International Buddhit Conference at Moen Jo Daro in November

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008

The federal ministry of tourism has planned an International Buddhist conference in November this year to highlight the history of the region with special focus on Moenjodaro Federal Secretary of Tourism Shahzad Qaisar Sindhu stated this while talking to journalists during his visit to Moenjodaro here on Friday.He said in past this huge archaeological site had been ignored. While drawing similarities between the Indus Civilisation and the Gandhara Civilisation he said that it should be introduced on wider level to attract tourists especially from Japan and Korea.  He said a group of 100 tourists from across the world would visit Moenjodaro during the Buddhist conference where he said a motel that lacked facilities would be upgraded.

He announced a grant of Rs1 million for meeting the urgent needs of the motel.  He admitted that the separation of culture and tourism departments at federal level had affected the development projects despite similarities in the nature of their jobs.

He, however, stressed the need of coordinated efforts to bridge this gap. In reply to a question regarding the second phase of Moenjodaro Master Plan he said he would contact the secretary culture in Islamabad and would also contact PIA for making efforts to increase flights to Moenjodaro to provide easy access to the international tourists to visit the place.

He said that the National Bank of Pakistan would reopen its branch at Moenjodaro with foreign exchange counter. On the occasion he announced confirming three employees of motel in services.

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Shandur Polo Festival to start from 7th to 9th July

Wednesday, June 18th, 2008

The three day polo tournament organized by Gilgit and Chitral polo clubs will be played at Shandur pass 12000 feet above sea level. The tournament will be played between local  administration and Telenor Pakistan. More than 12,000 local and international visitors, the festival will witness a traditional polo tournament between the teams of Gilgit & Chitral from 7th- 9th July, 2008It is a place unique and exotic in itself, surrounded by some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the world. The event marks the annual rivalry between the polo teams of Gilgit and Chitral. Supporters of both sides travel long distances from the remote parts, to watch the thrilling game. The event offers a fascinating insight into the lifestyle of the people of this region. Their culture and indigenous customs are a delight to observe for the visitors. Some added attractions for the visitors at the Shandur Polo Festival this year will be: horse racing without saddles, tampooq bazi, selection of the best horse of Chitral and the Northern Areas, paragliding and motorized gliding. Visitors will also witness a beautiful display of fireworks by an international company, known for their recent work at the Olympic Torch ceremony held in Islamabad. The first Shandur Polo Tournament was played in 1833. A British Political Agent Major Cobb, who had the polo ground at Shandur named after himself, organized the first tournament. He was fond of playing the game under the full moon. Since then polo in Shandur has been a tradition. The most spectacular polo of present times is played at the Shandur Top between Gilgit and Chitral teams every July at 12,250ft. above seal level, the splendor and glory of polo is an event not to be missed.

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Main Points of Pakistan Budget 2008

Wednesday, June 11th, 2008

Rs. 1976.004 mln allocated for IT& Telecommunication in PSDP

ISLAMABAD, Jun 11 (APP): The government has allocated Rs.  1976.004 million for Information Technology and Telecommunication Division in the Public Sector Development Programme 2008-2009 for the implementation of eight new and seventy six ongoing projects.
The amount allocated under Public Sector Development Programme would be provided from local resources.

According to the break-up of the allocations for eight new schemes, an amount of Rs. 100.00 million have been allocated for Prime Minister’s Special Initiative for Paperless Governance and another Rs 100,000 million for Prime Minister’s Special Initiative for Video Conferencing Facility in the Federal Secretariat and Provincial Headquarters.

The major part of the PSDP allocations for IT & Telecommunications Division, will be spent on seventy six ongoing projects in IT sector while an amount of Rs 617.311 million would be spent on the ongoing projects in telecom sector.

Communications Division gets Rs.36821.559 million in PSDP 2008-09

ISLAMABAD, June 11 (APP): The government has earmarked Rs. 36821.559 million in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2008-09 for the Communications Division for its various ongoing and new projects while Rs 36500.000 have been allocated for National Highway Authority (NHA).

According to the budgetary allocations, out of total amount, Rs. 26755.997 million is local component while Rs.10065.562 million is the foreign component.

