RAWALPINDI, JUL 30 – 15 member Afghan media delegation visited GHQ and met General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS). Speaking at the occasion, COAS said media can act as a bridge to create conducive environment for promoting cultural / social and people to people engagement between the two countries . It is the responsibility of media and people  to identify and defeat the spoilers of peace. Peace in Afghanistan is Pakistan’s earnest desire because peace of the two countries is interlinked, COAS said, adding that the spoilers will not be allowed to derail peace process. Referring to Pakistan’s comprehensive border management regime, COAS said security of borders is in the best interest of the two countries. Alluding to the benefits of regional connectivity for the two countries, COAS highlighted the importance of restoration of peace in Afghanistan for sustainable development of the region.Appreciating Pak Afghan Youth Forum’s initiative for organising the journalists’ visit, COAS hoped for more frequent exchange of visits in future. Pak- Afghan youth is the hope for future peace and progress of the region, COAS concluded.The Afghan journalists thanked COAS for the opportunity for candid interaction and appreciated Pakistan’s sincerity and efforts for Afghan people including hosting of refugees and facilitative role in Afghan Peace Process.

By  Rehan Ali Khushik

DADU, : Sindh University Campus Dadu Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Azhar Ali Shah requested  Dr Shaista Sohail, Executive Director Higher Education Commission, Pakistan for grant of Rs.500 Millions for the establishment of Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the 50 acres land already allotted by Government of Sindh to Sindh University Campus Dadu.

Dr Shaista Sohail endorsed the request and directed Engineer Waheed Ahmed Mangi, Incharge Director General (Planning & Development) Higher Education Commission (HEC), Islamabad and Project Director for preparation of feasibility report and grant proposal.

 Dr Azhar Ali Shah paid extreme gratitude to Dr Shaista Sohail and hoped that with the establishment of Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Sindh University Campus Dadu, the people of Dadu and surrounding cities shall have world-leading research and inspirational teaching of medical and health sciences at their door steps.

Dr Shah said that with the establishment of this medicine and health faculty Dadu shall produce its own scientists , doctors, health professionals and vets and therefore there shall be great chances for the newly established 100 bed hospital which is also in the vicinity of the Campus to achieve its vision, mission and goals. It shall transform the overall society and quality of life of the people of Dadu, Johi, K.N Shah, Mehar, Bhan, Sehwan, Moro and other surrounding cities InshaAllah.

Citizens  and social activists of Dadu, Jamshoro, NausheheroFeroze districts appreciated efforts of Dr Azhar Ali Shah PVC Dadu campus for establishment of faculty of Medicines health and Sciences at Dadu campus

ISLAMABAD, /DNA/ – Ph. D. Public Defense of Ph.D. Scholar, Ms. Kanwal Nawaz, Registration No. 16402, Department of Business Administration, Iqra University, Islamabad Campus, Sector H-9, titled “Behavioral Factors and Asset Pricing in Pakistani Stock Market” is scheduled on Thursday, 5th August 2021 at 02:00 pm. Ms. Kanwal Nawaz has completed her Ph.D. dissertation under the supervision of Dr. Kashi ur Rehman.

Islamabad, July 30: /DNA/ – COMSTECH webinar on “In search of improving outcomes across the continuum of ovarian cancer” delivered online by Dr. Ikram Burney, Senior Consultant in Medical Oncology at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, and a Visiting Faculty at the Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, Karachi University, Pakistan on Friday evening.

Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General, COMSTECH welcomed and introduced the speaker. He said, one thing you really find is two different streams of health care, one in which basic scientists working on understanding diseases at a molecular level with no understanding of clinical outcome and on the other side you will find lots of clinicians with so much of rich experience of treating people with little understanding of ideology at molecular level. This is exactly what is important and where Dr. Ikram Burney impress me a lot. He is a clinician par excellence and a researcher of a very high quality and caliber.

