Workshop for artisans begins

ISLAMABAD, Sept 14:  A master artisans training workshop in the field of woodworks, metal works, lacquer art, papier mache and truck art started at Lok Virsa complex on Friday.

There would be 768 beneficiaries of the training workshop,  including 128 master artisans and 640 artisan apprentices.

Talking to the media, Lok Virsa’s executive director Khalid Javaid said: “All over Pakistan, craftsmen are engaged in wood carving and producing furniture and wooden artifacts of unsurpassed quality.”

He said Jundi ka Kaam or Lacquer work, which forms an intrinsic part of Pakistan folk crafts, involves the process of applying layers of Lac in different colours on wood while the material is rotated on a simple wooden lathe machine.

Papier mache is a specialised Kashmiri craft for making a large number of items of daily use, including powder and pin boxes of different sizes, toys, bangles, vases, besides decoration pieces such as wall-hanging plates, etc, he said. The colourful, sometimes dazzling, artwork on vehicles and other means of transportation, which is found in abundance in Pakistan, can hardly be seen anywhere else in the world, he said. — A Reporter

Induction in PSP

RAWALPINDI, Sept 14: As many as 80 police officers of Punjab police service have been waiting for induction into the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) against 53 seats.Of the 80 police officers, 35 had been promoted to the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP) in BPS-18 on regular basis in 2007. The 53 seats for the provincial police officer have been lying vacant since 2006 as the last recommendation for induction into PSP had been sent to the federal government in 2006.

The Punjab IG will recommend the name of thepolice officers, majority of whom had been promoted to the rank of SP several years ago and some were promoted recently, to the Establishment Division Islamabad for the induction into the Police Services of Pakistan (PSP).

As per rules the provincial government sends recommendations to the federal government which issues notification inducting the police officers into the PSP. Among the 80 police officers, six SPs belonged to Rawalpindi division and have been posted on different positions.—Staff Reporter

Getting serious about dengue

RAWALPINDI, Sept 14: The health department has directed private schools and colleges to spray anti-dengue medicines on their premises within a week, otherwise cases will be registered against school owners.

Talking to Dawn, District Health Officer (Urban Areas) Dr Ansar Ishaq said: “Initially 20 school systems had been served notices and offered them to facilitate their staff, while imparting training for the spray of anti-dengue medicines to avoid threat of dengue virus,” he said. He said the health department would monitor the spray activity in schools and for government schools and colleges, the health department teams had been deployed to spray anti-dengue medicines. — A Reporter