Category: 1. Pakistan

ISLAMABAD:

Days before maiden session of the 11th National Finance Commission (NFC), Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) has demanded change in the formula for distribution of resources among the four federating units by drastically reducing the share of population and including the benchmarks of forestation and prosperity.

As much as 82% of resources are distributed among the provinces on the basis of population and 10.6% on the basis of backwardness, which need to be changed, K-P Finance Minister Muzzammil Aslam said at the weekend.

He was speaking at a seminar organised by the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) from the platform of Prosper Pakistan. He added that the provincial government would demand changes in the formula of horizontal resources distribution among the federating units at the NFC forum.

“The provincial government will seek reducing the share of population and inclusion of forestation as important benchmark,” said Aslam. His statement came two days after the president constituted the 11th NFC and few days ahead of the first scheduled session of the constitutional convention.

Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb would chair the meeting.

Aslam’s views on reducing the share of population are similar to those expressed by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal. The planning minister has proposed to freeze the number of people at 241.5 million for the purpose of the NFC award and also reduce the share to 60%.

Iqbal has also proposed to include forestation and climate changes as criteria for the distribution of resources among the provinces. The climate changes are also causing flash flooding and there is a demand to set aside a portion of Undistributed Federal Divisible Pool for building large dams.

Mian Anjum Nisar, former president of the FPCCI, said that large dams were also needed for agriculture water storage facilities and since agriculture is a provincial subject the four provinces should contribute funds under the new NFC award.

The NFC has been constituted for evolving consensus on the vertical and horizontal distribution of financial resources. Under the vertical formula, the provinces get 57.5% shares and the remaining goes to the federal government.

After paying provincial shares under the NFC, the remaining revenues are not even sufficient to meet two largest expenses, debt servicing and defence.

The two-day FPCCI conference had been organised by K-P Regional Office Peshawar in collaboration with the K-P Board of Investment and Trade along with other stakeholders. The Prosper Pakistan team, led by Hiba Fawad and Aun Ali Syed organised this conference whereby representatives of chambers from across the country participated.

Aslam said that it was not yet known whether the NFC Award would be a continuation of the 7th NFC Award or a new debate would start on the resource distribution under the 11th NFC Award.

He said that there were 12 ongoing hydropower projects in the province in order to generate cheaper electricity at 8 cents per unit. However, the government has increased wheeling charges up to Rs27 per unit in a bid to block cheaper electricity from the province, he claimed.

He said that the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) distributed 110 MAF of water among the provinces, and it was agreed that four canals would be constructed, but the Left Bank Canal could not be constructed.

In 2009 at the time of 7th NFC award finalisation, the federal government had promised to finance the Left Bank Canal project but the promise remains unfulfilled

The K-P finance minister quoted Ahsan Iqbal as saying that the federal government was heading towards economic collapse in five-year period because the national kitty was empty and the federal development budget was less than Punjab and Sindh.

However, one of the reasons for low income and high budget deficits was that the FBR failed to increase its tax-to-GDP ratio to 15% by 2015. The FBR tax-to-GDP ratio is still 10.2%.

The government has been making bizarre decisions. It has given three charges to one FBR member, Hamid Atiq Sarwar. Hamid is member Strategic Transformation, Member Inland Revenue Operations and surprisingly acting Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited, which is purely a technical job.

Muzammal Aslam said that the National Highway Authority (NHA) was used to undertake road development projects in the larger provinces of Punjab and Sindh and ignored the federal government K-P and Balochistan.

The imbalance in the development approach has aggravated the situation in the smaller provinces, he added. He criticised the federal government for claiming deforestation in the province and stated that the K-P government increased its budget as 45% forests of Pakistan exist in K-P.

• Not a single artery is spared from damage, with vehicles trapped in potholes, motorcyclists skidding on fractured stretches
• Residents term dilapidated condition a sign of ‘institutional failure’

KARACHI: The latest spell of rains has once again exposed the devastation of Karachi’s road network, with thoroughfares riddled with potholes and posing serious dangers to commuters across the city.

A survey by this reporter showed even the newly constructed stretches gave way after a few hours of rains, exposing their fragility.

At present, not a single major artery has been spared from damage, making commuting not only difficult, but hazardous, with vehicles frequently trapped in potholes and motorcyclists skidding on broken stretches.

Residents say the dilapidated condition is not only a daily inconvenience, but also a clear sign of institutional failure.

It is, however, unfair to blame one civic agency for the damaged roads, as such thoroughfares are located within the territorial jurisdictions of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, cantonment boards, Karachi Development Authority, various town municipal corporations and other land-controlling agencies.

