ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued an alert warning of the season’s first heatwave this week and saying temperatures were likely to rise about four to six degrees above normal in some parts of the country.
A study published this month by the American Geophysical Union, an international scientific association, said deadly heatwaves in South Asia, including Pakistan, were likely to become more common in the future, with the region’s exposure to lethal heat stress potentially nearly tripling if global warming isn’t curbed.
“Sindh, Southern Punjab, Eastern and Southern Balochistan will remain in the grip of a very hot and dry weather from Tuesday to Saturday,” the NDMA said in its advisory. “Temperatures are also likely to rise in most sub mountainous areas of the country.”
The document urged provincial authorities to take necessary mitigation measures, including the “establishment of heatstroke stabilization centers, relief centers at government and private hospitals, basic rural health units, any available government buildings and community centers with generator-based electricity and assured provision/availability of water.”
The NDMA asked authorities to take necessary steps to enhance awareness campaigns to educate the public on preventive measures and stockpile important emergency relief medicines.
In a region home to a quarter of the world’s population, heatwaves could have a big impact on the ability of workers to produce crops in breadbasket regions such as West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh in India and Punjab and Sindh in Pakistan, the American Geophysical Union study said.
Workers in increasingly steamy cities such as Karachi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Peshawar could also be affected, particularly as many do not have access to air conditioning.
Pakistan and India already experience deadly heat waves, with one in 2015 causing about 3,500 deaths, the study noted.
Pakistan’s disaster management authority warns of season’s first heatwave this week
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Pakistan’s disaster management authority warns of season’s first heatwave this week
- Southern Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan expected to remain in grip of hot and dry weather from Tuesday to Saturday
- Pakistan and India already experience deadly heat waves, with one in 2015 causing about 3,500 deaths
Pakistan’s leading rights body expresses ‘grave concern’ as Punjab passes defamation law
- Bill proposes special tribunals to decide cases within six months, issue hefty fines to persons for spreading “fake news”
- Human Rights Commission of Pakistan says bill would serve as a “huge blow to freedom of expression and dissent”
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s leading rights body this week expressed “grave concern” over a defamation bill passed by the Punjab Assembly that empowers special tribunals to impose hefty fines on persons found guilty of peddling fake news, saying it would lead to a clampdown on freedom of speech and expression in the country.
The bill empowers the government to establish a special tribunal to try those involved in drafting, publishing and/or airing “fake news.” The tribunal shall decide the case within six months and may impose a fine of up to Rs3 million ($10,770). However, when cases against individuals who hold constitutional posts are heard, the high court will hear them.
The bill also states that the government will provide legal assistance to women and transgender individuals in defamation cases through a legal team. The bill was tabled by Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman in the assembly on Monday, ignoring calls from the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and other media bodies to delay voting on it.
A ruckus ensued in the assembly with opposition lawmakers tearing copies of it and shouting slogans after the house passed it through a voice vote. Journalists present in the press gallery staged a walkout, saying the bill attempts to silence dissent.
“The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed grave concern over the draft defamation bill tabled in the Punjab Assembly,” the HRCP said in a statement on Monday.
The HRCP pointed out that the bill proposes a parallel structure to adjudicate defamation claims, adding that it has always opposed the same on the grounds that such measures “invariably violate fundamental rights and other universally accepted norms governing the fair functioning of the judiciary.”
It also raised alarm over the fact that the bill empowers the government to set up defamation tribunals and appoint judges at higher allowances and benefits than what are available to the existing provincial judiciary functioning at the district level.
The HRCP said the bill states that defamation claims have to be resolved within 180 days and proposes authorizing tribunals to issue preliminary decrees up to Rs3 million without trial on receiving a defamation claim.
“This will be a huge blow to freedom of expression and dissent,” the rights body said. “Such orders are likely to be passed without following due process and ensuring fair trials.”
The HRCP highlighted that the bill creates a “special category” of constitutional officeholders such as the prime minister, chief justices and military chiefs, among others. Defamation claims against these members would be heard by a one-member tribunal comprising a judge of the Lahore High Court.
“This provision violates the principle of equality of citizens and equality before the law,” it said.
Meanwhile, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari last week defended the bill, saying its main purpose was to stop the spread of lies and defamation.
“A person who lies under the guise of a journalist with a specific agenda will face the music under this proposed law,” Bokhari told journalists during a news conference on Wednesday.
