FARUKH SHEHZAD

ISLAMABAD, APR 23: The Citizens Foundation (TCF) and the Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives (IDEAS) signed MoU to collaborate to expand research in education delivery and service in Pakistan.

Under the agreement, IDEAS will offer its expertise for multi-disciplinary empirical research and evidence-based programme design; and an international network of research fellows, to help TCF achieve goals of improving the quality of and access to education in over 1600 schools across Pakistan, with a particular focus on early childhood development, teacher pedagogy and mother-tongue based multilingual education.

While speaking at the occasion, TCF’s President and CEO, Asaad Ayub commented, “At TCF, we constantly strive to improve the quality of education imparted at TCF Schools across the country. We invest in education research that informs policies and affects how our principals lead, our teachers teach, and students learn. We are excited to collaborate with IDEAS to expand our efforts for research-informed programme design within the TCF system.”

IDEAS’ CEO and Fellow, Dr. Rabea Malik said, “The goal of this collaboration is to generate rigorous and objective evidence on what works to improve access and quality of services for low-income communities; evidence that has relevance for TCF’s organizational development as well as the broader discourse on policy and development.

It is grounded in a mutual recognition of the need for an empirical approach to understanding and improving processes of service delivery and outcomes of the larger human development project. We at IDEAS look forward to working with TCF to strengthen a culture of evidence-driven implementation.”

TCF intends to develop an ethos and culture of a learning organisation with an empirical approach to programme development at all levels, course correction through engagement with data at the programmatic and organisational level, and generation of evidence that contributes to a global knowledge base of best practices in addition to supporting internal organisational learning.

The goals of this collaboration are also in line with the core mission for IDEAS of knowledge generation on key questions of service delivery, institutional reform, and economic and human development.

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LONDON, APR 22: Skyscanner has announced the launch of Arabic language website on desktop and mobile.

In an effort to offer travellers a more localised and user-friendly experience, Skyscanner has rolled out the Arabic language offering across all domains, including UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Travellers visiting Skyscanner on desktop, mobile web or via the app will now be able to select Arabic as a language option to access more localised content, including local currency and a better user experience when linking to partner sites to complete their travel bookings. 

Travel is returning in the region at a strong pace.

On Skyscanner, interest in both domestic and international flights have increased steadily from UAE travellers, with a lift of 23 per cent in searches and even more dramatically from Saudi travellers, where there was an increase of 110 per cent in searches from February to March of this year.

According to a recent YouGov survey, commissioned by Reed Exhibitions, ahead Arabian Travel Market 2021, the money that Middle East travellers spend on international leisure travel will begin to exceed 2019 levels in as little as three years.

“We’re pleased to be able to offer travellers in the Middle East a far more relevant experience on desktop, allowing them to plan and book travel in their local language and currency,” said Gavin Harris, director of strategic partnerships, Skyscanner.

“Arabic is one of the fifth most spoken languages in the world and outbound travel from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia accounts for a significant proportion of the total travel market.

“We previously launched the Skyscanner app in Arabic to great success, so it was a logical next step to bring the localised experience to desktop users too.”

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COURTESY breakingtravelnews

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ISLAMABAD, APR 22: Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Ali Alizadeh met with Chairman of the Senate of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Sadiq Sanjrani at Parliament House on Thursday.

From the Azerbaijani Embassy in Pakistan that the Pakistani Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Ali Alizadeh, who noted that the friendly and brotherly country, the people and the leaders of the two countries and the cordial relations existing between the two leaders at the meetings at the highest level of relations between the two countries, said that the establishment of conditions.

Noting the important role of parliaments in strengthening friendly and fraternal relations between Azerbaijan and Pakistan, the ambassador thanked the chairman and members of the Senate for the principled position of the Pakistani Senate in the Great Patriotic War, the adoption of resolutions condemning Armenia's aggression against Azerbaijan.

