DNA

ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Imran Khan unveiled the logo of ‘Travel Responsibly for Experiencing Ecotourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’ (TREK) – a collaboration between KP government, World Bank Group and Nestlé Pakistan at a ceremony held in the capital.

Prime Minister Imran Khan said, “I would like to give my heartfelt congratulations to, Mehmood Khan, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – for his partnership with the World Bank and Nestlé Pakistan for a project I believe that was necessary  for a really long time.”

The partners vowed to work together for the protection of ecosystem through solid waste management and plastics recycling at the tourism sites across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. TREK activities include awareness campaigns for tourists, and training of local communities and businesses on waste minimization and collection.

Speakers in the event highlighted the role of tourism in job creation and appreciated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s efforts for facilitating tourists by improving accessibility through roads, rescue services and planning of tourism zones.

“We are opening up new destinations for domestic and international tourists and inviting the private sector to further develop the tourism market of the province. Our collaboration with the World Bank Group, Nestle and other stakeholders will strengthen the efforts to create livelihood opportunities and effectively address the issues faced by the tourism sector including waste management”, said the Chief Minister of KP, Mahmood Khan, when addressing the event.

“TREK is an initiative under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development (KITE) project being implemented in partnership with the World Bank Group. Tourism Department and its activities emphasize heritage preservation, tourism infrastructure development and destination management while adhering to the fundamentals of responsible tourism,” said Abid Majeed, Secretary Sports, Tourism, Archaeology, Culture and Youth for KP.

Speaking on the occasion, Najy Benhassine, Country Director for World Bank Group (WBG), Pakistan said, “The WBG is keen to continue supporting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab in their efforts to provide employment opportunities to the youth in the tourism sector. Today marks the beginning of an important partnership with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and private sector and we expect to see more corporates stepping forward to contribute towards responsible tourism across the country. The growth and job creation potential of this sector is massive”.

Highlighting Nestlé’s initiative in the project, Samer Chedid, CEO, Nestlé Pakistan said, “As part of our vision for a waste-free future, we are accelerating our actions to tackle plastic waste and our partnership with WBG & KP government is a step in that direction. We will be driving new behavior and understanding through community engagement, cleanup activities, trainings and connecting waste recycling companies with the local administration.”

Earlier, KITE and Economic Revitalization of KP (ERKP) project contributed 2 excavators, 6 garbage compactors, 4 dumper trucks, more than 300 dustbins for disposing, collecting and removing waste in the jurisdiction of the Galyat Development Authority, Kaghan Development Authority and Kalam’s relevant authority.

DNA

ISLAMABAD, DEC 12 – Justice (RTED) Javed Iqbal, Chairman NAB has said that NAB strongly believes in “Zero Corruption, 100% Development”. NAB absolutely committed to root out corruption with iron hands in all its forms and menifestations with an atmosphere of renewed energy and dynamism, where fight against corruption is being taken as national duty.He said that our Father of the Nation Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in his address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan had termed “One of the biggest curses… is corruption and bribery. That really is a poison. We must put it down with an iron hand”.

The Honorable Mr. Justice Javed Iqbal, Chairman NAB said that the National Accountability Bureau was established to eradicate corruption in a holistic and integrated manner. This is the backdrop against with NAB is seriously working to accomplish its mission i.e. to rid the nation from corruption and corrupt practices and make Pakistan corruption free. He said that NAB’s operational methodology has set three stages for proceeding of cases: complaint verification, inquiry and investigation. NAB’s officers/officials need to follow Anti Corruption Strategy by Adopting “Accountability for All” policy against eradication of corruption. He said that the hard work, commitment, transparency and merit being put in by NAB officers are being appreciated by national and international reputed organizations. He said that NAB officers should double their efforts in nabbing corrupt elements and recover from them hard earned looted money of the innocent citizens of Pakistan.

He said that through detailed introspection and analysis of organizational procedures, all pillars of the organization i.e. Operations, Prosecution, Human Resource Development and Awareness and Prevention.  He said that to close the possibility of any single NAB officer/official influencing the discharge of official business, the new concept of a “Combined Investigation Team” (CIT) was introduced where two investigation officers and a legal consultant, financial expert under the supervision of Additional Director/Case and concerned Director are working as a team for a fair, transparent and unbiased, inquiry/ investigations. He said that the quality of inquiry and investigation of NAB must have further improve due to establishment of NAB’s first Forensic Science Lab (FSL) in Islamabad which has all facilities of Digital Forensics, Questioned Documents and Fingerprint Analysis which will help is lending quality and solid evidence in conduct of inquiries and investigations. He said that NAB has devised Monitoring & Evaluation System (MES) in order to monitor NAB performance of NAB and all Regional Bureaus in qualitative and quantitative terms which has proved very helpful in evaluation of overall performance of NAB. He said that NAB is the only Organization with whom China has signed MoU to oversee projects being undertaken under CEPC. He said that NAB Ordinance 1999’s preamble emphasizes to nab corrupt and recover looted money. Due to this reason, NAB has recovered Rs. 466 billion since its inception and its overall conviction ration is about 86.8 percent. He said that NAB hopes that joint efforts of all stakeholders can collaborate to check corruption before happening with the help of all stakeholders.

DNA

ISLAMABAD, DEC 12 – Capital Development Authority (CDA) has completed work of repairing, restoration, and decoration of more than 50 parks.

Portable washrooms have been installed in the parks. Tenders have been issued for uplifting of Srinagar Highway and Landscape of Golra Interchange. The fountains across the city will be restored soon.

