Category: Information Technology

The UAE has temporarily suspended the issuance of visit visas to 12 countries including Pakistan.

Besides Pakistan, the Middle Eastern country has also halted the issuance of visit visas to Turkey, Iran, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Libya, Kenya, and Afghanistan.

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In a statement, Foreign Office Spokesperson, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry, has said the UAE’s decision is “believed to be related with the second wave of Coronavirus,” adding that “Pakistan is in contact with the UAE for official confirmation.”

He clarified that the UAE’s decision will not apply to visit visas that have already been issued.

Meanwhile, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) spokesperson, Abdullah Hafeez, has said that the national carrier has not yet received formal instructions in this regard.

He added that individuals with iqama, transit, and work visas that have previously been approved will be allowed to enter the UAE.

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Coronavirus cases in Pakistan have been increasing steadily since last month as the SAPM on Health, Dr. Faisal Sultan, had confirmed that the country was witnessing the second wave of the viral infection.

Since 12 November, Pakistan has reported more than 2,000 cases of Coronavirus daily. 2,547 new cases were confirmed, the highest since 13 July, and 18 deaths were reported yesterday.

Overall, Pakistan has so far reported 365,927 cases and 7,248 deaths due to Coronavirus.

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With people around the world grappling with the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, it almost seems like history is repeating itself. The world is going back into quarantine, and industries are shutting down again.

Yesterday, Samsung Electronics announced that it would be temporarily shutting down one of its research centers located in Suwon after a positive case of the COVID-19 infection surfaced.

To break the chain and prevent the virus from spreading further, the South Korean company has asked its employees to work from home for the next week. Similarly, LG, another South Korean company, recently reported a positive case of coronavirus at its own research facility in Seoul.

Samsung has announced that it will cooperate with the authorities and will follow all the SOPs put in place to curb the virus from spreading further. In the coming week, Samsung will sanitize the entire building and test every worker who was in contact with the employee that tested positive. Reportedly, this is the second case of coronavirus infection in the same facility. The first case surfaced around five months ago.

Samsung’s decision is pretty smart, considering the virus is highly contagious. The company has been resilient when it comes to adapting to the new normal. Samsung did not lose a lot of revenue either and has reported the highest ever quarterly earnings in Q3 2020 when most companies were scrambling to stay afloat amidst the pandemic.

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Former fast bowler, Shoaib Akhtar, has claimed that Lahore Qalandars lost the final by opting to bat first. He said that Lahore should have bowled first as they had witnessed dew play an important factor in the previous matches.

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He added that Lahore batsmen played poor cricket and should have batted sensibly because the pitch wasn’t offering much assistance to the batsmen. The Rawalpindi Express said that the batsmen should have been looking to score singles and doubles rather than going for the big shots, which ultimately cost them important runs as too many batsmen fell cheaply.

“I was surprised by Lahore Qalandars’ decision to bat first after winning the toss. When a match goes to the later stages, dew becomes an important factor. Lahore should have played run-a-ball if their batsmen weren’t able to hit the ball. They should have scored quicker by running between the wickets. That is called sensible cricket which they didn’t play,” Akhtar said.

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He said that Lahore could not carry on their momentum in the match and should have opted to field first as it was much easier to bat in the second innings. He also said that Lahore’s captain Sohail Akhtar had to be replaced in the next edition because he has been poor and isn’t fit for captaincy.

Shoaib also showered praises on Babar Azam and said that Babar played a sensible knock and proved to the world that he indeed is a match-winner. He congratulated Karachi Kings on their victory as well.

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According to reports, Sami Aslam is dismayed after being ignored by the selectors once again. The Pakistani opener is looking to quit domestic cricket and move to the US to continue his career. Aslam has also decided not to take any further part in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

Aslam last played for Pakistan in 2017 against Sri Lanka in UAE, scoring 39 in the 1st innings and 1 in the second.

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Aslam made his debut for Pakistan in 2015 in an ODI against Bangladesh and made his Test debut against the same opposition.

Aslam started his international career brightly, scoring two half-centuries against England in England in only his third Test match, but he failed to convert his good starts into big scores as he scored seven half-centuries in 13 matches, without scoring a century.

