At least 45 killed, 68 injured since June 26 as monsoon rains batter Pakistan 

At least 45 killed, 68 injured since June 26 as monsoon rains batter Pakistan 
Motorists drive through a flooded road caused by heavy monsoon rains, in Lahore, Pakistan, on June 29, 2025. (AP)
Short Url
Updated 30 June 2025
Follow

At least 45 killed, 68 injured since June 26 as monsoon rains batter Pakistan 

At least 45 killed, 68 injured since June 26 as monsoon rains batter Pakistan 
  • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reports highest casualties, 21, followed by Punjab with 13, Sindh with seven and Balochistan with four deaths
  • Pakistan has forecast widespread rain with wind and thundershowers across various regions of the country from June 29 to July 5

ISLAMABAD: At least 45 people have been killed and 68 injured across Pakistan in rain-related incidents since June 26, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in its latest report as heavy monsoon rains continued to batter the country. 

Heavy rains have lashed Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab and Sindh provinces since June 26, raising water levels in rivers to alarming levels and triggering floods in various cities across the country. 

The latest casualties took place as the NDMA issued multiple impact-based weather alerts on Sunday, forecasting widespread rain with wind and thundershowers, accompanied by isolated heavy falls across various regions of Pakistan from June 29 to July 5. 

“NDMA urges all provincial and district administrations to remain on high alert, activate contingency plans, and ensure timely dissemination of warnings in local languages,” the authority said on Sunday. “Citizens, especially those in high-risk areas, are advised to stay updated through official adviseries, avoid unnecessary travel near glacial streams, riverbanks, and flooded roads, and keep emergency kits ready.”

As per the latest NDMA situation report, 45 people have been killed and 68 injured from June 26-29 in Pakistan’s KP, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan provinces. The casualties include 23 children, 12 men and 10 women. 

KP reported the highest number of casualties from rain-related incidents, 21, followed by Punjab with 13, Sindh with seven and Balochistan with four deaths. Punjab reported the highest number of injuries at 39 followed by Sindh with 16 while KP reported 11 and Balochistan two. 

The report said flash floods claimed the highest number of casualties, followed by electrocution, drowning, lightning and other factors. Flash flooding in KP’s Swat River last week claimed the lives of 12 tourists while Rescue 1122 emergency service said it was searching for one missing boy on Sunday. 

 

 

Pakistan, home to over 240 million people, is considered one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change and faces extreme weather events with increasing frequency.

These extreme and irregular weather patterns include droughts, heatwaves and torrential rains which experts have attributed to climate change. Unusually heavy rains and the melting of glaciers in June 2022 triggered cataclysmic floods that killed over 1,700 people across Pakistan, washed away swathes of crops and damaged critical infrastructure. Pakistan estimated the damages to be worth over $33 billion. 


China’s BYD to assemble EVs in Pakistan from 2026

China’s BYD to assemble EVs in Pakistan from 2026
Updated 12 sec ago
Follow

China’s BYD to assemble EVs in Pakistan from 2026

China’s BYD to assemble EVs in Pakistan from 2026
  • BYD, the world’s top EV maker, has been expanding rapidly outside its home market
  • Its plant in Pakistan will initially have the capacity to produce 25,000 units a year

KARACHI: Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD plans to roll out its first car assembled in Pakistan by July or August 2026 to capture growing demand for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in the region, a company executive said on Wednesday.

BYD, the world’s top EV maker, has been expanding rapidly outside its home market, where it is in a strong price war. The Pakistan plant addresses rising demand from emerging markets and allows the company to take advantage of incentives offered by the Pakistani government.

The plant has been under construction since April near Karachi in a partnership between BYD and Mega Motor Company, a subsidiary of Pakistani utility Hub Power, Danish Khaliq, vice president of sales and strategy at BYD Pakistan, told Reuters.

