Karachi | Pakistan

KARACHI: A power breakdown by K-Electric at the Dhabeji Pumping Station on Tuesday disrupted operations of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) and is expected to reduce the city’s water supply by nearly 100 million gallons per day (MGD). According to a KWSC spokesperson, the electricity outage affected the K-2 Pump House, where the manifold chamber and main valves developed a fault. “Work is being carried out at full pace to remove accumulated water from the affected valves, after which repair work will begin immediately,” he said. He added that the water utility had directed technical teams to undertake emergency repairs. “Engineers and maintenance staff are present at the site to identify and fix the fault as quickly as possible”, the official said. The spokesperson said that as a result of the malfunction, three major pumps at the K-2 Pumping Station had been temporarily shut down. “The disruption is expected to reduce Karachi’s daily water supply by around 100 million gallons,” he added. It ...

KARACHI has been ranked among the ‘least-liveable cities in the world’, ranking 170th among 173 cities on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s annual Global Liveability Index 2026. The only cities ranked below Karachi include Dhaka, Tripoli and Damascus, while war-torn Tehran (164) and Kyiv (166) scored slightly higher. According to EIU, issues such as congested roads and crime tend to punish the index’s biggest cities. The EIU’s ranking, which evaluates living conditions across 173 cities, provides a globally recognised benchmark for urban liveability and resilience. It measures measuring indicators such as stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure, and quantifies the challenges presented to an individual’s lifestyle in any given location. Getting an overall score (out of 100) of 43 — the same as Algiers — Karachi’s scored poorly in nearly all metrics, except education. It scored 20 on stability, 54 on healthcare, 36 in culture and environment, 75 in education and 52 in infras...

RAWALPINDI: A K2 Airways Boeing 737-400 cargo aircraft en route from Sharjah to Karachi disappeared from radar over the Arabian Sea, about 300 kilometres west of Karachi, on Tuesday. According to reports, the aircraft lost contact about 300 kilometres west of Karachi while approaching Pakistani airspace. The pilot reported a navigation problem during the flight and requested assistance from the area control centre. K2 Airways is a private airline based in Karachi. The carrier was established in May 2018 after being granted an airline charter licence by the government. There were five crew members on board the aircraft, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said. The authority added that a K2 Airways Boeing 737 Pakistan Cargo flight en route from Sharjah to Karachi reported a navigational system issue at 9:18pm and was promptly guided by the Karachi Area Control Centre (ACC). However, at 9:21pm, the aircraft was observed on radar “rapidly descending” and making a sharp change in heading. Subsequently, “radar c...

The Sindh Counter-terrorism Department (CTD) on Monday said it had thwarted a major terrorist plot in Karachi by arresting two members of the proscribed group, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). In a statement, it said that “in view of the recent wave of terrorism in the country, especially Karachi, the CTD and federal intelligence agencies conducted an intelligence-based operation (IBO) on July 6 and arrested two trained BLA terrorists”. It added that “bomb-making material” was recovered from the two, who had planned to “target sensitive installations and the offices of law enforcement agencies”. It identified the terrorists as Mujahid Baloch and Farid Baloch. The CTD said the two terrorists were trained in a BLA camp in “recce and communication”. “They were living in Karachi under the direction of their commanders, Sajid Baloch and Bashir Zaib,” it said. It said teams recovered four kilogrammes of explosive material, a detonator, a prama card, and a ball ring from them. The department said cases had been reg...

• Buses, private transporters, ride-hailing apps still charging rates set during Iran-US war • Commuters urge Sindh govt to take action and bring transport fares to pre-conflict level KARACHI: Despite a cumulative reduction of around Rs100 per litre in petrol and diesel prices in recent weeks, commuters in Karachi say private transport operators and ride-hailing services have yet to lower fares, prompting calls for government intervention to ensure that the benefit of lower fuel prices is passed on to passengers. Speaking with Dawn, many passengers claim that transporters increased intra-city fares by around 40 per cent after the government sharply raised petroleum prices amid heightened regional tensions. At that time, the transport operators argued that it had become financially “impossible” to continue operating at the pre-conflict fare structure. However, the commuters add, the situation has since changed considerably. Successive cuts in fuel prices have brought the rates of both petrol and diesel down by...

