Today’s top Pakistan current affairs February 19, 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
- PM To Visit Sri Lanka on February 23, 24: FO. Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri has confirmed that Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Sri Lanka on February 23 and 24.
- Govt Appoints Masoor Khan As Chairman OGRA. The government has appointed Masroor Khan as Chairman Oil and Gas Regularity Authority (OGRA) chairman.
- Pakistan Desires Peace In Afghanistan: FM. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said there is a need to keep an eye on the foreign elements which are active to spoil the Afghan peace process.
- Pakistani power installations may be in crosshairs of cyber attacks, says NEPRA head. The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) noted it is necessary to deal with data violations and overcome cyber-attack challenges posed to industrial installations of the power sector in Pakistan as it held a cyber-security webinar on Friday
- Lahore zoo animals test negative for coronavirus: official. All animals at the Lahore Zoo tested negative for coronavirus, an official said Friday
- China confirms four soldiers died in clash with Indian troops. China’s defence ministry on Friday named four soldiers killed in a brawl with Indian forces last year, the first confirmation of deaths by Beijing from the border clash that also killed at least 20 Indian soldiers.
- ECC okays revocation of Neelum Jhelum surcharge to power consumers. In a bid to provide relief to the masses, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has approved the revocation of Neelum Jhelum surcharge to the electricity consumers with immediate effect
- Gold prices fall in domestic market. The per tola gold price on Friday witnessed a decrease of Rs450 to Rs109,750 in the domestic market
Spotlight by The NewsRun
1. COVID-19 IN PAKISTAN
- Pakistan reported 1,272 cases and 52 deaths in 24 hours. Pakistan also conducted 36,543 tests in the span of 24 hours (P.S. this data was last updated on February 19 at 8:15am).
- Phase two of Pakistan’s vaccination drive: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (PM) on Health, Dr Faisal Sultan, said Pakistan is going to receive 2.8 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine via the COVAX program around early March. The global COVAX scheme delivers vaccines to developing countries. That’s when phase two of the vaccination drive is supposed to begin. As a part of phase two, the govt will prioritize vaccinations for people over 65. So far, 52,000+ frontline healthcare workers have been vaccinated.
- Which COVID-19 vaccine is Pakistan using right now? Up till now, Pakistan has been using the Sinopharm vaccine from China. However, Dr. Sultan said they aren’t recommending the Sinopharm vaccine for people over 60, since there weren’t enough trials conducted for people in that age group. However, Dr. Sultan said people over 60 can get the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine once it arrives.
2. Excess smog returns to Pakistan
What’s going on? Lahore is dealing with another wave of hazardous air quality. Lahore has reportedly been covered in a thick blanket of smog for the past week.
The details: According to air quality index, IQAir, Lahore’s air pollution level was in the range of unhealthy or very unhealthy.This week, the highest air quality reading touched 516 in the Falcon Enclave Cantt area. Air quality levels between 301 and 500 are considered “hazardous.”
Tell me more: According to Lahore-based environmentalist, Aleem Butt, more than 60% of Lahore’s pollution comes from vehicles. The Director of Punjab’s Environment Protection Department, Naseemur Rehman, believes climate change has triggered an increase in smog and other environmental issues in Pakistan. Rehman also blamed the current spell of smog on dust and vehicle emissions.
Something to watch: Out of the Smog: Pakistan’s Plea, an online documentary about climate change and how it’s impacting Pakistan.
The bottom line: For people trying to protect themselves from air pollution in Lahore, IQAir recommends wearing a mask outdoors, running air purifiers, closing windows to keep dirty air out, and avoiding outdoor exercise. As for long term solutions, Butt said reducing industrial and vehicle emissions in Pakistan is critical. Butt also recommended heavy penalties on industrial units that produce toxic fumes, a ban on substandard fuels, and better public transportation facilities.
3. Missing mountaineers presumed dead
Three mountaineers who went missing in Pakistan on February 5 are presumed to be dead. The missing mountaineers are Ali Sadpara of Pakistan, Jon Snorri of Iceland and Juan Pablo Mohr of Chile. They were trying to climb K2, the world’s second highest mountain. K2 is already known to be one of the most dangerous mountains to climb in the world. On top of that, the mountaineers were climbing K2 in freezing temperatures. Provincial Minister for Tourism in Gilgit-Baltistan, Raja Nasir Ali Khan, said weather experts, climbers and army officials don’t think a human being can live for that long in such harsh weather. A search operation will still try to find the bodies. Sadpara’s son, Sajid Ali Sadpara, also acknowledged the likely death of his father. He said, “Pakistan has lost a great, brave, experienced mountaineer.”
[dkpdf-button]