Tag: Pakistan

  • Karachi police helpline received almost 800,000 bogus calls in 2020

    Karachi police helpline received 34,941,33 calls on Madadgar-15 in 2020, out of which about 798,000 turned out to be either bogus or prank calls.

    According to an annual report of the police helpline, the Karachi police acting on 27,265,00 complaints arrested 474 suspects, captured 127 pistols, recovered 138 stolen and snatched bikes, 26 four-wheelers, 65 cell phones, 78,000 wristwatches, jewellery and other valuables.

    It said the police’s average time of responding to calls on Madadgar-15 reduced to seven minutes from 40 minutes after the helpline’s revival.

    A police official advised people to make calls to the helpline only in case of any emergency.

  • Pakistan students win top 2 prizes at global tech competition

    Pakistan students win top 2 prizes at global tech competition

    Pakistani students have won the top two positions at the Huawei ICT Competition Middle East 2020.

    The team of three Pakistani students, Kalim Ullah (MS IT SEECS-NUST), Maria Aftab (MS IT, SEECS-NUST) and Asadullah (Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro), won first place in the competition in the Middle East category of the tech contest and qualified for the final global competition.

    According to details, a virtual event happened this year in which more than 15,000 students and 440 universities from all over the world participated.

    The final leg included 13 teams from 27 universities in which Pakistan’s team emerged victorious, winning prizes that include US$20,000 prize money, laptops smartphones and also a chance to join Huawei Pakistan.

    The winning students are from National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) and Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro.

    The students were glad that the Chinese tech company offered them a learning opportunity during the pandemic that affected the global education system.

    Thousands of students from Pakistan applied for the contest but only 500 were selected.

    “The list was further narrowed down to 150 students” who were offered free training and virtual classes during the preliminary round

    Lastly, the best 30 students from Pakistan were finalized for the final national round and the top six were shortlisted for the competition.

  • 2020 rewind: News that brought a smile to our faces

    2020 rewind: News that brought a smile to our faces

    2020 has pretty much been all about COVID-19 and the pandemic. The year has perhaps been one of the most challenging ones in recent times and has been difficult for everyone. As the year nears its end, The Current decided to look back and reflect upon some happy moments which brought a smile to our faces.

    Kaavan’s Relocation to Cambodia

    After spending years chained in Islamabad Zoo, the world’s former ‘loneliest elephant’ Kaavan was relocated to a local sanctuary in Cambodia where he will spend the rest of his days in the open and among his own. Kaavan’s freedom was assisted by American singer Cher, who came to Pakistan to personally see Kaavan off. She also welcomed the elephant in Cambodia with a very cute nameplate.

    As per the latest details, Kaavan has found new friends in Cambodia and has been spotted enjoying himself at his new home.

    Kavaan’s case and relocation also paved the way for other animals to be relieved of their plight. A few weeks after he left, two brown Himalayan bears at the Islamabad Zoo Suzie and Babloo were sent to a sanctuary in Jordan where they will be rehabilitated and nursed to health. Following their departure, the Islamabad Zoo was shut down.

    Tough anti-rape law

    The federal cabinet approved tough new anti-rape law under which special courts will be established to speed up rape trials and convicted rapists and perpetrators will be chemically castrated. It also prohibits the disclosure of the identity of rape victims and will create a national sex offenders’ register.

    Increased exports

    Pakistan’s exports for the month of November passed the $2 billion mark amid a resurgence of economic activity after the coronavirus lockdown. As per reports, Pakistan’s move to loosen pandemic restrictions early has helped the nation’s exports emerge stronger than its South Asian peers including India and Bangladesh.

    Construction of Hindu Temple

    The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) approved the construction of a new temple for minority Hindus, ruling that Islamic law allows minorities a place of worship. The CII also allowed the government to hand over the temple site as well as its adjoining Dharamshala (community centre) in Saidpur village of Islamabad to the Hindu community “so that it can offer religious rites as per their beliefs”. Many people including celebrities like Hamza Ali Abbasi lauded the initiative.

    Mahira Khan, Dr Sania Nishtar among BBC’s ‘100 women of 2020’

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Dr Sania Nishtar and Mahira Khan were listed among BBC’s ‘100 women of 2020‘. According to the publication, the list included “100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2020”.

