Info we should know

GILGIT, Oct 14:The "Pink Bus Service" has been formally inaugurated in Skardu district, on Thursday, as well.  Parliamentary Secretary for Health Gilgit-Baltistan Kulsoom Farman inaugurated the pink bus service for women on Thursday.  On this occasion, Minister of Tourism GB, Minister of Agriculture GB, Minister of Works GB, Chief Secretary Gilgit-Baltistan, Commissioner Baltistan, Deputy Commissioner Skardu, media representatives, civil society, and a large number of women participated. People from various walks of life appreciated the initiative of the government for providing women with free bus service.  Regarding the Pink Bus Service, Chief Secretary Gilgit-Baltistan Mohiuddin Wani termed the day of inauguration a "good day for our daughters, sisters and mothers of Skardu" as free pink buses had also started on all major routes of the Skardu city.

ISLAMABAD, Oct 11: National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has canceled all 181 Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) which were issued to non-nationals during last three years while cases of 8,152 individuals are under scrutiny. The Authority issues CNICs to Pakistani nationals only, but due to the presence of a large number of illegal immigrants throughout the country, it has to be extra vigilant to counter the menace of non-nationals’ inclusion in database while ensuring that only genuine citizens should be registered.  The CNICs of such non-nationals were digitally impounded / canceled as and when reported.    As per official statistics, in past, a few non-nationals succeeded in obtaining CNIC by providing fake documents and through connivance of NADRA employees. It is pertinent to mention here that digitally impounding of CNICs is currently stopped on directions of Islamabad High Court.          Inquiries were also initiat...

  ISLAMABAD, Sep 22: World Tourism Day will be marked on September 27 (Tuesday) across the globe including Pakistan with the aim to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic values. World Tourism Day recognizes the importance of tourists and the tourism industry across the globe. The United Nations’ World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) invites people worldwide to participate in World Tourism Day on September 27 every year.  Many tourism enterprises and organizations, as well as government agencies with a special interest in tourism, celebrate the event with various special events and festivities. Different types of competitions, such as photo competitions promoting tourism, as well as tourism award presentations in areas such as ecotourism, are held on World Tourism Day. Other activities include free entries, discounts or special offers for the general public to any site of tourism interest. G...

ISLAMABAD, Sep 21: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has restored approximately 96 per cent sites which went down due to recent flash floods in the country. At its peak, a maximum of  3,386 sites were down on Aug 28, 2022, out of which 3,251 sites have been restored (approx 96% of the total). In order to ensure earliest restoration of telecom services in flood affected districts across the country, the authority in conjunction with telecom operators’ teams has been vigorously and continuously pursuing earliest restoration of affected services since mid-August 2022.  The PTA field teams carried out extensive coordination with telecom operators, civil and military authorities for restoration of damaged telecom infrastructure. Various obstacles were faced including accessibility to damaged sites, commercial power availability, equipment damage due to submersion and availability/delivery of fuel for generator sets etc, he said. However, the continued efforts by PTA and te...

ISLAMABAD, Aug 30:The Supreme Court of Pakistan has announced vacancies for the position of Law Clerk for a period of 1 year (extendable) commencing in October 2022 as part of the Supreme Court Law Clerkship Program.  The Supreme Court Law Clerkship Program aims to cultivate the next generation of lawyers and jurists of Pakistan by providing a unique opportunity for professional growth and unparalleled mentorship, said a press release here.  A law clerk (also called judicial law clerk or judicial associate) is a lawyer- typically a recent law graduate - who provides direct assistance to a judge.  The position of a Supreme Court Law Clerk is internationally considered to be among the most prestigious in the field of law, grooming young lawyers to go on to succeed in their respective fields, and give back to their country. The requirements and details of the position as well as instructions on how to apply are available on the Supreme Court website at this address: https://...

