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Land mafia agents opposing the Sangjani landfill site: experts

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DNA

ISLAMABAD – Devcom-Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed said: Some government officers and pseudo environmentalists are supporting the land mafia against the Sangjani landfill site, as they have previously done in the case of Kurri landfill site.

Islamabad – The experts and the environmentalists while speaking at a webinar said a landfill site is the only solution available for the federal capital until the government comes up with an Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) solution. However, they said only 15 percent of the waste shall go to the landfill site after segregation of the waste collected into organic and inorganic. The reusable and recyclable waste shall be separated particularly. Industrial and hospitals’ toxic waste should not be dumped into the landfill site. The government should go for the Sangjani landfill site it after addressing the citizens’ concerns and educating them on it.

Some of the participants also highlighted that the Kurri Road landfill site was an ideal place for garbage dumping, even the design was much better and according to the international standards. But, some of the so-called environmentalists and technical experts misguided the citizens to protest against it. The higher judiciary was also presented with wrong statistics to have an influenced decision to support the vested interest of the land mafia that ultimately benefited Bahria Town owners. The same is being repeated in the case of Sangjani landfill site with the support of some government officers, environmentalists and technical experts in connivance with the land mafia.

The webinar was organized by the Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) on Saturday. The keynote speakers included UN Habitat Country Manager Jawed Ali Khan, EMC Chief Operating Officer and former director general Pak-EPA Asif Shuja Khan, Devcom-Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed, and ISWM expert Saadat Ali. Others who spoke on the occasion included SDPI Director Environment Dr Imran S Khalid, Prof Sofia Khalid, Sindh Environment Department Deputy Director Abdul Basit Khan, Dr Rashid Miandad from Peshawar, Nima Gurang from Kathmandu (Nepal), and Zia ul Islam, National Programme Manager Ozone Cell of Ministry of Climate Change, and environmentalist Ali Abdullah, Zainab Mukhtar and Uzair Aftab.

Speaking on the occasion, UN Habitat Country Manager Jawed Ali Khan said garbage is no longer considered as waste but as a resource. After adequate segregation, most of the waste becomes raw material for many products. We need to educate the public and authorities to understand the new mechanisms of waste management.

As a technical agency of the United Nations, He said the UN Habitat has provided assistance to many countries to develop and manage the Integrated Resource Recycle Centres (IRRCs). One was also developed in Sector G-15/4 in Islamabad in 2015 that is being run successfully. It is a profit-making Centre that is producing manure for nurseries, parks and house-gardens. It needs only one kanal of land and some structure to cater the need of a sub-sector.

Jawed Ali Khan urged the government to make it mandatory for every housing society, public or private, to have its own waste management system, sewage treatment and clean air mechanisms.

Asid Shuja Khan said Pakistan is producing 50 million tons of garbage daily that lacks proper disposal mechanisms. We need a national strategy followed by a doable action plan, legislation to support the strategy. He said we need to have an inclusive participation and engagement of different stakeholders, a realistic approach towards waste collection and management, training of the staff engaged in, and more importantly public awareness to reduce their waste and playing their role in its segregation and proper management.

Talking about the landfill site, Asif Shuja Khan said we need to educate the public that it is not as bad as it is being projected by the vested interest groups. In an IWMS, only 15 percent of the waste goes to the landfill site, adding he said, it does not include hospitals’ toxic or the industrial waste.

Devcom-Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed said land mafia agents are opposing the Sangjani landfill site and inciting public protests in connivance with the land mafia. Some of the government officers and pseudo environmentalists are also engaged with the land mafia to build up an opinion against the proposed landfill site. Some black sheep environmentalists and technical experts did the same in the case of Kurri Road landfill site that was ultimately grabbed by a land mafia.

ISWM expert Saadat Ali said a landfill site has a nine layer protection to avoid any leachate. Kurri landfill site had to be built on the same standards approved by the US-EPA but somehow successfully maneuvered by the vested interest groups. The government should allow only a landfill site that fulfills the standards of international best practices. It is unfortunate that only 60 per cent of the garbage is collected and even that is disposed of properly.

Australia supports workshops on gender-sensitive media reporting

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DNA

ISLAMABAD – The Australian High Commission is organising online workshops for media professionals during the 16 Days of Activism to End Violence Against Women.

The workshops aim to raise awareness of violence against women by encouraging gender-sensitive reporting.

Speaking at the inaugural workshop today, Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan Joanne Frederiksen highlighted that gender equality leads to greater productivity and growth. Promoting equality and the rights of women and girls is central to Australia’s development, economic and bilateral cooperation with Pakistan.

“Gender-based violence is a shared challenge. There has been an alarming increase in violence against women during the lockdowns to curb the spread of COVID-19. The role of media is important in challenging traditional social and cultural norms and attitudes that condone violence against women,” Ms Frederiksen added.

Renowned Australian journalist and advocate for gender equity, Virginia Haussegger is joining top Pakistani journalists Amber Shamsi, Marvi Memon, Mehmal Sarfraz and legal expert Sara Malkhani in the workshops to share experiences about the transformative role media can play in preventing violence against women and girls.

Ms Haussegger said, ‘I applaud those who embrace media education around violence and congratulate those Pakistani journalists who aim to improve media reporting.”

“Given the increasingly high rates of violence against women it is vital that we all learn to separate the myths from reality. Journalists must learn to distinguish perpetrator accountability from a victim’s actions…It is only through a better understanding of the root causes of violence and gender inequality that we can build a deeper understanding of the role every citizen must play in preventing violence against women and girls,” Ms Haussegger added.

The trainer Amber Shamsi shared, “Whether it is through perpetuating stereotypes or victim-blaming through images, language and perspective of stories – media can often indirectly or directly legitimise violence against women. Sensitising media practitioners on the need to understand how to handle stories of gender-based violence, and the context of that violence, is a long and continuous process. But given some of the minor victories in Pakistan over the last few years, it is worth the effort.”

Pakistan as special partner at CAEXPO in China for the first time: CEN

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BEIJING, November 28 (DNA): Pakistan acts as a special partner country with many Pakistani products and enterprises showcased for the frist time at the 17th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) held in Nanning, Guangxi province of China.

According to a report published by China Economic Net (CEN) on Saturday, Pakistan’s full-spectrum participation includes a dedicated country pavilion, extra booths for enterprises and special trade and investment events to highlight opportunities for China and ASEAN countries in Pakistan.

The Pakistan Pavilion displays major export and cultural items as well as print and audio-visual material on tourist attractions of Pakistan.

In addition to the Pavilion, Pakistani enterprises in China have set up a large number of stalls to promote their brands and products.

They would take orders on the spot for products such as wooden, brass and stone handicrafts, onyx, gem-stones, leather items and jewelry.

Besides，a special Trade and Investment Promotion Conference will be held by Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and it would highlight the potential of diversified trade with China and ASEAN and the opportunities of mutually beneficial investments, particularly in Special Economic Zones under CPEC.

As a longstanding friend of China with close ties to ASEAN countries, Pakistan’s first-time participation in the three-day 2020 CAEXPO would underscore the country’s sustained efforts at regional economic integration and results-oriented cooperation.

The CAEXPO is co-sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of China and its counterparts in the ten ASEAN member states as well as the ASEAN Secretariat, and is organized by the government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Eight high-level forums will be held during the event covering the fields including healthcare, medical cooperation, information, artificial intelligence, China-ASEAN FTA, international industrial cooperation, technology transfer, digitalization and power.

Pak support for Palestine cause laudable: Ambassador Ameen

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On twenty-ninth of November every year, the free people of the world celebrate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which was declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 1977

Ansar M Bhatti/DNA

ISLAMABAD: On twenty-ninth of November every year, the free people of the world celebrate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which was declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 1977, solidarity with the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to freedom and self-determination, and to establish their independent state on their national soil, with Jerusalem as its capital.

Ambassador of Palestine to Pakistan Ahmed Ameen said this in a statement.

The ambassador further said, this day reflects the adherence of the vast majority of countries in the world to the values of International justice and the need to achieve security and peace in the region.

 Justice requires that the Palestinian people be empowered to determine their own destiny like other peoples, and to enable them to attain their national aspirations and goals in building a free, sovereign and viable state and to end the Israeli military occupation and the Zionist settlements as well, especially in the city of Jerusalem, which is witnessing the fiercest settlement building aimed at uprooting the Palestinian existence from the holy city.

 He added, on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, our people are still under direct Israeli occupation and are subjected to an abominable racial discrimination regime, in which our people suffer from repeated violations of the Israeli occupation forces and the settler flocks who target the Palestinian people, their land, sky, air, capabilities and natural wealth.

 On the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, two-thirds of which are still suffering from a refugee status since 1948, they live in camps in the neighboring countries clinging to the right to return to their villages and cities from which they were forced out, and are still awaiting the implementation of United Nations resolutions, especially Resolution 194, which stipulated their return to their homes.  The resolution has emphasized to compensate Palestinian refugees as well.

Despite everything, the Palestinian people are still clinging to their national identity and resisting Israeli plots to eliminate our culture and heritage.

Palestinians have been living in the land of Palestine for thousands of years while struggling to maintain their identity and integrity guaranteed first by their massive sacrifices in the course. The modern history of Palestine, which has been represented by hundreds of thousands of martyrs, wounded and prisoners, as well as the UN resolutions in its various organizations and branches have also guaranteed them, and also included the obligations that the occupying power tries to evade from by establishing alternative paths and by disavowing their commitments and by practicing the most severe violations against the Palestinian people.

Ambassador Ameen said a just solution to the Palestinian issue requires an end to the new apartheid regime imposed by the Israeli occupation force and an end to its occupation of the Palestinian land that has continued since June 5, 1967, including Jerusalem, which is also a prelude to resolving all crises in the region, and an entry point for the Palestinian people to restore their pioneering civilization role in building The values of the humanitarian system that the peoples of the world seek, on their land and in their independent and sovereign state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

  On behalf of the State of Palestine and the Palestinian people, the ambassador  saluted the brotherly people of Pakistan for their sympathy and support, appreciates the solidarity statements of the honorable President, Government, Parliament and all Political Parties .

The Embassy highly evaluates our historical relations with Pakistan for the last 8 decades, we are proud of Pakistan’s friendship and we feel stronger with it’s support on official and public levels. institutions and bodies that express on daily basis their solidarity with the Palestinian people and their rights.

 The Palestinian embassy in Pakistan appreciates the historical Pakistani fraternal stances in supporting the Palestinian people to obtain their rights, he added.

‘We also extend our appreciation to the friends of Palestine around the world for their support and solidarity on the Day of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and in their expression of their adherence to the values of justice and freedom’.

Pakistan’s active Covid-19 cases climb to 46,861 as 3,045 fresh infections emerge

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ISLAMABAD : Pakistan recorded as many as 3,045 fresh Covid-19 infections and 45 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

The total number of infections thus far reported across the country has reached 392,356 with addition of new cases while the death toll from the highly infectious disease has soared to 7,942.A total of 48,223 tests were conducted over the previous 24 hours, out of which 3,045 turned out to be positive. The positivity ratio of cases stands at 6.3, the NCOC said.

The number of active Covid-19 cases has climbed to 46,861 while 672 people recovered yesterday, pushing the number of those recuperating from the disease to 337,553. At present, 2,172 of the patients under treatment are said to be in critical condition.

On November 27, a meeting of the NCOC with Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar in the chair was informed that the highest test positivity rate was recorded in Peshawar at 19.65 %, followed by Karachi at 17.73%, and Hyderabad at 16.32 %.

The NCOC was briefed that Pakistan’s positivity ratio has soared to 7.20 per cent lately. Sindh recorded the highest positivity ratio at 13.25%, followed by 10.79% witnessed in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 9.25% in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 6.41% in Balochistan, 5.84% in Islamabad, 4.81% in Gilgit Baltistan, and 3.59% in Punjab.

