Apoorva Mehta, CEO, Dharma Productions, said: “We’re in an industry that is acutely dynamic. While we are figuring out new ways to tell stories, we’re also exploring talent that can lend a narrative through music.”…reports Asian Lite News
The upcoming film ‘Selfiee starring Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi, which is a remake of the runaway Malayalam hit ‘Driving Licence, will see the record label Desi Music Factory making its foray into Bollywood.
The label known for chartbusters like ‘Dheeme Dheeme’, ‘Coca Cola Tu’ and ‘Dil Ko Karaar Aaya’, among many others, has joined forces with Dharma Productions in the capacity of music partner.
Speaking about the collaboration, Anshul Garg, Founder and CEO Desi Music Factory, said in a statement, “It’s exciting to foray into the film music space with none other than Dharma Productions. The production house has been a catalyst for making iconic music for decades.”
“It is an honour to be crossing over from the independent music scene to Bollywood for Selfiee starring Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi. My team at Desi Music Factory is pumped and we’re hoping that wonderful music emerges from this collaboration,” he added.
Setting the tone for the film, Dharma Productions head Karan Johar said: “The film announcement of ‘Selfiee’ makes the zone of the film clear. One of its highlights is its music which gives away the vibe of the story.”
He added: “Everything, right from the instruments, the vibe, the beats and the lingo in the announcement resonates with the brand of music Desi Music Factory has sculpted over the years. The label has shared the country’s cultural identity with the world and it feels promising to have these hitmakers on our side.”
Apoorva Mehta, CEO, Dharma Productions, said: “We’re in an industry that is acutely dynamic. While we are figuring out new ways to tell stories, we’re also exploring talent that can lend a narrative through music.”
Supriya Menon Prithviraj, producer and partner at Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Prithviraj Productions, said: “Music is an integral part of ‘Selfiee’ and it’s wonderful to have on board music makers who share a global vision for Indian music.”
He said the government’s deal with the IMF would have devastating effects on the nation…reports Asian Lite News
Lashing out at the Pakistan government over the countrys economic situation and the deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday dubbed Prime Minister Imran Khan as the “crisis of this century”, The News reported.
Addressing the National Assembly, Bilawal said: “There is a crisis in every century and the crisis of this century is Imran Khan.”
He said the government’s deal with the IMF would have devastating effects on the nation.
“You went to the IMF when you were weak… And you made a weak deal with the IMF. We will not bear the burden of the deal, it is the common man and the poor people who will bear its burden,” the PPP chief said.
He warned the Pakistan Parliament that the Finance Bill 2021 will bring a “tsunami of inflation” to the country. The government is seeking to pass the Finance Bill 2021 and SBP Amendment Bill as these are pre-requisites to the deal with the IMF, the report said.
Bilawal said the government’s “arrogance” stopped it from holding talks with the Opposition over its deal with the IMF. “We asked you to consult with Asif Ali Zardari and Shahbaz Sharif, but you (government) rejected the proposal,” he said.
Referring to the local government poll results in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the PPP leader said that the PTI will “soon face public reaction due to its poor economic policies”.
The group of around 25 ulemas was headed by Sunni Ittehad chairperson Sahibzada Hamid Raza…reports Asian Lite News.
Amid the ongoing protest by the banned Islamist group Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday met religious leaders to seek their help in settling the matter.
The group of religious leaders, from the Barelvi sect, will assist the Pakistan government to figure out a middle ground in negotiations with the banned organisations. The meeting will be held at Bani Gala in Islamabad, Samaa TV reported.
The group of around 25 ulemas was headed by Sunni Ittehad chairperson Sahibzada Hamid Raza.
The meeting follows several days of unsuccessful negotiations between the TLP and the Imran Khan government.
Meanwhile, after meeting with Khan, the religious leaders will also meet TLP’s Saad Rizvi after the discussion, Samaa TV reported.
In the past few days, several clashes have been reported including one outside Lahore, after TLP tried to resume its march on Islamabad to pressurise the government to accept its demands.
At least four policemen were killed and over 250 injured during the clashes on Wednesday. During a press conference, Pakistan Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday had said the government has decided that the TLP would no more be dealt with as a political party but as a militant organisation.
Hundreds of TLP workers had taken to the streets throughout the country last week to exert pressure on the government for the release of its chief Hafiz Saad Hussain Rizvi.
