March 20, 2022 – Newswire Pakistan

March 20, 2022March 21, 2022

SAF-GCT charitable alliance to enroll another 10,000 out-of-school children in Sindh in one year

Karachi, March 20, 2022 (PPI-OT): The alliance of the two leading non-profits has announced to enroll 10,000 more out-of-school children in one year in the network of jointly run charitable schools in Sindh. The non-profits Shahid Afridi Foundation (SAF) and Green Crescent Trust (GCT) made the announcement to this effect at their joint annual fundraiser held here at a hotel and attended by the leading businessmen and philanthropists of Karachi. The two charities have been working together in the education sector for the past four years having an enrolment of over 3,000 children from underprivileged families in eight jointly run schools in backward areas of Karachi. Both the charities aim to expand their network of charitable schools to tackle the gigantic task of enrolling out-of-school children.

GCT CEO, Zahid Saeed, said that over 22 million children are still out-of-school in Pakistan. He said the authentic data showed that the number of illiterate children in the country surpassed the total population of Australia. He said the latest verified data compiled by GCT showed that Pakistan’s total spending on education exceeded the defense budget of the country. He said the education budgets of provincial governments, Islamabad, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, if combined together was more than the annual defense budget of Pakistan. He said that Pakistan despite spending Rs 1,300 billion on education annually was far from tackling the issue of out-of-school children as their number kept on increasing every year.

GCT Trustee, Saad Zia, said that a group of concerned businessmen 28 years back had adopted an abandoned building of a government school and hired teachers to revive academic activities for the needy children in a backward area of Karachi. He said that the adoption of the government school building became the basis of GCT’s creation that had now 155 charitable schools all over Sindh having an enrolment of 29,000 children of the needy families.

He said the footprint of the GCT’s charitable work had been present all over Sindh as its schools were situated from Sukkur to the Arabian Sea coast. He told the audience that the GCT established its schools in such backward areas where there had been no prior facility to educate the children. He said the GCT’s charitable network enrolled 1950 orphan children who were not just provided education but the pressing economic needs of their families were also regularly fulfilled.

Introducing his charity to the guests of the fundraiser, SAF Chief Operating Officer, Rizwan Ahmed, said the cricket celebrity Shahid Afridi had entered the field of charitable work in 2014 with a focus on the areas of health, education, community development, sports, and emergency relief for the deprived communities. He said that in all the SAF ran 14 charitable schools all over Pakistan having an enrolment of 4,207 children from destitute families who were being given education free of charge.

He said the water supply projects built by the SAF had benefited over 25,000 families in 90 villages that had been supplied around 102,400 gallons of filtered water. He said that during the initial strict lockdown imposed in the country against the spread of Covid-19, Shahid Afridi had himself travelled 18,000 kilometres all across the country especially in Balochistan to give food rations to the needy families.

He said that Afridi had to attend the fundraiser himself but couldn’t do so due to worsening of his health due to the injury as the cricketing star had personally sought an apology from the prospective donors who wanted to become a partner with him to educate children of the deprived areas.

Short documentaries of both the NGOs were shown on the occasion. GCT’s documentary was about an orphan graduate of GCT’s school network, Danish Ghafoor, who later graduated from the IBA. Ghafoor after completing his education became an entrepreneur by establishing his own livestock farm that now employs the local needy population of his village in Mehrabpur.

The documentary shows that every child enrolled in the charitable schools of the GCT and SAF has the potential of following the footsteps of Ghafoor in practical life. Renowned actor, Adnan Siddiqui, conducted the show and expressed his fullest commitment to the alliance formed between the GCT and SAF for educating the children of needy families.

For more information, contact:
Green Crescent Trust (GCT)
Office # 310 and 311, Plot # E1-RSM Square Commercial Area,
Block 7/8, Shaheed-e-Millat Road, Karachi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-34556238
UAN: +92-21-111-111-GCT (428)
E-mail: info@gct.org.pk
Website: www.gct.org.pk

March 20, 2022March 21, 2022

Notice

Islamabad, March 20, 2022 (PPI-OT): All classes from 21st March to 24th March except 23rd March shall be conducted online on Microsoft Teams as per the timetable.