A BYD ATTO 3 electric vehicle is displayed at the BYD Pakistan Metropole Experience Center, in Karachi, Pakistan, on July 23, 2025. (REUTERS)

It would initially have the capacity to produce 25,000 units a year on a double shift, he said. He did not elaborate on when the plant would achieve full capacity or say when mass production would begin there.

The plant will start by assembling imported parts, with some local production of non-electric components, Khaliq said, adding it would initially produce vehicles for the domestic market, with potential to export to right-hand drive countries in the region depending on freight costs and business economics.

“We do not foresee excess capacity in our system as demand in Pakistan will catch up,” he said.

Danish Khaliq, Vice President of the BYD Pakistan Sales and Strategy, poses for a picture after an interview with Reuters in Karachi, Pakistan, on July 23, 2025. (REUTERS)

BYD started delivering imported EVs in Pakistan in March. Khaliq did not give an exact sales number but said the sales of a few hundred cars had exceeded internal targets by 30 percent.

Khaliq said he expected the market size of EVs and plug-in hybrid cars in Pakistan to grow three to four times in 2025 from around 1,000 total units in 2024. BYD is targeting a 30-35 percent share of the segment, Khaliq said.

Based on a HUBCO filing, BYD Pakistan made around 444 million rupees ($1.56 million) in profit in the 2025 March quarter.

BYD will launch its Shark 6 plug-in hybrid pickup truck in Pakistan on Friday. China’s MG already sells a PHEV SUV, while rival Haval is set to join the segment soon.

Plug-in hybrids offer a more practical option in Pakistan as the country faces a lack of charging stations for all-electric vehicles. The government slashed power tariffs for chargers by 45 percent in January to encourage EV uptake and private charging stations.

($1 = 284.0000 Pakistani rupees) 


Pakistan welcomes World Bank stance on Indus Waters Treaty amid India suspension row

Pakistan welcomes World Bank stance on Indus Waters Treaty amid India suspension row
Updated 18 min 35 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan welcomes World Bank stance on Indus Waters Treaty amid India suspension row

Pakistan welcomes World Bank stance on Indus Waters Treaty amid India suspension row
  • Shehbaz Sharif discusses World Bank’s Country Partnership Framework with its regional vice president
  • He also thanks the Bank for its assistance during Pakistan’s 2022 floods that killed over 1,700 people

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday welcomed the World Bank’s position against India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), describing it as “principled support” for Pakistan during a meeting with the Bank’s regional vice president, Ousmane Dione, who is currently visiting the country.

The IWT, brokered by the World Bank and signed in 1960, governs water sharing between India and Pakistan. Earlier this year, New Delhi announced it was placing the treaty “in abeyance” following a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists.

Indian authorities blamed the attack on Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denied while calling for a transparent and impartial international investigation.

The incident also triggered a four-day military standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, which ended with a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10.

“The Prime Minister appreciated the World Bank’s principled support for Pakistan’s legitimate position in light of India’s unilateral and illegal actions to undermine a key international agreement like the Indus Waters Treaty,” said a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office after Sharif’s meeting with Dione.

“He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to international law, the pursuit of prosperity, and the maintenance of regional peace, and expressed his resolve to address all issues through dialogue,” it added.

The World Bank’s stance aligns with comments made by its president, Ajay Banga, in May, when he clarified that the IWT contains no provision for unilateral suspension or withdrawal, and that any changes to the agreement must be made mutually by both India and Pakistan.

Banga also noted the Bank’s role in the treaty is strictly administrative, to appoint dispute-resolution experts and manage a trust fund when required, adding the institution has no authority to intervene in political decisions by either country.

During their meeting, Sharif and Dione discussed ongoing development cooperation, including the World Bank’s Country Partnership Framework (CPF), a strategic roadmap for investments in energy, education, governance reforms, and climate resilience.

The prime minister also thanked the Bank for its “swift and generous assistance” during Pakistan’s 2022 floods, which killed over 1,700 people, displaced millions and devastated agricultural land and public infrastructure.

