Tag: Top News

  • Climate change hitting home once again with wildfire in forests of Balochistan

    Climate change hitting home once again with wildfire in forests of Balochistan

    A fire has broken out over the weekend in the forests of Sherani and Musakhail, divisions close to the border area of Balochistan, reports Geo.

    This is not the first time that these regions have been caught in a wildfire as last year in May, another fire destroyed a vast cultivation of Chilgoza pine plants spread on almost 30 square kilometer area. The fire lingered on for more than 10 days and took the lives of three people.

    Deputy Commissioner Musakhail Zulfiqar Kirar has employed Levies Force and fireballs to curb the fire in the mountainous forests. As cars can not reach the region, the Levies force is heading the firefighting effort on foot. He further said that inmates of the two houses have been relocated due to the fire. The operation will continue all night while the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) will remain in close coordination with the administration.

    Caretaker Chief Minister Balochistan Ali Mardan Domki has also directed officials to stop the spread of the fire.

  • JUI-F claims that Maulana Fazlur Rehman will be the president of Pakistan

    JUI-F claims that Maulana Fazlur Rehman will be the president of Pakistan

    Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) claimed on Sunday that party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman will become the president of Pakistan whether the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) or Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) win the upcoming elections on February 8 next year.

    Currently, Dr. Arif Alvi is the head of the state under Article 44 of the Constitution, which allows the president to work in the absence of provincial and national assemblies, which were dissolved early this year in January and August, respectively.

    Alvi is the fourth head of state to complete his full term. The previous three presidents who completed their five-year terms were the fifth president Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry (1973–1988), the 11th president Asif Ali Zardari (2008–2013), and the 12th president Mamnoon Hussain (2013–2018).

    In an interview, JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah said that if Fazlur Rehman can be the head of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), then he can also be the president of the country as well.

    Hafiz Hamdullah also criticised PML-N and PPP for “keeping an eye” on Balochistan.  

    “Father-son and father-daughter duos keep an eye on Balochistan’s [politics], let’s see what results it bears [in future],” he said.

  • World Health Organization’s annual report highlights growing threat of malaria due to climate change

    World Health Organization’s annual report highlights growing threat of malaria due to climate change

    World Health Organization (WHO) has released an annual malaria report which includes, for the first time, a dedicated chapter focused on the intersection of the disease with climate change. “We are at the crossroads of opportunities and challenges,” says the report.

    As described in the report, climate change is one of many threats to the global response to malaria. Millions of people continue to miss out on the services they need to prevent, detect, and treat the disease. Conflict and humanitarian crises, resource constraints and biological challenges such as drug and insecticide resistance also continue to hamper progress.

    The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted malaria services, leading to a surge in both incidence and mortality rates, exacerbating already stalled progress against the disease. The world is in danger of losing the fight against malaria, as cases of the disease rose by around 5 million year-on-year in 2022, exceeding global targets to contain it, a new World Health Organization (WHO) report.

    Pandemic-related disruptions and extreme weather events linked to climate change have hindered the fight against malaria in recent years.
    Cases surged in areas where weather was most extreme.

    Floods in Pakistan last year, for example, led to a five-fold increase in malaria cases in the country, the report showed.
    Two new malaria vaccines, both of which are due to be available next year, provide some hope.

    But the report also showed a significant funding gap in the response. While $4.1 billion was invested in the global effort to tackle malaria in 2022, roughly $7.8 billion was needed, it said.

    Globally there were an additional five million malaria cases in 2022 over the previous year and five countries bore the brunt of these increases. Pakistan saw the largest increase, with about 2.6 million cases in 2022 compared to 500 000 in 2021.

  • When will ECP issue schedule of general elections in Pakistan?

    When will ECP issue schedule of general elections in Pakistan?

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) revealed on Friday that the eagerly awaited schedule for the general polls will be issued 54 days before the February 8 elections, as per Geo News.

    The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Sikandar Sultan Raja, said during an informal discussion with journalists that the election body is diligently working on completing all prerequisites for the upcoming polls.

    In June, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government amended Section 57 of the Elections Act, empowering the ECP to set the general election date while defining a timeline of procedures from the announcement of the schedule to the polling day.

    CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja assured that the election schedule, appointment of returning officers (ROs), and district returning officers (DROs) will be announced promptly. He mentioned that updated constituency lists had already been released, and the ECP was proactively handling election-related responsibilities ahead of schedule.

    Despite concerns and speculations in political circles about potential delays in the already postponed polls, the ECP recently issued the final list of delimitation of constituencies for national and provincial assemblies, dismissing reports of possible delays.

    According to the notification issued by the ECP, the National Assembly (NA) has a total of 266 seats; 60 seats are reserved for women and 10 for religious minorities.

