Infrastructure Development in Pakistan

[Sulman Badshah]

Pakistan operations: HBL shows interest in acquiring Barclays Bank

Barclays Bank is following in the footsteps of HSBC Bank Middle East, which is going to sell its Pakistan operations to Meezan Bank. PHOTO: STOCK IMAGES

KARACHI:
Habib Bank (HBL) is considering entering into negotiations for the acquisition of Barclays Bank’s Pakistan operations, according to a notice sent to the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) on Thursday.

HBL intends to commence in due course a due diligence exercise, subject to the approval of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), it added.

The proposed acquisition will materialise only after the due diligence exercise, execution of definitive agreements between the parties involved and receipt of all relevant regulatory approvals.

Barclays Bank is following in the footsteps of HSBC Bank Middle East, which is going to sell its Pakistan operations to Meezan Bank. With an asset base of over Rs1.7 trillion, Habib Bank is the largest Pakistani commercial bank in terms of both pre-tax profitability and total assets.

Its pre-tax profit for the six-month period ending on June 30 was Rs22.1 billion, up a massive 39.5% from the comparable period of the preceding year. Habib Bank’s gross profitability was 22% greater than its closest rival whose pre-tax profits clocked up at Rs18 billion for the same period.

With total assets amounting to Rs49.9 billion, Barclays Pakistan was the 28th largest bank operating in the country at the end of the first six months of 2014. Its pre-tax profit for January-June was Rs411.7 million, 67.4% up from the comparable six-month period of the preceding year.

Habib Bank operated 1,546 branches while Barclays Bank ran seven branches at the end of 2013.

HBL employed a little less than 13,000 people at the end of 2013 while the number of employees at Barclays Bank Pakistan was only 247.

However, the cost per staff member at Barclays Bank was significantly higher than the cost per employee at Habib Bank. While Habib Bank incurred a cost per staff member of Rs1.38 million in 2013, Barclays Bank’s average remained Rs2.76 million over the same year.

Nepra admits power generation licence application

ISLAMABAD - National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has admitted electricity generation licence application of Port Qasim Electric Power Company from imported coal.
The company would install two plants of 660 megawatt at Bin Qasim Industrial Park Karachi. The installed capacity of the project is estimated 1221 Megawatts.
The plant would be operated on imported coal with a gross efficiency of 41 percent and net efficiency of 38 percent approximately. The total cost of the project is $2.3 billion out of which 75 percent would be debt and 25 percent would be equity, which would be $1.725 billion and $0.575 billion respectively. According to the documents submitted by the company the generated power would be integrated in national grid through two 500 Kv transmission lines which would be connected to the 500 Kv Matiari Grid Station.
The company has also proposed that it requires a 500 kv grid station at Matiari. It is pertinent to mention that Nepra recently increased upfront tariff for coal based power projects by 12-20 per cent to encourage fresh investment, mostly from China, reportedly. Experts believe that with the lucrative tariff investors would be able to recover full equity investment in less than three and half years. According to Nepra revised tariff, the investors would get a rate of return on equity for imported coal at 27.2pc for 660MW plant. Nepra has invited stakeholders and general public to submit their comments for or against the project in 14 day

On track: Pakistan Railways to acquire new locomotives

The financial position of Pakistan Railways had improved after passenger and freight sectors attracted commuters and cargo. STOCK IMAGE

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways (PR) will procure locomotives of 4000-plus horsepower after a thorough evaluation of technology and manufacturers. These locomotives will play a vital role in strengthening freight operation, according to a PR official,.

The procurement of Hopper Trucks had also been started. The official said the manual-signalling system of Lodhara to Kotri Section was being switched over to the auto-signalling system.

He said the IT Department was being revamped and an IT system will be implemented. He added that a contract for installation of an e-ticketing system has been awarded which will be completed in 10 months.

The official further said that an insurance policy agreement of staff and passengers would also be signed in the near future. To a question, he said the financial position of PR had improved after passenger and freight sectors attracted commuters and traders respectively after several measures taken by the administration.

To another question, he said a project for the rehabilitation of 27 locomotives was also in progress locally. It was expected that two locomotives a month would be rehabilitated and inducted into freight operations.

He said around 100,000 passengers benefitted from 14 special trains run by PR on Eidul Azha. He added that the PR administration had retrieved 3,000 acres of land from encroachers in two phases.

Hydrocarbon search: Pakistan lures Chinese exploration companies

Under the policies, local and foreign investors are being equally treated and up to 100% foreign equity investment is allowed. STOCK IMAGE

KARACHI: The ambassador of Pakistan to China has wooed Chinese companies to explore and establish joint ventures with local petroleum companies and highlighted the encouraging success rate of oil and gas discoveries in the country.

“Many foreign companies have benefitted from the enabling environment for prospective investors in Pakistan,” Ambassador Masood Khalid stressed while speaking at the Pakistan Oil and Gas Promotion Conference in Beijing on Friday.

The conference, jointly arranged by the China Overseas Investment Union and Pakistan’s embassy in Beijing, showcased the country’s massive hydrocarbon potential in an effort to stimulate Chinese investment.

Khalid drew the attention of investors, who were present in large numbers, to the plentiful opportunities on offer in the exploration and production of coal, shale gas, minerals and oil.

He said Pakistan’s oil and gas sector had developed considerably in recent years with a liberal investment regime for foreign investors.

Under the policies, local and foreign investors are being equally treated and up to 100% foreign equity investment is allowed. Remittance of royalty, dividends, capital and profits is also permitted and foreign investment is fully protected.

The envoy also underscored the importance of Pakistan’s ideal location for trans-regional trade and investment because of its unique geography, saying it provided the cheapest and most viable sea route from western China to Central Asia, Middle East and Africa.

“Pakistan is naturally positioned to serve as the energy and trade corridor for China and the Gwadar Port provides the channel for transporting goods and supplying energy to and from China.”

The deep-sea port once fully developed and operational could not only meet urgent energy needs of China, but would do that in the most efficient way, Khalid said, adding an oil terminal and a refinery would be set up soon in addition to establishing primary infrastructure in Gwadar.

China Overseas Investment Union Executive Director Zheng Shuai expressed the hope that the incentives would encourage more Chinese oil and gas companies to venture into Pakistan’s hydrocarbon sector.

CASA-1000: Islamabad, Kabul sign accord on electricity transit fees

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar (C) and Afghan Minister for Finance Dr Omar Zakhilwal (R) exchange the CASA-1000 electricity tariffs after signing an agreement in Washington on Saturday. PHOTO: PID

WASHINGTON:
Pakistan on Saturday signed an agreement with Afghanistan on electricity transit fees in what Finance Minister Ishaq Dar described as a major step towards closer partnership between the two countries.

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Dan Feldman witnessed the signing ceremony at the World Bank’s Headquarters.

“It’s a win-win for both countries,” Dar said about the accord that will allow the supply of Central Asian electricity to Pakistan through Afghan territory for a transit fee of 1.25 cents per KW.

The accord was welcomed by the WB president as a success towards both meeting Pakistan’s power requirements and establishing commercial arrangements for the trade of 1,300MW of electricity between the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan as part of the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA-1000).

Finance Minister Dar expressed appreciation for World Bank, the US State Department and USAID for their support for the landmark project. “This marks a new beginning towards greater economic cooperation between the two countries… Pakistan is committed to greater economic and trade cooperation with Afghanistan,” he said.

Afghan Finance Minister Omar Zakhilwal said Afghanistan was ready to realise the CASA-1000 vision and improve energy security and trade for the two countries and the region.

Dar meets DFID

Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar also met British Secretary of State for International Development (DFID) Justine Greening in Washington on Saturday and informed her about losses caused due to the recent floods and the military operation in North Waziristan Agency.

According to a statement issued by the finance ministry, Dar told Greening that the government gave a chance to dialogue till the very end but failed to get positive results and that was why it had to go for the operation in North Waziristan which was supported by all segments of the society.

The operation, codenamed Zarb-e-Azb, he said, would incur a huge financial bill, especially for the rehabilitation stage costing the national exchequer close to $1.5-2 billion.

The government at present was helping the affected in the form of food, other amenities and cash for their sustenance, he added.

The finance minister apprised Greening of the recent meeting in Islamabad in which many of the international agencies and friendly countries suggested to appeal to the international community for assistance in taking care of the flood losses.

He said a UN sponsored Rehabilitation Need Assessment (RNA) would be conducted by October 30, to estimate the losses. Despite all odds, the minister noted that the government’s plan of economic revival was on track and all economic indicators were positive.

Speaking on the occasion, Greening said she looked forward to the visit and appreciated the government’s handling of the protestors in Islamabad and continued progress on the economic front, despite all odds.

She claimed that the people of Pakistan were keeping faith in the government they have elected and that the government was moving in the right direction despite disruptive politics.

She offered to join hands with the government of Pakistan to boost investor confidence.

