Monday, 22 March, 2021 I 7 Shaban, 1442 I Rs 40.00 I Vol XI No 263 I 48 Pages I Islamabad Edition
Fazl, MaryaM vow to resist PPP’s eFForts to clinch oPP leader’s slot in senate g
PDM To BE PRESEnT DuRInG MARyAM'S nAB HEARInG, SAyS FAzl ISLAMABAD
t
staff report
HE efforts to keep the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) united suffered a major blow on Sunday as the opposition alliance President Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Pakistan Muslim leaguenawaz (PMl-n) decided to resist a bid by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to bring in its own nominee as leader of the opposition in the Senate. With an aim to keep the PDM on the same page, head of the opposition alliance, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, called on PMl-n Vice President Maryam nawaz and opposition leader of Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz in Jati umra. As per details of the meeting, Jamiat ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JuI-F) head met the PMl-n leaders to discuss future strategy regarding long march and resignations from the parliament. It emerged that Fazl and Maryam decided during the meeting to resist the PPP’s bid to secure the leader of opposition’s slot which in principle had been awarded by the alliance to the PMl-n’s nominee, Senator Azam nazir Tarar. PDM has postponed the long march for an indefinite period after the PPP, a key member of the alliance, refused to resign from assemblies and stressed to continue the movement from within the parliament.
Fazl has said that apart from PPP, all parties have agreed on giving resignations from assemblies. He said that PPP has sought more time for consultation on the issue. PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali zardari had said that be it long march or no-confidence motion against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, former prime minister and PMl-n supreme leader nawaz Sharif must return to Pakistan. “This is not the first time that the democratic forces have encountered rigging,” he said and added he had spent 14 years of his life in jail. After the meeting at Jati umra, the two senior leaders of the opposition alliance addressed the media, where Fazl said that the PDM would be present during Maryam nawaz’s hearing on March 26 with the national Accountability Bureau (nAB) in a show of solidarity. “The apparent reasons cited by nAB have exposed the bureau for the puppet institution it is. It has approached the court for cancellation of [Maryam’s] bail on the basis that she speaks against institutions. “So the institution has been formed not to combat corruption but to serve other institutions,” he said. Fazl maintained that the workers of the PDM will number in the thousands. Furthermore, he shot down any rumours of a rift within the alliance after the appointment of yousaf Raza Gillani was
appointed as the leader of the opposition in the Senate. “PDM is not only united, through mutual consultations we have matters under control. We all have to move ahead forward. The nine parties that have a particular ideology will request the PPP to respect their viewpoint,” he said. Fazl said that nine parties of the PDM are united on one principle while the PPP has yet to make a decision. He added that the PDM would wait for the decision of the PPP’s Central Executive
Committee (CEC) – which will meet in April – so that the alliance can move forward effectively. “The PDM is united and we are trying to resolve our internal issues mutually. We are trying to find a solution and we are ready to consider further the arguments of the PPP. We will effectively improve our issues with the PPP and will wait for the decision of the PPP CEC. We will tell the PPP to agree on the decision of nine parties,” he said. He said that the PDM is united and
Asad Umar rules out new lockdown as coronavirus cases rise ISLAMABAD staff report
Minister for Planning and Development Asad umar on Sunday said that the government is not considering a new lockdown to curb coronavirus infections, despite a steady rise in new cases over the past month. Speaking on a television programme, Asad, who also heads the national Command and operation Centre (nCoC), said: “A full lockdown is not the solution.” “We attempted to explain this to the public during the first wave [of the coronavirus] but achieved little success. you cannot shut down an entire country and steal the livelihoods,” he stressed. However, the minister hinted at “targeted restrictions” and said that the government will take only those measures that will not threaten people’s livelihoods. He further said that the nCoC had identified and conveyed information related to coronavirus hotspots with provinces. But he ad-
mitted the implementation of these smart lockdowns was not satisfactory. His comments came a day after Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed reportedly issued a statement — and later retracted — suggesting the country will enter a new lockdown on Monday to combat the contagious disease. The national coronavirus transmis-
sion rate inched down to 8.74 per cent on Sunday — from 9.46 per cent a day earlier — government data showed, as the country reported 3,667 new cases in the last 24 hours after conducting 41,960 tests. Meanwhile, 2,092 patients recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours, while the total recoveries stood at 581,852.
