Pakistan News World

Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman has said all available resources are being utilized to meet the needs of flood affected people. Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Wednesday along with Minister for Commerce Naveed Qamar and Minister of State for Law Shahadat Awan, she said the rescue operation is in full swing across the country saying the government is cognizant of the difficulties faced by the flood victims. Sherry Rehman said the unprecedented floods which have surpassed the magnitude of super floods of 2010 has affected thirty three million people. She also alluded to the threat of water borne diseases in the flood affected areas. In his remarks, Naveed Qamar stressed that we should rise above politics to serve the flood affected people. via Original Source

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Wednesday said that the federal government has decided to conduct a forensic audit of audio leaks attributed to PTI Senator Shaukat Tarin regarding the crucial International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. On Monday, two audio clips surfaced via TV channels and social media in which a man said to be Tarin can be heard guiding Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab’s finance ministers to tell the federal government and the IMF that they would not be able to commit to a provincial budget surplus in light of the recent floods that have wreaked havoc in Pakistan. Last week, KP Finance Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra had written a letter to the Ministry of Finance conveying his administration’s inability to provide a provincial surplus this year. The audios triggered criticism against the PTI as the ruling coalition alleged that they were nothing but a conspiracy to derail the government’s deal with the global lender. Addressing the issue at a press conference in I...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has announced a relief package worth ten billion rupees for flood-affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Addressing a gathering of flood-affected people at Kanju during his visit to flood-hit areas of Swat on Wednesday, he said the amount would be spent for the relief and rehabilitation of the flood-hit people of the province. The Prime Minister reaffirmed his commitment to utilize all available resources for rehabilitation of flood victims across the country. He said the Federal Government, National Disaster Management Authority and the provincial administration, through close coordination, would ensure transparency and immediate disbursement of the amount in the affected areas. Shehbaz Sharif said a survey will be launched to ascertain the damages of standing crops of cotton, rice and other agricultural products caused by the floods across the country. The Prime Minister said the government will announce a package for the farmers whose cro...

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed on Wednesday former prime minister Imran Khan to resubmit his response within the next seven days in the contempt of court case against him for threatening a female judge. A five-member bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, and Justice Babar Sattar heard the case. In response to the IHC's show-cause notice in the case, the PTI chairman did not apologise for threatening additional sessions judge of Islamabad, Zeba Chaudhry, offering, however, to withdraw his remarks “if they were inappropriate.” The IHC CJ, during the hearing, said he was "disappointed" by the response of Khan in the case. He asked him to review his response and submit it once more. Without asking Khan to come to the rostrum, the court adjourned the hearing and ordered that the response can be submitted through the PTI chairman's counsel. The PTI c...

Pakistan Army continues rescue and relief operations in flood-affected areas of the country. According to ISPR, 140 helicopter sorties have been conducted to evacuate more than 550 stranded individuals from various flood-affected areas. Army helicopters delivered 29 tons of relief items including 6,140 ration packets and 325 tents during the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, 224 relief items collection points are functional in army Formations Area of Responsibility for collection and onwards distribution of relief stores while 5,213 patients have been treated so for in medical camps. via Original Source

Rise of nationalism, racism and religious extremism at the beginning of the 21st century is a by-product of globalisation. As nation-states are permeated by transnational economics and societal trends, narratives based on racial, ethnic and religious divisions have become convenient enablers in obtaining political gains, but at the cost of national unity. In the very recent history, Donald Trump’s racist rhetoric permeated violence in the US society by inspiring white supremacism exploiting centuries-old prejudice entrenched in the American society. Hateful rhetoric attracted many alike, widening his electoral support, as the societal fractures deepened with surge in violence against the non-whites. Not only that, Trump brought in the notion of righteous based on self-conceived standards best suited to him, implicitly denying any prospect of dissent. Those not in agreement were condemned to be unpatriotic, and unpardonable. Societal and political divisions under the garb of ‘America Fi...

