Ambassador Naghmana Hashmi returns from China

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Ambassador Naghmana Hashmi, upon completion her tenure in China, left for Pakistan from Tianjin Binhai International Airport, according to a press statement issued by Pakistan Embassy in Beijing on July 13. 

The distinguished diplomat of Pakistan had served in China for a year before performing ambassadorial assignments at the European Union, Belgium, Luxemburg and Ireland. She had earlier served in Beijing from Deputy Head of Mission from 2003 to 2007. 

During her successful 38-years career, she has also served in Denmark, France and Indonesia. She is due to retire from service on July 19.

She has served in various capacities in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, departments of Human Resource and Career Planning, United Nations, Policy Planning and Public Diplomacy and the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). 

In China, she proactively promoted and further strengthened deep rooted friendship, facilitating in cementing economic and trade ties and taking concrete steps to promote cultural and people to people exchanges. 

She personally supervised the actions to protect the lives of Pakistani nationals stranded in Wuhan and other parts of China during COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough for Pakistan

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

Pakistan has achieved a big milestone after entering a deal with China in manufacturing Covid-19 vaccine within the country. 

The renowned scientist, Dr Ata-ur-Rahman, while talking to a television channel, revealed that the country's drug regulatory authority DRIP has been intimated about the agreement with Chinese side and they were awaiting its approval after which clinical trials will begin in Pakistan. 

After clinical trials, the manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccine will be started in Pakistan, he added. Upon approval from DRIP, the clinical trial in Pakistan would be taken up.

He informed that phases one and two have been accomplished in China while phase three was currently in process.  He expressed the hope that after successful completion of these trials in both the countries, the COVID-19 vaccine will be available in six to eight months.

Supporting the government policies towards coronavirus pandemic, Dr Ata said that the situation was improving in Pakistan. He specifically mentioned that the smart lockdown policy has resulted in the reduction of number of cases.

Coronavirus Update: Sindh’s fatalities cross 1,800

By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh, with an overall 106,622 COVID-19 infections, witnessed its disease fatality tally crossing 1,800 on July 13 when the health authorities confirmed 31 new deaths during the last 24 hours, with 1,089 new cases across the province. 

According to official data, the total COVID-19 fatalities until morning of July 10 were recorded as 1,713, against 575 deaths till June 4.

The death tally was 1,406 on July 1, which rose to 1,526 on July 5 and 1,614 on July 7, while 1,826 on July 13.

As of July 13, according to the health department’s routine COVID-19 summary, all the districts of Sindh, except Tharparkar, had registered coronavirus deaths.

Karachi has witnessed a total 1,567 deaths so far, followed by Hyderabad (56), Larkana (31), Sukkur (23), Shikarpur (13), Ghotki (11), Sanghar (11), Khairpur (10) and others.

Those who lost their lives at Karachi hospitals or homes numbered 29 including 20 men aged from 22 to 82 years and nine women aged from 48 to 74 years. In addition, Thatta reported death of a 50-year-old woman and Umerkot a man of 44 years.

According to data, the daily infection rate remained 12.19% on July 13, compared to 17% on July 12, 13% on July 11 and 14% on July 10, while the overall provincial infection rate came as 18% out of total 584,596 samples tested across the province since February 26 when Sindh reported its first COVID-19 cases.

On July 13, the six districts of Karachi collectively reported 422 new cases, followed by Ghotki (127), Shaheed Benazirabad (106), Sukkur (73), Dadu (58), Shikarpur (44), Hyderabad (37), Naushero Feroze (33), Sanghar (30), Kashmore (28), Tando Allahyar (25), Mirpurkhas (23), Jamshoro (19), Badin (14), Umerkot (13), Sujawal (11), Khairpur (6), Larkana (6), Thatta (4), Jacobabad (2), Tando Mohammad Khan (1), Kambar Shahdadkot (1) and Matiari (1).

Pakistan to host World Tourism Forum next year

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan is set to host a five-day World Tourism Forum next year. The holding of the event is aimed at attracting foreign investment in tourism industry, the Advisor to Prime Minister, Zulfiqar Bukhari said during an interaction with media on July 13.

“Three days of the forum will be dedicated for the conference while the remaining couple of days will be allocated for tourism,” he disclosed. 

“In next two years, as many as 32 new 3 and 2-star hotels will be built. A large number of international famed personalities would be invited for the forum after which in next six months consultation process will be continuing,” he added. 

