KARACHI: The leading global players from the Energy Industry are participating at the 7th Pakistan Oil, Gas & Energy Exhibition and Conference – POGEE 2009, which is scheduled from 18th to 21st May 2009, at the Karachi Expo Centre. The exhibition is co-located with the 5th International Fire & Security Exhibition & Conference – FIRE & SECURITY Pakistan 2009.

The two co-located exhibitions have brought together 335 companies from 32 countries, including Austria, Germany, Italy, Turkey, UAE, UK; at the same time, there will be dedicated Chinese and Iranian pavilions. The increased international participation is a clear indication of the confidence that the international community has in Pakistan as a lucrative business destination.

POGEE has achieved global acclaim among the leading players operating in the Oil, Gas & Energy industry. The show has also received tremendous support, particularly from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Mines and Minerals Development Department (Government of Sindh), Board of Investment, Engineering Development Board, Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association and CNG Dealers Association of Pakistan. The exhibition also has the distinguished sponsorship of Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL).

On the other hand, FIRE & SECURITY Pakistan has been actively supported by the China Security & Protection Industry Association (CSPIA), Fire Protection Association of Pakistan and the Organization of Safety Management. The exhibition will serve as an ideal forum for boosting economic activity in the related sectors of Pakistan as well as integrating the regional markets. NNI

ISLAMABAD: The third Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) has concluded in Islamabad with agreement on several vital projects to promote regional development and stability. Later briefing newsmen along with Afghan Finance Minister Kaka Jalil Shams, the Minister of State for Finance and Economic Affairs Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar said Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to modernize border management infrastructure at Torkhan.

The two countries also agreed to take comprehensive measures for harmonizing customs rules and expedite signing of Free Trade Agreements, as well as ECO trade agreement and SAFTA. The Minister of State said on the sidelines of RECCA, Pakistan and Afghanistan began discussions on the new trade agreement in the light of Memorandum of Understanding signed in Washington recently. She said the two countries presently have a bilateral trade of 1.2 billion dollars and the trade agreement would go a long way in formalizing trade between the two countries.

In the energy sector, the two countries agreed to establish Trans-Afghanistan Energy Corridor for providing electricity from Kyrgyzstn and Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan. The World Bank has reiterated its support for the project.

Afghanistan welcomed Pakistani offer of one thousand scholarships. Other countries participating in the conference also expressed their resolve to support skill development in Afghanistan so as to create productive employment opportunities for Afghan people.

The initiatives agreed upon during the conference in the communication sector includes extension of rail link from Chaman in Pakistan to Kandhar in Afghanistan. The European Union expressed its willingness to sponsor feasibility study of railway across Afghanistan linking major destinations within that country.

Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar said during Business to Business meeting organized on the sidelines of the conference, interest was shown for projects worth ten billion dollars. The Afghan Finance Minister said the conference produced positive results both for his country and Pakistan. He said the understanding arrived at the conference would help forge regional cooperation and help achieve the cherished objective of peace and prosperity.

On this occasion the Islamabad Declaration was unanimously adopted which reiterated the commitment of the regional countries and development partners for continued cooperation with regards to Afghanistan’s economic growth through rehabilitation and reconstruction process. Finally it was decided that the next Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan will be held in Turkey. NNI

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Environment has announced Green Journalist Award for the working journalists to encourage them to play active role for raising awareness on environmental issues and to promote healthy competition among them for raising awareness on environmental issues. The Award would comprise an Acknowledgment Shield and varying amount of Cash Award for different categories.

These awards would be given on eve of the World Environment Day on June 05, however, as already announced (in the calendar of activities for the National Year of Environment 2009) excellence award would be given in December to the journalists showing good performance for highlighting the environmental issues during National Year of Environment 2009.

The Ministry of Environment has requested the journalists working on environment to furnish three (3) best entries of their published articles/ features, news, photograph and telecasted/ broadcasted news/documentaries regarding the environment during the period of the June 06, 2008 to May 15, 2009 through their organizations not latter than 21st of this month. The journalists may submit their entries to the Deputy Director (Media) of the Ministry in the Local Government and Rural Development Complex, G-5/2, Islamabad .

The Federal Minister for Environment Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi speaking in this connection has said that to bring a visible improvement in the rapidly deteriorating quality of air, water and land, to mitigate the effects of climate change, deforestation, industrial pollution, vehicular pollution, problems related to water and sanitation, solid waste management, energy conservation, rehabilitation of failing ecosystems, wetlands and other challenges in the Environment sector of Pakistan, it is necessary to create awareness in the general public and make them aware of the pressing concerns by dissemination of information on environmental degradation through means of mass communication particularly through print and electronic media.

