After a gap of 13 years, Pakistan and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Wednesday resumed negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA), a top Pakistani diplomat in Riyadh said. The intention to resume the talks was declared during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Islamabad in 2019, but they were further delayed by the coronavirus outbreak.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) after consultations with the Covid-19 Oversight Committee representing Vice Chancellor from each province and region, and heads of a few private sector universities have agreed to provide provisional admission to A2 students. Students whose exams have been postponed to October 2021 will be granted admission in the Fall 2021 semester so that they would not waste a year.
The number of critical Covid-19 patients on oxygen has reached 5,360 the previous day. “This is 57% more than during the peak last June,” Asad Umar said in series of tweets. Meanwhile, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho revealed that the South African and Brazilian variants of the novel coronavirus disease have been found in samples taken by the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH).
Lahore High Court Chief Justice Mohammad Qasim Khan on Wednesday lashed out at the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) for its involvement in “illegal” occupation of lands and regretted that the army seemed to have become the “biggest land grabber”. CJ Khan regretted that the army had also grabbed a piece of land measuring 50-kanal owned by the high court.
The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has decided to curtail inbound flights to Pakistan from May 5 to May 20 amid the country’s worsening coronavirus situation. Besides this, the NCOC also allowed the import of 20 cryogenic tanks and decided to shut down the scrap industry of Misri Shah so oxygen could be diverted to the healthcare sector instead.
Karachi has seen a considerable decrease in its crime rate over the years as the city fell to the 115th spot in latest World Crime Index rankings. The port city was ranked sixth in 2014 and gradually, over the years, it fell down to 103 in 2020 as crime saw a decline. The city’s current crime index has been calculated to 53.70 in the list that features over 300 cities.
Pakistan is close to taking the lead in the global salt trade, as local rock salt of Khewra is set to be registered with international trade bodies. Pakistan has branded the Khewra salt as “Pink Rock Salt” and its specifications were being finalised. This will prevent Indian traders to market Pakistani rock salt as Himalayan Pink Salt.
As soon as Ramzan begins, food chains around the world introduce deals and promotions aiming to offer most food at lowest prices. A woman in Karachi made most of such a deal being offered at a well-known international food chain and bought 208 burgers in just Rs. 26,800. The deal demanded a certain bank’s card to be used for the transaction.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Friday that the Pakistan Army has been requested to help the law enforcement agencies implement Covid-19 standard operating procedure (SOPs) across the country. The premier appealed to the nation to follow precautions, warning the country would soon be facing a situation like India if it continued on the same trajectory.
Faisal Edhi, son of celebrated philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi and chairman of the foundation, offered help to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as India struggles with a devastating second wave of Covid-19. In his letter to PM Modi, Edhi offered a fleet of 50 ambulances along with other services that may help in curbing the spread of the coronavirus disease and improve current health conditions.