Realistic Pakistan (2024)

03/09/2022

Pakistan’s largest charity, the Edhi Foundation, on Friday urged the government to lift a years-old ban on a number of international non-governmental organisations so they can help with relief efforts following catastrophic floods.

Record monsoon rains and melting glaciers in northern mountains have brought floods that have killed at least 1,208 people, destroyed infrastructure and inundated 2 million acres of agricultural lands.

“I appeal to the government to immediately lift ban on the international NGOs for one year so they could help people,” Faisal Edhi, chief of the Edhi Foundation, told reporters on Friday.

Pakistan began a crackdown on international NGOs almost a decade ago, accusing them of "anti-state activities" in Pakistan. By 2018, a number of them had officially been asked to leave on the basis of new and stricter laws.

03/09/2022

Pakistan badly failed to implement 16 of the 28 conditions that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had set for $1.1 billion tranche, including the core condition to increase foreign exchange reserves that instead have turned negative by a whopping nearly $11 billion.

The failure to meet the conditions has compelled the global lender to slap eight more conditions on Pakistan in addition to giving fresh deadlines to meet the actions that remained unimplemented, showed the combined report of the 7th and 8th programme reviews that the IMF released on Friday.

The report suggests that the global lender had every reason to set tough conditions for the revival of the bailout package due to a bad track record of the government led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

Some of the conditions that were required to be implemented during the last quarter of the fiscal year were missed due to slippages that occurred before the coalition government came into power.

01/09/2022

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has extended the exemption in fuel adjustment charges (FAC) for consumers who have used up to 300 electricity units.

Addressing the PML-N lawmakers in Islamabad on Thursday, the premier said around 75% electricity consumers will get relief in their August bill.

Earlier, he had waived FAC for consumers who had used up to 200 power units.

Amid protests over the inflated electricity bills, the premier admitted that relief on 200 units’ electricity bills was not sufficient “as the middle class has been eroded due to inflation”.

PM Shehbaz lamented that the government was unable to take independent economic decisions due to International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.

01/09/2022

Sri Lanka has reached a preliminary agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a loan of about $2.9 billion, the global lender said on Thursday, as the country seeks a way out its worst economic crisis in decades.

The agreement, which Reuters first reported on Wednesday, is subject to approval by IMF management and its executive board, and is contingent on Sri Lankan authorities following through with previously agreed measures.

"The staff level agreement is only the beginning of a long road for Sri Lanka," senior IMF official Peter Breuer told reporters in the commercial capital Colombo.

"Authorities have already begun the reform process and it must continue with determination."

The IMF requires receiving financing assurances from Sri Lanka's official creditors, besides ensuring efforts are made to reach a collaborative agreement with private creditors.

"Debt relief from Sri Lanka's creditors and additional financing from multilateral partners will be required to help ensure debt sustainability and close financing gaps," the IMF said in a statement.

The IMF programme, spread over 48 months, will aim to raise government revenue to support fiscal consolidation, introduce new pricing for fuel and electricity, hike social spending, bolster central bank autonomy and rebuild depleted foreign reserves.

31/08/2022

Punjab Boards announced the matriculation results 52 thousand 841 students failed.

31/08/2022

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Wednesday increased the electricity tariff by Rs4.34 per unit on account of the fuel cost adjustment for July 2022.

Reports said that the Central Power Purchasing Agency-Guarantee (CPPA-G) had requested a positive FCA of Rs4.69 per unit.

The FCA for July 2022 will be charged with the bill of August 2022, which will be paid by all consumer categories of distribution companies, except for the lifeline consumers of all the XWDISCOs.

CPPA said that per unit cost in the month of July was recorded at Rs10.98 while advance fuel cost was Rs6.28 per unit.

The latest hike in power tariff will impose an additional burden of over Rs35 billion on consumers.

31/08/2022

Punjab Chief Minister, Chaudhary Pervez Elahi, has announced the plans to construct a 5-star complex near Gadaffi Stadium, Lahore.

This latest development will help the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to accommodate international teams near the stadium, which will improve traffic circulation within the city massively.

