FARUKH SHEHZAD

Washington, DEC 12: A smartphone can be a lifeline in an emergency, connecting you instantly to assistance and real-time resources.

If you’re preparing for or in the midst of an emergency, here are some of the best ways you can get your phone in the best shape to help you.

Make your battery last:

Assume your electricity can go out at any time and plan accordingly. Charge your phone and any additional devices ahead of time, leaving them plugged in until the last minute. Also charge any back-up batteries and laptops, then make sure all charging cords are collected in one place to take with you.

If the power is out, or if you’re no longer in a place with a power outlet, you’ll need to make any charges last as long as possible. To do that, follow these instructions:

• Turn on low power mode on your phone if it’s an option. On iPhones, go to Settings, Battery, and toggle on Low Power Mode so it’s green. On many Android phones, you can swipe down from top of the screen to see your notifications, and swipe down one more time to find a shortcut to the phone’s battery saver mode. Meanwhile, some recent Samsung phones offer even more aggressive ways to preserve battery life – go to Settings, then Battery and Device Care, Battery, and finally Power Saving mode to tweak these options as needed.
• Avoid draining activities. Don’t use your phone as a wi-fi hotspot for other people, don’t watch streaming videos and close any apps running in the background that might be using location. Turn off notifications you don’t need. If you’re in a safe place, you can turn off GPS to stretch the battery life.
• Wi-fi is less draining than cellular connections, so use it whenever possible. If you don’t need to be in immediate contact with anyone, you can even turn on Airplane mode for maximum power saving. Unless you’re planning on leaving your phone off for a long period of time, it’s better not to turn it off completely.
• Turn off Background App Refresh on iPhones. Go to Settings, General, Background App Refresh. If you have an Android phone, search in your settings for a feature called Data Saver and turn it on – it will prevent all apps except the ones you’ve selected from sending or receiving data in the background.
• Avoid phone calls, and especially video calls, in favour of texts when possible.
• Turn down your screen’s brightness.

Different ways to recharge your phone

Again, external batteries are the best to have. But in a pinch, you do have other options for recharging a device when the power is out.

• You can charge off a laptop if you have one. This is a good reason to charge your computers as well, even if you don’t plan on using them.
• If there’s a car available, you can connect through a USB port, whether it’s built in or through a lighter-port attachment. You can charge in many (but not all) cars by just turning them on to accessory mode – meaning you just turn the key once to fire up the radio but not the engine.

Contact for other assistance

Use your phone’s SOS service. Android and iOS both have built-in emergency options that will contact authorities. They also can be set up to send your current location to pre-chosen emergency contacts. It can vary depending on your device, so find out how it works ahead of time.

Share your location with friends

Your friends and family will want to know you are safe and your location in case you aren’t safe.

Send your location to everyone over text, so they’ll know where to look if you lose contact. If you are using a GPS location-sharing option, like the one in iPhone Messages, don’t just send your current spot one time. Select the option to share it indefinitely. You can turn this off later.

On an iPhone, you can also open the Find My app, select Friends and add people to share your location with. You can share your live location with others through Google Maps, though there are some limitations.

If you’re on social media and have service, drop a line to let people know you’re okay.

Get apps that work when cell service is spotty

If you’re struggling to find reliable internet and cellular connections, there are apps that could still help you stay in touch or give you helpful information. Download and set them up when you have plenty of bandwidth.

Zello: It’s a free messaging app for Android and iOS that lets people create and join group “channels” where they can send voice messages and images to many others at once. (Think of it as a free, smartphone-based walkie-talkie.) The app cannot be used at all if you don’t have an Internet connection.

Google Maps: Download the Google Maps information for surrounding areas in case you need to move fast and cell service isn’t available. Put in your main location, hit the three dots in the corner, select Download Offline Map. You can crop the exact area you think you’ll need.

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Munaza Kazmi

Kashmir, one of the attractive tourist destinations of Pakistan. Picturesque and enchanting, Kashmir is cradled high in the lofty green Himalayas and hailed all over the world for its incredible natural beauty. 

