Confusing days and dates once again, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Monday tweeted to welcome children back to school after a long coronavirus break, only to delete the post after realising that educational institutions won’t be re-opening until tomorrow.
As per the details, the premier took to Twitter and wrote:
While he deleted the tweet soon after, in a subsequent tweet PM Imran said:
کل سکول واپسی پر ہم لاکھوں بچوں کو خوش آمدید کہیں گے۔ یہ یقینی بنانا کہ ہر بچہ حصولِ علم کیلئےبحفاظت سکول جاسکے، ہماری ترجیح اور اجتماعی ذمہ داری ہے۔ ہم نےسکولوں میں تدریسی سرگرمیوں کو #COVID19 کے حوالےسےصحتِ عامہ کے قواعد سےہم آہنگ بنانے کا بطورِ خاص اہتمام کیا ہے۔#SafeAtSchool
“Tomorrow we will welcome millions of children back to school. It is our priority and collective responsibility to ensure that every child can go to school safely to learn. We have worked to ensure that school operations are aligned with public health safety rules on #COVID19,” he wrote.
This isn’t the first time that the premier, on top of several verbal blunders, has confused the dates.
Earlier this year, he had asked Muslims “to offer special Nuwafil prayers and seek Allah’s blessings and forgiveness on the occasion of Shabe Baraat tonight”, later deleting his tweet when people had told him the night had already been observed a day ago.
Mid-Sha’ban or Shabe Baraat is a holiday observed by Muslim communities on the night between 14 and 15 of the Islamic month of Sha’ban. It is regarded as a night when the fortunes of individuals for the coming year are decided and when Allah forgives sinners.
Twitterati, as usual, had not let go of PM Imran’s faux pas easy.
Following the harrowing Motorway Rape Incident and growing intolerance towards Shias in Sindh, Mahira Khan penned a note saying that she stands with the “Shias of my country”, the “women of this country” and “against anything that goes against the basic foundation of this country”.
Addressing Prime Minister Imran Khan, Mahira said: “We all want answers. Answers for women being raped, for those in power victim shaming, for minorities being called kaafir.”
Besides Mahira, several other celebrities including Feroze Khan, Imran Abbas and Farhan Saeed have urged PM Imran to take strict action and make an example out of those involved in the motorway gang-rape.
I don’t believe you ! I have faith in @ImranKhanPTI and I understand the dirty politics that’s being done behind him …. HE WILL AND HE CAN DO IT ! https://t.co/59SMFvtBgc
– I will always count on your statement that Pakistan will be “Riasat e Madina” and if you don’t hang these monsters raping and killing children and women in the open nothing can ever be changed … just make one example. Public execution is what I demand @ImranKhanPTI
– I have major hope in you … this is the time you can do it please I beg you it’s the little that needs attention the big will all fall in place it self. Please help the voiceless please help the weak please kill the monsters @ImranKhanPTI
Meanwhile, Asim Azhar told PM Khan that he’s “afraid our country is coming to a point where being from a particular sect can end your life.”
I’m afraid tweeting this could make me a target for them too maybe but at least I want to let you know – this is not the Pakistan that Quaid founded. I’m scared not just for Shias but for every person I know that belongs to a background that triggers the extremists. @ImranKhanPTI
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, who had until a few years earlier been strongly against dual nationals holding public offices, has now rejected criticism against his own team members holding dual nationalities, which has led to people calling it “another U-turn”.
“I don’t know why people say that dual nationals cannot get any public office and cannot become a minister and why they [people] move courts every other day,” Dawn quoted Imran as saying while launching the Roshan Pakistan Digital Account (RPDA).
وزیرِ اعظم عمران خان کا روشن ڈیجیٹل اکاؤنٹ کی افتتاحی تقریب سے خطاب
RPDA will provide innovative banking solutions to millions of non-resident Pakistanis seeking to undertake fund transfers, bill payments and investment activities in Pakistan.
Expressing displeasure over criticism of dual nationals holding public office, the premier stressed the need for tapping what he called “resource pool” of Pakistani experts and professionals living abroad for uplifting of the country.
“We do not have a bigger asset than that [overseas Pakistanis]. The best minds, professionals and entrepreneurs are outside the country. When we will create [conducive] conditions in the country, this big resource pool can return to the country,” he said, adding that when he established Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital, it created an opportunity for overseas Pakistani experts and they returned to run the hospital.
