Pakistan

KARACHI: While the Covid-19 situation in the city continues to pose a serious threat to the health infrastructure, with sustained pressure on certain government health facilities being the ‘first choice’ of patients, several other facilities remain under-utilised, it emerged on Tuesday. The Aug 2 data of the health department showed that the Sindh Infectious Disease Hospital and Research Centre — …

ISLAMABAD: Prescribing formula milk to babies without a genuine reason is a crime, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan said on Tuesday. In a video statement issued in connection with Breastfeeding Week, being observed from Aug 1 to 7 globally, Dr Sultan said mother’s milk was essential not just for the child’s mental and …

LAHORE: Pakistan Railways (PR) has decided to impose 10 per cent Covid surcharge [on each ticket] from Sept 1 on all unvaccinated passengers. There will also be a complete ban on travelling of all unvaccinated passengers from April next year, Dawn has learnt. According to an internal letter issued by the PR headquarters, the senior officials concerned at the head office and …

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Tuesday again unanimously passed the Provincial Assembly (Privileges) (Amendment) Bill 2021, overriding the objections raised by the governor to the piece of legislation earlier passed by the House on June 29. Treasury and opposition members jointly supported the move as Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi commented that “no bureaucrat should now dare to (sic) breach privilege …

ISLAMABAD: The treasury members from Karachi on Tuesday blasted the PPP-led Sindh government in the National Assembly for its decision to impose a strict lockdown in the provincial capital in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, alleged political victimisation of the opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly and “worsening law and order situation” in the city as one of the MNAs …

ISLAMABAD: Senior clerics and members of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) here on Tuesday issued a code of conduct for the upcoming Islamic month of Muharram and demanded the religio- political parties to discourage extremists within their ranks. In this regard, CII chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz chaired a convention, which noted that foreign forces were planning to fan sectarianism …

ISLAMABAD: National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) Chairman Tariq Malik on Tuesday proposed a significant change in the i-voting system to empower and enable voters to verify their votes included in the final count. “Elections are not free and fair unless they are verifiable,” he said while briefing a subcommittee of cabinet’s committee on electronic voting machines and overseas Pakistanis’ …

ISLAMABAD: The registrar of the Islamabad High Court has informed the law secretary to communicate to the activists of Women Action Forum (WAF) that neither IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah nor any sitting judge of the high court has ever applied to any government authority or agency for the allotment of a plot and that no plot has been allotted …

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry announced on Wednesday that Prime Minister Imran Khan had nominated Abdul Qayyum Niazi as the next premier of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. In a tweet, the minister said that PM Imran had made the decision after extensive consultations and reviewing all the proposals. “He is a dynamic and genuine political activist and …

Federal Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Minister Asad Umar announced on Tuesday that Pakistan had hit the target of administering one million Covid-19 vaccination doses in a day. The minister said in a tweet: “[I am] happy to report that the target we had set for 1 million vaccinations in a day was crossed yesterday with 10 lakh 72 thousand …