Dreamworld official calls on Prime Minister; relief for hospitality industry sought

Pakistan News & Features Services


A top official of Dreamworld Resort, Hotel & Golf Course, called on Prime Minister Imran Khan in which matters pertaining to tourism and hospitality industry in the country were discussed. 

According to the details made available to PNFS, Dreamworld Resort was represented by its Director Business Development, Omar Saleem, while the meeting, taking place at the Prime Minister office in Islamabad, was also attended by Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari, Minister of State and Special Assistant for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, who also heads the national task force on tourism. 

During the meeting, the Dreamworld official briefed the Prime Minister and his team about the challenges being faced by the hospitality industry during the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic besides requesting for the reopening of the activities under specific guidelines and standard operation procedures (SOPs) to overcome the financial crisis. 

The Dreamworld executive expressed his appreciation at the initiatives of the Prime Minister aimed at boosting tourism in the country, pending a foolproof set of rules and regulations to ensure maximum protection from COVID-19. 

Upon the directives of the Prime Minister, the management of Dreamworld Resort agreed to facilitate the government in devising perfect COVID-19 precautionary SOPs based on their three decades long experience in running a safe and hygienic resort.

Thoughts on Justice Qazi Faez Isa case

By Tanzeel Rauf Farooqui

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Over the past few months, we have witnessed a case of uniquely controversial nature. It's a case concerning Justice Qazi Faez Isa, one of the judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The apex court dismissed a presidential reference against the senior judge on June 19.

According to a Supreme Court short judgement, the 10-member larger bench dismissed the government reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

The Supreme Court termed the reference invalid and said: "The reference is declared to be of no legal effect whatsoever and stands quashed."

The government had filed a reference in May 2019 alleging that Justice Isa owned three properties in the UK in his wife's and children's names acquired between 2011 and 2015 while not disclosing them on his tax returns.

Justice Isa, known to be one of the most vocal judges of the Supreme Court, having passed many judgments which were praised by many, rejected the allegations and moved to the top court against the government reference last August. . 

The federal government, through the President of Pakistan had filed a reference against Justice Isa alleging that the honourable judge of the apex court had properties in England in the name of his wife, which were not declared, and this was a violation of Section 116 (1) (b) and Section 116 (2) of the Income Tax Ordinance of 2001. 

Adding to this, the federal government alleged that by committing the above-mentioned violation, the honourable judge committed gross misconduct and violated Article II and III of the judge’s code of conduct. 

Based on this, the Presidential reference recommended removal of the honourable judge to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) in term violation of Article 209 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. 

Justice Isa, on the contrary, described the reference as one full of malice and malafide on part of the government who did not even let the honourable judge present his side of the argument. 

The Supreme Court heard the matter a great length over a period of months and gave their short order on June 19.

The Supreme Court rejected the instant Presidential reference filed by the federal government against the honourable judge. However, what seemed as a triumph for Justice Isa and his legal team at first, was arguably not so. 

The Supreme Court, in its short order, although did dismiss the reference against the honourable judge, but did not give Justice Isa a clean chit, as they referred the matter to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for consideration and ordered the result of the investigation of the FBR to be submitted before the SJC for further action. 

Justice Isa, at the very outset, argued that the government had not given an opportunity to him to be heard, audi alteram partem as the Latin pharse which translated to ‘let the other side be heard’. 

On this ground, it could be said that Justice Isa was victorious as indeed no man, be it a public office holder or not, must be heard before any adverse decision was passed against him. 

Nevertheless, with the matter being sent to the FBR for a detailed investigation, Justice Isa is yet to be victorious in this legal battle against the government. 

During the proceedings of the now dismissed Presidential reference, the federal government, through Dr Farogh Naseem argued that a judge’s office is one of high status and confidence and the sanctity of the same must be maintained, to which the honourable judges on the bench agreed. 

Judges hold a very respectable and honourable office and as a judge of the Supreme Court, practically after who only God remains, must have a flawless reputation. This might be the wisdom behind the majority of the bench of the apex court in sending the matter to the FBR, so that justice is not only done, but is seen to be done. 

It is without any doubt that all the judges of the honourable courts of Pakistan, be them judges of the district courts or judges of the Supreme Court, are highly respectable individuals who are deemed to be unbiased and defenders of the rights of the population. 

