Moen-jo-Daro Express resumes with major modifications

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan Railways resumed the operation of 213 Up Moen-jo-Daro Express from the City Station Karachi with major modifications on August 17. 

Prior to suspension of train operation almost 5 months back due to COVID-19, it was running between Kotri and Rohri via Sehwan, Dadu, Larkana, Shikarpur and Sukkur. 

The Moen-jo-Daro  restored Express will now operate between Karachi and Multan on ML-I path from Karachi to Kotri and ML-II path from Kotri to Multan enroute Dadu, Larkana, Jacobabad, Rajanpur, D G Khan and Muzaffargarh. 

The train having departed from the City Station Karachi comprised of seven economy class coaches with a cumulative seating capacity of 616 passengers.

According to railway sources the extension in initial and final stations of train will be enormously beneficial for the laborers and workers from interior Sindh and Southern Punjab employed in Karachi as it provided them with the cheapest option for journey between their native places and Karachi.

While talking to media on the occasion, the Divisional Superintendent Railways Karachi, Arshad Salam Khattak, said that Moen-jo-Daro Express was not a new train but its route has been elongated primarily as a public facilitation step.

"Though the train will take almost 24 hours between Karachi and Multan but it offers the cheapest possible fare of Rs 920 per berth for a journey of approximately 1000 kilometers,” Arshad Khattak remarked.

Chinese Foreign Minister visits Tibet

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has stated that given the new period of major changes rarely seen in a century and the complicated influence brought by the global coronavirus pandemic, the diplomatic front will work with people in Tibet to ensure regional stability, China's national security and support Tibet's opening-up and cooperation with the outside world, economic and social development.

Wang Yi gave the assurance when he visited Tibet. His trip came against the backdrop of China-India border clash in the Galwan Valley in June, according to a newspaper report quoting Tibet Daily. 

The Chinese Foreign Minister was reported to have met Wu Yingjie, Tibet's Party secretary, and Qizhala, chairman of Tibet regional government besides other local officials. 

Wang said that the security and stability of the region is important to the overall development of China. 

He mentioned the current international situation and China's diplomatic work saying that Tibet has made great achievements regarding economic development, stabilizing and developing border areas, joining external cooperation and participating in projects under the Belt and Road initiative. 

Wang also visited the border area to learn about the situation of poverty alleviation, infrastructure building and the construction of villages. 

The Foreign Minister has been conducting special research trips to several Chinese regions from time to time. In February 2019, he had visited the China-Myanmar border in Southwest China's Yunnan province while in August 2019, he undertook a visit of Southwest China's Chongqing municipality to review the progress on Belt and Road Initiative.

Double-decker bus service launched in twin cities on trial

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

In an effort to promote tourism and attract the foreigners in particular to visit tourist attractions spots, double-decker bus service between twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad has been launched on trial basis. 

They are presently having capacity for 40 passengers with proposed fare of PKR 400 for a tourist. 

However, children less than five years and special persons can joy ride free to visit historical and tourist attractions in twin cities. The regular bus service is expected at the end of current month. 

It’s being deemed as an encouraging sign for the revival of tourism in the country as the government has chalked out elaborate plans to rope in more foreigners for visiting Pakistan.

Coronavirus Update: Sindh’s infection remains higher than national average

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh’s daily and overall COVID-19 infection rates remained above the country’s rates on August 16 when authorities in the provincial government confirmed registration of 278 more cases and five new related deaths during the last 24 hours across the province.

Sindh showed a daily COVID-19 infection rate of three percent, with an overall infection rate of 14% on August 16, which was two percent less than what was recorded on August 1. 

Pakistan’s daily infection rate remained about 2%, with an overall infection rate of 13%, which meant the province was yet to go a long way of precautionary measures surveillance and treatment, commented a keen observer. 

According to an official report, Sindh’s COVID-19 samplings reduced by 40% of its total capacity of conducting 14,940 tests daily. 

Of the 28 laboratories across the province, 16 conducted tests and detected a total 386 positive cases, including 278 new cases. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his routine COVID-19 statement, shared that the number of patients having recovered from the diseases had reached to 119,572, including 147 of August 16. 

He further said that there were still 4,288 active patients of COVID-19 in the province, out of which 3,888 were isolated in homes and eight isolation centres, while 392 were admitted to hospitals, with 216 being critically ill.

Karachi registered 144 (52%) of the new cases, followed by Sujawal (12), Matiari (11), Khairpur (10), Umerkot (10), Shikarpur (9), Tando Allahyar (9), Hyderabad (7), Sukkur (6), Thatta (6), Jacobabad (5), Badin (5), Kambar Shadadkot (5), Larkana (4), Sanghar (4), Jamshoro (3), Tando Mohammad Khan (3), Mirpurkhas (3), Ghotki (2) and Naushero Feroze (2).

The province in all tested 9,044 samples during the last 24 hours ending on August 16 afternoon, pushing the tally of samples tested so far to 891,530 for Sindh.

The Chief Minister’s confirmed five new deaths, without giving details of hospitals, districts, gender and age of the deceased people.

