Current Final

Category: National

  • Fazlur Rehman’s JUI-F joins hands with PM Imran’s PTI against PPP in Larkana?

    Fazlur Rehman’s JUI-F joins hands with PM Imran’s PTI against PPP in Larkana?

    • Show-cause notices for PPP, ANP

    In an unforeseen turn of events, Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has joined hands with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) in Larkana to give the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) a tough time in its stronghold, a private media outlet has reported.

    However, the media report isn’t entirely true as brother of the JUI-F chief, Senator Attaur Rehman, has rubbished the same in conversation with The Current.

    Amid widening cracks between members of the anti-government alliance, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the media report had claimed that JUI-F has forged with the PTI and GDA a new alliance named “Larkana Awami Ittihad”.

    It had went on to add that the alliance includes PTI leaders Ammer Buz Bhutto and Allah Bux with GDA’s Moazzam Ali Khan Abbasi and Safdar Abbasi.

    “The newly-formed alliance has also announced extending the scope of the campaign against PPP in the entire Larkana division,” the report had claimed further.

    When approached for a comment, Senator Attaur Rehman rubbished all claims and maintained that his party had only supported PTI backed-GDA candidate Moazam Ali Abbasi in Larkana by-election back in 2019.

    “Even though the JUI-F and PPP have no electoral agreement to support each other’s candidates, especially in Larkana, there is no truth to the claims,” he said and added the “ages-old” alliance was making headlines only due to a recent statement by PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

    Last Friday, Bilawal had claimed that the JUI-F sided with the “establishment” and opposed the PPP in the said by-election. “But despite that we accepted Fazl as leader of the PDM,” he had said.

    “If that is true, did we forge an alliance with the PPP in Karachi and Ghotki also on establishment’s orders?” Senator Attaur Rehman asked.

    To a question, he categorically denied the existence of any alliance between the JUI-F and PTI. “Let sleeping dogs lie,” he said.

    Trouble has been brewing among members of the anti-government alliance since after former PM Yousuf Raza Gilani’s nomination by the PPP for the slot of opposition leader in the Senate. His election as the leader of opposition in the upper house has also only worsened the deteriorating ties.

    Many, including leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and other PDM member parties, seem to believe the PPP has “backstabbed” the joint opposition.

    The report by the private media outlet and its rebuttal come soon after it was revealed that the PDM has served show-cause notices to the PPP and the Awami National Party (ANP).

    While contents of the notices have not yet been disclosed, sources told The Current that they also pertain to Gilani’s election as Senate’s opposition leader despite the PDM’s reservations.

    The ANP, also a member of the PDM, had voted for Gilani.

    “They [notices] were handed to ANP’s Hidayatullah Khan and PPP’s Sherry Rehman,” sources said.

  • Gen Bajwa ‘summoned’ PTI ministers, ‘advised’ replacing Punjab, KP CMs: journalist

    Senior journalist Najam Sethi has claimed that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa recently “summoned” six cabinet ministers of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and put forth three topics for “some plain talking”.

    While the veteran journalist did not name the ministers, according to him, the PTI government’s “abysmal performance” was discussed as what was hurting the image of the military and other bigwigs.

    Sethi claimed that removal of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief ministers (CMs), and the need for the federal government to constitute a more efficient and credible team “at least for putting the economy on track”, was also discussed.

    “Time’s running out, he implied darkly,” the journalist claimed in his The Friday Times editorial.

    “As a consequence of such ‘advice’, Imran Khan has blithely sacked Nadeem Babar and Hafeez Shaikh, even though he was lauding their singular expertise not so long ago. Indeed, he had pitched Mr Shaikh to the Senate so that he could continue as full-fledged minister of finance.”

    He further wrote, “Some more chopping and changing is on the cards. But given Imran Khan’s track record of picking his political teammates, we shouldn’t expect any qualitative improvement in performance.”

    Sethi also opined that change in Punjab, in particular, “would be a hard bone to swallow”.

  • SBP governor says bank will implement policies benefitting economy

    SBP governor says bank will implement policies benefitting economy

    State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Dr Reza Baqir on Sunday said that SBP would implement those policies benefiting economy of Pakistan.

    Monitory policy adopted by SBP is supporting the economy of Pakistan, he said in an interview with a private television channel.

    Commenting on approaching International Monitoring Fund (IMF), he said: “We had to seek support of IMF because of weak economic condition.”

