Today’s top Pakistan current affairs December 22,2020 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
- Terrorists who martyred Pakistan Army soldier killed in Awaran operation: ISPR. Security forces on Tuesday conducted an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Awaran district of Balochistan, killing 10 terrorists involved in an attack that saw the martyrdom of Lance Naik Iqbal a day before
- ‘Pakistan will never accept Israel unless Palestine issue is resolved’. Special Representative to Prime Minister on Religious Harmony Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Tuesday said that Pakistan will never accept Israel unless the Palestine issue is resolved
- Six Karachi laborers die as factory boiler blows up collapsing factory roof. A blast reportedly due to a boiler exploding in a factory along the North Karachi industrial area has claimed at least six lives so far, mostly laborers while injuring dozens on Tuesday as the building roof collapsed
- COAS in his LOC visit lauds high morale of deployed forward troops. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has paid a visit on Tuesday to the forward troops deployed along Line of Control (LOC)
- 50-year-old woman martyred in Indian firing at LoC: ISPR. A 50-year-old woman on Tuesday embraced martyrdom after Indian forces once again targeted a civilian population in their unprovoked firing at the Line of Control
- Religious scholar Maulana Tariq Jamil shifted to home after recovering from COVID-19. Renowned religious scholar Maulana Tariq Jamil has been shifted to his home after recovering from the COVID-19
- Security forces kill seven terrorists in Quetta. Security forces on Tuesday killed seven terrorists in Quetta’s area of Awaran
- Pakistan approves electric-vehicle policy ahead of promise to cut emissions. In a long-awaited development, the federal industries minister said Tuesday Pakistan has approved Electric Vehicle policy for both locally produced and imported four-wheel cars
- Pakistani rupee strengthens against US dollar. The Pakistani rupee appreciated by three paisa against the United States (US) dollar in the interbank market on Tuesday.
Spotlight by The NewsRun
1. COVID-19 IN PAKISTAN
- 24-hour count: Pakistan reported 1,704 new cases and 82 deaths in the past 24 hours. Pakistan also conducted 34,594 tests in the span of 24 hours (P.S. this data was last updated on December 22 at 7:32am).
- Pakistan suspends flights from the UK: A new COVID-19 strain in the UK could be 70% more transmissible (i.e. more infectious) than earlier versions of the virus. UK Prime Minister (PM), Boris Johnson, announced a strict lockdown in London and most of southeast England. Canada and dozens of countries across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and South America announced travel restrictions for the UK, either in the form of limited travel, or a temporary ban on flights from the UK. Pakistan will also start suspending flights from the UK on December 22. Pakistani passport holders who traveled to the UK can come back. However, these passengers have to test negative 72 hours before the flight, get tested again on arrival, and quarantine at home for seven days.
- Punjab Chief Minister (CM) has COVID-19: Punjab CM, Usman Buzdar, tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. He reportedly has mild symptoms, like a fever and flu, and is self-isolating. CM Buzdar’s point-person for digital media, Azhar Mashwani, said doctors have advised him to take a break from political and official engagements due to his health.
- Balochistan Senator passes away due to COVID-19: The 75-year-old Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator, Kalsoom Parveen, reportedly passed away after contracting COVID-19. She was admitted to a hospital on November 28 and put on a ventilator. She died yesterday morning. Parveen was a Senate member from Balochistan, and set to retire next year.
2. Baloch activist found dead in Toronto
What’s going on? Well-known political activist, Karima Baloch, was reportedly found dead in Toronto, Canada. She was 37-years-old. Baloch was last seen on Sunday, December 20, at approximately 3pm in the Bay Street and Queens Quay West area. Toronto Police Operations reported that she was missing on December 21.
The details: Baloch often campaigned for Baloch rights, and Balochistan’s independence from Pakistan. She also wanted women to participate in the national liberation movement for Balochistan. She accused the Pakistani state of promoting radical Islamic elements in Baloch areas to challenge the nationalist movement, and suppress women’s rights. She left Balochistan to apply for political asylum in Canada. She was facing threats due to her political views.
Tell me more: In 2016, Baloch made it to BBC’s list of “The World’s 100 Most Inspirational and Influential Women.” She is considered to be the pioneer of women activism in Balochistan. She joined the Baloch Students Organization (BSO-Azad) in 2006, and became its first chairperson. BSO-Azad is described as an ethno-nationalist, separatist student group. The Pakistani state reportedly banned BSO-Azad in 2013 for allegedly “supporting terrorism.” Baloch rejected accusations about BSO-Azad being violent. She said she doesn’t support or condone violence. Pakistan’s army and intelligence agencies have allegedly incarcerated or killed BSO-Azad activists.
The context: Balochistan is mostly home to ethnic Baloch people, along with Pashtuns and Hazaras. Pakistan doesn’t want to lose resource-rich Balochistan. The province has the country’s only deep-sea port at Gwadar, and numerous natural resources. However, despite the province’s natural riches, its people largely remain poor and uneducated. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), an armed separatist group, accuses Pakistan of squeezing out the province’s wealth without providing basic services to its people (P.S. last year, the US designated BLA as a terrorist group). Security forces have reportedly used immense force to shut down the separatist movement, which ranges from demonstrations and rallies to insurgent attacks on security forces.
The bottom line: The cause of her death is unclear, and so are the details surrounding her death. To the state, she may have been considered a terrorist supporter. However, in Balochistan, she was reportedly considered a local hero.
3. Child rapist handed death sentence
A model criminal trial court gave a death sentence to M. Irshad, who was found guilty of abducting, raping and strangling a six-year-old girl in 2006. The girl reportedly went missing on October 9, 2006. Her friend told the girl’s parents that Irshad asked her to come to an open plot in the evening, where he would give her toys. In 2012, the trial court sentenced Irshad to life in prison.
4. Pakistani developers excel in speed coding challenge
Around 128 Pakistani developers participated in Toptal’s JavaScript Speed Coding Challenge. Toptal is a marketplace for top JavaScript developers and coders. Around 2,000 coders and developers from 137 countries took part in the competition. Participants had to solve tough problems asap to earn points. Five Pakistani developers finished in the top 50! MALLU, who landed in fourth place, was the highest-ranking Pakistani developer in the coding challenge.
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