Pakistan’s stocks reversed gains on Monday as Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s Special Assistant on Information (SAPM) Lt Gen (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa resigned ahead of protests planned by opposition parties, raising concerns of increased political uncertainty, foreign media reported.
“Imran Khan approved my request to relinquish the additional post,” Asim Bajwa tweeted Monday.
I requested the honourable Prime Minister to relinquish me from the additional portfolio of SAPM on Info & broadcasting. He very kindly approved my request
The resignation of Imran’s key spokesperson comes amid increasing challenges to his about two-year-old government as he struggles to contain inflation and revive the country’s economy. Meanwhile, an alliance of 11 opposition parties is planning on holding its first protest rally this week, which is the start of a series of such meetings aimed at ousting Imran Khan.
The benchmark KSE-100 index closed down 1.4%, reversing earlier gains of as much as 0.6%. The stocks have advanced 48% since touching this year’s low on March 25. “The investors are being cautious and booking profits after recent events including Bajwa’s resignation and the opposition’s planned protest add to the uncertainty,” said Qasim Shah, head of international sales at JS Global Capital Ltd in Karachi.
Mauripur police in Karachi have arrested an 18-year-old girl who they claim stole motorcycles while disguised as a boy.
The accused is a resident of Lyari and reportedly performs the sport of boxing. The accused used to steal bikes along with her two partners — 14-year-old ‘Chhotoo’ and 20-year-old Basit.
While the girl is in the custody of women police, both her accomplices are on the run, reports said.
The suspect has denied the charges and said that she did not steal any motorcycle. She said she had been involved in the case because someone else gave her a stolen vehicle and she got caught with it.
While the police claimed that the three-member gang used to snatch or steal motorcycles of latest models, they are also searching for the dealers to whom the group sold the same.
Police have arrested shopkeepers who were abusing women in Hyderi Market, Karachi for not buying anything after making him unfold too many clothes from the stack.
According to details, the incident took place in a cloth shop located in Karachi’s famous Hyderi market. The seller got angry at the women and started physically assaulting them after a heated argument.
The female buyers also beat up the shopkeeper and slapped him while the shopkeeper pushed the woman down.
Police after being informed about the incident reached there and arrested the shopkeeper. However, the victims refused to register a first information report (FIR) against the shopkeeper.
Video of the incident has gone viral on social media.
Six marriage halls and 103 restaurants were sealed in Karachi for violating coronavirus SOPs.
According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), six marriage halls and 103 restaurants were sealed in the port city over neglecting coronavirus SOPs.
Federal Minister for Planning and Development and Chairman NCOC, Asad Umar said indoor restaurants and marriage halls appear to be majorly contributing to the COVID-19 spread.
“NCOC today has directed all provinces and federating units to crack down on SOPs violations in these places, the minister said in his tweet. We must not allow the irresponsible behavior of some to put the health of everyone at risk,” he said further.
Indoor Restaurants & marriage halls emerging as high contributors to covid spread. NCOC today has directed all provinces and federating units to crack down on sop violations in these places. We must not allow irresponsible behaviour of some to put the health of everyone at risk
On Thursday, authorities in Karachi had also announced a micro smart lockdown in various parts for two weeks after cases of COVID-19 increased in the city.
The city administration sealed several hotels, restaurants in various areas of Karachi over violation of COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs).
As perreports, 10 restaurants were sealed in District Central, two in Clifton, three at Boat Basin food street, and two in the Saddar area of District South, Karachi.
The management of the restaurants were violating SOPs for running the business during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the Sindh government on Wednesday imposed a “micro smart lockdown” in several areas to control the spread of coronavirus.
According to a notification, the government has imposed micro smart lockdown in different localities of District West, Karachi. The district West areas that have been put under micro smart lockdown include Manghopir Union Council 8 and Gadap Town.
The move came after more than 20 cases were reported from Manghopir Union Council.
