ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army rescued six foreign mountaineers attempting to summit the K2 mountain in the country’s north after they suffered from high-altitude sickness, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Monday.
Pakistan is home to five of the world’s 14 mountains that loom above 8,000 meters, including K2 and Nanga Parbat, which are known for their treacherous climbs. These mountains attract climbers from all parts of the world. According to official figures, over 8,900 foreigners visited the remote northern Gilgit-Baltistan region in 2023 where the summer climbing season runs from early June to late August.
K2, also known as the “Savage Mountain,” is Pakistan’s highest peak and the world’s second-highest mountain. Several climbers have died in the past attempting to summit the towering mountain.
“Pakistan Army has successfully rescued six foreign mountaineers who were attempting to summit K2,” Radio Pakistan said. “These climbers, hailing from the US, Chile, Macedonia, and Nepal, experienced high-altitude sickness at their base camp during the expedition.”
The state media said that the climbers had contacted the Pakistan Army for assistance, following which they were rescued from the base camp.
“The mountaineers thanked Pakistan Army for their timely rescue,” it said.
In a video message, the climber from Macedonia said that the group was stuck for two-and-a-half hours below camp 3 at the mountain.
“We were at a high risk of frostbites, my fingers were very cold,” he said. “I felt some preliminary symptoms of acute mountain sickness and that’s why I am very grateful to the Pakistan military for rescuing me.”
Last week, Pakistan Army rescued three foreign mountaineers from Ecuador, Holland, and Singapore who were attempting to scale K2. Two of the foreigners fell whilst attempting to summit the mountain while a third fell ill due to high-altitude sickness.
ISLAMABAD: Residents in Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Sunday expressed frustration over massive road closures due to a rally by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, describing blockades far from the rally’s venue as “unnecessary and disruptive to public life.”
Authorities closed 29 key locations across the federal capital of Islamabad on Sunday. Arab News visited various areas and found the public in distress as they struggled to reach their destinations.
Faizabad, a crucial cloverleaf interchange connecting Islamabad Highway and Murree Road, was blocked off with shipping containers. The expressway from Rawat to Islamabad was completely blocked, and several points along the GT Road highway were sealed off.
Other areas, such as D-Chowk, 9th Avenue and Khanna Pull Bridge were also blocked, while all metro bus services were suspended. Faisal Chowk, the Expressway, Marriott Hotel Chowk and Nadra Chowk were also closed.
“Even Serena Hotel Chowk is closed, which is 25 kilometers from Sangjani, where the PTI gathering is happening,” Husnain Raza, a private company employee, told Arab News, expressing frustration over the closure of Lehtrar Road without any apparent reason.
“It’s hard to understand why they’ve shut down areas so far away. They’re humiliating people and making life unnecessarily difficult for everyone.”
The district administration has allowed Khan’s party to hold the gathering in the Sangjani locality on the outskirts of Islamabad. The rally was previously planned for July and then August but was postponed both times after permission was revoked over what officials described as security threats and concerns about unrest.
Zunnurain Malik, who had been trying to find a way to the airport since morning to pick up his sister, said all the roads had been closed.
“My sister is arriving at the airport, and we’ve been trying to get there since morning, but even the smaller streets are blocked,” he told Arab News, turning his car back from the Faizabad bridge. “They [government] have turned Islamabad and Rawalpindi into a prison, and everyone is struggling.”
Asad Ullah, a taxi driver, said there had been no work since Sunday morning because of the road closures.
“I picked up a ride from G-9 for Rs 900 to go to Scheme 3 in Rawalpindi, but had to drop him at Faizabad as all the roads were blocked,” he said, adding that the passenger paid him much less since he couldn’t take him to his destination. “0Our earnings are heavily affected due to this situation.”
The Islamabad police said the road were closed as part of heightened security measures to ensure public safety during the political gathering.
“Additional personnel have been deployed in various areas of the capital due to the ongoing high alert regarding the current security situation,” the police said in a statement.
