Trust Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan to do the unusual and make headlines. Dr Firdous was recently spotted administering COVID-19 vaccines to citizens who had come to get vaccinated.
In a video doing the rounds on social media, Dr Awan can be seen injecting a citizen with a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. As per Geo News, the CM’s aide vaccinated more than one citizen at a vaccination centre set up by the government in Sialkot.
During her visit, Dr Awan also promised to announce vaccinations for journalists, saying that she will vaccinate journalists herself.
Meanwhile, Asad Umar has announced that vaccine registrations for citizens aged 40 and above will commence from tomorrow. He also announced that walk-in vaccinations for citizens above 50 have also been opened.
In today’s NCOC meeting decided to open up registration of 40 plus age citizens starting tomorrow. Also decision taken to allow walk in vaccination of all registered citizens of 50 plus age group. If you are 40 years or older please register and encourage others to register
Vaccinations of people 60 and above commenced on March 10, while registrations for people above 50 started from March 30, and the vaccination drive of people in the age group 50-59 started on April 21.
As per NCOC, Pakistan recorded 4,825 cases and 70 deaths in last 24 hours with the positivity rate of 9.61%.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab Shoaib Dastagir has been removed after a standoff with Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umar Sheikh. CCPO Lahore is accused of speaking against the IGP. Shoaib Dastagir will be the fifth IG to be changed in Punjab. Since 2008, Dr Syed Kaleem Imam, Muhammad Tahir, Amjad Javed Saleemi, Capt. (R) Arif Nawaz Khan and Shoaib Dastagir have served at the post of IG Punjab.
Inam Ghani has been appointed as the new IGP, announced Special Assistant to PM on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill on Twitter. An official notification has also been issued.
انعام غنی نئے آئی جی پنجاب ہوں گے۔ انُکو مبارک باد اور امید کرتے ہیں کہ وہ بہترین کام کریں۔ پنجاب میں ان کے ساتھ کام کرنے کا موقع ملا۔ وہ دھیمے اور پر وقار انداز میں کام کرتے ہیں۔ اللہ تعالی انہیں اس عہدے کی زمہ داریاں پوری کرنے میں کامیابی عطا فرمائے۔
According to reports, former IGP Dastagir got upset when CCPO Sheikh allegedly told his subordinates that on any sensitive issue, the Lahore police must seek his permission even if they receive directions from the Central Police Office (CPO).
As per a report published in Dawn, Dastagir met Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar on Monday and requested him for a “transfer to any other suitable place”, saying he would not continue as the provincial police chief until the removal of the CCPO. He is also said to have skipped office on Monday and met with the CM in plain clothes, giving the Punjab government the message that he would not accept Mr Sheikh as the CCPO at any cost.
Shoaib Dastagir has now been posted as Secretary Narcotics Control Division according to an official notification.
Dastagir transferred as Secretary Narcotics Control Division
More details about differences between former IGP and CCPO in this video report:
The National Assembly (NA) on Monday approved the federal budget for the fiscal year 2020-21. The session, however, was yet again marred by an altercation, this time between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif and Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry.
“Sir, bass vee kar deo [sir, please stop]” Fawad was heard as saying as Asif addressed the Lower House of the parliament.
To this, Asif replied, “Tuvaaday mutalak mai aisiyaan aisiyaan gallaan karaanga, Khuda di qasam tavanu jagaah nayi labnni ais hall ich [I will say such things about you that you will not find a place in this hall].”
Asif went on to say that for the past few days, Fawad had been “involved in some activities”, to which the federal minister said the PML-N leader would not “find any space in Sialkot — Asif’s hometown — either” and asked him to apologise for his remarks.
NA Speaker Asad Qaiser kept on asking both the lawmakers to stop.
“No cross talk please… sit down please. Please, Fawad Sahib. Take a seat. Khawaja Sahib, continue please.”
“No, how can you let this happen? How can one person say anything and not apologise? How dare he? He must apologise!” Fawad said.
WATCH VIDEO:
Speaking to The Current, Fawad said he was discussing something with Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri.
“Khawaja Asif got upset because we were not paying attention to his speech. Then he made up some lies about me, for which I asked him to apologise.”
Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has made some explosive revelations by claiming that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) failed to bring “tabdeeli” [change] due to the in-fighting between Asad Umar, Jahangir Tareen and Shah Mahmood Qureshi after the formation of its government, which was followed by the ouster of the political class from Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s core team.
“This political vacuum was then filled by new and non-elected people who did not have anything to do with politics,” the minister said in an interview with VOA Urdu.
Talking to senior journalist Suhail Warraich, Fawad revealed that Tareen was responsible for Asad Umar losing his Finance Ministry portfolio. When asked why was there so much in-fighting among PTI ranks, he said when Umar was the Finance Minister, Tareen got him fired.
“Now when Umar got back in the government, he got rid of Tareen. Qureshi and Tareen also had meetings but things didn’t work out between the two.”
He maintained that party groupings were a norm but PTI’s internal fighting between top leaders led to their replacement by bureaucrats, which compromised PM’s reform agenda.
