FARUKH SHEHZAD

BY PALWASHA NAWAZ, PROJECT EXECUTIVE CGSS

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COURTESY cgss.com.pk

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ISLAMABAD, JAN 27: The Government of Japan provides US$ 4.57 million grant to procure essential oral polio vaccine as part of its continued support to Pakistan for polio eradication.

This latest grant will be utilized for the procurement of 23.66 million doses of vaccines. It will allow the programme to reach under five years old children living in the districts with persistent polio virus transmission. Districts across the country during vaccination drives planned in 2021.

The notes of the grant were signed and exchanged between the Government of Japan and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and between Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and UNICEF.

“Polio eradication is the top-most priority of the Government. We are resolutely committed to eradicating polio even in difficult times of COVID-19 pandemic. The Government of Pakistan is grateful to the people and the Government of Japan for their timely and generous support for helping us reach every child with essential polio vaccine. I am confident that we will together reach the milestone of polio-free Pakistan and world,” said Dr. Faisal Sultan, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination.

H.E. MATSUDA Kuninori, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan paid tribute to all the frontline polio workers engaged in vaccination amid the prevailing risk of COVID-19. He added, “Japan remains committed to assisting the people of Pakistan together with UNICEF in their goal of eradicating polio.”

“We highly appreciate the brave and tireless efforts of the Government of Pakistan despite COVID-19 pandemic. With this Grant Aid, JICA will assist the vaccine procurement for children living in high-risk areas through UNICEF. The road towards polio eradication might be rough and steep. However, we will fight together for the earliest realization of polio-free Pakistan.” said Mr. Shigeki Furuta, JICA Chief Representative.

“Last year, from March to July, over 39 million children missed out on vaccination due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This increased the immunity gap, reversing previous gains made towards eradication. Despite the setback due to the COVID pandemic, the country has continued its efforts to make Pakistan Polio free,” said Aida Girma, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan, highlighting the unwavering support of the Government of Pakistan.

“The continuous support from the Government of Japan will help the country to get vaccines to the areas where they are needed most, and help Pakistan rebuild children’s immunity to get back on track to making Pakistan Polio free,” she added.

Pakistan is currently facing a challenging situation in polio eradication with the upsurge of number of polio cases. A total of 84 (19 January 2021) polio cases have been reported including 26 from Balochistan, 22 each from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, and 14 from Punjab. The Polio programme suspended vaccination activities from March to mid-July 2020 due to COVID-19, but services resumed after mid-July to get vaccines to children countrywide.

The Government of Japan has been supporting the Polio Eradication programme in Pakistan since 1996. Over these years, the grant and loan contribution from the Government of Japan has amounted to more than US$ 226.37 million dollars to support programme in Pakistan through UNICEF.

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COURTESY dailyspokesman

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OSLO, JAN 27: According to a survey, almost nine out of ten student councils at 183 upper secondary schools in Norway believe spring exams should be canceled.

In total, the survey was sent to 340 student councils throughout the country, according to Framtida.no, which has conducted the survey.

The student councils expressed concerns over unease and worries among their fellow students regarding the upcoming exams.

“It is wrong for students to be assessed on an equal basis in exams when the teaching has been so different in schools,” student council leader at Stord upper secondary school Hannah Hillersøy Resser told the newspaper.

Up to Melby

“For some students, it has been difficult,” she added. 

Minister of Education Guri Melby (V) has asked students to prepare for exams. 

She is waiting for a recommendation from the Norwegian Directorate of Education, but it will fall on her to decide whether the exam should be carried out.

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COURTESY norwaytoday

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ISLAMABAD, JAN 2021: On 25th January 2021 the First Session of the Online Internship Program, “The Contemporary Non-Traditional Security Challenges” organized by Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad was held.

The internship aims to provide an opportunity for students to understand the contemporary global non-traditional challenges, gauge the existing potential, build resilience and find the solutions to mitigate the daunting impacts of these transnational issues.

The session was commenced with the welcome remarks of Mr. Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive Director, CGSS. He welcomed the interns and explained the concept behind the online internship. He also briefly described the dynamics of the program and its benefits for students.

The theme for the first session was, "Concept Building: Understanding National Security and Environment" and the speaker for this session was Prof. Dr. Iram Khalid, Chairperson, Department of Political Science, University of the Punjab, Lahore.

