CM Khyber Pakhtunkhwa approves military withdrawal from province

PESHAWAR: The Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pervaiz Khattak, has approved the withdrawal of army from Malakand divisions yesterday.

According to sources, the forces will withdraw from the districts of Buner and Shangla in the initial stages.

Pakistan Army was deployed in Malakand due to the increasing activities of Taliban in 2007.

It was further reported that the military will be withdrawn from the city of Swat in the following phase of withdrawal.

The announcement has been made after the All Party Conference, which supported the peace talks with Taliban from the Pakistani government.

JOB OPPORTUNITY AT ISLAMIC RELIEF

Dear All,

 

Islamic Relief (IR) is an INGO implementing humanitarian & development programmes in AJK, Balochistan, KP, FATA and Sindh.

 

Islamic Relief invites applications for Volunteer (paid) Software Developer's position based in Islamabad. For further details please see the attached advertisement.

 

Regards

 

Muhammad Ilyas

Sr. Human Resources Officer

 

Islamic Relief Pakistan

Plot #02, Street #07, G-10/2, Islamabad, Pakistan

Phone: +92 51 211 4212 -17 | Fax: +92 51 211 4170

Cell: +92 300 8380669 | Skype: Muhammad.ilyas26

 

"Inspired by our Islamic faith and guided by our values we envisage a caring world where communities are empowered, social obligations are fulfilled and people respond as one to the suffering of others."

Over the past 20 years in Pakistan, Islamic Relief has helped over 2 million people by responding to all major disasters and initiating development programmes addressing the basic needs of the people through multi-sector interventions. To find out more about our work and the ways to support, please follow us on:

www.islamic-relief.org.pk

   

Painting/Poster Competition on Chemicals Impacts on Environment and Children Health - Beware of Mercury

Inter-School Painting/Poster Competition (Rawalpindi, Islamabad) on Chemicals Impacts on Environment and Children Health – Beware of Mercury

 

Greetings from the Sustainable Development Policy Institute!

 

Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) is an independent policy think tank that provides advice to public, private and voluntary organizations and undertakes policy-oriented research and advocacy. SDPI was founded in August 1992 on recommendation of Pakistan National Conservation Strategy (NCS), approved by the then federal cabinet.

 

SDPI is pleased to announce a Paintings/poster competition on "Chemicals Impacts on Environment and Children Health – Beware of Mercury" and request nominations/entries from brilliant students of your institute. The last date for submission of entries is 10^th October, 2013.

 

The competition seeks to raise awareness on negative effects of chemicals especially mercury on environment and health. We anticipate that the contest would lead to greater understanding and support for minimizing chemicals production and use (especially mercury) for protection of environment, healthy living and sustainable development. For background information to help conceptualize ideas for  painting/poster an article by Sadaf Nawaz is also enclosed with. 

 

The painting/poster competition is targeted at two levels: junior level (class 5^th – 8^th) and senior  level (class 9^th – 12^th, including O & A levels students). Following are the few brief rules for competition.

 

Rules

·         Posters must have creativity, original artwork and ideas.

·         Posters should not be mounted on mat board.

·         Participants may use any type of media, such as water color, crayon, color pencil, etc.

·         Computer clip art, pictures from magazines and other print media, or any other copyrighted brand or product images will not be accepted.

·         The competition is limited to schools/ colleges located in Rawalpindi/ Islamabad.

·         Participants must provide complete information such as Full Name, Guardian Name, Age, Grade/Class, Name of School, and Address.

·         Decision of the panel of judges constituted by SDPI would be final who may also recommend not to award a prize/prizes in view of lack of quality or inadequate number of entries.

 

 

Prizes

·         Winners of 1st, 2^nd & 3^rd best entries would get monetary awards of Rs.5000, Rs.3000 and Rs2.000 for Senior and Junior level both, respectively along with SDPI publications, meritorious award certificates and group photograph. 

·         All painting/poster presenters will receive a letter of thanks, and participation certificate. 

 

The painting/poster must reach, by October 10, 2013, to  either of Ms. Sadia Sharif or Ms. Mehreen Bano, Policy Advocacy and Outreach, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) at our contact given below (who may also be contacted for any clarification/ further information regarding this competition).

 

We look forward to your response.

 

 

Thank you.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Sadia Sharif                                                                           Mehreen Bano

Policy Advocacy and Outreach                                       Policy Advocacy and Outreach                        

Sustainable Development Policy Institute                Sustainable Development Policy Institute          

38, Old Embassy Road                                                         38, Old Embassy Road

(Atta Turk Avenue), G-6/3,                                               (Atta Turk Avenue), G-6/3, 

Ph: 051-2278134-6, Ext: 111                                            Ph: 051-2278134-6, Ext: 112

Fax: 051-2278135                                                                  Fax: 051-2278135    

Email: sadia@sdpi.org                                                        Email: mehreenbano@sdpi.org

Dr AQ Khan dissolves party: Report by The Express Tribune

Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan dissolves party, writes to the election commission to delist Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz Pakistan. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: 

Father of Pakistan's nuclear programme Dr Abdul Qadir Khan has dissolved his political party Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz Pakistan (TTP).

