Senator sees CPEC as transformative initiative for economic development

Islamabad Staff Report

Mushahid Hussain Syed, chairman of the Defense Committee of the Senate, said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a transformative initiative for the economic development and growth of Pakistan.

Briefing the upper house of the parliament on the Senate delegation’s visit to CPEC projects in Sindh, the senator said that infrastructure and energy projects under CPEC have been bringing about socio-economic growth for the country.

Expressing his gratitude to the Chinese government for supporting Pakistan in developing CPEC projects, he said that CPEC has provided a basis for energy security, employment, and changing the lives of Pakistanis.

Hussain highlighted that various development projects in Sindh, especially in Tharparkar, a Hindu-dominated district of the province, are a success story of the country.

“The world has changed and Tharparkar is leading from the front. The women of Tharparkar are riding dumper trucks under CPEC projects. They are brave and strong. Some 1,000 dumper trucks are operating in the area out of which 100 are ridden by women,” he said.

The senator said Tharparkar is producing 5,000 MW of power, generating 12,000 new jobs, and is home to 12.8 billion tons of coal, the black gold that is contributing to the national economy through coal-powered energy projects under CPEC.

CPEC is a guarantor of a better tomorrow for Pakistan, he said, adding that as a trusted friend, China has reposed its confidence in the future of Pakistan by investing in CPEC projects.

Launched in 2013, CPEC is a corridor linking the Gwadar port in southwestern Pakistan with Kashgar in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which highlights energy, transport and industrial cooperation between the two countries.

Pak, China space technology cooperation landmark in history: Pang Chunxue

Madam Pang Chunxue, Charge d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan said on Wednesday said that China, Pakistan cooperation in space technology represents a landmark experience in Science and Technology cooperation and it will be recorded in the history of bilateral friendship.

Addressing the participants of a ceremony to mark the bilateral cooperation here at the Ministry of Science and Technology with support of Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Pakistan, COMSTECH, International Center for Chemical and Biological Center on the eve of the return of Pakistani Seeds from Chinese Space, Ms Pang laudd the scientists of both countries for their joint efforts in a successful scientific experiment.

The ceremony was attended by the political leadership, diplomats, scientists, technologists, professionals and senior officers of the ministry and its attached organizations. She also said that both countries are committed to building a closer community with a shared future, through open and inclusive cooperation, for the benefit of their peoples and the prosperity of the nations. Ms. Pang said that she believes that deepening cooperation will bring greater benefits.

Addressing the ceremony, Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Prof. Dr. Ahsan Iqbal said that the “Seeds in Space” project is a milestone in collaborations between scientists of both countries.

The project provides a platform for researchers to share knowledge and resources, leading to economic growth. This project is a cornerstone in advancing space science, herbal medicine, and research.

The Minister further said that continuity of policies and political stability plays vital role in progress of

The 82nd meeting of the Board of Directors at the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) headquarters in Lahore was conducted on Wednesday, and Dr. Saeed Shafqat, a renowned author and academic, was elected as the new chairman of the body. Attendees included Naveed Shahzad Mirza from the School Education Department, Hassan Farooq from the Planning and Development Department, Qaratul Ain Zafar from the Finance Department, Shaheen Mehboob from the Social Welfare Department, Dr. Intizar Hussain Butt from the University of Education, and Moazzama Masood from the Literacy and Non-Formal Basic Education Department. Dr. Azam Chaudhry and Dr. Basit Khan participated in the meeting online. The managing director of PEF, Manzar Javed Ali, welcomed all board members and congratulated Dr. Shafqat — who is also the founding director of the Centre for Public Policy and Governance (CPPG), a public policy and research institute at Forman Christian College — on his election as its chairman. During the meeting, Dr. Shafqat expressed his gratitude to the board members and Ali, and expressed hope for further improvements in PEF’s educational initiatives through the collective experience of the members. The chairman praised the work of PEF partners and team members, crediting their success to the public-private partnership model used by PEF. He also acknowledged the efforts of the teachers in PEF schools, stating that they are contributing to the improvement of education quality through their hard work and dedication.

Pilots unharmed in PAF training plane emergency landing

KARACHI STAFF REPORT

A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) training aircraft, a Super Mushshak, made an emergency landing in a field near Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday. Both pilots survived the crash and a board of inquiry will be established to investigate the incident. The Super Mushshak is an advanced variant of the Mushshak used for training aspiring pilots. It has a service ceiling of 22,000 feet, a max speed of 268 kilometres per hour, and a range of 814 kilometres. It was upgraded in 2017 for counter-insurgency operations and is in use by several countries including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iran, and South Africa. Pakistan was set to export 40 Super Mushshaks to Turkey in a joint effort between PAF and the Turkish aeronautical complex.

Pak, China to collaborate in animal IVF, cloning technologies

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT any country as it was seen in China while approach of polarisation, sudden change in governments, left the country behind in today’s world.

Space technology today was very critical for human development, life on earth and protection of environment, he added. He also hoped that soon Pakistani astronauts would join the China in space missions.

Speaking at the occasion, Pakistani scientists’ project and group lead Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General COMSTECH and Director ICCBS said that ICCBS is proud to announce a major milestone in the cooperation of space science and technology between Pakistan and China with the successful sending of seeds into space.

A Chinese cell biotechnology company and the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to collaborate in the research and development of animal In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) and cloning technologies. According to a Gwadar Pro’s report, Muhammad Ishaq, Secretary PARC and Dr. Qaisar Shahzad, Director Royal Cell Biotechnology (Pakistan) signed the LoI in the presence of Chairman PARC Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali. Under the LoI, the Chinese company will assist PARC in establishing an animal IVF lab at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), the research arm of the PARC, Dr. Qaisar told Gwadar Pro. He said that the scientists of the company will also train Pakistani scientists at NARC in animal IVF and cloning technologies. Dr. Qaisar said that the company had already established a state-of-the-art animal IVF lab in Lahore and will assist PARC in setting up similar labs at NARC. Furthermore, the company will soon receive a delegation of scientists from the Guangxi Buffalo Research Institute of China. “They will place cloning equipment worth around PKR 25 million and also train our Pakistani staff in cloning technologies. We will then train the NARC scientists”, Mr. Qin Junjie, CEO of the company said. He said that the company will be the first organisation to conduct research in animal cloning in Pakistan.