LAHORE: A senior health official in Pakistan’s Punjab province said on Sunday there had been a “significant decline” in coronavirus cases across the province, local media reported.
Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, reported one death and 57 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, according to official figures.
“Special standard operating procedures (SOPs) have been issued for various sectors to bring about a further decrease in the virus cases,” the Express Tribune newspaper quoted Punjab health care secretary Imran Sikandar Baloch as saying.
The official also urged the general public to “maintain social distancing, wear masks and contact 1033 helpline for any guidance or complaints.”
Pakistan recorded two more fatalities and 358 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, according to official data.
The South Asian nation also continues to report cases of the omicron variant. The strain was first detected in South Africa last month and within a few weeks of its discovery has spread across nearly 90 countries in the world.
On Saturday, Pakistan’s federal capital reported its first case of the new strain, a senior official announced, saying the patient had traveled to Islamabad from Karachi.
Pakistan reported its first omicron case in Karachi on December 13, though many other people were suspected to have contracted the variant in other parts of the country, including Balochistan.
Last week, Pakistani Planning Minister Asad Umar requested eligible Pakistani nationals to get themselves vaccinated after the emergence of omicron cases in the country. He said the spread of the new variant across the world had made it “even more urgent” to increase the pace of Pakistan’s vaccination campaign.
So far, 92,086,806 people have received their first dose of anti-COVID vaccines in Pakistan, while 65,149,948 have been fully inoculated, official data shows.
COVID-19 cases declining across Pakistan’s Punjab province — health official
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COVID-19 cases declining across Pakistan’s Punjab province — health official
- Health secretary says special directives issued to bring about “further decrease” in cases
- Pakistan continues to report new cases of omicron variant, first one identified in capital on Saturday
Women in Pakistan’s Karachi protest against honor killings, rising extremism
- Participants of the rally say Karo-Kari is ‘rampant’ in Sindh, oppose marriages to settle disputes
- Protesters also raise concern about proposed amendments to Pakistan’s water distribution system
KARACHI: Hundreds of women marched in Karachi on Sunday to protest honor killings, rising extremism and social injustices, while voicing concerns over proposed changes to Pakistan’s water distribution mechanism earlier this year, which southern provinces argue are detrimental to their interests.
The rally, organized by Sindhiyani Tehreek, a women-led movement supported by civil society groups, drew demonstrators from across Sindh who marched from Regal Chowk to the Karachi Press Club.
Dr. Marvi Sindhu, the central general secretary of the movement, highlighted the threat of so-called honor killings, locally referred to as Karo-Kari. These killings target individuals accused of engaging in illicit relationships or marrying against their families’ wishes, often as a means to restore the perceived honor of the family.
“We are raising our voices against the rampant killing of women in the name of honor in Sindh,” she told Arab News. “We are also here to raise our voices against rising religious extremism.”
Sindhu said Karo-Kari was “alarmingly rampant” in northern Sindh, though she noted other socially conservative practices also undermined the interests and wellbeing of women.
“Women are married to settle disputes or murder cases [in the province], only to face harassment [from their in-laws] for the rest of their lives,” she continued, urging Pakistan’s senior judiciary to form a commission to address such issues.
Amar Sindhu, a professor and member of the Women’s Action Forum, echoed similar concerns, saying the rise in extremist ideologies was deepening social injustices and threatening women’s safety in Sindh.
“We stand united against these injustices and demand action to protect women from violence and oppression,” she said.
Sindhiyani Tehreek, founded in 1980, has been a prominent force in the province, advocating for women’s rights, social justice and the preservation of Sindhi culture. The movement also has a long history of resistance against authoritarian rule, gender-based violence and environmental degradation.
Apart from social and gender issues, the protest also highlighted proposed amendments to the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Act, 1992, introduced in July to restructure Pakistan’s water regulatory authority.
Key changes include appointing a permanent federal chairman to the authority, replacing the current rotational system where provincial representatives take turns leading IRSA.
