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  • Punjab govt to give monthly stipend to transgender persons

    Punjab govt to give monthly stipend to transgender persons

    The Punjab government has decided to pay a monthly stipend to transgender persons under a new programme by its social protection authority.

    As per reports, this was announced by Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister on Information Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan while talking to the media with Punjab Social Protection Authority Vice Chairperson Jamal Nasir Cheema in Lahore.

    Transgender people are a part of society and will be given a monthly stipend, she said.

    Dr Firdous said that the ‘Ehsaas Punjab Masawaat Programme’ was a unique programme under which transgender people were being facilitated.

    Read More: Pakistan’s first transgender-only madrasa breaking barriers

    She told that under this programme, disabled transgender persons between the age of 18 and 40 were giving Rs2,000 per month, while transgender persons above 40 years were paid with Rs3,000 per month.

    She said that the government is prioritising the less privileged section of society in all its projects.

    She said that CM Usman Buzdar announced a package of Rs9 billion in Bhakkar and brought the people of Bhakkar in the mainstream of development.

  • Sana Mir praises Yasmin Rashid’s dedication towards duty while battling cancer

    Sana Mir praises Yasmin Rashid’s dedication towards duty while battling cancer

    Former captain of the Pakistan Women Cricket Team Sana Mir has praised Punjab Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid for her dedication towards her duty, despite being a cancer patient.

    “Huge respect for Dr Yasmin Rashid for her commitment to her responsibility. This is true leadership and service. Both my parents and so many elders got their vaccination from Lahore and the arrangements were very good,” wrote Mir on Twitter.

    “May you get complete shifa,” she prayed.

    Dr Yasmin Rashid underwent breast cancer surgery at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital in December last year. As per reports, the surgery was successful and she is currently recovering from the disease.

    After pictures of Dr Rashid looking weak and unwell recently went viral on social media, users are praising her for working tirelessly to deal with the COVID-19 emergency in Punjab and thanked her for her efforts. They also prayed for the minister’s swift recovery.

    https://twitter.com/wakeelshb/status/1387446537375059971?s=19
    https://twitter.com/OsamaBolo/status/1387612229822976005?s=19
    https://twitter.com/nighatdad/status/1386438201309597707?s=20
    https://twitter.com/JattZoi/status/1387673453784932352?s=19
    https://twitter.com/AsifCh75706488/status/1387660764362670080?s=19

    Pakistan is currently battling a deadly third wave of COVID-19. According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), Pakistan has recorded 151 deaths and 5480 positive cases in the last 24 hours with a positivity ratio of 9.61 percent.

    Meanwhile, it is also being reported that cities with high positivity ratios would be put under complete lockdown to control the spread of the disease.

    Yasmin Rashid took to Twitter to thank the people for their wishes. “I want to thank each one of you for your kind words of support. Jazakallah kher. They mean a lot,” she wrote.

    Later, in another tweet, Dr Yasmin Rashid thanked everyone for the love and prayers, saying: “For all the love and prayers pouring on my Time Line, I am humbled and grateful.”

    “In sha Allah I will continue to fulfil my duties to the best of my abilities,” she added.

    Speaking about the healthcare facilities, she said: “The turnaround of better public healthcare is already taking place and In sha Allah we will ensure it’s completion.”

  • TLP’s way is not the answer – PM Khan addresses the nation

    TLP’s way is not the answer – PM Khan addresses the nation

    Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed the nation earlier today, giving a detailed update on the prevalent security situation in the country. He said that he decided to do this after the tense situation last week.

    PM said Pakistan is the only country to have been made in the name of Islam. “I have travelled the entire Pakistan. Our people love the Prophet (PBUH) with all their heart. Whenever there is anything blasphemous, we do not tolerate it. Any Muslim in any part of the world gets hurt by such blasphemous content. We are no different.”

    PM Khan said that last week, the TLP tried to show as if it loves the Prophet (PBUH) more than others. “What the TLP wants, we also want — i.e. no blasphemy against our Prophet (PBUH),” but he stated that the approach is and should be different to dealing with the issue.

    “TLP has demanded that the French Ambassador should be sent back, ” the PM said, “we have a different approach from them but our (government’s) goal is the same.”

