8th National Women Cricket Championship April 14th Matches

Lahore, April 14, 2013 (PPI-OT):

April 14, 2013
ZONE (A)

EME Ground, Lahore
Faisalabad Region women: 111 in 41.4 overs (Zainab Riaz 33, Maria Ashraf 14, Uzma Yousaf 16, Rahma Hasan 4-29, Areeba Hasan 2-21)

HEC women: 112-1 in 27.2 overs (Areeba Qazi 50, 6x4s, 84 balls, Sidra Amin 40, 3x4s, 69 balls)

Result: HEC won by 9 wickets

Player of the match: Rahma Hasan (HEC women)
Toss: Faisalabad Region Women
Umpires: Irfan Dilshad and Saleema Imtiaz
Referee: Asif Aslam
Scorer: Azhar Hussain

Ittefaq Cricket Ground, Lahore
ZTBL Region women: 384-5 in 50 overs (Nain Abdi 115, 14x4s, 2x6s, 87 balls, Javeria Khan 87, 8x4s, 94 balls, Nida Dar 62*, 8x4s, 39 balls, Sana Mir 54, 6x4s, 33 balls, Rabia Shah 43, 7x4s, 45 balls, Sana Gulzar 3-75)

Multan Region Women: 90 in 47.1 overs (Areeb Shamim 33, 4x4s, 50 balls, Nida Dar 2-4, Bismah Maroof 2-7, Sana Mir 2-17)

Result: ZTBL Women won by 294 runs

Player of the match: Nain Abdi (ZTBL Women)
Toss: ZTBL Women
Umpires: Raza Asghar and Nuzhat Sultana
Referee: Mohammad Javed
Scorer: Masood Ahmed

For more information, contact:
Nadeem Sarwar
Media Manager
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
Tel: +9242 571 7231 -4
Fax: +9242 571 1860

Pakistan’s survival linked to value addition: Minister

Islamabad, April 14, 2013 (PPI-OT): Federal Minister for Commerce and Textile Maqbool H H Rahmatoola on Sunday said we must increase export of value added items for the survival of the country.

He said that government is working on increasing exports while focusing on small and medium enterprises.

He said this while speaking at a training workshop for female entrepreneurs jointly organised by TDAP, FWBL, UNIDO and IPALMO at the Islamabad Expo 2013 organised by Islamabad Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Minister for Commerce and Textile Maqbool H H Rahmatoola said that business community lags behind in value addition which is imperative to increase the economic value and consumer appeal of a product.

Women must understand that value added product has more market value than raw commodity, he stressed.

He said that all the women chambers should unite for the cause of women empowerment and that government will extend all possible support in this regard.

Expos are exciting events which exhibit skills of artisans is one of the best ways to get recognition and take businesses to the next level, he said.

“I believe supporting women amount to supporting future generations,” said Rahmatoola, adding that government will continue to strive and support all moves aimed at enhancing capacity of women.

Women deserve opportunities to transform their potential into profit for which they should know how to make best use of internet, he stressed.

The minister visited different stalls and took note of some issues highlighted by women entrepreneurs and asked TDAP officials including Colonel (Retd) Naieem, Zia-ul-Hassan and Khalid Baig to submit report within 24 hours.

At the occasion Samina Faizl, Perveen Khan of FWBL, Shahina Waheed of UNIDO and others said that they will continue to provide platform to women entrepreneurs to enhance their contribution towards society by cementing ties with stakeholders to grow their business.

Many in business community think that huge budget is needed to have an effective marketing strategy, which is contrary to facts, they said.

There are cost-effective means available like expos and personal websites that can sometimes make a difference to life and business, the speakers said.

For more information, contact:
Samina Fazil
President
Islamabad Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Mobile: +92323 5343199
Tel: +9251 2252256

Union of Small and Medium Enterprises advises SME sector to support right candidates after studying their back ground and economic and social uplift agenda of the party

Karachi, April 14, 2013 (PPI-OT): The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has advised the SME sector in Pakistan to note that the forthcoming elections in the country are very crucial and the entrepreneurs and their families, have not only to exercise their right of vote diligently themselves but also influence friends and their trade circles to support the right candidates after studying their back ground and the economic and social uplift agenda of the party to which they belong.

President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said the forthcoming elections are very crucial for the destiny of the country and the entrepreneurs the big and the small must evaluate the candidate and the relevant party before casting their precious vote as election of aimless, hopeless, corrupt and uneducated persons will not change the present situation of lawlessness, corruption, terrorism and bad governance. The country cannot afford to have corrupt, uneducated and selfish legislators as representatives.

He said a country cannot progress unless it has leaders with vision and high integrity. Pakistan needs a very sound system of accountability and good economic policies to exploit the resources.

