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The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has developed a databank of online courses available at the national and international level and shared it with universities, while the university faculty has also been asked to prepare virtual courses for students. This was stated by Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) Tariq Banuri in a message on the prevailing situation due to coronavirus. The chairman said that the coronavirus pandemic has endangered the entire world. As a precautionary measure, students of all the public sector universities have been given a three-week break under instructions by the government. The ongoing vacations may be adjusted in the summer holidays, however, if the situation persists, the online lectures will help avoid the educational loss of students. In the meantime, faculty members will take advantage of the break to prepare online lectures for the students to mitigate the disruption. He urged the Vice-Chancellors to follow the guidelines about precaution..

Punjab Government has launched a Coronavirus Telemedicine Web Portal to assist citizens with their queries regarding Coronavirus. The provincial government has also decided to conduct tests of suspected Coronavirus patients at their homes instead of hospitals. The decision has been made at a time when the country is grappling with the outbreak of COVID-19 which has infected 301 and killed 2 people so far. ALSO READ Pakistan Reports First 2 Coronavirus Deaths in; 301 Infected [Live Updates] According to Governor Punjab, Chaudhry Sarwar, Coronavirus Telemedicine and Helpline will go live in Lahore today. More than 60 doctors have volunteered to offer guidance to citizens over the helpline. The Governor has requested citizens not to panic during the pandemic and practice social distancing as it is the most effective way to stop the disease from spreading. ALSO READ WhatsApp Launches Coronavirus Information Hub In an attempt to contain the spread of the virus, the Punjab governme..

Coronavirus has stopped the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 5 as the country has ramped up its battle against the deadly virus. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said that it will reschedule the remaining matches, however, it is uncertain when the knockouts will be held. Owner of Karachi Kings, Salman Iqbal, has revealed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is looking for a window after the ICC T20 World Cup later this year to accommodate the last few matches of the PSL. In an interview with BBC, Salman Iqbal said that the remaining matches will take place this year. ALSO READ Indian Army Refuses Entry to Indian Sports Journalists Returning from PSL Coverage It will happen this year, we are looking for the six or seven-day window, predominantly after the world cup (T20) in Australia, I think that will be the best time. The T20 World Cup is scheduled from 18th October to 15th November in Australia. It also remains to be seen whether the PCB will continue with the semi-finals or re..

Leading the charge in customer advocacy, Zong 4G has partnered with NayaPay Pvt. Limited to enable its customers to make digital payments for its services. The two organizations signed an agreement to that effect in Karachi. This collaboration will facilitate customers to purchase Zong 4G’s mobile services directly through the NayaPay app. Customers can top-up their mobile balance, subscribe to prepaid bundles and recharge their Zong broadband devices using their NayaPay E-money account to complete the transaction. As an Electronic Money Institution (EMI), NayaPay will enable users to open E-money accounts and make digital payments to each other and businesses conveniently. With this collaboration, both Zong 4G and NayaPay have taken a step towards digital financial inclusion for the socioeconomic development of the country. Commenting on the partnership, Zong 4G’s official spokesperson, said: “With the surge in the demand for digital financial services, the partnership addresses th..

In the wake of COVID-19 and its unprecedented effect on global stock markets, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), in consultation with market stakeholders and market infrastructure institutions, has decided that for the April 2020 contract, a short sale in 36 specific shares of the futures market shall be subject to an uptick rule. This will ensure the provision of a required prior notice period to the market and retain liquidity in the rollover week. The uptick rule means that the shares of that relevant scrip have to be sold at a price higher than the last trade not lower. Further, to support the mutual fund industry, the maximum period of borrowing by mutual funds for redemption purposes will be extended from existing 90 days to 360 days. Moreover, the commission has allowed relaxing deposit requirements against the base minimum capital of TREC holders. The requirement to perform biometric verification at the time of opening of the account is eased and the..

Pakistan reported its first two coronavirus deaths on March 18 Both deaths were reported from KP within hours Number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan has risen to 301 Sindh has been affected the most with 208 confirmed cases so far Punjab has reported 33, Baluchistan 23, KP 19, AJK/GB 16, and Islamabad 2 cases Center and provinces continue to announce measures to curb the spread Pakistan reported its first two coronavirus deaths on March 18, both in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The first person who succumbed to the deadly disease was a 50-year-old man who had returned from Saudi Arabia and was being treated at Mardan Medical Complex (MMC). The second death followed within hours where a 36-year-old man from Hangu being treated at Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital lost his fight against the virus. Meanwhile, confirmations of more positive cases continued to flood in throughout the day from all parts of the country. Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) also reported its first positive case, a 45-ye..

WhatsApp has announced the launch of two initiatives in support of the global fight against the Coronavirus pandemic: the global launch of the WhatsApp Coronavirus Information Hub in partnership with the World Health Organization and UNDP as well as a $1 million donation to the Poynter Institute’s International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN). The WhatsApp Coronavirus Information Hub launches today at whatsapp.com/coronavirus to provide simple, actionable guidance for health workers, educators, community leaders, nonprofits, local governments and local businesses that rely on WhatsApp to communicate. The site also offers general tips and resources for users around the world to reduce the spread of rumors and connect with accurate health information. ALSO READ WhatsApp is Bringing Self Destructing Messages Soon While people need to spend time apart, WhatsApp will continue to provide a simple, reliable, and secure way for people to communicate. These recommendations provide quick guidan..

The Ministry of Planning cleared an amount of $238 million from World Bank funding and endorsed another $350 million dollar funding offered by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in support for the COVID-19 emergency response and to address the socio-economic disruption associated with it. A special meeting of Concept Clearance Committee / CDWP was held on Wednesday under the Chairmanship of Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan. Member Social Sector Dr. Shabnum Sarfraz, Member Private Sector Asim Saeed, DG Health Dr. Safi, Country Director, World Bank, Illango Patchamuthu, ADB Country Director Xiaohong Yang and representatives from EAD, Finance and health ministry were also present in the meeting. Project concept titled “Pakistan National Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID-19” was presented and was subsequently approved. The emergency project focus on taking measures through additional resources for strengthening the integrated disease surveillanc..