ISLAMABAD: Toll of the confirmed coronavirus infections surged to 19,103 after 989 more infections were reported round the country. Death toll in Pakistan on Sunday reached to 440 after 32 more fatalities were reported.
The figure of people recovered from the epidemic has reached to 4,817.
As per the figure given on Coronavirus Dashboard by the National Command and Operation Center in its province- wise break up at 09:00am on May 03, Sunday, was total 19,103 after 989 new cases were confirmed during last 24 hours. Punjab remains the worst-hit province by the pandemic followed by Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Province-wise break up shows the figures of 7,106 infections of coronavirus pandemic in Punjab, followed by Sindh with 7,102, The infections confirmed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2,907, in Balochistan toll surged to figure of confirmed cases 1,172, 356 was figure in Gilgit-Baltistan, 393 in Islamabad Capital Territory and 67 in Azad Jammu Kashmir.
The figure given by Coronavirus Dashboard in its province-wise break up at 09:00am on May 03, Sunday total deaths reported in the country were 440 after 32 more fatalities were reported round the country. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is on top of the fatalities list with 172 deaths while Sindh is at number 2 with 122 deaths, Punjab with 120, Balochistan 19, Gilgit-Baltistan 3, Islamabad Capital Territory 7.
Murtaza Wahab, Advisor to Chief MInister Sindh clarified that no Iftaar party was attended by CM Sindh. There is a defamatory campaign going on in social media showing photos of an Iftaar Party attended by CM Sindh & other PPP leaders.
Please note that no such event has taken place this year since there is a ban on social gatherings & the photos being circulated are of May 2018
ISLAMABAD: Arif Wazir, a leader of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), died in Islamabad on Saturday after being attacked a day ago by unidentified assailants outside his home in Wana, South Waziristan.
Wana Station House Officer Usman Khan confirmed Wazir had passed away after being shifted to Islamabad for treatment.
The police official said a first-information report (FIR) of the incident had been lodged at the Wana police station.
According to another official, on Friday Arif Wazir was strolling outside his residence in Ghwa Khwa, near Wana, when armed persons opened fire from a moving vehicle. The official had told reporters that Arif Wazir received life-threatening injuries.
He was initially admitted to the District Headquarters Hospital, Wana, but later shifted to an Islamabad hospital.
Arif Wazir is the first cousin of MNA Ali Wazir. Seven members of Arif Wazir�s family were killed in a clash with militants near Wana in 2007. His father, Saadullah Jan, and uncle, Mirza Alam, were among the dead.
Arif Wazir was released from jail on bail about one month ago.
Rights group Amnesty International in a statement on Saturday said authorities must carry out an independent and effective investigation into the attack on Arif Wazir, and that the suspected perpetrators must be held accountable.
PTM is a rights-based alliance that, besides calling for the de-mining of the former tribal areas and greater freedom of movement in the latter, has insisted on an end to the practices of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and unlawful detentions, and for their practitioners to be held to account within a truth and reconciliation framework.
The party has been critical of the state’s policies in the country’s tribal belt, where a massive operation against terrorists was conducted in recent times leading to large-scale displacement and enforced disappearances.
PTM’s leaders, in particular its elected members to the National Assembly, have come under fire for pursuing the release of individuals detained by authorities without due process. The army has alleged the party of running an anti-national agenda and for playing into the hands of the state’s enemies.
The party while rejecting these allegations, has insisted that theirs is a peaceful struggle for the rights of people from the country’s tribal belt.
Last year, MNAs Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir were arrested by police after a protest gathering in Kharqamar for allegedly using violence and clashing with army personnel.
This year in January, PTM chief Manzoor Pashteen was arrested from Peshawar’s Shaheen Town for making a speech in Dera Ismail Khan during which he allegedly said that the 1973 Constitution violated basic human rights. The FIR said Pashteen also made derogatory remarks about the state.
A day later, Dawar was arrested briefly from outside the Islamabad press club alongside several other individuals while protesting Pashteen’s detention.
Pashteen was later released on bail on January 25.
ISLAMABAD: Japan has announced to confer 2020 Spring Decorations upon ORITA Toshiko, Vice President of the Pakistan-Japan Cultural Association (PJCA), Islamabad, and MUKAI Mizue, former senior staff of the Consulate-General in Karachi, in recognition of their significant contribution to the promotion of long-term cultural exchanges and friendly relations between Japan and Pakistan.
ORITA Toshiko will be decorated with ‘The Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays’ while MUKAI Mizue will be conferred ‘The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Rays’.
ORITA Toshiko, also laureate of Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation, has been serving as Vice President of the PJCA since decades and also used to work as a senior staff at the Embassy of Japan in Pakistan in the past. Fluent speaker of Urdu language, Orita has worked continuously with utmost dedication from the platform of PJCA to promote Japanese culture such as Ikebana among the people of Pakistan.