    During COVID-19 pandemic, he said the government had to lift loan from IMF amounting to Rs250 billion. Appreciating the steps taken by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government to avert coronavirus pandemic, he said that the SBP and the ruling party had successfully managed to cope the difficulties arisen due to spreading virus that played havoc around the world.

    WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW:

    In reply to a question about policy rate, he said that the banks have implemented the policy rate that stood at 13 per cent. To another question about SBP’s working in future, he said that the banking system as autonomous body would have better results.

  • Panic among Karachi residents after metal objects fall from sky

    Residents of Karachi’s Sher Shah area went into panic after strange metal objects fell from the sky.

    According to details, eyewitnesses said that heavy objects fell at three different areas in Pak Colony and the site area. A grave at Mayo Shah Cemetery and roofs of three houses were damaged by the metal pieces.

    Authorities have sent the heavy iron objects for an analysis and the situation will be clear after they have been investigated.

    SHO Sher Shah Muhammad Rafique said that the police are inspecting the matter and as per the initial reports the metal objects are of an exploded boiler.

  • Ramzan to begin from April 14, announces MoST

    The Ministry of Science and Technology has announced that the holy month of Ramzan will commence on April 14 in Pakistan.

    “The moon of Ramzan, 1442 AH will be sighted on the evening of April 13, 2021,” said the ministry in a tweet. “The first of Ramzan will be on April 14, 2021. The moon will be clearly sighted in Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi.”

    Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry also shared the announcement on social media.

    Chaudhry has been a vocal critic of the old-fashioned and outdated moon-sighting procedure, arguing that Pakistan should opt for science and technology to follow the moon cycle. He often clashed with the Ruet-e-Hilal committee on this.

    In December, last year the government appointed Moulana Abdul Khabir Azad as the new head of the committee replacing Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman.

  • Muggers in Karachi steal phones worth Rs400,000 after man posts ad online

    Muggers in Karachi steal phones worth Rs400,000 after man posts ad online

    Two robbers in Karachi have stolen mobile phones worth Rs400,000 from a man in Karachi’s Bahadurbad area.

    As per reports, a Karachi resident had posted an ad online to sell his mobile phones. However, instead of serious buyers, robbers broke into his house, attacked him and stole his phones.

    The CCTV footage of the incident clearly showed the faces of the suspects and revealed that the incident happened at around 8:45 pm.

    Last year, at least 20,155 suspects were arrested in targeted raids, according to an annual report by the Karachi police. These included 269 men suspected in high-profile terrorism incidents.

    Over 764 street criminals were arrested and there were 241 encounters of the police with criminals. According to he police report, 15 police officials embraced martyrdom and 44 others were injured. Meanwhile, 49 terrorists and other criminals were killed during the encounters. 

    Police arrested 3,405 members of 189 gangs involved in stealing vehicles, 474 suspects were arrested by the police helpline and 19,909 CCTV cameras were set up across the city.

  • Govt says no plans to privatise anything PIA

    Govt says no plans to privatise anything PIA

    The National Assembly (NA) was informed on Friday that there is no plan to privatise any of the assets of national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
    Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan said this during the question hour while speaking at the floor of the House, which met with Speaker Asad Qaiser in the chair.

    Sarwar said that the present government is very keen to make the national flag carrier self-reliant and profitable entity. Efforts are underway to improve the financial health of the airline by reducing its losses through various means, he said. He also said that loss-making routes have been closed and flights on profitable routes have been added which has resulted in reduction of losses.

    Responding to a question, the aviation minister said that 82 pilots were dismissed for acquiring the licences through unfair means. He said that a transparent mechanism has now been evolved to ensure the issuance of licenses in a transparent manner. An agreement to this effect has also been signed with the UK Civil Aviation Authority, he added.

    He maintained that the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) will carry out an audit of Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in July this year. He was confident this will lead to removal of travel restrictions on the PIA in the European countries and that the airline will regain its past glory.

    He said that the European Union (EU) aviation safety watchdog had previously decided to retain its ban on PIA from operating in EU member states, expressing its dissatisfaction over the steps taken by the CAA to address licensing and safety concerns. However, recently in March, the EU’s aviation safety watchdog termed safety standards of Pakistan’s CAA as “satisfactory”.

