ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) in collaboration with ICT Administration on Wednesday launched a Go Green Islamabad Campaign to plant one million trees in federal capital in 2020.
Hamza Shafqaat, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad and Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, President ICCI formally inaugurated the campaign by planting a tree in front of ICCI building. Waseem Ahmed Additional Deputy Commissioner, Gohar Wazir, Danish Zakir, Mahreen Baloch Assistant Commissioners and others were also present at the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Hamza Shafqaat Deputy Commissioner Islamabad said that ICCI has always actively participated in good works and launching Go Green Islamabad campaign was another positive step of Chamber that was laudable.
He assured that ICT Administration would fully cooperate with ICCI in making this campaign successful. He said that ICCI was the first Chamber of the country to have planned to plant one million trees in Islamabad that would support the PM’s initiative of Green Pakistan.
He said that ICT Administration would identify places for ICCI to plant trees to make the environment of Islamabad healthier. He said that the survival rate of plants was 50 percent as animals and termite damaged planted trees and stressed that good care should be taken of the planted trees to improve their survival rate.
Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had set a target of planting 10 billion trees in five years and launching Go Green Islamabad campaign was to support his initiative. He said that CDA, MCI, Islamabad Police, diplomats, schools and others institutions would be involved in this noble cause to make Islamabad green and beautiful. He said that ICCI would welcome any institution that wanted to become part of this campaign.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan-sponsored resolution on strengthening the role of parliaments in preventing and combating corruption was unanimously adopted at the Eighth Session of the Conference of the States Parties (CoSP) of the UN Convention against Corruption.
The conference was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from December 16-20, 2019, said a press release received here Saturday.
In line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan’s initiative is to eliminate corruption and his focus on the issue in his address to the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2019.
The unanimous adoption of the resolution is manifestation of the trust reposed by the international community in Pakistan’s leading role in the fight against corruption, the Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement.
The resolution, inter alia, calls upon States parties to enhance exchanges among parliamentary institutions for promoting good practices to strengthen the role of parliaments in their respective countries in enacting legislation and ensuring effective oversight.
In this regard, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has been mandated to organize a thematic dialogue in collaboration with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) on strengthening the role of parliaments in combating corruption in all its forms. The UNODC will also develop a compendium of good practices on the role of parliaments in combating corruption.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Pakistan Mission in Vienna steered the process of consultations to achieve consensus on the Resolution. A wide range of developing and developed countries from all geographical regions co-sponsored the resolution, including Azerbaijan, Brazil, Canada, China, Indonesia, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore and Switzerland.
Pakistan’s initiative has brought focus of the international community on the important role parliaments can play in the campaign against corruption and would be useful in pushing for concerted action worldwide.
The United Nations Convention against Corruption is the only universal legal framework at the international level to prevent and combat corruption in all its forms. There are 186 States Parties to the Convention, including Pakistan, which joined the Convention in 2007. (With additional input from INP)
LODHRAN: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Jahangir Tareen on Friday said that his party will fulfill promise of creating South Punjab province.
Talking to journalists in Lodhran, Jahangir Tareen said efforts are underway for the creation of South Punjab province despite tough conditions in the constitution.
He said heavy debts were taken in the past tenures, which are being paid by the PTI government. “Those who looted national money will not be spared.”, he added
Replying to a question, Tareen said the verdict of the special court in former president Pervez Musharraf high treason case has created disappointment amongst the people of Pakistan.
The judges should refrain from using such words in the verdicts, he said and added that “This is a court verdict, nothing more he can say about it.” (With input from INP)
ISLAMABAD: In a full-court reference held at the Supreme Court to bid him farewell, Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa said, “I always did what I thought was right and was worth doing.”
Addressing the gathering held on Friday, Khosa maintained: “I gave my hundred per cent to the job, tried to perform beyond the call of duty, never raised my voice, spoke mainly through my pen, never delayed a judgment unduly and after giving the best years of my life to this public service, I lay down my robes today with a conscience which is clear as crystal.”
Justice Khosa, who is set to retire today at midnight, will end a career in the judiciary spanning almost two decades. Justice Gulzar Ahmed will take oath tomorrow as the 27th chief justice of Pakistan.
The outgoing chief justice said that he had always “strived to live up to my oath of office and have tried to dispense justice according to law and without fear or favour, affection or ill-will”.
“It is not for me to lay any claim on correctness of my legal opinions but I only hope that posterity may judge me with kindness and may appreciate the sincerity of the efforts made,” he added.
He went on to list the measures he took in order to bring reforms in the judiciary which include the launch of e-courts, online Supreme Court database, revamped website as well a mobile application. He pointed out that a backlog of pending criminal appeals was wiped out and the practice of asking for adjournments was “effectively discouraged”.
“An all out effort was made to put our own house in order with an approach focusing mainly on improving the justice delivery system,” he said and added that during his tenure as top judge “the image of [the Supreme] Court as a dignified judicial forum sitting at the apex of judicial hierarchy was maintained, the principle of separation of powers was adhered to, judicial restraint was exercised and dignity and respect was ensured for all appearing before the Court as lawyers, litigants or officials.”