Zulfiqar Bukhari made it clear that the World Tourism Forum and D-8 summit would be held separately. “The government is equally giving priority to religious tourism as well and in this regard policy being reviewed,” he disclosed. 

To a question, he said that in next two years efforts would be made to bring improvement in the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) facilities as it couldn’t compete with private sector.

Book for library science students published

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Essays on the subject of Library and Information Science have been published in book form by the Karachi-based Library Promotion Bureau (LPB). The 124-page book, meant primarily for the students, has been compiled by Dr Amna Khatoon, a senior librarian.

The foreword to the book has been contributed by Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari, Founder President, LPB, and a former chairman of the Library & Information Science department at the University of Karachi. 

There are 14 essays in the book which cover different aspects of librarianship. The importance of public libraries has been mentioned in detail while there is a separate chapter on college libraries and their role in promotion of education. 

A significant write-up is about the process of publishing of book in which the various factors taken into account by the publishers before selecting a manuscript is discussed in detail. 

The concept of modern library is deliberated in a separate essay, taking into account the current needs of the users. There is also an article about the role of libraries in the cultural heritage of Pakistan. 

A copy of the book is priced PKR 250 within Pakistan. It’s available at the Record Office of the LPB housed at Stadium Road, Karachi.

Lockdowns enhance reading habits: Prof Dr Nasim Fatima

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Prof Dr Nasim Fatima, a renowned scholar and educationist, has reckoned that, contrary to general belief, reading habits among the masses has enhanced during the last four months of lockdowns, enforced to contain spreading of coronavirus (COVID-19). 

“On the basis of feedback received from publishers and booksellers, I found it very heartening to note that reading of books has been one of the favourites pastimes of many people who had to be confined to their homes due to lockdown since the month of March,” she informed in a brief chat with PNFS at the Record Office of the Library Promotion Bureau (LPB) on July 13. 

“The credit also goes to publishers and publishers for having facilitated the readers during this tough period in particular. They have not only offered discounts but also improved their online services and arranged for the delivery of books at doorstep of their customers,” Prof Dr Nasim Fatima, the first lady chairperson of the Library & Information Science department at the University of Karachi, added. 

Regarding the activities of the LPB, she revealed that they had resumed meetings on weekly basis while taking care of all the SOPs. 

“Obviously our mobility has been affected like every other aspect of life due to the lethal virus. We, however, have continued working from home and we also have made it a point to meet once a week to discuss the progress of various projects in our hands,” she explained.

Coronavirus Update: Karachi’s fatality rate double than rest of Sindh

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Karachi endured an average of 38 COVID-19 deaths daily during the week ending on July 12 when the provincial health authorities confirmed 48 new fatalities, with 1,713 new infections, taking the death toll to 1,795 and overall infection number to 105,533 for Sindh.

Among the latest COVID-19 fatalities, 47 were registered at hospitals or homes in Karachi, while the 48th death was reported from Hyderabad. 

Karachi’s overall case fatality rate came as almost two percent, against an overall rate of about one percent for the entire districts of Sindh, excluding six districts of Karachi. 

Keen observers understand that the provincial government and particularly the Sindh health department needed to act proactively to meet the challenge. 

The Karachiites have indeed remained puzzled and aggrieved by the continued outburst of COVID-19 related fatalities at public and private hospitals. 

It’s the responsibility of the government now to rush a review of the service delivery and patient management at different hospitals, particularly those reporting deaths frequently or having a patient-load matching not to their equipment and manpower including the special and experienced hands. 

According to an official report, updated on July 12, at Karachi, the newly established Infectious Disease Hospital and Research Centre had 16 intensive care unit (ICU) beds with ventilators and 42 high dependency unit (HDU) beds, but none of them was occupied by any COVID-19 patient.

In addition, the Karachi Expo Centre coronavirus facility had 10 ICU beds and 116 HDU beds vacant, Social Security Kidney Hospital had 11 ICU beds unoccupied, Kulsoom Bai Valika Hospital had 12 ICU and 12 HDU beds vacant, DUHS Hospital had 62 HDU beds vacant, Services Hospital had 40 HDU beds vacant, AKU Hospital had 23 HDU beds vacant, CHK had 117 HDU beds vacant, Lyari General Hospital had 145 HDU beds vacant and Ziauddin Hospital, North Nazimabad, had 23 HDU beds vacant, among others.

