Category: Information Technology

Minister for Science and Technology, Fawad Chaudhry, took to Twitter, advising students to reconsider their aspirations for a medical profession. He recommended biotech as the next best profession to pursue, given its progress with artificial intelligence in recent years.

My advice to all the students there dying to take MDCAT and become doctor forget about it instead choose biotech as profession fifteen years down the line Doctor as profession ll start dying down as AI ll take over medicine/medical field Biotech is future… good luck

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) December 2, 2020

125,000 aspiring candidates appeared in the medical admission tests on Sunday across the country. Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) VP, Barrister Ali Raza, said in a statement that 138 students who returned COVID-positive reports before the test date have been scheduled to take their MDCAT on 13th December.

I asked the students about COVID-19 SOPs implementation and syllabus and they said they were satisfied with the PMC’s measures. They are hopeful of good results.

The Commission is currently working on a new information system that will distribute relevant information to concerned individuals in real-time, according to sources close to the PMC.

Results for MDCAT 2020 will be finalized in just over a week, according to sources close to PMC.

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The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) approved the removal of regulatory duty on the import of cotton yarn to enhance value-added exports.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh chaired the meeting of the ECC of the Cabinet in Islamabad and approved the removal of regulatory duty after a detailed discussion.

Ministry of Commerce presented a proposal before the ECC regarding the removal of a 5 percent regulatory duty on the import of cotton yarn till June 30, 2021.

Ministry of Commerce submitted another summary to re-consider the earlier decision taken by ECC dated October 19, 2020 regarding the procedure for registration under concessionary regime of electricity, re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG), and Gas in export-oriented sectors (erstwhile zero-rated sectors).

After due deliberation, the Chair directed to maintain the status quo with a condition that FBR may register new manufacturers or exporters in five export-oriented sectors, erstwhile five zero-rated sectors, in coordination with the Ministry of Commerce till June 2020.

Communication Division requested ECC for conversion of National Highways Authority (NHA) loans into Government Grants, or grant a waive off, for a much needed fiscal space. A detailed presentation was made before the forum to remodel NHA as a self-sustaining and performance based organization.

ECC directed to constitute a sub-committee under the Chairmanship of the Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives and would include SAPM Nadeem Babar, Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi, Secretary Finance and Secretary Communications to prepare a holistic proposal suggesting revenue generation roadmap for NHA within a month. NHA was also granted a one-month moratorium to work out details and present recommendations regarding the financial viability of NHA before the forum.

ECC recommended a summary presented by the Industries and Production Division to approve release of funds to PSM for payment in lieu of gas supply to SSGC through a Technical Supplementary Grant (TSG).

ECC approved an allocation of up to 9.5 MMCFD gas from M/s PPL’s Benari X-I discovery to SSGCL. Similarly, the allocation of 10 MMCFD gas from PPL’s Hadaf X-I to SSGCL was also approved during the meeting.

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs raised the matter of priority berthing for wheat and sugar. ECC directed the Logistics Committee to ensure the berthing of wheat and sugar vessels on priority, keeping in view, that other imports are not affected.

ECC also accorded approval for allocation of additional funds for maintenance of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Building and Judges Residences through TSG as requested by the Ministry of Housing and Works.

The agenda item on the Karachi Transformation Plan, presented by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives was deferred to the next ECC meeting for a detailed discussion.

Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, Minister for Production and Industries Hammad Azhar, Minister for Privatization Muhammad Mian Soomro, Adviser to the PM on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, Minister for Power Omar Ayub Khan, Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi, SAPM on Petroleum Nadeem Babar, SAPM on Revenue Dr. Waqar Masood, and Adviser to the PM on Institutional Reforms and Austerity Ishrat Hussain also participated in the meeting. Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Dr. Reza Baqir joined the meeting through video link.

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Virat Kohli was unable to score an ODI century in a calendar year for the first time since his debut in 2008. Kohli played his last ODI of the year against Australia and managed to score 63. Kohli, who has been a bit disappointing this year given his track record throughout his career, scored 431 runs in 9 matches.

