Over 400 high-profile delegates have registered to attend the region’s leading landscape event including government authorities, landscape architects, urban planners, property developers, environmental specialists and the GCC Specialized Team of City Beautification who are working to enhance the co-operation between the regional countries within the field.

The 2-day Summit will see presentations given from over 20 regional and international experts including an update of the Abu Dhabi Irrigation Master Plan by Dr. Amar Jarar, Irrigation Expert at ADM, and the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Public Lighting Strategy by Martin Valentine, Lighting Expert at ADM. From Dubai Municipality Ahmed Abdul Karim, Director of Public Parks and Horticulture Department, will be giving a speech that spotlights the accumulated experience of greening and horticulture to ensure sustainability in all natural and urban areas.

International presentations will also be of interest to delegates eager to learn of successful urban landscaping projects that have increased the quality of life for residents and visitors in large cities. Kenneth Er, COO at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore will be showcasing the award winning attraction that is located on reclaimed land in Singapore’s new downtown Marina Bay. London-based ecologist, environmentalist and master planner Gary Grant will be speaking about green roofs and living walls in hot and dry climates.

The continued growth of the MENA region and quick recovery from the GFC has intensified demand for landscape products and services. The planned spend on major projects including theme parks and tourist attracts across the region is US$3 trillion, and a fresh investment in the UAE construction industry is expected to provide the landscape sector around US$3.8 billion worth of new projects this year.

“With an increased focus by municipalities and property developers on sustainability, landscape architects and product manufacturers have the challenge of formulating designs and technologies that are smart, visually appealing and cost effective, with a view to protect natural resources,” said Jo Ann Jain, Director at event organizer Expotrade Global.

For More information visit: www.landscapesummit.com

Dubai Office
Charlene Corrin
+9714 454 2135
info@expotrade-me.com

Lahore, May 23, 2013 (PPI-OT): The position of the river inflows/outflows and the reservoirs levels today is as under:

Rivers                         Inflows              Outflows                  Remarks
                              (In Cusecs)          (In Cusecs)

Indus at Tarbela                 89300                 70000            Mean flows of 24 hours
Kabul At Nowshera                92300                 92300            Mean Flows of 24 hrs.
Jhelum at Mangla                 60700                 35000            Mean flows of 24 hours
Chenab at Marala                 49400                 26600            Flows at 0600 hours

Barrages                       Inflows              Outflows                  Remarks
                              (In Cusecs)          (In Cusecs)

Jinnah                          148300                141300            Flow at 0600 hours
Chashma                         159700                136000            Mean flows of 24 hours
Taunsa                           86300                 67000            Flow at 0600 hours
Panjnad                           6400                   Nil            Flow at 0600 hours
Guddu                            43100                 40500            Flow at 0600 hours
Sukkur                           34000                  8900            Flow at 0600 hours
Kotri                             8152                   Nil            Flow at 0600 hours

Reservoirs                   Present Level         Dead Level         Maximum level     Present
(at 0600 hours)             (Above Sea Level)    (Above Sea Level)      (ft.)           Live Storage

Tarbela                       1394.78 Feet         1378.00 Feet        1550.00          0.199 MAF
Mangla                        1114.00 Feet         1040.00 Feet        1242.00          0.881 MAF
Chashma                        643.10 Feet          637.00 Feet         649.00          0.096 MAF

For more information, contact:
Muhammad Abid Rana
Director Public Relations
Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA)
G-32, WAPDA House, Lahore
Tel: +9242 9920 2633 and +9242 9920 2211 -2033 -2029
Cell: +92333 445 8293
Email: mabidrana@gmail.com

Karachi, May 23, 2013 (PPI-OT): Press Release issued on May 5th, 2013 here by PFF, it was announced the PFF will organize National U-16 Football Championship, 2013 on the 31st May, 2013 at Okara Football Academy, Okara.

According to the press release issued here by PFF. Pakistan Football Federation has decided to change the Date and Venue of the National U-16 Championship 2013. Now PFF will organize National U-16 Football Championship, 2013 from 7th June, 2013 to 17th June, 2013 at Arifwala, District Pakpattan.

Total 12 teams will compete in this Championship in which 8 teams are from Provincial/ Regional Teams (Punjab Football Association, KPK Football Association, Balochistan Football Association, Sindh Football Association, Islamabad Football Association, AJK Football Association, FATA Football Association and Gilget Baltistan Football Association) and 3 Youth Coaches Teams from (Karachi, Quetta, Lahore and Peshawar).

Pakistan Football Federation’s nominated 3 Youth coaches in each province those will make a strong Youth team from their area after a series of trials in different cities and remote areas of each province.

This will help each team to form/ utilize its young pool of talented players to compete in a competitive manner. This championship will boost the morale of the youth and prepare them for big competitions. The DFA Pakpattan is already doing their best to arrange this mega event in a befitting manner.

For more information contact:
Syed Muhammad Hasnain
Acting Media Manager
Pakistan Football Federation
PFF SECRETARIAT, PFF House,
Opposite Punjab Stadium, Ferozepur Road,
Lahore – Pakistan.
Tel: +92 42 99230821, +92 42 99230822
Fax: +92 42 99230823
Email: mail@pff.com.pk

Islamabad, May 23, 2013 (PPI-OT): President FPCCI Mr. Zubair Ahmed Malik has appointed Mr. Alamgir Firoz as the Vice Chairman of FPCCI Standing Committee on Diplomatic Affairs for the year 2013.

Mr. Alamgir Firoz is the Managing Director of Firoz International, Karachi.

For more information, contact:
Syed Masood Alam Rizvi
Secretary General
Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI)
B-1, Federation House, Main Clifton Road,
Shahra-e-Firdousi,
Karachi-75600, Pakistan
Tel: 0092-21-35873691, 93-94
Fax: +9221 3587 4332
Email: info@fpcci.com.pk
URL: www.fpcci.com.pk

Islamabad, May 23, 2013 (PPI-OT): International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) was celebrated with Colourful programs at Pakistan Museum of Natural History (PMNH) on May 22 for creating awareness among masses especially students on importance of biodiversity and threats to it. This year’s theme of the Day was “Water and Biodiversity”.

Water is essential for life. No living being on planet Earth can survive without it. It is a prerequisite for human health and well-being as well as for the preservation of the environment.

The theme Water and Biodiversity was chosen to coincide with the United Nations designation of 2013 as the International Year of Water Cooperation. Designation of IDB 2013 on the theme of water provides Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the public at large the opportunity to raise awareness about this vital issue, and to increase positive action. Coincidently, the period 2005-2015 is the International Decade for Action ‘WATER FOR LIFE’.

IDB is celebrated all over the world to highlight the significance of Biodiversity conservation and importance of biodiversity in ecosystem. IDB symbolizes and highlights that nations throughout the world cooperate to halt and reverse the accelerating loss of biological and genetic resources of the planet earth. It gives an opportunity to all to join hands and talk about the existing and emerging problems caused by biodiversity loss and prospects of biodiversity conservation.

Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), Pakistan Museum of Natural History (PMNH) and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) jointly chalked out a series of events at PMNH, Garden Avenue, Shakarparian, Islamabad, to celebrate IDB in an effective way for creating awareness among the masses and students about the significance of Biodiversity.

The celebration activities included a Symposium on Biodiversity, Speech Competition, Nature Photography and Painting Competitions among students from twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Rai Niaz Ahmad was the chief guest at inaugural ceremony of the celebration. PSF Member Science Dr. Khalil Ahmad Ibupoto, Pakistan Scientific and Technological Information Centre’s (PASTIC) Director General (DG) Dr. Akram Sheikh, PMNH DG Dr. Ata Ul Mohsin, ICIMOD Country Representative Mr. Abdul Wahid Jasra and senior officials from MoST were present on this occasion. A large number of students, teachers and scientists attended the inaugural ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, the PMAS-Arid Agriculture University VC said there is dire need to conserve water to save biodiversity for continuation of life on planet earth. He said if we failed to meet this challenge then we should be ready to face the consequences of this irreparable loss.

He said PMAS-Arid Agriculture University and PMNH have singed a Memorandum of Understanding for research cooperation. Dr. Ahmad said the MoU should be revisited for jointly working on biodiversity conservation.

The VC stressed the need for using water carefully as wastage of every drop of water is impacting biodiversity and ecological system, which is endangering many species.

PSF Member Science Dr. Khalil Ahmad Ibupoto, PMNH DG Dr. Ata Ul Mohsin, ICIMOD Country Representative Mr. Abdul Wahid Jasra and PMNH Zoological Sciences Director Dr. Muhammad Rafiq also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the significance of the Biodiversity and various threats to it including pollution, deforestation, over-hunting, overgrazing, over-fishing, water logging, salinity and desertification.

ICIMOD Country Representative Mr. Abdul Wahid Jasra read the message of ICIMOD Director General Mr. David Molden.

Mr. Molden in his message said, “What can we do to better take care of our mountains and water supplies? Part of the answer is easy, and we can all play a part. Let us resolve to use water sparingly and wisely, not to pollute, and to share clean water with our neighbours.”

“The other part of the answer is more complicated, as there are complex links between water and ecosystems, especially when people use waters for food, drinking, and energy. There are strong links between upstream and downstream users, but the impact of changes in water use upstream on downstream users is often hard to predict and communicate. Many of the rivers originating in the region cross boundaries between countries, requiring special consideration. The policies, institutions, and incentives that govern water use need to take into consideration better information on these issues.”

At the end of inaugural ceremony, the chief guest awarded prizes to students who won positions in different completions on the theme of the day.

For more information, contact:
Pakistan Science Foundation
1-Constitution Avenue,
Sector G-5/2, Islamabad
Pakistan
Tel: + 92 51 9202469-70
Fax: + 92 51 9202468

Lahore, May 23, 2013 (PPI-OT): The Pakistan Engineers Energy Forum has revealed that at least 50 per cent load shedding can be eliminated through short-term measures while no electricity outages will remain after 12 months if the plan is implemented.

It said that the country is short of 10,000 mega watts because of distribution losses at 30% (4000 megawatts), expensive oil-based power being produced at Rs 30 per unit and selling at Rs 15 per unit (causing circular debt of Rs 850 billion and non investment in dams).

In a statement issued here, Pakistan Engineers Energy Forum Chairman Mohsin Syed said that different measures would eliminate complete load shedding from Pakistan within a year.

According to his formula, the government has to supply gas of 2000 mmcfd to gas fired units to generate 6000 mega watts, distribution losses can be cut down by involving society at subdivision level and revamp conductors and transformers, this measure will provide cushion of 4000 mega watts, convert all oil-based units to coal, these will generate cheaper 3000 mega watts.

He said that with little effort, the government should benefit from sugar mills who has ability to generate 3000 megawatts cheaper electricity than furnace oil. Secondly, all tube wells be converted to solar pumps and biogas generators, it will save 1500 mega watt electricity besides under a systemic programme 100,000 houses to be provide 10 kilo watt solar power units and reverse sale to utility should be legalized in order to shift load of 1000 mega watts to other sectors. This system is being practiced in few countries successfully.

Talking about his three years medium-term planning, he said that 5000 mega watts can be generated through hydel projects on canals and flow of river and 5000 mega watts can be generated through imported coal and desalination project at Keti Bander while 5000 megawatts can be generated from Thar Coal project.

Giving long-term solution, he said that the government has to construct at least two hydel dams namely Bhasha and Diamer, both can generate 15000 mega watts. He said that this was the roadmap of prosperity and to a trouble-free nation.

For more information, contact:
National Industrial Parks
Development and Management Company
2nd Floor, Block-C, Finance and Trade Centre,
Shahrah-e-Faisal,
Karachi – 74400,
Pakistan.
Tel: (92-21) 9922 5035-9, (92-21) 3563 1046-8
Fax: (92-21) 3563 1069
UAN: 111-647-111.

Islamabad, May 23, 2013 (PPI-OT): A Speech and Quiz Competition among the students of Cadet College Choa Saidan Shah on “Road Safety” was organized by NH and MP. A number of students participated in the said competitions, which also highlighted the role of Motorway Police in encouraging the people to abide by the traffic laws. The students emphasized in their speeches that the traffic discipline is an important aspect of human life which is essential for the safety of the humanity.

IGP Zaffar Abbas Lak praised the efforts of the institution for taking interest in the quiz and urged that the students from the other parts of the country would also take part in the promotion of road safety issues.

IG NH and MP Zafar Abbas Lak said that children can play vital role in creation of awareness in road safety as it is an important aspect of human life and teachers also play important roles in the awareness of road safety issues among their students from primary to university levels.

He said that youngsters are prima facie considered careless drivers, therefore, awareness of road safety issues among students, especially youngsters is very essential and teachers could be helpful in highlighting the issues of the road safety among students.

The IGP said that as per international survey the children are the most useful source in highlighting any issue among the public, therefore, we are specially focusing on children for such campaigns. He said that motorway police is making efforts to create awareness on road safety among all parts of the society.

He further said that road safety must be included in course curriculum to educate the children. He said that the awareness of masses regarding road safety issues and road disciplines is the prime priority of NH and MP. He said that through road safety awareness programmes, we can reduce the accident rate especially by focusing the youth.

He quoted a Qur’anic verse, “One who has saved a life has saved the whole humanity” Later on the IG NH and MP Zafar Abbas Lak distributed the shields and cash prizes among the position holder students of speech and quiz competition. Certificates and cash prizes were also distributed among the all participants.

For more information, contact:
M. Javed Chaudhary
PRO
National Highway and Motorway Police
Ministry for Communications
Cell: 0321-5005172

Karachi, May 23, 2013 (PPI-OT): Governor Sindh Dr Ishrat Ul Ebad Khan on Wednesday promulgated The Sindh HIV/AIDS Control, Treatment and Protection Ordinance 2013, to provide protection to HIV patients from being marginalised.

This is the first HIV/ AIDS law in the region that equally contains provision to control transmission of the virus and facilitate treatment of the people living with the condition.

The most important provisions of this ordinance are the protection provided to the people living with HIV against discriminations in all spheres of life, including health-care, employment and education.

The ordinance also incorporates penalties prescribed for any such discrimination and stigmatisation of the HIV/ AIDS patients.

Pakistan is facing a concentrated epidemic of HIV/ AIDS and the government, since 1987 when the first HIV positive case was reported in the country, had been attempting to respond to the situation, through national and provincial AIDS control programmes respectively.

“The ordinance provides for the formation of Sindh AIDS Commission, that shall be responsible for public awareness about HIV/AIDS, formulation of relevant policy, rules of protocols for counselling, testing, care and support,”.

The commission would also be responsible to advise the government on all matters relating to prevention, control, care, support and treatment of the disease.

The ordinance also provides protection against discrimination on the basis of suspected, presumed, alleged or actual HIV status in health-care services, education, employment and other services or accommodation.

“It prohibits coercion and requirement of screening of a person for any of the above purposes or for marriage,”. In view of the difficulties being faced by the people living with the disease, the ordinance also provides for establishment of one-window health-care facility for them.

For more information, contact:
Syed Wajahat Ali
Press Secretary to Governor
Sindh Governor House
Tel: 99201217, 99201201-3
Email: press_secretary@governorsindh.gov.pk

Islamabad, May 23, 2013 (PPI-OT): President Asif Ali Zardari on the advice of the Prime Minister has approved and signed the Regulation for the ‘Establishment of FATA University’ at FR Kohat to promote quality education and provide opportunities to the youth of the area.

Spokesperson to the President, Senator Farhatullah Babar, said that former Prime Minister during meeting with FATA MNAs on January 16, 2009 had announced the establishment of FATA University to provide quality education of international standard to the talented youth of the area hence brining the people of the tribal areas into the mainstream of national life.

The Spokesperson said that under article 247 of the constitution, no act of Parliament shall apply to Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) or any part thereof unless the President, so directs. The President may with respect to any matter, make regulations for the peace and good governance of FATA or any part thereof.

The summary states that Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), after getting the approval of Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, obtaining the views of Higher Education Commission and the Law and Justice Division submitted the Summary to the Prime Minster for onward approval of the President. Accordingly, the President signed and approved the regulation for establishment of FATA University at FR Kohat.

For more information, contact:
Haji Ahmed Malik
Principal Information Officer
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +9251 925 2323 and +9251 925 2324
Fax: +9251 925 2325 and +9251 925 2326
Email: piopid@gmail.com

Islamabad, May 23, 2013 (PPI-OT): Department of Tourist Services, Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division has cancelled M/s Dawat-e-Madina Travel and Tours (Pvt.) Ltd., Islamabad Travel Agency licence No. ID-1444 with immediate effect under Section 11 of the Travel Agencies Act, 1976 and Rule 8(a) of the Travel Agencies Rules, 1977.

For more information, contact:
Haji Ahmed Malik
Principal Information Officer
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +9251 925 2323 and +9251 925 2324
Fax: +9251 925 2325 and +9251 925 2326
Email: piopid@gmail.com

Islamabad, May 23, 2013 (PPI-OT): Department of Tourist Services, Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division has cancelled Travel Agency licence No. DTS-1337 with immediate effect under Section 11 of the Travel Agencies Act, 1976 and Rule 8(a) of the Travel Agencies Rules, 1977.

For more information, contact:
Haji Ahmed Malik
Principal Information Officer
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +9251 925 2323 and +9251 925 2324
Fax: +9251 925 2325 and +9251 925 2326
Email: piopid@gmail.com

BERLIN–(Marketwired / Asianet-Pakistan – May 23, 2013) –  BIOTRONIK, a leading manufacturer of innovative medical technology, announced today that enrollment has been completed for the highly anticipated IMPACT study. The study aims to investigate whether the use of BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring^® in conjunction with anticoagulation can reduce the risks of stroke, systemic embolism and major bleeding in cardiac device patients.

2,718 patients at 100 clinical sites in the US, Canada, Germany, Australia, the UK, and Denmark have been enrolled in this randomized, international, multi-center trial.

Participants in the study have been implanted with a BIOTRONIK Lumax DR-T/HF-T device with BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring^®. IMPACT will compare patient outcomes between two randomized groups. The first group is being continuously monitored for symptomatic or asymptomatic atrial fibrillation using BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring^®, and subsequently treated using a pre-defined anticoagulation plan. The second group is receiving conventional device evaluation at in-office follow up visits for detection of atrial fibrillation events and physician-directed anticoagulation based on the patient’s medical history. The study design was published in the American Heart Journal, September 2009.

Co-Principal Investigator Prof. Jonathan Halperin, MD, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York said, “Atrial fibrillation occurs more commonly in patients with cardiac disease than in the general population, and is associated with a substantial risk of stroke. While anticoagulant therapy is highly effective at preventing stroke, it carries a risk of bleeding. IMPACT is the first trial to evaluate remote monitoring in patients with implanted cardiac pacemaker-defibrillators. This study will determine whether surveillance of cardiac rhythm on a day-to-day basis to guide therapy may reduce the rates of both stroke and bleeding, as well as improving the clinical outcomes of patients at risk of atrial fibrillation.”

Co-Principal Investigator Dr. John Ip, MD, Sparrow Clinical Research, Lansing, Michigan added, “IMPACT is the largest prospective study of implanted defibrillator patients being monitored for atrial high rate episodes and AF. This large amount of data from the enrolled 2,718 patients in this study may also give the medical community a much better understanding of AF disease progression and its relationship to stroke risk.”

BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring^® rapidly detects anomalies in patients’ cardiac health, continuously transmits data on a daily basis and notifies medical staff with appropriate alerts without the need for any patient interaction. The early detection of clinically relevant events, including the duration of atrial fibrillation and the advantageous detection of asymptomatic events, enables the physician to adapt patient therapy at a very early stage.

“Presently, guidelines surrounding anticoagulation only address the medical history of the patient and do not include recommendations for device-detected AF. Continuous device monitoring is vital in obtaining accurate data for targeted anticoagulation therapy,” said Christoph Böhmer, President International at BIOTRONIK. “The IMPACT study will provide highly valuable insights into whether remote monitoring in combination with anticoagulation will allow for faster intervention and prevention of stroke in cardiac device patients. This in turn could lead to a significant change in clinical practice and make a real difference in the lives of patients.”

IMPACT is registered on clinicaltrials.gov, NCT #00559988.

About BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG
As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of cardiovascular medical devices, BIOTRONIK is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, and represented in over 100 countries by its global workforce of more than 5600 employees. Several million heart patients around the world have received BIOTRONIK implants, designed to save and improve the quality of their lives. Since its development of the first German pacemaker in 1963, BIOTRONIK has launched several innovations into the market — including remote monitoring with BIOTRONIK Home Monitoring^® in 2000 and the world’s first implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and implantable heart failure therapy devices with ProMRI^® technology, approved for MR scanning, in 2012. In 2013, BIOTRONIK will be celebrating its 50^th anniversary.

For more information: www.biotronik.com

Contact Information

Contact:
Manuela Schildwachter
Communications & PR Manager
BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG
Woermannkehre 1
12359 Berlin
Tel. +49 (0) 30 68905 1466
Email: manuela.schildwaechter@biotronik.com

Karachi, May 23, 2013 (PPI-OT): The total liquid foreign reserves held by the country stood at $ 11,433.0 million on 17th May, 2013.The break-up of the foreign reserves position is as under: -

i) Foreign reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan: $ 6,382.9 million

ii) Net foreign reserves held by banks (other than SBP): $ 5,050.1 million

iii) Total liquid foreign reserves: $ 11,433.0 million

For more information, contact:
Syed Wasimuddin
Chief Spokesman
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)
Tel: +9221 3921 2562
Fax: +9221 3921 2563
Email: syed.wasimuddin@sbp.org.pk

Karachi, May 23, 2013 (PPI-OT): The following rates will be applicable for conversion into rupees of Foreign Currency Deposits, Dollar Bearer Certificates, Foreign Currency Bearer Certificates, Special U.S Dollar Bonds and profit thereon by all banks and for providing Forward Cover on Foreign Currency Deposits (excluding F.E-25 deposits) by the State Bank on May 24, 2013.

Currency          Rate in Pak Rupee
U.S. Dollar          98.4577
Japanese Yen          0.9705
Pound Sterling      148.3758
Euro                126.8530

For more information, contact:
Syed Wasimuddin
Chief Spokesman
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)
Tel: +9221 3921 2562
Fax: +9221 3921 2563
Email: syed.wasimuddin@sbp.org.pk

Lahore, May 23, 2013 (PPI-OT): While terming the Chinese Prime Minister’s visit to Pakistan, a great and grand opportunity to put economy back on rails, Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) has said that the business community morale got a new boost as signing of economic agreement would bring two sides more close.

In statement Issued here, the PIAF Chairman Malik Tahir Javed and Seniot Vice Chairman Khamis Saeed Butt said that although the bilateral economic relations between Pakistan and China were already growing at desired pace but the Chinese Prime Minister had further accelerated the process. They said that the agreement of energy would help overcome the electricity crisis the country has been facing for the last many years.

They however, called for measures on war footing for the execution these agreements. The PIAF leaders said that the energy crisis have particularly destroyed industrial productions to the extent and a large number of industrial units had already shifted to other countries but the Pak-China agreements would help bring back investment to this land of opportunities. They said that Gawadar Port is a bright example of Pak-China relation and in future both the countries would be able to fell their presence felt at the international scene.

The PIAF leaders said that hundreds of Chinese companies were already doing a great business in Pakistan that is a gateway to landlocked Central Asian Estates. They said that the business community has welcomed the initiatives of the Chinese Premier and would continue to the extend every cooperation to the government for strengthening the bilateral relations.

