Author: Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Maj-Gen Shahzad Naeem Khan (retd) has joined Nutshell Group as Chief Public Affairs Officer, whereas Brigadier Riaz Ahmed (Retd) has joined as Group Executive Director.

Maj Gen Shahzad Naeem Khan (retd) has had an illustrious 40-year career in the Pakistan Army; he remained on various important positions, notably Division Commander and General Officer Commanding at Karachi, Brigade Commander at Multan, and Director General at Joint Staff Headquarters, Rawalpindi.

He is a graduate of Command & Staff College Quetta, and National Defence University (NDU) Islamabad. He also has overseas experience, including a stint in a UN Peace Mission in Africa and as Defence Attaché in Pakistan High Commission, Dhaka.

Brigadier Riaz Ahmed (retd) brings more than 30 years of professional experience in strategic and operational planning, policy formulation, security operations, management of large organizations, building and leading high-performance teams, administration, and human resource management.

He served as Commander Station HQ Karachi, President Cantonment Board Clifton / DHA, and Director Combat Evaluation and Doctrine Formulation at General Headquarters (GHQ). Brigadier Riaz Ahmed (R) is currently a PhD scholar of Public Administration at the University of Karachi.

He holds an M Phil from NDU Islamabad, a Masters in Management & Defence Studies from Canberra University, Australia, and another Masters in Political Science from Peshawar University. He is also a graduate of Command & Staff College Quetta, and Australian Command & Staff College, Western Creek, Canberra.

Expressing his views on these appointments, Muhammad Azfar Ahsan, Founder & CEO, Nutshell Group, said “I am elated that Maj Gen Shahzad Naeem Khan (retd) and Brigadier Riaz Ahmed (R) have become part of the Nutshell Group. I am confident that the rich and diverse experience they bring with them will contribute significantly in the growth and advancement of the organization and its future endeavors.”

Nutshell Group comprises Nutshell Conferences, Nutshell Communications (Private) Limited and Nutshell Solutions (Private) Limited. The group has been in the business of convening, attracting, harnessing, and sharing excellence for the last 18 years.-PR

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Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated his government’s much ambitious Kamyab Pakistan Programme (KPP) under which soft loans worth Rs1.4 trillion will be given to 3.7 million families.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony in Islamabad, Prime Minister Khan said that such a programme should have been launched 74 years back.

“We made the biggest mistake 74 years ago. We thought we should first collect revenue and then the country would prosper. This was a wrong decision,” he lamented, stressing the need for zeroing in on public welfare to alleviate poverty in the country.

“The Medina state’s was the most successful model in world history,” the prime minister maintained, adding that our country will move forward if it follows the Medina state’s principles of humanity and justice.

He regretted that our system benefits only a handful of elites, noting that inequality and injustice lead to the downfall of societies. Efforts are on to change priorities to uplift the living standards of the downtrodden, he said.

Talking about skyrocketing inflation, PM Khan said the government is well aware of the problems facing the poor due to price hike. He announced that a programme is being launched to provide targeted subsidy on essential commodities like flour, ghee and sugar.

The Kamyab Pakistan Programme consists of five components, including interest-free loans for farmers under the Kamyab Kisan programme, financing of up to Rs500,000 for setting up a business under the Kamyab Karobar programme, financing for construction of housing units under Sasta Ghar scheme and provision of skilled based scholarships to youth. Sehat Insaf Card will also be linked with the KPP.

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Legend Comedian Omar Sharif‘s Namaz-e-Janaza will be held today in germany. According to the latest reports that It has been decided to offer funeral prayers in Germany before the body of comedy king Omar Sharif is brought back to Pakistan.  Funeral prayers will be offered this (Monday) afternoon. Friends present there are requested to attend. Apparently return to Pakistan seems possible by Tuesday or Wednesday. After the return flight is finalized, the family will inform the details of the funeral prayers in Pakistan, God willing.

Star comedian Omar Sharif was being transported to the United States by air ambulance for heart treatment. They had to stop in Germany. Omar Sharif was being treated at a German hospital but died the previous day after undergoing kidney dialysis.

Omar Sharif’s death certificate has been issued by the hospital. However, his death certificate could not be issued by the municipality due to Saturday and Sunday holidays. An official death certificate will be issued by the German municipality on Monday, after which Omar Sharif’s body will be brought back to Pakistan. In Pakistan, his funeral prayers will be offered by Mufti Taqi Usmani, while his burial will be in the Abdullah Shah Ghazi Cemetery.

It is pertinent to mention that King of Comedy Umer died in Germany after a prolonged illness on Saturday. He was admitted to a hospital in Germany’s Nuremberg on Wednesday after his health condition deteriorated during his flight to the United State.