Pakistan’s Hajj Medical Mission wraps up operations, says treated over 169,000 pilgrims 

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Updated 21 July 2024
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Pakistan’s Hajj Medical Mission wraps up operations, says treated over 169,000 pilgrims 

  • Pakistan Hajj Medical Mission also treated pilgrims from other countries who sought assistance, says director 
  • Over 400-member mission provided pilgrims with health care facilities in Makkah and Madinah since May 9

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Hajj Medical Mission wrapped up its operations in Saudi Arabia this week after treating over 169,000 pilgrims in the kingdom, the mission’s director confirmed on Sunday. 

Over 160,000 Pakistanis attended this year’s annual Hajj pilgrimage, which ran from June 14-19. Pakistan established two hospitals and 11 dispensaries in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah on May 9. 

“The Pakistan Hajj Medical Mission completed its operations in Saudi Arabia on July 20, and since the start of services on May 9 this year, almost 169,000 pilgrims received free health treatment,” Brig. Jamil Ahmed Lakhair, the mission’s director, told Arab News over the phone from Makkah.

Lakhair said that out of the total number of patients, at least 60 percent were male while 40 percent were women. He said the mission also provided services to pilgrims from other countries who sought medical assistance.

Lakhair said a dedicated team of over 400 members from the medical mission tirelessly performed their duties to assist Pakistani pilgrims in Saudi Arabia during the annual Islamic pilgrimage.

“More than 19000 lab tests were done on almost 4000 patients and around 5000 patients availed dental treatment facilities, including minor procedures,” he revealed. Lakhair said over 3,000 patients availed radiological facilities, including ultrasound, at the hospital.

The Pakistani official credited the Saudi government for ensuring excellent medical facilities, praising their robust patient evacuation system and well-equipped hospitals, adding that Pakistan’s medical mission helped pilgrims access these facilities.

“Two hundred and fifty patients treated in tertiary care facilities of the kingdom’s hospitals as indoor cases,” Lakhair said. 

He shared that over 12,000 pilgrims were treated as emergency cases while 188 bed-ridden patients were taken to Arafat for Hajj rituals in ambulances and buses.

He said respiratory tract infections and musculoskeletal problems were the most common among pilgrims, accounting for 18 percent of the total cases, followed by gastrointestinal problems at 12 percent, diabetes mellitus at 11 percent, unspecified fever at 9 percent, and cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension and ischemic heart diseases, at 5 percent
 


Pakistan forecasts monsoon rains from June 25, warns of flash floods and landslides

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Pakistan forecasts monsoon rains from June 25, warns of flash floods and landslides

  • Met Office says moist currents penetrating upper and central parts of country, likely to intensify in coming days
  • Landslides may cause road closures in KP, Murree, Galiyat, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan’s hilly areas, says Met Office

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (Met) on Monday forecast that several parts of the country will receive heavy monsoon rains from June 25 onwards, urging masses to take precautions against the resulting flash floods and landslides in low lying and hilly areas. 

The alert comes as Pakistan braces for another season of extreme weather, following deadly heatwaves and catastrophic floods in recent years. Ranked among the ten most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, Pakistan is ramping up preparedness efforts, especially in Punjab, where authorities expect significantly above-average rainfall this monsoon.

In a press release, the Met Office said moist currents are penetrating the upper and central parts of the country and are likely to become “intensified” in the next couple of days.

“A westerly wave is expected to approach upper parts on 25th June and likely to become significant on 26th June,” the Met Office said. It warned that several areas of Azad Kashmir will receive scattered heavy rainfall from June 24 to July 2. Rain, wind and thunderstorms are expected in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamir, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche, Shigar areas from June 26-29, it said. 

The Met Office said rain with thunderstorms are expected in Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Wazirabad, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Narowal, and other cities of Punjab from June 25 to July 1. 

The weather department said rain with thundershowers are expected in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Malakand, Bajaur, Shangla, Battagram, Buner, Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Waziristan, Orakzai, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Peshawar, Mardan, Hangu and Kurram from June 25 to July 1 with occasional gaps. 

“Rain wind/thundershower is expected in northeastern/southern parts of Balochistan (Sherani, Musakhel, Loralai, Sibbi, Barkhan, Naseerabad, Kalat, Lasbella, Khuzdar, Awaran, Kalat, Jaffarabad, Dera Bugti and Kohlu) from 25th night to 28th June,” it added. 

In Sindh, the Met Office said Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Khairpur, Kashmore, Hyderabad, Tharparkar, Mirpur Khas, Sanghar, Jamshoro, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Thatta, Badin and Karachi are expected to receive rain with thundershowers from June 25-28 with occasional gaps. 

