Islamabad:: The price of 24 karat per tola gold increased by Rs.1,100 and was traded at Rs.274,700 on Thursday against its sale at Rs. 273,600 on the last trading day, All Sindh Sarafa Jewellers Association reported. The price of 10 grams of 24 karat gold increased by Rs.943 to Rs.235,511 from Rs. 234,568 whereas that of 10 grams of 22 karat went up to Rs.215,885 from Rs. 215,021. Per tola and ten gram silver were sold at existing prices of Rs 3,350 and Rs.2,872.08 respectively. The price of gold in the international market increased by $11 to $2,635 from $2,624, the Association reported.
LG representatives call off protest after successful dialogue with Govt
Peshawar: The negotiations between the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and local government (LG) representatives concluded successfully on Thursday after which the latter called off their protest.
Chairman of the LG Action Council, Himayatullah Mayar, here formally announced an end to the protest. He stated that a 20-day timeframe has been set for resolving the issues, failing which the representatives may decide to protest again.
Provincial Minister for Local Government, Arshad Ayub, assured the protesters that a meeting with the Chief Minister would be held next week to address their concerns.
Mayor of Peshawar, Zubair Ali, expressed satisfaction over the outcome, stating that discussions covered rules of business, funds, and authority. He emphasized that the provincial government has been given a 20-day deadline to resolve the issues, after which further action would be considered.
Speaking to the media on the occasion, Minister Arshad Ayub mentioned that work on the Local Government Act has been ongoing for ten months but delays occurred due to the system's complexity.
He assured that funding and other demands were legitimate and would be fulfilled, with final approvals to be sought from the provincial cabinet. Additionally, the minister pledged to amend the act in consultation with local representatives and condemned the police's use of tear gas during the protests.
FCCI, KCCI to make joint efforts for formulation of economic policies
Faisalabad: The Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) and Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) would make joint efforts for formulation of economic policies and removing the irritants haunting the business community.
This was stated by Rehan Naseem Bharara, president Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) in a meeting with KCCI President Muhammad Jawed Bilwani. The two sides discussed overall economic situation in the country with a special focus on business-related issues.
The FCCI president said the government must consult the business community to formulate long-term, workable and result-oriented policies to stabilise the economy. He said that the FCCI and the KCCI, in collaboration with other chambers, would also help the government in the budget formulation for the next financial year. He said that the steps would be proposed so that the government could achieve its economic goals within the stipulated time frame. He also decided to bolster mutual relations among the business community and collaborate to formulate policies to provide maximum facilitation to the trade and industry.
Chairman WSSC urged citizens to take part in cleanliness drive
Dera ismail khan: A week-long cleanliness campaign under the auspicious of Water and Sanitation Services Company (WSSC) DIKhan is underway in the city.
The cleanliness drive under Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister's 'Awami Agenda' program was launched on December 30 in an effort to make the city clean and green.
While talking to reporter, Chairman of the WSSC Board of Directors Naimat Ullah Khan said that the campaign has been launched for the benefit of the people and it could not be successful without their full participation and cooperation.
He stressed the people especially the shopkeepers to take active part in the campaign.
He said that the purpose of the cleanliness drive was to create a sense of responsibility among citizens to keep their environment and surroundings neat and clean.
The Chairman said that all available resources should be utilized to make the campaign a success, he added. Cleaning of streets and drainage of stagnant water would also be ensured to make the environment neat and clean, he said adding, apart from this, parks, playgrounds, graveyards, shrines, mosques and other places would also be cleaned besides ensuring desilting of sewerage lines under the campaign.
The Chairman expressed his satisfaction on the performance of the staff and sanitary workers and said that all the available resources will be utilized to provide best sanitation services to the citizens of DIKhan.
Special teams will monitor the campaign in the area, he said adding special arrangements will be made to remove the garbage after collected from the main drains for which WSSC will arrange vehicles, he added.
