Farooqui for giving CDA a makeover

Federal Ombudsman Salman Farooqui said on Thursday that the Capital Development Authority (CDA)’s reconstitution was imperative to improve its performance. Addressing a ceremony at the Planning Commission Farooqui said that he could take his time making decisions as there was still time in the CDA chairman’s appointment. He said that the federal ombudsman disposed of 59,000 cases in the last four months, adding that the remaining complaints would be disposed of within two months. Farooqui said that all should take pride in Islamabad, but further development in the city was needed. He said the CDA chairman should be appointed for a specific period so that he could work fearlessly without pressure of removal. He said that the CDA’s land record should be computerised. He added that bypass roads in Islamabad and alternative traffic arrangements were also needed. Farooqui held that the Planning Commission was responsible for approving funds and for planning uplift schemes.  

Rs 25 billion recovered in 2012: NAB report

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The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in its annual report 2012 said that it recovered Rs 25 billion through Voluntary Return (VR) and Plea Bargain (PB), and that despite budget and personnel constraints, mega corruption cases were being prosecuted as best as possible. NAB worked with the bureaucracy for restructuring and strengthening regulatory mechanisms, and for removing rule violations to prevent corruption in planned procurements and projects. Numerous bureaucratic committees were formed in major areas of governance to improve performance. Rs 1.5 trillion worth of projects and procurements were processed to save over Rs. 200 billion, as they involved planning and pre-tendering irregularities. The Bureau processed 7889 complaints, completed 392 inquiries and filed 95 references in the accountability courts. The influx of complaints increased during the year as the organization received 7,565 complaints reaching a total of 9353 complaints, including a backlog of 1788. The report further revealed that the bureau authorized 232 fresh inquiries in 2012, raising pendency to 978 including the backlog of 746 inquiries. “A total of 392 inquiries were finalized (including closures and conversion into formal investigation), whereas 586 inquiries remained pending,” said the report, adding that the bureau authorized 86 new investigations. Out of total investigation cases, 147 have been finalized while 232 were ongoing, said the annual report. During 2012, the NAB also recommended placing 192 accused individuals on the Exit Control List (ECL) through the Interior Ministry. Further, the bureau filed 95 references in the Accountability Courts, making a total of 719 cases, including 624 cases already pending in the trial courts. NAB Chairman Admiral Retired Fasih Bokhari said in his comments that for 65 years and through 59 different legislations ‘enforcement’ as the primary anti-corruption tool had failed. Pakistan’s absolute corruption index remained unchanged at 2.5/10 since the start of Transparency International Corruption Perception Index. Pakistan’s corruption was therefore, not party, event, or form of government specific. The constant corruption index was a clear indication of major systemic flaws in the constitutional, legislative, regulatory and governmental structure. The report stated that a focus on the politicians by NAB was unrealistic in the current politicized environment of Pakistan and a focus on the bureaucracy was the best starting point as they are the state’s regulators and need to be made independent of political and financial pressures. The state’s structures needed to be reviewed to remove discretionary and service anomalies.  

SC dismisses CDA chairman petition

The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday dismissed Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Tahir Shahbaz’s posting petition and adjourned the hearing of the case relating to the transfer of other officers till the new government’s establishment. A 3-member bench of the SC presided over by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard the case. Justice Jawwad remarked,“The matter was disposed of, your issue is your period of service,” in response to which the counsel asked him to look at the April 18 order. The CJP declared, “If your tenure of service has been completed then you cannot be posted to some other place. We do not decide transfers and postings in the interest of transparency.” The counsel cited the Anita Turab case in his defence, but Justice Ejaz observed “The caretaker government is still functioning. The case will be heard after the new government’s installation. We adjourn the hearing for an indefinite period. We have issued notices with reference to your petition.” The counsel withdrew his petition and said he would approach the proper forum for this issue.  

