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Tag: Pakistan

  • Govt to waive fees, give scholarships for university students in flood-affected areas

    Govt to waive fees, give scholarships for university students in flood-affected areas

    Federal Minister for Education Rana Tanveer Hussain has said on Thursday that the government has decided to provide relief to university students in flood-affected areas by waiving their fees and giving them scholarships.

    In a tweet, he said that he held a meeting with the Chair Higher Education Commission (HEC) and decided to facilitate the university students in calamity-struck zones.

    Under the relief package, the government would defer current/due university fee payments, devise a mechanism/possibility for a fee waiver and announce a special scholarship program (undergraduate and graduation) for students.

    Tanveer stated that in these pressing times the government stands firm with the people and would do whatever it takes for rehabilitation of flood victims.

    “Doing fund-raising, providing food and tents, and setting up medical camps and transitional schools is our top priority,” he added.

    In another tweet, the federal minister said that “Our Government under the able leadership of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif is fully committed to provide maximum relief to our people suffering from flood calamity. In these pressing times, we stand firm with our people and will do whatever it takes for rehabilitation.”

    Earlier today, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif announced that he will not be taking a scheduled official trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to focus on relief and rescue operations. Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also cancelled his scheduled visit in late August to four European countries. Separately, the media wing of the armed forces, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) also announced that Defense Day celebrations will be postponed to express solidarity with flood victims.

    Heavy monsoon rains in the country have triggered massive floods that have submerged a third of the country and killed at least 1,191 people. 27 more people died in the previous 24 hours on Thursday.

    Approximately 116 districts across the four provinces have been affected. Infrastructure, including bridges, roads, schools, homes and hospitals. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), 888 health facilities have been inundated with flood water.

  • Army postpones Defence Day ceremony in solidarity with flood victims

    Army postpones Defence Day ceremony in solidarity with flood victims

    The Pakistan Army on Wednesday (August 31) postponed the Defence Day ceremony — to demonstrate solidarity with flood-affected Pakistanis. The ceremony is held every year on September 6 at GHQ in Rawalpindi.

    The announcement was made by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General, Major General Babar Iftikhar, in a tweet from his twitter account.
    “In solidarity with the flood-affected people of Pakistan, central ceremony at GHQ to commemorate Defence & Martyrs Day on 6 September has been postponed,” he wrote.


    “Pakistan Armed Forces shall continue serving our brothers and sisters struck by unprecedented floods,” he added.

    Devastating floods have left Pakistan reeling, with the death toll now standing at 1,191. According to the data issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 422 people have lost their lives in Sindh, 253 in Balochistan and 264 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

    It has been estimated that nearly one-third of the country is submerged in flood waters with more than 30 million people displaced from their homes. The raging waters have also wrecked havoc on the country’s infrastructure, with a number of roads, houses, schools and bridges damaged by the floods.

    The armed forces are engaged in rescue and relief operations along with provincial and federal administrations.

  • Govt may add 9,000 MW solar energy to national grid as an alternative power source

    Govt may add 9,000 MW solar energy to national grid as an alternative power source

    The federal government intends to prioritise the addition of 9,000 megawatts (MW) of solar energy to the national grid.

    According to Express Tribune,  the government may spend money on producing 6,000 MW of solar energy. A scheme to install 2,000 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) power on 11 kV feeders is also being considered. The government has chosen a number of locations in south Punjab for this purpose.

    By solarizing the public-sector buildings, the government will also add 1,000 MW of solar energy to the national grid.

    Through a single-stage, two-envelope bid process and a tariff indexation of 70 per cent every three months, the authorities will implement a straight-line tariff. In this regard, it aims to provide friendly nations with competitive tariffs.

    The government may acquire all the electricity produced on a 25-year BOOT (Build, Own, Operate, and Transfer) basis due to increased demand. It also intends to guarantee power off-take and offer the land for the projects.

    Additionally, the government intends to exempt all investors from import customs and other taxes, as well as from income tax on gains and profits for the first ten years.

    Incentives for the 4MW solar generation to be installed at 11kv feeders through a bid process may also be announced by the Ministry of Energy.

    In this context, the government can propose a straight-line tariff and a quarterly 50 per cent Pak CPI indexation with a 15 per cent maximum. Additionally, a bid/lease procedure will be used to install the solar rooftop system.

  • UN chief to visit flood-affected areas on Sept 9

    UN chief to visit flood-affected areas on Sept 9

    United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres will pay a ‘solidarity visit’ to the flood-affected areas of Pakistan on September 9.

    “With the tragic situation facing millions of men, women and children impacted by historic floods in Pakistan, the Secretary-General will travel to the country next week for a solidarity visit,” said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

    According to Dujarric, the UN secretary-general will arrive in Islamabad and will go to the areas most impacted by the unprecedented climate catastrophe. He will also have conversations with displaced families and humanitarian agencies working on the ground.

