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DEATH TOLL SOARS TO 340 AS RESCUE OPERATION IN FLOOD-HIT NORTHERN AREAS STEPPED UP Sunday, 17 August, 2025 | 22 Safar, 1447
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NDMA RECORDS 312 DEATHS IN KP DISTRICTS, NINE IN GB AND 11 DEATHS IN AJK RESPECTIVELY
LONE SAYS GB GOVT DOESN’T HAVE THE RESOURCES, SO ARMY HAS TAKEN STEPS TO HELP IN RELIEF EFFORTS
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BUNER/PESHAWAR/GILGIT/ISLAMABAD
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RESCUERS, BACKED BY BOATS AND HELICOPTERS, HECTICALLY ENGAGED WITH RESCUE OPERATION TO SAVE STRANDED RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS
KP ADMINISTRATION DECLARES EMERGENCY IN DISTRICTS AFFECTED BY RAINS AND FLASH FLOODS TILL AUGUST 31, 2025 g
RATIONS AND OTHER SUPPLIES BEING PROVIDED THROUGH PAKISTAN ARMY HELICOPTERS
PM overseeing rescue, relief operations in flood affected areas ISLAMABAD
staff report
“On the Prime Minister’s directive, the National Disaster Management Authority has issued an advisory to limit tourism in mountainous areas due to the intensity of the monsoon,” the NDMA said in a statement. “Public movement should be restricted in high-risk areas during monsoon spells,” it
SJC exonerates CEC, two ECP members from rigging, irregularities allegations ISLAMABAD
staff report
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ARMY PERSONNEL ARRIVE IN BUNER AS PART OF RELIEF EFFORTS, TO USE SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FROM CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO RECOVER BODIES AND INJURED TRAPPED UNDERNEATH LAYERS OF MUD
saleem jadoon
HE death toll from catastrophic rains and cloudburst-triggered flash floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa rose to 340 on Saturday as various districts, especially hard-hit Buner, reported more loss of lives, with NDMA issued an advisory limiting tourism in mountainous areas, officials said on Saturday. The NDMA's latest situation report put the cumulative death toll since the beginning of the monsoon season from June 26 to August 16 at 645, with the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province being the worst hit with 383 casualties, followed by Punjab with 164. In the last 48 hours, raging hill torrents swept away dozens of people in KP’s Swat, Buner, Bajaur, Torghar, Mansehra, Shangla and Battagram districts, with the NDMA recording 312 deaths in the region. Other areas such as Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir suffered nine and 11 deaths, respectively. Rescuers, backed by boats and helicopters, worked for hours in KP and other areas to save stranded residents and tourists as ambulances transported bodies to hospitals.
Rs 20.00 | Vol XVI No 40 | 8 Pages | Lahore Edition
The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) dismissed all complaints filed against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and two members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Nisar Ahmad Durrani and Shah Muhammad Jatoi. The SJC released its decision on the Supreme Court’s official website on complaint Nos532/2021, 557/2022, and 563/2022, which were submitted against the CEC and two ECP members. Although the council did not disclose the identities of the complainants in its published decision, these were reportedly filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), alleging irregularities and rigging during the general elections. The council reviewed the complaints during its meetings held on November 8, 2024, and December 13, 2024. This dismissal comes at a time of heightened political tension over the credibility of the electoral process, with opposition parties frequently raising concerns about the impartiality of the ECP. According to the Constitution, only the SJC is authorized to hear and adjudicate cases of alleged misconduct involving the CEC and ECP members. The latest ruling effectively exonerates CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja and the two members of all allegations brought against them. While Sikandar Sultan Raja has completed his constitutional term, under the provisions of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, he will continue to serve until a successor is appointed. In this regard, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote to Opposition Leader Omar Ayub on June 4, 2025, initiating consultations for the appointment of a new CEC and two ECP members, whose terms have also expired. According to the constitutional procedure, both the prime minister and the opposition leader are required to propose three names each. If consensus cannot be reached, the issue is referred to a parliamentary committee for final consideration.
continued. “If necessary, tourist restrictions may be imposed under Section 144, with law enforcement agencies in tourist areas ensuring compliance with these restrictions.” Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) empowers local authorities to prohibit gatherings of four or more people
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif is personally overseeing rescue and relief operations after catastrophic rains and cloudburst-triggered flash floods in the upper parts of the country, Radio Pakistan reported. The Prime Minister is in constant touch with the Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to ensure the delivery of relief materials to the affected districts, transport people to safe places and to carry out the search operation for missing persons speedily and effectively, said a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. and impose restrictions on movement or activities in a specific area to prevent unrest or
On the special instructions of the Prime Minister, the Federal Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan visited the flood-affected areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the whole day and personally supervised the delivery of relief materials, the PMO added. The Prime Minister directed further speeding up of the rescue operation in the affected areas. He directed the provision of tents, medicines, immediate medical assistance and all related facilities to the flood victims on a priority basis. He instructed the NDMA to provide advance weather information to the residents of the affected and adjacent areas and remain prepared for any possible emergency. ensure public safety.
