Today’s top Pakistan current affairs 06 May, 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
- Sindh, Punjab Ban Tourism on Eid Holidays. Sindh and Punjab has banned tourism on Eid holidays amid COVID surge.
- Only 364 candidates pass CSS 2020 exam. The Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) on Thursday announced the results of the 2020 CSS written examination
- Board Exams To Be Held After June 15: Shafqat Mahmood. Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood has said that matriculation and intermediate examinations will start after June 15.
- O/A level students can get equivalence certificates online after Eid. O and A level students across the country can now get their equivalence certificates online, the Ministry for Federal Education and Professional Training announced.
- DRAP to issue private vaccine importers NoC within 24 hours. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan will issue no-objection certificates within 24 hours permitting private organisations to import COVID-19 vaccines, said CEO Dr Asim Rauf on Thursday.
- Pakistanis get green signal to do business on Amazon. Amazon, the world’s largest e-commerce platform, has decided to add Pakistan to the list of its approved sellers. This means Pakistanis will soon have access to the world’s largest online market where they can sell their products and, if they get it right, make a fortune.
- Pakistan bank branches to remain open on May 10-11. Half of all bank branches across Pakistan will remain open on May 10 and May 11, the State Bank of Pakistan announced Thursday.
- Oxygen price shoots up in Lahore amid rising coronavirus infections. The price of oxygen has shot up in Lahore as Punjab continues to bear the brunt of the third wave of coronavirus infections.
- US dollar falls below Rs153 against rupee. The Pakistani rupee appreciated 44 paisas against the United States (US) dollar in the interbank currency market on Thursday.
Spotlight by The NewsRun
1. COVID-19 IN PAKISTAN
- 24-hour count: Pakistan reported 4,113 new cases and 119 deaths in 24 hours. Pakistan also conducted 44,838 tests in the span of 24 hours (P.S. this data was last updated on May 5 at 9:33 am).
- US supports vaccine patent waiver: The administration of US President, Joe Biden, said it would support easing patent rules (i.e. intellectual property protections) on COVID-19 vaccines.There has been an ongoing COVID-19 vaccine patent debate. While pharmaceutical companies want to keep the patents in place, global aid groups and liberal Democrats in the US have been pushing to waive patent rules and make the supply of COVID-19 vaccines easier for other countries. The patent waiver is expected to expand vaccine manufacturing and distribution. There is no guarantee that patent rules will be removed asap. However, Biden’s support for the waiver is reportedly a good sign. Now, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has to give its final approval.
- Complete lockdown in Punjab: The Punjab province is imposing a complete lockdown from May 8 to May 16. This is an attempt to control the spread of rising COVID-19 cases. Recreational areas will be closed, and public transport will also be suspended. Provincial Health Minister, Dr. Yasmin Rashid, advised the public to tone down upcoming Eid ul Fitr celebrations, keep things simple, and be responsible. The virus has reportedly hit Punjab the hardest in terms of cases and deaths.
2. Rejected marriage proposal allegedly ends in murder
What’s going on? Mayra Zulfiquar was allegedly shot dead in her rented apartment in Lahore. She reportedly bled to death after being shot in the arm and neck. Her mobile phone was near her. Four men, including two primary suspects, are believed to have broken into the apartment early on Monday.
The details: According to Zulfiquar’s uncle, Mohammad Nazeer, two men were pressuring her to marry them. They allegedly threatened her with “dire consequences” after she rejected their marriage proposals.
Tell me more: Zulfiquar was a 24-year-old law graduate. She was a Belgian national, and a UK resident of Pakistani origin. She came to Pakistan two months ago to attend a wedding and decided to stay on. She was living in a rented home with her friend.
Looking ahead: Police in Lahore are looking for the two men who are prime suspects in Zulfiquar’s murder. Police have also detained two men for questioning.
The bottom line: If the alleged motive behind Zulfiquar’s murder is proven to be accurate, a young girl died simply because two men couldn’t take “no” for an answer. That is the price she paid for challenging two men who thought it was their right to marry her. We need to ask ourselves what is fueling this dangerous level of toxic and fragile masculinity in Pakistan.
3. Is Pakistan officially an approved seller on Amazon?
On May 5, the official Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Twitter page tweeted that Pakistan will “potentially” be added to the list of countries where sellers are permitted to sell on Amazon. The PTI ruling party’s official Twitter account also re-tweeted PTI KP’s post. Today, Techjuice.pk reported that Pakistan has “bagged a position” on Amazon’s approved sellers list. In other words, sellers can set up accounts on Amazon using Pakistani details. This milestone will reportedly bring a new era of economic growth to the country.
- A little more digging: We ran a quick search and couldn’t find Pakistan’s name on Amazon’s list of countries accepted for seller registration. Also, Pakistan isn’t on Amazon’s list of seller supported countries. Either these online lists haven’t been updated, or Amazon’s approval isn’t 100% confirmed yet, but people are jumping the gun and getting excited.
4. Pakistan asks IMF to ease “tough” loan conditions
You probably recall the International Monetary Fund’s (IMFs) $6 billion loan agreement with Pakistan. The IMF and Pakistan decided on this in 2019. However, Pakistan’s new Finance Minister, Shaukat Tarin, is pushing back a bit. He said Pakistan is trying to get the IMF to ease some of its “tough conditions” for the loan. These conditions include raising taxes, tax collection reforms, and limiting govt spending. Inflation is already rising in Pakistan. Pakistan has also increased electricity prices several times since the IMF’s loan program kicked off. Tarin doesn’t think Pakistan’s struggling economy can handle some of the IMF’s suggested economic benchmarks, which come with the loan program.
