Day: April 18, 2022

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Volunteer Recognition Ceremony 

Lahore, April 18, 2022 (PPI-OT):Worthy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Syed Mansoor Sarwar hosted Volunteer Recognition Ceremony on 15th April 2022. The event was held to appreciate the high achievers and the efforts of volunteers who worked in different UET Events including UET Open Day 2021, UET Alumni Reunion and Family Gala 2022, and UET Career Fair 2022.

The event started with Tilawat-e-Quran followed by the National Anthem. Director Student Affairs, Prof. Dr. Asif Ali Qaiser, being the convener of Alumni Reunion and Family Gala and Co-Convener of UET Career fair 2022 and Convener of UET Career Fair 2022, Prof. Dr. Naveed Ramzan acknowledged the efforts of Volunteers, Organizers and Committee members.

There were 96 volunteers in all, 14 of whom were recognized for their contributions to the UET Open Day 2021, 22 volunteers for their contributions to the Alumni Reunion and Family Gala 2022, and 60 for their contributions to the UET Career Fair 2022. Those who participated in multiple events were given special recognition. 14 high achievers were also appreciated for winning national / institutional competitions with UET affiliation. After the certificate distribution, worthy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Syed Mansoor Sarwar, gave a remarkable speech and appreciated the volunteers with his kind words. The event ended with iftar dinner.

For more information, contact:
Public Relations Officer,
University of Engineering and Technology (UET)
G.T. Road, Lahore – 54890, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-99250274, +92-42-99029358
Cell: +92-321-9467302
Email: tanveerqasim@yahoo.com
Website: www.uet.edu.pk

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Pakistan Red Crescent and PDMA-Sindh jointly organize sessions on heat emergency 

Karachi, April 18, 2022 (PPI-OT):Following warnings of severe weather conditions, especially heat waves, the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS), in collaboration with the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), has started a series of orientation sessions on heat-related emergencies for Sindh government officials and civil society representatives. The training sessions are held from April 18, 2022, to April 29, 2022, at the Red Crescent Training Institute, Clifton Karachi.

Addressing the participants at the inaugural ceremony, Kanwar Waseem, Provincial Secretary, Pakistan Red Crescent Sindh Branch, said that we all face natural calamities yearly due to climate change. The Provincial Secretary also lauded the efforts of PDMA-Sindh in bringing together more than 85 participants, including officials from DDMA, the Deputy Commissioner Officer of all districts of Karachi, Health, and other departments of the Sindh government on the first day of the orientation session.

“Awareness about heat-related emergencies is very important for us in the days to come so that, when participants learn first aid knowledge, skills and techniques, they can save their own lives and the lives of others,” he added. Mr. Imdad Hussain Siddiqui, Deputy Director (Ops), also addressed the participants and emphasised the importance of hands-on learning with PRCS trainers. He thanked the Pakistan Red Crescent and praised the professional and expert team of trainers. He further said that youth should also be targeted for this type of training. He said they are also planning a similar orientation session for the officials in the interior of Sindh.

Dr. Rizwana Wasif, Training Coordinator, Pakistan Red Crescent-Sindh, who is responsible for managing and conducting all orientation sessions with her team, stated that all participants actively participated in the session, which covered all heat-related emergencies like heat exhaustion, Heatstroke, dehydration, fainting, fits unconsciousness, emergency resuscitation and how to transport a person in an ambulance or a heatstroke vehicle.

She added that Pakistan Red Crescent-Sindh, in collaboration with PDMA, will hold more sessions in the coming days for traffic police, medical and paramedical staff, and representatives of various welfare and civil society organizations, such as KMC, Edhi, Chippa, Saylani, AlKhidmat, Sindh Boy Scouts Association, Pakistan Girl Guides Association Sindh Chapter, and others, which will have a significant impact and benefit on the general public during heatwave days.

For more information, contact:
Sindh Provincial Branch,
Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS)
Hilal-e Ahmar House, G 2 Khayaban-e-Iqbal, Zone A Block 7,
Teen Talwar, Main Clifton Road, Karachi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-35306227, 35306228, 35306229
Fax: +92-21-35830376
E-mail: phq@prcsindh.org.pk
Website: http://www.prcsindh.org.pk/

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Deputy Speaker was not given any authority to suspend the officers of Punjab Assembly, he exceeded his authority: Ch Parvez Elahi 

Lahore, April 18, 2022 (PPI-OT):Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Parvez Elahi has said that as soon as the April 16 session ended, all the powers of the Deputy Speaker which were assigned to him have also come to an end. He has exceeded his authority; all the officers have been reinstated because they have not been suspended.

He said that according to the court orders, the Deputy Speaker had the authority only for the election of the Chief Minister as far as administrative matters are concerned. He was not assigned any disciplinary powers, therefore his orders for suspension of Punjab Assembly officers have no legal status.

For more information, contact:
Mediacell, Pakistan Muslim League
30-C, Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi Road,
Gulberg-II, Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-35878428
Fax: +92-42-35877329
Website: www.pmlmediacell.com

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Points of order consume major part of NA proceedings

Islamabad, April 18, 2022 (PPI-OT):The National Assembly consumed major part of the proceedings in points of order and concluded debate on a motion of thanks to the President, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in the Daily Factsheet on Monday.

Following are key observations of the proceedings during the 9th sitting of 41st session:

Members’ Participation

The National Assembly met for three hours and 42 minutes.

The sitting started at 01:05 pm against the scheduled time of 12:00 pm.

The speaker presided over the entire proceedings.

The deputy speaker’s post is lying vacant and the election for this position would be held on April 20, 2022.

The leader of the house did not attend the sitting.

As many as 80 (23 percent) lawmakers were present at the outset and 14 (four percent) at the adjournment of the sitting.

