Experts seek Islamabad declaration review

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

A group of Pakistani physicians and microbiologists based in the country and abroad, in an open letter, have urged the religious leaders to review the agreement reached between government and ulema council, recently, in regard to the congregational prayers held in mosques and imambargahs, including those on Fridays and taraweeh in Ramadan.

According to the letter, though the 20-point consensus strategy for congregation during Ramadan the President of Pakistan declared on April 18, after consulting the religious scholars representing various schools of thought, stressed the preventive measures against COVID-19, including the social distancing principles, the experts in question have got strong reservations based on early observations. 

Professor Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi, making the letter available online to PNFS, noted that the group of scientists were trying to highlight something that could not be given due care during the Islamabad consultation. 

The group was of the view that the Islamabad declaration related to congregation in mosques needs to be reviewed; it will go in the larger public health interest further if ulema take the previous position of only allowing up to five namazis in the mosques, which was ensured under the governmental guidelines about the containment of coronavirus infections in the country. 

It was mentioned in the appeal in question that indeed these were unprecedented times, not just for the Muslims of Pakistan but encompassing the whole humanity.

“We, as doctors, are at the helm of dealing with patients suffering from coronavirus, which can rapidly transform from a mild illness to a fatal disease and we feel that the agreement between government and ulema council was based on relatively robust principles. Our mosques are predominantly filled by people above the age of 50; quite a few videos in last 48 hours have surfaced demonstrating that more than 80% of the people attending for prayers were indeed above the age of 50, in fact mostly in their 60s, and 70s,” they explained. 

In the given conditions, as the doctors continues in their letter, there will be hardly any room to keep the foremost principle of preventing the spread of virus in the most vulnerable group. 

“With Ramadan approaching, we would understandably expect higher number of namazis attending the prayers.” 

Moreover, they observed that long taraveeh prayers and waiting times will lead to prolonged gatherings, which certainly will cause significant disorder, as the mosques practicing social distancing will only be able to accommodate 20-25% of the regular namazis. 

“Consequently, we won’t be surprised if issues other than spread of virus will also become prevalent around the territories of our mosques, most prominently the conflicts between worshipers, mosques management and law enforcement agencies.” 

The doctors feared that hospitals in Karachi have started experiencing a significant influx of corona positive patients. 

“We anticipate these numbers and resultant mortality to expand exponentially in next few days and as such the already health system will undeniably be in significant pressure.” 

The doctors also requested the government administration and business community to practice patience and keep the markets and non-essential shops continue to close and only home deliveries should be allowed. 

In the meantime, the Sindh Minister for Information and Religious Affairs in statement said that the clerics also believed that the lives of the people was important and he was confident that when once again the ulema would be requested to review their decision and ask people to offer their prayers at home during the lock down in the holy month of Ramadan, they would cooperate.

Coronavirus Update: Deaths toll rise unabated

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh reported five more deaths due to COVID-19 which is spreading fast across the province where, according to health authorities, 227 new cases of the lethal virus infection were also confirmed on April 20. According to health department’s data on coronavirus, the disease has spread to 27 districts including Kashmore and Mirpurkhas which reported for the first time any COVID-19 infection among their residents 

All the five deaths occurred at the public sector hospitals in Karachi, pushing the C0VID-19 death toll to 61 in the province. The ages of the five lately deceased patients was given as 65, 62, 45, 70 and 70 years, respectively, while a total 30 people lost their lives in last seven days.

Karachi, comprising of six districts, with its overall 1,690 infection cases, topped the districts infected with coronavirus in Sindh. Karachi reported 156 new cases, followed by Khairpur (33 new cases), Tando Mohammad Khan (8), Jacobabad (8), Hyderabad (7), Shaheed Benazirabad (6), Kashmore (4), Mirpurkhas (2), Larkana (2) and Badin (1). As per the official data, the district-wise total COVID-19 cases remained as Karachi (1,690), Sukkur (341), Hyderabad (204), Khairpur (138), Ghotki (120), Shaheed Benazirabad (65), Larkana (65), Tando Mohammad Khan (28), Naushehro Feroze (19), Sanghar (16), Jamshoro (13), Dadu (12), Jacobbad (11), Sujawal (7), Tando Allahyar (6), Thatta (5), Shikarpur (5), Badin (5), Tharparkar (4), Kashmore (4), Umerkot (2) and Mirpurkhas (2). 