Police officials have been positioned in these areas to impose the lockdown restrictions. The provincial government has asked the deputy commissioner and senior police officials in Karachi to ensure micro smart lockdowns and implementation of SOPs at designated sites.
Just when we breathed a sigh of relief after it emerged that Islamabad Zoo’s lone elephant Kavaan will soon head to Cambodia, where he will retire at an animal sanctuary, videos and pictures of a brown bear in dreadful conditions at the Karachi Zoo have sparked furor and outrage on social media. Celebrities including Ushna Shah, Armeena Khan and Mashal Khan expressed their distress over the condition of the bear and urged authorities to shut down the zoo.
In a message penned in Urdu, Ushna said that zoo culture should be completely eliminated and that citizens should actively campaign for them to be shut down.
“If you like looking at animals, go observe them in their natural habitat. When you come and look at them in zoos, you add to their agony”, said the actor.
“Raise your voice for those who can’t speak,” she added.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFqZ11hhKDw/
Armeena urged her followers to help the brown bear or else he would die.
Here we go again This time it’s Karachi zoo. This poor bear is thirsty, extremely hot and probably very, very hungry. The poor creature will die if something isn’t done for it. Please help #savethebearpic.twitter.com/Zuoy401XiI
Mashal Khan said that she is “sick to my stomach after learning of this poor baby in Karachi zoo, being jailed without food, water, health care”. She asked her followers to raise their voice for the bear and help end her ordeal.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFpMZ1yA2s2/
Later, the actor shared that she and her friends are filing a Constitutional Petition in the Sindh High Court to rescue the baby bear and have her transferred to Skardu where she can be reunited with her family.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFrSJyBgPe0/
Meanwhile, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Administrator Dr Iftikhar Ali Shallwani slammed the claims and said that the bear is “hale and hearty” at the zoo. Sharing a video of the bear playing in his enclosure as well as a report on its condition, Dr Shallwani said: “The KMC is trying it’s best to give natural habitat to the animals at Karachi Zoo.”
However, reports have suggested that all is not well as the administrator has claimed. According to a senior Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) official, the bear is not used to living in Karachi’s hot weather conditions, especially during this time of the year when it needs to hibernate in freezing temperature.
Another SWD official said that Karachi Zoo’s management was responsible for the bear’s dreadful condition. He said that the animal does not belong in the zoo and that she needed to be kept in an air-conditioned room, in darkness.
After the pictures of the bear went viral on social media, a picture of a malnourished and underfed lion was also widely circulated with people criticising the Karachi Zoo administration for mistreating animals.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFuxCefnd6s/
However, it later emerged that the picture of the lion was not from Karachi Zoo.
Sad and Horrific!But it’s not Karachi zoo.Picture was used by @ACFAnimalRescue in a Facebook post,as an example but it’s being spread on social media as KHI even after it was made clear its a downloaded photo.This needs to stop as it will only damage genuine future campaigns https://t.co/8HymX55nao
Naseeb Jamal, who runs an appliances repair shop in Qasba Colony, Karachi, has taught and trained his daughters to repair different things.
In an interview with Urdu News, Jamal, who has eight daughters and one son, shared that he trained six of his daughters to fix and repair electronic devices, adding that he believes women are fast learners.
Talking about breaking the stereotypes, Jamal said: “People would gossip and called me a rebel. Even my mother said to me that what I was doing was not in line with our traditions and that it was not good for [my] girls to sit at the shop.”
“I trust my daughters and want to equip them with skills in my supervision. What is wrong in that,” he questioned.
“This is the way to strengthen women. They should not just be educated, but skilled as well. If they are skilled, they would bring more pride to their parents, to their country and also to their area,” he added.
Three men drowned in a huge pond while making a TikTok video in Karachi’s Rais Goth on Sunday.
According to reports, three friends, residents of Kemari Town, went to Rais Goth for a picnic where they decided to film a TikTok video at the bank of a pond situated near a stone crushing plant in the area.
One of the friends slipped and fell into the pond. His friends then jumped into the pond to rescue him but unfortunately, they all drowned.
