Your daily dose of news updates on Pakistan awaits you. Here is what is happening in Pakistan today.
23 doctors and nurses have been detained by the police while they were protesting for the regularization of their jobs
What happened: Protesting doctors and nurses were baton-charged by police on Monday, and over 23 of them, including females, were arrested to prevent them from marching on the Chief Minister’s House. The protest: The young doctors and nurses have been protesting for their jobs to be regularised after being appointed by the provincial government to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic and resolve issues at Karachi Metropolitan Corporation-run hospitals. On Monday, the doctors and paramedics started their march from the Karachi Press Club,as they got close to the Arts Council traffic intersection, a large contingent of police stopped them by putting barricades on the main roads. Protesters held a sit-in there for a long time, causing Din Mohammed Wafai Road and Sarwar Shaeed Road to be blocked. The failed negotiation: Saddar SP Zahida Parveen and other officials met with protesters near the YMCA Ground in an attempt to persuade the doctors to end their strike. However, the talks produced no positive results the protest resumed which was later met with force by the police. Prime Minister Imran introduces the Naya Pakistan Health Card in Lahore which will be accessible for all families
What happened: Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke at the launch ceremony of the government’s Naya Pakistan Health Card initiative in Lahore on Monday, saying it would be distributed to citizens on January 1 starting next year. Details: When his mother was diagnosed with cancer, his family had to take her abroad for treatment, highlighting the importance of a country having modern and state-of-the-art medical infrastructure. He stated that the event inspired him to establish a cancer hospital in Pakistan where people, particularly the poor could receive free treatment. According to the prime minister, the country must spend Rs100 million per year to run the health system. He also promised that by March 2022, all Punjab families would have access to health cards. Balochistan CM has taken notice of the unavailability of gas and water at Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University’s girls’ hostel
What happened: Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, Chief Minister of Balochistan, has taken note of the lack of gas and water in the girls’ hostels of the Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University, where students protested on Monday. Details: Students from the province’s only female university marched on campus, chanting slogans against the Sui Southern Gas Company and the Water and Sanitation Agency for failing to provide water and gas to the hostels. The CM requested that the authorities restore water and gas service to the hostels. Sana Bahadur wins Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senior Women Squash Championship
What happened: On Monday, Sana Bahadur of the Pakistan Army defeated Mehvish Ali of the Bank of Khyber in the final of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senior Women Squash Championship, which was held at the PAF Hashim Khan Squash Complex. The championship: Qamar Zaman, Chairman of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Squash Association and former world champion, was the chief guest. Both players finished first in the national trials for the upcoming US Junior Squash Championship, but they were unable to obtain US visas, so they competed in the final by giving each other a tough fight. The prize distribution: Qamar Zaman and Wazir Gul, Director of Blue Tone Squash Academy, presented trophies and cash prizes to the position holders. Pakistan’s Jamaat-e-Islami observed ‘Balochistan Solidarity Day’ in support of the Gwadar protesters
What happened: Pakistan’s Jamaat-e-Islami observed ‘Balochistan Solidarity Day’ in Islamabad on Sunday in support of the demands being made by the protesters in Gwadar. Details: Mian Muhammad Aslam of JI staged the protest infront of the country’s National Press Club, Islamabad which was attended by the top leaders of the party. He warned the government of the consequences if it continued to ignore the protestors’ legitimate demands. He went on to say that it was part of history that people resorted to violence after losing faith in the democratic system. One officer arrested for raping a 19 year-old boy in Sehwan Sharif; Other two suspects are still missing
What happened: A Station House Officer (SHO) and two other men allegedly raped a 19-year-old boy in Sehwan Sharif, a city in Sindh’s Jamshoro District. One suspect has been apprehended by Jamshoro police, while the other two, including the SHO, are on the run. Details: SHO Pir Allah Bachayo and two others sexually assaulted a teenage boy in Sehwan Sharif. On the basis of the victim’s father’s complaint, police have opened an investigation into SHO and his associates. The case includes sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) dealing with sodomy and other offences. What else: According to the FIR, the nominated persons intoxicated the boy with a beverage. It went on to say that when the teenager’s father and other family members arrived at the crime scene, the police officer and his accomplices managed to flee. The boy was taken to Sehwan Sharif hospital in an unconscious state while an investigation was conducted.