[Current Affairs] September 03,2020 Top Pakistan Current Affairs for PPSC Test Preparation

What’s going on? Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) filed a First Information Report (FIR) against dozens of people who staged a protest outside its office in Karachi on Monday, August 31. The FIR was registered on charges of ransacking the CBC office, using inappropriate language against state institutions, spreading fear, harassing officials, and hindering official work.

The details: According to the FIR, a group of 30-35 miscreants at the protest scuffled with guards, shouted slogans against the CBC/other state institutions, forcibly entered the CBC office, broke things, harassed staff, and interrupted official work being done to improve the post-rain situation.

The context: Five days after record-breaking monsoon rain swept through Karachi, several areas of the city were still submerged in water and without power. The rainfall damaged infrastructure. At least 19 people were killed in rain related incidents. DHA and Clifton residents gathered outside the CBC to protest against an alleged lack of action in their localities. At least 100 people showed up to voice their frustration against CBC and DHA authorities. The CBC reportedly didn’t agree to most of their demands.

Looking ahead: Lawyer and activist, Jibran Nasir, slammed the CBC for filing an FIR against people for demanding their due rights. He accused the CBC/DHA of taxing residents and not giving them any services in return.

The bottom line: It looks like the FIR isn’t deterring future protests. Another protest might be scheduled for Thursday (i.e. today) outside the DHA office in Phase 1.

• Backstory: The American blogger and filmmaker has lived in Pakistan for around a decade. While in Pakistan, she worked for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province’s health ministry. She began working for Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in 2011. She reportedly gets along well with Pakistan’s security forces, and has posted photos with uniformed security officers on social media. However, she denies working for any security agency inside or outside of Pakistan. She recently kicked up a political storm by accusing some Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) politicians of harassing and raping her in 2011.

4. Govt approves industrial production of hemp

The federal cabinet approved the industrial production of hemp for medical use. According to Science and Tech Minister, Fawad Chaudhry, this decision could place Pakistan in the international cannabidiol (CBD) market, which is worth billions of dollars. CBD is reportedly becoming one of the most popular forms of therapeutic cannabinoid on the market. Chaudhry clarified that the govt will solely control the plant’s production. He hopes the hemp market will generate $1 billion in revenue for Pakistan in the next three years.