In his presentation, Dr. Burney discussed different areas across the continuum of ovarian cancer management, from early detection to overcoming resistance to cisplatin treatment. He presented data on markers of early diagnosis, such as transcription factor E2F5, FAT tumor suppressing homolog 4 (FAT4) gene, SOC2 gene. Dr. Burney also discussed the role of naturally occurring compounds, such as Frankincense extract, Acetyl-keto-beta boswellic acid (AKBA), and natural marine products such as Hymenialdisine, Gallic acid and Malformin A1.

Dr Ikram Burney graduated from Liaquat Medical College, University of Sindh, Pakistan and received his training in medicine and medical oncology at the Hammersmith Hospital London, the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and Southampton University Hospitals Trust in the UK. His areas of clinical and research interest include lymphoproliferative disorders, gynecological malignancies, sarcoma, supportive care in oncology, and medical education.

ISLAMABAD: /DNA/ – Participants of a webinar urged judicious use of water resources through water-smart agriculture and climate adaptation in Pakistan. They were speaking at a webinar titled ‘the climate threat: opportunities and challenges in Pakistan’s agriculture’ organized by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) in collaboration with the Project on Prosperity and Development of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) here on Thursday.  

Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam, who was the main speaker at the event, shared that Pakistan was the 8^th most-affected country due to climate change. He added that Pakistan was susceptible to flooding as well as droughts. Therefore, he called for adaptation to climate change and smart management of water in Pakistan. He listed the government’s efforts at increasing the country’s water storage capacity and promoting climate resilient and water-smart agriculture.  

Speaking on the occasion, Senior Associate (Non-Resident) at the CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development, Jennifer Mack, called for climate-smart approaches to agriculture in Pakistan. She was of the view that investment in agriculture could also help in alleviating poverty in Pakistan because a large population of Pakistan was still rural. “Agriculture remains the key to the country’s economic potential and lifting its people out of poverty and food insecurity,” she said. She put the availability of fresh water at the centre of economic growth of Pakistan. Therefore, she called for prioritizing water management in Pakistan’s policymaking.  

CEO of the Mountain and Glacier Protection Organization (MGPO), Aisha Khan, highlighted Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change and the resultant decrease in availability of water for agricultural production and other needs. She urged the development of a new agro-climatic zoning map for Pakistan because the last one developed in the 1980s had become outdated. Ms Khan also called for greater connectivity between the research on climate change and agricultural production and the farmers in Pakistan. She said that Pakistan was still cultivating water-intensive crops despite being a water-scarce country.  

Head of Agriculture and Coordination of the Islamabad-based Global Change Impact Studies Centre (GCISC), Mr Muhammad Arif Goheer, stated that Pakistan’s agriculture had increased considerably and agricultural production had increased ten times since the country’s independence. He regretted, however, that the dream of food security still remained unattained because of gaps in agricultural priorities, rapidly increasing population, and climate change. He expressed his concern over the impact of global warming and climatic change in Pakistan.    

President of IRS Ambassador Nadeem Riyaz highlighted the threat posed by climate change to agriculture sector in Pakistan by enumerating the various statistics related to agricultural production and the impact of climate change. He mentioned various initiatives of the government for increasing agricultural productivity, such as investments in green and sustainable agriculture infrastructure, shifting from low value to high value crops, use of innovative agricultural technologies, improved food patterns, and knowledge intensive agriculture. Ambassador Riyaz also listed the government’s initiatives aimed at diminishing the impacts of climate change, such as the 10 billion tree Tsunami, ecosystem restoration initiative, integrated flood risk management, ecosystem-based adoption, national electric vehicle policy, clean green Pakistan movement, and climate resilient agriculture.  

Senior Vice President and Director of the Project on Prosperity and Development, Mr Daniel F. Runde, who was moderating the session, highlighted the immense potential of Pakistan in agricultural production and adaptation to climate change. Referring to a World Bank study, Mr Runde said that utilization of only 0.071 per cent of Pakistan’s area for solar power could meet its energy needs.  

