PESHAWAR, Sep 07 (APP):Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shah Farman on Monday conferred the prestigious civil award ‘Tamgha-e-Imtiaz’ to renowned architect Naeem Pasha at a ceremony held here at Governor House on Monday.

The award has been given to Naeem Pasha, a creative architect from Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who has been involved in the field of architecture for the past 50 years.
Naeem Pasha has planned designs of different big projects that garnered national and international acclamation.

His designed projects included National Gallery of Arts in Islamabad, extension of Peshawar Museum, Department of Archaeology at University of Peshawar, Asghar Khan Pakistan Air Force Training Academy in Risalpur, State Life Building in Islamabad, design of St. Thomas Church, Arts and Crafts Village.

Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shah Farman on the occasion congratulated Naeem Pasha on receiving the Presidential Award and wished him good luck.

The ceremony was attended by Provincial Ministers, Members of Parliament, IG Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Dr. Sanaullah Abbasi, Administrative Secretaries and relatives of the Naeem Pasha.

KARACHI, Sep 07 (APP):Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Air Vice Marshal Abbas Ghuman Air Officer Commanding, Southern Air Command on Monday said that All the armed forces are well prepared to defend borders of the country, Pakistan Air Force is always ready for aerial defence and glimpse of PAF’s preparedness was witnessed by the whole world in February 2019.

Talking on the occasion of wreath laying ceremony at grave of Rashid Minhas Shaheed, he said that September 7 reminds us about the great sacrifices rendered by our martyrs in the line of defence of the country and Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas Shaheed is one of those great Shuhada.

He said we have gathered at the grave of Rashid Minhas Shaheed to pay him tribute. Rashid Minhas is national hero.

Family members and Officer Commanding Wing Commander Faisal Bukhsh of the unit of Rashid Minhas and officers were also present on the occasion.

ISLAMABAD, Sep 7 (APP):Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Shehryar Khan Afridi Monday warned the world against a brewing nuclear conflict on Kashmir, saying that the United Nations must immediately act to stop genocide of Kashmiris and war crimes in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) before its too late.

Afridi expressed these views while addressing a seminar held to highlight the enforced disappearances and half widows of IIOJK.

Kashmiri activist Abdul Hameed Lone moderated the proceedings of the seminar held under aegis of JKDMSI on mass graves and enforced disappearances in IIOJK.

Shehryar Afridi said that India was using backdoor channels to talk to Pakistan but Pakistan would not talk to India unless Kashmir was on the table.

He said Kashmir has become a major issue in the global digital space and Pakistan would not allow India mislead the world on the ongoing genocide in IIOJK.

He said unfortunately, the past regimes did not put the Kashmir as their top priority and that was the reason that despite rendering unmatched sacrifices, Kashmir issue remains unresolved.

He said we are reaching out to all the global platforms to raise Kashmir, adding that Kashmir was his passion and the Kashmir Committee was engaging with 22 global fora to sensitize the world on the issue of Kashmir.

The Kashmir Committee was engaging Parliamentarians and Kashmiri activists with our diaspora to send their message on Kashmir, he added.

He said modern tools of art and culture would also be employed to raise global awareness on Kashmir.

“We left cultural front wide open in the past but now we will use culture as our arsenal. Dynamics are changing and now Indians are requesting the UNSC to remove Kashmir from its agenda. It reflects Indians are facing a defeat at the UN and now they want to run away. But we won’t let them run from The UNSC, ” he said.

He said Pakistan was also raising concerns with the owners of the social media applications in wake of international media reports on Indian officials misuse of social media to gag voices on Kashmir.

He urged youth to play a proactive role in developing global awareness on Kashmir and said that social media tools should be employed to raise Kashmir at global digital space.
President of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJ&K) Sardar Masood Khan said there were mass graves other than identified 8000 mass graves in IIOJK.

He said extrajudicial killings have become a norm and Indian forces arrest youth and later gun down the youth under arrest in fake police encounters.