Chairman of the Senate of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Sadiq Sanjrani asked to convey his special greetings and invitation to Pakistan to the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament.

He noted that Azerbaijan is a brotherly country for Pakistan and Pakistan is interested in further expanding political, economic and inter-parliamentary ties with Azerbaijan.

Congratulating the Azerbaijani people and state on Azerbaijan's just victory in the Second Karabakh War, Sadiq Sanjrani expressed confidence that the Pakistani Senate will continue to support Azerbaijan, increase inter-parliamentary relations and mutual visits, and spare no effort to develop economic and trade relations between the two countries. He said.

The sides also exchanged views on increasing the number of joint projects and meetings between the friendship groups of the parliaments of the two countries, as well as strengthening cooperation in regional and international organizations.

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COURTESY apa.az

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New Defence Housing Authority Jobs DHA Jobs Defence Housing Authority Quetta Offers Vacancies for the Positions of Project Development Professionals. These posts are to be based in Pakistan. The aforesaid Jobs are published in leading Newspaper.

The last date to Apply is May 28, 2021. More Details About Project Development Professionals See job notification for relevant experience, qualification, and age limit information.

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COURTESY smartjobs.pk

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ISLAMABAD, APR 22: MATSUDA Kuninori, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, has strongly condemned the terrorist attack in the parking lot of Serena Hotel in Quetta, Balochistan on Wednesday and express his sorrow over the loss of precious lives.

Ambassador MATSUDA has expressed his deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of the victims and prayed for the early recovery of those injured.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims of this gruesome incident. Japan condemns terrorism in all its forms”, said Ambassador MATSUDA in his condolence message.

The Ambassador further stated that the Government of Japan is committed to continuing to support the Government of Pakistan and its security forces to combat terrorism.

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Munaza Kazmi

Since September 2001, terrorism has been on the red carpet, around the worlds public and private bodies have tried to bring to the light the factors that foster terrorism. Unveiling the root cause and deriving sound policy advice is important as terrorism is a costly business to the affected country. 

Even though if its immediate cost is marginal, however the indirect political, economic and social cost may be substantial. For instance, terrorism may reduce government stability, trade and capital flows, reduction in tourism, economic development and loss of individual and collective life.

Although there seems a numerous reason, including the poor education causing the radical minds, poverty, unemployment, and antigovernment agencies, etc. But all of above domestic political instability ranked the high on fostering terrorist attacks. It is because when a tree’s roots are not secure how it will face the winding storms? Also, it has been observed that countries or geographical regions exhibiting various forms of political unrest will also potentially exhibit greater levels of terrorist acts.

In other words, a political environment marked by instability is likely to include acts of violence, including the worst of all terrorism.

The specific forms of domestic political instability, which can be rank ordered from the least to the most severe: antigovernment demonstrations, general strikes, major government crises, government purges, riots, assassination, guerrilla insurgencies, civil wars, revolutions.

At the most basic level are anti-government demonstrations and general strikes, which capture public dissatisfaction with the government. Next one can explore the government side of the equation, including major government crises that may lead to the downfall of the ruling regime, as well as a government’s more proactive attempt at consolidating power by purging itself of unwanted classes of members. The more violent end of the domestic political instability spectrum begins with riots and assassinations, and subsequently includes guerrilla insurgencies and civil wars. Revolutions, or the complete overthrow of the government represent the most intense dimension of domestic political instability. The assumption, of course, is that each of these forms of domestic political instability will foster terrorist activity, together contributing to what is perhaps best referred to as the “domestic political instability–terrorism nexus.”

The specific causal mechanisms underpinning the domestic political instability terrorism nexus are two folds.

First, domestic political instability, ranging from antigovernment demonstrations to revolutions, is indicative of public disenchantment with a ruling regime that can either spawn or be exploited by domestic terrorist actors in search of additional willing partners.

Second, domestic political instability is also representative of declining regime control, which permits disenchanted, terrorist actors to move more freely within a given country or geographical region. It therefore should be easier for such actors to carry out terrorist attacks.

