Current Final

Tag: coronavirus

  • People choosing not to donate? PM’s coronavirus relief fund gets only Rs225m in 11 days

    People choosing not to donate? PM’s coronavirus relief fund gets only Rs225m in 11 days

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran’s Khan coronavirus relief fund, which was set up in March to assist the government in mitigating the impact of the global pandemic, seems to not have attracted generous donations as it has received only Rs225 million within the first 11 days — since March 30.

    According to data shared by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) with officials of the Ministry of Finance, Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and Ehsaas Programme, as of April 10 — the date of the last update — the total amount in the fund stood at Rs225 million.

    Analysts say that a possible explanation for this low figure lies in the fact that a number of private organisations and individuals are actively participating in relief activities themselves, having fewer reasons to donate to the PM’s fund.

    It, however, isn’t the first time when such a programme has received disappointing responses. The dams fund created by PM Imran and the Supreme Court (SC) to collect $12 billion for the construction of Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams was excessively promoted on multiple media forums, but could only gather Rs12 billion, including over Rs1.7 billion from overseas Pakistanis.

    Meanwhile, the premier has appealed to overseas Pakistanis to donate generously to help the government cope with the ongoing health crisis in the country.

    In a video message released Monday, he noted that the entire world was struggling against the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The lockdown has adversely affected the world economy, resulting in growing poverty across the globe, especially in developing countries like Pakistan, he said. 

  • Coronavirus: Supreme Court orders sacking of Dr Zafar Mirza

    Coronavirus: Supreme Court orders sacking of Dr Zafar Mirza

    The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday told the federal government to remove Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Zafar Mirza from his post as coronavirus continues to spread across the country amid the alleged incompetence of the authorities concerned.

    According to reports, the apex court, while hearing a suo motu case regarding the situation arising out of the COVID-19 outbreak, expressed displeasure over the performance of Dr Mirza in dealing with the pandemic and ordered the government to remove him.

    A five-member larger bench of the apex court — headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed — was hearing the case.

    During the hearing, the CJP expressed anger and said the top court was not satisfied with the performance of premier’s aide as a health advisor.

    The top judge also asked the attorney general of Pakistan (AGP) about the ongoing inquiry against Dr Mirza by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

    The AGP informed the court that FIA was investigating him for alleged smuggling of face masks to China.

    “Removing Zafar Mirza from the post at this point will not be suitable for the country as it can worsen the health crisis,” the government’s lawyer told the court.

    CJP Gulzar had on Friday taken his first suo motu notice over “insufficient facilities” in the country to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak.

    He had issued notices to the AGP and health as well as interior secretaries besides also summoning all chief secretaries and advocate generals.

  • KP doctor bathes coronavirus patient’s body, leads funeral prayers after cleric’s refusal to do so

    KP doctor bathes coronavirus patient’s body, leads funeral prayers after cleric’s refusal to do so

    A doctor in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has won the hearts of millions over the internet after he bathed [Islamic ritual of ghusl] a deceased coronavirus patient’s body and led his funeral prayers following the refusal of a religious cleric to do the same.

    Reports quoted Dr Hafiz Sanaullah, who is treating COVID-19 patients at a government-run hospital in Besham town of KP’s Shangla district, as saying that the deceased patient belonged to a far-flung area and was in town for treatment. But he, unfortunately, lost his battle against the deadly virus.

    “We approached a local cleric to perform the patient’s last rites but he refused saying that he was scared,” the doctor said, adding that the cleric, however, advised him to do so by himself.

    Dr Sanaullah said he being a Hafiz knew how to perform the last rites so it wasn’t a problem. “I led the funeral prayers and was joined by local paramedics as well as hospital staffers,” he said, adding that all necessary measures were taken to protect the participants.

    “I once attended a UNICEF workshop wherein I was taught how the last rites of an infected person should be performed. After bathing it, I wrapped the body in a plastic sheet and placed it in the coffin.”

    “After the funeral prayers, I myself laid him to rest as well,” Dr Sanaullah said.

  • Unbelievable times

    Unbelievable times

    We are living in unbelievable times. 

    “Wishing all our Christian citizens a happy Easter. Please stay safe and keep your families safe during the COVID-19 pandemic by praying and celebrating at home; and by observing the national safety protocols,” tweeted Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan earlier today. The reality of coronavirus hits you hard when you read this tweet. Churches not just all over the country, but also in major parts of the world, are closed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

    A World Bank (WB) report on South Asia released last night is alarming. It says that Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and other smaller countries may have so far reported relatively few coronavirus cases but they could be the next hotspots.

    “The economic outlook for South Asia is dire. South Asia will likely experience the worst economic performance of the last 40 years… for Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, the full range of their forecast GDP growth for this fiscal year is in negative territory,” says the report. It says that Pakistan may face a recession for the first time in 68 years.

    The report further states that the crisis will reinforce inequality in South Asia. This is something that the premier has constantly been worried about. The poorest of the poor will suffer the most is what he kept telling us about in his addresses to the nation as well as media briefings and interactions.

    This is indeed a catch-22 situation. Like his counterparts in other South Asian countries, PM Imran is in unchartered territory and is trying to deal with the pandemic by learning from other countries’ successes as well as mistakes and also by keeping in mind the local ground realities. He seemed confused about lockdown initially but later, and maybe soon enough, realised that there was no other choice. The federal government, as well as the provincial governments, will decide tomorrow (Monday) whether lockdown in the country should be extended.