He said the world well knows about the Indian atrocities being committed by the occupational forces in the IIOJK but commercial interests were major hurdle in taking action against India.

He said we must proliferate the success achieved at diplomatic fora. He said after the five lakh Kashmiri domiciles issued to Indians, Indian regime was planning to award citizenship rights to 17,00,000 migrant workers.

He said India was planning to repeat Muslim genocide in Kashmir on the pattern of Jammu massacre, adding that India was implementing a vicious plan in Kashmir and it wants to eliminate Kashmir in next two years.

“So technically, Pakistan does not have much time and we have to inform the world community on the Indian vicious plan for Kashmir,” he added.

He said Pakistan had achieved success at many international diplomatic platforms last year and India was defeated which was unprecedented in history. He said there was a need to transform Kashmir into a global civil society movement and youth must lead it.
Altaf Hussain Wani said enforced disappearances falls under war crimes but lamented for inaction by the world.

Working group on enforced disappearances and Special reporter of United Nations report issued two days back also called upon India to act.

He said the UN has also urged India to identify those found in mass graves. He said India has yet not ratified UN convention on enforced disappearances and hence it was not doing enough.

“Indian civil society has also acted to point out human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.

He called upon the youth to engage with the world and share and promote various reports of various reporteurs on Kashmir.

Noreen Arif MNA urged youth to play active role in raising awareness on mass graves, enforced disappearances and rape being used as weapon of war in IIOJK.

Former AJK minister Khwaja Farooq called upon the education ministry to add chapters on Kashmir in curriculum so that youngsters may better know facts about the issue of Kashmir.

Saira Kazmi, a scholar from a local University highlighted mass graves and enforced disappearances in the Occupied Kashmir. She proposed that Jammu & Kashmir should be taught in Pakistani universities as a subject.

Muzdalfa Ahmed, a girl student from United Kingdom said that foreigners do not understand the Kashmir issue and we need to provide information about the Kashmir issue.

Arqam Al-Hadeed, a student from Britain, said younger generation needs to be involved in diplomacy on Kashmir. She said that social media platforms can prove to be a major source of information for youth as British media doesn’t cover Kashmir adequately. She said that overseas youth should be get involved with the campaign on Kashmir.

ATTOCK, Sep 07 (APP):Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam on Monday initiated plantation of 5,000 saplings in connection with Defence Day to tribute the war heroes of 1965 at Ghazi Barotha project site in Kamra village Attock.

Speaking on the occasion, the SAPM said living nations never forget their martyrs and always remember their eternal sacrifices.

Malik Amin Aslam said, “This campaign has been named after the war heroes of 1965 including Major Aziz Bhatti Shaheed, MM Alam and other martyrs. Our Armed Forces are always ready to fight the enemy and February 27, 2019 is a clear example of this.”
He added that during this Defence Day plantation campaign trees were being planted on the Ghazi Barotha project. It was a perpetual charity and everyone should take part in planting saplings.

“A Shauhada (Martyrs’) Park will also be constructed at this place soon and eight cricket grounds will also be constructed.”

Amin informed that 5,000 saplings would be planted at Ghazi Barotha and 1.2 million saplings would be planted in the current phase of tree planting.

The SAPM said that this year 200 million trees would be planted across the country in connection with the ongoing monsoon tree planting campaign and soon this target would be raised to one billion.

“Pakistan is ranked fifth in terms of vulnerability due to climate change and I am working hard to change its global climate risk ranking.”

He said that 33.1 percent of the area in the country should be covered by forests while there was only 5 percent of the area covered by forests.

In addition, he said proper care and maintenance of all plants would be arranged, he added.

The Special Assistant said that the main objective of this campaign was to make the sacred motherland greener and beautiful so that environmental pollution could be eradicated from the country.

He urged the masses that on this important occasion the people should join hands with the government and cooperate in this campaign to increase the beauty of the country

ISLAMABAD, Sep 7 (APP):Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain Monday said work on historic financial package for Karachi’s transformation had been commenced to resolve the chronic municipal and infrastructure problems faced by the metropolitan city.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had unveiled Rs 1.1 trillion a landmark historical package to improve sewerage and drainage system of mega city, he lauded while talking to a private news channel.

