ISLAMABAD: Senior Punjab administration officials have raised the possibility of inducing artificial rain in Lahore, which has been persistently shrouded in dense smog since winter’s onset, leading to school and market closures and drawing criticism from residents over the government’s inadequate response to the issue.
Pakistan’s second-largest city, Lahore, has remained consistently on top of the world’s most polluted places in recent months, with its Air Quality Index (AQI) level hovering around 490.
The AQI is a standardized tool measuring air pollutants like particulate matter, serving as a crucial barometer for public health. An AQI over 300 is considered “hazardous,” meaning the air poses serious health risks to all residents, not just vulnerable groups.
Caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab Mohsin Naqvi announced a brief holiday earlier in the month, urging the residents of Lahore to stay indoors to prevent private and public vehicles from plying the roads in bigger numbers to reduce emissions from low-grade fuel.
“If Lahore gets clouds on November 29 that are suitable for artificial rain, we will try to arrange for artificial rain,” he told a news conference on Thursday. “But we are still not fully prepared for that. We will have to work on it. Also, you need a specific type of cloud for that. We are working on that, too.”
However, the people of Lahore remained skeptical, saying the provincial administration was not doing enough to deal with the problem even when it had lasted for days.
“The government is making a lot of claims, but is not acting on it,” said Bilal Jan, a resident. “Sometimes, they say they are arranging artificial rain, sometimes they claim they will arrange snow, but it is all just tall claims. There is nothing happening on the ground.”
Zeeshan Gill, another person living in the city, called for the cloud seeding technique that is used to induce artificial rain to deal with the environmental crisis.
“I request the [Punjab] chief minister that if we are not getting rain, they should arrange for cloud seeding so that we can get rain in the city. Also, there should be a severe punishment for those people who are burning crops so that we can get rid of the smog, because it is giving rise to a lot of illnesses,” he said, referring to farmers who burn crop stubble.
Growing industrialization in South Asia in recent decades has fueled growing pollutants emanating from factories, construction activity and vehicles in densely populated areas.
The problem becomes more severe in cooler autumn and winter months, as temperature inversion prevents a layer of warm air from rising and traps pollutants closer to the ground.
Rising air pollution can cut life expectancy by more than five years per person in South Asia, one of the world’s most polluted regions.
Pakistan’s Punjab mulls ‘artificial rain’ as smog forces school, market closures in Lahore
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Pakistan’s Punjab mulls ‘artificial rain’ as smog forces school, market closures in Lahore
- Pakistan’s second-largest city has remained consistently on top of the world’s most polluted places
- Lahore residents say the provincial authorities have not done enough to deal with the smog challenge
Saudi aviation team to conduct security audit of seven Pakistani airports in August
- Saudi team to conduct audit at airports in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Multan, says official
- Saudi Arabia’s aviation team expressed satisfaction with Pakistan’s aviation security procedures in its last audit two years ago
KARACHI: A Saudi aviation team will conduct a security audit of seven Pakistani airports in August, a Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) spokesperson said on Wednesday.
The security audit will cover airports in Pakistan’s Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Faisalabad, Sialkot, and Multan cities, PCAA spokesperson Shahid Qadir said.
He said the director-general of Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has approached Pakistan’s DG PCAA, Nadir Shafi Dar, to conduct the aviation security audit.
“A Saudi aviation security team will visit Pakistan in the coming month and will conduct this audit in August and onwards,” Qadir told Arab News.
The Saudi aviation team is coordinating closely with the PCAA’s Directorate of Aviation Security (AvSec), which will host the visiting delegation, Qadir said. The PCAA’s director general has designated the AvSec director to oversee the audit process, he added.
This marks the second such audit by Saudi aviation authorities, who conducted their inaugural security assessment of Pakistan in 2023. The Saudi team later expressed satisfaction with Pakistan’s aviation security procedures, which involve multiple stakeholders such as the Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA), the Airport Security Force (ASF), airlines, cargo handlers and catering companies.
The development takes place as Pakistan’s civil aviation sector shows marked improvement in international benchmarks.
Following the separation of the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) from the PCAA and the enactment of the Civil Aviation Authority Act, Pakistan has achieved a score of 86.73 percent in the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Universal Security Audit Programme (USAP).
As per the PCAA, this rating is higher than the global average of 71 percent and India’s 73 percent.
Separately, a two-member team from the United Kingdom’s Department for Transport (DfT) began its aviation security assessment of the Islamabad International Airport on Tuesday.
