During the 9th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting, Multan-Sukkur Motorway (M5) was inaugurated after its completion under CPEC. The 392Km M-5 Motorway is CPEC’s largest transportation infrastructure project. The Six lane Multan-Sukkur Motorway will not only reduce travelling time but speed up growth in industrial and agricultural sector and will contribute to the socio-economic uplift of people in Punjab and Sindh.
The Freedom House has declared Pakistan ‘Not Free’ in terms of internet use for the ninth consecutive year, with the country score decreasing from 27 to 26 out of 100 in 2019. The country scored 5 out of 25 for obstacles to access, 14 out of 35 for limits on content, and 7 out of 40 for violation of user rights index and is the third worst country after Vietnam and China in its region.
PTI-led federal government has finalised the strategy for introducing auto-disabling syringes in all public and private hospitals in the country, according to Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, Dr. Zafar Mirza. Single-use syringes will be replaced in all public and private health facilities by the end of April 2020. Government has held talks with syringe manufacturers and importers for successful implementation along with media campaign to create awareness among general population.
Post of “Patwari” i.e. the revenue officer will be changed to “Village Officer” according to the orders of Chief Minister of Punjab Usman Buzdar. Punjab Public Service Commission will be tasked with the recruitment of new village officers all over Punjab. Moreover, 115 new land record centres will be set up in distant areas of the province within a month along with Model Tehsil for revenue collection to facilitate the citizens
In a major arms deal with China, Pakistan will get 4 advanced guided-missile frigate Type 054AP. The steel cutting ceremony for two of these multi-role Frigates took place at Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard in China on 1st November. With ships expected to enter service by 2021, Pakistan Navy’s arsenal will increase, strengthening the force’s capability to maintain peace and stability in the Arabian Sea.
The Lahore High Court granted bail to PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) case. The court instructed Maryam to submit two surety bonds of Rs10 million each. She has also been instructed to surrender her passport and deposit an additional amount of Rs70 million. Maryam had approached the high court on September 30 seeking post-arrest bail.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced to launch the “largest ever needs-based” scholarship programme. ‘Ehsaas for Students’ is another project of the government’s social welfare programme Ehsaas and aims to provide scholarships to about 200,000 students from lower income families over the next four years. The government will award 50,000 scholarships every year, half of which will be granted to women.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf government decided to file a mutiny case against Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for delivering a provocative speech and “instigating people” against the prime minister and state institutions. PTI government on Saturday warned the Azadi march participants against advancing towards the sensitive D-Chowk. According to Defence Minister Pervez Khattak the PTI government is not worried at all.
Two major opposition parties — the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) — have announced they would not become a part of the sit-in announced by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. The leaders of the two parties said they had already told Maulana in categorical terms that they would only attend public meeting and would not support any sit-in.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced in a Tweet two special waivers for Sikh pilgrims who arrive from India to visit Kartarpur. The visitors will no longer need a passport to cross over into Pakistan as long as they have a valid identity. The condition for pilgrims to register 10 days before their arrival to the Kartarpur shrine also be waived.