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Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Railways on path of development: Minister

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)
The Federal Minister for Railways, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, has said that the $6.8 billion tender for the ML-1 rehabilitation project would be floated soon which would revolutionize the railways' service in the country.

"The country will get massive economic benefit in the form of 150,000 jobs and significant surge in the freight business after conclusion of ML-1 project,” he remarked while talking to the media at his camp office in Karachi. 

He shared that the preparation of coaches for the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) was underway in Islamabad and the service would be revived as per the directives of apex court. 

"Rs.1.8 billion out of earmarked Rs 10.5 billion for the KCR project have been released and 9 kilometres track out of 14 kilometres in the planned first phase revival has been totally rehabilitated" he stated while describing Karachi City as the hub of railways' activities, particularly the freight business. 

Prior to press conference, the railways minister had strictly directed, in a meeting, the complete elimination of encroachments on railways' land alongwith taking stern action against the officers and official involved in the malpractice.

Coronavirus Update: Infection rate rises in Sindh

 By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)
Sindh, which in recent days has witnessed inconstancy in its daily new COVID-19 infection rates, is inching closer to 2,500 fatalities, while authorities on September 27 here confirmed six more out of nine deaths due to the lethal virus reported in the country, along with 251 new infections detected across the province during the last 24 hours.

According to the data, Sindh’s daily infection rate maintained an uptrend on September 27, standing at 2.58%, which was 2.32% on September 26 and 1.42% on September 25. 

In all 11,708 samples were handled by the designated laboratories in the province during the last 24 hours ending at 8 am on September 27, which confirmed 185 (74%) new positive cases at Karachi. 

Karachi was followed by Hyderabad (7), Badin (7), Jacobabad (5), Jamshoro (4), Dadu (3), Larkana (2), Tando Allahyar (2), Ghotki (1), Shaheed Benazirabad (1), Khairpur (1), Sujawal (1), Sukkur (1) and others. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his COVID-19 related statement, shared that there at present were 3,772 patients, including 3,493 those receiving treatment at homes, six at isolation centres and 273 in hospitals, while 158 patients were stated in critical condition, along with 19 on ventilators. 

In the meantime, Sindh's fatalities reached to 2,492 on September 27, against country's tally of 6,466 deaths out of 310,841 infections.

Monday, September 28, 2020

Shariq Vohra elected as KCCI President

 By Syed Sajid Aziz 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)
Shariq Vohra, an eminent entrepreneur and philanthropist, has taken over as the new President of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), after being elected unopposed for the year 2020-2021. 

Saqib Goodluck has been elected as the Senior Vice President, while Shams-ul-Islam Khan as become the Vice President of Pakistan’s largest chamber of commerce, having more than 20,000 members in its folds. 

It may be recalled that all the candidates of the Businessmen Group (BMG), headed by Siraj Kasim Teli, had been elected unopposed for the managing committee. 

The committee also includes Mohammad Hanif Ayoob, Qazi Zahid Hussain, Muhammad Hilal Sheikh, Muhammad Ali, Sheikh Muddasir Rafiq Magoon, Tanveer Ahmed Barry, Jawed Siddiq, Chaudhry Muhammad Zahid Bashir, Ahmed Azeem Alavi, Muhammad Iqbal Khamisani, Zaheer Ahmed and Faiz Ahmed.

Rotary Darakhshan, LPB join hands to discuss COVID-19’s impact on libraries

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)
Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan (RCKD), with the collaboration of Library Promotion Bureau (LPB), will be organizing a seminar on the subject of COVID-19’s impact on libraries at the bureau’s record office, housed in Liaquat Memorial Library, Karachi, on September 30. 

Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari and Prof Dr Nasim Fatima, two of the stalwarts of the profession of library and information science, along with some of the top Rotary leaders, will be sharing their thoughts on one of the most relevant topics these days. 

Jahangir Moghul, a former District Governor of Rotary International besides being Charter President of RCKD, Asim Murtaza Khan, President, RCKD, and Syed Khalid Mahmood, Vice President, RCKD, will also speak in the session which will begin with introductory remarks from Syed Ahmed Naqvi of LPB while Waqas Moghul, Secretary, RCKD, will present vote of thanks. 

The programme is being organized by RCKD, as part of Rotary International’s designated month of basic education and literacy.

