The Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with several brands and companies to facilitate PEC-registered engineers to acquire services and facilities at concessionary rates.
In Lahore, the council’s PR Committee led by Engr Mukhtiar A. Shaikh signed four MoUs with various brands, companies, and health services. They include ChenOne, a known global brand, Engineers Accommodation Services located in Bhurban, Bukhari Travels, and NUST Hospital, Lahore.
A team of the committee including Engr. Abdul Qadir Shah, Engr. Abdul Rehman Shaikh, Engr. Mohsin Khan, Engr. Malik Malik, Nadeem Malik, Engr. Faisal Jawed, Engr. Khalil Shaikh and others visited Chen One head offices in Lahore where Mian Kashif, the CEO of the company welcomed the team. Both sides also looked into other possibilities of coordination keeping a view of a wide range of business activities of the group.
In this MoU, Chen One offered 20 percent concession on its products to all PEC engineers at over 40 outlets across Pakistan.
Besides ChenOne, engineers will also get 20 percent discount for Alley Group of Colleges, La Atrium and Sultan Basha (restaurants).
Another MoU was signed with Engr. Nadeem Malik, CEO United Engineering Society for concessionary accommodation at UES guest house in Bhurban. The company claims it is a quality accommodation where engineers will get a 30 percent discount. The committee members who visited Engr. Malik’s offices appreciated the offer.
The University of Lahore Hospital and Bukhari Travels were the next services that also offered concessions for engineers while acquiring their services. The former will give 21 percent and the latter will give 30 percent discount.
University of Lahore pro-rector Engr. Nasir Mehmood also promised to look into the possibility of giving a rebate of a certain percentage to the offspring of engineers in educational institutions of the university.
In Karachi, the committee signed an MoU with Essa Laboratory & Diagnostic Centre, a leading medical diagnostic service in Pakistan. The MoU was signed by Dr. Farha Essa Zaidi, Regional Head, East Zone, and Engr. Mukhtiar Shaikh, Vice Chairman Sindh. The Essa Laboratory will offer 10 to 30 percent concessions for diagnostic services to all engineers.
Moreover, Hashmanis Group of Hospitals has also given 20 to 40 percent discount on its services to engineers. An MoU was signed between Engr. Mukhtiar Shaikh and Mohammed Danish, Director Corporate of Hashmanis. — ER Report

A seminar on “Bridging the gap between Academia and Industry” was held at Haji Mehmood Senate Hall of Mehran University of Engineering & Technology.
The moot was attended by deans of faculties and academic heads of the university.
Waqas Qadeer Soomro, the founder, and CEO, SmartMentor.io was the guest speaker at the session.
During the event, an MoU between SmartMentor and MUET was signed for future collaborations on Academic Cooperation and empowerment of students with existing human capital, alumni, and Knowledge capital to create positive social impact.
Prof. Dr. Tauha Hussain Ali, Vice Chancellor MUET joined as the chief guest of the event coordinated by Prof. Dr. Bhawani Shankar Chowdry Professor Emeritus / Advisor MUET, Jamshoro.n