The minister said the Pakistan Peoples’ Party had been ruling the Sindh province for over 12 years, but it had done nothing to improve the transport, sewerage and drainage system of Karachi.

Not a single penny under the package had issued to the Sindh government directly, rather all the funds would be spent on the city’s development projects by the Federal Government under its own supervision, he added.

He said the previous provincial governments had launched unnecessary and redundant projects in their respective provinces for kick back and corruption. The previous governments had looted the provincial and national exchequers ruthlessly during their regimes, he alleged.

Replying to a question, he said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders were doing politics of fraud as its bigwigs went to abroad on medical ground, but rather getting medical treatment enjoying luxurious life there. All the PML-N leaders had looted billion rupees and involved in massive corruption and money laundering.

He said the PML-N politics were surrounding on getting National Reconciliation (NRO), but its big stalwarts would be failed to do so.

PESHAWAR, Sep 07 (APP):Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has directed the quarters concerned to ensure timely completion of all the projects initiated with regard to tourism development including construction of access roads to tourist sites.

He particularly directed for immediate release of funds required for timely completion of the improvement and construction of Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium Peshawar and stated that this was the mega project of provincial government which should be completed within the stipulated timeline at all cost.

He also directed for well trained tourism operators in accordance with the needs of local, national and international tourists and made it clear that integrated development of tourism was one of the top most priority areas of incumbent government for which all the concerned departments would have to fulfill their responsibilities well in time.

He was presiding over a meeting of tourism department at Chief Minister House Peshawar on Monday. Special Assistant to CM on Information Kamran Bangash, Chief Secretary Dr. Kazim Niaz, Additional Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir, Secretary Tourism Abid Majeed and other concerned high officials attended the meeting.

The meeting was briefed about the overall progress made so far in tourism sector and told that work orders for the construction of access roads to tourist sites in Hazara and Malakand division have been issued. All the access roads would be completed within the stipulated timelines.

An initiative with regard to capacity building of Hospitality Industry and tour operators was also underway for which hiring of staff, procurement of equipments and training would be completed during current financial year.

Similarly, work is also in progress on the establishment of tourism facilitation centres and rest areas at Abbottabad, Swat and Mansehra whereas Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Impact Challenge Program has already been completed under the youth development package. It was further told that under this project, five Jawan Marakiz had been established and issue of land acquisition for the establishment of remaining 15 Jawan Marakiz had been taken up with the concerned deputy commissioners.

Briefing about the progress on improvement and construction of Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium Peshawar, the meeting was informed that 85% of work on seating structure, hostel and pavilion buildings and toilet blocks had been completed while work on the provision of other facilities and improvement of ground was in progress.

The Chief Minister directed the Finance Department to release Rs. 300 million required for the early completion of this project.

The meeting was told that under the project regarding provision of indoor sports facilities for female, 70% work on establishment of gymnasium and multi-purpose hall at Mardan has been completed while civil work would soon be started on the establishment of gymnasiums and multi-purpose halls at Kohat, D.I.Khan, Bannu, Swat, Abbottabad and Peshawar.

About the initiatives taken in the light of Prime Minister’s directives, the meeting was told that requests for proposals (RFPs) had been issued for out sourcing and online booking of 48 rest houses. Similarly, RFPs for 94 rest houses have also been finalized and would be published this week.

It was further revealed that geo-mapping of the tourists sites would also be completed within the timelines. Feasibility studies of international standards on 10 projects for foreign and domestic investments are also underway.

Similarly, under the directive regarding integrated plan for development and promotion of tourism aligned with national tourism strategy/ action plan, provincial integrated plan is being processed through NCCT meetings and directions.

Integrated Tourism Management Plan 2021 is under development and would be completed by 31st of October this year. Beside tourism activities calendars (both general and winter season) have been developed.

