Educational institutions across Pakistan to reopen in phases starting Sept 15

Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood said Monday the educational institutions will reopen in the country in phases as the infections continue to decline.

Addressing a press conference alongside Special Assistant to Prime Minister Dr Faisal Sultan, the education minister said that the National Command and Operation Centre worked hard and it consulted with think tanks, specialists, and kept reviewing the situation in the region.

Earlier, the education ministers decided that the schools across Pakistan would be reopened in phases starting September 15 and strict monitoring would be done to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more: Schools reopening in Pakistan: What can we learn from other countries?

Mahmood had chaired a meeting of all the provincial education ministers to make a final decision regarding reopening of educational institutes across the country.

The ministers, according to sources, proposed that the schools would open in phases with classes from Grade 9 and up, as well as all universities, would reopen from Sept 15, while Grade 6-8 classes would resume by Sept 22. However, pre-primary and primary classes would reopen on Sept 30.

The Higher Education Commission's (HEC) chairperson and executive director, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan, and officials of the health department were also present at the Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC), which aimed to compile the final recommendations regarding the opening of educational institutes.

The meeting was set to also focus on finalising the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in this regard. Educational institutes across Pakistan had been shut down back on March 13 in a bid to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

The Single National Curriculum (SNC), a short curriculum for the current academic year, examinations in 2021, and establishment of anti-harassment bodies in the provinces were also on the meeting's agenda.

A discussion on the transition plans related to the Basic Education Community Schools (BECS) and National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) was also planned for the IPEMC.

Masks mandatory

In this regard, Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani said all educational institutes were to open between September 15 and 30.

All classes starting Grade 9 and up, as well as all universities, would reopen from Sept 15, while Grade 6-8 classes would resume by Sept 22, Ghani said, adding, however, that pre-primary and primary classes would reopen on Sept 30.

Read more: Pakistani parents more at ease sending kids to school now than in June: poll

The provincial minister warned that the schools in any area that may witness a rise in the number of coronavirus cases would be closed.

Wearing face masks would be mandatory in the schools and strict action was to be taken in case of violation of the coronavirus-related SOPs, he added.

Punjab to allow 50% students in one day

Moreover, Punjab Education Minister Dr Murad Raas said there would be "no double shift".

"Alternative day schedule to be followed by all public & private schools," Raas said on Twitter.

KP to conduct COVID-19 tests of students, staff

Separately, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provincial education department has decided to conduct coronavirus tests on school staff and students.

"Health Department's teams will be visiting public and private educational institutions to conduct random tests of teachers / staff / students / canteen vendors and all those persons who are working within the premises of educational institutions in an effort to detect COVID-19 positive cases and prevent the spread of disease," a notification shared on the Twitter account of the ruling PTI's KP chapter stated.

'Top-down, rotational' basis

On August 27, the NCOC had suggested that all educational institutes in the country be reopened with a top-to-bottom approach — that is, universities first, then colleges, high schools, and so on) — and on a rotational basis.

The meeting was attended by representatives of various educational institutes — including public and private sector institutes, as well as madrassas — to reach a consensus on the opening of various institutes from university to school levels.

According to a statement released by the NCOC after the meeting, it was suggested that the timings of various institutes be reduced by suspending various activities, which involve mass gatherings, including co-curricular activities.

All participants were briefed on the current coronavirus situation prevailing globally, regionally, and in the country. They were also informed about the risks and challenges involved in the opening of educational institutes as it involved children of all ages.

The educational sector representatives were informed that the NCOC's suggestions had been finalised after hectic and lengthy consultations with international experts, academia, and think tanks, particularly those who had been working on the reopening of the educational sector.

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s aide on health, Dr Sultan, told participants that while the eventual opening would be undertaken after a consultative process, the NCOC and the health ministry would closely monitor disease statistics on a daily basis.

The likely impact of tourism and Muharram on the opening of educational institutes would also be assessed, he added, noting that an IT-based monitoring mechanism was being developed to ensure health guidelines and COVID-19 containment measures in this regard.

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Educational institutions across Pakistan to reopen in phases starting Sept 15

Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood said Monday the educational institutions will reopen in the country in phases as the infections continue to decline.

Addressing a press conference alongside Special Assistant to Prime Minister Dr Faisal Sultan, the education minister said that the National Command and Operation Centre worked hard and it consulted with think tanks, specialists, and kept reviewing the situation in the region.

Earlier, the education ministers decided that the schools across Pakistan would be reopened in phases starting September 15 and strict monitoring would be done to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more: Schools reopening in Pakistan: What can we learn from other countries?

Mahmood had chaired a meeting of all the provincial education ministers to make a final decision regarding reopening of educational institutes across the country.

