Pakistan coping with increase in critical Covid patients, next few weeks crucial: Asad

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said on Friday that Pakistan has so far managed to cope with the increase in critical care Covid-19 patients by proactively building the capacity of the entire system.

In a series of tweets, the federal minister said that the total number of critical care patients who were being provided oxygen had reached 5,360 on Thursday.

"This is a 57 per cent more than the peak in June 2020," he said, adding that so far this increase had been handled due to "proactively building capacity of the entire system from oxygen production to beds".

"Total oxygen production operational capacity in Pakistan last year was 487 tonnes per day. It has been increased to 798 tonnes," said Umar, adding that actual production had increased from 465 tonnes last June to 725 tonnes currently.

"We also imported 19,200 oxygen cylinders last year to ensure distribution."

He stated that because of the steps taken by the federal and provincial governments the tight oxygen supply situation seen last June was not being witnessed again, despite an increase of more than 2,000 critical patients requiring oxygen compared to the previous peak in June.

"Continuing to build [oxygen] capacity, in yesterday's National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) [session] it was decided to import 6,000 tonnes of oxygen, 5,000 cylinders and 20 cryogenic tanks."

The federal minister stated that this "proactive decision-making" had helped Pakistan avoid the kind of situation being witnessed in other countries.

"[The] bedrock of this proactive decision-making has been a data-based forward-looking analytical approach, [a] nationally coordinated effort with a whole of the nation approach and [the] hard work of dedicated teams who have continued to steer the effort through this difficult challenge."

However, he cautioned that the "challenge is not over and is in fact is continuing to increase".

He added that the need for following precautions and Covid-19 standard operating procedures was "vital at this point in time" and the next few weeks were "critical".

"No system can cope if we allow the disease to spread rapidly."

On Thursday, the NCOC had also decided to shut down the scrap industry of Misri Shah so that oxygen could be diverted to the healthcare sector instead.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan had said on Tuesday that a special NCOC committee was monitoring the oxygen situation in the country and trying to improve it. Asking the public to "trust" decisions taken by the NCOC, he had said the forum was working to increase the capacity of hospitals.

"Existing oxygen plants are being monitored and we are looking at additional plants. The [Pakistan] Steel Mills plant was also talked about so it is being looked at. We have also diverted [oxygen supply] from non-essential industries."

Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar had also said the government was "exploring all options" to arrange additional supplies of oxygen for the country. Azhar had said in a tweet that the ministry of industries had started working with private oxygen manufacturers to enhance production capacity after the pandemic's first wave last year.

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Nato begins withdrawal from Afghanistan

Nato has started the withdrawal of its mission from Afghanistan following a decision by President Joe Biden to bring US forces home, an alliance official said on Thursday.

“Nato Allies decided in mid-April to start the withdrawal of Resolute Support Mission forces by May 1 and this withdrawal has begun. This will be an orderly, coordinated, and deliberate process,” a Nato official said.

Members of the US-backed alliance agreed this month to wrap up their 9,600-strong mission in Afghanistan after Biden made the call to end Washington’s longest war.

The decision — which delayed by several months a deadline agreed by former US leader Donald Trump — came despite fears it could allow the Taliban to regain power in the country.

The Nato official said the safety of the alliance’s troops “will be a top priority every step of the way, and we are taking all necessary measures to keep our personnel from harm”.

“Any Taliban attacks during the withdrawal will be met with a forceful response. We plan to have our withdrawal completed within a few months,” the official said, refusing to give any further details on the timeline.

Biden said the US withdrawal would be completed by Sept 11, the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America that sparked its military involvement in Afghanistan.

Germany’s defence ministry has said it planned to get its 1,300 troops out of the country by early July.

Nato’s training and support mission, which includes around 2,500 US troops and relies heavily on Washington’s military assets, has personnel from 36 alliance member nations and partner countries.

The US has said it is temporarily deploying extra troops to protect international forces as they withdraw and has prolonged the presence of an aircraft carrier in the region to support the pull-out.

Trump struck a deal with the Taliban last year that was meant to see US and allied troops leave Afghanistan by the start of May provided attacks decreased and peace talks progressed.

Biden decided to call time on the two-decade deployment of troops despite insurgent violence flaring and negotiations between the Taliban and the Kabul government stalling.

The US insists it has achieved its aim of stopping Afghanistan serving as a “haven for terrorists” after uprooting Al Qaeda networks, and says it risks a never-ending military involvement if it does not pull out.

Top US general Mark Milley said it was not possible to predict Afghanistan’s fate after the withdrawal and warned of a “worst-case” outcome of a government collapse.

But along with its fellow Nato members, Washington insists it remains committed to Afghanistan.

“Nato Allies and partners will continue to stand with Afghanistan, its people, and its institutions in promoting security and upholding the gains of the last 20 years,” the alliance said in a statement last month.

“Withdrawing our troops does not mean ending our relationship with Afghanistan. Rather, this will be the start of a new chapter.”

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Pakistan coping with increase in critical Covid patients, next few weeks crucial: Asad

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said on Friday that Pakistan has so far managed to cope with the increase in critical care Covid-19 patients by proactively building the capacity of the entire system.

In a series of tweets, the federal minister said that the total number of critical care patients who were being provided oxygen had reached 5,360 on Thursday.

"This is a 57 per cent more than the peak in June 2020," he said, adding that so far this increase had been handled due to "proactively building capacity of the entire system from oxygen production to beds".

"Total oxygen production operational capacity in Pakistan last year was 487 tonnes per day. It has been increased to 798 tonnes," said Umar, adding that actual production had increased from 465 tonnes last June to 725 tonnes currently.

"We also imported 19,200 oxygen cylinders last year to ensure distribution."

He stated that because of the steps taken by the federal and provincial governments the tight oxygen supply situation seen last June was not being witnessed again, despite an increase of more than 2,000 critical patients requiring oxygen compared to the previous peak in June.

"Continuing to build [oxygen] capacity, in yesterday's National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) [session] it was decided to import 6,000 tonnes of oxygen, 5,000 cylinders and 20 cryogenic tanks."

The federal minister stated that this "proactive decision-making" had helped Pakistan avoid the kind of situation being witnessed in other countries.

"[The] bedrock of this proactive decision-making has been a data-based forward-looking analytical approach, [a] nationally coordinated effort with a whole of the nation approach and [the] hard work of dedicated teams who have continued to steer the effort through this difficult challenge."

However, he cautioned that the "challenge is not over and is in fact is continuing to increase".

He added that the need for following precautions and Covid-19 standard operating procedures was "vital at this point in time" and the next few weeks were "critical".

"No system can cope if we allow the disease to spread rapidly."

On Thursday, the NCOC had also decided to shut down the scrap industry of Misri Shah so that oxygen could be diverted to the healthcare sector instead.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan had said on Tuesday that a special NCOC committee was monitoring the oxygen situation in the country and trying to improve it. Asking the public to "trust" decisions taken by the NCOC, he had said the forum was working to increase the capacity of hospitals.

"Existing oxygen plants are being monitored and we are looking at additional plants. The [Pakistan] Steel Mills plant was also talked about so it is being looked at. We have also diverted [oxygen supply] from non-essential industries."

Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar had also said the government was "exploring all options" to arrange additional supplies of oxygen for the country. Azhar had said in a tweet that the ministry of industries had started working with private oxygen manufacturers to enhance production capacity after the pandemic's first wave last year.

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Govt decides to form 3-member committee to review TLP ban

The Interior Ministry has decided to form a three-member committee to review the ban placed on the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

A high-level meeting was held by the Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed to review the TLP ban. During the meeting, the appeal filed by the banned outfit was also discussed.

Rasheed decided to form a three-member committee which would comprise two joint secretaries as well, to review the ban.

Earlier this month, the government decided to impose a ban on the the banned organisation under the anti-terrorism law.

The interior minister had said the decision was taken at the Punjab government's request.

