DNA

ISLAMABAD, APR 6 – At the World Bank-International Monetary Fund annual spring meetings 2021, a webinar was held titled, ‘the IMF’s Engagement on Social Protection’, wherein SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar was invited to present Pakistan’s perspective on bolstering social safety nets.The event aimed to showcase the IMF, development partners, the WBG and member countries’ efforts to implement more effective social protection programs, strengthen social safety nets, and protect the most vulnerable from economic shocks and the potential adverse effects of reforms.

Addressing the meeting, Dr. Nishtar highlighted Pakistan’s social protection policy initiatives- the aspiration and challenges and how the government of Pakistan demonstrated commitment to addressing them.

Along with Dr. Nishtar, Roger Nord, Deputy Director Institute for Capacity Development, IMF; Antoinette Sayeh, Deputy Managing Director, IMF; Fernanda Brollo, Senior Economist, IMF; Brooks Evans, Economist, IMF; and Tanja Goodwin, Senior Country Economist, World Bank Group came to the table to launch a Capacity Development Talk on the IMF’s engagement on social protection, with a particular focus on Pakistan and Ecuador.

Speaking at the webinar, Dr. Nishtar spoke about the invisible scaffold that is needed to execute programs well. She said that almost for a year after the launching of Ehsaas, an extensive effort was made to build the infrastructure of integrity and transparency. According to statutory requirement—board meetings, conflict of interest policy, whistleblowing policy, and error, fraud and corruption frameworks and risk registers were institutionalized. She then explained how financial, audit and accounting systems were strengthened and more broadly, she described how critical was implementation of the Ehsaas Governance and Integrity Policy. She also mentioned about the creation of Ehsaas Governance Observatory to track risks and governance practices. Further, she explained the importance of building the digital backbone for execution of many Ehsaas programs. An SMS request seeking mechanism and data analytics system were integral to the execution of many programs.

Continuing, Dr. Nishtar stated that in 2019, a new biometric payment system was installed after a competitive process, to make sure that all payments were biometrically verified. Further, she said that the IT infrastructure had undergone a major overhaul—and across applications, networks, and the data systems, many reforms had been implemented.

Inequality around the world has been growing in recent years, and the pandemic has only made matters worse. As a result, more and more of the IMF’s policy advice and capacity development collaborations have focused on the issues of social spending and social protection. IMF is an organization of 190 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.

DNA

ISLAMABAD, APR 6 – A delegation of Traders Welfare Association, I&T Centre, G-8/1, Islamabad led by Senior Vice President Nasir Chaudhry met with Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) and apprised him of the problems being faced by the traders due to sealing of some shops in I&T Centres. Ajmal Baloch, President, All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran and Traders Action Committee Islamabad, Khalid Chaudhry Secretary and others were also present on the occasion.

Addressing the delegation, Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the current situation demanded that promoting the ease of doing businesses should be the top priority of all relevant departments to facilitate the growth of business activities, save the people from unemployment and steer the economy out of current challenges. However, sealing of some shops in I&T Centres by CDA has created a lot of concerns in the trading community. He appealed that CDA should reconsider this approach to seal shops in I&T Centres as it would deprive many traders of their livelihood and increase unemployment.

Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan said that already businesses were facing great problems due to Covid-19 pandemic and in these conditions, sealing of some shops would increase the difficulties of the trading community. He said that instead of sealing shops, CDA in consultation with ICCI and concerned market associations should work out a better solution to this issue. “If someone is doing legal business, instead of shutting down such businesses, efforts should be made to explore a legal solution of such cases,” he said.

Ajmal Baloch, President, All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran said that in the current difficult circumstances, such drastic measures should be avoided as they would damage business activities and create more problems for the economy. He said that shops set up 40 years ago are now being declared illegal which is not a right approach. He said that if the CDA did not resolve the issue amicably, traders would have no other options exempt to launch strong protests against such actions. Therefore, the CDA should review its policy and avoid actions that would cause more harm to the business activities.

Nasir Chaudhry, Senior Vice President, Traders Welfare Association, I&T Center, G-8/1, Islamabad said that the process of sealing the shops has taken place in the constituency of Ali Nawaz Awan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on CDA Affairs, so he should take notice of the situation and issue orders to the responsible authorities in CDA to refrain from actions that would prove more harmful for the local economy.