The ministers, according to sources, proposed that the schools would open in phases with classes from Grade 9 and up, as well as all universities, would reopen from Sept 15, while Grade 6-8 classes would resume by Sept 22. However, pre-primary and primary classes would reopen on Sept 30.

The Higher Education Commission's (HEC) chairperson and executive director, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan, and officials of the health department were also present at the Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC), which aimed to compile the final recommendations regarding the opening of educational institutes.

The meeting was set to also focus on finalising the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in this regard. Educational institutes across Pakistan had been shut down back on March 13 in a bid to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

The Single National Curriculum (SNC), a short curriculum for the current academic year, examinations in 2021, and establishment of anti-harassment bodies in the provinces were also on the meeting's agenda.

A discussion on the transition plans related to the Basic Education Community Schools (BECS) and National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) was also planned for the IPEMC.

Masks mandatory

In this regard, Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani said all educational institutes were to open between September 15 and 30.

All classes starting Grade 9 and up, as well as all universities, would reopen from Sept 15, while Grade 6-8 classes would resume by Sept 22, Ghani said, adding, however, that pre-primary and primary classes would reopen on Sept 30.

Read more: Pakistani parents more at ease sending kids to school now than in June: poll

The provincial minister warned that the schools in any area that may witness a rise in the number of coronavirus cases would be closed.

Wearing face masks would be mandatory in the schools and strict action was to be taken in case of violation of the coronavirus-related SOPs, he added.

Punjab to allow 50% students in one day

Moreover, Punjab Education Minister Dr Murad Raas said there would be "no double shift".

"Alternative day schedule to be followed by all public & private schools," Raas said on Twitter.

KP to conduct COVID-19 tests of students, staff

Separately, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provincial education department has decided to conduct coronavirus tests on school staff and students.

"Health Department's teams will be visiting public and private educational institutions to conduct random tests of teachers / staff / students / canteen vendors and all those persons who are working within the premises of educational institutions in an effort to detect COVID-19 positive cases and prevent the spread of disease," a notification shared on the Twitter account of the ruling PTI's KP chapter stated.

'Top-down, rotational' basis

On August 27, the NCOC had suggested that all educational institutes in the country be reopened with a top-to-bottom approach — that is, universities first, then colleges, high schools, and so on) — and on a rotational basis.

The meeting was attended by representatives of various educational institutes — including public and private sector institutes, as well as madrassas — to reach a consensus on the opening of various institutes from university to school levels.

According to a statement released by the NCOC after the meeting, it was suggested that the timings of various institutes be reduced by suspending various activities, which involve mass gatherings, including co-curricular activities.

All participants were briefed on the current coronavirus situation prevailing globally, regionally, and in the country. They were also informed about the risks and challenges involved in the opening of educational institutes as it involved children of all ages.

The educational sector representatives were informed that the NCOC's suggestions had been finalised after hectic and lengthy consultations with international experts, academia, and think tanks, particularly those who had been working on the reopening of the educational sector.

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s aide on health, Dr Sultan, told participants that while the eventual opening would be undertaken after a consultative process, the NCOC and the health ministry would closely monitor disease statistics on a daily basis.

The likely impact of tourism and Muharram on the opening of educational institutes would also be assessed, he added, noting that an IT-based monitoring mechanism was being developed to ensure health guidelines and COVID-19 containment measures in this regard.

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Novak Djokovic defaults out of US Open after hitting line judge with ball

Novak Djokovic’s charge to his 18th Grand Slam title ended on Sunday after the Serbian defaulted following his petulant swipe at the ball that hit a line judge in the throat that resulted in the world number one's disqualification from the US Open.

The dramatic moment came when the overwhelming title favourite reacted angrily to going 5-6 down to Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta in the first set of their fourth-round encounter at an empty Arthur Ashe Stadium.

What would have been an innocuous incident had the ball flown a foot either side of the official instead left her lying on the ground, clutching her throat and screaming in pain.

There was no question that Djokovic hit her inadvertently, and he quickly rushed to apologise, but it was a clear breach of Grand Slam rules forbidding the physical abuse of anyone within the tournament precincts.

Tournament referee Soeren Friemel came out and spoke to chair umpire Aurelie Tourte and Andreas Egli, the Grand Slam supervisor, before a long chat with the three-times US Open champion.

Djokovic, who was clearly making the point that he had not intended to hit the official, was overheard saying “she doesn’t have to go to hospital for this” but after 12 minutes of pleading his case his fate was sealed.

“I don’t think that there was any chance of any opportunity or any other decision than defaulting Novak,” Friemel later told reporters.

“The facts were so clear and so obvious ... (the line judge) was clearly hurt and Novak was angry, he hit the ball recklessly, angrily back.”

A tournament spokesman told Reuters the line judge appeared to be okay and was “not brought off-site”. Her identity is not known. Djokovic eventually walked over to shake hands with a stunned Carreno Busta and trudged off the court before leaving the grounds without attending a press conference.

