Rescue 1122 honoured with UN certification

LAHORE:A representative from United Nations OCHA INSARAG Secretariat, Geneva, Switzerland, Mr Winston Chang, officially announced that after clearing the classification and evaluation process, the Pakistan Rescue Team (1122) stood tall among the world elite as an officially UN Certified Urban Search & Rescue Team at an impressive closing ceremony held at Governor’s House here.

Speaking at the ceremony, Foreign Minister of Pakistan Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarawar congratulated the Pakistan Rescue Team. They said it was a great honour for Pakistan to become the first United Nations INSARAG Certified team in South Asia.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Rescue 1122 had earned recognition around the world by providing services. He assured Rescue 1122 of any kind of support from the government of Pakistan.

Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar welcomed all the UN classifiers from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Morocco, Jordan and UN-INSARAG Secretariat in Geneva, United Nations country representative and representatives of National Disaster Management Authority. He acknowledged the support provided by the United Nations OCHA & INSARAG Secretariat and UN-OCHA Pakistan since 2015 for mentoring Pakistan Rescue Team for becoming a part of Global Humanitarian Network.

He also appreciated the role and services of Punjab Emergency Service, UN-OCHA Pakistan, NDMA in making the UN-INSARG certification possible despite all hurdles.

Cylinder explodes: A fire broke out in a house in Wood Block Paragon City on Thursday due to a cylinder blast. Rescuer safely evacuated at least six women and a child from the house.

The firefighters extinguished the fire after hectic efforts. Meanwhile, a cylinder blast took place in a gas decanting shop at Barkat Chowk, Township. No casualty was reported in any incident. Uplift scheme: The Provincial Development Working Party approved development scheme of water supply and sanitation sector at an estimated cost of Rs 627.40 million.

The scheme was approved in the 22nd meeting of the Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) of the current fiscal year, 2019-20, with P&D Board Chairman Habib-ur-Rehman Gilani in the chair here on Thursday.

The approved development scheme is: Beautification of Taunsa Sharif city as well as provision of streetlights, tuff tiles, sewerage and water supply in tehsil Taunsa, district Dera Ghazi Khan.

Food safety: An international conference on “Food Safety through Parasite Control” (PARACON-2019) is scheduled to be held at the University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences (UVAS) on 6th November.

Renowned veterinary and medical practitioners, parasitologists, scholars, researchers, academicians and experts from different countries, including USA, UK, Iran, Tunisia and all over Pakistan will be participating in the PARACON-19.

Theme of the conference will cover all the major areas related to diagnostics, chemoprophylaxis, anti-parasitic and vaccines of parasites, zoonotic parasitic diseases and vector-borne disease, role of veterinarians under one-health concept epidemiology and integrated pest management etc.