Gas explosion in sewer kills 14 in Pakistan's Karachi
Gas explosion in sewer kills 14 in Pakistan's Karachi/node/1989041/pakistan
Gas explosion in sewer kills 14 in Pakistan's Karachi
Rescuers gather amid the debris of a bank building that collapsed after a gas blast in Karachi, Pakistan, on December 18, 2021, as at least 12 people were killed and several more injured. (AFP)
KARACHI: At least 14 people died and several others injured when an explosion took place at a building in Karachi's industrial area on Saturday, confirmed a senior provincial official.
According to the bomb disposal squad, the explosion was caused by gas in a sewage system that severely damaged a building housing a local bank and other offices.
Police spokesman Sohail Jokhio told Associated Press it was not clear what triggered the blast, though he maintained something ignited the gas that had accumulated under the bank building in the Shershah neighborhood of the city.
“Fourteen people have been killed in the explosion,” Sindh Home Secretary Qazi Shahid Pervaiz told the media. “We have issued orders for a transparent inquiry into the incident.”
Prime Minister Imran Khan offered his "heartfelt prayers & condolences" to the families of victims in a Twitter post after the tragedy.
Earlier, the Sui Southern Gas Company confirmed there was no gas pipeline under the building and the installed gas system in the area was safe and secure.
Officials of Habib Bank Limited (HBL) confirmed about 10 of their staff members were present at the office at the time of the explosion that “damaged the branch and led to injuries and casualties.”
“HBL was one of the tenants of the building which also housed a number of other offices,” Ali Habib, the bank spokesperson, told Arab News. “We don’t have an official count of how many people were hurt in the blast.”
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar began meetings today, Tuesday, with Chinese officials during a three-day visit to Beijing to discuss “the evolving regional situation in South Asia and its implications for peace and stability,” the foreign office said.
The Beijing visit comes as the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has hailed the use of Chinese J-10Cs to shoot down six Indian fighter jets, including three French Rafales, during a flare-up in hostilities that saw the nuclear-armed neighbors pound each other with missiles, drones and artillery for four days until the United States brokered a ceasefire earlier this month.
For China, Pakistan is a strategic and economic ally. It is investing over $60 billion to build infrastructure, energy and other projects in Pakistan as part of its China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
India and China, on the other hand, are competing regional giants and nuclear powers and widely seen as long-term strategic rivals, sharing a 3,800 Himalayan border that has been disputed since the 1950s and sparked a brief war in 1962. The most recent standoff — that started in 2020 — thawed in October as the two sides struck a patrolling agreement.
Starting a day of meetings on Tuesday, Dar, who is also the foreign minister of Pakistan, met with the Minister of International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC), Liu Jianchao.
“The DPM/FM appreciated China’s firm support to Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and issues of its core interest,” the foreign office said in a statement.
“Liu reiterated that as All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partner and ironclad friend, China would continue to prioritize its relations with Pakistan.”
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar (fouth from right) meets with the Minister of International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC), Liu Jianchao, in Beijing on May 19, 2025. (Government of Pakistan)
In an earlier statement, the foreign office in Islamabad said Dar would discuss with Chinese leaders “the evolving regional situation in South Asia and its implications for peace and stability.”
“The two sides will also review the entire spectrum of Pakistan-China bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest,” the statement added.
The conflict between India and Pakistan has offered the world a first real glimpse into how advanced Chinese military technology performs against proven Western hardware and Chinese defense stocks have already been surging as a result.
A rising military superpower, China hasn’t fought a major war in more than four decades but has raced under President Xi Jinping to modernize its armed forces, pouring resources into developing sophisticated weaponry and cutting-edge technologies.
It has also extended that modernization drive to Pakistan, long hailed by Beijing as its “ironclad brother.”
Over the past five years, China has supplied 81 percent of Pakistan’s imported weapons, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Those exports include advanced fighter jets, missiles, radars and air-defense systems. Some Pakistan-made weapons have also been co-developed with Chinese firms or built with Chinese technology and expertise.
