ISLAMABAD: State-owned China National Pharmaceutical Group, also known as Sinopharm, has tied up with Pakistan’s Karachi University’s International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences to supply coronavirus vaccines to Pakistan, international media has reported, quoting Pakistani government officials.
The developing world— which often lacks both a pharmaceutical industry to develop, test and produce vaccines and the money to purchase them from elsewhere— has been forced to seek supplies from allies or from international groups attempting to obtain vaccines for poor countries.
China hasn’t been a major vaccine producer globally. It needs to test its Covid-19 vaccines outside its borders, because coronavirus cases in China have dwindled and it is harder to find the population diversity required.
“Pakistan would get the vaccine on a priority basis,” an official involved in forging the agreement told the Wall Street Journal.
Pakistan would conduct Phase 1 trials of the vaccine and then move rapidly to the final-stage Phase 3 trial, which requires tens of thousands of volunteers. If the vaccine is safe and effective, Pakistan would receive enough vaccine to cover around a fifth of its population in the initial months of production, according to Pakistani officials who said financial terms hadn’t yet been worked out.
Pakistan, one of China’s closest allies in the developing world, will receive enough doses early in distribution to vaccinate the most vulnerable among its population of 220 million, including the elderly, health-care workers and people with medical conditions associated with serious cases of Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus.
About one-fifth of the country’s population could be covered by the allocation, the officials said.
The agreement, among the first China has reached as part of its efforts to test its coronavirus vaccine in populations beyond its borders, comes amid a global competition for access to vaccines that are now entering trials and expected to come to market in coming months.
Negotiations are under way with a second Chinese company to trial its vaccine in Pakistan, officials said.
China’s Sinopharm ties up with Karachi University to supply coronavirus vaccines to Pakistan
https://arab.news/nk2jx
China’s Sinopharm ties up with Karachi University to supply coronavirus vaccines to Pakistan
- Pakistan would conduct Phase 1 trials and then move rapidly to the final-stage Phase 3 trial, which requires tens of thousands of volunteers
- Pakistan would receive enough vaccine to cover around a fifth of its population in the initial months of production
Pakistani YouTuber ‘Ducky Bhai’ alleges custodial torture, pledges to accept gambling case ruling
- Saadur Rehman in hour-long video accuses NCCIA officers of inflicting mental and physical torture during his custody
- ’Ducky Bhai’ was arrested in August at the Lahore airport on charges of promoting online gambling, betting applications
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani YouTuber Saadur Rehman, popularly known as “Ducky Bhai,” on Sunday accused the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) of mental and physical torture after his arrest earlier this year on charges of promoting gambling and betting applications.
He made the accusations in an hour-long video on his YouTube channel, his first after being granted bail last month, in which he gave a detailed account of his interrogation in custody.
Rehman was arrested by NCCIA in August from the Lahore airport while he was trying to travel to Malaysia to attend an event on invitation. He was granted bail by the Lahore High Court on Nov. 25 but was not released from custody immediately.
“I don’t want anyone to think that the purpose of this video is to offer any justification for the FIR [first information report] that has been filed against me,” Rehman said in a YouTube video posted on his channel. “I am simply here to apologize.
If any of my content has had a negative impact to date, I apologize for that.”
He said he was going to accept the court verdict in the case.
“Let the court handle this matter legally. I am ready to fully cooperate with the courts and am doing so,” he continued. “I will fully cooperate with the agency and accept whatever decision the judge makes in my case.”
Rehman also alleged that NCCIA Lahore Additional Director Sarfraz Chaudhry abused him verbally and physically, slapping him multiple times while questioning him about how he earned a large income.
He said Chaudhry accused him of “corrupting the minds of children,” highlighting that NCCIA officials had seized around $326,000 from his Binance account, closing all his trades, converting his cryptocurrency into US dollars and transferring the funds.
It is pertinent to mention that Chaudhry was removed from his post in September following multiple controversies involving him, Rehman’s family and online gambling.
In October, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested six NCCIA personnel on allegations of misusing their authority and taking bribes.
The complaint in the case was filed against nine persons including eight NCCIA personnel, with the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle in Lahore, following a complaint by Rehman’s wife, Aroob Jatoi.
Rehman is one of Pakistan’s most popular YouTubers. He has uploaded over 750 videos on the video-sharing platform and has amassed over 8.38 million subscribers.
He was also booked by Pakistan’s Motorway Police this year in April for performing dangerous stunts while driving.
