China, in major policy shift, announces families can have three children

China announced on Monday that married couples may have up to three children, a major policy shift from the existing limit of two after recent data showed a dramatic decline in births in the world’s most populous country.

The change was approved during a politburo meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping, the official news agency Xinhua reported.

In 2016, China scrapped its decades-old one-child policy – initially imposed to halt a population explosion – with a two-child limit, which failed to result in a sustained surge in births as the high cost of raising children in Chinese cities deterred many couples from starting families.

“To further optimise the birth policy, (China) will implement a one-married-couple-can-have-three-children policy,” Xinhua said in a report on the meeting.

The policy change will come with “supportive measures, which will be conducive to improving our country’s population structure, fulfilling the country’s strategy of actively coping with an ageing population and maintaining the advantage, endowment of human resources”, Xinhua said.

It did not specify the support measures.

The announcement drew a chilly response on Chinese social media, where many people said they could not afford to have even one or two children.

“I am willing to have three children if you give me 5 million yuan ($785,650),” one user posted on Weibo.

Early this month, China’s once-in-a-decade census showed that the population grew at its slowest rate during the last decade since the 1950s, to 1.41 billion.

Data also showed a fertility rate of just 1.3 children per woman for 2020 alone, on a par with ageing societies like Japan and Italy.

Also on Monday, China’s politburo said it would phase-in delays in the country’s retirement ages, but did not provide any details.

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Peace in South Asia hinges on resolution of long-standing issues: COAS

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday visited Command and Staff College (C&SC) in Quetta where he addressed officers and faculty of the college, said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement.

According to ISPR, COAS address to staff course-2020/21 focused on professional matters, internal & external security situation and matters concerning the regional security environment.

Speaking on the occasion, COAS emphasized Pakistan’s resolve and determination to confront the global phenomenon of terrorism by adopting a whole of nation approach.

“Future of enduring peace and stability in South Asia hinges on the ability to resolve long pending issues within the region. This can be complemented through meaningful international support and will to take on complex challenges,” he added.

Focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic, COAS said that Pakistan Army along with other state institutions will do all to mitigate the challenges faced by the people of Pakistan.

“Only a cohesive national effort shall take Pakistan to progress and prosperity,” COAS said.

Earlier on arrival at Quetta, COAS was received by Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali, Commander Quetta Corps and Major General Amer Ahsan Nawaz, Commandant Command & Staff College.

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Peace in South Asia hinges on resolution of long-standing issues: COAS

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday visited Command and Staff College (C&SC) in Quetta where he addressed officers and faculty of the college, said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement.

According to ISPR, COAS address to staff course-2020/21 focused on professional matters, internal & external security situation and matters concerning the regional security environment.

Speaking on the occasion, COAS emphasized Pakistan’s resolve and determination to confront the global phenomenon of terrorism by adopting a whole of nation approach.

“Future of enduring peace and stability in South Asia hinges on the ability to resolve long pending issues within the region. This can be complemented through meaningful international support and will to take on complex challenges,” he added.

Focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic, COAS said that Pakistan Army along with other state institutions will do all to mitigate the challenges faced by the people of Pakistan.

“Only a cohesive national effort shall take Pakistan to progress and prosperity,” COAS said.

Earlier on arrival at Quetta, COAS was received by Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali, Commander Quetta Corps and Major General Amer Ahsan Nawaz, Commandant Command & Staff College.

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Sindh governor lambasts KE chief over unannounced load shedding

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail on Monday expressed anger over the "continued unannounced load shedding" in the metropolis and directed the K-Electric CEO Moonis Alvi to immediately resolve the issue.

The governor had summoned the chief of KE — the utility company responsible for power supply in the city — following reports of increasing outages in the city. During the meeting, Ismail directed the KE CEO to "personally supervise" matters related to load shedding in Karachi and "immediately resolve the "complaints of citizens, a statement issued by the Governor's House said.

During the meeting, Ismail also phoned Federal Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar and stressed the need to improve the load shedding situation in the metropolis and ensure better functioning of the K-Electric.

Azhar issued directions to the KE CEO during the call as well, the statement said.

Earlier this month, several areas in Karachi faced prolonged power outages after a high-tension transmission line of 220KV tripped, affecting the supply of electricity to the associated grids.

The power supply was restored by the evening.

Citizens from different areas of the metropolis have been complaining of several hours of load shedding every day as the weather remains hot and humid.

KE has around 2.5 million consumers and hundreds of thousands of them face load shedding on a daily basis. But a spokesperson for KE had earlier told Dawn that the company's load shedding policy was a "well-thought-out and considerate strategy for the citizens of Karachi".

He said: "K-Electric’s Segmented Load Shed (SLS) policy divides feeders based on their loss profile, which is determined by the T&D [transmission and distribution] losses and recovery ratios in any particular area."

In February, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) had warned KE of "consequences" if people of Karachi suffered loadshedding in summer.

