LAHORE, AUG 30 /DNA/ – The PODA team held a series of strategic meetings with women Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs of PML-N) in Punjab, advocating for a crucial legal amendment to the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2015. The team emphasized the need to raise the minimum age of marriage for girls to 18 years, ensuring a safer and more empowering future for young girls in the province. Through these meetings, PODA aimed to amplify the voices of marginalized communities and garner support for this vital legislative change.

The PODA team presented the case of child marriages, highlighting its social, economic, health, and mental implications on a girl child, in order to amplify voices in favor of a legal amendment to raise the minimum age of marriage for girls to 18 years in the province.

These efforts are part of a 3-year project, “Reducing Early Marriages to Enhance Gender Equality” (December 2022 to November 2025), supported by the Norwegian Embassy in Islamabad. PODA is implementing it across the entire province of Punjab, engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including parents, adolescent girls, women, community leaders, government officials from health, education, population, social welfare, police, religious leaders, nikah khawans/registrars, secretaries of union councils, local governments, teachers, MPAs, academicians, lady health workers, staff of basic health units, doctors, lawyers, and social activists. This is being achieved through a comprehensive set of activities, including: A series of educational theater performances, multiple series of radio programs, seminars, workshops, sessions, trainings, social media campaigns, letter-writing campaigns initiated from communities addressed to members of the provincial assembly.

In a significant meeting with MPA Sarah Ahmad, Chairperson of the Child Protection & Welfare Bureau Punjab, the PODA team received a reassuring commitment to take all necessary measures to ensure a legal amendment protecting adolescent girls. The Chairperson emphasized that safeguarding the right to education is pivotal to fulfilling all child rights, and she pledged to champion this cause, paving the way for the protection of girls’ fundamental rights. She described working on children’s issues as “highly sensitive”, explaining that it’s a challenging task since it involves helping children who have faced trauma in precarious situations, such as those living on the streets. In response to a question, she noted that often, people abandon ‘girl children’ and leave them in vulnerable situations, only to be rescued later by the communities.

MPA Sarah Ahmad is leading efforts to table a bill increasing the minimum age of marriage for girls to 18 years. She submitted a resolution on April 3 this year in the Punjab Assembly, seeking to raise the minimum marriage age to 18 years, emphasizing that child marriages have far-reaching negative impacts.

In a meeting with the PODA team, MPA Advocate Kanwal Liaquat provided an update, stating that as a member of Committee 1 of the assembly, she is pleased to share that the committee has thoroughly reviewed the legal amendment to raise the minimum age of marriage for girls to 18 years. The committee has successfully completed a comprehensive consultation process with all stakeholders, and now, under the promising leadership of the Chief Minister of Punjab, the government is prepared to table the bill in the assembly soon, she added. She emphasized that, alongside the proposed amendment, her party will take steps to ensure its effective implementation as well. She urged the PODA team to work actively to raise community awareness about child marriages, in order to help combat and stop this social menace.

In a meeting with MPA Advocate Rushda Lodhi, Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Member of the Punjab Bar Council, she commended PODA’s efforts in reducing early marriages in the province through a series of educational and awareness-raising activities engaging all stakeholders. She suggested holding joint awareness-raising sessions for a larger number of MPAs on issues crucial to the lives and survival of girl children, to amplify their voices. She also assured that, as Parliamentary Secretary of Health, she will prioritize the “health of girl children” and make every effort to ensure that healthcare is recognized and protected as their fundamental right, essential for their well-being.

The PODA team also met with MPA – (PML-N), Sumbal Maalik Hussain, at her office located in Delhi Gate, Lahore. She appreciated PODA’s effort in visiting her and taking the time to understand the real situation on the ground, rather than just holding activities in hotels. She suggested that we should focus on identifying and addressing the underlying reasons why parents opt to marry off their young, underage daughters, in order to effectively tackle these issues and safeguard communities, thereby enhancing the impact of the proposed legislation

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, AUG 30 (DNA) — Additional Deputy Commissioner of Bannu Ameenullah Khan visited the Agriculture Office Bannu as part of the chief minister’s ‘Public Agenda” to examine various activities including the ongoing cleaning campaign.

