Category: Information Technology

Dr. Faisal Sultan, SAPM on Health, has clarified that there is no clinical evidence at present that suggests that Coronavirus has undergone a mutation in Pakistan, which intensified the transmission of the viral disease.

In a press briefing, while responding to queries about the presence of a mutated version of the virus in the country, the Special Assistant said that viruses are known to mutate with time, and it is nothing unusual.

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When asked whether PCR tests can reliably detect mutated viruses, Dr. Sultan said, “There is no proof that virus mutation cannot be detected through PCR (testing) nor do we have evidence that mutation of the virus changes its transmission.”

He also urged the public to adhere to the COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to contain the spread of the viral infection.

Explaining the SAPM’s statement further, Dr. Zahra Hasan, a member of the Medical Microbiology and Infectious Society of Pakistan (MMIDSP), said that a PCR test is designed to detect various target sites so that mutations do not affect its sensitivity.

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She added that the medical authorities are continuously performing genome sequencing of the Coronavirus, which will help us understand the strain diversity and disease associated with the strains.

In this regard, a recent study carried out at the Genetics Institute of University College London (UCL) claimed that although SARS-COV-2, the Coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 disease, is mutating as it spreads unabated all over the world, none of the documented mutated variants of the virus have amplified the spread of the disease.

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A representative of the Rawalpindi Excise and Taxation Department, speaking to a media outlet, informed that the latest computerized system has made it mandatory for the buyers and sellers of vehicles to visit the department for biometric verification to complete the process of vehicle registration or transfer.

The source further highlighted that the biometric verification system is aimed mainly towards eradicating the dubious individuals involved in fabricating fake registration documents. The digital database will obtain the data against the owner of the vehicle in real-time from NADRA’s online database using the fingerprints.

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It will also help reduce the fake registrations of automobiles as the data against each vehicle shall be maintained in the excise department database. As a result of the thorough data maintenance, the opportunity of tax evasion for the motorists will also be eliminated, and the department’s revenue will increase.

Rawalpindi Traffic Police also launched a one-window operation for the public to apply for a driver’s license. The department has ended the arduous process that required applicants to wait in long queues, carry multiple documents, fill out lengthy application forms by hand, and visit various rooms within the building multiple times for different tests.

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The officials affirmed that the step has been taken for the department to avoid public crowding, considering the resurgence of COVID-19 cases. They also informed that similar developments for the convenience of the public are underway.

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The Islamic banking industry has significant potential for financial inclusion in the country, said Deputy Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Sima Kamil.

She stated this while addressing the 9th Islamic Finance Expo & Conference organized by the Professional Network in collaboration with the Institute of Business.

Speaking at the inaugural session, Kamil said that the growth of Islamic banking has been satisfactory and that there are numerous opportunities for the Islamic banking industry in the country.

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The share of Islamic banking in the house finance sector has already surpassed conventional banking as Pakistanis preferring interest free housing finance, she added.

“The SBP fully supports the Islamic banking industry, and the industry can play a vital role in enhancing the outreach of Shariah-compliant financial services,” Kamil said.

She remarked that the SBP is fully facilitating and taking steps to promote house financing as more than sixty industries are linked with the construction sector.

The keynote address was delivered by Irfan Siddiqui, President & CEO of Meezan Bank Limited. He said that keeping in view the high public demand and growth of Islamic finance, the midterm vision for Islamic banking is to achieve a fifty percent market share in the country.

“With an aim to attract more deposits and customers, the Islamic banking industry needs to deliver higher service quality to its customers while ensuring Shariah compliance and use of technology,” he added.

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Speaking at the event, the Federal Minister of State, Ali Muhammad Khan said that it is the vision of the Government of Pakistan and Prime Minister Imran Khan to eliminate riba as Riyasat-e-Madina cannot be established on riba.

He declared that it is the responsibility of the government to act upon the direction given by the Quaid-e-Azam and the constitution, which requires the elimination of riba from the country.

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AWTEC Netherland has proposed to establish water desalination and power generation plants in Karachi. According to the reports, the Dutch company would invest as much as $1.3 billion for setting up the proposed industry-level plants in the Sindh capital.

