Pakistan Reports 06 More Corona Deaths in last 24 hours

Pakistan has reported 6 deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases has surged to 1,295,933. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 28,933 on Saturday.

According to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) 556 persons tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

Province-wise Details

Punjab remains the worst-hit province in terms of deaths followed by Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Till now 13,070 individuals have lost their lives to the epidemic in Punjab, 7,670 in Sindh 5,930 in KP, 967 in Islamabad, 746 in Azad Kashmir, 364 in Balochistan, and 186 in GB.

Furthermore 482,029 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh, 445,107 in Punjab 181,402 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 108,666 in Islamabad, 34,662 in Azad Kashmir 33,638 in Balochistan and 10,429 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Tests and Recoveries

Pakistan has so far conducted 23,423,546 coronavirus tests and 51,141 in the last 24 hours. 1,256,816 patients have recovered in the country whereas 629 patients are in critical condition.

Positivity Ratio

The COVID-19 positivity ratio was recorded at 1.08 percent.

Vaccine Statistics

So far, 96,980,678 people have received their first dose of coronavirus vaccine including 927,315 in last 24 hours. 70,576,467 citizens have been fully vaccinated while 1,046,013 received their second dose in last 24 hours.

The number of total administered doses has reached to 156,623,021 with 1,599,380 in the last 24 hours

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Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi among nominees for ICC Men's Player of the Year award

Ace batsman-wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan and star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi have been included among four nominees for the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for International Cricket Council's (ICC) Men's Player of the Year, the world cricket body announced on Friday.

The other two nominees are England captain Joe Root and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, the ICC said in a statement.

Shaheen — the man on fire

Elaborating on the achievements of the players, the ICC noted that Shaheen took 78 wickets in 36 international matches this year at an average of 22.20 runs. He also delivered his career-best figures in an innings this year in August against the West Indies, grabbing six wickets for 51 runs.

"The tall Pakistani pacer was on fire throughout 2021, knocking some of the best batters over across all three formats of the game. He especially had a year to remember in Tests and T20Is, reaching his absolute peak during the T20 World Cup in UAE where he impressed one and all with his sheer speed and skills," the statement said.

"He ruled the shortest format throughout the calendar year, scalping 23 wickets in 21 matches with his death bowling improving by leaps and bounds," it added.

The statement made special mention of Shaheen's performance against India in the T20 World Cup where it was the pacer's double-wicket salvo up top that put India on the backfoot early and set the tone for the entire match.

It also recalled Indian captain Virat Kohli's post-match statement in which he had heaped praise on Shaheen, saying: "He put our batsmen under pressure immediately with the new ball, and he ran in with intensity and showed that he's bowling in consistent areas, so as batsmen you are forced to be a bit watchful.

"That spell kind of put us on the back foot immediately, and from there on to get those extra 20, 25 runs, in the end, seemed pretty difficult when you lose three wickets for 20 runs."

Rizwan the dependable

Ever-reliable batsman for Pakistan, Rizwan accrued 1,915 runs in 44 international matches this year at an average of 56.32 and racked up 56 dismissals behind the stumps.

"The Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter ruled the roost in 2021 when it came to the shortest format of the game. Aggregating a staggering 1,326 runs in only 29 matches, Rizwan struck at an average of 73.66 and a strike rate of 134.89. Apart from his exploits with the bat, he was as solid as ever behind the stumps," the statement said.

Praising Rizwan's consistency, the ICC statement noted that he had also improved his Test performances this year, gathering 455 runs in nine matches at an average of 45.50.

According to the ICC's statement, Rizwan's most memorable performance also came during Pakistan's match against India, with the batsman hitting 79 on only 55 deliveries, including six fours and three sixes.

"He ensured that there were no hiccups in the run-chase as Pakistan galloped towards the target without losing a single wicket to seal a 10-wicket victory. Rizwan would continue this form throughout the remainder of the tournament, scoring 281 runs and ending as the third-highest run-scorer," it added.

The ICC also recalled Rizwan's performance in Pakistan's semi-final against Australia in which he top-scored for the Green Shirts with 67 from 52 balls. During his innings, Rizwan had become the first player to score 1,000 runs in T20 internationals in a calendar year.

Officials had revealed after the match that Rizwan was in hospital with a severe chest infection before taking the field in the semi-final.

Saying Rizwan has a "character of steel", the statement recalled coach Matthew Hayden's post-match talk in which he said, "[Rizwan] is a warrior. He has been brilliant through it (the campaign) and he's got great courage."

