ISLAMABAD: Weather authorities in Pakistan on Tuesday predicted thunderstorms and heavy snowfall in the upper districts of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province from January 1 to 6.

Pakistan has experienced erratic changes in its weather patterns in recent years, which scientists attribute to climate change. This year, the country recorded its “wettest April since 1961,” with 59.3 millimeters of rainfall, while some areas endured deadly heat waves in May and June.

KP’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) forecast rain and snowfall in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Malakand, Buner, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, Kurram, Waziristan, Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi, Bannu, Karak and Kohat.

“The forecast indicates that the rain and snowfall will continue from January 1 to 6,” the PDMA said in a statement, adding there was a likelihood of heavy snowfall on mountains from January 1 to 5.

The PDMA has notified all district administrations to undertake precautionary measures and ensure the availability of large and small machines to handle any emergencies.

The public has been advised to avoid power lines, decaying buildings, construction sites and billboards, while farmers have been urged to plan their activities accordingly.

DG PDMA Asfandyar Khattak directed the authorities to remain vigilant in case of any untoward incidents and advised tourists to contact relevant officials before traveling.

“Local administrations in sensitive districts should communicate weather-related messages in local languages to the community,” he added. “In case of any emergency, all relevant agencies should remain alert to restore road links and provide alternative routes for traffic in the event of road closures.”

Meanwhile, PDMA Balochistan said cloudy weather was expected in most districts, with light rain and snowfall likely in Chaman, Kalat, Zhob, Qilla Abdullah, Qilla Saifullah, Pishin, Ziarat and Quetta in the southwestern province.

In 2022, unusually heavy rains triggered floods in many parts of the country, killing over 1,700 people, inflicting economic losses of around $30 billion and affecting at least 30 million people.

KHAPLU, Gilgit-Baltistan: An Anti-Terrorism Court in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) on Tuesday sentenced former Chief Minister Muhammad Khalid Khurshid to 34 years in prison and fined him Rs600,000 ($2,154) for delivering provocative speeches against state institutions and inciting public unrest, according to the court judgment.
Khurshid, a prominent member of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which has alleged a sweeping crackdown following Khan’s ouster and imprisonment, was removed as G-B’s chief minister in 2023 over a fake degree scandal.
On July 26, 2024, he was accused of threatening security institutions, including the chief secretary and the election commissioner, during a public rally in Gilgit. He had been evading court hearings since then, leading to his absence during the trial.
The court instructed the region’s police chief to ensure Khurshid’s immediate arrest and transfer to prison. It also ordered the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to block his identity card.
“This is purely a judicial matter,” Faizullah Faraq, G-B’s spokesperson, told Arab News while confirming the verdict. “We won’t comment on it.”
Meanwhile, Col (r) Obaidullah Baig, a PTI member in G-B’s legislative assembly, said his party respected judicial processes but noted that the verdict did not “fully reflect the true circumstances and principles of justice.”
“We are currently evaluating all legal options and discussing the possibility of an appeal to ensure that the rights of the accused are upheld and that a fair trial is conducted,” he told Arab News. “As a matter of fact, the constitution remains suspended in Pakistan and after the controversial 26th amendment, the independence of judiciary in G-B and Pakistan is questionable.”
Baig maintained that the former chief minister had always been an advocate for democratic values, free speech, and peaceful discourse.
“The allegations that his speeches incited violence or undermined state institutions are completely baseless,” he said, adding that Khurshid had only asked the security establishment and intelligence agencies about “their meddling into the region’s political matters” in the context of his government’s downfall.
He maintained that the sentence would only serve to strengthen the ex-chief minister’s resolve and further energize his supporters across G-B and Pakistan.
“It is likely to galvanize his political career, as it highlights the ongoing political struggles and the misuse of state power to target opposition figures,” the PTI lawmaker added.
G-B spokesperson, Faraq, however, emphasized it was important to uphold the rule of law.
“I just want to say that we should respect our state institutions,” he added. “Everyone should follow the law. No one ... is above the law and the constitution.”