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ARY NEWS

Jahangir Khan

  • Annoyed with Shehbaz Sharif, PPP decides to boycott joint opp session‎: sources

    Annoyed with Shehbaz Sharif, PPP decides to boycott joint opp session‎: sources

    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has decided to boycott a joint session of the opposition parties convened by PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif after being annoyed with the latter’s absence from the budget passage session of the National Assembly, ARY NEWS reported quoting sources.

    According to sources privy to the matter, a joint session of the opposition parties is convened after the National Assembly session, however, the PPP has decided to boycott it over PML-N’s response during the budget 2021-22 session.

    “The top PPP leadership is disappointed with Shehbaz Sharif and has concluded as to what could they achieve from a joint session when non-seriousness was shown during the budget passage,” they said.

    They further blamed the PML-N for giving a walkover to the government in the passage of the budget and added that Shehbaz Sharif’s absence from the proceedings has cost the opposition dearly.

    The opposition remained scattered owing to the absence of Shehbaz Sharif and 14 other members of the PML-N, the sources within PPP said.

    It is pertinent to mention here that the federal budget 2021-22 was adopted with a majority vote of 172 lawmakers by the National Assembly on Tuesday.

    Most members of the PML-N that is the major opposition group in the assembly remained absent during the voting process. 70 out of 84 members of the PML-N that is lead by Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif in the House remained absent, in sheer contrast to PPP, whose 54 out of 56 lawmakers attended the budget 2021-22 passage session.

    The two lawmakers, according to sources who remained absent were suffering from COVID-19.

  • Drap approves another Pakistan-made ventilator

    Drap approves another Pakistan-made ventilator

    ISLAMABAD: The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) has approved another locally-developed intensive care unit (ICU) ventilator, ARY News reported, quoting sources.

    The National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM) developed the ventilator named Pakvent-1, the sources in the health ministry said.

    Also Read: DRAP REGISTERS PAKISTAN-MADE VENTILATOR ‘I-LIVE’

    The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) Medical Devices Division registered the life-support machine.

    Confirming the news, the drug regulator’s Chief Executive Officer Dr Asim Rauf said the ventilator having a lifespan of ten years has been registered for a five-year period.

    He billed the ventilator’s development as a major step towards self-reliance.

    WATCH: 12-YEAR-OLD BOY CREATES VENTILATOR OUT OF LEGO PIECES

    Last week, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) had registered a ventilator named “i-LIVE”. The authority’s Medical Devices Registration Board registered the life-support machinein a meeting held on Friday.

  • Health ministry issues guidelines for cattle markets, Eid ul Azha congregations

    Health ministry issues guidelines for cattle markets, Eid ul Azha congregations

    ISLAMABAD: National Ministry of Health has issued COVID guidelines to be followed during Eid-ul-Azha besides expressing concern that cattle markets could become a source of virus spread in the country, ARY NEWS reported on Tuesday.

    According to the guidelines issued by the federal health ministry, there are concerns regarding virus spread from cattle markets and called for strict implementation on COVID SOPs in them nationwide.

    “Social distancing should be ensured at the cattle markets besides also implementing directives regarding facemask,” the ministry said adding that the temperature of those entering the market should be checked other than sanitizing the hands of the visitors.

    Those selling and purchasing sacrificial animals at the market should be vaccinated, it said.

    The guidelines further feared that Eid-ul-Azha congregations could also become mass spreaders besides also asking people to refrain from attending family functions on the festive occasion.

    It is pertinent to mention here that the COVID-19 positivity rate has gone down to 1.78 per cent in Pakistan during the last 24 hours, ARY News reported, quoting the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

    The pandemic has claimed 23 more lives in Pakistan during the last 24 hours, pushing the nationwide death toll to 22,254.

    A total of 735 new cases of the virus emerged when 41,133 samples were tested during this period, taking the country’s caseload to 956,392.

    The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said the Covid-19 infection rate was recorded at 1.78%.

    The number of people who have recovered from the disease since the first case of the pandemic was reported in the country climbed to 901,985 after 784 more people recuperated in the last 24 hours.

  • 3m more doses of Sinovac vaccine reach Pakistan

    3m more doses of Sinovac vaccine reach Pakistan

    ISLAMABAD: Three million more doses of China’s Sinovac vaccine reached Pakistan on Tuesday, ARY News reported, citing informed sources.

    They said a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight, PK-6852, carrying the consignment of the vaccine arrived in Islamabad at around 1pm.

    Also Read: US TO SEND 2.5M DOSES OF MODERNA VACCINE TO PAKISTAN

    The sources said Pakistan purchased the three million doses of the Chinese vaccine. Upon arrival, the shots will be distributed to all the provinces to ramp up vaccination against the coronavirus.

