PAS organizes special lecture on “Equality in Education”
DNA
ISLAMABAD, FEB 9: Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS) organized a special lecture on “Equality in Education” on February 09, 2021, in the PAS Auditorium. Dr. Hazir Ullah, Associate Professor Sociology & Director ORIC, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad was invited as a Guest Speaker. He spotlighted the existing education inequities in Pakistan.
He stressed that education is a basic human right and must be equally accessible to all citizens, irrespective of social class, gender, ethnicity, race, or rural and urban divide as a public good. He argued that the government of Pakistan should focus on the equity of education in society.
Dr. Hazir Ullah stressed Fair and Inclusive education for the welfare of our society. A fair and inclusive educational system ensures access to high-quality education and provides opportunities for personalized learning, personal and social development. He emphasized that the government should respond to the needs of disadvantaged categories (girls, students from lower socioeconomic and rural backgrounds). He demanded a single School System of high quality in addition to a single national curriculum.
In the end, Prof. Dr. Tasawar Hayat, Secretary General PAS, thanked the invited speaker for his impressive presentation. The idea behind this special lecture is to popularize Social Sciences in Pakistan through lecture series from the platform of PAS.
CDA generated revenue of Rs 32.271,015 million in Jan 2021
ISLAMABAD, FEB 9 (DNA) – Capital Development Authority (CDA) generated the revenue of Rs 32.271,015 million during the month of January through the completion certificates of commercial and residential buildings, building plans, and NOCs.
According to detail, due to the remarkable policies of the administration of CDA the department of Building Control collected the revenue of more than Rs 32 million during the last month. The BCS department of CDA received total 09 cases of the completion certificates of residential buildings during the month of January.
All the cases have been issued the completion certificates through which CDA collected the revenues of Rs 493, 985. No application received for the completion certificates of commercial buildings. However, the department received cases of 04 commercial buildings regarding the approval of plans through which the authority collected the revenue of Rs 14.516,994.
Total 11 cases of residential building plans were received which generated the revenue of Rs 349,800. Similarly, 44 cases of approval of the NOC for the construction additional story in commercial buildings were received through which revenue of Rs 14.196,240 was generated.
Total 61 cases of approval of the NOC for the construction of an additional story in residential buildings were received through which the revenue of Rs 1,462,996 was generated. The authority generated revenue of Rs 1,251,000 through two cases NCU fine of residential buildings.=DNA
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FM Qureshi phones Chilean counterpart Andrés Allamand
DNA
ISLAMABAD, FEB 9: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi held a telephonic conversation with his Chilean counterpart Andrés Allamand today regarding the missing Chilean mountaineer Mr. Juan Pablo Mohr who was on the K-2 winter expedition.
The Foreign Minister expressed his deep concern over the missing team of mountaineers and apprised the Chilean Foreign Minister of efforts being made by Pakistan to locate them, including a number of search flights by Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters amid challenging weather conditions over a treacherous terrain. He assured the Foreign Minister of Chile that Pakistan would make all possible efforts to trace the missing heroes.
Acknowledging the search and rescue operation, Chilean Foreign Minister Andrés Allamand thanked the Government of Pakistan on behalf of the people of Chile and the family of Mr. Juan Pablo Mohr for assistance in the search operations.
During the call, the two Foreign Ministers also discussed bilateral relations and agreed to remain engaged in future both on bilateral and multilateral fora.
Azerbaijan has allowed the joint use of two vaccines to be tested
BAKU – “On February 8, 2021, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan approved the conduct of clinical trials in the Republic of Azerbaijan for the joint use of the vaccine Sputnik V and the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca in collaboration with Oxford University.”
This was reported by the Ministry of Health. It is reported that these studies are expected to begin by the end of February this year.
Earlier, the NF Gamaleya Research Center, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), AstraZeneca and the R-Pharm Group of Companies signed a joint memorandum of cooperation in December 2020 with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of a coronavirus vaccine.
The world’s first joint use of vaccines is part of a protocol of clinical trials registered on December 24, 2020.
The study aims to assess the immunogenicity and safety of the combined use of the Sputnik V vaccine and the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca in collaboration with the University of Oxford. The research program will last 6 months in several countries. It is planned to involve 100 volunteers from each country in this research.
The Sputnik V vaccine uses a unique technology that combines two different vectors to provide a stronger and longer-lasting immune response than vaccines based on human adenovirus, which use the same vector for two injections. The scheme of application of two different adenovirus vectors for the first and second immunization allows to prevent the first vector immunity formed after the first immunization, and thus increases the efficiency of the second injection and creates long-term immunity. In particular, thanks to this scheme, the effectiveness of the vaccine “Sputnik V” is more than 90%, however, the drug provides complete protection against severe cases of the disease.
