Author: Arshad Yousafzai

On Kashmiri Women’s Resistance Day, the Department of Psychology, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (UAJK) in collaboration with Kashmir Policy Research Institute (KPRI) organized a seminar that brought together a diverse range of speakers to discuss the experiences and contributions of Kashmiri women in the ongoing struggle for freedom and self-determination in the occupied valley.

According to a press release issued by the Public Relation Department of UAJK, the seminar was graced by several notable speakers, including Ms Nisaran Abbasi MLA, Dr Ayesha Sohail Registrar UAJK, Dr Raja Muhammad Sajjad Khan Director KPRI, Dr Samina Sabir Khan Chairperson Department of Psychology, Dr Sumera Shafique Director Institute of Kashmir Studies, Ms Madeha Shakeel Department of International Relations and others.

The event provided a platform for these experts to share their perspectives, research, and insights on the topic of Kashmiri women’s resistance, as well as to highlight the challenges faced by women in the held territory and the ways in which they have contributed to the ongoing struggle for justice and freedom.

One of the key themes that emerged from the seminar was the importance of recognizing and valuing the contributions of Kashmiri women to the struggle for freedom and self-determination.

The speakers emphasized that while women have often been marginalized in discussions about Kashmiri resistance, they have played a critical role in shaping the movement and advocating for their deprived fundamental rights. From organizing protests and mobilizing support to providing care and support to those affected by violence and oppression, women have been at the forefront of the struggle for justice and freedom in Kashmir.

Another important theme that emerged from the seminar was the challenges faced by Kashmiri women in the context of ongoing conflict and violence by the Indian military and paramilitary forces. Speakers discussed the impact of conflict on women’s physical and mental health, as well as the ways in which gender-based violence is used as a tool of repression and control in the region.

They also highlighted the ways in which women are often excluded from decision-making processes and political institutions, further marginalizing their voices and perspectives. Despite these challenges, however, the seminar also emphasized the resilience and determination of Kashmiri women in the face of oppression and violence.

The speakers highlighted the ways in which women have organized and mobilized to advocate for their rights and the rights of their communities, often at great personal risk. They also discussed the importance of creating spaces for women’s voices to be heard, and the need to continue supporting women’s empowerment and leadership in the struggle for justice and freedom in Kashmir.

Overall, the seminar on Kashmiri Women’s Resistance Day was a powerful reminder of the importance of recognizing and valuing the contributions of Kashmiri women to the ongoing struggle for freedom and self-determination in the region. It provided a platform for experts to share their perspectives, research, and insights on this critical topic, and highlighted the challenges and opportunities for advancing women’s rights and empowerment in the context of ongoing conflict and violence.

Related: UAJK observed Kashmir Solidarity Day

The Finance and Planning Committee of Gwadar University, under the chairmanship of Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Abdul Razzaq Sabir, held its 3rd meeting approving retirement plans and health allowances of its employees.

The meeting was attended by the members of the Syndicate containing Dostain Khan Jamaldini Seeceratary Local Government Government of Balochistan, UG Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Syed Manzoor Ahmed, Registrar Dolat Khan, Director Finance Shafi Muhammad, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences Prof Dr Jan Muhammad, director QEC Dr Kambar Farooq, Lecturer Mujahid Hussain UG’s Acting controller Examinations Mujahid Hussain and Madam Sadia Naseer also participated.

Vice-Chancellor said that his institution was committed to sticking to financial rules and regulations for the transparent utilization of public funds in promoting higher education in the region.

He said financial discipline was considered very important for the development of any institution and the University of Gwadar would never compromise on financial discipline and it must be observed at any cost.

The meeting confirmed the minutes of the 1st meeting of the Syndicate, the 2nd meeting of the academic council, and the 2nd meeting of the Finance and Planning Committee, Budget Estimates for FY 2023-24, Annual Report of the University for the year 2023, fee structure and salary for the teaching fellows and visiting teaching staff, and hardship allowances to the employees.

The members of the syndicate expressed their satisfaction that keeping the university’s interest and stability on priority, the important academic and administrative matters of the institution are being resolved according to the decisions of the statuary bodies which will open new pathways for further growth.

