Category: Pakistan

LAHORE: The Punjab cabinet committee on legislative business, led by Provincial Minister for Law and Cooperatives Muhammad Basharat Raja, approved many legal amendments and drafts proposed by various departments. The 66th meeting of the cabinet committee was held at the Civil Secretariat in which senior member Board of Revenue, secretary Irrigation, secretary I&C and other officers concerned were also present.

The proposals approved included an agreement between the Board of Revenue Punjab and National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) for online verification of data for issuance of National Identity Cards, a consultancy agreement with the World Bank to deal with natural disasters and climate change, restoration of supply of two million gallons of water daily from Rawal dam to Capital Development Authority Islamabad, a proposal to hand over lower part of Chashma Right Bank Canal from WAPDA to Punjab in the light of decision of Council of Common Interests, improvement in services at the intercity bus stands in Punjab, an amendment to the Punjab Zakat and Ushr Act 2018, appointment of Board of Directors of Punjab Bank, formation of the selection board of Mir Chakar Khan Rind University of Technology, Dera Ghazi Khan, constitution of board of Lahore Waste Management Company and the establishment of the Parks and Horticulture Authority Sialkot.

The cabinet committee also gave approval of the minutes of the 63rd, 64th and 65th meetings, held earlier.

 

TANK: Three children were killed in a toy bomb blast incident that occurred near a village Shah Mahsood of Tank district located in Dera Ismail Khan division of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa, police reported on Friday. According to details, three children with age of 6 to 12, were playing with a toy after taking bath from a Nullah, when suddenly it blasted with a big bang. As a result, three ill-fated boys died on the spot. The police rushed to the site and shifted the bodies to nearby hospital for necessary procedure. Further investigations are underway.

 

ISLAMABAD: Regional Directorate Anti-Narcotics Force in coordination with Excise, taxation and Narcotics department and Pakistan Railways had torched 42 tonnes of drugs. Federal Secretary for Narcotics Control Akbar Durrani, Director General ANF Major General Arif Malik and Regional Director Brig Aqib Nazir Chaudhry had also attended the event. A total of 42 tonnes of drugs included 576 kg of recovered drugs by Pakistan railways and Excise departments had been torched while 275 bottles of wine were also destroyed in Quetta, said a news release. “We will continue to work against drugs till our goal of achieving drugs free society is achieved” Akbar Durrani said. He vowed to keep working to create awareness and treat anti-drug campaign as a national cause. The secretary reinforced the fact that every member of the society has to play the role in order to eliminate the menace of drugs. Participants of the events had paid tribute to the officials of Anti-Narcotics Force who laid their lives in the line of duty. “Their sacrifices will not go to waste” Akbar Durrani said. A large number of civil society members, NGOs, students and people from all segments of the society participated in the ceremony.

ISLAMABAD: The MET department Friday predicted rain-wind-thunderstorm to continue for next two to three days from Friday (night) to Sunday particularly during evening and morning hours at scattered places in Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sheikhupura and Sargodha. Talking to APP, Spokesman MET office Islamabad Dr Zaheer Babar said prevailing hot weather condition would also be subsided. He said weak moist currents from Arabian sea would penetrate in central and upper parts of the country and likely to continue during next 02-03 days. He said dust-thunderstorm also expected in Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Sahiwal, Okara, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Khanpur, Rajanpur, Kalat, Barkhan, Loralai and Sibbi on Saturday and Sunday.

 

LAHORE: Special Representative to Prime Minister on Interfaith Harmony Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi has said that a campaign has been launched in the country to preserve sanctity of all religions. Addressing a press conference here on Friday, he said that violence begins in society when the sanctity of other religions and religious beliefs are not respected. He said that the United Nations (UN) had declared Islamophobia as the global terrorism and Pakistan had appreciated the decision. During the current situation, he said that Pakistani society needed unity and brotherhood. “We will contact followers of all religions and religious sects in the country and urge them to respect each other”s beliefs,” he added. He said that the misuse of blasphemy or blasphemy law should be discouraged for maintaining harmony in society. Ashrafi said that there had been no sectarian or religious tensions in the last eight months due to an atmosphere of religious harmony and effective policies of the government in this regard. He said that the Constitution of Pakistan protects all rights of citizens. About the holy month of Muharram, he said that every citizen should follow the rule “Don”t leave your sect, and don”t interfere with others. “Ashrafi said that the enemy wanted to divide the nation and the upcoming two or three months would be important. He said that Pakistan wants peace in Afghanistan and it is with the Afghan people. Ashrafi reiterated that Pakistan”s land would never be used against anyone and Pakistan hopes no foreign land would be used against it.

 

ISLAMABAD: President Dr. Arif Alvi on Friday called for timely completion of all water supply projects for Karachi to address the issue of water shortage faced by the citizens of the provincial metropolis, which required 1100 to 1200 million gallons of water per day. The President was presiding over a meeting here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr about water situation in Karachi during which various proposals were discussed for addressing the issue of water shortage in Karachi. The meeting was briefed about the progress of ongoing water related projects in Karachi. The President said that early resolution of the issues of Karachi and the welfare of citizens was the foremost priority of the government, adding, that the water projects for Karachi should be completed on fast-track basis. He, however, stressed that the redressal of problems was possible through effective cooperation and coordinated efforts by the relevant stakeholders. Minister for Energy and Petroleum Hammad Azhar, Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) from Sindh Firdous Shamim Naqvi, Chief Executive Officer Hub Power Company (HUBCO) Kamran Akmal and other senior officials were in attendance. Governor Sindh Imran Ismail and MPA Sindh Samar Khan also attended the meeting through video-link.