PESHAWAR: A charter helicopter belonging to Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL) crashed in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday after developing a technical fault, killing six people, including two foreigners, and injuring eight other crew members, police said.
Mari Petroleum is a leading Pakistani oil and gas company, primarily involved in the exploration, development and sale of hydrocarbons. The company’s principal activities include oil and gas drilling, along with providing energy solutions to the local market.
Rohanzeb Khan, a senior police official, said the crash took place in Pakistan’s restive North Waziristan that shares a border with Afghanistan and has experienced significant security challenges.
“The helicopter crashed near the Shawa Oil Field, a remote hilly area in the North Waziristan tribal district,” he told Arab News over the phone while confirming the death toll. “Initial information suggests the cause of the crash was a technical fault and no evidence of sabotage was found.”
“There were two to three foreigners onboard the helicopter but their identity is yet to be confirmed,” he added.
According to a statement released by the petroleum company, the helicopter was flown by three Russian pilots and carrying 11 passengers when the crash took place due to engine failure.
According to the Associated Press, two of the pilots have also lost their lives.
“The helicopter’s tail rotor hit the ground while making an emergency landing,” the police official said while sharing details of the crash.
However, he said further investigations were underway to ascertain the facts related to the incident.
Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where North Waziristan is located, expressed grief over the loss of “six precious human lives” in the crash, directing the district administration to ensure prompt medical treatment to those wounded in the mishap.
Six dead as Mari Petroleum helicopter crashes in Pakistan’s North Waziristan
https://arab.news/mvwfr
Six dead as Mari Petroleum helicopter crashes in Pakistan’s North Waziristan

- Police say the incident happened due to technical fault, with no evidence of sabotage
- The helicopter was flown by Russian pilots, two of whom have reportedly lost their lives
Thousands of security personnel, including army, deployed across Pakistan for Ashura processions

- Punjab Police deploys over 134,000 personnel for the security of religious gatherings, processions
- Militants in the past have targeted religious gatherings and processions in Pakistan during Muharram
KARACHI: Thousands of security personnel have been deployed across the country today, Sunday, as mourners in Pakistan take out religious processions to pay tribute to Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Pakistan’s government takes stringent security measures every year in Muharram as militants have attacked religious processions during the Islamic month in the past. Hundreds of thousands of Shia Muslims organize religious processions in Muharram, especially on the 10th of the month, to pay tribute to Hussain, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala.
In a statement on social media platform X, Punjab Police said its officers and personnel are performing their duties despite the rain and are using CCTV cameras to monitor processions.
“Over 134,000 officers and personnel of the Punjab Police have been deployed for the security of processions and gatherings,” the statement said.
It said over 10,000 police personnel have been deployed in the provincial capital of Lahore for the security of religious processions and gatherings on Ashura.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah’s office said over 1,400 processions were held in the province on Sunday under strict security arrangements.
“Regarding security deployment, Murad Shah stated that approximately 50,000 police personnel were deployed across Sindh, with about 6,000 assigned specifically to the central procession,” the statement said.
In a separate statement, the office of Sindh’s deputy inspector general of police in Sukkur said three major processions will be held in Sukkur, Rohri and Pano Aqil areas today, in addition to 43 smaller and larger processions across the district.
“To ensure security, over 4,000 male and female police personnel, along with Rangers and three standby army companies have been deployed,” the statement said.
Islamabad Police spokesperson said 12 processions and 48 religious gatherings are being held across the capital city. The spokesperson said over 4,000 police officers and personnel have been deployed throughout the capital to ensure security.
Karachi’s police chief Javed Alam Odho told reporters that over 20,000 personnel have been deployed in various parts of the city for Muharram 10 rallies and processions.
He said personnel of the Special Branch, Counterterrorism Department Sindh and the paramilitary Rangers were also performing security duties.
Pakistan says focusing on agriculture, health care investments on World Rural Development Day

- About 64% of Pakistan’s population resides in rural areas, as per 2023 census
- These rural areas often lack education, health, Internet, water and sanitation facilities
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday his government is focusing on improving the lives of citizens in rural areas through “targeted investments” in agriculture, health and education initiatives, as the international community marks World Rural Development Day today.
According to Pakistan’s latest population census, about 64 percent of the country’s population resides in rural areas. These areas often lack health, education, clean drinking water, sanitation, Internet and other facilities.
Governments, civil society, international organizations and academic institutions are invited on July 6 every year to conduct concrete policy dialogues and grassroots initiatives to elevate rural voices and galvanize development efforts for people in the most remote places worldwide.
“Our government continues to prioritize inclusive rural development as a key pillar of national progress,” Sharif said in a message released by his office.
“In line with the Sustainable Development Goals, we are focusing on transforming rural livelihoods through targeted investments in agriculture, education, health care, infrastructure, skills training, and environmental sustainability,” he added.
Sharif noted Pakistan’s villages and farmlands uphold the region’s centuries-old values of resilience, cooperation and tradition, hailing their “invaluable contributions” to various sectors.
“Significant strides have been made from expanding rural road networks and improving water and sanitation access, to empowering women and promoting climate-smart farming practices,” the Pakistani premier said.
He added that such efforts by the government reflect its resolve to ensure “no part of Pakistan is left behind.”
“On this day, we renew our pledge to uplift our rural citizenry; supporting them as equal partners in shaping a stronger, more equitable, and prosperous Pakistan,” Sharif concluded.
As monsoons arrive, livestock shelters stand between survival and ruin for Pakistani farmers