    “This year 100 Women is highlighting those who are leading change and making a difference during these turbulent times,” said the publication.

    While Mahira was lauded for her outspoken views against sexual violence, refusal to endorse skin-lightening creams and supporting the fight against racism, Dr Nishtar was honoured for “spearheading the transformative Ehsaas Poverty Alleviation programme, which has improved the livelihoods of millions of Pakistanis by providing mobile banking and savings accounts, and other basic resources.”

    It is pertinent to add here that Mahira was also part of the inaugural Forbes Asia’s 100 Digital Stars list, along with Aiman Khan and Atif Aslam. The list highlighted celebrities from across the Asia Pacific region who have taken the digital world by storm.

    Have more good news to share? Let us know in the comments.

  • Did you know Pierre Cardin also designed uniforms for PIA?

    Did you know Pierre Cardin also designed uniforms for PIA?

    Legendary French fashion designer Pierre Cardin passed away at the age of 98 on Tuesday at a hospital in Neuilly in western Paris.

    Confirming the news, his family in a statement said: “It is a day of great sadness for all our family. Pierre Cardin is no more. Italian by birth, Pierre Cardin never forgot his origins while bringing unconditional love to France.”

    Despite coming from a lower middle-class background, Cardin managed to make big name for himself in the fashion industry, particularly in the 1960s and ’70s, when he upended traditional fashion with his futuristic, avant-garde looks. He became known for his visionary creations, shaking up fashion with bubble dresses and geometrical designs.

    During that time, Cardin also made contributions to the Pakistani fashion industry and designed uniforms for Pakistan International Airline’s (PIA) staff. According to the website history of PIA, uniforms designed by Cardin were the official uniform of PIA’s staff from 1966 to 1975.

    “In 1966, Pierre Cardin, the renowned French fashion designer, came up with the legendary fawn colour uniform for summer and moss green uniform for winter,” reads a post on the website. “The uniform consisted of a short, easy fitting “A” line tunic, slim-line trousers and imaginatively moulded dupatta that not only covered heads but also turned heads.”

    “The uniform became an instant hit and the slim-line trousers were dubbed as ‘PIA Pajamas’. Fashion-conscious young ladies, all across Pakistan, copied Cardin’s design eagerly,” it adds.

  • 8 Pakistani women among world’s ‘100 outstanding nurses and midwives’

    Eight women from Pakistan have been listed among the World’s 100 outstanding Nurses and Midwives.

    To acknowledge the work of nurses and midwives amidst a global pandemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Nursing Now, International Council of Nurses (ICN), International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), and Women in Global Health (WGH), have compiled a list of World’s 100 Outstanding Nurses and Midwives.

    The list features the achievements and contributions of nurses and midwives from 43 countries and across six global regions.

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also congratulated the women on being recognised for their work.

    Here are the details of five of the eight women who made it to the list :

    Rozina Karmaliani, Board & Management – Midwife Nurse

    Dr Rozina Karmaliani is a Professor and Interim Dean at the School of Nursing and Midwifery and joint faculty with the Department of Community Health Sciences at Aga Khan University (AKU). Dr Rozina Karmaliani has spent decades working to inspire and empower others. Her efforts are currently focused on improving adolescent health, the development and strengthening of research capacities, and the integration of research into education and practice.

    Samina Vertejee, Community Hero – Nurse

    Samina Vertejee is an Assistant Professor at Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery (AKUSONAM). She brings together her practical and academic expertise to effect policy change for the care of older people. Recognising the gap in knowledge needed to properly care for Pakistan’s ageing population, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic due to their unique vulnerabilities, Vertejee has taken up the challenge at the policy level to improve the welfare of the country’s growing number of older people.

    Saima Sachwani, Human Capital Development: Midwife Nurse

    Ms Sachwani is an Assistant Professor and Section Head of the Public Health Stream, Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery (AKUSONAM). As a determined public health advocate and educator, her current focus is on creating awareness about the role of nurses in helping achieve universal health coverage. She was the first in Pakistan to introduce simulation into the community health nursing curriculum, with a lasting positive impact on teaching.

