Day: December 10, 2021

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Pakistan Red Crescent Signs Joint Declaration on Climate Change with Educational Institutions, Religious, Welfare and Government Organizations

Karachi, December 10, 2021 (PPI-OT):The Pakistan Red Crescent (PRC) Sindh Branch organized a ceremony at Hotel Mehran Karachi on December 9, 2021, to sign a joint declaration on climate change adaptation with various stakeholders, including reputable and prominent educational institutions, religious, welfare and relevant government organizations.

he joint declaration signing ceremony was attended by religious scholars from different sects, researchers, and representatives of various organizations, including Al Mustafa Welfare Trust, Jamia Suffa, Jamaat-e-Islami Jamia Tul Ikhwan, Jama-e-Masjid Thanvi, Saylani Welfare International Trust, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan, JDC Foundation Pakistan, Institute of Quranic Studies, Jamia Sattaria Islamia, Rotary International District 3271, University of Karachi, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Pakistan Meteorological Department, Karachi Urban Lab, Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA-Sindh), Bahria University, Dawat-e-Islami and Zahra (SA) Academy Pakistan.

Presiding the ceremony, PRC-Sindh Chairperson Shahnaz S. Hamid lauded the cooperation of all member organisations and stated that following a series of meetings with stakeholders and extensive effort by the Pakistan Red Crescent, a joint declaration on Climate Change was successfully drafted. She emphasized that Climate Change is now Pakistan’s most emerging and significant issue, and each of us has a responsibility to do our part to mitigate the effects of climate change for our future generations.

She said according to the German Watch, Pakistan has been ranked globally in the top ten countries most affected by climate change in the past 20 years due to its geographical location. Climate change is predicted to have a broad range of consequences in Pakistan, including decreased agricultural productivity, increased unpredictability in water supply, increased coastal erosion and seawater intrusion, and an increased frequency of extreme climatic events.

“According to this joint declaration, all member organisations will collaborate to disseminate as much information as possible and to motivate the general public to adopt good practices for mitigating the negative effects of climate change through schools, colleges, universities, madrasas, communities, khutbahs (use Islamic quotations such as relevant Ahadees and Quranic verses), and media discussions,” the Chairperson stated. Additionally, all organizations will strive toward mass tree planting and bolster the government and its relevant departments’ efforts, she added.

The ceremony was attended by PRC-Sindh Provincial Secretary Kanwar Waseem, Haji Muhammad Hanif Tayyab, Mufti Muhammad Zubair, Sardar Sarfraz, Maulana Abdul Waheed, Syed Zafar Abbas, and others. All member organizations appreciated the initiative of the Pakistan Red Crescent and pledged to work together on climate change in Pakistan.

For more information, contact:
Sindh Provincial Branch,
Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS)
Hilal-e Ahmar House, G 2 Khayaban-e-Iqbal, Zone A Block 7,
Teen Talwar, Main Clifton Road, Karachi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-35306227, 35306228, 35306229
Fax: +92-21-35830376
E-mail: phq@prcsindh.org.pk
Website: http://www.prcsindh.org.pk/

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The unjust killing of an innocent person is most heinous and major sin: Scholars 

Lahore, December 10, 2021 (PPI-OT):The unjust killing of a human being is one of the most heinous and major crimes. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said that the judgment about the bloodletting will be the first one to be delivered among the people on the Day of Reckoning. The elimination of the whole world is a lesser crime in the sight of Allah compared to unjust killing of a person. Putting an end to the incidents such as the one that happened in Sialkot and eradicating the extremist and violent attitudes is the responsibility of every Muslim in general and that of religious scholars, and teachers in particular.

Religious scholars, academicians, and educational experts made these remarks while delivering their lectures on the second day of the three-day Training Workshop held under the banner of Nizam-ul-Madaris Pakistan.

Those who gave their talks at the workshop included Director FMRi Allama Muhammad Farooq Rana, Nazim-e-Aala Nizam-ul-Madaris Allama Mir Asif Akbar, Syed Abdur Rahman Bukhari, Dr Shafqat Ali Baghdadi, Dr Faizullah Baghdadi, motivational speaker Izhar-ul-Haq, master trainer Imran Bhatti, Allama Ghulam Murtaza Alvi, and Allama Ain-ul-Haq Baghdadi. These scholars spoke on the topics of qualities of a teacher, institutional stability, and riddance from violent and extremist attitudes, morality, the art of public speaking and rules and regulations of Arabic language.

In his lecture, Muhammad Farooq Rana said that there is an agreement between Imams and Hadith scholars that those who takes the life of an innocent person will go to hell and they would get no clemency. He said there is a Quranic injunction that asks people not to kill those whose killing has been forbidden by Allah Almighty. He further said that the challenges of extremism and intolerance can be overcome by aligning the educational system with the contemporary requirements.

Director FMRi referred to Shaykh-ul-Islam’s book on peace-building and said that loving humanity and being excellent in one’s conduct and attitudes towards others is the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Allah. He said that Islamic teachings are clear about extending a similar behaviour of respect and compassion towards others irrespective of their creed and colour. He said the identity of a Muslim and believer is that he is embodiment of love and brotherhood.