According to detail, CDA’s work for repairing, restoration, and beautification of all the small and big parks of the city is underway. In the first phase the work in all the big 50 parks including F-9 Park, I-8, I-9, I-10, G-9, G-10, G-11and others has been completed. Tenders have been issued for work in all the other parks.

Few tenders have been opened and work in few parks has been started. The work include repairing of swings, walking tracks, and green belts; plantation, cutting of dried wood and shrebs, anti dengue an anti coronavirus spray, and others. CDA’s department of environment will complete the work on restoration of fountains soon.=DNA

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DNA

Islamabad – The subject experts of national webinar on “State of Pakistan’s Mountain Biodiversity” urged the federal and provincial governments to take stern action against the land and timber mafia causing irreparable loss to the mountain biodiversity. The land-use is being changed in violation of the respective legislation and international treaties and conventions while the government authorities remain silent and blind. The mountain biodiversity loss is causing disasters and increasing local impact of climate change.

They urged for biodiversity mapping and adequate data management to support the conservation strategies for all 11 mountain ranges in Pakistan. In the absence of federal and provincial biodiversity conservation strategies, we cannot think beyond scattered piece-meal interventions. No systems of solid waste management and sewage treatment, and irresponsible tourism and mountaineering also adding to the vulnerability of biodiversity hotspots.

The national webinar was organized by the Development Communications Network (Devcom Pakistan) and DTN in connection with 10th Pakistan Mountain Festival to mark the International Mountain Day on Saturday. The panel of experts included Senior Scientific Advisor Ev-K2-CNR Ashiq Ahmed Khan, FAO Pakistan Deputy Country Representative Farrukh Toirov, World Bank Senior Technical Advisor on tourism Kiran Afzal, Water and Climate Change Expert Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, WWF Pakistan Senior Director Biodiversity Rab Nawaz, AKRSP former General Manager Muzaffaruddin, SDPI Director Environment Dr. Imran S. Khalid, and Executive Director Devcom-Pakistan Munir Ahmed.

FAO Pakistan Deputy Country Representative Farrukh Toirov said about 60 per cent of Pakistan is mountainous, and 50 percent of what are the biodiversity hotspots and 30 percent key biodiversity areas. Mountains cover 27 percent of the earth’s land surface, provide 60-80 percent of the freshwater 60-80%, hydro and wind energy, and food. About 15 percent of the world’s population reside in mountain areas and most of it lives below the poverty-line and one out of two faces the threat of food insecurity.

Senior Scientific Advisor Ev-K2-CNR Ashiq Ahmed Khan urged the government to have national mountains biodiversity to fill up the serious gaps for biodiversity conservation including research, data, indigenous knowledge and cultural practices. Mountaineers have dumped tons of waste in the base-camps and on the routes to the mountain tops. We need to have mechanisms to handle it too. He suggested having biospheres instead of National Parks.

Mr Toirov suggested six pointed action agenda to combat the challenges confronting the mountains biodiversity including increased investment in research and sound data collection, enhanced local capacities to reduce biodiversity loss, to inform policy makers to promote, inform policy makers to promote conservation actions and increase the resilience of mountain communities, engage and advocate with conventions, networks and movements, support sustainable agriculture in mountains to reverse agro-biodiversity loss, and promote indigenous knowledge and its role in maintaining mountain biodiversity, agro-ecosystems and improving food security.

World Bank Group Senior Technical Advisor Kiran Afzal said the World Bank projects are promoting responsible tourism by engaging communities and the corporate sector to reduce and recycle solid waste. Private sector needs to be sensitized to take up conservation approaches.

Water and Climate Change expert Ali Tauqeer Sheikh said rapidly increasing population and absence of resource management is the big challenge for the entire country. Loss of mountain biodiversity is causing scarcity of water resources even in the hubs of glaciers. Excessive use of fertilizers and GMO seeds also harming the fragile ecosystems of mountains. The scattered piece-meal approach would not work for the mountain conservation efforts. The Upper Indus water basin 70 percent depends on Kabul river flow, and we have no clue how to benefit from the early river-flows because of climatic changes in the mountains across the border.

WWF Pakistan Senior Director Biodiversity suggested to have a centre of excellence in mountain research, and to have qualified experts in mountains biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. We don’t have an integrated master plan to use the mountain resources.

AKRSP former General Manager Muzaffaruddin said the mountain communities should be subsidized for the environmental services. The communities should be engaged in conservation and tourism while the value chain should be a priority for the agricultural and horticultural products. CPEC has imposed immense threat to the local environment but still there is no clarity on it.

SDPI Director Environment and Climate Change Dr. Imran S Khalid said that in the absence of a baseline study on mountain biodiversity it is hard to comment on the specific conservation strategies. Conservation and quality of life is directly related to each other. Improved quality of life would help improve conservation in more sustainable fashion. Development initiatives in the mountains should have adequate and elaborated environmental impact assessment.

NANKANA SAHIB, DEC 12 (DNA) – Newly appointed Federal Minister for Narcotics Control Ijaz Shah on Saturday said he requested Prime Minister Imran Khan to change his portfolio.

He was responding to the recent change in his portfolio while addressing a ceremony in Nankana Sahib. Ijaz Shah said that the second wave of coronavirus is more dangerous as compared to the first one and urged the masses to adhere to the coronavirus related SOPs.

The minister holding the contraband items dealer as real culprits vowed to initiate a grand crackdown against the narcotics dealers from Nankana Sahib. On Friday, reshuffling was witnessed in the federal cabinet, in which Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed was appointed as interior minister.

According to a notification issued by the cabinet division, Azam Khan Swati had been made federal minister for Railways while Ijaz Shah was given the portfolio of Narcotics Control. Earlier, Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh was sworn in as the federal minister. = DNA

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