Dream book ‘Mayar-e-Zindagi’ brightens Paramount’s Online Book Fair

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Jumbo Publishing’s recently published dream book ‘Mayar-e-Zindagi’ happens to be a star attraction in the Online Book Fair 2020 being organized by Paramount Books, the market leaders in bookselling industry of Pakistan. 

The ongoing event, having started on October 9, will continue until October 18. ‘Mayar-e-Zindagi’ is a compilation of articles and write-ups authored by the Lahore-based Asma Hassan, who has been launched as an author by Jumbo Publishing, having the reputation of promoting and supporting budding intellectuals besides working with the literary bigwigs. 

‘Mayar-e-Zindagi’ is a kind of book which will captivate the readers with its subjects which they come across in day to day life routinely.

It’s quite refreshing to go through the observations of a young writer who has also offered possible solutions for the problems which keep confronting people of all ages. 

‘Mayar-e-Zindagi’ has been very rightly classified in the sociology section by Paramount Books and, as it could be seen on the website, it’s probably the only such book in its category available in Urdu at the moment. 

‘Mayar-e-Zindagi’ has already been acclaimed for its name, the eye-catching painting from promising artist Beenish Khalid on the cover page, and the contents. 

The hardbound book, having a retail price of Rs 495 in Pakistan, is available for Rs 446 during the ongoing Paramount’s Online Book Fair which can be accessed by clicking www.paramountbooks.com.pk 

Once reaching the website of Paramount Books, one can find a huge number of titles, besides Asma Hassan’s Mayar-e-Zindagi, on every conceivable subject and the attraction of generous discounts during the Online Book Fair should make it one of the most visited portals during the next one week or so.

PM urges people to wear face masks

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Prime Minister Imran Khan has urged people to wear face masks in public to avoid spreading of second wave of COVID-19 as winter was approaching. 

“Compared to some other states, Allah has been kind to us in Pak & spared us worst effects of COVID-19. There is a fear onset of winter could result in 2nd wave. I urge everyone to wear face masks in public to avoid a spike. All offices & ed institutions must ensure masks are worn,” he tweeted on October 4. 

Earlier, the National Command Operation Centre (NCOC), leading the country’s coronavirus response, had also asked all provinces and federating units to launch a crackdown on restaurants and wedding halls violating standard operative procedures (SOPs) framed to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the wake of a fresh surge in infections, particularly in Karachi. 

The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has also issued a fresh warning over the increasing COVID-19 cases in the country, fearing that the country could be headed for a second wave of the disease.

Helipad service restored at JPMC

 By Masood Sattar Khan

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The helipad built at the country's largest Jinnah Post Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi, which remained dormant for a very long time has now been restored with the landing of a chopper of Sindh government. 

It was disclosed by Dr Seemi Jamali, Executive Director, JPMC, while talking on media on October 5. 

She informed that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has allowed the restoration of air ambulance landing operations at the JPMC helipad. 

It may be noted that the founder of Edhi Foundation, the late Maulana Abdul Sattar Edhi, had launched the Edhi Air Ambulance service. 

The restoration of air ambulance service will greatly help patients needing immediate medical assistance, particularly those suffering from heart strokes.

Coronavirus Update: 267 new cases in Sindh

 By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh registered another 267 new COVID cases, out of 9,918 suspected samples on October 3, against Pakistan’s 632 new infections during the last 24 hours, taking the tally of infection to 138,050 for the province.

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his daily COVID-19 status statement, informed that there were 4,719 infected people receiving treatment at Homes (4,440), isolation centres (7) and hospitals (272). 

He further stated that of the patients admitted at hospitals, 201 were undergoing the critical phase, while another 39 were put on ventilators, as of morning of October 3. 

In all, 1, out of 28 designated COVID-19 testing laboratories, handled the suspected samples during the last 24 hours. 

These laboratories included LUMHS (5,188), Chughtai Lab (1,071), Indus Hospital (1,056), PMCD KU (894), AKUH (888) and others. 

The district-wise breakdown of new cases came as: Karachi (195), Hyderabad (10), Dadu (6), Badin (5), Larnkana (3), Shaheed Benazirabad (3), Sanghar (2), Sukkur (2), Ghotki (2), Mirpurkhas (2), Khairpur (2), Jamshoro (1) and others. 

In the meantime, three more patients died of COVID-19 on October 3, taking the total of relevant fatalities to 2,520 for Sindh and 6,513 for Pakistan. 

