LAHORE: Social media groups have been swelling with advice and “totkas” or home remedies to fight the coronavirus. As many readers may turn to them in panic amid the current outbreak, Arab News reached out to health professionals to dispel the myths that may cause more harm than good.
The situation in Pakistan is becoming serious. To stop the spread of Covid-19 infection, the National Security Committee (NSC) on Friday evening introduced a host of measures, including the sealing of borders with Iran and Afghanistan, travel restrictions and bans on public gatherings.
While scientists are struggling to understand how the novel virus works, many anxious Pakistanis have started to share their tips and tricks to prevent infection.
Onions top the list of well-intentioned home remedy counsels as powerful antiviral actors.
Muzaffir Pasha, a medical student told Arab News about his grandmother insisting they drink water that was boiled with onions. “She said it would fight the virus because onions are known to be immunity boosting.”
Chomping raw onions has also been shared a protective measure. “It will keep you safe,” Sara Jamil from Islamabad was told. “But there was no explanation why.”
According to Dr. Mehreen Mujtaba, however, “it’s a viral infection ... no amount of onions, kalonji (fennel) or kalonji tea, hot baths, alcohol consumption can prevent or cure it.”
Some other social media advice was going to swimming pools, as rumors say chlorine in water kills the virus. “I heard swimming will kill it off our bodies,” laughed educator and comedian Mina Hassan Malik.
But Dr. Mujtaba disagrees.
“The virus enters the blood stream through the mucous membranes of nose, mouth, and hence chlorine in swimming pools, hot water baths cannot prevent anyone from getting the infection,” she said.
Other common tips included taking up smoking in belief that as it repels mosquitoes it would also scare away the virus. However, that is not how things work.
“Smoking is a really bad idea as it damages the lungs and makes people more susceptible to getting severe symptoms of the disease,” Dr. Mujtaba said.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, washing one’s hands for at least 20 seconds is the strongest defense against the virus. If you are sick, stay at home to prevent infecting others. If you develop fever, coughing and have breathing difficulties, consult your doctor.
Traditional remedies won’t protect you from coronavirus
https://arab.news/m4khq
Traditional remedies won’t protect you from coronavirus
- No amount of onions can prevent or cure coronavirus, says doctor
- If you develop fever and have breathing difficulties, seek professional medical help
Pakistan regulator unveils gender policy to boost women’s role in corporate, finance sectors
- SECP releases draft Women EquiSmart Policy 2025–2028 for public consultation on its official website
- It focuses on women’s leadership on boards, inclusive workplaces and gender-smart financial products
KARACHI: Pakistan’s top financial regulator on Tuesday launched a draft policy aimed at tackling gender inequality in the country’s corporate and financial sectors, seeking to improve women’s representation on company boards, expand access to finance for women entrepreneurs and make workplaces more inclusive.
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) published its Women EquiSmart Policy 2025–2028 for public consultation on its website, calling it the first comprehensive gender framework for regulated sectors such as capital markets, insurance and non-banking finance.
“The draft framework reflects the SECP’s strategic shift from fragmented diversity efforts to a structured, cohesive regulatory approach to gender inclusion, aligned with national priorities and global frameworks,” the regulator said in a statement.
The draft policy is built around six pillars, including women’s leadership on boards, gender-disaggregated reporting, women’s entrepreneurship, gender-smart financial products, inclusive workplace practices and institutional capacity building.
The statement said it identifies policy gaps, proposes timelines and regulatory actions and assigns roles to key stakeholders across the public and private sectors.
While Pakistan has seen efforts in recent years to promote workplace equality — such as corporate codes encouraging gender diversity — these have largely remained voluntary and inconsistently implemented.
SECP’s proposed framework seeks to introduce a more enforceable and measurable approach to gender inclusion.
Pakistan court orders probe into online blasphemy spike
- There has been a spike in cases of mostly young men being arrested for committing blasphemy in WhatsApp groups since 2022
- Rights groups, police say many are brought to trial by private law firms, who use volunteers to scour Internet for offenders
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan court ordered a government probe on Tuesday into allegations that young people are being entrapped in online blasphemy cases, following appeals from hundreds of families.
There has been a spike in cases of mostly young men being arrested for committing blasphemy in WhatsApp groups since 2022.
Rights groups and police have said that many are brought to trial by private law firms, who use volunteers to scour the Internet for offenders.
“The government will constitute a commission within a 30-day timeframe,” said Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan at Islamabad High Court, adding that the commission is required to submit its findings within four months.
