Category: 1. Pakistan

KARACHI: A five-story residential building collapsed in Karachi’s densely populated Lyari neighborhood on Friday, killing at least eight people and trapping many others, in yet another tragedy underscoring the city’s crisis of unsafe, aging structures.

Rescue workers, aided by local residents, scrambled to pull people from the debris of the Fotan Mansion building, recovering both bodies and injured survivors. The collapse took place around 10:30 a.m., jolting the community.

“I suddenly woke up … it felt like there were tremors, like an earthquake,” said Salman Ahmed, who was sleeping in a nearby building at the time of the incident and later rescued two children.

“At the moment the building collapsed, nothing was visible,” he recalled. “There was so much dust and smoke that no one could understand what had happened. “We could hear voices coming from underneath [the rubble].”

It was not immediately clear how many families lived in the building, but residents estimated that around 40 people were inside when it collapsed. Many of the occupants were members of the low-income Hindu minority community.

As of Friday evening, a large rescue operation was still underway, with cranes clearing debris and rescuers working against time to reach those still trapped beneath the rubble.

“They handed me a three-month-old baby girl, she was alive,” said Maya Sham, a relative of a family living in the building. “Right now, two of their sons and three daughters-in-law are still trapped. But we can still hear voices from inside.”

The collapse devastated families like that of Megbhai, a member of the Hindu community, which largely resided in the building.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab confirmed that six people had died and eight were rescued alive. He said the building had long been on the city’s “danger list.”

“This building was declared dangerous, and a couple of notices were issued to the occupants to vacate because of its structure,” Wahab told Arab News at the site. “But unfortunately, people chose to risk their lives, and they did not vacate.”

Pakistan’s largest city — home to over 20 million people — faces a chronic housing shortage. Many low-income residents live in dilapidated buildings that have escaped regular maintenance. Authorities have declared nearly 588 buildings dangerous in Karachi, most in the congested Old City area.

According to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), Fotan Mansion had been declared unsafe as far back as 2012.

“This building was declared dangerous by the SBCA in 2012 and had been served multiple notices over the years,” SBCA spokesperson Shakeel Dogar told Arab News. “Before the recent rains, public announcements were also made in the area, but unfortunately, no one was willing to vacate,” he said, adding that it was the responsibility of the district administration to enforce the SBCA’s evacuation directives.

Mayor Wahab said rescue efforts remained the top priority, with accountability and investigation to follow.

“Our administration, our machinery is here on the ground,” he said. “Once we’re done with the rescue aspect, we will focus on who was responsible for this negligence or omission.”

RECURRING TRAGEDY

Friday’s incident is the latest in a string of deadly building collapses in Karachi.

In February 2020, a five-story building collapsed in Rizvia Society, killing at least 27 people. The following month, another residential structure came down in Gulbahar, claiming 16 lives.

In June 2021, a three-story building in Malir collapsed, killing four. And just last year, in August, a building collapse in Qur’angi led to at least three deaths.

Most of these structures had either been declared unsafe or were built without proper approval.

Experts say that despite repeated disasters, there has been little progress in enforcing building codes or relocating residents from hazardous structures.

“The incident of the building collapse in Lyari is deeply tragic,” said Muhammad Hassan Bakhshi, chairman of the Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (ABAD). “It is alarming that despite having a list of dangerous buildings, the SBCA did not take action to get them evacuated.”

He urged the Sindh government to reassess buildings citywide and equip rescue teams with modern tools and technology.

With hundreds of buildings still listed as unsafe, authorities now face mounting pressure to prevent future disasters.

“The way out is that we must follow what the law says,” said Mayor Wahab when asked if anyone would be held accountable. “If citizens don’t listen to us, the political leadership and the administration have to play their part to convince those people.”

“Nobody wants to leave their house… but we must learn from our mistakes and ensure no such untoward incident takes place in the future,” he said.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday issued the long-awaited schedule for Senate elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Punjab, setting July 21 as the polling date for several seats that have remained vacant due to delays stemming from an incomplete electoral college.

According to an official notification, polling for seven general seats, two reserved seats for women, and two for technocrats and ulema from K-P will be held on July 21 at the provincial assembly building in Peshawar.

The elections had earlier been scheduled for April 2, 2024, but were postponed after the K-P Assembly speaker refused to administer oaths to members elected on reserved seats. The impasse left the electoral college incomplete, prompting the ECP to delay the polls.