Parliamentary leaders of GDA, PML-N, JWP, BAP and MMAP attended the sitting.

Four out of ten minority lawmakers were present.

Representation and Responsiveness

Moved by a lawmaker belonging to PML-N, the House passed a motion for consideration of private members’ agenda in the next sitting.

This House decided to conclude debate on a motion of thanks to the President of Pakistan for his address to Parliament on September 13, 2021 and adopted it.

Order and Institutionalization

As many as 20 lawmakers spoke on points of order (POs) for three hours and 24 minutes consuming 92 percent of the proceedings’ time. These POs were mainly related to economy, energy crisis and political issues.

Lawmakers belonging to BNP-M staged walkout from the House at 01:30 pm against the highhandedness of security personnel with protestors in Chaghi. They did not return to the House till adjournment of the sitting.

The House was adjourned to meet again on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 02:00 pm.

Transparency

‘Orders of the Day’ was available to legislators, observers and public.

Attendance of lawmakers was available to media and observers.

For more information, contact:
Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN)
FAFEN Representative
FAFEN Secretariat 224, Margalla Road F-10/3 – Islamabad
Tel: +92-51-2211026
Fax: +92-51-2211047
Cell: +92-321-5017355, +92-301-8549188
Email: media@fafen.org
URL: www.fafen.org

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Karachi needs generous package to revamp infrastructure 

Karachi, April 18, 2022 (PPI-OT):Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor on Monday demanded a special package for the uplift of megacity Karachi on war footing basis. Now the provincial government of Sindh, federal government in Islamabad and major political stakeholder of the megacity, MQM-P, are on one page and it is a proper time to pay a serious attention to the neglected port city, says Mr Shakoor in a statement.

He said pot-holed streets, broken gutter lines and acute dearth of potable water and lack of proper commuting facilities are amongst the burning problems of Karachi needing an urgent and healing focus of the federal and provincial governments. He said that the country would go to fresh polls after completion of the remaining tenure of present assemblies and it would also be in the best interest of the ruling parties to win the minds and hearts of voters of the megacity, which can be only done by serving the city and its residents.

Altaf Shakoor said that small-scale flyovers and underpasses should be constructed at busy streets in every area of the megacity, especially in district South, to cope with agonizing traffic jams. He said old and smokey junk-class minibuses should be banned in the city to pave way for modern wide-bodied public transport buses.

He said sadly after 11pm public transport could hardly be found in many parts of the city and commuters have simply to walk or hire costly rickshaws. He said all closed public transport routes in the megacity should be revived besides introducing new routes in suburban neighbourhoods. He said public transport should be made available till 2:00 AM. He said the Green Line rapid bus transit should be urgently extended to Mereweather Tower, preferably up to Keamari, to facilitate commuters. He said all other announced bus rapid transit projects including Orange Line, Red Line and Blue Line, should be physically started, besides working on the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project with an accelerated speed.

He said the megacity needs dozens of new universities and higher education institutions to cater the needs of growing number of students. He said the project of an Education City was announced about a decade back but it is practically still on paper only. He demanded that the Education City should be made a reality instead of a perpetual political lollipop.

Altaf Shakoor reminded that the port city is an industrial hub, but sadly its industrial estates face immense problems, including lack of water, electricity, gas, proper roads and streetlights, security and most importantly public transport system. Shakoor said millions of workers in industrial estates of Karachi are compelled to use bicycles and motorcycles as they do not get proper public transport facilities. He said the part of the KCR that links the industrial areas of Landhi and Korangi to the main city is encroached upon by land mafia and slum dwellers. He demanded to make this KCR track also functional on urgent basis.

He said private water tanker mafia is looting the Karachiites with both hands because the corruption-marred Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) has miserably failed to properly supply potable water to citizens. He said sadly in many city areas there is simply no water supply system of KWSB, which is pathetic. Shakoor asked to complete K-IV water project on urgent basis and revamp water supply system through pipelines in whole megacity.

He said that to boost job supply and industrial production, two industrial corridors should be set up along Karachi-Hyderabad and Karachi-Keti Bunder highways. He said the abandoned fish harbour of Korangi should be made fully functional. Altaf Shakoor said all these things need billions of rupees and both the provincial and federal governments.

For more information, contact:
Press Secretary,
Pasban Democratic Party (PDP)
Pasban Central Secretariat
Office # 9, Five Star Center,
Block 11, University Road, Opp. Ibne Sina Hospital,
Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi
Tel: +92-21-34024480-81
Cell: +92-322-2212434
Email: pasban.ppick@gmail.com
Website: www.pasban.org

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Recognition: IBA alumni raise $2.1 million in a pre-seed funding for Zaraye 

Karachi, April 18, 2022 (PPI-OT):BBA alumni, Class of 2016, Taha Iqbal Teli, Hashair Junaid Ahmedani and Ahsan Ali Khan, raised $2.1 million in a pre-seed funding for their start-up, Zaraye, a B2B raw materials marketplace.

Founded in 2021, Zaraye, a business-to-business platform aims to connect buyers with a multitude of suppliers making their transaction processes more cost and time efficient. With over 300 partners and suppliers in more than 20 cities, Zaraye is serving clients across textile and construction industries.

We congratulate the team on accomplishing this outstanding achievement and wish them success in their future endeavours.

For more information, contact:
Executive, Communication and Public Affairs,
Institute of Business Administration Karachi (IBA)
Main Campus: University Road, Karachi – 75270, Pakistan
UAN: +92-21-111-422-422 (Ext. 269)
Fax: +92-21-99261508
Email: raza.lakhani@khi.iba.edu.pk
Website: https://www.iba.edu.pk