PTI lawmaker and Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Justice Barrister Maleeka Bokhari has been selected as the World Economic Forum (WEF) ‘Young Global Leader’ for five years. Bokhari is the only representative from Pakistan, chosen as a Young Global Leader this year. She currently serves as Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Law and Justice in Pakistan and is responsible for legislative business in parliament.
Major opposition parties on Sunday came together and announced lthe launching of a three-phased anti-government movement, demanding resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Giving a formal shape to their alliance with the name of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the opposition parties will start with countrywide public meetings next month, protest demonstrations and rallies in December and a “decisive long march” towards Islamabad in January 2021.
The Chief Minister of Punjab, Usman Buzdar has approved the construction of a “Dubai-like” modern city near Lahore. The new city in the north of Lahore, spread over more than 100,000 acres will be called Ravi Riverfront Project. It is anticipated that the private sector would invest about Rs5 trillion in the venture. However, final approval will come from Punjab Cabinet.
Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood has announced that all education institutions, including universities, will reopen from September 15 if health situation improves. The minister said that government will review its decision in first week of September to monitor the coronavirus situation by taking a look at the health indicators. All institutes, including private ones will have to follow government SOPs.
Minister for Shipping and Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi in a press conference alleged the Pakistan People’s Party of hiding important facts about Ozair Baloch’s link to the party. The minister made a “passionate” appeal to Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed to take suo motu notice of Uzair Baloch JIT report released by Sindh government, which he alleged was different from “original”.
The National Assembly has passed a resolution making it mandatory to write Khatam ul Nabiyeen (the Last Prophet) along with Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)’s name. The resolution was passed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) minister Muhammad Ali Khan. In a tweet, the minister revealed that the resolution was unanimously passed and was supported by both the opposition as well as minorities. Ali Khan’s
Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Wazir has baffled social media after giving a peculiar definition of COVID-19. “COVID-19 means that it has 19 points that can be applied in any country based on respective immunity levels,” she said during a TV show. Gul soon became center of social media user’s content for memes, with Twitterati excessively sharing her video.
Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) leader Akhtar Mengal announced on floor of the National Assembly that they are breaking their alliance with the ruling party. “We will be present in the House and will continue to raise our voice,” he said during the lower house session. BNP-M is represented by four MNAs in National Assembly and has one seat in Senate.
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.
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.