Free Medical Camp at Usman Memorial Hospital on Sunday

The Usman Memorial Hospital is organizing a free medical camp at Hospital premises Plot # ST-12, Block-1, Hussainabad, Federal "B" Area, on Sunday, 31st January 2010 at 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Dr. Abdul Ghaffar Bilo, Professor of Paediatric, Aga Khan University Hospital and Dr. Muhammad Tufail, Medical Director, Patel Hospital will inaugurate medical camp.

TURK AMBASSADOR CALLS ON CITY NAZIM

Ambassador of Turkey called on City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal at his office on Thursday to discuss matter of mutual interest.

City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal on this occasion said that Pakistan has strong brotherly relations with Turkey. Local Government of Turk City Istanbul can provide valuable cooperation to City District Government Karachi in its Rapid Bus Transport System and training program for rescue workers. He said that Istanbul has one of the best rapid bus transport system while they have also excelled in the rescue works particularly in the earthquakes. He said that we also need cooperation in the solid waste management.

Nazim Karahi informed the ambassador Mr. Hizlan about the importance of Karachi in the region. He said that Karachi offers lucrative business opportunities to foreign investors. Turk business community can also earn heavy profits from doing business here. He said that the government has upgraded infrastructure in Karachi for promotion of investment activities. Turk investors will also be provided with best facilities and support.

Turk ambassador Mr. Hizlan said that Turkey will soon arrange for the training of rescue workers in Karachi for which a permanent office will be established in the city so that the training could be arranged on permanent basis. He also appreciated the performance of City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal for his role in the rapid development of Karachi.

Karachi Fashion week begins from sunday at Pearl Continental Hotel

RELIEF PAY-ORDERS DISBURSEMENT PROCEDURE DEFINED; PAY-ORDERS FOR CLAIMS OVER 1.5 MILLION WILL BE ISSUED ON COMPLETION OF SCRUTINY

Karachi Affected Markets Relief Committee’s Spokesman, A.Q. Khalil has said that Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s seven (7) loss assessment committees, in the presence of authorized representatives of affected markets, have meticulously completed the assessment and scrutiny of 2600 claims of affectees of Bolton Market Incident, and it is decided that relief payments through pay-orders will start in phases from 29th January, 2010. Chairman Businessmen Group and former President-KCCI, Siraj Kassam Teli has already announced that the pay-orders distribution work to affectees will start from 29th January, 2010 and the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari will begin the disbursing phase while distributing the relief pay-orders to affectees. In the second phase, Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Governor of Sindh, Dr. Ishrat Ul Ibad Khan, Provincial Ministers, City Nazim Karachi, will visit Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry to distribute the pay-orders to the affectees. According to the Committee Spokesman, latest colour passport size photograph, original computerized national identity card with attested copy must be readily available with each affectee because it is decided that affectees/ claimants will receive their claims themselves personally and thereby will submit an affidavit of claim acceptance, endorsing with signature and thumb impression in the presence of authorized market representative so that the whole procedure will be transparently maintained.

Spokesman appealed all the affectees to keep in touch with the chairmen of KCCI’s seven loss assessment committees who will issue the payment schedules, and abide the instructions accordingly. A.Q. Khalil further said that the affectees must not authorize any person on their behalf because payments will be made only to the real affectees of the incident. According to the Spokesman, Karachi Affected Markets Relief Committee has already decided that after the completion of payment phase of claims upto Rs.1.5 million, in second phase the payments of claims above Rs.1.5 million will start immediately after completion of scrutiny. He said that claim will be given to every honest affectee who has furnished his/her loss details with honestly, and after completion of scrutiny, relief pay-order will be issued.

KARACHI CITY GOVT. SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH NED UNIVERSITY

City District Government Karachi has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NED University Karachi for utilization of its Command & Control Center for improvement of traffic flow and development of intelligent transportation system (ITS) for Karachi which is a research project being carried out by NED University of Engineering & Technology and University of Mississippi, USA under USAID Project. The MoU was signed by City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal and Registrar of NED University Engineer Javed Aziz Khan at a ceremony held in KWSB Head Office on Monday.

The participants attended the ceremony included Vice Chancellor NED University Prof. Dr. Muzaffar Mehmood, Dean Civil Engineering & Architect NED University Prof. Dr. Sahibzada Farooq Ahmed Rafeequi, Chairman Urban and Infrastructure Engineering Prof. Dr. Mir Shabbar Ali, Controller of Services Syed Wasiuddin, Lectures Urban Engineering Department Ms. Madiha Abid and Afzal Ahamd, DCO Karachi Javed Hanif Khan,EDO Municipal Services Masood Alam, Incharge Command & Control Center Faheem Qureishi and others.

A lively discussion on this occasion headed by City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal included the appreciation of traffic engineering and operational infrastructure put in place by City District Government Karachi and concluded that through research and studies NED University of Engineering & Technology can identify the traffic problems and causes of failure of traffic management besides providing the recommendations and remedies to cope up with these issues for better traffic management system in the metropolis. Cameras installed by the CDGK at various locations in Karachi can play a vital role in efficient management of traffic for improving traffic flow and reducing congestion at all major and supplementary arteries. According to the MoU researchers from NED University will be provided access to the city government’s Command & Control Center while Corridor-III will be used as NED-CDGK Road Lab for research and development of ITS based traffic management system.

