Category: 1. Pakistan

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) users faced a major internet outage on Tuesday evening, disrupting connectivity across the country. Not as much but other ISPs like Nayatel, StormFiber, etc. also reported disruptions.

According to Downdetector, complaints about PTCL services began to spike around 9:30 PM PKT and quickly crossed 2,400 reports within minutes, marking significant service disruptions in recent months.

Users from major cities including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar reported either complete service outages or severe slowdowns.

While the cause of the disruption remains unclear, experts suggest that such widespread outages are often linked to issues in the fiber backbone network or submarine internet cables that Pakistan relies on for international connectivity.

A PTCL spokesperson confirmed the disruption in a statement, saying:

“We are currently facing data connectivity challenges on our PTCL and Ufone services. Our teams are diligently working to restore the services as quickly as possible. We regret any inconvenience caused.”

Sources suggest it is due to an issue with upstream service provider, all ISPs are affected.

This isn’t the first time Pakistan has faced nationwide connectivity issues. In previous years, internet slowdowns and blackouts have been attributed to submarine cable faults, which can take hours or even days to repair.

Meanwhile, users are resorting to mobile data services to stay connected, but many complain that cellular networks are also experiencing congestion due to the sudden surge in traffic.

Flight operations were affected at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport on Tuesday as the city received heavy rainfall, according to a statement issued by the Pakistan Aviation Authority (PAA).

Karachi received heavy rainfall in several areas over the day, triggering power outages throughout the city as the authorities advised citizens to take precautionary measures.

According to a statement issued by PAA spokesperson Saifullah Khan, several flights were affected due to inclement weather during the day.

Affected flights included Pakistan International Airline’s (PIA) PK 304 from Karachi to Lahore, which was scheduled for 2pm but was delayed till 5pm.

PIA’s flights from Karachi to Quetta and Sukkur were also cancelled, whereas the flight to Islamabad was delayed an hour till 5pm.

The national flag carrier also confirmed in a separate statement that its flight operations were affected due to bad weather in Karachi and Islamabad.

“Due to bad weather, strong winds and rain in Islamabad and Karachi, there was a slight change in the movement of PIA flights,” a statement from PIA’s Corporate Communication Division read.

Due to bad weather, flights may be delayed, the statement added, instructing passengers to contact the PIA Call Centre at 111-786-786 for information regarding their flights, the statement added.

International flights were also affected as a FlyDubai flight FZ335 from Dubai to Karachi was diverted to Multan, according to the PAA. The flight later landed in Karachi at 7pm.

FlyJinnah’s flight 9P866 from Peshawar for Karachi was also 2 hours late because of the bad weather in Karachi.

Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies. However, heavy downpours also trigger urban flooding, deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. The Meteorological Department had predicted rains in the city from this week.

According to a notification from the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), Mayor Murtaza Wahab has declared a rain emergency in the city.

The notification added that he “cancelled all types of (leave) including weekly holidays”, for the essential services departments, directing them to remain available.

According to the Met Office, as of 8pm, Gulshan-i-Hadeed recorded the highest level of rain at 170 millimetres, followed by Airport Old Area with 158.5mm, Jinnah Terminal 153mm, Nazimabad 149.6mm, Surjani Town 145.2mm, Keamari 140mm, Saadi Town 140.2mm, Defence Housing Authority Phase VII 134mm, University Road 133mm, PAF Base Faisal 128mm, North Karachi 108.4mm, Korangi 132.2mm, Gulshan-i-Maymar 98mm, PAF Masroor Base 87mm, Orangi Town 66.2mm and Bahria Town 4.8mm.

The Afghan Taliban will host a trilateral meeting with China and Pakistan in Kabul on Wednesday — the first such high-level gathering since it regained power four years ago — in a bid to bolster its push for international legitimacy.

“Comprehensive discussions will be held on a number of important issues, including political, economic, and regional cooperation among the three countries,” Hafiz Zia Ahmad, a deputy spokesman for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a series of posts on X.

ISLAMABAD: Nearly 400 people have been killed and over 6,900 rescued during the latest spell of monsoon rains in northern Pakistan that began late last week, officials said on Tuesday, as the government launched a nationwide survey to assess damage to homes and infrastructure.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said of the 400 deaths since Friday, 356 were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) alone, a mountainous northwest province hit by cloud bursts, flash floods, lightning strikes and landslides in the deadliest downpour of this year’s monsoon season.