Fawad added that the PTI government was now just another government as its agenda of carrying out police and judicial among other reforms now faced an uncertain future.
CIVILIAN SUPREMACY AND OPPOSITION:
To another question, he said that people say there should be civilian supremacy and the military’s role in politics should be curtailed, but they should also take a look at the parliament and provincial lawmakers. “How can there be civilian supremacy under such leadership?” Ultimately, this is about human resources, he added.
Criticising the opposition for having a limited vision due to dynastic politics, he also questioned why PM Imran had not developed any new and capable leadership.
“We can understand why Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto put weak people in important positions because their vision was to transfer leadership to their own children. Imran doesn’t have this problem. He should have placed the best at powerful positions but somehow, he was advised by someone to place weak people in powerful positions so that they can be dictated. This only damaged Imran. He is far bigger than what he looks like right now.”
ALL-POWERFUL TECHNOCRATS:
When asked how bureaucrats and special advisors to the PM were all-powerful without any resistance from the political class, he said that most people worked with the status quo. “If you can’t balance politics and governance, then it is a problem. PM Imran knows this… he recently warned his cabinet that we have five and a half months to improve our performance, otherwise time will run out for us.” He added that they didn’t have a political or governance-reform team.
PRESIDENTIAL FORM OF GOVT?
Fawad said that in a parliamentary form of government, experts are brought in to consult in the decision-making process but decision-making has to be done by elected politicians. “This is the basic difference between parliamentary democracy and a presidential system.”
When asked if the country was now moving towards a presidential form of government, he said that the appointment of so many advisors or special assistants, and elected people not being invited to participate in key decision-making, put a question mark on parliamentary form of government. “Imran Khan’s failure is not the failure of an individual; the entire nation’s hopes are pinned on his success. If the military and other state institutions are supporting the PM, it is because there are no other political options.”
He also said that while parliamentary form of government was not the most competent, it was still the most powerful. “Ideas cannot be implemented without a good team and human resource.”
It is not the first time Fawad Chaudhry has criticised the PTI government for favouring non-elected or weak people in key positions. Last year following a major cabinet reshuffle that led to Asad Umar losing his ministry while Fawad Chaudhry and several others were given new portfolios, Chaudhry lamented in an interview that at times, important decisions were taken “and we don’t even know”.
President Arif Alvi retweeted a tweet by his son, Awab Alvi, on April 26, and said: “Lockdown or No Lockdown? Coronavirus is new so there is a major difference of opinion in the world & in Pakistan on how to handle it. As data comes in, opinions change. So please keep an open mind. This is long but a must-watch for all our opinion-makers including politicians.”
The tweet was a video by doctors who were arguing that people should develop resistance to COVID-19.
Lockdown or No Lockdown?Coronavirus is new so there is a major difference of opinion in the world & in Pakistan on how to handle it. As data comes in, opinions change. So please keep an open mind. This is long but a must watch for all our opinion makers including politicians. https://t.co/5NtkXMDfci
In a Twitter thread, President Alvi’s son Dr Awab Alvi goes on to say: “Historically of the human race and medical outbreak We’ve always “quarantined the sick” NEVER have we “quarantined the healthy” In the panic of the unknown we are reacting (may have been right earlier) but now we know this better and we need the population to develop resistance. [sic]”
MUST WATCH: Doctors sharing data saying that its time we allow ppl to resume normal life & develop resistance to virus
Initially the world had reacted to the unknown & based on hypothetical predictions — months into the outbreak ground reality is diffhttps://t.co/YBYdM8Ia8E
The video has been taken down by YouTube for violating YouTube’s Community Guidelines. YouTube has recently been taking down videos spreading misinformation about the novel coronavirus.
Twitter recently also updated its guidelines on misinformation regarding COVID-19. Last month, Twitter and Facebook removed posts shared by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for including coronavirus misinformation that violates the social media companies’ rules against posting harmful content.
Facebook said it took down a video that had been shared on both Facebook and Instagram, in which Bolsonaro said the anti-malaria prescription drug hydroxychloroquine was an effective treatment for COVID-19.
Twitter earlier had removed two videos that also showed Bolsonaro praising hydroxychloroquine and encouraging the end of social distancing. It is rare for Facebook to take down a post from a head of state, but the coronavirus pandemic has led tech companies to move aggressively to filter out unfounded medical advice, hoaxes and other false information that they say could risk public health.
Facebook has a policy against sharing posts that could cause users physical harm, a spokesperson said. “We remove content on Facebook and Instagram that violates our Community Standards, which do not allow misinformation that could lead to physical harm,” the company said in a statement. Twitter, too, has a policy that requires people to remove tweets that recommend cures or advice that goes against the recommendations of public health authorities.
As coronavirus cases continue to increase in Pakistan and across the globe, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently warned that COVID-19 cases in Pakistan can rise to 200,000 by July.
According to journalist Anas Mallick, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is moving FIA against Khalid Butt, Faysal Chaudary and Mustafa Chaudhry for their political satire mocking Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Mallick claims that the PTI government is seeking to register an FIR against the satire team.
