Pakistan president gives Rs 0.5m cheque to youngest IT professional of world
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
Maverick Report
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday invited Babar Iqbal, the youngest IT professional of the world, to the President House here and awarded him Rs 0.5 million cheque for grabbing four world records in the fields of computer science and information technology.
National Assembly Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi was also present on the occasion.
Babar Iqbal of Pakistan, who is called 'cyber kid', is the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional, Certified Internet Web Professional, Certified Wireless Network Administrator and the Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist in the world. Currently, he works as Technical Coordinator Microsoft Imagine Cup Gulf.
President Zardari said that the nation has high hopes from young generation, who are capable of bringing laurels to the country in all fields of excellence. He appreciated Babar Iqbal for his professional expertise attained at such a young age. He said the Pakistani youth has ample potential to flourish provided they are provided opportunities.
Pakistani minister pays tributes to party workers hang by Zia regime in 1984
Maverick Report
ISLAMABAD: Usman Ghani and Idrees Toti, two workers of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) who were hanged by Zia regime on August 6, 1984, laid with their blood the foundations for a representative democracy and progressive Pakistan.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira stated this while paying tributes to the young political workers in a message on the occasion of their death anniversary being observed today (Thursday).
The PPP workers were hanged by Zia regime for protesting against the judicial murder of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
In his message, Kaira said: "The democratic government of the Pakistan recognises the sufferings, struggle and sacrifices rendered by the conscious political workers, intelligentsia and academics to construct a progressive, pluralistic and democratic Pakistan."
The minister for information also paid tributes to Shahida Jabeen, sister of Usman Ghani, for her relentless struggle towards a just and prosperous Pakistan under the PPP banner.
Usman Ghani (17) and Idress Toti (21), residents of Dharampura locality of Lahore, were hanged by the Zia regime at Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore.
Pakistan looking for world support to rehabilitate IDPs
Maverick Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is looking for support and assistance of the world community to overcome the gigantic task of rehabilitation of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) and reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure in Malakand and Swat.
President Asif Ali Zardari stated this while talking to Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali Khan, who called on him at the President House here Wednesday. During the meeting, the matters pertaining to the ruling coalition, law & order and security situation, particularly in the North West Frontier Province, were discussed. The relief and rehabilitation measures and the return of displaced people to their homes also came under discussion.
President Zardari said the government is working on Malakand Pilot Project, a five-year plan of action providing for not only rehabilitation and reconstruction of Malakand but also to address the root causes of extremism and militancy. The Malakand Pilot Project would be presented to all Friends of Democratic Pakistan partners for their consideration next week, he said.
Zardari said the government would ensure the safe return of displaced people to their homes and the damaged infrastructure was being rehabilitated on priority basis.
Pakistani envoy-designate advised to intensify economic diplomacy
Maverick Report
ISLAMABAD: It is time that Pakistani diplomats intensify the economic diplomacy for furthering the economic interests of the country as an essential component of the foreign policy, President Asif Ali Zardari stated this while talking to the ambassadors-designate here on Wednesday.
Pakistan's ambassadors-designate to Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Bulgaria including Shahid M G Kiani, Umer Khan Ali Sherzai, Prof Dr Syed Alqama and Ms Kausar Ahsan Iqbal called on President Zardari at the President House separately and discussed with him the matters relating to their new assignments.
A S Babar Hashim, consul general-designate to New York and Amjad Ali Sher, consull general-designate to Dubai also called on President Zardari. The president advised the newly appointed envoys to work for further strengthening the political, economic and trade relations between Pakistan and the countries of their posting.
The ambassadors-designate thanked President Zardari for the confidence reposed in them and assured that they would utilise all their capabilities to give a boost to Pakistan's bilateral ties with Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Bulgaria.
52% Pakistanis own a wristwatch, 50% wear it all the time: survey
Maverick Report
ISLAMABAD: More than half of all Pakistanis (52 per cent) claimed to own a wristwatch as compared to 34 per cent who said they do not while a higher percentage of men (63 per cent) than women (37 per cent) own a wristwatch, says a latest survey released here on Wednesday.
According to a Gilani Research Foundation survey, amongst those who own a wristwatch, 50 per cent wear it all the time, 23 per cent wear it when they go out, 15 per cent claimed they seldom wear wristwatch and five per cent said they wear it when they leave for work. Interestingly six per cent respondents said they do not ever wear it.
Thirty-five per cent respondents said they use a wall clock or some other time piece to check the time, 32 per cent use their wristwatches, 14 per cent use their mobile phone, eight per cent just ask someone else and 11 per cent seldom need to know the time or gave no response.
A nationally representative sample of men and women from across the country was asked: "Do you own a wrist watch?"
To find out how often people wear their wristwatches, the respondents who claimed to own a wristwatch were asked: "Usually when do you wear your wrist watch?"
Majority (50 per cent) said they always wear it, 23 per cent said they wear their wristwatch when they go out. Fifteen per cent claimed they seldom wear wristwatch and five per cent said they wear it when they leave for work.
Interestingly amongst those who earlier claimed to own a wristwatch, six per cent said they do not ever wear it. One per cent gave no response.
The data reveals that a significantly higher percentage of rural people (61 per cent) and men (59 per cent) wear their wristwatches all the time as compared to the urbanites and women who usually wear their wristwatches when stepping out of the house.
The study was released by Gilani Research Foundation and carried out by Gallup Pakistan, the Pakistani affiliate of Gallup International. The latest survey was carried out among a sample of 2,087 men and women in rural and urban areas of all four provinces of Pakistan. Error margin is estimated to be approximately +2-3 per cent at 95 per cent confidence level.