Unscheduled load shedding hassles G-9, G-10 residents, Friday prayers

As the national energy crisis deepens, sectors G-9 and G-10 in Islamabad emerged as the most affected areas, suffering around 10 to 12 hours of load shedding daily. G-9 and G-10 residents expressed concerns about the persistent and unscheduled power outages, which were increasing as the weather got hotter. For the residents, there appears to be no practical solution to the problem: “There is no respite for us from this deplorable situation. We cannot complete our work properly and in time due to the heat which is made worse by load shedding. We don’t even get a good night’s sleep,” complained resident Muhammad Luqman. “Elderly people and children are suffering especially. Children are unable to wake up for school punctually as they are sleep deprived due to persistent load shedding,” said G-9 resident Ahsan Ali. Further, university student Humayon Raja said, “It is impossible for me to study because of frequent interruptions in the power supply.” A shopkeeper in G-9 expressed similar sentiments: “I don’t know what to do. Even generators are not an option for me because of high fuel prices.” The residents of these two sectors feared that the power cuts would become longer and more frequent as the temperature rose in the coming weeks. Moreover, Maulana Ahmed Ali said that the hot weather makes Jumaa prayers difficult for praying Muslims. He was joined by prayer leaders from various mosques in demanding the Islamabad Electricity Supply Company (IESCO) to reschedule load shedding hours during Friday prayers.

