Karachi | Pakistan

Another patient died of Congo fever on Thursday in Karachi, as the number of fatalities from the disease reached two this year in Sindh, a statement from the district health officer in Malir said. Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), commonly known as Congo Virus, causes severe viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks with a case fatality rate of 10-40 per cent, according to the World Health Organisation. There is no vaccine available for the disease. Per experts, the CCHF virus is primarily transmitted to people either by tick bites or through contact with infected animal blood or tissues during and immediately after slaughter. In April, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued an advisory urging the prevention of Congo fever ahead of Eidul Azha. A 25-year-old man, Zubair, a fisherman from Ibrahim Hyderi, passed away on Thursday morning, a day after the disease was confirmed, said a report by DHO Malir Dr Imdad Ali Chandio. The victim butchered animals continuously for two days on June 7-8 during Eid. On J...

Two people were killed and one was injured during a shooting incident in Karachi’s Ittehad Town, police said on Wednesday. South Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Syed Asad Raza told Dawn.com, “The incident occurred inside a house near Amir Muawiyah Mosque. Police have detained two people from the site of the incident, recovering a 30-bore pistol from there. A woman was being investigated.” DIG Raza added that the exchange of fire occurred due to “personal enmity between the two sides.” According to the preliminary investigation, a man brought a married woman from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district to Karachi, he said. “The firing exchange took place after the woman’s husband and brothers arrived at the scene to take her back,” he added. He further said that two people died on the spot and another person, sustaining bullet injuries, was arrested. “The crime scene unit is at the scene and evidence is being collected,” he said, adding that the bodies of the deceased have been taken to the Civil Hospital ...

Sindh reported its first death of the year from the Congo fever as a 42-year-old man in Karachi passed away after being diagnosed a day earlier, as per a statement from the provincial health ministry’s media coordinator on Wednesday. According to the WHO, the Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), commonly known as Congo Virus, causes severe viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks with a case fatality rate of 10-40 per cent. There is no vaccine available for the disease. According to experts, the CCHF virus is primarily transmitted to people either by tick bites or through contact with infected animal blood or tissues during and immediately after slaughter. In April, the National Institute of Health (NIH) issued an advisory urging prevention of Congo fever ahead of Eidul Azha. The 42-year-old man, a resident of District Malir, was admitted to Indus Hospital in Korangi, where he tested positive for CCHF on June 16, Media coordinator for the Sindh health ministry, Meeran Yousuf told Dawn.com. The patient passed away...

Karachi once again ranked in the bottom five of the world’s “least liveable cities” in a global survey by The Economist. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, the metropolis ranked 170 on a list of 173 countries — just above Dhaka, Tripoli and Damascus — and had a score of 42.7 on the index score, with a score of 100 being “most liveable”. It was the only Pakistani city to feature on the list, albeit poorly. Topping the list was Copenhagen, with a score of 98. Vienna and Zurich tied for second place at 97.1, followed by Melbourne at 97.0, and Geneva with a score of 96.8. The annual survey, designed to help companies calculate hardship allowances when they relocate staff, rates 173 cities across five categories: health care, culture and environment, education, infrastructure and stability, according to The Economist. In last year’s ranking, Karachi compared with Lagos, Tripoli, Algiers and Damascus. The year before, Karachi was ranked 169 out of 173 countries Last October, the Asian Deve­lopment Bank s...

Karachi is experiencing intense heat as temperatures soared to 39°C on Tuesday, with a “feels like” temperature of 46°C due to high humidity, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

Armed men killed one person and injured five others on Monday after they opened fire over non-payment of extortion in Karachi’s Surjani Town, according to the police. West Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Tariq Illahi Mastoi told Dawn.com that “two suspects on a motorcycle resorted to an indiscriminate firing on a restaurant,” killing a rickshaw driver and injuring five others. He added that the police registered a first information report (FIR) under Sections 34 (common intention), 302 (intentional murder), 324 (attempted murder), 384 (punishment for extortion) and 385 (putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion) of the Pakistan Penal Code against unknown suspects and launched an investigation. According to the FIR, the complainant, the restaurant operator, said that he had received a phone call on the restaurant’s cell number on May 30 during which the caller demanded extortion, adding that he had informed the police but did not lodge an FIR. He said that two armed suspects on a bike...

