ISLAMABAD: At least four people were killed and 19 injured in rain-related incidents across Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province over the past 24 hours, the provincial disaster management authority said on Thursday, as monsoon downpours triggered building collapses and drownings in several districts.
The statement came as authorities in both Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa warned of continued rainfall through July 1, with Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issuing a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) alert for the country’s northern regions a day earlier.
“Two people died when weak, dilapidated structures collapsed in Okara and Bahawalnagar,” the Punjab PDMA said in a statement. “Two others drowned in separate incidents in Jhelum.”
Thirteen houses were also damaged in the province, mostly in rural or structurally vulnerable areas, the statement added.
Punjab’s disaster agency urged citizens to take precautionary measures and said financial compensation for the victims’ families would be provided under government policy.
Separately, the PDMA in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa warned of torrential rains and hailstorms in several districts from Thursday evening through July 1, with a risk of glacier bursts in the north.
It issued alerts to local administrations in Chitral, Swat, Upper and Lower Dir and Kohistan to initiate preemptive measures and inform nearby communities.
Pakistan is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, with a history of extreme weather events linked to erratic monsoon patterns, glacial melt and heatwaves.
In 2022, record floods killed over 1,700 people and caused more than $30 billion in damages.
On Wednesday, the NDMA said continued high temperatures and intense monsoon activity were putting stress on glacial lakes in Pakistan’s mountainous north, raising the risk of flash floods.
Valleys in Chitral and Ghizer are among the most vulnerable, with warnings issued to avoid travel near glaciers and riverbanks.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday expressed satisfaction over the ceasefire that brought an end to the recent Israel-Iran conflict, saying Tehran had thanked Pakistan’s political and military leadership for playing a constructive role during the war after Field Marshal Asim Munir’s meetings with both American and Iranian officials.
The 12-day war began after Israel carried out airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, killing several senior military commanders and scientists, while officials in Tehran were engaged in nuclear negotiations with the United States.
Shortly before the ceasefire was announced, US forces struck three Iranian nuclear sites and claimed to have set back Iran’s nuclear program by years.
“For the first time in history — and I am not just talking about the war itself, but on several fronts — Iran openly thanked Pakistan’s political and military leadership in a way that, in my view, has no precedent in recent times,” Sharif told the federal cabinet.
“Our Field Marshal had a luncheon meeting in Washington with President [Donald] Trump,” he continued. “Then in Istanbul, the army chief had a one-and-a-half-hour meeting with [Iranian Foreign Minister] Abbas Araghchi.
During that meeting, he specified Pakistan’s efforts. In response, he [Araghchi] said … ‘We [Iranians] were not the ones who attacked… If Israel stops, then we are ready for dialogue.’”
The prime minister said Pakistan also condemned the missile attacks on US bases in Qatar and had conveyed its position clearly to all sides.
He described Iran’s posture during the war as one of “dignity and restraint,” praising the Iranian people for refusing to capitulate under pressure.
Sharif said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also played a significant role in defusing tensions.
“I had a phone conversation with the Crown Prince,” he said. “We spoke in great detail. And I say this to you with full sincerity: he played a significant role in helping to stop this war.”
“As soon as Israel launched its attack, issued a strong statement of condemnation,” he added. “After that, the Crown Prince personally spoke to the President of Iran [Masoud Pezeshkian].”
As the ceasefire continues to hold between the two Middle Eastern rivals, President Trump has said American and Iranian officials could engage in talks next week, though Tehran has not confirmed any such plans.
Trump, speaking at a NATO summit, said he was not keen to resume formal negotiations but declared the war was over and insisted Iran would not be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon.
Iran’s parliament, meanwhile, voted to fast-track legislation suspending cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, following US strikes on its nuclear facilities.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday expressed grave concern over the use of torture as a tool of repression in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Indian-administered Kashmir, accusing the “occupying powers” of systematically inflicting abuse to suppress demands for self-determination.
The statement came on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, marked each year on June 26 to promote the eradication of torture and support survivors. The UN General Assembly designated the day in 1997, coinciding with the anniversary of the 1987 entry into force of the UN Convention Against Torture.
Human rights groups have long reported widespread abuse in both Palestine and Kashmir, including arbitrary detentions, custodial beatings and torture, particularly of young men and boys.
“The people of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) continue to be subjected to the worst forms of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by the occupying powers to suppress their right to self-determination,” the foreign office said in a statement.
Reaffirming its commitment to human dignity and justice, Pakistan said it was strengthening legal reforms, institutional safeguards and oversight mechanisms to prevent torture and promote accountability.
