Tag: Pakistan

  • Mobile vaccination program launched for senior citizens in four cities

    The Government of Pakistan has launched a mobile vaccination service for senior citizens aged above 80 years and for differently-abled persons aged above 50. As per reports, the service is initially available in four cities of Punjab including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan.

    Read more – Lahore: 550 doses of COVID-19 vaccine go missing from one hospital, 350 spoiled at another

    The step has been taken to speed up the process of vaccination amid a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in the country.

    “Senior citizens who are 80 years and above and those with disabilities over 50 years of age don’t have to leave home for the vaccine as the government vaccine vans will reach them wherever they are,” said Punjab Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid while talking about the initiative.

    Chief Minister Usman Buzdar urged people to get vaccinated and said “citizens can simply call the health helpline 1033 to get vaccinated at home.”

    Vaccinations for people over 60 years and above commenced on March 10, while registrations for people above 50 started last week on March 30.

    Meanwhile, 5234, people tested positive in the last 24 hours in Pakistan whereas, 83 people have lost their lives to the deadly virus. The positivity rate has jumped to 10.43 %.

  • Pakistan performs poorly, scores 30/100 on freedom of expression report

    Pakistan performs poorly, scores 30/100 on freedom of expression report

    Pakistan has performed poorly with respect to legal and practical protections for the right to freedom of expression of its citizens during 2020, according to a new assessment report published by Media Matters for Democracy.

    The Pakistan Freedom of Expression Report 2020 was launched through a webinar on Wednesday.

    Speaking at the report launch, European Union (EU) Ambassador to Pakistan Androulla Kaminara said the report provides a comprehensive analysis of the state of freedom of expression in Pakistan and highlights some concerning trends.

    “Freedom of Expression is enshrined in the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. It is also one of the important aspects of Pakistan’s GSP plus commitment to upholding the international Human Rights Conventions and a key priority in the Strategic Engagement Plan between EU and Pakistan.”

    “As this report confirms, the situation of journalists and documentation of threats they face through attacks, intimidation and harassment is particularly concerning. Disinformation is another area of concern, and one, which the European Union is working to address both at home and abroad. Misleading or false information can put lives in danger. It is crucial to resolutely counter disinformation with transparent, timely and fact-based communication and thus reinforce the resilience of societies,” she said.

    The report documents the situation of freedom of expression in Pakistan with a new index based on six dimensions namely the legal environment, press freedom, digital expression, pluralism, the socioeconomic and political situation.

    Pakistan scored low on all six dimensions to provide an overall score of only 30 points out of a total of 100 points on the assessment index. This cumulative score fell in the range of “poor” protections for freedom of expression in the country.

    The report found that during the year 2020 Pakistan’s media and Internet regulatory authorities continued to exert arbitrary legal and regulatory restrictions on speech and online content, by ordering bans, suspensions, and advisories against social media apps, entertainment content, and news discussions of social and political issues.

    Journalists remained vulnerable to physical, legal, and digital threats in the absence of long-awaited legislation on journalists’ safety, according to the study.

    The report found that at least eight individuals connected with the media were killed, at least 36 journalists were attacked in the line of duty, 10 were arrested, and as many as 23 instances of arbitrary detentions in connection with news reporting and online expression were recorded across Pakistan during the year.

    Women journalists were especially targeted with coordinated online attacks as they reported on political issues and the government’s pandemic response.

    The report noted that the coronavirus pandemic intensified the challenges to freedom of expression and access to information in Pakistan.

    Internet users were consistently exposed to disinformation while journalists reporting on the pandemic faced physical safety risks and restrictions on access to information sources, and many young citizens without Internet services found themselves abandoned as education systems shifted online, according to the report.

  • Mosques to remain open in Ramzan; Pakistan’s daily COVID-19 cases at eight-month high

    Mosques to remain open in Ramzan; Pakistan’s daily COVID-19 cases at eight-month high

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (PM) on Religious Harmony Maulana Tahir Ashrafi has said that mosques across the country will remain open during the holy month of Ramzan amid the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Statement of the premier’s aide coincided with the country reporting highest daily rise in the number of coronavirus infections in eight months as 4,974 cases in 24 hours took the tally to 672,931.

    At least 98 deaths in a day took the total number of fatalities in the country to 14,530.

    “There is decree of religious scholars that people should get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19,” Ashrafi told reporters in Islamabad on Wednesday.

    He further said that scholars from various schools of thought have assured their full support to follow COVID-19 SOPs during prayers timings in Ramazan.

    There are currently 3,303 critical patients of COVID-19 admitted at different hospitals in the country.

    The country has so far conducted 1,02,47,374 coronavirus tests countrywide.

    The positivity ratio reported in the last 24 hours is 9.93%.

    While complete lockdown is time and again being ruled out by authorities, it merits a mention that last year’s months-long closure of all businesses had come while positivity ratio stood below 8%.

  • Boy from Pakistan’s Sikh community dancing on Pashtun song goes viral

    A young boy from Pakistan’s Sikh community took the internet by storm with his performance of traditional Pashtun dance, ‘Attan’, during a wedding in Pakistan.

