FIFA Cup football replica unveiled

ISLAMABAD (Staff Reporter): Forward Group, an innovative sports company of Pakistan presented the large replica of football to the Secretary Commerce Mohammad Younus Dagha which will be used in the FIFA World Cup 2018. Forward Group is an innovation driven football making company which has maintained the largest global presence with renowned global brands, organizations and entrepreneurs, competing with the world's best producers of sports goods through design strategy, novelty and a sustained ambition to attain new product success every year. Dagha appreciated the innovative approach of the company that has been successfully producing football for all the prestigious World events since last many years. The football fans are entering into frenzy with the approaching mega event of the soccer world. It has raised the curiosity of the fans to know the origin and making of the ball that would be used in the World Cup.  The secretary commerce wished the Forward Group to continue their winning streak in securing bids for the FIFA World Cup.

The company informed that the new ball includes a microchip technology that allows the speed and trajectory of the ball to be tracked and analyzed.

Younus informed the company CEO Khwaja Masood Akhtar about the measures that the government is taking to promote innovation and technology among the country's industrial sector.

OGDCL working to drill 28 wells this year

ISLAMABAD (NNI): Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) drilled 22 wells including 12 exploratory/appraisal and ten developmental during the last fiscal year, besides injecting approximately 1,337,395 barrels crude oil and 9,348 mmcf gas in its pool from 18 new wells. “This year, the company has set a target to drill around 28 wells, out of which 17 are exploratory and 10 are developmental including a shale gas and oil. The company is confident to meet the target,” official sources told state-run media. Besides, it has set a target to drill around 28 oil and gas wells during the current fiscal year, and in the first quarter it has injected five new wells producing 4,133 barrels crude oil and 891 mmcf gas in its production gathering system, they said. The company, the sources said, being cognisant of the country’s increasing energy demand, in the first quarter of year 2017-18 has added production of five newly operated wells namely Pakhro-I, Dachrapur-3, Chanda-4 and Qadirpur-58 and HRL-12 in the system.

They said the OGDCL’s crude oil production had reached 42,529 barrels per day (bpd) in first quarter as compared to the same period of the corresponding year 2016-17, showing 6 percent growth.

Similarly, production of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) witnessed 73 percent surge during the period under review. The production has increased from 342 tons per day (tpd) to 590 tpd, the sources added.

The company drilled two new development wells namely Mela-6 and Qadirpur HRL-14, while it made two oil and gas discoveries in districts Sukkur and Hyderabad of the Sindh province.

Replying to a question, they said the company in an effort to explore new oil and gas reserves continued with its seismic data activities and acquired 181 sq. km of 3D and 49 Line Km of 2D seismic data during the period.

Strict action ordered against dealers selling poor quality agri products

SARGODHA (APP): The divisional task force and agriculture consultative committee have directed the agriculture department to take strict action against dealers involved in adulteration and selling of poor quality pesticides, seeds, fertilisers in the market. The Sargodha commissioner chaired a meeting in this regard and asked officials to solve problems facing farmers, adding that per acre production could only be enhanced with the provision of quality inputs to farmers. He urged completion of farmers' registration for e-loaning scheme of Rabi crop. The meeting was informed that rice had been cultivated on 91.560 acres area, sugarcane on 175.650 acres, cotton on 20 acres and wheat on 514.050 acres. Also, citrus has been grown on 222,445-acre area in the district Sargodha, it was stated. Deputy Director Agriculture (Plant Protection) told the meeting that during the current month, a total of 19 sales points of pesticides and fertilisers were raided and fake products were confiscated.

Fourteen FIRs were registered and Rs470,000 fine was imposed on adulterators.

Hazara Motorway to become fully

operational by May

ISLAMABAD (APP): Remaining 12-kilomter under-construction section of Hazara Motorway was nearing completion and it is likely to be opened for traffic in May. Talking to APP, National Highway Authority (NHA) Member Motorway North Shahid Ehsan said that by completing this portion, the Hazara Motorway would become fully operational and it would provide a modern six-lane road facility to people of Havelian, Abbotabad and Mansehra. It is worth mentioning here that a 47-kilometre section of the Hassanabdal-Havelian motorway, commonly known as the Hazara Motorway, was opened for traffic from Burhan to Shah Maqsood interchange in December last year. For timely construction of the motorway, it was divided in three packages out of which two packages were completed last year but the third one was delayed due to difficult terrain. He said that the total length of the Hazara Motorway from Hassanabdal to Havelian would be 59.1 kilometers.

The project would have five interchanges with toll plazas at their entrance and exit points. He said that a section up to Mansehra of Havelian-Thakot motorway would also be opened for traffic by May next year.

The official stated that with the completion of the motorway, the people of Hazara division would be able to play an active role in trade, tourism, industry and agricultural sectors that would ultimately boost the country's economy. It would thus open a new chapter in Pakistan's progress and prosperity, he added.