ISLAMABAD: /DNA/ – The Islamabad High Court has dismissed a writ petition filed against by the Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation and has upheld an earlier decision of the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC)

According to details, in pursuance of an appeal filed by a citizen Abdullah Rashed Waraich, the PIC issued a detail verdict on June 12, 2021 and directed the Director General, Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation  to disclose information about the recruitment made for the post of Assistant Directors (E/M)/(Civil) as requested by the citizen.

The public body was directed to comply with the order of the commission within 7 working days.

However, the PHAF challenged the order of PIC in Islamabad High Court and took a stand that the petitioner (PHAF) has already submitted all relevant record/information before the PIC and the citizen in respect of post of Assistant Director (E/M) against which the citizen applied.

The petitioner stated, being custodian of record of applicants, who applied against the various posts, cannot be compelled or directed to provide all other record not relevant to the post of Assistant Director (E/M).

Judge Babar Sattar in an order dated July 12, 2021 dismissed the learned counsel for the petitioner has failed to point out any infirmity in the order of the Pakistan Information Commission, the petition is therefore, dismissed in limine.

Justice Louis Brandeis is often quoted as having said that “sunlight is the best disinfectant”, in the context of transparency and disclosure being an elixir to many societal and governmental malpractices. In this context, it is not for the petitioner to determine what information is and what is not relevant for a citizen seeking information that is otherwise liable to be disclosed under provision of the Act, Order of IHC states.

Islamabad: /DNA/ – The Pakistani business community should focus on Morocco for boosting exports to North African countries as African region offers great potential to Pakistan for promoting trade and economic relations. This was observed by Hamid Asghar Khan, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Morocco while interacting with entrepreneurs during his visit to Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI).

Hamid Asghar Khan said that Pakistani business community should increase its presence in Morocco to capture better market share in the North African region. He said that businessmen of Morocco were also interested in JVs in Pakistan, especially in agriculture, fertilizer and other sectors. He emphasized the importance of Morocco and North African markets for Pakistan for improving trade and exports. He said that ICCI and other trade bodies in Pakistan can play an important role in connecting the members of the business community with Moroccan counterparts for strong business linkages that would help in boosting trade relations and assured that his embassy would extend all possible cooperation in realizing these goals.  

Speaking at the occasion, Fatma Azim, Senior Vice President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that Pakistan have the potential to export many products to Morocco and other North African countries including rice, pharmaceuticals, textile products, surgical instruments, fruits, rickshaws, motorbikes and emphasized that Pakistan and Morocco should focus on direct flights and set up strong air links to strengthen trade relations and people-to-people contacts. She said that the Embassy of Pakistan in Morocco should conduct market study reports and share them with chambers of commerce & industry in Pakistan so that our exporters could exploit all the available business opportunities in Moroccan market. She said that both governments should facilitate frequent exchange of trade delegations and organize single country exhibitions to explore all untapped areas of trade promotion. She emphasized that linkages between the businesswomen of both countries should be strengthened to boost bilateral trade in women related items.

Abdul Rehman Khan Vice President ICCI, Mian Shaukat Masud former President ICCI, Aslam Khokhar, Muhammad Shakir and Hafiz Bilal Munir, Executive Members ICCI also shared useful ideas for improving bilateral trade and economic relations between Pakistan and Morocco.

Japan’s government will extend a virus state of emergency in Tokyo and impose the measure in four more regions on Friday, as cases surge a week into the pandemic-postponed Olympics.

On Friday, Tokyo 2020 organisers reported 27 new cases related to the event — the highest daily figure yet — although they insist there is nothing to suggest a link to rising infections in Japan.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said the government is acting “with a sense of urgency” and would announce a decision Friday on widening anti-infection measures.

Tokyo’s current virus emergency, which shortens restaurant and bar opening hours and bans them from selling alcohol, is due to end August 22, but the government plans to extend it until the end of the month.

The extension will also apply to the emergency in southern Okinawa, and the restrictions will be expanded to three more regions around the capital and the western hub of Osaka, government spokesman Katsunobu Kato told reporters on Friday.

“We need to send a strong message,” said Japan’s Health Minister Norihisa Tamura.

