Peshawar, Bannu industrial parks
get approval

on 16/02/2023

The Small Industries Development Board (SIDB), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has approved four industrial parks in the province.
Communication of the board said the Board of Directors (BoD) of the SIDB KP accorded approval to the establishment of four new industrial parks beside the master plan of the board.
The board has further directed the management of the SIDB to publicize plots in the Peshawar industrial Park with immediate effect besides local, overseas investors should also be given the opportunity on a priority basis.
The board has also identified prioritized sectors for the establishment of units in the Peshawar industrial Park that include agriculture, surgical, sports, carpet manufacturing, solar panel, mobile phone, automobile, and cycle manufacturing units.
The board has also been directed to ensure land acquisition for the Small industrial Park Peshawar and another 1,250 Kanal land for the Small industrial Park Bannu near Kasho Bridge connected to china Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) route as soon as possible.

Unity of Engineers
as a Nation

on 16/02/2023

The infrastructure to the socio-economic life cycle of any country lies in correlation with its engineering sector. Engineers are like the building blocks in the development of any country and nation. Unfortunately, in Pakistan engineering is weak and in the most deprived condition at the moment. Many engineering societies, organizations, and groups are portraying their struggles to revive the engineering sector. But on the contrary, no tangible steps have been taken by any of these well-established and greatly funded organizations. The members of these organizations are mostly young engineering graduates or students. But the heads of these organizations are obsolete and belong to the archaic school of thought which makes them the weakest pillars of the engineering sector.
Pakistan is in dire straits economically, financially, and socially. At this time this nation needs to be uplifted in every aspect of life. We can say this time, these hardships could be a blessing in disguise. Because nation-building process starts usually when the nations face difficult times, which could be dangerous for their existence
Almost every engineer got the same repentance as the whole community is facing similar issues but failed in propagating their voice as a whole just because of lack of unity. The word “Unity” doesn’t means having huge representation on roads only but it also means uniting the thoughts and channelize them through different platforms in the most effective ways devised by the engineers themselves. We as a nation are diverted from our roots and in the same way every community is also fractionated in terms of different belongings, different universities, even for different political beliefs, highs, and lows under the umbrella of different organizations with almost same manifestos. In order to eradicate these divisions we all have to rethink our mindsets and clean the mind lens. But this time based on similarities as we all want to see development in every sector of our country. We all want to be independent, we all want to see the happy faces of engineers, we all want to see our country competing with the first world, and a lot more similarities from our appearance to our thinking and beliefs. These similarities should be the basis for a rethink because it will convert these divisions to integrations by eradicating a few dissimilarities and hence the nations will start building up.
My humble message to the of my whole engineering community of Pakistan is “Let’s join our hands together as the profession needs us. Together we can change the fate of this reeling engineering profession just by changing the way of our thinking, the approach towards dealing with the differences, the real recognition of politics in engineering disciplines or at the country level, and by distinguishing the good from the bad.

NTDC investment of Rs370 bn has Rs264 billion for Punjab

on 16/02/2023

National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) plans to invest a huge sum to the tune of Rs 369 billion. This investment, a report says for its system/projects to care for up till 2025, suggests the company’s proposed three years investment plan.
As per the NTDC petition submitted to National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, the NTDC has also submitted a losses assessment for the tariff control period from 2022-23 to 2024-25.
NTDC has filed its investment plan and losses assessment for the tariff control period from 2022-23 to 2024-25 as per section 32 of the NEPRA Act.
According to the investment plan 2022-23 to 2024-25, NTDC will invest more than Rs369.22 billion in three years in power evacuation projects, system constraints through rehabilitation & system expansion, investment in Special Economic Zones, and other investment related to ERP, SCADA, SMS, GIS conversion, protection upgradation, SVC & BESS.
The NTDC will invest Rs 114.303 billion in 2023, Rs 145.355 billion in 2024, and in the year 2025, it will invest Rs 109.563 billion in the system.
Of the total proposed investment 45pc will go to power evacuation projects, followed by system constraints through rehabilitation & system expansion 43pc, 6pc each for investment in Special Economic Zones (Dhabeji, Haripure, Swabi, Lahore, and Faisalabad) and other investments related to ERP, SCADA, SMS, GIS conversion, protection upgradation, SVC & BESS.
A major portion of the proposed investment Rs 167.135 billion will go to power evacuation projects, followed by system constraints through rehabilitation & system expansion Rs 157.796 billion, Rs 23.590 billion investment in Special Economic Zones (Dhabeji, Haripure, Swabi, Lahore, and Faisalabad) and other investment related to ERP, SCADA, SMS, GIS conversion, protection upgradation, SVC & BESS.
The main focus of the proposed investment will be in Punjab province where Rs 164.579 billion will be spent, Rs 134.935 billion will be spent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Rs 12.28 billion will be spent in Balochistan and Rs 23.53 billion investment will be done in Sindh during next three years. There will be another investment of Rs 33.883b. — ERMD