TLP goes ahead despite warning
Meanwhile, despite the empty warning of the Interior Minister of Pakistan Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Thursday of calling off the march or facing consequences, TLP resumed its protest march from Gujranwala to Islamabad on Friday.
The police expected the encounter to happen with the TLP at two major security points that have been put up at the only route to Islamabad via Chenab and Jhelum rivers, reported Dawn citing a police official.
The official further informed that the Rangers would be placed on the way besides the assistance of the Punjab Police. The deployment of hundreds of Rangers and police personnel were made at the Chenab toll plaza, according to the Dawn.
The arrangements of the armoured vehicles along with riot gear have also been made, the newspaper reported citing the police sources.
A ‘red line’ was marked about 500 metres from the Chenab toll plaza and a notice was put up warning the protestors against breaching the line.
“Attention: Beyond this line, the responsibility for law and order lies with Pakistan Rangers (Punjab), who have been given the authority to open fire at the miscreants. All the people are strictly warned to return to their homes,” read the banner as reported by Dawn.
Meanwhile, commending the protest by TLP, the President of PML-N, Shehbaz Sharif said, “When you undermine a legitimately and genuinely elected prime minister representing the will of the nation and attack parliament for petty political gains, you open the floodgates for chaos and anarchy,” reported Dawn.
Earlier, Imran Khan chaired a high-level meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) on Thursday to discuss the concerning situation stemming from protests by the outlawed Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), reported local media.
Pakistan’s ministers, national security adviser and the services and intelligence chiefs attended the meet and discussed the TLP protests, said ARY News.
The country’s top body of civil and military leaders also discussed matters related to national security apart from the protests.
Imran Khan meets Ulemas to seek help in settling TLP protest (ANI)
The government is holding talks with TLP’s imprisoned chief Saad Hussain Rizvi, as protests have created chaos in Punjab cities. But the second round of the talks concluded without any progress, as the deadlock persists between the TLP and the Pakistan government.
The two sides are expected to begin the third round of talks on Saturday, ARY News reported citing sources.
A spokesperson for the TLP had said that the proscribed organisation stands by its demands that it will present before the government.
“Our only demand from day one is the removal of the French ambassador,” added the spokesperson, according to The News International.
On Saturday, at least three Pakistani policemen were killed and several others suffered injuries in clashes with workers of the banned Islamist group and police personnel in Lahore when hundreds of TLP workers had taken to the streets throughout the country last week to exert pressure on the government for the release of its leader Hafiz Saad Hussain Rizvi. (ANI)
In January last year — before the outbreak of the pandemic –Pakistan’s inflation rate rose to a whopping 14.6 per cent…reports Mahua Venkatesh.
What is worse is the fact the inflation rate in Pakistan has been rising even before the Covid 19 pandemic hit…
Pakistan, which remains focused on the developments in Afghanistan, has been struggling with a high inflation rate at home.
Though after touching double digit figures in April and May, the inflation rate has eased in July and August– the inflation rate remained stable at 8.4 per cent. However, the worry for the Imran Khan government is the high price of food items. High food prices impact the country’s poor the most.
The rate of inflation in April and May touched 11.1 per cent and 10.87 respectively.
According to Express Tribune, while core inflation – calculated by excluding food and energy items – slowed down to 6.3 per cent in urban areas in August, food prices saw almost a double-digit increase compared to the same month a year ago.
A report by Gulf News said that among different challenges facing the Imran Khan government, “none is more persistent and stubborn than the rising cost of living, characterised by increased prices of daily use and official inflation assessments.”
“The government has spent more time on this politically costly problem that wrecks every other good news that is put out with regard to the economy,” it said.
The news organisation also noted that part of the problem relates to hoarding and profiteering. “There are spurts of artificial shortages in the market forcing the public to chase goods that suddenly go off the counters, only to reappear again with heavier price tags,” it said.
What is worse is the fact the inflation rate in Pakistan has been rising even before the Covid 19 pandemic hit.
In January last year — before the outbreak of the pandemic –Pakistan’s inflation rate rose to a whopping 14.6 per cent.
In the financial year 2019-20 the inflation rate hit 10.7 per cent, the highest in the world, causing much embarrassment to Khan, who took charge as the captain of the nation in 2018.
“Pakistan is one country, which has little governing skill..it has not managed to govern itself but now it is focused on developments in Afghanistan and the region,” a geopolitical expert told India Narrative.
(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
President’s Envoy Zamir Kabulov, Special Envoy Yue Xiaoyong represented Russia and China respectively during the meeting…reports Asian Lite News.