KARACHI: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) is proposing new measures aimed at strengthening the presence and operations of Shariah-compliant intermediaries within the capital market, the regulator said in a statement this week.
Pakistan’s Federal Shariat Court (FSC) directed the government in April 2022 to eliminate interest and align the country’s entire banking system with Islamic principles by 2027. Following the order, the government and the State Bank have taken several measures ranging from changing laws to issuing sukuk bonds to replace interest-based treasury bills and investment bonds.
However, documents seen by Arab News earlier this year showed Pakistan’s government had failed to achieve a target set by the central bank to increase the share of Islamic banking deposits in the country by 50 percent by January this year.
“The paper proposes a phase-wise approach for Shariah-compliant institutional investors to route their business through Shariah-compliant brokers based on a plan to be prepared by their respective boards of directors,” the SECP said about the latest proposal.
“The paper encourages Islamic financial institutions, including providers of Islamic window services, to utilize Shariah-compliant intermediaries for takaful and investment purposes in situations where they are not obligated to do so.”
Other proposed measures include creating a specific category for Shariah-compliant intermediaries for greater visibility on the Centralized Gateway Portal and a dedicated list of Shariah-compliant asset management companies on EMLAAK Financials, Pakistan’s first digital mutual fund aggregator. The platform brings together multiple Asset Management Companies (AMCs) and their mutual funds under one roof. It is a venture of ITMinds Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Central Depository Company of Pakistan (CDC).
In order to facilitate Roshan Digital Account (RDA) clients, creating a separate category of Shariah-compliant intermediaries on the websites and mobile apps of Islamic banks would also be explored in coordination with relevant stakeholders, the SECP said.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday an Indian aircraft carrier that had reached as close as 400 nautical miles to Pakistan retreated after realizing the country’s navy was prepared to “respond vigorously” during a military confrontation between the two nations earlier this month.
The United States played a major role in de-escalating the worst fighting in decades between the two nuclear-armed South Asian rivals, who fired missiles and drones onto each other’s territory and fought with gunfire on their de facto border following weeks of tensions after a deadly April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Islamabad. Pakistan denies involvement..
On Monday, the Pakistani PM visited the Naval Dockyard in Karachi to pay tribute to the Pakistan navy for its role in Operation Bunyan-um Marsoos, the code-name given by the Pakistan army to what it calls a retaliatory strike launched in the early hours of May 10 after India attacked at least three of its air bases with missiles.
“The Prime Minister particularly praised the Navy’s critical role in safeguarding sea lines of communication and ensuring the uninterrupted flow of maritime trade, while maintaining absolute maritime sovereignty through a layered and assured seaward defense,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
In his address, Sharif said Indian aircraft carrier Vikrant had retreated after “sensing the preparedness” of the Pakistan Navy.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (center) being briefed by Commander Pakistan Fleet about Pakistan Navy’s strategic orientation, operational preparedness and contributions during the ongoing operation, on board PNS TAIMUR at Naval Dockyard in Karachi. 19 May 2025. (Government of Pakistan)
During the latest standoff, the Indian navy had deployed at least 36 warships which included an INS Vikrant-led Carrier Battle Group including 8 to 10 warships
“Indian Navy’s [aircraft carrier] Vikrant had reached close to Pakistan by 400 nautical miles, but after suffering immense losses inflicted by Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Army [in May 10 retaliatory strikes], Vikrant retreated, sensing the preparedness of the Pakistan Navy to respond vigorously,” Sharif said.
India’s navy is believed to hold significant advantage over Pakistan’s, boasting a larger fleet and more diverse capabilities. India’s navy includes aircraft carriers, destroyers, and a substantial submarine fleet, allowing it to project power beyond regional waters, whereas Pakistan’s navy is primarily focused on coastal defense in the Arabian Sea.
India’s navy comprises over 293 vessels, including two aircraft carriers, 13 destroyers, and 18 submarines, making it a “blue-water” navy with the ability to operate in global maritime zones. INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant give India the capability for air power projection and anti-ship operations.