An awareness campaign had also been launched to make the people aware of the importance of cleanliness and encourage them to keep their environment clean, he said and informed that the authorities concerned were also directed to install dustbins at different points to facilitate the citizens.
NCHD opens literacy centre at Central Jail Haripur
Peshawar: National Commission For Human Development (NCHD) in collaboration with Prisons' Department opened a Literacy Centre to impart education to inmates at Central Jail Haripur.
Superintendent Haripur Jail Hamid Azam Khan formally inaugurated the Literacy Centre the other day, said a press release issued here on Thursday. Besides, Deputy Director NCHD Khalid Mahmood and Field Officer, Iftikhar Ahmad, other officers of the Central Jail Haripur were also present on the occasion.
During the inaugural ceremony textbooks, note-books and other stationery material was distributed among the illiterate inmates of the prison, so they could be enabled to begin learning literacy.
Speaking on the occasion, Superintendent Central Jail Haripur, Hamid Azam Khan said that the purpose of the opening of literacy centre is to provide the opportunity of education to the prisoners, so during their stay in the prisons they may not only improve their academic qualification, rather also play active role in the society.
On this occasion, the officials of NCHD appreciated the steps taken for welfare of the prisoners and cooperating in imparting education to them. The steps, they said are the ample proofs of the efforts of the provincial government and concerned agencies for the welfare of the prisoners.
PML-N to participate fully in LG elections: Hanif Abbasi
Rawalpindi: The representatives of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) belonging to Rawalpindi on Thursday announced to participate fully in the upcoming local government elections and complete development works in education and health, including the TB hospital and drain project soon.
They welcomed the provision of development schemes by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif at the level of union councils.
They were addressing the convention of the former local bodies' chairmen, vice chairmen and councillors, and party officials from across the city held under the leadership of PML-N Metropolitan President and former mayor Sardar Naseem.
Member of National Assembly Hanif Abbasi, in his address, said Nawaz Sharif was the only leader of the PML-N. He was fully committed to the party, which was evident from the 25-year prison sentence he had faced, he added.
Expressing his commitment to serve the people selflessly, Abbasi said,'The lies, deceit, abuse and politics of 'oh, oh, oh' of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder will end forever.
'We will unite the PML-N workers at the union council level. We will complete all development works soon and will participate fully in the upcoming local government elections and give the party leadership the result of the 2015 victory.'
Hanif Abbasi said the party workers who had made sacrifices would get their rightful place. 'In the future, the distribution of tickets will be done through consultation and on merit. No MNA or MPA will interfere,' he added.
He said they were fully monitoring the affairs of the Municipal Corporation, Health Department, Education Department and police stations. 'We will be held accountable if any UC secretary charges even one rupee more than the prescribed government fee for issuance of birth certificates and death certificates,' he added.
Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Barrister Daniyal Tanveer Chaudhry said that both the government and the Pakistan armed forces were serving and protecting the country, and 'we will unite and thwart all the conspiracies of non-state actors'.
'Those who had come to get dead bodies at the D Chowk did not get anything. Now, the politics of arson, violence, and hatred will have to die. Only a progressive Pakistan will prevail.
'We will give pens and books to our children, and not shrouds and guns,' he added.
Sardar Naseem said that during his one and a half years stint as Rawalpindi Mayor, he got development works worth billions of rupees done in the city.
The PDM government under the leadership of Shehbaz Sharif, he said, saved the country from bankruptcy. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif was working day and night to formulate and complete public welfare projects, he added.
Former MNAs Haji Pervez Khan and Malik Shakeel Awan, Provincial Parliamentary Secretary for Information Shazia Rizwan, Chairman of the Chief Minister Inspection Team Punjab Raja Hanif, Members of Provincial Assembly Ziaullah Shah, Zeinul Nisa Awan, Rifaat Abbasi and Begum Tahseen Fawad, and Rahat Quddusi also addressed the convention.