PESHAWAR: Five persons, including two children, were killed while eight others were injured in two separate explosions in the volatile North and adjacent South Waziristan tribal districts late on Tuesday, officials told Arab News.
Jahanzeb Wazir, Deputy Superintendent of Police in Razmak, a town on the outskirts of Miran Shah – the headquarters of North Waziristan tribal district – told Arab News that a land mine blast in the area has injured two security personnel late on Tuesday evening.
“Two security men, including Hawaldar Hidayatullah and Muhammad Zahid, suffered multiple injuries in the blast. The victims were instantly evacuated to a nearby hospital for treatment,” Wazir added.
Soon after the blast in the Dangin area of Razmak, security forces rushed to the site before cordoning off the entire area in order to nab the perpetrators. However, arrests have yet to made in the case as the search continues.
In a similar incident on late Tuesday, five people were killed and six others injured in Birmal, a rugged town near the Afghan border, Dil Nawaz Wazir, additional deputy commissioner of the South Waziristan district, said.
The victims, he added, were on their way to the jungle when their vehicle was hit by a land mine in the Gangikhel area located close to the Afghan border. Meanwhile, the injured were moved to Dera Ismail Khan, an adjacent district, for treatment.
In recent months, a series of land mine blasts have claimed the lives of several civilians and security personnel in both the tribal areas.
On August 7, Abdullah Khan, a tribesman from Dattakhel tehsil of the North Waziristan tribal district suffered serious injuries when he stepped on a land mine while grazing his cattle, resulting in the loss of a leg.
Similarly, on June 25, a child lost her life while three others were injured in Patikhel, a village close to Miran Shah.
Earlier on June 14, a security officer who was returning home from duty in the Sra Rogha area was also killed when he stepped on a land mine.
Landmine blasts kill five in Pakistan’s tribal areas
Landmine blasts kill five in Pakistan’s tribal areas
- Arrests have yet to made in the case as the search continues
- All the victims were from the North and South Waziristan districts
Balochistan officials say Daesh involved in high-profile kidnapping, murder of schoolboy
- Muhammad Musawir Khan Kakar, who was from a family of gold traders, was kidnapped by armed men in Quetta on Nov. 15
- Balochistan government officials vow to arrest suspects involved in kidnapping and murder of 11-year-old schoolboy
ISLAMABAD: Senior officials of the Balochistan government this week said Daesh militants had abducted and murdered a schoolboy, whose kidnapping last year triggered a weeks-long protest in the province.
Eleven-year-old Muhammad Musawir Khan Kakar, a third-grade student, was kidnapped from a school van by unidentified armed men while on his way to school in Quetta on Nov. 15, 2024. His family said they had not received any ransom call from the kidnappers since his abduction.
Kakar's relatives and other protesters had staged a sit-in protest at Quetta’s Unity Square for 14 days after his abduction. They ended the protest after Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti met and assured them of setting up a team to recover the boy.
Kakar belonged to a prominent tribal family involved in the gold trading business in Balochistan for decades.
"I do not merely want to condemn the brutal manner in which Daesh terrorists martyred the innocent child Musawir Kakar for ransom—I consider it my responsibility to ensure that those involved in this incident are brought to justice," Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti wrote on social media platform X on Saturday.
https://x.com/PakSarfrazbugti/status/1938845743520829575
Bugti said the provincial government had undertaken hectic efforts to recover Kakar over the past seven months.
"The entire state machinery has now been mobilized against those involved in this incident," he said.
Separately, Quetta Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat shared details of the incident. He said militants part of a Daesh cell operating from abroad had abducted the boy and demanded Rs3 billion [$10.58 million] as ransom, following which police and intelligence agencies launched a joint operation to recover him.
Shafqaat said six suspects were identified by law enforcers, out of which five were Afghan nationals and one was a Pakistani citizen.
The Quetta official said over 1,000 CCTV videos were analyzed while over 2,000 houses and 400 rented properties were searched. He added it was considered one of the largest search operations in which police, the Counterterrorism Department, Intelligence Bureau and Frontier Corps took part.
Shafqaat said the operation progressed to a key hideout where one Afghan suspect detonated himself while another was killed. In a separate operation, he said the other gang members were located.
"It was confirmed that the child had been martyred and was secretly buried," Shafqaat said. "The body was recovered, identified through DNA, and handed over to the family."
https://x.com/hamzashafqaat/status/1938969033786724827
He said the provincial government was taking legal action against those involved in militant activities from across the border.
"Rest assured all of them will be arrested," he vowed.
