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  • Coronavirus: Top judge slams PTI govt, says ‘nothing being done on ground’

    Coronavirus: Top judge slams PTI govt, says ‘nothing being done on ground’

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed has rebuked the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led federal government for its “insufficient” measures to contain the new coronavirus, declaring that “nothing is being done on ground”.

    The top judge’s remarks came as COVID-19 infections in Pakistan crossed 3,500 with at least 52 deaths on Monday.

    Hearing an appeal against the verdict announced by the Islamabad High Court (IHC), the CJP directed the government to grant bail to low-risk under-trial prisoners (UTPs) during the pandemic.

    At the outset of the hearing, he said that the government had closed the out-patient departments (OPDs) of all hospitals, leaving no place for patients to seek treatment at such a crucial time.

    “Hospitals have been closed when we need them. Up till now, 10 hospitals with 1,000 beds each should have been made operational,” he said.

    “Everyone is talking about funds, no one is doing anything. The public has been left at the mercy of God,” he remarked. The chief justice also criticised the government’s efforts to encourage people to stay indoors in order to curb the spread of the disease.

    The attorney general (AG) said that the federal government is taking best possible measures to fight the deadly contagion. He further stated that another report, apprising about the situation in the country has also been submitted before the court.

    The top judge said that Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari filed a reply that the Peshawar High Court has ordered the release of 3,200 prisoners.

    The AG replied that no such verdict was given by the (PHC), adding that the human rights minister might be mistaken.

    The chief justice also questioned the competence of State Minster for Health Dr Zafar Mirza, saying that he is just being given coverage on media on a daily basis.

    The top court remarked that no one has come from the Defence Ministry. “The court needs to inquire about what the Defence Ministry is up to,” the SC remarked.

    To this, the AG responded that no one from the ministry was summoned yet.

    On Saturday, senior lawyer Khawaja Haris had urged the top court to reconsider its decision of revoking the IHC ruling. In a set of recommendations submitted to the apex court, Haris said that the IHC had announced the verdict in line with the law due to the ongoing crisis.

    He had said that it is imperative that measures are taken to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

  • British PM Boris Johnson shifted to ICU

    British PM Boris Johnson shifted to ICU

    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been moved to intensive care after his coronavirus symptoms worsened.

    “Over the course of this afternoon, the condition of the Prime Minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital,” a spokesperson for No 10 Downing Street said in a statement.

    “Since Sunday evening, the Prime Minister has been under the care of doctors at St Thomas’ Hospital, in London, after being admitted with persistent symptoms of coronavirus.

    “The PM has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is the First Secretary of State, to deputise for him where necessary.”

    “The PM is receiving excellent care, and thanks all NHS staff for their hard work and dedication,” the spokesperson added.

    On Monday, Boris Johnson tweeted that he had gone to the hospital last night, on the advice of my doctor.

    “I’m still experiencing coronavirus symptoms. I’m in good spirits and keeping in touch with my team, as we work together to fight this virus and keep everyone safe,” he had written.

  • Two tweets, different stories as another rift emerges among PTI ranks

    Two tweets, different stories as another rift emerges among PTI ranks

    The cabinet reshuffle and the results of the inquiry reports into the sugar and wheat shortage public has sparked frenzy in Islamabad which has highlighted rifts in ruling party.

    At 5:15pm, PTI’s Dr Shahbaz Gill tweeted:

    “Mr. Jahangir Khan Tareen has been removed as Chair of Task Force on Agriculture in light of findings of Sugar and Wheat Inquiry Report. Any further action may be taken after the final findings of the Inquiry Committee.”

    Five minutes later at 5:20 pm, Tareen contradicted Dr Gill’s tweet:

    On Saturday, Dr Gill had lauded PM Khan for fulfilling another promise by making the inquiry reports on sugar and wheat public.

    Meanwhile, the PM’s Spokesperson Nadeem Afzal Chan on Monday said that the report was ‘leaked’. He said this on Hamid Mir’s talkshow Capital Talk.

    Video below:

    On the other hand, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan tweeted that Khusro Bakhtiar has not resigned while Mr Bakhtiar’s resignation from National Food Security and Research ministry is available on social media and with journalists.