She said the tax reforms undertaken by Pakistan were very well received in the UK. She also appreciated the efficacy of the Income Support Fund, which targets the most vulnerable segment of the society.

 

[Sulman Badshah]

US pledges support for Diamer Basha Dam

• US officials, Pakistan finance and power ministers highlight need to work together for power projects

The United States (US) Wednesday pledged support for Pakistan’s $14 billion Diamer Basha Dam project with capacity of 4,500 mega watts (MW) of electricity, as top officials and private business leaders explored investment prospects amid exponential energy needs of America’s ‘critical partner’ nation.

The US and Pakistani officials spoke at a joint platform that brought together senior leaders and experts and business leaders at the US Chamber of Commerce meeting co-hosted by the US Agency for International Development and the US-Pakistan Business Council.

Speaking on the occasion, the US officials including USAID Administrator Dr Rajiv Shah and US Special Representative Dan Feldman along with Pakistan’s Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and Minister for Water, Power and Defense Khawaja Muhammad Asif highlighted tremendous opportunities for American and international investors in the ‘transformational’ power generation and water storage project.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Jalil Abbas Jilani and US Ambassador in Islamabad Richard Olson also participated in the day-long conference spread over several sessions.

Pakistan needs 10,000 MW of electricity to meet its rapidly growing domestic, industrial and agrarian power requirements. The materialization of Diamer Basha Dam will be a giant step in that quest.

Besides producing 4,500 MW of electricity, Diamer Basha Dam will help with four million acre of water for irrigation, save millions from flash flooding, boost other hydro projects and contribute vitally to extending life of Tarbela Dam by 30 years.

The US President Obama administration officials assured the investors of effective results, citing results from US-financed energy up-gradation projects in Pakistan.

“We know that success can take hold,” Dr Shah said in reference to completion of small projects and addition to power generation capacity of large dams.

Daniel Feldman said the US and Pakistan have a wide-ranging strategic partnership and that Washington is in for a long-term economic and investment relationship with Pakistan, particularly in the energy field.

“Investment in the Diamer Basha Dam is the smartest choice for Pakistan,” Feldman remarked, reiterating the White House and US Secretary John Kerry’s commitment to back economic and energy security of Pakistan.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government is committed to encouraging foreign investment in various sectors of the economy and is clear that the country needs both Dasu and Basha dams. “We have demonstrated our commitment and acquired land from own indigenous resources,” he added.

Terming Diamer Basha Dam as one of the top national priorities, the finance minister said that the government’s resolve to bolster the national economy is evident from a series of macro-economic positive indicators that Islamabad has achieved in a short period of time.

Dar apprised the meeting of government’s robust economic agenda, saying Islamabad has stemmed the economic downslide it inherited and now exports, GDP rate, remittances, revenue collection and industrial growth have registered marked growth.

Despite demonstrations in Islamabad, the rupee has been fairly staying at stable exchange rate, while inflation has also been checked, he added.

Senator Dar said the government has paid off circular debt it had inherited from the previous administration and also expanded development spending to Rs 525 billion.

Minister for Water, Power and Defense Khawaja Asif said Washington’s support for the vital Diamer Basha Dam will cement the relationship between the two countries. Pakistan believes it can best cope with energy shortages through hydro power projects, he said, adding it provides inexpensive power to users. He also drew attention to the lucrative and enormous investment opportunities that Pakistan’s energy sector offers with the promise of healthy return

Gawadar project will help penetrate Central Asia: Zakria

The central Asia is a big market and expansion of Gawadar project would be helpful to penetrate this market by enhancing the regional bilateral trade between ECO member countries.

FPCCI President and CCI ECO Zakaria Usman said this in a meeting with Turkish Consul General Murat Mustafa Onrat and Commercial Counsellor of Turkey at FPCCI Head Office, Karachi. The meeting was also attended by Sr Vice President Shaukat Ahmed and vice presidents Ismail Suttar, Mazhar Ali Nasir and Khurram Sayeed, FPCCI Secretary General and CCI ECO MA Lodhi and other prominent importers and exporters.

Zakaria Usman stressed on expedite working on PTA between Pakistan and Turkey which was still under technical discussions at both sides and suggested that items should be consented with FPCCI so that there should not be any anomaly in PTA on account of selection of products of both the countries.

Zakaria Usman further said being the President of ECO Chamber of Commerce, he had the task to enhance the regional bilateral trade amongst the ECO member states. He said the relation of Pakistan and Turkey were long-lasting, time-tested and brotherly but on the trade side many of Turkish products were not known by Pakistani people and vice versa. He suggested that the display center of Turkish products should be opened on joint venture basis in Karachi and Lahore to introduce the Turkish products in Pakistani market.

Similarly the display center of Pakistani products should also be opened in Turkey to introduce Pakistani products to Turkish people. In this way, we will be succeeded in developing people to people contact and strengthen the brotherly relations between both Pakistani and Turkish people.

The consul general of Turkey said the VAT was a local tax and not levied on exportable items. He assured that the matter would be looked into on priority basis and he also invited such Pakistani importers to submit their details in his office.

He also appreciated the suggestion of opening display center of Turkish products in Karachi and said their commercial section would evaluate this project and it will get back to the FPCCI. He informed that Turkey was now technologically very advanced and it could extend support and collaboration to Pakistan particularly in the energy sector.

Going hi-tech: Education information management being revamped

Ten-member committee working on framework, likely to complete by year end. STOCK IMAGE

ISLAMABAD:
The Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has decided to revamp the Education Management Information System (EMIS) and Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS) to make it accessible for area education managers and education institutes.

A committee, comprising eight members, a coordinator and a chairperson, is already working on the framework. It is expected that the system will be in place by this year.

According to official documents, the prime purpose of the system would be to increase coordination between Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) and educational institutes. CADD controls 424 education institutes and FDE in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

An SMS alert system has already been introduced to enhance communication between various institutes and the supervising departments.

Currently, there are five Area Education Officers (AEO) at Sihala, Tarnol, Nilore, Bhara Kahu and urban areas.

“The system is helping us in many waysm, including timely updating on education-related policies,” Sihala AEO Riaz Ali said. He added that since Sihala is a far-flung rural area, daily communication with FDE and CADD would be a hurdle.

“Usually, traditional paperwork is followed for coordination with CADD which not only takes time but also takes longer,” an official at FDE stated.

Besides, the distribution of books at the start of every academic year is another challenge but FDE has now planned to upload course books through an e-learning portal for easy access to students and teachers alike.

The committee has also planned to introduce an electronic communication system with institutions through a centralised email system. It will assist the authority to collect and analyse data of schools and colleges for further research and development and swift decision making.

FDE is also considering restructuring the Information Technology (IT) department which at present is based out of a room with two staffers. The committee has proposed a full-fledged new active website, which will be accessible to educationists, teachers, students and parents for desired information and data about education institutes.

FDE Director Administration and Finance Ghulam Sohoo claimed the project would be implemented within a few weeks. “An NGO will help in the up-gradation and implementation of this programme to improve the quality of education without wasting any time,” he added.

Mohsin Iqbal, a teacher from Islamabad Model College for Boys Jaba Tali, appreciated the plan and hoped it will soon be completed. “The thing which concerns most of us is how soon the plan will be implemented as we often hear of plans which later become history,” he concluded.

PIA plan: National flag-carrier to procure more aircraft

"PIA will be operating 11 ATRs, 13 Airbus A320s, nine Boeing 777s and five Airbus A310 aircraft in 2015," PIA chairman Muhammad Ali Gardezi. PHOTO: COURTESY ATR

LAHORE:
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) chairman Muhammad Ali Gardezi said on Saturday that the national flag-carrier would induct five aircraft in its fleet.

He was speaking to journalists at the airline’s office. Gardezi said the board of directors had approved the decision. He said PIA was expected to reduce losses by 44 per cent after inducting the ATR 72-500s. Gardezi said the aircraft would arrive in December. He said this would bring the total number of ATRs in the fleet to 11. They can seat 62-66 each passengers and will be operated on domestic routes.

Gardezi said the management was also planning to induct 10 Airbus A320 aircraft on a six-year dry lease. He said these would join the fleet in 2015. Gardezi said the airline would be operating 11 ATRs, 13 Airbus A320s, nine Boeing 777s and five Airbus A310 aircraft in 2015. He said the A310s would be replaced with state-of-the-art Airbus A330 aircraft if circumstances permitted.

Gardezi said the management had been striving to improve the airline’s financial performance. He said they had managed to reduce losses by Rs10 billion. Gardezi said the airline had incurred a loss of Rs8 billion in the first six months of the current fiscal year.

He said this year the flag-carrier had made an operating profit of Rs338 million during the same time period.

