Ajoka Institute students present new writings

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Lahore (Qasim Ali) Ajoka Institute art of writing students presented an amazing display of their work at an online dramatic readings event on Saturday 20 March. The event was live-streamed on Facebook and was viewed by a large online audience. The scripts had been developed by the online writing course mentored by eminent playwright Shahid Nadeem. “ Barlas” a story written and performed by Aqsa Gharshin, revolves around the rivalry of two gangs of criminals both manipulated by mysterious Daulat Agha. “Mainda Ishq vi Toon”, written by Rafia Kashif, was based on a true love story associated by Nawab of the former Bahawalpur State and a peasant woman Gaman. Aamir Ali presented “ Dundhla Khawb” was a story of a father giving evidence against his misguided son, charged with murder while Saqib Ali Rana wrote about humans from different epochs, waiting for their fate on the Judgment Day and reflecting on their respective lives. The writers were supported in the readings by Ajoja’s Art of Acting students including Sabahat Moazzam, Ishrat Shaheen, Khurram Hamid and Fahad Amir. The session was coordinated by Qurrat ul Ain Taj.
Ajoka Executive Director Shahid Nadeem congratulated the writing course students on their innovative and meaningful writings and hoped they will continue to develop their talent. Ajoka Institute Director Nirvaan Nadeem, while appreciating the students talent, said there was a dearth of good scripts in Pakistan’s entertainment industry and Ajoka is offering new writers to harness their skills.
This was the 9th session of dramatic readings of Ajoka writing class students. The recording of the event is available on Facebook and YouTube.

Instagram to launch child-friendly version of app

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NUT (DESK) –  Children under 13 could start enjoying a version of the image-centric social network of Instagram that says it’s exploring to launch one with parental controls. Amid concerns about difficulties in keeping underage children off the perilous world of social media, the news comes from Instagram, which confirmed a report by BuzzFeed News. Adam Mosseri, who heads the Facebook-owned service, said on Twitter: “Kids are increasingly asking their parents if they can join apps that help them keep up with their friends.” Mosseri added that “a version of Instagram where parents have control, like we did with Messenger Kids, is something we’re exploring.” Facebook-owned Instagram, like its parent company, allows only those older than 13 to join but verifying age on the Internet makes it challenging to catch all rule breakers. Concerns fired back at Mosseri in the Twitter exchange included worries about bullying or inappropriate content, reasoning that social networks are constantly battling those kinds of abuses. “We don’t just give stuff to kids because they want it,” read a tweeted response to Mosseri from ‘a mom.’ “We don’t give kids dangerous tools to play with when grownups haven’t figured out how to make those tools safe.” With more than a billion users, Instagram this week unveiled technology aimed at preventing underage children from creating accounts and blocking adults from contacting young users they don’t know. It was the latest move responding to concerns about inappropriate contact between adults and children on the platform, which like most services sets an age minimum of 13.

Instagram will begin using artificial intelligence to determine a user’s age at sign-up in an effort to find underage users. “While many people are honest about their age, we know that young people can lie about their date of birth,” a blog post this week said. Additionally, the California giant said it would introduce a new feature that prevents adults from sending messages to people under 18 who don’t follow them, to prevent unwanted contact. Instagram is also looking at ways to make it more difficult for adults who have been exhibiting “potentially suspicious behavior” to interact with teens, including restricting these adults from seeing suggested teen accounts.

Media Mughals WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook down for 30 minutes globally

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LONDON (NUT DESK)  Facebook-owned Instagram and WhatsApp, as well as the Facebook Messenger app, went down globally for around 30 minutes on Friday.

Many users said they were unable to log in or use the apps. The website Downdectector.com reported issues with the apps around the world.

Facebook issued a statement saying its services were being affected by a number of issues, after more than 1 million people across the world reported problems with its services.

“Multiple teams are working on it (the outage), and we’ll update you when we can,” Facebook’s gaming unit said in a tweet.

Instagram was showing users a server error while Facebook was also running an error message for some users attempting to log in.

Downdetector showed there were more than 1.2 million incidents of people reporting issues with Instagram, while over 23,000 users posted about issues with WhatsApp on the website.

The website tracks outages by collating status reports from a series of sources, including user-submitted errors on its platform.

