Shafqat Mahmood tests positive for Covid-19

Federal education minister Shafqat Mahmood said on Tuesday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus, adding that he was experiencing "mild symptoms".

In a tweet, the minister said: "I have tested positive for coronavirus. I feel fine with mild symptoms. InshAllah will get well soon."

I have tested positive for coronavirus. I feel fine with mild symptoms. InshAllah will get well soon.

— Shafqat Mahmood (@Shafqat_Mahmood) May 25, 2021

A day earlier, Mahmood had chaired an online meeting of the Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference where it was decided to hold board exams across the country after June 20.

In March, Mahmood had said that he had gotten vaccinated for Covid-19 at the Polyclinic in Islamabad.

Meanwhile, well wishes poured in over the minister's diagnosis. Journalist Hamid Mir was quick to wish the minister a speedy recovery.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister Taimur Jhagra said he was praying for the minister's recovery.

UK prime minister offers qualified apology for remarks on Islam

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued a qualified apology for offence caused by his past remarks about Islam, speaking in a critical report into his Conservative Party which looked at discrimination including complaints of Islamophobia.

Johnson was interviewed for the report, commissioned by the ruling Conservatives in response to criticism of how it handled discrimination and complaints. The report was conducted independently by Professor Swaran Singh who has served as a Commissioner for the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

It cited several examples relating to Johnson, including a 2018 newspaper column in which he referred to women wearing burqas as “going around looking like letterboxes” and likened their appearance to bank robbers.

Johnson defended the article as a liberal defence of a Muslim woman's right to choose what she wore.
“I do know that offence has been taken at things I've said, that people expect a person in my position to get things right, but in journalism, you need to use language freely. I am obviously sorry for any offence taken,” the report quoted Johnson as saying.

“Would I use some of the offending language from my past writings today? Now that I am Prime Minister, I would not.”

Singh found that the party had not been active enough in challenging discrimination, its complaints procedure needed to be overhauled and its sanctions system for those who breached the rules was unclear.

“Judging by the extent of complaints and findings of misconduct by the Party itself that relate to anti-Muslim words and conduct, anti-Muslim sentiment remains a problem within the Party,” the report's conclusions said.

The Conservative Party said it was considering the report's recommendations.

 

PPP needs to rebuild trust before it can rejoin PDM: Abbasi

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) Secretary General Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday categorically stated that there was no place for the PPP within the opposition alliance until it restored the trust it had betrayed.

Speaking to the media in Islamabad, the PML-N leader said that PDM had not extended an invitation to the PPP. "PDM Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has clearly stated that [the PPP] needs to review its decisions. They need to restore the trust that they have betrayed."

He said the opposition alliance was formed for a particular purpose. "If you are not committed to trusting the movement, then there is no place for you within the PDM."

Asked whether he would resign as secretary general if the PPP rejoins PDM, Abbasi said: "The PPP can't just rejoin the movement. They can only do so once they restore their trust in the PDM. The alliance does not have a revolving-door policy that you break its trust, leave the movement and try to come back again when you face difficulties.
"The door is closed. The door will only open when you rebuild the trust," he said.

He added that the PDM had sought a response from the PPP, which Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had torn into pieces.

"We had asked for a response. Join together the torn pieces [of the show-cause notice], read it and give us the clarification we had sought," he said.

Abbasi, in his capacity as the PDM secretary general, had issued show-cause notices to the PPP and the Awami National Party for nominating Yousuf Raza Gilani as the opposition leader in the Senate “in violation of the unanimous decision” of the alliance.

Shortly after the ANP quit the PDM over "its hijacking by some member parties", Bilawal had tore apart the show-cause notice issued by the alliance in a clear message that the future relied entirely on mutual respect.

The Central Executive Committee of the PPP had also asked all the party members to resign from their positions in the alliance.

Crypto miners halt China business after Beijing cracks down, bitcoin tumbles

Cryptocurrency miners, including HashCow and BTC.TOP, have halted their China operations after Beijing intensified a crackdown on bitcoin mining and trading, hammering digital currencies amid heightened global regulatory scrutiny of them.

A State Council committee led by Vice Premier Liu He announced the crackdown late on Friday as part of efforts to fend off financial risks. It was the first time the council has targeted virtual currency mining, a big business in China that accounts for as much as 70 per cent of the world's crypto supply.

Cryptocurrency exchange Huobi on Monday suspended both crypto-mining and trading services to mainland Chinese clients, adding it will instead focus on overseas businesses.