Through this particular judgement, the Supreme Court has in fact increased the praise that should be given to the honourable courts as they have presented themselves readily before the process of accountability and have sent a matter of one of their own to the FBR for impartial inquiry. 

No one is above the law, as Justice Maqbool Baqar, one of the honourable judges on the bench hearing the Presidential reference stated and the same can be witnessed through this historic judgment. 

Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who maintains that the intentions of the government are ill natured, is to prove the same with evidence before the FBR, like any citizen of Pakistan would have to do and then would be hailed. 

This reflects that the Supreme Court indeed is ready to answer any allegations raised against their own ranks viciously, and this raises the confidence of the population in the defenders of the rights of the public. It can undoubtedly be stated that through the decision of the Supreme Court on June 19, justice was not only done, but was seen to be done.

Coronavirus Update: Spike in fatality rate

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh’s overall COVID-19 fatality tally surpassed 1,100 on June 22 when the health authorities confirmed deaths of another 14 patients, including 13 having occurred at Karachi, during the last 24 hours, with detection of 1,464 new infections, which pushed the overall provincial infection tally to 71,092. 

According to official data, the province witnessed the fatality tally growing to 916 on June 17 and 1,048 on June 20, which increased to 1,103 on June 22, meaning that Sindh lost an average of 37 lives of its 37 residents every day to corona during the last five days. 

Astonishingly, the provincial health department has stopped mentioning the places where these patients succumbed to the lethal virus or the medical briefs of the deceased.

A data updated on June 17 suggested that over 80% of the COVID-19 patients, belonging to all age and income group, were losing lives in government and private health settings. 

Overall, the maximum of 107 deaths occurred at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, followed by Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (95), Dow University Hospital (88), Civil Hospital Karachi (85), Aga Khan University Hospital (80), Indus Hospital (72), Ziauddin Hospital (51), Lyari General Hospital (27), SMBB Trauma Centre (23), PNS Shifa (15), Liaquat University of Health and Medical Sciences Hospital (22) and other hospitals. 

The health department summary revealed that 13 patients who lost their lives during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am on June 22 included nine men, aged from 24 to 82 years, and four female living in the age brackets of 30 to 55 years. In addition, Larkana registered death of 50-year-old woman.

It was learnt that, among the patients who lost their lives on June 21, there were four who died during the home isolation. 

Karachi continued to report the maximum new cases and there were 1,171 more on June 22, followed by Ghotki (48), Sukkur (39), Larkana (36), Sanghar (32), Mirpurkhas (26), Khairpur (25), Dadu (15), Naushero Feroze (11), Jamshoro (9), Sujawal (9), Shaheed Benazirabad (8), Umerkot (7), Shikarpur (7), Tando Allahyar (4), Matiari (4), Kambar Shahdadkot (3) and Tando Mohammad Khan (1). 

Different laboratories tested 9,841 samples collected from across the province on June 22, against a combined capacity of testing 13,650. A comparative study of case reports revealed that the new infection rate dropped to 15% on June 22, against 16% on June 21 and 20% on June 20. 

Keen observers attributed the decrease in new infection rate to lesser sampling. When more focused or symptomatic patients were being tested, higher number of positive cases were detected but at the same time the positive cases diluted when mixed with randomly taken samples along, remarked an observer, adding that it was too early to see draw a conclusion about the trend in the testing of samples. 

At Karachi, the ratio of COVID-19 infected males and females came as 69:28, against the overall male-female provincial ratio of 69:27.

Tips for making most of quarantine

By Tanzeel Rauf Farooqui

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we have seen that the world, as a whole, has been greatly affected. Our lifestyle has had to be altered to bring it in line with this epidemic, the new normal, as many have termed it. 

Although these times have been proving to be cumbersome for most of us, we must realize the harsh realities and let’s adjust our lives accordingly to meet the challenge.

These times are indeed tough, even to the extent of being depressing, but we must not let these get to our heads. We must be optimistic during all phases of life and these times too shall pass. 

Now that most of us are forcefully or unwillingly locked up in our homes, we have more time on our hands to do things that in the normal, regular routine seemed rather difficult. This is a golden opportunity for us, which we must avail and make the most of it. 

On the top of our list, we could always invest our time in reading. With the extra time at our disposal, we should use maximum time in reading books, articles or magazines, whatever interest us.

