Tag: Pakistan

  • Karachi gets country’s largest COVID-19 vaccination centre

    Karachi gets country’s largest COVID-19 vaccination centre

    Pakistan’s largest COVID-19 vaccination center has been set up in Karachi’s Expo Centre. The facility can accommodate up to 30,000 people on a daily basis.

    As per reports, the Sindh government has established the mega vaccination center at Karachi’s Expo Centre in order to speed up the COVID-19 vaccination process.

    The mega vaccination centre will be operational from May 9 (Sunday) where 30,000 people could get COVID-19 shots in a single day.

    The vaccination centre will directly be supervised by Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah and the vaccination process will take place 24 hours a day.

    The provincial government has also notified that the staff of the private hospital will be on duty while the vaccination centres will remain open sans three eid days as the country faces the rising third wave of the global pandemic.

    According to the notification issued by the Sindh government, except for the three gazetted Eid days, from May 13-15, the vaccination centres will be functional on all federally announced holidays.

    Earlier, the Sindh government also launched free COVID-19 vaccination home service to facilitate elderly citizens.

    The mobile helplines for at-home vaccination are 9123 and 1025. Those calling from a landline phone can dial 021-111-119-123.

    The province has reported 290,756 cases reporting 1,110 in the last 24 hours.

  • Sindh launches home service for COVID-19 vaccination

    Sindh launches home service for COVID-19 vaccination

    The Sindh government has introduced a free COVID-19 home service for coronavirus vaccination to facilitate elderly citizens.

    According to details, the facility is currently being offered to residents of Karachi and Hyderabad only for now.

    The mobile helplines for at-home vaccination are 9123 and 1025. Those calling from a landline phone can dial 021-111-119-123.

    The spokesperson said that people will initially have to register by sending their CNIC number to 1166.

    The vaccines shots available with the government are Sinopharm and Sinovac (CoronaVac).

    Read more – WHO praises Pakistan’s COVID-19 vaccination arrangements

    Meanwhile, the Government of Sindh will also start providing coronavirus vaccine to private hospitals in the province.

  • Amazon’s entry to Pakistan expected to create thousands of jobs

    Amazon’s entry to Pakistan expected to create thousands of jobs

    Amazon has finally added Pakistan to its list of seller countries with Pakistanis now able to create accounts using Pakistani credentials and details.

    As per details, several officials including Aisha Moriani (Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce), Omer Gajial (Ex-Amazon Category Development Head for Amazon North America division), and Shoaib Sarwar (deputy Consul General, Consulate General Pakistan, Los Angeles) along with the team members of NECC (National Ecommerce Council) and Badar Khushnood from Pakistan Software Houses Association have played an important role in this development.

    This is a huge milestone and will transform Pakistan’s economy as more sellers from the country will visit the platform.

    Earlier, advisor to Prime Minister (PM) Iman Khan on Commerce and Trade, Abdul Razak Dawood stressed that e-commerce has changed the business practice and that Pakistan must pay attention to it.

    Besides, after COVID-19 e-commerce practices have increased by many folds, and it is a great oppertunity for women, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs.

    On this occasion, Special Assitant to PM, Dr Shahbaz Gill said: “The contemporary government has achieved a milestone that the country had been unable to achieve for more than ten years.”

    “Pakistan will enter into the global market, and it will generate economic activity of millions, that will also create many employment opportunities, thank you, Imran Khan,” he added.

    In addition, Pakistan’s largest EdTech platform, Extreme Commerce has trained millions of people for Amazon selling and trading and complete e-commerce.

    The company has said that “The new era of e-commerce boom for Pakistan is about to start. Get your agencies ready for more business, aa you are about to get flooded with Pakistani manufacturers and brands who would need your services to take them to Amazon. Do your best, do not let the brand Pakistan down ever again, please.”

    In less than 24-48 hours, Pakistan will hopefully show up in the list of allowed countries for Amazon sellers. You…

    Posted by Extreme Commerce on Wednesday, May 5, 2021

  • Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman among ICC ‘Player of the Month’ nominees

    Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman among ICC ‘Player of the Month’ nominees

    The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday announced nominees for April’s ICC Player of the Month Awards. Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman are among the nominated players.

    ICC introduced the award to recognise the best performances from both male and female cricketers across all formats of international cricket.

    In the month of April, Pakistan captain Babar Azam became the number one ranked batsman in the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings, ending Indian Cricket Team’s captain Virat Kohli’s long reign at the top of the charts.

    Babar’s match-winning 82-ball 94 in the third ODI against South Africa helped him gain 13 rating points to reach a career-best 865 points. He also contributed 122 from 59 balls in Pakistan’s successful chase in the third match of a T20I series against the same opposition.

    His compatriot Fakhar Zaman also produced a stellar showing during the month, scoring two centuries in the ODI series victory over South Africa, including a magnificent 193 in the second match in Johannesburg. 

