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PR. No. 58. The Adviser on Interior Mr. A. Rehman Malik has directed the Ministry of Interior to select a specific venue in Islamabad for holding of public gatherings and rallies in order to prevent inconvenience and disruption of public life and also for reasons of security. Consequently, the Ministry has asked Chief Commissioner and Inspector General of Police, ICT to immediately select a venue in consultation with CDA where public gatherings and rallies could be held. In future, public gatherings and rallies in Islamabad would only be allowed at specified venue. **SMA/Ahmad**
PR. No. 59. The Adviser on Interior Mr. A. Rehman Malik has taken a serious view of series of blasts in Karachi yesterday. The Adviser has asked all Intelligence Agencies and other LEAs including Rangers to assist the Provincial Government in tracing out the culprits. Sindh Rangers and Police have been specially directed to play a proactive role to ensure that anti-state elements and terrorists do not succeed in their nefarious designs. In the meantime, a team of intelligence experts has been despatched from Islamabad to Karach i to probe into the serial blasts in order to identify the group and the motive behind these blasts. **SMA/Ahmad**
PR. No. 60. Federal Minister for Housing & Works, Rahmatullah Kakar has said that tremendous opportunities would be available to local and foreign investors in the upcoming mega housing projects. He expressed these views while talking to the delegations from Techno Engineering Consortium and Karcon Construction which called on him here today. The delegations evinced keen interest to invest in the upcoming housing projects being undertaken by the Ministry across the country. They gave a detailed presentation about the construction projects carried out by their respective company. The Minister welcomed the Techno Engineering and Karcon’s investment interest and said that construction of one million houses would open widespread investment opportunities in the construction industry. The Minister said that the government would launch six pilot housing projects in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Multan and Larkana in next few days aimed at providing shelter to poor, needy and shelter less people under Prime Minister’s Housing for all program. Secretary, Housing & Works, Samiullah Khilji, Joint Secretary, Ali Abid, MD, Pakistan Housing Authority, Raja Muhammad Abbas and Director General, Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation, Shahid Hamid were also present during the meeting. **Eh/Ahmad**
PR. No. 61. Ambassador of Argentine, Mr. Rodolfo Martin Sarvia called on the Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Mr. Nazar Mohammad Gondal here today and discussed matters pertaining to promotion of bilateral cooperation in diversified fields including livestock sector. Secretary Minfal Muhammad Zia-ur-Rahman, Chairman, PARC, Dr. M. E. Tasnim and senior officials of the Ministry were also present. The Minister told the Argentina Envoy that the government is taking concrete steps for the promotion of dairy sector on modern line with a view to provide the people dairy products on cheaper quality price. He said that Argentina has rich experience and technology in dairy field and Pakistan can benefit from its expertise for the mutual advantage. The Minister highlighted the steps taken by the government for the promotion of livestock sector and incentives being offered to the investors in the dairy projects. The Argentine envoy briefed the Minister about the development of livestock sector particularly dairy industry in his country. He said that Pak-Argentine cooperation in dairy sector would open new avenues of interaction between the two friendly countries. **Eh/Ahmad**
PR. No. 62. Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) under Ministry of Education has announced the admission schedule for fresh admission to Prep-Class for the new academic year 2008 2009. The FDE is currently running eight Model Colleges for Boys (IMCBs) and similarly eight model Colleges for Girls (IMCGs). According to the announced schedule the registration forms can be obtained from concerned Model Colleges both boys and girls from 21st July to 28th of July. The completed registration forms can be submitted back in Colleges from 21st July to 30th of July. The written test for the registered candidates will be held on 4th & 5th of August 2008. The successful candidates will be notified on 11th of August whereas regular classes will commence from 18th of August 2008. FDE will register only those candidates who are residents of Islamabad. However, Govt/Semi-Govt employees residing in Rawalpindi can also apply for admission of their kids provided a service certificate is duly attached with the admission application. For admission to Prep-Class a candidate must not be below 4 years and above years of age on 31st July 2008. **MAR/Ahmad**
PR. No. 63. Dispelling the impression that terrorism is being spread from the Dini Madaris in Pakistan, the Advisor to Prime Minister on Religious Affairs Mr. Hamid Saeed Kazmi said that students of Dini Madaris are not involved in any type of terrorism. 2. Talking to the 5-members visiting delegation of media personals from Sudan which called on him here today the Advisor said, “we are a peaceful loving country and we cannot afford to give guns to our young children rather than pen in their hands”. 3. He also dispelled the impression that reforms in the Madrassah Education are being brought under foreign pressure. He said that reforms in the Education System of Dini Madaris are brought with the objectives to enable the students to compete for jobs in the public and private sector as the job opportunities under the existing system of education for student of Dini Madaris are very limited. He told the delegation that Government of Pakistan is committed not to accept any foreign assistance for reforms in the Madrassah Education. 4. He apprised the delegation that media in Pakistan is free and there is no gap between media personals and Dini Madaris, adding Ulema of Din; Madaris deliver Khutbas of their own in the mosques and contact media personals.
