Extreme temperatures compound poverty in Pakistan's hottest city

In this picture taken on May 11, 2022, a woman fills containers with water from a hand pump during a heatwave in Jacobabad, in the southern Sindh province. (AFP)
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Updated 16 May 2022
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Extreme temperatures compound poverty in Pakistan's hottest city

  • Jacobabad in the arid Sindh province is in the grip of latest heatwave to hit South Asia
  • Canals in Jacobabad have run dry, with temperatures peaking at 51 degrees Celsius

JACOBABAD: By the time Pakistani schoolboy Saeed Ali arrived at hospital in one of the world's hottest cities, his body was shutting down from heatstroke. 

The 12-year-old collapsed after walking home from school under the burning sun, his day spent sweltering in a classroom with no fans. 

"A rickshaw driver had to carry my son here. He couldn't even walk," the boy's mother Shaheela Jamali told AFP from his bedside. 




In this picture taken on May 11, 2022, 12-year-old schoolboy Saeed Ali suffering from heatstroke rest laying on a hospital bed in Jacobabad, in southern Sindh province.

Jacobabad in Pakistan's arid Sindh province is in the grip of the latest heatwave to hit South Asia – peaking at 51 degrees Celsius (124 Fahrenheit) at the weekend. 

Canals in the city -- a vital source of irrigation for nearby farms -- have run dry, with a smattering of stagnant water barely visible around strewn rubbish. 

Experts say the searing weather is in line with projections for global warming. 

The city is on the "front line of climate change", said its deputy commissioner Abdul Hafeez Siyal. "The overall quality of life here is suffering." 

Most of the one million people in Jacobabad and surrounding villages live in acute poverty, with water shortages and power cuts compromising their ability to beat the heat. 

It leaves residents facing desperate dilemmas. 

Doctors said Saeed was in a critical condition, but his mother -- driven by a desire to escape poverty -- said he would return to school next week. 

"We don't want them to grow up to be labourers," Jamali told AFP, her son listless and tearful at her side. 




 In this picture taken on May 11, 2022, a woman uses a paper sheet to fan her child amid a power cut during a heatwave in Jacobabad, in the southern Sindh province. (AFP)

Heatstroke -- when the body becomes so overheated it can no longer cool itself -- can cause symptoms from lightheadedness and nausea to organ swelling, unconsciousness, and even death. 

Nurse Bashir Ahmed, who treated Saeed at a new heatstroke clinic run by local NGO Community Development Foundation, said the number of patients arriving in a serious condition was rising. 

"Previously, the heat would be at its peak in June and July, but now it's arriving in May," Ahmed said. 

Labourers forced to toil in the sun are among the most vulnerable. 

Brick kiln workers ply their trade alongside furnaces that can reach up to 1,000 degrees Celsius. 

"The severe heat makes us feel like throwing up sometimes, but if I can't work, I can't earn," said Rasheed Rind, who started on the site as a child. 

Life in Jacobabad is dominated by attempts to cope with the heat. 

"It's like fire burning all around. What we need the most is electricity and water," said blacksmith Shafi Mohammad. 

Power shortages mean only six hours of electricity a day in rural areas and 12 in the city. 

Access to drinking water is unreliable and unaffordable due to scarcity across Pakistan and major infrastructure problems. 

Khairun Nissa gave birth during the heatwave, her last days of pregnancy spent wilting under a single ceiling fan shared between her family of 13. 

Her two-day-old son now occupies her spot under its feeble breeze. 

"Of course, I'm worried about him in this heat, but I know God will provide for us," said Nissa. 

Outside their three-room brick home, where the stench of rotting rubbish and stagnant water hangs in the air, a government-installed water tap runs dry. 

But local "water mafias" are filling the supply gap. 

They have tapped into government reserves to funnel water to their own distribution points where cans are filled and transported by donkey cart to be sold at 20 rupees (25 cents) per 20 litres. 

"If our water plants weren't here, there would be major difficulties for the people of Jacobabad," said Zafar Ullah Lashari, who operates an unlicensed, unregulated water supply. 

In a farming village on the outskirts of the city, women wake up at 3am to pump drinking water all day from a well -- but it is never enough. 