LAHORE, Aug 29: The district administration kicked off 6-day dengue crash programme under which special squads would be mobilised in nine zones of the provincial capital to overcome dengue. The special teams of the department would conduct indoor and outdoor surveillance with focusing on more than 35,000 hot spots. Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali on Monday visited various areas of the city to inspect anti dengue measures and said on the occasion that a massive campaign had been started in Lahore and particularly in Bahria Town which was being reported as main spot where most of dengue patients were reported. He said that around 124 indoor and 40 outdoor teams, nine environment inspectors, seven entomologists, 17 supervisors, 15 doctors of population welfare department were deputed for dengue crash programme in Bahria Town. Similarly, Chief Officer Health Lahore, District Officer Health, assistant commissioners and sub registrars had been tasked to monitor dengue teams at badly effecte...

RAWALPINDI, Aug 13 (APP): Jashan-e-Azadi preparations reached at its peak on Saturday as the citizens were getting ready to celebrate the Independence Day with zeal and now the citizens are all set to celebrate the 75th Independence Day on Sunday with great enthusiasm and national zeal. Rawalpindi District Administration, District Police, City Traffic Police (CTP), Punjab Emergency Service, Rescue-1122 and Civil Defence have finalized all the arrangements as the region is all set to celebrate Independence Day in befitting manner on August 14, Sunday. With the start of August, Jashan-e-Azadi preparations were started here in every nook and corner of the city to celebrate Independence Day with great enthusiasm and national fervour.  All the main buildings including Rawalpindi Railway Station, Rawalpindi and Chaklala Cantonment Board offices, Askari Plaza, Mall Road, Metro Track, Murree Road, RDA, WASA and PHA buildings, National Bank Saddar Main Branch, Bank Road, Mall Road and sever...

RAWALPINDI, Aug 12: The City Traffic Police (CTP) on Friday issued a traffic plan to facilitate the commuters and general public on August 14, Pakistan Independence Day to be celebrated on Sunday. According to Duty Officer, CTP Headquarters, special pickets would be erected in the city and on entry points of Murree to thwart one-wheeling particularly on  August 14 and one-wheelers would be sent behind the bars. The traffic plan was made and announced by Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Naveed Irshad, he added. He said, extra force of traffic wardens would be deployed on all the roads of Rawalpindi city and in Murree to handle traffic load on August 14. Over 600 CTP personnel would be on special duty on Aug 13 night and on August 14 to regulate traffic on city roads, he added. He said CTO had constituted seven special squads comprising wardens and officers to curb one-wheeling and car stunts by the youngsters. 34 checking pickets would also be set up, he added. He said that the traffic w...

PESHAWAR, Aug 11: Minister for Education Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shahram Tarakai on Thursday instructed all the concerned quarters to monitor the government's drive for the implementation of 'Halka Basta' and Single Curriculum Act-2020, including school registrations, renewal and enrollment of kids in schools. He directed the teams concerned for conducting awareness sessions to ensure implementation. In this regard, a five-day program organized for Malakand region ended on Wednesday in which registration, renewal and up-gradation of more than 700 schools were carried out according to the instructions of the education minister, and the managing director private schools.  The five-day campaign was organized in Swat, Malakand, Dir Upper, Dir Lower, Buner, Shangla and Bajaur for the registration, upgrading and renewal of schools under the supervision of Schools Regulatory Authority, KP. Talking to media, Kabir Afridi disclosed that 443 schools were renewed in the campaign, up-gradat...

ISLAMABAD, Aug 10: International Youth Day will be marked  on August 12 (Friday) across the globe including Pakistan to recognize efforts of the world’s youth in enhancing global society. It also aims to promote ways to engage them in becoming more actively involved in making positive contributions to their communities. Many activities and events that take place around the world on International Youth Day promote the benefits that young people bring into the world. Many countries participate in this global event, which may include youth conferences on issues such as education and employment. Other activities include concerts promoting the world’s youth, as well as various sporting events, parades and mobile exhibitions that showcase young people’s achievements. The UN defines the worlds’ youth as the age group between 15 and 24 years old, making up one-sixth of the human population. Many of these young men and women live in developing countries and their numbers are expected to ris...