KCR revival promised at fast track

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)
The Federal Minister for Railways, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, announced that the KCR revival project was progressing at fast track and it would be revived soon as per the directives of apex court. 

While talking to media at Shah Abdul Latif station of the KCR track he added that all the encroachments along the railways lines would be completely eliminated.

"Pakistan Railways is all set to spend Rs. 10.5 billion on the KCR rehabilitation project whereas the responsibility of constructing 24 over head bridges lies over the shoulders of provincial government,” he remarked while highlighting the complete liaison between Pakistan Railways and Sindh government on the historic project's revival. 

He further said that preparation of KCR coaches was in full swing in Islamabad and a model coach would soon be displayed at Cantonment station Karachi. 

The minister visited Gillani, Nazimabad, Gulbai and Shah Abdul Latif stations along the KCR track and inquired the progress of his department on the rehabilitation project. He was accompanied by CEO/Senior General Manager, Nisar Ahmad Memon, DS Karachi, Arshad Salam Khattak, and PD KCR, Ameer Mohammad Daudpota.

Saturday, September 26, 2020

Coronavirus Update: Downslide in Sindh

 Mukhtar Alam 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh, after a gap of a couple of days, witnessed a downslide in its daily numbers of COVID-19 cases on September 25, though the laboratories tested the samples beyond their collective maximum daily testing capacity of 14,940 during the last 24 hours.

Of the 16,976 samples examined during the last 24 hours, ending at 8 am on September 25, as many as 241 (1.42%) were declared new infections. The province’s daily infection rate was 2.5% on September 24 after being 2.22% on September 23. 

Sindh had registered 135,488 infections, since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country on February 26, while 129,396 (95.5%) have recovered from the diseases. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his routine COVID-19 statement, shared that four more patients died during the last 24 hours in the province, taking the tally of the disease's fatalities to 2,481 for the province, against Pakistan’s overall death figure of 6,451. 

He added that there were still 3,611 people infected people, who were receiving treatment at homes (3328), isolation centres (6), and hospitals 277, including 137 undergoing the critical phase of their health, while 13 were put on ventilators. 

Karachi reported 103 new cases, followed by Sujawal (18), Hyderabad (4), Dadu (4), Shaheed Benazirabad (3), Badin (2), Larkana (2), Matiari (2), Mirpurkhas (2), Sanghar (2), Shikarpur (2), Tharparkar (1), Thatta (1) and others.

Friday, September 25, 2020

Families of PIA crash victims await justice, regret highhandedness

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)
The families of the victims of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK 8303, which had crashed in Karachi earlier this year, have condemned the highhandedness from the concerned authorities while seeking justice.

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Imran Khan, dated September 22, 2020, whose copy was circulated on social media, some of the affected families have reported having been humiliated at every place where they have gone to seek entitlement during the past four months. 

Members of the affected families had also held a media conference at the Karachi Press Club a few months ago to bring to light their sufferings at the hands of the concerned departments when receiving the bodies of their loved ones.

It may be recalled that the PIA’s scheduled domestic flight from Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore to Jinnah International Airport in Karachi had crashed just before landing in the densely populated area of Model Colony on that fateful afternoon of May 22, 2020. 

The Airbus A320 in use perished a few kilometres from the runway, while on a second approach after a failed landing. Of the 91 passengers and 8 crew on board the aircraft (99 onboard), 97 were killed, and two passengers survived with injuries. Eight people on the ground were also reported to have been injured in the accident and one of them reportedly later died from injuries.

Coronavirus Update: Sindh’s infection rate continues rising

 By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)
Sindh’s daily COVID-19 infection rate continued rising for the third day running as the authorities in the government on September 24 confirmed detection of 401 new cases, with six more related fatalities across the province during the last 24 hours.

According to the data, Sindh had the rate of new infections as 1.4% on September 22, which increased to 2.5% on September 24 morning, taking the overall infection tally to 135,246 for the province, 129,101 of which were reported to have recovered from the diseases, while 2,477 lost their lives. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his COVID-19 status statement on September 24, shared that as many as 3,668 patients were receiving treatment at homes (3,776), isolation centres (5) and hospitals (287). At hospitals, 135 were told to be critical condition, while 14 were put on ventilators. 

