Karachi | Pakistan

• Halts Rs6bn federally funded project, citing PIDCL’s failure to get No Objection Certificate from KMC • Says any project in Karachi should be executed through local agencies KARACHI: The municipal leadership of Karachi has challenged the authority of the federal government by questioning the role of its Pakistan Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (PIDCL) in the urban development projects, insisting that all such initiatives in Karachi should fall under the city’s municipal jurisdiction. The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), backed by the PPP-led Sindh government, has halted the federally funded Rs6 billion project of the Green Line Bus extension, citing the PIDCL’s failure to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from municipal authorities before restarting the work. After the abolition of the Pakistan Works Department, the federal government assigns uplift works to the PIDCL, established under the Companies Act, 2017, in different parts of the country. The work on the Green Line extension was r...

The bodies of three transgender individuals were recovered from Karachi’s Memon Goth on Sunday, police and rescue officials said. The bodies were discovered shortly after midnight on Sunday in the Memon Goth area of Karachi, according to Edhi Information Centre. “The bodies were found riddled with bullet holes,” the Edhi Centre said in its statement, adding that the deceased were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medicolegal formalities. Police also confirmed the incident, with city police official Javed Ahmed Abro telling AFP, “We are still in the process of confirming their identities. It is too early to determine the motive behind the killings.” Malir’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dr Abdul Khaliq Pirzada arrived on the scene and issued strict instructions to the concerned deputy superintendent of police and station house officer, issuing immediate orders to arrest the criminals, according to a spokesperson for the Malir District Police. “On the instructions of SSP Malir, special...

Three sanitation workers died as they fell into a manhole while cleaning it in Karachi’s Usmanabad neighbourhood, Edhi officials said on Sunday. Deaths from falling into open gutters and manholes frequently occur in Pakistan, particularly in major cities like Karachi, where poorly managed drainage systems, missing or broken covers, and inadequate lighting in congested neighbourhoods often put pedestrians in danger. The gutters are filled with toxic sewage and lack oxygen, making it easy to suffocate or drown within minutes. “Four people fell into a drain near Siddique Wahab Road while cleaning it, three of whom lost their lives, while another remains unconscious,” the Edhi statement said. The deceased have been identified as 22-year-old Vishal, 19-year-old Shahir, and 42-year-old George. The fourth man — identified as 26-year-old Faisal — was rushed to the Civil Hospital’s Trauma Centre, while the bodies of the deceased have been shifted to an Edhi morgue. Police surgeon Sumaiya Syed told Dawn.com that the wo...

A female camel, tortured allegedly by a landowner in Sukkur, was handed over to a private animal shelter in Karachi on Saturday, officials said. A first information report (FIR) of the incident was registered at Sukkur’s Kandhra police station under sections 114 (abettor present), 428 (mischief by killing or maiming animal with value of Rs10 or more), 429 (killing or maiming cattle, etc, of any value), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on the complaint of Ghulam Mustafa. The incident took place at 2pm yesterday, according to the FIR, wherein three suspects were nominated. According to the complainant, when his camels were returning after drinking water from a pond on the land, one of the suspects hit one of them with an axe, breaking its leg. Then he dragged the camel with his tractor. The complainant said he kept pleading with the suspects to spare the camel, but they did not listen. According to the...

A female doctor went missing after allegedly jumping into a nullah in Karachi’s Scout Colony in an apparent suicide attempt, police said on Monday.

Several parts of Karachi received light rain early Monday morning, bringing a brief spell of pleasant weather.

As excitement builds for Sunday’s highly anticipated Pakistan-India Asia Cup cricket match, law enforcement authorities in Karachi have issued a strong warning against celebratory aerial firing, citing concerns over public safety and law and order. Karachi Additional Inspector General of Police (AIG) Javed Alam Odho has directed all senior police officers across the city to implement strict measures to prevent such incidents. In a statement released by his office today, the AIG emphasised that aerial firing will not be tolerated under any circumstances. “Those found involved in this illegal act will be arrested immediately, face legal proceedings, and be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” the police official added. The Karachi police have appealed to citizens to celebrate responsibly and avoid any form of celebratory gunfire. Authorities warned that aerial firing is not only a criminal offence under the law but can also lead to tragic loss of life and injury. Citizens have been urged to report any ins...

