Tag: Balochistan

  • PM Khan, CM Buzdar, Babar Azam and others extend prayers after powerful quake jolts Balochistan

    PM Khan, CM Buzdar, Babar Azam and others extend prayers after powerful quake jolts Balochistan

    Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar, captain of Pakistan cricket team Babar Azam along with other cricketers and politicians have extended their prayers after a powerful earthquake of 5.9-magnitude hit several cities of Balochistan early Thursday morning.

    Taking to Twitter, PM Khan directed all federal departments to fully assist the Balochistan government in provision of relief to the earthquake victims.

    Prime Minister said the federal government will extend all possible assistance to Balochistan government in this difficult hour.

    CM Buzdar said that he is saddened by the loss of life and property caused by the earthquake in Balochistan.

    “In this hour of sorrow, we stand with our brothers and are ready to assist the Balochistan government in every possible way in rescue activities,” he said in a tweet.

    “Terrible to wake up to this sad news. Prayers with the lovely and brave people of Balochistan. I hope and pray that the situation remains under control with immediate rescue efforts. Stay safe and strong, Balochistan,” said Babar while extending his prayers on Twitter.

    Other cricketers also extended their prayers and wishes on Twitter.

    President Dr Arif Alvi expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of lives in Harnai, Balochistan.

    In a tweet, he condoled with the bereaved families and prayed for the departed souls.

    A strong earthquake in different parts of Balochistan killed at least 20 people and injured more than 300 others.

    According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), most of the deceased are children.

    The quake affected Quetta, Sibi, Harnai, Pishin, Qila Saifullah, Chaman, Ziarat and Zhob in Balochistan. The magnitude of the quake was measured at 5.9 on the Richter scale.

    Meanwhile, Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan shared a helpline number on Twitter for complaints and assistance.

    He also shared the pictures of the rescue mission by the government departments and Pakistan Army.

  • Govt officials directed to set ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ ringtone on phones

    Govt officials directed to set ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ ringtone on phones

    The Balochistan government has directed government officials to set the “Pakistan Zindabad” ringtone on their mobile phones, Geo News reported.

    A statement issued by the Balochistan government stated that it was decided in a meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary that the administrative secretaries, additional secretaries, deputy secretaries and heads of relevant institutions should set the ringtone of “Pakistan Zindabad” on their mobile phones networks.

    The notification also added the procedure to set the caller tune for different mobile networks.

  • 10 children sexually abused in Pakistan every day from Jan to June: report

    10 children sexually abused in Pakistan every day from Jan to June: report

    More than 10 children were the victims of sexual abuse on average every day between January and June, a report by child protection organisation Sahil says.

    The report titled “Six Months Cruel Numbers 2021”, states that the average number of children subjected to abuse has increased by two children per day in comparison with the last year’s first six months’ report.

    “This year, 81 daily national and regional newspapers were monitored during January-June 2021 to collect data on child sexual abuse, abduction, missing children, and the cases of early forced marriages,” stated the report.

    The data used in the report is collected from all four provinces of Pakistan including Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), besides Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit Baltistan (GB). The report revealed that a total of 1,896 cases of child abuse were reported in the period.

    Of these, 1,084 cases were of sexual abuse against children, 523 were cases of abduction, 238 cases of missing children, and 51 cases of child marriages.

    The report further states that 53% (1,013) of the victims were girls and (883) 47% were boys.

    It revealed that “children from the age group 6-15 are most vulnerable to abuse”.

    As many as 640 children from 11 to 15 years and 409 children from the age bracket 6-10 were subjected to different types of abuse during the last six months, the report added.

    According to the report, in 1,045 cases, the abusers were acquaintances, while they were strangers in 430 cases, relatives in 49 cases, female accomplices in 47 cases, seminary/school teachers in 38 cases, neighbours in 37 cases, and family members in 32 cases.

    In addition to this, the data showed that 60% of the total cases were reported from Punjab and 6% from the ICT.

    The rest of the cases were reported from other provinces — 26% from Sindh, 5% from KPK, and 3% from Balochistan, and AJK & GB.

    Of the total cases, 58% were reported from rural areas and 42% cases from urban areas.

    Sahil has been working since 1996 on child protection, especially against child sexual abuse (CSA).

    Sahil aims to develop a society and environment where every child should be safe, secure, and protected from abuse, especially from sexual abuse.