    He repeatedly stated that he understands the way western countries think and nothing we do in our country will change the way the West thinks. “I understand the West and this approach will not help. The West has made this an issue of freedom of speech and this (riots in Pakistan) will not make a difference to France.”

    He then stated the loss of life and property that the violent riots had caused in Pakistan. “Four police officers lost their lives and 800 were injured, ” Khan stated, “40 police cars were burnt and millions of rupees in damages were caused to personal properties.” He also stated that many oxygen cylinders were not able to make it to corona patients due to the riots.

    He then explained his approach to the nation. “Our rupee is finally stabilising, our economy is getting better. When we send France’s ambassador back, we break relations with the European Union (EU),” he emphasised, “Which means we lose our textile exports to the EU. This means we lose jobs and poverty will increase. We will lose, not France.”

    He explained that he had been developing his approach since 2019 when he first addressed the United Nations and told the world that the actions of the West hurt the Muslim world. Therefore, he suggests that the Muslim world come together and in a united front, state that blasphemy against the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is unacceptable. He went on to say that if the West does not stop hurting Muslim sentiments – like they have for the Jews and the Holocaust – then the Muslim world should boycott trade with the West.

    “We tried to explain this to TLP,” Khan said, “We were in discussions with them and said we can bring this up in the assembly. But we realised they were preparing for something else and soon thereafter, they announced that they would do a dharna. Which is when our discussions with them stopped.”

    Khan also made a pertinent point as to the riots affecting Pakistan and no one else. “The crime happens somewhere else, and we hurt ourselves? How does that make sense?” he asked, “We need to come together. Our economy is getting better. The country is going in the right direction. This is not the time to hurt our country.”

    PM Khan also gave the example of former PM Nawaz Sharif not raising his voice against Salman Rushdie and his blasphemous book, ‘The Satanic Verses’. “I am speaking up against blasphemy done by the West but former PM Nawaz Sharif did not when Salman Rushdie’s book came out.”

    PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal later tweeted that the book did not in fact come out during the tenure of Sharif. It came out in 1988. Sharif came to power in 1990.

  • Punjab archaeology department to restore 400-year-old fort in Sheikhupura

    Punjab archaeology department to restore 400-year-old fort in Sheikhupura

    The Punjab Archaeology Department has announced plans to restore a 400-year-old Mughal-era fort-like palace in Sheikhupura.

    According to details, a study will be conducted on the fort, currently in a dilapidated condition, before the restoration work.

    The building underwent several structural changes over the years in different time periods with much of the building currently in ruins. Restoration work on the exterior walls is in progress.

    Photo via The Express Tribune

    Those involved in the restoration work have also suggested study tours from Lahore to Qila Sheikhupura and Hiran Minar, saying that they can be entertaining as well as informative. Only guided tours will be allowed inside due to the current condition of the fort.

    Read more – Authorities to restore historic mosque near Lotus Lake

    Spread over an area of more than 64 kanals, the Sheikhupura Fort is perched on a high mound in the south of the city and is a magnificent symbol of the glory of the Mughal era. Experts have suggested that it was not a traditional fort but the residence of Emperor Jahangir, who had a hunting resort nearby.

    Photo via The Express Tribune

    An official of the Archaeology Department Malik Maqsood Ahmed says the fort was not built for military purposes but as a palace.

    The fort was also used as a military base during the Sikh and British eras. After the partition of the Indian sub-continent, a refugee camp was also set up here.

    Many  government offices were also built here that resulted in the changes of the building’s structure and badly damaged the original historic look of the building.

    Locals of the city say that the fort is the identity of the city. A mechanic who has been working in front of the fort for many years, says that if the government develops a food street after the restoration work in the fort, it will not only grow the business activities but also tourist interest.

    Secretary Tourism and Archaeology Ehsan Bhutta said that when the fort was handed over to Punjab Archaeology Department in 2011, it was in a terrible condition.

    In 2017, the department initiated a restoration project at the site, which is still continuing. The outer wall of the fort is being restored while the interior portions have been renovated and some benches have fixed there. Display boards with information have been installed at numerous places.

  • ‘In-person classes in schools for Grades 1-8 to be suspended till April 28’

    ‘In-person classes in schools for Grades 1-8 to be suspended till April 28’

    Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood on Tuesday announced that there will be no on-campus classes for Grades 1 to 8 in areas affected by coronavirus till April 28.