For more information, Contact:
Khalil-ur-Rehman
Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front
110/s Kot Lakhpat Industrial Estate
Lahore, Pakistan
Phone: (92) 42 5123522
Fax: (92) 42 5123522
Email: Info@piaf.pk

Islamabad, May 23, 2013 (PPI-OT): The upcoming government should consult major chambers of commerce for policy making as business community could give better suggestions on any problems faced by country.

These remarks were made by Mr.Tariq Saeed, Chairman Business Panel Group, Former President FPCCI and Vice President CACCI on the occasion of a dinner hosted by Mian Akhram Farid, Former President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI). Mr.Tariq Saeed said that He said that business community should be consulted in upcoming budget making process as they played an important role in country’s economic growth.

Mr.Iftikhar Ali Malik vice president of Saarc CCI, former FPCCI and co-chairman of Business Panel Group stressed on developing strong networking among the chambers and business associations of the country for effective advocacy on common issues.

Mr.Zubair Ahmed Malik, President FPCCI said that close liaison between FPCCI and all chambers is vital to raise a united voice of the business community, adding that Pakistan was facing multiple economic challenges including rising budget deficit, circular debt and low tax revenue. Therefore, we call upon the new government to start immediate consultation with business leaders to steer the country out of this difficult situation, he added.

Senator Haji Ghulam Ali, former President FPCCI said that the business community has been helping the government in achieving economic targets, therefore, by recognizing the efforts of the business community in developing the national economy, the government should resolve the problems being faced by the community.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr.Zafar Bakhtawari, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry stressed that new government should give top priority to improving economy as Pakistan cannot make sound progress without turning around its sagging economy.

Mr.Bakhtawari said that there must be continued process of table talks between the representatives of public and private sector and the government should give weightage to the voice of the private sector.

Mian Akhram Farid, Former President ICCI urged the upcoming Government to build the confidence of businessmen by ensuring supply of electricity and gas to the industrial units that are required to pull the wheel of economy and acceleration of trade and investment in the country.

For more information, contact:
Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Chamber House, Aiwan-e-Sanat-o-Tijarat Road,
Mauve Area, G-8/1,
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +9251 225 0526 and 225 3145
Fax: +9251 225 2950
Email: icci@brain.net.pk
Website: www.icci.com.pk

Karachi, May 23, 2013 (PPI-OT): The apex body of trade and industry, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has sharply reacted over the contemplation by Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to impose tax on the inflows of foreign exchange through remittances.

The President FPCCI Zubair Ahmed Malik while strongly opposing the proposed move said that remittances by the overseas Pakistanis have rescued Pakistan from default and instead of offering some incentives to the remittances through legal channels the FBR is likely to open up avenues of illegal means of remittances.

He said that imposition of tax on remittances of foreign exchange, people would turn to illegal channels particularly through unregistered agents. He said that the remittances sent home by overseas Pakistanis over the last few years had registered phenomenal growth.

The remittances grew by 17.73 percent in 2011-12 to the historic high of $13.18 billion from $11.2 billion in 2010-11. The growth was 25.57 percent as compared to two fiscal years of 2010-11 and 2009-10, he added that this level was expected to reach $15 billion in next year but slapping the levy on this most important source of foreign exchange could seriously hurt the interest of the country. “At this juncture when coffers are almost empty and Pakistan desperately needs more and more foreign exchange to fulfill its international commitments and meet import requirements any move to plug this only major source of forex could be a suicidal act, he warned.

He said that the FBR should leave immediately call a round table meeting with the business leaders under FPCCI and discuss all major issues pertaining to Federal Budget 2013-14 as misconceptions are cropping up before the announcement of budget.

For more information, contact:
Syed Masood Alam Rizvi
Secretary General
Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI)
B-1, Federation House, Main Clifton Road,
Shahra-e-Firdousi,
Karachi-75600, Pakistan
Tel: 0092-21-35873691, 93-94
Fax: +9221 3587 4332
Email: info@fpcci.com.pk
URL: www.fpcci.com.pk

Karachi, May 23, 2013 (PPI-OT): The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has opposed the restriction on filling of CNG in above 1000 CC vehicles. In an emergent meeting of FPCCI Standing Committee on CNG held at the Federation House on 22nd May, 2013, to evaluate the reported Prime Ministerial directive to suspend filling of CNG in all vehicles above 1000cc.

Mr. Gulzar Firoz, Vice President FPCCI strongly condemned the decision and termed it irrational, illegal, discriminatory and violation of basic rights of the consumers. Chairman FPCCI Standing Committee on CNG, Suleman H. Sulemanjee briefed the Vice President and Committee members that earlier, the Ministry of Petroleum had moved a similar summary under the instructions of the previous government that was rejected by the ECC after extensive deliberations and arguments, declaring the policy as unjustified. Subsequently the same rejected summary by previous ECC members was presented to the Interim Prime Minister, who has reportedly issued this illegal, unjustified directives without consultation with the stakeholders nor the proper procedure of issuing policy guidelines have been adopted.

It is most pertinent to mention that Mr. Khawaja M. Asif of the PML (N) noticing the extraordinary interference of the interim Government beyond their purview and mandate have also obtained a stay though the Honorable Court restricting the interim Government from indulging into such activities.

It was also highlighted that a consumer having 1200cc old car with CNG valuing approx Rs0.4 million is now forced to buy 800cc or 1000cc vehicle amounting to Rs one million in order to avail CNG. It appears that the decision may have been motivated in view of factors having malafide intentions and the result would be suffering of the less privileged class who are the users of the pocket friendly fuel to pass on the benefit to the privileged class. With this decision and the routine closure of the CNG by the Gas companies despite of court orders will be the last nail in the coffin for the CNG industry and the 400,000 families associated with this industry is on the verge of being jobless.

For more information, contact:
Syed Masood Alam Rizvi
Secretary General
Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI)
B-1, Federation House, Main Clifton Road,
Shahra-e-Firdousi,
Karachi-75600, Pakistan
Tel: 0092-21-35873691, 93-94
Fax: +9221 3587 4332
Email: info@fpcci.com.pk
URL: www.fpcci.com.pk

Karachi, May 23, 2013 (PPI-OT): The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) invited the attention of director general (DG) Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Abdul Karim Daudpota, governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) to the fall in rice exports and inability to achieve target mainly due to neglect of the SME rice exporters and processors who have been thrown out of business.

President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver pointed out that only USD 1.50 billions rice has been exported during the period July 2012 to April 2013 and a quantity of 2.95 million tons has been exported. With only May and June remaining for the fiscal year to end, this is indeed a sorry state of affairs.

The rice exporters have exported 2.47 million tons of non basmati and only 0.47 million ton of basmati during the 10 months from July 2012 to April 2013 mainly because of lack of support from the concerned to the issue of the SME rice exporters.

Thaver said until and unless the issues of the SME farmers together with the SME rice exporters are resolved rice exports will not pick up.

He said to gear up the rice exports the entire supply chain needs to be rejuvenated from the farm level to the post shipment level. The sector needs to reinforced sowing to harvesting at the farm level and then the milling, processing. packing and shipments.

The PSQCA needs to enforce its standards and specifications and play its role and disarm the Quality Review Committee (QRC) which has failed miserably as it is a hurdle for the exporters and has no role to play at the farm level which is principally the mother of the supply chain.

TDAP which is collecting 0.25% export development surcharge needs to work jointly with others and study the entire supply chain and encourage the supply of quality seeds, discourage premature harvesting, promote paddy dryers.

TDAP needs to convene a joint meeting of SBP, PSQCA and the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) to study the issues of the SMEs namely high cost of production due to costly inputs, inferior supplies from millers due to no check on them.

The TDAP will need to persuade the SBP to facilitate the rice exporters financing of bills drawn on buyers of third world countries and banks of low rating under sovereign guarantee for country failure. Finance the SMEs against post shipment documents and accept them as collateral and on positive cash flows. Arrange for currency swap with Iran and other neighbouring countries without loss of time.

The union invited the attention of the TDAP that the target for 2012-2013 was set at 4 million tons to earn USD 3 billions but unfortunately the targets have not been met due to closure of the SME units who have been deprived of energy, finance, proper supplies and moreover the speculators, profiteers and hoarders who have been blocking regular supplies and themselves indulging in border trade.

For more information, Contact:
Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME)
75/1 3rd Commercial Street,
Phase IV, D.H.A., Karachi, Pakistan
Phones: + 92 35884225 and 6
Cell: + 92 300 8245307 and + 92 321 8245307
Fax: + 92 35380642
Email: unisame@gmail.com

ٹوکیو، 22 مئی/کیوڈو جے بی این-ایشیانیٹ / ایشیانیٹ پاکستان –

ڈائی ایچی سانکیو کمپنی لمیٹڈ (جسے آگے ڈائی ایچی سانکیو لکھا جائے گا) کے ماتحت ادارے رین بیکسی لیبارٹریز لمیٹڈ (جسے آگے رین بیکسی لکھاجائے گا) نے 22 مئی کو ان اقدامات کا اعلان کیا جو رین بیکسی نے حالیہ سالوں میں گزشتہ انتظامیہ کی جانب سے کیے گئے انتظامات سے نمٹنے کے لیے اٹھائے گا (http://www.daiichisankyo.com/media_investors/media_relations/press_releases/index.html)۔

ڈائی ایچی سانکیو ماضی کے ان اقدامات سے نمٹنے اور انہیں درست کرنے میں رین بیکسی کی کوششوں کی حمایت کرے گا جو امریکی محکمہ انصاف (“DOJ”) اور امریکی فوڈ اینڈ ڈرگ ایڈمنسٹریشن (“USFDA”) کی جانب سے تحقیقات کا سبب بنے۔ ان کوششوں میں رین بیکسی انتظامیہ، کلچر، آپریشنز اور احکامات کی تکمیل میں شامل ہیں۔

ڈائی ایچی سانکیو مانتا ہے کہ رین بیکسی کے چند سابق حصص یافتگان نے یو ایس ڈی او جے اور ایف ڈی اے کی تحقیقات کے حوالے سے اہم معلومات کو چھپایا اور غلط انداز میں پیش کیا۔ ڈائی ایچی سانکیو اس وقت دستیاب قانونی تدابیر کی پیروی کر رہا ہے اور اس وقت اس موضوع پر مزید تبصرہ نہیں کر سکتا۔

ڈائی ایچی سانکیو کے بارے میں

لسٹڈ: کوڈ نمبر: 4568، ٹوکیو، اوساکا اور ناگویا کے بازار ہائے حصص کے پہلے سیکشن میں

صدر اور سی ای او: جوجی ناکایاما

ذریعہ: ڈائی ایچی سانکیو کمپنی لمیٹڈ

رابطہ:

نوریاکی ایشیڈا

کارپوریٹ آفیسر اور نائب صدر

کارپوریٹ کمیونی کیشنز ڈپارٹمنٹ

ڈائی ایچی سانکیو کمپنی لمیٹڈ

ٹیلی فون: +81-3-6225-1126

ای میل: kondo.toshiya.cj@daiichisankyo.co.jp

http://www.daiichisankyo.com/

]]> http://newsmakers.pk/story/44577.html/%d8%b1%db%8c%d9%86-%d8%a8%db%8c%da%a9%d8%b3%db%8c-%d9%86%db%92-%d8%a8%db%81%d8%aa%d8%b1-%da%a9%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b1%db%8c-%d9%85%d8%b9%db%8c%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%a7%d9%88%d8%b1/feed/ 0 http://newsmakers.pk/story/44566.html/%d8%a7%d9%85%d8%b1%db%8c%da%a9%d9%86-%da%a9%db%8c%d9%be%d9%b9%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%b1%d8%ac%db%8c-%d8%a7%db%8c%d9%86%da%88-%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%81%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a7%d8%b3%d9%b9%d8%b1%da%a9%da%86%d8%b1/ http://newsmakers.pk/story/44566.html/%d8%a7%d9%85%d8%b1%db%8c%da%a9%d9%86-%da%a9%db%8c%d9%be%d9%b9%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%b1%d8%ac%db%8c-%d8%a7%db%8c%d9%86%da%88-%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%81%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a7%d8%b3%d9%b9%d8%b1%da%a9%da%86%d8%b1/#comments Thu, 23 May 2013 13:47:11 +0000 News Makers http://pr.asianetpakistan.com/?p=3890 ایناپولس، میری لینڈ، 22 مئی 2013ء/پی آرنیوزوائر/ ایشیانیٹ پاکستان –

امریکن کیپٹل انرجی اینڈ انفرااسٹرکچر نے آج اعلان کیا ہے کہ اس نے اپنی عالمی سرمایہ کاری ٹیم میں دو نئے اراکین کا اضافہ کیا  ہے: لیزا پنسلے، ڈائریکٹر افریقہ انوسٹمنٹس اور پول میجارس، سینئر ایسوسی ایٹ۔ کمپنی نے پیٹر برڈ اور وینو نمبیار کو بھی سینئر مشیران کی حیثیت سے مقرر کیا ہے۔ ٹیم توانائی کے عالمی بنیادی ڈھانچوں کے اثاثوں میں سرمایہ کاری کے مواقع پر توجہ دے گی اور ساتھ ساتھ بجلی اور توانائی کے شعبوں میں مصنوعات اور خدمات پیش کرنے والے اداروں پر بھی۔

امریکن کیپٹل انرجی اینڈ انفرا اسٹرکچر کے چیف ایگزیکٹو آفیسر پال ہنراہن نے کہا کہ “ہمیں خوشی ہے کہ تجربہ کار صنعتی ماہرین لیزا، پول، پیٹر اور وینو سرمایہ کاری ٹیم میں شمولیت اختیار کر رہے ہیں ان سرمایہ کاری، انتظام اور توانائی و بنیادی ڈھانچے کے شعبے میں مشاورت میں ان کا مشترکہ تجربہ اور ساتھ ساتھ دنیا بھر میں مستحکم تعلقات، ہمیں توانائی اور بنیادی ڈھانچے کی عالمی مارکیٹ کو چھاننے اور سرمایہ کاری کے بہترین مواقع تلاش کرنے میں مدددیں گے۔”

سرمایہ کاری ٹیم

لیزا پنسلے نیم صحراوی افریقہ میں مواقع تلاش  کرنے کی ذمہ دار ہوں گی۔ امریکن کیپٹل انرجی اینڈ انفرا اسٹرکچر میں شمولیت سے قبل محترمہ پنسلے نے اے ای ایس افریقہ پاور کمپنی میں نائب صدر کی حیثیت سے خدمات انجام دیں، جہاں ان کی توجہ براعظم افریقہ میں بجلی و توانائی کے بنیادی ڈھانچوں کے مواقع پر مرکوز تھی۔ محترمہ پنسلے ابھرتی ہوئی مارکیٹوں اور مالیات میں 15 سالوں کا تجربہ رکھتی ہیں۔ اس کے علاوہ وہ افغان وزیر خزانہ کے چیف آف اسٹاف کی حیثیت سے بھی خدمات انجام دے چکی ہیں جہاں ان کی توجہ بین الاقوامی مالیاتی فنڈ اور عالمی بینک کے ساتھ ملک کے لیے اقتصادی اصلاح کے پروگراموں پر تھی۔

امریکن کیپٹل انرجی اینڈ انفرااسٹرکچر سے قبل پول میجارس اے ای ایس کارپوریشن (“AES”) میں بزنس ڈیولپمنٹ، کموڈٹیز اور رسک مینجمنٹ کے شعبوں میں مختلف عہدوں پر فائز رہے اور امریکہ، یورپ، ایشیا اور لاطینی ماریکہ میں کاروباری اداروں کو مدد فراہم کی۔ اے ای ایس سے قبل جناب میجارس بیئر اسٹیئرنز اینڈ کمپنی اور بینک آف امریکہ سیکورٹیز ایل ایل سی میں انوسٹمنٹ بینکر تھے جہاں ان کی توجہ خریداری اور فروخت ایم اینڈ اے معاملات پر تھی، اور ساتھ ساتھ سرکاری و نجی شعبے کی کمپنیوں کے لیے انتہائی ثمر آور اور سرمایہ کاری درجے کی قرضہ جاتی مالیات کو ترتیب دینا بھی شامل تھا۔

سینئر مشیران

پیٹر برڈ ایشیا میں مواقع کی تلاش پر امریکن کیپٹل انرجی اینڈ انفرااسٹرکچر کو مشاورت دیتے ہیں۔ جون 2012ء سے ء تک جناب برڈ روتھس چائلڈ کے جنوب مشرقی ایشیا کے عالمی مالیاتی مشاورتی کاروبار میں ایگزیکٹو وائس چیئرمین تھے۔ اس عہدے پر جناب برڈ کے تجربے میں بنیادی ڈھانچے کے شعبے میں اداروں کے حصول اور ماتحت ادارے فروخت کرنے کے حوالے سے معروف اداروں کو مشاورت دینا ؛ ترقی یافتہ اور ابھرتی ہوئی معیشتوں دونوں میں نجکاری کے حوالے سے متعدد حکومتوں کو مشورے؛ منصوبے میں سرمایہ کاری، حصول میں سرمایہ کاری، دوبارہ سرمایہ کاری، دیوالیہ پن اور قرضہ جات کی تنظیم نو؛ مسابقتی اصرار اور ٹینڈر ڈیزائن پر افادۂ عام اور سرکاری شعبے کے اداروں کو مشاورت ؛ اور برطانیہ، یورپ، آسٹریلیا، جنوبی امریکہ اور ایشیا میں توانائی کی صنعت کی تنظیم نو پر حکومتوں کو مشاورت دینا شامل ہیں۔ 1990ء میں روتھس چائلڈ میں شمولیت سے قبل جناب برڈ نے اقتصادی مشیر و اقتصادی محقق اور یونیورسٹی آف اسٹرلنگ میں تعلیمی ماہر معیشت کی حیثیت سے کام کیا جس میں ان کی توجہ توانائی کے شعبے پر تھی۔

جناب برڈ ایشیا میں کم آمدنی کی ابھرتی ہوئی مارکیٹوں میں کام کرنے والے اور عطیات سے  چلنے والے انفرااسٹرکچر ڈیولپمنٹ ادارے انفراکو ایشیا ڈیولپمنٹ پرائیوٹ لمیٹڈ کے بورڈ میں ، اور نیوزی لینڈ میں توانائی اور فائبرآپٹنگ کے بنیادی ڈھانچے کے نیٹ ورک کا پورٹ فولیو رکھنے اور چلانے والے مندرج انفرااسٹرکچر گروپ ویکٹر لمیٹڈ میں بھی خدمات انجام دے چکے ہیں۔

وینو نمبیار مشرق وسطیٰ، شمالی افریقہ اور جنوبی ایشیا میں مواقع کی تلاش کے لیے امریکن کیپٹل انرجی اینڈ انفرااسٹرکچر کو مشاورت دیتے ہیں۔ کمپنی میں شمولیت سے قبل جناب نمبیار اے ای ایس میں نائب صدر تھے جس میں وہ بنیادی طور پر مشرق وسطیٰ، شمالی افریقہ اور جنوبی ایشیا کے لیے علاقائی ذمہ دار تھے۔ اے ای ایس میں اپنے دور میں جناب نمبیار نے متعدد سینئر عہدے سنبھالے جن میں اے ای ایس اویسس لمیٹڈ کے سی ای او، چیئرمین اور مینیجنگ ڈائریکٹر اے ای ایس انڈیا، اور مینیجنگ ڈائریکٹر برائے بزنس ڈیولپمنٹ اور ایم اینڈ اے ایشیا اور مشرق وسطیٰ شامل ہیں۔ جناب نمبیار توانائی کی صنعت میں 21 سال سے زیادہ کا تجربہ رکھتے ہیں اور ابھرتی ہوئی مارکیٹوں میں سرمایہ کاری اور انتظامات کے لیے 15 سال وقف کر چکے ہیں۔

امریکن کیپٹل انرجی اینڈ انفرااسٹرکچر امریکن کیپٹل لمیٹڈ (نیس ڈیک: ACAS) (“امریکن کیپٹل”) کے اثاثہ جاتی انتظام کے ملحقہ ادارے امریکن کیپٹل ایسیٹ مینجمنٹ ایل ایل سی کا حصہ ہے۔ امریکن کیپٹل ایسیٹ مینجمنٹ توانائی اور بنیادی ڈھانچے، رئیل اسٹیٹ، نجی ایکوئٹی اور نجی سرمایہ کاری سمیت مختلف اثاثہ جاتی شعبوں میں متبادل سرمایہ کاری فنڈز تخلیق کرنے، ان کا فائدہ اٹھانے اور انتظام سنبھالنے سے وابستہ ادارہ ہے۔ امریکن کیپٹل امریکن کیٹل انرجی اینڈ انفرااسٹرکچر کے منصوبوں کی مدد کے لیے 200 ملین ڈالرز سپرد کر چکا ہے۔

امریکن کیپٹل انرجی اینڈ انفرااسٹرکچر کے بارے میں

امریکن کیپٹل انرجی اینڈ انفرااسٹرکچر عالمی توانائی کے بنیادی ڈھانچوں میں سرمایہ کاری کرتا ہے جس میں بجلی پیدا کرنے والی تنصیبات، بجلی کی تقسیم اور ترسیل کے نیٹ ورکس، توانائی کی نقل و حمل، ایندھن کے پیداواری مواقع اور مصنوعات اور خدمات کی کمپنیاں شامل ہیں جن کی توجہ بجلی و توانائی کے شعبوں پر ہو۔ مزید معلومات کے لیے ملاحظہ کیجیے www.ACEI.com۔

امریکن کیپٹل کے بارے میں

امریکن کیپٹل لمیٹڈ (نیس ڈیک: ACAS) ایک عام تجارت کرنے والی نجی ایکوئٹی فرم اور عالمی اثاثہ جاتی منتظم ہے۔ امریکن کیپٹل براہ راست اور اپنے اثاثہ جاتی انتظام کے اداروں کے ذریعے درمیانی مارکیٹ کی نجی ایکوئٹی میں سرمایہ کاری کو سنبھالتا، مالیاتی، رئیل اسٹیٹ اور مرکب مصنوعات تخلیق کرتا، بیمہ کرتا اور سرمایہ کاری کو سنبھالتا ہے۔ امریکن کیپٹل 21.2 ارب ڈالرز کے اثاثہ جات سنبھالتا ہے،جن میں اس کی بیلنس شیٹ پر موجود اثاثہ جات اور ملحقہ منتظمین کے زیر انتظام اثاثہ جات شامل ہیں، جبکہ اضافی 112 ارب ڈالرز کے کل اثاثہ جات بھی زیر انتظام ہیں (بشمول لیورڈ اثاثہ جات)۔ ایک ملحقہ ادارے کے ذریعے امریکن کیپٹل عام تجارت کرنے والے امریکن کیپٹل ایجنسی کارپوریشن (نیس ڈیک: AGNC) کو سنبھالتا ہے جو تقریباً 13 ارب ڈالرز کی اور امریکن کیپٹل مورگیج انوسٹمنٹ کارپوریشن (نیس ڈیک: MTGE) جو تقریباً 1.5ارب ڈالرز کی مارکیٹ کیپٹلائزیشن رکھتی ہیں۔ امریکہ اوریورپ میں اپنے آٹھ دفاتر کے ذریعے امریکن کیپٹل اور اس کا ملحقہ ادارہ، یورپین کیپٹل، 10 ملین سے 750 ملین ڈالرز تک کے سرمایہ کاری مواقع پر غور کرے گا۔ مزید معلومات کے لیے www.AmericanCapital.com ملاحظہ کریں۔

