The UN humanitarian officials stated that a ceasefire is more important than ever because additional patients, including preterm newborns, have reportedly perished in Gaza City’s bombed-out Al-Shifa hospital, which has been without electricity for three days due to escalating Israeli military attacks. Additionally, United Nations offices throughout the world honoured the 101 employees who have lost their lives in the violence that has engulfed Gaza, marking the greatest loss in the organization’s 78-year existence. In the meantime, the 37 premature newborns at the hospital were moved over the weekend to an operating room without their incubators, with medical staff attempting to heat the space, according to the Gaza health authority, the UN’s health agency WHO reported on Sunday night. Six babies at Al-Shifa passed away Monday.
The Senate asked that the Supreme Court reevaluate its ruling that certain portions of the Army Act, such as the creation of military courts, were unconstitutional. In this regard, a resolution proposed by Senator Dilawar Khan and others was passed by the House by a majority vote. According to it, the Army Act’s trial of individuals accused of using violence against the armed services is a suitable and proportionate reaction in keeping with Pakistan’s current statutory structure and constitutional framework. It further stated that the Army Act’s trial process for those charged with anti-state violence and vandalism functions as a disincentive to commit such crimes.The resolution also reaffirmed its strong support for the families of martyrs who gave their lives in defence of the nation and who have expressed sentiments of betrayal and insecurity as a result of this choice.
Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti, the interim interior minister, has made it clear that the country’s illegal immigrant population is the sole target of the ongoing activity, with no crackdown targeting Afghan refugees. In response to a motion made by Senator Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen and others, he stated as much. The Interior Minister refuted the notion that undocumented immigrants are being repatriated suddenly, stating that a suitable system has been developed by the government to facilitate their return. According to him, district-level committees were established, and one of the committees’ members, the Afghan Chargé d’affaires, provided appropriate input. According to Bugti, the government initially set up a period for voluntary repatriation, under which over 2,90,000 foreigners went back to their countries of origin, but the government only sent about 8,000 illegal Afghans back.
ISLAMABAD: On Monday, Caretaker Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Justice (Retd) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah was called by Caretaker Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi. They spoke about the impending elections, collaboration in the media industry, and other significant matters, such as struggles faced by journalists.He welcomed Syed Arshad Hussain Shah on taking over as KP’s interim chief minister during a phone conversation.The interim chief minister KP and the federal minister both declared their intention to give the Election Commission every assistance it needs to ensure that the electioneering process is impartial, transparent, and fair.According to Solangi, the Caretaker Government is a firm supporter of free speech and would give the media every convenience while the elections are underway.
Dr. Nadeem Jan Monday, the acting federal minister for health, visited the Regional Training Institute of Health on Monday. He was briefed and looked over the attendance record. Dr. Nadeem Jan made sure the agenda for health sector changes was carried out, and he said that the government was acting to make the health sector better. He voiced his concern with the vice principal’s absence. He instructed that a letter explaining his prolonged absence be sent. The minister stated that in order to advance the institution, every employee would need to labour tirelessly and devotedly.
In addition to the recommended action plan by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Caretaker Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Muhammad Sami Saeed received a briefing on Monday regarding the Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA) and Climate-PIMA. The Secretary Planning Ministry, Member Climate Change & Food Security, Chief Growth and Employment at the Planning Commission, Joint Chief Economist (Ops), Joint Chief Economist for Macroeconomics at the Planning Commission, and other pertinent stakeholders were present at the meeting that was chaired by the Planning Minister and during which the briefing was given, according to a news release. Chief Growth & Employment went over PIMA, Climate-PIMA, and its action plan in great detail during the meeting.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Chairman Imran Khan’s jail trial in the cypher case was approved by the caretaker federal cabinet on Monday. Because of security concerns, the cabinet approved the Ministry of Law’s summary of the former prime minister and foreign minister’s trial at the Adiala jail. The ministry stated in its summary that it had granted a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the detention trial on August 29 in response to requests from Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain and the Interior Ministry. “The jail trial was requested for the PTI chairman keeping in view the security concerns,” according to the summary. Khan filed an intra-court appeal against the jail trial, which will be heard by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
LAHORE: As the provincial authorities fail to reduce smog, Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court on Monday ordered the government to close all schools and universities in Punjab on Saturdays. The LHC judge’s orders were delivered during a hearing today about the steps the Punjabi government has made to reduce air pollution, which has increased to alarming levels in recent days. In addition to chastising the Lahore commissioner, the judge mandated the implementation of a two-day-per-week work-from-home policy. “Commissioner Lahore’s efforts to reduce smog have been utterly unsuccessful. Though he talks a big game, nothing actually happens. All that is done is send out a notification to shut everything down,” he said.
LAHORE: On Monday, the food department set the province’s retail price of flour at Rs 139.9 per kilogramme. The competent authorities published a notification and set the wheat pricing for mills at Rs 4700 per maund with the agreement of the province cabinet. As to the official announcement, the retail price of flour is fixed at Rs 1399 per 10kg bag, whereas the price of a 10kg bag of flour discharged from mills is fixed at Rs 1374. The retail price of flour was set at Rs 127 per kg in Karachi earlier this month. The development is the result of the flour mills association and Karachi Commissioner Salim Rajput’s fruitful negotiations.
Territories of the Palestinians: According to Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, assistance should be parachuted into the Gaza Strip. He declared, “I call on the European Union and the United Nations to parachute aid into the Gaza Strip, especially the north.” UNRWA’s chief announced on Monday that the organisation will not be able to replenish hospitals, remove sewage, or provide drinking water in the next days due to the depletion of its fuel storage in Gaza. Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the agency, informed donors on Monday that it has been gradually emptying a strategic reserves-containing petroleum store near the Israeli border.