Infection rate falls to 1.52 as 11 die of Covid

The national Covid tally on Sunday recorded a decline with one of the lowest positivity ratios in the past 24 hours at 1.52 per cent while 11 patients died, including those under treatment in hospitals and their respective quarantines. The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) shared the latest statistics in a tweet. The nerve centre also wrote that some 48,192 tests were conducted across the country with 733 more people testing positive for the deadly virus. Read More Low mortality lessens Covid pressure There were 1,402 infected patients under treatment in critical condition in various Covid-dedicated healthcare facilities of the country. The Covid positivity ratio is the percentage of positive cases appearing in every 100 tests performed to identify infected individuals.

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Sikhs in London vote for independent Khalistan

The ‘Punjab Independence Referendum’ organized by the Punjab Referendum Commission (PRC) to gauge support for Khalistan was underway at the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre, Westminster on Sunday, as throngs of British Sikhs lined up to have their voices heard. The PRC which has been appointed by the US-based Khalistani separatist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), had announced to hold the non-binding referendum earlier this month. The Commission consisting of “non-aligned direct democracy experts” are assigned with organizing and holding the referendum on whether Punjab should be independent. The referendum which started on Sunday in London will also take place in other countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, and the region of Punjab, the commission stated. PRC chairman M Dane Waters, a political strategist, writer and direct democracy advocate clarified that the commission’s role is to “help the SFJ conduct a referendum that is as consistent with international norms as possible”. He added that although Sunday’s referendum is a non-governmental and non-binding one, ‘the result will be used as the basis for the Sikh community to request an official binding vote from the United Nations on establishing the Indian governed region of Punjab as an independent homeland for the indigenous people of whom Sikhs are the single largest group’. Read More: The Sikh factor and siege of Delhi The Indian government was already irked by the date chosen for the London referendum, as on October 31, 1984 anti-Sikh riots had erupted all over India following Indira Gandhi’s assassination by his bodyguards leaving 3,000 to 17,000 Sikhs dead. The Indian government had fought zealously to forestall the intended referendum exercise and sent a dossier to the British government alleging Pakistan and Paramjit Singh Pamma, “an ordinary criminal”, for sponsoring the event. The UK government had rejected the request. SFJ had promised assistance to Sikhs seeking visas to come to London to attend the rally and the following referendum. The organisation has reportedly booked rooms for participants travelling from outside the UK. Caroline Lucas, from the Green Party of England and Wales and George Galloway, a former member of parliament and broadcaster have registered their support for the cause. In an interview given on an earlier occasion, Lucas had said that Sikh people have a right to determine for themselves whether they want to establish an independent Punjabi state.

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You can’t do it alone, Fazl tells Shehbaz

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday told PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif that his party alone could not undo the damage inflicted on the country by the PTI government. “Bringing the country back on the track of progress would not be easy as you [Shehbaz] think. It will be a challenge for you and all of us. We will have to face this challenge together,” he said while addressing a rally organised by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – an alliance of opposition parties – in Dera Ghazi Khan as part of its campaign against the rising inflation in the country. Fazl, who heads the alliance, claimed that Prime Minister Imran Khan did not go to address the UN general assembly, because he knew that no leader was ready to shake hands with him. “It’s out of this fear that he addresses the session via video link.” The JUI-F chief also accused the PTI-led government of lying about its deal with the US. Read More: Fazl, Shehbaz agree to convene PDM session by May end “The Americans are asking for using our airspace [to deal with Afghanistan] and the PTI government has indeed given it to them,” he added. “Pakistan is operating as their [Americans’] colony.” The PDM chief questioned the move of placing head money on Taliban leaders, branding them as terrorists and attacking them, when they had reached an agreement with the US. He noted that a country could maintain its foreign influence when it had a strong economy. “When our economy was strong, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was then the Indian prime minister and belonged to the same BJP, came to Pakistan on a bus. But today, India is not ready to even look at us.” Fazl claimed that the Imran Khan-led government was brought to power with the agenda of selling Kashmir. “After achieving that, he [PM Imran] is now on an agenda of destroying our relationship with China.” He added that when our 70-year friendship with China translated into a financial relationship, the PTI government was trying to bring it to grinding halt. “Today, when all the countries in our region are prospering -- with India and China clocking in a 9% plus growth rate and Bangladesh a little over 6%, we were in THE negative. The JUI-F chief said PM Imran had accused the PML-N government of being corrupt. “If that is the case, then he [Imran Khan] has outperformed them.” He said they will not answer to this government at any forum. Instead, they would fight with it in the court of public. Earlier, Shehbaz, while addressing the rally, reminded the participants of the services the Nawaz Sharif-led government had rendered for them, He recalled that back when southern Punjab was facing floods, he had gone village to village to take stock of the situation. He added that despite being cash strapped, the government went all out with its limited resource to mitigate their misery. The PML-N president said his party had given schools, hospitals, a network of roads and motorways to southern Punjab. “But this [PTI] government is only dropping one inflation bomb after another.” He said the prices of fertilisers, fuel, gas and electricity had gone through the roof. “During Nawaz Sharif’s tenure, Imran Khan used to say that the depreciation of currency and appreciation of fuel prices were a proof the sitting leaders’ corruption. Now, he [PM Imran] is impervious to the plight of the people.” He said the “darkness” was nearing its end and they, under the leadership of Fazl, would wage a war against the “incompetent” PTI government. “We will use our legal and constitutional right to send this government packing. We will stage a march against inflation and this government.” Shehbaz also promised to make southern Punjab better than the central and northern parts of the province.

