KARACHI: The Sindh government has declared Wednesday, August 20, a public holiday after Karachi rains wreaked havoc across the city. Heavy downpours submerged streets, flooded homes, and caused at least 10 deaths in electrocutions, drownings, and wall-collapse incidents. Power cuts hit several areas. Internet and mobile services also went down. Gulshan-e-Hadeed reported the highest rainfall at 170mm, according to the Met Office. Officials advised residents to avoid unnecessary travel. Many people returning from schools and offices were stranded as water rose several feet in low-lying areas, including Malir. The scenes were grim, reminding citizens of the catastrophic 2022 floods. Intermittent…
Author: Web Desk
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has unveiled its central contracts for the 2025–26 season, bringing major changes to player categories. Two of the country’s most prominent cricketers, Mohammad Rizwan and former captain Babar Azam, who were previously placed in Category A, have now been shifted down to Category B. Shan Masood, who was earlier in Category B, has been pushed further down to Category D. According to the announcement made on Tuesday, a total of 30 cricketers have been awarded PCB central contracts for the upcoming season. The new contracts will remain valid from July 1, 2025, until June 30,…
Flash floods and landslides have caused large-scale destruction across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, forcing the Pakistan Army and rescue teams into nonstop operations. Engineers are working day and night to reopen blocked roads and restore access for stranded families in flood-hit districts. The Army Engineers Corps has already cleared the Pir Baba bypass for all types of traffic. Debris in Pir Baba bazaar was also removed overnight to help residents in Buner. The route leading to Gokand village was reopened at three landslide points, while the Aluch–Poran road was restored with heavy machinery. Urban Search and Rescue units, using modern equipment, continue…
The Pakistan Air Force has stepped up its role in relief efforts for flood-hit communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A special aircraft carried 48 tons of aid supplies from Karachi to Peshawar to support those in need. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations, the consignment was transported on an Air Eagle B-737. It included dry food rations and other essential items for families affected by the floods. Officials confirmed that the supplies will be distributed on the ground with the assistance of the National Disaster Management Authority. The Pakistan Air Force has also established an air bridge to improve access to…
The Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore has ruled that the May 9 Incident cannot be classified as a peaceful protest under any global standard. Judge Manzer Ali Gill, in his detailed judgment on the Rahat Bakery case, observed that coordinated assaults were carried out in multiple cities at the same time. He said the targets included government offices, military sites, and monuments connected with the armed forces. The court found evidence that senior leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had played a role in plotting the violent episodes that followed the arrest of party founder Imran Khan. The verdict noted that the attacks…
Pakistan is once again caught unprepared as flash floods wreak havoc in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. At least 325 people have lost their lives, more than 150 remain missing, and hundreds are injured in what has become one of the most destructive monsoons in years. Nationwide, the death toll since late June has climbed to 657. Among the victims are 171 children and 94 women, underscoring the enormous human cost of this repeated failure. The provincial government has announced Rs800 million in aid for affected districts and Rs500 million specifically for Buner, one of the hardest-hit areas. Yet these funds are only a…
ISLAMABAD: The All Parties Conference (APC) called by the Awami National Party (ANP) on Sunday ended in discord after the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) refused to sign the APC declaration, exposing deep cracks in the political landscape. The conference, chaired by ANP President Aimal Wali Khan and joined by representatives of 19 parties, was convened to address worsening law and order, exploitation of resources, and political grievances in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. But when the joint declaration was presented, both PML-N and PPP declined to endorse it, citing clauses they considered against national interest.…
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stressed that the government is giving top priority to building a cashless economy in Pakistan. He said the aim is to shift all financial transactions from cash to a digital system for the benefit of the people and the national economy. Chairing a review meeting in Islamabad on Sunday, the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the steps taken so far towards this goal. He directed that all chief secretaries must fully support the federal government in extending the Raast digital payment system down to district governments. Officials briefed the meeting on progress in promoting…
The Pakistan monsoon floods have unleashed one of the deadliest rainy seasons in recent years, submerging vast regions and devastating communities across the country. Relentless rains, overflowing rivers, and flash floods continue to wreak havoc, claiming lives and displacing thousands. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), at least 657 people have died since June 26. More than 920 others have been injured as downpours triggered house collapses, lightning strikes, and landslides. The Pakistan monsoon floods have affected nearly every province, but Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has emerged as the hardest hit. Remote districts in KP, particularly Buner, have become…
The Pakistan Army relief operation has begun in Tero, a far-flung village in Phander tehsil of Gilgit-Baltistan. The mission was launched on the special directives of Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal General Syed Asim Munir. On Sunday, officials confirmed that a field hospital was established to address the medical needs of the local population. A specialist medical team has also reached the village. The team consists of a paediatrician, a gynaecologist, a medical specialist, and a general duty officer. The Pakistan Army relief operation became necessary after heavy floods destroyed road access, leaving the residents cut off from medical…
