Day: September 30, 2022

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Federal Minister NHSR and C lauds PRCS, IFRC services for flood victims 

Islamabad, September 30, 2022 (PPI-OT):Federal Minister NHSR and C Abdul Qadir Patel said that the humanitarian services rendered by PRCS and IFRC in the flood-hit areas are highly commendable, people are in dire need of food, non-food, shelter and rehabilitation and the government looks forward to the support of international organizations in mitigating the sufferings of the distressed people in flood-hit areas of Pakistan.

Abdul Qadir Patel expressed these views when PRCS Chairman Sardar Shahid Ahmed Laghari and IFRC delegation headed by Under Secretary General Xavier Castellanos called on him at Parliament House here on Tuesday. Matters of mutual interests, flood situation in Pakistan and future plans regarding the provision of relief and rehabilitation services to the flood-affected families were discussed during the meeting.

Speaking on this occasion, Abdul Qadir Patel stressed upon developing cohesive strategies and plan for providing health and care services to the flood victims suffering from water-borne diseases and especially for the pregnant women who are in dire need of health and care support. “The flood-hit areas were already under privileged and we all have to work together to overcome these challenges, Red Crescent has been a great partner and we are hopeful that together with the support of PRCS and IFRC we will be able to support the affected families in much efficient way”, he added.

PRCS Chairman Sardar Shahid Ahmed Laghari briefed the Minister about PRCS rescue and relief services in flood-hit areas. He said that PRCS together with the support of IFRC and Red Cross Red Crescent Movement partners would expand its relief operation in flood-hit areas to help people in all operational phases from relief to rehabilitation. He said PRCS has installed 8 water treatment plants in different districts of the country that are providing thousand litres of safe and drinkable water to communities in flood-ravaged areas.

Speaking on this occasion, IFRC under Secretary General Xavier Castellanos said that IFRC reaffirmed its commitment to support PRCS and government of Pakistan in its humanitarian endeavours. Xavier said that IFRC will expand its support to PRCS for the relief and rehabilitation of flood-hit population through Health, WASH and other interventions.

For more information, contact:
Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS)
PRCS National Headquarters, H-8, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-300-8508138
Ph: +92-51-9250404-5
Fax: +92-51-9250408
E-mail: hilal@isb.comsats.net.pk
Web: http://www.prcs.org.pk

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ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 prize pot announced 

Dubai, September 30, 2022 (PPI-OT):The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed today that the team that earns glory at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 on 13 November in Melbourne, will take home a cheque of $1.6 million.

The total prize pot of $5.6m will see the runners-up assured of $800,000 and the losing semi-finalists will receive $400,000 each at the end of the 45-match tournament being played across seven venues in Australia from 16 October.

Following the same structure as the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, the eight teams that exit at the Super 12 stage will receive $70,000 each, with a victory in each of the 30 games in that phase worth $40,000.

Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa are confirmed to start their tournament at the Super 12 stage.

The same structure is in place for the first-round victories – with $40,000 available to those who win each of the 12 games, amounting to $480,000.

The four teams knocked out in the first round will get $40,000 each.

Teams whose campaigns begin in the first round are Namibia, the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, Ireland, Scotland, the West Indies and Zimbabwe.

Prize Money table

Stage – Unit – Per Team – Total

Winners – 1 – $1,600,000 – $1,600,000

Runners-Up – 1 – $800,000 – $800,000

Losing Semi-finalists – 2 – $400,000 – $800,000

Super 12 Wins – 30 – $40,000 – $1,200,000

Super 12 Exit – 8 – $70,000 – $560,000

First Round Win – 12 – $40,000 – $480,000

First Round Exit – 4 – $40,000 – $160,000

Total – $5,600,000

*All amounts are in US Dollars.

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

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Captains share excitement for inaugural Pakistan Junior League edition

Lahore, September 30, 2022 (PPI-OT):The inaugural edition of the Pakistan Junior League begins in less than a week’s time (Thursday 6 October) at the headquarters of Pakistan cricket Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. The teams will be beginning their preparations for the tournament this weekend.

Before the conclusion of the PCB Pathway Programme earlier this week – almost all local PJL players were involved in the programme, the captains spoke about their excitement of playing the PJL, captaining their side and the life time opportunity of working with some of the greats of the game who are involved as mentors in the league.

