Pakistan’s Covid-19 positivity ratio falls to 6pc

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s COVID-19 positivity ratio fell to 6 per cent on Tuesday, a week after reaching its highest-ever level of 7.46pc since the coronavirus outbreak began in the country earlier this year.   

A meeting of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) with Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar in the chair was informed today that the highest test positivity rate was recorded in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Mirpur district at 20.62pc, followed by Peshawar at 19.58pc, Hyderabad at 19.3pc, Karachi at 13.86pc, Abbottabad at 11.21pc,  Quetta at 10.76pc and Multan at 10.66.

Also Read: Pakistan’s COVID positivity rate reaches 7.46%

The NCOC was briefed that Pakistan’s positivity ratio has fallen to 6pc during the previous 24 hours. Azad Jammu and Kashmir recorded the highest positivity ratio at 14.05pc, followed by 10.01pc witnessed in Sindh, 9.04pc in Balochistan, 5.03pc in Islamabad, 3.8pc in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa  and 2.6pc in Gilgit Baltistan.

There are a total of 2,165 critically ill Covid-19 patients across the country but the number of such patients is increasing sharply, the forum was informed.

Also Read: DRAP suggests 38 pc reduction in Remdesivir injection price: sources

67 more Covid-19 deaths and 2,458 new infections were reported during the last 24 hours. The death toll in the country has soared to 8,091 while 343,286 patients stand recovered from the pandemic.

There are now 400, 482 confirmed cases in the country out of which 2,165 are in critical condition.

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SHC extends interim bail of Qaim Ali Shah

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday extended the interim bail of Sindh’s former chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah in a case related to illegal land allotment. 

The former chief is facing NAB inquiry into illegal land allotment case. Shah appeared before the court as his bail expired today. Upon plea, his interim bail was extended till January 13.

The SHC has directed the NAB to present arguments at the next hearing of the case.

The former chief minister is also facing charges of massive corruption in Roshan Sindh project initiated by the provincial government for the installation of solar streetlights across the province.

Read more: NAB summons former CM Sindh Qaim Ali Shah: sources

The senior PPP leader has won seven out of eight general elections he contested, becoming a MPA six times, and Member of National Assembly (MNA) and senator once. Shah completed his 2nd term as Chief Minister of Sindh on 21 March 2013.

He was once again, for the third time, elected to the office of chief minister of Sindh after the 2013 general elections. In July 2016, the PPP leadership decided to replace Shah with Murad Ali Shah as CM Sindh.

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DRAP suggests 38 pc reduction in Remdesivir injection price: sources

ISLAMABAD: Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has suggested a 38 per cent cut in 100 mg Remdesivir injection price and recommended to set its price up to Rs5,680, sources told ARY News on Tuesday.

The federal government has decided to approve a major reduction in prices of Remdesivir injection used to treat COVID-19 patients as a summary was sent to the federal cabinet by the health ministry, sources privy to the development told ARY News.

The federal cabinet is likely to approve the summary for making a cut in the injection’s price up to Rs3,564.

Read: ‘NCOC finalised recommendations for procurement of COVID-19 vaccine’

According to the DRAP summary, it has been recommended to fix the price up to Rs5,680 for a vial of 100 mg Remdesivir injection following a decline in its rate globally. Earlier, the federal cabinet had fixed its price up to Rs10,873 on June 16.

The summary prepared by DRAP policy board on November 9 stated that the authority had decreased its price up to Rs9,244 from Rs10,873 on August 17, as of now, the price of Remdesivir injection falls from $50 to $35 globally.

Prime Minister Imran Khan summoned a session of the federal cabinet today in order to discuss a 14-point agenda which includes mulling over the reduction in injections’ prices for COVID-19 patients, as well as reviewed notification regarding rates of medicines, it was learnt earlier in the day.

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VICS to resume working in Punjab

The Vehicle Inspection and Certification System (VICS) is set to resume operation in the province after a gap of nine months as a dispute between the company operating it and the transport department has been resolved. In the initial phase, the issuance of fitness certificates after technical inspection of commercial vehicles will begin, while the system will be restored at 27 centres in the province in 10 days. The company that had dismissed 149 employees due to a financial crisis amid differences with the department has also started hiring staff. The transport department has stopped the issuance of fitness certificates through motor vehicle examiners across Punjab and now only the private company will issue the certificates through the VICS. After international bidding, a 20-year agreement was signed on February 3, 2015, between the transport department and a Swedish company, according to which VICS centres were to be set up at 39 places in the province. The land was to be provided on lease by the government. Of the planned centres, 27 became operational. However, the company informed the department in March this year that it was not being provided land for construction of the remaining centres as per the agreement. The firm complained that it was also not receiving the number of vehicles for inspection as agreed. The company said it was also facing difficulties because the department's motor vehicle examiners had the authority to issue fitness certificates in 10 districts. Due to the coronavirus lockdown and differences over the issues, the company shut its operations across Punjab on March 20. Now, all differences between the department and the company have been settled. The company will initially resume operations at the Green Town and Kala Shah Kaku VICS centres in Lahore, while and all 27 centres will be activated in the next 10 days.

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PFA forgoes training fee for small businesses

In a bid to provide relief to the businessmen community, the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) abolished the training fee for small-scale businesses. A spokesperson for the authority said on Monday that PFA Director General (DG) Rafaqat Ali Naswana chaired a meeting with the training school administration and decided to waive off training fee for small businesses including tandoors and kiosks. PFA DG Rafaqat Ali Naswana said that the authority would provide free training to vendors, hawkers and other small business owners, adding that for small businesses per head training fee was Rs1,160. He highlighted that the purpose of abolishing the fee was to help small food businesses in overcoming their financial difficulties, and educating them about their personal hygiene and PFA laws. The director general maintained that the purpose of establishing PFA was to reform and regulate food businesses in the region. “A large number of people buy food items on a daily basis from the carts and roadside vendors, therefore it is essential that they ensure proper levels of hygiene and safety.” Speaking on the occasion, he vowed to provide full support to small business owners to help uplift them at the grass root level. Moreover, he warned the business owners of strict action for flouting SOPs and encouraged them to follow the rules and laws.

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‘Preterm birth survivors face disabilities’

Children under 5 years of age with preterm birth may suffer learning, visual disabilities as well as hearing disorders. Senior Medical Officer (SMO) Dr Imran Rafique told APP on Monday that in poor countries, babies born at or less than 32 weeks mostly die due to a lack of facilities related to providing warmth and cost-effective care which leads to infections and breathing difficulties. He stated that as far as the developed world is concerned, almost all of these babies survive due to availability of all required facilities necessary for the survival of premature babies.

It shows, the medic noted, there was big difference in survival of premature babies in developed and poor babies as it depends where the child was born. As far as the predisposing factors of prematurity were concerned, 40% were idiopathic while others were poor maternal health, low socioeconomic status, previous preterm birth and maternal illness like preeclampsia and diabetes mellitus. Dr Imran added that preterm babies born at less than 32 weeks gestation may have associated problems like edema of scalp, subperiosteal bleeding, bruising and nerve palsies. Furthermore, they may have clavicle, skull and long bones fracture, perinatal hypoxia, respiratory distress syndrome, apnea, low body temperature, jaundice, intraventricular hemorrhage, retinopathy, anemia, inability to suck and poor milk tolerance.

