Category: Lahore

Lahore: The fourth meeting of the Steering Committee for CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif's 'Dhi Rani' programme was held here on Wednesday.

The meeting was chaired by Provincial Minister for Social Welfare Sohail Shaukat Butt, with the participation of Chief Minister's Political Advisor Zeeshan Malik, Secretary Social Welfare Javed Akhtar, DG Social Welfare Sikandar Zeeshan, and other committee members.

During the meeting, DG Social Welfare Sikandar Zeeshan provided a detailed briefing on the preparation of the 'Dhi Rani' programme. The committee approved applications of nearly 50 deserving couples from Lahore and discussed strategies for organizing mass weddings in the first phase. A total of 1,500 couples will be married in the initial phase, starting from Lahore.

A Service Level Agreement was signed between the Social Welfare Department and Bank of Punjab to facilitate the distribution of financial assistance. Newlywed couples will be given Rs. 100,000 via ATM cards, with special preference given to daughters of orphans, destitute, and disabled individuals. Additionally, couples will receive daily-use household items as wedding gifts.

The Punjab government is allocating Rs. 1 billion for the program, marking a revolutionary step towards supporting deserving families.

Lahore: The Alhamra Arts Council is buzzing with activities as the three-day 'Sufi Festival' continues to celebrate the decadent and unique traditions of Sufism in the Subcontinent.

The festival organised under the auspices of the Punjab Auqaf and Religious Affairs Department in collaboration with the Alhamra Arts Council, features a wide array of events, including art and craft exhibitions, calligraphy showcases, Sufi music performances, panel discussions, whirling dervish dances, poetry recitals, and the soulful Mehfil-e-Sama. Alhamra has ensured a welcoming and inspiring atmosphere for festival attendees.

Chairman Alhamra Razi Ahmed expressed his deligh, and said, 'I am very pleased to learn of the initiative taken by the government of Punjab to celebrate the Subcontinent's unique Sufi traditions through the festival. The Lahore Arts Council and the government aim to enhance our society's harmony, humaneness, and inclusion.'

Executive Director Syed Tauqeer Haider Kazmi highlighted Alhamra's pivotal role in upholding the teachings of Sufi saints. Kazmi said Alhamra serves as a custodian of the teachings of Sufi saints, which are crucial for countering the growing sentiments of extremism in society. Our land is the land of Sufis, and Sufism is about serving humanity and promoting love and compassion. Kazmi further emphasised that the Sufi Festival aims to pay tribute to the saints, celebrate their contributions, and bring their teachings to light for the younger generation.

Festival attendees praised the initiative, describing it as a timely and meaningful endeavour. 'Sufi literature remains a beacon of peace and security in our society. This festival encapsulates the essence of those literary traditions, which hold the secrets to a beautiful life. Our hearts are brimming with respect and love for Sufi saints,' remarked one visitor.

The Sufi Festival at Alhamra reflects the council's commitment to promoting cultural and spiritual heritage and reinforces the timeless values of love, tolerance, and peace cherished by Sufi teachings.

Lahore: Experts on security and counter-terrorism have emphasized the need for strengthening cooperation between Pakistan and China for combating the threat of terrorism which they argued is impeding progress on economic initiatives and projects between the two countries.

Dr. Naveed Elahi, former Joint Director General of the Intelligence Bureau and currently the Dean of National Institute of Public Policy (NIPP) and Amir Rana, the President of the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies (PIPPS) were speaking at the Beaconhouse National University (BNU)'s Center for Policy Research (BCPR) in Lahore, said a press release issued here Wednesday.

The session moderated by former Ambassador of Pakistan to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan who now heads the BCPR was attended by leading academics and researchers in the field of counter-terrorism. The presentations of the two speakers were followed by question and answer session.

In his remarks, Dr. Naveed Elahi traced the progressive growth of terrorism in Pakistan in the past several decades due to multiple factors with political, societal and economic dimensions.

He noted that starting primarily as sectarian violence the terrorism received ideological stimulus from Afghan Jihad in the 1980s and Taliban insurgency against the US and NATO presence in that country.

He added that the emergence of organizations like Al-Qaeda and Daesh have provided a global umbrella of support and patronage to regional terrorist groups like TTP and BLA.