The 33-year-old Serbian later posted an apology on Instagram.

“This whole situation has left me really sad and empty,” he wrote. “I’m extremely sorry to have caused her such stress. So unintended. So wrong.

“I apologise to the (US Open) and everyone associated for my behaviour.”

New Grand Slam champion
Extraordinary even in a year when the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc in the sporting world, the disqualification ended Djokovic’s 26-match winning streak in 2020 and what, at times, looked like a charge towards his 18th Grand Slam title.

That would have brought him within one title of Rafa Nadal’s tally of 19 and two of Roger Federer’s record 20 major triumphs.

The USTA said Djokovic would lose all the ranking points earned from the event and be fined $250,000 — his prize money for reaching round four.

Consensus among former champions turned pundits and his fellow players was that Djokovic had accidentally hit the line umpire but, while unfortunate, the decision to disqualify him had been correct.

“It’s the right decision,” Tim Henman, who was disqualified from Wimbledon for a similar incident in 1995, told Amazon Prime.

“He is not aiming for the line judge, but has hit the ball away and you have to be responsible for your actions.”

With defending champion Nadal and Federer absent this year and no other former winners of the major four tournaments left in the men’s draw, Flushing Meadows is now guaranteed to welcome a new member into the Grand Slam champions club.

Djokovic’s humiliating exit continues what has been a turbulent few months for him off court. He was criticised for organising the Adria Tour exhibition event in June in which he and several players were tested positive for COVID-19.

He then dropped a bombshell on the eve of the US Open by announcing he had resigned as president of the ATP Player Council to front a new players’ association.

“I need to go back within and work on my disappointment and turn this all into a lesson for my growth and evolution as a player and human being,” he added in his Instagram statement.

World number 27 Carreno Busta moves on to a quarter-final against Canadian young gun Denis Shapovalov with both players knowing they have never had a better chance of snaring a maiden Grand Slam title.

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Police to challenge Achakzai’s acquittal in traffic cop murder case

Police have decided to file an appeal in the Balochistan High Court (BHC) challenging acquittal of former MPA Majeed Khan Achakzai in the murder case of a traffic cop.

Additional Inspector General (AIG) Abdul Razaq Cheema said the appeal against a model court’s September 4 verdict of exonerating Achakzai from all charges is in the final phase as the prosecution department is going through the detailed judgement and relevant documents to finalise the appeal.

He said the appeal will be moved in the Balochistan High Court (BHC) at the earliest.

On Sept 4, the model court in Quetta acquitted former provincial assembly member (MPA) Majeed Khan Achakzai in the traffic sergeant murder case due to lack of evidence. Judge Dost Muhammad Mandokhail had announced the verdict.

Traffic Sergeant Haji Attaullah was run over and killed in Quetta’s GPO Chowk allegedly by a vehicle belonging to then MPA Majeed Khan Achakzai in 2017. The traffic police officer had been seriously wounded in the accident and was taken to Civil Hospital Quetta for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries.

The incident had come to light when the footage of the legislator’s vehicle ramming into the traffic officer began circulating on social media.

On 29th December,2017, Balochistan MPA Majeed Achakzai had been released from jail after an anti-terrorism court granted him bail in a case pertaining to the killing of a traffic sergeant in Quetta by his over-speeding vehicle.

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Police to challenge Achakzai’s acquittal in traffic cop murder case

Police have decided to file an appeal in the Balochistan High Court (BHC) challenging acquittal of former MPA Majeed Khan Achakzai in the murder case of a traffic cop.

Additional Inspector General (AIG) Abdul Razaq Cheema said the appeal against a model court’s September 4 verdict of exonerating Achakzai from all charges is in the final phase as the prosecution department is going through the detailed judgement and relevant documents to finalise the appeal.

He said the appeal will be moved in the Balochistan High Court (BHC) at the earliest.

On Sept 4, the model court in Quetta acquitted former provincial assembly member (MPA) Majeed Khan Achakzai in the traffic sergeant murder case due to lack of evidence. Judge Dost Muhammad Mandokhail had announced the verdict.

Traffic Sergeant Haji Attaullah was run over and killed in Quetta’s GPO Chowk allegedly by a vehicle belonging to then MPA Majeed Khan Achakzai in 2017. The traffic police officer had been seriously wounded in the accident and was taken to Civil Hospital Quetta for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries.

The incident had come to light when the footage of the legislator’s vehicle ramming into the traffic officer began circulating on social media.

On 29th December,2017, Balochistan MPA Majeed Achakzai had been released from jail after an anti-terrorism court granted him bail in a case pertaining to the killing of a traffic sergeant in Quetta by his over-speeding vehicle.