Blasphemy is an incendiary charge in Muslim-majority Pakistan punishable by death, and even unsubstantiated accusations can incite public outrage, lead to lynchings and to families being shunned by society.
A report published by the government-run National Commission for Human Rights in October last year said there were 767 people, mostly young men, in jail awaiting trial over blasphemy allegations.
“This is a huge ray of hope and it’s the first time that the families have felt heard,” said lawyer Imaan Mazari, who represents the families of arrested men and women, of the court order.
“Youngsters have been falsely roped into cases of such a sensitive nature that the stigma will last forever even if they are acquitted,” she added.
A 2024 report by Punjab police into the sudden spike in cases, that was leaked to the media, found that “a suspicious gang was trapping youth in blasphemy cases” and may be motivated by financial gain.
The Legal Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan (LCBP) is the most active of lawyers groups prosecuting young men in Pakistan.
Sheraz Ahmad Farooqi, one of the group’s leaders, told AFP in October that “God has chosen them for this noble cause.”
In recent years, several youngsters have been convicted and handed death sentences, although no execution has ever been carried out for blasphemy in Pakistan.
“We will fully support the probe commission and are confident that our voices will finally be listened to, our concerns will be heard, and the truth will come out,” the relative of one of the accused, who asked not to be named because of the backlash, told AFP.
‘World’s oldest marathon runner’ dies aged 114 in road accident
- Fauja Singh gained global fame after taking up long-distance running at 89, completing marathons past 100
- Tributes pour in for Sikh athlete who inspired generations with message of resilience, fitness and faith
NEW DELHI: India’s Fauja Singh, believed to be the world’s oldest distance runner, has died in a road accident aged 114, his biographer said Tuesday.
Singh, an Indian-born British national, nicknamed the “Turbaned Tornado,” died after being hit by a vehicle in Punjab state’s Jalandhar district on Monday.
“My Turbaned Tornado is no more,” Fauja’s biographer Khushwant Singh wrote on X.
“He was struck by an unidentified vehicle... in his village, Bias, while crossing the road. Rest in peace, my dear Fauja.”
Singh did not have a birth certificate but his family said he was born on April 1, 1911.
He ran full marathons (42 kilometer) till the age of 100.
His last race was a 10-kilometer (six-mile) event at the 2013 Hong Kong Marathon when 101, where he finished in one hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds.
He became an international sensation after taking up distance running at the ripe old age of 89, after the death of his wife and one of his sons, inspired by seeing marathons on television.
Although widely regarded as the world’s oldest marathon runner, he was not certified by Guinness World Records as he could not prove his age, saying that birth certificates did not exist when he was born under British colonial rule in 2011.
Singh was a torchbearer for the Olympics at Athens 2004 and London 2012, and appeared in advertisements with sports stars such as David Beckham and Muhammad Ali.
His strength and vitality were credited to a routine of farm walks and a diet including Indian sweet “laddu” packed with dry fruits and home-churned curd.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute on social media.
“Fauja Singh was extraordinary because of his unique persona and the manner in which he inspired the youth of India on a very important topic of fitness,” said Modi on X
“He was an exceptional athlete with incredible determination. Pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and countless admirers around the world.”
AI Umrah assistant to cut costs, enhance experience for Pakistan’s 2 million annual pilgrims
- Launched by Umrah Companions last week, “Ibraheem” offers personalized guidance in multiple languages, including Urdu
- Pilgrims from Pakistan face confusing logistics, language barriers and high costs due to inefficient travel agency practices
ISLAMABAD: A Saudi-backed consortium has launched what it says is the world’s first artificial intelligence-powered Umrah advisor, “Ibraheem,” aimed at simplifying pilgrimage planning and reducing costs for millions of Muslims, including more than two million Pakistanis who travel to the Kingdom each year.
Ibraheem has been developed by Pakistani company Umrah Companions and is powered by Funadiq, a Saudi-based Destination Management Company specializing in Hajj and Umrah services.
The tool was launched last week and is designed to offer pilgrims personalized guidance in multiple languages, including Urdu and Roman Urdu, with the goal of cutting Umrah-related expenses by as much as 20 percent.
Pakistan is among the world’s largest pilgrimage markets, with over $5 billion spent annually by citizens traveling for Umrah and Hajj.
“Today, 93% of global Muslims cannot afford Hajj and Umrah. It is too expensive,” said Mohammad Salman Arain, CEO of Umrah Companions, in an interview with Arab News. “It is becoming expensive because we are not removing the inefficiencies in the processes — and that is what our mission is.”
