Pakistan’s coronavirus positivity rate below 2pc for sixth day in a row

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March 15, 2022

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reported 4 deaths during last 24 hours by novel coronavirus while 473 more people were tested positive to the deadly virus.

According to the latest figures given by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) on its National Coronavirus Dashboard, during last 24 hours 473 more people were tested positive for COVID-19 along with four new deaths on Tuesday morning.

NCOC stated that with 473 new positive cases surfaced in the country the overall number has surged to 1,519,627. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 30,313 after four new deaths were reported.

According to NCOC reports Pakistan during last 24 hours conducted 34,401 coronavirus tests out of which 473 were tested positive having the COVID-19 positivity ratio 1.37 per cent.

NCOC in its province-wise Coronavirus update stated that Punjab remains the worst-hit province in terms of deaths followed by Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The overall tally of fatalities across Pakistan was reported 30,313 out of which 13,540 individuals have lost their lives to the epidemic in Punjab, 8,091 in Sindh, 6,302 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,021 in Islamabad, 790 in Azad Kashmir, 378 in Balochistan and 191 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

According to NCOC the overall number of positive cases surged to 1,519,627, out of which 572,297 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh, 503,939 in Punjab, 218,268 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 134,859 in Islamabad, 43,181 in Azad Kashmir, 35,442 in Balochistan and 11,641 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Pakistan has so far conducted 26,963,417 coronavirus tests and 34,401 in the last 24 hours. 1,471,288 patients have recovered in the country whereas 560 patients are in critical condition.

So far, 128,074,138 people have received their first dose of coronavirus vaccine including 131,491 in last 24 hours. 101,881,176 citizens have been fully vaccinated while 501,747 received their second dose in last 24 hours.

The number of total administered doses has reached to 219,368,557 with 678,788 in the last 24 hours.

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Lahore PACE inferno: Fire destroys over 400 shops

By

Qamar Malik

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March 15, 2022

LAHORE: Worst fire broke out in the PACE Center of Gulberg Lahore has destoryed more than 404 shops and no casualty was reported in the inferno.

No loss of life or injury was reported. The fire erupted at midnight when all the shops were closed. Firefighters put out the blaze well after 10 hours. Rescue 1122 got the first call at 12:45am. The firefighting operation continued whole night in which 22 fire vehicles and 92 rescuers took part.

Rescue 1122, Director General Rizwan Naseer said the plaza did not have functional fire hydrants and exit passages. He said the firefighters had to face trouble while conducting the operation in the absence of exit passages.

The DG said the fire had been put out but the cooling process was going on. Shopkeepers, on the other hand, have lashed out at the plaza administration and accused it of deliberately arson.

“The administration has been asking the traders to evacuate the shops”, said a trader. Police have taken into custody the plaza security in-charge.

Commissioner Muhammad Usman has said an inquiry through a high-powered committee having representation from multiple departments and agencies would be conducted.

The shops on four floors of the plaza were full of garments, cosmetics, hosiery and other combustible material. The fire in short span of time spread to almost all the floors. Flames and fumes could be seen from a distance. The plaza on fire had also explosions after brief intervals.

As the news spread, the traders and nearby residents apart from police, rescuers and media persons started gathering in the surrounding. The Rescue 1122 DG said that the cause of the fire would be ascertained after thorough investigations.

He also appealed to the public, traders and plaza owners to ensure fire safety measures at all costs. He asked for installation of two safety measures instantly — functional hydrants and fire exits.

The commissioner said that a high-powered committee would investigate the fire while another committee would prepare a loss estimation report and submit it to the deputy commissioner before being furnished to the government.

Two years back in October 2020, a heavy fire in an electronics business centre next to the plaza was completely burnt destroying over 200 shops of laptops and cell phones.

Three years back, a plaza near Center Point on the boulevard was also burnt. The Gulberg police have lodged a complaint against the owners of the plaza, stating that two months back, they had a meeting with them to get the building vacated by taking as much money as they wanted.

The traders said that the plaza had been closed at 11:30pm as per routine after switching off the main power breaker. They ruled out a power short-circuit as the cause and accused the management of arson.

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PDM decides to hold long march towards Islamabad on March 23

By

Tanzeel Ahmed

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March 15, 2022

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has taken final decision to hold long march towards Islamabad on March 23 an the opposition leadership called upon entire nation to move towards capital to dethrone the non-represnetative government.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Chairman, PDM, called on the people of entire Pakistan to march towards the federal capital on March 23 for an anti-government long march.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman asked the workers of joint opposition parties to reach Islamabad on March 23 for a massive power show.

The PDM chief said that we will hold a historic rally from the doors of Parliament house to Shahra-e-Dastoor through which the members of the parliament would be provided a safe passage to reach the House to attend the parliament session.

