Press Freedom Day
This writer is the former editor of The Express Tribune and can be reached @TribunianAs we commemorate World Press Freedom Day on May 3, the state of the media in Pakistan once again comes up for discussion. To mark this day, media watchdog Freedom Network released its annual State of Pakistan’s Press Freedom report for 2021. Sindh was the second worst with 26% of the violations (38 cases) and Punjab the third most dangerous with 20% (29 cases). The record registration of 27 legal cases against journalists has proven a growing threat to media freedom in the past year as different actors moved to adopt sophistication in silencing dissenting voices. This is an average of over 12 cases of violations a month — one every third day.
Source:The Express Tribune
May 03, 2021 04:18 UTC
In review plea against ban, TLP accuses govt of ‘deceit
Days after being declared a banned outfit, the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) on Sunday denied the charges levelled against it and accused the PTI-led government of “deceit” while dealing with it throughout the negotiations between the two sides. The allegations have emerged on the heels of a resolution passed by the European Parliament seeking a review of the GSP Plus status granted to Pakistan. “The government while dealing with the party [TLP] throughout acted with deceit, deception and chicanery,” Iftikhar Ahmed Malik and Ihsan Ali Arif, the lawyers representing the hardline group, stated in a review application. The plea was filed with the interior secretary against the ban imposed on the TLP by the federal cabinet under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 for countrywide rioting. “The party has a right to assemble peacefully on the issues of Namoos-e-Risalat, its charter, Islam, Ummah and ideology of Pakistan,” the review plea read.
Source:The Express Tribune
May 02, 2021 19:04 UTC
Miftah seeks shifting of by-polls record to safe location under army’s supervision
Miftah, in his plea, sought emergency action by CEC to seize sealed ballot papers and other election material used in NA-249 by-polls. He stated that the election material should be kept at a secure location until the emergence of the final results of the by-polls. He demanded the CEC to keep the election material at a safe location under the supervision of Rangers or Pakistan Army. He added that suspicions are prevailing for changes in the ballot papers, counter files, ballot paper accounts and stamped copies of electoral lists. “Why a party which always came to power through conspiracies would want electoral reforms,” he remarked.
Source:Pakistan Today
May 02, 2021 18:33 UTC
Future of B.A/ ADP students at stake
Online education system and the contemporanous Pakistani social setup, compatible or incompatible ? Can we see the preconditions and prerequisites of such a scheme in Pakistan at present ? Obviously for an overwhelmingly small yet immensly privelleged class, linked with high budgeted academic institutions (even international ones) it is suitable . The second apt option is to promote the students to the next stage on the basis of ther past(intermediate) result percentage . We are lagging far behind in terms of resources , skills and experience when it comes to online examination.
Source:Pakistan Today
May 02, 2021 17:15 UTC
Not getting ready in time
The government has refused to do what is apparent to the layman, and impose a strict lockdown. It has insisted that such a lockdown would bring about economic ruin for daily wagers, ignoring two salient facts. - Advertisement -The government should realize that if divine intervention saves lives, failure to take advantage of the consequent reprieve is punished as severely. The only thing preventing a strict lockdown being imposed is a false pride, and a failure to realize that economic disaster is very painful, but even more painful is death. Sticking to economics, if people (who are, after all, economic actors) are dying in large numbers, there will be no economy left to protect.
Source:Pakistan Today
May 02, 2021 16:52 UTC
The winds of change in Karachi
This was a pyrrhic victory for Vawda and PTI as this decision exposed the so-called myth of PTI’s support base in Karachi. This domino effect will not just end here in NA 249 but this wave will shatter PTI in all the districts of Karachi. The other major factor for the PTI’s defeat was the rising inflation and poor governance of the PTI and Prime Minister Khan’s negligence towards Karachi. Today Karachi is engaging and trusting a national party like the PPP so that they can get their due share and legitimate ownership from the centre. This domino effect will not just end here in NA 249 but this wave will shatter PTI in all the districts of Karachi.
Source:Pakistan Today
May 02, 2021 16:23 UTC
PM inspects Covid SOPs implementation in surprise visit in capital
“Prime Minister Imran Khan drove himself to public places in Islamabad without any security and protocol. The prime minister himself drove the car in the city to observe the arrangements of local administration for the holy month of Ramadan. Senator Faisal Javed and Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Amer Ahmed Ali also accompanied the prime minister. Without creating any interruption in the traffic flow, the prime minister drove through the crowded streets of the city and also stopped at the traffic signal. The people expressed pleasure and happiness on seeing their prime minister among them without any protocol.
Source:Pakistan Today
May 02, 2021 16:08 UTC
PPP to appear before ECP for responding to plea challenging NA-249 results
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has decided to appear before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) with regard to a petition challenging NA-249 by-poll results. Divulging details on the matter, the PPP candidate who won from NA-249, Mandokhel said that he would be leaving for Islamabad from Karachi tomorrow to appear before the ECP. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a stay order on NA-249 by-poll results on Saturday after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Miftah Ismail challenged the results. Not a word of protest was said when the PML-N candidate was in the lead and when the voting process was underway,” he said. ELECTION STOLEN FROM PML-N, ALLEGES MARYAM NAWAZ:After the PPP candidate emerged victorious in the NA-249 by-poll, PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz said the election had been “stolen” from the PML-N.
