Day by Day Current Affairs (June 21, 2018) | MCQs for CSS, PMS, NTS

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June 21, 2018

1. Eminent humorist Yousufi passes away

• Distinguished writer and arguably the finest humorist in the Urdu language Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi passed away on June 20, 2018. He was 94.
• Yousufi was born on Sept4, 1923 in Tonk, Rajasthan, in undivided India. He obtained an LLB from Aligarh University and did his MA from the same institute in philosophy.
• His family migrated to Pakistan in 1949 through the Khokhrapar route. Here he joined the banking sector.
• Yousufi`s writing career began in the early 1960s. His first book Chiragh Taley established his reputation as one of the foremost humorists in the subcontinent. It was followed by Khakam Badahan, Zarguzisht and Aab-i-Gumm. His last book was called Shaam-i-Sher-Yaaran.

2. Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf resigns from His Post

• Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf has resigned after serving in the prestigious office for over two years.
• He had replaced senior counsel Salman Aslam Butt on March 29, 2016, following the latter`s resignation.
• According to Article 100 of the Constitution, the attorney general gives advice to the federal government on legal issues and enjoys the right of audience in all courts and tribunals.

3. Punjab Govt removed First Female Advocate General

• The Punjab government has removed Asma Hamid from the office of advocate general with immediate effect. A notification to that effect was issued on behalf of Punjab Governor Rafiq Rajwana.
• Additional Advocate General Muhammad Shan Gul has been directed by the governor to look after the office till the appointment of a full fledged advocate general.
• Asma Hamid, daughter of former Punjab governor Shahid Hamid and senior counsel of the Supreme Court, was appointed assistant advocate general in January 2014 and then additional advocate general in March 2015.
• The Punjab government has also dispensed with the services of 11 assistant advocate generals who were appointed on May 26 and 30 in derogation of the Election Commission of Pakistan`s April 10 notification in which the commission had placed ban on new recruitments and development schemes.

4. ECP approves another round of bureaucracy reshuffle

• In a massive shakeup over a month before the general elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on June 20, 2018 approved the transfers and postings of hundreds of officers in provincial bureaucracy, district administration and police hierarchy of Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab.
• In Sindh, 14 secretaries, two additional inspectors general, six commissioners, 33 deputy commissioners, 14 deputy inspectors general and various senior superintendents of police have been transferred.
• In Balochistan, the ECP accorded approval to transfer and post three secretaries, six commissioners, 33 deputy commissioners and various police officers.
• In Punjab, the ECP approved transfers and postings of 25 provincial secretaries, nine commissioners and 64 police officers in Punjab. Also, 18 police officers were surrendered by the Punjab police to the federal government and 28 officers were repatriated to the federal government.
• Besides, 35 deputy commissioners, managing directors, director generals, AIGs, SSPs, SPs, additional SPs have also been transferred.
• The nine new commissioners in Punjab are Mohammad Mujtaba Paracha who has been posted as Lahore commissioner, Nadeem Irshad Kiyani as Gujranwala commissioner, Saif Anjum as Rawalpindi commissioner, Asadullah Faiz as Multan commissioner, Dr Farah Masood as Sahiwal commissioner, Nayar Iqbal asBahawalpur commissioner, Asif Iqbal as Faisalabad commissioner, Rana Gulzar Ahmed as D.G. Khan commissioner and retired captain Mohammad Zafar Iqbal as Sargodha commissioner.

5. Appellate court suspends GB Order 2018

• The Supreme Appellate Court on June 20, 2018 suspended the newly-promulgated Gilgit Baltistan Order 2018.
• In a short order, it also issued contempt of court notice to respondents former Prime Minister Shahid Khagan Abbasi as chairman of the GB Council, federal minister for Kashmir af f airs and GB and joint secretary of the council for violation of law.
• Member of council Saeed Afzal, elected from GB Legislative Assembly, had filed a petition in Supreme Appellate Court earlier in April under Article 61 of the GB Empowerment and Self Governance Order 2009, pleading the court to declare the GB Order 2018 illegal and issue a stay order.
• During the hearing of the case on April 24, GB Supreme Appellate Court Chief Judge Rana Muhammad Shamim had issued a stay order till disposal of the case.
• However, the federal government promulgated GB Order 2018 during the last days of its government.
• In its latest hearing on June 20, 2018, the two-member bench of the court comprising Chief Judge Rana Shamim and Justice Javed Ahmed issued suspension order of the new order.
• The chief judge observed that despite stay order of the court, GB Order 2018 was introduced which was violation of law.

