Headlines 9am: Eid prayers offered, petrol prices rise

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

• Most mosques across Pakistan held congregational Eid prayers. Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, Islamabad and other cities held large congregations where some people followed the government-issued coronavirus precautionary SOPs and some didn’t. Prayers were offered for the end of the coronavirus.
• Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi offered Eid prayers in Multan while Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed offered them in Rawalpindi. Sindh Governor Imran Ismail offered his Eid prayers at Governor House in Karachi while the Punjab governor and chief minister offered their prayers at Governor House in Lahore. The Balochistan governor offered his prayers in Quetta while KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan offered them in Peshawar.
• After offering Eid prayers, the nation began offering animal sacrifices. People went in search of professional butchers but they were flooded with work. In some areas, sacrificial animals made people run around as they fled their captors.
• The government did not allow parks or zoos to be reopened on Eid. Karachi’s beaches are also closed to the public. Planning Minister Asad Umar has asked people to tone down their Eid celebrations in light of the coronavirus.
• Petrol prices were increased in Pakistan by a maximum of Rs6.62. The new price of petrol is Rs103.97 per litre. Diesel is Rs5 more expensive while furnace oil is Rs5.97 more expensive.
• After Eid prayers, opposition leaders criticized the government’s petrol price hike. Yousuf Raza Gilani said the government dropped a petrol bomb on the public in the dead of the night. He also raised the issue of Southern Punjab. Maula Bux Chandio said there is little joy this Eid because of inflation. He called the government incompetent.
• Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed has accused Bilawal Bhutto Zardari of talking of childish things. He said there is no sense left in the country. Speaking after Eid prayers, Rasheed said thieves and robbers want there to be amendments in the NAB law. He said the opposition would make a ruckus in August or September.
• Rain was reported in Sialkot, Attock, Gujrat, Narowal, Kamoki and other areas Saturday morning. The heat index dropped and while the weather became pleasant, many areas lost power.
• Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova has taken up boxing to stay fit. She trains at the LA beach with an instructor.

from SAMAA https://ift.tt/3hWS92w