In the end, Vice-Chancellor thanked the participants of the meeting for their active participation and suggestions for the development of Gwadar University and presented them with the commemorative shield.

Related: Gwadar University expands its premises and academic programs

Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) has started research on indigenous and non-native species of vegetables and prioritized the research on new varieties and expansion of certified seeds of vegetables to replace the hybrids with high-yielding local crops.

The research work has been started through the “Characterization and identification of early maturing and high yielding chickpea genotypes” and “Genetic characterization, evaluation and selection of onion germplasm entries for resistance to onion thrips” projects, under the supervision of experts of the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Crop Production, Sindh Agriculture University, with the support of Sindh Higher Education Commission (SHEC) Karachi and National Research Program for Universities (NRPU) Higher Education Commission (HEC) Islamabad.

The research is being done on short-duration and high-yielding winter vegetables including gram, onion, peas, carrot, turnip, radish, garlic, spinach, fenugreek, and coriander.

In this regard a study event was held at the experimental field which was attended by Dean of Crop Production Faculty Dr Inayatullah Rajpar, Dean of Crop Protection Faculty Dr Manzoor Ali Abro, Dean of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences Faculty Dr Ghiyasuddin Shah Rashidi, Director of Institute of Food Sciences and Technologies Dr Aijaz Ali Soomro, Chairman of the department Agronomy Dr Aijaz Soomro and a large number of Teachers and Students.

While giving a briefing, Dr Shahnawaz Marri, Dr Wajid Ali Jatoi, and Dr Tanveer Fatah Abro said that with the support of Sindh HEC, they have started research on different vegetables including 35 varieties of gram from Sindh, Punjab, and Egypt, and university experts along with students are researching on high yielding short term vegetable varieties, which is expected to yield positive results.

They told that under the “Genetic characterization, evaluation and selection of onion germplasm entries for resistance to onion thrips” project with the support of the National Research Program for Universities (NRPU) Higher Education Commission, Islamabad, SAU is researching on 12 different onion varieties of Sindh, Punjab, KPK and Balochistan, as well as different vegetable varieties as per Sindh climate, while research work is also being done on new sunflower and wheat commodities in the field.

On this occasion, Deans expressed their satisfaction with the research work and said that the research work on local crops instead of hybrid seeds will fulfill the demand of the farmers for certified vegetable seeds, and the local crops will be promoted, while also increasing the production.

During the ceremony, Dr Zahoor Soomro, Dr Shabana Memon, Dr Nasreen Fatima, Dr Muniza Baloch, Tanveer Ahmed Soomro, Irfan Ali Baloch, teachers, and a large number of students were present.

Related: SAU holds painting competitions related to agriculture

The Department of Botany of the University of Karachi (UoK) arranged a one-day seminar on biodiversity: conservation issues and challenges at the Arts Auditorium on Wednesday.

The Director General of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIOPK), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of Pakistan, Dr Samina Kidwai while highlighting the marine biodiversity and ecosystems – importance and management systems informed the audience that biodiversity is important for the wellbeing of the planet and contributes in three ways, through keeping ecological stability, economic wellbeing and has ethical importance. All life has a right to exist and it is the current generation’s responsibility that we leave behind a steady and healthy legacy.

She mentioned that the earth is more than 4. 6 million years old and early life began in the aquatic environment and the earliest evidence of life was reported in the hydrothermal ponds of Yellowstone National Park, in the United States of America.

“Ecosystems compose of physical-chemical-biological processes active within a space-time unit and human beings are also part of the earth’s ecosystem. There are roughly 250,000 species reported from the marine ecosystems worldwide, with almost 1.7 million taxonomic names.”

During her talk, Dr Samina Kidwai focused on biodiversity on the planet in general, genetic material, species, and ecosystems, and especially mentioned marine biodiversity, the coastal zones, and ecosystems.

She also talked about the Pakistan coast and shared its main ecosystems. She said that the current decade is designated by the UN as the Decade for Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030, and stressed the significance of listing species and mapping them.

