Tag: Pakistan

  • Sindh lowers passing score to 50 per cent for medical admissions due to doctor shortage

    Sindh lowers passing score to 50 per cent for medical admissions due to doctor shortage

    The Sindh Cabinet has decided to lower the passing percentage in the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) from 65 per cent to 50 per cent for the session of 2021-2022.

    Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah confirmed the news and said, “This decision would not only provide an opportunity to the provincial candidates to seek admission in medical and dental colleges/universities of Sindh but the seats which were going to be unfulfilled/vacant would be utilised.”

    It was reported, that last year with a passing percentage of 60 per cent, 8,287 students passed in Sindh out of which 2,900 took admissions in the public sector. Of the remaining 5,387 students, only 800 took admissions in private medical and dental colleges as the remaining 4,587 were not able to get admission mainly because they could not afford it.

    With this drop in admissions, Sindh will reportedly face a severe shortage of about 10,000 doctors in the next five years. CM said that World Health Organsiation (WHO) recommended one doctor for 850 people but Sindh has one doctor for 3,200 people. “Hence this gap of doctors will worsen if the situation persists,” he added.

    According to Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho, the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) conducted a computerised MDCAT in October 2021. She said, “The test from the federal curriculum puts Sindh students at a disadvantage and resulted in a low pass percentage.”

    The reduction of percentage will not affect the merit as it would remain the same as prescribed under the PMC Act.

  • Pak Embassy in Washington ran out of funds to pay salaries for four months: report

    Pak Embassy in Washington ran out of funds to pay salaries for four months: report

    The Embassy of Pakistan in the United States (US) had reportedly run out of funds and was unable to pay salaries of four months to the embassy’s locally recruited contractual staffers, reveals The News’ sources in a report by Journalist Wajid Ali Syed.

    It was reported that a total of five staffers faced delays and non-payment of their monthly wages from August onwards. One staffer, who had been working there for the past ten years, resigned in September because of the on-going pay crisis.

    Several sources disclosed that the Pakistan Community Welfare (PCW) fund, from which these unpaid staffers were paid out collapsed last year because the money was diverted to purchase ventilators and other medical equipment last year, after the pandemic. The embassy had to borrow money from other account-heads to keep up with the monthly salaries for the staffers hired locally.

    As a result of this, the staffers wrote to the Pakistani ambassador in October. The ambassador repeatedly raised the issue with the Foreign Office (FO) in Islamabad and managed to secure all salaries just last week. The embassy’s spokesperson confirmed that “currently there is no salary-related issue being faced by the Embassy staff.”

    These local staffers’ salaries range from 2,000 to 2,500 dollars per month. They do not get the perks and privileges that FO employees enjoy. The domestic staffers are usually hired to help with the ‘Consular section’ that provides visa, passport, notarization and other consular services.

  • End of toxic smog in Punjab: Met Office predicts rain across country

    End of toxic smog in Punjab: Met Office predicts rain across country

    The people of Punjab will finally be able to take a deep breath. The Met Office has predicted rain across the country, in the upcoming 36 hours, which will clear the blanket of toxic smog in the province.

    The most awaited rain, as per the forecast of weather experts, is expected at different parts of the country during the weekend after a prolonged dry spell and help subside the prevailing smog in the plain areas of Punjab.

    Travellers had been facing severe inconvenience, especially on the motorways, due to the intense fog in most areas of Punjab at morning and night hours while some motorways authorities imposed travel restrictions at certain places with severe smoggy conditions.

    Rain would give relief to the citizens facing allergies, as well as influenza and cough due to the dry weather spell. Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) revealed that a weak westerly weather system is likely to enter upper parts of the country and would persist till Sunday.

    Under this weather system, rain with snowfall over the hills is expected in Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad and Northeast Punjab on Saturday (evening or night) and Sunday.

    Rain with wind-thunderstorm is also expected in Quetta, Ziarat, Pishin, Zhob and its surrounding on Saturday (evening or night).

    Rain-wind-thunderstorm with snowfall over the hills is expected in Kashmir, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Malakand, Kohistan, Shangla, Buner, Mansehra, Abbottabad on Sunday.

    Light rain/wind-thunderstorm is expected in Haripur, Swabi, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Charsadda, Bajaur, Kurram, Waziristan, Kohat, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal and Lahore on Saturday night and Sunday.

    Snowfall is also expected in Neelum valley, Bagh, Rawalakot, Nathiagali, Galliyat, Naran, Kaghan, Hunza, Gilgit, Skardu, Astore, Chitral, Dir, Swat and Malam Jabba on Sunday. About the possible impacts of the rain, the Met office said the prevailing smog conditions would likely to subside in plains of Punjab while the dense fog would likely to develop over plain areas of Punjab from Monday. The night temperatures would likely to fall gradually after the wet spell and severe cold weather conditions may prevail at certain places.

