Rotary Darakhshan, LPB call to develop reading culture in Pakistan

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The top functionaries of Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan (RCKD) and Library Promotion Bureau (LPB), who jointly organized a seminar on the subject of COVID-19’s impact on libraries at the bureau’s record office, housed in Liaquat Memorial Library, Karachi, on September 30, have called for developing reading culture in the country in order to keep pace with the times. 

“Whatever the circumstances or no matter how long this pandemic stays, we have to devise a strategy whereas people have the tools to access information so that they are not left behind in competing with those living in other parts of the world,” Jahangir Moghul, a former District Governor of Rotary International besides being Charter President of RCKD, reckoned. 

Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari, Founder President of LPB, did not mince words in stating that the government should do much more in engaging the masses into reading, suggesting that the improvement of public libraries and school libraries was the best way to do it. 

Asim Murtaza Khan, President, RCKD, pointed out that COVID-19 crisis has acted as a point of inflection for the shift from conventional libraries to e-libraries during lockdown as people had surplus time at their disposal and quest for knowledge increased during this period. 

Prof Dr Nasim Fatima, a stalwart in the profession of library and information science, regretted the closing of e-libraries in Punjab at a time when rest of the world was busy in creating more digital facilities for its people. She urged for the development of libraries, also providing books at doorstep to the readers. 

Syed Khalid Mahmood, Vice President, RCKD, spoke about the multiple social problems having been caused by the closure of public libraries in the developed countries during the lockdown period. He stressed for better coordination and networking between the various stakeholders for developing library culture in Pakistan.

Syed Ahmed Naqvi of LPB, in his introductory remarks, spoke about the need to develop software for online content to be made available in Urdu and other regional languages for the benefit of the masses while Waqas Moghul, Secretary, RCKD, in his closing comments, described books as the best companion for mankind. 

The programme was organized by RCKD, Rotary International had designated the month of September for basic education and literacy.

Coronavirus Update: Further escalation challenges health system again

 By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Amidst reports about increase in daily new COVID-19 infections up to 400 in the province, Sindh also witnessed a disturbing escalation in the number of patients utilizing ventilators in Karachi’s hospitals on September 29.

Of the 274 patients hospitalized across the province, as of September 29, as many as 172 were stated to be having critical health condition, while another 37 were put on ventilators at Karachi hospitals against 19 on September 27 and 29 on September 28. 

According to reports, a total of 19 patients were put on ventilators in the public sector hospitals against 10 such patients in private hospitals on September 28. 

These patients were admitted at CHK, Karachi Trauma Centre, Lyari General Hospital, Infectious Diseases Centre, SIUT, LNH, Patel Hospital, AKUH, and Indus Hospital. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his routine COVID-19 statement, shared that there were 416 active patients of the lethal virus in the province, including 3881 in home isolation, six at isolation centres and 274 at hospitals. 

He said that overall 130,137 patients had recovered from the diseases, while the number of patients who lost their lives due to the diseased stood as 2,497, including two fatalities that were registered up to September 29 morning. 

The new infection rate was recorded as about 4% in the province on September 29, against 3% on September 28, 2.58% on September 27 and 2.37% on September 26. 

The district-wise breakdown of 400 new cases, out of 10,881, on September 29 came as: Karachi (297, 74%), Jamshoro (9), Dadu (2), Hyderabad (2), Lakana (2), Shaheed Benazirabad (2), Sukkur (2), Ghotki (1), Kambar Shahdadkot (1), Mirpurkhas (1), Sanghar (10, Umerkot (1) and others. 

As per the official data, updated on September 27, rate of infections at the educational institution was also increasing. 

A maximum of 49 (3.7%) COVID cases were detected in the population of educational institutions located in the Korangi district of Karachi, followed by Matiari (3.5%), Jamshoro (2.4%), Karachi East (2%) and others.

It was further learnt that the majority of the COVID-19 tests were conducted in the private sector laboratories (5,772 samples), against 647 samples handled by the public sector laboratories on September 27. 

In the meantime, Sindh stood second in the lists of provinces and territories in terms of confirmed COVID-19 cases detected among the health providers. As many as 1,690 doctors, 180 nurses and 303 paramedics and other staffs were detected positive for the virus in Sindh, as of September 28.

Railways on path of development: Minister

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Federal Minister for Railways, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, has said that the $6.8 billion tender for the ML-1 rehabilitation project would be floated soon which would revolutionize the railways' service in the country.