The team, accompanied by a representative of the British High Commission, will review airport security procedures, catering, and flight operations over its three-day visit.
“All aviation security stakeholders, including PAA officials, ASF personnel and representatives from PIA, British Airways, Air Blue, Kitchen Cuisine, Ras Menzies and others attended the initial briefing,” a PCAA handout said.
The PCAA said Pakistan has previously performed well in the UK’s DfT audits, saying that officials are optimistic about the outcome of the latest assessment.
The PCAA said its director general has also initiated engagement with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in pursuit of direct flight operations to the US.
The development follows Pakistan’s national carrier resuming flights to Europe in January after the European aviation safety agency lifted its four-year ban on the airline.
Pakistan International Airlines has also approached UK authorities for permission to resume its services to the country.
PIA was banned by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), UK and the US after Pakistan opened an investigation into the validity of pilots’ licenses following a PIA plane crash in Karachi in May 2020 that killed 97 people.
Police say militants behind quadcopter attacks in northwest Pakistan that killed one, injured three
- No group has claimed responsibility for attacks, one of which police say targeted a police station in Bannu
- Pakistan’s military blamed militant outfits backed by India for drone attacks that killed four children in May
PESHAWAR: One woman was killed while three others were injured in two quadcopter attacks in northwestern Pakistan this week, a police official said on Wednesday, blaming militants for carrying out the assault.
The first attack took place on Tuesday night in the northwestern tribal Bannu district’s Srah Bangla area, District Police Officer (DPO) Saleem Abbas Kulachi said. The quadcopter strike killed a woman and left three injured, including two children, he added.
The second attack targeted the Miryan Police Station in the same district at 6:45 am on Wednesday, he said. The police officer added that an explosive-laden quadcopter deployed by the “Khawarij” had struck the facility.
Khawarij is a commonly used term by Pakistani authorities to describe extremist factions like the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“These attacks are being carried out by militants who have acquired and deployed quadcopters in carrying out attacks,” Amir Khan, a media officer for the regional police officer in Bannu, told Arab News.
He did not provide further details. Kulachi, however, said an investigation is underway to identify those responsible for the Miryan Police Station attack.
The TTP, which has carried out some of the deadliest attacks against Pakistan’s armed forces and civilians since 2007, has not claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
On May 19, a suspected drone strike reportedly led to the deaths of four children in Hurmuz village of the northwestern Mir Ali tehsil and injuries to five others, including a woman.
Pakistan’s military denied responsibility for the attack days later, attributing the incident to a proscribed militant network which it said was operating on “the behest of their Indian masters.”
“Initial findings have established that this heinous act has been orchestrated and executed by Indian-sponsored Fitna Al Khawarij,” the military’s media wing said in a statement.
Later in May, police said at least 22 people were wounded in another suspected quadcopter attack near a volleyball ground in Pakistan’s South Waziristan district.
The police spokesperson had said the origins and operators of the drone remained “undetermined.
Islamabad has repeatedly blamed Afghanistan-based militant groups for launching attacks inside Pakistan, a claim that Kabul denies.
Pakistan also blames India for backing militant groups in its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. India denies the allegations.
Pakistan extends Hajj 2026 registration deadline to July 11 as 313,000 complete process
- The deadline for the registration process of Hajj 2026 was supposed to end on July 9
- Registration is mandatory for all intending pilgrims and no fee is required at this stage
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government has extended the deadline for Hajj 2026 registration by two days to July 11, the religion ministry said on Wednesday, sharing that 313,000 people have completed the registration process so far.
The ministry had announced the launch of next year’s Hajj process last month, which was due to remain open till July 9. Applicants will be able to choose between the government and private Hajj schemes once the deadline expires.
Intending pilgrims can register through 15 designated banks, and only those who complete the process will be eligible to perform Hajj next year. No fee is required at the registration stage.
“Deadline for Hajj 2026 registration has been extended by two days,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) said in a statement.
“Hajj registration will continue until July 11 through designated banks and the ministry’s online portal.”
The ministry said 313,000 individuals have so far completed the registration process for Hajj 2026. It added that the decision to extend the deadline was taken after considering requests from several intending pilgrims.
The ministry said expenses and other terms and conditions of Hajj 2026 will be issued separately as per the Hajj policy.
Registration is mandatory for pilgrims who were left out of the private scheme this year, as well as for Pakistanis residing abroad.
Pakistan had received a quota of 179,210 pilgrims from Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2025, evenly divided between the government and private Hajj operators.