Read More: ECP restores 74 reserved seats across national, provincial assemblies

In addition, the commission has also announced the election programme for the Senate seat vacated by Dr Sania Nishtar. A public notice will be issued on July 9, while nomination papers can be filed on July 10 and 11. Scrutiny of papers will be conducted on July 16, and polling has been scheduled for July 31.

Meanwhile, the ECP has also resumed the election process for the Senate seat left vacant following the demise of Senator Sajid Mir. These elections were similarly delayed due to the incomplete composition of the electoral college.

As per the revised schedule, the returning officer will release an updated list of candidates on July 15, with the deadline for withdrawal of nomination papers set for July 16. Polling will be held on July 21, at the Punjab Assembly building in Lahore.

Also Read: ECP asks parties to submit financial statements

Separately, the ECP also issued a schedule for the election of two vacant seats reserved for women in the National Assembly from K-P, previously held by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

The returning officer will issue a public notice on July 8, with nomination papers to be submitted on July 9 and 10. Scrutiny will take place on July 14, and the final list of candidates will be released on July 24.

The commission noted that the PML-N’s earlier priority list for women’s reserved seats had been exhausted, and the party has been directed to submit a fresh list to the returning officer by July 10.

To facilitate the completion of the electoral college ahead of the Senate elections, the ECP has written to the speakers of the National Assembly and the relevant provincial assemblies, requesting them to administer oaths to newly notified members elected on reserved seats.

A pet lion escaped and chased a woman and two children down a busy street in Lahore, police said on Friday, with dramatic footage showing the big cat leaping over a wall before pouncing on them.

CCTV footage released by the police showed the lion jumping the barrier around its home and pursuing a woman carrying her shopping on Thursday night.

The lion jumped on her back, knocking her to the ground, the footage showed.

A police report quoted the father as saying the lion then turned to his five-year-old and seven-year-old children, and clawed their arms and faces.

All three were taken to the hospital but were not in critical condition.

The owners who ran out of the house were “amused to see their lion attack” the passersby, the father added in the report.

Police said on Friday they had arrested three men.

“The suspects fled from the spot, taking the lion with them. They were arrested within 12 hours of the incident,” the office of the Lahore Deputy Inspector General Operations told AFP.

The lion, an 11-month-old male, was confiscated by police and sent to a wildlife park. Officials at the facility said that the animal appeared to be in good health.

Keeping exotic animals, especially big cats, as pets has long been seen as a sign of privilege and power in Punjab.

In December 2024, an adult lion escaped from its enclosure in another neighbourhood of Lahore, terrorising residents before being shot dead by a security guard.

The incident prompted the provincial government to pass new laws regulating the sale, purchase, breeding and ownership of big cats. The law now requires owners to obtain licenses for the animals which are barred from being kept in residential areas.

Breeders have to pay a hefty fee for registration, while farms have to be a minimum of 10 acres in size.

KARACHI: Pakistan will use a $1.4 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund’s climate resilience fund to expand fiscal space, embed climate planning into public investment decisions and unlock private-sector capital for green projects, the IMF said on Friday.

The financing, approved by the IMF’s Executive Board in May under its Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), is part of a broader reform program that aims to help Pakistan adapt to increasingly frequent and devastating climate shocks.

Pakistan is the first country in the Middle East and Central Asia region to access the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Facility. The fund was launched in 2022 to help climate-vulnerable low- and middle-income countries make the structural changes needed to protect their economies and populations.

“The RSF will help build climate resilience in Pakistan by creating fiscal space to address climate vulnerabilities, such as the need to improve climate-resilient adaptation infrastructure,” the IMF’s country office in Islamabad told Arab News in a written response.

“It will also boost climate’s prominence in public investment management and budget processes,” the statement said, “helping Pakistan better identify and target projects needed to strengthen resilience to climate shocks.”

A third pillar of the reforms, the IMF said, is improving the overall “enabling environment for green investment” so that banks and private firms could incorporate climate-related risk considerations into their risk management and investment activities.

The RSF financing will be disbursed over a 28-month period and runs alongside Pakistan’s $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF), whose first review was also approved in May, releasing roughly $1 billion in immediate support.

CLIMATE-FINANCE GAP

Pakistan, one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, has long struggled to align its public finances with the scale of climate risk it faces. The 2022 floods alone affected over 33 million people and caused more than $30 billion in damages and economic losses.

By reforming how climate priorities are reflected in budget planning and investment screening, the IMF says Pakistan will be better equipped to attract funding and respond to future disasters.