For more information, contact:

Capital University of Science and Technology (CUST)

Islamabad Expressway, Kahuta Road, Zone-V, Islamabad, Pakistan

UAN: +92-51-111-555-666

Tel: +92-51-4486700-4

Email: info@cust.edu.pk

Website: https://cust.edu.pk

March 20, 2022March 21, 2022

PU, CERN to work on high energy physics experiment

Lahore, March 20, 2022 (PPI-OT): Punjab University and European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN) will work jointly on various research projects as the CERN task force expressed its enthusiasm to involve PhD students of PU in ongoing high energy physics experiments. CERN is one of the world’s largest and most respected centres for scientific research which probes the fundamental structure of the particles that make up everything in the world using the world’s largest and most complex scientific instruments.

CERN investigates what is the nature of our universe and what is it made of. It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan became the first non-European country to become Associate Member of CERN in 2015 while India at that time could not become its member, which speaks the level of advancement and expertise of Pakistani scientists in the relevant fields despite India’s heavy investment in the relevant fields. Pakistani scientists had also contributed to building the CMS, ATLAS and ALICE experiments.

Later, India became its Associate Member in 2017. To establish research collaboration with CERN, an online meeting was arranged in the office of the PU Vice Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmad with the five-member task force of CERN, Geneva, Switzerland for 05-year review of Associate Membership of Pakistan. The meeting was arranged in collaboration with CERN Secretariat and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, Islamabad.

The members of the task force included Ms. Charlotte Warakaulle, CERN Director for International Relations, Prof. Dr. Dirk Rychbosch, CERN Council Delegate for Belgium, Prof. Dr. Joachim Mnich CERN Director for Research and Computing, Prof. Dr. Emmanuel Tsesmelis, CERN head of relations for non-member states and Mr. Andrzej Charkiewicz, CERN Experimental Physics Department. From Punjab University, Dean Faculty of Science Prof. Dr. Muhammad Sharif, Chairman Physics Department Prof. Dr. Mahmood ul Hassan, Director Centre for High Energy Physics Prof. Dr. Bilal Masud and Director Centre for Solid State Physics Prof. Dr. Saira Riaz were present.

Prof. Dr. Mahmood ul Hassan made a short presentation on the introduction to the university and its science and technology programs. The meeting also discussed various areas of mutual collaboration in the fields of theoretical and experimental high energy physics. They also emphasized a larger participation of Pakistani universities in research activities of CERN.

The meeting also discussed possibilities of a long-term collaboration of Punjab University with CERN as part of Pakistan’s Associate Membership of CERN. It is also pertinent to mention that a delegation of scientists from Punjab University consisting of Prof Dr Muhammad Sharif, Dr Mahmood ul Hassan and Dr Bilal Masud visited CERN in 2019 to discuss various possibilities of mutual collaboration and training of students.

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/

March 20, 2022March 21, 2022

PM and the Speaker have abrogated the constitution: Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

Islamabad, March 20, 2022 (PPI-OT): Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in his press conference at Zardari House Islamabad on Sunday said that this coward captain is running from the vote of no-confidence. He is escaping to the extent that he has made the Speaker abrogate the constitution.

The constitution says that the Speaker of the National Assembly has to call a session within fourteen days. It is Pakistan’s precedent that the voting takes place just after seven days. When the no-confidence was tabled against Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, then voting took place exactly on the seventh day. This coward Imran has been seeing his defeat from the first day, he thinks that either he will play or no one will. We will not let this man play with the fate of the country. He has abrogated the constitution of Pakistan.

Chairman Bilawal said that a petition is in the Supreme Court brought not by us, but the Bar Councils. We hope that Pakistan has one institution that is ready to protect our constitutional and democratic rights along with the parliament and our vote. I am trying to expose this man’s propaganda. He is trying to build a narrative that is based on fiction.

