ISLAMABAD, MAR 16 (DNA) – The Covid-19 should be taken as an awakening call to change our priorities at national level, especially by investing more to improve our healthcare system. This priority shift is the only way forward to revive the economy and ensure that our population is staying safe.

Dr Javed Akram, Vice Chancellor, University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore, said this while sharing his views as a key speaker at the webinar ‘Myths and Misconceptions about Covid Vaccine’ organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), as a part of its campaign ‘No one is safe until everyone is safe’ here on Tuesday. 

Dr Akram on the occasion presented a detailed account of various vaccine trials conducted in Pakistan udder several collaborated efforts including 3 clinical trials with 18000 volunteers. He further said that (Z-F 2001) which is a discovery of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is also under trial whereas the Sputnik, Russian vaccine is also in the pipeline.

“We are also working on the mutation and variants of the virus and keep the data updated on University of Health Sciences mutation browser on daily basis,” he said while explaining that we are also doing trials on Chemosatate, which is a post exposure test. Pakistan is among the 23 countries where trials have conducted. It is welcoming that our initial trials have shown good efficacy results.

He added further that many of the countries in the world are eying at getting their 75% of the population vaccinated to stop the local transmission. However, it is a big ask for the country like Pakistan with 220 million population.

While debunking various myths about the vaccination, Dr Akram said that it is untrue that vaccine change our DNA or cause cases of male Impotency. He further said that RNA vaccine is safe for the pregnant mothers and even the Hepatitis A, B, C, AIDS, and cancer patients should be vaccinated.

“Once you are vaccinated, it takes 28 weeks to create the anti-bodies neutralizing effects,” Dr Akram said and added further that the vaccines as a huge blessing for the humanity and we need to take full advantage of it. Dr Akram noted that emphasized that the recovered patient should also take vaccine, because the vaccine targets the binding sites of the viruses.

He emphasized that the vaccine politics must be redressed with stern efforts as creating misconceptions about the vaccines may have adverse effects on our economy but also for our people.

Dr Akram opined that despite of virus variation and virus mutations, vaccine will stay effective which targets the spikes (S-glycoprotein) of the virus, so even if the virus mutates, it will not get attach to our bodies. He said that it is commendable to observe that elderly persons in Pakistan are being vaccinated on the priority basis.

In response to various questions, Dr Akram said that there is no authenticity in the fact that private sector has acquired the vaccine yet. However, the government should allow the private sector in a limited scale to import the vaccine. The DRAP should declare it an essential medicine and fix its price to avoid any profiteering.

He informed the participants that the government is involved in the vaccine passport with the NADRA and soon a mechanism for this will be in place. He said that the chemotherapy patient can take the Covid-19 vaccine, but it should not be taken in the first three days after their chemotherapy.

Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director, SDPI, while summing up the discussion said that as it has been the case with Polio Vaccination campaign, several misconceptions about the Covid-19 vaccination including about its side exist widely in the society.

“The same old anti-vaccine mindset that persists in Pakistan need to be responded with the right flow of information to avert the damage it may render to the Covid-19 vaccine,” DR Suleri emphasized.

He added further that the definition of frontline workers against the pandemic should also be widened to include other key players such as police, journalists and others that are performing the essential services while being at risk themselves.=DNA

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RAWALPINDI, MAR 16 (DNA) – Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan paid a farewell call on Director General Inter Services Intelligence Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid.

DG ISI received the Service Chief. DG ISI thanked the Air Chief for his contribution in enhancing the professional capability of PAF during his illustrious career.

CAS also appreciated ISI’s performance in guarding and furthering national interests.=DNA

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ISLAMABAD, MAR 16 – Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday stated that the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) track and trace system was crucial for curbing tax evasion in the country.

Addressing a meeting of the federal cabinet, the premier said that the FBR was trying to bring in automation through the system which is aimed at accelerating the digitisation of economic activity, improving revenue forecasting and curbing counterfeit products in the market.

Earlier this month, the FBR had signed a contract with a consortium to operationalise the ‘Track & Trace Solution’ on tobacco, cement, sugar and fertiliser sectors from July 1. The FBR had said that 45 million tonnes of cement, over four billion sticks of tobacco cigarettes, four million tonnes of sugar and 30m tonnes of fertiliser would be brought into the tax net.

“Approximately 40 per cent of cigarettes are sold [without paying taxes] which causes the country to suffer. For the past 15 years, the FBR has been trying to introduce the system, to bring in automation but it is sabotaged each and every time,” the prime minister said.

“The board had assured the government that the new system would be in place by June 1 but now we have been told that the Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued a stay order.”

The premier said that the objective behind informing the federal cabinet was to make the members aware of the kind of tax evasion being done in the country. He maintained that majority of the tax in the cigarette industry came from two companies, while the remaining were not taxed.

“Until this system is in place, we cannot stop tax evasion,” he said, directing the law minister to inform the SHC about the situation to get the stay order vacated. “Because of tax evasion, we have to rely on indirect taxes which leads to inflation.”