Gardezi said the management had taken several initiatives to cut costs. He said the airline had stopped flying to Amsterdam and Frankfurt. Gardezi said PIA had been incurring losses of Rs461 million on these routes. He said the airline had abolished 200 foreign posts. Gardezi said the flag-carrier would continue reducing jobs at foreign destinations with low traffic.

Gardezi said PIA had successfully concluded its pre-Hajj operation. He said the airline’s post-Hajj operation was now underway. He said the flag-carrier had opened an aeronautical engineering centre of international standard in Lahore.

Gardezi said a similar facility would be opened in November in Rawalpindi. He said similar facilities would also be opened in Peshawar and Quetta.

 

[Interceptor2014]

Government of Pakistan

Really then why not for other dams?

US pledges support for Diamer Basha Dam
View attachment 129316

• US officials, Pakistan finance and power ministers highlight need to work together for power projects

The United States (US) Wednesday pledged support for Pakistan’s $14 billion Diamer Basha Dam project with capacity of 4,500 mega watts (MW) of electricity, as top officials and private business leaders explored investment prospects amid exponential energy needs of America’s ‘critical partner’ nation.

The US and Pakistani officials spoke at a joint platform that brought together senior leaders and experts and business leaders at the US Chamber of Commerce meeting co-hosted by the US Agency for International Development and the US-Pakistan Business Council.

Speaking on the occasion, the US officials including USAID Administrator Dr Rajiv Shah and US Special Representative Dan Feldman along with Pakistan’s Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and Minister for Water, Power and Defense Khawaja Muhammad Asif highlighted tremendous opportunities for American and international investors in the ‘transformational’ power generation and water storage project.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Jalil Abbas Jilani and US Ambassador in Islamabad Richard Olson also participated in the day-long conference spread over several sessions.

Pakistan needs 10,000 MW of electricity to meet its rapidly growing domestic, industrial and agrarian power requirements. The materialization of Diamer Basha Dam will be a giant step in that quest.

Besides producing 4,500 MW of electricity, Diamer Basha Dam will help with four million acre of water for irrigation, save millions from flash flooding, boost other hydro projects and contribute vitally to extending life of Tarbela Dam by 30 years.

The US President Obama administration officials assured the investors of effective results, citing results from US-financed energy up-gradation projects in Pakistan.

“We know that success can take hold,” Dr Shah said in reference to completion of small projects and addition to power generation capacity of large dams.

Daniel Feldman said the US and Pakistan have a wide-ranging strategic partnership and that Washington is in for a long-term economic and investment relationship with Pakistan, particularly in the energy field.

“Investment in the Diamer Basha Dam is the smartest choice for Pakistan,” Feldman remarked, reiterating the White House and US Secretary John Kerry’s commitment to back economic and energy security of Pakistan.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government is committed to encouraging foreign investment in various sectors of the economy and is clear that the country needs both Dasu and Basha dams. “We have demonstrated our commitment and acquired land from own indigenous resources,” he added.

Terming Diamer Basha Dam as one of the top national priorities, the finance minister said that the government’s resolve to bolster the national economy is evident from a series of macro-economic positive indicators that Islamabad has achieved in a short period of time.

Dar apprised the meeting of government’s robust economic agenda, saying Islamabad has stemmed the economic downslide it inherited and now exports, GDP rate, remittances, revenue collection and industrial growth have registered marked growth.

Despite demonstrations in Islamabad, the rupee has been fairly staying at stable exchange rate, while inflation has also been checked, he added.

Senator Dar said the government has paid off circular debt it had inherited from the previous administration and also expanded development spending to Rs 525 billion.

Minister for Water, Power and Defense Khawaja Asif said Washington’s support for the vital Diamer Basha Dam will cement the relationship between the two countries. Pakistan believes it can best cope with energy shortages through hydro power projects, he said, adding it provides inexpensive power to users. He also drew attention to the lucrative and enormous investment opportunities that Pakistan’s energy sector offers with the promise of healthy return

Gawadar project will help penetrate Central Asia: Zakria
View attachment 129317
The central Asia is a big market and expansion of Gawadar project would be helpful to penetrate this market by enhancing the regional bilateral trade between ECO member countries.

FPCCI President and CCI ECO Zakaria Usman said this in a meeting with Turkish Consul General Murat Mustafa Onrat and Commercial Counsellor of Turkey at FPCCI Head Office, Karachi. The meeting was also attended by Sr Vice President Shaukat Ahmed and vice presidents Ismail Suttar, Mazhar Ali Nasir and Khurram Sayeed, FPCCI Secretary General and CCI ECO MA Lodhi and other prominent importers and exporters.

Zakaria Usman stressed on expedite working on PTA between Pakistan and Turkey which was still under technical discussions at both sides and suggested that items should be consented with FPCCI so that there should not be any anomaly in PTA on account of selection of products of both the countries.

Zakaria Usman further said being the President of ECO Chamber of Commerce, he had the task to enhance the regional bilateral trade amongst the ECO member states. He said the relation of Pakistan and Turkey were long-lasting, time-tested and brotherly but on the trade side many of Turkish products were not known by Pakistani people and vice versa. He suggested that the display center of Turkish products should be opened on joint venture basis in Karachi and Lahore to introduce the Turkish products in Pakistani market.

Similarly the display center of Pakistani products should also be opened in Turkey to introduce Pakistani products to Turkish people. In this way, we will be succeeded in developing people to people contact and strengthen the brotherly relations between both Pakistani and Turkish people.

The consul general of Turkey said the VAT was a local tax and not levied on exportable items. He assured that the matter would be looked into on priority basis and he also invited such Pakistani importers to submit their details in his office.

He also appreciated the suggestion of opening display center of Turkish products in Karachi and said their commercial section would evaluate this project and it will get back to the FPCCI. He informed that Turkey was now technologically very advanced and it could extend support and collaboration to Pakistan particularly in the energy sector.

Going hi-tech: Education information management being revamped

View attachment 129318
Ten-member committee working on framework, likely to complete by year end. STOCK IMAGE

ISLAMABAD:
The Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has decided to revamp the Education Management Information System (EMIS) and Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS) to make it accessible for area education managers and education institutes.

A committee, comprising eight members, a coordinator and a chairperson, is already working on the framework. It is expected that the system will be in place by this year.

View attachment 129319

According to official documents, the prime purpose of the system would be to increase coordination between Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) and educational institutes. CADD controls 424 education institutes and FDE in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

An SMS alert system has already been introduced to enhance communication between various institutes and the supervising departments.

Currently, there are five Area Education Officers (AEO) at Sihala, Tarnol, Nilore, Bhara Kahu and urban areas.

“The system is helping us in many waysm, including timely updating on education-related policies,” Sihala AEO Riaz Ali said. He added that since Sihala is a far-flung rural area, daily communication with FDE and CADD would be a hurdle.

“Usually, traditional paperwork is followed for coordination with CADD which not only takes time but also takes longer,” an official at FDE stated.

View attachment 129320

Besides, the distribution of books at the start of every academic year is another challenge but FDE has now planned to upload course books through an e-learning portal for easy access to students and teachers alike.

The committee has also planned to introduce an electronic communication system with institutions through a centralised email system. It will assist the authority to collect and analyse data of schools and colleges for further research and development and swift decision making.

FDE is also considering restructuring the Information Technology (IT) department which at present is based out of a room with two staffers. The committee has proposed a full-fledged new active website, which will be accessible to educationists, teachers, students and parents for desired information and data about education institutes.

FDE Director Administration and Finance Ghulam Sohoo claimed the project would be implemented within a few weeks. “An NGO will help in the up-gradation and implementation of this programme to improve the quality of education without wasting any time,” he added.

Mohsin Iqbal, a teacher from Islamabad Model College for Boys Jaba Tali, appreciated the plan and hoped it will soon be completed. “The thing which concerns most of us is how soon the plan will be implemented as we often hear of plans which later become history,” he concluded.

PIA plan: National flag-carrier to procure more aircraft

View attachment 129321
"PIA will be operating 11 ATRs, 13 Airbus A320s, nine Boeing 777s and five Airbus A310 aircraft in 2015," PIA chairman Muhammad Ali Gardezi. PHOTO: COURTESY ATR

LAHORE:
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) chairman Muhammad Ali Gardezi said on Saturday that the national flag-carrier would induct five aircraft in its fleet.

He was speaking to journalists at the airline’s office. Gardezi said the board of directors had approved the decision. He said PIA was expected to reduce losses by 44 per cent after inducting the ATR 72-500s. Gardezi said the aircraft would arrive in December. He said this would bring the total number of ATRs in the fleet to 11. They can seat 62-66 each passengers and will be operated on domestic routes.

Gardezi said the management was also planning to induct 10 Airbus A320 aircraft on a six-year dry lease. He said these would join the fleet in 2015. Gardezi said the airline would be operating 11 ATRs, 13 Airbus A320s, nine Boeing 777s and five Airbus A310 aircraft in 2015. He said the A310s would be replaced with state-of-the-art Airbus A330 aircraft if circumstances permitted.