In this highly competitive world, all of us need a little more than just the formal education or training that we acquire to succeed forward in life. Books give us the extra bit of knowledge that we need and there are a wide variety of books available that we can read. 

Personally, I feel that as Pakistanis, we should utilize this time and read books that pertain to our history. Pick up books that relate to the not so distant past so that we may reconnect and then progress along going into older times.

There is a vast variety of books available and they contain the truth of our nation, some moments that make us beam with pride, while others which are rather dark, but we need to know all these instances as the good or the bad, they are our history. 

Other than reading, we can also use this time and pursue the many online certifications that are available, many of whom are free. They would help us develop our skills further that would be beneficial for us, or we can explore more fields and diversify our resumes. 

All of us should focus on being productive and utilizing this time that we have, if seen from a rather optimistic angle, is a blessing in disguise. 

The positive sides of life should always be seen, and although this pandemic has affected our lives in ways that are rather uncomfortable, we must adjust to it and make the best possible use of it.

Travellers to China advised nucleic acid test

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Chinese authorities have allowed inbound passengers in their country upon the production of negative nucleic acid test certificate.

"To contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) all Chinese and foreign passengers entering China by flights, including business, temporary, passenger-to-cargo, chartered and transit, from Pakistan airports shall be required to provide nucleic acid test certificate for COVID-19 conducted by designated institutions within 120 hours prior to boarding flights,” an announcement from the Chinese embassy in Islamabad said. 

The passengers will be allowed to board the plane, only after producing nucleic acid test certificate with negative result as well as without showing fever and other symptoms, the announcement emphasized. The measure shall be effective from June 22.

“It is kindly informed that all passengers who board at airport in Islamabad must contact the designated institution, publicized on the Embassy’s website on June 22, with passports to conduct nucleic acid test, text the Pin Number and Password received from the institution as well as name, passport number, Chinese mobile number, email address to 0315-6060000 within 24 hours after receiving electronic test certificate. The nucleic acid test certificate with negative result shall be required to show before boarding,” the Chinese embassy notified. 

The nucleic acid test certificate has to include the name, passport number and photo of the passenger. The passengers, who plan to board planes at airport from Karachi, have been advised to follow the relevant notice from the official website of the Chinese Consulate General at Karachi.

Coronavirus Update: Fatality rate rises in interior Sindh

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The number of COVID-19 deaths occurring in the interior districts of Sindh increased to 162 on June 21 when the health authorities confirmed another 41 fatalities across the province, including 31 those of Karachi, with 2,275 new infection cases.

This was for the first time that districts other than those of Karachi division witnessed 10 coronavirus related deaths in a day since the outbreak of the global pandemic in the province. The case fatality rate rose to 1.18% compared to 1.15% recorded on June 20. 

According to official data, as of June 21, among the interior districts, Hyderabad reported the maximum 40 COVID-19 deaths so far, followed by Larkana (21), Sukkur (17), Shikarpur (11), Sanghar 9), Khairpur (7), Kambar Shahdadkot (7), Ghotki (6), Kashmore (6), Thatta (5), Badin (5), Shaheed Benazirabad (4), Dadu (4), Mirpurkhas (4), Sujawal (4), Naushero Feroze (3), Jacobabad ( 3), Jamshoro (2), Matiari (2), Umerkot (1) and Tando Mohammad Khan (1). 

It was learnt that as many as four COVID-19 patients were on ventilators and 56 off ventilators, in the intensive care units of various hospitals located in Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana divisions while 113 patients were on ventilators and 138 off ventilators in the Karachi division hospitals at 12 noon on June 20.

In the meantime, four COVID-19 laboratories in the interior of Sindh tested 5,597 samples during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am on June 21, out of which 991 (18%) were detected positive for the virus. 

The health department’s daily summary disclosed that as many as 31 patients lost their lives in Karachi hospitals or homes, while 10 others in Sujawal, Larkana, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Sukkur, Jacobabad and Umerkot. 

The deceased persons at Karachi, including 11 women, were aged 35 to 92 years, while three patients, including a woman, who died at Hyderabad hospitals, were in the age brackets of 47 to 67 years.

Sujawal, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Jacobabad and Umerkot reported death of one man each, who were aged from 45 to 80 years. Larkana and Sukkur registered deaths of one woman each, who were in the age brackets of 58 to 67 years. 

