șÚÁÏÉçÇű

You are here

  • Home
  • Pakistan begins anti-polio drive to vaccinate 1.29 million children in militancy-hit KP province

Pakistan begins anti-polio drive to vaccinate 1.29 million children in militancy-hit KP province

Pakistan begins anti-polio drive to vaccinate 1.29 million children in militancy-hit KP province
In this picture taken on January 24, 2022, a health worker administers polio vaccine drops to a child during a door-to-door polio vaccination campaign on the outskirts of Mardan, in the Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. (AFP/File)
Short Url

https://arab.news/pnuej

Updated 2 min 4 sec ago

Pakistan begins anti-polio drive to vaccinate 1.29 million children in militancy-hit KP province

Pakistan begins anti-polio drive to vaccinate 1.29 million children in militancy-hit KP province
  • Three-day campaign to be held in Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, South Waziristan and Upper Dir districts
  • Pakistan has deployed 11,000 security personnel to provide security to polio workers during the campaign, says official
Updated 2 min 4 sec ago
REHMAT MEHSUD

PESHAWAR: Pakistani health authorities on Monday kicked off a targeted anti-polio vaccination drive in specific districts of the militancy-hit northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, an official confirmed, saying the campaign aims to inoculate 1.29 million children. 

Pakistan last week said it had inoculated over 19 million children nationwide during a polio vaccination campaign. The vaccination drive is part of Islamabad’s efforts to stem the spread of the disease, which is an incurable, highly infectious virus that can cause lifelong paralysis and can only be prevented through repeated oral vaccination and routine immunization.

The latest polio vaccination campaign in KP will take place from Sept. 15-18, Amjad Ali, a provincial spokesman for the polio eradication program, confirmed in a statement. He said the seven districts that will be targeted in the vaccination campaign are Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Lower South Waziristan, Upper South Waziristan and Upper Dir. 

“Polio drops will also be administered in selected areas of Bajaur and Swat districts,” Ali said in a statement.

“For this phase of the campaign, 8,928 trained polio worker teams have been formed.”

The spokesperson said that approximately 11,000 security personnel have been deployed to ensure the safety of polio teams.

Pakistan’s efforts to eliminate poliovirus have been hampered by parental refusals, widespread misinformation and repeated attacks on polio workers by militant groups. In remote and volatile areas, vaccination teams often operate under police protection, though security personnel themselves have also been targeted during these campaigns.

Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries were the disease remains endemic. Pakistan recorded 74 cases in 2024, a sharp rise from six in 2023 and just one in 2021.

Pakistan’s KP province, which borders Afghanistan, has seen a rise in militant attacks since November 2022, when the state’s truce with the Pakistani Taliban or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke down. The TTP has carried out some of the deadliest attacks against law enforcers and citizens in Pakistan to enforce their strict brand of Islamic law in the country. 

Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Waziristan and Dir districts have seen violent attacks by militants in the past. Pakistan’s military last week confirmed 19 soldiers had been killed in KP in separate clashes with militants. 

Topics: Pakistan Polio Service Anti polio campaign Polio in Pakistan

Pakistan coach disappointed India did not shake hands at Asia Cup

Pakistan coach disappointed India did not shake hands at Asia Cup
Updated 15 September 2025
Reuters

Pakistan coach disappointed India did not shake hands at Asia Cup

Pakistan coach disappointed India did not shake hands at Asia Cup
  • India won by seven wickets in first match between two sides after Pakistan, India’s military clash in May
  • Captains of both teams did not shake hands at the toss while players also refrained from doing so at end 
Updated 15 September 2025
Reuters

DUBAI: Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson said they were disappointed by India’s decision not to shake hands after Sunday’s politically-charged Asia Cup match between the bitter neighbors.

India won the Group A encounter by seven wickets in the first cricket match between the sides since a four-day military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors in May.

While the match itself passed without incident, there was no shaking of hands between the captains at the toss or among the players at the end.

“We were ready to shake hands at the end of the game, we obviously are disappointed that our opposition didn’t do that,” Hesson told reporters.

“We sort of went over there to shake hands and they’d already gone into the changing room.

“That was a disappointing way for the match to finish, and a match we were disappointed for the way we played, but we were certainly willing to shake hands.”

Pakistan captain Salman Agha did not attend the presentation ceremony, which New Zealander Hesson said was a “follow-on effect” of India’s refusal to shake hands.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav dedicated their victory to their armed forces at the ceremony, and expressed solidarity with the victims of the April 22 attack in Indian Kashmir which triggered the conflict.

In the post-match press conference, Suryakumar said the players were aligned with the Indian cricket board and government.

“We took a call (on not shaking hands). We came here to just play the game. We have given a proper reply,” said the batter.