Another speaker, Naghmana Zafar from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) mentioned that the cause of conservation of biodiversity can be achieved by adopting the principles of a ‘blue economy’ – while the sea is critical for maintaining a balance of life on plant earth, the main focus of addressing biodiversity and conservation challenges should be the oceans and seas.

She shared that ingredients for blue growth are already available in abundance in Pakistan, however, to develop this sector there is a need to enhance the capacity of all stakeholders while also taking along the emerging security needs at national and international levels.

Naghmana Zafar advised that Pakistan should follow European Union integrated maritime policy to build up close cooperation between decision-makers in the different sectors at all levels of government – national maritime authorities, regional and local authorities, and international authorities.

The KU Dean Faculty of Science Prof Dr Samina Bano said that Pakistan is rich in biodiversity as it is home to more than 1, 250 species of plants and animals. However, she mentioned that deforestation, soil erosion, salinity, and waterlogging have become major threats to biodiversity in the country.

“We have a number of the world’s rarest animals and plants but now they are in danger from habitat loss and overuse coupled with the rising population. All species on the earth depend on each other, so by conserving biodiversity, we can conserve life on earth”.

On this occasion, the KU Director Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization Prof Dr Bilquess Gul said that biodiversity is essential for the processes that support all life on earth and without a wide range of animals, plants, and microorganisms because we cannot have the healthy ecosystems without them.

She mentioned that biodiversity conservation is the protection and management of biodiversity to obtain resources for sustainable development. The main objectives are to preserve the diversity of species, sustainable utilization of species and ecosystem, and pressures on biodiversity continue to increase. The key pressures driving biodiversity loss are overexploitation of species, invasive alien species, pollution, climate change, and especially the degradation, fragmentation, and destruction of habitats.

Meanwhile, the Chairperson KU Department of Botany Prof Dr Rubina Abid emphasized the conservation of biodiversity and shared that biodiversity simply is the life present on earth in any form. So, the loss of biodiversity means we are losing a life.

“It’s a well-known fact that plants are the lungs of the earth, they are the first component of the life chain and shelter for many other species and eliminating a single plant from a habitat results in the elimination of birds, insects, and animals that are associated with that particular plant. So, to conserve biodiversity, it is important to conserve plants.”

She expressed that unfortunately with the increase in urbanization and industrialization, we are cutting forests at a fast pace, we are even cutting mountains to make societies in the suburbs of Karachi, and disturbing the natural habitat of various species.

Dr Rubina said that we are declining the environment and causing a great loss of biodiversity. This loss of biodiversity results in climatic change and natural disasters. We can see the change in the climate of our city in the past two decades. The climate of Karachi has converted from temperate to extreme, and recently Pakistan has faced massive floods in its history and faced huge economic and human life loss.

According to her, there may be conflicting goals between different stakeholders involved in conservation efforts, such as between conservationists and local communities who depend on natural resources for their livelihoods. Climate change is causing significant changes to ecosystems and can make it difficult to protect and conserve biodiversity.

“Poaching and the illegal wildlife trade are significant threats to many species, particularly in developing countries. Invasive species can outcompete and displace native species, leading to the loss of biodiversity.”

Earlier, the seminar organizer, Dr Sadaf Gul highlighted the challenges faced by people who want to conserve biodiversity. She said that creating awareness among local people is essential to achieve the goals, besides taking practical measures by governmental and non-governmental organizations.

She mentioned that addressing these challenges will require a range of approaches, including stronger policies and regulations, increased funding for conservation efforts, improved knowledge and understanding of biodiversity, and collaboration between stakeholders with different interests and goals. “The conservation of biodiversity is a complex and ongoing process that requires ongoing effort and attention.”

She shared that the conservation of biodiversity is important to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of ecosystems and the services they provide. She informed the audience that the Department of Botany is among the eminent departments of the University of Karachi.

Dr Sadaf said that the teachers of botany have completed about 65 research projects with the support of national and international funding agencies, currently, several research projects are in progress. More than 2600 research papers have been published in the journal of international repute by the teachers and researchers of the department.