So, Folks from PTI are not welcoming of critic and satire, Have moved at FIA against @KB_BUT@Faysal_Chaudary and @Mustafa_Chdry for their political satire mock of Imran Khan, seeking to register an FIR. #Pakistan
Khalid Butt and his team host a satirical show on Neo News. In January, they poked fun at PM Khan’s statement that nurses at Shaukat Khanum Hospital, who looked after him after he fell from the stage back in 2013, looked like hoors (companions from paradise) following painkillers.
PM Khan is not the only one Khalid Butt and his team have mocked. They made fun of Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif after the PML-N voted in favour of the extension of the army chief. Meray Paas Tum Ho fame Danish and his subsequent death in the finale was also recreated by them.
After Anas Mallick’s tweet, Khalid Butt tweeted: ‘Bring it on’ while journalist Kamran Yousaf sarcastically said that yes Khalid Butt & co should “immediately be arrested” since they are responsible for all the problems and all the U-turns taken by Prime Minister Imran Khan. “They must be booked under Article 6.”
The Punjab government on Thursday gave former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif an ultimatum to submit his medical records within three days. If Sharif doesn’t submit his records, the relevant authority would then decide if his application for an extension to stay abroad for medical treatment should be accepted or not.
Punjab Home Department sent a letter to Sharif, dated January 28, which said: “It is, therefore, required from your side to provide requisite reports within next three days, failing thereby, the competent authority will decide the matter of your application as per the available facts brought on record.”
On January 15, Sharif’s legal team had submitted four different reports prepared by Dr David Lawrence before the High Court. According to those reports, Nawaz Sharif’s condition has not stabilised yet. He requires surgery, which cannot be conducted until his health improves.
The PML-N supremo is suffering from hypertension, sugar and kidney ailments. Doctors are taking steps to maintain his blood platelets count, according to the medical reports submitted earlier this month.
The US has accused Pakistan’s Federal of Board of Revenue (FBR) of using ‘pirated’ version of its software. According to Business Recorder, the US has urged Pakistan to refrain from engaging in such practices. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells raised this piracy issue during her recent visit to Pakistan.
According to sources, Wells maintained that FBR was using the pirated version of VMware illegally. Ms Wells urged Pakistan to buy the software instead of illegally using it. FBR denied these allegations and officials said this is simply not true. Shabbar Zaidi is currently serving as Chairman FBR.
VMware, Inc. is a publicly traded software company listed on the NYSE under stock ticker VMW. Dell Technologies is a majority shareholder. VMware provides cloud computing and virtualisation software and services. VMware’s desktop software runs on Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS, while its enterprise software hypervisor is for servers.
The Senate on Monday passed ‘The Maternity and Paternity Leave Bill, 2018’ that was moved on private members’ day by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Quratulain Marri.
According to the details, while the bill was passed by the Upper House with a majority, the treasury benches opposed it. The bill will now go to the National Assembly for a vote.
The said bill increases paid maternity leave of working mothers both in public and private sectors, and for the first time in the country, also grants paid paternity leave to fathers.
The bill says that employees of every establishment should be provided six months paid maternity and three months paternity leave as and when applied by employees, separately from their leave account, commencing from the date as applied by the applicant in the application and supported by a medical certificate.
It adds that the employees shall also be provided with an additional three months optional unpaid maternity and one-month paternity leave, separately from their leave account, if required by the employee.
The Maternity and Paternity Leave Bill
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government opposed the bill saying that such long maternity leave was not allowed anywhere in the world. Economic Affairs Minister Hammad Azhar said mothers can get 90-day maternity leave under the already-existing law.
PTI government decided to delete over 800,000 names from the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) last month as it had come to their notice that some government officers and their families were also BISP beneficiaries. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation Sania Nishtar explained that they did this by utilising forensic data as these people were ‘undeserving’.
I wish to thank the Cabinet for approving my proposal: exiting 820,165 @bisp_pakistan beneficiaries. Using forensic data analysis, we found they were ineligible for support based on the crtieria below. This translates into saving of PKR 16 billion for the government annually. pic.twitter.com/diwEzQ1IGq
The more astounding part is that over two thousand top officials of provincial and federal governments were also BISP beneficiaries. According to details shared by ARY News, 2,543 government officials of Grade-17 to Grade-21 were receiving the BISP income support tri-monthly handouts, meant for the poor segments of society.
Sania Nishtar confirmed the news on Twitter.
True: 2,543 exited from @bisp_pakistan are government officers/their spouses Grade 17 and above. We have written to Chief Secretaries and Ministries officially. At @bisp_pakistan disciplinary action is underway. Safeguards built for future under @Ehsaas_Pk governance reform
Some officers were receiving money in the name of their wives and other members of families, which were registered in the list of the people entitled for income support.
The highest number of undeserving beneficiaries were in Balochistan where 741 registered officials were registered.
In Sindh, 342 officials of grade-18 gained profit from the scheme.
The decision to exclude more than 800,000 people from BISP list was criticised by the PPP. Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto had demanded the government to retract from the decision.
