Brief 03-07-2021

Daily coronavirus case and death counts slowly going up again in Pakistan

• Pakistan reports 34 fatalities from coronavirus in last 24 hours.
• NCOC data shows 48,027 tests conducted on July 2, of which 1,400 came back positive for COVID-19.
• Pakistan’s positivity rate is currently 2.91%.

Pakistan is reporting a slow and steady increase in its daily death and coronavirus case counts, with 1,400 people testing positive for the virus in the last 24 hours.

As many as 34 more people lost their lives to COVID-19, according to the National Command and Operation Center’s daily report issued Saturday morning. The national death tally since the pandemic started is 22,379.

Remittance loyalty programme to be launched for overseas Pakistanis

• PM Imran Khan chairs meeting to review remittances and issues related to overseas Pakistanis.
• Says expats are an asset to the country and issues orders for their facilitation.
• Meeting informed about popularity of Roshan Digital Account.

The PTI government will introduce the National Remittance Loyalty programme to facilitate overseas Pakistanis and more financial incentives will be extended to them.

This was shared in a meeting on an increase in foreign remittances, which was chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday.

NAB to send Saeed Ghani legal notice for ‘misleading public’

• NAB rejects Ghani’s allegations, decides to send legal notice.
• A day earlier, Ghani had accused the anti-graft body of protecting PTI MPA Haleem Adil Sheikh.
• Ghani said NAB was afraid Sheikh would be arrested by the Anti-Corruption Establishment and hence it opened an inquiry against the PTI leader to stall his arrest.

The National Accountability Bureau has denied several allegations made by Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani on Friday, saying that an investigation is under process against Ghani by NAB Karachi after due process of law.

A day earlier, Ghani had accused the anti-graft body of protecting PTI MPA Haleem Adil Sheikh, saying that NAB was afraid Sheikh would be arrested by the Anti-Corruption Establishment hence it opened an inquiry against the PTI leader to stall his arrest.

Sindh govt allows businesses to operate till 10pm as per new COVID-19 guidelines

• All decisions, according to the notification, will remain in place until July 31, 2021.
• Indoor dining will now be allowed in hotels and restaurants until 12am but only for vaccinated individuals.
• Wedding venues — with an outdoor arrangement for the event — will be allowed to have 400 guests, while indoor events will be allowed to have a total of 200 guests. 

The Sindh government has extended the operational hours for commercial activities in the province until 10pm, a statement issued in this regard said Friday.

Indoor dining 

As Per the notification, indoor dining will now be allowed in hotels and restaurants until 12am, however, they will continue to operate on a 50% capacity which has only been allowed for vaccinated individuals.

‘No pride in genocide’: Protesters vandalise statues of Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth II in Canada

• Protests have erupted after the discovery of the remains of hundreds of children in unmarked graves in Canada.
• Almost 1,000 unmarked graves have been found at former residential schools in British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
• In Winnipeg, a crowd cheered as Queen Victoria’s statue fell outside the Manitoba provincial legislature.

WINNIPEG: Protesters have vandalised statues of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II in the Canadian city of Winnipeg as anger grows over the discovery of the remains of hundreds of children in unmarked graves at former indigenous schools.

A crowd chanted “no pride in genocide” before pulling down the statues of the monarchs.

The action took place on Canada Day on Thursday, when traditionally celebrations take place across the country.

CAA asks foreign airlines to accommodate passengers affected by flight cancellations at the ‘earliest’

• CAA says cancellation despite confirmed tickets caused “unrest” and “inconvenience” to the passengers.
• CAA raises “serious concern” with airlines for their “irresponsible statements” blaming authority for flight cancellation.
• NCOC says 280,000 people from foreign countries have been tested, of which 600 positive cases have been reported and sent for quarantine.

Civil Aviation Authority on Friday asked foreign airlines to accommodate passengers affected by flight cancellations in recent weeks with the “earliest possible flights”.

“Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority has taken serious notice against foreign airlines i.e. Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways and Fly Dubai for causing inconvenience to passengers by flight cancellations in recent weeks,” said the CAA, in a statement on Twitter.

