PESHAWAR: Tremors from a 5.9-magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region were felt across parts of northern Pakistan and the federal capital late on Thursday, according to the country’s meteorological department.
The Hindu Kush region has long been prone to frequent and often deadly seismic activity. Last week, a powerful 6.0-magnitude quake in eastern Afghanistan killed more than 2,200 people and injured around 4,000, flattening entire villages and deepening the country’s humanitarian crisis.
“The earthquake originated on Sept. 4, 2025, at 21:56 PST in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region, with a magnitude of 5.9 and a depth of 111 kilometers,” the Pakistan Meteorological Department in Islamabad said in a statement.
It said tremors were reported in the Pakistani cities of Peshawar, Kohat, Karak, Nowshera, Mardan, Charsadda, Swabi, Buner, Malakand, Swat, Dir, Chitral, Mansehra, Hangu, Abbottabad, Attock, Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
The department added there were no immediate reports of casualties or structural damage.
Pakistan itself is highly vulnerable to earthquakes as it sits on the collision boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
In October 2005, a 7.6-magnitude quake killed more than 70,000 people in northern Pakistan and Kashmir. In 2013, a powerful quake in Balochistan killed more than 800, while in 2023, tremors from a 6.5-magnitude quake in Afghanistan were felt across much of Pakistan, killing at least 10.
ISLAMABAD: A senior Palestinian official visiting Pakistan on Thursday condemned the United States for refusing visas to President Mahmoud Abbas and his delegation for this month’s UN General Assembly session and a parallel conference on reviving the two-state solution.
Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Chief Islamic Justice of Palestine and adviser to Abbas on religious affairs, is in Islamabad with a four-member delegation to attend celebrations of the 1,500th birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Washington said last week it would not allow Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and others to travel to New York, where several US allies are set to recognize Palestine as a state.
Al-Habbash told Arab News the US decision was an “unjust, dangerous, and wrong” violation of international law.
“This is a major mistake and will complicate matters, but this will not stop us from continuing our struggle or from raising our voice,” Al-Habbash said.
“The voice of Palestine will be heard, through President Mahmoud Abbas, by the whole world, whether at the international conference on Sept. 22 or at the General Assembly.”
The United States, as host of the UN in New York, is obligated under its agreement with the world body not to block access for accredited delegations.
The visa refusal also means the Palestinians will miss a high-level meeting on Palestine co-hosted by France and .
The US move comes amid growing momentum in Europe to recognize a Palestinian state after the latest Gaza war, which began on Oct. 7, 2023, and has killed more than 63,000 Palestinians according to Gaza health authorities. In May, Ireland, Spain and Norway announced recognition of Palestine, joining over 140 countries worldwide that already extend diplomatic recognition. France has said it is ready to do the same in coordination with EU partners, while Britain has signaled openness.
By contrast, Washington has stood firmly behind Israel, continuing military aid and diplomatic cover despite the mounting death toll in Gaza and expanding Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank. US officials have said they will not recognize Palestine outside of direct negotiations with Israel, a stance Palestinians view as blocking their international legitimacy.
Meanwhile, Israel’s far-right government has openly advanced plans to permanently occupy Gaza while simultaneously moving to entrench control over the occupied West Bank. Senior ministers have called for re-establishing Israeli settlements in Gaza, dismantled in 2005, and for formally annexing key areas of the West Bank such as the Jordan Valley and major settlement blocs including Ma’ale Adumim, Ariel and Gush Etzion. The steps have been widely condemned as violations of international law and seen as undermining any prospect of a two-state solution.
On Israel’s plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, Al-Habbash said:
“This is an illegal action. It contradicts international law and legitimate international resolutions. It will have no legal or political validity.”
He added that Palestine would “continue to exist between the river and the sea,” while the “one who will disappear is the Israeli occupation.”
Al-Habbash also praised Pakistan as a “country of brave people,” describing Pakistanis as “our brothers who always stand by us.” He said his delegation would deliver a message from Abbas to President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on bilateral ties and the Palestinian cause.
The Palestinian delegation is scheduled to take part in the Seerat-un-Nabi conference in Islamabad, where Al-Habbash said he felt “the warmth of the hospitality” of Pakistan.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s disaster agency on Thursday issued a high alert for Sindh as heavy monsoon rains and swollen rivers threatened to inundate large parts of the southern province, even as Punjab, the country’s most populous region, remained under severe pressure from surging Chenab River flows.
