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Pakistan will launch its Covid-19 vaccination drive next week, starting with front-line health workers, a government minister said on Wednesday. "God willing, the vaccination of front-line health workers will start next week," Asad Umar, who oversees Pakistan's efforts to stem the coronavirus pandemic, said in a tweet. China has pledged to donate 500,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine made by the Chinese firm SinoPharm. Two government sources said the first batch would be flown in on Saturday. Pakistan has so far approved two vaccines for emergency use, one made by China National Pharmaceutical Group (SinoPharm) and the other by AstraZeneca. Russia's Sputnik V vaccine is also likely to get similar approval, officials say, adding that the authorisations will be reviewed quarterly with regard to safety, efficacy and quality. Health Minister Faisal Sultan has said Pakistan could get "in the range of tens of millions" of vaccine doses under an agreement with China's Cansino Biologics Inc. Cansino's Ad5-nCoV vaccine candidate is nearing completion of Phase III clinical trials in Pakistan, and preliminary results may be available by mid-February, Sultan said. The South Asian nation of 220 million people also expects China to donate a further million vaccine doses. Dr Ghazna Khalid, a member of the government task force on Covid-19, said Pakistan would procure vaccines from various markets. "There's going to be an accumulation of vaccines, a consortium available, there’s going to be Chinese vaccines, there's going to be AstraZeneca," she said. "We are the fifth biggest country in the world, and it's going to be very difficult to immunise." Pakistan reported 1,563 new coronavirus infections and 74 deaths in the latest 24-hour period, taking the total number of cases to more than 537,477, with 11,450 deaths.

