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                        <title>Pakistan News, Latest News Pakistan, Pakistan Headline | The Express Tribune</title>
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                        <description>The Express Tribune keeps you up to date with all the latest happenings from Pakistan and across the world!</description>
                        <lastBuildDate>Tue, 16 Jun 26 19:31:00 +0500</lastBuildDate>
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			<title>FinMin sees upsides to 2027 economic outlook after US-Iran deal, but says too early to revise budget</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613431/pakistan-eyes-more-global-bond-issues-sees-budget-upside-from-iran-deal</link>
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			<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 26 05:06:19 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Islamabad]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Aurangzeb says may use commercial borrowing to change creditor profile without increasing overall external debt]]>
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				<![CDATA[The government could improve economic projections for 2027 ​after the end of the Iran war, but it is still too early to revise the budget, Finance &zwnj;Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told Reuters, hours after the US and Iran signed a deal to end the fighting.

Damaged energy infrastructure meant supply chains would take time to return to normal, after the conflict pushed inflation back into double digits, Aurangzeb said.

&quot;We were looking at how we manage the second, third-order ​impact in case this conflict continues,&quot; he said. &quot;The energy infrastructure has been hit. And therefore, it will take time ​before we return to normalcy in terms of supply chains.&quot;

He added, &quot;I do see upsides in what ⁠we have projected for next year,&quot; but cautioned it would be &quot;way too premature&quot; to revise the budget.

Pakistan&#39;s FY27 budget, presented in parliament ​on Friday, targets growth of 4% and inflation of 8.2%.

It raised defence spending 18% to Rs3 trillion ($10.8 billion), while relying ​on higher tax revenue to keep a $7-billion IMF programme on track.

Commercial borrowing to change creditor profile

Islamabad may use commercial borrowing in fiscal year 2027 to change its creditor profile without increasing overall external debt, Aurangzeb added in comments on Monday.

&quot;Ideally what we want to do is to see if ​we can replace some of the bilateral through commercial,&quot; he said. &quot;We do not intend to increase the size of our external ​debt.&quot;

Pakistan repaid $3.4 billion in bilateral UAE deposits last month but has also tapped the emirates&#39; commercial banks for financing, reflecting the creditor-profile shift Aurangzeb &zwnj;wants to ⁠formalise.

Read: SBP holds policy rate at 11.5%

It plans further Panda Bond, Eurobond, US dollar and first rupee-linked, dollar-settled issues, though the sizes have yet to be decided, he said.

The FY27 budget envisages $2.82 billion in commercial and eurobond financing, while Pakistan has approval for $1 billion equivalent in Panda bonds after a $250 million debut that was 95% backed by the ADB and AIIB.

Former banker has presented three budgets

A former banker, Aurangzeb has presented three ​consecutive budgets, achieving a rare ​run in Pakistan, where governments ⁠often fail to complete their terms and finance ministers are frequently replaced.

Interest has surged in Pakistan&#39;s burgeoning defence industry after last year&#39;s conflict with India, but Aurangzeb said it was too early to ​project any defence-export upside.

The government&#39;s immediate focus is on allocations, given two &quot;active&quot; borders, he added, as ​the South Asian ⁠nation is flanked by Afghanistan and India.

Pakistan&#39;s defence manufacturing industry is running red-hot since its jets, drones, and missiles earned the coveted &#39;combat tested&#39; tag in the India conflict, drawing a slew of buyers.

Pakistan has moved to formalise the digital asset sector this year, for example by signing ⁠pacts with Binance ​and World Liberty Financial.

Aurangzeb said Pakistan would regulate crypto, tokenisation and digital-asset exchanges ​before taxing the sector, saying revenue gains would follow once it was formalised.

&quot;Yes, at some point we have to bring it into the taxation timeframe,&quot; he added. &quot;But ​this was not the time to do it.&quot;]]>
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			<title>Economy showing signs of recovery: Khawaja Asif</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613458/economy-showing-signs-of-recovery-khawaja-asif</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613458/economy-showing-signs-of-recovery-khawaja-asif#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 26 10:16:08 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Defence minister says improvement in Pak-Iran relations, easing of sanctions on Tehran can create opportunities]]>
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				<![CDATA[Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday said Pakistan&rsquo;s economy had moved &ldquo;out of the ICU&rdquo; and is now showing signs of recovery, adding that the country could achieve 6&ndash;7% growth in the coming years.

Addressing the National Assembly, the defence minister said, &ldquo;Whatever time we are living in is a time of celebration; we also have successes,&rdquo; he said, adding that in the first budget the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz&#39;s government tabled three years ago, the economy was &ldquo;insolvent&rdquo; before being stabilised with support from the International Monetary Fund on &quot;strict conditions.&quot;

&ldquo;We were suffering, but from insolvency we are now solvent,&rdquo; he said, adding that the economy was now &ldquo;breathing&rdquo; after a period of severe stress.

Asif said he was not claiming that Pakistan had fully recovered, but argued that indicators pointed towards gradual improvement. &quot;Our trajectory shows that in one or two years Pakistan will reach a growth rate of 6&ndash;7%,&rdquo; he said.

He said inflation and global energy prices remained linked to international markets, adding that expectations of lower domestic fuel prices were constrained by global trends. &ldquo;When people say petrol prices should come down, do be aware that prices in the international markets have not come down yet,&rdquo; he noted.

Turning to taxation, the defence minister said the current system contained multiple layers of levies. &ldquo;We know there are problems with the levy, there are multiple taxes&mdash;25 different types&mdash; and they have been built into every purchase,&rdquo; he said.

Asif further stated that the broader goal should be to expand the tax base rather than increase pressure on existing taxpayers. &ldquo;The only way is that all 250 million people pay taxes,&rdquo; he said, adding that people often find ways to avoid taxation. &ldquo;We need to create an atmosphere in which people pay taxes with pride,&rdquo; he added.

US-Iran

The defence minister hailed Pakistan&rsquo;s role in helping bring about the recent understanding between the United States and Iran, saying the development had enhanced the country&rsquo;s standing internationally and should be celebrated as a national achievement.

Asif congratulated the nation on what he described as a major diplomatic success and praised the efforts of Pakistan&rsquo;s civil and military leadership. &ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s role was recognised in the world,&rdquo; he said, adding that Pakistan had played a role in helping achieve the breakthrough.

&ldquo;These moments in a country&rsquo;s life come after centuries and become golden moments,&rdquo; he told lawmakers. &ldquo;No matter what complaints exist, these moments of jubilation should be celebrated as a nation, as one entity.&rdquo;

The minister said he would like to thank &ldquo;the field marshal and the entire team that was working&rdquo;, adding that &ldquo;the whole country should thank them&rdquo;. &ldquo;They steered a situation that was impossible and made the impossible possible,&rdquo; he said.

Read: Budget comes under fire in Senate

Asif noted that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had congratulated US President Donald Trump on the development but had not acknowledged Pakistan&rsquo;s role.

Turning to regional implications, the defence minister said recent improvements in Pakistan-Iran relations and the easing of sanctions on Tehran could create economic opportunities for Pakistan.

&ldquo;With Iran, our relations have seen good developments in the past few months. Sanctions are being relaxed, their oil and gas exports [are increasing],&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Pakistan can benefit immensely from this change, and the biggest beneficiary will be Balochistan,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s see how we can proceed in this direction.&rdquo;

Local politics

The defence minister speaking on the security situation in Balochistan said that the crisis in the province &ldquo;was not born yesterday&rdquo; and that responsibility for it was shared across political forces over many decades.

&ldquo;Many colleagues have rightly discussed the situation in Balochistan. This situation was not born yesterday; many people have contributed to it,&rdquo; he said, adding that he would avoid naming individuals because &ldquo;it would become partisan&rdquo;.

He further said terrorism in Balochistan and K-P should be treated as a national issue rather than a party issue. &ldquo;If roads are not safe in Balochistan, if terrorists have made highways unsafe and acts of terrorism occur, I understand this is the collective responsibility of this House,&rdquo; he said.

He rejected the idea that political parties should trade accusations over the crisis. &ldquo;Should I accuse them or should they accuse us?&rdquo; he asked, adding that the roots of the problem stretched back to the 1950s, when agreements made with tribal communities were later broken. &ldquo;We need a collective solution. If Balochistan faces terrorism, then responsibility is collective, and there must be a solution that the people of Balochistan accept,&rdquo; he said.

Asif also spoke emotionally about the human cost of the insurgency and counterterrorism conflict, saying he had attended &ldquo;21 funerals in the last few days&rdquo;. &ldquo;Small children are being orphaned. People are told, just days after their weddings, that they must report to the border,&rdquo; he said, adding that many personnel request transfers because they fear postings to Balochistan and conflict zones.

&ldquo;These soldiers standing on the borders of Balochistan and K-P are young men with families. Their sacrifices will bear fruit and will not be wasted,&rdquo; he said.

Read More: Govt pursuing efforts for release of 10 Pakistani hostages in Somalia, Tarar tells NA

The minister also criticised what he described as hypocrisy across the political spectrum regarding the role of the establishment. &ldquo;We complain that power centres have shifted elsewhere, but they have shifted because of us,&rdquo; he said.

Asif said, &ldquo;I am given establishment taunts. Tell me one party that is innocent.&rdquo; He added that the soldiers being killed in attacks should not be reduced to political labels. &ldquo;These are not martyrs of a party; they are martyrs of the army, which we call the establishment,&rdquo; he said.

The defence minister urged lawmakers to speak &ldquo;the language of the federation&rdquo; rather than narrow provincial or partisan politics. &ldquo;This is the whole of Pakistan&rsquo;s House,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Do not come here with political angling and posturing that makes the common man lose trust in this House.&rdquo;

Asif also accused political parties of selectively forgetting their own dealings with the establishment while criticising opponents for similar conduct.

Referring to former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, he said he had attended legislative meetings at Qaiser&#39;s residence during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf&#39;s tenure, where politicians from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and individuals linked to the intelligence services were present.

&ldquo;Asad Qaiser, whom I respect, in his room I attended meetings at his house on legislation. PPP would sit there, ISI people sent by General [retd] Faiz would sit there, and they would monitor our conversations and, where they wanted, they would decide our direction,&rdquo; Asif alleged.

The defence minister claimed he was disclosing this to &ldquo;lower the burden on my conscience&rdquo;, arguing that politicians often ignored their own past conduct when attacking rivals.

&ldquo;When you pound your chest and taunt us, do you forget that under your roof the Anti-Money Laundering Bill and NAB law were discussed there under the watchful gaze of people sent by Gen Faiz at that time?&rdquo; he stated, adding, &ldquo;This is our problem. In politics, there are grey areas, but we expand them with new levels of hypocrisy.&rdquo;

Asif was referring to&nbsp;Faiz Hameed, who is a retired three‑star general of the Pakistan Army&rsquo;s Baloch Regiment and served as the director general of the Inter‑Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan&rsquo;s premier intelligence agency, from June 2019 to 2021.&nbsp;

Hameed, on December 11,&nbsp;was sentenced to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment by a Field General Court Martial after being found guilty on multiple charges after 15 months of proceedings. He was tried on four charges, including engaging in political activities, misuse of authority and government resources, violation of the Official Secrets Act in a manner &ldquo;detrimental to the safety and interest of the state,&rdquo; and causing wrongful loss to individuals.

Afghanistan

Responding to criticism that Islamabad had not sufficiently engaged with Kabul, Asif said that Pakistan had repeatedly engaged with the Afghan Taliban multiple times but had failed to secure guarantees that Afghan territory would not be used for attacks inside Pakistan.

Asif said that senior political, military and intelligence officials had held extensive talks with Taliban authorities over several years. &ldquo;Lots of people complained that we should negotiate with them, and maybe our approach is impersonal, that we are not directly approaching them,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But this Afghanistan issue is directly linked to terrorism. Whether in Balochistan or Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the origin of the terrorism comes from Afghanistan.&rdquo;

Rejecting suggestions that Pakistan had not pursued dialogue, the minister said he had personally travelled to Afghanistan twice as part of high-level delegations. &ldquo;This complaint that we didn&rsquo;t talk &mdash; I went twice myself. Both times senior delegation members were there, and I had the DG ISI with me,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They would agree to everything but would refuse anything in writing,&rdquo; he added.

The minister disclosed that Afghan authorities had sought financial assistance from Pakistan during the discussions. &ldquo;They asked us for $10 billion. We agreed, but we told them that terrorists residing in Afghanistan will not come back to Pakistan,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Apart from Kabul, I also met them in Turkey and Qatar. Negotiations would go on day and night, with high-powered delegations, but there was no conclusion,&rdquo; he added.

&ldquo;We were ready to do anything, but we wanted a guarantee that their land would not be used against us. That&rsquo;s all we wanted.&rdquo; The defence minister said Pakistan had exhausted diplomatic channels in seeking cooperation from the Taliban government.

Asif also reflected on Pakistan&rsquo;s role in past regional conflicts, arguing that decisions taken during the Cold War and the US-led war in Afghanistan had left lasting consequences. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t say that our policies of the 1980s and the first two decades of this century, when we were American proxies, were correct,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We thought we would win a lottery by being an American proxy. Pakistan became a battleground,&rdquo; he added.

