Heavy rains bring more destruction to Balochistan villages

Heavy rains continued to wreak havoc in Balochistan after a new spell of rains caused flash flooding in Lasbela district and nearby areas, leaving several villages inundated.

Traffic on Quetta-Karachi National Highway remained suspended even after five days as flood water is still flowing over the highway.

Sibi Deputy Commis­si­o­ner Mansoor Qazi said flood water had entered villages including Raza Mohammad Goth and Kalmathi Goth in the Uthal area.

The deputy commissioner said the ground link between Uthal and the rest of Lasbela had been disconnected after a pylon caved in on a thoroughfare connecting the two points.

He said 12 people were rescued from one of the inundated villages.

“An alternative route that was prepared three days ago near Landa River in Uthal has been washed away once again due to floods,” he said.

He urged motorists to avoid using Quetta-Karachi National Highway, saying the repair work could take at least two more days.

Two cars were also washed away in floods on Wednesday night near Zero Point area of Uthal, however, locals with the help of welfare officials rescued five people aboard the two vehicles.

The situation in other districts has not improved yet as Musakhail, Zhob, Pishin, Qila Saifullah, Qila Abdullah, Nasirabad and Lasbela were still receiving torrential rains for the past two days.

According to officials, hundreds of mud houses were damaged in Qila Saifullah, Muslim Bagh, Musakhail, Kohlu, Dera Bugti and other areas due to incessant rains.

Rescue teams, including the army, Frontier Constabulary, Levies and local administration were trying to rescue people from far-flung areas of the district which were cut-off due to washing away of connecting roads and of bridges.

Meanwhile, the provincial government called upon the federal government to provide a special package of Rs60 billion for repair of infrastructure and rehabilitation of flood-hit families.

The Balochistan government sent a resolution adopted by the provincial assembly recently to Islamabad. “Balochistan, having meagre resources, is not able to rehabilitate the destroyed areas and compensate the people who suffered huge financial losses,” the resolution stated.

It asked the provincial government to approach the federal government for a special package of at least Rs50bn to Rs60bn for the rehabilitation of 32 destroyed districts and waive off all utility bills and agriculture loans in the districts that had been declared calamity-hit areas.

 

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Heavy rains bring more destruction to Balochistan villages

Heavy rains continued to wreak havoc in Balochistan after a new spell of rains caused flash flooding in Lasbela district and nearby areas, leaving several villages inundated.

Traffic on Quetta-Karachi National Highway remained suspended even after five days as flood water is still flowing over the highway.

Sibi Deputy Commis­si­o­ner Mansoor Qazi said flood water had entered villages including Raza Mohammad Goth and Kalmathi Goth in the Uthal area.

The deputy commissioner said the ground link between Uthal and the rest of Lasbela had been disconnected after a pylon caved in on a thoroughfare connecting the two points.

He said 12 people were rescued from one of the inundated villages.

“An alternative route that was prepared three days ago near Landa River in Uthal has been washed away once again due to floods,” he said.

He urged motorists to avoid using Quetta-Karachi National Highway, saying the repair work could take at least two more days.

Two cars were also washed away in floods on Wednesday night near Zero Point area of Uthal, however, locals with the help of welfare officials rescued five people aboard the two vehicles.

The situation in other districts has not improved yet as Musakhail, Zhob, Pishin, Qila Saifullah, Qila Abdullah, Nasirabad and Lasbela were still receiving torrential rains for the past two days.

According to officials, hundreds of mud houses were damaged in Qila Saifullah, Muslim Bagh, Musakhail, Kohlu, Dera Bugti and other areas due to incessant rains.

Rescue teams, including the army, Frontier Constabulary, Levies and local administration were trying to rescue people from far-flung areas of the district which were cut-off due to washing away of connecting roads and of bridges.

Meanwhile, the provincial government called upon the federal government to provide a special package of Rs60 billion for repair of infrastructure and rehabilitation of flood-hit families.

The Balochistan government sent a resolution adopted by the provincial assembly recently to Islamabad. “Balochistan, having meagre resources, is not able to rehabilitate the destroyed areas and compensate the people who suffered huge financial losses,” the resolution stated.

It asked the provincial government to approach the federal government for a special package of at least Rs50bn to Rs60bn for the rehabilitation of 32 destroyed districts and waive off all utility bills and agriculture loans in the districts that had been declared calamity-hit areas.

 

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Chinese troops will travel to Russia to take part in joint military drills

Chinese troops will travel to Russia to take part in joint military drills, Beijing’s defence ministry said.

Beijing and Moscow have close defence links and China has said it wants to push bilateral relations “to a higher level,” even as Moscow faces international sanctions and widespread condemnation over its war in Ukraine.

