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  • Here’s what you can do in quarantine, courtesy Maya Ali and Saba Qamar

    Here’s what you can do in quarantine, courtesy Maya Ali and Saba Qamar

    The coronavirus outbreak has confined us to the four walls of our house, something that our fast-paced, jet setting lifestyles are not used to. We all now have all this free time on our hands and no idea what to do with it.

    Our favourite celebrities are also in the same situation and they decided to help their fans and followers by sharing some positive advice about what they can do. Here’s what Maya Ali and Saba Qamar suggest:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-W3Eu4n31S/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/B99J_tCB_s1/

    Earlier, Maya also encouraged those in a position of privilege to do charity and help those in need.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-KGnBYHihv/
  • Sindh govt directs schools to only charge fees monthly

    Sindh govt directs schools to only charge fees monthly

    All schools and educational institutions in Sindh have been ordered to charge monthly fees from their students instead of issuing quarterly or bi-monthly challans, a notification issued by the government reads.

    The provincial government has directed private schools to give full salaries to the teaching and other school staff on time.

    “None of the staff will be terminated during this period as well,” the notification added.

    If any schools defies the rules, their registrations will be suspended or cancelled.

    The schools have been shut down and a lockdown has been imposed across the province to prevent the spread of coronavirus

  • DJ Bravo releases a corona song

    DJ Bravo releases a corona song

    West Indies cricket star DJ Bravo released a song called We not giving up. As the name proposes, the song is about how we should not lose hope and fight against the current coronavirus pandemic.

    Bravo can be heard advising everyone to take all the necessary safety measures including practicing social distancing, good hygiene and so forth.

    Cricketer cum singer took to Instagram and wrote, “We Not Giving Up. On this outbreak due to pandemic, my heartful prayers to all of you out there! Let’s fight together. A positive song during this outbreak.” 

    https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-M2r_aHQ5H/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

  • Maria B’s cook reportedly tests negative for coronavirus

    A week after the whole Maria B vs the Punjab Police fiasco, it has now been reported that the designer’s cook has tested negative for coronavirus. According to a report in Dawn, Maria’s cook, whose name has not been disclosed, was tested on March 26, a few days after he was admitted to the DHQ hospital in Vehari.

    VIDEO: Renowned designer Maria B’s husband reportedly arrested for ‘criminal negligence’

    The Medical Superintendent Dr Faazil said that the 30-year-old man was admitted on Vehari DHQ Hospital on March 22 after a private lab declared him corona-positive. When the patient returned to his hometown in Mauza Hasan Shah in Mailsi tehsil the same day, security agencies shifted him to the isolation ward of the hospital.

    His blood samples were sent to the Institute of Public Health lab in Lahore for another test, the result of which came on March 26 and was negative.

    Dr Faazil said the patient did not show any symptoms of the virus, adding that he would be discharged from the hospital after a report of his last and final test is received from Lahore in the next 24 hours. The doctor also shared that nine suspected patients of coronavirus were being treated at the DHQ hospital’s isolation ward, which had a capacity of 30 beds. He claimed that there was no positive case of the virus in the district yet.

    VIDEO: PM Imran Khan rubbishes Maria B’s claims

    On March 24, the Lahore Police had arrested Maria’s husband, Tahir Saeed in the middle of the night for criminal negligence. The police had said that the designer and her husband had sent their cook back home despite knowing that he had been tested positive for COVID-19. The police said that the cook had travelled on public transport, possibly infection hundreds on his way. Other people in his village also had to be quarantined due to this. Saeed was later released on bail.

    Meanwhile, following this report, social media is lit with conspiracy theories regarding the cook’s result. While some people say that the latest reports have been tampered with, others say that the cook has probably recovered which is why his result came out negative in the latest report.