RAWALPINDI, Aug 10: Preparations for Independence Day celebrations have gained momentum in the garrison city with people and organizations paying attention to all the details and arrangements imperative to mark the grand day in style.  According to the program finalized in Rawalpindi division, the day, like other parts of the country, would dawn with special prayers in mosques for the integrity, solidarity and prosperity of the country. The day is celebrated all over the country every year with flag-raising ceremonies, paying tributes to the national heroes and fireworks on its eve. In Rawalpindi, vendors have set up stalls of colourful bunties, national flags, banners and pictures of national heroes who struggled day and night to achieve a common goal. National songs nowadays are in the air which gives the message that the whole the nation is united and tidy. The national flags would be hoisted at all important buildings to celebrate the day in a befitting manner.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 07:  High tuition fee of Associate Diploma Program (ADP) and BS programs at Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) public sector colleges in comparison to the provincial institutions is the main cause of departure of students from Islamabad to provinces leaving very few admissions at ICT colleges. According to official sources, students at ICT colleges are charged a fee around Rs. 25000 in the first semester while around  Rs. 15,000 in the subsequent semesters. Comparatively the fee structure of public colleges ranges from Rs.5000 to Rs.10000 per semester at provinces which is much lower than the ICT colleges.  Many students who aspire to take admission in the ADP or BS programs prefer to go to the colleges situated in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Nazir Ahmed lecturer at Islamabad Model Postgraduate College H-8 college said, “Higher fees mean that study in Islamabad is limited to those students that can afford to pay for ADP/BS programs.  It also increase...

RAWALPINDI, Aug 06: The Rawalpindi Police have deployed over 6,000 cops to provide security cover to 447 processions and 1925 Majlis to be held in various parts of the city from 6th-10th Muharram.  According to the police spokesman, Rawalpindi Police has made special managements to ensure foolproof security during Muharram. During Muharram, more than 2,000 volunteers would perform duties along with officers and volunteers of the district police, ladies police, elite force, traffic police and dolphin force, he added.  He said special arrangements had been made for the training of volunteers whereas officers and officials from Punjab Highway Patrol and Punjab Constabulary would also perform security duties. Although, the senior officers were ensuring security arrangements by reviewing the routes of the processions, the personnel were also being briefed in advance to manage the routes' security arrangements, he added.  Moreover, prohibition on display of weapons and use of l...

  ISLAMABAD, Aug 5: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Friday said the country received unprecedented rainfall during the prevailing monsoon season which was 133% above average. The prevailing abnormal monsoon rainfall pattern has surpassed the past 30-year record of rains in the season, the NDMA spokesperson in a news release said. The rainfall ratio recorded in the federating units of the country revealed that the Balochistan province has been inundated by massive downpours and has received over 305% rains, whereas in Sindh the rainfall tendency recorded was 218% more, in Punjab more than 101%, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) 26% more rains than average, in Gilgit Baltistan (GB) 68% more rains, and in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) 9% more than average rains were recorded during the ongoing season. The damages and deaths due to rains and floods being recorded noted 11 deaths in various incidents amid monsoon rains in the past 24 hours. The total number of death...

ISLAMABAD, Aug 5: Higher Education Commission (HEC) has asked the students desirous to return to China for resumption of their studies to register till August 10 which is the last date of form submission. Earlier the HEC had given the deadline of July 20 for the students who stranded due to COVID-19 for returning to China to resume their studies however extended the deadline till August 10 to facilitate the students who were unable to register. According to an official of HEC, the information will be shared with the Chinese authorities for further procedure and verification of the submitted documents. The students can get information about the procedure to register online through the website on www.hec.gov.pk. It is pertinent to mention here that around 100 students were sent to China through a special flight of Pakistan International Airline (PIA) to continue their education. A large number of students enrolled in Chinese universities were sent back to Pakistan by the Chinese governme...

