ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday heard the petition seeking a plea for disqualification of Senator Yousuf Raza Gilani. The Commission directed the applicants to appear before it in person on the next hearing. Member ECP Justice ® Mrs Irshad Qaisar said as the application was about criminal proceedings so that the verdict should come shortly as the case had been pending for long. The Commission sought the reason for not having the signature of applicants on the written reply.
Category: Pakistan
Pakistan
Two food dept Officials jailed for massive corruption
QUETTA: An Accountability Court (AC) here on Tuesday sentenced Assistant Director Food Balochistan Saeed Ahmed Mengal and Assistant Food Controller Ameer Bakhsh Khosa to a total of 12 years imprisonment and fined Rs 139.6 million for causing loss of million of rupee to the national exchequer.
The Accountability Court, Judge Allah Dad Roshan announced the verdict in the light of NAB Balochistan”s investigation and irrefutable evidence against the accused. NAB Special Prosecutor Rashid Zeb Golra pursued the case, said a press release issued here. The NAB’s investigation into the massive embezzlement in the food department revealed that the accused Assistant Director Food Balochistan Saeed Ahmed Mengal, as Project Director in connivance with the incharge PRC Dera Murad Jamali Ameer Bakhsh Khosa embezzled million of rupee in the purchase of wheat bags. The NAB having completed the investigation against the accused submitted the reference to the accountability court.
Tarbela dam power generation 1340MW
TARBELA: The power generation of the Tarbela dam Tuesday reached 1340 megawatts while the water level of the reservoir slightly increased to 1436.80 feet. According to the Tarbela Dam officials, the water inflow was recorded at 136600 cusecs feet while the outflow was 132600 and the water level of the reservoir remained 1436.80 feet. Today 10 power generation plants out of 17 have produced only 1340 megawatts of electricity while the plants were working with low capacity and seven of them were shutdown. It was also disclosed, about 800 cusecs of water were released for Pehur High-Level Canal (PHLC) to supply water, some areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for irrigation. Water inflow in the dam was also increased during the last couple of days owing to the snow and glaciers melting caused by the scorching heat, water level in Tarbela dam reservoir would increase and it would also raise the power generation of the dam.
No junior to be appointed to higher post in SH&ME Dept
LAHORE: The Punjab Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education (SH&ME) has ended the culture of granting charge of higher post in the Own Pay and Scale (OPS) to the junior officers/ doctors working in medical institutions and hospitals. According to a spokesperson for the SH&ME here on Tuesday, the department issued an order stating therein that giving charge of higher post in the OPS without approval of the appointing authority would be canceled/ withdrawn immediately. SH&ME Secretary Barrister Nabeel Ahmed Awan said that no medical institution/ hospital would, in future, appoint any officer/ official to higher post in the OPS without approval of the competent authority. He said that the culture or malpractice was flagrant violation of merit and the rules, which caused heart-burning to senior officers. He warned that heads of the institutions would be held responsible if any order of charge of higher post to junior doctor was issued without proper approval.
AIOU set for online admissions from Autumn 2021 semester
ISLAMABAD: The Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) on Tuesday has announced to offer admission via fully automated mechanism from Autumn 2021 semester. According to AIOU, prospectuses and admission application forms for all programs will be available online on the university website (www. aiou. edu. pk). Applicants will not only be required to fill online application form but also upload relevant documents on online admission portal. However, printed prospectuses and admission forms will be available in those areas where internet facilities are either nonexistent or very scarcely available. Moreover, students can also deposit admission fee online via Jazz cash, Easypaisa and Upaisa mobile applications, retailer agent, franchises as well as through the branches of Mobilink, Telenor and Ubank. It is pertinent to mention here that admissions in the first phase of autumn 2021 semester will be offered on July 15 across the country for matriculation, intermediate, certificate courses, BS (face to face), M Phil and PhD programs. The AIOU has established facilitation desks at the regional offices of the university throughout the country on the special directives of Prof Dr Zia Ul-Qayyum, VC, AIOU to facilitate students in the online admission process so that the students may avail internet facilities free of cost. Admissions in the second phase of autumn 2021 semester will be offered from September 1 for the programs including BS, BA (Associate Degree) and various B Ed programs. It is pertinent to mention here that AIOU has fully transformed its key academic, administrative and financial operations from manual to automation to enhance transparency and efficiency. As a pilot project, all important academic operations of post graduate programs including admissions, workshops, assignment submission were digitalized from spring 2020 semester. The students have greatly admired the University”s administration for providing them educational facilities at their doorsteps with efficiency and accuracy.
Goods train derailed near Kotri
HYDERABAD: Two bogies of a freight train were derailed near Kotri railway station on Tuesday morning causing suspension ofrailway traffic on down track for several hours. However no injury orloss of life is reported. According to railway officials, two bogies of a freight train headingtowards Karachi from Lahore derailed near Kotri railway station, as aresult of which a 300 feet railway track had been damaged. Following the incident, Pakistan Railways relief teams along withcranes rushed to the site for carrying out rehabilitation work so thattrack could be restored. The derailment caused suspension of train service for many hours overdown track.