    Read more – Maria B’s chandelier is Pakistan’s latest obsession

  • HEC orders universities to resume online classes

    The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has directed all universities and accredited institutions with sufficient resources to resume online classes as the government-ordered closure of schools, colleges and universities remains in place amid the spread of new coronavirus — COVID-19 — across Pakistan.

    In an official notification, HEC has reportedly asked all universities which have well-built learning management systems (LMS) to initiate online classes. However, universities facing technological, technical or spatial limitations can remain closed for academic activities till May 31 and mark the said period as summer vacations.

    In the meantime, these universities should make arrangements for conducting online classes in case the closure is extended because of the global pandemic, the notification read further.

    “Such universities shall plan, acquire, train and shall be able to execute an LMS from June 1 so that [the] ongoing semester could resume even in an eventuality of the extended closure of universities.”

    On Thursday, the federal government announced that education institutions across Pakistan would remain closed till May 31. The government also announced that the closure would be treated as summer vacations and if the coronavirus outbreak was dealt with in the meantime, the institutions would reopen in June.

    At a time when higher education institutions in Pakistan and elsewhere in the world are fast shifting to online learning in the wake of closures to contain the spread of coronavirus, Pakistani students took to social media last week and demanded the authorities converted closures into semester break.

    “We reject online education” popped up as one of the top trends in Pakistan on the microblogging website Twitter and the hash tag remained on the top for quite some time with most of the tweeters expressing concerns over no or poor internet connectivity and lack of, what they termed, “effectiveness” of the online education.

    They demanded that the institutions instead of shifting to online education should convert closures in semester breaks and hold on-campuses classes when campuses reopen in summer.

    According to The News, there are around 40 million students enrolled in public and private sector schools, colleges and universities of Pakistan. Of these, 24 million students are enrolled in primary schools, 7.6 million in middle schools, 4 million and over 1.5 million at secondary and higher secondary levels, respectively.

    Punjab alone has around 13 million students enrolled in government schools. This shows that in terms of numbers the real affectees are particularly the schoolchildren for whom there is no online education facility during the current countrywide closures.

  • VIDEOS: Pakistanis, Indians start robbing banks of hand sanitisers

    From wearing masks to cleaning hands with soap and water or sanitiser every hour, people are trying every possible way to protect themselves from falling sick amid the coronavirus outbreak.

    With this leading to a shortage of sanitisers not just in Pakistan but also across the globe, videos showing rather desperate attempts by people to stay healthy in time of COVID-19, have started doing rounds over the internet.

    One such video was recently shared by journalist Naila Inayat, who wrote, “When you think no one is watching you.”

    The 32-second clip is a CCTV footage from March 27 of an ATM. The video shows a man taking out money from the machine. As soon as he puts the money in his pocket, he spots the bottle of hand sanitiser. Instead of pumping it in his hands, he puts the entire bottle inside his jacket and walks out of the vestibule.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    It, however, wasn’t the only video of its sort.

    Here’s another video shared by a user on Facebook last week.

    Meanwhile, similar videos have gone viral from across the border too.

    Have something to add to this story? Let The Current know in the comments.

  • Coronavirus: Atif Aslam, Mahira Khan appreciate PM Khan for his efforts

    Superstars Mahira Khan and Atif Aslam are thanking Prime Minister Imran Khan and praising him for his efforts towards managing the COVID-19 outbreak, given that it is spreading at an alarming speed.

    In a video posted to social media, the singer said, “I just wanted to appreciate PM Imran Khan for taking the necessary precautions and measures to deal with this pandemic. I want to tell everyone to look after themselves and the people around them in the capacity that they can.”

    He continued, “I don’t want anything from the government, I don’t want anything from anyone… But I just wanted to appreciate our PM for everything that [he’s] doing, for the steps that [he’s] taking.

    “At this time, we are all with you and if you ever need our help, whatever we can do, we’ll be there. Long live Pakistan,” he concluded.

    Earlier, Mahira Khan and Mawra Hocane had also praised PM Khan and extended their support to him.