PESHAWAR, Jul 22: Provincial Assembly on Friday passed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forests Amendment Bill 2022 with the objective of sustainable growth and protection of forests of the province.  The bill was passed for making Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forest Ordinance 2022 as an Act by bringing some amendments in it.  In the legislation, penalties in shape of imprisonment and fines have been enhanced for those found involved in destruction of government controlled forests. In the section three of the ordinance, amendment was made to increase sentence of two years imprisonment to three years and fine of Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 500,000 for the violators. The law also enabled Divisional Forest Officers serving in newly merged districts to punish those found involve in degradation of forest. Amendments were also brought for changes in surcharge over commercial cutting in government and private owned forests.  According to law, government would also take necessary measures for protection of Forest...

ISLAMABAD, Jul 19: Today, Google is launching Android Earthquake Alerts System in Pakistan. Android Earthquake Alerts System is a no-cost, helpful Android feature that detects earthquakes around the world and alerts people,” said a news statement.  The system uses accelerometers in active android smart phones to detect seismic activities. It alerts people in two ways — via search and directly on the android mobile device itself. “The system provides near-instant information to Google Search. When people look up “earthquake” or “earthquake near me,” they will find relevant results, along with helpful resources on what to do after an earthquake. Users who do not wish to receive these alerts can turn this off in device settings.” It was noted that Pakistan had experienced several earthquakes in the past especially in the northern and western parts of the country. With the expansion of this earthquake alerts system, Android users in Pakistan may receive automatic early warning alerts t...

ISLAMABAD, Jul 16: Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) on Saturday decided to start the admission of public medical colleges from October 17, 2022, concluding the entire process alongwith special seats by December 31, 2022. The decision was made at the meeting of the National Admissions Scheduling Committee of the PMC with consensus which was held here to decide the admission schedule for 2022-23 for medical and dental colleges.   It was also decided that admissions of all private medical colleges will be concluded by January 31, 2023.   Thereafter, admissions to public dental colleges will be concluded by February 14, 2023 and finally, admissions to private dental colleges will be concluded by February 28, 2023.  Colleges and universities as per regulations are at liberty to initiate the application process at any time after May 2022.  The MDCAT exam result will be declared on October 7, 2022 with over 200,000 students across Pakistan and internationally reg...

Jul 15:The federal government has allocated Rs 500 million for establishment of four knowledge parks across the country during the current financial year. The government had allocated Rs 6330.696 million in the PSDP for the financial year 2022-23 for ongoing and new schemes of the Information Technology and Telecom Division. As per the details, Rs 5,380.696 million was allocated for 31 ongoing schemes, while the allocation for five new schemes was Rs 950 million. Among the ongoing schemes, Rs 719 million was earmarked for Technology Park Development Project Islamabad, Rs 320 million for High Impact Skill Bootcamp Islamabad and Karachi, and Rs 300 million each for Protection and Upgradation of Pak-China Phase-I OFC Project for establishment of Cross border connectivity project AJK and GB, Upgradation of Existing TDM Based Backhaul Microwave with IP Based Backhaul Microwave Network in AJK and GB (SCO) and Upgradation of Transmission Network and Replacement of Optical Fiber Cable in AJK a...

ISLAMABAD, Jul 14:The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Thursday urged the masses to ensure precautionary measures amid impending disaster risks as heavier monsoon rainfalls were predicted in various parts of the country.  The NDMA on its official Twitter handle shared the public awareness infographic mentioning various precautionary measures to be adopted during multiple disaster hazards during rainy weather. It mentioned that there were multiple natural disasters to take place during impending Monsoon rains including the risk of flashflood in hilly and urban areas, land sliding and flood threat in streams and drains, sinking or submergence of bridges and road networks, urban flooding and water stagnation in low lying areas and rupturing of electric pole and power cables. The NDMA advised the public to ensure safety measures to circumvent any hazard and risk to life or property during the above mentioned disasters. It said that the public should remain abreast with ...