The minister further said that those [Americans] who &quot;came here used us and then went home,&quot; leaving behind their arms and terror. &quot;We are still suffering the consequences, and God knows for how long we will continue to suffer,&rdquo; he added.

Calling for a practical approach, the minister said Pakistan remained open to further engagement but expected tangible outcomes. &ldquo;My companions should conduct talks and go there. We are ready, but don&rsquo;t come back without results,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Two generations have already suffered, and it seems the coming generations will also suffer.&rdquo;

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had&nbsp;witnessed a significant rise in militant violence last year, with more than 500 attacks reported, marking a 50% increase compared to the previous year.

According to a security assessment obtained by&nbsp;The Express Tribune, K-P recorded 1,588 terrorism-related incidents, underscoring the growing militant threat across both settled and tribal districts. Despite the increase in attacks, security forces reportedly thwarted 320 major strikes, while 137 police personnel were killed in the line of duty.

The report said joint operations by the K-P Police, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and other security agencies led to the arrest of 1,244 suspected militants, while 420 militants were killed in intelligence-based operations.

Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Hangu and Peshawar were among the districts most affected by militant violence, with the report noting a pattern of attacks allegedly planned and launched from across the Afghan border.

The fighting ​between&nbsp;Pakistan and Afghanistan that started in October&nbsp;​has ⁠killed scores of people on both sides, with Afghans taking the brunt. Islamabad accuses the&nbsp;Afghan Taliban of harbouring ⁠militants&nbsp;​who launch attacks in Pakistan, ​although Kabul denies this, calling the militancy its neighbour&#39;s domestic problem.

Operation Ghazab Lil Haq&nbsp;was launched around the end of February following renewed clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, after Afghan Taliban forces fired on multiple locations, prompting swift military retaliation by Pakistan.

The clashes intensified after Afghanistan launched a border offensive in response to Pakistani air strikes targeting terrorist positions. The two sides had agreed to a&nbsp;week-long ceasefire on the eve of Eidul Fitr&nbsp;on March 18, following requests from T&uuml;rkiye, Saudi Arabia&nbsp;and Qatar.

Pakistan in April put forth&nbsp;three core demands&nbsp;to the Afghan Taliban during peace talks in Urumqi, China, including Kabul formally declaring the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan a terrorist organisation, dismantling its infrastructure, and providing verifiable proof of the action. These demands form the basis of Pakistan&#39;s negotiating position, which sources say has hardened amid persistent security concerns.

In the most recent development,&nbsp;Pakistan carried out &ldquo;precision strikes&rdquo; along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border targeting terrorist hideouts, killing 26&nbsp;Fitna al-Khawarij&nbsp;terrorists in response to recent terrorist attacks in the country.&nbsp;

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the operations were conducted in the aftermath of recent attacks, including the&nbsp;assault&nbsp;on a Federal Constabulary post in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on June 9, a vehicle-borne suicide attack on a military post in North Waziristan on June 2, and an&nbsp;attack&nbsp;on a police station in Bannu on May 9.]]>
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			<title>Five terrorists killed in intelligence-based operation near Attock: CTD</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613463/five-terrorists-killed-in-intelligence-based-operation-near-attock-ctd</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613463/five-terrorists-killed-in-intelligence-based-operation-near-attock-ctd#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 26 10:46:51 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[APP]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[PM Shehbaz Sharif says security forces, police, CTD are achieving significant successes in fight against terrorism]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) killed five terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in a border area near Attock. The department had received credible intelligence that terrorists present in the area had finalised plans to carry out attacks in different parts of Punjab, said a CTD spokesperson on Tuesday.

Giving further details of the operation, he said that a raid was conducted on the reported hideout, during which the suspects opened fire on law enforcement personnel, triggering an exchange of fire. As a result, all five terrorists were killed, he added.

The spokesman said the slain terrorists were affiliated with &quot;Fitna al-Khawarij&quot;. The state uses the term Fitna al-Khawarij to refer to terrorists affiliated with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

Also Read: CTD arrests 16 suspected terrorists in operations across Punjab

&quot;A suicide jacket, three SMGs, two hand grenades and ammunition were recovered from their possession,&quot;&nbsp;said the spokesperson, adding that identification of the terrorists is under way, while a search operation in adjoining areas has been launched. He also urged citizens to report suspicious activity on the CTD helpline.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday lauded the successful operation carried out by the CTD in Attock District against terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij.

The prime minister lauded the CTD for eliminating five terrorists during the operation. &ldquo;The security forces, police, and CTD are achieving significant successes in the fight against terrorism,&rdquo; the prime minister said in a statement. &ldquo;We are firmly committed to the complete eradication of all forms of terrorism from the country,&rdquo; he added.]]>
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			<title>Naqvi calls on ulema to strengthen state’s anti-terrorism narrative</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613464/naqvi-calls-on-ulema-to-strengthen-states-anti-terrorism-narrative</link>
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			<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 26 11:16:16 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Says nationwide coordination among mosques, seminaries, and religious boards may play key role in countering terrorism]]>
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				<![CDATA[Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday called for stronger coordination between the state and religious scholars, urging them to play a unifying role in countering terrorism, social disorder, and fitna, while supporting a single national message of peace and stability.

Speaking at the Special Paigham-e-Aman Committee meeting in Islamabad alongside Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, he urged scholars to support the state&#39;s narrative against terrorism by issuing clear religious guidance based on Islamic teachings.

&ldquo;First of all, on terrorism, I would like to request you to give fatwas and statements that strengthen us, that you are standing with us in the fight against terrorism,&rdquo; he said. He added that scholars should refer to the Qur&rsquo;an, Hadith, and Islamic history to explain how fitna that weakens the state is addressed in Islam.

&ldquo;Through the history of Islam and Hadith, if any fitna arises that weakens your state, how should it be handled, and what are its consequences?&rdquo; he said, adding that the public should also be guided on how Islam addresses those who oppose or challenge the state in the context of terrorism or other forms of disorder.

Naqvi said the platform should be strengthened into a national-level forum involving all religious boards and seminaries. He recalled that a similar proposal had earlier been shared in Punjab, suggesting that the initiative be expanded nationwide.

&ldquo;If, on one topic, 22,000 mosques are delivering a single message, there cannot be a stronger message from Pakistan,&rdquo; he said, adding that the inclusion of all madrassa boards had already strengthened the forum.

Read More: Economy showing signs of recovery: Khawaja Asif

He further stressed that the committee should not remain limited to occasional religious periods but should function throughout the year through a structured coordination system.

&ldquo;We will establish a coordinator. We need ulema throughout the year, not only in Ramazan or Rabiul Awwal,&rdquo; he said, adding that monthly meetings should be institutionalised and regular engagement ensured.

The minister said many tensions in society arise from a lack of focus on shared priorities. &ldquo;In my personal analysis, when we all focus on ourselves and stop looking at others, many of our issues will be resolved,&rdquo; he said.

He added that states do not permit hate speech or disrespect toward other religions or sects, stressing the importance of responsible public messaging.

Naqvi said that in regional crisis situations, Pakistan&rsquo;s leadership structure played a decisive role in managing outcomes, comparing it to a team system where strategy is set at the top and execution happens on the ground.

&ldquo;There is a leader, there is a captain. The leader gives direction, makes a strategy, gives final approval, and then the captain and the team go into the field to achieve results,&rdquo; he said.

Referring to US-Iran tensions, he credited coordinated leadership for preventing escalation and described the role of Pakistan&rsquo;s top leadership in the process.

Also Read: Naqvi, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman discuss political, economic, security challenges

The interior minister specifically referred to the Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, saying that his credibility and trustworthiness were recognised by all sides involved, which allowed him to play a key role in communication and de-escalation efforts.

He said both sides placed confidence in his neutrality, which helped Pakistan facilitate engagement during a sensitive phase of the crisis.

Naqvi also described the mediation process in detail, saying he was present in Tehran alongside the Iranian chief negotiator during high-level discussions aimed at preventing escalation. He said the situation at that time was extremely volatile, with diplomatic efforts running alongside imminent military preparations.

According to his account, at one stage the crisis had reached a point where escalation appeared imminent, with military assets already on alert. He said that in this critical phase, &ldquo;jets were on standby and prepared for possible strikes, and missiles were ready,&rdquo; while negotiations continued simultaneously in Tehran.

He added that only a very short window remained before potential military action, but continuous engagement with the Iranian side&rsquo;s chief negotiator helped keep communication open.

Through sustained backchannel diplomacy and urgent engagement, he said, the situation was pulled back from the brink and escalation was averted.

Naqvi concluded that the Paigham-e-Aman Committee should function as a continuous national platform for unity, peace, and stability. Chaudhry also addressed the meeting and supported stronger coordination between the state and religious scholars.]]>
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			<title>Govt pursuing efforts for release of 10 Pakistani hostages in Somalia, Tarar tells NA</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613449/govt-pursuing-efforts-for-release-of-10-pakistani-hostages-in-somalia-tarar-tells-na</link>
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			<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 26 08:40:16 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[APP]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Islamabad]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Says Pakistan’s mission in Djibouti closely monitoring developments, coordinating efforts for the hostages' release]]>
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				<![CDATA[Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Tuesday informed the National Assembly that the government was actively working through diplomatic channels to secure the release of 10 Pakistani citizens being held hostage in Somalia.

The oil tanker Honour 25, sailing under the Somali flag from Oman to Somalia, was hijacked by pirates on April 21. There were 17 crew members aboard, 10 of whom were Pakistani nationals. The families of the Pakistani hostages have continuously appealed to the government for the safe release of their loved ones.

In video and audio messages, the Pakistani hostages reported that food supplies and medicines on the ship had run out. They said they were being given only one serving of boiled rice per day. Clean drinking water has also run out, forcing the hostages to drink contaminated water, which is causing illnesses among them.

Responding to a point raised by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Abdul Qadir Patel during the House proceedings, the minister said the government took immediate notice of the matter as soon as it was brought before Parliament.

The minister informed the House that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had already contacted his Somali counterpart to discuss the issue, adding that the Foreign Office has remained fully engaged and has issued statements regarding the situation.

Dar held a phone call last week with his Somalian counterpart Abdisalam Abdi Ali to convey Pakistan&#39;s &quot;grave&quot; concern over the situation and underscored the importance of ensuring the hostages&#39; well-being, their early release, and safe repatriation. Ali had assured Dar of Somalia&#39;s &quot;continued and sincere efforts&quot; to secure the hostages&#39; release at the earliest opportunity.

Tarar said that Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch was in continuous contact with the relevant Somali authorities, while Pakistan&rsquo;s mission in Djibouti was closely monitoring developments and coordinating efforts for the hostages&rsquo; release.

He said that the hostages were not being held by the Somali government but by another group, making it challenging to determine their exact whereabouts and secure their immediate release.

Assuring the House of the government&rsquo;s commitment, Tarar said Parliament and the public would be kept informed of any significant progress.

&ldquo;These are our citizens, and their safety remains a matter of serious concern for the government. We are fully aware of their situation and are making every possible effort through diplomatic channels to secure their release,&rdquo; he said.

Earlier in the session, a delegation from Bangladesh&rsquo;s higher education sector visited the National Assembly and observed the proceedings. NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq welcomed the visiting delegation, while lawmakers greeted them by thumping their desks.

Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said last week that the government was &quot;actively working&quot; to secure the release of 10 seamen held hostage by Somali pirates on a ship for over a month. Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi has also said Pakistan remained &ldquo;actively engaged&rdquo; in efforts to secure the release of the crew.]]>
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			<title>Public hospitals staff to be tested across Sindh</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251863/public-hospitals-staff-tested-across-sindh</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251863/public-hospitals-staff-tested-across-sindh#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 10:29:19 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[sameer.mandhro]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251863</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Health department to restart contact tracing for coronavirus]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Sindh government issued directives on Saturday for all public hospitals to get its staff tested for Covid-19 as well as begin coronavirus contact tracing again.

In a letter issued by Sindh health director general Dr Irshad Ahmed Memon, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, the heads of all public-sector hospitals have been asked to get their respective facility's staff tested for the coronavirus on priority basis. Besides, they have been instructed to continue tests for the diagnosis of other suspected Covid-19 cases.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Dr Memon stressed the need for all hospital employees to get tested, claiming, however, that Sindh had the least number of infected health department employees among the provinces.

Another health department official, also emphasising the need for "immediate" screening of healthcare professionals, said the decision had come late.

"It is feared that most health workers do not [properly] follow standard operating procedures. This eventually leads to multiplying the number of infected persons, even in far flung areas," he explained.

This was confirmed by other officials, too, who pointed out that SOPs were particularly ignored at private clinics. They can then carry the virus to public hospitals, the officials added.

Saying that health department officials did all they could to monitor health workers and ensure they followed SOPs, they noted that it was near impossible to keep a watch over private facilities.

According to the health department, there are 1,500 rapid response teams in Sindh that collect samples for Covid-19 testing, besides serving at various healthcare facilities and helping Covid-19 patients in getting admissions to hospitals.

"But after several of them contracted the infection, the number of tests conducted daily was reduced," explained a senior health department official. He, however, added that other reasons also factored in reducing the number of tests. "[Following this], routine testing was disrupted," he explained.

Speaking on the matter, Pakistan Medical Association general secretary Dr Qaisar Sajjad also called for the immediate screening of healthcare professionals. "We had asked for it in March but orders for it have only been issued now."

