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President Zardari confers 47 military awards to recognise valour, services of officers, soldiers

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday conferred 47 military awards upon distinguished officers and soldiers to recognize their exceptional bravery, leadership and meritorious services rendered for the defense of the country.

The awards were conferred at the Investiture Ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr that was attended by First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, government dignitaries and families of the award recipients.

Three personnel, including one officer and two jawans who embraced martyrdom in the line of duty, were posthumously awarded Sitara-i-Basalat for acts of gallantry and sacrifice.

The recipients included Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Ali Shaukat Shaheed, Sepoy Soban Majeed Baloch Shaheed and Sepoy Israr Muhammad Shaheed.

The President also conferred Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military) upon 44 senior officers of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The awards recognised their outstanding leadership and meritorious services.

Among the recipients from the Pakistan Air Force were Air Marshal Kashif Qamar, Air Marshal Amir Shahzad, Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Amir Hayat, Air Vice Marshal Shahid Mansoor Jehangiri, Air Vice Marshal Khalid Mehmood and Air Vice Marshal Tahir Mahmood.

From the Pakistan Army, the awardees included Major General Muhammad Shahid Abro, Major General Malik Maqbool Raza, Major General Sibtain Rafique, Major General Ijaz Ahmad, Major General Malik Mohammad Shahzad, Major General Amer Ashfaq Kayani, Major General Qaiser Suleman, Major General Omer Naseem, Major General Luqman Hafeez, Major General Aamer Amin, Major General Syed Imran Arif, Major General Haroon Hameed Chaudhary, Major General Waseem Iftikhar Cheema, Major General Muhammad Hussain, Major General Shoaib Bin Akram, Major General Yasir Nawaz Janjua, Major General Kashif Khalil, Major General Syed Abbas Ali, Major General Ahmad Kamal, Major General Kashif Abdullah, Major General Rana Arfan Shakeel Ramay, Major General Muhammad Abbas, Major General Anjum Riaz, Major General Atique Ahmed, Major General Naveed Ahmed, Major General Sajid Amin, Major General Muhammad Intikhab Alam, Major General Muhammad Shahzad Khan, Major General Shahid Amir Afsar, Major General Nisar Ul Haq and Major General Jawad Riaz.

The officers from the Pakistan Navy who received Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military) included Rear Admiral Mazhar Mahmood Malik, Director General Medical Services Rear Admiral Rizwan Sadiq, Rear Admiral Adnan Majeed, Rear Admiral Shahzad Hamid, Rear Admiral Azhar Mahmood, Rear Admiral Shahzad Iqbal and Rear Admiral Muhammad Khalid.

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Health minister orders probe into Sindh MDCAT complaints

ISLAMABAD:Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal has taken notice of alleged irregularities in the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) held in Sindh and ordered a comprehensive inquiry into the complaints.

According to official sources, the minister directed a five-member committee, including the President of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), to conduct a transparent investigation and submit its report within 15 days.

The committee has been tasked with examining the complaints and reviewing the circumstances surrounding the alleged irregularities during the examination, sources said.

The minister directed the committee to complete the inquiry within the stipulated timeframe and present its findings for further action in accordance with the applicable rules.

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CDA chairman directs faster work on Expressway East project

ISLAMABAD: Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Sohail Ashraf has directed officials to accelerate work on the Islamabad Expressway Service Road East project while ensuring strict compliance with approved designs and construction standards.

During an inspection of the project on Saturday, the chairman reviewed progress and was briefed on ongoing works and the next phase of development.

He directed the project director and relevant departments to maintain continuous field monitoring and quality control and ensure effective traffic management to minimise inconvenience to commuters.

The chairman described the Expressway East project as an important infrastructure scheme for improving connectivity, traffic flow and road capacity in the capital. He also stressed that construction quality should not be compromised in efforts to meet the project timeline.

During the visit, he was also briefed on an ongoing enforcement operation against unauthorised and illegal construction along the Islamabad Expressway.

According to the CDA, 377 buildings have been identified for action, including 281 commercial structures. So far, 58 buildings have been sealed, while 124 buildings between Sohan and Khanna bridges have been marked for demolition.

The authority said Rs234.685 million had been recovered through land-use conversion, unauthorised construction and de-sealing charges. Around Rs3 billion remained recoverable under applicable regulations in connection with land-use conversion and violations relating to unauthorised construction, setbacks, floor area ratio and covered area.

The chairman directed the relevant departments to ensure strict enforcement of building-control and land-use regulations, particularly mandatory fire-safety requirements.

The enforcement operation is being conducted by the CDA’s Building Control Section and Enforcement Directorate in coordination with the district administration and Islamabad police.

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GB ministers call on Governor Kundi

PESHAWAR: Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi on Saturday held a meeting with a delegation of Gilgit-Baltistan ministers at the Governor’s House here and discussed the country’s political situation and other matters of mutual interest.

The delegation comprised Gilgit-Baltistan Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Zulfiqar Ali Murad, Minister for Health Iqbal Hassan and Minister for Education Aman Ali Ameer.

During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on the prevailing political situation in the country and various issues of mutual interest. They also discussed the recent elections in Gilgit-Baltistan and the Pakistan Peoples Party’s success in the polls.

The visiting ministers were taken on a tour of the Governor’s House. Governor Kundi presented them with traditional shawls and caps.