Today’s top Pakistan current affairs April 05, 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
- Pakistan has immense potential in the IT sector: PM Imran Khan. Prime Minister Imran Khan directed on Monday the authorities concerned to finalise a short, medium and long-term strategy based on timelines for development of the Information Technology (IT) sector.
- ‘Proclaimed’ terrorist killed in North Waziristan. The security forces killed a terror suspect in an operation in North Waziristan on Sunday, the Pakistan Army’s media wing said in a statement.
- Over 900,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Pakistan: NCOC. The National Command and Control Centre revealed on Monday that more than 0.9 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to people across Pakistan.
- Met Office forecast rainfall in central, upper areas of Pakistan. Met Office has predicted dust-thunderstorm with rain in upper and central parts of the country from Monday (today)
- NCOC to begin vaccine at home service for elderly people, sources confirm. The government has decided on Monday to administer Covid-19 jabs to elderly people aged 80 and above at their homes after the National Command Operation Center (NCOC) approved of these recommendations
- Saudi Arabia makes COVID-19 vaccination mandatory to perform Umrah in Ramazan. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced on Monday that only people vaccinated against Covid-19 will be allowed to perform Umrah pilgrimage during the holy month of Ramazan.
- Indonesia floods, landslides kill at least 75. Flash floods and landslides in Indonesia and neighbouring East Timor left more than 75 people dead while dozens are still missing, officials said Monday.
- Rupee weakens against US dollar. The Pakistani rupee weakened by 11 paisas against the United States (US) dollar in the interbank currency market on Monday.
- Gold rates fall Rs1,200 per tola in domestic market. Gold rates dropped by Rs1,200 to Rs104,400 per tola in the domestic market on Monday
Spotlight by The NewsRun
1. COVID-19 IN PAKISTAN
- 24-hour count: Pakistan reported 5,020 new cases and 81 deaths in 24 hours. Pakistan also conducted 55,605 tests in the span of 24 hours (P.S. this data was last updated on April 4 at 8:26am).
- More COVID-19 patients in critical condition: Pakistan reported the highest number of COVID-19 patients who are in critical condition ever since the pandemic began. National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) Chairman, Asad Umar, said it’s essential to strongly enforce COVID-19 preventive measures. He asked people to take precautions and cooperate with the administration. Yesterday, Umar claimed that 3,568 patients with COVID-19 were receiving critical care.
2. PM Khan’s warning to the public
What’s going on? Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan sat down for a Q&A with the country. He talked about the economy, corruption, Kashmir, child abuse, healthcare, and COVID-19. PM Khan himself recently contracted the virus, but has reportedly recovered. A lot of PM Khan’s responses were similar to comments he has made in the past. However, there was a slight change in his stance on COVID-19 restrictions.
PM Khan’s thoughts on COVID-19:
- He claimed the third wave of COVID-19 is extremely dangerous compared to the previous two waves.
- He urged the masses to follow strict standard operating procedures, which are designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- He asked the public to please wear a mask.
- He said Pakistan could have confronted a severe economic crisis if the govt imposed another lockdown (P.S. this would have been the country’s second nationwide lockdown, after the first one last year).
- He said the govt will have to impose major restrictions if people don’t start listening to COVID-19 guidelines.
Trying to strike a delicate balance: PM Khan is urging the public to take necessary precautions, but at the same time, trying to avoid a strict nationwide lockdown. Last month, he said the govt didn’t have enough resources to deal with the economic costs of a major shutdown.
Current restrictions: So far, Pakistan is pursuing a “smart lockdown” policy, meaning, short-term restrictions in specific areas with high COVID-19 infection rates. The federal and provincial govts have announced mask requirements, along with restrictions on gatherings and public transport. However, these guidelines are not being enforced properly.
The key question: Will the public listen to the govt’s existing restrictions unless they’re forced to socially distance, postpone large gatherings (i.e. looking at you big Pakistani weddings), and stay home? There’s a chance people still aren’t taking the virus seriously, because the govt is holding back on major restrictions. Will major restrictions more appropriately convey the severity of COVID-19 in Pakistan?
The bottom line: On March 28, PM Khan ruled out a complete lockdown. Now, he appears to be considering tougher restrictions unless people start taking COVID-19 seriously.
3. Gunmen kill Pakistani anti-terrorism court judge
On Sunday, gunmen reportedly killed anti-terrorism court Judge, Aftab Ahmed Afridi, and three of his family members while they were traveling from Peshawar to Islamabad via Swabi. The attack took place near the Ambar Interchange in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Afridi, his wife, grandson and daughter-in-law were all shot dead. Two security guards who were a part of Afridi’s convoy were also injured. This was apparently a targeted attack, though the exact motive is unclear. PM Khan condemned the attack in a tweet. The police are still investigating. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the shooting.
4. Why is #CancelBoardExams2021 trending on Twitter?
Even though Pakistan is dealing with a rise in COVID-19 cases, health and education authorities are reportedly not ready to cancel this year’s board exams yet. Last month, Federal Minister for Education, Shafqat Mehmood, said board exams from classes nine to 12 will take place on schedule. However, students are not taking this news well, and claim the govt is putting them in a risky position. That’s why students started the #CancelBoardExams2021
- Backstory: Over 20 education boards throughout Pakistan offer board exams. Education boards are spread out across different provinces. They are known as Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE). These education boards, often referred to as “local boards,” administer national assessments/certificates. The two main assessments in Pakistan are the Secondary School Certificate (i.e. also known as the matric) for students between the ages of 13-15, and the Higher Secondary School Certificate, for students between the ages of 15-17. Students are required to pass these assessments.
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