Govt mulls construction of large-scale LNG terminal, pipeline network at Gwadar port

The Ministry of Plannning, Development and Special Initiatives mulled over a plan to build a large-scale LNG terminal with a network of pipelines at the Gwadar port along with a truckload facility.

The meeting of the Pak-China Relations Steering Committee, chaired by federal minister Asad Umar, also discussed the possibility of investment by the private sector under such an initiative.

Participants of the meeting were told 40% of the gas transported throughout China was through pipelines. The meeting discussed the issues being faced by investors in CPEC projects in detail, as per the report.

While discussing the CPEC energy projects facing delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee directed the Power Division to formulate a policy to deal with COD extension issues of power projects.

The Power Division was also directed to ensure the availability of sufficient power for operationalisation of the 660 KV HVDC Matari-Lahore Transmission Line from 1st September, 2021. The committee also directed NEPRA to finalise the tariff for the project during the testing stage.

The meeting also discussed the 884 MW Suki Kinari project and gave directions to relevant authorities to settle the project’s operational issues on priority. The chair also directed the Ministry of Communication to expedite work on the Thakot-Raikot Road and Zhob-Quetta Road project and submit proposals in this regard to the cabinet by next week to move the projects to the next level of development.

The committee was told about how local and foreign investors, with each passing day, were becoming more and more interested in the Dhabeji Special Economic Zone. It was pointed out that any delay in the finalisation of the developer would be detrimental to the project.

The minister said that he would take up this issue with CM Sindh. At the Allama Iqbal Industrial City, a representative from the Board of Investment informed the committee that the board member list for FIEDMC has been finalized and will soon be notified.

Utilities to the Gwadar Port and Free Zone also came under discussion. The meeting was informed of prospective investments in LNG at Gwadar. The chair directed the Ministry of Petroleum to help facilitate investors and coordinate with the relevant ministry, including the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, to resolve the investors’ issues on priority.

 

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Google unveils smart phone powered by its own chip

 Google unveiled on Monday a flagship Pixel smart phone powered by its first mobile chip to put artificial intelligence in buyers’ hands.

Pixel 6 models set for release later this year, with superfast 5G wireless capability, will debut Google’s own Tensor chip crafted along the lines of processors it made for data centres to enable computers to think more like people do.

“It’s basically a mobile system on a chip designed around artificial intelligence,” Google devices senior vice president Rick Osterloh said during a briefing at the company’s headquarters in Silicon Valley.

“We’re really excited about it. We’re setting the stage to really grow the business.”

Google’s Pixel line has captured scant share in a global smart phone market dominated by Samsung, Apple and Chinese manufacturers.

Pixel phones have been seen as a way for Google to showcase the capabilities of its free Android mobile operating system, setting a standard for other smart phone makers.

“We’ve always thought about our hardware products in the context of driving computing forward,” said Google chief executive Sundar Pichai.

“Our custom Google Tensor chip, which has been four years in the making and builds off two decades of Google’s computing experience, does exactly that.”

The Pixel 6 hardware and software mix ramps up the smartphone’s ability to understand what people say in another step toward a future of “ambient computing”, according to Osterloh.

The phrase refers to being able to access the internet or computing power conversationally at any time as portrayed in a 2013 science fiction romance film, Her. “It’s basically this notion that you should be able to naturally interact with computers all around you,” Osterloh said.

“We see the mobile phone being the centre of that for the foreseeable future.”

The smarter chip was also put to work improving photo and video capabilities in a nod to hot trends in sharing images and short-form snippets online, a demonstration showed.

An array of sensors for photography are in a band on the back of the smartphone, with the Pixel 6 having a 6.4 inch, edge-to-edge screen and the Pro model being slightly larger.

Google’s shift to Tensor comes as the world faces a global chip shortage that has hobbled production of products ranging from cars to computers.

“In some ways, it’s fortunate in that we kind of control our own destiny,” Osterloh said of the chip crunch.

“We think we can manage through it and see it getting better toward the end of the year.”

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Tareen used me: Nazir Chohan calls it quits from PTI faction

Punjab MPA Nazir Chohan, long considered a loyalist of PTI stalwart Jahangir Tareen, on Wednesday decided to part ways with the split faction of the party.

Addressing a media briefing in Lahore alongside Punjab Minister for Prisons Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, after a sessions court granted him bail, Nazir said that he no longer has "any association with the Tareen group".

"Jahangir Tareen used me for his case and then threw me away," he said.

Nazir said that he was "never once called" by Tareen in his hour of need, whereas he went to every court summon of Tareen.

"I considered him my leader, but he is not fit to be called one," Nazir said of Tareen.

Nazir expressed his gratitude to the senior PTI leadership, naming Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Shahzad Akbar in particular.

"I am grateful to Chaudhry Pervez Elahi who took a strong stance for me," he said, adding: "Shahzad Akbar was the first to call me when I fell ill and inquired about my health."