Aslam played 13 Test matches for Pakistan from 2015-2017, scoring 758 runs at an average of 31.58. He also represented the national team in 4 ODIs, scoring 78 runs at an average of 19.50.

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He was the fourth-highest run-scorer in last year’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, scoring 864 runs in 15 innings at an average of 78.54. He also scored 4 centuries, including a double century in the tournament. Despite his strong performances in the domestic circuit, he has been overlooked by the national team selectors for over three years.

His recent form has been disappointing though as he has scored 141 runs at an average of 23.50 in three rounds of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

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The leading representatives of the industry and enterprises showed their confidence in the government of Pakistan’s timely interventions to insulate the industry from being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The representatives said this in a virtual meeting of the high-powered ‘Industry and Enterprise’ subgroup of the Planning Minister’s Advisory Committee.

Appreciating the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) deferment of loans and temporary economic relief facilities, they suggested that the government should do more to protect micro and small enterprises from the direct and indirect effects of the possible second wave of COVID-19.

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They also highlighted the need for the establishment of an internationally-recognized certification laboratory that will certify exports to the Middle East and to the European Union according to their standards.

In the absence of such a laboratory in Pakistan, exporters first have to send their samples to China to get the required certification.

In case of restrictions on air transportation during the second wave of COVID-19, Pakistan’s exports to these destinations are likely to be severely affected.

Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suler, the group’s Convenor and member of the Advisory Committee, remarked that the government is trying to reach out to the stakeholders of the private sector to understand and address their needs during the pandemic.

“In the short run, the purpose of getting feedback from the leaders of industry is to enable the government to come up with a demand-driven and evidence-based policy response to protect businesses during these testing times. In the medium to long run, this group can help the Planning Commission to tailor its initiatives that may stimulate sustainable growth and economic recovery” he said while giving an orientation about the establishment of the subgroup.

Asim Saeed, Planning Commission Member, said that as a key planning agency of the government, the Planning Commission believes in engaging with all the stakeholders.

“In this case, we want to come up with doable initiatives which have a complete buy-in of industries,” he said.

Managing Director Hub Leather Group, Asfandyar Farrukh, said that reopening of business activities had helped to honor export orders. Terming cashflow and the liquidity crunch as ‘a major challenge for the retail sector during COVID-19’, he urged the central bank to devise a mechanism to lend money to the retail sector based on its banking transactions and other taxes.

Engr. MA Jabbar, Chief Executive Qaim Automotive, highlighted the disparity between the ease in the customs duties that are provided to the exporters and manufacturers for local supplies.

“The government needs to provide some tax breaks amidst COVID-19,” said Jabbar.

Shanza Anwar from Steel Castings Group termed the shortage of steel scrap, a basic raw material, as ‘the biggest challenge for the steel industry’. She pointed out that one of the biggest markets for Pakistan fans, Saudi Arabia, has an additional certification requirement.

“These laws were changed during the times of COVID-19 and most of the industry players were not aware of them. This caused our consignments to get held at Saudi ports of entry. We have to send fans to China for testing and certification,” she said.

The attendees unanimously declared that the government must ensure that Pakistan has local internationally-accredited laboratories for uninterrupted exports.

Zafar Masud, President of the Bank of Punjab, called the deferment of loan repayments by the private sector and the Temporary Economic Relief Facility (TERF) by the SBP ‘a major relief measures for the industry. He also emphasized spreading awareness about employment initiatives, the Kamyab Jawan Program, and the Punjab Rozgar Scheme.

Masud also expressed his concerns about the possible default of many industries in FY22 and said that the banking sector should work on minimizing the fall-out effects of COVID-19 in FY22.

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Waqar Ahmad of Nestle Pakistan and Afghanistan discussed the impacts of COVID-19 on the food and beverage sector and said that multiple shutdowns of production plants to repeatedly disinfect them is increasing the cost of production.

“The beverage sector has struggled to recover as schools and large gatherings were curtailed during the peak sales season which is summer” he claimed.