6. Moody’s changes outlook on Pakistan’s rating to negative

• Moody’s Investors Service on June 20, 2018 has changed the outlook on Pakistan’s rating to negative from stable and affirmed the B3 local and foreign currency long-term issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings.
• The decision to change the outlook to negative is driven by heightened external vulnerability risk. Foreign exchange reserves have fallen to low levels and, absent significant capital inflows, will not be replenished over the next 12-18 months. Low reserve adequacy threatens continued access to external financing at moderate costs, in turn potentially raising government liquidity risks.
• The decision to affirm the B3 rating reflects Pakistan’s robust growth potential, supported by ongoing improvements in energy supply and physical infrastructure, which are likely to raise economic competitiveness over time. These credit strengths balance Pakistan’s fragile external payments position and very weak government debt affordability owing to low revenue generation capacity.
• Concurrently, Moody’s has affirmed the B3 foreign currency senior unsecured ratings for the second Pakistan International Sukuk Co Ltd. and the third Pakistan International Sukuk Co Ltd. The associated payment obligations are, in our view, direct obligations of the government of Pakistan.

7. US withdraws from UN Rights Council

• US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley announced on June 20, 2018 evening that Washington had decided to withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council, citing `failed efforts to reform the body`s membership and do away with an agenda item focused on human rights` in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.
• The 47-member Councilis the UN`s top human rights body.
• This is the first time any country has voluntarily left the Human Rights Council. The only other member to leave was Libya, whose membership was suspended in 2011 after the UN General Assembly deemed the government responsible for human rights violations.
• In recent years, Washington has played an important role in addressing situations of concern at the Council, such as Sri Lanka and China, and in curbing the influence of authoritarian and repressive states.

8. Hungary approves law to penalise NGOs for helping migrants

• Hungary`s parliament adopted on June 20, 2018 a controversial package of laws penalising NGOs that help migrants, a key proposal of the firebrand nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
• Dubbed the `Stop Soros` laws after liberal US billionaire George Soros, accused by the government of orchestrating migration to Europe, the package of legislation was voted through by 160 votes to 18.
• The laws will bring in a punishment of up to a year in prison for anyone convicted of helping a person who entered Hungary illegally from outside the Schengen zone, and whose life wasn`t in immediate danger.
• MPs also approved a change to the he constitution stipulating that no authority is allowed to affect `the make-up of the Hungarian population`, a clause designed to prevent Hungary participating in any EU scheme for mandatory refugee resettlement.

9. In dramatic turnaround, Trump orders end to family separations

• President Donald Trump ordered an end to the separation of migrant children from their parents at the US border on June 20, 2018.
• The spectacular about-face comes after more than 2,300 children were stripped from their parents and adult relatives after illegally crossing the border since May 5 and placed in tent camps and other facilities, with no way to contact their relatives.
• Pictures and accounts of the separations sparked outrage and a rebellion among Republicans in Trump`s own party, as well as international accusation that the US was committing human rights violations.

10. 30 Afghan troops dead in Taliban attacks

• Taliban fighters killed around 30 Afghan security forces in multiple attacks in western Afghanistan, on June 20, 2018.
• Militants stormed at least two bases belonging to government forces in Badghis province overnight and ambushed a convoy of reinforcements. Officials said the group may have used the three-day truce, which ended Sunday, to plan the attacks.
• The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks in a WhatsApp message to journalists.
• Provincial council chief Abdul Aziz Bek confirmed the death toll and accused the Taliban of taking advantage of the suspension in fighting to do reconnaissance in the area.