    He is expected to remain in the country for two days and will leave on September 11.

    Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said it will contribute in a big way to our collective effort to highlight the impact of this disaster.

    On Tuesday, the UN appealed to the world to collect $160 million in aid for the Pakistani flood victims.

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres called upon the international community to take more steps to fight global warming and its impacts.

    “Let’s stop sleepwalking towards the destruction of our planet by climate change. Today, it is Pakistan. Tomorrow, it could be your country.”

    During the ongoing monsoon season, Pakistan received about 186 per cent higher rainfall than its 30-year national average.

    One-third of Pakistan has been completely submerged by unprecedented floods and the overall death toll is now more than 1,100.

  • Netflix cancels Ahad’s Resident Evil’s season 2 due to a lukewarm response to season one

    Netflix cancels Ahad’s Resident Evil’s season 2 due to a lukewarm response to season one

    Netflix premiered the new Resident Evil series featuring Pakistani star Ahad Raza Mir in July this year. The Hum Tum star’s performance and appearance in the show made his Pakistanis and Indians explode on Twitter with joyful tweets, expressing their excitement. His fans were ecstatic to see him in the new sci-fi horror series. Ahad essayed ‘Arjun Batra’, an Indian refugee following the global T-virus pandemic.

    However, Netflix has now opted not to renew Mir’s Resident Evil for a second season. The news comes a month and a half after it debuted on the site on July 14.

    On Friday, Deadline reported that the show did not have a strong enough showing on Netflix’s worldwide top 10 ratings, nor was its cost versus views on the streaming site high enough, a criteria for any show to be renewed.

    Falling behind Stranger Things, which was released at the same time, Resident Evil, which starred Charlie’s Angels actor Ella Balinska, debuted at the second spot on the worldwide trends list with 72.7 million hours viewed on its opening weekend. However, the show did not deliver big for the second week. For the third week, the show dropped, falling out of the top 10 ranking.

    Deadline reported that the latest Resident Evil incarnation also logged an underwhelming 55 percent from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a total of 26pc audience scores.

    Based on a video game, Resident Evil hails from showrunner Andrew Dabb and is placed in the future in 2036, 14 years after a virus that causes a global apocalypse, and Balinska’s Jade Wesker fights to survive in the new world of blood-thirsty creatures.

    The series also stars Lance Reddick, Tamara Smart, Siena Agudong, Adeline Rudolph Connor Gosatti, and Turlough Convery. Resident Evil was produced and written by Mary Leah Sutton of Time After Time.

    When the series was released, Mir’s fans took to social media to praise his performance and celebrate his appearance as the first Pakistani actor to star in a major Netflix show.

  • Flood-related losses may exceed $10 billion: Ahsan Iqbal

    Flood-related losses may exceed $10 billion: Ahsan Iqbal

    Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that the initial economic losses caused by the floods in Pakistan cost at least $10 billion.

    The estimated cost was disclosed by Planning Minister on Monday, saying that Pakistan needed help from the rest of the world to deal with the consequences of climate change.

    Unexpected monsoon rains have caused historic flash floods that have destroyed bridges, crops, infrastructure, and highways, killing over 1,000 people and affecting more than 33 million. “I think it is going to be huge. So far, (a) very early, preliminary estimate is that it is big, it is higher than $10 billion,” Iqbal said.

    The minister estimated that the 200-million-person South Asian country, which will be facing an acute food scarcity, may take five years to reconstruct and recover.

     Along with significant damage to the rice fields, he claimed that 45 per cent of the cotton harvests had been washed away. “I think it is going to be huge. So far, (a) very early, preliminary estimate is that it is big, it is higher than $10 billion,” Iqbal said.

    According to Reuters, the Pakistani military said in a statement on Tuesday that rescue operations were still in progress and that foreign aid, including seven military aircraft from Turkey and three from the United Arab Emirates, was beginning to reach the nation.

    More aid will be sent to Pakistan as a result, which will assist it in overcoming its current condition.

    More than 300 stranded persons had been airlifted away, more than 23 metric tonnes of relief supplies had been provided, and more than 50 medical camps had been set up, with more than 33,000 patients receiving treatment, according to the statement.

    Moreover, China will send two aircraft on Tuesday (today) carrying 3,000 tents and Japan will send tarpaulins and shelters, in addition to the announcements of financial support from the UK, Canada, Australia, and Azerbaijan.

    As the cash-strapped nation struggles with political and economic unrest made worse by the historic floods, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) threw it another lifeline on Monday by releasing $1.17 billion in bailout funding.

    “Pakistan is in dire need and the damages are here and we will be in this a very long time,” Iqbal said. “It’s not months but years we are talking about.”