Surrounded by greenish snow caped peeks, lush green valleys, glistering lakes, temples and spectacular Mughal-era gardens, it has inspired poets through centurie, as Amir Khusro said,

Agar Firdaus bar roo-e zameenast,

Hameenast-ohammenast-o hameenast.

If there is a paradise on earth,

It is this, it is this, it is this.

The valley is crisscrossed by chinar tree-lined roads and quaint wooden bridges; and home to the bustling bazaars, sufi shrines and forts. Add to this, the charms of flavorful Kashmiri cuisine, the sweet-smelling Kashmiri Chayee, mere thought of which brings the tourist in the sweetest of dreams. 

The fruit laden trees of apples and walnuts from the lush orchards, the flowery gardens of every kind with colorful birds coloring the sky, the gorgeousness of scene is beyond words.

In winter, Kashmir takes on a sparkly white glow, covered in soft snow, that glitters with a slightest touch of the sun. However, in summer, as the snow melts, and the flowers in the meadows bloom, it resembles an artist canvas.

Meanwhile, Kashmir lies on the banks of the convergence of river Jhelum and Neelam or Kishanganga, having area of approximately 650 square miles, local language is Kashmiri that was derived from Dardic, however later mixed with the elements of Sanskrit, Punjabi and Persian, although Urdu is the official language.

Kashmir is said to as “heaven on earth”, you have Mughal emperor Jahangir to thank for this observation. Tourists come to Kashmir valley, so they too can witness the charms of this heaven.

However, best time to visit Kashmir is during the months of March to August. During this period two seasons are covered in Kashmir. Spring from March to May and Summer that is from early May to late August. 

The blossoms of spring and the cool weather of summer creates the perfect of time. 

Moreover, during this period the beauty is enough to transport you to another realm. Add to this, winter of Kashmir offers other perks, snow laden trees, chilled weather, mountains covering in the whitish blanket and the rare show of wild life. The magic of valley is indeed quite bewitching, and you will want to start making plans for the next trip right away.

However, my visit happens to be in the winters, November of this year. The chilly weather and curved roads with sharped end, a mere sight of them can give you goosebumps. 

I travelled from Islamabad to Kashmir via Murree, although the roads are in good condition and with perfect scenery but still I felt them a little much busy, because people sometimes forget to observe the traffic rules, here I request the government to re-operate the Airport, hence it would help in enhancing further opportunities of tourism.

Morning came with the glittery sun shining in the clear blue sky, that presented me with the opportunity to dine in the lawn for breakfast. An experience of Mughal garden, lofty green trees, scented flowers, clear water fountain, peacocks dancing with a table filled of bounties of my Lord.

Dhani waterfall, 30-minutes’ drive from the hotel, an utterly beautiful, majestic work of nature, with the elevation of 3583 ft. It’s just by the road, and you can easily locate it while driving. The water of this masterpiece is clean and crystal clear, a divine place to sit and ponder over nature.

Later I found a couple of stunning and equally adventurous looking bally bridges along the road, the lofty green woods on the hills surrounded by. 

In the end, from the roadside hotel, sharing Kashmiri Chayee with the smiling locals.

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Munaza Kazmi holds MPhil in Management Sciences (Bahria University Islamabad, 2020). She’s a travel writer, an author, & co-author of scientific contributions in national & international publications. Her main areas of research include tourism & quality management.

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KARACHI, Dec 11: From ride-hailing services to grocery delivery, and financial services such as buy-now-pay-later to microfinancing, super-apps development in Pakistan, Middle East and Africa is emerging fast as the region proves to be a potentially fertile ground for its growth.

In a study commissioned by Mastercard and carried out by Economist Impact titled ‘From online bazaar to one stop shop: The rise of super-apps in the Middle East and Africa’, the paper examines how population growth, digital access, connectivity, a diverse demographic, increasing trust, and affordability is contributing to the rapid progress of super-apps in the region.