    The minister made the announcement while addressing the media after a meeting of the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) that reviewed the opening of the country’s educational institutions. Besides this, the meeting also discussed the schedule for exams including those for Grades 9, 10 and 11 as well as those for O’ and A’ Levels.

    “During today’s meeting it was decided that classes for grade 1 to 8 will not be held in districts that are affected [by Covid-19] and this will go on till April 28,” said the minister.

    Punjab Minister for Education Dr Murad Raas informed that 13 districts have been affected by the virus and therefore no on-campus classes will take place in these areas for grade 1 to 8 students. The minister added that this decision will be reviewed again in the last week of April, when the NCOC will decide on whether or not to close down educational institutions till Eid.

    The minister also said that classes for grade 9, 10, 11 and 12 will be allowed to continue with strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) from April 19 so that students can finish the syllabus and be prepared for their exams.

    He added, however, that universities in affected districts will remain closed and classes will shift online.

    “Otherwise, universities will function as per usual,” he said.

    Later, Mahmood also asserted that “decisions regarding [the] exams are final,” and told students to start preparing and working hard.

    “This decision will not be changed so no one should have any uncertainty in their mind,” added the minister.

  • Punjab police make face-mask violators stand in scorching sun

    As the country battles the third wave of COVID-19, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has asked the provinces to ensure the strict implementation of SOPs to control the spread of the virus.

    Talking to Dawn, Lahore Commissioner retired Capt Muhammad Usman warned that those found violating the SOPs will be sent to jail.

    “We are passing through peak time of the third wave of the coronavirus that is spreading very fast in Lahore in particular and other parts of Punjab in general. Since many Covid-19 positive patients are being shifted to hospitals [in Lahore] on a daily basis, we have decided to ensure strict preventive measure to avert the further spread of the virus,” said the commissioner.

    He added: “We have decided to launch a crackdown from March 28 against all those not wearing masks, besides flouting other SOPs. We have been left with no option but to arrest all those found without masks on the city roads, markets, hospitals, parks, shops, malls etc.”

    As per reports, more than 400 first information reports (FIRs) have been filed against face-mask violators in Lahore with dozens of them taken into custody.

    The assistant commissioner of Jhelum’s Pind Dadan Khan city came up with a rare punishment for mask violators as he made them stand in the scorching sun for over half an hour.

    Punjab has already imposed a partial lockdown in the province banning mass transport, weddings and ordering markets to close by 6 pm to avoid the spread of the virus.

  • Mobile vaccination program launched for senior citizens in four cities

    The Government of Pakistan has launched a mobile vaccination service for senior citizens aged above 80 years and for differently-abled persons aged above 50. As per reports, the service is initially available in four cities of Punjab including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan.

    Read more – Lahore: 550 doses of COVID-19 vaccine go missing from one hospital, 350 spoiled at another

    The step has been taken to speed up the process of vaccination amid a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in the country.

    “Senior citizens who are 80 years and above and those with disabilities over 50 years of age don’t have to leave home for the vaccine as the government vaccine vans will reach them wherever they are,” said Punjab Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid while talking about the initiative.

    Chief Minister Usman Buzdar urged people to get vaccinated and said “citizens can simply call the health helpline 1033 to get vaccinated at home.”

    Vaccinations for people over 60 years and above commenced on March 10, while registrations for people above 50 started last week on March 30.

    Meanwhile, 5234, people tested positive in the last 24 hours in Pakistan whereas, 83 people have lost their lives to the deadly virus. The positivity rate has jumped to 10.43 %.

  • Chakwal resident spends Rs35,000 to cancel Rs300 fine

    Chakwal resident spends Rs35,000 to cancel Rs300 fine

    A citizen hailing from  Punjab’s Chakwal district spent over Rs 35,000 challenging a traffic violation ticket worth Rs300 for using improper number plates on his vehicle. The challan was issued to him by the National Highway & Motorway Police (NHMP).

    As per reports, the petitioner Mohammed Noman Awan had to involve a lawyer, bear his travel expenses and deposit a court fee to register a writ petition against NHMP. He has approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to withdraw that challan.

    The petitioner challenged the NHMP act on the basis that there was no specific violations in the Motorway Ordinance under which vehicles on Motorway with improper/duplicate number plates was illegal.

