‘Made in Pakistan’ ventilators ready

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan has successfully made ventilators, the most demanded equipment for COVID-19 pandemic treatment. 

“Al-Hamadullah, the first consignment of made in Pakistan ventilators would be handed over to NDMA this week,” the Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Chaudhary Fawad Hussain, tweeted on June 28. 

Congratulating, the NRTC on this indigenously manufacturing ventilators as per EU standard, the Federal Minister disclosed that three more designs were also in final stage and would soon be put on production line.

“After this achievement, Pakistan is now placed among the distinguished community of nation's countries that are capable of making complicated medical equipments,” he reckoned.

Student’s cucumber research may benefit farmers

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

A Pakistani student, Rahat Sharif, 28, has successfully conducted research in China boosting cucumber production that Pakistani farmers can also benefit to enhance yield production thus improving the income.

“Our lab conducts research of developing cucumber resistance against powdery mildew. The applied research has not only improved the production of cucumber but also the livelihood of local farmers,” Rahat Sharif, a Pakistani student at the China's Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University (NWAFU) told China Economic Net.

.“Welcome Chinese biotech companies to boost Pakistan’s cucumber production,” Rahat Sharif remarked. 

Hailing from Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Rahat has recently completed his MSc degree from NWAFU. 

“I started my research in 2017 in the lab of vegetable ecophysiology and biotechnology. We do research on cucumber’s production, quality and response to different environmental stresses. My research focused particularly on the role of HD-ZIP gene family in cucumber’s growth and development under various abiotic and biotic stresses,” he explained. 

“Our lab has developed several cucumber varieties and they were provided to local farmers in Shaanxi province, which had successfully lifted some farmers out of poverty,” he said. 

Rahat believed that his research will also help Pakistani farmers increase the production of cucumber and get rid of poverty.

BOI launches three portals for investors

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Board of Investment (BOI) has launched three online portals for the benefit of investors. These digitize portals happen to be Electronic Joint Venture (EJV), Branch Liaison Management Information System (BLMIS) and Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

These digitize portals services will be greatly of benefit and assistance to the investors, a spokesman of the BOI remarked. 

The three portals were launched by the BOI Chairman, Atif Riaz Bokhari, during an online event which was attended by the BOI Secretary Omer Rasul, senior officers and other stakeholders including representatives from the World Bank, Department for International Development (DFID), Pakistan Business Council (PBC), Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), National Technology Council (NTC) and Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB). 

Atif Bokhari, a former banker, highlighted that the BOI was one of the leading organisation in the federal government, which had been effectively introducing technology-driven innovative solutions in terms of service delivery, with the ultimate objectives of bringing transparency, improving ease of doing business and facilitating Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Pakistan. 

The BOI chairman also acknowledged the role of all stakeholders in providing support to BOI for the development of the online modules.

Pakistan ready to reopen Kartarpur corridor

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan has expressed its readiness to reopen the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for Sikh pilgrims on June 29.

"As places of worship open up across the world, Pakistan prepares to reopen the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for all Sikh pilgrims,” the Pakistan Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmud Qureshi, announced in a twitter message. 

‘Conveying to the Indian side our readiness to reopen the corridor on 29 June 2020,” he said, adding that this will be the occasion to mark the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh.

Meeting challenges of leaving a legacy

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

“Pakistan is no exception where the government leadership is out to justify their policies, programmes and personal conduct, while the opposition engages in pointing out the weaknesses and flawed policies of those in power. The phenomenon is the same in all continents but with varying degrees and in different forms. COVID-19 is telling it all in different ways.”

This was remarked by Senator Nisar Memon, a former federal minister for Information and Broadcasting, during an interview with PNFS.

“The citizens, who send legislators to manage country by electing them, are not to be found at the core of war of words. The sitting government desires to retain all the power of decision making while the opposition continues eyeing them to replace them to gain the same power. Other than that, most of the leadership hardly has any motivation to leave behind the legacy that lives on. Therefore the elements for legacy to live on are missing,” he opined.

“Legacy is what lives on. Some examples of outstanding achievements that live on are like the creation of countries such as Pakistan, feat of art like Picasso, architecture like Pyramids, cities like Moen Jo Daro, security wall like Great Wall of China, scientific discoveries such as Newton’s law of gravity, and the great Islamic civilization. They remind us of grandeur and scientific development and natural disasters which buried them to be excavated later,” he explained.

“Behind each of these achievements was the leadership, which by sheer dint of their characters achieved them. Leadership with strong moral character, knowledge, power over people by force or strength of honesty, sincerity, genuinely humble, truthful, open and transparent personal life, ability to command respect and trust for people to obey, good heart with no ego and arrogance. Humility is visible in walk and the talk of the leadership,” Senator Nisar Memon reckoned.

“The leader must be consistent in his life. Just see the life of our beloved Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah who was an embodiment of strength of character with patience and perseverance in his cause to achieve a nation for Muslims after a political struggle of about half a century. Nelson Mandela is unparalleled not only in his perseverance by living in small prison room in Robin Island for quarter century and after release did not talk of revenge but built a nation of oppressed and oppressors free from apartheid,” he recalled.