Moreover, domestic political instability provides the environment necessary to carry out more, and increasingly sophisticated, terrorist attacks. More precisely, the escalation effect posits that the growing intensity of domestic political instability will lead to increasing numbers of terrorist attacks. It also posits that more severe forms of domestic political instability, ranging from anti-government demonstrations to revolutions, should also lead to greater levels of terrorism.

In short, domestic political instability escalates into terrorist attacks. It provides an environment that is conducive for terrorist organizations to organize nationally, regionally, and globally, to accumulate and perfect violent terrorist knowledge, and perhaps most importantly, to recruit the human capital necessary to carry out increasingly sophisticated forms of terrorist attacks. The mere existence of domestic political instability provides the perfect opportunity to recruit terrorists who are both disenchanted with their current socioeconomic and political military situations as well as committed to undertaking violence.

Here I should say, if you have seen the rainbow, consider how many colors are there in it? as such they are seven, but have you noticed how closely attached they are. had they been alone, there would be no such concept of rainbow.  Same is the case with the nation.

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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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JAKARTA, APR 22: Indonesia’s military said it was searching for a submarine with 53 crew aboard after losing contact with the vessel during naval exercises off the coast of Bali on Wednesday.

The German-built KRI Nanggala 402 was scheduled to do live torpedo exercises when it asked for permission to dive early on Wednesday morning, authorities said.

“After permission was given according to the procedure, the submarine lost contact and could not be reached,” the defence ministry said.

A helicopter looking for the missing vessel spotted an oil spill in waters where the submarine was thought to have submerged, it added. The navy said it has not pinpointed the exact location of the submarine but had narrowed down the search based on the spill.

The oil “could indicate damage on the body” of the submarine, navy spokesman Julius Widjojono told MetroTV.

The military has dispatched some 400 personnel and two warships in the hunt, while a third vessel was being deployed from the capital Jakarta.

It also sent out an international distress signal, and “several countries have responded and are ready to help including Singapore, Australia and India,” the defence ministry said.

There were 53 crew aboard the vessel, which was believed to be in waters about 700 metres (2,300 feet) deep.

Indonesia, which has been moving to upgrade its military equipment in recent years, has five German and South Korean-built submarines in its fleet.

The 1,300-tonne KRI Nanggala 402 was built in 1978, according to a government website. While the Southeast Asian archipelago has not previously suffered a major submarine disaster, other countries have been struck by accidents in the past.

Among them was the horrific sinking in 2000 of the Kursk, the pride of Russia’s Northern Fleet.

The submarine was on manoeuvres in the Barents Sea on August 12, 2000 when it sank with the loss of all 118 aboard. An inquiry found a torpedo had exploded, detonating all the others.

Most crew died instantly but some survived for several days — with a few keeping heart-breaking diaries written in blood to their loved ones — before suffocating. It was the Russian navy’s worst-ever disaster.

Seventy Chinese naval officers and crew were killed, apparently suffocated, in an accident on a Ming-class submarine conducting exercises in 2003.

Then, in 2008, 20 people were killed by poisonous gas when a fire extinguishing system was accidentally activated on a Russian submarine being tested in the Sea of Japan. In 2018, authorities found the wreckage of an Argentine submarine that had gone missing a year earlier.

Crushed from an implosion, the ARA San Juan was located at a depth of more than 900 metres (3,000 feet) in a desolate area of undersea craters and canyons 400 kilometres (250 miles) off the coast of Argentina. The accident took the lives of 44 sailors.

In 2019, a French submarine that had gone missing in the Mediterranean over 50 years beforehand was found. The diesel-electric Minerve submarine was lost off France’s southern coast with 52 sailors on board on January 27, 1968.

The Minerve was on a training mission in bad weather when it went down while returning to its base in Toulon.

