Day: April 2, 2023

Zhob: Due to landslide occurred as a result of recent torrential rains, the National Highway connecting Zhob with Dera Ismail Khan at the point of Dana Sar will remain completely closed for the next 24 hours trapping hundreds of Travellers on Sunday. A flood-like situation has arisen in the mountainous area of Sulaiman Range, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and border area of Balochistan following the heavy rain.

According to the Pakistan Disaster Management Authority, due to landslide at the point of Khan Rosh Dana Sar in Zhob, Dera Ismail Khan, several vehicles have been damaged and there have been reports of injuries to several people. Many passenger buses and vehicles have been stuck at Dana Sar. Deputy Commissioner Sherani said that due to landslip in Zhob, DI Khan, the National Highway will remain closed for the next 24 hours. The administration has warned the people not to travel on the highway.

ISLAMABAD: Another westerly wave is likely to enter western parts of the country from 02nd April (Sunday) evening or night and likely to intensify in upper parts on Monday, Met Office predicted. Under its influence, rain with wind or thunderstorm and isolated heavy falls and hailstorm is expected in Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Peshawar and other districts of KP, Islamabad, Murree, Galliyat, Potohar region, Lahore and several districts of central Punjab from today (Sunday) to 04th April.

Isolated rain with wind or thunderstorm is expected in northeast Balochistan and south Punjab from Sunday evening to Monday, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said. Strong wind and hailstorm may cause damage to lose infrastructure and standing crops particularly wheat crop in the country, PMD cautioned. Heavy Rains may cause Flash Floods in Swabi, Mardan, Peshawar, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Nowshera, Waziristan, Bajur, Kurram, Kashmir on Monday and Tuesday during the forecast period.

Landslides may occur in hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, Murree and Galliyat during the forecast period. Tourists have been advised to remain more cautious during the period.

Peshawar: A woman university in Peshawar has issued a dress code for its girl students, banning wearing western clothes. According to a notification issued by the Shaheed Benazir Women University, Peshawar, the university students are not allowed to wear jeans and tights. The university issued a new dress code, according to which, it is compulsory for female students of the university to wear knee-long shirt along with trousers and a white dupatta.

A fine of Rs1,000 will be imposed in case of violation of the dress code by any student of the university, the notification warned. Last year, a public university for women in Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, barred students from using smartphones while attending the varsity. “It is notified for the information of all students that smart phones/touch screen mobiles or tablets will not be allowed in the premises of Women University Swabi with effect from 20th April. 2022,” read the notification.

The administration noted that extensive use of social media applications affects the performance of the students, besides having bad effect on their behaviour. In 2021, the Toba Tek Singh sub-campus of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) also issued a dress code for its female students. According to the campus drees code, the girl students were banned from wearing T-shirts with jeans, sleeveless shirts, see-through and skintight dresses. They were also barred from wearing flashy jewelry, anklets, and heavy make-up.

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Parvez Elahi claimed on Sunday that his party had restarted talks with its old allies, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P). In his statement, the former Punjab chief minister went on to claim the MQM-P was of the view there was no benefit to continuing to extend support to the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

“The Balochistan government and the GDA are also having reservations over the government’s anti-state policies,” Mr Elahi claimed. In connection with the alliance, PTI chairman Imran Khan will reveal the next strategy after summoning the meeting of all the parties, he added. Bashing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, Mr. Elahi said, “The cabinet meeting has been presided over by absconder Nawaz Sharif, which is a big joke with the nation and the institutions of the state.”

Mr. Elahi went on to claim the PDM’s tactics of delaying the elections will be thwarted. On Friday, former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi said on that the Supreme Court (SC) bench will not be formed at the will of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior vice president Maryam Nawaz.

Mr. Elahi called on the former Punjab Assembly lawmakers, during which he recounted his tenure – from 2002 to 2007 – as the Punjab chief minister, saying, “The international institutions highlighted the development and prosperity in Punjab during my tenure from 2002 to 2007. The global institutions declared the developing countries’ prosperity to be a role model.” He took a jibe at Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and accused him of “transforming the agricultural province [Punjab] into Ethiopia.”

