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.
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.
While Prime Minister Imran Khan envisions Pakistan to be a hub of global tourism, a study released by the World Bank has warned that tourism in the country is placing increasing stress on the local environment. The study suggests that tourism in the mountainous regions is leading to increased pollution, natural habitat loss and pressure on endangered species.
Manisha Mal from Jacobabad, has made history by becoming the first Hindu lady to take the office of the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Sindh. Mal passed the competitive CCE examinations and as per the merit list issued by the Sindh Public Service Commission office in Hyderabad, had stood 16th in the merit list for the commissioned positions in the provincial government.
Forces in Pakistan are on a high alert after powerful clerics have called for a shutter-down strike across Pakistan today, Monday, in support of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). The former head of the moon-sighting Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam’s Fazlur Rehman both announced their support Sunday night. TLP was banned by the government for outbreaks of violence and protesting last week.
Despite the government’s efforts to reform status of the Pakistani passport, Henley Passport Index has ranked the country’s passport as fourth weakest in the world, behind only war-torn Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. The index assesses the travel documents based on how many countries citizens can access without a visa, as well as, using information from the International Air Transport Association.