His statements, however, were not very well received by Twitterati, who pointed out that Imran, back in opposition days, himself was strictly against the practice of handing public offices to dual nationals.
Here’s what they had to say:
“I don’t know why people say that dual nationals cannot get any public office and cannot become a minister and why they [people] move courts every other day.” – Imran Khan yesterdayhttps://t.co/BMoZWobrSZAlso Imran Khan: pic.twitter.com/BvBxcbdoUQ
Wow @ImranKhanPTI doesn’t feel embarrassed asking this question! “I don’t know why people say that dual nationals cannot get any public office and cannot become a minister and why they [people] move courts every other day,” the prime minister said. https://t.co/2nWyUAT5ZS
@ImranKhanPTI stance on dual nationals now and after.
It is unfortunate, this man has no values, principles. He vehemently campaigned against dual nationals and now questions those who don’t support dual nationals in the parliament. pic.twitter.com/IG3xZYlOwJ
The premier and members of his cabinet holding dual nationality recently came under severe criticism when the assets and status of dual nationality of all non-elected cabinet members — special assistants to the prime minister (SAPM) and advisers — were made public.
SAPM on Digital Pakistan Tania Aidrus resigned from her post due to the criticism levelled against her and the government because of her dual citizenship. In a tweet, Aidrus, who also holds Canadian nationality, had said, “Criticism levied towards the state as a consequence of my citizenship status is clouding the purpose of Digital Pakistan.”
Criticism levied towards the state as a consequence of my citizenship status is clouding the purpose of Digital Pakistan. In the greater public interest, I have submitted my resignation from the SAPM role. I will continue to serve my country and the PM’s vision to my best ability pic.twitter.com/BWBvBvO6uz
Ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) key coalition partners, the Chaudhrys of Gujarat, are being audited by Pakistani authorities to see if they own any assets in the United Kingdom and the British Virgin Islands (BVI).
According to sources, the Pakistani government, in a move being considered “backstabbing”, is making extensive inquiries into the potential assets owned directly or indirectly by Pervaiz Elahi, Chaudhary Shujaat, Moonis Elahi or any of their family members.
The authorities have sent at least two requests to the British government seeking assistance in the pursuit of the alleged assets but the search has not yet yielded positive results, reports said.
The first request to the UK government’s Home Office was made by the federal government around two years ago, soon after the PTI and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) entered into a coalition. The request was on behalf of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
A similar letter seeking to trace Moonis’ alleged assets was also sent to the BVI. Both the Home Office and the BVI had informed Pakistani officials that they were unable to trace the assets.
Sources say a new request – not initiated by NAB – was sent in recent months to find out if Moonis, his father, his uncle or other family members own any assets in the UK.
The trace is based on suspicions that Moonis owns assets in the UK and possibly elsewhere too, but nothing has been identified so far.
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) had written in April 2013 that Moonis was a shareholder of a BVI offshore company called Olive Grove Assets Ltd and that this company was set up with the help of the UBS Switzerland AG.
Pervaiz Elahi’s son created the offshore structure in 2006 in the BVI but no asset has ever been linked with the aforementioned offshore company yet, claimed the ICIJ.
“All of my assets and investments have been duly declared in my tax returns. Yes, we are their coalition partners. If this is happening, I am not surprised. After a failed attempt to marginalise and persecute the opposition, they have decided to target their allies,” Moonis said while speaking to a private media outlet.
The 55th Defence Day was observed on Sunday to commemorate the sacrifices of fallen heroes during the 1965 war with India and to renew the pledge to safeguard the country’s geographical and ideological boundaries in every situation and at all costs.
The day commenced with special prayers in mosques for the peace, prosperity and solidarity of the country and to pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for the protection of their motherland.
The main ceremony was held in the morning at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, according to Radio Pakistan, where Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa laid a floral wreath at the Martyrs Monument.
A change of guards was also held at the Quaid’s mausoleum with Air Vice Marshal Shakeel Ghazanfar as the chief guest of the ceremony. A contingent of 46 cadets of the Pakistan Air Force Asghar Khan Academy took over guard duties.
A ceremony was also held at the Naval Headquarters in Islamabad, Radio Pakistan reported.
In his message to the countrymen on Defence Day, President Arif Alvi said that Pakistan would never compromise on its sovereignty and security, making it clear that any kind of misadventure by the enemy would be dealt with severely.