The study also draws parallels between the ecosystems that drove the rapid rise of super-apps such as WeChat, Meituan or AliPay in China a decade ago to the Middle East and Africa region currently where the super-app model is showing early promise. Emerging players are seeking to emulate the Chinese-born concept and create regional success stories of their own.

While multi-function apps have been popular in Asia for some time, cut-through elsewhere in the world has been slower. Consumers in western and MEA including Pakistan markets have largely messaged, hailed taxis, summoned food and paid for things with different apps. But more recently firms including Spotify, Uber and Revolut have raced to bundle ever more features into their apps.

“With the Middle East and Africa region projected to become the most populous area in the world, with a forecast population of 3.4 billion by 2050, this expanded market presents a wealth of customer data, which regional players could leverage to add value for all stakeholders. 

Mastercard, with its digital-first approach, can be that single technology provider of choice to connect diverse players such as telcos, digital e-tailers and fintechs to become super-apps by providing technology solutions, platforms and propositions that enable a superior digital experience and drive greater inclusion for people across MEA,” said Ngozi Megwa, Senior Vice President, Digital Partnerships.

While delving into the MEA region, the study found specific highlights that will enable the rapid growth of super-apps. Key findings include:

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KARACHI, Dec 11: The Children's Literature Festival (CLF), now rebranded as the Pakistan Learning Festival (PLF) due to an overwhelming nationwide response from all age groups and in preparation for the 100 years celebration of Pakistan, comes to Karachi from 14-16 December 2021. The first two days of PLF will be dedicated to the inclusive equalizing Children's Learning Festival (CLF) on 14-15 December and one day to the Teachers' Learning Festival (TLF) on 16 December.

All school systems are welcome, including institutions of children with disabilities. The venue is the coveted Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi where the extraordinary trio, viz. the President of the Arts Council Ahmed Shah, Secretary School Education and Literacy Department (SELD), Govt. of Sindh Ghulam Akbar Laghari and Commissioner Karachi Muhammad Iqbal Memon will co-host alongside Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA).

Sindh Minister for Culture and Education Sardar Ali Shah will grace the event as chief guest along with Provincial Minister for Information and Labour Saeed Ghani and Member Provincial Assembly Tanzeela Qambrani.

The PLF is a true partnership of the Government, Civil Society Organization, Industry and Development Partner sponsors, including the Bank of Punjab (BoP), Habib Metropolitan Bank, Oxford University Press (OUP), Room to Read (RtR),British Council Pakistan, National Foods, Sindh Education Foundation (SEF), EdLab Pakistan, Learning Pitch, CandyLand, Essa Laboratories, Lightstone Publishers, Sightsavers Pakistan, SOC Films, Telenor, Oxfam in Pakistan, UNESCO, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Museum and K-Electric.

The famous choir of heritage school St. Joseph's Convent (SJC), where millions of girls/women students have graduated since 1860 making it famous for its empowered gendered footprint, will be rendering the PLF /CLF anthem ‘Humain Kitab Chahiye’ written for the CLF by Zehra Nigah and composed by Rakae Jamil, both will be there too. There will be a special Concert by SJC choir on 14 December from 1:00-2:00pm at the Open Air Theatre, Arts Council.

At least 33 books will be launched, including 28 adapted books from RtR in Sindhi by ITA and SELD, the Hamara Adabi Jashan written and illustrated by Maria Riaz, Aik Sabaq Seekha by child author Aminah Alavi, Zebra's Striped by Zoya Khan (written when she was just 15years old), Kaun Badshah Banna Chahta Hai by RtR and translated in Braille by SightSavers, A Special Garden written by Dr. Ambreen Ahmed and illustrated by Maria Riaz, and Amai and Shabnam by Fauzia Minallah.

These are all PLF's publications and are available for the public. Meanwhile, BoP CEO and President Zafar Masud will announce the Young Author Awards 2021-2022.

CLF Ambassadors and renowned actors Ahsan Khan and Adeel Hashmi will thrill the audience, promoting learning, protection and how to make Faiz Ahmed Faiz popular in schools and classes on the two days of CLF which is something not to be missed. 

