ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has observed a sharp decline in polio cases this year, Pakistan's national polio coordinator said on Friday, attributing the low numbers to COVID-19 restrictions, back-to-back polio vaccination drives, improved security and the organized cross-border movement of children between Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.
The country reported 84 wild poliovirus cases in 2020 and 147 cases in 2019. But official data shows Pakistan only reported one wild poliovirus case since the beginning of this year.
Pakistan is one of the two polio-endemic countries in the world along with neighboring Afghanistan. Officials in Islamabad say they are optimistic about bringing the number of these cases to zero by December next year.
“The COVID-19 restrictions helped curtail movement of children and we decided to take the benefit by completing eight immunization drives,” Dr. Shahzad Baig, a national polio coordinator, told Arab News on Friday.
“Most children were easily accessible, making it possible for our teams to administer polio drops,” he said. “This also helped us overcome the virus.”
Baig informed that about 40 million children were covered in each national campaign, including four of them conducted this year.
Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by poliovirus that mainly affects children under the age of five. It invades the nervous system and can cause paralysis or even death.
While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from the crippling disease. Each time children under the age of five are vaccinated, their protection against the virus further strengthens.
However, Baig warned the health authorities should not lower their guard since that could result in a resurgence of virus in high-risk areas.
“We have made progress against the virus, but we don’t want to be complacent at this stage,” he said. “The virus is cornered and exhausted, which implies it is the most crucial time to administer polio drops to our children to get rid of the disease.”
Last week, the World Health Organization and UNICEF applauded Pakistan’s continued efforts to eradicate polio. The UN agencies particularly highlighted the fact that the country continued with its vaccination program amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the same time, the two agencies urged the government to sustain the momentum and reach every child with the lifesaving drops.
Talking about other factors behind the government’s success, the national polio coordinator said the improved security situation in the country and organized cross-border movement of children from Afghanistan also helped the polio teams reach maximum children during the immunization drives.
“Pakistan’s hundred percent area is now accessible to our teams due to the improved security situation,” he said. “Dozens of our law enforcement personnel have sacrificed their lives for the noble cause.”
He said polio vaccination teams had also been deployed at border crossings in Torkham and Chaman to administer drops to children up to the age of 10 who were leaving or entering Pakistan while traveling to or from Afghanistan and Iran.
“Vaccine refusals are now the only impediment to the complete eradication of the disease,” he said, adding that parents of about two to three percent children still refused vaccination during each immunization campaign.
“This is the major hurdle, and we are trying to overcome it with the help of religious clerics and notables of specific areas,” he continued.
According to a recent WHO report, the wild poliovirus transmission is still ongoing in traditional reservoir areas, namely the northern corridor (Peshawar/Khyber) and Karachi and the southern corridor (Quetta block, Balochistan).
The report claimed this had also led to an expansion of virus to previously polio-free areas (Punjab and Sindh) along with the detection of virus in other parts of the country.
To overcome the challenge, the government has designed one sub-national immunization campaign that will focus on high-risk areas in July and two national campaigns in September and the second week of December to eradicate the disease.
“We are aiming to bring down the number of polio cases in Pakistan to zero by December next year,” Baig added, “and we are hopeful for our success due to our progress so far.”
Coronavirus restrictions led to sharp decline in polio cases in Pakistan — polio chief
https://arab.news/g7z74
Coronavirus restrictions led to sharp decline in polio cases in Pakistan — polio chief
- While the country reported 84 wild poliovirus cases in 2020, it has only recorded one such case since the beginning of the year
- Health officials hope to bring down the number of polio cases to zero by December next year, though vaccine refusal remains a challenge
Pakistan ‘high priority' economic opportunity for us, Saudi top minister says in Islamabad
- 50-member Saudi delegation with representatives of 30 Saudi companies in Pakistan for investment conference
- Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been working closely in recent weeks to finalize trade and investment deals
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is a “high-priority economic investment and business opportunity” for Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom’s Assistant Minister of Investment Ibrahim Al-Mubarak said on Monday, as a two-day Pak-Saudi investment conference kicked off in Islamabad.