Nationwide, more than 883 people have died in rains, floods and landslides since the monsoon season began on June 26, according to the NDMA, reviving memories of Pakistan’s catastrophic 2022 deluges when a third of the country was submerged, 30 million displaced and economic losses exceeded $35 billion.
On Thursday evening, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said Sindh’s southern districts including Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Sanghar, Karachi, Hyderabad and Jamshoro could see heavy downpours in the coming days, while the northern districts of Sukkur, Ghotki, Larkana, Khairpur, Dadu and Jacobabad were also at risk.
With flood peaks still moving downstream from Punjab, the alert warned of “high to very high” flooding along the eastern rivers, urging residents of riverine areas to evacuate without delay.
“Your lives are precious, and no unnecessary risk should be taken in the face of natural calamities,” First Lady Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari told communities during a preparedness visit to embankments near Nawabshah.
She inspected protective structures and relief camps, praising local authorities for round-the-clock monitoring and rescue readiness.
“Effective coordination between departments, close monitoring, and advanced planning are essential if we are to manage this challenge successfully,” Bhutto Zardari added.
PUNJAB CRISIS
In Punjab, home to half of Pakistan’s 240 million people and often described as the country’s breadbasket, officials said nearly 3.9 million people had been affected, 1.8 million displaced, and 46 killed in floods since late August. Thousands of villages have been submerged.
Punjab Disaster Management Authority chief Irfan Ali Kathia said the next 24 hours were “extremely critical” for Multan, a city of 2.6 million and the main economic hub of southern Punjab. Multan.
“The main surge of the Chenab has already reached Head Muhammad Wala at its peak and is now moving downstream,” he told reporters.
Kathia added that the Sher Shah Bridge flood gauge near Multan had reached 393.4 feet, against a danger mark of 393.5 feet, leaving only a few inches of space.
If authorities were forced to open a breaching section to relieve pressure, he said, 27 settlements including Shershah, Akbarpur and Mirzapur, home to around 35,000 people, could be inundated.
RIVER FLOWS
Fresh PDMA data from Thursday morning showed the Chenab easing at some upstream points but worsening downstream. Flows at Marala dropped sharply to around 117,000 cusecs from 192,000 recorded the previous evening, and at Khanki fell from 253,600 to 248,800 cusecs. Qadirabad also declined, from 489,000 to 385,000 cusecs.
But the danger has shifted further downstream: at Chiniot bridge levels climbed to nearly 555,000 cusecs, up from 540,000 only hours earlier, while gauges at Riwaz Bridge and Head Muhammad Wala edged higher and Sher Shah Bridge held just inches below its maximum capacity.
: About 203 villages have been affected under the backwater effect, over 1.8 million people & 1.3 million animals evacuated, PDMA DG Irfan Ali Kathia says.
— Arab News Pakistan (@arabnewspk)
On the Ravi, flows steadied or fell slightly at most points, with Jassar down to 80,000 cusecs from 84,000, though Balloki remained elevated at nearly 139,000. On the Sutlej, Ganda Singh Wala dipped modestly to 319,000 cusecs from 327,000, while Panjnad surged to 224,000 from 200,500, suggesting pressure building in the south.
NORTHERN AREAS
Separately, the NDMA warned of landslides in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir from Sept. 4–8, citing high risk in Muzaffarabad, Neelum Valley, Haveli, Bagh, Poonch and Sudhnuti.
Heavy rains could block the Karakoram Highway and other routes in Torghar, Batagram, Shangla, Lower Kohistan, Gilgit, Hunza, Rondhu, Skardu and Chitral.
KASUR: Life has ground to a halt in the small village of Ganda Singh Wala, an area nestled along the Pakistan-India border. Murky floodwaters stand eight to nine feet high outside many homes. While much of the population has fled to safer areas, others like Muhammad Sharif have stayed behind, unable to abandon their homes.
Punjab, home to half of Pakistan’s 240 million people, has been devastated by deadly floods that swept the province last week. Authorities say 46 people have been killed and nearly 3.9 million have been affected, while 1.8 million have been displaced. Thousands of villages have been flooded with water as the Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers have overflowed since late last month.
In Kasur district’s Ganda Singh Wala area, over 148 villages have been submerged and 70,000 acres of crops destroyed, the deputy commissioner said. Authorities say nearly 76,000 people have been evacuated to relief camps.