Prime Minister Imran Khan is set to address a public rally in Kotli, near the Line of Control (LoC), on February 5, in honour of the Kashmir Solidarity Day, it was revealed yesterday. According to a statement from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Khan met his party’s chief organiser Saifullah Niazi and former Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) premier Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry. The PTI’s statement said that Chaudhry, who is also the president of the party’s AJK chapter, and Niazi “called on the prime minister at Islamabad” for a meeting, wherein Khan “announced to visit Kotli LoC on February 5 and will address a gathering”. The groundbreaking ceremony of a housing programme for AJK would be held soon, it added, and Prime Minister Khan would visit also the Kotli portion of the LoC. In addition, Chaudhry and Niazi also apprised the prime minister on the PTI’s election campaign and strategy in the Himalayan region, with the former thanking Khan for issuing the ruling party’s flagship national health card in his hometown. The prime minister told the two leaders to “develop a clear strategy for the election campaign”. “I want a good message to be given in occupied Kashmir,” he told them. Meanwhile, following a telephone conversation between Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam – Fazlur (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the venue for the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) opposition alliance’s Kashmir Day rally has been moved from Rawalpindi to AJK. A delegation of senior PML-N leaders, including AJK Premier Raja Farooq Haider and former Pakistan prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, had called on Rehman, who is also the PDM chief, following Sharif’s call. The decision to move the venue from Rawalpindi to AJK was finalised after the meeting and reportedly on the request of the PML-N, which is hosting the February 5 political gathering. Earlier this month, Rehman had announced that the PDM would hold a Kashmir Day rally at Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh to “show solidarity with the Kashmiri people”. While the stated intention of the rally seemed benign, the announcement was seen as a “thinly-veiled” power move, as it came despite the military saying that it saw “no reason” for the opposition alliance to march towards Rawalpindi. It may be noted that Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director-general Major-General Babar Iftikhar had said in a January 11 press briefing that he did not see any reason for the PDM to head to Rawalpindi – the city where Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters is located. “If at all they want to come, we will take care of them. Serve them tea [chai paani]. What more can I say,” the head of the military’s media wing had reportedly said. The ISPR chief had stated – in what seemed to be a reference to the PDM’s brinkmanship – that the military is simply doing its job and would respond to criticism only when it feels that the criticism is based on fact or holds some weight. “We are pre-occupied and do not want to get involved in such things, nor will we. We have stayed the course [and] we will stay the course,” he said.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for devising a viable framework for equitable and affordable supply of coronavirus vaccine to developing countries. The coronavirus causes the Covid-19 respiratory disease. He was addressing virtually the 4th Session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Financing for Development yesterday. The prime minister said coverage of the Covax facility must be expanded enabling the developing countries to spend their precious resources on socio-economic development needs. Suggesting a five-point framework to fight the pandemic and help economies recover, he said debt re-payments for the most stressed countries should be suspended until the end of the pandemic. Khan said that public-sector debt under an agreed and inclusive multilateral framework should be restructured, and concessional financing through multilateral development banks should be expanded. He called for general allocation of Special Drawing Rights of $500bn to help alleviate balance-of-payment pressures. Khan also stressed on the world community to take measures for the return of stolen assets held by corrupt politicians and criminals. He said the developed countries should meet the agreed target of mobilising $100bn annually for climate action in developing countries. Commenting on Pakistan’s measures to combat Covid-19, the prime minister said that the country’s efforts have been aimed at ensuring that people are saved from dying from the virus, and at the same time preventing them from dying from hunger. He said that Pakistan’s strategy has fortunately worked well so far, but continuous efforts are needed to fully overcome the second wave of the virus. In the past 24 hours Pakistan reported 23 deaths attributed to Covid-19, the lowest number of fatalities recorded since the second wave of the coronavirus in the country. The last time the country reported 23 deaths was on November 10. The country’s death toll is now 11,318. There are currently 33,820 active Covid-19 cases in the country, 148 of which are critical cases. In the past 24 hours, the country reported 2,414 recoveries, taking the total number to 488,903. In a bid to contain imported coronavirus cases, all travellers landing in airports across the country are being tested upon arrival – and those who test positive are being quarantined. These measures taken by the authorities were discussed during a meeting of the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), attended by the federal and provincial government representatives yesterday. According to a statement issued by the body, the forum reviewed the overall Covid-19 situation in the country. The NCOC was informed about testing travellers, particularly those who come from the United Kingdom and South Africa, upon arrival. The statement said that the government would keep a record of vaccinated persons, adding that “even those who travelled from abroad would have to provide a legal document confirming that they had been vaccinated”. The NCOC said that provinces have almost completed the training of medical staff for the coronavirus immunisation drive to be held in the country. “[The] provinces have almost completed the training of the staff of teaching hospitals, tehsil and district hospitals regarding Covid-19 vaccination for swift inoculation of the vaccine,” read the press release. The meeting discussed details of the complete procedure for vaccination, its time of availability, distribution process, and most demanding areas where it can be used at the earliest. The meeting, chaired by national co-ordinator Lieutenant-General Hamood Uz Zaman Khan, discussed updates from the provinces on positivity and critical data, non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs or alternate measures to treat Covid other than medical treatment) and implementation, preparations for vaccine inoculation, and the national vaccine strategy. The provincial chief and health secretaries said all regions have taken necessary measures prior to the availability of coronavirus vaccines. “The chief secretaries also informed the forum about the steps being taken to ensure standard operating procedures (SOPs) and NPI implementation.” The NCOC was told that a large number of fines had been imposed on SOP violators, while restaurants, shops and business centres had also been closed for not complying with the SOPs.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that US President Joe Biden’s administration must recognise the world, and engage with the new Pakistan, based on new ground realities. Addressing a press conference in Multan yesterday, he said that Pakistan, and specifically India, has changed a lot in the last four years, hence any engagement and relations should be developed on the basis of new ground realities. Qureshi said: “India has changed. Is it the same shining and secular India today? No.” “The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government hopes to engage with the new US administration based on a new approach and new guidelines,” he stated. “I understand that there is a lot of similarity [between] the United States’ current thinking and our policies.” Qureshi said that he had penned a letter to the incoming US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, updating him about Pakistan’s current policies and looked forward to talks with him in the coming days. “We have made a very big shift, from a geo-strategic position to a geo-economic position,” the minister said. In response to a question from a reporter regarding the reservations of certain allied Arab states over recent decisions taken by Pakistan, Qureshi clarified: “We haven’t signed any agreement that hurts the interests of an allied state. We have never done, and will never do, such an agreement which causes damage to any brother Muslim state.” In reference to the conflict in Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region last year, he said that Turkey and Pakistan have openly supported and congratulated Azerbaijan on its “big success” in reclaiming its occupied territory. As a result of that support, Qureshi said, after Azerbaijan’s victory, the flags of Turkey and Pakistan were waved in the streets by the citizens of Azerbaijan. “We hadn’t handed them [flags], this was the people’s emotions, acceptance and tribute to Pakistan,” he said.

Senior Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal has asked Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to “show numbers” to back up his suggestion of a no-confidence motion against the incumbent government, pointing out that a similar effort had previously failed. Addressing a press conference in Lahore, the PML-N secretary-general said: “As far as the PML-N’s thinking is concerned, we think if Bilawal Bhutto [Zardari] sahab has the numbers to bring a no-confidence motion, then he should certainly show them.” “We saw [previously] in the Senate where we had the [majority] numbers, but [despite that] the no-confidence motion was not successful, so there is only one path we should follow, and that is to pursue a decisive long march against this government.” He said that the PPP’s suggestion of a no-confidence motion is an old one, but added that members of the 10-party Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) opposition alliance “deliberate on their suggestions and take decisions through consensus of opinion”. Iqbal was responding to the PPP chairman’s comments on Friday, where the latter hinted at the possibility of ousting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government through a no-confidence motion, and saying that all the PDM parties would be convinced to use this option and that they would reach a consensus on the issue. Speaking at an inauguration ceremony for the newly-established Sindh Industrial Trading Estate near Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University in Larkana, Bilawal said that the no-confidence move could be tabled against the prime minister and speaker.