Bilateral cricket between India and Pakistan remains suspended since 2013 and the arch-rivals play each other only in multi-team tournaments.

Sunday’s match went ahead despite calls in India for the team to boycott it.

India could face Pakistan twice more at the tournament, including in the September 28 final should the teams advance that far.

Topics: Pakistan vs India Asia Cup 2025

Pakistan PM to attend Arab-Islamic summit in Doha today after Israel’s airstrikes on Qatar

Pakistan PM to attend Arab-Islamic summit in Doha today after Israel’s airstrikes on Qatar
Updated 15 September 2025

Pakistan PM to attend Arab-Islamic summit in Doha today after Israel’s airstrikes on Qatar

Pakistan PM to attend Arab-Islamic summit in Doha today after Israel’s airstrikes on Qatar
  • Shehbaz Sharif to join heads of states, senior officials from OIC countries at Doha summit, says state media 
  •  Israel last week targeted Hamas leaders in Doha via airstrikes, dealing serious blow to ceasefire negotiations
Updated 15 September 2025
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the emergency Arab-Islamic summit being convened in Doha today, Monday, to present Islamabad’s stance in the wake of Israel’s recent air strikes targeting Qatar and escalating developments in the Middle East, state-run media reported. 

The summit has been convened after Israel carried out an unprecedented attack targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar’s capital last week. Analysts say Israel’s airstrikes on Qatar, which has been a key mediator in Gaza ceasefire talks, have dealt a serious blow to efforts to secure an Israel-Hamas ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages ahead of the upcoming United Nations (UN) General Assembly session. 

Co-sponsored by Pakistan, the summit was preceded by a preparatory meeting by the foreign ministers of various countries. Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Doha on Sunday where he led the Pakistan delegation in the meeting. 

“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will attend the Emergency Arab-Islamic Summit being held in Doha on Monday,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. 

It added that heads of states and governments, as well as senior officials from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states, are expected to participate in the summit.

“Pakistan accords high importance to its relations with Qatar and has strongly condemned Israeli aggression against Qatar and other regional states,” the state broadcaster said. 

‘PAN-ISLAMIC RESPONSE’

Dar met OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha on the sidelines of the preparatory ministerial meeting in Doha on Sunday, with both representatives calling for a pan-Islamic response to Israel’s military actions in the Middle East. 

“The DPM & the SG underscored the urgency for coordinating a unified pan-Islamic response to Israeli aggression in these challenging times,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday. 

During the meeting, Dar and the OIC secretary-general condemned Israeli attacks on Qatar and other regional states. Both described it as clear violations of the countries’ sovereignty and international law, the Pakistani foreign ministry said. 

Pakistan has repeatedly condemned Israel’s military offensives in Gaza, which has killed nearly 65,000 people, mostly women and children, since October 2023. Islamabad has repeatedly called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, urging the world to hold Israel for “war crimes” in the region. 

Pakistan does not have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for a two-state solution to resolve the Middle East crisis. Islamabad supports an independent Palestinian state as per the aspirations of the Palestinian people, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital and according to the pre-1967 borders.

Topics: Arab-Islamic summit Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Pakistan Qatar ties

Pakistan’s nationwide monsoon death toll surges to 985 as floods head downstream 

Pakistan’s nationwide monsoon death toll surges to 985 as floods head downstream 
Updated 15 September 2025

Pakistan’s nationwide monsoon death toll surges to 985 as floods head downstream 

Pakistan’s nationwide monsoon death toll surges to 985 as floods head downstream 
  • Flood will remain across Sindh in September before sinking into Arabian Sea by month’s end, says PDMA Punjab
  • Indus flood wave building up at Guddu Barrage, expected to move downstream in coming fortnight, says PDMA 
Updated 15 September 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: The overall death toll from monsoon rains in Pakistan since Jun. 26 have surged to 985, official figures said on Monday, as the country continues to reel from floodwaters which are now receding in Punjab and flowing downstream toward the southern Sindh province. 

Pakistan has reported 985 deaths from flash floods, house collapses, landsliding and other rain-related incidents since the onset of the monsoon season in June. The northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province has reported the highest deaths, 504, followed by Punjab with 287 casualties, Sindh with 80 deaths, Gilgit-Baltistan with 41 deaths, Azad Kashmir with 38 casualties, Balochistan 26 and Islamabad nine. 

Moreover, floods in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province have killed 104 people since late August, affected over 4.5 million and inundated thousands of acres of farmland, authorities say. Water levels in Pakistan’s Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej rivers had swollen due to heavy monsoon rains and excess water released by Indian dams. These water levels are now receding in Punjab as the floods head downstream toward Sindh. 

