DNA

ISLAMABAD, – JULY 10 –  Federal Ministers Fakhar Imam, Mr. Asad Umar, Senator Shibli Faraz, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Finance Advisor Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, SAPM for Information & Broadcasting Lt. Gen. (R) Asim Saleem Bajwa, SAPM Dr. Shahbaz Gill, Chairman NDMA and senior officers attended the briefing. Chief Ministers of Punjab, Sindh & Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; and Chief Secretary Balochistan participated via video link.

The Prime Minister was informed that National Action Plan for Locust Control Phase-I has been completed.Engineer-in-Chief Pakistan Army / National Coordinator NLCC Lt Gen Moazzam Ijaz gave a detailed briefing on locust control measures in affected areas of the country.

The Prime Minister was also briefed about the coordinated efforts being made for monitoring, survey & control, inter-organizational coordination, resource allocation & mobilization and awareness campaign for locust control at national, provincial and districts’ levels.

The meeting was informed that due to the trans-boundary nature of locust swarm movement, close liaison with the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and affected countries in the region was being maintained to take timely pre-emptive measures.

The Prime Minister appreciated the governments of China, Japan and UK for providing technical and other assistance for locust control.It was informed that a locust swarm movement is expected from Horn of Africa via Iran and another from India, for which necessary control measures are in place.

Prime Minister accorded in-principle approval for Phase-II of the National Action Plan for Locust Control. It was also decided that the affected farmers would also be compensated through this package.Prime Minister highly appreciated timely and coordinated response of federal and provincial governments, including Pakistan Army, for effectively controlling locust attack and use of indigenously developed equipment.Prime Minister stated that locust attack combined with COVID-19 was a huge challenge for the Pakistan.PM said that the Government would undertake every possible effort for locust control since it involved food security of the country. The Prime Minister emphasized that a coordinated national response of federal and provincial governments and organisations is required to cope with the expected locust swarm so that crop production is not affected.

DNA

ISLAMABAD: The Government of Pakistan has promoted Air Vice Marshal Aamir Masood to the rank of Air Marshal; while, 10 Air Commodores have been promoted to the rank of Air Vice Marshal.  The promoted Air Officers from GD(P) branch include:-

1. Air Vice Marshal Amir Rashid
2. Air Vice Marshal S Fauad Masud Hatmi
3. Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Jamal Arshad
4. Air Vice Marshal Zaffar Aslam
5. Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Sarfraz
6. Air Vice Marshal Kazim Hammad
7. Air Vice Marshal Shakil Ghazanfar

Whereas promoted Air Officers from the Engineering branch are:-

1. Air Vice Marshal Irfan Zaheer
2. Air Vice Marshal Asif Maqsood
3. Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Amir Hayat

QUETTA : An additional sessions court here on Friday issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of Senator Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti in a case related to aiding and abetting the abduction of a minor girl.

The court directed Quetta police to arrest the accused and present him in the court.

The arrest warrants came a day after the Supreme Court rejected Bugti’s plea for interim bail. A two-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel, had dismissed the bail plea yesterday.

Quetta’s Bijli Ghar police station had registered a case against the former Balochistan home minister over his alleged role in the abduction of a girl on her mother’s complaint.
Earlier, on Jan 16, the additional sessions court turned down Sarfaraz Bugti’s bail application in the case and ordered his arrest. He, however, fled the court. Later, he approached the Balochistan High Court for bail.

The high court granted him pre-arrest bail but later rejected it on June 23. Subsequently, he, as a last resort, moved the Supreme Court requesting it to grant him interim bail in the case.

DNA

ISLAMABAD: VC QAU Emphazies over collaborative efforts to overcome challenges in Higher Education.

Dr. Muhammad Ali Shah Vice-Chancellor Quaid-I-Azam University (QAU) Islambad and Chairman Vice-Chancaellors Committee Pakistan has emphasized over collaborative efforts and close university alumni linkages to overcome various challenges  confronted by the higher education institutions in Pakistan especially during and after COVID-19. He shared his views during the virtual interactive session organised by Quaid-i-Azam University Alumni Association Pakistan. Commenting over recent Golden Ages University ranking, VC QAU congratulated the faculty, employees and alumni over recent inclusion of Quaid-i-Azam University among top hundred universities. He termed this great recognition as outcome of untiring efforts and contribution by the QAU family. He was of the view that with provision of required financial support, QAU could win more laurels for the country both at regional and international levels. He suggested declaration of education emergency to overcome the financial and other challenges being faced by higher education institutions. He also highlighted various initiatives to facilitate QAU students and improving quality of teaching & research including establishment of first ever directorates  of student affairs & academics and strengthening of incubation, career counseling & job placement centers. While commenting over 20 years celebrations of QAU Alumni Association, he appreciated two decades long contribution for their alma mater. He said that QAU would continue to work closely  and benefit from the  Alumni Association to undertake mega projects aimed at welfare of QAU students.

He also mentioned the untiring sincere efforts of Late Sikandar Ahmad Rai and his team for the development of QAU.

PESHAWAR: A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) air hostess has been served a notice to explain her position about her alleged misbehaviour with an on-duty doctor at Bacha Khan International Airport (BKIA), Peshawar.

Benish Sadiq misbehaved with lady doctor Shehnaz when the latter asked the former for samples for a Covid-19 test upon her arrival at the airport from Abu Dhabi on-board the national flag carrier’s PK-9218 flight.

“Yet another serious complaint has been received from in charge Airport Health Establishment, BKIA, vide A.H.D/2019-2020/340 regarding your misbehaviour with an on duty Doctor (Dr Shehnaz) upon arrival of flight PK-9218 on 05-07-202 AUH-PEW,” read the notice served on the air hostess by Bashirud Din Behroze, Base Incharge Flight Services Bacha Khan International Airport.