Russian and Chinese Envoys to Afghanistan on Tuesday urged former Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah to form an inclusive government in Afghanistan that respect women rights and promote equal right of education for all Afghans.
Pakistan’s special envoy to Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq Khan was also present in the meeting, Abdullah Abdullah informed in a tweet.
“We exchanged views on the current developments in the country, & welcomed the role of AFG’s neighbours in achieving peace, stability & inclusive government. They emphasised on formation of an inclusive government acceptable to all, peace, stability, moderate policy, respecting women rights, equal right of education for all Afghans & regional cooperation,” Abdullah tweeted.
President’s Envoy Zamir Kabulov, Special Envoy Yue Xiaoyong represented Russia and China respectively during the meeting.
Several countries have been reiterating the Taliban to form an inclusive government in Afghanistan but the group continue to crack down on minority and women.
Afghans will organise a protest outside the UN office in Geneva on International Day of Peace on September 21 against “illegal takeover of Afghanistan” and “persecution of religious and ethnic minorities” by the Taliban regime, a rights activist said.
On Monday, the Taliban barred female employees from entering the Ministry of Women Affairs in Kabul, allowing only males into the building, an employee of the ministry said.
Meanwhile, women in different parts of Kabul are also holding demonstrations to include women in the government formed by the Taliban.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed that failure to form an inclusive government in Afghanistan may lead to civil war in the country.
He also reiterated the Taliban to form a government that respect human rights, and ensure Afghanistan’s soil is not used to house terrorists that could be a threat to Pakistan’s security, reported Geo News.
“If they do not include all the factions [in the government] sooner or later they will have a civil war. That would mean an unstable, chaotic, Afghanistan and an ideal place for terrorists. That is a worry,” Khan said during an interview with UK media.
PM’s remarks came at a time when Pakistan itself is being slammed by the international community for not safeguarding the interest of minorities in the country.
In a recent attack on minorities in Pakistan, a Hindu temple in Bhong town in Rahim Yar Khan was vandalised. The videos of attack and vandalism went viral and were picked up by both local and international media, reported The Nation.
Meanwhile, reports also suggest that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has failed miserably to uphold the security of women in the country.
As per the reporters, nearly 6,754 women were abducted in the country’s Punjab province in the first half of 2021. Out of that, 1890 women were raped, 3721 were tortured whereas 752 children were raped. (ANI)
The 21st meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State will be held in Tajikistan’s Dushanbe on September 17…reports Asian Lite News.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday arrived in Tajikistan to attend the 20th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO’s) Heads of State Summit in Dushanbe.
“The prime minister was received by Tajik Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda and was accorded a red carpet welcome at Dushanbe International Airport,” Prime Minister’s Office tweeted.
According to Dawn, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is accompanying Khan on the visit.
The 21st meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State will be held in Tajikistan’s Dushanbe on September 17.
The meeting will be chaired by Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon.
The SCO is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. It will be the first SCO Summit being held in a hybrid format and the fourth Summit that India will participate as a full-fledged member of SCO.
SCO is an intergovernmental organization founded in Shanghai. The SCO currently comprises eight Member States — China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, four Observer States interested in acceding to full membership — Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia — and six “Dialogue Partners” — Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Turkey.
At the Summit, the leaders are expected to review the organisation’s activities over the past two decades and discuss the state and prospects of future cooperation.
The summit will be attended by the leaders of the SCO member states, observer states, secretary-general of the SCO, executive director of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), and other invited guests.
From India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually address the plenary session of the summit, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India in Dushanbe, the statement added. (ANI)
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani inspecting the guard of honor in Islamabad. (XinhuaPIDIAN
Afghanistan is routinely accusing Pakistan of sponsoring the Taliban attacks. Islamabad denies this with both Khan and Qureshi insisting that this is Afghanistan’s “internal strife”, which taking credit for its diplomacy that “brought the Taliban to the talks table” with the US … writes Dr Sakariya Kareem
A decade after being found hosting, or hiding, Al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, Pakistan is still not sure whether he was a ‘martyr’ or an internationally wanted ‘terrorist’.
A fresh debate has been re-ignited because none less than Prime Minister Imran Khan who called Osama a ‘martyr’ and his Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who claimed that the boss was ‘misquoted’, himself failed to call Osama a ‘terrorist’. He thought he was being smart, but did it clumsily, when saying: ‘I will let that pass.”