A young man was hit and killed by a train in Pakistan while being filmed walking along the tracks for a TikTok stunt, police and rescue officials said Saturday. The accident happened on Friday in the Shah Khalid neighbourhood of Rawalpindi city, near the capital Islamabad. Hamza Naveed, 18, was walking next to the tracks while a friend filmed him, Raja Rafaqat Zaman, a spokesperson for the local rescue agency, told AFP. "The moving train hit him while he was posing for a video and walking on the railway track," Zaman said. Rescue workers rushed to the site, he said, but the young man was already dead. Friends of the young man told rescue workers he was posing for the video to post it on TikTok and his other social media accounts, Zaman said. A police official at the local station confirmed the accident and other details. Taking selfies and making videos for social media is wildly popular in Pakistan, as in other countries, with many youngsters using the posts to update their Facebook, Twitter and TikTok accounts.

Alongside the usual snacks arranged on a tray balanced on one hand, Momin Khan sells face masks to passengers at a crowded bus stand in Islamabad. Most choose the snacks instead of paying about 6¢ for a mask, he says. “It’s mostly rich people buying the masks, the poor people say ‘we don’t have the money anyway and we will do without them’,” he told Reuters. Nearby, dozens of passengers crowd into a minivan, only a handful wearing masks, as the driver shuts the door and windows to keep out the winter cold. Pakistan has reported 527,146 coronavirus (Covid-19) cases so far, and 11,157 deaths, far lower than what officials had feared. Now, the authorities worry that complacency could undo that good fortune, as an economic divide emerges between the public when it comes to who is remaining vigilant. Some 57% of Pakistanis say the virus threat is exaggerated, and 42% say it’s a foreign conspiracy, according to a December 2020 poll conducted by Gallup Pakistan. Restrictions to curb the pandemic, dubbed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), are rarely followed. At the bus station, passengers are supposed sit socially-distanced, wearing masks. “We lose a lot of income when they are apart from each other, because only when the bus is full can we make a profit,” Kabir Ahmed Kiyani, the station’s manager, told Reuters. “All business has been hurt and especially transport ... more than half our passengers are gone.” Elsewhere, Islamabad’s Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat leads a team of police officers on a surprise inspection of a bustling upscale marketplace. Shopkeepers usher out customers and hastily wear masks. “Generally the people of the upper classes or upper middle class, they are somehow implementing the SOPs,” Shafqaat told Reuters. “But if you see people from the lowest strata, for them implementation of the SOPs is almost impossible, and for us it is also a huge challenge.” He said the city has handed out some Rs10mn ($62,400) in fines and closed 800 businesses since the pandemic began. Restrictions like closing schools and mosques could return if the case numbers go back up. “But there cannot be a complete lockdown, our country cannot afford it,” Shafqaat said.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has called for the opposition parties to mount a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. He explained that this is with the view that it will be much more effective than the ongoing rallies of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) opposition alliance. “Even 10 rallies will not yield the kind of results as a strategy meeting over a cup of tea, which is sure to cause the government to break a sweat,” Bilawal said, while addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Larkana Industrial Estate. He said that he will speak to the opposition parties to “strike” in the assembly. “The democratic way to send this incompetent, illegal, unqualified prime minister (away) is through a no-confidence motion,” said the PPP chairman. Speaking of the newly-inaugurated project, Bilawal said that the Larkana Industrial Estate will benefit local industry and create employment opportunities. He lamented the “damage” caused to the economy over the last two years, since the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) took the reins of power. “The PTI government wishes to use brute force as a corrective measure to get the economy running,” he said, adding that the Sindh government “did not employ such tactics to collect tax”. He also claimed that the provincial government had increased tax revenue. The PPP chairman said that the Sindh government deems it its duty to take care of the business community, traders, and the underprivileged sections of society. Bilawal said that a “Labour City” with this in mind had been inaugurated a few days ago in Sukkur. The PPP chairman said that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah will also release funds for an industrial zone in Larkana. He said that in contrast, the people have yet to see the 10mn jobs and 5mn houses promised by the PTI government, adding that “Imran Khan’s approach in dealing with the industries is there for all to see”. “The PPP and the chief minister are obstacles in the way of Imran Khan’s anti-people policies,” Bilawal charged. He said the party’s people had been “targeted by the NAB (National Accountability Bureau)”. Bilawal said: “We know what we have to do to get rid of non-democratic forces. The federation may have abandoned Sindh, but we never will.”

Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the authorities to immediately start work on the housing projects for the poor and low-income groups. He was chairing a meeting in Islamabad yesterday to review progress on a range of projects, including the Ravi Urban Development, the Central Business District, the relocation of Walton airport, and a project to provide low-cost housing to the people in Punjab. The prime minister directed that timelines should be set for completion of low-cost housing. The meeting was informed that low-cost houses of 3-5 marla will initially be in the 25-27 districts of Punjab, and later be expanded to 87 locations. In the initial phase, the Punjab government will provide land and capital for the project. Regarding the Ravi Urban Development Project, Prime Minister Khan said that this is of immense importance for the socio-economic development of the people of Lahore. He said that this will not only create economic activities but also provide job opportunities to the people. The meeting was informed that matters pertaining to the design of Ravi city project have reached the final stage. It was informed that steps are being taken to hold an investors conference. The meeting was also informed about the progress made so far for the acquisition of land for the project. Regarding the Central Business District Project and relocation of Walton airport, the meeting was informed that the commercial, retail and residential zoning of the projects is being done as per the international standards. Prime Minister Khan has also directed the ministries concerned to take steps to ensure uninterrupted supply of food at reduced prices during upcoming month of Ramadan. Chairing a meeting to review prices of commodities, particularly wheat and sugar, the prime minister instructed that the availability and price reduction of daily use items are ensured. Federal ministers Khusro Bakhtiar, Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Shibli Faraz, Ali Haider Zaidi, Syed Fakhar Imam, Ali Amin Gandapur, Adviser Dr Ishrat Hussain, Special Advisers to the Prime Minister Usman Dar and Dr Sania Nishtar, the Utility Stores Corporation managing director, and senior officers attended the meeting. Punjab Food Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, Adviser to the Punjab Chief Minister Dr Salman Shah, and provincial chief secretaries joined the meeting through video link. Prime Minister Khan also ordered he be kept updated regularly regarding the monitoring of the price of edibles and their availability till Ramadan. The finance minister, Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, told the meeting that according to Sensitive Price Indicators over the past seven weeks, the prices of onion, tomato and chicken had been on a downward trend. The price of vegetable oil will also decrease within the next few weeks, he added. The meeting was also apprised of the measures for the release of wheat stocks and the impact of the Economic Co-ordination Committee’s decision on the price of sugar. The meeting participants were briefed on the prediction of wheat production in the coming year, and preparation of its import. The meeting was was told that government’s decision on wheat import helped stabilise its price. The meeting emphasised that the focus on the enhancement of yield is to reduce prices of wheat and sugar. Prime Minister Khan also directed for the formulation of a comprehensive strategy to enhance production in accordance with population growth, to make the country self-sufficient as well as to reduce the import bill.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for continued co-operation of religious scholars to thwart the “conspiracies” creating division and discord in the Muslim Ummah. He was speaking with a delegation of religious scholars in Islamabad yesterday. The prime minister said that religious scholars have a pivotal role to transform Pakistan into a genuine Islamic welfare state. Commending the role played by the ulema to cope with sectarianism and extremism, the prime minister said that the process of consultations with religious scholars will continue in order to take their guidance to address the challenges faced by the country. The religious scholars were appreciative of the prime minister for representing the feelings of the Pakistani nation and the entire Muslim Ummah at the forum of the UN, taking a firm stance on the sanctity of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the issue of Islamophobia. They also hailed Khan’s categorical and unequivocal stance regarding Israel. Alluding to the prime minister’s vision of transforming Pakistan as per the principles of State of Madina, the religious scholars said they stand shoulder to shoulder with him on the matter and assured full co-operation to turn Pakistan into an Islamic welfare state. They also appreciated the government’s efforts to bring improvements in the seminaries. Commending the government’s steps for the protection of minorities, the religious scholars said that at present, minorities living in Pakistan consider themselves to be safe, unlike the minorities in a neighbouring country. The religious scholars said the Islamic world sees Prime Minister Khan as a genuine leader of the Muslim Ummah.

Prime Minister Imran Khan yesterday challenged all those sceptical of his party’s funding by saying that the court proceedings of the foreign funding case should be aired live on TV. Speaking to journalists in South Waziristan, the prime minister said the proceedings should be open and that the party heads should attend the hearings. “I can put it to a challenge that (ruling) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf  (PTI) is the only political party that has been involved in political fundraising,” Khan said, adding the country runs on remittance by overseas Pakistanis. Slamming the opposition, he said that Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and Jamiat-e-UIema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Reman uses seminary students to blackmail governments. “How does he (Fazl) own properties worth billions of rupees?” the premier asked, adding the PDM chief was protesting with the sole aim of getting a concession under the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). “They do not understand the nation’s mindset. Our people are politically aware. They will not come out to back such thieves,” Khan thundered. The prime minister said he was thankful to the opposition for highlighting the foreign funding case and now sources of all parties’ funds should be made public. It is now the opposition parties’ turn to reveal the source of their funds, the prime minister stressed. Earlier, Khan announced that 3G and 4G services would be available in Waziristan starting yesterday, during this visit to the region. He broke the news to the people of Waziristan while addressing a Kamyab Jawan Programme’s cheque distribution ceremony in Wana. The PM was accompanied by the chief minister and governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Special assistants Dr Sania Nishtar, Usman Dar, and Shahbaz Gill. He was also to be briefed about the development works going on in the region.  The PM said uplifting the poor segments of the society and backward areas including the tribal districts is the priority of the government. He also addressed a ceremony in connection with distribution of cheques among the tribal people under Kamyab Jawan Programme (Youth Entrepreneur Scheme) in Wana. Khan said special emphasis will be accorded to the education sector and provision of livelihoods to the people of tribal districts. He said apart from giving scholarship to the youth, schools, colleges, universities and technical institutes will be established in the tribal districts. He promised that the loans under the Kamyab Jawan Programme was just the beginning and its scope would be expanded in the days to come.