یہ خبری اعلامیہ مستقبل کے حوالے سے بیانات کا حامل ہے۔ امریکن کیپٹل کے ممکنہ نتائج کے حوالے سے یہ بیانات متعدد عوامل اور غیر یقینی کیفیات کے سبب ہیں، جن میں مالی سودوں کی تکمیل، شرح سود میں تبدیلیاں، مالی سودوں کی دستیابی، علاقائی، قومی اور بین الاقوامی اقتصادی حالات میں تبدیلی یا ان صنعتوں کے حالات میں تبدیلی جہاں امریکن کیپٹل سرمایہ کاری کرتا ہے، شامل ہیں۔

 رابطہ: +1-443-214-7070

پال ہنراہن، چیف ایگزیکٹو آفیسر

رچرڈ سانتورسکی، مینیجنگ ڈائریکٹر

راجیو گارسائیڈ، نائب صدر

نیو یارک، 23 مئی 2013ء/پی آرنیوزوائر/ ایشیانیٹ پاکستان–

آرائش حسن کا ابھرتا ہوا رہنما عالمی ادارہ کوٹی انکارپوریٹڈ جنوب مشرقی ایشیا کی مارکیٹوں (کمبوڈیا، ہانگ کانگ، انڈونیشیا، ملائیشیا، سنگاپور، تائیوان اور ویت نام) میں آرائش حسن کی مصنوعات کے مستحکم تقسیم کار اسٹار ایشیا کے ایزیبانے پرائیوٹ لمیٹڈ سے حصول کے لیے معاہدے کا اعلان کرتے ہوئے خوشی محسوس کرتا ہے۔ یہ مالی سودا ممکنہ طور پر گرما 2013ء میں مکمل ہوگا۔

کوٹی انکارپوریٹڈ کے سی ای او مچل اسکیویانی نے کہا کہ “اسٹار ایشیا کا حصول ہمیں جنوب مشرقی ایشیا خطے کی کلیدی ترقی پذیر مارکیٹوں میں اپنے اہم برانڈز کی فروخت کے لیے تقسیم کا مستحکم پلیٹ فارم فراہم کرتا ہے۔ ہمیں کوٹی خاندان میں اسٹار ایشیا کے خیرمقدم پر خوشی ہو رہی ہے، اور مجھے یقین ہے کہ ان کی باصلاحیت ٹیم کوٹی میں موزوں ثابت ہوگی۔”

اسٹار ایشیا کی موجودہ انتظامیہ خطے میں کوٹی کے کاروبار کی ترقی کے لیے بدستور ادارے کی قیادت کرے گی۔

اسٹار ایشیا کے سی ای او جناب نوئے ساگلیو نے کہا کہ “اسٹار ایشیا ایک رہنما علاقائی پلیٹ فارم تشکیل دینے میں کامیاب رہا، جو ایشیا کے سات ممالک میں آپریشنز رکھتا ہے اور ترقی کا ایک زبردست ٹریک ریکارڈ رکھتا ہے۔ ہمیں کوٹی خاندان کا حصہ بننے پر خوشی ہے، جن کے ہم 10 سے زیادہ سالوں سے کاروباری رفیق ہیں۔ ہماری کثیر الثقافتی انجمن بین الاقوامی تجربے کے ساتھ مقامی معلومات کو یکجا کرتی ہے اور مجھے یقین ہے کہ ہماری باصلاحیت ٹیم کوٹی کے لیے موزوں رہے گی۔ ہماری نظریں کوٹی کی ملکیت میں اپنی برتر مارکیٹ پوزیشن کو بہتر بنانے پر مرکوز ہیں۔”

کوٹی برانڈز کے بارے میں مزید معلومات کے لیے ملاحظہ کیجیے www.coty.com۔

کوٹی انکارپوریٹڈ کے بارے میں

کوٹی آرائش حسن کا ابھرتا ہوا رہنما ادارہ ہے جس کی خالص آمدنی 30 جون 2012ء کو ختم ہونے والے مالی سال پر 4.6 ارب ڈالرز تھی۔ 1904ء میں پیرس میں قائم ہونے والا کوٹی ایک خالصتاً پلے بیوٹی کمپنی ہے جو معروف خوشبویات، رنگین کاسمیٹکس اور جلد و جسم کی دیکھ بھال کرنے والی مصنوعات کا پورٹ فولیو رکھتی ہے جو 130 سے زائد ممالک اور خطوں میں فروخت ہوتی ہیں۔ کوٹی کی پیش کردہ مصنوعات میں ایڈیڈاس، کیلون کلائین، کلو، ڈیویڈوف، مارک جیکبز، او پی آئی، فلاسفی، پلے بوائے، ریمل اور سیلی ہینسن جیسے عالمی برانڈز شامل ہیں۔

کوٹی انکارپوریٹڈ کے بارے میں مزید معلومات کے لیے دیکھئے www.coty.com۔

اسٹار ایشیا کے بارے میں

2001ء میں فریڈرک کاسن کی جانب سے قائم کردہ اسٹارایشیا گروپ خوشبویات، بناؤ سنگھار اور جلد کی دیکھ بھال کی مصنوعات میں بیوٹی پرسنل کیئر ایف ایم سی جی برانڈز کا معروف علاقائی آزاد تقسیم کار ہے۔ گروپ اس وقت سات ایشیائی مارکیٹوں میں موجود ہے اور ایشیا بھر میں 30 ہزار سے زائد صارفین تک رسائی رکھتا ہے۔ اسٹارایشیا کی اہم مصنوعات میں کوٹی، پی اینڈ جی، لوریل، کلائیو اور مارک انتھونی شامل ہیں۔

NEW YORK, May 23, 2013 /PRNewswire / Asianet-Pakistan – Coty Inc., an emerging leader in global beauty, is pleased to announce the agreement to acquire StarAsia, an established distributor of beauty products in the markets of Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam) from its current parent, Isibane Pte. Ltd. The transaction is expected to close in Summer 2013.

“The acquisition of StarAsia provides us with an established distribution platform to sell our mass brands in key developing markets in the Southeast Asia region,” said Mr. Michele Scannavini, CEO of Coty Inc. “We are happy to welcome the StarAsia organization into the Coty family, and I am confident that the talented team there will fit in very well at Coty.”

The existing management team of StarAsia will continue to lead the development of Coty`s business in the region.

“StarAsia has succeeded in building a leading regional platform, with operations in seven countries in Asia and a strong track record of growth,” said Mr. Noe Saglio, CEO of StarAsia. “We are delighted to become part of the Coty family, having been a business partner for more than 10 years.  Our multicultural organization combines international experience with local know-how and I am confident that our talented team will fit in very well at Coty. We look forward to building on our leading market position under Coty’s ownership.”

For complete information on all of Coty’s brands, please visit www.coty.com.

About Coty Inc.
Coty is an emerging leader in global beauty with net revenues of $4.6 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012. Founded in Paris in 1904, Coty is a pure play beauty company with a portfolio of well-known fragrances, color cosmetics and skin & body care products sold in over 130 countries and territories. Coty’s product offerings include such global brands as adidas, Calvin Klein, Chloe, Davidoff, Marc Jacobs, OPI, philosophy, Playboy, Rimmel and Sally Hansen.

For additional information about Coty Inc., please visit www.coty.com

About StarAsia  
Founded in 2001 by Frederic Cassin, StarAsia Group is a leading regional independent distributor of Beauty Personal Care FMCG brands in Fragrances & Toiletries and Cosmetics & Skincare. The Group is present in seven Asian markets and reaches consumers over 30,000 doors across Asia. StarAsia principals include Coty, P&G, L’Oreal, Clio and Marc Anthony.

At its annual meeting in Dushanbe, the Bank also announced it will immediately tap the public market with a US$1 billion offering of sukuk, or Sharia-compliant bonds. The five-year offering is rated Triple A by each of the three major bond rating agencies (Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch), and will be dually listed on the London Stock Exchange and Bursa Malaysia.

The benchmark $1 billion offering comes amid strong demand and limited supply of the highest quality fixed-income securities, in part because a number of large governments have recently lost their Triple A status. There has also been growing demand for Islamic-compliant investments.

“The tenets of Islamic banking have stood the test of time,” said Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, President of the IDB Group. “Our emphasis on equity, risk-sharing and partnership enforces discipline on the financial system, allowing us to lift more of our people out of poverty.”

The Bank has been designated as a Zero Risk Weighted Multilateral Development Bank by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and the Commission of the European Communities.

Saudi Arabia, with a 23.6% stake, has the largest ownership in the Bank, headquartered in Jeddah, followed by Libya with 9.5%, Iran with 8.3%, Nigeria with 7.7% and the United Arab Emirates with 7.5%. The next four biggest holders are Qatar (7.2%), Egypt (7.1%), Turkey (6.5%), and Kuwait (5.5%).

IDB provides project financing to diverse regions of the world, including a number of Less Developed Countries that constitute part of its membership.

Although energy, transportation, and water and sanitation projects make up about 60% of the Bank’s portfolio, it has recently stepped up its commitments in agriculture, education, health and other social services. IDB is also investing $250 million in a Youth Employment Support program in five member countries: Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya and Bahrain.

Last year, the Bank partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to provide $227 million to Pakistan for polio eradication. The Foundation paid all the associated fees and mark-ups in advance, while Pakistan benefited from concessionary financing. “Health and agriculture are the cornerstones for lifting people out of poverty,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the foundation, in a video shown at the meeting. Citing the IDB’s “foresight,” he said: “It is because of your generosity that we will save lives in Islamic countries.”

The Bank is enlisting new partners to replicate what it calls this “triple win” financing, hoping to expand the pool of capital available for agriculture, nutrition, education, energy, infrastructure and climate projects.

Despite the increase in authorized capital and the new offering of sukuk, the Bank said it intends to maintain a conservative balance sheet. At the annual meeting, the board of governors called upon its member countries to fulfill their commitments to invest $5.4 billion in fresh capital in the Bank. The Bank also announced its intention to tap the sukuk market periodically going forward.

The Bank’s debt-to-equity ratio is expected to gradually climb from its current ultra-conservative 62% to a still highly conservative 100%. Other major development banks are much more highly leveraged, carrying debt amounting to between two and three times equity capital.

The joint lead managers of the new sukuk offering are Barwa Bank, BNP Paribas, CIMB, HSBC, NCB Capital, and Standard Chartered Bank, and the offering will be governed by English law.

“This capital increase will allow the bank to finance more and bigger projects in our member countries,” stated Mr Davlatali Saidov, the chairman of IDB Board of Governors during the 38th Annual Meeting that approved the capital increase. “It reflects the confidence of our owners in the Bank’s management and in the potential to make positive contribution to Islamic communities around the world.”

CONTACT: Muhammad Jameel Yusha'u
00992937359570
myushau@isdb.org

Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited (hereafter, Ranbaxy), a subsidiary of Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. (hereafter, Daiichi Sankyo), announced on May 22 the actions that Ranbaxy has taken in recent years to address past conduct under prior management (http://www.daiichisankyo.com/media_investors/media_relations/press_releases/index.html).

Daiichi Sankyo continues to support Ranbaxy in its efforts to address and correct the conduct of the past which led to the investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“USFDA”). These efforts include significant changes to Ranbaxy’s management, culture, operations and compliance.

Daiichi Sankyo believes that certain former shareholders of Ranbaxy concealed and misrepresented critical information concerning the U.S. DOJ and FDA investigations. Daiichi Sankyo is currently pursuing its available legal remedies and cannot comment further on the subject at this time.

About Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.

Listed: Code No.: 4568, First Section of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya Stock Exchanges President and CEO: Joji Nakayama

Source: Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.

Contact:
Noriaki Ishida
Corporate Officer & Vice President
Corporate Communications Department
Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.
Tel: +81-3-6225-1126
e-mail: kondo.toshiya.cj@daiichisankyo.co.jp

http://www.daiichisankyo.com/

Lahore, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): The position of the river inflows/outflows and the reservoirs levels today is as under:

Rivers                         Inflows              Outflows                  Remarks
                              (In Cusecs)          (In Cusecs)

Indus at Tarbela                 80700                 70000            Mean flows of 24 hours
Kabul At Nowshera                84200                 84200            Mean Flows of 24 hrs.
Jhelum at Mangla                 62100                 38000            Mean flows of 24 hours
Chenab at Marala                 47200                 25200            Flows at 0600 hours

Barrages                       Inflows              Outflows                  Remarks
                              (In Cusecs)          (In Cusecs)

Jinnah                          132600                125600            Flow at 0600 hours
Chashma                         133600                136000            Mean flows of 24 hours
Taunsa                           84900                 65900            Flow at 0600 hours
Panjnad                           4800                   Nil            Flow at 0600 hours
Guddu                            41200                 39200            Flow at 0600 hours
Sukkur                           34100                  8900            Flow at 0600 hours
Kotri                             8152                   Nil            Flow at 0600 hours

Reservoirs                   Present Level         Dead Level         Maximum level     Present
(at 0600 hours)             (Above Sea Level)    (Above Sea Level)      (ft.)           Live Storage

Tarbela                       1391.80 Feet         1378.00 Feet        1550.00          0.162 MAF
Mangla                        1111.65 Feet         1040.00 Feet        1242.00          0.830 MAF
Chashma                        641.70 Feet          637.00 Feet         649.00          0.068 MAF

For more information, contact:
Muhammad Abid Rana
Director Public Relations
Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA)
G-32, WAPDA House, Lahore
Tel: +9242 9920 2633 and +9242 9920 2211 -2033 -2029
Cell: +92333 445 8293
Email: mabidrana@gmail.com

Karachi, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): Speaker Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has said assembly secretariat has not received any gazzate notification of winning candidates from ECP and still no any date is finallized for summoning of Sindh PA session regarding formation of Sindh Government. He was talking to media persons at his Sindh Assembly office here on Wednesday.

He said after 18th amendment when gazette notification of winning candidates will be issued from ECP till that day Sindh PA session can be summoned with 21 days and during these 21 days special Sindh Assembly session can be summoned within the notice of two or three days for the formation of Sindh government.

He said on the first day of PA session oath will be administered from elected members and on the second day nomination papers will be filed for Speaker and Deputy Speaker slot and on the third day members will elect leader of the house.

In a query Mr, Khuhro said party leadership will decide and annouce the candidate of Chief Minister in Sindh and all should accept the party decision because every one is bound of party discipline.

He said in the past he has accepted party decision and now he will also accept party decision regarding new responsibilities.

Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said those parties who were coalition partners with PPP now PPP will also go ahead with same coalition partners because PPP don’t believe in soloflite . Replying in a question he said CM and Speaker will be from PPP in Sindh.

For more information, contact:
Provincial Assembly of Sindh
Sindh Assembly Building
Court Road
Karachi, Pakistan
Tel: (021) 9212000
Fax: (021) 9212033

Islamabad, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): The UN Refugee Agency on Wednesday inaugurated a newly-constructed Refugee Affected and Hosting Area (RAHA) Secretariat building in Islamabad.

The building was constructed jointly by UNHCR and The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), and the facility was opened in a joint ceremony by the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), UNHCR and UNOPS. Other RAHA actors, including UN sister agencies and German Government agencies also attended the event.

Speaking at the occasion, UNHCR’s Representative in Pakistan, Neill Wright, said that the opening ceremony marks the start of improved national RAHA coordination under one roof during the expansion of the RAHA initiative. “This building will help to bring the RAHA team together to better plan and implement strategies in a well-coordinated manner,” the UNHCR Representative explained.

In order to augment management and implementation capacity as discussed in the stakeholders’ conference on RAHA, the Representative noted the importance of consolidating RAHA structures both in Islamabad and in the provinces.

“RAHA is the largest component of the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR), accounting for almost 80 per cent of donor contributions for implementing that strategy in Pakistan,” he added.

The Representative lauded the efforts of the Government of Pakistan, participating UN Agencies and donors in bringing RAHA to its current level of success. He advocated for continued engagement, “If we are to maintain this progress, we must deepen, broaden and strengthen our partnership with the active cooperation of all stakeholders, under the leadership of the Government of Pakistan.”

The Chief Commissioner of Afghan Refugees, Dr Imran Zeb, present at the occasion, said that the Government of Pakistan attached utmost importance to the RAHA initiative, stating, “The impact of RAHA has been enormous. The Government appreciates the team work demonstrated by the RAHA programme.”

He announced that by 30 June, he anticipates the government having in place a new national strategy outlining the future policies regarding Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

For more information, contact:
Ms Duniya Aslam Khan
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Quaid-e-Azam University Road, Diplomatic Enclave 2, Sector G-4/2, Islamabad
Tel: +9251 282 9502 -6
Cell: 0300-501-7939,
Fax: +9251 227 9455
E-mail, khand@unhcr.org

Islamabad, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): U.S. Ambassador Richard Olson joined staff of the SOS Children’s Village of Islamabad to inaugurate a new English language laboratory at SOS today. Established with a grant from the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund, the new lab will enable the children living at the SOS Children’s Village to improve their English-language skills.

To furnish the lab, the U.S. government bought 22 computers, furniture, a printer, and special English-language software. “The U.S. government funds comprehensive education programs that will help millions of Pakistani children. Our funding of the new English-language lab for the SOS Children’s Village is an example of this assistance. It shows how the United States and Pakistan can work together to improve the lives of Pakistan’s children,” said Ambassador Olson at the inauguration of the English lab.

When asked about the impact of this English language lab, SOS Children’s Village of Islamabad Chairperson, Ms. Naznin Murtaza, said, “English has become the common language of business and education throughout the world.

However, most of the SOS children are from backgrounds that have not afforded them the opportunities to learn English. The new U.S.-funded English language lab will help these children overcome that challenge and equip them with English-language skills so they can rise as far as their talent and hard work will take them.”

The SOS Children’s Village of Islamabad was established in July 2011, and is currently supporting 92 boys and girls, along with 13 mothers. Most of these children are from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and were orphaned by the devastating 2005 earthquake.

This initiative is one part of a comprehensive U.S. education assistance program, which includes building or rehabilitating nearly 800 schools; launching new degree programs in education at 90 teacher colleges and universities; providing scholarships for 12,000 students to study in Pakistan; and operating the largest Fulbright academic exchange program in the world.

The U.S. Ambassador’s Fund is a $15 million grant program managed by USAID and implemented under a contract with the National Rural Support Program (NRSP). The fund provides opportunities for Pakistani NGOs, civil society groups, private sector organizations, and communities to apply for and receive funding assistance to improve basic economic or social conditions at the local community level and support high-impact, quick-implementation activities. Interested parties should visit NRSP’s website at www.sgafp.org.pk.

To learn more about many other U.S.-Pakistan initiatives that are making a positive impact on the lives of Pakistanis – in energy, economic development, and health – please visit http://transition.usaid.gov/pk/ or email us at uspakassistance@state.gov.

For more information, contact:
Alberto Rodriguez
Spokesman
Information Office Public Affairs Section
Embassy of the United States of America
U.S. Embassy, Islamabad- Pakistan
Cell: +92300 501 2640
Tel: +9251-208 0000
Fax: +9251-227 8607
E-mail: webmasterisb@state.gov

Islamabad, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): The Election Commission of Pakistan has drawn attention to sub-clause (d) of Clause (6) of Article 51 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which provides that the members to fill seats reserved for women which are allocated to a Province shall be elected through Proportional Representation System of Political Parties’ lists of candidates on the basis of total number of general seats won by each political party from the Province concerned in the National Assembly. Sub-Clause (e) further provides that the members to fill seats reserved for non-Muslims shall be elected through Proportional Representation system of political parties list of candidates on the basis of total number of general seats owned by each political party in the National Assembly.

2. The aforesaid provisions of the Constitution further provide that the total number of general seats shall include the independent returned candidate or candidates who may duly join such political party within three (3) days of the publication in the official Gazette of the names of the returned candidates.

3. The independent returned candidates are, therefore, required to:

i- join any political party, if he or she so desires, through a written consent to the leader of the political party for joining his party,

ii- the party leader of the political party shall inform the Election Commission of such joining of an independent candidate through a letter to be addressed to the Election Commission,

iii- each independent candidate shall also submit an affidavit stating that he or she is joining a particular political party voluntarily and without any coercion,

iv- the affidavit shall be duly sworn before the Oath Commissioner and shall be deposited with the Provincial Election Commissioner concerned or with the Deputy Director (Cord.), Election Commission of Pakistan Secretariat, Islamabad in person.

v- on receipt of such affidavit, the PEC concerned or Deputy Director (Cord.), ECP Secretariat, Islamabad shall record statement on the affidavit that the same has been deposited in person by that independent candidate to whom the affidavit relates.

For more information, contact:
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)
Election Commission of Pakistan Secretariat
Election House, Constitution Avenue G-5/2,
Islamabad
Tel: +9251 920 1975, +9251 920 6062
Fax: +9251 920 5402, +9251 920 5300

Karachi, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): The following rates will be applicable for conversion into rupees of Foreign Currency Deposits, Dollar Bearer Certificates, Foreign Currency Bearer Certificates, Special U.S Dollar Bonds and profit thereon by all banks and for providing Forward Cover on Foreign Currency Deposits (excluding F.E-25 deposits) by the State Bank on May 23, 2013.

Currency          Rate in Pak Rupee
U.S. Dollar          98.5120
Japanese Yen          0.9577
Pound Sterling      148.7531
Euro                127.5435

For more information, contact:
Syed Wasimuddin
Chief Spokesman
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)
Tel: +9221 3921 2562
Fax: +9221 3921 2563
Email: syed.wasimuddin@sbp.org.pk

Lahore, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): Lahore Township Industries Association has decided to launch protest against unscheduled prolonged power outages.

The decision to this regard was taken at a meeting here on Wednesday. Chairman LTIA Nasrullah Mughal presided over the meeting while PIAF Chairman Malik Tahir Javed, former Chairmen of the Association, Executive Members and a large number of industrialists were present in the meeting.

As per decision, the industrialists and workers of Lahore Township Industrial Area would stage a protest at various points in the industrial area on the date to be communicated by the LTIA to the industrial units soon. The protest would be led by the Chairman Lahore Township Industrial Area Nasrullah Mughal while the other leadership would also participate.

Earlier, addressing the LTIA Executive Committee, Nasrullah Mughal said that caretaker government would have to announce some relief for the industry as the recent crisis has left a number of industrialist with no option but to close down their industrial units and if some relief package was not announced it would not be able for the economy to get back on rails.

The LTIA Chairman said that a number of times concerned LESCO authorities were informed of the problem s of the industry due to non-availability of power, but they did not respond and only because o their cold attitude, the LTIA has decided to register their protest .

For more information, Contact:
Khalil-ur-Rehman
Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front
110/s Kot Lakhpat Industrial Estate
Lahore, Pakistan
Phone: (92) 42 5123522
Fax: (92) 42 5123522
Email: Info@piaf.pk

Lahore, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday expressed optimism that Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang’s visit to Pakistan will help open up new avenues of cooperation besides reinforcing the economic partnership between the two countries as in the era of globalization, interdependence is the basic feature defining state-to-state relations.

In a statement issued here, the LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar said that the business community has attached great significance to Chinese Prime Minister’s visit to Pakistan that is going to intensify the economic cooperation between the two sides.

The LCCI President said that the bond between China and Pakistan is unbreakable and the trade and economic ties as a whole have maintained growth momentum. “Pakistani nation has feelings of great respect for China who always extended admirable cooperation to the Pakistan at all fronts. China has always backed Pakistan in areas of mutual benefit and Pakistani people are proud of Pak-China exemplary friendship.”

He said that the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry believes that China is an important regional and international player; therefore, its role is crucial in many ways.

He said that at a time when Chinese are striving to explore the untapped market in Pakistan, the business community here is desirous of transfer of Chinese technology to upgrade their manufacturing facilities.