Experts have speculated that the disaster was caused by a problem with the Minerve’s rudder, a collision with another boat, the explosion of a missile or torpedo, or a fault with its oxygen supply systems.

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COURTESY DAWN NEWS

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Khalid Taimur Akram

While visiting Azerbaijan for the International Conference on “New Vision for South Caucasus: Post Conflict Development and Cooperation” I had the opportunity to visit the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. On 12th April 2021, at the invitation of the Azerbaijan government, I visited Aghdam city. I witnessed the repercussions of the war on the region by the brutal actions of the Armenian forces.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Region: Historical Perspective

The conflict between Azerbaijan and its neighbour Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions continued before its independence from the Soviet Republic in 1991. The territory was disputed even before the creation of the Soviet Union. The brutal Armenian military illegaly occupied the Azerbaijani territory. With several disputes and border skirmishes, Azerbaijan had left no stone unturned to liberate its occupied territory from Armenia. Internationally, the Nagorno- Karabakh and its seven adjacent regions were recognized as a part of Azerbaijan. However,  Armenia illegally occupied the territory.

The Second Karabakh War: A Turning Point

Azerbaijan and Armenia had indulged in clashes over the past three decades. The events of September 2020 changed the whole landscape of the conflict. As the conflict started in the region, Azerbaijan was able to liberate its towns and nearly 300 settlements from the Armenian occupation. The fighting continued for six weeks and Moscow brokered ceasefire deal that Azerbaijan and Armenia signed.

The aftermath of the ceasefire, Azerbaijan came along with a robust agenda of rebuilding the liberated lands.

Post-war Effects

The Armenian forces had been destroying cities and districts of Azerbaijan since their occupation. There was the destruction of buildings, infrastructures, plundering of natural resources. The religious, historical, and cultural sites were also vandalized. There are more than 2,600 cultural and historical sites and monuments in liberated regions of Azerbaijan in the preliminary estimate. Out of those, 706 of the monuments are included in the State registry.

With 11 of those monuments holding world significance, including six architectural and five archaeology items. There are also 240 monuments of national significance, 455 monuments of local importance including, 23 botanical gardens, parks, and monumental statues.

Unfortunately, a large number of these sites, monuments, cultural properties, and objects have been vandalized, taken, or demolished by the Armenian forces.

There were also over 40 thousand art objects conserved and collected in 22 museums. 4.6 million books amassed in 927 libraries, 808 clubs, 85 musical schools, two concert halls, eight parks of culture and leisure, four theatres, and  art galleries. The brutal Armenian forces destroyed 150 thousand houses, 7000 public buildings that included 855 kindergartens, 693 schools, and 695 medical facilities. They did not spare houses of worship with, 65 out of the total 67 mosques having been razed to the ground and the two others severely damaged.

The flora and fauna-enriched region has been known for their minerals and thermal waters. The district of Istisu of Kalbajar is known to have curing mineral waters that are perceived to be richer than any place in the world.

Moreover, the district of Zanglin had been known for its lush and green forests before the Armenian occupation. It was home to the Basitchay State Natural Reserve and the forests of the Kalbajar district that covered 24000 hectares. These all areas have been cut down significantly under the Armenian occupation. This is the material cost of the occupation and war. It does not include the human cost of the region’s people.

Since the early 1990s,theoccupied region has been littered with mines and unexploded ammunition. It has been referred to as a “ carpet of land mines” by both military experts of Azerbaijan and Armenia. The worse affected areas are near Tartar, Aghdam, and the districts of Fuzuli and Cabrayil. Experts from the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action have estimated that it could take up to 10 years to demine the territory.

After all these atrocities, Armenia has refused to provide any map of the land mines. It is a massive task to clear mines and ammunition from the battlefields in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Many civilians and military personnel have been killed or injured due to these mines. Thousands of civilians were displaced from their homes over the years due to illegal occupation.

