Current Final

Category: National

  • ‘Slander against Yousaf Raza Gilani is completely baseless’

    ‘Slander against Yousaf Raza Gilani is completely baseless’

    Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill recently accused Yousaf Raza Gilani of using the Senate vehicle as a taxi service.

    Let’s face it, those who were supposed to be the Chairman of the Senate started a taxi service on a government vehicle,” wrote Dr Gill on Twitter.

    “The wage has to be paid in any case, no matter what. This move is such that I don’t even dare to comment on it,” added the SAPM.

    Gill made the accusation after news of Gilani’s allotted Senate car was seen dropping off a person and was primarily termed as giving a pick and drop service and was accused of charging double fare from the passengers.

    Meanwhile, Gilani’s son Kasim Giliani nullified the accusations, saying: “I didn’t want to respond to the baseless slander and dirty, cheap smears however it is important to put the record straight.”

    He clarified the accusations saying, “One driver of the Senate used the Senate car to drop another driver to a (bus stand/taxi stand) without Yousaf Raza Gilani’s permission. This does not concern Yousaf Raza Gilani at all and the Senate can take appropriate action against the employees.”

    “The low level of cheap shots and completely fabricated attacks by the government trolls only exposes the depths of their morality,” added Gilani.

     Senator Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani was elected as leader of the opposition in the Upper House of the parliament on March 26,2021.

  • PM carries the ‘begging bowl’ with him everywhere

    PM carries the ‘begging bowl’ with him everywhere

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday chastised Prime Minister Imran Khan, blaming him for not caring about the common man’s problems in Pakistan.

    In a statement, Bilawal held PM Khan responsible for the dreadful economic situation of the country, adding that “every Pakistani is paying the price of Imran Khan’s ‘Change Tsunami’”

    Speaking about PM’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia, Bilawal said it was unfortunate how the same prime minister, who used to talk about not obtaining loans from other countries, was carrying the “begging bowl” with him everywhere in the world.

    “Mr Prime Minister, surely you hold vast experience in collecting donations. However, countries do not run on donations alone,” said the PPP chairperson.

    “If the money we receive from loans continues to get wasted in corruption, the common man will continue to bear the burden of inflation,” he said, adding: “Imran Khan, you should come out of your palace in Bani Gala.”

    “The Chinese government’s hesitancy [in issuing the funds] is in fact an expression of their lack of confidence in the PTI government,” he said, adding that foreign investors were afraid of investing in Pakistan. 

    The PPP chairperson’s criticism comes after the prime minister returned from the Saudi Arabia visit aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries.

  • PM to take your calls on May 11

    PM to take your calls on May 11

    Prime Minister Imran Khan will once again take phone calls from Pakistanis on May 11, under the ‘Ap Ka Prime Minister Ap Kai Sath’ [Your Prime Minister With You] initiative. As per details, the PM will personally answer people’s queries.

    The news has been confirmed by Senator Faisal Javed, who said the calls would be broadcast live on television, radio, and social media.

    People who wish to voice their concerns to the PM can dial 051-9224900. He will begin taking calls at 1:30 pm.

    The premier has interacted with the public twice on February 1, 2021 and April 4, 2021.

  • Shafqat’s disappointment

    Last month, Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood voiced his disappointment at the language used by young students on Twitter and social media. Responding to a question by senior anchorperson Asma Shiraz, Mahmood said: “The kind of language these children are using on Twitter, I think it is a collective failure of the government, teachers and parents. One feels ashamed.” Shafqat Mahmood was being trolled by students online for not postponing their exams. Later, the government did postpone the exams till June 15.

    Lawyer and activist Jibran Nasir, who was leading voices to raise the issue of exams on social media and a vocal critic of Shafqat Mahmood, came to the latter’s defence regarding online abuse. Jibran tweeted: “Dear Students, anyone encouraging you to make nasty comments or insulting tweets to highlight your exam issue doesn’t have your best interest at heart. I’ll repeat don’t hurt your cause or embarrass those supporting you by participating in such trends. Keep it clean & respectful.”

