We’ll change country’s fate if allowed to complete term: PM

 

MANSEHRA: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said his government would change the fate of the country if allowed to complete its five-year term. He said this while inaugurating the 4,320 megawatt Dasu Hydropower Project in Kohistan.
Speaking at a gathering after inaugurating the project, the prime minister said the project would help overcome loadshedding and put the country on the road to prosperity and development. “Our government is not just making tall claims of starting mega development projects; we have started this mega project which will meet the energy needs of our country,” he said amid cheers by the locals.

Nawaz said that the project would be completed in record time with an estimated cost of Rs500 billion. “I am confident the people will reject the elements who are out to block the development process,” he maintained. He added that work on the Diamer-Bhasha Dam would also start soon.

The premier advised his detractors to wait for five years as his government had the mandate of the people. “Our government is taking steps in the larger national interest and we are proud of it,” he said, adding he would honour all the pledges made during electioneering.

A group of people who were protesting on the occasion, were asked by the prime minister to meet him. He assured them the government would meet their demands. “Kohistan is rich in natural resources and the time is not far when this area would be a model city like Islamabad and people would come to invest here,” he added.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mehtab, Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif, Secretary for Water and Power Nargis Sethi among others were also present on the occasion.

Nawaz Sharif also visited Naran in the Kaghan valley and stayed there for some time. He also met a delegation of hoteliers. They apprised the prime minister of the electricity problems in the area.

Nawaz Sharif asked Khwaja Asif to build a 2MW small hydropower project on the Kunhar River to solve the issue. Security was put on high alert in Dasu, the headquarters of Kohistan, and Naran.

US receives 172,000 H1B visa petitions, lottery decides fate

The U.S., which received more than 172,000 applications for the H-1B visas, has conducted a computerised draw of lots to determine who all would be given the most sought after work visas that are highly popular among IT professionals from countries like India.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) conducted the computerised draw of lots to select the Congressionally mandated 65,000 applicants, who would receive the H-1B visas.

The USCIS, in a statement, said it also conducted draw of lots for Congressional mandated 20,000 H-1B petitions filed under the advanced degree exemption.

“USCIS received about 172,500 H-1B petitions during the filing period which began April 1, including petitions filed for the advanced degree exemption,” the federal agency said.

“On April 10, USCIS completed a computer-generated random selection process, or lottery, to select enough petitions to meet the 65,000 general-category cap and 20,000 cap under the advanced degree exemption,” it said.

For cap-subject petitions not randomly selected, USCIS will reject and return the petition with filing fees, unless it is found to be a duplicate filing.

The USCIS conducted the selection process for the advanced degree exemption first.

All advanced degree petitions not selected then became part of the random selection process for the 65,000 limit, the federal agency said.

However, the USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions that are otherwise exempt from the cap.

Petitions filed on behalf of current H-1B workers who have been counted previously against the cap will not be counted towards the congressionally mandated fiscal 2015 H-1B cap.