 

2033 new cases of Corona in Punjab, 34 shops sealed in Lahore

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Lahore (NUT DESK)  –  Another 2033 cases of coronavirus were reported with 25 deaths in Punjab during the last 24 hours. According to the data shared by the spokesperson of Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD), the number of coronavirus cases in the province reached 195,087 while death toll 5,942 and recoveries 175,265. The P&SHD confirmed that 1262 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Lahore,8 in Kasur,14 in Sheikhupura,4 in Nankana Sahib,13 in Rawalpindi, 8 in Jehlum,79 in Gujranwala,21 in Mandi Bahauddin,7 in Narowal,14 in Hafizabad,89 in Sialkot,40 in Gujrat,110 in Faisalabad,9 in Toba Tek Singh,17 in Chineot,2 in Jhang,29 in Sargodha,32 in Khoshab,6 in Bhakkar, 19 in Multan,3 in Vehari,12 in Khanewal,3 in Muzaffargarh, 7 in Dera Ghazi Khan, 180 in Rajanpur,8 in Bahawalpur,2 in Bahawalnagar,13 in Okara, 3 in Pakpatan and 19 in Sahiwal district during the last 24 hours.

In Lahore, the district administration sealed 34 shops, restaurants, marriage halls and imposed Rs 37,000 fine on violation of coronavirus related Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) here on Saturday. According to a spokesperson for the district administration, Assistant Commissioner Shalimar Mansoor Ahmed Qazi sealed nine shops and three marriage halls besides imposing a fine of Rs 37,000 over SOPs violation in his jurisdiction. AC City Faizan Ahmed sealed 20 shops and two restaurants in his jurisdiction. The teams also inspected public and private transport vehicles and issued warnings to transporters and drivers to follow coronavirus SOPs strictly.

PM Imran Khan caught Corona bold by Covid-19

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Lahore (NUT DESK) –  Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday, officials said, just two days after he received his first vaccination against the disease. The 68-year-old former top cricketer received a shot of the Chinese-produced Sinopharm vaccine on Thursday, as the country battles a third wave of the virus. “At this point, the prime minister´s office can only confirm that the honourable prime minister has tested positive for Covid-19 and has self-isolated,” his office said. Khan was suffering from a mild cough and a mild fever, his spokesman Shahbaz Gill later added, saying the positive test was conducted on Saturday. His aides were quick to put distance between the diagnosis and his first jab of the two-dose vaccine. “Please do not link it to the corona vaccine. Immunity develops a few weeks after the vaccine is given. Make sure to vaccinate your elders and loved ones. Be careful,” Gill added.

Senator Shibli Faraz on Saturday extended his prayers and best wishes to Prime Minister Imran Khan after he tested positive for COVID-19. The entire nation prays for the speedy recovery of Prime Minister, he tweeted. “May Almighty Allah bless him with good health soon,”he said urging the people to strictly adhere to sops (standard operating procedures) to save themselves from third wave of Covid-19 pandemic.

Khan was probably infected before he got the vaccine shot, during a series of public engagements this week, information minister Shibli Faraz told media. Earlier Saturday, the leader´s adviser on health Faisal Sultan said the increase in positive virus cases over the past few days was “alarming”.He said there was a “quite visible” burden on the healthcare system, particularly in the country´s most populous province of Punjab. Case numbers began to rise again in recent weeks, soon after the UK variant was first reported in Karachi in late December.

Inaugural Ceremony of Airlink Smart Phone Production Facility

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) A state-of-the-art smart Phone production facility established by Airkink in Lahore was inaugurated by Mr. Muhammad Hammad Azhar, Federal Minister of Industries and Production, on 20th March, 2021. The event was attended by many renowned personalities of the sector including Mr. Almas Hyder, Chairman EDB & other govt. officials. Airkink has been in distribution business for the past 10 years working with top smartphone brands like Samsung, iPhone, Huawei, Xiaomi, Alcatel, TCL, Tecno & iTel. The company has been a strong proponent of investment in Pakistan and has established the factory with 100% owned equity with a production capacity of six million units per annum. This new venture is a state-of-the-art smart phone production facility, being the most advanced mobile phone production facility with a vision of contract manufacturing in the country by meeting all International standards of quality and production.

