´Nightmare´: Pakistan family mourn daughter killed in Texas shooting

Karachi, May 19-Abdul Aziz learned about the US school shooting in which his 17-year-old daughter was killed on CNN, with the story airing live as he broke his Ramadan fast thousands of miles away in Pakistan.In those chaotic first moments of confusion and terror he called his daughter Sabika Sheikh´s phone over and over. She did not answer."I kept calling her and sent her messages on WhatsApp. Never before had my daughter failed to reply," Aziz told AFP, fighting back tears at his home in the southern port city Karachi Saturday, just hours after he and his wife had their worst fears confirmed."We are still in a state of denial. It is like a nightmare," said Aziz. His wife sat nearby, visibly still shocked and seemingly unable to speak as friends and relatives tried to comfort her.Sheikh, an exchange student at the Santa Fe High School in Texas, was killed along with nine others after a heavily armed student opened fire on his classmates Friday.It was the latest school shooting to rock the US, and came just three months after the massacre in Parkland, Florida in which 17 people were killed, sparking an unprecedented grassroots, student-led gun control movement.In Pakistan, the Santa Fe shooting has unleashed an outpouring of sympathy and horror over the tragic murder of Sheikh, who had been in the US for 10 months and was just weeks away from coming home.Sheikh, whose father said she had always excelled in school, had nurtured dreams of serving in Pakistan´s foreign office.She had been due to return to Karachi in time for Eid al-Fitr, one of Islam´s most revered holidays, marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in which families come together and celebrate with days of feasting."She was coming back soon," her father said."There is a general impression that the life is safe and secure in America. But this is not the case."- ´Terrorism´ -The alleged gunman -- Dimitrios Pagourtzis, another student at the school who at 17 is the same age as Sheikh -- was later apprehended by police and is being held on capital murder charges, meaning he could face the death penalty.Police have yet to release details about a possible motive.It was the 22nd school shooting this year, according to US media reports, a disturbing statistic in a country where firearms are part of everyday life and there are more than 30,000 gun-related deaths annually.The news that a Pakistani exchange student was among the dead appeared to break through the now-routine outpouring of grief on social media after such killings, with US celebrities joining Pakistanis in expressing their sorrow"This little girl could´ve been my daughter. We must do more than just console the parents of these murdered kids," said American actress Mindy Kaling on Twitter, along with a picture of Sheikh in a post online.Some Pakistanis, for whom militant violence is all too familiar, branded the killing "terrorism"."My heart is crying for #SabikaSheikh we have lost our brightest asset because of terrorism," tweeted Malik Rohaina, from the southern Pakistani city of Hyderabad.Despite perennially rocky relations between Washington and Islamabad, the US has long been a favoured destination for Pakistani students studying abroad, with thousands enrolling in American schools every year.Even as he mourned the loss of his daughter, Aziz said he hoped the tragedy would not frighten fellow Pakistanis from following her lead."Such incidents should not make people lose heart... and one should not stop going to the US or UK or China or anywhere," said Aziz. "One must go for education undeterred."

from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2rW8HjJ

Fitrana fixed at Rs100 per head

KARACHI: The minimum amount of Fitrana and Roza Fidya has been fixed at Rs100 per person for the second consecutive year.This was announced by the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Chairman Mufti Muneeb ur Rehman in a statement on Saturday. According to the chairman, the head of a family is to pay at least Rs100, on behalf of each of his dependents, according to the price of wheat. With respect to oats, the Fitrana will be Rs240, and dates and raisins will be Rs1600 and Rs1920 respectively.Previously, the minimum amount for Sadqa-e-Fitr or Fitrana had also been set at Rs100 per head.The chairman had said that Islam obligates its followers to pay the required amount before offering the Eid prayers, so that the needy can also make timely use of that money.

from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2LeYmY1

Bhikki Power Plant inaugurated

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has inaugurated the combined cycle of 1180 MW Bhikki Power Plant in Mandi Bahauddin. The Pakistan Muslim League-N President took to Twitter to term the completion of the project as a “milestone” before he headed to Bhikki to inaugurate the power plant.“Reaching Bhikki power plant shortly IA. Proj achieved a milestone as it has attained its combined cycle of 1180MW in just 32 months. Since the launch of its phase 1 in March’17, Bhikki has contributed a total of 3.1 billion units of affordable electricity to national grid so far!” stated his tweet on Saturday.During his speech at the inaugural ceremony, Sharif stated: "Projects including Bhikki Power plant and Haveli Bahadur Shah were initiated in 2016. And today, Bhikki has been completed whereas Bahadur Shah plant is almost complete."Speaking upon the searing issue of loadshedding in the country, the chief minister claimed: "After working tirelessly, there is no loadshedding during Ramazan this year. 10,000 MW electricity has been added to the national grid under the PML-N government."Acclaimed to be the latest, the most contemporary and vastly developed gas machinery in Pakistan, the 1180MW Bhikki Project is based on general electric 209HA combined cycle technology and has a gross capacity of 1180 Megawatts.As per reports, the total cost of the project is 770 million USD. The power plant is also said to have the lowest power generation cost, saving in EPC cost Rupees 39 billion.

