Author: Web Desk

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Closing Ceremony of Women Technical Officials Course – Athletics Federation of Pakistan 

Islamabad, March 22, 2022 (PPI-OT):

Dear Media Friends,

It gives me immense pleasure to inform that with the collaboration and support of World Athletics (WA) Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) organized its 1st women Technical Officials Education and Certification System (TOECS) Level – I course from 18-22 March 2022 at PSB Coaching Centre Lahore.

It is the 1st time in the history of Pakistan Athletics that we have conducted TOECS course exclusively for women technical officials. Duration of the course was 05 days and it concluded today on 22 March 2022. Maj Gen (R) Muhammad Akram Sahi, HI (M), SI (M), President Athletics Federation of Pakistan / Vice President Asian Athletics Association distributed Certificates among the participants of course and appreciated the women who came from far-flung area of Pakistan to attend the course.

The main purpose to organize the course was to increase the number of qualified women technical officials in the country and to enhance their knowledge / skills. Seventeen (17) women technical officials namely Shabana Khattak, Sadaf Siddiqui, Sumera Hussain, Shakila Rehman, Shagufta Akhtar Khan, Shabana Shaikh, Shabana Kousar, Sadia Sanaullah, Rahat Nawaz, Nasreen Fakhra, Maria Maratab, Mafia Parveen, Kaneez Sughra, Fozia Shaheen Mughal, Beenish Amin, Attia Maqbool and Abida Changezi from the Associations and Departments affiliated with AFP attended the Course.

World Athletics had approved Wing Commander (R) Pervaiz Saeed Mir as Lecturer to conduct this course. President of National Athletics Association of Technical Officials (NAATO) Mr. Tariq Mehmood Sidhu was nominated as Course Secretary whereas Mr. Khurshid Akhtar Butt performed as, Coordinator of the Course.

The course will contribute a lot in the promotion of athletics at different levels and the qualified women technical officials will be eligible to attend TOECS Level – II course. They will have chance to perform duties in the National and International Athletics Competitions.

For more information, contact:
Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP)
Website: http://www.afp.com.pk/welcome.php

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Balochistan Assembly starts pre-budget debate 

Islamabad, March 22, 2022 (PPI-OT):The Provincial Assembly of Balochistan started pre-budget debate on Tuesday, giving an opportunity to lawmakers to highlight their priorities for provincial budget 2022-23, says Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet.

Following are key observations of the House proceedings during the first sitting of 51st session:

Members’ Participation

The House met for two hours and 29 minutes.

The sitting started at 04:05 pm against the scheduled time of 03:00 pm.

The deputy speaker presided over the proceedings for an hour and 19 minutes while remaining sitting was chaired by a member of panel of chairpersons.

The leader of the house (Chief Minister) was not present.

The leader of the opposition attended the entire sitting.

As many as three (five percent) legislators were present at the start and 13 (20 percent) at the end of the sitting.

The parliamentary leaders of BNP-A, HDP, MMAP, BNP-M, and PkMAP attended the sitting.

One out of three minority members was present.

Representation and Responsiveness

The House started pre-budget debate and five lawmakers – MMAP and BNP-M (two each) and PkMAP (one) – participated in it consuming two hours and 18 minutes of the proceedings.

Order and Institutionalization

Two lawmakers spoke on points of order for five minutes.

The House was adjourned to meet again on Thursday, March 24, 2022 at 03:00 pm.

Transparency

‘List of Business’ was available to the legislators, observers and others.

The attendance of lawmakers was available to the observers and media.

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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Art with a heart 

Karachi, March 22, 2022 (PPI-OT):Indus Hospital and Health Network arranged an art exhibition on Saturday, March 19, 2022. An art exhibition was held to showcase the artwork of our Pediatric cancer patients which reflected their experience and journey of coping with cancer treatment. This exhibition was titled “Art with a Heart” since the art displayed at the exhibition paid a tribute to the artist’s heart wrenching stories of battling cancer.

The event was graciously organized by the ardent supports of Indus Hospital and Health Network, Sara Chapra and Ayesha Hussain, with the help and support of the staff at Indus Hospital and Health Network.

There were over 85 paintings that were displayed at the exhibit, the talent exhibited in each of the painting was remarkable. It was fascinating to see the beautiful artwork of these patients who had received no formal art education during the course of their life.

Some of the paintings reflected the painful and emotional journey of the patients, whilst the other pieces were cheerful and uplifting- they served to display the creativity housed within this kids which in effect enables them to cope with their treatment.

Some of the patients and their families were also present at the event and were given a chance to tell their story in their own words to the audience. It was a proud moment for the patients and their families to see the work so dear to their heart get the recognition it deserved.

Here, at Indus Hospital and Health Network, the mission is to provide holistic healthcare to all, in an effort to put that to practice, the Indus Hospital has a Psychosocial Department in Pediatric Complex at their facility in Karachi.

It has a team of qualified counsellors and trained clinical psychologists that help the patients to battle the psychological effects that thon-going treatment has on the patients. One important aspect of the psychosocial care provided is the creation of art to healing and therapeutic reasons.