A 50-member delegation led by Al-Mubarak arrived in Pakistan on Sunday, comprising some 30 Saudi companies from the fields of IT, telecoms, energy, aviation, construction, mining exploration, agriculture and human resource development.
“To the Saudi government and Saudi companies, Pakistan is considered a high-priority economic investment and business opportunity,” Al-Mubarak said as he addressed the investment summit.
“We believe in the great potential of Pakistan’s economy, demographics and talent as well as location and natural resources.”
Al-Mubarak said this was his second visit to Pakistan in two weeks and many influential leaders from globally renowned Saudi companies were part of his delegation.
“Today, we want to connect you [Pakistan] all to Saudi companies who desire to continue building their international presence, for Saudi Arabia’s ambitions do not stop at our borders and we would like to see Pakistan as one of our leading international partners,” the Saudi official added.
“So, this gathering provides a wonderful opportunity for them [Saudi companies] to develop a deeper understanding of the great opportunities available for investment in Pakistan and to learn about related regulations, requirements, and incentives.”
INVESTMENT PUSH
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been closely working in recent weeks to increase bilateral trade and investment deals, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last month reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to expedite an investment package of $5 billion.
The Saudi business delegation’s visit comes on the heels of one by Sharif to Riyadh from Apr. 27-30 to attend a special two-day meeting of the World Economic Forum.
On the sidelines of the WEF conference, the Pakistani PM met and discussed bilateral investment and economic partnerships with the crown prince and the Saudi ministers of finance, industries, investment, energy, climate, and economy and planning, the adviser of the Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council and the presidents of the Saudi central bank and Islamic Development Bank.
This was Sharif’s second meeting with the crown prince in a month. Before that he also met him when he traveled to the Kingdom on April 6-8. The Saudi foreign minister was also in Pakistan last month, a trip during which Pakistan pitched projects worth at least $20 billion to Riyadh.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense and cultural ties. The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates and serves as a top source of remittances to the cash-strapped South Asian country. During the first half of the current financial year, bilateral trade between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia was recorded at $2.482 billion, with Pakistan’s exports of $262.58 million and Saudi exports of $2.219 billion.
Saudi Arabia has often come to Pakistan’s aid in the past, regularly providing it oil on deferred payments and offering direct financial support to help stabilize its economy and shore up forex reserves.
As things stand, Pakistan desperately needs to shore up its foreign reserves and is in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new bailout deal, for which it needs to signal that it can continue to meet requirements for foreign financing which has been a key demand in previous loan packages.
Last year Pakistan set up the Special Investment Facilitation Council, a body consisting of Pakistani civilian and military leaders and specially tasked to promote investment in Pakistan. The council is so far focusing on investments in the energy, agriculture, mining, information technology and aviation sectors and specifically targeting Gulf nations.
Pakistan Securities And Exchange Commission approves PIA restructuring
- Pakistan’s national airline has accumulated hundreds of billions of rupees in arrears and losses over the years
- Pakistan last year agreed to overhaul loss-making public entities in exchange for a financial bailout from IMF
KARACHI: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has approved the restructuring scheme of the country’s national airline, the privatization ministry confirmed on Sunday, marking a significant milestone in the government’s endeavors to privatize the loss-making entity.
Pakistan has identified 25 public sector enterprises for privatization that have accumulated billions in losses, including the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), banks, hotels and power generation and distribution companies. Pakistan agreed in June 2023 to overhaul its loss-making state-owned enterprises (SOEs) as part of a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $3 billion bailout package. The government resolved to privatize PIA shortly after finalizing the IMF agreement.
However, the country’s progress in privatization has been stalled for decades due to political inertia and various challenges, including legal, licensing and ownership issues. In March, the government created PIA Holding Company (Holdco) to expedite the national carrier’s privatization by managing the airline’s liabilities and assisting in its transfer to potential investors.
