Fresh spell of torrential rains batters twin cities

Torrential rains swept across Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Friday, intensifying the cold and bringing daily life to a near standstill as rainwater seeped through dilapidated structures, prompting municipal authorities to issue precautionary evacuation notices to owners and tenants. Prolonged power outages disrupted commercial activity throughout the day further hampering routine life. Severe waterlogging on major roads and residential areas compounded the disruption while thick cloud cover, thunder and lightning persisted. Light hail was also reported in several localities. All low-lying areas were inundated, and key arteries, including Mall Road, Murree Road, Rawal Road, Saddar markets, underpasses and inner-city streets, were submerged, making movement extremely difficult. The drainage system was affected, leaving sewage water standing in vulnerable neighbourhoods, with water levels reaching up to one foot in some areas. Despite the inclement weather, vendors selling dry fruits, peanuts, chickpeas, hot soups, samosas, pakoras, tea and coffee reported brisk sales. Construction work on the Kacheri Underpass project was suspended due to standing water and sludge, while attendance at courts, offices and schools remained markedly low. Birds were seen sheltering in dense clusters of trees. With continuous rainfall, the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) imposed a citywide red alert. At the same time, record snowfall in Murree and other hilly areas attracted large numbers of visitors. Read More: Rain and snow trigger cold wave across Pakistan Wasa Managing Director Muhammad Saleem Ashraf said all manpower and resources had been fully mobilised to deal with any emergency. He said heavy machinery and field teams were deployed to ensure rapid drainage in vulnerable areas, including Liaquat Bagh, Committee Chowk underpass, Murree Road and Sadiqabad, where dewatering operations continued round the clock. He added that Nullah Lai was being closely monitored and remained within normal flow limits, though emergency teams were on standby. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, 50 millimetres of rainfall was recorded in the twin cities over the past 24 hours, with the highest precipitation in Saidpur (46mm). Heavy snowfall in Murree and Galiyat contributed to a sharp fall in temperatures in the federal capital. The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued an alert for January 26 and 27, forecasting heavy rain and snowfall across most districts of Punjab, including the Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan and Bahawalpur divisions. All relevant departments have been placed on alert, with emergency control rooms operating round the clock. PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia urged citizens to avoid unnecessary travel, advising tourists in Murree to strictly follow official guidance. He has asked the public to observe precautionary measures and contact the PDMA helpline 1129 in case of emergency.

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Fresh spell of torrential rains batter twin cities

Torrential rains swept across Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Friday, intensifying the cold and bringing daily life to a near standstill as rainwater seeped through dilapidated structures, prompting municipal authorities to issue precautionary evacuation notices to owners and tenants. Prolonged power outages disrupted commercial activity throughout the day further hampering routine life. Severe waterlogging on major roads and residential areas compounded the disruption while thick cloud cover, thunder and lightning persisted. Light hail was also reported in several localities. All low-lying areas were inundated, and key arteries, including Mall Road, Murree Road, Rawal Road, Saddar markets, underpasses and inner-city streets, were submerged, making movement extremely difficult. The drainage system was affected, leaving sewage water standing in vulnerable neighbourhoods, with water levels reaching up to one foot in some areas. Despite the inclement weather, vendors selling dry fruits, peanuts, chickpeas, hot soups, samosas, pakoras, tea and coffee reported brisk sales. Construction work on the Kacheri Underpass project was suspended due to standing water and sludge, while attendance at courts, offices and schools remained markedly low. Birds were seen sheltering in dense clusters of trees. With continuous rainfall, the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) imposed a citywide red alert. At the same time, record snowfall in Murree and other hilly areas attracted large numbers of visitors. Read More: Rain and snow trigger cold wave across Pakistan Wasa Managing Director Muhammad Saleem Ashraf said all manpower and resources had been fully mobilised to deal with any emergency. He said heavy machinery and field teams were deployed to ensure rapid drainage in vulnerable areas, including Liaquat Bagh, Committee Chowk underpass, Murree Road and Sadiqabad, where dewatering operations continued round the clock. He added that Nullah Lai was being closely monitored and remained within normal flow limits, though emergency teams were on standby. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, 50 millimetres of rainfall was recorded in the twin cities over the past 24 hours, with the highest precipitation in Saidpur (46mm). Heavy snowfall in Murree and Galiyat contributed to a sharp fall in temperatures in the federal capital. The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued an alert for January 26 and 27, forecasting heavy rain and snowfall across most districts of Punjab, including the Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan and Bahawalpur divisions. All relevant departments have been placed on alert, with emergency control rooms operating round the clock. PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia urged citizens to avoid unnecessary travel, advising tourists in Murree to strictly follow official guidance. He has asked the public to observe precautionary measures and contact the PDMA helpline 1129 in case of emergency.