    An official of the NHMP on February 27, 2021, had stopped Noman’s vehicle when he entered the M2 (Lahore-Islamabad) section of the Motorway from Balkasar Interchange.

    Motorway official told him that he was not using specified number plates on his vehicle. However, the police official could not state the exact law under which plying of vehicles on the Motorway with such number plates was a violation.

    Talking to Gulf News on Sunday, Advocate Saad Bin Safdar, the lawyer for the petitioner,  said it was not a matter of Rs 300 but it involved a substantial question of law and the petitioner had asked for the IHC’s involvement for its explanation.

    “Under the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1956, only Motor Vehicle Registration Authority issues specific registration number plates that are computerised and of similar size and shape. For the motorists plying their vehicles in Punjab it is mandatory to use these plates on their vehicles. However, since Motorway falls under federal government’s jurisdiction, Punjab’s or any other province’s laws don’t apply there,” said Bin Safdar.

    Moreover, he said it is the basic principle of the criminal law that no conduct may be held as criminal unless it is precisely described in a penal law in the shape of unambiguous statutory text, he said.

    Justice Babar Sattar after hearing the petitioner has asked the Inspector General of the NHMP to submit a detailed reply by April 29.

  • COVID-19: Punjab to impose lockdown in districts with over 12% positivity rate

    COVID-19: Punjab to impose lockdown in districts with over 12% positivity rate

    The Punjab government has decided to impose lockdowns in districts with a COVID-19 positivity rate of more than 12 per cent from April 1 to control the spread of the virus.

    Talking to media, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said  the lockdown will continue till April 11. He added that this will be reviewed by the cabinet committee on COVID-19 after seven days.

    The Punjab districts with a positivity rate higher than 12pc, as of March 28, include:

    Lahore – 17pc

    Faisalabad – 15pc

    Rawalpindi – 15pc

    Multan – 12pc

    Sargodha – 12pc

    Sialkot – 12pc

    Districts/cities with positivity higher than 8% are:

    Buzdar stated that the provincial government will not enforce any limitations on economic activities or industries. “The construction, transport, goods and industrial sectors will continue to operate as per regular according to standard operating procedures (SOPs),” he said.

    A complete ban will be imposed on wedding events and other gatherings in the province. “It was also decided to close down the mass transit transport system which includes the Orange Line Metro Train and the Speedo bus service.”

    There will be also a complete ban on indoor and outdoor dining at all restaurants and hotels, Buzdar said. “However, takeaway and home delivery will be allowed.”

    He said that the same restrictions will be applied  on sporting, cultural and social activities. “Parks will be closed. Commercial timings for bazaars and markets will be till 6pm, while shops will remain closed two days of the week.”

    Buzdar urged people to follow SOPs strictly. “You will protect yourself and your family members by wearing face masks,” he said.

    Pakistan is currently fighting against the third wave of COVID-19 with a total tally of 659,116.  The country reported 4,525 cases and 41 deaths on Monday.

  • Punjab education minister urges students to ‘ignore’ misinformation and ‘be patient’

    Punjab education minister urges students to ‘ignore’ misinformation and ‘be patient’

    Punjab Minister for Education Dr Murad Raas has urged students in the province not to believe any any information coming from unofficial sources.

    “Ignore all tweets wherever they are coming from,” wrote the minister in a tweet. “Anything to do with Punjab will be tweeted by me. Please be patient, dates will be announced in a day or two.”

    “These amount of calls and messages is insanity,” he added.

    Earlier, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood announced that schools located in COVID-19 hotspot areas will remain closed till April 11.

    Mahmood also informed that after several rounds of talks, Cambridge has agreed to reschedule this year’s O’ Level exams to after May 15.

    “A’ and AS’ Level exams will take place as per the original timetable following all the SOP,” stated the minister.

    Prior to the announcement, Mahmood had told students that all “decisions are made keeping their best interest in view not what is popular”.

    “Educational institutions are closed on the advice of health authorities,” said Mahmood. “Decisions about exams are being made considering what is best for them. Have faith.”

    Pakistan is currently battling with its third wave of COVID-19. According to the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), Pakistan has reported 4,368 cases and 63 deaths in the last 24 hours.

    Number of cases recorded in different provinces in the last 24 hours are as follows: