Aziz Memon accepts QMGPI Advisory Board role

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Aziz Memon, a venerated entrepreneur and philanthropist, has accepted the invitation to join the Advisory Board of the prestigious London-based Queen Mary Global Policy Institute (QMGPI). The invitation to become a part of this important global policy institute was received from Professor Colin Grant, Chair, British Council Education Advisory Group and Trustee, Council for At Risk Academics. 

 

“I feel honoured to have been nominated for induction in the Advisory Board of the QMGPI, and I have accepted the responsibility with pride and a deep rooted commitment to the goals of QMGPI. I will try my best to contribute my bit so that its benefits could trickle down to the members of the English Speaking Union of Pakistan (ESUP) in particular and the people of Pakistan in general,” Aziz Memon, who happens to be Vice President of ESU International besides being Patron-in-Chief of ESUP, informed PNFS on June 30. 

“The nominations group was convened last week and I am quite delighted to convey to you its unanimous support for your addition to the QMGPI Advisory Board. I do understand that life is busy and that you have multiple commitments, but would be delighted if you would accept our invitation to join us,” Professor Colin Grant, who is also Vice Principal (International) of Queen Mary University of London, communicated. 

The Advisory Board of the QMGPI is headed by Professor Paola Subacchi, a visiting professor at the University of Bologna, while its other members include Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Visweswaran Navaratnam, Martin Uden, Professor Dr Jan Wouters, Poppy Jaman and Professor Dr Rajani Naidoo, 

The QMGPI takes Queen Mary's world class research and helps to translate this expertise into positive social and practical dividends by addressing key global problems across a range of policy areas from global health to technology and from housing to human mobility. It’s known to be having strong governance in public health, diplomacy, innovation, communities and mental health.

NLA to facilitate students, professionals during foreign visits

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The National Library Association (NLA), seeking to facilitate students and professionals during foreign visits, has started contacting some of the proficient immigration consultants and service providers in different parts of the world.

“Our objective is to help and guide the students and professionals of library science who desire to travel abroad for higher studies or doing internships and jobs. We have contacted the education and immigration consultants to find ways and means to facilitate our community of librarians,” the NLA President, Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, disclosed. 

The NLA office-bearers organized a meeting with the London-based Mehboob Ali who visited Pakistan recently. Detailed discussions were held with him as he encouraged the librarians to plan travelling abroad for exploring a successful career. 

On this occasion, he was presented a copy of Asma Hassan’s famous book Mayar-e-Zindagi which was instantly praised by him for the motivational content between the covers.

NLA holds workshop at Bahria University

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The National Library Association (NLA) organized a workshop titled ‘Special Libraries: Challenges in digital era’ at the Bahria University in Karachi on June 25 in which the learned speakers shared their thoughts and experiences to educate the audience which comprised mainly of the librarians working in different organizations. 

Muhammad Amin Jamali (Arts Council of Pakistan), Arif Iqbal (Sindh Institute of Urology & Transplantation), Muhammad Ibrahim (Sindh High Court), Liaquat Ali Rahoo (Mehran University of Engineering & Technology) and Nasir Mustafa (Dawn Media Group) spoke about the working of special libraries in the fields of culture, law, medicine, IT and media respectively. 

The workshop was conducted by Syed Khalid Mahmood, Advisor, NLA, while the vote of thanks was proposed by Farhat Jabeen, Chief Librarian, Bahria University. Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, President, NLA, and Anwar Hussain, Secretary General, NLA, were also present on the occasion. The session was followed by a visit to the Bahria University’s Central Library where lunch was also served for the participants.

NLA assures support to PPBA

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The National Library Association (NLA) has assured its total support to the Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Association (PPBA) in their ongoing campaign against the recent price hike of paper and other allied printing products having crippled the industry. 

A two-member NLA delegation comprising of its President, Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, and Secretary General, Anwar Hussain, attended the media briefing of the PPBA in this regard which was held recently at the Karachi Press Club to highlight the growing problems. 

The NLA officials, in their meeting with the PPBA President, Aziz Khalid, expressed their solidarity with the publishers and booksellers, recognizing that the skyrocketing of paper prices and the printing costs would result in the steep decline of publication of books and research papers.

Aziz Memon meets Indian envoy; discussion on resuming bilateral trade ties

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services

Aziz Memon, a leading industrialist and philanthropist, who is Patron in Chief of the English Speaking Union of Pakistan (ESUP) and also a Trustee of The Rotary Foundation, called on Indian envoys at Karachi on June 30 in which the resumption of bilateral ties was deliberated besides other matters. 

The Indian chargé d'affaires, Dr Suresh Kumar, and the First Secretary, Abhishek Sharma, held a meeting with Aziz Memon in which the discussion revolved around resuming the trade and commerce relations between the two countries which, they recognized, will benefit the masses on both sides of the border. 