"We prefer our cattle to have clean drinking water first, because our livelihood depends on them," said Abdul Sattar, who raises buffaloes for milk and sale at market. 

There is no compromise on this, even when children suffer skin conditions and diarrhoea. 

"It is a difficult choice but if the cattle die, how would the children eat?" he said. 

Pakistan is the eighth most vulnerable country to extreme weather caused by climate change, according to the Global Climate Risk Index compiled by environmental NGO Germanwatch. 

Floods, droughts and cyclones in recent years have killed and displaced thousands, destroyed livelihoods and damaged infrastructure. 

Many people choose to leave Jacobabad in the hottest months, leaving some villages half empty. 

Sharaf Khatoon shares a makeshift camp in the city with up to 100 people surviving on a few meagre rupees that male family members earn through menial labour. 

They usually relocate the camp in the hottest months, 300 kilometres away to Quetta, where temperatures are up to 20 degrees Celsius cooler. 

But this year they will leave late, struggling to save the money for the journey. 

"We have headaches, unusual heartbeats, skin problems, but there is nothing we can do about it," said Khatoon. 

Professor Nausheen H. Anwar, who studies urban planning in hot cities, said authorities need to look beyond emergency responses and think long term. 

"Taking heatwaves seriously is important, but sustained chronic heat exposure is particularly critical," she said. 

"It's exacerbated in places like Jacobabad by the degradation of infrastructure and access to water and electricity which compromises people's capacity to cope." 

Along a dried-up canal filled with rubbish, hundreds of boys and a handful of girls in Jacobabad pour into a school for their end-of-year exams. 

They gather around a hand pump to gulp down water, exhausted even before the day begins. 

"The biggest issue we face is not having basic facilities -- that's why we experience more difficulties," said headteacher Rashid Ahmed Khalhoro. 

"We try to keep the children's morale high but the heat impacts their mental and physical health." 

With extreme temperatures arriving earlier in the year, he appealed to the government to bring forward summer vacations, which normally begin in June. 

A few classrooms have fans, though most do not. When the electricity is cut just an hour into the school day, everyone swelters in semi-darkness. 

Some rooms become so unbearable that children are moved into corridors, with youngsters frequently fainting. 

"We suffocate in the heat. We sweat profusely and our clothes get drenched," said 15-year-old Ali Raza. 

The boys told AFP they suffered from headaches and frequent diarrhoea but refused to skip lessons. 

Khalhoro said his students are determined to break out of poverty and find jobs where they can escape the heat. 

"They are prepared as though they are on a battlefield, with the motivation that they must achieve something." 


Pakistan and China sign agreement to deepen media cooperation at regional broadcast festival

Updated 16 July 2025
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Pakistan and China sign agreement to deepen media cooperation at regional broadcast festival

  • Pact coincides with second television festival of SCO countries currently underway in China
  • Forum brought together over 300 media officials, journalists, industry executives from across the region

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have formalized a new agreement to strengthen media collaboration, cultural exchanges and journalist training, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday.

The pact was signed by Pakistan Television Managing Director Ambreen Jan and China’s National Radio and Television Administration Vice Minister Dong Xin and coincides with the second television festival of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries, currently underway in China. 

The 2025 Media Cooperation Forum in Urumqi, Xinjiang, brought together over 300 media officials, journalists, and industry executives from across the region. 

“Under the agreement, Pakistan and China will exchange information and content, undertake joint media projects, and promote cultural understanding through shared narratives,” Radio Pakistan reported. 

“The collaboration will also include training programs, workshops, and journalist exchange initiatives aimed at strengthening professional skills and fostering mutual learning between media personnel of both countries.”

The accord aligns with the broader emphasis on media cooperation demonstrated at the 2025 SCO forum, which aims to institutionalize collaboration through initiatives like an SCO Media Agency.

Pakistan and China have long maintained strong ties, from economic projects like the China Pakistan Economic Forum to military alliances. Media cooperation adds another layer to the partnership, reinforcing shared messaging and countering disinformation 

The agreement builds on earlier Pakistan–China joint media efforts, including MoUs for film co-productions and shared outlets. In December, Pakistan’s information secretary highlighted that twelve Pakistani films had aired in China since 1957, and a new co-production premiered in Beijing.