Justice Ahmed, during his address, paid a rich tribute to his predecessor and termed the outgoing chief justice as a judge “par excellence” and “a person of extraordinary intellect, unmatched integrity and outstanding erudition”.
Though Justice Ahmed did not lay out a roadmap for his tenure as the top judge, he noted: “Rule of law, protection of Constitution and independence of the judiciary, are the foremost tasks with which this court is constantly confronted with.
“This court has, in the past, addressed these challenges and shall continue to address these challenges with all due dignity and profoundness,” he said. He also insisted that the “state should build and provide for civic infrastructure so also the civil infrastructure”. Justice Ahmed is currently hearing multiple cases pertaining to illegal encroachments and lack of infrastructure in urban cities.
He said that the state must adopt a “humanistic approach” and added: “Corruption and illegalities, in all the departments of the State, need to be seriously addressed and eliminated.”
The reference was attended by all Supreme Court judges with the exception of Justice Qazi Faez Isa who is on holiday. The attendees included vice chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council, president of the Supreme Court Bar, additional attorney general and others.
Earlier, speaking on behalf of the attorney general at the reference, Deputy Attorney General Amir Rehman said [Khosa] has been labelled a “poetic judge” because of his observations and judgments.
“As a judge he decided 55,000 criminal cases as well as 10,000 criminal cases. In addition, he also made his stance clear on submitting false testimonies and evidence to courts,” he said.
The deputy attorney general also criticised the special court’s verdict in the high treason case against former dictator Pervez Musharraf. “The special court did not follow Khosa’s principles in deciding cases. Their conduct runs contrary to the conduct of the court’s top judges,” he said.
CJP Khosa extends best wishes to all as he holds career’s last hearing
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa on Friday conducted last hearing of his career and extended best wishes to everyone during the proceedings.
According to details, the outgoing CJP was hearing case of firing on Amna bibi in Murree.
It is to be mentioned here that Asif Saeed Khosa is retiring from the post of Chief Justice of Pakistan after serving 11 months.
A full court reference and dinner will be held today to honour Justice Asif Saeed Khosa.
Justice Asif Saeed Khosa will be succeeded by Justice Gulzar Ahmed who is the most senior judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan after him. Justice Gulzar Ahmed will take oath as CJP on Saturday.
During his career as judge of the higher judiciary since 1998, Justice Khosa passed many landmark judgements and noted important judicial observations.
The cases that gave him international fame include disqualification of two sitting prime ministers — Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and Mian Nawaz Sharif — and most recently extension case of Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. (With additional input from INP)
ISLAMABAD: Earthquake of 6.4 magnitude felt in Islamabad, AJK, Lahore, Peshawar and other cities of district Khyber on Friday.
The tremors struck at 4:39pm measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale.
The earthquake was also felt in the areas surrounding Peshawar, Malakand and Chitral. Tremors jolted Sargodha and its surrounding area.
No loss of life or property have been reported so far. Frightened people rushed out of their homes and offices in different cities of the country after the tremors were felt.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) the epicentre of the earthquake was the Koh-e-Hindukush mountain in Afghanistan and it measured 210 kilometers deep.
RAWALPINDI: Speakers at a seminar held at Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-UAAR) underlined that active involvement of Pakistani youth could play a positive role in transforming peaceful and safe society.
They stated this while addressing at a seminar on “Role of Youth for Peace Building in Pakistan” organized by Directorate of Students Affairs Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR), here on Tuesday.
Speakers said that there is dire need not only to involve youth in decision making process but also in extracurricular and sports activities. They were of the view that various students societies i.e. music, dramatic, debating, literary, art etc societies should be revived and strengthened. These can be good alternative platforms to engage educated youth in positive activities and avenue to train them as future leaders of the country, they added.
Speakers emphasized upon involving and partnering with young people for positive change, rather than considering them as a problem, aggressors or victims during the conflicts.
On the occasion, Dr. Muhammad Zia ul Haq Director Paigham-e-Pakistan Centre for Peace was the chief guest while Zamarud Khan Chairman Pakistan Sweet Homes, Abrar Ul Haq Social Activist/Singer, Dr. Ahsan Naveed Expert Mental Health, Dr. Aftab Ahmad Expert Interfaith Harmony, Dr. Abdul Saboor Dean Faculty of Social Sciences PMAS-AAUR and Dr. Ghulam Hussain Baber Director Students Affairs PMAS-AAUR also address the participants.
Dr. Zia ul Haq said that Pakistani youth is very much energetic and there is no comparison of them in the world. He also introduced the national narrative of Paigham-e-Pakistan to the participants and said that youth has a very special responsibility of the future of nation. He urged the youth to join hands against the propaganda war which portray the negative image of Pakistan.
ISLAMABAD: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) will open its first phase of admissions for the Semester Spring, 2020 from January 15 across the country.