A Nepali climbing team which made history at the weekend by becoming the first to summit the world’s second-highest mountain in winter recalled yesterday how they battled hurricane-force winds and freezing temperatures to achieve the record. The triumphant 10-man team was plucked from Base Camp on the 8,611-metre (28,251-feet) K2 — known as the “savage mountain” — by a Pakistan Army helicopter and flown to the Shigar Valley, a gateway to the mighty Karakoram range. Wearing traditional woollen hats and festooned with garlands, the climbers were received as heroes on the first leg of their journey back home. “This winter we came here with the hope that we were going to make this happen,” said Nirmal Purja, one of the leading members of the team and a former Gurkha and British Special Forces soldier. “The weather conditions were really, really horrendous, the temperature was up to minus 65 degrees Celsius (minus 85 degrees Fahrenheit) — there were hurricane (strength winds) but 10 climbers from Nepal managed to make it happen.” One of the climbers told AFP how he almost missed out on making history, briefly giving up in the tough conditions. “At camp four I had actually quit, but when I made the radio call... he didn’t answer,” Mingma Gyalje, known as Mingma G, who had attempted the record last year, told AFP.  “I couldn’t leave my team alone like that so when he didn’t answer, I decided to try again. “Normally when someone doesn’t answer a call you feel offended, but in this case I am thankful.” Despite being famed for their climbing expertise, there has never before been a Nepali climber on a first winter ascent of a peak higher than 8,000 metres.  Nepali guides — usually ethnic Sherpas from the valleys around Mount Everest — are considered the backbone of the climbing industry in the Himalayas for bearing huge risks to carry equipment and food, fix ropes, and repair ladders. The climbers had been spread across different expeditions at the start, but formed a new group in order to claim the summit in Nepal’s name on Saturday, singing the national anthem as they reached the top. “This was not by any means an individual effort — (it was) 10 brothers united like a family, like a brother, and everybody played a really, really important part,” said Purja, who in 2019 broke the record for being the fastest person to conquer every mountain on earth over 8,000 metres, completing the mammoth challenge in just over six months. “The message from here is, the world is going through crisis right now — we have Covid-19, and more than that... global warming. “I think the message is important, that if we all unite together we can make... anything possible, and hence why the 10 of us worked together to make K2 possible.” Unlike Mount Everest, which has been topped by thousands of climbers young and old, K2 is a much tougher and lonelier place. Northern Pakistan is home to some of the world’s tallest mountains, including K2, in the territory of Gilgit-Baltistan. Nestled between the western end of the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush mountains and the Karakoram range, Gilgit-Baltistan has 18 of the world’s 50 highest peaks. 

Separate rallies led by different constituent members of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – a 10-party opposition alliance seeking to oust the government – have reached Islamabad, where a protest is being held outside the headquarters of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against what is being termed by the PDM as an “unacceptable delay” in the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s foreign funding case. Addressing the rally yesterday, Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) vice-president Maryam Nawaz said that the PDM parties had gathered outside the ECP to remind the election authority of its constitutional obligations. Commenting on the size of the crowd, she asked whether there had been a “misunderstanding” that the PDM’s planned long march “was being held today”. “From the huge size of the crowd, I feel like you had that misconception. If this is a protest rally, look and think what the condition will be when the public reaches here for the long march,” she remarked. Maryam said the protest was being held on the Constitutional Avenue but “unfortunately there is no justice or Constitution in the country we live in”. “Today we have gathered in front of the ECP office to remind it of its constitutional responsibilities, to tell the chief election commissioner that your institution is a constitutional institution and an institution of the people,” she said. “This is the institution that the Constitution has made responsible for respecting the people’s votes and this is the institution that had to get respect for the people’s votes.” Terming the PTI foreign funding case the “biggest fraud in Pakistan’s history”, she said that although the cases against her father (former prime minister Nawaz Sharif) were expedited and decided within days, the ECP had “only held 70 hearings” of the PTI case since 2014. The PML-N leader said the case against the PTI could be decided within three days, “but they have been sitting like a snake on top of it for seven years”. Maryam said that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) had identified “23 secret accounts” of the PTI, which she claimed were being operated through Prime Minister Imran’s signatures. She alleged that Prime Minister Khan had received funds from “countless” people in Israel and India. The PML-N leader was joined on the stage, set up atop a container, by PDM president Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other top leaders of the opposition alliance. Addressing the rally, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam – Fazlur (JUI-F) chief Rehman alleged that the government was “not elected” and had no right to rule, and accused the “helpless” ECP of having failed to conduct transparent elections. Also addressing the rally, Balochistan National Party – Mengal (BNP-M) president Sardar Akhtar Mengal said the PDM is seeking the “supremacy of the Constitution”, and that its supporters had gathered “to get the Constitution implemented on which the country is standing”. Maryam and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)’s Sherry Rehman earlier shared visuals of separate entourages, each being led by leaders of the respective parties, moving towards a decided meeting point in the capital from where they headed towards the ECP office. Before the rally, Maryam, BNP-M chief Mengal, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai and the PPP’s Sherry Rehman gathered at the house of PDM president Rehman, where they held a discussion on the arrangements for the protest and the security situation. Other leaders including former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf of the PPP, Captain (retired) Mohamed Safdar and Khurram Dastagir, also participated in the discussion. The foreign funding case against the PTI was filed in November 2014 by Akbar S Babar, a founding member of the party. He had alleged serious financial irregularities in the PTI’s accounts. The allegations made by Babar included illegal sources of funding, concealment of bank accounts in the country and abroad, money laundering, and using private bank accounts of PTI employees as a front to receive illegal donations from the Middle East. The ECP is expected to hear the funding case against the ruling party today. The ECP building has been completely sealed with concrete blocks and barbed wire surrounding it, while a large number of security personnel have been deployed outside. More than a thousand security officials, including police and 300 Rangers personnel, have been deployed outside the ECP headquarters, officials said. Police said all entry and exit points to the capital’s Red Zone, which houses high-profile buildings such as the Supreme Court and President House among others, have also been sealed. Police officials have been instructed not to carry firearms; only Rangers will carry firearms. The Special Branch and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have also been deployed for making arrests. Meanwhile, the interior ministry also established a control room to monitor the protest. Information Minister Shibli Faraz said that the government had not placed any obstacles for the opposition’s protest. “The smooth flow of traffic on the capital’s highways is proof of the premier’s pro-democratic mindset. The nation has not forgotten when the PML-N government targeted PTI protesters during a peaceful demonstration,” he said.

