Author: News Desk

An explosion at a girls’ primary school in Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caused partial damage to the building, though no loss of life was reported, police said on Sunday.

District Police Officer (DPO) Nazeer Khan told a private news channel, that the incident took place late Saturday night when an explosion occurred at a girl’s primary school in the Wanda Zahid Gul area, situated within the jurisdiction of Daddiwala Police Station.

“The blast was carried out using an improvised explosive device (IED), which left part of the school building damaged. Luckily, no casualties were reported,” the DPO stated, adding that a heavy contingent of police had been deployed in the area.

He further said that two IEDs had been planted in the school. “One of the IEDs exploded, while the other one was discovered when the police reached the incident site and carried out an inspection,” he explained. “It was successfully defused by the bomb disposal squad.”

Police confirmed that a search operation had been launched in the district to trace those behind the attack.

Since the early 2000s, Lakki Marwat has been subjected to violence and terrorism. Despite a period of relative peace brought about by security measures, militant activity has increased recently, raising concerns of renewed instability.

Earlier this month, militants carried out multiple attacks in the district, killing three soldiers and a woman, while injuring three others, including two soldiers. On August 13, police reported that a gas pipeline in Lakki Marwat had been blown up by terrorists, suspending supply to Punjab.

Punjab’s Ganda Singh Wala on the Sutlej River continues to witness an “exceptionally high” flood, while Balloki on Ravi and Trimmu on the Chenab also record a “very high” flood level.

According to the Flood Forecasting Division’s (FFD) data, the outflows at Ganda Singh Wala were 253,068 cusecs and “steady”, while those at Trimmu were over 550,000 cusecs and “rising”.

Death toll rises to 33 due to flood in Punjab

As many as 33 people have lost their lives and eight others were injured, driven by high floods in the Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers from Aug 23 to 31, said the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

According to the PDMA, 2,066,785 people of 2,222 mouzas were affected, and 506 relief camps were established to provide shelter to 10,654 people in the province. At least 352 medical camps were established, in which 17,853 people were treated.

The rescue teams evacuated 760,424 people and 516,258 animals and transported them to safe locations. Veterinary services are being provided through 331 camps.

Meanwhile, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik, while addressing the media alongside Climate Change Minister Dr. Musadik Malik, said that recent rains and flash floods have claimed 850 lives and left more than 1,150 people injured across the country.

The NDMA chief said that over 600,000 people were relocated to safer areas during the flooding, and thousands of livestock were also rescued across the country.

Malik further stated that the final monsoon spell is expected in the first 10 days of September, with heavy rainfall likely in eastern Punjab, Azad Kashmir and nearby regions

Sindh braces for ‘super flood’

Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah said the provincial government had devised a comprehensive plan to deal with the looming “super flood”.

Speaking to media on Sunday during his visit to Sukkur and Guddu barrages, he stated that inflows from Trimmu would reach Sindh in about five days via Panjnad.

Shah said that in 2010, inflows of 1.1 million cusecs had passed from the Guddu Barrage. “This time, even 900,000 to one million cusecs would be extremely challenging. If inflows remain limited, losses will be manageable, but crops may still not survive,” he added.

The chief minister maintained that the provincial government’s foremost priority was to protect human lives and livestock, followed by safeguarding the Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri barrages.

Highlighting that Sindh’s terrain poses greater risks than Punjab’s, he explained, “In Punjab, designated breaches allow water to return quickly to the river. But Sindh lies below river level, so once water spreads, it does not recede easily.”

A young reporter whose unorthodox reports have gone viral on social media has addressed the confusion surrounding the name of her channel which is shown on her mic as ‘BBC Urdu News Punjab TV’, hours after the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) issued a statement warning audiences to beware of impostors.

In a video statement posted on the internet in the wee hours of Saturday, Mehrunnisa held the same mic, saying her channel’s name is an abbreviation for Bhai Bhai Channel. 

“As you can see, BBC UK walay has uploaded a post on X. Their channel’s abbreviation is British Broadcasting Corporation, while ours stands for Bhai Bhai Channel. You can directly talk to us via email. We are not copying you,” she addressed the allegations.

In its statement, originally in Urdu, BBC wrote, “It has come to our attention that a digital media company called BBC Urdu News Punjab TV is operating in Pakistan using the BBC’s name.”

The BBC stated that it has no connection with BBC Urdu Punjab TV or its reporter Mehrunnisa, adding that the organisation has not been authorised to use the BBC’s name in this manner. 

“We request BBC audiences to verify the presence of any content published under the BBC’s name on the BBC’s official platforms before trusting it.”

After her report on the visit of the Iranian President to Lahore went viral, Mehrunnisa once again became the rage on social media for her coverage of Lahore’s flood-affected suburb Shahdara, where she boarded a boat wearing a rescue jacket alongside rescue officials.

“As you can see, the water pressure is rising; we are so scared, the boat is shifting to one side then to another, we can’t balance,” the reporter was heard saying. She signed off with a plea that was nothing short of iconic, “Please just pray for us guys.”