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September 14, 2019 National Current Affairs
1. Four secretaries, two DCs transferred
• The Punjab government on September 13, 2019 transferred four secretaries and two deputy commissioners (DCs) and surrendered services of three senior officers to the Establishment Division.
• The government transferred Industries, Commerce, Investment and Skills Development Department secretary Tahir Khurshid and posted him as the communication and works (C&W) secretary. Mr Khurshid has also been relieved of the additional charge of the post of managing director of the Punjab Small Industries Corporation.
• The government transferred Punjab Privatisation Board chairman retired Capt Muhammad Zafar Iqbal and posted him as secretary Industries, Commerce, Investment and Skills Development Department.
• C&W Secretary Muhammad Sheheryar Sultan, presently attending the NMC course, has been transferred and directed to report to the S&GAD after completion of the training course.
2. Over one-third of criminal cases are of domestic violence: report
• In the case of Pakistan, which ranks sixth on the list of the most dangerous countries for women, it is not possible to change gendered social norms regarding domestic violence by only focusing on legal reform, according to a recent report published in the Journal of International Women`s Studies.
• `Women are subjected to violence that includes acid attacks, female genital mutilation, child marriage, forced marriage and female infanticide, said the report titled `Not accepting abuse as the norm: local forms of institutional reform to improve reporting on domestic violence in Punjab` that is co-authored by Maryam Tanwir, Shailaja Fennell, Hafsah Rehman Lak and Salman Sufi.
• The report looks at reforms in Punjab, where legal structural obstacles and discriminatory gender norms prevent women from accessing justice.
• According to the report`s abstract, it draws on a new framework for influencing changes in individuals` behaviour to reduce the condoning of domestic violence.
• Using a mixed-methods approach the report introduces a new initiative of women for institutional reform undertaken by the Strategic Reforms Unit (SRU) in Pakistan, to examine the role of social norms in normalising the practice of domestic violence.
3. ADB to give $350m for energy sector reforms
• The Asian Development Bank will shortly approve the energy sector reforms and financial sustainability programme worth $350 million that aims to address fiscal, governance, technical and policy deficits in Pakistan`s energy sector.
• These deficits have adversely impacted the sector`s quality and efficiency of services, and the sustainability of energy infrastructure and finances, thereby challenging Pakistan`s fiscal balance and macroeconomic stability.
• The energy sector reforms and financial sustainability programme will cost $350m, out of which ADB will provide $300m and the Export-Import Bank of Korea $50m for the programme. The Ministry of Finance will execute the project in collaboration with ADB, while Ministry of Energy will be the implementing agency.
• The ADB will start loan negotiations with the government next month, and it is expected that the loan signing and effectiveness of the loan will take place in November this year. A fact-finding mission of ADB has already evaluated the programme, says the project documents released by ADB on Friday.
4. Broadcaster Surraya Shahab dies
• Renowned broadcaster Surraya Shahab died in Islamabad early September 13, 2019 morning.
• Ms Shahab was suffering from Alzheimer`s disease for the last few years.
• Surraya Shahab was one of the pioneer newscasters of the country.
• She started her broadcasting career in the early 60s with Radio Pakistan. Later she went to Iran and joined Radio Iran Zahidan where she hosted a programme which became an instant success.
• People would wait for the programme which opened with the line, Awaaz ki dunya key dosto yeh Radio Iran Zahidan hey.
• In 1973, she returned to Pakistan and joined Radio Pakistan and PTV as a newsreader. Later, she joined BBC Urdu Service in the mid 1980s and shifted to London. She also worked for Voice of Germany in the late 90s.
5. Islamic Chamber to set up arbitration centre in Karachi
• The Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCI&A) will launch an arbitration centre during its board of directors (BoD) meeting being held on Nov15-16.
• Secretary General ICCI&A Yousef Hasan Khalawi during this visit to the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Friday said that 19 member countries of the chamber will be participating in the two-day meeting.