He noted infections are still rising in Tokyo and Okinawa despite the virus emergency, with the more contagious Delta variant accounting for around half of new cases in the capital.

“We are very concerned,” he added.

The Tokyo Games, which kicked off on July 23, are being held under strict virus rules, including a spectator ban at almost all events and regular testing for participants.

“People find it hard to think about self-restraint when we’re having this festival,” he said.

Japan’s coronavirus outbreak has been less deadly than in some countries, with around 15,000 deaths in total, despite avoiding harsh lockdowns.

Just over a quarter of the population has been fully vaccinated, and Suga said Thursday that inoculations were bringing down infection rates among the elderly.

Experts have called on people not to let down their guard and Tokyo government officials have urged younger people to get jabbed.

The Olympics will run until August 8, with the Paralympics taking place from August 24 to September 5. A decision on Paralympic spectators has not yet been made.

Olympic organisers reported 27 new cases related to the event on Friday, including three athletes.

It brings the total this month to 225, including 98 who came from abroad for the Games.

“As far as I’m aware there’s not a single case of an infection spreading to the Tokyo population from the athletes or Olympic movement,” International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said Thursday.

Under the EU fundedGlobal Action to Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT – Asia and the Middle East), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),  commemoratedWorld Day against Trafficking in Persons (TIP) in collaboration with the Federal Investigation Agency during a seminar held on Friday 30 July 2021 from 9.30- 13.45at Serena hotel, Islamabad.

“Victim’s Voices Lead the Way” is this year’s World Day against TIP theme. It’s a theme that puts victims of human trafficking at the centre and highlights the importance of listening to and learning from survivors of human trafficking and the crucial role they play in establishing effective measures to prevent this crime, identify and rescue victims and support them on their road to rehabilitation. https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7078513716629609&output=html&h=280&adk=3061336020&adf=3688758423&pi=t.aa~a.2356292401~i.8~rp.4&w=696&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1627642879&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=2527759049&psa=1&ad_type=text_image&format=696×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamabadpost.com.pk%2Fvictims-voices-lead-the-way%2F&flash=0&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=174&rw=696&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&adsid=ChEI8MaOiAYQ3JPs6Y2Whr-SARI5AKM-afL255uc31i-KvZfJKDyy_QvOGapY4z_Cr2V0gtuInStSsirpzpMkj8e4CKF-OQvS5O5Mq3m&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiNi4xIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiOTIuMC40NTE1LjEwNyIsW10sbnVsbCxudWxsLG51bGxd&tt_state=W3siaXNzdWVyT3JpZ2luIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9hdHRlc3RhdGlvbi5hbmRyb2lkLmNvbSIsInN0YXRlIjo3fV0.&dt=1627642879384&bpp=10&bdt=3349&idt=-M&shv=r20210728&mjsv=m202107290101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D2cab8dd1d7a97507-2251d758ada700c6%3AT%3D1619371132%3ART%3D1619371132%3AS%3DALNI_MbCWjL6fpbAI7C_Q4Gb9OcZB0P5kA&prev_fmts=0x0&nras=2&correlator=7856567398342&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=551618340.1627642877&ga_sid=1627642877&ga_hid=888271603&ga_fc=0&u_tz=300&u_his=15&u_java=0&u_h=768&u_w=1366&u_ah=728&u_aw=1366&u_cd=24&u_nplug=3&u_nmime=4&adx=141&ady=1142&biw=1349&bih=657&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=20211866%2C21067496&oid=3&pvsid=4391560458238331&pem=180&eae=0&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1366%2C0%2C1366%2C728%2C1366%2C657&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&ifi=2&uci=a!2&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=SnoRaUCFfa&p=https%3A//islamabadpost.com.pk&dtd=58

During the commemoration seminar, key messages from survivors of trafficking and other relevant stakeholders were highlighted.The event also presented the National Action Plan to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling (2021-2025) adopted by the Government which provides a comprehensivecoordination framework for all stakeholders tasked with addressing Trafficking in Persons.

