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  • In coronavirus hotspots, Pakistan closes schools for grades 1-8 til April 28


In coronavirus hotspots, Pakistan closes schools for grades 1-8 til April 28

Students leave their school as it is closed by the provincial government that has announced two-day holidays for educational institutions in Karachi, Pakistan, on February 27, 2020. (AFP/File)
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Updated 06 April 2021
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In coronavirus hotspots, Pakistan closes schools for grades 1-8 til April 28

  • Students of grades 9-12 to resume classes from April 19 to cover curriculum before exams 
  • Pakistan has administered vaccine jabs to over a million people since February, planning minister says
Updated 06 April 2021
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s education minister Shafqat Mahmood said on Tuesday physical classes for grade one to eight would not be held until August 28 in districts with high coronavirus positivity rates, while the planning minister said over one million people in the country had received vaccine jabs. 
Pakistan is facing a third wave of the coronavirus and recorded 3,953 new infections in the last 24 hours, with 103 deaths. 
On March 24, Pakistan announced that it would keep all educational institutes in coronavirus hotspots closed until April 11. On Monday, Pakistan’s National Command and Operation Center, in-charge of the national coronavirus response, said it had called a special session of the body today, Tuesday, to review Ramadan guidelines and the reopening of schools. 
“In districts affected by corona classes from 1 till 8th will remain closed till 28th April,” Mahmood said on Twitter. “In these districts classes 9th till 12th will resume in a staggered manner from April 19th.” 

He added that authorities would review the situation again and see if classes should be suspended until Eid Al-Fitr or resumed in a staggered way. 
On exams, the education minister said: “In the Education Ministers conference today it was also decided unanimously that all exams will take place. A/ AS and O level date sheets have already been announced. Classes 9 to 12 exam dates will be announced by respective boards but will be after Eid.” 

“Decisions regarding exams are final,” he wrote in another Twitter post. “Students should start preparing and working hard. This decision will not be changed so no one should have any uncertainty in their mind. Everything has been done keeping interest of education in mind. My very best wishes to everyone.” 

The education minister of Pakistan’s most populous province of Punjab, Murad Raas, said all public and private schools, classes 1-8, would remain closed until Eid in the cities of Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Multan, Bhawalpur, Sialkot, Sargoda, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Rahim Yar Khan, DG Khan and Sheikupura. 
“Decision to be reviewed in 2 weeks,” he wrote on Twitter. “All Public & Private Schools classes 9-12 will be open only Monday & Thursday starting April 19th, 2021 in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Multan, Bahawalpur, Sialkot, Sargoda, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Rahim Yar Khan, Sheikhupura and DG Khan,” Raas said, adding: “All Examinations for Classes 9 through 12 and O/A Levels will be conducted as per schedule in Punjab.”
Pakistan’s planning minister Asad Umar, who also heads the NCOC, said on Tuesday Pakistan had administered coronavirus vaccines to more than one million people so far since Pakistan started its vaccination drive in February this year. 

“Total vaccinations carried out so far crossed 1 million. More than 76 thousand vaccinations were carried out yesterday. Total number of people registered so far is now over 2 million,” Umar said in tweet, urging people over 50 years of age to register for vaccination. 

In a separate tweet Umar said the coronavirus situation was improving in the country due to the enforcement of lockdowns and health guidelines.
“Increased restrictions, broader lockdowns & stronger sop [standard operating procedures] enforcement starting to have effect,” he said on Twitter. “Initial signs of positivity slowing. However, due to momentum of last 2 weeks patients on critical care & mortality will stay at high levels for some time.” 