Expressing his views on traffic problems in Karachi the City Nazim expressed hope that a better and permanent solution could be reached through the coordination of universities especially professional educational institutions that can correctly identified the problems and give valuable suggestions. He further said that despite of spending billions of rupees on traffic engineering the problems were still there due to absence of better enforcement and no action from traffic police on violations of rules.

City Nazim said most of the traffic problems were related to management and not to traffic engineering. Though such problems were solved by all big cities through mass transit system but city government did not have the resources to carry out such a huge project that cost billions of dollars on its own and only federal government can do this in Karachi. He said that unity of command was the key to solution of city’s problems. Despite of constructing Pakistan’s first car parking plaza with modern facilities hundreds of vehicles were still seen parked in no parking zones and no one take action against them.

Gun-lovers should leave Karachi: ANP Sindh Chief

Awami National Party's Sindh Chief Shahi Sayed on Sunday urged all section of the society to strengthen the government in its bid to get rid of terrorists from the country.

Speaking at a ceremony hosted to mark the death anniversary of Bacha Khan, he said people of all ethnicities should help the government to eliminate terrorism.

He said those who are fond of using guns should move to the mountains by vacating Karachi.

Shahi said that a war of transfer and posting is under way in Karachi to seize lands and to attain their personal interests.

He stressed that the government should give a 15-day notice to all licensed and un-licensed arms companies and cleanse of city from weapons.

IRANIAN COMMERCE ORGANIZATION VISITS KCCI TO EXPLORE BILATERAL TRADE PROSPECTS

“Non-existence of Banking System between Pakistan & Iran is the major impediment in the progress of bilateral trade”, expressed by President, Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry in a meeting held with the 25 members Iranian delegation representing the Commerce Organization of Mashad, Khorsan Razavi Province, Iran. Abdul Majid focused that the Pak-Iran relationship is deep rooted and the bilateral trade potential is about 1 billion dollars which is yet to be achieved due to certain barriers out of which lack of banking system is the core obstacle. He asserted on the need of Iranian Bank Branch in Pakistan and Pakistani Bank Branch in Iran to strengthen the trade ties. Abdul Majid informed that the KCCI has taken up the said issue of establishing Banking channel between Pakistan & Iran with Prime Minister of Pakistan, Federal Minister of Finance & Governor of SBP. Abdul Majid also asserted on the need of developing the train-logistic service from Pakistan to Iran and Turkey under the ECO forum.

The President KCCI, earlier, warmly welcomed the Iranian Commercial Counsellor & 25 members trade delegation from Iran and gave them a categorical enlightenment on the Trade prevalent between the two friendly nations. He said that the present trade volume which is less than 1 billion USD is not at all satisfactory, we had a lot of potential and untapped sectors of trade which if pursued the trade volume might shoot up to the great extent, he added. He termed lack of interest, Banking & remittances problem, and Shipping and land transportation related problems being the chief factors attributed for the low trade volume. He drew the attention of Iranian Commercial Counsellor & trade delegation towards resolution of said factors for enhanced trade benefiting the common man of two brotherly nations. In order to boost up the representation of Iranian products in Pakistan, he extended invitation to Iranian Companies for Exhibition of Iranian products in KCCI’s “My Karachi Exhibition” to be held in June 2010.

Chairman, Businessmen Group, Siraj Kassam Teli, speaking at the occasion, highlighted that to strengthen the bilateral relations, trade plays imperative role and therefore it should be explored. He on behalf of Business Community ensure entire cooperation in this regards.

Advisor to Chief Minister Sindh on Investment & former President-KCCI, Muhammad Zubair Motiwala, while addressing the Iranian Delegation, enlightened them about the profuse trade and investment opportunities available in Sindh Province. He informed about the investment potential of Thar Coal Resources in Sindh which is larger than the Oil Reserves of Saudi Arabia & Iran in terms of its volume. He also informed about the establishment of Pak-Japan Economic Cooperation Zone in the vicinity of Karachi and offered that a Pak-Iran Economic Zone may be established if the Iranian counterparts express their keen interest. Being the Chairman of Board of Investment of Sindh, he also ensure his best cooperation and support to the interested Iranian investors for investment in Sindh province.

Commercial Counsellor of Iran, Ahmad Fasihi, while speaking on the occasion, expressed hope that with the removal of existing hurdles in the way of trade, and establishing a banking channel between two countries, the trade volume in the current year would reach over one billion dollars. He said that last year Pakistan's export to Iran increased by 80 percent as compared to previous year, and touched 279 million dollars. Likewise, Iran's exports to Pakistan increased by 11 percent to 278 million dollars. He said that despite a high potential level, the volume of bilateral trade of the two countries is about 560 million dollars (excluding oil) which is insufficient in view of existing trade potential.

The leader of Iranian trade delegation from Khorasan Razavi Province and Vice President, Commerce Organization of Mashad, M H Kamranfar, has emphasised the need for establishing banking channel for enhancing two-way trade. Speaking at the meeting, he said that both countries have lot of potential to boost two-way trade. However, the trade relations were not reflective of the true potential and to explore the existing potential exchange of trade delegation, person to person. He said that the purpose of the visit by the delegation was to develop person to person contact with Pakistani counterparts to improve trade and economic ties.