Motivational speaker Izhar-ul-Haq said in his talk that a recent study conducted in Harvard University has found out that the nations that value time have moderate attitudes and that they believe in hard work and are just and responsible in their actions and interactions. He said that the study establishes that the societies that are backward are bereft of these civilized attitudes.

Dr Shafqatullah Baghdadi said in his lecture that questions are being raised about the Islamic teachings due to the deepening extremist and intolerant behaviours in society. He said that Islam is a religion of peace and love, adding that those who take law in their hands and spread mayhem and chaos have nothing to do with the teachings of Islam. A large number of female teachers and managers of religious seminaries are attending the three-day workshop.

For more information, contact:
Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI)
365 M, Model Town, Lahore, Pakistan
UAN: +92-42-111-140-140
Tel: +92-42-35169111
Email: tehreek@minhaj.org
Website: www.minhaj.org

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Empowering captain and instilling fearless approach has brought a positive outlook: PCB Chairman

Lahore, December 10, 2021 (PPI-OT):Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mr Ramiz Raja has congratulated the national men’s team on a successful two-month tour of the United Arab Emirates and Bangladesh on which they won eight of the nine T20Is and two Tests, adding empowering Babar Azam has yielded the desired results and has brought in consistency.

Pakistan, for the first time in history, won all group matches in an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 to secure a semi-final berth, where they lost to eventual winners Australia following a thrilling contest. They then outclassed Bangladesh on their home in both the shortest and longest formats of the game, which also saw them gain 24 crucial ICC World Test Championship points.

“The Pakistan team has displayed wonderful cricket in Bangladesh, and I want to congratulate them for that,” Mr Ramiz Raja told PCB digital. “In terms of cricket, Bangladesh is a tough destination, because they curate pitches on which they nullify and neutralise big sides. They have firm grip on the spin department and they also play it very well.

“We must appreciate Pakistan for not losing the focus after the T20 World Cup and for their swift shift from the T20 to Test format. In the end, the results were outstanding. The dressing room atmosphere is good and everyone is playing for Pakistan in this side.

“People say that I am catalyst for this positive change in the team, but I want to emphasis on the fact that leadership matters. When you empower a leader and give him confidence then he starts to own everything; from decisions, team, performances to disasters. He becomes brave! Because there is nobody challenging him. His position is stable and he gets clarity.

“I told Babar Azam and the team that not to worry about results, especially before the India match. As I had said ‘I want to fix Pakistan cricket’s GPS’, it meant empowering the captain and instilling fearless cricket, which is why you are seeing a positive change in the team’s outlook.

“All the credit goes to this bunch as these people have to execute meticulously decision-making. Defeating Bangladesh was no mean task as they had defeated Australia and New Zealand. We won the crucial Test championship points with a dramatic win in the last Test.

This is what Pakistan’s cricket is; they create drama, they have unlimited potential, but they only lack consistency. But, now, we are seeing them becoming consistent. We have strong and challenging series coming up. I welcome West Indies to Pakistan, we have great form in T20Is, and are a mid-tier team in the ODIs as we are ranked fifth. As a mid-tier team, you can do a lot of experimentation. And after the HBL PSL, we have Australia coming.”

Mr Ramiz Raja also stated his desire to improve the quality of pitches at the grassroots, saying that the school and club cricket are the most important elements in Pakistan cricket. He said: “We have dearth of infrastructure and we need good pitches, because unless you have good quality pitches in domestic cricket you will not see strong performances.

“My mission statement is to make Pakistan beat Australia in Australia, South Africa in South Africa and New Zealand in New Zealand, and replicate those conditions where batting and even bowling gets difficult. Bowling on a bouncy track is not an easy task, as you have to adjust your lengths accordingly.

“We want to make school and club cricket competitive as they are artery of cricket in the country. Our bowlers cannot bowl with spikes in these two formats, so I have spoken with the manufactures in the UK for hybrid pitches and we will lay a web of such wickets in the country.”

With the Covid-19 situation improving in the country, the National Command and Operations Centre has allowed 100 per cent seating capacity at the National Stadium for the upcoming three-T20I and three-ODI series between Pakistan and West Indies. To ensure that the fans have extraordinary experiences at stadia around Pakistan, Mr Ramiz Raja announced that the PCB will soon have a fan engagement department to look after the spectators.

“The fans are very respectable to us and that’s why we are opening up a department to cater them. We will better their viewing experience. We will provide the fans with better facilities at the stadium, including Wi-Fi during matches.

“We will have stalls to cater to fans during the HBL PSL 7, which will keep them engaged. We will also try to find commentary talent with the top commentators during the PSL. I will also join in to gauge talent. We will watch a video together and then I will ask you to commentate.” The PCB Chairman also unveiled his corporate vision to further strengthen Pakistan’s cricket product.

“My chairmanship will based on three pillars – organisational excellence, commercial excellence and cricketing excellence. Unless these three pillars come together, you will not see product. We want to build strong product, backed by sponsors and we will try our best to get the backing of the government as well.”