Karachi is expected to receive rain on Monday, accompanied by a dust thunderstorm, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). The PMD has predicted that a “westerly wave is affecting upper parts of the country & moist currents also penetrating in eastern parts of the province”. Cloudy weather with temperatures ranging from 36–38 degrees Celsius is expected to persist throughout the metropolis tomorrow. Humidity levels are expected to touch 70-80 per cent in the morning. “Dust-thunderstorm /rain likely in Karachi division on tomorrow & isolated places at outskirts of Karachi division on Tuesday,” the weather advisory read. Under the influence of this system, the following parts of Sindh are expected to receive rain accompanied by dust thunderstorm at isolated places today: Ghotki, Sukkur, Jacobabad, Qamber Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Khairpur, Dadu, Nosheroferoz, Shaheed Benazirabad, Tharparker, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, T.M.Khan, T.A.Yar, Hyderabad, Mitiari, Thatta, Sujawal, Badin and Jamshoro ...

• For third year, no new mega project announced for the country’s economic hub • Meagre allocations for Sukkur motorway and K-IV projects deplored KARACHI: Trade and industry leaders on Saturday strongly criticised the federal and Sindh budgets for the upcoming fiscal year, calling them deeply disappointing and discriminatory towards Karachi, the country’s economic nerve centre. Businessmen Group (BMG) Chairman Zubair Motiwala and Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Jawed Bilwani expressed serious concerns over the sheer neglect and denial of essential development funds to Karachi and the province of Sindh as a whole. In a joint statement, they also demanded that before the approval of budgets, necessary amendments be made by significantly enhancing allocations for Karachi-centric development projects. Highlighting the gross underfunding of the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway, a strategic infrastructure project vital for the economic connectivity of Sindh and Karachi, they said despite the pro...

Police found the body of a young man on Saturday near Karachi University’s Teachers Society. Sachal Station House Officer Aurangzeb Khattak told Dawn.com that the body of a man in his mid-20s was recovered from bushes outside the wall of the society near Super Highway. “The victim sustained injuries to his head,” he added. Khattak highlighted the possibility that he might have been thrown there by suspects travelling in a car. He also said that the body was shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where his identity could not be ascertained immediately. Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn.com that although the victim was in the advanced stage of decomposition, there were head injuries. “The cause of death was a head injury,” Dr Syed said, adding that samples had been collected. Earlier this year, Mustafa Amir, a 23-year-old youth, was kidnapped and allegedly murdered by his friends in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA). According to the police, the youth’s friends stuffed his body in the trunk of his ...

• Rs100m allocated for K-IV; S-III gets Rs450m in next budget • Rs8.288bn kept for nine ‘ongoing mega schemes’ in metropolis • Murad mentions plan to bring 500 e-buses to Karachi • Says Sindh govt provided Rs26bn to KMC in outgoing fiscal year KARACHI: Although the Sindh government has been undertaking multiple infrastructure projects in Karachi for years, for the third consecutive year, it has not announced any new “mega development scheme” for the country’s commercial capital in the provincial budget for financial year 2025-26. Budget documents show Karachi gets no new infrastructure development scheme in the head of “Mega Schemes for Karachi City” in the Annual Development Programme for 2025-26. However, unlike the previous budget when the provincial government had allocated just Rs1.389 billion for 11 ongoing “mega schemes”, this time Rs8.288bn has been earmarked for nine “ongoing mega schemes” in the metropolis. Of the Rs8.28bn, the biggest allocation of Rs1.89bn has been made for the construction of a j...

KARACHI: The Pakistan Railway Police successfully baffled a smuggling attempt of hazardous betel nut worth millions in Pakistani currency in Karachi, ARY News reported. According to reports, the Anti-Theft Team Circle A carried out the operation against betel nut smuggling at Karachi Port, where 463.200 kilograms of harmful betel nut were seized by the authorities. […]

Civil society members gathered at Karachi’s Teen Talwar monument on Wednesday to protest the detention of activists on board the Gaza-bound aid ship Madleen and Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza, urging people “not to rest until the entire world stands in support of Palestine.” Earlier this week, Israeli forces detained the members of the aid ship, operating under the Freedom Flotilla Foundation, going to Gaza to break Israel’s siege. The activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, were carrying baby powder and aid for the besieged enclave. Israel has ramped up its offensive in Gaza, after it ended a ceasefire in March. So far, 55,014 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israeli airstrikes. Chanting “Free Palestine” echoing through the city’s intersection, civil society members gathered to decry the Palestinian suffering in the face of Israeli occupation. The crowd sang, rejecting Israel’s actions: “Aisay dastoor ko mai nahi maanta” (I do not accept this system). Speaking to Dawn.co...