    The decision was made following a two-day meeting of the EU’s Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and CAA officials, in which representatives from Denmark, Italy and Sweden participated via video-link, he said.
    The minister for aviation said that Quetta and Dera Ismail Khan airports will be upgraded and that eight new planes will be inducted in the fleet of PIA to further improve its performance.

    Taking the floor, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken the initiative of ‘Live Call Programme’ to directly connect with the people and listen to their problems. He said that this step of the prime minister should be appreciated. He further said that the premier is expected to again interact with the people via telephone next week.

    The House was later adjourned to meet again at 4:00 pm on Monday.

  • Punjab police make face-mask violators stand in scorching sun

    As the country battles the third wave of COVID-19, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has asked the provinces to ensure the strict implementation of SOPs to control the spread of the virus.

    Talking to Dawn, Lahore Commissioner retired Capt Muhammad Usman warned that those found violating the SOPs will be sent to jail.

    “We are passing through peak time of the third wave of the coronavirus that is spreading very fast in Lahore in particular and other parts of Punjab in general. Since many Covid-19 positive patients are being shifted to hospitals [in Lahore] on a daily basis, we have decided to ensure strict preventive measure to avert the further spread of the virus,” said the commissioner.

    He added: “We have decided to launch a crackdown from March 28 against all those not wearing masks, besides flouting other SOPs. We have been left with no option but to arrest all those found without masks on the city roads, markets, hospitals, parks, shops, malls etc.”

    As per reports, more than 400 first information reports (FIRs) have been filed against face-mask violators in Lahore with dozens of them taken into custody.

    The assistant commissioner of Jhelum’s Pind Dadan Khan city came up with a rare punishment for mask violators as he made them stand in the scorching sun for over half an hour.

    Punjab has already imposed a partial lockdown in the province banning mass transport, weddings and ordering markets to close by 6 pm to avoid the spread of the virus.

  • Mobile vaccination program launched for senior citizens in four cities

    The Government of Pakistan has launched a mobile vaccination service for senior citizens aged above 80 years and for differently-abled persons aged above 50. As per reports, the service is initially available in four cities of Punjab including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan.

    Read more – Lahore: 550 doses of COVID-19 vaccine go missing from one hospital, 350 spoiled at another

    The step has been taken to speed up the process of vaccination amid a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in the country.

    “Senior citizens who are 80 years and above and those with disabilities over 50 years of age don’t have to leave home for the vaccine as the government vaccine vans will reach them wherever they are,” said Punjab Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid while talking about the initiative.

    Chief Minister Usman Buzdar urged people to get vaccinated and said “citizens can simply call the health helpline 1033 to get vaccinated at home.”

    Vaccinations for people over 60 years and above commenced on March 10, while registrations for people above 50 started last week on March 30.

    Meanwhile, 5234, people tested positive in the last 24 hours in Pakistan whereas, 83 people have lost their lives to the deadly virus. The positivity rate has jumped to 10.43 %.

  • Lahore: 550 doses of COVID-19 vaccine go missing from one hospital, 350 spoiled at another

    Lahore: 550 doses of COVID-19 vaccine go missing from one hospital, 350 spoiled at another

    Around 550 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have reportedly gone missing from Lahore’s Services Hospital, media reports have claimed citing sources at the health department.

    According to the reports, an additional 350 doses of coronavirus vaccines stored at the city’s Government Mozang Teaching Hospital have “gone to waste”, while no record could be found for the nearly 600 missing ones.

    The missing vaccines have been administered to important personalities, bureaucrats, and their friends, sources at the health department said, adding that Federal Minister for Housing Tariq Bashir Cheema of the Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q), along with his wife, also received the COVID-19 jab from the missing doses.

    On the other hand, the principal of the Services Hospital says that the vaccines haven’t disappeared but there has been an issue with the compilation of records.

    Provincial Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid maintains that the government is carrying out an audit of the vaccine doses and a report related to that will be submitted soon.

    Meanwhile, the medical superintendent of Mozang Teaching Hospital has been suspended after 350 coronavirus vaccine doses stored there were spoiled.

    According to a notification of the Punjab Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department dated March 29, the MS, Dr Munir Ahmad Ghouri, was “placed under suspension, under Section 6 of PEEDA Act, 2006, on accounts of inefficiency and misconduct, with immediate effect”.

    A senior official of the provincial health department said that the medical superintendent was suspended after 350 coronavirus vaccine doses, stored in the refrigerator at his office were spoiled.

    “He stored the doses in the refrigerator in his office and then went on leave,” the official added.