Today’s top Pakistan current affairs March 22, 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
- 3699 New Covid Cases Reported in Pakistan. 20 more deaths due to Coronavirus infection and 3,669 new positive cases were reported in the country during the last twenty four hours.
- NCOC Decides To Tighten Restrictions. The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Monday has decided to increase restrictions of activities contributing to rise in coronavirus positivity.
- Pakistan is not cancelling exams this year: Shafqat Mahmood. No one will be passed without examinations this year, Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood said on Monday.
- Pakistan Day parade to be held on March 25: ISPR. The Pakistan Army has decided to reschedule its Pakistan Day parade to March 25, the Inter Services Public Relations said on Monday.
- Pakistan Steel Mills fires another 500 employees. The Pakistan Steel Mills has dismissed another 500 of its employees, according to a PSM letter
- Hajj 2021: Saudi Arabia announces COVID-19 SOPs for pilgrims. Saudi Arabia has announced standard operating procedures (SOPs) to be followed by the pilgrims coming to the kingdom for Hajj 2021 amid COVID-19 pandemic
- Pakistan to receive 60,000 doses of China’s CanSino vaccine this month. Pakistan will receive the fourth shipment of a Chinese COVID-19 vaccine this month
- Gold prices fall in domestic market. The per tola gold price on Monday witnessed a decrease of Rs 600 to Rs 107,500 in the domestic market
- Rupee begins week with gains against US dollar. The Pakistan rupee strengthened by 12 paisa against the United States (US) dollar in the inter-bank currency market on Monday.
- England Occupies Top Spot At ICC T20 Rankings. England occupies the top spot with 123 rating points. India and New Zealand have 117 points and are in second and third place respectively.
Spotlight by The NewsRun
1. COVID-19 IN PAKISTAN
- 24-hour count: Pakistan reported 3,669 new cases and 20 deaths in 24 hours. Pakistan also conducted 43,498 tests in the span of 24 hours (P.S. this data was last updated on March 22 at 7:26am).
- Prime Minister tests positive for COVID-19: Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and his wife, first lady Bushra Bibi, tested positive for COVID-19. PM Khan is isolating at home. He reportedly has a mild cough and fever. He tested positive two days after receiving his first dose of China’s Sinopharm vaccine. However, he needed a second vaccine shot in order to receive maximum protection from the virus. It also takes a few weeks to develop immunity to the virus after getting vaccinated. Pakistan’s health ministry clarified that PM Khan’s vaccination process was incomplete. In a tweet, PM Khan thanked everyone in Pakistan and abroad for their good wishes and prayers.
- Approved pricing for privately imported vaccines: Pakistan’s Drug Regulatory Authority recommended set prices for COVID-19 vaccines imported by private companies. The Federal Cabinet reportedly approved a maximum price of PKR 8,449 for two doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. The Federal Cabinet also approved a price cap of PKR 4,225 per dose for China’s single-shot Convidecia vaccine.
2. Motorway rape suspects receive death sentence
What’s going on? An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore, Pakistan sentenced Abid Malhi and Shafqat Ali to death for the gang rape of a woman last year. The ATC also sentenced the men to life in prison, and imposed a fine of PKR 50,000 each. Malhi and Ali will reportedly appeal against the decision.
The details: Police used mobile phone data to track down Malhi and Ali, who were prime suspects in the rape case. DNA samples from the crime scene matched theirs. The rape survivor also identified the two men during a hearing.
The context: On September 9, 2020, a woman was traveling from Lahore to Gujranwala with her children. Her car ran out of fuel while she was crossing the toll plaza on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway. She called her relatives in Gujranwala, who told her to call the motorway emergency number. While she was stranded, two armed men broke into her car, took her and her children to a nearby field at gunpoint, and gang-raped her. The robbers also stole her cash, jewelry and bank cards.
Something to know: A senior police official in Lahore, Umer Sheikh, suggested that her own decisions got her into trouble. He questioned why she left the house late at night, drove alone with her kids, didn’t check the petrol in her car, and didn’t take a busier road. He also said the woman, who is a Pakistani-origin resident of France, thought she was in France and not Pakistan where society is different. The rape incident and Sheikh’s comments sparked countrywide protests. Protestors accused him of victim-blaming the motorway rape survivor.
Looking ahead: Rape is a criminal offense in Pakistan, punishable by death or imprisonment. Activists and legal experts argue that existing severe punishments haven’t deterred rape crimes. In December 2020, President Arif Alvi signed a new anti-rape ordinance into law. The law’s main purpose is to speed up convictions and enforce tougher punishments.
The bottom line: Following the motorway rape incident, PM Khan said rapists should be given the most severe punishment, such as public hangings or chemical castration. The question is, will the threat of severe punishment deter potential rapists in a country where rape cases are known to be underreported and conviction rates are notoriously low?
3. Opposition alliance negotiates for key Senate role
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) are lobbying to nominate a candidate for the role of Opposition Leader in the Senate. At first, PPP agreed to let someone from PML-N run for Opposition Leader. However, PPP leader Yousaf Raza Gillani lost the Senate Chairman election to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate, Sadiq Sanjrani. This apparently changed things, since PPP wants to nominate its own candidate for Opposition Leader now. Plus, PPP is the single largest opposition party in the Senate, which is why it thinks someone from its party should be Opposition Leader. We have to wait and see how both opposition parties get past this stalemate and figure out a compromise, while avoiding a rift in their alliance.
- Backstory: PML-N nominated lawyer and Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar for Opposition Leader. PPP has a problem with this nomination for more than one reason. Tarar also represented police officers who were involved in the murder case of former PM and PPP Chairwoman, Benazir Bhutto. She was assassinated on December 27, 2007. The police officers were accused of washing out the crime scene too soon, an action that looked suspicious and deliberate. Back in 2013, a firefighting officer named Ghulam Muhammad Naz claimed police and security officials had a chance to gather evidence before the fire brigade received orders to hose down the crime scene.
[dkpdf-button]