The mentor roster includes legends of the game Javed Miandad (league mentor), Imran Tahir (Bahawalpur Royals), Shoaib Malik (Gujranwala Giants), Sir Vivian Richards (Gwadar Sharks), Daren Sammy (Hyderabad Hunters), Shahid Afridi (Mardan Warriors) and Colin Munro (Rawalpindi Raiders).

Captain Bahawalpur Royals Obaid Shahid: “Being picked and then named captain of Bahawalpur Royals is nothing less than a dream coming true. I am determined to make an impression in the tournament and lead my side with grit, determination and passion. This league is an incredible opportunity for all of us and we are all excited to participate.

“Our team mentor is Imran Tahir who despite his age remains one of the fittest players around. Having Imran in the dressing room means a lot to us, we would surely benefit from his presence and his immense experience as a T2o player. He will also inspire us to raise our fitness standard.”

Captain Gujranwala Giants Uzair Mumtaz: “I was overjoyed at my selection for the PJL and the honour of captaining Gujranwala Giants. My parents and family is really happy for me and are praying for my success.

“Our mentor Shoaib Malik is a legend of the game and his presence will mean a lot to us. We all hope to learn a great deal from him and aspire to make the most of his experience and pedigree. Having Shoaib in the dugout would help us immensely considering his rich T20 experience.”

Captain Gwadar Sharks Shamyl Hussain: “It was a big honour to get chosen for the Sharks and then being named the captain was the icing on the cake. I am really excited to deliver for my team as a player and captain.

“Having a mentor like Sir Vivian Richards is absolutely incredible, his presence alone will make a big impact in our dugout and we will learn a great deal from his experience and stature in the game.”

Captain Hyderabad Hunters Saad Baig: “I am thrilled to captain the Hyderabad Hunters in the Pakistan Junior League. I have made steady progress at the age-group level and this opportunity will help me improve my game further while competing with some of the best U19 talent from around the world.

“Our team mentor Daren Sammy is a T20 World Cup winner and has legendary status in the T20 format, we are all looking forward to learning from his vast experience.”

Captain Mardan Warriors Abbas Ali: “My family was overjoyed with my selection in the Mardan Warriors team. Captaining the side in the Pakistan Junior League is a fantastic opportunity for me and I want to give my absolute best in the tournament.

“Shahid Afridi’s presence as Mardan’s team mentor will be hugely beneficial for us considering his rich experience in the T20 format. Shahid will hopefully inspire us to great success in the tournament.”

Captain Rawalpindi Raiders Habibullah: “I am delighted to captain the Rawalpindi Raiders in the Pakistan Junior League. My squad has some exciting talent and I am looking forward to leading them to success in the tournament.

“Our team mentor Colin Munro has played T20 cricket around the world and made a big name, as a batter, I am really keen on learning the art of T20 batting from him.”

The teams will practice for four days leading up to the tournament opener between Gujranwala Giants and Mardan Warriors which will be played from 8pm next Thursday.

The 19-match tournament will be played on a single league basis with the six teams competing against each other once. The top four sides will compete in the playoffs, the final will be played on Friday, 21 October.

For more information, contact:
Media Manager,
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-5717231-4
Fax: +92-42-5711860
Website: www.pcb.com.pk

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More than a quarter (27%) Pakistanis report knowing someone whose house was directly affected by the recent flooding: Gallup and Gilani Pakistan 

Islamabad, September 30, 2022 (PPI-OT):According to a survey conducted by Gallup and Gilani Pakistan, more than a quarter (27%) Pakistani households interviewed said they know someone whose house was directly affected by the recent flooding.

A nationally representative sample of adult men and women from across the country was asked the following question regarding,” Has there been flooding in the house of someone you know?” In response to this question, 27% said ‘Yes’ while 73% said ‘No’ Amongst those who said ‘yes,’ 76% belonged to Balochistan, 46% were from Sindh, 24% were from KPK and 14% belonged to Punjab.

Question: “Has there been flooding in the house of someone you know?”

For more information, contact:
Head Office,
Gallup Pakistan
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-8445080
Email: isb@gallup.com.pk, caf@gallup.com.pk
Website: www.gallup.com.pk

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GCU student portrays Transgender as Reputed Professionals 

Lahore, September 30, 2022 (PPI-OT):A fine arts student of the Government College University Lahore, Sehrish Ahmad, on Friday in her annual thesis display portrayed the transgender in different reputed professional fields i.e. as a lawyer, police officer, teacher, politician, poet, doctor, housemaid and businessman to fight taboos and misconceptions that prevail in our society.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr Asghar Zaidi inaugurated the thesis display at the University’s Abdus Salam Hall, where Sehrish Ahmad and 18 other GCU Fine Arts Department final-year students put on display the promotional and awareness campaigns on different social issues as their semester thesis.