“It makes me happy to state that we have achieved self-reliance in the defence field […] We have thwarted external aggression; we have successfully defeated terrorism and extremism, and now we are on the path towards economic prosperity.”
He said the day was a reminder of the spirit and valour of Pakistan’s armed forces and the nation through which they thwarted the evil designs of the enemy on this day, 55 years ago.
The president said the nation saluted the martyrs as well as their families for their fortitude as they set a great example of patriotism by sacrificing their loved ones for defence of the country.
“The spirit of September 1965 still lives in our hearts and I can proudly say that because of this, we have been successful in many testing times. Our armed forces’ professional excellence, combat readiness, and above all their unwavering faith in Allah has made Pakistan invincible,” he added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan said that Pakistan’s desire for peace must not be misconstrued as its weakness, adding that the country’s armed forces were “fully capable” of defending the country.
The resilient nation and the battle hardened Armed Forces of Pakistan have time and again proved that they are fully capable of defending the country and are fully prepared to meet any kind of eventuality.
“The resilient nation and the battle-hardened armed forces of Pakistan have time and again proved that they are fully capable of defending the country and are fully prepared to meet any kind of eventuality,” the premier said in a series of tweets.
In his message, the premier honoured the fallen heroes of the war, saying that 55 years ago, the nation and the men in uniform “proved that it is not the size that matters, but it is the courage and devotion that matters the most”.
The nation and the men in uniform proved that it is not the size that matters, but it is the courage and devotion that matters the most.
“September 6 is a day in Pakistan’s glorious history that is commemorated as a symbol of courage, strong will and unmatched spirit of sacrifice by our gallant armed forces.”
The nation and the men in uniform proved that it is not the size that matters, but it is the courage and devotion that matters the most.
Later, during an investiture ceremony held at the army’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on the occasion of the 55th Defence Day, the army chief conferred military awards to army personnel for acts of gallantry during various operations.
“Families of shuhada/ghazis, senior serving military officers/soldiers also attended the ceremony,” according to a press release by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The military’s media wing said 40 officers were awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Military), 24 officers and soldiers were awarded Tamgha-e-Bisalat and a soldier was awarded the United Nations Medal.
The medals of the martyred were received by their family members.
Addressing the gathering, the army chief said that Pakistan faced great trials over the last 20 years with war on the eastern and western fronts. He said that the country also faced natural disasters, such as floods and earthquakes, and the war on terror.
General Bajwa said that thousands of people got displaced and many sacrificed their lives. He also noted that the country successfully fought against coronavirus and the locust attack.
Lieutenant General (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa has categorically rebutted all corruption allegations levelled against him and resigned from the post of special assistant to prime minister on information and broadcasting, however, he will continue to remain the chairman of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority.
Defending the businesses and enterprises owned by his brothers in countries abroad, he said that shameless allegations were levelled against him to tarnish his image.
Lt Gen Bajwa, in rejoinder to a story published on an “unknown website”, lamented that the allegations were “false and incorrect”. He insisted that on the date of filing of his declaration, i.e. June 22, 2020, his spouse was no longer an investor or shareholder in any business of his brothers.
“My wife had disinvested all her interests as at 01.06.2020 in any entity abroad and such fact has been duly documented in the official records in the USA. It may be pointed out that the company registered in the SECP [Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan] in Pakistan was Liaison Office of the companies in the USA,” he maintained.
About the investments abroad, Lt Gen Bajwa said that since 2002 till June 1, 2020 his wife had only invested $19,492 in his brothers’ companies. He said that all investments came from his savings over the last 18 years, and no regulations of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) have been broken.
Concerning the alleged investment of businesses in the pizza chain Papa John’s in the US and DQ, UAE, Lt Gen Bajwa said that facts and figures were fully documented.
He insisted that Bajco Global Management, LLC did not have any ownership interest in any Papa John’s in the USA, DQ, UAE or any real estate.
“The author further makes a false claim that Bajco owns 99 companies. The author has listed many companies multiple times on his list. There is a total of 27 active companies in the US and two in the UAE,” he said.
“For eighteen years, the actual out of pocket cash investment into the said businesses by my brothers and wife has been about US$73,950/-. It is further pointed out that out of US $73,950/-, my wife’s contribution, as stated aforesaid, is US$19,492/-. Thus, the total out of pocket cash contribution of my five brothers, for eighteen years, has been US$54,458/-,” Lt Gen Bajwa added.