    Mr Bakhtiar has now been given the charge for the Ministry of Economic Affairs. He has replaced Hammad Azhar, who has been made the Federal Minister for Industries.

  • Donkey King returns with a coronavirus anthem

     The Donkey King has made his comeback with a coronavirus anthem.

    Mangu – the popular character from the animated movie Donkey King has sung a song ‘Darna Nahi, Larna Hai‘ which is the latest coronavirus anthem urging people to take all the precautionary measures.

    In the video for the anthem, Mangu urges everyone to practice social distancing but keep our hearts connected. The video also features other characters of the movie as they ask us to avoid going out of the house unnecessarily. The video ends with the message, “Stay home, stay safe.”

    Shuja Haider and Asrar lend their vocals for the anthem. The lyrics have been written by Donkey King director Aziz Jindani.

    Donkey King is Pakistan’s comedy animated movie released in October 2018. The movie has been released in cinemas around the world and has also been dubbed in many languages, including Turkish, Ukrainian, Russian, Korean, Spanish, Basque, and Catalan.

  • Spit, sweat and shaking on it: How coronavirus can change three sports habits

    Spit, sweat and shaking on it: How coronavirus can change three sports habits

    As the coronavirus brings the international sports calendar to a grinding halt, AFP Sport highlighted three long-standing habits which could change forever once competition resumes.

    Saliva to take shine off swing bowling

    It’s been a tried and trusted friend to fast bowlers throughout the history of cricket but the days of applying saliva to one side of the ball to encourage swing could be over in the aftermath of COVID-19.

    “As a bowler I think it would be pretty tough going if we couldn’t shine the ball in a Test match,” said Australia quick Pat Cummins.

    “If it’s at that stage and we’re that worried about the spread, I’m not sure we’d be playing sport.”

    Towels in tennis – no touching

    Tennis players throwing towels, dripping with sweat and blood and probably a tear or two, at ball boys and girls, has often left fans sympathising for the youngsters. Moves by officials to tackle the issue took on greater urgency in March when the coronavirus was taking a global grip.

    Behind closed doors in Miki, ball boys and girls on duty at the Davis Cup tie between Japan and Ecuador wore gloves.

    Baskets, meanwhile, were made available for players to deposit their towels.

    Back in 2018, the ATP introduced towel racks at some events on a trial basis, but not everyone was overjoyed.

    “I think having the towel whenever you need it, it’s very helpful. It’s one thing less that you have to think about,” said Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas when he was playing at the NextGen Finals in Milan.

    “I think it’s the job of the ball kids to provide towels and balls for the players.”

    Let’s not shake on it

    Pre-match handshakes were abandoned in top football leagues just before the sports shutdown. Premier League leaders Liverpool also banned the used of mascots while Southampton warned against players signing autographs and stopped them posing for selfies.

    Away from football, the NBA urged players to opt for the fist bump rather than the long-standing high-five.

    “I ain’t high-fiving nobody for the rest of my life after this,” NBA superstar LeBron James said in an interview, adding “No more high-fiving. After this corona shit? Wait ’til you see me and my teammates’ handshakes after this shit.”

    Basketball stars were also told not to take items such as balls or teams shirts to autograph.

    US women’s football star Megan Rapinoe says edicts to ban handshakes or even high-fives may be counter-productive anyway.

    “We’re going to be sweating all over each other all game, so it sort of defeats the purpose of not doing a handshake,” she told the New York Times in March.

  • VIDEO: Hira Tareen reveals she had synesthesia since childhood

    VIDEO: Hira Tareen reveals she had synesthesia since childhood

    Pakistani actor Hira Tareen revealed in a recent interview that she has synesthesia, a medical condition in which people associate objects such as letters, shapes, numbers or people’s names with a sensory perception such as smell, colour or flavour.

    In a recent interview, Tareen shared that as a child she used to associate numbers with colours, and did not think it was anything out of the ordinary. She did not know it was a medical condition with a proper term until she was in America for a clinic checkup.

    “I was in America at a random clinic for a checkup when I saw something on TV that actually described my condition. When I saw that documentary on CNN, I was shocked to discover that whatever they were describing was what I did in my childhood. It’s a condition called synesthesia and in it, people join objects such as letters, shapes, numbers or people’s names with a sensory perception such as smell, colour or flavour.”

