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  • Here’s where you can find COVID-19 vaccine in Karachi, Lahore

    Here’s where you can find COVID-19 vaccine in Karachi, Lahore

    Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine is now available privately in Pakistan and people can buy it from private labs and hospitals across the country.

    AGP Pharma Managing Director Kamran Mirza told Jang that the Russian vaccine is now available for people above 18 across the country. Here’s a list of places offering the vaccine in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad.

    Karachi

    Vaccines are available at OMI Hospital, Ziauddin Hospital and South City Hospital in Karachi.

    The price of the vaccine has been fixed at Rs12,268 in addition to the service charges.

    https://twitter.com/IamZaynMughal/status/1378143354286977030?s=20

    Lahore

    In Lahore, people can get vaccinated at Doctors Hospital, Hameed Latif, Shaukat Khanum, Chughtai Lab. The price for two doses in Lahore is Rs12,260.

    Chughtai Lab will start online registration again when more vaccines are available. It has stopped online registration for now.

    Islamabad

    People in Islamabad can head to Shifa, IDC and Chughtai Lab for private vaccination.

    People can pre-register themselves at Shifa International Hospital’s wesbite.

    Website Link: https://www.shifa.com.pk/vaccine/

  • Islamabad police rescue children, manage hostage crisis successfully

    Islamabad Police on Sunday rescued two children and arrested the suspect, handling a hostage crisis successfully.

    As per reports, a man forcefully entered a house in the Bara Kahu area of Islamabad and held two children hostage in order to avoid arrest at the hands of the law enforcement authorities (LEAs).

    The police after a successful operation rescued the children and arrested the suspect. The capital police also shared a video of the incident on social media that shows the suspect getting arrested and being shifted with his face covered.

    https://twitter.com/amnaappi/status/1376231401595502592?s=20

    The police also lauded SP Hamza Humayun for successfully leading the operation to rescue the children and managing the entire hostage crisis.

    The two children held hostage were aged three and two years and have been handed over to their parents. One person was injured after the suspect opened fire on him.

    The police have started an inquiry into the entire matter, besides also recording the testimonies of the eye-witnesses in the neighbourhood.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlxxkKBVneg
  • Aurat March Islamabad ‘utterly dismayed’ with FIR against them

    Aurat March Islamabad ‘utterly dismayed’ with FIR against them

    Organisers of Aurat March Islamabad have responded to the petition filed against them in Peshawar, saying that they are “utterly dismayed” with it.

    “The Aurat Azadi March Islamabad is utterly dismayed at the order issued by a Peshawar Session Court judge on Friday afternoon under Section 22A of the CrPC through which a police station in Peshawar Cantonment has been instructed to file an FIR against ‘organisers and participants of ‘Aurat March’ held on March 8, 2021 in Islamabad,” read an official statement.

    The statement further said that the order was issued after a petition was filed by a group of Peshawar-based lawyers accusing the organisers and participants of ‘blasphemous slogans’.

    “The order was issued in response to a petition filed by a group of Peshawar-based lawyers that repeated the same vile lies against Aurat Azadi March Islamabad organisers which have circulated for more than two weeks. These lies, and the outrageous allegations of blasphemous slogans and banners, in particular, have been definitively debunked many times over,” added the statement.

    Read more – Endangering innocent lives

    Aurat Azadi March Islamabad also requested relevant authorities to call an inquiry and action against those who are spreading false accusations.

    “Government officials including PM Advisor on Religious Affairs Tahir Ashrafi and Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry have clearly called for inquiries and action against the elements responsible for sharing doctored content online and spreading the false allegations,” said the organisers.

    Condemning the act, the statement further said: “To accept such a vile and baseless petition is to subject women involved in any way with Aurat Azadi March Islamabad to unspeakable danger. Legal cases against AAM organisers/participants are untenable due to the complete lack of evidence to back up lies and propaganda. Yet to call for the police to lodge an FIR is to embolden elements that have, in the recent past, taken the law into their own hand and engaged in renegade violence against innocent men and women.”

    “It is common knowledge that arousing religious passions in Pakistan is akin to issuing a death warrant, and the Sessions Court order is fanning the flames of a fire that threatens to engulf women who have committed no crime other than speak for their own and the rights of women, girls and oppressed peoples throughout this country, rights that are guaranteed by the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” it said further.

    The organisers also said that they have written an open letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan asking him to take strict action against those who continue spread baseless lies.