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Multan Airport completes upgrade

The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has completed a major facilities upgrade at Multan International Airport, finalising the installation of a modern LED lighting system in the airport's car park as part of a broader plan to improve passenger convenience, safety and energy efficiency. According to the PAA, the newly installed LED lights have enhanced illumination across the car park, improving visibility, passenger comfort and overall usability of the facility. The authority said the upgrade aligns with its vision of ensuring effective energy use while delivering better services to travellers.

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6.5m posts blocked in a year

The National Assembly was informed during the Question Hour on Thursday that the relevant authorities have blocked 6.5 million blasphemous and obscene posts within a single year. The question was raised by PPP lawmaker Syed Hussain Tariq. He said that despite blocking of millions of websites through the web monitoring system, online fraud websites remain active. He said that parliamentarians were still receiving messages through such fraudulent platforms and demanded to know what actions have been taken against them.

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Sindh CM orders launch of 'non-negotiable' Karachi Safe City project's phase I by March

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Thursday directed the Sindh Safe Cities Authority (SSCA) to launch Phase I of the "non-negotiable" Karachi Safe City (KSC) Project within the next two months. Presiding over a meeting of the SSCA at CM House, the chief minister said: “The safety of Karachi is non-negotiable. We are moving from the project phase to a fully functional authority." The chief minister further stated that surveys for Safe City projects in Hyderabad and Sukkur, as well as smart camera installations at provincial entry and exit points, were completed by the National Radio & Telecommunication Corporation.  He ordered preparations for Safe City projects in the two cities. “I want a comprehensive plan with a clear timeline submitted for approval,” he added. Sindh CM ⁦@MuradAliShahPPP⁩ chaired a meeting of Safe Cities Authority. Phase-I of Karachi Safe City Project will be operational within two months. Project includes 1,300 cameras, fully functional facial & number plate recognition systems & revised budget of Rs200 million. pic.twitter.com/WwxzIRWmcR — Sindh Chief Minister House (@SindhCMHouse) January 22, 2026 The chief minister directed the SSCA to hire technical experts strictly on merit and necessity, forming a dedicated committee to oversee recruitment. CM Shah also approved the immediate hiring of 34 specialised technical and administrative staff, including lead systems architects, backend developers and surveillance officers to ensure the multibillion-rupee project became operational within the stipulated timeline. Phase I of the project includes the installation of 1,300 cameras across 300 pole sites, 18 point of presence sites and 23 emergency response vehicles. The chief minister was told the system was currently in the “acceptance trial phase” as technology installations were complete. Read More: Sindh CM offers Beaconhouse to run govt schools To prevent delays, the chief minister re-appropriated Rs200 million within the existing budget, prioritising human resources and patrolling logistics. The SSCA will temporarily operate from the Central Police Office with Sindh Inspector General of Police Javed Akhtar Odho providing a dedicated floor for coordination with existing command-and-control functions. SSCA Director General Sarfraz Nawaz briefed the chief minister that the technical infrastructure, including servers, video walls, and fibre optic networks, was completed on schedule by December 17. He added that the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system was being fine-tuned and would showcase live facial recognition and automatic number plate recognition within two weeks. The meeting was attended by Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, CM’s Special Assistant Ali Rashid, MPAs Sumeta Afzal and Syed Sarfraz Shah, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Home Secretary Iqbal Memon, IG Police Javed Alam Odho, PSCM Agha Wasif, and other senior officials.