"The country will get massive economic benefit in the form of 150,000 jobs and significant surge in the freight business after conclusion of ML-1 project,” he remarked while talking to the media at his camp office in Karachi. 

He shared that the preparation of coaches for the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) was underway in Islamabad and the service would be revived as per the directives of apex court. 

"Rs.1.8 billion out of earmarked Rs 10.5 billion for the KCR project have been released and 9 kilometres track out of 14 kilometres in the planned first phase revival has been totally rehabilitated" he stated while describing Karachi City as the hub of railways' activities, particularly the freight business. 

Prior to press conference, the railways minister had strictly directed, in a meeting, the complete elimination of encroachments on railways' land alongwith taking stern action against the officers and official involved in the malpractice.

Coronavirus Update: Infection rate rises in Sindh

 By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh, which in recent days has witnessed inconstancy in its daily new COVID-19 infection rates, is inching closer to 2,500 fatalities, while authorities on September 27 here confirmed six more out of nine deaths due to the lethal virus reported in the country, along with 251 new infections detected across the province during the last 24 hours.

According to the data, Sindh’s daily infection rate maintained an uptrend on September 27, standing at 2.58%, which was 2.32% on September 26 and 1.42% on September 25. 

In all 11,708 samples were handled by the designated laboratories in the province during the last 24 hours ending at 8 am on September 27, which confirmed 185 (74%) new positive cases at Karachi. 

Karachi was followed by Hyderabad (7), Badin (7), Jacobabad (5), Jamshoro (4), Dadu (3), Larkana (2), Tando Allahyar (2), Ghotki (1), Shaheed Benazirabad (1), Khairpur (1), Sujawal (1), Sukkur (1) and others. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his COVID-19 related statement, shared that there at present were 3,772 patients, including 3,493 those receiving treatment at homes, six at isolation centres and 273 in hospitals, while 158 patients were stated in critical condition, along with 19 on ventilators. 

In the meantime, Sindh's fatalities reached to 2,492 on September 27, against country's tally of 6,466 deaths out of 310,841 infections.

Shariq Vohra elected as KCCI President

 By Syed Sajid Aziz 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Shariq Vohra, an eminent entrepreneur and philanthropist, has taken over as the new President of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), after being elected unopposed for the year 2020-2021. 

Saqib Goodluck has been elected as the Senior Vice President, while Shams-ul-Islam Khan as become the Vice President of Pakistan’s largest chamber of commerce, having more than 20,000 members in its folds. 

It may be recalled that all the candidates of the Businessmen Group (BMG), headed by Siraj Kasim Teli, had been elected unopposed for the managing committee. 

The committee also includes Mohammad Hanif Ayoob, Qazi Zahid Hussain, Muhammad Hilal Sheikh, Muhammad Ali, Sheikh Muddasir Rafiq Magoon, Tanveer Ahmed Barry, Jawed Siddiq, Chaudhry Muhammad Zahid Bashir, Ahmed Azeem Alavi, Muhammad Iqbal Khamisani, Zaheer Ahmed and Faiz Ahmed.

Rotary Darakhshan, LPB join hands to discuss COVID-19’s impact on libraries

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan (RCKD), with the collaboration of Library Promotion Bureau (LPB), will be organizing a seminar on the subject of COVID-19’s impact on libraries at the bureau’s record office, housed in Liaquat Memorial Library, Karachi, on September 30. 

Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari and Prof Dr Nasim Fatima, two of the stalwarts of the profession of library and information science, along with some of the top Rotary leaders, will be sharing their thoughts on one of the most relevant topics these days. 

Jahangir Moghul, a former District Governor of Rotary International besides being Charter President of RCKD, Asim Murtaza Khan, President, RCKD, and Syed Khalid Mahmood, Vice President, RCKD, will also speak in the session which will begin with introductory remarks from Syed Ahmed Naqvi of LPB while Waqas Moghul, Secretary, RCKD, will present vote of thanks. 

The programme is being organized by RCKD, as part of Rotary International’s designated month of basic education and literacy.

KCR revival promised at fast track

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Federal Minister for Railways, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, announced that the KCR revival project was progressing at fast track and it would be revived soon as per the directives of apex court. 

While talking to media at Shah Abdul Latif station of the KCR track he added that all the encroachments along the railways lines would be completely eliminated.

