The government has finally declared national emergency to eliminate attacking swarms of desert locust which have destroyed crops in Sindh and are headed towards Punjab. The four provinces also approved a national action plan (NAP) that requires Rs7.3 billion to overcome the crisis. The PM directed the authorities concerned to make immediate measures on basis of damage of ripened crops.
An Afghan citizen carrying fake documents was detained at the Islamabad airport Thursday morning. He was travelling to Canada, according to the PIA vigilance team. He had boarded the flight PK-781 to Toronto. He was offloaded after the vigilance team couldn’t verify his Canadian residence card. The man has been handed over to the FIA.
A petition filed against the screening of Sarmad Khoosat’s film Zindagi Tamasha was withdrawn on Thursday. The petition was filed on Monday by a man named Chaudhry Qadeer Ahmed. He claimed that the film hurt religious sentiment and violated Pemra’s rules and it should not be released in Pakistan. The court remarked how can the petitioner comment on something that no one has seen it as the film is not released yet.
A Pakistani health expert, Dr Naseem Salahuddin said people did not need to fear coronavirus as its mortality rate was only three percent, which is less than the common flu. She added, that it was necessary for people to remain cautious as viruses change every few years. She explained that Influenza, a common flu can cause death while coronavirus spreads rapidly.
The government of Kenya has shown keen interest in importing mangoes and citrus fruits from Pakistan. This was said by Waheed Ahmed, Patron in Chief of All Pakistan Fruit & Vegetable Exporters, Importers & Merchant Association from Kenya who is visiting its capital Nairobi. Waheed Ahmed said that they have held several meetings with the government officials in Kenya, convincing them about the varieties Pakistan hold for Mango and citrus.
The Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl has geared up its preparations to resume its campaign against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led federal government from Lahore on March 19. JUI-F’s central secretary general Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri announced and said that PTI had no justification to stay further in power. The JUI-F will organise the provincial workers’ convention in all four provinces and after it, a national-level ‘Constitution of Pakistan Conference’ would be held in Lahore on March 19.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government has announced to provide $200 million financial assistance to Prime Minister’s Kamyab Jawan programme for youth development. UAE ambassador made the announcement while meeting PM’s Special Assistant to on Youth Affairs Usman Dar today. The financial assistance had been promised by the Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi during his recent visit to Pakistan.
The Punjab government has given former premier Nawaz Sharif three days to submit the required medical reports for seeking an extension of bail. In a letter addressed to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo, provincial home department said that a medical board had found reports submitted by Khawaja Haris on December 23 to be insufficient to form a conclusive opinion.
Nasir Saleem, a Pakistani-American police officer, has become the first man of Pakistani origin to be appointed as deputy chief of the New York Police Department’s volunteer force.With 30 years of service in New York Police, Saleem is also the first Muslim to be named as Auxiliary Deputy Chief of the force. Saleem will lead the 5000-strong force.
In less than a year of its launch in Pakistan, bus-hailing service Swvl has increased its base fare by up to tenfold. Without an announcement, the Egyptian company has increased the fare of a 30-kilometer ride from Rs. 50 to Rs. 200. The company is running a Rs. 100 promo, which gives the impression that the prices have only been doubled.