Author: dailybalochistantimes.com

Lahore: The Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) participated in 17 major international expos across the globe in 2024, showcasing high-quality Pakistani furniture and craftsmanship to boost exports.

Chairing first board of directors meeting of the year here on Wednesday, CEO PFC Mian Kashif Ashfaq said these expos provided an excellent platform to project the diversity, durability, and unique designs of Pakistani furniture, attracting buyers and investors from various countries.

He said: " Through participation we successfully promoted Pakistan's traditional and contemporary furniture, including handmade woodwork and modern designs, which resonated with global markets". The council's efforts aimed at fostering trade links, exploring new markets, and enhancing the visibility of Pakistan's furniture industry internationally.

He said exhibitions not only strengthened Pakistan's trade relationships with other countries but also helped generate valuable export orders, contributing significantly to the national economy. The PFC remained committed to promoting local artisans and expanding the country's footprint in the global furniture market, he concluded.

Lahore: Former president of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry Iftikhar Ali Malik on Wednesday praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's ambitious 10-year "URAAN" roadmap.

In a statement, he stated that this well-conceived plan would usher in an era of sustainable economic growth, the execution of mega projects, and lasting prosperity across the country, while also attracting both foreign and local investments.

He said its implementation will hopefully transform Pakistan into a $1 trillion economy by the next decade. Anchored on the "Five E's"-Exports, Equity, E-Pakistan, Energy, and Environment-the plan showcases a visionary approach towards fostering sustainable growth and prosperity. He said this strategic vision, underpinned by robust policy implementation and public-private collaboration, has the potential to unlock Pakistan's economic potential, ensuring prosperity and resilience for the years to come. He said focus on Exports underscores the need to boost Pakistan's global competitiveness. By diversifying export markets and enhancing value-added industries, the roadmap aims to significantly increase foreign exchange reserves, reduce the trade deficit, and generating job opportunities.

He said E-Pakistan, leverages digital transformation to drive innovation and efficiency and it aims to expand broadband infrastructure, promote IT exports, and foster a start-up culture to position Pakistan as a hub for technology and innovation.The emphasis on Energy reflects the resolve Pakistan's energy challenges by enhancing efficiency, reducing dependency on imports, and transitioning to renewable sources. Investment in hydropower, solar, and wind energy projects will pour in to lower costs and ensure sustainable energy supply,he added.

Iftikhar Ali Malik said environmental viable policy aligns with global climate priorities. Initiatives of afforestation, water conservation, and sustainable agriculture are designed to combat climate change while protecting natural resources for future generations,he concluded.

Lahore: Punjab Employees Social Security Institution (PESSI) Commissioner Muhammad Ali visited various Social Security hospitals here on Wednesday. During the visit, he reviewed the performance of Nawaz Sharif Hospital, Rahmat-ul-Alameen Institute of Cardiology, and Kot Lakhpat Hospital. The Commissioner inspected various departments and sections of the hospitals, including cleanliness, doctor attendance, medicine stores, and staff uniforms. The Commissioner was accompanied by Vice Commissioner Dr Zulfiqar Ali Kharal, Medical Advisor Dr Humaira Buzdar, and other relevant officers.

He specifically checked the quality of beds in the wards and other patient facilities. He also reviewed the ongoing development work in the hospitals in detail, with relevant officials providing briefings on the progress. Muhammad Ali emphasized that the ongoing construction work in the hospitals should be completed as soon as possible, without compromising on quality or material standards. He also instructed the relevant officers to ensure cleanliness in accordance with SOPs on a daily basis. Furthermore, he directed that the best facilities be provided to patients in the wards. The Commissioner stressed that any negligence in the treatment of workers and their families would not be tolerated.

Lahore: A ceremony was held at the Central Police Office here on Wednesday in honor of the 16 retired DSPs of Punjab Police.

Retired DSPs met with Inspector General of Police Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar.

The IG Punjab thanked the retired DSPs for their valuable services to the police department.

The retired DSPs included Manzoor Ahmad, Khalid Qureshi, Nadeem Butt, Waqar Ul Haq, Javed Anwar, Javed Iqbal, Ghulam Abbas, Ghazanfar Abbas, Fayyaz Ihsan, Allah Nawaz, Muhammad Aslam, Muhammad Akbar, Masood Mazhar, Aqeel Abbas, Tahir Sikander, and Saeed Ahmad.

The IG Punjab directed the formation of an automated system to benefit from the experiences and services of retired police officers.

On this occasion, he said that the pension and GP Fund issues of the retired DSPs should be resolved immediately.

He said that the health and educational welfare of retired police employees and their families are a top priority, adding that retired police officers can provide valuable training to the force in law and order control, technical, and investigation matters. They could be immensely helpful in training and investigation tasks.

He further emphasized that the experiences and suggestions of retired officers should also be utilized to combat terrorism and extremism.

Retired officers expressed their gratitude to IG Punjab for the honor bestowed upon them by the department.

The ceremony was attended by Additional IG Punjab Sultan Ahmad Chaudhry, Additional IG Patrolling Abdul Karim, DIG Establishment-I Suleman Sultan Rana, DIG Welfare and Finance Ghazi Muhammad Salahuddin, AIG Finance, AIG Welfare, and other officers.