Day: March 18, 2021

Pakistan equestrian team wins gold and silver in India

KARACHI:Fatima Fertilizer lauded the success of seven-member Pakistan equestrian team, who recently visited India to participate in the world cup qualifiers of the Equestrian Tent Pegging Championship, 2021.

 

The event took place at the Indian city of Greater Noida from March 16 to 18.

 

Pakistani tent peggers won a gold medal in the individual lance event and a silver medal in the team lance event, while all teams are waiting now to know the final result of which teams successfully qualified for the World Cup Championship.

 

This was a historic achievement by many aspects as both Pakistan and India move towards re-establishing bilateral peace and relations with each other.

 

Fatima Fertilizer has been a long-standing partner of the Equestrian Federation of Pakistan, supporting it to revive this traditional sports that is most admired by the Pakistani farmers community, as well as to promote Pakistan’s soft image in the world by earning international accolades at global competitions.

 

Rabel Sadozai, National Marketing Manager at Fatima Fertilizer said, “The game of tent pegging holds grass roots within Pakistan’s rural community and our mission is to win the hearts of Pakistani farmers by supporting their most preferred game. We have a long standing partnership with Equestrian Federation of Pakistan with a firm commitment to support them in reviving this traditional sport to its past glory and making Pakistan proud at international competitions.”

 

Tent pegging is a traditional sport of equestrian discipline and has been played in Pakistan since many decades. The sport is internationally played in a lot of countries around the World, but is most popular within the commonwealth countries. As per Equestrian Federation of Pakistan, Pakistan holds the distinction of producing the highest number of tent pegging champions than any other country.

Call to reschedule anti-polio drive

QUETTA:World Health Organization (WHO) and provincial health department ought to reschedule anti-polio drive to be commenced from March 29 in the province as government employees from across the province are going to siege Chief Minister’s Secretariat on March 29 in support of their demands, said Malik Abdul Malik Kakar, President Grand Alliance, Balochistan while addressing a press conference at Quetta Press Club here on Thursday.

He said that if the government showed stubbornness, indefinite sit-in would be staged. Kakar said that the government was not sincere to address the genuine demands of government employees, adding that approval for 25 percent increase in the salaries of employees be accorded forthwith.

On the occasion, other leaders of Grand Employees Alliance Abdul Salam Zehri, Habib-ur-Rehman Mardanzai, Dad Muhammad Baloch, Ali Bakhsh Jamali, Muhammad Amin Badini alias Baboo and others were also present.

Polythene bags become social and environmental epidemic: Zartaj tells news conference

ISLAMABAD:Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Wazir said Thursday that polythene bags have become a social and environmental epidemic due to its massive use over last several years in the country.

But, now we are taking all-out measures to stem its use at all levels through punitive actions and promotion of alternative environmental-friendly bags, she told media while addressing a press conference here on Thursday.

The State Minister emphasized, “Eliminating polythene bags’ use is backbone of the Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision for Clean Green Pakistan so as to protect environment and public health.” However, we will continue to chase people involved in its use, sale, manufacturing and import and take punitive actions and impose fines on them,” she added.

The minister also appreciated the team work of all stakeholders involving officials from the Climate Change Ministry, Pak-EPA Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration for making the capital city polythene bags free. Gul stated that the polythene bags ban enforcement teams, consisting of the representatives of the afore-mentioned government organizations, have so far fined dozens of violators including consumers, retailers, wholesalers and manufacturing entities during market visits and raids conducted since March 1.

“It’s really heartening that despite stiff opposition from various quarters, the enforcements teams are continuing their momentum of efforts for ridding the capital city of polythene bags,” she highlighted.

The minister also launched an android app ‘City Islamabad Application, where citizens of the capital city can register complaint against the use of polythene bags at any level and shape. The registration of the complaint on the app would trigger action against the polythene bags ban violators by the concerned authorities and the complainant can also check the status regarding his or her complaint on the app, Gul explained.

Gul urged the consumers, retailers, manufacturers to join the present government’s efforts in this regard for achieving overall environmental sustainability and protection of public health from adverse impacts of the polythene bags. The minister also urged the provincial governments to join the incumbent government’s campaign against polythene bags and replicate the model being adopted in Islamabad. So that, the country could be made free from environmental nuisance of the polythene bags, which also key cause of urban flooding.

The Climate Change Secretary Ms Naheed Shah Durrani said that the anti polythene bags campaign in Islamabad is being carried out under the Ban on polythene Bags Regulations, 2019, after extensive consultations with all relevant government and non-governmental stakeholders.

“However, we are very much committed to enforce the Regulations in letter and spirit, come what may, and role of business community and media is key to successful drive against the polythene bags,” she told media during the address.