Najibullah Zadran tore into the opposition attack with six sixes to lead Afghanistan into the Asia Cup Super Four stage with a seven-wicket win over Bangladesh on Tuesday. Chasing 128 for victory, Afghanistan were in trouble at 62-3 when Najibullah (43 not out) joined Ibrahim Zadran (42 not out) for an unbeaten stand of 69 as they won with nine balls to spare in Sharjah. Spinners Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan took three wickets each to set up the victory as Afghanistan restricted their opponents to 127-7 after Bangladesh elected to bat first. Afghanistan, led by Mohammad Nabi, registered their second straight victory to become the first of the six teams to reach the next phase of the competition, which acts as a tune-up to the T20 World Cup in October-November. Afghanistan lost Rahmanullah Gurbaz for 11 when skipper Shakib Al Hasan, playing his 100th T20 international, had the opener stumped with his left-arm spin. Mosaddek Hossain dismissed Hazratullah Zazai for 23 as Afghan...

The "2022 Pakistan Floods Response Plan" was jointly launched on Tuesday by the Government of Pakistan and the United Nations, simultaneously in Islamabad and Geneva. Addressing the press stakeout, after launching the plan in Islamabad on Tuesday afternoon, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the FRP was launched in the backdrop of devastating rains, floods and landslides that have impacted more than 33 million people in different parts of Pakistan. He said over 1,100 people including over 350 children have lost their lives, more than 1,600 people have been injured, over two million houses have damaged, over 735,000 livestock have perished and two million acres of crops have been adversely impacted, besides severe damage to communications infrastructure. The Foreign Minister said the appeal focuses on the needs of 5.2 million people, with life-saving response activities amounting to 160.3 million dollars covering food security, assistance for agriculture and liv...

Former prime minister and PTI chairman Imran Khan on Monday responded to the show-cause notice issued to him by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in contempt proceedings, offering to “take back” his controversial remarks regarding additional district and sessions judge Zeba Chaudhry. Imran, through his attorney, claimed of not being aware at the time of passing the remarks that Chaudhry — who had approved the remand of his chief of staff Shahbaz Gill in a sedition case and earned the PTI chief’s wrath — was a judicial officer, adding that he instead had the “misconception” that she was an executive magistrate performing administrative duties for the federal government. Earlier this month, a three-member IHC bench, headed by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and also comprising Justice Babar Sattar and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, issued a show-cause notice to Imran and initiated contempt proceedings against him for “undermining the integrity and credibility of the judicial system in t...

Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited the flood hit areas of Swat today (Tuesday). He met women, children, elders and other people who were rescued today by Army aviation helicopters from Kumrat and Kalam to Kanju. General Bajwa spent time with the evacuated people who thanked Pakistan Army for reaching out once they needed it the most and bringing comfort not only to them but their families back home who eagerly awaited their safe return. General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) visited flood hit areas of Swat. COAS met women, children, elders & other people who were rescued today by Army aviation helicopters from Kumrat / Kalam to Kanju. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/mRaYjabouQ — DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) August 30, 2022 He also undertook aerial reconnaissance of the extent of damage caused by floods and relief efforts of Army troops at various locations including Kalam, Bahrain, Khwazakhela and Matta areas of Swat. The Army Chief appreciated Peshawar Corps f...

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The Pakistani rupee gained against US dollar on Tuesday after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) revived the loan programme. The greenback dropped by Rs2.42 against local currency during trading in the interbank market where the dollar was recorded at Rs219.50 around 10 am. A day earlier, dollar witnessed an upward trend as rupee lost its ground by Rs1.26 to close at Rs221.92 in the interbank market. The global lender on Monday approved the bailout package for Pakistan, in a massive relief to the government as cash strapped country is facing recent floods and economic uncertainty. Finance Minister Miftah Ismail confirmed the development, saying "Alhamdolillah the IMF Board has approved the revival of our EFF program. We should now be getting the 7th & 8th tranche of $1.17 billion. I want to thank the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for taking so many tough decisions and saving Pakistan from default. I congratulate the nation."   via Original Source

The United Nations (UN) on Tuesday jointly launched a flash appeal for $160 million to help Pakistan cope with the flood devastation. Pakistan and the UN have simultaneously launched the "2022 Pakistan Floods Response Plan" in Islamabad and Geneva today. The FRP will complement the government’s overall humanitarian response to the recent floods caused by unprecedented rains. In a video message for the launch of the appeal, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, “Pakistan is awash in suffering.” He maintained that the people in Pakistan were facing a monsoon on steroids — the relentless impact of epochal levels of rain and flooding. In his keynote address at the launch of the event in Islamabad, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said, “We are in the midst of the climate catastrophe of the decade, one that has ravaged the entire country in a humanitarian disaster of unimaginable scale and magnitude. He maintained that heart-wrenching scenes of loss, damage and...

