Daily News Pakistan

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has said that Balochistan is the province most affected by the locusts attack. A spokesperson of NDMA has said that swarms of locusts have spread to 52 districts of the country including 31 in Balochistan, 10 districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, six in Sindh and five districts in Punjab. A survey and control operation has been underway in locusts’ hit areas, NDMA said. In the countrywide operation 1102 teams taking part in the operation and 3,63,000 hectres of land have been surveyed in 24 hours, while an area of 4,900 hectres was treated with anti-locust insecticide, the statement said. According to NDMA,insecticides sprayed over 200 hectres in Punjab, 800 hectres in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 700 hectres in Sindh. Overall fumigation has been completed at 4,92,000 hectres of land, the statement said. It is to be mentioned here that swarms of locusts have attacked fruit orchards in Balochistan’s Sibi, Loralai and Khuzdar districts. “Locust

The government has declared wearing of masks mandatory at public places, markets and in public transport to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafaat in a tweet on Sunday said wearing masks or covering face at all public places in Islamabad has been declared compulsory. He said the civil administration will visit markets, mosques, bus stops, offices and streets to check whether or nor people follow the government-prescribed guidelines, wearing masks in particular.  اسلام آباد میں تمام عوامی جگہوں پر ماسک پہننا /منہ ڈھانپنا اب لازم قراردیدیاگیا ہے۔ مارکیٹس،عوامی مقامات مساجد،پبلک ٹرانسپورٹ،لاری اڈہ،گلیوں،سڑکوں، دفاتر میں چیکنگ ہوگی۔ مجسٹریٹ تین ہزار تک جرمانے اور دفعہ 188 تعزیرات پاکستان کے تحت جیل بھی بھیجا جا سکتا ہے https://t.co/meI0kcjkU5 — Deputy Commissioner Islamabad (@dcislamabad) May 31, 2020 Warning people against failure to wear masks when stepping out, the deputy commissioner said a judicial magistrate can levy a fine of

Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast light rainfall, drizzle in Karachi on Sunday night. Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), in its forecast, predicted partly cloudy weather with chances of drizzle late Sunday night. Weather in Karachi is expected to remain partly cloudy and humid with the maximum temperature ranging up to 37 degrees Celsius and humidity up to 80 percent in the morning and 70 percent in the evening. The Met Office on Saturday forecast rain wind-thunderstorm for the entire country in the next 24 hours. It said that rain wind-thunderstorm with few hailstorms is expected in Islamabad, Kashmir, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Northeast Balochistan and Sindh during the next twelve hours. “A Westerly wave is affecting most parts of the country and likely to persist in upper parts till Tuesday,” the Met said. Dust-thunderstorm with rain is also expected in Mirpurkhas, Badin and Hyderabad on Monday, said the Met Office.  

Pakistan confirmed 78 more deaths from novel coronavirus during last 24 hours as the nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 1,395, reported on Saturday. According to the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), the virus was confirmed in 2,429 people during the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 66,457. Sindh remains the worst-hit province by the pandemic followed by Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Till now 26,113 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh, 24,104 in Punjab, 9,067 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 4,087 in Balochistan, 2,192 in Islamabad, 660 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 234 in Azad Kashmir. Furthermore, 445 individuals have lost their lives to the epidemic in KP, 439 in Punjab, 427 in Sindh, 46 in Balochistan, 23 in Islamabad and 9 in GB. 24,131 people have been recovered from the virus so far while 40,931 are still under treatment. Pakistan has so far conducted 532,037 coronavirus tests and 12,020 in last 24 hours.

Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar has said that coronavirus pandemic has changed the way of living News reported on Saturday. He was talking to Punjab Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs Raja Basharat who called on him called to discuss issues of mutual interests including politics, COVID-19 and upcoming budget session. The chief minister the change in lifestyle is the need of the hour amid coronavirus outbreak. The provincial regime introduced the Punjab Infectious Diseases (Prevention and Control) Ordinance 2020 for effective implementation over the government measures, he said. Talking about locust attack, Usman Buzdar affirmed that the Punjab government took practical steps to control the situation. Last week, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar had urged masses to continue exercising social distancing amid coronavirus outbreak. CM Usman Buzdar in his message, had urged masses to remain at homes and adopt precautionary measures. “Stay at home and save yourself and