Veteran sports journalist Syed Muhammad Sufi has passed away in Karachi on Sunday. He was 80 and died after a prolonged illness. Sufi is survived by his wife and four sons. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), among others, expressed grief and sorrow over Sufi’s death in a condolence message. “The PCB management, along with its staff, extends heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family and prays that the Almighty grants the departed soul eternal peace and gives strength to the family and loved ones to bear this irreparable loss.” Separately, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi also paid a tribute to the late journalist, describing his passing as the end of a golden era in sports journalism. Naqvi lauded Sufi’s lifelong dedication to promoting sports, particularly cricket, and said that his journalistic legacy would be cherished and remembered. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah also expressed grief over Sufi’s death in a statement. Former cricketer Shahid Afridi also condoled his death, remembering him as a “man of fin...

The Sindh health department on Saturday reported the province’s fifth death from Naegleria fowleri. A 29-year-old from Karachi died on September 11 at a private hospital, Meeran Yousuf, the media coordinator for the Sindh health minister, told Dawn.com. “The patient started experiencing symptoms on September 7 and was admitted to the hospital on September 11,”. Yousuf added. “The presence of Naegleria Fowleri was confirmed in the patient on September 12 after the patient had passed away.” The media coordinator added that upon investigation, it was noted that the patient had not participated in any “water-related activities” and that his only exposure was the regular use of tap water for drinking and bathing. “This is the fifth death from Naegleria in Sindh in 2025,” Yousuf said. Commonly known as “brain-eating amoeba”, Naegleria Fowleri, is commonly found in warm fresh water —such as lakes, rivers and hot springs — and soil. Only one species, Naegleria fowleri, infects people. It infects people when water con...

Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) chief Dr Mahrang Baloch on Saturday was granted bail by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Karachi in a case pertaining to terrorism and sedition charges from October last year. The BYC chief is currently in police custody on physical remand, which was extended for 15 more days by an ATC in Quetta on Thursday. Mahrang was arrested on March 22 on allegations of “attacking” the Quetta Civil Hospital and “inciting people to violence” and has been remanded several times. According to a copy of today’s court order available with Dawn.com, the state prosecutor “vehemently” opposed the court granting bail to the BYC chief because the allegations against Mahrang are of a serious nature and the investigating officer collected sufficient evidence which could be presented in court. Last October, Mahrang was booked in a terrorism case as a first information report (FIR) was registered by Malir district’s Quaidabad police on the complaint of a local resident who claimed that the BYC leader wa...

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Friday criticized the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and its allies for Karachi’s worsening state, saying responsibility for the current system lies not only with PPP but also with those who brought it to power.

KARACHI: The industrial sector in Karachi was significantly impacted on Wednesday as heavy rains and flooding paralysed key industrial areas. According to industry leaders, industrial output remained subdued as workers failed to report for duty due to safety concerns and transportation issues. Faisal Moiz Khan, President of the North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry (NKATI), stated that nearly half of the 4,500 industrial units in the area remained closed. Workers were reluctant to return after the torrential rains in the third week of August left several people stranded in factories late into the night. Additionally, around 100-125 factories in sectors A to D in F.B. Area, including export-oriented units, suffered damage as the swollen Lyari River inundated production facilities, destroying raw materials and finished goods worth millions of rupees. Moiz pointed out that the overflow from Thado Dam had submerged roads leading to the Super Highway, exacerbating the city’s already struggling infrastruc...

The death toll from rain-related incidents in Karachi rose to eight on Wednesday, while over 300 people were relocated to safety after heavy monsoon showers swelled the Malir and Lyari rivers. Lyari and Malir rivers serve as Karachi’s main storm drains, channelling rainwater through a network of nullahs into the Arabian Sea. Once natural seasonal streams, they are now heavily constricted by urban sprawl, encroachments, and solid waste, turning many drains into open sewers. This blockage reduces their capacity to carry stormwater, causing frequent urban flooding during monsoon downpours. Four more people died in rain-related incidents in the metropolis today, raising the death toll since yesterday to eight, while three were missing, according to rescue services. Edhi rescuers recovered the bodies of three men and a woman after a van carrying four people fell into the rain-filled Konkar Nadi in Gadap Town, a statement issued by the Edhi Foundation said. The rescue operation to find the other missing people was ...

Torrential rains wreaked havoc across Hyderabad and Karachi over the past 24 hours, inundating low-lying areas, damaging infrastructure, and triggering emergency conditions in several localities.

