Category: Pakistan

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir) The majority of Pakistan’s population, directly or indirectly, relies on the largest sector of the country’s economy; agriculture. The sector single-handedly contributes roughly 24% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is responsible for employing almost half of Pakistan’s labour force.

This year, however, saw some of the most disastrous flooding, leading to unprecedented losses and spillover effects on the industry, external trade and services sectors. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), approximately 9.4 million acres of crop area in Pakistan was submerged in August, 2022.

In an effort to recognise the hard work and resilience of our nation’s farmers, foodpanda and Sarsabz Fertilizers/Fatima Fertilizers (Fatima Group) have joined hands for this year’s Salam Kissan campaign. Through the partnership, Fatima Fertilizers has provided foodpanda with special delivery bags, designed to pay tribute to the efforts of farmers across the country. By simply scanning the QR code from the delivery bag, customers can pay tribute to the farmers of the country on their Instagram accounts using the interactive filter.

A total of 100,000 bags have been designed to support the agriculture community, and distributed to HomeChefs in 15 different cities. Customers will receive their foodpanda orders in the new bags starting from 12th December until the 19th; just a day after the Sarsabz Fertilizer initiated farmer’s day i.e., 18th December.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Punjab Central Business District Development Authority (PCBDDA), has registered Pakistan’s first business district Central business District (CBD Punjab), as a flagship project on the development landscape of Punjab. CBD Punjab is a business hub that has emerged as an economic bone for the province of Punjab. To upgrade the infrastructure of Lahore, the authority has started construction of CBD Punjab Boulevard and Kalma Chowk Underpass remodeling for a cost of Rs 4.2 billion. In order to complete the project on time out of a total of 2000 retaining piles, 1200 retaining piles have been completed in a very short period of time which is a great milestone. CEO of CBD Punjab, Mr. Imran Amin is personally overseeing the progress of the CBD Punjab Boulevard and Kalma Chowk underpass remodeling project and is spending more time with the technical team on-site and directed the employees of the authority to complete the project by February 2023, so that the residents of Lahore, can get relief from the temporary problems they are facing due to constructions works. Executive Director Technical, of CBD Punjab, Mr.Riaz Hussain has said, that “The authority has allocated a budget of approx. Rs 11 billion for development works, along with the completion of retaining piles on the Kalma Chowk Underpass remodeling project, the construction of the parking plaza at the CBD Punjab project site is also in full swing. The pouring of the parking plaza roof has been completed today, almost 430 cubic meters (m3) of concrete has been poured into the roof of the parking plaza. As directed by our CEO Mr. Imran Amin to ensure the uninterrupted flow of traffic, we have expedited the construction work to the maximum”. A comprehensive alternative traffic plan for the complete closure of Kalma Chowk underpass is being prepared which will be communicated to the public soon. The CBD Punjab administration is committed to completing the 365-meter-long underpass before the stipulated time for the convenience of the people.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi fulfilled another promise to the journalist community. On the direction of Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, Ravi Urban Development Authority has alloted 700 kanals of land for Journalist Colony Phase 2 in its first phase. Chief Operating Officer Ravi Urban Development Authority informed Punjab Journalist Housing Foundation about the allotment of 700 kanals of land in phase one of RUDA. President of Lahore Press Club Azam Chaudhry and Secretary General PFUJ Rana Mohammad Azim met with Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi. Press Secretary Chief Minister Iqbal Chaudhary and DGPR Rao Parvez Akhtar were also present on the occasion.

Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi sent the RUDA notification to Azam Chaudhry and Rana Mohammad Azim regarding the allotment of land. Development work is already underway at RUDA phase One. Providing a roof for journalists is my top priority. Chaudhry Parvez Elahi said while talking to the delegation. Plots were given to journalists in the previous period too and also fulfilled his promise to give plots to remaining journalist members.

Chaudhary Parvez Elahi said that plots will also be given to Press Club employees and disabled, sick journalists in Journalist Colony Phase 2.