The movement’s general secretary condemned the amendments as “unlawful,” warning they could exacerbate interprovincial disputes and deprive Sindh of its rightful share of water.
“Sindh deserves its share of water to sustain its crops, mangroves and marine life,” she said.
One killed in northwestern Pakistan blast targeting religio-political party leader
- Attack on Maulana Shehzad Wazir of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam has left him critically injured
- The JUI leader was on his way to a mosque in Azam Warsak when the explosion took place
PESHAWAR: One person was killed and six others injured in a blast triggered by an improvised explosive device (IED) targeting a senior leader of a prominent religio-political party in South Waziristan district on Sunday, leaving him in critical condition, police said.
The attack on Maulana Shehzad Wazir comes amid complaints from his Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) party about being targeted by militants operating in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.
JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also voiced concerns over militant threats disrupting the party’s election campaign in the region ahead of the February 8 national polls, citing warnings from law enforcement about dangers to its candidates.
“The IED was planted in a street leading to Maulana Shehzad Wazir’s mosque, who is politically affiliated with the JUI-F,” Bilal Wazir, a police officer in Wana, the headquarters of South Waziristan tribal district, told Arab News over the phone. “Mufti Ijaz Wazir died on the spot while six others, including Maulana Shehzad Wazir, who was apparently the target of the attack, were left in critical condition.”
The officer said a police contingent was dispatched to the area soon after the explosion to gather evidence and shift the wounded to the hospital.
Asked about the intensity of the blast, he said it shook the entire neighborhood of Azam Warsak, a settlement on the outskirts of Wana.
Speaking to Arab News, Mufti Ijaz Shinwari, the JUI senior vice president in the tribal area, condemned the incident, saying the victims of the attack were religious leaders and key figures of his political party on the provincial level.
“This is inhumane,” he added. “This is clearly a terrorist attack and a cowardly act.”
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, though Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned militant group, has a history of targeting civilians, security forces and politicians in the region, aiming to perpetuate instability in KP.
In recent months, the TTP has claimed responsibility for several attacks and is suspected by officials in others.
Earlier this week, however, Daesh, a separate militant outfit, shot dead Hameed Sufi, a senior leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, in the adjacent Bajaur tribal district.
In June, four people, including Maulana Mirza Jan, the president of JUI’s Wana chapter, were shot by unidentified attackers.
Pakistan claims Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers are providing shelter to TTP fighters across the porous border separating the two countries. However, the Afghan Taliban insists they do not allow anyone to use their soil to launch violent attacks in the neighborhood.
Smog drops from hazardous to unhealthy in Pakistan’s Lahore
- The city’s AQI index reached a daily average of 243, still considered ‘very unhealthy’
- Current pollution level is 10 times higher than what is deemed acceptable by WHO
ISLAMABAD: The air quality in Pakistan’s smog-choked city of Lahore on Sunday fell below the threshold considered “hazardous” for humans for the first time in two weeks.
The AQI index reached a daily average of 243, still “very unhealthy” but below the highest level of 300 considered “hazardous.”
The level of PM2.5 particles was also more than 10 times higher than the level deemed acceptable by the World Health Organization.
The city of 14 million people close to the border with India peaked at a record AQI of 1,110 on November 14.
Punjab, home to more than half of Pakistan’s 240 million people, closed schools in its major cities on November 6, and on Friday extended the closure to November 24.
It has also banned all outdoor sports in schools until January, and cracked down on polluting tuk-tuks, barbecues and construction sites in pollution hot spots across Lahore.
Seasonal crop burn-off by farmers on the outskirts of the city also contributes to toxic air the WHO says can cause strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory diseases.
Pakistan’s finance chief says PM Sharif will soon unveil ‘home-grown’ economic agenda
- Muhammad Aurangzeb calls the recent IMF visit part of ongoing talks, enhancing mutual trust
- The visit came weeks after the $7 billion loan approval, making observers think it was unusual
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will soon unveil a “home-grown agenda” for economic development, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Sunday, as he informed that his interaction with a visiting International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation last week went well, providing both sides an opportunity to enhance mutual trust.
