Today’s top Pakistan current affairs December 23,2020 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
- Train operations between Pakistan, Iran, Turkey to resume in 2021. Operations of a freight train between Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey are expected to resume in early 2021, boosting trade between the three countries primarily and between other countries in Asia and Europe in general.
- Karachi port sets ‘world record’ in cargo handling. The Karachi Port has reportedly set a new world record for handling most bulk cargo in one day
- India’s Republic TV fined £20,000 for hate speech against Pakistanis. British media regulator Ofcom has imposed a £20,000 fine on Indian TV channel Republic TV for promoting hatred against Pakistanis on a talk show.
- New coronavirus strain might affect young people, children: expert. The new coronavirus strain has the potential to affect the younger population and children, said Dr Javed Akram, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Health Sciences, Wednesday.
- Indian diplomat summoned over ceasefire breach. The Foreign Office summoned on Wednesday the Indian Charge d’affaires to register Pakistan’s strong protest over ceasefire violations by Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC).
- The death toll in the Karachi factory blast rises to 9. The death toll in a factory blast due to boiler’s explosion has risen to 9 and the number of wounded persons reached 27 in Karachi
- Israeli minister says Pakistan not normalizing relations with Israel: report. Pakistan is not the next Muslim country to normalize its relations with Israel, said an Israeli minister on Wednesday.
- Gold prices fall in the domestic market. The per-tola gold price on Wednesday fell by Rs200 to Rs112,550 in the domestic market
- Pakistan women’s cricket team begins preparations for the South Africa tour. Pakistan women’s cricket team got their preparations underway for the upcoming limited-overs tour of South Africa on Wednesday.
Spotlight by The NewsRun
1. COVID-19 IN PAKISTAN
- 24-hour count: Pakistan reported 2,142 new cases and 84 deaths in the past 24 hours. Pakistan also conducted 35,621 tests in the span of 24 hours (P.S. this data was last updated on December 23 at 8:21am).
2. The alleged exploitation of Pakistani workers
What’s going on? British fast fashion brand, Boohoo, reportedly sells clothes made by Pakistani factory workers. An investigation by The Guardian revealed that Pakistani workers making clothes for Boohoo are possibly being exploited.
The details: Workers at two factories in Faisalabad claimed they were paid PKR 10,000 a month, which is below the legal monthly minimum wage of PKR 17,500 for unskilled labor. Workers also said they’re facing “appalling conditions,” and earn as little as 29p an hour.
Tell me more: Documentary, video and photographic evidence appears to support claims of safety issues as well. For example, motorbikes are parked indoors next to flammable materials like cardboard boxes. Piles of fabric are stacked up in walkways and near a boiler. Sometimes, workers have done 24-hour shifts to make clothes for the western market in a rush.
Looking ahead: When The Guardian approached Boohoo about its findings, the company suspended a supplier, JD Fashion Ltd, and a factory, AH Fashion, from its supply chain while launching an investigation. JD Fashion (not related to JD Sports) has reportedly supplied Boohoo with items produced at AH Fashion.
Back-and-forth claims: Boohoo claimed that a third-party audit at AH Fashion showed the factory didn’t have any problems. Boohoo’s own auditors said the factory was a construction site, and was closed throughout November. AH Fashion, and another factory, Madina Gloves, said they weren’t currently supplying Boohoo. However, workers claim they recently made clothes for Boohoo at Madina Gloves, and were at AH Fashion despite reports about it being closed for construction. Also, The Guardian reportedly bought a Boohoo tracksuit this month, which appeared to match fabrics and labels seen in video footage from AH Fashion.
The bottom line: Even though Boohoo has a code of conduct for suppliers, with a list of minimum standards, some workers in Faisalabad-based factories claim they are:
- Paid less than the legal minimum wage.
- Ordered to work unreasonably long shifts without full overtime pay.
- Working in foul conditions.
3. Blast at Karachi ice factory
At least eight people were killed, and over 35 injured, when the boiler at an ice factory in Karachi exploded on Tuesday evening. The factory’s ceilings collapsed. Rescue workers tried to help people buried underneath the rubble. The number of casualties might increase. Nearby witnesses claimed the entire site was covered in dust and smoke. Other factories and workshops in the area were also affected. Sindh Chief Minister, Murad Ali Shah, ordered the labor department to investigate whether the ice factory was legal. The labor department’s safety team will also check if the boilers were ever inspected.
4. The fifth consecutive current account surplus
Pakistan recorded a current account surplus for the fifth month in a row. This is reportedly because of an improved trade balance, and a consistent increase in remittances. Remittances are payments from overseas Pakistanis. As for trade balance, both imports and exports picked up in this case, suggesting a revival in export demand and domestic economic activity. The total current account surplus from July to November increased to a record $1.64 billion, compared to a deficit of $1.74 billion during the same time last year. Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan is feeling really good about this news.
- Remind me, what does a current account mean? A country’s current account balance represents a country’s foreign transactions, or in simpler terms, the inflow or outflow of goods, services, investments and transfer payments. A country’s current account is in a “deficit” when it is importing more goods and services than it is exporting. A current account is in a “surplus” when the value of a country’s exports is higher than the value of its imports.
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