Minister of State for Narcotics Control Shehryar Afridi on Saturday announced that he has tested positive for coronavirus. The minister took to the microblogging website Twitter and said that he has gone into self-isolation after testing positive for coronavirus. “I have tested positive of COVID19 & have isolated myself at home as per advice by medics. I need prayers & blessings,” he wrote on Twitter. Earlier this month, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser tested positive for the novel coronavirus and went into self-isolation.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Saturday dispatched Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to KP hospitals in the fight against Covid-19, reported. According to the PDMA KP Spokesperson, another cache of PPEs, comprising 10500 N-95 masks, 4,410 D-95, 15,750 KN-95 masks, was dispatched to 49 KP hospitals today. Besides, 31,500 protective gears, 105,000 medical face masks 5250 pairs of surgical gloves, 1,050 face shields, 5,986 caps, 21,000 shoe covers were also sent to various hospitals of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is pertinent to mention that the fifth cache of PPEs had already been dispatched to Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir before Eid. Earlier, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had issued a detailed break down of all the medical equipment it provided to Sindh. Responding to Sindh government’s claims that the authority did not provide a single ventilator or set up any laboratory for coronavirus patien

The Supreme Court (SC) on Saturday formed three-member bench to hear Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Peshawar project on June 3, News reported. Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Gulzar Ahmed has constituted the bench on the request of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. A three-member bench led by Justice Umar Atta Bandiyal will take up the case on June 3. Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Qazi Amin are also part of the bench. On April 25, the Supreme Court had extended stay order against the Peshawar High Court’s ruling over BRT Peshawar project. The verdict of the PHC was challenged by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA). On November, 14, the PHC had handed down the judgment on BRT Peshawar and directed the FIA to probe the Project and submit the report within 45 days. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government, in the month of October, had announced new date for the completion of Peshawar’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. The provincial governm

The government is likely to pass on further benefit of reduction in the prices of petroleum products to consumers during the month of June,News reported. The Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) has sent a summary to the Ministry of Finance for revision in oil prices. It recommended up to Rs7 per litre drop in the price of petrol and Rs5 in the price of high speed diesel (HSD). According to the summary, the price of kerosene is expected to come down by Rs11.88 per litre while that of light speed diesel (LSD) by Rs9.37 per litre. After the reduction, per litre price of petrol will likely be Rs74.52, HDL Rs80.10, LDL Rs38.14 and kerosene Rs35.56 On April 30, the federal government had made a major reduction in petroleum products’ prices for May. The petrol price was reduced up to Rs15 as the new rate was fixed at Rs81.58 from May 1. Moreover, Rs27.15 was reduced on high-speed diesel and the new price was set at Rs80.10. The new rate of Kerosine oil was fixed at Rs47.44 after

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi on Friday filed contempt of court petition in the Sindh High Court for not making high profile cases Joint Investigation Team (JIT) reports public. Ali Zaidi in his plea stated that the court had directed the authorities to make public JIT reports on Lyari gang war kingpin Uzair Baloch, Baldia factory fire tragedy and former Fishermen’s Cooperative Society chairman Nisar Morai in January this year. But the chief secretary Sindh has not made the said reports public, so far. Therefore a contempt of court proceedings should be initiated against the CS Sindh. He further stated that important revelations were made by the suspects arrested in Baldia factory case, the report should be made public so that people can know the reality. In a letter to the chief secretary Sindh, the federal minister referring the SHC directives for the government to make public reports of joint investigation teams that investigated criminal charges against Uzai

The United States (US) dollar registered an increase of Rs1.32 in its value and touched 163.30 against the Pakistani rupee at the start of day’s trading. According to forex dealers, the greenback is trading at 163.30 against the local unit in the interbank market. The US dollar had finished at 161.98 against the rupee the other day. On May 28, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) recorded $55 million decrease in its liquid foreign reserves. According to the central bank’s weekly report, the total foreign reserves held by the country stood at $ 18,597.9 million. The net reserves held by commercial banks stood at $6,524 million. SBP reserves decreased by $55 million to 12,073 million due to external debt repayments, read the report.

