Tag: Pakistan

  • COVID-19: Shopping malls, restaurants, shops & marriage halls to close by 10 pm

    COVID-19: Shopping malls, restaurants, shops & marriage halls to close by 10 pm

    The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has announced new coronavirus restrictions for cities and districts where COVID-19 cases have increased.

    According to a notification issued by the NCOC, all shopping malls, restaurants, shops and marriage halls are to shut by 10 pm from Thursday. The authority also directed public parks and recreational spots to be closed by 6 pm from Thursday.

    The cities where there restrictions have been imposed include Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Hyderabad, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Peshawar and Quetta.

    Meanwhile, the NCOC has also made it mandatory to wear face masks in confined spaces (indoors, public transport, outdoor crowded settings like markets and bus stands, railway stations, etc) and ordered the provincial governments to take strict actions against violators. The government has also said that those violating the order will be fined Rs6,000 to Rs35,000 and punishment of six-month imprisonment.

    NCOC Chairman Asad Umar also appealed to the people to take the virus seriously and follows the SOPs.

    It has emerged that a rise in coronavirus cases was recorded up to 80 percent in eleven major cities including Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Quetta, Multan, Hyderabad, Gilgit and Muzaffarabad.

    Pakistan has reported 331,108 coronavirus cases so far with with 3.08% positivity rate.

  • PTI govt to auction gifts, including golden gun, Rs1.7 crores watch, Rs1.4 crores diamond set

    PTI govt to auction gifts, including golden gun, Rs1.7 crores watch, Rs1.4 crores diamond set

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is set to auction various items from the Toshakhana of the Cabinet Division.

    Toshakhana is a word of Persian origin that literally translates into “treasure-house”. In Mughal ruled India, Toshakhana was a place where princes stored gifts and emblems of honour that they received for their posterity, whereas in modern times, it is where gifts received from foreign dignitaries or countries are kept.

    The items being auctioned by the government range from an L.U. Chopard watch worth Rs17.5 million (Rs1 crore and 75 lacs) and a Rolex watch worth Rs3.5 million (35 lacs) to a Rs600,000 gold-coloured gun.

    A diamond set worth Rs14.827 million, which includes a necklace costing Rs8.3 million (83 lacs), earrings worth Rs966,900, a Rs382,300 ring and a Rs5.17 million (5.1 lacs) bangle, is also being auctioned.

    The items will be available only for the officers of the federal government and armed forces to bid on when the auction starts on November 4, a Cabinet Division notification said.

    TOSHAKHANA REFERENCE:

    Meanwhile, a corruption case involving the Toshakhana is also ongoing.

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has accused former president Asif Ali Zardari and former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif of getting cars from ex-PM Yousaf Raza Gillani in an illegal way.

    While an accountability court has ordered to seize properties and assets, including cars and bank accounts, of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif in the said case, NAB says Zardari only paid 15 per cent cost of the said cars and that too through fake accounts.

    “Libya and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also gifted him [Zardari] cars when he was serving as the president,” a NAB prosecutor told the court last month, claiming that Zardari kept these cars for personal use instead of submitting them to the Toshakhana, which is must as per law.

  • National Assembly body approves bill securing leave for fathers on birth of child

    National Assembly body approves bill securing leave for fathers on birth of child

    The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Law and Justice has approved a bill allowing one-month paternity leave to fathers on the birth of their child.

    According to reports, the bill says the mother will get a six-month leave and the father will be eligible for a leave of one-month on the birth of their first child. On the birth of the second child, the mother will get a four-month leave and the father will get a one-month leave.

    The father will also get a one-month leave for their third child’s birth and the mother will get a three-month leave.

    The bill that will be applicable only in Islamabad also states that the father will be able to get paternity leaves for the birth of the first three children only.

    “The law will apply to all government and non-government institutions in the federal capital,” said Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) lawmaker Shazia Marri.

    Taking to Twitter, the lawmaker from Sanghar said the bill was moved by Senator Quratulain Marri, her sister, a year ago.

    “Extremely happy and immensely proud to share that two important bills moved by Senator Quratulain Marri have finally been passed by the NA standing committee on Law & Justice after their passage from Senate,” she wrote.

    Under the laws applicable to the provinces of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, mothers are granted a maternity leave of 12 weeks. In contrast, Sindh allows for a maternity leave of 16 weeks.

    According to Section 4 of West Pakistan Maternity Benefit Ordinance, 1958, the maternity leave is awarded with full pay. The qualifying condition is that the women must be working in enterprise at least four months prior to the date of delivery of her child.

    The Senate had in January this year passed the Maternity and Paternity Leave Bill, 2018, which made it mandatory for employers to grant paid maternity and paternity leave to employees.

