ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told Arab News in an exclusive interview on Thursday that Pakistan’s mediation gesture during the Middle East crisis in the beginning of the year was applauded by Saudi Arabia and Iran.
“Both Saudi Arabia and Iran have appreciated Pakistan’s positive intentions behind the mediation effort,” Qureshi said, adding that the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, told him during a meeting in Riyadh that Pakistan was “on the right track and all the regional countries should immediately join hands to deescalate the situation in the Middle East.”
On the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Qureshi visited Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States earlier this month to urge all stakeholders to practice “maximum restraint” in the wake of the killing of a top Iranian commander, Qassem Soleimani, in a US drone strike in Baghdad.
“With the help of other countries, Pakistan succeeded in its efforts to deescalate the Middle East situation. The country assured everyone it was willing to be partner in peace but could not become part of any other conflict,” Qureshi said.
“I also contacted foreign ministers of other regional states. Everyone understood the importance of convincing the countries concerned to exercise maximum restraint,” he continued.
“I met with the Iranian foreign minister and president. My meeting with President Hassan Rouhani lasted for an hour wherein we discussed how to defuse the situation and minimize tensions in the region,” the foreign minister said, adding: “I shared all the findings of my discussions in Tehran with my counterpart in Riyadh, saying it was Pakistan’s utmost desire to reduce tensions in the region.”
The minister continued that Pakistan wanted to minimize misunderstandings among Muslim states.
“Saudi Arabia is our very close friend while Iran is our neighbor. We don’t want tensions to mount among Muslim countries since that can be harmful for the whole Muslim Ummah.”
Asked about the expected visit of United States President Donald Trump to Pakistan, he said the American leader would visit Pakistan this year.
“President Trump has expressed his desire to pay an exclusive and independent visit to Pakistan which would not be linked to his visit to India. Pakistan is an independent and important country in the eyes of President Trump, therefore he desires to pay an exclusive visit to Pakistan,” Qureshi said.
The foreign minister said it now depended on President Trump’s “schedule where the visit will fit in.”
“It may come before or after the next US presidential election, but it will take place this year,” he said.
Pakistan’s role in Middle East deescalation hailed, says Qureshi
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Pakistan’s role in Middle East deescalation hailed, says Qureshi
- Says the country’s diplomatic efforts have produced positive results in the region
- Informs that US President Donald Trump is planning an exclusive visit to Pakistan this year
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.
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.
