August 29, 2003	Friday	Jumadi-us-Sani 30, 1424

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QUETTA, Aug 28: Senior Minister for Planning and Development Maulana Abdul Wasay has said the Shariat bill scheduled to be finalized on Saturday will be presented before the cabinet for approval and then will be introduced in the next session of the Balochistan assembly.

Speaking to a group of newsmen in his office here on Thursday, he said the Shariat consultative committee members had held meetings continuously for the last three days and final deliberations would be completed on Aug 30, to prepare the bill for submission to the cabinet.

About the delay in the National Finance Commission (NFC) meeting due to non-nomination of a private member from Balochistan, the senior minister claimed that government official Gul Faraz was chosen to represent the province, but the federal government had rejected his name. Soon another name would be proposed, he added.

Replying to a question that whether Balochistan would accept the new NFC award distribution formula of the military government, he observed that if that formula protected the rights of all the four provinces according to our view, we would not oppose it.

Efforts urged: Collective efforts are very much needed for eliminating discrimination from society on gender basis so that women could play their due role in the development of the country.

It was observed by participants of a two-day workshop held here on Thursday to discuss the role of gender in sustainable development and poverty alleviation.

The workshop was arranged by IUCN, Balochistan.

Balochistan Assembly lawmaker Raheela Duranni was the chief guest at the concluding session of the workshop.

Speaking on the occasion she lauded the role being played by IUCN for espousing the cause of gender equality for progress of society.

She praised the dedication shown by workshop participants and said that with their experience the working atmosphere for men and women would become better.

Balochistan IUCN chief Aslam Rao in his address urged the participants of the workshop to strive for bringing to an end discrimination on the basis of gender.

He held out an assurance that the IUCN would provide technical assistance to every organization, which came forward to work in this field.

Workshop facilitator Saima Pervez Baig, who is the Programme Coordinator of IUCN, Sindh, on the first day of the workshop, apprised the participants about perception of gender and its implications in sustainable development and how it was linked with poverty alleviation.

At the end of the workshop, chief guest Raheela Durrani distributed certificates among the participants.

VARSITY BUDGET: The syndicate of Balochistan University of Information Technology and Management Sciences (BUITMS) at its second meeting has approved a Rs55.4 million budget for fiscal 2003-04.

The meeting held on Wednesday, presided over by Dr Mohammad Abbas Chaudhary, vice-chancellor of the university, reviewed the university policy, its future plans and other related matters in detail.

It also discussed the establishment of the institution, performance and strength of boy and girl students of the university.

The syndicate members expressed satisfaction over the university’s performance in fiscal 2002-03 and approved Rs1,129.10 million for the construction of a new campus at Hazar Ganji.

The meeting also okayed Rs108.322 million for a laboratory, PGD (IT) programme, construction of a new hostel for students and addition of two storeys in the building of present hostel. The syndicate also accorded approval to the appointment of additional faculty and administration staff selected on July 29-30, 2003.

Reports of the first syndicate meeting held on Feb 3, 2003, were also presented before the members.

The members were also apprised of other programmes of the university.

The syndicate members who attended the meeting were: Mrs Zubeda Jalal, federal minister for education; Dr A. Q Mughal, adviser Higher Education Commission; Mian Muhammad Javed, Pemra chief, Islamabad; Justice M.A Rasheed (Rtd), vice-chancellor of Balochistan University; Nadir Ali, additional chief secretary of development and others.