Day: December 23, 2021

Islamabad, December 23, 2021 (PPI-OT):President Dr Arif Alvi has urged the overseas Pakistanis to invest in Pakistan which is fast emerging as Asia’s premier investment and trade hub. He emphasized the need to link up Pakistani diaspora with the industry, academia, experts and the relevant organizations in Pakistan for proper utilization of their intellectual and business talent.

The President made these remarks while talking to a delegation of US based overseas Pakistanis, led by President Aspire Pakistan, Mr. Hassan Syed, which called on him, at Aiwan-e-Sadr, today. While talking to the delegation, the President said that Pakistan was improving and training its available human resource by imparting them contemporary skills and modern education.

He stated that efforts were being made to increase the number of university graduates, besides enhancing the quality of education. He further said that steps were being taken for digitalization of economy which would further boost foreign direct investment in Pakistan.

The President was told that Aspire Pakistan was a network of overseas entrepreneurships, investors and technology experts with a vision to make Pakistan socially and economically prosperous through innovation and entrepreneurship. The President appreciated the role of overseas Pakistanis in socio-economic development of Pakistan.

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Islamabad, December 23, 2021 (PPI-OT):Pakistan welcomes the adoption, by consensus, of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2615, that has reaffirmed that provision of humanitarian and other assistance to people of Afghanistan is not a violation of the Security Council Sanctions regime.

The resolution comes at a critical time, and reflects the sense of urgency felt by the international community to help the Afghan people, who have suffered immensely due to decades of conflict. This sentiment was also reflected in the Resolution adopted unanimously by the 17th Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers hosted by Pakistan last week.

The OIC CFM, chaired by Pakistan, unequivocally calls for swift roll out of all possible humanitarian, recovery, reconstruction, development, technical and material assistance to Afghanistan. The resolution passed by the UN Security Council is a step in the right direction towards helping the Afghan people in dire need.

As called for by the OIC, pathways should now be found towards revitalizing of the Afghan economy and unfreezing of the assets that rightfully belong to the Afghan people. It may be recalled that Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his key note address to the OIC CFM, had stated that sanctions should not prevent the international community from providing humanitarian and other essential assistance to the people of Afghanistan.

Pakistan hopes that the international community, especially the donor countries, UN Agencies, humanitarian organizations, international financial institutions and other emergency relief providers, will act swiftly and with determination, to provide all possible assistance to the people of Afghanistan.

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Islamabad, December 23, 2021 (PPI-OT):Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Mr. Shaukat Tarin held a meeting with SAPM on E-Commerce Senator Aun Abbas Buppi at Finance Division, today. Senator Aun Abbas Buppi extended congratulations to the Adviser Shaukat Tarin for being elected as member of the Senate.

He further apprised the Adviser on the progress being made on the establishment of Federal Government Properties Management Authority (FGPMA). Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Mr. Shaukat Tarin said that Federal Government Properties Management Authority (FGPMA) has been mandated to ensure getting best value for money for the government’s assets and properties. He stressed the need to make FGPMA fully functional at the earliest for best utilization of government’s assets. The Adviser Mr. Shaukat Tarin also extended his full support and cooperation in this regard.

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Islamabad, December 23, 2021 (PPI-OT):Federal Minister Syed Fakhar Imam and Provincial Minister of Punjab, Syed Husnain Jahania Gardezi along with Vice Chancellor Punjab University, Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, inaugurated Pakistan’s biggest two-day International Symposium, “Advances in Molecular Biology of Plants and Health Sciences” at National Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, Lahore.

Guest of Honour, Syed Fakhar Imam, at this occasion said that CEMB is moving in right direction for improving crops using gene editing technology, as agriculture has direct impact on country’s GDP. National and international eminent scientists were present on this occasion. Director CEMB, Prof. Dr. Ahmad Ali Shahid, welcomed the Guests of honour, faculty members and over 200 scientists from across Pakistan. In his opening remarks he highlighted the CEMB achievements during 36 years of Centre’s journey.