The seminar was appreciated by the scientists as well as a large number of students. Participants emphasized the need for such programs to be held regularly for awareness purposes.

Related: Pakistani cricketer Asad Shafiq becomes student at UoK

ILMA University and Defense Housing Authority (DHA) Karachi signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for scholarships to the employees, DHA members & their children.

The MoU aims to promote academic excellence and facilitate access to quality education for the community. As part of the partnership, both  will work together to identify deserving candidates and offer scholarships in various disciplines, including business, software engineering, computer science, media, and fashion design.

The ceremony was attended by senior officials of both the organizations, including Vice-Chancellor ILMA University, Prof Dr Mansoor uz Zafar Dawood, Director Quality Assurance Fawwad Mahmood Butt, Head of Alumni & Placements Sajida Qureshi, while DHA was represented by Director Marketing & PR Col (R) Kashif Afzal and other team members. Speaking on the occasion, Col (R) Kashif Afzal highlighted the importance of collaboration between academic institutions and industry partners for the development of human resources in the country.

Prof Dr Mansoor uz Zafar Dawood expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership and highlighted the role of education in promoting economic development and social progress in the community. He said, “We are pleased to partner with DHA Karachi for scholarships internships, job opportunities, promotion of sports, joint academic research and joint CSR initiatives. More information can be gained from the Ilma University’s website”.

Related: Vice Chancellors of SMIU and Ilma University sign MoU

Sindh Madresssatul Islam University (SMIU) and NEP NIC Karachi X Circle Women jointly held the graduation ceremony of the 1st and 2nd Cohort for their Digital Acceleration Program for Women at the premises of SMIU.

The ceremony held at Senate Hall of SMIU started with a welcome address for esteemed guests including Ms Sadaffe Abid, CEO Circle Women, Ms Kamyla Marvi Tapal, the Director of British Asian Trust Pakistan, Mr Umair Ahmed Khan, Incubation Manager NEP NIC Karachi, Dr Amir Iqbal Umrani Director ORIC SMIU and the entire team of Circle Women.

Ms Sadaffe Abid, CEO Circle Women addressed the participants regarding women’s empowerment and commend their efforts.

Mr Umair Ahmed Khan, Incubation Manager NEP NIC Karachi welcomed everyone and gave a bird eye view of NEP NIC Karachi initiatives to promote entrepreneurs.

Dr Amir Iqbal Umrani, Director ORIC SMIU said that they support students as they can design, launch new business ideas and projects.

At the occasion, various female participants displayed their stalls in the Inner Courtyard of the varsity. They showcased their startups and business projects designed by their innovative and creative ideas.  In the end certificates were also distributed amongst all the graduate participants.

At the end of the ceremony Ms Sadaffe Abid and Mr Umair Ahmed Khan distributed the certificates among the participants. More than 150 women graduated through this platform which encourages them to be independent and understand their ability to influence the direction of social change in our society.

Related: SMIU holds orientation session for new students

A one day annual sports gala-2023 of the University of Sindh (SU) Jamshoro organized by the Institute of English Language & Literature (IELL) in collaboration with the Directorate of Sports ended here on Friday.

A large number of students from BS-I to BS-IV English linguistics and literature participated in the sports gala. A prize distribution ceremony was held and trophies were given to players and winning teams, while the Vice-Chancellor Prof (Meritorious Dr Muhammad Siddique Kalhoro who graced the closing ceremony with his presence as chief guest, PVC SU campus Thatta Prof Dr Rafique Ahmed Memon and Director IELL Prof Dr Muhammad Khan Sangi were decorated with Sindhi ajrak and sport’s cap by the students and faculty members.

Former Director IELL Prof. Dr Tariq Hasan Umrani, Dr Ellahi Bux Gopang, Dr Abdul Hameed Panhwar, Dr Ghulam Ali Buriro, Dr Faiz Brohi, Dr Ishrat Ranjhani, Dr Abdul Fatah Soomro and other faculty members and as many as 3000 Englicans [English students] were present on the occasion.