Currently, bilateral trade between Pakistan and China stands at $12 billion a year. “We will certainly want to push this figure to over $15 billion in next two years,” said the LCCI President. More than 100 Chinese companies are already working on different projects in Pakistan with an investment of about $2bn.

“Pakistan has already given China a contract to develop and operate the Gwadar Port, and both countries don’t seem to want to stop there, and will work on deepening their economic and trade ties.”

He said that Pakistan is the first South Asian country to sign a free trade agreement and currency swap agreement with China, and it is the largest destination of Chinese investment in South Asia. China is Pakistan’s second largest trading partner and fourth largest export market.

He said that important agreements and MoUs in the fields of economy, science and technology, space and upper atmosphere communication and energy would put Pakistan’s economy on path to recovery.

The Chinese premier is accompanied by a high powered delegation, comprising Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Minister for Commerce Gao Hucheng and Chairman of National Development Reform Commission Xu Shaoshi, high ranking officials and leaders of the corporate sector.

They are expected to set up the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which would turn Pakistan into a hub of regional cooperation. Under this programme, China will make large investments in Gwadar Port, including setting up an oil city.

For more information, contact:
Shahid Khalil
Information Department
Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI)
11-Shahrah-e-Aiwan-e-Tijarat,
Lahore -54000, Pakistan
Tel: +9242 111 222 499
Fax: +92 42 636 8854

Lahore, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): The Director General IPO-Pakistan Tarik Feroze has said that Government is committed to protect and vigorously enforce Intellectual Property Rights (IPR’s) besides providing a congenial and protected environment to improve the image of Pakistan as a responsible and Intellectual Property compliant nation.

The Director General was speaking at a Seminar on “Understanding IP Rights and Their Protection” for Trade Association held on Wednesday at Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry. LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar in his inaugural speech stressed the need for creating awareness about the importance of Intellectual Property Rights.

LCCI Vice President Mian Abuzar Shad, Convener LCCI Standing Committee on IPR Muhammad Zaka-ur-Rehman, Mian Muhammad Afzal, Executive Member Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI); Ms. Saira Imdad Ali, Director, IPO, IP Attorneys and representatives of stakeholders attended seminar.

Mr. Tarik Feroze appreciated the role of business community for economic wellbeing and industrial development of Pakistan and said that IPO-Pakistan is keen to promote mutual understating for addressing IP related issues being faced by businessmen and other right holders.

He informed that representatives of Chamber of Commerce and Industry were being contacted by IPO and various initiatives were also under consideration to explore new avenues of mutual cooperation. He said that IP Centers would be established in Chamber of Commerce and SME offices to facilitate and provide necessary information about IP Registration.

He informed that with the assistance of European Union and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), IP registries automation program was being implemented to improve management and service delivery system.

The Director General IPO described the performance and achievements of IPO-Pakistan during its short span of existence and said that massive public awareness has been undertaken for sensitizing the consumers about their legitimate rights to opt for genuine and branded products and services. The IPO has made efforts to curb counterfeiting and piracy with the support of enforcement agencies i.e. Police, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Pakistan Customs.

The DG IPO said that we are in active collaboration with World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); World Trade Organization (WTO) and other international organizations in the related field and special emphasis has been laid on capacity building of IPO officials and stakeholders. He appreciated the valuable contributions of Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPPCI) and Chamber of Commerce and Industry for their support in organizing useful and informative awareness program on IP Rights.

The LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar presenting welcome address, also highlighted the role of Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan in expansion of IP Rights orientation activities in collaboration with stakeholders and assured that the Lahore Chamber of Commerce would extend all possible assistance to involve every segments of society in IP awareness campaign.

The LCCI President said that the scope and importance of IPR cannot be underestimated particularly with reference to safeguarding the interest and future prospects of business community.

Farooq Iftikhar said that there could be no second opinion to this fact that the Intellectual Property (IP) is critical for competitive economy in the backdrop of ongoing globalization. The new concept of IP based nation is gaining ground because it is Intellectual Property which enables technology creation and technology transfer by providing the necessary enabling environment.

During the Seminar, Barrister Asjad Saeed, Co-Convener Standing Committee on IP Rights gave presentation on Balancing goals in the enforcement of IPR, Hassan Irfan Khan delivered on Importance of Trademarks/Copyrights Registration in Business, Farooq Hyder Shaikh Marketing Head of Service Sales Corporation gave presentation on Brand Development and Role of IPRs, Saad Nasrullah Advocate also gave presentation on Patents/Industrial Design and Registration, Dr. Shalla Javaid Akram Founder President Central North Punjab Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CNPWCCI) highlighted the Issues of Patent Infringement in Pharma Sector while. Farooq Amjad Meer deliberated on International Registration of Trademarks.

For more information, contact:
Shahid Khalil
Information Department
Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI)
11-Shahrah-e-Aiwan-e-Tijarat,
Lahore -54000, Pakistan
Tel: +9242 111 222 499
Fax: +92 42 636 8854

Islamabad, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): A delegation of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) led by its President, Mr.Zafar Bakhtawari have a meeting with Mr.Tariq Fazal Chaudhary and congratulated him on winning election from NA-49 Islamabad in recent Elections.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr.Tariq Fazal Chaudhary said that he would make all-out efforts for the development of rural parts of Islamabad as NA-49 consists on 70 percent rural parts of Islamabad and 30 percent urban areas.

He said that his party would launch development projects throughout the country as PML-N leadership had already delivered various development projects to the masses in past and it would continue its struggle to make the country prosperous.

Mr.Zafar Bakhtawari, President ICCI informed the newly elected MNA about various problems faced by business community. He highlighted the problem of balanced rent control because non-existence of a balanced rent law in the federal capital was the main cause of rising rent disputes between tenants and landlords.

ICCI President said political stability is a pre-requisite for economic growth and development of the country in the prevailing global scenario to offset the future fiscal challenges. There should have been plan for practicing good governance for sustaining and maintaining a sound political and socio-economic system in the country, he maintained.

He urged the leaders of all the political parties to help strengthen democratic system in the national interest and said that political stability was a key factor worldwide for economic development and restoring confidence of foreign and local investors.

Mr.Bakhtawari informed Mr.Tariq Fazal Chaudhary that ICCI and CCCI were jointly working for establishing industrial estate on Chakwal Moterway which would bring further prosperity in this area. ICCI President said that business community of Islamabad attached high hopes from newly elected members of National Assembly to help in establishing industrial estate for Potohar region.

He expresses hope that Mr.Tariq Fazal Chaudhary that he would do his best for the development of rural areas of Islamabad as well as further development of urban areas. He said that the business community is optimistic that their problems will be resolved under the new leadership.

For more information, contact:
Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Chamber House, Aiwan-e-Sanat-o-Tijarat Road,
Mauve Area, G-8/1,
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +9251 225 0526 and 225 3145
Fax: +9251 225 2950
Email: icci@brain.net.pk
Website: www.icci.com.pk

Karachi, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has issued a license to the Sahara Insurance Company Limited (SICL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Employees Old-age Benefits Institution (EOBI), to transact non-life insurance business in the country. With continuing emphasis on social insurance, the EOBI decided to incorporate the SICL with the primary objective of providing health insurance coverage to the EOBI pensioners, aged between 60 and 70.

In addition, accidental death and disability coverage will be provided to expatriate Pakistanis working abroad. In case of health insurance the premium will be funded by the Workers Welfare Fund while premiums for accidental death and disability insurance will be paid directly by the expatriate Pakistani labor force to Sahara Insurance Company Limited (SICL).

Following the registration of the SICL, the total number of active non-life insurers has reached 40, while the total number of active insurance companies (life and non-life), including Pakistan Reinsurance Company Limited, now stands at 50.

It is important to note that the last time a license was issued by the SECP to an insurance company was in 2009, and that was to a life insurer. With this move, it is anticipated that the health insurance sector in Pakistan will witness visible growth, while holistically improving insurance penetration and density figures that have remained one of the lowest in the region.

TV Tickers

1. SECP issues license to the Sahara Insurance Company to conduct non-life insurance business

2. Sahara Insurance Company a subsidiary of EOBI will provide health insurance coverage to the EOBI pensioners, aged between 60 and 70.

3. Sahara Insurance Company will provide accidental death and disability coverage to expatriate Pakistanis.

For more information, contact:
Shakil Ahmad Chaudhary
Head, Internal and External Communication
Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP)
NIC Building, 63 Jinnah Avenue, Islamabad
Tel: +9251 921 4005 or 921 4009 (Ext. 378)
Fax: +9251 920 6459
Cell: +92302 855 2254
E-mail: shakil.chaudhary@secp.gov.pk

آرائش حسن کا ابھرتا ہوا عالمی ادارہ کوٹی انکارپوریٹڈ یہ اعلان کرتے ہوئے خوشی محسوس کرتا ہے کہ اس نے کاسمیٹکس کے معروف برازیلی تقسیم کار فراجو انٹرنیشنل کے ساتھ برازیل میں ایک مشترکہ منصوبہ تخلیق کیا ہے۔ نیا منصوبہ کوٹی ے ماس/ماسٹیج برانڈز کو برازیل کے ریٹیل چینل میں تقسیم کرے گا۔

کوٹی انکارپوریٹڈ کے سی ای او جناب مچل اسکیویانی نے کہا کہ “برازیل آرائش حسن کی صنعت کی بڑی مارکیٹوں میں سے ایک ہے۔ فراجو اس حوالے سے اپنے جذبات کو پیش کرنے کے لیے فراجو بہترین شراکت دار ہے۔ مل جل کر ہماری نظریں کلیدی مارکیٹ میں کوٹی برانڈز کو متعارف کروانے پر مرکوز ہوں گی۔”

فراجو کے بانی اور سی ای او فرینک لونڈ نے کہا کہ “کوٹی کے ساتھ اپنی قوتیں مجتمع کرنا اور ان کے تجربے سے فائدہ اٹھانا برازیل میں سرفہرست کاسمیٹک تقسیم کار کی حیثیت سے فراجو کی پوزیشن کو مستحکم کرنے میں ایک اہم قدم ہے۔ کوٹی کا بے مثال برانڈز پورٹ فولیو ہمارے صارفین کو پسند کا زیادہ اختیار دے گا۔”

یہ معاہدہ خطے میں کوٹی کی مارکیٹ تک رسائی کی صلاحیتوں میں اضافہ کرے گا۔ اس وقت کوٹی در در تقسیم کے ماڈل کے ذریعے متعدد برانڈز کو تقسیم کرنے کے لیے برازیل میں ایک تجارتی معاہدہ رکھتا ہے۔ کمپنی خطے میں اپنی پرسٹیج مصنوعات کی نمائندگی کے لیے ایک تقسیم کاربھی رکھتی ہے۔

کوٹی برانڈز کے بارے میں مکمل معلومات کے لیے ملاحظہ کیجیے www.coty.com۔

 کوٹی انکارپوریٹڈ کے بارے میں

کوٹی آرائش حسن کا ابھرتا ہوا رہنما ادارہ ہے جس کی خالص آمدنی 30 جون 2012ء کو ختم ہونے والے مالی سال پر 4.6 ارب ڈالرز تھی۔ 1904ء میں پیرس میں قائم ہونے والا کوٹی ایک خالصتاً پلے بیوٹی کمپنی ہے جو معروف خوشبویات، رنگین کاسمیٹکس اور جلد و جسم کی دیکھ بھال کرنے والی مصنوعات کا پورٹ فولیو رکھتی ہے جو 130 سے زائد ممالک اور خطوں میں فروخت ہوتی ہیں۔ کوٹی کی پیش کردہ مصنوعات میں ایڈیڈاس، کیلون کلائین، کلو، ڈیویڈوف، مارک جیکبز، او پی آئی، فلاسفی، پلے بوائے، ریمل اور سیلی ہینسن جیسے عالمی برانڈز شامل ہیں۔

کوٹی انکارپوریٹڈ کے بارے میں مزید معلومات کے لیے ملاحظہ کیجیے www.coty.com

فراجو کے بارے میں

فراجو برازیل میں کاسمیٹکس کا ایک معروف تقسیم کار ہے، جو ریولون (فارمیسیز کا معروف برانڈ)، فیراری (برازیل میں مردوں کی نمبر ایک خوشبو)، آسٹریلین گولڈ اور آرٹ ڈیکو جیسے خاص برانڈز کی نمائندگی کر رہا ہے۔ 1995ء میں کیمپیناس میں قائم ہونے والا فراجو اس وقت اپنے پورٹ فولیو میں 20 سے زائد برانڈز رکھتا ہے اور برازیل میں 8500 سے زیادہ فروخت کے مقامات کے جامع سیلز نیٹ ورک کا بھی حامل ہے۔

فراجو کے بارے میں مزید جاننے کے لیے www.frajo.com.br ملاحظہ کیجیے۔

NEW YORK, May 22, 2013 /PRNewswire / Asianet-Pakistan – Coty Inc., an emerging leader in global beauty, is pleased to announce that it will form a joint venture in Brazil with Frajo Internacional, a leading Brazilian cosmetics distributor. The new venture will distribute and market Coty mass/masstige brands in the retail channel.

Islamabad, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): Pakistan Meteorological Department predicted the prevailing severe heat wave conditions to continue during the current week.

Spokesman of Pakistan Meteorological Department informed that the prevailing severe heat wave conditions are likely to continue in the plain areas of the country till Friday. The day temperatures are expected to increase 1-3 oC in Punjab and Sindh during next two days.

Scattered dust storm with isolated rain/thundershowers in Islamabad, KP, northern Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir would bring some relief from the current extreme heat during the weekend.

Today’s hottest place was Jaccobabad = 50oC,
Highest temperatures of some other cities are:

Noorpurthal, Sibbi, Bhakker, Larkana = 49oC, Shaheed-Benazirabad, Moenjodaro, Dadu, Padidan, Sukkar, Bahawalnager = 48oC, Islamabad = 41oC, Lahore = 47oC, Karachi = 37oC, Peshawar = 43oC, Quetta = 35oC, Multan = 45oC, Murree = 30oC and Muzaffarabad = 42oC

For more information, contact:
Pakistan Meteorological Department
Sector H-8/2, Islamabad- Pakistan
Tel: +9251 925 0360 -1
Fax: +9251 925 0368
Email: pakmet_islamabad@yahoo.com
Web: http://www.pakmet.com.pk

Lahore, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): Inspector General of Police Punjab, Aftab Sultan has issued transfer/posting orders of 02 police officers.

According to details, Dr. Inam Waheed khan, awaiting posting, is transferred and posted as SSP Headquarters, Punjab Highway Patrol, CPO Punjab, Lahore; whereas, Sardar Ghias Gul Khan, awaiting posting, is transferred and posted as SP VVIP Security Rawalpindi Region, against the existing vacancies, with immediate effect.

For more information, contact:
Punjab Police
5th Floor, Police Headquarters (PHQ),
Punjab, Lahore
Tel: +9242 99213019
Fax: +9242 99213013
Email: adc@punjabpolice.gov.pk

Karachi, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): A Focal Group to monitor presence of Negleria in water supply to Karachi was established in a joint meeting of Caretaker Provincial Minister Health, Commissioner Karachi, Managing Director Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, Senior Dr. Health KMC, Public Health Karachi and Department of Health, Sindh. The focal group would comprise of one focal person from each department responsible for collecting samples from all over the city.

Following the directives, focal persons Deputy Chief Engineer KWSB Azam Khan, Public Health KMC Dr. Aslam Parvaiz, AEEN Sikandar Ali, Dr. Nadeem Shaikh, Deputy Secretary Health and Executive Engineer Liaqat Mughal collected samples from the city with their respective groups.

110 samples collected from throughout the city were tested in the Negleria Monitoring Laboratory and chlorine level was not as per standards in 30 samples. Focal persons would be responsible for collecting samples from all over the city and taking measure to ensure chlorine level in the supply based on lab testing reports. They will submit reports to the head of their respective departments.

These steps are taken to ensure that standard chlorine level is maintained in the water supply to the city. Samples collected from the city would be used to find out the areas where chlorine level is under the standards and maintain it. However, KW and SB has already taken steps to ensure the standard chlorine level in the water supply.

Managing Director KW and SB Misbahuddin Farid directed D.M.D Technical Services to ensure healthy and clean water to the citizens of Karachi and take all preventives measure against Negleria.

Furthermore, all Executive Engineers must be directed to collect samples from tail end areas and submit them to Negelria Monitoring Cell at C.O.D Filter Plant for lab testing. Focal Group would formulate the daily report based on Lab Tests whereas; all departments would take measure in the light of this report.

He also nominated Deputy Chief Engineer Electrical and Mechanical M. Azam Khan as the Focal Person from KW and SB. Information regarding Negleria can be obtained from him on 0345-2291056. All Focal Persons would coordinate with Health Department Sindh and their own respective departments.

MD KW and SB said that we are striving to further raise the quality of water within our limited resources. He said that provision of clean and healthy water to the citizens if our first and far most priority. Water supplied to the citizens is checked for Chlorine level even after supply.

For more information contact:
Karachi Water and Sewerage Board
Mr. Zahid Mehmood
P.S. Chairman Office
Tel: 99240819
Fax-99245136

Islamabad, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): President Asif Ali Zardari today set the tone of warm welcome to Chinese Premier Mr. Li Keqiang by sidestepping protocol in receiving the visiting dignitary at the Islamabad Airport, followed by a tete a tete in the Presidency that was also joined by PML (N) President, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, caretaker Prime Minister, Justice ® Mir Hazar Khan Khoso, Chairman PPP, Mr. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Ms Aseefa Bhutto Zardari.

The President conferred Nishan-e-Pakistan on Mr. Li Keqiang followed by a luncheon banquet that was attended by a galaxy of country’s civil, political and military elite before the Chinese Premier retired to his hotel only to resume a second round of activities in the Presidency in the afternoon.

The immaculately choreographed activities, the participation of leaders of all political parties, the substantive one on one and delegation level talks and the signing of a number of agreements and MoUs including the one pertaining to Pak- China economic corridor in the afternoon highlighted once again that Pak- China relations transcended political divide, said Spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar while talking to the media giving a roundup. He said that the two leaders held wide-ranging discussions on bilateral, regional and international issues.

The Spokesperson said that the President urged the need for improved connectivity between Pakistan and China and the region at large which he said would turn this region into a vibrant trade, energy and economic corridor.

Gawadar project is part of the endeavor to improve connectivity and holds great promise to create a regional economic and trade corridor, the President said and termed the twenty first century as the century of Asia. He emphasized the need for joint efforts by all to realize the shared aspiration for the common good of the people of the region.

The President while warmly welcoming Mr. Keqiang, the Premier of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China on his visit to Pakistan, thanked him for choosing Pakistan as one of his first destination, after becoming Premier which he said demonstrated the depth of time-tested friendship between the two countries.

The President said that Premier Li Keqiang’s visit is taking place at a very significant moment in Pakistan’s history, where for the first time in Pakistan’s history a peaceful, democratic transition is taking place. He also congratulated Mr. Li Keqiang on his appointment as Premier and the Communist Party of China on a successful leadership transition in China.

He expressed confidence that under the wise leadership of President Xi Jinping and Mr. Li Keqiang, the Chinese people will add new chapters to their glorious history and attain the “Chinese dream”.

The President said that Premier Li Keqiang’s visit will mark yet another important step forward in reinforcing the strategic partnership between the two countries and expressed hope that the visit would further strengthen Pak- China strategic ties by opening up new avenues for bilateral cooperation in diverse fields.

The President said that the Government and the people of Pakistan highly value their relations with china which are unparalleled in the contemporary era of inter-state relations. Pak-China historical relationship, characterized by mutual trust, respect and cooperation transcends the governmental level and permeates into the level of the people of the two countries, he said and stressed for more concerted efforts to translate the full potential of this strategic partnership for the mutual benefit of the people of the two countries. The President said that Pakistan enjoys unique relationship with China which is rooted in national consensus and has always been the corner stone of Pakistan’s foreign policy.

The spokesperson said that the President recalled his nine visits to China and said that we are greatly impressed with China’s remarkable growth, its culture, history and its traditions. China’s growing economic power has unleashed positive momentum to take our economic cooperation to new heights, he remarked.

The President said that Pakistan’s geo-strategic location and its trade and economic potential offer great opportunities for the Chinese investors and called upon Chinese business community to take advantage of the enormous opportunities to develop mutually beneficial partnerships.

The President appreciated China’s economic support and assistance to the economic development of Pakistan and thanked the Chinese government for their continued support to the affected people of Atabad Lake and upper Hunza. He sought continued support of the Chinese government for affectees of Atabad Lake and upper Hunza. He also appreciated China’s support to Pakistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.

The Spokesperson said that the President on the occasion also offered his heartfelt condolences on the loss of precious lives in recent earthquake in Sichuan province, China.

During bilateral talks the two leaders agreed to further boost bilateral relations in the fields of economy, trade, investment, agriculture, industry, defence and people to people contacts with special focus on further strengthening economic linkages.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction on the current status of bilateral trade ties and urged the need for more consistent efforts on both sides to boost bilateral trade to US$ 15 billion from the current US$ 12.4 billion in the next two to three years.

The two sides agreed to speed up work on the projects identified under the Five Year Development Programme and also decided to press ahead with the second phase of negotiations on China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement.

The spokesperson said that the meeting decided to start work on the China-Pakistan Agriculture Demonstration Zone and establishing Young Entrepreneurs Forum for this purpose. The two countries have agreed to the holding of annual Pak-China Trade and Investment Forum which will meet alternately in Beijing and Islamabad.

The President said that Pakistan is energy starved country and sought Chinese cooperation to develop hydro, thermal, solar and wind power generation to meet the Pakistan’s growing demand of energy. The President also called for opening more branches of Chinese banks in Pakistan and the operationalization of the currency Swap Arrangement which he said would help bolster trade and business linkages between the two countries.

The President while expressing satisfaction over the working of Pak-China Joint Energy Working Group asked for early holding of the 3rd round of the Joint Energy Working Group (JEWG) and said that Pakistan appreciates the interest of Chinese solar and wind companies to invest in these sectors and take advantage of the available opportunities.

President Zardari expressed hope that the various MoUs and agreements inked between the two countries today in various fields including economy, Science and Technology, Space and Upper Atmosphere communication and energy would give further impetus to the trade and investment ties hence improving the wellbeing of the people of the two countries.

The Spokesperson said that the two leaders shared common concerns on terrorism, separatism and extremism and said that it pose serious threats to regional peace, stability and security. They reiterated their resolve to continue cooperation both at bilateral and multilateral levels in combating these evil forces.

Mr. Li Keqiang said that the government and the people of China recognized and appreciated the huge human and material sacrifices Pakistan had made in the fight against extremism and assured that China will continue to support Pakistan in combating terrorism.

The President said that both China and Pakistan have stood together in upholding the principles of justice, fairness, equity and adherence to UN Charter besides enjoying commonality of view on a wide range of global issues.

Chinese Premier Mr. Li Keqiang thanked the President and government of Pakistan for the warm welcome and hospitality and said that Pakistan was an important country in the region and it has made significant contribution to peace, stability and development of the region and the world at large, adding that Pak- China relationship was an excellent example of countries of different social systems living in amity with each other.

Mr. Li assured that China will continue to firmly support Pakistan in its efforts to uphold independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and achieving national stability and development.

Chinese Premier Mr. Li Keqiang said that he has selected Pakistan for his official visit to show to the international community that China was committed to consolidate its traditional friendship with Pakistan and deepening the strategic cooperation between the two countries, adding that no matter how the international situation may evolve, China-Pakistan will always remain each other’s trustworthy partners and reliable brothers.