  • ‘Social media calls for ‘obscenity ban’ on Farhan Saeed’s concert in Abbottabad university

    An event organized by a students society in COMSATS Abottabad has been receiving criticism for organising a concert among other events.

    Such actives are very common in universities in Pakistan. However, this particular event is being opposed by some people terming the activity as, “obscenity.”

    The media coordinator of COMSATS Nasir Ahmed while talking to SAMAA said, “We have always had such events at the varsity.” “For the past two years, we were unable to hold the festival because of the coronavirus lockdown.”

    The event has been scheduled for Sunday December 5 and the concert will feature singer Farhan Saeed. 

    People used the hashtag #Ban_Obscenity_in_ComsatsAtd to express their disapproval. Journalist Ansar Abbasi also used the hashtag to show his support of the ban.

  • ‘Virat and Babar’s hug’: Adnan Siddiqui backs Amitabh Bachchan’s view on Pak-India

    ‘Virat and Babar’s hug’: Adnan Siddiqui backs Amitabh Bachchan’s view on Pak-India

    Pakistani Actor Adnan Siddiqui has praised Bollywood Actor Amitabh Bachchan for his views on Pakistan and India’s required relationship.

    “Concur with Mr Amitabh Bachchan. Art and cinema bridge the chasms between two nations at loggerheads. The beauty lies in connecting despite political differences,” the Meray Pass Tum Ho actor wrote in a tweet.

    Amitabh Bachchan penned a lengthy article for a news media outlet on the 13th anniversary of the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai, in which he highlighted the importance of people to people connection in both countries.

    In his article The Sholay actor recalled moments which united people across borders, “Sometimes they nestle in the warmth of the hug that went viral, that India’s captain Virat Kohli gave to Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam, after the men in green defeated the men in blue in the first game of the T20 World Cup that concluded in Dubai recently.”

    Read more- ‘Pakistan or India?’: Sania Mirza finally puts the banter to rest by revealing who she supports

    “Sometimes they revel in the smashing box office success, in India and also in Pakistan, of the 2015 Salman Khan-starrer Bajrangi Bhaijaan, a cross-border tale about empathy and compassion, an Indian man’s struggle to reunite a Pakistani child with her family,” he added.

    Bachchan concluding by saying, “freedom from fear means that we are more at ease with our neighbour,” adding, “No terrorist must be allowed to change the way we are in the dark, or with our neighbour, or ourselves. No single act of terror must be given the power to destroy the interconnectedness of our stories, our plural solidarities.”

  • NCOC reportedly allows full capacity crowd for Pak-West Indies series

    NCOC reportedly allows full capacity crowd for Pak-West Indies series

    The National Command and Control Center (NCOC) has reportedly allowed a hundred per cent crowd capacity for Pakistan vs West Indies series at the National Stadium, Karachi.

    Read More – PCB announces schedule of West Indies tour of Pakistan

    The three-match T20I series is all set to commence from December 13 after which the teams will face each other in the ODI series, which is part of the ICC World Cup Super League, at the same venue.

    According to Cricket Pakistan, NCOC has allowed 100 per cent capacity after a request by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

    Children up to the age of 12, who have been vaccinated, will also be able to enjoy the game at the stadium.

    Moreover, NCOC has directed PCB to follow all Covid-19 protocols for these matches.

    Meanwhile, the Windies had earlier announced their squads for the T20Is and ODIs. Match officials for the series have also been announced by PCB.

    Aleem Dar, member of ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, will team up with Ahsan Raza, one of the four Pakistani umpires in the ICC International Panel of Umpires, for the on-field umpiring duties of the first of the three T20I.

    The Windies are scheduled to arrive in Karachi on December 9.

  • ‘I do not want to pursue an FIR,’ woman withdraws gang-rape allegation

    ‘I do not want to pursue an FIR,’ woman withdraws gang-rape allegation

    A woman from Karachi who had alleged that she was raped by three men in Lahore has reportedly withdrawn her case, saying that the First Information Report (FIR) registered on her complaint was a “misunderstanding,” reports Dawn.

    The 18-year-old registered an FIR against three suspects on November 28. However, a day later she changed her stance and recorded a statement, saying, “I got the FIR registered against the accused persons due to misunderstanding. No one committed rape with me. I do not want to pursue the FIR and the same may kindly be cancelled.”

    After her complaint, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar had taken notice of the incident and had also directed officials to arrest the culprits while assuring the victim of justice.

