|
|
Author: newsdesk
-
No Jhappiyan And Puppiyan
*|MC:SUBJECT|*
-
Crown Prince MBS coming to Pakistan after Eid
Prime Minister Imran Khan was warmly welcomed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his three-day visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Crown Prince is expected to visit Pakistan after Eid.
In a joint statement issued by Riyadh and Islamabad, the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of the ties between the two countries. All facets of bilateral cooperation, regional and international issues of mutual interest were discussed by the two. Matters of strengthening and enhancing the economy and trade in light of the Kingdom’s 2030 vision and Pakistan’s development priorities emanating from a shift from geo-politics to geo-economics were also highlighted.
Issues pertaining to the Islamic world were also discussed. The two leaders stressed the need for concerted efforts by the Muslim countries to confront extremism and violence, reject sectarianism, and strive to achieve international peace and security.
The two sides reaffirmed their full support for all the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, especially, their right to self-determination and establishment of their independent state, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant UN resolutions
PM praised the role of Saudi Arabia for the resolution of crisis in Yemen, which aims at achieving peace and security in Yemen as it will result in prosperity and development of the region and its people.
The Crown Prince acknowledged Pakistan’s facilitative role in the Afghan peace process. The two leaders agreed to continue mutual consultations on the Afghan peace process.
The recent understanding reached between the military authorities of Pakistan and India regarding ceasefire at the Line of Control (LoC) was welcomed by the Crown Prince. The two sides emphasised the importance of dialogue between Pakistan and India to resolve issues, especially Jammu and Kashmir dispute, to ensure peace and stability in the region.
Premier congratulated the Saudi government for successfully organising and holding the G20 summit meetings and the positive decisions that resulted from it in economic, developmental, environmental, health, energy and other fields.
Acknowledging the leading role of the Kingdom in addressing international issues, in particular the challenge posed by climate change, the two leaders welcomed each other’s efforts towards the cause.
PM Imran appreciated the efforts of the Kingdom and its leadership in serving the Two Holy Mosques, their pilgrims, Umrah performers and visitors despite the challenges posed by the Corona pandemic. He expressed gratitude and offered his best wishes. The Saudi Crown Prince warmly reciprocated with best wishes for health and wellbeing of the Prime Minister, and prayers for the progress and prosperity of the brotherly people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
-
Five million people follow PM Khan on Instagram
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Instagram family grew to a staggering five million followers on Saturday.
The premier maintains an active social media presence. Which allows his followers to stay up-to-date with his activities. He has become the first Pakistani politician to hit such a large following on Instagram.
PM Khan’s post on his Instagram account right before amassing 5 million followers was a quote by Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani as saying: “I looked into spiritual works and have not found anything better than giving food to people. Had the world been in my hands, I would not entertain anything except feed the hungry.”
The post gathered nearly 400 comments and 36,000 likes in an hour of it being shared.
PM Imran Khan also has 13.6 million followers on Twitter and has 10.3 million followers on Facebook.
-
‘Rapid COVID-19 testing’ – CAA announces new SOPs for flights
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued new provisions for airlines after a sharp increase in coronavirus cases. The decision came after many violations in SOP’s not being followed were reported.
Airlines have been instructed to keep 20 per cent of their seats vacant and ensure social distancing between passengers. As per new directives, airlines violating the orders will be fined. Airport managers have been tasked to ensure that the SOPs are being followed.
Earlier this week, the authority began rapid Covid-19 testing of international passengers at airports across Pakistan. According to the Health Ministry, through these tests, coronavirus reports will be obtained within 20 minutes.
If reports are positive, passengers will have to isolate at a quarantine center at their own expense. Those who test negative will be allowed to go home but will have to stay indoors for a week.
On May 1, the government decided to reduce inbound international flights to 20 per cent of the current measure.
-
PM Imran, First Lady land barefoot in Madina
Prime Minister Imran Khan and First Lady Bushra Bibi landed in Madina wearing no shoes in order to pay their respects to the Holy City.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry appreciated PM Khan’s gesture of not wearing shoes, saying: “This is the level of respect, that [PM Imran] opts not to step on the holy soil of Madina with shoes on.”
“Respect is the first source of love,” added Chaudhry.
Meanwhile, this is not the first time that PM Khan was seen without his shoes. During his previous visits to the Holy City, the PM opted to walk barefoot.
2018:PM Imran Khan arrives in Madina on official tour to Saudi Arabia PM Khan has carried all his activities barefoot, which happens to be a usual norm for the premier whenever he is in Madina.