In all 16,093 samples were examined at COVID-19 laboratories across Sindh during the last 24 hours ending at 8 am on September 24, out of which the maximum 244 (61%) from Karachi’s six districts were registered as new positive cases. Hyderabad reported 19 new cases, followed by Badin (8), Dadu (5), Tando Mohammad Khan (4), Jamshoro (4), Larkana (2), Matiari (2), Sukkur (2), Mirpurkhas (1), Sanghar (1), Jacobabad (1) and other districts.

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Coronavirus Update: Sindh’s cases fluctuate

 By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh, with its fluctuating daily COVID-19 infection rates, registered three of the four related deaths reported in the country on September 21 when authorities here confirmed 296 new infections, out of 15,211 samples, during the last 24 hours.

Pakistan’s fourth COVID-19 fatality of the day was reported from Punjab, which had 59 new cases on September 21. 

Sindh registered an average 284 cases daily during the week till September 21. 

The daily new case numbers ranged from 227 to 341, while its total positive case tally came as 134,243. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his statement related to the COVID-19 status, shared that as many as 128,494 patients had recovered from the diseases, while 3,286 more, including 2,930 in home isolation, five in isolation centres and 351 in hospitals, were receiving treatment for the disease. 


He further stated that condition of 175 patients was stated critical while 20 were put on ventilators, as of September 21. 

According to official data, six districts of Karachi division reported 143 new cases, followed by Badin (25), Hyderabad (5), Matiari (4), Shikarpur (3), Sanghar (2), Shaheed Benazirabad (2), Umerkot (2), Dadu (2), Jacobabad (2), Larkana (1) and Sukkur (1).

The fluctuation in cases, particularly in the province of Sindh, has caused alarms and people have been under some kind of pressure in performing their duties at a time when almost every business activity has resumed.

Phase 3 trials for COVID-19 vaccine start in Pakistan

 By Masood Sattar Khan

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), on September 22, has announced the launch of phase 3 clinical trials in Pakistan for a potential vaccine being developed by China’s CanSino Biologics for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). 

The trials for the first couple of phases for the vaccine were held in China. Pakistan, under a public-private partnership between the National Institute of Health (NIH) and CanSino, is among the countries which will carry out Phase 3, the NCOC declared. 

The NIH Executive Director, Maj Gen Aamer Ikram, and the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, Dr Faisal Sultan, during their joint press conference, described the trial as an important step in which the Pakistanis will also be taking part.

“The entire world is looking towards a vaccine right now. There are seven vaccines for which trials are being conducted, three of them developed in China. This CanSino vaccine is based on recombinant technology in which an adino-vector is made deficient. The virus vector and cell culture has been procured from Canada," Maj Gen Aamer Ikram remarked. 

Meanwhile the Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Minister, Asad Umar, also shared information on the subject. “Just launched the phase 3 trials for COVID-19 vaccine in Pakistan. Vaccine has been developed by a Chinese company. A total of 40,000 people will participate in this trial in seven countries, of which 8 to 10,000 will be Pakistanis. Initial results expected in 4 to 6 months,” he tweeted.

Coronavirus Update: Karachi registers 70% of Sindh infections

 By Mukhtar Alam 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)
Karachi division recorded 70% of the new COVID-19 cases detected across the province of Sindh on September 20 when one more patient was reported expired due to the virus during the last 24 hours.

Official reports revealed that in all 321 new cases were registered in 18 districts during the last 24 hours ending September 20 morning, with an overall daily infection rate of 2.43%, against 1.83% calculated on September 19. 

According to official COVID-19 data, Karachi registered an average 157 new cases every day during the week ending September 20. 

Its share in the total new cases reported across the province remained 53% on September 17, which increased up to 73% by September 19. 

Karachi’s different districts have so far added 86,512 COVID-19 cases to the overall Sindh’s tally, including the maximum 25852 from East district where a total 684 patients lost their lives due to the diseases in hospitals and homes, so far. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his statement related to COVID-19 status, shared that the new cases were found out of 13,198 samples, pushing the overall number of infections to 133,947 for the province. 

He informed that 2,793 infected persons were at present isolated in homes, while five at the isolation centres and 282 at various hospitals, including 179 critically ill patients, with another 168 people having recovered from the diseases during the last 24 hours. 

The reports said that 24 patients were receiving the ventilator intervention at various hospitals, including six at AKUH, five at CHK, four each at the Infectious Diseases Hospital and Research centre and Indus Hospital Karachi, on September 20. 