The lion at the animal sanctuary after rescue.—Dawn KARACHI: A lion whose distress image went viral on social media after being discovered in a private zoo in Nazimabad has been rescued and safely moved to an animal sanctuary, it emerged on Saturday. “The lion was in bad shape so we had to get him out of the private zoo first in an emergency. There are still other animals that are in line to also be moved out of the place,” animal activist Jude Allen told Dawn. He said that the lion was lucky to have a chain of events take place in his favour, the most important of which was the arrival of Sana Raja, a highly experienced wildlife rescuer and behaviourist with extensive fieldwork and training including exposure to advanced conservation practices in South Africa, in Karachi. Allen got to know her during her previous mission of the rescue and rehabilitation of Rano, a Himalayan bear. “This time she was back in the city after successfully rescuing another two bears from abusive captivity in Islamabad who, on the ...

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) sought on Thursday a detailed report from the provincial health secretary and police chief after a citizen filed a petition, citing reports of an HIV outbreak allegedly resulting from the reuse of contaminated syringes and medical negligence at a Karachi hospital. The petition, filed by Tariq Mansoor, was taken up by a two-member SHC bench comprising Justice Adnanul Karim Memon and Justice Adnan Iqbal Chaudhry. In its written order, seen by Dawn, the bench noted that the plea arose from “the reported HIV outbreak at Kulsum Bai Valika SESSI Hospital, SITE, Karachi, allegedly caused by the reuse of contaminated syringes and gross medical negligence, resulting in the infection of approximately 84 to over 200 children, with several reported fatalities”. The order noted that the medical facility was a “public hospital functioning under the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI) and was “responsible for providing medical facilities to insured workers and their depend...

One of the attackers involved in the incident at the Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) Camp in Karachi’s Gulistan-i-Jauhar has detailed how the attack was carried out and revealed that he was trained in Afghanistan, according to security sources. The attack was carried out on Saturday night, following which three security personnel were martyred during an exchange of fire with the terrorists, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday. ISPR said in a statement that the attack was carried out by terrorists “belonging to Indian proxy, Jamaatul Ahrar (JuA)”, adding that three terrorists were killed in retaliatory action while one was arrested. Later, security sources said the arrested terrorist had identified himself as Usman Ali and revealed that he had come to Pakistan from Jalalabad in Afghanistan. They added that Ali identified the three other attackers as Abdul Hadi, Janaan and Umar Farooq. Moreover, the sources said, he admitted that he belonged to JuA, whose commander in Afghanistan he identified as Ahr...

One of the attackers of the Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) Camp in Karachi’s Gulistan-i-Jauhar has detailed how the attack was carried out and revealed that he was trained in Afghanistan, according to security sources. The attack was carried out on Saturday night, following which three security personnel were martyred during an exchange of fire with the terrorists, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday. The ISPR said in a statement that the attack was carried out by terrorists “belonging to Indian proxy, Jamaatul Ahrar (JuA)”, adding that three terrorists were killed in retaliatory action while one was arrested. Later, security sources said the arrested terrorist had identified himself as Usman Ali and revealed that he had come to Pakistan from Jalalabad in Afghanistan. They added that Ali identified the three other attackers as Abdul Hadi, Janaan and Umar Farooq. Moreover, the sources said, he admitted that he belonged to Jamaatul Ahrar, whose commander in Afghanistan he identified as Ahrar Mou...

