ISLAMABAD: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) is moving ahead with the mission of relocating its regional campuses across the country from rented houses to its own buildings. The University needs plots at suitable places in those areas for the construction of campus buildings. The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Dr. Zia-ul-Qayyum himself visited all the four provinces of the country including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. He met with concerned authorities for the provision of land. Vice Chancellor is currently on a visit to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa along with Director General Regional Services, Inamullah Sheikh. Vice Chancellor visited the regional centres of Kohat, Peshawar, Mardan and Swat where he met the tutors and students of the AIOU and got positive feedback from them about digital transformation. Dr. Zia will visit the Timergara Regional Campus today to discuss digital transformation with students.

ISLAMABAD: President Dr. Arif Alvi on Tuesday underlined the need for improvement in education standards in universities and increase in enrolment of students.

He was speaking during a briefing about the Capital University of Science and Technology (CUST) here. The President said universities should ensure implementation of policy on anti narcotics and welfare of special persons.

President Dr. Arif Alvi appreciated the exemption given by Higher Education Commission (HEC) to the special persons in the tuition fee and hostel fee. The President urged the universities to focus on the character building of students.

He stressed that the CUST should change its vision according to the modern trends and set timelines to achieve its goals.

The information technology department of the university should focus on cyber security, he said adding steps should be taken for distance learning.

President Dr. Arif Alvi emphasized that in order to stop waste of time during the coronavirus pandemic, modern information technology should be adopted.

There was a need for enhanced relationships between public and private sector universities, he said adding universities should teach skills to students according to needs of the industry.

During the briefing, Vice Chancellor CUST Dr. Muhammad Mansoor Ahmed said that 10, 000 students completed education from the university while 5000 students were enrolled in different university programmes. The Capital University gave away scholarships of more than Rs 140 million to the students during the year 2020-21.

The President lauded the role of the university in spreading education and for implementing the new policy for special persons.

Islamabad: Spokesperson to PML-N Maryam Nawaz said that Imran Mafia has robbed billions of rupees from the pockets of people.

In her statement, she said that importing wheat, sugar and cotton is our bad luck. It is a good sign for the Imran Mafia as the whole of the imports are done by the ATMs of Imran Khan as it is the “vision” of Imran Khan to import wheat on $369.50 instead of $280 per ton.

She further added that the government has approved the import of 120 thousand tons of wheat on an expensive rate. Just like Sugar and LNG, the government has robbed the people by importing wheat on much costly price.

Maryam held that the government goes for import when it suits their benefit whether it may be LNG or wheat. They look to fill up their pockets rather than facilitating the people.

Islamabad: Special Assistant to Prime Minister Shehbaz Gill said that US visa will be issued to artist Umar Sharif soon.

The Prime Minister (PM) office has sent all the visa particulars to the respective embassy. The particulars have been sent with the cooperation of Sharif’ s family.

Shahbaz Gill held Umar Sharif may soon get the visa and the Prime minister’s office is in constant contact with the family of Umar Sharif and every possible help will be extended to Umar Sharif family in the matter. .

Islamabad: President Dr Arif Alvi has called for creating awareness and early diagnosis of cancer as these measures can help reduce the risk of disease.

He said that the incidences of cancer were rising in Pakistan and it required timely diagnosis and adequate treatment facilities to cope with the situation.

He made these remarks at a briefing about cancer cases, particularly breast cancer, in Pakistan, at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Tuesday.

Chairman, Cancer Care Hospital and Research Center (CCHRC), Lahore, Prof Dr Shahryar, Prof Dr Areesha Zaman and Prof Dr Nabila Shami attended the meeting.

Chairman CCHRC, Prof Dr Shahryar, briefed the meeting about the cancer cases and the treatment facilities being provided by his organization.

He informed that around 353, 000 people got afflicted with cancer every year and only 71, 000 patients were getting adequate treatment while the rest remained deprived due to the lack of sufficient health care facilities.

He also highlighted the achievements of CCHRC that provided free-of-cost treatment to the patients.

The President appreciated the efforts and contributions of Cancer Care Hospital and Research Center (CCHRC), Lahore, in providing free-of-cost treatment facilities to cancer patients.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Syria have agreed to expand mutual relations between the two countries.

This understating was reached during a meeting between Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad and Syrian Chargé D’affaires in Islamabad on Tuesday.

Both sides discussed bilateral relations including matters pertaining to mutual interest during the meeting. They also exchanged proposals to further strengthening the bilateral relations.

Islamabad: National Investment Trust Limited Managing Director Adnan Afridi on Tuesday said the ongoing developments in the macro policy framework helped stimulate significant growth in the asset management Industry.

He commanded that the total AUMs crossed Rs1 trillion marks in the outgoing fiscal year, posting a growth of nearly 65% YoY.

Afridi shared his views during a meeting with Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin in Islamabad.

Afridi also apprised the Finance Minister on the ongoing efforts of NITL in developing Pakistan’s ‘First Social Impact Fund (SIF)’ that is primarily dedicated to finance strategic and financially sustainable social initiatives such as women empowerment, agriculture value chains, MSME development, low cost renewable energy and low cost housing schemes through microfinance banks/institutions.

Afridi also highlighted the synergies that could be created between ‘NIT – Social Impact Fund’ and ‘Kamyaab Pakistan Program.’

NIT – SIF and KPP will go hand-in-hand by introducing mission oriented low cost capital for the lower income strata of the society through requisite assets supply and lending structures.

The Finance Minister praised NIT’s efforts in addressing financial inclusion gap with such innovative and pioneering platforms and expressed confidence that investors will be attracted to the ‘double bottom line’ offering of SIF.

ISLAMABAD: Major suspect for the Greater Iqbal harassment case, Akhtar Ali has been accused for snatching mobile phones

Victims and lawyers surrounded and thrashed the suspect in the session court. Akhtar was charged with geo fencing for which he had submitted the petition for bail before arrest. On reaching the session court, he was surrounded by a mob of people who accused him for snatching of their mobile phones. His lawyer said that he has been accused falsely and was brought up for interim bail where he was assaulted on a fake misconception .