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July 03, 2023: National Current Affairs MCQs
1. Govt explores external financing options
• With the International Monetary Fund (IMF) now on board, the government considers meeting most of its external financing needs in the medium term through 10to 15-year international bonds and concessional multilateral loans.
• It also plans to diversify local debt instruments to inflation based bonds, list government papers on the stock exchange, and issue short-term Islamic and conventional floating rate products.
• This is part of the new Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy, released by the Ministry of Finance on the weekend, for the fiscal years 2023 to 2026.
2. Major among six martyred in Balochistan attacks
• An army major and a soldier were martyred in an exchange of fire with terrorists in Kech district of Balochistan on July 2, 2023 night, the ISPR said.
• The incident occurred hours after the martyrdom of four security personnel in simultaneous attacks on three check-points in Sherani district.
• ISPR, the military`s media wing, said in a statement that security forces on credible intelligence about the movement of a gang of terrorists launched an operation in the Hoshab area of Kech district. While establishment of blocking positions to cut the escape routes was under way, a party of terrorists opened fire on the security forces
3. Punjab govt tweaks Sehat Card policy, cuts affluent class
• The caretaker Punjab government has approved certain key interventions in the Sehat Sahulat Programme (SSP), making them operational with effect from July 1 across the province.
• Under the notable amendments, the government has excluded the affluent class from the `universal health insurance programme`, restricting it to the deserving, eligible and under-privileged class of the people earning up to Rs65,000 per month.
• Earlier, even the most effluent/privileged and rich class of the society was also enjoying the fruits of this health scheme, despite the fact that they could easily afford all kinds of expensive treatment facilities from the leading private sector hospitals of Punjab
4. US helps Pakistan secure IMF package
• The United States played a key behind-the-scenes role to help Pakistan secure a $3 billion bailout package with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), diplomatic sources told.
• The recent staff-level agreement (SLA) came after an eight-month delay in releasing funds from a 2019, $6 billion loan.
• `The United States supported Pakistan throughout the process but also insisted that they implemented the reforms they agreed with the IMF,` a diplomatic source said.
• According to these sources, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had at least two telephonic conversations with Secretary Antony Blinken over this issue. The matter was also discussed in face-to-face meetings between the two leaders
July 03, 2023: International Current Affairs MCQs
5. OIC urges measures to stop desecration of Holy Quran
• The 57-state Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said on July 2, 2023 collective measures were needed to prevent acts of desecration of the Holy Quran and international law should be used to stop religious hatred after the burning incident in Sweden.
• The statement by the OIC was issued after an `extraordinary` meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, called to discuss the incident in which an Iraqi citizen living in Sweden, Salwan Momika, 37, set alight several pages of the Holy Quran outside Stockholm`s main mosque on Wednesday (June 28).
• `We must send constant reminders to the international community regarding the urgent application of international law, which clearly prohibits any advocacy of religious hatred, OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha said
