Plea to observe National Plantation Day

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

A social welfare organization has appealed to the Government of Pakistan to observe National Plantation Day on August 18. 

Shahida Kausar Farooq, Honorary Chairperson of Subh-e-Nau, an environment and public health entity, has urged Prime Minister Imran Khan and his cabinet to approve the National Plantation Day in the larger national interest.

“The government can easily implement it to motivate and facilitate people through media and their tiger force,” she reckoned.

“Let me share how it all started. I had lobbied the campaign for several years and firstly we had suggested for August 14. But for some reasons this date was not agreed. Probably it was not meant to be done on the Independence Day,” Shahida Kausar recalled. 

“After deliberations it was approved for August 18 in 2005. The then Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz, declared August 18 as the National Plantation Day and he himself started the campaign by planting a Kachnar tree at the Prime Minister house. He had also made a policy to plant only indigenous trees,” she added.

DS Multan inspects facilities, working at railway stations

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Divisional Superintendent Pakistan Railways, Multan Division, Shoaib Adil, started an inspection of various railway stations as part of his campaign launched to ensure safe train operation.

Accompanied by the departmental officials, the DS started his inspection journey from Kundian railway station and reached Alluwali Station while inspecting condition of tracks. 

At Alluwali station, he went round the station building and inspected commercial, traffic, signal and other sections. He made queries to staff members about their working. 

He later reached Piplan station and carried out similar exercise. He checked the working of Abdul Rahim, the points man and awarded him cash prize and commendation certificate in appreciation.

He left the station to check railway line’s golai number A-27 and level crossing 193 and made queries to gateman. 

He later arrived at Kalor Kot railway station and repeated the earlier exercise besides reviewing the staff working. 

He then inspected Panjgrain, Darya Khan, Bhakkar, Nautak, Bahail, Karore, Doratta stations and checked the buildings and awarded cash rewards and commendation certificates among efficient employees. 

During the inspection visit, the DS was accompanied by DCO Hameedullah Lashari, DME Rana IImran, DE Jamshed Ali, and Divisional Signal Engineer, Allah Ditta

ECNEC approves ML-1 project

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Coordination (ECNEC) has approved the most important railway project, the ML-1 (Mainline 1). Upon completion it’s expected to bring about a revolution in the country's railway network. 

"Alhamdolillah the ECNEC has approved the transformational railway project,” Lt General Asif Saleem Bajwa, Chairman, China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information, tweeted on August 5. 

The approved project worth US$ 6.806 billion included Peshawar to Karachi 1,872 kilometers railway track and other auxiliary facilities. 

“The cost included Havelian Dry Port and upgradation of the Walton Academy,” he added in his twitter message.

Coronavirus Update: Sindh shares 46% of national infection tally

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh, with its increased number of daily infections, shared 46% of the national daily COVID-19 infection load on August 4 when authorities here confirmed 311 new cases, out of 3,922 tests, with five more related fatalities, during the last 24 hours.

Sindh’s overall infection rate came as 16% as its overall tally of infection was recorded 122,016 infections, while daily infection rate increased to 8% against 5% of the preceding day. 

The provincial infection number was 489 on July 31 as compared to 270 on August 1 which went down to 117 on August 2 and rose to 219 on August 3. 

As many as 10 of the COVID-19 laboratories did not perform at all, while another 15 laboratories, including DUHS Hospital (18 tests), CHK (72), AKUH (311, Indus (304), SIUT (30) and PCMD-KU (163), took up samples below the capacity. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, sharing the disease’s status in his routine statement, briefed that as many as 6,517 patients were receiving treatment at homes (6,101), isolation centres (9), hospitals (407), while, among them, 356 were in critical condition of their health. As many as 57 patients were put on ventilators.

He said that the provincial COVID-19 fatality reached to 2,213, with the cases fatality rate at 1.8%, as five more patients succumbed to the diseases during the last 24 hours ending on August 4 afternoon.

However, he or the health department did not reveal the district-wise segregation, age, gender and hospitalization of the deceased persons.

As per an official report, of the two patients who died on August 3 in Sindh, one was living in Karachi while the other one resided in Dadu. About 65% of the new infection on August 4 was reported from Karachi.

The district-wise breakdown of new cases resulted showed as Karachi (201), Shaheed Benazirabad (12), Hyderabad (9), Sukkur (7), Ghotki (6), Sujawal (6), Sanghar (5), Thatta (5), Larkana (4), Dadu (3), Jamshoro (3), Kashmore (3) and Badin (2).

Jacobabad, Kambar Shadadkot, Matiari, Mirpurkhas, Tando Mohammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Tharparkar and Umerkot registered one case of COVID-19 each.

During the last 24 hours, Pakistan registered 675 new infections, with 15 new deaths, while the number of total tests conducted during the last 24 hours in the country was recorded as 11,915.