Today’s top Pakistan current affairs 08 June, 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
- Death Toll Of Ghotki Train Accident Mounts To 62. The death toll of Ghotki train accident has mounted to 62 as Pakistani engineers today combed the mangled wreckage of two trains that collided in a remote farming region which highlighted huge safety problems on the nation’s dilapidated rail network.
- Pakistan coronavirus positivity rate further drops to 2.95%. Health officials in Pakistan conducted 46,882 coronavirus tests in the last 24 hours, the National Command and Operation Centre said Monday. Of them, 1,383 came out positive.
- University of Punjab ranked among world’s top 1000. The University of Punjab has once again been named among the world’s top 1000 varsities.
- Guidelines issued for use of Pfizer vaccine in Pakistan. National Ministry of Health has issued guidelines for use of Pfizer vaccine in the country that is among the last vaccines allowed by DRAP for use to tackle COVID-19 pandemic
- UAE extends ban on entry of passengers from Pakistan, other countries. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has extended the ban on entry of passengers from seven countries including Pakistan for curbing the spread of novel coronavirus
- Muslim Family Killed In Canada Truck Attack. A man driving a pick-up truck slammed into and killed four members of a Muslim family in the south of Canada’s Ontario province, in what police said Monday was a “premeditated” attack.
- Amazon’s Jeff Bezos to go to space next month. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announced plans on Monday to fly into space next month on a rocket built by his company Blue Origin, fulfilling what he said was a lifelong dream.
- Rupee extends losses against US dollar. The Pakistani rupee depreciated 47 paisas against the United States (US) dollar in the inter-bank currency market on Tuesday.
- PTV Sports will not broadcast Pak-Eng cricket series: Fawad Chaudhry. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said that Pakistan tour of the England cricket series would not be broadcast in the country due to a license issue
Spotlight by The NewsRun
1. COVID-19 IN PAKISTAN
- 24-hour recap: Pakistan reported 1,490 cases and 58 deaths in 24 hours. Pakistan also conducted 49,285 tests in the span of 24 hours (P.S. this data was last updated on June 7 at 8:04 am).
2. Woman lawmaker and journalist survives attack
What’s going on? On June 4, Punjab Assembly lawmaker, Syeda Maimanat Mohsin (a.k.a Jugnu Mohsin), submitted a resolution in the provincial assembly, which condemned attacks on journalists and rights activists in the country. Three days later, armed assailants reportedly attacked her in Okara. She survived, and is unharmed.
The details: According to the First Information Report (FIR), Mohsin was returning from a rally when armed men held up her vehicle and opened fire on it. The suspects fled the scene and reportedly yelled threats at Mohsin as well. The FIR also states that the main accused person in the case, Muhammad Yaseen, threatened Mohsin on social media two days ago.
What’s the motive? Okara District Police Officer (DPO), Faisal Shehzad, called this a “politically motivated” incident.
Looking ahead: Police have reportedly arrested two suspects, Mukhtar Sikandar and Sultan Yasin. Police say they will arrest Yaseen soon. According to a police statement, Yaseen and six accomplices intercepted Mohsin’s vehicle and opened fire. Human Rights Minister, Shireen Mazari, tweeted about the incident and said it’s “absolutely unacceptable.” Mazari straight up called the attack “terrorism.” The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also condemned the attack on Mohsin. Amnesty International South Asia demanded an independent investigation and swift justice.
The context: Mohsin was elected to the Punjab Assembly as an independent candidate in 2018. Mohsin is also a veteran journalist. Senior journalist, Najam Sethi, is her husband. Mohsin is known to be a strong advocate of free press. While trying to defend other journalists with her resolution in the Punjab Assembly, she ended up facing an attack herself. Last month, unidentified assailants broke into journalist Asad Ali Toor’s apartment and beat him. In April, someone shot journalist and former chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Authority (PEMRA), Absar Alam, near his home in Islamabad – he survived with some injuries.
Something to know: In 2019, the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors reported that media in the country is encountering physical intimidation and censorship. According to a 2020 report by the Committee to Protect Journalists, 61 journalists have been killed in Pakistan since 1992. In 2020, Reporters Without Borders ranked press freedom in Pakistan 145 out of 180, which is not a good score.
The bottom line: Being a journalist in Pakistan is hard enough, but being a woman journalist comes with a whole other wave of challenges. For instance, in August 2020, a group of leading women journalists issued a statement condemning what they believed was a coordinated campaign of social media attacks against women journalists and commentators whose reporting was considered critical of the govt. Online attacks included death and rape threats against these women journalists.
3. Train collision in Sindh kills 51, leaves 100+ injured
The collision of two express trains near Ghotki, Sindh has killed at least 51 people and left over 100 others injured. The crash occurred when the Millat Express train headed from Karachi to Sargodha derailed and fell to a lower track, colliding with the Sir Syed Express train coming from Rawalpindi. Relief efforts have been underway all day Monday since the accident occurred at around 3:30am. Earlier on, officials said the death toll could go up since rescue teams were still trying to free those trapped in the wreckage. Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan expressed “shock” at the incident and has ordered a “comprehensive investigation into railway safety fault-lines.”
- Backstory: According to data from Pakistan Railways, there have been 757 train accidents in Pakistan from 2012 to 2017, mostly due to older engines, unmaintained trains, and signal issues.
4. Offices, vehicles at Bahria Town set ablaze amid protests
Protests held at Bahria Town Karachi (BTK) Sunday June 6th turned violent. A mob reportedly pushed through the main gate during the protest and set fire to fast food franchises, vehicles, a showroom and estate agent offices. Law enforcement officials responded with tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, baton charges, and arrests. The Sindh Action Committee (SAC) organized the protest. Protestors alleged that members of BTK’s own staff caused trouble to “give another color” to their peaceful protest. SAC Chief, Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah, also said violent miscreants had nothing to do with his party. SAC leaders believe BTK has been built “illegally” on land that belongs to indigenous Sindhis, and that this is a “colonization of Sindh by wealthy businessmen.”
- Now what? SAC leadership called for a province-wide protest on June 9 and a sit-in outside the Sindh Assembly against the arrest of their workers who were detained during the BTK protest.
- Backstory: Earlier in April, activists and demonstrators were fired upon as they gathered outside the housing complex to protest its expansion into nearby villages. Local villagers refused to give up their lands, saying that BTK forcefully seized their lands or threatened eviction. Owner of BTK, Malik Riaz Hussain, denied any involvement in evictions. In a May 9 tweet (translated from Urdu) Riaz said that “Bahria Town was never part of any illegal activities nor [do] we intend to be in future.” Indigenous communities in Sindh have opposed construction of the housing project since 2014.
