Category: 1. Pakistan

Two women were arrested on Friday for throwing an egg at PTI founder Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum while she was holding a press conference in Rawalpindi.

A statement released by the Rawalpindi police said that the two arrested suspects were PTI supporters, who had travelled to Rawalpindi with other members of the All Government Employees Grand Alliance and the All Pakistan Clerks Association to protest for their unmet demands.

“The egging took place when Aleema Khan did not answer the questions raised by the two women,” the statement said. “They have been taken into police custody and sent to the Adiala checkpoint.”

It added that immediately after throwing the egg, the two women tried to run away in their car. “However, their vehicle was surrounded by PTI supporters, some of whom also hurled pebbles at the car and broke the windscreen.”

Footage of the incident was widely shared on different news channels and social media accounts, capturing the expression of shock on Aleema’s face when the egg was hurled at her.

According to Islamabad High Court lawyer and member of Imran’s legal team, Fida Hussain Abbasi, two unidentified women were involved in the incident.

“The act of throwing eggs at [Aleema Khan] by two unidentified women is shameful and strongly condemned. Such disgraceful attacks will not weaken our struggle,” he wrote on X.

Aleema has been campaigning for her brother’s release since August 2024, vowing to fight for her brother’s release from prison.

Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in the £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the May 9, 2023, protests.

In October last year, Aleema and her sister Uzma Khan were detained during a protest in Islamabad amid Section 144 restrictions — a law which bars public gatherings. They were later released on bail by an anti-terrorism court.

SUJAWAL: Clutching their hungry babies, a group of mothers mix a semolina dish under the guidance of a teacher, an attempt to curb malnutrition which affects nearly one in two children in Pakistan’s south.

Despite Sindh province being home to the mega port city of Karachi, the financial center of the country that sprawls along the Arabian coastline, children in rural areas just a few hours away face stark levels of wasting and stunting.

In the arid village of Sujawal, lethargic children with prominent bones wilt in the searing heat as social workers educate mothers on nutrient-rich ingredients and dispel myths around food.

“Before, we only gave our children potatoes because they were always available at home,” said Shahnaz, 25, who has radically changed the diet of her six children, weak and frequently sick, after a year of classes.

Now, convinced that children should eat a varied diet, she has introduced affordable ingredients such as lentils and semolina into her cooking, lifting her daughter out of malnutrition.

In impoverished rural Sindh province, 48 percent of children under five suffer from malnutrition and 20 percent from its most severe form, wasting, according to the latest national survey on the issue conducted in 2018.

In this class, Azma, a social worker, shows mothers how to cook with semolina — easily available in the market.

“Semolina is cheap — for 50 rupees it can last a week if you’re feeding one to two spoonfuls daily to a six-month-old child,” she explained to AFP.

In Sindh, a province of 55 million people where contraception remains taboo and large families are the norm, 3,500 mothers have benefited from cooking classes developed by UNICEF.

Like many mothers in the area, Kulsoom, 23 and pregnant with her sixth child, all born prematurely and underweight, once only fed her children pieces of fried flatbread.

“One of my children died, and my youngest is extremely weak, so I was advised to take these classes,” said Kulsoom, who goes by only one name, like most women in her district.

NO SPICES

Parents are recommended to feed babies solid foods from about six months old, but in rural Sindh this often means adult leftovers, too spicy for young stomachs.

“The main problem is the lack of dietary diversity,” says Mazhar Iqbal, a nutritionist for UNICEF.

In Pakistan, 38 percent of children eat only two or fewer of the eight food categories recommended by UNICEF.

Meat is saved for special occasions, yet inexpensive protein alternatives exist such as chicken offal, boiled bones, lentils and beans.

As for fruit and vegetables, they are usually fried, losing their nutrients.

Bakhtawar Kareem joined the program after her child died of anaemia.

“I have no money. Sometimes we eat, sometimes we don’t,” she lamented, scanning the swollen belly of her one-year-old daughter, who has only sparse clumps of hair.

Like 72 percent of children in the village, her daughter has stunting, well above the average rate in Pakistan of 42 percent — one of the highest in the world.

Stunting is most closely associated with brain development and physical growth, and can have long-term physical and mental impacts.

Vulnerable to a lack of clean water and sanitation which contributes to malnutrition, children often also suffer from dengue fever or malaria, from vomiting, diarrhea, or difficulty urinating, and have abnormally swollen bellies.