On May 4, the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) green-lighted PIA’s acquisition by Holdco, saying it would not have any material impact on the market. On Sunday, the privatization ministry said the SECP had agreed to the transfer of PIA’s non-core assets and liabilities to Holdco.
“This order marks a significant milestone in the collaborative efforts of the Privatization Commission (PC), Finance Division, Aviation Ministry and Pakistan International Airlines to restructure the national carrier,” the ministry said.
It said the SECP has directed the Pakistan Stock Exchange, the Central Depository Company and the National Clearing Company to ensure Holdco’s “smooth listing.”
The PIA has accumulated hundreds of billions of rupees in arrears and losses over the years, forcing successive Pakistani governments to dole out billions of rupees from their budgets to keep the loss-making public entity afloat.
The PIA’s woes were compounded after 2020 when the airline was already struggling financially while its flights were grounded due to the coronavirus pandemic. When the national airline resumed operations in May 2020, a domestic PIA flight crash in Karachi killed 97 out of 99 people on board, prompting an initial inquiry that pointed to a number of safety failures.
The inquiry sparked a disclosure from authorities that nearly a third of PIA’s pilots may have falsified their qualifications, prompting the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other regulators to ban PIA flights.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to privatize the airline and warned Pakistan’s bureaucracy that he would not tolerate delays in the process. Sharif has assured Pakistan’s business community several times that the process to privatize the national airline would be a transparent one.
Pakistan thrash South Korea 4-0 in Azlan Shah Cup hockey clash
- Pakistani players Abdul Hanan Shahid, Arshad Liaqat, Ghazanfar Ali and Sufiyan Khan score goals
- This is Pakistan’s second victory in the tournament after their win over hosts Malaysia on Saturday
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s field hockey team beat South Korea 4-0 in their second match of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup this week, state-media reported on Monday, as the South Asian side continued their impressive run in the tournament.
The 30th edition of the prestigious field hockey tournament is being played in Ipoh, Malaysia from 4-11 May. The cup will be contested between six teams, namely Canada, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Korea. Pakistan’s national hockey team made a triumphant start to the tournament on Saturday, defeating hosts Malaysia by 5-4 in a thrilling match.
The green shirts continued their impressive form on Sunday, beating South Korea in what was a one-sided contest.
“Pakistan in their second match beat South Korea by four goals to nil at Ipoh on Sunday,” the state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Monday.
Pakistani players Abdul Hanan Shahid, Arshad Liaqat, Ghazanfar Ali and Sufiyan Khan scored goals to ensure the national team dominated the match. Pakistan’s defense did an impressive job to contain the Korean hockey team, thwarting their efforts to score a single goal.
“Pakistan will play their third match against Japan in Ipoh, Malaysia tomorrow,” Radio Pakistan reported. “The match will start at 3:15 p.m.”
The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2024 will see a round-robin stage at first where all six participating teams will play against each other once, followed by positional playoffs.
The teams finishing in the bottom two places of the league stage will contest in a fifth-place classification match. Teams finishing in third and fourth place in the pool stage will compete for bronze, while the top two teams will play in the final for the title.
Pakistani journalists condemn Israel’s decision to ban Al Jazeera, demand ‘earliest restoration’
- PM Netanyahu’s cabinet shut down network for as long as Gaza war continues, saying it threatened national security
- Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists credits Al Jazeera for reporting “independently” on Israel’s war in Gaza
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s most prominent association of journalists strongly condemned Israel’s move to ban international news organization Al Jazeera on Sunday, describing it as a “brutal curb on press freedom,” urging journalist bodies around the world to raise their voices for the Qatar-based network.
The statement comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet voted unanimously to close Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel. The decision came weeks after Israel’s parliament passed a law allowing the temporary closure of foreign broadcasters considered to be a threat to its national security as the months-long war in Gaza drags on.
Later on Sunday, Israeli police raided Al Jazeera’s premises in East Jerusalem while satellite and cable providers took the broadcaster off air.
“Workers strongly condemn the Israeli decision of banning telecast of Al Jazeera TV and demand its earliest restoration,” the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) said in a press release. “The PFUJ-Workers terms the decision a brutal curb on press freedom and demand that Israeli govt should give right to every media organization to work freely.”