Indonesia ambassador shares future plans and initiatives of the embassy with the media and think-tank

ISLAMABAD:  Ambassador of Indonesia Adam M Tugio has highlighted the role of media in promotion and strengthening of relations between Indonesia and Pakistan.  

He expressed these views during a meeting which was held between the Ambassador and Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive Director, Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad, and Ansar Mahmood Bhatti, Chief Editor, Daily Islamabad POST / Diplomatic News Agency /CENTRELINE magazine, and Member Board of Experts, CGSS at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, Islamabad.

During the meeting, future projects and initiatives were discussed to enhance the ties between Indonesia and Pakistan. It was agreed that media can play an effective role in portraying various sectors of collaboration between both countries.

The ambassador appreciated CGSS’s and media efforts in enhancing people-to-people contact and diplomatic ties between Indonesia and Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD, The government on Tuesday announced that
educational institutes will resume classes 9-12 across Pakistan from
April 19 whereas classes of grade 1 to 8 will remain suspended until
April 28 in districts where the Covid-19 positivity ratio is high.

Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood
briefed the media about the decisions of the National Command and
Operation Centre (NCOC) taken at a meeting in Islamabad chaired Shafqat
Mahmood.

The education and health ministers also took stock of the pandemic
situation in the country. Key decisions- Classes 1-8 will remain
suspended in affected districts till April 28- Classes 9-12 will resume
for in-person learning from April 19 across Pakistan-Universities in
areas with a high positivity ratio will remain closed for physical
classes-Punjab board exams to be shifted to third week of May- Cambridge
exams will be held as announced earlier- Universities asked to extend
entry exam dates- Next NCOC meeting on April 28 Shafqat Mahmood said
“The educational institutes will resume 9-12 classes from April 19 with
strict SOPs in a staggered way even in the affected districts so that
they can complete their course.”

The minister said that the provincial governments will take a decision
to close schools where the situation is worsening. He, however,
clarified that all the board exams, including Cambridge, will be held as
per the schedule announced earlier by the respective authorities.
Shafqat said that they have asked the universities to extend the dates
of their admission tests whereas the higher education institutes in
affected districts would continue with online classes.

“A meeting will be held on April 28 to once again review the situation
and see whether the primary classes should remain suspended till Eid or
can be resumed,” he added. Addressing the reporters, Shafqat Mahmood
stated that two main topics were discussed during the NCOC meeting.

The first was whether educational institutions that have been closed
down till April 11 will continue as is or will they be opened, he added.
The second topic of discussion was the schedule for exams, he said,
adding that this included exams for grade 9, 10 and 11 as well as those
for O and A levels. “During today’s meeting it was decided that classes
for grade 1 to 8 will not be held in districts that are affected and
this will go on till April 28.”

For example, the Punjab education minister informed the meeting that he
has 13 districts that have been affected, he said. Therefore, in these
13 districts classes for grade 1 to 8 will not require the physical
presence of students, he said.

“The provinces will decide which areas are the most affected and where
this will be implemented,” the minister said, adding this decision will
be reviewed again on April 28. He also said that classes for grade 9,
10, 11 and 12 will be allowed to resume from April 19 with strict
standard operating procedures (SOPs). “This means that classes will also
resume in affected districts in a staggered manner so that students can
complete their lessons and be prepared for their examinations.”

Commenting on upcoming examinations, the minister said that
approximately 40 lakh students across the country give the board exams.
“It was decided that exams for grade 9, 10, 11 and 12 will be held, but
because they are our own they will be pushed to the third week of May.”

He added that the date sheet announced by Punjab would also be revised
so that the coronavirus situation is under control and children have
time to prepare. “All provinces and boards have given separate
timetables. But nothing will happen before May 24.”

Regarding A and O level examinations, the minister said that
approximately 85,000 students will sit for the exams. “It was
unanimously recommended to allow these exams to go forward as planned.
This is because these concern a significantly smaller number of
students,” he said, adding that Cambridge International had assured the
government of ensuring the implementation of SOPs. The minister also
dispelled the notion that Cambridge exams were not being held in other
countries in the region.