He said that the people should be ready for staying in Islamabad and we don’t know for how long the march would last.

He said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (ANP) have also been invited to take part in the long march. He expressed the confidence that their response would be positive.

Fazlur Rehman said that the no-confidence motion tabled by the joint opposition against the prime minister was in-line with the expectations and the hopes of the Pakistani people.

PDM chief lashed out at the PTI-led government for going against the opposition’s no-trust move by “warning the lawmakers from going to the Parliament” and opting for “unconstitutional” tactics.

He said that the Speaker National Assembly was bound by the constitution to call a session on voting on the no-confidence motion after the requisition for the session has been submitted.

“If the speaker does not follow this, he is liable to legal action,” Fazl warned, adding that the meeting’s participants also stressed that the session’s first agenda point should be of the no-confidence motion.

Earlier, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly (NA) Shahbaz Sharif hosted a dinner in honor of the top leadership of the opposition. The PML-N president himself received the delegation of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

The PPP delegation included former President Asif Ali Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, former Prime Minister Yousuf Gilani, Sherry Rehman and others. Senior PML-N leaders Khawaja Asif, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Ahsan Iqbal and Ahmad Malik were present at the dinner.

On the other hand, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also attended the dinner. Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Akram Durrani and others were also present.

Meanwhile, Awami National Party (ANP) Amir Haider Khan, Aimal Khan Wali, BNP (Mengal) Chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Jamiat Ahle Hadith s Sajid Mir, Shafiq Tareen, Mubir Kabir and Shah Ahmad Noorani also attended. The political situation in the country was discussed during the dinner.

It is pertinent to mention here that before the dinner, opposition leaders held a meeting with Shehbaz Sharif during which they expressed satisfaction over the contacts for the no-confidence motion.

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England’s Heather Knight is a ‘big fan’ of Mohammad Rizwan

By

TNT Monitoring Desk

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March 3, 2022

LONDON: English women team captain Heather Knight is all praises for Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan, who has had an amazing year in 2021 and recently took his team to the finals in the Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) seventh edition.

The English cricketer is in New Zealand where her team will defend their title in the Women’s World Cup. Knight led her side to a thrilling World Cup final win against India in front of a sold-out Lord’s crowd five years ago.

England Cricket took Twitter and told users to ask their questions from the English captain.

However, a user, Faisal Habib Khattak, did not ask any World Cup-related questions. He wanted to know which PSL team the English skipper liked the most.

In response, Knight said she liked Multan Sultans the most and was a “big fan” of Mohammad Rizwan — whose team could not win this year’s PSL title, but won everyone’s hearts.

Rizwan was also named the captain of the team of PSL 7. The much-adored wicket-keeper-batsman is one of the four Multan Sultans’ players who have been selected in the team for this year’s edition.

Despite the loss in the finals, Rizwan’s stunning and consistent performance earned him another rich reward when he was adjudged the Player of PSL 7.

Rizwan remained a reliable top-order batter for Multan Sultans when he finished the tournament with 546 runs at a strike rate of 126.68 and inspired his side to the final after winning nine out of 10 league matches.

Rizwan also collected the wicketkeeper of the PSL 2022 award. In 12 matches, he accounted for nine batters behind the stumps.

Earlier in the year, Rizwan was declared the Most Valuable Cricketer as well as T20I Cricketer as part of the PCB Awards 2021.

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Pak vs Aus: Confident Babar Azam vows to give visiting team a tough time

By

Sara Maqsood

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March 3, 2022

ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan prepares to take on Australia in the home cricket series happening after a 24 years hiatus, a confident Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has vowed to give the visiting team a tough time and bring results by trying their best.

Australia are a good team and cannot be taken lightly but Pakistan will keep up their momentum, Babar said Thursday while addressing a virtual press conference ahead of the Pakistan vs Australia series, slated to start tomorrow.

He said that the Pakistan squad played in a practice match in Karachi that showed that the players are well prepared.

“We know the importance of home series. [The team] was focused on training in Karachi and Rawalpindi,” he said.

During the practice, two players got unfit and one tested positive for coronavirus, Babar said, admitting that it is part of the game.

The 27-year-old cricketer said that the playing XI for the first Test on Friday has not been finalised yet. However, the squad will be decided on Friday morning after inspection of the pitch.

“The team will give a better performance as our only focus is on cricket,” he said.

Answering a question, Babar said that shifting to one format from another is not a big deal for professional players.

It may be recalled that Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf tested positive for COVID-19 and went into isolation.

The three-match Test series will kickstart on March 4 in Rawalpindi, while the city police have finalised security arrangements, and over 4,000 policemen will be deployed for the event.

