Author: admin

• Metropolis witnesses 182mm rainfall in a few hours
• Nation braces for fresh spell of heavy rain from July 13
• Moist currents and westerly wave to intensify rains
• Glacial melt raises river flood risk in northern areas

LAHORE / RAWALPINDI: Five people lost their lives and at least 40 were injured in Lahore on Thursday as torrential monsoon rains lashed the city, submerging roads and low-lying areas.

The deadly downpour came as a fresh spell of heavy rainfall is forecast to hit several parts of the country from July 13 to 17, with authorities warning of urban flooding, landslides and rising river levels.

The National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC) warned of potential flooding in rivers due to a sharp rise in temperatures in northern regions, particularly Gilgit-Baltistan and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The warming trend is accelerating glacial and snowmelt, increasing river flows.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), moist currents are currently entering the country and are likely to intensify from July 13. A new westerly wave is also expected to approach the country on the evening of July 13.

Under the prevailing weather conditions, rain-wind/thundershowers accompanied by scattered heavy to very heavy falls are expected in several parts of the country.

In Azad Jammu and Kashmir, including Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber, Mirpur, the rainfall is forecast from July 11 to 17.

Gilgit-Baltistan (Diamer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit and others) is likely to receive showers on the night of July 11 and again from July 13 to 16 with occasional gaps.

In Khyber Pakht­u­nkhwa, rain, windstorm and thundershower with scattered heavy falls (at times very heavy) is expected in Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Malakand, Shangla, Battagram, Buner, Kohat, Karak, Bannu, Tank, Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Waziristan, Orakzai, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi, Hangu and Kurram from July 11 to July 17 with occasional gaps.

In Punjab and Islamabad, heavy to very heavy rainfall is predicted in major cities including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sargodha and Sahiwal from July 11 to 17.

Southern Punjab districts such as Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur may witness rain on July 11 and again from July 13 to 17.

In Balochistan, areas including Quetta, Zhob, Lasbela and Khuzdar are forecast to receive rain on July 11 and between July 13 and 16.

In Sindh, moderate rain-wind/thundershower is expected in Tharparkar, Mirpur Khas, Sanghar, Sukkur, Larkana, Dadu, Jacobabad, Khairpur, Shaheed Benazirabad, Hyderabad and Karachi from July 15 to July 17 with occasional gaps.

Hazards, warnings

The PMD warned that heavy to very heavy rainfall could cause flash flooding in local streams and nullahs in Murree, Galiyat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Buner, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, hill torrents of D.G. Khan, northeast Punjab, Kashmir and parts of Balochistan from July 14 to July 17.

Urban flooding is likely in low-lying areas of Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Peshawar and Nowshera from July 13 to 17.

Landslides and mudslides may disrupt roads in hilly regions of KP, Murree, Galiyat, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan from July 14 to July 17.

Windstorms and lightning may damage weak structures, including kutcha houses, electric poles, billboards, vehicles and solar panels.

Farmers have been advised to plan agricultural activities accordingly, while travellers and tourists have been urged to avoid vulnerable areas and monitor weather updates.

The Met Office has requested all authorities concerned to remain on alert and take necessary measures to avoid loss of life and property.

The NEOC noted an increase in glacial melting in areas including the Ghujerab and Shimshal rivers (Hunza), Braldu River (Shigar), Husher and Saltaro rivers (Ghanche) and Uzhnu Gol (Chitral).

It advised the residents near rivers and streams to stay vigilant, especially during nighttime and heavy rainfall.

Lahore faces urban flooding

Lahore witnessed an unprecedented monsoon fury on Thursday, recording 182mm of rainfall in just a few hours, which submerged several major roads and low-lying areas.

According to Rescue officials, five people died and 40 were injured in rain-related incidents across Punjab in the last 24 hours.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reported rainfall in Lahore for over seven hours. Rainfall recorded in other areas included Sialkot (77mm), Gujranwala (67mm), Chakwal (65mm), Jhelum (64mm), Hafizabad (60mm), Gujarat (52mm), Mandi Bahauddin (47mm), Attock (45mm), Faisalabad (51mm), Narowal (44mm), Okara (33mm), Toba Tek Singh and Sheikhupura (25mm), Rawalpindi and Kasur (23mm), Mangla (19mm), Sargodha (18mm), D.G. Khan (16mm), Jhang (11mm), Mianwali (10mm) and Sahiwal (8mm).

PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said drainage was ensured “in the shortest possible time” in Lahore despite the heavy rainfall.

He said the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and district administrations remained on the ground to manage water removal from highways, underpasses and other vulnerable places.

He noted that this second monsoon spell will continue until July 13 and more rains are expected in divisions including Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur.

Mr Kathia said 36 people have lost their lives and 96 sustained injuries in rain-related incidents this season. A total of 42 houses were damaged and four livestock lost.

Most deaths were caused by roof collapses in dilapidated buildings. He urged citizens to avoid unsafe structures, live electric wires and flood-prone areas.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2025

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday held that employees transferred from Telephone and Telegraph (T&T) to Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation and subsequently to the PTCL retain their right to pension benefits.

By a majority of two to one, the SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi observed that while these employees ceased to be civil servants, the statutory framework governing their transfer safeguarded their pension entitlements in full.

The three-judge bench had taken up a set of appeals against multiple judgements of high courts on the pension entitlement of the employees of erstwhile T&T.

The judgement, supported by Justice Aminuddin Khan, stated that the PTCL and Pakistan Telecommunication Employees Trust are duty-bound to ensure the full measure of these entitlements is met.

Justice Ayesha Malik dissented, allowing PTCL/PTET’s appeals and denying claims for federal parity in pensions.

The court’s decision has significant implications for the pension rights of thousands of employees who were transferred from government departments to state-owned enterprises.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2025

• Embattled party forms district committees to run awareness campaigns ahead of the protest
• Azma says Imran’s sons will not be allowed to create unrest

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: In the lead-up to the ‘Free Imran Khan Movement’ expected to be launched on Aug 5, the PTI in the northern Punjab region has decided to rely on its grassroots workers to galvanise its support – a move which contrasts with its earlier practice of depending on heavyweights to drum up support for its protests.

Since the incarceration of the party founder in 2023, the embattled political party has failed to mobilise workers, particularly in Punjab, due to a crackdown on its top- and middle-tier leadership by the provincial government as well as a disconnect between the party leaders and the cadre.

Seemingly, in order to bridge this gap, the North Punjab chapter of the party has established committees at the district and tehsil levels to run awareness campaigns for the release of Mr Khan.

A meeting chaired by chapter’s president Malik Taimoor Masood decided that the movement would be officially launched on August 5. It was further decided that Malik Yasir Patwali, Fayaz Tabassum and Yasir Jamal will lead the awareness campaign in Attock. In Rawalpindi Metropolitan, the task has been assigned to Malik Azeem, Tayyaba Raja and Muslim Shehzad. In Rawalpindi City, Zubair Khan, Wajahat Qayyum Abbasi, Parveen Rehmani and Hafiz Zahid will lead the campaign and Sardar Mansoor and Hasnain Sunbal will mobilise workers in Murree.

Similarly, three PTI workers, Farrukh Mehmood Sial, Rizwan Dani and Muhammad Afzal, have been nominated from Jhelum, while Aftab Ahmad Sahi, Malik Hammad and Ehtisham Kiani have been assigned duties in Chakwal. Ghulam Dastagir and Sajida Begum will work in Mianwali and Arslan Manch and Zohaib Umar will rally workers in Khushab. The party workers have been charged with mobilisation duties in Sargodha and Bhakkar as well.

The campaign will start at the district and tehsil levels, featuring corner meetings, door-to-door canvassing, and public engagement under the leadership of local MNAs, MPAs, ticket-holders, and organisational office-bearers. It was also decided that each district and tehsil would regularly submit performance reports to the designated representatives of the North Punjab chapter. These activities will be monitored and reports will be forwarded by the PTI North Punjab president to the senior leadership.

