Lahore: Seeds of Peace successfully carries out first mock parliament

Seeds of Peace (a non-profit, non-religious and non-political organization dedicated to preparing teenagers from areas of conflict with the leadership skills required to promote coexistence and peace), successfully carried out its first Mock Parliament event. The purpose of the Mock Parliament was to replicate the structure and working of our neighboring country. Pakistani Seeds thus organized this event on the 22nd-24th of October 2010 at FCC, Lahore . A group of 28 students from 10 different schools took part as MPs of the Indian Lok Sabha. The proceedings of Day 1 were to enact the election process of the Parliament. After electing the new speaker, PM and their speeches, MPs from various parliamentary parties including but not limited to INC, BJP, Shiv Sena addressed the House. Day 2 and 3 witnessed enthusiastic students having an intense general debate between the government and the opposition, highlighting the major issues faced by India: Territorial issues, economic problems, Kashmir, Naxalsim, and Maoist Movements. This parliament allowed students to learn negotiation skills and how to reach workable and practical compromises. All in all, this event was able to achieve its aim, which was the recognition of Indian issues along with the learning of parliamentary protocols. Prof. Alivna Waseem (Coordinator FCC Debating Society) gave away the certificates among the participants. Some educators and students from India also witnessed the event. Sajjad Ahmad, President Seeds of Peace, Lahore thanked the participants and their parents for their positive contribution and hoped that such activities will continue.

Lahore: Seeds of Peace successfully carries out first mock parliament

Seeds of Peace (a non-profit, non-religious and non-political organization dedicated to preparing teenagers from areas of conflict with the leadership skills required to promote coexistence and peace), successfully carried out its first Mock Parliament event. The purpose of the Mock Parliament was to replicate the structure and working of our neighboring country. Pakistani Seeds thus organized this event on the 22nd-24th of October 2010 at FCC, Lahore . A group of 28 students from 10 different schools took part as MPs of the Indian Lok Sabha. The proceedings of Day 1 were to enact the election process of the Parliament. After electing the new speaker, PM and their speeches, MPs from various parliamentary parties including but not limited to INC, BJP, Shiv Sena addressed the House. Day 2 and 3 witnessed enthusiastic students having an intense general debate between the government and the opposition, highlighting the major issues faced by India: Territorial issues, economic problems, Kashmir, Naxalsim, and Maoist Movements. This parliament allowed students to learn negotiation skills and how to reach workable and practical compromises. All in all, this event was able to achieve its aim, which was the recognition of Indian issues along with the learning of parliamentary protocols. Prof. Alivna Waseem (Coordinator FCC Debating Society) gave away the certificates among the participants. Some educators and students from India also witnessed the event. Sajjad Ahmad, President Seeds of Peace, Lahore thanked the participants and their parents for their positive contribution and hoped that such activities will continue.

Iran Doesnt Need Nuclear Weapons: FM Qureshi

News Trends: Foreign minister of Pakistan has said that Iran had no justification to pursue nuclear weapons and urged the neighboring country to embrace overtures from the United States.

In some of Pakistan’s strongest statements on Iran’s controversial nuclear program, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that he wanted to avoid “another major crisis in the region.”

“In my view, I don’t think they have a justification to go nuclear,” Qureshi said at Harvard University.

“Who’s threatening Iran? I don’t see any immediate threat to Iran,” he said, while adding that Pakistan accepted Iran’s “right to civilian use of technology.”

Qureshi said he has shared his views with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and told him to seize on US President Barack Obama’s stated willingness to engage in dialogue to mend decades of fraught US-Iranian ties.

“This administration has been extending the olive branch — make use of it. Engage the world,” Qureshi said.

Pakistan has a mostly friendly but complicated relationship with Iran. Pakistan and Iran in June signed a deal that commits Tehran to selling natural gas from a pipeline. The United States has warned against the project as it steps up sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.

Qureshi said that Pakistan faces a threat from India, making its case different than Iran’s.

Qureshi also pointed out that Iran was signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which Pakistan and India never signed.

“They have an international obligation. They have signed NPT and they should respect that,” he said.

Transit pact with Afghanistan not to benefit India: Amin

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Trade Makhdoom Amin Fahim Monday clarified that agreement on Transit Trade has been made with Afghanistan, therefore, India is not going to get any benefit out of it.

Talking to mediamen at Lahore airport, the Minister said under the agreement goods will be transported to India from Afghanistan via Pakistan land route, ruling out any possibility of the vice versa.

He said Pakistan is completely independent to enter into any trade agreement with the neighboring countries and added that such accords are in the interest of Pakistan, denying any pressure from the US in this regard.

Amin Fahim said providing European and Asian countries access to Afghan markets will not affect China. Talks are underway to hammer out a similar understanding with India, he added.

Qureshi says wont bow down to India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistans foreign minister on Saturday said his country will not bow down to India, and ruled out holding talks with the neighboring country only on the issues that India wants to discuss, ARY NEWS reported.

