CMYK
Friday, 10 July, 2020 I 18 Dhū al-Qa‘dah, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 12 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition
EduCational institutions to rEoPEn on sEPt 15 g
institutions allowed to take Pending exaMinations in July
ISLAMABAD staff report
t
he federal government on thursday announced to reopen educational institutions across the country, which were closed in March in a bid to curtail the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, from september 15 if “health indicators improved” by the time. the announcement comes a day after an inter-provincial education ministers’ conference presided by federal Minister for education shafqat Mahmood decided to reopen schools in the first week of september. addressing a press conference on
Pakistan
CONFIRMED CASES:
242,740
NEW CASES:
61
3,359
RECOVERED:
DEATHS:
SINDH:
PUNJAB:
145,311 5,032 100,900
84,587
KP:
BALOCHISTAN:
AJK/GB:
ISLAMABAD:
29,406
ensuring soPs a Must, violation to result in cancellations of tests, warns Minister
thursday, Mahmood said: “the opening of schools would be delayed if the crisis persists.” the minister further said the government will lay out the standard operating procedures (soPs) that will be followed after educational institutions are opened. since the government is considering the opening of educational institutions, he said, schools will be allowed to call in staff. however, he said that staff will have to be trained and briefed about the soPs. Mahmood further said that the educational institutions that had to delay examinations due to the pandemic will be allowed to schedule pending tests in July. he said that the government will also relax
Coronavirus in
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
g
11,052
1,459/1,605 13,731
certain restrictions on the holding of important examinations such as entry tests for admission into universities. the minister, however, asserted that soPs will have to be followed or the government will cancel the examinations. these soPs would include arranging tests in the open air and ensuring distance between desks/chairs. according to him, universities had requested permission to accommodate Phd students by allowing them to come to universities. “however they [universaties] decide to call students, the government leaves it up to them,” he said. commenting upon the issues attached to the holding of online classes, Mahmood acknowledged that students in remote areas were indeed a victim of technological backwardness. the minister had suggested on wednesday that two more meetings before september 1 will be held to further discuss the issue at hand and after consultation with the provinces, a proposal will be forwarded to the national coordinating committee (ncc) for a final decision. PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN SINDH TO OPERATE IN THREE SHIFTS: responding to the decision to reopen schools, the all Private schools association sindh announced to hold classes in three shifts with each shift spanning three hours to ensure social distancing. speaking to media, association’s president tariq shah said soPs will be enforced to ensure protection from the disease. under the soPs, he said, seating arrangements, movement, recess timings will be defined. shah, however, lamented that the private schools were directed to collect only 35 percent of the total fee from a student which was making it difficult for the administration to cover their expenses.
carelessness on eid can worsen covid-19 situation, imran warns g
PM says recent sPike a result of ‘carelessness’ shown on eidul fitr but cases now declining ISLAMABAD staff report
while urging the nation to mark the upcoming eidul azha with simplicity and to adopt precautions, Prime Minister imran khan on thursday warned that carelessness can ruin the hard work done to curtail the coronavirus spread and result in another spike with the emergence of fresh cases. speaking to the media after inaugurating the isolation hospital & infectious treatment centre in islamabad, the premier regretted that the recent wave of the pandemic was the result of “carelessness” shown on the occasion of eidul fitr in May. “the peak led to pressure on our hospitals, our frontline workers also faced immense pressure, [and] we, unfortunately, lost lives,” he said. “after eid, we took steps to contain the virus, including smart lockdowns […] today, infections are decreasing. by the grace of the almighty, the national command
LHC orders formation of high-level commission to hold petrol inquiry LAHORE staff report
the lahore high court (lhc) on thursday directed the government to form a high-level commission to hold an inquiry into the fuel crisis that recently affected the country amid the coronavirus pandemic. the lhc bench, under chief Justice Qasim ali khan, heard the case related to the recent fuel shortage and hoarding of petroleum products that led to a hike in petroleum prices. the court, while ordering the constitution of a commission to probe the matter, asked the attorney general to submit names in this regard. the lhc top judge remarked that if the ag failed to submit names of suitable candidates, then the high court will recommend the appropriate persons for the commission. “i need strong people in the commission, if anyone tries to hide the government record then strict action will be taken [against them],” he said in an apparent warning. during the hearing, the lhc chief justice said that the secretary to the prime minister holds a big position and he has been showing dereliction of duty.
and operation centre (ncoc), provinces’ cooperation in implementing the instructions — due to the joint efforts of everyone, Pakistan is now among those countries where infections are declining.” “today, i want to make a special appeal to you all. if we are careless on eidul azha, the virus could spread again and there could be a fresh spike in the number of infections. again, the hospitals will come under pressure. so i’m appealing to you all to mark this eid with simplicity.” imran said the government has devised standard operating procedures (soPs) for the upcoming eid as to how to carry out animal sacrifices. “i appeal to the entire nation to observe this eid with simplicity — for the sake of your country, its economy and especially the elderly and at-risk members of the society. “if we take care now, then we can manage, god willing, to come out of this pandemic better than other countries.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 05
more inside
Centre to address Karachi’s power woes in ‘record time’, govt vows STORY ON PAGE 03
sc sees no improvement in railway operations STORY ON BACK PAGE “Principal secretary to PM runs the government, and the establishment also, despite being called four times he does not appear (before the court), this is the height of bad governance,” he said. the court warned that if the government did not give a satisfactory response in relation to the shortage of fuel across the country, then it will raise questions of its claims of good governance in the order. noting that the crisis surfaced during the current government’s tenure, the lhc ordered formation of an inquiry commission and adjourned the hearing until July 16.
CMYK
the petrol and fuel crisis hit the country at the beginning of the last month, after which Prime Minister imran khan had ordered an investigation into the shortage issue. the preliminary report, released in the mid of June, had held private oil companies responsible for ‘black marketing’ and hoarding of petroleum products, recommending strict action against them. earlier, the government had fined six oil marketing companies (oMcs) with rs40 million for their non-compliance with storage requirements, causing fuel shortage amid the lockdown in the country.
Ruckus in NA over Karachi power outages, Uzair Baloch JIT report STORY ON PAGE 03
cPi inflation hits 8.2pc yoy in May: sbP STORY ON BACK PAGE