Karachi | Pakistan

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday framed charges against main suspect Armaghan Qureshi and co-accused Sheraz alias Shavez Bukhari in the Mustafa Amir murder case. Amir, 23, was allegedly kidnapped and murdered by his friends — Armaghan and Sheraz — in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on Jan 6, 2025. According to the police, the accused stuffed Amir’s body in the trunk of his car and torched it in the Hub area of Balochistan. Both accused denied the charges before the court, which also summoned witnesses and adjourned the hearing until March 12. A final charge sheet against Armaghan in the murder case was filed in August 2025. In the document, Investigating Officer (IO) Muhammad Ali had said that the last known location of the victim and the two suspects was Armaghan’s house in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA). The IO stated that blood collected from Armaghan’s house allegedly matched samples taken from the body recovered from the car in Hub. The report claimed that CCTV foot...

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah chaired a meeting in Karachi to review progress on ongoing development projects across the city.

ISLAMABAD: The upper house of Parliament on Monday echoed with the PPP’s displeasure over recent statements regarding the creation of a separate Karachi province, asserting that it was an inseparable part of Sindh. The development comes two days after the Sindh Assembly passed a resolution terming Karachi an “inseparable” part of Sindh and opposed any move that suggested otherwise. Opposing the resolution in the Sindh Assembly, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) had also declared it unconstitutional. On Monday, PPP’s parliamentary leader in the Senate, Sherry Rehman, denounced recent statements by certain federal ministers, ostensibly a reference to MQM-P’s Mustafa Kamal and Khaliq Maqbool Siddique. Rehman said that such reckless talk was not only unconstitutional but also a direct provocation to the unity of the federation. “Let me be clear: the PPP is the custodian of Sindh’s unity and no one will be allowed to undermine it,” she said. She said Sindh had always opened its arms to everyone, adding...

KARACHI: A food delivery rider lost his life after a speeding vehicle flipped over and crashed into his stationary motorcycle in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) area, according to police. The video of the incident that took place on Sunday was widely shared on social media. South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) told Dawn that the food delivery rider was on his motorcycle outside a bungalow in DHA’s phase IV when a speeding car turned over and crashed into his vehicle. “Both the rider and the car driver were injured in the incident,” he said, adding that they were initially taken to a private hospital in the Clifton area. The rider was later taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre in critical condition and died during treatment, the official said. Meanwhile, the car’s driver was at the private hospital in Clifton, and a police mobile was deployed outside the facility for the arrest of the car driver after treatment, DIG Raza said.

KARACHI: A 15-year-old boy lost his life while four people were injured after a fire erupted following an explosion in a residential building in Karachi’s North Nazimabad area on Sunday, according to police and rescue officials. Rescue-1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan told Dawn that the explosion took place on the top floor of Bismillah Residency near Hyderi Market in Block-E of North Nazimabad at Sehri time. The sound of the explosion was heard miles away. He said that two flats caught fire as a result of the explosion, leading to the death of a 15-year-old, while another four people were injured. As per the spokesperson, the fire was brought under control, and the team had completed cooling operations. Earlier, the spokesperson said that four fire tenders were being employed to extinguish the fire, while a snorkel had also been called. He added that the exact nature of the explosion would be ascertained after the fire was brought under control, but said that it could be a gas-related explosion. Meanw...

Karachi - The Provincial Assembly of Sindh on Saturday passed a resolution against a conspiracy aimed at division of the Sindh province.

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Saturday passed a resolution declaring Karachi an “inseparable part” of the province and opposing any move that suggested otherwise. The resolution, tabled by CM Murad and passed with a majority, stated that the House “unequivocally condemns and rejects any conspiracy aimed at the division of Sindh or the creation of a separate province comprising Karachi”. “Karachi is, and shall forever remain, an integral and inseparable part of Sindh,” it declared. The chief minister’s move comes after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has repeatedly called for the Centre’s intervention in Karachi, demanding that the metropolis be made a “federal territory”. The resolution urged “all political stakeholders to refrain from divisive rhetoric or actions that threaten provincial harmony and national cohesion”. It reaffirmed that the “unity, territorial integrity, and historic identity of Sindh are sacred trusts inherited from our forefathers and shall be defended through constitutiona...