An accountability court on Friday issued arrest warrants for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Toshakhana reference. The hearing was presided over by AC Judge Asghar Ali, in which former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani appeared before the court, while former president Asif Ali Zardari and ex prime minister Nawaz Sharif skipped the appearance. At the outset of the hearing, the counsel of Asif Ali Zardari presented the medical reports of his client and requested to grant exemption from court appearance. The plea was opposed by NAB’s Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar, but the court approved the plea and directed former president Asif Ali Zardari to appear on June 11 in the reference. During the proceedings, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor has requested the court to issue arrest warrants against Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, Yousaf Raza Gillani and Omni Group Director Abdul Ghani Majeed. But the court turned down the anti-graft watchdog body’s request

At least four persons of the same family were killed and a woman got injured when the car they were traveling in overturned in Khairpur, News reported on Friday. According to police, the accident occurred at the National Highway in Babarlo area of district Khairpur, when the car turned turtle due to over-speeding, killing four persons on the spot while a woman was injured. Police sources said that the ill-fated car was going to Lahore from Karachi. The injured woman and dead bodied were shifted to the Civil Hospital. Read more: At least 16 wedding guests killed in Jhal Magsi road accident Earlier on February 15, at least 13 passengers including women and children were killed while 30 others injured when a bus carrying wedding guests overturned in Jhal Magsi district. According to police, the ill-fated bus was on its way to Shikarpur from Khuzdar. The bus overturned when it reached Bareecha area, killing 16 persons. According to Levies’ sources,’ the injured had been shifted to C

Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Qamar Javed Bajwa in his message in connection with the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, said sense of purpose and commitment of Pakistan towards global peace under UN charter remains unflinching. The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers is being observed on Friday to pay tribute to the uniformed and civilian personnel’s invaluable contribution in maintaining the peace across the world. The theme for this year’s Day is “Women in Peacekeeping: A Key to Peace”. The COAS said that Pakistan commemorates ‘Spirit of Sacrifice’ of our valiant peacekeepers, who continue to serve humanity in challenging and restive regions of the world. The United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, in his message, said as we commemorate the 20th anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, we must do more to achieve women’s equal representation in all areas of peace and security. He said together, let us contin

Former president Asif Ali Zardari on Friday decided not to appear before accountability court in Toshakhana (national depository) case. The former and ex-prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Yousaf Raza Gillani were asked to appear before an accountability court today in Toshakhana (national depository) reference. The counsel of former president, Asad Abbasi advocate said an exemption plea from the court appearance would be filed in the court. My client is critically ill and hospitalized, therefore he should be given exemption from court appearance, he added. The NAB had filed a reference with the accountability court against the former heads of the state for not depositing luxury vehicles and valuable gifts received from the foreign leaders in the treasury. NAB sources said that former president Asif Ali Zardari had only paid 15 per cent of the total cost of the vehicles received as gifts through fake accounts. Zardari had received expensive cars as a gift from Libya and the UAE a

The team investigating the crash of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) PK-8303 in the residential area of Model Town, Karachi has found the cockpit voice recorder of the crashed plane, News reported on Thursday. PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khan said the cockpit voice recorder – a vital piece of equipment in aircraft crash investigation, was recovered from the debris of the crashed plane site. The PIA officials handed over the cockpit voice recorder of the ill-fated Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-8303 to Aircraft Accident Investigation Board, he said. It may be noted that the investigators had made hectic efforts to recover the voice recorder from the crash site which is important for the plane crash inquiry. PIA had also urged citizens not to keep any part of the wreckage and hand it over to the relevant authorities. The airline had on Saturday said that the black box of the jetliner was found. The Airbus experts will take the aircraft’s black box, whi

Prime Minister will chair an important meeting over the locust eradication and Covid-19 situation in the country today (Thursday), News reported. Federal ministers, representatives from the provincial government will brief PM Imran over the locust attacks and coronavirus situation. Sources said the National Command and Control Centre (NCC) will brief the meeting about the figures of the coronavirus cases. The authorities will also brief the prime minister about the locust threat in different parts of the country. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and PDMA will inform the meeting about the locust eradication, while the committee formed for the eradication of locust will present recommendations in the meeting. Earlier on May 20, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt. Gen. Muhammad Afzal said nine special aircraft will be ready by Monday to spray locust-infested areas with insecticides. Speaking to media, he said collective efforts are afoot to e

Turning his guns on opposition parties, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar regretted on Thursday that their politics has been playing the role of locusts in the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Speaking to MNA Amir Dogar and other elected representatives from Multan, he claimed the opposition tried to divide the nation. “The Pakistani nation is disappointed with the opposition’s negative attitude,” the CM said, adding it is unfortunate that they didn’t desist from playing politics over the coronavirus crisis. He said political as well as administrative teams are mobilised to cope with the once-in-a-century pandemic. He pointed out that the province faces two challenges of coronavirus and locust invasions at the same time, vowing to adopt a multi-pronged strategy to get through both these challenges. Usman Buzdar stressed that people’s cooperation in the fight against the pandemic is indispensable, urging them to strictly adhere to safety precautions to keep the virus at bay. He said c

