FARUKH SHEHZAD

PESHAWAR, APR 18: Two advisors and a special assistant to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan resigned from their posts on Saturday.

According to a notification issued by the provincial government, KP Governor Shah Farman has accepted the resignations of Adviser to the CM on Energy and Power Himayatullah Khan, Adviser to the CM on Information and Technology Ziaullah Bangash and Special Assistant to the CM on Excise and Taxation Ghazan Jamal.

"They have ceased to hold the portfolios of advisers/special assistants to the KP chief minister with immediate effect," the notification stated.

In a handwritten resignation letter addressed to the provincial chief minister, Bangash — a longtime PTI activist — said that he was stepping down from the post due to "some unavoidable situation" and some "other constituency problems".

"I have a lot of responsibilities in the constituency and I want to focus on [them]," he said.

Jamal, on the other hand, said: "Over the past one year, I have endeavoured to reform and improve the department and worked diligently to realise the goals set by your leadership.

"Due to circumstance beyond my control, I am unable to continue as a special assistant. I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity and, in my capacity as MPA Orakzai, I will continue to work on behalf of the people of my district," he said.

The spokesperson for the provincial government, Kamran Khan Bangash, did not respond to Dawn.com's request for a comment.

The development comes days after four new ministers were inducted into the provincial cabinet.

Those who took oath included Atif Khan, Fazal Shakoor Khan, Shakeel Ahmed Khan and Faisal Amin Gandapur.

Atif Khan and Shakeel Khan were earlier sacked from the provincial cabinet, while Faisal Amin Gandapur, the brother of federal minister Ali Amin Gandapur, and Fazal Shakoor Khan were included in the cabinet for the first time.

Atif Khan had earlier served as minister for tourism, while Shakeel Khan was minister for revenue.

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COURTESY DAWN NEWS

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• Internship opportunities at a leading Turkish multinational company for Pakistani students

ANKARA, APR 17: On the request of the Embassy, a multinational Turkish company has agreed to offer internship program to Pakistani students studying in Turkish Universities. The company is engaged in production of white goods (kitchen appliances) and has offices across Turkey and in number of countries abroad. The internship program shall provide an opportunity to Pakistani students/graduates to gain experience of Turkish market and industry.

The internships are offered under following three plans:

Plan A: For students who have completed 2nd, 3rd and 4th year of Engineering in the fields of Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, Computer and Mechatronics. Interns shall be placed in different cities of Turkey.

Plan B: For students who are in 4th year of school in Business Administration / Economics and Industrial Engineering shall be eligible for internships in Business Development and Supply Chain industry in Turkey.

Plan C: For students who have graduated from Turkish universities or are currently in Pakistan due to Covid-19 restrictions and have completed 3rd and 4th year of Engineering in the fields of Electronics, Electrical, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering shall be eligible for internship program at the company’s production plants in Pakistan.

Accommodation Allowance shall be provided by the company to interns placed in Bolu, Eskişehir, Istanbul and Tekirdag.

Interested applicants may kindly, through an application, send their CVs (specifically stating one the three Plans they apply for) before April 25th, 2021 at internship.pakembank@gmail.com. The resumes shall be forwarded by the Embassy to the management of the company for their final decision/selection.

For any queries, please email us at: parepankara.consular@yahoo.com.

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ISLAMABAD, APR 17: The opposition on Friday lashed out at the government in the National Assembly for signing what it called an “illogical” agreement with the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) last year about expulsion of French ambassador from the country and severing of trade relations with France over its government’s stance on publication of blasphemous sketches in a magazine.

The government, however, claimed it had never inked any agreement regarding expulsion of the ambassador. Rather, an understanding had been reached with the TLP that a resolution would be tabled in the assembly regarding removal of the ambassador.

The agreement with the TLP, as reported by the media, read: “The government will take a decision from the Parliament regarding expulsion of the French ambassador within three months, will not appoint its ambassador to France and release all the arrested workers of the TLP. The government will not register any case against the TLP leaders or workers even after it calls off the sit-in.”