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Kohli is currently the sixth-highest run-scorer in ODIs this year, behind his fellow teammate, KL Rahul. Kohli’s average this year also took a dip as he averaged 47.88 this year in comparison to his career average of 59.29.

Virat Kohli has already scored 43 ODI hundreds in his career, only 6 behind Sachin Tendulkar. He will be looking to revive his form next year in a bid to claim the number one spot.

Let’s have a look at his hundreds by calendar year:

Year
Hundreds

2008
0

2009
1

2010
3

2011
4

2012
5

2013
4

2014
4

2015
2

2016
3

2017
6

2018
6

2019
5

2020
0

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Kohli did create history in the 3rd ODI though as he became the fastest batsman to score 12,000 ODI runs, surpassing the record of Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli achieved the feat in only 242 innings while Tendulkar took 300 innings to reach the mark.

Kohli is just the 6th batsman in history to cross 12,000 ODI runs. Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, and Mahela Jayawardene are the other five.

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The federal government might consider restoring the Ehsaas Emergency Program, according to sources close to the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD). The government’s primary focus sits presently on Ehsaas Kafaalat Program. Under the program, 4.27 million female beneficiaries have received Rs. 51.24 billion in joint incentives.

A senior PASSD official, requesting anonymity, said,

The cycle of payments made under the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Program is complete, but you cannot say that the program has been closed permanently. The option to restore the program has been kept open, in case the havoc wreaked by coronavirus necessitates the urgency to launch a complete crackdown.

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Ehsaas Kafalat: Govt Starts Payments to 4.3 Million Deserving Women

Rumors suggest that the government is focusing on Ehsaas Kafaalat Program, which has catered to 4.27 million women who received Rs 2,000 each month. Prime Minister Imran Khan launched payments for Ehsaas Kafaalat beneficiaries till December 2020 last week. Under this program, beneficiaries will reportedly receive Rs. 12,000 from the released government kitty of Rs. 51.24 billion. This assistance will further extend to seven million women, awaiting federal confirmation.

Prime Minister Imran Khan is not in favor of a complete lockdown as the country’s cash-strapped economy is relying on open markets to generate a somewhat ‘budgeted sustainability’ outlook. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the government has imposed smart lockdowns where hotspots in big cities are sealed to contain the spread of the virus.

The Prime Minister launched the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Program on April 1, 2020, to support the people adversely affected by the government imposed lockdown to limit the spread of the virus.

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On Tuesday, the employees of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) decided to suspend all their services except the ones in the coronavirus wards and emergency units.

This decision was based on the government’s disregard of the employees’ demands to abolish the Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) Ordinance that had been promulgated by the President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi, in November.

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The reason the PIMS employees did not close the coronavirus wards and emergency units is that they believe it is the obligation of every doctor to treat emergency cases.

However, the protestors have decided to shut down the Children’s Hospital and the Mother and Child Hospital (MCH) outpatient departments (OPDs) from Wednesday.

They have also clearly stated that no new patients will be admitted in the wards and that the admitted patients will be treated until they are discharged.

Furthermore, all elective surgeries have been halted, and this situation will impact the patients who had been allotted surgery dates many months ago.

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According to the Young Consultants Association of Pakistan Chairman, Dr. Asfandyar Khan, even though employees want reforms, it does not mean that they will consent to the privatization of hospitals.

Dr. Khan revealed that the government had been given a deadline of three days that it had ignored.

“We went on a token strike of two hours daily but even then, the government showed no concern. Now we are left with no option but to go for the complete closure and total withdrawal of services. From Wednesday, kitchens, stores, administration, MCH, engineering department, and all other offices will remain closed,” he stated.

The issue, as unveiled by Dr. Khan, is that if PIMS is converted into an MTI, it will operate via a Board of Governors (BOG).