Gardezi said the management had been striving to improve the airline’s financial performance. He said they had managed to reduce losses by Rs10 billion. Gardezi said the airline had incurred a loss of Rs8 billion in the first six months of the current fiscal year.

He said this year the flag-carrier had made an operating profit of Rs338 million during the same time period.

Gardezi said the management had taken several initiatives to cut costs. He said the airline had stopped flying to Amsterdam and Frankfurt. Gardezi said PIA had been incurring losses of Rs461 million on these routes. He said the airline had abolished 200 foreign posts. Gardezi said the flag-carrier would continue reducing jobs at foreign destinations with low traffic.

Gardezi said PIA had successfully concluded its pre-Hajj operation. He said the airline’s post-Hajj operation was now underway. He said the flag-carrier had opened an aeronautical engineering centre of international standard in Lahore.

Gardezi said a similar facility would be opened in November in Rawalpindi. He said similar facilities would also be opened in Peshawar and Quetta.

I think PIA should orders for 11 ATR-72-600 and 11 ATR-42-600 and sell off the 6 ATR-42-500s.

 

[Kashir]

The Azad Kashmir government has sought an increase in Mangla Dam royalty.

AJK Finance Minister Chaudhry Latif Akbar on Friday asked the federal government to give 45 per cent royalty to Azad Jammu and Kashmir as it provides to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Addressing the post-budget news conference, the finance minster said if the federal government accepts our demand then we would be in a position to present surplus budget.

He said Kashmir Council is not paying the share of taxes worth Rs1.50 billion to the AJK government.

Akbar said the AJK government will announce a monetary policy for banks to facilitate the people who have more than Rs200 billion deposits in their branches across the disputed state.

The minister asked the banks to introduce a scheme of small loans aimed at making the remote areas people economically sound and stable.

Responding to a question the minister said the state government was committed to reducing the non-developmental expenditures. However, he clarified that 80 per cent of the non-developmental budget is spent on salaries and perks of government employees.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 22nd, 2013

 

[Edevelop]

Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro

Rawalpindi Section

Islamabad Section

 

[Sulman Badshah]

 

[Sulman Badshah]

Growth rate of Pakistan

Warid all set to launch LTE 4G services, unveils plans

Mobile service provider has already started an internal trial to test network capacity and service reliability. STOCK IMAGE

KARACHI: Warid Telecom has finally made a formal announcement for the rollout of its next-generation mobile broadband services, also known as 4G services, while unveiling the company’s LTE plans during GITEX Technology Week 2014 in Dubai on Sunday.

The Pakistani subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Group announced Ericsson – a leading hardware provider for telecommunication services – as its technology partner in the roll-out of 4G LTE in Pakistan.

Warid, the only operator that refrained from participating in the mobile spectrum auction earlier this year, will now directly jump from 2G services to 4G technology.

“Warid is gearing up for the 4G LTE launch with the best available network solutions and Ericsson has been committed to provide us with the state-of-art technologies and services,” CEO Warid Telecom, Muneer Farooqui said on the occasion. “Our strong partnership and working relationship with Ericsson has given us complete trust in their technology and execution, making them the preferred partner for this landmark project as well.”

Warid Telecom has already started an internal trial to test the network capacity and service reliability after which public trials will be announced by the company along with a programme for 4G LTE enabled devices as well, the company said in a press release. The company has already started delivering free 4G LTE SIMs to its customers who have 4G LTE enabled handsets, it says.

“We are committed to bringing the Networked Society closer to Pakistan, and to play a role in the evolution of the country’s telecommunication services,” the statement quoted Rafiah Ibrahim, President of Ericsson Region Middle East as saying.

Pakistan is in the midst of an internet revolution, at the heart of which is the increasing uptake of smart devices and mobility. Connectivity via handsets already exceeds the number of connections through fixed line, and majority of first-time users experience the internet for the first time through their smartphones.

Correction: The earlier version of this story said Warid unveiled its LTE logo but the unveiling of Warid’s 4G/LTE logo, as mentioned in the pre-event press release, didn’t take

Long-term goals: After struggle, taking one step at a time

Better years ahead due to restructuring and improvement, says Engro Foods CEO.

KARACHI: After the struggle in restructuring its distribution network and improving the milk-collection system, Engro Foods is hoping that a new dawn is around the corner.

The subsidiary of Pakistan’s largest private-sector conglomerate – Engro Corporation – had been struggling with its distribution system until mid-2013, which hurt its growth and dampened plans for the future.

But, keeping long-term growth in mind, the issues were fixed with the CEO terming the current year when the local foods giant makes a comeback.

The company, however, has no plan of expanding business beyond dairy products — at least not anytime soon.

“When we founded Engro Foods, it was decided that it would mainly be a dairy company,” said Chief Executive Officer Sarfaraz A Rehman in response to a question about the company’s long-term plans.

When asked about expansion plans, Rehman said they were not thinking beyond dairy products. “There is still a lot of room to grow within the dairy sector – beverages, yogurt and powders for example,” he said.

Rehman added that the company set up a plant for powdered milk earlier this year, an indication it will first enter the powdered milk section. There is a lot of untapped potential in this segment, he said.

No yogurt yet

Though it plans to focus on dairy products, the company may not launch its own brand of yogurt in the near future.

“The decision to launch yogurt will depend on the country’s energy situation. We have already learned a lot from the experience of our ice cream venture.”

Though it may take them a while to launch their own brand, the company is already selling yogurt at Mabrook shops, the Karachi-based retail chain of Engro Foods that sells loose pasteurised milk. The company calls it a pilot project.

“This pilot project [Mabrook] will continue for another year before we make a final decision,” said the CEO. “It has not been easy to open more stores.”

There are already 20 Mabrook outlets in the city. The company plans to add about 20 to 25 more shops by the end of the year. The company has shied away from disclosing its ultimate plans about Mabrook but insiders suggest it has set aside significant amounts to support this business.

In the past, Rehman suggested that the dairy industry should move towards the next stage of development, which is pasteurisation. With better regulation of loose milk, this idea may not be far-fetched.

“There has been a lot of talk about a minimum pasteurisation law recently. If such a law is implemented, Mabrook will certainly have the early mover advantage,” he concluded.

Electricity demand to touch around 30,000MW after six years

LAHORE - With 18 hydel generation projects and dozens in coal, nuclear and thermal sector, Pakistan Water and Power sector is struggling to add 20,000MW electricity in energy basket till 2020.
According to the sources at Wapda and Pepco, the electricity demand would touch around 30,000MW after six or seven years but the addition of around 20,000MW would help meet the demand and generation gap. The completion of energy projects depend on flow of funds from government and international lending agencies, they added.
The independent observers; however, claimed that the menace of loadshedding will continue after completion of present government tenure despite a lot of power project are in pipeline. They held that majority of the projects were exist only on papers, the foreign investment, law and order situation, legal and technical issues were the hurdles in the way of completion of the power generation projects. “It will be a miracle, if the government added 3,000MW to 4,000MW in the national grid during next four years but the electricity need will be doubled in that period,” said an energy expert. Power generation of 1000MW from the Thar Coal Project at Gaddani in next five years only a dream, he added.
Pakistan is facing severe energy crisis these days. The incumbent government has already sought assistance from China to implement energy projects thorough various sources and majority in coal sector to meet power requirements. On completion, these power projects would add more than 10,000MW in energy basket after six years in coal sector and almost equal to hydel power projects. Some experts, however, are criticising the Chinese investment in the country, which according to them, is bypassing the PPRA rules.
It is worth mentioning here that estimated $22 billion investment by Chinese company is likely only in Thar coal project in Sindh and hydro-electric projects in KPK. “Everyone would welcome investment by neighbour country if government adopted legal process,” said a former Pepco chief. Another expert said that there is no problem in Chinese investment if the transparency ensured. He also advocated hydel power generation projects instead of through coal. The 19 projects include four power generation projects of about 2,297 megawatts, one coal power project of 405MW, one project for development of infrastructure and mining and power generation from Thar coal, four projects of small and medium dams, five projects of transmission lines and power distribution, one project of alternative energy and two projects of geological survey.
The four power projects include 840MW Sukhi Kinari plant, 100MW Kotli plant, 157MW Madian plant and 1,200MW AES imported coal-based plant. The government claimed that the power generation projects would be completed in three to five years. Pakistan is also working on Chashma-3 and 4 nuclear power plants with the help of China as well. A Wapda official said that the authority executing 18 hydel power generation projects under medium and long-term plan. There are 12 projects of hydel generation which can be completed in next six years and would generate 13,671MW, said the official but the arrangement of billions of rupees for the projects is a big task before the cash-starved government.
Among the projects, the Golen Gold would produce 106MW and would complete in 2016, Neelum Jehlum (first unit) of capacity 969 will complete in November 2016, Tebella 4th Ext of capacity 1410MW will complete in 2017, Terbela 5th Ext with capacity 1320MW will complete in 2018, Keyal Khwar of capacity 122MW will complete in 2018, Kurram Tangi (stage 1) of capacity 83MW will complete in 2018, Dasu (stage 1) of capacity 2160MW will complete in 2018, Lower Spat Gah of capacity 496MW will complete in 2018, Lower Palas Valley of capacity 665MW will complete in 2018, Mohmanad (Munda) of capacity 740MW will complete in 2018 and Patan and Thajkot of each capacity 2800MW will complete in 2020.
Similarly, the Wapda under long-term plan of seven to 12 years has targeted to generate 14970MW through six major dams. Among these are Diamer Basha Dam 4500MW, Dasu HPP (Stage 2) 2160MW, Bunji HPP 7100MW Akhori Dam 600MW, Rehabilitation of Mangla Power House 310MW and Rehabilitation of Warsak (New Power House) 300MW.