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Pakistan moving forward with 'sense of achievement and progress', PM Shehbaz says on WEF's sidelines

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said Pakistan was moving forward with a renewed sense of "achievement and progress", while underscoring the need to pursue export-led growth to ensure sustainable economic development. Speaking to members of the Pakistani community and business leaders on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, the prime minister said recent economic indicators reflected improving stability. “Our macroeconomic indicators are reassuring,” he said, noting that inflation had declined from 30% to 5.5%, while the policy rate had been reduced from 22.5% to 10.5%. He added that Pakistan’s IT exports had shown encouraging progress, although exports continued to face multiple challenges and social indicators still required improvement through sustained collective efforts. The prime minister said the direction ahead was "clear", stressing that Pakistan must move towards "export-led growth". He said the government had introduced fundamental structural reforms to strengthen the economy. Highlighting milestones achieved by his administration, the premier said the revenue collection system had undergone major reforms and was being fully digitised. He added that the tax-to-GDP ratio had risen to 10.5p% from 9% a couple of years ago, calling it a significant achievement. The prime minister said agricultural exports had shown promising growth and that Pakistan had entered the mines and minerals sector in a “big way”. He said agreements and memoranda of understanding had been signed with American and Chinese companies, adding that Pakistan was endowed with vast natural resources in Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. PM Shehbaz said the government had decided to move ahead “at lightning speed” and was also making rapid progress in emerging sectors such as cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence and information technology. “Our IT exports have shown remarkable progress in recent years and now stand at $3 billion annually officialy,” he said, adding that several policy instruments had been introduced to facilitate growth in the sector. Referring to Pakistan’s large youth population, the prime minister said it posed both a challenge and a significant opportunity. He added that the federal and provincial governments had launched several initiatives to empower young people through vocational training and skills development programmes. Regarding China, he said: "We have strong economic connections and now we have built relations with United states and as is said earlier that in the field on mines and minerals, there is great hope that we have to cooperate with each other in big way." He also said that Pakistan would cooperate with both countries in counter-terrorism efforts, along with IT and artificial intelligence. "I think Pakistan is at a point of time where we are going to take off rapidly in agriculture, in industry, in mining industry, AI and IT and I think our future is very progressing, I have no doubts about it." The premier added that his government was moving forward with "complete transparency". He pointed out that Pakistan International Airlines, a national asset, was recently privatised. "Unfortunately, over the last few decades it had suffered setbacks, and it has now been bought by the private sector in Pakistan. “Its privatisation has been completely transparent. Every aspect of the process was shown live to the world, so everyone could see in real time how transparent this transaction was,” he said, calling it a hallmark of his government. The prime minister said the government was moving ahead with further privatisation measures, including the outsourcing of airports and the privatisation of the power sector, distribution companies and transmission lines, noting that these steps were taken under a stringent IMF programme implemented “in letter and spirit”. “That is why the IMF is now cautiously using Pakistan’s success story as a role model for developing countries, and now we have to move forward toward growth.” Referring to the closure of state-run entities such as Utility Stores, the Pakistan Works Department and the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation, he said these institutions were shut down to save billions of rupees of the country’s poor, as they had been bleeding the national economy. “Utility stores, which were offered sub standard goods to the common man, has been completely shutdown and this bleeding is over forever and just saved billions of rupees to the exchequer,” he said. The prime minister said the government remained