"I have apologised to Shahzad Akbar in no unclear terms. I am remorseful over my actions which affected him and his family," he said.

Nazir went on to state that he has "one leader and one leader alone," adding: "His name is Imran Khan."

He said that Tareen "should be ashamed of himself for not even bothering to visit" him in the hospital.

The PTI member said that in this entire saga, "the faces of a lot of hypocrites have been exposed".

Fayyazul Hasan Chohan, for his part, acknowledged that conflict within the party had been brewing for a while but that the disgruntled party members took the senior party leadership into confidence over their concerns.

"Shahzad Akbar played a positive role in assisting mediation efforts," he said, adding: "Nazir Chohan also played a vital role in this regard."

"We have no right to object to anyone's faith and probe such matters," he added.

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Arshad Nadeem keeps Pakistan's medal hope alive at Tokyo Olympics, reaches javelin throw final

Arshad Nadeem on Wednesday kept Pakistan's hopes of its maiden medal at Tokyo Olympics alive as he went through to the final of the men's javelin with a throw of 85.16 metres.

The feat made him the first Pakistani to qualify for the final of any track and field event at the Olympics.

Nadeem's throw was third-best of the day behind India's Neeraj Chopra (86.65m) and world leader Germany's Johannes Vetter (85.64m).

The 24-year-old thrower from Khanewal finished above Germany's Julian Weber and Czech's Jakub Vadlejch to win his group and a place in the medal round — a performance that got his coach out of his seat applauding.

Nadeem will be joined by Finland's Lassi Eteltalo, whose first attempt of 84.50m, a season's best, granted him passage to the medal round.

Speaking to the media after qualifying for the final, Nadeem said he was thankful for the support given to him by Pakistanis. He also appealed to the nation for more prayers so that he can given a stellar performance in the final.

The athlete also thanked his coach for his tireless efforts in training him for the Olympics. "We will keep performing like this," he said, ending with an emphatic "Pakistan Zindabad".

The 2012 Olympic champion and bronze medallist five years ago in Rio, Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago failed to advance, as he fell short with a throw of 79.33m.

Nadeem has a personal-best throw of 86.38m, which he achieved in April during his gold medal run at the Imam Raza Athletics Cup in Iran.

He is one of the few Pakistani athletes to secure direct qualification for Olympics, thanks to his gold medal-winning throw at South Asian Games in December 2019.

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Saudi Arabia to accept travellers vaccinated with Sinovac, Sinopharm but only after booster shot

Saudi Arabia has decided to allow entry to foreign travellers fully vaccinated with either Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines, provided that they also receive a booster shot of either of the four vaccines approved by the Kingdom, according to the country's e-visa portal.

"Guests who have completed two doses of the Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines will be accepted if they have received an additional dose of one of the four vaccines approved in the Kingdom," one of the guidelines for travellers on the portal says.

The decision follows the country reopening its doors to international visitors on August 1, condition to them being inoculated by one of Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

"All visitors arriving in the country with a valid tourism visa must provide evidence of a full course of one the four vaccines currently recognised: two doses of the Oxford/Astra Zeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or a single dose of the vaccine produced by Johnson and Johnson," a guideline on the portal says.

Saudi Arabia had announced last week that it was reopening its borders to fully vaccinated foreign tourists after a 17-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Ministry of Tourism announced that the Kingdom will open its doors to foreign tourists, and lift... the suspension of entry for tourist visa holders, starting from August 1,” the Saudi Press Agency had reported. The report had added that travellers fully vaccinated with Saudi-approved jabs would be able to enter the Kingdom “without the need for an institutional quarantine period”, provided they also had proof of a negative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) Covid-19 test taken within the last 72 hours and register their details with health authorities.

However, Riyadh had not announced any lifting of restrictions on Umrah, which usually attracts millions of Muslims from across the globe each year, at the time.

In recent years, Riyadh has spent billions trying to build a tourism industry from scratch as part of efforts to diversify its oil-reliant economy. The once-reclusive Kingdom began issuing tourist visas for the first time in 2019 as part of an ambitious push to revamp its global image and draw visitors.

Between September 2019 and March 2020, it issued 400,000 — only for the pandemic to crush that momentum as borders were closed.

Covid-19 also hugely disrupted the Haj and Umrah pilgrimages, usually a key revenue earner for the Kingdom — in normal times, they together rake in some $12 billion annually.

Currently, only immunised pilgrims who are residents of Saudi Arabia are eligible for Umrah permits.

Given that scores visit Saudi Arabia from Pakistan for Haj and Umrah and on work visas every year, a lack of Saudi-approved vaccines in the latter has hampered travel to the Kingdom for many.

To address this, Pakistan had taken up the issue with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud during his day-long visit to Islamabad last month.

