Author: dailybalochistantimes.com

Posted on

Shehryar Arif Khan appointed LWMC CEO


Lahore: Shehryar Arif Khan has assumed charge as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) and immediately began extensive field visits to review the city’s sanitation operations.



Soon after taking charge, the CEO visited several key locations, including Samanabad, Jail Road, Mall Road, Canal Road, Adda Plot, Multan Road, Thokar Niaz Baig and adjoining areas, to assess the performance of the waste management operation.



During the inspections, Mr. Khan reviewed the attendance of sanitation workers, examined the operational status of waste collection vehicles, and received detailed briefings on the deployment and formation of operational teams.



He also inspected cleanliness arrangements and emphasized the importance of maintaining high service standards, said LWMC spokesperson Umar Chaudhry.



At the Thokar Workshop, the CEO checked the arrival and departure timings of operational machinery and directed officials to ensure that all available machinery remains fully operational in the field throughout the monsoon season.



Posted on

Sindh health minister pledges enforcement of laws at Breastfeeding Week launch


Karachi: Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho on Friday launched World Breastfeeding Week, pledging stricter enforcement of laws regulating infant formula promotion and expansion of baby-friendly hospitals to improve breastfeeding practices across the province.



Launching the week-long observance, with breastfeeding promotion activities continuing throughout August, Dr Pechuho said breastfeeding remained one of the most effective interventions for protecting newborns, improving child nutrition and reducing infant mortality.



She said the government would strengthen implementation of the Sindh Protection and Promotion of Breast-feeding and Young Child Nutrition Act, which prohibits the promotion, advertising and marketing of infant formula, breastmilk substitutes and commercial complementary foods intended for children up to three years of age.



Dr Pechuho said the government would remain vigilant in enforcing the law to protect families from unethical commercial practices that discourage breastfeeding and undermine mothers’ confidence.



She said Sindh was also expanding the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative by transforming tertiary, district and regional hospitals into facilities where mothers are supported to initiate breastfeeding within an hour of birth, newborns receive immediate skin-to-skin contact and unnecessary formula feeding is discouraged.



More than 3,000 healthcare providers have already been trained in clinical lactation management, breastfeeding counselling and maternal nutrition to strengthen breastfeeding support at public health facilities, she added.



Dr Pechuho said exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months, followed by safe and nutrient-rich homemade complementary foods alongside continued breastfeeding, protected children against severe diarrhoea, pneumonia and acute malnutrition.



Along with routine immunisation, she said, optimal breastfeeding remained one of the most effective ways to improve child survival and health.



Marking World Breastfeeding Week under the theme ‘Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works,’ the minister urged healthcare professionals, civil society organisations, the media and families to help create an environment in which every mother received the support needed to breastfeed successfully.



Supporting the campaign, UNICEF described breastfeeding as a shared responsibility and a cornerstone of child survival, nutrition and development, calling upon governments, health professionals, employers, communities and families to strengthen support systems for mothers.



UNICEF Sindh Chief of Field Office Prem Bahadur Chand said investing in evidence-based policies and services and protecting breastfeeding would help ensure that every child received the healthiest possible start in life.



He said UNICEF would support advocacy, awareness, community engagement and media activities across the country throughout August to promote and support breastfeeding.



Posted on

DPM/FM Dar welcomes JWC’s decision to remove Pakistan from war-risk list


Islamabad: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Friday said that Pakistan welcomed the decision of the Lloyd’s Market Association’s Joint War Committee (JWC) to remove Pakistan from its Listed Areas for war risk insurance.

“This important milestone, achieved through the concerted efforts of the Government of Pakistan, ably coordinated by our High Commission in London, reflects growing international confidence in Pakistan,” the deputy prime minister wrote on his official X handle.

He also appreciated Lloyd’s for its constructive engagement throughout the process.

“This decision is expected to lower shipping and insurance costs, facilitate trade, and support our economic growth. Alhamdulillah,” the DPM/FM added.

Posted on

Sindh Health Minister inaugurates 50-bed trauma centre in Sukkur


Sukkur: Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho on Friday inaugurated a state-of-the-art 50-bed Trauma and Emergency Response Centre (TandERC), established under the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Institute of Trauma, during a visit to the Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College and Civil Hospital, Sukkur.



On the occasion, the health minister also formally launched the anti polio booster dose campaign by administering polio drops to children.



The inauguration ceremony was attended by MNA Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Sindh government spokesperson and Sukkur Mayor Barrister Arslan Islam Sheikh, Sukkur Commissioner Abid Saleem Qureshi, Deputy Commissioner Nadir Shahzad Khan, Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College Principal Dr Saleh Channa, District Health Officer Dr Ali Gul Shah, senior officials of the health department and other relevant authorities.



Following the inauguration, Dr Pechuho inspected various sections of the Trauma and Emergency Response Centre, including the X-ray unit, minor operation theatre, emergency wards and other modern healthcare facilities.



She directed the authorities concerned to ensure the timely, uninterrupted and quality provision of medical services to patients.



Addressing the ceremony, Dr Saleh Channa said that approximately 6,000 patients visited the hospital’s outpatient department every day, adding that the institution’s current annual budget of Rs400 million was insufficient to meet the growing demand for healthcare services.



