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RTI holds workshop on “Climate Change, Mitigation, Adaptation, and Social Accountability”

Peshawar: Right To Information (RTI) is not merely a legal tool but a key that unlocks citizens engagement into governance.

By granting access to information, it ensures transparency and openness in government initiatives for mitigating Climate Change as it bounds institutions to provide citizen-requested information within the stipulated time period.

This was stated by Syed Saadat Jahan, Deputy Director Communication, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa information Commission (KPIC), while addressing the participants of a workshop titled 'Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation, and Social Accountability to Enhance Citizens' Participation in Climate Governance'.

The workshop was collaboratively arranged by non-governmental organizations; Transparency International-Pakistan and SAHARA Foundation, here at TMA Office on Wednesday.

Representatives of various government institutions and members of civil society organizations were the participants of the workshop.

Highlighting the critical role of RTI in fostering meaningful citizen participation in Climate Governance, Mr. Jahan said that RTI is imperative for fruitful outcomes of government initiated programs, as it guarantees the right execution of plan and policies.

Jahan encouraged the participants to utilize RTI for improving good governance.

In the workshop participants were provided with RTI application forms, while Saadat Jahan enlightened them on the procedure of logging information requests to public entities.

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Donald Blome calls on Dr. Musadik Malik

Islamabad: United States Ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome, paid a farewell call to the Federal Minister for Petroleum, Dr. Musadik Malik on Wednesday.

During the meeting, the Federal Minister extended his best wishes to the outgoing ambassador and congratulated him on completing his tenure in Pakistan, according to a news release.

'Pakistan values its relationship with the United States,' said Dr. Malik. He also appreciated the Ambassador's efforts in strengthening bilateral ties.

Both sides reiterated their commitment to further enhancing the partnership, emphasizing the importance of continued cooperation in mutual areas of interest.

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Three dead, seven injured as jeep plunges into ravine in Banda Jalglee Mansehra

Mansehra: At least three people on Wednesday died and seven others were injured when a jeep traveling from Banda Jalglee to Shinkiari met with a tragic accident at Kalan Dhakki Banda Jalglee, plunging into a deep ravine after the driver lost control.

According to the police sources, the accident claimed the lives of three individuals, including Haji Muhammad Fayyaz, his wife, and another women while Seven others sustained injuries, including the jeep driver Aslam, along with passengers Waqas, Sadiq, and Ijaz.

Rescue teams and local residents rushed to the scene to assisted in recovering the injured and the deceased.

The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

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Measures taken for welfare of special persons reviewed

Bahawalpur: A meeting of the District Welfare and Rehabilitation Unit Bahawalpur was held under the chairmanship of Additional Deputy Commissioner Headquarters (ADCH) Sumera Rabbani.

The meeting focused on gaining awareness of the issues faced by special individuals and reviewed the measures taken to address these issues. The ADCH said that special individuals deserve special attention. In accordance with the directives of the Punjab government, steps are being taken for the welfare of special individuals.

She stressed that following the government instructions, employment should be ensured for special individuals in the private sector according to a 3 per cent quota, and a 50 per cent discount on fares should be provided for their travel.

In this regard, banners regarding the 50 per cent travel discount for special persons should be displayed at the bus stand. The meeting was attended by the Deputy Director of Social Welfare, officials from other relevant departments, and representatives of special individuals.

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Experts call for enhanced China-Pakistan cooperation to combat threat of terrorism

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.

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Steering committee reviews ‘Dhi Rani’ programme

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.