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Saudi imam faces criticism over a sermon seen as prelude to normalization with Israel

Abdulrahman al-Sudais, the imam of the Grand Mosque of Mecca, is facing criticism over a sermon that was interpreted as a prelude to Saudi Arabia's normalization with Israel.

In a Friday sermon, Sudais spoke about dialogue and kindness to non-Muslims, clearly referencing to Jews.

His comments came less than a month after the United Arab Emirates and Israel reached a US-brokered deal to normalize relations, amid speculation other Persian Gulf Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, would follow suit.

Sudais called on worshipers to avoid "any misconceptions about correct beliefs in the heart coexisting with having healthy dealings in interpersonal exchanges and international relations".

"When the course of healthy human dialogue is neglected, parts of people's civilizations will collide, and the language that will become prevalent is one of violence, exclusion and hatred," he said.

His remarks caused a stir on social media, with many users accusing Sudais of exploiting the platform of Islam's holiest mosque to promote normalization that undermines the Palestinian cause.

His sermon also referred to the status of al-Asqa Mosque in Jerusalem al-Quds.

Sudais said al-Asqa Mosque had been "taken prisoner", adding, "This is an issue that is of utmost priority to the people of Islam and it must not be forgotten amid new struggles that appear."

"It must be kept in mind, but without exaggerations in the media or battles on the internet."

At the end of his sermon, the imam prayed to God to "rescue al-Aqsa Mosque from the clutches of the aggressors" and allow it to be "a revered location until the day of reckoning".

Justifying normalization and at the same time praying for saving al-Aqsa from the aggressors was deemed as a contradiction by social media users, many of whom accused the imam of betraying the Palestinian cause.

The Palestinian resistance movement of Hamas on Friday called on Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to stop helping the UAE implement its normalization deal with Israel, after the two countries opened their airspace to flights between Israel and the UAE.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said that backing the UAE in implementing the deal would embolden the Israeli regime to “commit more crimes.”

The first direct flight between Israel and the UAE was conducted on Monday through the Saudi airspace.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman told US President Donald Trump in a phone call on Sunday that the kingdom wanted to see a fair and permanent solution to the Palestinian issue based on the so-called Arab Peace Initiative.

The so-called Arab Peace Initiative, which was proposed by Saudi Arabia in 2002, calls on Israel to agree to a “two-state solution” along the 1967 lines and a “just” solution to the Palestinian refugee issue.

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Saudi imam faces criticism over a sermon seen as prelude to normalization with Israel

Abdulrahman al-Sudais, the imam of the Grand Mosque of Mecca, is facing criticism over a sermon that was interpreted as a prelude to Saudi Arabia's normalization with Israel.

In a Friday sermon, Sudais spoke about dialogue and kindness to non-Muslims, clearly referencing to Jews.

His comments came less than a month after the United Arab Emirates and Israel reached a US-brokered deal to normalize relations, amid speculation other Persian Gulf Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, would follow suit.

Sudais called on worshipers to avoid "any misconceptions about correct beliefs in the heart coexisting with having healthy dealings in interpersonal exchanges and international relations".

"When the course of healthy human dialogue is neglected, parts of people's civilizations will collide, and the language that will become prevalent is one of violence, exclusion and hatred," he said.

His remarks caused a stir on social media, with many users accusing Sudais of exploiting the platform of Islam's holiest mosque to promote normalization that undermines the Palestinian cause.

His sermon also referred to the status of al-Asqa Mosque in Jerusalem al-Quds.

Sudais said al-Asqa Mosque had been "taken prisoner", adding, "This is an issue that is of utmost priority to the people of Islam and it must not be forgotten amid new struggles that appear."

"It must be kept in mind, but without exaggerations in the media or battles on the internet."

At the end of his sermon, the imam prayed to God to "rescue al-Aqsa Mosque from the clutches of the aggressors" and allow it to be "a revered location until the day of reckoning".

Justifying normalization and at the same time praying for saving al-Aqsa from the aggressors was deemed as a contradiction by social media users, many of whom accused the imam of betraying the Palestinian cause.

The Palestinian resistance movement of Hamas on Friday called on Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to stop helping the UAE implement its normalization deal with Israel, after the two countries opened their airspace to flights between Israel and the UAE.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said that backing the UAE in implementing the deal would embolden the Israeli regime to “commit more crimes.”

The first direct flight between Israel and the UAE was conducted on Monday through the Saudi airspace.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman told US President Donald Trump in a phone call on Sunday that the kingdom wanted to see a fair and permanent solution to the Palestinian issue based on the so-called Arab Peace Initiative.

The so-called Arab Peace Initiative, which was proposed by Saudi Arabia in 2002, calls on Israel to agree to a “two-state solution” along the 1967 lines and a “just” solution to the Palestinian refugee issue.

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