He lamented that the present state of affairs is terrible, there is lawlessness and the people have lost trust in the police and the superior law enforcing agencies are not playing their role.

He listed the prevailing corruption in the system which is damaging the entire socioeconomic fabric. Without the payment of speed money and bribe one cannot get even genuine work done he regretted.

The construction and development work has become a window for siphoning out money and inflated invoices are submitted for civil works and huge amount of material is stolen. There is huge corruption in the customs and the taxation system.

Thaver said despite the huge corruption and over spending of the government functionaries and politicians the country survived because of its agricultural base as almost every year there is a handsome crop of one or the other crop like cotton, wheat, rice, sugar, maize and other agricultural produce and because of which the GDP does not fall drastically.

There has been no industrial growth. The country is importing most of the items on the free list and no serious effort to manufacture import substitution items has taken place. It is very unfortunate that butter, cheese, biscuits, cakes, stationery, footwear, clothing, light engineering, electronic goods are also imported which could be manufactured in Pakistan.

Thaver said the country has high potential for industrialization and agri-based industries if scientifically supported and promoted could change the destiny of Pakistan.

He reiterated that the entrepreneur needs an environment which includes safety, security, protected industrial estates. Finance at affordable mark up with easy repayment facilities, technological support which includes education, information and know how support at all levels of production, logistics and marketing.

The union has informed its members to only vote and support vigorously candidates and parties which have an agenda for social and economic growth based on the recognition of the importance of the business community and the support facilities to be provided to the SMEs which includes trading, services, farming and manufacturing sector.

For more information, Contact:
Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME)
75/1 3rd Commercial Street,
Phase IV, D.H.A., Karachi, Pakistan
Phones: + 92 35884225 and 6
Cell: + 92 300 8245307 and + 92 321 8245307
Fax: + 92 35380642
Email: unisame@gmail.com

Concern expressed over plight of political detainees in IHK

Srinagar, April 14, 2013 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir Muslim League (JKML) has expressed serious concern over the plight of illegally detained pro-movement leaders and activists lodged in various jails in the territory.

The JKML spokesman in a statement issued in Srinagar said that the political detainees including Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo, Masarrat Aalam Butt, Mushtaq-ul-Islam, Feroze Ahmad Khan, Muhammad Rafiq Ganai, Nazir Ahmad Khan, Moulvi Sajjad, Dr Muhammad Shafi Sharieti, Ghulam Qadir Butt, Maulana Abdul Majid Madni, Abdul Ghani Dar, Nisar Ahmad Butt, Javed Ahmad Munshi, Muhammad Ayub Dar, Muhammad Yasin Yatoo, Muhammad Yousuf Fallahi, Mir Hafeezullah, Bashir Ahmad Qureshi, Muhammad Ayub Mir and Nisar Ahmad Khan were suffering from various acute ailments due to substandard food and lack of medical facilities in the jails.

He said that the JKML leader, Muhammad Rafiq Ganai, was suffering from some chronic disease and he had now become incapacitated and handicapped. He stated that Nisar Ahmad Khan of Chanpora was not released despite the fact that his father was battling for life due to illness.

The spokesman appealed to the international human rights organizations to take cognizance of the plight of detainees and exert pressure on India to release them without any further delay.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736

Kashmir settlement according to Kashmiris’ will urged

Srinagar, April 14, 2013 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, senior leader of the All Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC), Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi Al-Safvi has urged India to give up its rigid and unrealistic approach and come forward to settle the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the Kashmiris’ aspirations.

Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi Al-Safvi addressing a gathering in Badgam strongly condemned the arrest of innocent Kashmiri youth, raids on houses and harassment of residents across the territory by Indian troops and police personnel.

He said that the people of Kashmir had rendered unprecedented sacrifices for the Kashmir cause and their struggle would not be allowed to go waste as the Kashmiris had determined to continue their struggle till complete success.

Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi Al-Safvi said that permanent peace and progress and prosperity in South Asia and cordial relations between Pakistan and India were linked to amicable settlement of the Kashmir dispute.

The senior APHC leader appealed to the international community to play an effective role in settling the lingering dispute in accordance with the Kashmiris’ aspirations.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736

Address by Chief Justice of Pakistan to Chief Justice and Judges of High Court of Balochistan

Islamabad, April 14, 2013 (PPI-OT): Learned Chief Justice and Judges of High Court of Balochistan;

District Returning Officers and Returning Officers;

Assalam-O-Alaikum!

It is a matter of great honour and privilege for me to address judicial officers, who have been deputed for the task of national importance, to assist the Election Commission of Pakistan in organizing and conducting General Elections 2013. Free, fair and transparent elections are constitutional dictate and the pre-requisite of democratic dispensation.