During the visit, Deputy Director Agriculture Khuda Yaar provided briefed him about the office’s current activities and the status of the cleaning campaign. It was noticed that the cleaning campaign was progressing well; the office’s whitewashing was complete, and work on tree trimming and lawn beautification was ongoing.

Similarly penaflex, urea, and charts displaying the official fees for agricultural medicines were posted in the office to provide necessary information to the public. The ADC lauded the staff’s efforts and instructed that all related tasks under the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s “Awami Agenda” be completed effectively. —DNA

ISLAMABAD, AUG 29 /DNA/ – On the sidelines of the 50th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi today met with Mr. Md. Touhid Hossain, Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

The Foreign Secretary underscored the significance attached by Pakistan to its brotherly relations with Bangladesh. He underlined the deep-rooted goodwill between the people of Pakistan and Bangladesh and expressed Pakistan’s desire to advance bilateral engagement and dialogue.

Advisor Md. Touhid Hossain briefed the Foreign Secretary on the latest political developments in Bangladesh. The Foreign Secretary conveyed his best wishes for the continued peace, harmony, and prosperity of the people of Bangladesh.

Both sides agreed to continue engagement on matters of mutual interest.

QUETTA, Aug 29 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday vowed the unwavering resolve of the government to root out the menace of terrorism with collective efforts.

“The entire nation is grieved by the recent tragic incident occurred in Balochistan. Khwarij who shed the blood of innocent people will be crushed through joint efforts of the nation and the valiant forces of Pakistan,” he said while addressing a high-level Apex Committee meeting here at CM Secretariat, Quetta.

Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Governor Balochistan Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail, Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti, Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Information Atta Tarar, Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal, Corps Commander Balochistan, and other armed and civilian officials were in attendance.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while expressed his profound grief over the loss of precious lives caused by the terrorist incident in Balochistan on August 26 as saying. “It was an extremely tragic and barbaric incident that caused a wave of grief across Pakistan.

“The entire nation is saddened by this horrific incident, but we make it clear that with, determination, and unwavering resolve, we will eliminate terrorism in Balochistan.

Balochistan is an important and beautiful province of Pakistan, and all obstacles in its path to development and prosperity will be removed for good.

The Prime Minister hinted at the involvement of foreign elements and said the Khawarij planned terrorism in Pakistan and shed the blood of innocent Pakistanis, including law enforcement agencies.  

He, however, reiterated the government’s determination to crush those involved in the ghastly bloodshed. The blood of the martyrs will not go in vain. he added.

Expressing his great trust in the professional capabilities of the armed and civilian forces, he said under the guidance of Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, and with full cooperation from the federal government and the leadership of Balochistan, the terrorism will be rooted out.

“Sacrifices of those who laid down their lives for the motherland and the innocent civilians will not go to waste, the PM further remarked.

Romina Khurshid Alam told the students that ranked among the world’s top ten climate-vulnerable country, Pakistan had been experiencing a rise in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, particularly unprecedented floods, intense monsoon rains, intense devastating heatwaves, rapid glacial melting and consequent glacial lake outburst floods

Mahnoor Ansar

ISLAMABAD, AUG 29: A four-member delegation of students from Italy’s Milan University called on Coordinator to Prime Minister on Climate Change Romina Khurshid Alam to discuss the pressing issue of climate change and its impacts on Pakistan.

During the meeting held here on Thursday in the climate change and environmental delegation ministry, the students’ delegation was also apprised of the various socio-economic impacts of climate change and the government’s policy measures for building the country’s climate resilience, a news release said.