China’s defence ministry said Wednesday its participation in the annual “Vostok” exercises — which Moscow has said will take place from August 30 to September 5 — is part of a bilateral cooperation agreement with Russia.

“The aim is to deepen practical and friendly cooperation with the armies of participating countries, enhance the level of strategic collaboration among the participating parties, and strengthen the ability to respond to various security threats,” the Chinese defence ministry said in a statement.

India, Belarus, Mongolia, Tajikistan and other countries will also participate, it said.

China and India have been accused of providing diplomatic cover for Russia throughout its months-long war in Ukraine by opposing Western sanctions and arms sales to Kyiv.

But Beijing insisted its participation in the joint exercises was “unrelated to the current international and regional situation”.

It is the second joint military exercise conducted by Chinese and Russian troops this year.

Bombers from the two countries conducted a 13-hour drill close to Japan and South Korea in May, forcing those countries to scramble jet fighters, as US President Joe Biden was visiting Tokyo.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that while warming ties between China and Russia undermined global security, Washington didn’t “read anything” into the drills.

“Most of the participating countries also routinely participate in a wide array of military exercises and exchanges with the United States as well,” he told a press conference.

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Shahbaz Gill undergoes medical tests at PIMS

Former prime minister and Chairman PTI Imran Khan's Chief of Staff Shahbaz Gill was shifted to the PIMS Hospital late Wednesday after he complained of difficulty in breathing.

Gill has been in police custody since August 9 when the Islamabad police arrested him in a sedition case after he passed controversial remarks on a private news channel. According to the Islamabad police spokesperson, he was booked on charges of sedition and inciting members of state institutions against the Pakistan Army.

According to sources in jail, it was learnt that Gill complained of difficulty in breathing and poor health due to alleged torture after which he was shifted to the jail hospital for a checkup. However, when his condition reportedly appeared to have deteriorated, it was decided that he will be shifted to a hospital for a complete medical checkup.

At the PIMS hospital's Cardiac Centre, doctors conducted an initial medical checkup. Different tests, including blood tests and ECG, were also set to be carried out.

The sources said his oxygen saturation level was recorded at 97. For healthy individuals, a pulse oximeter reading for oxygen saturation level is between 95% and 100%.

Gill's blood pressure was found to be 70/110, the sources said, adding that a coronavirus test sample was also dispatched to the laboratory.

The sources, citing doctors, said Gill's health was found to be satisfactory in the initial medical examination. However, an overall medical report was to be readied in the morning.

The sources said the decision to discharge the PTI leader from the hospital will be made after the medical report is received.

 

Referring to the August 17 struggle between the Islamabad and Rawalpindi police forces, the Punjab minister criticised the Islamabad police, saying it shifted Gill to Islamabad under the guard of the Rangers. The Punjab police tried to shift Shahbaz Gill to a nearby hospital, he said.

Earlier yesterday, an Islamabad district and sessions court remanded the senior PTI leader into police custody for 48 hours in its verdict on a review plea seeking his physical remand in the sedition case.

However, after his condition deteriorated, a decision was made to shift him to the hospital. The Rawalpindi police arrived at the jail premises to take Gill's custody. After a lot of chaos, the Adiala jail authorities handed over his custody to the Islamabad police, in compliance with the court order.

The Rawalpindi Police said it would shift Gill to the DHQ Hospital while the Islamabad Police insisted on transferring the PTI leader to the federal capital as per court orders. Following the argument, additional personnel of Islamabad Police were called to the jail.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior had also summoned Rangers and FC personnel to execute the court orders.

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Shahbaz Gill undergoes medical tests at PIMS

Former prime minister and Chairman PTI Imran Khan's Chief of Staff Shahbaz Gill was shifted to the PIMS Hospital late Wednesday after he complained of difficulty in breathing.

Gill has been in police custody since August 9 when the Islamabad police arrested him in a sedition case after he passed controversial remarks on a private news channel. According to the Islamabad police spokesperson, he was booked on charges of sedition and inciting members of state institutions against the Pakistan Army.

According to sources in jail, it was learnt that Gill complained of difficulty in breathing and poor health due to alleged torture after which he was shifted to the jail hospital for a checkup. However, when his condition reportedly appeared to have deteriorated, it was decided that he will be shifted to a hospital for a complete medical checkup.

At the PIMS hospital's Cardiac Centre, doctors conducted an initial medical checkup. Different tests, including blood tests and ECG, were also set to be carried out.

The sources said his oxygen saturation level was recorded at 97. For healthy individuals, a pulse oximeter reading for oxygen saturation level is between 95% and 100%.

Gill's blood pressure was found to be 70/110, the sources said, adding that a coronavirus test sample was also dispatched to the laboratory.

The sources, citing doctors, said Gill's health was found to be satisfactory in the initial medical examination. However, an overall medical report was to be readied in the morning.