According to the details, the 25-story complex will require at least $1 billion to construct and the majority of that cost will be paid by the United Arab Emirates.

“A 25-storey complex will be built near the Gaddafi Stadium with a billion dollars. In the new complex, the Punjab government will give 30% and the UAE government will give 70%,” revealed the CM Punjab.

31/08/2022

Industry experts believe the government’s decision to convert three power plants from imported fuel to local coal could result in savings of $175 per tonne which would translate to over $800 million in savings annually from each plant

“The government’s decision to bet on local fuel will not only reduce the country’s import bill, on which fuel imports bear the biggest burden, it will also bring down electricity tariff rates,” predicts an analyst.

On June 15, 2022, Federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan said the government had decided to shift from imported coal to Thar coal in order to generate 3,960MW electricity from three coal fired power plants; namely, Sahiwal coal power plant, China Hub coal power plant and Port Qasim coal power plant.

31/08/2022

Friendly countries and international development partners opened their coffers for Pakistan to enable the country cope with devastating floods on Tuesday.

The United States gave assistance of Rs6.5 billion. The development partners, including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Health Organization, Unicef, and Red Cross also responded positively to the appeal.

Earlier, China, the United States, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and other countries announced immediate aid. The assistance from many countries, including Turkiye and the UAE, had already reached Pakistan.

Also the assistance from various international organisations, including the United Nations institutions also continued. The announcements included important aid items – tents, medicines, food and drinks – in addition to cash aid.

31/08/2022

With the floods wreaking havoc in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh, not only the Pakistanis are stressed out but people from neighbouring countries and the Muslim world are also shocked to witness such devastations.

Turkish actor Engin Altan, who is recognised worldwide for her impeccable performance in historical series Ertugrul, prayed for the flood victims in Pakistan.

The story updated by Altan on Instagram received praise from his millions of fans in Pakistan. Altan stated, "Praying for Pakistan," showcasing his solidarity and brotherhood with his Muslim brothers and sisters.

Altan's compassion made him much more revered in the eyes of his Pakistani fans and followers.

31/08/2022

Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa paid a visit to flood-hit areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Swat and interacted with evacuated people, the military's media wing said Tuesday.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the top general spent time with flood-affected people who thanked the army for reaching out once they needed it the most and bringing comfort not only to them but to their families back home who eagerly awaited their safe return.

31/08/2022

The village of Pakistan pacer Shahnawaz Dahani, who is representing the country in ongoing Asia Cup in the UAE, was swamped by floodwater in Sindh.

His village named Khawar Khan Dahani located in Larkana district of Sindh is among the hundreds of villages, which have been completely submerged after abnormal monsoon rains in Pakistan triggered flash floods since mid-June.

30/08/2022

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pledged support as Pakistan faces devastating destruction amid heavy rainfall and floods.

In a recent tweet, Trudeau said his country is providing support to South Asian nation through United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund and Red Cross Canada to provide food, clean water, and other essential services as quickly as possible.

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly also expressed her deep concerns about the flood situation saying that we will continue to support the people of Pakistan. Joly termed the floods situation absolutely heart-breaking. My heart is with the victims, their families and Pakistanis everywhere, she said.

30/08/2022

Finance Minister Miftah Ismail on Monday said that the government could consider importing vegetables and other edible items from India to mitigate the floods fallout.

The finance minister said this while responding to a question during a news conference here.

"We can consider importing vegetables from India," the minister said.

Turkey and Iran could also be other options, he said.

Unprecedented flash floods caused by historic monsoon rains have caused widespread damage affecting more than 33 million people.

Ismail said as the prices of vegetables had risen considerably due to shortage caused by floods, he had devised a plan during a meeting with the commerce and finance secretaries and would take it to the prime minister in a day or two.

He hinted at opening duty-free import as it would make it easier, saying that importing vegetables through the border with India was also under consideration.

“We normally favour farmers earning money and do not want to open imports but because this is an extraordinary situation, trade with India will be opened if need be.”