He was also of the opinion that the government was giving rise to confusion by decreasing the number of tests.

"While the number of tests [conducted daily] is going down, the number of cases are shooting up," he observed, explaining that fewer cases being reported had led to people disregarding SOPs.

"Over 60 per cent citizens have stopped wearing masks," he claimed.

Contact tracing

With the health department also announcing to recommence Covid-19 contact tracing, a health department official told The Express Tribune that the exercise was stopped due to "some confusion."

"But we are starting it again so that [suspected] cases can be traced and screened," he confirmed.

The health dept's silence

Meanwhile, all senior department officials, including spokespersons, have reportedly been instructed not to talk to the media for reasons unknown. "Only a few are privy to this development," a health official, on condition of anonymity, disclosed to The Express Tribune. "We have been told not to share any information with the media." He added that none of the department's officials had access to the daily update on pandemic statistics given by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.

"This is the only department for which the CM releases data," the official said. "And while we work in the health department, we don't have access to it." 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2020. ]]>
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			<title>MQM-London ‘hitman’ apprehended</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252248/mqm-london-hitman-apprehended</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252248/mqm-london-hitman-apprehended#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 18:29:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2252248</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Police claim he was involved in over 100 murders]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) police claimed on Saturday to have arrested a notorious target killer, allegedly belonging to Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London (MQM-L) and involved in over 100 murders, during a targeted operation in Orangi Town. The police reportedly seized arms and ammunition from his possession as well.

According to SIU SSP Irfan Bahadur, the suspect, namely Shakeel alias Haddi, was a member of MQM-L’s ‘death squad’ and had confessed to the killings of Pirabad police SI Aleem Shah and Orangi Town police constable Rana Sohail in 2011, during his initial interrogation.

Bahadur added that he was also involved in an attack on Awami National Party (ANP) leader Bashir Jan and the targeted killing of ANP’s Shah Faisal Colony in-charge, Nabi Gul, among others.

The SSP claimed Shakeel had also killed a medico-legal officer at Qatar Hospital and MQM-Haqiqi’s Asif Malang, while also setting fire to the ‘astana’ of Khalid Baba, burning three people to death.

According to the police, Shakeel admitted to involvement in over 100 murders on the basis of ethnicity, sect and politics, on the orders of the MQM-L leadership.

Cases against him and other members of the ‘death squad’, including Ajmal Pahari, Saeed alias Bharam, Danish alias Mama, Omar alias Mullah, Zeeshan alias Dada, are registered in several police stations across the city, as well as with the SIU. Further investigation is underway.]]>
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			<title>2,179 people diagnosed with coronavirus in Sindh</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252371/2179-people-diagnosed-coronavirus-sindh</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252371/2179-people-diagnosed-coronavirus-sindh#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 23:50:45 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2252371</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[CM Murad says province's daily testing capacity has been stretched to 12,000]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah shared on Sunday that 2,179 people were diagnosed with coronavirus overnight, of the total 9,244 samples tested on the day.

Shah added that 435,393 samples have been tested to date in Sindh, of which 80,446 have been positive, which constituted around 18.4 per cent of the total.

The CM apprised that the testing capacity in the province has been stretched to 12,000 a day, courtesy of the laboratories established in Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Gambat and Sehwan, which have been functional for the last month.

According to Shah, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences in Hyderabad could conduct 2,000 tests, Syed Abdullah Shah Institute in Sehwan 100, Gambat Institute 300 and Ghulam Mohammad Maher Medical College in Sukkur could screen 100 samples.

Moreover, the chief minister stated that 26 more people succumbed to the contagious disease overnight, taking the death toll to 1,269 in the province. He claimed that the government has curbed the mortality rate by spreading awareness among the masses.

Shah added that 34,654 people were currently infected by the virus, of whom 33,110 were in home isolation, 88 were quarantined at isolation centres and 1,456 were being treated at different hospitals. He added that 655 patients were in critical condition and 94 of them have been put on ventilators.

Meanwhile, he said that 1,079 more patients had recovered from the contagious disease, pushing the number of recovered people to 44,523 - around 55.5 per cent of all those affected.

Furthermore, the provincial capital saw 1,406 new Covid-19 cases. He presented the district-wise breakup, saying 555 were diagnosed with the virus in East, 358 in South, 171 in Korangi, 138 in Central, 109 in West and 75 in Malir district.

Separately, Sukkur had 86 new cases, Hyderabad 54, Ghotki 40, Khairpur 38, Jamshoro 26, Mirpurkhas 22, Thatta 19, Larkana 17, Sanghar 14, Naushero Feroze 12, Matiari 12, Shikarpur 12, Shaheed Benazirabad nine, Umerkot eight, Dadu seven, Kashmore and Tando Allahyar three each, and Jacobabad one.]]>
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			<title>Youngster killed while shooting TikTok video in Karachi</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252250/youngster-killed-shooting-tiktok-video-karachi</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252250/youngster-killed-shooting-tiktok-video-karachi#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 18:39:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category><category><![CDATA[archives]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2252250</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Faraz lost control of car due to speeding, rammed into tree]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A youngster was killed and two of his friends injured in a car accident while filming a video for popular video-sharing platform TikTok in Korangi on Saturday night.

The deceased, identified as Faraz, lost control of the car he was driving due to speeding and ran into a tree. As a result, he and his friends, Ayaz and Ahsan, were injured. They were rushed to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for treatment, where Faraz succumbed to his injured.

According to the police, the car was completely wrecked in the collision. They added that the statements of the injured could not be recorded till the filing of this report.

The body was handed over to the family after the completing of medico-legal formalities.

This is not the first time that a life has been lost while filming a TikTok video. On June 21, a 17-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed himself while making a video. He was reportedly filming himself while holding his father’s pistol to his temple when he accidentally pulled the trigger.

Karachi teenager shooting TikTok video ‘accidentally’ kills himself

Meanwhile, in April, a 22-year-old man died after being hit by a train while shooting a video at the Jumma Goth railway station in Bhens Colony.

According to the Landhi Railway police, Kashif had been running on the railway tracks while doing a TikTok challenge when the train hit him, causing critical head injuries. His friends, who were also filming videos, took him to JPMC, where he succumbed to his wounds.]]>
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			<title>Illegal plasma sale thrives in Lahore</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251888/illegal-plasma-sale-thrives-lahore</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251888/illegal-plasma-sale-thrives-lahore#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 10:56:28 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Imran Adnan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251888</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[First Covid-19 patient recovered through trial treatment last month]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Following a surge in confirmed coronavirus cases and a significant increase in the number of patients recovering, a black market of blood plasma has emerged across the country, particularly in the provincial capital.

People are selling blood plasma of the patients who have recovered from coronavirus for tens of thousands of rupees, The Express Tribune learnt on Saturday.

The blood plasma or convalescent plasma is currently being trialled as a possible treatment for coronavirus disease in different countries, including Pakistan, as it contains antibodies developed by the immune system of people who have won the battle against the virus.

Though a large number of patients overcoming the disease are willing to donate plasma free of charge, some black sheep are using popular social media platforms to contact critically ill coronavirus patients seeking donation.

A patient who wanted to sell his blood plasma after his recent recovery said, “I don’t want to earn money but to recover my expenses incurred on the treatment since thousands of rupees were spent on medicines, consultation and food. I believe there is no harm in recovering the cost while people are selling their blood plasma for tens of thousands of rupees in the city.”



Other people involved in the unethical trade also have their own reasons. Thousands of posts are available on social media indicating that the illegal activity is happening openly without the fear of law enforcing agencies or accountability.

On June 13, a Twitter user posted her thoughts on the issue: “People are making money by selling their plasma to patients in Pakistan.

Humanity is dead.” Meanwhile, many people were of the view that there was nothing wrong with it. They commented that people also sell kidneys and blood.

Besides blood plasma, people have posted requirement for medicines such as Remdesivir, Besimivir and other drugs considered beneficial in coronavirus treatment. To save the lives of their loved ones, some people have expressed their willingness to pay any amount for these scarcely available drugs. In May, the National Institute of Blood Diseases (NIBD) confirmed that the first coronavirus patient who had been treated with plasma therapy had recovered.

The sale of oxygen cylinders is also on the rise in the online black market. A 6-litre cylinder along with regulator and stand is being offered for Rs23,000, while an 8-litre variant is being sold for Rs28,000 and 12-litre equipment is available for Rs35,000.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, an oxygen cylinder dealer, Rashid Malik, highlighted that the prices has increased three-fold owing to very high demand. “Mostly these cylinders are being imported from China, Turkey and Russia. In normal days, we were selling a 12-litre cylinder for Rs12,000 to Rs15,000 and 6-litre for Rs6,000 to Rs7,000,” he disclosed.

The Ministry of National Health Services has already announced action against illegal trading of blood plasma and black marketing of life-saving drugs used for coronavirus patients in the country. Health experts are warning citizens not to pay donors for blood plasma since it is still an experimental therapy.

As per the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act 2012, commercial dealing and trade of human organs and tissues is illegal in the country.

Section 11 of the law highlights that whoever makes or receives any payment for the supply of, or for an offer to supply, any human organ; seeks to find a person willing to supply for payment of any human organ; or offers to supply any human organ for payment shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years and with fine of up to Rs1 million.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>Woman commits suicide with two daughters</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251906/woman-commits-suicide-two-daughters</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251906/woman-commits-suicide-two-daughters#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 10:41:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Tariq Saeed Awan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251906</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Victim’s husband wanted to marry off girls against their wish]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A mother of seven children ended her life by consuming poisonous pills along with her two daughters over a domestic dispute in Mohalla Selwan, Kundian on Saturday.

A sense of shock and mourning spread in the neighbourhood after the incident.

As per details obtained by The Express Tribune, Muhammad Tahir Qureshi, son of Allah Din, a resident of Mohalla Selwan, and his wife had a dispute over marriage proposals for their daughters. The husband allegedly pressured his daughters to accept the marriage proposals as per his wishes, while the wife and daughters did not agree to the proposals.

As a result of the dispute, Tahir’s wife and daughters, 12-year-old Anza and 11-year-old Asma, swallowed a poisonous substance.

The mother and two daughters were shifted to a rural health centre, where doctor referred them to the Mianwali DHQ Hospital after immediate medical aid. However, the three victims could not survive.

As soon as the incident was reported, Kundian police and Rescue 1122 teams reached the spot. After postmortem was conducted and police completed the legal procedure, the bodies were handed over to the heirs.

Cases where multiple members of the same family committed suicide or were killed by their own family have been also been reported earlier in the province.

On Monday, a woman reportedly poisoned herself and four other members of her family due to financial problems in Okara.

A poor labourer of Okara, Nazar Mohammad, who failed to repay a loan, was struggling to make ends meet due to which his family often quarreled over financial issues.

Nazar’s son, 20-year-old Waqas Ahmed, married 19-year-old Naheed two months ago. The couple lived in Ghouspura neighbourhood of Basirpur Town, Okara with Nazar, his 45-year-old wife, and sons, 18-year-old Ashfaq Ahmed and 16-year-old Sattar Ahmed.

The family reportedly had a debt of Rs150,000. The whole family was worried about paying back the debt and there were often altercations in the house.

Naheed’s in-laws often pressured her to bring money from her father to settle the debt.

Reportedly, Naheed was fed up with the daily quarrels and allegedly fed her in-laws food containing poison, due to which her husband Waqas and brother-in-law Ashfaq died, while her other brother-in-law, 16-year-old Sattar Ahmed, and mother-in-law were severely affected.

In March last year, a man shot and killed his wife and three children, over a domestic dispute, before committing suicide in Rai Chand area of Chiniot.

In April 2019, a man committed suicide after killing his father and sisters over a family dispute regarding his ex-wife, whom he wished to remarry, in Shafiqabad, Lahore.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>Letter to Punjab IGP seeks ban on PUBG video game</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251900/letter-punjab-igp-seeks-ban-pubg-video-game</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251900/letter-punjab-igp-seeks-ban-pubg-video-game#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 10:45:21 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category><category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251900</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Official says excessive violence in game triggers aggressive behaviour among youth]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A letter written to the Punjab inspector general of police (IGP) on Saturday sought a ban on online game Player Unknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG).

The letter was penned by SSP Liaqat Ali Malik on the instructions of CCPO Zulfiqar Hameed. It mentioned that the online video game has devastating impacts on the mental health of the youth and two incidents of suicide have been reported in the city.

It stated that excessive violence triggers aggressive behaviour among the youth and they become addicted to the game. The CCPO said the game should be banned and an awareness campaign should be launched.

A matric student had committed suicide in Gulshan-e-Abbass Phase-II a few days ago. The boy was found hanging in his room. The police also spotted a smartphone beside the body with the PUBG game app running on it.

His parents also confirmed to the police that they had stopped the boy for playing the game. In another incident, a 20-year-old student of second year at the FC College University Lahore also reportedly committed suicide after being scolded by his parents for playing the PUBG. The victim identified as Jonty Joseph was living in North Cantonment. On the day of the incident, his father reportedly reprimanded him for playing the PUBG for a long period.

He took the punishment so seriously that he locked himself inside a room. The next day when he did not open the door, the family broke it and found him hanging.

