Bahria University host exhibition

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Bahria University, Karachi, organized an All Karachi Inter-University Open House Exhibition. 

The exhibition was inaugurated by Engr Muhammed Shafique, Vice Chairman Sindh, Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), in a graceful ceremony. 

In his speech, Engr Shafique appreciated the objectives behind the concept of exhibition and opined that such open houses should also be organized by other public and private sector universities. He was of the view that such events greatly help the students to make their mind for future career.

He said that as a member of the PEC, he will extend all his support for holding such events which may prove a source of guidance for students. 

Engr Shafique appreciated the Bahria Univerrsity for making efforts in successfully holding the exhibition and hoped it will go a long way in providing beneficial guidance to its students. 

The exhibition was largely attended by students, faculty members from different engineering universities who evince keen interest in the exhibits on display.

Project management seminar at SBBU

By Rashid Zia Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

The Department of Business Administration, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University (SBBU) organized a one-day seminar on the subject of project management at its campus in Nawabshah on April 24. 

The seminar was aimed at creating greater awareness among the students of the department of Business Administration regarding business plans and projects. 

Professors and scholars hailing from different parts of the country delivered lectures and presented research papers, discussing issues in relation to the seminar topic. 

The seminar participants included Fahad Ali, President, Project Management Institute, Prof Dr Manzoor Ali Meerani of Institute of Business Administration Sukkur, Prof Dr Muha and Dr Mansoor Ahmed Channa of Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering Science and Technology and others. 

The speakers, on the occasion, said that no plan could be successfully implemented until it met proper requirements of project management. They stressed that the importance of project management could not be ignored. 

They explained that investment, time management, resources, area, target market and skilled human resources were equally important for a business project to succeed. 

Dr Liaquat Ali Zardari, Dean Faculty of Science and Technology, Dr Abdul Rauf Chairman, Business Administration, Dr Zahid Channa, Kashif Noorani and large number of students and teachers attended the seminar.

Global children’s research hospital teams up with specialist centres in Pakistan

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

80 per cent of the world’s paediatric cancer cases occur in low and middle income countries such as Pakistan and childhood cancer care in the country stands to improve as US-based St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a global leader in children’s cancer care and research, launches a series of partnerships aimed at enhancing the standard of oncology services in the country. 

St Jude’s Global has built a network of regional partnerships spanning over 50 countries to promote self-sufficiency and the sharing of knowledge, skills and best practices in paediatric cancer under a US$100 million initiative. 

A memorandum of understanding in Pakistan has been signed by Dr Carlos Rodriquez Galindo, executive director at St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, and Dr Adil Haider, dean of AKU’s medical college, at a ceremony on April 23. 

“The majority of children in the developing world still lose their lives to cancers that can be effectively treated. No child should die in the prime of their life and our partnerships with institutions like AKU will play a crucial role in realising our goal of enhancing paediatric cancer survival rates around the world,” Dr Galindo remarked.

As a member of St. Jude Global’s alliance, AKU’s healthcare professionals and researchers will benefit from a range of capacity building, research and knowledge-sharing initiatives aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s child cancer health system and at developing patient-centered initiatives across the continuum of care.

The partnership will see nurses, paediatric oncology specialists and intensive care unit staff at AKU’s teaching hospital benefit from specialised courses as well as hands-on training at the Memphis-based research hospital.

The research faculty will also participate in initiatives to generate new knowledge in the field and to develop collaborative projects with partner institutions in the global network.

The staff at AKU will also work with the Pakistan Society of Paediatric Oncology to extend the benefits of the global partnership to public, private and charity hospitals with paediatric oncology units in the country.

Early partners in the alliance with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital include Indus Hospital and the National Institute of Child Health.

“This partnership is for all children in Pakistan. Our specialists see some of the most complicated late-stage cases of childhood cancer cases and we’re keen to collaborate on initiatives that will raise the standard of oncology services across Pakistan,” Professor Zehra Fadoo, head of oncology services at AKU’s teaching hospital, stated.

An estimated 80 per cent of the world’s paediatric cancer patients live in low and middle income countries and the MoU is in line with the University’s commitment to achieve targets under goal 3 of the Sustainable Development Goals which seek a one-third reduction in cancer mortality and morbidity by 2030.

The university had entered into a similar agreement with Fred Hutch, another global leader in cancer research and care, in March 2019.