In the meantime, the Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in a video message on April 20, updated that 2, 068 patients were under treatment, including 1,223 at their homes, 547 at isolation centres and 298 at different hospitals. Of the total COVID-19 infected persons, there were 2,065 men and 699 women. 

Sharing the corona data, the Chief Minister further said that 4,955 of the tableeghi jamat members were tested, out of which 658 were found positive, while the laboratory test results of 161 were awaited. 

The break-up of tableeghi jamat members mentioned Hyderabad (158), Jamshoro (10), Badin (2), Tando Mohammad Khan (13), Tando Allahyar (6), Thatta (3), Dadu (10), Sujawal (7), Mirpurkhas (4), Umerkot (1), Shaheed Benazirabad (4), Sanghar (14), Naushehro Feroze (19), Sukkur (67), Khairpur (114), Ghotki (116), Larkana (37), Kashmore (4), Jacobabad (8) and Shikarpur (3). 

About local transmission of virus at Karachi, it was disclosed that district South had produced maximum of 68 cases while East (65), Central (31), Korangi (23), West (5) and Malir (4) were also affected with the pandemic. 

The Chief Minister reckoned that the situation was far from ideal and required some strict and proactive measures to contain the coronavirus and stop its further.

Oil price nosedive to record low

By Syed Sajid Aziz, updating from USA
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

April 20, 2020 became historic day of sorts as the oil prices nosedived to the lowest-ever price in memory. It’s a forgettable day for the oil producing countries as the oil prices came crashing down to nearly $1 a barrel. 

Following the global slowdown due to coronavirus (COVID-19) there were speculations that oil prices will be dipping below $10 per barrel but, despite the shrinking demand, not many analysts could have predicted it going so low. 

There are reports coming out from Canada that a few oil blends have fallen into negative territory, meaning that the producers would have to pay to give their barrels away. 

It remained unclear at this point of time how long this oil crisis will continue leaving even the industry professionals amused by the turn of the events.

Chinese fresh graduate donates pocket money for Pakistani COVID-19 victims

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

A Chinese fresh graduate lauded the Pakistani people, doctors, nurses and volunteers who are currently engaged in fighting pandemic of coronavirus (COVID-19). She also donated masks, soaps and sanitizers to support the needy people of Pakistan in these hard times.

“My name is Jin Suo, a fresh graduate from North China University of Technology. I saw an article posted by Sami, a Pakistani student in Southeast University," she wrote in a letter. 

Through this letter Jin Suo disclosed that she had come to know about the current epidemic situation in Pakistan which she, very rightly, found as serious. 

“The people lack necessary protective equipment and daily necessities due to shortage. Enthusiastic friends, including myself, contacted Sami and sent some masks, antiseptics, wipes, sanitizers, alcohol sprays and soaps by fastest logistics route,” she stated, adding that Sami will send these items to Pakistan soon through Pakistan Embassy. 

"Dear friends! The Chinese people have experienced the peak of the epidemic situation last month, so I completely understand your suffering and condition now. The Chinese government has sent the medical experts to you while Chinese people are worried and concerned about your welfare and protection. We will never forget that Pakistan that raised medical supplies for China at the crucial time," Jin Suo recognized. 

She further stated that, as an ordinary citizen, she honestly did not have the ability to raise enough medical supplies for Pakistani people but she promised to share the message with more of her friends.  

“The limited supplies carry best wishes of Chinese people. From the experience of China, advising the Pakistani people to remain at home, open the windows often and go out less.