For more information, contact:
Media Manager,
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-5717231-4
Fax: +92-42-5711860
Website: www.pcb.com.pk

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65% Pakistanis feel that as compared to the previous 6 months, the country’s current economic situation has deteriorated: Consumer Confidence Index Q3 2021 by Gallup Pakistan and Dun and Bradstreet

Islamabad, December 10, 2021 (PPI-OT):According to a Consumer Confidence Index survey conducted by Gallup and Gilani Pakistan, 65% Pakistanis feel that as compared to the previous 6 months, the country’s current economic situation has deteriorated.

A nationally representative sample of adult men and women from across the four provinces was asked the following question, “In your opinion, compared to the previous six months, how is the economic situation of the country today?” In response to this question, 2% said ‘much better’, 18% said ‘better’, 11% said ‘same as before’, 43% said ‘worse’ and 22% said ‘much worse’. 4% did not know or provided no response.

Question: “In your opinion, compared to the previous six months, how is the economic situation of the country today?”

For more information, contact:
Head Office,
Gallup Pakistan
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-8445080
Email: isb@gallup.com.pk, caf@gallup.com.pk
Website: www.gallup.com.pk

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Guizhou reaps a bumper harvest with grain output up 3.49 pct in 2021

GUIYANG, China, Dec. 10, 2021 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/ — The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Dec, 6th that Guizhou secured  yet another bumper harvest, with grain output up 3.49 percent year-on-year, Guizhou’s total grain output reached nearly 10.949 million tons in 2021.

The total sown area is 41.8155 million mu(about 2.802 million hectares), edged up 1.22 percent year-on-year.

On November 30th, Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Guizhou Province invited experts to measure the production of perennial rice in a trial field of Sinan County, Tongren City of Guizhou Province.

It’s the second year of harvest of this field’s rice and its yield has reached 843.3 kg per mu (about 0.067 hectares), which indicates the successful overwintering of perennial rice in Guizhou.

To achieve the goal of this year’s grain production and of increasing planting area, grain production has become one of Guizhou government performance evaluation system in governments at all levels. Leaders of governments at all levels are responsible for increasing local grain production.

Leaders of Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Guizhou Province have been in charge of over 1,000 mu(about 67 hectares) farm fields and leaders of governments at all levels are responsible for 108 demonstration farmland. Its total area reached nearly 100,000 mu (about 6,700 hectares). This action has boosted the food production in different areas.

Since August, grain production of different areas in Guizhou has achieved great results. In Zheng’an County of Zunyi City, yield of sorghum reached 541.7 kg per mu (about 0.067 hectares), which hits Guizhou’s record high.

In the High-yield Sweet Potato Demonstration Base of Sinan County, Tongren City, the average yield of sweet potato has reached 4327.9 kg per mu, which sets a new record in Guizhou.

In Xingyi City of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, the yield of rice reached 1123.87 kg per mu, which breaks the record in Guizhou.

In Nayong County of Bijie City, the yield of corn reached 1059.1 kg per mu, which sets a new record in Guizhou.

In 2021, Guizhou launched a program to build high-standard farm field and plan to build 2.5 million mu (about 167.5 thousand hectares) extra farm fields.

According to this program, a high-quality grain and oil steering group consisted of 93 experts and 2,256 science and technology correspondents will go to field to teach farmers agricultural knowledge and planting skills.

Based on principles of “adjusting farmland to fit planting machine” and “adjusting planting machines to fit farmland”, 1.42 million sets of agricultural machines have been used to plant grains and increase food production from spring to autumn. Comprehensive mechanization of Guizhou’s major grain crops has increased from 41 percent to 43 percent.

In the future, Guizhou will make full use of ecology advantage and allocate production resources reasonably to achieve a coordinate development between grain production and economy development and build a solid foundation for rural revitalization and agricultural modernization.

Source: Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Guizhou Province

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International Human Rights Day observed at UVAS 

Lahore, December 10, 2021 (PPI-OT):The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore observed International Human Rights Day with the theme of “Equality- Reducing inequalities, Advancing Human Rights”. Various activities including a walk and seminar were arranged to create awareness regarding human rights here on Friday.

Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Masood Rabbani led the walk while Principal CVAS Jhang Prof Dr Fiaz Qamar, Prof Dr Kamran Ashraf, Directors, Chairpersons, faculty members and students from the Character Building Society and from various departments of UVAS participated. The walk started from the VC Office and culminated in front of Administration Block after taking a round of City Campus.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dr Masood Rabbani stressed on the equality and said that UVAS ensures equal respect and rights to all its employees belong to any religion. He said that it is necessary to take care of others as per teachings of our Holy Prophet (PBUH). He said fissad-ul-Arzz is a big sin after Shirk. Prof Dr Kamran Ashraf said that it is our duty to ensure each other’s rights. He mentioned that Islam introduced elegant concept of human rights in shape of Hakook-ul-Ibaad and it is necessary for us all to follow these principles and tolerate others.

For more information, contact:
Public Relations Officer
University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS)
Syed Abdul Qadir Jillani (Out Fall) Road,
Lahore – Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-99211374, +92-42-99211449
Email: webmaster@uvas.edu.pk
Website: www.uvas.edu.pk