Tag: Pakistan

  • COVID-19: Pakistan ranks number 2 in performance for measures taken against the virus

    COVID-19: Pakistan ranks number 2 in performance for measures taken against the virus

    Pakistan has been ranked number two in The Economists’ world normalcy index, that measures recovery and opening up of society and economy post COVID-19. The Economist has compiled data from January 2021 to January 2022.

    Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives and head of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), Asad Umar, while sharing the screenshot of the report wrote. “Pakistan ranked number 2 in the world in Economist global normalcy index measuring recovery post covid opening up of society & economy. Pak was 3rd in the first evaluation and number 1 in the second. Pakistan is the only country in the world to be in top 3 in all three rankings.”

    Read more- NCOC bans indoor events in cities with Covid positivity rate over 10%

    Yesterday, NCOC announced a ban on indoor gatherings and events have been banned in the districts and cities with Covid-19 positivity rate exceeding 10 per cent. 

  • NCOC bans indoor events in cities with Covid positivity rate over 10%

    NCOC bans indoor events in cities with Covid positivity rate over 10%

    According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), all indoor gatherings and events have been banned in the districts and cities with Covid-19 positivity rate exceeding 10 per cent. However, only outdoor wedding events are allowed to be organised with a maximum of 500 guests.

    The ban will go into effect from January 24 , the NCOC said.

    The decisions were taken after the NCOC held a detailed review of the country’s current coronavirus situation along with the corresponding Nonpharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs). The forum differentiated the new NPIs depending on whether districts have Covid-19 positivity rate up to 10 per cent or above.

    The NPIs to be implemented are as follows depending on the positivity rate and specify that they are for fully vaccinated individuals:

    Gatherings

    • Indoor gatherings allowed up to 300 individuals, outdoor up to 500 for districts with positivity up to 10pc
    • Indoor gatherings banned, outdoor up to 300 for districts with positivity rate more than 10pc (with effect from Jan 24)

    Weddings:

    • Indoor weddings allowed up to 300 individuals, outdoor up to 500 for districts with positivity rate up to 10pc
    • Indoor weddings banned, outdoor up to 300 for districts with positivity rate more than 10pc (with effect from Jan 24 and will remain effective till February 15)

    Dining:

    • Indoor and outdoor dining both allowed for districts with positivity rate up to 10pc
    • Indoor dining banned (with effect from Jan 24), outdoor allowed for districts with positivity rate more than 10pc

    Education sector:

    • Education activities will continue for those under and over 12 in districts with positivity rate up to 10pc
    • Education activities will continue with staggered attendance at 50pc capacity for those under 12 and 100pc attendance for those over 12 in districts with positivity rate more than 10pc
    • Those over 12 will need to be fully vaccinated in both situations
    • Vaccination will be mandatory (at least one dose) for those over 12 from Feb 1
    • Aggressive sentinel testing to be carried out for targeted closures in institutes with high disease prevalence
    • Federating units in consultation with health authorities will decide limits for closure of educational institutions

    Gyms, cinemas, shrines, amusement parks:

    • Indoor activities allowed for districts with positivity rate up to 10pc
    • Indoor activities allowed at 50pc capacity for districts with positivity rate more than 10pc

    Sports:

    • All sports activities allowed for districts with positivity rate up to 10pc
    • Ban on contact sports (karate, boxing, martial arts, rugby, water polo, wrestling and kabaddi) for districts with positivity rate more than 10pc

     

    The NCOC decided that markets and business activities will continue without any restrictions. Employers are encouraged to let people work from home where possible.

    Similarly, intercity public transport has been restricted in districts with high coronavirus positivity ratios at 70pc and 80pc in railways. The ban on serving of meals was also maintained for public transport and domestic air travel.

    The curbs come as the country is in the grip of the fifth wave, which is being driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

    It should be noted that in the last 24 hours, the coronavirus positivity ratio in Pakistan was 9.48pc when 5,472 infections were recorded, with Sindh and Punjab leading the charge in new cases reported.

    Owing to a surge in the number of Covid-19 cases, several educational institutions in Islamabad and Karachi have also decided to close all schools to curb the rapid spread of the virus.

  • Usman Buzdar is ahead of all Chief Ministers in performance: survey

    Usman Buzdar is ahead of all Chief Ministers in performance: survey

    The Institute for Public Opinion Research (IPOR) in its recent survey has found Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar is leading in satisfaction level for developmental works in comparison to other chief ministers, reports The News.

    As per the survey, Buzdar is ahead as 51 per cent of respondents from Punjab are satisfied with him. CM KPK Mahmood Khan ranked second by securing a 48 per cent satisfaction rating. CM Balochistan Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo secured 43 percent while CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah got only a 38 per cent rating.

    The research center surveyed from December 22, 2021, to January 9, 2022, in which they ask the opinion of 3,700 respondents from different provinces.

    About the improvement in the performance of provincial health departments, 72 per cent are satisfied with Buzdar while CM Shah is at last with a 53 per cent rating.