30/08/2022

The first aid ship from China reached Karachi for flood victims in Pakistan.

30/08/2022

The United Nations (UN) issued a flash appeal for $160 million to help Pakistan cope with catastrophic floods that have killed more than 1,100 people and affected 33 million people.

“Pakistan is awash in suffering,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a video message for the launch of the appeal in Islamabad and Geneva.

He further said: “The Pakistani people are facing a monsoon on steroids – the relentless impact of epochal levels of rain and flooding.”

Antonio Guterres said the scale of needs, with millions of people forced from their homes, schools and health facilities destroyed and livelihoods shattered by the climate catastrophe, required the world’s collective and prioritised attention.

Guterres said the $160 million he hoped to raise with the appeal would provide 5.2 million people with food, water, sanitation, emergency education and health support.

30/08/2022

Worsening droughts, storms and torrential rain in some of the world's largest economies could cause $5.6 trillion in losses to the global economy by 2050, according to a report released on Monday.

This year heavy rains have triggered floods that inundated cities in China and South Korea and disrupted water and electricity supply in India, while drought has put farmers' harvests at risk across Europe.

Such disasters are costing economies hundreds of billions of dollars. Last year's extreme droughts, floods and storms led to global losses of more than $224 billion, according to the Emergency Events Database maintained by the Brussels-based Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters.

But as climate change fuels more intense rainfall, flooding and drought in coming decades, these costs are set to soar, warns the report by engineering and environmental consultancy firm GHD.

Read more: Pakistan floods: South Asia's monsoon explained

Water – when there's too much or too little – can "be the most destructive force that a community can experience," said Don Holland, who leads GHD's Canadian water market programme.

GHD assessed the water risks in seven countries representing varied economic and climatic conditions: the United States, China, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates and Australia. Using global insurance data and scientific studies on how extreme events can affect different sectors, the team estimated the amount of losses countries face in terms of immediate costs as well as to the overall economy.

In the United States, the world's biggest economy, losses could total $3.7 trillion by 2050, with U.S. gross domestic product shrinking by about 0.5% each year up until then. China, the world's No. 2 economy, faces cumulative losses of around $1.1 trillion by mid-century.

Also read: 'Everything is destroyed': flood survivors plead for aid

Of the five business sectors most vital to the global economy, manufacturing and distribution would be hit hardest by disasters costing $4.2 trillion as water scarcity disrupts production while storms and floods destroy infrastructure and inventory.

30/08/2022

Early estimates put the damage from the deadly floods at more than $10 billion, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Monday, adding that the world has an obligation to help the South Asian nation cope with the effects of man-made climate change.

Unprecedented flash floods caused by historic monsoon rains have washed away roads, crops, infrastructure and bridges, killing at least 1,000 people in recent weeks and affecting more than 33 million.

"I think it is going to be huge. So far, (a) very early, preliminary estimate is that it is big, it is higher than $10 billion," Ahsan Iqbal told Reuters in an interview.

"So far we have lost 1,000 human lives. There is damage to almost nearly one million houses," Iqbal said at his office. "People have actually lost their complete livelihood."

The minister said it might take five years to rebuild and rehabilitate the nation of 200 million people, while in the near term it will be confronted with acute food shortages.

30/08/2022

10-year-old girl allegedly r***d, thrown into swimming pool
Child had gone to the pool with her siblings; the murder is 7th case of sexual assault on a minor in a week in Lahore

The alleged murder of a 10-year-old girl through drowning in swimming pool after r**e in Manwan on Sunday night is the seventh case of alleged sexual assault on a minor child in a week in the city.

The victim reportedly went to a nearby swimming pool with her brother Sajjad and a five-year-old sister.

The victim went missing all of a sudden. When Sajjad searched and asked the swimming pool owner Ali Raza, he told him that she had left for home.

When the victim did not reach home also, the family started the search again.

30/08/2022

• More than 727,000 cattle have died due to floods and rains across the country and the number is increasing rapidly.

• Across the country, where hundreds of thousands of cattle died due to the Lumpy Skin Disease, now there have been large-scale deaths of cattle due to floods and rains.