    Completing the men’s shortlist, Nepal’s Khushal Bhurtel was the leading run-scorer as his team won a tri-series also featuring the Netherlands and Malaysia. His significant contribution with the bat totalled 278 runs, including four half-centuries in five matches.

    Meanwhile, Australia’s Alyssa Healy, her team-mate Megan Schutt and New Zealand’s Leigh Kasperek made it to the Women’s Player of the Month nominees.

    Winners will be announced every second Monday of the month on the ICC’s digital channels. 

    Fans can vote for their favourite players, both male and female on given links by ICC or directly by going to ICC’s website.

  • Police arrest man for throwing four children into canal after dispute over eid clothes

    Police arrest man for throwing four children into canal after dispute over eid clothes

    The police on Tuesday arrested a man in Faisalabad for throwing his four children into a canal at Sheikhupura Road.

    According to details, the man had an argument with his wife four days ago over not having new Eid clothes for their children.

    In a fit of rage, the man took the children and threw them into the canal. Meanwhile, he made his wife believe that he had left them with relatives, said the police.

    When the children did not return, the mother after four days filed a complaint against her husband.

    The police said that when they detained the man, “he confessed to the crime and said he had thrown them into the Bhhikhi canal”.

    Read more – 10 million Pakistanis to fall below poverty line

    District Police Officer Mubashir Maikan said that the children were as young as seven, four, and two, with the youngest being only a year old. Three were girls and one a boy.

    The police added that the man, in his statement to the police, also “cast aspersions on his wife’s character”.

    Maikan said that an operation to search the bodies of the children is underway.

  • PM Khan urges OIC to oppose Islamophobia at all forums

    PM Khan urges OIC to oppose Islamophobia at all forums

    Prime Minister Imran Khan met the Islamabad-based Ambassadors of countries belonging to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Tuesday, briefing them on Pakistan’s efforts at the international level to create awareness about Islamophobia. He also stressed the need to collectively address the occurrences which surface due to it.

    PM Khan stressed that Pakistan’s efforts were always aimed at building a mutual consensus and promoting inter-faith harmony. He noted that Islamophobic acts fan inter-religious hatred and disharmony. “Falsely equating Islam with radicalism and terrorism was leading to the marginalisation and stigmatisation of Muslims,” he added.

    PM emphasised that the vilification of Islamic principles and religious personalities, wrongly justified under the garb of the right to freedom of expression or opinion, hurts the sentiments of 1.5 billion Muslims around the world. He also underlined the need to establish legal safeguards aimed at protecting the sensitivities of all religious groups and said that the OIC has to make a collective effort to project the true image of Islam, and its message of peace and tolerance.

    This comes after TLP’s demand to expel the French Ambassador, resulting in a security situation in the country.

    Video:

  • Nasa Earth releases satellite images of Hingol National Park

    Nasa Earth releases satellite images of Hingol National Park

    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared satellite images of the Hingol National Park, located 120 miles from Karachi. The image was acquired in February this year.

    Read more – NASA shares picture of snow-covered Himalayan ranges from space

    Nasa Earth observatory describes Hingol Park with its “rocky terrain, mountain caves, and beautiful beaches” as “one of the natural wonders of Pakistan”.

    Hingol spans around 6,200 square kilometres (2,400 square miles) across three districts of the Balochistan Province: Lasbela, Awaran, and Gwadar,.

    The park is named after the Hingol River, which flows through this dry region year-round and is the longest in Balochistan. Before emptying into the Arabian Sea, the Hingol flows into an estuary that supports threatened fish, birds, and crocodiles. It is part of the largest national park for the protection of endangered species in the country. The park is also home to wild Sindh Ibex, Balochistan Urial, and Chinkara Gazelle.

    Located approximately 200 kilometers (120 miles) northwest of Karachi, Hingol National Park features several distinct ecosystems. In the north, it includes an arid subtropical forest, while dry, mountainous terrain covers the western portion.

    In the east, the park is renowned for a group of mud volcanoes that spew methane and mud instead of lava. Along the coast, Hingol includes caves, beaches, and a marine ecological zone that is home to dolphins, sea turtles, and mangroves. The water body in the image above is an ephemeral lake near Sapat Beach.

    The park also holds a significance amount for Hindu community because of the Hinglaj Mata Mandar located there.

  • Pakistan is the next IT powerhouse, says JICA

    Pakistan is the next IT powerhouse, says JICA

    Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has said that Pakistan is the “powerhouse of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector” as the country tech exports climbed six times in one decade.

    In JICA’s official statement, digital Pakistan policy 2018 is the key driving factor behind the success of the IT sector in Pakistan. Besides, six-time growth is the highest growth rate in entire South Asia.

