Aamir Liaquat Hussain, a PTI MNA and TV host, has reportedly been fired from Express TV allegedly due to misconduct and inappropriate comments on harassment. Some believe he was bringing the channel negative publicity. Channel representatives have not yet released official statements regarding the celebrity’s expulsion. Moreover, Aamir Liaquat no longer follows Express-News across all his social media accounts.
Punjab’s primary and secondary healthcare department has come up with recommendations on mandatory vaccination and restrictions for individuals who refuse to vaccinate against Covid-19. Health officials urged citizens who refused to get themselves vaccinated against Coronavirus to have their SIM cards blocked. Moreover, they recommended all indoor gatherings and restaurants be closed to unvaccinated citizens.
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf Bin Said Al-Maliki said that Saudi Arabia has approved funding for the construction of Mohmand Dam on Wednesday. The Saudi envoy brought up this point during a meeting with Omar Ayub, the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs. Consequently, the Saudi Development Fund has approved funding of 901 million Saudi Riyal for the construction of Mohmand Dam.
The Punjab cabinet approved the hike in traffic challan fees proposed by the Punjab Traffic Police. Fines have been increased across Punjab to enforce discipline. Drivers of commercial vehicles or public transportation vehicles will be fined Rs 1000 if found guilty. However, the car drivers will be fined RS 750. The fine for rickshaw drivers was raised from Rs250 to Rs500.
Punjab University has once again been named among the world’s top 1000 universities. According to the QS World University Rankings, more than 1,000 universities across the globe were evaluated based on their performance. PU’s vice-chancellor said that the university jumped 39 positions in Asia in the past two years. The university now ranks 801 out of 1000 universities worldwide.
On Monday, police reported that a woman died following surgery performed by an ex-security guard Lahore’s Mayo Hospital, posing as a doctor. Muhammad Waheed Butt attempted to treat her back wound two weeks after Shameema Begum, died at a public hospital. In addition to the operation, Begum’s family also paid for two further home visits to dress her wound.
The government of Pakistan ranks third in providing support to small and medium enterprises to mitigate the impact of Covid-19. SMEDA, Asian Development Bank Institute, and Asian Productivity Organisation conducted a survey online on “Impact of Covid-19 on SMEs” that found the majority of SMEs in Pakistan was experiencing cash flow (82%), followed by raw material (65%) shortage.
According to official announcements, the government is planning to set up an information technology (IT) park at Jinnah International Airport, a trade and business hub in Karachi, at a cost of Rs31 billion. The government seeks to enhance exports by increasing growth in the IT sector. In the government’s view, it does not make sense to rely on traditional exports such as textiles.
The government plans to introduce its production model of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) on Independence Day. The Ministry of science and technology in collaboration with the National Institute of Electronics (NIE) and COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI) teams had developed the EVM and presented them in parliament, however, they now plan to refine them both technologically and visually.
According to the Asia Pacific Group, regional body of FATF, Pakistan has successfully implemented 31 out of 40 FATF recommendations. In February 2021, Pakistan submitted its third progress report to the APG. Moreover, Pakistan has issued a number of sector-specific legislation, which provides more specific obligations for those sectors to assess and mitigate their risks.