Tag: Eidul Azha

  • Petrol price reduced by Rs10.2, diesel by Rs2.33 per litre

    Petrol price reduced by Rs10.2, diesel by Rs2.33 per litre

    The government has announced a reduction in the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs10.2 and Rs2.33 per litre, respectively, for the upcoming fortnight. 

    In a notification, the Ministry of Finance stated that the prices of petroleum products have exhibited a mixed trend in the international market over the past two weeks. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) calculated the new consumer prices based on these international market fluctuations.

    The revised prices set petrol at Rs258.16 per litre and HSD at Rs267.89 per litre. 

    The Prime Minister’s Office described the reduction as a gift from the premier in anticipation of the upcoming Eidul Azha. 

    Sources previously indicated that the government intended to pass the benefits of lower international prices on to consumers. 

    Over the past two weeks, the prices of petrol and HSD in the international market decreased by approximately $3.75 and $2.7 per barrel, respectively. This follows a significant drop of about $12 per barrel for petrol and $8 per barrel for HSD over the prior month.

    The international price of petrol has decreased to just over $90 per barrel from about $94 per barrel, while the price of HSD has fallen to $95 per barrel from $98 per barrel.

  • Pemra to take action against Netflix and other streaming platforms after Eid holidays

    Pemra to take action against Netflix and other streaming platforms after Eid holidays

    Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) is reportedly preparing to take action against over-the-top (OTT) platforms such as Netflix after the conclusion of Eid-ul-Azha, according to Khalid Arain, Chairman of the Cable Operators Association of Pakistan.

    Khalid disclosed that a productive dialogue had taken place between cable operators and senior officials from Pemra, during which the concerns of the cable operators were effectively communicated. He expressed the cable operators’ predicament, stating that they operate under broadcasting restrictions and are limited in the number of channels they can offer. In contrast, OTT platforms enjoy the freedom to stream popular channels.

    Khalid’s reference to OTT platforms pertains to online streaming services that deliver content via the internet. He further stressed the cable operators’ request for regulatory measures concerning operators that offer both internet and cable services.

    He said that the regulatory body has responded positively to the demands of cable operators. Pemra will establish a committee to address the issuance of licenses to cable operators and undertake a crackdown on OTT platforms following the conclusion of Eidul Azha.

    According to ProPakistani, the chairman also advocated for tax exemptions in the cable sector, drawing a parallel to the solar power industry and suggesting that taxes on cable operators should be alleviated. However, he did not provide a specific explanation or justification for this request.

    Additionally, he highlighted an inequity where the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) collects Local Loop license fees from cable operators in US dollars, while subscribers make payments to cable operators in the local currency. Arain deemed this situation unfair, citing the existing rupee-dollar exchange rate as a contributing factor.

  • Eidul Azha: Govt issues guidelines for cattle market to curb Covid-19 spread

    Eidul Azha: Govt issues guidelines for cattle market to curb Covid-19 spread

    The Federal Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation, and Coordination on Tuesday issued guidelines for Eidul Azha in line with the government’s Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs).

    As per reports, the document has been issued to provide health guidelines to the general public, cattle vendors and customers to control the spread of COVID-19 by practicing social distancing and  following precautionary measures at the cattle market while buying or selling a sacrificial animal.

    Guidelines for sellers:

    • Animal vendors will have to follow the following guidelines while selling an animal at the cattle market.
    • It is necessary for all animal vendors and sellers to get vaccinated with any of the available COVID-19 vaccines in the country. Those without proof of vaccination (first dose or complete course) may not be allowed to do business in the market.
    • Every seller must wear a face mask covering nose and mouth all the time.
    • The seller should wash their hands with soap and water frequently or use an alcohol-based (70%) hand sanitiser.
    • Stalls should be set up at a distance of at least two metres from each other while ensuring enough space between animals. The supporting arrangements must be made by the local authority.
    • Seller and customers should try and maintain a safe distance of two metres. 
    • Seller and customer must not shake hands and avoid any other physical contact 
    • The seller must keep a disinfection formulation with 0.5% diluted bleach or 60%-80% dilute alcohol solution to disinfect the most frequently used surfaces by customers. 
    • Each salesperson must wear gloves for touching the animals. 
    • Any seller with symptoms of cough, sore throat, fever etc., would not be allowed to sell animals in the market. They will have to arrange a replacement for themselves.
    • Each seller must ensure queue control and maintaining the advised two metres distance in his allocated space in the market/ mandii. 
    • The sellers must keep themselves aware of the updated instructions issued by the government and should strictly follow them.

    Read More: Eid ul Azha: 5 things that can only happen in Pakistan

    Guidelines for Customers:

    • The buyer must wear a surgical/medical mask properly (cover nose and mouth) at all times.
    • The customers should not go to the market/ mandii if they are feeling any flu-like symptoms, cough, sore throat or fever.
    • Sanitise hands properly before and after going to the market.
    • Buyers should also wear gloves if they plan to touch the animals.
    • People visiting the market should avoid touching the surfaces in the market unnecessarily. 
    • Maintain two metres distance from the seller or other peoplepresent in the market.
    • Follow the safety guidance provided by the local management and cooperate with the staff
    • If a customer observes non-compliance to the guidelines by the individual seller, remind them and/or report to the local authorities.

  • Coronavirus in Pakistan: A July-August diary

    Since the beginning of July, there has been a decline in new coronavirus cases and the number of recovered patients has also increased. By the time this report was filed, there were 26,834 active COVID-19 cases in the country.

    While Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, as well as members of his team and other experts, repeatedly urged people to follow social distancing guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) on Eidul Azha in order to avoid a June-like surge in coronavirus cases in the days to come, people were seen flaunting the same not only over the Eid weekend but also during rallies protesting illegal Indian annexation of held Kashmir on August 5.

    It was reported by Gulf News that the upper class of Karachi completely ignored Sindh government directives by sacrificing animals wherever they wished to despite 500 sites being designated by the provincial administration for the purpose. “Residents in the most expensive and posh neighbourhoods of the city were no exception… officials didn’t make any effort to ensure the people followed the law,” the report said.

    Meanwhile, the Punjab government on August 3 announced to lift the smart lockdown two days ahead of the scheduled date. The government announced to lift all restrictions on the third day of Eid because of a “significant” reduction in coronavirus cases.

    While Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar expressed satisfaction over the observance of SOPs on Eidul Azha, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar announced on Thursday that restrictions on the hospitality and recreational sectors, put in place nearly five months ago to curb the spread of the coronavirus, would be lifted by August 10.

    Dine-in restaurants, parks, cinemas, tourist spots and salons would be re-opened while marriage halls would remain closed at least until September 15 and the decision to re-open educational institutes would be looked into during the first week of September, he said.

    However, just a day after the announcement, Punjab witnessed a sudden increase in the number of new coronavirus cases. The everyday cases that had on an average dropped to below 100 during the past one month after reaching a new high in June, once again increased to around 300.

    Although some medical experts were not perturbed and declared it a routine surge, others believed that it might be a signal for the beginning of the second wave of the outbreak. Punjab reported 277 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 besides five deaths during the last 24 hours against 235 a day earlier, Dawn reported.

    Besides the lifting of lockdown restrictions for the economy’s sake in July, the surge is also being attributed to the fact that next to none social distancing guidelines were followed during the preparations and hosting of seminars and rallies to mark ‘Youme Istehsal [Exploitation Day]’ on the first anniversary of Narendra Modi-led India’s annexation of occupied Kashmir.

    Even though the coronavirus situation in Pakistan is getting better on paper, how the pandemic turns out over the next few days is subject to the behaviour of the masses and the policies of the government.