Railways focuses on rehabilitating damaged tracks in Sindh, Balochistan

on 08/02/2023

While the rehabilitation of the flood-affected areas in Pakistan gets attention, Pakistan Railways seems to have turned its focus towards rehabilitating its infrastructure badly affected by the floods in two massively-hit provinces of Sindh and Balochistan.
Sindh and Balochistan received 500 and 400 percent more rain than their annual historic precipitation which played havoc with the infrastructure and livelihood of the people of these provinces, Even now, thousands of families look for rehabilitation there.
Pakistan Railways is supposed to get a sum of Rs 14 billion as part of the federal government effort for the rehabilitation of railway infrastructure massively damaged by the devastating rains and floods in Balochistan.
Railways officials reportedly claim the funds will specifically be utilized for the rebuilding of the railway infrastructure damaged in Balochistan province.
In the aftermath of rain-induced floods, Pakistan Railways suspended in August its train operations at various sections, mostly in Balochistan and Sindh, after the flash floods washed away the tracks in the provinces.
Moreover, train operations remained suspended during the second week of August at the Narowal-Sialkot section after the Nullah Dek overflowed and washed away the railway line. However, Pakistan Railways resumed these operations after reconstructing the affected track within a couple of days.
While at the end of November, three months after the floods in Balochistan, Pakistan Railways succeeded in restoring train operations linking the province with Sindh, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Coupled with the rehabilitation and rebuilding of railways damaged infrastructure, Pakistan Railways is also planning to restore all the closed sections in Balochistan province which could not only generate revenue for the department but also facilitate the masses.
“The decision will facilitate the local people of the province and also boost the business activities for the small business owners,” an official is quoted as saying in a report.
Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique, the report further says is keen in this regard and has directed the department for making a plan for the restoration of different sections to generate income in the province.
Pakistan Railways, as is being reported has also planned to initiate rehabilitation work on a 33-kilometer track through sleeper renewal between Quetta-Bostan and Quetta-Chaman sections.
“The track will not only facilitate the passengers but also connect three major cities of the province, officials told a state news agency.
They said the railway network in Balochistan province mainly consisted of Quetta Division having Dera Allah Yar-Sibi-Quetta, Quetta-Chaman, Sibi-Khost, Spezend-Dalbandin-Taftan, Bostan-Zhob which were closed for the last 15 years. The official said there were two passenger trains Jaffer Express (40Up, 39 Down) and Chaman Passenger (349Up, 350 Down) operating in Balochistan while no stations had been closed during the last 15 years in the Quetta division.
The overall length of the railway track in Balochistan was 1,470.36 kilometers including the closed Bostan-Zhob section. “Most of the track is more than 100 years old and on certain stretches, engineering speed restrictions have been imposed due to deferred maintenance and owing to resource constraints,” he said, adding that the routine maintenance of the track was being carried out with available resources.
To improve railway services in Balochistan, the department was taking several steps including approval of PC-I for the track’s rehabilitation and the rehabilitation of another 100-km track between Ahmedwal Dalbadin on the Quetta-Taftan section. The official said that rehabilitation work of the track between Nokundi Kohi-Taftan on QuettaTaftan section and 160.024 kilometers of track between BostanChaman on the Quetta-Chaman section would be carried out. – ERMD