Pakistan’s navy operates 121 ships, with no aircraft carriers or destroyers.
KARACHI: Pakistan’s central bank this week announced it has launched a “Go Cashless” nationwide campaign aimed at promoting digital payments and reducing reliance on cash transactions within designated cattle markets in the days leading up to Eid Al-Adha.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has undertaken efforts recently to encourage digital transactions in line with Pakistan’s broader economic reforms, which are aimed at strengthening financial systems and increasing transparency in the country.
Pakistan is a cash-dominated market where a significant portion of transactions, particularly in the informal sector, are conducted using cash.
Millions of Pakistanis are expected to buy sacrificial animals this year at thousands of cattle markets across the country before the Eid Al-Adha festival in June. These cattle are bought mostly via cash each year.
“The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has initiated a nationwide ‘Go Cashless’ campaign to promote digital payments and reduce reliance on cash transactions within cattle markets during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha,” the SBP said in a statement on Monday.
It said the initiative is in line with the central bank’s goal of fostering digital financial inclusion throughout Pakistan, and will run from May 20 until June 6 or the night of Eid Al-Adha.
“In partnership with the banking industry, the campaign aims to streamline the sale and purchase of sacrificial animals in 54 designated cattle markets across the country,” the statement said.
The central bank said within these cattle markets, digital payment solutions can be utilized for various transactions, including the purchase of sacrificial animals, payment for necessities such as water and feed, and settlement of parking fees.
The SBP said to support buyers and merchants, it has temporarily raised transaction limits effective from May 19 to June 15, 2025 for the following accounts:
For branchless banking level-1 accounts, Asaan Account/Asaan Digital Account and Merchant Accounts, the SBP said it has eliminated daily transaction limits and increased the per-month limit to Rs5,000,000 [$17,694].
“The public is strongly encouraged to take advantage of these convenient and secure digital financial services during the Eid-ul-Azha period,” the central bank said.
Pakistan has witnessed significant growth in digital transactions in recent years. The SBP said in a statement last month that its instant payment system, Raast, processed over 892 million transactions amounting to Rs20 trillion ($72 billion) since its launch in 2021.
In the second quarter of fiscal year 2025 alone, Raast handled 795.7 million transactions worth Rs6.4 trillion ($23.04 billion)., it added.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan military’s media wing said on Monday that two soldiers were killed were militants ambushed a security forces’ convoy in the country’s northwestern province bordering Afghanistan.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said it conducted an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the northwestern Lakki Marwat district on Sunday night, where five Pakistani Taliban militants were killed. In the second IBO in the northwestern Bannu district, the military said two militants were killed by security forces.
However, in the North Waziristan district, Pakistani Taliban militants ambushed a security forces convoy in which two militants were killed and also two soldiers.
“However, during the intense fire exchange, two brave sons of soil, Sepoy Farhad Ali Turi (age: 29 years, resident of District Kurram) and Lance Naik Sabir Afridi (age: 32 years, resident of District Kohat) having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat [martyrdom],” the ISPR said.
The military’s media wing said sanitization operations were being conducted to eliminate any other “Khawarji” found in the area, the term the army uses for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or Pakistani Taliban militants.
“Security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism perpetrated by Indian proxies, and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” the ISPR said.
The Pakistan military described TTP militants as “Indian-sponsored,” emphasizing its earlier allegations that New Delhi funds and arms militants in Pakistan.
India, however, denies using militant proxies in Pakistan.
Pakistan has struggled to contain a surge in militancy in KP since a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban and Islamabad broke down in November 2022. The TTP and other militant groups have frequently targeted security forces convoys and check-posts, besides carrying out targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in recent months.
Pakistan says the takeover of Kabul by the Afghan Taliban in 2021 has emboldened the TTP as it is able to operate out of and launch attacks from safe havens in neighboring Afghanistan. Kabul denies the allegation.