Raoof Hasan Raoof Hasan
A hate-speech that elicits unprecedented protest Altaf Hussain’s hate-speech of May 12 was a spate of threats hurled at just about everyone in the country – be it institutions, political parties, or individuals. No one quite escaped the venom of his excruciatingly painful outburst. Accusing the establishment for its partisan role, he cautioned: “If you don’t stop playing with fire, it would burn the entire Pakistan down”. He threatened the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) “to reach a decision with honesty or else they would not be able to find a shelter”. Warning the workers of another political party who have been protesting the alleged rigging in the May 11 elections at the Teen Talwar Chowk in Karachi, the British national thundered that they should behave or else he could unleash his party workers on them who “would dismember them into pieces with their swords”. He demanded that if the (allegedly rigged) mandate in the city was not respected, “Karachi should be separated from the rest of the country”. He threatened that if opposition was not stopped, he would let his followers “act freely on their own. How can I control them and for how long? Altaf Hussain should not be blamed if a war breaks out among the people. Whoever attempted to conduct propaganda will face war”. When his hate-speech elicited the obvious negative reaction from the public and the media, and the phone lines of the London Metropolitan Police were literally jammed with calls to the British government to initiate proceedings against the Queen’s subject, he came up with another fiery outburst on May 15, this time against the media, more notably its anchorpersons: “If you don’t mend your ways, somebody from the organisation of millions of people might lose his mind. If that person does something bad to one of you, don’t blame the MQM or Altaf Hussain”. He continued puking venom: “If the MQM ran out of patience, then neither the anchors nor the owners of the media houses would find a place to hide”. A spokesperson of the London Metropolitan Police confirmed the receipt of ‘floods’ of calls from Pakistan, the UK and elsewhere against Altaf Hussain’s hate-speech. He also said that an investigation (against the MQM chief) was underway”. The British High Commissioner to Pakistan Adam Thomson also commented on the episode. He confirmed the receipt of complaints, but tried to absolve the government of the UK from any responsibility in the matter saying that “unlike some countries of the world, the British police are fiercely independent of the British government and it is for the British police to investigate allegations of incitement to violence or hatred”. The High Commissioner, however, conceded that the London Metropolitan Police have been flooded with complaints about (Altaf Hussain’s) remarks. “What we say is that wherever somebody has a concern that hatred or violence is being incited, that one community or another is being turned against others, this should be reported to the police. And I know that they take such allegations very, very seriously indeed”. He further said that “if proved guilty, the MQM chief could face a jail sentence”. He did not rule out the prospect of handing over Altaf Hussain to Pakistan, but said that, in the absence of a UK-Pakistan Extradition Treaty, it would have to go through the whole process which is complicated: “It does not make it impossible, but it does make it quite difficult”. Karachi has been a hostage to violent and hateful machinations for over thirty years now, which the MQM and its leadership have unleashed on its hapless people with murderous abandon. The MQM are decidedly the original architects of the phenomena of extortion and murder in Karachi which has been used to perpetuate an environment of fear in the city. Thousands have been tortured and brutally exterminated with blood-soaked pieces of their bodies thrown all over the city in gunny bags. It has let lose a spree of murder ever so often to caution the residents against the prospect of freeing themselves from perpetual enslavement. The threatening demeanour and the foul language used by the MQM leadership leave little to the imagination. These endless threats have been unduly rewarded by various governments with invitations to the MQM to become partners in ‘democracy’ and dictatorship alike. Quite literally, the MQM has been a part of all provincial governments of Sindh and the federal governments over the last thirty years or so. No principles. No qualms. The extortion must continue. The killing spree should not end. The governments have been aware of this. The security agencies know of this. The intelligence agencies cannot feign ignorance either. What has the combined might of the state done to undo this harrowing spectre that threatens to dismember the country and advancing self-promoting gory objectives? Encourage them further by inducting them as partners in the governments and awarding them lucrative ministries to add to their illicit earnings? Seek their support to save their failing governments by issuing endless statements acknowledging their contribution to ‘democracy’? Quite simply, it has been a case of unremitting shame. What was the cause for this latest venomous outburst of the supremo? Quite simply, for the first time since the inception of the MQM, the supporters of another political party were able to break the shackles of fear and go to the polling stations to cast their ballots. So, true to tradition, the MQM literally hijacked the entire election process in connivance with the Returning Officers and other ECP officials who were just too scared to stand up to their murderous tactics. The MQM expects this mandate of fear to be accepted without questioning. For once, the people are angry. They appear unwilling to surrender their right to choose the leadership of their liking. They are protesting. They want justice. They are demanding re-polling under the army supervision in all constituencies of the city. They want an end of the politics of murder and extortion that has been practised through the last thirty years. They have a right to that and it is the state’s responsibility to ensure it. There are no two ways about it. The politics of fraud must cease. The people of Karachi want their freedom from fear and violence that they suffered from endlessly – and they must have it. They must also have their freedom to choose the leaders of their liking. The ECP must ensure that. The state must ensure that. It should not be left to the goons of terrorist outfits garbed as political parties to decide the fate of the people of Karachi, and that of Pakistan. A word for the British High Commissioner: instead of hedging your responsibility in the case of investigating the conduct of one of your citizens, you should advise your government to expedite the enquiry against him. For your added information, the two laws under which he can be tried and punished are the Anti-Terrorism Act 2008 and the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006. Meanwhile, and pending the results of the enquiry, appropriate restrictions should be clamped on his speech so that he would not be able to incite the people of Karachi to violence and hatred. They have had enough of that. It is time for them to move on – towards turning Karachi into the glorious city of lights that it used to be, not too long ago! The writer is a political analyst. He can be reached at raoofhasan@hotmail.com

