Today’s top Pakistan current affairs August 12, 2020, with download link available in pdf. These are the latest breaking news about Pakistan which will be helpful for aspirants in test preparation of current affairs, Pakistan affairs, General knowledge for NTS, PPSC, CSS, FPSC, KPPSC, SPSC, BPSC, AJKPSC, OTS, PTS, and other Govt Jobs, exams & MDCAT, ECAT Entry test preparation.
One Liner
- FM Qureshi to leave for China to discuss Jammu & Kashmir situation, CPEC development.
- Cabinet allows TCP to import 1.5m tonnes of wheat. In an apparent bid to control wheat shortage and regulate its prices, the federal government has exempted the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) from Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules for the import of 1.5 million tonnes of wheat.
- RAW behind multiple hand grenade attacks in Sindh, find investigators
- Child Killed, Five Injured in Cracker Attack in Quetta. A child was killed and five others sustained injuries in a cracker attack over a shop at Barori Road, Quetta.
- Dates being finalised for Chinese president’s visit to Pakistan: sources. The diplomatic sources have said that dates are being finalised for the upcoming of the Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan
- Afghan ambassador meets COAS Bajwa at GHQ: ISPR. The Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Shukrullah Atif Mashal has met Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa during his visit to the General Headquarters (GHQ), Inter-Services Public Relations said on Wednesday.
- Gold dips Rs5,200 per tola in Pakistan. Gold maintained its downturn in domestic market Wednesday, falling by Rs5,200 to Rs119,600 per tola.
- PCB places Hafeez in isolation for breaching social distancing protocol
Spotlight by The NewsRun
1. COVID-19 IN PAKISTAN
- Pakistan reported 531 new cases and 15 deaths in the past 24 hours. Pakistan also conducted 18,227 tests in the span of 24 hours (P.S. this data was last updated on August 11 at 9:51am)
2. Political party workers and police clash
What’s going on? Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers and police clashed outside a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) office in Lahore. PML-N leader, Maryam Nawaz, had arrived there to record her statement in a case regarding an illegal acquisition of land. She was accompanied by a caravan of cars and supporters on foot.
The details: TV footage shows men in plain clothes throwing stones at law enforcement, while law enforcers were seen assaulting some PML-N workers with batons, water cannons, and tear gas. Other TV channels reportedly showed footage and pictures of PML-N cars full of stones. Maryam posted a video alleging that police were pelting her car with stones. Here is another picture of her car’s cracked windshield. Police took dozens of PML-N workers into custody. NAB ended up postponing Maryam’s hearing.
Looking ahead: Maryam condemned police brutality against PML-N party workers who came to express solidarity with her. She referred to the party workers as “peaceful” and “innocent.” Other opposition leaders like Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and PPP leader, Senator Sherry Rehman, also supported Maryam. NAB on the other hand, accused Maryam of “displaying hooliganism.” The Bureau also accused PML-N workers of throwing stones, creating disorder and trying to interfere with legal proceedings. NAB’s Chairman gave orders to file a First Information Report (FIR) against PML-N leaders and workers for interfering with the state’s work.
The bottom line: The situation turned violent pretty quickly. Now, NAB and PML-N are playing the blame game.
3. The first Black and South Asian-American woman on a US presidential ticket
Former Vice President and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, selected California Senator, Kamala Harris, as his running mate. If elected, she would be the nation’s first female, first Black and first South Asian-American Vice President.
- History with Biden: During the first Democratic primary debate, Harris slammed Biden’s alleged history of working with racial segregationists. She was referring to a statement Biden made about his relationship with two US Senators, James Eastland and Herman Talmadge. According to Harris, these Senators “built their reputations and careers on the segregation of race in this country.” Harris also claimed that Biden worked with them to oppose ‘busing’ (i.e. an attempt to integrate/desegregate schools). In response, Biden said Harris “mischaracterized” his position. Harris still threw her full support behind Biden after suspending her presidential campaign in late 2019.
- Backstory: Harris is the second Black woman in history to serve in the US Senate, and currently the only Black woman in the US Senate. She was elected in 2016 after serving as California’s attorney general. Before that, she was San Francisco’s district attorney. She is the child of Jamaican and Indian immigrants.
4. Taliban bomber targets military vehicle
A Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up near a military vehicle that was carrying a brigadier and two junior officers. All three were wounded. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesperson, Mohammad Khurasani, claimed responsibility for the attack, which took place in Ladha, South Waziristan (i.e. a former tribal region). The area used to be a base for the Taliban and foreign militants. Pakistan conducted a number of operations over the past few years to clear out the tribal area and remove insurgents. However, violence is still a problem in the region.
5. Pakistani gaming startup selected for UNICEF Innovation Fund
UNICEF selected Pakistani gaming startup, WonderTree, for its Innovation Fund 2020 program! The fund helps scale technologies and practices that strengthen UNICEF’S work for children. WonderTree creates Augmented Reality (AR) games that aim to accelerate the development of cognitive and motor skills among children with special-needs. The WonderTree team hopes UNICEF’s fund will give them the means to enhance their tech infrastructure and go global. The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) govt also gave WonderTree a shout out on Twitter.
MARKET RECAP
The benchmark KSE-100 index closed at 40,559.15 after rising 644.39 points as of August 11, 2020.
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