    More doses of Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines would be flown in from China next month, they said. The government has purchased as many as 23 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine, they added.

    Also Read: Pakistan to receive 13 mln doses of Pfizer vaccine

    On June 23, two million doses of Sinovac vaccine arrived in Pakistan. The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said the additional Sinovac shots purchased by the Government of Pakistan arrived on board a special flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

    It is worth mentioning that the United States (US) has announced to donate 2.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine to Pakistan.

    White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are being sent to Pakistan to help Islamabad in the fight against the pandemic. She further said The United States is sending 1.5 million doses of Moderna to Honduras, 2 million Modern doses to Peru this week.

  • People demanding AstraZeneca jabs storm Islamabad vaccination centre

    People demanding AstraZeneca jabs storm Islamabad vaccination centre

    ISLAMABAD: In a shocking incident, people demanding AstraZeneca jabs on Monday stormed the COVID-19 vaccination centre located in Islamabad’s F-9 sector, reported ARY News. 

    As per details, the people stormed the mass COVID-19 vaccination centre in Islamabad and vandalized the properties after failing to get AstraZeneca jabs.

    The vaccination process remains suspended at the centre, while the administration has sought police and district administration’s help to disperse the protestors.

    Following the incident, the administration is trying to ensure the safety of the vaccine jabs.

    Read more: Astra Zeneca, CanSino out of stock at Karachi vaccination centre

    Last week, a large number of overseas Pakistanis had staged a protest outside the Lahore Expo Centre over a shortage of AstraZeneca vaccine.

    Holding their passports, the protesters had said their passports and work permits were expiring and that they risk losing their jobs abroad, and demanded that the government administer them AstraZeneca vaccine shots so they can travel abroad as soon as possible.

    On June 20, a special flight of PIA carrying 1.55 million doses of vaccine from China landed at Islamabad airport. The shipment of Sinovac corona vaccine arrived in Islamabad onboard a special Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight, the National Command and Operation Centre NCOC had said.

  • PTI, JUI join hands to contest upcoming elections in AJK

    PTI, JUI join hands to contest upcoming elections in AJK

    MUZAFFARABAD: The All Jammu and Kashmir Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday announced an electoral alliance for the upcoming Azad Jammu and Kashmir Elections 2021, ARY News reported.

    According to details, a delegation of All Jammu and Kashmir Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam called on Special Assistant to Punjab CM Sardar Tanveer Ilyas and assured unconditional support to PTI in the upcoming AJK elections.

    While talking to the media, JUI’s Qazi Mahmood Al Hassan announced not to field its candidates in favor of PTI.

    PTI, JUI join hands to contest upcoming elections in Azad Kashmir

    AJK Elections

    On June 10, AJK CEC had announced to hold the regional elections on July 25.

    According to ECP, 32,20,546 Kashmiris will cast their votes in the forthcoming elections. The registered male voters are 15,19,347 while 12,97,747 female voters will be eligible to cast their votes.

    The elections will be held to elect 45 representatives of the legislative assembly, including 33 in Azad Kashmir and 12 for Kashmiri migrants.

    Read: AJK elections: PML-N issues tickets to candidates of 36 constituencies

    The election commission has enhanced four constituencies in the 2021 elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. AJK Election Commission has asked the candidates to submit their nomination papers by June 21. Scrutiny of the nomination papers of candidates will be held on June 22.

    The candidates can withdraw their nomination papers on July 02, while the final list of candidates will be displayed on July 03.

    The election symbols will be allotted on July 04.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PP) and other parties had issued party tickets to their candidates for the AJK LA polls.

  • Drap registers Pakistan-made ventilator ‘i-LIVE’

    Drap registers Pakistan-made ventilator ‘i-LIVE’

    ISLAMABAD: The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has registered an indigenously-developed intensive care unit (ICU) ventilator named “i-LIVE”, ARY News reported.

    The authority’s Medical Devices Registration Board registered the life-support machinein a meeting held on Friday.

    Chief Executive Officer of the Drap Dr Asim Rauf said that the i-LIVE ventilator was registered for a five-year period under the Drap Act 2012 after its thorough technical examination.

    WATCH: 12-YEAR-OLD BOY CREATES VENTILATOR OUT OF LEGO PIECES

    Following the registration, the life-support machine developed by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) can now go into production and be used in hospitals, he said and added Pakistani experts indigenously developed the life-support machine.

    “The development of the ventilator marks the beginning of a new dawn in the medical equipment development industry,” Dr Asim said. “It is a major step towards self-reliance,” he added.

  • Health ministry issues guidelines on who could receive Pfizer jabs  

    Health ministry issues guidelines on who could receive Pfizer jabs  

    ISLAMABAD: National Ministry for Health has issued guidelines detailing who could receive a COVID jab from Pfizer vaccine, ARY NEWS reported.