Despite repeated promises from authorities, no serious effort has been made towards repairs or long-term planning.

“This situation is a stark reminder of how poor planning, mismanagement and negligence have turned public facilities into a constant ordeal,” said a commuter, who had stuck on Shahrah-i-Pakistan.

Battered roads

In the Central District, both tracks of Shahrah-i-Sher Shah Suri — from Shadman No. 2 bus stop to Nagan Chowrangi and the road from UP Mor to 4-K Chowrangi and Surjani — are in terrible condition at several points. Fast lanes are riddled with potholes, while the motorcycle and bus lanes remain filled with standing water, mud and sludge.

The condition of roads around Powerhouse Chowrangi and 4-K Chowrangi has deteriorated to the extent that a journey which should normally take seconds now takes several minutes due to potholes.

Similarly, the road leading from Nagan Chowrangi towards Gulshan Chowrangi has caved in at several points near Shafiq Mor bus stop, causing severe inconvenience to road users. The damaged stretch frequently triggers traffic jams, compounding commuters’ misery.

At Qalandria Chowrangi near the Sakhi Hassan graveyard, and the stretch leading towards Anda Mor, the road has almost vanished as only a few patches are visible.

Vehicular movement here has become extremely difficult.

Similarly, the condition of Landikotal Chowrangi and the road running towards the Tahir Villa roundabout — which has been under construction for months — is the worst. Abdul Rafay, a passer-by, said that the broken roads and the entire intersection had been dug up in the name of development work, and it had been like that for months.

Another vital artery, Shahrah-i-Pakistan, is badly affected near the Ayesha Manzil electronics market where the flyover begins. A large pothole — highlighted through a sofa placed in the middle of the road — causes severe traffic jams on a daily basis.

Similarly, the section of the same road near Dak Khana roundabout — also known as S.M. Taufiq Road — has sunk several inches, bringing traffic flow towards Teen Hatti to a near standstill.

“This road was in better condition before the rains,” said local resident Basir Mumtaz. “But just one spell has completely destroyed it, making commuting extremely difficult for all of us.”

An elderly commuter, Munawar, said: “After laying pipelines, the authorities merely filled the dug-up spot but never rebuilt the road. Following the rains, the stretch has sunk even further. Now travelling here daily has become a torment.”

He added that even a newly constructed road — Syed Altaf Ali Barelvi Road, recently inaugurated — had sunk at several points after just one day of rainfall.

Similarly, Jahangir Road, from Teen Hatti to Gurumandir, which was constructed last year, could not withstand the single spell of rain and has become an unpaved track with water stagnating at several places.

The condition of the road from the Trimax Hospital signal in Federal B Area, Yaseenabad, to the UBL Sports Complex has deteriorated severely, with numerous potholes and accumulated rainwater making commuting extremely difficult.

Sehba Akhtar Road, which runs from Sir Shah Muhammad Suleman Road at Hassan Square to Allama Shabbir Ahmed Usmani Road, is in a severely dilapidated state. Large portions of the stretch have broken apart, while stagnant rainwater and mud continue to add to the misery of commuters.

In Gulistan-i-Jauhar of District East, the Munawar Chowrangi road, which leads towards Pehalwan Goth Road, has broken apart, with large sections peeling away — as if an earthquake had torn the road apart.

At Jauhar Chowrangi, the road beside the Palestine underpass — built only last year — has cracked at multiple points, raising questions about the “Rs1.3 billion spent” on its construction.

The University Road, already under construction, has also deteriorated further.

In District Korangi, roads at Dawood Chowrangi are in shambles. A large portion leading towards the Landhi flyover has all but disappeared, with standing water hampering movement and causing constant gridlock.

In District West, Manghopir Road at Banaras Chowk has collapsed, while Metroville Road towards Bab-i-Khyber is also in deplorable condition. “This road was built after years, but even it has not withstood the rains,” said a resident. “Crossing this stretch daily has become a nightmare.”

Similarly, Shahrah-i-Qaddafi, a busy artery of Orangi Town, has caved in near the 15 No. bus stop, severely inconveniencing commuters and disrupting traffic flow. The recently built road at Nishan-i-Haider, which goes towards Islam Chowk, has washed away in the recent rains, reflecting a sheer waste of taxpayers’ money.

The city’s District South has not been spared either.

Here, several major roads have also deteriorated after the rains, with potholes and cracks making commuting an ordeal. On Sharea Faisal, large portions of the middle lanes have broken. While motorists can still manoeuvre through the damaged stretches, motorcyclists face grave risks.