    Yasmin Nadeem Parpio, Community Hero: Nurse

    Yasmin Nadeem Parpio is an Assistant Professor at Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery (AKUSONAM). Yasmin works tirelessly to strengthen nursing curricula and to optimise the learning experiences of nursing students. She is currently undertaking a PhD on the subject of how building social skills among adolescents can reduce stress and improve resilience and quality of life. She also works on a voluntary basis with the local geriatric population, arranging regular educational sessions and working on yearly activity plans, and has established a peer support group.

    Marina Baig, Innovation, Science & Health: MidwifeNurse

    Marina Baig is a senior instructor at the Aga Khan University (AKU) School of Nursing and Midwifery. Her work on the use of mobile health (mHealth) technology to improve antenatal care coverage and skilled delivery in rural settings is exemplary and could serve as an innovative strategy in improving maternal health outcomes. Her contributions in developing an interactive e-book on women-centred reproductive health care focused on family planning and post-abortion care has been recognised as another key development in midwifery education in Pakistan.

  • International furniture brand ‘IKEA’ is coming to Pakistan

    IKEA, a multinational conglomerate that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture, is ready to launch its operations in Pakistan, Pakistan’s ambassador to Germany Dr Mohammad Faisal has announced.

    Dr Faisal said that he recently met with an official of IKEA, Dieter Mettke who will lead the launching of IKEA’s operations in Pakistan.

    “Met Dieter Mettke IKEA Deutschland. He is going to Pakistan to be in charge of Ikea operations,” Ambassador Faisal had written in a now-deleted tweet. “We look forward to Ikea opening up stores in major cities of Pakistan.”

    Read more – In a first, Hugo Boss places sportswear order with Pakistan

    Founded in Sweden in 1943 by 17-year-old Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA is one of the world’s largest furniture retailer since 2008. It has 271 stores in Europe, 65 in North America, 14 in the Middle East, 11 in Oceania, 2 in Africa and 82 in Asia. In August 2018, IKEA launched its sore in India. IKEA opened its first store in 1958 in Älmhult, Sweden.

  • ہنس کیوں رہی ہو؟

    مجھے یاد ہے میرے بچپن سے ہی میرے ماں باپ پریشان تھے کے اتنی لا ابالی سی لڑکی، اتنی ہنستی مسکراتی لڑکی اگر لڑکوں میں پڑھی ، تو بڑا مسئلہ ہو جائے گا۔ میری ہنسی کی آواز بچپن سے ہی کم کروانے کی کوشش کی گئی تھی ۔ لیکن میرا مسئلہ ہی یہ تھا کہ مجھے ہنسی آتی ہی بہت تھی، آخر کہاں تک کنٹرول کر پاتی ۔ میرے قہقے سکول میں کافی مشہور ہوگئے ۔ کافی بار ٹیچرز نے بھی کہہ ڈالا کہ ” لڑکیاں اس طرح نہیں ہنستی ” اس وقت تو میں نے دھیان نہیں دیا کیونکہ بچپن تھا ، زندگی مست تھی ۔ لیکن بڑی ہوتی گئی تو احساس ہوا کہ لڑکیاں اس طرح ہنسیں، یا اس طرح ، لڑکیوں کا ہنسنا کسی طور بھی ٹھیک نہیں۔ میری ہنسی کے پیشِ نظر مجھے آل گرلز کالج میں بھیجا گیا ۔ مقصد یہی تھا کہ کہیں میری شوخ و چنچل طبیعت اور ہنسی کی وجہ سے کوئی مسئلہ نہ ہو جائے۔

    پہلے تو مجھے اپنے والدین پر حیرانگی ہوئی تھی لیکن پھر احساس ہوا کہ او ہو ! میری ہنسی یا مسکراہٹ کا تو کچھ اور ہی مطلب نکل آتا ہے۔ میری طرح اور بھی خواتین اس بات سے متفق ہونگی کہ ہمارے ہنسنے پر پورا کمرہ، پورا محلۤہ بلکہ پوری کائنات الرٹ ہو جاتی ہے۔ کہ آخر یہ ہنس کیوں رہی ہے ؟ کبھی کبھی یوں ہی بیٹھے ہوئے چہرے پر مسکراہٹ آجائے تو گھر والے اور رشتہ دار پوچھ بیٹھتے ہیں  ” کیا بات ہے ” ، کس کے بارے میں سوچ رہی ہو۔ اتنا مسکرا کیوں رہی ہو؟”  بے شک آپ اس وقت دال چاول کے بارے میں ہی سوچ رہے ہوں ، وہ کچھ اور ہی سوچیں گے ۔ والدین کو بتا کر  بھی کسی دوست سے فون پر بات کرتے ہوئے ہنسی نکل جائے تو والدین فوراَ پوچھتے ہیں  ” اتنا ہنس کیوں رہی ہو؟”