“In the later age, babies may have behavioural problems and sudden infant death syndrome.” The SMO maintained that preterm birth complications can be prevented by having a healthy pregnancy adding that special care during and before pregnancy ensures that the women will have a positive pregnancy experience. For this purpose, he recalled that all pregnant women should get regular antenatal checkup from their nearest government health facility and follow all the advice prescribed to them. “In case of unexpected chance of premature delivery before 34 weeks gestation pregnant women must receive two doses of injection corticosteroids intramuscular to decrease the severity of respiratory distress syndrome, periventricular hemorrhage and necrotising enterocolitis.”

The SMO highlighted that warmth, feeding support, Kangaroo mother care and use of safe oxygen can also help preterm babies to survive and breathe with ease. “There is an estimated 8% births every year that occur before 37 weeks gestation. Most problems are witnessed with infants born in less than 32 completed weeks, which is 2% of all births,” he concluded.

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PU to verify degrees of 95 PbBC candidates

The Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan has sought details of degree’s verification of total 95 candidates, who contested the Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) election from Lahore after the Punjab University confirmed fake degrees of seven contestants. The province’s top judge directed the representatives of PU to submit a detailed report by Wednesday (tomorrow) after verifying total 95 candidates who contested PbBC election (held on November 28 Saturday) from Lahore. Seven fake degree holders which PU confirmed include Mian Hafeez (Lahore), Rana Javed Bashir (Lahore), Mazhar Iqbal (Faisalabad), Syed Tahir Hussain Bukhari (Attock), Imran Sherazi (Narowal), Syed Tayab Sherazi (Sargodha) and Safdar Naul (Jhang).

The law officer told the court that they verified total 230 candidates out of which 223 were declared clear and seven amongst them proved to be fake degree holders. The CJ remarked: “I want verification of degrees of all 95 contesters by tomorrow.” The PU representatives assured the court that the varsity would act upon the court orders for them but it will be difficult to bring a record of said candidates at LHC. The representatives suggested that the court may appoint some people to visit PU along with them for verification if it is not convenient to all. The CJ directed the petitioner, law officer, representatives of PbBC to visit the PU along with officials who appeared before LHC for verification of degrees of the said candidates. However, the CJ Khan fixed the case on Tuesday (today) and sought a report from the PU by Wednesday (tomorrow).

Petitioner Gulzar Butt advocate of Supreme Court of Pakistan had challenged in LHC the conduct of Punjab Bar Council for allegedly not scrutinizing the degrees of thousands of lawyers in light of order passed on December 6, 2018, by the then Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar. Butt was also contesting PbBC’s elections held on November 28 but later decided not to contest election owing to the registration of thousands of lawyers whose degrees had yet to be verified.

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‘Proposed investment policy to incentivise FDI’

The proposed Investment Policy 2020 will provide much needed incentives to attract maximum Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), said Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) President Ihtasham Javed. “FDI is imperative for comprehensive and sustainable industrial growth.” He was addressing a two-day digital conference organised by the Executive Development Institute (EDI) of the National School of Public Policy (NSPP). The topic of this online course was ‘Enabling environment for Ease of Doing Business (EDB)’. The FCCI president claimed that Pakistan was a role model for developing countries in 1960s but nationalisation in 1970s nullified the entire economic gains. “As a result, unprecedented retrogressive growth initiated which was still haunting the nation as well as economic managers.” Later different, he added, ‘formula’ policies were introduced which also failed to yield any tangible results due to non-consistency in policies. He further said during this period successive governments introduced adhoc and cosmetic policies due to limited breathing space and thus they failed to dispel the genuine grievances and reservations of the private sector. He termed the CPEC as a major step for economic development with hefty FDI and resolution of energy related problems. “The second phase started with relocation of hi-tech Chinese industries in close collaboration with Pakistani investors. A

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In a first, SC allows lawyer to plead case from home

For the first time, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has allowed a senior lawyer to represent his client from home using a video-link facility — in view of the contagious coronavirus disease.

A three-judge bench, led by Justice Mushir Alam, on Monday ordered technical staff of the Sindh High Court to make arrangements for senior lawyer Khalid Anwar next week so that he may plead his case from his home using video link. Anwar could not come to the SC Karachi Registry due to Covid-19.

The move is significant against the backdrop of the coronavirus contagion, which caused the death of Peshawar High Court chief justice Waqar Ahmed Seth on November 13. Two senior lawyers — Sardar Aslam and Zahid Bukhari — have also died due to the infection while five judges of a high court have been affected by the disease.

Senior lawyers welcomed the SC decision and urged all high courts to provide videolink facilities to the lawyers so that they could argue their cases from home. At present, only the Islamabad High Court has offered such a facility to its pleaders. At the IHC, some lawyers have even argued their cases from abroad.

A lawyer pleaded in the sugar case from Canada. All over the world, including India, lawyers are being allowed to plead cases from home due to Covid-19. A senior lawyer said a colleague recently presented arguments before the UK Supreme Court from Lahore.

“It is imperative for an efficient administration of justice in the 21st century and more so during these testing times of the pandemic,” said the legal expert.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed has already observed that the huge backlog of cases at the apex court is the biggest challenge.

Currently, 45,959 cases are pending in the Supreme Court. Senior lawyers believe that pendency can only be decreased through extending the video-link facility and lawyers should be allowed to argue their cases from home during the pandemic.

They said the CJ should summon a meeting of the National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC) to evolve a strategy to facilitate litigants and lawyers in the prevailing situation. The NJPMC is a consultative body comprising all chief justices of superior courts. A senior lawyer, who is involved in international arbitrations, said all work at the foreign courts is being done through video link and that he is taking part in all proceedings from Pakistan.

In April, a division bench led by Justice Qazi Faez Isa had proposed a mechanism of hearing cases via video link amid the spread of Covid-19 virus and consequent difficulties faced by litigants and counsels.

The order proposed that each courtroom or bench be provided with a Wi-Ficonnected cell phone while the number of the cellular device should also be mentioned in the cause list as well as on the SC website.

The proposal also suggested that applications such as Skype, WhatsApp, Telegram or any other suitable videoconferencing platform be installed in the said Supreme Court cell phone and the counsel should also be asked to install the same application in their devices.

After the identity of the counsel is verified, cases may be heard by the use of the said video-conferencing application, the bench had proposed. It also suggested maintaining transparency and openness during the proceedings and that the screen of the court’s cell phone may be mirrored on television sets which are already installed in every courtroom.

“The possibility of preserving the recording of the court proceedings (for six months) be explored.”

The bench also recommended that this task be assigned to the SC information and technology department. However, before using the proposed system, the IT wing should ensure successful trial runs. The bench had also referred this proposal to the CJ for approval.

The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), offices of the Attorney General for Pakistan and the advocate generals and prosecutor generals be given a demonstration of the workability of the proposed system and consider their suggestion, said the court. The bench had given the proposals while hearing an adjournment application filed by a counsel, who was above 60 years of age, and who was advised to go into self-quarantine.

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FSC seeks replies from SBP in Riba case

The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) has sent a questionnaire to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) asking the central bank various queries with regard to the Islamic model of banking being practiced in other countries as well as the government’s steps to implement a Riba-free financial system.

A three-judge bench presided over by FSC Chief Justice Muhammad Noor Meskanzai on Monday resumed hearing of a case that can be traced back to the 1992 when the FSC had declared ‘Riba’ repugnant to the injunctions of Islam.

In the questionnaire, the FSC asked the SBP as to how many countries practice the Islamic financial system; how these systems are being operated generally and which example is best suited for Pakistan.