• According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), from June 14 to August 28, according to the data received from the district administrations across the country, 727,144 cattle have died so far.

• More than 500,000 cattle have died in Balochistan, 8,771 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 23,000 in Punjab and 15,000 in Sindh.

• According to Progressive Farms, due to the death of cattle, there is a shortage of meat, milk, curd and milk products in the country.

• Punjab Livestock spokesperson Dr Asif Rafiq said that 266,700 cattle have died in Rajanpur, 1,784 in Dera Ghazi Khan, 331 in Mianwali and five in Leh.

• He said that 7,759 animals were rescued from the flood-affected areas with the support of aid agencies, and around 250 animals were with the rescued families living in tents. Similarly, more than 187,000 small and large cattle were vaccinated.

30/08/2022

• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed the authorities concerned to carry out an investigation into the damage caused to the basic infrastructure of Mohmand Dam due to floods and ordered timely completion of the project.

• The premier issued the direction during his visit to the construction site of the dam in Nowshera.

• Speaking on the occasion, the PM said that Mohmand Dam was being built jointly by the Chinese and Pakistani companies.

• PM orders inquiry into damage caused to Mohmand Dam
Says reservoir would produce 800MW electricity

Our Correspondent
August 30, 2022
wapda chairman lt gen r sajjad ghani briefs prime minister shehbaz sharif on the impact of the recent flood in swat river on the diversion tunnels of mohmand dam project photo pml n pmln org
WAPDA Chairman Lt Gen (r) Sajjad Ghani briefs Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the impact of the recent flood in Sawat.

30/08/2022

• The Taliban's interim Defence Minister Mullah Yaqub on Sunday has claimed that the United States drones were entering the war-torn country through Pakistan.

• While narrating the one-year performance of the ministry alongside the Army Chief Mullah Fasih Uddin and the spokesperson of the ministry at a press conference in Kabul, Yaqub said: “We hadn't caught all routes of the drones but our intelligence reported that the United States drones were entering through Pakistan."

• "We demand that Pakistan does not allow its air space,” to be used by the US he said, adding that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan's (IEA) radar system was destroyed when the Americans evacuated the country last year in August.

30/08/2022

• Gautam Adani now world’s 3rd richest First Asian in top 3

• A few years ago, Gautam Adani was relatively unknown outside India. Now, the Indian billionaire, a college dropout who initially tried his hand as a diamond trader before shifting to coal, is the third richest person in the world.

• It is the first time that an Asian has cracked the top three of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index; Mukesh Ambani and Jack Ma of China never made it that far. Mr. Adani has surpassed Bernard Arnault of France and currently follows only Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos of the United States in terms of wealth.

• Mr. Adani, 60, has spent the last several years building his coal-to-ports conglomerate, moving into data centers, cement, media, and alumina, among other industries. The business currently owns India’s largest private port and airport operator, city gas distributor, and coal miner. Environmentalists have criticized its Carmichael mine in Australia, but in November it committed to invest $70 billion in green energy to become the world’s largest renewable-energy generator.

• Concerns have grown as his empire has grown to become one of the world’s greatest companies, fueling his extraordinary wealth gains. This month, CreditSights released a study stating that Mr. Adani’s deal-making frenzy has been primarily supported by debt and his enterprise is “very overleveraged.”

30/08/2022

• PTCL Group, country’s largest telecom services provider, has come forward to aid communities affected by floods across various provinces of Pakistan through a relief package worth PKR 1.75 billion.

• The package includes donation to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund, NGOs, provision of free calls in flood affected areas, housing loans to displaced people and medical facilities.

• PTCL Group will be providing medical services to affectees in its Health Centers, where a total of 13 doctors and 27 paramedical staff in 8 districts will perform their duties. To further extend Group’s support, Ufone 4G has announced free calls for people in the flood affected communities so that they can keep them connected with their families & friends, and to help them establish contact with the aid agencies and the Government. Moreover, U Microfinance Bank has pledged towards providing low-cost house loans for flood-affected families to rebuild their homes.

