PESHAWAR: Commending the government’s move to protect Pakistan’s national animal, the Markhor, conservationists said that the initiative has finally paid off, resulting in a considerable increase in the endangered species’ population.
Markhor (or screw-horn goat) hunting is a legalized sport in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. However, by making it expensive to procure a hunting license, authorities have been successful in ensuring that the number of Markhors has risen to more than 4,000 in the last three decades.
“Markhor numbers have jumped from few hundreds to more than 4,000 in last three decades,” Safdar Shah, the chief conservator of KP’s wildlife department, told Arab News.
He added that strict surveillance on part of the Village Conservation Community (VCC) and a ban on hunting without official permits have been the main reasons for an increase in the population of the species.
“The locals are now protecting it, as 80 percent of trophy hunting’s revenue goes to the local community,” Shah said.
Shah added that the provincial government, along with local community members, have taken up the responsibility of owning and protecting the animal from illegal hunters.
The Markhor inhabits the northern areas of Chitral, Hunza, and a few other mountainous regions where it lives at an altitude of 3,500 to 12,000 feet above sea level.
Trophy hunting of the animal, which began in 1998-99, has seen officials issue 69 licenses till date and amass a revenue of $4.3 million in the process, wildlife department officials told Arab News.
Markhor trophy hunting, conservation efforts go side by side
Markhor trophy hunting, conservation efforts go side by side
- Endangered species’ population has gone up from a few hundred to more than 4,000
- The rate for each hunting license varies from $80,000 to $120,000
Young Pakistani innovator dreams big with ‘self-driving’ car innovation
- Ehsan Zafar Abbasi belongs to a remote village in Abbottabad where he is known for his passion for science
- The 20-year-old drives his family car using computer keyboard, wants to set up automobile company like Tesla
ABBOTTABAD: Under the harsh glow of a fluorescent light, 20-year-old Ehsan Zafar Abbasi is busy examining the components of an obsolete printer he has just dismantled. A pre-engineering student from the remote village of Bagh in Pakistan’s Abbottabad district, he is known for his passion for taking electronics apart, often leading to innovative but sometimes unsuccessful repairs.
Abbasi recently captured the attention of his neighborhood by configuring his family car to mimic a self-driven vehicle. With the driver’s seat empty and the headrest removed, onlookers were captivated by the sight of an automobile that seemed to be driving itself.
Speaking to Arab News earlier this week, the young student said he first thought of driving a car through a keyboard while playing video games as a child.
“At that time, power supply was hardly ever available,” he recalled. “So, whenever we got electricity, it was another kind of happiness. We would immediately sit in front of the computer and play those games on CDs such as GTA: Vice City or Need for Speed.”
“So, I was inspired after playing those games, realizing if a car could be driven through a keyboard in a game, it could also be driven like that in real life,” he continued.
With limited Internet accessibility in his village, Abbasi understood the workings of electronics and mechanical items by conducting his own experiments in a tiny room under the stairs in his house.
“I have built a lab where I perform my experiments,” he said. “My brothers and uncles support my ambitions. They bring me scrap electronics from the second-hand market. I have dismantled many mobile phones, tablets, printers, scanners, computers, projectors, juicer machines and other things.”
After spending over seven months perfecting his new project, Abbasi said he wanted to further refine the car by adding more features to it.
“I want to add sensors and modern technology to the car so that people with disabilities can also fulfill their wish [to drive] and become independent,” he added.
However, the keyboard-driven vehicle is not his only invention.
“A year ago, I made another device for cars in which cellphone technology was integrated,” he said. “It had a SIM. If someone decided to steal your car, you could simply make a call on the [installed] device and your car stopped working.”
The vehicle’s brakes, he explained, could be activated by using one’s cellphone. Not only that, but the installed device also relayed any conversation among the carjackers in real-time.
Asked about his future ambitions, Abbasi said he wanted to build a multinational automotive company like Tesla in Pakistan. He also shared his desire to go to a top-notch university abroad like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States.
“Obviously, I cannot afford it, nor do I possess adequate English-language skills,” he continued. “I studied in ill-equipped public schools where we did not have electricity, Internet and other modern facilities. We used to walk for two hours to go to school and two hours on our way back.”
