Headlines 9am: Sindh health secretary fired for ‘careless behaviour’

Here are the headlines from SAMAA TV’s 9am bulletin.

• The federal budget for fiscal year 2020-2021 will be presented and Industries Minister Hammad Azhar will present the finance bill in the National Assembly. The session will begin at 4pm. The government aims to generate Rs4.95 trillion in tax revenue and increase the salaries of government employees by 10%. Rs1.42 trillion has been allocated in the budget for the defence sector. Tax rates will also be increased for non-filers.
• The Islamabad High Court has stopped the federal government from taking any sort of action against sugar mills for at least 10 days. It has also recommended fixing the price of sugar at Rs70/kg.
• In the last 24 hours, 107 people died of the novel coronavirus in Pakistan. Over 6,000 cases are now being reported every day.
• Prime Minister Imran Khan says he’ll monitor the following of SOPs around the country himself. The PM said places where people are not adhering to the SOPs will be closed. He lashed out at the opposition for pressuring his government to impose a lockdown again and cripple the economy.
• Sindh Health Secretary Zahid Ali Abbasi has been sacked over “negligence”. Kazim Hussain Jatoi will replace him and start work today. Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Sheikh said there’s nothing extraordinary in the removal of a secretary. It is being reported that the Sindh chief minister was not satisfied with Abbasi’s performance.
• Despite the arrest of the infamous Chotu Gang, Rajanpur residents continue to be victims of robberies. Two people were killed while three others were critically injured while resisting a robbery.
• An FIR has been registered at the Kalri police station against the owner of a Lyari building that collapsed last week, killing 22 residents.

from Coronavirus – SAMAA https://ift.tt/2AVPCFH