Bokhari said some articles peddling fake news which were published in Pakistan could not be published in other countries due to the stringent laws there that hamper such practices.
“After this law, no one can be blackmailed,” she said. “Freedom of expression can neither be restricted, nor will be allowed to commit wrongdoing.”
Media bodies have often cited Pakistan as one of the most dangerous countries for journalists. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) on May 3 released its country report on Pakistan in which it said over 300 journalists and bloggers this year were affected by state coercion.
The report said dozens of journalists were arrested this year for durations between several hours to four weeks and nearly 60 were served legal notices or summons for their journalism work or personal dissent online.
Met Office warns of glacial floods in Pakistan’s north amid rising temperatures
- A heatwave is expected to hit Pakistan this week, with temperatures in certain areas surging past 40 degrees Celsius
- Pakistan this year experienced its ‘wettest April since 1961,’ with at least 144 people killed in rain-related incidents
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Monday warned of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan region and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, citing higher temperatures due to an expected heatwave from May 21 onwards.
A heatwave is expected to hit parts of Pakistan this week and temperatures in certain areas of the southern Sindh and eastern Punjab provinces may surge past 40 degrees Celsius, according to the country’s disaster management authorities.
Heatwaves, which occur in summer, are caused by slow-moving high-pressure systems leading to prolonged high temperatures. The World Meteorological Organization defines a heatwave as five or more consecutive days during which the daily maximum temperature surpasses the average maximum temperature by 5 °C (9 °F) or more.
“The daytime temperatures in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) are expected to remain 4-6°C higher than normal from May 21 to 27 with chances of gusty wind/thunderstorm,” the PMD said in its GLOF alert.
“This atmospheric condition [will be] potentially increasing the likelihood of triggering a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) event or flash floods in the vulnerable snow-covered and glaciated areas of GB and Chitral.”
The Met Office advised the district administrations as well as local organizations and communities to remain vigilant during this period and take precautionary measures to avoid any untoward situation.
Pakistan experienced its first severe heat wave in June 2015 when temperatures as high as 49 degrees Celsius struck the country’s south, causing the deaths of about 2,000 people from dehydration and heatstroke. A heat wave in Sindh’s provincial capital of Karachi that year alone claimed 120 lives.
Increased exposure to heat, and more heat waves, have been identified as one of the key impacts of climate change in Pakistan, with people experiencing extreme heat and seeing some of the highest temperatures in the world in recent years. The South Asian country of more than 241 million, one of the ten most vulnerable nations to climate change impacts, this year experienced its “wettest April since 1961,” with at least 144 people killed in thunderstorms and house collapses.
Climate change-induced extreme heat can cause illnesses such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and hyperthermia. It can make certain chronic conditions worse, including cardiovascular, respiratory, and cerebrovascular disease and diabetes-related conditions, and can also result in acute incidents, such as hospitalizations due to strokes or renal disease.
Keeping the weather predictions in view, the government in Pakistan’s Punjab province on Monday announced the closure of public and private schools from May 25 till May 31.
“In view of the surge in temperature and heat wave in the province, all public and private schools shall remain closed for seven days with effect from 25th May 2024 to 31st May 2024,” the Punjab education department said in a notification, adding that exams could be conducted during these days with necessary precautions in place.
According to the Global Climate Risk Index, nearly 10,000 Pakistanis have died while the country has suffered economic losses worth $3.8 billion due to climate change impacts between 1999 and 2018.
In 2022, torrential monsoon rains triggered the most devastating floods in Pakistan’s history, killing around 1,700 people and affecting over 33 million, a staggering number close to the population of Canada. Millions of homes, tens of thousands of schools and thousands of kilometers of roads and railways are yet to be rebuilt.
Perpetrators of Bishkek mob violence will be punished, Kyrgyz FM assures Pakistani counterpart
- Frenzied mobs targeted hostels of medical universities and private lodgings of international students, including Pakistanis, in Bishkek last week
- FM Ishaq Dar told his Kyrgyz counterpart Pakistan’s main concern was the safety of its nationals, especially students, affected by Friday’s violence
ISLAMABAD: Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev on Monday met Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, in Astana and assured him the Kyrgyz government would bring to justice perpetrators of last week’s mob attacks on foreign students in Bishkek, Pakistani state media reported.
Frenzied mobs targeted hostels of medical universities and private lodgings of international students, including Pakistanis, in Bishkek last week after videos of a brawl between Kyrgyz and Egyptian students went viral on social media.
