China to assist in developing agriculture sector

 By Masood Sattar Khan 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

China has decided to assist Pakistan in developing dates processing plants and onion cold storages in Southern Balochistan 

The consensus was reached when the Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Syed Fakhar Imam, had a farewell meeting with the outgoing Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Yao Jing, on September 18. 

The minister appreciated Ambassador Yao Jing for his contributions in further fostering bilateral ties between the two brotherly countries. 

Fakhar Imam acknowledged the need of expanding the friendly relations between the two Asian nations and reiterated the importance Pakistan attaches to its relations with the People’s Republic of China. 

The Federal Minister stated that the high level visits from both sides have opened up new horizons for our bilateral cooperation, particularly in the field of agriculture. 

He hailed the appointment of an Agricultural Counselor in the Chinese Embassy, which has helped in effective coordination in all areas of agricultural cooperation. 

He reckoned that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will go a long way to further strengthen relations as well as development of Agriculture and livestock sector in Pakistan.

Coronavirus Update: 307 new cases in Sindh

 By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh, being unable to witness any consistency in its COVID-19 infection rates had its daily infection rate crossed 2% on September 17 when authorities confirmed detection of 307 new cases, with four more related fatalities, during the last 24 hours in the province.

The provincial figures of the new cases increased by 35% against the daily cases reported on September 16. The daily infection rate was recorded at 1.37% on September 14, which changed to 2.49%, 1.70% and 2.20% on September 15, 16 and 17, respectively. 

The COVID-19 data suggest that the province has been unable to witness any mark difference in terms of new infection during the last about one month. 

The province, which had been reporting over 300 new cases per day in the mid-August, even registering about 300 cases after a lapse of one month, keen observers noted and cautioned extra vigilance and preventive measures to avert any untoward, particularly when the market activities were in full swing and educational institutions and marriage halls had been allowed to resume their long-halted activities. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his routine COVID-19 statement, shared that with the addition of new cases on September 17 morning, the provincial overall tally of infection had risen to 133,125, while 127,991 patients recovered from the diseases. 

He further stated that of the 2,679 active patients, 2,410 were in home-isolation, four in isolation centres and 275 in hospitals, including 173 in critical condition and 23 put on ventilators. 

All the four new deaths were registered in Karachi. There were a couple of casualties in Karachi East while one person each passed away in Karachi Central and Karachi Korangi. The tally of deaths, so far, for East, Central and Korangi districts of Karachi stood at 687, 457 and 254, respectively. 

The district-wise breakdown of new cases came as: Karachi (163), Jamshoro (28), Matiari (18), Khairpur (14), Dadu (10), Hyderabad (9), Larkana (4), Kambar Shadadkot (3), Sujawal (3), Sukkur (3), Mirpurkhas (2), Tando Mohammad Khan (2), Shaheed Benazirabad (2), Naushero Feroze (1), Kashmore (1), Thatta (1), and Umerkot (1).

Rotary Darakhshan review designated months plan

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan, in its weekly meeting on September 16, held at Food Inn, housed in the famous food street of the Sindhi Muslim Cooperative Housing Society (SMCHS), reviewed its plan to hold programmes in accordance with the designated months of Rotary International. 

The meeting was chaired by the club President, Engr Asim Murtaza Khan, and it was attended by the former Presidents, Jahangir Moghul, Syed Khalid Mahmood, Barrister Sarah Asim Khan and Waqas Moghul besides other office-bearers and members of Rotary Darakhshan. 

Having held the installation ceremony with great fanfare in July, despite the threats of COVID-19, they had participated actively in the membership and new club development month in August.

As part of the current month being highlighted for basic education and literacy, Rotary Darakhshan has approved holding a seminar with the collaboration of one of the librarian bodies in the end of September. 

Next month they will be engaged in an activity in relation with economic and community development besides celebrating World Polio Day by organizing a free medical camp on October 24. 

