Sindh has become the first province in Pakistan, to enact a law to award employment rights to an estimated informal workforce of 3 million people. In 2018 Sindh passed the Home-Based Workers Act, making Pakistan the only country in south Asia where home workers were recognised as official labourers. It is believed that 12 million people across Pakistan are home-based workers, of which 80% are women.
United Arab Emirates-based Pakistani doctor, who contracted the coronavirus while treating blue collar workers at a small clinic in Abu Dhabi and died of COVID-19 on May 15, was recognized as a martyr and national hero by the Gulf state. Dr. Usman, who belonged to Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir, worked for a private health care group for 11 years but lost his job in 2019.
The positivity rate of coronavirus cases in Karachi has exceeded 20% and is the highest in the country, the National Command and Operation Center was told on Thursday. The city is followed by Hyderabad where the positivity rate stands at 18.43%. Khyber Pakhtukhwa’s Abbottabad reported the third-highest rate at 14.53%. Doctors have warned that the second wave of COVID-19 is more dangerous than the first.
An Australia-based Pakistani computer scientist, Shazia Sadiq, has been recognized for innovative STEM research by the prestigious Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE). ATSE has recognized Shazia for her work which focuses on developing solutions for Business Information Systems to more effectively process information, significantly improving business process management, governance, and risk and compliance data.
The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) plans to auction 254 of its huts at the Hawke’s Bay Beach to increase its revenue. Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Ali Shallwani cancelled the allotment of all the corporation’s huts at the beach. The land department was instructed to take control of the huts. Notices were issued to the allottees and the KMC says it will take action against defaulters.
Rumours are are circulating on social media that Khaani actor, Feroze Khan and wife Alizey have decided to part ways amicably and are no longer living together. There were also some reports that Alizey had deleted her Instagram handle after Feroze Khan unfollowed her and her family on social media handles. The rumours have disappointed fans of Feroze Khan and Alizey.
Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, the youngest daughter of former president Asif Ali Zardari and Benazir Bhutto, will be leading the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) jalsa in Multan today. Aseefa is standing in for party chairman and brother Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who tested positive for the novel coronavirus last week and is self-isolating. He will be addressing the jalsa via video link.
The country’s biggest industrial complex – the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) – has laid off over 4,500 of its employees. The employees – 4,544 in total – were fired in the wake of an emergency meeting chaired by the PSM chief executive officer (CEO) at the CEO Secretariat. The management has started the process of sending termination letters to the residential addresses of the sacked employees.
The National University of Science and Technology (NUST) has become the only one university from Pakistan which has made it to the top 100 QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) Asia University Ranking for 2021. NUST secured a spot on the list at 76. This year’s ranking of the top Asian universities features 650 institutions, making it the biggest Asia ranking ever published.
Renowned pop star and animal rights activist Cher will be visiting Pakistan later this week to see off Kaavan the elephant, who is set to be relocated to Cambodia. After years of campaigning by animal rights advocates and Cher to rescue him from grim conditions with no companion, Kaavan is to be airlifted to an elephant sanctuary on Sunday.