Day: February 14, 2022

Federal Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar Monday encouraged German development agency GIZ to undertake pilot projects based on biofuels and renewable energy sources in Pakistan.

A high-level delegation of Germany led by State Secretary Jochen Falsbarth held an extensive meeting with the Pakistani delegation led by Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar.

Both sides discussed various aspects of renewable energy resources and clean energy technologies in Pakistan and German cooperation in this sector. The German side thanked the Pakistani government for assisting the evacuation of German nationals from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover back in August.

Hammad Azhar lauded the German support in establishing the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system in Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) and Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO), and motivated GIZ to expand it to other parts of Pakistan as well. He reiterated the government’s vision to reach 60 percent energy supply from local and sustainable resources by 2030 and implement Alternative and Renewable Energy Policy and promotion of Clean and Green Pakistan Initiative.

The government is planning to launch a policy framework to invite foreign and local investors for concessional agreements to set up renewable power projects with their transmission networks to cover the unserved areas. These microgrids are potential projects where German companies can mutually benefit, the minister said.

He hoped that continuous engagement with the German government will bring about positive change in the renewable energy sector and result in increased cooperation through Pakistan-German Renewable Energy Forum (PGREF).

The German delegation included German Ambassador to Pakistan Bernhard Schlagheck, Board manager GIZ Thorsten Schafer and Head of Division Afghanistan and Pakistan Helmut Fischer.

The Pakistani side comprised of Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar, Secretary Power Syed Asif Haider Shah and CEO Alternate Energy Development Board.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Germany has agreed to provide Pakistan €448.5 million funding for projects in different sectors including vocational training, health, social protection, urban infrastructure, climate change, and renewable energy.

This was revealed by State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation & Development, Germany, Jochen Flasbarth during a meeting with Minister for Economic Affairs, Omar Ayub Khan on Monday.

Omar Ayub appreciated the enhanced bilateral economic cooperation of Germany with Pakistan. He stated that Pakistan and Germany are long-standing development partners. He mentioned that Germany, since 1961, has provided €3.8 billion as technical and financial assistance for socioeconomic development in Pakistan. At present, the Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) is providing €147.5 million for Vocational Training, Health, Social Protection and Renewable Energy. The Credit for Reconstruction Bank (KfW) has also committed €301 million for various development projects including Renewable Energy, Health, Urban Infrastructure and Climate Change.

The Minister briefed the German State Secretary and the accompanying delegation on the ongoing policy reforms and initiatives and the development priorities of the Pakistani government. He said the government accorded priority to focus on climate change, green energy, agriculture, regional connectivity, and information communication technologies. He stressed that there is a need to focus on vocational and technical education in the country. In this regard, a proposal for establishing a state-of-the-art technical training university in Gilgit-Baltistan is under consideration. He also mentioned the need for improving road infrastructure and digital connectivity across the country to facilitate safe travel and smooth e-services.

German State Secretary, Jochen Flasbarth expressed satisfaction over the trajectory of bilateral cooperation in different areas and highlighted the ways to further enhance the bilateral technical and financial cooperation. He assured that Germany will provide further assistance for the social sector, including education, health, green energy, urban infrastructure, digital governance, and the Start-Up Pakistan Program.

Omar Ayub reiterated full support of the Government of Pakistan to the investors in the country, affirming that Pakistan has huge potential for investment in various sectors

The two sides exchanged views on increasing the cost-effectiveness of development assistance initiatives and the measures to enhance cooperation with the private sector including export competitiveness through technical and financial assistance.

Bernhard Schlagheck, Ambassador of Germany to Pakistan; Marion Pfennigs, Head of Development/First Secretary of German Embassy; Helmut Fischer, Director for Afghanistan & Pakistan of BMZ; Thorsten Schafer Gumbel, Board Member of GIZ; Julius Spatz, Director for Afghanistan & Pakistan of GIZ; Tobias Becker, Country Director GIZ; Sebastian Jacobi, Country Director KfW; Laura Schneider of GIZ; and senior officers of Economic Affairs Division (EAD) also attended the meeting.

Source: Pro Pakistani

As a fascinating discovery in the Islamic symbology and cultural sciences, markings apparently forming the Arabic phrase “Bismillah [in the name of Allah]”, were found on a marble slab in Turkey’s Mediterranean province of Antalya, reported AB Newswire.

The markings caught the attention of workers who spotted them while working in the area’s marble quarry. Upon discovery, the slab was sent to the Suleyman Demirel University in Turkey’s southeastern Isparta district for research.

While 195 million-year-old bones were discovered in the marble’s sedimentary fabric, the markings were theorized to have emerged naturally. Researchers noted that the dolomitic limestone that created the plate contained bioclastic remains of sea creatures that lived 195 million years ago during the Jurassic period.

The researchers concluded that the figures on the plate that formed the Arabic words “Bismillah” were completely “natural” and formed as a consequence of fragmentation, deformation, and arrangement of the remains of a heart-shaped shellfish over time.

According to Ahmet Ögke, the Dean of Akdeniz University Faculty of Theology, the Arabic formations on the marble slab are identical to how Bismillah is written in the Holy Quran.

Source: Pro Pakistani

The Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) has stepped up its enforcement of traffic laws, with emphasis on lane violations by motorcyclists, underage riders, seat belt violations, and disregard of parking rules.

Following the special directives of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad, Muhammad Ahsan Younas, the ITP is attempting to expedite operations against traffic violators to prevent accidents and improve the flow of traffic.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Traffic, Rai Mazhar Iqbal, has directed all the zonal DSPs and inspectors to take stern action against all the drivers who breach traffic laws, including lane offenses, seat belt violations, and no-parking transgressions.

The ITP has formed special squads to carry out operations across the city, and its Education Wing has been tasked with raising public awareness about road safety on various highways in Islamabad.

Officers have been ordered by the SSP Traffic to deal with civilians respectfully. He also advised them to take unbiased action against offenders.

SSP Iqbal also stated that in-charge beat inspectors will be accountable for their responsibilities and that low performers will face severe departmental consequences, while those who perform sincerely will be rewarded.

Furthermore, he requested locals to obey the traffic rules and help the ITP maintain traffic discipline in the city.

Source: Pro Pakistani