The program is available online on CLF’s website. There are over 70 sessions and 150 resource persons and institutions participating in the mega event.

Active plenaries and pitches will take place by industry, education and climate change giants on Ed Tech, Incredible Libraries, Education Reforms and Climate Change with many eminent speakers including Zehra Nigah, Dr. Arfa Syeda Zehra, Zubeida Mustafa, Dr. Fouzia Khan, Ahmed Shah, Rumana Husain, Afia Salam, CEO Katalyst Labs Jehan Ara and resource persons fromDot and Line, AzCorp, ITA, EdLabs, Learning Pitch, DeafReach Wonder Tree, OUP and more.Sessions on theatre, music, performing arts, puppets and cinema will have Ali Hamza, Rakae Jamil, Nazia Zuberi Hassan, Sheema Kermani, Samar Minallah, Nigar Nazar, Atif Badar, Shayma Saiyid and Junaid Zuberi. Sohail Rana songs revival continues at PLF this time too with a session Dak Baboo Dak Baboo led by Nazia Zuberi in schools supported by ITA teams. 

Sessions on creative writing and art of book making will be led by Mohsin Tejani of the School of Writing and Batool Nasir of OUP and on Dastani Goi Bait Bazi by Badar and Syed Nusrat Ali. Kitab Gari – a CLF/Library/School on wheels – also being called ‘Jadoo Gari’ will also be launched at the PLF and will engage the children, teachers and families through interactive activities throughout the event. Moreover, there will be STEAM activities by Science Fuse, Digital Story Writing by AKUIED, numeracy –heritage by SBP Museum, tiny tales and arts & crafts by British Council Library, Environment and Climate Change Corner by the Grand Maali of Pakistan Tofiq Pasha Mooraj, interactive activities by SEF and Naunehal Magazine and much more.

The PLF/CLF/TLF are ITA's flagship nationwide programs, promoting learning and above all social emotional learning especially at the time of COVID-19. Theyhave a nationwide footprint, having completed 74 CLFs in all provincial capitals, Islamabad and over 25 districts of the country, digital CLFs and PLFs, collectively reaching over 1.6 million children and teachers since its inception in November, 2011.

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AN ailment we call diabetes today has been affecting the human species for thousands of years. Healers in ancient times noticed that ants were attracted to the urine of people with a mysterious disease — because of its sweet taste — a ‘diagnostic test’ of those times. 

Ancient Indians called it madhumeha. Greeks coined the term ‘diabetes’ and prescribed exercise preferably on horseback to control the condition. Ibn Sina, the great physician of the golden age of Islam, concocted a mixture of seeds as a panacea for the disease. But no one was able to develop an actual remedy.

Diagnosing the disease without treatment was of little use. Children suffered the most and died within weeks, sometimes days. Elders had to live with all the complications the disease brought.

In 1921, a group of Canadians was finally able to isolate insulin, a hormone without which the body is unable to use sugar (glucose). It was, indeed, one of the greatest medical breakthroughs of the 20th century. Just months later, Leonard Thompson, close to slipping into a diabetic coma, became the first person to be injected with insulin. Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical firm in the US, won the right to mass-produce insulin for the first time. To date, millions of lives have been improved — and saved — owing to this once-in-a-generation discovery.

One in four adults in Pakistan is diabetic.

However, a century after its discovery, millions of people, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, continue to suffer from the disease. Many remain undiagnosed, and those who are diagnosed are not always able to afford continuous treatment.

Diabetes is estimated to have caused 6.7 million deaths — one every five seconds — in 2021. The global diabetes-related health expenditure is reaching a staggering figure of $1 trillion, a 316 per cent increase over the last 15 years.

The situation in Pakistan is particularly alarming. Pakistan has surpassed the US in the number of diabetic patients. One in four adults in the country is diabetic — the highest such figures in the world — according to the latest statistics from the International Diabetes Federation. In India, for example, one in 12 adults has diabetes, while in Bangladesh, this ratio is one in eight.