WOMEN EAT LEFTOVERS

But the vicious cycle of malnutrition begins with the mothers.

“With early marriages and repeated pregnancies, more than 45 percent of women in Sindh are anaemic,” said the nutritionist.

“This increases the risk of having low birth weight babies, who are more likely to suffer from malnutrition.”

In Sujawal, where only a quarter of the population can read and write, myths about food also deprive women of vital nutrients.

Farrah Naz, the head of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition in Pakistan, regularly has to repeat that eggs and dried fruits do not cause women to bleed more during their periods.

Cultural norms around women serving meals to men first and eating the leftovers — despite the physical work they carry out in the fields — also contributes to poor health.

“And when food runs out, it’s their rations that are cut first.”

 

Karachi [Pakistan], September 5 (ANI): The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast torrential rains in several districts of Sindh and eastern Punjab between September 7 and 9, with chances of urban flooding in low-lying areas, Dawn reported.
According to the Met Office, a low-pressure system currently lies over the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and is likely to shift towards the west and northwest. The system is expected to reach Rajasthan and adjoining areas of Sindh on September 6.
Due to this development, strong monsoon currents are expected to enter Sindh and eastern Punjab starting September 6, the weather department said.
“Under the influence of these meteorological conditions, widespread rain and windstorms/thundershowers, coupled with scattered heavy to very heavy falls, are expected to hit Tharparkar, Islamkot, Nagarparkar, Chachro, Dhali, Diplo, Kaloi, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Khairpur, Shaheed Benazirabad, Matiari, Tando Allayar, Tando Mohammad Khan, Hyderabad, Karachi, Thatta, Badin, Sajawal, Jamshoro, Dadu, Kashmore, Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Shikarpur and Ghotki from Sept 6 (evening/night) to Sept 9 with occasional gaps,” the PMD said, as quoted by Dawn.
The Met Office has further warned that torrential rains may trigger urban flooding in low-lying areas of Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Tharparkar, Khairpur, Sukkur, Larkana, Thatta, Badin, Sajawal, Hyderabad and Karachi from September 7 to 9.
Heavy rains during the monsoon season have repeatedly brought life to a standstill in Karachi and other parts of Sindh in recent years, disrupting transport and causing significant damage to infrastructure. Authorities have been advised to remain on alert in view of the upcoming weather conditions, Dawn reported.

Meanwhile, international agencies have stepped up support to Pakistan ahead of the predicted floods. The United Kingdom and the United Nations have announced additional humanitarian assistance as severe flooding devastates the northern region and Punjab, with Sindh facing impending threats, Dawn reported.
On Thursday, the UK announced an additional £1.2 million to support the government’s coordinated response and help communities in Sindh prepare for floods. According to a press release from the British High Commission, this brings the UK’s total humanitarian assistance to £2.53 million, providing life-saving support to more than 400,000 people.
The funds will be channelled through non-governmental organisations in Sindh to strengthen early warning systems, enable community evacuations, pre-position essential supplies, and protect livestock. “Sindh is in a critical window to prepare and reduce the impact of the upcoming floods,” British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said. “For every dollar spent on prevention, up to seven dollars are saved in response. More importantly, lives are saved, and destruction is avoided,” Dawn reported.
The new aid package follows GBP 1.33 million announced on August 22 for early response and relief operations in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan. That support includes food rations, search and rescue operations, mobile medical camps and the restoration of irrigation channels. The UK has also contributed GBP 500,000 to the Start Ready Disaster Risk Financing system in Pakistan, assisting 20,000 people across Punjab, Sindh and KP.
The UN is working closely with Pakistani authorities to assess the humanitarian impact of the floods. Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher released USD 600,000 from the Regional Humanitarian Pooled Fund to support relief and recovery operations, the UN Information Centre in Islamabad said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed solidarity with Pakistan and commended the authorities for relocating more than one million people in Punjab, according to a statement issued by spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, Dawn reported.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Federal Ministry of Health has issued advisories to curb the heightened risk of disease outbreaks following widespread water contamination. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has warned of rising threats from cholera, typhoid, dengue fever, chikungunya and malaria. The ministry urged citizens to follow protocols outlined in advisories posted on its website and that of the NIH.
Separately, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said in its “Desert Locust Bulletin” that Pakistan faces no immediate locust threat. Surveys in August found no locusts in key summer breeding areas, though very small-scale breeding may still occur. “No significant developments are expected,” the report noted, as quoted by Dawn. (ANI)

The federal government and the PTI were at loggerheads in the National Assembly on Friday as the latter claimed “not enough” was being done to provide relief to those affected by the recent floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and boycotted the session over the disqualification of its lawmakers.

