ISLAMABAD: The provincial government in Pakistan’s Punjab province has installed a Smog Clean Tower in the eastern city of Lahore to reduce air pollution, state-run media reported this week.
Smog had choked Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province for weeks last month, sickening nearly two million people and shrouding vast swathes of the province in a toxic haze.
Last month, the province closed down schools and offices, banned outdoor activities and shortened timings for restaurants, shops and markets in a bid to control smog as Lahore consistently ranked among the world’s most polluted cities in the world.
“Punjab Government has installed Smog Clean Tower in Lahore in collaboration with National University of Science and Technology,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday.
“It has the capability of cleansing poisonous particles present in the air and will play an important role to reduce the pollution level in the city.”
Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb described the initiative as a “revolutionary step,“saying that the use of modern technology is the need of the hour to control smog.
“She said that this tower will prove a model for Lahore and Pakistan,” Radio Pakistan said.
The dangerous smog is a byproduct of large numbers of vehicles, construction and industrial work as well as burning crops at the start of the winter wheat-planting season, experts say.
BAHAWALPUR: A young nawab once built a palace for his wife, so goes a local legend, only for her to abandon it after a single visit. As the tale is told, Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan IV had Noor Mahal constructed for his spouse, who, after spending one night there, glimpsed a nearby graveyard from the balcony and refused to return, considering it a bad omen.
The story may not hold up to historical scrutiny, but it continues to captivate the many tourists who flock to Noor Mahal, Bahawalpur’s most iconic monument. Towering over manicured gardens, the palace, built in 1875, is famed for its Indo-European architecture and striking symmetry.
Before joining Pakistan in 1956, Bahawalpur was a princely state, one of over 500 semi-autonomous territories in British India ruled by local monarchs. These rulers retained control over internal affairs while pledging allegiance to the British Crown.
The 152-year-old Noor Mahal was a crown jewel of Bahawalpur under its last great ruler, lending some credence to the theory that it may have been built as a gesture of affection for Noor Jahan, his wife. Some historians, however, offer a different reading.
“At the time, the Nawab family had multiple palaces, and Noor Mahal was primarily intended as a guest house for foreign dignitaries and experts,” Dr. Nadeem Omar Tarar, an art historian, told Arab News while challenging the popular story.
The picture taken on February 28, 2022, shows interior view of Noor Mahal in Pakistan's Bahawalpur city. (AN Photo)
Nevertheless, another scholar, Dr. Usman Ali, maintained that the building might originally have been planned as a personal residence before its use shifted.
“The 1904 Gazetteer acknowledges that it was originally designed as a personal residence but later repurposed due to its proximity to the graveyard,” he said.
The story of Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan’s ascension to the throne is equally intriguing. When his father died at the age of 29 on March 25, 1866, Khan was just four years old. The young nawab was immediately declared his successor, but his position was challenged by rival factions seeking control of the state.
The statue of Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan IV is pictured at Noor Mahal in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, on February 19, 2025. (AN photo)
Fearing internal unrest, his family and loyalists turned to the British for support. In return for their intervention, the British assumed guardianship of the child ruler, securing complete political influence over Bahawalpur.
“The British government took the young Nawab under its guardianship, ensuring his personal education, health and training while also focusing on the development of every sector of the state,” Hafizur Rahman Hafiz wrote in his 1924 book, “Tajdaran-e-Riyasat Bahawalpur.”
The picture taken on February 9, 2025, shows first printing press at the Noor Mahal palace in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. (AN photo
To oversee both state affairs and the young Nawab’s upbringing, Major Charles Cherry Minchin was appointed political agent in November 1866 and served as the de facto authority until Nawab Sadiq IV formally assumed power at the age of 18.
Noor Mahal was constructed over an area of 44,600 square feet, featuring 32 rooms — 14 of them in the basement — along with six verandas and five domes.
Its design was selected from 11 architectural proposals solicited from across India, with the final plan submitted by a building designer named Muhammad Hussain, adopted with minor modifications.
The picture taken on February 9, 2025, shows exterior view of Noor Mahal palace in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. (AN photo)
The palace blends Corinthian and Islamic styles, with columns, balustrades and pediments sitting alongside domes and angled arches, a signature of Indo-Saracenic architecture.
A commemorative inscription and state coins were buried in its foundations during construction as a good omen, according to court historian Azizur Rahman Aziz in his book, “Subh-e-Sadiq.”
After Bahawalpur joined Pakistan in 1956, Noor Mahal came under the Auqaf Department. In 1971, the Pakistan Army leased the property and eventually bought it in 1997 for Rs119 million ($428,400).
Today, the palace is open to the public and remains a major tourist attraction. Each evening, visitors gather for a sound and light show narrating Bahawalpur’s history, from its state rulers to its accession to Pakistan.
“The immersive experience draws large crowds every weekend, running throughout the year,” said local tourism official Waqas Ahmed.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s first humanitarian consignment for victims of the devastating earthquake in Myanmar was handed over to local authorities at Yangon International Airport, the National Disaster Management Authority in Islamabad said in a statement on Thursday.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck nearly a week ago, with its epicenter near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city. It caused widespread devastation, toppling thousands of buildings, buckling roads and destroying key infrastructure across several regions.
The death toll has climbed to 3,085, according to an update by Myanmar’s military authorities, who said 4,715 people were injured and 341 remain missing.
Pakistan has pledged 70 tons of relief goods to Myanmar and has so far delivered half the promised amount.
“Ambassador of Pakistan at Myanmar H.E. Imran Haider along with Pakistan Embassy’s diplomats/ officials handed over the relief goods to the Chief Minister of Yangon Region and Director General Training of MoFA [Ministry of Foreign Affairs],” the NDMA said.