The new solitary fatality was reported from Badin which has registered a total 12 COVID-19 deaths, while there are still 152 active patients in the district. Earlier, Badin had reported one death, along with Karachi (three deaths), on September 18. 

The district wise breakdown of new infection remained as: Karachi (225), Dadu (97), Tando Allahyar (7), Hyderabad (6), Thatta (5), Jamshoro (5), Badin (3), Sujawal (3), Matiari (3), Tando Mohammad Khan (3), Larkana (2), Mirpurkhas (1), Shaheed Benazirabad (1) and others. 

In the meantime, an official summary related to samplings done in different targeted areas revealed the highest rate of COVID-19 infection, two percent, was found among people visiting shrines and attending urs/mela (congregations).

Monday, September 21, 2020

China lunar exploration on course

 By Masood Sattar Khan

(Pakistan News & Features Services)
The deputy chief designer of China's lunar exploration programme, Yu Dengyun, has said that the preparations were progressing smoothly and the Chang'e-5 probe will make a soft landing on the moon and bring samples back to earth by end 2020. 

Yu revealed this at the ongoing 2020 China Space Conference in Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province which concluded on September 19. 

China's current lunar programme involves three phases, comprising of orbiting, landing, and return. The first two phases have been completed successfully, Yu informed.

The Chang'e-5 probe is expected to realize lunar sample collection, takeoff from the moon, rendezvous and docking on lunar orbit and high-speed reentry into the Earth's atmosphere, marking breakthroughs in China's aerospace history, he added. 

According to Yu, China was conducting a further verification study for the research and development of space station and the manned lunar mission, and it planned to set up an unmanned lunar research station for manned landings on the moon.

Pakistan-China friendship above CPEC: Ambassador Yao

 By Masood Sattar Khan

(Pakistan News & Features Services)
The Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Yao Jing, remained convinced that Pakistan-China friendship was much above the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). 

"CPEC is not the whole thing. We were friends even before the CPEC. There is no doubt CPEC has strengthened the bonds further but the brotherhood is much above a project," he said to a loud applause by the journalists who had come to say good-bye to a friend of Pakistan. 

Ambassador Yao has completed his tenure in Pakistan and will soon leave for Beijing. He has been replaced with the nomination of Nong Rong, Head of Ethnic Affairs Commission of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region 

Speaking at the farewell reception, with an emotional and victorious voice, the senior diplomat remarked that CPEC could not be stopped or delayed on the wishes of the conspirators. 

"Yes, there are conspiracies but CPEC is going on smoothly. I am very satisfied with the pace of work. Let the conspirators do their job as we focus on development and prosperity," he asserted. 

The envoy said he will miss Pakistan as he had spent 11 years of his career in the country under different capacities. "When I first came to Pakistan, I was a junior diplomat. And as I complete my tenure now as the ambassador, I am more in love with Pakistan. I don't know when I will return to Pakistan but my heart and soul will remain in Pakistan," he declared amid the thumping of desks and clapping.

Sunday, September 20, 2020

Coronavirus Update: No fatality day in Sindh

 By Mukhtar Alam 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)


Sindh for the third time reported no COVID-19 fatality on September 19 when authorities confirmed 264 new cases during the last 24 hours across the province.

Since the outbreak of the lethal virus in the country, the province registered deaths among the virus infected patients every day, excepting September 5, 14 and 19. 

As of morning of September 19, according to official data, Sindh’s total of COVID-19 laboratory tests stood as 1,214,790, out of which 133,626 were found positive. 

The province’s overall infection rate remained 11%, against 9.67% of Pakistan. National dashboard on COVID-19 revealed that Sindh’s 264 (1.8%) positive cases came out of 14,352 samples examined during the last 24 hours. 

With 94 more patients recovered from the disease on September 19, taking the total of cured people to 128,239, while the death tally remained unchanged at 2,459, for the province. The district wise breakdown of new cases in Sindh was not made available by the provincial government, however.

Indus Water Treaty turns 60

 By Tariq Asad 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The controversial boundary demarcation of the sub-continent in 1947 by Sir Cyrill Radcliffe germinated the seeds for unrelenting water conflict between the new-born states that have persisted till-date. 