The victim also worked part-time to assist the family financially and after work would remain busy in playing the game late at night.

On May 18, a man approached the Lahore High Court to ban the video game. “The game has a negative impact on children. They are becoming more ruthless and violent,” maintained the petitioner.

The PUBG, which has been developed by a South Korean company, is a 2017 survival game in which players are dropped onto an island to battle it out against others. The multiplayer game allows players from all over the world to compete against each other or in teams.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>NGO offers transgender people foreign scholarships</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251895/ngo-offers-transgender-people-foreign-scholarships</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251895/ngo-offers-transgender-people-foreign-scholarships#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 10:51:06 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Asif Mehmood]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251895</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Programme will allow selected persons to attend month-long training in host country]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[&nbsp;

While educational opportunities have been few and far between for gender minorities in Pakistan, a local NGO has stepped in to create an international platform for the development of the country’s transgender persons. The Gender Guardian (TGG), a non-governmental organisation working to train and educate transgender persons in Pakistan, has partnered with various foreign NGOs to allow transgender citizens the opportunity to participate in a month-long training program in four different countries.

Transwoman Sania Abbasi, who is a makeup artist and has been associated with TGG as a teacher for the past several months, is among the many aspirants of the training scholarship. If selected for the coveted programme, Ms Abbasi says it will bring her immense pride to be one of Pakistan’s first transgender persons sent abroad for training in social work and welfare. “This is a wonderful opportunity for us to be able to represent our country on an international platform and I have been working tirelessly towards achieving my goals. I can’t wait to work alongside international NGOs. I want to learn from them and also share my personal experiences with the world.”

According to The Gender Guardian (TGG) Head Asif Shehzad, his organisation is committed to providing equal opportunities to transgender people through the provision of free vocational training and formal education. “We have taught and trained dozens of transgender people in various skills such as driving, cooking, makeup, sewing and etc over the last couple of years. However, through this scholarship the selected participants will be able to use share their skills and talent with the world and for the first time, have access to international cultural exchange and training,” said Shehzad. Speaking further about the scholarship programme, Shehzad also informed that The Gender Guardian has been working towards compiling a digital database of transgender persons registered with TGG as well as other people who donate to the organisation. “So far, we have partnered with NGOs working in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Using our database, we will select candidates every six months to be sent to these four countries for a month-long training, while people from the same four countries will also have the option to come and train in Pakistan. Our selected candidates will be working alongside their host country’s NGOs and represent Pakistan on an international level,” he explained.

Sania Abbasi, believes this scholarship will allow the people of the world to see the skills and talent of Pakistan’s transgender person, who often tend to be stereotyped as people limited to sex work. “As a gender minority, we have little no resources for pursuing higher education or going abroad, because of which we have very limited opportunities for work. However, this scholarship opportunity for transgender people to showcase their abilities and break the stereotypes associated with them,” she asserted.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>‘Pakistan’s progress linked to Balochistan peace’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251914/pakistans-progress-linked-balochistan-peace</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251914/pakistans-progress-linked-balochistan-peace#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 10:35:52 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251914</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[NA speaker chairs parliamentary committee meeting to discuss issues facing province]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Saturday asked Balochistan parliamentarians and public representatives to suggest solutions to the socio-economic problems being faced by the province and its people.

Chairing the maiden meeting of the special parliamentary committee on Balochistan in the Parliament House, Qaiser said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) emanated from Gilgit-Baltistan and culminated in Balochistan, which increased the significance of the province.

“Balochistan and its issues are always a priority of the incumbent government,” he said. “Parliament and public representatives are the best option to put forth solutions to the socio-economic issues faced by Balochistan and its people,” he said.

“Pakistan’s progress is linked to peace and progress in Balochistan,” Qaiser said, stressing the need for the committee to look into the matters related to ensuring transfer of the real benefits of CPEC to the local people.

Committees in the parliamentary system across the world, Qaiser said, played a recommendatory role, therefore, this committee would make all-out efforts to recommend the best possible solutions to the issues faced by Balochistan.

The speaker mentioned that the issuance of an executive order, regarding immediate implementation of 6% employment quota in all federal departments, underscored the seriousness of Prime Minister Imran Khan towards addressing the issues of Balochistan.

On the occasion, the speaker formed a four-member sub-committee, headed by Dr Fehmida Mirza, to develop comprehensive terms of reference (ToRs) encompassing all the issues related to Balochistan. It was also decided that a representative from the Balochistan National Party and Defence Minister Prevaiz Khattak would be invited to assist the sub-committee in developing the ToRs.

Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri appreciated the initiative of the speaker to constitute the special committee.

He noted that the government was seriously looking into the resolution of the issues confronting peace and development in the province.

Mirza, the inter-provincial coordination minster, told the committee that Balochistan’s issues had always been the top priority of the parliamentarians.

She pointed out that comprehensive ToRs were essential to make the committee more effective. Khattak said that the government had taken various steps to mitigate the grievances of the people of Balochistan.

Representing Balochistan National Party (BNP) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal, National Assembly lawmaker Agha Hassan Baloch contended that the issues of Balochistan were getting intense since 2006 and needed to be redressed forthwith.

He called for examining the recommendations, proposed after a meeting between previous parliamentary committee, headed by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, and late Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>Balochistan collects Rs2.5b from mineral sector</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251919/balochistan-collects-rs2-5b-mineral-sector</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251919/balochistan-collects-rs2-5b-mineral-sector#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 10:38:28 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[APP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251919</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Computerised weighing scales have been installed]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The Balochistan government has collected Rs2.5 billion from the minerals sector during the current financial year, despite coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown that was imposed to curb virus spread.

The government has collected the huge amount from mining sector and deposited in the provincial treasury, an official of the Balochistan government said. Computerised weighing scales have been installed besides increasing mining check posts in the province, he added.  

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>First phase of HingIaj road construction completed</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251913/first-phase-hingiaj-road-construction-completed</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251913/first-phase-hingiaj-road-construction-completed#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 10:35:07 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[mohammad.zafar]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251913</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Project was approved at a cost of Rs120 million]]>
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				<![CDATA[The first construction phase of Hinglaj Mandir Link Road project has been successfully completed with the special funds from Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal.

The Hindu community of Lasbela has expressed gratitude to the government of Balochistan, according to official sources, as 90% of technical work of the temple stands completed.

The project was approved at a cost of Rs120 million to construct a 13km road to the temple which is adjacent to the Gwadar Coastal Highway.

The first phase of the 4.7 km Link Road project has been completed this week while phase two of the project will be completed in the next financial year.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>Bilawal, Mengal agree on joint strategy for budget</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251810/bilawal-mengal-agree-joint-strategy-budget</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251810/bilawal-mengal-agree-joint-strategy-budget#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 00:50:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Khalid Mehmood]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category><category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251810</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Both leaders express concern over spread of coronavirus in country]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto telephoned Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Akhtar Mengal on Saturday and discussed the current political situation in the country.

According to details, both the leaders agreed on a joint strategy for the next year’s fiscal budget.

They also exchanged views on the 18th Constitutional Amendment and government’s measures on the National Finance Commission (NFC) award.

“By criticising the 18th Constitutional Amendment, Imran Khan is attacking the constitution,” Bilawal said.

They expressed concern over the growing number of Covid-19 patients in the country and deliberated the holding of all parties’ conference next week.

Bilawal, Shehbaz reject federal budget

“PTI-IMF budget is anti-people. We cannot accept it,” the PPP chairman said.

“Due to the incompetence of the government, coronavirus has spread everywhere,” he added.

Both the leaders also rejected the increase in the petroleum price and noted that this was the time to provide maximum relief to the people.

A few days back, Mengal announced his party's withdrawal from its alliance with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led federal government over its failure to implement accords with the party.

Speaking during a session of the National Assembly, he said: "I am officially announcing that our party is ending its alliance with the PTI. We will stay in Parliament and will keep talking about issues."

Mengal added that the PTI had signed two agreements with the party at the time of government formation after the 2018 elections and later during the presidential elections, but not a single point of the accord was implemented.]]>
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			<title>K-P wants revival of tourism hit hard by Covid</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251918/k-p-wants-revival-tourism-hit-hard-covid</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251918/k-p-wants-revival-tourism-hit-hard-covid#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 10:37:34 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[K-P]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251918</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[CM Mahmood Khan orders early opening of provincial tourism authority]]>
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				<![CDATA[In an effort to boost the tourism sector, which has been hit hard by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the provincial chief executive has directed for expediting efforts for opening the newly established provincial tourism authority.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan issued these orders while presiding over the 22nd board meeting of the Board of Directors of the Tourism Corporation of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (TCK-P).

CM Mahmood directed to finalise formalities for opening the newly established K-P Cultural Tourism Authority immediately.

The chief minister also ordered to take steps for liquidation of TCK-P and handing over its assets and liabilities to the culture and tourism authority. The TCK-P employees would be absorbed in the authority, he added.

The chief minister termed tourism as a major economic sector and said its promotion is a top priority of his government.

The meeting was briefed on the progress so far made on the liquidation of the TCK-P after the establishment of the Culture and Tourism Authority as provided in the K-P Culture and Tourism Act, 2019.

The meeting decided to constitute a committee headed by K-P Additional Chief Secretary Shakil Qadir to streamline and expedite all the legal, administrative and financial matters with regard to the liquidation of the TCK-P in a prescribed manner.

The committee would draft and present its recommendations to the competent forum within a week. Other members of the committee would finance secretary, law secretary, tourism secretary and establishment secretary.

K-P Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz, Additional Chief Secretary Shakil Qadir, Finance Secretary Atif Rehman, Tourism Secretary Khushal Khan and TCK-P Managing Director Junaid Khan, private sector members of the board and other relevant officials attended the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>Poor internet access for students echoes in K-P assembly</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251303/poor-internet-access-students-echoes-assembly</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251303/poor-internet-access-students-echoes-assembly#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 27 Jun 20 09:14:06 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[shahid.hamid]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[K-P]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251303</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Debate on Rs55.42b supplementary budget completed]]>
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				<![CDATA[Lawmakers on Friday took up the issue of poor internet connection for students in the remote areas of the province, noting that the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic means that online classes are the only means for obtaining education for students now.

This was discussed as the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly resumed on Friday to debate the provincial budget for the fiscal year 2020-21.

MPAs raised questions on online classes in the province. They urged the provincial government to ensure students have access to 3G and 4G networks, especially in the merged districts, so that they can access classes.

Moreover, they lamented that a girls college built in the Mohmand tribal district has yet to start functioning even though its structure was completed years ago.

During the discussion on the supplementary budget for the fiscal year 2019-20 worth Rs55.42 billion, the issue of a laptop scheme was raised.

Opposition lawmakers including Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Nighat Orakzai, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Maulana Lutfur Rehman, Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) Inyatullah Khan, Mir Kalam Wazir, Shafiq Afridi, Baseerat Bibi, Khushdil Khan, Shagufta Malik and others said that a handsome amount had been allocated for the information technology sector in the supplementary budget to provide laptops to teachers.

They noted that if teachers can be provided laptops, then what about the students and called for greater transparency in the programme.

The opposition benches also raised concerns over the plight of the inmates in prisons across the province during the pandemic. They slammed the government for losing control of the bureaucracy.

Police reforms

On the directions of Deputy Speaker Mahmood Khan for a senior police officer attend the assembly proceedings, an SP level officer arrived at the assembly on Friday.

However, the deputy speaker did not allow him to enter the session as he expressed his anger over the absence of senior officers.

He then directed a DIG level officer to attend the session.

Later, Peshawar CCPO Ali Gandapur visited the assembly lobby and marked his presence.

Lawmakers from across the aisle pointed to the need for police reforms. They also asked the CCPO to explain reports of extrajudicial killings and the harassment of citizens at checkpoints set up across the province.

Members of the opposition expressed their reservations over the dormant status of the public safety commission. With no check and balance on the department, they claimed that the police was doing what it wants.

The secretary of the home department was also accused of deliberately delaying the process of activating the commission. Opposition lawmakers also pointed to the incident in the Zangi area where a motorcyclist was killed when he failed to stop at a checkpoint.

Discriminatory allocations

Shafiq Afridi from the Khyber Tribal District accused the government of dividing development funds based on the personal likes and dislikes of the finance and chief ministers. Moreover, he said that lawmaker of the merged districts has been completely ignored. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>K-P up in arms against custodial torture</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251292/k-p-arms-custodial-torture</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251292/k-p-arms-custodial-torture#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 27 Jun 20 09:19:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondents]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[K-P]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251292</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Govt asks PHC to probe yet another instance of police high-handedness]]>
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				<![CDATA[Scores were left injured on Friday as police and protesters clashed in the Tehkal area of the provincial capital as the latter demonstrated against the excesses of the former.

The clashes came even as the government wrote to the provincial judiciary, asking it to probe reports of police detaining an Afghan national, stripping and parading him naked and then torturing him for abusing officers in a video.

Several protests and rallies were held across the province on Friday to protest the torture of Rafiullah alias Amir of Tehkal.

The largest protests were staged in the Tehkal area, outside the Peshawar Press Club and in front of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly building. Protesters filled the road from Saddar to the press club, blocking it for all sorts of traffic. Former Awami National Party (ANP) provincial assembly member Alamgir Khan Khalil and members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Youth Wing also participated in the protest.