The three fatalities occurred in Karachi East, taking its own tally of patients who lost their lives to the lethal virus to 708, out of 25,348 infections. 

On October 2, as per official data, four patients were reported dead due to the diseases from Karachi, while one died at Noushero Feroze. Earlier, 17 patients were registered dead at Karachi and one at Sujawal on October 1.

Electric buses planned in Karachi

 By Masood Sattar Khan

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Fawad Chaudhary, has disclosed that the government planned to ply electric buses in Karachi.

"I have submitted my plan in this regard to the Sindh Governor, Imran Ismail" the federal minister informed the media persons in Karachi on October 3. 

The Governor, the minister continued, would discuss the plan with the Sindh Chief' Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah. 

Fawad Chaudhry further stated that he too would meet the Sindh Chief Minister in this regard during his next visit.

Coronavirus Update: Apprehension of momentum gain in Karachi

 By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Amidst apprehension that COVID-19 was gaining momentum again in Sindh, Karachi’s daily infection rate remained almost static, though on the higher side, on October 2 when the authorities confirmed another 316 cases, with five related deaths, during the last 24 hours.

The health authorities at Karachi registered 70.5% new cases out of Sindh’s daily tally of October 2. Earlier the megapolis reported 249 (69%) new cases on October 1, 221 (71%) on September 30, 297 (74%0 on September 29 and 185 (73.7% on September 27. 

With five new relevant deaths the fatality tally for the province was pushed to 2,517 on October 2. However, no data and information related to deaths or cases specific status of districts were available on the Sindh health department’s website. 

The only source of information relevant to COVID-19 was the Sindh Chief Minister’s statement which, according to an observer, was too little in this direction. 

He suggested to the government to ensure a timely and fair dissemination of updates on the diseases and improve its monitoring system at the airports and other entry points and gathering spots, to avert any massive second spell of COVID-19 in the province. 

Meanwhile in his daily COVID-19 statement, Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah on October 2, shared that there were 4,536 active patients of the infection across Sindh, including 4250 in home isolation, seven in designated isolation centres and 270 at hospitals, adding thath ealth condition of 200 patients was critical while 37 were put on ventilators. 

In all 12,990 samples were tested during the 24 hours ending 8 am on October 2, while the district wise breakdown of new positive cases came as: Karachi (223), Hyderabad (9), Badin (8), Dadu (5), Kambar Shahdadkot (5), Jamshoro (4), Larkana (3), Ghotki (2), Matiari (2), Tando Mohammad Khan (2), Mirpurkhas (1), Naushero Feroze (1), Sukkur (1), Tando Allahyar (1), Thatta (1), and others. 

Sindh registered 57% of the new cases recorded in the country on October 2, while 62% of the deaths. In the meantime, the national COVID-19 dashboard's graphics showed Sindh’s new cases as 677 new fatalities as 18 for October 1, which, according to a keen observer, needed to be rechecked.

Oil prices dip after Trump gets coronavirus, economies wobble

 By Masood Sattar Khan 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Oil prices fell five percent on October 2 after the US President, Donald Trump, tested positive for COVID-19 and negotiators failed to agree a US stimulus package just as rising global oil output threatened to overwhelm a weak price recovery. 

Brent crude was reported to have slipped on the Trump news and was down $2.05, or 5.01 percent, at $38.88 a barrel by 1324 GMT. US oil was down $2.01, or 5.19 percent, at $36.71. 

According to reports, the US and Brent crude were heading for drops of around nine percent and seven percent respectively this week for a second consecutive week of declines.

“US unemployment data was a little bit below expectations but the oil price fall is part of the broader correction we’ve seen over the last few days driven by bearish macro sentimentand technical trading,” Harry Tchilinguirian, head of commodity research at BNP Paribas, was quoted as saying. 

“We’ve moved below several short-term moving averages, 30, 50 and 100-days, so the market is looking for the next support level, which could be around $37 a barrel,” he added.

Pakistani female student excels in agro-ecosystems

 By Masood Sattar Khan

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The insect-pest has long been a problem for Pakistani farmers, and the aim to ease the burden of farmers and improve yield has sparked Hafiza Javeria Ashraf, a Pakistani student, in learning agri-entomology and pest control in China. 

"I hope I can play a role in integrated pest management (IPM) that emphasizes the growth of a healthy crop with the least possible disruption to agro-ecosystems and encourages natural pest control,” Javeria Ashraf, a female PhD scholar at the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU) in China, remarked. 