In connection with the judicial reform, Mr. Elahi said, “It has been written clearly in Article 141 that the parliament cannot do legislation against the Supreme Court.”

LAHORE: The Punjab caretaker government’s spokesperson in a statement on Sunday accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of being an anti-poor party and not appreciating the availability of food for the less fortunate. The caretaker spokesperson claimed that reports of the non-availability of flour in the open market were based on lies and that the PTI leadership was misleading the people.

He emphasized that free flour was a direct relief to the poor and that it was available in abundance in the open market. The spokesperson further alleged that the PTI was targeting public welfare projects to score political points. He urged the party to stop spreading lies and misinformation.

The caretaker government of Punjab assured the public that there were no reports of any shortage of flour from any place. The spokesperson requested that people inform the government in case of any complaints.

SWAT: A 4.4 magnitude earthquake shook Swat and its surrounding areas on Sunday, according to reports from the seismometer. The epicenter of the earthquake was identified to be at the border area of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, with a depth of 90 km. Earlier on the 9th of March, earthquake tremors were felt in Swat, Malakand, Batkhela, and the surrounding areas with a magnitude of 4.5 on the Richter scale.

The depth of that earthquake was recorded at 124 km. It is worth noting that on the 21st of March, various countries in South Asia, including Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan in Pakistan, also experienced earthquake tremors.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Sunday welcomed the reopening of the Khunjerab Pass and said it would assist improve bilateral trade between Pakistan and China. According to a press statement from the PM Office Media Wing, Shehbaz Sharif said reopening of the Khunjerab Pass will increase trade with “iron brother China.”

He said the reopening of the Pass removed a barrier that would hasten the speed of construction on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and that the restoration of the trade route between the two nations, after three years, was cause for great joy. PM Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday expressed his pleasure over the reopening of Khunjerab Pass and said that it would help increase bilateral trade between Pakistan and China.

The prime minister termed the occasion a welcome one for boosting trade with ‘Iron brother China’, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. He said the reopening of the Pass removed a hurdle that would further expedite pace of work on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), adding restoration of the trade route between the two countries, after a span of three years, was a matter of huge rejoice.

The PM said that the journey which had started way back in November 2019, had recommenced in the year 2023 and expressed his resolve to move ahead on CPEC with dual speed in comparison to 2018.

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior vice president Maryam Nawaz slammed on Sunday Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, saying the latter’s plan to sabotage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) had been foiled. In connection with the reopening of Khunjerab Pass after three years for trade between China and Pakistan, Ms. Nawaz said, “It is the matter of immense delight that Khunjerab Pass has been opened in 2023 after three years. I would like to felicitate the leaderships and the masses of both China and Pakistan.”

In terms of Pakistan-China friendship, Ms. Nawaz said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping were playing vital role in a bid to further strengthen the ties between the two countries. She went on to say the opening of the Khunjerab Pass will pave way for addressing the difficulties faced by both the nations. Heaping praise on PML-N supremo over the CPEC, Ms. Nawaz lamented the masses would not face severe economic hardships if the trade between the two countries continued with the “speed of the PML-N.”

Berating the PTI-led government, Ms. Nawaz accused the PTI of destroying the CPEC. She Slammed Mr. Khan for making “baseless allegations ” about the prevailing of corruption in the projects – under the CPEC. On Thursday, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior vice president Maryam Nawaz slammed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, saying the institutions could not run at the latter’s will.

Taking to Twitter, Ms. Nawaz schooled the deposed premier, saying, “It is a weird joke to see Imran taking the name of the constitution despite the fact that he has been declared as the certified violator of the constitution.” “The conspiracy you plotted with the help of the facilitators has been exposed. Now is the time for you to remain silent,” added Ms. Nawaz.