However, a major portion of the private quota remained unutilized due to delays by companies in meeting payment and registration deadlines, while the government filled its full allocation of over 88,000 pilgrims.
Private operators blamed the situation on technical glitches such as payment issues and communication breakdowns.
Pakistan kicks off investor roadshow in China for inaugural panda bond
- Pre-marketing meetings in Beijing draw strong investor interest in debut Panda Bond
- Finance Ministry says move will help diversify funding through China’s onshore market
KARACHI: Pakistan has launched a series of investor meetings in Beijing this week as it prepares to issue its first-ever panda bond, the finance ministry said on Wednesday, marking a significant step in the country’s strategy to diversify its funding sources through China’s onshore capital market.
Representatives from the Pakistani ministry of finance are holding the non-deal investor roadshow (NDR) in China from July 7 to 11, 2025. The delegation has engaged in technical discussions with potential investors, underwriters, prospective guarantors, the Chinese Rating Agency, and Chinese legal counsel as part of the pre-marketing process for the debut issuance.
The investor meetings focus on Pakistan’s macroeconomic outlook, ongoing debt management reforms and the proposed bond’s structure. The initiative reflects Pakistan’s push to broaden its investor base and strengthen its credibility in international capital markets.
A panda bond is a Renminbi-denominated bond issued by a foreign government, multilateral institution, or company in China’s onshore bond market, allowing overseas issuers to raise funds from Chinese investors while diversifying their investor base and gaining access to China’s deep capital pool.
“The visit reflects the Government’s commitment to proactive investor engagement and diversification of funding sources through access to China’s onshore capital market,” the finance ministry said in a statement.
According to the ministry, the inaugural panda bond is expected to be launched later this year after the completion of documentation and regulatory approvals, including credit guarantees from multilateral development partners.
Officials said the roadshow has drawn strong initial interest, signalling investor confidence in Pakistan’s reform trajectory. The ministry described the move as a milestone that would help Pakistan tap China’s deep and diversified onshore bond market while using local currency instruments backed by multilateral partners.
“The successful NDR so far reflects the Government’s commitment to innovative and forward-looking financial diplomacy — and sends a clear message: Pakistan is ready to enter new capital frontiers with confidence and credibility,” the statement added.
Pakistan launches new fisheries policy, eyeing $10 billion from sector
- Despite Pakistan having over 1,050 kilometers of coastline, its untapped fisheries sector contributes only 0.5 percent to GDP
- Ten-year policy focuses on climate resilience, gender inclusion, modern technologies, says maritime affairs ministry
KARACHI: Pakistan’s government launched its 10-year national fisheries and aquaculture policy on Wednesday, with a senior official saying that better management and value addition could help the fisheries sector generate up to $10 billion in value.
Pakistan has the potential to become a major player in the global fisheries markets with over 1,050 kilometers of coastline along the Arabian Sea and vast inland water resources. However, its fisheries sector remains largely undertapped due to poor regulations and issues such as overfishing, contributing only 0.5 percent to the country’s GDP.
Pakistan’s Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry launched the 10-year National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy 2025–2035 at a workshop in Islamabad.
“With better management and value addition, the [fisheries] sector could generate up to $10 billion in value,” Maritime Affairs Minister Secretary Zaffar Ali Shah said at the workshop.
Shah said despite Pakistan’s long coastline, the fisheries sector has failed to achieve its potential, saying that while it remains a vital source of livelihood, it faces serious issues like overfishing and poor regulation.
“He noted that the newly introduced national policy aims to resolve these challenges through coordinated planning,” the maritime affairs ministry said.
Chaudhry said the policy focuses on cross-cutting priorities such as climate resilience, environmental protection, child safety, gender inclusion, labor rights and the adoption of modern technologies.
The minister said that the policy’s success depended on sustained commitment, effective coordination and active engagement from all stakeholders.
“He said this policy represents a major milestone for not just the ministry but for all institutions, communities and stakeholders committed to the future of Pakistan’s blue economy,” the maritime affairs ministry said.
The workshop, organized by the maritime affairs ministry, also featured several panel discussions, including sessions on governance and incentives for the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, strategies for the development and management of aquaculture in Pakistan, and the implementation framework and cross-cutting themes of the national policy.
Pakistan reported an increase of over 20 percent in its seafood exports during the last fiscal year, reiterating its commitment to bolster its blue economy. The South Asian country hopes to achieve sustainable economic growth driven largely by exports.
