Three killed as fire in world’s largest pine nut forest in Pakistan enters tenth day

The collage of pictures shows an aerial view of smoke coming out of a pine nut forest in the Saraghalai area of district Sheerani on May 19, 2022 (left) and firefighters extinguishing the fire in district Musakhail in Pakistan's Balochistan province on May 16, 2022. (Forest Department Zhob)
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Updated 19 May 2022
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Three killed as fire in world’s largest pine nut forest in Pakistan enters tenth day

  • The fires have affected different parts of the Koh-e-Sulaiman mountain range in Pakistan’s southwest
  • National Disaster Management Authority helicopter arrived today to extinguish fire with little luck

QUETTA: A massive forest fire that has been raging for ten days in different parts of the Koh-e-Sulaiman mountains in southwest Pakistan intensified on Wednesday, with three people reported dead as provincial and federal disaster management authorities struggled late into Thursday to douse the flames.

The fire has consumed hundreds of trees dotting the Koh-e-Sulaiman — a mountain range connecting the Pakistani provinces of Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — and forced residents of nearby villages to move to safer locations.

The Koh-e-Sulaiman region is home to the world’s largest Chilghoza (pine nuts) forest, annually producing about 640,000 kilograms of the edible seed. It also houses different species of animals and birds, including chukar partridges, ibex goats and rabbits, which are under threat from the fires.

The first fire started on May 9 in Musakhail district, lasting over a week and affecting pine nut trees in a 22 kilometers radius. The fire had barely died down when a second blaze erupted late on Wednesday in the Saraghalai area of district Sheerani, with three locals killed as they tried to help in rescue operations.

“Three local residents who tried to extinguish the fire got killed,” the top administrative official of the area, Zhob division commissioner Bashir Bazai, told Arab News. “Four people are still stranded as the district administration is making efforts to retrieve the bodies and rescue the stranded individuals.”




Smoke engulfs a pine nut forest in the Koh-e-Sulaiman mountain range in the Saraghalai area of district Sheerani in Pakistan's Balochistan province on May 19, 2022. (Photo courtesy: Forest Department Zhob)

Locals helping with the rescue operation said neither provincial nor federal authorities were equipped to handle the disaster.

“The federal and provincial departments dealing with the fire are not trained and equipped to extinguish the fire in the Saraghalai area since the flames are too high,” local activist Salmeen Khpalwak, who works on climate change and environmental protection projects in the area, told Arab News on Thursday. “The fire is heading toward villages and many families have migrated to safe locations.”




Firefighters and residents extinguish a fire that erupted in pine nut forest in district Musakhail in Pakistan's Balochistan province on May 16, 2022. (Photo courtesy: Forest Department Zhob)

Khpalwak said nearly 24 villages situated in the pine nut forest were currently in danger. He said the fire in Musakhail broke out during a thunderstorm when lightning hit but the reason behind the Saraghalai blaze was not yet known.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) sent a helicopter on Thursday to extinguish the fire, local officials said, though it was unable to put out the fire as it could not fly at a low altitude due to thick smoke and the mountainous terrain.

Muhammad Younus, who works with the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, said the NDMA had been requested to provide another helicopter due to the intensity of the fire.

“This morning, a helicopter splashed 3,500 liters of water fetched from the Sabakzai Dam about 45 kilometers away from the area engulfed in fire,” Atique Khan Kakar, a forest officer, told Arab News, “though it did not work.”


Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to establish power transmission line costing $28 million

Updated 02 November 2024
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Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to establish power transmission line costing $28 million

  • Official says this will be the first time ever that a province will lay a transmission line on its own
  • In the first phase, a 40-kilometer section of the line will be built from Matiltan to Madyan in Swat

ISLAMABAD: The government in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has signed an agreement with a private firm to establish a power transmission line in the province, an official said on Saturday.
The power transmission line will be established in one and a half year with a cost of Rs8 billion ($28.8 million), according to Muhammad Ali Saif, KP chief minister’s adviser on information.
In the first phase, a 40-kilometer section of the line will be built from Matiltan to Madyan in Swat to supply power to local industries and national grid.
“Industries will be provided very cheap electricity through the transmission line,” Saif said in a statement. “The completion of its first phase generate Rs7 billion for the province.”
Pakistan has enough installed capacity to meet its demand for electricity, but the South Asian country lacks adequate resources and cannot afford to invest in new infrastructure and power lines, which often result in transmission losses. 
In January 2023, the country suffered a nationwide blackout due to a frequency failure in the national grid, which happened because of a major mismatch between demand and supply. It was the second nationwide shutdown in three months. 
In November last year, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $250 million loan for Pakistan to help the South Asian country deliver reliable electricity by expanding and improving its power transmission network in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces.
 


