PAKISTANI RELIGIOUS SCHOL ARS FOR STRENGTHENING BIL ATERAL TIES, FOSTERING CULTURAL EXCHANGE IN CHINA

GUILIN CITY CHINA

S TA F F R E P O R T

TH E local government of Guilin City, a renowned tourist destination in China hosted a dinner reception for a distinguished Pakistani delegation comprising notable religious scholars in a bid to strengthen bilateral ties and foster cultural exchanges Saturday

The event showcased the mutual commitment of both nations to promoting friendship and collaboration

The delegation led by Chairman of Pakistan s Council of Islamic Ideology Dr Qibla Ayaz, and Chairman of the International Research Council on Religious Affairs, Israr Madani received a warm welcome from Mr Tang, the representative of Guilin City This gesture highlighted the significance of the occasion and set the stage for productive discussions tween Pakistan and China under the Pakistan-China Friendship Policy academic block of AIOU regional centre Sheikhupura yesterday He said that Allama Iqbal Open University is playing an important role in popularizing education, training teachers, and improving quality education in the country He said that education plays a key role in the development of any country, and we must focus on merit, transparency and quality PR

Construc tion work of Pakistan's first National Police Hospital commences

islamabad: The construction work of Pakistan s inaugural National Police Hospital has commenced, marking a significant milestone in the country's healthcare infrastructure Islamabad Capital City Police Officer (ICCPO) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan personally visited the hospital site urging swift progress on the project

Recently Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif laid the foundation stone for the 100-bed hospital, emphasizing its importance for the police force The construction of Pakistan's first National Police Hospital, a groundbreaking initiative, has begun with Islamabad Capital City Police Officer (ICCPO) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan overseeing the project s early stages

Following the recent foundation stone ceremony conducted by Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, this state-of-the-art hospital is set to accommodate 100 beds, catering specifically to the capital police of Islamabad ICCPO Dr Akbar Nasir Khan personally inspected the hospital site located in Police Lines assessing the ongoing construction progress and issuing instructions to contractors to expedite the work PR

PRL launches REUP to boost refining c apabilities, urges polic y suppor t

Karachi: Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) is embarking on an ambitious project to enhance and modernize its refining capabilities through the Refinery Expansion and Upgrade Project (REUP) This initiative aims to propel PRL into a sustainable future, producing cleaner and environmentally friendly fuels, while meeting the growing demands of the market

However, the absence of a comprehensive refining policy to support industry development and attract investments remains a pressing concern The REUP project involves the expansion of PRL s crude processing capacity from the current 50,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 100,000 bpd, along with the installation of deep conversion capabilities PR

Water flows at Ganda Singhwala decline, situation stable at Sulaimanki: NEOC

The National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC) on Saturday said the water flows at Ganda Singhwala were decreasing and the water flows at Sulaimanki despite increasing inflows sustained a stable level

As per the data of the Flood Forecasting Division and Punjab Irrigation Department, the water flow in Ganda Singhwala has been recorded with a decrease of 29,000 cusecs While the water reaching Sulaimanki has increased to 70,000 cusecs, but indicating a stable trend

During the event Dr Qibla Ayaz emphasized the active collaboration be-

He revealed that concerted efforts were underway to bolster tourism and trade between the two countries paving the way for enhanced economic cooperation and cultural understanding Dr Israr Madani, echoing Dr Qibla s sentiments, acknowledged that this was not the first time the Guilin City govern- ment had played as host to Pakistani leaders Such gestures of hospitality and mutual respect had laid a solid foundation for stronger ties and facilitated productive dialogue he added

The Pakistani delegation consisting of esteemed religious leaders such as Maulana Tayyab Tahir, Sahibzada Sultan Ahmed Ali, Maulana Fazl Ali Haqqani, Asif Lakhvi Qazi, Maulana Rashid Haq,

President c alls for prevention, early diagnosis of life threatening diseases

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

President Dr Arif Alvi Thursday called for prevention and early diagnosis of diseases like breast cancer and water borne ailments to give people a chance to live longer healthy lives

