SWAT, Aug 28(ABC): Pakistan Army’s Aviation teams have rescued and evacuated 110 stranded people from Khwazakhela to Kanju Cantt in Swat. According to the Media Wing of Pakistan Army, four special army aviation helicopters sorties flown for this purpose. These stranded people are being provided meals and necessary medical care. The stranded people who were struck at mountain top in …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 28(ABC): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shireen Mazari said that the case against Justice Qazi Faez Isa was made by Farogh Naseem. She said Chairman PTI Imran Khan was misled about the reference against Justice Isa. The MQM-P’s Naseem was a federal law minister in the PTI’s government. He resigned from the office as federal minister to plead the …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 28(ABC): As the floods triggered by “above normal” monsoon rains killed over 1,000 people and caused widespread devastation in Pakistan, the international community conveyed its solidarity with Islamabad and assured all-out support in relief assistance to mitigate the sufferings of more than 5.7 million flood-affected population. OIC appeals to member countries for aid The Organisation of the Islamic …

MIANWALI, Aug 28(ABC): After flash floods due to abnormally heavy rains lay waste to several areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshera and Swat, flood waters have entered Punjab. There is a grave risk of flooding in Mianwali where authorities are looking to safely evacuate residents. The water level in the Indus River near Rajanpur is on the rise and there is …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 28(ABC): Self-centred politics can cause irreparable damage to Pakistan as unfortunately, a party is playing politics over the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) when the lender’s board meeting is around the corner, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said, without naming the PTI. “I have never seen such self-centered politics; it will be a huge injustice with Pakistan …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 28(ABC): Relief supplies for flood victims from the United Arab Emirates will arrive today (Sunday) at 4:30 pm. In a tweet on Sunday, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb saidthat on the appeal of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the plane carrying the first batch of relief goods from the UAE will reach Noor Khan Airbase on Sunday.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 27 (ABC): President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan Saturday in a telephone call commiserated with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the loss of lives and extensive damage due to severe rainfall and floods and said his country would always support Pakistan. The Prime Minister briefed the Turkish President on the latest situation of floods in Pakistan and about …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 27 (ABC): President of Iran Syed Ebrahim Raisi Saturday  during a telephone call with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, conveyed solidarity with Pakistan and assured of all out support in relief assistance in all areas. The Prime Minister thanked President Raisi for his sympathy on the flood situation, stressing that Pakistan had been enduring severe monsoon weather since …

KARACHI, Aug 27(ABC): The back-to-back spells of heavy rains in Sindh have displaced 1.67 million people in the province’s lower and upper regions, according to a report released by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Friday. Assessing the situation from June 20 to August 25, the report said that a total population of 4.9m and 648,621 households have been …

JHELUM, Aug 27(ABC): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supremo and former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said that the incumbent government should talk to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for relief because floods have wreaked havoc across the country. Addressing a PTI rally in Jhelum, the former PM said due to floods, people are suffering in Baluchistan, Sindh and Punjab, adding …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 27 (ABC): The UK is providing urgent support to Pakistan after flooding in the south of the country killed at least 900 people. Extreme monsoon rainfall has affected millions of people, with 700,000 homes destroyed. In response to the disaster, the UK will provide up to £1.5m support the relief effort, a press release on Saturday said. The …

DI KHAN, Aug 27(ABC): Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Saturday vowed not to rest until “each one of flood affected is not only reached but rehabilitated, no matter how much effort is required”, the military said in a statement. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), General Bajwa visited flood-affected areas of Balochistan today. The COAS …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 27(ABC): The Islamabad police on Saturday decided to obtain a search warrant of former prime minister Imran Khan’s Bani Gala residence to broaden the scope of investigation in the treason case his chief of staff Shahbaz Gill is nominated in. Police claimed to have prepared an application for requesting a search warrant of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman’s residence. …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 27(ABC): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry on Saturday said that the government is running a media campaign worth billions of rupees that PTI must suspend their campaign of “Haqeeqi Aazadi” for the change of government because of the floods in the country. Former Information Minister said that the government has filed terrorism cases on opposition, channels are …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 27(ABC): An Islamabad court on Saturday gave the capital’s police the last chance to submit records pertaining to the sedition case against PTI leader Shahbaz Gill with his lawyers terming the delay “unfortunate”. The court, in the last hearing on Friday, had asked the police to ensure that they present the records by today, however, the law enforcement …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 27 (ABC): The rescue and relief operations were underway in flood affected areas of the country and stranded people were being shifted to the camps and safer places. Relief camps were established across all calamity hit districts, whereas food, medical aid and other relief items were being provided to affected people in the camps. Provincial Disaster Management Authority …

SAJAWAL, Aug 27(ABC): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehabaz Sharif on Saturday said that the federal government had allocated a grant of Rs38 billion to support each flood affected family with disbursement of Rs25,000. Speaking to the flood affected people, the prime minister said he had already announced a grant of Rs15 billion to Sindh province while the distribution of flood relief …

D.I.KHAN, Aug 27 (ABC): The district administration issued warning for Kachi Abadis alongside the Sindh River to leave the areas after the Pakistan Meteorological department issued alert about a multi-times increase in the level of water in the river near Dera Ismail Khan. The district administration warned the people residing in Kachi Abadis along the river in Tehsils Dera, Paharpur …

SAJAWAL, Aug 27 (ABC): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that the entire country was badly affected with flash floods due to incessant monsoon rains, and resolved to overcome the flood related issues with collective efforts. The prime minister said that the heavy downpours in the season had caused human losses, damaged road and links infrastructure across Khyber …