World Bank acknowledges Pakistan’s economic progress

WASHINGTON - The World Bank has acknowledged Pakistan’s promising economic progress achieved in the current financial year. A World Bank report on South Asia’s Economic Opportunity says reemergence of GDP growth of 4.1 per cent is the highest in seven years. As for the question whether recent political turmoil had damaged investor confidence and thereby weakened growth prospects, the report said, it is still too early to assess the impact of events this year but an early estimate suggests short-term losses equivalent to 2.1 per cent of Gross Domestic Product. Economic growth is forecast at 4.4 per cent in FY2015 after 4.1 per cent this year.
The Bank says dynamic services and manufacturing sectors supported by better energy availability and improved investor expectations were the primary drivers. The report assesses that this success stemmed mainly from strong remittance and significant foreign capital inflows, which also brought stability in the foreign exchange market.
The report said strong fiscal consolidation was achieved and the fiscal deficit was contained.
Besides improved business confidence brought a strong recovery in credit to the private sector and structural reform agenda made promising progress.
The government reduced power subsidies by adjusting power tariffs toward cost recovery levels.

AEDB issues first LOS for 10 MW Solar power generation

Lahore - Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) has granted the country’s first LOS for Solar Power to BSPL for its 10 MW Solar powered generation facility catering to Bahawalpur and Cholistan districts. Buksh Solar is a special purpose vehicle of Buksh Energy Pvt. Ltd. solely setup to facilitate the 10 MW Solar IPP that would sell electricity to Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO). The proposed project will have an installed capacity of 10 Megawatts (MW), of which the energy produced will be distributed to MEPCO. The proposed power plant would use solar power as a fuel to generate electricity and will use state of the art technology producing 16,731MW electricity per annum.
In addition, BSPL has recently been awarded Upfront Tariff and Generation License approval from National Power Regulatory Authority. The 10 MW Solar IPP would be the first Solar project in Pakistan demonstrated on a mega scale with a power purchase agreement with the DISCO’s. This project promises to demonstrate the immense solar potential the country has 2.32 Million MW and the utilization of the same for large scale energy production.
Buksh Energy would be further bringing in international investment and technical expertise with foreign EPC companies to further the installation of the 10 MW Solar Generation project.

 

[Edevelop]

 

[Edevelop]

G-15 Zarkon Heights, Islamabad

Kohistan Tower, Rawalpindi

 

[Edevelop]

Dolmen, Karachi

Render of the twin towers

Representation of the twin towers upon completion

 

[Sulman Badshah]

Sunny side up: K-P Directorate of Science unveils solar-powered rickshaw

PESHAWAR: In a city which hovers at the top of the list of the most air pollution in the world, the idea of a ‘green rickshaw’ is not about the colour of the three-wheeler but about a vehicle that runs on clean energy.
The Directorate of Science and Technology (DoST) introduced a solar-powered rickshaw on Tuesday, at the CECOS University. Muhammad Hilal Khan, an engineer at the university, had supervised the project. The Rs280,000 project is meant to be implemented across the city by the transport department.

At the moment, according to those involved in the project, the sun-friendly vehicle is still being tweaked before it can ride the busy streets of the city, but has been completed nonetheless. Deputy Director Inamullah Khan of the Design Facilitation and Training Centre which is working on hybrid technologies under DoST said, “The key objective of the project is to identify technological needs, foster innovation and facilitate the development and the implementation of new technologies.”

The deputy director shared the rickshaw will run on solar energy during the day and on rechargeable batteries at night. The solar-powered rickshaw can operate as long as there is daylight without discharging and on a fully-charged battery, the vehicle can operate for six to eight hours, said Inamullah.

The rickshaw can seat three to four people and can go as fast as 40 to 45 kilometres per hour.

“This will save fuel/CNG and is more economical than the regular rickshaw,” said Inamullah. “This is an indigenously-developed low cost transportation vehicle with zero carbon emission; useful in both urban and rural areas in the province,” he added.

Grey skies

In 2014, The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Peshawar was one of the most polluted cities in the world.

According to data provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in K-P, the average increase in sulphur dioxide emissions across sectors with major emissions (industry, transport and power) has been 23 fold over the past 20 years. Similarly, carbon emissions have increased at an average fourfold.

Estimates provided by one of the rickshaw unions reveal more than 50,000 registered and unregistered rickshaws ply the streets of the city. Most of these vehicles run on a two-stroke engine, which is considered to contribute significantly to air pollution. Four-stroke engines also contribute to air and noise pollution, however, rickshaw drivers are not as concerned about carbon emissions as they are about making ends meet. “We can’t reduce smoke levels without jamming the rickshaw,” said Saifullah, a two-stroke rickshaw driver.

Ye of little faith

The Express Tribune learnt while speaking to various rickshaw drivers that the transporters had little faith in these “new-fangled vehicles”. One rickshaw driver said, “What are we expected to do at night, the battery charge will not be enough for any of us who work the night shift, ferrying passengers around.”

The battery will at most last three hours before the driver and his passengers will be stranded, he added, not believing the directorate’s claims that the battery charge could last double that time. Many people who do other jobs in the day add to their living by working as rickshaw drivers at night.

According to another rickshaw driver, “This invention is pure nonsense; it will never work.” He added, “They started one in Karachi and that failed; these contraptions will never last in Peshawar.”

No mercy

In fact, similar solar-powered rickshaws have been developed earlier in both Lahore and Karachi. Both teams suggested their rickshaws could be produced at Rs230,00 and Rs150,000 respectively and will yield similar speed as the one in Peshawar.

The team in Karachi went as far as suggesting their vehicle would only have a Rs1 per kilometre cost. This in itself suggested a conflict of interest as the rates charged by rickshaws across the country are not uniformly measured by metres. Every driver charges his own rates and when fuel prices go up or CNG is short in the city, rickshaw drivers see a reason to artificially inflate prices.

On Tuesday, the rickshaw demonstration was meant to be held outdoors, however, rain forced the organisers to take the unveiling indoors. This last minute change in plans begged the question; can a rickshaw which is so sensitive to the elements survive in the city?