In the PSDP 2008-09,total of 19 ongoing projects of Communications Division, Rs 321.559 million has been allocated.In these 19 projects 11 belong to National Transport Research Centre (NTRC). 

Rs.32470 million have been earmarked for 55 ongoing National Highways Authority (NHA) projects with Rs 22404.438 million local component and Rs 10065.562 million foreign loan component.

For 14 NHA new projects Rs 4030.000 million have been allocated with no foreign aid component. 
 
Rs. 1976.004 mln allocated for IT& Telecommunication in PSDP

ISLAMABAD, June 11 (APP): The government has allocated Rs.  1976.004 million for Information Technology and Telecommunication Division in the Public Sector Development Programme 2008-2009 for the implementation of eight new and seventy six ongoing projects.
The amount allocated under Public Sector Development Programme would be provided from local resources.

According to the break-up of the allocations for eight new schemes, an amount of Rs. 100.00 million have been allocated for Prime Minister’s Special Initiative for Paperless Governance and another Rs 100,000 million for Prime Minister’s Special Initiative for Video Conferencing Facility in the Federal Secretariat and Provincial Headquarters.

The major part of the PSDP allocations for IT & Telecommunications Division, will be spent on seventy six ongoing projects in IT sector while an amount of Rs 617.311 million would be spent on the ongoing projects in telecom sector.
 

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Salient features of the Pakistan budget Year 2008/09

Wednesday, June 11th, 2008

ISLAMABAD :Following are the salient features of the federal budget 2008-2009 mentioned in budget documents and released by the Finance Ministry.

a) The total budget of 2008-09 is Rs 2010 billion which is  29.7 percent higher than the size of budget estimated in 2007-08.

b) The resources during 2008-09 are estimated at Rs 1836 billion against Rs 1394 billion in the budget estimates of 2007-08.

c) Net revenue receipts for 2008-09 are estimated at Rs 1111 billion an increase of 23.1 percent over the budget estimates of 2007-08.

d) The provincial share in federal revenue receipts is estimated at Rs 568 billion during 2008-09 which is 22 percent higher than the budget estimates for 2007-08.

e) The capital receipts (net) for 2008-09 have been estimated at Rs 221 billion against the budget estimates of Rs 59 billion in 2007-08.

f) The external receipts in 2008-09 are estimated at Rs 200 billion. This shows an increase of 16.1 percent over the budget estimates for 2007-08.

g) The overall expenditure during 2008-09 has been estimated at Rs 2010 billion of which the current expenditure is Rs 1493 billion and Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) at Rs 550 billion. Current expenditure shows a decrease of 1.5 percent over the revised estimates of 2007-08, while PSDP will increase by 20 percent in 2008-09 over the revised estimates of 2007-08.

h) The share of current expenditure in total budgetary outlay for 2008-09 is 74.3 percent as compared to 77.8 percent in revised estimates for 2007-08.

i) The expenditure on General Public Services (inclusive of debt servicing transfer payments and superannuation allowance) is estimated at Rs 930 billion which is 62.3 percent of the current expenditure.

j) The size of Public Sector Development Programme for 2008-09 is Rs 550 billion. While for Other Development Expenditure an amount of Rs 44 billion has been allocated. The PSDP shows an increase of 20 percent over the revised estimates 2007-08.

k) The provinces have been allocated an amount of Rs. 150 billion for budget estimates 2008-09 in their PSDP.

l) An amount of Rs 27 billion has been allocated to Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) in the PSDP 2008-09.
 

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Olympic torch passing thru Pakistan

Wednesday, April 16th, 2008

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan hosted the Olympic torch on Wednesday for its travel to China. Pakistan & China are the lasting friends and have always shared each others ocasions withour any prejudice.

Although the government had made extra security measure for the torch,s journy but in Pakistan the torch will have no trouble of any sort said the AUthorities in islamabad.

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Pianist Kabala says “Pakistan is one of the most peaceful places in the world.”

Friday, February 22nd, 2008

Trekking alone across the Karakoram Range, Christopher Kabala learned about a new culture, largely unaffected by the world events unfolding just hours away.