    جب کالج میں قدم رکھے ،تو لڑکیاں ہی نظر آئیں آس پاس ۔ تب کالج کے کوریڈور میں میں نے قہقہ مارا تو میری بہت ہی پسندیدہ ٹیچر نے میری کلاس لی کہ یہ کوریڈور میں ایسے کیوں ہنس رہی ہو؟

    جب سہیلیوں کے ساتھ باہر جانے کی اجازت ملی تو ہنستے ہوئے کئی بار احساس ہوا کہ لوگوں کی نظریں مجھ پر ٹک جاتی ہیں۔ والدین کی سختی کی وجہ سے میری زندگی میں میک اپ کافی دیر میں آیا اس لیے اور بھی حیرت ہوتی تھی کہ میرے چہرے پہ کیا ہے جو اتنا غور ہو رہا ہے ؟ پھر وقت کے ساتھ احساس ہوا کہ او ہو ! لوگ خاص کر کے مرد حضرات کو یہ لگتا ہے کہ ہنستی ہوئی لڑکی ان کی توجہ چاہتی ہے ۔ اور زیادہ تر مرد حضرات “ہنسی تو پھنسی ”  کو اپنے دین کا حصۤہ سمجھتے ہیں ۔ لڑکی کو بے شک اپنے آپ پر ہی ہنسی آ رہی ہو ، وہ یہی سوچ لیتے ہیں کہ یہ ہنسی ہمارے لیے ہی ہے۔

    کالج کے بعد رشتوں کا مرحلہ شروع ہوا ۔ والدہ نے ایک بار کہا  “بیٹا زیادہ ہنسنا نہیں ” ۔ تو میں بڑی مشکل سے منہ بسور کے بیٹھ گئی ۔ پھر اگلی بار کہا ” بیٹا تھوڑا ہنس ہی لیا کرو” ۔ تو جب میں نے ہنس کے دکھا دیا تو سب گھورنے لگ گئے کہ یہ ہنس کیوں رہی ہے ؟  اگر کوئی لڑکی رشتہ ہونے پر خوش ہو جائے اور منگنی پر خدا نا خواستہ ہنس پڑے تو سب صدمے کی حالت میں بول پڑتے ہیں ” یہ اتنا کیوں ہنس رہی ہے؟” کوئی لڑکی شادی پر ہنس پڑے ،تو بھی یہی سوال ہوتا ہے کہ “یہ ہنس کیوں رہی ہے؟”

    ہاں جی لڑکیاں ہنستی ہیں ۔ ہم لڑکیوں کو ہنسنا اچھا لگتا ہے ۔ہم اپنے لیے ہنستی ہیں ۔ ہم کھل کے قہقے لگاتی ہیں ۔ کبھی ہم کو بھولی بھٹکی یاد پر ہنستی ہیں ، کبھی کسی کی بات پر ۔ کبھی اپنی کسی بیوقوفی پر ہنستی ہیں ، اور کبھی اپنی کسی کامیابی پر ۔ کبھی کسی تلخ حقیقت کو چھپانے کے لیے ہنستی ہیں اور کبھی آنسئوو کو۔ لیکن اگر نہیں ہنستی تو آپ کے لیے نہیں ہنستی ۔ جی آپ جو ایک ہنستی ہوئی لڑکی کو برداشت نہیں کر پاتے ۔ جی آپ، جو ایک ہنستی ہوئی لڑکی کر بارے میں طرح طرح کے خیال بنا لیتے ہیں ۔ جی آپ ، جن کے لیے لڑکی کا ہنسنا عزت بے عزتی کا مسئلہ بن جاتا ہے ۔ جی آپ یہ اطمینان کر لیں کہ لڑکی اگر ہنستی ہے، تو اپنے لیے ۔ صرف اور صرف اپنی ذات کے لیے ۔ آپ کے لیے نہیں ۔ تو اسے ہنسنے دیں ، خوش رہنے دیں ۔ کچھ نہیں کر سکتے تو اپنی نظر ہٹا لیں تاکہ آپ کو مسلئہ نہ ہو۔۔۔

