Category: 1. Pakistan

• PM, army chief interact with flood-hit people in Buner
• Shehbaz blames ‘human blunder’ of unregulated construction for worsening rain destruction
• Tells Centre & provinces to join hands on disaster, reforestation, and construction policies
• Over 20 killed as rains lash Karachi, Gilgit-Baltistan

BUNER: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed federal and provincial authorities to formulate policies to ban construction in flood-prone zones, as he blamed the unregulated construction in “hazardous areas” for an increase in the damages caused by floods.

He made these remarks during his visit to Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where he addressed the flood victims and promised to utilise all resources for their relief and rehabilitation. The premier described floods, triggered by heavy rains and mountain torrents carrying rocks and debris, as “a doomsday of sorts” for the affected communities.

“More than 350 of our brothers and sisters have lost their lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone, while nationwide, over 700 lives have been claimed by this tragedy,” he said, adding that hundreds remained injured or missing.

Meanwhile, more than 20 people were killed on Wednesday in a torrential spell of monsoon rain across the country, as downpours have swept away entire villages over the last week, leaving more than 400 dead, AFP reported.

The KP Provincial Disaster Mana­gement Authority (PDMA) said that the death toll from the floods across the province surged to 385, while 182 others were injured. It said Buner recorded the highest number of 228 deaths, while Swabi recorded 41 deaths.

Recalling the catastrophic floods of 2022, PM Shehbaz stressed that lessons had not been learned, particularly regarding construction in hazardous areas. He criticised the building of hotels and houses on riverbanks and floodplains, terming it a “human blunder” that had worsened the scale of destruction.

“There is no law anywhere in the world that allows construction in such dangerous places,” he said, warning that further spells of heavy rains were expected before September 10.

The PM directed federal and provincial authorities to immediately formulate policies to ban construction in flood-prone zones. He said he would convene a meeting of all chief ministers and their chief secretaries to make joint decisions on disaster preparedness, reforestation, and regulation of construction.

“If we continue to allow influence and corruption to dictate building permits, then neither the people nor the governments will be forgiven,” he remarked.

Relief measures

He also announced emergency relief measures, including the restoration of electricity in flood-affected districts. He said 37 of the 47 damaged feeders in Buner and Swat had already been made functional and ordered that electricity supply be provided for one week, regardless of the bill payment history. He added Gilgit-Baltistan and KP were also being repaired on priority.

Emphasising the role of deforestation in worsening the floods, the prime minister urged strict action against indiscriminate tree-cutting in KP. “If the trees had remained, they would have helped hold back water and rocks,” he said, calling for a ‘national movement’ to stop deforestation and protect natural resources.

He lauded the efforts of the KP government, the Pakistan Army under Field Marshal Asim Munir, civil administration, and local relief organisations in assisting victims. He highlighted the dual challenge of external threats and natural disasters faced by the country, praising security forces for their service.

He also announced civil awards for public servants, such as Zahoor Ahmed, a teacher who lost his life while rescuing children during the floods.

Concluding his visit, the PM urged unity and collective responsibility in the face of recurring climate disasters. “Our limited resources must be spent wisely, on education, health, and sustainable infrastructure, not on repairing preventable destruction again and again,” he said.

A statement issued regarding his visit quoted the PM as saying that Pakistan must act as “a hard state where no one is above law” and necessary actions be taken against defaulters without distinction.

The statement said the premier and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir received a comprehensive briefing on the ongoing rescue and relief operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The COAS also interacted with troops, police and civil administration personnel involved in rescue efforts, lauding their selfless commitment in assisting victims of floods and torrential rains. He directed ground formations to approach this responsibility with devotion and spare no effort in alleviating the hardships of flood-affected families.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2025

ISLAMABAD: Senior PML-N leader and president of Pakistan ex-servicemen society retired Lt Gen Abdul Qayyum has noted that the slow pace of work on the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was a cause for concern, but said that ties with United States have been repaired without compromising their commitments to China.

“It is true, the pace of CPEC Phase-II is slower than it should be, and that is a cause for concern. CPEC is not just a bilateral project between Pakistan and China; it is the flagship of the Belt and Road Initiative and a symbol of our ironclad strategic partnership with Beijing,” he said in an interview with Huashang Weekly.