Arab News visited the flood-stricken village on Wednesday on a trip arranged for international media by the Pakistan Army. The devastation was evident: army, navy, police and emergency rescue teams were all using boats to pull stranded villagers to safety from the deluges.
Local administrators stand along the banks of a flooded river Sutlej in Kasur district, Punjab province on September 3, 2025. (AFP)
“The children have gone, but we are staying because of our houses,” Sharif, 60, told Arab News while sitting on a charpoy, a traditional bed woven with rope.
“Our houses are now also leaking. The women sweep the water out of the house with brooms,” he added.
“WHAT CAN WE DO?”
Sharif, a farmer by profession, said he was able to save livestock when the water levels rose. However, fear of thieves taking away their belongings keeps him and others from abandoning their homes.
“We just sat here with hope to survive,” he added.
And he’s not the only one. Shazia Bibi, another village resident, stays behind to guard her belongings for fear of thieves. Her children have left to stay with their relatives in safer areas.
“We fear the rising water, yet we cannot leave this house empty because it is our entire life’s earning,” Bibi told Arab News.
But staying in a village submerged is no easy task. Bibi has to contend with sleepless nights as insects swarm through the floodwater, biting her.
Rescue personnel evacuate flood-affected villagers on a boat, along the banks of river Sutlej in Kasur district, Punjab province on September 3, 2025. (AFP)
“There are snakes and other biting animals in the floodwater, and I feel scared and cannot sleep at night,” she said. “But what can we do?“
PROPERTY, CROPS BADLY HIT
River Sutlej has a capacity of 100,000 cusecs of water but flows on Thursday were recorded at 327,000 cusecs at Ganda Singh Wala. Pakistan says excess water released by Indian dams and heavy rains are to blame for the floods. Islamabad blames India, saying it did not inform Pakistan timely and released floodwaters to save itself.
India denies the claims, saying it released excess water due to heavy monsoon rains and had intimated Pakistan.
Kasur Deputy Commissioner Imran Ali said he received a telemessage from the National Disaster Management Authority
and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority on Aug. 26, warning him about the floods. The warning had been relayed by the Indian High Commission to the Pakistan High Commission, Ali said.
However, the deputy commissioner said Kasur was already facing floods from Aug. 20.
“So their call of readiness hardly mattered as we were already ready to face even very exceptionally high flood levels,” Ali said. “As you can see these troops, these departments, are on the field from Aug. 14.”
Ali said property and crops were badly hit by the floods, though the district has not reported any loss of lives. He said satellite tools such as AgriZoom and Google Maps were being used to assess agricultural damage once the water recedes, while Punjab’s communication teams were already surveying structural losses.
“So far, 76,640 people and 173,229 cattle have been rescued,” he added.
Muhammad Essa Khan, Kasur District Police Officer, said over 700 policemen, including women officers, are deployed across nine sub-sectors in a 22-kilometer stretch of the river Sutlej.
He said these cops were working day and night on rescue and relief operations.
“The rescue teams ensured presence in vulnerable villages, making announcements in mosques with the rescue staff and engaging local representatives to warn people about incoming floods and the need to evacuate,” Khan said.
The floods have hit Bibi and others like her where it hurts the most: their livelihoods.
“We do labor work, but here too the crops have drowned,” she said. “So now, there is no labor work left here. We are very worried.”
Pakistani PM launches CPEC 2.0 in Beijing, pledges safety of Chinese workers
$33 billion already invested in corridor linking western China to Arabian Sea
Sharif promises faster approvals, new focus on agriculture, IT and mining
Updated 04 September 2025
Shahjahan Khurram
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday announced the launch of the second phase of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) during an investment conference in Beijing, vowing to safeguard Chinese nationals working in the country and accelerate stalled projects.
Sharif was in China on a six-day visit that began with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) heads of state summit in Tianjin earlier this week. He has since held talks with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as met Chinese business leaders at a large investment forum.
CPEC, first signed in 2015, is a multi-billion-dollar network of roads, railways, ports and power plants linking western China to the Arabian Sea through Pakistan. A flagship of President Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Pakistan’s Planning Commission (CPEC Secretariat) reported last year that completed and ongoing CPEC projects were worth about $25.4 billion, with another $8 billion under implementation, putting the total Chinese investment at around $33 billion so far.