They held aloft banners condemning the police brutality and of filming a detainee in a compromised position and then leaking the videos. Chanting anti-police slogans, they demanded a judicial inquiry into the case and kept the road closed for nearly two hours.

As the protesters neared the provincial assembly, they were charged by police in riot gear. At this, the protesters started pelting police officers with stones.

To disperse the crowd, the police resorted to firing tear gas canisters.

The clashes left scores of protesters and police officers injured.

Meanwhile, protests against police excesses were also held in Mardan, Swabi, Bajaur, Charsadda, Nowshera, Malakand, Lower and Upper Dir, Swat and other southern districts. Lawyers, social workers, students and local political leaders participated in those protests.

Judicial inquiry

In a media briefing at the Information Cell in the Civil Secretariat on Friday, Adviser to the K-P Chief Minister on Information Ajmal Wazir said that the provincial government has written to the Peshawar High Court’s registrar to nominate a judge who will lead a judicial commission to probe the Tehkal incident under the K-P Tribunal of Inquiry Ordinance.

Wazir said that soon after the video went viral on social media, the provincial government had taken immediate action by suspending and booking the four police personnel involved, including an SHO. Moreover, the SSP Operation was removed from his post.

On the judicial commission, he confirmed that the PHC had been requested to form the probe body. He added that the body will be tasked with identifying those responsible for the incident and that later they will be tried as per the law.

Noting that the commission has been directed to complete its inquiry within 15 days, Wazir said that the government will make the inquiry public.

The adviser, however, urged the public not to malign the entire police department due to the actions of a few

“The misconduct and wrongdoings of a few personnel should not be blamed on the entire police department,” he said, reiterating the immense sacrifices rendered by the provincial police force in the war against terror apart from serving on the frontlines against the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>Another case of police excesses surfaces</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251290/another-case-police-excesses-surfaces</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251290/another-case-police-excesses-surfaces#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 27 Jun 20 09:19:42 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Yawar Hayat]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[K-P]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251290</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The report further showed that the additional SHO had been previously found guilty of framing a man in a fake case]]>
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				<![CDATA[After Peshawar, a case of police excesses has emerged from Haripur where a senior police officer allegedly beat up a clerk at a filling station for refusing service to his son.

A report submitted to the district police officer's (DPO0 office stated that additional SHO SI Muhammad Nawaz's son had gone to a filling station in the Batrassi area of Haripur to get fuel for his motorbike. Because he was not wearing a face mask nor a helmet, the clerk on duty refused to provide him with service as per a campaign being run by the district police.

At this, additional SHO Nawaz and his driver arrived at the fuel station where they beat up the workers. Nawaz’s driver also allegedly snatched cash from the cashier's pocket and then fled.

The owner of the filling station and workers subsequently approached the DPO and urged him to intervene. The DPO took notice of the incident and suspended Nawaz and launched an inquiry.

The report further showed that the additional SHO had been previously found guilty of framing a man in a fake case and allegedly took a bribe to set the case aside.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>Virus cases in Indian Occupied Kashmir top 7,000</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252336/virus-cases-indian-occupied-kashmir-top-7000</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252336/virus-cases-indian-occupied-kashmir-top-7000#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 23:11:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category><category><![CDATA[Jammu &amp; Kashmir]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2252336</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[2,700 infections, including 41 virus-linked deaths, confirmed in last 2 weeks]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Coronavirus cases in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&amp;K) region crossed the 7,000-mark including 94 deaths, officials said on Sunday.

As many as 127 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the national tally to 7,093, according to the latest data by the government.

Since June 13, the data revealed, about 2,700 cases have been registered while 41 people, including a 15-day-old baby, have died.

The Doctors Association of Kashmir has warned of community transmission, saying that more than 90% of the region's population is susceptible to the infection.

AJK president lauds Joe Biden for urging India to restore people’s rights in IOJ&amp;K

Dr Suhail Naik, who heads the association, told Anadolu Agency the recent numbers indicate that the virus has arrived in the community, and is going to spread amid an ease in restrictions.

“We cannot bear the excess load of cases in our underdeveloped healthcare systems... the only remedy available is social distancing, hygiene and prevention,” he said.

While educational institutions remain closed, and public transport is still suspended in the region, some businesses have reopened.

As the pandemic crisis is looming, Indian forces continued their human rights violation in the valley, killing over 130 freedom fighters in over 40 gunfights in 2020 so far.]]>
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			<title>AJK president lauds Joe Biden for urging India to restore people’s rights in IOJ&amp;K</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252239/ajk-president-lauds-joe-biden-urging-india-restore-peoples-rights-iojk</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252239/ajk-president-lauds-joe-biden-urging-india-restore-peoples-rights-iojk#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 22:27:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category><category><![CDATA[Jammu &amp; Kashmir]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2252239</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[US former vice president has said restrictions on dissent, such as preventing peaceful protests, weaken democracy.]]>
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				<![CDATA[While welcoming US Democratic presidential nominee and former vice president Joe Biden’s statements over the restoration of rights of Kashmiris, Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan has said that Biden’s remarks are a proof that the world community has refused to buy the Indian narrative on Occupied Kashmir.

Biden has asked New Delhi to take all necessary steps to restore rights of all the people of Kashmir and asserted that restrictions on dissent, such as preventing peaceful protests or shutting or slowing down internet, weakens democracy.

The US ex-vice president also expressed disappointment over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the enforcement of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in different states of India.

“We welcome the US Democratic Party leader’s remarks and urge Indian-Americans and Muslim-Americans to applaud Joe Biden’s policy statement together because nobody wants India to be ruled by theocratic fascists. Kashmiris’ liberties and fundamental rights, especially their right to self-determination, should be restored. It’s a just demand,” President Masood said in Muzaffarabad on Sunday.

Earlier addressing a function held in connection with the disbursement of cash grant among the affectees of Indian shelling living along the Line of Control (LoC), the AJK president said that relief being provided by the federal government to 610,000 members of 80,000 families is the recognition of their sacrifices as well as acknowledgement of the responsibilities being shouldered by the state government.

"Azad Kashmir is not only a strong defence line of Pakistan, but the people living close to the LoC and facing India's direct aggression are the defenders of the motherland," he added.

While commenting on Prime Minister Imran Khan's announcement to include more than 100,000 people affected by the Indian firing at the LoC in the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme and to issue health cards to 1.2 million people of Azad Kashmir, he said that the people of occupied and the liberated territory want to become part of Pakistan not because of geographical location but on the basis of their faith and ideology.

Joe Biden seeks restoration of peoples’ rights in Occupied Kashmir

The AJK president said that India's ruling party BJP and the RSS have planned to eliminate the Kashmiri people, occupy their lands, reduce the number of Muslims in the assembly of Occupied Kashmir, and to turn the whole state into a colony of India, but the people of both the liberated and occupied parts of Kashmir would offer stiff resistance.

He went on to say that it is high time that the government and the people of Pakistan as well as the valiant people of Azad Kashmir adopt an aggressive policy to counter India because "India is constantly threatening to attack Pakistan, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan".

"Instead of saying that we will defend Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, we should also talk about the liberation of Khalistan, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Mizoram, and tell the world that India is no longer a secular state but it has emerged as a fascist state," he added.

President Masood also said that India's anti-Muslim moves have awakened the Muslims across the world, and a wave for the renaissance of Islam has risen in the whole Muslim world. "It is now clear that whether it is Kashmir or Palestine, the Muslims are prepared to safeguard their interest."

Referring to Azad Kashmir, he said that the liberated territory can emerge as an economic engine for Pakistan. At present, he maintained, that 2,000 megawatts of electricity is being generated in Azad Kashmir while the territory has a potential of producing another 8,000 megawatts of electricity "though our own demand is between 300 and 400 megawatts, and the surplus electricity is injected into the national grid".

On completion of Kohala, Gulpur, Azad Pattan, Dudhnial and many other projects in the coming decade, Azad Kashmir will become the biggest electricity generating region of Pakistan.

President Masood said that Azad Kashmir is not only strategically important for Pakistan's defence but it can also play an important role in the economic uplift of the country. "That is why, we say that Pakistan is incomplete without Kashmir and Kashmir has no identity without Pakistan."]]>
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			<title>Hinduism being masqueraded as secularism in India, says AJK president</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251761/hinduism-masqueraded-secularism-india-says-ajk-president</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251761/hinduism-masqueraded-secularism-india-says-ajk-president#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 00:33:43 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Jammu &amp; Kashmir]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251761</guid>
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				<![CDATA[Masood says 13,000 Kashmiri boys have been abducted and kept in prison houses where they're being subjected to torture]]>
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				<![CDATA[Sardar Masood Khan, the president Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), has said that after grudgingly accepting the independence of Pakistan, India adopted a secular doctrine, an insincere attempt to hide prevalent Hindu nationalism under the guise of secularism.

He made these remarks while addressing two separate web-conferences organised by the Institute of Policy Studies on the topic of “India: Past, Present &amp; Future: Perceptions of the Muslim World”; and by the Pakistan High Commission UK on the topic “Seeking Justice for Kashmiri Victims of Sexual Violence and Physical Torture, and Widows”.

Speaking at the IPS session – which was attended by leading international experts from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Nigeria – the president said Hindu fascists romanticise an imaginary state of "Akhand Baharat" that they claim to have existed before the arrival of Muslim rulers in the sub-continent. This notion, he said, is not only unsubstantiated by history, it is also counterintuitive.

Referring to the faux secularism adopted by India, the AJK president said that over the decades, this glue of secularism had has come off and the real face of India’s political masters has been exposed. "Not long after independence, on 27 October 1947, India began working on its imperialistic agenda, and invaded the Jammu and Kashmir State. Driven by its Hindu-extremist policy, India has carried on with this agenda over the years," he said.

Masood Khan said that lawmakers and the leadership of BJP, the RSS and their affiliates have publicly declared that they would do away with Muslims from within India. This, he said, has caught the attention of Hindu zealots from across India which has consequently impacted the larger political landscape of the neighbouring country.

This BJP-RSS nexus has waged three wars in the region; one against its minorities inside its own borders, the second one against Kashmiris in the occupied territory of Kashmir and the third one against all its neighbouring countries. "Considering Pakistan as enemy number one, they have threatened to wipe off Pakistan from the face of the earth by the use of nuclear weapons," he informed.

The AJK president said that India’s ambition of becoming a colonial and imperial power in the region has led it to using the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh for sabotaging the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It has also formed a four-member alliance QUAD – comprising of India, USA, Japan and Australia – to oppose the BRI and, especially, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

“India is the biggest barrier for progress in the region. SAARC has been struggling for decades and that too because India has been standing in the way of economic integration as it wants to establish its hegemony in South Asia,” said the president.

'Existing tensions surfacing in new China-India row'

Speaking about the situation in IOJ&amp;K, he said that India is practicing the policy of lebensraum by reoccupying the State of Jammu and Kashmir, bifurcating it and now bringing it under the direct rule of Delhi. He compared the new domicile rules introduced in the occupied valley, to the policy followed by Nazi Germany against the Jews, based initially on economic strangulation, followed by demonisation and marginalisation and finally physical extermination.

The president apprised that in IOJ&amp;K political leaders have been incarcerated, the youth are being killed and tortured in jails all over Occupied Kashmir and northern India. He added that 13,000 Kashmiri boys have been abducted and kept in prison houses where they are being subjected to torture and brainwashing. Bipin Rawat, India’s Chief of Defence Staff, has said that these boys (some as young as 10 years old) are more dangerous than a pellet-firing shotgun because they raise the slogan of Azadi (freedom) and self-determination, he said.

The AJK president said that members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) should start a boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against India, while the corporate sector of these countries should be discouraged to invest in India as they are committing human rights violations against Kashmiris and Muslims of India.

"Start by banning the import of non-halal meat into OIC countries and the formation of a Kashmir Humanitarian Fund with the help of the Islamic Development Bank and Islamic Solidarity Fund.”

He also suggested an international civil society movement be mobilised to delegitimise Hindutva and campaign to declare RSS a terrorist organisation. “The biggest and the most trained terrorist organisation in the world is the RSS. They have openly declared to target Muslims not only in South Asia but all over the world”, he added.

Appreciating the supportive role of the OIC, Masood Khan appealed to the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council to raise their voice against Kashmir and call out the egregious human rights violations taking place in IOJ&amp;K.

Speaking at the web-conference hosted by Pakistan High Commission, the president appealed to powerful nations to make moral and legal choices for bringing India to justice and helping dismantle this machine of torture in IOJ&amp;K. “Silence is a crime when such torture is openly taking place in any part of the world”, he said.

He added that 25,000 Hindus from all over India have been given domiciles of IOJ&amp;K; and in the same manner, in which Muslim Indians have become second class citizens, Kashmiris have to run from pillar to post just to prove that they are state subjects. “If we don’t stop this now, IOJ&amp;K won’t be a recognisable entity like it is today. Two million Hindus will be brought in over the coming years” he said.

The AJK president said that India’s non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council will lead to three setbacks in the Council. Firstly, it will try to delete the agenda from the UNSC calendar; secondly, they would make efforts to stop us from holding informal meetings on Kashmir; and thirdly, they will imperil funding of the mandate of the UNMOGIP. “As a permanent member of the UNSC, the United Kingdom can stop this and create a balance in the UNSC,” said the president while speaking to his audience.

