyo hit record infection figures for two consecutive days through Thursday, when it confirmed 5,042 cases.Japan’s cumulative total of confirmed COVID-19 cases exceeded 1 million on Friday.

   Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Friday that with the consideration of the COVID-19 situation, whether to hold the Paralympics with spectators would be discussed by a five-party meeting involving organizers and his government.

   The central government, the Tokyo government, the organizing committee, the International Olympic Committee, and the International Paralympic Committee will meet on Sunday after the Olympics end. The Paralympics are scheduled to start on Aug. 24, when the host city Tokyo will be still under a state of emergency.

   The Olympics have been held mostly without spectators amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

   “I do not hold the view that the Tokyo Olympics are leading to the spread of the virus,” Suga said at a press conference in Hiroshima, adding that compared with the number of people going outside prior to the Olympics, the number has not increased after games started.

   With the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 in Japan, the Japanese government expanded the state of emergency earlier this week and decided to put more prefectures into a quasi-state of emergency.

Pakistan will become a transit hub in future: Zeeshan Khanzada

ISLAMABAD, AUG 6: /DNA/ – Sang-Pyo, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Pakistan, paid a courtesy call on the convener, Senator Zeeshan Khanzada,  and members of the Pak-South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group in the Parliament House on Thursday.

Senator Khanzada, also the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Commerce welcomed the Korean Ambassador on behalf of the members of the Pak-South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group and thanked the Ambassador for making this visit possible on such short notice.

The Korean Envoy thanked the convener and the members of the Pak-South Korea Friendship Group. It asserted that Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani has always extended his support in resolving issues’ pertaining to Korea’s trade and business activities.

Senator Samina Mumtaz while welcoming the Ambassador of Korea said that Pak-South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group Forum will enhance economic development.

During the meeting, both parties agreed that better joint business ventures between the two countries could significantly help to broaden bilateral cooperation in all areas.

Chairman Commerce Committee Senator Zeeshan Khanzada invited the Korean Companies to do Joint Business Ventures with Pakistan.  Senator Sana Jamali added that the business communities of both countries could take advantage of the available opportunities and promote mutual trade and investment.

The Pak-South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group also put forward their suggestions on business-to-business meetings, exchange of high-level trade delegations and bilateral exhibitions at the Parliamentary level, which would provide excellent and profitable business opportunities to foreign investors and traders.

While speaking on the skilled and unskilled workers employment opportunities in Korea, the Visiting dignitary noted that 10,000 Pakistani laborers were working in Korea before the Covid-19. “Unfortunately, as per standard operating procedures, no new workers can enter Korea after the Covid-19”, he added. The Korean Ambassador underlined that Korean Industry needs more skilled workers from Pakistan and shall revise their visa policies to enhance the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Pakistan will become a transit hub in future, underscored senator Zeeshan Khanzada while discussing the potential in the area of tourism between the two countries. The members of the Pak-South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group also discussed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of tourism for boosting the country’s revenue and creating employment opportunities.

The meeting was attended by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Senator Samina Mumtaz and Senator Sana Jamali.