MUKAI Mizue is a former senior staff of the Consulate-General in Karachi and has worked with devotion to familiarize the culture of Japan in the Metropolitan city of Karachi and the Sindh as well as Balochistan Province.
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Judicial Complex has cancelled the vacations of all employees working in the complex, a circular released on Thursday said.
According to the circular, staff employed at the accountability court, anti-terrorism court, banking court, cybercrime and other courts have been directed to show up.
“Limited staff will continue to work at the judicial complex while maintaining social distancing,” the circular said.
It is pertinent to mention that most of the staff were given holidays till May 5 due to the coronavirus lockdown.
ISLAMABAD: Shibli Faraz, newly-appointed Federal Information Minister and Lt Gen (retired) Asim Saleem Bajwa, Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting on Tuesday called on Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad.
According to details, matters pertaining to new assignment of Shibli Faraz and Asim Saleem Bajwa were discussed during the meeting.
Earlier on Monday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shibli Faraz was appointed as Federal Information Minister.
Meanwhile, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority Chairman and former Inter-Services Public Relations (ISP) Director General Lt Gen (retired) Asim Bajwa replaced Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting.
ISLAMABAD: Over 60,000 registered Pakistanis are still waiting repatriation from abroad, whereas, 11,529 Pakistanis have been brought back so far.
This was stated during Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s visit to the Emergency Crisis Management Unit established at the Foreign Office in Islamabad on Tuesday.
The Foreign Minister was briefed that about 62,709 registered Pakistanis await repatriation from abroad, whereas, 11,529 Pakistanis have been brought back so far.
“Government is utilising all possible resources to bring back stranded Pakistanis to home in a phased manner,” Shah maintained, adding that government is fully aware of the plight of overseas Pakistanis, who wish to return to their home country as soon as possible.
Last week, FM Qureshi had said that around 2,000 Pakistanis are being repatriated per week, but with extensive testing facilities and resumption of airport operations, upto 60,000 stranded Pakistani expats can be brought back home.
“We are trying our level best to facilitate stranded Pakistanis since we are fully aware of their predicament,” the minister had said, adding that the increase in coronavirus testing facilities will help the situation further.
Pakistan has been gradually evacuating its nationals from different countries after flight operations were halted due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Islamabad last week began repatriating some of Pakistanis from the UAE, which had earlier warned countries refusing to take back nationals stranded by the coronavirus pandemic that it could review labour ties.
Earlier on Saturday, Pakistan International Airline (PIA) chief Arshad Malik had requested US Ambassador Paul Jones for help in repatriating citizens stuck in the United States.
“We want to bring back Pakistanis stranded in the United States due to the coronavirus pandemic,” Malik said in a letter to the American ambassador.
ISLAMABAD: Senator Shibli Faraz on Tuesday took oath as federal minister at the President House in Islamabad. President Arif Alvi administered the oath.
Shibli Faraz and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Lt Gen (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa later called on Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad.
Matters pertaining to new assignment of Faraz and SAPM Lt Gen (r) Bajwa were discussed during a meeting.
Senator Shibli Faraz was appointed as the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting while Chairperson CPEC Authority Lt Gen (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa was appointed as the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting in place of Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan late on Monday.
Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry took to Twitter to congratulate the two. Faraz is serving as the Leader of the House in the Senate while Lt Gen (retd) Asim Bajwa has served formerly as the DG ISPR.
It remains unclear why the government chose to bring about the changes to the information ministry. “I’m thankful to the prime minister for trusting me,” Dr Awan said following the decision, adding that she tried to fulfill her responsibilities to the best of her abilities.
“The prime minister has the right to decide which player of the team should play on what batting order or which field position,” she added. “I respect the prime minister’s decision.”
The former special assistant strongly refuted the “baseless allegations in propaganda in various reports on the media” following the decision. She said: “As a political activist, my mission is the country’s growth and its people’s welfare, which will continue under the prime minister’s leadership.”
“I wish a hearty congratulations to Shibli Faraz and Lt Gen (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa,” she noted. Prime Minister Imran Khan had appointed Dr Firdous as special assistant to the prime minister on information and broadcasting in April 2019. She had replaced Fawad Chaudhry, who is currently the minister for science and technology.
LAHORE: Over 80 per cent mosques in Punjab and Islamabad have failed to implement government directives and safety guidelines, finds a report, as the number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan crosses 13,000.
The report has been published by the Islamabad-based NGO, Pattan Development Organisation. On Friday, its team of observers visited 194 mosques in 15 cities of the Punjab province, as well as the capital city, with a checklist of 20 rules the ulema had agreed to with the president.
The agreement includes that during Ramadan, mosques must ensure a six-feet distance between worshipers, it is mandatory for people praying in mosques to wear face masks and there should be no congregation on the roads and sidewalks, states the agreement.