The AstraZeneca vaccine was developed by the University of Oxford in collaboration with Vaccitech. This chimpanzee uses a replicated defective virus vector based on a weakened version of the common cold virus (adenovirus) that causes the infection, and uses the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 – coronavirus type 2) protein. consists of. Superficial protein synthesis occurs after vaccination. This triggers an immune response to SARS-CoV-2 during a possible subsequent infection with the virus.
Indonesian ambassador visits ANF Headquarters
ISLAMABAD, FEB 9 (DNA) – Indonesian Ambassador Adam Tugio held a meeting with the Director-General Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), Major General Muhammad Arif Malik on 9 February 2021.
In the meeting, both officials explored concrete collaboration at the bilateral level in addressing transnational crimes of illicit drug trafficking.
They also exchanged views on the challenge posed by the two countries from synthetic drugs or New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) and smuggling of NPS beyond national borders which requires enhanced cooperation at global level.=DNA
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Pakistan wants to open all universities to Afghans: Min. Fawad Ch
DNA
ISLAMABAD, FEB 9 – Pakistan wants to establish a campus of the COMSATS (the top technological university in Pakistan) in the Qandahar province of Afghanistan, said Fawad Chaudhary, Federal Minister for Science and Technology, at the Second Youth Entrepreneurs Conference on February 9, 2021, arranged by CRSS to provide young entrepreneurs from both countries an opportunity to share ideas and experiences.
The Minister also assured Pakistan’s readiness to open almost all its universities to Afghan students who aspire to get their higher education in Pakistan along with establishment of scientific and incubation centers across Afghanistan, as only quality education and enlightenment can ensure a bright and secure future. He expressed the view that there is a huge onus on the youth of both countries to forget the bitter experiences of past and work together for a better future, which can only be achieved through innovation and learning from the past.
Security and prosperity of Afghanistan and Pakistan are highly interconnected, so both countries should work together for their mutual benefits, stated H.E. Ambassador Najibullah Alikhil. He further added that some remarkable progress has been made through Pak-Afghan partnerships particularly through people-to-people interactions. He expressed hope that joint ventures of public and private sector will help in enhancing relations between the two countries. He also highlighted that importance of such meeting and youth’s voices in enhancing the bilateral trade ties between the two neighbors.
He further added that lasting and durable peace is the fundamental demand and desire of all Afghans and is possible only by reducing violence and a comprehensive ceasefire. Moreover, he added that the youth from both sides can play an important role in peace building, countering terrorism, and for the development of Afghanistan.
He concluded with Pakistan’s desire for Afghanistan to progress, because progress in Afghanistan means progress in Pakistan. He stated that the only way forward for both the countries is by forgetting the bitter past experiences and moving forward by initiating youth joint ventures based on knowledge and wisdom.
In the second session, the young participants presented their start-up and business ideas to get critical reviews from fellow young entrepreneurs and the representatives from the National Incubation Center (NIC). Participants from Pakistan and Afghanistan engaged in an interactive session and shared their experiences and journeys for the fellows to learn from. The day culminated in a visit to the NIC to gain some of these insights firsthand.
‘Extremely Unlikely’ Coronavirus Was Leaked From Wuhan Lab: WHO
The head of the World Health Organization-led team in the central Chinese city of Wuhan probing the origins of Covid-19 said on Tuesday that cold chain transmission of the virus is a possibility and warrants further investigation.
‘Cold chain’ refers to the transport and trade of frozen food. China has pushed the idea that the virus can be transmitted by frozen food and has repeatedly announced findings of coronavirus traces on imported food packaging.
However, Peter Ben Embarek, a WHO specialist in animal diseases who leads the independent group of experts, also said the team’s nearly month-long investigation in Wuhan had not dramatically changed the picture of the outbreak.
“We know the virus can survive in conditions that are found in these cold, frozen environments, but we don’t really understand if the virus can transmit to humans” or under which conditions, he told the briefing.
Embarek said it would be worthwhile to explore whether a frozen wild animal in a market setting with the right conditions could be conducive to rapid spread of the virus.
He said that work to identify the origins of the coronavirus points to a natural reservoir in bats, but it is unlikely that they were in Wuhan, the city where the outbreak was first identified in late 2019.
He also said investigators were looking at whether the virus was circulating earlier than first thought, and that blood samples needed to be found to conduct further research.
The possibility that the virus leaked from a lab — another hypothesis — was extremely unlikely and did not require further study, Embarek told the briefing.
The team arrived in Wuhan on January 14 and after two weeks of quarantine, visited key sites including the Huanan seafood market, the location of the first known cluster of infections, as well as the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which has been involved in coronavirus research.
Members of the team have sought to rein in expectations about the mission, with zoologist Peter Daszak telling Reuters last week that one of their aims was to “identify the next steps to fill in the gaps.”
Another team member, infectious disease expert Dominic Dwyer, said it would probably take years to fully understand the origins of Covid-19.