He added that the cash contributions of $54,458 by his five brothers were fully accounted for and traceable to their sources. He further said that apart from his five brothers and his wife, the businesses have at least 50 other investors. He maintained that any further investments were a result of profits generated from the business, while also mentioning the various qualifications of his five brothers as a source of income.
“One question that may be underscored is whether three persons who have worked in the US up to the positions of a Vice President in a US Bank, a Controller in a restaurant operating company, and as an operating partner of a restaurant; and two persons having worked as doctors, would not be able to save US$54,458/-,” argued Lt Gen Bajwa.
Responding to the allegations made about businesses of his children, he said that the company Scion Builders and Estates (Pvt.) Ltd owned by his sons and registered in the SECP had never done any business and same is dormant since inception. He said the same about other businesses owned by his sons, namely Advance Marketing (Pvt.) Ltd, Scion Natura LLC, and Mochi Cordwainers.
Regarding an allegation about a house owned by his son’s Scion Management Group LLC, he asserted that the house was only 31,000 and had been bought by his sons through their independent resources in “cheap foreclosure proceedings”.
“Baseless allegations have been levelled that a business entity of my two brothers by the name of Silkline Enterprises (Pvt.) Ltd has been formed to acquire CPEC contracts. It may be stated that this company has never acquired any CPEC contract. This company is in Rahim Yar Khan and has only provided labour/human resources to industries in Rahim Yar Khan region,” he added.
He said that one of his sons owns a house in the USA but it has been acquired through a mortgage in the manner that 80 per cent of loan/mortgage remains unpaid.
“This again is a small time-house. All my sons are above 18 years and none are my dependents. Masha’Allah their ages are 33, 32 and 27 years respectively. It shall be noted that my sons completed their business degrees from reputable universities in the United States and have had well-paying jobs,” concluded the retired general.
On August 27, a website known as Fact Focus published a story, claiming that Lt Gen Bajwa’s family had set up 99 companies in four countries, including a pizza franchise with 133 restaurants.
The website further claimed that Lt Gen (r) Bajwa’s wife was a “shareholder” in at least 86 companies. Of them, 71 were set up in the US, seven in the UAE and four in Canada.
The rebuttal followed the statement of Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz, who had earlier this week said that Bajwa will soon be issuing a clarification on the news report.
میری عاصم باجوہ صاحب سے ابھی بات ھوئی ھے ۔ وھ تفصیل سے چند دنوں میں اپنے اثاثوں کے متعلق خبروں کی وضاحت کریں گے
Prime Minister Imran Khan announced on Thursday that he has asked the Interior Ministry to speed up the tabling of an anti-torture bill for Pakistan in the lower house of the Parliament.
Taking to Twitter, PM Imran said that torture was “unacceptable in a civilised democratic society”. He also said that torture goes against the spirit of Islam, the Constitution and Pakistan’s international legal commitments.
“I have asked Interior Ministry to expedite tabling our anti torture bill in National Assembly. Torture is unacceptable in a civilised democratic society & goes against the spirit of Islam, our constitution & our international legal commitments,” tweeted PM Imran.
I have asked Interior Ministry to expedite tabling our anti torture bill in National Assembly. Torture is unacceptable in a civilised democratic society & goes against the spirit of Islam, our constitution & our international legal commitments.
In January this year, the Ministry of Human Rights said it would present a bill against torture.
Human rights minister Dr Shireen Mazari had expressed the federal government’s commitment to making the police citizen-centric and gender-sensitive by resolving legislative, infrastructural and attitudinal challenges of the police.
She had also committed to depoliticise the police by introducing a merit-based system and a modern police law replacing the 157-year-old colonial law of 1861.
In what has been termed a “landmark decision” by Federal Minister for Science & Technology Fawad Chaudhry, the federal cabinet has approved the first-ever licence for the Science & Tech Ministry and Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) to use hemp — cannabis plant — for industrial and medical purposes.
After the approval, confiscated drugs will no longer be destroyed and instead be used to make medicines, reports said.
The development was confirmed by Fawad, who took to Twitter and wrote:
Cabinet has approved first License for @MinistryofST and PCSIR for industrial and medical use of Hemp, landmark decision ll place Pakistan in billions of USD CBD market…..
The federal cabinet’s decision comes months after it was reported that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan wanted the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) to stop burning charas [hashish form of cannabis] and other seized drugs, and instead set up a factory where they can be utilised to make medicines.