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi
Now, they are being attacked from both ends of the political spectrum at home and the world outside. The conservatives at home are glad, while the world outside wants to know where Pakistan stands on this question that its own leaders rake up from time to time.
“Pakistan’s top leadership needs to be absolutely clear when it comes to describing fighters like bin Laden,” Dawn newspaper said in its June 22, 2021 editorial, adding: “Mr Qureshi could have used this opportunity to clearly state that Pakistan considers the late Al Qaeda mastermind a terrorist. However, his non-committal comments sent the wrong message to a global audience.”
To recall, bin Laden was located and eliminated by an American special forces’ team on 2nd May, 2011 in Abbottabad, a key garrison town in the heart of Pakistan. Till today, there is no final word on how, why and for how long Osama was there, with or without knowledge and support of successive governments in Pakistan.
The newspaper laments what is known to the world, but is ignored, beyond mouthing words of concern and outrage. “Osama bin Laden was an ideological hero to many militants in Pakistan, who had no qualms about taking on the state and spilling the blood of the innocent. Few would disagree that bin Laden was the most influential religious militant of the current era, inspiring terrorist groups across the world with his ideology and tactics. Therefore, there should be no ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’ and the message our government should be sending to the world is that Osama bin Laden was very much a terrorist.” A cursory scanning of Pakistan’s media shows that there are not too many media outlets saying this and members of the intelligentsia are generally silent.
The irony of Pakistan’s prime minister calling Osama a ‘martyr’ is not lost when you see Pakistan’s dual role in hunting with the hounds (the Taliban), claiming to distance itself from the “internal strife”, yet taken an anti-US stance and seeking reparations for facilitating their drawdown
And it is not about Osama alone. Pakistani media reports are currently carrying daily reports of pro-active police investigations into a bomb blast earlier this week in Lahore’s Johar Town locality where three people were killed. Politicians and celebrities alike are competing on the social media to express outrage and concern, although the place is not a seat of power or mass gathering, nor is the casualty alarmingly high considering Pakistan’s high-risk sectarian violence.
The unstated reason for these sympathetic outbursts is that the blast took place near the home of Lashkar-e-Toyaba founder and proscribed militant leader, Hafeez Saeed. Saeed, himself, is away, jailed on conviction of money-laundering charge and funnelling funds to terror outfits.
The question to Qureshi was from Tolo News, an Afghanistan media outlet, put by an intrepid interviewer come to Islamabad at a time when the government in Kabul is under tremendous pressure from the Afghan Taliban. They are conquering vast swathes of territory even as the US-led foreign troops begin to evacuate. Afghanistan is routinely accusing Pakistan of sponsoring the Taliban attacks. Islamabad denies this with both Khan and Qureshi insisting that this is Afghanistan’s “internal strife”, which taking credit for its diplomacy that “brought the Taliban to the talks table” with the US.
The irony of Pakistan’s prime minister calling Osama a ‘martyr’ is not lost when you see Pakistan’s dual role in hunting with the hounds (the Taliban), claiming to distance itself from the “internal strife”, yet taken an anti-US stance and seeking reparations for facilitating their drawdown.
This is reflected in Pakistan’s current anti-American stance. “I will never forget how we Pakistanis were embarrassed when the Americans came into Abbottabad and killed Osama Bin Laden, martyred him,” Khan said. He used the word “shaheed” – a reverential Arabic term for a martyr of Islam.
Whether or not Pakistan supports the Taliban’s ascendance, the world community are concerned at this attempt at military solution that seems to succeed. Pakistan, while denying any interference or military support to the Taliban, is like the proverbial cat licking its whiskers after drinking the spilt milk.
The timing of the debate is strange, but also significant. Besides fast-moving developments in Afghanistan next-door, and a meeting of the Financial Task Force (FATF), the body that is scrutinising Pakistan’s role in fomenting terrorism. But rather than curb a public debate on Osama, the government seems to encourage this poking of fingers into the eyes of the Americans and other NATO members who are evacuating.
This is to score political brownies at home, according to writer Zahid Husain who has criticised both Khan and Qureshi of mixing their diplomacy in the region to boost their support base among the militants. Refusal to condemn Osama is only one of the pointers to this.
The world community needs to see this debate as a trend on how Pakistan treats militants as its ‘assets’. Pakistan’s former envoy to the United States Abida Hussain last year claimed in an interview to Geo TV, a local private news channel, that Osama Bin Laden had “supported and funded” Nawaz Sharif, the three-times prime minister now in exile. She may know since she served as a minister in one of his governments.