As per the findings, in 96 per cent of sampled mosques people were found praying on the footpaths, while 86 per cent of the worshippers did not wear any face masks.
An overwhelming majority, 72 per cent of the men in mosques did not keep a six-feet distance.
The report adds that these practices are a clear violation of the mitigation measures. “Sadly, in more than two-thirds of the observed mosques children were found alongside their elders.”
The survey also notes that compliance of the 20-points was better at larger mosques rather than small ones.
In a televised address, the prime minister said that if mosques were found not following the 20 rules, action could be taken.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Thursday announced that it will operate more relief flights to bring back stranded Pakistanis from Australia and South Korea.
According to PIA spokesperson, the special flights will operate from Islamabad airport on Thursday and Friday to bring back the Pakistanis stuck in Australia and South Korea.
A PIA special flight will leave for Seoul from Islamabad today and will bring back 300 nationals, while another PIA flight PK-8692 will leave for Melbourne tomorrow (Friday), he added.
The special flight will bring 300 passengers from Australia and will land at Islamabad airport on April 26, Friday.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) also decided to operate 53 special flights from next week to facilitate Pakistanis stranded abroad.
According to details, the flights would be operated for Algeria, Khartoum, Nairobi, Oman, Zurich, Amsterdam, Turkey and Jeddah to bring the Pakistani citizens.
The PIA has asked the passengers who were unable to travel to Pakistan from these destinations due to suspension of flight operations amid COVID-19 pandemic to contact the airline’s call centre and provide their local numbers for coordination.
The numbers would be used to inform the passengers regarding booking procedures, flight suspension and others details pertaining to changes made in the flight operations.
Meanwhile, the national flag carrier has also announced to lower its fares after the CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik took notice of the higher fares charged from overseas Pakistanis returning to the country.
“Tickets with updated fares will now be available on the e-ticketing system” said the PIA spokesman.
ISLAMABAD:Pakistan gets major debt relief from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the Fund decided to give one-year debt relief to country as hit hard by coronavirus, said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday.
The Foreign Minister confirmed that the IMF has decided to give a one-year relief to Islamabad as the country grappled with coronavirus pandemic. “Developing nations have been hit the hardest with the pandemic,” Qureshi said while talking to a private television network.
The foreign minister’s remarks follow the announcement of the G20 nations on Wednesday to give one-year debt relief to world’s poorest nations as they struggle to financially cope with the coronavirus pandemic
“Prime Minister Imran Khan had appealed to IMF for debt relief for developing countries which was accepted by the Fund. IMF has announced it would give one-year relief to 70 developing nations including Pakistan,” Qureshi said.
The foreign minister said the relief by the Washington-based organisation would be for one year and is expected to be given from May 1.
The prime minister on Sunday had appealed for a “Global Initiative on Debt Relief”, stating that the coronavirus pandemic had posed unprecedented health and economic challenges.
The premier had appealed to the international community that the global pandemic could be contained with a strong, coordinated and well-crafted global response.
Earlier, the IMF and World Bank had announced they would back the Group of 20 nations’ decision to give one-year debt relief to world’s poorest nations as they struggle to financially cope with the coronavirus pandemic.
These developments might pave the way for debt rescheduling for Pakistan for the next two years as Islamabad desperately looks for any such facility to create much-needed fiscal space for increasing spending on neglected health sector of the country.
The unemployment as projected by all the multilateral lenders as well as by the independent economists will increase pressure on the budgetary side to jack up funding for social safety nets.
The G20 finance ministers and central bankers endorsed “a time-bound suspension of debt service payments for the poorest countries,” and in the communique following their virtual meeting, said, “All bilateral official creditors will participate in this initiative.”
The initiative will “provide north of $20 billion of immediate liquidity” for poor countries to use “for their health system and support their people facing COVID-19”.
In a joint statement issued by World Bank Group President David Malpass and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said, “We strongly welcome the decision of the G20 to respond to our call to allow the poorest countries of the world that request forbearance to suspend repayment of official bilateral credit on May 1.”
The leaders of the IMF and World Bank hailed the announcement, calling it “a powerful, fast-acting initiative that will do much to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of millions of the most vulnerable people.”
The Washington-based lenders have rushed to roll out emergency financing and have received requests for aid from 100 countries, Geo News reported.
The G20 called on private creditors, working through the Institute of International Finance, to participate in the initiative which extends to the world’s 76 poorest countries.
The IMF has called the economic crisis the “Great Lockdown,” warning it will slash $9 trillion off of global growth as the world economy contracts by three% this year, the most severe downturn since the Great Depression in the 1930s.
The IMF estimates the 20 governments already has committed about $7 trillion towards combating the virus and providing economic lifelines to households and companies struggling to weather the crisis.