Discussing regional situation, the President reiterated Pakistan’s abiding interest in the stability and peace of the region and expressed the resolve to continue supporting every effort aimed at bringing peace and stability to the region. Pakistan believes that China is an important factor of peace and stability in the region, he said and expressed hope that China will continue to play a constructive role in promoting global peace and development.

From Chinese side, the meeting was attended among others by Mr. Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Xu Shaoshi, Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Mr. Gao Hucheng, Minister of Commerce, Mr. Xiao Jie, Deputy Secretary-General of State Council, Mr. Song Tao, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Liu Jian, Ambassador of China to Pakistan.

From Pakistan side, the delegation level meeting was attended among others by Mr. Asadullah Khan Mandokhel, Minister of Communication and Ports and Shipping, Mr. Maqbool H.H. Rahimtoola, Minister of Commerce and Textile Industries, Malik Mohammad Habib Khan, Minister of Interior and Narcotics Control, Dr. Musadik Malik, Minister of Water and Power, Dr. Younis Soomro, Minister of Housing and Works / Minister-in-Waiting, Mr. Shahid Amjad, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance, Mr. M. Salman Faruqui, Secretary General to the President, Spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar , Mr. Jalil Abbas Jilani, Foreign Secretary, federal secretaries Economic affairs division, Finance, Ports and Shipping, Interior, Addl secretary Defence, DG ,Strategic Plans Division and Mr. Masood Khalid, Ambassador of Pakistan to China.

For more information, contact:
Haji Ahmed Malik
Principal Information Officer
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +9251 925 2323 and +9251 925 2324
Fax: +9251 925 2325 and +9251 925 2326
Email: piopid@gmail.com

Islamabad, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): A spokesman of the Office of Auditor General of Pakistan said that taking note of a column published in Daily Jang of 20th May that refers to an alleged telephone talk between an officer of the Pakistan Audit Department and influential persons of the former PPP Government, the Auditor General has requested the Ministry of Interior to investigate the matter forthwith. The column states that a senior reporter of the news daily (Jang) is in possession of this telephone conversation.

Referring to contents of the telephone conversation, the columnist alleges that an officer of the Pakistan Audit Department had offered an illegal gratification of Rs.250 million to an influential lady of the former PPP Government, and that he was further pressurized to arrange an additional amount of Rs. 200 million.

The spokesman said that keeping in view the seriousness of the allegation and the credibility of the columnist and the newspaper, the Auditor General of Pakistan has requested the Ministry of Interior to properly investigate the matter to identify the culprits for initiation of disciplinary action.

The spokesman added that the Auditor General of Pakistan has also informed the Prime Minister about the request for investigation made by him to the Secretary, Ministry of Interior.

For more information, contact:
Haji Ahmed Malik
Principal Information Officer
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +9251 925 2323 and +9251 925 2324
Fax: +9251 925 2325 and +9251 925 2326
Email: piopid@gmail.com

Islamabad, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): President Asif Ali Zardari and President PML (N) Mian Muhammad Nawaz met at the Aiwan-e-Sadr today.

Spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the meeting took place after the luncheon hosted for Chinese Premier Mr. Li Keqiang at the Aiwan e Sadr to which PML (N) President, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had also been invited among other political leaders.

The President congratulated Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on victory in elections and said that he would welcome the new government when it is formed. He also wished good luck to the new government.

The President said that the nation, all political parties and democratic forces of civil society deserve to be complimented for the peaceful democratic transition which, he said was taking place for the first time in the history of the country.

The President thanked Muhammad Nawaz Sharif for accepting the luncheon invitation hosted in honour of the Chinese Premier Mr. Li Keqiang at the Aiwan e Sadr..

The President expressed confidence that after political transition the new government would successfully address the problems and issues facing the country.

The Spokesperson said that overall situation in the country and issues relating to the run-up to transition also came under discussion.

Later, Senator Ishaq Dar and Senator Pervaiz Rasheed also joined the meeting.

For more information, contact:
Haji Ahmed Malik
Principal Information Officer
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +9251 925 2323 and +9251 925 2324
Fax: +9251 925 2325 and +9251 925 2326
Email: piopid@gmail.com

Islamabad, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): Chief of JUI-F, Maulana Fazal ur Rehman called on President Asif Ali Zardari at the Aiwan-e-Sadr today and discussed overall situation in the country.

The meeting took place after the luncheon banquet hosted for Chinese Premier Mr. Li Keqiang at the Presidency to which Chief of JUI-F Maulana Fazal ur Rehman had also been invited among other political leaders.

Spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the President also congratulated Maulana Fazal ur Rehman on victory of JUI-F in elections.

For more information, contact:
Haji Ahmed Malik
Principal Information Officer
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +9251 925 2323 and +9251 925 2324
Fax: +9251 925 2325 and +9251 925 2326
Email: piopid@gmail.com

Srinagar, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, senior APHC leaders including Professor Abdul Ghani Butt and Bilal Ghani Lone have said that India will never be able to force the people of Jammu and Kashmir into submission through repressive and oppressive means.

The senior APHC leaders while addressing a function organized at Haray-Karalpura in Kupwara to pay tributes to prominent Kashmiri leaders, Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Farooq and Khawaja Abdul Ghani Lone reiterated the Kashmiris’ resolve to continue the liberation struggle till complete freedom from the Indian bondage.

The function was organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference.

People on the occasion raised high-pitched pro-freedom slogans. APHC leaders Ghulam Nabi Zaki and Hakeem Abdur Rashid were also among those who spoke on the occasion.

On the other hand, Indian police arrested scores of activists of Peoples Conference to prevent them from attending the function.

Meanwhile, a reference was held in Muzaffarabad under the auspices of APHC, Azad Jammu and Kashmir chapter and Kashmir Liberation Cell to pay homage to Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Farooq Khawaja Abdul Ghani Lone and other Kashmiri martyrs.

The speakers including Syed Yousuf Naseem, Dr Abdul Ali, Sheikh Muhammad Yaqoob, Abdul Hameed Lone, AJK former minister Raja Hanif Awan, Aqeel-ur-Rehman and Deewan Chughtai addressed the condolence reference.

The speakers, stressing the resolution of Kashmir dispute according to the UN resolutions, said that the human rights organizations and the OIC should take notice of the rights’ violations in the occupied territory. They hoped that the new elected government in Pakistan would play due role in settlement of the lingering dispute.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736

Srinagar, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): The Norwegian Parliament is once again raising the Kashmir dispute. A statement posted at the Norwegian Parliament website quoted Knut Arild Hareide, Chairman of Norwegian parliamentary, Kashmir Committee, that the debate is planned in backdrop of withdrawal of major foreign troops from Afghanistan in 2014.

Mr Knut Arild Hareide has submitted an interpolation and now debate is scheduled Thursday, which would focus on the Foreign Minister’s assessment of the regional impacts of the planned withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan

The Executive Director of Kashmiri Scandinavian Council, Ali Shahnawaz Khan, who is also the advisor of the All Parties Norwegian Parliamentary Group on Kashmir, has welcomed the Foreign Minister’s remarks for taking serious note on existence of unidentified mass graves in occupied Kashmir.

It is important to note that the All Parties Norwegian Parliamentary Group on Kashmir has been actively engaged in monitoring the situation in disputed Kashmir for about a decade. The group was first formed in 2000 and Knut Arild Hareide, senior leader of Christen Democratic Party, is currently its Chairman.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736

Srinagar, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): The European Parliament will move a motion on the secret hanging of Muhammad Afzal Guru on Thursday at Strasbourg.

A statement of International Council for Human Rights (ICHR) issued in Brussels said that continuing its advocacy work on the execution of Afzal Guru and its implications in Kashmir, the ICHR with its intense lobbying, persuaded various political groups and a considerable number of members of the European Parliament to introduce a motion for an urgency resolution on his secret hanging.

The motion has now been proposed and it would come up for discussion and vote in the European Parliament’s upcoming plenary session on Thursday, May 23 in Strasbourg.

The ICHR Chairman Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo said the resolution entitled ‘The Execution of Afzal Guru and its implications’ strongly condemns states that still undertake execution while noting that India refused to accept the recommendation of the UN regarding a moratorium on the death penalty that was put forward by many states.

The resolution also notes that Guru was sentenced under the now defunct Prevention of Terrorism Act that was repealed in 2004 as it was widely seen to be open to abuse and in strict violation of numerous human rights treaties to which India is a signatory, and urges the EU uses all its available tools of diplomacy and cooperation with the Government of India for the return of Guru’s body to his wife and family for the decent burial.

The ICHR statement said both the European Commission President Martin Schulz Schulz and Vice President Catherine Ashton condemned the execution.

Barrister Tramboo commended Executive Director of Kashmiri Scandinavian Council Ali Shah Nawaz Khan, who contributed to bring about the proposed Afzal Guru Urgency Resolution. The statement said Ali Shah Nawaz Khan had also worked to persuade the members of the Norwegian Parliament to have an interpolation in the Norwegian Parliament on the Guru hanging on May 23.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736

Srinagar, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, senior APHC leaders including Professor Abdul Ghani Butt and Bilal Ghani Lone have said that India cannot enslave the people of Jammu and Kashmir through use of brute force.

The senior APHC leaders while addressing a gathering at Haray-Karalpura in Kupwara, today, reiterated the Kashmiris’ resolve to continue the liberation struggle till complete freedom from the Indian bondage. The function was organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference to pay tributes to Kashmiri martyrs including Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Farooq and Khawaja Abdul Ghani Lone.

People on the occasion raised high-pitched slogans in favour of freedom. APHC leaders Ghulam Nabi Zaki and Hakeem Abdur Rashid were among those who addressed the gathering.

On the other hand, the authorities continued to place the All Parties Hurriyet Conference Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest on fifth consecutive day, today.

Indian police arrested APHC leader, Zafar Akbar Butt along with a half dozen activists in Pattan, today, to prevent him from going to Handwara to address a public gathering. Police also arrested scores of activists of Peoples Conference to prevent them from attending the function.

The veteran Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani in a statement urged world human rights bodies including Amnesty International to play role for release of Hurriyet leaders and activists including Masarrat Aalam Butt, Mir Hafeez Ullah, Mohammad Rafique Ganai, Mushtaq-ul-Islam and Mohammad Yasin Yatto. These leaders, he added, continue to remain in jails in violation of court orders.

In Muzaffarabad, the APHC AJK Chapter leaders including Syed Yousuf Naseem, Dr Abdul Aala, Sheikh Muhammad Yaqoob, Abdul Hameed Lone, former AJK Minister Raja Hanif and Shaikh Aqeelur Rehman addressing a seminar eulogised the services of Moulvi Muhammad Farooq and Khawaja Abdul Ghani Lone towards the Kashmir cause.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736

Srinagar, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, APHC leader and Chairman of National Front, Nayeem Ahmad Khan was produced before a local court in Srinagar in connection with a false case registered by Karan Nager Police Station against him under the so-called Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Nayeem Khan’s Counsel Mushtaq Ahmad Dar contended that Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, under which Hurriyet leader has been booked, is not applicable to Jammu and Kashmir.

“In view of the Jammu and Kashmir Extension Laws Act, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act has no application as this law was required to be applied to the state of Jammu and Kashmir in due course of law which has not been done (Sic),” Dar argued. He also argued that the authorities have no strong grounds available on record for framing charges against the accused.

He submitted that on May 20 (Monday), the High Court of occupied Kashmir quashed the detention order under black law Public Safety Act against Khan, which the District Magistrate Srinagar had passed on September 30, 2011 and keeping in view this development, the trial court should hear the arguments in the case.

APHC leader, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, who is presently lodged in Kot Balwal jail Jammu, was produced before the court of Sub-Judge, Passenger Tax. After partly hearing the arguments in the case, the court directed to produce Khan again on Wednesday.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736

Srinagar, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, the veteran Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani has expressed serious concern over the continued detention of political leaders and urged international bodies including Amnesty International to play role for their immediate release.

Syed Ali Gilani in a statement issued in Srinagar said that several Hurriyet leaders and activists including Masarrat Aalam Butt, Mir Hafiz Ullah, Mohammad Rafiq Gania, Muneer Ahmad Khan, Mushtaq-ul-Islam, Nasir Abdullah, Shakir Ahmad, Shakeel Ahmad Butt, Hilal Ahmad Pal, Zubair Ahmad and Mohammad Yasin Yatto continued to remain in jails despite court orders for their release.

After every court order for their release they are slapped PSA, he deplored.

“The Kashmiri detainees in jails are subjected to political reprisal and harassment. They are tortured, provided substandard food and denied proper medical aid and are not presented before courts for trial on the dates of hearing to prolong their detention,” he said.

The veteran leader said that the detention of the leaders was in violation of the fundamental rights.

“No political space is provided to pro-freedom political leaders. The authorities have imposed unannounced restrictions over the activities of political parties and their activities are virtually banned,” he complained.

Meanwhile, Syed Ali Gilani while paying glorious tributes to 72 martyrs of Hawal who were brutally killed by Indian forces on 21st May in 1990, said, “It was a nightmare. Forces killed 72 mourners by firing upon Mirwaiz Farooq’s funeral procession at Hawal Chowk.”

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736

Srinagar, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, the authorities have denied information to a human rights activist about people detained under the black law, Public Safety Act (PSA).A human rights activist, Dr Sheikh Ghulam Rasool had filed an application under Right to Information Act (RTA) and sought information about the number of persons detained under PSA since January 1989 till December 2012, their names, ages and addresses.

Rasool had also sought the details of the youth below 17 years of age, booked under PSA in Kashmir during the past 10 years.

The RTI activist had also sought information about people imprisoned outside Kashmir jails and reasons of shifting them to outside jails.

However, the authorities denied him information. He said that the Kashmiri youth under 17 years of age detained under PSA were being kept in jails with criminals.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736

Karachi, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): Auction of Pakistan Investment Bonds for 3, 5, 10, and 20 years maturity was held on May 22, 2013 with coupon rates as 11.25%, 11.50%, 12.00%, and 13.00% for 3, 5, 10 and 20 years maturity respectively and settlement date of May 23, 2013. The bid summary for 3, 5, 10 and 20 Years maturity is as following;

                                                                                                    (Amount in PKR million)
Tenor             Face Value    Realized Amount     Accrued Interest      Total Realized Amount     Price Range (per Rs.100)
03 Years          50,380.000      51,394.511          1,925.482                53,319.993             102.53 – 101.38
05 Years          20,300.000      20,983.560            793.090                21,776.650             103.95 - 102.10
10 Years          21,000.500      21,982.810            856.130                22,838.940             105.95 – 102.76
20 Years            NO BIDS RECEIVED
Total             91,680.500      94,360.881          3,574.702                97,935.583

Out of the above bids, the accepted bids were as under:
                                                                                                               (Amount in PKR million)
Tenor              Face Value          Realized           Accrued               Total              Cut-off Price       Cut-off Yield     Effective
                                       Amount             Interest              Realized           (per Rs.100)         (YTM)            Weighted             
                                                                                Amount                                   %p.a.       Average Yield %p.a.
03 Years          15,650.000          16,013.375          598.130              16,611.505            102.25             10.0484          10.0111
05 Years          10,050.000          10,417.800          392.638              10,810.438            103.48             10.4373          10.3843
10 Years           8,975.500           9,445.515          365.905               9,811.421            105.06             11.0997          11.0696
20 Years            NO BIDS RECEIVED
Total             34,675.500          35,876.690        1,356.673              37,233.364

For more information, contact:
Syed Wasimuddin
Chief Spokesman
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)
Tel: +9221 3921 2562
Fax: +9221 3921 2563
Email: syed.wasimuddin@sbp.org.pk

Srinagar, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, the All Parties Hurriyet Conference Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has denounced the Indian authorities for using brute force to prevent peaceful programmes in connection with Martyrs’ Week, terming it as reflection of dictatorial mindset.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who is under house arrest for the last five days, in a statement in Srinagar deplored that the Kashmiri youth were subjected to severe torture through use of brute force in Srinagar and other parts of the territory. Several youth were injured when police resorted to pellete guns against the youth, he added.

The Mirwaiz was scheduled to attend a function in Hindwara that was organized by the Peoples Conference to pay tributes to Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Farooq and Khawaja Abdul Ghani Lone. However, the authorities did not allow him to attend the function by keeping him under house arrest for the fifth consecutive day, today.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736

Karachi, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and A.F. Ferguson and Co. (PwC) today signed a landmark agreement for BPR and COSO implementation at National Bank of Pakistan Head Office.NBP President, Dr. Asif A. Brohi in his message on this signing ceremony said, “NBP is committed to achieve the leadership position in the industry by adopting International best practices and ensuring consistent compliance with regulatory requirements”.

He also said, “NBP believes in business growth and excellence through robust infrastructure, technology and operational support aimed at improving internal and external customer satisfaction”. Highlighting the objective, Dr Brohi said, “The project is aimed at incorporating the operating model into NBP’s business processes and core systems and achieve operational effectiveness and efficiency.Implementing the project will eventually provide a platform for achievement of the Bank’s strategic objectives through a phased process of institutional capacity building”.

“This message contains confidential and / or privileged material intended solely for the addressee(s) and any file(s) transmitted with it (attached and /or inserted within the main-body) are intended solely for the use of the individual(s) or entity to which they are addressed.

If you are not the intended recipient of this email then please delete it without copying, distributing or disseminating the contents of the same. If you are not an addressee, please inform the sender immediately and destroy this e-mail. Do not copy, use or disclose this e-mail or any information contained herein.

National Bank of Pakistan, takes reasonable precautions to ensure viruses or other computer threats are not present in this message, however, National Bank of Pakistan , accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email or other computer threats and it is the sole responsibility of the recipient to ensure that the message or attachment(s) are free of the same.”

For more information, contact:
Ali Ahmed Zaib
National Bank of Pakistan
Marketing PR and Media Department
Head Office, I.I. Chundrigar Road, Karachi.
Tel: 021-99213113
Fax: 021-99212734
Cell: 0300-2015052

Karachi, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): KMC Administrator Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi has directed Electrical and Mechanical Department to carry out installation work of solar powered lights and LED lights on all big roads and corridors of the city on preferential basis so that non-stop electricity during load shedding in any area could be provided on important roads, corridors and intersections and citizens would not have to face any difficulty in night times.

He said that LED lights on newly constructed Jinnah Terminal Flyover were being installed therefore complete survey of big roads and corridors in different areas should be conducted and condition of street lights should be reviewed there as well and repair street lights which were out of order and take measures to light up them with solar powered and LED lights in future.

Administrator Karachi said that Karachi was a big and international city therefore along with developing its road infrastructure usage of latest technology was necessary. Citizens due to unavailability of electricity have to face difficulty in traveling whereas possibilities of street crimes and incidents were more in such situation.

Policy for saving energy and usage of energy alternate was being adopted in whole world which gave best results therefore we would also have to find out sources to deal with energy crisis like other developed cities of the world in which solar powered lights were on top of the list especially this method of lighting up street lights proved to be admirable. Time has come that we should avail from experiments of modern world and make our city the city of lights again.

Administrator Karachi said that usage of solar powered lights in organization should be enhanced and solar powered lights along with corridors should be installed in parks and play grounds.

He said that Karachi was our city and it was our responsibility to reinstate its lights along with development.

He directed to install solar powered lights on important corridors and parks. Administrator Karachi directed officers to review the usage of electricity in KMC offices and if any wastage of electricity was found then stop it immediately so that energy could be saved.

He said meetings to review pace of works and lighting up of buildings, play grounds and parks under KMC should be held because it was an important and serious issue of the city.

For more information, contact:
Administrator Secretariat
Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC)
City District Government Complex, 1st Floor, Civic Centre,
Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi
Tel: +9221 9923 2400 -01
Fax: +9221 9923 2406
Email: administrator@karachicity.gov.pk

Lahore, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): Pakistan Cricket Board is holding Trial Matches of U-19 players at Diamond Cricket Ground, Islamabad from 26th May to 01st June 2013 to select the squad for upcoming U-19 Events.

The National Selection Committee has selected 74 players to appear in these trial matches based on their performance during the various PCB U-19 Tournaments. The selected players have been distributed into 6 different teams as per following schedule:

25th and 26th May 2013: (Trial Matches between Team 1 and 2)

Team 1: Babar Azam, Sami Aslam, Farhan Nazir, Imam ul Haq, Ameer Hamza, Zia ul Haq, Mohammad Aftab, Muhammad Asif, Awais Muni (Lahore), Zeeshan Amin, Murtaza Ali, Ali Israr (Multan)

Team 2: Hussain Talaat, Fahad Usman, Faraz Mir, Ayaz ur Rehman, Haider Ali (Lahore), Nauman Butt (Faisalabad), Sikandar Khan, Muhammad Imran (Multan), Waqas Ali, Nauman Anwar, Osama Mir, Usman Malik (Sialkot)

27th and 28th May 2013: (Trial Matches between Team 3 and 4)

Team 3: Aqib Shah, Hassan Raza, Mir Waiz, Syed Abid Hassan (Rawalpindi), Nisar Afridi, Muhammad Hanif, Matiullah, Pir Bilal Shah (Peshawar), Farmanullah Khan, Muhammad Umair (Islamabad), Irfanullah (Abbottabad), Zafar Gohar (Lahore)

Team 4:Khalid Kail, Kamran Ghulam, Syed Sami ur Rehman, Muhammad Waqas, Walid Jalil (Abbottabad), Laeeq Khan, Zameer Abbasi (Islamabad), Taimur Khan, Ali Raza, Syed Taufeeq Shah (Rawalpindi), Salman Saeed (Peshawar), Shahab ul Khan (Faisalabad)

29th and 30th May 2013: (Trial Matches between Team 5 and 6)

Team 5: Rafay Ahmed, Malik Zeeshan Akram, Waqas Gujjar, Tauqeer Riasat (Bahawalpur), Saeed Khan, Zain Ullah (Quetta),Umair Ahmad, Saif Ullah Khan, Arshad Khan, Tabraiz Dyer, Sheraz Hussain, Muhammad Waqas (Karachi), Muhammad Waqas(Hyderabad)

Team 6:Abdul Sami (Hyderabad), Tanvir Ali, Noor Wali, Saud Shakil, Kalim Ullah Khan, Moazzam Malik (Karachi), Usman Ali, Nauman Akram (Bahawalpur), Jamal Khan, Hammal Wahab, Nizamuddin, Saghir Ahmed, Ghulam Muhammad (Quetta)

The final trials will be held on 31st May and 01st June 2013 at the same venue.

For more information, contact:
Nadeem Sarwar
Media Manager
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
Tel: +9242 571 7231 -4
Fax: +9242 571 1860

Islamabad, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): His Excellency Mr. Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China arrived this morning on a two-day visit to Pakistan. He was received by both the President and the Prime Minister on arrival at Nur Khan Airbase Chaklala.

The Chinese Premier was given a very warm welcome as his plane entered Pakistan air space with a special escort of six JF-17 aircraft of Pakistan Air Force. This thunder aircraft is joint production of Pakistan and China. The Prime Minister was given the highest protocol on arrival with a 21-gun salute and guard of honor with a fly-past by JF-17 thunder formation.

The President hosted a luncheon in honor of visiting dignitary and accompanying delegation at the Aiwan-e-Sadr. It was preceded by the conferment on Premier Li the highest Pakistani Civil Award of Nishan-e-Pakistan.

The investiture ceremony was attended by the members of Premier Li’s accompanying delegation, high-level Pakistani dignitaries, leaders of major political parties, Services Chiefs, diplomatic corps and a cross section of Pakistani society.

