October 2021 – Newswire Pakistan

October 31, 2021November 1, 2021

Voices from the Roof of the World film series launched

Karachi, October 31, 2021 (PPI-OT):As part of preparations for the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, a film series Voices from the Roof of the World (VRW) has been launched on TV and online. A joint initiative by the Aga Khan Development Network agencies – Aga Khan University, Aga Khan Agency for Habitat, Aga Khan Foundation and University of Central Asia – the 10-episode first season is produced by filmmakers from Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and India.

The series focuses on the climate crisis in the earth’s highest mountain region from the Pamirs to the Himalayan mountains. Home to 240 million people and countless rare and endangered species, these mountains are also the largest depository of ice outside the polar ice caps, providing water to a quarter of the world’s population.

“With VRW support and tutelage, these filmmakers have captured poignant personal stories of people and cultures threatened by both deluges and desiccation of their environment,” said Andrew Tkach, Executive Producer of the series. “They have ventured downstream to document how the melting of the Himalayan glaciers will affect 1.5 billion people living in the threatened fishing and farming communities of South and Central Asia. Others will show how deforestation, air pollution and killer heat waves will make the world’s most densely packed cities unlivable.”

This week, UN scientists announced that current greenhouse gas emissions will lead to an increase of 2.7 degree centigrade in this century, not the target of 1.5 degrees that delegates gathering in Glasgow will be trying so hard to achieve.

“There are many culprits to share the blame for the predicament humanity finds itself in, but with every target we miss to control CO2 emissions, we are squarely painting a target on our own back. It is time to show that even in a world beset by intractable conflicts, it is possible to work across borders and social strata to save our common home. People living in some of the world’s most extreme conditions are fighting this battle every day, it is time we listen and learn from them,” stressed Tkach.

The first episode, Bears on the Brink, produced by Pakistani filmmaker Abdullah Khan, features the impact of climate change and drought on the endangered Himalayan brown bears and golden marmots found in the Deosai National Park in Gilgit Baltistan, the impact on local communities in the buffer zone, human-wildlife conflict and eco-tourism.

“I chose to take part in the series because I had been covering a lot of stories related to climate change and its impacts in Pakistan, but I observed that there weren’t any films being made on climate change and its impact on people’s mental health,” said Haya Fatima Iqbal, a filmmaker. The VRW series, which will run for at least two seasons, seeks to amplify the voices of those who have borne the greatest burden of climate change.

All episodes will be available at www.aku.edu/vrw

For more information, contact:
Media Executive
Department of Public Affairs
Aga Khan University (AKU)
Stadium Road, Karachi
Tel: +92-21-34930051
Fax: +92-21-34934294, +92-21-34932095
Cell: +92-301-8258028
Email: rasool.sarang@aku.edu, public.affairs@aku.edu
Website: www.aku.edu

October 31, 2021November 1, 2021

‘India had no idea of History’ – NIHCR Webinar on Discourse on Indo-Pak History: From Antiquity to Modernity-I “The Idea of History in India”

Islamabad, October 31, 2021 (PPI-OT):India is a country whose name comes from the Indus River. The name ‘Bharat’ is used as a designation for the country in their constitution referencing the ancient mythological emperor, Bharata or Bharat, whose story is told, in part, in the Indian epic Mahabharata, said Prof Emeritus Aslam Syed in a Webinar on Discourse on Indo-Pak History: From Antiquity to Modernity-I, The Idea of History in India here.

The guest speaker Prof Emeritus Aslam Syed has been serving the Center for Religious Studies, Ruhr Universität, Bochum, Germany. He remained Chairman, Department of History, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad and also served the NIHCR as its Director.

Replying a question, Prof Syed said that according to the religious and historical texts written down in the 5th century CE, Bharata conquered whole of subcontinent of India and ruled the land in peace and harmony. The land was, therefore, known as Bharatavarsha (the subcontinent of Bharata), therefore, is one of the oldest inhabited regions on the planet.

Responding to a question, Prof Syed said that the Indus Valley Civilization (c. 7000-c. 600 BCE) was among the greatest of the ancient world producing an equally vibrant and progressive culture. It is the birthplace of four great world religions – Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism.

The Webinar was arranged online by the National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research (NIHCR), Centre of Excellence, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, attended by over 700 participants ranging from students, teachers and researchers to have greater insights into the valuable views of the guest speaker.