    According to details, the boy, Jagraj Singh from Pakistan’s Sikh community in Peshawar danced to the beats of the rubab played by local musician Gurmeet Singh

    The viral video shows the boy wearing a blue kurta, white pants and a black patka showing his dance skills as the audience cheers on him.

  • Polish blogger Aleks Mroz busts Katherine George’s charade

    Polish blogger Aleks Mroz busts Katherine George’s charade

    If you’ve recently been active on social media, chances are you might have come across two pictures of a white woman standing with a group of men and claiming that Pakistan “is a country that loves and respects women”.

    The pictures were tweeted from an account by the name of Katherine George, which has now been deleted. Katherine’s tweets were widely shared by social media users, with some endorsing her statement and others sceptical with her comments and identity.

    Turns out that Katherine George does not exist and her Twitter account was fake. Because pictures shared from that account were actually of Polish travel blogger Aleks Mroz, who took to her Instagaram account to clear the air and set the facts right.

    “I can personally talk about my own experience and the hospitality and kindness I received and it’s true,” said Alex while talking about her experience in Pakistan. “But I can never speak for the Pakistani women and I will never do.”

    “As any other foreigner here, I am the guest in Pakistan and and I can not speak out for local people,” she said further. “The amount of hate spread by one FAKE Twitter post influenced many people’s opinions causing huge harm not only to me (as my face was used in the highly-biased post), to other foreigners who are fully aware of the difference between the perception of a tourist and a local, but also to Pakistani people facing a FAKE white tourist who undermines their voice.”

    “Spreading hatred, ignorance and colour-oriented posts is the LAST thing I would like to do,” she added.

    Mroz also busted Katherine’s pretence, shared her own experience of being a tourist in Pakistan and what she thinks about the safety of local women in Pakistan.

  • Mob attacks 100-year-old Hindu temple in Rawalpindi

    Mob attacks 100-year-old Hindu temple in Rawalpindi

    A group of unidentified people attacked a century-old Hindu temple undergoing renovation in Rawalpindi.

    Read more – Nine people arrested after mob sets ablaze Hindu temple in Karak

    The incident took place in Rawalpindi’s Purana Qila area on Saturday when 10 to 15 people attacked the temple damaging the main door and another door in the upper storey as well as the staircase, according to a complaint registered with the police.

    As per reports, the encroachment mafia had occupied the surroundings of the temple for a long time by setting up stalls and shops there. The district administration had earlier removed all encroachments with help of the police.

    The security officer of the Evacuee Trust Property Board Northern Zone Syed Raza Abbas Zaidi filed the FIR at Pindi’s Banni police station stating that the renovation work on the temple was underway for the last one month.

    He said there were some encroachments in front of the temple which were removed on March 24.

    However, religious rites have not been initiated in the temple nor were there any idol or any other religious item.

    Read more – 1,300-year-old Hindu temple discovered in KP

    Zaidi has demanded legal action against the people who had damaged the temple.

  • State Bank clears air surrounding forthcoming legislation; no, it won’t bankrupt Pakistan

    State Bank clears air surrounding forthcoming legislation; no, it won’t bankrupt Pakistan

    Deputy governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Dr Murtaza Syed has clarified that repayment of loans isn’t a priority on the list of objectives the central bank plans to achieve if it is granted autonomy under forthcoming legislation.

    He was responding to The Current’s query during a meeting of SBP bigwigs, including Governor Dr Reza Baqir, with digital broadcasters amid widespread rumours about a future with an autonomous central bank in Pakistan.

    Besides opposition members, renowned Economist Dr Kaiser Bengali had earlier warned that “the SBP ordinance, which is likely to be introduced soon, is anti-national and could lead to no accountability of central bank officials besides ultimately resulting in the collapse of the country”.

    “Our objectives are controlling inflation, ensuring financial stability and promoting the government’s policies of development and growth,” he said.

    Earlier, SBP Governor Baqir also clarified the air surrounding what he said was not an ordinance but a bill to be presented before the parliament for discussion.

    He said that it wasn’t the first time that amendments to the SBP Act will be discussed.

    “The SBP Act was previously amended in 1994, 1997, 2012 and 2015. Changing the Act does not mean that it cannot be changed again and the parliament has the power to withdraw amendments to the SBP Act,” the SBP governor said.

    However, he added, that clarity in the bill to avoid any sort of troubles in the future was important.

    “The aim of the proposed law is to limit interference in the operations of the SBP. In turn, the bank will be asked what it did to achieve its objectives. Accountability would not be possible if the goals remain unclear. Excess currency printing and lending to the government causes inflation. With the amendments to the Act, this will not be allowed to happen.”

    He said that discipline would have to be exercised to end borrowing, adding that it was easier to ask the SBP to print more money instead of raising taxes.

    “Relying on the SBP does not solve the government’s problems. In the last year and a half, the government has not taken any loan from the SBP. A country that repays loans by printing notes witnesses increased inflation,” he reiterated.

    The SBP governor said that in the past, governments had repeatedly printed excess money, the effects of which are still seen today. The current inflation is not due to monetary policy, but because of administrative shortcomings.