The company has already secured contracts with TECNO, itel and TCL with all regulatory approvals. Addressing this historic occasion, Mr. Muzzaffar Hayat Piracha CEO Airlink Communication Ltd. expressed his gratitude on the inauguration of the production plant. He said, “I feel honored that Airlink was able to establish this state-of-the-art facility in these unprecedented times which resonates with the Prime Minister’s vision to promote “Made in Pakistan” products that will not only create employment opportunities for people of Pakistan but also reduce the import bill, thus lessening the burden on foreign exchange reserves.

This initiative of the government and its governing authorities will help focusing on employment generation, import substitution and technology transfer. It will also connect Pakistan to the international supply chain and will create export potential. Mr Hammad Azher while speaking on the occasion congratulated the Airlink team for their efforts and said that in consonance with the vision of the PM, ministry of Industries and Production was committed to bring in investment friendly policies while ensuring ease of doing business in the country.

Simple and Ordinary man bravely fought a life-threatening disease

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Hafeezuddin Wald Hakeemuddin, a 61 year old resident of Karachi, being the father of 6 children, 3 sons and 3 daughters; great responsibilities lie on his shoulders. He works as a shoe polisher at a small factory and earns a minimum amount of 3,000 per week, making a sum of 12,000 a month. He was barely meeting the ends, however in the year 2019, things further worsened as Hafeezuddin started feeling sick. His symptoms included fever, night sweats, unexplained weight loss and fatigue. He would often share with his wife about facing trouble breathing and excruciating pain in his neck at times. He even lost his job due to his deteriorating health which made things at home very hard. At this point, his families’ concern for his health grew even more and they were starting to get terrified of what would happen in the coming future. 
Keeping these concerns in mind, his wife took him to JPMC where he went through a biopsy. He was then diagnosed with B-Cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and his doctors instructed him to get PET-CT in order to initiate treatment for cancer.
Positron Emission Tomography – Computed Tomography (PET-CT) uses radioactive materials along with a special camera to evaluate organ and tissue functions at a cellular level. PET-CT has revolutionized medical diagnosis, adding precision to the conclusion by producing special 3D views, which used to lack in conventional PET imaging. Each PET-CT scan session is 30 minutes long and costs about PKR 70,000 to 90,000 in Karachi. Hafeezuddin was quoted PKR 75,000 per PET-CT scan session. 
Given the circumstances, Hafeezuddin was not able to work and it was already hard to make ends meet at home. His wife started sewing to manage expenses and earned just around 5,000 a month, but that soon came to an end too since her eyes were badly affected. Then, she started cooking at people’s home and started earning a little. His sons stepped in at this point and started working at the same shoe polishing factory. His daughters also helped out by sewing and applying henna to help out with the home expenses. Despite all of this, the family’s monthly income was only 19,000 per month.
His family was extremely worried and in despair. It felt nearly impossible to find an alternate solution to cover the expenses of Hafeezuddin’s treatment. However, they were all trying their best and weighing all different kinds of options. 
Finally, after a lot of research his wife found out about the free of cost PET-CT facility available at JPMC which is set up by the Patients’ Aid Foundation (PAF). This is the only facility in Pakistan that provides PET-CT scanning completely free of cost. 
“The free PET-CT facility at JPMC introduced by the Patients’ Aid Foundation (PAF) is the reason I was able to start my cancer treatment and show remarkable improvement which otherwise would not have been possible for me.” – Hafeezuddin wald Hakeemuddin.
With the support of the Patients’ Aid Foundation (PAF), he was able to start his treatment. The not-for-profit healthcare management organization not only gave him hope, but he also felt at complete comfort as the facility it provides is not just free of cost but it is also extremely well-constructed and clean. Even the staff, as Hafeezuddin describes, was very accommodating and friendly, gave him reassurance and always called for follow-up sessions in advance. Not even once he felt like he was getting free treatment in a public hospital. 
Hafeezuddin went through a total of three PET-CT sessions. The first session was done in 2019, it was an initial scan to figure out what stage the cancer was in. Then the second session was done in 2020 and this was an interim scan to see how effective the treatment was and then finally in 2021 Hafeezuddin had his third PET-CT session which was basically a follow-up scan in order to evaluate his body’s response to the treatment and to decipher the probability of a relapse. 
Since its inception, this free PET-CT scanning facility by the Patients’ Aid Foundation (PAF) at JPMC has alleviated the burden of 75,000 deserving patients, just like Hafeezuddin. Right now, 3,000 more patients are in the waiting list for the free PET-CT scanning facility who otherwise would not be able to afford it if they aren’t extended help and support. 