The investiture ceremony and the luncheon hosted by the President was also attended by President PML(N), Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif.

The two sides held formal talks in the afternoon. The President accompanied by the Prime Minister of Pakistan led Pakistan delegation where the entire gamut of Pakistan – China relations was reviewed focusing on the way forward to accelerate and enhance the ongoing bilateral strategic ties.

A total of 11 agreements were signed between China and Pakistan namely MoU on Maritime Cooperation, Agreement on Boundry Management, Agreement on Border Ports, MoU on Cooperation for Long Term Plan on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation, handing over certificate of Seismograph Network, MoU on Cooperation in Marine Science and Technology, Agreement for Cooperation in field of Satellite Navigation, Agreement on Establishment of Confucious Institute at Karachi University, Annual Blister Purchase Contract, and Greige Fabric Contract.

Separately the visiting Chinese high powered business delegation signed procurement agreements worth 450 million dollars to help Pakistan business to utilize the tremendous potential of China. The agreements were signed between Chinese companies SDIC Trade, CTEC, Sinopharm, Sino Steel Raw Materials, Sino Fiber and Sinochem and Pakistani companies JNTC, Brother Resources, Texchain, Sea Trade, Aideen and UGI.

The Prime Minister hosted a banquet at Serena Hotel in honor of Premier Li which was attended by leading Pakistani dignitaries, diplomatic corps and leaders of main political parties. The leaders of political parties also had a separate interaction with the visiting dignitary prior to the banquet.

Premier Li will have a busy schedule tomorrow which includes an address to the Senate of Pakistan, meeting with President PML(N), Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, joint call by the Services Chiefs and a visit to the Pakistan – China Friendship Center. The visiting dignitary will also plant a tree at Shakarparian.

The visit of Premier Li Keqiang has provided further impetus to the strong all-weather and time tested friendship that the two neighbors, Pakistan and China, have enjoyed over the last many decades.

For more information, contact:
Mr. Aizaz Ahmad Ch
Spokesman
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Government of Pakistan
Tell: 051-9205494
Fax: 051-9204202
Cell: 0336-5644459

Srinagar, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, Indian police have arrested APHC leader, Zafar Akbar Butt along with a half dozen activists in Pattan, today. Zafar Akbar Butt was on his way to Handwara to commemorate the anniversaries of prominent liberation leaders, Khawaja Abdul Ghani Lone and Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Farooq in Handwara, today. The function was organized by the Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference and Senior APHC leader, Bilal Ghani Lone.

On the other hand, the authorities continued to place the All Parties Hurriyet Conference Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest on fifth consecutive day, today. The APHC Chairman was scheduled to attend the function in Handwara.

The APHC spokesman in a statement in Srinagar while condemning the arrest of Hurriyet leaders described it as the worst kind of violation of human rights. He appealed to the international human rights organisations to take cognisance of the current situation of the occupied territory and restrictions on the movement of Hurriyet leaders.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736

Srinagar, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): The Amnesty International in India has called upon New Delhi to take practical measures to address the scourge of unlawful killings and excessive use of force by its army and paramilitary forces, a statement cautiously welcomed by the pro-freedom leaders in occupied Kashmir as the Amnesty-India chapter avoided naming the victim territory as a direct reference.

welcoming the final report of the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, G. Ananthapadmanabhan, Executive Director of Amnesty International in India in a statement in Bangalore said, “Amnesty International is greatly concerned by the general absence of accountability and a broader culture of impunity prevailing in India in relation to extrajudicial executions and other human rights violations.”

We hope that the Indian authorities will implement the Special Rapporteur’s recommendations without delay and continue engaging with UN Special Procedures,” he added.

In particular the Amnesty International echoes the Special Rapporteur’s call for India to establish a “credible commission of inquiry” to look into instances of extrajudicial executions.

India is also obligated under its national laws and international human rights commitments to ensure that no person is deprived of life or personal liberty except in accordance with the law,” Ananthapadmanabhan added.

According to the Special Rapporteur most of the unlawful killings in India occur as a result of the excessive use of force by the security forces, attacks by various armed groups, and killings of vulnerable persons

The Special Rapporteur also expressed concern about fake encounters or staged extrajudicial killings. The Special Rapporteur said he had received several submissions accusing central armed police forces, and the armed forces of engaging in such practice.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736

Karachi, May 22, 2013 (PPI-OT): Karachi Water and Sewerage Board is a public service institution responsible for supply water and sewerage facilities to the citizens of Karachi. Any complaint received by any means must be entertained immediately, said Managing Director Karachi Water and Sewerage Board.

Directing senior KW and SB officers to improve quality of services in the light of complaints received. He said that complainants complete details such as name, address, phone number should be noted down, whereas complaint registers must be available at the offices of all Executive Engineers.

Complaints must also be noted down in the complainants’ respective area and Executive engineer receiving the complaint would be responsible for resolving the complaint. Complaints must be resolved without any prejudice within 3 days. Complainants must also be updated about the status of their complaints.

Furthermore, M.D KW and SB directed that if any XEN is unable to resolve the complaint due to any reason they must report back to Deputy Managing Director Technical Services and inform him about the issue. He directed that special attention must be given to sewerage overflow complaints and all such complaints must be resolved on priority basis.

He directed that complaints must be monitored to improve consumer complaint system to ensure better provision of services to the citizens of Karachi. He strictly directed to carry out the directives immediately any negligence in this regard would not be tolerated and action would be taken.

He said that it is our responsibility to ensure provision of quality services to the citizens of Karachi. Despite limited resources water should be supplied with justices and without any prejudice especially during summers.

Officers must conduct field visits as a part of their routine. Water and sewerage system must be improved to ensure provision of facilities to the tail-end consumers, he added.

For more information contact:
Karachi Water and Sewerage Board
Mr. Zahid Mehmood
P.S. Chairman Office
Tel: 99240819
Fax-99245136

The contract includes engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of two data centres in Abu Dhabi and Dubai built to green building regulations and environmentally sustainable goals of energy efficiency.

The Abu Dhabi facility will be located on a 40,000 square meters site and the Dubai facility on a 34,000 square meters site. In the first phase each site will include 2,400 square meters white space area, with the capacity to expand as demand grows. Scheduled to be completed by December 2013, the centers are designed to be the largest data centres in the UAE occupying an area of 13,000 square meters.

Saeed Basweidan, CEO of Khazna, commented: “We realize the importance of technological advancement and reliability in meeting customer needs. Introducing the largest facilities in the UAE and the region will help us position ourselves as a key provider of whole-sale space.”

Jürgen Wild, CEO of M+W Group, added: “We are pleased to be selected by Khazna Data Center Limited as their EPC-partner for the largest datacenter currently being built in the Middle East using our global project experience.”

The project is part of Khazna Data Center’s strategy to venture into the whole-sale data centre-services market. Each data centre comprises of 6 independent data centre modules (PODs), and provides Tier 3+ availability standards, based on international rating standards.

About M+W Group (www.mwgroup.net): M+W Group is the leading global engineering, construction and project management company in the fields of Advanced Technology Facilities, Life Science & Chemicals, Energy & Environment Technologies and High-Tech Infrastructure. From concept development to turnkey services the company manages projects of all sizes ensuring rapid realization, high quality standards and cost-effective completion. With its competence to link process and automation technologies and complex facilities to integrated solutions M+W Group primarily focuses on leading companies in the fields of electronics, photovoltaics, life science, chemicals, energy, automotive, security, IT and communication, as well as research institutes and universities. M+W Group GmbH is the holding company with headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. In 2012 the company generated an order intake of 3.58 billion euros and revenues of 2.38 billion euros with 7,700 employees. In 2012 M+W Group also celebrated its 100^th anniversary.

M+W Group is owned by the Austrian Stumpf Group that is globally successful in the areas of High-Tech Engineering, Smart & Renewable Energy, Real Estate and Technology Investments.

About Commodore Contracting (www.commodore-contracting.com): Commodore Contracting Co L.L.C. is one of the leading construction companies in the region founded in Abu Dhabi. Since more than 3 decades any kind of buildings have been turnkey completed across U.A.E and Qatar comprising flagship tower buildings, complete villa compounds, ministry buildings, hotels, hospitals and industrial buildings. The Commodore group of companies provides individual building solutions by dedicated business units like Commodore Steel, Commodore Aluminium, Commodore MEP, Commodore Cement and Abaad Wood.

Press contact Abu Dhabi:
Herbert Radlinger
Phone: +971 (0)2613-7111
herbert.radlinger@mwgroup.net

Press contact global:
Michael Gemeinhardt (Germany)
Phone: +49 711 8804-1420
michael.gemeinhardt@mwgroup.net

Islamabad, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): Director General Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation Samina Pervaiz says she wants Radio Pakistan to be the number one Radio channel of Asia.

Addressing a function of CBA Union of Radio Pakistan in Islamabad this afternoon‚ she said Radio Pakistan was and is a vibrant institution and efforts should be made to improve it.

The Director General urged all the departments of PBC to improve their performance to attract more and more listeners.

She said Radio Pakistan is like a family and it should act like a family.

She assured the employees of her full cooperation to resolve their problems on priority basis.

Secretary General CBA Union of Radio Pakistan Muhammad Ijaz congratulated the Director General for assuming the charge as first woman head of the Institution.

For more information, contact:
Zafar Iqbal Mughal
Spokesman PBC
Radio Pakistan
Tel: +9251 9219439
Mobile: +92301 5088234
Email: spokesman@radio.gov.pk

Islamabad, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): A world of peace and solidarity can only be accomplished by acknowledging and celebrating our diversity. On this day, and throughout our lives, let us take steps – small and large, with families and friends, old and new – that will strengthen bonds, deepen our understanding of the value of cultural diversity and help us to live together better,” Ban Ki Moon, the UN Secretary General in his electronic message has said, to mark this year’s observance of the World Day for Cultural Diversity.

The UN system in Pakistan led by UNESCO, United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office and UN Women are partnering with a group of civil society representatives from specific backgrounds to promote awareness and education on the tolerance, equality, inclusion and dialogue in a special event that draws lessons from recent national happenings.

At a dialogue held in partnership with the National University of Science Technology (NUST) and their students; a diverse group of discussants comprising students, faculty members from universities across the city, human rights defenders, media representatives, members from religious-ethnic-disability and sexual minority groups and the UN, to share their experiences on issues related to equality, participation and inclusion, from May 11th national elections.

Highlighting the critical importance of the day, Kozue Kay Nagata, Director/Representative UNESCO Pakistan asserted, “The objective is to educate students to be able to defend against what is seen as a commodification – considered harmful to a disadvantaged culture — supporting its development through promotion operations as protecting human rights of minorities.”

Further elaborating upon her point further, Neill Wright (UNHCR), Officer-In-Charge Resident Coordinator of ONE UN in Pakistan mentioned that for the UN in Pakistan, harnessing the gains of interaction with and amongst diverse groups to boost shared goals of social cohesion and the improvement of the quality of life of every individual is a crucial priority.

The panel discussion encompassed the stocktaking from different minority groups as reflection on recent elections and had representatives such as; Veeru Kohli, a contestant in Recent elections from Secluded Hindu minority, Romana Bashir, consultant of ‘Council for Inter-religious Dialogue’ for Pope Benedict, Awais Ali representative from Disable Persons organization STEP, Almas Bobby, Representative of Transgender community in Pakistan and Aamina Qadir from UNWOMEN. The interactive panel discussion let students learn from panelists regarding the issues of cultural minorities in Pakistan.

Further to the adoption of UNESCO’s Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity in November 2001, the General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed 21 May as World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (Resolution 57/249 to highlight the importance of the values of equality, social justice, peace and solidarity.

The campaign calls on all people – from youth to policy-makers, from religious leaders to journalists, entrepreneurs and others who shape opinions and trends – to speak up for the spiritual, social and economic wealth we derive from cultural diversity.

For more information, contact:
Ms. Ishrat Rizvi
National Information Officer
United Nations Information Centre (UNIC)
Islamabad
Tel: +9251 835 5720
Cell: +92300 855 3790
Email: ishrat.rizvi@unic.org

Karachi, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): SSGC’s management has rescheduled the CNG Closure program for current week and decided to close the gas supply to all CNG stations in Sindh region from Thursday 23 May 2013 for 48 hours Instead of Friday 24 May 2013 as announced earlier.

This step is been taken due to short supply of gas from different fields. Now the CNG stations will remain closed from 8 am on Thursday 23 May 2013 till 8 am on Saturday 25 May 2013.

For more information, contact:
Inayatullah Ismail
Deputy Chief Manager
Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC)
Corporate Communication Department (Media Relations)
Tel: +9221 9902 1773
Cell: +92322 222 5159
Fax: +9221 9923 1662
Email: inayatullah@ssgc.com.pk

Islamabad, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): The Government and people of Pakistan are deeply saddened and shocked at the humanitarian tragedy unleashed on the Oklahoma State by a devastating tornado.

Our sympathies and prayers go out to the families of victims of this horrific incident that led to precious loss of life and property. We are particularly grieved over the loss of innocent children and their teachers who were buried under the rubble.

May God Almighty give courage and strength to the bereaved families to bear this irreparable loss. The people of Pakistan stand hand in hand with the people of Oklahoma at this difficult time.

For more information, contact:
Mr. Aizaz Ahmad Ch
Spokesman
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Government of Pakistan
Tell: 051-9205494
Fax: 051-9204202
Cell: 0336-5644459

Islamabad, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) is being celebrated on May 22. This year’s theme of the Day is “Water and Biodiversity”.

Water is essential for life. No living being on planet Earth can survive without it. It is a prerequisite for human health and well-being as well as for the preservation of the environment.

The theme Water and Biodiversity was chosen to coincide with the United Nations designation of 2013 as the International Year of Water Cooperation. Designation of IDB 2013 on the theme of water provides Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the public at large the opportunity to raise awareness about this vital issue, and to increase positive action. Coincidently, the period 2005-2015 is the International Decade for Action ‘WATER FOR LIFE’.

IDB is celebrated all over the world to highlight the significance of Biodiversity conservation and importance of biodiversity in ecosystem. IDB symbolizes and highlights that nations throughout the world cooperate to halt and reverse the accelerating loss of biological and genetic resources of the planet earth. It gives an opportunity to all to join hands and talk about the existing and emerging problems caused by biodiversity loss and prospects of biodiversity conservation.

Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), Pakistan Museum of Natural History (PMNH) and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) have jointly chalked out a series of events at PMNH, Garden Avenue, Shakarparian, Islamabad, to celebrate IDB in an effective way for creating awareness among the masses and students about the significance of Biodiversity.

The celebration programme activities include a Symposium on Biodiversity, Speech Competition, Nature Photography and Painting Competitions among students from twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Inaugural ceremony of the celebration will be held at PMNH at 9:30am and PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Rai Niaz Ahmad will be the chief guest.

Students and other visitors will be apprised of significance of the Biodiversity and various threats to it including pollution, deforestation, over-hunting, overgrazing, over-fishing, water logging, salinity and desertification.

For more information, contact:
Pakistan Science Foundation
1-Constitution Avenue,
Sector G-5/2, Islamabad
Pakistan
Tel: + 92 51 9202469-70
Fax: + 92 51 9202468

Islamabad, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): His Excellency Mr. Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China will be paying an official visit to Pakistan from 22-23 May 2013. High Level visits are the hallmark of Pak-China bilateral relations.

Former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Pakistan in December 2010. Mr. Li Changchun, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC visited Pakistan in October 2012 and Chinese Foreign Minister Mr. Yang Jiechi, who is now State Councilor, visited Pakistan in May 2012. A number of high level visits including that of the President and the Prime Ministers have taken place from Pakistan side in the last few years.

It is the first visit of Premier Li Keqiang to Pakistan after becoming the Premier of the People’s Republic of China. The visit takes place immediately after the democratic elections in Pakistan. It will provide an opportunity to Premier Li to meet the new political leadership in Pakistan. Premier Li Keqiang’s visit will also provide further impetus to our strategic cooperation. The friendly ties and the friendship with China is the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy.

The Chinese Premier will be accompanied by a high powered delegation which includes Foreign Minister Mr. Wang Yi, Mr. Gao Hucheng, Minister for Commerce and Mr. Xu Shaoshi, Chairman of National Development Reform Commission, high ranking officials and leaders of corporate sector. After his arrival on 22nd May, the Chinese Premier will meet President Asif Ali Zardari who will host a luncheon for him at the Presidency.

The Chinese Premier will hold talks with the President and the Prime Minister after which there will be a joint press stakeout. The Prime Minister will host a banquet for the Chinese Premier in the evening. The Chinese Premier will also be conferred upon the highest award of Nishan-e-Pakistan.

Besides having bilateral meetings with the President and the Prime Minister, Premier Li Keqiang will hold a joint meeting with the Chairman Senate and Speaker National Assembly and also address the Senate of Pakistan. Leaders of the political parties will also meet the Chinese Premier.

On 23rd May, President of Pakistan Muslim League (N), Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif will call on him. Premier Li Keqiang will also visit the Pakistan-China friendship Centre along-with the Prime Minister of Pakistan and meet with Pakistani friends who have played a role in promoting Pakistan-China relations. He will also plant a tree at Shakarparian.

Pakistan and China are “all weather” friends. Their traditional and friendly cooperative ties are based on shared principles and mutual interests entailing cooperation in diverse fields. Both countries hold identical views on important world issues and cooperate at international forums. At the popular level in both countries, there is strong resonance of the long and rich history of close and cordial ties.

Economic cooperation between Pakistan and China has expanded significantly in recent years. The bilateral trade between Pakistan and China in 2012 crossed the figure of US$ 12 billion for the first time. Both sides are committed to achieve a trade target of US$ 15 billion in the next two-three years.

Several major energy and infrastructure development projects are being executed in Pakistan with Chinese assistance. More than 120 Chinese companies are engaged in economic activity in Pakistan and Chinese investment reached the figure of US $ 2 billion by 2012.

Many important Agreements and MoUs in the fields of economy, Science and Technology, Space and Upper Atmosphere communication and energy would be signed during the visit of the Chinese Premier. All these and other agreements are aimed at further strengthening our bilateral relations and improving the well being of the two people.

Premier Li Keqiang’s visit will mark yet another important step forward in reinforcing the strategic partnership between the two countries and open up new avenues for bilateral cooperation.

For more information, contact:
Mr. Aizaz Ahmad Ch
Spokesman
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Government of Pakistan
Tell: 051-9205494
Fax: 051-9204202
Cell: 0336-5644459

Islamabad, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): Executive Director National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) Rashid Bashir Mazari has said that Foreign Countries are going to clamp down on Un-Accredited, Un-Licensed and Un-Certified Labour by 2015. At Present this is the big Challenge to NAVTTC and TEVTAs to make the whole workforce accredited, licensed and certified.

NAVTTC is trying to create uniformity in the systems and procedures so the workforce produced in all vocations across Pakistan can develop core competencies in accordance with minimum International Acceptable Standards, the Executive director said.

Our youth is our priority, we want to divert the talent into constructive and productive activities before they fall prey to the destructive elements of terrorism, crime and aggression. Our priority areas are the most poor and backward so we can uplift the lives of people in these areas; he said this while opening the One Day Orientation Session for Assessors and Experts regarding accreditation process of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutes all over the country.

He said that remittances are the backbone of our economy but the challenge to NAVTTC are that UAE, Saudi Arabia, EU and other countries are not going to employ uncertified, unlicensed and unaccredited workforce from 2015 onwards.

Our Workforce is underpaid and underemployed in foreign countries. We want our workforce to get same minimum wages per hour like Sri Lankan or Philippines. Our slogan is skills for employability, skills for all.

We want to convert supply driven, outdated, in-competent TEVT Institutes into competent, demand driven up to the minimum acceptable International Standards. Therefore Accreditation is the only solution to create world class workforce.

Rashid Bashir Mazari has said that the objectives of this workshop are to Acquaint, Apprise and Explain our Accreditation System and procedures to our Experts and to build their Capacity in order to perform Trustworthy on site visits, knowing Competency Based Evaluation Criteria and applying it for compilation of Reliable Assessment Reports.

In this one day orientation session Accreditation Wing of NAVTTC apprised the participants about the procedures and system of accreditation as per Accreditation Manual of NAVTTC, Role of Assessors/Technical Experts in the accreditation process, How to conduct assessment/on-Site visit , Code of conduct during the visit, a practical activity to demonstrate your analytical skills, ToRs for Assessors/Technical Experts, Signing of Contract with NAVTTC and benefits for our Assessors/Experts and Discussions, Question and Answer sessions and experience sharing by our experts and team.

He said that this orientation session of Assessors and Technical Experts will help in enhancing the participants’ knowledge of Accreditation; create clarity about Accreditation process as per NAVTTC’s Accreditation Manual particularly conducting on-site visits.

It will develop a better understanding of the basic principles for Quality Evaluation and Reliable Assessment and at the end this session will motivate you to join NAVTTC’s pool of Experts. Earlier Executive Director NAVTTC in his opening speech, first of all, formally welcomed all the participants to this all-inclusive Orientation Session and Exhaustive Activity on Accreditation of TEVT Institutes and the role of Experts/Assessors in Accreditation Process.

For more information, contact:
Haji Ahmed Malik
Principal Information Officer
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +9251 925 2323 and +9251 925 2324
Fax: +9251 925 2325 and +9251 925 2326
Email: piopid@gmail.com

Islamabad, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): The Embassy of Pakistan, Cairo, arranged Fateha Khawani (condolence service) at the ‘Shuhda-e-Pakistan Graveyard’ in remembrance of the victims of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) inaugural flight 705 to Cairo which crashed on 20 May 1965 with 125 passengers on board including the crew, says a press release received here today from Cairo.

In a solemn ceremony, floral wreaths were laid at the memorial of Shuhda-e-Pakistan on behalf of the Government of Pakistan, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Pakistan International School Cairo (PISC) and the Pakistani community based in Egypt.

Addressing a large number of Pakistani community and members of the Pakistani diplomatic corps, Ambassador of Pakistan to Cairo Manzoor ul Haq said that though the Pakistani Shuhda were buried thousands of miles away from their homeland, yet they were not forgotten by their own people. “We will always remember them and pray for them”, the envoy said.

The ill-fated inaugural flight 705 of PIA hosted 125 passengers out of which only 6 survived. The passengers were mainly journalists, tour operators, crew and officials of the Pakistan International Airlines. The deceased passengers were buried in a graveyard in old Cairo near Al Imam Al Shafi mosque.

For more information, contact:
Haji Ahmed Malik
Principal Information Officer
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +9251 925 2323 and +9251 925 2324
Fax: +9251 925 2325 and +9251 925 2326
Email: piopid@gmail.com

Islamabad, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): Prime Minister Justice (Retd) Mir Hazar Khan Khoso has taken cognizance of reports appearing in the media on the issue of postings and transfers made by the caretaker government.

The Prime Minister believes that since the issue was now pending in the superior courts, it would be in the fitness of things that all concerned should await its outcome and refrain from any debate on the matter.

For more information, contact:
Haji Ahmed Malik
Principal Information Officer
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +9251 925 2323 and +9251 925 2324
Fax: +9251 925 2325 and +9251 925 2326
Email: piopid@gmail.com

Islamabad, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): President Asif Ali Zardari made a telephone call to PTI chief, Imran Khan a short while ago.

Spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the President inquired about his health and prayed for his early recovery.

The President also felicitated Imran Khan for the confidence reposed in him by the voters particularly in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the May 11 elections.

