Day: June 7, 2021

BAHAWALPUR:  The Senior Tutor Office of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur has organized a webinar on the role of co-curricular activities in the role building of the young generation and the possibilities and challenges of the digital age.

 

Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Athar Mahboob, renowned playwright, columnist, poet and education Asghar Nadeem Syed, renowned playwright, broadcaster columnist, poet Noorul Huda Shah, renowned motivational speaker Qasim Ali Shah, Principal University College of Arts and Design, Punjab University Lahore Samira Jawad and Dean Faculty of Social Sciences Prof Dr Rubina Bhatti talked to participants.

 

In his introductory remarks, Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Athar Mahboob praised the Senior Tutor’s Office for organizing a webinar on an important topic. He said that the Islamia University of Bahawalpur considers co-curricular activities as important as curricular activities as we understand them.

 

The curriculum activities play an important role in shaping the personality of the students and instilling in them the qualities of unity and leadership. For this purpose, we have more than 20 Student Societies working in various areas to give the opportunity to the students to develop harmony, team management and personality.

 

Speaking in the webinar, Asghar Nadeem Syed said that intellect and wisdom are nurtured in the young generation. He emphasized the promotion of science and art and literature for promotion. He said that fine arts are the cause of the mutual development of all sectors in any society.

 

He said that teachers should ensure the participation of students in extra-curricular and extra-curricular activities along with traditional education. In this way, students can be helped to think, understand and develop leadership skills.

 

“Due to distance from knowledge and literature and lack of proper training, we are turning the young generation into a mob instead of a nation,” said Noorul Huda Shah. By building student unions and societies, we can transform the younger generation into understanding and talented leaders.

 

Such activities instill in them a sense of tolerance and tolerance for respecting each other’s opinions. Motivational Speaker Qasim Ali Shah said that it is an indisputable fact that extra-curricular activities are important in inculcating positive and constructive thinking and attitudes in the younger generation.

 

Dr Samira Jawad, Principal, University College of Art and Design, University of the Punjab, Lahore, said that the digital age has created a technology culture. Digital culture has increased the opportunities for young people to move forward.

 

However, it has also had some detrimental effects. Through digital libraries and technology culture, the youth have access to sciences and arts from all over the world. Dean Faculty of Social Sciences Prof. Dr Rubina Bhatti and Senior Tutor Prof Dr Abdul Wahid Khan thanked the guest speakers, faculty and students of the webinar.

PESHAWAR:  The task force of PESCO on Monday took actions against power pilferers and defaulters in Mardan-1 Division.

 

During the operation, the PESCO task forces recovered Rs.2.8 million from defaulters and replaced 9 tampered meters. PESCO said the task forces also removed 67 direct hooks and confiscated 9 meters for nonpayment of the dues.

 

The teams recommended the Names of 28 persons to relevant police stations for registering FIRs against them. The task forces of Mardan-2 Division recovered Rs.0.95 Million from defaulters and removed 104 direct hooks from the main lines.

 

At Takhtbai Division, the task forces recovered Rs. 1.545290 from disconnected and defaulting consumers. It said drive against power pilferers will continue across the province, warning the consumers to stop power pilferage in the larger interest of the nation which causes financial and line losses to the company.

 

PESHAWAR:  Minister Food Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Atif Khan on Monday directed food authorities to launch a special campaign against overpricing of essential food commodities and flour mills to check both quality and quantity food items.

 

The minister while chairing a meeting of Food Department here on Monday directed to start special checking of essential food items and ensure availability of all food commodities including chicken, meat, fruits and vegetables at notifies rates.

 

The meeting decided to computerized all the recoded of food warehouses. The minister also directed to complete all inquiries in the food department at the earliest and initiate legal actions against officials involved in negligence of duties and malpractices.

 

Atif Khan directed district food controllers and Rationing Controllers to inspect grinding at flour mills to ensure that the wheat purchased by mills is grinded and the atta is supplied in the market. The minister also directed to evolve effective transparent and vibrant monitoring system to check price control of essential food items.

 

 

PESHAWAR:  Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) with the financial support of USAID (KPRP) program have completed reconstruction work of 60 flood affected schools in different districts of the province where educational activities have resumed.

 

Director General, PDMA Sharif Hussain Monday visited Swat and reviewed construction projects in Malakand Division and said that 55 clean water projects have been completed in the province including 22 projects in Buner district and 33 projects in Swat.

 

Senior officials of PDMA Pasara as well as officials of District Administration, Rescue 1122, Irrigation Department, Communication and Works, Highway Division were also present on the occasion. The DG directed the concerned quarters to utilize all the resources for completion of the projects under construction.