“Art has the power to change the world, and it gives me immense pleasure to see that my students have used their artistic skills to raise awareness about real-life issues,” Prof. Zaidi said while visiting the project stalls. The Vice-Chancellor discussed with the students the aesthetics and scope of their projects.

Talking about her thesis titled “Wajood”, Sehrish said that her project is aimed at the moving acceptability of the transgender in different professional fields. She believed that greater transgender inclusion in the workforce would benefit everyone and overall society. Ms. Sehrish put on display photographs in which transgender portrayed as lawyer, police officer, teacher, politician, poet, doctor, housemaid and businessman. A male student of GCU, Ghulam Mustafa, is used as model for the campaign.

The other students’ projects were on different social issues including the use of mobiles by toddlers, pollution, bullying, depression in fashion, and parenting influence on child behaviour. Some students made projects to launch brands which comprised of complete promotional material including mobile applications, calendars, pamphlets, press and electronic media advertisements, and social media pages for the promotion of their brands.

For more information, contact:
Public Relations Department,
Government College University (GCU)
Squash Complex, GC University, Lahore, Pakistan
UAN: +92-42-111-000-010 Ext: 296
Tel: +92-42-99213343
Cell: +92-321-8440769
Email: registrar@gcu.edu.pk
Website: http://www.gcu.edu.pk

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Film screening at AKU highlights invisible crisis of mental health in Pakistan

Karachi, September 30, 2022 (PPI-OT):The World Health Organization estimates that almost 20,000 people die by suicide in Pakistan every year and the number is on the rise. Health experts assess that every fifth person in the country suffers from a mental health problem, and due to a social stigma surrounding mental health, more than 75% of them do not receive proper treatment. Furthermore, access to psychiatrists is also limited as there is only one psychiatrist per 400,000 people and most of them are in urban areas.

Although mental health is a major crisis like floods or pandemics, it’s invisible and not a national priority, said mental health experts at a panel discussion hosted by the Aga Khan University’s Brain and Mind Institute. The event was organised to break the silence and speak about suicide and suicidal acts in Pakistan.

Earlier, an award-winning short film ‘Darya Kay Iss Paar’ was screened. Produced by Nighat Akbar Shah, an investor and philanthropist, the film depicts the typical cultural and psychological factors that contribute to mental ill health and suicidal acts.

The film follows the story of a young girl who feels alone, unheard and uncared for. The pressures that began when she was a student compound after she marries. No one in her life acknowledges her feelings or thoughts. Rigid social values and norms add fuel to the fire.

“It gets more difficult for women because they are confined to the bottom of the societal structure. We should look more closely into the causes of mental health problems,” said Nighat during the panel discussion.

“The film is a narrative of hope amid a valley fraught with grief and despair. It is thought-provoking and acts as a lightning rod to draw our attention to suicide prevention,” commented Dr Zul Merali, the Founding Director of the Brain and Mind Institute.

“We all need to recognise that suicide is preventable. It is not a static, unchanging fact of life that we must accept. Each member of the community has a role to play in suicide prevention. It’s not something that can be left solely to the health sector. Schools, media organisations, government and the public at large can contribute to ensuring that those at risk get the help and support they need. The Government needs to put mental health as one of the top priorities on the national agenda before it’s too late,” stressed Dr Merali.

“Nighat Akbar Shah’s film is just one example of a new willingness to break the silence and take action to prevent suicide in Pakistan,” said AKU President Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin in his video message. Other speakers and panellists included Dr Murad M. Khan, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, AKU; Shagufta Hassan, CEO, Outreach Health Network, Aga Khan University Hospital; and Falak Madhani, Head of Programmes and Research, Aga Khan Health Services, Pakistan.

For more information, contact:
Media Executive
Department of Public Affairs
Aga Khan University (AKU)
Stadium Road, Karachi
Tel: +92-21-34930051
Fax: +92-21-34934294, +92-21-34932095
Cell: +92-301-8258028
Email: rasool.sarang@aku.edu, public.affairs@aku.edu​
Website: www.aku.edu