UK Minister, Lord Tariq of Wimbledon Visits Fatima Jinnah Women University to Discuss British Council's Active Citizens Programme

UK Minister, Lord Tariq of Wimbledon Visits Fatima Jinnah Women University to Discuss British Council's Active Citizens Programme

The Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon was in Pakistan for two-day visit. He took part in a discussion panel of British Council's Active Citizens Programme held at Fatima Jinnah Women University on 19th February.

The British Council is working with HEC under British Council's Active Citizens Programme to help students of all Pakistani universities to take positive actions for development of local communities nationwide and worldwide. Training on inclusion and tolerance will be given to the undergraduate students under this programme. Lord Tariq invited the 2017-18 Chevening and Commonwealth scholars at British High Commissioner's residence in Islamabad for a reception.

The students who had recently returned from the UK after completing one year master degree (under fully funded Chevening scholarships programme) met with Lord Tariq at the reception. Lord Tariq said, I am delighted to be back in Pakistan to see and hear about the strength of the UK-Pakistan partnership, I was also pleased to welcome back to Chevening and Commonwealth scholars back to Pakistan, and congratulate them on completing their masters' degrees and PhD programmes in the UK. Pakistan remains one of the top priority countries for the Commonwealth and for Chevening programmes, and these scholars are an evidence to the education links between the UK and Pakistan’.

‘1st South Asia Conference on Earthquake Engineering’ held at the NED University of Engineering and Technology

The ‘1st South Asia Conference o Earthquake Engineering’ held at the NED University of Engineering and Technology on Wednesday. Karachi City Mayor Wasim Akhtar attended the conference as a chief guest. He said, ‘In the last few years, we have been hit by major catastrophes, including the earthquake in 2005, and floods in 2007, 2010 and 2011. Unfortunately, despite this spate of catastrophic natural disasters, no attentions, or resources, are being given to [address] the issue’.

The VC of NED University Dr Sarosh Lodhi, Patchamuthu Illangovan, country director of the World Bank in Pakistan, faculty members and students attended the conference. The VC while addressing at the conference said that it will serve as a platform to understand latest breakthroughs happening in earthquake engineering field and disaster management so that the concerned departments and stake holders can take benefit from it by implementation.

The VC commended the efforts of the NED’s Department of Earthquake Engineering in addressing Pakistan’s vulnerability to earthquakes through organizing this conference to come up with solutions and measures for earthquake prevention. The Karachi City Mayor Wasim Akhtar said, ‘Pakistan is being ranked at 8th place in countries facing natural disasters list but 95% of buildings are not constructed in accordance to disaster prevention’.

It is imperative that private and public sectors address this issue and come together to come up with solutions and preventive measures in case of any natural disaster. Our technical departments and organization must be ready all the time. Natural Disaster Prevention departments should must be improved and enhanced; there is need of much progress and implementation the Mayor said.