“History tells us that when the leadership gets the divine guidance with the Holy Quran, a complete code of living and ethics, like that of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), it brings the civilization that lives on eternally. People, particularly the Muslim leadership, should be very careful in taking the name of such a leader and not only know what he said and where he said but be able to practice before qualifying to give sermons on Islam and Islamic teaching. The Turkish and Iranian Presidents are good contemporary examples of the Muslim world to follow,” he pointed out.

“A lesson for any leadership wishing to succeed is to possess a character with no contradictions, conduct of practicing truth which is visible and does not need to be justified, earn admiration of citizens and not of hypocrites, be grateful to Almighty for the chance He gave to serve and not to those who used their power and money to put one in position of responsibility, select a team and support them to swim together, promote ideas, build positively on ones merit of character and not on weaknesses of others,” the former federal minister added.

“How can the legacy of Pakistan leadership live on? Even if getting to power some principles are compromised, but once in power focus on delivering was what promised to electorate. Espouse sovereignty principles by self-reliance rather than foreign aid and loans, remember nothing is free and has to be returned by the coming generation,” he cautioned.

“In the country, strengthen state institutions and not the party or leadership personality. The country needs genuine democracy and dialogue and no monologue. Media freedom is a must in democratic dispensation therefore decontrol it and let it give space to all. Hounding opponents with state institutions has never helped. The way forward is to have private think tanks researching on sovereignty subjects to guide and unite nation for its security,” he advised.

Coronavirus Update: 1,949 new cases in Sindh

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh, after five days of reduced COVID-19 testing of samples, witnessed a big stride in the activities on June 27 when authorities in the government declared detection of 1,949 (16%) new positive cases out of 11,901 tests, with new 38 related deaths, taking the number of infections to 78,267 and fatality to 1,243 in the province. 

The data revealed that Sindh’s new infection rate has been swinging for over a week. On June 18, it was 21%, which started dipping on June 20 and was recorded at 15% on June 22. It increased to 24% on June 23 and then went down to 19% on June 24 and 16% on June 27. 

In the meantime, keen observers expressed their concerns over the reported reduced field activity, including that at the COVID-19 testing laboratories, while the provincial health department resorted to keeping silent. 

Against their cumulative capacity of testing 13,150 samples, the 20 designated laboratories across the province performed 9,841 tests on June 22, 6,597 on June 23, 7,400 on June 24, 6,458 on June 25 and 5,103 on June 26. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his routine COVID-19 situation statement, informed that as many as 426,149 tests have been conducted by the laboratories during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am on June 27, out of which 78,267 (18.36%) were declared positive for the virus. 

“There are at present 33,580 active coronavirus cases, while number of those recovered is 43,444. As many as 1,375 are hospitalized, including 696 in critical conditions,” he disclosed. 

He further said that another 38 COVID-19 patients had lost their lives across the province. However, his statement did not include the details of cities which endured the deaths of patients while the provincial health department officers also failed to provide the coronavirus data and summary, including details of deaths, to media professionals. 

In the meantime, an official report mentioned that 19 laboratories performed 9,831 tests, during the last 24 hours, against their collective capacity of doing 9,150 tests every day. The report gave to understand that the testing capacity of different laboratories have been revised lately. 

According to the Chief Minister’s statement, issued on June 27, Karachi reported the maximum number of new cases (1,139), followed by Hyderabad (99), Ghotki (93), Khairpur (68), Sukkur (54), Shikarpur (46), Shaheed Benazirabad (45), Sanghar (32), Mirpurkhas (27), Larkana (25), Jamshoro (17), Naushero Feroze (16), Dadu (15), Badin (12), Kashmore (9), Umerkot (7), Sujawal (6), Tando Allahyar (7), Jacobabad (3), Tando Mohammad Khan (2) and Matiari (2).

It was learnt that a total 24 intensive care beds were unoccupied at different COVID-19 care facilities in Karachi, including 10 beds housed at the Karachi Expo Centre field health facility.

Balochistan to promote eco-tourism

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Balochistan government has decided to develop eco-tourism to attract maximum number of both international and domestic tourists. 

The provincial government in this regard was reported to be working on three pronged strategy, develop infrastructure on its coastal belt, thus creating maximum job opportunities and generating more revenue for the provincial exchequer. 

An official of the provincial government has said that under a strategy, the government has to identify the suitable tourist spots along the coastal belt of Balochistan for setting up tourist resorts. A holistic strategy was planned to provide sound infrastructure support system and clean drinking water.

Coronavirus Update: Karachi reports 91% of Sindh new cases

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh’s overall COVID-19 fatality tally surpassed 1,200 on June 26 when authorities in the government confirmed deaths of another 27 patients during the last 24 hours, with detection of 1,150 new infections across Sindh, including 1,050 at Karachi.