The spokesperson for Grand Health Alliance, Dr. Hyder Abbasi, said that even though they had tried to avoid the protest, the reconsideration of the government had rendered the protest unavoidable.

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The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has issued a regulatory framework to facilitate Business-to-Consumer (B2C) e-Commerce exports from Pakistan.

Under the new regulatory framework, the mandatory requirement of ‘Export’ (E) form has been done away with and now an exporter can export goods up to $5,000 per consignment without the requirement of ‘E’ Form.

This step will facilitate exports in small quantities directly to consumers. This will also help small entrepreneurs and exporters who typically export varied goods in small quantities and find it cumbersome to fulfill the detailed requirements of E Form that is mainly designed for bulk exports.

Lately, the global emerging trends especially in the consumer market place have seen a major shift from the traditional marketplace to e-commerce due to the advent of new technologies. A surge in this trend was particularly witnessed during the global lockdown owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In line with these trends, SBP focused on facilitating cross border trade for B2C (Business to Consumer) exports from Pakistan, including by small entrepreneurs and exporters. This was aimed at improving the competitiveness and digital connectivity of Pakistani businesses with the global market during the development phase of the e-Commerce Policy.

It merits mentioning here that up till now, goods from Pakistan could only be exported after certification of Electronic or Manual Export (‘E’) Form-E by the Authorized Dealers (ADs) and subsequent filing of Goods Declaration by the customers with Pakistan Customs.

The ‘E’ Form was required for each shipment with a complete description of the goods being exported and had been designed keeping in view the export of large quantities of homogeneous goods.

However, for exports of small value different items to individuals destined for a different jurisdiction, (as is the case in B2C e-commerce exports) the existing process was not conducive.

Earlier, in the year 2000, SBP had issued regulatory instructions to promote B2C e-Commerce, in Foreign Exchange Manual, with a primary focus on the opening of an Internet Merchant Account to facilitate e-commerce. However, with the advancement in technology, these instructions needed to cater to the current business dynamics of e-commerce and therefore required to be replaced.

Accordingly, SBP collaborated with the relevant stakeholders including the business community, Pakistan Customs, Ministry of Commerce, courier companies, and banking industry in a bid to develop a regulatory framework, which not only addresses the market needs but also takes into account regulatory objectives.

The new regulatory framework would address the pressing demand of e-commerce exporters, including the small entrepreneurs, besides providing the much-needed impetus for the recognition and growth of e-commerce exports from Pakistan. It would also pave the way for the big corporate brands, SMEs, and startups, to enter the global consumer markets and contribute to the export earnings of the country.

The new regulatory framework is expected to be beneficial in improving the country’s rating in the Ease of Doing Business index. Moreover, this framework would also help in documenting the exports of small shipments, which earlier could not be included in the formal exports of the country due to the absence of any such framework.

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The government of Pakistan recently revealed plans to procure abundant COVID-19 doses by the first quarter of 2021. Frontline health workers and vulnerable segments of the population will receive the vaccine in the initial phase, according to reports.

The federal cabinet approved the allocation of $150 million to acquire vaccine doses from international companies. Speaking at a presser, Special Assistant to PM on Health, Dr. Faisal Sultan, said the vaccine’s procurement, supply, storage requirements, and the initial vaccine administration phase were the highlights of the meeting.

We have shortlisted some companies who are developing the vaccine and started initial negotiations with them

The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan along with the Information Minister, Senator Shibli Faraz.

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According to reports, the Economic Coordination Committee requested the federal cabinet to set up a four-member committee to oversee procurement and ensure transparency. Dr. Faisal Sultan added these vaccines will be administered to people ‘free of cost’ at different stages.

We are hopeful to purchase safe and effective vaccines from the manufacturers in the first quarter of the next year

Pakistan is expected to receive vaccine doses from the GAVI vaccine alliance for immunizing 20% of the country’s population, stated Dr. Malik Mohammad Safi from the Ministry of National Health Services.