Awarding the Muslim-majority areas like Ferozepur, having headworks for Sutlej River, to India accrued aggression from her by blocking water flow into all the canals entering Pakistan on April 1, 1948. 

Though a Standstill agreement was concluded between the two neighbours but India cropped out in a highly commanding position on water-front. The matter was resolved by the mediation of the World Bank in the form of Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) as India and Pakistan were given exclusive rights on three eastern (Sutlej, Ravi and Bias) and three western rivers (Indus, Jehlum and Chenab) rivers respectively.

September 19, 2020 marks the completion of six decades of the IWT, signed by the then President of Pakistan, General Muhammad Ayub Khan, and the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, in 1960 at Karachi, under the auspices of the World Bank. 

A terse treaty, with 12 articles and 8 appendices (A-H), provided a detailed framework not only for bifurcation of rivers but entails provisions regarding exchange of data, future cooperation, creation of Permanent Indus Commission, settlement of differences and disputes and its modification. 

The treaty has shown remarkable resilience during three scores of its life as it sailed through the war period of 1965, 1971 and Kargil crisis (1999) besides numerous other diplomatic crises between Pakistan and India that abysmally hit the bilateral relations. 

Nevertheless, India’s debatable and objectionable use of permissive features in Article III (2) that allows unrestricted use of western rivers’ waters to Pakistan besides permitting India the limited domestic, non-consumptive, agricultural and hydropower generation use has affronted the treaty provisions. 

Violation from India has been seen, time and again, in construction of engineering works on Jhelum and Chenab in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). Engineering works there are to be notified to Pakistan well before their initiation so that the design features be mutually agreed upon by the two states under the treaty provisions. Only the design provisions of Salall hydroelectric project were amicably settled in 1978 after some objections raised by Pakistan. 

Bilateral diplomacy could not compel the two intractable Indian governments for stopping the construction of Baghliar and Kishanganga dam in 1999 and 2007 respectively. 

Questions became differences in case of Baghliar Dam on the Chenab River with the unprecedented appointment of Neutral Expert (NE) under Article IX (2a). The NE resolved the matter in February 2007 such that a win-win situation appeared for both parties. 

However, the filling of Baghliar dam gave a severe blow to Pakistan savage reduction of water flow from Marala headworks in September and October affected millions of acres of arable land causing billions of loss to agriculture sector in 2008. 

Kishanganga dam excelled a step further in underscoring India’s grave violations of the IWT. The project envisions diversion from the Kishanganga River through a 22 kilometre long tunnel towards the Bunar Madumati Nullah of River Jehlum for 300 MW hydro-power generation and then its re-route to Jehlum via Wullar lake. The project also fulfills the gains from constructing Wullar Barrage on Wullar River that was objected to by Pakistan in 1985 resulting in halting of engineering work in 1987. 

All kinds of diversion from the western rivers entering into Pakistan from IOK are absolutely barred in the IWT. Kishanganga River is termed as Neelum-Jehlum River when it enters Pakistani-administered Kashmir and is an input source of Pakistan’s 969 MW Neelum-Jehlum project. 

The Indian design will drastically curtail the power generation from the project besides impacting severely on agriculture production and local demography. The construction work started in 2007 but stopped in October 2011 by the Court of Arbitration (CoA) under Pakistan’s request for arbitration. Some other projects on western rivers are also disputed between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours. 

The treaty grapples with the challenge of climate change that was utterly unknown during its negotiating years (1954-1960); the deleterious effects of climate change were unimaginable at the time of signing moment of this historic accord. 

The Swiss NE in Baghliar dam case Professor Raymond Laffitte also hinted and based his decision on multiple factors related to climate change. India, being the upper riparian, is in an advantageous position. The reduction in water flow owing to the causes of climate change must be shared by both the countries and not by Pakistan alone as in the past. 

Former UNSC Secretary General, Boutros Ghali, once famously remarked during his tenure in 1991: “Wars will now be fought over water, neither politics nor oil.” His statement validates the current water conflict between Pakistan and India. 

The incumbent Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has repeatedly threatened abrogation of IWT as well as stopping the flow of water into Pakistan territory. The successive Indian governments during the last 40 years have devised controversial projects on the upstream sides of the western rivers in absolute contradiction to the clauses of IWT. The third party dispute-settling mechanism by NE or CoA is also an exorbitant process draining millions of dollars out from the national exchequer. 