“If a motorcycle is travelling at 60 to 70 kilometres per hour and a pothole suddenly appears just a few metres ahead, how can the rider possibly save himself?” asked a delivery boy. “If the rider slows down, there is the risk of being hit by the vehicles behind, and if he swerves, the danger of an accident remains.”

Other key arteries, including M.A. Jinnah and I.I. Chundrigar Road, also have cracks.

On Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road, the stretch adjacent to Burns Garden has created at least six feet deep crater, raising questions about the authorities’ ability to maintain some of the busiest and most vital thoroughfares of the metropolis.

The current situation has reinforced the impression that institutions have made little or no sincere effort to rehabilitate or improve the city’s dilapidated road network.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2025

LAHORE: A young man who was allegedly tortured by some street vendors over a petty dispute of Rs30 succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital here on Sunday.

He was identified as Rashid and his brother Wajid had already died of severe torture marks at the spot.

The incident went viral on social media when a video clip showed some street vendors subjecting both brothers to severe torture on a road in Raiwind area two days back.

They were lying in a pool of blood and the suspected attackers holding clubs in hands were spotted torturing them at a public place with many onlookers and passersby standing around.

According to the video clip, no one from the passersby tried to rescue the two young men when they were being tortured by the attackers.

There were reports that the police traced and arrested two of the suspected attackers after lodging a case against them.

A police official said Wajid and Rashid had argued with a street vendor over the price of the fruit.

He said the minor issue later led to the heated debate and then physical attack by the suspects.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2025

LAHORE: The Sattokatla police lodged a case against the owner of a restaurant after the death of two minor girls who had taken ‘toxic’ food from the outlet.

A first information report was registered on the complaint of Azeem Ahmad who alleged that his two minor girls Tehreem (6) and Irha (4) had gone to the hotel on PIA Road some two days back where the staff served them ‘toxic’ food.

He said as they returned home, the condition of both of them got critical and were rushed to a local hospital where they were admitted for critical care.

During treatment, he said, it transpired that his girls had a ‘toxic’ food from the hotel on PIA Road.

After some time, both of them expired, Azeem said alleging that they died of adulterated food provided by the hotel’s staff.

CCD: Two more suspects were allegedly shot dead in an ‘encounter’ with the Crime Control Department (CCD) in Nishtar Colony area.

The police claimed that the CCD police team was taking the suspects, the hardened criminals, including Naveed and Salman for the purpose of recovery.

As they reached Ashiana Road, the accomplices of the arrested suspects attacked and opened fire on the police which led to an armed clash between the two sides for 10 minutes or so.

A police official claimed that as the guns went silent, they found the both suspects killed ‘by the firing of their own accomplices.’

He further claimed that a police constable also got bullet injuries in his arm and he was shifted to a local hospital for treatment.

The CCD Kahna lodged an FIR against the attackers and launched raids for their arrests, the police official said.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2025

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is set to raise issues of historical lag of development of tribal districts and backwardness of the region at the recently-constituted 11th National Finance Commission (NFC).

On August 22, federal government notified the 11th NFC to draw up a new award for sharing of federal divisible resources among the Centre and provinces.

Dr Musharraf Rasool Cyan, the member of NFC from KP, told Dawn that following merger of erstwhile Fata into KP, the province had not received share of the region in funds under 7th NFC, which was currently effective.

“We have to correct this,” he said. He said that getting due share of merged districts was their first priority. Besides, he said, the region was also underinvested as Fata for about 70 years and its per capita investment was less than half of the rest of the country.

Member of commission blames FBR for Centre’s resource crisis

Dr Cyan said that investment in merged districts was in the interest of everyone as it would lead to peace and security in the region as well as the rest of the country. He said that special development package on the pattern of Aghaz Tahaffuz Huqooq Balochistan could be put in place for merged districts. He said that they initially worked out Rs1.2 trillion funding shortage for merged districts.

To a question regarding calls for curtailing province’s share in the upcoming NFC, He said that all parties would place their proposals before NFC, which had to decide on them through consensus.

However, Dr Musharraf said that the argument that the Centre was left with too little after transferring most of the resources to the province had another dimension, which was failure of Federal Board of Revenue to meet its targets. “If FBR manages to improve its tax collection, there would be no issue of less resources for federal government,” he added.

The adviser to chief minister on finance, Muzammil Aslam, told Dawn that from 7th NFC to 10th NFC, vertical and horizontal distribution remained intact despite 25th Amendment (merger of Fata into KP).

He said that it was need of the hour to align NFC with the change in population, geography and backwardness.