  • Online grocery stores in your city

    Online grocery stores in your city

    After the spread of coronavirus outbreak, people are asked to stay at their homes and practice social distancing to avoid the spread of the virus. Amid all this, people need groceries for their homes and some people might be worried about how to go and get them from the market.

    The Current did some research and listed a few online grocery stores in your city.

    Karachi

    Agha’s Supermarket

    Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AghasSupermarket/

    Freshiez

    Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/freshiezpk/

    Fowry

    Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/fowrryofficial/

    Website: https://www.fowrry.com/

    Lahore

    Road Runner

    Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/roadrunnerpk/

    Grocer App

    Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/GrocerApp.pk/

    Jalal Sons

    Islamabad

    Shaheen Grocers

    Fowry

    Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/fowrryofficial/

    Other cities

    Al Fatah

    If you have a branch of Al Fatah in your city then you can order your groceries from there.

  • 54 people caught illegally travelling in a truck

    54 people were caught as they were trying to illegally travel from Karachi to Mohmand in a dumper truck on Monday.

    “The dumper was stopped near the Yakagand Gate and these people were found sitting inside,” said Assistant Commissioner Qaiser.

    As per reports, the driver had taken huge amounts from them for the journey.

    The police have taken them into custody. They have been sent to a quarantine center after taking their coronavirus tests. 40 people were from Mohmand and the rest were from Bajaur.

    The government has banned inter-city and inter-province travel to control the spread of coronavirus after the cases increased in the country.

  • Court orders jailing health secy for six months if PMDC building not opened in an hour

    Court orders jailing health secy for six months if PMDC building not opened in an hour

    Expressing displeasure with the federal government over its failure to revive the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday ordered jailing the health secretary for six months if the building was not opened in an hour.

    PMDC — a statutory regulatory authority that maintained the official register of medical and dental practitioners in Pakistan — was in October last year dissolved and replaced by the Pakistan Medical Commission after the president signed the Pakistan Medical Commission Ordinance 2019 for the regulation of the medical profession.

    On February 11, the IHC declared the federal government’s decision to dissolve the PMDC null and void. The court also issued contempt notices to the federal government and health department for not implementing its orders.

    According to SAMAA, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani resumed hearing the contempt case on Monday. He said the PMDC should be made functional today. The authorities should break the lock on its building and make its registrar sit there. “A report should be submitted to the court in one hour,” the judge said.

    The health secretary will be sent to jail for six months if the building is not opened in an hour, he remarked. “I have given you three dates already and you haven’t done anything.”

    Not implementing court’s orders is contempt, the judge remarked. “This is a slap on the court’s face.” Such behaviour does not suit the federal government, said Justice Kayani, adding that the government should be ashamed.

    The court also asked if PMDC employees were getting their salaries or not. The lawyer of the employees said that the they haven’t been paid in over five months.

    TOP COURT AGAINST RELEASE OF PRISONERS AMID COVID-19 OUTBREAK:

    Meanwhile, the Supreme Court (SC) has refrained high courts and all governments to pass any orders regarding the release of prisoners amid the coronavirus outbreak.

    According to journalist Hasnaat Malik, the top court has also suspended the implementation of IHC orders regarding release of under-trial prisoners.

    Punjab had last week decided to let go of almost 20,000 of its 46,000 prisoners amid the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis as jails in Pakistan remain overcrowded.

    Jail superintendents, who had reached out to the courts to approve the bail of prisoners handed sentences of seven years or less, had reportedly taken the step in light of special instructions.

    Bail requests were also filed for prisoners jailed for petty crimes, as well as the elderly, or criminals over 60 years of age.

    The development had come days after IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minullah had ordered for bails to be issued for prisoners facing trial for minor crimes in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. He had made the decision while hearing a case of 1,362 incarcerated prisoners.

    The top IHC judge had noted how prisons in Pakistan were in dire straits and that the situation would get out of control if any prisoner got infected.