Tuesday, 1 September, 2020 I 12 Muharram, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 62 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition
PM orders to finalise Karachi transforMation Plan in a weeK ISLAMABAD
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STAFF REPORT
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RIME Minister Imran Khan has directed to finalise this week the proposed “Karachi Transformation Plan” after taking all stakeholders on board so that it can be approved and subsequently implemented, his office said on Monday. The direction came during a highlevel meeting which met to discuss the plan designed by the Ministry of Planning and Development to address challenges faced by Karachi. The premier, his office said, was briefed on the proposed plan that “has been formulated in line with Karachi’s problems and development requirements”. The plan aims to find a permanent solution to issues such as solid waste management, water shortage, cleaning of nullahs, sewerage and transport. “The country’s development is linked to Karachi’s progress,” Prime Minister’s Office quoted Imran as saying. “[The government] is aware of the challenges that Karachi’s residents have been facing for years. We cannot look away from the difficulties being faced
Imran says Centre will play its role to solve Karachi’s problems
by residents. The Centre will play its role to solve Karachi’s problems and its progress.” The meeting comes a week after Karachi was flooded by devastating rain that claimed more than 30 lives. The city received the heaviest rainfall in a single day in 53 years. Roads were inundated with water and, in many areas, houses were flooded as well. Power supply and mobile signals were disrupted for days due to damage to infrastructure. The rain, once again, exposed the poor infrastructure and drainage system of the financial hub of the country. Following the devastation of the metropolis, the premier had last week promised that his government would “not abandon” the city’s people “in their time of crisis”. “My government is fully cognisant of the suffering of our people in the wake of the heavy rains, especially the people of Karachi,” he said via tweets. Separately, he also announced that
the Centre would work with the Sindh government to resolve Karachi’s decades-old issues, like the desilting of nullahs and improving the city’s drainage system. Meanwhile, taking notice of the immense showers in parts of Sindh, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Monday directed concerned deputy commissioners to provide maximum help to the people. The CM telephoned deputy commissioners (DC) of Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Badin and Sujawal after heavy downpour. He directed the officials to remain on their toes and provide relief to the rain-hit people. He also directed to evacuate stranded masses in the rain-hit areas to safer places and ensure provision of food, water and tents for them. The DCs were advised to give hourly report about relief work to him. Several cities of Sindh including Mirpurkhas, Sukkur, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Badin, Sujawal, Larkana, Thatta, Jacobabad and others have also witnessed rain after which the water
has flooded different localities. RELIEF OPERATION CONTINUES: Pakistan Armed Forces continued their relief operation in rain-hit areas of Karachi and Sindh on Monday. Pakistan Army continued all out support in flood-hit areas of Karachi as its engineers cleared Gizri Underpass. In last two days KPT, Civic Centre, Mohsin Bhopali and Golimar underpass were cleared for traffic, said an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release. However, de-watering at multiple locations is continued to ensure civic facilities, it added. It stated that Army Mobile Recovery vehicles deployed at various choke points were shifting faulty vehicles to aside to keep flow of traffic. Around 32 emergency medical and
56 relief camps are working in coordination with civil administration and helping people in distress in various parts of Karachi whereas cooked meals are being provided to stranded people in flood hit areas, it further said. As many as 3 Army field medical facilities were established at Qayyumabad, Sarjani and Sadi town providing immediate emergency medical care to flood victims, the press release said. Simultaneously, Pakistan Navy teams, besides rescue operation, provided cooked food, necessary ration items and established medical care centers for assistance of distressed populous, said a Pakistan Navy press release.
