ISLAMABAD: The federal government is running an awareness campaign in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) amid an ongoing heat wave this month, state-run media reported as the Pakistan Meteorological Department predicted day-time temperatures to “remain above normal” in June also.
Pakistan has been experiencing severe climatic changes due to global warming in recent years which has led to frequent heat waves, untimely rains and droughts.
On May 21, authorities had urged people to stay indoors ahead of a heat wave which is expected to last until the end of the month. An estimated 18 million students are also unable to attend classes because Pakistan’s most populous province Punjab ordered shutting down schools this month due to rising temperatures.
Chief Meteorologist Dr. Sardar Sarfaraz has also warned that the heat wave would “intensify” from May 23 onwards.
“Ministry of Climate Change and the NDMA are spreading mass awareness for the public through adopting preventive measures and to reduce its impacts through issuing adviseries, public service messages, ring back tone and awareness campaigns through television, radio and social media platforms,” Radio Pakistan reported.
Addressing a press conference, the Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Climate Change Romina Khurshid Alam said 26 districts of the country were in the grips of a heat wave since May 21.
Alam said the first wave would last till May 30, the second would begin from June 7-8 and the third one in the last week of June.
May and June were recorded as the “hottest and driest” with higher monthly average temperatures, she added, appealing to the masses, especially children and elderly, to adopt preventive measures.
She noted that the severity of heat waves had increased rapidly during the past few months with 13 districts of Sindh, nine of Punjab and four districts of Balochistan experiencing “severe heat.”
“Global warming is impacting the entire world, and we are seeing its effects in the form of these frequent and intense heat waves,” the official said, blaming deforestation and unsustainable environmental practices for the harsh weather conditions.
“Public awareness campaigns through various media outlets are ongoing to educate people on the health risks and preventive measures.”
Alam said heat waves were accelerating the process of glacier melting and the risk of forest fires, advising the public to remain cautious in national parks, avoid discarding cigarette butts, leave vehicle windows slightly open, and ensure access to drinking water.
“NO RESPITE”
The NDMA is also urging people to stay hydrated and wear light-colored clothing to minimize the effects of heat and farmers to carry out agricultural activities keeping in mind the prevalent weather conditions.
Met Department data showed Jacobabad, Dadu and Mohenjo Daro as the hottest places across the country, with temperature in these cities surging from 49°C on Wednesday to 50°C on Thursday.
“The cities of Jacobabad, Dadu and Mohenjo Daro are known to have 50°C in May. Jacobabad had 52°C in April in 2022,” the chief meteorologist said.
“Harsh weather is likely to persist at least till June 3. There is no possibility for respite, at least for Sindh. The heat spell may break in parts of Punjab but that, too, after June 4.”
Climate change-induced extreme heat can cause illnesses such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and hyperthermia. It can make certain chronic conditions worse, including cardiovascular, respiratory, and cerebrovascular disease and diabetes-related conditions, and can also result in acute incidents, such as hospitalizations due to strokes or renal disease.
According to the Global Climate Risk Index, nearly 10,000 Pakistanis have died while the country has suffered economic losses worth $3.8 billion due to climate change impacts between 1999 and 2018. A deadly heat wave that hit Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi, the capital of Sindh, claimed 120 lives in 2015.
In 2022, torrential monsoon rains triggered the most devastating floods in Pakistan’s history, killing around 1,700 people and affecting over 33 million, a staggering number close to the population of Canada. Millions of homes, tens of thousands of schools and thousands of kilometers of roads and railways are yet to be rebuilt.
Government runs awareness campaign as Pakistan in grips of ‘severe’ heat wave
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Government runs awareness campaign as Pakistan in grips of ‘severe’ heat wave
- First wave to last till May 30, second to begin from June 7-8 followed by third one in last week of June
- Heat wave to persist in Sindh province until June 3, to break in Punjab after June 4, Met office says
Imran Khan has allowed party to submit demands to Pakistan government in writing — aide
- Second round of discussions between both sides ended inconclusively last week after Khan’s party demanded more time to consult ex-PM
- PM’s special assistant on political affairs says negotiations to resume after National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq returns from overseas trip
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan has allowed his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to submit its demands in writing to the government during the next round of negotiations between the two sides, Khan’s top aide and PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan said on Wednesday, as both sides attempt to break the political deadlock in the country.
The second round of discussions between the two sides took place on Jan. 2 ended inconclusively after Khan’s party demanded more time to meet and consult the ex-PM before submitting their demands in writing.