During a search operation in Sangjani, a suspicious bag was also discovered that contained explosives, according to police.
“Weapons of destruction, including hand grenades, detonators, and explosives, were recovered from the bag,” the police statement said, adding the Bomb Disposal Squad defused the explosives and saved Islamabad from a “major disaster.”
“Further search operations by law enforcement agencies are ongoing in the area, and security checks have been intensified at the city’s entry and exit points,” the police said, urging citizens to cooperate with authorities.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday emphasized the importance of literacy for people’s empowerment and increased economic opportunities during International Literacy Day, observed on September 8.
According to WorldMetrics, Pakistan’s literacy rate stands at 59 percent, while the country grapples with the challenge of 23 million out-of-school children.
The government’s spending on education remains low, at just 2.8 percent of GDP, contributing to poor infrastructure, limited access to quality education and a shortage of trained teachers, particularly in rural areas.
“Literacy is a fundamental human and constitutional right,” the prime minister was quoted as saying in a statement circulated by his office. “Education and literacy are the guarantees of our country’s future.”
“Literacy is not merely the ability to read and write,” he continued. “It is a gateway to empowerment, economic opportunities and active participation in society.”
The prime minister reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to advancing the education agenda for a more informed nation.
“Education is the backbone of our society,” he maintained. “To this end, we have declared an educational emergency across the country, launched an enrollment campaign for students and introduced midday meals in schools.”
“We have also introduced scholarships and other incentives to reduce the dropout rate and encourage every child to complete their education,” he added.
Sharif said the government was doing everything to integrate technology into the education system, ensuring that Pakistani youth was equipped with the necessary skills to thrive in the digital economy.
He noted that the private sector and civil society organizations were equal partners in the government’s efforts to spread education in Pakistan.
“By establishing effective partnerships, we can link education with employment and self-employment opportunities, creating a stronger and more inclusive workforce,” he added.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday praised Pakistan’s naval forces for safeguarding the country’s maritime boundaries in honor of Navy Day, observed on September 8.
Navy Day is to commemorate the Pakistani naval forces’ strategic achievements during the 1965 war with India, particularly Operation Dwarka.
The operation, which targeted and destroyed key radar installations along the Indian coast, played a role in disrupting air attacks on Karachi.
“On Navy Day, I extend my heartfelt felicitations to all members of the Pakistan Navy,” the prime minister said in a social media post.
“Their steadfast commitment to protecting our maritime boundaries exemplifies their unwavering dedication to duty and passion for the country,” he added. “Regardless of the challenges they face, their determination and spirit remain resolute. We deeply value their service and sacrifices, and their contributions to safeguarding our maritime borders.”
On Navy Day, I extend my heartfelt felicitations to all members of the Pakistan Navy. Their steadfast commitment to protecting our maritime boundaries exemplifies their unwavering dedication to duty and passion for the country. Regardless of the challenges they face, their…
The Pakistan Navy also released a video earlier in the day, showcasing the country’s mountainous landscapes and meandering rivers while reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding Pakistan’s territorial waters.
PESHAWAR: Unidentified gunmen killed two brothers of a police official in Pakistan’s northwestern Lakki Marwat district, confirmed a spokesperson for the law enforcement agency on Sunday, as the country grapples with a surge in militant violence in its western region, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Pakistani authorities say attacks on security forces and police personnel have significantly increased since the US-led coalition forces left Afghanistan in August 2021 and the Taliban took power in Kabul.
Pakistan has repeatedly claimed that militants have been using Afghan soil to carry out attacks on civilians and security forces, even blaming the Afghan Taliban for facilitating them.
However, the administration in Kabul denies this, asserting that Pakistan’s security problems are Islamabad’s internal issue.
Asked about the Lakki Marwat attack, local police spokesperson Shahid Hameed confirmed the incident and provided details.
