ISLAMABAD: The government is working on a renovation plan worth Rs100bn ($1bn) to improve the infrastructure at airports by 2015. According to the government’s vision on aviation, no major upgrade or induction of latest technology/equipment has taken place in the Civil Aviation Authority for the past 20-25 years. Its radars, communication and radio navigation equipment have become old, while its runways and passenger terminals in Quetta, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Nawabshah and Faisalabad have deteriorated through wear and tear. Following directives of the prime minister on security environment, his Aviation Adviser Shujaat Azeem has asked authorities to initiate the process of acquiring latest scanners for major airports.
Rabies cases on the rise
PESHAWAR: The government in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is finding it difficult to provide treatment to the people bitten by dogs as the number of cases has risen due to hot season and a large number of stray animals, according to health experts. “We are receiving 15 to 20 cases of suspected rabid dog bite every day at Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar. All are given full four doses. The mortality rate is 100 percent if the victims are left untreated,” a senior doctor said. Due to cost of vaccine and injection, victims are given first dose and advised to purchase the remaining three from the market.
Telecom policy to be reviewed
ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to conduct a macro review and revision of the telecommunications policy and regulatory framework to undertake next generation ICT sector reforms, it was learnt yesterday. The World Bank is providing a grant from its institutional development fund for to the initiative. A working group, led by the telecom official at the Ministry of Information Technology, will be set up. The World Bank said 11 globally recognised companies had expressing interest in the project. Short-listing of the firms is expected to take place in the coming weeks.
Agencies
