Pakistan

COMSATS lecturer terminated for asking ‘immoral question’ in English composition exam

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

ISLAMABAD: A “highly objectionable” and “immoral” question in an English composition exam of the COMSATS institute left its students baffled and social media fuming, following which the institute has terminated the services of the faculty member.

According to the details, the students were asked to write a 300-word essay on the objectionable question in their English exam in December last year.

Following an uproar among the students, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) had directed the university to hold an inquiry into the matter and apprise the government about the action taken in this regard.

“The Hon’able Federal Minister for Science and Technology has taken serious notice and shows his great concerns and grievance about the content of the quiz of the English subject of Bachelors of Engineering of COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI). The quiz was conducted on the 4th/5th of December, 2022. The content of the quiz is highly objectionable and totally against the curriculum laws of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and caused unrest amongst the families of the students,” the January 19 letter of the ministry to the institute read.

It asked the Rector COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI) to take strict action against the responsible quarters and conduct an inquiry on the “highly objectionable contents” of the quiz. The ministry also directed to submit a report within a week.

In response, the university informed the MoST that the teacher who prepared the question paper had been terminated.

“I am directed to refer to the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) letter No. 1(10)12023-DIR-M(S&T) dated January 19, 2023, on the above subject and to convey that action on the matter has already been taken and the service of K (name withheld), Lecturer (Visiting Faculty) has been terminated w.e.f. January 5, 2023.”

It further said that the teacher had also been blacklisted for future employment.

Meanwhile, netizens also expressed anger on the controversial quiz, and many asked the government to take strict action against those responsible.

Taking the issue to the upper house of parliament, Senator Mushtaq Ahmed demanded the government to probe the matter and ask the university who appointed the lecturer.

اسلام آباد #COMSATS یونیورسٹی کے معاملے پر @SenatePakistan انتظامیہ سے واقعہ میں ملوث عناصر کے بارے میں پوچھا جائے کہ ان عناصر کا تقرر کس نے کیا تھا۔ ایسے واقعات کا تدارک کیا جائے تا کہ آئندہ ایسے واقعات رونماء نہ ہوں۔
سینیٹ آف پاکستان میں کامسیٹس واقعہ پر اظہار خیال pic.twitter.com/m1gF38hIQf
— Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan (@SenatorMushtaq) February 20, 2023

Separately, JUI-F leader Maulana Ghafoor Haideri also condemned it, saying certain elements are playing with the future of students in the name of English education.

جمعیت علماء اسلام کے مرکزی سیکرٹری جنرل سینیٹر مولانا عبدالغفورحیدری کا کامسیٹ یونیورسٹی اسلام آباد کے انگلش پرچے میں اخلاقیات کی دھجیاں اڑائے جانے پر شدید مذمت #COMSATS #University pic.twitter.com/6Tgz1ftwVp
— Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Pakistan (@juipakofficial) February 20, 2023

Business

Price of LPG “slashed” by Rs. 20 per kilogram

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

Sources claim that LPG rates have been lowered by Rs 20, making the cost per kilogram drop from Rs 280 to Rs 260.

It is noteworthy to remark that the costs of LPG were reduced by Rs 20 per kilogram earlier, resulting in a total reduction of Rs 40 per kilogram within a few weeks.

The price of liquefied petroleum gas for the month of May 2024 was lowered by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on April 30.

The LPG tariffs were lowered by Rs 11.88 to Rs 238.46 per kilogram in accordance with the OGRA’s notice. On Wednesday, May 1, 2024, the new rates will go into effect.

In April of last year, the price per kilogram of LPG was Rs 250.34. pricing reduction of Rs 140.18 has resulted in a new pricing for home LPG cylinders set for May 2024 of Rs 2813.85.

The OGRA reported a drop in liquefied petroleum gas pricing in April. The price of LPG is now Rs 250.34 per kg instead of Rs 256.78 due to a reduction of Rs 6.44 per kg.

The price of the household cylinder was fixed at Rs 2954.03 for the month of April, down from Rs 3030.12, a decrease of Rs 76.9.

Business

ADB delegation stops by FBR headquarters

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

Senior Director ADB Tariq Niazi oversaw the expedition, which also involved Sana Masood, Farzana Noshab, and Senior Public Sector Management Specialist Laisiasa Tora. The meeting included presentations from economists as well, according to an FBR press release.

The officers focused on structural and policy adjustments as they discussed the Domestic Resource Mobilization Program’s implementation at the meeting.

$300 million was given to the Pakistani government by ADB in December 2023 as a result of the hard work and dedication of FBR. Better laws, regulations, and institutional capability for the FBR were established by Sub-Program I.

With the $300 million in funding provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to the Government of Pakistan in December 2023, the delegation conveyed satisfaction with the program’s effective launch.

The FBR also underlined how crucial digitization is to recording the economy and boosting productivity in a sustainable way.

In order to promote the Government of Pakistan’s Digital Tax Administration Project, both parties decided to look into measures to improve their cooperation.

Latest News

Off-duty police in Islamabad are prohibited from donning uniforms.

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

The new directives, according to specifics, were sent via wireless by the federal capital police and state that no officer may wear a uniform when reporting for duty or leaving it.

According to the police official, uniforms will only be worn when on duty; otherwise, two policemen will accompany each other during duty hours and will always be required to carry guns.

A different development was the earlier release of an app by the Islamabad Police with the goal of improving crime prevention and public safety.

Launched on the orders of former Interior Minister Sarfraz Akbar Bugti, the recently released ICT-15 app aims to empower the people of the capital city by giving them the ability to actively engage in the battle against crime and protect their areas.

Residents of Islamabad can now easily download and utilize the ICT-15 app because it is easily accessible on the Google Play Store.

Citizens can report a variety of issues with this easy-to-use application, such as incidents, unlawful behavior, complaints against law enforcement, the presence of undocumented people, or any suspicious criminal activity.

The police promise quick reaction times as soon as information is reported using the app, so assistance will be provided as quickly as feasible.