Dione, the Bank’s regional vice president for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan (MENAAP), reaffirmed his institution’s commitment to deepening its engagement with Pakistan.

He praised the country’s ongoing macroeconomic stabilization efforts and expressed confidence in the current administration’s reform agenda aimed at restoring investor confidence and promoting inclusive, sustainable growth.


Taliban deny UN report they tortured, threatened Afghans expelled from Pakistan and Iran 

Taliban deny UN report they tortured, threatened Afghans expelled from Pakistan and Iran 
Updated 21 min 32 sec ago
Follow

Taliban deny UN report they tortured, threatened Afghans expelled from Pakistan and Iran 

Taliban deny UN report they tortured, threatened Afghans expelled from Pakistan and Iran 
  • Pakistan and Iran are expelling millions of Afghans who they say are living in their countries illegally
  • Taliban authorities deny mistreating Afghan returnees, reject allegations of arrest, violence, intimidation 

ISLAMABAD: The Taliban have tortured and threatened Afghans forcibly returned from Iran and Pakistan because of their identity or personal history, a UN report said Thursday, which the Kabul administration has denied.

Pakistan and Iran are expelling millions of Afghans who they say are living in their countries illegally. Afghan authorities have urged nationals to return, pledging amnesty for anyone who left after the Taliban seized power in 2021.

But rights groups and the UN have repeatedly warned that some of those returning are at risk of persecution because of their gender, links to the former Western-backed administration or profession.

Thursday’s report from the UN mission in Afghanistan said some people have experienced serious human rights violations, while others have gone into hiding or relocated for fear of Taliban reprisal.

The violations include torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary arrest, and threats to personal security at the hands of the Taliban, according to the report.

A former government official told the UN mission that, after his return to Afghanistan in 2023, he was detained and severely tortured with sticks and cables. He was waterboarded and subjected to a mock execution.

A non-binary person said they were beaten severely, including with the back of a gun.

Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said nobody should be sent back to a country where they faced the risk of persecution on account of their identity or personal history. This was even more pronounced for Afghan women and girls, who were subjected to a range of measures “amounting to persecution based on their gender alone,” he added.

The Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on Afghan girls and women, cutting off education beyond sixth grade, most employment and access to many public spaces.

Responding to the report, Taliban authorities denied mistreating Afghan returnees and rejected allegations of arrest, violence, intimidation or retaliation against people because of their identity or personal history.

Afghans returning from neighboring countries were provided with facilities related to documentation, transportation, resettlement, and other legal support, they said, while the Interior Ministry provides a “warm welcome.”

They called on the UN mission to prevent forced deportations, adding the United Nations as a whole “should not hesitate” in providing basic needs to refugees, such as food, medicine, shelter and education.

Afghans who left their homeland in the millions over the decades are either being pushed out in expulsion campaigns, like those in Iran and Pakistan, or face an uncertain future because of reduced support for refugees.

On Monday, thousands of Afghans in the US lost protection from deportation after a federal appeals court refused to postpone US President Donald Trump administration’s decision to end their legal status.

Homeland Security officials said in their decision to end the Temporary Protected Status for Afghans that the situation in their home country was getting better. But groups helping Afghans with this status say the country is still extremely dangerous.

The Trump administration’s January suspension of a refugee program has left thousands of Afghans stranded, particularly in Pakistan, and a travel ban on Afghans has further diminished their hopes of resettlement in the US.


Pakistan-UAE trade hit $10.1 billion in FY24-25 amid deepening cooperation

Pakistan-UAE trade hit $10.1 billion in FY24-25 amid deepening cooperation
Updated 31 min 5 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan-UAE trade hit $10.1 billion in FY24-25 amid deepening cooperation

Pakistan-UAE trade hit $10.1 billion in FY24-25 amid deepening cooperation
  • Trade surge attributed to policies of Special Investment Facilitation Council, Radio Pakistan says
  • UAE remains key for Pakistan’s exports, remittances and trade diversification strategy

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates strengthened economic ties this year, with bilateral trade increasing by 20.24 percent to $10.1 billion in fiscal 2024–25, according to State Bank of Pakistan data cited by Radio Pakistan on Thursday.