Imran Khan’s ‘martyr’ comment should also cause a flash-back. General Pervez Musharaf used to call him “Taleban Khan” for his known sympathy for the militants. But it was during Musharraf’s own tenure that Osama made his way, after the Taliban were ousted from Kabul in 2001,moving out of Afghanistan to the tribal land on the border with Pakistan and eventually, to the “safe house” in Abbottabad.
Most big opposition parties have dismissed a proposed electoral reform by Pakistan Prime Minister for the introduction of EVMs, The News International reported…reports Asian Lite News.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday once again asked the opposition parties to come forward for discussion on electoral reforms including the introduction of electronic voting machines (EVMs) even though major parties have already dismissed his proposal.
“Our govt is determined and we will put in place reforms in our electoral system through the use of technology to bring transparency and credibility to our elections and strengthen our democracy,” Imran Khan said in one of his tweets, adding that in the recently concluded NA 249 bye-election, all parties are claiming rigging.
Our govt is determined & we will put in place reforms in our electoral system through the use of technology to bring transparency & credibility to our elections & strengthen our democracy.
His remark comes in the backdrop of the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) win in the NA-249 by-election in Karachi, which earlier today, went for recount after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) accepted PML-N’s application and fixed the hearing for May 4 (Tuesday).
Most big opposition parties have dismissed a proposed electoral reform by Pakistan Prime Minister for the introduction of EVMs, The News International reported.
Despite Imran Khan’s stress on EVMs, the opposition has argued that anything that is controlled and operated by others and can be used to manipulate electoral results is unacceptable.
Former Speaker Pakistan and PML-N leader Sardar Ayaz Sadiq claimed that the countries where EVMs have been tried and tested have either already reverted to paper ballots or are going back to the old system for different reasons.
“A financially tied-up country like Pakistan can’t afford billions and billions of rupees to purchase hundreds of thousands of EVMs. Additionally, because of technical problems, the country can’t ensure uninterrupted electricity supply and internet service all over Pakistan to keep the EVMs functional on polling day,” the former speaker said. “We have to keep in view our resources and capacity,” he added.
Russian foreign minister and Pak counterpart(Twitter)
Lavrov landed in Pakistan on Tuesday for a two-day visit to discuss bilateral and regional matters…reports Asian Lite News
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi and agreed to strengthen bilateral ties and deepen cooperation.
Lavrov arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday for a two-day visit to discuss bilateral and regional matters, reports Xinhua news agency.
A statement from the Prime Minister Office said that during the meeting on Wednesday, Khan reiterated that “the importance Pakistan attaches to its relations with Russia as a key foreign policy priority” and expressed satisfaction at the steady growth in bilateral ties.
Enhanced bilateral cooperation in the fields of energy, industrial modernization, railways and aviation was discussed, the statement said.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed Islamabad’s resolve to expeditiously conclude the requisite legal process for the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline project and commence the work as early as possible.
Views were also exchanged on the health and economic challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, while Khan also congratulated Russia on its development of Sputnik-V vaccine and underscored Pakistan’s procurement plans in this regard, according to the statement.
In the regional context, Khan stressed the importance of a negotiated political settlement of the conflict in Afghanistan and appreciated Russia’s efforts in promoting the Afghan peace process.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov(Twitter)
Earlier in the day speaking at a joint press conference with Qureshi, Lavrov said that his country is ready to further build counter-terrorism cooperation with Pakistan through supply of military equipment.
“This serves in the interest of all states of the region,” Lavrov said, adding that both countries have agreed on conducting more joint military exercises.
The visiting Foreign Minister said the increase in bilateral trade is satisfactory and expressed readiness to “further strengthen economic relations”.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov(Twitter)
He showed concern over the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan.
“Russia and Pakistan have agreed to further facilitate the agreement among Afghan parties through inclusive political dialogue,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Qureshi reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to build a strong multifaceted relationship with Russia.
“There is a new approach and mindset in Pakistan for a relationship with Russia. We feel that not just we have geographic proximity but Russia is a factor of stability in the region and the world at large,” he added.