    Similarly, in the education sector 86 per cent of people have shown their satisfaction with CM Punjab and KPK education department drew the appreciation of 80 per cent of respondents.

    In all the sectors, Pakistan People’s Pakistan (PPP) CM Sindh is behind among all the other CMs.

  • PTI spokesperson slammed after implying reduced prices of ‘Shoop Noodles’ shows less inflation

    PTI spokesperson slammed after implying reduced prices of ‘Shoop Noodles’ shows less inflation

    Spokesperson to the Finance Minister, Muzzammil Aslam has shared a screenshot of a message he received from a departmental store. In the message, the supermarket offered reduced prices of a few local commodities.

    Muzzammil while sharing the tweet wrote, “Everyone is talking about inflation but on the other hand, the prices of local commodities are continuously decreasing. Isn’t this an open contradiction?”

    He shared some prices of local products which lowered their prices.

    Netizens slammed the spokesperson for sharing reduced prices of ‘Shoop Noodles’ on Twitter which shows less inflation in Pakistan.

    A netizen replied in the same manner, “Everyone is talking about that the country has no gas but on the other hand, we are doing so much gaslighting every day. Isn’t this an open contradiction?”

    
    
    
    
    
    https://twitter.com/AliMaken/status/1483705646503579655

    Another user added, “It is a Simple Demand-Supply Crisis.”

    Another netizen questioned the intelligence of the person who appointed him as a spokesperson.

    Some users have expressed extreme disappointment with the government’s spokesperson.

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘I’m going to fight it out with this woman’, Sharmila Faruqi slams Nadia Khan for trolling her mother

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘I’m going to fight it out with this woman’, Sharmila Faruqi slams Nadia Khan for trolling her mother

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Sharmila Faruqi has slammed Nadia Khan for making a video with Sharmila’s mother, in which the morning show host can be seen mocking Sharmila’s mother while sarcastically praising her makeup.

    Nadia Khan can be seen praising Sharmila’s mother, Anisa for her makeup, jewelry, and clothing. Nadia asks Anisa where she has learned to do her makeup to which Anisa replied, “Sharmila” referring to her daughter.

    The Current reached out to Sharmila to ask her what happened and what legal action is she going to take against Nadia Khan.

    Sharmila Faruqi, while talking exclusively with The Current expressed her anger saying, “I inboxed [Nadia] and said it is very shameless of you to do this.”

    To which Nadia, as per Sharmila, replied, “There is nothing wrong in this. I have not asked anything wrong and I have not done anything wrong. Stop using harsh words with me.”

    Sharmila continued by saying, “She is shameless and heartless and it’s very very unfortunate,” adding, “I have a lot of respect for people in showbiz, they work really hard.”

    She then said that her mother is a very “simple woman.” She said that she lost her father and her mother lost her husband three months ago. My mother was at Saboor Aly’s wedding.”

    “She [Anisa] is trying to survive without her husband,” she said adding, “You [Nadia] don’t have anything else to do so you want to get publicity and ratings by making such videos,” said Sharmila.

    Sharmila further said, “Even if there was someone else in place of my mother, I would have taken action.” The PPP leader added that it is very unfortunate that we have stopped respecting our elders in society.”

    Sharmila also shared details about what legal steps she is taking. “I’m taking this to the head of cyber crime. I’m going to write them officially today and I’m going to take it to every forum. This is not how things are done.”

    “You can not use women or anyone else or even men to ridicule them, just for the sake of your own publicity, and free publicity,” she stated, “I as a woman, as a mother as a daughter will not tolerate this.”

    “I’m going to fight it out with this woman.” She added that even if she has to file a petition in court, she will do it.

    “This is not what we are, this is not what we are taught and this is not our upbringing,” she concluded.

    We have out to Nadia Khan for her comment to which she said that she will post her reply soon.

    Watch what Nadia did here.

    https://twitter.com/naylaamir/status/1483526716815552523?s=21
  • Twitter lauds ‘Referee’ Canadian High Commissioner in girls’ ice hockey match in Hunza

    Twitter lauds ‘Referee’ Canadian High Commissioner in girls’ ice hockey match in Hunza

    Several pictures and videos of an ice hockey match played by young girls in Hunza’s Altit are circulating on Twitter and one thing that caught most Twitterati’s attention was Canadian High Commissioner Wendy Gilmour refereeing the match. The pictures have led to praise for the Canadian diplomat for encouraging winter sports in Pakistan and advocating for female athletes.

    Pamir Times, a community news portal of Gilgit and the surrounding mountain areas, shared pictures and videos of the ice hockey match on Twitter, making note of the high commissioner refereeing the match.

    Taking to Twitter, Gilmore called it “an amazing match”. She congratulated Altit’s Sports Club And Rising Federation for organising the fourth Winterlude festival. Addressing the young players from Hunza and Chitral she said “my colleagues and I had a blast!”