A day earlier, the ICC announced the nominees for the ODI Player of the Year award, with Pakistan skipper Babar Azam one of four contenders for the accolade.

According to the ICC, its Voting Academy which comprises global cricket journalists and broadcasters will vote for their first, second and third choices. The world cricket body will also take fans' votes into consideration. The winner will be decided by combining the results of the Voting Academy and fans' votes.

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Ex-Afghan president says decision to flee Kabul made in 'minutes'

Former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani on Thursday described fleeing the Taliban's victory march on Kabul, saying the decision had been taken in "minutes" and that he did not know he was leaving the country until he was taking off.

Ghani told BBC's Radio 4 "Today" programme that on the morning of August 15, 2021, the day the Islamists took control of the capital and his own government fell apart, he had "no inkling" that it would be his last day in Afghanistan.

But by that afternoon security at the presidential palace had "collapsed," he said.

"If I take a stand they will all be killed, and they were not capable of defending me," Ghani said in the interview, conducted by former UK chief of defence staff, General Nick Carter.

His national security adviser, Hamdullah Mohib, was "literally terrified," Ghani said. "He did not give me more than two minutes."

He said his instructions had originally been to fly by helicopter to southeastern Khost city.

But Khost had fallen in the Islamists' lightning offensive which saw provincial capitals topple around the country in the days ahead of the withdrawal of international forces, set for the end of August.

The eastern city of Jalalabad, on the border with Pakistan, had also fallen, he said.

"I did not know where we will go," Ghani said.

"Only when we took off did it become clear that we were leaving."

Ghani has been in the United Arab Emirates ever since.

He has been highly criticised in Afghanistan for leaving, with Afghans now trapped under the Taliban's harsh rule accusing him of abandoning them -- and of taking millions of dollars in cash, a claim he "categorically" denied again on Thursday.

The former World Bank official has released several previous statements on his departure, admitting that he owed the Afghan people an explanation. Thursday was his first interview.

He said again that his first concern had been to prevent brutal street fighting in the capital, already packed with tens of thousands of refugees fleeing violence elsewhere in the country.

And he said his decision to leave was "the hardest thing".

"I had to sacrifice myself in order to save Kabul and to expose the situation for what it is: a violent coup, not a political agreement."

But even if he'd stayed, he said, he could not have changed the outcome, which has seen the Taliban establish their new regime as the country faces one of the worst humanitarian crises in history.

"Unfortunately I was painted in total black," he said. "It became an American issue. Not an Afghan issue."

"My life work has been destroyed, my values have been trampled on and I've been made a scapegoat," he said.

Afghans had "rightly" blamed him, he said. "I completely understand that anger, because I share that anger."

 

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PML-N MPA Bilal Yaseen shot, injured in Lahore

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Bilal Yaseen was shot and injured by unidentified assailants in Lahore on Friday, police said.

According to police officials, the armed men on two motorcycles opened fire on the PML-N MPA after he visited a party worker in Data Darbar area of the city.

The MPA suffered two bullet injuries in his leg and stomach, a police official said, adding that he was rushed to the Lahore Mayo Hospital, where is he is undergoing treatment.

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has taken notice of the incident and directed police officials to submit the report at the earliest.

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Britain approves Pfizer's antiviral Covid-19 pill

Britain has approved Pfizer's (PFE.N) Covid-19 pill for adults who have mild to moderate infection and are at high risk of their illness worsening, its second easily administered antiviral against the coronavirus.

Britain is scrambling to build its defences amid a record surge in Covid-19 cases in the winter season as the Omicron variant of the virus spreads quickly.

Based on data, the pill, Paxlovid, is most effective when taken during the early stages of Covid-19, Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said on Friday, recommending it be used within five days of the first symptoms.

Pfizer this month said Paxlovid showed near 90% efficacy in preventing hospitalisations and deaths in high-risk patients, and recent lab data suggests the drug retains its effectiveness against the fast-spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

The MHRA said it is working with Pfizer, which makes one of the leading Covid-19 vaccines with German partner BioNTech (22UAy.DE), to track Paxlovid's effectiveness against Omicron.

"We now have a further antiviral medicine for the treatment of Covid-19 that can be taken by mouth rather than administered intravenously. This means it can be administered outside a hospital setting," MHRA chief June Raine said in a statement.

Paxlovid is made of two active substances which come as two separate pills taken twice a day together for five days. Britain has secured more than 2.75 million courses of the antiviral treatment.