We have signed an agreement with GAVI to get 90 million doses for 45 million people, and this is expected to be delivered in the third quarter of the next year.

GAVI is a public-private partnership that aims to provide vaccine doses to developing countries. Pakistan is amongst the 92 low-and-middle-income countries that will receive COVID-19 vaccines through GAVI’s COVAX Advance Market Commitment.

Currently, Pakistan has participated in phase 3 trials of a Chinese vaccine.

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Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is looking to acquire eight narrowbody aircraft on dry lease by December next year.

The national airline has issued a tender notice in this regard which states that the airline intends to lease eight aircraft up to ‘2012-vintage, for a period of six years, or up to the aircraft’s first 12-year check’.

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The tender also provides the delivery schedule which runs from January to December 2021.

Among the other requirements, the aircraft should have at least 170 seats in an all-economy layout, with the first two rows separated by a soft divider. These seats are expected to be used for Executive Economy.

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There is no official word on whether the airline seeks to replace the new aircraft with its existing fleet of narrowbodies. PIA currently has a fleet of 11 Airbus A320ceo aircraft that are all leased and between 10 and 16 years of age.

Last month, PIA formed a committee comprised of engineers to terminate the lease of six of its Airbus 320 aircraft. Sources familiar with the development said that the first of six aircraft will be returned in March 2021, while the last plane will be returned in August next year.

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Upon the direction of the Chief Minister of Punjab, Sardar Usman Buzdar, the Government of Punjab has decided to construct a modern bus terminal in Lahore.

Chief Minister Buzdar approved, in principle, the construction of an international standard bus terminal, and said that the new bus terminal with modern architecture and facilities will be constructed near Thokar Niaz Beg.

He added that more new bus terminals will be constructed in Faisalabad and Multan and that the government will launch the Green Electric Buses service across all the major cities of Punjab soon.

CM has reportedly directed the Transport Department to submit the design of the bus terminal by 10 December 2020. He stressed that the proceedings for the procurement of electric buses should be expedited, adding that transparency and the abidance of rules should be observed in the procurement process.

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Buzdar also remarked that electric buses will help to reduce environmental pollution including smog and other harmful gases.

Furthermore, he stated that the scope of the Lahore Transport Company’s operations will be extended to every city of Punjab, and directed the formation of a committee to improve the performance of the Punjab Mass Transit Authority. He added that the committee will submit its recommendations in this regard soon.

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Smartphone maker Realme has announced that it will be launching its new phone called “Race” powered by Snapdragon 888. According to the company, the codename “Race” indicates the fast speed and high performance of the upcoming model.

It’s pertinent to note that Realme will be one of the early smartphone manufacturers to apply the latest Qualcomm flagship 5G Mobile platform, Snapdragon 888, which it announced at the Qualcomm Snapdragon Tech Summit 2020.

In his video speech at Tech Summit 2020, Realme’s CEO Sky Li said, “Qualcomm has always been one of Realme’s most important partners. Realme has already started the development of “Race” a few months ago, and will once again deliver a product that will exceed the expectations of users around the world.”

As one of the world’s fastest-growing smartphone brands, Realme has worked closely with Qualcomm since its inception. They have brought forward a number of 4G and 5G smartphones for its users globally.

Realme was one of the first manufacturers to use Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 and 765G mobile platforms in 2020. Realme X50 Pro 5G with Snapdragon 865 and Realme X50 5G with Snapdragon 765G both have enjoyed success in international markets.

“Race” with Snapdragon 888 will be among the first S888-based phones to reach the market. Complete features are yet to be revealed but the phone is rumored to be paired with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage and run Android 11 with Realme UI 2.0 on top.

An image of the phone shows a quad-camera with an ‘Oreo’ style bump but no information on the modules inside yet. There’s also talk if Realme ‘Race’ will feature Realme’s 125W UltraDART charging or if that will debut with another device.

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