LAHORE: Evacuation eff­orts continued across central and south Punjab as exceptionally high flood levels persist between the Panjnad confluence of Chenab-Ravi-Sutlej and Guddu Barrage in Sindh, creating a severe humanitarian crisis, inundating low-lying areas, displacing large populations, and destroying hundreds of acres of standing crops. The overflowing Indus has also inundated parts of Sindh, with areas in Dadu and Lar­kana …

GILGIT: The federal government has approved the establishment of a Counter-Terrorism Depart­ment (CTD) of police in Gilgit-Baltistan, authorising the creation of 613 new posts to combat terror and violent incidents, particularly along the strategic Karakoram Highway (KKH). Despite the approval, federal and regional officials face significant funding challenges, with financial responsibility for the new posts placed on the “resource-strapped” Gilgit-Baltistan …

ISLAMABAD: The PPP has moved a resolution in the Senate highlighting the need for coordinated humanitarian and agricultural interventions amid floods, as its chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari criticised the federal government for the delay in seeking international assistance to deal with the climate-induced disaster. The PPP chairman said it was “beyond comprehension” as to why the Centre had not sought international …

ISLAMABAD: After performing groundbreaking of T-Chowk Flyover on Friday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif gave a go-ahead to interior and railway ministers to start rail car project to connect the twin cities. The prime minister said this rail car project would be highly beneficial for residents of both cities and other adjoining areas. “Today, Railway Minister Hanif Abbasi and Interior Minister …

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday announced that Pakistan will host the next Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, stating that authorities need to start preparing. This development comes less than a fortnight after the SCO Summit in Tianjin, China, where Pakistan raised the issue of the Indus Waters Treaty and a joint declaration was issued condemning the attacks on …

BEIJING: President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Chengdu on Friday to kick off his 10-day official visit to China, where he will hold meetings with the Chinese leadership on different issues including regional peace and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). A statement issued today from the President’s Secretariat said that he was received by Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong and Sichaun …

QUETTA: The Balochistan government has approved policies regarding the province’s first transgender strategy, the establishment of an endowment fund for minorities and a ban on hateful content. A press release from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on Friday said that presiding over the 19th cabinet meeting, CM Sarfraz Bugti described the decisions as a guarantee for the province’s public interest and …

LAHORE: An extremely high flood level of 684,293 cusecs was recorded at the Panjnad in the Chenab River at 3pm, the Flood Forecasting Division wrote on X. PPP Senator Sherry Rehman has emphasised the urgent need for coordinated national and international action, warning that Pakistan is on the brink of a “national food and humanitarian emergency” as climate-induced floods ravage …

ISLAMABAD: A high-level delegation from Iraq on Friday reaffirmed commitment to enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of border management, according to a press release by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The FIA is a border control agency which plays an important role in preventing illegal immigration and human trafficking . Its crackdown on human smugglers intensified following the capsizing …

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has postponed the upcoming Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) due to the ongoing floods in the country, the Ministry of Health said on Friday. The decision comes as the country is facing catastrophic floods , which have inundated thousands of villages and displaced millions in Punjab, with flood water now …