 

He directed the representatives of C and W to ensure the agreed standards in the reconstruction and construction. The DG was briefed about procurement of medical equipment for Saidu Teaching Hospital Swat and reconstruction of 13 Basic Health Centers (BHUs).

 

PESHAWAR:  Federal Minister for Defense Pervez Khan Khattak on Monday said separation of Pakistan People’s Party and Awami National Party was a major setback for Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) which had disintegrated the movement and shattered the dreams of Maulana Fazl ur Rehman.

 

He said the opposition would not resign from the parliament as they feared that people would again reject them in the general elections, adding that the opposition was not in a position to even move a no confidence motion.

 

Addressing a public gathering at Nowshera Kalan, district Nowshera, he said now opposition parties had rejected politics of resignations and protests and seeking help from the establishment to overthrow the government, he claimed.

 

Khattak dared the opposition parties to stage a sit-in and the government would provide them ground, food and other facilities or they should resign from the parliament.

 

He said desperate opposition parties were worried due to the ongoing accountability process in the country as the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan would not give them National Reconciliation Ordinance rather would hold them accountable for each penny they derived from national kitty.

 

“Pakistan and corruption cannot be run simultaneously and corrupt elements are being held accountable for each and every penny,” he remarked. The Minister said people have seen the real face of opposition parties who are least concerned about development and welfare of the masses. Opposition were making hue and cry just for skin saving, he added.

 

Khattak expressed gratitude to the people for supporting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in tough times and enabling the government to take the country out of challenges and putting it on a path of development and prosperity.

 

He said positive economic indicators have shocked the opposition parties who were criticizing the government over it, adding that soon Pakistan’s name would be removed from the gray list of FATF as Pakistan has achieved 31 points. Referring to budget 2021-22, he said the government would present a tax free pro-poor budget with relief for the common man and good news for the government employees.

 

Khattak said the days were not far when people would witness the development in the country by themselves. On the occasion, former district secretary information, Jamat Ulama Islam (JUI-F) from district Nowshera Kalan Mohammad Walid Akhtar announced joining of PTI along with family and friends.

LAHORE:  The Pakistan Railways has announced Rs 1.5 million as financial compensation for families of those killed in the train accident near Ghotki, as per its policy.

 

According to the PR spokesperson on Monday, the injured passengers will be given Rs 50,000 to Rs 300,000 according to minor and severe injuries. The PR has extended its heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the bereaved families.

 

The railway administration has started collecting data of the victims of the train accident on emergency basis and the process of providing relief money would also be started soon, the spokesperson said.

MULTAN:  Punjab minister for Energy Dr Akhtar Malik said that government was moving forward with practical steps shifting public facilities to solar energy under its clean and green energy plan to reduce expenses, ensuring judicious and smart use of taxpayers’ money.

 

He expressed these views after laying foundation of Rs 35 million solar energy project at children hospital complex Multan and opening a Rs 46 million Retrofitting Project at Nishtar Hospital along with Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday.

 

Minister of State Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar, Punjab parliamentary secretary for information and culture Muhammad Nadeem Qureshi were also present. Practical steps were under way to shift hospitals and educational institutions to solar energy, the minister said.

 

Dr Akhtar Malik held past rulers responsible for high electricity tariff saying they finalized costly agreements for their commissions and kickbacks and left the people alone to bear the brunt. The incumbent government inherited these agreements from the past rulers and cannot cancel these, he said adding that the government, however, opted for smarter planning aimed at bringing down the tariff in future.

 

He said that harnessing alternate means of energy resources was the only way forward. He said that the 450KW solar project would be completed by July end at children hospital at a cost of Rs 35 million. The hospital would save Rs 17. 5 million per annum on account of electricity bills, the minister explained.

 

Later, foreign minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Punjab Energy Minister Dr Akhtar Malik inaugurated Retrofitting project at Nishtar Medical University to reduce electricity consumption at the tertiary care health facility. Dr. Akhtar said that the project was completed at a cost of Rs 46 million and would save Rs 35 million per annum on account of electricity billing.

 

Minister disclosed that a 2 Megawatt solar project would also be installed at Nishtar hospital that would save expenses worth millions on electricity. He said that work was in progress to shift all basic health units and DHQ hospitals in Punjab to solar energy adding that so far over 11000 schools have been shifted to solar energy benefitting 1.1 million students studying there.

 

Moreover, 23 universities in Punjab were also undergoing this revolutionary transformation, the minister said adding that next phase would cover all the government offices and over 20 mausoleums of the saints in Punjab and plan has been finalized to make it happen.

 

Punjab parliamentary secretary for information and culture Muhammad Nadeem Qureshi said on the occasion that Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar was working hard to resolve problems of the people and promoting solar energy as per clean and green energy vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to counter the high-tariff-electricity problem confronting the people.