Coronavirus Update: Sindh cases upto 129,000

By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh witnessed its overall COVID-19 cases surpassing 129,000 on August 27 as authorities declared detection of another 204 positive cases, with six related deaths, across the province during the last 24 hours.

According to the national COVID-19 dashboard, Sindh’s number of infections reached to 129,081, against the country’s overall infection figure of 295,053.

The provincial authorities told a meeting on August 28 that as many as 3,953 infected people were under treatment at homes (3,637 patients), seven at isolation centres and 309 at the various hospitals. 

The meeting was further told that 210 patients were in critical condition, while 31 of them had been put on ventilators during the last 24 hours ending August 27 afternoon. 

As of August 27, the district-wise breakdown of overall COVID-19 cases in Sindh came as: Karachi (91,463 infections), Badin (1,095), Dadu (1,236), Ghotki (3,518), Hyderabad (4,785), Jacobabad (999), Jamshoro (1,430), Kambar Shahdadkot (1,017), Kashmore (973), Khairpur (3,024), Larakana (2,152), Matiari (593), Mirpurkhas (,1241), Naushero Feroze (989), Sanghar (1,432), Shaheed Benazirabad (1,913), Shikarpur (1,768), Sujawal (545), Sukkur (3,812), Tando Allahyar (806), Tando Mohammad Khan (573), Tharparkar (1,191), Thatta (939) and Umerkot (744). 

An official report, in the meantime, revealed that 6,337 samples were tested across the province during the last 24 hours, out of which 259 were found COVID-19 positive, including 204 new infections.

On August 26, the testing rate was around 43% of the maximum collective capacity of 14,950.

A source in the provincial health department confided to this scribe that the overall COVID-19 surveillance and testing activities were affected due to the heavy monsoon pour.

It was further learnt that only 100 of the 409 intensive care beds were occupied by critically ill patients at Karachi hospitals on August 27. According to a report, the four COVID-19 patients who lost their lives on August 26 included three from Karachi and one from Hyderabad.

Is PIA mandated to carry out civil work at airport, runway?

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), on August 24, is reported to have signed the construction contract of the main runway upgrading project of Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore, with a joint venture led by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC). 

The main works of this project include refurbishing the runway and upgrading the drainage ditch and avionics system. 

According to an official of the CCECC, advance techniques and professional experts will be deployed into the upgrading so that the condition of Allama Iqbal International Airport will be improved significantly. 

The implementation of the project will further expand external connectivity window of nation. Meanwhile, it is also expected to promote local employment and economic development as well. 

The question to be asked, however, is that if the PIA was mandated to carry out repair, maintenance and upgradation of runway or airport building or it’s the domain of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Pakistan plan to set up Railway University

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan is ready to establish, in cooperation with China, the most modern international standard Railway University in Rawalpindi. 

This university will be the biggest-ever educational institution of high learning in the entire South Asia and it will be funded by China, the Railways Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, announced. 

One of the most popular political leaders to have emerged from Rawalpindi, he has been in the headline news quite frequently of late as he revealed that tender for the much talked about ML-1 will be issued either at the end August or next month.

China's top film festival missing Bollywood stars

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The cooperation between Chinese and foreign filmmakers which suffered hugely since the COVID-19 pandemic is getting a morale boost with the 10th Beijing International Film Festival which opened on August 24. 

 According to the details, the number of co-productions between China and other countries in 2020 will be far fewer than the 95 co-production applications received in 2019. 

The cooperation between the Chinese mainland filmmakers and Hong Kong and Taiwan studios has not been greatly affected according to Liu Chun, manager of the China Film Co-production Cooperation at the Sino-Foreign Film Co-production Forum. 

The data showed that as of August 26, the Chinese film authorities had received 39 China-foreign co-production applications including one with the US, one from UK and two with Japan.

As many as applications have been filed for co-productions between mainland filmmakers and those based in Hong Kong.

Amazingly no Indian guests had been included on the guest list despite the growing influence of Indian films in China.

It may be recalled that the China-India Film Co-production Dialogue was held in 2019 and the event was attended by the Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan and Kabir Khan. An exhibition of Indian films posters was also held during the festival.

Several Chinese film experts reckoned that the China-India border clashes in the recent past played the key role in the non-presence of Indian guests. Shah Rukh Khan, also known as King Khan, had taken the Chinese crowds by storm during the event last festival. 

Pakistan Railways undertaking three CPEC projects

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan Railways has three Main Line projects by the name of ML-1, ML-2 and ML-3 and the upgradation of all these will be carried out in phases under the auspices of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). 

The first phase upgradation and doubling of 1872 Kilometers long ML-1 starts from Karachi and will pass through country's major cities and culminate in Peshawar. 

However, it will pass through Havalian dry port to be built with an estimated cost of USD 40 million. 

The distance between Havalian to Kashi (China) by railway is around 1,059 kilometers. This railway connection between Pakistan and China would be the shortest and most convenient particularly for traders of the two countries. 

There is an alternate scheme of Gwadar Port passage that will connect Gwadar with Karachi to facilitate goods services. 

Meanwhile, the Railways Minister, Shaikh Rashid Ahmed, has recently disclosed that after approval from Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and tendering work on the ML-1 project will be initiated in next two months.

Electric buses to ply in metropolitan cities

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Electric buses are planned to be imported from China for plying them in Pakistan’s major cities in order to overcome the transport problems and improving the system.

A signing ceremony of strategic alliance agreement between Daewoo Pakistan and Skywell Automobiles China has already taken place in this regard. 

The agreement entails setting up electric vehicles value chain in Pakistan. These electric buses will help reduce environment pollution. 

The Chief Executives of Daewoo Pakistan, Faisal Siddiqui, and Skywell China, Howang Hangxin, signed the agreement in which the Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Chaudhary Fawad, was the chief guest. 

According to reports, initially these buses will be imported from China with the provision of transfer of technology. In the first stage, a plan has been prepared to ply these buses in three mega cities of Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.