"We are forwarding a summary to the federal cabinet to impose a ban on the TLP," Rasheed had said in Islamabad, as protests were held across various cities of the country.

Protests by the proscribed organisation caused problems for the masses earlier this month in many cities of the country and have claimed the lives of three people, including two policemen. Nearly 800 policemen were injured in clashes with the protesters.

The four demands of the outlawed outfit included the release of their leader Saad Rivi, for TLP to be unbanned, all FIRs against their workers be dropped and a resolution be presented in the Parliament to expel the French ambassador

Rasheed had clarified the government's position, stating that it wanted to table a resolution in the National Assembly and wanted to form a consensus on it but the banned outfit insisted on marching to the Faizabad Interchange.

"Our efforts to convince them failed. As far as the matter of Khatam-e-Nabwat is concerned, I am ready to give my life," the minister had said.

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PPP secured victory in NA-249 by-election

The PPP has secured victory in the NA-249 by-election held on Thursday in the city's District West, with unofficial, provisional results showing a close contest between the PML-N and PPP in the final count.

PPP's Abdul Qadir Mandokhel bagged 16,156 votes to win the seat, followed by PML-N's Miftah Ismail who secured 15,473, unofficial results from polling stations showed. While Nazir Ahmed of outlawed TLP trailed on the third position by receiving 11,125 votes.

PSP's Mustafa Kamal could acquire only 9,227 votes, followed by PTI's Amjad Afridi with 8,922 votes and MQM-P's Muhammed Mursaleen with 7,511 votes.

Both parties had claimed victory for their candidates mid-way into counting, capturing the attention of audiences awaiting results.

The PML-N pulled no punches in blaming the PPP for attempting to rig the result, saying they would not accept the result without challenging the Election Commission.

After the final count was announced, the PML-N's Maryam Nawaz said the election had been "stolen" from her party.

"The Election Commission should have withheld the results of this controversial election," she said.

"Even if it doesn't withhold the result, this win will be temporary. This seat will return to PML-N soon," Maryam claimed.

Meanwhile, the ECP assured that all complaints will be heard in light of the law and if any evidence of irregularity is found, strict action will be taken.

The remaining prominent candidates of the 30 total contesting were the banned TLP's Nazeer Ahmed, who for the most part maintained third place, followed by PTI candidate Amjad Iqbal Afridi, former Karachi mayor and PSP candidate Mustafa Kamal, and MQM-P candidate Hafiz Muhammad Mursaleen.

You can see the detailed results here.

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz asked how in a by-poll where voter turnout of barely 15-18% was witnessed counting was "still underway after eight hours".

"Did fog descend here as well that the election staff reached late?"

"Do you take us for fools?" she asked.

Party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb demanded that the Election Commission of Pakistan take note of what she claimed were irregularities in the results being reported.

She questioned what she claimed were greater vote counts than the total voter turnout percentages reported from certain polling stations.

"The PML-N and Miftah Ismail have won the election," she claimed, adding: "We will not allow a rehearsal of 'Daska Game Plan 2' to take place at certain polling stations."

Aurangzeb asked that the ECP investigate this "Daska fog of deception" which certain quarters wish to have descend into Baldia.

"Why has the counting of votes stopped for the past two hours?" she asked.

The PML-N leader claimed that the various Form 45s present in the returning office are in such a state that they "cannot be read".

"We will not allow this rigging to take place. We will not let the election be stolen from Baldia voters," she said.

She also claimed that PPP's Saeed Ghani was reporting results despite the party's presiding officer "not having reached the returning officer's office".

PML-N's Muhammad Zubair, meanwhile, questioned how it was that amid a low voter turnout counting was taking so long.

"Until we get the Form 45s, we will not budge from here," he said, adding: "The people have voted in favour of PML-N. The results must now be declared."

He claimed that the party's candidate (Miftah Ismail) and their lawyer were not being allowed into the DRO's office.

Zubair added that the party's polling agent "was not given the Form 45 of two polling stations" — polling stations 260 and 261.

"Both presiding officers locked up the station and left," he claimed, adding that the phone of the presiding officer from polling station 260 "has been turned off".

Saeed Ghani said he was sharing statistics on Twitter from the Form 45s that his party was receiving.

"It is upsetting that PML-N — which claims to be a democratic party — is casting blame on others."

Responding to the claim by Aurangzeb of presiding officers not providing Form 45, Ghani said he had with him the Form 45 of polling station 261.

"The presiding officer in the polling station 260 did not give anyone Form 45."

The presiding officer had asked all polling agents to take a photo of Form 45 that he had pasted on a wall, Ghani said.

He continued to share what he claimed were the latest results, each showing PPP in the lead.

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Gilgit-Baltistan visit: PM Imran Khan announced mega development package worth Rs370bn

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday announced a five-year mega development package of Rs 370 billion for Gilgit-Baltistan during his day-long visit to the region.

Announcing the main features of the development package at a ceremony in Gilgit on Friday, the prime minister said it is the first time that such a huge amount will be used for the development of this picturesque and strategically located region.

The uplift package consisted of hydel projects, new roads and Babusar Tunnel, scholarships and skills training for the youth of the region, upgradation of health and education facilities, water and sanitation schemes, promotion of SMEs and expansion of airports, particularly the Skardu Airport, to cater to international flights.

He said the PTI-led government will also support the development of small and medium enterprises in the area besides focusing on the expansion of its infrastructure.

He said efforts will also be made to enable Gilgit Airport to host international flights.

Highlighting the immense and diverse tourism potential of Gilgit-Baltistan, the prime minister said this development package will prepare the region to attract tourists which will benefit not only the locals but the whole country.

“By exploiting GB's tourism potential we will make it self-reliant.”

PM Imran, however, emphasised the need for the promotion of tourism in a planned manner to cultivate its true benefits. “The tourism in the region should not affect the forests and mountains.”

Taking a jibe at the Opposition, the prime minister said previously, Pakistan's rulers went to London for holidays as they are unaware of the true potential of this area.

While reaffirming his commitment to transform the country by waging a successful struggle against the corrupt mafia, PM Imran said it is the first time that this mafia is being brought under the ambit of the law.

The prime minister said that being a democrat, he could support any dictator.

“Some people come to power to benefit their families and after achieving that, these people transfer money out of the country. Those who steal money and send it abroad, do double harm to Pakistan," he said.

The prime minister admitted that he had also made many mistakes in the past when it came to awarding tickets for elections.

“I have made many mistakes in giving tickets in the past and often think about these. But the CM [Khalid Khurshid] is the right choice.”

He said NAB has been around for the past 20 years, but the anti-graft institution initiated operations against the powerful during the PTI-led government and has laid hands on the powerful in the country.

“Whenever we win, we will bring the powerful under the law," he said.

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Govt decides to form 3-member committee to review TLP ban

The Interior Ministry has decided to form a three-member committee to review the ban placed on the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

A high-level meeting was held by the Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed to review the TLP ban. During the meeting, the appeal filed by the banned outfit was also discussed.

Rasheed decided to form a three-member committee which would comprise two joint secretaries as well, to review the ban.

Earlier this month, the government decided to impose a ban on the the banned organisation under the anti-terrorism law.

The interior minister had said the decision was taken at the Punjab government's request.

"We are forwarding a summary to the federal cabinet to impose a ban on the TLP," Rasheed had said in Islamabad, as protests were held across various cities of the country.

Protests by the proscribed organisation caused problems for the masses earlier this month in many cities of the country and have claimed the lives of three people, including two policemen. Nearly 800 policemen were injured in clashes with the protesters.

The four demands of the outlawed outfit included the release of their leader Saad Rivi, for TLP to be unbanned, all FIRs against their workers be dropped and a resolution be presented in the Parliament to expel the French ambassador

Rasheed had clarified the government's position, stating that it wanted to table a resolution in the National Assembly and wanted to form a consensus on it but the banned outfit insisted on marching to the Faizabad Interchange.