“Wash your hands frequently, make sure you eat well cooked food, and wear mask when going out to the crowded places, if possible, especially children and elderly people. Everything will be fine,” she prayed.

“In a word we will never forget the steady and everlasting friendship between China and Pakistan. We will do our best to support you. You have blessings from the bottom of our hearts. Protect and take care of yourself and let’s work together to fight this pandemic,” she concluded.

Oil price crashes worldwide, falls below $11

By Syed Sajid Aziz in USA
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Pakistani consumers are being robbed by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) since the deadly pandemic Coronavirus scare gripped the entire world in January this year. 

On April 20, oil prices showing its worst ever downfall since 1986, dropped to $11 dollar per barrel and yet no respite in days to come. 

The present regime in Pakistan has surprisingly stayed away by extending the price cushion to the end consumers except one-time reduction last month, ripping them off by billions of rupees. 

According to Bloomberg, oil plunged to the lowest level since 1986 as a deadly pandemic ravaging global economies threatens to erase an entire decade of demand growth, slashing thousands of jobs and wiping out hundreds of billions of dollars from company valuations. 

An interesting situation has emerged here in Maryland, USA that people loudly say that oil prices have become lower than mineral water in the market. 

“What the heck consumers would do about lowest oil prices for 34 years as they remained standstill in massive lockdowns here continuing for almost one month,” Syed Wahid Husain, Director, iDrive Driving Institute, remarked. 

Traders fled the May contract ahead of the expiration. Industrial and economic activity is grinding to a halt as governments around the globe extend shutdowns due to the swift spread of the coronavirus. 

Oil has faced its own knock-on effects with a market massively oversupplied and nowhere to put physical barrels. Despite the unprecedented output deal by OPEC and allied members a week ago to curb supply, it’s become too little too late in the face of pandemic lockdowns reducing global crude demand by about a third.

“There is little to prevent the physical market from the further acute downside path over the near term,” Michael Tran, Managing Director of global energy strategy at the RBC Capital Markets, observed.

“Refiners are rejecting barrels at a historic pace and with US storage levels sprinting to the brim, market forces will inflict further pain until either we hit rock bottom, or COVID clears, whichever comes first, but it looks like the former,” he added. 

Since the start of the year, oil prices have fallen by more than 80% or $50 a barrel after the compounding impacts of the coronavirus and a breakdown in the original OPEC agreement. 

With no immediate end in sight and producers around the world continuing to pump, that’s causing a fire-sale among traders who don’t have access to storage. 

There are signs of weakness everywhere. Buyers in Texas are offering as little as $2 a barrel for some oil streams, raising the possibility that producers may soon have to pay to have crude taken off their hands. 

The spread between the nearest two contracts for the U.S. benchmark has fallen to its weakest level on record. In Asia, bankers are increasingly reluctant to give commodity traders the credit to survive as lenders grow ever more fearful about the risk of a catastrophic default.

Coronavirus Update: Record eight deaths in 24 hours at Karachi

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Amidst reports that the Sindh government was contemplating relaxation during its not so stringent ongoing lockdown, Karachi division of the province reported the highest number of coronavirus related deaths for a day as eight people including a woman of 65 years lost their lives due to the disease in 24 hours ending at 8 am on April 19. 

According to Sindh health department sources, the deceased patients were receiving treatment at public and private hospitals in the city. The ages of men who could not survive COVID-19 ranged from 45 to 80 years. 

A study of the daily summary on coronavirus infections provided by the Sindh health department on April 19 revealed that the diseases had spread to all but four districts of Sindh now. Tharparkar was the latest inclusion after reporting its first corona positive case.

The major chunk of new positive cases, according to the official report, was identified at Karachi’s six districts (132), followed by Larkana (19), Tharparkar (5), Thatta (5), Hyderabad (4), Khairpur (4), Naushehro Feroze (2), Sukkur (2), Umerkot (2), Shikarpur (2), Jacobabad (2), while Dadu, Sanghar, Tando Muhammad Khan, reported one new case each. 