Speaking virtually at an awareness programme arranged by Siemens Healthineers, he underlined the need for improvements in the health and education sectors of Pakistan

Despite the limited resources a developing country like Pakistan should give priority to health and education of the people, he stressed

He said preventive measures and widespread awareness was vital to prepare people against the onslaught of life threatening diseases

He said Pakistan had an experience of effectively and successfully tackling Covid 19 as compared to the neighboring country where the death rate was higher Spreading of awareness among people was critical to keep Covid under control he said adding peo- ple followed the advice of the government to wear masks keep distance and take preventive measures helping the country eventually overcome the challenge

The President urged people to ensure cleanliness to stop the spread of communicable diseases

Religious scholars could play an important role by teaching the significance of hygiene during their sermons in mosques, he continued

He appreciated the efforts of Begum Samina Alvi in raising awareness about the threats posted by breast cancer to the health of women

While citing reasons for late diagnosis of breast cancer among women in Pakistan he said women were hesitant to share information about any unusual signs which was the cause of delay in screening for breast cancer

He said those who go for early screening their chance of survival from breast cancer was 99 percent and women should undergo screening when they feel a lump in their chests

He pointed to the brain drain in Pakistan saying a large percentage of women who get higher education either prefer to stay at home or leave for better opportunities abroad which resulted in lack of availability of professionals in different fields

Another international honor for Pakistan, team claim one gold, four bronze

PESHAWAR

S TA F F R E P O R T Pakistan’s six members Taekwondo team all of them hailing from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa participated in the International Taekwondo Championship held in Bangkok Thailand and bagged one gold medal and four bronze medals on Saturday

Team manager Nasir Khan Mohmand told APP that the six members team of Pakistan took part first in the Tirak and KDM Taekwondo International Championship in which 500 players from 10 countries of the world including Pakistan took part Pakistan won one gold and four bronze medals

According to the results so far the team won one gold and four bronze medals Wania Hassan won the gold medal in Kyroungi Ayan claimed two bronze medals in Poomsae and Kyroungi and Muhammad Waqar won a bronze medal in Tirak Nasir Khan Mohmand appreciated the players of the Pakistani team for winning one gold and four bronze medals in the first international Tirak and KDM Taekwondo International Championship He said the team did hard work for winning the medal and especially the performance of Wania Hassan was excellent as she bagged the gold medal Chairman Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Taekwondo Association expressed his satisfaction with the team's result He said the junior players have very excellent performances in their first international appearance and if provided more such opportunities they would win back more medals

Confucius Institutes in Pakistan - an impor tant role to spread C hinese c ulture

ISLAMABAD

The Confucius Institutes in Pakistan are critical and will have an important role to spread Chinese culture and to enhance understanding between our countries; Similarly, Urdu language centers and Pakistan Study Centers in China are playing a similar role ”

This was stated by Mumtaz

Zehra Baloch Spokesperson and Additional Foreign Secretary at Ministry of Foreign Affairs

She was Chief Guest at Silk Road Cultural Forum themed on “China-Pakistan Civilization Exchanges and Mutual Learning organized by the Pakistan-China

Institute, Islamabad, in collaboration with China Study Centre, COMSATS University, Islamabad, according to a Gwadar Pro's report on Saturday She said that the world has become increasingly interconnected and Pakistan, China, and the entire continent were becoming more and more interlinked with connectivity projects and “this is the pure magic of ancient Silk Road”

According to Mumtaz Baloch the five major goals of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) include connectivity, people-to-people exchanges and contacts which are critical for understanding and mutual cooperation between countries and people She said that Pakistan and

China s relations were based on mutual respect and understanding

“This is a prime example of friendship between two countries which have different cultures languages civilizations and even religions Baloch said adding that this relation has prospered over the last seven decades and has taken root in the hearts of our people

Baloch emphasized the further development of China-Pakistan friendship and understanding via cultural exchanges

It is important that we try to understand each other s culture and language because with this it will be easier for us to appreciate our differences and celebrate our commonalities she said