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GB to celebrate 74th Independence Day today

Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) chief minister (CM), in his special message on the eve of Independence Day on Sunday, said that on November 1, 1947, our forefathers liberated this region from the clutches of Dogra Raj without seeking any outside help. The CM stated that as a nation we should not forget our martyrs who had rendered unprecedented sacrifices to liberate the region from a reign of oppression and cruelty. Unity and tolerance are inevitable for the swift development and prosperity of the area, he added. He further said that we salute our martyrs and brave sons of the soil who fought for their beloved motherland and finally achieved independence with their utmost unity and struggle. The 74th Independence Day of Gilgit will be celebrated with traditional zeal and fervour in Chinar Bagh in Gilgit today (Monday), a notification issued in this regard read. Social, political and literary circles have organised various events to celebrate the historic event in a befitting manner, it added. Read Provision of 3G, 4G internet services in Gilgit-Baltistan vital for tourism promotion: PM The chief guest will hoist the national flag, lay a floral wreath on the graves of the martyrs and offer Fatiha at the Yadgar-e-Shuhada. A colourful function will also be held at helipad ground in Jutial Gilgit on the occasion. The Independence Day of Gilgit is marked on November 1 as the Gilgit Scouts had liberated their homeland from the Dogra Raj in 1947 and arrested governor Ghansara Singh.

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ILF concludes, leaving capital starving for more

The third and final day of the 8th Islamabad Literature Festival (ILF) concluded with stimulating debates and book launches. The event took place virtually but was peppered with a few face-to-face sessions attended by a select audience observing full Covid-19 protocol. The day started with a session on ‘Cartooning: No Laughing Matter.’ The famed cartoonists Nigar Nazar, creator of ‘Gogi,’ and Shaukat Mahmood, creator of ‘Maxim’ along with Ricardo Martinez Ortega and Mahnaz Yazdani shared how creating wit and humour in pictures was indeed, no laughing matter. The panel of speakers in ‘Yaad-e-Raftagan’ featured Fateh Muhammad Malik, Asghar Nadeem Syed, Najeeba Arif, Harris Khalique and Hameed Shahid. They paid tribute to those who had passed away but left behind a rich legacy of their literary works. The morning session also featured Kishwar Naheed, the matriarch of resistance writing. She launched her book, ‘Buri Aurat ki Doosri Katha’ (The Bad Woman’s Second Story)—a sequel to her autobiography, ‘Buri Aurat Ki Katha’ (The Bad Woman’s Story). Naheed remains one of Pakistan’s most prolific Urdu poets and newspaper columnists. There were two book launches in the morning hours. The first was ‘Dying to Serve: Militarism, Affect and the Politics of sacrifice in the Pakistan Army,’ where author Maria Rashid spoke about the morale and commitment of Pakistan's military culture in a compassionate way. The second was the autobiography of ‘Bacha Khan: My life and struggle’ – a lucid and historic English translation from the original Pukhto. Also featured in the morning discussion was ‘Changing landscapes: Climate Conversation in Literature and Society’ curated by an expert panel of Ahmad Rafay Alam, Elizabeth-Jane Burnett and Bilal Zahoor. The afternoon session ‘Hairat ka Bagh’ featured author Hameed Shahid. He discussed his collection of short stories and a novel, imbued with the mysteries and wonders of life. Also included in the session was Omar Mukhtar Khan’s ‘Once upon a time in Murree’ that captured the writer's nostalgic love for the hill station. An ILF panel with Vaqar Ahmed, Ashfaq Yousuf Tola, Aliya Hashmi Khan discussed the impact of offshore tax havens in the session: ‘Panama, Pandora and Pakistan.’ Then, the session on ‘Digital Education: A new Normal’ talked about a new global report that explored the digital divide in education, following the shift to digital learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was followed by a panel discussion between Tallah Munir Khan, Nusrat Baquee, Sarah Farooq that highlighted trends shaping the digital learning landscape globally and in Pakistan. The book launch of ‘Womansplaining: Navigating Activism, Politics and Modernity in Pakistan,’ edited by Sherry Rehman, shed a light on the potential of Pakistani women and their commitment to activism. Another book launch of the ‘Marginalization, Contestation, and Change in South Asian Cities,’ edited by Nida Kirmani discussed the struggles over space, resources, identities, and meaning taking place within South Asian cities. Late afternoon sessions included Pakistan: Current challenges and Priorities with Maleeha Lodhi and Owen Bennett-Jones in conversation with Arifa Noor on Pakistan’s current challenges. This was followed by a session on ‘We the people: What the Constitution says?’ where distinguished panellists, Wasim Sajjad, Raza Rabbani and Ahmer Bilal Soofi laid forth facts contained in the 1973 Constitution. Read More: 28 foreign language books translated into Urdu The Web Series ‘Future of Digital Entertainment’ boasted entertainment personalities, Beo Zafar, Mehreen Jabbar and Sania Saeed and discussed the scope and scriptwriting for web series in the Digital Age. The ILF concluded with keynote speeches by Francis Pritchett, Najiba Arif and Owen Bennett Jones.     Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2021.