A total 2,322 COVID-19 fatalities have been recorded in Sindh, against the national figure of 6,175 deaths. According to an official report, four deaths took place in Sindh on August 15 and all the deceased belonged to Karachi, with no one in home isolation. In all 23 patients died at home during August across the country.

DS conducts Karachi-Kotri annual inspection

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Divisional Superintendent Railways Karachi Division, Arshad Salam Khattak, conducted a special annual inspection of railway installations from Karachi to Kotri. 

Accompanied by Divisional Officers, he inspected tracks, level crossings, bridges, stations along with available record and preparedness of staff for coping untoward incidents. 

During the 14-hour long inspection starting from Cantonment Station and culminating at Kotri, Arshad Khattak inspected the relevant records at Drigh Road, Malir, Landhi, Jumma Goth, Bin Qasim, Dhabeji, Jangshahi, Ranpathani, Meting, Braudabad, Bholari and Kotri stations. 

Enroute the 160-kilometre distance, they inspected bridges and checked the level between the tracks with a leveling gauge as well as the stability of the bridges.

The crisis handling and accidental preparedness of gates men at level crossings along the track was inquired by the DS.

The paraphernalia available to the level crossing staff was also witnessed and its various points were discussed.

On the occasion the DS Karachi awarded cash prizes to the gates men in recognition to their alertness and skills and knowledge pertaining to the train accidents.

The DS also held informal sessions with the available staff at stations and level crossings in order to seek first-hand knowledge about the needs and difficulties confronted by them. He directed the concerned officers for immediately resolving the issues brought to his notice.

Vulnerable Pakistanis to get priority for Chinese COVID-19 vaccine

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

China will provide a coronavirus vaccine candidate developed by Sinopharm, a unit of the China National Pharmaceutical Group, to Pakistan as part of a trial agreement.

The University of Karachi and Sinopharm are set to collaborate on vaccine trials and Pakistan will get vaccine doses sufficient to vaccinate one-fifth of its population. 

According to reports, the initial doses will be used to vaccinate the most vulnerable among the Pakistani population including the elderly, healthcare workers and people with medical conditions associated with serious cases of COVID-19.

Earlier in April, Sinopharm had invited the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, to collaborate in conducting clinical trials of its inactivated vaccine for COVID-19 in Pakistan. 

In a letter sent to NIH Executive Director Maj Gen Dr Aamer Ikram, the general manager of China Sinopharm International Corp, Li Can, had expressed the hope that a successful clinical trial in Pakistan will make it one of the first few countries for the launch of a Covid-19 vaccine. 

The NIH official was then reported to have stated that although clearances were needed for the purpose, the collaboration could be a great thing for Pakistan. Meanwhile, researchers have said that Sinopharm’s coronavirus vaccine candidate appeared to be safe and triggered antibody-based immune responses in early and mid-stage trials. 

The candidate has already moved into a late-stage trial, one of a handful of candidates being tested on several thousand people to see if they are effective enough to win regulatory approval. 

Sinopharm is testing the potential vaccine in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a Phase 3 trial expected to recruit 15,000 people, as China has too few new cases to be a useful trial site. 

The shot did not cause any serious side effects, according to a paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) by scientists who are part of Sinopharm and other China-based disease control authorities and research institutes. The results were based on data from 320 healthy adults in Phase 1 and 2 trials. 

Sinopharm’s chairman told state media last month that a potential vaccine could be ready by the end of this year with Phase 3 testing expected to be completed in about three months. 

The novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 750,000 people globally, has prompted a race to develop a vaccine. More than 150 candidate vaccines are being developed and tested around the world. China is leading the development of at least eight vaccine candidates in different stages of clinical trials.

Coronavirus Update: Sindh still unstable

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh registered 177 more new COVID-19 infections, with four related deaths, against Pakistan’s overall 670 new cases and six deaths on August 15.

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his COVID-19 statement on August 15, shared that 400 virus infected persons recovered from the diseases during the last 24 hours while the number of active patients stood 4,162, including 3,766 at homes and 388 at hospitals. 

Sindh had 254 patients in critical condition, 36 of which were put on ventilators, according to the statement. 

Keen observers noted that Sindh was yet to witness any stable COVID-19 status. 

It had far too many ups and downs, which needs to be overcome now in order to give confidence to the masses. 

The province’s virus-related deaths had reduced to one on August 2, which, after many ups and down, was 4 which meant 67% of the country’s total deaths, on August 15.

Similarly, it registered the lowest number of infections during August, 177 on August 2, but failed to retain the down pattern in the following days.

Almost half of the designated COVID-19 laboratories did not perform any test during the last 24 hours, according to an official report updated on August 15.

However, LUMHS Hyderabad conducted the maximum of 5,401 tests, against its maximum capacity of 5,000 per day. It was followed by Indus Karachi Hospital which conducted 1,661 tests against its capacity of 4,000 daily.