It also underscored its provision of medical, legal, and psycho-social support to victims.
Citing the values of justice and compassion in religious teachings, the foreign ministry said any act of torture was incompatible with Islam and international law.
Pakistan called on the international community to condemn what it described as systematic crimes by occupying forces and to take steps to hold them accountable.
LASBELA, Pakistan: When Abrar Roonjha returned to his hometown near Bela in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province during the COVID-19 lockdown, he was faced with a major dilemma: how would he attend online classes without reliable Internet connectivity.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by area, accounts for nearly 44% of the country’s landmass but only around 6% of its population. Despite its mineral wealth and geostrategic location, the militancy-plagued region remains the country’s most underserved in infrastructure and connectivity.
Combine that with the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a devastating impact on education across Pakistan, with prolonged school closures affecting more than 40 million students nationwide. According to a 2021 UNICEF report, around 23 million school-going children were unable to access remote learning during the pandemic due to limited or no Internet connectivity and a lack of digital devices.
The situation was especially dire in rural and underserved areas like Balochistan, where infrastructure gaps meant many students were entirely cut off from their lessons.
“I used to hang my mobile phone on a tree and try to connect to its hotspot to continue my studies but it was very difficult,” Roonjha, now 21, told Arab News.
The picture posted on August 30, 2024, by Qaiser Ronjha shows Wang Lab of Innovation in Lasbela in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan. (Qaiser Ronjha)
That changed in 2021 with the launch of the Wang Lab of Innovation (WALI), a free Internet and digital skills center in Roonjha’s village, supported by the Internet Society and run by the Welfare Association for New Generation (WANG), a grassroots organization in Lasbela district.
Since then, nearly 650 youth in the region, many from low-income families, have gained access to high-speed Internet and basic tech education.
For young people like Roonjha, the lab has become a portal to the wider world.
“When the Wang Lab of Innovation was established here, I was able to access high-speed Internet. This brought a major positive change in my life,” said Roonjha, who now leads creative programs at the lab.
The connectivity also enabled him to attend international forums, including the World Youth Festival in Russia in 2024 and a UN regional conference on sustainable development in Bangkok earlier this year.
DIGITAL DIVIDE IN PAKISTAN’S LARGEST PROVINCE
Despite its vast size, Balochistan remains Pakistan’s least connected province when it comes to Internet access.
According to Freedom House, around 60 percent of the region lacks any Internet coverage, and in areas with service, mobile speeds are often well below the national average of 6.2 Mbps. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority reports broadband penetration in the province sits at just 15 percent, compared with the national average of 45.7 percent.
Infrastructure challenges, like mountainous terrain, sparse population, and frequent security-related shutdowns, have consistently deterred investment in fiber and mobile networks . While government-backed initiatives like the Universal Service Fund have begun extending 4G and broadband over limited areas of Balochistan, the majority of rural communities still struggle to connect, reinforcing the importance of local projects like the WALI lab.
“WALI has created a vital space, especially for girls, to access knowledge and skills they would otherwise have no means to acquire,” said Aftab Ahmed, 26, a co-founder of the lab.
The picture posted on January 3, 2023, by WALI shows girls using computters at WALI lab in Lasbela in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan. (WALI)
The initiative is also one of the few local digital literacy efforts led by young people from the region. While national programs like Pakistan’s “Digital Pakistan” campaign have focused on major urban centers, grassroots projects in remote provinces are rare and often underfunded.
The lab is housed in a modest building in the village and is now a daily destination for schoolchildren, university students, and aspiring content creators. Its impact is visible in the confidence and creativity of its youngest users.
Fawaz Qadir, 16, began coming to the lab a year ago.
“I would come here and learn about different AI tools,” he said, describing how he creates music and short films using Suno AI and Meta’s animation tools.
“I talk about climate change and how humans have damaged our environment.”
Abdul Hadi, 14, walks two kilometers each day to reach the lab. In just a year, he’s learned to design YouTube banners and navigate the Internet.
“Things are no longer the way they used to be,” he said.
For Rifat Wasim, 13, a student at the local girls’ school, the lab is her only access to a computer.
“There’s no laptop or such devices at my home, so I come to the lab, and I enjoy it,” she said. “I’ve learned to browse the Internet, use a computer, and create videos.”
RETHINKING THE FUTURE
Roonjha, the sociology student who once studied under a tree, now teaches children to use artificial intelligence tools.
“I see that children as young as ten or twelve are creating music using AI, they are making films,” he said.