Addressing the closing ceremony, Sindh University Vice-Chancellor Dr Muhammad Siddique Kalhoro advised students to participate in sports activities so they can improve their physical fitness and academic performance. He urged teachers to instill in students a sense of faith, discipline, respect, and unity so they could develop into productive members of society. He said that the sports activities were crucial for students because they needed physical movement to stay mentally healthy and pursued their education for the benefit of the nation.

“The students are the nation’s future; consequently, we must do everything in our power to ensure that they are well-equipped to handle the challenges posed by global development”, he said and added that because a healthy body and mind went hand in hand, the varsity had been holding sporting events to help students succeed in maintaining their health and do their best for the country after they were passed out.

Dr Kalhoro asked the students to take part in establishing communication between their teachers and parents. They should prevail upon their parents to coordinate their faculty. He claimed that the varsity’s alumni were leading the charge to support the younger students in their pursuit of academic and athletic endeavors. “Due to the hundreds of its athletes who are well-known worldwide for their prowess and talents in sports like hockey, squash, and cricket, Pakistan is a recognized nation in the world of sports”, he said.

He emphasized that only academic development of students wasn’t an answer to the problems the country was facing, but there was a dire need to engage them in extracurricular activities. Dr Kalhoro said that sports inculcated enthusiasm, spirit and discipline among the students, adding that during the sports gala, the cricket, football, badminton and other games had been added to create sportsman spirit among the students. “I am elated to witness that the girls of the English institute are also playing cricket in a professional way. My best wishes are with all the players taking part in different games in today’s sports gala,” he said.

Dr Rafique Ahemd Memon said that the sports gala had become an important annual festivity of the IELL, adding that the young generation were the future leaders of the country and sports played an important role in grooming the personality.

Dr Muhammad Khan Sangi said that the institute will organize more sports events so as to keep the students physically healthy and mentally fit.

Related: Projects exhibition of final year students & job fair held at SU

The Iqra University (IU) in its 20th convocation on Thursday conferred 856 degrees on graduating students. A total of 15 gold medals were also awarded to PhD scholars and students of masters and bachelors for their extraordinary results.

Addressing the ceremony, the President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi said education and health were two basic sectors that played a key role in the development and prosperity of any country. China had made exemplary progress focusing on these two areas and Pakistan should also focus on ensuring high-quality education and health care to its people through modern technology and training, he added. He said the country had been facing tough times and the indicators in education, health, gender empowerment, and some other areas were unsatisfactory.

The president was of the view that cultural harmony was the strength of the Pakistani nation and the people of the country were proud of their cultural values. President Alvi said the graduating students should always respect their parents who did whatever they could to equip them with higher education. Modern technology had resulted in immense treasures of knowledge with access to education significantly increased, he said, adding that the youth need to develop analytical skills to benefit from the available knowledge resources. The world had evolved into an intellectual world and we should deal with it intellectually, the president remarked.

Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori said the Iqra University had been providing quality education to students for many years. He praised the late founder of the varsity, Hunaid Lakhani, for giving an exemplary institution to Pakistan. It was the dream of every patriotic Pakistani to see the country developed, stable, and prosperous, the governor said, adding that the youth were the biggest guarantors of the development and prosperity of Pakistan.

Kamran Khan Tessori advised the graduates that no matter what the circumstances were, they should not get disappointed and should always try to overcome difficulties with courage. “We are producing doctors and engineers, but we should also produce good human beings,” said the governor. He said that it was the government’s priority to provide better opportunities to the students of the province. Female students must start their professional careers after completing their studies, he added.

Iqra University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr Wasim Qazi told the graduating students that it was the day to celebrate their success and move towards their future development. He added that the Iqra University was a leading educational institution in Pakistan and had a strong reputation for providing high-quality education to its students.

Scholar and intellectual Arfa Sayeda Zehra said education was a journey and knowledge was its final destination. She added that the journey prepared the students for their life ahead. She stressed the need for proper training of the students so that they could lead fruitful lives and carry forward their esteemed values.