In a video doing rounds over the internet in February, Narcotics Control Minister Shehryar Afridi could be heard as saying that his department was working to set up a factory on the premier’s orders. This factory would manufacture medicines solely from seized drugs, thousands of kilogrammes of which are set ablaze every year at a drug-burning ceremony held by the ANF.
“We are setting up a factory… we burn a huge cache of heroin, charas and afeem [opium] every year, but other countries use them to make medicines. Now, on PM Imran Khan’s instructions, a factory will be established in Tirah [Valley] so that lives of locals can be improved,” he had said.
According to research conducted by many reliable sources over the years, cannabis, marijuana or hashish has long been known to provide pain relief from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, nausea, and can also minimise some symptoms of glaucoma and Crohn’s disease.
Similarly, a study at Hannover Medical School found that opiate addicts — usually people addicted to painkillers like Vicodin, Percocet, Oxycontin, or Demerol — were able to better kick their opiate addiction after taking small dosages of heroin.
As many as 19 people died in various rain-related incidents in the port city on Thursday, taking the tally of deaths during the three-day monsoon spell in the city to 30.
While blame games continue as authorities hesitate to take responsibility for the lack of monsoon infrastructure in the country’s largest city, the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) wants all stakeholders to contribute in ameliorating the situation instead of politicising a “pure natural disaster”.
As of yesterday Sindh had seen its worst monsoons in 90years. Today super monsoon torrential rains & floods continue unabated. Please keep all those in your thoughts who have already been working 24/7 to assist citizens during this record breaking unprecedented natural disaster.
Meteorological officials said downpours in August have shattered the 89-year-old record for the city. Some 484mm (19 inches) of rain has fallen this month so far, 130mm on Thursday alone, they said.
According to data released by the Met Office, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Faisal Base recorded 130 millimetres of rain while Nazimabad has recorded 105.6mm since Thursday morning. Mausamiyat received 74.3mm of rain, while Saadi Town recorded 72mm. About 98.5mm of rain was recorded in PAF Masroor Base, Surjani received 73mm while Kemari recorded 82.5mm.
Many major arteries witnessed severe traffic jams. Power was suspended in several areas as a precautionary measure, a K-Electric spokesperson said.
Karachi Commissioner Muhammad Suhail Rajput urged people not to leave their homes during the spell which, according to a Met Office prediction, is expected to continue for another two days.
Videos and photos making rounds on social media showed submerged cars and motorcycles and water entering houses and buildings, wreaking havoc in the provincial capital.
PPP is running Sindh & thus Karachi for the past 12 years; Bilwal needs to focus to understand & resolve Karachi’s problems before saying a single word about any other issue – this is where test of his intelligence & leadership rests; Karachi can make him “National Leader” pic.twitter.com/x17U3hmQM2
Containers that were put for security purpose on MA Jinnah Road #Karachi for upcoming processions going for a swim. Uncontrollable and dangerous for cars, pedestrians already stuck on the roads. pic.twitter.com/zRkkaWpUVt
Scores of social media users, including Federal Minister Ali Zaidi, posted videos and pictures showing Defence Housing Authority flooded with rainwater after heavy showers pounded the city for hours.
“This is DHA KHI,” Zaidi wrote on Twitter, adding, “Bang in front of my house- which is now partly flooded- but many homes in the neighborhood are under 4 feet of water”.
This is DHA Phase 6 Karachi. What is happening in the low lying areas of KHI today is devastating yet once again. Testing times for Karachiites yet again! No doubt Allah tests those he loves the most.#KarachiRain#KarachiSinks#RainEmergencypic.twitter.com/MEBgRxWMCs
“May Allah have mercy on those who live in low lying areas of this city,” he said in another tweet.
“This is DHA Phase 6 Karachi. What is happening in the low-lying areas of KHI today is devastating yet once again. Testing times for Karachiites yet again! No doubt Allah tests those He loves the most,” he said in another tweet.
Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, in a tweet, said that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan is monitoring the situation that has arisen in Karachi due to the torrential rains.
Briefed PM @ImranKhanPTI over Sindh rain situation, Karachi needs special attention. This is unusual and abnormal rain situation which requires emergency response. PM is monitoring the situation and assured to take any action required.