The Sindh government has announced plans to add more buses to Karachi’s transport network in a fresh push to ease commuting challenges and modernize public transit across the city.

KARACHI - A building collapse caused by an explosion in Pakistan’s southern megacity of Karachi killed at least 16 people on Thursday (Feb 19), including children, officials said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday expressed deep grief and sorrow over loss of precious lives caused by a building collapse in Karachi’s Soldier Bazaar area.

KARACHI: The traffic police on Wednesday informed the Sindh High Court that e-challan system had only been initiated on the corridors of the city where road infrastructure, lane marking and signage were fully operational. It also submitted that the under-construction thoroughfares were excluded from e-ticketing system till the completion of development work and installation/upgradation of road infrastructure. The comments were filed on the behalf of deputy inspector general of police (traffic) in one of several identical petitions filed against implementation of e-challan system in Karachi. It further said that the provincial government had already provided relief by allowing 50 per cent discount if the challan was paid within 14 days and traffic courts were also being set up to ensure transparency. After taking the comments on record, a two-judge constitutional bench of the SHC headed by Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed adjourned the hearing till March 12 as a provincial law officer sought more time to file comment...

Karachi’s sole power supplier, K-Electric, has announced that there will be no load-shedding across the city during Sehri and Iftar timings throughout the holy month of Ramadan, ARY News reported.

KARACHI: A fire that broke out at a chemical factory in Karachi’s SITE on Tuesday was brought under control, Rescue 1122 said. In a statement, the Rescue 1122 spokesperson said the fire had been brought under control, and the cooling process was underway. Earlier, the spokesperson said that efforts were underway to control the fire, which erupted in a factory located near Valika Chowrangi. “A fire brigade truck, along with rescue teams, was immediately dispatched to the site of the incident, as soon as the Rescue 1122 received report of the incident,” the spokesperson added. A contingent of Sindh Rangers personnel was also dispatched to the site of the incident, their spokesperson said in a statement. “Rangers personnel are actively participating in the relief activities and rescue operation along with the fire brigade and rescue personnel,” the spokesperson said. Meanwhile, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab took notice of the incident. In a post on X, Mayor Wahab said, “KMC fire team is attending to the fire incid...

KARACHI: The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has issued a gas supply schedule for Karachi and the surrounding areas for the holy month of Ramazan. The announcement by the utility said that gas would be available from 3am to 9am for Sehr and from 3:30pm to 10:00pm for Iftar, with the supply expected to be suspended outside these hours to manage overall demand. “To ensure improved gas pressure, SSGC would be carrying out gas pressure profiling from 9am to 3:30pm,” it said, “and then during nighttime from 10pm to 3am during Ramazan,” said the utility. The SSGC added that “an approximate 10 percent annual decline in the country’s gas reserves has widened the gap between gas demand and supply”. The announcement said that timings had been worked out for providing convenience to people for food preparations for Sehr and Iftar. SNGPL proposes supply from 3am to 10:30pm The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has also proposed providing gas from 3am to 10:30pm daily during the upcoming holy month across Punjab....

The Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital on Sunday dismissed social media claims regarding the withdrawal of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for a fundraising event for its Karachi facility, clarifying that the purported notification being circulated dates back to December 2023. Several reports emerged on social media and television platforms claiming that the NOC issued by Islamabad’s administration related to holding a fundraising ceremony for the under-construction SKMCH in Karachi had been withdrawn. SKMCH issued a formal clarification regarding the purported development, saying, “The news currently circulating on social media about the withdrawal of a NOC by the Islamabad administration is from December 2023.” “It relates to a fundraising gala dinner planned in Islamabad for December 29, 2023, in support of Shaukat Khanum Hospital Karachi,” it added. It said that fundraising and construction had continued without interruption since then. “The Karachi hospital remains on track for opening in December ...