Dr. Elahi acknowledged that both the TTP has continued to intensify its operational capacity to cause more harm to Pakistan's interests by particularly targeting the Chinese projects and personnel in recent years. In this regard, he explained how governments in Pakistan have been making efforts to counter the attacks by the TTP and BLA, but due to the gaps as well as the lack of consistency in the approach of tackling this menace of terrorism the number of these attacks and the damage has continued to increase.

Security expert Amir Rana said that the fight against terrorism and violent extremism in the modern age of social and IT-based media cannot be just fought through a security based approach of the past. He added that the state has to be ahead of the thinking and publicity campaign of the terrorist groups who continue to bombard the population with disinformation. The authorities have to therefore, build an environment in which the population perceives the government's policies and measures as pro-people.

Both security experts suggested the need for deepening Pakistan's engagement with China towards creating effective counter-terrorism cooperation mechanisms with a view to overcome the current challenges caused by rise in the terrorist attacks on Chinese workers in Pakistan.

Lahore: Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States and Punjab University alumnus Rizwan Saeed Sheikh has said that Pakistan has gained benefits and suffered losses due to its crucial geo-strategic location.

He was addressing a seminar on 'Pakistan's Foreign Policy and Pak-US Relations', organised by the Punjab University Institute of Education and Research at Waheed Shaheed Hall. Chancellor of the Institute of Art and Design Faisal Janjua, Director IER Prof Dr Abdul Qayyum Chaudhry, faculty members and a large number of students were present.

In his address, Rizwan Sheikh said that Pakistan's economic development required promoting cooperation with China and GCC countries. He said "Pakistan's location makes us important in international affairs". He said geographical, economic and political conditions play an important role in shaping foreign policy. He said that there were ups and downs in the relations between Pakistan and the US, but whatever task the two countries did together was fruitful and benefited the world. He said that Quaid-e-Azam had also said in an interview that Pakistan would become important for the world. He said "we cannot move forward without admitting our mistakes, but we have also done a lot of good work". He said Pakistan was the only country that is rich in various important natural material. He said that 65 per cent of Pakistan's youth are the biggest national asset.

He said that Pak-US relations would continue to be important in future as well. He added that Pakistan made the most sacrifices in the war against terrorism. He said that Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was working against Pakistan from Afghanistan. Rizwan Sheikh stated that the foreign policy of any country was based on national interests. He was of the view that the population is an asset to Pakistan and if the youth are given skills, they can work for the world. He said that Pakistani IT graduates are playing an important role in the IT sector of America and providing quality services at a price that is 70 per cent cheaper than others.

He added that there is a political polarisation in America in favour of India and against China. He said "our largest trade market is America and one million Pakistanis live in America". He said that Pakistan has tried to ensure its security first in all circumstances. He said that environmental changes are a big threat in the coming time.

Prof Dr Abdul Qayyum Chaudhry said that the institution had been a partner with USAID since 1960, and in 2015, the latter built a new building for elementary education. He said that USAID wanted to promote a culture of peace and tolerance in the world. He said that he was grateful to USAID for playing an important role in promotion of education in Pakistan. He said that USAID had invested millions of dollars for promotion of education in Pakistan.

Lahore: Home Department Punjab has taken a significant step to promote transparency in the arms licensing,sale and repair processes across the province. The entire staff of the arms licensing branch was replaced and all deputy commissioners (DCs) in Punjab were instructed to implement similar changes in their respective districts. A spokesperson said on Wednesday that the decision was aimed at ensuring merit-based practices and addressing public complaints.Also this measure was part of efforts to enhance the performance and accountability of the Arms Branch. The home department instructed that officers and staff should be replaced immediately who had completed one year of service in the Arms Branch,adding that it was further emphasized that such staff changes should be carried out annually, with a report to be submitted to the department within a week. It was important to note that under the Punjab Arms Rules 2023, the powers related to arms licensing had been transferred to the Deputy Commissioners. They now had the authority to handle arms repairs, license verification and issue duplicate licenses. This move was expected to streamline the arms licensing process, improve public trust and address any operational inefficiencies, said spokesperson.