The state broadcaster report attributed the gains to the efforts of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a civil-military body set up in 2023 to fast‑track Gulf and other foreign investments in Pakistan’s key sectors. Islamabad aims to leverage these ties to reduce its import bill, attract capital, and create jobs.

The renewed focus on FDI comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to diversify exports and stabilize its economy under an IMF-supported reform program. 

“There has been significant progress in Pakistan‑UAE cooperation due to effective policies of Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC),” the state broadcaster reported, attributing the statement to the Interior Ministry.

The growth follows the 12th session of the Pakistan‑UAE Joint Ministerial Commission, where officials from both countries discussed collaborations in trade, investment, food security, aviation, IT and energy, Radio Pakistan added. 

Bilateral trade reached approximately $10.9 billion in fiscal 2023–24, including $8.41 billion in goods and $2.56 billion in services. Exports from Pakistan to the UAE were around $2.1 billion in FY25, compared to $8 billion in imports.

The UAE is also a major source of remittances. In 2024, money sent home by the Pakistani diaspora was $6.7 billion, which is projected to exceed $7 billion in 2025.


Pakistan central bank likely to cut interest rate at July 30 monetary policy meeting — poll

Pakistan central bank likely to cut interest rate at July 30 monetary policy meeting — poll
Updated 38 min 20 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan central bank likely to cut interest rate at July 30 monetary policy meeting — poll

Pakistan central bank likely to cut interest rate at July 30 monetary policy meeting — poll
  • Topline Securities survey finds 56 percent expect 50–100 bps rate cut, 37 percent see no change
  • Inflation projected to average 5–7 percent in FY26 leaving room for gradual monetary easing

KARACHI: A majority of financial market participants expect Pakistan’s central bank to cut its key interest rate by 50 to 100 basis points at its upcoming Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting on July 30, according to a new poll by Topline Securities published this week.

The findings reflect growing market confidence that declining inflation and easing global oil prices have created space for monetary easing. In its last meeting, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) kept the policy rate unchanged at 11 percent, citing uncertainty over the federal budget and regional tensions in the Middle East. This time, a stronger consensus appears to be building toward a rate cut.

In the latest survey, 56 percent of participants said they expect a 50–100 bps cut, compared to 44 percent in the previous poll, while 37 percent now expect no change, down from 56 percent in the last round.

Topline’s own forecast aligns with the consensus: the brokerage expects a 50 bps cut, noting that real interest rates remain elevated relative to historical averages.

“With FY26 inflation expected to average between 5–7 percent, the current policy rate of 11 percent implies real interest rates of 400–600 basis points — well above the historical range of 200–300 bps,” Topline said.

The survey also offered a broader glimpse into market sentiment:

51 percent of respondents expect the policy rate to fall to 10 percent by December 2025, with another 32 percent expecting 9 percent

On inflation, 54 percent forecast average inflation between 6–8 percent, while 27 percent see it between 4–6 percent

On the exchange rate, 51 percent expect the rupee to hover between Rs285–290 per US dollar by December 2025

Topline expects July inflation to fall to 3–3.5 percent, with prices staying between 3–5 percent through January 2026 before inching up to 6–8 percent through mid-2026. Pakistan’s government has set a 7.5 percent inflation target for FY26, while the IMF projects an average of 7.7 percent.

Secondary market signals also point to easing: yields on 6-month KIBOR and T-bills have dropped by 10–39 bps since the last MPC meeting. The 6M KIBOR currently stands at 10.99 percent, while the 6-month T-bill is at 10.75 percent.