  • Middle East Monitor apologises for report on Zulfi Bukhari; Israel confirms ‘no ties with Pakistan’

    Middle East Monitor apologises for report on Zulfi Bukhari; Israel confirms ‘no ties with Pakistan’

    Not-for-profit press monitoring organisation Middle East Monitor has apologised for a report claiming that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s aide Zulfi Bukhari visited Israel, whereas a minister in Tel Aviv has also clarified that the country in Asia that could soon normalise relations with his country is not Pakistan.

    As per the details, Bukhari, who is the premier’s special assistant on overseas Pakistanis, tweeted some documents, including a letter by the news media outlet wherein it had categorically acknowledged the reporting error and apologised.

    “We have removed the offending item,” the letter read, saying that it had been sourced from several foreign media outlets.

    “We accept Mr Bukhari’s refutation of the claims made in the report and sincerely apologise for the inconvenience it has caused,” concluded the letter dated December 23.

    The development was followed by an Israeli cabinet minister also confirming that there was a fifth Muslim-majority country in Asia that was likely to soon normalise relations with Tel Aviv, but it was not Islamabad.

    Speaking to the Israeli news outlet Ynet TV, Regional Cooperation Minister Ofir Akunis acknowledged that there is a potential for two more countries to normalise relations with Israel. He predicted that “there will be an American announcement about another country that is going public with the normalisation of relations with Israel and, in essence, with the infrastructure for an accord — a peace accord”.

    One of those countries is reportedly in the Gulf, but he ruled out Saudi Arabia, therefore leaving many to believe it could be Oman. The other country is further to the east of Israel towards Asia, and is a “Muslim country that is not small”.

    Okif dismissed the possibility of it being Pakistan, however, which many have suspected following PM Imran Khan admitting that “friendly” nations had been pressuring Islamabad to establish diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv.

    Those “friendly” nations are thought to be Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), particularly after Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told the UAE earlier this week that the country “will not and cannot establish a relationship with Israel until a concrete and permanent solution to the Palestine issue is found”.

    The attributes described by Okif leave Afghanistan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh as the only remaining Muslim-majority countries that are “not small” and do not already have open ties with Israel.

  • Pakistan govt coordinating with manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccine

    Pakistan govt coordinating with manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccine

    The federal government has informed the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) that it is coordinating with leading manufacturers of COVID-19  vaccines, including those from China. 

    Officials said that they are reviewing developments frequently including data from phase three of the COVID-19 vaccine trials.

    The NCOC was further informed that the steps being taken will conclude to a final decision about vaccine availability in Pakistan. 

    As per reports, Pakistan signed up for the United Nation’s COVAX Facility, a global initiative intended at equitable and unbiased access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. 

    There are also various local and China-made vaccine trials being conducting across the country. The human trials of a vaccine being developed by Chinese Company CanSino Biologics Inc started on September 22 and has over 13,000 volunteers across Pakistan. 

    In November, Federal Minister for Planning and Development and the NCOC chief Asad Umar said that the federal cabinet has approved procurement of the vaccines that are expected to reach sometime between January and March in 2021.

    Pakistan has reported 462,814 cases so far.

  • HEC introduces e-services for online degree attestation

    HEC introduces e-services for online degree attestation

    The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has introduced online degree attestation.  As per details, all students seeking degree attestation should apply on their website via http://eservices.hec.gov.pk.

    In a statement, the HEC HEC informed that the attestation process would no longer function on the previous link, adding that the old applicants would use their formerly verified username and password to log-in to the ‘e-services’.

    This online verification and attestation service is Pakistan’s first electronic verification service. Students can go to the website and upload the relevant documents to get their degrees attested.

    Earlier in an interview with The Current, Federal Minister for Education, Shafqat Mahmood had said that HEC was working to facilitate students and make life easier for them.