Observers say Beijing’s hosting of SCO events like the television and film festival, along with broader media initiatives, reflects China’s intention to use soft power and regional platforms to solidify cultural influence. Pakistan, for its part, often frames such cooperation within a shared vision of regional stability and development.


Audit finds $21 million financial irregularities in Pakistan Cricket Board

Updated 16 July 2025
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Audit finds $21 million financial irregularities in Pakistan Cricket Board

  • Auditors flag $18.6 million in unpaid sponsorships, question spending on police meals during foreign tours
  • Report also cites improper hiring, unauthorized perks for PCB chairman, governance lapses over two years

ISLAMABAD: An audit report has found financial irregularities to the tune of more than rupees 6 billion ($21 million) and governance issues within the Pakistan Cricket Board dating back two years.

The Auditor General of Pakistan’s report for the 2023-24 financial year was published in The News and highlighted the non-recovery of outstanding sponsorship worth rupees 5.3 billion ($18.6 million) as the major discrepancy identified.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi is the third person in four years to lead the sport’s national administration, following Ramiz Raja and Zaka Ashraf. He is also a government minister.

The report also questioned the rupees 63.39 million ($220,000) the PCB spent on meals for police and law enforcement personnel assigned for the security of foreign teams during international matches in Pakistan.

The auditors said providing security was the responsibility of governments, and disagreed with the PCB’s explanation that visiting international teams were given extra safety guarantees that required heavy police deployment.

The audit report also flagged the hiring of three junior regional coaches who didn’t meet the eligibility criteria and the appointment of a media director outside the proper procedure.

Compensation paid to cover utility charges, fuel and accommodation for the PCB chairman between February and June of last year was also highlighted as unauthorized because Navqi received that as part of his government benefits.

The auditors rejected the cricket board’s response that the PCB chairman “is authorized for utility expense as per bylaws.”

The PCB is yet to comment on the audit report.


Nearly 150 killed as Pakistan’s deadly monsoon season intensifies

Updated 16 July 2025
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Nearly 150 killed as Pakistan’s deadly monsoon season intensifies

  • At least 77 dead in Punjab as roof collapses drive surge in monsoon fatalities 
  • Officials urge precautions after 27 people killed in 24 hours in Punjab province 

ISLAMABAD: Nearly 150 people in Pakistan have died and hundreds have been injured since late June due to heavy monsoon rains this season, disaster management authorities said on Wednesday.

The monsoon season brings South Asia up to 80 percent of its annual rainfall, arriving in early June in India and late June in Pakistan, and lasting through until September.

The annual rains are vital for agriculture and food security, and the livelihoods of millions of farmers. But they also bring with them flooding and landslides and cause buildings to collapse.

“Due to this year’s monsoon rains, 77 citizens have died and 214 have been injured,” a spokesperson for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, said in a statement. 

In the past 24 hours alone, 27 people had died and 46 more injured across the province, the statement added.

On Monday, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had warned of another wet spell in the country from July 15 till July 17 and said the death toll from monsoon rains and floods had reached 111 since June 26. With the fresh deaths in Punjab over the last 24 hours, that figure is nearing 150.

“Most deaths have been recorded due to roofs collapsing in dilapidated buildings and old houses,” DG PDMA said, urging citizens to avoid staying in old mud homes and to take extra precautions.

“Citizens are requested to take precautionary measures in view of the rainy season … Citizens are urged not to stay in old mud houses under any circumstances.”

On the instructions of Punjab’s chief minister, the injured are being provided “the best possible medical aid” and families of those killed will receive financial assistance under the provincial government’s policy, the agency added.

Children should be kept away from electric wires, poles, and low-lying flooded areas to prevent further casualties, the PDMA said. 

“By adopting precautionary measures, loss of life and property can be avoided.”

Pakistan, despite contributing less than one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, is among the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

In 2022, unprecedented monsoon flooding submerged a third of the country, affecting over 33 million people and inflicting more than $30 billion in losses, according to government estimates.