    Unfortunately, online trolling and abuse has become a norm in recent years. Trolls are basically people who attack people online in a vicious and malicious way. There are many studies that observe why trolls behave this way. Dr Mark Griffiths, Professor of Behavioural Addiction at Nottingham Trent University, told the BBC that most people troll others “for either revenge, for attention seeking, for boredom, and for personal amusement”. Then there are paid trolls who are part of political parties and other interest groups. It is their job to silence their critics by attacking them. Politicians, journalists, feminists, activists and many others face vicious online troll attacks in Pakistan and other countries. But this does not make it right. Trolls feel powerful because of the anonymity that social media provides. A lot of trolls do not use their own real names and identities. This makes them feel even more ‘powerful’ and they think they can say anything to anyone, be it celebrities, politicians, journalists, etc. Trolls also think that there are no consequences for such behaviour but this is not completely true either. In some cases, trolls who were identified have lost their jobs, have been expelled from educational institutions and some have even gone to jail for threatening others online.

    Shafqat Mahmood’s disappointment is something that everyone who has faced online trolling can relate to. We hope that young students and other people who think they can say anything and everything to strangers just because it’s an online space will introspect and behave more appropriately, as they would do in an offline space. 

  • Five million people follow PM Khan on Instagram

    Five million people follow PM Khan on Instagram

    Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Instagram family grew to a staggering five million followers on Saturday.

    The premier maintains an active social media presence. Which allows his followers to stay up-to-date with his activities. He has become the first Pakistani politician to hit such a large following on Instagram.

    PM Khan’s post on his Instagram account right before amassing 5 million followers was a quote by Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani as saying: “I looked into spiritual works and have not found anything better than giving food to people. Had the world been in my hands, I would not entertain anything except feed the hungry.”

    The post gathered nearly 400 comments and 36,000 likes in an hour of it being shared.

    PM Imran Khan also has 13.6 million followers on Twitter  and has 10.3 million followers on Facebook.

  • ‘Rapid COVID-19 testing’ – CAA announces new SOPs for flights

    ‘Rapid COVID-19 testing’ – CAA announces new SOPs for flights

    The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued new provisions for airlines after a sharp increase in coronavirus cases. The decision came after many violations in SOP’s not being followed were reported.

    Airlines have been instructed to keep 20 per cent of their seats vacant and ensure social distancing between passengers. As per new directives, airlines violating the orders will be fined. Airport managers have been tasked to ensure that the SOPs are being followed.

    Earlier this week, the authority began rapid Covid-19 testing of international passengers at airports across Pakistan. According to the Health Ministry, through these tests, coronavirus reports will be obtained within 20 minutes.

    If reports are positive, passengers will have to isolate at a quarantine center at their own expense. Those who test negative will be allowed to go home but will have to stay indoors for a week.

    On May 1, the government decided to reduce inbound international flights to 20 per cent of the current measure.

  • PM Imran, First Lady land barefoot in Madina

    PM Imran, First Lady land barefoot in Madina

    Prime Minister Imran Khan and First Lady Bushra Bibi landed in Madina wearing no shoes in order to pay their respects to the Holy City.

    Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry appreciated PM Khan’s gesture of not wearing shoes, saying: “This is the level of respect, that [PM Imran] opts not to step on the holy soil of Madina with shoes on.”

    “Respect is the first source of love,” added Chaudhry.

    Meanwhile, this is not the first time that PM Khan was seen without his shoes. During his previous visits to the Holy City, the PM opted to walk barefoot.

    2018:PM Imran Khan arrives in Madina on official tour to Saudi Arabia

    PM Khan has carried all his activities barefoot, which happens to be a usual norm for the premier whenever he is in Madina.

    Imran Khan in Madina meeting with officials

    During this vist, PM Khan also visited Masjid al Nabawi as part of his tour activities and was photographed sitting within the premises of Roza-e-Rasool (PBUH).

    PM Imran is currently in Saudi Arabia for a three-day visit. The PM is visiting the Kingdom upon the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz.