He said Phase-II was particularly crucial because it focuses on industrial cooperation, Special Economic Zones (SEZs), agricultural modernisation, information technology, and energy diversification.

He said the ML-1, the Main Line railway upgrade, was the backbone of Pakistan’s connectivity and its timely completion will transform freight movement and regional trade. “Delays here send the wrong signal to investors and partners,” he observed.

Says ties with US repaired without compromise on commitments to China

He said when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visits China for the SCO meeting, his sideline discussion with President Xi Jinping will be critical. All bottlenecks, whether bureaucratic, political, or financial, must be addressed. “We need to send a clear message that Pakistan is fully committed to CPEC’s timelines and that this project remains above political divisions,” he said.

Moreover, he said, the private sector should be actively involved in SEZ development, cooperation in renewable energy should be expanded and CPEC should be linked with Gwadar’s port potential to open new export markets in Africa and the Middle East.

“Remember, CPEC is not just an economic project; it is a strategic lifeline that strengthens Pakistan’s sovereignty, economic resilience, and regional standing. Beyond its economic and infrastructural benefits, CPEC is also a story of strategic trust between Pakistan and China — a trust that has been tested and proven over decades.

“When I speak to Chinese counterparts, they often emphasise that Pakistan is not just a participant in the Belt and Road Initiative; it is its beating heart.”

He said the success of CPEC was seen in Beijing as proof that the BRI can deliver tangible benefits, even in complex political and security environments.

For Pakistan, this trust translates into opportunities far beyond roads and power plants. It opens the door for technology transfer, joint ventures in defence production, cooperation in renewable energy, and agricultural innovation to tackle food security challenges.

He said Pakistan’s relations with China, an all-weather friend, remain as strong as ever. “We have succeeded in repairing relations with the United States, despite their earlier displeasure over CPEC. Importantly, we have done this without making any compromise on our national interests or our commitments to China.

The Americans have now realised that India, which they were trying to use as a proxy to contain China, is in fact a weak link. They have discovered that India’s claims do not match its actual potential. So, now they see Pakistan again as a credible, balancing player in South Asia.”

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2025

ISLAMABAD: Evicted from their homes and huddling under plastic sheets after heavy rains, Afghan refugees in a park near government offices in Islamabad said they had nowhere to go as Pakistan pressures landlords to expel documented families.

Among them is Samia, 26, a Hazara Shia whose community has long been persecuted at home. She gave birth just three weeks ago.

“I came here when my baby was seven days old, and now it has been 22 days we have no food, and my baby was sick but there was no doctor,” she said, wearing damp clothes and shoes caked in mud as she cuddled her son, Daniyal, whose body bore a rash.

The UN says Pakistan has begun deporting documented Afghans before a Sept 1, deadline that could force more than a million to leave.

UNHCR trying to press Islamabad to create registration mechanism, reiterates opposition to refoulement

The action comes despite about 1.3 million holding refugee registration documents, while 750,000 have Afghan identity cards issued in Pakistan.

Samia now lives on the park’s wet ground, among 200 families who cook, sleep and dry their belongings there after nights of rain. Plastic sheets serve as makeshift shelters, and children and parents spend their days battling mud, sun and hunger.

Families pool the little money they have to buy potatoes or squash, cooking small portions over open fires to share with several people. The women use the washroom in a nearby mosque.

Sahera Babur, 23, another member of the Hazara community, who is nine months pregnant, spoke with tears in her eyes.

“If my baby is born in this situation, what will happen to me and my child?” she said, adding that police had told her landlord to evict her family because they were Afghan.

Dozens of policemen stood at the edge of the park in Pakistan’s capital when Reuters visited, watching the camp. Refugees said officers regularly told them to leave or risk being taken away.

Police denied harassment. Jawad Tariq, a deputy inspector general, said refugees were only asked to leave voluntarily or move to holding centres.

Refugees say they have been left in limbo for years. “UNHCR gave us promises but they have not visited us,” said Dewa Hotak, 22, an Afghan and former television journalist.

The agency’s spokesperson in Pakistan, Qaiser Khan Afridi, called the situation “precarious”, adding that Afghans unable to regularise their stay faced arrest, deportation and homelessness.

He said the agency was pressing Islamabad to create a registration mechanism and reiterated its call not to return people to a country where their lives may be in danger.

Many at the camp say they cannot go back to Afghanistan because of the risks.

