Author: dailybalochistantimes.com

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Photojournalists Association election 2025; Sajjad Haider elected president, Sohail Shahzad, GS

Rawalpindi: In the Photojournalists Association Election 2025, Sajjad Haider was elected as President while Sohail Shahzad was elected General Secretary (GS) of the association.

Annual election of the Photojournalists Association 2025 was held here at Rawalpindi Press Club.

According to Chairman Election Commission, Nasir Mir and Member Aamir Lodhi, all the candidates of "Apna panel" won the election.

Senior Vice President, Ch Jahangir, Ch Javed and Mudassar Raja, Vice Presidents, M. Asim, Finance Secretary, Faisal Khan, Joint Secretary and Syed Mehdi, Information Secretary were elected in the election.

The members of the governing body, Rizwan Khan Habib, Sheikh Raja Zafar, Hanif Khattak, Abid Zia, Sultan Bashir, Tahir Kazmi were also declared successful.

87 photojournalists including senior photojournalist Javed Nasir, BK Bangash, Mazhar Khan, Latif Adil, Agha Mehroz, Tanveer Shahzad and others were present on the occasion.

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Online shopping trend appears popular among public

Islamabad: The citizens of twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad are getting more interest in online shopping to avoid spending more time and saving travelling expenses.

According to a survey conducted, the trend of online shopping was increasing in population particularly in women.

Citizens claimed that this practice is more convenience, flexibility, with time-saving benefits.

"Online shopping gives me access to a global market, allowing to purchase products from retailers around the world and it's also reduces the need of physical stores and transportation," a customer Shahida Perveen said.

She added " I prefer online shopping which is growing rapidly and social networks have become increasingly important platforms."

Sundus Ali another customer said that "Online shopping has made my life so much easier.I can shop from anywhere, at any time, and have my purchases delivered right to my doorstep."

She said, "Online shopping saves time and effort, allowing me to browse and purchase products quickly."

Customer Zeba Hayat said "online shopping allows me to avoid crowded stores and shopping malls".

"I love how I can read reviews from other customers before making a purchase which helps me make informed decisions and avoid buying something that might not be right for me." She remarked.

She said that online retailers frequently offer discounts, promotions, and price matching, making it easier for us to discover and purchase products.

Online shopping often provides better prices and deals compared to physical stores, she added.

She said online shopping enables people with mobility issues or those living in remote areas to access products easily.

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Commissioner Kohat visits Kurram TDPs camp in Hangu

Peshawar: Commissioner Kohat Division Syed Motasim Billah Shah on Monday along-with the DIG Kohat Region Abbas Majeed Marwat, Deputy Commissioner Hangu Gohar Zaman Wazir, District Police Officer Khalid Khan and Additional Deputy Commissioner Hangu Sajjad Hussain paid a detailed visit to the TDPs Camp set-up for the Kurram victims in Hangu district.

Commissioner Kohat Division reviewed the relief activities, government initiatives, overall situation and facilities being provided to the TDPs as well as the current situation in the area.

He also reviewed the camp's infrastructure, medical facilities, maintenance, services, food supply and security arrangements.

The purpose of the Commissioner Kohat Division's visit was to identify areas for improvement and ensure that TDPs get adequate support and resources.

Motasim Billah Shah strictly directed the authorities concerned to ensure provision of all basic amenities of life including health, education and clean drinking water in the TDPs campus.

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Matric exam format changed, Islamic and Pak Studies’ marks increased

Lahore: In new academic year 2025, Islamic and Pak Studies' marks have been increased to 100 as earlier the both subjects were of 50 marks each.

In this connection, Punjab Text Book Board (PTBB) has published the new syllabus based textbooks of Islamic and Pakistan Studies.

PTBB official sources told reporter that a 100-mark exam of Islamic Studies will be taken in the ninth grade, while a 100-mark exam of Pakistan Studies will be taken in matriculation.

The Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board has sent a letter to all schools of the province, they said, adding all education boards will take 100-mark exams for both subjects.

The process of printing books for both subjects has also been started according to the new curriculum, they said.

Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) examination department sources here confirmed the decision about these two subjects, adding that now students in Punjab will be able to choice matriculate in 3 new groups.

In this connection the School Education Department (SED) has said that three more groups have been added, including with Matric Science and Matric Arts. Likewise, Health Sciences, Agriculture-Science and Fashion Designing groups have also been offered for matriculation students.

To a query they said that students will be able to choose a group from the 9th class to the academic session of 2025. The School Education Department, in this connection has also released the subject list of the new groups.

Data was sought from the CEO and DEO regarding the selection of students from schools. The books of the new groups will be printed according to the number of children. The sources said that on the instructions of the Chief Minister of Punjab, various subject courses have been started for matriculation.

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Senate Committee on Power discusses NTDC restructuring

Islamabad: The Senate Standing Committee on Power, chaired by Senator Mohsin Aziz, on Monday deliberated on a public petition filed by the General Secretary of the All-Pakistan NTDC Engineering Association (APNEA).

The petition addressed the government's proposed steps to wind up or trifurcate the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) into smaller units.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Power briefed the Committee on the NTDC restructuring plan aimed at enhancing efficiency. He explained that NTDC engineers would remain with the National Grid Company to oversee internal operations, while project execution and energy infrastructure development would be managed by a separate government-approved entity.

During the meeting, Senator Mohsin Aziz questioned the benefits of separating WAPDA, noting that tangible improvements for consumers remain elusive.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Power acknowledged challenges, including the generation-transmission disconnect, and agreed that transmission is not the sole issue.

Committee members expressed concerns over high electricity costs and recommended a briefing from WAPDA on its future direction.

The Committee was informed that discussions with five Independent Power Producers (IPPs) had concluded, with operations ceasing as of September 30. One IPP was transferred to government ownership, while the remaining four were shut down.

Bagasse pricing was aligned with imported coal due to the absence of a notified price, and dollar-indexation mechanisms were eliminated. A fixed price of Rs 4,000 per 100 units of bagasse was set. Senator Aziz requested details on the remaining projects at the next meeting.

Senator Aziz raised concerns about the privatization of power entities and its impact on efficiency. The Secretary Power highlighted that better-performing companies, including IESCO, FESCO, and GEPCO, were slated for privatization, with improvements in recovery rates and loss reductions already noted. Further steps await a financial advisor's analysis.

The Committee also reviewed CEO and management appointments in DISCOs, noting the absence of an age limit for these roles. The Secretary confirmed that existing boards were informed of their tenures' conclusion and that new boards are being appointed, with a one-month time-frame recommended for these appointments.

Senator Aziz sought details on the removal of SEPCO's Executive Engineer over corruption charges, requesting a comprehensive report within 15 days.

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Singapore expects heavy traffic at land checkpoints during Chinese New Year

Singapore: Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Monday warned of "very heavy traffic" at its land checkpoints with Malaysia during the upcoming Chinese New Year period.

In a statement, the ICA advised travelers to "expect delays and factor in additional time for immigration clearance" from Jan. 24 to Feb. 2, citing ongoing enhanced checks.

The authority highlighted the surge in travel experienced during the recent year-end school holidays when more than 24 million travelers crossed the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints, a 20 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023.

On Dec. 20, 2024, a record-breaking 562,000 crossings were recorded in a single day, surpassing the previous high of over 553,000 on Dec. 13, 2024. "Car travelers departing during peak periods had to wait up to three hours for immigration clearance, due to traffic tailback from Malaysia," the ICA noted.

The ICA also provided a list of recommendations to ensure smoother journeys, including checking that passports have at least six months' validity and avoiding prohibited or controlled items.