Dr. Iram presented a detailed presentation on the concept and highlighted that the evolving debate of national security is the bottom line for every nation-state. Moreover, National security as a concept emerged after the outbreak of the Cold war, as before, only defense was considered to be the primary idea of state security.

Defining the concept of national security, she shared that Buzan believes individuals values are and should be the prime referent by which the state is judged, the national security is a holistic approach that cannot be judged at the unit level, it is determined at the point of the individuals.

Describing the elements of National Security, Dr. Iram highlighted Military, political, economic, diplomacy, Media, and many other elements, Discussing the concept of Environment and Securitization she discussed that hydro-political issues can be simply categorized in the environmental sector, though the spilling over of the diverse issues from other sectors make it intricate. She highlighted that threats to environmental security possess three basic relations with human activities including, threats to the natural environment, the threat to humans from the environment, and threats to natural structures of biosphere and systems.

Dr. Iram also shed light on constructive suggestions and stated that we must reduce the exposure, impact, and vulnerability to hazards and build resilience. Furthermore, developing policy-relevant strategies to resolve the environmental crisis is also important.

The session was moderated by Ms. Laraib Fatima Hassan, Communication & Coordination Manager, CGSS.

It is noteworthy that students from all across Pakistan are enrolled in this Online Internship Program. This program will prove to be a milestone for the students of International Relations & related fields to understand the contemporary dynamics of Non-Traditional Security Threats.

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COURTESY cgss.com.pk

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ISLAMABAD, JAN 27: The Government of Japan has agreed to provide grants approximately worth 1,986 million Japanese Yen (Equivalent to around 19 million USD / around 3,057 million PKR) for installation of weather surveillance radar in Sukkur, Sindh province.

Notes to this effect were signed and exchanged between H.E. MATSUDA Kuninori, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan and Mr. Noor Ahmed, Secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs in Islamabad and a Grant Agreement (G/A) on the details of implementation of the project was signed and exchanged between Mr. FURUTA Shigeki, Chief Representative, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Pakistan Office and Ms. Adeela Bokhari, Joint Secretary (Japan/NGO/INGO), Ministry of Economic Affairs.

It is expected that this project will enhance capacity on weather surveillance of Pakistan and contribute to mitigation of damages caused by natural and hydro-meteorological disasters.

In the signing ceremony, H.E. MATSUDA Kuninori, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan stated “ the Government of Japan will continue to work together with Pakistan to make this country disaster-resilient, making good use of experience and expertise Japan has gained from many disasters in the past.” and Mr. FURUTA Shigeki mentioned “Enhancement of weather surveillance capacity will mitigate the damage caused by natural disasters”. Both emphasized importance of disaster management.

Through this grant aid, the Government of Japan and JICA continues to assist disaster management conducted by the Government of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

COURTESY pk.emb-japan.go.jp

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ISLAMABAD - Redefining the perceptions of real estate yet again, Graana.com partners with the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) to present Pakistan’s first real estate course – Certification in Real Estate Science Level 1.

While commenting on this, CEO Graana.com and one of the course teachers, Mr. Shafiq Akbar, said, “The real estate sector is an engine of economic growth for Pakistan and yet it has been ignored for decades. By introducing formal education courses in our institutions, we can revolutionize this sector.”

“This course is aimed at extracting maximum potential and reshaping the real estate landscape by enhancing the knowledge and training professionals in attendance accordingly,” he added.

Other experts teaching the modules include Mr. Omar Abideen, Ms. Iqra Mussadaq, and Ms. Saima Latif.

An amalgamation of both theory and practical studies, the one-of-a-kind certification course provides a learning experience by closely examining technological, management, and legal issues related to the real estate profession.

The sessions of the four-week certification course, scheduled to commence from January 29, 2021, comprise assignments, presentations, group activities, case studies, and examinations.

The post Graana.com Partners with NUST to Launch Pakistan’s First Real Estate Course appeared first on WhenWhereHow Pakistan.

The post Graana.com Partners with NUST to Launch Pakistan’s First Real Estate Course appeared first on WhenWhereHow Pakistan.