Karachi experienced showers throughout Tuesday as the Met Office warned that “torrential rains” could cause urban flooding and waterlogging in the city’s low-lying areas. Meanwhile, three people lost their lives in rain-related incidents, which included two teenagers, who lost their lives due to electrocution during the downpour. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said that a deep depression system that was to cause rain in the city had weakened into a depression that was now lying over central Sindh. It would continue to move nearly west/ southwest-ward and gradually further weaken into a well-marked low pressure area during next 12 hours, the PMD added. “Due to this system strong monsoon currents are continually penetrating in the province. Under its influence, widespread rain-wind/ thundershower with strong gusty winds along with scattered heavy to very heavy/ isolated exceptional heavy falls are expected in … Karachi division till tomorrow with occasional gaps.” A view of a road in the Saddar ar...

Karachi experienced widespread rainfall on Tuesday as a powerful monsoon system continued to impact the city, bringing light to moderate showers in several areas and raising concerns of urban flooding.

Parts of Karachi received light rain on Monday intermittently amid a forecast for heavy showers in the city from the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). The city is bracing for heavy rainfall over the coming days as strong monsoon currents penetrate Sindh as the PMD had said a day ago that a deep depression was expected to enter the southeastern parts of the province from India today. While issuing a severe weather warning, the PMD had highlighted the likelihood of torrential rains, gusty winds and possible urban flooding across Karachi and other parts of Sindh. According to rainfall figures from the PMD as of 5pm today, University Road received the most rain with 8.8 millimetres, followed by Gulshan-i-Maymar (8mm), Gulshan-i-Hadeed (7mm), Airport Old Area (6.6mm), Saadi Town (4.3mm), Korangi (4mm), PAF Faisal Base 3mm), Jinnah Terminal (2.8mm), Nazimabad (1.5mm), North Karachi (1.2mm) and Keamari (1mm). In a message on X at 4:12pm, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said it had begun to rain again and urged p...

KARACHI: The city is bracing for heavy rainfall over the coming days as strong monsoon currents penetrate Sindh as a deep depression is expected to enter the southeastern parts of the province from India within the next 24 hours, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said on Sunday. While issuing a severe weather warning, the PMD highlighted the likelihood of torrential rains, gusty winds and possible urban flooding across Karachi and other parts of Sindh. “Thunderstorm and rains are expected tomorrow [Monday] in Karachi with possibility of heavy falls,” said PMD’s focal person Anjum Nazeer Zaigham. An advisory issued by the PMD stated that a depression over southwest Rajasthan and adjoining Guajrat has intensified further into a deep depression. “It is very likely to move westward and entered in southeastern Sindh during the next 24 hours causing widespread rains with strong winds.” During the day, Karachi experienced overcast and humid conditions, with dense cloud cover persisting throughout. Light r...

Parts of Karachi received rain on Sunday evening as the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast that the fresh rain spell in the city would continue till September 11 (Thursday). It would witness “rain-wind/thundershowers with a few moderate to isolated heavy falls/ very heavy falls”, the forecast said. According to DawnNewsTV, Bahria Town, Liaquatabad, FB Area and North Karachi began receiving rain today evening. Rainfall was also reported in North Nazimabad, Scheme-33, Gulshan-i-Hadeed and the M-9 motorway. According to the forecast by the Met Office, this spell of rain will possibly continue till Thursday “with occasional gaps” and may cause urban flooding and waterlogging in low-lying areas. At 5pm, the Met Office issued a weather warning, directing all concerned authorities to remain on high alert for the duration of the rain spell. The weather warning issued by the Met Office on Sept 7. Earlier, the Met Office also predicted “widespread rain wind/thundershower with scattered heavy to very heav...

The management of a private school in Karachi has been booked over charges of manslaughter after a young employee purportedly died by suicide, it emerged on Wednesday. The 25-year-old employee allegedly jumped from the eighth floor of the school building on September 1, according to a first information report (FIR) registered at Brigade police station. According to the complainant, who was the victim’s brother, “On September 1, he (the victim) left home at around 8:15am for work. At around 9:35am, I received a phone call informing me that my brother’s health had deteriorated and he was being taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).” The complainant said that when he arrived at JPMC, the school’s administration staff was also present and they informed him that his brother fell from the eighth floor of the building at around 8:45am. He added that when he reached the emergency room, he saw that his brother was dead. “It later transpired that my brother had left a message on social media, naming three ...