Imran Khan in Madina meeting with officials During this vist, PM Khan also visited Masjid al Nabawi as part of his tour activities and was photographed sitting within the premises of Roza-e-Rasool (PBUH).
PM Imran is currently in Saudi Arabia for a three-day visit. The PM is visiting the Kingdom upon the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz.
-
Asim Azhar, Shahid Afridi, Farhan Saeed call out Israel’s atrocities against Palestinians
Asim Azhar, Shahid Afridi and Farhan Saeed have raised their voice against Israel and their atrocities against the people of Palestine. They spoke up after reports came in that more than 200 Palestinians were wounded late on Friday outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem. Israeli police fired rubber-coated metal bullets and stun grenades at innocent Palestinians.
“I am sickened and disgusted,” wrote Asim on Twitter. “How can you attack a place of worship and attack defenceless worshippers?”
“And yet again, the world will stay silent on Israel’s continuous oppression on Palestine. Ya Allah reham,” he added.
Former Pakistan Cricket team captain Shahid Afridi also condemned the atrocities and said that the walls of Al-Aqsa Mosque are on the floor, with Palestinian blood, and my eyes are red with tears of helplessness.
“The global conscience is sleeping wrapped in a blanket of indifference. Perhaps the blood of Muslims is so disrespectful that no voice will be raised and no campaign will be launched, he added.
“First Qibla [Al-Aqsa Mosque], we are unable to pay off the debt of your sanctity.
Similarly, Saeed wrote,”The world’s deafening silence is criminal! How can the international community sit back and watch this happen?”
“This is terrorism,” remarked the singer.
Tens of thousands of worshippers had earlier packed Islam’s third-holiest site on the final Friday of Ramzan and many stayed on to protest against Israeli plans to evict Palestinian families from their homes on land claimed by Jewish settlers in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, Palestinians have also staged a series of sit-ins in the area in recent days denouncing Israeli orders for them to vacate their homes. Israeli security forces have attacked the sit-ins using skunk water, tear gas, rubber-coated bullets and shock grenades. Dozens of Palestinians have been arrested.
Violence erupted on Friday when Israeli police deployed heavily as Muslims were performing evening prayers at Al-Aqsa during the holy month of Ramzan.
Sheikh Jarrah’s residents are overwhelmingly Palestinian, but the neighbourhood also contains a site revered by religious Jews. The site is known to be the tomb of an ancient high priest, Simeon the Just.
As per details, the Sheikh Jarrah cause has escalated over the past week but it is not a new issue.
Jewish settler organisations filed a lawsuit in the 1970s claiming the area belonged to Jews originally, and seeking the expulsion of Palestinian families living there since 1956.
These families, refugees from the 1948 Nakba, eventually settled in Sheikh Jarrah under an agreement between Jordan and the UN refugee agency.
The Israeli district court ruled that four families – al-Kurd, Iskafi, Qassim and Jaouni – must leave their homes for settlers to take over, or reach an agreement with these settler organisations by paying rent and recognising them as landlords.
The families refused and the court postponed the final verdict to Monday.
-
‘Educational institutions to remain closed till 23rd May’
The National Command and Operation Centre has announced an extension in the closure of educational institutions given the prevailing situation of COVID-19 in the country. The decision was taken during the meeting of NCOC held earlier on Saturday.
“In today’s NCOC session, it is decided that in view of ongoing disease trends, education institutes earlier closed till May 17 will continue to remain closed till May 23,” read a tweet from NCOC’s official Twitter account.
“Review will be carried out on May 18, 2021,” it added.
Earlier, the NCOC announced a complete ban on tourism, for both locals and outsiders. The ban shall be observed from May 8-16, the week leading up to and including the Eid holidays. In addition to that, all tourist resorts, formal and informal picnic spots, public parks, shopping malls; all hotels and restaurants in/around tourist/ picnic spots to remain closed.
On May 7, Pakistan witnessed a death toll of 120. The country has recorded 4,109 confirmed COVID in the last 24 hours with a positivity rate of 8.54%.
-
Asad Umar urges unity against ‘danger knocking at our doors’
Federal Minister Ministry for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives and head of the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) Asad Umar has warned the nation about the danger of the COVID-19 “knocking at our doors” and has expressed the need to unite against the virus.
“The need for caution is clear,” warned Umar. “The danger is higher than ever and [is] knocking at our doors.”
The minister urged everyone to take the necessary precautions and follow the coronavirus SOPs.
“Need the country to unite in response and achieve once again what we achieved in the first wave, for which we received global praise. InshAllah we will do it again, together,” said Umar.