“The Government of Pakistan and Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority remains steadfast in its commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to earthquake-affected people of Myanmar,” it added.
The natural disaster has worsened an already dire humanitarian situation in Myanmar, where the military junta seized power from Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government in 2021, triggering a nationwide civil conflict.
Even before the quake, over 3 million people had been displaced and nearly 20 million were in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.
Media reports and aid workers warn the true toll could be far higher, as many remote areas remain inaccessible due to damaged infrastructure and disrupted communication lines.
With input from AP
ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution presented by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), calling for accountability for Israel and justice for Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The war in Gaza, which began in October 2023, has persisted despite multiple international efforts to broker a ceasefire. The Palestinian death toll, according to latest figures, has exceeded 50,000, with women and children making up a large share of the casualties.
Thousands remain missing under the rubble of buildings destroyed in Israeli airstrikes. In parallel, there have been mounting reports of harassment, arbitrary detentions, and even sexual assaults against Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
“Over the past eighteen months, the Palestinian people under occupation have faced horror upon horror,” Pakistan’s top diplomat at the UN mission in Geneva, Ambassador Bilal Ahmed, told the Council. “Whether in the desolate Gaza Strip or the West Bank including East Jerusalem, this Council has borne witness to a litany of crimes that demand justice.”
Ahmed said the resolution reflects the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion from July 2024, which declared Israel’s continued presence in the Palestinian territories illegal.
It also incorporates findings by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the widespread and systematic use of sexual violence against Palestinians, particularly women and girls.
The resolution emphasizes the need to prevent and punish “incitement to genocide in Gaza,” in line with the ICJ’s provisional measures issued in January 2024.
It further calls for the establishment of an independent mechanism to assist in the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the most serious crimes under international law.
“We have long known that impunity for human rights violations enables more and worse violations,” Ahmed said. “The adoption of this resolution would signal the strong resolve of this Council to end impunity for serial violators. For the Palestinian people, it would be the light at the end of an unimaginably dark tunnel.”
Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva confirmed later that the resolution was adopted by an overwhelming majority.
KARACHI: United States President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday the imposition of reciprocal tariffs on several countries, including a 29% tariff on Pakistani products, a move widely seen as a jolt to the global economy still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The decision came after Trump defended the measures as necessary to address long-standing trade imbalances and what he described as unfair treatment of American goods abroad.
The US leader has called for realigning trade with both allies and competitors since taking office, arguing that high tariffs imposed by partner countries have effectively subsidized their economies at America’s expense.
According to a list of tariffs shared by Reuters, Trump has imposed a 29% tariff on Pakistan.
“Pakistan has been charging us a 58% tariff on our goods,” he was quoted as saying by Geo TV. “Hence, we are imposing a 29% tariff on their products.”
The US remains one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners.
According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, total goods trade between the US and Pakistan was estimated at $7.3 billion in 2024. US exports to Pakistan reached $2.1 billion, marking a 4.4% increase from the previous year, while imports from Pakistan totaled $5.1 billion, up 4.9% compared to 2023.
Alongside Pakistan, the US has also slapped a 26% reciprocal tariff on India, in a blow to New Delhi’s expectations of tariff relief.
“In many cases, the friend is worse than the foe in terms of trade,” Reuters quoted Trump as saying during the announcement. “We subsidize a lot of countries and keep them going and keep them in business. Why are we doing this? I mean, at what point do we say you got to work for yourselves.”
“We are finally putting America first,” he added, calling trade deficits “a national emergency.”
Trump held up boards displaying the new tariff rates, ranging from 10% to 49% for most countries. He said that in most cases, the US was imposing about half the tariff rates that other countries charge, though in some instances the rates were matched exactly.
With input from Reuters
PESHAWAR: Over 95,000 tourists visited various scenic destinations across Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province during the Eid Al-Fitr holidays, the provincial tourism authority said on Thursday.
KP, with its scenic mountains, valleys and lakes, is home to popular tourist destinations like Swat, Malam Jabba, Abbottabad, Kaghan, Naran and Shogran, which attract visitors from across Pakistan.
Pakistan observed the three-day Eid Al-Fitr holidays — celebrated by Muslims worldwide to mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan — from Mar. 31 to Apr. 2.
“Tourists flocked to various tourist destinations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Eid-Al-Fitr,” Muhammad Saad, the spokesperson for the KP Tourism Authority, said in a statement on Thursday.
“More than 95,000 tourists were recorded in three days.”
He said the highest number of tourists visited the province’s scenic Naran valley, 42,111, during the Eid holidays and the Galiyat region saw 28,000 visitors during the same time period.
At least 16,400 tourists visited Kumrat valley, he added.
“Tourism police personnel are performing their duty at various tourist destinations,” the official said.
Tourism in KP saw a massive surge during last year’s Eid holidays, with an increase of over 360 percent compared to 2023.
According to data from the provincial tourism authority, at least 580,000 tourists visited northwestern Pakistan during the five-day holidays in April 2024.
While Pakistan’s inflation has significantly decreased compared to last year, militant attacks, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have surged recently.
March saw militant attacks in Pakistan exceed 100 for the first time in over nine years, making it the deadliest month since 2015, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
The think tank reported that KP and southwestern Balochistan province were the hardest-hit provinces, although eastern Punjab and southern Sindh also witnessed a rise in militant activity.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of providing shelter to militant groups targeting civilians and security forces in cross-border attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a claim that has been denied by Kabul’s authorities.