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SC cautions delay in cases disposal erodes public confidence, undermines rule of law ISLAMABAD
staff report
The Supreme Court has emphasized the need for evolving the courts into engines of timely, transparent, and citizen-focused justice, calling for transformative reforms to integrate technological innovation, administrative restructuring, and disciplined case management to ensure the expeditious disposal of cases. The observation was made by a two-member bench, comprising Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Ayesha Malik, in a four-page judgment dismissing a petition by Abdul Salam Khan against a Peshawar High Court verdict in a property auction case. The court cautioned that delays in adjudicating cases at any level of the justice system erode public confidence, undermine the rule of law and disproportionately harm the weak and vulnerable who cannot afford prolonged litigation. In a four-page judgment authored by Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, the apex court stressed that the judiciary must draw upon the global lessons and commit to the transformative reforms. The auction in question occurred in 2011, and the petitioner raised objections the same year, which were dismissed. An appeal was filed before the high court, where it lingered for ten years, culminating in a decision in 2021. The matter then reached the SC in 2022 and is being addressed now, three years later, in 2025.
The judgment noted that judicial systems worldwide have recognised that delay is not an intractable inevitability but a solvable institutional challenge. “Countries such as Singapore, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Estonia, Canada, China, Denmark, and Australia have undertaken comprehensive reforms combining technology, structural innovation, and procedural discipline to reduce backlog and enhance judicial efficiency,” the court observed. “Through tools such as e-filing, real-time dashboards, automated scheduling, and transparent digital oversight, these jurisdictions have moved from being passive custodians of dockets to active managers of justice delivery. These international experiences underscore a basic truth: delays in justice are not inevitable; they are a product of institutional design and can be remedied with
vision, planning, and resolve.” Justice Shah observed that delay in adjudication carries severe macroeconomic and societal consequences. “It deters investment, renders contracts illusory, and weakens the institutional legitimacy of the judiciary.” “A justice system’s credibility rests not only in the fairness of its decisions but also in the timeliness with which those decisions are rendered.” It further noted that the issue was not merely administrative but was also constitutional, highlighting that the right to access to justice was guaranteed by Articles 4, 9 and 10A of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973. “It encompasses within it the right to a fair and timely trial. Delay that renders a remedy ineffective or a right illusory amounts to a denial of due process. Justice, to be real, must be both just and timely.”
31 Arab, Islamic states denounce Netanyahu’s ‘Greater Israel’ plan DOHA
agencies
The foreign ministers of 31 Arab and Islamic countries, along with the secretaries-general of the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), have strongly condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s so-called “Greater Israel” vision. “These statements represent a grave disregard for, and a blatant and dangerous violation of the rules of international law and the foundations of stable international relations,” they said in a joint statement. “They also constitute a direct threat to Arab national security, to the sovereignty of states, and to regional and international peace and security.” Qatar said it joined 31 Arab and Islamic countries, the Arab League, the OIC and the GCC in condemning Netanyahu’s statements. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement posted on X, said the Israeli PM’s comments “represent a gross disregard and a blatant and dangerous violation of the rules of international law and the foundations of stable international relations.” At least ten Palestinians, including four children, were killed by Israeli strikes early Friday, Al Jazeera reported citing Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat reported.
Field Marshal Munir rubbishes reports on ‘change in leadership’ as false ISLAMABAD
staff report
Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir has ruled out any change in the country’s leadership, describing circulating rumours as “completely false” and against both “the government and the establishment.” Speaking to senior journalist Sohail Waraich in Brussels, the army chief said, “God made me this country’s guardian,” adding that he has no desire for any other position. He emphasized that political reconciliation is only possible through genuine apologies from all parties involved. In July, rumors began to circulate that President Asif Ali Zardari may be asked to step down and that the COAS would take over the top office. However, top government officials—Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi— rejected such claims. “Field Marshal Asim Munir has never
expressed any desire to become the president, nor is there any such plan in the offing,” PM Shehbaz had said, while Naqvi called it a “malicious campaign” targeting President Zardari, the premier, and the army chief. During his interaction with the senior journalist, Field Marshal Munir also highlighted Pakistan’s long-standing experience in maintaining balanced relations with China and the United States. He said, “We will not sacrifice one friend for the sake of another.” United States-Pakistan relations have started improving since US President Donald Trump took office. He recently hosted COAS Munir for lunch at the White House, a move that unsettled India and signaled a significant diplomatic shift. On international diplomacy, the army chief noted that US President Trump’s desire for peace is genuine, which is why Pakistan was the first to support his nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. He added that other countries are now following Pakistan’s lead
in supporting the nomination. Regarding regional security, Field Marshal Munir warned that India should not attempt to destabilise Pakistan through proxies. The army chief praised Prime Minister Shehbaz for his dedication, including working 18-hour days during the war, and lauded the government and cabinet for demonstrating remarkable resolve during challenging times. India has escalated its proxy war against Pakistan following its defeat in “Marka-eHaq”—the days-long military conflict between the two nuclear neighbors—and is using Fitna-al-Khawarij and Fitna-al-Hindustan to advance its nefarious designs. He also called on the Afghan government to halt policies that push the Taliban into Pakistan and reaffirmed that the blood of every Pakistani is a responsibility the state must uphold. During the Brussels event, overseas Pakistanis welcomed Field Marshal Munir as a war victor. He spent several hours meeting Pakistanis who had travelled from far and
wide, despite advice that such a large gathering could cause logistical issues. The army
chief insisted that the visitors’ dedication and enthusiasm could not be ignored.