ISLAMABAD The federal cabinet has decided to set a maximum retail price of the Russian and Chinese Covid-19 vaccine injections, being imported by the private sector as the country deals with the third wave of coronavirus cases. In this regard, the proposal to set a price cap for the two vaccines had been put forward by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP). According to a local media report that cited a notification by the Health Ministry, the maximum sale price of Sputnik V Russian vaccine has been fixed at Rs8,449 for two doses, while China’s Convidecia would be sold at no more than Rs4,225 per injection.
Earlier in February, China had approved its first single-shot Covid-19 vaccine for general use, which Pakistan has priced at Rs4,225.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 05
coronavirus in
Pakistan
In all, 626,802 cases and 13,843 deaths linked to the coronavirus have been reported in Pakistan since February last. 44 more deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours, including 30 in Punjab and six in Khyber Pakthunkhwa (KP). A breakdown of the total cases showed that 263,058 cases were detected in Sindh, 197,177 in Punjab, 79,245 in KP, 19,327 in Balochistan, 51,414 in Islamabad, 4,972 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and 11,609 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). “An nCoC meeting is scheduled to be held on Monday at which we will review the situation, and if it does not improve, a decision of stricter measures can be announced,” Asad had announced on Friday. He had also said that hospital beds were filling fast and warned of stricter curbs if health guidelines were not followed. “The new strain [first found in the united Kingdom] spreads faster and is more deadly,” he had said in a tweet.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 05
Govt sets bar on prices of Russian, Chinese vaccines staff report
we have to move together while the people of Pakistan will stand by the sovereignty of the country. He said that there was a detailed discussion with Maryam on the situation facing the country. “nAB has summoned Maryam nawaz on March 26. I wonder whether the nAB has been tasked to serve and represent the state institutions? The reasons given for Maryam nawaz’s nAB summoning have exposed the nAB. PDM workers and leaders will be present on the occasion of Maryam nawaz’s appearance in nAB,” he warned. Fazl maintained that the government’s actions have become a threat to national defence and inflation has broken the people at large. “The government has set a new record in inflation and price hike. The recent hike in electricity tariff is terrible as power price has been increased by Rs 6/unit. This would add to the woes of the people,” he said. on the occasion, the PMl-n VP said: “I am sure [anyone who opposes this] can be made to understand that when a decision in principle is made, there is no need to revisit it.” Speaking to the media after the meeting, Maryam said that the alliance leadership was trying to ensure that all the parties in the PDM remain united.
The government has determined the price of Gam-Covid-Vac (Viral Vector 5 and Viral Vector 26) at Rs8,449 per pack of two injections, Rs16,560 per pack of four injections, Rs40,555 per pack of 10 injections and Rs81,110 per pack of 20 injections. In March, the government had approved $200 million loan as part of its overall plan to immunise nearly 70 million people against the virus during the current year. Moreover, the World Bank (WB) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have offered loans to low and middle income countries to procure vaccines. The WB has recently restructured its worth $153 million Covid-19 related loan, which the health ministry said would be sufficient to cover over 10.5 million population.
CONFIRMED CASES:
626,802
LAST UPDATED AT 8:36 AM ON MARCH 21, 2021
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
NEW CASES:
44
3,667
RECOVERED:
DEATHS:
581,852 13,843 SINDH:
PUNJAB:
263,058
197,177
KP:
BALOCHISTAN:
AJK/GB:
ISLAMABAD:
79,245
19,327
11,609/4,972 in today’s issue
51,414
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