Hindus, Muslims gather in unity to celebrate Diwali at historic Karachi temple

Updated 02 November 2024
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Hindus, Muslims gather in unity to celebrate Diwali at historic Karachi temple

  • Diwali honors the victorious return of Lord Rama, one of Hinduism’s most revered figures, from exile
  • Devotees light up homes and workplaces, distribute sweetmeats and wear colorful clothes to mark festival

KARACHI: Thousands of men, women and children, both Hindus and Muslims, gathered on Friday at the 234-year-old Shri Swaminarayan temple in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi to celebrate one of the biggest Hindu festivals, Diwali.

Diwali honors the victorious return of Lord Rama, one of Hinduism’s most revered figures, from exile and was celebrated in various parts of the world either on Thursday or Friday.

It is also known as the festival of lights to symbolize the triumph of light over darkness, or good over evil, explaining why fireworks are so central to the Diwali celebrations.

The Swaminarayan temple, situated in the Serai Quarters area, is not only frequented by Hindus living in the neighborhood, but members of the community from elsewhere in the bustling megapolis too.

“Diwali is a festival of happiness, a festival of lights. Our lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after 14 years in exile. His wife Sita and his [younger] brother Laxman were also with him, who stood by him,” Hansa Rani, an academic, told Arab News, lighting up small oil lamps, called ‘diyas,’ to welcome their Lord.

“We celebrate their return with happiness [on Diwali], wear new clothes, distribute sweets and make rangoli [in which] we decorate our floor with colors.”

A Hindu woman and a young girl hold clay-lamps during a ceremony to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, at Somi Narin temple, in Karachi on November 1, 2024. (AP)


One of the most prominent Hindu festivals, Diwali is celebrated across the globe wherever the community resides. Devotees light up their homes and workplaces to signify light over darkness.

The festivities span over the course of five days, starting with ‘Dhanteras,’ that marks the first day of Diwali, followed by ‘Naraka Chaturdashi’ [Choti Diwali], Diwali, ‘Govardhan Puja’ and Bhai Dooj. Each day has different rituals and significance.

Pakistani Hindu women celebrate 'Diwali', the festival of lights, at the Krishna Temple in Lahore on November 1, 2024. (AFP)

“We are here to celebrate Diwali. As you can see, how happy these people are. There is one festival in the entire year during which we have mithai (sweetmeats), worship, light diyas, and meet our relatives,” Gauri Dara, who was at the temple with her family, told Arab News, on the sidelines of the celebrations.

“On this day, our cousins from other cities come to meet us too. We celebrate Diwali together.”

Children light firecrackers during 'Diwali' festival celebrations in Karachi on November 1, 2024. (AFP)

Muslims, who attended the celebrations at the Swaminarayan temple, said they had come to stand in solidarity with their Hindu brothers and sisters and share their happiness on the joyous occasion.

“[Despite] being a Muslim, I come here every year since the past 10 years in fact. I love the fact that we get to celebrate Diwali with our Hindu community every year because I have a lot of Hindu friends in Pakistan,” Qasim Shafique, a senior television news producer, told Arab News.

“Our flag also represents [minorities]. The white part in the [Pakistani] flag is for minorities. So, I come to celebrate that every year. I’ll meet all my Hindu friends here and we will enjoy the festivities together.”