The Pat Cummins-led side will face Pakistan in three Tests, three One-Day Internationals, and a Twenty20 International. Rawalpindi will host the opening Test and first white-ball leg of the series, while Karachi and Lahore will host the second and third Tests, respectively.

Possible squad:
Babar Azam (captain)
Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain)
Abdullah Shafique
Azhar Ali
Fawad Alam
Haris Rauf
Iftikhar Ahmed
Imam-ul-Haq
Mohammad Wasim Jnr
Nauman Ali
Sajid Khan
Saud Shakeel
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Shan Masood
Zahid Mahmood

Schedule:
4-8 March – 1st Test, Rawalpindi
12-16 March – 2nd Test, Karachi
21-25 March – 3rd Test, Lahore
29 March – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi
31 March – 2nd ODI, Rawalpindi
2 April – 3rd ODI, Rawalpindi
5 April – one-off T20I, Rawalpindi

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Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrives in Islamabad on two-day visit

By

Nuzhat Aftab

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March 3, 2022

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan received Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who arrived in Islamabad on Thursday, on a two-day state visit to Pakistan.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the premier received the Uzbek president at the Noor Khan Airbase at Chaklala, Rawalpindi. The Uzbek president was given a red-carpet welcome on his arrival, said the PMO.

This is the Uzbek president’s maiden visit to Pakistan after taking over his country’s highest office in 2016. He is in Islamabad at the invitation of PM Imran.

Two kids clad in cultural dresses presented a bouquet to the guest as cannons boomed on hi arrival.

The Uzbek president is leading a high-level delegation that includes cabinet members and businessmen.

The Foreign Office spokesperson, in its curtain raiser of the visit, said that President Mirziyoyev’s arrival marks the 30th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Uzbekistan.

The spokesperson said that during the visit the two leaders will review the entire gamut of bilateral relations including cooperation in political, trade and economic, connectivity, education, culture, security and defence domains.

A number of bilateral agreements and MoUs are also expected to be signed.

“The prime minister will hold one-on-one meeting with the president of Uzbekistan that would be followed by delegation-level talks and joint media stakeout. The prime minister will also host a State Banquet in his honour. President Mirziyoyev will have separate meeting with the president of Pakistan,” the spokesperson had said.

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Pakistan may face fuel shortage, oil companies warn government

By

Palwasha Mustafa

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March 3, 2022

ISLAMABAD: Oil Marketing Companies (OMC) and refineries have warned the government of brewing a fuel crisis in-country in the wake of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s announcement of freezing petroleum product prices until the next budget.

On Monday, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced economic relief measures. In his address to the nation, the prime minister said the government was reducing petrol, diesel, and electricity prices and that they would not be increased till the next budget, which will be announced in June.

In response to the impact of PM’s announcement, a virtual meeting between the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and the petroleum division was held in Islamabad, in which oil marketing companies and refineries expressed serious concerns and questioned the mechanism of fuel price adjustment.

How can we sell petroleum products at cheap prices when we are buying them at an expensive rate from the international market? And who will pay the price difference? At the meeting, authorities questioned oil marketing companies and refineries.

According to the sources, the secretary of petroleum has said that the government was preparing a price adjustment mechanism. However, the government would pay later. Till then, oil marketing companies and refineries should bear the price difference.

In response to the secretary of petroleum’s answer, oil marketing companies and refineries said that the situation doesn’t seem to be sustainable as the country may face an interruption in the supply of petroleum products.

However, the government should provide a guarantee for the price adjustment payments.

In a surprising move on Monday, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that he was slashing petrol and diesel prices by Rs10 per litre.

At the outset of his speech, PM Imran Khan announced that everybody was of the view that increasing commodity and oil prices were a temporary phenomenon. However, in line with the ongoing situation in Ukraine, the government realised that prices would not fall in the international market.

PM Imran Khan further said that since Pakistan imports petrol, if the prices increase in the international market, there is nothing the government could do, Geo News reported.

Sharing details of petrol prices in other countries, the premier said that “in Pakistan, the price of petrol is still the lowest in the world.”

According to a statement issued by the Finance Division, the global petroleum products’ prices are tracking the Ukraine-Russia war and have resultantly surged to $100 per barrel.

“The unprecedented increase is very risky for domestic fuel prices and inflation,” it said, adding that the situation leaves very few options for the government.

It further added that in the fortnightly review due on February 28, OGRA has recommended Rs10 per litre increase in the petroleum products’ prices.

In his address to the nation, the prime minister not only rejected the increase, but also announced a plan to reduce the prices of petroleum products by Rs10 per litre in order to provide maximum relief to consumers, despite the limited fiscal space, according to the statement.

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Uzbek president to arrive in Islamabad for two-day visit today (Thursday)

By

Nuzhat Aftab

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March 3, 2022

ISLAMABAD: On special invitation of Prime Minister Imran Khan, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev will pay an official visit to Pakistan from March 3-4, the Foreign Office.