The RSF does not fund individual infrastructure projects. Instead, it supports “policy and institutional reforms that make climate action more effective,” the statement explained.

These include reforms in disaster coordination, water and irrigation infrastructure, and provincial implementation capacity.

The IMF program supports better coordination between the federal and provincial governments on disaster risk financing, a chronic weakness in past emergency responses, and policy changes that would strengthen water and irrigation management, the lender added in the statement.

“Policy reforms that directly target Pakistan’s water management and irrigation infrastructure would help make farmers more resilient to climate shocks,” it said, adding the focus would be on improving irrigation service standards, reliability, and water supply adequacy.

The reforms also aim to reduce waterlogging, salinity, groundwater depletion, and growing water insecurity, issues that disproportionately impact poor rural communities.

The IMF said its climate program in Pakistan takes a “whole-of-government” approach, with many reforms to be implemented at the provincial level.

“Much of the focus is on improving coordination mechanisms between the federal government and the provinces.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday on the sidelines of the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Summit held in Khankendi, Azerbaijan.

During the meeting, the two leaders reviewed ongoing bilateral cooperation across all sectors and expressed satisfaction over the progress made on decisions taken during their previous meeting aimed at further strengthening Pakistan-Iran relations.

The two leaders also discussed the evolving regional situation in light of Israel’s unjustified aggression against Iran. PM Shehbaz appreciated President Pezeshkian’s leadership and commended Iran’s decision to exercise restraint and pursue a ceasefire during the recent crisis.

Reiterating Pakistan’s unwavering solidarity with the people and government of Iran, the premier reaffirmed Pakistan’s firm commitment to working together with Iran through dialogue and diplomacy for peace in the region.

Read: PM to attend 17th ECO summit in Baku

President Pezeshkian appreciated Pakistan’s strong diplomatic support for Iran at international forums during the recent crisis and thanked Pakistan for its key role in de-escalation efforts.

PM Shehbaz also conveyed a message of congratulations and best wishes for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

17th ECO Summit

PM Shehbaz reached Azerbaijan on Thursday for a two-day official visit to participate in the 17th Summit of the ECO.

The summit, was held in Khankendi from July 3 to 4, under the theme “New ECO Vision for a Sustainable and Climate Resilient Future”, bringing together heads of state and government from member countries to discuss pressing regional issues, including connectivity, trade and climate change.

The premier was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi.

Upon his arrival at Fuzuli International Airport, the prime minister was received by Azerbaijan’s Minister of Culture Adil Karimli, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Pakistan Khazar Farhadov, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Qasim Moinuddin and other senior diplomatic and government officials.

The Foreign Office had stated that the prime minister would address the summit outlining Pakistan’s perspective on key regional and global issues. He was expected to reaffirm Pakistan’s commitment to the ECO Vision 2025 and advocate for deeper intra-regional trade, enhanced transport connectivity, greater energy cooperation and sustainable development.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday urged stronger regional cooperation in the face of increasing geopolitical tensions, including the Iran-Israel conflict and Indian hostility towards Pakistan, stressing that the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) offered the country its “best hope” for a unified response.

Addressing the 17th ECO Summit in Azerbaijan’s Khankendi city, the prime minister said two recent events — the Iran-Israel war and the India-Pakistan conflict — showed that “the forces of instability and chaos continue to destabilise our region for geo-political agendas.

“The evolving global landscape has made regional cooperation even more essential,” PM Shehbaz said while addressing the 10-nation Eurasian bloc. “ECO represents our best hope, and Pakistan is a proud partner in these collective efforts.”

Speaking about the 12-day Iran-Israel war, he said that “the unlawful, uncalled for and unjustified Israeli attack on Iran was the most recent manifestation of this dangerous trend.”

According to Iran’s health ministry, at least 627 people were killed and 4,870 wounded in Israeli strikes.

“Pakistan condemns this act of Israeli aggression against Iran and offers our condolences to the martyrs,” he said.

PM Shehbaz also condemned the recent Indian aggression against Pakistan and New Delhi’s attempts to weaponise water by holding the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance.

“The unprovoked and reckless Indian hostility directed at Pakistan after an unfortunate incident in India’s illegally occupied Kashmir was yet another attempt to destabilise regional peace.

“The world saw the steadfast determination of our armed forces under the leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir and the unyielding spirit of our resilient people who stood firm in the face of provocation and responded with courage and professionalism.”

