Here’s what’s happening across the border: Army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa receives phone call from US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, and there’s a Pakistan connection to FIFA 2018.
Army’s support for polio elimination drive praised by Bill Gates
Philanthropist business magnate Bill Gates called up Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa this week to express appreciation for the military’s “supporting efforts” in the polio elimination drive, The Express Tribune reported.
Pakistan military spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor tweeted Thursday that Bajwa assured Gates of continued cooperation. “COAS (chief of army staff) appreciated Bill Gate’s efforts towards this noble cause,” he added.
In May as well, Gates had acknowledged Pakistan’s use of innovative systems for immunisation coverage, and said the country was an example for the world.
Pakistan is one of only three countries in the world with ongoing wild poliovirus transmission, but the eradication drive often evokes hostility from extremists who have often labeled it an American spying bid.
Candidates announced for Pakistan general, assembly polls
SRK’s cousin to contest for assembly seat
A paternal cousin of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan is contesting this year’s Pakistan election, hoping that she receives the same kind of support he did from fans.
Noor Jahan will be up for a seat in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial assembly from the PK-77 constituency. Though a member of the Awami National Party (ANP), she will contest as an independent candidate, reported The Express Tribune. “My aim is to work for women empowerment. I would like to focus on the problems in my constituency,” she told The News on Sunday.
“I hope people support me in the same way they support Shah Rukh Khan,” she said.
‘Five to six’ constituencies for Imran Khan
Former cricketer and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan submitted his nomination papers for the 2018 general elections Thursday from a newly formed constituency in Karachi, Ary News reported.
PTI leader Asad Umar said Khan would contest from four to five other constituencies across various parts of the country.
Bilawal to follow PPP tradition, contest from Lyari, Karachi
Bilawal Bhutto, the chairman of Pakistan Peoples party (PPP), submitted his nomination papers to contest the upcoming national elections from Lyari in Karachi, a constituency traditionally dominated by the party, reported Dawn. He is seeking a seat in the national assembly, the lower house of Pakistan parliament.
After filing the papers, Bhutto arrived in Lyari to a rousing welcome from locals. “Having a Bhutto in mainstream politics will strengthen Pakistan’s defence,” Bilawal was quoted as saying by Daily Times.
Sharif daughter to contest from Lahoreseat
According to sources quoted by Dispatch News Desk, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shahbaz Sharif is likely to contest the general elections from Swat-II in Peshawar, while former PM Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz will contest from Lahore-III.
Pak-manufactured Telstar 18 is all set to kick off in FIFA World Cup 2018
Footballers participating in this year’s FIFA World Cup may find themselves competing for attention with a Pakistan-made ball that has already been to space and back.
Telstar 18, made in the country’s sporting hub Sialkot, will be used in the opening game between host Russia and Saudi Arabia on 14 June, reported Business Recorder.
The Adidas Telstar 18 was revealed in Moscow last year by star Argentine footballer Lionel Messi, reported Geo Super TV. In March, Telstar 18 was sent aboard the International Space Station, and subsequent visuals showed Russian cosmonauts throwing the ball around in their zero-gravity surroundings.
The word telstar is a play on ‘television star’. The term described the first black and white football used in the 1970 FIFA World Cup, which was aimed at a clearer viewing experience for audiences at a time when colour TVs were rare.
However, this is not the first time that a ball manufactured in Pakistan will be used at the football world cup. Brazuca, which was also made in Sialkot, was the official match ball for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
11-year-old motivational speaker takes internet by storm
Eleven-year-old Hammad Safi has taken the country by storm with his message for peace and flair for oratory.
In a profile, news agency AFP reported that the internet star is considered a motivational coach by people twice his age. The ‘nanha professor’ has 1,45,000 subscribers on YouTube and millions of views.
“I want to give this message to the world that we are not terrorists and I am the proof of that. We have talent in our country, we have everything, we only need to work hard,” Safi told Ary News.
According to the profile, Safi was a student at a traditional school while taking English classes at the University of Spoken English in Peshawar, when the faculty at the institute noticed his “phenomenal self-confidence”.
Shortly afterwards, he left his school to be full-time at USECS, continuing his English studies and embarking on his motivational career, the profile adds.
Pakistan and US chat about better ties
Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa received a phone call from US secretary of state Mike Pompeo Thurday to discuss bilateral ties and political reconciliation in Afghanistan, reported Dawn.
According to a statement released by the US state department, the two also discussed the “importance of targeting all militant and terrorist groups in aouth Asia without distinction”, reported the newspaper.
The US recently assured Pakistan of its willingness to maintain good bi-lateral relations after the two countries had a bitter row over restrictions on movement that the US imposed on Pakistani diplomats and vice versa.
Government cuts control on TV channels
The caretaker federal government in office till the July general election amended the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) law Thursday, restricting the government’s powers to shut down television channels by passing direct orders, reported Geo TV.
The ordinance will grant greater autonomy to the PEMRA chairperson, and mandates that the body function as an independent regulatory authority.
The order came on the orders of the Supreme Court, which issued the directive while hearing a plea filed by anchor Hamid Mir.
Disposing of the six-year-old case after the ordinance, the Chief Justice said the court would also grant freedom to PTV and see it become “the BBC of Pakistan”.
“This is a victory of all those who believe in independence of media and I am very thankful to Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and my lawyer Babar Sattar who played a major role in preparing draft of the amendments in PEMRA law,” Mir told The News.
WAPDA chief urges Pakistan to conserve water
Briefing a senate body about water scarcity in Pakistan, the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) chairman, retired Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain, suggested making the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with India part of foreign policy, reported Dawn.
Talking about water conservation, the chairman said that the country must change its planning and governance methods to avoid a disaster. He also sought to underline “the urgent requirement” for more dams and water reservoirs to fulfil the water demand of Pakistan’s growing population.
(Contributors: Priyamvada Grover, Sharanya Munsi, Alind Chauhan, Hansa Kapoor, Manisha Mondal, Rupanwita Bhattacharjee)