CENTRELINE magazine, a sister concern of Daily Islamabad POST elected as Member of the Executive Committee for the second time; the newly elected Executive Committee appreciated the performance of the Election Commission. The members gave standing ovation to Mr. Hameed Haroon

KARACHI (DNA) -The Annual Meeting of the APNS General Council held on March 24, 2021 at APNS House, Karachi unanimously elected  Sarmad Ali as  President,  Jamil Ather as Senior Vice President, Shahab Zuberi as Vice President, Ms. Nazafreen Saigol Lakhani as Secretary General, Mohsin Bilal as Joint Secretary and Owais Khushnood as Finance Secretary of the Society. Earlier, the General Council elected un-opposed the Executive Committee for 2021-22.

The AGM was held under the chairmanship of Hameed Haroon, President, at the lawns of the APNS House completely observing SOPs for Covid-19. The Council unanimously approved the report of the Executive Committee for the years 2019-2021 as well as the Annual Accounts of the Society for the years 2019 and 2020.

The General Council attended by 146  members from across the country, formed an Election Commission headed by Ms. Shimaila Matri Dawood with  Nasir Daad Baloch  and Mumtaz Ali Phulpoto as members. The Election Commission conducted the election of the Executive Committee for the year 2021-22.

Following were elected un-opposed to the Executive Committee of the APNS for the year 2021-22 at the Annual General Meeting held on March 24, 2021 :

Karachi Daily Seats: Aghaz, Business Recorder, Deynat, Dawn, Jasarat, Jiddat

Lahore Daily Seats: Jang, Khabrain, Tijarat, Dunya, Abtak, Pakistan

Rawalpindi/Islamabad Daily Seats:  Ausaf, Sahafat

Balochistan Daily Seats: Awam Quetta, Mashriq Quetta

Khyber Pakhtoon Khwa Daily Seats: Mashriq Peshawar, Wahdat Peshawar

Sindh (Excluding Karachi) Dailies: Kawish Hyderabad, Kaleem Sukkur

Punjab (excluding Lahore/Rwp/Ibd.): Aftab Multan, Paigham Faisalabad, Business Report, Faisalabad

General Seats (Metropolitan Dailies): Pakistan Observer Islamabad, City 42 Lahore

General Seats (Regional Dailies): Halchal Hyderabad, Sayadat Bahawalpur

Periodicals Seats: Naey Ufaq Karachi, Dastak Karachi, Roohani Digest Karachi, Naya Rukh Karachi.

News & News Comments Periodical (Punjab / KPK):  CENTRELINE  Islamabad

News & News Comments Periodical (Sindh / Balochistan): Ibrat Magazine Hyderabad

News & News Comments Periodicals (General): Cricketer Karachi

The new Executive Committee elected Daily Nau Sijj, Karachi on woman – publishers seat.

The newly elected Executive Committee appreciated the performance of the Election Commission. The members gave standing ovation to Mr. Hameed Haroon, the outgoing President for his services to the newspaper industry.

Earlier, the Extra-Ordinary General Council of the Society held a meeting in the morning and adopted a Special Resolution whereby not holding of the AGM due to pandemic for the year 2020-21, was condoned and the actions and decisions taken during the previous year were validated.

Israel’s election brought a surprise when a conservative Islamist party crossed the threshold to enter parliament and its leader emerged on Wednesday as a possible kingmaker.

Mansour Abbas and his Raam party — unlike other Arab political groups before it — have not ruled out joining an Israeli government.

“We are prepared to engage” with either Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s camp or his rivals, Abbas told Israeli radio while stressing that “I’m not in anyone’s pocket”.

On Wednesday, the party was on track to win five seats in Israel’s 120-member Knesset, with roughly 90 per cent of the vote counted.

Israel’s latest inconclusive election left no clear path for Netanyahu or his rivals to form a government, setting the stage for protracted coalition talks.

When Israel last voted a year ago, Raam had been part of the mainly Arab Joint List. But that alliance fractured earlier this year amid ideological divisions between Abbas and his former partners.

The conservative Abbas long had frictions with other Arab Israeli factions, including those with communist roots.

Weeks before Tuesday’s vote, Abbas indicated an openness to dealing with Netanyahu, even though the premier has demonised Arab-Israelis at various points through his political career.

But Abbas argued that Arab leaders have a responsibility to partner with whoever is in power in order to tackle a crime epidemic rocking Arab communities.

ISLAMABAD, MAR 24 – The government has decided not to renew the passport of former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif who is currently absconding in London. However, the ministry of interior has offered him special documents to return to the country, it emerged on Wednesday.

The interior ministry stated this in response to a query by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made on February 19 regarding the “request for issuance of new diplomatic passport by the former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif”.

Nawaz’s passport had expired in February of this year. Interior Minis­ter Sheikh Rashid Ahmed had already announced in January that the PML-N supremo’s passport would not be renewed as per instructions from Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The letter by the Ministry of Interior to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a copy of which is available with Dawn, turned down the request and stated that the renewal of Nawaz Sharif’s passport would not be processed by the relevant authorities.