Canada has announced five million dollars aid for the flood victims of Pakistan. During a meeting with the office bearers of local Pakistani Canadian organizations in Ottawa, Pakistan's High Commissioner to Canada Zaheer Janjua thanked the Canadian government for its support. The envoy said our expatriate Pakistanis should also come forward  for the help of flood affected people. He pointed out that the floods have caused severe damage to public buildings and infrastructure. via Original Source

A District and Sessions court of Islamabad dismissed the post arrest bail petition of PTI leader Shahbaz Gill on Tuesday. Additional District and Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal pronounced the reserved verdict. Gill was arrested on August 9 in Islamabad after a sedition case was filed against him for inciting mutiny within the Pakistan Army. He was already facing sedition charges, but the Islamabad Police last week also registered a case against the PTI leader over possession of an illegal weapon. His bail in the arms recovery case has already been approved. Gill was booked in the case after police raided the incarcerated PTI leader's room in Parliament Lodges late Monday where they recovered weapons, a satellite phone, and foreign currency. The PTI has repeatedly demanded that the party leader be released on bail, alleging that he is facing humiliation, torture and sexual abuse in police custody. Gill, during the raid at his Parliament Lodge's residence, also told journalis...

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shaukat Tarin has allegedly asked Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Ministers to backtrack from IMF commitments in order to pressurize federal government. According to details, an audio clip has surfaced in which former finance minister was allegedly giving directions to provincial finance minister to derail International Monetary Fund deal. In alleged audio, Shaukat Tarin said that they need to backtrack from Rs750 billion commitments and tell the lender that the commitment Punjab made was pre-floods and now the province "cannot honor it". The PTI leader told the finance minister to draft a letter and send it to him for vetting so it could be sent to the federal government and later on to the IMF representative in Pakistan. At Tarin’s request, Leghari asked whether Pakistan would suffer if Punjab withdraws from the deal. "Well, frankly isn’t the state already suffering because of the way they are treating your chairman [K...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has visited Nowshera to review operation in flood-affected areas. During the visit, the prime minister would also distribute cheques of cash relief assistance among the flood-stricken people. The PM has also been briefed by the relevant authorities on the damages and relief operations in the area. PM have also been informed about the relief camps arranged for the flood affected. Apart from reviewing the relief work, the Prime Minister also met the flood victims.   via Original Source

Shahbaz Gill is willing to apologise for his controversial remarks, his lawyer told a district and sessions court in Islamabad. On August 9, Gill was arrested from Banigala Chowk in the capital a day after making controversial remarks on a private TV channel. He was subsequently booked on charges of sedition and inciting members of state institutions against the Pakistan Army. At the outset of the hearing, the Islamabad Capital City Police presented the case record in court as directed by the judge at the last hearing of his bail plea. Additional District and Sessions judge Zafar Iqbal resumed the hearing on the bail plea this morning. During the hearing, Gill's lawyer Burhan Moazzam asked if he can see the case records submitted in court by inspector Arshad. The court directed the inspector to show the record to the lawyer. However, prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi objected that they cannot show the supplementary challan of the case. Later, the court adjourned the hearing sho...

Flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains across Pakistan have killed over 1,061 people and injured and displaced thousands more. Powerful flash floods in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caused the Kabul River to swell, sweeping away bridges overnight, cutting off some districts from road access. Downstream, fears of flooding around the river banks prompted thousands in the district of Charsadda to flee their homes, according to disaster officials, with some spending the night on highways with their livestock, miles away from their inundated villages and towns. The picturesque Kalam Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is one of the areas most affected by the rains and flooding. Waters from overflowing rivers swept away entire buildings, including an iconic hotel. The monsoon season, which began earlier than normal this year, has lashed Pakistan with particularly heavy rains and rescuers have struggled to evacuate thousands of marooned people from flood-hit areas. The crisis forced t...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called an "emergency meeting" of the government s allies to deliberate upon the current situation in the country. The emergency meeting of the government allies will be held at the Prime Minister house at 6:00pm today (Monday). The chief ministers of all provinces have also been invited to attend the meeting. The meeting will be also attended by the heads of the three armed forces. According to media reports, the meeting will review the current flood situation in the country. Important decisions are expected to be taken during the meeting. via Original Source

Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has summoned an “All Parties Conference” (APC) over the ongoing flood disasters in the country, which will be held at the Prime Minister’s House on Monday. The conference will discuss measures to tackle the calamity befallen on the people due to the monsoon brust and flooding across the country. It should be noted that the humanitarian situation in Pakistan has deteriorated further over the past two weeks as heavy rains continue to cause flooding, over 1000 have died due to rain and flood disasters in the four provinces including Gilgit-Baltistan, while millions have been displaced. Furthermore, crops on millions of acres have been completely destroyed and many houses have become piles of rubble via Original Source

Flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains across much of Pakistan have killed over 1,030 people and injured and displaced thousands more. Floods continued to devastate the country on Sunday, particularly the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Balochistan leaving at least 119 people dead and more than 70 injured in the past 24 hours. Floods have claimed over 1,030 lives, with 74 deaths reported in Sindh, 31 in K-P, six in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), four in Balochistan, and one in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). According to the data released by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 32 children, 56 men and nine women are among those who died in the flood after the rains, while the number of victims has reached 5.77 million. Over the past 24 hours, nearly 0.95 million houses and 0.72 million livestock were flooded while 0.27 million houses were destroyed and 3,116 kilometres of highways and 149 bridges were washed away. According to media reports, 0.49...

Self-centred politics can cause irreparable damage to Pakistan as unfortunately, a party is playing politics over the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) when the lender's board meeting is around the corner, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said, without naming the PTI. "I have never seen such self-centered politics; it will be a huge injustice with Pakistan and a big conspiracy against the country,” the premier said while referring to PTI on his visit to the flood victims in Sujawl, Sindh. PM Shehbaz said that the federal government had allocated Rs38 billion in grant to support the flood-affected families with the disbursement of Rs25,000 to each of them. Speaking to the flood victims, the prime minister said he had already announced Rs15 billion in grant to Sindh while the distribution of flood relief amount among the affected families had commenced in the province after Balochistan under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). “The BISP has complete...

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will visit Haji Alladino village of Jafarabad district Balochistan on Sunday to review the rescue and relief activities in the flood-hit areas. Chief Secretary Balochistan and Director General Provincial Disaster Management Authority will brief the Prime Minister about the relief provided to the flood affected people and restoration of the infrastructure. The Prime Minister is expected to interact with the flood-hit people to know about the relief being provided to them. Shehbaz Sharif will also have an aerial view of flood-affected villages of Hafeezbad, Gaibi Khan, Qadirpur and Shikarpur. via Original Source

Clashes have erupted between rival Libyan militias in the centre of Libyan capital Tripoli, with the sound of gunfire echoing through the heavily populated part of the capital city threatening two years of relative peace following a ceasefire deal. The violence early on Saturday comes in the wake of a build-up of rival forces in Tripoli over the past week, who are jostling for power, as the North African country remains divided between rival administrations in the east and the west. The country’s democratic transition was delayed after the presidential elections scheduled for last December were postponed indefinitely. Tensions have risen after Fathi Bashagha, backed by the east-based parliament, was sworn in as prime minister in February, amid calls for Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, the head of the transitional government based in Tripoli, to cede power. The United Nations had voiced concern after the Tobruk-based parliament voted to install Bashagha as prime minister. Unde...

Government has decided to deploy Pakistan Army to help the civilian authorities in rescue operations in the flood-hit areas. The troops are being deployed in pursuant to the requests made by all the provincial governments in wake of the emergency situation due to torrential rains and floods. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, scores of people have died due devastating floods in rivers and streams. The flash floods washed away dozens of hotels, bridges, mosques and link roads in the Upper Swat district while hundreds of houses, shops and restaurants were submerged. The Munda Headworks in Charsadda on Friday collapsed due to heavy monsoon rains due to which water levels in Jindi and Khiyali canals had increased. The provincial government has declared rain emergency in several districts as flash floods triggered by torrential rains wreaked havoc in most parts of the province. Meanwhile Balochistan remained cut off from the rest of the country as linking highways remained non-operational becaus...

