News
Funds paucity putting higher education at stake
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 2:23 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT IBD: The higher education sector in Pakistan is increasingly being marginalised mainly due to the persistent lack of adequate funding from the central government, thus putting at stake the future of thousands of those getting higher education and the pace of the national progress as well. Sources in the Higher Education Commission said that despite repeated more...
Speakers for collaboration to get green renewable energy
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 2:21 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT IBD: South Asian countries can benefit through collaboration on acquiring green renewable energy as it is more feasible at regional level than at a country level given the cost barriers, said delegates from Pakistan and India during the recently held three-day dialogue on climate change in Islamabad. They also asked South Asian countries to have shared more...
3G licence auction may fetch over $1b
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 2:20 pm | 1 Comments
STAFF REPORT IBD: The government of Pakistan is expected to get over one billion US dollars through the auction of 3G licences as against a minimum target of $850 million, resulting positive impacts on economy mainly to contain a widening fiscal deficit of the country. “The government’s projected privatization proceeds of $800 million of PTCL will add handsome more...
Int’l travelling expo ‘It’s all about Chemistry’ reaches Multan
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 2:18 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT MULTAN: The 9-day International Traveling Expo “It’s all about Chemistry” started at Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU), Multan, last week. Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) in collaboration with France Embassy has arranged the Expo, prepared by the Centre Sciences-France, UNESCO and partners, for providing a first-hand picture of the role of more...
NAYS arranges Muslim Scientists Day on Mar 10
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 2:16 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT IBD: The National Academy of Young Scientists (NAYS), being a pioneer academy of young scientists in Pakistan, is going to lay the foundation of celebrating Muslim Scientists Day, on March 10, to pay homage to Muslim scientists for their prestigious services for science. It is a contribution by young scientists to our renowned Muslim scientists in more...
Scientific research vital to boost agri, livestock
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 2:14 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT IBD: Speakers at a recently arranged expo stressed the need for advanced scientific research in the agriculture and livestock fields to augment country’s key export sectors and making the nation self-sufficient with regard to several edible commodities. Agriculture-based companies, including fisheries, poultry, livestock, dairy, biotechnology deployment more...
Peshawar to have IT Park
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 2:13 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT IBD: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Department (KPITP) has acquired 25,000 square feet space in Peshawar’s Deans Trade Centre for setting up an information technology park. Establishment of a similar park is also planned in Abbottabad. “The government has allocated Rs1 billion for the project for the next five years and agreed to release more...
Financial crunch dents cotton buying
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 2:12 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT IBD: Most of the mills and spinners partially remained away from the cotton market due to financial turmoil mainly because of the change in official spot rate, dealers said. Prices of seed-cotton (phutti) in Sindh were at Rs 1800-2300 and, in Punjab Rs 2200-2650, they said. In ready dealings, approximately 7000 bales of cotton changed hands at Rs 4100-5800, more...
NAYS 3rd workshop on young researchers on March 10
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 2:07 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT IBD: The National Academy of Young Scientists (NAYS) is going to organize its 3rd one-day workshop on Young Researchers Skill Development at the Agriculture University, Peshawar, on March 10 in collaboration with the PASTIC and Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF). The Muslim Scientists Day will also be celebrated on the same date and a special lecture on more...
Climate change can badly affect food and water
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 2:05 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT IBD: Climate change could have catastrophic consequences for the water and food supply in Pakistan and attitudes towards the environment must change at the personal and government level if the country is to cope with the challenge, said speakers at a recently organised seminar by the Environmental Protection Department. “Pakistan is already a water scarce more...
PTA to auction various spectrums on May 3
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 2:00 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT IBD: The PTA will award all available spectrum to the existing Fixed Local Loop (FLL), Wireless Local Loop (WLL) and Class Value Added Services (CVAS) licensees through the region-wise auction process to be held on May 3 this year. The authority has set base prices of $25,000 to $27.4 million for frequency bands of 1.9 MHz and 3.5 MHz separately for 14 more...
Warid, Bank Alfalah to step into branchless banking
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 1:56 pm | 0 Comment
MONITORING REPORT IBD: Abu Dhabi Group (ADG) has indicated to launch an independent mobile financial services company through a joint venture of Bank Alfalah and Warid. According to a press release, the group will enter into Pakistan’s mobile banking industry with a combination of two subsidiaries that will develop a branchless and electronic eco-system comprising more...
UET, PSF highlight ‘research grant opportunities’
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 1:55 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT IBD: The University of Engineering & Technology (UET) in collaboration with Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) has recently held a workshop on "Research grant opportunities and proposal writing and funding". While addressing the session, University Vice Chancellor, Imtiaz Gilani, said that the universities are not only degree awarding institutions, but more...