He asked the PIA flight attendant to explain her stance about the incident within 24 hours of the receipt of this notice.

Our foundation have funded projects to help improve the level of local basic education, improve local labor quality, promote local economic and social development, and maintain social stability 

ISLAMABAD, July 10 : China-Pakistan Gwadar Faqeer Middle School, sponsored by China Foundation for Peace and Development (CFPD) will open new educational opportunities for the local people to join the main national stream of socio-economic development, Gwadar Pro reported on Friday.

Its expansion work has successfully been completed for promoting Pak-China cooperation in educational sector in the region, giving the young generation an opportunity to make a difference in their life.

“It’s a much-awaited project for local teachers and students,” said Amjad Basham, the principal of China-Pakistan Gwadar Faqeer Middle School, adding that the expansion project of this middle school built in Gwadar under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework would empower local kids to receive education.

Xu Jianguo, Secretary-General of CFPD, believes that education is the best gift one can give to a child. “Our foundation have funded projects to help improve the level of local basic education, improve local labor quality, promote local economic and social development, and maintain social stability,” he noted.

“China and Pakistan are iron-clad friends that share a good tradition of mutual assistance,” Xu said, adding that after the completion of the school expansion project, CFPD will carry out educational material donation projects for China-PakistanGwadar FaqeerMiddle School and other educational institutes in Gwadar, and organize culture/education tour for local teachers and students to visit China.

On top of that, CFPD will continue to carry out projects on basic education and vocational training under CPEC, so as to benefit the locals, Xu further mentioned.

“The project has been welcomed and supported by the governments, enterprises, individuals, medias from both countries,” said Zhang Baozhong, honorary rector of China-Pakistan Gwadar Faqeer Middle School and Chief Executive Officer of China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC) which operates Gwadar Port and Free Trade Zone.

He noted that the expansion project of the middle school has become the flagship project of CPEC in terms of people’s livelihood, and the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad has funded scholarship for the school.

The expansion project was handed over to Pakistan’s education department on June 24. Supervised by Gwadar Development Authority (GDA), the expansion project is funded by CFPD and constructed by CCCC-FHDI Engineering Co., Ltd.

Covering an area of 1,600 square meters, the middle school is equipped with two teaching buildings and supporting facilities after the expansion. Local kids are proud of going to this school.

It will not only fulfill local kids’ educational aspirations, but also strengthen the China-Pakistan friendship, the report added.

PSF and NSFC signed a MoU on October 30, 1992 for joint research between Academic Institutions in both countries. The MoU with NSFC was re-activated in 2015 

ISLAMABAD, July 10 (DNA): The preliminary plans for 130 joint research projects were approved by Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Gwadar Pro reported on Friday.

There are four categories of research projects: Fossil energy conversion and materials,  Utilization of renewable energy and resources, Scientific ground of new energy utilization and technologies and Safety evaluation and adaptive mechanism research on water-energy-food nexus under CPEC in the context of climate change.

According to the official list released by NSFC, 149 proposals were submitted to the two Foundations this year and currently 130 joint research projects were approved.

PSF and NSFC signed a MoU on October 30, 1992 for joint research between Academic Institutions in both countries. The MoU with NSFC was re-activated in 2015.

The exchange of scientists, scientific information and materials between research and academic institutions of both countries is one of the prime objectives of this international link.

Since the founding of this alliance PSF and NSFC have conducted joint scientific research activities pertaining to different disciplines along with efforts to strengthen cooperation between S & T organizations of both countries.

ISLAMABAD : Taking notice of the prolonged power outages in Karachi making life difficult for people, PM Imran took notice of the incident and asked Asad Umar and Governor Sindh Imran Ismail to meet the K-Electric leadership to resolve the crisis, on Thursday.

Both the governor and the prime minister discussed the overall situation in Sindh, particularly related to the COVID-19. The governor Sindh also spoke highly of the prime minister’s vision and successful strategy to combat the coronavirus in the country.

Meanwhile, the prime minister appealed to the nation to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha with simplicity, strictly observing the standard operating procedures (SOPs) against the coronavirus. He was talking to reporters after inaugurating the state-of-the-art 250-bed Isolation Hospital and Infectious Treatment Centre here, which has been completed in record 40 days at the cost of about Rs980 million.

Imran urged people not to resort to carelessness shown during the Eid-ul-Fitr last year and strictly observe the SOPs this year, as the virus would spread fast if people gathered in large number. “Since we were careless, the virus spread very fast and as a result, pressure on our hospitals was massive and the frontline doctors and nurses also faced so much pressure. Unfortunately, we also lost lives,” he explained.

The virus, he noted, peaked and afterwards, the government took measures, including the smart lockdown, and with the blessings of Allah Almighty, the virus curve was coming down now. “We are also not expecting that infections will come down so fast, as we think the virus would peak by July end,” he maintained.

The prime minister cautioned that any carelessness during Eid-ul-Azha would lead to a fresh spike in the coronavirus cases. However, he expressed satisfaction that with the cooperation of all the departments concerned, the curve of coronavirus cases in the country was on the decline. He said the smart lockdown had yielded positive results. The premier said the government had come up with SOPs about how to sacrifice animals this year.

“I appeal to the entire nation to observe Eid with simplicity for the sake of your country, its economy, and especially the elderly. If we take care now, then we can manage, God willing, to come out of this pandemic better than other countries,” he said.

Commending the completion of a modern isolation hospital in a record short period, the prime minister said important tasks could be completed with political will.