Ahmad stated that the government needs to ensure the smooth movement of food items during the future waves of the pandemic.

Muhammed Ashraf, Former President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industries, raised the issue of the new certification required to export to the EU from February 2021.

“These tests are extremely expensive, and we don’t have an internationally accredited laboratory in Pakistan. This would hamper export of medical and surgical goods to the EU”, he added.

Ashraf also suggested that a Special Economic Zone be established in Sialkot to facilitate cleaner and greener production by reducing industrial waste.

Rahat Kaunain, Chairperson, Competition Commission of Pakistan reiterated the need for protecting the SME sector during the pandemic.

“We need figures and updated data evidence to see how SMEs can be helped further”, she opined.

Dr. Vaqar Ahmed, JED SDPI, highlighted the need for a stronger public-private dialogue at a sector-specific level.

“The digital transformation of businesses is important during the pandemic. The implementation of e-commerce policy should be expedited” he said.

The recommendations of the subgroup will be presented at the Planning Commission Advisory Committee on 25 November.

The post Exporters Demand Internationally-Recognized Certification Labs for Uninterrupted Exports appeared first on .

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The Vice-Chancellors of universities across the country have reiterated their commitment to ensuring adherence to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and government guidelines given the situation evolving due to the COVID-19 resurgence in the country.

The 34th Vice-Chancellors Committee meeting was held online on Wednesday. It was attended by a large number of Vice-Chancellors and Rectors from all over Pakistan.

The university heads reviewed the situation on campuses concerning COVID-19, especially considering the threat of the feared second wave of the pandemic. They said that the universities have taken several steps to cope with the situation, including strict enforcement of SOPs, reducing the numbers of students in classrooms and hostels, and shifting to hybrid modes of instruction.

“In fact, while the adherence to SOPs has dropped significantly in most other public places, universities have tried hard to maintain their level of vigilance and provide good examples for others,” the attending Vice Chancellors said.

They expressed their total commitment to adhering to the guidelines issued by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) and the health authorities.

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A majority of the Vice-Chancellors said that they can readily switch to online or hybrid instruction and limit the number of people who are allowed to enter the campus in case the re-emergence of the virus requires curtailment of public interaction.

The meeting also discussed other options for action, including enhancing counseling services for students as well as the general public, sharing of information and technical resources, and mutual learning from best practices. They also demanded that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) should arrange better data packages for students and faculty members to facilitate online interaction and instruction.

During the meeting, HEC Chairman, Tariq Banuri, apprised the university heads of the decisions made in the last NCOC meeting.

He said, “We need to do the best we can to deter any disruption in the education system being caused by the situation evolving due to the COVID-19 recurrence.”

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HEC Chairman stressed that the universities need to prepare and look ahead as to how they can efficiently deal with any evolving situation.

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The rumors of death of famous Pakistan cricket team supporter, Chaudhary Abdul Jalil, also known as ‘Chacha Cricket’, had been circulating on social media since yesterday, but the rumors have been put to bed as Jalil himself revealed that he is fine and in good health.

A Twitter user posted the false information. The post has now been deleted.

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Jalil responded by clarifying that the information is false and he is absolutely fine.

Jalil has been an avid supporter of the national team for well over 50 years, he came into limelight for being ever present in the stands whenever Pakistan used to play in the UAE, donning his green ‘kurta’, and waving the Pakistani flag.

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Fans might have confused him with the former head curator of PCB, Haji Bashir Ahmed, who sadly passed away yesterday.

Haji Bashir served PCB for over 50 years, preparing pitches for international matches all over the country. Former cricketers expressed their grief on the passing of Haji Bashir, PCB offered their condolences to the friends and family of the departed soul.

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As reported by Business Recorder, the Customs Appellate Court had issued a verdict to release the vehicles that were stolen from Japan and then later brought to Pakistan after payment of a fine. A three-judge bench at the Lahore High Court (LHC) led by Justice Umar Ata Bandial heard the appeal regarding 14 stolen cars from Japan without custom clearance.