After receiving emergency calls, police and rescue officials hurried to the spot and recovered their bodies from the pond which were then shifted to the hospital for medico-legal formalities.
The deceased were identified as Shehzad, Sajjad and Zubair.
Earlier on July 21, a boy had drowned in the Khanpur Dam while trying to take a selfie. The 20-year old was taking a selfie at the edge of the dam. According to details, a 20-year-old was attempting to take a selfie while standing at the edge of the dam when he suddenly lost his balance and fell into the dam.
A study published in Oxford University Press’ Journal of Public Health has found that 36% of Karachi’s residents have coronavirus antibodies and if current trends continue, there is lower chance of a second wave hitting the city due to the masses having achieved herd immunity.
Herd immunity is a form of indirect protection from a contagious disease that occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population has become immune to an infection, whether through vaccination or previous infections, thereby reducing the likelihood of infection for individuals who lack immunity.
Herd immunity develops when a significant chunk of the population has developed antibodies of a disease following infection, thereby reducing the chance of passing it on to others, which the researchers say is 60-70% of the population.
According to the study, conducted between May and July, if 36% of the adult population of Karachi is supposed to be seropositive (positive for COVID-19), then it can be assumed that in the next two-to-three months “∼60% of general population will become seropositive”.
“This assumption or theory if proven right then it will reduce the chance of a second wave in Karachi and increase the possibility of acquiring herd immunity,” the paper adds.
Anadolu Agencyquoted lead researcher, Dr Samreen Zaidi, as saying that further studies show that the seroprevalence rate has reached 60%, as was expected.
“We, on the basis of a gradual drop in cases, and other relevant factors, assume that there are low chances of a second wave of coronavirus,” Zaidi told Anadolu Agency.
However, she acknowledged: “Assumptions are assumptions.”
“The only limitation of this study is that our sample size is small. Therefore, we have recommended further and wide-ranging research on the government level to double-check the results of this study,” she said.
Hematologist and head of NIBD, Dr Tahir Shamsi, also claimed that the country has “almost” attained herd immunity, indicating that there are low chances of a second wave of the pandemic.
“The data this study shows is until July. We are in September now, and the latest statistics, and testing results suggest that the seroprevalence or immunity rate is almost 60% now,” Shamsi told Anadolu Agency.
He said the latest findings would be published after a month.
The two men who confessed to raping a minor girl earlier this month in Karachi continued the sexual assault even after the five-year-old was dead.
The child’s burnt body was found from a garbage dump two days after she was reported missing. The girl had gone to buy some sweets from a neighbourhood shop in the Old Sabzi Mandi area when she was kidnapped.
“This is not just a rape case but a gang-rape case,” a police officer familiar with the investigation said, adding that the fingerprints of both suspects had also matched.
The two prime suspects, Faiz and Abdullah, lived in the same area where the girl’s house is located. While Faiz is a tailor by profession, Abdullah is a garbage collector of Afghan origin. Abdullah has also been reportedly deported from the UK after seven years. Faiz was the one who first kidnapped the child but both men had raped her.
Faiz has been involved in the same crime before and lived alone a few houses away from the child’s residence in the same street. Abdullah, on the other hand, lived on a footpath in the area. Faiz had revealed the name of his accomplice after he was taken into custody.
Faiz informed police that they had kidnapped the minor girl and brought her to his house, before raping her one by one, during which she died. He also confessed that the two had continued raping the child even after she died before wrapping her body in a waistcoat and stuffing it in a gunny bag to dump at the garbage site at Milk Plant plot in the PIB Colony police station’s jurisdiction.
While both had confessed to the crime on Thursday, officials said they now had the fingerprint report that pointed towards Faiz and Abdullah’s involvement in the gang-rape and murder. However, a DNA report was yet to be released.
One of the investigators in the Esa Nagri case said Faiz’s house is located across the girl’s.
“The piece of cloth wrapped around [her] body was taken from Faiz’s shop,” the official said.
