[Current Affairs] July 27, 2020 Top Pakistan Current Affairs for PPSC Exam Preparation

What’s going on? There have been several news reports about potential bans on content in Pakistan. Last week, the Punjab Assembly passed the Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam Bill, which is meant to protect ‘the foundation of Islam.’ Basically, this bill gives the Director General of Public Relations power to confiscate any book before or after printing.

The details: 

• Books: The Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB) reportedly banned 100 textbooks for containing anti-Pakistan and anti-Islam content. Some of the banned books allegedly depict Pakistan as inferior to India, while others apparently show Pakistan-controlled Kashmir as a part of India. One book included quotes from Indian independence leader, Mahatma Gandhi. Another book showed math concepts using pictures of pigs, which are considered haram (i.e. forbidden). Social media users are calling the book ban a crackdown on freedom of speech.
• Social media: YouTube was banned in Pakistan from 2012 to 2016. Last week, the Supreme Court hinted at another YouTube ban while objecting to unregulated content on the site, especially comments about family members of the judiciary. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) gave TikTok a final warning for allegedly encouraging immoral, obscene, and vulgar content. The PTA immediately blocked Bigo due to complaints about immoral content.
• Games: The PTA blocked online game, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG). The PTA received multiple complaints about the game being addictive, a waste of time, and detrimental for the physical and psychological health of children. However, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered the govt to unblock PUBG after hearing petitions filed against the ban.

Looking ahead: Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan said the govt won’t ban any social media app. However, he said they can’t let anyone insult or spread false info about govt organizations or the people working for them. Pakistan’s Science and Tech Minister, Fawad Chaudhry, has some concerns. He doesn’t think TikTok or books are a threat to Islam. Firstly, he thinks banning apps will destroy Pakistan’s tech industry. He is also worried about Pakistan being thrown into a “vicious circle of sectarian and religious extremism.”

The bottom line: PM Khan’s govt is being criticized for decisions its made regarding social media content regulation.

3. Monsoon rains flood Karachi

While some people like to romanticize the annual Monsoon season, Karachi residents are bearing the brunt of excess flooding and rain-related deaths. At least five people, including two children, died in rain-related incidents on Sunday. If you’re trying to visualize what a road submerged in water looks like, watch this video. Utility provider, K-Electric, shut down power in low-lying areas due to safety hazards.

4. A race to produce face masks 

There is a growing market for face masks amid the COVID-19 outbreak in Pakistan. During the early days of the virus, frontline medical workers and the public scrambled to get a hold of masks and other personal protective gear. Now, businesses are re-directing their resources to manufacture masks. Textile factories are producing masks to distribute locally and sell abroad. On average, textile factories in Faisalabad are producing 500,000 to 600,000 masks a day. Medical suppliers and health industry officials are complaining about issues with quality control. In other words, new masks flooding the market might not be very effective.