Meanwhile, Syed Mujtaba Hussain, who is leading the entire enforcement drive against polythene bags in the city and Senior Joint Secretary of the Climate Change Ministry also briefed the media about details regarding fines and confiscation of polythene bags during the any-polythene drive launched since March 1, 2021.

So far, fines of Rs 490,000 have been slapped on the ban violators including manufacturers and hundreds of thousands of polythene bags measuring over 220 kg have been confiscated during various raids in urban and rural localities of the capital city, the Senior Joint Secretary explained.

“Though we have faced stiff resistance from consumers, retailers, sellers and manufacturers of the polythene bags during these raids, we will continue further our war against polythene bags till the city is completely made free from the environmental nuisance,” the Climate Change Ministry official Syed Mujtaba Hussain pledged while addressing the media.

Earlier, Additional Deputy Commissioner Islamabad (East) Babar Sahib Din, Director-General Pak-EPA Islamabad Ms Farzana Altaf Shah, National Information Technology Board CEO Shabahat Ali Shah and Deputy Director (Chemical) Dr. Zaigham Abbas also spoke at the event.

SPLA demands timescale with immediate effect

LARKANA:The Coordination Committee for Timescale of Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA), Larkana District, has expressed their resentment over non-awarding of timescale to the college teachers in Sindh.

 

The meeting was held Thursday under the presidentship of Prof. Manzoor Kalhoro and was participated by Professors Aijaz Jamali, Vijay Kumar, Abid Sikander Khokhar, Ubaidullah Jakhro, Abdul Hameed Hulio, Abdul Haq Khoso, Liaquat Ali Memon, Afzal Buledi, Ali Murad Soomro and others.

 

They said in a statement that the Sindh government had committed injustice by not giving timescale due to which 11000 college teachers were feeling unrest across Sindh. They urged PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Faryal Talpur to take personal interest in this connection to resolve the issue. They demanded issuance of notification of promoted associate professors, assistant professors adding meeting of Selection Board-I, and II be also held immediately for promoting lecturers. They also demanded holding of Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meetings across the province so that vacant posts of librarians could also be filled.

 

They said that Larkana’s Government Boys Degree College is the largest college of the region but there is no post of any professor of BPS-20. They demanded revision of approved SNEs to create new posts of professors, associates, assistant professors and lecturers on a regular basis. They said 47 professors were transferred sometime back from Larkana region out of which 14 alone were from Boys Degree College but on the timely intervention of Secretary Colleges Syed Khalid Hyder Shah who has called for a report over this issue and hoped the matter will be resolved soon.

 

The meeting condemned torture on protesting headmasters in Karachi and demanded that Sindh Assembly must pass an Act so that their services could be regularized. SPLA further demanded a 25% pay raise in monthly salaries on the pattern of the federal government for which notification must also be issued, they added.

 

CM Buzdar sees PDM’s every conspiracy remained unsuccessful

LAHORE:Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has said PDM’s rallying cry for a long march has met its logical end.

In a statement, the CM said those giving ultimatum of the long march were trying to disrupt the development process, adding that the gang of opportunists had tried to take in the people for its personal gains. It is, however, heartening that PDM’s every conspiracy had remained unsuccessful, he said. “This unnatural alliance is meaningless before the transparent politics of PM Imran Khan and there is no room for the specific agenda espoused by the opportunists’ lobby,” he continued.

Buzdar said the tragic death of the PDM is a clear message to the opportunists as their mean politics had been fully exposed. The PDM’s failure in Punjab is the retribution for its past decisions. It is better that the rejected elements should adopt a positive approach and shun their anarchistic designs, concluded the CM.

1352 plots worth billions of rupees illegally given in LDA schemes: CM Buzdar claims

LAHORE:Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar Thursday disclosed that during the tenure of former Chief Minister Nawaz Sharif, 1352 plots worth billions of rupees were illegally given to one Senator, 16 assembly members and their relatives in different LDA schemes in Lahore.

He stated this while addressing a press conference at his office. PM’s accountability advisor Barrister Shehzad Akbar and SACM Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan were also present. He said these plots were distributed in violation of rules under discretionary quota. 646 plots were distributed in Johar Town, 260 in Sabzazar, 191 in Tajpura, 108 in Gujjar Pura, 37 in Allama Iqbal Town, 32 in Model Town, 31 in Faisal Town and five other plots were illegally allotted in Gulberg and the discretionary quota was violated, according to a handout.

These plots were meant for orphans, widows, widows of martyrs, journalists, ulema and sports players under discretion but this right of discretion was used for political bribery. The incumbent government has directed the ACE to investigate the illegal allotment of plots in different LDA schemes. Action will be taken against illegal beneficiaries as well as those who had illegally allotted such plots. Indiscriminate action will be initiated against those found involved in illegal activities and no leniency will be shown.