The PMD warned that heavy to very heavy rains may generate flash floods in local nullahs and streams of Murree, Galiyat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Nowshera, Swabi, Islamabad/Rawalpindi and other areas from June 26 to July 1. 

“Landslides may cause roads closure in the vulnerable hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galiyat, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan during the wet spell,” PMD said. 

It advised farmers to manage their activities keeping in mind the weather forecast and advised travelers and tourists to remain “extra cautious.” 

“All concerned authorities are advised to remain “ALERT” and take necessary measures to avoid any untoward situation,” the press release concluded.


Sri Lanka says seized $76 million smuggled drugs this year, mostly from Pakistan and Afghanistan

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Sri Lanka says seized $76 million smuggled drugs this year, mostly from Pakistan and Afghanistan

  • Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala says drugs being smuggled into island by sea
  • Official says there are an estimated 400,000 addicts in the nation of 22 million people

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka’s anti-narcotics drive has resulted in the seizure of more than three tons (6,600 pounds) of illegal drugs with a street value of $76 million this year, officials said Monday.

Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala said most of the illegal drugs originated in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and were being smuggled into the island by sea.

He said there were an estimated 400,000 addicts in the nation of 22 million people.

“We need to reduce demand while keeping up detections,” Wijepala told reporters in Colombo.

Police chief Priyantha Weerasooriya said the drugs seized had a street value of 23 billion rupees ($76 million). That was close to the 28 billion rupees’ worth of drugs seized in the whole of 2024.

More than 1,000 people were arrested for drug dealing and smuggling, he added. They included a 38-year-old Thai woman, arrested at Colombo airport on May 30 carrying nearly 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of cocaine, the largest detection of the drug at an entry point to the South Asian nation.

Also last month, three others — from Britain, India and Thailand — were arrested trying to smuggle in nearly 60 kilograms (132 pounds) of synthetic cannabis.

All four suspects, including the Thai woman arrested with cocaine, could face life imprisonment if convicted.

Sri Lankan authorities have previously seized large quantities of heroin off the country’s shores, suggesting the island is being used as a transit hub for narcotics destined for other locations.

In October, a Sri Lankan court sentenced 10 Iranian men to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to heroin smuggling.

Sri Lanka’s largest single seizure of narcotics occurred in December 2016, when Customs found 800 kilos of cocaine in a transshipment container of timber destined for India.


Pakistan PM forms special sub-committees to promote ‘cashless’ economy

Updated 23 June 2025
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Pakistan PM forms special sub-committees to promote ‘cashless’ economy

  • Committees to provide recommendations on facilitating payments between public and businesses, raise awareness about digital systems
  • Pakistan is a cash-dominated market where a significant portion of transactions, particularly in informal sector, are conducted using cash

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed three special sub-committees to promote a “cashless” system in the country, his office said on Monday amid Islamabad’s efforts to promote digital transactions to ensure more transparency in the national economy. 

Pakistan is a cash-dominated market where a significant portion of transactions, particularly in the informal sector, are conducted using cash. Pakistan’s central bank has taken steps in recent months to ensure a more cashless economy so that financial transactions are more traceable, reducing chances of tax evasion and corruption. 

Pakistan has witnessed significant growth in digital transactions in recent years. The country’s central bank said in April that its instant payment system, Raast, has processed over 892 million transactions amounting to Rs20 trillion ($72 billion) since its launch in 2021. 

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting on promoting a cashless economy,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement. “He directed the formation of three committees: Digital Payments Innovation and Adoption Committee, the Digital Public Infrastructure Committee and the Government Payments Committee.”

The press release said these special sub-committees would present recommendations on facilitating payments between the public and businesses, raise awareness about digital systems, activate the Pakistan Digital Authority and simplify transactions between the public and private sectors.

Sharif instructed officials to ensure digital transactions are made more affordable and easier for the public compared to cash ones. He further directed that the RAAST digital payment system be established across the federation and all Pakistani provinces.

“Establishing a digital transaction system is extremely important to bring transparency into the economy,” Sharif was quoted as saying. “Around the world, developed nations and successful economies are prioritizing cashless systems.”

During a briefing given to the premier on the government’s steps to promote a cashless economy, Sharif was told that 40 million users in total are benefiting from RAAST. The Pakistani premier was told that the federal government’s entire financial transactions are being conducted via RAAST and the system is being expanded to provinces as well.

“The Pakistan Digital Authority has been established, and work is underway under its umbrella to promote a cashless economy,” the PMO said. 