Pakistan's military located the body of American mountaineer Alex Goldfarb-Rumyantzev on Monday in the Karakoram mountains in northern Pakistan, the second death of a foreign climber in the area in less than a week. A helicopter team spotted Goldfarb's remains during a search and rescue operation that began on Sunday, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan. He appeared to have fallen off the mountain, Hungarian expedition company Magyar Expedicios, which was supporting the climbers, said in a statement. Goldfarb and Hungarian Zoltan Szlanko were planning to climb the 8,047 metre (26,400 feet) high Broad Peak, which has yet to be ascended in winter, without the use of oxygen or any porters for help, according to Magyar Expedicios. To acclimate for that climb, the pair set out to climb nearby Pastore Peak, 6,209 metres )high, but were met with harsh winter conditions and Szlanko decided to turn back, while Goldfarb continued alone. Szlanko joined the search for his partner after he failed to return as planned on Saturday. Goldfarb, a medical doctor and a lecturer at Harvard University in Boston, had volunteered to treat Covid-19 patients since the outset of the pandemic, his son Levi Goldfarb told Reuters. "He thought (mountain climbing) was beautiful," Levi said. "He thought it was liberating, because up in the mountains it didn’t really matter who you were at sea level -- a doctor, a lawyer, or even a thief, all of those labels were stripped away and you were playing by a different set of rules. He made great friends in the mountains, he saved lives and saved himself, and he travelled the world doing it.” Spanish climber Sergio Mingote also died in the Karakoram mountains on Saturday, after he fell down a crevasse while attempting to make his way down to Base Camp on K2, the world's second-highest mountain. Travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic dampened the traditionally active summer months of mountaineering in the region last year.

Two-time Academy Award winning Pakistani film-maker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy has made it among the top 18 Asian directors list compiled by Asian Tatler. The list also features the likes of Academy Award winning director Bong Joon-Ho, who is also the jury president of the 78th Venice International Film Festival. Joon-Ho’s Parasite (2019) became the first South Korean film to win Best International Feature Film and Best Picture at the Oscars in 2020, bringing him worldwide fame. Now, Chinoy feels elated to have been featured along such critically acclaimed and renowned names. “Now that’s a cool list to be a part of! Thank you @tatlerhongkong. Look forward to the adventures 2021 brings!” she shared on Instagram. Listing her on number 16, the outlet read: “Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy wears a lot of hats. She’s a journalist, an activist and also a filmmaker, most known for her work that put the spotlight on the inequality that women face. Because of this, she has received two Academy Awards, six Emmy Awards and a Knight International Journalism Award.  “To honour her achievements and contributes, the Pakistan government bestowed her the Hilal-i-Imtiaz, the second-highest civilian honour in the country in 2012. ”