    “This is why we now demand unequivocal action from all relevant state institutions to ensure that this already alarming situation does not spiral completely out of control. In the first instance, we urge police, administrative and elected authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to recognize that the allegations that inform the court order under section 22A have been patently established as false and malafide. There is no basis upon which to lodge an FIR, and we demand protection from the authorities accordingly.”

  • Pakistan Television’s first female anchor Kanwal Naseer passes way

    Pakistan Television’s first female anchor Kanwal Naseer passes way

    Pakistan Television (PTV)’s first female anchor, newscaster and announcer Kanwal Naseer has passed away at the age of 73. The departed soul was hospitalised for the past couple of days, as reported by Radio Pakistan.

    Born in 1948 in Lahore, Naseer entered media at the young age of 17 and remained associated with PTV and Radio Pakistan for over five decades. Naseer made her first announcement at the PTV on November 26, 1964. 

    Naseer has been awarded the Pride of Performance and many other national awards in recognition of her services. She was the daughter of legendary actor Mohini Hameed.

    Meanwhile, several notable personalities including Fawad Chaudhry and Humayun Saeed expressed their condolences over her death on social media.

    https://twitter.com/RajaBasharatLAW/status/1375321768378916868
  • PIA staffer wins hearts for calming baby on flight

    PIA staffer wins hearts for calming baby on flight

    A picture of a crew member of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) calming a restless baby during a flight recently went viral on social media.  

    Fakhr-e-Alam shared a picture of the head purser on an Islamabad-Karachi flight holding a baby in his arms. 

    The singer shared that the PIA official had come to help an exhausted mother and soothe the crying baby to give her a break.

    “A friend onboard [a] PIA Islamabad to Karachi early morning flight yesterday shared this. A baby was crying non-stop, the mother was exhausted and stressed, she couldn’t comfort the child,” shared Alam.

    “So the head purser Mr Tauheed helped the child sleep. Now that truly is GREAT people to fly with,” added the singer.

    Soon after the singer’s post, social media users started praising the act of kindness.

    People also shared their experience of traveling with PIA.

    https://twitter.com/SSGPA1/status/1370475257849610241?s=20

    Later, in an interview with ARY’s Morning Show Bakhabar Sawera, the officer, Tauheed said that he had no idea he would go viral.

    “I had no idea someone is recording me. I don’t know who took my pictures or made me viral,” said Tauheed, adding: “It is a part of our duty to take care of our passengers. It is a part of our training to ensure their safety on a flight, and take care of their needs.”


  • Protesting govt employees face authorities’ wrath in Islamabad

    Protesting govt employees face authorities’ wrath in Islamabad

    Protesting government employees on Wednesday faced wrath of authorities in Islamabad as they headed towards the Parliament House on Constitution Avenue.

    According to Geo News, the protesters have reached D Chowk while Islamabad authorities have blocked the way towards the Parliament with containers. Demonstrators have started bypassing the containers because of which the police once again resorted to tear gas shelling to disperse them.

    Because of the tear gas, some police and Rangers personnel also had to retract for a while, reports said.

    The protesters have demanded that the containers be removed or else they will remove it themselves.  

    The federal government employees are demanding a raise in their salaries and had gathered today after their leader Rehman Bajwa and nine others were arrested overnight.

    Following the arrests, the government workers in the federal capital had announced they will march towards the Parliament House from Pakistan Secretariat for their demands and the release of their leaders.

    The police had resorted to tear gas shelling after they made a move towards the parliament. The protesters at one point also encircled Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz.

    At another, the protesting employees also closed the doors to the secretariat bringing the government machinery to a halt.

    At least two dozen protesting employees were taken into custody under Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO).

    The government employees were protesting against the income disparities between various federal government employees. They have been demanding a 40% increase in their salaries.

    The protesters have received support from government employees over grade 17, who have also demanded an increase in their salaries.

    The All Pakistan Clerks Association and government employees of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh are also supporting the protest.

    Speaking on the matter, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said that the government dealt with the protesters “correctly” and it was the demonstrators who had backtracked on the agreement.

    “We dealt with this correctly we are increasing the salaries of 95% of employees at an average of 40%,” the minister told Geo News when asked about the situation.

    “The matter will be resolved [if] they go back to their initial demands,” said the interior minister.

    Geo also quoted sources as saying that a two-member committee, comprising interior and defence ministers, had been tasked with dealing with the protesters and was in contact with the finance ministry over the raise.