Following the hearing, the bench reportedly issued notices to the respondents upon the request of a Customs Collector. However, one of the Customs Collectors, Zafar Iqbal, challenged the LHC verdict, stating that the decision of the Customs Court is not being dealt with due and deserving consideration by the LHC.

During the hearing, Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin inquired about evidence that proves that the vehicles were in fact stolen. The collector highlighted that in 2017, a few luxury vehicles were imported from Japan. He added that the door locks of all those vehicles were broken and that the supposed owners failed to provide the original keys to the vehicles.

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He added that the department inquired about the vehicles from the Japanese Consulate in Pakistan, following which, it was confirmed through an email that the vehicles brought in Pakistan were indeed stolen.

Justice Bandial added that the Consulate’s email also confirmed that communication took place between the Pakistan Police and the Interpol. The counsel informed that when the department had taken the vehicles into custody, the importers challenged the decision in the Customs Appellate Tribunal.

The Supreme Court granted a stay on the decision of the Customs Court and postponed any further hearing.

The 14 luxury vehicles that were confiscated are all Toyota Land Cruisers. The SUVs were reportedly stolen from Japan and imported to Karachi on September 30, 2017. Afterward, they were brought to the container freight station at Thokar Niaz Baig, Lahore via a transshipment permit.

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A 6-member team of customs department led by Additional Collector Customs examined these vehicles, whereby it was revealed that the front doors of some vehicles were damaged and the keys were duplicated. Customs Japan has also verified that the luxury vehicles were stolen, although no FIR has been filed.

The registration of FIR under Customs Act section 2 S is a necessary condition in case of fraud and/or submission of fake documents, which was not adhered to in this case.

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81 Pakistani scientists have featured in the list of the World’s Top 2% Scientists compiled by Stanford University.

According to details, Standford’s list for 2020 contains 159,683 most-cited scientists in various disciplines.

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Here are the names of Pakistani scientists who have been included in the list of the World’s Top 2% Scientists.