The court also asked how many international banks and financial systems are using Islamic banking or Islamic financing models in different forms to provide Riba-free service to their customers.

“Is there any example in the world that the international financial transactions of a sovereign state with the international financial institution are somehow linked with Islamic banking transaction?"

"What steps have so far been taken by the SBP and government of Pakistan through Ministry of Finance to promote Islamic banking in Pakistan and what is the future framework/timeline for its promotion?"

The court asked what was the response of international financial institutions – the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Asian Development Bank etc – to the Islamic banking purely from economic and banking points of view and if they provide financing on Islamic principles.

"What is the latest status of compliance of the Commission for Transformation of Financial System (CTFS) and the two taskforces created in the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Law in this regard?"

The court also asked as what is the opinion of the SBP Shariat Board about "indexation" vis-a-vis banking loans and banking deposits and Riba-ul-fadl vis-a -vis banking transactions.

Riba al-fadl refers to exchange or sale transactions in trade which effectively result in the charging of 'interest' through the exchange of the same commodity, but of a different quality or quantity.

In 1992, the FSC had termed ‘Riba’ repugnant to the injunctions of Islam in a case filed by the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI). Later, hearing an appeal against the decision in 1999, the Supreme Court’s Shariat Appellate Bench had upheld the FSC ruling.

The SC had also asked the then government to amend all banking laws and other statutes, prohibiting Riba, within two years. However, the government and some banks had filed a review petition in the SC.

In 2002, the apex court referred the case back to the FSC to reconsider its ruling. The apex court also directed the FSC to solicit input from contemporary jurists from the Muslim world. The matter has been pending before the FSC for the past 18 years.

During the hearing on Monday, the JI senior leaders Dr Fareed Paracha and Professor Ibrahim appeared before the FSC bench. The JI was represented by Qaisar Imam and Saifullah Gondal advocates.

On Monday, SBP’s counsel Salman Akram Raja could not appear as he was busy in high court. The hearing was adjourned till next Monday.

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Govt to introduce Textile Policy 2020-25 this week

ISLAMABAD: The federal government is all set to announce the Textile Policy 2020-25 during the current week, ARY News reported on Tuesday, citing sources.

The export target has been fixed at $20 billion in the new Textile Policy, which has been finalised after consultation with all the stakeholders.

Under the proposed textile policy, the electricity tariff will be at 7.5 cent per unit while duties at the Gas, water, and others will be reduced to boost the sector, said the well-informed sources within the Textile ministry.

The proposed policy will help in boosting employment opportunities for millions of people. Meanwhile, the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association has welcomed the proposed Textile Policy of the federal government and pinned hope that this will put the economy on track.

It is to be noted that Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved the Textile Policy 2020-25 last week.

Read more: Faisalabad textile industry seeing massive rise in export orders: PM

On November 19, Prime Minister Khan had directed the authorities concerned to resolve the problems facing the textile industry in Faisalabad at the earliest.

Talking to a delegation of business representatives and exporters associated with the textile industry in Faisalabad, he had directed Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar to consult with all the stakeholders about setting up of an Expo Center in the city.

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Court excuses Hamza’s absence from Ramzan Sugar Mill hearing

LAHORE: An accountability court on Tuesday accepted Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Hamza Shahbaz’s plea to excuse him for skipping today’s hearing of the Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

Accountability Judge Amjad Nazir directed jail authorities to present him at the next hearing on December 7.

Also Read: Shehbaz Sharif, Hamza released from Kot Lakhpat jail

Hamza’s lawyer stated before the court that his client has been released from prison on five-day parole to attend the funeral of his grandmother Begum Shamim Akhtar and receive people coming to offer their condolences.

The judge expressing resentment over the accused’s absence asked who visits in the morning to extend condolences? Hamza should have appeared, he remarked.

Also Read: Rs9.5bn money laundering detected in Ramazan Sugar Mills: Shahzad Akbar

The counsel requested the judge to excuse his client’s absence as there is only one day left before he returns to prison.

On November 27, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz were released from Kot Lakhpat Jail on a five-day parole.

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Two cars developed for first-ever contest on Moon surface in 2021

Two remote-controlled race cars will be landed on the lunar surface which will be driven by high school students for the first-ever race on Moon in 2021.

Moon Mark, an entertainment and education company, is sponsoring the race that will see teams of students compete to design and drive one of two racers.

The winning teams will then work with McLaren P1 designer Frank Stephenson to create a vehicle that will race across the low-gravity environment of the Moon, Dailymail UK reported.

The cars will be launched to the Moon on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and descend to the surface inside the first privately developed lunar lander.

In the interesting contest of eight weeks of qualifying by high-schoolers from around the world, six teams of five members will compete to become the final two that race on the Moon.

Those challenges included e-gaming, drone racing and a space commercialisation entrepreneurship contest until a final two teams were confirmed.

Their adventures will be captured, produced and globally distributed by Moon Mark so people can follow their progress on the run up to the October launch.

The two racers will deploy on the Moon via the Nova-C lander by Houston-based Intuitive Machines, following a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch in late 2021.

It is a heavy load going to the lunar surface – each car will weight 5.5lb and the lander to get them to the surface will weigh another 6.6lb – a total of 17.6lb.

While the cost of the launch hasn’t been revealed – other firms quote $544,000 per lb to send objects to the Moon – a nearly $10 million cost.

The Nova-C lander is the ‘first lunar lander wholly developed by a private company’ and is expected to touch down in the Oceanus Procellarum.

The lander is heading to the Moon next year to survey the grand canyon-sized Schröter’s Valley but will deploy the pair of race cars at the same time.

The final two teams of students will complete the racer designs in Houston, Texas, before being loaded onto the lander that will transport them to the Moon.

Moon Mark is working with a number of private space firms, including Lunar Outpost who have expertise in developing lunar rover vehicles.

The final track and layout on the Moon hasn’t been confirmed by the Moon Mark team but it is being designed by Hermann Tilke – who has designed all the recent Formula One tracks around the world.

If the Nova-C lander successfully touches down on the Moon it will be the first private spacecraft to do so – and one of only a few projects to succeed.

So far only the US, China and Russia have made a successful soft landing on the lunar surface – others have tried including India – but missions have failed to land safely or have been lost.

Assuming Nova-C lands safely, not only will this be the first race on the surface of the Moon, but will also be the first private landing – potentially spearheading a new commercial Moon race.

The Moon is back in the global news due to China sending a mission to bring back rock samples from the lunar surface – due to return in December, and the US sending the first woman and next man to the surface by 2024.

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SHC bans entry of irrelevant people amid COVID-19 spike

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday slapped a ban on the entrance of irrelevant people in the court premises as part of precautionary measures against the novel coronavirus pandemic.

According to the administration of the SHC, irrelevant people and lawyers have been directed not to enter the court premises without any cogent reason.

Staff and lawyers scheduled for hearings can only appear before the court and the relevant parties in cases can only appear before the court if they have been specifically summoned.

Pakistan has recorded fresh 2,458 COVID-19 cases and 67 deaths due to the virus in the last 24 hours.

Read more: Federal cabinet likely to approve cut in injections prices for COVID-19 patients

In the past 24 hours, 40 more people succumbed to the disease, taking the death toll to 8,091. 1,863 patients have recovered from the virus during the last 24 hours and 2,165 patients are in critical condition.

