Ship with 17,000 tons DAP anchored at Gwadar Port

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

A ship, loaded with 17000 tons of foreign DAP, was anchored at the Gwadar Port on July 31.

The fertilizer was being transported to Afghanistan on 550 trucks via Chamman. 

For the first time, bagging of DAP has been done locally instead of the country of origin. 

This step has helped locals to earn their livelihood, besides boosting the transportation business in the area. 

The development of the Gwadar Port happens to be one of the marquee projects of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Gwadar East-Bay to be functional by April 2021

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Gwadar East-Bay Expressway, an important project under the auspices of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is scheduled to be completed by April 2021. 

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs has acknowledged that the construction of East-Bay Expressway was an important line of the Gwadar Port through which the entire traffic of port will flow. 

The East-Bay Expressway will connect the Gwadar Port and its free zones with a network of national highways.

Coronavirus Update: Karachi’s infection rate grows, people warned ahead of Eid

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Amidst apprehension that COVID-19 spread may increase in the province during the Eid ul-Adha holidays, Karachi reported a daily new infection rate of 52% on July 30 when authorities in the government shared that Sindh’s fatality tally had crossed 2,200, with overall 120,896 infections.

After witnessing a decrease in its new COVID-19 infections till July 27 (138 new cases, 27%), Karachi registered a gradual increase in the infection rate up to 51% by July 29. 

On July 30, Karachi’s number of new infections came as 261. Earlier, Karachi, a six-district division, had reported an average 318 new coronavirus cases daily since July 24. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah in his routine COVID-19 statement, remarked that 20 more infected people died during the last 24 hours ending on July 30 morning in the province, taking the total death to 2,209, while 689 more patients recovered from the diseases. 

He further shared that at present there were 8,454 active patients of coronavirus in Sindh, out of which 7,954 (94%) were in home-isolation, 488 (6%) in hospitals, including 399 in critical condition, while 67 were put on ventilators. 

Karachi reported 261 new cases during the last 24 hours, followed by Sukkur (38), Shikaprpur (24), Kashmore (19), Khairpur (18), Shaheed Benazirabad (14), Hyderabad (14), Badin (10), Miprpurkhas (9), Ghotki (9), Dadu (8), Jamshoro (8), Larkana (7), Naushero Feroze (7), Jacobabad (4), Thatta (4), and Sujawal (2). 

According to the official data, 10,842 samples were tested, out of which 498 (5%) came as positive for the diseases in the province. So far, 748,481 tests have been done, with an overall positivity rate of 16%.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Sindh sub-office reported that as of July 29, as many as 9,520 samples were tested in the province during the last 24 hours, 5,508 tests at different laboratories of Karachi where positivity rate was 14%, 3,616 at Hyderabad, with a positivity rate of 5%, 173 at Larkana, with a positivity rate of 3%, and 223 at Sukkur, with a positivity rate of 2%.

The WHO’s analysis report related to fatalities said that 2,189 COVID-19 patients died during a period from March 10 to July 29 in Sindh. The highest number of deaths was among 50 years and above (81%), with a male-female ration of 2.3:1.

The report revealed that Karachi East district registered the greatest number of fatalities, ie 621 (28%), among districts, followed by District Central (403 deaths), South (304), Korangi (217), West (196), Malir (143), Hyderabad (57) and other districts.

In the meantime, the Sindh Health Minister, Dr Azra Pechuho, in a video message on July 30, urged people to practice precautionary measures against COVID-19 on the eve of Eid ul-Adha and adhere to the relevant standard operating procedures (SOPs).

”Avoid mixing with people to greet them and use telephones for the purpose,” she suggested, adding that there were chances of increase in coronavirus cases after Eid ul- Adha, if due care to the preventive measures was not given.

The Secretary of the provincial health department, Dr Kazim Hussain Jatoi, in his statement, also warned people that COVID-19 still prevailed in the community and as such ignoring the SOPs could prove damaging again. He said that an increase in the COVID-19 cases was observed the other day due to the Eid-shopping and non-compliance of the SOPs.

DS Multan mobilizes resources to enhance efficiency, safety

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

In order to ensure the safest possible train operations through Multan Division, the Divisional Superintendent, Pakistan Railways, Shoaib Adil, has mobilized all his resources, having deputed all his officers into their respective fields of operation.

Following his directives, the Divisional Signal Engineer, Allah Ditta Lashari, inspected the signal system from Multan to Galewal. 

He inspected the entire CBI system through Multan, Shershah, Shujabad and Galewal and checked the presence of staff on duty 

He checked CBI system on tracks as well as from the office of respective station masters personally. 

The DS Railways has made it loud and clear to all his staff members about the importance of signal system and called for regular inspection of the system by concerned officials. 

Meanwhile the Assistant Mechanical Engineer, Shah Rukh Malik, also visited loco shed Multan. He inspected the presence of employees, fuel record and new fuel tank. He was informed that new fuel tank stores 7.50 lac litres of diesel.

On the other hand the action against grabbers of railway land also continued with the Deputy Director Property Land, a lady officer, having recovered grabbed land worth Rs 140 million from mafia during the last two months. 

The DS, while appreciating the action, observed that the ongoing recovery drive of land occupied by mafia elements will result in big increase in the Railways revenues. 

In pursuance of the directives issued by the DS, the Divisional Commercial Officer, Hameedullah Lashari, paid a surprise visit to various stations of Multan Division as part of efforts being made for ensuring safe railway operation along with provision of facilities to passengers. 

He checked the presence of commercial staff, booking and parcel clerks, ticket collectors as well as station masters. He also inspected the facilities being provided to travelling passengers and issued instructions for further improvement.

Karakoram Highway Phase-II opens for traffic

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The whole line of Havelian-Thakot of the Karakoram Highway Phase-II (KKH), a project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has opened for traffic.

“This mega road project has been completed under CPEC initiatives, which would prove to be the backbone of the country’s economy and provide employment opportunities to a large portion of the population," Mahmood Khan, Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), at the imagination ceremony. 

The 79-kilometer-long Class-II Highway Mansehra-Thakot and the Havelian-Mansehra expressway section, launched in November 2019, constitute the 118-kilometer Havelian-Thakot section. 

Karakoram Highway, the only overland connection between China and Pakistan at present, was built with funding from China during the period of 1966 to 1978. 

The first phase of KKH’s renovation and expansion project had been completed in 2013. 

The following year, a memorandum on the second phase of KKH was signed between Pakistan and China. The KKH-II has three sections, namely, Havelian-Thakot, Havelian-Islamabad and Thakot-Raikot. 

According to the Havelian-Thakot project’s contractor, China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), besides this section, the Havelian-Islamabad section has also been completed so far. Only the Thakot-Raikot section is yet to be constructed.