"Our efforts to convince them failed. As far as the matter of Khatam-e-Nabwat is concerned, I am ready to give my life," the minister had said.

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PPP secured victory in NA-249 by-election

The PPP has secured victory in the NA-249 by-election held on Thursday in the city's District West, with unofficial, provisional results showing a close contest between the PML-N and PPP in the final count.

PPP's Abdul Qadir Mandokhel bagged 16,156 votes to win the seat, followed by PML-N's Miftah Ismail who secured 15,473, unofficial results from polling stations showed. While Nazir Ahmed of outlawed TLP trailed on the third position by receiving 11,125 votes.

PSP's Mustafa Kamal could acquire only 9,227 votes, followed by PTI's Amjad Afridi with 8,922 votes and MQM-P's Muhammed Mursaleen with 7,511 votes.

Both parties had claimed victory for their candidates mid-way into counting, capturing the attention of audiences awaiting results.

The PML-N pulled no punches in blaming the PPP for attempting to rig the result, saying they would not accept the result without challenging the Election Commission.

After the final count was announced, the PML-N's Maryam Nawaz said the election had been "stolen" from her party.

"The Election Commission should have withheld the results of this controversial election," she said.

"Even if it doesn't withhold the result, this win will be temporary. This seat will return to PML-N soon," Maryam claimed.

Meanwhile, the ECP assured that all complaints will be heard in light of the law and if any evidence of irregularity is found, strict action will be taken.

The remaining prominent candidates of the 30 total contesting were the banned TLP's Nazeer Ahmed, who for the most part maintained third place, followed by PTI candidate Amjad Iqbal Afridi, former Karachi mayor and PSP candidate Mustafa Kamal, and MQM-P candidate Hafiz Muhammad Mursaleen.

You can see the detailed results here.

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz asked how in a by-poll where voter turnout of barely 15-18% was witnessed counting was "still underway after eight hours".

"Did fog descend here as well that the election staff reached late?"

"Do you take us for fools?" she asked.

Party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb demanded that the Election Commission of Pakistan take note of what she claimed were irregularities in the results being reported.

She questioned what she claimed were greater vote counts than the total voter turnout percentages reported from certain polling stations.

"The PML-N and Miftah Ismail have won the election," she claimed, adding: "We will not allow a rehearsal of 'Daska Game Plan 2' to take place at certain polling stations."

Aurangzeb asked that the ECP investigate this "Daska fog of deception" which certain quarters wish to have descend into Baldia.

"Why has the counting of votes stopped for the past two hours?" she asked.

The PML-N leader claimed that the various Form 45s present in the returning office are in such a state that they "cannot be read".

"We will not allow this rigging to take place. We will not let the election be stolen from Baldia voters," she said.

She also claimed that PPP's Saeed Ghani was reporting results despite the party's presiding officer "not having reached the returning officer's office".

PML-N's Muhammad Zubair, meanwhile, questioned how it was that amid a low voter turnout counting was taking so long.

"Until we get the Form 45s, we will not budge from here," he said, adding: "The people have voted in favour of PML-N. The results must now be declared."

He claimed that the party's candidate (Miftah Ismail) and their lawyer were not being allowed into the DRO's office.

Zubair added that the party's polling agent "was not given the Form 45 of two polling stations" — polling stations 260 and 261.

"Both presiding officers locked up the station and left," he claimed, adding that the phone of the presiding officer from polling station 260 "has been turned off".

Saeed Ghani said he was sharing statistics on Twitter from the Form 45s that his party was receiving.

"It is upsetting that PML-N — which claims to be a democratic party — is casting blame on others."

Responding to the claim by Aurangzeb of presiding officers not providing Form 45, Ghani said he had with him the Form 45 of polling station 261.

"The presiding officer in the polling station 260 did not give anyone Form 45."

The presiding officer had asked all polling agents to take a photo of Form 45 that he had pasted on a wall, Ghani said.

He continued to share what he claimed were the latest results, each showing PPP in the lead.

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Gilgit-Baltistan visit: PM Imran Khan announced mega development package worth Rs370bn

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday announced a five-year mega development package of Rs 370 billion for Gilgit-Baltistan during his day-long visit to the region.

Announcing the main features of the development package at a ceremony in Gilgit on Friday, the prime minister said it is the first time that such a huge amount will be used for the development of this picturesque and strategically located region.

The uplift package consisted of hydel projects, new roads and Babusar Tunnel, scholarships and skills training for the youth of the region, upgradation of health and education facilities, water and sanitation schemes, promotion of SMEs and expansion of airports, particularly the Skardu Airport, to cater to international flights.

He said the PTI-led government will also support the development of small and medium enterprises in the area besides focusing on the expansion of its infrastructure.

He said efforts will also be made to enable Gilgit Airport to host international flights.

Highlighting the immense and diverse tourism potential of Gilgit-Baltistan, the prime minister said this development package will prepare the region to attract tourists which will benefit not only the locals but the whole country.

“By exploiting GB's tourism potential we will make it self-reliant.”

PM Imran, however, emphasised the need for the promotion of tourism in a planned manner to cultivate its true benefits. “The tourism in the region should not affect the forests and mountains.”

Taking a jibe at the Opposition, the prime minister said previously, Pakistan's rulers went to London for holidays as they are unaware of the true potential of this area.

While reaffirming his commitment to transform the country by waging a successful struggle against the corrupt mafia, PM Imran said it is the first time that this mafia is being brought under the ambit of the law.

The prime minister said that being a democrat, he could support any dictator.

“Some people come to power to benefit their families and after achieving that, these people transfer money out of the country. Those who steal money and send it abroad, do double harm to Pakistan," he said.

The prime minister admitted that he had also made many mistakes in the past when it came to awarding tickets for elections.

“I have made many mistakes in giving tickets in the past and often think about these. But the CM [Khalid Khurshid] is the right choice.”

He said NAB has been around for the past 20 years, but the anti-graft institution initiated operations against the powerful during the PTI-led government and has laid hands on the powerful in the country.

“Whenever we win, we will bring the powerful under the law," he said.

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Corona claims 131 more lives, 5,112 fresh infections reported in Pakistan

Pakistan has registered 131 more COVID deaths in the past 24 hours, pushing the nationwide tally of fatalities to 17,811,reported on Friday.

According to the latest figures issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 5,112 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 for the same period, pushing the number of positive cases to 820,823.

Pakistan has conducted 49,099 tests in the past 24 hours out of which 5,112 persons were tested positive for the disease. Overall 11,788,126 tests have been conducted so far to detect the deadly virus.

The COVID positivity ratio was recorded at 10.41 percent during the last 24 hours.

The recovery of the COVID patients is on the rise as many as 711,465have regained their health from a pandemic, with 3,272 people in the past 24 hours, while 5,360 patients are still battling for their lives at the country’s various hospitals.

On Wednesday, Pakistan-made ventilators were approved by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), the federal information minister Fawad Chaudhry congratulated Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) for the feather in its cap.

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Corona claims 131 more lives, 5,112 fresh infections reported in Pakistan

Pakistan has registered 131 more COVID deaths in the past 24 hours, pushing the nationwide tally of fatalities to 17,811,reported on Friday.

According to the latest figures issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 5,112 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 for the same period, pushing the number of positive cases to 820,823.

Pakistan has conducted 49,099 tests in the past 24 hours out of which 5,112 persons were tested positive for the disease. Overall 11,788,126 tests have been conducted so far to detect the deadly virus.

The COVID positivity ratio was recorded at 10.41 percent during the last 24 hours.

The recovery of the COVID patients is on the rise as many as 711,465have regained their health from a pandemic, with 3,272 people in the past 24 hours, while 5,360 patients are still battling for their lives at the country’s various hospitals.