6. Gill resigns as Punjab CM’s spokesperson
• In a surprising development, Punjab chief minister‘s spokesperson Dr Shahbaz Gill resigned from his office on September 13, 2019, leaving trails of questions about his abrupt removal.
• Gill did not resign voluntarily as he was forced to resign after he incited the ire of the chief minister and a large number of PTI workers and leaders over his actions and statements which lacked approval of his political boss.
• Though several reasons can be attributed to Gill’s resignation, his recent presser asking PTI leaders to leave the party if they did not like Usman Buzdar’s face became the immediate reason for his dismissal.
• Punjab Chief Minister on September 13, 2019 also removed Awn Chaudhry as his adviser replacing him with Asif Mehmood. Asif would advise the chief minister on affairs related to Punjab Horticulture Authorities and Tourism.
• Separately, Chief Minister Buzdar September 13, 2019 added yet another minister to his cabinet. Acting Punjab Governor Ch Parvez Elahi administered oath to Malik Asad Khokhar as the provincial minister at the Governor House. His portfolio would be announced later. With the appointment of Asad Khokhar, the total number of ministers in chief minister’s cabinet has risen to 36.
September 14, 2019: International Current Affairs
7. Kenya becomes third country to adopt malaria vaccine
• Kenya on September 13, 2019 became the third country to start routinely inoculating infants against malaria, using the world`s first vaccine to combat a disease that kills 800 children globally every day.
• The vaccine lab name RTS,S targets the deadliest and most common form of malaria parasite in Africa, where children under five account for two-thirds of all global deaths from the mosquito-born illness.
• Kenya joins Malawi and Ghana, which commenced their own pilot programmes for the vaccine supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) earlier this year.
• The vaccine will be introduced in phases across malariaendemic parts of western Kenya near Lake Victoria, starting with Homa Bay, the country`s health ministry said.
8. EU MPs call for trade sanctions on India
• Welcoming the European Parliament’s (EP) decision of holding a debate on the ugly situation in the Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) at Strasbourg plenary session on September 17, Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan has said that the decision reflects growing concern in Europe over the deteriorating human rights situation in the occupied valley.
• He was addressing a conference on Kashmir, jointly organised by Friends of Kashmir Group and the Jammu Kashmir Self-Determination Movement in Brussels, city of Belgium, according to an official statement released to the media on Friday.
• Masood said all developments in the Indian occupied territory met the criterion of genocide and called for swift action by the international community. He briefed the audience about the implications of India’s unilateral decision to revoke articles 370 and 35-A.
• The AJK president called upon the international community to take firm steps to check the human rights violations at the hands of Indian forces in the held territory.
9. Scientists discover oldest ancestor of spider, scorpion
• An international joint research found a new species called Mollisonia plenovenatrix, which is believed to be the oldest chelicerate.
• The discovery places the origin of chelicerate, a vast group of arthropods with over 115,000 species, including horseshoe crabs, scorpions and spiders, to a time more than 500 million years ago.
• Scientists of the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of Chinese Academy of Sciences cooperated with Canada’s Royal Ontario Museum in finding the new species in the Burgess Shale, a fossil-bearing deposit in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
September 14, 2019: Sports Current Affairs
10. Sarfaraz retained as captain; Babar appointed vice-captain
• Sarfaraz Ahmed has been retained as Pakistan captain while Babar Azam has been named as vice-captain for three ODI and three T20I home series against Sri Lanka, which will be held from September 27 to October 9.
• In April 2016, Sarfaraz was appointed Pakistan captain for the T20Is before being elevated as ODI captain in early 2017. He was then named captain across all formats following the 2017 tour of the West Indies. To date, Sarfaraz has captained Pakistan in 13 Tests, 48 ODIs and 34 T20Is, winning four, 26 and 29 matches respectively.
• Babar Azam, who is ranked 16th in Tests, third in ODIs and No.1 in T20Is, has previously captained Pakistan in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2012. He had also featured in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2010 before breaking into international cricket in 2015 and since has been a regular feature of the side in all formats.