By the time he reached home, he felt tired and usually discovered that there was no electricity.
“I could not study the way I wanted to,” he said with a deep yearning in his eyes. “I request the Pakistani government, our prime minister and the president, to support me in getting quality higher education so I can add to the prestige of my country.”
England Women’s cricket coach using AI to pick team ahead of series with Pakistan
- Jon Lewis says technology worked in multi-format Women’s Ashes series against arch-rivals Australia
- Pakistan Women’s National Cricket Team will play Twenty20 and ODI series in England later this month
LONDON: England Women’s cricket coach Jon Lewis revealed Friday he is using artificial intelligence to aid team selection, saying the technology helped his side square last season’s Ashes.
Lewis first became familiar with the work of London-based PSi when he took charge of the UP Warriorz franchise in India’s Women’s Premier League.
Now the 48-year-old former England paceman uses the company to assist with his decisions about squad composition, team balance and in-game match-ups between players.
The system plots projected outcomes depending on the composition of each side.
“I can send multiple different line-ups to the PSi in London and they run, I think, about 250,000 simulations per team that I send, with all different permutations that could happen through the game,” he said.
We are able to run simulated teams versus the simulated opposition to give us an idea about how those teams may match up against each other.
“I came across it during my time at UP Warriorz and it’s something I looked at and thought it could add some value to the England Women’s cricket team.”
Lewis said he still favored a “people-first approach” but he added: “What data can do is give you a really objective view of what could happen and what has happened previously. I think it will help with borderline decisions in terms of selection and match-ups.”
Lewis, who has spoken to England’s rugby union coach Steve Borthwick about his own use of the PSi model, said the system had proved its worth as his side drew last season’s multi-format Women’s Ashes series against arch-rivals Australia.
“There was one selection particularly last year, one period of the Ashes that we targeted as a team,” said Lewis, speaking at the announcement of England’s squad for T20 and ODI series at home to Pakistan later this month.
“There were a couple of selections where AI really helped because both players I was thinking about picking were both in really good form and were both really selectable and it did help with those selections.
“We saw a real strength in Australia and we matched up our strength to that. That worked really, really well and it helped us win the T20 series in particular, which got us back in the Ashes.”
AI is becoming an increasing feature of top-level sport, with International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach saying last month it could help identify talented athletes “in every corner of the world.”
He said AI could also provide more athletes with access to personalized training methods.
Pakistan launches special cybercrime unit under controversial PECA law, shifts role from FIA
- The agency will be led by director general with 15-year experience in digital forensics or public administration
- Pakistan’s information minister recently spoke against online harassment, emphasized upholding of digital rights
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has established a new investigation unit under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, tasked solely with focusing on cybercrimes in the country, a role previously performed by a dedicated wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
The PECA law was originally enacted to combat various forms of cybercrime, including cyber terrorism, unauthorized access, electronic fraud and online harassment, aiming to enhance the security of cyberspace for users and businesses.
However, the law stirred controversy, particularly because its provisions were seen by critics as tools that could potentially curb freedom of speech and suppress dissent.
These concerns were also validated by instances of journalists being booked under the law, with courts raising objections regarding its application.
“There shall hereby stand established the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to exercise jurisdiction under the Act and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) shall cease to perform functions as designated investigation agency under the Act,” said a notification taken out by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication on April 24 that referred to the PECA law.
“All personnel, cases, inquiries, investigations, assets, liabilities, rights, obligations, privileges and matters related thereto or connected therewith subsisting immediately before commencement of these rules in respect of the defunct cybercrime wing of the FIA shall stand transferred to the NCCIA,” it added.
The new investigation agency will be led by a director general who will be appointed by the government for two years.
The individual performing the role will have at least 15 years of experience “in the field of computer sciences, digital forensics, cyber technology, law, public administration, information technology, telecommunication or related fields enabling him to deal with offenses under the Act.”
The notification said the FIA’s “defunct” cybercrime wing would continue to operate until suitable appointments are made to run the new agency.