Ahmad Zia Faiz, a former adviser in Afghanistans interior ministry, said he feared reprisals for serving in the previous government, adding, “If we return to Afghanistan, there is a risk of being killed.”

Pakistan, host to millions of Afghans since the 1979 Soviet invasion, has stepped up expulsions under a 2023 crackdown, blaming Afghans for crime and militancy, charges rejected by Kabul.

Neighbouring Iran’s plan to deport more than a million more adds to a refugee return crisis aid groups call the biggest since the Taliban takeover in 2021.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2025

ISLAMABAD: The PTI chief on Wednesday nominated party outsider Mahmood Khan Acha­kzai — the head of the Pasht­unk­hwa Milli Awami Party and a PTI-led opposition alliance — and party veteran Azam Swati as oppo­sition leaders in the Nati­onal Assembly and the Senate, respectively.

PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja told reporters that they had received a message from party founder Imran Khan nominating Mr Achakzai as the NA opposition leader and Senator Swati as the Senate opposition leader. Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan, a PTI-led opposition alliance, is also headed by the PkMAP chief.

Mr Achakzai is a veteran political figure from Balochistan, particularly known for his outspoken stance against the establishment. If all goes as per Mr Khan’s plan, this would be the first time the PkMAP chief will be leading the opposition in the lower house of parliament.

Swati, a PTI veteran who joined the party before the 2013 elections, was jailed and allegedly tortured for his tweet against then army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa. He was also embroiled in a controversy after the PTI abruptly postponed its Aug 22 gathering in Tarnol last year, prompting Aleema Khan to question his loyalties.

Imran seeks five names for Punjab Assembly Opp leader, orders party meeting for by-polls decision

About the opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly, he said, Mr Khan had sought five names from the parliamentary party to make his decision. It may be noted that the Election Commission of Pakistan had disqualified NA Opposition Leader Omar Ayub, Senate leader Shibli Faraz, and Punjab opposition leader Malik Ahmad Bhachar following their conviction in the May 9 cases.

The instructions from Imran Khan came through party lawyer Ali Bukhari, who met the former premier in Adiala jail, said sources.

“During the conversation, Imran Khan shared the extremely difficult conditions he is currently enduring in custody. He noted that, in violation of jail regulations, he has been provided only four books over the past month, and is being denied access to television, newspapers, and even a private medical doctor, among other basic facilities,” the sources said.

They said Imran Khan also asked the party’s public committee to convene immediately and deliberate on whether or not to contest by-elections.

It is worth mentioning that political observers believed that the PTI would be making a “strategic and political mistake” if it did not nominate new opposition leaders in the Senate and the National Assembly, even on a temporary basis.

They believed that a failure to fill these posts would not only provide the government an opportunity to establish a complete hold in parliament, but would also give them carte blanche in appointments to key constitutional offices.

On August 8, after the ouster of its opposition leaders in both houses of parliament, the PTI declared it would not nominate new opposition leaders and would challenge the decision in a court of law.

Following the move, Omar Ayub Khan had told Dawn he would file a contempt application, as declaring his seat vacant was a clear violation of a Peshawar High Court (PHC) order, which had restrained the ECP from proceeding with his disqualification.

According to the NA rules, the speaker shall declare a member as leader of the opposition having the greatest numerical strength after verification of the signatures of the members: provided that any member who is not signatory to the proposal, if he presents himself before the count, and signs the proposal, shall be included in the count.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2025

ISLAMABAD:

Chief Justice Yahya Afridi on Wednesday made it clear that the Supreme Court would not allow prolonged adjournments in the bail petitions of PTI founder Imran Khan, being heard in connection with multiple cases linked to the May 9, 2023 violence.

A three-member bench led by Chief Justice Afridi, and including Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb, took up appeals against the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) June 24 decision, in which a bench led by Justice Shahbaz Ali Rizvi had dismissed Imran’s bail applications.

During the proceedings, the chief justice observed that the prosecution would first have to cross the threshold of establishing how the LHC’s rejection of the bail could be sustained. “We will hear the prosecution first,” he remarked.

The hearing began with an assisting counsel informing the bench that Special Prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi could not appear due to food poisoning and was currently admitted to a hospital. He requested the matter be adjourned until next week.

The chief justice, however, responded that the matter would be taken up on Thursday (today). Advocate Salman Safdar, representing the PTI founder, objected to the adjournment request and urged the court to at least allow them to argue.