First pensioner facilitation centre at AGPR Lahore
LAHORE: Controller General of Accounts Pakistan Farrukh Ahmad Hamidi Tuesday inaugurated the first pensioner facilitation centre (PFC), here at the Accountant General Pakistan Revenue (AGPR) offices to facilitate pensioners through one window operation. Additional Accountant General (Admin) Mehmood Latif, Deputy Accountant General Hamayun Ehsaan, Director General Accounts Dr Shafiq-ur-Rehman, PFC In-charge Shahid Saeed and others were also present. Farrukh Hamidi said that all facilities would be provided to pensioners under one roof through the PFC, adding that pensioner would be facilitated about all their dues. He said that the PFC staff would assist the pensioners regarding their pension issues including family pension, adding that with the adoption of the digitalization, the financial irregularities were reducing in the government departments. The official said that there was 98 per cent reconciliation ratio in the province, adding that no other issue had emerged in the chain of command in the AGPR. He said that the PFC had been launched as pilot project in the provincial capital, and the facility would be extended to all 36 districts of the province gradually.
Rupee extends losses against dollar
ISLAMABAD: The exchange rate of Pakistan rupee weakened by 20 paisas against the US dollar in the interbank trading on Tuesday and closed at Rs 158.37 as compared to the previous day’s closing of Rs 157.17. According to Forex Association of Pakistan (FAP), the buying and selling rates of dollar in the open market were recorded at Rs 158.2 and Rs 159.2 respectively. Similarly, the price of euro was depreciated by 14 paisas and closed at Rs 187.62 against the last day’s trading of Rs 187.76, the State Bank of Pakistan reported. The Japanese Yen remained unchanged to close at Rs1.42, whereas an increase of 32 paisas was witnessed in the exchange rate of British Pound, which was traded at Rs 219.44 as compared to its last closing of Rs219.12. The exchange rates of Emirates Dirham and Saudi Riyal increased by 05 paisas each to close at Rs 43.11 and Rs 42.23 respectively.
NYC apartment case: IHC summons Zardari tomorrow
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday directed former president Asif Ali Zardari to appear in person, on July 7 in his interim bail petition of a NAB inquiry pertaining to his apartment in New York City. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Aamer Farooq heard the pre arrest bail case of former president filed through his counsel Farook H. Naek. At the outset of hearing, Farook H. Naek pleaded that former president couldn’t appear before court due to health problems and prayed the court to grant him bail in NAB inquiry in his absence. He said that he had also filed an application seeking exemption from hearing for his client. Asif Ali Zardari was under treatment in hospital, he contended. He, however, said that the former president would appear before court if it summoned him in person. Justice Farooq remarked that it was necessary for anyone to appear before court to get interim bail under the law. Chief Justice remarked that it could be set as precedent for others if the court granted bail to Asif Zardari in his absence. To this, Naek prayed the court to grant his client a protective bail so he could appear before the bench. The chief justice remarked that the petitioner could approach Sindh High Court for protective bail. The bench, however, instructed the former president to appear in person on Wednesday and adjourned the case. The petition said that the NAB had served a call up notice to former president on June 15, regarding an inquiry pertaining to apartment at Belaire, 524 East 72nd Street, 37-F Manhattan NYC.
Separate schools for transgenders in Punjab soon: Murad Raas
LAHORE: The Punjab government will open separate schools for the transgender community in selected cities of the province and the first of its kind will be established in Multan very soon. Punjab Minister for School Education Dr Murad Raas made this announcement while addressing a ceremony held regarding Insaf Afternoon School Programme (IASP) here at a local hotel on Tuesday. Senior officials of the Education Department, Chief Executive Officers of Education Authorities and Danish Schools were also present. The minister said that the government decided not to enroll the transgenders in regular schools because of some reservations about the behaviour of other students. He added that attitude of students of regular schools could be insulting towards the transgender community; that was why separate schools would be established for them. He said it was unfortunate that no government except for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, thought about the welfare and provision of education and jobs to this community. Appreciating the efforts of the education chief executive officers (CEOs) and the teachers for successful enrollment drive across the province, the minister hoped that a large number of the out-of-school children would be admitted to schools. He said that selected schools under the IASP would be upgraded according to the needs before starting classes. He said the registration of such schools was in progress and would be completed till July 15.To a question, he said that only a few number of private schools were open for summer classes to cover the syllabus, adding that from August 1, all government institutions would also be reopened. He urged the parents and school heads to ensure implementation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) about coronavirus in schools. Dr Murad Raas termed implementation of Single National Curriculum from August 1, 2021 as a historic step towards improvement of education standards. He said that keeping in view the importance of teacher training, the government arranged training under Microsoft certification for improving the capacity of Punjab teachers.