18 PERISH AS CLOUDBURST, FLASH FLOODS WRECK PARTS OF GB, KP In partnership with
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Wednesday, 23 July, 2025 | 27 Muharram, 1447
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MORE THAN 200 RESCUED TOURISTS SHIFTED TO CHILAS, PROVIDED SHELTER: GB SPOKESPERSON
NDMA SAYS MONITORING EVOLVING SITUATION, REMAIN IN COORDINATION WITH PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES AND EMERGENCY SERVICES
SAYS KARAKORUM HIGHWAY BLOCKED AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS, ISOLATING NUMEROUS VILLAGES AND CUTTING OFF VITAL ACCESS ROUTES
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Rs 20.00 | Vol XVI No 15 | 8 Pages | Karachi Edition
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NEOC ISSUES IMPACT-BASED WEATHER AND GLOF ALERTS AMID INTENSIFYING MONSOON ACTIVITY
PRESIDENT, PM ORDER IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE AND REHAB OF FLOOD-AFFECTED COMMUNITIES GILGIT/ISLAMABAD/SWAT staff report
LASH floods and landsliding triggered by heavy rains and cloudburst wreaked havoc in Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, claiming 18 lives, leaving many tourists stranded and destroying road infrastructure. “Five tourists died and 15 went missing after floods triggered by heavy rain and cloudburst swept through GilgitBaltistanís Babusar Top area in Diamer district,” GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq confirmed, adding that floodwater washed away eight tourist vehicles in the Thak area. He confirmed that at least 15 tourists were missing, with four bodies recovered so far. The spokesperson said that the Babusar Highway was also blocked and communication and electricity infrastructure have been disrupted in the area. Faraq said that hundreds of stranded tourists have been rescued, while many have been given shelter by local residents. Of the other fatalities across the country in rain-related incidents, six people died in Swat, two each in Bajaur and Buner and one each in Sindh and Punjab city of Arifwala. The disaster has taken a particularly
heartbreaking toll on a family from Lodhran. Dr Saad Islam, owner of Shahida Islam Medical College, lost his wife and brother in the floods. His parents, two sisters, brother-in-law, brother, sister-in-law, and children were all vacationing with him. Among the deceased are a female doctor named Mashal, her brother Dr Fahad, and her innocent son. Dr Saad miraculously survived the catastrophe. The dead body of another tourist has also been recovered by the rescue teams from the area. Rescue operations are still underway
on Babusar Road, where 15 tourist vehicles were swept away. So far, three bodies and seven injured individuals have been recovered, but over 15 tourists remain missing. Pakistan Army and GB Scouts have started a search for missing persons, while a military helicopter is also being used to find the Lodhran family members at Babusar Top. In the aftermath, hundreds of stranded tourists were rescued and sheltered by local residents of Thak Babusar. More than 100 tourists, many of them from Lodhran, were ensured safety in
local homes after the cloudburst. The GB government has announced that these tourists will be transported to safer urban areas by morning, although lack of communication systems has severed contact between the tourists and their families. The Babusar Highway remains blocked, with communication and electricity systems down in the area. In Swat, torrential rain wreaked havoc. In Swat’s Madian, a house collapsed due to rain, killing three children and seriously injuring a woman. In Tehsil Charbagh, a flash flood carried away a father and his two children. Rescue teams recovered the bodies of both children 7year-old Afwan and 10-month-old Mohsin after a joint search operation by water rescue teams and locals. In Buner, lightning struck a home in the Gokand area, killing two women. Severe flooding in the Pir Baba Khwar submerged the local bazaar, with floodwaters entering shops, streets, and even the Pir Baba police station, causing losses worth millions. Shops selling mobile phones, clothes, groceries, jewellery, and solar panels were badly affected. Two members of the same family died in the flash floods in Bajaur due to heavy rain.
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Govt hails, PTI condemns Govt building safe, business conviction of Bhachar, friendly environment for others in May 9 riots case Chinese community: PM ISLAMABAD
staff report
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) strongly condemned while the federal government hailed as a “positive step” the Sargodha Anti-Terrorism Court’s (ATC) verdict, sentencing a dozen of PTI leaders, including Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar, to 10 years in prison in the May 9 riots case. The Sargodha ATC while delivering a verdict on a case pertaining to the May 9 riots, sentenced more than a dozen
senior PTI leaders and workers, including Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar, MNA Ahmad Chattha, former MNA and Central Punjab General Secretary Chaudhry Bilal Ejaz, along with dozens of others, to 10 years in prison. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad after the ATC verdict, Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik said: “Today, the Sargodha ATC issued an order and we welcome it … I think it is a very positive step, as justice has been upheld.”
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Acting PA speaker restores 26 PTI suspended lawmakers LAHORE
staff report
Acting Punjab Assembly Speaker Zahid Iqbal Channar on Tuesday reinstated 26 suspended Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf members of the provincial house, saying that their return would send a positive message. “Even I’m not enjoying it without the opposition members,” Channar remarked while addressing the house on Tuesday. He said the presence of opposition lawmakers is crucial for meaningful
parliamentary debate and directed the immediate issuance of a notification to bring them back to the assembly floor. On June 27, PTI lawmakers protested in the house during Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s speech. The proceedings broke into a disarray as lawmakers surrounded the speaker’s dais and raised slogans. In response, Speaker Malik Ahmed Khan suspended 26 opposition lawmakers for 15 sittings and fined 10 MPAs Rs200,000 each for “damaging public property.”