  • Jinnah’s statue blown up in Gawadar, Balochistan Republican Army takes responsibility

    A statue of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah installed along Gawadar’s Marine Drive has blown up by the militants, BBC Urdu reported.

    Talking to BBC Urdu, DPO Gawadar, Dr Farhan, said that the statue was blown into pieces on Sunday morning around 9:20 am in morning.

    The outlawed Balochistan Republican Army has claimed the responsibility for the attack.

    Gawadar Deputy Commissioner Major Retired Abdul Kabeer said militants who attacked the statue had posed as tourists to get access to the area.

    He said an investigation is underway, though no arrests have been made so far.

    The statue was fitted in a high-security zone near the residence of the General Officer Commanding (GOC) and the office of the Deputy Inspector General in June 2021.

    DC Gawadar said militants had placed an improvised explosive device at the site. Some reports say that a hand grenade had been thrown at the statue.

    Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan has strongly condemned the attack.

    The chief minister said that terrorists would not be allowed to disrupt the peace of the province. He ordered the concerned authorities to instantly arrest the perpetrators of the attack.

    Social media users condemned the act and questioned the security in Gawadar.

    https://twitter.com/SobdarBaloch_/status/1442057738176004104?s=20
  • PTI leads in Cantonment Board polls, PML-N in second place

    PTI leads in Cantonment Board polls, PML-N in second place

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emerged as the biggest winner in the Cantonment Board elections held across Pakistan on Sunday, reports Radio Pakistan.

    According to the unofficial results, PTI got 58 seats, while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) scored 51. Independent candidates claimed 49 seats.

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has managed to win 14 seats and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) got 10 seats. Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) won five seats while Balochistan Awami Party (BNP) got two seats.

    Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry in a tweet said the Cantonment Board election results show that the Opposition has left with no standing following a crushing defeat.

    Reacting to the ruling party’s victory, federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said: “Cantonment elections once again show the PTI not only as the largest party but also the only national party.”

    PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif called party leaders and congratulated them on their success in the cantonment polls.

    Province wise results:

    PTI won the most number of seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) — 18 — followed by 28 in Punjab, 14 in Sindh, and three in Balochistan.

    PML-N won big in Punjab, bagging 51 seats, managing only five in KP, three in Sindh, and none in Balochistan. In Lahore, the PML-N bagged 15 of 19 wards.

    PPP was surprisingly unable to defeat PTI in Sindh, instead of tying with them for 14 seats. The remaining three seats were won in KP, meaning none were won in either Punjab or Balochistan.

    Independent candidates scored big in Punjab, bagging 32 seats. They secured nine in KP, seven in Sindh, and four in Balochistan.

    MQM won all of its 10 seats in Sindh, whereas JI won five in Sindh and two in Punjab.

    ANP won two seats in KP, whereas BAP won two in Balochistan.

  • Maryam Nawaz believes the govt has recognised Israel, as PTI fails to deny reports

    Maryam Nawaz believes the govt has recognised Israel, as PTI fails to deny reports

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday said she believed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has recognised Israel as “it is not presenting a denial” to reports and statements emphasising Pakistan’s reported acceptance of Israel.

    Maryam stressed the government should inform the nation of its decision on Israel. “It’s not your personal decision, it’s something that is linked to 220 million people of Pakistan.”

    Commenting on the Afghanistan situation, the PML-N leader asked the government to bring its own house in order first.

    “Your foreign policy should not alter in view of a changing political landscape. It should not be based on your political standing,” said Maryam, calling for a unified stance on issues.

    Responding to a question on whether the PML-N had entered a deal with the government, Maryam said, “Why do you people call everything a deal. This is an inappropriate question. Why will there be any deal? Are we mad to have a deal with those we are [fighting] against?” she questioned.

    Maryam further added, “PML-N is in the strongest position in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and if free and fair polls are held, then our party will win the election with an overwhelming majority.” She added that people had lost trust in the present system in view of “obvious rigging in the past elections”.

    The PML-N vice-president said the current approach of the government would take Balochistan further away. “I believe grievances of people of the province should be addressed,” she remarked.

    When asked for her point of view on Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s statement that Shehbaz Sharif should generally refrain from making emotional remarks in public and that his [Shehbaz Sharif’s] statement was taken out of context, Maryam replied that she agrees with Khaqan that Shehbaz’s statement was taken out of context.

  • ‘Considering talking to insurgents’: PM Imran

    Prime Minister Imran Khan, while addressing an event in Gwadar, said that he is considering “talking to insurgents” in Balochistan, adding that the government would never have had to worry about the insurgency in the province if attention had been paid to its development.