    Under the fresh guidelines, the federal health ministry has allowed travelers planning to go abroad before July 26 to be administered Pfizer jabs.

    Those traveling to countries which have not yet accepted Chinese vaccines, people having work or study visa and travelers going to Saudi Arabia will receive the Pfizer jabs, the guidelines issued today read.

    It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan has made an agreement to procure 13 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer.

    An exact timeline was not yet available, health minister Faisal Sultan told Reuters, but said the doses would arrive by the end of 2021, under an agreement the government has made with the manufacturer.

    Pakistan has started a mass vaccination campaign late last month that is now open to all adults.

    On May 29, Pakistan received 100,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine through the COVAX facility, but authorities have only administered those to people who are immunocompromised and not suitable for other vaccines.

    Nearly 13 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the country of 220 million people so far, with about 3.5 million people fully vaccinated, according to the National Command Operation Center, which is overseeing the pandemic response.

    Pakistan has primarily used Chinese vaccines – Sinopharm, CanSinoBio and Sinovac- in its inoculation drive and, earlier this month began allowing those under 40 to receive AstraZeneca, of which it has a limited supply meant for people traveling to countries that require it.

  • Second batch of Pakvac vaccine ready for use: sources

    Second batch of Pakvac vaccine ready for use: sources

    ISLAMABAD: The second batch of Pakvac vaccine has been produced and will be available for use in the next couple of days after approval from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), ARY NEWS reported quoting sources.

    According to sources privy to the matter, the Pakistani experts solely manufactured the second batch of the vaccine which is based on the formula of single-dose Chinese vaccine-Cansino. “Previously, the first batch was manufactured with the help of the Chinese experts,” they said.

    The second batch of the vaccine, according to sources, would be handed over to the government in phases after approval from the DRAP and added that the regulatory authority would issue an NCLB Lot release certificate besides it being examined by the National Control Laboratory for Biologicals.

    According to sources in the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad, Pakistan was provided the raw material for the vaccine production by China and they currently have sufficient material to prepare 0.9 million doses of PakVac.

    “The vaccine will be developed on large scale from next month,” the sources said adding that the NIH would prepare 100,000 doses in a day.

    It is pertinent to mention here that the Ministry of National Health had laid down a set of guidelines for the use of the single-dose Covid-19 vaccine PakVac to ensure its proper storage and efficacy.

    According to the guidelines, the vaccine should be stored at a temperature ranging from two to eight degrees Celsius. The vaccine should not be frozen at any cost and be kept away from sunlight.

    The health ministry said the PakVac vaccine can only be administered to people above 18 years of age. People suffering from heart, mental and respiratory diseases, diabetes, and obesity can be administered the vaccine.

  • NCOC announces opening of educational institutions, outdoor events

    NCOC announces opening of educational institutions, outdoor events

    ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) has allowed the reopening of educational institutions in districts where the Covid-19 positivity ratio is less than 5 per cent, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

    A meeting of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) was held today (Wednesday) where important decisions were taken by the body.

    Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar and Lt General Hamood uz Zaman Khan co-chaired a meeting. SAPM Health Dr Faisal Sultan, Sindh health minister, and chief secretaries of all federating units attended the session via video link.

    Sectors opening from May 24:

    Outdoor restaurants will be opened daily till 11:59 pm and takeaways will be allowed 24/7.

    Tourism will be allowed to operate under stringent COVID-19 protocols.

    Opening of  educational institutions where the Covid-19 positivity ratio is less than a 5percent

    Sectors opening from June 1:

    Outdoor marriage ceremonies with maximum of 150 individuals from June 1.

    Staggered opening of educational institutions from June 7 — other than those opened from May 24.

    Following sectors to remained closed till further notice:

    Image

    Meanwhile, shrines, cinemas, indoor dining, indoor gyms, amusement parks, contact sports, festivals, cultural and other events, and indoor/outdoor gatherings will remain banned till further notice.

    The interprovincial public transport will remain closed for two days — Saturday and Sunday — from May 22.

    Matric, Intermediate exams

    Moreover, the NCOC also announced that all SSC and HSSC exams will be held after June 20, while conducting professional and non-professional exams would take place on a case-to-case basis on recommendations from the Ministry of Education.

    Read More: NCOC extends educational institutions closure

    The meeting of the NCOC, chaired by Federal Minister Asad Umar, on May 17 had announced resumption of the inter-city and intra-city transport in the country.

    The condition of 50 percent passengers of the total capacity of the vehicle, will remain enforced. The NCOC also decided to keep the condition of 50 pct employees in offices in force.