Punjab plans modern silos for wheat storage
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 1:53 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT LHR: The Punjab government is mulling to have modern silos for storing wheat as the storage infrastructure and manual handling of procurement processes are archaic – involving huge discretion and corruption. “The provincial government would build a highly-equipped multi-grain storage, to begin with, 350,000 tons – to be increased gradually once the more...
Conference calls for Pak-India cooperation for just water use
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 1:52 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT IBD :Deliberating on water, energy, adaptation, gender equity and livelihoods, the climate stakeholders have adopted a resolution during the concluding day of ‘Track-II Dialogue on (Climate) Change for Peace’. The dialogue, organized by SDPI and Heinrich Boll Stiftung (HBS), stressed on both India and Pakistan to work together to address common more...
Participants sensitised on climate change
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 1:45 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT IBD: A three-day training course on ‘Developing Local Adaptations Plans of Action for Climate Change Resilience’ has recently been concluded at LEAD House, where climate change experts and participants tested a training module and a toolkit of local adaptation plan of action for its efficiency and effectiveness. The course was attended by seven more...
Smooth gas supply to fertilizer sector to save Rs23 billion
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 1:44 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT LHR: The government can save up to Rs23 billion by supplying gas to fertiliser sector as compared with power sector, while the ill-conceived gas load management plan has badly hampered manufacturing of urea and hence dealt a severe blow to the agriculture sector. Rasheed Lone, CEO, Dawood Hercules Fertilizers Ltd (DHFL), and Ahmed Jaudet Bilal, CEO, more...
KP offers subsidised space, power for IT parks
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 1:41 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT PSR:The Department of Science and Information Technology (SI&IT), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has recently signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) with COMSAT University, Abbottabad, and Pakistan PTCL for establishment of IT parks in the province. On the occasion, Managing Director, IT Board, KP, Shahid Amjad Afridi said that under the agreement more...
18 cotton varieties approved in Punjab
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 1:24 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT LHR: The Punjab Seed Council has approved 18 cotton varieties for cultivation in the province. The approval has been given during a meeting of the Council held here last week with Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh, Provincial Minister for Agriculture, in the chair. The meeting was attended by Sumaira Samad, Additional Secretary (Planning) Agriculture Department more...
KESC signs energy deal with KDFA
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 1:22 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT KHI: The Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Karachi Dairy Farmers Association that marks the completion of the testing phase of the ‘Bio-waste to Energy Project’ – a venture that aims to produce electricity from cattle manure produced from Landhi farms. According to a press release issued here last more...
Pakistan gets digital navigation system
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 1:21 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT IBD: A maze of streets, roads, underpasses, overheads and traffic can leave the best of drivers and navigators baffled in Pakistan. Trakker NAV Digital Navigation system by TPL Trakker solves that problem for commuters. According to details, TPL Trakker, a fully owned enterprise of Trakker Holdings, has recently launched Pakistan’s first ever digital more...
Telenor gets $6.5m Bill & Melinda Gates grant for easypaisa
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 1:19 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT IBD: Telenor Pakistan has announced that Easypaisa has got a $6.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to increase adoption of its mobile financial services. “Accessible mobile financial services can help catalyze Pakistan’s socio-economic efforts," Roar Bjaerum, Vice President of Financial Services at Telenor Pakistan, said while more...
Thai firm to set up halal meat farms at UAF
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 1:17 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT FBD: CP Group, an agri-business giant of Thailand, which has investments in 14 countries, has planned to invest and set up state-of-the-art animal feed, hatchery and halal meat farms in the city. A delegation of the company has recently visited the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) and held a meeting with Vice Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad. They also more...
Nokia, MCB join hands for mobile money services
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 1:16 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT IBD: In order to launch mobile banking services in Pakistan, the Nokia and Muslim Commercial Bank have joined hands. According to details, the Mobile Money Service, Nokia’s flagship product for mobile banking in developing countries, will be available to all MCB customers with Nokia phones. Under this initiative, Nokia will allow mobile phone users to more...
Zong, Cybernet join hands for voice servicing
By admin at February 21, 2012 | 1:13 pm | 0 Comment
STAFF REPORT IBD: Zong has signed a memorandum of understanding with Cybernet for providing services including dedicated voice service to its valued customers, said a statement issued by the company. According to a press release, the Premium Voice Service will allow customers to access local and long distance carrier through a dedicated circuit. Through offering a high more...