Rotary Darakhshan will take part in the Rotary Foundation Month as well as the World Interact Week in November while they have also chalked out plans for disease prevention and treatment month. 

The Board of Directors of Rotary Darakhshan will be getting in touch with the relevant authorities and departments to finalize their projects for the period from January to June 2021.

IBA suspends classes; campuses remain open

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

The Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi, taking into account the COVID-19 related concerns, has suspended its academic activities for a couple of days, starting from September 17.

The main campus, housed in the premises of the University of Karachi, as well as the city campus, located in the Garden area, will remain open for operational matters throughout this period, however. They will continue providing the normal facilities.

The IBA Academic Board has decided that all classes for the various undergraduate degree programs would be based on flexible learning system for the time being. 

“Flexible learning system is where the classes would be conducted online while all IBA facilities would remain open and available to the undergraduate students including the classrooms. However, the Graduate programs students will attend the classes on campus,” it was announced. 

As part of the Flexible Learning System, it was also decided that attendance policy would be relaxed for the time being and situation would be monitored and policies may evolve over time. The hostel residents would be recommended to stay since assessments including the final examinations would be held physically. 

It was also decided to further increase the COVID-19 testing of the students, staff and faculty and enhance our SOPs to ensure the well-being and safety of the IBA community. 

The IBA, in coordination with District Health Office, has carried out hundreds of COVID-19 PCR tests for students, staff and faculty since September 14. Before the commencement of the session, detailed guidelines under the government directives were formulated and disseminated to students, staff and faculty. 

As a precautionary measure, isolation rooms at both the campuses and boys and girls hostels have been designated for individuals exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.

Chinese brands invited to target Pakistan tea market

 By Masood Sattar Khan 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Inviting Chinese popular tea brands to explore Pakistan’s tea market, Dr Sajid Khursheed, a doctorate from Beijing, has reckoned that the Pakistanis, especially youths, were very fond of drinking tea. 

“There is big potential for Chinese investors in Pakistan’s tea market,” he declared while participating in a TV talk show of CPEC Face to Face at the China Economic Network Television on the subject of China's milk tea craze. 

"Pakistan people love tea and have a long history of tea culture", Dr Sajid Khursheed, a teacher at the Canadian International School in Beijing, remarked. 

He pointed out that Pakistani population comprised a majority of youths having huge potential for Chinese in the tea consumer market. 

Explaining how the different ways black tea mixed with milk was prepared in Pakistan, he urged the Chinese milk tea brands to avail this opportunity of targeting the market.

Pakistan to start producing solar panels, lithium battery

 By Masood Sattar Khan

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan will start manufacturing solar panels and lithium batteries of busses locally. The solar panel indigenous production is expected to start within 18 months. 

According to the information shared by the Federal Minister for Science & Technology, Fawad Chaudhary, the buses to be run on batteries will also be made in Pakistan. 

The Chinese companies are all set to establish solar panel manufacturing plants in Pakistan and another major Chinese battery maker will set up a lithium battery manufacturer in Pakistan.

Coronavirus Update: Sindh continues to have lion’s share in fatalities, infection

 By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh registered yet another 227 cases of COVID-19 infection, with three related fatalities during the last 24 hours, taking the overall tally of infection to 132,818 for the province on September 16.

According to the national dashboard on COVID-19, Sindh reported 42% of the total of 545 new cases across the country on September 16, while Sindh added three of the four to the overall daily tally in Pakistan. 

The COVID laboratories in the province collectively tested 13,314 samples, against Pakistan’s 31,808, during the last 24 hours ending September 16 morning. 

An official report said that the LUMHS laboratory at Hyderabad tested the maximum 8,155 samples, out of which 55 were positive for coronavirus, including 47 new infections, followed by Indus hospital laboratory at Karachi, which examined 1,589 samples and found 41 positive. 

The report revealed that among the targeted areas, shopping malls presented the highest rate of COVID-19 infection during a period from August 12 to September 16 being 2.1% cases out of 3,773 samples. 