Lahore Press Club President Azam Chaudhary and Secretary General PFUJ Rana Muhammad Azim thanked the Chief Minister Punjab for the notification of 700 kanals of land for Journalist Colony Phase II. They said that Journalists will always remember your kind gesture and it reflects that Chaudhry Parvez Elahi is the benefactor of the entire journalist community. Azam Chaudhary said that CM Punjan has fulfilled the dream of a roof for every journalist.

Five grants each worth £30,000 will support on the development and delivery of projects that contribute to the Gender Ecologies programme focused on women, climate change and arts.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir) The British Council as part of Pakistan/UK: New Perspectives announced the winners of its Gender Ecologies Grant Programme today. The Gender Ecologies Grants were open for applications from October-November 2022 and offered grants each worth £30,000 to support on the development and delivery of projects that contribute to the Gender Ecologies programme, which explores the intersection of women, climate change and arts. The grants support collaboration between Pakistan and the UK with the proposal being Pakistan-led.

The five winning grants are The Way We Ate by SOC Films and Legacy West Midlands; Breaking the Waves: Stories of Women from the Indus Delta by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Pakistan and Film London; Understanding Indigenous Theory on the Environment through the Female Lens by Marvi Mazhar & Associates and University of Westminster; “The River’s Daughter” – a multilingual theatre musical by ALL4ONE Communications (Private) Limited and Insaan Culture Club Limited; and Permaculture Gardens of Resilience by Apnakam and Adrian’s Croft.

Laila Jamil, Head of Arts, British Council Pakistan, said: “The five winning grants represent the best of Pakistan and UK collaboration and feature some extremely innovative ideas. From a virtual ‘Museum of Food’ to theatre musicals and community kitchens teaching permaculture, there is a real diversity of platforms and ideas and I cannot wait for the projects to get underway so they can be shared more widely.

“Climate change is one of our main priorities at the British Council as it is one of the most urgent global challenges we face, particularly affecting the Global South. Through artistic engagement the projects aim to communicate climate issues and promote sustainable practices, highlighting the essential role women play in mitigating the impact of climate change.” 

Mariya Afzal, Regional Head of Arts, South Asia, British Council, said: “The Gender Ecologies Grant is the final legacy project of our Pakistan/UK: New Perspectives programme which celebrated the 75^th anniversary of Pakistan. Through the programme we were able to partner with 55 organisations, engage face-to-face with over 31,000 people and reach over 80 million people through online, print, radio and television media in Pakistan and the UK. The biggest legacy of our work is the partnerships we made between Pakistan and UK’s culture, creative and education sectors and the opportunities we were able to provide young people in Pakistan and the UK, especially young women and girls.”

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

More than 1000 retaining piles out of 2000 rating piles have been completed on CBD Punjab Underpass and Kalma Chowk Underpass Remodeling Project. Lahore: Monday, December 12, 2022. Imran Amin CEO of Punjab Central Business District Development Authority (PCBDDA), also known as Central Business District (CBD Punjab), has directed the official contractor National Logistic Cell (NLC) of Kalma Chowk Remodeling project to work 24 hours on the project. The project developed at a cost of Rs 4.2 billion has completed 1000 retaining piles out of 2000 total retaining piles within a period of one month. According to the CBD Punjab spokesperson the authority is utilizing all the resources to the maximum to complete the project ahead of the schedule as per directed by the CEO, for the convenience of the public. The shifting process is in progress to move electrical and telecommunication instruments at Ali Zaib Road. A comprehensive traffic plan will be communicated to the public in collaboration with the City Traffic Police Lahore before the Kalma Chowk underpass is completely closed. We are fully aware that there is traffic pressure in the vicinity and alternate routes are given to overcome it. During his visit to the project site CTO Lahore, Dr. Asad Malhi said, that due to the construction work, there is an influx of traffic on Kalma Chowk and its adjacent roads, especially during peak hours, but there is no complete traffic jam reported. Alternative routes have been provided for daily commuters. CBD Punjab has initiated this project to solve the problem of traffic congestion permanently. We apologize to the public for the temporary inconvenience. CBD Punjab management and City Traffic Police, Lahore have requested the citizens to use alternative routes while traveling in Kalma Chowk and its adjoining areas so that they can avoid inconvenience. Imran Amin, the CEO, of CBD Punjab, has specially thanked and showed his profound gratitude for the continuous support of Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, Commissioner Lahore Mr. Amir Jan and all the stakeholders for their continuous support.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

