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Category: National

  • Imran Khan named ‘Personality of the Week’ for ‘efforts against Islamophobia’

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has been voted the ‘Personality of the Week’ by Al-Jazeera’s weekly program Sibaq-ul-Akhbar (News Competition), Radio Pakistan has reported. The primer was selected for his views and efforts to address the issue of Islamophobia.

    PM Imran Khan had recently shared his views on Islamophobia in a series of tweets in which he sent out a message to “extremists abroad” who indulge in Islamophobia, and racist slurs to hurt and cause pain to the Muslims across the globe.

    “We Muslims have the greatest love and respect for our Prophet PBUH who lives in our hearts. We cannot tolerate any such disrespect and abuse,” the permier had said.

    Read more – ‘TLP’s way is not the answer’: PM Khan addresses the nation

    Sibaq-ul-Akhbar is an interactive and live one hour weekly program in Arabic on Al Jazeera TV. It is very popular in Arab countries. During the show, the channel selects three to four top news of the week and subsequently viewers are asked to vote which is the top news story and personality associated with the story. Imran Khan secured 56 percent votes from the viewers.

    Al-Jazeera’s viewers on the Sibaq-ul-Akhbar program held on April 24 voted for PM Khan as Personality of the Week for his candid views on the issue of Islamophobia.  

  • South African, Brazilian variant of COVID-19 detected in Karachi

    Minister for Health and Population Welfare Sindh Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho has alerted citizens that the South African and Brazilian variant of COVID-19 has been detected in samples taken by the Agha Khan University (AKU).

    In a video message, the minister said: “13 samples were studied yesterday in Agha Khan University Hospital. 10 UK, two African and a Brazilian variant were found.”

    Dr Pechuho further said that South African and Brazilian variants have a high fatality rate and that these variants are not vaccine responsive.

    The doctor warned that those infected with these new found variants can get severely ill.

    She further urged people to stay indoors, avoid gatherings and Eid shopping.

    The minister also added that if citizen continue with such carelessness, hospitals and medical centres will be overburdened as “we have seen in India”. She added that if the virus begins to spread, it will become difficult to control it.

    Last year in December, Pakistan reported three cases of the new strain of coronavirus that first emerged in the United Kingdom, prompting countries to ban travel with the UK.

    Pakistan is experiencing a deadly third wave of Covid-19, with the positivity rate at an all-time high. According to the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), 5112 cases and 131 deaths were recorded in the country in the last 24 hours.

  • NA-249 by-poll: Others cry foul as PPP clinches victory in unexpected turn of events

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) came out on top after a close contest with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in NA-249 (Karachi West-II) on Thursday.

    According to unofficial results, PPP’s Abdul Qadir Mandokhel, in an unexpected turn off events, won the race against PML-N’s Miftah Ismail close behind.

    The NA seat was created in 2018 by amalgamating neighbourhoods that previously fell in two Upper House constituencies — NA-239 and NA-240 — during three general elections between 2002 and 2013.

    The constituency, with 339,591 registered voters, has emerged to be a highly contested seat with candidates belonging to almost every major political party fighting for it.

    Prominent candidates in the run were Miftah of PML-N, Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chief Syed Mustafa Kamal, Amjad Afridi of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Qadir of PPP, Mohammad Mursaleen of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Mufti Nazeer Ahmed Kamalvi of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

    Contrary to pre-poll surveys, the PTI was unable to reclaim the seat fallen vacant after Faisal Vawda’s resignation.

    The PTI, instead, couldn’t even make it to top three.

    Earlier, when Miftah was in the lead, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz claimed that the “masses know who exactly is responsible for their troubles and woes”.

    “I have said it earlier and I will say it again, Imran Khan and PTI will not be able to campaign and if they do, this is how they will be welcomed,” she said.

    Her remarks were in response to a video shared by former journalist Talat Hussain showing PTI candidate for NA-249 Amjad Afridi being heckled by voters of the constituency.

    Earlier, taking strict notice of PTI lawmakers’ presence in the NA-249 constituency during the by-poll, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) directed them to leave.

    According to details, six PTI MPs Firdous Shamim Naqvi, Raja Azhar, Saeed Afridi, Bilal Ghaffar, Shah Nawaz Jadoon and Shahzad Awan were found to be violating the code of conduct by being present in the constituency during polling hours.

    The ECP issued their expulsion orders, directing police to expel them from the constituency.

    Since after the surprising turn of events, rigging allegations are pouring in against the ruling PPP of Sindh.

  • Private schools request Cambridge for School Assessed Grades

    With the government announcing that all exams are cancelled until June 15, students are now demanding School Assessed Grades. In this regard, Jibran Nasir who has been a vocal advocate for the student throughout shared a screenshot of an email written to students by the CEO of Cedar College Karachi to inform them that schools in the city are uniting for a joint effort to get School Assessed Grades option for students.