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Sindh governor lambasts KE chief over unannounced load shedding

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail on Monday expressed anger over the "continued unannounced load shedding" in the metropolis and directed the K-Electric CEO Moonis Alvi to immediately resolve the issue.

The governor had summoned the chief of KE — the utility company responsible for power supply in the city — following reports of increasing outages in the city. During the meeting, Ismail directed the KE CEO to "personally supervise" matters related to load shedding in Karachi and "immediately resolve the "complaints of citizens, a statement issued by the Governor's House said.

During the meeting, Ismail also phoned Federal Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar and stressed the need to improve the load shedding situation in the metropolis and ensure better functioning of the K-Electric.

Azhar issued directions to the KE CEO during the call as well, the statement said.

Earlier this month, several areas in Karachi faced prolonged power outages after a high-tension transmission line of 220KV tripped, affecting the supply of electricity to the associated grids.

The power supply was restored by the evening.

Citizens from different areas of the metropolis have been complaining of several hours of load shedding every day as the weather remains hot and humid.

KE has around 2.5 million consumers and hundreds of thousands of them face load shedding on a daily basis. But a spokesperson for KE had earlier told Dawn that the company's load shedding policy was a "well-thought-out and considerate strategy for the citizens of Karachi".

He said: "K-Electric’s Segmented Load Shed (SLS) policy divides feeders based on their loss profile, which is determined by the T&D [transmission and distribution] losses and recovery ratios in any particular area."

In February, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) had warned KE of "consequences" if people of Karachi suffered loadshedding in summer.

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Federal govt to launch major campaign for coronavirus vaccination: Asad

The head of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) Asad Umar said that the government will launch a major campaign to make sure that the coronavirus vaccine reaches the entire population.

Umar spoke about the government's plan to launch the campaign while addressing a press conference in Islamabad after attending a meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan that reviewed the coronavirus situation in the country.

The federal minister for planning said that the restrictions introduced by the government before Eid had paid dividends as the positivity rate was declining.

He explained that the restrictions were a "defensive action" and affects the livelihood of the people, adding that the only way out of the current situation was to get vaccinated.

Umar said that the government is hoping to get enough people vaccinated by Eid-ul-Azha so that there is no need to impose restrictions as they did on Eid-ul-Fitr.

To that end, the minister said that the government is shifting from the "whole of government approach" to a “whole of nation approach”.

Umar said that under the whole of government approach "all departments, be it federal or provincial, are working together" against COVID-19.

"The next stage that we are going to is called the whole of nation approach," said Umar. He added that this means that the "whole nation has to work together" for the vaccination drive.

"To make sure that the vaccine reaches everyone, we are launching a major campaign," said Umar.

The minister said that as the first step, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) will hold a meeting with media owners and anchors tomorrow.

"We will take [media's] help first in the campaign. Media played a positive role when coronavirus was first reported. Like this, we want a big vaccination campaign focusing on why vaccination is necessary," said the NCOC chief.

Umar said that the day after tomorrow, the NCOC will invite Pakistan's leading business forums and ask them to join the government's work.

"We will tell them how we want their help. We do not want their money, we will give them vaccines and through them, we will try to vaccinate their employees and their families," said the NCOC chief.

He also added that after reaching out to their people, the government will use their hospitals and mobile teams to reach the common man.

In the next step of the campaign, the minister said that the government will reach out to the religious scholars of the country.

"We have requested President Arif Alvi to call a meeting of religious scholars and make sure the message reaches every Pakistani, that taking care of your health is in your religion," said Umar. He also shared that the government will reach out to the bar councils and journalist organisations as well.

"In today’s meeting NCC approved this strategy of ours but this strategy will be successful not because of the NCC but when everyone, as a Pakistani, plays their part," said Umar.

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Sindh govt to set up coronavirus vaccine centres in public, private institutions

The Sindh government has decided to set up coronavirus vaccine centres in public and private institutions.

In line with the decision, a coronavirus vaccine centre was set up by the Sindh Health Department in a shopping mall in the Clifton area of ​​Karachi. Sindh Health Secretary Kazim Jatoi inaugurated the centre.

The health secretary said that the shopping mall administration has been provided with a single dose of the PakVac vaccine.

Jatoi said that in the first phase, the management will vaccinate its employees, and in the second phase, the families of the employees will be inoculated. Meanwhile, and in the third phase, customers coming to the shopping mall will be vaccinated.

According to the health secretary, the Sindh government has also set up a vaccine centre at a shopping mall on Rashid Minhas Road, while vaccinations are being carried out at the Sindh Secretariat, Karachi Press Club, Arts Council, the Bank of Punjab, the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), and other places.

"Getting the coronavirus vaccine jab is essential for everyone to conduct business activities safely, therefore, all industrialists should vaccinate their staff," Jatoi said.

On the other hand, the Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah attended the meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) and said that the province is following the vaccination policy of the federation.

"At present, 70,000 vaccines are being administered daily in Sindh but we want to meet the target of 200,000 vaccines per day," Jatoi said.

"We plan to administer 100,000 vaccines daily during the mobile vaccination campaign."

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