- Farmers still recovering from 2022 floods say livestock losses pushed entire communities into deeper poverty
- Local groups are building climate-resilient animal shelters, experts call for larger policy shifts to protect rural livelihoods
KHAIRPUR: Pakistan: Three years after floods drowned Rasool Bux’s village in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province, he still fears every drop of rain.
The 52-year-old farmer from Gul Muhammad Sanjrani village in Khairpur worries another deluge could wipe out what little he has rebuilt. His animals are the main source of income for his family of seven. He sells about five kilograms of milk daily to keep the household running.
The 2022 floods were among the worst climate disasters in Pakistan’s history, pushing millions into poverty and devastating agricultural regions in the Sindh province. As new monsoon rains lash the province, farmers and experts say protecting livestock, often the only safety net for rural households, must be a national priority.
“We are afraid because of what we saw during the 2022 floods,” Bux told Arab News while feeding his two buffaloes and three cows at one of around 200 new climate-resilient shelters built by German relief organization Malteser International in collaboration with the Sindh government.
“Most villagers decided to leave their houses. We are poor people, so we stayed here on the road. Some of our animals perished.
“Then, there were also so many mosquitoes here. The nights were spent in sadness. We didn’t have the money to keep our remaining animals under mosquito nets.”
Today, the shelters are helping local farmers like Bux recover what the disaster swept away.
“These [shelters] are very beneficial to us since we used to have a lot of trouble while gathering our livestock,” he said.
“Our animals are at peace now.”
Livestock is the backbone of rural Pakistan’s economy, especially for families who may own no land. According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan issued in June, the sector supports over 8 million rural households, providing about 40 percent of their incomes and around 15 percent of the country’s GDP.
In a year when agriculture overall grew by just 0.6 percent, partly due to extreme weather, livestock still contributed 4.7 percent to the sector, the largest share.
Sindh, Pakistan’s second-largest crop-producing province, is especially vulnerable to floods. Around 930 kilometers of the Indus River snake through the region, making it one of the most flood-prone areas in the country, according to the International Growth Center.
In May, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved around $1.4 billion in climate financing for Pakistan under its Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), designed to strengthen the country’s defenses against future climate shocks and promote sustainable growth.
Local groups working on the ground hope the government will channel some of that money toward projects like climate-resilient animal shelters in flood-affected areas like his village.
“The need for animal shelters here is huge,” said Muhammad Junaid Soomro, a project engineer at the Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO), which is partnering with Malteser. “Even 300 to 400 such units will fall short of the need we have here on a union council basis.”
“We are working in five union councils only, while there are 89 union councils in this district,” he added, urging the government to prioritize livestock and agriculture in flood-hit areas once the IMF funds become available.
“They [Malteser] have made these shelters with a small amount of available funds. These can be made more climate resilient with the IMF’s climate resilient funding,” Soomro said.
In a written response to Arab News, the IMF said the RSF financing is meant to back broader policy reforms, not specific projects like livestock shelters.
“However, there are a number of ways in which the RSF will help to build climate resilience in Pakistan that will benefit Pakistanis living in flood-prone areas, such as farmers,” the IMF’s resident representative in Pakistan Mahir Binici said.
He said the RSF supports reforms targeting water management and irrigation infrastructure, aiming to improve reliability and tackle issues like waterlogging, salinization, groundwater depletion and water insecurity.
“The RSF’s reforms take a whole-of-government approach, with some to be implemented at the provincial level,” the IMF representative added, noting that improved coordination between federal and provincial authorities will be key.
“LIVING BANK”
While larger, policy-level shifts are awaited, groups like Malteser and SRSO are meanwhile focused on immediate fixes, building small, elevated shelters that offer some protection from future flooding.
“We felt the need for building these here as the disaster, the flood had devastated our animal shelters as well as our homes in the community,” said Kanwal Hussain, a project officer at SRSO.
The bamboo, plastic and mud shelters are raised about three feet above ground level, with canopy walls to stop rainwater from pooling and weakening the roof.
“We have built a canopy wall so rainwater does not stay there and damage the roof,” Soomro said.
Imdad Hussain Siddiqui, who served as a director of operations at the Provincial Disaster Management Authority of Sindh during the 2022 floods, described livestock as a “living bank” for rural families.
“Animals are the sole remaining resource where land and crops are swept away by flooding because they provide rescue, safety and the sole avenue through which families can recover and rebuild their lives,” Siddiqui told Arab News.
He said the loss of 1.1 million animals during the 2022 floods meant “direct destitution and long-term poverty” for many families.
“Strong infrastructure of livestock will enable such linkages to recover in the near future, permitting economic activity and income-generating opportunities for the affected people,” Siddiqui explained.
In 2022, the international NGO Germanwatch ranked Pakistan first on its Climate Risk Index due to extreme weather events including floods, landslides and storms during the intense monsoon season.
Pakistan is already in the grip of another punishing monsoon, with over 60 people killed in rain-related incidents in just one week, a reminder that the next flood is never far away.
For farmers like Rasool Bux, every storm brings up the memory of what was lost in 2022 — and what could be lost again.
“More such shelters should be built in our village where some people can afford to build them while others cannot,” he said.
Pakistan PM highlights shared climate risks as Texas flash floods kill dozens