In total, 670 Pakistanis have perished in this year’s monsoon season that began on June 26.

Addressing a joint news conference on Tuesday, Pakistan’s army and government spokesmen and the chief of the NDMA said coordinated relief and rescue operations had been stepped up in affected parts of KP and the mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region. 

“Currently, there are eight units of the infantry and eight units of the FC [frontier constabulary] directly involved in search and rescue and flood relief operations,” Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, told reporters in Islamabad.

“In the search and rescue work, 6,903 of children and adults have been rescued by the army units,” the army spokesman said, adding that over 6,300 people had also received medical treatment.

Chaudhry said logistics bases had been set up in Kanju and Daggar to supply food, tents and medicines, while helicopters were flying emergency aid to remote areas.

Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said 70 percent of the region’s power supply had also been restored, including in districts like Buner, Shangla, Swat and Bajaur, where electrical grids, poles and transformers were destroyed.

He said ministers for energy, communications and Kashmir affairs were deployed in the field to monitor relief operations.

“In Malakand division, the N-90 highway has been fully reopened after clearing all blockades,” Tarar added.

More than 1,200 tents, 3,000 kilograms of medicines and 40 tones of food rations have been dispatched to the flood-hit regions, with over 500 medical camps operational in the area.

Chairman of the NDMA, Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik, who also addressed the news conference, confirmed that the death toll from this year’s monsoon stood at around 670 while at least 25,000 people had been rescued in total in the last four days. 

He warned of continued risks from localized flooding and cloudbursts in KP, GB, and northern Punjab, with a new monsoon spell expected in the last week of August.

“A complete survey has been launched, which has been started to assess the damage of houses and public infrastructure,” Malik said, adding that its findings would be ready by early September.

Malik said more than 50 percent of landslides had been cleared and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had approved a special ration package for affected districts.

Aid convoys to Swabi, Buner, Malakand, Bajaur, Shangla and Swat were also underway, with support from military formations and non-governmental organizations.

“All arms of the state are mobilized in this national response,” he added.

TRAVEL ADVISORY 

Separately, the NDMA issued a travel advisory on Tuesday warning of road closures and damage in the country’s north due to floods and landslides.

According to the advisory, tourists have been told to avoid travel on vulnerable stretches of the Karakoram Highway and connecting routes, including Torghar, Batagram, Shangla, Lower Kohistan, Tattapani, Gilgit and Hunza.

Road blockages due to floods and landslides were reported at several points on the Karakoram Highway, as well as at multiple locations along the Mingora–Swat road.

The NDMA also listed a number of damaged or closed bridges and roads in Gilgit-Baltistan, Skardu, Ghizer, Hunza and Astore.

“Surmo Bridge, Ghanche: damaged; no alternate … Baghecha, Skardu: damaged; alternate: temporary causeway but unsafe,” the advisory said.

It added that the Astak Bridge on the Jaglot–Skardu road was partially open, while major routes such as Shandur, Ishkoman, Gulmit in Gojal, Hoper in Nagar, and the Skardu–Kargil road in Kharmang district were closed with no alternate routes available.

The advisory urged travelers to check updates regularly and avoid unnecessary movement in the affected areas until roads are cleared and safe for traffic.

PUNJAB ALERT

The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Tuesday also issued a fresh alert for heavy monsoon rains across much of the province from Aug. 19–22.

“Severe thunderstorms are forecast in most districts, including Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Gujranwala, Lahore, Gujrat and Sialkot,” the PDMA spokesperson said, adding that downpours were also expected in Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan and Rajanpur.

PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said all commissioners and deputy commissioners had been directed to remain on alert in line with instructions from Punjab’s chief minister. He warned of rising water levels in rivers and streams, flash flooding in hill torrents, and the risk of urban flooding in major cities.

“Citizens are urged to adopt precautionary measures during bad weather,” Kathia said. “Stay in safe places during storms, avoid unnecessary travel, and keep children away from low-lying areas and electricity poles and wires.”

The DG added that health, irrigation, communications, local government and livestock departments had all been placed on high alert. In case of emergency, people were advised to call the PDMA helpline at 1129.

After the National Assembly, the Senate on Tuesday also passed an amendment to the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997, which reinserted powers granted to law enforcement authorities (LEAs) and the armed forces to detain individuals for up to three months, amid the opposition’s uproar.

Last week, National Assembly had passed the amendment to the ATA.

Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Control Muhammad Tallal Badar moved the Anti-terrorism Amendment Bill 2025 to amend the ATA in the House, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan.