The scheme’s second phase, branded “CPEC 2.0,” aims to expand beyond roads and energy into industry, agriculture, information technology and special economic zones, with Islamabad looking to revive growth and attract new Chinese capital.
“Today we are ready to launch CPEC 2.0 and this CPEC 2.0 would comprise of B2B investments … in agriculture,” Sharif told Chinese business leaders. “And then of course is another very important area IT and AI where China is a world leader and then mines and minerals is another very important potential area of mutual cooperation … These are the pillars of CPEC 2.0.”
The prime minister stressed agriculture’s role as “the backbone” of Pakistan’s economy, which accounts for about 60 percent of GDP, and urged Chinese companies to bring expertise and investment into the sector.
Sharif also sought to reassure investors about security and bureaucratic delays that have plagued projects.
“The question obviously which is concerning most of you is about security in Pakistan, but I want to make it clear … that security of Chinese brothers and sisters in Pakistan is paramount for all of us,” he said.
The premier added: “Delays take place, there are impediments … So let me assure you … we will not tolerate even a second’s delay in taking decisions to facilitate you to invest in Pakistan.”
CPEC has been repeatedly targeted by militants. In March 2024, a suicide bombing killed five Chinese engineers and their Pakistani driver near the Dasu hydropower project in northwestern Pakistan. In October the same year, two Chinese nationals were killed in a suicide attack near Karachi airport. Separatist groups in Balochistan, where China has interests in port and mines projects, among others, accuse China of exploiting local resources, allegations Beijing and Islamabad reject.
Sharif said Pakistan’s economy had stabilized and was ready for renewed foreign investment, adding that “sky is the limit” for Chinese ventures under CPEC 2.0.
Pakistan has been implementing reforms under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund program approved in September 2024, focused on tax collection, energy sector restructuring and privatization of state-owned firms.
The measures have helped stabilize public finances, rebuild foreign exchange reserves and improve international credit ratings, with Fitch Ratings upgrading Pakistan’s outlook to positive in mid-2025. Officials say the steps are crucial for restoring investor confidence and laying the groundwork for sustainable growth in the South Asian nation.
Arab–Pakistani design fusion earns Islamabad institute prestigious Aga Khan Architecture Award 2025
Vision Pakistan is a vocational skills institute in Islamabad that trains underprivileged in tailoring, literacy and life skills
Project is one of seven winners chosen from Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Iran, Palestine and Pakistan, says state-run media
Updated 04 September 2025
Hassan Ali Khan
ISLAMABAD: A skills development institute in Islamabad has been chosen as one of seven winners of the prestigious Aga Khan Architecture Award 2025, awarded for the design of its building which has been inspired by both Pakistani and Arab traditions, state media reported on Thursday.
Developed by Islamabad-based architectural firm DB Studios, ‘Vision Pakistan’ is a multistory skills development institute in Islamabad whose architectural elements draw inspiration from both Pakistan and Arab traditions.
The Agha Khan Architecture Award 2025, founded in 1977, seeks to identify and encourage building concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of societies across the world in which Muslims have a significant presence.
“Vision Pakistan, a skill development institute based in Islamabad, has been honored with the Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2025, one of the most prestigious accolades in the field of design and urban development,” the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said in its report.
“Infused with architectural elements drawn from both Pakistani and Arab traditions, the building stands as the heart of a charitable initiative committed to equipping young individuals with practical skills and renewed purpose.”
The project was one of seven winners chosen from Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Iran, Palestine and Pakistan. Each winning project was recognized for its “exceptional design” and social impact, the state-run media said.
Designed by architect Saifullah Siddiqui, Vision Pakistan is a vocational center for underprivileged youth and offers them training in tailoring, literacy and life skills, according to the APP.
Siddiqui said his team always factors in climate change for every project, applying sustainable design principles throughout their work.
“The building itself draws inspiration from Pakistani and Arab architectural traditions, blending cultural heritage with contemporary functionality,” Siddiqui said, according to the APP.
His client Rushda Tariq Qureshi said the project was “aesthetically remarkable and socially transformative.”
“This is more than just a beautiful space,” APP quoted her as saying. “Any young person who has never been part of an organized classroom or envisioned a brighter future finds this place completely transformative.”
The report said the award was a “proud moment” for Pakistan’s architectural community, highlighting the role of designing in uplifting lives and promoting inclusive development.
