Today’s top Pakistan current affairs March 08, 2021 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
- ‘Karachi Express derailed due to dilapidated tracks not speeding’. The Mechanical Branch of Pakistan Railways rejected on Monday the preliminary report saying the Rohri train accident that took place two days ago with Lahore-bound Karachi Express, claiming one life and leaving 30 people injured, was due to over-speeding and asserted it was actually due to broken train tracks
- Two FC personnel martyred after vehicle overturns in KP. Two Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were martyred on Monday after their vehicle overturned in Landi Kotal, a town in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province
- Only 29pc women in Pakistan have bank accounts, lowest in world: SBP governor. State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday celebrated International Women’s Day vowing to increase women’s role in Pakistan’s financial sphere.
- NCOC to review school opening decision after sudden surge in Covid cases. The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) meeting held on Monday under the supervision of Federal Minister for Planning, Development Asad Umar mulled over deferring the opening up of cinemas, indoor weddings and dining in the restaurants amid rising coronavirus cases.
- ASF to join Pakistan Day military parade for first time. The Airport Security Force (ASF) will attend the Pakistan Day military parade in Islamabad for the first time this year on March 23
- Khalilzad meets COAS Gen Bajwa to discuss Afghan peace process. United States (US) Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad on Monday called on Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the General Headquarters (GHQ), said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement.
- Non-custom paid vehicles worth millions seized in Balochistan. Balochistan Customs has launched a crackdown on non-custom paid vehicles in the province,
- PIA resumes flights between Islamabad, Chitral after 1.5 years. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has resumed flight operation between Islamabad and Chitral that had been suspended for 1.5 years due to the spread of coronavirus pandemic
- Pakistan to soon introduce its Digital Media Advertising Policy: ministry. The government will soon be introducing its first ever advertising policy for the rapidly growing digital media industry in Pakistan, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced Monday.
- PCB headquarters shut down after official tested coronavirus positive: reports. The headquarters of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been reportedly shut down after an official tested positive for coronavirus.
Spotlight by The NewsRun
1. COVID-19 IN PAKISTAN
- 24-hour count: Pakistan reported 1,592 cases and 22 deaths in 24 hours. Pakistan also conducted 34,347 tests in the span of 24 hours (P.S. this data was last updated on March 8 at 6:52am).
- COVID-19 cases rising again: On March 5, Dawn reported that the number of COVID-19 cases increased by 30% in a week. The Pakistan Medical Association urged the govt to impose restrictions asap to avoid a third wave of the virus. The govt relaxed COVID-19 related restrictions last month.
2. Prime Minister secures vote of confidence
What’s going on? On Saturday, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan secured 178 votes, six more than he needed to win the vote of confidence from the 342-member National Assembly. With this vote, he doesn’t have to resign or dissolve the National Assembly and call for new elections. Voting took place through an open ballot system, meaning, he could see who voted for or against him.
The details: PM Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party lost the high-profile Senate seat from Islamabad. The opposition alliance’s joint candidate, former PM Yousaf Raza Gilani, defeated PTI’s candidate, Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh. PM Khan accused the opposition alliance of buying votes for their joint candidate, which is why Shaikh didn’t win. PM Khan sought a vote of confidence to show that a majority of lawmakers in the National Assembly still support him, despite the lost Senate seat.
Tell me more: The opposition alliance (i.e. Pakistan Democratic Movement), boycotted the confidence vote. According to the opposition alliance, PM Khan’s vote of confidence is unnecessary since PTI’s Senate seat defeat already indicates that he’s losing support in the National Assembly. PML-N leaders also claimed that the masses don’t have confidence in PM Khan either.
Something to know: Earlier on Saturday, leaders from the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party held a press conference outside parliament. The PML-N leaders who were present included former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal, PML-N spokesperson Marriyam Aurangzeb, and Musadiq Malik. PTI supporters surrounded them and chanted pro-PM Khan slogans.
The confrontation: A scuffle broke out between the PTI supporters and PML-N leaders. PML-N leaders alleged that PTI supporters “manhandled” and “harassed” them. PML-N also accused PTI supporters of “physically manhandling” Aurangzeb. However, PM Khan’s point-person for social media accused PML-N leaders of starting the brawl by attacking PTI supporters first.
Looking ahead: While addressing the National Assembly after the vote, PM Khan lashed out at the opposition alliance with corruption allegations, and ordered the Election Commission to investigate the Senate race.
The bottom line: The Senate elections were conducted through a secret ballot system, when people vote confidentially. Critics like PM Khan allege that the secret ballot process encourages corrupt practices like vote trading (i.e. giving money in exchange for votes). However, according to the Supreme Court, Pakistan’s constitution states that a secret ballot is required for all elections.
3. It’s Aurat March day
It’s that time of year again. The Aurat March (i.e. women’s march), which coincides with International Women’s day. Last year, thousands of women, men, and transgender people attended the nationwide Aurat March on March 8, 2020. Organizers pulled through despite facing threats and petitions to stop the march. This year, a #ForeignFundedAuratMarch rumor made rounds on Twitter, even though there’s no evidence that Aurat March receives “foreign funding” from questionable or controversial entities. As far as we can tell, organizers hold local fundraisers (e.g. bake sales) to raise money from the community. Every year since the first march in 2018, Aurat March chapters across Pakistan publish manifestos that broadly demand justice and inclusion for women, trans and non-binary people.
4. Train derails in southern Pakistan
Eight cars of a Lahore-bound train derailed in the southern Sindh province of Pakistan on Sunday morning. Six of the eight derailed cars fell into a shallow ditch. The train had a total of 18 cars. At least one woman passenger died, and 40 others were injured. The cause of the derailment is still unclear. However, train accidents are reportedly common in Pakistan. Historically, govt officials haven’t paid enough attention to maintaining and improving the railway system. The accident is being investigated.
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