Tag: trending

  • PM Shehbaz visits flood-hit Balochistan, orders immediate compensation

    PM Shehbaz visits flood-hit Balochistan, orders immediate compensation

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif reached Quetta on a day-long visit on Monday, August 1, to oversee the relief operations in the flood-affected areas of Balochistan and ordered immediate compensation to the flood affectees.

    PM Shehbaz, who visited Balochistan for the second time in three days, said that he has directed the authorities to ensure that the relief amount of Rs1 million is provided to the heirs of those who lost their loved ones because of the floods within the next 24 hours.

    “During my visit here and to other camps, I have been told the people are not being provided food and water […]. People clearly said they were not getting any food and water and when I asked them how were they managing, they said they had to send someone back home to fetch food,” said PM Shehbaz.

    “It is extremely unfortunate that these camps are without food and water.”

    Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo was also present there and assured the prime minister that action would be initiated against those responsible.

    “They are all suspended and action will be taken against them,” he assured the PM.

    Read more: Will anyone save Balochistan?

    “The federal government has announced Rs1 million in compensation and the provincial government has already disbursed Rs1 million,” said Shehbaz, adding that a compensatory amount of Rs200,000 would be given for a partially damaged house and Rs500,000 for a completely damaged house.

    He said loopholes had been identified regarding the lack of a record-keeping system at camps and stressed addressing the issue at the earliest.

    Earlier today, the premier reached Quetta to visit the flood-affected areas in Chaman. He was briefed on the rescue and relief efforts by Chairman National Disaster and Management Authority (NDMA).

    PM Shehbaz Sharif asked the NDMA and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to pace up relief and rescue operations to facilitate the victims and conduct a joint survey of damaged houses and crops.

    Read more: Balochistan floods: 136 people dead, 13,000 homes damaged

    The death toll from the devastating floods is now at 136.

  • Is Elon Musk a fan of Pakistani memes?

    Is Elon Musk a fan of Pakistani memes?

    Elon Musk shared a famous Pakistani meme on Twitter in response to the news that the United States (US) government is considering a prisoner swap with Russia that would see the handover of a Russian prisoner in exchange for WNBA player Brittney Griner and former US marine Paul Whelan.

    The Biden administration has reportedly made an offer to release Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms dealer known as the “merchant of death”, in exchange for Griner and Whelan. Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was detained in Russia after Moscow airport officials said they found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage. Whelan, a former US marine, was detained at a Moscow hotel in December 2018 and arrested on espionage charges.

    Musk’s tweet

    “Maybe free some people in jail for weed here too?” Musk tweeted on Sunday, sharing the famous Pakistani meme with a caption: “People in the US in jail for weed while the government trades a Russian war criminal to free a woman’s basketball player in jail for weed.”

    This is not the first time that SpaceX founder and business tycoon Elon Musk has spoken out about people being in jail over crimes related to marijuana and weed.

    In June 2020, Musk tweeted: “Selling weed literally went from major felony to essential business (open during pandemic) in much of America & yet many are still in prison. Doesn’t make sense, isn’t right.”

    Pakistani cricket fan Sarim Akhtar’s viral meme

    The disappointed Pakistani cricket fan Sarim Akhtar’s meme shared by Elon Musk has also been featured in Hong Kong’s Museum of Memes.

    Read more – Pakistani cricket fan Sarim Akhtar

    The ‘disappointed face’ of Pakistani cricket fan Sarim Akhat after Asif Ali dropped David Warner’s catch in Pakistan vs Australia became a meme, and it was widely shared by social media users.

  • ‘90% of fish consumed in Pakistan is unfit for human consumption’: WWF

    ‘90% of fish consumed in Pakistan is unfit for human consumption’: WWF

    An official at World Wide Fund (WWF) has revealed that approximately 90 per cent of the fish consumed in Pakistan is contaminated and unfit for human consumption.

    Muhammad Moazzam Khan, WWF’s technical advisor on marine fisheries, made the statement at a seminar titled “Blue Economy: An Avenue for Development in Pakistan” held at the Pakistan Institute of International affairs.

    He said that most of the fish sold on roadside carts is unhealthy for health because of lack of proper processing. He suggested that fish should be stored between 0 to 5 degrees Celsius to keep it from rotting.

    “Fish are very delicate protein items and putrefy very quickly if not iced or frozen as soon as possible,” said Khan. “It is usually kept at room temperature and sometimes at above 40 degrees Celsius and vendors sprinkle water on them to make them look fresher and keep them from decaying. But they have already become unfit for consumption, yet people buy and consequently, fall sick.”

    He also mentioned that the export of seafood was increasing but due to a lack of processing facilities and low-quality control, we were unable to achieve higher numbers. Pakistan exported around 10 per cent of the produce and the rest was degraded or damaged as most boats lacked deep freezers and other storage facilities.