Record rains in KP, which started on August 15, have wreaked havoc across the province. The provincial government declared an emergency as torrential rains ravaged homes, displaced families, and left a trail of destruction across Buner, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, and beyond.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan expressed his dissatisfaction with the help provided by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to the flood-affected population of KP, particularly Buner — the worst-hit area in the province — stating that the authority “did not help as much as it should have”.

“I say at this forum that we will continue to be at odds with the NDMA,” Gohar said on the floor. “I said the day-before-yesterday that the NDMA only gave us a few supplies in Buner, while 236 people have been killed, 120 are injured, and 1,470 shops and 875 homes have been destroyed.”

Gohar was interrupted by Law and Human Rights Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, terming the PTI leader’s complaint as “politics just for the sake of politics” and urging the party to focus on people’s issues.

The law minister explained that disaster response has three tiers.

“There is a district disaster management authority, which the province’s deputy commissioners run; then there is the provincial disaster management authority, which is also run by the province,” Tarar said.

“The NDMA centres around information sharing. I will provide a detailed explanation, but if the opposition asks questions for the sake of politics and then walks out, then I don’t know what assembly we are sitting in.”

Speaker Ayaz Sadiq termed it “highly regrettable” that PTI leaders complain of not being allowed to speak despite Gohar and PTI stalwart Asad Qaiser having spoken on several occasions.

When Gohar began his speech, Sadiq offered to arrange a visit for the opposition to the NDMA’s head office.

Speaking later during the session, Tarar said that Rs1.3 billion had been released to the NDMA for flood relief and other activities.

“The nation needs to work together for flood relief,” the minister said on the floor of the National Assembly. “The federal government is working with provinces on relief operations.

The minister added that the NDMA releases alerts and has a mobile app.

“We recommend that those in affected areas download the app; 92 per cent of predictions are accurate,“ he said.

“Relief has a long way to go, so we ask that the nation stand with and help those affected by floods,” Tarar said.

Ready to sit and talk on Balochistan: Tallal Chaudhry

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Interior Affairs Tallal Chaudhry expressed the federal government’s willingness to sit with Balochistan’s leadership and political representatives for talks on the issue of missing persons.

Stating that the government had zero tolerance for any issues about the matter, the minister said, “No institution wants to be blamed nor [wants] that any agency displace people outside of the law — this cannot happen.”

Chaudhry noted that a Balochistan National Party-Mengal rally in Quetta, where a suicide bombing took place earlier this week, took place without security clearance from the interior ministry.

He said political gatherings were soft targets for terrorists, which is why the government insisted that programmes of such type needed security clearance.

The state minister also said the government, himself and the district administration were in contact with the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, which is participating in an ongoing sit-in in Islamabad. However, he did not mention the group by name, nor who he was in contact with.

The group is protesting for the release of remanded group members, including chief convener Dr Mahrang Baloch.

He said women from Balochistan, calling them “our sisters and daughters”, were protesting in front of the Islamabad Press Club and the government was accused of ignoring them.

“This is not the case. They are our daughters, although they are protesting on a very important road and attempts are being made to provide them security and facilitate them despite court orders and legislation about protests from this house.”

He said the government was trying to handle the situation legally, but “unfortunately, a lot of people are going to the protest for photo sessions.”

Chaudhry alleged that the protest was “held hostage by a few women and people who used it for their own personal point scoring”.

Despite that, he said that the government was open to talks and multiple people had contacted them, but the reason for no conclusion as of yet was “many demands that the government cannot fulfil”, adding that it could not release people on bail who were under trial in the courts.

• 52 lawmakers have resigned from parliamentary committees.
• 25 PTI, SIC members yet to resign from NA committees.
• 8 to 10 members are out of the country, says Sheikh Waqas.

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At least 25 members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) have yet to resign from National Assembly standing committees despite party instructions to do so.