Your role to conduct elections as per the dictates of the constitution and law is very significant in institutionalizing the journey of democracy. Our country is facing various challenges including law and order situation, governance challenges, economic and energy crises, religious and ethnic extremism, etc. which block the over all socio-economic development.

The chosen representatives elected in consequence of free, fair and transparent general elections will indeed help in addressing these challenges and will strive hard in transforming the benefit of democracy to the people of Pakistan. If we fail to conduct elections in the transparent manner, the dream of sustainable democracy can not be achieved and resultantly, may damage the socio-political fabric of the society.

The conduct of free and fair election at regular interval, as per dictate of the Constitution is the pre-requisite for bringing true democracy and stability in the country. So far the fruit of the democracy has not been transformed to the society. Regrettably the history of democracy is painful and its effects have not been much beneficial for the people.

There is no cavil about that in the past, we have suffered for the reason that we were hesitant to adopt and sustain democracy as way of life and mode of governance. The country has been derailed from the path of democracy by mean of unconstitutional means. But now the golden principles of democracy that people have right to elect their representatives through adult franchise has recognized.

The law provides the people of this country, irrespective of their social ethnical status and religious affiliation, to choose their representative in whom they repose confidence. Unfortunately, women represent nearly half of the population, there is vast difference in number of women who are registered as voters against male voters.

It has often been observed time and again in our society and especially in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan that the male members of the family do not allow the females to cast their votes. The female voters are usually forced to cast their vote in favour of some particular candidates as asked by male members of their family. Due to lack of voter education, many votes are not cast or cast improperly. The female voters who are very huge segment of our population are not properly represented.

The election staff and in particular female staff deputed to assist in conducting the general elections must keep in mind this aspect of our society and work with more diligence in performance of their duties. For achieving sustainable democratic structure we have to keep in mind the importance of the voters who are the main stakeholder in the process of conducting general elections. It will not be out of place to mention the words of Sir Winston Churchill, when he said and I quote:

“At the bottom of all tributes paid to democracy is the little man, walking into a little booth, with a little pencil making a little cross on a little bit of paper – no amount of rhetoric or voluminous discussion can possibly diminish the overwhelming importance of the point.”

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The elected representatives have to perform key constitutional responsibility. It is obligation and constitutional duty upon you to hold and conduct the election in a free, fair and impartial manner. The Supreme Court has recently adjudged many cases on the aspect of right of citizens to information, as guaranteed by the Article 19-A of the Constitution.

It was observed in these judgements that the voters too have a right to know about the credentials of the contenting candidates. The Court held in the case of Mian Najeeb-ud-Din Owaisi vs. Amir Yar and others[1]held that:

The voters who are about to elect their representatives are one of the most important stakeholders, therefore, to achieve the object of honest, just and fair elections, they would not constitutionally and legally allow a candidate to manage to sneak into Parliament without proving that he is qualified to represent them as such representative has to perform the noblest and honourable job of making policies and laws for the Nation.

Under Article 218 of our Constitution of Pakistan, it is responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan, to conduct and organize elections and to formulate such arrangements as are necessary to ensure that elections are conducted honestly, justly, fairly and in accordance with law, and that corrupt practices are guarded against. Similarly, Article 220 of the Constitution bound all the federal and provincial executive authorities to assist the Election Commission in the discharge of its functions.

Therefore, all the executive authorities and Pakistani civil society should stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Election Commission to safeguard the national interest. You are deputed to assist the Election Commission in the discharge of its constitutional responsibility.

You should keep in mind that conducting free and fair elections is scared duty. Being judicial officers the people of this Country have immense expectations. You have to meet these expectations with untiring efforts and dedication. I am sure that the judgments of the superior courts will provide you insight to follow and handle the issues being raised from time to time with respect to the election matters. The entire nation has focused their eyes on the conduct of general elections. I am confident that by sheer dint of your ability you will rise to the occasion.

Thank you.

For more information, contact:
Shahid Hussain Kamboyo
Public Relations Officer
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Tel: +9251 920 4184
Fax: +9251 920 1001
Email: pro_scp@yahoo.com

Indian policeman killed in accidental fire in Pulwama

Srinagar, April 14, 2013 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, a cop of Special Operation Group (SOG) of Indian police was killed after his service rifle went off accidentally in Pulwama.

Police said that Constable Sanjay Kumar from Kathua sustained bullet injury due to accidental fire from his own service rifle at Tahab, Payer crossing.

“SOG and CRPF were checking the vehicles at a check point when the incident took place,” a senior police official told media men. He said that Sanjay was shifted to the District Hospital in Pulwama, where doctors declared him brought dead.

Meanwhile, a special police officer, Kiker Singh, was injured when some persons attacked him in Gandoh area of Doda district.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736