“When the government knew that it could not sever bilateral relations with France, then why such an agreement was signed with TLP,” asked Naveed Qamar of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) during a debate in the National Assembly.

• MNAs demand that a committee be set up to deliberate on the objectives of establishing the TLP and those behind the move

He said the government was thinking of moving the Supreme Court for dissolution of TLP, but the parliament was not being taken into confidence over the matter. “Nothing is being conveyed to the parliament,” he said.

BISHKEK, APR 17: Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority has informed that effective May 01, 2021, submission of complete requisite information/data through Pass Track App will be mandatory for all passengers inbound to Pakistan.

It will be the prime responsibility of airline operators to ensure that all passengers travelling to Pakistan have submitted complete information through the Pass Track App prior to commencement of travel to Pakistan.

Additionally, the requirement of submission of Health Declaration Form will cease from May 01, 2021, upto coming into effect of the mandatory requirement of submission of information/data through Pass Track App.

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ISLAMABAD/TASHKENT, APR 16: Prime Minister Imran Khan and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev Wednesday held wide-ranging talks and exchanged views on bilateral, regional and international issues.

In their first virtual summit, the two leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations with particular focus on political, trade, security and defence, educational and cultural domains.

Prime minister Imran Khan underlined the importance of enhancing political and diplomatic linkages, fast tracking trade and economic cooperation, ensuring early finalization of the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and Transit Trade Agreement (TTA), increasing security and defence cooperation, and taking steps to deepen mutual collaboration in the fields of education, culture and tourism.

He also underscored the importance of rail, road and air connectivity and highlighted the enormous potential that existed in diverse fields to build an expanded mutually-beneficial partnership.

The prime minister highlighted Pakistan’s economic security paradigm and the shifting focus to geo-economics and also stressed that Central Asia was a region of particular focus in this vision, a prime minister office media wing press release said.

During the summit, the level of progress on the Trans-Afghan Railway Line Project, agreed between Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan earlier this year, was reviewed.

The project would be a first step in linking the Central Asian transport network with Pakistani seaports of Gwadar, Karachi and Qasim.

Prime minister Imran Khan said once completed, the initiative would transform the geo-economic dynamics of the entire regime.

The two leaders also discussed important global and regional matters of mutual interest, and reaffirmed the commitment to continue supporting each other at all international and regional fora, including the UN, OIC, SCO and ECO. Prime minister Imran Khan apprised on the latest situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), shared Pakistan’s perspective on issues of peace and security in South Asia, and underlined the imperative of peaceful resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute.

He also highlighted Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate the Afghan peace process for lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan. He stressed that this historic opportunity must be seized by the Afghan parties to achieve an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive negotiated political settlement. The prime minister also underscored the importance of countering Islamophobia and promoting inter-faith harmony.

They also reiterated their determination to maintain momentum of high-level exchanges and further enhance the upward trajectory of the relationship.

The two sides highlighted the depth of Pakistan-Uzbekistan relations rooted in common faith, shared history and cultural affinities and also agreed to encourage more people-to-people contacts including through spiritual (ziyarat) tourism.

Following agreements/MoUs were signed on the eve of the virtual summit:

The MoU for developing further cooperation in the field of agriculture, agreement on mutual recognition in the fields of conformity assessment of products, standardization, metrology and technical assistance and MoU on defence cooperation.

President Mirziyoyev reiterated his invitation to Prime Minister Imran Khan to attend the high-level international conference on regional connectivity, to be held in Tashkent in July this year.

The prime minister thanked President Mirziyoyev and reiterated his invitation to him to visit Pakistan at the earliest convenience.

The two leaders expressed confidence that the understandings reached during the virtual summit would further deepen bilateral cooperation and contribute towards forging a stronger, multi-dimensional relationship between the two countries. It was agreed to continue the summit-level political dialogue in future. A joint declaration was adopted at the conclusion of the summit.