On Wednesday, Pakistan-made ventilators were approved by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), the federal information minister Fawad Chaudhry congratulated Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) for the feather in its cap.

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Pakistan dominate after Hasan, Shaheen skittle Zimbabwe

Pakistan dominated the opening day of the first Test against Zimbabwe on the back of some destructive pace bowling by Hasan Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi in Harare on Thursday.

Hasan finished with 4-53 while Shaheen grabbed 4-43 as Zimbabwe — who won the toss and batted — were dismissed for a paltry 176 on a slow pitch at Harare Sports Club.

Abid Ali then replied with a solid unbeaten 56 while fellow opener Imran Butt made 43 not out as Pakistan closed the day on 103 without loss.

Both Abid and Imran were cautious at the start, having failed miserably in Pakistan's 2-0 home series win over South Africa in February.

Abid took 13 deliveries to open his account but once he got underway with a pull for four off Richard Ngarava, he eased into his work striking nine further boundaries.

Imran, who had managed just 36 in his first four Test innings, was more circumspect as the pair offered no chances to Zimbabwe's inexperienced bowling attack.

Zimbabwe were struggling at 59-4 at lunch with Hasan taking two early wickets, including the prized one of stand-in skipper Brendan Taylor for just five.

Debutant Roy Kaia stood firm in the post-lunch session, top-scoring with 48 before falling leg-before to Hasan while Donald Tiripano chipped in with 28 and Milton Shumba, also playing in his first Test, scored 27.

Zimbabwe seemingly recovered when Shumba and Kaia lifted them from a precarious 30-4 with a stand of 59 but an unfortunate run out of Shumba put an end to the fight.

Shaheen reached 50 Test wickets by dismissing Tendai Chisoro before taking the last two wickets to wrap up the innings.

Zimbabwe were hit hard on the eve of the match when regular skipper Sean Williams was ruled out with a hand injury while another experienced batsman Craig Ervine also failed to recover from a calf injury.

In the first session, Hasan was the star as he removed opener Kevin Kasuza, who played on in the second over of the day for nought, and Taylor for five.

It was another welcome performance for the 26-year-old who had multiple injuries after the 2019 World Cup.

“Ever since I have returned from injury my performance is good,” said Hasan who took his first 10-wicket haul against South Africa at Rawalpindi two months ago.

“I worked so hard on my batting and bowling and enjoyed taking wickets despite it being a slow pitch.

“Getting Taylor so early was great because he is an experienced batsman.”

Taylor, the stand-in skipper flashed rashly at a wide ball outside off stump, edging to Faheem Ashraf who swallowed up the chance in the slips.

In between Hasan's morning wickets, Shaheen had Prince Masvaure caught by Imran at second slip for 11 and left-arm spinner Nauman Ali, brought into the attack early, bowled Tarisai Musakanda through the gate for 14.

The tourists are aiming to convert strong recent form in limited-overs cricket into the longer format, having already won one-day international and Twenty20 series in South Africa and a T20 series in Zimbabwe on this southern Africa trip.

Zimbabwe drew its last Test series against Afghanistan but hasn’t won a series since 2011. Pakistan comes off a 2-0 home series win over South Africa in February.

Lineups:

Pakistan: Imran Butt, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam (captain), Fawad Alam, Mohammad Rizwan, Faheem Ashraf, Noman Ali, Hasan Ali, Sajid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Zimbabwe: Prince Masvaure, Kevin Kasuza, Tarisai Musakanda, Brendan Taylor (captain), Milton Shumba, Roy Kaia, Regis Chakabva, Donald Tiripano, Tendai Chisoro, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava.

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US president Joe Biden's real test begins as he seeks to pass ambitious plan

As US President Joie Biden shared his ambitious agenda to Congress, his real test begins now of convincing Republicans, in a polarised political arena, to support his plan of remaking America.

The 78-year-old had been seeking the highest office in the land for nearly four decades.

Now that he has it, Biden has unveiled a series of massive spending programs — on jobs creation, infrastructure, and family-centered programs like child care and student aid — that would make even the most passionate progressive blush.

"Trickle down economics has never worked, and it's time to grow the economy from the bottom and the middle out," he told a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night, drawing an ovation from his fellow Democrats.

And while he presented an outstretched hand of bipartisanship to Republicans — "Let's get to work" together, he invited them — his vision of broad cooperation between the two parties seems far removed from today's reality of a sharply divided Congress.

Republicans have already openly cringed at the price tag which, they point out, amounts to a staggering $6 trillion when the recently enacted coronavirus rescue package is factored in.

And they are assailing Biden for abandoning his pledge to forge national unity in order to try to ram through what they call his radical socialist agenda.

Having crossed the symbolic milestone Thursday of his 100th day in office, Biden is counting on his party's razor-thin majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate.

He may also seek to use the procedure known as budget reconciliation to get his big-ticket items through the 100-seat Senate with a simple majority, circumventing the blocking tactic which normally would require 60 votes to advance.

Even then, with the Senate locked 50-50 and Vice President Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote, he can afford zero defections.

"There's just no margin for error at all, unless Biden can somehow get Republican buy-in," said Kyle Kondik, a political science expert at the University of Virginia.

"But that would take accepting a much less ambitious plan than Biden wants."

A watering down may sway some key Democratic moderates and even bring a few Republicans on board, but it risks losing support from crucial liberal allies like congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders.

"The parties just don't see eye to eye on these proposals," Kondik said.

Discontent has surged within Republican ranks against a president who they say has abandoned his centrist origins to placate the far left.

"He needs to quit listening to the 'Sandernistas,'" Republican Senator Chuck Grassley told AFP, playing on the name of Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist.

Compromise is key if Biden wants Democratic priorities to reach his desk and be signed into law, stressed Grassley, a longtime Senate colleague who recalled Biden as a lawmaker eager to find common ground.

"They're trying to spend, spend, spend, and do it in a partisan way. I don't think they'll get away with it," Grassley added.

The Senate's top Republican Mitch McConnell reminded Americans how they elected an evenly-split Senate and a closely-divided House, "and a president who preached moderation" and unity on the campaign trail.

"But the first 100 days have left much to be desired," he said, adding "it's not too late" for Biden to foster consensus.

Jenna Bednar, a professor of political science and public policy at the University of Michigan, said Biden's approach has been "soft-shoe," letting his actions speak louder than words — a contrast with his combative predecessor Donald Trump.

But Biden must above all convince Republicans, and skittish Democrats, "that his policies are very popular with their constituents" back home, Bednar said.

As if to highlight the point, Biden flew to Georgia Thursday to sell his proposals in person.

He has received blowback from Republicans over plans to slap higher taxes on corporations and the wealthiest Americans to help pay for the spending on families and infrastructure.

But he insisted he has no intention of raising taxes on the middle class.

"I'm not looking to punish anybody," he told Congress.

House Democrat Eric Swalwell expressed optimism that Biden can transform his proposals into law, as he did with the pandemic plan.

The question is, "are Republicans here (in Washington) going to align with where Republicans are across the country?" Swalwell told AFP.

"Do they want to just be obstructionist for obstruction's sake, or do they want to work with us on popular policies?"

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Serbia’s Vakhid Abasov won the Best Men’s Boxer Award at the Belgrade Winner Tournament

The men’s finals of the Belgrade Winner Tournament 58th edition were also concluded in the capital city of Serbia.

The Belgrade Winner Tournament returned to the boxing map after a two years break, and the host nation’s new pride European U22 Champion Vakhid Abasov, won the title of the welterweight (69kg) and the Best Men’s Boxer Award. 

Belgrade will be hosting the AIBA Men’s Elite World Boxing Championships at the end of this year. Therefore, there was a significant interest for the National Federations to attend the Belgrade Winner Tournament. Altogether 35 nations, from 4 Confederations sent 208 boxers to the Belgrade Winner Tournament which is traditionally held in April every year.