President of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Tariq Yousuf and others also expressed their views. Former President of Karachi Chamber of Commerce Muhammad Idris and Javed Memon of the D.G Higher Education Commission Sindh Noman Ahsan were also present on the occasion.

Related: IUNC organizes students’ drawing exhibition

During an interactive and engaging session at the ongoing Karachi Literature Festival (KLF), English Biscuit Manufacturers (EBM)‘s Peek Freans launched its much-awaited book of “Gluco Kahani Rhymes” along with renowned singer and songwriter Bilal Maqsood.

The Gluco Kahani platform was created in collaboration with Bilal Maqsood with the inspiration to create rhymes for children in the Urdu language. The aim was to create purposeful content under the umbrella of Peek Freans Gluco for the benefit of our future generation. Since its premiere in March 2022, the initiative so far has received a phenomenal response, racking up over 22 million views and 95 million impressions on YouTube & over 15 million impressions on Facebook. Gluco Kahani aims to be the vehicle which attracts children to view content in our native language, using easy-to-understand rhymes that helps little ones build vocabulary.

“We wanted to show that nourishment can be fun, entertaining, and memorable. This belief led us on the journey of making learning Urdu fun” said Shahzain Munir, Executive Director at EBM, in a statement. “We saw the opportunity to convert the rhymes into a book format to help inculcate the habit of reading in Urdu in a way that both parents and children will enjoy.”

Peek Freans Gluco is a generational brand, having been trusted by mothers for over 30 years as being the first biscuit for their children that provides wholesome nourishment. To keep strengthening the bond with its consumers, the same stories/rhymes have been made available in book form to allow children to see the fun side of our beautiful language with lovable Gluco characters. The stories are designed to help parents engage and laugh with their children as they learn counting in Urdu with Haathi, run along the jungle with Khargosh and learn the power of helping others with Chirya. There is a QR code on each page to link with the online video and content.

When asked about his views regarding the project, well known singer, Bilal Maqsood said: “This was a dream project for me. I partnered with Peek Freans Gluco of EBM to compose, write, and sing nine original Urdu nursery rhymes for children to play my part in giving our children something to hold on to while growing up – something that’ll keep them connected to their language and cultural values without losing the element of learning with fun.”

The session ended on the note that various elements of society must work in tandem to ensure the availability and proper distribution of Urdu content for the sake of our younger generation.

Related: 14th KLF explores possibilities and solutions in these unprecedent times

An orientation session for newly admitted undergraduate and postgraduate students was held at Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMIU) Karachi on Thursday, to brief them about the university’s rules and regulations, facilities available on campus and the faculty.

Dean of Faculty of Business Administration and commerce Dr Jamshed Adil Halepoto and Dean Social Science Dr Zahid Ali Channr while welcoming new entrants, congratulated them for becoming a part of this historical and one of the old institution and hoped that these students will serve to this nation with their skills and become useful and pride citizen of this country.

Highlighting the university’s efforts for quality education, Dr Jamshed Adil said SMIU is providing quality education by facilitating students with modern technologies equipped classrooms and advanced labs. Dr Halepoto said the environment of SMIU is much different than other public sector universities. We urge our students to follow discipline, he said and added further “After getting admission at SMIU burden of responsibilities now lies on their shoulders”.

Dr Zahid Ali Channar said we provide an environment that enables students to develop their academic skills excellently and this institution endeavours to achieve professionalism and demands a sense of responsibility from our students. A very small number of students get enrolled in the university and you are among those lucky entrance who study at the university level, he said further.

Dr Saima Tabassum Chairperson Faculty of Management, Business Administration and Commerce, Dr Ambreen Azeez Chairperson Department of Media and Communication Studies, Dr Riaz Ahmed Mangrio Chairperson Allied Department were also spoke on the occasion.

Manager Directorate of Students Affairs and Counselling Zonaira Jalali briefed the students about rules and regulations and provided them with guidelines. She also spoke about important academic, administrative rules, scholarships and the introduction of various facilities available at the campus.

Later on, new students visited various sections of the university including library, Radio and TV studios, labs and classrooms.

Related: Vice Chancellors of SMIU and Ilma University sign MoU