Kausar calls for coordinated efforts to protect environment - Pakistan Observer

Peshawar?Khyber Pakthunkhwa Governor, Barrister Masood Kausar on Wednesday underlined the need for coordinated efforts by the all stakeholders for protection of environment and sustainable conservation of forests. Pakistan Forest Institute (PFI) should take a lead role to bolster bio-diversity resources through adaptation of modern techniques and quality research work. The Governor expressed these views while addressing the 49th convocation of Pakistan Forests Institute (PFI), as a Chief Guest here on Wednesday.

The Governor awarded degrees to 40 Forestry graduates ie 12 M.Sc and 28 B.Sc courses for session 2009-11 besides decorating position holders with gold and silver medals during an impressive ceremony here at PFI Auditorium. The function was also addressed by Khyber Pakthunkhwa Environment Minister Wajid Ali Khan and Secretary Environment KP/Director General PFI, Said Badshah Bukhari. Speaking on the occasion, the Governor said Pakistan has very limited forest resources despite fertile land and vast mountains ranges and asked PFI to take a lead role in enhancing forests, conservation of wildlife and bio-diversity resources through adaptation of modern techniques and quality research work imperative for the socio-economic development of people.

The Governor said great responsibilities lied on forestry graduates to utilize their energies in meeting the challenges of conservation for forest resources and its rational utilization for benefits of present and future generation. In fact, the Government said special focus should be made on conducting extensive afforstration in rural and mountainous areas by involving all segments of the society to bring maximum areas under plantation and vegetative cover. To offsets the effects of desertification, global warming and climatic change, he said, focus should be made on plantation especially in rural and mountainous areas to make Pakistan lush green, adding Khyber Pakthunkhwa is very rich in mountains and have vast plains that needed to be fully taped.

The Governor said that forestry graduates can play a vital role by creating awareness and educating public about importance of forests and its impact on environment. He said Islam also emphasizes on acquire of education and conducting research work. ?We have rich culture, tradition, customs as the land of Khyber Pakthunkhwa is very fertile in producing renowned doctors, engineers, lawyers, educationalists and environmentalists, who had shown their mettle in and outside the country and underlined the need of producing graduates of highest integrity and par excellence to shoulder future?s responsibilities The Governor said the government was giving top focus on promotion of education especially women education to take full advantage of talents of women folk, adding equal opportunities to male and female have been provided to get quality education in fields of their interests in line with vision of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed and ANP leader Khan Abdul Wali Khan.

The Governor hope that girls would also prove their worth as they did in others disciplines in the tough field of forestry. In his address, the Minister for Environment Wajid Ali Khan said the issues of global warming, desertification and climatic changes was posting serious threats to global environment and it could only be combated through joint and coordinated efforts and better linkages among forests institutes of the world and enhanced connectivity.

View the original article here

Terror returns to Lahore; 3 killed - Pakistan Daily Times

Terror returns to Lahore; 3 killed

* 45 injured in bomb blast at Lahore Railway Station

* Up to 10kg of explosives used

* President says such cowardly acts cannot dent govt?s resolve to fight terrorism

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: At least three people, including a Railway Police official, died and around 45 others received injuries when a bomb exploded at Platform No 2 of the Lahore Railway Station on Tuesday.

The blast took place near the reservation office of Pakistan Business Train at around 6:40pm. Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) officials said 8-10 kilogrammes of explosive material was used in the blast. They said the bomb was possibly detonated using a timer or a remote control. The deceased were identified as Muhammad Idress, a head constable of Railway Police, Muhammad Bota, a railway loader, while the identity of the third could not be ascertained.

The reservation office was severely damaged. The bomb was reported to have been concealed inside a black bag. The blast left a 10-foot-wide crater. Three of the major hospitals of the city, Mayo Hospital, Services Hospital and Ganga Ram Hospital, immediately vacated their emergency wards to treat the injured. Administrations of all these hospitals, while talking to Daily Times, assured that they had taken all necessary measures to treat the blast victims without any delay in emergency wards. The hospitals displayed the names of the injured and dead outside the emergency wards for the convenience of the relatives.

The Mayo Hospital administration said they had received three dead bodies and 25 injured, some of whom were children and women. Some of the injured persons? condition was serious, and the hospital anticipated a rise in the number of fatalities. Services Hospital administration confirmed receiving two injured persons, and they were operated on in an effort to save their lives.

According to the administration of the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, the hospital received around seven injured persons. Of these the condition of three was serious and a team of doctors struggled to save their lives. Around 11 injured persons were shifted to the Railway Cairns Hospital, from where one was shifted to the Mayo Hospital in critical condition.

An eyewitness who was at the Pakistan Business Train?s counter at the time of the blast, claimed that metal detectors and walk-through gates at the station were not functioning. Lahore CCPO Aslam Tareen said security had been beefed up in the city following the blast. Terming it an act of terrorism, he said investigations would be conducted to ascertain how the bomb made it inside the station.

The Railway Police IG said that walls had been erected, barbed wire and security lights placed around the station in the wake of the incident. He denied there had been threats or information about the blast. The IG confirmed that one of the dead was a Railway policeman. Rescue sources said that around 40 injured people, including 15 women and a child, were shifted to Mayo Hospital, Ganga Ram Hospital and Services Hospital. Eight of the injured are reported to be in critical condition.

A large number of police personnel arrived at the station after the blast. The explosion could not be captured on video as all the close-circuit TV cameras installed at the railway station have been out of order for over six months. It is worth mentioning that there were reports of a bomb being planted in a nearby area in the morning.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has taken notice of the blast and ordered an immediate inquiry. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani condemned the blast, and ordered a detailed report of the incident. The president expressed his grief and shock over the loss of precious lives and injuries caused by the blast and said such cowardly acts of terrorism cannot dent the government?s resolve to fight and eliminate this menace. staff report/agencies

Home | Main

View the original article here

Jewellery, gems exports go up - The Nation, Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - Country’s jewellery exports grew by 110.91 per cent during the first nine months of current fiscal year (2011-12) as compared to the corresponding period of last year.
The jewellery exports during July-March (2011-12) were recorded at $584.673 million against $277.215 million during July-March (2010-11), the PBS reported. On month on month basis, the exports of jewellery increased by 125.92 per cent during the month of March this year over same month of last fiscal year.
The exports of gems recorded increase of 10.33 per cent during month of March this year over the same period of last month.
The gems exports increased from $0.287 million during February this year to $0.331 million in March. The exports of gems however recorded 15.11 per cent decrease during first nine months of current financial year over same period of last year.
The gems exports decreased from $ 2.971 million during the period July-March 2010-11 to $2.522 million during the same period of current fiscal year.
Similarly, the furniture exports witnessed negative growth of 3.11 per cent by declining from $5.055 million of July-March (2010-11) to $4.898 million during the same period of current fiscal year.

View the original article here