The sources said the decision to discharge the PTI leader from the hospital will be made after the medical report is received.

 

Referring to the August 17 struggle between the Islamabad and Rawalpindi police forces, the Punjab minister criticised the Islamabad police, saying it shifted Gill to Islamabad under the guard of the Rangers. The Punjab police tried to shift Shahbaz Gill to a nearby hospital, he said.

Earlier yesterday, an Islamabad district and sessions court remanded the senior PTI leader into police custody for 48 hours in its verdict on a review plea seeking his physical remand in the sedition case.

However, after his condition deteriorated, a decision was made to shift him to the hospital. The Rawalpindi police arrived at the jail premises to take Gill's custody. After a lot of chaos, the Adiala jail authorities handed over his custody to the Islamabad police, in compliance with the court order.

The Rawalpindi Police said it would shift Gill to the DHQ Hospital while the Islamabad Police insisted on transferring the PTI leader to the federal capital as per court orders. Following the argument, additional personnel of Islamabad Police were called to the jail.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior had also summoned Rangers and FC personnel to execute the court orders.

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Former PM's close aide Shahzad Akbar's name placed on ECL

The federal cabinet amended the Exit Control List (ECL) on Tuesday on the recommendation of the Interior Ministry, removing 22 names from the no-fly list and adding 10 people to it, while giving a one-time permission to three people to leave the country.

Those added to the ECL included Shahzad Akbar, who served as adviser on interior and accountability to former prime minister Imran Khan, and Ziaul Mustafa Naseem. Both names were included in the ECL based on cases pertaining to a private housing scheme.

The cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, received a briefing from the Climate Change Ministry on the effects of climate change in the country. The ministers were informed that Pakistan was among the top-eight worst affected countries because of the climate change.

It was underlined in the briefing that there was a dire need for immediate implementation of ‘Mitigation and Adaptation” mechanism. It was suggested that a documentary about the issues confronting Pakistan and the steps taken to reverse climate change effects might be presented at the global fora.

The cabinet agreed the issues of climate change and global warming should be included in the syllabi of schools and colleges. The ministers also agreed that the duration of public service messaging on TV channels should be effectively ensured.

The cabinet stressed the need for planning for rain harvesting on a war footing and a suggestion was considered over commencement of a pilot project in Islamabad. A cabinet committee, headed by Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman, was set up to present recommendations for the projects.

Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that climate change, water security and food security were three interconnected challenges and to cope with these issues, the government would have to take immediate steps to save the future generations from their impacts.

He said that the government was fully cognisant of these problems and resolution of these issues was among the government’s top priorities. He called for holistic efforts to cope with climate change issues facing the country.

At the outset of the meeting, the prime minister and the cabinet members congratulated Industry and Commerce Minister Murtaza Mahmood, Cabinet Secretary Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera, Industry and Commerce Secretary Chaudhry Imdadullah Bosal on receiving civil awards.

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Former PM's close aide Shahzad Akbar's name placed on ECL

The federal cabinet amended the Exit Control List (ECL) on Tuesday on the recommendation of the Interior Ministry, removing 22 names from the no-fly list and adding 10 people to it, while giving a one-time permission to three people to leave the country.

Those added to the ECL included Shahzad Akbar, who served as adviser on interior and accountability to former prime minister Imran Khan, and Ziaul Mustafa Naseem. Both names were included in the ECL based on cases pertaining to a private housing scheme.

The cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, received a briefing from the Climate Change Ministry on the effects of climate change in the country. The ministers were informed that Pakistan was among the top-eight worst affected countries because of the climate change.

It was underlined in the briefing that there was a dire need for immediate implementation of ‘Mitigation and Adaptation” mechanism. It was suggested that a documentary about the issues confronting Pakistan and the steps taken to reverse climate change effects might be presented at the global fora.

The cabinet agreed the issues of climate change and global warming should be included in the syllabi of schools and colleges. The ministers also agreed that the duration of public service messaging on TV channels should be effectively ensured.

The cabinet stressed the need for planning for rain harvesting on a war footing and a suggestion was considered over commencement of a pilot project in Islamabad. A cabinet committee, headed by Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman, was set up to present recommendations for the projects.

Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that climate change, water security and food security were three interconnected challenges and to cope with these issues, the government would have to take immediate steps to save the future generations from their impacts.

He said that the government was fully cognisant of these problems and resolution of these issues was among the government’s top priorities. He called for holistic efforts to cope with climate change issues facing the country.

At the outset of the meeting, the prime minister and the cabinet members congratulated Industry and Commerce Minister Murtaza Mahmood, Cabinet Secretary Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera, Industry and Commerce Secretary Chaudhry Imdadullah Bosal on receiving civil awards.

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