    Balochistan has a total of 20 NA seats, including 16 general and four reserved seats for women; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 45 general NA seats and 10 reserved seats for women; Sindh has a total of 75 NA seats, of which 61 are general and the remaining 14 are reserved for women.

    On the other hand, considering population, Punjab is a big province, and it has 141 NA seats, of which 32 are reserved for women. The federal capital has three general NA seats, with no reserved seat for women.

    Article 106 pertains to the constituencies of the four provincial legislatures. According to this article, Balochistan comprises 51 general seats, with 11 reserved for women and three for non-Muslims, making a total of 65 seats.

    In the case of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, there are 115 general seats, along with 26 reserved for women and four for non-Muslims, bringing the total number of seats in the legislature to 145.

  • Elon Musk thinks visiting Gaza “seems a bit dangerous”

    Elon Musk thinks visiting Gaza “seems a bit dangerous”

    Elon Musk was invited by Hamas to witness the destruction in Gaza, in the light of his visit to Israel earlier in the week. The controversial owner of X (former Twitter) responded to the invitation by posting online that it “seems a bit dangerous there right now, but I do believe that a long-term prosperous Gaza is good for all sides.”

    The invitation from senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan came on Tuesday. Hamdan called on Musk, who recently met Israel’s prime minister and president, to also visit Palestine and acquire a more rounded perspective.

    “We invite him to visit Gaza to see the extent of the massacres and destruction committed against the people of Gaza, in compliance with the standards of objectivity and credibility,” Hamdan said in a press conference in Beirut. “Within 50 days, Israel dropped more than 40,000 tonnes of explosives on the homes of defenceless Gazans,” the official added.

    Elon went to Israel and met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Herzog earlier in the week. “It was jarring to see the scene of the massacre,” said Musk later in an X Spaces conversation with Netanyahu, adding Israel has “no choice” but to eliminate Hamas.

    Musk’s Israel visit was roundly criticised by users of his platform, coming on the heels of what was perceived as an anti-Semitic tweet he had posted earlier.

  • Israel knew about Hamas’ October 7 attack, claims New York Times

    Israel knew about Hamas’ October 7 attack, claims New York Times

    A recent report by The New York Times published on November 30 reveals that a blueprint containing the details of the October 7 attack by Hamas was in the knowledge of Israeli officials, however, they dismissed it as aspirational.

    Ronen Bergman and Adam Goldman, both stationed in Tel Aviv, claim to have reviewed the classified 40-page document, code-named ‘Jericho Wall’ by the Israeli authorities.

    The Times team, who reviewed the translated document, stated that it does not point out the exact date for the attack but lays out the detailed methodical assault designed to invade the Israeli region around Gaza. “Hamas followed the blueprint with shocking precision,” reports The New York Times.

    The document was circulated among top intelligence officials in Israel more than a year ago but they deemed it beyond Hamas’ capabilities. The Times team sheds light on the doubtful approach of the Israeli intelligence. “It is not yet possible to determine whether the plan has been fully accepted and how it will be manifested,” read a military assessment reviewed by The Times.

    However, it is not confirmed if Prime Minister Netanyahu saw the document or not.

    The research also explains that a colonel in the Gaza division brushed off the warning made by an analyst who claimed that Hamas conducted military exercises as per the content of Jericho Wall, according to encrypted emails viewed by The Times.

    The article goes on to explain the glaring similarities between the attack by Hamas and the intelligence report of the Jericho Wall.

    While the October seven attack has been dubbed the deadliest attack in Israel’s history and the Israeli military has accepted that they failed to protect their state, it has netizens wondering if the Israeli authorities deliberately let it happen to have an excuse to attack Gaza.

    However, there are some criticising the government of Israel for putting the life of so many at risk and benefitting from the situation to the fullest.

    White House Correspondent for ABC News has informed on Twitter that a senior official at the White House has denied to have any knowledge about the Jericho Wall document.

  • Armed forces ready to defend the motherland from challenges: Gen Asim Munir

    Armed forces ready to defend the motherland from challenges: Gen Asim Munir

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir said on Saturday that the armed forces are ready to face any challenges or threats faced by Pakistan and are fully prepared to respond back to enemies of the country.

    According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the COAS was in Khairpur Tamewali to witness the field exercise of the Bahawalpur Corps.

    “We are cognisant of the challenges and with the support of the nation we are prepared to thwart any nefarious designs of the enemies of Pakistan”, COAS emphasised.

    “Pakistan Army is fully prepared to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan against all odds. Pakistan Armed Forces are focused on defending the frontiers of the motherland against the full spectrum of threats and with the support of the nation, Armed Forces will defeat the enemies of Pakistan, InshaAllah,” said the army chief during his visit. 