He urged the British citizenry and its civil society to lead the campaign of letter writing and awareness-raising on Kashmir in the international realm.

He also thanked MP Steve Baker for his active and vocal role in raising his voice for the Kashmir people by authoring a letter. He urged him to use his clout with 10 Downing Street and the FCO to mobilise the UK towards Kashmir advocacy in both the British Parliament and the UNSC.

The web-conference hosted by the Pakistan High Commission London was attended by Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK Nafees Zakaria, MP Afzal Khan, MP Naz Shah, MP Steve Baker, MP Tony Lloyd, MP, Imran Hussain, MP Khalid Mahmood, Lord Qurban Hussain, Councillor Aasim Rashid, Mr Muzammil  Ayub Thakur, Chairman JKSDMI Raja Najabat Hussain, President Tahreek-e-Kashmir UK Fahim Kiyani, Dr Nazir GIllani, Syed Ali Raza, Shaista Safi and other leading members of the civil society.]]>
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			<title>World leaders urged to help end Indian atrocities against Kashmiris</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2250999/world-leaders-urged-help-end-indian-atrocities-kashmiris</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2250999/world-leaders-urged-help-end-indian-atrocities-kashmiris#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 20 21:06:07 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category><category><![CDATA[Jammu &amp; Kashmir]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2250999</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[On International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, AJK president condemns BJP-RSS regime]]>
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				<![CDATA[Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan has urged the international community and United Nations to help end the most "cruel, inhumane and degrading" treatment of the people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&amp;K) by occupation forces,

“We fully agree with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’s statement that torturers must never be allowed to get away with their crimes, and systems that enable torture should be dismantled or transformed,” he said in a video message released on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture observed across the globe on Friday.

The AJK president said that torture is a crime against humanity and it is prohibited by international law and all religions. "Yet, this crime is committed everyday by the Indian forces and authorities in the occupied territory, most brutally and systematically."

He appealed to the United Nations not to generalise and blur the focus on torture where it is pervasive. In Occupied Kashmir, he said, torture is most rampant and most egregious.

“Torture has been committed by the BJP-RSS regime by reoccupying and colonising Jammu and Kahsmir against the will of its 14 million people, dividing their state into two parts, and enforcing decrees whereby the entire territory is now ruled by a foreign capital, Delhi."

While lambasting the Modi-led government, President Masood said: “As we mark this day today, Kashmiri young men are hunted down and killed in cold blood in fake encounters, demonstrators are blinded and sexual molestation is used as a weapon of war.”

Kashmiris, he went on to say, are being deprived of their homeland by bringing Hindus from all over India and settling them in the occupied territory through new domicile rules.

“Stripped of their permanent residence rights, Kashmiris are being robbed of their jobs, livelihoods, businesses and land. Systematically, the demography of the disputed valley is being altered permanently."

PM urges int'l community to hold India accountable for atrocities in IOJ&amp;K

The AJK president said what India is doing in occupied region is a war crime according to the Fourth Geneva Convention, the ICC Statute and international humanitarian law.

Referring to arbitrary arrest of political leaders and political activists, he said thousands of political detainees  – illegally incarcerated – are being subjected to the vicious torture leading in many instances to death and disability.

President Masood demanded that political prisoners in the Tihar jail in India - Yasin Malik, Asiya Indrabi, Shabbir Shah - should be released forthwith and Syed Ali Geelani and other Hurriyet leaders - hundreds of them holed up in cramped prisons - should be set free.

Some 13,000 boys and children, as young as 10, are caged in concentration camps where they are being tortured and brainwashed, he said while calling for the international community led by the United Nations to play ts role for their release.

He also made a demand that India should be asked to repeal all draconian laws that empower occupation forces to commit crimes with impunity.

“Kashmiris are citizens of planet Earth. Listen to their screams of SOS. Save their bodies; save their souls. Silence too is a crime while such massive torture is taking place right before our eyes.”]]>
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			<title>Fatal CCD shooting case deepens</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613393/fatal-ccd-shooting-case-deepens</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613393/fatal-ccd-shooting-case-deepens#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 22:13:37 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Imran Asghar]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613393</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Father of slain girl alleges cops opened fire first, demands transparent probe]]>
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				<![CDATA[A significant development has emerged in the case of the killing of Australian-Pakistani minor Hania Ahmed in Chakwal during CCD firing, as an audio message from her injured father, Adeel Ahmed, has surfaced.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the ongoing police investigation, he claimed that four CCD personnel riding two motorcycles chased and fired indiscriminately at his vehicle, while the robbers had not initially opened fire.

Speaking from Benazir Bhutto Hospital in Rawalpindi, Adeel Ahmed said he is a resident of Perth, Australia, and had returned to Pakistan with his family on June 10 after performing Hajj.

He said they had gone to visit relatives when two robbers approached them outside a house and began a robbery. According to him, the family was handing over valuables when firing suddenly erupted. He alleged that CCD personnel opened fire on their vehicle first, after which the robbers fired only two shots before fleeing.

Adeel Ahmed said his 11-year-old son, Afnan, suffered two bullet wounds while he himself was hit twice, including one bullet lodged in his arm. His nine-year-old daughter Hania Ahmed sustained three to four bullet wounds and died before reaching hospital.

He claimed the firing was so intense that even the vehicle&#39;s brakes became inoperative, but despite his injuries he managed to drive his family to hospital.

He alleged that the tragedy could have been avoided had CCD personnel allowed the robbers to leave and pursued them later.

&quot;CCD targeted our vehicle instead of the robbers. Had I not driven away, they would have killed all of us,&quot; he said.

Adeel Ahmed stated that he was not seeking financial assistance but wanted a transparent and impartial investigation to prevent similar incidents in the future. He added that officials from the Australian High Commission had met him and would visit again.

He further claimed that neither the Pakistan nor Punjab government had contacted the family and said he would ask the Australian government to seek justice on their behalf. He also alleged that Chakwal police were attempting to protect CCD personnel.

Meanwhile, Additional IG CCD Punjab, Sohail Zafar Chatha, told media at the victim&#39;s grandfather&#39;s residence that the CCD does not believe in extrajudicial killings and acts only against individuals involved in serious crimes.

He said such suspects are often armed and have a history of firing on police, but stressed that the life of any citizen is more valuable than the arrest of two robbers.

He stated that three to four robberies had occurred in Chakwal within a few hours on the day of the incident, placing CCD on high alert. However, he acknowledged that a better strategy would have been to pursue and arrest the suspects later. According to him, the robbers involved had come from Sheikhupura and were later killed in a CCD operation.

Describing the incident as deeply tragic, he said the entire department stands with the affected family and that the success of the investigation would ultimately be measured by the confidence of both the family and society in the CCD. He added that the institution now has an opportunity to correct its shortcomings following Hania Ahmed&#39;s death and that training procedures would be reviewed and stricter SOPs introduced to help prevent similar incidents in the future.]]>
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			<title>Coloured ice balls, drinks raise health concerns</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613394/coloured-ice-balls-drinks-raise-health-concerns</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613394/coloured-ice-balls-drinks-raise-health-concerns#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 22:13:37 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Qaiser Shirazi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613394</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Vendors sell unhygienic flavoured ice treats outside schools and in neighbourhoods]]>
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				<![CDATA[With the onset of summer, brightly coloured ice balls and flavoured drinks being sold in streets and outside schools have started raising health concerns in the city.

Vendors selling ice balls regularly gather outside government and private schools during breaks and closing hours, offering the treats for Rs10 to Rs20. Alongside the ice balls, artificially flavoured cold drinks in seven to eight different colours are also being sold for Rs10 per glass.

The products are available in red, green, blue, yellow, orange and brown colours, while ice balls are usually prepared using three or four colours of the customer&#39;s choice. Not only children but adults are also buying these treats due to their low prices.

From 8am till midnight, stalls and carts selling colourful drinks and ice balls can be seen across neighbourhoods, markets and commercial areas. Vendors are also selling low-quality flavoured juices in the name of various fruits at cheap rates, contributing to the spread of diseases.

Children are increasingly spending their pocket money on these ice balls after school hours, while no action is being taken against the vendors.

Former Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology medical superintendent Dr Ayaz Haider said the ice balls were highly injurious to health and caused throat and stomach illnesses.

He said although ice appeared cold, its effect on the body was harmful, adding that the colours used on ice balls did not comply with hygiene standards. The red colouring in particular was extremely dangerous for health, he added.

Dr Haider said the syrups used on ice balls were unbranded and usually prepared at home. He said throat diseases were spreading rapidly these days because people preferred low-quality ice cream, ice balls and market syrups instead of taking precautions during hot weather.

He further said smoke emitted by vehicles also contaminated these food items. During summer, people are naturally attracted towards cold drinks, ice balls, kulfi, market syrups, sattu and sugarcane juice, making it a profitable season for roadside vendors, he added.

He warned that dust settling on unhygienic kulfi, cold drinks and ice balls could also prove harmful to health. Seasonal changes often trigger throat and stomach diseases, while even minor negligence could lead to illness, he said.

Dr Haider advised parents to avoid such products and instead provide children with fresh fruit and vegetable juices prepared at home.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan braces for widespread dust storms, thunderstorms from June 16</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613309/pakistan-braces-for-widespread-dust-storms-thunderstorms-from-june-16</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613309/pakistan-braces-for-widespread-dust-storms-thunderstorms-from-june-16#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 14:28:08 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[APP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613309</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Water-ladden westerly wave to sustain strength up to June 20 in most parts of the country]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Monday forecast widespread dust storms, windstorms and rain-thunderstorms across several parts of the country from June 16, as moist currents from the Arabian Sea are expected to penetrate upper and central regions of Pakistan.

According to the Met Office, the incoming westerly wave is likely to trigger scattered dust storms, windstorms and rain-thunderstorms, accompanied by isolated heavy rainfall and hailstorms in various parts of Punjab between June 16 and 20.

The impacted areas include Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Wazirabad, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Narowal, Sahiwal, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Pakpattan, Nankana Sahib, Chiniot, Faisalabad, Okara, Kasur, Khushab, Sargodha, Noorpur Thal, Bhakkar, Layyah, Mianwali, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Kot Addu, with occasional gaps in weather activity during the forecast period.



PMD Weather Advisory: Dust/Windstorm &amp; Rain-thunderstorm predicted in upper parts of the country from 16 to 20 June, 2026. #PMD #WeatherAdvisory #RainAlert #ThunderstormAlert #DustStorm #Windstorm #HeavyRain #Hailstorm #PakistanWeather #MonsoonUpdate pic.twitter.com/s8mok3YNvG
&mdash; Pak Met Department محکمہ موسمیات (@pmdgov) June 15, 2026



In Azad Jammu and Kashmir, scattered rain, wind and thunderstorms with isolated heavy falls and hailstorms are expected in Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber and Mirpur from June 16 to 22.

The weather phenomenon will affect Gilgit-Baltistan from June 18 to June 22, resulting in rain and thunderstorms, with occasional gaps, in the Diamir, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche, and Shigar districts.

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa&nbsp;is also expected to receive scattered dust storms, windstorms and rain-thunderstorms, accompanied by isolated heavy downpour and hailstorms in Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Malakand, Bajaur, Shangla, Battagram, Buner, Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Mohmand, Khyber, North and South Waziristan, Orakzai, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Peshawar, Mardan, Hangu and Kurram from June 16 to 20.

In the South, the PMD predicts a similar weather outlook to that of the rest of the country.

As the westerly wave enters Pakistan, northern and northeastern districts of Balochistan, including Zhob, Sherani, Ziarat, Kohlu, Naseerabad, Quetta, Qila Saifullah, Qila Abdullah, Harnai, Sibbi, Barkhan, Khuzdar and Dera Bugti are expected to witness dust storms, windstorms and rain-thunderstorms along with isolated heavy showers and hailstorms between June 16 to 20.

During the same PMD forecast period, the upper districts of Sindh, such as Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Khairpur, Dadu, Ghotki, Kashmore, Shikarpur, and Shaheed Benazirabad, would brace for dust storms, windstorms, and thunderstorms.

The Met office said Karachi and its surrounding areas may also experience dust storms accompanied by light rain.

It&nbsp;warned that strong winds, hailstorms and lightning could damage vulnerable infrastructure, including solar panels, electric poles and billboards.

It cautioned that landslides may occur in susceptible areas of northern K-P, G-B and Kashmir as the weather phenomenon unfolds.

Additionally, heavy rainfall is expected to trigger urban flooding in major cities, including Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Lahore and Faisalabad.

The PMD advised farmers to manage agricultural activities in accordance with prevailing weather conditions to avert losses.

Meanwhile, tourists and travellers have been urged to exercise caution and avoid unnecessary travel during spells of intense weather activity.

The department further directed all relevant authorities to remain vigilant and implement precautionary measures to prevent any untoward incident during the forecast period.]]>
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			<title>PPP, PML-N differences settled, claims Chan</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613199/ppppml-n-differences-settled-claims-chan</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613199/ppppml-n-differences-settled-claims-chan#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 02:00:26 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Rameez Khan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613199</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Says only Kashmir issue remains pending]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Information Secretary Nadeem Afzal Chan has said that there were no remaining differences between the PPP and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), asserting that recent tensions between the two coalition partners had been resolved.

