Islamabad

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan has increased its funds allocation for purchasing COVID-19 vaccines amid a surge in the coronavirus.

Dr. Nausheen Hamid, parliamentary secretary for National Health Services, says the budget for the vaccines has been enhanced to $250 million. Earlier, the government had set aside $150 million.

Pakistan recorded 3,369 new cases of the virus and 72 new deaths on Saturday.

A surge in the virus comes amid massive disregard by people for precautionary measures despite constant warnings by the authorities.

Islamabad, Oct 28 (AP/PTI) Pakistan's state-run council of clerics, which advises the government on religious issues, gave its approval Wednesday to the construction of a new temple for minority Hindus, ruling Islamic law allows them a place of worship.

Lal Malhi, a prominent Hindu leader who is also a member of parliament, applauded the ruling but noted the council also recommended the government not spend public funds directly on the construction of private places of worship.

26 Oct 2020; MEMO: The Pakistani prime minster has added his voice to the growing criticism of the French president for “encouraging Islamophobia” following the killing of a teacher who showed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad to his pupils, Anadolu reports.

Islamabad, Oct 5 (PTI) An anti-corruption court in Pakistan on Monday indicted former president Asif Ali Zardari in the Park Lane and Thatta Water Supply cases.

Zardari, 63, the co-chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), was present in the Islamabad-based court and pleaded not guilty.

During the hearing, the court indicted 19 others accused in the Park Lane case and 15 others in the Thatta water supply case.

Islamabad, Oct 3 (PTI) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked his party leaders to devise a legal strategy to bring back former premier Nawaz Sharif from the UK as in the absence of an extradition treaty between the two countries it would be difficult to get him extradited, according to a media report.

Islamabad, Sep 30 (PTI) Pakistan on Wednesday opened all the educational institutions which remained shut for nearly six months due to the coronavirus pandemic that has infected over 3 lakh people in the country.

Both private and public schools were opened under strict restriction and were told by the authorities to follow the standard operating procedures to contain the spread of the contagious coronavirus.

Islamabad, Sep 28 (AP/PTI) Afghanistan's top official in negotiations with the Taliban arrived in Pakistan's capital Monday on a three-day trip during which he will meet with the country's prime minister and other government officials.

Abdullah Abdullah, who leads the Afghan High Council for National Reconciliation, was received by top government officials on arriving in Islamabad.

Islamabad, Sep 21 (PTI) Demanding Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's immediate resignation, the country's major Opposition parties have launched an alliance to hold a countrywide protest movement to oust his government.

A 26-point joint resolution was adopted on Sunday by the All Parties Conference (APC), which was hosted by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and attended by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) and several other parties.

Islamabad, Sep 20 (PTI) Pakistan's number coronavirus cases reached 305,671 on Sunday after 640 new cases were detected in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said.

One patient died during the period, taking the number of COVID-19 fatalities to 6,416.

A total of 292,303 people have recovered from the infection and at least 562 are in critical condition, the Ministry of National Health Services said.

18 Sep 2020; MEMO: International normalisation with Israel is “pointless”, Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan, said yesterday.

“We can’t make a decision on a matter that has been rejected by its owners, the Palestinian people,” Khan told reporters. “The Palestinians, the owners of the cause, were deprived from their lands and rights,” he added.