Coronavirus Update: Sindh cases upto 129,000

By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh witnessed its overall COVID-19 cases surpassing 129,000 on August 27 as authorities declared detection of another 204 positive cases, with six related deaths, across the province during the last 24 hours.

According to the national COVID-19 dashboard, Sindh’s number of infections reached to 129,081, against the country’s overall infection figure of 295,053.

The provincial authorities told a meeting on August 28 that as many as 3,953 infected people were under treatment at homes (3,637 patients), seven at isolation centres and 309 at the various hospitals. 

The meeting was further told that 210 patients were in critical condition, while 31 of them had been put on ventilators during the last 24 hours ending August 27 afternoon. 

As of August 27, the district-wise breakdown of overall COVID-19 cases in Sindh came as: Karachi (91,463 infections), Badin (1,095), Dadu (1,236), Ghotki (3,518), Hyderabad (4,785), Jacobabad (999), Jamshoro (1,430), Kambar Shahdadkot (1,017), Kashmore (973), Khairpur (3,024), Larakana (2,152), Matiari (593), Mirpurkhas (,1241), Naushero Feroze (989), Sanghar (1,432), Shaheed Benazirabad (1,913), Shikarpur (1,768), Sujawal (545), Sukkur (3,812), Tando Allahyar (806), Tando Mohammad Khan (573), Tharparkar (1,191), Thatta (939) and Umerkot (744). 

An official report, in the meantime, revealed that 6,337 samples were tested across the province during the last 24 hours, out of which 259 were found COVID-19 positive, including 204 new infections.

On August 26, the testing rate was around 43% of the maximum collective capacity of 14,950.

A source in the provincial health department confided to this scribe that the overall COVID-19 surveillance and testing activities were affected due to the heavy monsoon pour.

It was further learnt that only 100 of the 409 intensive care beds were occupied by critically ill patients at Karachi hospitals on August 27. According to a report, the four COVID-19 patients who lost their lives on August 26 included three from Karachi and one from Hyderabad.

Is PIA mandated to carry out civil work at airport, runway?

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), on August 24, is reported to have signed the construction contract of the main runway upgrading project of Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore, with a joint venture led by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC). 

The main works of this project include refurbishing the runway and upgrading the drainage ditch and avionics system. 

According to an official of the CCECC, advance techniques and professional experts will be deployed into the upgrading so that the condition of Allama Iqbal International Airport will be improved significantly. 

The implementation of the project will further expand external connectivity window of nation. Meanwhile, it is also expected to promote local employment and economic development as well. 

The question to be asked, however, is that if the PIA was mandated to carry out repair, maintenance and upgradation of runway or airport building or it’s the domain of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Pakistan plan to set up Railway University

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan is ready to establish, in cooperation with China, the most modern international standard Railway University in Rawalpindi. 

This university will be the biggest-ever educational institution of high learning in the entire South Asia and it will be funded by China, the Railways Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, announced. 

One of the most popular political leaders to have emerged from Rawalpindi, he has been in the headline news quite frequently of late as he revealed that tender for the much talked about ML-1 will be issued either at the end August or next month.

China's top film festival missing Bollywood stars

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The cooperation between Chinese and foreign filmmakers which suffered hugely since the COVID-19 pandemic is getting a morale boost with the 10th Beijing International Film Festival which opened on August 24. 

 According to the details, the number of co-productions between China and other countries in 2020 will be far fewer than the 95 co-production applications received in 2019. 

The cooperation between the Chinese mainland filmmakers and Hong Kong and Taiwan studios has not been greatly affected according to Liu Chun, manager of the China Film Co-production Cooperation at the Sino-Foreign Film Co-production Forum. 

The data showed that as of August 26, the Chinese film authorities had received 39 China-foreign co-production applications including one with the US, one from UK and two with Japan.

As many as applications have been filed for co-productions between mainland filmmakers and those based in Hong Kong.

Amazingly no Indian guests had been included on the guest list despite the growing influence of Indian films in China.

It may be recalled that the China-India Film Co-production Dialogue was held in 2019 and the event was attended by the Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan and Kabir Khan. An exhibition of Indian films posters was also held during the festival.

Several Chinese film experts reckoned that the China-India border clashes in the recent past played the key role in the non-presence of Indian guests. Shah Rukh Khan, also known as King Khan, had taken the Chinese crowds by storm during the event last festival. 

Pakistan Railways undertaking three CPEC projects

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan Railways has three Main Line projects by the name of ML-1, ML-2 and ML-3 and the upgradation of all these will be carried out in phases under the auspices of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). 

The first phase upgradation and doubling of 1872 Kilometers long ML-1 starts from Karachi and will pass through country's major cities and culminate in Peshawar. 

However, it will pass through Havalian dry port to be built with an estimated cost of USD 40 million. 

The distance between Havalian to Kashi (China) by railway is around 1,059 kilometers. This railway connection between Pakistan and China would be the shortest and most convenient particularly for traders of the two countries. 

There is an alternate scheme of Gwadar Port passage that will connect Gwadar with Karachi to facilitate goods services. 

Meanwhile, the Railways Minister, Shaikh Rashid Ahmed, has recently disclosed that after approval from Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and tendering work on the ML-1 project will be initiated in next two months.

Electric buses to ply in metropolitan cities

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Electric buses are planned to be imported from China for plying them in Pakistan’s major cities in order to overcome the transport problems and improving the system.