The prime minister was also briefed that through the IT ministry’s Smart Islamabad Pilot Project, the government is taking steps to make Islamabad the first cashless city in Pakistan. 


Pakistan to face Qatar in Asian Volleyball Nations Cup semifinal today

Updated 23 June 2025
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Pakistan to face Qatar in Asian Volleyball Nations Cup semifinal today

  • Pakistan defeated Indonesia 3-1 in quarterfinals to book semifinal berth
  • Tournament serves as qualifier for 2026 Asian Volleyball Championship

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will take on Qatar today, Monday, in the semifinal of the 2025 Asian Volleyball Nations Cup in Bahrain, state-run media reported.

The tournament is being played in Manama from June 17 to 24 and features 12 teams. These include Pakistan, Bahrain, Indonesia, Thailand, Qatar, Australia, Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipei, the Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam and New Zealand.

The tournament serves as a qualifier for the 2026 Asian Volleyball Championship, with top-performing teams earning world ranking points and potential entry into the 2028 Olympic Games and the 2027 FIVB World Championships.

“The semifinals of the Asian Volleyball Nations Cup are being played today,” Pakistan State Television (PTV) said in a report on Monday. “Pakistan will face Qatar in the first semifinal of the event being played in Bahrain.”

Pakistan defeated Indonesia 3-1 in the quarterfinals to book the semifinal berth. The second semifinal will be played between Bahrain and South Korea.

Qatar will head into the match with some confidence, considering they beat Pakistan last year by a score of 25-22, 25-20, 25-19 in the same championship held in Bahrain. 

The match is scheduled to be held at 19:00 local time (16:00 Coordinated Universal Time).

In August 2024, Pakistan defeated Japan 3-0 to clinch the bronze medal at the Asian Men’s U18 Volleyball Championship.

Volleyball is a steadily growing sport in Pakistan governed by the Pakistan Volleyball Federation. The Pakistan volleyball team has shown consistent improvement in regional and international competitions.

Pakistan regularly participates in events such as the Asian Games and Asian Volleyball Championships, with the men’s team recently recording notable wins in regional tournaments. 


Pakistan PM summons National Security Committee meeting as Middle East tensions surge

Updated 23 June 2025
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Pakistan PM summons National Security Committee meeting as Middle East tensions surge

  • Chaired by the prime minister, NSC is the principal decision-making body on Pakistan’s national security matters 
  • Experts warn Pakistan, which shares a porous border with Iran, may face security, economic challenges as conflict worsens

KARACHI: Pakistan’s premier Shehbaz Sharif has summoned a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) today, Monday, an official of the Prime Minister House confirmed amid surging tensions in the Middle East following the United States’ (US) involvement in the Iran-Israel military conflict. 

The NSC is the principal decision-making body on Pakistan’s national security matters. Chaired by the prime minister, it comprises the ministers of defense, foreign affairs, finance, interior, information and senior military leadership. 

The meeting will take place a day after US targeted key Iranian nuclear facilities, joining Israel in its military conflict against Iran which began on June 13. Israel had launched strikes against Iran’s nuclear sites and targeted its military leadership, saying its attack intended to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. 

“This [NSC meeting] is to happen today,” the official confirmed to Arab News, adding that a statement about the meeting will be released as well. 

The development takes place a day after Pakistan’s mission to the United Nations (UN) announced Islamabad, Beijing and Moscow will present a joint resolution at the UN Security Council calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Middle East. 

As per a copy of the draft seen by Arab News, the resolution calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and a diplomatic solution to the nuclear issue to reach an agreement acceptable to all parties that “guarantees the exclusively peaceful nature of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for complete lifting of all multilateral and unilateral sanctions.”

Pakistan has condemned the US strikes against Iran, with its UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad calling on the Security Council on Monday to act “urgently and decisively,” warning against the danger posed to the populations of the region as the war intensifies. 

Experts warn Pakistan, which shares a 900-kilometer porous border with Iran in its southwestern region prone to separatist militancy and cross-border attacks, will face additional security and economic challenges due to the worsening conflict between Tehran and Tel Aviv. 

Financial analysts have warned that surging global oil prices due to the worsening conflict will cause economic setbacks for Pakistan, which relies on expensive fuel imports for its energy demands. Islamabad is grappling with a macroeconomic crisis amid a precarious balance of payment position. 

The crisis also raises questions about how Islamabad will navigate its delicate balancing act between Iran, other Gulf partners, and the US, which remains one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners and a critical source of military and economic assistance. How Pakistan manages these competing ties amid an escalating regional conflict could test its diplomacy in the coming weeks.