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Tag: Pakistan

  • UN Chief António says climate change has attacked wrong targets

    UN Chief António says climate change has attacked wrong targets

    United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres has said that Pakistan was one of the countries most severely affected by climate change despite its minimal contribution to the phenomenon.

    “Pakistan has had little contribution to climate change but [it] is one of the most dramatically impacted by the consequences of climate change,” Guterres said.

    Guterres during a briefing at the National Flood Response Coordination Centre (NFRCC) alongside Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Secretary General said that there was “no memory of anything similar to what has happened with the impact of climate change in Pakistan”.

    Pakistan needs massive financial support

    “The numbers are appalling. But beyond the numbers, I see the families that have lost their loved ones, houses, crops, jobs and are living in desperate conditions,” he expressed.

    “Pakistan needs massive financial support to respond to this crisis as according to initial estimates the losses are around $30 billion,” observed Guterres.

    “Effective solidarity and justice is shown by mobilising massive support,” the UN chief said.

    Nature has attacked the wrong targets

    “It is like nature has attacked the wrong targets. Those that are more responsible for climate change should have to face these kind of challenges,” he stated.

    Guterres stressed that it is the international community’s obligation to drastically reduce emissions and support countries that need to invest in resilience and recovery.

    “My voice is entirely at the service of Pakistan and its people. We know our contribution is limited […] but we are totally committed.”

    Challenge is absolutely beyond human capacities, yet humans have to handle it and we are

    Speaking at the briefing, PM Shehbaz Sharif said that the UN chief’s empathy and support was great encouragement for Pakistan, as he expressed gratitude towards the visiting dignitary.

    “The government of Pakistan, along with the provincial governments and all stakeholders […] are working together to provide relief and rescue to millions,” the premier said.

    PM Shehbaz said that efforts were underway and flood affectees were being moved to safer areas while also being provided food and shelter. “The challenge is absolutely beyond human capacity, yet humans have to handle it and so we are.”

    UN chief in Pakistan on solidarity visit after catastrophic flooding

    The prime minister had welcomed the UN secretary general as he arrived at the PM House along with his delegation.

    Guterres arrived in the capital during the early hours of Friday. The secretary general had announced his plan for a solidarity trip to Pakistan soon after the launch of the $160 million UN Flash Appeal for helping the people most affected by the floods caused by what he had called “monsoon on steroids”.

    He will be back in New York on September 11 where the 77th session of the UN General Assembly is starting on September 13.

  • ‘Kaptaan dar gaya, bhaag gaya’: Bilawal takes jibe at IK over PTI member withdrawal from by-election

    ‘Kaptaan dar gaya, bhaag gaya’: Bilawal takes jibe at IK over PTI member withdrawal from by-election

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson and the incumbent Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari took a jibe at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

    Reacting to the PTI candidate Shakoor Shad’s resignation for NA-246, the PPP chairperson said, “IK running away from by-elections. Kaptaan dar gaya, Kaptaan bhagaya”. (Imran Khan is scared, he has run away.)

    Bhutto took to Twitter and termed the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) postponement act as “special treatment” for Khan.

    In his tweet, Bilawal asked, “How long will Khan remain a favourite”, adding that PPP candidates from Multan and Karachi are frustrated by the sudden postponement of the by-elections in constituencies of Sindh and Punjab.

    Replying to him, PTI’s Meher Bano Qureshi accused Bhutto’s party of the postponement.

    “We aren’t the ones running away. Let’s go to the polls on the 11th as scheduled. Your government put in a request for the postponement. Maybe check with the allies before tweeting”, she said. Qureshi is contesting the by-elections from NA-157, Multan.

    PPP’s Syed Ali Musa Gillani also took to Twitter to express his reservation over the postponement. He said, “We are all set for the election on Sunday. This decision of ECP will not be acceptable. It is against the constitution. The people of the constituency must not be deprived of their representation. Polling staff has been nominated stations finalised.”

    “We will challenge if any notification is issued in this regard, delaying the election last minute”, he added.

    Gillani, son of former Prime Minister (PM) Yousaf Raza Gillani, is contesting against Meher Bano Qureshi, the daughter of former Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi, on NA-157 in Multan.

    Earlier, the ECP announced its decision to postpone the by-election in 13 constituencies. The by-elections were set to be held on September 11, September 25, and October 2.

    By-elections on nine seats of the National Assembly were scheduled to be held on September 25, with Imran Khan contesting on all of them as PTI’s candidate.

    ECP has said that the decision to postpone the by-elections had been taken after getting feedback from the Ministry of Interior according to which Pakistan Army, Rangers, and the Frontier Corps are engaged in relief work for the flood-affected people, maintaining internal security, and thwarting out terrorist activities in the country.