The competition was also hosted with the same COVID-19 protocols and safety measures as the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships in Kielce.

European U22 Champion Vakhid Abasov claimed the gold medal for Serbia Vakhid Abasov obtained the gold medal at the 2019 EUBC European U22 Boxing Championships in Vladikavkaz, and he moved up in the Russian elite national rankings step by step. The welterweight (69kg) boxer decided to switch to Serbia last year, and he represented his new nation in the previous international tournaments. 

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SBP to not issue new banknotes on Eid ul Fitr due to COVID-19

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has announced that it will not be issuing new notes on Edi ul Fitr this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Like last year, we will not be issuing new banknotes on Eid ul Fitr due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic,” said the SBP in a statement.

The central bank issues new notes Eid every year as people want to give Eidi to kids using new banknotes.

However, this year the government is urging people not to celebrate Eid with the usual grandeur due to a dangerous third wave of COVID-19.

The SBP's statement also came as Pakistan's coronavirus positivity ratio jumped to 9.6% on Thursday after the country reported over 5,000 new infections.

According to the official data provided by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 5,480 people tested positive for the coronavirus, after 57,013 tests were conducted across the country.

The total tally of COVID-19 cases now stands at 815,711, with most cases reported in Punjab.

The number of recoveries nationwide has reached 708,193 so far, while the number of active cases in the country stands at 89,838 as of today.

A day earlier, Pakistan reported the highest single-day death toll recorded since the pandemic started last year with over 200 new fatalities.

Keeping in view the swamping infections, the government is mulling over imposing a lockdown in 20 cities from 2/3 May.

A list mentioned 20 cities across Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Azad Jammu, and Kashmir, where the coronavirus situation is extremely bad and the restrictions imposed by the authorities have failed to control the virus spread.

The cities where the lockdown might be imposed include Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Bahawalpur, Hyderabad, Peshawar, Dir Lower, Mardan, Nowshera, Malakand, Charsadda, Swat, Swabi, Muzaffarabad, Sudhnuti, Poonch, and Bagh.

The COVID-19 apex body has directed the local administration to forward their input for necessary action.

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Eid holidays to be observed from May 10-15 in Pakistan

Eid-ul-Fitr holidays in Pakistan would be observed from May 10-15, the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) said Thursday.

"Announcement of Eid Holidays from 10-15 May 2021 — clearly stating intention of reducing national mobility," the statement from the NCOC said.

NCOC, in a bid to curb the spread of the virus, also announced comprehensive guidelines by the name of "STAY HOME-STAY SAFE — Eid-ul-Fitr-2021 from 8-16 May 2021".

The NCOC has also imposed a ban on chand raat bazaars, including mehendi, jewelry, and clothing stalls — from 8-16 May.

Earlier, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) had announced that it will not be issuing new notes on Edi ul Fitr this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Like last year, we will not be issuing new banknotes on Eid ul Fitr due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic,” said the SBP in a statement.

Pakistan's coronavirus positivity ratio jumped to 9.6% today after the country reported over 5,000 new infections in the last 24 hours.

According to the official data provided by the NCOC, 5,480 people tested positive for the coronavirus, after 57,013 tests were conducted across the country.

The total tally of COVID-19 cases now stands at 815,711, with most cases reported in Punjab.

The number of recoveries nationwide has reached 708,193 so far, while the number of active cases in the country stands at 89,838 as of today.

A day earlier, Pakistan reported the highest single-day death toll recorded since the pandemic started last year with over 200 new fatalities.

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Results start pouring in as polling culminates in NA-249

Polling for the by-election for National Assembly constituency NA-249- Karachi West-II concluded on Thursday as results have started to pour in.

The polling started at 8 am and continued till 5 pm without any break. Sindh government has announced a public holiday, today (Thursday) in NA-249 Karachi constituency due to a by-election.

Amjad Afridi of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Miftah Ismail of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Qadir Khan Madokhel of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Mustafa Kamal of Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP), and Mohammad Mursaleen of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) are among the 30 candidates taking part in the election in the constituency.

The number of registered voters in the constituency is 339,591 out of which 201,656 are male and 137,935 are female voters who will exercise their right of the vote today.

The NA-249 seat had fallen vacant after Faisal Vawda of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) resigned from the National Assembly for his Senate seat.

As per the results of 14 polling stations, PML-N’s Miftah Ismail is leading the polls by securing 1107 votes followed by MQM-P’s Hafiz Mursaleen with 371 votes, PTI candidate Amjad Afridi with 425 votes, banned TLP’s Mufti Nazeer with 156 votes, whereas, PSP chief Mustafa Kamal secures 375 votes and PPP’s Qadir Khan Mandokhel managed to get 229 votes.

According to the first unofficial result from polling station 215, PML-N’s Miftah Ismail secured 68 votes followed by outlawed TLP’s Mufti Nazir who bagged 39 votes.

At polling station Number 90, PTI’s Amjad Afridi secured 73 votes followed by Miftah Ismail’s 29 votes.

The election commission officials on Thursday ordered six MPAs of the PTI to leave NA-249 constituency over violation of the code of conduct during the by-election.

The election officials served notices to PTI members of Sindh Assembly Firdous Shamim Naqvi, Saeed Afridi, Bilal Ghaffar, Raja Azhar, Shahnawaz Jadoon and Shahzad Awan to leave the constituency.

The election commission officials also directed the PML-N MNA Kheal Das Kohistani to quit the constituency.

According to the election code of conduct, a public office holder could not visit a constituency during the election.

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Eid holidays to be observed from May 10-15 in Pakistan

Eid-ul-Fitr holidays in Pakistan would be observed from May 10-15, the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) said Thursday.

"Announcement of Eid Holidays from 10-15 May 2021 — clearly stating intention of reducing national mobility," the statement from the NCOC said.

NCOC, in a bid to curb the spread of the virus, also announced comprehensive guidelines by the name of "STAY HOME-STAY SAFE — Eid-ul-Fitr-2021 from 8-16 May 2021".

The NCOC has also imposed a ban on chand raat bazaars, including mehendi, jewelry, and clothing stalls — from 8-16 May.

Earlier, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) had announced that it will not be issuing new notes on Edi ul Fitr this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Like last year, we will not be issuing new banknotes on Eid ul Fitr due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic,” said the SBP in a statement.

Pakistan's coronavirus positivity ratio jumped to 9.6% today after the country reported over 5,000 new infections in the last 24 hours.

According to the official data provided by the NCOC, 5,480 people tested positive for the coronavirus, after 57,013 tests were conducted across the country.

The total tally of COVID-19 cases now stands at 815,711, with most cases reported in Punjab.

The number of recoveries nationwide has reached 708,193 so far, while the number of active cases in the country stands at 89,838 as of today.

A day earlier, Pakistan reported the highest single-day death toll recorded since the pandemic started last year with over 200 new fatalities.

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Results start pouring in as polling culminates in NA-249

Polling for the by-election for National Assembly constituency NA-249- Karachi West-II concluded on Thursday as results have started to pour in.

The polling started at 8 am and continued till 5 pm without any break. Sindh government has announced a public holiday, today (Thursday) in NA-249 Karachi constituency due to a by-election.

Amjad Afridi of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Miftah Ismail of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Qadir Khan Madokhel of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Mustafa Kamal of Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP), and Mohammad Mursaleen of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) are among the 30 candidates taking part in the election in the constituency.

The number of registered voters in the constituency is 339,591 out of which 201,656 are male and 137,935 are female voters who will exercise their right of the vote today.

The NA-249 seat had fallen vacant after Faisal Vawda of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) resigned from the National Assembly for his Senate seat.

As per the results of 14 polling stations, PML-N’s Miftah Ismail is leading the polls by securing 1107 votes followed by MQM-P’s Hafiz Mursaleen with 371 votes, PTI candidate Amjad Afridi with 425 votes, banned TLP’s Mufti Nazeer with 156 votes, whereas, PSP chief Mustafa Kamal secures 375 votes and PPP’s Qadir Khan Mandokhel managed to get 229 votes.

