Islamabad, Dec 6: Despite a lack of personnel in the Project Management Unit (PMU), the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) is taking action to maintain the Rawalpindi Ring Road project on schedule. The PMU has not been shut down, and steps are being taken to guarantee that the project proceeds without any delays, Director General Kinza Murtaza explained. Three high-ranking individuals, including an administrative official, an environment specialist, and a financial expert, left the PMU last month. The RDA has responded by appointing officials to cover these positions temporarily. This guarantees that the project’s vital tasks won’t be interrupted. RDA officers…
Author: Iqra Khan
Islamabad, Dec 6: Stakeholders have agreed to remove between 80,000 and 100,000 wild mulberry trees and limit the sale of parthenium plants at flower shops throughout Islamabad in response to the prime minister’s orders to manage pollen allergies in the federal capital. The PM’s National Coordinator on Health, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Bharat, said that Islamabad is taking proactive steps to address pollen allergies. He emphasized that because of their abundance, wild mulberry trees are a major cause of allergies, according to environmental experts. Phased removal of these trees is part of the plan. Between 80,000 and 100,000 wild mulberry trees…
Islamabad, Dec 6: In an indication of a change toward better bilateral ties between the two nations, the interim government of Bangladesh has loosened its visa requirements for people of Pakistan. Since erstwhile pro-India Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left, attempts have been made to strengthen ties, which is shown in this development. Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has simplified the travel process for Pakistani nationals by eliminating the need for security clearance. While the foreign ministry directed diplomatic offices throughout the world to expedite visa applications for Pakistanis, the Security Services Division of Bangladesh’s Ministry of…
Islamabad, Dec 6: The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has launched a comprehensive five-day workshop to enhance the impact of statistical data dissemination focused on “Storytelling with Data Visualization.” The workshop was designed to empower National Statistical Offices (NSOs) with the skills necessary to effectively communicate data, ensuring that statistical results resonate with a wide range of audiences and drive informed decision-making. Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director of SDPI, expressed his gratitude for the collaboration with UNFPA, emphasizing the importance of developing data literacy skills to support evidence-based decision-making. “Data-driven…
Islamabad, Dec 6: On behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has extended the term for the deposit of USD 3.00 billion maturing on 05 December 2024 for another year. The said amount has been placed with State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The extension of the term of the deposit is continuation of the support provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which will help strengthen Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves and contribute to the country’s economic growth and development. It…
Islamabad, Dec 5: Restrictions on Virtual Private Networks (VPN) have the potential to have a substantial short- and medium-term economic impact. The estimated cost of unclear internet policy is $420 million, and the reported decline of 30% in order bookings could result in long-term damages exceeding $1 billion. While briefing the Senate Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication here on Thursday, Sajjad Mustafa Syed, Chairman of the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), which accounts for more than 90% of Pakistan’s IT exports, disclosed this information. “We believe that the current approach of only limiting the IP whitelisted registered IPs and…
Islamabad, Dec 5: China plans to open more than 22 centers of excellence in Pakistan to offer advanced technical and vocational training and Chinese language skills. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between China’s TANG International Education Group and Pakistan’s National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) strengthened the project. The project, which is overseen by the Federal Ministry of Education and Professional Training, aims to develop innovation through bilateral cooperation while equipping a workforce with the necessary skills to satisfy the expectations of contemporary industry. Additionally, it seeks to expand Pakistani youth employment prospects globally, especially in China and other…
Islamabad, Dec 5: Shaza Fatima Khawaja, the Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication, told the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom on Thursday that negotiations were on to implement Elon Musk’s Starlink services to address Pakistan’s slow internet problem. The committee was briefed by IT Minister Shaza Fatima, who stated that although there were technical difficulties, the internet was only ever blocked for security reasons. Intervention to Promote a Positive Business Climate. According to Shaza, the government is looking at measures to lessen the negative effects of these interruptions on the IT industry. She added that discussions were…
Islamabad, Dec 5: Compared to $607.37 million in October of last year, services exports increased 13.43% to $688.95 million in October. With the exception of August, when there was a 6.5 percent decline, the rise has resumed since February of this year, mostly as a result of higher exports of information technology. According to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday, exports increased by 12.34 percent to Rs191.3 billion in October compared to Rs170.281 billion in the same month the previous year. Compared to $2.41 billion during the same period previous year, services exports increased 7.91 percent…
Islamabad, Dec 5: At the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Meeting on Textiles in Suzhou, China, Pakistan Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi emphasized that Pakistan welcomes Chinese investments in our textile industry. The event in Suzhou, a well-known center for China’s textile industry, was organized by the Board of Investment (BOI), the Pakistani Embassy in China, and the Pakistani Consulate General in Shanghai with the goal of promoting trade, investment partnerships, and joint ventures between top Pakistani and Chinese textile and apparel companies. This event also marked the opening of a Textile One Window Network (TOWN) Office under the Belt and Road…