  • VIDEO: Leopard spotted near Margalla Hills in Islamabad

    VIDEO: Leopard spotted near Margalla Hills in Islamabad

    Tourists spotted a leopard roaming around Margalla Hills road late Tuesday night while they were enroute to Daman-e-Koh.

    A video recorded by one of the travellers shows the leopard walking on the side of road, hide in the bushes then come back to the road. 

    As per reports, the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board said that the leopard belongs to Margalla Hills National Park. 

    Read more – Fact Check: Did a leopard really attack a pet dog in Islamabad?

    Authorities said the wild cats often make their way to the roads late at night and warned people travelling to Daman-e-Koh and Pir Sohawa to be careful. Leopards often make their way out on roads late at night.

  • Punjab gets its most expensive vehicle ever; Rs45 lacs paid as registration alone

    Punjab gets its most expensive vehicle ever; Rs45 lacs paid as registration alone

    The Punjab Excise and Taxation (E&T) Department in Lahore has registered the most expensive luxury car in its history, The Express Tribune reported.

    As per the details, the car, a Lamborghini Huracan Spyder worth a whopping Rs115 million (Rs11 crores and 50 lacs), was registered for Rs4.5 million (Rs45 lacs).

    Initially, the provincial department had refused to register the luxury vehicle, saying that its system did not recognise car purchases of over Rs100 million (Rs10 crores).

    However, the department then upgraded its system and amended relevant laws to be able to register the sports car.

    “Lamborghini Huracan Spyder comes with 5.2L engine, and it is famous for its unique exterior. The car has specially designed wings at the front so that it can reach its maximum speed easily. This is the reason this car has an aerodynamic smaller front and a bit wider back. Furthermore, it has parking sensors and air intake vents at the front,” according to the supercar’s review on PakWheels.com.

    Before Huracan Spyder, the most expensive car registered in Punjab was of Mercedes GT Series. The price of that car was nearly Rs100 million. The excise department charged Rs3.5million as a registration fee of that vehicle, according to media reports.

    In September 2018, an 18k gold foil Lamborghini Aventador S had arrived in Islamabad, which quickly became the talk of the town when the owner Kunwar Moeez Khan, a property tycoon, shared its photos on social media.

  • ‘Only Turkey, not even China, supported Pakistan at FATF,’ Indian media reports claim

    ‘Only Turkey, not even China, supported Pakistan at FATF,’ Indian media reports claim

    After the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) decided to keep Pakistan in the grey-list till February, Indian media reports have claimed that Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkey was the only country to back Pakistan at the plenary meeting of the global anti-money laundering watchdog while China bailed out.

    The FATF, also known by its French name, Groupe d’action financière, is an intergovernmental organisation that combats money laundering. In 2001, its mandate was expanded to include terrorism financing.

    Pakistan was placed on the FATF’s grey list in 2018 whereas in February 2019, the country had secured an extra four months to complete the plan after missing 13 of the 27 targets set by the global watchdog.

    According to reports, Turkey, during October 23’s plenary, proposed a special visit to Islamabad to make an onsite assessment of the Imran Khan government’s implementation to plug holes in its legal framework to curb terror financing.

    READ: ‘Successful implementation’: Hammad Azhar says FATF blacklisting off the table

    The suggestion was seen as an effort to let Pakistan off the hook for now and immediately place it on the white list but was not supported by any other country, including allied China and Malaysia.

    “Out of 27 points, we have implemented 21 points given by the authorities concerned regarding FATF, ” Minister for Revenue Hammad Azhar said while talking to a private television channel after the watchdog decided to retain Pakistan on its grey list.

    Except India, every country had appreciated the efforts of Pakistan for satisfying the people dealing FATF, he added.

    BLACKLISTING OFF THE TABLE:

    In a statement, FATF urged Pakistan to complete an internationally agreed action plan by February 2021. FATF said Pakistan had now reached 21 targets out of 27 set for it in 2018 when Pakistan was placed on FATF’s “grey list” of countries with inadequate controls over terrorism financing.

    But Pakistan still needs to demonstrate that law enforcement agencies are identifying and investigating the widest range of terrorism financing activity, FATF said.

    The watchdog also asked Islamabad to demonstrate that terrorism financing probes resulted in effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions.

    “FATF acknowledged that any blacklisting is off the table now,” Pakistani federal minister Hammad Azhar tweeted.

    Azhar, who leads Pakistan’s delegation at FATF plenary meetings, said the forum’s discussions were focused on how Pakistan could be supported in meeting its targets before a formal review in the middle of next year.

  • ‘Modi has decided when India would be at war with Pakistan, China’

    Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Uttar Pradesh (UP) unit chief Swatantra Dev Singh has claimed that Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has “decided” on a time when India would be at war with Pakistan and China.