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab said in report on Sunday that the water level at Sindh’s Guddu Barrage, one of the two main barrages that channels water toward southern and central Sindh, has now reached a level of 635,759 cusecs of water inflows and 606,489 cusecs of water outflow. The report said the water level is expected to rise to 650,000–700,000 cusecs by the night of Sept. 15. 

“The flood will remain across Sindh through September before sinking into the Arabian Sea by month-end,” the PDMA said. 

It said flood levels have “receded considerably” at river Ravi, reporting that all stations are now in the normal to medium range and no longer at the very-high peaks which were reported earlier. At Sutlej, the PDMA reported the water was flowing downstream, with earlier surges having stabilized as the downstream stress across Kasur, Okara, Bahawalnagar and Vehari districts continues to subside.

At Chenab, the report said Trimmu Headworks, one of its major control points, has subsided to normal levels and is no longer reporting a high flood level. Water flows at upstream stations such as Marala, Khanki and Qadirabad are also within normal limits, the PDMA said. 

“Panjnad, however, remains in very high flood at 369,085 cusecs, though receding compared with its fresh peak on Sep. 11-12,” the report said. 

Regarding the Indus River, the PDMA said the Sukkur Barrage is likely to receive 600,000 cusecs by Sept. 17-18. 

“Flows will then take 8–10 days to reach Kotri Barrage, with peak discharges expected in the range of 400,000–450,000 cusecs by 24–26 Sep,” the PDMA’s report said. 

The PDMA said that the water stress is now consolidated at Panjnad, a key river confluence in southern Punjab where all five major rivers merge. It said the Indus flood wave was building up at Guddu Barrage and was expected to move downstream in the coming fortnight.

“Current stress has shifted to Kandhkot, Ubaro, Kashmore, Ghotki, while proximity near Jamshoro, Qambar Shahdadkot and later Hyderabad–Thatta corridor will successively bear the downstream stress,” the report warned. 

POWER OUTAGES

Heavy monsoon rains and resulting deluges have triggered power outages in several districts of Punjab. The Ministry of Water and Power said in a separate report that overall, 51 grid stations and 543 feeders had been affected by the floods. 

It said authorities were working on restoring power across the province’s flood-affected districts, with 309 feeders fully restored and 226 feeders partially restored. 

Pakistan’s recent flood devastation has brought back memories of the 2022 deluges, which inundated roughly one-third of the country at one point in time, killed over 1,700, inflicted damages of over $30 billion and destroyed large swathes of crops and critical infrastructure. 

Despite only contributing 1 percent to global gas emissions, Pakistan is consistently ranked among the countries worst affected by climate change. 

Topics: Indus river Pakistan Floods 2025 Provincial Disaster Management Authority

KSrelief distributes food packages, shelter kits in Punjab’s flood-hit districts

KSrelief distributes food packages, shelter kits in Punjab’s flood-hit districts
Updated 15 September 2025

KSrelief distributes food packages, shelter kits in Punjab’s flood-hit districts

KSrelief distributes food packages, shelter kits in Punjab’s flood-hit districts
  • KSrelief handed over five trucks with 10,000 food packages, 10,000 shelter kits for flood-affected people in Punjab
  • Distributions have begun in Kasur, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, and Bahawalnagar districts
Updated 15 September 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: șÚÁÏÉçÇű’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has started distributing thousands of food packages and non-food shelter kits among families in Punjab’s districts hit hardest by the recent floods, state media reported on Sunday as Pakistan reels from catastrophic deluges. 

Floods in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province have killed around 104 people since late August, affected more than 4.5 million people and forced the provincial government to evacuate over 2.5 million people. Over 4,000 areas in Punjab have been inundated by floodwaters as heavy monsoon rains and excess water released by dams from India caused rivers in the province to swell. 

Last week, KSrelief handed over five trucks of 10,000 shelter kits and 10,000 food packages to the government of Punjab for those affected by the floods. 

“Distributions have already begun in some of the hardest-hit districts, including Kasur, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, and Bahawalnagar, where thousands of vulnerable families are receiving food packages and shelter kits,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.

The report said each shelter kit contains a tent, solar panels with LED lights, two thermal blankets, plastic mats, a durable kitchen set, a water cooler, and antibacterial soap. While each food package, weighing 95 kilograms, includes wheat flour, sugar, lentils, and cooking oil, designed to address the immediate nutritional needs of flood-affected households.

The state broadcaster said the distribution is being carried out by the National Disaster Management Authority, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, local administrations, and KSrelief’s implementing partner, Hayat Foundation.

“This initiative reflects the Kingdom of șÚÁÏÉçÇű’s continued commitment, through KSrelief, to extend humanitarian support to the people of Pakistan,” the report said. 