The interior ministry stated that in order to return to Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif may apply for an Emergency Travel Document (ETD) from the Pakistan High Commission in UK, and “the same may be issued once he produces prior bookings of travel to Pakistan through PIA (Pakistan International Airlines) only.”

The interior ministry said that the issuance of a passport was not a fundamental right of any citizen.

“It being a property of federal government may only be issued once the applicant satisfies the relevant authorities regarding the bonafide of the application. A citizen’s right to travel abroad extinguishes once declared a fugitive of law.”

The letter by the interior ministry has been forwarded to Muhammad Ayub, Deputy High Commissioner, London.

The interior ministry said that the application for renewal of passport by Nawaz is “misconceived”, adding that Nawaz was declared a proclaimed offender by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a criminal appeal titled “Mian Nawaz Vs NAB”, as well as Toshakhana Reference by an accountability court in Islamabad and declared absconder in reference in case of Mir Shakeelur Rehman by an accountability court in Lahore.

The interior ministry also added that under the circumstances, Nawaz is required to return to Pakistan and appear before the relevant courts to face charges.

“He being a fugitive of law and absconder cannot seek any further relief unless he surrenders before the courts in Pakistan,” the letter said.

The letter pointed out that the IHC had granted eight-week bail to Nawaz on October 29, 2019, in the form of suspension of sentence, which was not extended by the Punjab government, as he failed to put forth reasonable cause as to why it should be extended for his medical treatment.

The interior ministry stated that Nawaz was now required to serve the remainder of his sentence at Kot Lakhpat jail Lahore.

“Yet, rather than obeying the dictates of the court and abiding by the conditions precedent in the bail granting order, he fled the country to avoid prosecution,” the letter added.

The letter also mentioned the list of cases pending against Nawaz in various courts in which he is required to appear and defend himself. The four cases are the Toshakhana reference and three criminal appeals pending before the IHC.

The foreign ministry has been asked by the interior ministry to respond to Nawaz through the Pakistan High Commission in London.

At the same time, the government has anticipated that the former prime minister is less likely to return and avail the ETD offer, and in a separate letter to the foreign office, the interior ministry has forwarded a form to be filled and signed by Nawaz regarding his current health status.

Referring to the order of the Lahore High Court (LHC) dated November 16, 2019 — in which it allowed Nawaz to travel abroad for four weeks for medical treatment, saying the duration could be extended based on medical reports — the interior ministry said that more information related to Nawaz’s health was needed.

The ministry’s letter regarding Nawaz’s health contains seven queries to be filled by the former prime minister including current diagnosis by medical doctors, name and address of doctors under whom he was receiving medical treatment, copies of all medical reports including tests undertaken in the UK with results of the tests, details of treatment (if any) received in the UK hospitals, details of ongoing treatment (if any), details of payment made for medical treatment in the UK and dates of visits and consultations made with the doctors in the UK.

The interior ministry informed the Foreign Office that Nawaz needed to sign the information, giving consent to the Pakistan High Commission in London, and the information will be forwarded to the LHC.

CENTRELINE magazine, a sister concern of Daily Islamabad POST elected as Member of the Executive Committee for the second time; the newly elected Executive Committee appreciated the performance of the Election Commission. The members gave standing ovation to Mr. Hameed Haroon

KARACHI, MAR 24 – /DNA/ – Annual Meeting of the APNS General Council held on March 24, 2021 at APNS House, Karachi unanimously elected  Sarmad Ali as  President,  Jamil Ather as Senior Vice President, Shahab Zuberi as Vice President, Ms. Nazafreen Saigol Lakhani as Secretary General, Mohsin Bilal as Joint Secretary and Owais Khushnood as Finance Secretary of the Society. Earlier, the General Council elected un-opposed the Executive Committee for 2021-22.

The AGM was held under the chairmanship of Hameed Haroon, President, at the lawns of the APNS House completely observing SOPs for Covid-19. The Council unanimously approved the report of the Executive Committee for the years 2019-2021 as well as the Annual Accounts of the Society for the years 2019 and 2020.

The General Council attended by 146  members from across the country, formed an Election Commission headed by Ms. Shimaila Matri Dawood with  Nasir Daad Baloch  and Mumtaz Ali Phulpoto as members. The Election Commission conducted the election of the Executive Committee for the year 2021-22.

Following were elected un-opposed to the Executive Committee of the APNS for the year 2021-22 at the Annual General Meeting held on March 24, 2021 :

Karachi Daily Seats: Aghaz, Business Recorder, Deynat, Dawn, Jasarat, Jiddat

Lahore Daily Seats: Jang, Khabrain, Tijarat, Dunya, Abtak, Pakistan

Rawalpindi/Islamabad Daily Seats:  Ausaf, Sahafat

Balochistan Daily Seats: Awam Quetta, Mashriq Quetta

Khyber Pakhtoon Khwa Daily Seats: Mashriq Peshawar, Wahdat Peshawar

Sindh (Excluding Karachi) Dailies: Kawish Hyderabad, Kaleem Sukkur

Punjab (excluding Lahore/Rwp/Ibd.): Aftab Multan, Paigham Faisalabad, Business Report, Faisalabad

General Seats (Metropolitan Dailies): Pakistan Observer Islamabad, City 42 Lahore

General Seats (Regional Dailies): Halchal Hyderabad, Sayadat Bahawalpur

Periodicals Seats: Naey Ufaq Karachi, Dastak Karachi, Roohani Digest Karachi, Naya Rukh Karachi.

News & News Comments Periodical (Punjab / KPK):  Centerline Islamabad

News & News Comments Periodical (Sindh / Balochistan): Ibrat Magazine Hyderabad

News & News Comments Periodicals (General): Cricketer Karachi

The new Executive Committee elected Daily Nau Sijj, Karachi on woman – publishers seat.

The newly elected Executive Committee appreciated the performance of the Election Commission. The members gave standing ovation to Mr. Hameed Haroon, the outgoing President for his services to the newspaper industry.

Earlier, the Extra-Ordinary General Council of the Society held a meeting in the morning and adopted a Special Resolution whereby not holding of the AGM due to pandemic for the year 2020-21, was condoned and the actions and decisions taken during the previous year were validated.

KARACHI, MAR 24 (DNA) – Customs officials thwarted a bid to smuggle over two kilogrammes of cocaine worth around Rs49 million into the country.

The officials said two Nigerian nationals, who arrived at the Jinnah International Airport, Karachi from Nigeria on board a Qatar Airways flight, were found to have swallowed plastic capsules when they were subjected to an x-ray examination.

Subsequently, the officials said both men were taken into custody and an FIR was registered against them. After obtaining their physical remand from a relevant court, the two were shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) where 161 plastic capsules were removed from their stomach.

Cocaine recovered from these capsules weighed 2.450 kilogrammes and its value is estimated at Rs49 million in international market. = DNA

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ISLAMABAD, MAR 24 (DNA) – Following announcement by the Government for extension in closure of academic institutions in the selected cities due to recent upsurge in Covid-19 cases, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has clarified that all universities shall continue to operate as per guidelines issued earlier except for the educational institutions, which were earlier closed due to the high positivity rate. All such universities and higher education institutions shall remain closed for physical attendance until April 11, 2021.

However, academic activities will continue online during this period. Moreover, on-going and pre-scheduled exams can be conducted as planned with complete observance of Covid-19 health and safety protocols.

Universities are advised to ensure strict observance of the Covid-19 minimum health and safety protocols i.e., thermal scanning, wearing facemasks, social distancing, availability and regular use of sanitizers and disinfection of buildings. In addition, Universities are advised to seek further guidance, if required from the Chair or the provincial/regional members of the Covid-19 Oversight Committee or email at [email protected].= DNA

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ISLAMABAD, MAR 24 (DNA) – Advisor to Chief Minister, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Energy and Power,  Himayat Ullah Khan, has said that the profit-sharing with provinces in hydropower sect or is necessary for the effective sustainability of the projects. He said this while sharing his views with the participants at public-private dialogue ‘Potential of renewable energy and hydropower development in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Opportunities and Challenges,’ jointly organized by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment & Trade (KPBoIT) and Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).

Advisor Khan added further that Public private partnership in energy sector is an excellent proposition. The Hydro projects are environmental-friendly and create good socio-economic impacts besides being cost-effective. Thus, it makes hydro-projects suitable, especially for poverty-stricken province like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 

“Sustainable development in Pakistan is possible by creating better coordination between federating units and better facilitation and incentivization of all stakeholders involved including provinces, displaced public and environmental resources,” he concluded.

Hassan Daud Butt, CEO, KPBoIT, earlier highlighted that the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is fully understands the socio-economic, financial, and environmental impacts of renewable energy which is highly positive sign. He said that the province is blessed with renewable energy sources and the same need to be harvested.

Shahjahan Mirza, Managing Director Private Power Infrastructure Board, was of view that coordination between federal and provincial government is of paramount importance. He added further that the Integrated generation plan is politically unbiased and gives evidence-based planning mechanism and should be utilized for all power sector project planning.

Dr Vaqar Ahmed, Joint Executive Director, SDPI, termed the recent initiatives and policies in renewable energy by the federal government and government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a significant step forward in Pakistan’s ambition to support clean energy. He said that CPEC and other clean and green investments are expected to play a critical role in this transition.

Managing Director, NESPAK, Tahir Masood emphasized the strategic planning as the major bottleneck in the mega projects. Mr Muhammad Ali Qureshi, representing United Nations Industrial Development Organization, highlighted the need of more Public Private Partnership models and added further that the governments should provide significant facilitation for intra provincial and inter provincial political dispute resolution and coordination.

Mr Hassan Khawar representing the Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) project, said that financial models for hydropower projects are being developed with PEDO and this will ensure that the sector is sustainable. Dr Hina Aslam, Associate Research Fellow, SDPI, informed the participants that SDPI wou ld continue to highlight the potential of renewable and clean energy in Pakistan. Mr Imran Halim from Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO), and Mr Faisal Hayat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company also shared their views on the occasion.