  • CDA bans shooting stray dogs

    CDA bans shooting stray dogs

    The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to impose a complete ban on shooting stray dogs in the city.

    According to a report in Dawn News, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hamza Shafqaat, CDA officers, representatives of non-profit animal rights organisations, and citizens of Islamabad were among those present at the meeting when the decision was taken.

    Speaking to the publication, DC Islamabad Hamza Shafqat said: “Shooting has been stopped forever. It has been decided that municipal by-laws will be amended to remove the clause stating elimination of dogs.”

    CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed added that the governing body is exploring other options for the elimination of dogs instead of shooting them. Members of the meeting will reportedly convene again in two weeks to discuss solutions.

    At present, the civic agency has a special dog shooting wing which is used for the elimination of stray dogs. However, civil society and non-profit organisations have often protested against the inhumane act.

    Meanwhile, in June last year, to control the increase in the population of stray dogs in Peshawar, the Peshawar Livestock Department decided to neuter the animals instead of culling them and is offering a cash reward of Rs 200 to anyone who brings in a stray dog to the department.

  • Cannoli Café’s logo is now in Urdu

    Cannoli Café’s logo is now in Urdu

    Cannoli Café Soul in Islamabad, which had been in hot waters for mocking their manager for his English speaking skills, has updated and changed the logo with Urdu typography.

    The café owners, Uzma and Diya, had received a lot of backlash last week when they asked their manager Owais to introduce himself in English. When he struggled with speaking fluent English, they made fun of him by commenting on his salary.

    After the incident sparked outrage on social media, the owners issued an apology but netizens did not buy it saying the apology sounded ‘arrogant’.

    Read More: Adnan Siddiqui, Sheheryar Munawar lambast Cannoli owners for mocking manager’s ‘English’

  • Govt plans to mortgage Islamabad’s biggest park to get loan

    In order to meet its financial requirements, the federal government has decided to mortgage the F-9 park in Islamabad to a get loan of about Rs500 billion through issuing bonds.

    The F-9 park, also known as Fatima Jinnah Park is spread on 759 acres of land, making it one of the largest covered green areas in Pakistan.

    According to a report in Dawn, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has already issued a no-objection certificate in this regard. The proposal to mortgage the park has been included in the agenda of the meeting of the federal cabinet to be held on Tuesday.

    This is not the first time that a government is planning to mortgage a national asset to get loans through national and international bonds.

  • انگریزی کا ہیضہ

    انگریزی کا ہیضہ

    کہنے دیجئے کہ  ہمیں بطور قوم انگریزی کا ہیضہ ہو گیا ہے  ۔ جی چاہ رہا ہے کہ    ملک کے   انگریزی سے نابلد عوام کو بتاؤں کہ تم کیا  اردو  یا کسی اور زبان میں خیالات کی چڑیا اڑاتے رہتے ہو انگریزی زبان کے در پر اپنا ماتھا ٹیک دو گیان وہیں سے ملے گا۔    کینولی والی خواتین  کی تحقیر آمیز ہنسی ، مینیجر اویس کی واضح بے چینی  معاشرے میں زبان کی بنیاد پر پائی جانے والی ایک نا محسوس لسانی تقسیم    کی طرف اشارہ کرتی ہے  جو باقاعدہ طبقاتی تقسیم میں ڈھل گئی ہے۔  تقسیم در تقسیم کے شکار  معاشرے میں اگر کوئی کمی رہ گئی تھی تو  اس پر   انگریزی زبان  کی بنیاد پر پائے جانے والے احساس کمتری نے  چار چاند  لگا د ئیے ہیں۔

