Day: October 4, 2022

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Health Minister recognises AKU for treating 300,000 people in flood areas 

Karachi, October 04, 2022 (PPI-OT):Sindh Minister of Health and Population Welfare Dr Azra Pechuho has recognised the Aga Khan University for treating 300,000 people and distributing medicines of Rs 143 million in 42 districts of Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

“The way Aga Khan University gathered resources in a short period of time and joined the Government’s efforts to provide relief in the flood-affected areas is commendable,” said Dr Pechuho while addressing an event organised by AKU Flood Response Task Force. AKU President Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin appreciated the relief efforts by the Government and public-private institutions.

“Being a national asset, AKU is always on the frontline when the nation needs its services. Our teams have been collaborating with the federal and provincial governments, local authorities and fellow agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network to reach out to those who need our help,” he said.

On the occasion, AKU task force leads Dr Adil Haider, Dean of AKU Medical College and Dr Shahid Shafi, Chief Executive Officer of the Aga Khan University Hospital, shared an overview of the University’s work and distributed appreciation certificates to the teams.

Out of 300,000 people who visited AKU camps, 80,000 were women of reproductive age, including 8,000 pregnant women, and 70,000 children under five. Over 40,000 children received routine vaccination. Most of the patients coming to AKU’s healthcare camps have diarrhoea, dehydration, respiratory infections, malaria, dengue and skin problems.

The task force is also organising free capacity-building sessions for healthcare workers serving in the affected areas, which are attended by over 5,000 participants from around the country. AKU’s healthcare camps and distribution of medicines and healthcare-related supplies are supported with grants by generous donors and contributions from the University’s faculty, staff, students and supporters. AKU’s contribution is part of overall efforts by the Aga Khan Development Network in Pakistan.

More updates on AKU’s flood response: www.aku.edu

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

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I. A. Rehman Research Grant for 2022 awarded to lawyer Usama Khawar Ghumman 

Lahore, October 04, 2022 (PPI-OT):The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) is pleased to announce that Usama Khawar Ghumman has been awarded the I. A. Rehman Research Grant for 2022. Mr Ghumman – a lawyer by profession will study the occupational health and safety of labourers in stone-crushing factories in Punjab, particularly their vulnerability to silicosis (a long-term lung disease). His findings will be published and disseminated by HRCP.

Instituted in honour of the veteran journalist and former secretary-general of HRCP, the late I. A. Rehman, this grant is intended to facilitate original research carried out in different areas of human rights in Pakistan. This year’s theme was labour rights – an area especially close to Mr Rehman’s heart.

Mr Ghumman was selected by an independent committee of senior academics and human rights defenders, including veteran activist Nasreen Azhar, labour rights researcher Zeenia Shaukat, and labour economist Dr Aliya Khan. The committee commended the range and depth of applications received, and said it had been hard-pressed to select Mr Ghumman from among such highly qualified candidates.

For more information, contact:
Chairperson,
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)
Aiwan-i-Jamhoor, 107-Tipu Block,
New Garden Town, Lahore-54600
Tel: +92-42-35864994
Fax: +92-42-35883582
Email: hrcp@hrcp-web.org
Website: www.hrcp-web.org

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Women Parliamentarians call on CM Ch Parvez Elahi 

Lahore, October 04, 2022 (PPI-OT):Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi has said the political role of women parliamentarians is appreciable. The government will give importance to consultations with women assembly members in the formulation of development plans. He was talking to women parliamentarians who called on him at his office yesterday. Those who met the CM included Firdous Rehana, Musarat Jamshed Cheema, Farhat Farooq, Sania Kamran, Farah Agha, Samina Khawar and Sabrina Javed, while Speaker Sibtain Khan and Principal Secretary to CM Muhammad Khan Bhatti were also present.

The CM noted that the women parliamentarians have played a valuable role in the struggle of Chairman PTI Imran Khan and women are playing the role of the vanguard in the democratic struggle of Imran Khan. The welfare of women has always been considered a priority by the government and every effort would be made to protect their rights; he said and sought a report about the construction of a dam in Sohawa when a woman parliamentarian put forth this proposal.

For more information, contact:
Mediacell, Pakistan Muslim League
30-C, Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi Road,
Gulberg-II, Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-35878428
Fax: +92-42-35877329
Website: www.pmlmediacell.com

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Leftist resistance politics needed to correct state’s moral compass 

Islamabad, October 04, 2022 (PPI-OT):The joining of hands of religious extremists and the establishment since the 1980s has imposed a moral compass that has de-humanized the state and the leftist resistance politics must strive to set it right by negating the narrative of the rightist elements. This was stated by former senator Farhatullah Babar at a memorial reference held by the Awami Workers Party in honour of its president Yousuf Masti Khan at the National Press Club in Islamabad Tuesday evening. Yousuf Masti Khan died a few days ago.

When blood is shed in the name of religion and ethnicity the relevance of the Left which glorifies none of it becomes more important to challenge the narrative of the religious extremists and establishment combined. The beleaguered left must ponder over the causes of the decline of the left and re-group itself to reverse the slide set in motion since the 80’s he said.

Given the weakening of resistance politics, resistance journalism and the retreat of organized labor and civil society on the one hand and the establishment’s clinging to status quo the Left is a beacon of hope, he said. Farhatullah Babar also called upon the left to revisit its standard chant of denouncing everything which though emotionally appealing it loses focus on the real threat to the state and society from religious militants.

Chant of ‘down with imperialism’ is right but only if imperialism is a tumbling block in achieving a reform agenda. Why, for example, raise slogans against imperialism in defence of the rights of farmers on military farmlands in Okara, he asked? The chant must be raised against the usurpers of lands. The left’s chief weapon is discussion, debate and reasoned dissent while that of the right is self righteousness in the name of religion. The left will matter to Pakistan only if it chooses to pick its fight against religious extremism, he said.