“This is not the Pakistan that you read about in the papers,” he said, “It is one of the most peaceful places in the world.”

Kabala, 61, a pianist, and music director at the Round Hill Community Church, traveled to the country last August to go trekking.

“I went because I am a bit of a mountain freak,” he said.

Ever since he was a young child, Kabala had an interest in climbing and the outdoors. His father was a climber. But then Kabala became involved in his studies and his love of music. He didn’t have time to climb.

That is until 1994, when he was playing in a musical festival in Austria and decided to climb Grossglockner — one of the highest mountains in the country.

“Then I was hooked,” he said, “I like the excitement and the adventure of it.”

He decided to go to climbing school in Switzerland, where he trekked through the Swiss Alps.

He has since traveled through Nepal, Egypt, Tibet, Turkey and throughout Europe.

“I have really enjoyed it,” he said.

But this trip to Pakistan was unique.

“I had never been in a culture so removed from our culture in the West,” he said, “The people are so content with their lives and that intrigued me.”

Kabala, a resident of the Upper West Side in Manhattan, was struck by the hospitality of the people in the north of the country. Families would invite him to stay overnight in their homes and he would eat meals of rice and chicken with them. They were very open, inviting him to participate in many activities, including a dance around a bonfire.

“It’s a very simple culture É It was fun,” he said.

Before leaving for Pakistan, Kabala researched the region and knew he would not be in any danger.

“I had been in contact with people who were already there É in the areas I was going to and I came to the conclusion the risk was small. Pakistan is not Kansas. There is tremendous instability in the country, but not in the northern region where I was,” he said.

Kabala took hundreds of photos ranging from images of people to vistas overlooking the mountain range.

“I think the trip is sensational,” said Richard Bergstresser, former first selectmen and a trustee at the Round Hill Community Church.

Bergstresser sat through a slideshow and talk given by Kabala at the church and was struck by how fascinating the story was, he said.

“This was so unique. He had so many great pictures É and emphasized the people he met,” he said.

Kabala said that although this trip was strenuous, he plans to go back, possibly this summer.

“It was a tremendous experience,” he said.

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16th Ski Championship to be played at Naltar

Thursday, February 21st, 2008

Gilgit Guide report: The 16th Ski championship will be played at Naltar from 23rd February to 28th february. The Ski championship is organised annually at the height of 7000 feet above sea leven in Naltar. There will be 60 skiiers from over 12 Ski associations in Pakistan. The best performing skiirs will be sent for trainingand will also be asked to participte in winter olympics in 2010.

The president of Pakistan Ski federation Air marshal Shahid Latif said that there have been trainers from Sweden and Austria invited to train the skiirs.

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Olympic torch to run through Pakistan

Sunday, February 3rd, 2008

ISLAMABAD: A high level meeting of Beijing Organising Committee for Olympic Games (BOCOG) has included Pakistan among the countries where Beijing Olympic Torch will visit for one day.

China’s ambassador in Pakistan Luo Zhau Hui annouced this after his return from Beijing where he attended the BOCOG meeting.

He disclosed that the torch will reach Islamabad on April 16 next year and Pakistan’s star sportsmen would carry it on the roads of the Federal Capital one after other. A large delegation of the BOCOG will visit Islamabad in the third week of this month to finalise the programme of the torch visit.

The Olympics will begin on August 8, 2009 in Beijing at 8pm. The ambassador said since the Chinese believe eight as a lucky number and so, 8th month and 8 pm has been fixed for the commencement of the games. The delegation will also finalise participation of Pakistan in the historic games. The ambassador said that the relay, with the theme ‘Journey of Harmony’, will last 130 days, carrying the torch 137,000 km - the longest distance of any Olympic torch relay. The relay will begin on March 25, 2008, in Greek city Olympia. From there, it will travel across Greece to Panathinaiko Stadium of Athens and then to Beijing, arriving on March 31. From Beijing, the torch will follow a route passing through every continent except Antarctica, Ambassador Luo said. - Internews

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Thursday, January 31st, 2008

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