On June 26, Karachi reported 91% of the total Sindh cases, the highest proportion of new cases registered in the megapolis in recent days. The proportion of new cases recorded in the city on June 22 was 80% of the total Sindh cases, which had reduced to 45% on June 25. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his daily statement on COVID-19 situation in the province, revealed that as many as 5,103 samples were tested during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am on June 26 out of which 1150 were found positive for COVID-19. Thus the daily infection case rate came as 23%. 

He further said that deaths of another 27 patients due to coronavirus had pushed the death toll to 1,205. However, the statement did not provide any district-wise details of the deceased people. 

“A total 41992 patients have recovered from the disease, while 3,121 were under treatment, including 671 in the critical condition,” he mentioned. 

According to the statement, Karachi reported 1,050 new cases, including 322 recorded in District East, 300 in South, 143 in West, 111 in Central, 88 in Malir and 86 new cases in Korangi district. The other district having registered new cases during the last 24 hours included Hyderabad (22), Jamhsoro (7), Ghotki (7), Dadu (4), Larkana (3), Sukkur (3), Umerkot (2), Sanghar (2) and Shaheed Benazirabad (1).

India’s former first lady recovers from COVID-19 at 93

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Vimala Sharma, the wife of former President of India, Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, has successfully fought against deadly Coronavirus pandemic at the age of 93.

She was discharged from the AIIMS Trauma Centre in New Delhi on evening of June 25, two and a half weeks after she had tested positive for COVID-19, the Indian media reported. The 93-year-old is among the oldest to have recovered from the virus in the world. 

According to family sources, her oxygen levels had started dipping on June 5 after which she was tested, and her reports came positive on June 6. 

“To our horror, her report was positive and we immediately rushed her to AIIMS. It came as a shock as she doesn’t go out of the house at all. The first four days, her condition did deteriorate a bit. I know she is 93 but losing her to a virus would have been the worst,” her son Ashutosh Dayal Sharma told The Indian Express. 

While admitted for almost 18 days, she was not put on ventilator support. Her family didn’t lost hope and spoke to her twice during her entire stay. A couple of weeks after the admission, she was tested again and her reports came out negative.

The doctors at AIIMS said that, apart from antibiotics, she was on a high flow nasal cannula, a technique through which a high amount of oxygen can be delivered.

Coronavirus Update: No respite as 17 more die in Sindh

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

As many as 84 beds in the COVID-19 intensive care units (ICU) of hospitals across Sindh were vacant on June 25 when authorities in the government registered another 1,098 new cases, with 17 more deaths, pushing the tally of patients dying of the lethal virus diseases to 1,178. 

According to an official report, a maximum of 25 COVID-19 ICU beds were vacant in Karachi hospitals, followed by Hyderabad (18), Shaheed Benazirabad (8), Sukkur (16) and Larkana (17). The number of unoccupied high dependency beds was 696 including 414 at Karachi.

The statement on COVID-19 situation in Sindh, issued from the Chief Minister’s House, revealed that 17% of the total 6,458 samples tested were found positive at various laboratories of the province during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am on June 25. However, the statement did not disclose all the districts where the new infections were registered. 

It gave a district-wise breakdown of about 600 cases, without revealing the status of the diseases in districts like Jacobabad, Khairpur, Kambar Shahdadkot, Shaheed Benazirabad, Naushero Feroze and Tharparkar, many of which have been reporting new cases in significant number. 

The CM House statement also did not include any district-wise details of new COVID-19 deaths. In the statement, which was the only source of information about COVID-19 for media on June 25, Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, said that said that 6,458 samples were tested and 1,098 positive cases were detected, taking the tally of total infection to 75,168 for the province.

According to the statement, Karachi reported the maximum of 494 new cases, including Karachi South (208), East (141), Central 48, Malir (44), Korangi (32) and West (21).

The other districts which reported the cases, according to the statement, were Hyderabad (34), Ghotki (33), Sukkur (15), Shikarpur (8), Sanghar (6), Umerkot (5), Dadu (5), Larkana (4), Mirpurkhas (4), Jamshoro (2), Badin (2), Thatta (1) and Sujawal (1). 

The Chief Minister urged the people of the province to be vigilant and responsive to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) related to COVID-19. 

It was further said that 33,131 infected people were still receiving treatment, including 31,665 at homes, 1,388 at hospitals and 78 at isolation centres. “As many as 641 patients were in critical condition, including 99 those utilizing ventilators.” 

An official report issued on June 20 revealed that the South district of Karachi, which reported the maximum infection in Karachi on June 25, had registered in all 6,960 COVID-19 cases, while enduring 44 deaths. Its overall infection rate came as 326 per 100,000 people, while the case fatality rate stood at 3.5%. 

In the meantime, the website of the Sindh health department, updated at 7.52 pm on June 25, mentioned the Sindh death toll as 1,202, while the department did not issue daily COVID-19 summary to media for the third day running. The health department’s last summary was issued on June 22.