Today’s top Pakistan current affairs 19 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
- Governor Punjab Announces Rs 100 Million Aid For Palestinians. Governor Punjab Chaudhry Sarwar on Wednesday announced aid of Rs 100 million for Palestinians who are being subjected to air attacks from Israel for over a week.
- NCOC Allows Reopening Of Outdoor Dining, Tourism,Education Institutes From Monday. National Command and Operation Centre has decided to reopen outdoor restaurants and tourism spots, while education institutes in segregated districts will resume their activities from Monday.
- Israel Continues Agression in Palestine. The death toll of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since the start of the offensive on the Gaza Strip has risen to 220, including 63 children and 36 women, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
- Pakistan to construct 10 dams by 2028: Imran Khan. The government’s aim is to construct 10 dams across Pakistan by 2028, Prime Minister Imran Khan said.
- Saudi Arabia to announce Hajj policy for foreigners on May 27: Pakistani officials. Saudi Arabia will announce Hajj policy 2021 for foreigners on May 27 (Shawwal 15) and Pakistani pilgrims would be vaccinated on priority if COVID vaccination is set as a precondition for the pilgrimage
- Punjab University issues schedule for semester exams. The University of Punjab administration Wednesday announced new schedule for semester examinations and online classes
- Pakistan Cricket Team To Leave For England Tour on June 23. Despite being included in the red list, Britain allows Pakistan national cricket team to go to England.
- Asia Cup T20 tournament called off. The Asia Cup Twenty20 cricket tournament due to be held in Sri Lanka in June has been called off because of the worsening coronavirus crisis in the region, a top organiser said Wednesday.
- HBL PSL 6 postponed for indefinite period: report. The Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2021, which was earlier suspended due to positive coronavirus cases among the players, has now been postponed indefinitely, according to a news outlet.
Spotlight by The NewsRun
1. COVID-19 IN PAKISTAN
- 24-hour count: Pakistan reported 3,256 new cases and 104 deaths in 24 hours. Pakistan also conducted 41,771 tests in the span of 24 hours (P.S. this data was last updated on May 19 at 7:26 am).
2. Alleged illegal evictions in Karachi
What’s going on? A movement called Karachi Bachao Tehreek claims it is trying to “save Karachi,” and end the demolition of working class Karachi settlements/markets. Lawyer and activist, Jibran Nasir, tagged Karachi Bachao Tehreek, Shehri-CBE, AWP Karachi, and Urban Resource Center on Twitter while sharing a public appeal document addressed to the Supreme Court. According to Nasir, these groups are asking the Supreme Court to take notice of “illegal evictions” and “demolitions” of several leased houses in the Gujjar Nullah and Orangi Nullah areas in Karachi.
A breakdown of the appeal:
- Take urgent notice of mass demolitions and illegal dispossessions affecting approximately 40,000 people and 5,700 households along the banks of Karachi’s Gujjar and Orangi storm water drains. According to the appeal, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and govt of Sindh are responsible for these actions, which are in violation of the Supreme Court’s previous order from December 8, 2020.
- The Supreme Court initially ordered the removal of encroachments, the clearing of nullahs (i.e. drains), and other initiatives to restore infrastructure in Karachi. The point is to ensure Karachi is prepared for urban flooding and other developmental challenges. However, the Supreme Court said people affected by these activities should be rehabilitated properly.
- According to the appeal, people’s homes are being knocked down without any plan or effort to help them find alternative housing. These people are reportedly suffering as a result of the demolitions, while also facing police brutality, and in some cases, death.
- The appeal claimed that thousands of govt issued leases have been cancelled without due notice and a hearing. Homes are allegedly being demolished without proper evacuation orders. Plus 70% of the homes have apparently been demolished to build 30 ft wide roads on the banks of both nullahs, something the Supreme Court did not ask for.
- After all this, the nullahs are still clogged, and haven’t been cleared properly.
Bottom line: The groups and individuals involved with filing the appeal claimed that a prevailing system tends to facilitate the rich and exploit the poor. They want the Supreme Court to make sure residents impacted by this infrastructure operation in Karachi have legal rights as well. They are imploring the Supreme Court to give justice to underprivileged citizens.
3. Dozens arrested for attacking a police station
On Tuesday, police arrested around 36 people (i.e. villagers) who broke into a police station on the outskirts of Islamabad and charged them under anti-terrorism laws. According to Islamabad’s Deputy Commissioner, Hamza Shafaat, most of the arrested men were refugees from Afghanistan. The mob was trying to lynch two detained brothers who were accused of committing blasphemy. However a conflicting report in Dawn claims only one detained man was accused, not two brothers. Anyhow, either one man or two brothers allegedly threw stones at a mosque and tore up a banner that displayed the names of Prophet Mohammad’s companions. Under Pakistan’s strict blasphemy laws, insulting Islam’s Prophet Mohammad or desecrating places of worship can result in life imprisonment, or a mandatory death penalty.
- Backstory: On Monday, a mob overpowered the guards and broke into the Golra police station. Police officials tried to protect themselves and the suspect(s) by locking themselves in rooms. Reinforcements arrived to help the police officials. It’s unclear how many police officials were injured in the attack.
4. The release of Guantanamo Bay’s oldest prisoner
The administration of US President, Joe Biden, approved the release of three detainees at Guantanamo Bay, including two Pakistanis – 73-year- old Saifullah Paracha and 54-year-old Abdul Rabbani. In addition to being Guantanamo’s oldest detainee, Paracha is also dealing with several health issues, including heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. The US didn’t formally charge Paracha or Rabbani for a crime, but they were still in custody for nearly two decades. The notorious Guantanamo Bay detention camp, also called Gitmo, is a US prison camp on the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in southeastern Cuba. The US established Guantanamo Bay in 2002 to house suspected terrorists. The facility has a history of detaining people indefinitely without charge or trial. It sounds like Paracha’s and Rabbani’s release was long overdue.
[dkpdf-button]