Sr. No.
Name
Institute
Field

1.
Khalid Mahmood
Punjab University
Information and Library Sciences

2.
Muhammad Sharif
Punjab University
Nuclear and Particle Physics

3.
Muhammad Akram
Punjab University
Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing

4.
Muhammad Yasin Ashraf
Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology
Plant Biology and Botany

5.
R. Ellahi

International Islamic University Islamabad
Mechanical Engineering

6.
Muhammad Ashraf
University of Agriculture Faisalabad
Plant Biology and Botany

7.
Muhammad Aslam Noor
COMSATS Islamabad
Numerical and Computational Mathematics

8.
Noreen Sher Akbar
NUST Islamabad
Mechanical Engineering

9.
Abdul Wahid
University of Agriculture Faisalabad
Plant Biology and Botany

10.
Anwar Hassan Gilani
Aga Khan University Medical College

Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry

11.
Zahid Chohan
University College of Management and Sciences

Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry

12.
Rob Briddon
National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Pakistan

Virology

13.
Christoph Broelsch
Gambat Institute of Medical Science

Surgery

14.
Philip Ransley
Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation
Human Factors

15.
Abdul Waheed
NUST
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

16.
Masood Khan

Quaid-e-Azam University
Mechanical Engineering

17.
Iqbal Chaudhry

Karachi University
Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry

18.
Atta ur Rahman

Karachi University
Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry

19.
Muhammad Mustafa

NUST Islamabad
Mechanical Engineering

20.
Farooq Anwar

University of Sargodha
Food Sciences

21.
Syed Tauseef Mohyud-Din
University of Multan

Mechanical Engineering

22.
Muhammad Asghar

Agriculture University Faisalabad
Biotechnology

23.
Ghulam Murtaza

COMSATS Lahore
Information Systems

24.
Tariq Mahmood
IBA Karachi
Plant Biology and Botany

25.
Sania Nishtar

Heartfile Pakistan
General & Internal Medicine

26.
Amir Saeed

Quaid-e-Azam University
Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry

27.
Fraser Mustard
Agha Khan University
Environmental and Occupational Health

28.
Muhammad Wasim Sajid
International Islamic University Islamabad

Mechanical Engineering

29.
Ajmal Khan
Karachi University
Plant Biology and Botany

30.
Abdul G. Khan

Quaid-e-Azam University
Plant Biology and Botany

31.
Asif Khan

Sarhad University of Science and Information Technology
Applied Physics

32.
S. Asghar

COMSATS Islamabad
Mechanical Engineering

33.
Kabir Ahmed
Aga Khan University
General & Internal Medicine

34.
Muhammad Rizwan

Bahria University
Applied Physics

35.
Haq Nawaz Bhatti
University of Agriculture Faisalabad
General Chemistry

36.
Muhammad Tahir

University of Gujrat
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

37.
Tasneem Gul Qazi
University of Sindh

Analytical Chemistry

38.
Hugh Brammer
FAO/UNDP Soil Survey Project of Pakistan

Environmental Sciences

39.
Muhammad Qasim
COMSATS Islamabad
Plant Biology and Botany

40.
Mujahid Abbasi

GC University Lahore
General Mathematics

41.
Ayesha Kausar
Quaid-e-Azam University

Polymers

42.
Khalid Muhammad Khan

Karachi University
Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry

43.
Muhammad Yousaf

GC University Faisalabad
General Chemistry

44.
Darakhshan Jabeen Haleem
Karachi University
Pharmacology & Pharmacy

45.
Zabta Khan Shinwari
Quaid-e-Azam University Plant
Biology & Botany

46.
Saeed Ahmed
University of Agriculture Faisalabad
Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry

47.
Khalida Inayat Noor

COMSATS Islamabad
General Mathematics

48.
Sardar Khan
University of Peshawar

Environmental Sciences

49.
M. Ajmal

PCSIR Labs
Energy

50.
Hazrat Ali
University of Malakand

Environmental Sciences

51.
Munawar Iqbal
University of Lahore

General Chemistry

52.
Asghar Maqsood
Air University Islamabad

Materials

53.
Muhammad Saleem
PIEAS

Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry

54.
Muhammad Zakaullah
GC University Lahore
Applied Physics

55.
Khalid Mahmood
Sarhad University of Science and Information Technology
General and Internal Medicine

56.
Nadeem Javed

COMSATS Islamabad
Networking & Telecommunications

57.
Waqar-ud-din Ahmed
Karachi University
Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry

58.
Muhammad Ibrahim Rajoka
GC University Faisalabad

Biotechnology

59.
Bina Shaheen Siddiqui
Karachi University
Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry

60.
Syed Shahzad
COMSATS Islamabad
Mechanical Engineering

61.
Majid Khan
Institute of Space Technology Islamabad

Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing

62.
A. Zeeshan

International Islamic University Islamabad
Mechanical Engineering

63.
Faisal Shafaat
NUST Islamabad
Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing

64.
Abdul Malik
Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan

General Chemistry

65.
Kashif Ishfaque
CUST Islamabad

Electrical & Electronic Engineering

66.
Muhammad Asif Zahoor
COMSATS Islamabad
Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing

67.
Z. Abbas

Islamia University
Mechanical Engineering

68.
Muhammad Waqas

National University of Technology
Applied Physics

69.
Sanaullah

University of Swat
Networking & Telecommunications

70.
Khalid Zaman
University of Wah

Electrical & Electronic Engineering

71.
Muhammad Zaman

Quaid-e-Azam University

Cultural Studies

72.
Mansoor Shafi

UET Lahore
Networking & Telecommunications

73.
Rizwan ul Haq

Bahria University
Mechanical Engineering

74.
Qaisar Abbas Naqwi
Quaid-e-Azam University

Networking & Telecommunications

75.
Nasir Ali
International Islamic University Islamabad

Mechanical Engineering

76.
Riffatullah Khan

University of Agriculture Peshawar
Dairy and Animal Sciences

77.
Najeeb Alam Khan
Karachi University
Mechanical Engineering

78.
Asifullah Khan
PIEAS Islamabad
Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing

79.
Muhammad Awais

COMSATS University
Mechanical Engineering

80.
Haroon Khan
Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan

Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry

81.
Rashid Khan

Quaid-e-Azam University
Complementary & Alternative Medicine

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