"Pakistan Railways is all set to spend Rs. 10.5 billion on the KCR rehabilitation project whereas the responsibility of constructing 24 over head bridges lies over the shoulders of provincial government,” he remarked while highlighting the complete liaison between Pakistan Railways and Sindh government on the historic project's revival. 

He further said that preparation of KCR coaches was in full swing in Islamabad and a model coach would soon be displayed at Cantonment station Karachi. 

The minister visited Gillani, Nazimabad, Gulbai and Shah Abdul Latif stations along the KCR track and inquired the progress of his department on the rehabilitation project. He was accompanied by CEO/Senior General Manager, Nisar Ahmad Memon, DS Karachi, Arshad Salam Khattak, and PD KCR, Ameer Mohammad Daudpota.

Coronavirus Update: Downslide in Sindh

 Mukhtar Alam 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh, after a gap of a couple of days, witnessed a downslide in its daily numbers of COVID-19 cases on September 25, though the laboratories tested the samples beyond their collective maximum daily testing capacity of 14,940 during the last 24 hours.

Of the 16,976 samples examined during the last 24 hours, ending at 8 am on September 25, as many as 241 (1.42%) were declared new infections. The province’s daily infection rate was 2.5% on September 24 after being 2.22% on September 23. 

Sindh had registered 135,488 infections, since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country on February 26, while 129,396 (95.5%) have recovered from the diseases. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his routine COVID-19 statement, shared that four more patients died during the last 24 hours in the province, taking the tally of the disease's fatalities to 2,481 for the province, against Pakistan’s overall death figure of 6,451. 

He added that there were still 3,611 people infected people, who were receiving treatment at homes (3328), isolation centres (6), and hospitals 277, including 137 undergoing the critical phase of their health, while 13 were put on ventilators. 

Karachi reported 103 new cases, followed by Sujawal (18), Hyderabad (4), Dadu (4), Shaheed Benazirabad (3), Badin (2), Larkana (2), Matiari (2), Mirpurkhas (2), Sanghar (2), Shikarpur (2), Tharparkar (1), Thatta (1) and others.

Families of PIA crash victims await justice, regret highhandedness

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The families of the victims of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK 8303, which had crashed in Karachi earlier this year, have condemned the highhandedness from the concerned authorities while seeking justice.

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Imran Khan, dated September 22, 2020, whose copy was circulated on social media, some of the affected families have reported having been humiliated at every place where they have gone to seek entitlement during the past four months. 

Members of the affected families had also held a media conference at the Karachi Press Club a few months ago to bring to light their sufferings at the hands of the concerned departments when receiving the bodies of their loved ones.

It may be recalled that the PIA’s scheduled domestic flight from Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore to Jinnah International Airport in Karachi had crashed just before landing in the densely populated area of Model Colony on that fateful afternoon of May 22, 2020. 

The Airbus A320 in use perished a few kilometres from the runway, while on a second approach after a failed landing. Of the 91 passengers and 8 crew on board the aircraft (99 onboard), 97 were killed, and two passengers survived with injuries. Eight people on the ground were also reported to have been injured in the accident and one of them reportedly later died from injuries.

Coronavirus Update: Sindh’s infection rate continues rising

 By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh’s daily COVID-19 infection rate continued rising for the third day running as the authorities in the government on September 24 confirmed detection of 401 new cases, with six more related fatalities across the province during the last 24 hours.

According to the data, Sindh had the rate of new infections as 1.4% on September 22, which increased to 2.5% on September 24 morning, taking the overall infection tally to 135,246 for the province, 129,101 of which were reported to have recovered from the diseases, while 2,477 lost their lives. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his COVID-19 status statement on September 24, shared that as many as 3,668 patients were receiving treatment at homes (3,776), isolation centres (5) and hospitals (287). At hospitals, 135 were told to be critical condition, while 14 were put on ventilators. 

In all 16,093 samples were examined at COVID-19 laboratories across Sindh during the last 24 hours ending at 8 am on September 24, out of which the maximum 244 (61%) from Karachi’s six districts were registered as new positive cases. Hyderabad reported 19 new cases, followed by Badin (8), Dadu (5), Tando Mohammad Khan (4), Jamshoro (4), Larkana (2), Matiari (2), Sukkur (2), Mirpurkhas (1), Sanghar (1), Jacobabad (1) and other districts.