  • Famous Pakistanis who met Queen Elizabeth

    Famous Pakistanis who met Queen Elizabeth

    Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, breathed her last on Thursday in Balmoral Castle, United Kingdom (UK) at the age of 96.

    In 1961, Queen Elizabeth visited Pakistan. She was accompanied by her husband, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip. She visited Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Lahore, and other areas of the country.

    The Queen next visited Pakistan 36 years later in 1997 when the country was celebrating 50 years of independence. She was again accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip.

    Here is the list of the Pakistanis who met Queen Elizabeth II during her lifetime.

    In 1974, Queen Elizabeth met Imran Khan, who was a cricketer back then. In the picture, she can be seen shaking hands with Khan.

    In 1997, Queen Elizabeth met former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif (who was in power at the time) when she visited Pakistan for the second time. During her visit, knighthood was given to Sharif by the British monarch.

    The Queen also met former PM Benazir Bhutto.

    In 2013, the Queen and Prince Philip invited Pakistan’s young activist Malala Yousafzai to a reception at the Buckingham Palace, where they met and chatted for a short time.

    Malala, who was accompanied by her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, presented the Queen with a copy of her newly published memoir, titled “I am Malala”.

    Before the start of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) World Cup 2019, all team captains met The Queen. At the time, Pakistani cricket team captain Sarfraz Ahmed also met her at the Buckingham Palace.

  • Lyari River to be cleaned up with help of public, private orgs: Sherry

    Lyari River to be cleaned up with help of public, private orgs: Sherry

    Federal Climate Change Minister Senator Sherry Rehman on Wednesday announced the launch of a Lyari River clean-up drive in collaboration with public and private organisations.

    She made the announcement while speaking at a round table discussion that was organised by Coca-Cola Pakistan in collaboration with the Karachi Port Trust (KPT), ministries of maritime affairs and climate change.


    Held in continuation of the World Water Week, the theme of #SeeingTheUnseen, the roundtable session was chaired by Senator Sherry Rehman, with Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Syed Faisal Ali Subzwari, attending as a guest of honour and led by S.M Tariq Huda, Chairman of the Karachi Port Trust All these people represented apex bodies most impacted by the report that revealed catastrophic levels of waste accumulation over the last 20 years, of which less than 2 per cent is removed.

    Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman, who formed a committee to lead the Lyari Cleanup Project, said, “Pakistan has been identified as the most vulnerable to climate change as we clearly see from the present floods the country is facing. Broad-based partnerships are going to play a crucial role in ensuring that we develop solutions that can be scaled up by the use of technology.

    Fahad Ashraf, Vice President, The Coca-Cola Company, Pakistan said, “We have always known that the communities in Karachi’s harbour area are adversely impacted by poor waste management, but this is not a responsibility that falls on just one single entity because the quantum of the problem is too large. This is a call to anyone who cares about Pakistan’s water security to step in.”


    Moderated by public policy expert, Mosharraf Zaidi, this event aimed to co-create solutions that can be used to scale up sustainable interventions, emphasising on local and international expertise. In attendance were representatives of the global NGO, The Ocean Cleanup, WWF-Pakistan, Unilever, Nestlé, Engro, the packaging alliance CORE, SEED Ventures, Indus Earth Trust and the National Institute of Oceanography, to name a few.
    As part of The Ocean Cleanup and Coca-Cola’s global partnership to stem the tide of plastic waste by intercepting it in rivers around the world, they are looking to build a coalition that explores solutions to clean the Lyari harbour area.

    Mr Tariq Huda, Chairman of Karachi Port Trust, a partner in making the project a reality, said “This port connects Pakistan’s northern provinces and the overall Pakistan economy to the world, and water security, therefore, is a national security issue that we must neither deny nor delay solving.”
    The Environmental Scoping Study reveals that the Lyari harbour area, which was meant to be a spillway to control the flow of flood water, is now choked by accumulated debris. Every month, 9,000 tonnes of debris enter this river, almost entirely unclean.


    With about 33 million people nationwide impacted by the floods and an impending food security issue, this timely report calls for urgent and substantive action in densely populated cities like Karachi that are at a perpetual threat to urban flooding.

  • ‘It is water everywhere, just like a sea’: PM Shehbaz visits flood-affected areas

    ‘It is water everywhere, just like a sea’: PM Shehbaz visits flood-affected areas

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif visited Dera Ismail Khan, KP to review ongoing restoration and rehabilitation work in flood-affected areas today (Wednesday).

    During the visit, while talking to the media, PM Shehbaz said, “You wouldn’t believe the scale of destruction there. There is water everywhere as far as you can see. It is just like a sea.”

    The premier emphasised the need for a “sustainable system” to cope with the challenges of climate change.

    He said trillions are needed for relief and rehabilitation activities post floods. “We will need trillions of rupees to cope with this calamity”, he observed.