  • Yamaha increases motorcycle prices for the 5th time in 2022

    Yamaha increases motorcycle prices for the 5th time in 2022

    Yamaha has announced a significant price increase for motorcycles effective from August 1, 2022. All variants from the manufacturer, including the YB 125Z, YB 125Z DX, YBR 125, and YBR 125G, have seen price increases.

    It is important to note that this is the fifth price rise for Yamaha motorcycles in Pakistan since the year 2022 started, with the previous increase occurring in June 2022 and costing more than Rs20,000 for each model.

    The Yamaha YB 125Z will now cost Rs273,000 after an increase of Rs18,000, and the Yamaha YB 125Z DX will cost Rs292,000 after a hike of Rs18,000.

    Similarly, the Yamaha YBR 125’s price has increased by Rs19,500 to Rs300,000. After an increase of Rs20,500 for both models, the price of the Yamaha YBR 125G (Black/Red) is now Rs312,500, and the Yamaha YBR 125G (Gray) is now priced at Rs315,500.

    Nevertheless, this was to be expected, and over the course of 2022, Yamaha Motorcycle prices are predicted to rise by several factors, especially in light of the depreciation of the Pakistani Rupee (PKR) against the US dollar and the implementation of the Super Tax on the automotive industry.

    There is little justification for motorcycle manufacturers to raise prices so frequently and by such significant margins as bike manufacturing has been localised by up to 94 per cent in Pakistan.

    The depreciation of the local currency caused price hikes across the board in Pakistan’s auto industry, whether it be for cars or two-wheelers, pushing prices out of reach for an average person.

  • The real story behind Imran Khan sitting on CM Punjab seat

    The real story behind Imran Khan sitting on CM Punjab seat

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan met Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and former federal minister Moonis Elahi at the Chief Minister’s Office on Sunday in Lahore and discussed matters of mutual interest, the political situation, the administrative affairs of Punjab, and the law and order situation.

    A picture of their meeting was shared by Moonis Elahi on social media where Khan can be seen sitting on the CM’s seat while the chief minister sat opposite him. The picture went viral and was widely criticised by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders.

    “No self-respecting, dignified man would sit on someone else’s official seat/chair but this man is hungry for power,” tweeted Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.

    “

    “Rude Tosha Fitna Khan sits on the chair of Chief Minister of Punjab,” tweeted PML-N leader Saad Rafique.

    The real story

    However, senior journalist Hamid Mir explained the real reason why Khan was sitting on the CM seat.

    Hamid Mir said that when Khan reached Elahi’s office to congratulate him, Pervaiz Elahi asked the PTI chairman to sit on the CM seat but Khan replied that it is Elahi’s seat.

    Moonis Elahi said to the PTI chairman that they got this seat because of him, so he should sit on it. After Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Moonis Elahi’s insistence, finally Imran Khan sat on the chair of the Punjab Chief Minister.

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘No restriction on Pakistani doctors and students to work, train in US’: PMC clarifies
    
			
    ‘No restriction on Pakistani doctors and students to work, train in US’: PMC clarifies
    
			
    The Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) has denied media reports claiming doctors who attended medical schools in Pakistan might not be permitted to practice in the United States (US) after January 2024. 
    

    “Unfortunately over the last few days a malicious and false campaign in the media and social media has been initiated falsely claiming that PMC has failed to meet the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) criteria while referring to the decision of the US medical regulators requiring that foreign doctors entering the US in 2024 onward would be those graduating from or licensed by regulatory authorities recognised by WFME,” says the PMC statement.
    

    “Currently all Pakistani doctors and graduates are able to work and train in the USA without any hindrance. PMC has been working in close coordination with the US regulatory authorities including ECFMG and the Federal State Medical Boards (FSMB) ensuring that there is no hindrance in Pakistani doctors and medical graduates being recognized in the USA. In addition to ECFMG and FSMB, the Association of Physicians of Pakistani-descent of North American (APPNA) are also supporting PMC’s recognition by WFME as evidenced by their recent communications with the Honourable Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Minister for Health,” it added.
    

    “PMC has initiated the recognition process for WFME after exhaustive preparations and fulfilling all requirements over the last 18 months. WFME will be over the next 6 to 12 months evaluating the PMC and its recognized medical colleges to complete the recognition process, on completion of which Pakistan will be able to obtain the WFME recognition in 2023, well before the 2024 deadline. The WFME process is a phase wise process of evaluation which culminates in a physical assessment expected during the first half of 2023.”
    

    

    


    

    

    

    Media reports claimed that Pakistan has until January 2024 to finish the accreditation process and obtain recognition for its medical programmes, but officials with the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) are concerned that Pakistan may miss the deadline. 
    

    It is being reported that the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) is concerned that Pakistan may miss the deadline. Though the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) initiated the process, it was eventually replaced by the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) through a presidential ordinance.
    

    The PMC Act does not meet the criteria to get recognition from the WFME. However, as per the PMC, it has “formally initiated the application process for the recognition”. The entire process, including the on-site visit by the WFME, is expected to take 12 to 15 months.
    

