Shujaat Hamza

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz Sunday declared Pakistan Democratic Movement.

(PDM), a grand opposition alliance, as a story of the past and said the alliance actually led by politically immature and juvenile leaders.

“PDM leaders were fighting for their personal interests rather than for the sake of the people,” he expressed these views while addressing a press conference here.

The minister said that the opposition’s movement had failed miserably as it could not impress the people. Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz was pursuing disastrous egoistic and stubborn politics. Her childish policies had ruined the PML-N.

Parties in the PDM were at loggerheads with each other and were serving their own interests. They were not following the interest of the people and were pursuing only self centred politics . The country’s economy had started performing better as compared to other countries in the region, he added.

The minister said the corrupt mafia considered itself above the law. Completion of public welfare and development projects during the remaining tenure was the priority of the government, he added.

Shibli Faraz urged the opposition, specifically Jamiat Ulema e Islam Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman to not misguide the people about coronavirus and its vaccination.

Commenting on PDM’s press briefing, he said the government was not worried about their plans but they should do something positive that could help the masses during the coronavirus pandemic.

He informed that the government was taking optimum measures to control the inflation and was trying to expand the targeted subsidy to facilitate masses, adding, the difficult phase of economic hardship had already been passed.

Shibli said the government would continue working for the welfare and betterment of the people. Health cards would be distributed among the deserving people of Punjab on the pattern of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the universal health care programme.

The government had already delivered 1,000 houses and 500 flats among the deserving. He said  the government aimed to decrease prices and food inflation by giving targeted subsidies.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan and first lady had contracted coronavirus, and we all pray for the good health of the first couple,” he said.

Coronavirus has been hit the highest number of victims in the last eight months. The availability of vaccines in the current wave of COVID-19 was encouraging, he observed.

Senator Shibli Faraz urged the nation to observe standard operating procedures (SOPs) to fight the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, which seemed more dangerous. It was not correct to say that the Prime Minister had contracted the virus after getting the jab of anti-COVID vaccine.

ISLAMABAD, MAR 21 – Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) paid a surprise visit to the new blocks of Capital Hospital. Chairman reviewed ongoing construction work, and directed to complete new blocks as soon as possible.

While briefing the Chairman at the occasion, the officials told that, construction of new blocks has been delayed due to corona pandemic lockdown, demolition of old blocks and transfer of services. However, work on construction of new blocks is in full swing now. Work on these blocks started in September 2019, while the project will be completed in three more months.

Officials informed that, 5-storey building will have capacity of 100 beds. ICU and CCU departments will be set up in the said block.

All OPDs and diagnostic centers will be set up in the 5-storey building with basement, while rooms for 6 consultants, 8 rooms for medical officers and 4 rooms for diagnostic procedures will be provided. Diagnostic services will include ECG, ETT, Echo-cardiography and Gastro Endoscopy.

Moreover, 33-bed complete (Male) Medical Ward will be set up on the ground floor, while a Women’s Ward with 33 beds will be set up on the first floor.

On second floor, 16 beds, CCU, an angiography suite, VIP cardiac room, Nurses station, duty rooms and medical equipment store will be constructed. On the third floor, Officers Medical Ward with 18 beds will be constructed, they added.=DNA

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LAHORE, Mar 21 (DNA): Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and Jamiat
Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Amir Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that the
PDM is united and any attempt to sabotage it will be repelled with full
force.

Addressing a joint news conference with PML-N Vice-President Maryam
Nawaz after a detailed PDM meeting at Jati Umra in Lahore on Sunday,
Maulana Fazl said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has become a
tool in the hands of the rulers.

The NAB summons for Maryam Nawaz to appear before it on March 26 was an
attempt to pressurize the PML-N leader, Fazl maintained.

He said workers of all the PDM parties will accompany Maryam Nawaz to
the NAB offices on March 26.

Speaking on the occasions, Maryam Nawaz said the slot of leader of the
opposition in the Senate belongs to the PML-N.

“It was decided before the Senate elections that the seat will go to
PML-N no matter what would be the outcome of the elections and I hope
everyone will respect it,” she added.