    اس واقعہ نے اور کچھ نہیں کیا سوائے اسکے کہ ہمارے روز مرہ کے معاشرتی رویوں کی ایک جھلک دکھا دی ہے جہاں    انگریزی بولنے  پر اگلے کے دل میں ویسے ہی ایک رعب پڑ جاتا ہے کئی در تو صرف دو فقرے بولنے سے ہی کھل جاتے ہیں چاہے سامنے والا زیادہ عقلمند اور صاحب علم کیوں نہ ہو اسکی ساری قابلیت انگریزی زبان نہ جاننے کی بنا پر ٹھس ہو جاتی ہے۔ بھائی انگریزی ایک زبان ہے جیسے باقی زبانیں ہوتی  ہیں اس میں کون سا سرخاب کے پر  لگے ہوئے ہیں  ہاں اسے  بولنا سیکھنا ایک مہارت یا اہلیت تو گردانا جا سکتا ہے  فوقیت نہیں ۔ ہاں اگر انگریزی زبان کی وجہ سے زیادہ ارفع و اعلیٰ خیالات آتے ہوتے تو بات بھی تھی لیکن افسوس سوائے اسکے مجھے تو کوئی ایسی خوبی نظر نہ آئی کہ انگریزی زبان دنیا میں رابطے کی بڑی زبانوں میں سے ایک ہے اور شاید مختلف بولیاں بولنے والوں کے درمیان پل کا کام کرتی ہے۔  اس  میں  میسر علمی مواد  بھی اچھا خاصا ہے لیکن روسی ،چینی ، ہسپانوی اور دیگر زبانوں میں بھی اسی پائے کی چیزیں پائی جاتی ہیں بلکہ بعض زبانوں کے ادب ، فصاحت و بلاغت کے سامنے تو انگریزی زبان پانی بھرتی ہے۔

    خلا میں روسی انگریزی زبان جاننے کی بنا پر تو پہلے نہیں پہنچ گئے تھے یا چین کی معاشی ترقی کا راز انگریزی زبان کی وجہ سے تو نہیں ہے بلکہ عظیم چینی رہنما چو این لائی سے منسوب جملے کے بقول ‘ چین گونگا نہیں ہے’۔ صاحب دوسری زبانو ں کو چھوڑئیے اپنی  اردو کوہی لیجئے  بھلا  میر غالب کے پائے کا شاعر اور داستان امیر حمزہ جیسی دیومالا  جس زبان کے پاس ہوں اسے تو بڑے چاؤ  اور ناز سے  رکھنا چاہئے۔ یہ الگ بات ہے کہ ہم نے اسے نصاب کے رٹوں تک محدود کر کے رکھ دیا ہے ۔

    خیر بات بھی کہاں سے کہاں نکل گئی دیکھنا یہ ہے کہ  اس  واقعہ سے حاصل کیا ہو گا؟ سماجی رابطوں کی ویب سائٹس پر ہر ایک نے اپنے دل کی بھڑاس نکال لی، جی بھر کر صلواتیں  سنائیں اویس صاحب کو ان لوگوں نے بھی نوکری کی پیشکش کر دی جو اپنے ملازمین کو چھ چھ ماہ تنخواہ کی مد میں  لٹکائے رکھتے ہیں  ، ہاں جو چیز ہم   بھول گئے  وہ یہ کہ  دو خواتین جو ایک زبان پر پوری طرح سے مہارت نہ رکھنے پر ایک دوسرے انسان کا مذاق اڑا رہیں تھی وہ کوئی اور نہیں میں اور آپ تھے۔ کیا  انگریزی زبان نہ جاننے یا اس پر پوری قدرت نہ رکھنے کی بنا پر ہم  بھی  کیا دوسرے کا مذاق نہیں اڑاتے ؟ کیسا لگا آئینہ میں اپنا اصل روپ دیکھ کر جس پر پتا نہیں کس کس ریا کاری کی پرت چڑھا رکھی ہے  اصل میں  ہم نے کبھی اس گٹر کے ڈھکن کو اٹھانے کی زحمت ہی نہیں کی جہاں زبان کی بنیاد پر ، رنگ اور شکل کی بنیاد پر  اور کسی دوسرے انسان  کے رہن سہن کی بنیاد پر اسے اپنے سے نیچا سمجھا جاتا ہے۔

    اگرچہ اس واقعہ میں  مظلوم اردو بن گئی ہے لیکن  کیا یہی معاملہ ہم اپنے ملک کی دیگر زبانوں کے ساتھ نہیں کرتے ؟ پشتو، پنجابی ،سندھی اور بلوچی بولنے والے کو اردو میں بات کرنی پڑ جائے تو اسکا مذاق بن جاتا ہے ۔ اسی لئے مسئلہ اردو انگریزی کا نہیں    بلکہ ، عدم برداشت، معاشرتی رویوں اور سماجی آداب کا ہے ہم سب کے اندر چھوٹی چھوٹی کینولی آنٹیاں بستی ہیں ، ان کو صلواتیں سنانے سے پہلے اپنے گریبان میں بھی جھانک لیجئے۔