The matter of medical emergencies also came up for discussion and the Indian diplomats agreed in principle to pay attention to such visa applications. In this regard the case of an elderly Zoroastrian cancer patient, seeking treatment in Mumbai, was highlighted and the Indians consented to grant him visa promptly. 

Aziz Memon, himself the Honorary Consul General of Suriname, briefed the Indian envoys about the resolutions passed during the Rotary Peace Conference which was attended by him, alongwith 5,200 other delegates, at Hyderabad last month. 

They emphasized on increasing people to people contacts for improving relations between the two countries. 

Meanwhile the Indian chargé d'affaires, Dr Suresh Kumar, presented a coffee table book titled ‘India: The Spirit of Enterprise’ to Aziz Memon who was highly appreciative about the content of the publication in which the various aspects of the country have been showcased elegantly.

Waqar Hashmi likely to become new KWSB chief

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

With the post of Managing Director of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) having fallen vacant, the Sindh Government has started considering names of four officials for the lucrative posting as MD KWSB with Waqar Ahmed Hashmi, a Grade-20 officer working as Deputy Managing Director, being considered as the favourite. 

The names of the candidate for the new incumbent are under review at the Sindh Government level following the retirement of Farida Salam. Out of four names being given due consideration for the post, two officials are in Grade 20 while the remaining two are in Grade-19. 

The two Grade-19 officials are DMD Finance Rafiq Qureshi and Salahuddin who have started drumming their sources to clinch the coveted slot by hook or by crook. 

According to the sources, the name of Waqar Hashmi is being given top priority consideration keeping in view his capabilities and expertise besides his solid reputation of being an honest and committed officer throughout his career. He has vast experience of working at the KWSB in various cadres including Secretary Karachi Board, Principle Staff Officer, Director Revenue, Taxes and other important slots 

Meanwhile some of the former MDs of Water Board are learnt to have suggested those at the helm of affairs in Sindh Government about the name of Waqar Hashmi and pinpointed that being the most experienced officer he can play a pivotal role in resolving the water and sewerage problems of this ever sprawling city.

Digitization can reduce poverty, corruption: Former Estonian President

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

“If the willingness is there, states can transform themselves through the use of digital technology, significantly reducing levels of poverty and corruption and simplifying government services that are otherwise bureaucratic and time consuming.” 

This was the core message delivered in a special lecture by Toomas Hendrik Ilves, former president of Estonia (2006-2016). He is recognized for implementing bold and innovative policies that led the Baltic state to becoming a global leader in digital governance, especially in the areas of voting, banking, healthcare, transportation and education. 

The event was hosted by Aga Khan University (AKU) Information and Communications Technology division, led by Chief Information Officer Shaukat Ali Khan, and attended by prominent CIOs from other leading institutions in Pakistan at the as special guests. 

Following his presidency, the Estonian leader has actively worked to advance understanding of how technology can be used to improve lives and create a safer world. He co-chairs the Global Future Council on Blockchain Technology, which examines how blockchain technology can be used to enhance cybersecurity, and recently advised the World Health Organization on technological solutions to address the COVID-19 pandemic. 

President Ilves, who was speaking remotely, shared his experiences spearheading Estonia’s digital transformation. He built on his familiarity with coding to explore innovative solutions to overcome a highly inefficient bureaucracy. Using the example of registering a birth in Estonia, he described a colleague’s frustration at having to manually apply to numerous individual departments to register the birth of a child, a process that took weeks and involved significant frustration. 

Digitization meant that as soon as a child was born, the hospital would enter it into the system, after which it would instantaneously be shared with every other relevant department so records would automatically be updated, expediting the entire process with no involvement from the parent. This ethos to simplify the citizen experience has continued to the point that even to file taxes, citizens usually just verify forms readily filled by the government. Though this process can be quite cumbersome in most countries, it takes mere minutes today for most Estonians. 

Moreover, the former Estonian president emphasized the IT talent existing in Pakistan, highlighting that there were many brilliant Pakistanis working in Estonia’s IT sector. He also suggested building proprietary government systems, and shared that many of Estonia’s systems are open source and can be freely shared for the benefit of other nations. 

Answering questions from the audience as to how a nation with low GDP per capita and limited exposure to computers managed to digitize, President Ilves shared Estonia’s solution of creating computer centres for the public to come and utilize the machines with assistance, so they could engage with the new digital governance systems. He also indicated that the focus of digitization must be on the citizens, and what makes their lives easier, despite how tempting it is to initially pursue projects that make things easier for the government. 