Pakistan has since then ramped efforts to repatriate its students from the city and more than 600 Pakistani students have returned home via three different flights. According to official statistics, around 10,000 Pakistani students are enrolled in various educational institutions in Kyrgyzstan, with nearly 6,000 residing and studying in Bishkek.
The meeting between Dar and his Kyrgyz counterpart was held in Astana, Kazakhstan on the sidelines of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“Kyrgyz government has taken swift action to restore law and order in the country, and the perpetrators of the mob riots would be punished under the Kyrgyz law,” the report quoted FM Kulubaev as telling his Pakistani counterpart.
During the meeting, Dar shared concerns about Pakistani students in Kyrgyzstan and requested Foreign Minister Kulubaev to ensure their security, according to the report.
He underlined that Pakistan’s main concern was the well-being of its nationals, especially the students who were primarily affected by last week’s violence.
“Bilateral relations between Pakistan and Kyrgyz Republic, especially in the domains of energy, connectivity, trade and people-to-people contacts also came under discussion,” the report read.
“Both the dignitaries expressed satisfaction at the progress of established bilateral institutional mechanisms.”
Dar arrived in Kazakhstan on Monday to represent Pakistan at the two-day meeting of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers. He will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts on the sidelines of the summit.
Founded in 2001, the SCO is a major trans-regional organization spanning South and Central Asia, with China, Russia, Pakistan, India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan as its permanent members. The SCO member states collectively represent nearly half of the world’s population and a quarter of global economic output.
The organization’s agenda of promoting peace and stability, and seeking enhanced linkages in infrastructure, economic, trade and cultural spheres, is aligned with Pakistan’s own vision of enhancing economic connectivity as well as peace and stability in the region.
Since becoming a full member of the SCO in 2017, Pakistan has been actively contributing toward advancing the organization’s core objectives through its participation in various SCO mechanisms.
Pakistan seeks ‘viable business plan’ for state-owned broadcasting corporations
- A cabinet committee recognized ‘strategic nature’ of Pakistan Television Corporation, Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation
- The development comes amid Pakistan’s push for privatization, reforms in loss-making state enterprises for IMF bailout
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government on Monday sought a “viable business plan” for two state-owned broadcasting corporations, the Finance Division said, amid the South Asian country’s push for reforms in loss-making state entities.
The statement came after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises (CCoSOEs) in Islamabad, which was presided over by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.
The development comes amid Pakistan’s push for privatization and reforms in state-owned enterprises (SOEs) as it negotiates with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) a fresh bailout program.
The cabinet committee reviewed a proposal of the information ministry regarding the Pakistan Television Corporation (PTVC) and the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC).
“The CCoSOEs recognized the strategic nature of Pakistan Television Corporation (PTVC) and Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) and directed the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MoIB) to present a viable business plan to the committee for efficient management of these enterprises,” the Finance Division said in a statement.
Under the last $3 billion IMF program that helped Pakistan avert a debt default last year, the lender said SOEs whose losses were burning a hole in government finances would need stronger governance.
To negotiate a fresh bailout with the IMF, Pakistan must implement an ambitious reforms agenda, including the privatization of debt-ridden SOEs.
Among the main entities Pakistan is pushing to privatize is its national flag carrier, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). The government is putting on the block a stake ranging from 51 percent to 100 percent.
Pakistan PM prays for recovery of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman
- Saudi king is due to undergo treatment for lung inflammation, SPA reported
- Shehbaz Sharif says King Salman sincere friend of Pakistan, guide for Muslim world
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday extended prayers for the recovery of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, who is due to undergo treatment for lung inflammation.
The treatment will consist of a course of antibiotics at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
The king underwent medical tests at the royal clinics at the palace earlier on Sunday after he suffered from a high temperature and joint pain.
“I have learnt with grave concern about the health of His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz. His Majesty is not only a sincere friend of Pakistan but as the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, a leader and guide for the entire Muslim ummah,” Sharif said on X.
“The people of Pakistan join me in praying to the Almighty for His Majesty’s complete recovery and swift return to full health.”
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense and cultural ties. The Kingdom is home to a large number of Pakistani expatriates and serves as the top source of remittances to the cash-strapped South Asian country.
Saudi Arabia has also often come to cash-strapped Pakistan’s aid by regularly providing it oil on deferred payment and offering direct financial support to help stabilize its economy and shore up its forex reserves.