Hidden away in the slums of Lahore sits Heera Mandi — the city’s infamous Red Light district. Many don’t know how but the ‘mandi’ got its name from Heera Singh, the son of a minister of Ranjit Singh’s royal court. Heera was also a minister of Sher Singh’s court during the Sikh period. The area was first developed by the British in the old Anarkali Bazaar of Lahore for the recreation of the British soldiers. After that, it shifted to Lohari Gate and then to Taxali gate. But they seem to have spent more time at the latter rather than other places. Thus they settled in Heera Mandi and one can still find the traces of that. The tales of the past have been echoing through the walls of the district, longing for storytellers to revive them. And now, it seems like they may have finally found their calling. Celebrated Bollywood director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has expressed a desire to work on a venture about Heera Mandi. And if the latest reports are to be trusted, his dream project is finally set to roll. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, it has been reported that the Saawariya filmmaker has joined hands with streaming giant Netflix to make a period drama/web-film. While the wait continues for it to go on the floors, Pakistani star Mansha Pasha has a few questions.  Taking to Twitter, the actor has pointed out how Indian production houses are making films on subjects that would be deemed questionable in Pakistan. “India is making a film on Lahore and the infamous Heera Mandi of yesteryears because we live in a country where the fictional narrative is often censored and everyone keeps arguing about what is or isn’t ‘morally acceptable’ fiction,” the star began. “Others make most of the opportunity, taking up the stories that are native to our country, brand them and sell them to the rest of the world. In the end, what will be left will be our stories told from someone else’s mouth.” Many fans have since agreed with Pasha’s stance. “It is unfortunate that India makes fictional films on our country, be it Mohenjo Daro, Lahore or even Malala Yousufzai, while our film-makers are only focused on commercial or controversial subjects, instead of fictionalised subjects like Harappa or Dr Abdus Salam,” shared a user. “Sanjay Leela Bhansali is going to do this. Given his past movies and the thorough research he undertakes for his projects, screenplay and cinematography are going to be very interesting,” said another. “Couldn’t agree more and it is a sad state of affairs to see our stories being narrated by another country. We could’ve done it more beautifully if we weren’t under the attack of censorship,” penned a fan. But a well-known media anchor begged to differ. “While I have criticised Pemra (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority) for its ridiculous ban over a Gala (biscuit) ad and I agree with what you said, I want to remind you that India is a country where Padmavaat was banned and Deepika Padukone was given death threats because she played Padmavati. India is not ideal either!” they said. To this, Pasha retorted: “Modi’s regime is known for its fanaticism but I don’t think it’s right to use that as a benchmark to defend the censorship that is prevalent here for decades.” While Pakistani cinema is still on its journey to revival, the thought of making films on social taboos such as prostitution should always be entertained. It would be interesting to see how Bollywood takes on Heera Mandi.  The upcoming venture seems to be a star-studded affair with the likes of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt and Madhuri Dixit-Nene rumoured to have been roped in for the project.

The triumphant team of Nepali climbers who made history when they became the first to summit Pakistan’s K2 in winter arrived safely back at base camp yesterday, officials said. The 10 climbers reached the top of the world’s second-highest mountain on Saturday, the last peak above 8,000 metres (26,000 feet) to be conquered in wintertime. “All the 10 Nepali climbers arrived in the base camp this afternoon. They are in good health and relaxing,”  Faizullah Firaq, a spokesperson for the Gilgit-Baltistan government, told AFP. One of the successful climbers, Nirmal Purja, who is also known as Nimsdai, posted on social media: “The full team are now back... All safe and sound... It has been an overwhelming journey.” Thaneshwor Guragain from Seven Summit Treks, a leading mountaineering company behind one of the expeditions, said more climbers are still hoping to reach the top. Unlike Mount Everest, which has been topped by thousands of climbers young and old, K2 is a much lonelier place. But this winter, dozens of adventurers converged on the mountain hoping to take the record. K2 is known as the “Savage Mountain” because of its punishing conditions: winds can blow at more than 200 kilometres per hour (125 miles per hour), and temperatures can drop to minus 60 degrees Celsius (minus 76 Fahrenheit). The descent can be just as dangerous as going up. Saturday’s successful summit was overshadowed by the death of a Spanish climber from another team, Sergi Mingote, lower down the perilous peak. His body was evacuated from base camp yesterday to nearby Skardu city by an army helicopter, the Alpine Club of Pakistan’s Karrar Haidri told AFP. Mingote was at an intermediate camp and fell on his way down to the base camp, injuring his leg, according to his team. Purja said his team were “deeply saddened to hear that we have lost a friend” and added, “Rest in peace my brother!” The 10 Nepali climbers had been spread across different expeditions at the start, but formed a new group in order to claim the summit in Nepal’s name, singing the national anthem as they reached the top. Despite being famed for their climbing expertise, there has never before been a Nepali climber on the first winter ascent of a peak higher than 8,000 metres. Pakistan felicitated the team for making history. Located on Pakistan’s side of Karakoram range, K2 is one of the world’s 14 tallest mountains. In a tweet, Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri termed the expedition as one of the most coveted achievements in mountaineering while underlining Pakistan as the “ultimate destination of mountaineering”. 

