PEF partner schools delegation calls on deputy operations chief

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

A delegation comprising of 10 partner schools affiliated with the Foundation Assisted Schools (FAS) recently visited the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) head office. The purpose of their visit was to meet with Deputy Managing Director (Operations) Qurat ul Ain Memon to discuss various issues related to education.

During the meeting, the partners raised concerns regarding the new admission policy for the academic year 2023-24. They requested PEF to give them enough time for affiliation in the board and also requested to verify the results of secondary students from Nadra B-Form.

The partners also requested PEF to allow the establishment of gender-wise new campuses and to provide adequate time for gender-wise and gradewise registration.

Memon listened attentively to all their com- plaints and assured them that she would address their concerns in accordance with the rules and regulations of PEF. islamabad: Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan H.E. Dr. Riina Kionka called on Federal Minister for Human Rights Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada on 11 April, 2023 in his office. Matters of mutual interest and cooperation particularly the upcoming report on GSP+ progress made in various aspects and challenges were discussed in this mecting.Federal Minister for Human Rights welcomed the Ambassador and said that Pakistan has been enjoying good relations with European countries and these relations are based on mutual respect and shared international obligations. He appreciated the continuing support of European Union through the GSP+ status for Pakistan. He said that our commitments under the UN Charter and our obligations towards international conventions and agreements remained a high priority of the government.Dr. Riina Kionka appreciated the efforts of the Government of Pakistan in implementation of its human rights agenda and indicated that European Union would continue to help Pakistan in implementation of this agenda. She said that continuous efforts are required to overcome challenges and European Union would continue its support in this regard. PR

Memon appreciated the efforts of PEF partners and acknowledged their contribution to the field of education. She also informed the partners that the PEF administration was actively engaging with various international development organizations to secure financial resources for the Foundation.

The official further added that more deprived children could be brought into the education stream of PEF through mutual cooperation with these organizations. Memon also shared that the PEF would resume the district coordination meetings, which would help in solving the problems faced by the partners. She urged the partners who were being fined for not providing adequate facilities in schools to rectify their lapses immediately to avoid heavy penalties.

At the end of the meeting, all the partners expressed their gratitude to Memon for taking the time to meet with them despite her busy schedule.

STOP TB Partnership, Pfizer host symposium to highlight rising TB cases

Pakistan 12th April 2023, Every year Stop TB Partnership and its partners unite to raise public awareness of the devastating health, social, and economic impacts of TB and call for an end to this epidemic. A seminar was organized by the Stop TB Partnership Pakistan in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Sindh and Pfizer Pakistan to commemorate this day. The event was attended by leading stakeholders including member NGOs, TB survivors, members of academia, and print and electronic media. Dr. Sharaf Ali Shah, Vice Chair of Stop TB Pakistan, updated the audience on the current situation of TB in Pakistan. He informed that 611,000 estimated people fell ill due to TB in Pakistan in 2021 whereas 48000 HIV-negative and 2100 HIVpositive people died due to TB in the country, and only 55% of cases were notified. Highlighting the reasons for low TB case notification he said that poor understanding of TB and its symptoms (lack of awareness) PR