Daily News Pakistan

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...

Sindh government has announced free of charge medical facility for the flood-affected people at Dow Medical University Hospital in Karachi. This was stated in a news release issued from Commissioner Karachi office on Monday. In Sindh, so far 349 people have been killed by floods with over 170,000 houses destroyed and crops spanning 2,800,000 acres were severally damaged. Pakistan Army has joined the national and provincial authorities in responding to the floods and COAS on visited the areas which has been hit heavily by the rains.

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.  

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.

Pope Francis on Sunday called on the international community to help flood-hit Pakistan. According to international media, his comments came as he visited the city of L'Aquila in central Italy, which was hit by an earthquake that killed more than 300 people in 2009. The 85-year-old pope praised the people of L'Aquila's "resilience" and "dignity". Pope Francis, who used a wheelchair during the visit, was due to return to the Vatican early this afternoon. He will chair a meeting with cardinals from around the world on Monday and Tuesday, where they will discuss the future of the Catholic Church.

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

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.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif during a visit to Sujawal district of Sindh on Saturday expressed the resolve to overcome flood related issues with collective efforts. He made the remarks during a visit to Sujawal district of Sindh on Saturday where representatives of concerned departments briefed him about the devastation caused by the calamity. The Prime Minister said the entire country is badly affected with flash floods due to incessant monsoon rains. He said the heavy downpours in the season has caused human losses, damaged road and infrastructure across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan. He said a collective policy will be framed in collaboration with the provinces for the relief and rehabilitation of flood affected people. On the occasion, Shehbaz Sharif also appreciated the efforts of the Chief Minister Sindh, administration and the armed forces for their rescue and relief operations in these areas. Later, talking to the affected people, the P...

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...

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. 

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 ...

Flooding in Afghanistan this month has killed more than 180 people as torrential rains wrought widespread devastation in central and eastern provinces. As per international media reports, 182 people had been killed and 250 injured. More than 3,100 houses were destroyed and thousands of livestock were killed, exacerbating the country’s economic and humanitarian crisis. Afghanistan has been reeling from natural disasters this year, including drought and an earthquake that killed more than 1,000 people in June. The nation has been largely cut off from the international financial system since the Taliban took more than a year ago. Global humanitarian agencies have provided assistance for months, but have warned they need more access and funding to avoid a humanitarian disaster with thousands left homeless and no access to shelter or clean drinking water. In Khoshi district in central Logar province, aid workers described widespread destruction from the powerful floods in recent days...

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...