Pakistani President Arif Alvi receives a shot of COVID-19 vaccine in Islamabad
Britain has imposed new travel restrictions on travel from Pakistan. From this Friday onwards (9th April), the passengers from Pakistan will go undergo a self-funded hotel quarantine. The poor vaccination drive is causing troubles for Pakistanis. Lagging behind others in South Asia and slow in its launch, Pakistan’s drive to vaccinate its people against Covid-19 continues to send clear signs of confusion. As a result, just 0.8 million people from a 20 million population have been vaccinated by the end of March. And this is not surprising, experts, concerned at the delay, at home and abroad note …. Writes Dr Amanulla Khan
Covid is dogging everybody in Pakistan. Just after the Prime Minister, the President also tested positive on Covid-19 last month. It may not seem unusual, but that they got infected after being administered first dose of the Chinese-produced Sinopharm vaccine, has caused concern.
For one, it has injected an element of distrust among the population that is awaiting the vaccine as the country experiences its second wave of the pandemic.
Zafar Mirza, a former Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on health, has pointed out that Pakistan was one of the trial sites for this vaccine but did not insist for a right to access these vaccines once they were produced and approved.
“This was the first such trial in Pakistan. This anomaly should not be repeated with future trials. Our population should not act as guinea pigs, but instead receive a guaranteed fair share from the manufacturers once the trial is complete.”
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan
Lagging behind others in South Asia and slow in its launch, Pakistan’s drive to vaccinate its people against Covid-19 continues to send clear signs of confusion.
As a result, just 0.8 million people from a 20 million population have been vaccinated by the end of March. And this is not surprising, experts, concerned at the delay, at home and abroad note.
The first batch of vaccines containing 0.5 million vaccines arrived in Pakistan on February 1 from China.
The process started slowly as there were no takers for the Chinese coronavirus vaccine. Many healthcare workers refused to register themselves for the vaccine, expressing concerns regarding the safety or efficacy of the vaccine, officials and experts told Al Jazeera.
Pakistan’s dilemma is manifold. Many in overwhelmingly Muslim nation do not trust a vaccine. The clergy rant against it from microphones at mosques every Friday. Vaccine, any vaccine, could render you impotent, they warn. There is a sordid record of attacks, even killing, of health volunteers who administer polio vaccine. Along with the neighbouring Afghanistan, Pakistan remains among the few nations where polio persists.
A handover ceremony is held for the second batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese government at Noor Khan Air Base near Islamabad, capital of Pakistan
The clergy and the conservatives warn how Osama bin Laden was located and killed in 2011 when a doctor who gathered data for vaccine ‘betrayed’ by passing it on to the Americans.
When it comes to vaccine against Covid-19, there are other aspects of distrust. The government does not trust AstraZeneca that is British-developed, because it is Indian-produced.
The adversarial India may send vials with water filled in, goes the rumour campaign. Till mid-March, the government had not placed any orders, the National Assembly was informed.
People wearing face masks walk on a road in Rawalpindi of Pakistan’s Punjab province
The prime Minister attacked the ‘rich’ and appealed to the world community to help the ‘poorer’ nations meet this urgency. Pakistan kept waiting for GAVI, the global alliance that is engaged in pooling the vaccines to distribute it among the poor nations.
Finally, when orders were placed, they were for either purchase or free supply of the Chinese vaccine that was slow in being cleared for safety and efficacy than the British and the others. Doubts persist and now the public does not trust the vaccine coming from the “all weather friend.”
Conventional medical wisdom about vaccination is that there has got to be some ‘reaction’ or side-effects, like mild fever, that actually indicate that the vaccine is working on the body injected. But the president and the prime minister, by invoking God Almighty and seeming helpless, betrayed both, lack of knowledge and of faith.
President Arif Alvi took this further by saying that he was hoping to get cured after the second dose, again casting doubts about the first one.
Issuing a clarification on Khan’s vaccination, the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination said that antibodies develop two to three weeks after the 2nd dose of the 2-dose COVID-19 vaccines.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan was not fully vaccinated when he contracted the virus. He only got the 1st dose and merely 2 days ago which is too soon for ANY vaccine to become effective. Anti-bodies develop 2-3 weeks after the 2nd dose of COVID vaccines,” it said on Twitter.
By contrast, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi let it be known that he did not even realise when the jab was administered, to boost public confidence and trust. He extended his best wishes to his Pakistani counterpart for a speedy recovery from COVID-19.
Writing in Dawn, Zafar Mirza warns the government on the need to take the public into confidence. “Citizens have questions and misconceptions regarding the vaccines. It is imperative that these concerns are proactively addressed and not permitted to spread unabated.”