In a much-needed move, Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) has signed an agreement with the Association of Builders & Developers of Pakistan (ABAD) under which a sizeable number of fresh engineering graduates will be inducted into the construction industry as internees and will be given stipends jointly contributed by both sides.
The PEC has already allocated Rs200 million for the paid internship program—a flagship program of the council to facilitate young engineers for employment and acquire a set of skills.
PEC-ABAD collaboration, if executed in real terms is likely to benefit thousands of fresh graduates who in return will be able to pay back to the industry as experienced engineers.
The internship program is not only the facet of the council’s move with the construction industry. The council as well as ABAD also want engineers to establish a liaison with the construction industry for introducing modern trends that could also mitigate the ill impacts of climate change.
The program is spread over 6 months coupled with designing a mechanism for allowing final year engineering students to visit project sites so that the gap between theory and practice could be minimized.
Another welcome side of this initiative is that the PEC desires to get the Council of Architects and Town Planners on board too. If it happens then a triangle that is required in this country—academia, students, and industry—will be complete.
This agreement was signed in a ceremony in ABAD headquarters in Karachi where PEC Chairman Engr. Najeeb Haroon and ABAD Chairman Mohsin Shekhani led their respective teams. PEC Vice Chairman Sindh Engr. Mukhtiar Shaikh also graced the ceremony.
This moot was not confined to PEC and ABAD. The Council of Architects and Town Planners led by Arif Changezi and Akhuwat led by Amjad Saqib were very much there.
The council and Akhuwat—a known organization that funds small businesses across Pakistan—will also look into the possibility of how young engineers can be facilitated for launching their businesses.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a task force on climate change after the country is faced with the current heatwave and the melting of glaciers.
Experts predict climatic changes are expected to have wide-ranging impacts, such as reduced agricultural productivity, increased variability of water availability, increased coastal erosion and seawater incursion, and increased frequency of extreme climatic events.
All relevant federal ministers, secretaries, provincial chief secretaries and relevant provincial secretaries, Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) are members of the task force,
The task force will develop a comprehensive strategy to mitigate the effects of climate change in the country and prevent incidents such as the glacier incident in Hunza.
Chairing a high-level emergency meeting on the recent heatwave and the effects of climate change, the Prime Minister directed the task force to take measures to prevent food and water shortages, and to conserve water and forests.
Federal Ministers Syed Khurshid Shah, Sherry Rehman, Ehsas-ur-Rehman Mazari, Tariq Bashir Cheema, Maryam Aurangzeb, Chairman NDMA Lieutenant General Akhtar Nawaz, and officials of relevant agencies participated in the moot. Federal Minister for Education Rana Tanveer Hussain and provincial secretaries were connected through a video link.
PM Sharif directed to take immediate steps in this regard and present a report in the next meeting.
The meeting was informed that climate change was the main reason for the intense heatwave and Pakistan was the fifth most vulnerable country in the world in terms of climate change.
It was pointed out that Pakistan, despite having large reserves of glaciers, was also at risk of water scarcity, which could have a direct impact on the country’s agriculture.
The Prime Minister directed to formulate a comprehensive strategy in this regard on an emergency basis and also stressed the launch of a public awareness campaign for water conservation.
He called for immediate measures to ensure store rainwater before the next monsoon.
The Prime Minister was also briefed on the water shortage in Cholistan, to which he directed an immediate supply of water for human settlements and animals.
He directed to ensure immediate relief activities in the recent heatwave in Cholistan by the district administration and relevant agencies. PM Sharif directed the chairman of NDMA to visit Hunza immediately and also stressed upon the reconstruction of the bridge that collapsed during the glacier melting.

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has imposed a fine of Rs50 million on the National Transmission & Despatch Company (NTDC) for its failure to restore the power supply following the january 2021 blackout.
After a 20-hour long shutdown, NEPRA had constituted an inquiry committee to investigate the power plunge that occurred on January 9 and submitted the inquiry report to the authority.
Later on, the proceedings against NTDC were initiated based on the inquiry report.
A report said an explanation was called from NTDC the national grid operator on April 1, 2021, on the basis of the inquiry report under Rule 4(1) of the Nepra (Fines) Rules 2002. This was followed by a show-cause notice to the system operator on August 25, 2021, under Section 27B of the Nepra Act.
The regulator said it also provided an opportunity of hearing to NTDC on January 12, 2022, but it failed to provide any satisfactory response and was found guilty of violating relevant provisions of the Grid Code, hence the Rs50m fine. The regulator said it had also initiated legal proceedings against concerning power plants for their lapses, deficiencies, and failures in the said breakdown, which were currently under process and being dealt with separately.
Interestingly, a separate internal inquiry committee of the NTDC had absolved the NTDC of any fault and blamed the staff of Guddu Power Company. No NTDC officer/official has been found negligent for discharge of his duties, as the event which initiated this widespread breakdown was not in NTDCs system, rather it was in the 220kv switchyard of Guddu Old Thermal Power Station under the control of CPGCL (Central Power Generation Company Limited), said the NTDC`s inquiry report.