The Dutch company also expressed a willingness to invest in the Ravi City Project and to further establish a renewable energy plant in Lahore, according to reports. All aforementioned proposals were presented at a meeting chaired by PM Imran Khan in Islamabad.

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The meeting further highlighted a succinct review of projects currently underway throughout the country. Projects of Pakistan Islands Development Authority and Ravi River Urban Development Authority headlined the minutes of the meeting.

Imran Khan discussed Pakistan’s plight for industrial development and the problems faced by the country attributed to the unavailability of appropriate arrangements for garbage processing. He said that Pakistan’s coastal line took the biggest hit, with drainage dumps and flat garbage polluting large portions of it.

The PM added that working on projects proposed by AWTEC Netherland would help provide residential facilities of international standards in big and emerging cities of Pakistan.

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The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) 0n Thursday gave the green signal for the commencement of the proceedings for Regi Model Town in Peshawar.

This will be the country’s first-ever sports city, and the provincial government has reportedly allocated Rs. 1 billion for the project.

Chief Minister (CM) Mahmood Khan chaired a meeting for KP Sports and approved the sports city project on Thursday. He issued orders for the immediate commencement of work, starting with a recruitment guideline for international consultants.

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According to reports, six consultancy firms have submitted bids to the provincial Sports Directorate-General for the establishment of the city. The CM was informed that the consultant would be selected through the standard onboarding process pertaining to public advertisements.

The proposed sports city project will reportedly be set up over 350 canals of land under the Peshawar Development Authority, and modern facilities subject to federal approval will be installed.

The provincial government is also working to set up 1,000 sports grounds for the youth, and substantial funding has been allocated for this project as well.

In other related news, the attendees of the meeting were apprised of the developmental progress of the Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium. According to the briefing, the stadium is being developed as per the standards of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and its reconstruction costs are reportedly expected to cross Rs. 1.3 billion.

KP Tourism Progress Summary
In a separate meeting, CM Khan attended a meeting on the progress of the province’s Tourism Department and urged for the timely completion and rehabilitation of all the access roads to the popular tourist spots in the Malakand and Hazara divisions. An update on the Integrated Tourism Zones (ITZ) project was also highlighted in this session.

According to reports, the CM was notified that the funding that had been released in the previous financial year has been fully utilized. For the new and ongoing projects, Rs. 0.91 billion had been spent from the Rs. 2.9 billion provincial allocations.

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The pandemic has substantially disrupted the tourism season, and the government of KP intends to revamp 128 of the 168 government-owned rest houses in January 2021.

Five rest houses in Nathiagali were reportedly transferred to the tourism department under the ITZ program. Additionally, four ITZ sites have been approved in Manshera, Abbottabad, Lower Chitral, and Swat. These projects are progressing tentatively, and are expected to be launched in June 2021.

The new ITZ sites include the Kalash Valley Lower Chitral, Shahi in Lower Dir, Jaroga Fall in Swat, Marghzar, Mahabanar, Ilum Valley in Buner, and the Siran and Manoor Valleys of the Mansehra district.

Under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) projects, feasibility reports have been approved for the development of resorts at Takht-e-Sulaiman in DI Khan, Garam Chashma Chitral, Chapri and Shalzone in Kurram, Baden Lakki, and parts of the Mardan district.

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K-Electric has allocated $1.5 billion of investment for upgrading and expanding power generation and distribution infrastructure over the next three years.

According to the official statement, the investments will spread across the entire power value chain. This includes expeditious completion of Bin Qasim Power Station (BQPS-III), along with setting up of new grid stations for power o -take of up to 1,400MW from the grid by 2023.

However, sustainable resolution of the government receivables issue and timely approvals by regulators remain critical to the execution of these investment plans. KE incorporated a wholly-owned subsidiary, KE Venture Company (Pvt) Ltd (KEVCL), to undertake different initiatives in the energy sector.

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Initially, the subsidiary will explore investments in renewable energy. Another wholly-owned subsidiary, K-Solar, has been incorporated under KEVCL, an official statement stated. K-Solar will specialize in distributed generation.