Published in The Express Tribune,

CM authorises PkHA to launch 13 new highway schemes
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has expressed satisfaction that like many other sectors, work on the projects of highways has been expedited in the province with additional qualities of eliminating the possibilities of corruption, ensuring the transparent and judicious use of funds and introducing quality control in it.
He asserted that the newly constructed highways are not only durable and attractive but also sufficient for the needs of coming decades whereas the public response on it is also encouraging, he added.
He however expressed the confidence that all departments would demonstrate such outstanding performance and assured that employees of all departments and institutions would be duly rewarded on excellent performance while those indulged in malpractices and ill performance would be punished severely forthwith.
He was chairing the annual performance meeting of Pakhtunkhwa Highway Authority (PkHA) Council at his office CM Secretariat Peshawar wherein steps for timely completion of ongoing highway schemes and new projects under the (Annual Development Program) ADP were formally approved and necessary decisions taken for its quality and in time completion. On this occasion Secretary Communication & Works (C&W) and MD PkHA apprised the participants of the performance and progress made so far in respect of their concerned entities.
The meeting authorized PkHA to launch 13 new crucial highway schemes in the province as well as decided to considerably enhance the annual budget of the authority to enable it execute maximum road schemes.
The meeting besides Provincial Minister Mian Jamsheddudin Kakakhel, Advisor to CM on C&W Akbar Ayub, Advisor to CM on Environment Ishtiaq Urmar, Additional Chief Secretary Khalid Pervez, Secretary Finance Syed Badshah Bukhari, Secretary C&W Ahmad Hanif Orakzai, MD PkHA Javed Ihsan, Director Construction Aziz Khan and Director Maintenance Ilays Khan was largely attended by the concerned authorities.
The meeting also took stock of the 14 agenda items of the council and a number of decisions were made in light of the proposals and recommendations of the participants.
Pervez Khattak in order to discourage the trends of overloading of vehicles on highways beyond specific limits, controling traffic accidents and checking road damages, approved the measures for weighing the loaded trucks and trollers at the start points, arranging latest equipment for the purpose and providing the support of police contingents to the staff of traffic axel load control of the Authority and hence issued necessary instructions to the concerned quarters for immediate actions in this regard.
The meeting also approved renaming of the newly constructed Usterzai bridge in Kohat with Lt. Wajeehullah Bangash Shaheed who sacrificed his life for protecting the locals during a combat with terrorists.
Pervez Khattak also approved up-gradation of certain district level roads to provincial highways in the province including Rajar Takhtbahi road, Karapa Shakardara Chorlakki road, Timergara, Madyan, Kalpani, Barawal road and Serai Saleh Saryan road.
He also agreed with the proposal of taking over the Malakand Mingora and Timergara Chitral roads from national high way authority to the provincial authority as these important highways remained nuisance for the passengers due to neglect on part of NHA and hence he directed for sending a summary to the concerned federal ministry in this regard. He also expressed satisfaction that PkHA ensured the early and standard completion of Shahbaz Garhi Rustam Road, Usterzai bridge, Sugar Mill Baipass, KhuazaKhela Mingora, Odigam and Bagh Dehri roads and bridges by working round the clock while the pending portion of the expansion of Peshawar ring road was also completed accordingly. Similarly he contended on quality completion of five important roads in Peshawar Cantt at the cost of Rs.272 million following his special directives that included Mall road, Sirsyed road, Airport road, Shershah Road and FaqirApi road. Moreover Rs.200 million project of the expansion of GT road from Chughalpura to Zakori bridge from 2 to 4 lanes on each side was also in the final stage that would become 50 ft wide magnificent highway from 24 ft width on each way then after. The Chief Minister while appreciating the performance of the authority, also approved a honanaria for the employees from its own resources.

Fuel-efficient planes, other cost cuts to improve PIA

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Boeing 747-300 passenger plane makes its final approach for landing at the airport in Islamabad. — Photo by AFP
LAHORE: Pakistan International Airlines Chairman Muhammad Ali Gardezi has said five 60-seater ATR 72 aircraft will be added to the national flag carrier fleet during November and December, which will resolve issues relating to domestic flights.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, he said out of the three Airbus A -320 planes, PIA had inducted two and the third one was expected during the month.

He said PIA was also planning to add 10 more A-320s on six-year dry lease and these aircraft are expected to join its fleet between January and March next year.

“Hence, by next year PIA will have 11 ATRs and 13 A-320s. PIA already has nine 777s and five A-310 aircraft and if finances permit these A-310s will also be replaced. With this combination of fleet PIA will be able to meet its capacity requirement,” he added.

Mr Gardezi also shared with the media that after the Hajj operation, PIA would ground Boeing 747 aircraft. “The rationale behind replacing the existing fleet of aircraft with new generation is to save fuel since new aircraft are fuel efficient,” he added.

According to him, to fill the capacity gap till November, PIA will be utilising narrow-body aircraft on wet lease from Jordan and Turkey and another two aircraft on wet lease from Bulgaria is expected next week.

He said with such a fleet all flight issues, including delays, would be addressed. Moreover, he said, PIA management was trying to improve domestic flight operation by increasing the frequency of flights to the destinations where it was low.

On the financial status of PIA, Mr Gardezi said efforts were being made to improve and save PIA’s finances. He claimed the management in the first six months of current calendar year had managed to slash PIA’s losses amounting to Rs10 billion (44 per cent) as compared to the corresponding period of last year. He said the losses for the first six months stood at Rs10 billion. “PIA has also registered operational profit of Rs338 million during this period,” he added.

He said the PIA had managed to reduce the losses by cutting airline costs and increasing revenue. On the cost cutting side, he said, PIA had reduced 200 foreign posts and this reduction would continue gradually. Majority of foreign positions where PIA’s flights were less in number would be abolished and replaced with general sale agents, he added.

“However, problems in the PIA still persist and cash flow is one of them. We are making efforts to address this problem and in near future will further improve cash flow. There is no shortcut to resolving the issues facing the national carrier, it will take time,” he added.

He also told the media that as part of cost-cutting measures, the PIA management had closed down all loss-making routes, including Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Katmandu, Bangkok,

Hongkong which were causing a loss of Rs461 million to the airline. “Other routes causing losses are under review at present,” he added.

On Haj operation, the chairman said PIA had successfully managed to conclude pre-Haj flights and now it was in the process of post-Haj flights. Admitting delay in some Haj flights from Jeddah, he said it was caused due to congestion at Jeddah airport. He said 80pc of the Haj flights were on time and the percentage would increase to 90pc.

Mr Gardezi said the PIA had opened an Aviation and Engineering Training Centre of international standard at Lahore and a similar facility would be inaugurated in Rawalpindi this month.

“PIA intends to open such centres in Peshawar, Swat, Quetta, Nawabshah, Sukkur, Multan, Faisalabad, Hyderabad and Muzaffarabad in near future. PIA will have licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers in a few years,” he added.

There is only one PIA hub base at Karachi and the airline is planning to extend it to Lahore and Islamabad from where secondary routes will be operated. This will save costs from placement of PIA aircraft from Karachi.

To a question, he said the issue of payments to pilots, caused by cash flow problem, had been settled and their dues would be cleared accordingly.

To another question that why PIA was not making its grounded planes airworthy before going for new purchases, he said new generation planes were fuel efficient. Explaining, he said old A-320 plane consumed 5,000 liter fuel per hour during flight while the new one required only 2,000 liters for the same duration.

 

[Sulman Badshah]

Punjab plans to promote religious tourism

— File photo
TAXILA: The Punjab government plans to promote religious tourism and in first phase different initiatives have been taken to woo Sikh tourists.

According to official sources, the government has evolved a strategy in collaboration with the Punjab Planning and Development Board, provincial departments of tourism, archives, archaeology and Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) to exploit the potential of this form of tourism.

The province has important religious worship places for Buddhists, Sikhs and Hindus.

The ETPB deputy secretary for shrines, Syed Faraz Abbass, while talking to Dawn on Friday said the tourism would not only give a boost to national but provincial economy as well.

Sikh religion’s most sacred places like Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, Gurdwara Darbar Sahib (Kartarpur) and Gurdwara Dera Sahib are located in Taxila, he said.

Being custodian body of minorities’ religious places, ETPB would extend all technical and administrative support to the provincial tourism authorities in this regard.

Local sightseers inject new life into Hunza Valley

Attabad Lake, Hunza Valley. — File photo by Usman Khan
KARIMABAD: After a slump in foreign visitors triggered by a deadly attack last year, a new wave of local sightseers has saved tourism in Pakistan's idyllic northern Hunza Valley — but not everyone is happy.

Though there are no official figures, hotel owners say large numbers of domestic tourists are visiting in unprecedented numbers, heading north to escape the sizzling heat of summer that lasts well into October.

In the Valley's main town of Karimabad, they snap pictures at the ancient Baltit Fort, a resplendent 1st century redoubt from where they can take in breathtaking views of lush forests and snow-capped peaks that have attracted the best climbers from around the world.

International tourism once helped shape the Gilgit-Baltistan region, but it has slowed to a trickle after the killing of 10 foreign climbers at the base camp of Nanga Parbat mountain last year ended a post 9/11 revival.

In their place have come visitors from eastern Punjab, and the city of Karachi, thanks mainly to a well-publicised TV campaign.

Though their business is both welcome and vital, cultural differences also highlight the growing gap between the religiously conservative south and traditionally secular north, according to observers.

Some complain the local guests can be disrespectful toward the liberal traditions that have long set the area apart from the rest of the country, and are prone to spoiling the region's natural beauty by littering.

Others say they don't spend as much as foreign tourists.

“This year there are no foreigners, only Pakistanis and the Pakistanis don't buy things from here as they don't need it,” said Saddar Karim, who owns a forlorn-looking trekking shop, adding Pakistanis usually aren't interested in climbing.

Bewitched by the region's splendour, as well as the famed hospitality of its mainly Ismaili Muslim inhabitants, foreign visitors in the late 20th century helped create around a dozen schools and have invested heavily in hundreds of others that dot the villages of the countryside.

One such is Hasegawa Memorial Public School established in 1995 to commemorate renowned Japanese mountaineer Tuseno Hasegawa who is buried in the lap of the mountain, as per his will.

Schools like Hasegawa introduced English as the medium of instruction and played a major role in boosting the region, say locals.

“International tourism has made a tremendous contribution in the socio-economic uplift of Hunza and we should be thankful for that,” said Imtiaz Ali, owner of Hunza Holidays, a leading tour operator.

“After visiting Hunza they would return to serve as volunteer teachers in schools or carry out other philanthropy,” he continued.