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Active coronavirus cases inch up in country g
ISLAMABAD TLTP
The number of total active Covid-19 cases in the country inched up to 8,873 from 8,801 during the last 24
Balochistan reports zero Covid-19 deaths for 11th consecutive day
hours, according to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) data on Monday. According to the NCOC, 213 more people tested positive for Covid-19 during the last 24 hours, taking the total number of coronavirus patients in the countr y to 295,849. So far 280,682 people have recovered across Pakistan making it a significant count. Meanwhile, six more people lost their lives during the aforementioned period.
coronavirus in
PaKistan
CONFIRMED CASES:
293,711
LAST UPDATED AT 9:23 AM ON AUGUST 31, 2020 DAY'S DEATH TOLL: NEW CASES:
6
RECOVERED:
135
DEATHS:
295,849 6,294 SINDH:
129,348
PUNJAB:
96,769
KP:
BALOCHISTAN:
AJK/GB:
ISLAMABAD:
36,044
12,869
2,298/2,896 15,625
No deaths from Covid-19 have been reported in the province for the past 11 days. The death toll of Balochistan stands at 141. A total of 18,017 tests were conducted on August 30. 5,625 in Sindh; 5,920 in Punjab; 3,134 in KP; 2,740 in Islamabad Capital Territor y (ICT); 172 in Balochistan; 256 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB); and 170 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). The NCOC said that there is no patient on ventilator in AJK, GB and
Balochistan. A total of 98 patients are on ventilators across Pakistan out of 1920 ventilators allocated for Covid-19 patients. Earlier, Pakistan reported the lowest daily number of Covid-19 cases in 4 months on August 30, when 186 new infections were reported in a day. The country reported its first case of the deadly virus on Februar y 26 and went into a three-week lockdown in late March. In the subsequent months, the caseload kept climbing, peaking at 6,825 new cases in a single day on June 13. While it recorded 153 deaths, its highest to date, on June 19.
India, China accuse each other of provocation in new border standoff AGENCIES India and China accused each other on Monday of military provocation on their contested Himalayan border where a deadly showdown erupted in June — even as commanders from the two sides held talks aimed at easing tensions. China’s military said Indian troops had crossed the border on Monday near Pangong Tso, a lake at 4,200 metres, and engaged in “open provocation and caused the border situation to become tense”. “The Chinese military is taking necessary countermeasures,” the People’s Liberation Army’s regional command said in a statement, accusing India of “seriously violating China’s territorial sovereignty”. Earlier on Monday, India’s defence ministry said Chinese troops had “carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo” in the eastern Ladakh region over the weekend. Military commanders from the two sides held talks on Monday in a new bid to ease tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours, who fought a border war in 1962 and have
However, in the last month, Pakistan’s daily infections and fatalities have dropped significantly. On August 30, it recorded only 213 new cases in a day, and six deaths across the country, while it sampled 18,017 tests. The August 30 figure is the lowest tally since April 10, when 186 new infections were reported in a day. Recently, Dr Faisal Sultan, said that while the decline is a promising sign, he remains cautious. “At the end of the day, I keep reminding people that this is like smouldering embers and the embers are there. You provide them with fuel and with a little bit of oxygen, they will flare up,” he said.
more inside
Youm-e-Ashura observed with due solemnity across Pakistan STORY ON PAGE 03
3 soldiers martyred in S Waziristan operation: ISPR STORY ON PAGE 03 staged regular high altitude clashes since. China did not confirm Saturday’s incident, but the foreign ministry said its troops have “always strictly respected” the unofficial border known as the Line of Actual Control. On June 15, troops from the two sides fought hand-to-hand combat in Ladakh in which 20 Indian troops were killed. China acknowledged casualties but did not give figures. The two sides blame each other for recent clashes and the two armies have since poured tens of thousands of troops into the region. Military
and diplomatic talks are at an apparent stalemate. MASSIVE TROOP BUILDUP: Pangong Tso is one of several hotspots where troops have massed since June. “Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the southern bank of Pangong Tso lake, undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground,” said India’s defence ministry. Senior officers met at a border post near the scene of the standoff on Monday, it added.
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PM rejects OGRA summary for hike in fuel prices STORY ON PAGE 09
Residents of Clifton, DHA take to road after power outage enters fifth day STORY ON BACK PAGE