India’s controversial step of annexing the occupied Kashmir last year has exacerbated the situation further. Though voices have been raised from both states in the recent past for revisiting/amending the treaty but in near future it seems almost impossible keeping in view their current state of bilateral relations. Evidently, the status quo will prevail in the years to come.

***The writer is Deputy Director at Pakistan Railways

Sindh delays middle schools reopening

 By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)
The Sindh Minister for Education and Labour, Saeed Ghani, announced that the government has decided to defer the reopening of middle schools until September 23 as there were reports confirming the COVID-19 infections among teaching staff. 

"Unfortunately, educational institutions, both private and public, are not fully implementing the prescribed standard operating procedures," he observed in a press statement, while referring to his visits to some of the institutions allowed to resume teaching for Class IX and above classes from September 15 in the province. 

“Despite our efforts, we are seeing a lot of flaws and violations. Therefore we are delaying the second phase of resuming grade 6-8 classes. These classes were slated to resume on September 21 but now it will be pushed back to September 28, if the situation concerning the virus improves. But if the situation remains the same, we might review the decision on Sept 28 again," he added.

Saturday, September 19, 2020

China to assist in developing agriculture sector

 By Masood Sattar Khan 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)
China has decided to assist Pakistan in developing dates processing plants and onion cold storages in Southern Balochistan 

The consensus was reached when the Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Syed Fakhar Imam, had a farewell meeting with the outgoing Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Yao Jing, on September 18. 

The minister appreciated Ambassador Yao Jing for his contributions in further fostering bilateral ties between the two brotherly countries. 

Fakhar Imam acknowledged the need of expanding the friendly relations between the two Asian nations and reiterated the importance Pakistan attaches to its relations with the People’s Republic of China. 

The Federal Minister stated that the high level visits from both sides have opened up new horizons for our bilateral cooperation, particularly in the field of agriculture. 

He hailed the appointment of an Agricultural Counselor in the Chinese Embassy, which has helped in effective coordination in all areas of agricultural cooperation. 

He reckoned that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will go a long way to further strengthen relations as well as development of Agriculture and livestock sector in Pakistan.

Coronavirus Update: 307 new cases in Sindh

 By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)


Sindh, being unable to witness any consistency in its COVID-19 infection rates had its daily infection rate crossed 2% on September 17 when authorities confirmed detection of 307 new cases, with four more related fatalities, during the last 24 hours in the province.

The provincial figures of the new cases increased by 35% against the daily cases reported on September 16. The daily infection rate was recorded at 1.37% on September 14, which changed to 2.49%, 1.70% and 2.20% on September 15, 16 and 17, respectively. 

The COVID-19 data suggest that the province has been unable to witness any mark difference in terms of new infection during the last about one month. 

The province, which had been reporting over 300 new cases per day in the mid-August, even registering about 300 cases after a lapse of one month, keen observers noted and cautioned extra vigilance and preventive measures to avert any untoward, particularly when the market activities were in full swing and educational institutions and marriage halls had been allowed to resume their long-halted activities. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his routine COVID-19 statement, shared that with the addition of new cases on September 17 morning, the provincial overall tally of infection had risen to 133,125, while 127,991 patients recovered from the diseases. 

He further stated that of the 2,679 active patients, 2,410 were in home-isolation, four in isolation centres and 275 in hospitals, including 173 in critical condition and 23 put on ventilators. 

All the four new deaths were registered in Karachi. There were a couple of casualties in Karachi East while one person each passed away in Karachi Central and Karachi Korangi. The tally of deaths, so far, for East, Central and Korangi districts of Karachi stood at 687, 457 and 254, respectively. 

The district-wise breakdown of new cases came as: Karachi (163), Jamshoro (28), Matiari (18), Khairpur (14), Dadu (10), Hyderabad (9), Larkana (4), Kambar Shadadkot (3), Sujawal (3), Sukkur (3), Mirpurkhas (2), Tando Mohammad Khan (2), Shaheed Benazirabad (2), Naushero Feroze (1), Kashmore (1), Thatta (1), and Umerkot (1).

Friday, September 18, 2020

Rotary Darakhshan review designated months plan

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan, in its weekly meeting on September 16, held at Food Inn, housed in the famous food street of the Sindhi Muslim Cooperative Housing Society (SMCHS), reviewed its plan to hold programmes in accordance with the designated months of Rotary International. 