On August 15, Karachi reported 117 positive cases (43% of the total new cases), followed by Khairpur (20), Kashmore (19), Hyderabad (18), Thatta (15), Ghotki (7), Jacobabad (5), Sujawal (5), Shikarpur (5), Tando Mohammad Khan (4), Badin (3), Jamshoro (3), Mirpurkhas (3), Naushero Feroze (3), Sanghar (3), Sukkur (3), Tando Allahyar (3), Larkana (2), Kambar Shahdadkot (1), Matiari (1), Shaheed Benazirabad (1) and Umerkot (1).

Same day four patients died in the province, taking the death tally to 2317, but details about their hospitalization, age and gender and the district they belonged to were not revealed in the Chief Minister’s statement.

On August 14, six COVID-19 patients died in Sindh, including four at Karachi one each at Badin and a Larkana. The person who died in Larkana was a COVID-19 infected doctor.

So far, 54 doctors, one medical student, two nurses and 21 paramedical staff have lost their lives due to the infection in the country. According to an official report, only 134 ventilators, out of 1334 dedicated for COVID-19 patients across the country, were being utilized on August 14.

Earlier, 10 deaths registered in Sindh on August 13 occurred among patients belonging to Karachi, including three those at homes, according the report.

Gwadar termed as jewel in CPEC crown

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan’s newly appointed Ambassador to China, Moin-ul-Haque, in an interview, remarked that the Pak-China cooperation in hydro projects would promote the socio-economic development of Pakistan. 

The Ambassador rejected the debt-trap conspiracy theories linked to Pak-China projects and said the socio-economic dividends of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would help Pakistan to reduce reliance on external borrowing. 

Terming the Gwadar port a jewel in the crown of CPEC, the Ambassador, while talking to the Chinese media on the Independence Day of Pakistan, pointed out that both sides have ensured having prioritized the development of Gwadar port. 

Enhanced bilateral cooperation in agriculture will also help Pakistan to enhance food security, he added 

“On the economic side, these projects would also contribute to job creation, skills development and transfer of technology. Their hydroelectric component would help instigate climate change efforts, lower the overall cost of electricity thus enhancing Pakistan’s overall economic competitiveness,” the Ambassador explained.

NBP pledges soft loans under PM housing scheme

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), which recently won a couple of prestigious Asian awards, has announced providing soft loans to the general public under the Prime Minister’s housing scheme, in order to let people build their own houses. 

The NBP President, Arif Usmani, during his speech on the Independence Day, hailed the PM housing initiative as a revolutionary programme which would improve the living standard of the common man and besides generating economic activity in the country. 

He added that the construction industry had great potential to grow and more than 40 other industries directly linked to it will also be booming with the housing programme. 

“As the premier government commercial bank of the country, NBP has recently gone through various policy, structural and technology upgrades which would start yielding within the next six months,” the NBP President remarked. 

“Coronavirus (COVID-19) has literally affected every sector and every organization. NBP, however, with its professional commitment and high national spirit has served the masses in the best possible manner,” he acknowledged while promise to announce special allowance for the top performers shortly. 

He urged the bank employees to continue working will total sincerity and professionalism to earn more goodwill for their organization and for their own satisfaction for their contribution will facilitate in bringing prosperity to the country. 

“Since its inception, NBP has been playing a pivotal role in the development of the country. The bank primarily established for jute financing has now been playing a prominent role in every sector of the economy. Serving the nation with more than 1,500 branches, NBP was catering to every aspect of banking including Islamic banking, corporate banking, trade finance, agriculture, SMEs and retail, treasury and home remittances,” Arif Usmani highlighted.

“We proudly discharge our responsibility of functioning as government treasury and have the largest rural network in banking industry. NBP had taken a lead role in government initiated lending and goodwill programs like PM Youth Entrepreneurship scheme and now PM housing scheme,” he observed. 

“In order to manage the foreign exchange need of the country, NBP has taken initiatives for promoting remittances through legal channels that included collaboration with Pakistan Post which created the largest remittance payment network in the country with over 2,000 payment locations,” he continued.

“The customized products in collaboration with Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment have been launched to provide banking facilities to intending emigrant workers. Resultantly, NBP’s market share in remittance business along with remittances volume had considerably increased in last two years,” Arif Usmani shared. 

He didn’t mince words in stating that significant population of the country was below the poverty line and promoting SMEs would be greatly help address this situation. 

“The government of Pakistan was making all out efforts to address these economic challenges and NBP was committed to deliver on the national agenda of inclusive development,” he reiterated.

Tamgha-e-Imtiaz bestowed on two diplomats of Pakistan Embassy Beijing

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Two diplomats of the Pakistan Embassy posted in Beijing, China, have been conferred Tamgha-e-Imtiaz for facilitating and assisting Pakistani students confined in the locked down in the city of Wuhan, the epicentre of novel coronavirus early this year. 

The diplomats, Muhammad Junaid and Muhammad Suleman Mehsud, were the members of a special task force who met Pakistani students in different universities in Wuhan and collected first-hand information on the health and safety needs of the students. 

As a result of their work, the welfare of the Pakistani students was ensured and they were well-looked after during the lockdown in Wuhan. 

The investitures ceremony for the awards would be held on March 23, 2021, the next edition of Pakistan Day.