The positivity rate of COVID-19 cases reaches up to 5.9 per cent during 24 hours. The total count of active cases increased up to 49,105.

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FBR achieves five-month tax target

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has achieved its five-month target with a total tax collection of Rs1.686 trillion during the first half (July-November) of this fiscal year.

The revenue machinery’s tax collection in November stood at Rs346 billion, falling short of the set target of Rs348 billion. However, it recorded more than 3 per cent year-on-year growth from Rs335 billion collected in the same month last year.

Also Read: FBR felicitates historic quarterly tax collection exceeding Rs1tr mark

The tax body collected Rs1.686 trillion during July-November exceeding the projected target of Rs1.669 trillion by Rs17billion.

Income tax collection stood at Rs109bn as against the projected target of Rs130 billion in the month under review. Sales tax collection rose 14pc to Rs173bn in November from Rs152bn in the same month last year.

Also Read: Pakistan’s foreign direct investment up 151% to $317.4m in October

The federal excise duty (FED) collection fell by 18pc to Rs23bn as against Rs27bn projected target. Customs collection increased by 4pc to Rs57 bn as against the set target of Rs49bn.

FBR was able to amass a revenue of Rs1004 billion (Rs1.004 trillion) in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, exceeding the projected target of Rs970 billion.

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A community’s continued struggle for representation

As 2020 draws closer to its valedictory month and the world prepares for a new calendar year, there happens to be a lot holding this country of 212 million people back.

A significant portion of Pakistan’s population, the transgender community, despite its constant struggle for representation, still bears the brunt of cultural and legal discrimination on a regular basis. Alleged to be undercounted, as of this date, over 300,000 Pakistani transgender people face various hurdles in accessing fundamental human rights, including healthcare, education, employment, bodily autonomy and religious freedom. Much of these complications, per transgender-rights activists, stem from the country’s flawed system for national identification, which remains prejudiced against the gender minority. “Over 90 per cent of my community members still struggle for just representation on our identity documents.

But due to various factors and a broken system, many of us are forced to adopt a gender we don’t identify with,” said Zanaya Chaudhry, a Lahore based transgender rights activist. Chaudhry, who has been lucky to salvage associations with her parents and siblings after transition, said that a great many in her community seldom as fortunate. “Parents withdraw support, siblings turn faces, and often times we have no one but our gurus to call family. They act as our parents and guardians and are there for us in all our joys and sorrows,” she told lamentingly. According to the activist, among many trials and tribulations transgender people face in Pakistan, there is one which not only affects their life but also their hereafter.

Pointing out her community’s limited access to religious freedom, Chaudhry said that the Pakistan government stamps an x in the gender column of a transgender person’s CNIC and passport. “Although the x is supposed to denote non-binary gender, the mark is not recognised by the Saudi government’s visa system. Due to this, those of us who wish to perform pilgrimage have no option but to take the gender identity assigned to us at birth.” Talking further about the matter, Chaudhry claimed that the complication is a consequence of the Pakistan government’s incompetence. “It is high time that a solution to this issue is discussed, so that the country’s Muslim transgender population to has the same access to the house of god as any other person of the faith,” she opined. Recounting her personal experience of navigating life as transgender person in the Pakistan, Zanaya Chaudhry said things have gotten much worse in recent years for young transgender people today.

“I remember I’d go to the madrasa to find comfort in the words of god when I was a child. But today, cases of child sexual and physical abuse in madrasas have become a common occurrence. In such times, transgender children, belonging to an already vulnerable group, have very little avenues left for securing an education,” she commented. In her prayer to the authorities Chaudhry said that the government should start investing in creating more opportunities for transgender people to progress in Pakistan. Other than an appropriate gender identification system, she pleaded to the government to make formal education compulsory transgender children. “Parents or gurus who do not send their transgender children should be highlighted and penalised by the authorities,” Chaudhry told The Express Tribune.

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‘Opposition’s plan to derail govt will fail’

Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar has said the opposition's plan to obstruct the senate elections will also fail. The opposition will see senate and general elections will be held on time and their rallies cannot oust the government. The governor made these remarks while speaking to Senior Punjab Minister Abdul Aleem Khan who called on him at Governor’s House on Monday. Sarwar said Prime Minister Imran Khan will not move an inch away from his politics. “The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will get tired of holding rallies but the government will remain in power till 2023,” he remarked. “The opposition parties are trying to obstruct the senate elections but the opposition has failed in its earlier intentions and now the opposition's plan to obstruct the senate elections will also fail. If the opposition thinks they can pressurize the government by holding rallies, they are mistaken.” He underlined that the PDM was playing with the lives of the people for their political interests. There are serious threats of coronavirus spread among masses owing to opposition rallies. These rallies are an invitation to the pandemic. “The opposition is asked to end politics of rallies, for the time being, otherwise the opposition will be responsible for the spike in coronavirus,” he said. The governor highlighted that the rule of law was a responsibility of the government which will be fulfilled in any case. The government's strategy to keep people safe from coronavirus is being praised around the world. Speaking on the occasion, Senior Provincial Minister Abdul Aleem Khan said that the PDM could not shake the government. There was no danger to the government from the opposition rallies. “Prime Minister Imran Khan will complete his term and the opposition will have to face failure in the forthcoming elections,” he maintained.

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13 perish in Sheikhupura accident

At least 13 people, including seven members of a family, were burnt alive and 34 others injured after a collision between a passenger van and a bus near Narang Mandi. The accident took place 4km away from Narang Mandi on Kala Khatai Road near Darbar Syed Miran.

The deceased were so badly burnt that only eight of them could be identified by their relatives. The remaining five bodies were lying unidentified in a morgue in Muridke, Sheikhupura. The district administration may decide to carry out DNA matching of samples from the remaining bodies to identify the victims if their identities are not confirmed by their families. The bodies of seven identified victims of the same family were shifted to Bado Malhi, Derawala village. The eighth body was taken to an area near Shahfara an Kala Khatai Road. The Kala Khatai Road is known as a dangerous route by commuters as every year several accidents causing a large number of casualties take place on it.

The deadly collision reportedly occurred due to fog in the area. A rescue officer shared with The Express Tribune that as one of the vehicles left Narang Mandi, the driver might have sped it up on finding a patch where the road was clear. Suddenly, he reached a patch of thick fog which had impaired visibility on the road. Before the drivers of the two vehicles could reduce their speed or gauge the situation, they rammed into each other. The collision was so intense that the van's body got entangled into the bus. It was followed by a heavy gas cylinder explosion in the van. In no time, the fire engulfed the van. Before the passengers of the bus could escape, the fire spread to them also.

Rescue 1122 received the first call at 7:57am and the first emergency vehicle reached the spot in 10 minutes. On observing the gravity of the situation, the rescue workers asked for more support. A rescue officer said there was no fire brigade vehicle at Narang Mandi, the nearest rescue station. A fire vehicle was sent from Muridke through the Old Narowal Road. By the time it reached the spot, the fire had engulfed both the vehicles. At least 47 people were found dead or injured. After examination, 13 of them were found to have lost their lives. Local people and private emergency services shifted 17 injured people to the nearest hospitals, while 17 others were shifted by Rescue 1122 ambulances.