Close to 400,000 deaths in Pakistan could be attributed to this chronic disease in 2021 alone. Some 3.4m live births in the country were affected by an increased level of glucose in pregnancy. Diabetes is responsible for causing billions of dollars of healthcare expenses in Pakistan every year.

We sought the opinion of two experts on the matter: “Pakistan now ranks third in the world in the number of diabetic patients. Over 13m people in the country have been diagnosed as diabetic in the past two years alone. This is very concerning,” notes Dr Naveed Shehzad, an internal medicine specialist and endocrinologist focusing on diabetic care.

“Our country also has a very high number of patients having borderline diabetes. This condition could be reversed by eating healthily and regular exercise. Early screening can also help in diagnosing — and managing — the disease at an earlier stage. We must leave our lazy lifestyle, reduce the intake of fizzy drinks, and avoid unnecessary sugar intake,” concluded Dr Shehzad from Lahore.

It is one of those illnesses that can have a detrimental effect on the overall health if it remains uncontrolled. “Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease and can progress to kidney failure requiring dialysis. Effects of diabetes remain unnoticed in many patients until extensive damage has already been done,” says Dr Muhammad Saleem Akhter, a Pakistani-born consultant Nephrologist and Kid­ney Care Spe­cialist practicing at Bronx­Care Hospital, New York.

“Diagnosing diabetes early and monitoring kidney function regularly is of utmost importance. This could, for example, be done by measuring protein levels in the urine. Making lifestyle changes — such as quitting smoking, eating healthy foods, and exercising regularly — can help control the harmful effects of diabetes,” concluded Dr Akhter while commenting on the increasing prevalence of diabetes in Pakistan.

The advent of insulin a century years ago turned this life-threatening disease into a chronic condition requiring lifelong management. Despite active research, there is still no final cure for diabetes. Millions around the world await another miraculously scientific discovery that can perhaps cure the disease, once and for all.

Until then, eating healthy foods and choosing an active lifestyle can help control the disease and even lower the chances of getting type-2 diabetes, a form of disease more common in adults. People who are overweight must establish weight-loss goals. As the saying goes: Prevention is better than cure.

The question is: are we as a nation ready to take control of our health. If not now, when?

The writer is an entrepreneur pursuing innovations in at-home healthcare services.

Twitter: @DrHussainFarooq

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2021

Brussels, DEC 10: The EC president has touted renewables on Thursday as a way forward in dealing with unsustainable, rising energy prices in the EU block which she says is “way too dependent on gas.”

During her speech at the European Economic and Social Committee Plenary debate, Ursula von der Leyen said Europe’s future energy security “clearly depends on clean home-grown energy” and she called on member states to invest in renewable energy, support businesses and consumers through state aid and to cut energy taxes and bills.

Fossil fuels have become more and more expensive over the last years and this has impacted the EU which is highly dependent on gas, 90% of which is imported.

“Rising energy prices concern all of us. They tell us that we are way too dependent on gas. We have seen it in the last few weeks. Rising energy prices are because of rising gas prices. This is not sustainable,” she said.

To help deal with this issue in the medium term, she explained that the block is discussing a European strategy on gas reserves and the possibility of common procurement.

However, in the long term, she recommended that renewable energy, which has bucked the trend in rising energy prices, offers a solution for the block to become more energy independent by investing in home-grown renewable energies.

“It is better for the climate, it is better for the people, it is better for our resilience and our independence,” she said, adding that the EU has the necessary funds to make that possible.

The EU will invest round about €500 billion in the green transition as part of its NextGenerationEU, its Recovery Plan, and the EU budget, she said.

The EU plans to speed up the development of renewable energy in Europe, by assigning at least €36 billion to clean hydrogen, wind and solar energy investments in national recovery plans.

The EU chief also confirmed that over €50 billion has been earmarked for building renovations and energy efficiency due to intense energy loss in less energy-efficient buildings.