Zong’ New TVC Captures the Power of Going Digital for the Youth of Pakistan

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) As Pakistan pushes ahead to achieve targets on its Digital Agenda, Zong 4G synchronously launched its new campaign #LetsGetDigital. The TVC, featuring Pakistan’s No 1 Singer, Atif Aslam, has truly encapsulated the dynamic essence of what Digital means for the youth of the country. The campaign showcases how Zong 4G is igniting the embers of “Aik Naya Khawab” and enabling Pakistan’s digitally-savvy youth to execute their visions into a reality through Zong 4G’s unparalleled connectivity. The TVC showcases exciting ways in which the youth are transforming their lives through technology, which also depicts Zong 4G’s network and technological prowess. As the most preferred network of Pakistan’s youth, Zong 4G understands the power of reliable and efficient technology in fields of education, health, shopping, running businesses, gaming, blogging and more – the dreams are endless. “As an organization that is perfectly aligned with Pakistan’s digital agenda, we understand the significance of technology for the economic uplift of the country. We are also cognizant of the digital needs of the youth and are working towards empowering them through our innovative offerings and world-class network. Our new TVC resonates with the emerging passion points of the youth and their pursuit towards achieving their dreams with Zong 4G by their side as their Digital partner.” said Wang Hua, Chairman and CEO Zong 4G. As the subsidiary of World’s largest Telecommunication and 5G operator- China Mobile Communication Corporation, Zong 4G has heavily invested in digitalizing Pakistan by offering state-of-the-art technology and the most advanced services and solutions. Being the pioneer of 4G in Pakistan and the first company to test 5G services in-country, Zong is relentlessly striving to reduce the digital divide in the country and bring technology and connectivity to the Pakistani masses. Zong is the undisputed leader when it comes to understanding and addressing the digital needs of today’s highly tech-savvy generation. With Zong’s unparalleled 4G service, the Pakistani youth is now contributing greatly to boost digital inclusion in the country, putting Pakistan on the global map of digital innovation, entrepreneurship, gaming, and bringing the country closer to the 5G era for which Zong has already paved the way.

To watch the TVC visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlPvTKmwF90 

Lahore admin seals 45 shops over SOPs violation

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Lahore (NUT DESK) The district administration sealed 45 shops, restaurants, marriage halls and imposed Rs 74,000 fine on violation of coronavirus related Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) here on Friday. According to a spokesperson for the district administration, Assistant Commissioner Cantt Zeeshan Ranjha sealed 13 shops and imposed fine Rs 20,000 for SOPs violation in his jurisdiction. AC Model Town Ibrahim Arbab sealed various shops in Barkat Market while AC City Fizan Ahmed sealed 13 shops, two marriage halls and two restaurants in his jurisdiction.

AC Shalimar Mansoor Ahmed Qazi sealed 15 shops and stores in Shalimar area and imposed a fine of Rs 54,000 on violators. The teams also inspected public and private transport vehicles and issued warnings to transporters and drivers to follow coronavirus SOPs strictly.

Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner Cantt Zeeshan Ranjha sealed Rahat Bakers and Sweets in Cantt area for not following the corona related SOPs.

Twitter asks users to weigh in on rules for world leaders

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WASHINGTON (NUT DEK) – Twitter on Friday began a survey of global users about platform rules for world leaders while consulting human rights and academic specialists on its next policy steps. The announcement comes after Twitter joined other social networks banning then-president Donald Trump for his comments seen as inciting the violent attack on the US Capitol in January. The ban was criticized by Trump supporters while others had argued Twitter should have taken action earlier despite its policy of allowing leeway for world leaders and newsworthy posts. “Politicians and government officials are constantly evolving how they use our service, and we want our policies to remain relevant to the ever-changing nature of political discourse on Twitter and protect the health of the public conversation,” the Twitter safety team said in a blog post. “That´s why we´re reviewing our approach to world leaders and seeking your input.” Twitter will be asking users their views in a survey in 14 languages, from Friday until April 12. “Generally, we want to hear from the public on whether or not they believe world leaders should be subject to the same rules as others on Twitter. And, should a world leader violate a rule, what type of enforcement action is appropriate,” the statement said. “We´re also in the process of consulting with a range of human rights experts, civil society organizations, and academics worldwide whose feedback will be reflected in forthcoming revisions to the policy framework.”