The Minister said that the general trend in the past, the environment had been the least focused area in the media. That is why engaging media, in special reference to National Year of Environment, has become imperative to give proper coverage to environmental issues. NNI

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has commended the endeavors of the provinces especially Punjab and Sindh to achieve wheat production target in the country. He has assured the farmers that procurement operation would continue till their surplus wheat is exhausted. The Prime Minister said Pakistan has achieved a bumper wheat crop this year and estimates are that target of 24 million tons of wheat will be achieved which is at least a million tons more than the local requirements.

Procurement target of 6.5 million tons of wheat fixed for the country during this year has been surpassed and for the facility of the farmers, the federal and provincial governments are continuing procurement of wheat over and above the target, he informed.

Punjab has procured four million tons, Sindh has acquired 1.1 million tons and PASSCO has purchased 1.4 million tons and the procured wheat will be used for strategic and operational reserves, he observed. He said the government wants to deliver maximum benefits to farmers and the efforts to bring improvement in their standard of living is in line with the party’s vision of providing “roti, kapra and makan” to all.

He said a breakthrough in wheat production has been made possible by a number of policy interventions by the government and foremost among them is the increase in the guaranteed minimum price from Rs. 625 to Rs. 950 per 40 kg fixed by the government well before the sowing season of wheat.

The government spent more than Rs. 52 billion on the procurement of 6.5 million tonnes of wheat and it will be saving much more than this amount by eliminating imports of the commodity this year, he remarked. The government also gave a massive subsidy of Rs. 27 billion in the supply of urea and DAP fertilizer, he said adding the government made elaborate arrangements to import fertilizer to make up its deficiency.

Off take of urea fertilizer this year is more than the last year although off take of DAP was less due to higher prices in the international market, the Prime Minister added. He told that the government was taking steps to reduce dependence on imported fertilizers by enhancing local production capacity.

The Prime Minister said the breakthrough in wheat production in Pakistan would ensure food security in the region and this has been rightly acclaimed internationally. He pointed out that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has publically appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to overcome food shortage in the country.

The Prime Minister said the government has issued credit lines of more than Rs. 180 billion to provinces and PASSCO to procure wheat at guaranteed minimum price announced by the government. These limits are being extended suitably to carry on the wheat procurement operations beyond the target of 6.5 million tonnes which has already been surpassed, he added.

The wheat procurement is a massive program which will generate an income of about 250 million for the farming community of the country and bring about prosperity in the rural economy. He said the higher production of wheat will save massive amount of foreign exchange used on wheat imports as the government spent more than US$ two billion on the imports of wheat during the last two years. With enhanced support of wheat price, the government will gradually reduce subsidy on fertilizer, he added.-APP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday at last after a period of two years succeeded to visit Karachi. Talking to reporters at Islamabad Airport he said that it was his right to visit Karachi and other parts of the Sindh province.

He said that “I am not going to say thanks to the prime minister or any body else and any body has not played any role in connection with my visit to Karachi” he added. He regretted that the government was not allowing him to visit Karachi for two years.

He said he was going there to organize his party and his party workers were inviting him since long but due to government’s hurdles he was not able to visit the province and the city. He said that one of the aims of his Karachi’s visit was to inaugurate the diagnostic centre of Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital and also to raise funds for the hospital. NNI

WASHINGTON: President Asif Ali Zardari has said that an appropriate number of army has been deployed at the western borders of the country. At a meeting with the members of Editorial Board of Washington Post, he said if required, government will consider sending of more troops there.

He said army at the western border is capable to meet any eventuality. He said there is no need to withdraw troops from eastern borders as India has deployed four time more troops. To a question, the President said Pakistan wants to have good relations with its neighbours particularly India and hoped that after the elections, an elected government in India will respect our gesture.

The President said the drone attacks are against our sovereignty and US should transfer this technology to Pakistan. NNI

ISLAMABAD: PML-N has decided that it will convene All Parties Conference to resolve the chronic issues of Balochsitan. On the advice of PML-N Quaid, the first meeting of special follow-up committee was held under the chairmanship of former Sindh Governor Mamnoon Hussain at Punjab House on Saturday.

It was attended by Ahsan Iqbal, Sardar Yaqub Nasir and Asam. The meeting reviewed the recommendations of the fact finding committee. The follow up committee will contact with all political, regional and social parties to finalize the proposal.

It decided that PML-N will hold All Parties Conference in the light of suggestions of all school of thoughts.
Final report will be submitted to PML-N Quaid to adopt a categorical policy on the issues of Balochistan. NNI

KARACHI: KCCI has established “Displaced Peoples’ Welfare Fund for the sufferers & refugees affected by the unrest in the Northern Areas, therefore, Business Community is requested to donate for this noble cause. This was stated by President Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry Anjum Nisar in a press statement here on Saturday.