He briefed the audience about promising field results of CKC2, CEMB 33 and CA 12 cotton varieties developed by CEMB and the efforts for commercialization of these varieties with different national and international seed companies. Further he talked about certified laboratories for GMO testing and the products developed by CEMB such as stem cells-based treatment for eyes and diagnostic kits for many human diseases.

Provincial Minister of Agriculture Punjab, Syed Hussain Jahania Gardezi, appreciated the hard work of the CEMB scientists for the betterment in field of Agriculture and Health Sciences. He ensured full support of government for the uplift of Science and Technology. Vice Chancellor, Punjab University, Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar applauded the efforts of scientists and staff of CEMB for organizing a mega event.

He stressed on need of hard work from researchers to contribute to betterment of socio-economic status of common man. Inaugural session ended at distribution of shields to the honourable guests by Director CEMB, Prof. Dr. Ahmad Ali Shahid. Later during the five technical sessions, international researchers from USA, Turkey, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Germany, China, Brazil, Nepal, and national researchers from twenty-six varsities gave their talks and shared their research experiences.

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Islamabad, December 23, 2021 (PPI-OT):The Ministry of Climate Change in collaboration with CLASP and HIMA^Verte hold launch workshop at Islamabad on December 21, 2021 to start development of the Pakistan Cooling Action Plan (PCAP).

“At the UN Climate Summit in Glasgow last month, Pakistan submitted an ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) plan to reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions by 50% by 2030”, 15% of the same on voluntary basis and 35% subject to availability of international climate finance and technology transfer, stated Senior Joint Secretary Syed Mujtaba Hussain of the Climate Change Ministry.

Developing the Pakistan Cooling Action Plan (PCAP) is a component of these new climate ambitions. Representatives from government and private sector participated in this consultative meeting. These included Ministry of Climate Change, National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, National Ozone Unit, Global Change Impact Study Centre, Pakistan Electric Fan Manufacturers Association, Pakistan Electronic Manufacturers Association, UNIDO, UNDP, ASHRAE, WWF – Pakistan, UNEP, JICA and the World Bank.

Participants welcomed and supported the initiative of developing a cooling plan for Pakistan, and gave a number of suggestions. One of the key issues highlighted was the need for more accurate data about existing cooling appliances and associated emissions to establish a strong baseline.

Once a baseline of GHG emissions from the cooling sector is established, projections of cooling needs for the country till 2030 will be estimated. Finally, a cooling plan will be articulated which will target reduction in GHG emissions while still meeting future cooling demands. Development of the Pakistan Cooling Action Plan is expected to be completed by 2023.

Syed Mujtaba Hussain (Senior Joint Secretary, Ministry of Climate Change) concluded the workshop by committing to take the initiative forward by notifying a PCAP Working Group under the overall guidance and support of the Ministry that will provide a platform for all relevant stakeholders. He requested CLASP and HIMA^Verte to provide technical and financial support over the next two years.

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Islamabad, December 23, 2021 (PPI-OT):The Multi Sectoral Nutrition Center (MSNC) and Scaling up Nutrition (SUN), Planning and Development Board, Government of the Punjab, in collaboration with UNICEF and Nutrition International hosted an Advocacy Session with Parliamentarians of South Punjab in making “Nutrition a Priority in Political Agenda” of the Government of Punjab.

Widespread malnutrition is a great threat to the development of Pakistan today. We are losing USD 7.6 billion or approximately 3% of GDP annually, due to malnutrition in an already struggling economy. Malnutrition affects half of the children and mothers in Pakistan, resulting in low productivity and low national development.

Nutrition indicators on average have shown improvement in Punjab, however, few districts of South Punjab have extremely high levels of stunting, wasting and underweight in under five children and are amongst the worst ranked districts of the country.

Addressing the occasion Federal Minister for National Food Security Mr. Fakhar Imam highlighted the negative effects that malnutrition has on the GDP of the country and the need for industrialization and support of local governments in tackling the issue of malnutrition. He called for nutrition focused government initiatives through the integration of Provincial and Federal Government.