    The fundamental reason behind the IT growth is the competitiveness and the presence of a large number of freelancers that are willing to give quality services at affordable rates.

    The report published by JICA was a year-long researched based study that was conducted in collaboration with Pakistan Embassy Tokyo.

    The publication has also placed Pakistan as a new partner for Japanese IT companies. The report gives an overview of the ICT industry in Pakistan, its performance in IT exports, the support structure provided by the Pakistani government, a pool of skilled and young human resource and achievements of a growth-led ecosystem equally owned by public and private sectors.

    This study includes an “IT skills survey 2021”, which found that Pakistani ICT engineers are highly skilled in programming, software development, data processing and analysis, infrastructure architecture and cloud engineering.

    The report also includes feedback on Pakistani ICT engineers already working in Japan who consider Pakistan an untapped market for Japanese IT companies, encouraging them to know more about Pakistan and its collective potential in ICT.

    Ambassador of Pakistan to Japan Imtiaz Ahmad welcomed the project team in March 2020, offering them complete support of the Mission while thanking JICA for its continued support in export and development sectors in Pakistan.

    In the past, the same team of experts from JICA has rolled out various projects for human resource development; value addition in textiles; technical training and water and sanitation infrastructure in Pakistan.

  • Modi Administration exposed – India’s COVID crisis

    Modi Administration exposed – India’s COVID crisis

    The visuals from our next-door neighbour, India, are just horrendous. The record-breaking surge in coronavirus cases and the reports from India have left the entire world in shock. According to the Indian health ministry, 3,689 people have died within the past 24 hours. Last month, India became the first country in the world to register over 400,000 coronavirus infections in a single day. The situation in India continues to get worse. The second wave of coronavirus has exposed the Modi administration.

    The Modi administration gravely mishandled the COVID-19 crisis in India. From declaring a premature victory after the first wave, the Modi government is now downplaying the crisis. According to a report published in the New York Times, “Interviews from cremation grounds across the country, where the fires never stop, portray an extensive pattern of deaths far exceeding the official figures. Nervous politicians and hospital administrators may be undercounting or overlooking large numbers of dead, analysts say. And grieving families may be hiding Covid connections as well, out of shame, adding to the confusion in this enormous nation of 1.4 billion.”

    We have seen how journalists in India are being attacked online for telling the truth. The Modi government, it seems, is more worried about its international image than handling the crisis. From pro-Modi actors like Kangana Ranaut to media channels like Times Now to websites acting like the government’s mouthpieces, we have seen journalists Rana Ayyub and Barkha Dutt being attacked for their journalism. What is worse is how Indian government is also directly involved in intimidating those critising it. The police in Uttar Pradesh (UP) – a state run by BJP’s Yogi Adityanath – filed a criminal case against a man who used Twitter to appeal for an oxygen cylinder for his grandfather. CM Adityanath also asked the UP administration to “crack down” on hospitals that discharge patients due to shortage of oxygen or “complain” about it to the media. Just a week ago, India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said it had asked Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms to remove some posts “in view of the misuse of social media platforms by certain users to spread fake or misleading information”. Such sort of censorship and intimidation just points to one thing: the Modi government is more interested in its image-building than addressing the disastrous COVID-19 crisis. Hospitals across India have run out of beds, oxygen supply is dwindling, the vaccination rollout programme is slow. All of this combined with election rallies and large gatherings that were allowed by the government in recent months led to catastrophic results.

    Pakistan government has offered relief and support to India. Prime Minister Imran Khan as well as others expressed their solidarity with India in this difficult time. We hope and pray that the situation changes for the better in India. 

  • Imran Khan named ‘Personality of the Week’ for ‘efforts against Islamophobia’

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has been voted the ‘Personality of the Week’ by Al-Jazeera’s weekly program Sibaq-ul-Akhbar (News Competition), Radio Pakistan has reported. The primer was selected for his views and efforts to address the issue of Islamophobia.

    PM Imran Khan had recently shared his views on Islamophobia in a series of tweets in which he sent out a message to “extremists abroad” who indulge in Islamophobia, and racist slurs to hurt and cause pain to the Muslims across the globe.

    “We Muslims have the greatest love and respect for our Prophet PBUH who lives in our hearts. We cannot tolerate any such disrespect and abuse,” the permier had said.

    Read more – ‘TLP’s way is not the answer’: PM Khan addresses the nation

    Sibaq-ul-Akhbar is an interactive and live one hour weekly program in Arabic on Al Jazeera TV. It is very popular in Arab countries. During the show, the channel selects three to four top news of the week and subsequently viewers are asked to vote which is the top news story and personality associated with the story. Imran Khan secured 56 percent votes from the viewers.

    Al-Jazeera’s viewers on the Sibaq-ul-Akhbar program held on April 24 voted for PM Khan as Personality of the Week for his candid views on the issue of Islamophobia.