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COURTESY whenwherehow

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The British Council and DEMO have announced the opening of applications for the Creative Communities Empowerment programmes – DICE Creative Hubs. Under the British Council’s Developing Inclusive and Creative Economies (DICE) programme, this empowerment programmes will support and curate eight meaningful activities enriched with powerful industry specific content. Enabling like-minded people to come together to dream, share, imagine, innovate and explore ideas.

A grant of PKR 1,070,000 each will be given to eight creative organisations in the following categories: Fine Arts and Handicrafts, Software Development, Music and Performing Arts, Literature, Film-making, Architecture – Interior design and Industrial design, Fashion and Textile and lastly Graphic Design.

DEMO together with the selected organisations, will be co-designing creative hub activities in the form of meet-ups, workshops, dialogues, online marketplaces, performances, showcasing, screening events and more to strengthen the sustainability of their creative practices in the ecosystem.

Talha Chishti, Head of Programmes at British Council Pakistan added: “DICE Creative Hubs is a wonderful opportunity for the Pakistani creative industry to collaborate and work together on the pressing issues of their communities and create a meaningful impact for the community members”

The programme is open for small organisations or artists collectively working in the creative industry, including but not limited to, art galleries, design studios, makerspaces, co-working spaces, fab labs, or artists–run spaces are welcome to apply. The applicants eligible should have been operating for at least 1-5 years with revenue less than PKR 5 Million per annum. 

Muhammad Bin Masood, CEO at DEMO, while speaking at the virtual launch commented: “Creative hubs are not just ingenious solutions providers, they are institutions that foster and breed creativity towards a prosperous creative economy by recognizing potential and igniting growth through innovation.”

The last date to apply is 11 February 2021. The eight selected grant recipients will be executing the DICE Creative hub activities by the end of March 2021. To find more about the program, visit: www.demo.org.pk/creativehubs.

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COURTESY whenwherehow

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TEHRAN, JAN 25: Foreign Minister of Iran Javad Zarif arrived in Azerbaijan on Sunday night on the first leg of his regional tour of the Caucasus, which is aimed at promoting regional cooperation.

Upon his arrival at the Baku airport, the top diplomat said he is happy to see Azerbaijan having regained control over occupied territories from Armenia.

Zarif further said that Iran is “ready to help” people in Azerbaijan return to their homes in the liberated territories “as soon as possible.”

He also reaffirmed his country’s commitment to reconstruction efforts in war-torn Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but had been under the occupation of ethnic Armenian separatists.

The territories were freed from Armenian occupation after a months-long armed conflict between the two warring sides that ended with a Moscow-brokered truce in November last year.

Zarif, whose visit to Azerbaijan and other regional countries had been postponed earlier, is scheduled to hold talks with top Azerbaijani officials on Monday.

Among the issues to figure prominently in the discussions are reconstruction efforts in war-torn Karabakh and the implementation of joint economic projects.

The two sides reached an agreement last week to boost economic cooperation, with Baku welcoming Iran’s offer to contribute to the reconstruction work in Karabakh.

The regional tour will also take Zarif to Armenia, Russia and Turkey this week, which he said is aimed at the promotion of regional cooperation and expansion of bilateral relations.

Iran, which shares a 132-kilometer (82-mile) border with Azerbaijan, has traditionally maintained a neutral stance on Karabakh. However, following the latest flare-up, calls in the country have grown in favor of Baku.

Tehran recently announced its readiness to play a role in strengthening the cease-fire between Azerbaijan and Armenia, while emphasizing the need for a “permanent solution” to the crisis.

There have been reports of the Armenian side frequently violating the cease-fire deal reached between the two sides in November.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

When new clashes erupted on Sept. 27, the Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violated several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from Armenian occupation.

The two countries signed a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10 to end the fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.

The truce is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose armed forces have been withdrawing in line with the agreement.

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COURTESY aa.com.tr

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ISTANBUL, JAN 25: A plane carrying the second batch of a COVID-19 vaccine ordered from China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd. arrived early Monday in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 plane, which departed from Beijing, landed at Istanbul Airport at 6.15 a.m. local time (0315 GMT).

Containers containing the vaccine were taken from the aircraft after customs procedures and moved to warehouses.

A total of 6.5 million doses of the inactive COVID-19 vaccine were brought in the first part of the second shipment of 10 million doses.