Khan’s ouster in a parliamentary no-trust vote in 2022 has plunged Pakistan into a political crisis, particularly since he was jailed in August 2023 on corruption and other charges. His party has regularly held protests to demand his release, with many of the demonstrations turning violent.
“Today Khan has said that you can give our demands in writing [to the government],” Gohar Ali Khan told reporters after his meeting with the former prime minister at the central prison in Rawalpindi. “So we will give our demands at the negotiation table in writing.”
Khan’s party has previously stated two demands: the release of all political prisoners and the establishment of judicial commissions to investigate protests on May 9, 2023, and Nov. 26, 2024, which the government says involved Khan supporters, accusing them of attacking military installations and government buildings.
“We will present our two demands in writing because even though there is no need to do so, we don’t want it to [delay the talks] by using it as a reason,” he said.
At a press conference on Wednesday evening, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said talks between both sides had been paused as National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, who is heading the government’s delegation, has left the country on an “emergency” visit to a foreign country.
“As soon as he returns, the second meeting that they want [with Imran Khan] will be held and after that we expect that they will present their demands seriously,” Sanaullah told reporters.
The next date for talks between the PTI and the government has not been finalized. Last week, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, a member of the government’s negotiation committee, said the talks could encounter “serious hurdles” due to the PTI’s failure to submit its demands in writing at the next meeting.
Afghanistan hire Younis Khan as mentor for Champions Trophy in Pakistan
- Younis Khan, 47, played 118 Tests, 265 ODIs and 25 T20Is for Pakistan before retiring in 2017
- Afghanistan is in Champions Trophy Group B with England, Australia and South Africa
ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan has hired former Pakistan captain Younis Khan as a mentor for its men’s cricket team at next month’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said in a statement on Wednesday that the 47-year-old batting great will join the team in Pakistan ahead of the Champions Trophy and will stay with Afghanistan at the tournament.
Younis, who played 118 tests, 265 ODIs and 25 T20s for Pakistan, retired from international cricket in 2017 and briefly worked with the national team as batting coach in 2021 before quitting after differences with the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Afghanistan is in Group B with England, Australia and South Africa. It will play its first match against South Africa at Karachi on Feb. 21.
More than 160 UK politicians have urged England to refuse to play against Afghanistan. The politicians wrote asking the England and Wales Cricket Board to take a stand against the Taliban regime’s assault on women’s rights.
It will be a second stint for Younis with Afghanistan, having previously worked with the team at a training camp in Abu Dhabi in 2022.
It will be the third straight major ICC tournament where Afghanistan has utilized local expertise by appointing a mentor, after former India international Ajay Jadeja for the 2023 World Cup in India, and Dwayne Bravo as bowling consultant at the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and US
“Since the Champions Trophy is being held in Pakistan, it was required to assign a talented and experienced player as mentor from the hosting country,” ACB chief executive Naseeb Khan said.
Afghanistan finished sixth at the World Cup in India after beating England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka to seal its Champions Trophy place. At the T20 World Cup, Afghanistan advanced to the semifinals.
The Champions Trophy will begin Feb. 19 in Karachi.
India, which is in Group A with Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh, will play all its games in Dubai.
Pakistani women require permission from male guardians to perform Hajj alone — religion ministry
- Saudi Arabia allowed women to perform Umrah and Hajj on their own in October 2022
- Number of women applicants for solo Hajj has nearly doubled from last year, says official
ISLAMABAD: Women intending to perform Hajj alone need permission from their male guardians such as fathers, husbands or in the absence of both, other close male relatives, officials of Pakistan’s religion ministry and the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) said on Wednesday.
In October 2022, Saudi Arabia allowed women to perform the Islamic pilgrimages of Umrah and Hajj without “a mahram,” a male with whom Islam forbids a woman to marry due to her close relationship with them. Examples of a mahram for a woman include her father, husband, son and brother, among others.
The CII, a constitutional body responsible for advising the government on matters related to Islam, ruled in June 2023 that a woman will be allowed to perform Hajj without her male guardian subject to two conditions: that she has permission from her spouse or parents for the pilgrimage, and that she has a “group of reliable female pilgrims and there is no threat to her dignity.”
Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry spokesperson, Muhammad Umer Butt, said women wishing to perform Hajj without a male guardian were required to submit written permission from their father, husband, or other guardians along with their Hajj 2025 application.