He applauded the leadership and commitment of the Planning and Development Board and complimented the efforts of Dr. Sohail Saqlain, Executive Director MSNC, who has worked diligently on prioritizing the agenda of nutrition; a vision that is in line with the agenda of Prime Minister of Pakistan and Chief Minister of Punjab. He said, MSNC will lead the path the Department needs to take – through a multi-sectoral approach and the international best practices.

Parliament is the only forum that can ensure institutionalization of matters of national interest, through legislation and oversight and parliamentarians have a vital role to play in improving nutrition outcomes by acting as opinion leaders and adopting effective laws to implement food fortification, protection and promotion of breastfeeding, child nutrition and maternity protection.

The Government of Punjab is committed to developing sustainable solutions and implementing meaningful reforms to achieve health and nutrition related SDGs. Effective implementation of nutrition-specific interventions at all levels, which include support for breastfeeding and complementary feeding, dietary diversification, food safety, food supplementation and fortification of industrially produced staple foods can be simple, efficient, and cost-effective means to combat moderate and severe acute malnutrition.

Keeping in view the above, an advocacy session with parliamentarians of South Punjab was held on at 11:00 am Thursday, 23rd December 2021 at Ramada Hotel Multan. The session was attended by Parliamentarians, government representatives, and representatives from international development partners, NGOs and INGOs along with the DMAC focal persons. Some of the key participants in the event were MNA Ahmed Hassan Dehar, MNA, Fakhar Imam, Mr. Nadeem Qureshi, MPA, Spokesperson Chief Minister Punjab Dr. Khalid, DG Health South Punjab, Dr. Sohail Saqlain, Executive Director, MSNC, Tariq Mehmood, Additional Secretary Health South Punjab, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Qamar Zaman Qaisrani, Dr. Shafeeq ur Rehman, Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF Punjab, Ms. Uzma Bukhari, Nutrition Officer, UNICEF Punjab as well as Mubarik Ali Sarwar, CEO AGAHE.

Nadeem Qureshi MPA, Spokesperson Chief Minister Punjab in his address stated that Government of Punjab is committed and on the right track in eradicating malnutrition from the province. He further apprised initiatives such as IRMNCH and NP, MSNC and Punjab Human Capital Investment Project and their role in combating the issue of malnutrition.

He assured his assistance and utmost support for any legislative work related to food and nutrition that can eventually help in improving the situation of malnutrition in Punjab. He applauded the efforts of MSNC and SUN, Planning and Development Board as well as international development partners such as UNICEF and Nutrition International for arranging such useful and informative sessions for parliamentarians.

Dr. Sohail Saqlain, Executive Director MSNC, P and D Board said that Multi |Sectoral Nutrition Center (MSNC) and Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Unit, Punjab under the leadership of Planning and Development Board, Punjab is playing a crucial role in sensitizing the masses on the importance of nutrition in tackling the issue of poor maternal and child health as well as in making nutrition a priority in the agenda of the Government of Punjab through the support of development partners like UNICEF and Nutrition International, as well as NGOs like AGAHE and Doaba Foundation.

He acknowledged the efforts of Multi Sectoral Nutrition Center (MSNC) in providing the platform in which multiple parliamentarians, relevant Government representatives including the MSNC South Punjab Team, and International Development partners came under one roof to discuss the prioritization of nutrition in the political agenda of the Government of the Punjab.

He said, there is a dire need for sensitizing parliamentarians on the issue of malnutrition and the important role that nutrition plays in tackling various public health issues. He said that MSNC is on its way to become a non-development entity (Directorate of Nutrition) and aims to replicate its structure in Central and North Punjab that will help broaden its horizon and further the nutrition agenda in the province.

He further accentuated the need for the development of a provincial steering committee in the Punjab Assembly. In his speech, Mr. Ahmed Hassan Dehar, MNA, stated that the issue of malnutrition must be treated earlier in order to gain favourable outcomes.

He elaborated that Natural food should always be preferred other than synthetic items such as Formula Milk. In this regard, there is a need to organize advocacy seminars like these more often. He further ensured his support in drafting the legislation that will help in strengthening the nutrition agenda in the province. The seminar ended with a vote of thanks by SUN and MSNC, Planning and Development Board, Government of Punjab.

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