The minister also quoted examples from the other countries of the region including India and Nepal to explain the intensity of the situation.
He also explained the rationale behind the recent restrictions imposed on mobility. To reduce mobility during the forthcoming Eid-ul-Fitar NCOC has announced a “Stay Home, Stay Safe” strategy from May 8 to May 16, with the complete ban on tourism, for both locals and outsiders. All tourist resorts, formal and informal picnic spots, public parks, shopping malls; all hotels and restaurants in/around tourist/ picnic spots to will be remain closed during the mentioned time period.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has also started local production of the first bulk of the Cansino vaccine, which will be available at the end of the month. A special plant was set up at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad.
Pakistan is currently administering China’s Sinopharm at govt centres and Russia’s sputnik at private centres, and the first batch of the first shipment of the British coronavirus AstraZeneca has arrived in Pakistan.
The country is battling with its third wave of COVID-19. According to the NCOC, Pakistan has recorded 4,109 cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours while 120 people have lost their lives to the deadly virus.
Meanwhile, Firdous Ashiq Awan has urged people to avoid the usual, “Jhappiyan or Puppiyan”, this Eid.
-
Karachi gets country’s largest COVID-19 vaccination centre
Pakistan’s largest COVID-19 vaccination center has been set up in Karachi’s Expo Centre. The facility can accommodate up to 30,000 people on a daily basis.
As per reports, the Sindh government has established the mega vaccination center at Karachi’s Expo Centre in order to speed up the COVID-19 vaccination process.
The mega vaccination centre will be operational from May 9 (Sunday) where 30,000 people could get COVID-19 shots in a single day.
The vaccination centre will directly be supervised by Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah and the vaccination process will take place 24 hours a day.
The provincial government has also notified that the staff of the private hospital will be on duty while the vaccination centres will remain open sans three eid days as the country faces the rising third wave of the global pandemic.
According to the notification issued by the Sindh government, except for the three gazetted Eid days, from May 13-15, the vaccination centres will be functional on all federally announced holidays.
Earlier, the Sindh government also launched free COVID-19 vaccination home service to facilitate elderly citizens.
The mobile helplines for at-home vaccination are 9123 and 1025. Those calling from a landline phone can dial 021-111-119-123.
The province has reported 290,756 cases reporting 1,110 in the last 24 hours.
-
Saheefa Jabbar takes offence at Ramzan transmissions for being problematic
Saheefa Jabbar Khattak has called out Ramzan Transmissions for having problematic content and not following COVID-19 SOPs.
The model-turned-actor, in a series of Instagram stories, said that on one hand, the government and the public are trying their best to follow SOPs, make compromises on their luxurious lifestyle and give up all activities to contain the spread of the virus. But on other, the Ramzan transmissions are allowing large people gathering which will be a serious threat to the life of people.
“COVID is at its peak. Cricket leagues are getting cancelled, countries in the subcontinent are going into lockdown and strict curfews are imposed on peoples everywhere — we are well in the middle of this horrendous and treacherous third wave,” said Saheefa urging everyone to follow SOPs and wear a mask at all times.
Khattak then pointed out how she read somewhere how social distancing was a privilege.
“It means you live in a house large enough to practice it. Hand washing is a privilege too. It means you have access to water. Hand sanitisers are a privilege. It means you have the money to buy them,” she said.
Saheefa also took the opportunity to highlight the problematic content in Ramazan transmissions.
VIDEO: Aamir Liaquat sings ‘Laila o Laila’ on the sets of Ramzan transmission
“They do not follow protocols and are filmed on sets where crews as large as 60 to 70 people are not quarantined and don’t operate inside a bio secure environment. This is a blatant breach of government policy and just shows our inherent insensitivity to the situation,” protested Khattak.
“Rather, they seem hellbent on ridiculing and insulting human beings in the name of entertainment and profit. It’s crass, rude, and has zero respect for human dignity. I’m sorry but this frustrates me a lot!” she added.
Khattak also presented a solution to the problem, suggesting that the airtime can be used to “spread awareness about COVID and enforce message sent out by the government.”
“There was no better time to do it in Ramazan, but no, how would people win a Corolla then?” she sighed, reminding people to take the pandemic seriously.
“Spend Eid while practicing social distancing, recognise your privilege and try to see through the lies we consume through the magic box!” concluded Saheefa.
Meanwhile, according to the latest statistics by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 4,109 cases of COVID-19 and 120 deaths were recorded in past 24 hours. The positivity ratio in the country is at 8.54 percent.