Iran’s Hassan Rouhani accuses ‘mercenary’ Israel of scientist assassination

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Tehran : Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani Saturday accused arch-foe Israel of acting as a “mercenary” for the US, blaming the Jewish state for assassinating one of Tehran’s most prominent nuclear scientists.

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was “martyred” after being seriously wounded when assailants targeted his car and engaged in a gunfight with his bodyguards outside the capital Tehran on Friday, according to Iran’s defence ministry.

“Once again, the wicked hands of the global arrogance, with the usurper Zionist regime as the mercenary, were stained with the blood of a son of this nation,” Rouhani said in a statement on his official website.

Iran, a major Shiite power, generally uses the term “global arrogance” to refer to the United States.

Rouhani vowed that his death “does not disrupt” Iran’s scientific progress and said the killing was due to the “weakness and inability” of Tehran’s enemies to impede its growth.

He offered condolences to “the scientific community and the revolutionary people of Iran.”

The defence ministry said that Fakhrizadeh, who headed its reasearch and innovation organisation, died after medics failed to revive him.

Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday that there were “serious indications of an Israeli role” in the assassination.

The United States slapped sanctions on Fakhrizadeh in 2008 for “activities and transactions that contributed to the development of Iran’s nuclear programme”, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once described him as the father of Iran’s nuclear weapons programme.

Fakhrizadeh was targeted while travelling near Absard city in Tehran province’s eastern Damavand county.

The New York Times said an American official and two other intelligence officials confirmed Israel was behind the attack, without giving further details.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah said early Saturday that it “strongly condemns the terrorist operation that led to the martyrdom of the distinguished scientist and university professor Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.”

The powerful Shiite movement added that it asks “God Almighty” to elevate him to the highest ranks “alongside his predecessors of martyrs and scholars, especially those who were treacherously martyred at the hands of Zionist and international gangs of murder and terrorism”.

The course of execution of the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev orders was considered

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Tashkent, On 26 November :  chaired by President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, a video conference was held on the socio-economic development of Kashkadarya region and improving the life of the region’s population.

The head of state defined tasks in this direction during his trip to the region on 12-13 November. To give impetus to the accelerated development of each district and city, heads of ministries and commercial banks were assigned to them, the necessary resources were allocated. 2021 was declared the Year of Entrepreneurship Development in Kashkadarya. The goal is to create 10 thousand new economic entities.

At today’s meeting it was noted that taking into account the “points of growth” of each district and city, it is necessary to develop results-oriented projects in industry, agriculture and services.

For example, by creating intensive orchards and vineyards on 20 thousand hectares in Yakkabag, Kamashin, Chirakchin, Shakhrisabz and Kitab districts, the level of processing of vegetables and fruits in the region can be increased to 25 percent.

It is necessary to place projects and connect them to the infrastructure in 11 small industrial zones that will be created in the city of Shakhrisabz, in Nishan, Dekhkanabad, Yakkabag, Mirishkar, Guzar, Shakhrisabz, Mubarek districts.

In 2021, it is planned to implement 500 new projects worth 650 billion soums in the service sector based on loans from commercial banks.

The head of state stressed the economic and social significance of 1,153 investment projects scheduled for the next two years. It is planned to attract about 1 billion dollars of foreign investment and create 19 thousand new jobs.

Responsible persons were instructed to develop additional projects for areas with a low level of industrial development, effectively use available resources.

Measures to lift families out of poverty included in the “iron notebook” were discussed. The importance of the development of small business and the formation of entrepreneurial skills among youth and women was emphasized.

In agriculture, it is planned to develop 81 thousand hectares of land, retired from circulation, and introduce water-saving technologies on 63 thousand hectares.

It was noted at the meeting that it is necessary to create modern greenhouses on 1.2 thousand hectares in Karshi, Kamashinsky and Kasan regions, as well as plantations of pistachios and medicinal plants in Dekhkanabad and other foothill regions.

An instruction was given to speed up the solution of organizational and financial issues.