So far, 52 PTI/SIC lawmakers have stepped down from their committee posts, with five more resignations submitted recently. 

However, parliamentary sources said several MNAs, including Sohail Sultan, Muhammad Nawaz Khan, Muhammad Atif, Sher Ali Arbab, Osama Ahmed Mela, Ghulam Muhammad, Muhammad Saadullah, Umar Farooq, Muhammad Mehboob Sultan, Khawaja Sheeraz, Ayesha Nazir, Mian Ghaus Muhammad, and Fayyaz Hussain, continue to serve on various committees.

Founding chairman of PTI Imran Khan had issued clear instructions for all PTI National Assembly members to resign from parliamentary committees.

Sources stated that Speaker of the National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, has not yet taken any formal action on the resignations submitted so far. 

Reportedly, the government has requested the Speaker not to accept the resignations of certain members. “As long as their resignations are not formally accepted, they continue to remain members of their respective House standing committees,” the sources maintained.

Amid this ongoing wave of resignations, PTI has announced a boycott of the National Assembly proceedings.

The list of 25 lawmakers is wrong, as 8 to 10 members are out of the country, some have gone for Umrah, a few are unwell and there is also information that around eight more tendered resignations today,” said PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram, when contacted for his comment on the matter.

Rabat – Eid Al Mawlid Annabawi, often simply called Mawlid, is one of the most significant dates in the Islamic calendar. It commemorates the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, who was born in the city of Mecca in the year 571.

For Muslims around the world, the day is more than just a remembrance of history, as it is a celebration of faith, devotion, and the values the Prophet embodied. Mawlid holds a particularly cherished place for Moroccans, who commemorate it with traditions that reflect deep spirituality and cultural heritage.

Mawlid is observed on the 12th day of Rabii Al Awwal, the third month of the Islamic lunar calendar.

For believers, the Prophet Muhammad represents the highest moral example. His teachings, actions, and words, which are recorded in the hadith, form the basis of Islamic ethics and guide Muslims in daily life.

How Muslims celebrate Mawlid

Celebrating his birth becomes a way to renew one’s commitment to his message of mercy, justice, and compassion. Worshippers mark the day by prayers, recitations of the Quran, and gatherings where the Prophet’s life story is retold.

Many Muslims also see Mawlid as an opportunity to strengthen social ties and spread goodwill. Acts of charity, feeding the poor, and community celebrations reflect the Prophet’s own concern for the vulnerable in society.

The observances vary widely across countries and cultures. In some places, Mawlid is a public holiday, while in others it is marked more privately in mosques and homes. The common thread is the remembrance of the Prophet’s life and message.

Imams deliver sermons in mosques recounting the Prophet’s journey, from his early hardships as an orphan to his role as the Messenger of Islam. Qasidas (poems of praise) are recited to celebrate his virtues and invoke blessings upon him.

Families often gather to share special meals, including sweets and traditional dishes.

Children are taught about the Prophet’s kindness, patience, and sense of justice. In many countries, including Morocco, processions, lights, and decorations transform streets and homes into festive spaces.

Eid Al Mawlid in Morocco is more than a religious occasion, but also a deeply rooted cultural celebration. The country observes it as a public holiday, with two days dedicated to the festivities.

Mawlid in Morocco: Devotion and tradition

The spirit of Mawlid fills the air, whether in big cities or quiet villages. Mosques across the country host special recitations of the Quran and gatherings of dhikr (remembrance of God). Religious scholars and fqihs (Islamic teachers) usually recount the Prophet’s biography, known as the sira nabawiya, to remind worshippers of his humility, strength, and devotion.

One of the hallmarks of Moroccan Mawlid is the singing of madh in praise of the Prophet, often accompanied by rhythmic clapping or traditional instruments.

Families at home prepare traditional dishes such as couscous, rfissa, or pastilla. Children often receive small gifts, new clothes, or sweets, which makes the day feel festive and joyful. In many regions, families distribute food to neighbors and the poor to ensure everyone can partake in the blessings of the day.

Beyond the family and community level, Mawlid in Morocco carries national importance. The King of Morocco, who holds the title of “Commander of the Faithful,” traditionally presides over a religious ceremony to mark the occasion.