KSrelief is one of the largest humanitarian organizations in the world which has implemented numerous projects in Pakistan. These projects focus on food security, health care, shelter, education, and disaster response, further strengthening the bonds of friendship and brotherhood between the two nations.

Topics: King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid (KSrelief)

Pakistan, OIC call for pan-Islamic response to Israeli military actions in Middle East — FO

Pakistan, OIC call for pan-Islamic response to Israeli military actions in Middle East — FO
Updated 15 September 2025

Pakistan, OIC call for pan-Islamic response to Israeli military actions in Middle East — FO

Pakistan, OIC call for pan-Islamic response to Israeli military actions in Middle East — FO
  • Leaders from Arab and Islamic nations are meeting in Doha to forge a united front about Israeli attack against Hamas leaders in Doha
  • Pakistani deputy PM, OIC chief reaffirm unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, stress need to advance regional peace and stability
Updated 15 September 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Sunday called for a pan-Islamic response to Israeli military actions in the Middle East, the Pakistani foreign ministry said, as foreign ministers of Arab and Islamic nations gathered in Doha to forge a united front about an Israeli strike against Hamas leaders in Qatar’s capital.

The statement came after a meeting between Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, and OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha on the sidelines of a preparatory ministerial meeting of the emergency Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha in the aftermath of Israeli airstrike.

Leaders from Arab and Islamic nations are meeting in Doha to forge a united front about the Israeli attack, which appears to have ended attempts to secure an Israel-Hamas ceasefire and the release of hostages ahead of the upcoming United Nations (UN) General

Assembly session focused on Israel’s war on Gaza.

During their meeting, The Pakistani deputy PM and the OIC secretary-general condemned Israeli attacks on Qatar and other regional states as clear violations of their sovereignty and international law, according to the Pakistani foreign ministry.

“The DPM & the SG underscored the urgency for coordinating a unified pan-Islamic response to Israeli aggression in these challenging times,” the Pakistani ministry said in a statement.

Dar thanked Secretary-General Taha for steering the OIC’s constructive role in forging unity and solidarity within the Muslim world.

“They also reaffirmed their unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and stressed the need to advance regional peace and stability,” the foreign ministry added.

Pakistan has repeatedly condemned Israel’s offensive in Gaza, which has killed nearly 65,000 people, mostly women and children, since October 2023, and called for an immediate ceasefire and war-crimes accountability.

The South Asian country does not have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for a two-state solution to resolve the Middle East crisis. Islamabad supports an independent Palestinian state as per the aspirations of the Palestinian people, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital and according to the pre-1967 borders.

In his address with Sunday’s preparatory ministerial meeting, the OIC secretary-general stressed that the blatant Israeli aggression against the sovereignty of Qatar, an active Member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States, constitutes a continuation of Israel’s “expansion of the circle of war, a destabilization of regional security and stability, and a persistent violation of international charters, laws, and resolutions,” according to an OIC statement.

“He further reiterated the necessity of redoubling efforts to hold Israel accountable for its violation of the sovereignty of the State of Qatar, and for committing crimes of genocide, settlement, and organized terrorism against the Palestinian people, and to support efforts aimed at implementing the resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly on ending Israeli aggression, occupation, and settlement, and on implementing the two-State solution,” the statement read.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani urged the international community to “stop using double standards” and punish Israel for what he described as its “crimes.”

“The time has come for the international community to stop using double standards and to punish Israel for all the crimes it has committed, and Israel needs to know that the ongoing war of extermination that our brotherly Palestinian people is being subjected to, and whose aim is to expel them from their land, will not work,” he said on the eve of the Arab-Islamic Summit.

The Israeli attack was widely condemned across the Arab and Islamic world as a violation of the international law and sovereignty of Qatar, which has been facilitating mediation efforts, including for a ceasefire in Gaza, together with Egypt and the United States.

The Arab-Islamic Summit is to discuss a draft statement regarding the Israeli attack on Qatar on Sept. 9, which targeted the residences of several Hamas officials in Doha, according to the Qatar News Agency.

Topics: Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Arab-Islamic summit Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar

Latest updates

Myanmar junta says no voting in dozens of constituencies
Myanmar junta says no voting in dozens of constituencies
Indian forces gun down top Maoist rebel, two others
Indian forces gun down top Maoist rebel, two others
Turkish court to rule on legitimacy of opposition party congress
Turkish court to rule on legitimacy of opposition party congress
Usain Bolt on his track greatness: “I wanted to set high standards and I did“
Usain Bolt on his track greatness: “I wanted to set high standards and I did“
UAE’s humanitarian ship for Gaza arrives in Egypt
UAE’s humanitarian ship for Gaza arrives in Egypt

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version
© 2025 șÚÁÏÉçÇű, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.