Pakistanis often face language barriers, lack of personalized travel information, and high costs when arranging Umrah trips through human agents, many of whom offer fixed packages with little customization. Arain said the AI assistant overcomes these issues by adapting to each user’s needs, whether they are traveling with elderly parents, young children, or have budget constraints.
The platform currently supports ten languages, including Urdu, Roman Urdu, Arabic and English, and provides real-time recommendations on flights, hotels, food, weather, medical facilities and even services such as wheelchair availability near the Haram in Makkah.
“You can start with a very simple question: ‘I want to travel in August. Give me an estimated budget for four people,’” Arain said. “Ibraheem will then suggest premium or budget options, tell you whether hotels are suitable for elderly companions, and help build your itinerary.”
The tool’s language offerings and its flexibility for use on smartphones and low-bandwidth environments make it particularly suitable for Pakistani blue- and white-collar workers living in the Gulf, a group that often lacks access to transparent and user-friendly tech tools for pilgrimage planning.
“We are building to make everybody's life easier. It is not for us only,” Arain added. “This is available for everyone and every single Muslim in the world.”
Umrah Companions is also working on outreach to Pakistani freelancers and overseas workers through diplomatic missions, Pakistani banks, and diaspora associations, especially in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where a majority of Pakistani pilgrims are based.
While the service is focused on Umrah for now, Arain said it was already learning and being trained for Hajj season.
Once a pilgrim arrives in the Kingdom, the AI agent continues to provide support, from locating wheelchairs at Haram gates to suggesting restaurants and responding to emergencies, the chief executive explained.
The tool has already contributed to a 25% increase in website traffic, according to Arain, and is currently being built as an open platform available for use by all Muslims, regardless of which company they book their pilgrimage through.
The launch of the AI platform also aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goal to improve the pilgrimage experience through digital transformation and accessibility.
Arain said the initiative complements the Kingdom’s efforts to modernize religious tourism and ensure cost-effective pilgrimage options for lower-income Muslims.
“We believe this is going to revolutionize [pilgrimage],” Arain said, “and it is very much in line with what the Saudi Vision 2030 is doing to enhance the pilgrimage experience.”
China’s Xi, Pakistan’s Dar pledge unity as SCO faces regional strains
- President Xi Jinping emphasizes importance of the regional cooperation under the SCO framework
- Dar also meets Russia’s Sergei Lavrov, Iran’s Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the conference
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday highlighted his country’s commitment to strengthening ties with China and reaffirmed a shared vision for regional peace and development during an interaction with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the joint call of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Foreign Ministers in Beijing.
The interaction took place on the sidelines of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting, a key diplomatic gathering aimed at preparing the groundwork for the upcoming SCO Leaders’ Summit later this year. The CFM convened to review progress on multilateral cooperation and set the agenda for endorsement by heads of state.
“Delighted to meet earlier today with President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing,” Dar said in a post on social media platform X. “Conveyed the warm greetings of the leadership, government and people of Pakistan. As iron-clad brothers and All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partners, we remain committed to deepening Pak-China enduring friendship and advancing shared regional goals.”
Islamabad and Beijing are long-time allies and have been jointly working on multibillion-dollar infrastructure, energy and connectivity initiatives under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The corridor provides China direct access to the Arabian Sea through Pakistan’s Gwadar port, while enabling Pakistan to modernize its infrastructure and strengthen regional trade links.
The foreign office of Pakistan said in a statement released earlier today that President Xi emphasized the importance of regional cooperation under the SCO framework, an organization spanning the Eurasian landmass and representing a significant portion of the global population.
BILATERAL MEETINGS
On the sidelines of the conference, the Pakistani deputy prime minister also met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The two officials expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of bilateral ties and agreed to further enhance cooperation in trade, energy, agriculture and defense, according to an official statement.
It added Dar also invited Lavrov to visit Pakistan.
Their meeting came at a time when Pakistan and Russia are seeking to deepen their partnership through plans to build a new steel mill in southern Sindh and launch a pilot cargo train project in August.
The deputy PM also met with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, with the two leaders reviewing bilateral cooperation and discussing the evolving regional situation following Israel’s war against Iran.
Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s “unwavering solidarity with the people and Government of Iran,” and emphasized that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable path to de-escalation and lasting peace, according to the foreign office.
The SCO conference is also being attended by India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, though no meeting is scheduled between Pakistani and Indian officials.
The CFM takes place nearly two months after a tense four-day military standoff between Pakistan and India, during which both sides exchanged missiles, drones and artillery fire before agreeing to a US-brokered ceasefire.