He said that Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur for many months had been raising the issue and demanding re-profiling the existing NFC with new realities and for that purpose the province had organised a national level seminar in Islamabad in the current year.

He said that Mr Gandapur had also raised the NFC Award issue in Council of Common Interests and National Economic Council where the prime minister promised to call meeting of NFC in August.

Earlier in January this year, the KP government had informed the federal government that it wouldn’t accept any extension of the 7th NFC without making the funding for tribal districts part of the province’s share in federal divisible pool.

The KP government had requested Federal Finance Minister Mohammad Aurangzeb to ensure that any future iteration of NFC arrangements should duly reflect the post-merger province and include its complete geography and population.

In addition to this, the KP government had also pointed out that from 2019 to 2024, the federal government had paid the province its share in NFC Award at a rate of 14.62 per cent, amounting to Rs3.046 trillion. However, based on the revised NFC share of 19.64 per cent, its share amounted to Rs4.092 trillion, resulting in a shortfall of Rs1.046 trillion.

The KP government was of view that after accounting for federal grants of Rs437 billion provided for tribal districts during this period, the net shortfall exceeded Rs609 billion over the last six years.

Besides, there was also a cumulative shortfall of Rs568 billion under Accelerated Implementation Programme against the federal commitment of annual Rs100 billion over 10 years as part of ‘tribal decade strategy’ to bridge development disparities in merged districts.

Similarly, since 2019, the KP government had spent Rs372 billion on operational expenditures in the region, while the federal government had released Rs331 billion, leaving a deficit of Rs41.4 billion.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2025

• FIR lodged against Chanesar Town chairman Farhan Ghani on terrorism, attempted murder charges
• This is not a political matter and we will address it through legal means, says elder brother

KARACHI: Chanesar Town chairman Farhan Ghani, younger brother of senior Pakistan Peoples Party leader and local government minister Saeed Ghani, was booked, arrested and remanded in a terrorism and attempted murder case for allegedly assaulting a government employee overseeing fibre optic network laying work on Sharea Faisal.

Police got one-day remand of Farhan from a duty magistrate on Sunday. He will be produced before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday (today).

In a statement, Saeed Ghani, who is also the president of the PPP Karachi division, said that a dispute occurred on Sharea Faisal within the remit of the Chanesar Town and a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against his brother Farhan and some others. “Soon after, Farhan and his associates voluntarily surrendered themselves to the authorities.

“This is a legal matter, not a political one, and we will address it through legal means,” the elder Ghani said.

Earlier, the Ferozabad police registered a case under Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 324 (attempted murder), 342 (wrongful confinement), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 379 (theft), 506-B (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Without identifying his department, complainant Hafiz Sohail Jadoon told the police that he is a “government employee” and was supervising fibre optic network laying work on Sharea Faisal on Aug 22.

He stated at around 4:47pm, around 20-25 persons, including Chanesar Town chairman Farhan, in three vehicles arrived there and asked him whether he had permission to dig up Sharea Faisal. He said he told them that he had all permissions but some of them misbehaved with him and asked him to stop the work immediately. The complainant said when he insisted that he had all required no-objection certificates, they started using smear language and beating him.

He said they dragged him at gunpoint to a room of a nearby fuel station where they kept him in illegal confinement and continued beating him. In the meantime, a police team arrived there, rescued him and took him to the police station where he lodged the FIR.

On Sunday, the investigating officer (IO) produced three suspects, including Mr Farhan, before Judicial Magistrate (East) Waseem Abbas and sought their one-day police custody.

The IO informed the court that the suspects had been arrested on terrorism charges and their custody was required to apprehend their remaining accomplices with their help and to check their criminal record.

He further submitted that since the case was registered under terrorism charges and ATCs remained closed on Sunday, he was seeking their one-day custody to produce them before the concerned anti-terrorism court for remand.

After hearing the IO, the duty magistrate granted one-day physical custody of the suspects and directed him to produce them before the administrative judge of the ATCs on Monday (today).

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2025

KARACHI: Amid increasing instability and uncertainty taking hold across the globe, China has said that it will continue to support Pakistan in safeguarding its territorial integrity and national security.

The affirmation came during Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s recent visit to Pakistan, where he met with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and his counterpart Ishaq Dar, among other leaders.

According to a readout of his meeting with the army chief, issued by China’s foreign ministry following the visit, Wang also praised the country’s military as the ballast of national stability and a staunch defender of China-Pakistan friendship and cooperation.