The meeting was also informed that through the anti-encroachment drive, 67.57 Kanal area has been recovered in Kalam and 11 illegal structures have been demolished in Galayat.

In light of the decisions taken in the meeting of national coordination committee on tourism, 11 potential tourism sites have been identified in the province whereas short term, mid-term and long term plans have been prepared for sustainable tourism development which would be presented in matrix form to relevant federal forum.

In order to develop Bhudda corridor, Gandhara trail has already been identified and Gandhara festival 2021 is being planned.

Furthermore, various tourism activities have been proposed for winter season 2020 and potential sites including merged areas have been identified for development of new tourist areas to minimize stress on existing sites and increase the tourist spots in the province.

LAHORE, Sep 07 (APP):Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar Monday announced notifying the service structure for the rescue employees within a few days.
He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of one of the five newly built rescue stations in Lahore, to ensure provision of timely emergency services to the residents of the expanding city.

He inaugurated the Harbanspura Rescue Station, built on the request of the Lahore Press Club president. Five new rescue stations have been built in Lahore including the Harbanspura, Walled City, Shadbagh, Maraka and Kot Abdul Malik rescue stations.

The chief minister said that the allowances of rescue staff deducted earlier would also be restored. He also announced that the fixed daily allowance of rescuers would be increased as per the analogy of police, and directed the additional chief secretary (Home) Punjab to implement that as early as possible.

Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat, Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Momin Agha, Secretary Information Raja Jahangir, Director General Punjab Emergency Service Dr Rizwan Naseer, Commissioner Lahore Zulfiqar Ghumman and Deputy Commissioner Danish Afzal, Regional and District Emergency Officers Rescue 1122 Lahore, Senior Officers from Rescue Headquarters and Academy, LPC president, and a large number of rescuers and residents of Harbanspura attended the ceremony.

The chief minister said the Punjab government had approved 76 new rescue stations across the province after which emergency services would be available in all tehsils of Punjab without discrimination in case of any accident, emergency or disaster. The Motorbike Ambulance Service would also be established in all districts of Punjab.

The CM congratulated the residents of journalist colony and Harbanspura over establishment of new rescue station in their area.

He also congratulated LPC President Arshad Ansari, who identified the need for rescue services and requested for establishment of a rescue station at Harbanspura. He appreciated the Communication & Works Department for the construction of all rescue stations in Punjab.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the Punjab CM said that rescue service was a pride for the government. The lifesaving service was our pride and a ray of hope for the public. The services of rescuers are appreciated across Punjab. Rescue-1122 always remains available in case of emergencies and disaster whether it’s a flood, fire incidents, building collapse, bomb blast or corona, the department always timely responds to emergencies and helps the victims.

The Punjab CM said: “When I chaired the first meeting of the Punjab Emergency Council, I was briefed that it is being conducted after 15 years, though that was mandatory to address the rescue issues like service structure, regularisation and allowances.”

Earlier, DG Rescue Punjab Dr Rizwan Naseer briefed the CM that the PES rescued over 8.4 million, saved over Rs 450 billion due to timely response and professional management of over 150,000 fire incidents, and became the first United Nations INSARAG Classified Team in South Asia. He said that due to his current team, the PES had gained professional capacity to respond to disasters like the 2005 earthquake, etc.

Besides, over one million rescue scouts have been trained across Punjab and during coronavirus pandemic, rescuers provided services in shifting of patients, hospitals, disinfection and burials.

Rescuers and rescue scouts (volunteers) demonstrated lifesaving skills at the newly established station.

ISLAMABAD, Sep 7 (APP):Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Javed Iqbal on Monday said that bureau is prioritizing the training of its investigation officers on modern lines as human capabilities are imperative for getting productive results.

In a statement, chairman said NAB attaches great importance to its Human Resource Management.

A comprehensive yearly Training Plan for 2020 was approved in order to enhance capacity building of NAB officers/officials and to ensure successful implementation of the Training Plan.