Panic spread among the residents of the area and commuters on seeing the charred bodies, hearing screams of survivors and witnessing thick smoke and high flames. A sense of melancholy prevailed in Bado Malhi after the seven bodies of a family reached home. Only a few days back, at least nine people had died in a day in accidents on Kala Khatai Road. In an earlier accident on the same road on November 11, 2013, at least four people died and 22 were injured. In December 2013, at least five people were killed and several others injured in an accident. On October 31, 2015, six people died and 20 were injured when a speeding bus overturned.

In November 2015, at least five people died after a collision between a car and a passengers van on the road. In November last year, one person was killed and three others injured in an accident involving a motorbike on the same road. In January last year, at least 10 people were injured in a collision between a van and a bus. Earlier this year, a minor died and 10 people were injured in an accident on the Kala Khatai Road.

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Police officer, paramedic save drowning woman by jumping into freezing cold canal

An unconscious woman has been saved from drowning by a heroic police officer and paramedic who rescued her by jumped into a freezing cold canal in Nottingham.

The police released bodycam footage of the rescue which showed the police constable Lee Lane and an East Midlands Ambulance Service paramedic, who wishes to remain anonymous, were pulling the woman out of the canal.

It showed that other police officers running to the scene to help PC Lee Lane and the paramedic pull her out of the water

According to Dailymail UK, the officers were called to rescue the woman who fell into the Nottingham Canal near London Road on Saturday, November 21.

The heroic police officer said that he saw the drowning woman lose consciousness as he was running towards the canal. ‘I could see the woman struggling to keep her head above the murky water. As we ran closer she then became unconscious and was drowning,’ he said.

‘As I was running towards her with the paramedic I took my Taser vest and stab vest off before we both jumped in the water. I was just thinking we had to get to her before she died.’

The paramedic reached the woman first, but in a joint effort, PC Lane helped lift her onto his shoulders and bring her to safety.

PC Lane added: ‘The water was freezing cold and I didn’t realise how deep it was, with the water coming up to my shoulder. The paramedic grabbed hold of her first but was struggling to pull her. I managed to put her on my shoulders and we were then able to drag her out of the water to safety.’

‘She was really cold and pale. My colleagues were able to provide first aid and clear the water from her lungs as she regained consciousness. We then covered her with a blanket to keep her warm until the ambulance arrived.’

The EMAS paramedic, who ran to the scene after being flagged down by a member of the public, said: ‘When I arrived I could see that the woman was already in the water and I could see that she was starting to go under.’

‘Myself and the police officer realised that she would not resurface and both of us knew then that we had to jump in to rescue her.

‘Despite how cold the water would have felt, I didn’t feel it at the time because my ultimate goal was to save this woman, so the adrenaline had kicked in.’

The woman was taken to the Queen’s Medical Centre for treatment and was later discharged.

PC Lane has served with the force for just over three years and is a response officer based at Byron House. He and the unnamed EMAS paramedic have now been put forward for a future Nottinghamshire Police Award in recognition of their brave actions.

PC Lane’s colleagues who helped at the scene were PCs Cai Bawden, Matthew Bower, Lawrence Verney and Leah Madhani.

Inspector John Lees, of Nottinghamshire Police, said that it was an exemplary piece of work by all of the officers involved, working together to save the woman in very challenging circumstances. He added that PC Lane’s and his paramedic colleague’s quick-thinking actions undoubtedly saved the woman’s life.

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California at COVID-19 ‘tipping point’ as Trump administration hopes for vaccines by Christmas

LOS ANGELES: California’s governor said on Monday the state was at a “tipping point” in the COVID-19 pandemic that would soon overwhelm hospitals as political leaders nationwide turn to increasingly aggressive measures to hold back the latest surge.

Governor Gavin Newsom said he may clamp new “stay-at-home” orders on California’s roughly 40 million residents in the face of infections and hospitalizations that are still rising weeks before emergency vaccines are predicted for release.

“(California) has worked hard to prepare for a surge – but we can’t sustain the record high cases we’re seeing,” Newsom said on Twitter. “Current projections show CA will run out of current ICU beds before Christmas Eve.

The governor told reporters discussions were underway among state health officials over the potential stay-at-home order. He expects to issue a decision in the next day or two.

Last week he ordered a daily curfew barring social gatherings and other non-essential activities across most of the state between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. daily.

Newsom, who has largely banned indoor dining in the state, has apologized after photos surfaced of the first-term Democrat eating dinner with 11 other people, including a prominent lobbyist, at a French restaurant near Napa. None wore masks.

More than 4.2 million new COVID-19 infections and 36,000 COVID-19 related deaths were reported across the United States in November, according to a Reuters tally. Hospitalizations are at a pandemic high and deaths the most in six months.

Nearly 93,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, up 11% from last week and double the number reported a month ago, according to a Reuters analysis of state and county public health reports.

Americans who have endured eight months of restrictions, lockdown and business closures in the face of the pandemic are pinning their hopes on vaccines developed by drug companies Pfizer Inc and Moderna that are awaiting U.S. government approval for emergency use.

VACCINES BY CHRISTMAS?

US Health Secretary Alex Azar said Pfizer’s medication could be authorized and shipped within days of a Dec. 10 meeting of outside advisers to the Food and Drug Administration.

Moderna’s vaccine could follow a week later, Azar said, after the company announced on Monday it would apply for emergency authorization both in the US and Europe.

“So we could be seeing both of these vaccines out and getting into people’s arms before Christmas,” Azar said on CBS’ “This Morning.”

Health officials in many states say that even after the vaccines are approved the rollout to Americans nationwide could be slowed by shortages of personal protective equipment and other factors.

The non-partisan Government Accountability Office reported on Monday that some diagnostic test kits and accompanying reagents, as well as PPE are hard to come by “due to a supply chain with limited domestic production and high global demand.”

In Los Angeles, health officials on Friday banned all public and private gatherings for at least three weeks and urged residents to stay home as much as possible.

In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday ordered all elective surgeries to cease in one county and told hospitals statewide to plan on increasing their capacity by 50% if necessary or set up and staff field hospitals.

“Hospital capacity is the top concern,” Cuomo said.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said that as of Saturday he was re-tightening the limit on most outdoor gatherings to 25 people.

Murphy, who has brought back a series of COVID-19 restrictions in recent weeks, also said all indoor youth and adult sports will be put on hold from Dec. 5 through Jan. 2, 2021, also with exemptions.

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‘Pandemic’ chosen as Word of the Year

NEW YORK: The 2020 prize for Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year went to an obvious choice: pandemic.

The term had the most online dictionary lookups of any word, Merriam-Webster said on its website, after a year in which at least 1.4 million people globally have died from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Sometimes a single word defines an era, and it’s fitting that in this exceptional – and exceptionally difficult – year, a single word came immediately to the fore,” the dictionary publisher said.

Pandemic is defined as “an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area (such as multiple countries or continents) and typically affects a significant proportion of the population,” according to Merriam-Webster.com.

The word’s Greek roots are “pan,” meaning all or every and “demos,” meaning people, Merriam-Webster said.

Dictionary lookups skyrocketed on March 11 when the World Health Organization officially labeled COVID-19 a pandemic.

The word “saw the single largest spike in dictionary traffic in 2020, showing an increase of 115,806% over lookups on that day in 2019,” said the company, founded in 1831.

Last year’s winner was “they” as used to describe someone who does not identify as male nor female. That follows winners “justice” in 2018, “feminism” in 2017 and “surreal” in 2016.