In Sufi brotherhoods, which have a strong presence in Morocco, Mawlid is particularly cherished. Zawiyas (religious lodges) organize nights of remembrance filled with chanting, poetry, and meditation. These gatherings emphasize love for the Prophet as a spiritual path toward closeness to God. For many Moroccans, attending such ceremonies is both a religious duty and a moment of emotional renewal.

Mawlid also reinforces Moroccan values of hospitality and solidarity. Many families invite relatives, friends, and even strangers to share in their meals. In rural areas, collective celebrations can transform into village-wide gatherings that strengthen community bonds.

On this day, the Prophet’s life, full of challenges and perseverance, becomes a mirror for Muslim’s own struggles and aspirations. It is an opportunity to reconnect with the Prophet’s example of resilience, humility, and compassion.

SUJAWAL: Clutching their hungry babies, a group of mothers mix a semolina dish under the guidance of a teacher, an attempt to curb malnutrition which affects nearly one in two children in Pakistan’s south.

Despite Sindh province being home to the mega port city of Karachi, the financial center of the country that sprawls along the Arabian coastline, children in rural areas just a few hours away face stark levels of wasting and stunting.

In the arid village of Sujawal, lethargic children with prominent bones wilt in the searing heat as social workers educate mothers on nutrient-rich ingredients and dispel myths around food.

“Before, we only gave our children potatoes because they were always available at home,” said Shahnaz, 25, who has radically changed the diet of her six children, weak and frequently sick, after a year of classes.

Now, convinced that children should eat a varied diet, she has introduced affordable ingredients such as lentils and semolina into her cooking, lifting her daughter out of malnutrition.

In impoverished rural Sindh province, 48 percent of children under five suffer from malnutrition and 20 percent from its most severe form, wasting, according to the latest national survey on the issue conducted in 2018.

In this class, Azma, a social worker, shows mothers how to cook with semolina — easily available in the market.

“Semolina is cheap — for 50 rupees it can last a week if you’re feeding one to two spoonfuls daily to a six-month-old child,” she explained to AFP.

In Sindh, a province of 55 million people where contraception remains taboo and large families are the norm, 3,500 mothers have benefited from cooking classes developed by UNICEF.

Like many mothers in the area, Kulsoom, 23 and pregnant with her sixth child, all born prematurely and underweight, once only fed her children pieces of fried flatbread.

“One of my children died, and my youngest is extremely weak, so I was advised to take these classes,” said Kulsoom, who goes by only one name, like most women in her district.

NO SPICES

Parents are recommended to feed babies solid foods from about six months old, but in rural Sindh this often means adult leftovers, too spicy for young stomachs.

“The main problem is the lack of dietary diversity,” says Mazhar Iqbal, a nutritionist for UNICEF.

In Pakistan, 38 percent of children eat only two or fewer of the eight food categories recommended by UNICEF.

Meat is saved for special occasions, yet inexpensive protein alternatives exist such as chicken offal, boiled bones, lentils and beans.

As for fruit and vegetables, they are usually fried, losing their nutrients.

Bakhtawar Kareem joined the program after her child died of anaemia.

“I have no money. Sometimes we eat, sometimes we don’t,” she lamented, scanning the swollen belly of her one-year-old daughter, who has only sparse clumps of hair.

Like 72 percent of children in the village, her daughter has stunting, well above the average rate in Pakistan of 42 percent — one of the highest in the world.

Stunting is most closely associated with brain development and physical growth, and can have long-term physical and mental impacts.

Vulnerable to a lack of clean water and sanitation which contributes to malnutrition, children often also suffer from dengue fever or malaria, from vomiting, diarrhea, or difficulty urinating, and have abnormally swollen bellies.

WOMEN EAT LEFTOVERS

But the vicious cycle of malnutrition begins with the mothers.

“With early marriages and repeated pregnancies, more than 45 percent of women in Sindh are anaemic,” said the nutritionist.

“This increases the risk of having low birth weight babies, who are more likely to suffer from malnutrition.”

In Sujawal, where only a quarter of the population can read and write, myths about food also deprive women of vital nutrients.

Farrah Naz, the head of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition in Pakistan, regularly has to repeat that eggs and dried fruits do not cause women to bleed more during their periods.

Cultural norms around women serving meals to men first and eating the leftovers — despite the physical work they carry out in the fields — also contributes to poor health.

“And when food runs out, it’s their rations that are cut first.”