    The 32-year-old model/actor is married to Ali Safina since 2013, and together they have a daughter.

  • Maya Ali is taking a break from social media

    Maya Ali is taking a break from social media

    The coronavirus lockdown is affecting us all in different ways. While some of us are increasing our social media activity in a bid to remain connected, others are using this time to disconnect from the world and isolate themselves in the truest sense.

    Read more – Maya Ali opens up about being tested for COVID-19

    Maya Ali, who has always maintained an active social media profile, has shared with her fans that she is taking a break from social media “to detox, to find inner peace and reset my whole system.”

    “Sometimes we need time to think and count our blessings,” she wrote.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-o1XMonUhe/

    Maya added that her team will keep her fans updated about the ration bags that she and her friend Faiza Saqlain are distributing among the needy people in the society. In an interview, Maya had revealed that she had raised almost four million rupees in donations for these ration bags.

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

    Maya’s last appearance was in the film Parey Hut Love alongside Sheheryar Munawar. The actor has hinted that she will be seen in another film very soon.

  • Punjab parks to be converted into field hospitals

    The Punjab government has decided to set up field hospitals at various parks across the province to treat patients who have been infected with COVID-19.

    Asif Mehmood, the chairperson of the Parks and Horticulture Authority, said that these field hospitals will serve as quarantine centres when the burden on hospitals increases.

    He said he has issued directions to administrations of different cities to follow these orders.

    In Rawalpindi, Hilal-e-Ahmar has set up a 200-bed field hospital in a park.

    “These hospital will be used for treating the coronavirus,” Hilal-e-Ahmar chairperson Abrarul Haq said, adding that the hospital has ICU beds and ventilators.

    The United States of America has also done this when its cases were increased and almost 1,000 New Yorkers were killed by the virus.

    Emergency field hospitals were readied in New York’s Central Park and at the home of the US Open tennis tournament when the US death toll from the coronavirus surpassed that of China.

  • Meera Jee shares the ‘one lesson corona has taught’ her

    Meera Jee shares the ‘one lesson corona has taught’ her

    Life under lockdown has forced us all to take a step back from hustling bustling lives and reflect upon the little things that often go unnoticed. Meera Jee, who is currently self-isolating in New York, recently shared a video of herself jumping on a trampoline with a little girl Aliya and the one lesson the coronavirus induced lockdown has taught her.

    Sharing the video, Meera wrote, “Who says we can’t learn from our children? One lesson corona has taught me…children are the leaders of the future. We have so much to learn from them. Enjoyed getting beat by six-year-old Aliya.”

    Meera also shared that she currently spending quality time at home with her family. She added that she is also “cleaning, trimming, organising and living it up.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-m38UQj9tm/

    Meanwhile, Meera has been actively encouraging people to practise social distancing and wash their hands.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ONNsfDLIX/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-AZn-0n6oW/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-d28kHJW0X/
  • Young doctors boycott treatment of coronavirus patients to protest police brutality

    Young doctors boycott treatment of coronavirus patients to protest police brutality

    Young doctors in Quetta have announced boycotting all services, including the treatment of coronavirus patients, after their colleagues were assaulted and arrested by police for protesting against the lack of medical equipment being provided to them.

    Young Doctors’ Association (YDA) President Dr Yasir Khan announced the boycott after police resorted to baton charging and arresting several doctors for staging a sit-in in the red zone near the Balochistan chief minister’s official residence.

    The young doctors were protesting against the lack of safety kits for doctors and paramedical staff treating COVID-19 patients at Quetta’s Sheikh Zayed Hospital.

    The action from police reportedly came following the failure of negotiations between the protesters and the government to end the sit-in.

    Addressing a press conference after the police action, YDA office bearers announced a province-wide suspension of duties and demanded that the government released the arrested doctors immediately.

    They had on Sunday announced to continue protesting against the lack of safety kits for medical staffers after at least 11 doctors had tested positive for the deadly pandemic in Balochistan.

    At least 44 doctors on Saturday were suspended for allegedly refusing to perform duties at Pakistan-Iran border town of Taftan amid a health emergency in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.