    “It may be that they had grievances in the old times and may have been used by other countries … India may have used them to spread chaos but the situation [now] is not the same,” added the premier.

    The premier said that he had always thought that when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) came to power, the government would pay attention to Balochistan because when the province progressed and there was peace, Balochistan’s people would “understand that Pakistan is also theirs”. PM said that then the people of Balochistan would say that they should also fight for Pakistan because it thinks of their basic needs and problems.

    PM Imran Khan during his one-day visit to Gwadar inaugurated Gwadar Free Zone, Expo Centre, Agriculture Industrial Park, and three factories.

  • PM Imran Khan to inaugurate important projects in Gwadar today

    PM Imran Khan to inaugurate important projects in Gwadar today

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan will be on a day-long visit to Gwadar today, accompanied by his federal ministers.

    As per reports, PM Khan will inaugurate Gwadar Free Zone, the Expo Centre, Agricultural Industrial Park as well as three factories to boost economic activity in the region.

    Focal Person to the Chief Minister of Punjab on Digital Media, Azhar Mashwani, tweeted that PM is also expected to lay the foundation stone for multiple development projects in the city, which includes water supply projects and a desalination plant. that would solve the problems of Gwadar residents related to water and electricity.

    PM will interact with China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) workforce.

    Through video link, major expressions of investment by the Chinese investors and the ambassadors of Kuwait, Oman, Egypt, Kenya, and Qatar are also expected, according to sources.

    PM’s last visit to Balochistan was in April.

  • Two rare Persian leopards spotted in Balochistan

    Two rare Persian leopards spotted in Balochistan

    A pair of rare Persian leopards sighted in Pakistan for the first time last year have been filmed and photographed in the wild, officials said Friday.

    Sharifuddin Baloch, a senior conservation official in Balochistan province, said the pair were first spotted by rangers on Mount Chaltan in the Hazarganji Wildlife Park six months ago.

    Adult leopards are solitary in the wild and pair only to mate.

    “We equipped our staff with cameras and binoculars to film the pair and take photos,” Baloch said. “This month our staff succeeded.”

    Persian leopards are a panther sub-species native to Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and the Caucasus. They are extremely rare, however, and listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as endangered.

    Fewer than 1,000 are believed to exist in the wild, with another 200 in captivity.

    “We are taking steps to protect the rare species,” Baloch told AFP, adding officials were sharing data with the IUCN.

    Video shot by park officials shows one of the leopards beautifully camouflaged on a rugged, rocky hillside until it stands up and pads away.

    Baloch said there was no previous record of the creature ever being sighted in Pakistan.

    Panthera tilliana is bigger and has a different spot pattern to the more common Indian leopard (panthera fusca) found across Pakistan.

    Pakistan is also home to vulnerable snow leopards (panthera uncia) in the northern Himalayas.

  • Nasa Earth releases satellite images of Hingol National Park

    Nasa Earth releases satellite images of Hingol National Park

    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared satellite images of the Hingol National Park, located 120 miles from Karachi. The image was acquired in February this year.

    Read more – NASA shares picture of snow-covered Himalayan ranges from space

    Nasa Earth observatory describes Hingol Park with its “rocky terrain, mountain caves, and beautiful beaches” as “one of the natural wonders of Pakistan”.

    Hingol spans around 6,200 square kilometres (2,400 square miles) across three districts of the Balochistan Province: Lasbela, Awaran, and Gwadar,.

    The park is named after the Hingol River, which flows through this dry region year-round and is the longest in Balochistan. Before emptying into the Arabian Sea, the Hingol flows into an estuary that supports threatened fish, birds, and crocodiles. It is part of the largest national park for the protection of endangered species in the country. The park is also home to wild Sindh Ibex, Balochistan Urial, and Chinkara Gazelle.

    Located approximately 200 kilometers (120 miles) northwest of Karachi, Hingol National Park features several distinct ecosystems. In the north, it includes an arid subtropical forest, while dry, mountainous terrain covers the western portion.

    In the east, the park is renowned for a group of mud volcanoes that spew methane and mud instead of lava. Along the coast, Hingol includes caves, beaches, and a marine ecological zone that is home to dolphins, sea turtles, and mangroves. The water body in the image above is an ephemeral lake near Sapat Beach.

    The park also holds a significance amount for Hindu community because of the Hinglaj Mata Mandar located there.