ACEP secretariat established in Karachi

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The first-ever secretariat of the Association of Consulting Engineers Pakistan (ACEP) was inaugurated by Engr Jawaid Salim Qureshi, Chairman, Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) while Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister, Engr Ashfaq Memon, and Engr Najeeb Haroon, MNA, were the guests of honour on the occasion.

The objective behind the establishment of the ACEP in Karachi was to highlight the role of this body of consulting engineers in national development. 

Speaking on the occasion, Engr Javed congratulated the ACEP for having established its own secretariat to help coordinate its activities on national level. 

He held out his firm assurance to engineers to protect their due rights besides other related matters like sales tax, foreign consultancy, positioning of non-engineers on engineer's posts and status of diploma engineers. 

The PEC Chairman informed about the changes he had initiated during his tenure and how the Council had been transformed into a vibrant, friendly and one-window operation service for engineers. 

He declared that the PEC planned to start an engineers’ bank for the welfare of engineering fraternity. Engr Ashfaq also commended the ACEP and committed his full support for resolving the issues of consultant engineers with the Sindh government. 

Engr Najeeb Haroon, MNA, advised all the consultants to come forward, sit together to work for the betterment of engineers’ community. 

Earlier Engr Siddiq Essa welcomed the guests and presented a brief on the history of the ACEP while Engr Ch Ghulam Hussain, ex-President ACEP, highlighted the role of the body in national development. 

On the occasion, Engr Khalid Pervez briefed about upcoming the ACEP Conference and CPD programmes.

Celebration of World Book Day

Milk shops raided, fined in Nawabshah

By Rashid Zia Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The influential dairy farm owners have been found guilty selling health injurious chemical and water mixed milk after they broke the seals of their shops.

The milk shops selling sub-standard milk were sealed by Assistant Commissioner, Nawabshah, Nabeel Ahmed Sindhu, after a city-wide raid carried out to check milk quality on the directive of Deputy Commissioner, Abrar Ahmed Jaffar. 

Heading a team, the Assistant Commissioner along with veterinarian, Dr Tariq Noorani, conducted raids on milk shops following large scale public complaints in different city areas. 

The team found dairy shops selling milk prepared with various chemicals like detergent powder, urea fertilizer and other similar components. 

The dairy shops were fined and recovered Rs. 45,000 on the spot while huge quantity of sub-standard milk was destroyed and the shops were sealed. 

However some of the influential dairy farmers and milk sellers broke open the seals and started selling milk as usual. 

On the other hand, veterinarian, Dr Tariq Noorani, said that the samples collected from milk shops contained detergent powder, urea fertilizer and other disastrous chemicals the report of which was submitted with district administration.

Department of Sindhi established at SBBU

By Rashid Zia Qureshi
(Pakistan News &Features Services) 

Keeping in view the historic status of Sindhi language and its importance, use and expansion of language, the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University (SBBU) in Nawabshah has established the department of Sindhi along with creation of required faculty. 

The Vice Chancellor, Prof Dr Tayyaba Zareef, while congratulating the university faculty and staff members said that the SBBU was the first university where department of Sindhi has been introduced. 

"We have to make efforts for the promotion of our mother tongue Sindhi,” she said, adding that establishment of such departments help in promotion and research on the language. 

The SBBU Vice Chancellor said that these departments work and research on the creation of different topic and the work done by teachers, writers and poets. 

She invited researchers to use their capabilities in the service of Sindhi language.

Economic benefits of mushroom highlighted

By Rashid Zia Qureshi 

(Pakistan News &Features Services) 

Senior Scientific Officer, Ministry of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Dr Sadia Munir has stressed the necessity for research on different varieties of mushroom. 

"It is essential as we still have no or little knowledge about the economic benefits of nushroom", she said while addressing a seminar ‘Cultivation and economic benefits of wild Mushroom’ which was organized under the auspices of Molecular Biology and Genetics Department of the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University SBBU), Nawabshah. 

Dr Sadia Munir said that Mushroom output is seen in huge quantity in area of Thar but area people use poisonous mushroom than healthy mushroom due to lack of information about it. 

She said that not only food requirements could be achieved in case necessary attention is paid on mushroom production but it could fulfill economic requirements as well. 

The seminar, largely attended by the department students, was also addressed by Chairperson, Molecular Biology and Genetics Department, Dr Waazir Ali Metlo, Dr Khalid Husain Rind and others.

Nawabshah facing acute power crisis

By Rashid Zia Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The unabated power outages have critically affected commercial and non-commercial activities playing havoc with business community and people at homes. 