Speaking to Dawn, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said the party aimed to gain momentum ahead of the Aug 5 anniversary of Imran Khan’s imprisonment and workers were being mobilised in this regard.

He said at present, they had not decided to take the protest to Islamabad, and for now it would be public meetings and rallies in respective cities and provinces. He said all the district committees would report to PTI Punjab President Aliya Hamza, who would then inform the central leadership about the progress on mobilisation.

‘Unrest in Pakistan’

Meanwhile, the Punjab government’s information minister, Azma Bukhari, said Imran’s son — Kasim and Suleman — would not be allowed to create unrest in Pakistan. Earlier this week, Aleema Khan had said that the ex-PM’s son would be visiting Pakistan to join the campaign for the release of their father. She, however, did not share a timeline in this regard.

In a presser in Lahore, Ms Bukhari said that Imran Khan’s sons would not be allowed to create unrest in the country. “Why did Khan’s sons not visit Pakistan when he was injured. Now suddenly, they are missing Pakistan,” she questioned. The minister said Mr Khan’s sons would not be allowed to create unrest in Pakistan. “Jemima has reportedly barred her sons from visiting Pakistan… The instigators will not be allowed to use children to spread unrest,” she warned.

On the other hand, Imran’s ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith accused the government of preventing her children from speaking to their father and threatening to arrest them if they came to Pakistan. “My children are not allowed to speak on the phone to their father Imran Khan. He has been in solitary confinement in prison for nearly 2 years,” Ms Goldsmith said in a post on X on Thursday.

She said, “Pakistan’s government has now said if they go there to try to see him, they too will be arrested and put behind bars. This doesn’t happen in a democracy or a functioning state. This isn’t politics. It’s a personal vendetta.” Her statement came after a warning from PM’s adviser Rana Sanaullah that Imran Khan’s sons would be arrested if they joined any violent PTI protest in Pakistan.

On the other hand, PML-N’s Senator Irfan Siddiqui hinted that the government might not arrest them on arrival, but the law would take its course if they joined the protest movement of the PTI.

“In my personal opinion as the government has so far not taken any official stance, Suleman and Kasim should be allowed to come. They should come and carry out their activities.”

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2025

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Yahya Afridi has said collaboration between the judiciary and human rights bodies was vital to ensure access to justice for all, especially the vulnerable and marginalised segments of society.

The CJP made these remarks in a meeting with the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) chairman, Rabiya Javeri Agha, on Thursday.

The meeting discussed initiatives for the protection and promotion of human rights, according to an official statement.

CJP Afridi appreciated the NCHR for its efforts to address rights-based challenges.

IFJ asks apex court to review Peca, directs govt to amend it

Ms Agha briefed the CJP on NCHR’s ongoing initiatives, policy interventions and monitoring mec­hanisms related to the implementation of constitutional and legal safeguards for fundamental rights.

They reaffirmed the need for co­ordination among state institutions to address systemic gaps in the human rights protection framework.

The CJP emphasised the judiciary’s commitment to upholding constitutional values, due process, and the protection of citizens’ fundamental freedoms.

The meeting ended with a “shared resolve to work collectively for a more just, inclusive and rights-respecting society,” the official statement added.

Peca review

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) secretary general, Anthony Bellanger, has requested the Supreme Court to review the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) as a matter of priority and provide necessary directions to the government to amend the law.

In his letter addressing the CJP, Mr Bellanger said “swift action” was needed to “address this critical situation for Pakistan’s media and pro-tect press freedom as guaranteed in Article 19 of Pakistan’s constitution”.

The letter was delivered to the apex court on Thursday by Shakeel Ahmad, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) secretary general.

The letter stated the increased political polarisation, widespread protests and social disruption meant media professionals across Pakistan were “facing increased challenges while performing their duties”.

They are also facing a “heightened level of legal persecution including litigation, intimidation and cases filed under Peca”.

“We understand that Pakistan is a signatory of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and United Nations Conventions that confer freedom of speech and expression and key democratic rights, but the curtailing of these fundamental rights under Peca is of great concern for the IFJ and international journalist community,” the letter explained.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2025