5 He said that the minorities in Pakistan enjoy all the facilities given by Islam and constitution of Pakistan and there is no discrimination with them on the basis of religion. 6. He said that Pakistan and Sudan enjoy good brotherly relations and the exchange of delegation between the two countries will strengthen these relations. 7. Earlier Secretary Ministry of Religious Affairs. Zakat & Ushr Mr. Vakil Ahmad Khan briefed the delegation about the structure and working of the Ministry. He also briefed the relegation about the Madaris in Pakistan. He apprised the delegation that there are 15000 thousands registered Madaris in Pakistan which are imparting religious education to poor students free of cost. He told them that reforms are being brought in the Madrassah Education b enable the students to compete for jobs in the public and private sector as under the present Madrassah Education system jobs opportunity are very limited for them.
13. The leader of the delegation Mr. Latif Joseph Sabag thanked Government of Pakistan for providing them an opportunity to visit Pakistan. He also thanked the Advisor to Prime Minister on Religious Affairs and Secretary for providing first hand information about the working of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Zakat & Ushr. **DKK/Ahmad**
PR. No. 64. Institutional and legal reforms are mandatory and much needed to improve the socio-economic and security environments in the country and to get it out of the present morass, stated Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Federal Minister for Local Government & Rural Development. The Minister was presiding over a high level meeting of the provincial ministers and secretaries of Local Government & Rural Development held in Islamabad on Tuesday 8th of July 2008 to solicit land coordinate provincial views and finalize way forward on priority issues in light of the Prime Minister’s directives for formulating policy on katchi abadis & urban slums improvement, capacity development for local governance, and other initiatives of the Ministry of LG&RD. Mr. Dost Muhammad Khosa, Minister for Local Government & Rural Development, Government of Punjab, Mr. Bashir Ahmad Bilour, Minister for LG&RD, Government of NWFP, Mr. Abdul Khaliq Bashar Dost, Minister LG&RD, Government of Baluchistan besides Federal Secretary LG&RD, Additional Secretary Cabinet division, secretaries of the LG&RD department from all four provinces and Director of the Capital Development authority attended. The meeting reviewed the policy for Katchi Abadi regularization, rehabilitation and development proposed by the Federal Ministry under the “100 Days Action Plan” announced by the Prime Mini8ster in his inception statement on the floor of the National Assembly on March 29, 2008. The meeting agreed that the issue of transfer of title and upgrading of all the Katchi Abadi that stand confirmed and declared in light of the policy, 1985, along with adjacent slum areas may be implemented under a holistic plan . It supported the adoption of a multi-dimensional and multi-sect oral approach towards the development of the Katchi Abadi and that any intervention should be mainstreamed into the relevant urban plan for incremental implementation. The provincial representatives however, observed that the provinces need to review the policy proposals in light of their own local conditions and requirements and comment on the proposed strategies and modalities accordingly. They also urged that the proposed need assessment survey and land status of the confirmed and declared Katchi Abadis should be carried out urgently and in close collaboration wit the provinces with a view to develop an accurate data base and ground information position along with strengthening of the legal framework to stop further growth of Katchi Abadis and urban slums. The meeting agreed that the provinces and the CDA would review the draft policy proposals in detail and submit their considered views/recommendations thereon to the Federal Ministry at an early date for consolidation and further processing in light of the Prime Minister’s announcement. The meeting also deliberated on the devolved system of local government functioning under the Local Government Ordinance 2001. The participants noted that political changes in the country has given rise to the necessity to address local demands and needs to bring about economic and political systems closer to local communities and make them more responsive, efficient and transparent. Frail local government system need to be strengthened to reflect and address the true aspirations and demands of the citizen’s and bring the country at par with the developed nations. Without putting in place standard parameters and policy framework developed through consensus keeping in view the local needs, effective coordination mechanism, and a clear action plan and political support the challenges cannot be addressed in a timely manner. The provinces urged on an urgent introspective review of the system and necessary changes to bring about improvements in the quality of governance and delivery of public sector services. It was decided that the committee chaired by the Federal Minister of Local Government and rural Development and comprising of the provincial ministers and secretaries of Local government & Rural Development, NRB and other participants would reconvene at an early date to look into this issue. Meanwhile, the provincial departments of local government and rural development would coordinate amongst themselves to fir up their views and recommendations for discussion in the above mentioned meeting. The meeting appreciated the new initiatives proposed by the MLG7ERD to improve quality of living conditions and bring about prosperity in the rural areas of the country such as rural roads construction, rural reconstruction and enterprise development and urban renewal & small town development proposals. The proposal for establishment of National Research & Development center and School of Local Governance & Rural Development at the National Center of Rural development Islamabad in network with provincial local government training institutions was also welcomed. The meeting recommended the need for review of the existing cooperatives system and structure in the country in light of the best practices in the neighboring countries and elsewhere in the region for possible replication. FK/ank
PR. No. 65. Chairman Senate, Mr. Mohammedmian Soomro and Deputy Chairman Senate, Mr. Jan Mohammad Khan Jamali have expressed their deep grief and sorrow over the sad demise of the mother of Secretary National Security Council (NSC) Mr. Tariq Aziz , who breathed her last in Lahore today. In their separate condolence messages, they prayed that Allah Almighty may rest the departed soul in the eternal peace and grant fortitude to the members of bereaved family to bear this loss with equanimity! Ameen. NA/ank
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