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KARACHI: A cyclonic storm over the Arabian Sea has intensified into a severe system located about 390 kilometers south-southwest of Karachi, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said on Saturday, while also forecasting more rain in eastern Punjab from Oct. 5 to 7 as the province continues to grapple with flood damage.

At least 1,037 people have died in Pakistan due to heavy rains, floods and landslides during the annual monsoon season between Jun. 26 and Oct. 1, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

More than 3.6 million people were affected across 3,363 villages, with nearly 1.3 million moved to safer areas and hundreds of relief camps established in inundated districts of Punjab, the country’s agricultural heartland.

The floods largely spared southern Sindh, unlike three years ago when Pakistan lost over 1,700 lives and the province was the worst hit. However, winds and thunderstorms accompanied by light to moderate rain triggered by Cyclone SHAKHTI are expected to affect

Karachi, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Jamshoro, Hub, Lasbela, Awaran and Kech districts in Sindh and Balochistan.

“Sea conditions are likely to remain rough to very rough with squally winds of 40-50 gusting 55 km/hour near the Sindh coast,” the PMD said in a statement. “Fishermen are advised not to venture into deep sea till Oct. 5.”

The cyclone is expected to move west-southwest, reaching the northwestern and adjoining central parts of the Arabian Sea by Oct. 5, before changing direction and weakening over the next 24 hours.

The PMD said winds could blow at 90 to 100 kilometers per hour, strengthening to around 110 km/h, with gusts as high as 125 km/h in the following 36 hours.

It said winds would weaken later, but the sea would remain rough to very high over the north-central Arabian Sea.

RAIN IN PUNJAB

Meanwhile, Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said rains are expected to return to the province on Oct. 5 and continue in the northern regions of Pakistan until Oct. 7.

He said the intensity of rainfall may increase on Oct. 6-7, with 50 to 70 millimeters expected in several districts of Punjab, adding that heavy rains could raise river flows to between 100,000 and 150,000 cusecs.

Punjab has been reeling from weeks of flooding that inundated farmland, destroyed crops, displaced thousands and disrupted transport and irrigation networks, leaving many rural communities struggling to recover.

Pakistan remains among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, with scientists warning that rising temperatures are making South Asian monsoon rains heavier and more erratic.

Seasonal downpours provide up to 80 percent of the country’s annual rainfall but frequently cause widespread destruction.

The catastrophic 2022 floods submerged one-third of Pakistan, displaced 30 million people and caused economic losses exceeding $35 billion. 

ISLAMABAD: ��������’s GO Telecommunications Group will launch an Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub in Pakistan this month to jointly develop digital solutions and empower the youth, the Pakistani IT ministry said on Saturday.

The announcement comes during IT and Telecommunications Minister Shaza Khawaja’s visit to �������� to discuss bilateral cooperation under Saudi Vision 2030 and Pakistan’s National AI Policy 2025.

She met with GO Telecommunications Group CEO Yahya bin Saleh Al-Mansour in Riyadh to discuss collaboration in digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and human capital development.

“Pakistan and �������� share a deep and evolving partnership rooted in mutual growth and digital progress,” the IT ministry quoted Khawaja as saying.

“Through initiatives like GO AI Hub Pakistan, we aim to strengthen collaboration in emerging technologies, empower youth through digital skills and accelerate our shared vision of a connected, knowledge-driven future.”

Pakistan and �������� share deep religious, cultural, diplomatic, and strategic ties, particularly in trade and defense. The Kingdom hosts over two million Pakistani expatriates, who make up the largest source of remittances for the South Asian nation.

Both countries are now planning to forge a partnership in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity, Pakistani state media reported this week.

The GO AI Hub will be a specialized center for AI technologies and digital innovation, designed to foster knowledge transfer and capacity building, according to the IT ministry.

The two figures also discussed digital infrastructure expansion, data center development and the establishment of a technical talent development center in Pakistan for future collaboration.

The GO Telecommunications Group chief said his discussions with Pakistan’s IT minister underscored the “strong potential for cooperation between the Kingdom and Pakistan,” the Pakistani IT ministry said.

“The group’s expansion into the Pakistani market aligns with our strategic vision of diversification and strengthening partnerships with friendly and brotherly nations,” he was quoted as saying.

Khawaja earlier this week met with President of Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (DAIA) Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi in Riyadh, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.

The two figures discussed promoting enhanced bilateral cooperation under the framework of Saudi Vision 2030 and Pakistan’s National AI Policy 2025.

�������� is consolidating its economy on modern lines under the Vision 2030, which is a strategic development framework intended to cut the Kingdom’s reliance on oil. It is aimed at developing public service sectors in the Kingdom such as health, education, infrastructure, information technology (IT), recreation and tourism.

Pakistan, on the other hand, approved the National AI Policy 2025 in July to democratize artificial intelligence, aiming to enhance public services and generate employment opportunities for the youth.

The policy aims to create 50,000 AI-driven civic projects and 1,000 local AI products in the next five years, according to Pakistani state media. The government intends to make the use of AI inclusive through the distribution of 3,000 annual AI scholarships and facilitate 1,000 research projects, the state media said.