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Hospitals get notices over poor disposal of waste

The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) has served strict notices to 66 public and private hospitals for flouting Hospital Waste Management Rules, 2005. The EPA has summoned chief executive officers of these hospitals to appear before the director-general and explain their position. .The hospitals found violating the regulations included Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Shifa Medical Center, NORI Hospital, PNS Hafeez, Naval Hosptial, KRL Hospital, Ali Medical Centre, MAROOF International Hospital, SARF Hospital, Get Well Medical Centre, Life Care Hospital, Maryam Hospital, PAEC General Hospital, Naqaish Hospital, Ali Hospital, CDA Hospital, Islamic International Dental Hospital, Fatima Medical Laboratory, Excel Laboratories, Islamabad Health Complex, Pak Hospital, Khan Medical Centre, Asif Medical Centre, Abbas Medical Centre, Gul Hospital and Maternity Home, Alam Medical Centre, Islamabad Dental Hospital, Federal General Hospital, Shafi Hospital. Read More: Disposal of medical waste Similarly, the EPA has served notices on Maryam Hospital, Begam Jan Hospital, Rawal Medical & Dental Hospital and Islamabad Medical Complex.   Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2021.

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Stakeholders reject HEC’s new PhD policy

Stakeholders including academics and administrations of the public and private sector universities have strongly rejected the controversial new PhD policy of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for its unilateral and arbitrary nature. In a Vice Chancellors Committee meeting held on Friday in collaboration with British Council, 178 out of 180 participants rejected the undergraduate and PhD policies introduced by the authority earlier this year. The vice chancellors expressed reservations and bemoaned the commission’s refusal to pay heed to recommendations suggested by the stakeholders. They urged the HEC to drop its plans to put the policy into effect and recommended removal of certain features from the policy. One of the public university administrators present at the meeting voiced concerns that the undergraduate policy stipulates internship as a mandatory requirement, pointing out the students would be reluctant to adhere to any such changes. “They are not even willing to attach their pictures on the admission form,” he said. Responding to the sharp criticism, Shaista Ikram, executive director of the HEC, assured that the policy would be resubmitted to the commission as per the demands of the stakeholders, following which universities in Sindh may get the nod to continue with the old policy for admission to programmes in the academic session 2022. Similarly, the Association of Private Sector Universities of Pakistan (APSUP) also welcomed the rejection of new undergraduate and PhD policies. According to a press release, APSUP had similarly conveyed reservations to senior management of HEC about the new undergraduate and PhD policies in a letter on 14 December 2020. “Based on seven countrywide consultation sessions, which were attended by 190 vice chancellors, senior academics and experts, recommendations were also communicated to HEC,” the release read. However, the association lamented that instead of paying attention all these important recommendations were ignored, adding that the unilateral policies were not aligned with ground realities, and were not able to yield a positive impact. It cautioned that unless end-users and relevant stakeholders were involved from policy formulation to implementation process, the policy will not produce the desired results. “It is quite a misfortune that instead of reviewing and updating existing policies, after ten years, new policies are being introduced in the higher education sector by hired consultants without any proper consultation process, homework and provision of required resources and training,” the APSUP added. The changes to the existing mechanism for PhD admission have been eliciting widespread sharp criticism from students as well as academic circles. In a historic first, the HEC’s policy now stipulated that students will be able to pursue a PhD degree in another discipline if the policy makes the cut. A major aspect of the new policy is that it enables candidates to undertake PhD studies directly after four years of the BS programme. Moreover, the policy removes the requirement to send PhD dissertations to foreign experts for review and dissertations can now be sent to Pakistani experts too for the purpose. The maximum duration of a PhD degree will be eight years, with the minimum being three years.

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