Training Cells were created at all Regional levels as primarily responsible to liaise and carry out the planned activities in their respective Regional Bureaus in coordination with T&R Division, NAB Headquarters.

Accordingly, a Training of Trainers (ToT) program was organized by the T&R Division NAB at NAB Headquarters.

Javed Iqbal said that NAB during the tenure of present management has recovered Rs. 363 billion of ill-gotten money directly and indirectly from corrupt elements and all were deposited in the national exchequer which is a remarkable achievement of NAB.

The figures of complaints, inquiries and investigations have increased as compared to the same period of 2019 to 2020.

The comparative figures of previous two years are indicative of the hard work being put in by all ranks of NAB officers/officials in an atmosphere of renewed energy and dynamism, where fight against corruption is being taken as a national duty.

Increase in the number of complaints also reflects enhanced public trust in the NAB.

He said that NAB is one of the investigation agencies, who has been prescribed for
efficient, effective and expeditious disposal of all cases including white collar crime cases a maximum limit of 10 months- from complaint verification-to- inquiry-to-investigation and finally to a reference in the Accountability Court. NAB has also introduced a new System of Combine Investigation Team (CIT) in order to benefit from the experience and collective wisdom of senior supervisory officers, a system of CIT consisting of Director, Additional Director, Investigation Officer and a Senior Legal Counsel has been put in place.

This will not only lend quality to the work but also ensure that no single individual can influence the proceedings. The results of CIT are very encouraging.

The Chairman NAB said that Transparency International Pakistan, World Economic Forum, PLIDAT and Mishal Pakistan have appreciated NAB’s efforts in order to aware people about the ill effects of corruption and to nab corrupt elements.

Gillani and Gallop Survey have indicated that 59 percent people have shown confidence upon NAB.

The Chairman NAB said that NAB said that a state of the art Forensic Science LAB has been established in NAB Rawalpindi.

The Forensic Science LAB has the capacity to conduct analysis in the fields of Digital Forensics, Questioned Documents; Fingerprints analysis so that investigation officers and prosecutors may utilize Forensic LAB facilities in order to investigate cases within stipulated time period as per law

QUETTA, Sep 7 (APP):Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Monday stressed the need to develop the agriculture sector in the province as it would reduce poverty, increase in employment opportunities and promote economic activities.

It would also lead to lasting peace in the province, he said while chairing a meeting to review the progress of ongoing and new projects in the agriculture sector. Minister for Agriculture Zamrak Khan Achakzai, and Additional Chief Secretary Planning and Development Abdul Rehman Buzdar were also present in the meeting.

Jam Kamal said with the completion dams, including the Katchi Dam, millions of acres of barren land would be brought under cultivation, which would have a positive impact on the province’s economy.

Secretary Agriculture Qambar Dashti told the meeting that some 27 previous agriculture projects were under way at the cost of Rs 37,212 million, while 16 new ones having estimated cost of Rs 2,905 million were undertaken during the current year. Eight ongoing and 10 new projects would be completed during the current year, he added.

He said the projects included the use of modern technology for water conservation, promotion of tunnel farming, strengthening of the Agricultural Department’s research laboratories, promotion of research and development and improvement through registration and certification of new varieties of wheat, rice, barley and vegetables were underway.

He said training programmes for farmers and landowners on modern farming methods were also undertaken.

Referring to the Katchi Canal Command Area Development Project, he said 37,877 acres of land connected to one to 10 distributaries would be made cultivable under phase-I of the project costing Rs 1,670 million while under Part-B of Phase-I some 15 distributaries would be built at the cost of Rs 550 million.

The secretary said a 1,000 ton capacity date processing plant and cold storage in Panjgur costing Rs 400 million was near completion.

He also briefed the meeting about Mirani Dam Command Area Development Programme and payment of compensation to the dam victims.

The chief minister directed for submission of a detailed report on the payment of compensation to the victims of Mirani Dam.

He also directed the department concerned to complete the development projects within the stipulated time and also for hiring local engineers.