Today’s top Pakistan current affairs October 22,2020 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
- Pakistan Warns India Of Strong Response In Case Of Misadventure In GB, AJK. Pakistan says any misadventure by India in Gilgit-Baltistan or Azad Jammu and Kashmir will invite a full spectrum response by it.
- Orange Line Train To Be Inaugurated On October 25. The Orange Line Train (OLT) will be inaugurated on October 25 while its service will start from the masses from the next day on October 26.
- Police encounter claims young girl’s life in Lahore. A 22-year-old girl on Thursday was killed after being hit by a bullet during an encounter between Dolphin Force personnel and muggers in Lahore,
- Tiger Force comes into action against artificial inflation, hoarding. The Tiger Force has come into action against artificial inflation and hoarding as the administration of Sialkot and Lahore cities conducted separate raids on different shops and stores,
- LHC extends polythene bag ban to milk shops, fruit vendors. The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday extended the ban on use of polythene bags to fruit vendors, milk shops and grocery stores across the province.
- Pakistan will need more loans: Hafeez Sheikh. Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Abdul Hafeez Sheikh says raising funds for the poor and managing development expenses is a major challenge for Pakistan and may force them to borrow more.
- Dollar’s inter-bank rate drops below Rs162. Dollar’s inter-bank rate dropped below Rs162 on Thursday after dropping another half rupee earlier in the day.
- Twitter told to block accounts spreading ‘false information’ targeting Pakistan. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority asked Twitter on Thursday to block profiles on its platform involved in propaganda against Pakistan.
- Gold prices fall by Rs500 in domestic market. The per tola gold price witnessed a decline of Rs500 to Rs115,600 in the domestic market on Thursday,
- New Zealand-Pakistan series to be played in front of crowds. The upcoming Tests and T20I series between hosts New Zealand and Pakistan will be played in front of crowds as the match tickets went up for sale on Thursday.
Spotlight by The NewsRun
- COVID-19 IN PAKISTAN
- Pakistan reported 660 new cases and 19 deaths in the past 24 hours. Pakistan also conducted 26,670 tests in the span of 24 hours (P.S. this data was last updated on October 21 at 6:59am).
- Pakistan’s National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) issued a warning. Strict COVID-19 prevention measures will be imposed again if people don’t get it together and start following virus-related safety guidelines (e.g. wear face masks, practice social distancing). COVID-19 is reportedly picking up speed again, and more people are dying. Markets, marriage halls, restaurants and public gatherings are considered high risk.
2. When you’re stuck in the grey area
What’s going on? The FATF is holding a virtual plenary session from October 21 to 23, and will review Pakistan’s progress on a 27-point action plan to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. There’s a chance Pakistan will remain on the FATF grey list. It turns out that Pakistan only met 21 of the 27 criteria laid out by the FATF. However, there is still a glimmer of good news. This time, Pakistan will likely avoid the FATF black list.
The context: The FATF aims to protect the international financial system from money laundering and terrorist financing. It has a grey list, and a black list. The grey list is kind of like a ‘warning list.’ It includes countries that are under increased monitoring, but actively working with the FATF to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. The black list suggests that a country is not cooperating with global efforts to combat money laundering or terrorist financing. Iran and North Korea are currently on the black list. Countries on the black list are known as ‘high risk’ jurisdictions.
The details: Pakistan ended up on the grey list in June 2018 for failing to take appropriate action against money laundering and terrorist financing. Pakistan has desperately been trying to avoid the black list. A spot on the black list, and the negative reputation that comes with it, could potentially make it harder for Pakistan to receive financial assistance from international organizations like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The bottom line: Pakistan has more work to do when it comes to regulating money laundering and terrorist financing. If Pakistan doesn’t implement the full 27-point action plan, it could end up on the dreaded black list.
3. A stampede for Pakistani visas in Afghanistan
Thousands of people in Afghanistan gathered in a football stadium to apply for Pakistani visas. The crowd was redirected to a sports stadium, instead of the usual visa center in Jalalabad, because there were a lot of applicants. The crowd got too large and out of control, resulting in a stampede. At least 11 women were killed, and many more injured. Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Mansoor Ahmad Khan, said Pakistan would work with Afghan authorities to properly facilitate visa applicants.
- Backstory: Many people from Afghanistan reportedly travel to Pakistan to visit relatives, get medical treatment, find jobs, or escape ongoing violence. Visa applications to Pakistan resumed after a seven-month pause due to COVID-19.
4. Karachi building blast kills five
There was an explosion in a four-story residential building in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal area. At least five people were killed, and more than 20 wounded. Officials are worried there might be more casualties. The blast took place near the city’s Maskan intersection, next to the University of Karachi. The building has partially collapsed, with rubble and debris scattered on the road. As of now, the cause of the explosion is unclear, but security officials are investigating. A day earlier, a bomb blast in Karachi’s Shireen Jinnah Colony injured six people. The locally made explosive device was attached to a motorcycle parked outside a tire shop near a bus terminal.
5. Notorious Lahore CCPO is back in the news
Lahore CCPO, Umar Sheikh, is caught up in another controversy. This time, he allegedly swore at a woman named Naila on the phone. Some of the language he used was reportedly “dirty” and “abusive.” Naila, who is from Raiwand, called Sheikh to complain about a sub-inspector who unlawfully detained her husband, Ghulam Nabi, and forced her to pay a bribe for his release. However, Sheikh accused the couple of selling drugs and trying to slander a police officer. Sheikh also alleged that Nabi is involved in a bunch of other cases. An audio clip of the call is making rounds online. Now, there are rumors that Sheikh is going on “forced leave” following the leaked audio clip. According to a statement from his office, he’ll be back at work on October 24.
- Backstory: If the ‘CCPO Lahore’ title is sounding familiar, here’s why. In September, two robbers raped a woman at gunpoint on the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway. Sheikh suggested that her own actions got her into trouble. For example, 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 route called GT road that is more populated.
MARKET RECAP
The benchmark KSE-100 index closed at 41,535.92 after rising 579.34 points (+1.41%) as of October 20, 2020.
