Today’s top Pakistan current affairs December 15,2020 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
- Two soldiers martyred in LoC firing by India. Two soldiers were martyred in a cross-fire in the Bagsar Sector along the Line of Control, the ISPR said Tuesday.
- Pakistan petrol price up by Rs3. The government has increased the price of petrol by Rs3 per litre, the Finance Division said Tuesday.
- Pakistan rape ordinance prohibits people from naming rape survivors. President Arif Alvi approved on Tuesday the Anti-Rape Ordinance 2020 that seeks to address the loopholes in Pakistan’s rape laws and expedite rape cases in the country
- Seven killed after jeep falls into ditch in Abbottabad. Seven women were killed and seven injured after a passenger jeep fell into a ditch in Abbottabad’s Karla on Tuesday afternoon.
- Nation remembers APS martyrs on sixth anniversary. The Sixth anniversary of the callous terrorist attack on the Army Public School Peshawar that left around 150 people martyred is being observed today (Wednesday)
- CAA allows Greece flight carrying deported Pakistanis to land at Islamabad airport. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has allowed a chartered flight from Greece carrying deported Pakistanis to land at Islamabad International Airport.
- Private schools announce date to reopen institutions, resume regular classes. The private schools’ association has announced to reopen education centres from January 11 without waiting for an order by the government regarding the resumption of regular classes
- Gold price shoots up in domestic market. Gold prices in the domestic market witnessed an upward trend on Tuesday,
- ICC unveils schedule for 2022 Women’s World Cup. The International Cricket Council announced the schedule for the 2022 edition of the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand on Tuesday.
Spotlight by The NewsRun
1. COVID-19 IN PAKISTAN
- 24-hour count: Pakistan reported 2,362 new cases and 36 deaths in the past 24 hours. Pakistan also conducted 31,830 tests in the span of 24 hours (P.S. this data was last updated on December 14 at 7:49am).
*Note: We couldn’t give a 24-hour count update for December 15 since https://covid.gov.pk appears to be down.
- Speculation about vaccine purchases: There were rumors that the Ministry of National Health Services was letting people buy COVID-19 vaccines on their own. In other words, wealthier people allegedly had dibs on the vaccine because they could afford it. However, the health ministry denied these media reports. The CEO of Pakistan’s Drug Regulatory Authority, Asim Rauf, reiterated that certain people can’t get special permission at a time when govts around the world are struggling to obtain vaccines. The govt said people in Pakistan will receive the vaccine on a priority basis (i.e. first healthcare workers and people over 65-years-old).
2. Opposition party leader tells off the media
What’s going on? Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) VP, Maryam Nawaz, has a bone to pick with the media. She accused news channels of inaccurately reporting the size of an anti-govt protest in Lahore. While referring to the media she said, “you didn’t show the truth.”
The details: Nawaz claimed the crowd was huge, and the venue had reached full capacity. While speaking to journalists, she called the rally, “historic.” President of the opposition alliance, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, thinks the security establishment pressured the media into downplaying the rally.
Tell me more: Govt officials on the other hand, are calling the rally a “flop.” According to The Express Tribune, some media reports said Nawaz was upset about the low turnout, and criticized her party’s leaders for not getting enough people to show up. However, according to Al Jazeera, tens of thousands of people showed up to the rally.
The context: The opposition alliance, made up of 11 political opposition parties, held an anti-govt rally at Minar-e-Pakistan over the weekend. They are accusing Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan of hurting the country, and want him to step down. Members of the opposition are blaming PM Khan for issues like a weak economy, media censorship, and high inflation. Members of the opposition alliance insist that a rigged election brought PM Khan into power. So far, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (i.e. opposition alliance) has organized six anti-govt rallies in four provinces.
The bottom line: Yesterday, the opposition alliance gave the govt a deadline to quit by January 31, 2021, otherwise there will be a long march against the govt in Islamabad. It’s unclear how the potential protest in Islamabad will be different from previous anti-govt rallies. The govt isn’t showing any sign of giving in.
3. Three alleged militants behind Rawalpindi blast
The Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested three suspects for their alleged involvement in a blast. The incident took place outside a general store in Rawalpindi’s Pirwadhai area earlier this month. According to a police statement, the suspected militants were planning to attack the Islamabad Stock Exchange as well. The suspects have a history of ties with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group. However, they’re apparently working as mercenaries now and taking orders from someone in Afghanistan. You might be feeling a sense of deja vu, since we reported on a more recent blast in Rawalpindi yesterday. However, the latest blast took place near the Ganj Mandi Police Station.
4. Pakistani doctor develops COVID-19 testing app
A Pakistani doctor based in Toronto created a mobile app that delivers instant COVID-19 test results. It’s also supposed to be a low-cost testing alternative. Dr. Naqeeb Khalid said his app displays and communicates test results on any smartphone. Dr. Khalid’s brother, Najeeb Khalid, helped make the app. Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Canada, Raza Bashir Tarar, congratulated Dr. Khalid for his innovative and essential work. The app isn’t widely available yet since it still has to go through clinical trials and be approved. If all goes well, the app will hopefully make it easier for people to get tested for the virus and get their results faster.
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