Terror hits tourism
International tourism took a major hit after Pakistan joined hands with the US in its war against terror after 9/11, with would-be visitors conflating the country's militancy-wracked northwest with its relatively peaceful far north.

Sherbaz Kaleem, manager of the ancient Baltit Fort, said that during peak season before 2001, “we used to receive almost 200-300 international community tourists” daily.

The numbers were reduced to a trickle, but began to pick up once again later that decade.

The slow recovery came to a screeching halt last June, when gunmen shot dead ten foreign tourists at the base camp of the Nanga Parbat — giving a new meaning to its nickname among climbers “Killer Mountain”.

It was the deadliest assault on foreigners in the country for a decade.

Kaleem said many people cancelled visits to Hunza while those at Baltit fort came numbered two to three every day.

“Even then they were afraid and many people told them that they should go back.” Ali of Hunza Holidays said the industry was now re-orienting itself to focus on the local market.

“I think it's time now that we should focus on domestic tourism as unlike international tourism it is more viable and is not very much affected by the political and security situation. It can help to create bridges of understanding between the various cultures of Pakistan,” he added.

Local values
Others are less enamoured of their new guests.

“The domestic tourists spread a lot of pollution in the area, they throw the trash everywhere,” grumbled Ahmed Ali Khan, a guesthouse owner.

In Karimabad, AFP spotted a small boy carrying chocolate wrappers in his hand follow a group of young domestic tourists and stop them politely, hand over the litter and ask them to bin it.

Residents also complained that their cultural values, including their traditionally open and tolerant Ismaili Islam, were under siege.

Aziz Ali Dad, a social commentator, said: “The difference between domestic and international tourists is that the international tourists are more conscious about the local values and respect them — which is not the case with the domestic tourists.”

Some of these domestic tourists “assert their identity so they preach the standard version of Islam commonly practiced in the south and this creates the danger of a religious rift because they don't value the local religious and cultural rituals,” he adds.

Finishing a guided tour around Baltit Fort recently, manager Kaleem asked the group of students from Punjab whether they had any questions.

One of them noted that locals enjoy locally-made apricot wines and mulberry spirits and did not appear to pray regularly, then asked “Why don't you behave like a good Muslims?"

Kaleem brushed away the question with a smile, and went to another group waiting for their turn.

Pakistan Railways to restore Musa Pak, Mehran Express trains

File photo of a Pakistan Railways train.

LAHORE: Pakistan Railways on Thursday decided to restore two trains: Musa Pak Express and Mehran Express, Radio Pakistan reported.

The restoration was decided during a high level meeting chaired by Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique.

During the meeting, a revised timetable was also endorsed that will be implemented from October 15.

The new timetable states that new stops for several trains have been approved to facilitate passengers.

Musa Pak Express will run between Lahore and Multan. Mehran Express will run between Khairpur and Karachi.

Diversity: A maize-ing crop for the future

Punjab DG Research Dr Abid Mahmood said keeping food security in mind, maize is the crop of the future. PHOTO: AFP

FAISALABAD: Maize will become the top-cultivated crop in the world by 2020, due to its nutrient values and increase in imports from China. It was echoed by experts at the international colloquium titled opportunities and challenges of maize production arranged by the Plant Breeding and Genetics Department, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) on Wednesday.

Chairing the session, UAF Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that maize is the most versatile crop that can be grown in more than 166 countries. He told the audience that its global production has increased more than 12 times in the last five decades.

“Before the green revolution, maize flour was used by people as it was economical as compared to wheat,” he said. “In the modern era, roti is made from maize to address the issue of hunger.”

Punjab DG Research Dr Abid Mahmood said keeping food security in mind, maize is the crop of the future. He said that all steps are being taken to enhance its productivity through research.

Faculty of Agriculture Dean Professor Dr Muhammad Arshad stressed the need to put the research focus on tangible outcomes to ensure the food security in the county. He said maize was the third biggest food crop and also a major crop in many countries due to its multiple uses and high yield.

Bestway's Co-op pharmacy buy backed with 725 million pounds loan



(Reuters) - Banks have prepared a 725 million pound leveraged loan financing to back privately owned Bestway Group’s acquisition of Britain's Co-operative Group’s pharmacy business, banking sources said on Friday.

The Co-operative Group agreed to sell its pharmacy business to Bestway for 620 million pounds in July, following a formal sales process initiated by the mutually owned Co-op, reflecting its decision that the pharmacy business was not part of its future strategy.

JP Morgan and Nomura are leading the all senior loan financing, which will be launched for general syndication in September and sold to bank and institutional investors, the banking sources said.

An initial debt structure has been proposed and is being considered by lenders but could be adjusted before the financing is formally launched next month. The proposed deal comprises a 75 million pound revolving credit facility and 650 million pounds of senior term loans split between a 125 million pound, six-year term loan A and 525 million pound, seven-year term loan B, the sources said.

The revolving credit and TLA are guided to pay 400 basis points (bp) over Libor and the TLB is guided at 425bp over Libor, they said.

The term loan debt is guided with a 1 percent Libor floor, which guarantees a minimum return for investors. There is also 101 soft call for 12 months on the TLB. Original Issue Discounts are to be decided, they added.

Bestway was not immediately available to comment.

The Co-op, a well-known high street presence with banks, supermarkets and funeral homes, said earlier this year that it was looking to shed non-core assets to shore up its finances and revitalise the group. Proceeds from the pharmacy sale will be used to reduce the Co-op’s 1.4 billion pounds of debt and invest in its core businesses across its retail and consumer services arms.

Bestway's business includes the UK’s second largest independent wholesaler serving 125,000 independent retailers and caterers. Its retail club business is the largest in the UK with over 4,000 members.

Bestway will have the right to operate under the Co-operative Pharmacy brand for a transitional period of 12 months

Potential market: Pakistan gearing up for Canada expo

The expo will be organised with the Trade and Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and the Consulate General of Pakistan in Toronto.PHOTO: STOCK IMAGE

KARACHI: The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) is gearing up to organise the third edition of the Canada-Pakistan Trade Expo 2014, starting from November 18 this year in Toronto.

The expo will be organised with the Trade and Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and the Consulate General of Pakistan in Toronto.

The event is a continuation of efforts to promote Pakistani exporters and manufacturers in their attempt to tap the Canadian market, said FPCCI President Zakaria Usman.

He said leading businessmen from the commerce and industrial sectors would participate in the event, leaving a significant impact on the bilateral trade between the two countries.

FPCCI’s Pakistan Canada Business Council Chairman S M Muneer said Canada is a potential market for Pakistani products.

“The series of expo will provide an opportunity to explore new avenues for the promotion of Pakistan’s exports to Canada and the US,” said Muneer.

He added that the entire North America region would be available for Pakistan if it chooses to tap it as a market.

“The publicity campaign of the expo is being conducted in North America. Leading buyers and stores from Canada have also been invited to see Pakistan products on display.”

Special business to business meetings will also be arranged during the expo, Muneer added.

New findings: PPL on a roll, makes fourth discovery

The expected output from the (Kinza X-1) well will translate into approximately 2,100 barrels per day in oil equivalent and foreign exchange savings of $200,000 per day. PHOTO: KASHIF HUSSAIN/EXPRESS

KARACHI:
Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) has announced that it hit another petroleum reserve in the Gambat South Block, its fourth discovery in the particular lease, which is located in Sanghar district, Sindh.

The exploration well, Kinza X-1 was spud on July 28 this year and reached the final depth of 3,695 metres on September 13.

“Initial testing flowed 12 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas along with condensate, thereby confirming presence of commercial quantities,” the company said in a statement.

PPL is the operator of Gambat South block with 65% working interest along with its joint venture partners Government Holdings and Asia Resources Oil Limited, which holds 25% and 10% interest, respectively.

In the same block, it has already found three producing wells – Wafiq, Shahdad and Sharf.

“Based on wire line logs, potential hydrocarbon bearing zones were identified in the Massive Sand of Lower Goru Formation, which are under testing,” PPL said.

The expected output from the (Kinza X-1) well will translate into approximately 2,100 barrels per day in oil equivalent and foreign exchange savings of $200,000 per day, it said.

The well is being flowed at different choke sizes to measure gas flow rates and the actual flow potential will be determined after the completion of the test.

In August, the company announced discovering 42 mmcfd of gas in Gambat South, its third and biggest discovery in the block. At the time, PPL said it was expecting the production to go up to 60 mmcfd.

It made the first two discoveries in Gambat last year.

Last month, another producing well was discovered in the Hala block, located in Sanghar and Matiari districts, Sindh.

The company said the well could produce 18.6 mmcfd of gas and 31 bpd of condensate from exploratory well Adam West X-1.

Hala is a joint venture between PPL and Mari Petroleum Company Limited, with 65% and 35% working interest, respectively. It covers as area of about 395 square kilometres.

PPL currently produces 10 mmcfd of gas and 150 bpd of condensate from another well in the Hala block.