    “The country is grappling with an unprecedented situation, witnessing floods that have resulted in the loss of lives, infrastructure and crops,” he said, adding that it was time to “rise above politics and demonstrate the spirit of service and welfare.”

    The Premier announced that a sum provided by a philanthropist for flood relief would be used for installing 100 prefabricated houses in DI Khan.

    Moreover, the premier announced that under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), every flood-hit household would be given Rs25,000 and Rs1 million would be given in compensation to the relatives of the deceased.

    According to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA),18 more people died from the flood in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 1,343. Eight children were among the dead in the last 24 hours.

    The government has said 33 million people have been affected. The floods were brought by record monsoon rains and glacier melt in Pakistan’s northern mountains. A total of 116 districts have been adversely affected.

    World Health Organisation (WHO) said more than 6.4 million people need humanitarian support in the flooded areas.

  • FACT CHECK: Woman was not raped by 20 men in Karachi

    FACT CHECK: Woman was not raped by 20 men in Karachi

    Several media reports on social media are claiming that a woman was gang-raped by 20 men at an industrial unit in Karachi’s Korangi district. The alleged rape occurred at Artistic Milliners, a vertical denim manufacturing company. The hashtag ‘Artistic Milliners Rape Case’ has been trending on Twitter since (Wednesday) morning.


    However, the police have denied the news reports.


    “Police have checked and verified that no such incident took place,” Deputy Inspector General (DIG) East Muquddus Haider, said while talking to Dawn.

    Police have conducted an inquiry into it. No victim has come forward while the factory management told the police that it was a drive to defame them,” he added.

    Police found that a YouTube channel called Dhoom is behind the alleged false propaganda. As per the police, it was an attempt to defame the company.

    Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) has also condemned the fake news. “We reiterate that M/S Artistic Milliners (Pvt) Ltd is a very old and valued member of KATI. It is one of the largest exporters of Pakistan earning precious foreign exchange for Pakistan and enjoying an excellent repute among industries,” read a statement issued by KATI.

    According to the police, the alleged video circulating of the woman is actually of a woman found in a park and has no association with the alleged Karachi incident.

  • Shaan Shahid hits out at netizen for scrutinising his controversial remarks about Fakhar Zaman

    Shaan Shahid hits out at netizen for scrutinising his controversial remarks about Fakhar Zaman

    Film Star Shaan Shahid recently criticised cricketer Fakhar Zaman’s recent performance on the field during the Asia Cup 2022 series. During the last match between Pakistan and India, Zaman could not perform to his full capacity, for which he was also scrutinised on social media.

    The hashtag of Fakhar Zaman’s name was also among the top trends on Twitter.

    During the match between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup, actor, Shaan was extremely displeased with Fakhar’s performance. He took it to his Twitter, where he denunciated Fakhar’s batting and fielding, in multiple tweets.

    Post his comments, several netizens trolled him for his remarks. The social media user told him that only 2-4 films of his are worth watching out of his filmography ranging over 500 films.

    The Majajan star clapped back at him by saying that there is a difference between arts and sports.

    Earlier this year, the Zaraar hero grilled former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar for wishing former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on his birthday and not wishing birthday to former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    “Happy Birthday @sachin_rt . Hope you’re having a wonderful day,” wrote Shoaib Akhtar while sharing an old picture with Tendulkar.

    Shaan, in the comments section of twitter account, expressed anger at Shoaib for wishing birthday to Sachin, reminding the former pacer that he had not wished former Prime Minister Imran Khan on his birthday.

    “Wah bhai inki to yaad hai .. @ImranKhanPTI ki 5th October ko birthday thee 2021 main .. ek bhi message nahi apkay twitter account per .. bhai?,” wrote Shaan.

  • Missing Afghan boy found murdered after being raped

    Missing Afghan boy found murdered after being raped

    A missing five-year-old Afghan boy was found murdered on Monday in Karachi. The boy was also raped before being murdered, police have confirmed.

    The minor went missing on Sunday, however, at the time the deceased’s father didn’t register any report. The father has told the police that he had no enmity with anyone.

    Later, the area Station House Officer (SHO) said that an First Information Report (FIR) was lodged on the complaint of the child’s father, who is an Afghan.

    Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed said that after the autopsy it was found that the boy was sexually assaulted, reports Dawn.

    “The face was covered with a plastic bag. His hands were tied behind his back with nylon wire and he was strangled to death,” she said.

    Taking notice of the incident, Karachi police chief formed an investigation team and directed it to submit a progress report within three days.

  • Who are all the Nishan-e-Haider recipients?

    Who are all the Nishan-e-Haider recipients?

    Pakistan is observing Defence Day today to pay tribute to the martyrs of the country and to their sacrifices in defending its borders.