    “In a situation that is evolving rapidly, I am happy to report that in the meeting that we had with school leaders of O’ and A’ Level schools from across Karachi, we reached a unanimous decision to write Cambridge International as one unified block requesting that they give our students the option to op for school/teacher assesses grades for the June 2021 exam series,” read the email.

    The email further stated, “We hope that the fact that we are all speaking with one voice, and have one message will have a greater impact on Cambridge International with respect to allowing Pakistani students the option of taking school assessed grades.”

    “May this become a nationwide effort. Schools are filling shoes of [the] government as Education Minister remains absent,” wrote Jibran in the caption.

    Jibran Nasir also shared names of other private schools who are in favour of School Assesses Grades and requested other schools to do the same.

    Students have been demanding Teacher and School Assessed Grades with the hashtags #ShafqatDestroysOurCareer and #ResignShafqatMahmood trending on social media. They argue that their study schedules have been disrupted because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Pakistan’s first media university to be set up in Islamabad, says Fawad Chaudhry

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has announced that the government plans to open the country’s first-ever media university in Islamabad, ARY News has reported.

    The minister said that the university will be opened in a vacant building in Islamabad, which has been empty for the past eight years.

    Fawad added that international professors will be called to teach at the university, adding that modern technology will also be taught there.

    The minister further said that this is for the first time in the country that animation, sound and lighting education will be given locally. He is hopeful that the media university will become the best varsity in the South Asia region.

    Fawad was recently reappointed Minister for Information and Broadcasting in a recent cabinet shuffle.

    Earlier, he also shared his plans on what he plans to do under his ministry.

    “The process that started in 2018 to initiate reforms in the Information Ministry is being resumed,” Chaudhry had said, adding that the project to make Pakistan Television HD will be completed by June 1. In addition to this, work on making PTV Sports HD is also in progress.

  • Against surveys: PML-N’s Miftah leads Karachi by-poll, PTI far behind

    Contrary to what surveys suggested, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Miftah Ismail is leading the race for Karachi’s NA-249 constituency, unofficial results from 54 of 276 polling stations show.

    While the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) are trailing behind, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for now rests at the bottom of the table.

    Earlier, the polling process continued rather peacefully with no untoward incident taking place.

    Voter turnout, despite strict security arrangements, was reported to be low, mainly owing to Ramzan, scorching heat and the fact that the election was conducted on a business day.

    CONTRARY TO SURVEYS:

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and his PTI were the most popular in embattled NA-249 constituency of Karachi until earlier today.

    According to surveys by Ipsos, Pulse Consultant and Gallup Pakistan, PTI was likely to retain the seat that had fallen vacant after its Faisal Vawda stepped down; however, rival PML-N could give it a tought time.

    The Karachi West-II seat of the National Assembly lies in Baldia Town neighbourhood of the metropolis.

    It was won by PTI’s Vawda in the 2018 general election after beating PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif.

    As many as 276 polling stations comprising 796 polling booths had been established in the constituency.

    The constituency, with 339,591 registered voters, had emerged to be a highly contested seat with candidates belonging to almost every major political party fighting for it.

    Prominent candidates in the run were Miftah Ismail of PML-N, Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chief Syed Mustafa Kamal, Amjad Afridi of PTI, Qadir Khan Mandokhail of PPP, Mohammad Mursaleen of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Mufti Nazeer Ahmed Kamalvi of TLP.

    With results still pouring in, a sudden turn of events hasn’t been ruled out by pundits.

  • ‘Ban on Eid travel’ – Govt announces strategy for Eid

    The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has announced Eid-ul-Fitr Holidays in Pakistan from May 10 to May 15. The announcement came after NCOC’s meeting on Thursday which was chaired by Minister for Development and Planning Asad Umar.

    During the meeting, NCOC also recommended restricting international flights to Pakistan from May 5 to May 20, according to Samaa News. However, the detailed instructions will be issued by The Civil Aviation Authority.

    Comprehensive standard operating procedures (SOPs) will be issued for Youm-e-Ali, Aitekaf, Shab-e-Qadar, Juma-tul-Wida, and Eid prayers by May 1, said the press release.

    The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) had earlier advised the government to give Eid Holidays from May 10 to 16 as the country battles the most lethal wave of coronavirus.

    To reduce mobility during the forthcoming Eid-ul-Fitar NCOC has announced a “Stay Home, Stay Safe” strategy from May 8 to May 16.

    Here are the Comprehensive guidelines by the name of “STAY HOME-STAY SAFE — Eid-ul-Fitr-2021 from 8-16 May 2021” announced by NCOC:

    • All markets, businesses, and shops will remain closed except for essential services.
    • Chaand Raat bazaars will be banned.
    • Complete ban on tourism
    • Inter-provincial, inter-city, and intra-city public transport will be banned but private vehicles will be allowed to operate with 50 per cent capacity.
    • Media channels will broadcast special Eid Holiday packages to keep public at home.

    Vaccinations for people in Pakistan aged 40 to 49 years will open May 3, the NCOC also decided in the meeting.

