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Saturday, June 20, 2020

Free soaps, masks distributed at railway station in Karachi


By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Soaps and masks were distributed free of cost among the passengers and staff of the Pakistan Railways respective at the Cantonment Station of Karachi on June 20. 

According to details made available to PNFS, the distribution of soaps and masks was facilitated by the Karachi Division of Pakistan Railways with the collaboration of a private company with the objective of containing the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). 

Soaps were also distribution among a large number of coolies, stall holders and the policemen on duty at the railway station. 

The passengers, travelling on train to the various parts of the country, were advised to maintain social distancing besides using soaps and masks during their journey.

Coronavirus Update: Sindh sets new record of single-day death

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Karachi witnessed an average of 28 COVID-19 deaths daily during the week ending on June 19 when the health authorities confirmed yet another all days’ highest 49 deaths in Sindh, including 44 at Karachi, while setting another one-day record of 2,894 new infection, against 24,87 new cases registered on June 10. 

A day earlier too Karachi had registered 44 deaths, setting all days’ highest number of deaths due to coronavirus. In all 196 deaths occurred in the megapolis, which houses the maximum public, private and charity health infrastructures in the province, from June 13 to June 19. 

Keen observers stay baffled at the situation. They have assumed that the doctors have become helpless in the prevailing circumstances at the various hospitals. A general perception was developing that the Sindh Healthcare Commission’s officers were missing from the scene. 

“They should visit COVID-19 hospitals of all sectors to assess the services being given to patients and capabilities and competence of the health administration there.” 

The corona positive people who lost their lives in Karachi and other four districts of Sindh during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am on June 19 included patients from different age groups. 

As many as 26 men, aged from 32 to 90 years, and 18 women, in the age brackets of 15 to 84 years, expired at Karachi, while two men of 63 and 70 years respectively, could not survive the lethal diseases at Dadu. 

Three more persons, one woman of 65 years at Sukkur, one man of 70 years at Kambar Shahdadkot and one man of 58 at Jamshoro, lost their lives to COVID-19, according to the Sindh health department, which had stopped releasing information about the deceased people’s hospitalization for a while. 

Sindh’s total death tally reached to 1,013, out of a total 65,163 infections. In all 13,642 samples were tested during the last 24 hours.
A maximum 2,296 new infections were confirmed at Karachi, including District East (471 new cases), South (413), Central (255), Korangi (150) and West (124 cases). Among other districts, Khairpur registered 165 new cases, taking its infection tally to 1297, with seven deaths, followed by Hyderabad (65 new cases, with overall 37 deaths), Jamshoro (62, with 2 deaths), Tharparkar (51), Ghotki (46, with 6 deaths), Sukkur (30, 16 deaths), Thatta (26, with 4 deaths), Naushero Ferroze (22, with 3 deaths), Larkana (20, with 19 deaths), Sanghar (18, with 8 deaths), Dadu (16, with 4 deaths), Shaheed Benazirabad (16, with 3 deaths), Kambar Shahdadkot (11, with 6 deaths), Shikarpur (9, with 11 deaths), Jacobabad (7with 2 deaths), Kashmore (7, with 5 deaths), Mirpurkhas (7, with 4 deaths), Matiari (5, with 2 deaths), Umerkot (5), Tando M Khan (3, with one death), Tando Allahyar (3), Badin (2, with 5 deaths) and Sujawal (2, with 3 deaths). 

According to an official data, 78 intensive care beds were vacant at 16 hospitals of Karachi on June 19, in addition to 772 high dependency beds at over 20 health units.

China's central bank injects 180 billion Yuan into market


By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

China's central bank on June 19 pumped cash into the banking system via reverse repos to maintain liquidity. 

The People's Bank of China injected a total of 180 billion Yuan (about 25.4 billion US dollars) into the market, including 70 billion Yuan through seven-day reverse repos at an interest rate of 2.2 percent and 110 billion Yuan of 14-day contract at an interest rate of 2.35 percent, according to a statement on the website of the central bank. 

The move was intended to maintain stable liquidity in the banking system, the central bank said. 

As 100 billion Yuan of reverse repos and 240 billion Yuan of medium-term lending facility (MLF) matured on June 19, the operation led to a net withdrawal of 160 billion Yuan from the market. 

A reverse repo is a process in which the central bank purchases securities from commercial banks through bidding, with an agreement to sell them back in the future.

Supreme Court lawyer proposes cost free justice

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

“All our laws should be translated in the local languages of each area so that people understand the implications of laws, instead of legal battle between parties through learned advocates.”

This was suggested by eminent lawyer, author and activist, Dr Raees M Mushtaq, during an exclusive interview with PNFS on June 19. 

A senior advocate of Supreme Court of Pakistan, he firmly believed that people be facilitated in understanding law before claiming that ignorance of law was no excuse.

“All of us are aware that under Islamic law there is no concept of an advocate. I would therefore suggest that, after enforcement of laws there should be one judge in each or two union counsels. He should paid handsome salary of around PKR 500,000 per month plus car besides a proper house to live,” the Nawabshah-based lawyer of international fame pointed out.

 “I am confident that our fellow advocates will opt for the jobs and they will be bound down to decide the matter within 30 days and there will be only one right of appeal before the district judge,” Dr Raees Mushtaq proposed. 

“The chairman of the union counsel shall be ex-officio Station House Officer (SHO) of the area and his members shall have power of a policeman and they will be collectively responsible for any undetected crime in the area. If the judge fails to decide the case within 30 days he will cease to be judge and another judge shall be appointed in his place. The courts shall be located in any of the mosques of that area,” he explained. 

Raees Mushtaq, having started his practice in 1959 at the age of 24, is also a renowned social activist having carried out welfare work for over half a century. 

He has authored several books and articles. Acclaimed for possessing full grip on the problems of Pakistan and its solutions, he has penned popular books like Pakistan: Western or Islamic Democracy, Password to Prosperity, Pakistan: The Fortress of Islam and Call to elect honest and sincere leadership.