Topics: CORONAVIRUS PAKISTAN Schools

Pakistan’s drug enforcement agency nets record ‘ice’ haul in major anti-trafficking operation

Updated 6 sec ago
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Pakistan’s drug enforcement agency nets record ‘ice’ haul in major anti-trafficking operation

  • The Anti-Narcotics Force seizes 224 kilograms of the substance while it was being transported to Belgium
  • The authorities also apprehended three suspects, among them two Afghan nationals, who were trying to escape
Updated 6 sec ago
Muhammad Ibrahim

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) announced on Thursday it had achieved a “monumental victory” in the ongoing battle against drug trafficking by intercepting the largest consignment of methamphetamine, popularly called “ice,” in the nation’s history.
Methamphetamine, known for its potent and addictive properties, has seen a significant rise in use not just in Pakistan but globally, contributing to a burgeoning health crisis.
The drug’s accessibility and escalating abuse have heightened law enforcement and public health efforts to curtail its spread.
This major seizure highlights the ongoing challenges and the critical need for continued vigilance and international cooperation in combating drug trafficking and its societal impacts.
“A total of 224 kilograms of Methamphetamine (Ice) was seized by the diligent ANF team at the Karachi port,” an official statement announced. “Disguised within five containers labelled as ‘Soapstone’ exports from Afghanistan to Belgium, this illicit substance was artfully concealed within the container’s roof and doors.”
The authorities also apprehended three suspects involved in the smuggling attempt, among them two Afghan nationals.
“The suspects were attempting to flee to Afghanistan via the Torkham border when they were intercepted by ANF Team,” the statement continued.
It added the intercepting the massive methamphetamine consignment by ANF prevented its distribution and potential harm to countless people.

Topics: crystal methamphetamine Drug bust Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF)

Pakistan’s inflation sees lowest increase in nearly two years at 17.3% in April

Updated 28 min 32 sec ago
Reuters
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Pakistan’s inflation sees lowest increase in nearly two years at 17.3% in April

  • Pakistan has been beset by inflation above 20% since May 2022, registering a high of 38% in May 2023
  • Month on month inflation was down 0.4%, showing negative growth for the first time since last year in June
Updated 28 min 32 sec ago
Reuters

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) for April rose 17.3% from a year earlier, data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics showed on Thursday, the lowest reading in nearly two years and below the finance ministry’s projections for the month.

Pakistan has been beset by inflation above 20% since May 2022, registering a high of 38% in May 2023, as it has navigated reforms as part of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme.

Month on month inflation was down 0.4%, showing negative growth for the first time since June 2023.

The Finance Ministry in its monthly economic report said it expected inflation to hover between 18.5% and 19.5% in April and ease further in May to 17.5%-18.5%.

Pakistan’s central bank kept its key interest rate unchanged at 22% for the seventh straight policy meeting on Monday, hours before the IMF executive board approved $1.1 billion in funding under a $3 billion standby arrangement signed last year.

The bank’s monetary policy committee said in a statement it was “prudent” to continue with its monetary policy stance at this stage to bring inflation down to the target range.

‘Well aware of our constitutional limits,’ Pakistan’s army chief declares at PAF graduation parade

Updated 30 min 14 sec ago
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‘Well aware of our constitutional limits,’ Pakistan’s army chief declares at PAF graduation parade

  • General Asim Munir says Article 19 of Pakistan’s constitution sets limits on freedom of expression
  • He says a strong air force is essential to prevent Pakistan from being at the mercy of aggressors
Updated 30 min 14 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir emphasized the armed forces’ awareness of their constitutional limits and expectations for legal compliance from others while addressing the graduation parade at the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Academy in Risalpur on Thursday.
The military’s involvement in politics has been a contentious issue in Pakistan, with public criticism intensifying since the ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan in a no-confidence vote in April 2022.
The country’s military has publicly denied intentions to interfere in political affairs more recently, asserting a commitment to uphold democracy and remain apolitical, amid growing public scrutiny over its past involvements in political matters.
“We are well aware of our constitutional limits and expect others to prioritize adherence to the constitution as well,” the army chief was quoted as saying by the military media wing, ISPR, in a statement.
He said in his address to the graduating cadets that Article 19 of the Pakistani constitution set limits on freedom of expression as well.
“Those who openly violate the clear restrictions on freedom of expression set by the constitution cannot point fingers at others,” he asserted.
General Munir noted specific technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics and quantum computing, were expanding the scope and transforming the use of air power.
However, he warned against an arms race in the region, saying it could disrupt the balance of power in and around South Asia.
The army chief pointed out that a strong air force was essential to prevent the country from being at the mercy of external aggressors.
“The recent war in Gaza is a fresh example of the miseries that wars can bring,” he said. “The indiscriminate killing of elderly, women and children in Gaza is proof that violence is increasing in the world.”
He also criticized India for its policies in the dispute Kashmir region, pointing out it would not be able to suppress the “voices of freedom” and promising continued Pakistani support on moral, political and diplomatic levels for those resisting New Delhi’s rule.