As a daily routine power supply goes off with the start of business and office hours and returns when offices are closed and workers start winding up at the end of working hours. 

The huge generators installed at banks continue running all the day giving rise to already aggravated environmental pollution. 

The main victims of load-shedding are the students appearing at the Hyderabad Education Board’s annual examination. Under a growing hot weather they find it next to impossible to make preparations. 

Whenever the electricity supply office is contacted, the usual reply comes that it is routine load-shedding, it is breakdown, it is shutdown or last but not least work is in progress on technical fault and the end result remain the same that you have to live with no electricity. 

On the other hand people have started switching to generators, Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) systems or solar panel systems to ward off total collapse of business activities.

Pakistan's beauty is untouched: Prime Minister

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News and Features Services)

“Pakistan's beauty is that it is untouched. Many tribal areas of the former FATA will attract a lot of visitors when they are opened for tourism. No other sector in Pakistan offers returns on investment as much as tourism," Prime Minister Imran Khan declared in his address during the Pakistan Tourism Summit in Islamabad on April 3.

“Pakistan's untouched scenic sites will be ruined if tourism in the country is not regulated and appropriate laws are not implemented,” he opined. 

“Pakistan is known for its hospitality globally is because the people here are welcoming to tourists. I request you that you have to make people respect the local sensibilities and local culture," he advised the Task Force for Tourism. 

“A major reason a place is admired by tourists is because of its people. But there’s a need for regulating tourism in the country,” he stressed. 

Imran Khan reckoned that if tourists disrespect the local customs of the tribal areas, the reaction that would follow would negatively impact tourism. 

Citing personal travel experiences in Pakistan over the course of his life, the Prime Minister once again highlighted the tourism potential of the country, which he believed was unmatched anywhere in the world. 

The Prime Minister urged the elite class of Pakistan to visit the domestic tourist attractions instead of spending their summer vacations in England and other European countries.

Denso Hall Facade Cleaning Festival from April 14

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The historic Denso Hall Facade Cleaning Festival would be organized jointly by the Heritage Foundation Pakistan and Rotary Club Karachi New Central from April 14.

A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting held under the chairmanship of the Commissioner Karachi, Itfikhar Shallwani, on April 1.

The founder of the Heritage Foundation and a renowned architect, Yasmeen Lari, briefed about the campaign which she described to be an effort to bring back the glory of Karachi. 

As a first step, the Heritage Foundation, is embarking on scientific cleaning of facades of Karachi’s historic buildings, beginning with the historic Denso Hall (1886) and then facades of all buildings located on Marriott Road will be taken up one at a time every Sunday as a voluntary movement for safeguarding Karachi’s heritage, and creating livelihood opportunities through pedestrianizing Marriott Road. 

The Rotary Club Karachi New Central has partnered in this noble venture and the government has ganted it its blessings. Architect Yasmeen Lari made a detailed presentation on the method for gentle scientific cleaning of Karachi’s beautiful buff coloured stone to heritage volunteers. 

It provides an opportunity to the Karachiites to participate in taking care of our heritage, Yasmin said, reminding that on various occasions Karavan Karachi’s streetfest activities were successfully carried out every Sunday, over seven months in 2001, from music to street theater to sketching. During this facade cleaning festival such activities will also be revived. 

On the occasion, the Commissioner Karachi stated that the Sindh government was making all out efforts for city's development and beatification and those from civil society who want to contribute would be considered a great support and encouraged by providing all possible support in this respect. 

He was of the opinion that the Façade Cleaning Festival would help the government to carry out its programme to bring back the city's past glory. He hoped the programme would be helpful to create greater public awareness regarding various environmental aspects and also define the way forward through cooperation of government agencies and civil society to make Karachi not only the cheapest city but among the most livable cities . 

Shallwani directed the officials of KMC, DMCs, and Traffic Police and other concerned agencies to extend all possible support with regard to the cleanliness and beautification work conceptualized by the Heritage Foundation’s programme Karvan Karachi for rehabilitation work of historic buildings and streets. 

The Commissioner was informed that it would be a scientific cleaning of facades of historic buildings and cleaning and greening of streets as a voluntary civil society movement which will show the enthusiasm of the Karachiites to begin taking care of their city's environment. 

The administration will provide security and traffic arrangements for the convenience of the general public for regular Sunday Karavan Karachi street festivals which will showcase Karachi's diverse cultural heritage and provide entertainment for families including youth and children.