He stated that the Country was witnessing an extreme unrest situation in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, specifically Swat, Dir, Buner. Great number of people had fled from their homes because of widespread clashes between the Militants & Govt. Forces.

The UNHCR estimated that about 200,000 people have arrived in safe areas of the NWFP over the last few days with another 300,000 on the move or about to move. The vast majority of the refugees were staying with their families in tents under open sky in refugee camps.

It was our religious and national duty to rose to the occasion and express our compassion & solidarity to our fellow Pakistani families who had migrated from the unrest areas and were living in the camps. They were in diehard need of basic amenities, food, medicine, shelter. It was most reassuring that the response of Govt. & every section of the society, to combat this national tragedy was noteworthy, he added.

President KCCI informed that Business Community, as usual, was already in the forefront & participating in the form of necessary aid to the sufferers. He requested the business community to give donation through pay orders and cross cheques in the name of “KCCI- Displaced Peoples’ Welfare Fund (DPWF)”

President KCCI was pleased to record that all member of the Managing Committee of KCCI were committed to make a significant amount of donation. He expressed with hope that the General Body members & the Business Community would generously contribute for the noble cause and would extend donations for relief fund established by KCCI for the refuges affected due to unrest in the northern areas. Donors may also provide food, tents, medicines, & necessary daily household beside cash donations, for which a cell has been established in the KCCI building, he added. NNI

NEW YORK: The United Nations has opened its 19th office in Afghanistan in Tirin Kot, the capital of the southern province of Uruzgan, as part of its continued expansion across the strife-torn nation. “We are here to reach out to all citizens of Uruzgan, to meet their humanitarian needs, to help build institutions and to support development,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moons Special Representative Kai Eide said at the opening. “I hope our presence will be welcomed by allincluding the armed opposition”, he said.

Eide, who heads the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNANA) said he hoped the expansion of the world bodys presence across different provinces will encourage others to follow suit. “Our ambition is to serve as a magnet for others; for UN agencies in development and humanitarian work; for NGOs and development agencies,” he stated. “The opening of our office should serve as a signal encouraging others to come and work in this province.”

The Special Representative added that the UN is continuing to expand and hopes to have a permanent presence in 20 provinces by next week. UNAMA currently has offices in Mazar-e-Sharif, Kunduz, Herat, Kandahar, Nangarhar, Bamiyan, Kabul, Gardez, Ghor, Kunar, Khost, Nimroz, Badghis, Maimana, Faizabad, Daikundi and Zabul provinces. In addition, it has two liaison offices in Tehran and Islamabad. NNI

ISLAMABAD: Cinema houses are an important source of entertainment for the masses worldwide, but in Pakistan Cinema Industry is on the verge of collapse, particularly in Twin cities cinemas are gradually turning into plazas, and shopping malls. Once cinemas were the only source of entertainment at low cost for the masses in the cities, but due to multiple reasons at present it is about to become a tale of the past.

Dying Cinema industry had tried its best to save it, and in this regard many steps have been taken including to show the Indian movies, but all it went in vain. The spectators and cinema owner narrating the golden days of the cinema industry said that in the bygone days, there used to be hustle and bustle in these cinema houses; but at now mostly of the houses are turned to shopping centers.

In Rawalpindi Novelty Cinema is closed since long Naz Cinema has been demolished and owner the Naz cinema has planned to build a shopping plaza at the place of the cinema and Nadir cinema has been changed into a wedding hall.

Now there are a few functional cinema halls in Rawalpindi and many of them are in deteriorating conditions such as Moti Mehal Cinema, and the Seroze cinema of Rawalpindi is fighting for its survival. The cinema houses of Islamabad such as Melody, Kohsar and Neftic are closed for a long time and currently there is no operational cinema house in Islamabad and thus the Capital city of Pakistan is the only capital in the world without a cinema house.

Indian movies were also introduced for the sake of restoration of the past glory to these cinema houses, but this struggle was failed due to cable system. The owners of these cinema houses are trying to find out some other alternative employments due to high price of electricity and less interest of the spectators to come to cinema houses, said the owners.

The worsening situation of furniture in cinema and the growing fears of terrorist activities have also played an important role destroy the business of cinema houses, said the viewers. The owners of these cinema houses demanded of the government to provide them with incentives so that they can invest to restore the dying cinema industry.

The cinema owners lamenting over the situation said that the cultural ministry had never tried to compensate the dying cinema industry. They said that it was a high time for the government to take solid steps so that the glorious past of cinema industry can be brought back. The spectators are of the view that it is better for them to watch a movie at Rs 10 rupee at home rather than to spend Rs 150 for it at cinema house. NNI