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COURTESY dailytimes

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ISLAMABAD, APR 16: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority blocked social media sites for four hours in Pakistan Friday morning.

A temporary ban has been imposed on Facebook, Google, Twitter, Telegram, Tiktok, WhatsApp, and YouTube. They will resume working at 3pm.

The decision has been taken to maintain the law and order situation in the country.

The PTA took the step on the instructions of the Ministry of Interior. In a letter, it said that “complete access to social media platforms” should be suspended from 11am to 3pm.

The step comes a day after Pakistan imposed a ban on the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan. PEMRA even blocked all TV channels from providing any coverage to the banned organisation.

The authorities have in the past suspended mobile phone and internet services in the areas where the party protesters had gathered in Islamabad and parts of Punjab. This is the first time a ban has been imposed on all social media sites across the country.

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COURTESY SAMAA.TV

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WASHINGTON, APR 16: Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is more likely to respond with military force to “perceived or real” provocations from Pakistan, warns a US intelligence report sent to Congress this week.

The annual threat assessment report – 2021 was prepared by the office of the US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and sent to Congress on Tuesday. It identifies China’s “push for global power” as the number one threat to US interests followed Russia’s provocative actions and threats from Iran.

The report provides “nuanced, independent, and unvarnished intelligence” assessment to “policymakers, warfighters, and domestic law enforcement personnel,” Director DNI Avril Haines wrote in the introductory note.

While assessing possible threats from South Asia, the report warned that “under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi India is more likely than in the past to respond with military force to perceived or real Pakistani provocations.”

The report noted that “heightened tensions” in the region “raise the risk of conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, with violent unrest in Kashmir or a militant attack in India being potential flashpoints.”

But the report also said that “a general war” between India and Pakistan during 2021 was unlikely, but “crises between the two are likely to become more intense, risking an escalatory cycle.”

Another US intelligence report to Congress, released last week, had warned that India and Pakistan could go to a war in the next five years over real and perceived provocations.

The report pointed out that some regional conflicts – such as the fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria – had “direct implications for US security,” while “tensions between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan remain a concern for the world.”

Afghanistan

The report assessed the prospects for a peace deal between the Afghan government and the Taliban in 2021 as low. “The Taliban is likely to make gains on the battlefield, and the Afghan government will struggle to hold the Taliban at bay if the coalition withdraws support,” the report predicted. It also noted that Kabul “continues to face setbacks on the battlefield, and the Taliban is confident it can achieve military victory.”

DNI also noted that Afghan forces continued to secure major cities and other government strongholds, but “they remain tied down in defensive missions and have struggled to hold recaptured territory or reestablish a presence in areas abandoned in 2020.”

Commenting on Iran’s role in Afghanistan, the report said that “Iran will hedge its bets in Afghanistan,” adding that “Iran publicly backs Afghan peace talks, but it is worried about a long-term US presence in Afghanistan.”

As a result, “Iran is building ties with both the government in Kabul and the Taliban so it can take advantage of any political outcome,” the report added.

DNI’s annual threat assessment reports are shared with congressional intelligence committees as well as the committees on the Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

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COURTESY DAWN NEWS

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LONDON, APR 16: Nearly two dozen supporters, purportedly from the UK chapter of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), gathered outside the Pakistan High Commission in London to demand that the Pakistan government expel the French ambassador as well as boycott French products.

Though they did not formally identify a leader or organiser of the protest, they carried the party’s flag and chanted its characteristic “Labbaik” slogan.

The group gathered at Lowndes Square on Thursday afternoon to chant slogans and also submit a petition with their formal complaints to the High Commission. They also protested against the death of TLP workers who were killed during ongoing riots across Pakistan.

The protestors were largely British Pakistanis settled in London, while some had travelled from Birmingham where the TLP is known to have a limited but active presence.