Prime Minister Imran Khan has chaired an important meeting to review the latest developments into the investigation of the PIA plane crash, News reported. PIA, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) officials and federal ministers attended the meeting. The authorities briefed Prime Minister Imran Khan on the PIA plane that crashed in Karachi’s Model Colony on May 22. The prime minister was briefed about facilities provided to the injured and heirs of the victims. Sources said the probe team will present the initial investigation report of PK-8303 to Prime Minister Imran Khan during the meeting. Meanwhile, Airbus experts continued to examine and collect evidence from the PK-8303 crash site for the third consecutive day on Thursday. Source relayed the investigators are using modern technical equipment to probe the crash of the A320 aircraft on May 22 in a residential area of Model Colony. The probe team has expanded the search area for the missing cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of the

Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has issued an alert about thunderstorm rains in different areas of the province from Thursday to Tuesday, News reported. The alert, addressed to all district administrations in the province, has advised to remain alert in view of a forecast of Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) about heavy rainfall with thunderstorm. The administration officials have also been advised to take all precautionary measures in order to avoid losses and damage to property. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has also issued advisory for upcoming thunderstorms and rainfall starting from today to Tuesday. The advisory asks all provincial departments, NHA, FWO and other institutions to remain alert. They have been advised to ensure the presence of staff during emergency situations. The weather department in a statement predicted rain or dust-thundershowers in upper and central parts of the country from today (Thur

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 59,151 on Wednesday after new infections were confirmed in the country. The province-wise break up of the total number of cases are as follows: Total confirmed cases: 59,151 • Sindh: 23,507 • Punjab: 21,118 • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 8,259 • Balochistan: 3,536 • Islamabad Capital Territory: 1,879 • Gilgit-Baltistan: 638 • AJK: 214 Deaths: 1,225 • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 425 • Sindh: 380 • Punjab: 362 • Balochistan: 42 • Gilgit-Baltistan: 9 • Islamabad Capital Territory: 18 • AJK: 4 Officials have recorded more than 5.5 million cases and over 350,000 deaths since the virus emerged in China in December, according to a Reuters tally.

People on Twitter may soon be able to decide who can reply to their tweets, the micro blogging site announced. The new feature is currently being tested by some users. Any user can reply to anyone’s tweet on the social media site. But now, Twitter is changing that to allow people to control who can reply to them. The Verge has reported concerns that the new feature may allow politicians and public officials to post misinformation as people won’t be able to fact-check the tweet. Testing, testing... A new way to have a convo with exactly who you want. We’re starting with a small % globally, so keep your ? out to see it in action. pic.twitter.com/pV53mvjAVT — Twitter (@Twitter) May 20, 2020

Three people were shot dead by unidentified assailants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district on Sunday, police said. The incident occurred in Mirali town, according to police officials. The deceased were identified as Zubaidullah Khan, Farmanullah Khan and Naimatullah Khan. Zubaidullah Khan was a Civil Services of Pakistan officer who had served on different posts in Islamabad. He had been visiting his village on Eid. They had been on their way back home after meeting relatives when the attackers opened fire on them, officials said. The assailants managed a clean getaway from the scene. Police said they were investigating the matter.

he Chinese virology institute in the city where COVID-19 first emerged had three live strains of bat coronavirus on-site, but none match the new contagion wreaking chaos across the world, its director said on Sunday. Scientists think COVID-19 — which first emerged in Wuhan and has killed some 340,000 people worldwide — originated in bats and could have been transmitted to people via another mammal. But the director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology told state broadcaster CGTN that claims made by US President Donald Trump and others the virus could have leaked from the facility were "pure fabrication". In the interview filmed on May 13 but broadcast Saturday night, Wang Yanyi said the centre has "isolated and obtained some coronaviruses from bats." "Now we have three strains of live viruses... But their highest similarity to SARS-CoV-2 only reaches 79.8%," she said, referring to the coronavirus strain that causes COVID-19. One of their research team

Cancelled shipments, returned goods and a dearth of new orders have left China exporters in crisis as the coronavirus hits its trading partners worldwide -- accelerating a long-standing push towards domestic consumption. The world’s second-largest economy is stirring back to life after virus cases dwindled from a peak in February, when activity came to a near-halt. But recovery is now hampered by lockdowns and restrictions overseas as the coronavirus continues its deadly march across the planet, with exporters forced to look to domestic markets after years of selling overseas. Chinese online marketplace Taobao said the number of foreign trading companies opening stores on its domestic-focused platform spiked 160 percent from February to May. And policymakers -- who have sought for years to wean the country off cheap exports and government spending in favour of domestic consumption -- are welcoming the change. "When there is no light in the west, there is light in the east,&