“I am sure that you agree with me that every Euro spent on renewables is not only good for the planet, but it is also an investment in affordable energy for households and businesses, and it is an investment in the resilience of our societies and economies,” she said.

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Courtesy Anews

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KARACHI, DEC 10: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday formally inaugurated the Green Line Bus Rapid Transit project in Karachi, with the city’s residents seeing a ray of hope for their notorious public transport woes.

The premier, who arrived in Karachi earlier in the day, was accompanied at the ceremony by senior officials, including Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and federal Planning Minister Asad Umar.

Prime Minister Imran also visited a bus station, where he inspected the infrastructure and also received a briefing on how the ticketing system works.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, the premier congratulated Umar and the Sindh Infrastructure Development Company Limited (SIDCL) “for pursuing this project with utter determination”.

“No modern city can function without modern transport,” he said, citing the example of hugely populated Chinese cities with effective public transport facilities.

Terming Karachi “Pakistan’s engine of growth”, he said the metropolis’ prosperity had a positive effect on the entire country.

“Making Karachi functional and successful means we are helping Pakistan,” he remarked, calling the Green Line transport system the first step towards building a modern city.

Prime Minister Imran regretted that Karachi’s transport issues were never paid heed to. “I have been seeing Karachi for 50 years. We have seen its transformation into a cave because we did not focus on its administration,” he said.

Quoting the example of the Iranian capital, he said even though the country was under US sanctions, Tehran had modern facilities because of its efficient management.

“Tehran collects $500 million [in revenue] and spends it through planning. In comparison, Karachi doesn’t even collect $30m,” he noted, stressing the need to give Karachi autonomy for the local government system to succeed.

The premier said he was also pursuing the Greater Karachi Water Supply Scheme project, also called K-IV, through coordination with Wapda. The project will be approved by next month following which its groundbreaking will be performed, and it will be completed in 14-15 months.

“By Aug-Sept 2023, we will be supplying water to Karachi from Keenjhar lake,” he said.

‘We don’t just make promises, we deliver’

Earlier, Planning Minister Umar thanked the SIDCL and parliamentarians from Karachi for their efforts for the project. He said the Sindh governor was “supervising” the project since the PTI came to power. In Dec 2020, he said, the SIDCL became a part of the planning ministry and the government started working on the project.

The minister recalled that the project had been approved in 2016, and while the PML-N stayed in power for the next 28 months, the project’s infrastructure was not built.

“The order for the buses was also not placed and neither was the payment system designed; the operation and maintenance tender was also not placed,” he said, adding that the PML-N only thought about building a track surrounded by grills “with no other facilities available”.

“Karachi’s rights were not given to the city in the last three of their (PML-N and PPP’s) governments,” Umar remarked.

Lashing out at the PPP, Umar said the party merely used the name of Sindh, while the PTI-led government actually worked for the province.

Calling Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari an “innocent child”, the minister said the PPP chairman had asked for “time” to work for Sindh. “Dear child, 50 years ago your grandfather was made the chief martial law administrator of the president of Pakistan. How much more time do you need?”

He said the party had formed government in the province six times and four times in the Centre, but still had nothing to show for it.

Commenting on the Karachi Transformation Plan announced by the prime minister last year, he said the scheme included five major projects, one of which — the Green Line project — was being inaugurated today. “Commercial operations will begin on December 25 and total operations will start by January 10,” he announced.

He said that the second project concerned the construction of stormwater drains in the city, adding that work on the Mehmoodabad nullah had been completed and it would be inaugurated in 10 days. The minister further said 50 per cent of the work on the Gujjar and Orangi nullahs had been completed.

Umar said the federal government had also taken responsibility for the K-IV water supply project after it was abandoned, adding that the PC-1 for the project had been submitted to the planning ministry and work would begin within two months.

According to the minister, the Frontier Works Organisation had been mobilised for the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project and work had begun on the ground. “Not only local, but international companies are also showing interest in the project,” he revealed.