• DHA, Clifton residential plots up 25-50pc; commercial plots surge 25-75pc • Industrial investment in Karachi remains weak; investors shifting to Nooriabad, Jhampir KARACHI: Property prices in Karachi have increased over the past two years, but the gains have lagged behind the unexpected returns in equities and gold. Investors have been drawn to bullion amid global uncertainty, including market swings linked to US President Donald Trump’s shifting stance on tariffs and threats of military action against various countries. Pakistan’s stock market has also posted strong gains over the past two years, repeatedly setting new highs amid political and economic developments, lower interest rates and investor reluctance to hold US dollars. One tola gold on Jan 1, 2024, was available at Rs219,700 as compared to the current price of Rs526,962 on Saturday, reversing from a record peak of Rs572,862 on Jan 29, 2026. On Feb 13, the KSE-100 Index closed at 179,603.73 points, almost three times higher than its level of 64,6...

KARACHI: Police clashed with Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) workers outside the Sindh Assembly on Saturday. Footage aired on television showed police using tear gas, with workers running while covering their faces. The JI had announced that it would stage a sit-in outside the Sindh Assembly on Feb 14 to protest what it described as the Sindh government’s “failure to address Karachi’s issues” and alleged interference in the city’s institutions. Speaking on Geo News, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that police and the provincial government were in contact with the party’s administration since 4pm, telling them that they may protest but not enter the Red Zone. “They were strictly forbidden from entering the Red Zone, but despite that, JI party workers entered the Red Zone, pelted stones at the police, and also tried to enter the assembly,” Memon stated. He added that police were forced to use tear gas and arrest workers. “You cannot enter the Red Zone under [Section] 144; the JI entering like this is a viol...

KARACHI: Around 150 people, including elderly people and children, were rescued after a fire erupted in a high-rise building near Karachi’s Baloch Colony on Thursday, according to police and rescue services officials. Bahadurabad Station House Officer Mohammed Nawaz told Dawn that the fire broke out in the Index Palace in Sharifabad, near the Baloch Colony bridge. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan, meanwhile, told Dawn that it was an eight-storey building with two basements, where vehicles were parked. “The blaze took place inside the parking space, ostensibly due to some short circuit failure in a parked car,” he said. “Since the high-rise building had no ventilation, smoke spread and engulfed the building,” he said. Though the fire only spread up to the first floor, smoke engulfed the whole building, spreading fear and panic among the residents. Khan said two rescue teams were on site, with one engaged in rescue operations. “With the help of ladders, residents from three floors — with four flat...

KARACHI: Around 4.30pm on Feb 25 last year, an altercation took place between two groups of people on Mai Kolachi Road, near the US consulate. While the details of the brawl itself are unclear, the bone of contention was allegedly a three-acre chunk of prime real estate located just off the thoroughfare. One of its two co-owners, builder and developer Javed Iqbal had employed a local JUI-F leader named Jibrail Khan, 32, to work there as a supervisor. Several sources claim that the huge plot is coveted by extremely powerful individuals at the top of the political food chain. Some days earlier, this party had sent in their supporters to occupy the plot. On Feb 25, Jibrail got into a heated confrontation with them. An FIR was filed against him for rioting armed with a deadly weapon, kidnapping and attempted murder. Several other FIRs (copies of which are in Dawn’s possession) were also filed against him in Karachi and other parts of Sindh, including Shikarpur, Moro, Qazi Ahmed and Nawabshah for various crimes, o...

KARACHI: One person was arrested on Thursday for the alleged involvement in explicit videos being played on digital advertising screens in Karachi’s DHA. South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza confirmed to Dawn that one person was arrested in connection with the incident. He had earlier stated that police were investigating whether the screens were “hacked through Wi-Fi” or whether an insider indulged in mischief. On Wednesday evening, several reports had emerged on social media, alleging that digital advertising boards of a private company was displaying obscene visuals. Subsequently, a case was registered against unidentified employees on the complaint of the company’s legal adviser under Section 292 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which prohibits the sale, distribution, public exhibition, or circulation of obscene books, pamphlets, papers, etc. According to the FIR, the complainant said that on Wednesday, he received information from the company’s operation director that explicit videos were being displ...