Pakistan anticipates more high-level Saudi business delegations amid stronger bilateral ties

Updated 02 May 2024
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Pakistan anticipates more high-level Saudi business delegations amid stronger bilateral ties

  • Foreign office says the two countries are involved in robust dialogue that has gained significant momentum
  • It categorically denies reports that Pakistan is providing military bases to any foreign country against anyone
Updated 02 May 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan anticipates continued visits by high-level business delegations from Saudi Arabia in the upcoming weeks to further explore investment opportunities facilitated under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), the foreign office announced on Thursday.
The statement came just days after Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif concluded his visit to Riyadh, where he addressed the two-day World Economic Forum conference that began on April 28.
During his visit, Sharif met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and several Saudi ministers to strengthen bilateral relations and economic partnerships between the two nations.
Prior to his visit to the kingdom, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan was in Islamabad with a large delegation, saying the Pakistani administration’s resolve to strengthen the economy would yield “significant benefits.”
“Saudi investors have been coming to Pakistan in recent months, and engaged with the SIFC in terms of exploring opportunities for Saudi investments in Pakistan, and this is an ongoing process, and we expect similar high-level business delegations to undertake visits to Pakistan in the coming days and weeks as well,” foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told reporters in her weekly media briefing.
She added that both countries were involved in robust and mutually beneficial dialogue that had gained significant momentum in recent months.
“Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are engaged in consultations with each other in terms of increased Saudi investments in Pakistan, including in the energy domain,” she added.
Asked about reports of Pakistan providing military bases to the United States, Baloch called them baseless rumors.
“Pakistani has no plan to provide any bases to a foreign country against any other country,” she continued.
Speaking about the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s summit in Gambia, the spokesperson said the country’s deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar would highlight the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the imperatives of solidarity and unity of the Muslim Ummah, rising Islamophobia, issues of climate change, terrorism, and other contemporary global challenges.
She said Pakistan strongly condemned the escalating violations of human rights by Israel and increasing number of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
“Israel’s actions constitute a breach of international law, including humanitarian laws and other pertinent international laws, and these acts also undermine any prospects of a two-state solution,” she added.

Topics: Pakistan Saudi Ties

Pakistan vows ‘foolproof security’ for Chinese nationals after militant attacks

Updated 02 May 2024
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Pakistan vows ‘foolproof security’ for Chinese nationals after militant attacks

  • Interior minister says government implementing strict security protocols for safe movement of Chinese workers
  • A suicide bomber targeted a convoy of Chinese nationals near Dasu earlier this year, killing five of them
Updated 02 May 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Thursday the government would ensure “foolproof security” for Chinese nationals following militant attacks targeting them in the country where most of them have been working on infrastructure development projects.
Naqvi made this assurance during his visit to the Chinese consulate in Karachi, where he discussed the issue in his conversation with a top diplomat Yang Yuandong, who welcomed the minister to the facility.
Five Chinese nationals were killed earlier this year in March after a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into their convoy which was on its way from Islamabad to the site of a key hydroelectric dam in Dasu.
Prior to that, Chinese workers also came under attack by Baloch separatists near the Gwadar port. The incident led to the death of eight militants.
“It is our duty to ensure foolproof security for Chinese citizens,” Naqvi said during the during his visit to the consulate. “Strict implementation of standard operating procedures for safe movement of Chinese citizens is being ensured.”
Pakistan took action against a number of senior officials after the Dasu attack, saying they showed negligence and had failed to follow the security protocol.
He said the “enemy” wanted to undermine the China-Pakistan friendship but would not succeed.
According to a statement circulated by the ministry, the Chinese diplomat expressed satisfaction with the overall security plan for the protection of the Chinese workers.

Topics: Pakistan china China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Chinese nationals in Pakistan

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