• In addition to this, PTCL Group has decided to contribute to the Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund in order to support Government of Pakistan’s efforts for the rehabilitation of the communities and also donate to various leading aid agencies working in Balochistan and Sindh provinces to provide immediate relief assistance in the affected areas.

30/08/2022

• Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a message of condolence to his Pakistani counterpart, Arif Alvi, over the severe floods hitting the country.

• President Xi noted that severe floods have occurred recently in Pakistan, causing heavy casualties and serious property losses.

• Speaking on behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi expressed deep condolences over the deaths and sincere sympathy to the bereaved families, the injured and the people in the affected areas.

• The Chinese president pointed out that as all-weather strategic partners and "ironclad" friends, China and Pakistan have been sharing weal and woe for a long time, reaching out to each other and responding to major challenges such as natural disasters side by side

30/08/2022

• I am extremely grateful to my nation for donating a huge sum of 5 billion rupees in a short time of 3 hours.

29/08/2022

• Pakistan’s star bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, who suffered a knee ligament injury, has departed for London to complete his rehabilitation, Pakistan Cricket Board said Monday.

• In a press release, PCB said Afridi requires uninterrupted, dedicated knee specialist care and London offers some of the best sports and rehabilitation facilities in the world.

• The officials have decided to send him there, in the best interest of the player, who was earlier ruled out from the Asia cup and series against England. He remains under the supervision of the PCB Medical Advisory Panel, which comprises London-based Dr. Imtiaz Ahmed and Dr Zafar Iqbal.

• It added that Shaheen is expected to regain complete fitness before the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, though his return to competitive cricket will be decided upon by the PCB Medical Advisory Panel.

• Shaheen suffered a knee ligament injury in July whilst fielding during the first Test against Sri Lanka. He is expected to regain complete fitness before the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, though his return to competitive cricket will be decided upon by the PCB Medical Advisory Panel.

29/08/2022

• The International Monetary Fund on Monday revived Pakistan’s programme and its board approved the $1.16 billion loan, ending months’ long uncertainty that increased in past three days due maneuvering by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

• The global lender also approved to increase the loan size to around $7 billion and extended it till June 2023.

• All executive directors supported Pakistan’s request for loan approval and extension except India that abstained from the voting. The board members raised questions over the reversal of the commitments that Pakistan had given in February this year but acknowledged the politically difficult steps that Pakistan took to revive the programme.

• The Board has approved completion of the combined 7th and 8th review under the EFF and release of the tranche of SDR 894 million or $1.16 billion, according to the Pakistani officials.

29/08/2022

• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks at the UN General Assembly. PHOTO: AFP
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed sorrow over the devastation caused by floods in Pakistan and offered “heartfelt condolences” to the victims and their families.

• “Saddened to see the devastation caused by the floods in Pakistan,” Modi wrote on his official Twitter handle on Monday.

• “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, the injured and all those affected by this natural calamity and hope for an early restoration of normalcy,” he added.

•At least 1,061 people have died since June when the seasonal rains began, but the final toll could be higher as hundreds of villages in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have been cut off by flood-swollen rivers washing away roads and bridges.

29/08/2022

• Urgent relief and humanitarian assistance will be provided to Pakistan on the orders of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed after the south Asian country was hit with deadly monsoon flooding, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported Saturday.

• WAM said that the relied aid "includes some 3,000 tons of food supplies, as well as tons of medical and pharmaceutical supplies, in addition to tents and shelter materials."

• The UAE president also ordered that humanitarian relief services are secured to help those displaced by the floods in order to face the challenges before them, WAM reported.

• "The UAE relief teams will also provide all kinds of humanitarian support to Pakistani cadres and institutions concerned with efforts to secure the safety of the affected and their food, medical and logistical needs," the agency added.

• The UAE assistance to Pakistan comes as the country was hit by devastating floods that killed over 1,000 people and affected more than 33 million people.

• The UAE aid also came as Sheikh Mohamed offered his condolences to the victims of floods and torrential rains during a phone call with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, WAM said in a separate report.

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