Wearing of mask and social distancing must be ensured. Administrative actions be initiated against violators,” the NCOC told the chief secretaries

Mahnoor Ansar/DNA

ISLAMABAD” The National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), which oversees Pakistan’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, on Wednesday warned that the country is fast approaching a point where there will be “no choice” left but to impose another sweeping lockdown.

Warning that there is an urgent and immediate need to ensure the implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for coronavirus prevention, the NCOC noted that there has been a clear resurgence in virus cases and deaths.

“NCOC is closely monitoring the situation. If there is no improvement in SOPs compliance observed, NCOC will have no choice but to revert to strict measures leading to re-closures of services,”.

The statement said the NCOC, during a special session held to monitor the increasing, had noted a “clear resurgence in coronavirus” and noted the rising death rate attributable to COVID-19.

The chief secretaries, who attended the meeting, were directed to “strictly implement” SOPs. They were also directed to take “strict punitive actions” if a violation of the SOPs is observed.

It also directed officials to put a “special focus” on the perceived high-risk sectors of transport, markets, marriage halls, restaurants and public gatherings. “Wearing of mask and social distancing must be ensured. Administrative actions be initiated against violators,” the NCOC told the chief secretaries.

The Islamabad High Court has summoned reports from the interior and foreign ministries in a case pertaining to the release of Indian prisoners.

Lawyer Shahnawaz Noon, who is representing the Indian High Commission, said suspects who have been convicted of different crimes have completed their sentences have yet to be released.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah asked which court had convicted the Indian residents. The lawyer replied that they were sentenced by the military courts.

The additional attorney general has asked for more time to submit a reply in the case. The hearing has been adjourned till October 28.

On October 15,the Indian High Commission approached the Islamabad High Court seeking the release of four Indian prisoners.

Three convicts are being kept in jails in Lahore while one is in Karachi, according to the Indian High Commission.

DNA

Islamabad, Oct 21 – A delegation of All Pakistan Universities BPS Teachers Association (APUBTA) called on Chairman HEC Tariq Banuri at the HEC Secretariat and apprised him about the problems and challenges faced by the BPS faculty of public sector universities.

The meeting was also attended by Executive Director HEC Dr. Shaista Sohail, Member (Operations and Planning) Dr. Fateh Marri, Adviser (Administration and Coordination) Mr. Awais Ahmed, and Director (Quality Assurance) Mr. Aqeel Akhtar Khan.

The APUBTA representatives said that BPS faculty members comprise 88 per cent of the entire faculty in public sector universities, but were facing a systematic and multi-faced discrimination. They demanded that HEC should set up a service structure for BPS faculty, including promotion rules, performance-based incentives, and relaxation in the post PhD experience. They said that BPS faculty is laboring under a sense of deprivation and demotivation because of the absence of such rules, inadequacies in benefits, and the burden of additional administrative work.

Chairman HEC assured the delegation that HEC’s role is to serve all faculty members, both BPS and TTS. He said that this was the first time that they had approached HEC, and that HEC will work closely with them to resolve the problems they faced, in order to promote the quality of teaching and research on an equitable basis.

Mr. Banuri asked them to translate their demands into a concrete proposal for the formulation of draft BPS Statutes. At the request of the Association, it was agreed that HEC will obtain the services of a qualified expert in administrative law to provide technical assistance to the Association for the drafting of the statutes. The HEC secretariat will review and refine the proposals before submitting their recommendations to the Commission for a decision. This work could be completed within a period of three months.

The Chairman also urged them to undertake consultations provide ideas on other critical issues, including the challenge of bringing about a convergence between the TTS and BPS into a single system, and how to encourage the best people to adopt teaching as a profession.

On the issue of post-PhD experience, the Chairman requested Association members to provide concrete data so that a decision could be made after considering all relevant factors.

The APUBTA members expressed strong support for the range of initiatives introduced by the HEC to enhance the quality of education and research, including the new policies for undergraduate and graduate education, the new system for financing and promotion of research, and the new classification of research journals.

DNA

ISLAMABAD,  – Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh chaired the meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet here at the Cabinet Division.

ECC approved two Technical Supplementary Grants for the Ministry of Defence for Rs.17 billion during the current financial year.

ECC also approved the request of the Ministry of Commerce for the inclusion of radiation apparatus in annex-B-1 of the Import Policy Order, 2020.

On the summary moved by the Ministry of Industries and Production for ensuring the supply of RLNG to fulfill the requirements of two fertilizer plants namely Agritech and Fatima Fertilizer for the Rabi Season 2020-21, ECC decided that the supply of RLNG shall continue till the end of November 2020.

The three member committee, which was constituted earlier by ECC, under the chairmanship of Minister for Industries and Production and having members from Ministries of Finance and NFS&R shall prepare a proposal for the further operation of these plants after the said period and then bring it to the ECC for further decision.

DNA

LAHORE ,  Oct 21  – The United Business Group (UBG),the largest alliance of chambers and trade associations in the country, will announce its panel on Oct 24  for the annual election of Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry being held on Dec 30 next.