Source:Pakistan Today
May 02, 2021 12:28 UTC
India’s Covid-19 daily cases hold close to record, another state imposes lockdown
Authorities reported 392,488 new cases in the previous 24 hours to push total cases to 19.56 million. Nearly 10 Indian states and union territories have imposed some form of restrictions, even as the federal government remains reluctant to impose a national lockdown. The eastern state of Odisha became the latest to announce a two-week lockdown, joining Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal. The Indian Express newspaper reported on Sunday that the country’s Covid-19 task force has advised the federal government to impose a national lockdown. The lockdown imposed last year after the first Covid-19 outbreak led to job losses as economic output fell a record 24 percent in April-June 2020 compared with the same period a year earlier.
Source:Pakistan Today
May 02, 2021 11:29 UTC
Pandemic pains: the plight of Pakistan’s labourers
Creative: Mohsin AlamThe labour class in Pakistan has always been on the brink of unemployment. Textile industries in Pakistan also had to conduct layoffs, especially those industries whose export were cancelled due to the pandemic. According to the International Labour Organisation database, Pakistan’s unemployment rate, which was already 3.98 per cent in 2019, increased to 4.65 per cent in 2020. Now with the third wave of the deadly pandemic sweeping across the nation, the labour force fears that the worst us yet to come. An invisible struggleThe struggles of home-based women workers invisible to our eyes as they’re hidden in inside their homes.
Source:The Express Tribune
May 02, 2021 06:36 UTC
References and vendettas
In the meanwhile, the council issued notice to Justice Isa over a complaint for writing a letter to President of Pakistan. Justice Isa, in his petition, asked the court to dismiss the references filed against him with “malice, ulterior motives and to achieve a collateral purpose.” He also argued that the references undermine the independence provided to the judiciary under the constitution. If Justice Isa was removed then Justice Sardar Tariq Masood could have become CJP, he argued. Likewise, during the hearing of review petitions, unpleasant scenes were also witnessed, when harsh words were exchanged with each other. A government functionary hoped that Justice Isa while deciding cases will not hold any personal grudge against any executive authority.
Source:The Express Tribune
May 02, 2021 05:59 UTC
Beware of options
Binary options: more gambling than tradingThe SEC states that a binary option is a type of options contract in which the payout will depend entirely on the outcome of a yes/no proposition. A glimpse from behind the portalThe Express Tribune managed to reach out to one former employee of one now defunct foreign forex binary options platform. “The reality is that these trading platforms and websites are fake, she stressed adding that the trading platforms exist only nominally,” she said. Binary option factsNadex is a regulated binary options exchange in the USNon-Nadex binary options are aren't regulated in the USIn April 2019, UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) banned the sale, marketing and distribution of binary options by firms to retail consumers in UK. In March 2018, the European Securities and Markets Authority prohibited marketing, distribution or sale of binary options to retail clientsUS SEC guidelines on binary options
Source:The Express Tribune
May 02, 2021 05:51 UTC
Industrial sector to cut 15-20% jobs after Eid
Industrialists are preparing to slash 15-20% jobs after Eidul Fitr in the wake of slowdown in industrial production amid third wave of Covid-19 pandemic in Pakistan, The Express Tribune learnt on the International Labour Day on Saturday. The estimated number of layoffs, of 15-20%, translates into millions, considering the industrial sector of the economy provides job opportunities to around 21% of the total labour force. “Initially, we estimate 15-20% layoffs after Eid, however, the actual number of layoffs may be much higher than the initial estimates,” said Employers’ Federation of Pakistan (EFP) former president Majyd Aziz. “Industrialists were bullish during October 2020 to January 2021 (when Pakistan received huge amount of textile export orders),” he said. “Initial estimates shows that in case of limited restrictions, about 1.4 million jobs will be lost, which are equal to 2.2% of the employed workforce.”It anticipated wage losses to translate into Rs23.6 billion in monetary terms.
Source:The Express Tribune
May 02, 2021 04:07 UTC
Covid’s monthly death toll doubles
The previous daily record death toll was surpassed five times successively during the month, including four times between April 18 and 28. As many as 1,925 deaths were reported in the 36 districts of Punjab due to coronavirus, raising the total death toll in the province to 8,410. The figure surpassed the highest toll recorded in the province in a day of 86 on June 24 last year. On April 20, the death toll crossed the 100 mark for the first time as 104 deaths were confirmed in Punjab, including 46 in Lahore. Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department spokesman Sayed Hamad Raza termed the sharp increase in death toll alarming.
Source:The Express Tribune
May 02, 2021 03:45 UTC
Lahore authorities fail to implement Covid-19 SOPs
LAHORE: The authorities have failed to ensure implementation of coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs) in Lahore as most of the markets remained open on Saturday. “All sorts of shops were open in the entire Ichhra Market. Model Town Assistant Commissioner Ibrahim Arbab said his team had closed the entire Ichhra Market. “The market was crowded and the SOPs were not being implemented, which led to the immediate closure of the entire market,” he said. “Several shops at Mall Road, including Stylo Shoes, Riaz Pan Shop, Mary Dawn Bakery, Nafis Pan Shop, Lala Pan Shop and KFC, were sealed.
Source:Pakistan Today
May 01, 2021 22:07 UTC