Academic programs to be offered in the first phase included: Matric, F.A. MS/M.Ph, PhD and BS (face-to-face).
As per instruction and vision of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Zia-Ul-Qayyum, holding of admissions for each semester in two phases was started from the last semester.
The new system made the process more efficient and facilitated its over 1.4 million students around the country. It was also aimed at streamlining the academic sessions for timely mailing of books and conducting examination.
The applications for the admissions Matric, FA programs will be received till February 20, while admission forms for the MS/M.Phil/PhD/BS (face-to-face) will be received till February 14.
As per new schedule, admissions of BA/BS/B.Ed/MA and M.Sc programs will take place from March 1 and would be continued till April 15.
Prospectus sale points will be set up at the University main campus, regional and coordinating offices throughout the country. Special students facilitation Centre will be set up at the Allama Iqbal Open University’s 49 regional offices to guide and help the aspiring students.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday met United States Senator Lindsey Graham in Islamabad to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and other senior officials were also present during the meeting that took place at the Noor Khan airbase.
Lindsay Graham, the head of the US Senate Judiciary Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, had earlier met Prime Minister Imran on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in September.
They had also held a meeting in July when the prime minister had traveled to the US on a week-long official tour to mend the strained relationship between Islamabad and Washington, Geo News reported.
Graham, at times considered an aide to US President Donald Trump, has been a vocal advocate of revitalising US-Pakistan ties in the interest of regional peace and security.
In earlier meetings with PM Imran, Graham had called for sustained and high-level engagement between the two countries, and appreciated Pakistani support for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
Last week, US Special Envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalizad had met high-ranking officials in Pakistan after the US resumed peace talks with Taliban earlier this month following a brief pause.
Pakistan has on numerous occasions called for a political solution to the Afghan conflict, and even facilitated the engagement between the US and the Taliban in a bid to end the armed conflict in the war-torn neighbouring country.
ISLAMABAD: The President House remained open to general public from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm on Saturday.
People from different segments of society visited the different sections of Aiwan-e-Sadr. They hailed the government’s decision to open the key state buildings for them.
Visitors were not allowed to carry along bags and mobile phones inside the presidency.
According to officials, visitors were allowed to enter the Aiwan-e-Sadar from the National Assembly gate after showing their National Identity Card at the entrance.
The doors of the President House in the federal capital were also opened for the general public for a day last year.
The incumbent government has opened key state-owned buildings, including the palatial Governor Houses of the provinces, to the public in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision and pre-election promise.
Prime Minister Khan had announced to allow public access to these precious government assets soon after coming to power.
It is noteworthy that the Prime Minister House is also being turned into a state-of-the-art educational institute.
Last year in December, a ceremony marking transformation of the PM House into “Islamabad National University” was also held in Islamabad. (With additional input from INP)
SRINAGAR: Kashmiris held forceful demonstrations across central, north and south Kashmir, today, to show their resentment against the Indian occupation.
According to Kashmir Media Service, as the ‘Jumma’ Friday congregational prayers culminated, people took to the streets in Srinagar, Badgam, Ganderbal, Islamabad, Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian, Bandipora, Baramulla, Kupwara and other areas of the occupied territory.
The protesters shouted high-pitched pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. Indian troops and police personnel used brute forces against the demonstrators at many places, injuring several of them. The occupation authorities did not allow Juma prayers at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid and other main mosques of the Kashmir Valley on 17th consecutive week since 5th August.
Meanwhile, routine life continued to remain badly affected in the Kashmir Valley and Muslim-majority areas of Jammu region due to severe military lockdown and internet blackout on 117th consecutive day, today. The continued gag on internet has wreaked havoc on the businesses and economy besides hampering education of students. Journalists too are finding it difficult to file stories. They have to travel long distance to the so-called Media Facilitation Centre in Srinagar where they have to wait for hours at a time to access the facility. The suspension of this modern tool of communication has effectively cut people off not only from their immediate surroundings but also from the world. The members of Kashmir Editor’s Guild at a meeting in Srinagar demanded an immediate end to the gag on internet services.
In Islamabad, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, today, held a protest demonstration outside the National Press Club against the continued lockdown in occupied Kashmir and illegal detention of Hurriyat leaders including party Chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik. The speakers said that India had made a plan to eliminate Muhammad Yasin Malik, and other Hurriyat leaders.
On the other hand, the President of Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organization, Azmi Abdul Hamid, in a statement in Kuala Lumpur condemned the remarks made by India’s Consul General in New York, Sandeep Chakravorty, in which he stated that the Indian government would adopt an Israeli model to settle Hindus in occupied Kashmir. Azmi urged the international community to take cognizance of the grave situation in occupied Kashmir and the provocative remarks of the Indian official that have serious consequences on the regional stability.
The President of Indian National Congress, Sonia Gandhi, addressing a party meeting in New Delhi said that democracy was again subverted when the special status of Kashmir was abrogated by Narendra Modi-led Indian government on 5th August. She also said that the ground realities were completely different from the “fictitious images” conjured up by the Modi government.