    Many reports suggest that it may be extended till April 21.

    As the WB report suggests, smaller nations like Pakistan could be the next hotspot for coronavirus. Lockdowns may have helped to a great extent but we also need aggressive testing. Unfortunately, it hasn’t happened as we don’t have enough testing kits. Reports suggest some of these testing kits have also turned out to be faulty and/or substandard. Not having enough kits also points to another aspect, i.e. protectionism. The Global Trade Alert project says at least 69 countries have banned or restricted the export of protective equipment, medical devices or medicines during the pandemic while the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned protectionism could limit the global availability of vaccines.

    While the federal and provincial governments in Pakistan are doing their best under the circumstances and with the resources at hand, the real challenge lies in finding a cure for coronavirus. These are difficult times indeed and the predictions related to the coming months are not too bright either.

    Since it might soon be too late for all precautionary measures, stay home and stay safe for yourself and your dear ones.

  • Sindh for stricter lockdown as ‘greater than world average’ tests positive in 24 hours

    Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah on Saturday cautioned that there wasn’t “much good news” and the province needed a stricter lockdown as 20 per cent of coronavirus tests, conducted in his province in the past 24 hours, had come out positive, ringing danger bells as Pakistan continues to struggle in the battle against the global COVID-19 pandemic.

    In a video released by his office’s Twitter account, CM Shah disclosed that the number is greater than the world average at the moment. According to him, 919 people are still under treatment in the province.

    National coronavirus tally currently stands at 4,901. These include 2345 cases in Punjab, 1318 in Sindh, 656 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 220 in Balochistan, 215 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 114 in Islamabad Capital Territory and 33 in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK).

    The number of cases has continued to soar despite the country being under lockdown for the third consecutive week now.

    While the death toll, according to the national database, stands at 71, some 762 people have so far recovered.

    Meanwhile, the KP government has asked people to remain extra careful for the next few weeks.

    “The next few weeks are going to be critical for us. People are requested to follow the precautionary measures we have put in place,” KP CM’s Advisor on Information Ajmal Wazir said during a media briefing.

    According to Wazir, the people of the province have responded well to the government’s call for precautions.

    “However, we are facing the problem of accommodating daily wage workers and as per the prime minister’s instructions, we are working to provide them with daily necessities,” he said.

  • Strange how nuclear-capable Pakistan can’t make its own ventilators: PM Imran

    As the entire world wages war on the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — pandemic while struggling to meet medical equipment needs, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has said that it was strange how nuclear-capable Pakistan could not make its own ventilators and test kits and had to import them.

    In a private channel’s telethon to raise funds for Prime Minister’s COVID-19 Relief Fund, the premier urged the nation to adopt as much precautions as possible to help the authorities contain the virus that is continuing to spread rapidly.

    He said besides using its own resources, the government was raising funds because the impact of COVID-19 could further worsen and only those practicing social distancing would be safe.

    “If we do not take necessary measures on both government and individual levels, the pandemic would continue to spread. In such a case, the healthcare system could collapse as hospitals won’t be able to take all the pressure,” PM Imran said, adding that there were not enough ventilators to cater to the masses in the worst-case scenario.

    He pointed out that the situation in Pakistan was entirely different from the one in Europe or the United States (US), and noted that once the virus spread, even the most advanced cities in the world, including New York, could not do much.

    The premier, however, expressed confidence that Pakistan would emerge victorious in the fight against coronavirus through coordinating efforts of all stakeholders concerned, including the people.

    He said in spite of limited resources, Pakistan announced a historic package to provide relief to the corona-hit population, covering various segments and sectors of life. PM Imran also reiterated his government’s commitment to providing every possible facility to doctors, nurses and the paramedical staff fighting the global pandemic on the frontline.

  • 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.

  • ‘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.

  • VIDEO: Woman SHO assaulted as clash with worshippers erupts outside Karachi mosque

    At least one cop, a woman SHO [Station House Officer], sustained injuries after a clash between local police and worshippers erupted outside a mosque in Karachi on Friday.

    According to the details, the clash took place outside Haqqani Masjid located in the Peerabad locality of the port city as people flocked to the mosque for Friday prayers despite a government ban and complete lockdown across the metropolis on account of the coronavirus pandemic.

    A video available with The Current showed the enraged injured cop, namely Sharafat [as per her nameplate], shouting at the police personnel for arriving late, and sharing how the mob took an attempt on her life.

    “They broke my glasses,” she can be heard as saying while also instructing her staff to initiate legal proceedings.

    The video also showed hundreds of worshippers exiting the mosque.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Earlier in the day, Sindh Minister for Information Nasir Hussain Shah said that the ban on congregational prayers across the province will be strictly followed for Friday prayers.

    Shah requested that people pray at their homes and limit their movements outside from 12 pm to 3 pm in the afternoon. He also asked citizens to cooperate with law enforcement authorities in this regard.

    “The purpose of the measures being adopted is to protect the people against the coronavirus,” he said, adding that the lockdown would actually make the lives of people safer in the long run.

    “The restriction of the prayer congregations has been enforced to protect the lives of citizens,” Shah clarified. “The religious leaders have backed the efforts made by the Sindh government in this regard,” he added.

    Sindh with 1,214 COVID-19 infections is trailing far behind Punjab where the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus has reached 2,280 — highest in the country.

    While the number of infections across Pakistan has reached 4,688 with at least 68 deaths, people still do not appear to be taking government-imposed lockdowns seriously.