The Journey to Aghdam city

On my visit to the city of Aghdam, I witness the devastation caused by the war. Roads were destroyed, tank trenches dug out and driving around the area was difficult. The land was razed to the ground, and mines scattered all around. We were taken to the Tomb of the Khans of Karabakh, which were abandoned and destroyed. At a closer look, we also saw the desecration of gravesites all over the city and around the tomb.

The downtown area of the city was also destroyed, with not a single standing build in garound. It was hard to imagine that the area was once the cultural hub of the city. As we drove around the city, we saw every part of the city was vandalized or destroyed by the Armenian troops. There were abandoned army posts, trenches dug out by Armenian forces, showing remnants of war. We also visited the  areas where land mines had been planted, again restating the atrocities of Armenian forces.  Journalists were right in calling this place the ‘Hiroshima of the 21st Century ‘or the ‘Hiroshima of the Caucusas’ because the devastation cannot be denied.

The Aftermath of the War: Prospects and Policies

There is hope and high moral among Azerbaijan’s people that they will rebuild and return to their homes as the conflict is finally over. They have a high spirit to reconstruct and reconcile the area. Azerbaijan is very proud of its secular stance among its population and hopes to continue this with the local Armenian population. Recently, a multi-faith congregation was hosted in the Aghdam city’s mosque with religious leaders of Muslims, Jewish and Christian populations of the nation. This joint prayer exemplified the religious tolerance, coexistence, and inter-religious dialogue and harmony among the people of all faiths in the country.

The government has always been keen on promoting multi-religious coexistence to show tolerance, diversity, and moderation. Even with a Muslim majority population, Azerbaijan has worked hard to peacefully coexistwith its minority population. The Christian and Jewish populations have also played their part in the restoration of the nation's territorial integrity.

They will work towards reconciliation among the populations in the liberated territories. It might be a difficult path, but with determination and faith, there is hope that the Armenian and Azerbaijani populations that once lived side by side in the Nagorno-Karabakh region can once again find ways for peaceful coexistence.

I must commend the visionary leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, who, with a firm resolve guided his country into an exceptional path of prosperity. His tenacity under such a complex situation helped him liberate the occupied territories and restore the original borders of Azerbaijan. It was a pleasure to meet him in person and commend his visionary policies  towards this tremendous victory and plans to restore and rehabilitate the liberated territories. He was gracious to personally thank Pakistan for its support of Azerbaijan over the years and during the war. He reiterated Pakistan’s supportive stance for Azerbaijan.

It was an honor to visit Azerbaijan and witness the steps towards peace, stability and building nation’s resilience.

Many of us take peace and freedom for granted, but witnessing the actual situation in the Karabakh region shed light on the fact that peace is a luxury, we must all be grateful. Now, the prospects for peace and a bright future in the Nagorno-Karabakh region are high. Azerbaijan plays a vital geostrategic role in the Caucasus region, and its victory is a clear sign of its significant role in the region’s strategic future.

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The writer of this Article is Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive Director, Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad

ISLAMABAD, APR 21: National University of Modern Languages (NUML) and Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote linkages between industry and academia and undertake joint research initiatives for the benefit of the industrial sector.

ICCI President Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan and Pro-Rector, Research & Strategic Initiatives (R&SI) Dr. M. Zubair Iqbal, signed the MoU during a ceremony held at NUML University.

Fatma Azim, senior vice president, Abdul Rehman Khan, vice president ICCI, NUML Rector Maj General (r) Muhammad Jaffar HI(M), Director General NUML/Pro-Rector Planning and Resources Brig Badr Malik and others were also present on the occasion.

Both sides have agreed to work together to create linkages between industry and academia and promote research culture in industry to boost industrialisation in the region and produce demand-driven graduates for the industry. ICCI would also facilitate the job placement of NUML students in its member companies besides providing them internship opportunities in local industries.