In the meantime, according to another official report, two patients died at home in Sindh on June 20. On June 21, as per the provincial health department, 1,756 new COVID-19 cases were registered at Karachi, pushing the provincial tally of overall infection to 69,628. 

Among other districts, Ghotki reported 74 new infections, followed by Sukkur (74), Khairpur (64), Hyderabad (45), Mirpurkhas (39), Shikarpur (38), Shaheed Benazirabad (36), Kashnore (33), Thatta (28), Larkana (20), Jamshoro (13), Naushero Feroze (12), Umerkot (11), Tando Allahyar (10), Dadu (7), Matiari (6), Kambar Shahdadkot (5), Sujawal (2), and Tando Mohammad Khan (2). 

Meanwhile, the Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, on June 21, inaugurated a 140-bed high dependency facility at the Karachi Expo Centre, where a Field Isolation Centre had already been functioning for COVID-19 patients.

Breakthrough for China’s high-speed maglev test vehicle

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

A prototype high-speed maglev test vehicle with a speed of 600 km/h successfully ran in Shanghai on June 21.

Developed by CRCC Qingdao Sifang Co, it successfully ran on the test line at Tongji University in Shanghai, an important breakthrough in China's high-speed maglev research and development. Production of the prototype system is expected to begin at the end of 2020. 

The system will provide full high-speed maglev technology and engineering capability, bridging the gap between high-speed rail and air transportation, and meeting the travel needs of different groups. 

The project is being managed by the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC), with CRCC Qingdao Sifang Co responsible for the technology. More than 30 enterprises, colleges and universities besides scientific institutes have been involved in the research, which has seen a collaboration of domestic resources in the high-speed rail and maglev fields. 

The ultimate aim is to master high-speed maglev core technology and develop the independent intellectual property rights for a 600 km/h hour high-speed maglev engineering system, eventually industrializing the technology. 

The successful trial run marked a step forward from static to dynamic operation, obtained a large amount of key data and proved the key performance of the high-speed maglev system, providing technical support for the development and optimization of the follow-up high-speed maglev project test vehicle. 

Since the launch of the project in July 2016, the research team has made numerous breakthroughs in key core technologies and successfully developed a test vehicle. 

High-speed maglev fills the gap between high-speed rail and air transportation, and it can form a more logical, efficient, flexible and convenient multi-dimensional transportation architecture for aviation, high-speed rail, high-speed maglev and urban traffic speed gradients. 

This architecture can meet the travel needs of different groups, analysts said. The news went viral as many netizens applauded this new breakthrough in the railway industry. Others, however, welcomed the news but remained skeptical about its possible high costs for construction and maintenance.

President Xi Jinping pursuing father’s legacy of simplicity

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Chinese President, Xi Jingping, has been leading a simple life since childhood, following the footsteps of his beloved father, Xi Zhongxun.

"There are many noble characters I wish to inherit from my father," Xi Jinping, then governor of southeast China's Fujian Province, had written in a letter of felicitation to his father Xi Zhongxun on his birthday in 2001, the Chinese media reported in an article to mark the Father's Day on June 21. 

Xi Zhongxun (1913-2002) was a leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state.

Despite his heavy responsibilities, he had enjoyed the opportunities of being with his kids at home. 

The Xis have had a tradition of being strict with children and frugal, Xi Jinping's mother, Qi Xin, once said, attributing it to the influence of Xi Zhongxun. 

When China began its reform and opening up in 1978, Xi Zhongxun was serving as the party chief of the southern province of Guangdong. To get started in Guangdong, he was known to have worked round the clock and during one summer, he visited 23 counties in the scorching heat to familiarize himself with the locals. His risk-taking spirit in innovative reforms has deeply impacted President Xi.

Under Xi's leadership, China announced plans to establish the Xiongan New Area in north China's Hebei Province in 2017 to coordinate the development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region, hailed as a historic project. 

Once the mother recalled that how Xi and his younger brother used to wear clothes and shoes handed down from their elder sisters, including their old red cloth shoes. At first, Xi Jinping found this embarrassing, according to his mother. 

But his father told his boy that they could dye the shoes to make them a better match for him. This reflected a tradition in the Xi's to live a simple life, with Xi Jinping carrying on his family's tradition.

Beijing reports 22 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Beijing, the capital of China, reported 22 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on June 21, taking the total number of infections involving the Xinfadi wholesale market since June 11 to 227.