Responding to a question about differences with Hamza Shehbaz, Maryam
said the people who are spreading these false reports should be ashamed
of their actions.

“There is no such thing between me and Hamza. He took part in every
sitting of the PDM today,” she said.

Earlier, PDM bigwigs held their meeting at Jati Umra to chalk out the
future course of action against the government including a possible long
march.

After the PPP sought more time to ponder over the issue of resignations
from the parliament, top PML-N leaders including Vice-President Maryam
Nawaz, Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz and former
prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Sunday welcomed the JUI-F supremo
and PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman and his delegation at Sharifs
residence at Jati Umra.

According to the sources, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif was also in
attendance through a video link from London. The PML-N delegation
included Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal, Maryam Nawaz, Hamza Shehbaz,
Pervaiz Rashid, Rana Sanaullah Khan and Marriyum Aurangzeb. JUI Central
Spokesperson Aslam Ghauri said, “PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman called
on Maryam Nawaz at Raiwind to discuss the political situation prevailing
in the country and on the long march and future course of strategy.”

According to the TV channel, Maulana Fazl told the meeting that he would
not allow anyone to sabotage the PDM.

PML-N central leader Rana Sanaullah talking to the media before the
meeting predicted, “The PDM movement will surely succeed as this fight
against the government is between ‘good and evil’.”

Rana said that whether the PDM will be made of nine parties or three,
the movement will succeed. He demanded an investigation into what
happened to the PPP in the Senate elections. “The team which was
spearheading the senators guiding them to vote on the names of the
candidate must be investigated,” he demanded.

“Was that a mistake or conspiracy? This should be investigated because
it would be better for the PDM and the PPP as well. In my personal
opinion this was more than the mistake,” Rana Sanaullah said.

He claimed that their sit-in will break the 126-day record (of the PTI
in 2014).  The PML-N central leader also said that the one who leaked
the PDM meeting details regarding Asif Ali Zardari’s speech, had
actually damaged the PPP. The N-League leader and former law minister
certified that the long march has only been postponed until after Eid
and it was not cancelled. DNA

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ISLAMABAD, MAR 21 (DNA) – Experts speaking at a webinar urged the federal and Gilgit-Baltistan governments to refrain from sloping changes in the legal frameworks governing the protected areas in high mountains especially Deosai and Central Karakoram national parks. There are many other venues to promote adventure sports in Gilgit-Baltistan off these protected areas.

They especially questioned the skiing feasibility conducted recently by the Italians from Astore through the Deosai National Park that was supported and organized by the Italian INGO known for the mountain conservation.

They mentioned that such activities will open the pathways to incremental sports and festivities in the protected areas, a worst recipe for further destruction of ecology and habitats. Whatever sports and festivals necessary to promote tourism and livelihood for the locals shall be out of the protected areas and buffer zones.

Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) and DTN organized the webinar on Saturday. The panel of experts included Ev-K2-CNR senior scientific advisor Ashiq Ahmed Khan, former WWF-Pakistan Deputy Director General Dr. Ejaz Ahmed, Karakoram International University (KIU) faculty member and former IUCN project manager environmental conservation Saeed Abbas, Ev-K2-CNR representative Riaz ul Hassan, development experts AH Bhutta, Arshad Warsi, Zainab Mukhtar, Ayesha Raza, Roobia Gul, and Devcom-Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed.

Ashiq Ahmed Khan said the Gilgit-Baltistan wildlife and environment are run by different Acts that create confusion over the implementation of the legal frameworks. Secondly the government is more interested to promote tourism for the livelihood of locals and to earn more foreign exchange.

That is why they have proposed more lenient legislation for approval. He proposed activities outside of the protected areas and uniformity of wildlife and environmental legislation.

Talking about the skiing traverse organized by the Ev-K2-CNR in Deosai National Park, he said the Italian INGO has long struggle for mountain conservation. Certainty, it would take care of the ecology of Deosai National Park before to suggest anything.

However, he agreed that no activity will remain limited in the long run, and the provincial government will have no resources or moral grounds to restrict the sports and festivities once started in the protected areas. 