“The Pakistani military has always supported both sides in earnestly implementing the important common understandings reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepening strategic mutual trust at a higher level, and jointly building an upgraded Version 2.0 of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor,” the statement quoted the foreign minister as saying.

“At present, profound changes unseen in a century are accelerating, with unstable and uncertain factors significantly increasing. Promoting a strong China-Pakistan relationship is conducive to maintaining regional peace and stability,” he said.

“China supports Pakistan in resolutely cracking down on all forms of terrorism and creating a secure and favorable environment for national development and bilateral cooperation,” the readout of his meeting with the PM quoted him as saying.

Wang noted that China had always prioritised Pakistan in its neighborhood diplomacy, adding that “China will continue to support Pakistan in safeguarding its territorial integrity and national security, and welcomes Pakistan to play a greater role in international affairs”.

According to the Chinese foreign ministry statement, both the army chief and the prime minister vowed to ensure security of Chinese citizens in Pakistan, and appreciated Bejing’s valuable support in the long-term economic and social development of Pakistan.

“The Pakistani military is willing to actively promote counterterrorism and security cooperation between the two countries, and will continue to make every effort to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan,” the army chief was quoted as saying.

Separately, in a briefing earlier this week, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign minister noted that China would work with Pakistan to jointly develop the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), terming their all-weather strategic partnership “ unbreakable”.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2025

• Lake ‘not a threat’ anymore, official says; locals face shortage of essentials as roads in several districts remain blocked
• PM to honour ‘three heroes’ whose timely action saved hundreds of lives; will convene high-level meeting on illegal construction issue this week

GILGIT: Thousands of people in several tehsils of Gilgit-Baltistan remained cut off from the rest of the region after an artificial lake formed by a glacial flood in the Raushan area inundated five to ten kilometres of a major route, which connects Ghizer with other districts and Chitral in Khyber Pakhtun­khwa.

The road to Astore Valley, Shimshal Road in Hunza, Hisper Road, and K-2 Road in Shigar were also blocked, causing a shortage of essentials in these parts. Due to damage to water supply channels, residents in the flood-affected areas, particularly Danyor, Sultanabad, and Jutial in Gilgit, faced a shortage of potable water.

Due to the artificial lake where water levels had started to recede, thousands of residents in Ghizer, up to Shandur Top and Yasin Valley, remained without road access, as the lake also submerged the Hakas suspension bridge.

A resident Waseem Baigal told Dawn that people in disconnected areas were facing multiple issues, including a looming shortage of fuel, food, and other essentials.

Meraj Ali Shah from Yasin Valley said Gilgit-Chitral Road had been submerged in an artificial lake “for ten kilometres”. At least 200,000 people in Gupis, Phander, and Yasin tehsils had been completely cut off for the third consecutive day, he said, adding that due to damage to power infrastructure, people were also facing electricity outages.

He added that the supply of clean drinking water to the areas affected by the floods was still unavailable.

Officials said that besides the 300 houses dama­ged by the glacial flood, several houses had been submerged due to the lake. However, the authorities said the water in the lake had reduced to 40 feet and it posed no danger to nearby settlements.

“For now, there is no danger,” said GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq in a statement. The lake had earlier threatened the downstream areas of Ghizer, Gilgit and Diamer.

In a statement, GB Disaster Management Aut­hority (GBDMA) Direc­tor General Zakir Hussain said standard operating procedures (SOPs) had been prepared for releasing water from the artificial lake while keeping the local population and infrastructure safe. The “comprehensive” SOPs were pre­pared by a technical team that visited the site on August 23 in view of the potential hazards posed by the lake.

According to the administration, work on an alternative route for the temporary restoration of Gilgit-Shandur Road in the area was underway and traffic was expected to resume in the next 48 hours.

The National Highway Authority (NHA) has mobilised heavy machinery for the route’s permanent restoration.

Meanwhile, the residents in flood-hit Daen village, Khalti, Ishkoman, Gupis, and other areas also face a shortage of water, medical facilities, and communication difficulties.

PM to honour ‘heroes’

On the other hand, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has invited three heroes from Gilgit Baltistan (GB) who saved about 300 human lives by providing timely information about the glacial flood in Ghizer district.

“Wasiyat Khan, Ansar and Muhammad Khan have been invited to Islamabad upon the prime minister’s directive”, the PM Office’s media wing said. The PM would present special awards to these three men in recognition of their service.

An official in the PM Office told Dawn that the premier would also convene a meeting with provinces on the issue of illegal constructions along rivers and water channels. The meeting, expected to be be held tomorrow or the day after (Tuesday or Wednes­day).

Syed Irfan Raza in Islamabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2025