According to the first unofficial result from polling station 215, PML-N’s Miftah Ismail secured 68 votes followed by outlawed TLP’s Mufti Nazir who bagged 39 votes.

At polling station Number 90, PTI’s Amjad Afridi secured 73 votes followed by Miftah Ismail’s 29 votes.

The election commission officials on Thursday ordered six MPAs of the PTI to leave NA-249 constituency over violation of the code of conduct during the by-election.

The election officials served notices to PTI members of Sindh Assembly Firdous Shamim Naqvi, Saeed Afridi, Bilal Ghaffar, Raja Azhar, Shahnawaz Jadoon and Shahzad Awan to leave the constituency.

The election commission officials also directed the PML-N MNA Kheal Das Kohistani to quit the constituency.

According to the election code of conduct, a public office holder could not visit a constituency during the election.

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Corona claims 151 more lives, 5,480 fresh infections reported in Pakistan

Pakistan has reported 151 more COVID deaths in a single day, pushing the nationwide tally of fatalities to 17,680,reported on Thursday.

According to the latest figures issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 5,480 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 for the same period, pushing the number of positive cases to 815,711.

Pakistan has conducted 57,013 tests in the past 24 hours out of which 5, 480 persons were tested positive for the disease. Overall 11,739,027 tests have been conducted so far to detect the deadly virus.

The COVID positivity ratio was recorded at 9.61 percent during the last 24 hours.

The recovery of the COVID patients is on the rise as many as 708,193 have regained their health from a pandemic, with 3,699 people in the past 24 hours, while 5,263 patients are still battling for their lives at the country’s various hospitals.

On Wednesday, Pakistan-made ventilators were approved by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), the federal information minister Fawad Chaudhry congratulated Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) for the feather in its cap.

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Corona claims 151 more lives, 5,480 fresh infections reported in Pakistan

Pakistan has reported 151 more COVID deaths in a single day, pushing the nationwide tally of fatalities to 17,680,reported on Thursday.

According to the latest figures issued by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 5,480 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 for the same period, pushing the number of positive cases to 815,711.

Pakistan has conducted 57,013 tests in the past 24 hours out of which 5, 480 persons were tested positive for the disease. Overall 11,739,027 tests have been conducted so far to detect the deadly virus.

The COVID positivity ratio was recorded at 9.61 percent during the last 24 hours.

The recovery of the COVID patients is on the rise as many as 708,193 have regained their health from a pandemic, with 3,699 people in the past 24 hours, while 5,263 patients are still battling for their lives at the country’s various hospitals.

On Wednesday, Pakistan-made ventilators were approved by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), the federal information minister Fawad Chaudhry congratulated Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) for the feather in its cap.

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Tesla chief Musk trolls Amazon’s Bezos

The space race between the world’s two richest men went into hyperdrive on Tuesday after Tesla chief Elon Musk took a swipe at Jeff Bezos’ attempt to challenge a major NASA contract.

The two billionaires, who have been trying to launch long-range orbital rockets, were competing for a coveted contract from the government to build a spaceship to deliver astronauts to the moon as early as 2024.

Bezos’ Blue Origin on Monday filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office (GAO), accusing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of moving the goalposts for contract bidders at the last minute.

Musk, who also leads SpaceX, fired back with a tweet that said: “Can’t get it up (to orbit) lol.”

He did not elaborate on the tweet, but pasted a screenshot of a 2019 report about Bezos unveiling Blue Origin’s moon lander on the same Twitter thread.

Blue Origin has fallen far behind SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA) on orbital transportation, losing out on billions of dollars’ worth of U.S. national security launch contracts that begin in 2022. ULA is a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

These rocket startups mainly aim to send satellites for clients into orbit at an affordable price and reuse parts of rockets to keep costs in check.

Earlier this month, NASA awarded SpaceX the lunar contract over Blue Origin and defense contractor Dynetics. The sought-after project aims to put humans back on the moon for the first time since 1972.

“NASA has executed a flawed acquisition for the Human Landing System program and moved the goalposts at the last minute,” Blue Origin said in an emailed statement.

“Their decision eliminates opportunities for competition, significantly narrows the supply base, and not only delays, but also endangers America’s return to the moon. Because of that, we’ve filed a protest with the GAO.”

The GAO also confirmed that Dynetics had challenged the NASA contract award to SpaceX. Dynetics did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Musk’s SpaceX bid alone while Amazon.com founder Bezos’ Blue Origin partnered with Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper.

The filing of the 50-page protest by Blue Origin was reported earlier by the New York Times.

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Shaken US Capitol on high alert for Biden’s first address to Congress

President Joe Biden’s first address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday will take place in a U.S. Capitol on high alert, with memories fresh of the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the building by supporters of his predecessor, Donald Trump.

The crowd inside the Capitol will be a fraction of the hundreds of members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, top government officials and guests who typically attend, to allow for more social distancing in a COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 572,000 Americans.

But security will be higher than usual, even for what is officially designated a “National Special Security Event,” with the Secret Service in charge of security.

“The Secret Service and all law enforcement and public safety partners have worked hard collectively in preparation to secure this significant event,” said a Secret Service representative, adding that “every security contingency is accounted for.”

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday said she is confident about security for Biden’s speech.

“I actually had a very strong briefing on Monday. I said I wish I had had this briefing, you know, before January 6. But we insisted on knowing every detail of it,” she told reporters.

The limitations on attendance, she said, mostly are being driven by COVID-19 precautions, but security also is playing a role.

The white-domed building is still surrounded by a black steel mesh fence with some 2,250 armed National Guard troops from the District of Columbia and 18 states on duty in the city, the vestiges of a much larger force put in place after Trump supporters stormed the building as Congress was voting to certify Biden’s election victory.

Five people, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer, died from the violence and dozens of police were injured in clashes with rioters. More than 400 people have been charged in connection with the attack, and authorities expect at least 100 more will be charged, federal prosecutors said in a court filing last week

District of Columbia authorities have asked the Pentagon to authorize the district’s National Guard contingent to help local police handle any anti-Biden protests coinciding with Wednesday’s address.

“The D.C. National Guard is prepared to support D.C. law enforcement, pending approval” by acting Army Secretary John Whitley, the D.C. National Guard said in a statement.

It was not immediately known if Whitley would approve the request. The National Guard deployment already has cost more than $520 million, according to the U.S. National Guard Bureau.

The howl of leaf blowers mingled with the roar of heavy machinery this week around the fenced-in Capitol as ground staff cleared withered leaves and construction crews worked on renovating a fountain at the foot of the complex.

Steel barriers lined sidewalks, glinting in the sun. Ambulances sat before the House.

Gena Whalon was among a smattering of out-of-town visitors taking selfies outside. She reflected on the insurrection and the U.S. Capitol Police’s failure to prevent Trump supporters from breaching the building.

“If all those people were Black, they would have fired tear gas,” said Whalon, an African American from Austin, Texas.

“The fence is everywhere,” she said, standing outside it. “It’s completely understandable because of the dangers of the protesters. It does suck, though, because the fence prevents you from taking good pictures.”

Capitol Police said on Monday they had taken into custody a 22-year-old man who scaled the fence late on Sunday.

Congress is only just starting to grapple with the aftermath of the violence.

Michael Bolton, the Capitol Police inspector general, appeared before a House committee earlier this month to present findings of “deficiencies” within the unit that handles public disturbances and poor coordination and training in its intelligence unit.

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is working to secure Republican backing for a bipartisan commission that would investigate the riot.

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PM Imran Khan, Bill Gates talk about climate change, polio eradication and COVID-19

Prime Minister Imran Khan has underscored the importance of equitable, timely, and scaled delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to low-income countries.