Info Tech Ministry Launches Technology Park in Karachi
Over 20 thousand IT professionals will get
job opportunities, project costs Rs.42 bn

on 07/02/2023

Federal Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MOITT) has launched Pakistan’s largest Information Technology Park project in Karachi to make the city a gateway for an innovative future.
The foundation stone was laid by Federal Minister for IT Syed Amin-Ul-Haque in a ceremony held at the site near Karachi Airport.
More than 20,000 IT professionals will get job opportunities after the completion of this project costing an amount of PKR 42 billion.
Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Syed Amin-Ul-Haque congratulated the people of the province and country on the launch of the project.
He said MQM’s first priority whenever resources are available has been to launch projects of public interest, Karachi IT Park is a big example of this connection. Karachi IT Park is the largest IT project of its kind in Pakistan, which will benefit not only the citizens of Karachi but also the IT professionals and companies of Sindh and the rest of Pakistan. The project shall be completed in June 2026.
He also congratulated the entire team including the MOITT officials, and Pakistan Software Export Board for the IT Park project saying that their hard work day and night has played a major role. The dream of the Karachi IT Park project had to go through a long process. This dream has come true by overcoming all the difficulties to get the project approved.
Syed Amin-Ul-Haque said that the purpose of these parks is to provide a place where innovative businesses could develop and prosper. Most software technology/IT parks provide ample space for business development. Governments all over the world often invest in these technology parks to boost their regional and national economies. He said technology parks must comply with basic infrastructure requirements such as clean facilities and ample working space. However, tech parks are also equipped with the latest technology and telecommunication facilities that make it easy to establish and manage a business. The purpose of these parks is to provide a place where innovative businesses could develop and prosper. The main objective of technology parks is to support the creation and development of knowledge-based enterprises. The range of services offered by the parks is closely linked to the functions that they have to fulfill. The benefits of the technology parks are not limited to enterprises and tenants of the parks, but also companies outside the parks. The top 3 benefits of technology parks are: Boost in the knowledge-based economy, entrepreneurship, and the latest technologies.
IT Park Karachi is an eleven storeys (8 storeys above and 3 underground) self-contained building having covered areas of 106,449 square meters. The Technology park, Karachi is providing office space to approx. 225 startups and small to medium enterprises and other ancillary facilities like testing laboratories, classrooms, industry-academia linkage centers, and auditorium etc. It shall generate more than 20,000 jobs for IT professionals. Syed Amin-Ul-Haque further said that the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication has achieved many milestones in the last 4 years including a long list of policies. Syed Amin-Ul-Haque said that for the first time in Pakistan, smartphone manufacturing licenses were issued, under which 29 companies are now manufacturing smartphones and digital devices in Pakistan. National Incubation Centers were established in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta and recently in Faisalabad and Hyderabad as well. As a result of our initiatives, the volume of IT exports has reached $USD 2.62 billion, an increase of 47%, while 30 software technology parks (STPs) were established across the country under public-private partnership. With an increase of 800%, the amount of investment for Pakistani startups has reached $818 million in 4 years. Steps have been taken to provide IT training facilities of international standard to the fresh IT graduates. The Center of Excellence project for youth training at the University of Karachi is under consideration. We have registered 3.1 Million people in DG Skills program.
Former Federal Minister Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Special Assistant to CM for IT Ms Tanzeela Umm-Habiba, and Counsel General of South Korea to Pakistan Kim Haksung also addressed the ceremony. Earlier Member IT &caretaker MD Pakistan Software Export Board Syed Junaid Imam delivered the welcome speech and highlighted the salient features of the IT park project. The ceremony was also attended by MQM Members of the National and Provincial Assembly, Chief Secretary Sindh Dr. Muhammad Sohail Rajput, Federal and Provincial Secretary IT, academia, representatives of EXIM Bank Korea, officials of Pakistan Software House Association, Prominent Business and industrial personalities and professionals.n