Javeria had graduated from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural entomology. She proceeded to China for higher studies and received master’s degree at the FAFU in 2018. 

As one of the top 10 students, she was rewarded by the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) and the FAFU where she continued her PhD study in plant protection. The scholarship was established for excellent scientists in the agricultural field based on an agreement signed between FAFU and UAF in 2017.

“Being a girl, I’m the first one among the whole family to come overseas for studies. My parents supported me upon this decision and encouraged me to acquire a doctorate from China,” Javeria said. 

“The facilities provided by the State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Plant Protection, FAFU, and my respectable adviser, Prof. Liande Wang, is the major reasons I was able to pursue my research dreams,” she acknowledged. 

“As I have a keen interest in and a grip on basic knowledge in plant protection, I deliberately chose the research subject of pests control, under which I study the insects that impair the growth of orange orchards,” Javeria stated. 

“Being a patriotic person, I prefer to go back to serve my country and contribute my knowledge and skills to my motherland as it is flourishing and the agriculture sector needs experts like me to realize higher production,” she concluded.

Coronavirus Update: Sindh reports 311 new cases

 By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh, with two related fatalities, reported over a half of the new COVID-19 cases detected in the country during the last 24 hours, taking the overall tally of the infected people to 312,806 for the country.

As many as 10,940 suspected samples were tested across the Sindh confirming 311 new cases with a positivity rate of 2.8% during the last 24 hours ending September 30 morning against a total 34,239 samples tested in the country. Pakistan’s overall new infection rate stood at 1.6% same day.

The details related to two new deaths in Sindh were not available as the Sindh health department’s officers remained silent about it. The daily situation report was updated for the last time on the department’s website on September 29. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in a COVID-19 related statement, disclosed that there were 4,255 active patients across the province on September 30, out of which 3978 (94%) were in home-isolation, while six were in isolation centres against 271 receiving treatment at various hospitals adding that health condition of 181 hospitalized patients was stated critical, while 38 were put on ventilators. 

He revealed that Karachi’s six districts collectively reported 221 (71%) of the new cases, while Hyderabad (14), followed by Jamshoro (6), Badin (4), Dadu (4), Sujawal (3), Ghotki (2), Khairpur (1), Naushero Feroze (1), Shaheed Benazirabad (1), Sukkur (1), Thatta (1) and others. 

Another 215 patients were reported having recovered from the diseases, taking the number of cured patients to 130,352 for Sindh on September 30.

Rotary Darakhshan, LPB call to develop reading culture in Pakistan

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The top functionaries of Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan (RCKD) and Library Promotion Bureau (LPB), who jointly organized a seminar on the subject of COVID-19’s impact on libraries at the bureau’s record office, housed in Liaquat Memorial Library, Karachi, on September 30, have called for developing reading culture in the country in order to keep pace with the times. 

“Whatever the circumstances or no matter how long this pandemic stays, we have to devise a strategy whereas people have the tools to access information so that they are not left behind in competing with those living in other parts of the world,” Jahangir Moghul, a former District Governor of Rotary International besides being Charter President of RCKD, reckoned. 

Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari, Founder President of LPB, did not mince words in stating that the government should do much more in engaging the masses into reading, suggesting that the improvement of public libraries and school libraries was the best way to do it. 

Asim Murtaza Khan, President, RCKD, pointed out that COVID-19 crisis has acted as a point of inflection for the shift from conventional libraries to e-libraries during lockdown as people had surplus time at their disposal and quest for knowledge increased during this period. 

Prof Dr Nasim Fatima, a stalwart in the profession of library and information science, regretted the closing of e-libraries in Punjab at a time when rest of the world was busy in creating more digital facilities for its people. She urged for the development of libraries, also providing books at doorstep to the readers. 

Syed Khalid Mahmood, Vice President, RCKD, spoke about the multiple social problems having been caused by the closure of public libraries in the developed countries during the lockdown period. He stressed for better coordination and networking between the various stakeholders for developing library culture in Pakistan.

Syed Ahmed Naqvi of LPB, in his introductory remarks, spoke about the need to develop software for online content to be made available in Urdu and other regional languages for the benefit of the masses while Waqas Moghul, Secretary, RCKD, in his closing comments, described books as the best companion for mankind. 

The programme was organized by RCKD, Rotary International had designated the month of September for basic education and literacy.