Speaking at the occasion, ICCI President Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan said that strong industry-academia linkages were of vital importance to conduct research projects for industry to help it in producing value added products in order to improve exports. He assured that ICCI would cooperate with NUML in providing internships to its students and their job placement in the local industry.

NUML Rector (r) Major General Muhammad Jaffar HI(M) during a meeting with ICCI President said that it is the time to introduce research culture in our industry.

He said that NUML has established a dedicated block for display of industrial products and ICCI should cooperate in showcasing the potential of local industrial products through their display in that facility.

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COURTESY THE NEWS

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ISLAMABAD, APR 21: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has postponed final examinations of BA (Associate Degree) in District Poonch, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) till further orders.

This decision was taken in the light of COVID-19 lockdown imposed by Office of the District Education Schools, Poonch, Rawalakot (AJ&K) in all schools of Poonch district from April 16 to 28.

According to the AIOU Examination Department, BA (Associate Degree) final exams were scheduled to commence in Poonch district from April 19 like other parts of Azad Kashmir and rest of the country.

However, these examinations of autumn 2020 semester have been postponed in the examination centers including 529, 540, 541, 542, 543 and 549 in Poonch district. The revised schedule for these examinations will be announced later. It is pertinent to mention here that examinations scheduled in other parts of AJK will continue to be held as per schedule.

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COURTESY THE NEWS

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ISLAMABAD, APR 21: An online meeting was held between the Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), University of Sialkot, Area Study Center (Russia, China, and Central Asia), University of Peshawar, and University of the Punjab, Lahore.

During the meeting, the modalities of the Eurasian Industrial Research Center (EIRC) were discussed. The EIRC is being jointly established by the Center for Global & Strategic Studies, University of Sialkot, Area Study Center (Russia, China, and Central Asia), and University of the Punjab, Lahore.

Furthermore, the meeting aimed at finalizing the domains in which the EIRC will be working which include Academic and Socio-Economic areas. EIRC has been established to act as a platform that will provide long-term opportunities for Pakistan to enhance connectivity with Eurasian countries focusing on sustainable goal development, human capacity development, prospects of enhancing business, trade, and investment.

Additionally, the EIRC will be working actively to develop and strengthen linkages between academia and industries to produce work that will be in line with the modern requirements. Realizing the need to penetrate regional chambers, intra-regional chambers will also be established to facilitate connectivity between various chambers present in Pakistan and regional chambers.

Moreover, during the meeting, it was also decided that EIRC will act as a policy-influencing platform and facilitate the formulation of effective policies which will eventually contribute to developing better connectivity between Pakistan and Eurasia.

The online meeting was attended by the following:

• Dr. Nadeem Ahmed Chaudhary, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, University of Sialkot

• Mr. Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive Director, CGSS

• Prof. Dr. Shabbir Ahmed, Director, Area Study Center (Russia, China, and Central Asia), University of Peshawar

• Brig Mansoor Saeed (Retd), Senior Member Advisory Board, CGSS

• Dr. Fozia Hadi Ali, Director, Regional Integration Center, University of the Punjab, Lahore

• Mr. Tariq Khattak, Member Board of Experts, CGSS

• Mr. Hamza Jan, Lecturer Economics and Coordinator for international Rankings, QEC, University of Sialkot

• Prof. Dr. Navid Jamil Malik, Director, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, University of Sialkot

• Dr. Zeeshan Anwar, Head, Department of Business Administration, FMAS

• Mr. Faisal Waheed, Director, Faculty of Fashion and Textile Design, University of Sialkot

• Mr. Arshad Jameel Sandal, Sitting Chairman, Pakistan Sports Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Sialkot

• Mr. Muhammad Ali Sheikh, Former Vice President FPCCI

• Mr. Inaam Afzal Khan, former Vice President and Chairman FCCI Standing Committee on Information Technology

• Dr. Hassan Waseem, Director Academics, University of Sialkot

• Ms. Palwasha Nawaz, Project Executive, CGSS.

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COURTESY CGSS

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