Repercussions may include higher imports, compromise on exports and rising inflation, which will undermine efforts of the government to tackle the macro headwinds. “Based on our preliminary estimates, the current account deficit may increase by $4.4 billion (1% of GDP) – assuming no counter-measures are taken, while around 30% of the CPI basket is exposed to the threat of higher prices. The unusual heavy monsoon rains and flash floods are initially estimated to cost Pakistan’s economy over $4 billion in the current fiscal year as the calamity has badly hurt agricultural activities in Sindh and Balochistan. While it is early to assess the actual impact, Pakistan, where agriculture has a 23% share in gross domestic product (GDP), can remain highly vulnerable in the aftermath of the floods. The situation may force the government to make additional import of cotton worth $2.6 billion, wheat worth $900 million and the country will lose textile exports of around $1 billion. This comes to...

The Green Shirts, with strong T20 cricket credentials over the years, can repeat last year’s World Cup feat against India with their opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who will be a real threat to the Indians.  There is no bigger game in cricket than the clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan, and one is due on Sunday (tomorrow). The two neighbouring nations, with a bitter cricketing history, will lock horns in the Asia T20 Cup. Having being whipped by a whopping margin of ten wickets by the Green Shirts in the T20 World Cup game on October 24, 2021, last year in Dubai, India will be very cautious in the much-anticipated showpiece. And indeed it would not be easy for India to dent Pakistan’s hopes. The Green Shirts, with strong T20 cricket credentials over the years, can repeat last year’s World Cup feat against India with their opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who will be a real threat to the Indians. With Babar having stamped his authority ...

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) reported a disruption in communication lines in several areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In a statement today morning, the telecom regulator said flash floods have damaged optical fibre cable and led to power outages, due to which there is an "impact" on the services. Services have been affected in Chitral, Upper Dir, Donbala, Swat, Mardan, Lal Qila Samarbaghdir, Tank, and Dera Ismail Khan. "PTA is monitoring the situation closely. Work is underway to fully restore services," the telecommunication authority said. Devastating flash floods have brought the lives of people across Pakistan to a standstill, with the rain and flood related death toll jumping to 982, according to official statistics. Hundreds of thousands of homes have been destroyed and scores have been displaced as the government appeals to international donors in its bid to provide relief to the people.  via Original Source

Thirty million people have been affected and hundreds have been killed, government declares a national emergency, after heavy rains triggered historic flooding in the country. The flow of water at the Munda Headworks bridge which collapsed last night has slowed down, but the threat of floods in Charsadda and Nowshera districts remains. The bridge had broken down overnight due to the severe pressure of flood water, which disconnected Tehsil Shabqadar and Prang from the district. As per media reports, the flow of water at Munda Headworks has reduced from 260,000 cusecs to 135,000 cusecs, said Charsadda Deputy commissioner Abdur Rehman Saturday morning. In view of the expected flood, nearby localities were evacuated, he said, adding that the emergency measure was taken to avoid any human loss. The deputy commissioner said that 17 relief camps have been established in Charsadda to deal with any emergency situation. “Kabul River is still running in high flood,” he said, adding that ...

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued a show-cause notice to former prime minister Imran Khan in the contempt of court case. It was stated in the notice that Imran’s threatening remarks against a female judge at a rally in Islamabad’s F-9 Park amounted to contempt. “Therefore, you appear before the IHC bench on August 31, 2022 and explain as to why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against you,” the notice read. It was further stated in the notice that the reason why the PTI chairman made threatening and insulting remarks against the judge because he wanted to get the verdict of his choice in the case which was sub judice at the Islamabad High Court (IHC). It was alleged in the notice that by making the objectionable speech, the former prime minister tried to obstruct justice. An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Thursday approved an interim bail of Imran Khan and directed the authorities not to arrest him until September 1. Imran Khan appeared befo...