Malala Fund co-founders Malala Yousafzai and Ziauddin Yousafzai are due to arrive in Lahore, Pakistan this week for a series of interactions with key stakeholders in education, government, the development community, media, digital cultural creators, students and youth, along with advocates from the Malala Fund Education Champion Network and partners.

While in Pakistan, the co-founders will also join an eminent academic delegation from the Oxford Pakistan Programme [OPP] and the Malala Fund team across a series of events to increase awareness of the OPP within Pakistan, with a specific focus on science education for Pakistani girls. The promotion of secondary school-aged girls’ access to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics [STEAM] education is a major pillar of the Malala Fund in Pakistan who are currently working with the Ministry of Federal Education to implement an ambitious programme on STEAM Education with other partners to reform 13000 government high schools across Pakistan.

During this trip, co-founder Malala Yousafzai will also highlight work with the Oxford Pakistan Programme (OPP), an initiative led by her alma mater. The OPP initiative aims to bridge Oxford and Pakistan’s academic communities, including a newly established fellowship with Malala Fund, Lady Margaret Hall (LMH), the OPP and Oxford’s Department of Education. The Malala Visiting Fellowship in Education will facilitate teacher training courses in Pakistan to address the shortage  of trained teachers, especially women, in Pakistan.  

The co-founders will also be engaging with thought leaders, students, academia and activists across a series of events including panels and roundtables with both emerging and established voices for a greater view on Pakistan’s present and future.

While in Lahore, Malala Yousafzai and Ziauddin Yousafzai will also hold a meeting with the Chief Minister of Punjab with a focus on education and the work of the Malala Fund in Pakistan.

  Malala Yousafzai last visited Pakistan in October 2022 to meet with young women and families from flood-impacted communities in Sindh and to call on the international community to increase aid to Pakistan. During the trip, Malala announced Malala Fund’s commitment to pledge $700,000 (PKR 154 Million) to organizations in Pakistan to support flood relief.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

The Amir S. Chinoy Foundation “ASCF” is associated with the Amir S. Chinoy Group which comprises of 3 publicly listed companies; International Steels Limited “ISL”, International Industries Limited “IIL” and Pakistan Cables Limited.

International Steels Limited’s partner Cargill has also pledged to support Dawn Relief along with ASCF.  Together ASCF and Cargill have committed to rebuilding over 90 homes in villages devastated by the floods, starting with Bajara Sindh.

“With the devastation caused by the floods and winter approaching, it has now become critical to provide permanent shelter to communities as we transition from emergency relief to resettlement,” said Samir M. Chinoy, Chairman ASCF. “ASCF and Cargill are proud to support Dawn Relief’s rehabilitation efforts, considering the organization’s credible record in disaster management,”

In the immediate aftermath of the devastating floods, the ASC Foundation contributed towards immediate flood relief efforts through various other non-profits. The funds helped provide food, comfort kits and other relief supplies to families and individuals impacted by the floods in Sindh.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)

The two day exhibition of beautiful thematic art pieces created by Young brilliant artists from all over Pakistan concluded here at Zahoor ul Akhlaq Art Gallery, National College of Arts Lahore . The exhibition received outstanding response from the visitors for two days at the same venue.

The exhibition was organized by The Little Art as final presentation of 13th annual National Child Art competition. The Little Art also hosted the prize distribution ceremony at the auditorium in National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore.

Child winners artists who were selected to present their works at the prestigious Zahoor Ul Akhlaq Gallery at NCA, Lahore was awarded certificates and prizes by the honourable guests. Young artists got Gold, Silver and Bronze medals, cash prizes and Tablets. This year best performing schools and teachers also got prizes for their great participation.