Does the Pakistani nation not know that this man attacked the parliament, the rooms of the parliamentarians and arrested them? When the members of the parliament shifted to the Sindh House, this man started false propaganda. When the PPP made claims about rigging taking place or money being used, it went to the courts with evidence. Imran cannot do that because he is a liar, he should stop lying to the people.

Chairman Bilawal asked how Imran can say that the people will punish the members who vote against him. The people of Pakistan themselves are not ready to vote for him. The members of the parliament have seen how he has lost every bye-election in the past three years. Whenever given the opportunity, be it the bye-elections or the first phase of the local government elections, the Pakistani people have rejected his mandate. The members saw how despite having a federal government and three provincial governments, he could not win one bye-election or local government election.

What would become of his political future? Every member of the assembly knows that people abhor and hate his economic policies, along with every person who had been his facilitator for three years. The Pakistani nation will not forgive any member who votes for him. The people of Pakistan hold him responsible for the tsunami of price-hike that they are drowning in and are worried because of taxes, unemployment and poverty. The members know that those who stand against him will have their names recorded in history.

The history of Pakistan will record how the flag of rebellion against this selected system was raised. It will record which parliamentarian stood with democracy, constitution and the people’s rights and who supported this selected, planted, puppet politician. His lies are not working anymore, his last days have begun. After this, he would be held accountable for the economic policy and his own corruption. How can he accuse the members without a single evidence when he has the FIA and NAB? A single case of corruption was not proved. It is common knowledge where one has to send money to get things done either by the PM or the CM Punjab.

Chairman PPP said that Imran has to account for the foreign-funding case against him and the sugar, wheat and petrol theft. He tries to use Islam. Does he think that the people have forgotten what destruction he has made in the name of Riyasat-e-Madina? Does the Riyasat-e-Madina allow for its prime minister and ministers to use such language? Does the Riyasat-e-Madina allow him to target not only his political opponents but the women in their families? Does the Riyasat-e-Madia allow him to trouble the poor and give the rich relief? Does the Riyasat-e-Madina allow us to bow in front of tyranny?

Does the Riyasat-e-Madina allow for the common man in Pakistan to be worried because of hunger? This is not the Riyasat of Madina. He should stop using this term. The Pakistani people know him now. He should not think that he can become like Quaid-e-Awam. When the Quaid-e-Awam made this country a nuclear power and gave it a free foreign policy, he was also ready to face the consequences and accepted Shahadat. When Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto gave this country missile technology, she was ready to face the consequences.

When President Zardari, to the displeasure of the world, gave China the access to warm waters and started the Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline project and stopped NATO supply lines for months, he did it for the benefit of the people of Pakistan. We were ready to face its consequences. However, Imran did not benefit the country’s foreign policy and only harmed it. He did not deliver anything.

‘You are the foreign-sponsored, foreign-funded agent who has been planted in our system’, Chairman Bilawal said. It was his job to harm the country’s foreign policy and he did so wonderfully. It was his job to sabotage the CPEC and he did so. He was given the task to have his ministers speak against CPEC and present it as a corrupt project before the nation. The minister who spoke against the CPEC is still there, and the condition of the CPEC is before the country. Imran was planted to sabotage the Kashmir cause.

It was his job to work on Musharraf’s three-point agenda. He was given the task to campaign for Modi. Have any of Pakistan’s prime ministers during the elections in India said that if someone wins, it would benefit the Kashmir cause? It is before everyone what happened to the Kashmir cause after the person won. He was given the task to attack Pakistan’s economic sovereignty and weaken the economy of Pakistan. This is the reason, be it the CPEC or any other project that had the potential to benefit the country was harmed. He was given the task to sabotage Pakistan’s relations with Europe.

He is adopting the foreign policy of India. What is the difference between his foreign policy and that of India right now? Chairman Bilawal said that the OIC is being talked about. Quaid-e-Awam held an OIC conference of the heads of Muslim states in Lahore, Pakistan. We respect the guests that have come. We have made these connections and friendships. He did not call an OIC conference in Pakistan over the Kashmir cause, or any issue of Pakistan.