BTC.TOP, a crypto mining pool, also announced the suspension of its China business citing regulatory risks, while crypto miner HashCow said it would halt buying new bitcoin rigs.

Crypto miners use increasingly powerful, specially-designed computer equipment, or rigs, to verify virtual coin transactions in a process which produces newly minted crypto currencies such as bitcoin.

“Crypto mining consumes a lot of energy, which runs counter to China's carbon neutrality goals,” said Chen Jiahe, chief investment officer of Beijing-based family office Novem Arcae Technologies.

The crackdown is also part of China's stepped-up drive to curb speculative crypto trading, he added.

Bitcoin took a beating after the latest Chinese move, and is now down nearly 50pc from it's all-time high. It shed as much as 17pc on Sunday, before paring some losses and was last trading steady in Asia.

Elsewhere, Ether fell to a two-month low on Sunday, down 60pc from a record peak hit just 12 days ago,

Investor protection and money laundering are particular concerns of global financial regulators who are grappling with whether and how they should regulate the cryptocurrency industry.

The latest shakeout in digital currencies also stems from tighter scrutiny in the United States. Last Thursday, US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said they pose risks to financial stability, and indicating that greater regulation of the increasingly popular electronic currency may be warranted.

Huobi made the announcement via its official Telegram community for Huobi Mall, as well in a statement to Reuters. BTC.TOP and HashCow could not be immediately reached for comment

Myanmar's Suu Kyi appears in court in person for first time since coup

Myanmar's deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi appeared in person at a court hearing on Monday for the first time since her government was overthrown by the military in a February 1 coup, her lawyer told Reuters.

Suu Kyi looked in good health and held a face-to-face meeting with her legal team for about 30 minutes before the hearing, lawyer Thae Maung Maung said.

Suu Kyi, 75, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her efforts to build democracy, is among more than 4,000 people detained since the coup. She faces charges that range from illegally possessing walkie-talkie radios to violating a state secrets law.

The ousted leader "wished people good health" in her meeting with her lawyers and also made an apparent reference to her National League for Democracy party that could be dissolved soon.

"She said the party was established for the people so the party will be there as long as the people are," Thae Maung Maung told Reuters.

Myanmar's junta-appointed election commission will dissolve Suu Kyi's political party for vote fraud in a November election, media reported on Friday, citing a commissioner, who threatened action against "traitors" involved.

The army seized power claiming fraud in an election won by Suu Kyi's party in November. Its accusations had been dismissed by the former electoral commission.

In his first interview with foreign media since the coup, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing had also said Suu Kyi was in good health as he disputed the number of people killed by security forces in protests since the coup.

Myanmar has been in chaos since the army took power, with daily protests, marches and strikes nationwide against the junta, which has responded with lethal force, killing more than 800 people, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group.

Min Aung Hlaing in the May 20 interview said the actual casualty figure was about 300 and that 47 police had also been killed.

Board exams to be held across the country after June 20

A meeting of federal and provincial education ministers decided on Monday to hold board exams across the country after June 20.

The Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC) also decided that summer vacations would be shortened this year, according to a statement released by the federal Ministry of Education after the meeting.

Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood presided over the meeting which was also attended by all provincial education ministers as well as different secretaries.

They "analysed in detail all options" for holding exams across the country and decided that board exams would be held in Pakistan after June 20. The exact dates for the exams would be announced by the provinces later, the meeting decided.

Mahmood urged all federal units to focus on ensuring the timely vaccination of teachers, examination and administrative staff, adding that those who did not have a certificate of vaccination would not be called for invigilation duties.

PM Imran briefed on national and regional security situation during visit to ISI headquarters

Prime Minister Imran Khan was given a briefing on the security situation in the country and the region during a visit to the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Secretariat on Monday.

He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Nadeem Raza, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Mohammad Amjad Khan Niazi and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu.

They were received at the ISI Secretariat by Director General Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, according to a press release by the Prime Minister's Office.

During the visit, the national and military leadership was given a "comprehensive briefing on the regional and national security situation", the release stated.

Prime Minister Imran appreciated the ISI's "diligent efforts for national security and expressed his satisfaction over professional preparedness".

In March, the COAS and ISI chief had met the prime minister as part of the interactions between the civilian and military leadership on national issues.

An official, speaking on background, had said the meeting was held to review the "internal and external situation".

Five publicly known meetings between Prime Minister Imran and the army chief and ISI director general have taken place in the past couple of months under this format.