Today’s outlook: PM Khan to address overseas Pakistanis

Here are some news stories from across Pakistan which we are expecting to follow today (Thursday).

• Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to brief overseas Pakistanis about the Roshan Digital Account, said Senator Faisal Javed Khan in a series of tweets. The RDA was launched seven months ago with the objective of connecting NRPs to Pakistan’s banking system digitally, the senator said. He claimed that 120,000 accounts have been opened so far from 170 countries and $1 billion have been received so far.
• Coronavirus has claimed 151 lives in Pakistan in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 17,681. The country reported 5,480 new infections.
• The by-election on Karachi’s NA-249 is being held today. Tough competition is expected between five major political parties: PML-N, PPP, PTI, MQM, and PSP.
• The authorities have been taking strict measures to fine people violating the coronavirus SOPs. In Sialkot, three restaurants were sealed and multiple people arrested. In Karachi, three highway restaurants were sealed for not implementing the precautionary measures.
• Saudi Arabia’s crown prince on Tuesday struck a conciliatory tone towards the kingdom’s arch-nemesis Iran, saying he sought “good” relations, after sources said the rivals held secret talks in Baghdad. The two countries, locked in a fierce struggle for regional dominance, cut ties in 2016 after Iranian protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions following the kingdom’s execution of a revered Shiite cleric. “Iran is a neighbouring country, and all we aspire for is a good and special relationship with Iran,” Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman said in a television interview broadcast late Tuesday.
• COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa and General Lloyd J. Austin, the US defence secretary, spoke on the phone on Wednesday. During the call, matters of mutual interest, regional security situation including the latest developments in the Afghan peace process, and bilateral cooperation in various fields were discussed. COAS said that Pakistan will always support the “Afghan-led, Afghan-owned” peace process based on a mutual consensus of all stakeholders. He also reiterated that peace in Afghanistan means peace in Pakistan.

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