    “It is not going to be easy to get accreditation by 2024 as there is a long list of conditions which include quality of education, criteria for inspections of colleges, rules, faculty and many other things,” PMA Secretary General Dr Qaiser Sajjad told Dawn.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Balochistan floods: 136 people dead, 13,000 homes damaged
    
			
    Balochistan floods: 136 people dead, 13,000 homes damaged
    
			
    At least 136 people have been killed in flash floods in Balochistan triggered by heavy monsoon rains.
    

    According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), flash floods have also damaged about 13,000 homes.
    

    The federal government has announced Rs1 million worth of assistance for every household of the deceased in Balochistan flash floods. Flood relief efforts are also being carried out in Balochistan and other areas of the country, with assistance from military rescuers.
    

    Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo has said that the federal and provincial governments are committed to completely rehabilitating flood-affected people in the province.
    

    In a statement on Sunday, he also lauded the role of the Pakistan Army in relief and rescue activities.
    

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit the flood-affected areas of Balochistan today. He visited Jhal Magsi on Saturday.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    After Punjab, KPK assembly also approves motion against ECP chief
    
			
    After Punjab, KPK assembly also approves motion against ECP chief
    
			
    A day after Punjab Assembly, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly on Monday also approved a motion expressing no-trust in Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja.
    

    The development was shared by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) official Twitter handle.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    The resolution demanded immediate general elections in the country and called for the ECP members and CEC to step down.
    

    Punjab Assembly approves motion for ECP chief’s resignation
    

    On Sunday, the Punjab Assembly (PA) approved a motion today on Sunday calling for CEC Sikandar’s resignation.
    

    This development came after PTI candidate Sibtain Khan was elected the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly.
    

    The session of the provincial assembly began with newly-elected PA Speaker Khan administering the oath to his deputy, Wasiq Qayyum.
    

    Later, PTI Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Syed Abbas Shah presented the motion against Sultan. After the motion was approved, the Assembly was adjourned till August 15.
    

    PTI Information Secretary Farrukh Habib issued a statement on Saturday and said the party had prepared to file a disqualification reference in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) against the CEC. He said the CEC met PDM leaders after reserving a judgment in the prohibited funding case.
    

    “By doing so, the chief election commissioner violated his oath, the code of conduct as well as his constitutional duty,” he added.
    

    In an address to his supporters, PTI Chairman Imran Khan expressed his complete lack of trust in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and CEC Raja. Khan accused the ECP of supporting former Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Hamza Shehbaz.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Will anyone save Balochistan?
    
			
    Will anyone save Balochistan?
    
			
    Continuous rain isn’t showing its mercy to the people of Balochistan, adding to their sorrow. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Balochistan yesterday to oversee the relief work being done in the province during the heavy monsoon rains. More than 120 people have lost their lives while 6,000 houses have been completely damaged and over 10,000 partially damaged. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, “Troops are busy in rescue, and relief efforts apart from providing medical care and opening up communication infrastructure.”
    

    Occasional rain kept pouring on in different cities of the province, exposing the already neglected Balochistan to more tragedy. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, Kalat received 50mm of rain, followed by Chaman with 26mm and Ziarat with 21mm during the said period. Rainfall was also reported in Muslim Bagh, Sibi, Mastung, Dalbadin, Khuzdar, Lasbela and Barkhan in the last 24 hours. According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), at least 127 people have died in rains and floods in the province since June 1. Some of those deaths were reported in parts of the province in the last 24 hours.
    

    Every year, Pakistan witnesses floods and heavy rains destroying infrastructure. Are the ones responsible for running the country well aware that Pakistan finds itself in this vicious cycle every year but are we prepared? The answer: no. The authorities do not wake up unless floods swamp provinces, people die, families lose their livelihoods, jobs, animals, homes, and above all, their loved ones.
    

    The plight of Balochistan makes one wonder, why doesn’t our government plan ahead? Why don’t management authorities take preemptive measures? Why can’t we realise that the loss of life is replaceable? Will anyone really see how families have lost their loved ones, how water has washed away life itself? But what’s even scarier is how little we are doing to change this. We hope that our authorities do better. Better as leaders, caretakers, policy-makers, and above all, as humans. The plight of Balochistan is an awakening call for all. The sooner our leaders wake up, the better. Balochistan has been neglected for decades. The people of Balochistan deserve better.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Religious minorities allotted sites for burials, cremation
    
			
    Religious minorities allotted sites for burials, cremation
    
			
    The National Assembly (NA) was told that all religious minorities living in Islamabad have been allotted burial sites, reports Dawn.
    

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah informed the House about this development. He said that all religious minorities have been given cremation grounds and graveyards in the capital.
    

    About the Hindu community, he said that they have been given grounds in the H-9 sector of the capital. The Buddhist community also has its cremation grounds in this sector.
    

    

    

    

    

    		
    

    
	

    

    

    

    

    

    

    Other religious minorities including Christians, Baháʼís and Ahmadis have their graveyards in the same sector.
    

    The House was told that there is no demand for new sites but if the religious communities will demand more sites, it will be allotted to them.