He said that the suspension of non-development expenditure and recurrent funds, coupled with delays in the release of the revised budget, had created financial difficulties for the institution.



He requested the provincial health minister to provide additional funds for the hospital and medical college to enable them to improve and expand healthcare services for the public.



Sindh government spokesperson and Sukkur Mayor Barrister Arslan Islam Sheikh said that the Pakistan Peoples Party-led government was taking practical measures to provide modern healthcare facilities and essential public services.



He said that the establishment of institutions such as the Sindh Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (SICVD), children’s hospitals and other modern healthcare facilities reflected the government’s people-oriented policies.



MNA Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah said that the Pakistan Peoples Party had completed several landmark projects in the health sector that had received recognition at the international level.



He cited the Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS), SICVD, the CyberKnife facility at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre in Karachi, children’s hospitals and trauma centres as examples of advanced healthcare services being provided to the public.



Mr Shah said that Sukkur was an important commercial and communication hub linking Sindh with Balochistan and Punjab.



He added that traffic pressure in the city had increased following the development of the motorway network.



In such circumstances, he said, the modern Trauma and Emergency Response Centre would play an important role in providing timely and effective treatment to victims of road accidents and other emergencies.



Dr Pechuho said that Mr Shah had consistently played a significant role in promoting public welfare and strengthening the healthcare sector in Sukkur.



She said that the establishment and expansion of modern healthcare institutions, including SICVD, children’s hospitals and the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), were the result of his sustained efforts.



Taking notice of the shortage of manpower and qualified faculty at Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College, the health minister directed the authorities concerned to immediately submit a summary so that additional teaching and medical staff



could be provided after consultation with the Sindh chief minister.



Dr Pechuho reaffirmed the Sindh government’s commitment to continuing all possible efforts to ensure the provision of modern, quality and timely healthcare services to the people.



Posted on

NHMP foils highway safety fence theft attempt, suspect arrested


Sargodha: The National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) foiled an attempt to steal a government-installed safety fence on the motorway and arrested the suspect red-handed before handing him over to the local police.



According to an NHMP spokesperson, officials of Beat No. 12, Faizpur, of MC-One Zone in the M-2 South Sector were on routine patrol when they spotted a man attempting to steal a section of the safety fence at kilometre 5 southbound near Lima.



Upon seeing the Motorway Police patrol vehicle, the suspect attempted to flee. However, the officials acted swiftly and apprehended him at the scene.



During the initial investigation, the suspect was identified as Zeeshan, son of Allah Ditta, a resident of Mason Colony.



The accused was later handed over to Kot Abdul Malik Police Station for further legal proceedings, where a case was registered against him.



Posted on

IFMP board approves relocation to Islamabad to drive national financial literacy initiative


Islamabad: The Board of Directors of the Institute of Financial Markets of Pakistan (IFMP) has approved the relocation of the Institute’s head office to Islamabad as part of a major strategic transformation aimed at making IFMP the country’s premier institution for financial market education, continues professional training, and capacity building.



The Institute will, however, maintain a regional office in Karachi.



The Board unanimously elected Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu, Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), as Chairperson of the IFMP Board, while Mr. Muhammad Ali Farid Khawaja, Commissioner, Securities Market Division (SMD), SECP, joined the Board as SECP’s nominee member, said a release issued here on Friday.



The meeting was attended by Dr. Mubbashar Sadiq, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), IFMP; Mr. Jawad Hashmi, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX); Mr. Shariq Jaffrani, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Central Depository Company (CDC); Dr. Ahmed Junaid, Dean, Karachi School of Business and Leadership (KSBL); Mr. Shahrukh Usmani, Company Secretary, IFMP; and Mr. Ahmad Javed, Manager Finance, IFMP.



Addressing the meeting, Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu said that with 64-67% of Pakistan’s population under 30, the country has immense potential to expand financial inclusion, retail investment, entrepreneurship, and employment. He said SECP has set a target of increasing Pakistan’s capital market investor base from around 500,000 to 2.5 million, emphasizing that financial literacy and skills development will be fundamental to achieving this objective.



He said IFMP will lead a nationwide financial literacy initiative by taking financial education to schools, universities, and professional communities across Pakistan. The Institute will equip youth and professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to participate in the formal financial sector, strengthen investor confidence, and impart professional courses to develop qualified human capital for the capital market and insurance industries.



Commissioner SECP Mr. Muhammad Ali Farid Khawaja said the Pakistan Stock Exchange must expand its reach across Pakistan, noting that a growing number of new investors are emerging from Punjab and other regions of the country. He said IFMP will significantly expand its mandate by introducing free online financial literacy courses, continuous professional development programmes, certification courses for capital market and insurance intermediaries, and specialized industry training to build a skilled financial services workforce.



The Board also placed on record its appreciation for the valuable contributions of outgoing SECP nominee directors Mr. Osman Syed and Dr. Yasir Mahmood, and acknowledged the dedicated leadership of Mr. Shoaib Javed Hussain during his tenure as Chairperson of the IFMP Board.