Tobacco-related diseases killed as many as 100,000 people every year and nearly 1,200 children start smoking every day in Pakistan because of government inaction, health experts agreed on Tuesday.

They were addressing a seminar on the 'Role of Media for Advancing Tobacco Control'.

Criticising the government inaction on tobacco control laws, Project Co-ordinator of the Network for Consumer Protection Dr Hussan Mehmood said that around 40 percent men and 9 percent women smoked in Pakistan.

Turkmenistan on Wednesday signed agreements with India and Pakistan to deliver gas through a new pipeline that will transit Afghanistan, the first contracts in the ambitious project.

The 1,700-kilometre (1,050-mile) TAPI pipeline aims to transport more than 30 billion cubic metres of gas annually from Turkmenistan to energy-hungry consumers in Pakistan and India as well as relieving shortages in Afghanistan.

A leading South Korean Company K-Water will invest in different hydal projects in Pakistan to generate around 3000MW electricity to help in resolving energy crisis. This was disclosed by Chairman Korean Water Resources Corporation known as K-Water Kim Kuen Ho while meeting with Prime Minister Gilani on Wednesday. Chairman Board of Investment Saleem Mandviwala was also present in the meeting. Prime Minister Gilani congratulated K-Water Chairman for forming consortium with other Korean companies for the implementation of various hydro projects in Pakistan.

For combating the menace of child labour, Punjab Labour and Human Resource Department has approved a 5-year project 'Combating worst form of child labour'; it is being implemented in four districts of the province (Jhang, Layyah, Jehlum and Chakwal). Punjab Labour and Human Resource Secretary Hassan Iqbal disclosed this during a meeting with the District Co-ordination Officers (DCOs) of the respective districts here on Tuesday, disclosed an official.
He said the Punjab government is focused and committed to eradicate the child labour from the province.

Final round of talks among the four participating counties of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project would be held in Kabul on April 19 to finalise the structure of the much-needed energy project for India and Pakistan. Federal Secretary Petroleum Mohammed Ejaz Chaudhry, after his return from India where he attended 7th Asia Gas conference, stated this while talking to a group of journalists here on Wednesday.

Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and Private Power Infrastructure Board (PPIB) are reportedly scuffling with each other to take execution control of 590MW Mahal hydropower project, jointly established at the boundary of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) and Punjab, well informed sources in PPIB told the Business Recorder. The sources said the controversy on Mahal between PPIB and Wapda was witnessed in the 90th meeting of PPIB Board presided over by the Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar.

City District Government Lahore (CDGL) has taken all necessary steps for eradication of dengue and town administrations have been directed for the implementation of dengue regulations.According to a CDGL's spokesperson, notices are being issued to tyre shops and sprays are being done in tyre storehouses. DCO Lahore Ahad Khan Cheema had also directed the concerned town officers to take strict action against tyre shops owners for violating the dengue regulations. He said that the work is in process at union council level.

Kisan Board Pakistan (KBP) has urged the government to take immediate notice of Indian efforts of buying carbon credits for its seven hydropower projects to be built on Sindh, Chenab and Jhelum rivers.

The Board said that this effort of India is aimed at to give legal cover to its water projects planned on rivers of Pakistan.

The Planning Commission has projected 292 per cent increase in the cost of 969 MW Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project to Rs 331 billion from original cost of Rs 84.5 billion approved in 2002 due to poor planning by Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda).

Official documents available with Business Recorder reveal that the project is likely to be completed in June 2016 - a claim not considered credible by analysts.

To make judicious use of irrigation water, the Punjab government has launched a mega project costing Rs 36 billion titled "Punjab Irrigated Agriculture Productivity Improvement" under which drip & sprinkler irrigation system would be installed on 120,000 acres along with improvement of 9000 water courses for which farmers will be provided huge subsidy.

Approximately 3000 Laser Land Levelling Units would also be provided on subsidised rates to farmers for land levelling under the project.