    The victim also had declined to get herself medically examined. In her complaint, she said that she used to play Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) during which she befriended a man. According to the complaint, the man asked her to come to Lahore and promised marriage. She arrived in the city on November 23 and the man took her to a local hotel where he raped her for three days. After that, he dropped her off at the train station on November 26 and left.

    It is reported that while the woman was waiting at the station, two men approached her and offered a job. She said that the two took her to a house on Sarwar Road where two more men helped them take her into a room. She added that they raped her several times, but eventually she escaped.

    Prior to the withdrawal of FIA, the victim had urged authorities to take action against all three men who had raped her.

  • 2021: Which videos were watched most by Pakistanis on YouTube?

    2021: Which videos were watched most by Pakistanis on YouTube?

    YouTube Pakistan has released a list of the most watched videos in Pakistan for the current year. Khuda Aur Mohabbat Season 3 takes the top stop spot and Ramzan special drama Chupke Chupke was the second most trending video. Four of the most watched videos in Pakistan are Indian.

    Read more- Sharmila Faruqi blasts ‘Khuda Aur Mohabbat 3’ for showcasing violence against women

    Scroll down for the full lists of most-viewed YouTube videos of 2021 in Pakistan:

    1. Khuda Aur Mohabbat – Season 3 Ep 01 [Eng Sub] – Digitally Presented by Happilac Paints – 12th Feb 21

    2. Chupke Chupke | Last Episode – Eid Special | Digitally Presented by Mezan & Powered by Master Paints

    3. Ishq Hai Episode 1 & 2 – Part 1 [Subtitle Eng] 15th June 2021 | ARY Digital Drama

    4. Ertugrul Ghazi Urdu | Episode 01| Season 3

    5. POGARU (2021) NEW Released Full Hindi Dubbed Movie | Dhruva Sarja, Rashmika Mandanna, Kai Greene

    6. Easy & Quick Cake Decorating Tutorials for Everyone | Top 10 Amazing Colorful Cake Compilation

    7. Bhide Jumps Off Balcony?! | Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah | TMKOC Comedy | तारक मेहता

    8. Kuriyan Jawan Bapu Preshaan | Full 4K HD | Full Comedy | Karamjit Anmol | Latest Punjabi Movie 2021

    9. Miss India 2021 New Released Hindi Dubbed Movie | Keerthy Suresh, Jagapathi Babu, Rajendra Prasad

    10. Speak English with Kids Sentences with Urdu Translation | AQ English

  • Man jumps off 3rd floor of a Karachi mall, commits suicide due to unemployment

    Man jumps off 3rd floor of a Karachi mall, commits suicide due to unemployment

    A young man has committed suicide by jumping from the third floor of a mall in Karachi. As per Jang, 27-year-old Zuhair Asim had been unemployed for a very long time.

    According to the details, the deceased was the resident of Ancholi and was the eldest of four siblings.

    FB Industrial Area Station House Officer (SHO) Jamil Abbasi has said that the man likely committed suicide due to unemployment. “He was taken to a private hospital in Karachi’s Gulshan-i-Iqbal area where he was pronounced dead,” the official added.

    In a Facebook post, the management of the mall termed it as an “unfortunate incident.” The statement further said that “an individual jumped before he could be stopped”.

    “The mall authorities immediately took him to the nearest hospital and informed the police, who are now investigating the case,” the statement added.

    Earlier this month, Muhammad Faheem, a former employee of a private media news organisation, committed suicide after being fired from his job. As per reports, he committed suicide due to continuing financial problems.

    Read more- TV channel production operator commits suicide after being fired

    It is pertinent to mention here that inflation in Pakistan has increased to 11.5 per cent from 9.2 per cent, the highest increase in the past 20 months influenced by a record hike in fuel prices last month.

  • Cabinet rejects audit report of Rs40 billion irregularities detected in PM’s Covid package

    Cabinet rejects audit report of Rs40 billion irregularities detected in PM’s Covid package

    Minister of Information Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday rejected the recently released audit report, which shows Rs40 billion irregularities detected in PM’s Covid package.

    “The cabinet rejected the audit report on Covid-19 spending and asked three relevant organisations to give their presentations in this regard,” revealed Fawad in a press conference after the cabinet meeting.

    Fawad said the finance ministry had already rejected the audit report and prime minister’s aide Dr Sania Nishtar had also clarified the position of her organisation, Ehsaas programme.

    The audit report was released last week as Pakistan gave in to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) pressure by releasing the audit report of expenditures incurred on Covid-19.

    The release of the report by the Ministry of Finance was one of the five prior actions that the IMF has asked Pakistan to implement if it wanted to get the $1 billion loan tranche by January next year.