For more information, contact:
Haji Ahmed Malik
Principal Information Officer
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +9251 925 2323 and +9251 925 2324
Fax: +9251 925 2325 and +9251 925 2326
Email: piopid@gmail.com

Islamabad, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): Prime Minister Justice (Retd) Mir Hazar Khan Khoso has approved an amount of Rs. 90 million to NADRA for procurement of hardware and software for verification of thumb impressions. He has directed the installation of state of the art facility for this purpose within 10 days.

For more information, contact:
Haji Ahmed Malik
Principal Information Officer
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +9251 925 2323 and +9251 925 2324
Fax: +9251 925 2325 and +9251 925 2326
Email: piopid@gmail.com

Karachi, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): The following rates will be applicable for conversion into rupees of Foreign Currency Deposits, Dollar Bearer Certificates, Foreign Currency Bearer Certificates, Special U.S Dollar Bonds and profit thereon by all banks and for providing Forward Cover on Foreign Currency Deposits (excluding F.E-25 deposits) by the State Bank on May 22, 2013.

Currency          Rate in Pak Rupee
U.S. Dollar          98.4387
Japanese Yen          0.9588
Pound Sterling      149.3513
Euro                126.7103

For more information, contact:
Syed Wasimuddin
Chief Spokesman
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)
Tel: +9221 3921 2562
Fax: +9221 3921 2563
Email: syed.wasimuddin@sbp.org.pk

Karachi, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s President Muhammad Haroon Agar has stated that “One-Nation, Two-States” is the phrase which best describes the relations between Turkey and Pakistan. Exchanging views with Turkish delegation headed by General Manager of Turkish Airlines Huseyin Cepni, accompanied by Regional Director Pak-Turk International Schools Ali Karan and Director Public Relations Huseyin Demirdelen visited KCCI to meet its President, Haroon Agar voiced that both brotherly countries have deep rooted relations which date back to centuries and maintain resemblance in religious and cultural norms as well as affinity in trade and commerce. Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry attaches high level of significance to Pakistan-Turkey Bilateral Trade and Relationship due to geo-strategic locations of two brother Muslim Countries.

Pakistan is a gateway to Central Asian Republics, South Asia, Middle East and China. Whereas, Turkey can act as the gateway to European Union for Pakistan and other Asian Countries in respect of commerce.

He appreciated that the Turkish Airlines is vibrantly operating in Pakistan while providing quality services for Eurasian region and entrance to European Union countries via Istanbul and of course to other countries worldwide. Indeed, the Turkish Flag-bearer Airline was not only connecting the business communities of two countries but also providing air cargo services, he added.

Haroon Agar invited Turkish Airways to exhibit in the Turkish Pavilion of KCCI’s 10th My-Karachi Exhibition 2013 scheduled in July 2013. He said that regular flights between two countries is crucial to facilitate the business travelling and transportation of air cargo, particularly for perishable goods, he maintained.

General Manager of the Turkish Airlines Husseyin Cepni stated that Turkish Airline aims to provide services to Pakistanis to fly from Pakistan to worldwide. He announced that during his recent visit to Airlines Headquarters at Turkey, he got special approval for discount to KCCI’s members. All KCCI’s members can avail exclusive 5 percent discount on ticketing from any Turkish Airlines office operating in Pakistan while showing their membership card.

He apprised President KCCI that Turkish Airlines is providing quality services to Pakistanis travelling between Pakistan and Turkey and to other regions of the world particularly Europe. From Istanbul, Turkish Airlines fly to all leading European Countries and their major cities on daily basis. The Turkish Airlines is also offering air cargo services between two countries and other destination.

He confirmed participation of Turkish Airlines in the Turkish Pavilion of My-Karachi Oasis of Harmony Exhibition 2013. He said that Turkish Airlines will also offer free tickets and gift hampers to the visitors of My-Karachi Exhibition through luck draw.

He stated that Turkish Airlines is state-owned enterprise and the Turkish National Carrier is negotiating with Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority to start daily operations from Karachi and also flights from Islamabad and Lahore. Turkish Airline is also good friend with Pakistan’s national carrier having joint arrangements on some routes.

Turkish Airlines is a Star Alliance Member having youngest fleet of more than 200 aircrafts was ranked as best airline in Europe last year and one of the top ten airlines of the world. The Airline flies to more countries than any other airline in the world, he told.

Shamim Firpo, Senior Vice President KCCI, Nasir Mehmood, Vice President and Managing Committee Members of KCCI also participated in the meeting.

For more information, contact:
M. Shafiq Baig
Public Relations Officer
Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI)
Aiwan-e-Tijarat Road,
Shahrah-e-Liaquat, Karachi-74000
Tel: +9221 9921 8001 -09
Fax: +9221 9921 8010
Email: pro@kcci.com.pk, pro2@kcci.com.pk
Website: http://www.kcci.com.pk/

Karachi, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): Agricultural credit disbursement by banks surged by 15.74 percent on year-on-year basis to Rs 259.1 billion in the first ten months (July-April, FY 2013) of the current fiscal year (2012-13). In absolute terms, disbursement of credit to the agriculture sector increased by over Rs 35.23 billion in July-April, FY 2013 when compared with the total disbursement of Rs 223.85 billion in the same period of the last fiscal year.

Overall credit disbursement by five major commercial banks including Allied Bank Limited, Habib Bank Limited, MCB Bank Limited, National Bank of Pakistan and United Bank Limited stood at Rs 139.07 billion as compared with Rs 120.41 billion disbursed in July-April, FY 2012 depicting an increase of 15.49 percent.

Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL), the largest specialized bank, disbursed a total of Rs 44.25 billion in July-April, FY 2013 as compared with Rs 43.90 billion disbursed in the same period of the last fiscal year. Punjab Provincial Co‐operative Bank Limited (PPCBL) disbursed Rs 5.66 billion in July-April, FY 2013 when compared with Rs 6.35 billion disbursed in the same period of the last fiscal year.

Fourteen domestic private banks also loaned a combined amount of Rs 56.36 billion in July-April, FY 2013 as compared to Rs 44.14 billion disbursed during the same period last year.

Five Microfinance Banks including Khushhali Bank Ltd., NRSP Microfinance Bank Ltd., The First Microfinance Bank Ltd., Pak Oman Microfinance Bank Ltd. and Tameer Microfinance Bank Ltd. disbursed agri. loans amounting to Rs 13.73 billion during July-April, FY 2013 as compared to Rs 9.03 billion during the same period last year.

It may be pointed out that the State Bank has provisionally set an indicative agricultural credit disbursement target of Rs 315 billion to banks for the current fiscal year.

For more information, contact:
Syed Wasimuddin
Chief Spokesman
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)
Tel: +9221 3921 2562
Fax: +9221 3921 2563
Email: syed.wasimuddin@sbp.org.pk

Lahore, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) has urged the business community to play their role in a vibrant manner for the economic revival of the country and urged them to forward whatever proposal they have for making the upcoming budget business friendly in real terms.

The PIAF Chairman Malik Tahir Javed was speaking at a function arranged All Pakistan Cottage Industry and Small Trade Association here at a local hotel on Tuesday. PIAF Senior Vice Chairman Khamis Saeeed Butt and Chairman All Pakistan Cottage Industry and Small Trade Association Ghulam Sarwar Malik also spoke on the occasion.

The PIAF Chairman said that the new government decision to accord economy top priority has restored the confidence of the business community. He said that the PIAF has decided to extend maximum cooperation to the government for early execution of its economic revival plan and for the purpose it would send a set of subject specific proposals very soon.

Malik Tahir Javed said that the shortage of gas and electricity had caused irreparable loss to the SMEs and cottage industry therefore the business community would work hand in hand with the government electricity generation.

He, however, hoped that the government would utilize its best abilities to tackle fast mounting circular debt.

The PIAF Chairman said that the private sector is engine of growth and would play its role for bringing down graph of unemployment that has gone out of proportions due to wrong and illogical policies of the previous government.

“Had the private sector been taken on board by the previous government, the economic situation would have been quite satisfactory today.”

Speaking on the occasion, the PIAF Senior Vice Chairman Khamis Saeed Butt assured their full cooperation to the cottage industry for its revival. He said that the PIAF would play its role for the early establishment of Cottage City.

Earlier, the Chairman All Pakistan Cottage Industry and Small Trade Association Ghualm Sarawar Malik said that the PIAF should ask authorities for provision of uninterrupted supply of electricity to small businesses that are backbone of the large-scale industry.

Chairman All Pakistan Cottage Industry and Small Traders Association Ghulam Sarwar Malik, President Mcleod Road Traders Association Javed Bhatti, General Secretary Arshad Butt, President Industrial Sewing Machine Manufacturers Association Tahir Butt, President Sewing Machine Javed Iqbal, President Ferozepur Road Traders Association Athar Ali Kazmi, General Secretary Plastic Shoe Makers Association Khawaja Ijaz, President Bakers Association Mazhar Iqbal Butt, General Secretary Autoparts Manufacturers Association Mominpura Khalid Mahmood, General Secretary Autoparts Daroghawala Mian Fayyaz, President Truck Association Fayyaz Association, Senior Vice President Mall Road Traders Association Farooq Azad, Muhammad Ali of Eden Plaza Traders Association, President Cold Storage Association Mian Muhammad Farooq, General Secretary Shoe Makers Association Akhter Hussain, Zonal Chairman Cottage Industry and Small Traders Association Bilal Ganj Atif Bilal were prominent amongst the others.

For more information, Contact:
Khalil-ur-Rehman
Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front
110/s Kot Lakhpat Industrial Estate
Lahore, Pakistan
Phone: (92) 42 5123522
Fax: (92) 42 5123522
Email: Info@piaf.pk

Lahore, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): FBR has once again moved a proposal to the Ministry of Finance that withholding taxes rates may be enhanced in coming budget. FBR has proposed increase in WHT of Commercial imports from 5% to 6%, for export sector from 1% to 1.5% and Non-Corporate exporter 1% to 2%, on contracts of Non-Corporate from 6% to 7%, on supplies of Corporate Sector 3.5% to 4%, on cash withdrawal of Corporate Sector 0.20% to 0.30% for Non-Corporate 0.4%.

FBR has not taken stakeholders into confidence and instead of widening tax net they have adopted traditional way to squeeze those who already pay taxes. This was stated by Agha Saiddain Chairman Pakistan Tanners Association (Central).

He said any move to add taxes to export sector would be blunder and detrimental to our economy. FBR must realize that due to the energy crisis, impact of war on terror, law and order situation our cost of doing business is highest in the region. Pakistan is losing its ground and competitiveness against regional countries, China, India, Bangladesh, and Sri-Lanka.

Export Sector must be facilitated to earn foreign exchange for the Country and it should not be used for revenue collection as is done all over the world. For FBR it is easy to collect revenue from export sector in shape of WHT but it can be done without any increase in this WHT.

FBR may bring export friendly policies and export targets may be fixed at higher side. With increased exports they can raise revenue through previous rate of WHT and Country will get Foreign Exchange and people will get employment.
Agha said any increase in WHT of Export Sector would be extremely short sighted and damaging to our exports.

For more information, contact:
Moinuddin Quraishi
Secretary
Pakistan Tanners Association
46-C, 21st Commercial Street,
Phase II, Extn., Defence Housing Authority,
Karachi-75500 –
Pakistan.
Tel: +92-21-35880180, 35880184, 35899819,
Fax: 92-21-35880093
Email: info@pakistantanners.org

Karachi, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) urged the incoming government of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) to focus on ground realities and begin uplift from grass root level which is very necessary as the micro, small and medium sector needs the immediate support of the government.

President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver speaking on a talk show at a private business television channel said the business community is aware of political statements of pre-election and post election meetings but now expects performance from the PML-N knowing that it is business friendly and having expertise to put the economy in gear. He welcomed the statements of Nawaz Sheriffe about improving relations with India and also with other political parties within the country.

He demanded one window operation for the SME sector and urged the PML-N to make doing business easy by merging the different levies, charges and taxes into one composite tax.

He said Pakistan needs the International Monetary Fund (IMF) support and cannot do without IMF but IMF expects austerity, good governance and good management from the incoming government. Pakistan needs to avail the support of IMF selectively and perform well in the face of challenges.

He said as member of board of directors of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) he studied India as a role model and learned that India succeeded in developing its economy because of value addition and by promoting its farm sector and emphasized that the incoming government should focus on value addition and promotion of farm sector.

He said Pakistan has ample solar resources due to the ample sunlight in most part of the country but it is not being utilized for energy creation. He urged the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research ( PCSIR) and Engineering Development Board (EDB) to work on this and secondly also urged them to make coolers suitable for use in Sindh to save electricity utilized by air conditioners. These organizations need to work on alternate energy systems on a full time basis to resolve the energy crisis.

He said India is eying the farm sector in Pakistan and needs raw material from Pakistan but we should in fact import raw material from India and export it after value addition.

Thaver said we should export value added wheat flour rather than wheat and in fact export value added rice, maize rather than ship loads in break bulk.

He advised the PML-N to promptly pay for the electricity imported from Iran by barter of wheat and also implement the agreement to ship rice against electricity.

He expressed concern about devaluation of the rupee and said it will increase the import bill and increase cost of production, the incoming government must refrain from deficit financing and devaluation of the rupee at all cost and not take shortcuts.

The present pressing issues of energy, law and order, high cost of production, withhold of development projects, inflation and poor infrastructure will demand the immediate attention of the government followed by education, health and social welfare he said.

For more information, Contact:
Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME)
75/1 3rd Commercial Street,
Phase IV, D.H.A., Karachi, Pakistan
Phones: + 92 35884225 and 6
Cell: + 92 300 8245307 and + 92 321 8245307
Fax: + 92 35380642
Email: unisame@gmail.com

Washington, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): The Government and people of Pakistan are deeply saddened and shocked at the humanitarian tragedy unleashed on the Oklahoma State by a devastating tornado.

Our sympathies and prayers go out to the families of victims of this horrific incident that led to precious loss of life and property. We are particularly grieved over the loss of innocent children and their teachers who were buried under the rubble. May God Almighty give courage and strength to the bereaved families to bear this irreparable loss.

The people of Pakistan stand hand in hand with the people of Oklahoma at this difficult time.

For more information, contact:
Embassy of Pakistan, Washington D.C
3517 International Court NW
Washington, DC 20008.
PH. (202)243-6500,
Fax: 202-686-1534
Email: info@embassyofpakistanusa.org
Consular Section PH: 202-349-3177
Consular Section Email: consularsection@embassyofpakistanusa.org

Islamabad, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): The post-election day phase is a critical part of any election. Therefore the EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) remains in Pakistan, focusing its observation on the results process and what system there is for access to remedy in case of shortcomings or disputes.

The mission also observed the re-polling in Karachi on 19 May. Observers continue to have an important role to play in undertaking scrutiny, and in providing information and analysis that can help current and future elections.

“I strongly recommend the ECP to promptly provide full public information on the results of each and every polling station. Also publication of the final polling scheme, so that everyone knows where polling was scheduled and how many people were registered. Such transparency would be a significant step forward”, says Chief Observer Michael Gahler, Member of the European Parliament.

In 2008 the EU EOM recommended that the polling station list should be made public well in advance of Election Day, and that polling station results be swiftly displayed at the constituency level and on the internet.

The 2008 mission also called for the establishment of a system for complaints that would provide opportunity for remedy in cases where problems or disputes have arisen. Other international election observation missions and citizen observer groups from Pakistan have made similar recommendations.

The treaty monitoring body of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Pakistan signed up to several years ago, has said that countries “should proactively put in the public domain Government information of public interest. States parties should make every effort to ensure easy, prompt, effective and practical access to such information.” (General Comment 34). Article 2 of the ICCPR refers to everyone having access to effective remedy.

The mission will issue its Final Report – with recommendations for future elections – at the beginning of July. The EU EOM Preliminary Statement issued on 13 May and the results of the EU EOM’s media monitoring can be found on the mission’s website.

For more information, contact:
Ms Ayesha Babar
Press and PR Officer
Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan
Phone: +92-51-227 182 8
Fax: 92-51- 282 260 4
Email: Ayesha.Babar@eeas.europa.eu

Karachi, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): KMC Administrator Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi has said that measures for protection from Neagleria were underway and in this connection 170 samples of water from various areas of the city have been taken in which quantity of chlorine has been checked. Federal B. Area was affected by this disease last year therefore survey of this area has been conducted and water samples were taken. He said this while talking with media representatives on the occasion of seminar held on the topic of Mother and Child Health in Civic Centre.

Administrator Karachi said that considering neagleria as a dangerous disease for citizens a meeting was called immediately on information about existence of neagleria germs which was attended by officials of Health Services Department, Municipal Services, Water Board and representatives of World Health Organization.

On this occasion a comprehensive plan for dealing with neagleria was prepared. He said despite of shortage of funds necessary medicines and other things for treatment and protection from neagleria were being provided in KMC hospitals and clinics.

After the payment of salaries and pensions of employees health sector was our first priority in this connection health department was directed that an awareness campaign on large scale should be run for this killer disease and provide people with information through seminars, bill boards and media so that protection from this disease could be ensured.

Administrator Karachi informed that water sampling work was underway in various areas and more concentration was being given to kachi abadis where possibilities of existence of this germ were more.

He said water samples for testing were being taken from water reservoirs in all small and big areas. Since this germ gets more active in summer season and enters in human brain with water through nose therefore citizens should use chlorine water while washing face and ablution.

If symptoms of this disease appeared, contact to nearest health center. He said that precautionary measures could protect from this disease in this connection KMC was making arrangements for putting a suitable quantity of chlorine in its swimming pools and their cleanliness. Underground and overhead tanks should be cleaned and every possible precaution should be taken for protection from this disease.

For more information, contact:
Administrator Secretariat
Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC)
City District Government Complex, 1st Floor, Civic Centre,
Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi
Tel: +9221 9923 2400 -01
Fax: +9221 9923 2406
Email: administrator@karachicity.gov.pk

Islamabad, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): A signing ceremony of “Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) and Institute of Space Technology (IST) Islamabad” was held at PMD headquarters office Islamabad today on 21st May 2013.

The team of experts of PMD (chief meteorologists and Directors of different units) was led by Mr. Arif Mahmood Director General PMD while the IST team (Dean Faculty of Atmospheric Sciences and other faculty members) was led by Engr.Imran Rahman Vice Chancellor IST Islamabad

This MoU will provide a framework for academic and professional cooperation to both the institutions in the fields of Meteorology, Climate Science, Remote Sensing Geographic Information System and Natural Disasters.

According to MoU scientific and technical cooperation between the two stake holders would enhance the integration 0f Science, Engineering and Technological knowledge in the country through joint research on the issues relating to weather and climate.

At the end of the ceremony, heads of both the institutions thanked each other for taking such initiative to strengthen the cooperation between two organizations for providing the best services to nation in the Space Science, Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate related issues.

For more information, contact:
Pakistan Meteorological Department
Sector H-8/2, Islamabad- Pakistan
Tel: +9251 925 0360 -1
Fax: +9251 925 0368
Email: pakmet_islamabad@yahoo.com
Web: http://www.pakmet.com.pk

Karachi, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): On the occasion of monsoon season all organizations which provide basic facilities in the city should cooperate with each other and make combined strategy for overcoming emergency situations in the city. Metropolitan Commissioner Matanat Ali Khan said this while addressing a meeting of high officials of DMCs, Police, KWSB, KESC and SSGC.

The meeting was attended by Director General Technical Services Niaz Ahmed Soomro, Sr. Director Municipal Services Dr. Shaukat Zaman, Director Machinery Pool Noman Arshad, Director Education Afaq Mirza, DMD of KWSB Iftikhar Ahmed Khan, XCN Dr. Mukhtar A. Palijo, Zaheer H. Rizvi from KESC, Syed Masroor Naqvi from SSGC and other high officials. He said a large quantity of rainwater accumulates on big roads in case of heavy rains in the city for which provision of continuous electricity should be ensured in different pumping stations.

Metropolitan Commissioner Matanat Ali Khan said that cleanliness campaign of big nullahs should be fast in the city and all necessary machinery should be put in fine condition during monsoon season. He directed officers of DMCs to concentrate on works of drainage of water in underpasses, cleanliness of nullahs and repairing of nullah walls.

He said that all city organizations which provide basic facilities in the city should be in contact with each other under Command and Control System which was providing 24 hour service for people where representatives of KESC and KWSB were also present. Important numbers on the occasion of monsoon season should be published in news papers.

KWSB officers informed that provision of electricity in pumping stations breaks down in case of more rains in the city due to which water drainage works were difficult for which provision of electricity should be ensured. Matanat Ali Khan said that arrangements of standby generators for provision of non-stop electricity should be made.

He said that in case of more rains KMC would provide people living near nullahs and drains with temporary residence in its schools. SSGC would put its emergency squad in proper condition for emergency situations. Matanat Ali Khan said that KMC and all DMCs should prepare report with reference to machinery, labour and other facilities.

He said on the occasion of monsoon season Municipal Services Department should put all its pumps for water drainage in fine condition. Matanat Ali Khan directed Municipal Services Department that staff of Fire Brigade, Rescue Emergency Squad and Emergency Response Center during monsoon season should be present on duty.
For more information, contact:
Administrator Secretariat
Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC)
City District Government Complex, 1st Floor, Civic Centre,
Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi
Tel: +9221 9923 2400 -01
Fax: +9221 9923 2406
Email: administrator@karachicity.gov.pk

Lahore, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): On the directions of IGP Punjab, Aftab Sultan, the police department is all set to finalize a policy about the seniority of 3003 police officers to resolve the issue of their promotions pending for the last 30 years. The initiative would not only help boost the moral of the police force but also the promotion cases of 52 SPs, 415 DSPs, and 2536 Inspectors would be decided.

IGP Punjab constituted a committee headed by Additional-IG Muhammad Saleem Bhatti on April30, 2013 in this regard. DIG (Headquarters) Muhammad Amlish, DIG (Establishment) Amjad Javed Saleemi, DIG (Training) Tariq Masood Yasin and AIG (Legal) Chaudhry Muhammad Shafique Gujjar are the members of the committee.

This committee prepared a seniority list (not final) on May 10 and the officers are given 15 days time period for the submission of their objections to this effect.

Another committee headed by DIG (Establishment) Amjad Javed Saleemi and comprising DIG (R and D) Salman Chaudhry, AIG (Legal) Chaudhry Muhammad Shafique Gujjar and Registrar CPO Rana Muhammad Ajmal has also been working separately to remove objections in the list so that a final seniority list prepared to order the promotions of the officers.

It may be recalled that the matter of promotion of police officers had been pending for the last 30 years because of various complications. In 2005, the first seniority list had been prepared in which the police inspectors who were confirmed till 1991 were included.

The officers directly inducted in the department as inspectors in 1993 and 1995 had challenged the list in the Punjab Service Tribunal. The list was later quashed in 2006. Later, another list was prepared that was challenged by the lower subordinates after they got promoted to the rank of inspector in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The Supreme Court however, restored the decision of Punjab Service Tribunal.

In 2008, a new seniority list had been prepared in the light of the directions of the Supreme Court and the Punjab Service Tribunal. On the basis of this list, 187 inspectors had been promoted to the rank of DSP in 2009 and 2010.

Later, the officers directly recruited as Inspectors in 1998 challenged this seniority list in Lahore High Court Multan Bench. As a result, the court ordered the department to prepare afresh as per the service rules and regulations.

In 2010, the Supreme Court of Pakistan while hearing a suo moto case directed the authorities to sort out the seniority list issue as per law and rules. Meanwhile, the Punjab Service Tribunal listened to the appeals of the concerned police officers and directed that the seniority list should be issued after corrections in the light of the orders of the court.