Mass vaccinations began in Turkey on Jan. 14 after the first batch of 3 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine arrived on Dec. 30. Later, a second consignment of 10 million doses was approved.

Over 1.23 million people, mostly health workers and the elderly, have been inoculated since Jan. 14.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were among the first to be vaccinated to boost public confidence in the vaccine.

The government has also introduced nighttime and weekend curfews to stem the spread of COVID-19.

Since December 2019, the pandemic has claimed more than 2.12 million lives in 192 countries and regions.

Over 99 million cases have been reported worldwide, with recoveries now over 54.7 million, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.

The US, India and Brazil remain the worst-hit countries in terms of cases.

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COURTESY aa.com.tr

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ISLAMABAD, JAN 25: Infinix, Pakistan’s leading smartphone brand that has carved a niche for itself in the mid-range segment has finally launched much awaited Infinix Hot 10 Play.This new smartphone of 2021 is a successor to the Infinix best-selling Hot series which has already proved to be nation’s most favored series smartphone.

Purely from a design and technology point of view, the HOT 10 play is a significant upgrade from its precursors in the HOT series.Infinix Hot 10 play comes packed with an array of top-notch features, latest design, powerful redefined chipset and quirky add-ons that gives an engaging and worthy mobile phone experience to the consumers.

Under the hood, the phone is equipped with an efficient, high-performance powerful MediaTek Helio G25 octa core chipset. To enjoy gaming 6.82” HD+ water drop display offers the brighter, colorful and immersive viewing display. Moreover Infinix Hot 10 play is powered with useful G-sensor / E-compass /l-sensor proximity sensor / fingerprint / soft-gyroscope sensors.

The smartphone is powered with 6000 mAh power marathon battery, users can nowrelish a non-stop playing battery lifewith an amazing talk time upto 53hrs and standby upto 55 days.This Infinix Hot play 10 also features a multifunctional fingerprint sensor and face unlock feature as well.

A schematic of the rear shell of the Infinix Hot 10 Play has a rear-facing fingerprint scanner and a rectangle-shaped camera module. The latter has two cameras and an LED flash unit. On the camera front, the device comes with 8MP beauty cam alongwith a flash whereas AI dual flash rear camera is equipped with 13MP AF lens which can record upto 1080P @ 30FPS which will take video recording to another level in budget segment smartphones.

The Infinix Hot 10 Play has 2GB of RAM in tow with 32GB of Internal Storage. The device also bring a MicroSD slot for further expansion upto 512GB.

This powerful phone is based on the XOS 7.0 version with Android 10 which is available in four appealing colour variants;AEGEAN BLUE , MORANDI GREEN , OBSIDIAN BLACK , 7° PURPLE at an amazing price point of PKR 16,999/- only.

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COURTESY whenwherehow

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ISLAMABAD, JAN 2021: The federal government is considering taking out a loan by mortgaging the largest F-9 Park in Islamabad.

In this regard, according to the agenda of the federal cabinet available with Urdu News, the issue of issuing sukuk bonds in exchange for the land of F-Nine Park will be considered. According to cabinet sources, a summary in this regard has been submitted by the Finance Ministry.

When contacted by Urdu News, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Hamza Shafqat said that he was not aware of this but even before that the prices of buildings have been fixed for issuing sukuk bonds in exchange for government buildings.

He said that the status of Sukuk bond is different from that of mortgage as it does not affect the status of the property.

Even before this, previous governments have been borrowing dollars from the international market in exchange for guaranteeing national assets, and mortgaged property becomes free when the debt is repaid.
The present government has also decided to take loans for financial difficulties and budget support.

The government of Pakistan has issued sukuk several times in exchange for motorways (M1, M2 and M3) and Jinnah International Airport. “Other government assets, including the Islamabad Expressway, Allama Iqbal International Airport and F-Nine Park, have been identified for issuing sukuk after consultation with Islamic economists.”

On the other hand, the Ministry of Finance, while explaining the news regarding the issuance of sukuk, said that sukuk is a means of obtaining loans in accordance with Shariah principles.

According to the Ministry of Finance, Sukuk is not only a means of generating resources for the government’s budget expenditure but also a means of promoting Islamic banking in the country, which is a constitutional obligation.

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COURTESY whenwherehow

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