The IMF delegation, led by Pakistan mission chief Nathan Porter, completed a five-day trip to the country during which it held wide-ranging conversations with the government.
The international lending organization approved a $7 billion loan for Pakistan in September, though it explicitly stated that the delegation’s visit was not part of the first review of the loan program, which is scheduled for the first quarter of 2025.
The IMF visit, which came just weeks after the loan’s approval, surprised observers who considered it unusual, though the finance minister described it as part of an ongoing dialogue between the two sides, noting that it resulted in a positive IMF statement.
Aurangzeb also said the government would specify its overall economic game plan in the next few days.
“The prime minister will soon share a home-grown agenda about how we are going to take forward our overall economic roadmap,” he said, without disclosing its details. “It has been very well syndicated with all the stakeholders.”
The minister emphasized that dealings between Pakistan and the IMF were completely transparent, with all agreed details available in the public domain. He noted the recent discussions with the IMF covered taxation and energy reforms, along with the privatization plan for state-owned enterprises and public finances.
“I welcomed this visit because this is an ongoing dialogue to ensure mutual credibility and trust,” he added. “We have shared our roadmap with them and explained how we are taking things forward.”
The finance minister said the two sides would continue to hold virtual talks, though he noted that he appreciated every opportunity to meet IMF officials face-to-face.
He also mentioned that discussions with the international lender included climate resilience and decarbonization, emphasizing that these issues had to be addressed alongside broader economic challenges rather than sequentially.
Pakistan has faced a prolonged economic crisis marked by rapid currency devaluation and dwindling foreign exchange reserves, which forced it to seek external financial assistance from friendly nations and global financial institutions.
The country has seen an improvement in its macroeconomic indicators in recent months, though it has yet to fully recover from its financial difficulties.
Reflecting on his visit to Washington for the World Bank and IMF meetings earlier this year, Aurangzeb described the discussions as productive.
“They gave us a platform to share with the comity of nations about how we turned the economy around in 14 months,” he said. “We also got an important message, which is that there is no room for complacency and we must stay the course [of stringent economic reforms].”
Pakistan’s IT minister calls for bridging gender digital divide in address to Qatar conference
- Shaza Fatima says access to technology and Internet is important to ensure women empowerment
- She says women will overcome social hurdles, join mainstream politics after greater digital access
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s State Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima on Sunday called for closing the gender divide in the digital world, emphasizing that women could be empowered by providing access to modern technology and Internet connectivity.
She made the remarks while virtually addressing a conference in Qatar focused on “Digitalization and Women in Politics.”
“In the modern era, it is essential for women to have access to technology and the Internet,” Fatima said during the event, according to an official statement. “Women can be empowered through the provision of digital devices and Internet access.”
The minister said the Pakistani government was taking active steps to eliminate the barriers women face in accessing mobile phones and information and communication technology.
“We are working on a Gender Digital Divide Policy to ensure women’s access to the digital economy,” she informed. “The Prime Minister’s Free Laptop Scheme plays a significant role in providing access to digital tools.”
The minister also highlighted ongoing efforts to develop a “smartphone for all” policy, underscoring how such initiatives could help women overcome social and economic challenges in entering politics.
“Women face social and economic hurdles in entering politics,” she noted. “Through digitalization, women can be empowered and brought into mainstream politics.”
The event underscored growing interactions between Pakistan and Qatar in the technology sector.
Islamabad has stepped up efforts to forge technological collaborations with Doha, sending its first IT delegation to Qatar last December to attract investment and explore opportunities for Pakistani software houses and freelance developers.
Qatar, like much of the Gulf region, is diversifying its economy with a strong focus on technology. From smart city initiatives to tech start-ups and events like the FIFA World Cup 2022, the country is rapidly advancing its technological capabilities.
Pakistan’s top officials have underscored the potential for bilateral collaboration in tech-related areas, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inviting Qatari investors to explore opportunities in various economic sectors during his visit to the Arab state last month.