Dr. Ejaz Ahmed Khan mentioned that on the ecology report of WWF-Pakistan and severe resentment from the environmentalists, the Supreme Court of Pakistan had given a decision against any undue human intervention in the Deosai National Park.

 The provincial and the federal government shall respect the Supreme Court verdict, and refrain from opening any Pandora’s Box. Rather we shall tighten the noose for violators.

Devcom-Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed appreciated the government for declaring more protected areas for the sake of conservation of natural resources, and taking up many other green initiatives. They have certainly helped to improve the climate action indicators. The protected areas need to be taken care with more vigilance and dedication.

Working out a feasibility for skiing in Deosai National Park seems to be unwarranted when we already have Nultar in Gilgit-Baltistan and Malam Jabba in Swat (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). We need to be careful while taking such initiatives. The Ev-K2-CNR has successfully organized first ever Pakistan K2 expedition with the high altitude porters in 2014.

It would be great if more expeditions of same kind shall be organized in future too instead of exploring skiing in Deosai national park. The Economic Affairs Division (EAD) shall conduct cost-benefit analysis before giving go-ahead to such type of initiatives in the national parks and protected areas. 

 Saeed Abbas said tourism promotion is getting more focus of the federal and provincial governments. It would have environmental consequences if rational decisions are not made. The Wildlife Act 1975 is under the process of revision, and it feared that the government will prefer some lenient view towards the environmental conservation.

However, he believed that while having some other venues for winter adventure sports, the GB government shall not explore skiing opportunity in Deosai national park where millions of dollars have been spent to keep the ecological systems and habitats intact.

It is not only the one protect area, many other protected areas also need to have government’s priority for conservation. Life downstream depends on all the resources upstream.=DNA

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GUJRANWALA, Mar 21 (DNA): In a tragic incident, a 13-year-old girl
burned to death after headphones she had on caught fire in Punjab’s
Gujranwala, rescue officials said on Sunday.

The incident occurred in a village on the city’s outskirts. The
teenager, named Mushfiqa, was using headphones connected to a mobile
phone while it was charging, the rescue officials said, adding she was
completely burned after the headphones caught fire all of a sudden.

The girl’s death is the latest in a series of incidents involving the
use of smartphones while they are charged. Earlier, a video shared
hundreds of thousands of times warned against using mobile phones while
they charge because “electric waves” will pass through your body.

However, experts termed the advise misleading, saying other appliances
would also exhibit similar harmless voltage leakage, while the real
danger — though slim — could come from faulty batteries and low-quality
chargers. DNA

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ISLAMABAD, Mar 21 (DNA): The teams of Islamabad Capital Territory
administration has sealed some 30 restaurants and closed down 660 shops
for defying coronavirus related standard operating procedures (SOPs)
during the last 24 hours.

The authorities have imposed over Rs 100,000 fine to the violators by
conducting as many as 2000 inspections. Similarly 16 individuals booked
and 10 vehicles were impounded over non-compliance of COVID-19 SOPs.

Around 52 schools and 28 mosques were inspected during the same period,
according to ICT data. The administration had step up efforts amid third
wave of corona virus pandemic as the number of positive cases in the
federal capital continued to rise.

AC Rural visited restaurants, malls and shops to check implementation of
COVID SOPs in Tarlai, PWD and Jinnah town and took action against the
violators. AC Industrial Area Owais Arshad visited sector I-8 and G-8
Markaz and closed all shops and restaurants that were functional.

Similarly, AC Shalimar, in compliance with notification issued by DC
Office closed all the shops other than essential items/services. Those
who were not following SOPs were fined. AC Secretariat Aneel Saeed
inspected schools/educational institutes in the area of Bhara Kahu,
Kiyani Road.

He briefed the traders about the latest directions of NCOC regarding
measures to counter 3rd wave of pandemic. Likewise, Assistant
Commissioner City Rana Musa Tahir closed the open stores at Aabpara
Market and took legal action against the violators.

AC Shalimar Sidra Anwar paid visit at sector F-10 and took action
against those shop owners who did not comply with SOPs. DNA

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