His remarks came just a day after PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had blasted alleged attempts by the PML-N to manipulate the Gilgit-Baltistan electoral process.

However, Chan said that any misgivings there are no remaining differences between the PPP and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), asserting that recent tensions between the two coalition partners have between the two sides had now been addressed following a cordial meeting between Bilawal and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Responding to a question regarding PPP&#39;s earlier concerns over reduced water allocations to Sindh, which had prompted protests in the National Assembly, and the party&#39;s grievances over being sidelined in decision-making in Kashmir, Chan said that except for Kashmir, which remains an ongoing matter, all other issues have been settled.

Notably, a day earlier, Bilawal had questioned whether the PML-N intended to &quot;steal the mandate of G-B as they had in Lahore&quot;, a remark widely interpreted as a reference to his own constituency where he was defeated by a PML-N candidate, now Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.

He further said he had initially withheld his concerns after receiving an &quot;appreciatory message&quot; from the PML-N, adding that this reminded him of a saying by Pir Pagara: when in need, they &quot;go down to your feet&quot;, but once the need is met, &quot;they hold you by the throat&quot;.

He also claimed that, according to Form 45, the PML-N had secured only three out of 24 seats, but its leaders were still talking about forming a government.]]>
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			<title>Man, son gunned down over land dispute</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613231/man-son-gunned-down-over-land-dispute</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613231/man-son-gunned-down-over-land-dispute#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 02:39:45 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Saleh Mughal]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613231</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Police say assailants intercepted their vehicle and opened fire before fleeing the scene]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[A man and his son were shot dead while two passing women were injured in a double murder incident over a land dispute in the Chakri area of Nasirabad Police Station limits, Rawalpindi.

According to police, the victims identified as Syed Shahzad Tabassum and Syed Mustafa Shah were returning after attending a funeral when armed assailants intercepted their vehicle near New Abadi Chakri Road and opened fire.

Police said Syed Umar Farooq stated that he, along with others including Syed Shahzad Tabassum, had come to attend the funeral. After the funeral prayers, they were returning when their vehicles were targeted. As they reached near Sada Road, New Abadi Chakri, another vehicle carrying five armed men, including Raja Altaf, intercepted them and opened indiscriminate fire.

As a result, Syed Shahzad Tabassum and Syed Mustafa Tabassum sustained critical injuries and later succumbed to their wounds. The attackers managed to flee the scene while continuing fire. Two passer-by women, including Zeenab, were also injured in the firing.

Eyewitnesses said they saved their lives by taking cover behind vehicles. Police stated that Raja Altaf and others had an ongoing land dispute with the victims and had also previously registered a case against them.

Rawalpindi CPO Khalid Hamdani took notice of the incident and directed the SSP Investigation to visit the site and submit a report, besides ordering the immediate arrest of the suspects.

SSP Investigation Raja Nasser Ali Khan visited the crime scene and instructed the SHO Nasirabad to collect evidence and ensure swift arrest of the culprits.

He confirmed that the victims were a father and son identified as Shahzad Shah and Mustafa Shah, while two passer-by women sustained minor injuries. An FIR has been registered and investigations are underway from all angles. He added that the accused will be brought to justice.]]>
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			<title>Public transport gets major boost in federal budget</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613229/public-transport-gets-major-boost-in-federal-budget</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613229/public-transport-gets-major-boost-in-federal-budget#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 26 02:39:45 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Jamil Mirza]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613229</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Compared to Rs3 billion in the previous fiscal year, the subsidy has been raised to Rs7.3 billion this year]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The federal budget 2026-27 has brought major relief for residents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad in the public transport sector, with a significant increase in subsidy for the Metro Bus and Green Electric Bus services.

The subsidy allocated for public transport in the twin cities has been substantially increased in the federal budget 2026-27.

Compared to Rs3 billion in the previous fiscal year, the subsidy has been raised to Rs7.3 billion for the new financial year.

The additional subsidy will apply to both the Metro Bus Service and the Green Electric Bus Service, enabling further improvement in the provision of affordable and quality transport facilities to commuters.

The Metro Bus Service between Rawalpindi and Islamabad has been operating successfully since 2014 and is used by millions of passengers daily.

According to officials, a plan to operate Green Electric Buses on 20 additional sectors and routes in the twin cities has also been included in the new fiscal year.

Public transport services have already been launched on 23 routes in Rawalpindi Division, while Green Electric Buses will be introduced on 20 more routes in phases.]]>
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			<title>Flood risk churns Leh waters</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613065/flood-risk-churns-leh-waters</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2613065/flood-risk-churns-leh-waters#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 26 22:35:13 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Qaiser Shirazi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2613065</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Residents along heavily polluted historic Margalla Hills stream begin evacuation]]>
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				<![CDATA[The flood season for the 18-kilometre-long Nullah Leh and 15 seasonal streams, which wreak havoc across the city every monsoon, will begin on Monday, June 15, and continue until August 15.

Despite the start of the flood season, desilting and removal of garbage and building material from Nullah Leh and the 15 seasonal streams have not been completed, raising fears of another destructive flood this year.

Residents living along Nullah Leh and the seasonal streams have started relocating due to these fears, while many have shifted their valuables to safer places. Although Rs80 million has been allocated for desilting, even 15 per cent of the work has not been completed.

Nullah Leh originates from the Margalla Hills of Islamabad. Until 1950, it was a clear stream whose water was used for drinking. Women washed clothes and bathed along its banks, while members of the Hindu community immersed ashes there after cremations.

Dhobi ghats existed at several points along its banks. Historical accounts suggest that Alexander the Great&#39;s army camped beside the stream because of its clear water, while Aryan tribes remained settled in the area for 80 years. Arya Mohalla still exists alongside the nullah.

When Islamabad was developed as the capital during Ayub Khan&#39;s era, the stream gradually became contaminated by sewage and has now turned into a foul-smelling drain.

So far, 17 major and minor floods have struck Nullah Leh, resulting in 210 deaths and the loss of 2,500 animals, including cows, buffaloes, goats, dogs and cats. The most devastating flood occurred on July 23, 2001, claiming 81 lives.

Half the city was submerged under 10 to 20 feet of water, while two-storey houses in nearby areas were inundated. One flood occurred during Ayub Khan&#39;s era, one during Yahya Khan&#39;s, three during Zulfikar Ali Bhutto&#39;s tenure, three during General Ziaul Haq&#39;s rule, three during Pervez Musharraf&#39;s period, two each during the governments of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, one during Imran Khan&#39;s government and two during the current government.

The July 23, 2001 flood caused losses of Rs7 billion to traders and another Rs2 billion worth of losses to citizens.

For flood monitoring, two critical points have been designated on Nullah Leh. The danger level at Katarian is 18 feet, while at Gawalmandi it is 17 feet.

A year ago, the flood early warning system installed on the nullah was stolen and had to be replaced.

Deputy Commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheema said preparations to deal with flooding had been completed. The Triple One Brigade will remain on full red alert during the flood season. Personnel from rescue agencies, Civil Defence and Rescue 1122 will undergo full-dress rehearsals at Rawal Dam to rescue stranded citizens, with army personnel also participating.

To cope with power outages during floods, Civil Defence volunteers will be provided special hand-operated siren devices. These will be placed in special Civil Defence wards established in flood-prone areas.

Five relief camps will be set up at Islamia Higher Secondary School No.1 on Murree Road, Islamia High School Liaquat Road near Liaquat Bagh, Girls School New Katarian, Girls School Dhoke Hassu, Girls School Dhoke Ratta Bhosa Godam and a Girls School in Gawalmandi.]]>
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			<title>PDMA issues Punjab rain alert as thunderstorms, hail forecast across province</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612984/pdma-issues-punjab-rain-alert-as-thunderstorms-hail-forecast-across-province</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612984/pdma-issues-punjab-rain-alert-as-thunderstorms-hail-forecast-across-province#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 26 15:10:56 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Imran Adnan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2612984</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Punjab on alert as PDMA warns of thunderstorms, strong winds and possible hail amid widespread rain]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA)&nbsp;issued a province-wide alert for thunderstorms, rain and possible hailstorms on Saturday after widespread showers were recorded in several districts over the past 24 hours.

Rain is expected in most parts of the province, including Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal, Bhakkar, Layyah, Faisalabad, Jhang, Okara, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Wazirabad, Sargodha, Mianwali, Sheikhupura, Khushab, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Kot Addu and Mandi Bahauddin.

Lahore, Sialkot and Narowal are also expected to receive rainfall as weather activity continues across central and northern Punjab.

PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said commissioners and deputy commissioners across the province had been placed on alert. The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) in Lahore has also directed operational staff to remain in the field in view of possible urban flooding and rainfall-related disruptions.

Read More: Heatwave loses grip on Karachi

Residents have been advised to stay in safe locations during lightning storms and avoid open areas during periods of thunder and strong winds. The PDMA has also urged precautionary measures during dust storms, while farmers have been advised to adjust agricultural activities according to weather conditions. Tourists travelling to northern areas have been asked to remain cautious due to unstable weather patterns.

The alert follows significant rainfall recorded across Punjab in the previous 24 hours. Joharabad received the highest rainfall at 72 millimetres, followed by Hafizabad with 44mm and Noorpur Thal with 43mm. Kasur and Sheikhupura recorded 22mm each, while Gujranwala received 16mm. Sargodha recorded 13mm, Jhang 12mm, Attock 11mm, Bhakkar 8mm, Chakwal 7mm and Okara 5mm.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said a seasonal low-pressure system persists over north Balochistan and adjoining regions, while a westerly wave continues to affect the upper parts of the country. Moist currents from the Arabian Sea are also penetrating central and upper regions, contributing to unstable weather conditions.

Authorities have forecast mostly hot and dry weather across much of the country over the weekend. However, isolated rain-windstorms and thunderstorms are expected in Gilgit-Baltistan, upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir, along with adjoining hilly areas on Saturday and Sunday.

In a tourism-focused advisory, the PMD warned that rain, strong winds and thunderstorms, along with isolated heavy falls and hailstorms, are expected on Sunday in several popular northern destinations, including Murree, Galliyat, Muzaffarabad, Neelum Valley, Swat, Gilgit, Hunza, Skardu, Kaghan Valley, Naran, Kalam, Chitral and Dir.

It added that while many tourist locations may remain partly cloudy, intermittent rain and thunderstorms are likely to continue from Monday to Thursday in hill stations such as Kaghan, Naran and Kalam, potentially disrupting travel and outdoor activities.

In contrast, dry and stable conditions are expected to persist in Ziarat and surrounding areas over the coming days, making it a comparatively more predictable destination for travellers.

In Lahore, the weather remained partly cloudy on Saturday with intervals of sunshine and a chance of rain later in the day. The city&rsquo;s temperature was recorded at 27&deg;C, with a maximum expected near 33&deg;C. Humidity stood at 64%, while winds were recorded at 11 kilometres per hour.]]>
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			<title>PPP set to form G-B govt as Bilawal hails PM's support</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612944/ppp-set-to-form-g-b-govt-as-bilawal-hails-pms-support</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2612944/ppp-set-to-form-g-b-govt-as-bilawal-hails-pms-support#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 26 22:05:23 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2612944</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Discussions also covered broader political cooperation as well as regional and national issues]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday welcomed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif&#39;s statement regarding the formation of a government in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) and expressed his gratitude, as the PPP moved closer to forming the administration in the region.

The prime minister said the PML-N would sit on opposition benches in the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly, but its elected members would vote in favour of the PPP to enable it to form the government.

He assured full support from the PML-N for the PPP in the government formation process.

In a statement, Bilawal said that recognising the PPP&#39;s majority in G-B reflects continuity of democratic traditions and hailed the prime minister&#39;s invitation to form the government as a &quot;positive step&quot;.

&quot;As a result of a consensus agreement, the positions of governor and deputy speaker of Gilgit-Baltistan will be allocated to the PML-N,&quot; he was quoted as saying. &quot;The PPP will utilise all its capabilities to serve the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.&quot;

He added that the PPP would fully dedicate its efforts to serving the people of the region and addressing their concerns.

The PPP chairman particularly thanked the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, saying they had entrusted the party with a mandate to safeguard their property rights, employment rights, and constitutional rights.

&quot;The Pakistan Peoples Party will fulfil this responsibility effectively and with dedication,&quot; he concluded.

A day earlier, delegations of the PPP and PML-N held meetings in Gilgit-Baltistan to discuss proposals for forming a government following the elections. Senior leaders from both sides engaged in detailed consultations on power-sharing arrangements and governance proposals.

In a statement, the PPP said the talks were a &quot;major breakthrough&quot;, saying both parties had agreed to present their recommendations before their respective central leaderships.

The discussions also covered broader political cooperation as well as regional and national issues.

It is pertinent to note that the development follows the PPP securing 11 out of 24 seats in the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly, according to unofficial Form-47 results of the June 7 elections, placing it in a position to lead the next government.]]>
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			<title>Over 300,000 put under 1,291 smart lockdowns</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2242020/smart-lockdown-imposed-1292-areas-across-pakistan-ncoc-told</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2242020/smart-lockdown-imposed-1292-areas-across-pakistan-ncoc-told#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 20 15:20:13 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Razya Khan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2242020</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Punjab, Sindh cross grim mark of 50,000 cases]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) was informed on Saturday that smart lockdowns had been enforced in 1,292 localities across the country during the last 24 hours to prevent the further spread of Covid-19.