“Briefed PM Imran Khan over Sindh rain situation, Karachi needs special attention. This is an unusual and abnormal rain situation which requires an emergency response. PM is monitoring the situation and assured to take any action required,” tweeted Ismail.
The premier himself has also tweeted over the disastrous situation in the port city.
Have directed Chairman NDMA to immediately not only rescue stranded ppl, but also provide emergency medical assistance, food & shelter to all those in need. I have also asked NDMA Chairman to ensure restoration of utilities on an emergency basis.
In a subsequent tweet, he said that a plan for a permanent solution to the problems facing the people of Karachi will also soon be announced.
RELIEF, RESCUE OPERATION CONTINUES:
In a statement, the military’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that many areas were inundated and people stranded due to heavy rains in various parts of Sindh.
An Army Flood Emergency Control Centre has been established in Karachi for assisting flood victims while a medical camp has been set up at the district centre of Gulberg, Liaquatabad and New Karachi for providing necessary medical care, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
It said the dewatering of more than 36 sites in Karachi had been completed while cooked meals covering 10,000 people had been distributed among flood victims in various areas.
The following telephone numbers can be contacted for immediate assistance by the army:
• 021-34491082
• 021-99247267
• 021-99207795
Meanwhile, army engineers completed the enhancement of the bund along M9 near the Northern Bypass to avoid flooding.
Army troops also filled a breach in the Malir River near Quaidabad, according to the ISPR. “Pakistan Army engineer boats are busy shifting people to safer places,” the statement said.
A relief and medical camp has also been established in Latifabad area of Hyderabad. Food was provided to the affected population while army engineers were busy in dewatering various areas, it added.
According to the ISPR, army troops “have been forwardly placed at Dadu for any eventuality and spillover at Nai Gaj Dam”.
The banks of Puran Nullah in tehsil Jhudo of Mirpurkhas district had been damaged due to heavy rains, as a result of which water entered the nearest five villages. However, the breach was plugged with the combined efforts of army troops and civil administration to stop the flow of water to these areas, the ISPR said.
The statement came a day after the army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, directed Karachi crops to step up flood relief operations.
#COAS directed karachi Corps to step up flood relief operations to assist affected people due to recent rains in interior Sindh and #Karachi. “Troops must reach out to affected population in distress and extend all necessary care”, COAS.
Meanwhile, the personnel of Pakistan Rangers Sindh continued the relief and rescue operation in the rain-affected areas of Karachi in a coordinated manner.
According to the Rangers spokesperson, the Rangers constituted separate teams for relief and rescue work to carry out the operation in a faster manner while reserve teams were also present in various areas to deal with any kind of emergency.
Rations were also being distributed in the areas where food supply is low with the help of philanthropists.
Rangers asked the people to contact Rangers helpline 1101, Rangers check post or WhatsApp number 0347-9001111 for immediate assistance regarding rescue or relief.
Pakistan Navy’s rescue and relief operation also continued in various parts of the city during heavy spell of rain.
Pakistan Navy Emergency Response and rescue teams evacuated stranded people to safer places and recovered bodies being washed away in flash flood, a Pakistan Navy press release said.
In assistance to civil administration, Pakistan Navy Emergency Response teams along with boats and requisite life-saving equipment were deployed in different areas of the city, including Diamond City Malir, Shah Faisal Town, Korangi Crossing, Sammo goth and Bahria Town Karachi.
During search and rescue operations, Pakistan Navy divers recovered two dead bodies from Shah Faisal Town and Korangi crossing areas while 55 individuals were evacuated from flooded areas of Malir and Korangi crossing. Besides, Rescue teams have also evacuated 20 families stranded in Sammo Goth and shifted them to safe place.
Pakistan Navy’s helicopter conducted aerial recce of Korangi crossing, Quaidabad (Malir nadi), and Goth Shafi Muhammad while aerial recce with the help of a quadcopter was also carried out in Saddar Town in support of relief operations to localise individuals requiring assistance. Additionally, ration bags and cooked meal was also dropped at various areas.
FLIGHT SCHEDULE DISRUPTED:
Meanwhile, the flight schedule was disrupted at Jinnah International Airport Karachi due to rough weather and heavy rainfall. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced the suspension of a number of its flights on Thursday due to torrential rains in the port city.
A Lahore-bound private airline flight-522 and Islamabad bound PK-368 flight have been delayed, said the CAA spokesperson.
