Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced on Saturday that the death toll from the devastating floods in Punjab has risen to 30, as authorities continue with extensive rescue operations. “The floods have affected 15,016,603 people [while] more than 481,000 people have been evacuated and shifted to safe locations from the flood-affected areas,” Aurangzeb stated. Several rivers in Punjab, including the Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab, are experiencing increased water flow due to a combination of torrential rains and water released from India. Since late June, more than 840 people have been killed in various flood-related incidents nationwide, which have also caused widespread…
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
When floodwaters from across the Indian border submerged her village in Punjab this month, Shama knew exactly what to do: gather her four children and prepare to leave. It was the second time this year she had to flee, having first abandoned her home in May during cross-border fighting between Pakistan and India. “How many times do we need to evacuate now?” the 30-year-old mother said, as her husband was away using a boat to move their 10 cows to higher ground. “We lost so much during the war, like school days for the children, and now the water is…
In a report submitted to the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Karachi, police have stated that the incident involving Chanesar Town Chairman Farhan Ghani was a “simple quarrel” and no weapons were used. The report claims the complainant, Hafiz Sohail, failed to produce a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the excavation work and could not prove his employment with a government department. The police report also noted that no CCTV footage of the incident was available. Officers informed the court that the complainant had appeared at the police station and had voluntarily withdrawn his case. Based on the complainant’s statement and…
Sindh’s Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has warned that up to 1.6 million people and 1,657 villages could be affected if floodwaters enter the province in the coming days. Speaking to the media on Saturday, Memon confirmed that the provincial government has mobilized its resources and is taking proactive steps to manage the situation. He noted that ministers are on the ground and district administrations are actively involved in the preparations. The minister’s remarks come as large areas of Punjab remain submerged, where at least 30 people have died and over 1.5 million have been impacted by the swelling Sutlej,…
President Asif Ali Zardari has approved a change in the composition of the 11th National Finance Commission (NFC). According to a statement from the President’s Secretariat Press Wing, this change was necessary after the Balochistan government revised its nomination, recommending Mahfooz Ali Khan as its non-ex-officio member for the 11th NFC. “The president accorded approval to this nomination, superseding the earlier approval,” the statement added. Last week, President Zardari officially constituted the 11th NFC to handle critical fiscal matters between the federation and the provinces. The nine-member commission was announced via a notification from the Finance Division on Friday, which…
A police officer was killed and two other officers were wounded in a terrorist attack on Saturday in the Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Kohat Regional Police Officer (RPO) Abbas Majeed Marwat stated that terrorists carried out a “cowardly attack” on police personnel in the Lachi area, which resulted in the martyrdom of Inspector Ashfaq and injuries to two others. In a retaliatory response, three terrorists were also neutralized. Police and law enforcement agencies in the province have long been dealing with a surge in terrorist attacks. Earlier this month, a terrorist attack on a checkpoint in the Bannu district…
When a young reporter went viral for squealing during her “live coverage” from a rocking boat in a flood zone, many people believed BBC Urdu had found its latest and most eccentric correspondent. However, it was soon revealed that Mehrunnisa wasn’t reporting for the British Broadcasting Corporation at all, but for a different outlet called “Bhai Bhai Channel.” Amid the ongoing devastation in Punjab, where multiple rivers including the Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab have experienced increased water flow from heavy rains and releases from India, social media users found a humorous moment in Mehrunnisa’s reporting. The video started with the…
At least 33 people have died and over 2 million have been affected as severe flooding continues to inundate large parts of Punjab, according to Irfan Ali Kathia, Director General of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). Speaking to the media on Sunday, Kathia stated that all three major rivers—the Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab—are experiencing dangerous water levels, and rescue and relief operations are in progress across the province. “Currently, the situation is very precarious… we have received high flows in all three major rivers of Punjab,” he added. As Pakistan deals with unprecedented floods, there are growing concerns over…
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has established a 13-member committee to develop strategies for enhancing Pakistan’s resilience to extreme weather events such as cloudbursts, flash floods, and urban flooding, according to a report by The News on Sunday. The committee, chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, includes key federal ministers, secretaries, experts, and stakeholders from across the country. This move follows the devastation caused by floods and torrential rains in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit Baltistan. Since late June, over 840 people have died in flood-related incidents nationwide, with extensive damage to infrastructure and property.…
A federal minister has taken action against a senior civil servant who reported on a CEO’s misuse of the IMF-mandated State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Act 2023, instead of moving against the CEO who amassed a significant fortune. A confidential letter from the minister to his secretary, dated August 26, has been leaked to the media after The News published its first report on the misuse of the SOEs Act. The letter targets a senior bureaucrat, currently in a higher office, accusing him of “repeated violations” of the SOEs Act and Prime Minister’s Office directives during his previous role as Special Secretary…