In a telephonic conversation with co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, he commended the Gates Foundation's strong advocacy to promote equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

The Prime Minister and Bill Gates exchanged views on the latest status of the COVID-19 pandemic, polio eradication campaign, health and development issues, and climate change.

They agreed on the importance of urgently stopping the spread of COVID-19, polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases in Pakistan.

PM Khan reaffirmed that eradication of polio remained a key priority of the government and efforts were underway to intensify the anti-polio campaign across the country despite COVID-19 related challenges.

He affirmed his commitment to strengthening efforts nationwide to achieve a polio-free Pakistan.

The premier expressed appreciation for the work of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for fighting poverty, combating the COVID-19 pandemic and inequalities around the world.

Recalling his recent letter addressed to Gates on climate change, PM Khan apprised Gates about Pakistan's flagship initiatives, including the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami initiative.

Gates acknowledged Pakistan's commitment to address climate change and agreed that the world must come together to face this global challenge.

While highlighting that food systems are particularly vulnerable to climate change, he emphasised that global leaders should prioritise investments in agricultural research for adaptation.

He also suggested PM Khan leverage Pakistan's unique voice to raise awareness and increase global support for smallholder farmers.

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Sindh cabinet approves draft law to set up water commission, services regulator

The Sindh cabinet in its around five-hour-long sitting on Tuesday approved the Water Act, devolution of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) to divisional level, ratified Pak Army requirement in support of civil administration, upgraded posts of town officers from BS-11 to BS-16 and approved Rs1 million compensation to the heirs of the government employees who had died of Covid-19.

The cabinet meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah here at CM House. The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, advisers, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah and other secretaries.

The local government department presented the Sindh Water Act to establish the Sindh Water Resource Commission to be headed by the chief minister while the chief secretary would be its vice chairman. Other members would include ministers for finance, irrigation, environment, public health engineering, agriculture, industries, LG, forest, health; planning and development secretary and water experts.

The powers and duties of the commission include water conservation, redistribution and augmentation of water resources in the province.

It would be authorised to allocate water resources for domestic, agricultural, ecological, industrial or other purposes. It will also be its duty to maintain, improve and develop wildlife and fisheries in bodies of water from which water is drawn or is discharged.

The Sindh Water Services Regulatory Authority (SWSRA) will also be created with the powers to ensure that the duties and functions of water service providers are discharged properly.

The SWSRA would have the powers to approve, determine or revise tariffs for water and sewerage service providers. The government may appoint a company, a local government or a statutory authority to be the water service provider or sewerage service provider for any area.

The meeting was told that the SBCA was a self-financing and resource-generating authority as it received fees against approval of building plans, grant of completion certificates, issuance of licences to professionals and builders and no-objection certificates.

The CM said that the SBCA had heavy workload and it was proposed to devolve it to the divisional level.

Under the proposal, the existing SBCA would function as a policy making organisation under its director general.

There would be Regional/Divisional Building Control Authorities such as Regional Building Control Authority (BCA) Karachi, BCA Hyderabad, BCA Mirpurkhas, BCA Shaheed Benazirabad, BCA Sukkur and BCA Larkana.

These authorities would have execution and operational powers.

The cabinet approved the proposed devolution of the SBCA to the regional building control authorities.

The cabinet also approved a request of the LG department to purchase 62 pickups for transportation of street dogs to and from veterinary hospitals.

The dogs would be vaccinated under the rabies control programme and would also be neutered to control their population.

The meeting was told that 184 people were appointed as town officers in 2010 in grade-11. LG Minister Nasir Shah requested the cabinet to upgrade the position from grade-11 to grade-16 and the cabinet approved it.

The agriculture department told the meeting that the federal government had announced a subsidy package for farmers during Kharif 2021 for DAP fertilizer, cotton seed and white fly.

The subsidy on fertilizers (DAP) for rice and cotton had been offered for 70 per cent of the total area under cultivation at a rate of Rs1,500 per acre in which the federal government would pay 75pc share and Sindh government share would be 25pc.

The cabinet approved the subsidy package and constituted a committee to work out a mechanism.

The energy department told the cabinet that M/s Thar Coal Block-I Power Generation Company Limited (TCB-I), a subsidiary of Shanghai Electric, was installing a 1,320 MW power generation facility at Thar Coalfield Block-1.

The cabinet was told that for the development, TCB-1 had acquired 232.32 acres and it required the land to be mortgaged with lenders for which the cabinet was requested to approve a no-objection certificate.

The cabinet approved issuance of the NOC.

In order to appoint suitable rightful heirs of shaheed, deceased and completely disabled police personnel as assistant sub-inspector, the cabinet made an amendment in the Sindh Police Order 2002.

The cabinet also approved amendments in the Sindh Factories Act 2015 and Sindh Shops and Establishment Act 2015 to encourage female labour force participation.

The provincial cabinet approved Rs1m compensation to be paid to the heirs of a deceased government employee, regular and contractual, who died of Covid-19.

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PM Imran Khan, Bill Gates talk about climate change, polio eradication and COVID-19

Prime Minister Imran Khan has underscored the importance of equitable, timely, and scaled delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to low-income countries.

In a telephonic conversation with co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, he commended the Gates Foundation's strong advocacy to promote equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

The Prime Minister and Bill Gates exchanged views on the latest status of the COVID-19 pandemic, polio eradication campaign, health and development issues, and climate change.

They agreed on the importance of urgently stopping the spread of COVID-19, polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases in Pakistan.

PM Khan reaffirmed that eradication of polio remained a key priority of the government and efforts were underway to intensify the anti-polio campaign across the country despite COVID-19 related challenges.

He affirmed his commitment to strengthening efforts nationwide to achieve a polio-free Pakistan.

The premier expressed appreciation for the work of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for fighting poverty, combating the COVID-19 pandemic and inequalities around the world.

Recalling his recent letter addressed to Gates on climate change, PM Khan apprised Gates about Pakistan's flagship initiatives, including the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami initiative.

Gates acknowledged Pakistan's commitment to address climate change and agreed that the world must come together to face this global challenge.

While highlighting that food systems are particularly vulnerable to climate change, he emphasised that global leaders should prioritise investments in agricultural research for adaptation.

He also suggested PM Khan leverage Pakistan's unique voice to raise awareness and increase global support for smallholder farmers.

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Sindh cabinet approves draft law to set up water commission, services regulator

The Sindh cabinet in its around five-hour-long sitting on Tuesday approved the Water Act, devolution of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) to divisional level, ratified Pak Army requirement in support of civil administration, upgraded posts of town officers from BS-11 to BS-16 and approved Rs1 million compensation to the heirs of the government employees who had died of Covid-19.

The cabinet meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah here at CM House. The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, advisers, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah and other secretaries.

The local government department presented the Sindh Water Act to establish the Sindh Water Resource Commission to be headed by the chief minister while the chief secretary would be its vice chairman. Other members would include ministers for finance, irrigation, environment, public health engineering, agriculture, industries, LG, forest, health; planning and development secretary and water experts.

The powers and duties of the commission include water conservation, redistribution and augmentation of water resources in the province.

It would be authorised to allocate water resources for domestic, agricultural, ecological, industrial or other purposes. It will also be its duty to maintain, improve and develop wildlife and fisheries in bodies of water from which water is drawn or is discharged.

The Sindh Water Services Regulatory Authority (SWSRA) will also be created with the powers to ensure that the duties and functions of water service providers are discharged properly.

The SWSRA would have the powers to approve, determine or revise tariffs for water and sewerage service providers. The government may appoint a company, a local government or a statutory authority to be the water service provider or sewerage service provider for any area.

The meeting was told that the SBCA was a self-financing and resource-generating authority as it received fees against approval of building plans, grant of completion certificates, issuance of licences to professionals and builders and no-objection certificates.

The CM said that the SBCA had heavy workload and it was proposed to devolve it to the divisional level.