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Federal cabinet likely to approve cut in injections prices for COVID-19 patients

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has summoned a session of the federal cabinet today in order to discuss a 14-point agenda which includes mulling over the reduction in injections’ prices for COVID-19 patients, as well as reviewed notification regarding rates of medicines, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

A summary will be presented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the federal cabinet members for taking the policy decision to end diplomatic ties with France. It is pertinent to mention here that the high court had issued directives for presenting the summary for taking policy decision by the federal cabinet.

Moreover, the federal cabinet members will be given briefings on Bundal Island, Ravi Riverfront urban development project and Naya Pakistan Housing Authority (NPHA), as well as utilisation of state assets in Jammu and Kashmir.

Read: FO rejects Indian propaganda against Pakistanis residing in France

The federal cabinet is expected to approve cut in injections’ prices for COVID-19 patients. The cabinet members will also decide on reviewed notification regarding the prices of medicines.

Earlier on Monday, Federal Minister for Planning and Development and the head of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) Asad Umar had said that the forum finalised its recommendations for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccine.

Asad Umar, after chairing a session of NCOC, said in his Twitter message that the task force of experts headed by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan had developed the recommendations which were discussed and finalised today.

Read: Pakistan to approach China for COVID-19 vaccine: sources

The recommendations will be presented to the federal cabinet tomorrow for its approval, he added.

On November 23, it emerged that the federal government had decided to approach international donors for financial assistance to purchase COVID-19 vaccine.

The government is likely to contact the World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and UNICEF for funding for the bulk-buying of doses of the vaccine. The health ministry will approach the multilateral donors through the Economic Affairs Division.

Read: At UN webinar, Pakistan urges equitable access to coronavirus vaccine

It will negotiate with them for financial assistance or a loan with no strings attached, the sources said, adding the health ministry has begun working on a coherent plan for the purpose.

It is noteworthy to mention here that the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had earlier approved a technical supplementary grant worth $150 million for the advance purchase of coronavirus vaccine.

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2,458 COVID-19 cases, 67 deaths reported in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has recorded fresh 2,458 COVID-19 cases and 67 deaths due to the virus in the last 24 hours, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

In the past 24 hours, 40 more people succumbed to the disease, taking the death toll to 8,091. 1,863 patients have recovered from the virus during the last 24 hours and 2,165 patients are in critical condition.

The positivity rate of COVID-19 cases reaches up to 5.9 per cent during 24 hours. The total count of active cases increased up to 49,105.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), with fresh inclusion of the infections in the country the national tally of cases now currently stands at 400,482.

A total of 40,969 tests were conducted across the country during this period. 343,286 people have recovered from the deadly disease while 5,549,779 samples have been tested thus far.

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Wheat: AMRI prepares low-cost bed planter

The Agriculture Mechanisation and Research Institute (AMRI) has prepared a modern and low-cost wheat bed planter.

“The modern bed planters will not only help ensure low use of water but offer bumper crop to farmers,” Agriculture Field Department Director General (DG) Ghulam Siddique said on Sunday.

The DG stated that the special machine had been prepared at a cost of Rs150,000.

He shared that the machine’s trials were being conducted in Rahim Yar Khan.

About utility of the machine, he added that sowing of wheat on beds would help save irrigation water. “Similarly, irrigation water and fertiliser efficacy would also improve through it.”

In case of more rains, water could easily be drained out from the beds, he maintained.

About AMRI, the DG revealed that the institute comprised of several sections, including design and development, fabrication, test and field research, agronomy and instrumentation. “Out of the 130 locally developed machines, 49 have become ready for use at commercial level.”

The machines included seed cleaner, grader, Rabi drill, cultivator drill, dry sowing, runner drill, Rota drill, thresher, wheat straw chopper drill, mobile Bhoosa baler, seed delinter, seed treater, Kharif drill, precision planter, cotton ridge with fertiliser and bed and furrow shaper planter, among others.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2020.

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Covid tightens noose: 19 dead in a day

Punjab Minister for Health Dr Yasmeen Rashid has confirmed that the second wave of coronavirus is far more dangerous than the first hit as 19 more lives were lost to the disease on Sunday.

“As many as 613 new cases were reported from various parts of Punjab within 24 hours.”

“The situation with regard to Covid was better in September but we had warned the people that the pandemic had not ended. It is now worsening by every passing day,” added the provincial health minister while addressing a press conference.

She asserted that a total of 997 Covid-19 patients were admitted in the Punjab hospitals and over 16,200 were in quarantine and isolation centres.

Meanwhile, smart lockdown has been imposed in several localities of various cities where the number of cornovirus cases is high. The provincial secretary for primary and secondary healthcare announced that the lockdown had been imposed in 26 localities of Lahore, 15 of Rawalpindi, seven of Multan, five of Layyah, four each of Sargodha and Faisalabad, three each of Gujranwala and Toba Tek Singh and two neighbourhoods of Mianwali.

All businesses and offices in the affected areas will remain closed and movement of residents will be restricted.

Dr Rashid highlighted that the healthcare personnel had suffered the most owing to their work as frontline workers. “At least 2,638 health professionals were inflicted with coronavirus.” Simultaneously, the minister claimed that the government was fulfilling its responsibilities properly and the best treatment facilities were being offered to the pandemic victims at the hospitals.

Responding to a question regarding re-infections, the minister stressed that thorough research was being conducted on such cases by experts.

She enunciated that the prime minister had granted approval to provide universal health coverage to all of the 22 million families in Punjab.

Meanwhile, during the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) daily session it was noted that the National Covid Positivity Ratio had climbed and the number of critical patients was rising at a higher pace compared to the past.

The meeting was told that out of the 273 coronavirus patients on ventilators across Pakistan, 133 were under treatment in Punjab. Lahore houses 63 Covid-19 patients on ventilators, Multan 41, Rawalpindi 25 and Faisalabad four.

“Covid Positivity Ratio in Punjab was recorded at 3.45%,” the health experts informed the forum on the disease pattern, adding that the National Covid Positivity Ratio stood slightly over 7%.

City wise data breakdown points out Rawalpindi with the highest positivity ratio of 6.8% in the province, followed by Lahore 4% and Multan 2.55%.

As per reports, at least 620 coronavirus patients are in a critical condition across Punjab, second only to Sindh with 681 patients. Official statistics also state that 2,964 oxygenated beds have been occupied by coronavirus patients in Punjab. Faisalabad has 492 patients on oxygenated beds, Lahore 433, Rawalpindi 52 and Multan 36. Experts are concerned that the increased infliction and death rate would aggravate the issues faced by the already burdened health system.

Since November 22, at least 150 people in Punjab succumbed to the pandemic, whereas over double the number recovered. An astounding number of citizens (5,114) were inflicted with the virus during the time.

Data analysis also shows high prevalence of the disease in the age bracket of 21-40 years, with nearly 70% infliction observed among males.

A spokesperson for the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) said coronavirus cases in the province tipped at 118,511 on Sunday, while the death and recovery figure were recorded at 2,979 and 98,331, respectively.

The provincial capital reported the highest number of new coronavirus cases (226) on November 29, while second in the province was Rawalpindi with 105 new cases.

Meanwhile, Young Doctors Association (YDA) leader Dr Nouman Choudhary, who recently recovered from Covid, demanded that the government provide adequate supply of protective gear to the doctors and staff.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2020.

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‘Minorities do not face discrimination’

The Sikh community and other minorities in the country live like the majority does without any discrimination, Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) President Sardar Satwant Singh has asserted.

While talking to the media on Sunday, he said the government has provided extraordinary facilities to the Sikh community at one of the most sacred places for them.