President SAARC chamber of Commerce and Industry Iftikhar Ali Malik who is also Chairman UBG while talking to media here on Wednesday said that high level 20 members core committee meeting has been convened to make public the names of its panel candidates on all seats which will hold marathon session on Oct 24 with UBG patron in chief SM Muneer in chair.

He said that the UBG provincial level scrutiny committees will submit their recommendations  to core committee for the award tickets to the best candidates contesting elections for the slots of President, SVP and VPs.

He said that the best highly educated young traders enjoying the highest degree  of integrity with a spirit of serving the business community will be awarded tickets on merit with consensus. He said  under rotation policy, federation President will belong to Sindh province.

Iftikhar Ali Malik said UBG would win the FPCCI elections  as business community is in no mood to try those who had been tested in the past. He claimed that UBG will clean sweep federation election as 85 per cent of elected office bearers of chambers belonged to our group.

He said that “traders have reposed full confidence in UBG for pursuing business friendly policies and supremacy of democracy besides taking all important decisions with consensus in the larger interest of the business community”.

“We firmly believe in rule of law, promotion of democratic system and strengthening of national economy by safeguarding the interests of traders.”

Iftikhar Malik said that UBG will act as a bridge between traders and government and all out efforts will be made on top priority to take care of the interests of the business community as well as safeguarding the national interests.

BEIJING, Oct. 21 – Commercial Counsellor of Pakistani Embassy Badar ur Zaman here said that the plastic machinery exported from China is getting popular in Pakistan, and collaboration in the plastic industry between the two countries is increasing.

China is one of the major suppliers of plastic materials like PVC, PE, and other materials. It’s also one of the largest exporters of man-made fiber. “Chinese investors have a strong interest in investing in the textile industry of Pakistan, and we are looking forward to organizing more and more events in the machinery industry.”

According to Gwadar Pro on Wednesday, he expressed these views at the opening ceremony of the 18th International online Exhibition for Plastic & Packing Industry, 17th International Exhibition for Food & Beverage Processing Packaging Technologies.

The event was co-organized by China National Machinery Industry International Co. Ltd, CMEC International Exhibition Co., Ltd, and Pegasus Consultancy Pvt. Ltd.

Guo Chunshui, Commercial Counselor of the Economic and Commercial Office, Chinese Consulate General in Karachi, said at the occasion that there is a great potential for cooperation between China and Pakistan.

” The Chinese government encourages Chinese companies with strength and reputation to invest in Pakistan to deepen exchange and cooperation in the sectors of the economy, trade, ecology, science and technology, culture, people’s livelihood, and other fields,.

We jointly build China-Pakistan relationship as an example of good neighborhood, a pillar to support regional peace and stableness, and a benchmark of international cooperation in the BRI, and build a closer China-Pakistan community with common future in the new era.

China is willing to build more platforms to promote the world’s economic and trade cooperation, especially the exports from other countries to China.”

Hassan Daud Butt, CEO of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade pointed out that the active participation of Pakistani enterprises in the online exhibition would provide a great stimulus to Pakistan’s packaging industry, food and beverage industry, and plastics industry. KP province has exported a lot of products to Afghanistan and beyond.

He believes industrialists and investors can benefit a lot from the cooperation and use of Pakistan’s geo-strategic location, as well as the leverage policies of the Pakistani government and government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Saadat Eijaz, Former Senior Vice Chairman of Flexible Packaging Association of Converters of Pakistan stressed that in the past, the flexible packaging sector has shown remarkable potential for development and has successfully attracted many leading enterprises to establish cooperative relations with local industries and buyers.

“I am sure that international buyers and sellers from China will find Pakistan as their next destination of doing business in this region.” He said.

Ms. Su Dongping, Executive Vice President of China Plastics Machinery Association, Abdul Rehman Akzaz, President of Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufactures and Mr. Xia Wendi, President of China National Machinery Industry International Cooperation also attended the opening ceremony and gave speeches on the basic situation of the exhibition.

According to resources, this exhibition brings together about 80 exhibitors from China and Pakistan, and it is expected that about 1,000 professional buyers will log on to the cloud platform for online exhibition to communicate with the exhibitors.

KARACHI : Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday assured the provincial police’s senior leadership that the Sindh government will always stand by it and will not let it down in any case.

He was talking to senior police officers at CM House a day after the police’s top brass sought to proceed on leave en masse in protest against the “demoralising and shocking” treatment of the Sindh police chief in the events that led to the arrest of PML-N leader Captain Safdar.

Sindh IG Mushtaq Mahar and other senior officers, including AIGs and DIGs, were present during the meeting, which had been called to review the situation arising out after the arrest of the PML-N leader.

CM Murad assured the police officers of the provincial government’s complete support and said “we will not let Sindh Police get demoralised”.

“The Sindh government has always directed the police to work independently and asked officers to continue working impartially.”

Murad said they were working to further strengthen the police’s professional abilities and asked the officers to continue working in an independent and impartial manner.

He said that Sindh Police has made a lot of sacrifices to restore law and order in the province, especially in Karachi.

In response, the police thanked the Sindh chief minister for guiding and supporting the force at every stage.