In addition, 150 megawatts of solar independent power producers in Vinder, Uthal, and Bela are going to be developed as joint ventures under KEVCL. The meeting was chaired by Shan Ashary, Chairman of the KE Board, with Moonis Alvi, the Chief Executive Officer also, in attendance and other members, according to a statement.

Shareholders were briefed regarding prevalent challenges such as the COVID-19 lockdown, continuous accumulation of outstanding net receivables from government entities (over Rs. 80 billion on a principal basis, as of September 30), increased finance cost (up by 166 percent), and the resulting distressed working capital situation.

Before the COVID-19 lockdown, KE showed strong operational performance, and up to March 20, recorded 3.1 percent growth in units sent-out, with around 2 percent points improvement in transmission and distribution losses, compared to the same period last year. However, significant drops in consumption by industrial and commercial consumer segments, the load-shedding exemption to high-loss areas, and the inability to carry-out theft detection activities adversely impacted the sales mix.

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In FY2020, KE invested over Rs. 55 billion across its energy value chain. Construction of the 900MW RLNG-run BQPS-III is being pursued on a fast track basis. Further, to enhance transmission capacity and improve overall network reliability, KE has completed over 94 percent of the TP-1000 project. KE has also converted over 9,000 pole-mounted transformers (PMTs) to aerial bundled cable. This has enabled the company to significantly reduce transmission and distribution losses and benefit consumers through reduced load-shed.

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Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $300 million policy-based loan to help promote macroeconomic stability in Pakistan by facilitating improved trade competitiveness and export diversification.

“While COVID-19 hit Pakistan at a critical point in its macroeconomic recovery, the government’s ongoing efforts to ensure stability have started showing encouraging results this fiscal year,” said ADB Principal Public Management Specialist Hiranya Mukhopadhyay.

“ADB’s program will support these efforts and help Pakistan to improve its export competitiveness now more important than ever given the impacts of the pandemic.”

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ADB’s program will help Pakistan recover its current account deficit in a sustained manner and continue to facilitate export diversification.

It will introduce important tariff and tax-related policy reforms to help improve Pakistan’s international competitiveness and further strengthen key institutions, including accreditation bodies, the Export-Import Bank of Pakistan, and the Pakistan Single Window.

The new financing falls under Subprogram 2 of the Trade and Competitiveness Program. Under the first phase, ADB helped the government usher in key reforms, including reducing or abolishing tariffs and ad-hoc duties on a large number of raw materials and intermediate goods. Several steps were also taken to introduce e-commerce, strengthen key institutions involved in facilitating trade, and enhance the export certification process.

Since the fiscal year 2004, Pakistan has registered a rise-and-fall pattern of export growth reflecting underperformance in its export industry and long-term decline in export competitiveness.

This is compounded by lost export growth momentum from COVID-19, which has reduced high-income countries’ demand for manufacturing goods and disrupted the supply of raw materials.

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ADB is coordinating its efforts with other development partners and donors while the program complements International Monetary Fund-led reform initiatives by helping to improve competitiveness, which will help build robust foreign exchange reserves.

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The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has placed a ban on serving meals during all domestic flight operations, including chartered and private, due to the rising number of coronavirus cases in the country.

The CAA’s Director Air Transport issued a notification in this regard, which also directed airlines to discontinue serving hot beverages in-flight.

Meanwhile, passengers and flight crew are mandated to wear face masks throughout flight hours.

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Following the CAA’s directives, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has stopped serving meals and hot beverages on domestic and international flights to minimize interaction between the crew and passengers. However, PIA will continue to serve prepackaged cold beverages during the flight.

Commenting on the development, a PIA spokesperson said that this move is in accordance with the new standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) to control the second wave of the coronavirus in Pakistan.

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He explained that the passengers will be allowed to bring their own meals on board.

Meanwhile, the CAA has urged all domestic flight operators to ensure strict adherence to the SOPs. The NCOC has also directed the CAA to formulate a mechanism to monitor adherence to these health guidelines.

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