Moreover, Karachi to Faisalabad flight PK-540 and Lahore-bound Pakistan International Airline (PIA) flight PK-304 have also been delayed.
NETWORK OUTAGES AMID POWER BREAKDOWN:
The national telecom regulator informed on Friday that cellular services in the city were not blocked and outages faced by users were due to the prolonged power breakdown.
Speaking to Geo, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) spokesperson Khurram Mehran said, “Due to prolonged power failure in the city, many towers are out of service and their generators are shut because there’s no fuel to power them.”
Mehran said the blockages have nothing to do with Muharram security, as was being speculated in some circles.
The power utility, K-Electric, meanwhile claimed that its teams were working to the best of their ability to deal with the current circumstances and restore electricity with limited available resources.
Many KE vehicles got stuck in flooded roads and streets across the city. Also, our staff is working in long shifts because relievers were unable to make into service centers due to water logging. 2/3
“Many KE vehicles got stuck in flooded roads and streets across the city. Also, our staff is working in long shifts because relievers were unable to make it to service centers due to water logging,” the company said in a statement issued earlier today.
KE therefore warned that restoration work may take longer than expected time as the situation remains ‘difficult’.
HUB DAM FILLS TO MAXIMUM CAPACITY:
The water level in Hub Dam, which supplies water to Karachi and meets the water needs of several areas in Balochistan, crossed the 339-foot mark yesterday and filled to its maximum capacity for the first time in 13 years.
The water level in the dam had risen due to the recent spell of torrential rains in Karachi and Sindh and the dam has now begun to flow out from the spillways into the sea near Mubarak Village.
The WAPDA administration had earlier closed the Hub Dam to visitors in view of health hazards. However, residents of the settlements around the dam, residents of the Hub Dam Residential Colony, Karachi residents and others arrived in large numbers in the spillway area to witness the streams overflowing, which look much like waterfalls.
In the catchment area of Hub Dam, which stretches up to the mountain range of Balochistan, the water level has risen by more than 9 feet in three days.
The Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has borrowed more money in two years than all loans taken by former PM Nawaz Sharif’s governments over 25 years in all three tenures, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Shehbaz Sharif has claimed.
The statement came as senior leaders of the PML-N, at a press conference in Islamabad, took turns to criticise the government’s performance in different areas, while presenting a white paper titled “Destruction of National Power” on the PTI’s two-year rule.
They accused the government of having ruined the country’s economy through its incompetence and pro-elite policies, saying the ruling party had promised a new Pakistan but the people today were yearning for “old Pakistan”.
According to Dawn, the criticism began with PML-N president and opposition leader, Shehbaz Sharif, lashing out at the premier, saying it did not know the basics of governance and did not care about issues facing the masses.
“When we talk about the tabdeeli sarkar [regime of change], we don’t find anything to acknowledge but sadness and pain in the past two years,” he said, adding that inflation caused due to the government’s policies had brought the common man “to the brink of destruction”.
In contrast, he claimed, the PML-N during its tenure under Nawaz’s leadership carried out “historic development” and completed projects at a fast pace that resulted in prosperity.
He said the incumbent government had “ridiculed” the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and levelled allegations against the PML-N. “But not a penny’s worth of corruption could be proven. Their plans backfired,” Shehbaz added.
He said the PTI had failed to prove corruption in any of the projects started by Nawaz despite its “incessant propaganda”.
Today, he said, sugar was being sold at above Rs100 per kilogramme and was being imported, even though previously the government had allowed its exports to benefit certain persons.
He noted that it was the “first time in the country’s 72-year history” that there was a shortage of wheat even though the harvesting season had not yet ended, while a minister was wondering where the millions of tonnes of wheat collected by the government went. “Who is he asking? They should know where it went [and was] smuggled to,” Shehbaz said.
He also said the government had given the public the “biggest shock” by raising petroleum prices even though international prices were very low, and it raised electricity prices to control circular debt but the prices were “touching the sky”, beyond the reach of the common man.
“Enough electricity exists in the country but load-shedding is still ongoing due to this government’s worst incompetence,” the PML-N president alleged.
Shehbaz also said the government had devalued the rupee by 40 per cent but in spite of this, no substantial rise in exports was seen. He further said it was the second time in Pakistan’s history that GDP growth had gone negative, to -0.4pc.
Khawaja Asif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also criticised the government for its “failure” on the foreign policy front and over energy sector losses.
