Today’s top Pakistan current affairs September 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
- Govt Reduces Prices of 94 Key Lifesaving Drugs. The federal cabinet has decided to reduce prices of key lifesaving drugs, including Remdesivir, being used for treatment of COVID-19.
- Schools Allowed To Resume Classes For Grade 6-8. The government has allowed schools across the country to resume classes for grade six to eight from Wednesday.
- Wheat, sugar imported to overcome shortage, PM Imran Khan briefed. Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday chaired a meeting to review prices of sugar and wheat in the country where he was briefed that both the commodities have been imported to maintain balance in the prices, ARY NEWS reported.
- PHC Announces Sit-In Outside Indian HC Against Killing of 11 Hindus In Jodhpur. Pakistan Hindu Council has announced a sit-in outside the Indian high commission in Islamabad against the killing of 11-hindus in Jodhpur.
- Pakistan Starts Phase Three Trials Of Vaccine Against Covid-19
- President Confers Hilal-e-Pakistan Award On Outgoing Chinese Ambassador. President Dr. Arif Alvi has conferred Hilal-e-Pakistan award on outgoing Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing in recognition of his efforts for further strengthening Pakistan-China relationship in diverse fields.
- Baldia Factory Fire: Rahman, Zubair Awarded Death Sentences. Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) has awarded death sentences to Rahman Bholla and Zubair Charya in the long awaited verdict of the horrific baldia factory fire case.
- FIA arrests two more of alleged rapist group trapping youth via social media
- Pak Army soldier martyred in firing from across Afghanistan border. A Pakistan Army sepoy Sabir Shah was martyred in firing from across the Afghanistan border at a check post on Bajaur sector, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday.
Spotlight by The NewsRun
1. COVID-19 IN PAKISTAN
- Pakistan reported 582 new cases and 4 deaths in the past 24 hours. Pakistan also conducted 33,393 tests in the span of 24 hours (P.S. this data was last updated on September 22 at 8:43am).
- In Pakistan, confirmed cases have dropped from a peak of nearly 6,000 new infections in mid-June, to a few hundred a day in September. At the same time, testing levels have fallen. Pakistan has carried out around 3 million total tests, in a population of approximately 221 million.
2.Political alliance strikes a nerve
What’s going on? Former Prime Minister (PM) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Supremo, Nawaz Sharif, made a virtual speech from London. While speaking at a conference organized by political opposition parties (i.e. the All-Parties Conference), Sharif reportedly said the opposition is not against PM Imran Khan, but against ‘those who imposed such an incapable person on the country through a rigged election.’ Ouch.
The details: Major opposition parties are demanding PM Khan’s resignation. These parties include PML-N, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F). They formed an anti-govt movement that will involve public meetings, protests, and a long march towards Islamabad in January 2021. According to JUI-F Chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the opposition will not cooperate with the govt in parliament. Opposition members made a bunch of demands, including a new free and fair election without any involvement from the armed forces or intelligence agencies (i.e. the opposition believes a rigged election brought PM Khan into power).
PM Khan responds: PM Khan is not happy. While referring to Sharif’s speech, he said “a fugitive sitting in London is maligning state institutions” (P.S. check out our previous newsletter if you want a recap of Sharif’s proclaimed offender status). As for the All-Parties Conference, PM Khan said they’re all trying to cover up their financial corruption. He went on to praise the armed forces, claiming that Pakistan owes its territorial integrity and sovereignty to the army.
Govt ministers respond: Top govt ministers held a press conference and told the opposition to stop dragging national institutions into politics, since it’s not good for the country. The ministers also denied the opposition’s numerous allegations, and made claims about the govt’s various accomplishments (e.g. tackling the economic crisis, Pakistan’s COVID-19 response).
The bottom line: Major opposition parties and the federal govt are blaming each other for Pakistan’s problems.
3.Central bank expects the economy to pick up
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) kept its benchmark interest rate at 7%. The SBP did not reduce the interest rate even more, because it said business confidence and the outlook for growth have improved. The central bank is also being mindful of inflation. The SBP pointed to reported decreases in COVID-19 cases, and the easing of lockdowns, as reasons for an expected uptick in economic activity. However, there are still risks, like a potential second wave of COVID-19, rising infection rates in Pakistan’s major export markets (e.g. the US and Europe), and the harmful effects of locust attacks on agriculture.
- Economics 101: Central banks usually lower interest rates when the economy is struggling. An interest rate is the amount a lender charges a borrower, which is why people are more willing to borrow money and make big purchases when interest rates are low. When consumers pay less in interest, they have more money to spend. Lower interest rates can also trigger higher inflation. Inflation occurs when the prices of goods and services increase.
4.When a call for help ends in sexual assault
Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), Mubashir, allegedly sexually assaulted a girl in Gujranwala after she called the police emergency helpline. In an unverified video circulating on social media, the girl, who is in her early 20s, said the ASI who responded to her call raped her. In the video, she also claims the police did not address her family’s complaint or take action when they approached the local station house officer. The girl’s father filed a First Information Report (FIR) against ASI Mubashir, which was registered at Aroop Police Station. The city police officer said the girl’s medical test is complete, but authorities haven’t received a report confirming the alleged rape. ASI Mubashir reportedly got interim bail to avoid arrest, and denied the allegations against him.
MARKET RECAP
The benchmark KSE-100 index closed at 42,174.13 after dropping 330.63 points (-0.78%) as of September 21, 2020.
Read More: [Quiz] GK & Pakistan Current Affairs Quiz 18 September 2020
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