Author: newsdesk

  • Pakistan is now manufacturing oxygenators

    Pakistan is now manufacturing oxygenators

    In a first, Pakistan has started manufacturing oxygenators that are imperative for the treatment of 80 per cent of COVID-19 patients, Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has reportedly said.

    Oxygenators are a simple form of ventilators that help patients who have breathing difficulties.

    Furthermore, Pakistan is also making ventilators and N95 masks by using indigenous technology. For the manufacturing of ventilators, the Pakistan Engineering Council received 53 ventilator designs out of which 13 have been shortlisted. Seven have been approved and they are in the last stage of licensing following the European Union (EU) benchmarks.

    “In six to seven months, Pakistan will not just have sufficient ventilators to meet local demand but will be in a position to export these lifesaving machines,” the minister has said.  

    He said that the moment of crisis had made it clear that the role of scientific research and development was underrated in Pakistan during the last decade, adding that it was the only country in the world to cut funding for research and development after 2007 from 0.67 per cent of the GDP to 0.24p per cent.

    “Cities ran short of hand sanitiser, disinfectants and masks immediately after the first two cases of COVID-19 were detected in Pakistan, between Feb 26 and March 5″, the minister said.

    “Since Pakistan is a major exporter of raw ethanol, an important ingredient in sanitisers and sprays, the Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) was tasked to produce sanitisers and disinfectant sprays.

    “In two months, Pakistan is not just self-sufficient but is in a position to export these products. The PCSIR now has the capacity to produce 1,000 litres of sanitiser a day, which is available at Utility Stores.” Ziaur Rehman from the PCSIR said.

    The School of Biomedical and Engineering and Sciences and Attaur Rehman School of Applied Biosciences, both constituent colleges of the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), have also started working on eye-protection shields, personal protection equipment (PPE) and Covid-19 testing equipment according to World Health Organization (WHO) standards.

    In addition, NUST is in the final stages of introducing Covid-19 test kits and they will be available in the market within a week. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has run clinical trials of the kits and they’re in the last stage of approval.

  • VIDEO: Mufti Qavi says ‘alcohol is halal’

    VIDEO: Mufti Qavi says ‘alcohol is halal’

    A cleric who is not new to controversy, Mufti Abdul Qavi, has now said that drinks with less than 40% alcohol by volume are halal.

    “Whichever drink contains alcohol below 40 per cent… that drink is halal. It means we can drink it. In my opinion, even the drinks that contain 100 per cent alcohol but are extracted from minerals… are also halal,” he said during an interview.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “If chewing tobacco that our religious scholars consume is halal, then I’ll have to say that drinks of today are also halal,” he added.

    This is not the first time that Mufti Qavi has made his way to the limelight for his controversial remarks or actions.

    Earlier in 2018, the mufti was among five suspects, who were indicted in the case pertaining to the murder of social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch.

    The murdered social media star had posted selfies and a video with Qavi on social media weeks before her death.

    READ: MPTH fever: Video shows Mufti Qavi praying for Danish to be granted Jannah

    It was alleged that he had incited Waseem Baloch, brother of Qandeel, to get rid of his sister in the name of honour after he received flack for his pictures with the girl.

    Some of his endeavours include, brazenly flirting with transgender Almas Bobby during a television show in 2015, and being accused of sexual harassment by a female reporter in 2017.

    He has also time and again been spotted in several videos on social media featuring various showbiz stars and internet celebrities.

  • Fans are furious with Adnan Siddiqui for mocking Sarfaraz Ahmed

    Fans are furious with Adnan Siddiqui for mocking Sarfaraz Ahmed

    Another day, another controversy.

    A week after he criticised Aamir Liaquat for being callous with his remarks, Adnan Siddiqui has found himself in hot water after a clip of him mocking former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed went viral on social media. The clip which is from an episode of Jeeto Pakistan which aired on May 4, shows Adnan ridiculing Sarfaraz’s speech as they compete with each other on the show.

