RAWAPINDI: The country’s first Mercantile Marine Academy will be opened tomorrow at Julidia in Chittagong. The opening of the Mercantile Marine Academy is expected to go a long way in providing expert hands to the shipping industry of the country.

In Pakistan, as in other countries of the world, there has been a shortage of merchant navy officers, including engineers, deck and radio officers. It was due to the absence of facilities that marine personnel could not be trained in spite of the fact that seamen produced by East Pakistan are one of the finest in the world.

Pakistanis who went aboard for training have been getting employment in foreign shipping companies, while Pakistan had to engage foreigners. The Academy at Julidia will start its classes from Sept 3 with 46 students in the first instance but its target is 120.—Agencies

Indian bid to woo Sheikh Abdullah

NEW DELHI: Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, who is in prison for the last nine years, said that he had been several times offered freedom and even the Premiership of held Kashmir if “I was prepared to accept the present status of Jammu and Kashmir State”.

He said this in a written statement presented to a Jammu court yesterday which is tying him for “conspiracy to overthrow the state Government”.—Agencies