The meeting was chaired by the club President, Engr Asim Murtaza Khan, and it was attended by the former Presidents, Jahangir Moghul, Syed Khalid Mahmood, Barrister Sarah Asim Khan and Waqas Moghul besides other office-bearers and members of Rotary Darakhshan. 

Having held the installation ceremony with great fanfare in July, despite the threats of COVID-19, they had participated actively in the membership and new club development month in August.

As part of the current month being highlighted for basic education and literacy, Rotary Darakhshan has approved holding a seminar with the collaboration of one of the librarian bodies in the end of September. 

Next month they will be engaged in an activity in relation with economic and community development besides celebrating World Polio Day by organizing a free medical camp on October 24. 

Rotary Darakhshan will take part in the Rotary Foundation Month as well as the World Interact Week in November while they have also chalked out plans for disease prevention and treatment month. 

The Board of Directors of Rotary Darakhshan will be getting in touch with the relevant authorities and departments to finalize their projects for the period from January to June 2021.

IBA suspends classes; campuses remain open

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

The Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi, taking into account the COVID-19 related concerns, has suspended its academic activities for a couple of days, starting from September 17.

The main campus, housed in the premises of the University of Karachi, as well as the city campus, located in the Garden area, will remain open for operational matters throughout this period, however. They will continue providing the normal facilities.

The IBA Academic Board has decided that all classes for the various undergraduate degree programs would be based on flexible learning system for the time being. 

“Flexible learning system is where the classes would be conducted online while all IBA facilities would remain open and available to the undergraduate students including the classrooms. However, the Graduate programs students will attend the classes on campus,” it was announced. 

As part of the Flexible Learning System, it was also decided that attendance policy would be relaxed for the time being and situation would be monitored and policies may evolve over time. The hostel residents would be recommended to stay since assessments including the final examinations would be held physically. 

It was also decided to further increase the COVID-19 testing of the students, staff and faculty and enhance our SOPs to ensure the well-being and safety of the IBA community. 

The IBA, in coordination with District Health Office, has carried out hundreds of COVID-19 PCR tests for students, staff and faculty since September 14. Before the commencement of the session, detailed guidelines under the government directives were formulated and disseminated to students, staff and faculty. 

As a precautionary measure, isolation rooms at both the campuses and boys and girls hostels have been designated for individuals exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.

Chinese brands invited to target Pakistan tea market

 By Masood Sattar Khan 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Inviting Chinese popular tea brands to explore Pakistan’s tea market, Dr Sajid Khursheed, a doctorate from Beijing, has reckoned that the Pakistanis, especially youths, were very fond of drinking tea. 

“There is big potential for Chinese investors in Pakistan’s tea market,” he declared while participating in a TV talk show of CPEC Face to Face at the China Economic Network Television on the subject of China's milk tea craze. 

"Pakistan people love tea and have a long history of tea culture", Dr Sajid Khursheed, a teacher at the Canadian International School in Beijing, remarked. 

He pointed out that Pakistani population comprised a majority of youths having huge potential for Chinese in the tea consumer market. 

Explaining how the different ways black tea mixed with milk was prepared in Pakistan, he urged the Chinese milk tea brands to avail this opportunity of targeting the market.

Pakistan to start producing solar panels, lithium battery

 By Masood Sattar Khan

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan will start manufacturing solar panels and lithium batteries of busses locally. The solar panel indigenous production is expected to start within 18 months. 

According to the information shared by the Federal Minister for Science & Technology, Fawad Chaudhary, the buses to be run on batteries will also be made in Pakistan. 

The Chinese companies are all set to establish solar panel manufacturing plants in Pakistan and another major Chinese battery maker will set up a lithium battery manufacturer in Pakistan.

Coronavirus Update: Sindh continues to have lion’s share in fatalities, infection

 By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)
Sindh registered yet another 227 cases of COVID-19 infection, with three related fatalities during the last 24 hours, taking the overall tally of infection to 132,818 for the province on September 16.

According to the national dashboard on COVID-19, Sindh reported 42% of the total of 545 new cases across the country on September 16, while Sindh added three of the four to the overall daily tally in Pakistan. 

The COVID laboratories in the province collectively tested 13,314 samples, against Pakistan’s 31,808, during the last 24 hours ending September 16 morning. 