    Nishan-e-Haider is the highest military gallantry award in Pakistan. It is conferred upon soldiers who perform acts of great heroism in circumstances of extreme danger and to those who demonstrate the bravery of the highest order.

    Here is the list of eleven recipients of Nishan-e-Haider.

    Captain Muhammad Sarwar Shaheed

    Captain Sarwar was the first person to receive Nishan-e-Haider in the history of Pakistan. He served as a Company Commander in the Uri Sector in Kashmir. He was awarded Nishan-e-Haider for laying down his life during the first Pakistan-India war in 1948.

    Naik Saif Ali Janjua Shaheed

    Born in 1922 in Khandbaz Tehsil Nakial (Azad Jammu & Kashmir), Naik embraced martyrdom during a battle on 26 October 1948 for which the Defence Council of Azad Jammu & Kashmir adorned him with Hilal-e-Kashmir (posthumous) the next year. In1995, the government of Pakistan declared his Hilal-e-Kashmir equivalent to Nishan-e Haider.

    Major Tufail Muhammad Shaheed

    In 1958, the Indian Army troops occupied the Lakshmipur area in East Pakistan. Major Tufail was tasked with recapturing the occupied area. In the line of his duty, the Major launched an attack on Indian infiltrated troops and set an example of bravery and leadership. During the operation, he embraced martyrdom.

    Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed

    Born in 1928 in Hong Kong, Major Raja embraced martyrdom while defending the country during the 1965 war with India.

    Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas Shaheed

    He was commissioned as a pilot in Pakistan Air Force in 1971. The same year Pilot Officer Minhas stopped his plane from entering Indian territory. He tried to regain control of the plane but was unable to do so. Knowing that it meant certain death, he damaged the controls and forced the aircraft to crash thirty-two miles short of the border for which he was awarded Nishan-e-Haider.

    Major Shabbir Sharif Shaheed

    Major Shabbir Sharif embraced martyrdom fifty years ago on December 6 at Sulemanki Sector during the 1971 war.

    Sowar Muhammad Hussain Shaheed

    During the 1971 war, Sowar took an active part in every battle with the unit. During the battle, he was hit in the chest with machinegun fire and embraced martyrdom on 10 December 1971.

    Major Muhammad Akram Shaheed

    Major Akram was leading an anti-tank party in front of the forward defended locations and destroyed three tanks of the enemy. During the battle, he was hit in the chest and embraced martyrdom on 5 December 1971.

    Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfuz Shaheed

    During the 1971 war, Naik participated in the famous Pul Kunjry operation and captured the area. He was stabbed with bayonets and embraced martyrdom on the night of 17 December 1971. The next morning ceasefire was ordered and the enemy commander himself praised the Lance Naik while handing over his dead body wrapped in the Pakistani flag.

    Captain Karnal Sher Shaheed

    During Kargil War, the Captain set up personal examples of bravery and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. He also chased the enemy and conducted many raids in the enemy area. During one of those raids, he went inside the enemy camp where he inflicted heavy losses. During the battle, he was hit in the chest and embraced shahadat (martyrdom) on 5 July 1999.

    Havaldar Lalak Jan Shaheed

    Like Captain Karnal Shaheed, the Havaldar embraced martyrdom during Kargil War. On 7 July 1999, he sustained serious injuries as enemies pounded the area with heavy mortar shells. But despite being injured, he retained his position and frustrated the Indian assault.

  • Floods damage Mohenjo Daro, site may be withdrawn from world heritage list

    Floods damage Mohenjo Daro, site may be withdrawn from world heritage list

    The department of archaeology has asked for immediate attention to conservation and restoration work at Mohenjo Daro, fearing that if such work is not taken up immediately, the site may be withdrawn from the World Heritage list.

    From August 16 to 26, the archaeological ruins of Mohenjo Daro received record rains of 779.5mm. It caused significant damage to the site and the partial collapse of several structures, including the stupa dome’s protective wall.


    It caused significant damage to the site and the partial collapse of several structures, including the stupa dome’s protective wall.


    The curator of the site wrote a letter to the director of culture, antiquities and archaeology on Aug 29 about the condition of the heritage site. “We have put in efforts to protect the site with our resources,” it read.

    Rainwater from neighbouring agricultural lands had flooded the disposal channel due to neglect of the negligence of different departments including irrigation, roads, highways and forest.


    “The archaeology official had called for immediate contact with the irrigation and roads departments for the repair of the bund, breached canal dykes and removal of pipes.”


    The curator has proposed sending experts (conservators and engineers) to assess the damage caused by the downpours. Archaeology officials stationed at Mohenjo Daro are currently repairing the structures that have been damaged.


    Pakistan is experiencing one of the worst floods in its history. In the last 24 hours, 11 more deaths have occurred, which has taken the death toll to 1,325. More than 1/3 of the country is inundated with millions displaced from their homes.