On the occasion, the PM’s climate aide welcomed the students’ delegation and said, “As we all know, climate change is one of the most critical challenges facing our world today, and its effects are increasingly evident in Pakistan.”

Romina Khurshid Alam told the students that ranked among the world’s top ten climate-vulnerable country, Pakistan had been experiencing a rise in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, particularly unprecedented floods, intense monsoon rains, intense devastating heatwaves, rapid glacial melting and consequent glacial lake outburst floods.

The recent heatwave in June 2024 saw temperatures soar to record highs, impacting public health and agriculture, she highlighted.

She further said, “Floods, which are becoming more intense and frequent, displace thousands of families, damage infrastructure, and disrupt livelihoods, especially in rural areas.”

“For resource-poor the country, managing these fallouts of climate change has become a grave challenge because of the frequency and magnitude at which they are occurring and inadequate financial and technical resources,” the PM’s climate aide said.

Talking about impacts on agriculture sector, Romina Khurshid Alam told the students that climate change was also affecting crop yields and food security.

“Unpredictable weather patterns and extreme temperatures are harming crops and reducing productivity to an extent that crop failures and fall in productivity of different crops had become new normal in the country, with significant implications for food prices and rural economies,” Ms Alam explained.

Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns were aksi disrupting local ecosystems, badly affecting bio-diversity.

 Such changes in weather patterns caused due to climate change, included shifts in bio-diversity and the health of key habitats such as mangroves and wetland, which provide environmental protection and livelihoods for the resource-dependent community.

The present government was implementing various adaptation strategies, including flood management projects, improved water resource management, and early warning systems. There are also initiatives to promote climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable land use practices.

Sharing details about the government’s coping strategy, she said that for addressing these climate risks and for building climate resilience of the people, their livelihoods, ecosystems and public infrastructure, the present government was implementing various adaptation strategies, including flood management projects, improved water resource management, and enhancing network of early warning systems across the country for improved and more reliable weather and disaster forecast.

There were also initiatives to promote climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable land use practices to enhance the agriculture sector’s climate resilience.

She apprised of the climate change and environmental coordination ministry’s various measures to secure funding for implementing various adaptation and resilience-building measures plans.

“The ministry is working with international organizations and donors to secure funding and technical assistance for climate adaptation and mitigation projects. Efforts include collaborations with the UN and various environmental NGOs to address the immediate and long-term impacts of climate change,” she said.

Talking about community awareness and engagement in various climate risk mitigation initiatives of the government, Romina Khurshid said that local communities were being increasingly engaged in climate action, with grassroots organisations working on disaster preparedness, reforestation, and sustainable farming practices.

Besides, education and awareness campaigns through media, schools and other channels were also being conducted time to time to inform and empower individuals to take climate action, the PM’s climate aide added.

Romina Khurshid Alam highlighted that climate change was the gravest global issue of the present century, which required international cooperation. However, as a responsible country, Pakistan would continue to engage with global partners for boosting climate action through implementation of the climate initiatives and advocating for the fair and effective climate action on the international stage.

The students thanked the PM’s climate aide Romina Khurshid and her team for informative briefing about the climate risks being faced by the country and the coping measures being taken by the present government for making Pakistan climate-resilient country.

They said that Pakistan’s commitment to global climate action was inspiring and a remarkable example for other countries to follow.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 29 (DNA):An earthquake measuring 5.4 magnitute on Richter scale jolted different parts of country including Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) on Thursday morning.

The National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) confirmed that tremors were felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Swat, Malakand, Mansehra, Swabi, Mardan, and adjoining areas, a private news channels reported.

The magnitude of the earthquake was recorded at 5.4 on the Richter scale.

The epicentre of the earthquake was the Hindu Kush mountain in Afghanistan, the Meteorological Department said.

The depth of the earthquake was 215 km, as per the Meteorological Department.

The magnitude of the earthquake was recorded at 5.4 on the Richter scale. The depth of the earthquake was 92 km, the German research centre added.