Today’s top Pakistan current affairs December 17,2020 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
- Flight operation, sections of motorway closed owing to dense fog in Lahore. Air and road traffic in Lahore have disrupted owing to poor visibility owing to dense fog in Lahore while the visibility rate at Allama Iqbal International Airport reduced to as low as 50 metres
- Pakistan repays $1 billion Saudi loan. Pakistan has returned $1 billion to Saudi Arabia as the second instalment of a $3 billion soft loan
- LHC orders govt to fine people defying polythene bag ban. The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday ordered authorities to levy a Rs5,000 to Rs20,000 fine on the use of polythene bags in violation of a ban in the province.
- ECP decides to hold by-polls on all vacant seats. In a major development, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday decided to hold by-elections on all the vacant seats across the country
- FM Qureshi arrives in UAE on two-day official visit. Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday arrived in Dubai on a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
- Students Take PMC to Court Over Out of Syllabus Questions in MDCAT. Students who recently appeared in the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2020 have challenged the examination in the Sindh High Court.
- Pakistani rupee strengthens against US dollar. The Pakistani rupee appreciated by Rs0.28 paisa against the United States (US) dollar in the interbank market on Thursday.
- Gold prices continue to rise in domestic market. Gold prices continued their upward trend for the third consecutive day as the per tola rate of the precious metal on Thursday witnessed an increase of Rs450 to Rs112,250 in the domestic market
- Mohammad Amir bids farewell to international cricket. Pakistan left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir announced his retirement from international cricket on Thursday.
Spotlight by The NewsRun
1. COVID-19 IN PAKISTAN
- 24-hour count: Pakistan reported 2,545 new cases and 71 deaths in the past 24 hours. Pakistan also conducted 40,090 tests in the span of 24 hours (P.S. this data was last updated on December 17 at 8:13am).
- What people are worried about: According to Reuters, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global program to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to poorer countries is facing “a high risk of failure.” Numerous people in poorer countries might not have access to a vaccine until 2024. The WHO’s COVAX program aims to deliver at least 2 billion vaccine doses by the end of 2021. The vaccine doses are supposed to cover 20% of the most vulnerable people in 91 poor and middle-income countries. However, based on internal documents that Reuters reviewed, the program doesn’t have enough funds. Other issues like supply deals and complicated contractual arrangements are also delaying the program.
2. Pashtun rights leader arrested in Peshawar
What’s going on? Yesterday, the police arrested National Assembly member, and Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leader, Ali Wazir, in Peshawar. He was arrested during an event commemorating the sixth anniversary of the Army Public School (APS) attack in Peshawar. A police team from Sindh went to Peshawar to arrest Wazir, with help from the Peshawar police.
The details: Wazir is facing hate speech charges in Karachi. A case was registered against him and a couple of other PTM leaders after the govt filed a complaint. Wazir spoke at a rally in Karachi on December 6. According to the First Information Report (FIR), organizers didn’t get permission to hold a rally in advance. The FIR also claims that speakers at the rally used “hateful words” against state institutions (e.g. the army and rangers).
Tell me more: Fellow PTM leader, Mohsin Dawar, and Aurat March Lahore, condemned Wazir’s arrest.
The context: The PTM Pashtun rights group and Pakistan’s army don’t get along. PTM openly accuses the army of committing human rights violations against Pashtuns during anti-militant operations in tribal areas. In response, the army accuses PTM of being an anti-state force funded by foreign agencies.
The bottom line: Wazir’s supporters claim his arrest is a sign of oppression, and that the state is trying to silence critical voices.
3. Misleading news and verdict
Yesterday, Dawn News reported that the FIA’s cybercrime division declared singer, Meesha Shafi, and eight others, “guilty” of running a smear campaign against singer/actor, Ali Zafar. However, people like journalist Hamna Zubair, lawyer, Nighat Dad, and activist, Leena Ghani, were quick to point out that the FIA is an investigation agency, not a court of law. In other words, the FIA’s verdict can’t be considered a judicial ruling. Also, the FIA can’t officially label Shafi as “guilty.” Ghani has also been accused in the alleged smear campaign against Zafar. She posted a press release on Twitter, saying it’s by Shafi’s legal team (P.S. we have not verified the original source of the press release). According to the statement, the FIA’s findings show a “deeply flawed misunderstanding of the law.”
- Backstory: The FIA stated that Shafi posted “defamatory” and “false” allegations of sexual harassment against Zafar on April 19, 2018. The FIA accused Shafi of failing to back up her allegations with witnesses. The FIA also stated that other people who either reiterated or supported Shafi’s allegations on social media didn’t provide evidence either. In November 2018, Zafar filed a complaint with the FIA’s cybercrime wing, alleging that several social media accounts were posting “threats and defamatory material” against him.