    Pakistan is experiencing a third wave of coronavirus. As per NCOC, Pakistan has recorded 5,450 new cases and 151 deaths with a positivity rate of 9.61%. The 151 death toll is the highest Pakistan has seen since the pandemic began.

  • Shafqat Mahmood disappointed with derogatory language used by students for him

    Federal Minister of Education Shafqat Mahmood in a recent television show expressed his disappointment at the students protesting for their exams to be delayed.

    Answering a question about Twitter trends against him the minister said: “The kind of language these children are using on Twitter, I think it is a collective failure of government Teachers and parents.

    “The kind of language children of age 16 and 17 are using, one feels ashamed,” he said further, adding that it highlights our collective failure.

    Read more- Shafqat Mahmood memes light up the internet once again

    Ayesha Omar and Omair Rana also condemned the disrespectful behavior by some students.

    On the other hand, activist turned politician Jibran Nasir accused Shafqat Mahmood for blocking him for “only raising students concerns and demanding resignation.”

    After Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood announced on Tuesday that no examinations will take place in the country until June 15 and that O’ and A’ Level exams will now take place in the October-November cycle, students are now demanding Teacher and School Assessed Grades with the hashtags #ShafqatDestroysOurCareer and #ResignShafqatMahmood trending on social media.

  • NA-249 by-election: Imran Khan, his PTI most popular, suggest surveys amid polling

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are the most popular in embattled NA-249 constituency of Karachi where a by-poll is currently being held.

    According to surveys by Ipsos, Pulse Consultant and Gallup Pakistan, PTI is likely to retain the seat that had fallen vacant after its Faisal Vawda stepped down; however, rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) could give it a tough time.

    The Karachi West-II seat of the National Assembly lies in Baldia Town neighbourhood of the metropolis.

    It was won by PTI’s Vawda in the 2018 general election after beating PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif.

    As many as 276 polling stations comprising 796 polling booths have been established in the constituency. The voting process on Thursday began at 8 am and will continue till 5 pm without any pause.

    The constituency, with 339,591 registered voters, has emerged to be a highly contested seat with candidates belonging to almost every major political party fighting for it.

    Prominent candidates in the run are Miftah Ismail of PML-N, Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chief Syed Mustafa Kamal, Amjad Afridi of PTI, Qadir Khan Mandokhail of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Mohammad Mursaleen of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Mufti Nazeer Ahmed Kamalvi of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

    TLP which was banned earlier this month over violent nationwide protests is contesting the seat after the Ministry of Interior said it could contest elections until such time that it stood dissolved as a political party registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

    Candidates and their supporters have acknowledged a lacklustre ambience reflecting a certain sense of detachment among the voters belonging to the constituency, however, expressed hope that they would come out of their homes by noon.

  • Sana Mir praises Yasmin Rashid’s dedication towards duty while battling cancer

    Sana Mir praises Yasmin Rashid’s dedication towards duty while battling cancer

    Former captain of the Pakistan Women Cricket Team Sana Mir has praised Punjab Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid for her dedication towards her duty, despite being a cancer patient.

    “Huge respect for Dr Yasmin Rashid for her commitment to her responsibility. This is true leadership and service. Both my parents and so many elders got their vaccination from Lahore and the arrangements were very good,” wrote Mir on Twitter.

    “May you get complete shifa,” she prayed.

    Dr Yasmin Rashid underwent breast cancer surgery at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital in December last year. As per reports, the surgery was successful and she is currently recovering from the disease.

    After pictures of Dr Rashid looking weak and unwell recently went viral on social media, users are praising her for working tirelessly to deal with the COVID-19 emergency in Punjab and thanked her for her efforts. They also prayed for the minister’s swift recovery.

    https://twitter.com/wakeelshb/status/1387446537375059971?s=19
    https://twitter.com/OsamaBolo/status/1387612229822976005?s=19
    https://twitter.com/nighatdad/status/1386438201309597707?s=20
    https://twitter.com/JattZoi/status/1387673453784932352?s=19
    https://twitter.com/AsifCh75706488/status/1387660764362670080?s=19

    Pakistan is currently battling a deadly third wave of COVID-19. According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), Pakistan has recorded 151 deaths and 5480 positive cases in the last 24 hours with a positivity ratio of 9.61 percent.

    Meanwhile, it is also being reported that cities with high positivity ratios would be put under complete lockdown to control the spread of the disease.

    Yasmin Rashid took to Twitter to thank the people for their wishes. “I want to thank each one of you for your kind words of support. Jazakallah kher. They mean a lot,” she wrote.

    Later, in another tweet, Dr Yasmin Rashid thanked everyone for the love and prayers, saying: “For all the love and prayers pouring on my Time Line, I am humbled and grateful.”

    “In sha Allah I will continue to fulfil my duties to the best of my abilities,” she added.

    Speaking about the healthcare facilities, she said: “The turnaround of better public healthcare is already taking place and In sha Allah we will ensure it’s completion.”