The forum, which serves as the nerve centre of the country’s unified efforts to contain the spread of novel coronavirus, heard that a total of 308,600 people now remain under the restrictions in various parts of the country.

A total of 10 localities in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), having a population of 60,000, were put under smart lockdown, the forum was told. The smart lockdowns had been enforced in 844 localities of Punjab, confining 15,200 people.

Similarly, the lockdown had been imposed in 414 localities of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, with a population of 11,000, seven localities in Sindh with a population of 7,000, 12 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and five areas in Gilgit-Baltistan.

It was also informed that the federal and provincial authorities were ensuring compliance with the health guidelines and instructions, particularly regarding workplaces, industrial sector, transport, markets and shops, besides pursuing the track, trace and quarantine (TTQ) strategy.

The NCOC meeting, chaired by Planning Minister Asad Umar, was also informed that over 13,116 violations of health guidelines were observed across the country in the last 24 hours and punitive actions were taken against 1,541 markets and shops, 33 industrial units and 1,429 vehicles.

Later, the NCOC released details of ventilators and beds’ availability for Covid-19 patients across the country. According to a statement, 379 beds, 68 oxygenated beds and 43 ventilators were available in AJK. Though there was no patient on the ventilator there.

In Balochistan, 2,148 beds, 262 oxygenated beds and 36 ventilators were available for the virus patients. It said that no Covid-19 patient in the province was on ventilator. There were 151 beds, 43 oxygenated beds, 28 ventilators available in Gilgit, where one patient was on ventilator.

Islamabad had 514 beds, 262 oxygenated beds, 90 ventilators, while 18 patients were on ventilators, the NCOC said, adding that 4,856 beds, 1,081 oxygenated beds and 340 ventilators were available in K-P, where 85 patients were on ventilators.

In the most-affected provinces, 9,276 beds, 3,500 oxygen beds and 387 ventilators were available in Punjab, where 233 patients were on ventilators, while 8,274 beds, 739 oxygenated beds and 368 ventilators were available in Sindh, where 83 patients were on ventilators.

50,000 cases

Punjab and Sindh, two of the most populous provinces of the country, each crossed the grim mark of 50,000 coronavirus cases on Saturday, as the country endured another day of over 6,000 new infections amid a record-breaking surge in the pandemic.

In the last 24 hours, each of the two provinces recorded more than 2,000 new cases. According to the official data released on Saturday morning, the number of recoveries also crossed 50,000. However, as the day progressed, more Covid-19 positive cases were confirmed.

By midnight, the nationwide tally of Covid-19 patients stood at 135,943 with 50,087 cases in Punjab, 51,518 in Sindh, 17,450 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 8,028 in Balochistan, 1,093 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 7,163 in Islamabad and 604 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The virus has so far, claimed at least 2,597 lives.

The NCOC said that some 839,019 people had so far been tested, with nearly 30,000 tests conducted over the past 24 hours. The data showed that death ratio in confirmed cases also rose to 2%, from 1.7% earlier, while recoveries also climbed from 20% to 32%.

Spread among medical staff

According to the data, 3,858 health workers, treating the virus coronavirus patients, have also fallen victims to this pandemic. The disease has so far, claimed the lives of 36 health workers – 14 in Sindh, 7 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 5 in Balochistan, 6 in Punjab, 2 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 2 in Islamabad.

According to the report, the health workers affected by coronavirus included 2,327 doctors, 476 nurses and 1,055 other staff. Among them, 266 health workers are being treated in various hospitals, including 3 on ventilators due to their critical condition. Over 1,450 have recovered so far.

(WITH INPUT FROM APP)]]>
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			<title>Tales of survivors: ‘Isolation, not coronavirus, was my worst nightmare’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2188962/tales-survivors-isolation-not-coronavirus-worst-nightmare</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2188962/tales-survivors-isolation-not-coronavirus-worst-nightmare#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 20 17:32:30 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sher Wali]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2188962</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[I was convinced that if my time is not up, this virus can never kill me]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[I’ve lived my worst nightmare. It wasn’t the coronavirus, but the prolonged treatment [read: observation] in isolation that made it a hellish experience. Imagine being confined to a tiny room with no social interaction whatsoever for almost a month. Doctors and nurses were the only visitors, who, too, would check on me once or twice a day.

If you’re sick, you need your loved-ones around you. The sense of having someone who cares about you gives you strength to fight illness. Conversely, social isolation makes you more vulnerable to sickness. Your immune system doesn’t respond properly in isolation and it takes you longer to heal.

In my case, it wasn’t me alone; my wife also shared the isolation ordeal at Mohammadabad Hospital, in Danyore, Gilgit-Baltistan. Interestingly, she didn’t have any symptoms, but tested positive for the virus. We both were in the isolation ward, while our five kids were at home – alone and worried.

The ordeal started after a trip to Iran. My wife and I went in a group of 22 pilgrims to visit the holy shrines in Iran. We mostly stayed in Qom, though our pilgrimage also took us to Mashhad, and to neighbouring Iraq.

Tales of survivors: ‘Never before had I seen doctors dressed up like aliens’

On Feb 22, we were preparing to return to Pakistan when we heard about the outbreak of some contagious disease in Qom. Until then, I didn’t know much about the coronavirus.

On Feb 25, we took a flight for Lahore. At Tehran airport, they didn’t allow anyone to board the flight without screening. Neither of us was sick. At Lahore airport, we were screened again. We drove to Rawalpindi where we stayed for two days. While fellow pilgrims dispersed, we took a bus for Gilgit on Feb 28 and reached our village Nomal, some 15km from Gilgit city, in the evening.

In the night I felt feverish. I took it for travel fatigue, took over-the-counter fever reducers from my neighbour and tried to sleep. It didn’t help. I started having chills.

Next morning, I called up the District Headquarters Hospital Gilgit and told medics about my travel and fever. A team of doctors immediately came to see me and my wife. We were then driven to the DHQ hospital in an ambulance. They took samples to test us for the novel coronavirus, while we were shifted to the Civil Hospital Basin. The samples were sent to National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad for PCR test because the facility wasn’t available in Gilgit-Baltistan. I lost my appetite but I tried to force-feed myself so that I could gather some energy to fight off my illness. After a couple of days, our test reports were received from NIH: both of us were positive for COVID-19.

After the diagnosis, they shifted us to the Mohammadabad Hospital, where we were to stay for the next 25 days. Interestingly, by now my fever was gone, while I had no cough, no muscle soreness, no sore throat, and no shortness of breath. My appetite returned to normal [I started eating more than I normally do]. My wife remained asymptomatic throughout all this time.

Tales of survivors: How I became Pakistan's first COVID-19 patient

I’m a 51-year-old ex-serviceman and my wife is 45. I had heard that the coronavirus could be fatal for people of my age and older. Doctors sought to reassure me. But honestly, I wasn’t scared one bit. It is part of our faith that every living being has to die one day. I knew if I was destined to die, I’d die no matter what. But if my time is not up, this virus can never kill me.

We were tested several times during our 25-day nightmarish sojourn. We had no symptoms, but would still test positive. I’ve heard that my wife’s reports were mixed up with another patient’s at the NIH.

Luckily, the PCR testing facility was made available in Gilgit in the meantime and we were tested locally for the first time. The results were negative and a repeat test a day later confirmed the virus was out of our bodies. It was a huge relief.

We were discharged from the hospital on March 28, but doctors said we should avoid socialising for 14 days. We’ve rented a house in Gilgit city to spend these two weeks here. It’s been five days now and we are counting the days till we are completely in the clear.

My advice to the sick: Don’t dread this virus. Keep your faith in God and power up your will, Inshallah you will defeat it. To everyone else, I say take all precautions possible. If not out of concern for the virus, then think of the ordeal isolation can create.

 (Narrated to Naveed Hussain)]]>
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			<title>'We honour his sacrifice': Dr Usama's fight against COVID-19</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2182160/honour-sacrifice-dr-usamas-fight-covid-19</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2182160/honour-sacrifice-dr-usamas-fight-covid-19#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 20 06:55:24 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[shabbir.mir]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Gilgit Baltistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2182160</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[It is a national tragedy and we will award him the status of national hero, says G-B CM]]>
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				<![CDATA[“We will again see what the issue is, and if they [quarantined pilgrims] need further treatment, they will be shifted to DHQ or city hospital, but if they can be treated here, we will provide treatment to them here.”

These were the last words of young doctor Usama Riaz, heard in a video recorded at a quarantine centre at Sakwar, Gilgit – where he ultimately ended up contracting the novel coronavirus while checking pilgrims returning from Iran and Iraq.

“Usama was continuously on duty and unfortunately was without proper protective gear necessary to handle coronavirus patient,” said a doctor referring to his video in which Riaz is seen wearing an ordinary mask. The video went viral on social media attracting sympathies for the young doctor.

Pakistani volunteers 3D-print ventilators, join war against COVID-19

According to relatives, Riaz returned home on Friday night from duty and went to bed. “But he couldn’t wake up next morning,” said the relative, adding he was rushed to combined military hospital (CMH) and then the district headquarter (DHQ) hospital where a CT scan machine was found to be out of order. The relatives appealed for airlifting him to Islamabad for treatment but that did not materialize either.

The 26-years-old Riaz, who was a resident of Chilas town, was then put on a ventilator at DHQ Gilgit, where he remained for the next three days before passing away on Sunday.

“It’s a national tragedy and we will award him the status of national hero,” Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman told The Express Tribune.

“He was our frontline defence and we honour his sacrifice.”

Riaz’s death brings the tally of fatalities to five in Pakistan. The country has so far above 800 known cases of the virus. Sindh has reported the highest number of cases.

Mehtabur Rehman, a local journalist, who visited the quarantine centre said, “I visited the centre where Usama was deputed and found the situation deplorable”.

“As far as protective gear, there was no such thing on the ground,” said the journalist who was later put on quarantine on ‘suspicion’ of visiting the centre without following the standard operating procedures. Rehman termed the quarantine as a vendetta for exposing the government’s false claims.

Young doctor screening coronavirus patients dies of COVID-19 in Gilgit

The Pakistan Medical Association of Gilgit-Baltistan (PMA G-B) reacted to Riaz’s death and accused the government of showing negligence towards genuine issues of the doctors.

“Dr Riaz had contracted COVID-19 due to the negligence of government and its health department,” said President PMA G-B Dr Zulfiqar Ali while addressing a press conference in Gilgit.]]>
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			<title>New coronavirus case emerges in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan's tally rises to 20</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2173948/new-coronavirus-case-emerges-gilgit-baltistan-pakistans-tally-rises-20</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2173948/new-coronavirus-case-emerges-gilgit-baltistan-pakistans-tally-rises-20#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 20 09:27:47 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Gilgit Baltistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2173948</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The 14-year-old boy, a resident of Skardu, was held at an isolation centre where he tested positive for COVID-19]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The second coronavirus case of Gilgit-Baltistan emerged on Wednesday, raising Pakistan’s tally of total confirmed cases to 20.

The 14-year-old boy, a resident of Skardu, was held at an isolation centre where he tested positive for the mysterious viral pneumonia-like disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

So far 20 Pakistanis have been tested positive for COVID-19 with 15 of them belonging to Sindh, four in Gilgit-Baltistan now and one in Balochistan.

First coronavirus case surfaces in Quetta, raising Pakistan’s tally to 19

On Tuesday, the first coronavirus case emerged in the Balochistan capital. The 12-year-old patient had arrived in Quetta along with his parents from Iran via Taftan border, head of a government hospital said.

The family belongs to Dadu district in Sindh, said the medical superintendent (MS) of Fatima Jinnah Hospital, adding that parents, three siblings and paternal aunt of the child are tested negative.

One patient has already fully recovered and was discharged from the hospital in Karachi last week.

Meanwhile, Dr Zafar Mirza, the de facto health minister, has said the federal government is looking closely at the changing situation and new cases are being provided with the best medical care.

“No need to worry… the situation is completely under control. The federal and provincial governments are jointly making all-out efforts to protect the masses from coronavirus on war footing,” he wrote using his official Twitter handle.

Dr Mirza admitted that the coronavirus cases in Pakistan had doubled in the last 24 hours.

“This is not surprising. Disease has spread in 106 countries. All 19 cases have brought this from abroad. All are stable. There is no evidence of local spread as yet. If we act responsibly we can avoid spread,” he wrote.

He also advised the public to observe hygiene by washing hands properly, avoid touching face and keeping distance with sick people.

“The government is working hard to contain the spread, but we all need to take our part in this fight,” he added.

All educational institutions in Sindh and Balochistan have been closed till March 13 over fear of the contagious disease’s outbreak.

The mysterious COVID-19 virus, which originated in a vet market of the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, has since then spread to more than 110 countries of the world, killing over 4,000 and infecting over 115,000 people, mostly in China thus far.

But new outbreaks in Europe, the Middle East and in Asia have fanned fears of the contagion taking hold in poor nations that lack the healthcare infrastructure to cope.

There are growing fears in Pakistan — sandwiched between China and Iran, both hotspots for the disease — over how the country would deal with the outbreak.]]>
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