The Uzbek president will arrive Islamabad today Thursday and he will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, comprising the foreign minister, other members of the cabinet, senior government officials, and business and media personnel.

This will be the first visit of President Mirziyoyev to Pakistan since assuming office in 2016.

The state visit of President Mirziyoyev would mark the historic commemoration of the 30th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Uzbekistan.

During the visit, the two leaders will review the entire gamut of bilateral relations including cooperation in political, trade and economic, connectivity, education, culture, security and defence domains. They will have a wide-ranging exchange of views on major regional and international issues.

A number of bilateral agreements/MoUs will be signed, the communiqué added.

The prime minister will hold a one-on-one meeting with the president of Uzbekistan that would be followed by delegation-level talks and “Joint Media Stakeout”. PM Imran will also host a state banquet in his honor. President Mirziyoyev will have separate meeting with President Arif Alvi.

The two sides would focus on enhancing political and strategic linkages; fast tracking trade, transit and economic ties; enhancing connectivity; and promoting educational and cultural collaboration. The Trans-Afghan Railway Project, connecting Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, will be a key area of deliberations. There will also be fruitful interaction with leading businessmen of the two countries.

Pakistan and Uzbekistan are linked through a common faith, shared history and cultural affinities. The two countries have been closely collaborating at regional and international fora, especially at the UN, OIC, ECO and SCO.

Prior to the president’s visit, the two sides are scheduled to hold the 7th Session of Joint Ministerial Commission and 2nd Joint Business Forum in Islamabad.

Pakistan has enhanced its engagement with Central Asian countries within the framework of “Vision Central Asia” policy, with five key strands: political and diplomatic, trade and investment, energy and connectivity, security and defence, and people-to-people relations.

The Pakistan-Uzbekistan relationship has witnessed an upward trajectory over the past few years. Premier Imran visited Uzbekistan in July 2021. The two leaders also met recently in Beijing on the sidelines of Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony on 5 February 2022.

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Intermittent rain hits parts of country; Islamabad other areas feeling chilly weather

By

Sara Maqsood

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March 3, 2022

ISLAMABAD: The continuous intermittent rainfall has lashed parts of country today (Thursday) as the murcury gone down with having cold weather in Islamabad and other areas.

According to details, Lahore has witnessed light and heavy rain while weather in Islamabad, Okara, Jhang, Pir Mehal, Pakpattan and Bahawalpur also became cold after the rain.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted mainly cold and dry weather in most parts of the country. However, rain-wind/thunderstorm (snow over the hills) is likely in Gilgit Baltistan and Kashmir.

Rainfall;
Balochistan: Barkhan 27, Zhob 05
Punjab: Chakwal 12, Kot Addu 09, Murree 07, Bahawalpur 06, Sargodha, Layyah 05, Rawalpindi (Chaklala 04, Shamsabad 03), Multan, Sahiwal, Okara 04, DG Khan 03, Jhang, Bahawalnagar, Toba Tek Singh 02, Mangla. Jhelum, Hafizabad, Joharabad, Khanewal, Faisalabad, Rahim Yar Khan 01

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Parachinar 04, Saidu Sharif 03, Balakot, Kakul 01

Kashmir: Rawalakot 03, Garhi Dupatta 01 and Sindh: Jacobabad 02.

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Government working to ensure safety of Pakistanis stranded in Ukraine: Pak envoy

By

TNT Monitoring Desk

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February 25, 2022

KYIV: Pakistan’s Ambassador to Ukraine Dr Noel Israel Khokhar has said that the government is working to ensure the safe evacuation of all Pakistani nationals stranded in Ukraine.

The embassy said in a statement that 1,500 Pakistanis, including 500 students, are residing in Ukraine and have been asked to relocate to safer regions.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Embassy in Ukraine announced in a tweet that Ukraine’s airspace is closed while the Embassy is communicating with Pakistani students who were unable to leave earlier than advised.

In a tweet, the Pakistan Embassy in Ukraine stated that it is fully functional from Ternopil, Ukraine and provided contact details of the embassy.

The embassy can be reached on parepkyiv@gmail.com, while following are the mobile numbers the embassy can be contacted on.

+380636965523
+380636968264
+380638282984
+380664944004

Russia launched its invasion by land, air and sea on Thursday following a declaration of war by President Vladimir Putin. An estimated 100,000 people fled as explosions and gunfire rocked major cities. Dozens have been reported killed.

US and Ukrainian officials say Russia aims to capture Kyiv and topple the government, which Putin regards as a puppet of the United States. Russian troops seized the Chernobyl former nuclear power plant north of Kyiv as they advanced along the shortest route to Kyiv from Belarus to the north.

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