It is good that the conference is happening, but it is not taking place on any of Pakistan’s issues. It is happening on Afghanistan and for the Taliban. He has called this OIC conference not as Pakistan’s prime minister but the Taliban’s foreign minister. We want the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan to resolve. However, Imran has caused harm to the policies that were benefitting Pakistan and is now talking about corruption and foreign powers.

Chairman PPP said that Imran is ready to abrogate the constitution. This is a defeated man. A coward hurls abusive terms and runs. If he has the courage, he should face us in the parliament. We have always struggled for democracy in the country. Our party has a three generations’ long struggle. This struggle is for the restoration of democracy in the country. It is a struggle for every institution of the country to work within its domain. When a time has come when the media is talking about a neutral environment, Imran and his social media team are trying to spread the propaganda that institutions are not neutral, be it through provocation or creating a constitutional crisis.

Chairman Bilawal said that it is the responsibility of all of us, to demand and try for every institution to work within its domain drawn by the law and constitution, and to criticise when this does not happen. However, it is also our responsibility to oppose the prime minister and his social media team when they target an institution. The puppet prime minister equated the term neutral with animals and has still not apologised to the nation. We are demanding for a clarification in this regard even today.

We are demanding for Imran, his social media team and MNAs’ propaganda, campaigns and efforts to shift the status of neutrality to be taken notice of, be it through the ISPR or our judiciary. We will not let such propaganda succeed. Our demand is for everyone to work within their constitutional and lawful domain. This government is trying for a constitutional crisis to take place, Chairman PPP said.

Responding to questions, Chairman Bilawal said that the attack on Sindh House was an attack on the federation. It is the continuity of a series. The first phase was an attack on the parliament lodges and the parliament. The second phase was an attack on Sindh House and the federation. We believe that the law is very clear on terrorism. The government using its resources to spread terror comes under terrorism.

We will approach the courts and pursue this as a case of terrorism. This is a very serious attack and calls for a strict reaction. This cannot be tolerated and they should think about how their actions have consequences. How will they protect Bani Gala and the KP house after a week if such a precedent is set? We are law-abiding and democratic people who will face them in the courts. However, all federal ministers and people in the government should understand that the precedent they are setting will soon start applying to them.

Chairman Bilawal said that as per rules, the session should be held within seven days. Fourteen days is the limit for the requisition session, which too has been broken. The institutions responsible for implementing our constitution will not make a political decision but a lawful and constitutional one. The number game has made it evident that the government has lost its majority and has ended with or without the allies.

As far as the talks with the allies are concerned, how positive they are has been reported by the media. An ally on the television said that their stance will be before the country after the OIC meeting. We had made it obvious before the country that this defeated man would run. We were not anticipating that he would also abrogate the constitution. The proceedings of the no-confidence could have started on 21st March, then the OIC would have three days and we would work as per the schedule. However, they are panicking to the extent that not only are they not calling a session on 21st March, but on 25th March.

We believe that there is no space for this in the constitution and we will fight this case on a constitutional and judicial forum. Our numbers are complete. We are challenging them to start the process tomorrow, which they had to do anyway. We can defeat them on any day. Against the Speaker, we will work as per the consensus of the joint opposition.

Imran Khan, while making unsuccessful use of the religion card has forgotten that the people of Pakistan have seen his government for the past three years. The Pakistani nation has seen what they have been doing in the name of Riyasat-e-Madina. The people are witnessing how Imran and his ministers hurl abuses in one sentence, and talk of religion in the other. This is the reason that religion should not be linked with politics. Religion and politics should be separate. This prime minister has crossed every limit. It is our demand and that of the nation that they stop taking Riyasat-e-Madina’s name.

The job of the Supreme Court is to protect and implement the constitution and it will not facilitate this government on its unconstitutional step. It will make a constitutional decision, not a political one. We appreciate how the Supreme Court sent a message of standing with the law and constitution, even on a weekend.