Metropolitan Police officials arrived at the scene and allowed the protesters to raise their concerns in a peaceful manner. Among their slogans, the protesters chanted one in Urdu that translates to inciting violence against someone who commits blasphemy.

The petition detailed the group’s position on blasphemous sketches and summarised their demands to the government about the expulsion of the French ambassador. It also noted that the government had reneged on an agreement with the group and protested the arrest of their leader despite their understanding with government officials.

The government of Pakistan this week moved to ban the TLP after its elements attacked police officials during widespread protests that paralysed major thoroughfares across the country.

In a country policy and information note on Pakistan from December 2020, the Home Office described the TLP as a party that emerged out of a protest movement in 2016 against the state’s execution of Mumtaz Qadri.

It noted that, in its first ever election in September, 2017, “the party surprised Pakistani political elite with a strong showing” by securing nearly 8 per cent of total votes cast in a by-election.

It also added a note from the International Crisis Group report dated January 2019, which said religious groups, spearheaded by the TLP launched violent protests countrywide after the Supreme Court’s acquittal of Aasia Bibi, a Christian sentenced to death for blasphemy by a court in 2010. It said the group attacked police officers and citizens and also destroyed public and private property.

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COURTESY DAWN NEWS

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Exclusive / Editor-In-Chief

Farukh Shehzad

We love taking trips, whether it’s a short road trip, or a longer trip by air to some distant exotic place. But all too often we fail to plan for our trip and the result is frustration and annoyance.

1. For road trips, get the right maps and plan your route thoroughly. Everything won’t go exactly to plan, but at least you’ll have much fewer nasty surprises.

2. Never, ever make a joke about bombs or terrorists near security at an airport. Many people have jokingly mentioned they have a small bomb in their case as their luggage is being inspected. Later at the police station they deeply regretted their stupidity.

3. Be immediately suspicious in airports, railway or bus stations when someone bumps into you. It may be a pickpocket. Also be aware if something is spilled on you, or a spot on your clothing is pointed out to you. These things are designed to distract your attention from what is really going on: the theft of your valuables.

4. While cruises make planning easy with their all in charges, there is likely to be many extra items that you should budget for. These include, taxes, surcharges and fees, tipping, drinks, some shore excursions, shopping purchases, etc.

5. The most obvious thing to check on before setting off on a foreign trip is the state of the local weather where you are going. You don’t want to arrive in a tee shirt if it’s snowing, or in a fur coat if it’s in the 90s.

6. When travelling with children bring along recent photos of each one. If a child gets lost, the photo will prove invaluable in helping to locate the child again.

7. A trip to a theme park will suffer from a lack of careful planning. Some parks are so big that planning is essential. Get a list of all the rides and a map of the park, as well as opening and closing times, before setting off.

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ISLAMABAD, APR 15: The Government of Pakistan, with the support of UNHCR, has launched a nationwide verification exercise for 1.4 million Afghan refugees during which new smartcards will be issued. 

The Documentation Renewal and Information Verification Exercise, or DRIVE for short, was inaugurated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Islamabad by the Federal Minister for SAFRON, His Excellency Mehboob Sultan. The UNHCR Representative, Noriko Yoshida, and the Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees, Saleem Khan, were also present on the occasion. During the six-month exercise, registered Afghan refugees who currently hold Proof of Registration (PoR) cards will be provided with new smart cards. 

“The DRIVE exercise is a leap forward for everyone,” Yoshida said, welcoming its launch. “This step will allow refugees to have better, faster and safer access to services, including schools, hospitals and banks,” Yoshida added that in addition to verifying existing data, the exercise will record Afghan refugees’ skill sets, level of education, socio-economic circumstances, allowing better-targeted health, education and livelihood support in Pakistan and Afghanistan. 