Three security personnel were martyred during an exchange of fire after a terrorist attack last night on a Rangers facility in Karachi was “decisively foiled”, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday. The attack on the Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) Camp, located in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, was carried out by terrorists “belonging to Indian proxy, Jamaatul Ahrar”, the ISPR said in a statement. The military’s media affairs wing added: “The assailants, after a blast at [the] main gate of the Camp, attempted to breach the perimeter security. “However, their nefarious designs were decisively foiled by the vigilant and resolute response of Rangers troops, eliminating three kharijis and capturing one khariji, who is an Afghan national, in injured condition.” The Pakistani government uses the term khariji (outcast) when referring to the perpetrators of terrorist attacks on Pakistan. The ISPR said that during the fire exchange, “three brave sons of soil, rendered the ultimate sacrifice and embraced martyrdom in...

Karachi Traffic Police (KTP) on Tuesday provided alternative routes for commuters to use as some roads will remain closed for the 8th, 9th and 10th Muharram processions. In a statement issued on X, the KTP said on Tuesday, “Special arrangements have been made to ensure the traffic flow and facilitate the citizens during the 8th, 9th, and 10th Muharram processions.” According to a press release issued by the Karachi deputy inspector general’s (DIG) office, attached to the post, “On 8/9/10 Muharram (June 24/25/26, 2026), the central procession will depart from Nishtar Park and conclude at Imambargah Hussainia Iranian via its traditional routes. “Due to security reasons, M.A. Jinnah Road will be closed to traffic from Gurumandir to Tower,” it added. The press release also shared the alternative routes for the commuters to reach their destinations. District Central: Commuters coming from Nazimabad can reach their destination from Lasbela Chowk via Nishtar Road heading to Garden. Commuters coming from Liaquatabad ...

The Karachi Gateway Terminal Ltd (KGTL) is planning up to $100 million in new investment within five years as Pakistan tries to cut freight costs and turn a cargo surge triggered by the Iran war into longer-term regional shipping gains. KGTL, backed by Abu Dhabi Ports Group, has already completed a $60m dredging project at Karachi Port and is expanding container and bulk-handling facilities, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Khurram Aziz Khan told Reuters in an interview. “We are targeting another $75 million to $100 million” within five years, Khan said, adding that the next phase would focus on expanding the container terminal, enhancing yard capacity, larger ship and yard cranes, dedicated bulk export infrastructure, silos, warehouses and automated conveying. Khurram Aziz Khan, CEO of Karachi Gateway Terminal Limited (KGTL) and Karachi Gateway Terminal Multipurpose Limited (KGTML), speaks during a Reuters interview in Karachi on June 23, 2026. — Reuters KGTL is also exploring investment in rail freight, includ...

The Sindh government has announced that it will bear the medical expenses for those severely injured after a car crashed into a tent of mourners outside an imambargah in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA). A teenage girl died, while more than a dozen people were injured after a fast-moving vehicle crashed into a Muharram majlis at Masjid-o-Imambargah Baqiatullah on Sunday night. According to a post on the social media platform X by the Sindh Information Department on Tuesday, the health department has written separate letters to Aga Khan Hospital and South City Hospital. The letters informed the hospitals that the medical expenses of the “severely injured” would be borne by the government. The two hospitals were directed to submit the bills/vouchers to the government after treating the patients. According to the letter, the patients under treatment at Aga Khan hospital included Shabana Bibi, Mehnaz Bibi, Zunaira Fatima, Kousar Parveen, Bibi Irshad, Bibi Mumtaz, Iman Fatima and Fatima Maheen. Meanwhile,...

A strike by public transport operators in Karachi will continue after talks with police broke down, the head of a transporters’ union said on Saturday. The wheel-jam strike has been observed in the metropolis since Thursday against electronic traffic challans, “heavy fines and other regulatory measures”. Haji Tawab Khan, president of the Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI), told Dawn on Saturday that the strike would continue. “We held a meeting with the DIG Traffic, who said reversing the e-challans was not under his authority,” he said. “He, however, assured us that he would review the challans which transporters said were unjustified.” Tawab added that none of the transporters’ demands had been met and that, despite repeated requests to government officials, no meeting had been called. Earlier, Muhammad Ilyas, vice president of KTI, said that no breakthrough had been achieved on the transporters’ four key demands. “We have objected to heavy fines imposed under the e-challan system,” said Ilyas. “We believe tha...

