Pakistan

ATTOCK - Governor Punjab Sardar Saleem Haider Khan has said that a blood bank and a free dialysis center will be established to provide medical facilities to the people of the area, which will be completed in the near future.

People in an Indonesian village watched as a tower of loudspeakers mounted on a truck rumbled through their usually serene home, blasting a thumping bass loud enough to crack windows. Loudspeaker towers are commonplace on Indonesia’s main island of Java, blaring a repetitive mix of electronic tunes and traditional folk music at street parties, but they have drawn the ire of local authorities and calm-seeking neighbours. The loudspeaker stacks have proven so disruptive that officials this month have restricted their use while religious bodies have declared excessive and damaging sound from them to be “haram”, or forbidden under Islamic law. “The sound is booming from 1pm to 3am. They play loud music and drink alcohol,” Ahmad Suliyat, a resident of Ngantru village in East Java province, told AFP. “It’s really disturbing.” Indonesians in East Java have shared videos on social media of cracked walls, falling roof tiles and damaged stores caused by the noise impact known as “sound horeg”, which loosely means to mo...

Veteran batsman Cheteshwar Pujara dropped curtains on his illustrious India career on Sunday after playing 103 Tests but failing to win back his place in the last two years. The 37-year-old, who made his Test debut in 2010, last played for India in the 2023 World Test Championship final but has been active in domestic cricket as well as county cricket in England. “Wearing the Indian jersey, singing the anthem, and trying my best each time I stepped on the field — it’s impossible to put into words what it truly meant,” Pujara wrote on his social media pages. “But as they say, all good things must come to an end, and with immense gratitude I have decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket. Thank you for all the love and support!” The cricketer’s message continued: “As a little boy from the small town of Rajkot, along with my parents, I set out to aim for the stars; and dreamt to be a part of the Indian cricket team. “Little did I know then that this game would give me so much — invaluable opportunities,...

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday reported that 406 people have lost their lives in cloudburst and flash floods across the province since August 15.

ISLAMABAD: PML-N’s Hanif Abbasi , Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and PPP’s Raja Pervaiz Ashraf attend joint news conference on Saturday.

LARKANA - Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari arrived at Union Council Waris Dino, Taluka Ratodero on Saturday.

ISLAMABAD - Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), HJ, Chief of Army Staff, visited Turbat, Balochistan.

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz Sharif visited the World Expo 2025 in Osaka on the final day of her five-day official tour of Japan.

Preparations are under way for Pakistan’s first-ever national cervical cancer vaccination drive, scheduled to be held from September 15 to 27 across selected regions, including Punjab, Sindh, Azad Kashmir, and Islamabad.

Several cities in Punjab received heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms on Sunday, bringing cooler temperatures and pleasant weather conditions for residents.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has announced salary deductions from public, semi-government, and private sector employees to generate funds for the relief and rehabilitation of flood-affected families.

Police have arrested Farhan Ghani, brother of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and provincial minister Saeed Ghani, along with his associates on charges of assaulting a government official.

RAWALPINDI: For the first time since 2011, the number of dengue patients in Murree has surpassed Rawalpindi, as confirmed cases in the hilly district rose to 62. Meanwhile, 59 dengue patients have been reported in Rawalpindi district so far this year. This year, dengue cases in Murree have been reported from Ghel and Paghwari union councils and the numbers are still rising. In the Rawalpindi division, 62 cases have been confirmed in Murree, 59 in Rawalpindi, one in Jhelum, four in Chakwal and five in Attock. Majority of the cases in Murree have been reported from Ghel and Paghwari union councils A senior official of the district administration told Dawn that dengue surveillance in Murree had not been conducted earlier due to a shortage of staff. Surveillance began only after the virus started spreading. He said the Rawalpindi District Health Authority was managing health affairs in Murree despite it being declared a separate district. He added that once dengue cases were detected, the Murree district administ...