“Last year we facilitated single women for Hajj, and they are allowed again this year with the number of applicants nearly doubling from 3,027 in 2024 to 6,028 this year,” Butt told Arab News.
He said that after the Saudi government’s decision to allow women to perform Hajj on their own, Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs sought guidance from the CII and implemented their recommendations.
“The ministry has ensured that these women will travel in women-only groups, prioritizing their safety and comfort,” Butt said.
Butt said the majority of female pilgrims who have applied for Hajj this year are accompanied by mahrams. A small number of women faced difficulties in the availability of mahrams and have opted to travel for the pilgrimage alone, he said.
CII spokesperson Rana Zahid explained the religious body’s 2023 decision, saying that women were permitted by Shariah to perform Hajj alone if they were unable to find male guardians.
“However, this permission is subject to certain conditions and the woman must obtain consent from her father, husband (if married), or guardian,” Zahid said.
He said such women must also travel with a trustworthy group of women or “reliable companions,” ensuring there is no apparent risk or threat to her safety and dignity.
Saudi Arabia has allotted Pakistan a total quota of 179,210 pilgrims for the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage, to be divided equally between the government and private schemes.
Pakistan sisters set father on fire after rape — police
- Sisters took petrol from motorcycle and set fire to father while he slept on Jan. 1, say police
- Father had been raping eldest girl for a year, twice attempted to rape younger one, sisters allege
LAHORE: Two teenage sisters were arrested in Pakistan for killing their father by setting him on fire in revenge for rape, police said Wednesday.
The father was attacked in the Punjabi city of Gujranwala on January 1 and taken to hospital where he died on Tuesday.
“The girls said that they decided among themselves to find a ‘permanent solution’,” Rizwan Tariq, a senior police official in the city, told AFP.
They then took petrol from a motorcycle and set their father on fire as he slept, he added.
The pair, who are step-sisters, said their father had been raping the eldest girl for a year, and had twice attempted to rape the younger girl.
Their mothers — who are both married to the man — knew about the abuse but did not know of the revenge plan.
AFP has not named the man in order to protect the identities of the girls, one of whom is from a previous marriage.
One of the wives has also been arrested while the second is being questioned.
“We expect to present them before the court in a few days, as soon as we finish the investigation,” Tariq added.
Pakistan dispatches convoy of 40 aid trucks for violence-hit Kurram district
- Tribal and sectarian clashes have caused medicine, food and fuel shortages in Kurram district
- Armed men attacked aid convoy en route to Kurram district on Saturday, injuring five persons
PESHAWAR: The government in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Wednesday dispatched a convoy of 40 vehicles carrying relief items for the violence-hit Kurram district, an official confirmed, days after an aid convoy en route to the area came under attack.
Five people, including a top administration official, were injured when armed men shot at an aid convoy en route to Kurram district near Bagan, a tense locality in the district, on Saturday. The convoy was stalled as the provincial government vowed stern action against the culprits and their facilitators.
Kurram, a northwestern district of around 600,000 people in the KP province, has been rocked by tribal and sectarian clashes since Nov. 21 when gunmen attacked a convoy of Shia passengers, killing 52. Sporadic clashes since then have killed at least 136 people before the provincial government brokered a ceasefire between the warring tribes last week.
“A convoy of 40 vehicles carrying relief items for Kurram district was sent safely today,” Muhammad Ali Saif, a spokesperson for the KP government, said in a statement.
Saif said a convoy of 10 vehicles had reached Bagan while another comprising 30 vehicles will arrive at Parachinar, the district’s capital, and Upper Kurram “soon.”
“The convoy was sent after successful negotiations with local protesters till late last night,” the spokesperson said.
The violence in the district forced authorities to block a main road connecting Kurram’s main town of Parachinar with the provincial capital of Peshawar, causing medicine, food and fuel shortages in the area.
Saif said more aid convoys will be sent to the district after peace is established there.
The Saturday gun attack took place days after a grand jirga, or council of political and tribal elders formed by the KP provincial government, brokered a peace agreement between the warring Shia and Sunni tribes on Jan. 1, following weeks of efforts.
Under the peace agreement, both sides had agreed on the demolition of bunkers and the handover of heavy weapons to the authorities within two weeks.
It was also decided that land disputes in the volatile district will be settled on a priority basis with the cooperation of local tribes and the district administration.
The agreement said opening of banned outfits’ offices will be prohibited in the district, while social media accounts spreading hate will be discouraged via collective efforts backed by the government.
