Pakistan Press International
MURREE:Anti-Tobacco activists have proposed that the government should raise taxes on tobacco products to curtail its use.
Speaking at a conference in Murree on Monday, they pledged to create awareness against the use of tobacco in Pakistan. They said making cigarettes unaffordable by implementing a health tax will be helpful in controlling the high number of tobacco users. On the occasion, health experts highlighted how tobacco adversely affects the human health.
ISLAMABAD:Kashmiri Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik’s wife Mishaal Malik has called upon the international community to play its role to stop India from violating fundamental prisoners’ rights in Yasin Malik case.
Addressing a news conference along with PPP leader Saleem Mandviwalla here in Islamabad on Monday, she said Yasin Malik has been kept in Tihar jail for the last three and a half years and he has been denied the legal access.
Mishaal Malik also asked Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to raise the matter at international forums. Speaking on the occasion, Saleem Mandviwalla assured Mishaal Malik that Pakistan will take all possible steps for the rights of Kashmiris especially Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik. He said if Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case can be taken to International Court of Justice then why Yasin Malik’s case cannot be considered.
ISLAMABAD:President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday asked the State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan (SLICP) to pay the Group Insurance claims to the widows of firemen of the Fire Brigade Department, Metropolitan Corporation, Multan, who had died in service.
“It’s saddening that insurance payments to poor widows are not carried out and it is shameful that they had to wait for 8-10 years”, said the President while upholding the decision of the Wafaqi Mohtasib ordering SLICP to pay Group Insurance to the widows of the firemen, take disciplinary action against officials under relevant laws, and report compliance within 30 days.
As per details, the complainants namely Mst Mukhtar Mai, Mst Nooran Mai, Mst Nasim Mai and Mst Azra Bibi had claimed that their husbands were employed as Firemen at the Fire Brigade Department, Metropolitan Corporation, Multan, who died during service.
Being widows, they applied to the SLICP (the Agency) for the payment of the Group Insurance death claims but to no avail. Feeling aggrieved, they approached the Wafaqi Mohtasib who passed the orders to grant them the insurance claims.
Afterwards, SLICP challenged the decision of the Mohtasib by filing a representation with the President against the decision. The Agency contended that the complainants were not entitled to the payment of insurance as the employees of the Metropolitan Corporation, Multan were not insured with SLICP and no premium on their behalf had ever been received.
The complainants, on the other hand, asserted that the deduction of Group Insurance amount was done regularly on monthly basis from the pay of their deceased husbands as regular employees of the Corporation, and hence, were entitled to the payment of insurance amount.
The perusal of the record showed that a Group Insurance Contract was executed between the Governor of Punjab through the Secretary, Local Government and Community Development Department, Government of Punjab and the State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan.
It provided that employees of all Local Governments in Punjab, including the Metropolitan Corporations, were covered under the contract, provided they paid the premium. After the perusal of the facts, the President rejected the representation of the SLICP and observed that the deceased firemen were regular employees of the Metropolitan Corporation, Multan and had paid monthly premiums according to their basic pay scales during their service.
He further noted that the complainants had also provided all the required documents to SLICP, therefore, the position of the insurance company was fallacious, unfounded, unjustified and thus, not acceptable.
The President termed the denial of payment to widows as “perverse and unjustified” and an act of maladministration on behalf of SLICP and directed that the agency was bound to pay the Group Insurance claims to the complainants under the contract.
“Such an attitude is an ugly spot on their reputation and does not behoove the principles to be established in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan according to our Constitution”, said the President and ordered SLICP to pay the insurance money to the widows.
ABBOTTABAD:At least five people were killed and 32 others injured when two speedy passenger coasters collided with each other and one fell down in hundreds feet deep ditch near Khaira Gali around 9:00 am on Monday.
According to a passenger, the two coaters of Riyala and Malkot were racing with each other due to which one of the coaters fell into a deep ravine near Khairgali due to over speeding. As a result, five passengers were killed and 32 injured passengers were shifted to different hospitals. Other minor injured passengers were given at spot treatment by the Rescue 1122.
According to hospital sources, condition of six injured is stated to be critical. Rescue operation conducted by the Galyat Police and Murree Police with swift action taken by Rescue 1122 Abbottabad and Murree, the injured and dead bodies were shifted to Murree District Headquarters Hospital, DHQ Abbottabad and Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Islamabad. Just after the fatal accident an emergency was declared in Civil Hospital Murree and all the injured were shifted to different medical facilities.
BANNU:To maintain law and order during the ongoing polio campaign in Bannu district, Deputy Commissioner Bannu Muhammad Zubair Khan Niazi on Monday under section 144 of the CrPC imposed a ban on pillion riding, aerial firing, display of weapons, tinted windows of vehicles and unregistered motorcycles for ten days from May 21 to May 30, 2022 in the district.
Strict legal action will be taken against violators under Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). This was announced in a statement issued by the Deputy Commissioner’s Office.
ISLAMABAD:Optima Integration Group, China and Asia Pak Investments, Pakistan in spirit to enhance Business to Business (B2B) Agricultural Cooperation between Pakistan and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday under the auspices of Board of Investment (BoI).
Federal Minister BOI Chaudhry Salik Hussain was the chief guest of the event and Secretary BOI Ms Fareena Mazhar also participated in the ceremony. The signatories included Mr Sam Siu, Chairman, Optima Integration Group and Mr Eusha Saleem Bajwa, CEO, Sino Pak Optima Technologies (SPOT).
Federal Minister BOI appreciated the interest of Chinese side in Agriculture and Livestock sector of Pakistan, particularly, Fish and Seafood industry. The Minister informed the participating parties about the establishment of Pakistan-China Business and Investment Forum (PCBIF) which is the result of joint efforts of Board of Investment (BOI), Chinese Embassy and All-Pakistan Chinese Enterprises’ Association (APCEA) and comprises of leading Pakistani and Chinese companies.
According to a press release, the project between the signing parties will comprise setting up an end-to-end supply chain for seafood export (79 species of fish are approved by General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) for export from Pakistan to China), to be produced in Pakistan and transported to China for consumption there.
It will include a high-tech processing facility and related technology transfer. In the first phase, the estimated investment will be around USD 50-million and will create more than 100 jobs in Gwadar and Karachi in Fishing, Power and Logistics sectors.
In the long run, the Project will expand from fish to beef and goat – starting off with exporting beef with cold chain transport, then scaling with Chinese standard breeding, feedlot operations, vaccinations, track and trace technology, and slaughter and pack facilities in Karachi.
The federal Minister congratulated both the companies on successful signing of the MoU and encouraged Chinese companies to invest in Pakistan. He assured the Chinese investors of concerted efforts from BOI’s side to facilitate the potential investors.
ISLAMABAD:Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo held a meeting with Federal Minister for Housing and Works Maulana Abdul Wasay in Quetta on Monday.
During the meeting, overall political situation and other matters of mutual interest were discussed. The meeting also discussed measures being taken to extinguish forest fire in Sherani district and issues relating to relief and rehabilitation of local people. It was agreed in the meeting that the federal and provincial governments will work together to extinguish the forest fire and ensure restoration and protection of forest and wildlife.