A copy of the bill, available with Dawn.com read: “The government or, where the provisions of section 4 have been invoked, the armed forces or civil armed forces, as the case maybe, subject to the specific or general order of the government in this
regard, for a period not exceeding three months and after recording
reasons thereof, issue order for the preventative detention of any person.”

This amendment was made to sub-section (1) of Section 11EEEE of the ATA.

Any person suspected of activities against national security or safety will be detained, according to the bill, adding that persons involved in target killing, kidnapping for ransom, extortion can be detained for three months.

The bill also added that it applies “against whom sufficient grounds exist of his having been so concerned, for purpose of inquiry”.

The bill available stated that the detention of a person arrested under Section 11EEEE, including detention exceeding three months, would be subject to the provisions of Article 10 (safeguards as to arrest and detention) of the Constitution.

If a detention order is issued by the army or civil forces, the investigation will be conducted by a joint investigation team, according to the bill.

“The inquiry will be conducted by no police officer below the rank of of Superintendent of Police, Intelligence agencies, civil armed forces, armed forces, and other law enforcing agencies,” the bill added.

JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza moved certain amendments to the bill but the House rejected them with majority of votes, APP added.

The house passed the bill through clause by clause reading.

The statement of objects and reasons of the bill said that the current security situation requires a robust response that goes beyond the existing legal framework.

“The erstwhile amendment of Section 11EEEE of the Act ibid are required to re-inserted to empower the government, Armed Forces and Civil Armed Forces with the necessary authority to detain individuals who pose a significant threat to national security,” it added.

This provision would allow for the preventive detention of suspects based on credible information or reasonable suspicion, thereby disrupting terrorist plots before they can be executed.

This will also provide law enforcement enforcement agencies with the legal backing to conduct more effective operations against terrorism. It would facilitate the use of joint interrogation teams (JITs), composed of members from various law enforcement and intelligence agencies to conduct comprehensive inquiries and gather actionable intelligence.

Earlier, responding to various points raised by lawmakers in the Senate, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said: “Currently the country is facing menace of terrorism and amendments proposed by Syed Naveed Qamar have already been incorporated to make it more effective.”

The bill has also already passed judicial scrutiny tests, he said adding that that a three years sun-set clause has also been added in it.

Tarar said that under Clause 2 of the amendment, the detainee would have presented before the Magistrate within 24 hours.

Barrister Syed Ali Zafar of PTI said that they were also against the menace of terrorism and wanted to curb it. However, he continued that “some of its clauses are against the law and constitution so the bill should be referred to the committee”.

Speaking on the occasion, PML-N Senator Irfanul Haque Siddiqui emphasised that no leniency should be shown toward terrorism.

“We do not want terrorists roaming freely while innocent people are slaughtered in different provinces, on passenger trains like the Jaffar Express, or in targeted attacks. These acts weaken our federation and create mistrust between the people and the state,” he observed.

Siddiqui urged lawmakers to view anti-terrorism legislation in its proper spirit as we have lost nearly 100,000 lives to the menace of terrorism. “We must either surrender to militants or legislate to resist them. Such laws can prevent crime and also curb forced disappearances and arbitrary detentions,” he said.

Senator Siddiqui urged all parties to take anti-terrorism legislation in good faith rather than perceiving it as a tool against political opponents.

He said that the government and opposition must ensure transparent communication with the public and media regarding legislative measures, according to APP.

PPP’s Senator Sherry Rehman in her speech said that her party has not passed the bill without an “extensive review” of all the clauses.

“Our legislative committee noted that it was the same bill all parties had passed through a multi-parties conference after the Army Public School attack. It was in effect for two years,” she noted.

She continued that preventive detention is not a matter to be taken lightly.

“Many of us have personally experienced cases of missing persons.

“I request our law minister to clarify, for the civil society and opposition alike — including in press conferences — the definitions within this law and how they will be applied,” she added.

Section 11EEEE of the ATA was amended in 2014, providing the government and authorised armed forces and civil armed forces with the authority to conduct preventive detention of individuals suspected of involvement in terrorism-related activities. However, this amendment was subject to a sunset clause, limiting its validity to two years, which expired in 2016.

In November 2024, the government quietly introduced the bill in the NA, seeking to grant military and civil armed forces the authority to keep individuals facing terrorism charges in ‘preventive’ detention for up to three months.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) had also expressed concern over the passage.