  • ‘Educational institutions to remain closed till 23rd May’

    The National Command and Operation Centre has announced an extension in the closure of educational institutions given the prevailing situation of COVID-19 in the country. The decision was taken during the meeting of NCOC held earlier on Saturday.

    “In today’s NCOC session, it is decided that in view of ongoing disease trends, education institutes earlier closed till May 17 will continue to remain closed till May 23,” read a tweet from NCOC’s official Twitter account.

    “Review will be carried out on May 18, 2021,” it added.

    Earlier, the NCOC announced a complete ban on tourism, for both locals and outsiders. The ban shall be observed from May 8-16, the week leading up to and including the Eid holidays. In addition to that, all tourist resorts, formal and informal picnic spots, public parks, shopping malls; all hotels and restaurants in/around tourist/ picnic spots to remain closed.

    On May 7, Pakistan witnessed a death toll of 120. The country has recorded 4,109 confirmed COVID in the last 24 hours with a positivity rate of 8.54%.

  • Asad Umar urges unity against ‘danger knocking at our doors’

    Federal Minister Ministry for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives and head of the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) Asad Umar has warned the nation about the danger of the COVID-19 “knocking at our doors” and has expressed the need to unite against the virus.

    “The need for caution is clear,” warned Umar. “The danger is higher than ever and [is] knocking at our doors.”

    The minister urged everyone to take the necessary precautions and follow the coronavirus SOPs.

    “Need the country to unite in response and achieve once again what we achieved in the first wave, for which we received global praise. InshAllah we will do it again, together,” said Umar.

    The minister also quoted examples from the other countries of the region including India and Nepal to explain the intensity of the situation.

    He also explained the rationale behind the recent restrictions imposed on mobility. To reduce mobility during the forthcoming Eid-ul-Fitar NCOC has announced a “Stay Home, Stay Safe” strategy from May 8 to May 16, with the complete ban on tourism, for both locals and outsiders. All tourist resorts, formal and informal picnic spots, public parks, shopping malls; all hotels and restaurants in/around tourist/ picnic spots to will be remain closed during the mentioned time period.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan has also started local production of the first bulk of the Cansino vaccine, which will be available at the end of the month. A special plant was set up at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad.

    Pakistan is currently administering China’s Sinopharm at govt centres and Russia’s sputnik at private centres, and the first batch of the first shipment of the British coronavirus AstraZeneca has arrived in Pakistan.

    The country is battling with its third wave of COVID-19. According to the NCOC, Pakistan has recorded 4,109 cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours while 120 people have lost their lives to the deadly virus.

    Meanwhile, Firdous Ashiq Awan has urged people to avoid the usual, “Jhappiyan or Puppiyan”, this Eid.

  • Karachi gets country’s largest COVID-19 vaccination centre

    Karachi gets country’s largest COVID-19 vaccination centre

    Pakistan’s largest COVID-19 vaccination center has been set up in Karachi’s Expo Centre. The facility can accommodate up to 30,000 people on a daily basis.

    As per reports, the Sindh government has established the mega vaccination center at Karachi’s Expo Centre in order to speed up the COVID-19 vaccination process.

    The mega vaccination centre will be operational from May 9 (Sunday) where 30,000 people could get COVID-19 shots in a single day.

    The vaccination centre will directly be supervised by Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah and the vaccination process will take place 24 hours a day.

    The provincial government has also notified that the staff of the private hospital will be on duty while the vaccination centres will remain open sans three eid days as the country faces the rising third wave of the global pandemic.

    According to the notification issued by the Sindh government, except for the three gazetted Eid days, from May 13-15, the vaccination centres will be functional on all federally announced holidays.

    Earlier, the Sindh government also launched free COVID-19 vaccination home service to facilitate elderly citizens.

    The mobile helplines for at-home vaccination are 9123 and 1025. Those calling from a landline phone can dial 021-111-119-123.

    The province has reported 290,756 cases reporting 1,110 in the last 24 hours.