An official report said that the LUMHS laboratory at Hyderabad tested the maximum 8,155 samples, out of which 55 were positive for coronavirus, including 47 new infections, followed by Indus hospital laboratory at Karachi, which examined 1,589 samples and found 41 positive. 

The report revealed that among the targeted areas, shopping malls presented the highest rate of COVID-19 infection during a period from August 12 to September 16 being 2.1% cases out of 3,773 samples. 

About COVID-19 fatalities, it was said that three of the patients who lost their lives in the province belonged to Karachi’s East and South districts and Thatta. 

Karachi East has in all reported 683 deaths, against Karachi South (340) and Thatta (10). Earlier, the three persons who were reported dead due to COVID-19 on September 15 included a patient who lost his life at home. 

Over 96% of the COVID-19 patients were recorded as having recovered the diseases while about two percent could not survive the disease, as of September 16, according to official data. 

On the other hand, there were 2,554 (1.9%) active patients, as of September 16, including 2,276 in home-isolation, four in isolation centres, 274 in hospitals, including 149 declared critically ill, while 23 were put on ventilators. 

The new COVID-19 infections were registered at Karachi (106), followed by Jamshoro (16), Sanghar (8), Shaheed Benazirabad (6), Kashmore (6), Hyderabad (6), Matiari (5), Tando Allahyar (4), Umerkot (4), Badin (3), Naushero Feroze (3), Thatta (3), Tando Mohammad Khan (2), Mirpurkhas (2), Ghotki (2), Dadu (2), Jacobabad (1), Shikarpur (1) and others.

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Pakistan’s envoy calls on Chinese VFM

 By Masood Sattar Khan

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Moin-ul-Haque called on the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister, Luo Zhaohui, in Beijing on September 15. 

VFM Luo warmly greeted the incoming diplomat for taking charge as the Ambassador of Pakistan in China. 

Both sides exchanged in-depth views on China-Pakistan relations, besides regional situation and other topics. 

On the occasion a ceremony was held to sign the Protocol for the Exchange of the Instruments of Ratification of the Treaty between Pakistan and China on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. Senior officials from the Embassy of Pakistan and Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs were present at the ceremony.

Chinese Ambassador holds farewell meetings

 By Masood Sattar Khan

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Yao Jing, paid a farewell call on Minister of Port and Shipping, Ali Zaidi, in Islamabad on September 16. 

The Ambassador expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs for getting Gwadar Concession Agreement approved that led to economic activities there, it was tweeted. 

On the occasion, Minister Ali Zaidi lauded the services of the outgoing Ambassador and complimented him for further bolstering Pakistan-China ties. 

The Ambassador also had a farewell meeting with the Chairman of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority, Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa. 

It may be noted that on September 11, a spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry had announced that Nong Rong, a native of Guangxi, has been appointed as China’s new Ambassador to Pakistan in place of Yao Jing who had completed his three years terms.

Coronavirus Update: Sindh’s infection rate rises again

 By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)


Sindh’ number of new COVID-19 infections doubled on September 15, compared to the preceding day’s data, as the authorities concerned registered 341 new cases, with three more related deaths, during the last 24 hours across the province.

As per the official COVID-19 data, the daily infection rate also increased to 2.49% against 1.4% of September 14 and 1.9% of September 13. 

The overall tally of cases reached to 132,591 for the province, while 127,727 recovered from the disease. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his COVID-19 status statement, shared that there were 2,416 active patients by September 15 morning, out of which 2,137 stayed at homes, five at the isolation centres and 274 at various hospitals. As many as 165 patients were undergoing the critical phase, while 19 were put on ventilators. 

No details about the three latest fatalities and locations and hospitals as well as their age were made available to media. The tally of COVID-19 fatalities reached to 2,448 on September 15. 

According to the official figures, Pakistan has had a total 303,089 COVID-19 infected people, with 6,393 deaths by September 15.

Karachi reported 51% (173 cases) of the new infections in Sindh, followed by Dadu (34), Jamshoro (33), Sukkur (17), Shaheed Benazirabad (9), Hyderabad (7), Tando llahyar (4), Tando Mohammad Khan (3), Sujawal (3), Larkana (2), Matiari (2), Mirpurkhas (2), Sanghar (2), Thatta (2), Khairpur (1) and others.