from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2KBwQmu

Govt, opposition finalize name of caretaker PM

ISLAMABAD: Government and opposition parties have reached a consensus on the nomination of caretaker Prime Minister, Geo reported on Saturday. The caretaker prime minister will take charge shortly after the government’s term comes to an end on May 31.   The channel quoted sources saying that a consultation session was held to finalize the names proposed for the top slot. In addition to the caretaker PM, two sides also held consultations about the nomination of chief ministers. In response to a question if the caretaker prime minister is from a smaller province, opposition leader Syed Khursheed Shah said that answering the question would 'disclose everything.' Shah also said that there was no restriction on the gender of the candidate. It could be a male or female, he said. He further said it was not necessary that one of the candidates being discussed on the media was the one finalized for the position. "We are making efforts to reach a consensus on an uncontroversial candidate," he said. "The candidate's name will be announced after I meet the prime minister on Tuesday."    

from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2rWZAhM

When It Comes To Sugary Snacks, We Want What We Can�€™t Have

By Cracked Writers  Published: May 19th, 2018 

from Cracked: All Posts https://ift.tt/2Le5hkr

5 Weird Things All Movies Believe About Rich People

By E.M. Caris,Michael Battaglino  Published: May 19th, 2018 

from Cracked: All Posts https://ift.tt/2IzPeMa

Xbox�€™s Latest Controller Is A Real Game-Changer

By Cedric Voets  Published: May 18th, 2018 

from Cracked: All Posts https://ift.tt/2Lcwnby

Here's How To Improve That Dumb Batman Prequel 'Pennyworth'

By Adam Wears  Published: May 18th, 2018 

from Cracked: All Posts https://ift.tt/2IvqdBK

Quotations Required to Develop Management Information System (MIS)

Quotations Required to Develop Management Information System (MIS) (HelpAge International) - Islamabad

f....[more]

from BrightSpyre Jobs https://ift.tt/2Ler3EO

Bilawal meets spiritual leader of Dargah Syed Hussain Shah Bukhari

QAMBAR-SHAHDADKOT: PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited the Dargah Hussainabad and met spiritual leader and custodian of Dargah Syed Hussain Shah Bukhari.According to a statement issued by the PPP on Saturday, Syed Hussain Shah Bukhari prayed for the chairman’s well-being and victory as well as the progress of the country.Earlier, he visited the mausoleum of martyrs at Garhi Khuda Bux on Saturday offered Fateha and showered rose petals at the Mazars of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and others. Yesterday, he attended and addressed an iftar dinner hosted by the people  of Larkana city at Jinnah Bagh. MNA Faryal Talpur, Aseefa Bhutto Zardar, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Suhail Anwar Siyal, Khursheed Junejo and other party leaders were also present.

from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2ISpttO

Operations Analyst (Colony WY) - Minerals Technologies Inc. - Colony, WY

They are part of a team that will maintain reliable. Interaction between sales and operations for process improvement projects. Minerals Technologies Inc....
From Minerals Technologies Inc. - Sat, 19 May 2018 01:29:06 GMT - View all Colony, WY jobs

from sales Jobs | Indeed.com https://ift.tt/2rTKaMh

Loan Officer - Premier Home Mortgage - Sheridan, WY

The LO will be required to participate in educational opportunities and read current publications to obtain the minimum qualifications set forth by individual...
From Premier Home Mortgage - Wed, 16 May 2018 05:27:06 GMT - View all Sheridan, WY jobs

from sales Jobs | Indeed.com https://ift.tt/2GxgB7I

Pakistan mourns death of Sabika Sheikh in Texas school shooting

ISLAMABAD: Led by politicians, Pakistanis on Saturday mourned the death of Sabika Sheikh, a Pakistan student, who was among 10 people, killed in a shooting at a Texas high school in the United States yesterday.Sabika Sheikh was studying in the US as part of Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) programme. She was a resident of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi.Sabika was among 75 Pakistani students who were selected to study in the US under the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) programme.In a letter sent to the YES programme students, Megan Lysaght, the program manager (Inbound) at American Councils for International Education, wrote: "It is with [the] greatest sadness in my heart that I need to inform you that one of our YES students, Sabika Sheikh of Pakistan, was killed today in the school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas."We are saddened to report that a student on a State Department program administered by American Councils was killed today in a high school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas. Sabika Aziz Sheikh was a Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) student from Karachi, Pakistan and was hosted in Texas during the 2017-18 academic year," reads a statement issued by American CouncilsIn a statement on Twitter, PTI chairman Imran Khan express shock and grief at the tragic death of Sabika Sheikh. “Shocked & saddened by the tragic death of Sabika Sheikh our Pakistani Honour Roll exchange student in the Santa Fe school shooting in USA. My prayers go to the family - May Allah give them the strength to cope with such an irreparable loss,” Khan tweeted.Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his sympathy with the bereaved family of Sabika Sheikh at her untimely death. “Grieved to learn about the killing of students including a Pakistani exchange student, Sabika Sheikh, in an incident of shooting at a US school. My heart-felt sympathies to bereaved families!,” Chief Minister Tweeted. US ambassador to Pakistan ‏David Hale also offered his condolences. "This morning, I called the family of Sabika Sheikh and offered my deepest condolences. All of us at the U.S. Mission in Pakistan are devastated by and mourn her loss. We will honor her memory," Mr Hale said in a statement. On Twitter, Sabika Sheikh became a top trend as condolences poured in from across the country. 

from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2rVumaP

PM Abbasi summons NSC to discuss border situation

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has summoned a meeting of National Security Committee to discuss the tense situation along the Line of Control (Lo C). The meeting will be attended by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair Mahmood Hayat and the chiefs of Armed Forces, among others.According to sources, matters pertaining to national and regional security as well as the border situation would be brought under discussion at the meeting, the sources added.The meeting comes a day after four Pakistanis, including three children and a woman, embraced martyrdom when Indian forced targeted civilian population near the Working Boundary. 

from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2wRqm0V