He pointed out that the LHC had dismissed his client’s bail plea in November last year after six months of pendency, during which 16 hearings were held and eight different prosecutors were changed. “The prosecution repeatedly sought adjournments. We are now fed up,” he said.

Chief Justice Afridi assured the defence that the matter would not be subjected to unnecessary delays. Advocate Safdar requested that family members of the PTI founder, who were present in court, be allowed to address the bench.

However, the chief justice declined the request, stating: “We will only hear the lawyer. We will not allow family members to speak in court.” The hearing was attended by the PTI founder’s sisters along with senior party leaders. Later, the bench adjourned further proceedings until Thursday (today).

In their detailed verdict, LHC’s Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Justice Tariq Mahmood Bajwa had said: “In this view of the matter argument furnished by learned counsel for the petitioner (Imran Khan) to the effect that on May 9, 2023, the petitioner was in jail is of no help to him.”

In its detailed verdict, the bench reproduced the statements of two police officials, the prosecution witnesses, who claimed to have secretly attended the meetings of the PTI wherein the party’s founder allegedly gave instructions to other party leaders to attack military installations in case of his imminent arrest from the IHC.

The bench observed that the statements of the witnesses were not to be termed as belated.

It said the role assigned to the petitioner, evident from the statements of the witnesses, attracted the provisions of Section 120-B (punishment for criminal conspiracy) and 121-A (conspiracy to commit offence of waging or attempting to wage war against the country) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The bench held that the statements of the witnesses prima facie reflected that the conspiracy and abetment for the offences committed on May 9 were perpetrated by the petitioner on May 4 at Chakri rest area, Rawalpindi, on May 7 and on May 9 at Lahore.

ISLAMABAD: Heavy rains, flash floods, landslides and house collapses have killed at least 385 people across Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province since Aug. 15, with Buner district alone accounting for 228 deaths, according to disaster management officials. 

Flash floods triggered by cloudbursts in the mountainous northwest have brought destruction since Friday in the worst spell of this year’s monsoon season, which began in late June.

Nationwide, monsoon rains and floods have killed at least 707 people and injured 967 since Jun. 26, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Most of the deaths have been caused by flash floods, house collapses, landslides, and electrocutions triggered by heavy rains.

“Administrations of affected districts [in KP] have been directed to accelerate relief activities and provide immediate assistance to victims,” the latest report by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) for KP said.

The report added that out of the 385 people killed in the province, 299 were men, 52 women, and 34 children, while 182 people had been injured.

A total of 1,398 houses had been damaged due to rains and flash floods since last week, with 1,030 houses partially damaged and 368 completely destroyed.

Buner, to the north, received more than 150 mm of rain within an hour triggered by a cloudburst on Friday morning, killing close to 230 people, the single most destructive event in this monsoon season.

“The most affected district is Buner, where the death toll has reached 228, followed by Swabi with 41 fatalities,” the report said.

Flood relief operations in places like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are notoriously difficult because of the province’s mountainous terrain, scattered valleys, and fragile road networks that are often the first to be washed away by landslides and flash floods. Many affected villages are accessible only by narrow link roads, suspension bridges, or dirt tracks that become impassable after heavy rain. Limited air support, damaged communications, and the sheer distance between communities slow down rescue efforts, while cultural and security sensitivities in some districts further complicate the ability of aid agencies to respond quickly.

Separately, the NDMA issued a travel advisory for northern Pakistan, particularly Gilgit-Baltistan, warning that landslides and flash floods had damaged or blocked several key roads and bridges.

Routes between Skardu, Shigar, Kharmang, and Kargil were reported cut off, while access to parts of Hunza, Gilgit, and Astore was disrupted. Authorities said limited traffic was moving on the Jaglot–Skardu road after damage to the Astak Bridge, while other roads including those linking Ghizer, Shandur, Khalkti, Dain, and Ishkoman remained closed. 

Some access points, including the Sarmo Bridge in Ghanche and Bagheecha Road in Skardu, have since been restored, but NDMA urged travelers to avoid damaged or unsafe routes and follow instructions from local authorities.

On Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by federal ministers and Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Muneer, visited Swat, Buner, Shangla, and Swabi districts to review the flood situation.