The Pfizer tablets are part of a class of drugs called protease inhibitors currently used to treat HIV, hepatitis C and other viruses, which work by stopping the virus from replicating.

Rival Merck's (MRK.N) Covid-19 pill was approved by Britain last month, but that drug only reduced hospitalisations and deaths in its clinical trial of high-risk patients by around 30%.

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Saudi Arabia boosts pandemic measures at Grand Mosque

Saudi Arabia reimposed social distancing measures at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, after recording the highest number of infections in months.

Workers have returned floor markings removed on October 17 to guide people to social distance in and around the Grand Mosque.

Saudi authorities said they will reimpose “social distancing requirements between worshippers and pilgrims” at the Grand Mosque, without specifying whether a capacity has been set.

Earlier, the government had said social distancing and masks were again required in both indoor and outdoor venues.

The country of approximately 34 million people has so far recorded more than 554,000 coronavirus cases, including 8,874 deaths, the highest number of fatalities among the Gulf Arab countries.

On Wednesday, Saudi recorded 744 cases, the highest number since mid-August.

The Covid-19 pandemic hugely disrupted Muslim pilgrimages, which are usually key revenue earners for the kingdom, bringing in some $12 billion annually.

The six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar — have been recording their highest numbers of new cases in months.

Despite having the world’s highest vaccination rate, the UAE has recorded the largest number of infections among Gulf countries at more than 757,000.

On Wednesday, it recorded 2,234 infections, the highest number since June.

The Emirates’ Abu Dhabi crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, sought to reassure the people that “the UAE health sector is fully geared and prepared to address any challenges”, according to the official WAM news agency.

The UAE is gearing up to host New Year’s Eve celebrations, including at Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, in the emirate of Dubai.

Dubai, which is heavily dependent on tourism, was one of the world’s first destinations to welcome back visitors in July 2020.

It is also counting on the six-month Expo 2020 trade fair to boost its economy.

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Pakistan's economic position will be 'far better' by August: Fawad

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Friday insisted that Pakistan was heading in the "right direction" and that the country's economy will be "far better" by August 2022.

Speaking to reporters in Lahore, Chaudhry said a phase was being commenced in Pakistan in which the social protection programmes will take effect, paving the way for improvement of the overall economic situation of the country.

He informed that the PTI-led government had to return $55 billion in its next two years in debt payment, adding that a sum of $32bn had already been paid under debts in the last three years.

"We are paying the price for the legacy left by Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif," the minister said, in reference to the last two governments of the PPP and PML-N.

Dispelling the impression given by the opposition about the country failing at the economic front, Chaudhry said Shehbaz Sharif and other opposition leaders should not worry about the country as "it is heading in the right direction, and people are witnessing it".

'Our politics, defence and economy are all stable'
The minister stressed that Pakistan's politics, defence and economy were all quite stable.

He said the national economy was growing at five per cent and it will further stabilise in time to come.

"Also, take an example of the coronavirus pandemic as such calamities occur once in 100 years and Pakistan's strategy to tackle it is being praised worldwide," he added.

Chaudhry, while continuing with his criticism of rival parties, said the opposition leaders were all panicked after the government expressed its intent to bring Nawaz Sharif back to Pakistan.

"We want the Lahore High Court to move on his case and Nawaz should be brought back at the earliest," he said.

He added that the government also wanted that cases involving Shehbaz Sharif should be taken up on a day-to-day basis.

The minister stonewalled a query when asked about the political implications of the "most important" appointment the prime minister was set to make in 2022 and wrapped his answer by succinctly saying "for God's sake".

The minister, while highlighting the importance of the film and drama industry, rued that the country had not been able to utilise the potential of the vital industry for its image-building.

"Our stories have to be told through films and the way we ended our film industry was really unfortunate. We will now revive the medium to tell the story of Pakistan to the world."

Chaudhry said he was pleased that the dollar depreciated against the rupee after the introduction of the Finance (Supplementary) Bill 2021 in the National Assembly on Thursday.

"This inflation cycle will break in three to four months, while the prices of vegetables will also decline in a couple of months," he added.

The information minister said Pakistan would have gone bankrupt had Imran not been the prime minister of the country.

"If Pakistan is floating today, it's because of Imran Khan and the PTI's economic team," claimed the minister.

He said the system through which Pakistan had been governed for the past several years was no more in practice. "Now, for the first time, a people-centric government is working in Pakistan".

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