About COVID-19 fatalities, it was said that three of the patients who lost their lives in the province belonged to Karachi’s East and South districts and Thatta. 

Karachi East has in all reported 683 deaths, against Karachi South (340) and Thatta (10). Earlier, the three persons who were reported dead due to COVID-19 on September 15 included a patient who lost his life at home. 

Over 96% of the COVID-19 patients were recorded as having recovered the diseases while about two percent could not survive the disease, as of September 16, according to official data. 

On the other hand, there were 2,554 (1.9%) active patients, as of September 16, including 2,276 in home-isolation, four in isolation centres, 274 in hospitals, including 149 declared critically ill, while 23 were put on ventilators. 

The new COVID-19 infections were registered at Karachi (106), followed by Jamshoro (16), Sanghar (8), Shaheed Benazirabad (6), Kashmore (6), Hyderabad (6), Matiari (5), Tando Allahyar (4), Umerkot (4), Badin (3), Naushero Feroze (3), Thatta (3), Tando Mohammad Khan (2), Mirpurkhas (2), Ghotki (2), Dadu (2), Jacobabad (1), Shikarpur (1) and others.

Pakistan’s envoy calls on Chinese VFM

 By Masood Sattar Khan

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Moin-ul-Haque called on the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister, Luo Zhaohui, in Beijing on September 15. 

VFM Luo warmly greeted the incoming diplomat for taking charge as the Ambassador of Pakistan in China. 

Both sides exchanged in-depth views on China-Pakistan relations, besides regional situation and other topics. 

On the occasion a ceremony was held to sign the Protocol for the Exchange of the Instruments of Ratification of the Treaty between Pakistan and China on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. Senior officials from the Embassy of Pakistan and Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs were present at the ceremony.

Chinese Ambassador holds farewell meetings

 By Masood Sattar Khan

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Yao Jing, paid a farewell call on Minister of Port and Shipping, Ali Zaidi, in Islamabad on September 16. 

The Ambassador expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs for getting Gwadar Concession Agreement approved that led to economic activities there, it was tweeted. 

On the occasion, Minister Ali Zaidi lauded the services of the outgoing Ambassador and complimented him for further bolstering Pakistan-China ties. 

The Ambassador also had a farewell meeting with the Chairman of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority, Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa. 

It may be noted that on September 11, a spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry had announced that Nong Rong, a native of Guangxi, has been appointed as China’s new Ambassador to Pakistan in place of Yao Jing who had completed his three years terms.

Coronavirus Update: Sindh’s infection rate rises again

 By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh’ number of new COVID-19 infections doubled on September 15, compared to the preceding day’s data, as the authorities concerned registered 341 new cases, with three more related deaths, during the last 24 hours across the province.

As per the official COVID-19 data, the daily infection rate also increased to 2.49% against 1.4% of September 14 and 1.9% of September 13. 

The overall tally of cases reached to 132,591 for the province, while 127,727 recovered from the disease. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his COVID-19 status statement, shared that there were 2,416 active patients by September 15 morning, out of which 2,137 stayed at homes, five at the isolation centres and 274 at various hospitals. As many as 165 patients were undergoing the critical phase, while 19 were put on ventilators. 

No details about the three latest fatalities and locations and hospitals as well as their age were made available to media. The tally of COVID-19 fatalities reached to 2,448 on September 15. 

According to the official figures, Pakistan has had a total 303,089 COVID-19 infected people, with 6,393 deaths by September 15.

Karachi reported 51% (173 cases) of the new infections in Sindh, followed by Dadu (34), Jamshoro (33), Sukkur (17), Shaheed Benazirabad (9), Hyderabad (7), Tando llahyar (4), Tando Mohammad Khan (3), Sujawal (3), Larkana (2), Matiari (2), Mirpurkhas (2), Sanghar (2), Thatta (2), Khairpur (1) and others.