Zeeshan Salahuddin Zeeshan Salahuddin
Change takes time There is an argument to be made that Pakistanis favour the status quo over the revolution. The other side of this coin insists that the status quo has been challenged, and perhaps even changed. Both sides are right. Nawaz Sharif maintained the status quo, Imran Khan changed it. The lion of Punjab now rules this familiar jungle. Promising motorways, airports and bus services, Nawaz Sharif rode on the tidal wave of rhetoric generated by his urban development projects and his six nuclear detonations establishing Pakistan as a nuclear power, and swept through the country. With the tally hovering between 125 and 130 seats for the PML-N in the centre, the great lions of Punjab need literally no other party to form the federal government. They might extend an olive branch to old compatriots like Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s JUI-F, perhaps in an attempt to weaken an opposition that will inevitably be forged out with some permutation of rival parties, but the lion reigns supreme. Despite allegations, it stands to reason that national rigging of this scale and calibre is implausible and improbable. The Sharifs’ love-hate relationship with the general population, demonstrated most visibly by the on-again, off-again relationship they have had with the central seat of power, continues unabated by the political pendulum that seems to swing only between the PML-N and the PPP. On the other side of this coin are you, the PTI supporters, who rose to the occasion for Imran Khan. You stood in line for 10 hours in certain cases, rode around urban centers in vehicles adorned with party flags, and made a stand beyond the relatively safe comfort zones of your homes. You ought to be lauded for your resilience, your affinity for what you perceive to be positive change, and your dedication in the street protests post-elections. The protests are warranted, and as citizens you are well within your rights to demonstrate and share your dissatisfaction with the results. But all of it is for naught, as beyond the scope of what you “burgers” wish to see, the “illiterates” have already chosen our collective fate. There are three reasons you should rethink your role, go home and prepare for the coming fight. First, you are leading to class warfare that will inevitably hurt your long-term goals. Voting your mind is not backwards or wrong. Outside the security blankets of the urbanites, there lives a Pakistan that is so disenfranchised, so far out on the fringes, that it cannot imagine voting for leaders with no political track record and no sense of real identification with their problems. Just because the galvanized upper class and upper middle class can afford to look past putting food on their tables and into what the future may hold, does not mean these concerns are shared by the rest of the population. Their idea of democracy and the strength of their vote matters no less and no more than yours does. Former Law Minister Punjab Rana Sanaullah already referred to the protestors as “mummy daddy” in order to alienate them further from those that simply do not place much faith in Imran Khan’s ideology. And the ruse is working, as the other side is already labeling this as class warfare, saying the rich are trying to impose their version of democracy, truth and liberty on the uneducated ‘paindoos’. Imran Khan’s battle has only just begun, and the fact that his message was not able to permeate the mindset of the middle and lower classes will need to be categorically and systematically addressed by the PTI in the coming years. Because one thing is for certain: without these votes, there can be no decisive victory in the centre, and these very votes are being ridiculed and estranged further. Go home PTI supporters, you’re disillusioned! Second, you are on a fine line between supporting your favourite leader, and being seen as worshippers of a one-man cult. Imran Khan, in less than two years, has become a force to be reckoned with, a new political awakening that has caused the Pakistani Twitteratti and the drawing room warriors to turn out in droves, cast their votes, and flood Facebook with photos of purple thumbs. It was not enough for a clean sweep, but it was enough to forever change the status quo. The PTI secured 30-plus seats in the national assembly, and it will likely form the government in the highly volatile KP. The PTI supporters should celebrate this, it is a remarkable accomplishment. But at this point, with protests that have been largely registered, and the ECP re-polling/recounting in certain constituencies, as well as FAFEN’s preliminary report stating that these elections do “reflect the free will of the electorate through a relatively fair process”, this is becoming a tad pointless. You wear the Kardar shirts, wail for a lost future where you could swing the Bat of Justice against the forces of Corruption, and imagine Imran Khan as the long-awaited messiah who has been thwarted by widespread rigging and widespread ‘jaahils’. He has his work cut out for him. He has a tough fight in the centre, trying to keep the government in check, and he has to bring transformation to the KP in order to forever cement his reputation as an agent of change. Help him move forward, don’t entrench him in what is done and mostly over with. Go home PTI supporters, you’re disillusioned! Third and finally, you fail to see what this country has gained in the process. We are a long way from the ever-elusive idea of democratic maturity, but we have crawled a few inches towards it, and we have fought and bled and suffered to gain every last inch. We are the first people in the 66-year history of the country to not only witness a civilian handover of power, but also to figure out how this process works, and how we can continue to improve on it. Despite 180 killings in 30-plus incidents of election violence, the public defiantly turned out to vote, with initial ECP estimates at 60 per cent, up from the 44.4 per cent in 2008. The marginalized transvestites were not only allowed to vote in the elections, several transvestite candidates ran for elections. Badam Zarri rose for her people in what the foreign media describes as “the lawless tribal frontier”. Despite vast differences in political ideologies, all parties united to push the government and the ECP for timely elections, and as promised we all voted on May 11, 2013. A lion roared, an arrow missed the mark, and a bat scored a few crucial runs. And right after elections, Nawaz Sharif paid a friendly visit to Imran Khan in the hospital. This is unprecedented. This is history in the making. We cannot be held back by our collective need to impose our individualistic version of how it should be on everyone else. We must come together, support the system. Go home PTI supporters, you’re disillusioned! Instead of decrying the results, you can appreciate and recognize how far we have come, and maybe, just maybe, these small victories will lead to something bigger, better and beautiful. Change takes time. This is not the end. This is just the beginning. The writer is the Executive Producer for the Planning and Research Department at Capital TV,