“Pakistan has been hosting Afghan refugees for four decades, and a lot has changed since the last verification exercise 10 years ago. We must update the data of Afghan refugees to understand their situation better,” said the Federal Minister for SAFRON. Sultan added, “As the country hosting one of the most protracted refugee situations in the world, Pakistan has strived to play its part in assisting and protecting refugees. 

It’s important the international community also continue to come forward, and share the responsibility and help find solutions.” The Federal Minister for SAFRON urged POR cardholders to participate fully in this exercise. He also requested that they take all precautionary measures and observe COVID-19 protocols. 

Six hundred male and female staff – a combination of government and UNHCR – will be working at some 35 DRIVE verification sites around the country, and using mobile registration vehicles, to support refugees throughout the exercise. Measures are in place at all DRIVE sites to mitigate COVID-19 risks through enhanced hygiene, physical distancing and the scheduling of set numbers of appointments each day.

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Munaza Kazmi 

Creating educational disruption, the Covid-19 pandemic has hindered the academic lives of students, also it exposed the lack of technology that is hindering the quality of online education in Pakistan. With the steady increase of virus, world forced to shift from doing things traditionally. Resulting, in March 2020, the Government of Pakistan closed all schools as part of a nationwide lockdown, prompting the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training to seek education alternatives to ensure learning continuity.

However, this timely decision taken by the government not only safeguarded the academic lives of students but also protected a large number of individuals related to the education sector across the board.

Throughout the first wave, out of many initiativestaken by government of Pakistan one was the launching “TeleShool” that would deliver free educational content to grades 1-12 studentsand provided one lesson per day to each grade, so students would have to watch in shifts. Similarly, during the second wave of Covid-19, Radio Pakistan started transmitting “radio school” to encourage virtual learning in the country for primary-level students, as a part of an effort toward overcoming the digital divide.

In the higher-education sector of Pakistan, Virtual University is at the front linefor delivering virtual learning, providing full-time online learning courses, from bachelor's to Ph.D. level, in diversefields. While the virus disrupted education, Microsoft Teamswere deployed in universities to build connection between students and teachers.Previously, Microsoftcollaborated to provide technology-based education in underdeveloped areas. The eLearn Punjab program has generated educational content based on videos and illustrations for primary and secondary school classes. And in tackling the digital divide in gender. The Malala Fundhas investigated Covid-19 as an amplifying factor for the girls’ education crisis in Pakistan.

However, in the due course of pandemic we have also learned about the loopholes among the education sector, to highlight one of the many along the availability of technology is lack of technically trained teachers to run online classes smoothly. To strengthen blended, distance, and online learning, there is a need to provide more awareness and accessibility. There is also a dire need to develop innovative, immersive learning technologies and modern education spaces using virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technology.  These technologies, along with the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, can change the future of learning by helping us build more interactive, personalized, and productive learning solutions. More specifically, when we talk about practical, hands-on learning, where there is an urgent need for learning material, augmented reality can provide virtual material to help teach with the kinesthetic learning approach.

Seemingly developed countries have innovative and advanced systems for e-learning, allowing them to stay in the loop and keep the learning flow active. But in the scenario of Pakistan, online learning is at emerging stage.  Having started as emergency remote learning, it needs further investment to create more adoption and overcome limitations. Along with the establishing the Internet services in remote areas, developing specialized authoring tools, and creating awareness for getting the most out of online learning, moreover faculty need training to use online modalities and innovative pedagogies to reduce cognitive load and increase interactivity.

However, this critical period, which is moving us rapidly toward the adoption of e-learning, can spark more focus on providing Internet facilities in remote areas, developing more innovative, low-cost learning solutions, and creating more adaptive and effective methods of learning in the near future.

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Munaza Kazmi has recently done Master of Philosophy from Bahria University Islamabad. Her debut novel is Unrequited Love.

She’s an author, columnist writing in different newspapers and a researcher having seven publications till yet, she’s been writing since 2016.

You can connect to Kazmi at twitter @munaza_kazmi or on research gate as munaza kazmi.

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