Flash floods have wreaked havoc in the country as the death toll has reached 1,343 people across Pakistan with scores injured due to rain-related incidents. As per details, in the last 24 hours, 34 deaths were recorded taking the toll to 1,343. Meanwhile, the incessant rains in many areas have caused massive destruction across Pakistan. As per an estimate, in Balochistan, the death toll has reached 234 so far while in Sindh 306 people have succumbed to the recent floods. On the other hand, a total of 185 people died in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in the recent monsoon spells while 37 died in Azad Kashmir and 9 in Gilgit Baltistan (GB). The data shared by the NDMA revealed that 6 lac 70 thousand 328 houses were completely destroyed due to rains and 7 lac 93 thousand 995 cattle have died. Highways were also affected by rains and floods across the country. In Sindh, 2,328 km of highways were affected, 60 bridges were damaged, NDMA said. The Climate-Change Minister Sherry Rehman said t...

Flash floods damaged houses and crops, blocked roads and caused power outages in Swat with several people to leave their houses due to the damage caused by the floodwater. Several houses and hotels were flooded at Mingora by-pass. While the road of Mingora by-pass was blocked for any kind of travelling as it was inundated with the floodwater. Due to the risk of a high-level flood in the Swat river, the administration directed the residents to leave their houses. Also, rains wreaked havoc in the Tank district. 90 percent of the area has been badly affected by the flood. The flashfloods also swept away 3 people. On the other hand, due to the floodwater of the Chenab river, residents have been facing food shortages, power outages. The people have lost their lands and animals. Their houses have also been swept away with the flashflood. The people of the area are living under the sky without any roof or shelter. via Original Source

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has dismissed a contempt petition filed against Maryam Nawaz, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. The IHC upheld the registrar’s objection regarding that it was not the relevant forum to file the petition. Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani heard the plea with the objection raised by the registrar on Friday. Local lawyer Ali Ijaz Buttar requested the court to start the contempt proceedings against the coalition leaders. Justice Kiyani asked the lawyer what was his petition? He replied that Maryam, Rana Sanaullah, Fazlur Rehman and others made contemptuous remarks about the judiciary on social media. Justice Kiyani asked the lawyer if this court was mentioned in those remarks. He advised him to take his petition to either Supreme Court or the Lahore High Court. Why the petitioner who belongs to Lahore has filed his plea in the Islamabad High Court, the judge objected saying nobody bothered to take notice of the contem...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed the power distribution companies to revise the electricity bills of up to 200 units within 24 hours. The prime minister, who chaired a high level meeting to address the issues faced by the power consumers, also constituted a committee on the subject. He instructed that the staffers of the distribution companies should work round the clock to ensure the revision of electricity bills. He asked the authorities concerned to cancel the leaves of all the staffers and present him a compliance report immediately. The prime minister said that the banks should also be directed to remain open in the coming days to enable the consumers pay their revised electricity bills. The meeting was told that the implementation of the relief package announced by the prime minister was being ensured. The electricity bills of around 16.6 million were being corrected to provide them the relief under fuel price adjustment. The prime minister instructed the ...

The failure of every government, whether at the Centre or in the provinces, to deal with nationwide floods is made even more disappointing by the fact that despite what is fast becoming a national tragedy, the leaders of the major political parties are more interested in politicking and sniping each other instead of actually standing by the people. Instead of calls for rallies and counter-rallies to determine who is the more popular or who is or was selected, the leaders could mobilise their time and resources for flood relief. Yet, the best we have gotten so far is some begging bowl tweets, calling for flood relief donations from the public. The official death toll for the floods is already past 900, with several independent sources putting it even higher. Among those losing their precious lives, more than 300 are children and nearly 200 women. Besides, more than 80,000 homes have been destroyed and a total of 30 million people affected. Government officials are taking to the media to...

Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb on Thursday termed the flood situation across the country a national emergency. “National spirit is required to cope with the devastation caused by the calamity in Balochistan and Sindh provinces,” she said in a statement. The minister requested the people, including overseas Pakistanis, to donate for the help of flood victims, noting that a significant amount will be required due to the scope of destruction. The donations can be deposited in the Prime Minister's Relief Fund 2022 Account No.'G-12164'. “The federal government is working in coordination with the provinces and resources are being mobilised to extend relief to the affected people,” Marriyum added. PM Shehbaz Sharif has also discussed the situation with Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt Gen Akhtar Nawaz. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), army doctors and ...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has cancelled his London visit in view of heavy rains and floods in the country. On his return home from Qatar, he will chair a meeting regarding flood situation and relief activities. All the relevant departments including National Disaster Management Authority will brief the Prime Minister about the steps taken for rescue and relief of flood affected people. The Prime Minister had to leave for London from Qatar due to the ailment of his granddaughter who is under treatment at the British capital. In view of the flood situation, the Prime Minister however decided to immediately return to the country. via Original Source

A court in Islamabad on Thursday accepted the pre-arrest bail application filed by PTI leader Asad Umar in the case of violation of section 144. In his petition, PTI leader had said that he was ready for interrogation by the police in the case. He went on to say he feared that the police would arrest him only to demean and insult him. “When PTI was holding rallies across the country on the call of its Chairman Imran Khan, I was in Lahore,” Asad said, and prayed to the court to accept his bail plea in the case. Earlier, PTI secretary general went to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for the purpose where the court registrar raised objection to the petition, saying the forum of a sessions court was already available to him for seeking bail in the case. via Original Source

Hong Kong National Cricket Team have qualified for the Asia Cup 2022 group stage round after defeating the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by 8 wickets. The Asia Cup 2022, which is the 15th edition of the tournament, is scheduled to be played from August 27 to September 11. The entire tournament is set to be held in United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the hosts Sri Lanka taking on Afghanistan in the opening clash. The tournament was originally set to be played in Sri Lanka but was shifted to United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to the economic and political crisis in the country. The matches of the tournament will be played across two venues, including Dubai International Stadium and Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Notably, the Asia Cup, which was last played in 2018, will be played in the T20 format with 6 teams fighting for the title. The 5 teams that will be fighting for the championship were already confirmed. Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan were the confirmed teams. via O...

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has released a report containing the details of the damage caused by torrential rains and floods in Punjab from June 15 to August 21. The PDMA Punjab report states that heavy downpours submerged 69 schools and seven basic health centres under rainwater. Rains and flash floods unleashed devastations in 555,893 areas in six districts of the province. Rajanpur, DG Khan, Mianwali, Muzaffargarh, Sialkot and Layyah are the most affected areas, according to the PDMA report. The rainwater inundated 201,965 agricultural areas and 12,628 houses under flood water. The PDMA data shows that at least 151 people lost their lives due to floods and rains, 606 people were injured and 341,077 others were displaced. Rain and flood caused death to over two lakh large animals, and 2,586 small animals, while 37 roads and eight bridges were swept away in the water. Flood water also destroyed seven canals. According to the PDMA Punjab report, 20,264 pe...

Former prime minister Imran Khan will appear before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad to seek pre-arrest bail today (Thursday) in a terror case filed against him for threatening Additional Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry during a public rally. Khan will appear in person before the court where ATC judge Raja Jawwad Abbas will hear his plea. The PTI chair had staged a rally in the federal capital on August 20 to express solidarity with his chief of staff Shahbaz Gill after claims of torture in custody. He said that the additional sessions judge who sent Gill into physical remand on the police's request should brace herself for consequences. An FIR was registered against him under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act at the Margalla police station for threatening the judge and other senior officers of the Islamabad Police during the rally. A day after the registration of a case against him, Imran Khan secured transit bail till August 25 from the Islamabad High Court which d...

Government may increase prices of petroleum products by up to Rs20 per litre. On August 15, the government increased the petrol price by Rs6.72 per litre, while slashed diesel price by Rs0.51. The price of petrol was fixed at Rs233.91 per litre, diesel at Rs244.44 per litre, kerosene oil is being sold for Rs199.40 per litre, and the price of light diesel oil is Rs191.75 per litre. The finance division in its statement said that in the wake of fluctuations in petroleum prices in the international market and exchange rate variations, the government had decided to revise the existing prices of petroleum products to pass on the impact to the consumers. On the other hand, Pakistan had assured the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to gradually increase the levy on petroleum products up to Rs50 per litre. A letter of intent had been agreed upon between Pakistan and the IMF. Following the signatures of Governor State Bank of Pakistan Dr. Murtaza Syed and Minister for Finance Miftah ...