Today’s top Pakistan current affairs October 19,2020 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
- World acknowledging Pakistan’s policies against coronavirus: PM Khan. Prime Minister Imran Khan said Monday that whole world is acknowledging Pakistan’s policies against coronavirus that saved lives and also saved the nation from economic destruction.
- Hafeez Centre flames finally doused, shopkeepers lament billions in losses. The shopkeepers of Hafeez Centre in Lahore are weeping over the loss of billions as the flames have finally been put out after hours of the inferno raging through the plaza.
- No Compromise on Kashmir Cause:Afridi. Chairman Kashmir Committee Shehryar Afridi on Monday has said the government, the state institutions and the people of the country have an unwavering commitment for the Kashmir cause.
- Gold prices increase by Rs550 per tola in domestic market. The per tola gold price witnessed an increase of Rs 550 to Rs 116,150 in the domestic market on Monday,
- Dollar drops below Rs163 for first time in 20 weeks
- Honda, Suzuki motorcycle sellers charging ‘own money’. If you are planning to buy a Honda 125 bike then either be prepared to pay around Rs15,000 above the company price of Rs130,000 or wait for a month.
- Pakistan Announces Squad for Zimbabwe Series. Head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq Monday named 22 probables for the ODI and T20I series against Zimbabwe, insisting he has opted for experience in the 50-over matches and provided extended run to the youngsters in the T20I format, said an official press release.
- High-level Zimbabwe Cricket delegation arrives in Pakistan. A high-level delegation of Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) on Monday reached Pakistan ahead of the team’s arrival in the country for a limited-overs tour.
- Quetta airport sets up Pakistan’s first baby feeding corner. The Quetta International Airport has set up a baby feeding corner and nursing room, becoming the first airport in Pakistan to do so.
Spotlight by The NewsRun
1. COVID-19 IN PAKISTAN
- Pakistan reported 440 new cases and 5 deaths in the past 24 hours. Pakistan also conducted 27,091 tests in the span of 24 hours (P.S. this data was last updated on October 19 at 7:10am).
2. The united opposition’s anti-govt rallies
What’s going on? On Friday, 50,000 people reportedly gathered in Gujranwala to protest against the govt of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan. No, not everyone was wearing a mask, and no, not everyone was socially distancing either. The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of 11 opposition parties, spearheaded the anti-govt rally. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) are leading the movement. This was PDM’s first major public demonstration since launching last month.
The details: Demonstrators protested against rising inflation, especially for food staples like flour, pulses and vegetables. Leaders from main opposition parties addressed the crowd, including PML-N Supremo Nawaz Sharif (via video link from London), PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, PML-N VP (who is also Sharif’s daughter) Maryam, and JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
Tell me more: Opposition party leaders often allege that the military rigged the 2018 election, which brought PM Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party into power. During the anti-govt rally, the opposition said some things, and more, about PM Khan and the army.
- Sharif: Sharif accused Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, of overthrowing his govt, pressuring the judiciary, and installing Khan in the 2018 election. Sharif’s comments were reportedly censored on all Pakistani TV channels.
- Maryam: She said no one should have the power to remove govts people vote for.
- Bhutto-Zardari: He accused PM Khan of being a “puppet and selected”.
- Rehman: He called the current govt “illegal” and claimed the ‘establishment’ imposed this govt on Pakistan.
Anti-govt rally round two: PDM had a second rally in Karachi on Sunday. While addressing reporters during pre-rally prep on Saturday, Bhutto-Zardari clarified that the opposition isn’t trying to affect the army’s morale. He insisted that every institution should do its job, which is why the army should protect the country’s borders instead of its polling stations. Maryam shared a similar sentiment at the rally on Sunday, and said there’s nothing wrong with telling the army to back off from politics. Other opposition leaders also attended, such as Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leader, Mohsin Dawar, who claimed the army and its agencies are the real decision makers.
The govt’s response: After the first rally, PM Khan accused opposition members of trying to save themselves from corruption cases against them.
The bottom line: The military institution has directly ruled Pakistan for nearly half of its 73-year history. Opposition parties have come together to challenge the army’s alleged interference in politics. In the backdrop, PM Khan’s govt is trying to deal with an economic decline, unemployment, and soaring inflation.
3. TikTok tries to restart services in Pakistan
It has been a little more than a week since Pakistan blocked Chinese-video sharing app TikTok. In a recent statement, a spokesperson for TikTok said they are trying to engage with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to show their commitment to local laws and further improve content moderation. However, PTA has reportedly been unresponsive. The statement also said TikTok will “certainly assess the allocation of resources for the Pakistan market” if the govt allows its services to return. According to Profit by Pakistan, this “allocation of resources” is pretty much a pledge to invest.
- Backstory:TikTok currently has 25 million downloads in Pakistan. PTA said it was banning TikTok due to numerous complaints about immoral/indecent content. PM Khan also accused TikTok of promoting obscenity and vulgarity.
4. Fire at Hafeez Center
If you have spent time in Lahore, you’ve probably heard of Hafeez Center, the computer accessories store. A fire broke out there on Sunday morning. Flames engulfed four floors. According to eyewitnesses, the fire started on the second floor and gradually traveled up. There are no casualties so far. The fire was reportedly under control 12 hours later, but not completely extinguished. Initial reports suggest a short circuit caused the fire, but an investigation is underway to find out more.
MARKET RECAP
The benchmark KSE-100 index closed at 40,164.02 after rising 95.52 points (+0.24%) as of October 16, 2020.
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