Under the proposal, the existing SBCA would function as a policy making organisation under its director general.

There would be Regional/Divisional Building Control Authorities such as Regional Building Control Authority (BCA) Karachi, BCA Hyderabad, BCA Mirpurkhas, BCA Shaheed Benazirabad, BCA Sukkur and BCA Larkana.

These authorities would have execution and operational powers.

The cabinet approved the proposed devolution of the SBCA to the regional building control authorities.

The cabinet also approved a request of the LG department to purchase 62 pickups for transportation of street dogs to and from veterinary hospitals.

The dogs would be vaccinated under the rabies control programme and would also be neutered to control their population.

The meeting was told that 184 people were appointed as town officers in 2010 in grade-11. LG Minister Nasir Shah requested the cabinet to upgrade the position from grade-11 to grade-16 and the cabinet approved it.

The agriculture department told the meeting that the federal government had announced a subsidy package for farmers during Kharif 2021 for DAP fertilizer, cotton seed and white fly.

The subsidy on fertilizers (DAP) for rice and cotton had been offered for 70 per cent of the total area under cultivation at a rate of Rs1,500 per acre in which the federal government would pay 75pc share and Sindh government share would be 25pc.

The cabinet approved the subsidy package and constituted a committee to work out a mechanism.

The energy department told the cabinet that M/s Thar Coal Block-I Power Generation Company Limited (TCB-I), a subsidiary of Shanghai Electric, was installing a 1,320 MW power generation facility at Thar Coalfield Block-1.

The cabinet was told that for the development, TCB-1 had acquired 232.32 acres and it required the land to be mortgaged with lenders for which the cabinet was requested to approve a no-objection certificate.

The cabinet approved issuance of the NOC.

In order to appoint suitable rightful heirs of shaheed, deceased and completely disabled police personnel as assistant sub-inspector, the cabinet made an amendment in the Sindh Police Order 2002.

The cabinet also approved amendments in the Sindh Factories Act 2015 and Sindh Shops and Establishment Act 2015 to encourage female labour force participation.

The provincial cabinet approved Rs1m compensation to be paid to the heirs of a deceased government employee, regular and contractual, who died of Covid-19.

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No other govt has spent as much money on Balochistan as PTI has:PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that no other government had spent as much money on Balochistan's development as the PTI did, sharing that road projects of 3,300 kilometres were initiated during his tenure.

He made the comments while addressing a ceremony in Quetta on a one-day visit to the city. The prime minister also performed the groundbreaking for various projects in Quetta, including 22-km dualisation of Quetta Western Bypass (N-25) and the construction of an 11-km Dera Murad Jamali Bypass (N-65), according to a report by Radio Pakistan.

He also distributed cheques under the Kamyab Jawan Programme.

"I want to say with happiness that we have initiated several projects," Prime Minister Imran said. "In 15 years, [past governments] started projects on 1,100 kilometres, in our tenure we have [covered] 3,300 km."

He said that political parties did not need Balochistan to win the elections which was why the province was neglected. "This was why roads were built only on 1,100km when this province needs connectivity the most," he said, adding that it reflected the mindset of those political parties.

Elaborating on his philosophy, the prime minister said that history remembered those who did something for other people.

"When [the PTI] came into power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2013, the province was in dire straits because of terrorism. The law and order situation was such that 500 police officers had died and the [force] was demoralised. The business was catching people, taking money and letting them go."

As a result of this, only people with money ever became part of the government in Islamabad, he said, adding that he was advised to focus on the province of Punjab because his party had no chance of coming into power in KP.

In 2018, the PTI won with a two-thirds majority because poverty was "drastically reduced" and investment was done in human development, he highlighted.

Talking about his vision for the country, Prime Minister Imran said that so far, Pakistan's development had been backwards. "What was our stature 50 years ago? ... This country started regressing," he observed.

The premier said a report had noted that there was "elite capture" in Pakistan. "Small provinces get left behind, the poor get poorer," he said. Even the British prime minister was not allowed to buy property in the United Kingdom in the way that Pakistan's former prime ministers had bought, he said in an apparent reference to former premier Nawaz Sharif.

Pakistan would develop when the poor people were lifted up and backward areas were also developed alongside, he said.

Prime Minister Imran said the model of Riyasat-e-Madinah (the state of Madinah) was "unique" in which leaders spent their money on the development of poor people. He cited the same model as the reason for China's development.

"[President] Xi said [China] has eradicated extreme poverty. Technically, they followed the model and China developed its areas."

The prime minister recalled that the PTI government was providing Sehat Cards to people in provinces under it, saying there could be "no bigger blessing for poor people".

The health cards would help improve the system and provide incentives to the private sector to build health facilities in remote areas, he said, terming it as the "biggest step towards a welfare state".

He said the government was also introducing Kisan (farmer) Cards which would give direct subsidies on fertiliser and seeds to small farmers. This would increase productivity, he added.

The government was also mapping the population after which targeted subsidies would be offered to poor people, the prime minister said.

"No one should think about vote bank, we are working on our vision," he concluded.

 

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No other govt has spent as much money on Balochistan as PTI has:PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that no other government had spent as much money on Balochistan's development as the PTI did, sharing that road projects of 3,300 kilometres were initiated during his tenure.

He made the comments while addressing a ceremony in Quetta on a one-day visit to the city. The prime minister also performed the groundbreaking for various projects in Quetta, including 22-km dualisation of Quetta Western Bypass (N-25) and the construction of an 11-km Dera Murad Jamali Bypass (N-65), according to a report by Radio Pakistan.

He also distributed cheques under the Kamyab Jawan Programme.

"I want to say with happiness that we have initiated several projects," Prime Minister Imran said. "In 15 years, [past governments] started projects on 1,100 kilometres, in our tenure we have [covered] 3,300 km."

He said that political parties did not need Balochistan to win the elections which was why the province was neglected. "This was why roads were built only on 1,100km when this province needs connectivity the most," he said, adding that it reflected the mindset of those political parties.

Elaborating on his philosophy, the prime minister said that history remembered those who did something for other people.

"When [the PTI] came into power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2013, the province was in dire straits because of terrorism. The law and order situation was such that 500 police officers had died and the [force] was demoralised. The business was catching people, taking money and letting them go."

As a result of this, only people with money ever became part of the government in Islamabad, he said, adding that he was advised to focus on the province of Punjab because his party had no chance of coming into power in KP.

In 2018, the PTI won with a two-thirds majority because poverty was "drastically reduced" and investment was done in human development, he highlighted.

Talking about his vision for the country, Prime Minister Imran said that so far, Pakistan's development had been backwards. "What was our stature 50 years ago? ... This country started regressing," he observed.

The premier said a report had noted that there was "elite capture" in Pakistan. "Small provinces get left behind, the poor get poorer," he said. Even the British prime minister was not allowed to buy property in the United Kingdom in the way that Pakistan's former prime ministers had bought, he said in an apparent reference to former premier Nawaz Sharif.

Pakistan would develop when the poor people were lifted up and backward areas were also developed alongside, he said.

Prime Minister Imran said the model of Riyasat-e-Madinah (the state of Madinah) was "unique" in which leaders spent their money on the development of poor people. He cited the same model as the reason for China's development.

"[President] Xi said [China] has eradicated extreme poverty. Technically, they followed the model and China developed its areas."

The prime minister recalled that the PTI government was providing Sehat Cards to people in provinces under it, saying there could be "no bigger blessing for poor people".

The health cards would help improve the system and provide incentives to the private sector to build health facilities in remote areas, he said, terming it as the "biggest step towards a welfare state".

He said the government was also introducing Kisan (farmer) Cards which would give direct subsidies on fertiliser and seeds to small farmers. This would increase productivity, he added.

The government was also mapping the population after which targeted subsidies would be offered to poor people, the prime minister said.

"No one should think about vote bank, we are working on our vision," he concluded.

 

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