As cases reach new high is Pakistan, the government of Punjab has decided to completely lockdown several areas of Lahore for two weeks. Speaking at a press conference, Punjab Health Minister Yasmin Rashid said that the areas will be under lockdown from midnight Monday. Food stores and pharmacies are to remain open in these areas. The areas to be locked
Former captain of the Pakistan cricket team Shahid Afridi has tested positive for the coronavirus, he revealed in a tweet on Saturday. Afridi said that he had been “feeling unwell since Thursday and his body had been aching badly”. He requested his fan’s prayers for a “speedy recovery”. Cricketers of Pakistani team have also wished Afridi well.
Two Indian spies were arrested by security forces from an area along the Line of Control (LoC) in Gilgit-Baltistan region on Friday. The spies were handed over to G-B police, which recovered Indian currency, identify cards and other documents from the spies. Gilgit SSP Raja Mirza Hassan alleged the duo belonged to India-occupied Kashmir and had been forcibly sent to Pakistan for spying.
Another Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight, PK-605, was denied take-off due to a technical fault. The aircraft which had arrived at Gilgit Airport from Islamabad was cancelled out of safety concerns. Upon inspection by the Civil Aviation Authority, it was discovered that the landing gear wheel was missing a bolt. This is the second case of fault in PIA plane since the deadly crash on May 22nd.
Federal Minister of Industries and Production Hammad Azhar presented Rs7.14 trillion ‘tax-free’ budget 2020-21 on Friday. The budget for fiscal year 2021 comes amid a health crisis that caused our GDP to shrink by Rs3,300bn, and has been referred to as the ‘corona budget’. As Azhar highlighted the PTI-led government’s efforts to streamline the economy, he was challenged by the opposition’s loud jeering.
Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, has announced that the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has approved the first made-in-Pakistan testing kit for Covid-19. The kit was developed by the scientists at National University of Science and Technology (NUST) Attaur Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB). Fawad shared the news on Twitter and congratulated the developing team.
Paying rich tribute to doctors and medical professionals, SAPM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza has announced a seven point package for front line medical staff. While acknowledging the efforts of frontline workers, Mirza said that the package does not equal the efforts they are making. The highlights of the package include: financial incentives, healthcare of doctors and their families and support mechanism.
The government of Punjab has started closing quarantine centers across the province, including six in Lahore, following a change in the policy under which the suspected Covid-19 patients were earlier required to quarantine at these centres. Under the new policy, those arriving at Lahore and other airports from abroad are just being screened through thermal scanners rather than tested on the spot.
A day after PML-N Secretary-General, Ahsan Iqbal tested positive for COVID-19, Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif has also tested positive for the virus. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president has quarantined himself at his residence in Model Town, Lahore. A PML-N leader claimed that Shehbaz had not met anyone except for his appearance before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on June 9.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza has undermined the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) statement regarding COVID-19 in Pakistan by saying the organisation is only looking through a “health lens”. Mirza stated government, on the other hand, is pursuing a “holistic strategy to combat the coronavirus”. His remarks came after WHO recommended imposing an “intermittent lockdown” in Pakistan.