During his welcome remarks, Dr. Jeremy Milsom, Representative UNODC Country Office Pakistan said that, “The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is committed to advancing action to bring traffickers to justice while protecting and supporting their victims.  The rights of victims must come first – be they the victims of traffickers, smugglers, or of modern forms of slavery or exploitation”.  

He further said that: “Almost every country has national human trafficking laws, yet people continue to be trafficked – most of them, women, and girls. We welcome the progress made by Pakistan, in particular the Federal Investigation Agency, in tackling human trafficking, through implementing the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act 2018 and its rules, and the National Action Plan to combat human trafficking and migrants smuggling (2021-2025)”.

Learning from victims’ experiences and turning their suggestions into concrete actions will lead to a more victim-centred and effective approach in combating human trafficking.https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-7078513716629609&output=html&h=280&adk=3061336020&adf=171266370&pi=t.aa~a.2356292401~i.16~rp.4&w=696&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1627642879&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=2527759049&psa=1&ad_type=text_image&format=696×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamabadpost.com.pk%2Fvictims-voices-lead-the-way%2F&flash=0&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=174&rw=696&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&adsid=ChEI8MaOiAYQ3JPs6Y2Whr-SARI5AKM-afL255uc31i-KvZfJKDyy_QvOGapY4z_Cr2V0gtuInStSsirpzpMkj8e4CKF-OQvS5O5Mq3m&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiNi4xIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiOTIuMC40NTE1LjEwNyIsW10sbnVsbCxudWxsLG51bGxd&tt_state=W3siaXNzdWVyT3JpZ2luIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9hdHRlc3RhdGlvbi5hbmRyb2lkLmNvbSIsInN0YXRlIjo3fV0.&dt=1627642879384&bpp=5&bdt=3350&idt=-M&shv=r20210728&mjsv=m202107290101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D2cab8dd1d7a97507-2251d758ada700c6%3AT%3D1619371132%3ART%3D1619371132%3AS%3DALNI_MbCWjL6fpbAI7C_Q4Gb9OcZB0P5kA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C696x280&nras=3&correlator=7856567398342&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=551618340.1627642877&ga_sid=1627642877&ga_hid=888271603&ga_fc=0&u_tz=300&u_his=15&u_java=0&u_h=768&u_w=1366&u_ah=728&u_aw=1366&u_cd=24&u_nplug=3&u_nmime=4&adx=141&ady=1994&biw=1349&bih=657&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=20211866%2C21067496&oid=3&pvsid=4391560458238331&pem=180&eae=0&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1366%2C0%2C1366%2C728%2C1366%2C657&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=2&fsb=1&xpc=ji50zNeYdH&p=https%3A//islamabadpost.com.pk&dtd=272

The Director General FIA, Sanaullah Abbasi, during his speech said that: “FIA and UNODC have been partners for more than a decade to curb human trafficking and migrants smuggling.  Through this partnership we have achieved many goals including the enactment of laws on TIP and Smuggling of Migrants in 2018. The partnership will further help FIA to build its capacity to fight the menace of human trafficking”.

The seminar was attended by the senior representatives of FIA, UNODC, the European Union, Provincial Social Welfare and Labour departments, provincial police, representatives from federal ministries including the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development and ICMPD.

The Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants – Asia and the Middle East (GLO.ACT-Asia and the Middle East) is a four-year (2018-2022), €12 million joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in up to five countries: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (Afghanistan), Islamic Republic of Iran (I.R. of Iran), Republic of Iraq (Iraq), Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Pakistan). GLO.ACT-Bangladesh is a parallel initiative also financed by the EU and implemented with IOM.

The project builds on a global community of practice set in motion in GLO.ACT 2015-2019 and assists governmental authorities and civil society organizations in targeted, innovative, and demand-driven interventions: sustaining effective strategy and policy development, legislative review and harmonization, capability development, and regional and trans-regional cooperation. The project also provides direct assistance to victims of human trafficking and vulnerable migrants through the strengthening of identification, referral, and protection mechanisms. The project is fully committed to mainstreaming Human Rights and Gender Equality  considerations across all of its activities.