    COAS Munir received a briefing on the field exercise, which focuses on advancing professional skills across different levels and refining battlefield procedures to address future challenges in an operational environment.

  • Karachi police identified unknown men who left body of eight-year-old boy outside Karachi hospital

    Karachi police identified unknown men who left body of eight-year-old boy outside Karachi hospital

    Update: Police investigation has revealed new details in the case of an eight-year-old boy left by two unknown men at the Jinnah Hospital, Karachi.

    DIG South Asad Raza said that the cause of the death is a road accident but the postmortem examination has revealed that the boy was raped sometime in the near past. DNA report is awaited to proceed with that, reports Geo.

    The police has obtained more CCTV footage regarding the unfortunate incident and has been able to identify the two men who left the body in the hospital emergency. The procured footage shows that the car hit the boy on Korangi Road and brought his dead body to the Jinnah Hospital.

    The family of the eight-year-old Rawal has refused to take any legal action. They have taken the body to their native city, Lodhran.

    Departmental surgeon Samiya has confirmed that the postmortem of the body has revealed that he was tortured and raped, reports Geo.

    The grey car used in the incident is identified as BMT-868 registered in the name of Ahmed Raza who is a resident of Defence Karachi. The team to arrest the suspects has been established.

    Two men have left the body of a young boy at Jinnah Hospital in Karachi, CCTV footage has shown. The men arrived at the hospital in a grey car, while a dent over the car’s dumper is evident, reports Geo.

    The two men, one dressed in a white shalwar kameez and the other in a green shirt and jeans, were seen bringing in the body and leaving instantly when asked to get an entry slip at the reception.

    The footage has been shared with the police by the hospital administration. The eight-year-old boy has been identified as Rawal Fayaz, a resident of Qayyumabad. He was reportedly missing since morning.

    DG South has ordered the concerned SHO to start an investigation. The owner of the car has been tracked down and a lead is expected in the case shortly.

  • How to find a snatched mobile phone? Peshawar police knows the way

    How to find a snatched mobile phone? Peshawar police knows the way

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police have devised a way to curb the snatching and stealing of cell phones, a menace for most of the major cities of the country. FMC (Find my Cell), an app launched by police authorities at the Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines Peshawar, will help trace your stolen phone.

    Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ashfaq Anwar has said that the new app will connect registered mobile dealers to local police stations to stop the sale of snatched or stolen mobile phones.

    Registered dealers, in case of any suspicion, will get details of all the stolen and snatched phones. The dealers will be registered after verification from the concerned police stations and concerned associations.

    All the mobile dealers would be given forms of registration. These forms will hold the details of all those who are selling phones to them. “This will be uploaded to a database that will be available on the FMC,” CCPO added.

    CCPO Ashfaq Anwar said the local police were taking measures to improve law and order and stop the snatching and theft of phones and using modern technology.

  • Indian woman who came to marry Pakistani man goes back to her country

    Indian woman who came to marry Pakistani man goes back to her country

    Indian national Anju — now Fatima — who made headlines around the world after travelling to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and marrying Facebook friend Nasrullah, her left Pakistan to reunite with her two children.

    34-year-old Anju met and married Nasrullah five months after their Facebook friendship began, arriving in Upper Dir on July 22 this year. Nasrullah said that Anju had been missing her two children since she came to Pakistan. “I said goodbye to Anju (Fatima) at the Wagah border and she entered her country at two o’clock on Wednesday,” he said.

    He added that Anju’s one-month visa had already expired, adding that they had applied to the Ministry of Interior to extend the period, but due to difficulties, it could not be completed as the formal process is expected to take four months to one year.

    Anju was granted a one-year extension to her visa by the Pakistani authorities earlier in August.

    Nasrullah said that despite repeated pleas by Anju, the visa was not extended so she decided to go back through a 15-day departure letter and cancelled the visa extension application.

    The couple were given a farewell party by several friends in Lahore. Nasrullah maintained that Anju would come to Pakistan again after three months. He said that if her visa had been extended for one year, it would have been better.

    “If I get a visa for India, then I will take Anju back myself,” he said, adding that she is fighting a divorce case from her first husband in India and she wished to meet her children. He said that Anju had got a lot of love and respect from everyone in Pakistan.

    Anju had previously undergone a court marriage with Nasrullah after converting to Islam in Upper Dir. The couple received attention from all across the world. Several companies and business organisations showed generosity by offering gifts to couple in various parts of the country.

    Upon arrival in India, she was asked questions by the media but she denied answers altogether.

    To read more: Indian bride Anju’s cross-border love story earns her a year-long stay in Pakistan