    Pakistani Twitter was flooding the post with love and praise. They were thankful to the High Commisioner for coming and promoting winter sports, especially for girls.

    https://twitter.com/seeyabasad/status/1482480145889964035?s=20
    https://twitter.com/OmarBinMuaz1/status/1482710749902356480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1482710749902356480%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.dawn.com%2Fnews%2F1189267

    As per Radio Pakistan, Gilgit Baltistan Minister for Tourism and Culture Raja Nasir Ali Khan, while addressing the inaugural ceremony of ice hockey and ice skating competitions in Hunza, had said the government is focusing on promoting winter sports in the area.

    The minister assured that strenuous efforts are being made for the inclusion of Hunza ice hockey teams in international competitions.

  • Several people killed in Yemen capital by a Saudi Arabia led airstrike

    Several people killed in Yemen capital by a Saudi Arabia led airstrike

    Saudi Arabia launched an airstrike in the capital city of Yemen, Sanaa which killed about 14 people in a residential building in a response to an attack on Abu Dhabi on Monday.

    Saudi Arabia state media said that the coalition has begun airstrikes against strongholds and camps in the capital city belonging to the Houthi rebel group.

    The strike targeted the home of a former military official which killed him, his wife and son, other family members, and some unknown casualties.

    On the other side, the deputy minister for the Houthi administration tweeted that the coalition strikes killed a total of 20 people.

    According to the Houthi media channel, the airstrike attack damaged the building, killed at least a dozen people, and several people were wounded as well.

    The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is backing Saudi Arabia in a war with Yemen that has been going on for the last seven years.

    On Monday, three petrol tanks blew up near a storage facility of an oil giant company, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) in Abu Dhabi. A fire also erupted in a construction area at the Abu Dhabi airport.

    These attacks have been claimed by the Iran-backed rebel group, Houthi in Yemen.

    Pakistan also condemned the attacks on the UAE by saying, “violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the UAE and pose a grave threat to the regional peace and security”.

    The statement issued on Monday by the Foreign Office called for an immediate end to these attacks. It also offered condolences to the families of the victims of the attack including one Pakistani.

  • ‘Islamabad on alert’ as interior minister warns of more terror incidents

    ‘Islamabad on alert’ as interior minister warns of more terror incidents

    Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has warned of more terrorism-related incidents in Islamabad and said that the capital’s police and other forces are on alert.

    The warning has come forward after a gun battle, in which militants [who were shot dead] opened fire on a police check-point in the vicinity of the Karachi Company police station, G 9 Markaz Islamabad. The incident resulted in a policeman’s death and two injuries.

    The martyred police official has been identified as Head Constable Munawwar.

    “This was not an incident of dacoity or theft. Terrorists opened fire on police officials. This is a signal for us that terror incidents have started taking place in Islamabad,” the minister added.

    However, Rasheed revealed the authorities had tracked down the “sleeper cell” of the terrorists.

  • Punjab education minister wants private schools to make hijab, caps compulsory for students

    Punjab education minister wants private schools to make hijab, caps compulsory for students

    Punjab Minister for Education Murad Raas has requested private schools to make scarves/dupattas and caps compulsory for female and male students respectively. Murad made the request while talking about compulsory Quran classes in schools.

    “I have seen in private schools that they are requesting students to brings scarfs and caps [for Quran classes] from home.”

    He continued by saying that most private and public schools have scarves/duppatas included in their uniforms. He then requested all private schools make scarves part of their uniform.

    https://twitter.com/SedCorners/status/1483062624656973824?s=20

    Have a look at the Twitter reactions:

    Last month, Chief Minister Pubjab approved the appointment of 70,000 Arabic teachers for compulsory teaching of the Holy Quran in all schools of Punjab.

  • Haseebullah’s century, Awais Ali’s six-fer help Pakistan outclass Zimbabwe in U19 CWC

    Haseebullah’s century, Awais Ali’s six-fer help Pakistan outclass Zimbabwe in U19 CWC

    Pakistan Under 19 Cricket team has started it’s World Cup series with an extensive win over Zimbabwe, beating the opposition with a 115-run margin at the Diego Martin Sporting Complex in Trinidad and Tobago.

    Wicket-keeper-batter Haseebullah Khan set the tone of the win by scoring an impressive 135. In his 155-ball innings, he smacked four sixes and ten fours.

    Irfan Khan was the other prominent batter, scoring 75 off just 73 balls. He stroked six fours and a maximum.

    The Boys in Green posted a gigantic score of 315/9 after Zeeshan Zameer hit three sixes and remained not out on six-ball 21.

    Right-arm medium pacer Alex Falao bagged fifer for Zimbabwe. He conceded 58 runs in his nine overs. Mcgine Dube took three for 68 in his 10 overs.

    In reply, Pakistan pacers took wickets at regular intervals and didn’t allow Zimbabwe batters to form partnerships. Zimbabwe was bowled out for 200 in 42.4 overs.

    Awais Ali’s magnificent six wicket-haul was the cherry on the top.

    The Green Shirts will now face Afghanistan in their next clash of the U19 World Cup at the Brian Lara Cricket Ground.