Latest news with #Swabi
Arab News
a day ago
- Climate
- Arab News
Fresh Pakistan monsoon rains kill 20, halt rescue efforts
BUNER, Pakistan: Fresh torrential rains in northern Pakistan killed at least 20 people on Monday, local officials said, as the region is ravaged by an unusually intense monsoon season that has left more than 300 people dead in recent days. Torrential rains across the country's north have caused flooding and landslides that have swept away entire villages, leaving many residents trapped in the rubble and around 200 still missing. 'A cloudburst in Swabi completely destroyed several houses, killing more than 20 people,' an official in the district, located in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, told AFP on Monday. Several villages were wiped out by the huge amount of rain falling in a short period of time, a second local official said, confirming the death toll. Since the first heavy rains on Thursday most of the deaths — more than 340 — were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to the provincial disaster agency, which warned of new flash floods over the next few days. The latest heavy rains halted the ongoing search efforts for the missing, with volunteers and rescue workers racing to find possible survivors and retrieve bodies. 'This morning fresh rains forced a halt to relief operations,' said Nisar Ahmad, 31, a volunteer in worst-hit Buner district, adding that 12 villages had been destroyed and 219 bodies recovered. 'Dozens of bodies are still buried under the mud and rocks, which can only be recovered with heavy machinery. However the makeshift tracks built to access the area have once again been destroyed by the new rains.
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Climate
- Al Jazeera
New Pakistan monsoon deluge kills 20 people: Local officials
At least 20 people have been killed when new monsoon rains caused flooding in northwestern Pakistan, local officials say, as the region is ravaged by an unusually intense and deadly monsoon season. 'A cloudburst in the Gadoon area of Swabi completely destroyed several houses, killing more than 20 people,' a local official in the district told the AFP news agency on Monday. Local Pakistani media also reported on the latest deaths due to the flooding. Three to five villages were wiped out by the huge amount of rain falling in a short period of time, a second official said, confirming the death toll in the worst-hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The new deluge comes as rescuers continue to search for 150 people still missing in several districts across the province. More soon.
Arab News
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
PM Sharif seeks action after two police officers shot dead in northwest Pakistan
PESHAWAR: Two police officers were shot and killed when unidentified assailants opened fire on their mobile patrol van in Swabi, a district in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directing authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice. The attack took place around 10:00 p.m. Friday night near a roadside kiosk within the jurisdiction of the Gadoon police station, according to Abdul Majid, a senior police officer in Swabi. The officers had briefly stopped to get water when they were ambushed by gunmen on a motorbike. 'Terrorists riding a motorbike opened fire on the police party,' Majid told Arab News over the phone. 'Two officers were martyred on the spot.' Militant attacks in KP, particularly by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have increased in recent years, with security forces, government officials and civilians often targeted. The Pakistani military and law enforcement agencies have launched intelligence-based operations to curb the violence, but attacks have persisted. Following the shooting, a large police contingent was deployed to the area to secure the scene, collect forensic evidence and launch a search operation. No arrests have been made so far, and the investigation is ongoing. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the Swabi attack and expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of the police officers. 'We pay tribute to the martyrs and pray for patience for their families,' he said in a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office. Sharif directed authorities to investigate the incident and ensure those responsible are brought to justice. 'The war against terrorism will continue until this scourge is eradicated from the country,' he said, praising the efforts of police officers fighting on the front lines.
Express Tribune
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
PHC grants bail to PTI's Khadija Shah
Khadija Shah is a renowned Pakistani designer accused of instigating and leading an attack on the Corps Commander's residence in Lahore following Imran Khan's arrest.—File photo The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has extended the protective bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Khadija Shah and Tehsil Chairman Swabi, Attaullah Khan, until April 15. A two-member bench comprising Justice Sahibzada Asadullah and Justice Aurangzeb heard the petition filed by Khadija Shah. During the hearing, the petitioner was represented by Advocate Alam Khan Adenzai. Assistant Attorney General Daulat Khan informed the court that the Ministry of Interior's report had not yet been received and requested additional time to submit it. He also mentioned that an inquiry against Khadija Shah was ongoing at the FIA Lahore. NAB Prosecutor Sartaj Khan also stated that NAB's report was still pending and would be submitted to the court once available. The bench extended Khadija Shah's bail, preventing authorities from arresting her, and issued a notice to the Ministry of Interior, seeking a response. Similarly, while hearing the petition regarding the case details of Tehsil Chairman Swabi, Attaullah Khan, Assistant Attorney General Daulat Khan informed the court that there were no cases against the petitioner under the federal government, FIA, or NAB. However, cases were registered against him in Punjab. The court extended the petitioner's protective bail and directed him to appear before the relevant courts, subsequently disposing of the petition.
Express Tribune
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
PTI's internal rifts sideline governance
Envision a hospital where two doctors are embroiled in an ugly tussle over competency. As time goes by, more medics start picking sides and what originated as a minor dispute, spreads throughout the facility. With the executive nonchalant, the resultant polarization aggravates to the point where the medical staff no longer remembers its true job, and patients start dying. This hypothetical hospital is not much different from the PTI government in K-P, where internal differences among leaders have distracted the party from its fundamental duty of alleviating the suffering of its people. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) is in power for the third consecutive time in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) however, disputes over legitimacy among the leaders have persisted throughout the current tenure. The founder of PTI has removed the provincial president, Ali Amin Gandapur, from his party post. Since Gandapur is also the Chief Minister of the province, his removal from the position has led to divisions within the PTI. Junaid Akbar, the newly appointed president, along with MNA Atif Khan and MNA Arbab Sher Ali, are part of a faction that has altered the political landscape of K-P. According to sources from within PTI, the party currently has two factions: the Gandapur group and the Junaid Akbar-Atif Khan group. Gandapur's faction includes Sher Afzal Marwat and other members. The expulsion of Sher Afzal Marwat from the party was a major setback for this group. Despite holding the position of Chief Executive of the province, opposition to Gandapur within the party was intensifying. The divisions within PTI were evident during a recent Swabi rally, where Marwat was neither given a chance to speak nor allowed to sit on stage. Likewise, Mashal Yousafzai, the spokesperson of PTI founder's wife, Bushra Bibi, was removed from the position of advisor to the chief minister. Similarly, the positions of other ministers in the cabinet were also changed for the third time while dozens of PTI workers in jails continue to await bail. Political analysts are of the opinion that factionalism developing within the ruling party, PTI, was detrimental to the province's economic situation especially since K-P was already being used as the breeding ground for rebellion against the federation. According to Hafeez Ullah Khan, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, K-P's political situation is worsening since the province has become a buffer zone due to conflicts between the bureaucracy, provincial, and federal governments. "Internal disputes over power sharing have resulted in the formation of various factions within the party. Moreover, nepotism and non-existent participation in international politics have further undermined its legitimacy," explained Khan. Khan further highlighted the fact that the province was suffering across various sectors, including health, education, education, and law and order since the provincial government had stopped providing funds to local body members, leading to protests and blockades. "The K-P government has also taken land from colleges and universities while simultaneously halting promised projects. There are 28 universities with no permanent vice chancellors. Similarly, the province's roads are also in a state of rack and ruin. Changing the name of a cricket stadium will not alleviate the suffering of the local population," noted Khan. Conversely, PTI's Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram claimed that differences of opinion existed in every political party however, the situation in PTI was being exaggerated. "During the Islamabad protest, about 1,000 of our workers were arrested, of which 500 party workers hailed from Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa. Our workers imprisoned in jails are not even allowed to meet their relatives," criticized Akram.