ISLAMABAD
RAWALPINDI
staff report
Four more terrorists of “Indian Proxy Fitna alHindustan” were eliminated during a fire exchange with the security forces during a sanitisation operation in Balochistan’s Kalat district, the military’s media wing said on Tuesday. In a statement, the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) said, “A deliberate sanitization operation was conducted in the district’s surrounding areas on Monday following a successful intelligence-based operation on Saturday in which four terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy, Fitna alHindustan, were killed.” “During the conduct of the operation, four more terrorists of Fitna al-Hindustan were hunted down and successfully neutralized. The terrorist hideout was also busted, and a large quantity of weapons, ammunition, and explosives was recovered,” the ISPR statement said. It added that security forces remained determined to “thwart attempts by Indian proxies at sabotaging peace, stability, and progress in Balochistan.” In May, the government designated all terrorist organizations in Balochistan as Fitna al-Hindustan. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif commended the security forces for eliminating the eight terrorists, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported. The president said that the security forces took out the enemies of the country with a display of bravery and professional capacity, adding that the nation was standing with its brave forces in the fight against terrorism. “The terrorists want to sabotage the peace and stability in the country, which can never be allowed as the nation is united and the scourge of terrorism will be defeated at all costs,” he said. The president also reiterated the resolve that the security forces would continue their operations till complete eradication of terrorism. Similarly, PM Shehbaz reaffirmed that the nefarious designs of terrorists, who were inflicting harm upon the lives and properties of innocent civilians, would be foiled. “The elements of Fitna al-Hindustan, who are enemies of the country’s solidarity, will be rooted out,” he said in a statement from the PM Office. The prime minister further said that the government and security forces were committed to the complete elimination of terrorism from the country. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also paid tribute to the security forces and praised their professionalism.
Iranian President to undertake visit to Pakistan on July 26
staff report
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that the government was building a safe and business-friendly environment for the Chinese community in Pakistan. “The confidence of Chinese companies in the Pakistani economy is extremely important for our economic future,” the prime minister said while chairing a meeting regarding security arrangements for Chinese citizens in Pakistan. He stated that multiple measures were being taken to enhance the security of Chinese nationals across the country, including in Islamabad. The prime minister said that the Safe City projects were an excellent example of this increasing capacity. He added that Safe City projects were being built across the country as per the international standards. “China is our friendly country,” said the prime
Four ‘Finta al-Hindustan’ terrorists killed in Kalat sanitization operation, says ISPR
ISLAMABAD
minister, stressing that the protection of Chinese brothers was the top priority of the government. He said the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was a highly important joint project between the two countries which had now entered its second phase, where business-to-business cooperation will be prioritized between the two countries. In light of the development of CPEC, the protection of Chinese nationals in Pakistan had gained even greater importance, the prime minister stressed. He directed that meas-
ures be taken on a priority basis at all airports across the country to facilitate the arrival and departure of Chinese nationals. During the meeting, the prime minister was briefed on the progress of special security arrangements for Chinese nationals throughout the country. The interior minister informed the prime minister about the security arrangements being implemented nationwide. In the briefing, it was stated that in light of potential terrorist threats, special security arrangements for Chinese nationals had been enforced.
staff report
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to visit Pakistan on July 26, marking the growing diplomatic engagement between two brotherly countries, according to Tasnim News Agency. According to Iranian Tasnim News, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei announced at a press conference on Monday that Pezeshkian will travel to Pakistan in the coming week. Describing the upcoming presidential visit as a sign of the significance that Iran attaches to its relations with Pakistan, the spokesperson said the bilateral ties are based upon historical, cultural and religious understanding and mutual respect. He noted that the contacts between Tehran and Islamabad have increased following the Israeli and US aggression against Iran. He highlighted that following the Zionist regime’s attack on Iran from June 13, which targeted military, nuclear, and residential sites for 12 consecutive days, the United States launched airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan on June 22. In response, Iranian forces launched powerful counterattacks.
UNSC unanimously adopts Pakistan-sponsored resolution on peaceful dispute settlement UNITED NATIONS staff report
The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a Pakistansponsored resolution that called for the peaceful settlement of disputes. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar opened the UNSC session as he was presiding over the UNSC Open Debate on “Promoting International Peace and Security through Multilateralism and the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes”. This is the first of the two signature events of Pakistan in its capacity as president of the UNSC for July. The UNSC unanimously adopted the Pakistan-sponsored resolution urging all nations to utilise effectively mechanisms for peaceful settlement of disputes, such as negotiation, mediation, arbitration, judicial settlement or other peaceful means.
The Foreign Office (FO) said the adoption of the resolution on “Strengthening Mechanisms for Peaceful Settlement of Disputes” was a noteworthy development since it was an “important contribution to the promotion of international peace and security through the use of preventive diplomacy, conflict prevention measures and dispute resolution by peaceful means”. It added that the resolution sought to strengthen mechanisms for peaceful settlement of disputes, as envisaged in Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter and urged member states to utilise peaceful means for settling disputes. “The resolution called upon the member states to take necessary measures for the effective implementation of Security Council resolutions for peaceful settlement of disputes. “Member states and the United Nations have been encouraged to explore ways and means to prevent disputes from escalating,
including but not limited to timely diplomatic efforts, mediation, confidence-building and facilitation of dialogue at the international, regional and subregional levels. The resolution calls for enhancing efforts by all regional and subregional organisations for peaceful settlement of disputes and to strengthen cooperation between these organisations and the United Nations.” The FO said that as an active UNSC member, Pakistan sought to contribute to the promotion and maintenance of international peace and security, including through peaceful settlement of disputes. “The adoption of Pakistan-sponsored resolution would serve as an important instrument to achieve these goals for peace and security at the regional and global level.” Earlier, the FO said the signature event reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering belief in multilateralism and the UN Charter principle of peaceful settlement of disputes.
It said FM Dar would also hold bilateral meetings with the Saudi minister of economy and planning, UK minister for Africa,
the United Nations, Commonwealth and Multilateral, as well as Thailand’s foreign minister on the sidelines.