Those who died during the last 24 hours ending on afternoon of July 12 included 33 men and 15 women.

The COVID-19 infected men (33 in number) who lost their lives at Karachi aged from 35 to 88 years, while 14 women deceased were in the age brackets of 30 to 88 years. A 35-year old woman died at Hyderabad.

However, the health department officials or other government functionaries were silent over the hospital or home status of the people who succumbed to COVID-19.

 A hospital wise distribution of deaths that occurred in Karachi, as of July 11, showed that 106 COVID-19 patients died at AKUH, 187 died at CHK, 129 at Indus Hospital, 192 at JPMC, 185 at DUHS Hospital, 144 at SIUT, 73 at Trauma Centre, 74 at Ziauddin Hospital (ZU) North Nazimabad, 47 at ZU Hospital North Nazimabad, 55 at Lyari General Hospital, among others.

A provincial health department summary revealed that as many as 10,276 new samples were tested by various COVID laboratories across the province during the last 24 hours.

Karachi reported the maximum 963 new cases, followed by Khairpur (172), Shikarpur (59), Larkana (59), Matiari (55), Mirpurkhas (50), Ghotki (41), Sanghar (37), Jamshoro (35), Dadu (32), Kambar Shadadkot (32), Tando Mohammad Khan (31), Thatta (27), Tando Allahyar (21), Badin (19), Jacobabad (19), Kashmore (15), Umerkot (11), Shaheed Benzirabad (10), Sukkur (8), Hyderabad (7), Naushero Feroze (7), Sujawal (2) and Tharparkar (1).

K-Electric has to pay back excess billing amount: Sindh Governor

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Governor of Sindh, Imran Ismail, while expressing his dismay over K-Electric functioning, has assured the Karachiites that they will get back over-billing amounts charged by the utility service provider. 

"I am going to write a letter tomorrow to the utility services provider asking for forensic audit of excessive billing complaints from the public,” he disclosed while talking to a private news channel on July 12. 

He pointed out that irrespective of a penny or thousands of rupees excess billings, the utility service provider has to pay back consumers money.

Balochistan fully supporting CPEC projects

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

Political representatives from Balochistan, while supporting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), have vowed that these projects will bring peace, prosperity and development in the country’s southwest province. 

The assurance was given during a recent webinar, convened by prominent Islamabad-based think tank, the Emerging Policymakers' Institute, and attended by the representatives of Balochistan's mainstream political parties, the Chinese ambassador and officials of the Chinese companies undertaking development projects in the province. 

Speaking at the video conference event, the Balochistan Governor, Amanullah Khan Yasinzai, termed the multibillion dollar project a game changer for the entire region which he said would bring economic development in Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan. 

The Chinese Ambassador, Yao Jing, remarked that the CPEC will change the fortune of the province while highlighting the importance of Balochistan to Pakistan. 

“Many projects under the CPEC are underway and the Pakistani people will reap the benefits in years to come,” Ambassador Yao said, adding that China and Pakistan has had a close friendship and China will stand besides Pakistan through thick and thin. 

The political parties' representatives reiterated their commitment to making CPEC a success and pledged to expand the role of Balochistan and increase opportunities for the province in CPEC.

The participants also appreciated the responsible role that China has been playing in combating COVID-19 at home and abroad, and thanked the Chinese government for the help it has extended to Pakistan to fight against the pandemic.

Pakistan achieves another CPEC milestone

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

With the launch of various projects in diverse fields under the auspices of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Pakistan has achieved another milestone as new optical fibre cable from Khunjirab to Islamabad has been operationalized.

According to the Chairman CPEC Authority, General Asim Saleem Bajwa, at the first stage the optical fibre cable has been operationalized from Khunjirab to Islamabad. 

Through his twitter message, he further announced that in next phase the system will be laid from Islamabad to Karachi and from Islamabad Gwadar. 

He pointed out that this step was a part of digital highway plan as well as it would be helpful to lay the foundation for digital and IT revolution, a project being done in conjunction with China.

The operationalization of new optical fibre cable has been widely lauded by cross section of population, as after launching of different mega projects under the CPEC, digital traffic between Pakistan and China has increased manifolds. 

Now people, particularly businessmen from both sides can conveniently access each other through introduction of the state of the art optical fibre cable system.