He remarked that the PTI government was making solid progress on all the projects announced under the transformation programme. “We don’t just make promises, we deliver.”

Green Line project

Work on the Rs16.85 billion federal government-funded bus project had begun after then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated it in February 2016 by performing the groundbreaking.

Later, the project was extended by another 10 kilometres as initially sought by the Sindh government and the estimated cost crossed the figure of Rs24bn.

The project was estimated to be completed by the end of 2017, but kept getting new deadlines. Since the launch of the scheme, the battered roads on either side of the route have turned into a great source of nuisance for commuters and for the shopkeepers doing their businesses.

The second and final consignment of 40 buses for the Green Line project arrived in the city on Oct 21, raising the number of buses to 80 and rekindling citizens’ hope that the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in the metropolis was set to be launched. It is supposed to facilitate the travel of approximately 300,000 passengers daily.

The first batch of 40 buses had arrived in the city on Sept 19 which the planning minister had referred to as a “ray of hope” and “milestone”, calling it the beginning of modern public transport service for Karachiites after a long gap of 40 years.

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Courtesy Dawn News

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LAHORE, DEC 9: Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad & Hanns Seidel Foundation Pakistan in collaboration with Department of Political Science and IR & Regional Integration Centre, University of the Punjab, Lahore organized a One Day University Workshop on “Non-traditional Security Challenges” in Lahore.

The event commenced with welcome remarks by Meher Ghawas, Head of Program Management, Hanns Seidel Foundation Pakistan. She stated that today’s workshop on NTSC aims to discuss nontraditional security challenges being faced by Pakistan, amongst academia and policy experts. With an increasing population and depleting resources, it is important for the policy experts and youth to comeup with solutions together in addressing such challenges.

Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive Director, CGSS presented an Overview of Learnings and Outcomes from CGSS-HSF joint events on Non-Traditional Security Challenges. He stated that CGSS in collaboration with HSF has organized almost six high-level national events on NTS issues.

We are working through comprehensive research assessment on NTS issues amid policy recommendations to compose a robust policy plan.

Moreover, we are working to promote awareness and constructively add into the curriculum development on Non-traditional security challenges through extensive research. He mentioned that we have been successful in developing profound understanding and analysis and bridging gap between academicians and stakeholders via providing them an integrated platform to discuss relevant subject.

First session of the Workshop commenced with the speech of Prof. Dr. Iram Khalid, Chairperson, Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of the Punjab, Lahore who discussed “Evolution of Traditional Security to Non-Traditional Security”. She stated that the fundamental goal of NTS should be to overcome the dichotomy between traditional and non-traditional security paradigms.

Despite the maturation of scholarship and policy attention on NTS issues, however, pervasive questions remain about the relationship between non-traditional and traditional security sectors, what or whom is being secured, and the conceptual and practical value of “securitising” more generally. Challenges in the food, energy, environmental, and health sectors, among others, threaten the lives of countless vulnerable communities and the future progress upon which societies across the world depend.

The charge of NTS is to explore these issues coherently and in ways that can add value to the policymaking and civil society communities.

Dr. Tahira, Assistant Professor, Department of International Relations, University of Sialkot, Sialkot discussed “Impact of climate change on water security: Policy Recommendations”. She explained the interrelationship between climate change and water. She stated that planning is needed in this regard. “We need to enhance and strategize our water policy. We need to opt for precautionary measures so that the risk of spreading infections can be reduced”. She stated that through usage of technology and enforcement of legislation,  things can be improved.

Dr. Rehana Saeed Hashmi, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science & IR, University of the Punjab Lahore discussed Climate Change driven migration and national security. She stated that climate change affects other aspects of our physical environment.

These challenges are very serious with long term fallouts. Climate change driven migration will test the capabilities both nationally, internationally and collaborations globally. The South Asian region is severely hit by climate change. She stated that there is a huge gap in literature to assess the situation of Pakistan. The agriculture departments of various universities must focus on new technologies.

The Government should update its climate policy and tailor-made policies for each province must be devised.