    A minister in UP Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath’s cabinet, Swatantra Dev Singh made the remark during an event at the home of BJP’s Sikanderpur lawmaker Sanjay Yadav.

    In a video clip of Swatantra Dev Singh’s remarks, the BJP’s UP chief draws parallels between the abrogation of Article 370 in held Kashmir, construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya where the Babri Masjid once stood, and the ongoing India-China military standoff in eastern Ladakh.

    “Like the decisions on Ram Mandir and Article 370, PM Narendra Modi has decided when there would be war with Pakistan and China,” news agency PTI quoted Swatantra Dev Singh as saying in a video posted on social media by Yadav.

    The BJP leader’s controversial remarks come amid an intense standoff between the Indian and Chinese armies in eastern Ladakh. Both countries have held multiple rounds of diplomatic and military talks to achieve disengagement in the region.

    However, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement on Sunday contradicts the remarks made by Swatantra Dev Singh. While reiterating that India is seeking an end to the border tussle with China, Singh had said that New Delhi will not allow anyone to take away “even an inch” of Indian land.

    Launching an attack on the BJP-led Centre, Congress lawmaker Shashi Tharoor tweeted:

    “Amazing. So the PM (who will not even name the state that has encroached upon our land) is planning a war against an Unnamed Enemy, over territory he claims has never been taken, on a date that only he knows? So is this what he meant by “minimal government”!?” he said while referring to Swatantra Dev Singh’s remarks.

  • Quaid-e-Azam University temporarily closed after COVID-19 cases emerge

    Quaid-e-Azam University temporarily closed after COVID-19 cases emerge

    The Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad was temporarily closed on Monday after five coronavirus cases were reported in different departments.

    As per reports, the university’s administration has issued a notification in this regard.

    The move comes after District Health Officer (DHO) had dispatched a letter to the university administration instructing to seal concerned departments.

    “As per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of National Health Services Regulatory and Coordination, due to these five coronavirus cases on the campus, all academic and research activities are hereby shifted to online till November 6,” reads the notification.

    The university administration has also directed students to vacate hostels unless from remote areas.

    707 new cases of the coronavirus were reported across the country during the last 24 hours, soaring the national tally of infections to 328,602.

  • ‘No wonder the dish is so popular’: German envoy tries Peshawar’s chapli kebabs

    ‘No wonder the dish is so popular’: German envoy tries Peshawar’s chapli kebabs

    Germany’s new ambassador to Pakistan Bernhard Schleg Hack recently tried Peshawar’s delicious chapli kebabs and loved them.

    Sharing his experience on Twitter, the German ambassador posted pictures of himself enjoying a chapli kebab sitting at a dhaba in Peshawar.

    “The most interesting experience of my recent visit to Peshawar was to enjoy the chapli kebabs there,” wrote the German envoy with his pictures.

    Hack further said the chapli kebabs were delicious.

    “I can now fully understand why this dish is so popular,” he wrote.

  • Coronavirus: Antiviral drug to now be sold at Rs9,244 in Pakistan

    Coronavirus: Antiviral drug to now be sold at Rs9,244 in Pakistan

    In a major relief to coronavirus patients, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) on Monday reduced the price of Remdesivir, the first and only approved treatment for COVID-19 in the United States (US), by Rs1,629 to Rs9,244.

    In a notification, DRAP said that the price of Remdesivir injection has been slashed by Rs1,629, adding that the antiviral drug will be sold at Rs9,244 across the country.

    The regulatory authority warned that strict legal action will be taken against those who are selling the drug at higher prices.

    It is pertinent to mention that remdesivir has reportedly proved effective against the novel coronavirus and the federal cabinet had approved to reduce the price of the antiviral drug last month. In May, US pharmaceutical company Gilead had allowed Pakistan to produce the antiviral drug in the country.

    Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases are once again at rise in the country as 707 new infections were reported across the country on Sunday-Monday, lifting the national tally of infections to 328,602, said the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

    Three patients, who were under treatment in hospitals, died during the aforementioned period, according to the latest update shared by the NCOC. The figure of patients recovered from the virus has reached 311,075. There are now nearly 11,000 active cases in the country.

    About 26,492 tests were conducted across the country on Sunday. Around 311,075 people have recovered from the disease so far across Pakistan. Since the pandemic outbreak, a total of 328,602 cases were detected, including Sindh reporting 143,836, Punjab 102,875, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) 39,043, Balochistan, 15,810, Islamabad, 1,902, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) 3,846, and Gilgit Baltistan (GB) has reported 4,180 cases.

    A total of 4,290,545 tests have been conducted so far, while 735 hospitals are equipped with COVID-19 facilities. About 559 patients admitted to hospitals across the country are said to be in critical condition.

    Meanwhile, as many as 71 healthcare staff working at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Islamabad have tested positive for the coronavirus in the past 30 days.