Giving the details, the CM said Nawaz Sharif illegally allotted plots worth billions of rupees during his tenure of chief ministership from 1985-90 in Punjab. These plots were allotted in violation of discretionary quota and Qamar-uz-Zaman Khan played an important role in the illegal allotment of these plots. Qamar-uz-Zaman was an employee of the Malaria Control Programme; and from there, he was appointed as DG LDA by Nawaz Sharif. Then he was posted as private secretary to PM Nawaz Sharif in 1997. He was also deputed as political secretary to CM Shahbaz Sharif in 2008. Qamar-uz-Zaman Khan illegally allotted precious plots to political personalities and public representatives in Lahore and violated merit as the front man. MPA Raja Ishfaq Sarwar (Late) was illegally allotted 14 plots, he added.

The CM said that ACE has been directed to take legal action adding that recovery will also be made. Laws were blatantly violated in the past but the incumbent government will ensure the supremacy of rule of law and transparency will be maintained because it is the new Pakistan of PM Imran Khan and no one will be allowed to do any illegal activity. The PTI has come into power to serve the masses, he emphasized.

Regrettably, the CM deplored that no past government took any action over the illegal allotment of plots in different LDA schemes nor anyone held accountability. Rather, this huge political bribery was hushed up, he said. Meanwhile, the PTI government has adopted transparency and past corruption has been exposed as the government fully believes in the rule of law and transparency. Action will be initiated against all such illegal acts, he assured. The CM stated that discretionary powers are not used by the incumbent government and not a single inch of state land has been allotted to anybody over political affiliation.

Replying to the question, the CM asserted that not only recovery will be made but penalties will also be recovered from the illegal beneficiaries. Retrieval of state land is not a temporal act but a permanent process and no one will be allowed to grab the state land, he added.

To another question, the CM said a 7 billion Ramazan Package will be given to provide relief through a network of more than 300 Sahulat Bazaars. The rates of different items will be according to 2018. To another question, he assured to retrieve land in journalist colony and action will be initiated against those involved in an illegal act. The journalists will be given their rights, he assured. The CM disclosed that preparations are underway for local bodies elections and announced to take action after an inquiry of LWMC affairs. No illegal activity will be tolerated, he emphasized.

PM Advisor Shehzad Akbar said that politics means public service now and emphasized that the style of ‘Changa Manga’ and ‘mafia’ will not be allowed to work now. Those who came into power through non-party 1985 elections hijacked the politics and indulged in the spate of corruption and loot. These are the people who never took food from their homes and blatantly wasted public resources.

He congratulated CM Usman Buzdar and his team for disclosing mega corruption and announced that disciplinary action will be taken for illegally allotted plots. Recovery will be made to eke out good results, he added. To a question, he said that Raja Ishfaq Sarwar got 14 plots and Khizar Hayat, Mehmood-ul-Hassan and others also made hay while the sun shined. He disclosed that around 2000 plots were allotted during the CMship of Nawaz Sharif and out of it, 1352 plots were illegally allotted.

This illegal allotment was hushed up from 1990 till today. The PTI government has freed institutions from political pressure to help them to independently perform. Punjab government retrieved around one lakh and 46 thousand acres state land worth Rs. 425 billion from squatters. SACM said that the PTI government believes in transparency and this process will be permanently continued. SMBR, DG LDA, Secretary Information, DGPR and others were also present.

DC South orders contingency plan to tackle likely torrential rainfall damages

KARACHI:Deputy Commissioner South Irshad Ali Sodhar has directed the revenue authorities to prepare a contingency plan in advance in consultation with the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Karachi Water Board and District Municipal Corporation so as to prepare against likely torrential rainfall damages .

He was presiding over an important meeting on monsoon preparedness in his office on Thursday. Additional Deputy Commissioner Junaid Khan, ADC to Samiullah, AC Civil Line Waleed Baig, AC President Shirina Asad Officers of KMC, DMC South, Karachi Water Board, KDA and Solid Waste Management including AC Aram Bagh Mashal Naeem participated in the meeting.

Deputy Commissioner South Irshad Ali Sodhar said that low lying areas should be identified so as to prepare the plan to combat the monsoon rains. He said that the district administration would use all its resources to save the citizens from troubles.

He said that a comprehensive contingency plan should be formulated so that the concerned authorities, including Sindh government and PDMA, could be informed. He said that the officers should take this task seriously and perform their duties responsibly. No negligence will be tolerated in this matter. Drainage deficiencies in the old areas of the southern District should be rectified and small and large storm water drains should be monitored. If there is a problem, it should be solved so that rainwater can easily pass through the city in the coming monsoon.