In an earlier announcement, the FBR had said that installation of the track and trace system in identified sectors would be a game-changer for improving revenue and curbing counterfeit products in the market.

The FBR had said it expected to start installing UIMs (tax stamps) on products of various sectors from July this year.

Commenting on electoral reforms, the premier said that the federal cabinet should be regularly given updates on the progress of electronic voting machines (EVMs). “They have become inevitable for making our electoral process transparent. During each election, [the opposition] says it was not conducted properly so this is the only way.”

He added that he wanted updates on EVMs and voting for overseas Pakistanis during each meeting of the federal cabinet.

DNA

ISLAMABAD, MAR 16: PARC has started its 15-days long travelling seminars from today March 16, 2021 at NARC. Chairman PARC started off the introductory seminar with DG NARC, Engr. ShamimulSibtain Shah and Project Director, Mansoor Ahmad Joiya. While scientists. It will be carried out in the districts of Punjab, Sindh, KPK and Balochistan provinces.

In the introductory session, Dr. Muhammad Azeem Khan talked about the significance of these travelling seminars and told “PARC is investing in irrigation and planting technologies for productivity enhancement of pulses. For that we have introduced and recommended Ridge sowing methods, Bed planters and Responsive Drip Irrigation system for pulses farmers. Bed planters are available and vigorously manufacturing in Daska. He also advised the seminar participants to fully cooperate with the local farmers in terms of experience sharing. While encouraging the seed breeders and researchers for intensive research, Chairman assured the plant variety protection through Plant Breeder’s rights.

At the occasion DG NARC paid vote of thanks to the participants and said under the mega PSDP project ‘Productivity Enhancement of Pulses’ farmers’ facilitation will be ensured that includes pulses production technology transfer, release of high yielding crop seeds, acquisition of germplasm from international collaboration, transferring germplasm to national institutes and storing them in PARC-PGRI seed bank for further multiplication and research purposes. Moreover, through these seminars stress areas for pulses production will be identified and compost component will also be added to this project.

PD pulses Dr. MansoorJoiya saidthat pulses is an important crop that has an ability to grow in harsh conditions and drylands. It is a meat of poor man but due to low sporting price and less cultivated area, low production is recorded in pulses crop. PARC is conducting these seminars to engage the scientists and farming communities at one platform and enhance pulses productivity through knowledge and germplasm sharing.

ISLAMABAD, MAR 16 (DNA) – Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited (PTCL) got recognition for its progressive practices in Inclusive Communication and Social Responsibility at the Global Diversity and Inclusion Benchmark Standards (GDIB) Awards 2021.

Being a large organization with a nationwide reach of staff and customer-base, it is a tremendous feat to be acknowledged for communication practices that are effectively tailored to the diverse characteristics of our customers and employees.

Email bulletins, digital screens, IVR messages and SMS alerts are some of the many ways the company chooses to facilitate two-way communication. Pulse surveys are conducted to gauge feedback and interventions are designed to ensure optimum customer service.

Furthermore, the company’s social responsibility practices have put PTCL at a unique spot among its contemporaries. The organization’s growing commitment to diversity and inclusion in terms of gender representation and development opportunities to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) has further fostered a workplace culture of inclusiveness.

With the launch of the Justuju Internship Program for PWDs this year, PTCL commits to go only forward with its pledge for excellence. Our employee volunteer force; PTCL Razakaar has set a benchmark for corporate philanthropy and continues to spread smiles year after year.

On the occasion, Mazhar Hussain, Group Chief Human Resource Officer, PTCL & Ufone,said,“We are proud to have won these two prestigious awards by Global Diversity and Inclusion Benchmarks (GDIB).

We are fully committed to fostera culture of diversity and inclusion in not only making PTCL a more inclusive place, but we are also taking conscious steps in making our society at large more inclusive as well.”

These awards recognize and encourage organizations that use GDIB standards to align organizational policies for sustainable financial and social performance.

Approximately 30 companies were honoured in various categories at the prestigious awards ceremony in Karachi.

With such recognition, the GDIB awards motivate companies to become more inclusive, diverse and agile. PTCL being honoured in the list of winners is a testament to its commitment towards its employees as well as the community at large.=DNA

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Invites Hammad Azhar to visit Belarus

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Belarus Andrei Metelitsa met with Muhammad Hammad Azhar, the Federal Minister for Industries and Production Division of Pakistan.

During the meeting the sides discussed the state of bilateral cooperation in industry and avenues of interaction between Belarus and Pakistan in this area.

The interlocutors paid particular attention to the issues of holding the third meeting of the Joint Working Group on industry, as well as preparation for signing of an amended intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the field of industrial, scientific and technical cooperation.

Muhammad Hammad Azhar received an invitation from Petr Parkhomchik, the Minister of Industry of Belarus, to visit Belarus in order to get acquainted with leading Belarusian industrial companies and to discuss issues of strengthening industrial cooperation between the countries on the topics of mutual interest.