The overall detection of 132 new cases took the provincial tally of corona infected people to 2,544, with 56 deaths, of which 52 were reported from Karachi since March 19 when the first such death was officially confirmed. 

According to data, on average 1.80 deaths took place in a span of 31 days after the day of first coronavirus death. In all 24,438 people including expatriates, pilgrims and tableeghi jamat members have been tested for the virus. 

A keen analyzer noted that the average rate of infection for Sindh ranged from 10.26% to 10.42% in the last three days when government sources claimed of conducting the tests at an extended level.

By generalizing the existing rate of infections over the entire Sindh population, estimated to be 50.5 million, the analysts feared that Sindh was housing over five million people who have already suffered or were suffering from the Corona disease while almost all districts were one after another reporting positive cases. 

It was further said that a very small portion of them were being recorded as the government did not seem to be up to the mark in term of its capacity or policy towards coronavirus. 

A few television channels quoted various government authorities saying that the ongoing partial lockdown imposed in the wake of coronavirus emergency will further be relaxed, offering certain standard operating procedures to traders and businessmen as well, shortly. 

Meanwhile the Sindh Minister for Local Government and Information, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, visited the KMC-run Abbasi Shaheed Hospital on April 19 where he handed over personal protection equipments to the doctors, nurses and paramedics in the wake of coronavirus epidemic in the city. 

On the occasion, he said that not only the spread of the coronavirus was under control but many of its victims had also fully recovered due to the Sindh government's integrated strategy.

Chemico Bacteriological Laboratory may take another five months for completion

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The first phase of upgradation works of the Sindh government’s Chemico Bacteriological Laboratory (CBL), undertaken by the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi, may take another five months or so to complete, this emerged on April 19.

According to sources in the university, the Sindh government has released almost 60 percent of the total amount it promised in the cases of CBL and, upon completion of the first phase of the work, the government laboratory will be in a position to carry out selected forensic tests as per the international standards. 

A review meeting was held at the HEJ institute on April 18, wherein Director of International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), Prof Dr M Iqbal Choudhary, informed the participants that the provincial government had released Rs 80 million, out of the total amount Rs 135 million, to the institute for the purchase of basic equipments and hiring and training of staff for the laboratory. 

Prof Choudhary said that the tender process of instrument procurement for the first phase has concluded while the second phase of the work was specifically associated with the site preparation at CBL. “The basic upgradation work will be completed in the next four or five months,” he added. 

The KU institute and the Sindh health department had signed a MoU in December last for the much awaited upgradation of the CBL located at the Sindh Services Hospital, Karachi, which had been conducting tests and releasing forensic reports related to murders, rapes, recovery of heroin and liquor and food samples, it was further learnt.

Comedy king Umar Sharif turns 65

Pakistan News & Features Services

Pakistan’s uncrowned king of comedy, Umar Sharif, has turned 65. Having been born in Karachi on April 19, 1955, he started his career from a young age and went on to dominate the entertainment industry for decades. 

He had barely entered his teens when he debuted as an actor on stage. 

He went from strength to strength as his stage plays shattered records after records in terms of popularity. 

His blockbuster play ‘Bakra Qiston Par’ became a household name all over Pakistan and also in many other countries. 

Four editions of ‘Bakra Qiston Par’ earned him global fame and he was recognized as a comedian of the highest class. This stage play has remained extremely popular as it has travelled to every nook and corner of the world in the form of cassettes and CDs during the past quarter of a century. 

Umar Sharif has a huge fan base all over South Asia and his shows in India were wholeheartedly lauded by the Bollywood greats like Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra and Rekha when he performed their live a few times. 

A book titled ‘Humay Tumse Pyar Hai’ was authored and published by the USA-based journalist of Pakistani origin, Arif Afzal Usmani, last year in which around one hundred personalities from the various walks of life have shared their views and experiences relating to Umar Sharif. 

