Tag: covid pakistan

  • Asim Azhar backs students, urges Shafqat Mahmood to cancel exams again

    Asim Azhar backs students, urges Shafqat Mahmood to cancel exams again

    After Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood announced that there will be no delay or cancellation of exams, Asim Azhar once again voiced his support for students, urging the minister to reconsider his decision in view of the ongoing third wave of COVID-19 across Pakistan.

    “A, AS, O Level and IGCSE exams will be held as per the date sheet announced by CAIES,” said Mahmood, asserting they will be no cancellation or delay in the exams.

    Mahmood added that Cambridge has assured that all SOPs will be strictly followed.

    Responding to the announcement, the singer said: “Who will be responsible if kids take COVID back to their homes just so they could appear in exams?”

    In another tweet, Azhar urged Mahmood to rethink his decision.

    “Abhi bhi waqt hai, bacho pe tars khaalain,” said Asim.

    Earlier, Twitter had raged with students advocating for the cancellation of board exams this year following the deadly third COVID-19 wave across the country.

    Students demanded to cancel board exams 2021 amidst their disturbed learning schedules. Several students were also demonstrating on the streets so that the government take proper notice of their demands.

    #ExamCancelHoga, #cancelboardexams2021 and #ShafqatMahmood were among the top trends on the micro-blogging site as social media users and students expressed their concern over the sharp rise in cases of COVID-19 and its effect on their studies.

    Asim and Hadiqa Kiani had also voiced their support for the students over exams cancellation.

  • IN PICTURES: Muneeb Butt’s birthday bash

    IN PICTURES: Muneeb Butt’s birthday bash

    Muneeb Butt celebrated his birthday with close friends and family in an exciting birthday bash. Muneeb’s wife Aiman Khan, Minal Khan and her beau Mohsin Ikram Haider, Kinza Hashmi and Saboor Aly were among those present at the event.

    Check out pictures from the celebrations below:

    Read more – IN PICTURES: Sunita Marshall celebrates 40th birthday

    Unfortunately, no one at the occasion was seen wearing a mask or following the necessary COVID-19 related SOPs.

  • ‘Vaccination registrations for all ages to open after Eid’

    Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar has announced that the government plans to open registrations for COVID-19 vaccination for citizens of all age groups after Eid, which is around mid-May.

    According to a report in Gulf News, the minister made these remarks while talking to senior media persons in a press meet. He also said that Pakistan will be able to vaccinate more than 125,000 people per day after Eid.

    “We began a phase-wise approach at the beginning [and are expanding it now],” said Umar during the meeting, adding that the coming five to six weeks are very critical for Pakistan in the fight against coronavirus.

    The minister said that the private sector had also started vaccinations and so far 14,000 people have been vaccinated through that, while 1.1 million were inoculated as part of the government campaign.

    Umar also relayed that China was Pakistan’s “primary source” for vaccination and that the CanSino vaccine would also be available in the country after Eid.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan is all set to start manufacturing the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V locally in collaboration with Russia in the coming months.

    Vaccinations of people 60 and above commenced on March 10, while registrations for people above 50 started from March 30.

    Pakistan is currently battling with its third wave of COVID-19. According to the NCOC, Pakistan has recorded 5312 cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours and 105 people have lost their lives to the deadly virus.

  • Asim Azhar, Hadiqa Kiani, Shaan urge Shafqat Mahmood to give relief to students

    Asim Azhar, Hadiqa Kiani, Shaan urge Shafqat Mahmood to give relief to students

    Asim Azhar, Hadiqa Kiani and Shaan have requested Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood to postpone the upcoming papers and give students and their parents some relief.

    “Please think of our children,” said Kiani. “We must find an alternative plan that doesn’t put them in danger.”

    She added that she “an advocate for education” and prays that he son goes on and achieves a PhD.

    “But this is just not the way,” said the singer.

    Similarly, Azhar said: “Sir, it would be unfair to hold exams in such circumstances! Please find a solution.”

    The singer further said: “Students have really been disturbed due to the ongoing pandemic causing the institutes to close and open again and again.”

    “I personally know some students that haven’t been able to complete their syllabuses as well,” he asserted.

    Addressing students, Asim said that he understands their pain because if he wasn’t a full-time musician, he would also be going through the same stress.

    “I understand your stress and pain guys. Agar abhi music nahi kar raha hota tou mai bhi ro raha hota exams ko leke iss waqt.. so I understand,” said Asim, adding: “I am sure Shafqat Mahmood will stand with the youth and find the best solution possible.”

    Shaan, on the other hand, brought up another issue, saying: “Honourable minister must give relief to parents who are suffering from not just the pandemic but the private school mafias as well.”

    “Change was your slogan and patience is all we have till now,” he added.

    The veteran actor further said: “Elm bohat bari dolat Hai… agar yaqeen na aye to private school kai malikaan sai pooch lain.”

    Demanding teacher-assessed grades, dozens of students of the Cambridge International Education (CIE) system staged a protest outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on April 2 against the O’ and A’ Level examinations scheduled to be held in April and May. Multiple protests also took place across the country against the exams, including one in Lahore.

    After studying online for the whole year, the protesting students said that they would not appear for tests in classrooms. The students and their parents demanded the federal government to cancel the CIE examinations in light of the pandemic and asked for marking to be done on the basis of teacher-assessed grades.

    However, Mahmood on Tuesday announced that examinations across the country will be held from the third week of May, adding that Cambridge exams will be held as per schedule.

    “Decisions regarding exams are final,” said Mahmood. “Students should start preparing and working hard.”

    Meanwhile, A-level exams are scheduled at the end of April, while the O-level exams are slated to begin on May 10.

  • CanSino vaccine: Three million doses to be ‘packed in Pakistan’

    Minister for Planning and Development and head of the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) Asad Umar has announced that Pakistan will be getting bulk vaccine by mid-April from Cansino from which three million vaccine doses can be made.

    Read more – Govt launches COVID-19 immunization certificate portal

    Umar said the bulk vaccine received “will be formulated, sterilised and packed in Pakistan” and for this purpose special equipment has been procured and manpower is being trained.

    The Minister also said that the “first batch of Cansino vaccine procured [is] being received today (Tuesday).”

    “This is the vaccine in which Pakistan participated in Phase 3 trials, which was the first time ever that Pakistan had done so for any vaccine,” he added.

    Vaccination of people 60 and above commenced on March 10, while registrations for people above 50 started from today (March 30).

    Pakistan is currently battling with its third wave of COVID-19. According to the NCOC, Pakistan has recorded 4084 cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours and 100 people have lost their lives to the deadly virus.