See original here: 
Qureshi says wont bow down to India

Troops kill 28 militants in northwest

PARACHINAR: Pakistani troops stormed militant positions and helicopters destroyed vehicles carrying insurgents near the Afghan border Thursday, killing 28 suspected militants and forcing thousands of civilians to flee, officials said.

The offensive in the Orakzai tribal region is aimed at flushing out Taliban insurgents who had fled an army onslaught further south. Government official Sami Ullah said at least 18 militants died in clashes with troops in Orakzai.

As a group of insurgents fled to the neighboring Kurram region, helicopters hit three vehicles, killing 10 more militants and wounding some others, local military commander Lt. Col. Akbar Butt said.

The militants have been fleeing to Orakzai and other parts of the northwest to avoid the army”s offensive in the South Waziristan tribal region, long a Taliban stronghold.

Tens of thousands of Orakzai residents have fled the area over the past few months as the military has launched airstrikes and other operations there.

Over the past 10 days, at least 10,000 civilians have moved to a camp set up by the government in the Kohat area just outside the tribal belt, said Janzeb Khan, a government official. The government is providing food and other facilities to them, he said.

Orakzai usually has a population of 450,000 and borders the tribal regions of Khyber and Kurram.

Vince Vaughn Married

Vince Vaughn Married, Wedding Crasher Vince Vaughn has tied the knot.The big screen funny guy married Canadian real estate agent Kyla Weber near his hometown of Chicago last Saturday, a rep for the actor has confirmed.

Vince, 39, proposed to the 31-year-old Calgary native last Valentine’s Day. The actor — best known for his comedy features like Swingers and Couple’s Retreat – has kept his relationship with Kayla under the radar, following hishigh-profile romance with his The Break-Up co-star Jennifer Aniston.

The couple split in 2006.

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Vince Vaughn Married was first posted on January 5, 2010 at 10:39 pm.

Kyla Weber Pictures

Kyla Weber Pictures, Vince Vaughn has become a married man in early 2010. A representative for the actor has confirmed to OK! Magazine that he and his fiancee Kyla Weber have tied the knot on Saturday, January 2 at a mansion near his hometown of Chicago. Radar Online additionally reported that the couple’s three-day wedding celebration began with a New Year’s Eve party in Vince’s penthouse apartment in Chicago’s Palmolive Building. Their guests stayed at the neighboring Knickerbocker Hotel before they took buses to the Great Hall of the historic Arnour House at Lake Forest Academy in Lake Forest, Il., where Vince and Kyla swapped vows in front of about 65 friends and family members.

Vince Vaughn and Kyla Weber began dating in summer 2008. The actor then proposed to the Canadian realtor and presented her with with a gorgeous $125,000 four-carat diamond set in platinum on Valentine’s Day 2009. In September, the Jennifer Aniston’s ex-boyfriend stated that he was ready to start a family, saying “It’s the first time that I really want to have kids.”

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Kyla Weber Pictures was first posted on January 5, 2010 at 10:57 pm.

Manmohan Singh’s Statement Can’t Take Lightly: FM

PAKISTAN, ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that Pakistan has taken the recent statement of Indian Prime Minister “very seriously” and asked the neighboring country to share the information is supposed to have regarding any plans of attack on India by alleged Pakistani terrorist groups.

Indian PM Manmohan Singh on Monday told a security conference in New Delhi that some Pakistan-based terrorist groups were planning another Mumbai-like attack on India.

Talking to newsmen here Tuesday, the FM said that he asked the concerned officials of his ministry soon after the Manmohan Singh’s statement to summon the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad on the issue.

“We want an exchange of that credible information that India supposed to posses on which this allegation is based as the two countries had decided in Sharm El Shiek to cooperate in information sharing with each other for curbing menace of terrorism.”

“We can’t take any such statement lightly. Pakistan wants peaceful and friendly relationship with all its neighbors and that’s why it wants that the misunderstandings should be ratified. So, let’s see what they respond to us,” the FM told the media persons.

To a query, Qureshi said US wants a long-term relationship with Pakistan and its economic assistance for the country is a proof of its ambitions.

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Manmohan Singh’s Statement Can’t Take Lightly: FM was first posted on August 18, 2009 at 12:33 pm.

Smuggling Of Cheap Flour, Govt Issued Order To Bar

PAKISTAN, LAHORE: The government of Punjab has issued orders to the checkposts on border to remain alert in stopping countrywide sale of cheap priced flour from Punjab to other provinces of Pakistan.

Rana Sanaullah, Punjab’s law minister, has not banned the countrywide sale of wheat but he merely passed orders to remain ready against transportation of cheap-priced flour from Punjab to across Pakistan.

According to Punjab food department, Punjab provides other provinces 4000 to 5000 ton flour on daily basis but in the month of Ramazan, 20 kg sack of flour will be sold at Rs.200, so it could possibly be smuggled to other provinces.

According to sources, the orders came for discourage smuggling of cheap-priced flour to other provinces from Punjab and the ban will be lifted as soon as the scheme ends.

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Smuggling Of Cheap Flour, Govt Issued Order To Bar was first posted on August 18, 2009 at 12:18 pm.