Sources claim that the security establishment forced Khan to refrain from politics, a question Khan evaded.

"Yes, I dissolved TTP," Khan told The Express Tribune. "It was impossible for me to run my party affairs anymore," he said without explaining the matter further.

Around a year after launching his own party, Dr AQ Khan wrote to the Election Commission of Pakistan on Friday to delist TTP, the newly registered political party.

The security agencies were not happy with Khan's excessive movement, a close associate of Khan claimed.

Dr Khan, who was conveyed by the government earlier this year to restrain his political activities, claimed that he voluntarily announced to dissolve his party.

Established in July 2012, the TTP failed to gain political ground among the masses. Political pundits said though Dr Khan carries enormous respect among the people for his invaluable commitment and service to the country, the launching of TTP was an unwise decision.

Khan said that he would not join any political party despite receiving invitations from various politicians. "I'll not join any political party," he reiterated. "I asked my party workers to join any political party working for the cause of making Pakistan prosperous."

Khan, who launched TTP to create political awareness amongst the youth regarding who to vote for and who not to vote for, will now engage himself in public welfare works—education and health.

Khan through his TTP aimed to defend Pakistan's geographic boundaries and to develop strong socio-economic principles. By accepting this challenge, Dr Khan also had rejected offer of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan to become his party patron-in-chief.

To some observers the impression of any pressure from security establishment on Khan to shelve his party was not correct as he has no such political weight. "Dr Khan, through TTP, wanted to remain in political limelight," observed senior political analyst Dr Ayesha Siddiqa.

Khan was inspired by the political rise of his Indian counterpart Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, who served as president. He started work to launch his own political party when Islamabad High Court in 2009 declared Khan a free citizen. Before that, he had been under house arrest since 2004 after reportedly confessing to charges related to transfer of nuclear technology to some other countries. The then president Pervez Musharraf, however, pardoned him. As Musharraf resigned as president, Dr AQ Khan recanted his confession and maintained that the confession was not of his own free will.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th, 2013.

 

Charsadda Inter-School Sports Festival begins

Thursday, September 12, 2013 - Peshawar—A 20-day long first District Charsadda Inter-School Sports Festival got under way amidst fun and joys with hundreds of kids from 20 high and primary schools are taking part in different games, which got under way at Charsadda Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

Assistant Commissioner Charsadda Saif-ul-Islam was the chief guest on this occasion.

District Education Officer, Moinuddin Khan, District Sports Officer Jamshed Baloch, teaching staff, officials, players and large number of spectators were also present.

The opening ceremony was started with the recitation of Holy Quran by Muhammad Ali, a class three student and a gold medalist in Qirat, followed by national anthem of the kids of Government High School Turangzai.

The smart escorted party of GHS, Parang with their skills surprised many on this occasion and received thundering applauses.

The melodious national songs were also present by Gari Hameed Gul, High School, GHS Shabqadar and GHS Umarzai which were largely enjoyed by sitting spectators.

There were a well smart March Past on the tune of the band prepared by the school kids of GHS Tangai, No. 2, followed by a volleyball, basketball and cricket matches.

In the volleyball opening match, GHS Matta Mughalkhail beat GHS Babara by 3-0, the score was 25-20, 25-21 and 27-25 while in the second match Turangzai High School beat Charsadda Khas by 3-1, the score waS 21-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-18.

In the basketball match GHS Charsadda beat Sabqadar High School by 3-0, the score was 25-21, 25-23 and 25-20 and Umarzai High School beat Charsadda Khas School by 3-2 in a thrilling match, the score was 25-19, 21-25, 23-25, 25-19 and 15-11.

In the cricket match GPS Behlolah beat GPS Gari Hameed Gul by 13 runs while GPS Behlolah beat GPS Bakhshalay by 4 runs.

A total of 20 schools are taking part in the 20-days festival comprising Charsadda No. 1, Gari Hameed Gul, Behlollah, Turangzai, Rajjar, 1, 2, Utmanzai No1, 2, Nissata High School, Shabqadar No.1 and 2, GHS Sherpao, Parang High School, and Primary School, Charsadda Khas, Babra, Umarzai, Tangi 2 and No. 1 in which four games comprising cricket, football, volleyball and basketball while the female are taking part in table tennis, badminton, and volleyball.

Speaking on this occasion, AC Saif-ul-Islam said that they want to have sports activities at grassroots level.

He said it is for the first time in the history of the District that such games at school level are being organized.

He said besides the school kids, activities for the special people, child labour and trade unionists and unjuman-e-tajaran, Charsadda in order to bring them to the healthy activities. He also lauded DSO Jamshed Baloch for launching such activities in order to develop sports at grassroots. —APP

Pakistan Observer