Zoya Ashraf Zoya Ashraf
Change is a slow process, sometimes painfully slow Addressing the Punjabi Muslim Students Federation at Lahore on October 31, 1947, Jinnah said: “Pakistan is proud of her youth, particularly the students who have always been in the forefront in the hour of trial and need. You are the nation’s leaders of tomorrow and you must fully equip yourself by discipline, education and training for the arduous task lying ahead of you. You should realise the magnitude of your responsibility and be ready to bear it.” It is clear from Jinnah’s statement that youth is an integral part of the state as they are the leaders of tomorrow. However, in today’s world, leadership is not the only trait one should look for in the youth, another closely related quality is also of great import: the aptitude to bring change in society. Youth today has whatever it wants at its disposal and our laws provide them the rights to freedom of speech, assembly and association, but using law for personal petty interests is not good. Instead, they should be used to create pathways for the sake of national interests. By doing this, they sure will create a window of opportunity not only for themselves but also for other people. Youth also needs to come forward to voice their opinion and not be afraid of learning from experiences of others. One of the ways where they can put their collective efforts is on how to improve the education system because it is they who are going through it and they know well what they need. If it doesn’t bring any change, it will at least lay down ground work for this debate to become mainstream and national. Youth is often attributed to change and change is good. Without change there would only be stagnation and then decay will take over. Change is not an event that can happen overnight, it’s a process, a slow and steady process. If people expected the youth to change the future of Pakistan in the elections, they were in for a surprise. Youth brings change through their fresh intellectual fervor and the results can differ from region to region and context to context. However, in Pakistan’s case, what they have done is that they have opened up for discussion the very possibility of change in the country. People should not fall prey to the utopian ideals of change; they should know that it is a slow, sometimes painfully slow, process. Answering that all too important question as to how youth can utilise their abilities to bring change is simple and complex at the same time. They need an ideology to initiate the process of change and awareness level about any initiative they might take needs to be increased. Educating the masses of Pakistan will be equivalent to achieving a milestone in itself. It is here the youth can play an important role, by educating people. For example, informing people about the importance of vote, why to vote and who to vote for was a challenging task, still they did it and with such huge success. More important than all, a process of dialogue should be initiated as dialogue has the power to change things upside down. The youth of Pakistan has the potential to work as one of the agents for change; they can prove to be an important part of this dialogue. Apart from bringing a change in the system, the issue of conflict resolution also needs to be addressed. Pakistan is in a state of constant conflicts with its neighbours and a number of internal ones. In this age of globalisation, one should address the conflicts and indentify the problems. Our problem is that we start the process of conflict resolution without even identifying the problem. Bangladesh, once our part, seceded from us in 1971 but no effort was made to stop this secession nor was the conflict addressed in a proper manner. For closure, Bangladesh wants our apology which is not too outlandish to ask for from their perspective. If the government is not up for an apology, at least a dialogue process can be started. Here the youth can also work better than most of the others. If someone has to take initiative for a dialogue, why not youth? Let’s keep politics out of this matter and see the results. Our youth can get in touch with the youth of Bangladesh and get to know their perception and then after having a dialogue, the issue should be taken on the state level. Things might actually turn up positively after this attempt. Youth has an opportunity to prove their worth, and not just the one they had in elections. If they work hard, their agenda is positive and they have a vision, a positive change should not be out of reach. Not all is black and white, so to speak. Much is grey still, and that’s where the youth has a chance to prove their worth.