The two day exhibition was inaugurated by Prof.Dr. Murtaza Jafri, Vice Chancellor, National College of Arts (NCA) Lahore on Wednesday evening. The guest of honours at the opening included Saman Rai, DG, Population Welfare Department, Israr Chishti, Fakha Ullah Tahir, Dr. Faisal Sajjad.

This year, 270 schools and 24 community organizations working in education sector from across the Pakistan has participated in the 13th ArtBeat. The Jury of this year 13th ArtBeat consisted Abdul Jabbar Gul, Sculptor, Karachi Ali Azmat, Shireen Bano Rizvi, Irfan Gul Dahri, Sajjad Akram, Shajia Azam.and Kiran Saleem.

Director ArtBeat – National Child Art Competition Shoaib Iqbal thanked the jury and distinctive guests presented in the Exhibition. He said that basic aim of the National Child Art competition is to celebrate the creative brilliances of our kids by exhibiting their artwork in Galleries. The themes of 13th Art beat compeition were 75 years of Pakistan, Child Labour and Dialogue.

Young artists created a wide collection of unique art pieces.Jury validated each art piece and select winners after tough process. Through this competition we are able to create space for future artists by displaying their artwork in prestigious galleries like Zahoor ul Akhlaq, PNCA and others.

He mentioned that Artbeat is in its 13th edition now. The project was initiated in 2012 with a vision to promote visual culture, understanding of issues among children and youth from their own perspective, celebrate children as artists and present children’s views as a point of discourse for adults and the community.

In the past 12 years, nearly 100,000 children have participated as artists in ArtBeat. The exhibition was curated show of over 116 artworks at the Zahoor Ul Akhlaq Gallery in NCA. Child artists who were selected to present their works at the gallery exhibitions in Lahore was awarded certificates and prizes by the honorable guests. The Little Art is a non –profit organization working for promoting arts education and providing creative learning opportunities to children and young people in Pakistan.

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Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

MA BOLI – a very inclusive cultural evening hosted by For a Cause in collaboration with The Little Art, Aangun and Nashtay Walay on others day.Founded by Sadaf Usman, “For a Cause” is a social enterprise, that works in the field of self empowerment, life skills and positivity by conducting interactive talks, training & storytelling sessions.

Lahore (Qasim Ali)

THAAP arranged a thought-provoking talk on a recently published book entitled “Pakistan’s Wars”. Dr. Tariq Rahman, the writer of the book, presented a brief insight into the book while reading and discussing the content in his informative and enlightening talk.

Prof. Dr. Tariq Rahman-  Dean & Professor BNU expressed that the book “Pakistan’s Wars” studies the wars Pakistan has fought over the years with India as well as other non-state actors. Focusing on the first Kashmir war (1947-48), the wars of 1965 and 1971, the 1999 Kargil war, and the low-level and covert military actions, the book analyses the decisions which led to them.

While giving the details of his book, the writer claimed that most of these decisions were taken by cliques even when the highest office-holders of the state were involved in them. His analysis provides insights into the possibility of avoiding risky behavior patterns of the past for South Asia as a whole.

The writer mentioned that the book also brings to the fore the experience of subalterns (widows, children, common soldiers, displaced civilians, and villagers living near borders) or ‘situational subalterns’ (those accused of spying or cowardice, military personnel damaged psychologically and the families of officers) in the form of interviews.It’s a precise account of war stories that are full of suffering, bravery, and patriotism too.

Earlier the Talk commenced with the opening remarks by Ar Zubair Ishfaq. Prof Sajida Haider Vandal, CEO of THAAP then welcomed the author and speaker Prof. Dr. Tariq Rahman, and the participants. The Talk was attended by a large number of people belonging to different walks of life.

The writer gave answers to the question of the participants and in his concluding remarks, he stated that the book is a nuanced and accessible military history of Pakistan. It will be indispensable to scholars and researchers of military history, defense and strategic studies, international relations, political studies, war and conflict studies, and south Asian studies. He also thanked THAAP for providing its platform for insightful discussion. The Talk ended with the closing tea.