    “If the current government had made the SBP print more money, inflation would have been even higher.”

    Addressing concerns that under the new law authorities won’t be able to hold SBP officials accountable, Dr Murtaza clarified the only difference would be that anti-graft bodies would require permission from the bank’s board beforehand to proceed on allegations.

    He also vowed that the bank would ensure complete transparency in any such instance, which he maintained was also a common practice across the globe.

    SBP members, including Dr Inayat Hussain and Abid Qamar, as well as Information Ministry officials were also present during the session.

  • Chakwal resident spends Rs35,000 to cancel Rs300 fine

    Chakwal resident spends Rs35,000 to cancel Rs300 fine

    A citizen hailing from  Punjab’s Chakwal district spent over Rs 35,000 challenging a traffic violation ticket worth Rs300 for using improper number plates on his vehicle. The challan was issued to him by the National Highway & Motorway Police (NHMP).

    As per reports, the petitioner Mohammed Noman Awan had to involve a lawyer, bear his travel expenses and deposit a court fee to register a writ petition against NHMP. He has approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to withdraw that challan.

    The petitioner challenged the NHMP act on the basis that there was no specific violations in the Motorway Ordinance under which vehicles on Motorway with improper/duplicate number plates was illegal.

    An official of the NHMP on February 27, 2021, had stopped Noman’s vehicle when he entered the M2 (Lahore-Islamabad) section of the Motorway from Balkasar Interchange.

    Motorway official told him that he was not using specified number plates on his vehicle. However, the police official could not state the exact law under which plying of vehicles on the Motorway with such number plates was a violation.

    Talking to Gulf News on Sunday, Advocate Saad Bin Safdar, the lawyer for the petitioner,  said it was not a matter of Rs 300 but it involved a substantial question of law and the petitioner had asked for the IHC’s involvement for its explanation.

    “Under the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1956, only Motor Vehicle Registration Authority issues specific registration number plates that are computerised and of similar size and shape. For the motorists plying their vehicles in Punjab it is mandatory to use these plates on their vehicles. However, since Motorway falls under federal government’s jurisdiction, Punjab’s or any other province’s laws don’t apply there,” said Bin Safdar.

    Moreover, he said it is the basic principle of the criminal law that no conduct may be held as criminal unless it is precisely described in a penal law in the shape of unambiguous statutory text, he said.

    Justice Babar Sattar after hearing the petitioner has asked the Inspector General of the NHMP to submit a detailed reply by April 29.

  • COVID-19: Punjab to impose lockdown in districts with over 12% positivity rate

    COVID-19: Punjab to impose lockdown in districts with over 12% positivity rate

    The Punjab government has decided to impose lockdowns in districts with a COVID-19 positivity rate of more than 12 per cent from April 1 to control the spread of the virus.

    Talking to media, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said  the lockdown will continue till April 11. He added that this will be reviewed by the cabinet committee on COVID-19 after seven days.

    The Punjab districts with a positivity rate higher than 12pc, as of March 28, include:

    Lahore – 17pc

    Faisalabad – 15pc

    Rawalpindi – 15pc

    Multan – 12pc

    Sargodha – 12pc

    Sialkot – 12pc

    Districts/cities with positivity higher than 8% are:

    Buzdar stated that the provincial government will not enforce any limitations on economic activities or industries. “The construction, transport, goods and industrial sectors will continue to operate as per regular according to standard operating procedures (SOPs),” he said.

    A complete ban will be imposed on wedding events and other gatherings in the province. “It was also decided to close down the mass transit transport system which includes the Orange Line Metro Train and the Speedo bus service.”

    There will be also a complete ban on indoor and outdoor dining at all restaurants and hotels, Buzdar said. “However, takeaway and home delivery will be allowed.”

    He said that the same restrictions will be applied  on sporting, cultural and social activities. “Parks will be closed. Commercial timings for bazaars and markets will be till 6pm, while shops will remain closed two days of the week.”

    Buzdar urged people to follow SOPs strictly. “You will protect yourself and your family members by wearing face masks,” he said.

    Pakistan is currently fighting against the third wave of COVID-19 with a total tally of 659,116.  The country reported 4,525 cases and 41 deaths on Monday.

  • Islamabad police rescue children, manage hostage crisis successfully

    Islamabad Police on Sunday rescued two children and arrested the suspect, handling a hostage crisis successfully.

    As per reports, a man forcefully entered a house in the Bara Kahu area of Islamabad and held two children hostage in order to avoid arrest at the hands of the law enforcement authorities (LEAs).

    The police after a successful operation rescued the children and arrested the suspect. The capital police also shared a video of the incident on social media that shows the suspect getting arrested and being shifted with his face covered.

    https://twitter.com/amnaappi/status/1376231401595502592?s=20

    The police also lauded SP Hamza Humayun for successfully leading the operation to rescue the children and managing the entire hostage crisis.

    The two children held hostage were aged three and two years and have been handed over to their parents. One person was injured after the suspect opened fire on him.

    The police have started an inquiry into the entire matter, besides also recording the testimonies of the eye-witnesses in the neighbourhood.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlxxkKBVneg