For the record – Peshawar sets up first digital library

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A view of the library at Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, Peshawar center. (AN photo)
Updated 12 September 2018
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For the record – Peshawar sets up first digital library

  • Archives 12,000 songs, 400 Pashto and 400 Urdu audio dramas
  • Playlist includes songs by nearly 500 singers

PESHAWAR: For residents of Peshawar, this is music to their ears.

With an aim to adapt to technological change, the city -- rich in culture and heritage and capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province – has decided to set up its first digital library which will house more than 12,000 Pashto songs. 

“We decided it was time to adapt ourselves to the modern age and because these audio records are an asset to us, we needed this digital archive and hence decided to set it up,” Laiq Zada Laiq, Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation’s (PBC) Peshawar station director, told Arab News.

“We have digitalized 10,000 hours of recordings so far,” Laiq said, adding that the PBC collaborated with the Muhammad Yaqoob Bangash Memorial Audio Library for the project.

Among the gems archived are songs by almost 500 singers, including an interview of the first station director, Aslam Khattak, and several audio dramas. The library also houses hundreds of cassettes and spools -- placed in cupboards above which photos of old Pashto folksingers are displayed. Prime among its treasures are old audiotapes and rare photographs of iconic singers and artists.

The library, named after Muhammad Yaqoob Bangash, a former station director, was the brainchild of his son -- Shaukat A Bangash, Chief Executive Officer of Quaid-e-Azam International Hospital Islamabad.

Shaukat, who bore all the expenses for the project, told Arab News that he set up the library as a tribute to his father. “My father served the Peshawar station as director for a long time which is why we decided to set up this library. Before this, artists and researchers did not have records of any past activities,” he added. 

While the library is not currently open to the public, Shaukat is of the opinion that online access to the digitalized recordings – which is the main aim of the project -- will be given in due course.

The PBC was established in 1935 as the Provincial Broadcasting Station, in Peshawar, but was renamed the All India Radio station two years later. After the partition in 1947, however, its title was changed to Pakistan Broadcasting Service, which later became the Radio Pakistan in the 1950s. In 1972, Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation was founded with Radio Pakistan and Pakistan Television Corporation becoming its subsidiaries. 

Discussing PBC Peshawar station’s history, Shaukat said that the-then British rulers understood the importance of the local Pashto language which is why they inaugurated the Peshawar station, in Pashto, in 1935.

Irfan Kamal, a music librarian at the PBC, told Arab News that the library can facilitate researchers, writers and those interested in studying an artiste or the music. “Around 12,000 files of songs, 400 Pashto audio dramas and 400 audio dramas in Urdu have been digitalized,” he added.

Senior producer at the PBC, Bilal Khan, said that though the library has an archive of its own productions -- since the Peshawar station’s establishment in 1935 -- they also house older programs and spools gifted by people. “We also have catalogues of program details, such as names of the producer and other participants.”

Dr Humayun Huma, a drama writer associated with the radio since 1952 when he wrote his first Pashto drama “Salor Zara Rupai” (Four Thousand Rupees), said that he was glad to see the library’s establishment, but added that the government should provide funds to the PBC to enable it to produce dramas, songs and other programs. “Production of audio dramas has plummeted a lot nowadays due to the scarcity of funds,” he said, adding that this would provide for a good revival platform.

Almas Khalil, another popular Pashto singer, said that it is necessary to preserve local culture and the library, in that sense, is a step in the right direction. “We also don’t get much in terms of wages for our profession, but it is heartening that at least our services were acknowledged in the shape of a library to preserve our work,” he added.

A thought echoed by renowned Pashto and Coke Studio singer Zar Sanga.

Sanga told Arab News that the digital archive library is an appreciation of the singers’ work. “It will keep our voices alive for the coming generations,” she added.


Pakistan’s Sindh reports fourth death from brain-eating amoeba 

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Pakistan’s Sindh reports fourth death from brain-eating amoeba 

  • 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

Updated 29 June 2025
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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.


5.3-magnitude quake hits central Pakistan

Updated 29 June 2025
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5.3-magnitude quake hits central Pakistan

  • US Geological Survey says quake’s epicenter located around 60 kilometers northeast of Balochistan’s Barkhan city 
  • Pakistan straddles boundary where Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, making it susceptible for quakes

ISLAMABAD: A magnitude-5.3 earthquake struck central Pakistan on Sunday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the shallow quake, which USGS reported had occurred around 3:30 am (2230 GMT) with the epicenter around 60 kilometers (37 miles) north-northeast of Barkhan, a city in Pakistan’s mountainous Balochistan province.

Pakistan straddles the boundary where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, making the country susceptible to earthquakes.

The region can be challenging to navigate during crisis situations — in 2015, a 7.5-magnitude quake in Pakistan and Afghanistan killed almost 400 people across rugged terrain that impeded relief efforts.

The country was also hit by a 7.6-magnitude quake in 2005 that killed more than 73,000 people and left about 3.5 million homeless, mainly in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

Balochistan province, Pakistan’s largest, saw a quake in 2021 that killed at least 20 people and left more than 10 injured, with landslides hampering initial rescue efforts in the remote mountainous district of Harnai.


Islamabad says 21,700 Hajj pilgrims have left for Pakistan from Madinah

Updated 29 June 2025
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Islamabad says 21,700 Hajj pilgrims have left for Pakistan from Madinah

  • Pakistani pilgrims arrive in Madinah after completing their Hajj rituals in holy city of Makkah
  •  Pakistan’s post-Hajj flight operation, which began on June 11, expected to continue till July 10

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s post-Hajj flight operations are in full swing as 21,700 pilgrims have so far departed for Pakistan from Madinah, state-run media reported this week, with more expected to leave in the coming days. 

Pakistan began its post-Hajj flight operations on June 11 with the arrival of a Pakistan International Airlines flight, PK-732, in Islamabad carrying 307 pilgrims. The flights are expected to conclude by July 10.

State broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday that Pakistani pilgrims are arriving in Madinah following the completion of their Hajj rituals in Makkah. It said the post-Hajj phase has begun under the supervision of the newly established Main Control Office (MCO) to facilitate Pakistani pilgrims for their return to the country. 

“So far, 21,700 Pakistani pilgrims have departed for Pakistan from Madinah, with the remaining expected to leave in the coming days,” the state broadcaster said. 

It said the MCO, set up in coordination with the Pakistan Hajj Mission Madinah, has been equipped with dedicated sections such as Lost and Found, Complaint Cell, Airport Team and other support services.

It said all sections are fully operational to ensure seamless facilitation for pilgrims traveling from Makkah to Madinah before their return to Pakistan.

“The office is managing pilgrims’ accommodation, food, transportation, and other logistical needs during their stay in Madinah,” Radio Pakistan said. 

Pakistan received a quota of 179,210 pilgrims from Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2025, which was evenly divided between the government and private Hajj operators.

While the government filled its full allocation of over 88,000 pilgrims, a major portion of the private quota remained unutilized due to delays by companies in meeting payment and registration deadlines.


PM Sharif orders weather alerts for citizens as monsoon rains batter parts of Pakistan

Updated 48 min 47 sec ago
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PM Sharif orders weather alerts for citizens as monsoon rains batter parts of Pakistan

  • Shehbaz Sharif instructs NDMA to enhance coordination with provinces, provide all possible support
  • NDMA says urban flooding is likely over the next 48 hours in the low-lying regions of southern Sindh

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to enhance coordination with provinces and issue timely weather alerts to citizens via cellphone messages, as heavy monsoon rains continued to wreak havoc across parts of the country.

The directive came during a phone call with NDMA Chairperson Lt. Gen. Inam Haider Malik, amid reports of flash floods, urban inundation and landslides triggered by days of torrential rain.

The provincial disaster authorities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab reported the death of 31 people amid heavy rains. The downpours, which claimed at least 19 lives in KP and 12 in Punjab, also damaged dozens of homes, disrupted rail operations in the southern Sindh province and prompted the meteorological department to maintain a high alert through early next week.

“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif instructed the NDMA chairperson to remain in close contact with provincial governments, particularly in the country’s northern regions, and to provide all possible support,” said an official statement issued by the PM Office. “He also directed that weather warnings be proactively communicated to citizens via mobile phone messages.”

The NDMA issued its own emergency alert on Saturday, warning of possible urban flooding over the next 48 hours in low-lying areas of southern Sindh, including Karachi, Thatta, Badin, Sujawal, Hyderaba and Mirpurkhas.

Similar risks were flagged for the northeastern region, including Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot and Lahore.

“There is a possibility of increased water flow in southern Balochistan’s Kirthar Range streams,” the NDMA said, adding that flood levels could rise in the Swat and Panjkora rivers and their tributaries, as well as in the Kabul River and northern Punjab’s drainage systems.

The authority advised the public to avoid low-lying areas, stay away from rivers and streams and refrain from unnecessary travel in at-risk regions.

It also urged citizens to download the NDMA Disaster Alert mobile application for real-time updates and guidance.

Pakistan, home to more than 240 million people, is ranked among the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world and faces increasingly severe weather patterns, including heatwaves, droughts and floods.

In 2022, deadly floods brought by record monsoon rains and glacial melt killed over 1,700 people and impacted 33 million in Pakistan. The floods also damaged houses, crop and public infrastructure, with total losses estimated at over $30 billion.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast further heavy rainfall through Tuesday.