Pakistan PM calls for justice for journalists killed in Gaza

Updated 02 November 2024
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Pakistan PM calls for justice for journalists killed in Gaza

  • Shehbaz Sharif’s statement came on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists
  • The Pakistan prime minister says freedom of press is not possible without the protection of journalists

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday demanded the world hold Israel accountable for the killing of dozens of journalists in Gaza, Sharif’s office said.
Sharif’s statement came on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, a United Nations-recognized international day that is observed annually on Nov. 2.
Since Israel began its war against Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, at least 134 journalists have been killed and 41 injured in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel and Lebanon, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
In his statement, Sharif lamented that dozens of journalists were “deliberately” killed in Gaza to block the “path of truth,” despite the international conventions to protect journalists.
“The United Nations and international organizations should bring Israel to justice for the massacre of journalists,” he said. “Freedom of press is not possible without the protection of journalists.”
Sharif said his government was determined to prevent crimes against journalists, ensure punishment of perpetrators and protect journalists.
“The Constitution of Pakistan gives the right to freedom of expression, freedom of press and access to information, and the Government of Pakistan ensures this,” he added.
Pakistan itself consistently ranks among the most dangerous countries for journalists, with many facing threats, intimidation, and violence. According to the CPJ, 103 journalists and media workers have been killed in Pakistan between 1992 and 2024.
 


Air monitor records pollution level in Lahore 80 times above WHO limit

Updated 02 November 2024
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Air monitor records pollution level in Lahore 80 times above WHO limit

  • For days, Lahore has been enveloped by smog, smoke from seasonal crop burning and winter cooling
  • The level of deadly PM2.5 pollutants peaked at 1,067, before dropping to around 300 in the morning

LAHORE: Air pollution in Pakistan’s second biggest city Lahore soared on Saturday more than 80 times over the level deemed acceptable by the World Health Organization (WHO), with an official calling it record high.
The level of deadly PM2.5 pollutants — fine particulate matter in the air that causes the most damage to health — peaked at 1,067, before dropping to around 300 in the morning, with anything above 10 considered unhealthy by the WHO.
“We have never reached a level of 1,000,” Jahangir Anwar, a senior environmental protection official in Lahore told AFP.
For days, Lahore has been enveloped by smog, a mix of fog and pollutants caused by low-grade diesel fumes, smoke from seasonal agricultural burning and winter cooling.
“The air quality index will remain high for the next three to four days,” Anwar said.
On Wednesday, the provincial environmental protection agency announced new restrictions in four “hot spots” in the city.
Tuk-tuks equipped with polluting two-stroke engines are banned, as are restaurants that barbecue without filters.
Government offices and private companies will have half their staff work from home from Monday.
Construction work has been halted and street and food vendors, who often cook over open fires, must close at 8 pm.
Smog is particularly pronounced in winter, when cold, denser air traps emissions from poor-quality fuels used to power the city’s vehicles and factories at ground level.


Tehran’s envoy praises Pakistan Navy for rescuing 23 Iranian fishermen

Updated 02 November 2024
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Tehran’s envoy praises Pakistan Navy for rescuing 23 Iranian fishermen

  • These Iranian fishermen were rescued from a fishing vessel that reported problems in its engine and injury to a crew member
  • Pakistan Navy Ship Zulfiqar responded to a distress call by Iranian vessel stranded 1,200 nautical miles from its home port

ISLAMABAD: Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam on Friday extended his heartfelt gratitude to Pakistan Navy for its swift response to a recent maritime emergency, wherein 23 Iranian fishermen were rescued from a fishing boat in the open sea, Pakistani state media reported.
Pakistan Navy said it had rescued the fishermen this week from a sailing vessel that reported problems in its engine and injury to a crew member in the Gulf of Aden.
Pakistan Navy Ship PNS Zulfiqar deployed on the Regional Maritime Security Patrol responded to a distress call made by Iranian fishing dhow, Al Muhammadi, which was stranded over 1,200 nautical miles from its home port.
In his message of appreciation, Ambassador Moghadam praised the Pakistan Navy’s professionalism and commitment, emphasizing the longstanding spirit of mutual support between Iran and Pakistan in international rescue and humanitarian assistance efforts.
“The people of Iran are truly grateful for Pakistan’s unwavering readiness to assist in times of need, exemplifying the close bonds and mutual commitment that Iran and Pakistan have cherished throughout their history,” he was quoted as saying by the Pakistani state-run APP news agency.
The timely and successful rescue operation was an expression of the Pakistan Navy’s determination to ensure the safety of human life at sea. It has rescued Iranian vessels and their crew members in the past as well.
Ambassador Moghadam recalled a similar incident in March, when the Pakistan Navy provided critical assistance by rescuing eight Iranian fishermen after a fire broke out on their vessel, the report said.