Citizens who will help the government identify hoarders will be rewarded 10% of the confiscated goods, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said.
She took to Twitter to urge people to help the government identify hoarders and do good to the society.
عوام سے بھی اپیل ہے کہ ذخیرہ اندوزوں اور ذخیرہ اندوزی کی نشان دہی کریں اور ضبط شدہ سامان کا 10 فیصد بطور انعام پائیں۔”ذخیرہ اندوزوں کی تاک میں رہیں، انعام پائیں، اور غریبوں کی دعائیں لیں”
— Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan (@Dr_FirdousAwan) April 21, 2020
The government recently passed the COVID-19 Prevention of Hoarding Ordinance, 2020 to punish businessmen profiteering and stocking up on essential grocery items.
آرڈیننس کےذریعےذخیرہ اندوزی سےنفع کمانےوالوں کوسزادی جائےگی۔ذخیرہ اندوزی پر3سال قیداورضبط شدہ مال کی مالیت کا 50 فیصدجرمانہ اداکرناہوگا۔یہ اقدام کرونا سے پیدا ہونےوالی صورتحال کے پیش نظر عوام کی سہولیات کیلئے کیا گیا ہے۔اشیائے ضروریہ کی بلاتعطل فراہمی حکومت کی اولین ذمہ داری ہے۔
— Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan (@Dr_FirdousAwan) April 21, 2020
Under the ordinance, the violator will be sentenced to five years in prison and will have to pay an amount equivalent to 50% of the seized goods,” Dr. Awan said.
She remarked that a smooth supply of essential goods to people was the “greatest responsibility” of the government.
The ordinance is Prime Minister Imran Khan’s initiative to protect people from getting exploited at the hands of businessmen, Dr. Awan added. The ordinance was formed after incidents of hoarding increased because of the coronavirus.
Son of the late philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi and incumbent head of the Edhi Foundation, Faisal Edhi, who met Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan at the latter’s office last week, has tested positive for coronavirus, raising concerns over the health of the premier who could have contracted the virus.
Edhi met Imran on April 15 to donate Rs10 million to the PM’s COVID-19 Relief Fund on behalf of his organisation, and a picture of the meeting had also gone viral over the internet.
According to reports, he is in Islamabad at the moment and was tested after insisting the same, considering that he has been working in the field. His family and most people he interacted with within the past two weeks, including PM Imran, are also likely to be tested.
Reporters saying that Faisal Edhi had himself insisted on being tested, since he had been on the ground. His family too will now be tested.
His son Saad Edhi has said that his father started suffering from symptoms last week, soon after meeting the PM.
“He is doing good and is practising self-isolation without being admitted to any hospital.”
Earlier, Edhi had trashed criticism surrounding his donation to the government, saying the organisation could not “operate without the government’s help — be it federal or provincial”.
In a video message shared with Independent Urdu, he had said, “I am glad that we [Edhi foundation] are working with the government.”
“Edhi foundation has been working with governments since day one after the emergence of coronavirus [in the country]” he had said, adding that people would suffer if all stakeholders, at this time, did not unite to work together.
A laboratory in Khanewal has declared that a 60-year-old man, identified as Allah Ditta, was pregnant.
According to the details, the lab issued a report stating that the man’s urine test had confirmed his pregnancy.
Following the news, Khanewal’s district commissioner sealed the lab and arrested its owner, Amin.
The blood transfusion lab was located across from Khanewal DHQ Hospital and was being operated for the past two years. According to the police, Amin previously worked as a technician at the hospital’s blood laboratory.
The health department, after an investigation, confirmed that the lab was being run illegally and had not been issued a license.
A case has been registered and Amin has been handed over to the police.
A groom and his relatives were booked for violating the coronavirus lockdown and Section 144 imposed by the government in Muzaffargarh on Monday.
According to the police, the wedding was taking place in Sanawan’s Pitti Sultan Mehmood. They conducted a raid after receiving a complaint.
As per reports, the groom, identified as Muzammil, had invited a large number of people there, “For violating the government’s orders, we have arrested the groom and nine of his relatives,” an officer said.
Meera, who is currently stranded in New York, has appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to help her get back to Pakistan.
In a video message sent to Geo News, Meera said that she had gone to the United States to shoot for her upcoming film Long Distance. She shared that while the rest of her colleagues including Humayun Saeed had managed to get back home, she was stranded in New York.