As people notice and feel the benefits of digitization, there is a ‘halo effect’ which leads to greater adoption of other related digital services. Extolling the virtues and necessity of digitization, the President highlighted that Estonia only 30 years ago was a newly independent country with high levels of poverty and corruption. Today, it has a reputation as a digital leader with the most unicorns (companies valued above US$1 billion) per capita in Europe and the sixth lowest corruption levels in the world, a startling achievement. It is a transformation journey upon which any country can embark if the willingness exists. 

The AKU is engaged in its own transformation journey, as it implements a globally leading Electronic Health Records (EHR) system across its hospitals to enhance patient experience, care quality, and research capability. Shaukat Ali Khan thanked President Ilves for sharing his wisdom and experience with the audience, and expressed his gratitude to all the participants, as well as the University of Central Asia (UCA) and the CxO Global Forum, for helping make the event possible.

NLA officials sprint across Karachi libraries

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The top officials of the National Library Association (NLA) recently undertook visits of some of the educational and research institutions of Karachi to obtain first-hand information about the libraries working. 

The NLA President, Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, and its Secretary General, Anwar Hussain, managed to sprint across no less than half a dozen such establishments in a matter of just two days. They were warmly greeted by the working librarians and almost all of them pledged support to the cause of the Association. 

Bahria University, Karachi School of Business and Leadership, University of Karachi, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transportation, Sindh High Court and Dow University of Health Sciences were among the institutions visited by the NLA delegation.

“It was both a fact finding mission as well as a reunion. Besides learning about their latest engagements and activities, we also brainstormed about doing things for the further progress of our fellow library professionals. It was unanimously agreed that coordinated efforts were needed to bring about meaningful changes,” the NLA President remarked. 

“The NLA was appreciated for its proactive approach and we have been assured cooperation and support of various kinds by the institutions we visited. On our part we urged all the library professionals to contribute their bit in this movement in whatever way it was possible for them. We made them understand that every effort, minor or major, will go a long way in further strengthening the NLA and let us achieve our cherished goals,” Muzaffar Ali Shah concluded.

Railways to undertake ML-1 project in phases

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan Railways has decided to take up ML-1 project, which was earlier to be carried out as a part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), at its own and it will be completed in different phases 

This was disclosed by the CEO of Pakistan Railways, Farrukh Taimur Ghilzai, while addressing the officials of the Karachi Division during his latest visit. 

Earlier he held a meeting with the Divisional officers at the Divisional Superintendent Office upon arrival here from Lahore during his two-day tour of Karachi. 

Upon arrival at the Karachi Cantonment Station, the CEO was welcomed by the DS Karachi, Kashif Rasheed Yusufani, and other senior divisional officers. 

In the meeting, the CEO was given a detail briefing on the attainment of targets in Karachi Division during the current financial year. 

The CEO informed that the ML-1 project will be completed from Karachi to Hyderabad in the first phase to be followed from Hyderabad to Tando Adam and Tando Adam to Rohri in the second and Rohri to Khanpur in the third phase during which the tracks will be fully upgraded. 

The Railways chief shared that their organization was fully aware of the problems of travelling public and they have decided not to raise the railway fares despite fuel prices hike. 

He called upon the officials to serve the people with true dedication and honesty to bring improvement in the railway’s credibility and quality of public service. 

After presiding over the meeting at the DS Office, the Railways CEO also met Engr Nisar Memon, Chief of PRFTC Chief, obtaining first-hand information from him about goods trains. He later went around the South-Asia Pakistan Terminal where he was given a detailed briefing by the CEO of Hohisin Company, Capt Rashid Jamil.

NLA workshop to educate digital aspects of special libraries

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

With digitalization having become the name of the game, the National Library Association (NLA) has taken up the initiative to hold a workshop titled ‘Special Libraries: Challenges in digital era’ in Karachi during the month of June.

“Our librarians need to be well versed with the digital aspects to be able to discharge their duties more effectively. We need to educate them about the developments which have actually redefined the profession of librarianship,” Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, President, NLA, stated after having presided over a specially convened meeting on June 6. 

Besides the NLA Advisor, Syed Khalid Mahmood, and Secretary General, Anwar Hussain, the meeting was also attended by the Association’s Bulletin Editor, Nasir Mustafa. 

“While the date and the venue were expected to be finalized later in the week, we have decided in principle to organize the workshop in Karachi during the last week of June. The participants will be encouraged to pre-register as the seats would be limited. There will be no registration fee, however,” the NLA President added.

He further disclosed that some of the leading professionals, having vast experience in their respective fields of special libraries, will be sharing their information about digital processes. Special libraries generally are known to be having a more specific audience than libraries in traditional, educational or public settings, as they deal with more specialized kinds of information. They are developed to support the mission of their sponsoring organization and their collections and services are more targeted and specific to the needs of their users.