The course of development of engineering and communication infrastructure, construction and reconstruction of drinking water supply networks, road repair is considered. The importance of construction of 5-storey energy efficient houses for those in need in areas with high demand for housing was emphasized.

Particular attention is paid to social issues. It was noted that an additional 100 billion soums will be allocated for the reconstruction and repair of schools as part of the Investment Program for 2021. At the expense of these funds, additional buildings will be built in 88 schools, more than 100 schools will be equipped, and new buildings will be built for branches with adobe walls.

At the meeting it was instructed to organize a school with in-depth study of information technologies on the basis of school No. 42 in the city of Karshi, as well as one such school in each of the regional centers.

It was noted that an urgent task is the effective organization of reforms launched in the education and health care systems, especially the support and provision of youth employment.

Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Kuchkarov was instructed, together with the heads of ministries and departments, commercial banks, to monitor the implementation of the tasks of comprehensive development of Kashkadarya region, assistance to entrepreneurs and poverty reduction in the region.

The Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade was tasked with conducting a critical analysis of the state of each investment project and effectively solving problems on site.

It was noted that the heads of the sectors will monthly report to the local Kengashes of people’s deputies on the implementation of the tasks.

At the meeting, the khokims of the region and districts of Kashkadarya, heads of industries and sectors presented information on the upcoming work on the implementation of projects.

New cable cars to be built in mountain resorts of Tashkent region

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Tashkent, Uzbekistan  : Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Chairman of the State Committee for Tourism Development Aziz Abdukhakimov met with Director of the Austrian company “Doppelmayr” for CIS countries Valery Yashin.

The parties discussed the development of cable cars in Uzbekistan. It should be noted that on 25 November, Doppelmayr’s technical specialists visited Bostanlyk and Zaamin districts in order to study the area for the construction of new ropeways.

According to Aziz Abdukhakimov, two gondola-chair-type cable cars and three lifts for servicing ski slopes will be built in Zaamin. In Amirsoy, it is planned to additionally build a gondola-type cable car, several lifts that will serve the ski slopes.

In addition, it is also planned to build two observation gondola cable cars. As part of this mission, negotiations were held to accelerate these projects. Doppelmayr technicians arrived and began topographic surveys, engineering survey and geological works, on the basis of which the routes of the cable cars and chair lifts were determined.

Following the meeting, an agreement was reached on signing a memorandum on cooperation on the development of cable cars in Uzbekistan, in particular in Bostanlyk and Zaamin regions. The Austrian company “Doppelmayr” specializes in the production of cable cars and equipment for them: chair lifts and gondolas.

The company pioneered the production of the 3S three-rope gondola in Kitzbühel (Austria), Koblenz (Germany) and Whistler-Blackcomb (Canada). It also brings a number of innovative products to the market, such as heated lift seats.

Foreign Minister’s Meeting with Minister of State of Somalia

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Islamabad
28 November 2020 : Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Somalia Mr. Balal Mohamed Osman called on Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on the sidelines of the 47th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Niamey, Niger.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed a wide range of issues with a focus on Pakistan-Somalia relations and mutual support at multilateral fora.

Highlighting historical ties and Pakistan’s steadfast support to Somalia, the Foreign Minister reaffirmed the commitment to further promote bilateral cooperation in diverse fields, in particular in trade and investment.

The Foreign Minister stated that Pakistan, under its “Engage Africa” initiative, attached high importance to its relations with Africa and Somalia.

The Somali Minister of State conveyed gratitude over Pakistan’s consistent support and expressed the desire to forge closer ties in a range of areas.

Briefing about overall environment in Somalia, he informed the Foreign Minister on improving law and order situation in the country. He stated that Somalia would like to benefit from Pakistan’s continued support in human resource development as well as its expertise in countering terrorism.

The Minister of State also invited Pakistani investors to take advantage of the investment opportunities in Somalia and identified the livestock, fisheries, agriculture and natural resources as key sectors in this regard.

Foreign Minister Qureshi assured of Pakistan’s full support for the reconstruction and economic development of Somalia.

The two sides agreed to maintain close contact to follow up on key areas of mutual interest.

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