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

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Singapore to meet Bahrain, Oman to face Hong Kong in semi-finals 

Dubai, October 04, 2022 (PPI-OT):Singapore’s winning streak continued as they defeated Hong Kong by 58 runs to top Group B in the ongoing ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Division -2 Asia Qualifier at the Oman Cricket Academy grounds on Tuesday.

In another Group B match, Qatar beat Thailand by five wickets to record a consolation win as both the teams had already bowed out of contention for the knockout stage.

Singapore’s win at the OCA 2 ground set up their semifinal date with Group A runner-up Bahrain while Hong Kong will take on hosts Oman in the other semifinal. Both matches will be played on Thursday after a rest day.

Electing to bowl first, Hong Kong’s attempts to keep the Singapore batters at bay met with early success as the rivals were pegged down to 29/2 by the 12th over. With Singapore batters made to work hard, the run rate dipped and were 69/4 in 23 overs as Vihaan Maheswari got out for 24.

However, a 76-run fifth-wicket partnership between inform Sidhant Srikanth, the tournament’s only centurion so far, and Aaryan Modi, put the team back on track. Both the batters counter-attacked. However, Srikanth was run out for a 66-ball 45.

Modi batted till the last over for a responsible 72-ball 51 and shared a crucial 47-run eighth wicket stand with from Venkatesan Thiyanesh (32) to lead the team past 200-mark. Singapore were bowled out of the last ball of the 50th over for 209.

Muhammad Mudassar Khan was the most successful bowler with 4/29.

Chasing a challenging total, Hong Kong got off to a forgettable start as they lost opening batter Jayden Botfield for a duck, leg before to Adwitya Bhargava, as the team’s total read 0/1 at the end of first over.

A 41-run stand between Daksh Mangkukia (22) and Ansh Doshi raised hopes but Mangkukia’s run out dismissal applied brakes on the run chase. Doshi departed a run later, becoming Bhargava’s second victim. Hong Kong were soon 44/4 as Parth Bhagwat became first of the three wickets of Singapore skipper Jeevan Santhanam (3/32). A fifth-wicket 46-run partnership between Abdul Samad Khan and Mohammad Zahir put up a semblance of fight but Khan’s exit led to another mini collapse. Hong Kong were soon reduced to 108/7. Zahir top-scored with 50 as the team was bowled out for 151 in 48.3 overs.

Besides Santhanam’s three-for, Bhargava and Vihaan Hampihallikar picked two wickets each.

Aaryan Modi, man of the match, said: “We are all very happy to have won the match and top the group. We followed our coaches’ instructions and game plan, which was to play our natural game. We executed the plan well to win.”

Shahbaz’s 50 in Qatar’s consolation win

Qatar recorded their maiden win in the tournament as they cruised to a five-wicket win over Thailand at the OCA 1 ground.

Qatar put Thailand to bat first and bowled out their opposition for 170 in 48.4 overs.

Siriphum Sonthi was the main run-getter with 29 while the other notable scorers were acting captain Mohak Dugar (28 n.o) and Danuphon Fuangyotpinit (25). For Qatar, Luqman Mehmood and Sreenivas Venkatakrishnan took three wickets each while Niranjan Muthusawamy dismissed two.

In reply, Qatar’s Taha Shahbaz’s solid 60 helped the team win though Thailand fought hard to defend the total.

Qatar could achieve the win with six balls to spare as they scored 171/5. Skipper Jack Joseph (34) and Hetul Patel (23) made useful contributions in the team’s triumph.

Thailand’s Anucha Kalasi was the most successful bowler with 3/37.

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

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PCB and Beaconhouse join hands for Pathway Scholarship Programme

Lahore, October 04, 2022 (PPI-OT):The Pakistan Cricket Board and Beaconhouse, Pakistan’s largest network of private educational institutes, have entered a three-year partnership for the PCB Pathway Scholarship Programme. Through this alliance, Beaconhouse will provide 100 academic scholarships annually to the players enrolled in PCB’s Pathway Programmes.

The initiative is aimed towards the education and development of the future stars of Pakistan cricket who will be provided access to free education at the Beaconhouse campuses across the country enabling them to ultimately become well rounded professional cricketers.

The partnership will provide invaluable support to PCB’s mission of providing young players from all socio-economic backgrounds the necessary education to reach their full potential of becoming wholesome individuals through the creation of pathways from PCB’s entry-level programmes, schools and clubs to representative competitions leading up to the national team.

The initiative will also help trigger the sustainability of school cricket and will consequently open up the supply chain of cricketing talent in the country, whilst also increasing the talent pools for junior cricket leagues.

PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “The PCB Pathway Programme has the potential to change the fortunes of Pakistan cricket. The investment we have made for our upcoming stars will reap rich rewards in the years to come. The partnership with Beaconhouse is another major milestone in our quest of providing a holistic platform to our players for their cricketing and educational needs and requirements.

“We hope to make them well-rounded ambassadors for Pakistan who can represent the country at international platforms with dignity and pride.

“The partnership will also provide comfort to the parents and families of the players involved in the PCB Pathway Programme as the players will have quality education in tandem with their cricket coaching and training, it is an investment that will positively shape the lives of the players.”

Chief Executive Beaconhouse Mr Kasim Kasuri: “We are delighted to work with the PCB in this important initiative. Beaconhouse strongly promotes sports at all its schools and believes in encouraging young people to explore their unique interests. Through this partnership, we hope to offer talented young cricketers the opportunity to pursue their passion and talent for cricket while also becoming accomplished individuals, equipped to take on the unique challenge of becoming future ambassadors of Pakistan.”

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