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for emergency use in Pakistan, the health minister said on Saturday, making it the first coronavirus vaccine to get the green light for use in the South Asian country. Pakistan, which is seeing rising numbers of coronavirus infections, said its vaccines would be procured from multiple sources. “DRAP granted emergency use authorisation to AstraZeneca’s COVID vaccine,” the health minister, Faisal Sultan, told Reuters. Approval has been given to get more than a million doses of Sinopharm’s vaccine from China, he said. “We are in the process to obtain Western origin and other vaccines both via bilateral purchase agreements as well as via the COVAX facility,” he said. The Chinese vaccine is awaiting approval from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), which has received and reviewed its data. Pakistan is speaking to a number of vaccine makers, and Sultan said the country could get “in the range of tens of millions” of vaccine doses under an agreement with China’s CanSinoBio. The vaccine company’s Ad5-nCoV COVID-19 candidate is nearing completion of Phase III clinical trials in Pakistan. Efficacy is a key factor, said Sultan. “We have and are watching the evolving stories around efficacy of a number of vaccines.” Sultan said preliminary results of the Cansino may come in by mid-February. He added that Pakistan was considering to engage with Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. Pakistan reported 2,432 new coronavirus infections and 45 deaths on Friday, taking the total number of cases to more than 516,000 and deaths close to 11,000. “Our aim is that the bulk of the population will be covered free,” the minister said, adding that private sectors could also be allowed once supply was available to an authorized company. Sultan added that Pakistan had adequate cold chain facilities for most kinds of vaccines.

With US President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration just days away, there has been speculation and several media reports about whether certain world leaders will be attending the ceremony. In Pakistan, rumours that former president Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had been invited were doing the rounds on social media, while almost all television outlets quoted PPP sources as saying that the father-son duo had been invited and would be attending the inauguration on January 20. However, setting the rumours to rest, PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar told local media that the former president and the PPP chairman “have not been invited to the inauguration, and are not attending the ceremony”. Similar news reports have also cropped up in other parts of the world. In India, Congress supporters claimed a few weeks ago that former prime minister Manmohan Singh was invited and would be attending – the news was later denied by Singh himself. In the US, the media circulated a similar report about Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, forcing him to declare that “I don’t have an invitation, and I have decided not to leave (the country) much” during the pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic and the fear of violence has forced the organisers of the 2021 United States presidential inauguration to discourage foreign leaders from attending the ceremony. Members of the Biden inauguration committee have indicated that they are not inviting foreign leaders to the January 20 ceremony and are also urging Americans to watch it from their homes. In a recent statement, the committee has said that this year the celebration’s size will be “extremely limited”, while local authorities have asked people not to attend the ceremony. “Our goals right now are to encourage Americans to participate virtually and to protect the District of Columbia from a repeat of the violent insurrection experienced at the Capitol and its grounds on January 6,” Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement. The inauguration marks the start of a new presidency. Washington’s mayor has placed the capital city under a state of emergency since the attack, following a warning from US intelligence agencies that Trump supporters have planned massive demonstrations across America this weekend.

Prime Minister Imran Khan said yesterday that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has been asked to become fully digitised by July 2021, which would help the government increase tax collection and allocate more resources to the social sector and increase spending on human capital. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of e-bidding, e-billing, and GIS (geographic information system) mapping system of the National Highways Authority (NHA), Khan described corruption as primary hindrance to the development of the country. The prime minister stated that “it is regrettable that, as a society, we have accepted ‘commission’, bribe and corruption”. He added that he wanted total digitalisation in the FBR by July 2021, and this has been conveyed to them. Khan said that once done, this would be a major change in the county, with rapid increase in tax collection that would enable the government to increase spending on the social sector. The prime minister said that other ministries have also been directed to adopt automation by this summer. Khan said that the country is moving towards digitisation and transparency through e-bidding, e-billing, and GIS mapping from the NHA, and after the NHA, digitisation would be accomplished at the FBR, to be followed in the other departments and ministries. The prime minister said that most of the (payment of) “commission” (kickbacks) is being generated or realised through construction of roads being carried out by the NHA. He said that there has been a lot of corruption in the award of contract through manual bidding, and remarked that with the introduction of the e-bidding system, there would be transparency in award of contracts and the menace of “commission” and bribe would be eliminated, as the reduction of human interaction in the billing system (following the introduction of e-billing) would reduce the incidence of bribery. The prime minister said that digitisation is important to deal with the challenges of “commission” and corruption, “but the status quo does not want automation … it wants to continue with the system of corruption for their personal gain”. Khan said that no country could progress with a society that accepts the system of bribes, “commissions”, and corruption. The prime minister also referred to the Broadsheet “revelations”, and stated that the person who gave interview narrated how money was being stolen from Pakistan and sent abroad. He said the Broadsheet also revealed that one Pakistani transferred over $100,000 from Saudi Arabia to London. Minister for Communication Murad Saeed said that e-procurement, e-billing, and GIS mapping system are being launched in the NHA to do away with the menace of “commission” and corruption. He said that GIS mapping is being initiated to monitor around 12,000 roads, all the commercial activities taking place along the highways and roads, as well as to have information about the assets. “We have so far recovered Rs20bn, in addition to Rs4bn from those who had illegally encroached/occupied the NHA land,” he said, adding that 6,147km of road projects will be started in the next four months. Saeed added that these roads are being initiated through public-private partnership. The communication ministry secretary said that the NHA awards around Rs200bn in contracts annually, and that with the new e-bidding system, the award of contracts would be more transparent. He added that with the NHA undertaking 32 projects and making Rs155bn in payments, the e-billing system would reduce human interaction and bring about transparency in the payment system.