PPL, which has a portfolio of 47 exploration blocks, has been aggressively searching for new hydrocarbon finds since last year to compensate for the decrease in production from its established fields like Sui.

State-run PPL had earmarked Rs10 billion to be spent on exploration activities during the last fiscal year with most of the focus on Gambat South.

The company accounts for 22% of the country’s gas production. In the fiscal year 2013-14, PPL posted a profit of Rs51.41 billion, up 23% over the previous year.

It has been trying to cut the depletion rate of its fields by installing compressor plants and drilling more wells.

PPL’s six producing fields include Sui, Kandhkot, Adhi, Mazrani, Chachar and Hala, while it has working interest in eight partner-operated fields.

Sindh Govt to initiate 672MW power project

ISLAMABAD: The Sindh government is starting a project to produce six hundred seventy-two megawatts electricity daily from two thousand tons garbage of Karachi city.

According to Radio Pakistan quoting an official source, feasibility report of the project has been prepared and it will be completed within thirty months.

The project is a joint venture of Sindh Government and US based Princeton

 

[Sulman Badshah]

Pakistan-Iran: Duo agrees to hold Joint Economic Commission

[URL='http://tribune.com.pk/story/774927/pakistan-iran-duo-agrees-to-hold-joint-economic-commission/?print=true'][/URL]
Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar met the Iranian Finance Minister Ali Tayyebnia. PHOTO: PID

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran have agreed to hold a Joint Economic Commission in Islamabad to consolidate bilateral cooperation between the leaderships of the two countries.

The focus of this cooperation will be on development of gas pipeline and electricity.

Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar met the Iranian Finance Minister Ali Tayyebnia while attending World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) meetings in Washington. Both ministers discussed matters of mutual interest.

Senator Dar informed his Iranian counterpart that the government had approved the 700-kilometre section of the pipeline from Gwadar to Nawabshah and that Pakistan was considering various alternatives to meet the financial requirements.

According to a press statement issued by the finance ministry, the Iranian finance minister appreciated Pakistan’s resolve in completing 700km portion of Iran-Pakistan Gas pipeline and expressed hope that in future more pipeline projects between the two countries will materialise.

From Faisalabad: International flights a possibility

The FCCI chief said that a direct international flight from Faisalabad is the top priority, which was the reason he requested his first meeting with the Emirates delegation. PHOTO: AFP

FAISALABAD: The Emirates Airline has given its consent to initiate three to four weekly flights from Faisalabad, provided these are found economically feasible, said Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) President Rizwan Ashraf, while speaking to a delegation of local businessmen on Monday.

The FCCI chief said that a direct international flight from Faisalabad is the top priority, which was the reason he requested his first meeting with the Emirates delegation.

“I requested the local management of the airline to immediately take measures to start direct flights linking Faisalabad to countries abroad,” he said. He added that the management of Emirates was of the view that there was no hitch but it should be economically feasible.

Ashraf said that he has collected data of passenger load and forwarded it to Emirates, which would enable it to process the request.

“A new airport can be developed to meet future needs on the pattern of Sialkot,” said the president. “Heavy shipments from Faisalabad were only possible by sea, but we are in contact with the government to carve out an aerial solution to this.”

Comparing Sialkot to Faisalabad, the president said that Shaheen Air was successful in providing its services as 90% small shipments were dispatched by air from Sialkot.

 

[ghazi52]

Azadi Interchange..sub-way

 

[Edevelop]

Lahore:

Tourist bus planned

LAHORE: The Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab (TDCP) is planning to start a bus service in the city for the convenience of tourists.

A TDCP official speaking on the condition of anonymity said the corporation would operate three double-deckers to ferry 1,500-2,000 tourists to 10 locations across the city daily. He said the buses would cost Rs89 million. The official said the corporation would set-up terminals at Gaddafi Stadium and Minto Park in this regard. He said each of the terminals would be established on an area of 4 kanals. The official said the TDCP had requested the Parks and Horticulture Authority director general and the sports and tourism secretary to provide the corporation with land to establish the terminals.

He said a feasibility study had revealed that the Lahore Zoo had attracted the greatest number of visitors in Lahore. He said 3.7 million people had visited the zoo last year. He said 132,000 people had visited the Lahore Fort over the same period. The official said 72,000 had visited Jehangir’s Tomb in Shahdara last year.

He said a bus service had great potential. The official said the TDCP had finalised the route of the service. The buses would run between Gaddafi Stadium and Minto Park.

They would make scheduled stops at the Liberty Market Roundabout, Race Course Park, The Lahore Zoo, Anarkali, the Lahore Museum and the Lahore Fort.

The official said ticketing booths would be set-up at Minto Park and Gaddafi Stadium. He said the service would start at 9am and finish at 9pm. He said day-passes would be issued for Rs250 each.

The official said these would enable them to travel at their leisure to a location of their choice.

The TDCP is a state-owned company that manages and develops motels and resorts province-wide.

It has its own transport wing that serves destinations in the Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and in the Northern Areas.

At your convenience: Tourist bus planned for capital city – The Express Tribune


Footprints: Digging up a story


SCAFFOLDING poles cover a portion of the Shahi Hammam, located near the Delhi Gate in the walled city, Lahore. It is currently undergoing restoration work by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.—Arif Ali / White Star
WAZIR Khan, a physician, built the Shahi Hammam for Emperor Jehangir’s wife. But why? “She had a blister on her foot and wanted someone to cure it without any physical contact. Wazir Khan asked her to walk on sand where her feet left imprints. He identified the area of the blister, placed a piece of mirror there on the sand and told her to walk again on her own footprints. When she did this, the mirror burst the blister and the injury was healed. She rewarded him for this and he reciprocated by building her the Royal Bath.”

Farhan Shah narrated this story to me avidly, clearly reflecting his affiliation with old Lahore. His family moved to the walled city in the mid-1700s. Shah’s company, Old Lahore Walkabouts, takes people on tours to the walled city, which for him is a monument in itself. I was fascinated but also curious whether the story he had told me was a myth or actual history. But for Shah, the stories behind the structure are just as important as the tangible restoration. “I don’t see a story as true or false and don’t concoct any on my own,” he tells me. “Restoring myths is important for us. I want people to experience the ethos of that time when they come here. These stories have existed for hundreds of years. They are reflective of the thought process of the people of the subcontinent.”

When I visited the Hammam earlier, which is located immediately after the Delhi Gate, the caretaker, Mohammad Azam, led me inside what resembled a maze. The Hammam has 21 rooms, eight of which were used as freshwater baths and five as steam baths built along the lines of Turkish baths.

Sauntering around the marble pools and saunas of that time, it struck me as ludicrous that a restaurant had opened here years ago. Azam says it shut down as the business made no profit; he says it took a French tourist to point out the absurdity of anyone wanting to eat in what is called The Royal Bath!

Food is in abundance outside, though, with vendors along the length of the building selling spices, dried fruit, trinkets and garments. Inside the Hammam these days are heaps of sand and bricks that between 25 and 30 labourers work with every day for eight hours. “Heritage work is always slow,” says Azam. “It is expected to be completed in March 2015, but I am sure it will take the whole year to finish.”

Although many commercial encroachments have slowly been shifted away, they need to move out altogether, says Shah. “People from outside have brought their businesses inside. As they live outside, they have no special affiliation with the walled city.”

Where Shah emphasises the preservation of the tales about the structures, the Punjab director of archaeology, Saleemul Haq, expresses reservations about the restoration work. Now, with a financial grant from the Royal Norwegian Embassy, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) is carrying out the project for the Hammam’s restoration. “They should have consulted us as technically archaeological excavations are not under the walled city domain,” Haq says. He adds that the team working on this project has architects but no archaeologists. He believes that better data could be collected had they been involved.

However, Maryam Rabi, project architect for the AKTC, says the excavation process has already helped them build the original story. “Through our conservation process, lots of stories have been revealed,” she explains. “Now we know where the hot water was, where the cold pool was.”

Rabi says the Hammam has been misused in the past and it needs to be restored. “It has been used as office space and for school in just the past 50 years. History is very important but you have to be eclectic about when and where to intervene to fix things,” she says. “Our first step was to protect the monument by moving the shops around it. It now has a retaining wall outside so work is done under a limited space.”

With every force expended by the labourers on digging deeper, they are getting closer to exposing captivating stories. All those slabs of marble around me, the frescos, the whitewash, the dry pools, steam baths and fragmented construction, made me realise I was surrounded by centuries-old stories of love and intrigue, of extravagance and affluence, possibly of hate and war.

Footprints: Digging up a story - Pakistan - DAWN.COM

Emporium Mall in Johar Town

Bahria Town

Credit: Saqib1 ssc

Roundabout Pedestrian Bridge (Shanghai Model)

Metro Bus

Credit: Vasiq Eqbal Photography


Clock Tower u/c in Mazang