- Floods in Texas began on Friday as months’ worth of rain fell in a matter of hours
- Shehbaz Sharif hopes ongoing rescue efforts help save more lives from calamity
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered condolences to US President Donald Trump this week as the death toll from flash floods in Texas rose to 50, with American rescuers continuing the search for missing persons.
The flooding began in Texas on Friday — the start of the Fourth of July holiday weekend — as months’ worth of rain fell in a matter of hours.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned that more rain has been forecast, and that “excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.”
“Deeply saddened by the loss of precious lives in the tragic flash floods in Texas, USA,” Sharif wrote on the social media platform X on Saturday night.
“Hope the ongoing rescue efforts will be successful in saving more people from this natural calamity.”
Monsoon rains have wreaked havoc in several parts of Pakistan since June 26, with the country reporting at least 66 deaths and 127 injuries due to rain-related incidents.
A deadly flash flood in the scenic Swat Valley, caused by a sudden rise in water levels due to monsoon rains, killed 13 members of a single tourist family last week.
“Having suffered a similar incident in northwest Pakistan just a few days ago, we can fully understand the pain and suffering of the bereaved families,” Sharif said.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with President Trump @realDonaldTrump and the American nation at this difficult time,” he added.
Flash floods, which occur when the ground is unable to absorb torrential rainfall, are not unusual.
But scientists say that in recent years that human-driven climate change has made extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and heatwaves more frequent and more intense.
With additional input from AFP
Death toll from Pakistan building collapse climbs to 27

- Final search operation underway, most of the debris cleared, says rescue official
- Collapse exposes issue of unsafe housing in city, home to over 20 million people
KARACHI: The death toll from a five-story building collapse in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi has risen to 27, a police surgeon confirmed on Sunday after rescuers pulled more bodies from the rubble.
Pakistan’s leading rescue emergency services, including Rescue 1122, continued to recover bodies from the Fotan Mansion residential building. Several families were said to be living in the building, which crumbled around 10 am on Friday in the impoverished Lyari neighborhood of the city.
The building collapse has once again laid bare the issue of unsafe housing in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city by population.
“With more bodies recovered from the debris this morning, the death toll has risen further,” Dr. Summaiya Syed, a police surgeon, told Arab News. “So far, we have received 27 bodies.”
Hasaan Khaan, a spokesperson for the Rescue 1122 services, said most of the debris has been cleared at the site.
“Clearance and the final search operation is now underway and will be completed in the next couple of hours,” Khan said.
‘DANGEROUS’ BUILDING
Many of the building occupants were members of the low-income Hindu minority community and residents estimated that around 40 people were inside when the building collapsed.
According to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), Fotan Mansion had been declared unsafe three years ago.
“This building was declared dangerous by the SBCA in 2022 and had been served multiple notices over the years,” SBCA spokesperson Shakeel Dogar told Arab News on Saturday.
“Before the recent rains, public announcements were also made in the area, but unfortunately, no one was willing to vacate.”
Friday’s incident is the latest in a string of deadly building collapses in Karachi.
In February 2020, a five-story building collapsed in Rizvia Society, killing at least 27 people. The following month, another residential structure came down in Gulbahar, claiming 16 lives. In June 2021, a three-story building in Malir collapsed, killing four. And just last year, in August, a building collapse in Qur’angi led to at least three deaths.
Mayor Wahab said on Friday evening that rescue efforts remained the city government’s top priority, with accountability and investigation to follow.
“Once we’re done with the rescue aspect, we will focus on who was responsible for this negligence or omission,” he added.