A signing ceremony of strategic alliance agreement between Daewoo Pakistan and Skywell Automobiles China has already taken place in this regard. 

The agreement entails setting up electric vehicles value chain in Pakistan. These electric buses will help reduce environment pollution. 

The Chief Executives of Daewoo Pakistan, Faisal Siddiqui, and Skywell China, Howang Hangxin, signed the agreement in which the Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Chaudhary Fawad, was the chief guest. 

According to reports, initially these buses will be imported from China with the provision of transfer of technology. In the first stage, a plan has been prepared to ply these buses in three mega cities of Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

220 KV Grid Station inaugurated in Lahore

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Federal Education Minister, Shafqat Mahmood, inaugurated the 220KV Grid station in Ghazi Road Lahore that will help bring improvement in transmission and reliability in the system. 

The National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) has successfully commissioned the grid station completed with a cost of RS 5664 24 million. The major portion of the cost has been provided by a German firm. 

The project has strengthened the NTDC Transmission network along with reduction in load on 220/132 KV transformers. With the commissioning of the new grid station the voltage profile and system reliability will improve in different areas of Lahore.

Pompeo hopeful of more Arab states establishing ties with Israel

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The US Secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, arrived in Israel on August 24 and expressed the hope that more Arab states would establish ties with the country, a Middle East newspaper reported. 

"I'm very hopeful that we will see other Arab nations join in this," he observed in Jerusalem, standing next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The deal with the Emirates, brokered by US President Donald Trump is a boon to peace and regional stability. I think it heralds a new era where we could have other nations join. I hope we'll have good news in the future, maybe in the near future," Netanyahu remarked. 

Pompeo spoke of the opportunity awaiting future partners to work alongside to recognize the state of Israel. 

The US Secretary of state is on the first leg of his Middle East visit to press the momentum of the Trump administration’s Arab-Israeli peace push.

Deepening Pak-China business ties Pakistan’s foremost priority: Imran Khan

By Masood Sattar Khan 
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan accorded great importance to strengthening its relations with China as both countries had shared destiny. The strengthening of business-to-business ties of the two people was the foremost priority, Prime Minister Imran Khan informed a Chinese delegation on August 25. 

He was talking to a delegation of 10 leading Chinese companies, undertaking business ventures in vital sectors including energy, communications, agriculture, science and technology, financial sector and industry which called on him in Islamabad. 

The delegation comprised of representative of Power Construction Corporation of China (Power China), China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), China Gezhouba (Group) Pakistan, China Three Gorges South Asia Investment Company Ltd, China Railway Group Limited, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Machinery Engineering Corporation and China Mobile Pakistan Limited. 

The Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Yao Jing, and Javed Afridi, CEO Haier, were also present on the occasion alongwith Minister for Communications, Murad Saeed, Minister for Industries Muhammad Hammad Azhar, Planning Minister Asad Umar, Finance Advisor Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Commerce Advisor Abdur Razaq Dawood, Chairman Board of Investment, Atif R Bokhari, and Chairman CPEC Authority, Lt Gen (R) Asim Saleem Bajwa.

The Prime Minister assured the Chinese investors that the Pakistan government would accord highest priority for the provision of every possible facility to the Chinese investors. He also suggested to the Chinese business houses to establish their regional offices in Pakistan. 

The Chinese investors thanked the Prime Minister for his personal interest in facilitating Chinese investors and business community in Pakistan. They expressed satisfaction over the business-friendly policies of the present government, especially in improving ‘ease of doing business.’ 

They reaffirmed commitment to further expand their investments and explore more business opportunities in various sectors of the economy. 

“Various reforms introduced at policy and implementation levels have enhanced confidence of the Chinese business community and Pakistan is being looked upon as a major partner in development in the post COVID-19 environment,” the Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing stated.

Railways inspection of Karachi division concludes

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The two-day annual inspection by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the Federal Government Inspector of Railways (FGIR) for the Karachi division concluded on August 25. 

The FGIR Special team comprised of FGIR Asif Mateen Zaidi, Chief Engineer (Open Line), Shahrukh Afshar, Divisional Superintendent Karachi, Arshad Salam Khattak, Chief Commercial Manager, Rubina Nasir, besides representatives of different branches from the Railways headquarters at Lahore and divisional officers from the Karachi division. 

The annual CEO & FGIR inspection is the highest level inspection of railway infrastructure, especially its track, followed by annual DS Special, quarterly inspection by Divisional Engineer, monthly by Assistant Executive Engineer and weekly by Permanent Works Inspector and daily by mates. 

Almost 408 km of railways' track of Karachi division, 227 km from Karachi to Tando Adam on ML-I and 181 km from Kotri to Dadu on ML-II, along with different stations, manned and unmanned level crossings and bridges were thoroughly inspected.

The level between the rails was repeatedly examined during the CEO & FGIR inspection with special focus at curvatures, level crossings and bridges.

Preparedness of staff at level crossings was judged by inquiring them the troubleshooting of accidental and tricky scenarios. Cash prizes were also given to the staff possessing expertise and skills in coping with risky situations.

The paraphernalia available to the level crossing staff was checked and works stores en route were visited by the CEO & FGIR special team. The strength and durability of bridges were also gauged.

The CEO Pakistan Railways, Dost Ali Laghari, said that provision of safe journey to the passengers was the top priority of Pakistan Railways. He directed the officers for ensuring a fully safe and secure journey besides overcoming the loopholes in the system.