Today’s top Pakistan current affairs April 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
- Punjab govt fixes sugar price at Rs85 per kg. In a bid to provide relief to the masses, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior and Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar on Thursday claimed that the Punjab government was giving Rs15 per kilogram subsidy on sugar
- Government Notifies Office Timings For Ramadan. The federal government has notified new timings for public offices during the holy month of Ramazan, which is expected to begin from April 14.
- PM all set to lay foundation of LDA Naya Pakistan apartments. Prime Minister Imran Khan will lay the foundation stone of the 35,000 LDA City apartments project tomorrow, under Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme
- HEC Given Under The Education Ministry After Ending Its Autonomous Status. Federal Government ending autonomous status of Higher Education Commission (HEC) has given it to under the education ministry.
- PIA to resume Bahrain flights. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Thursday announced to resume direct services between Bahrain and Pakistan.
- IMF asks Pakistan to accelerate much-needed structural reforms. While appreciating some recent achievements regarding reforms in government institutions, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has asked Pakistan to accelerate much-needed structural reforms in the country.
- Pakistani rupee hits 22-month high against US dollar. The Pakistan rupee strengthened by 23 paisas against the United States (US) dollar at the start of today’s trading, hitting a 22-month high.
- Babar Azam Clinches ODI Top Batsman Ranking. National cricket team captain Babar Azam becomes number one batsman in ICC ODI rankings He scored 228 runs in the series against South Africa, leaving behind Virat Kohli with 888 points.
- Babar vows to keep momentum in South Africa T20s. Pakistan captain Babar Azam was satisfied with the team’s performance in the recently concluded ODI series against South Africa as the Men-in-Green are now gearing up for T20I showdown against the Proteas.
Spotlight by The NewsRun
1. COVID-19 IN PAKISTAN
- 24-hour count: Pakistan reported 4,004 new cases and 102 deaths in 24 hours. Pakistan also conducted 41,699 tests in the span of 24 hours (P.S. this data was last updated on April 7 at 7:19am).
2. Pakistan and Russia are buddying up
What’s going on? Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, came to Pakistan for a two-day visit. This is the first time a Russian foreign minister has visited Pakistan in nine years. That’s why this visit is all over the news, and kind of a big deal.
The details: Lavrov met Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Even though they talked about economic cooperation, military cooperation, and COVID-19, Afghanistan seemed to dominate the agenda.
Tell me more: Russia is reportedly worried about instability in Afghanistan spreading in Central Asia. Pakistan is seen as a key player in the Afghan peace process. There has been an ongoing conflict between the Afghan Taliban and Afghan govt for years. Initially, the Taliban refused to sit down with Afghan govt officials, calling them “American puppets.” The Taliban and Afghan govt finally kicked off direct talks in Doha last year. Last month, Russia hosted a conference in Moscow to encourage the peace process. The conference hosted members of the Taliban and Afghan govt, along with representatives from Pakistan, China and the US.
- What’s the deal with Russia and Central Asia? Russia expanded into its close neighbor, Central Asia, during the 19th century. Some Central Asian countries used to be a part of the Russian dominated Soviet Union. Russia became an independent country after the Soviet Union split up. Nowadays, Russia is reportedly strengthening its military capabilities in Central Asia. Russia claims this military buildup is due to security concerns that could threaten Russian territory. However, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), experts think Russia is trying to increase its influence in Central Asia.
The context: Pakistan’s history with Russia dates back to the 1970s. With covert backing from US and Pakistani intelligence agencies, the Afghan mujahideen (i.e. Islamic guerilla fighters) banded together to resist the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1970s-80s. According to Asia Society, some people will also count Afghanistan as a part of Central Asia.
The bottom line: Long story short, Pakistan and Russia want to continue engaging with each other and strengthen bilateral relations. So far, Pak-Russia relations are looking positive.
3. Pakistan beats South Africa in ODI cricket series
Pakistan won the ODI series against South Africa. An ODI is a one-day international cricket match that has two innings, and 50 overs in each inning. As part of the recent ODI series in South Africa, Pakistan and South Africa played each other in three one-day matches. Pakistan beat South Africa by 28 runs in the third match. At the end of the ODI series, Pakistan won two out of three matches. Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam from team Pakistan are getting special mentions for their batting performance during the third match. Zaman’s 101 runs (P.S. 100 runs is a century) and Azam’s 94 runs reportedly led Pakistan to victory.
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