In 2012, another seniority list was prepared and as many as 400 police inspectors objected to that list. The list was later challenged in the Lahore High Court. The court ordered that the appeals of the police officers should be decided after proper hearing.

For more information, contact:
Punjab Police
5th Floor, Police Headquarters (PHQ),
Punjab, Lahore
Tel: +9242 99213019
Fax: +9242 99213013
Email: adc@punjabpolice.gov.pk

Lahore, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): The police officers who put their lives at stake while fighting against the criminals are in fact an asset of the police department. The entire police force salutes the services of officers like DSP Muhammad Nawaz who laid down his life in the line of duty while fighting against the criminals in Chinniot district today.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab, Aftab Sultan expressed these views while paying rich tributes to martyred DSP died in Chenab Nagar today.

The police launched the operation against the bank robbery after the armed bandits stormed the Punjab Cooperative Bank near Lorry Adda in Laliyan area. The police responded quickly and foiled the robbery attempt.

During the crossfire, DSP Chenab Nagar Circle, Muhammad Nawaz, was martyred. He was rushed to the Fazal Omar hospital where he died later. The district Chinniot police set an example of bravery and courage. One of the robbers was also killed during the encounter. The police also foiled the robbery attempt successfully and saved the bank from a financial loss.

Meanwhile, the funeral prayer of DSP Muhammad Nawaz was offered in the Police Lines district Chinniot. RPO Faisalabad, Javed Islam, DPO Ghulam Mubashir Makan and a number of senior police officers also attended the funeral prayer.

For more information, contact:
Punjab Police
5th Floor, Police Headquarters (PHQ),
Punjab, Lahore
Tel: +9242 99213019
Fax: +9242 99213013
Email: adc@punjabpolice.gov.pk

Islamabad, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): Prime Minister Justice ® Mir Hazar Khan Khoso has directed that no CNG pump shall cater to and fill CNG in any private vehicle of above 1000CC.

It has been approved by the Prime Minister that any petrol pump found violating these instructions shall be fined for the first offence with Rs. 50000/- in case of repetition, the owner shall be fined Rs.100000/- For third offence and violation, the CNG pump shall be sealed for a minimum period of six months. Similarly for any subsequent offence the period of suspension of the CNG pump shall not be less than one year.

The Prime Minister has approved these instructions in order to restrict use of CNG for private transport in view of acute shortage and scarcity of this natural asset and to ensure more gainful value of this scarce commodity for sectors like power, industry, fertilizer and domestic consumption.

These instructions shall not be applicable on public transport as defined in West Pakistan Public Transport Act 1961.

The Prime Minister is concerned and conscious that this cheap mode of transport primarily meant for low and middle income groups has been excessively abused by vehicles of above 1000CC. This will not be applicable to public transport.

The Prime Minister has expressed the hope that these measures shall be viewed by all sections of society in the same spirit which is solely devoted and directed towards the welfare of the people and conservation of invaluable natural resource which has depleted to a great extent.

The Prime Minister has directed the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources to consult the Ministry of Law for the implementation of these decisions.

These decisions, after being vetted by the Ministry of Law, will come into force on May 25th, 2013.

For more information, contact:
Haji Ahmed Malik
Principal Information Officer
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +9251 925 2323 and +9251 925 2324
Fax: +9251 925 2325 and +9251 925 2326
Email: piopid@gmail.com

Islamabad, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): Prime Minister Justice ® Mir Hazar Khan Khoso will host a banquet in the honour of Mr. Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China when he arrives on a two day visit to Islamabad, tomorrow.

The Prime Minister has invited President Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, leaders of prominent political parties, Services Chiefs, Governors, Chief Ministers, prominent persons from various walks of life, renowned media persons and members from the civil society to the banquet.

For more information, contact:
Haji Ahmed Malik
Principal Information Officer
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +9251 925 2323 and +9251 925 2324
Fax: +9251 925 2325 and +9251 925 2326
Email: piopid@gmail.com

Islamabad, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): The Federal Minister for Commerce and Textile, Mr. Maqbool H.H. Rahimtoola met with the Management of National Insurance Corporation Limited (NICL) at Karachi.

The Minister expressed his concern that why certain or special Government departments were an exception to rules and allowed to insure cars, with other Insurance companies against stated Government Policy of insuring them with the Government Agency.

He asked that a list be sent to the Federal Secretary of those within his Ministry for necessary action. He noted that no Board of Directors meeting had been held since 2010, and instructed that a meeting of the Board of Directors should be convened on urgent basis.

For more information, contact:
Haji Ahmed Malik
Principal Information Officer
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +9251 925 2323 and +9251 925 2324
Fax: +9251 925 2325 and +9251 925 2326
Email: piopid@gmail.com

Islamabad, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): The Federal Minister for Commerce and Textiles Mr. Maqbool H.H. Rahimtoola met with cotton Commissioner at Karachi and inquired about the nine (09) Textile Training Departments set up under the Export Development Fund. The Minister was informed that after the buildings were constructed; little or no funding was available for running the projects.

The Minister Commerce and Textiles along with the Cotton Commissioner paid a surprise visit to FADIN, Fashion Apparel Design and Training Institute, inspected their premises and congratulated FADIN on their work under very difficult conditions.

For more information, contact:
Haji Ahmed Malik
Principal Information Officer
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +9251 925 2323 and +9251 925 2324
Fax: +9251 925 2325 and +9251 925 2326
Email: piopid@gmail.com

Srinagar, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, veteran Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani has urged people to show patience and steadfastness in the way of struggle for right to self-determination. Addressing the workers of his party, Tehreek-e-Hurriyet Jammu and Kashmir, in various parts of occupied Kashmir over phone, Syed Ali Gilani said, “We are fighting for a noble and genuine cause and history stands witness that whenever a fight between righteousness and falsehood took place the upholders of falsehood used all the tactics of suppression and oppression to crush the righteous people and their movements.”

However, he said, by carrying their mission forward with tolerance righteous people achieved the goal of success either through martyrdom or by becoming conquers.

The octogenarian said, “India under its military occupation is looting our resources and with cultural aggression trying to tarnish our Islamic identity but in no case by the help of Almighty Allah shall we allow it to happen.”

He asked people “to remain vigilant and not to get carried away by the political deceit of pro-India parties.”

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736

Srinagar, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): Rich tributes were paid to prominent Kashmiri leaders, Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Farooq and Khawaja Abdul Ghani Lone on their martyrdom anniversaries, being observed today. The Chairman of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in a media interview remembered his father, Mirwaiz Maulvi Muhammad Farooq, as a mass leader passionate to serve people and as a father whose absence he would always feel. He asserted that he would continue to pursue the mission of the martyred leader.

He said that Moulvi Farooq’s death was a personal as well as a collective loss that could never be compensated. The APHC Chairman said that his father left him at a time when he needed him the most. “He left behind a responsibility for me which I am trying my best to fulfil. I will carry forward the mission, for which he laid down his life,” he added.

Recalling senior APHC leader, Khawaja Abdul Ghani Lone’s assassination, his son Bilal Ghani Lone in a statement said, “When we recall the day when my father was assassinated I feel a young son has lost his father.”

He said that the biggest tribute would be to carry the mission forward for which his father laid down his life. Sajjad Lone, the other son, said, there is lot of pain when somebody is assassinated than when someone dies of a natural death. “At times it makes you philosophical about life. But there is no scare in my face at least,” he added.

Hurriyet leaders, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, Yasmeen Raja, Muhammad Azam Inqilabi, Zafar Akbar Butt, Syed Bashir Andrabi, Firdous Ahmad Shah and Farida Behanji in their statements described Moulvi Muhammad Farooq and Khawaja Abdul Ghani Lone as brave, sincere and capable leaders who sacrificed their lives for the Kashmir cause.

The President of Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Forum, Pandit Bhushan Bazaz, Communist Party of India (Marxist) Secretary in occupied Kashmir, M Y Tarigami, and the Chairman of pro-India Peoples Democratic Front, Hakim Mohammad Yasin, also paid tributes to Moulvi Farooq and Khawaja Ghani Lone.

On the other hand, the Chairman of the United Jihad Council (UJC), Syed Salahuddin, in a statement mentioning the political, religious and social services of Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Farooq and Abdul Ghani Lone said that their role in the ongoing struggle would be remembered for a long time in the annals of Kashmir history.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736

Srinagar, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, complete shutdown was observed, today, to mark the martyrdom anniversaries of prominent liberation leaders, Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Farooq, Khawaja Abdul Ghani Lone and martyrs of Hawal.

Call for the shutdown and a march towards Eidgah in Srinagar had been given by the All Parties Hurriyet Conference Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

In a bid to sabotage the Eidgah march, the occupation authorities had placed Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and other Hurriyet leaders including Maulana Abbas Ansari, Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi Al-Safvi, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Mukhtar Ahmed Waza, Zafar Akbar Butt and Masroor Abbas under house arrest. Indian police had arrested APHC leader, Mohammad Yousuf Naqash, from his residence and shifted him to Safa Kadal police station in Srinagar.

The puppet authorities had also imposed strict restrictions in Srinagar city to prevent people from conducting the march while all roads leading to the Eidgah had been sealed.

The police intercepted a rally led by APHC leader, Yasmeen Raja and Awami Action Committee leader, Fatima Bibi at Nawakadal to prevent the rally from proceeding towards martyrs’ graveyard at Eidgah.

The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front in a statement strongly condemned the atrocities being perpetrated by the Indian army and police on the prisoners languishing in different jails including Baramulla sub jail.

The Delhi-based All India Human Rights Association President, M.U Dua in a statement demanded that the Indian troops and police personnel involved in human rights violations in occupied Kashmir should be punished.

An Indian trooper opened fire from his service rifle on his colleagues sleeping at a camp in Kishtwar killing two injuring two others, this morning.

In Islamabad, APHC Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq telephonically addressed a seminar organized by the APHC-AJK Chapter to commemorate the martyrdom anniversaries of Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Farooq and Khawaja Abdul Ghani Lone.

The function was hosted by AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed and those who spoke on the occasion included Mehmood Ahmad Saghar, Abdur Rashid Turabi, Syed Yousuf Naseem, Faiz Naqshbandi, Sheikh Muhammad Yaqoob, Rafiq Ahmad Dar and AJK cabinet members. They urged the settlement of the Kashmir dispute through implementation of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736

Srinagar, May 21, 2013 (PPI-OT): The High Court of occupied Kashmir has quashed the detention orders under draconian law, Public Safety Act (PSA), against illegally detained APHC leader and the Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir National Front, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, and directed the authorities to release him forthwith.

Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir quashed the detention after hearing the argument of Nayeem Khan’s lawyer, Advocate G N Shaheen, and passed the release orders.

In his order, Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir said, “Before making an order of detention, formation of grounds of detention is a must which has not been done. Rather the same have been prepared by the police thereafter simply relied upon by the detaining authority, thus has been passed without application of mind.”

Nayeem Khan was arrested on February 8, 2013. He was kept in central jail Srinagar and later shifted to Kot Bhalwal jail Jammu under the PSA. He was also produced in a lower court in Srinagar in some old case.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736

جدير بالذكر أن ATCO Emissions Management، هي عبارة عن أحد أقسام ATCO Structures & Logistics، والتي تقدم حلول التحكم في الانبعاثات واستعادة الحرارة إلى عملائها بحسب تنوعهم في كل من قطاع العمل والمناطق الجغرافية. فمن خلال خطوط إنتاج شاملة، وقدرات كاملة الخدمة وبصمة تصنيع عالمية، فإن نطاق عمل الشركة الموسع يركز على تقديم أعلى معايير الجودة، والمنتجات الأكثر فعّالية من حيث التكلفة بما يلبي احتياجات المشاريع.

وعلاوة على ذلك، فإن ATCO Emissions Management سوف تقدم خطوط الإنتاج الخاصة بها لسوق توربينات الغاز في 2013 WEPower، والتي تشتمل على وحدات فلترة وإخماد السحب، وأنظمة  تجميع/إخماد العادم، وأنظمة  التحفيز، ووحدات التوزيع مع مخمدات تحويل، ومولدات أنظمة الاستعادة (HRSG’s) لتطبيقات محطات الطاقة الجديدة، والمُعدلة، والمُحولة.

معلومات تطلعية:

بعض العبارات المُعينة الواردة في هذا البيان الصحفي قد تُشكل عبارات تطلعية. مع العلم أن العبارات التطلعية يتم تحديديها غالبًا، وليس دائمًا، باستخدام كلمات مثل “تنبؤ”، “تخطط”، “توقع”، “قد”، “سوف”، “يعتزم”، “ينبغي”، وغيرها من التعبيرات. وتنطوي مثل هذه العبارات على مخاطر معروفة وغير معروفة، وجوانب غير مؤكدة وغيرها من العوامل التي قد تشكل نتائج أو أحداث تختلف بصورة مادية عن تلك المشار إليها في هذه العبارات التطلعية. ومن ثم تعتقد الشركة أن التوقعات الواردة في هذه العبارات التطلعية لها ما يبررها، ومع ذلك فإن الشركة لا تقدم أي تأكد بأن هذه التوقعات قد تكون صحيحة وعليه يجب عدم التعويل على هذه العبارات التطلعية.

قد تختلف النتائج الفعلية للشركة بصورة فعلية عن تلك النتائج المتوقعة في هذه البيانات التطلعية وذلك نتيجة للقرارات النظامية، وعوامل المنافسة في القطاعات التي تعمل فيها الشركة، والأوضاع الاقتصادية السائدة، وغيرها من العوامل، والتي يقع أكثرها خارج نطاق سيطرة الشركة.

وعليه، تُمثل العبارات التطلعية الواردة في هذا البيان الصحفي توقعات الشركة اعتبارًا من تاريخ نشرها، وهي تخضع للتغيير بعد هذا التاريخ. ومن ثم تتخلى الشركة عن أية مقصد أو التزام لتحديث أو تنقيح أي عبارات تطلعية سواء كان نتيجة لمعلومات جديد، أو أحداث مستقبلية أو خلافه، باستثناء ما تنص عليه أنظمة التأمين المعمول بها.

ATCO Emissions Management السعودية

ريدوود سيتي، كاليفورنيا–(Marketwired / Asianet-Pakistan – 20 مايو 2013) – أعلنت اليوم شركة i2c, Inc.، إحدى الشركات الرائدة في تقديم حلول معالجة الدفع عبر السحابة والحلول التجارية الناشئة، عن خدمة جديدة لإدارة مكافحة الاحتيال والتي تتيح للعملاء المشاركين حلاً جاهزًا لإدارة مكافحة الاحتيال. وتتعامل هذه الخدمة مع جوانب إدارة الاحتيال، بما يشتمل على عمليات الاكتشاف، والتحري، والحد من التأثير، وإعداد التقارير، كما أنها تُغطي كافة الخسائر المتعلقة بالاحتيال.

تجدر الإشارة إلى أن خدمة إدارة الاحتيال المميزة (Premium Fraud Management Service) من i2c قد تم تصميمها لمساعدة الشركات في الحد من تعرضها لخسائر الاحتيال مع تقليل تكاليف التشغيل. وذلك من خلال زيادة الاعتماد على الخصائص والخدمات التكنولوجية التالية لمراقبة الاحتيال:

- مُعالجة لأحداث مُتعددة في الوقت الحقيقي
- أمن قوي متعدد الطبقات
- مراقبة فاعلة للعمليات
- فريق إدارة مخاطر متخصص

ومن ناحية أخرى، فإن منصة i2c تتعامل مع التحايل بطريقة مختلفة عن منتجات معالجة الدفع التقليدية وذلك من خلال تنفيذ مئات القواعد وعمليات الفحص المعقدة متعددة الأحداث في الوقت الحقيقي لمصادقة العمليات. ومن ثم يعتبر هذا أكثر فعّالية من الشبكات العصبية وطرق تسجيل النقاط المستخدمة في الأنظمة القديمة فضلاً عن أن هذه المنصة قادرة على اكتشاف ومنع أول محاولة لعملية احتيالية بدلاً من إعاقة العمليات بعد حدوث خسائر فادحة.

ويقول أمير وأين، المدير التنفيذي، i2c “تعتبر هذه ميزة خاصة لـ i2c platform. حيث إن ممارساتنا الأمنية الصارمة، ومراقبة العمليات النشطة وفريق إدارة مكافحة الاحتيال المخضرم يعملان على تكامل قدرات هذه المنصة، مما يتيح لنا الحد بصورة كبيرة من تأثير نشاط الاحتيال لدى عملائنا.”

علاوة على أن Premium Fraud Management Service من i2c تُغطي كافة الخسائر الاحتيالية للعمليات أثناء الاشتراك في الخدمة بما يشتمل على ما يلي:

- تحديد استراتيجية مثالية لاكتشاف ومنع الاحتيال
- تكوين إعدادات الاحتيال في منصة i2c
- مسح للعمليات على مدار 24 ساعة×7 أيام في الأسبوع×364 يوم في العام باستخدام أدوات اكتشاف احتكارية لمكافحة الاحتيال في الوقت الحقيقي
- عمليات مراجعة عميقة لما بعد المصادقة
- تقديم تنبيهات مكافحة الاحتيال في الوقت الحقيقي إلى المستهلكين والعملاء
- – دعم عملاء داخلي وخارجي 24 ساعة×7 أيام في الأسبوع×365 يوم في السنة لتقارير الاحتيال ومطابقة العمليات
- إدارة الحالة، والائتمان المؤقت، ومعالجة تحميل النفقات على المستفيد
- إعداد التقارير والاتصالات بما يتوافق مع متطلبات الشبكة والمتطلبات النظامية مثل SAR وRegulation E

نبذة عن i2c, Inc.

تعمل شركة i2c, Inc. على تقديم بنية تحتية تعتمد على السحابة إلى المؤسسات المالية، والشركات، والعلامات التجارية، والقطاعات الحكومية التي تحتاج إلى إطلاق وتحقيق إدارة مربحة لمنتجات الدفع ومنتجات الجيل التالي من التجارة الإلكتروني. فضلاً عن منصتها العالمية الجاهزة تتضمن مدفوعات تعتمد على البطاقات، والدفع الظاهري، والدفع عبر الجوال، وحلول الولاء، والدعم. ويقع مقرi2c  في وادي السيلكون، كاليفورنيا، وتقوم بتقديم دعم لعملائها في خمس قارات من خلال ست مكاتب للمبيعات والدعم في أنحاء العالم. الرجاء زيارة i2cinc.com

لمزيد من المعلومات أو sales@i2cinc.com للاستفسارات المباشرة للمبيعات.

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE–(Marketwired / Asianet-Pakistan – May 21, 2013) – Fozzy Inc., shared and VPS hosting company, has today announced the launch of its shared hosting service in the United States of America.

The service is the perfect solution for companies targeting customers in the U.S. and expands Fozzy’s range of services offered in the region, which was previously limited to Linux VPS.

Fozzy’s unique hosting solutions run on CloudLinux OS and provide websites that can load up to three times faster than other offerings. CloudLinux OS offers the best isolation technology in the industry, meaning a client’s website will continue to run no matter what else happens on the server.

Clients in the US can now benefit from Fozzy’s server configuration – Dell R410 and R510 servers with Dual Xeon E5620 or better processors, 64 GB of RAM and super-fast and reliable 15,000 rpm SAS HDDs. Prices start from just $3.90 per month with discounts offered for yearly contracts. A free 7-day trial is also available.

“This announcement brings Fozzy’s unique, reliable, secure and fast web hosting solutions to customers in the U.S. and international businesses with clients there,” said Dmitry Filatov, Fozzy Inc.’s business development director. “For a cost effective entry point, subscribers of our shared plans get access to numerous capabilities. Our user-friendly control panel allows just-in-one-click installing of over 275 site engines including Droopal, WordPress, Joomla etc. Fozzy’s shared hosting plans do not require administration skills. So users are able to easily launch websites themselves and do not waste time on server configuration.”

About Fozzy

Fozzy Inc. provides shared hosting based on CloudLinux and VPS hosting services based on openVZ or Hyper-V in the United States and Europe. Fozzy is the ultimate in fast hosting, with ultra-fast processing and data transfer using state-of-the art hardware and software solutions. Fozzy uses the only OS designed for shared hosting, CloudLinux, to maximize server reliability. Fozzy is part of XBT Holding, global hosting and network infrastructure provider. Visit Fozzy online at http://fozzy.com/en.

About XBT Holding

XBT Holding Ltd. is a privately-owned global hosting, network solutions and web development provider founded in 2005, with offices in eight countries. Worldwide enterprise and SMB customers rely on XBT’s international expertise and comprehensive service portfolio, including managed dedicated hosting, colocation, shared and VPS hosting, high-performance network, cloud, web and application development services. The company operates a worldwide proprietary network through five carrier-neutral data centers and 12 points of presence in the United States, Europe and Asia, with more than 12,000 servers throughout seven subsidiaries. XBT Holding partners with most major Tier 1 networks to ensure high-speed international connectivity up to 1.3 Tbps. XBT is now one of the fastest-growing companies in the Internet infrastructure industry. Visit XBT online at http://www.xbt.com.

Contact Information

Media Relations
Tatiana Golub
Marketing Director
pr@xbt.com

Lahore, May 20, 2013 (PPI-OT): The position of the river inflows/outflows and the reservoirs levels today is as under:

Rivers                         Inflows              Outflows                  Remarks
                              (In Cusecs)          (In Cusecs)

Indus at Tarbela                 61100                 50000            Mean flows of 24 hours
Kabul At Nowshera                86700                 86700            Mean Flows of 24 hrs.
Jhelum at Mangla                 53000                 42000            Mean flows of 24 hours
Chenab at Marala                 40200                 21200            Flows at 0600 hours

Barrages                       Inflows              Outflows                  Remarks
                              (In Cusecs)          (In Cusecs)

Jinnah                          117000                111000            Flow at 0600 hours
Chashma                         101700                 98000            Mean flows of 24 hours
Taunsa                           79300                 62300            Flow at 0600 hours
Panjnad                           6200                   Nil            Flow at 0600 hours
Guddu                            49600                 47800            Flow at 0600 hours
Sukkur                           34700                  9000            Flow at 0600 hours
Kotri                             8152                   Nil            Flow at 0600 hours

Reservoirs                   Present Level         Dead Level         Maximum level     Present
(at 0600 hours)             (Above Sea Level)    (Above Sea Level)      (ft.)           Live Storage

Tarbela                       1389.67 Feet         1378.00 Feet        1550.00          0.136 MAF
Mangla                        1108.05 Feet         1040.00 Feet        1242.00          0.759 MAF
Chashma                        641.60 Feet          637.00 Feet         649.00          0.062 MAF

For more information, contact:
Muhammad Abid Rana
Director Public Relations
Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA)
G-32, WAPDA House, Lahore
Tel: +9242 9920 2633 and +9242 9920 2211 -2033 -2029
Cell: +92333 445 8293
Email: mabidrana@gmail.com

Karachi, May 20, 2013 (PPI-OT): The following rates will be applicable for conversion into rupees of Foreign Currency Deposits, Dollar Bearer Certificates, Foreign Currency Bearer Certificates, Special U.S Dollar Bonds and profit thereon by all banks and for providing Forward Cover on Foreign Currency Deposits (excluding F.E-25 deposits) by the State Bank on May 21, 2013.

Currency          Rate in Pak Rupee
U.S. Dollar          98.4141
Japanese Yen          0.9596
Pound Sterling      149.5403
Euro                126.6393

For more information, contact:
Syed Wasimuddin
Chief Spokesman
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)
Tel: +9221 3921 2562
Fax: +9221 3921 2563
Email: syed.wasimuddin@sbp.org.pk