Reckless and negligent driving claimed the lives of five people on Wednesday in separate road accidents across Karachi, according to police and rescue officials. The city has lately witnessed a rise in traffic accidents, especially involving heavy vehicles, including dumpers and water tankers, which killed nearly 500 people and injured 4,879 in 2024, according to hospital data. Paposh Nagar Station House Officer (SHO) Shaukat Awan said that two boys were killed after a water tanker hit them near Abdullah College. “The victims were riding a motorcycle and were on their way towards Banaras Chowk when the tanker descending from the North Nazimabad bridge hit them,” Awan said. The accident resulted in the death of a 20-year-old and an 18-year-old, he said, adding that the bodies were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for legal formalities. He added that the incident enraged passersby, who caught the driver and beat him. “They attempted to torch the heavy vehicle, but police prevented them,” he said, adding tha...

The provincial government on Tuesday said it has decided to implement strict rules to improve traffic flow and prohibit parking on Karachi’s I.I. Chundrigarh Road — often known as the city’s “Wall Street” — to tighten traffic regulation enforcement and improve road safety. Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah issued the instructions after receiving a briefing on traffic management in the metropolis, a statement issued by his spokesperson, Abdur Rasheed Channa, said. According to the statement, parking will be prohibited on I.I. Chundrigar Road, beginning from Shaheen Complex to the Merewether Tower. CM Shah also directed the authorities concerned to ban parking for all types of vehicles from Muhammad Bin Qasim Road to Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road up to the S.M. Law College. I.I. Chundrigar Road, a major road in the city’s central business district, is often referred to as Karachi’s “Wall Street”. The road is a significant financial hub, serving as the location for the Pakistan Stock Exchange, major banks, and other ...

Posts on social media platforms X and Facebook since Wednesday were sharing an alleged threat alert from the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) of a possible terror attack in Karachi during Eidul Azha. However, the threat alert is fake. On Wednesday, a post on X by a user claimed that Nacta had issued a threat alert on the same date regarding a possible terrorist attack in Karachi during Eidul Azha. The caption of the post said: “Intelligence warns of a potential terrorist attack in Karachi during Eidul Azha. Law enforcement on high alert. Citizens urged to stay vigilant and report anything suspicious.” The same notification was circulated by other users as well as can be seen here, here, here and here. It was also widely shared on Facebook, as seen here and here, and circulated in various WhatsApp groups. A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim given its close proximity to the upcoming holiday and its potential to cause undue worry and panic in the public. Analysing the do...

KARACHI: Karachi’s administration has imposed an eight-day ban on visiting coastal areas under Section 144 due to high tides and rough sea conditions, ARY News reported. According to the announcement, the restriction is effective from June 6 to June 13, 2025, and is applied to KANNUP Beach, Sunerah Beach, Mubarak Village, Turtle Beach, and Dua […]

A Karachi resident who was assaulted in the Defence Housing Authority earlier this week says he has forgiven the suspect and does not want to take the case to court, even as a judge rejected the suspect’s bail in a separate hearing. On Monday, Karachi police arrested a main suspect along with two of his employees over charges of beating a citizen named Dheeraj. The suspect, identified as Salman Farooqi, was arrested from DHA and his vehicle was impounded. Farooqi, who was travelling in a luxury car, allegedly assaulted a motorcyclist accompanied by a woman on the Khayaban-i-Ittehad Road following a minor accident. A judicial magistrate on Tuesday remanded Farooqi and his guard, Owais Hashmi in police custody in the case. They were produced in court today by the police following the completion of their two-day remand. Today, Dheeraj appeared in court and identified the suspect. “I was not aware that the court had summoned me,” he said. “The lawyer told me today, so I appeared.” The judicial magistrate asked Dh...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated the federal government’s commitment to improving transport infrastructure and essential services in Karachi, highlighting the Green Line project as a top priority.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that providing top-notch transport facilities to the people of Karachi through the Green Line project was among the top priorities of the federal government.

A tanker driver attempted to kidnap a traffic police officer in Karachi’s Manghopir, resulting in a clash which injured three cops, police said in a statement on Wednesday. According to District West Police spokesperson Nabeel Ahmed Rajput, “A tanker driver attempted to kidnap a traffic official near the Malik Chandio Chowk area of ​​Manghopir Police Station. “Instead of stopping at the checkpoint, the tanker driver tried to kidnap the traffic policeman,” he said, adding that the noise prompted a nearby police mobile to chase the tanker to stop it. The statement also said, “An angry group of people, accompanying the driver, launched an attack, injuring three police officers by assaulting them with sticks and stones.” The injured have been shifted to the hospital for immediate medical attention, the spokesperson said. He added that the police were present at the scene and the situation was under control. The city has lately witnessed a rise in traffic accidents, especially involving heavy vehicles, including d...