“That is not correct. Apart from Bangladesh, exams are being held in
India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and others.” He said that data from Cambridge
showed that 80 per cent of countries were having exams. “I want to
repeat this […] exams for A and O level will be held according to the
date sheet. There will be no change in this.” Therefore, students should
prepare for their exams and not be distracted, he advised. He said that
last year students for grade 9, 10 and 11 were passed on the grade for
the previous year.

“Now we don’t even have that. So it is important to give the exams.” In
a tweet shortly after his press conference concluded, Mahmood reiterated
his advice to students and urged them to “start preparing and working
hard”. “Decisions regarding exams are final. This decision will not be
changed so no one should have any uncertainty in their mind. Everything
has been done keeping the interest of education in mind. My very best
wishes to everyone,” he said.

Schools and learning centres in Islamabad and several major cities of
Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been closed since March 15 in light
of surging coronavirus cases.

KARACHI, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said on Tuesday it will operate three more flights to the United Kingdom (UK) ahead of the April 9 travel ban.

The airline will operate two flights to Manchester on April 7 and 8 while one to London on April 8. The national flag carrier has sought the UK government’s nod to operate more flights before the travel ban comes into effect on April 9.

In a Twitter statement, PIA said: “Those who couldn’t yet get the seats can get those with ease by approaching PIA offices, tasked by CEO to work 24/7. More flights are also planned & will be announced soon.”

The United Kingdom (UK) has added more countries including Pakistan and Bangladesh to its red list from April 9 – 2021 in order to curb the spread of COVID-19 variants internationally.

The British authorities had added Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Kenya to its red list to be effective from 4:00 am (local time) Friday, April 9 – 2021 for implementing travel bans on visitors from these countries.

Under the restrictions imposed by the UK Department for Transport, British, Irish and third-country nationals with residence rights (including long-term visa holders) would be required to self-isolate in a government-approved hotel quarantine facility for 10 days. 

ISLAMABAD, The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) on Tuesday has decided to close primary and middle schools in coronavirus hotspots across the country till April 28.

Addressing a press conference after the NCOC meeting, Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood said that the decision regarding resumption of classes from grade one to eight will be taken in another meeting that will be held on April 28.

He also announced that classes from ninth to 12th will be commenced from April 19. The examination of ninth and tenth classes will be held in the third week of May, he said.

Shafqat Mahmood further told that the universities in coronavirus-hit districts will hold online classes. The provinces will decide which areas are the most affected and where this will be implemented, he stated.

On March 24, Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood had announced to keep all educational institutions in nine districts of Punjab closed till April 11 as third wave of coronavirus grips Pakistan especially Punjab.

Talking to media persons after a meeting of NCOC, he emphasized that that closure is for all form of educational institutions including universities as well as academies. The announcement was for Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Sargodha, and Sheikhupura.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday has said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) broke the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance.

Talking to media, the PML-N leader said that not show cause, but a plain notice was issued to PPP for violating the rules of opposition parties’ alliance during elections in the Upper House of the Parliament, Senate.

The ministers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are involved in corruption, he claimed. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) requires self accountability.

Earlier, PML-N leader said NAB was established to suppress opposition and that political system in the country is being pressurized. The former prime minister added that actions of the NAB are not in national interests.

Criticizing government policies, the PML-N leader said that inflation and unemployment are rising in the country while government is fighting coronavirus with help of donations. Not a single country has allowed commercial import of the vaccine but Pakistan’s government has allowed private sector to purchase the jabs, he went on to say. 

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD, APR 6 – Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Tuesday said increased restrictions, broader lockdowns and stronger standard operating procedures (SOPs) enforcement are starting to have effect as initial signs of the positivity rate of coronavirus are slowing.

The federal minister, who also heads the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), said in his tweet that patients on critical care and mortality rate will however stay at high levels for some time due to the momentum of last two weeks. He urged all to follow the SOPs and be safe.

Increased restrictions, broader lockdowns & stronger sop enforcement starting to have effect. Initial signs of positivity are slowing. However, due to momentum of last 2 weeks patients on critical care & mortality will stay at high levels for some time. Please follow sop s & be safe

Asad Umar further said that total vaccinations carried out so far have crossed 1 million and more than 76 thousand vaccinations were carried out on Monday. He said total number of people registered so far is now over 2 million, and 600k are health care workers and more than 1.4 million are fifty plus. Please register if you are 50 plus, the minister said.