“Darbar Sahib Kartarpur has been developed to match its status and all the sacred places of Sikhs like Darbar Sahib Panja Sahib and others have not only been beautified but also restored to their original glory,” he highlighted.

“Due to the pandemic, this year less than half the number of Sikhs have come for the 551st birth anniversary of Baba Ji,” Satwant Singh revealed.

He hoped that the authorities would build better roads in the second phase as compared to those built in Kartarpur corridor project’s phase 1.

He called on the government to build an expressway between Nankana Sahib and Kartarpur Sahib so that time could be saved and better security could be provided to the visitors.

Moreover, the committee president suggested that the authorities engage Sikh community members residing in Europe, Canada and other countries to invest in such mega projects.

The PSGPC president also said Sikhs all over the world love Pakistan and give respect to its citizens.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2020.

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Shahdara excluded from Ravi project

The River Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) has excluded the entire Shahdara area from the Ravi Riverfront Urban Development (RRUD) project.

Speaking to media persons on Sunday, RUDA spokesperson S M Imran said rumors of relocating or affecting two million population of Shahdara for the riverfront project were baseless. “The authority has excluded the entire area of Shahdara from the new city project.”

He invited local residents to express their reservations and concerns about the project and launch agitation if they were told by any government agency that their land was being acquired instantly.

Locals should not panic due to false propaganda about the project, claimed the RUDA spokesperson. “Right now, only a comprehensive survey is underway which is aimed to collect details of built-up areas, including location of industrial units, houses, schools, hospitals, mosques and other buildings for the purpose of planning,” he added.

He further said that the RRUD was not new to the people. “It was a more than 20 years old project and successive governments had worked on it. No one had raised any objection or lodged protest against it in the past. Citizens were now being provoked for a cause which was not true,” he stated.

He highlighted that lands of the citizens were grabbed by a mafia and not by the government. “The incumbent government has been elected by the people and people will never be mistreated.”

“The government is a friend of the citizens, and not their enemy. No action will be taken without asking the citizens and no one will be allowed to exploit them. Citizens should not listen to those who are misleading them for their political motives.”

He said that a section of a law had been enforced on an area of 102,000 acres in 2014. According to the survey conducted at that time, there were 3,100 acres of illegal settlements in the area which were built without any planning. “Today, after six years, illegal settlements have spread over an area of about 7,000 acres.

Therefore, if it is not planned then after 10 years illegal and chaotic constructions will be carried out here as well.”

The spokesman elaborated that this was not just a project but a complete city that could be built over a period of many years. “This city will be built according to modern planning standards. This is a 30-year plan. He said that six million saplings will be planted in the new city and 1,700 acres will be set aside for forests. ‘An Eco-city will be established here and the existing orchards will be integrated into it.”

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2020.

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Woman ‘sexually assaulted’ in Tandlianwala

Three brothers kidnapped a woman and one of them allegedly sexually assaulted her in Tandlianwala on Sunday.

Police registered a case against seven accused and started raids to arrest the suspects.

Sheeman Bibi, a resident of 420GB village on the outskirts of Tandlianwala, told police that her daughter, wife of Kashif, was alone in her house when the accused Bhola, his two brothers and other accomplices, including Lal, Yousuf Pasran Saeed, Abdul Gaffar and others, barged in and kidnapped her at gunpoint. The accused took her to an unknown place where the Bhola raped the woman while the rest of the accused kept guard, the complainant stated.

Police registered a case against the accused under sections 376 and 496 of Pakistan Penal Code and started raids to arrest them.

Incidents of sexual violence have been rampant across the province despite the authorities’ efforst to curb them.

On October 1, a woman was reportedly abducted from a bus stop near a police station and gang-raped in Nankana Sahib.

The woman, a resident of Sheikhupura, was standing at the bus stop when two men stopped their car, knocked her unconscious and abducted her. The woman was raped and dumped in fields afterwards, while the suspects fled from the scene.

On July 16, a man allegedly raped his 12-year-old cousin in Khara village, Kasur.

The complainant Muhammad Jamil, a resident of Mouza Khara, went out of his house for work and his wife Shazia Bibi also went to the fields to arrange fodder for the cattle.

Jamil’s daughter was at home when his nephew Zahid, who often came to his house, arrived there and raped his daughter, taking advantage of her being alone. The girl fainted after the assault.

The complainant alleged that a woman, Rubina Bibi, had also accompanied the accused Zahid and the rape took place in front of her.

On July 4, a man was arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a four-year-old mentally challenged girl in Okara, while a seven-year-old escaped a rape attempt in a nearby village on the same day.

Reportedly, the accused lured the four-year-old daughter of Noor Ahmed, a resident of Sabir Piya Town, Okara, to a shop and sexually assaulted her. The victim was mentally challenged. Local people gathered on hearing screams of the child but the accused managed to escape.

(THE VICTIMS’ IDENTITIES HAVE NOT BEEN DISCLOSED AS A MATTER OF POLICY)

 

 

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2020.

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Commissioners ordered to monitor anti-polio drive

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has ordered an effective five-day anti-polio campaign in the province from Monday.

In directives issued on Sunday, the chief minister asked the commissioners and deputy commissioners to personally monitor the anti-polio campaign and announced a prize for the best performing district during the anti-polio campaign.

He said that 2,000 vaccinators would be recruited in order to make polio vaccination more effective. He directed officials to pay special attention to the drive in Lahore and some affected districts of South Punjab. He termed polio as a challenge for the nation.

He warned that deputy commissioners concerned would be questioned if polio cases and environment sample testing positive were found.

He further said that tampering with data during anti-polio campaign would not be tolerated. He maintained that 3,500 micro plans had been evolved to make the campaign fruitful, while more than 250,000 officials were participating in the anti-polio campaign. “Polio vaccine will be administered to more than 19.2 million children in the province.” Meanwhile, a special meeting of the Provincial Task Force for eradicating Polio was held at the CM’s Office on the directions of Buzdar.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2020.

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Child killers turn out to be relatives

A minor girl, whose body was found dumped near a house on the outskirts of Harappa, was allegedly murdered by her relatives.

Police investigation on Sunday revealed that the father, aunt and two uncles of the victim had killed her.

The body was then put in a sack and thrown outside the house.

The incident took place in a village on the outskirts of Harappa.

As per police officials, the victim identified as Rukhsana was a second grade school student who was killed after being reported as abducted.

Harappa police arrested the victim’s father Nobahar and her paternal aunt. After discovering the involvement of family members in the murder, the police expanded the investigation.

According to the investigation officials, the incident took place in village 711 in Sahiwal district, in which the father brutally killed his own daughter.

Police said the father and other relatives put the girl’s body in a sack and threw it out of the house.

Harappa police also recovered the girl's shoes and murder weapon from the house. Reportedly, the girl was killed with a small axe. Further investigation into the matter was underway.

This is not the only incident of murder involving relatives in the province.

On March 25 last year, a man was arrested for killing his wife in Jhang Bazaar police station limits in Faisalabad.

Initially, the accused Rizwan had told police that 26-year-old Hina had died after being shot accidentally by their seven-year-old son. It was claimed that the boy was playing with his father’s pistol, believing that it was a toy.

Meanwhile, the victim’s sisters suspected foul play and claimed that Rizwan was involved in the incident, stating that he used to torture his wife. A complaint was lodged against Rizwan at the local police station, suspecting that the woman might have been shot dead by her spouse.