    Read more – Adnan Siddiqui regrets being on Aamir Liaquat’s show

    Adnan’s actions enraged fans who took to social media to call out the actor and remind him that just a few days ago he was condemning Liaquat for being rude.

    https://twitter.com/SarmadWaqas1/status/1258286859790270466?s=20

    However, some defended the actor saying that the two were just having fun.

    https://twitter.com/SheikhAhmer5/status/1257604390644584450?s=20

    Both Sarfaraz and Adnan are team captains in the Jeeto Pakistan League. While Sarfaraz is the captain of Quetta Knights, Adnan is the captain of Lahore Falcons. Adnan, Sarfaraz nor the team of Jeeto Pakistan have responded to the controversy as yet.

    Watch the full episode below. For the interaction between Adnan and Sarfaraz, watch 1:20:00 onwards. It is pertinent to add here that Adnan’s actions sent Sarfaraz into a fit of laughter and the cricketer did not seem offended by Adnan’s actions.

  • Pakistani artists set to perform for virtual Covid-19 fundraiser

    Pakistani artists set to perform for virtual Covid-19 fundraiser

    Pakisani artists are set to perform for a virtual sufi concert aimed to raise funds for COVID-19 victims. The event is scheduled to take place live on Sunday, May 10, 2020.

    According to the fundraising website, the initiative is called the Hamd-O-Naat and Sufi programme. Several popular Pakistani artists like Rafaqat Ali Khan, Ali Sethi, Haroon Rashid and Ustad Shafqat Amanat Ali will perform in the session.

    Other performances will feature Khurram Iqbal, Junaid Younus and Ali Sher.

    The portal suggests that these artists would be donating their time to help raise funds and the video link of the performances will be shared after a subscription of $10 per family.

    VIGA is a project of Akhuwat which is registered in the US as a non-profit organisation.

  • Govt gives ISI Rs1.66 billion for upgradation of agency’s telecom project

    Govt gives ISI Rs1.66 billion for upgradation of agency’s telecom project

    The government’s Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has approved a “supplementary grant” of Rs1.66 billion for the upgradation of Special Telecom Monitoring Project at the directorate of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

    According to a press release issued by the Press Information Department (PID), the ECC has also approved a supplementary grant of Rs500 million for the construction of Special Education School at the Defence Complex in Islamabad.

    The proposals for “technical supplementary grants” were moved by the defence division, the press release said.

    The committee has also instructed the ministry of national security and research to ensure procurement of wheat as per 8.25 million tonnes target set for the public sector this year.

    The ISI is the premier intelligence agency of Pakistan, operationally responsible for gathering, processing and analysing national security information from around the world.

    It is currently headed by General Faiz Hameed.

  • Nabila says that she will not be bullied

    Nabila says that she will not be bullied

    One of Pakistan’s leading salons, which has branches in major cities of Pakistan, Nabila’s Salon, recently announced that they would open up the salon for business after taking all the necessary precautions.

    Nabila, in a video, said that the service industry is suffering the most due to the pandemic but that “we all have a choice”.

    “We all have a choice. We can either live in the circle of concern, freak out, watch the news or wait for things to happen, or we can live in the circle of influence and take full charge,” said Nabila.

    She then went onto say that because she is an optimist, she would choose the latter option and make decisions regarding her personal and professional life by ‘Raising the Bar’.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_pgjS8he47/

    The salon, in a video, stated that it will be “a safe space with a superior level of hygiene combined with best practices and medical level sanitisation to ensure the health and well being of everyone who walks through our doors.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_pvVhwBZgx/

    Read more – ‘Barber on Wheels’ offers haircuts at home with all safety measures

    The salon’s announcement to open was met with immense backlash and Nabila took to personally respond to them and defend her decision. While comments have now been disabled on the post, screenshots are being widely circulated on social media.