Pakistan’s information minister Attaullah Tarar announced only a day ago that the government was setting up a new authority to end online harassment and uphold the digital rights of the people.
Pakistan calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza ahead of OIC summit in Gambia
- Ishaq Dar demands joint action by Muslim states at an OIC preparatory meeting to confront rising Islamophobia
- The Pakistani deputy PM will meet leaders from other Muslim countries at the two-day summit starting Saturday
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday demanded an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza along with a humanitarian corridor for international aid agencies to provide relief to the people of Palestine ahead of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s summit in Gambia this weekend.
The ceasefire call was issued by the country’s newly appointed deputy prime minister, Ishaq Dar, while addressing the summit’s preparatory meeting in the Gambian capital of Banjul, where he arrived on Wednesday.
Dar is scheduled to participate in the OIC summit, convened to discuss and address major issues affecting the Muslim world, ranging from political and economic challenges to social and cultural matters.
These summits aim to promote Muslim solidarity in social and political affairs, coordinate efforts to safeguard the interests and well-being of Muslims and work toward resolving conflicts and issues in the Muslim world.
“Dar expressed Pakistan’s deep concern about the ongoing genocide and starvation of Gaza people and called for the reactivation of OIC’s Ministerial Committee on Israeli aggression against the Palestinians, offering Pakistan’s assistance to the body,” said the state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency.
The report said he called for an end the Israeli siege leading to a humanitarian crisis for the people of Palestine and to hold Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration accountable for its “war crimes.”
“Ishaq Dar stressed the imperative of joint action by the OIC to confront rising Islamophobia, which was manifested by an increasing number of incidents of discrimination, violence, and incitement against Muslims around the world,” the APP report continued.
“He stated that while global social media platforms had set for themselves a clear understanding and the responsibility of content relating to ‘Antisemitism’ and ‘Holocaust denial’, same was not the case for blasphemous and anti-Islamic content that was responsible for widespread distress among Muslims and the global wave of Islamophobia,” it added.
The Pakistani deputy prime minister is scheduled to interact with leaders of other Muslim states at the two-day OIC summit beginning on Saturday.
Pakistan expands Makkah Route Initiative to Karachi, plans flights for Hajj pilgrims from May 9
- Saudi staff will have access to eight counters and required equipment at Karachi airport’s international departure area
- Pakistan first joined the Makkah Route Initiative in 2019 as part of a pilot program that was introduced in Islamabad
ISLAMABAD: In a major development for Hajj pilgrims in Pakistan, the government plans to launch flight operation to Saudi Arabia under the expanded Makkah Route Initiative to the southern port city of Karachi from May 9, according to an official statement released on Friday.
The initiative, launched by Saudi authorities in collaboration with several Muslim-majority states, facilitates the annual Islamic pilgrimage for numerous people traveling to Makkah.
Under the initiative, tasks like immigration processing are completed in the pilgrim’s home country, allowing them to bypass these procedures upon arrival in Saudi Arabia. This not only reduces waiting times and congestion at Saudi airports but also enhances the overall experience for pilgrims by making their journey more comfortable and focused on spirituality.
Pakistan joined the initiative in 2019 as part of a pilot program that began in Islamabad. Its success led to plans for the program’s expansion to other cities, with pilgrims from Karachi preparing to benefit from it for the first time this year.
“The Hajj flights under the Road to Makkah Project will commence on 09 May and conclude on 08 June,” the statement circulated by Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority said, adding that all the relevant agencies at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport have assured of unwavering commitment for the successful implementation of the program.
The official statement was released after a meeting at the Karachi airport that focused on the initiative.
All stakeholders, including airline representatives, ground handling agencies, border health services, airport security, Federal Investigation Agency, customs and Anti-Narcotics Force were present during the deliberations.
The meeting focused on the procedures involved at different stages of Hajj pilgrims’ stay at the airport, beginning with their arrival at the facility until their departure, following Saudi immigration formalities.
It was agreed that Saudi staff would have access to eight counters and all the required equipment in the international departure satellite area.
The airport manager stressed the importance of providing a seamless experience to pilgrims and urged all agencies to treat and welcome them as honored guests.