PFUJ credited Al Jazeera for reporting “independently” on Israel’s war in Gaza, calling on journalist bodies around the world to raise their voices for freedom of media and support the Doha-based news channel.
“If we do not discharge our duty of raising voice for Al Jazeera the other will use the practice to silent voices in their regions,” the statement concluded.
Al Jazeera criticized Israel’s decision to ban its broadcast in a report, saying that it is one of the few international media outlets to remain in Gaza throughout the war, broadcasting “bloody scenes of air attacks and overcrowded hospitals, and accusing Israel of massacres.”
“The Network vehemently rejects the allegations presented by Israeli authorities suggesting professional media standards have been violated,” Al Jazeera said in a statement. “It reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the values embodied by its Code of Ethics.”
Israel’s move can heighten the Jewish state’s tensions with Qatar, which funds Al Jazeera, especially at a time when the Gulf country is playing a key role in mediating efforts to stop the war in Gaza.
Tim Dawson, the deputy general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, told Al Jazeera Israel’s decision was a “retrograde and ridiculous decision.”
“Closing down media, closing down television stations is a sort of thing that despots do,” he said.
Two-day Pakistan-Saudi investment conference kicks off in Islamabad
- 50-member Saudi delegation comprising 30 Saudi companies arrived in Islamabad on Sunday
- Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been working closely in recent weeks on finalizing investment deals
ISLAMABAD: A two-day Pakistan-Saudi investment conference is set to begin in Islamabad today, Monday, a day after a high-powered business delegation arrived in Pakistan from Riyadh to discuss trade and investments.
The 50-member Saudi delegation is led by Assistant Minister of Investment Ibrahim Al-Mubarak and comprises some 30 Saudi companies from the fields of information technology, telecoms, energy, aviation, construction, mining exploration, agriculture and human resource development.
“[Pakistani commerce] ministry had selected a large number of Pakistani companies in the respective sectors whose officials would have business-to-business meetings with their Saudi counterparts, and would hopefully enter into business and investment deals,” Pakistani news wire APP said.
“Pakistan would welcome and fully facilitate investments and partnerships from Saudi Arabia in IT, minerals, textiles, food security, engineering and energy sectors.”
During the first half of the current financial year, bilateral trade between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia was recorded at $2.482 billion, with Pakistan’s exports of $262.58 million and Saudi exports of $2.219 billion.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been closely working in recent weeks to increase bilateral trade and investment deals, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to expedite an investment package of $5 billion.
The business delegation’s visit comes on the heels of one by Sharif to Riyadh from Apr. 27-30 to attend a special two-day meeting of the World Economic Forum.
On the sidelines of the WEF conference, the Pakistani PM met and discussed bilateral investment and economic partnerships with the crown prince and the Saudi ministers of finance, industries, investment, energy, climate, and economy and planning, the adviser of the Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council and the presidents of the Saudi central bank and Islamic Development Bank.
This was Sharif’s second meeting with the crown prince in a month. Before that he also met him when he traveled to the Kingdom on April 6-8. The Saudi foreign minister was also in Pakistan last month, during which Pakistan pitched projects worth at least $20 billion to Riyadh.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense and cultural ties. The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates and serves as a top source of remittances to the cash-strapped South Asian country.
Saudi Arabia has often come to Pakistan’s aid in the past, regularly providing it oil on deferred payments and offering direct financial support to help stabilize its economy and shore up forex reserves.
As things stand, Pakistan desperately needs to shore up its foreign reserves and is in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new bailout deal, for which it needs to signal that it can continue to meet requirements for foreign financing which has been a key demand in previous loan packages.
Last year Pakistan set up the Special Investment Facilitation Council, a body consisting of Pakistani civilian and military leaders and specially tasked to promote investment in Pakistan. The council is so far focusing on investments in the energy, agriculture, mining, information technology and aviation sectors and specifically targeting Gulf nations.