The inventions and innovations of the people of ancient India include many aspects of modern life taken for granted today including the flush toilet, drainage and sewer systems, public pools, mathematics, veterinary science, plastic surgery, board games, yoga and meditation, as well as many more, Prof Syed recalled. During the discourse, the NIHCR Director Dr Sajid Mahmood Awan was of the view that there has been over 4,000 years of philosophical and cultural development in India, going back to early Aryan civilization.

Supplementing Dr Awan’s observation, Prof Syed said that since then, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Islamic, Sikh and other influences have left deep imprints on society, every modern Indian, even the poorest illiterate, can tell stories of myth and history, a consciousness of a great civilizational heritage which is unusually widespread. The consciousness of the great past and the newness of the present sometimes produces an abrasive reaction, he opined.

The NIHCR Director Dr Sajid Mahmood Awan conducted the Webinar by triggering a dialogue with Dr Syed for substantiating this discourse. This inclusive activity has been taken up every week for the benefit of students in general and capacity-building of the teachers and researchers in particular, he said.

For more information, contact:
National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research (NIHCR)
Quaid-e-Azam University, New Campus, Shadara Road,
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-2896153-54/102
Fax: +92-51-2896152
Email: dirnihcr@gmail.com, nihcr@yahoo.com
Website: www.nihcr.edu.pk

October 31, 2021November 1, 2021

Startups from BIC UoH is participating in National Entrepreneurship Challenge 2021 at Iqra University Karachi

Karachi, October 31, 2021 (PPI-OT):Startups from Business Incubation Center, The University of Haripur is participating in National Entrepreneurship Challenge 2021, at Iqra University, Karachi.

For more information, contact:
The University of Haripur
Hattar Road near Swat Chowk, Haripur,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Tel: +92-995-615384
Fax: +92-0995615384
Email: registrar@uoh.edu.pk
Website: http://www.uoh.edu.pk

October 31, 2021November 1, 2021

Afghanistan bounce back to beat Namibia

Dubai, October 31, 2021 (PPI-OT):Afghanistan got their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 campaign back on track with a thumping 62-run victory over Namibia.

Mohammad Nabi’s side went against the grain and chose to bat first in Abu Dhabi, posting 160 for five from their 20 overs with opener Mohammad Shahzad making 45.

Namibia never looked like chasing it down, losing wickets at regular intervals and ending 98 for nine.

For Afghanistan, it was a resounding response to their narrow defeat to Pakistan as they stayed second in Group 2.

Taking first use of the Sheikh Zayed surface, Afghanistan’s openers looked to target the left-arm seam of Ruben Trumpelmann that did such damage to Scotland in Namibia’s four-wicket win.

The fifth ball of the game was an overpitched delivery that Hazratullah Zazai climbed into and lifted over long-on for six.

Trumpelmann was taken out of the attack, returning in the fourth over, but the dynamic was the same as Hazratullah took him for two well-placed fours through the gully region.

Southpaw Hazratullah was at his ebullient best and smoked Jan Frylinck over the midwicket fence for six.

His partner Shahzad took longer to hit his straps but did so in the final over of the powerplay, swiping David Wiese through midwicket for four and then flaying him over third man for six.

When fielding restrictions were lifted, Afghanistan were 50 without loss.

JJ Smit’s nagging left-armers looked most threatening for Namibia and he broke the opening stand when Hazratullah picked out deep square leg, departing for 33 from 27 balls.

Skipper Gerhard Erasmus turned to the wildcard leg-spin of Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, whose first over went for two and ended with a ball that ripped past Shahzad’s outside edge.

The 21-year-old accounted for Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the tenth, trapping him in front for four at 69 for two.

Shahzad was still there and continued to pepper the midwicket boundary, before top edging a catch to Bernard Scholtz and heading back for a pivotal 45.

Asghar Afghan came to the crease and struck the ball well in his final T20I innings, despite losing his first partner Najibullah Zadran LBW to Loftie-Eaton.

He got down on one knee to smash Fylinck over long off for six and helped take a Smit over for 16 runs with two boundaries behind square.

Nabi, Asghar’s successor as Afghanistan’s T20 captain, offered his usual flurry at the finish with an excellent cameo of 32 from 17 balls, with five fours and a six off Trumpelmann.

Namibia’s chase faltered at the first when Craig Williams skied the fourth ball of the innings, bowled by Naveen-ul-Haq, comfortably caught by Usman Ghani.

Nabi fared well with the bat but less so with the ball at first as he was dispatched by Michael van Lingen for six over long-on and then by Loftie-Eaton through the arc for another maximum.