Police in Hong Kong have fired tear gas and water cannon at protesters rallying against China's plans to impose a new security law on the territory. Thousands of demonstrators have been marching through the city centre. Police say 120 have been arrested. Earlier, 200 senior politicians from around the world issued a joint statement criticising China's plan. Signatories called it a "comprehensive assault on the city's autonomy, rule of law and fundamental freedoms". China is seeking to pass a law that would ban "treason, secession, sedition and subversion" in the territory. It has dismissed fears the legislation would harm foreign investors in Hong Kong, an important financial centre, and has lashed out at "meddling" countries. Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam, who is seen as part of the pro-Beijing political establishment, has pledged full support for the proposed law and said the city's freedoms would remain unchanged.

The Taliban announced a three-day ceasefire during the Eid al-Fitr holiday starting Sunday in a surprise move following months of bloody fighting with Afghan forces after the group signed a landmark agreement with the United States. President Ashraf Ghani swiftly welcomed the insurgents offer and ordered his forces to also comply, while the US envoy to Afghanistan hailed the deal as a "momentous opportunity." Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement posted on social media that the group s "leadership instructs all the mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate to take special measures for security of the countrymen, and conduct no offensive operation against the enemy anywhere." The statement, which announced a halt to hostilities "during the three days of Eid," instructed Taliban fighters to refrain from entering government areas and also said that Kabul forces were not allowed to enter territories under their control. Since the US invasion i

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday has said that befitting response will be given to India if it goes for any misadventure against Pakistan. Talking to media in Multan after offering Eid prayer, the foreign minister said Pakistan wants peace and its policy of restraint should not be taken as weakness. He said he has contacted General Secretaries of the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, drawing their attention towards gross human rights violations in Occupied Kashmir at the hands of Indian occupation forces. He said he has informed them that India may launch a false flag operation against Pakistan to divert world attention from its own internal situation. He said India has increased oppression in Occupied Kashmir in the garb of COVID-19 outbreak. Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the world should take notice of New Delhi’s inhuman treatment of Kashmiris in Occupied Kashmir and minorities, especially Muslims, in India.  

Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated with traditional and religious fervour across Pakistan today. Eid prayers were offered at mosques and more than 300 Eidgahs in all cities and towns of the country. Special prayers were offered for the well-being of the country while in sermons the Ulema highlighted the significance and philosophy of Eid-ul-Fitr. In a rare occasion, Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated on the same day across the country. Special prayers were also offered for the progress and prosperity of the country and welfare of the Muslim Ummah. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, special care was taken to make sure Eid congregations were held at open places, mosques and Eidgahs in all major cities and towns while following strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) of social distancing and other precautionary measures. Security has been beefed up in different parts of the country including the federal capital to avoid any untoward incident on the auspicious occasion. In the federal c

Forensic teams from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency arrived in Karachi on Saturday to collect DNA samples from the victims of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-8303, which had crashed a day earlier. A total of ninety-seven people lost their lives in the tragic accident. The plane had been seconds away from an emergency landing at the Karachi Airport on Friday afternoon when it crashed in Model Colony, a residential area near the airport. Only two survived the crash — the chief executive of the Bank of Punjab and a young engineer. No casualties were reported on the ground. Head of the Punjab Forensic Science Agency Dr Tahir Ashraf told three teams comprising forensic scientists were in Karachi to collect DNA samples from the plane crash victims. “The teams will start collecting samples from today,” Dr Ashraf said. He added, the teams will collect samples from the bodies and the victims' parents, siblings or children to identify the victims. "As soon as

Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has said the Shawwal moon can be sighted today, and the country may celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr on Sunday. “The Shawwal moon was born on May 22 at 10:30pm and will be visible between 7.36pm and 8.15pm tonight in Badin, Thatta and Pasni,” Chaudhry said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Saturday. He added that, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology, Eid-ul-Fitr should be celebrated in the country tomorrow. However, fellow cabinet member and Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noorul Haq Qadri quickly stepped in to prevent a dispute between the outspoken science minister and the religious body tasked with sighting the moon. Qadri said the final decision on when to celebrate Eid still lies with the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee. "The nation will celebrate Eid according to the decision of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee," Qadri said. "Our beliefs and religious laws call for a visual sighting of th