Acting president of KCCI
KARACHI (Staff Reporter): Muhammad Ibrahim Kasumbi has assumed charge as acting president of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) during the absence of President KCCI, Iftikhar Ahmed Vohra who has proceeded abroad on an official tour. Meanwhile, Chairman Businessmen Group and Former President KCCI, Siraj Kassam Teli, Vice Chairmen BMG Tahir Khaliq, Zubair Motiwala Haroon Farooki & Anjum Nisar, Acting President KCCI, Muhammad Ibrahim Kasumbi, Vice President KCCI Agha Shahab Ahmed Khan, and KCCI Managing Committee members have expressed deep grief and sorrow over the tragic helicopter crash in Naltar near Gilgit-Baltistan that claimed at least seven lives on Friday.
They said that it was a tragic incident in which two pilots, a crew member, Norwegian Ambassador Leif Larsen, Philippines Ambassador Domingo Lucenario Jr and the wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian Ambassadors to Pakistan died. They extended heartfelt condolences to family members of those who lost their lives in this incident.c

APBF mourns tragic helicopter crash

lahore (Staff Reporter): President of All Pakistan Business Forum (APBF) Ibrahim Qureshi has expressed heart-felt grief on the tragic helicopter crash in Gilgit Balochistan, which claimed the precious lives of two highly respected foreign Ambassadors and their wives. The Ambassador of Philippines Domingo D Lucenario Jr and the Ambassador of Norway Leif Larsen lost their lives in the accident. The wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian ambassadors were also among the seven people killed in the crash near Naltar Valley on Friday. The Ambassador of Holland - Marcel de Vink and Polish ambassador - Andrzej Ananicz also sustained serious injuries, while the Media reports identified the two deceased pilots as Major Altamash and Major Faisal.
The President of APBF stated that; “It is really distressing to hear about the sad demise of these honorable diplomats and their family members, who lost their lives along with the two pilots and a crew member belonging to the Pakistan Army. APBF deeply regrets this tragedy and shares the sorrow and painful moments with our friendly countries”. Meanwhile, the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry Saturday  has also expressed deep grief and sorrow over the tragic crash incident in Naltar.
The LCCI office-bearers said that deaths of the ambassadors of Norway and Philippines envoys was not only a huge tragedy but a loss to the national economy as they were doing a lot to strengthen the economic ties between Pakistan and their respective countries.

PARC Institute awards PhD
degree to Sabir Shah
ISLAMABAD (APP): The PARC Institute of Advanced Studies in Agriculture (PIASA) has awarded the first-ever PhD degree in Plant Genomics and Biotechnology for developing cold tolerant tomato plant. The degree was awarded to Sabir Hussain Shah, hailing from DI Khan, who became the pioneer student to get the degree from this institute after successfully defending his thesis before the panel of scientists at National Agriculture Research Center (NARC) here. Dr Sabir Hussain has conducted his studies under the supervision of Dr Shaukat Ali, Principal Scientist in Genetic Transformation and Expression Analysis of Cold Tolerant Gene in Tomato with an objective to develop genetically modified tomato plants resistant to cold stress. The study also aims to grow these tomatoes under open field conditions of Pakistan round the year that will be beneficial for tomato growers to aid a valuable output in the national economy. In Pakistan, tomato crop faces upto 70 percent yield loss due to cold stress, so if properly exploited this research study would help promote this crop.

ICCI condoles with bereaved
families of helicopter crash
islamabad (Staff Reporter): Muzzamil Hussain Sabri, President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has expressed deep grief and sorrow over the tragic crash of an army helicopter MI-17 in Naltar Valley near Gilgit-Baltistan on Friday killing seven persons including five foreign delegates and two pilots. M Shakeel Munir Senior Vice President, M Ashfaq Hussain Chatha Vice President and Executive Committee of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Group Leader Abdul Rauf Alam also expressed deep grief and sorrow over the incident. They offered heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragic incident.
They said Mr Leif H Larson, Ambassador of Norway, and Mr Domingo D Lucenario Jr Ambassador of Philippines were good friends of business community. Both diplomats were experienced professionals and had played important role in improving bilateral trade and economic relations of their countries with Pakistan. Their untimely and tragic death was not only a great loss to their countries, it was also a big loss for Pakistan as well.
They also conveyed heartfelt condolences to the Ambassadors of Indonesia and Malaysia over the tragic demise of their wives Mrs Heri Listyawati Burhan Muhammad and Mrs Datin Habibah Mahmud and to the bereaved families Pilot Maj Faisal, Pilot Maj Altamash and Crew member Subaidar Zakir who lost their lives in the tragic helicopter crash.
They termed the helicopter crash a national tragedy for the country. They said that the whole nation was in mourning over the loss of precious lives and stood with the bereaved families in this tragic time. They prayed that may Allah the Almighty keep the departed souls in eternal peace and grant the bereaved families the courage to bear this irreparable loss with patience. They also prayed for early recovery of those who got injured in this accident.

FBR proposes all banking
transactions by personal accounts
ISLAMBABAD (Online): Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has laid down in its budget proposals for the fiscal year 2015-16 that it be made legally binding on the account holders to make all banking transactions from their personal accounts. The FBR said that finance ministry should modify the respective laws to bring the banking transactions into documents form. It has been said in budge proposals put forth by FBR that no compromise should be made on transaction and taxpayers should declare their accounts. The execution of banking transactions through personal bank accounts of account holders will bring them into documentation process.
FBR has also recommended income tax return be made mandatory for all the people. Sources said these steps are being taken because FBR has detected different accounts of corporate institutions which are concealing their real transaction.