There was no new death reported, however, according to the details shared by the Beijing Health Commission. Three suspected cases and three asymptomatic cases also reported in the same period. 

Among the newly-reported cases, 10 came from Fengtai district, eight from Daxing district, three from Haidian district and one case was detected in Tongzhou district. So far, 18 asymptomatic persons have been placed under medical observation in the city since June 11. 

Meanwhile, over 2.29 million samples have been collected for nucleic acid testing in Beijing between June 11 and June 20, according to Zhang Qiang, a member of the city's epidemic-control office who oversees nucleic acid testing. 

Beijing was conducting large-scale nucleic acid testing of food delivery people and couriers to reduce the risk of infection, Zhang added.

The health authorities on June 21 revealed that 26 new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland during the past 24 hours, of which 25 were local transmissions and one was an inbound case. No new deaths were reported.

Coronavirus Update: Laboratories in Karachi detecting higher positive cases than interior Sindh

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Though the daily number of COVID-19 new infection cases has been on rise in the interior districts of Sindh in recent days the test results given by various laboratories located there showed their daily infection rate almost 66% less than what Karachi laboratories were witnessing on June 20 when the health authorities confirmed detection of another 2,190 new cases across the province, including 592 from the interior districts, with related 35 new deaths, taking the overall tally of patients succumbing to the virus to 1,048. 

According to official data, five laboratories located in Larkana, Sukkur and Hyderabad, which had a maximum capacity of testing 3,700 samples, conducted 3,116 COVID-19 tests during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am on June 20, out of which 443 (14%) were declared positive for the virus, against 33% positive results given by laboratories working at Karachi. 

The preceding day, the interior districts laboratories tested 3,622 samples, out of which 421 (11.52%) were positive, against 35% positive results given at Karachi. 

Keen observers assessed a couple reasons behind the phenomenal differences among tests conducted at Karachi and in the interior districts. 

They reckoned that either samples presented to the interior’s laboratories were being drawn randomly, without following the tracing, tracking and sampling protocols, or by ignoring the suspected clusters and communities. 

May be, many of the samples drawn from interior regions of the province were being forwarded to the laboratories in Karachi, a source privy to the process reflected. 

Another observer opined that there still was a need to conduct robust sampling and testing in the interior districts to find the hidden cases. 

It was further learnt that Sindh had the maximum capacity of conducting 13,150 samples, followed by Punjab (9,910) and Islamabad Capital territory (7,682) besides other provinces and territories. 

According to the Sindh health department’s daily summary, the district-wise breakdown of new cases on June 20 remained as: Karachi (1,598), Khairpur (123), Hyderabad (112), Ghotki (79), Sukkur (76), Mirpurkhas (33), Larkana (32), Anushero Feroze (30), Dadu (27), Sanghar (16), Shaheed Benazirabad (12), Kashmore (11), Jamshoro (8), Badin (6), Umerkot (6), Sujawal (5), Tando Allahyar (5), Kambar Shahdadkot (3), Jacobabad (3), Thatta (2) and Matiari (1). 

In the meantime, COVID-19 deaths at hospitals continued unabatedly as Karachi registered deaths of yet another 31 patients during the last 24 hours ending on June 20, taking the megapolis death tally to 877, which was 84% of the provincial toll. 

Those who lost their lives in Karachi’s hospitals or at homes included 23 men and eight women. The deceased men were aged from 41 to 93 years while women were within the age brackets of 54 to 90 years. 

The remaining deaths of the day were reported from Thatta (one man), Kashmore (one man) and Kambar Shahdadkot (one man), while Larkana registered death of a women aged 82 years. The deceased persons belonging to Thatta, Kashmore and Kambar Shahdadkot were aged from 50 to 68 years. 

As per another official report, four of the persons who died on June 19 were off ventilators and lost their lives at homes while another two were not put on ventilators as their doctors did not advise for it. 

As at 10 am of June 20, as many as 78 intensive care unit (ICU) beds and 750 high dependency unit (HDU) beds were unoccupied at the various Karachi COVID-19 hospitals. 

According to another official source, Sindh, which has at present 321 ICU beds with ventilator facility, may have it increased to 466 by the end of June and to 516 in July. Similarly, the existing 1,096 HDU beds at hospital may, as per the government plan, increase to 1,165 from 1,096 by the end of June and up to 1,375 in July.