They could have called a session earlier if they had a constraint regarding the fourteen-day limit. The bureaucrats should not listen to the PM, nor should the President listen to his advice. The process of the no-confidence should be completed immediately and should take place as devised by the law and constitution. Our efforts have always been for neutrality. The PM, his social media team and ministers are trying to tarnish neutrality via a desperate attempt. We condemn this.

I had said before the media that the session on the 21st would be called, but sabotaged. In that case, my stance within my party and that in front of the opposition would be not leaving the hall till we get our right in case of such an effort. The Speaker abrogating the constitution is an effort to make the OIC conference controversial.

For more information, contact:
PPP Media Cell (Sindh)
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)
Peoples Secretariat Shikarpur Colony,
Behind Mazar-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Karachi, Pakistan
Cell: +92-305-3370383
Email: contact@ppp-tu.com
Website: https://www.ppp.org.pk

March 20, 2022March 21, 2022

Speaker NA should not violate the law and the constitution of Pakistan in order to save the Imran Khan’s government

Islamabad, March 20, 2022 (PPI-OT): Central Information Secretary of PPP-P and member of the National Assembly Shazia Atta Marri has said that Speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaiser should avoid to violate the law and the constitution of Pakistan in order to save the Imran Khan’s government. She said that position of the Speaker National Assembly is neutral, but perhaps, Asad Qaiser also considered that being neutral is only applies on animals and that’s why he is showing partiality.

Joint opposition had submitted the requisition for conveying the National Assembly session on 8th of March and If the National Assembly’s session would not be convened within 14 days then it would be a clear violation of Article 54 (3) of the constitution of Pakistan. This she said in a statement issued hereon today.

Shazia Marri said in that rules of the National Assembly’s bounds Speaker National Assembly to start the session of Assembly with no-confidence motion instead of carrying out any other proceedings and PTI leaders had announced that the session of the National Assembly on no-confidence motion would be held on March 28 in their core committee’s meeting which was clear violation of the rules and constitution of the country.

She added that the Pakistan Peoples Party will not allow any move of violation of the constitution and if any attempt would be made to violate the rules then serious consequences of it, would be faced by the government. She added that as per the constitution, the speaker of the National Assembly has full authority to convene the session of the National Assembly and this is not the duty of the President to call the session of the National Assembly. The Speaker National Assembly, Asad Qaiser with his biased attitude has made the OIC conference controversial which is highly regrettable act.

She further said that If the Speaker National Assembly will convene National Assembly’s session on 21st March, he will also avoid violating the Constitution of Pakistan and Conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation will also be held without any constitutional crisis. Ms Marri added that Pakistan Peoples Party has warmly welcomed the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and demanded that there should be no violation of the constitution and that the OIC conference should also be held in a peaceful manner.

March 20, 2022March 21, 2022

Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari extends his heartiest felicitations and best wishes to people celebrating Nowruz in Pakistan and all over the world

Islamabad, March 20, 2022 (PPI-OT): Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has extended his heartiest felicitations and best wishes to celebrating Nowruz in Pakistan and all over the world. According to a statement issued from the Media Cell Bilawal House, the Chairman PPP said in his message that Nowruz is a symbol of brotherhood, peace and hope for a better tomorrow.

He further said that on the auspicious occasion of Nowruz, I pray for peace, democracy, prosperity and mutual unity all over the world including Pakistan and the region. Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in his message also extended special greetings to the Parsi community of Pakistan on the occasion of Nowruz and said that the contribution of the Parsi community in the struggle for development and prosperity of the country and nation is thousands of times more than their number.

The Chairman PPP said that Pakistan Peoples Party believes in tolerance and equality in the society and believes that a strong democracy based on a justice system, sustainable prosperity, broader national unity and a secure future based on the 1973 constitution are interconnected. He further said that an important phase of our long struggle for the establishment of true democracy in Pakistan is nearing success. The celebrations of Nowruz will prove to be a turning point in the celebration of democracy in the country.