India had launched missile attacks on several Pakistani cities after baselessly accusing Islamabad of backing an attack on held Kashmir’s Pahalgam town, which saw the killing of 26 tourists on April 22.

In response, Pakistan downed five Indian jets and launched retaliatory strikes on India. It took US intervention on May 10 for both countries to reach a ceasefire.

“We are witnessing a new and alarming trend with India’s weaponisation of water, illegal attempt to defy the World Bank-negotiated Indus Water Treaty and its blatant disregard for the recent ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) are unacceptable and should be rejected with contempt.”

Last week, the PCA in The Hague issued a “Supplemental Award of Competence” in the Indus Waters case, stating that India cannot unilaterally hold the treaty in abeyance. However, India “categorically rejected” the PCA’s supplemental award and stated that it did not recognise the court itself.

PM Shehbaz said the Indus waters were the lifeline of Pakistan’s 240 million people and India couldn’t be allowed to “pursue this dangerous path that will be regarded as an act of aggression by the people of Pakistan”.

The prime minister also voiced concerns over the situation in Gaza and the ongoing Israeli strikes there, which have killed more than 57,000 Palestinians since October 7, 2023.

“The world is witnessing an unprecedented man-made catastrophe in Gaza, a region that has descended into an abyss of perpetual suffering,” the premier said.

“It is as if humanity no longer exists as famine looms large, while humanitarian workers, including UN personnel, are being attacked with impunity by Israel to cut off the only lifeline of the helpless and starving people of Gaza.”

He said Pakistan stood firmly against those who “perpetrate barbaric acts against innocent people, whether in Gaza, occupied Kashmir or Iran”.

Regarding the effects of climate change, the prime minister said Pakistan had undertaken a series of climate-related policy initiatives focused on the government’s Resilience, Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Framework (4RF).

He proposed the development of low-emission corridors, ECO-wide carbon market platforms and a regional disaster resistance system.

Earlier in the day, PM Shehbaz held a bilateral meeting with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of the ECO Summit.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction over the progress made regarding investment prospects and agreed to enhance cooperation in the fields of trade and investment.

They reiterated their resolve to strengthen the economic partnership, especially Azerbaijan’s investment in Pakistan, according to a statement by the PM’s Office.

PM Shehbaz reaffirmed that the recent interactions between the leadership of both countries helped in making the relationship even stronger. He also invited President Aliyev to visit Pakistan.

In a post on X, the prime minister said he congratulated President Aliyev on “successfully hosting the summit and lauded Azerbaijan’s proactive role in ECO”.

He said they “reviewed the progress in Pakistan-Azerbaijan bilateral ties, which are growing stronger through our frequent and productive high-level exchanges”.

“We reaffirmed our commitment to deepen cooperation across diverse sectors, particularly trade and investment,” he added.

The prime minister also met Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian discussed regional developments following the recent Israel-Iran war, said a statement issued by the Press Information Department.

“During the meeting, both leaders reviewed the ongoing bilateral cooperation across all areas and expressed satisfaction over the progress made on the decisions taken during their last meeting for further strengthening of Pakistan-Iran relations,” it added.

PM Shehbaz appreciated Pezeshkian’s leadership and lauded Iran’s decision to reach a ceasefire during the recent conflict, according to the press release.

The premier reaffirmed Pakistan’s “unwavering solidarity” with Iran’s government and people, as well as its strong commitment to continue working closely with Iran for “peace in the region through dialogue and diplomacy”.

“President Pezeshkian appreciated Pakistan’s strong diplomatic support to Iran, including at the international forums, during the crisis and thanked him for Pakistan’s vital role in de-escalating the conflict,” according to the statement.

The prime minister requested the Iranian president to convey his warm greetings and good wishes to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, it added.

The premier also met Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

“We agreed to deepen our robust partnership, on all areas of mutual interest especially in trade, connectivity, energy, culture and the landmark Trans-Afghan Railway Project.”

Azerbaijan inks $2bn investment in Pakistan’s economic sector

Later, Azerbaijan signed an agreement with Pakistan to invest $2 billion in its economic sector.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov signed the agreement in the presence of PM Shehbaz and a Pakistani delegation.

“Following a pleasant meeting today in Khankendi between the prime minister and the Azerbaijani president, the agreement was signed between the two countries, while the final and detailed agreement will be signed during the Azerbaijani president’s visit to Pakistan,” PTV reported.

Though it did not provide details, PTV reported that the agreement “elevated the investment and trade relations between the two countries to a historic level”.