“It is 2:00 am in New York City and I am stuck in my room and addressing you (PM Imran). I had come to New York with several artists including Humayun Saeed for the shooting of a film and show. My colleagues have gone back to Pakistan but I am stuck in New York,” Meera said in the video adding that she had no savings and was running out of resources.
Meera elaborated that New York has become one big graveyard and that recently her Chinese cameraman had also passed away. She said that she did not want to die in a foreign country. New York has reported more than 10,000 deaths from COVID-19.
“Dear prime minister, you have always supported artists. All countries are bringing back their citizens to their homelands. I request you to please make arrangements for my repatriation to Pakistan as I wish to die in my country,” she urged.
Speaking to this correspondent over the phone, Meera said that all actors have returned but only she and actor Saud, who is currently in Dallas, remain in the United States.
She appealed to PM Khan and the Government of Pakistan to help her as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, the cast and crew of Ishrat Made in China who were stranded in Thailand for almost two weeks recently returned on a special flight arranged by the government.
Thousand of Pakistanis are stuck in different countries across the world after flights were cancelled due to the growing number of COVID-19 cases. Special Assistant to the PM for Overseas Pakistanis Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari said that more than 6500 Pakistanis will be repatriated on special flights between April 20 and 28. However, there is no flight scheduled for the United States.
In line with PM @ImranKhanPTI’s instrs to bring our ppl back, 6500+Pakistanis will be repatriated between 20-28th Apr from different parts of
These are unusual circumstances,I urge passengers to become familiar with travel SOPs before getting onboard to avoid any inconvenience pic.twitter.com/zxeOtZLB9j
Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has received protective gear for coronavirus frontline workers, including doctors, nurses and paramedical staff, worth Rs10 million from MCB Bank Limited Chairman Mian Muhammad Mansha.
According to the health minister, the donation comprises N95 masks, protective gear as well as gloves, goggles and shoes. The minister expressed gratitude to Mian Mansha for the donation for the frontline workers currently serving in dedicated hospitals amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The philanthropists and organisations working to support the government in its battle against the coronavirus pandemic deserve appreciation from the government. In these testing times, we can win this battle by collective efforts. The MCB has displayed a good example of corporate social responsibility and I pray that the Almighty accepts this act of kindness and generosity,” Dr Yasmin said.
Meanwhile, on the special instructions of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the Sindh government distributed protective gear and kits to the hospitals of south Punjab.
The contributions come as doctors and other medical staffers continue to protest against the unavailability of proper safety equipment at hospitals in major parts of the country and doctors contracting the virus.
The number of coronavirus infections in Pakistan, by the time this report was filed, stood at 8,648 with 181 fatalities.
At least two domes recently constructed outside the perimeter of Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Shakargarh collapsed due to a thunderstorm and high-speed winds in the area, drawing strong reactions from people of both Pakistan and India.
The two domes at Darbar Sahib Kartarpur of the Kartarpur Corridor — the visa-free border crossing and a secure corridor connecting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan to the border with India — fell off due to strong winds coupled with heavy rain showers in Punjab over the weekend.
No injury was reported as a result of the domes falling off.
The material used in the construction of the domes raised serious concerns over the quality of the material used in the Kartarpur Corridor. It was alleged that the domes, that appear to be hollow from the inside, were constructed using fibre instead of cement and iron.
This is how #KartarpurSahib looks like months after its inauguration… Few domes of #Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara in #Pakistan fell after a dust storm hit the area. Poor quality of construction; poor maintenance and upkeep by Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/Yfsv3koUQj
Federal Minister for Science & Technology Fawad Chaudhry said the matter had been addressed before the Religious Affairs Minister Noorul Haq Qadri with a request for an immediate inquiry.
Gurdwara #Kartarpur repaired within hours of damage caused by strong winds,this is the difference of attitude btw #Endia and #Pakistan despite extremists groups State policy is to protect, preserve and safeguard rights of minorities whereas in Endia State owns extremists pic.twitter.com/u6wYAuSh3C
Frontier Works Organization (FWO) — a military engineering organisation — had been assigned to ensure the immediate renovation of the damaged domes, which ensured the completion of repair work within 48 hours.
