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  • Religious, cultural misconceptions of COVID-19 in Pakistan

    IPSOS is an international firm that produces data on the global market and public opinion across the world. From April 4 to 7, they polled 1,000 people across Pakistan to evaluate how Pakistanis treated myths and misconceptions regarding COVID-19.

    The sample size is from all the provinces and territories of Pakistan: Punjab, 57%, Sindh, 22%, Balochistan, 6%, KP, 10% and AJK, 5%. The age bracket is from 18 to 50 plus, and social-economic status is from higher to lower income holders, as shown in the picture below.

    COVID-19 MYTHS IPSOS SNAP POLL

    The results are overwhelming. As per the report, only “2 people out of 5 can correctly recall the official helpline (1166) to report COVID-19 cases, rest are either unaware or cannot recall correctly.”

    COVID-19 MYTHS IPSOS SNAP POLL

    RELIGIOUS AND SCIENTIFIC MISCONCEPTIONS

    Moreover, Pakistanis have alarming religious and scientific misconceptions on COVID-19. According to the data: 82% believe that “they can remain protected if they do wudu 5 times a day. “67% believe that “Allah has control over all viruses so congregation prayer in the mosque (jamaat) cannot infect anyone with the virus. 58% think that if “once the summer hear starts, the coronavirus will disappear.” 48% says that “shaking hands is Sunnah, so they cannot infect anyone with COVID-19 by doing so.”

    Other majors misconceptions are mentioned below in the slide.

    COVID-19 MYTHS IPSOS SNAP POLL

    CONSPIRACY THEORIES

    Apart from religious and scientific misconceptions, a large number of Pakistanis have controversial misconceptions on COVID-19. 43% in Pakistan see COVID-19 as a “foreign conspiracy by America and Israel to weaken us (Pakistan).” 43% believe that they “should avoid people from certain sects or faiths, as they are more prone to coronavirus.” 39% think “Women who breastfeed should be in ablution/wudu all the time, so they don’t transfer COVID-19 to the baby. 30% is off the view that “only sweepers and domestic workers can contract the virus because they’re not clean.”

  • VIDEO: ‘Pakistan trying to send infected spies to spread coronavirus,’ India claims

    In yet another ridiculous attempt by Indian authorities to malign Pakistan, media outlets from across the border have quoted Bihar Police as saying that the country is at threat by men infected by the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — whom Islamabad is trying to send to India via Nepal.

    According to reports, the Sashatra Seema Bal (SSB) — one of India’s Central Armed Police Forces — manning the Indo-Nepal border, has written a letter to authorities in Bihar’s Champaran district, apprising them of a “racket being operated from Nepal to spread coronavirus in India”.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    As per the letter sent by SSB, a resident in Nepal is trying to send positive coronavirus Indian Muslims to India through the Bihar border with the ulterior motive of disseminating the virus in India. The letter also states that Pakistani men already infected by COVID-19 may also be infiltrated to India via the Indo-Nepal border.

    “All top police officials of the districts bordering Nepal have been alerted of possible infiltration attempts,” Indian media reports quoted authorities in Patna as saying.

    Both Pakistan and India are suffering in the global battle against COVID-19 that has so far claimed 72 lives in Pakistan and at least 239 in India. The number of infections in Pakistan and India stands at 4,788 and 7,447, respectively.

    By the time this report was filed, nearly 1.7 million global infections had been reported with over 102,000 deaths.

  • Shangla doctor comes forward for coronavirus patient’s ghusal, funeral

    Shangla doctor comes forward for coronavirus patient’s ghusal, funeral

    After a man died of the coronavirus at a government hospital in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shangla, nobody was willing to prepare the body for burial or offer the funeral prayers until one doctor stepped up.

    Dr Hafiz Sanaullah bathed the body, offered the funeral prayers and then buried it. The hospital is located in the Basham Tehsil.

    Dr Sanaullah said that he took a UNICEF course on how to handle the burials of coronavirus patients and followed the proper protocol while burying the patient.

    He further said that other members also followed protocol and bathed the body, covered it in the funeral shroud and plastic and then put it in a coffin.

  • Fans are disappointed with Taher Shah’s ‘Farishta’

    Fans are disappointed with Taher Shah’s ‘Farishta’

    After teasing his fans with multiple release dates, Taher Shah finally released his latest song Farishta late Friday night. However, the song failed to impress his fans and social media was soon lit with memes about the song. After all, Eye to Eye had set the bar very high.

    And despite being number 44 on Trending on YouTube, the song has more dislikes than likes.

    Farishta is basically Angel translated into Urdu. Which is kind of disappointing because Angel released four years ago – I mean he could have translated it then. What’s worse is the fact that Taher Shah himself does not even feature in the video. Instead, we’re made to watch a little prince with a creepy smile. On the other hand, looks like Taher spent a lot of right on the animations because the video is very vivid and detailed.

    Here’s what social media has to say about the song.

    https://twitter.com/FarihaShaikh12/status/1248856748737396737?s=20
    https://twitter.com/FarhanVirk/status/1248683118325874688?s=20
    https://twitter.com/BrutalBhau/status/1248686481381552128?s=20

    People were not forgiving Taher for simple translating Angel.

    https://twitter.com/waqas_x/status/1248687252051570689?s=20
    https://twitter.com/noturpancake43/status/1248749069218074624?s=20

    Check out the song here:

  • Slain reporter Aziz Memon offered resistance at time of murder, says autopsy

    Slain reporter Aziz Memon offered resistance at time of murder, says autopsy

    A meeting of the joint investigation team (JIT) probing the murder of Aziz Memon, the journalist who exposed train march of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari from March 2019, has been summoned after the post-mortem report of the victim hinted that he did not go down without a fight.