Pakistan launches mobile app allowing power consumers to submit meter readings
- Users will be able to take pictures of their meter readings, upload them to the app and generate their own electricity bills
- Power Division says initiative will reduce menace of overbilling, incorrect readings and lessen consumer complaints
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday inaugurated a mobile application that allows power consumers in Pakistan to record and submit their meter readings themselves, with the government saying the initiative will introduce more transparency in the electricity system and reduce overbilling.
Electricity bills are generated in Pakistan every month by readings obtained from power meters installed at homes and businesses. These readings show the number of electricity units consumed during a monthly cycle and are taken by meter readers employed by power companies.
Pakistani power consumers have frequently complained of overbilling and incorrect readings taken by meter readers. To include power consumers in the process and to bring more transparency to the electricity system, the Power Division said it had launched the Power Smart App under the government’s “Apna Meter, Apni Reading” (Your Meter, Your Reading) slogan.
“And this app, this technology, this reform, is a revolutionary technological reform whose benefit will reach every consumer in every home,” Sharif told participants at the app’s launching ceremony.
He urged Energy Minister Sardar Awais Leghari and his ministry to strictly monitor the use of the app to ensure power consumers avail its benefits.
“I would want you to introduce this app to every home from Karachi to Peshawar,” the prime minister told the energy minister.
In a press release, the Power Division said consumers can use the app by taking a picture of their meter on a specified date and uploading the image to the app. Based on the picture, their monthly bill will be generated
Highlighting the features of the app, the Power Division said If both the consumer and the meter reader upload the readings, the lower reading will be used to generate the bill.
It further said that if the consumer submits a reading on a designated day, any reading taken by the meter reader after that date will not be accepted.
The Power Division pointed out that this method will prove beneficial for consumers eligible for power subsidies.
“For example, a consumer using up to 200 units typically receives a bill of around Rs2,330 but crossing just one additional unit results in the loss of subsidy, raising the bill to around Rs8,104,” the Power Division said.
“Through this app, it will be ensured that eligible consumers can timely submit readings and continue to benefit from subsidies.”
Pakistan has aggressively pursued reforms in its energy sector recently, which has long struggled with financial strain due to circular debt, power theft and transmission losses. These problems have led to blackouts and high electricity costs throughout the country, especially during the summers when demand peaks.
At least 31 killed, 43 injured in rain-related incidents across Pakistan since June 27
- Eighteen people killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, seven in Sindh and six in Punjab, says NDMA report
- Disaster management authority forecasts rain with wind/thunderstorms over next 24 to 48 hours
ISLAMABAD: At least 31 people have been killed and 43 injured in total since June 27 in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab and Sindh provinces, a report by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said this week.
Heavy rains have lashed Sindh, Punjab and KP provinces this week, raising water levels in rivers to alarming levels and triggering urban floods in some cities.
As per the NDMA’s report on Saturday, six people were killed in Punjab, 18 in KP and seven in Sindh from June 27 to 28. Punjab reported the largest number of injuries in the same period, 21, followed by Sindh with 16 and KP with six.
The NDMA has issued a series of impact-based weather alerts across the country, forecasting ongoing and intensified rain-wind/thunderstorms over the next 24 to 48 hours.
“Persistent heavy downpours are expected to overwhelm drainage systems in urban centers, leading to significant urban flooding, especially in low-lying areas,” the state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) said in a report, quoting the NDMA.
“Rapid and intense rainfall can trigger flash floods in local and seasonal streams, particularly in mountainous and hilly regions.”
SWAT RIVER DEATH TOLL SURGES TO 12
Separately, the death toll from drowning in the wake of flash flooding in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat River has climbed to 12, a leading emergency rescue service said on Sunday.
Flash flooding due to heavy rain caused the Swat River water to rise to dangerous levels at several locations across the mountainous valley on Friday, according to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Rescue 1122 emergency service.
Rescue 1122 KP spokesperson Bilal Faizi said on Friday a total of 16 people had been trapped in the floods, adding that three had been rescued.
“The body of Danial, who was from Mardan and lost his life in the Swat incident, has been recovered from the Charsadda,” Rescue 1122 said in a statement.
“With this recovery, the total number of confirmed deaths has risen to 12.”
Rescue 1122 said its teams were searching for a missing child from Sialkot who was also among those trapped in the floods.
State broadcaster Radio Pakistan said the deceased and missing persons belong to Pakistan’s Sialkot, Daska and Mardan cities.
Pakistan, home to over 240 million people, is considered one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change and faces extreme weather events with increasing frequency.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed the NDMA to enhance coordination with provinces and issue timely weather alerts to citizens via cellphone messages.
Pakistan’s Sindh reports fourth death from brain-eating amoeba in 2025
- Seventeen-year-old Karachi resident, took a bath from piped water before illness, says report
- Pakistan has seen rise in Naegleria fowleri cases recently, with over 100 reported since 2008
KARACHI: The provincial health department in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province this week reported another death from Naegleria fowleri, making it the fourth casualty of the disease from the province this year.
Naegleria fowleri, commonly known as the brain-eating amoeba, has a fatality rate of over 98 percent. It is transmitted when contaminated water enters the body through the nose and cannot be spread from person to person.
The latest victim of the disease was a resident of Karachi’s central district area, who started experiencing symptoms such as fever, body aches and vomiting on June 25. Syed Ali Raza Shah, 17, was hospitalized at the Agha Khan University Hospital on June 26 and on June 27, was shifted to ventilator support after his condition deteriorated.
“On 28th June 2025: At around 12:00:PM patient expired in medical ICU on the ventilator at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi,” the Sindh Health Department’s report said on Saturday.
The report said Shah did not have a history of swimming nor performing ablution before the illness. However, the patient had taken a bath before his illness.
The report pointed out that an overhead tank was the source of water in the deceased’s house, which had not been cleaned in the past six months. It said response activities will be conducted in the deceased’s area of residence after his funeral.
“Report submitted to higher authorities for planning and awareness sessions will be conducted on 29th and 30th June in the affected area,” the report said.
As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Naegleria fowleri lives in soil and warm freshwater lakes, rivers, ponds, and hot springs around the world. In very rare cases, it has been found in poorly maintained swimming pools, splash pads, and other recreational venues.
If water containing the ameba goes up the nose and to the brain, it can cause an infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).
In most cases in Pakistan, infections have occurred when people use tap water that contains Naegleria fowleri to rinse their sinuses or cleanse their nasal passages.
Pakistan has witnessed a rise in Naegleria fowleri cases in recent years, with more than 100 reported deaths since the first confirmed infection in 2008. Five fatalities were recorded in 2024 alone.
Pakistan says ‘actively engaged’ with UK to ensure lifting of PIA ban
- UK, EU banned PIA after Pakistan probed validity of pilots’ licenses after 2020 Karachi plane crash
- PIA CEO requests “further diplomatic assistance” from Pakistan’s FM to ensure lifting of UK ban
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has assured Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Islamabad is “actively engaged” with British authorities to ensure a ban on the national carrier from operating flights to the United Kingdom (UK) is lifted at the earliest, state-run media reported this week.
PIA was banned by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), United Kingdom (UK) and United States US authorities after Pakistan opened an investigation into the validity of pilots’ licenses following a PIA plane crash in Karachi, in May 2020, that killed 97 people.
PIA resumed flights to Europe in January after EASA lifted its four-year safety ban on the airline. The national carrier has also approached UK authorities for permission to resume its services to the country.
Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, met PIA’s Chief Executive Officer Amir Hayat on Saturday to discuss matters related to the airline, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
“On the occasion, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said he and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are actively engaged with the UK authorities to ensure lifting of the ban at the earliest,” Radio Pakistan said.
Hayat requested Dar for “further diplomatic assistance” to ensure the resumption of PIA flights to the UK, the report said.
Pakistan hopes new European routes and flying approval to the UK will boost PIA’s selling potential, as Islamabad plans on privatizing the loss-making national airline.
PIA, once a respected carrier in Asia, has been supported by taxpayers for decades due to political interference, corruption and inefficiencies. Its privatization has also repeatedly collapsed amid union resistance, legal hurdles and low investor appetite.
Cash-strapped Pakistan has been attempting to privatize the debt-ridden PIA to raise funds as part of its efforts to reform state-owned enterprises under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program secured last year.
Late last year, a deal fell through after a potential buyer reportedly offered $36 million for a 60 percent stake in the national flag carrier, a fraction of the asking price of approximately $303 million.
Officials say PIA’s cumulative losses alone are close to $3 billion, with the total asset valuation of the airline standing at approximately $572 million.
Pakistan plans to hold the final bidding to sell the PIA by October and complete its sale by the end of this year, the country’s privatization czar told Arab News this week.
Last week, five consortiums submitted expressions of interest for a 51–100 percent stake in PIA after the government restructured its balance sheet to make the deal more attractive.