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Schools to remain open across Pakistan, except for Sindh: Mehmood

The Inter-Provincial Education Meeting Conference (IPEMC) has decided to keep educational institutions across the country open, with the exception of Sindh, where they will remain closed till at least August 8, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood said Wednesday.

Mehmood said Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani had informed the IPEMC the province would review the coronavirus situation before August 8 and decide the next course of action for reopening schools and conducting examinations.

Shafqat's press conference comes after he had chaired a meeting of the IPEMC to review the latest coronavirus situation, closure, and opening of schools.

On the other hand, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have decided to reopen schools in a staggered manner, with 50% attendance.

The IPEMC decided to reopen universities and colleges with no restrictions imposed, however, the participants of the meeting expressed concerns over the coronavirus situation in higher education institutions, he said.

Vaccination needs to be ramped up

"The overall vaccination in education [sector] has reached 83%, but the inoculations are lagging in higher education institutions which should be ramped up," the education minister said.

For this, the education ministers have been urged to make special efforts to get university students — as they are above 18-years of age — and teachers vaccinated, Mehmood said.

In this regard, it is crucial that transport personnel get vaccinated and a deadline of August 31 has already been set for them, the education minister said.

Mehmood said all the examinations would continue according to schedule, while there will be changes in Sindh's timetable. "The exams of classes 9, 10, 11, and 12 will take place in accordance with their date sheet."

Extra marks

Shedding light on an important decision, he said the IPEMC had decided to conduct examinations of only elective subjects, and the marks obtained in them would be proportionally allocated for compulsory subjects.

"The IPEMC has decided the students would be given an additional 5% marks in exams as according to a research, the students get better marks in compulsory subjects," he said.

"The next education-related meeting will take place on August 25, along with the National Command and Operations Centre. Till then, these decisions will remain in place," Mehmood said.

For now, I request students to not pay heed to news on social media as there are a lot of rumours there, he said, adding authentic news would be announced by the education ministry.

"Every decision we take is in the best interest of students."

All the provincial education ministers, relevant senior officials, and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan attend the meeting.

The participants had discussed the start of the new academic session, reopening of schools in light of the current COVID-19 situation, and vaccination of schoolteachers and other staff members.

Actions to strengthen performance for inclusive and responsive education, funding, coordination, and reporting also came under discussion.

Sindh's take on reopening

Following the meeting, Education Minister Saeed Ghani said all educational institutions in the province would remain closed till August 8 and the remaining intermediate exams in Sindh will take place after the coronavirus situation gets better.

The education minister, in a statement, said that the educational institutions will remain closed in line with Sindh's coronavirus restrictions imposed as part of a province-wide lockdown.

"The coronavirus situation in Sindh, and especially Karachi, is not satisfactory," the education minister said, adding it the decision would be reviewed on August 8.

Ghani stressed that the coronavirus cases in Karachi and Hyderabad were much higher as compared to other parts of the country. Keeping that in mind, it is not feasible to reopen schools, he said.

"The provincial coronavirus task force will meet on August 8 and will decide the way forward," the education minister said.

Sindh had suspended all exams after it imposed a lockdown in the province on July 31, also suspending all in-person education-related activities.

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Tareen used me: Nazir Chohan calls it quits from PTI faction

Punjab MPA Nazir Chohan, long considered a loyalist of PTI stalwart Jahangir Tareen, on Wednesday decided to part ways with the split faction of the party.

Addressing a media briefing in Lahore alongside Punjab Minister for Prisons Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, after a sessions court granted him bail, Nazir said that he no longer has "any association with the Tareen group".

"Jahangir Tareen used me for his case and then threw me away," he said.

Nazir said that he was "never once called" by Tareen in his hour of need, whereas he went to every court summon of Tareen.

"I considered him my leader, but he is not fit to be called one," Nazir said of Tareen.

Nazir expressed his gratitude to the senior PTI leadership, naming Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Shahzad Akbar in particular.

"I am grateful to Chaudhry Pervez Elahi who took a strong stance for me," he said, adding: "Shahzad Akbar was the first to call me when I fell ill and inquired about my health."

"I have apologised to Shahzad Akbar in no unclear terms. I am remorseful over my actions which affected him and his family," he said.

Nazir went on to state that he has "one leader and one leader alone," adding: "His name is Imran Khan."

He said that Tareen "should be ashamed of himself for not even bothering to visit" him in the hospital.

The PTI member said that in this entire saga, "the faces of a lot of hypocrites have been exposed".

Fayyazul Hasan Chohan, for his part, acknowledged that conflict within the party had been brewing for a while but that the disgruntled party members took the senior party leadership into confidence over their concerns.

"Shahzad Akbar played a positive role in assisting mediation efforts," he said, adding: "Nazir Chohan also played a vital role in this regard."

"We have no right to object to anyone's faith and probe such matters," he added.

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