“They’ve started to understand the possibilities the Internet offers, and how, through AI, they can showcase their work to the world and make their presence felt.”
The WANG initiative remains one of few rural digital labs in the province. Other recent government-supported efforts include the USF, which has launched projects to expand 4G coverage in parts of Balochistan. But for many villages in districts like Lasbela, such access remains a distant promise.
Ahmed, the WALI co-founder, hopes the model can be replicated.
“Digital inclusion is not just about connectivity, it’s about opportunity,” he said.
“When children in remote areas have access to the same tools as anyone else, it transforms how they see their future.”
China hosts SCO defense ministers from Russia, Iran, India, Pakistan amid global unrest
Chinese defense minister calls for ‘robust actions to jointly safeguard the environment for peaceful development’
Dong Jun warns ‘hegemonic, domineering and bullying acts’ have been severely undermining the global order
Updated 26 June 2025
AFP
QINGDAO, China: China hosted defense ministers from Iran and Russia for a meeting in its eastern seaside city of Qingdao on Thursday against the backdrop of war in the Middle East and a summit of NATO countries in Europe that agreed to boost military spending.
Beijing has long sought to present the 10-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a counterweight to Western-led power blocs and has pushed to strengthen collaboration between its member countries in politics, security, trade and science.
The Qingdao meeting of the organization’s top defense officials comes as a fledgling ceasefire between Israel and Iran holds after 12 days of fighting between the arch-foes.
It is also being held the day after a summit of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) leaders in The Hague, where members agreed to ramp up their defense spending to satisfy US President Donald Trump.
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun framed Thursday’s meeting of officials in Qingdao, home to a major Chinese naval base, as a counterweight to a world in “chaos and instability.”
“As momentous changes of the century accelerate, unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise,” Dong said as he welcomed defense chiefs from Russia, Iran, Pakistan, Belarus and elsewhere on Wednesday, according to state news agency Xinhua.
“Hegemonic, domineering and bullying acts severely undermine the international order,” he warned.
He urged his counterparts to “take more robust actions to jointly safeguard the environment for peaceful development.”
India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, also in attendance in Qingdao, said SCO members should “collectively aspire to fulfil the aspirations and expectations of our people as well as tackle today’s challenges.”
“The world we live in is undergoing a drastic transformation. Globalization, which once brought us closer together, has been losing momentum,” he said in comments posted by his office on X.
And meeting Dong on the sidelines of the summit, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov hailed ties between the two countries as being “at an unprecedentedly high level.”
“Friendly relations between our countries maintain upward dynamics of development in all directions,” he said.
China has portrayed itself as a neutral party in Russia’s war with Ukraine, although Western governments say its close ties have given Moscow crucial economic and diplomatic support.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday warned of a global order under “immense strain” as it raised concern over growing violations of international norms and rising unilateral military actions, while addressing the Forum of Small States in New York to mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations Charter.
The UN Charter, signed in San Francisco on June 26, 1945, laid the foundation for international peace, sovereignty and justice following World War II. Pakistan’s remarks come as the world witnessed two major military crises in South Asia and the Middle East in the last two months.
In May, nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan exchanged artillery fire, drones and missiles in a brief but intense conflict before reaching a ceasefire. Weeks later, Israel launched a large-scale military campaign against Iran, targeting uranium enrichment facilities and nuclear infrastructure in what Tehran called an unprovoked act of war.
“The UN Charter remains our moral compass and legal foundation,” Pakistan’s Counsellor at the UN, Saima Saleem, said. “Yet today, we confront a global order under immense strain— marked by a growing disregard for international law, persistent and emerging conflicts, and a disturbing resurgence of unilateralism.”
“The voices of the vulnerable— especially peoples under foreign occupation, like the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine— remain marginalized and their right to self-determination denied, despite the solemn promises of the Charter,” she added.
Calling for “inclusive multilateralism that delivers,” Saleem urged reforms to strengthen the UN’s effectiveness, including revitalizing the General Assembly’s authority and ensuring impartial implementation of Security Council resolutions.
“Selective application of international law and the UN Charter erodes faith in global governance. Its equal enforcement restores it,” Saleem said.
She also called for concrete action to ensure sustainable development, digital cooperation, youth and gender inclusion, climate resilience and peaceful dispute resolution.
“Multilateralism remains humanity’s best hope,” she said. “It must be re-energized, not replaced.”
The Forum of Small States is an informal group founded by Singapore in 1992. It offers a platform for smaller UN member states to coordinate positions and amplify their voices in global diplomacy. With over 100 members, it is now one of the largest informal blocs at the UN.