    The post-mortem report issued by forensic experts found traces of particles of more than one person other than that of the victim under his nails. The report said that it shows that the journalist offered resistance before being murdered.

    The brother of the victim, Hafeez Memon, while commenting on the report said that it proves that he was killed.

    The JIT meeting has been summoned at the office of the Shaheed Benazirabad deputy inspector general (DIG), wherein the members would decide to pursue the case as per the findings of the autopsy.

    The JIT also summoned former SHO [Station House Officer] of Mehrabpur area and others in the light of the video statement released by the journalist before his murder. The JIT has also summoned the victim’s brother.

    READ: Reporter, who ‘exposed’ Bilawal’s train march, ‘murdered’

    A local court had on March 12 ordered to exhume the body of the journalist after approving the plea of the JIT probing to ascertain reasons for his death.

    The investigation team had said they found many flaws in the previous post-mortem report that stated the cause of death was suffocation but it did not mention the details of Memon’s murder.

    Memon, who was a resident of Mehrabpur city and an employee of Kawish Television Network (KTN) as well as Sindhi daily Kawish, was found strangled to death in an irrigation ditch in Naushahro Feroze earlier this year.

  • Washington DC market uses robots to deliver groceries during coronavirus pandemic

    Washington DC market uses robots to deliver groceries during coronavirus pandemic

    A small market in Washington DC is turning to technology to deliver essential supplies during the coronavirus pandemic in one Northwest neighborhood.

    Broad Branch Market in Chevy Chase is using robots to deliver the groceries. The store began using the robots about two weeks ago and makes 10-15 deliveries a day within a limited area of the neighbourhood.

    While talking to a news outlet the owner said that she has learned to adapt to the times being a small business owner and since lots of customers have concerns about coming to the store during the COVID-19 outbreak, she can now deliver to them.

  • Sheheryar Munawar wants his life back

    Sheheryar Munawar wants his life back

    Three weeks into quarantine and we all feel like we’re going to lose our minds. But then again, that is not exactly unexpected given our highly charged lifestyles.

    Sheheryar Munawar recently in an Instagram post wrote, “You Corona! Take the hint, you’re not wanted. Go away already…I want my life back.”

    We feel you Sheheryar.

    But at the same time, Sheheryar wrote, “You’re not alone. There are a lot of us feeling the same way. What helps me is repeating a positive affirmation to myself when I feel stressed. Something like Amir Khan’s ‘All is Well’ from 3 Idiots.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-y-t-0n3L5/

    Earlier, Sheheryar had encouraged his fans to make the best of their time in quarantine.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-jfUsLHt6_/
  • ‘An absolute idiot moment on my part’: Ushna Shah apologises for criticising doctors for dancing

    ‘An absolute idiot moment on my part’: Ushna Shah apologises for criticising doctors for dancing

    After sparking outrage for her comments on doctors and healthcare workers across the globe for dancing to lift their spirits, Ushna Shah has since then apologised for her remarks.

    Read more – Ushna Shah thinks doctors are wasting ‘precious time’ by dancing

    In a long post shared on social media, Ushna said that she was confused over the matter and wanted people’s thoughts on it before she formed an opinion.

    “However, that momentary confusion was tone-deaf and unwarranted. I don’t work in a hospital, I don’t know what the frontliners are going through. Frankly, I don’t even get to have an opinion on this,” she wrote, adding that she has made it a point to thank them in whatever way she can.

    “I vehemently apologise for any offense caused what so ever. I am in absolutely no position to question anything doctors and nurses to to take the edge off.”

    “We owe them our lives,” she remarked.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-xHAMShxGG/

    On Thursday, Ushna had said that while she understands that doctors need their breaks, she is confused over whether the doctors are wasting their precious time doing this. She later deleted her tweet. However, social media was quick to call her out for her ignorant remarks.

  • Praise for PM, his team as ‘historic’ social assistance programme to tackle coronavirus is launched

    Pakistan has launched the largest social protection effort in the country’s history with plans to pay close to $1 billion dollars to the poor in an effort to counter the economic fallout amid the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — outbreak, CNN reported.

    The Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme is a financial assistance effort to assist parts of the population that have been worst hit by the ongoing lockdown in the country, according to Sania Nishtar, special assistant to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety.

    The programme, which aims to cover 12 million families, is meant to assist them to “buy rations so that they don’t go hungry”.

    The premier himself has also lauded the “historic” transfer of cash to the needy, terming it a “great achievement” of his government.

    “Today saw the launch of the biggest cash distribution by any government in Pakistan’s history, directly to the most vulnerable and needy citizens in our society,” he said in a series of tweets.

    Authorities have used SMS messages and Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) numbers from the country’s extensive National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) to identify and contact eligible families.

    By the time this report was filed, the number of confirmed cases in Pakistan stood at 4,688 with 68 fatalities and 727 recoveries.

  • China declares dogs should be treated as pets not livestock

    China declares dogs should be treated as pets not livestock

    For the first time in history, China has declared that dogs should be treated like pets, not livestock.

    The announcement comes after the Chinese government imposed a ban on the eating and trade of wild animals in response to the novel coronavirus. Chinese researchers believe that the disease originated from the animal markets in Wuhan.

    “With the progress of human civilisation and the public’s concern and preference for animal protection, dogs have changed from traditional domestic animals to companion animals,” China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said.

    It added that dogs are treated as pets and not meat across the world and China should do so as well.

    According to Humane Society International, around 10 million dogs are killed in the country annually,  The meat, however, is only consumed by 20% of the country’s population.

    The move comes as hope for animal lovers and indicates  an end to the torture of animals and their meat trade.