FO ‘categorically’ rejects Pakistan’s ‘baseless’ inclusion into US’ Child Soldiers Prevention Act List

• Pakistan says Washington’s move to include Islamabad in list reflects a “factual error and lack of understanding”.
• Calls upon US authorities to review “baseless assertions” made in the TIP Report.
• FO says Pakistan expects US to share “credible information” on cases involving trafficking of people.

Pakistan on Friday “categorically” rejected the “unsubstantiated and baseless” inclusion of the country in the “Child Soldiers Prevention Act (CSPA) List” — published under a domestic US legislation — in the US State Department’s Annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report 2021.

“Pakistan does not support any non-state armed group; nor any entity recruiting or using child soldiers. Pakistan’s efforts in fighting non-state armed groups including terrorist entities are well recognised,” said the Foreign Office in a statement.

Assets beyond means: NAB summons principal secretary to CM Buzdar for probe

LAHORE: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar’s Principal Secretary Tahir Khursheed to probe assets beyond means, said to be of worth billions.

Tahir Khursheed is the officer who had turned an approver for NAB in the Ashiana Housing case against Shehbaz Sharif and senior bureaucrat Fawad Hassan Fawad. According to call up notice served on Tahir Khursheed (also known as ‘TK’ in bureaucratic circles) copy of which is available with The News, he has been asked to appear in person before the NAB Lahore on July 8 at 11 am.

2.5m doses of Moderna vaccine arrive in Pakistan

As many as 2.5 million doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine donated by the United States arrived at the Islamabad International Airport on Friday. These vaccines are being delivered to the Pakistani people in collaboration with the COVAX global vaccine initiative, UNICEF, and the Government of Pakistan.

Commenting on the development, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US delivery of 2.5 million doses of Moderna vaccine to Pakistan “highlights our enduring friendship and cooperation on COVID-19. We are committed to bringing this pandemic to an end around the world.”

Nepra okays up to Rs2.97 per unit tariff increase

As the government conceded up to 1,500MW power cuts due to shortfall in addition to loadshedding, the power regulator on Friday approved an increase of up to Rs2.97 per unit in tariff for electricity consumers of ex-Wapda distribution companies (Discos) with effect from October 1.

According to an order along with schedule of tariff (SOT) released by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), the tariff increase includes a fresh surcharge of Rs1.25 per unit for all consumers, except residential consumers, and a quarterly adjustment of Rs1.72 per unit for all consumers. The SOT showed no tariff increase for domestic consumers using up to 300 units. However, an increase of Rs1.72 per unit will apply to the consumers using above 300 units.

Indian soldier, five fighters killed in occupied Kashmir

SRINAGAR: Five fighters and an Indian soldier were killed on Friday in the latest of a series of clashes in India-occupied Kashmir that have left 17 dead in two weeks.

The six died in Rajpora in a gunfight that started on Thursday night. Police said the five fighters were members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba group.

The occupied region has seen a fresh rise in clashes between Indian forces and fighters in recent weeks.

Military leaders back healthy working relationship with US

The military and intelligence leadership took a more nuanced approach at the meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security on the future of ties with the United States than some of the recent government statements.

Some of the parliamentarians who attended the meeting, in their background discussions with media on Friday, said the military and intelligence leadership emphasised that while ties with China were strong and could not be sacrificed, a healthy relationship with the US would have to be maintained.

COVID-19 Updates:

• With 1400 new COVID-19 cases, 34 deaths recorded in last 24 hours
• 32,319 COVID-19 cases are active in the country 
• The total death tally of Covid-19 stands at 22,379
• 957 people recovered from Coronavirus in the last 24 hours
• The positivity rate of Covid-19 is recorded at 2.91%
• Over 182.6 million are infected globally
• More than 3.9 million have died due to the virus globally  
• Over 133 million recovered from COVID-19 globally
• All vaccination centres in Lahore to remain closed on Sunday: deputy commissioner
• Pakistan’s coronavirus recoveries rise over 906,387.
• Islamabad, GB and AJK collectively record 211 new Covid infections
• Punjab reports 128 new coronavirus cases, 6 fatalities
• 127 new coronavirus cases reported in KP, 53 in Balochistan