Aug 26(ABC): Google is starting the seventh version of the “Startups Accelerator” for Pakistan and South Asia, where it will accept up to 15 seed and Series A applications from its headquarters in Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. They are committed to addressing the most pressing problems in the area, particularly in fintech, health tech, retail and …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 26(ABC): Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Finance Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra Friday withdrew his commitment of providing provincial surplus for this fiscal year, putting the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) programme at stake. In a letter to Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, Jhagra said that the provincial government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the “greater national interest.” However, the KP finance minister …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 26(ABC): Ministry of Interior has approved the deployment of Pakistan Army in all four provinces to assist the civilian governments keeping in view the emergency situation due to heavy rains and floods. The summary for deployment of the army under Article 245 of the Constitution was sent to the Federal Cabinet for final approval, said a press release …

RAWALPINDI, Aug 26 (ABC): Chief of Army Staff ( COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday reached Karachi where he was briefed about flood situation in Sindh and Balochistan and response measures to help the flood victims. The COAS would also visit army troops busy in rescue and relief efforts in Sindh and Balochistan, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) …

KARACHI, Aug 26(ABC): The flood damages in the country are estimated to be more than Rs900 billion. The country witnessed ‘more rain than ever recorded’ this season as the delay in wheat sowing, cotton and rice crops have been severely damaged. According to the research of JS Brokerage, the floods that have occurred across the country this season have caused …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 26 (ABC): Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman on Friday said the abnormal monsoon torrential rains caused the heaviest floods in the country’s history that submerged many parts of the southern region.  She was addressing the meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change held under the chair of MNA Nuzhat Pathan. Sherry said …

DI KHAN, Aug 26(ABC): Former prime minister Imran Khan visited the flood-affected areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Friday and directed “to improve scale & speed of the assistance to the people including preventive measures against the spread of disease especially in children.” The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman was accompanied by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Ali Amin Gandapur and others. He visited the …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 26(ABC): Federal Minister for Railways and Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafique on Friday said Friday that Qatar has promised 100,000 more jobs for Pakistanis as he disclosed the details of his two-day visit to the middle-eastern ally alongside Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He said the Pakistani leadership held talks with the rulers of Qatar to encourage investment into the …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 26(ABC): An Islamabad court on Friday sought police records in a sedition case filed against PTI leader Shahbaz Gill, warning that if the documents were not produced, it would “become a problem” for the police officers. Additional District and Sessions Judge Tahir Abbas Supra heard Gill’s post-arrest bail plea, while Faisal Chaudhry and Hafeezullah represented the PTI leader. …

QUETTA, Aug 26(ABC): Relentless rains continued to pound Quetta on Friday, leaving Balochistan’s capital cut off from the rest of the country and hampering all sorts of communications in the city. Severe overnight rains hampered rescue efforts, and caused internet and mobile phone service outages, aside from disrupting the city’s air and land routes. A key railway bridge which connects …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 26 (ABC): Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail Friday said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would release the tranche (worth US$1.17 bln) to Pakistan after its board meeting on Monday. Addressing a press conference here, the minister said Pakistan had already fulfilled all the requirements of the IMF and it is very likely that the board would …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 26 (ABC): The torrential monsoon rains across the country on Friday inflicted further lives and property losses as the total death count in various incidents reached 937 and 1343 individuals got injured since the onset of the rainy season. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued a 24-hour situation report released on routine basis that accounted  overall life, …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 26 (ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said considering the urgency of the challenge, the government had decided to reach out to friendly countries and donors as flash floods and the torrential rains had badly hit around 33 million people. The prime minister, who convened a meeting of select Islamabad-based ambassadors, high commissioners and other senior members …

SUKKUR, Aug 26 (ABC): The federal government will provide a grant of Rs 15 billion to the Sindh government to overcome the heavy losses of lives and infrastructure in the wake of the massive destruction caused by flash floods. Talking to reporters flanked by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and federal ministers including Bilawal Bhutto and Syed Khurshid Shah …

PESHAWAR, Aug 26 (ABC): Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Friday issued warning high level of flood in Khwazakhela, nullahs and in river Swat with 227899 cusecs of water that led to a dangerous situation living near the nullahs and river sites. The warning in this connection was also issued by Flood Forecasting Division of flood level recorded at 227899 …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 25 (ABC): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday ordered immediate distribution of cash assistance among the flood affectees and also directed the ministries of Economic Affairs and Finance to come up with a comprehensive strategy to deliver the aid announced by the international institutions and organizations during the donors conference. He was chairing a meeting on the rescue and …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 25(ABC): The Asia Pacific Group (AGP) of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has upgraded Pakistan’s technical compliance ratings in a sign that the country is inching closer to an exit from the gray list of sanctions. Earlier this year, FATF — the international body to check terror financing and money laundering — had acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts to …

 ISLAMABAD, Aug 25 (ABC): Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail Thursday said that the government was keenly working on all inclusive and sustainable development programs through structural reforms to achieve economic growth and social prosperity in the country. The minister held a meeting with delegation of Asian Development Bank (ADB) headed by its Country Director, Yong Ye. Minister …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 25(ABC): Following the Qatari leadership’s announcement to invest $3 billion, Saudi Arabia has also assured the Pakistani leadership of an investment of $1 billion. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto and his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, had a telephone conversation in which they discussed the promotion of bilateral brotherly relations. During the telephone conversation, Saudi FM assured that his …

GUJRAT, Aug 25(ABC): The police on Thursday registered a case against Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on the charges of terrorism and interference in the government matters. The case was filed by a citizen in the Industrial Area Police Station of Gujrat. According to the first information report (FIR), the interior minister threatened the government officials to kill their children and …

ISLAMABAD, Aug 25(ABC): The coalition government is likely to jack up the prices of petroleum products by a massive Rs20 per litre from September 1, in an attempt to revive the stalled $6 billion IMF bailout package, revealed sources privy to the matter on Thursday. As per the letter of intent (LoI) the government sent to the IMF, it had …