A domestic worker accused of stealing 20 tola gold jewellery from a house in Karachi has been arrested, police said on Wednesday.

KARACHI - Speakers at a dialogue organized by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Sunday argued that Karachi’s longstanding problems could only be resolved through an empowered local government system, implementation of Article 140-A of the Constitution, and the creation of new administrative provinces.

KARACHI: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), in a joint operation with a federal civilian intelligence agency, arrested a suspect in Karachi for allegedly supplying drone technology and electronic equipment to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for use in drone-based attacks, a CTD spokesperson said on Saturday. According to the CTD, the suspect is the brother of Talal alias Zaid Baloch, an alleged active member of the banned TTP currently based in Afghanistan and listed among the department’s most-wanted militants. In a statement, the CTD described the arrest as a significant development, claiming that the suspect played a key role in the procurement and supply of modern drone technology and explosive-related material allegedly used in terrorist activities. Officials said that, on the instructions of his brother, the suspect allegedly purchased drone motors, propellers, batteries, controller boards and other electronic items that could be used in the preparation of improvised explosive devices (...

KARACHI: Several individuals have been arrested for participating in a rally in support of MQM founder Altaf Hussain on Karachi’s Arif Jiyeja Street, it emerged on Friday. The first information report (FIR), a copy of which is available with Dawn, was registered on Thursday and under Sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). It nominated 11 people and said that police constable Deedar Ali, while on patrol duty, saw some people forming a group, chanting slogans in favour of Hussain and carrying flags with “jiye Altaf” and “48th foundation day APMSO” written on them. Hussain’s political career began during his student years at the University of Karachi (KU), when he and Azeem Ahmed Tariq founded the All-Pakistan Mohajir Students Organisation (APMSO). As per the FIR, the constable said the slogans were causing “tensions and hostility” and inciting political parties in the area, indicating t...

• Jacobabad becomes hottest place with 49.5°C • Weatherman expects some relief after tomorrow • Expert says staying hydrated key to coping with heat-related illnesses KARACHI: While the maximum temperature recorded in Karachi on Wednesday was 37.4 degrees Celsius, the feels-like temperature surged to 54°C, the Met Office data showed. According to the data, the feels-like temperature gradually soared from 49°C at around 1pm to 54°C at 3pm. It showed relative humidity was 79pc and 65pc in the morning and evening, respectively. The minimum temperature was 30°C. Other districts of Sindh also experienced harsher weather conditions with mercury soaring to 49.5°C in Jacobabad followed by Dadu 49°C, Paddidan and Sukkur 47°C, Mohenjo Daro, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad 46.5°C, Rohri 46°C, Khairpur 45.5°C and Sakrand 45°C. “We are expecting relief after Friday (tomorrow). The high pressure area developed over the region will gradually subside and the temperature will drop to 36°C to 34°C. But, there are no chances of ra...

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the convictions of two Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) workers — Abdul Rehman alias Bhola and Zubair alias Chariya — for their alleged involvement in the deadly 2012 Baldia factory fire in Karachi. Over 260 workers, including 16 who could not be identified, were burnt alive when the multi-storey Ali Enterprises garment factory was set on fire in Baldia Town on Sept 11, 2012, in what became the deadliest industrial blaze in Pakistan’s history. On Wednesday, a three-judge SC bench, headed by Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmed and including Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi and Justice Shakeel Ahmad, set aside the death sentences awarded to the two accused by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on charges of murder, extortion, arson and terrorism, granting them the benefit of the doubt. Abdul Rehman alias Bhola, a former sector in-charge in the party’s organisational structure, and Zubair alias Chariya were sentenced to death in September 2020 for allegedly setting the multi-store...