    Later while speaking to various media outlets, Nabila said that she will not be bullied. She said that she has not opened the salon as yet but will wait for the government to give the green signal. She said the videos the salon had posted were to tell their clients of the precautions they will be taking once they open and to also let the government know that they are fully equipped to provide services. Nabila shared that she consulted doctors and experts before making her decisions.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_1Y9MSJiG2/

    The entrepreneur further added that as the President of Pakistan’s Hair and Beauty Association, it is her duty to ensure that her industry, which employs thousands of workers, is also looked after. She said that she spoke to several salon owners who were also feeling the brunt of the pandemic as they have workers and staff to pay and they decided that they will prepare themselves and then approach the government to allow them to provide services with the necessary SOPs and precautions in place.

    On the question of wasting PPEs, Nabila said that the country is now producing a surplus of protective equipment and that a friend of her’s who has a garment factory lent her kits for the promotional videos. She said that if needed, she will place an order with him for the salon.

    Nabila stood her ground and said that she is being responsible and proactive. She said that she also has employees to pay and that for the past two months, she has been paying them from her own pocket.

    Nabila added: “We are responsible for the bread and butter of hundreds of families. How can we not think of ways to fall in line with this new norm? Should we not be considering the possibilities on how the world would work post-corona?”

  • Govt awards cash prizes to winners of South Asian Games

    Govt awards cash prizes to winners of South Asian Games

    Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Dr Fehmida Mirza recently awarded cash prizes in the form of cheques to members of Pakistan’s Weightlifting and Tennis Team, who won medals at the 13th South Asian Games held in Nepal from December 1 – 10, 2019.

    https://twitter.com/SportsBoardPak/status/1257955629790003200?s=20
    https://twitter.com/SportsBoardPak/status/1257252535066378241?s=20

    According to a press release, “In line with approved cash award policy, gold medalists were given Rs 1 million each, silver medalists got Rs 500,000 while bronze medalists received cheques of Rs 250,000 each. In total, Rs 6.250 million and Rs 5.500 million were distributed to the weightlifters and tennis players respectively.”

    Speaking on the occasion, Dr Fehmida Mirza appreciated the athletes for their win and lauded parents for encouraging their daughters to take part in sport. The minister said that these winners are the ambassadors of Pakistan who portray the soft image of the country.

    https://twitter.com/SportsBoardPak/status/1258010085986631680?s=20

    She added the work was being done by the Pakistan Sports Board to resolve players issues and encourage more people to come forward in the field. She added that the Federal Government would continue to support talented players.

    Meanwhile, the athletes thanked the minister and government for appreciating their hard work and boosting their morale. They remarked that this is the first time that players are receiving rewards in the form of cash prize money, something that would help them in their future endeavours. The winners also requested the government to continue their support so that more people come forward in the field of sports.

    Some of the winners even took to social media to thank the government for their support.

    https://twitter.com/SportsBoardPak/status/1258011583453827072?s=20

    Here is a breakdown of the wins:

    Weightlifting

    The Weightlifting Team won 5 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze medals.

    Weightlifters Talha Talib, Haider Ali, Usman Amjad Rathore, Hanzla Dastgir Butt and Muhammad Nooh Dastgir Butt won gold medals while Abu Sufyan and Rabbia Razzaq won silver medals. Saima Shahzad won a bronze medal.

    Tennis

    Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, Aqeel Khan, Muzammil Murtaza, Muhammad Abid won silver in men’s team event while Sara Mansoor, Ushna Sohail, Mahin Aftaz Qureshi and Sarah Mehboob Khan won bronze medals in the women’s team event.

    In the mixed doubles event, Aisam and Wushna, and Muhammad Abid and Sara Mansoor won the bronze medals.

    In the men’s double Aisam and Aqeel Khan won a bronze medal as did Muzammil Murtaza and Muhammad Abid.

    Read more – Pakistani javelin thrower creates history, qualifies for 2020 Olympics

    Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, who broke all records at the SAG also received an award. The 22-year-old created history with his throw of 86.29m and qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.

  • Sajal Aly says ‘it’s not easy to capture Ahad’s beauty’

    Sajal Aly says ‘it’s not easy to capture Ahad’s beauty’

    Looks like Sajal Aly is using her time off to explore other art forms including sketching and painting.