LAHORE: The confidence radiating from Rizwan Ali is palpable. As he prepares to move into the cage on Sunday at the Pakistan Open MMA Championship, the undefeated lightweight fighter isn’t just predicting a win; rather he is forecasting a swift and decisive conclusion to his bout against Egypt’s Adham “Warrior” Mohamed. “It will, hopefully, be a knockout finish,” Rizwan told Dawn, a prediction backed by the momentum of two back-to-back knockout wins that have solidified his status as one of Pakistan’s top mixed martial artists. Speaking on his upcoming clash, Rizwan framed it as a classic striker versus grappler match-up. He acknowledged the contrasting styles each man brings to the cage. While Adham boasts a record of 11 wins and four losses and carries a reputation for his grappling strength, Rizwan believes his own striking prowess will be the difference-maker. “We both have contrasting styles as my opponent struggles in striking while I lack a bit in my wrestling; so it will be a good fight,” he said, ant...

LAHORE: Train drivers are up in arms over being held responsible for recent derailments and accidents, and warned of initiating a country-wide strike if Pakistan Railways (PR) continued to use ‘faulty’ wagons. “We are really worried that the drivers are being held responsible for the derailments and accidents despite the fact the such untoward events are happening because of the brakeless wagons and coaches. Though, after recent instructions, the situation has improved in the passenger train operations with shortened train composition by excluding faulty coaches, the use of brakeless wagons in goods’ trains is still continued,” explained PR Train Drivers Association (Multan chapter) President Karim Bakhsh while talking to Dawn on Saturday. “They (the officers) know very well that derailments are caused due to the rolling stock. Then why are they holding our drivers responsible for this,” he wondered. In a recent communication after accidents of 116-Down and 14-Down, the PR administration directed to use coach...

The Ministry of Religious Affairs (MORA) has finalised the application process for Pakistan’s Government Hajj Scheme 2026.

• High alert in multiple districts as Sutlej flows in high flood, Chenab and Ravi rivers stable • GB survivors face shortage of essentials; over 3,000 displaced in Ghizer; Glof-II project probe demanded LAHORE: A day before the arrival of a fresh monsoon spell, the Punjab government on Saturday evacuated thousands of people along the Sutlej River, as the river surged to a high flood level at Ganda Singh Wala, recording a dangerous flow of 129,866 cusecs. The Provincial Disaster Manag­ement Authority (PDMA) initiated evacuations and emergency operations across multiple districts amid a new and intense monsoon spell forecast on August 24-27. According to a hydrological report by the Board of Revenue, the situation at Ganda Singh Wala was critical and expected to persist for the next 48 hours. In response, district administrations in central and southern Punjab were racing against time to relocate communities living along the riverbanks. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Farooq Ahmad said that over 19,000 people were eva...

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is meeting in Islamabad today (Sunday) to sight the crescent of Rabi-ul-Awwal 1447 Hijri.

KARACHI: After over a year of price stability driven by declining interest rates and encouraging economic indicators, consumers are now facing rising prices for wheat and related products. The wheat crop, although harvested in March, came in below expectations, contributing to growing concerns. Traders warn that wheat consumption in the livestock and poultry sectors has added to the supply pressure, as a significant amount of wheat has been diverted for animal feed. In addition, recent heavy rains, particularly in Karachi and the upcountry, have exacerbated the supply-demand imbalance for vegetables, leading to higher prices at markets. As per the latest data from the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) for the week ending Aug 21, the price of a 10kg wheat bag in Karachi has risen to Rs660, up from Rs640 at the start of August. Similarly, the cost of one kilogram of fine flour has increased to Rs95 from Rs93. The 20kg wheat flour bag now costs between Rs1,500 and Rs1,800, compared to Rs1,350 to Rs1,700 earlier this m...

KARACHI: Amid the city’s ongoing water crisis, recent monsoon rains have brought a significant improvement by raising the Hub Dam’s water level by 11 feet and securing potentially enough storage for up to three years. According to official sources, the water level at Hub Dam rose significantly due to the recent monsoon rains, increasing from 322 feet to 333 feet. Karachi faces severe water shortages, with a daily requirement of over 1,200 million gallons per day (MGD) but currently receiving only around 650 MGD, officials said. The Hub Dam supplies approximately 100 MGD to the Keamari and West districts, while the remainder is sourced from Keenjhar Lake. Officials say additional six feet of water is required to reach dam’s maximum capacity of 339 feet Officials also said that the dam’s maximum capacity is 339 feet and when filled to this level, it can supply water to the West, Keamari and Central districts of the city for up to three years. When the dam reaches full capacity, excess water is released through ...