Today's Cartoon

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Political anachronism: election posters still seen in the city

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The posters, signboard and banners of different candidates had not been removed by Thursday from Barakahu town and Lethrar Road. The residents demanded that the authorities should remove all campaigning material from the vicinities promptly. Post elections, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) started removing political posters, banners and billboards which adorned the federal capital during the campaign period. A Barakahu resident, Ali Ahmed Khan called on the authorities to act in this regard immediately. A CDA official said that all the areas of the city would be cleaned of the posters and banners. He added that the process is expected to take three days.  

Bomb hoax causes panic in UBL building

Panic gripped the United Bank Limited (UBL) building on Friday as all office work remained suspended for almost two hours following a hoax bomb call. Police said that an anonymous call was received at UBL building warning the employees to vacate the areas within 30 minutes as a bomb would blow up entire building. The caller also threatened that following the explosion terrorists would launch an armed attack on the building. After this call, thousands of employees working in the UBL building, which also houses offices of some other companies, came out on roads. Kohsar Police Station Assistant Superintendent (ASI) Malik Sadiq said that each inch of the building was scanned with metal dictators and sniffer dogs during the half hour operation but no bomb was found. “After a thorough inspection, we asked all the employees to resume work. The police has started investigating the hoax call, so far we have traced it to a telephone booth in sector F-10,” informed Sadiq. Hoax calls often create panic amongst the public, particularly for the employees of the UBL building, which has received three hoax bomb calls so far.  

Let’s use ICT for traffic control and safety: IT federal minister

Information Technology (IT) Federal Minister Dr. Sania Nishtar said on Friday in a press conference for the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) that the proactive role of traffic related agencies, car manufacturers and telecom operators was integral for developing road safety solutions. She said that technological advancements in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) field have created numerous opportunities for people around the world and this year's theme for WTISD "ICTs and improving road safety" was very relevant to the growing traffic and road accidents problem. IT Additional Secretary Ijaz Mian said the government was collaborating with ITU for affordable access to ICT based services to bridge the digital gap in the country. He said ICT applications can play a vital role in collision avoidance and to minimize distractions for drivers by ICT owned services. "The IT ministry and ITU are striving to develop and utilise ICT information structure and applications for civic betterment", he added. Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited (PTCL) President Walid Irshaid said that ICT is playing a catalytic role in bringing better opportunities for the people by improving health care and social and economic growth. WTISD is celebrated annually on May 17 to help raise awareness about the benefits of using the internet and other ICT can bring to societies and economies. May 17 marks the signing anniversary of the first International Telegraph Convention and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).  

Mareer Chowk expansion project expanding at snail speed

It was learnt on Friday that the Mareer Chowk expansion project was proceeding very slowly due to the concerned authorities’ tardiness. Sources predicted that the project’s first half would not to be completed till June 30 despite announcements to the contrary. According to sources, half of the Mareer Chowk bridge would be constructed in the first phase, following which work on the other half would be started. Funds for the project have already been released. One reason behind the delay was that the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) was relying only on one deputy director for the project and the chief engineer and director engineering were not involved. Meanwhile, it seems impossible that that Shah Khalid Colony Railway Underpass would be completed before the May 31 deadline. Rawalpindi residents talked about the troubles the ditches in the construction work created for them. They called on the authorities to fill the ditches and said that the project’s slow pace showed that the RDA and the political leadership did not care about its timely completion.  

2200 banners, posters of political parties removed from Rawal Town

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Sanitation workers and other officials of Rawal Town administration on Friday removed 2200 political banners, posters and boards which had been displayed for election campaigning.
In an operation for this purpose, the officials also erased wall chalking by the candidates. Meanwhile, the administration’s Anti Encroachment Department in its ongoing drive vacated government property worth Rs20 million. They also fined 55 shopkeepers guilty of illegal encroachments on Iqbal Road, Raja Bazaar, Bara bazaar, Commercial Market, Sadiqabad and Pirwadhai.
 