After registering the case, the police took the suspect into custody and launched an investigation into the matter. During interrogation, the suspect admitted to killing his wife.

On February 19 last year, a woman, whose body was found from a canal, was allegedly murdered by her sister in Khanpur.

The body of the woman, identified as Bushra Bibi, was recovered from Shireen Canal in Moza Moosa Kanju area.

Police investigated the case and it emerged that the woman did not commit suicide, but was murdered.

During interrogation of suspects, it was disclosed that the victim’s sister Ambreen Bibi was working as a principal at a private school. Bushra was mentally challenged and her family members were facing problems due to her unstable condition.

In a bid to get rid of the woman, Ambreen and her husband Ali Imran decided to murder her.

On the day of the incident, Ambreen and Ali took the victim to Head Talley Wala in a vehicle, where they strangled her to death. After murdering her, they threw her body into the canal and fled from the scene.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2020.

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Biden identifies more administration officials, Trump vows continued election fight

WASHINGTON:  President-elect Joe Biden chose more senior aides to lead his administration’s efforts to defeat the coronavirus and rebuild the US economy, and his office confirmed on Sunday he would begin receiving classified briefings that are an essential step toward taking control of national security.

As the Democratic former vice president prepared for his move to the White House, Republican President Donald Trump pledged to maintain his legal fight to overturn the result of the Nov. 3 vote even while indicating in comments to Fox News that he was growing resigned to leaving office on Jan. 20.

On Monday, Biden will begin receiving the classified presidential daily briefing, after weeks of the Trump administration refusing to provide it. The PDB, as it is known, is the first step toward transfer of responsibility for the most sensitive intelligence to a new administration.

Biden also was expected to announce as soon as Monday top members of his economic team, a source familiar with the process said. They include several officials with whom Biden worked when serving as vice president to Barack Obama.

Neera Tanden, president of the progressive Center for American Progress think tank, will be named director of the Office of Management and Budget, and Cecilia Rouse, a labor economist at Princeton University, would be named as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, the source said.

The picks were initially reported by the Wall Street Journal. The New York Times also reported on Sunday that Brian Deese, who helped lead Obama’s efforts to bail out the automotive industry during the 2009 financial crisis, would head the National Economic Council.

Biden also tapped campaign staff and advisers to lead an all-woman communications team, naming campaign spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield as White House communications director and veteran Democratic spokeswoman Jen Psaki as press secretary.
Separately, the 78-year old Biden visited a doctor as a precautionary measure on Sunday after injuring his ankle when playing with one of his dogs.

‘BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’

Despite Trump’s pledge to keep fighting, a few Republicans appeared to acknowledge that Biden had won.

“We’re working with the Biden administration, the likely administration, on both the transition and the inauguration as if we’re moving forward,” Senator Roy Blunt, chairman of the congressional inaugural committee, told CNN, stopping short of acknowledging that Trump lost.

Trump on Sunday kept up his unsubstantiated allegations of widespread electoral fraud, both in his Fox News interview and on Twitter. His legal team has lost dozens of lawsuits by failing to convince judges of election irregularities in hotly contested states like Michigan, Georgia and Arizona.

Biden won with 306 Electoral College votes – only 270 are required – to Trump’s 232. The former vice president also leads Trump by more than 6 million in the popular-vote tally.
Trump’s team was dealt another blow with the completion on Sunday of recounts in Wisconsin’s two largest counties that confirmed Biden won the battleground state by more than 20,000 votes.

The Supreme Court has always been unlikely to tip the election in Trump’s favor, said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

Trump’s Pennsylvania challenge was a particularly poor vehicle for getting to the high court because it involves a procedural question about whether Trump’s campaign should have been allowed to expand the case, Levinson said.

“There is nothing for the Supreme Court to decide,” she said.

Trump said for the first time on Thursday that he would leave the White House if the Electoral College votes for Biden on Dec. 14. On Sunday, he said he would continue to fight the results of the election even after he is due to leave office, saying: “My mind will not change in six months.”

Aides say Trump has discussed starting a television channel or social media company to keep himself in the spotlight ahead of a potential 2024 White House bid.

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Case against Abbasi, others put off as defence counsel contracts coronavirus

KARACHI: An accountability court here on Monday adjourned a PSO case against former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former petroleum secretary Arshad Mirza and others.

The court adjourned the hearing until December 21 after it was informed that a defence counsel has contracted the coronavirus, due to which he couldn’t appear before it today. The court was informed that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor too didn’t appear due to the pandemic.

Also Read: Court indicts ex-PM Abbasi, Miftah in LNG case

Abbasi and other accused turned up before the court as it resumed hearing the case.

The anti-corruption watchdog had filed a reference against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader and Arshad Mirza, accusing them of appointing Sheikh Imranul Haq as managing director and Yaqoob Sattar as deputy managing director (finance) of the PSO in violation of rules and regulations.

Also Read: Court rejects ex-PM Abbasi’s plea for live telecast of LNG case hearing

September 03, the Sindh High Court had confirmed the interim pre-arrest bail of the former, the former petroleum secretary and two others in the case. The two-judge bench headed by Justice K.K. Agha directed the interior ministry to put the names of all the petitioners on the exit control list.

On May 19, the SHC had granted interim pre-arrest bail to Abbasi and others against a surety bond of Rs500,000 each.

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Ayaz Sadiq, Salman Rafique, others get bail extension in violent protest case

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday extended the bail of Pakistan Muslim Leauge-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Ayaz Sadiq, Salman Rafique and others in a 2018 case pertaining to violent protests.

Ayaz Sadiq and other PML-N leaders were booked on charges of resorting to violent protests when former prime minister Nawaz Sharif returned to the country to serve his sentence in July 2018.

Ayaz Sadiq and Khawaja Salman Rafique appeared before the court and marked their attendance.

The bail of the PML-N leaders was extended until December 18 and the investigation officer was directed to submit a complete record of the case at the next hearing.

Read more: Ayaz Sadiq among four PML-N leaders granted interim bail by ATC

The first information report was registered under Section 7 of ATA. Mr Sharif along with his daughter Maryam Nawaz was arrested upon arrival at the Lahore airport on July 13, 2018 and shifted to jail to serve sentences in a graft case.

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Bus, van collision leaves 7 dead, over 20 wounded in Sheikhupura

SHEIKHUPURA, Punjab: At least seven persons lost their lives and more than 20 persons including women and children sustained serious wounded in a horrible collision between a bus and van in Sheikhupura, ARY News reported on Monday.

Rescue officials told media that both vehicles caught fire after the collision took place near Narang Mandi Meran stop. Relief activities are underway to take out the affected passengers of both vehicles for taking them to the hospitals.

They added that many among injured persons are in critical condition.

Earlier on Sunday, at least 11 people had died and four others sustained injuries after a truck overturned at Sangi area in Sukkur district of the Sindh province.

Read: Six killed as van catches fire after accident in Faisalabad

Rescue sources said at least 11 people including women and children succumbed to their injuries so far after a truck carrying the passengers and bricks overturned.

“The vehicle was coming from Lahore to Karachi when it overturned near Sangi area in Sukkur,” they said adding that the deceased included six children and three women and hailed from the same family.

The bodies and injured had been shifted to a Pano Aqil hospital for medico-legal formalities and treatment respectively.

Road accidents occurred frequently on highways linking different cities owing to overspeeding or negligence from drivers.

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