unwavering in its resolve, stressing that failure to take such difficult decisions would have been unfair to both itself and the people of Pakistan. “Unless and until we stop this bleeding of our economy through these measures, challenging as they are, our economy will not be on sound footing, no matter what we do.” Calling for a sense of ownership and understanding among stakeholders, he said Pakistan was at a critical juncture and poised for take-off. “we are a country with 240 million people, country with a youth bulch, which is a great challenge as well as opportunity and we are absolutely committed to convert this into an opportunity by providing them all those opportunities and tools which will make our country great,” he concluded. Aurangzeb hails reform gains, calls privatisation ‘huge air vent’ Earlier, speaking at the Pakistan Pavilion, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said Pakistan had made significant progress in stabilising its economy over the past year, describing privatisation as a “huge air vent” that would pave the way for further reforms. Aurangzeb said the country had consolidated its macroeconomic gains and was moving in the right direction. He noted that this progress had been externally validated, with three global rating agencies upgrading Pakistan’s outlook during the period. Terming these developments the result of structural reforms, the finance minister said there was often debate over whether reforms were taking place in Pakistan, with some describing them as “elusive”. However, he said the reality was that the country was increasingly receiving external and international recognition for reforms currently under execution. While acknowledging that some headway had been made, Aurangzeb stressed that much remained to be done. “Our tax-to-GDP is now in double digits, but we still have a long way to go before declaring fiscal sustainability,” he said. Emphasising the need to expand the tax base, he said economic sustainability depended on bringing previously untaxed sectors into the net. He added that the government was focusing on widening the tax base while improving compliance and enforcement through the use of technology. Calling reforms of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) critical, Aurangzeb said circular debt had been reduced and governance improvements introduced. However, inefficiencies in SOEs continued to cost the country close to a trillion rupees annually. He said 24 SOEs had been handed over to the Privatisation Commission and noted that, after decades, Pakistan had succeeded in privatising its national airline. The move, he added, would serve as a catalyst for other privatisation processes. The finance minister said that before attracting foreign direct investment, the government needed to provide the same level of confidence to local investors. Referring to Pakistan’s inaugural panda bond, Aurangzeb said the focus was on issuing the country’s first such bond. “This is the first time Pakistan is going to access the Chinese capital market, which is the second largest and second deepest capital market in the world,” he said. However, he cautioned against complacency, saying Pakistan still had a long way to go to escape boom-and-bust cycles and must exercise patience to avoid repeating past mistakes. He added that the necessary pillars were now in place to take the country forward, saying “the ball is in our court”. Also speaking at the forum, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan’s economic path was now firmly geared towards growth. He argued that a country with a population growth rate of 2.5 per cent could not sustain itself on economic growth of 2.5 or 3 per cent. “Prime Minister and finance team are actively pursuing this goal, and I am sure this is not unachievable, as the country has shown its resilience,” he said. Recalling past performance, Dar said Pakistan had achieved 6.3 per cent growth in 2017, recorded its highest foreign exchange reserves and maintained low inflation at 3.59 per cent, demonstrating the country’s capacity to reach those targets again. He said Pakistan, which had been diplomatically isolated three years ago, was now fully integrated into the international system. “In 2021, we won UN Security Council elections with just one vote; this time we have 182 votes versus five,” he said, calling it a reflection of growing global confidence in Pakistan. Dar said the country was passing through a transformative phase and was engaging proactively at regional and global levels to contribute to peace and stability. “We are engaged with our neighbour partners, we are engaged globally, and we are engaged with international forums. I am sure you will have much good news in due course,” he added.