HEC seminar on future of research in Pakistan

HEC The Higher Education Commission (HEC) will organize a national seminar titled `Future of Research in Pakistan and Projects Exhibition” on Saturday to showcase the research contributions of the higher education sector towards the country’s economy and community. The seminar would demonstrate the social and economic impact of research by Pakistani universities and provide stakeholders the opportunity to define the future direction and role of research and higher education institutions. Science, Technology, Education and Training Federal Minister Dr. Sania Nishtar would be the chief guest while HEC Chairman Dr. Javaid R. Laghari HEC and HEC Executive Director Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed would speak at the event, which would also be attended by federal secretaries, vice chancellors, industry representatives, academia and non-governmental organizations. Since the HEC’s inception Pakistani universities have responded eagerly to its initiatives for promoting research and development. Academic employment and the number of doctoral scientists and engineers grew over the last decade due to these efforts, reaching a record high of 5,826 in 2011-12. Research activities also increased in public institutions with six times more published articles. Research quality also improved, and Pakistan has been acknowledged as a rising star by the international higher education community in a number of disciplines. Business and Technology Incubators are being established in universities across Pakistan for university-industry collaboration. Universities have initiated different research projects related to agriculture, business, industrial needs, which are shared with related stakeholders and other sections of the society. HEC has focused on research which can have a direct impact on the community’s wellbeing and economy.

Lok Virsa to have a rare culture pavilion

Lok Virsa

The National Heritage and Integration Ministry has decided to establish a pavilion for Pakistan’s rare cultural heritage in Lok Virsa Museum at Shakarparian. Areas covered include Balochistan, Rohi, KPK, Sindh and Punjab. The pavilion is being established on the directives of caretaker National Heritage Minister Shahzada Jamal Nazeer. Executive Director Lok Virsa Khalid Javaid said that Pakistan’s was rich and diverse, and Lok Virsa tries to capture all its shades.

Students enjoy wood carving workshop at RAC

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The Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC) on Friday organised a three-day wood art workshop by Saleem Mughal for its students. Mughal is a renowned wood artist. He instructed the students in making small wood models using special wood carving tools. The students were also awarded certificates by Resident Director RAC Waqar Ahmed on successfully completing the training. Various wood art pieces by Saleem Mughal were displayed at the council. They included a wood model of Badshahi Mosque, calligraphy pieces and portraits of famous leaders which enthralled many visitors. Waqar Ahmed said that the Council organized such workshops for its students to introduce them to various art forms. He said tat they had taken keen interest in the workshop and made small wood models and calligraphy pieces. He added that such workshops would also be held in the future. Saleem Mughal said that a respectable living can be made through wood art training because these models are popular in market. He thanked the RAC for asking him to lead the workshop.  

CDA’s Fire and Disaster Management a disaster

CDA

The Capital Development Authority (CDA)’s Fire and Disaster Management department is losing its utility and effectiveness because of negligence by the top officials.
According to CDA officials the Fire and Disaster Management department was specialised, therefore, a signed affidavit clearly informing that the post was non-transferable was taken from the firemen when they were recruited. They said that 214 firemen were hired in 2007, eight in 2009, 30 in 2012 and 50 in 2013, but 65 of them changed their cadre and become LDC, UDC or assistant.
Some of the firemen were also attached to other departments, while officers were transferred to other departments. Training Deputy Chief Imaduddin was transferred to estate management deputy director, and Physical Instructor Muhammad Iqbal was made enforcement deputy director, the officials added.
The officials held that the CDA chairman should take notice of the situation and return all transferred staff back to the Fire and Disaster Management department.
 

Health ministry takes away free parking

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The Health Ministry on Thursday decided to withdraw free parking facilities in government hospitals due to the constant complaints of vehicular theft. The former government provided the free parking facility which acceleration car and motorcycle theft from the parking space. Sources said that the health ministry had sought approval to remove the security guards of private companies to control this trend. The ministry was considering terminating its contract with security companies due to increasing theft incidents, sources added.