UK removes Pakistan from Air Safety List, clears path for flight resumption

Updated 16 July 2025
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UK removes Pakistan from Air Safety List, clears path for flight resumption

  • Pakistani airlines were barred from flying to US, UK and EU following a 2020 PIA crash in Karachi
  • PIA resumed operations to Europe in January after the prolonged ban was lifted by EU regulators

ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom has removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List, the British High Commission announced on Wednesday, paving the way for Pakistani airlines to apply for permits to operate flights to the UK.

Pakistani airlines were barred from flying to the European Union, United Kingdom and the United States following the crash of a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Airbus A320 in a residential area of Karachi that killed nearly 100 people in May 2020. The crash was attributed to human error by both the pilots and air traffic controllers and was followed by claims that a significant number of Pakistani pilots held dubious or fake licenses.

PIA resumed operations to Europe earlier this year after a four-and-a-half-year ban was lifted by EU regulators. The airline relaunched flights from Islamabad to Paris on January 10 and introduced direct flights from Lahore to Paris in June.

“I’m grateful to aviation experts in the UK and Pakistan for their collaborative work to drive improvements to meet international safety standards,” British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said in the statement. “While it will take time for flights to resume, once the logistics are in place, I look forward to using a Pakistani carrier when visiting family and friends.”

The High Commission said the decision to remove Pakistan and its carriers from the UK Air Safety List followed years of engagement between the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and UK regulators.

The UK’s Air Safety Committee, which oversees the safety list through an independent technical process, determined that Pakistan had made the necessary improvements, continued the statement.

With over 1.6 million people of Pakistani heritage living in the UK and thousands of British nationals residing in Pakistan, the decision is expected to ease family travel and boost trade.

The UK is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner, with a bilateral relationship valued at £4.7 billion.
 


US lawmaker warns of shrinking freedoms in Pakistan, cites Imran Khan’s continued incarceration

Updated 16 July 2025
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US lawmaker warns of shrinking freedoms in Pakistan, cites Imran Khan’s continued incarceration

  • Congressman Chris Smith says life in Pakistan ‘is marked by rampant government violations of basic freedoms’
  • Zulfi Bukhari says in his testimony Khan and his wife are kept in ‘solitary confinement’ and ‘inhumane conditions’

ISLAMABAD: A senior US lawmaker on Tuesday voiced concern over the human rights situation in Pakistan, saying basic freedoms were in jeopardy under the current administration and expressing alarm over the continued incarceration of former prime minister Imran Khan in a high-security prison in Rawalpindi.

The remarks by Rep. Chris Smith, Co-Chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, during a congressional hearing in Washington on “political repression” in Pakistan. The bipartisan commission was established in 2008 by the US House of Representatives to promote and advocate for international human rights through hearings, investigations and policy recommendations.

Its latest hearing focused on Pakistan and featured testimony from several witnesses, including Zulfi Bukhari, a close aide to ex-premier Khan and a senior figure in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

“Life in Pakistan today is marked by rampant government violations of basic freedoms, particularly freedom of speech and media freedom, and the denial of free and fair elections,” Smith said in his opening remarks.

“Pakistan is a country of over 250 million people — the fifth-largest country in the world — so the human cost of this repression is immense in its scope as well its severity,” he added.

Smith maintained Pakistan’s democratic crisis was not new, though he asserted the government’s human rights record had “taken a sharp turn for the worse” in recent years.

The American lawmaker pointed to the confrontation between the South Asian country’s powerful military establishment and Khan’s PTI, calling the former prime minister a “genuinely popular leader” who had challenged public corruption and military interference before being ousted in what Smith described as a “political coup” in 2022.

Smith noted that last year’s general elections were “widely seen as unfree and unfair, including by the US government, marked as they were by a ban on the PTI party, harassment of PTI officials, bans on public gatherings, a national Internet shutdown, and massive voting irregularities.”

In his testimony, Bukhari said that “Imran Khan and his wife are in solitary confinement for over 23 hours a day,” describing their conditions as “inhumane.”

He also questioned the legality of the February 2024 elections, which PTI has repeatedly alleged were rigged, and criticized the military trials of civilians that he said led to the conviction of dozens of party members and supporters.

“This is a purge,” he said. “It’s not justice.”

Toward the end of Bukhari’s statement, Smith urged the US administration to sit up and take notice of the situation in Pakistan.

He also urged the Trump administration to “redouble its commitment to democracy and human rights” in the South Asian country.