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Punjab flags widespread fire safety risk at major commercial plazas

Alarmingly weak fire safety standards have been uncovered across major commercial buildings in Punjab following a province-wide inspection, launched after the deadly fire at Karachi’s Gul Plaza, which claimed over 50 lives, officials said on Wednesday. The Punjab Emergency and Rescue Department conducted a fire safety survey and found serious deficiencies at majority of plazas, markets, and shopping malls. Of the 2,214 buildings inspected across the province, 1,722 were placed in the lowest ‘D’ safety category. Lahore emerged as the high-risk city in the survey. Officials put 682 buildings across the provincial capital in ‘D’ category, and declared 13 structures completely unsafe for occupation. The report noted that many of the D-category buildings lacked basic fire protection measures, including fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and clearly marked emergency exits. Authorities warned that such lapses could result in catastrophic loss of life and property in the event of a major blaze. By contrast, only 65 buildings across Punjab met the highest A-grade safety standards. Another 129 were classified as B-grade, while 284 fell into the C-grade category. The findings come in the aftermath of the Gul Plaza inferno in Karachi, which killed a number of people including customers, shop owners and their staff. Rescue officials said, 86 individuals remain unaccounted for, while DNA testing continues to identify the victims whose bodies have been recovered so far. In response, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced a comprehensive audit of fire safety systems at all commercial and residential plazas as well as the high-rise building across the province. She stressed for new standard operating procedures (SOPs) and their strict enforcement to avert risks such as electric short circuits and delayed emergency response. “Inspections will cover both public and private buildings, including government offices, hospitals, schools, and commercial centres,” the chief minister said in a statement, adding that public safety would remain her government’s top priority. A day earlier, Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique ordered immediate implementation of the Building Safety Regulations 2022 throughout the province. Speaking at a meeting at Rescue 1122 headquarters in Lahore, he directed officials to take strict legal action against violators. During the briefing,  Emergency Services Secretary Dr Rizwan Naseer told participants that surveys of all 2,214 high-rise buildings had been completed. He also outlined plans to expand fire services to 39 additional tehsils at an estimated cost of Rs2 billion. Rafique said the initiative aligned with the chief minister’s vision to modernise emergency services, citing the launch of air ambulance operations and improved response systems. He emphasised that enforcing building safety regulations was ‘the need of the hour’ to prevent further loss of lives. Officials said notices would be issued immediately to owners of D-category buildings, requiring mandatory installation of fire safety systems within a fixed timeframe. Failure to comply, they warned, would result in fines and legal action. According to Rescue 1122, Punjab currently operates 281 fire vehicles with 2,446 trained fire rescuers. The service has responded to more than 280,000 fire emergencies, preventing estimated losses of Rs768 billion. Province-wide, emergency services include over 15,000 rescuers, 892 ambulances, 20 aerial platforms, and 800 rescue boats. Authorities reiterated that there would be no compromise on the protection of lives and property, as enforcement of fire safety laws intensifies across Punjab. Fire safety crackdown ordered in Rawalpindi Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi district administration issued strict directives making modern and functional fire-fighting equipment and emergency exits mandatory across the district. The orders apply to all small and large shopping malls, commercial plazas, major factories, chemical and acid manufacturing and supply units, cardboard, paper, plastic, furniture factories, garment units and major markets. Instructions have been issued to trader organisations, associations, factory owners, plaza administrations and shopping mall managements to immediately install modern fire-fighting equipment and create emergency exit routes. The Civil Defence Department was also ordered to conduct a large-scale inspection operation across the district. Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hasan Waqar Cheema directed all area assistant commissioners to carry out inspections. The Civil Defence Department will conduct operations and provide training to employees of major shopping malls, commercial plazas, and factories on the use of fire-fighting equipment and rescue procedures so that rescue work can begin at the local level before the arrival of the fire brigade or Rescue 1122. Civil Defence will also conduct complete inspections of the installed equipment, and heavy fines and challans will be imposed for installing fake or non-functional equipment. All plaza owners, commercial centres, major markets, business hubs, factories, banks, and paper, cardboard, plastic, and wood factories have been warned to install fire-fighting equipment by January 25, 2026. A crackdown will begin from January 26, with zero tolerance for non-compliance, including heavy fines, challans, and registration of cases. Deputy Commissioner Hasan Waqar Cheema said the administration’s priority was the complete protection of human lives and transparent security, warning of strict action against public places with heavy footfall that lack modern fire safety arrangements.

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