  • Video: Virat Kohli gives Haris Rauf a special gift

    Video: Virat Kohli gives Haris Rauf a special gift

    Following Pakistan-India match on August 28, right arm pacer Haris Rauf met former Indian skipper Virat Kohli on field.

    The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a video in which Virat Kohli autographed and handed over a signed jersey to Haris Rauf.

    “The match may be over but moments like these shine bright.”

    Players from both India and Pakistan have displayed positive energy on field despite their rivalry.

    Earlier, Indian players met Shaheen Afridi who was ruled out of the Asia Cup because of a knee injury.

    Read more: Indian players meet Shaheen Shah Afridi, inquire about his health

    Babar was also spotted chatting with Indian team captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

    India won the match on August 28 by five wickets.

    Pakistan-India head to head match count in Asia Cup is now 15. India won nine while Pakistan won five matches. One match ended in no results.

    Read more: History of Pakistan vs India matches at Asia Cup

    Pakistan will play its second match of the Asia Cup 2022 against Hong Kong on September 2 (Friday) at 7pm.

  • Modi extends condolences to families of the flood victims

    Modi extends condolences to families of the flood victims

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extends his condolences to the families of the flood victims in Pakistan.

    “Saddened to see the devastation caused by the floods in Pakistan. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, the injured and all those affected by this natural calamity and hope for an early restoration of normalcy,” tweeted Modi.

    The devastating effects of floods across the country continue to rage on as monsoon rains have killed over 1,000 people and disrupted the lives of more than 5.7 million people.

    The federal and provincial governments are currently providing assistance to the displaced families and now the international community has also poured in their support.

    The Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha expressed “deep sorrow over the casualties, massive destruction of property and loss of life resulting from floods in Pakistan”.

    The United Nations (UN) is set to launch a Flash Appeal in support of Pakistan. The international platform will reportedly launch a $160 million appeal.

    Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said that the appeal will be launched on Tuesday, August 30.

    Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that the country is currently providing support to Pakistan. “Like many Canadians across the country, I’m thinking of everyone affected by the devastating flooding in Pakistan. Canada is providing support through UNCERF and Red Cross Canada – to provide food, clean water, and other essential services as quickly as possible,” he tweeted.

    During a telephonic conversation between President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed with Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, the UAE President offered condolences and sympathy to the victims of the floods.

    PM Sharif thanked Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan for their support. Both country leaders had telephonic conversations with the premier.

    President Raisi and President Erdogan conveyed solidarity with Pakistan and assured support in relief assistance in all areas affected by heavy floods and rains.

    Moreover, PM Sharif thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for his support for the flood affectees.

    In a tweet, he said, “Grateful for President Emmanuel Macron’s message of support for the people of faced with devastating floods. We appreciate France’s solidarity and offer of help for the affected people in this hour of need.”

  • ‘Bhai tera chakka nahi bhulay ga’: Momin Saqib meets Hardik Pandya

    ‘Bhai tera chakka nahi bhulay ga’: Momin Saqib meets Hardik Pandya

    Pakistani cricket fan, Momin Saqib, who rose to fame for his “maaro mujhe maaro” reaction video after Pakistan’s World Cup loss to India in 2019, posted a couple of videos on Twitter where he is meeting Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli after the India-Pakistan Asia Cup 2022 match in Dubai.

    “Bhai tera chakka nahi bhulay ga!”

    In the video, he can be seen greeting Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya after the match.

    With an unbeaten innings of 33 runs on 17 balls, Hardik Pandya led India to victory with a maximum on the third last ball of the game. In addition, he took 3 wickets and bowled some vicious short deliveries that held Pakistan to 147 runs.

    Saqib praised Pandya for winning and expressed excitement for the India-Pakistan final on September 11.

    He can be seen meeting Virat Kohli in another video. “Good to see him back in form,” he wrote. “What a game tonight! Shall see you in the Final!”

    Kohli responded to Saqib’s “congratulations” on the victory by saying, “Eh ta chalda rehnda aa, tusi vi ta nairray aagaye si” (It is a part of the game. You guys also came very close).

    Pakistan will play its second game at the Asia Cup against Hong Kong on September 2 (Friday) at 7pm.

  • Dengue cases on the rise in Punjab

    According to a statement issued by the Secretary of Health Punjab, 32 cases of dengue virus have been detected across the province in the last 24 hours.

    At least 70 cases of dengue were reported in Punjab on Sunday.

    According to the Health Department, a total of 1,034 dengue virus cases have been reported in 2022.

    441 cases of dengue were reported in Lahore alone.

    Read more- All you need to know about dengue

    Amid the increase in cases of dengue, the district administration of Rawalpindi has launched a crackdown and sealed 58 buildings for finding dengue larvae and filed cases against 41 people.

    Citizens have been advised to cooperate with the health teams and closely adhere to SOPs in order to avoid contracting the dengue virus.