Our childhood cancer patients use art to express their emotional journey of fighting cancer and have found great help through this activity. Beautiful and meaningful art pieces have been produced by these young patients and to value them, their struggles, and experiences we showcased their art pieces at this private exhibition at the residence of our gracious supporter Ayesha Hussain. All proceeds from the sale of these items will go towards the treatment of childhood cancer patients at the Pediatric Oncology Unit at Indus Hospital and Health Network.

For more information, contact
The Indus Hospital (TIH)
C-76, Sector 31/5, Opposite Darussalam Society,
Korangi Crossing, Karachi – 75190, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-35112709-17
Fax: +92-21-35112718
Email: crd@indushospital.org.pk
Website: http://www.indushospital.org.pk/

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Oral Health in Children

Karachi, March 22, 2022 (PPI-OT):​A healthy mouth is essential for maintaining your child’s overall health. If neglected, oral health issues may lead to various chronic health diseases in your child. Therefore it is essential to monitor, check and care for your child’s oral health from an early age.

Importance of children’s oral health

Good oral hygiene practices, comprising healthy teeth and gums, lead to efficient chewing and digestion of food which in turn leads to a healthy body. According to Dr Rashna Aga, Consultant Dentistry at The Aga Khan University Hospital, “Tooth decay in children is a result of poor oral hygiene, due to which they may experience pain in chewing, resulting in limited food intake, thus affecting their overall health and wellbeing,” adding that poor oral hygiene practices amongst children may lead to a cumulating of plaque deposits in the mouth, which puts them at risk of various diseases like bacterial endocarditis.

Risk factors associated with oral health

Increased intake of sugary foods and drinks increases the chances of tooth decay. Improper tooth brushing technique along with low frequency of tooth brushing may lead to poor gum health and infection. “If your child’s teeth are malaligned, they may be more susceptible to poor oral hygiene as it becomes difficult to clean crowded and crooked teeth. Some malocclusions may also predispose a child to jaw pain or chewing and speaking difficulties,” says Dr Rashna.

Health issues due to declining oral health

Poor or declining oral health may lead to pain and swelling in the teeth and gums which decreases a child’s oral food intake, which may lead to malnutrition in extreme cases. Failure to follow hygienic oral health best practices predisposes a child’s mouth to bacterial colonisation which may also be a cause of heart problems as well.

Ways to improve your child’s oral health.

Ensuring your child brushes twice daily, once after breakfast and once before going to bed; this helps keep your child’s teeth and gums healthy.

Brushing of teeth should be started as soon as your child’s first tooth emerges in the mouth.

Avoiding sugary foods and drinks, and brushing following intake of these helps prevent cavities

A regular oral check-up with a dentist to identify any problems at an early stage prevents extensive decay thus keeping the child’s mouth disease-free.

A child’s first visit to an orthodontist (braces specialist) should be at the age of 7 years to identify any functional problems in their bite which need to be corrected with braces while the child is growing.

For more information, contact:
Marketing and Communications,
The Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH)
Stadium Road, P.O. Box 3500, Karachi – 74800, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-111-911-911
Email: akuh.information@aku.edu
Website: https://hospitals.aku.edu/pakistan/

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Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pays rich tribute to the mother of democracy, Begum Nusrat Bhutto

Karachi, March 22, 2022 (PPI-OT):The Chairman Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has paid rich tributes to the mother of democracy Begum Nusrat Bhutto, on her 93rd birthday.

According to a statement issued by the Media Cell Bilawal House, Chairman PPP in his message said that his grandmother Begum Nusrat Bhutto forgot her personal tragic trauma to fight for the fundamental political rights of the nation.

“The mother of democracy has taught us to resist and defeat the criminals of the constitution,” said Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. “She was a resilient woman,
Brave and dignified,” he said

He further said that this unique honor has also been given to her by nature. On one hand, she is the daughter-in-law of a Prime Minister, wife of Pakistan’s first elected Prime Minister and mother of the first elected Prime Minister of the Islamic world. On the other hand she is ‘the mother of democracy’ for millions of jiyalas and patriots.

Chairman PPP further stated that the struggle and sacrifices of Begum Nusrat Bhutto were incomparable and in response, people have given her everlasting love. Chairman Bhutto-Zardari reiterated his commitment that the PPP, following its first female chairperson, Begum Nusrat Bhutto, would continue its struggle to protect the constitution and strengthen democracy despite all difficulties.

For more information, contact:
PPP Media Cell (Sindh)
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)
Peoples Secretariat Shikarpur Colony,
Behind Mazar-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Karachi, Pakistan
Cell: +92-305-3370383
Email: contact@ppp-tu.com
Website: https://www.ppp.org.pk

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Rapidly depleting water resources due to climate change, increasing population and water mismanagement can lead to severe water shortages. Do opponents of the Kala Bagh Dam realize this? Moonis Elahi 

Lahore, March 22, 2022 (PPI-OT):Federal Minister for Water Resources Moonis Elahi said in a tweet on World Water Day that our rapidly declining water resources due to climate change, increasing population and water mismanagement could lead to severe water shortages in the future. He asked whether the opponents of Kala Bagh Dam were aware of this. Moonis Elahi added that water safety is a guarantee of life.

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