Tag: Pakistan

Death toll from a fire at a shopping plaza in Pakistan’s city of Karachi rose to 67 yesterday after police and a hospital official confirmed remains of dozens more people had been found.

Police surgeon, Dr. Summaiya Syed, said rescue teams were still searching the damaged Gul Plaza in Karachi, where the blaze erupted on Saturday.

Most remains were discovered in fragments, making identification difficult, but the deaths of 67 have been confirmed, she said. Asad Raza, a senior police official in Karachi, also confirmed the death toll. Authorities previously confirmed 34 deaths.

Relations of the missing have stayed near the destroyed plaza and hospital, even after providing their DNA for testing. Some have tried to enter the building forcibly, criticising the rescue efforts as too slow.

“They are not conducting the search properly,” said Khair-un-Nisa, pointing toward the rescuers. She stood outside the building in tears, saying a relative who left for shopping has been missing since the blaze.

Another woman, Saadia Saeed, said her brother has been trapped inside since Saturday and she does not know what happened to him.

“I am ready to go inside the plaza to look for him, but police are not allowing me,” she said.

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There was no immediate comment from authorities about accusations they have been too slow. Many relatives of the missing claim more lives could have been saved if the government had acted more swiftly. Authorities have deployed police around the plaza to prevent relatives from entering the unstable structure, while rescuers continue their careful search.

Investigators say the blaze erupted at a time when most shop owners were either closing for the day or had already left. Since then, the Sindh provincial government has said around 70 people were missing after the flames spread rapidly, fueled by goods such as cosmetics, clothing, and plastic items.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, though police have indicated that a short circuit may have triggered the blaze.

Karachi has a long history of deadly fires, often linked to poor safety standards, weak regulatory enforcement, and illegal construction.

In November 2023, a shopping mall fire killed 10 people and injured 22. One of Pakistan’s deadliest industrial disasters occurred in 2012, when a garment factory fire killed at least 260 people.

Pakistan’s federal cabinet has approved a 1.275 trillion Pakistani rupees (approximately 4.6 billion dollars) plan to tackle circular debt in the power sector, aim to restore financial stability and investor confidence.

This is according to the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday.

Describing it as a “historic step,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the plan would bring sustainable reforms, reduce fiscal burden, and strengthen the country’s energy infrastructure without adding pressure on the national budget.

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The six-year plan will be financed through domestic commercial banks at an interest rate 0.9 per cent below the three-month Karachi Interbank Offered Rate (KIBOR), with repayment spread over 24 quarterly installments, the Ministry of Energy said in a separate statement.

Around 683 billion rupees (2.47 billion dollars) will be used to refinance the Power Holding Company’s liabilities, while the remainder will clear long-standing dues of Independent Power Producers.

The ministry added that annual repayments are capped at 323 billion rupees (1.17 billion dollars), with a ceiling of 1.938 trillion rupees (7 billion dollars) in case of interest rate fluctuations.

(Xinhua/NAN)

The government of Pakistan has firmly rejected accusations made in the Indian media alleging its involvement in cross-border attacks in Pathankot, Jaisalmer, and Srinagar.

In a statement released yesterday, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Rt. Maj.-Gen. Sohail Khan, described the claims as baseless and politically charged, labeling them part of a reckless propaganda campaign aimed at tarnishing Pakistan’s image.

He criticised what he called a recurring tactic by India of leveling accusations without credible investigations, suggesting it is a deliberate strategy to justify aggression and destabilise the region.

“These actions not only threaten regional peace but also reflect a troubling readiness to manipulate misinformation for political or military advantage,” Khan said.

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He called on the international community to take note of what he termed “dangerous behavior” and to advise India toward “restraint and responsibility,” warning that any escalation based on falsehoods would be met with firm resolve.

While reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to peace, Khan emphasized the country’s preparedness to defend its sovereignty.

 “Pakistan remains vigilant and will not be deterred by efforts to provoke or mislead,” he said.

The statement also referenced earlier comments by India’s Defence Minister, who claimed that many of the militants killed in Jammu and Kashmir were Pakistani nationals.

Pakistan’s military dismissed those claims as “hollow and reckless,” accusing India of using such narratives to deflect attention from internal challenges and human rights concerns.