ISLAMABAD,  April 7  :  Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) has embarked upon streamlining street food vending with better licensing regime and enhancing hygiene standards. Pakistanis are fond of street food and these vendors are also fulfilling food security demand of a large section of urban poor. This was stated by Syeda Shafaq Hashmi, Administrator MCI, while addressing the certificate award ceremony of the 1st food safety training workshop for street vendors in Islamabad. Administrator, MCI, Ms. Syeda Shafaq Hashmi, organized this training workshop in collaboration with Institute of Food & Nutritional Sciences of University of Arid Agriculture Rawalpindi (UAAR), which is also the advisor of Punjab Food Authority. Ms. Hashmi also conveyed the message of the Chief Commissioner/ Chairman, CDA, Mr. Amer Ali Ahmed, on the occasion that the street vendor’s initiative shall serve as a model to be replicated across the city and country and shall serve to bring street vendors at par with international standards. The training is meant to be transformative for the vendor trainees, as all of them has been in the food selling vocation for years and has never attended such training.

The purpose of the training was to enhance awareness among street food vendors about the food safety and hygiene practices. The participant vendors were trained in maintenance of sanitation during preparation, cooking and serving. The day-long training session covered areas such as food handling, food safety, personal hygiene, cart hygiene, cleaning and garbage disposal. Focus also remained on precautionary measures for reducing the impact of COVID-19 during food and client handling. 14 in number street vendors attended the training, which was the first batch from G-11, Markaz, Islamabad.

MCI, in coordination with Ehsaas, CDA and Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), is also launching the first pilot project for street vendors in Islamabad. These food safety training workshops will be regular feature of the ongoing street vendors’ regularization initiative, where more and more street food vendors will be trained. Mr. Zia Banday, senior fellow, PIDE and focal person for the street vendors’ initiative, informed the participants on government’s efforts of bringing street vendors through adoption of best standards of modular carts, service standards and hygiene practices.

On the occasion, street vendors appreciated government’s initiative of recognizing their status as a legitimate economic player and helping them in enhancing their livelihood capacity through training, provision of improved carts and vending licenses. A number of street vendors, who have been vending for over decade or two, did mention that it is a first time any government functionary has approached them to address their issues through tangible measures on ground.

ISLAMABAD , April 07 :  Senator Shibli Faraz on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Imran Khan wants across the board accountability.

Shibli Faraz, in a statement said that people accompanied Jahangir Tareen to the court in their personal capacity and were not representing their party.

The Senator further said that Jahangir Tareen is still part of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and has contacts with several people.

Earlier, Jahangir Tareen, while talking to media after getting bail from a banking court in Lahore said that his loyalty is being tested for one year but he is still silent. He complained that three cases have been lodged against him and injustice against him is increasing.

Jahangir Tareen stressed that only he is the target out of 80 sugar mills of Pakistan. I want justice from PTI, he said while adding that his bank accounts have been frozen along with his son’s. He affirmed that he is a member of PTI and will not part ways.

Raja Riaz – who accompanied Jahangir Tareen – claimed that Prime Minister Imran Khan got the vote of confidence from the parliament due to Jahangir Tareen as he played the most important role. He said people around Imran Khan are tarnishing the matters and the premier should not lose his good friend.

It is pertinent here to mention that the banking court extended the interim bails of Jahangir Tareen and his son Ali Tareen till April 10 in the fake bank accounts case. The court also barred the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from arresting Tareens.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday took up a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) petition seeking cancellation of PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s bail in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Sarfraz Dogar heard the case. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter submitted her response to the national graft buster’s plea.

A NAB prosecutor requested the bench to gave him some time to go through her response and file a rejoinder. Granting his request, the court adjourned further hearing of the case for an indefinite period.

In her six-page reply, the PML-N vice president stated that the NAB summoned her for questioning in the case after a gap of 14 months. She alleged that NAB actions are aimed at stifling opposition leaders’ voice.

She claimed that the corruption watchdog has turned into an institution of political engineering and its chairman the government’s spokesperson. She said the LHC granted her bail on merit and requested the court to throw out the NAB plea seeking cancellation of the bail.

ISLAMABAD : Special Assistant to the PM on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Bukhari has welcomed Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) for operating 13 special flights to the United Kingdom.

Zulfiqar Bukhari said in a Twitter message, ‘Thank you’ PIA for coming up with 13 special flights to UK despite European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) restrictions before the implementation of April 9 ban – with more to come.

The SAPM added, “It’s been a tough time for people specially overseas Pakistanis returning to UK. Happy to see Civil Aviation [CAA] and PIA working together to facilitate people.”

In another tweet, Bukhari also showed gratefulness to the international carriers including British Airways (BA) and Virgin Atlantic, Turkish Airlines and Gulf Air for providing much needed and timely help to UK-based overseas Pakistanis.

He detailed that the remaining flights to be operated to Britain will include five by British Airways including three scheduled and two extra flights, three by Virgin Atlantic, four by PIA/affiliated, two by Turkish Airlines and one by Gulf Air.

On April 3, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had decided to operate additional two-way flights between Pakistan and Britain.

The decision was taken after the United Kingdom (UK) added more countries including Pakistan and Bangladesh to its red list from April 9 – 2021 in order to curb the spread of COVID-19 variants internationally.

The British authorities had added Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Kenya to its red list to be effective from 4:00 am (local time) Friday, April 9 – 2021 for implementing travel bans on visitors from the countries.