‘Humay Tumse Pyar Hai’ has been one of the most well read books about the Pakistani comedy king, who is credited to have brought smiles on millions of faces during an illustrious professional career spanning nearly half a century. 

The author of the book, Arif Afzal Usmani, while talking to PNFS from New Jersey, USA, on April 19, paid glowing tribute to Umar Sharif on the occasion of his 65th birthday as he has planned to bring out ‘Humay Tumse Pyar Hai’ on the demand of readers.

PCAA issue new health policy for passengers

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), in view of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, has issued a new health policy for the passengers travelling from April 18 to 30.

The PCAA has advised for the strict implementation of all standard operating procedures (SOPs) mentioned in the health forms as all passengers travelling by air will be required to submit information about flu, cold, cough, and sore throat in their health forms. 

The form has also very clearly mentioned that the passengers would be required to enter quarantine if the relevant health officer deemed it necessary. 

It was also made mandatory for the passengers to understand that the quarantine period could be extended if advised by the doctors. The passengers will be paying for the advised food during quarantine and they were liable to penalties for providing wrong or false information. 

The government, on the other hand, was undertaking the responsibility of providing accommodation to the passengers in accordance to their preferences.

KMC hospitals willing to meet COVID-19 challenge

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Karachi Mayor, Wasim Akhtar, has once again emphasized that the various hospitals run by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) were very much capable of contributing to the governments’ ongoing fight against the coronavirus pandemic but these were failing to seize the opportunity as neither the provincial nor the federal government had devised any joint strategy for the purpose so far.

“The local government in Karachi has effective team of doctors, paramedics as well as infrastructure and 58 ventilators but all these things are not being utilized effectively by the federal and provincial governments,” he regretted. 

Having said this, during his meeting with heads and owners of private hospitals and medical superintendents of public sector hospitals on April 18, the mayor disclosed that now the KMC was approaching private sector to serve the people in the metropolitan at large. 

The mayor told the meeting that he had written several letters to federal and Sindh governments, asking them to provide assistance to the KMC for combating the coronavirus but to no avail. 

Dr Ashfaq Sohail, chairman of Private Hospitals Association of Medical and Dental, Dr Asim Hussain of Dr Ziauddin Hospital, Dr Abdul Bari of Indus Hospital, Dr Salman Fareedi of Liaquat National Hospital, Dr Farooq Mamji of Mamji Hospital, Dr Asif of Ashfaq Memorial Hospital, Dr Ali Farhan Chishti of Darul Sehat Hospital, Dr Mazhar of Patel Hospital, Metropolitan Commissioner Dr Syed Saif-ur-Rehman, Senior Director Medical Services, KMC, Dr Salma Kausar, Senior Director Coordination, KMC, Masood Alam, among others, attended the meeting, according to a KMC handout. 

The mayor observed that a large number of Karachiites visited the KMC-run hospitals, but they could not be given the due care in the context of COVID-19 in the absence of testing kits or the funds to buy the same. 

He remarked that at present 2,500 to 3,000 tests were being conducted by the Sindh government, which could be extended to 6,000 provided the healthcare units of KMC were provided with these facilities.

"We have human resources, laboratories and intensive care units and all we need is technical assistance so that the people could be served in more efficient manner," he asserted.

He further said that three designated centres were being established at Landhi Cardiac Emergency Centre, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Karachi Institute of Heart Disease with the assistance of private hospitals. 

“The critically ill COVID-19 patients would be looked after in ICUs of Abbasi Shaheed Hospitals,” he announced. 

On this occasion, he lamented that the situation might have been different if the provincial government devised any joint strategy involving KMC. 

According to the KMC press release, Dr Abdul Bari promised to provide testing kits as well as personal protection equipment to the KMC, while Dr Asim Hussain and Dr Salman Fareedi assured the mayor of giving technical support to KMC for its ICUs and laboratories.