According to a report in state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), Sharif said illegal encroachments, the timber mafia, and mining and crushing activities, especially in waterways, had contributed greatly to the loss of lives and damages. 

Environmental experts have long warned that riverbed mining, unregulated logging, and construction in natural flood channels weaken ecosystems, block drainage routes, and intensify the impact of heavy rains. Since Friday, experts have widely said poor regulation and corruption, as much as extreme weather, were aggravating Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate disasters.

Annual monsoon rains are vital for agriculture, food security, and the livelihoods of millions of farmers in Pakistan. However, in recent years they have caused intense flooding and landslides amid shifting weather patterns that scientists attribute to global climate change.

Pakistan is among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, despite contributing less than 1 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions. Devastating floods in 2022, triggered by unusually heavy rains and the melting of glaciers, killed over 1,700 people and inflicted losses exceeding $30 billion, according to estimates.

A letter, penned by Supreme Court Justices Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Munib Akhtar, has exposed another deepening rift within Pakistan’s apex court, this time over Chief Justice Yahya Afridi’s failure to implement what the two judges argue was a legally binding decision by a Supreme Court Committee to hear challenges to the controversial 26th Constitutional Amendment before a Full Court.

The letter, which has surfaced amid a brewing controversy, reveals a clash over judicial independence, transparency, and the handling of one of Pakistan’s most politically charged constitutional issues: the 26th Amendment, which alters judicial authority and tenure, and has been a lightning rod for debate, with opposition parties and legal experts questioning its impact on the judiciary’s autonomy.

The letter states that on October 31, 2024, Justices Shah and Akhtar, members of the Supreme Court Committee formed under the Practice and Procedure Act, 2023, had pushed for a Full Court hearing to address petitions challenging the amendment’s validity. They argued that only a collective adjudication by all judges could restore public faith in the institution, which was seen at the time to have been battered by political pressures.

However, CJP Afridi, citing informal, private consultations with other judges, insisted that the cases should be assigned to a Constitutional Bench — a body created under the very amendment that was under scrutiny.

In a dramatic turn, the two justices said they had convened a formal Practice and Procedures Committee meeting the same day, deciding by majority to schedule the petitions for November 4, 2024, before a Full Court. The decision was never complied with by the Registrar of the Supreme Court, even after a subsequent letter was issued to them.

The CJP, who skipped the meeting, later issued notes justifying his refusal to comply. The two notes from the CJP, recently uploaded to the Supreme Court’s website, suggest that he had declined to implement the committee’s decision because such a move could have dampened the “much-needed spirit of collegiality” among the judges and “further expose the court to public scrutiny”.

However, Justices Shah and Akhtar complain that these notes were never shared with the members of the Committee, but presented at a Judicial Commission meeting – a move that the justices believe was legally inappropriate. The Registrar’s failure to act on the Committee’s directive further escalated tensions, leaving the petitions unresolved nearly ten months later. The judges also stated that they had thoroughly examined both notes authored by the CJP — now available in the public domain — and concluded that they neither provided a valid reason nor legal justification for non-compliance with the Practice and Procedures Committee’s “legally binding” decision on October 31, 2024.

The letter also raises questions over the sudden public disclosure of the Committee’s minutes of the October 31 meeting on the Supreme Court website despite a prior decision to restrict their circulation. The letter suggests this may be linked to the upcoming resumption of Constitutional Benches in September 2025. The judges have also highlighted amendments to the Practice and Procedure Act that removed Justice Akhtar from the Committee, labelling it as an attempt to centralise power with the CJP.

The controversy comes at a critical juncture for Pakistan’s judiciary, already grappling with accusations of political interference. The 26th Amendment, passed in 2024, has previously been criticised by PTI and legal circles as an effort to block Justice Shah, the senior-most judge, from becoming CJP.

In light of the CJP’s explanations being uploaded, the two justices demanded that their letter, too, be placed on the Supreme Court website to ensure transparency, promising to release it publicly if ignored.

“The challenges to the 26th Amendment continue to remain pending, and a golden opportunity to decide them at the earliest instance before the institution as a whole — i.e., the full court as it then stood — has been lost, perhaps irretrievably.

“This was the most appropriate forum (in terms of composition) to resolve the fundamental constitutional issues in a manner that would not only satisfy the dictates of law and justice but also ensure a judicial decision whose legitimacy could not be questioned,” the letter regrets.