The United States said China needed to be more open when it comes to sharing data and samples as well as allowing access to patients, medical staff and lab workers. Beijing subsequently accused Washington of politicising a scientific mission.
Pak Army committed to root out terrorism: COAS
DNA
RAWALPINDI – 239th Corps Commanders’ Conference was held at General Headquarters today chaired by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa. The participants undertook a comprehensive review of regional and domestic security environment with special focus on situation along borders, internal security and other professional matters of the Army.
In the backdrop of Kashmir Solidarity Day, forum positively noted the increasing realisation at international forums about worsening humanitarian and security crises in IIOJ&K. Forum reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support to resilient Kashmiri people for their just struggle for right to self-determination in accordance with relevant UNSC resolutions.
Dilating upon Afghan Peace Process, the participants expressed hope for peaceful and stable Afghanistan for regional peace and stability.
Commanders noted that the enormity of the security challenges warrants a holistic national response, keeping national interest above everything else. Participants underscored the need to ensure continuous operational preparedness to thwart any possible misadventure from adversary.
Forum also deliberated upon the improved security situation in erstwhile FATA / KP in detail and concluded the requirement for early implementation of reforms in newly merged tribal districts especially towards enabling the LEAs’ apparatus to achieve sustainable peace in the area.
The forum also expressed complete satisfaction over countering hostile intelligence agencies’ design to disrupt peace and progress particularly in Balochistan and Gilgit Baltistan which lay exposed to the entire world thus vindicating Pakistan’s stance on role of hostile agencies in training & funding of terrorists.
Dividends of improved security situation including return of international cricket in the country is a result of numerous sacrifices rendered and challenges overcome to eliminate extremism and terrorism from Pakistan. We will stay the course InshaAllah, COAS concluded.
ICCI delegation visits HIT to explore private sector collaboration
ISLAMABAD, FEB 9 (DNA) – Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) leading a large delegation visited the Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) to explore collaboration of the private sector with HIT’s commercial ventures. Fatma Azim Senior Vice President, Abdul Rehman Khan Vice President ICCI, Usman Khalid, Omais Khattak, Javed Iqbal, Shakeel Munir, Mehboob Ahmed Khan, Ali Akram Khan, Ch. Ashraf Farzand, Malik Mohsin Khalid, Ch. Irfan, Babar Chaudhry, Nisar Langa, Khalid Chaudhry and others were in the delegation.
Maj. Gen Aamer Raza, HI(M), Chairman, Heavy Industries Taxila along with his team warmly welcomed the ICCI delegation and thanked them for visiting their facility. He briefed the ICCI delegation about the HIT’s manufacturing capabilities. He said that HIT was part of Pakistan’s premier defence industry which was established in early 70s with an objective of rebuilding the existing tanks.
He said that over the last many decades, HIT has evolved into a large military industrial base and currently was involved in manufacturing, rebuilding, upgrading & developing hi-tech equipment like tanks, tank guns, armoured personnel carriers and other related equipment. He said that HIT comprised six production units, an in-house development and component manufacturing facility and a leading research and development centre.
He said that Tank Al-Khalid, the pride of Pakistan was its flagship product, which was recognized worldwide and formed the backbone of Pakistan Army’s mechanised force. He said that HIT was manufacturing many commercial products including armoured security vehicles like land rovers, land cruisers, portable shelters, steel structures, armoured guard posts, bullet proof rostrums, screens and others and it wanted to utilize surplus capacity of its factories to meet the requirements of civil sector and friendly countries. He said that HIT was also interested to undertake JVs and commercial activities with friendly countries and encourage technology transfer, therefore, the private sector has good potential to join hands with HIT for producing various commercial products to meet the local needs and promote exports. The ICCI delegation was taken to various manufacturing facilities of HIT including manufacturing factories, rebuild factories and support facilities and was shown its various products being manufactured in its facilities.
Speaking at the occasion, Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry appreciated the contribution of HIT towards strengthening the country’s defence by manufacturing various defence related products. He thanked Maj. Gen Syed Aamer Raza, Chairman HIT and his team for showing various manufacturing facilities to ICCI delegation and hoped that their visit would lead to setting up some JVs of private sector with HIT.
He said that the combination of the state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities of HIT and business acumen of the private sector would be instrumental in producing high quality and value added products and accelerate the pace of industrialization in the region.
Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan proposed that ICCI was ready to organize a national level exhibition in collaboration with HIT to show the export potential of its defence products to foreign missions of various countries that would help in improving defence exports. He said that HIT was on the road to modernization and cooperation of the private sector with it would promote indigenous industry and import substitutions.
He said that CPEC has provided a good opportunity to spur industrial growth in Pakistan and close collaboration between HIT and the ICCI would contribute towards better growth of industrialization in the region. Fatma Azim Senior Vice President, Abdul Rehman Khan Vice President and other members of delegation also spoke at the occasion and discussed options for close collaboration between the private sector and HIT.=DNA
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