Dr. Sharreh Qazi,  Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science & IR, University of the Punjab, Lahore highlighted Cyber security challenges to Pakistan: Role of Artificial Intelligence in mitigating these challenges. He stated that a grounded definition for cyber security has yet to emerge given the nature of multifarious platforms, domains and operability of the cyberspace environment.

The activity or process, ability or capability, or state whereby information and communications systems and the information contained therein are protected from and/or defended against damage, unauthorized use or modification, or exploitation.

AI, coupled with High Performance Computing (HPC) like Supercomputers and Quantum-computers allows bolstered cyber security insulation. Computation-intensive tasks are necessary given how utilization of cyberspace has intensified into a more aggressive domain of insecurity.

Dr. Qudsia Akram, Assistant Professor, International Relations, Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore, Pakistan emphasized on Food insecurity and agriculture policy ramifications for Pakistan. She stated that Pakistan is an agrarian economy and 39% labour is involved in agriculture.

Pakistan’s major problem is energy crises, rampant corruption and poor data collection techniques. One of the major challenges in this sector is that the yield from the crops is very little, agricultural land is not being efficiently utilized. Pakistan needs to introduce good quality seeds and better incentives in this sector.

The second session of the workshop commenced with the speech of Professor Dr. Mehnaz, Chairperson, Department of Social Work, University of the Punjab, Lahore who discussed Pathogens and pandemics: Impacts on Nationals security of the state and policy options. She stated that pandemics directly affect a country’s economic security.

Pandemics impact the supply chain management as the import and export is greatly curtailed and restricted resulting losses in industries, profits, and employment. Pandemics can cause significant widespread increases in morbidity and mortality. It can cause significant social and economic disruption. It also causes behavioral changes. Globally till 3rd December 2021, a total number of 266.14 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported.

Wrong societal attitudes, domestic violence and harassment have also been triggered due to COVID-19.  She suggested that the highest priority must be given to cost effective strategies.

Dr. Amanullah Khan, Dean, Faculty of Law, University of the Punjab, Lahore discussed  Curtailing hybrid warfare under the provisions of domestic and international law. He stated that security is a collective job. The flow of information has changed fundamentally.

The basic lesson that we must learn from the pandemic is that where do we stand as a society. Political, legal and judicial stability, social welfare, education, health, economy, all these factors are very important and are interconnected. However, the role of citizens is the most significant in this regard. We have to comeup with solutions that can be adopted and be successful.

There are many nontraditional security challenges that are visible but what is more important is that our society is based on rule of law and equality.

Dr. FouziaHadi, Director, Regional Integration Center, University of the Punjab, Lahore discussed the Role of Pakistan’s academic networks in emerging NTS threats. She stated that universities are considered to be change agents in many issues including non-traditional security threats and sustainability awareness.

Therefore, universities need to be reformed in the field of teaching and research. Universities have the possibility of using divergent tools to connect those skills with expert knowledge and enable students to generate new ideas, new theories, and new products evolving around sustainable development issues.

Ms. Laraib Fatima Hassan, Communication & Coordination Executive, CGSS highlighted “Technological transformation: An Asset or Liability?”. She stated that we witnessed the massive technological transformation in our education sector during COVID-19 that proved to be an asset for the academia of Pakistan. Technology has changed the orthodox ways of teaching. Now, the patterns of learning and education are more inclined towards advanced instruments or patterns vis-à-vis technology.

The opportunities for formal learning have also gone digital because of online degree programs, courses, sessions, and much more. She mentioned that there should be advanced and effective teacher training programs facilitated by the government at a broader level that rely on understanding, accepting and using technology. Technology can also create solutions that can help bridge existing gaps in education, policy, capacity building and modern means.

The third session of the Workshop included interactive question and answers. The students were provided the opportunity to ask questions and also share their input on the subject.

The Workshop concluded with the closing remarks by Prof. Dr. Iram Khalid, Chairperson, Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of the Punjab, Lahore. The Workshop was attended by Faculty members and students from the University.

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