Namibia expected a trial by spin but it was Naveen’s seam that hurt them up front when Van Lingen fell for a clever slower ball and was caught at square leg for 11 at 16 for two.

And Gulbadin Naib’s medium pace dismissed Loftie-Eaton as he tried to swipe a cutter across the line only to be clean bowled.

The re-introduction of spin did the trick when Rashid Khan bowled Zane Green when he attempted a paddle sweep to the wrong ball, making it 36 for four.

Namibia could not build any kind of partnerships and lost two wickets in four balls when Hamid Hassan yorked Erasmus for 12 and then got Smith to snick behind for a duck at 56 for six.

Wiese and Frylinck stemmed the tide for a few overs without being able to score at a prolific rate, the latter trudging off after looping Naveen to Nabi at mid-off.

Another tame dismissal came as Pikky Ya France offered a simple return catch for Gulbadin but Wiese got a good one as he was bowled by a full Hassan delivery for 26.

Scores in Brief:

Afghanistan beat Namibia by 62 runs at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Afghanistan 160/5 in 20 overs (Mohammad Shahzad 45, Hazratullah Zazai 33; Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton 2/21, Ruben Trumpelmann 2/34)

Namibia 98/9 in 20 overs (David Wiese 26, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton 14; Hamid Hassan 3/9, Naveen-ul-Haq 3/26)

Player of the Match: Naveen-ul-Haq (Afghanistan)

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

October 31, 2021November 1, 2021

England bowling attack feeding off one another ahead of Sri Lanka clash

Dubai, October 31, 2021 (PPI-OT):Jos Buttler’s power hitting might have been the highlight of England’s thumping win over Australia but the balance of the bowling attack has been the most consistent element of their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign so far.

Leading the way is Adil Rashid, second only to Chris Jordan for T20 international wickets for England, who even took the new ball in the win over the Aussies.

That was a statement victory, with England now three from three and within touching distance of the semi-finals, and while the team is not getting carried, Rashid explained that the bowling attack has been feeding off one another so far in this tournament ahead of Monday’s clash with Sri Lanka.

He said: “Whether we win by one run or win by 100 runs, we do the same thing with the same mindset. We come again. We don’t look too far ahead. We don’t think about winning the World Cup.

“That’s still a long way away. We’re not thinking about that. We’re thinking about the next game, which is Sri Lanka, and doing the job there. Then the next game there. We take it a game at a time, a day at a time. We don’t look too far ahead and say about the finals and stuff.

“Obviously we’ve got a lot of experience with seam and spin. So, I think we’re all very together as one. We all feed off each other. Everybody has different experiences. Everybody has their own ideas that people want to know and feed off.

“But like I said, with our experience we have with bowling, everybody leads to that. Obviously, myself and CJ, like I say, are the lead wicket-takers. But we’ve got Chris Woakes there, who is experienced with that.

“We have a very experienced bowling line-up where we help each other, as opposed to just me and CJ telling or just giving information out. It’s definitely about feeding off of each other because we look to hold each other up.”

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have lost two in a row, with defeat to South Africa last time out a particularly painful loss.

David Miller’s heroics in the penultimate overturned a seemingly doomed chase into a dramatic victory, but spinner Maheesh Theekshana believes the team has a lot of growth in it, as one of the many youngsters in the squad, aged just 21.

He said: “It’s a very good journey for me in here because I never thought I would be in the 2021 World Cup. And I never had the experience to play for Sri Lanka. It’s a very good pressure. I don’t think it’s bad or something. But I’m still 21, we are a lot of young players in here.

“I think in the next two or three years there will be a lot more growth for us in Sri Lankan cricket.”

October 31, 2021November 1, 2021

Punjab University Institute of Applied Psychology student achievement

Lahore, October 31, 2021 (PPI-OT):Institute of Applied Psychology, University of the Punjab takes pride to promulgate one of the innumerable achievements of its students; Ms. Zahra Arooj – a student of BS-V (2019-2023) who had won the “Best Actor Female” Award for the UCP Taakra held in the University of Central Punjab on 20th February, 2019 and the second position for the “Naat Competition” category in “Zaboor e Azam” which was held through the platforms of Government College University (GCU), online via Google Meet application amidst pandemic on 21st October, 2021.

Seven students had participated under the category of Naat Competition from various Universities of Lahore and Zahra represented Institute of Applied Psychology, University of the Punjab.

For more information, contact:
Registrar,
University of the Punjab
Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-99231102
Fax: +92-42-99231103
E-Mail: registrar@pu.edu.pk
Website: http://pu.edu.pk/