Despite coronavirus and lockdowns, the celebrity wedding season is in full swing. Right before the lockdown, we saw Ahad Raza Mir and Sajal Aly tie the knot. This was followed by a surprise wedding of veteran actors Manzar Sehbai and Samina Ahmed. And right before Ramzan starts actor Nimra Khan has tied the knot.
Nimra took to social media to make the announcement. Sharing a cute photo of herself with her husband, Nimra thanked everyone for their wishes and asked her fans to pray for her. However, she did not share any further details. It is being reported that Nimra’s husband Raja Iftekhar Azam is a police officer in the United Kingdom and that the marriage was arranged by her parents. She also shared that is planning to settle in London after her marriage.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_MtusyAFfj/
Meanwhile, the actor’s manager Waleed Nadeem and her wedding planners KhichiK Studio also shared pictures from her big day and wished her luck for her upcoming journey.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Mp4eqJWXA/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_ItOKyHQ74/
In an interview with Samina Peerzada last year, Nimra has opened up about her life and had revealed that she had been involved in a major car accident which left her bedridden. Doctors had told her parents that she wouldn’t make it, and even if she did, she would be in a coma. The actor further revealed how she had sustained severe injuries and was in excruciating pain because of which she had to take a high dosage of medicines which in turn caused her mental distress. Nimra shared that it was after this time that she met someone who made her feel loved and cared for. At that time, the actor had shared no further details about her love life.
Over the years, Nimra has made a mark in the industry and has proven herself to be a talented actor. She has appeared in several hit dramas including Baaghi, Choti Si Zindagi and Alif Allah aur Insan.
Following the footsteps of Asim Jofa and Deepak Perwani, who are producing hazmat suits for healthcare workers, Maria B has also announced that her brand is producing 1000 masks a day in both cotton and 25 GSM approved fabric. However, her masks are not for healthcare workers.
Maria has also pledged 100,000 masks “to distribute to as many people as possible and our LEA’s.”
“Everyone needs to wear a mask. We will get through this together,” asserted the designer.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_ANmUapwUd/
Meanwhile, in a press release, Maria B said, “The brand has always taken steps to help out Pakistan and its people wherever possible. Through our Maria.B Cares initiative we have collaborated with various organisation, government and private sectors in doing what we can, be it fighting against COVID-19, providing rations, healthcare, education or the environment. We do what we can and encourage everyone to join hands and do whatever they can to build a prosperous nation.”
The press release added that the brand is also working closely with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) by providing them with masks, industrial/pocket sanitizers, PPE suits, gloves, face shields, caps and shoe covers.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_ANt2NJ5U5/
Maria B was recently involved in a controversy after she allowed her cook, who had been tested positive for COVID-19, to travel back home on public transport. Her husband had been arrested for criminal negligence and the incident had sparked national outrage.
In a rare glimpse inside a Chinese laboratory in Wuhan amid global suspicions about the COVID-19 pandemic, scenes from the “secretive” Institute of Virology have sent shockwaves over the internet.
According to Mail Online, pictures from inside the laboratory show a broken seal on the door of one of the refrigerators used to hold 1,500 different strains of virus, including the bat coronavirus that has jumped to humans with over 2.4 million infections and over 165,000 deaths since the first case in November last year.
The pictures, first released by a state-owned Chinese newspaper in 2018, were also published on Twitter last month, before being deleted.
Meanwhile, according to New York Post, the director of the lab denies that the bug accidentally spread from his facility.
“There’s no way this virus came from us,” Yuan Zhiming, director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, told state media.
Yuan admitted that the lab is studying “different areas related to the coronavirus,” but told the English-language state broadcaster CGTN that none of his staff has been infected.
“As people who carry out viral studies we clearly know what kind of research is going on at the institute and how the institute manages viruses and samples,” he said.
He said that since the lab is in Wuhan “people can’t help but make associations”, but claimed that some media outlets are “deliberately trying to mislead people”.
But officials in the past have raised concerns over the safety conditions of the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
In March 2018, US science diplomats dispatched to the lab issued two “sensitive” diplomatic cables about inadequate safety measures at the lab, the Washington Post reported, citing intelligence sources.
The first cable warned the experiments conducted in the lab on coronavirus in bats “represented a risk of a new SARS-like pandemic,” according to the report.
The cable, written by two US-China embassy officials, said there is a “serious shortage of appropriately trained technicians and investigators needed to safely operate this high-containment laboratory,” according to the report.