    The actor, who tied the knot with co-star Ahad Raza Mir just before the lockdown, sketched a portrait of her husband and joked that it is not easy to capture “Ahad’s beauty”.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_zQPfDFjgf/

    Meanwhile, Sajal’s best friend Zara Noor Abbas commented that the sketch does not look anything like Ahad. In response, Yasir Hussain remarked that it is definitely Ahad and that men change after marriage.

    Sajal later shared another picture of herself – this time while painting.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_1tzbyFeia/

    Sajal and Ahad tied the knot in late March in Abu Dhabi in the presence of their close friends and family. Their drama Ye Dil Mera is currently on-air and is being widely appreciated by critics and audiences.

    Read more – Intense, thrilling and mysterious: Why ‘Ye Dil Mera’ is a must-watch

  • Malala to join the Obamas for virtual Graduation Ceremony on YouTube

    Malala to join the Obamas for virtual Graduation Ceremony on YouTube

    Pakistani Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai will join former U.S. President Barack Obama, Lady Gaga, LeBron James and K-Pop band BTS and dozens of others celebrities to salute and celebrate the class of 2020 in virtual graduation ceremonies replacing the traditional end of high school and college.

    Read more – Malala declared decade’s most famous teenager by UN

    According to Reuters, Obama, with his wife Michelle, will headline two separate graduation events.

    In a one-hour multimedia event called “Graduate Together,” to be broadcast on May 16 across multiple TV networks, Obama will deliver a message to high school seniors and reflect on the coronavirus pandemic.

    In a separate YouTube event called “Dear Class of 2020,” to be hosted by Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher initiative and streamed on June 6, Obama will join Malala, Lady Gaga, BTS and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in celebrating graduates across the United States. Variety added that the festival-style lineup will feature talks on traditional graduation-day themes mixed in with music performances. Both Michelle and Obama will each deliver individual commencement speeches — and a joint message — to graduates.

    Others taking part in the two events include U.S. women’s soccer player Megan Rapinoe, the Jonas Brothers, musician Bad Bunny, Alicia Keys and Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai.

    Read more – Greta Thunberg calls Malala Yousafzai her ‘role model’

    With schools and colleges shut down across the United States due to the coronavirus pandemic, students who are set to graduate this summer are unable to celebrate their milestone achievement the traditional way.

    Other virtual events on offer include a podcast called “Commencement: Speeches for the Class of 2020” on May 15 in which Hillary Clinton, Jimmy Fallon, John Legend and Eli Manning will be among some two dozen personalities offering words of wisdom to graduates.

  • Star-narrated ‘Harry Potter’ book streaming for free

    Star-narrated ‘Harry Potter’ book streaming for free

    Potter fans heads up. The first book of the immensely popular Harry Potter series will be read by a lineup of celebrities, including Daniel Radcliffe, chapter-by-chapter, in a series of free videos and audio recordings which will be released over the next few months.

    Spotify and author JK Rowling announced the release of these free recordings to help children – and perhaps adults – cope with confinement measures,

    Radcliffe, the actor who played the beloved wizard character in the books’ cinematic renditions, voiced the first chapter of the series’ premiere novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers’ Stone. Watch his read the first chapter here.

    He will be joined by a handful of stars including soccer legend David Beckham along with actors Stephen Fry and Dakota Fanning, who will lend their voices to the book’s subsequent chapters.

    All 17 chapters will be out by mid-summer, Spotify said, and the recordings will be available free of cost on the music platform, which recently began making strides in the audiobook and podcast department.

    Read more – GCU students produce Pakistan’s first-ever fan-made Harry Potter movie

    Videos of the celebrity recordings will stream on the website Harry Potter At Home.

    “Parents, teachers and carers working to keep children amused and interested while we’re on lockdown might need a bit of magic,” said Rowling in launching that site last month.

    The series’ publishers have also temporarily relaxed licensing restrictions, which allows teachers to read the Harry Potter books to their students during remote classes.

    Rowling’s seven-part Harry Potter series is the best-selling book collection ever, with more than 500 million copies sold to date. The first novel, published in 1997, is the series’ best-seller, with more than 120 million editions purchased.