Tag: Relief

KARACHI - The provincial government has officially ended all flood-relief activities in the province, saying that the efforts will be now concentrated on the rehabilitation of flood survivors.
This was confirmed by Sindh Rehabilitation Minister Haji Muzzaffar Shujra, who while talking to Pakistan Today on Saturday, said that shifting its efforts from relief towards rehabilitation, the Sindh government will soon hand over 2,000 houses to flood-affected families in the first

Gwen Stefani donated $1,000,000 on Wednesday to Save the Children's, Japan Earthquake-Tsunami Children in Emergency Fund, to help in the relief and recovery effort. "I've been inspired by Japan for many years and have a true love, appreciation and respect for the Japanese people and their culture," the singer said in a statement. "The disaster in Japan is beyond heartbreaking and I want to do anything I can to help.
I would never be able to make a gesture like this without the

GENEVA - Pakistan's government has pushed food prices too high for its impoverished population and malnutrition is rising despite crop recovery after dire floods, a UN relief official said.
Food crops especially wheat in the southern plains hit by last year's floods were recovering fast with the prospect of decent yields in coming weeks, said World Food Programme (WFP) director in Pakistan, Wolfgang Herbinger.
"The crop outlook is not bad but the food security situation

KARACHI - The worst victims of the last year's flood have been the women of the province as the government and other relief agencies did not give them priority while their issues still remain largely unaddressed.
This was pointed out by speakers at a dialogue held on women rights hosted by women wing of Sindhi Association of North America. SANA vice-president Noor Nisa Ghanghro presided over the session, which was attended by a large number of political and women rights'

KARACHI - Following a contraction by 484 points or four percent in the previous two trading sessions, a recovery provided some breathing space to local investors. Market closed up 113 points today after losing almost 500 points in the last two sessions due to let-up in selling from foreign funds, and Moody's maintaining its B3 credit rating for Pakistan along with a stable outlook. The KSE-100 index closed at 11,488.06 levels with the gain of 112.92 points while total volume stood at

LAHORE - Federal Tax Ombudsman Dr Shoaib Suddle has said that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) provided relief of Rs 7.0 billion to 196,000 taxpayers after he took a suo motto action to address genuine complaints. The Federal Tax Ombudsman was speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI). LCCI President Shahzad Ali Malik, Vice President Sohail Azhar, former President Mian Muzaffar Ali, former Vice President Aftab Ahmad Vohra and a number of executive committee

GENEVA - The international community started to send disaster relief teams on Saturday to help Japan after it suffered a massive earthquake and tsunami, with the United Nations sending a group to help co-ordinate work. "We are in the process of deploying 9 experts who are among the most experienced we have for dealing with catastrophes.
They will help evaluate needs and coordinate assistance with Japanese authorities," Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman of the UN Office for the

ISLAMABAD - Employees of Pakistan Steel Mill (PSM) were relieved following intervention of Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) into the tax exemption case. According to a statement issued here on Tuesday, the FTO directed Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to ensure uniformity of treatment to employees of all public sector organisations.
In a petition before the FTO, it was asserted, on behalf of employees of the Pakistan Steel Mill (PSM), that whereas organizations such as Pakistan National

LAHORE - Kashf Foundation recently released a flood relief strategy report based on three phases: food distribution amongst flood victims, reconstruction of homes and access to sustainable income sources. Kashf Foundation Managing Director Roshaneh Zafar shared key points of the three pronged strategy.
The Foundation plans to provide financial education, along with microfinance for small businesses and livestock to flood victims to enhance income generation that will ensure

ISLAMABAD - Japan has provided US $45 million to the UN-HABITAT (United Nations Human Settlements Programme, a UN agency for human settlements) for assistance to the Pakistani flood victims. "As winter prevails, the needs of the 20 million flood affectees have been growing and the government of Japan has given funds at a very critical time," a press release issued by the UN-HABITAT said Monday.
"This substantial amount will go towards early recovery involving shelter, water,

HAFIZABAD - Punjab Chief Minister's Task Force on Education Chairman Saira Afzal Tarar said the provincial government was committed to providing all basic needs of life to the people in the Punjab with out any discrimination.
She was addressing a meeting held in the meeting room of Hafizabad Tehsil Municipal Administration on Monday.
She said that Punjab government was spending more than Rs 2 billion on the completion of different development schemes in district. She said

KARACHI - The government is likely to suffer a potential revenue loss of Rs 28.9 billion in the second half of financial year 2011 if oil prices sustained current levels. The government had to slash Petroleum Levy (PL) on different products in order to keep petroleum prices stagnant.
Market analysts lamented that the government's decision to withdraw an increase in petroleum products prices will only be a short-term relief. However, in the long-run it has far reaching

KARACHI: Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations (UN) Abdullah Hussain Haroon has called upon the world especially Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) the need for reinvigorating their efforts of raising funds for Pakistan, stating that the poor are still struggling to keep their heads above water in various flood-affected areas in Sindh and lower Punjab.
The Pakistan Ambassador to UN was speaking at the meeting of the OIC group convened at the UN

LAHORE: The Lums Flood Relief Drive Hi-Tea was a fund raising event hosted by the students and faculty of the Lahore University of Management Sciences and included the Vice Chancellor, faculty members, CEOs of prominent companies, and members of the Lums Flood Relief Drive council.
Lums Flood Relief Drive is a joint initiative by the students and faculty members of LUMS, with an aim to rehabilitate, educate and to empower the flood affectees on a long term basis. Work has already

LAHORE
Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer on Tuesday hailed the efforts of the students of the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore and Taxila for helping the flood survivors of Hajipura and Nawabpura, and urged the Lahore College for Women's University vice chancellor to also send her students to the flood-affected areas for rehabilitation work.
Addressing the 8th Convocation of the LCWU, Taseer said that during the floods, the whole nation showed unity and

KARACHI
Indifferent to the suffering of flood-hit people across the country, some ruling parties' senators have been busy smuggling luxurious items into the country under the guise of relief goods for the affected people.
An official of the Customs told Pakistan Today that he had witnessed luxury goods worth Rs 2.3 billion get cleared by the authorities under the pretext of flood relief aid, in a single day of duty.
There was no record or a check and balnce on other

LAHORE
Punjab Governor Salman Taseer invited political workers from all political parties to join the Suraj Campaign to reconstruct houses in flood-hit areas, while addressing the press on Friday after a meeting with the vice chancellors and rectors of 42 private and public sector universities of Punjab and representatives from Chambers of Commerce.
He told the journalists that the meeting aimed at mobilizing the educational institutions to play their role in Suraj