“Last night [Saturday], at around 9:30 PM, unidentified terrorists opened fire in front of the residence of Station House Officer [SHO] Shafi Ullah in the village of Abakhel, which is within the jurisdiction of Lakki City Police Station,” he said.
He explained that the SHO’s brothers were outside the house after offering their night prayers when the gunmen, riding a motorbike, opened fire, killing them instantly.
When asked if they had received threats from militants, Hameed maintained no one in the region was safe, and everyone faced threats.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, though the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has remained active in the region in such violent activities.
Last month, militants targeted a convoy of local judges in Tank district. Prior to that, an attack on a police station in February claimed the lives of 10 officers and injured six others in Dera Ismail Khan.
Pakistani officials say TTP militants have been using night vision devices and advanced weaponry left behind by US-led forces in Afghanistan.
Women ride Pakistan’s economic crisis into the workplace
Pakistan was first Muslim nation to be led by a woman PM in 1980s, women CEOs grace power lists in Forbes magazine, make up ranks of police and military
But much of Pakistani society operates under a traditional code which requires women to have permission from their family to work outside of the home
Updated 08 September 2024
AFP
KARACHI: Amina Sohail veers through heavy traffic to pick up her next passenger — the sight of a woman riding a motorcycle drawing stares in Pakistan’s megacity of Karachi.
The 28-year-old is the first woman in her family to enter the workforce, a pattern emerging in urban households coming under increasing financial pressure in Pakistan.
“I don’t focus on people, I don’t speak to anyone or respond to the hooting, I do my work,” said Sohail, who joined a local ride-hailing service at the start of the year, transporting women through the dusty back streets of the city.
“Before, we would be hungry, now we get to eat at least two to three meals a day,” she added.
The South Asian nation is locked in a cycle of political and economic crises, dependent on IMF bailouts and loans from friendly countries to service its debt.
Prolonged inflation has forced up the price of basic groceries such as tomatoes by 100 percent. Electricity and gas bills have risen by 300 percent compared to July last year, according to official data.
Sohail used to help her mother with cooking, cleaning and looking after her younger siblings, until her father, the family’s sole earner, fell sick.
“The atmosphere in the house was stressful,” she said, with the family dependent on other relatives for money. “That’s when I thought I must work.”
“My vision has changed. I will work openly like any man, no matter what anyone thinks.”
In this photograph taken on August 19, 2024, Amina Sohail, a motorbike rider with a local ride-hailing service provider Bykea, speaks during an interview with AFP in Karachi. (AFP)
Pakistan was the first Muslim nation to be led by a woman prime minister in the 1980s, women CEOs grace power lists in Forbes magazine, and they now make up the ranks of the police and military.
However, much of Pakistani society operates under a traditional code which requires women to have permission from their family to work outside of the home.
According to the United Nations, just 21 percent of women participate in Pakistan’s work force, most of them in the informal sector and almost half in rural areas working in the fields.
In this photograph taken on August 17, 2024, receptionist Hina Saleem talks on a telephone at a leather factory in Karachi. (AFP)
“I am the first girl in the family to work, from both my paternal and maternal side,” said Hina Saleem, a 24-year-old telephone operator at a leather factory in Qur’angi, Karachi’s largest industrial area.
The move, supported by her mother after her father died, was met with resistance from her extended family.
Her younger brother was warned that working could lead to socially unacceptable behavior, such as finding a husband of her choice.
“My uncles said ‘get her married’,” she told AFP. “There was lots of pressure on my mother.”
At the changeover of shifts outside the leather factory, workers arrive in painted buses decorated with chinking bells, with a handful of women stepping out amid the crowd of men.
In this photograph taken on August 17, 2024, employee Anum Shahzadi sorts jackets at a leather factory in Karachi. (AFP)
Nineteen-year-old Anum Shahzadi, who works in the same factory inputting data, was encouraged by her parents to enter the workforce after completing high school, unlike generations before her.
“What is the point of education if a girl can’t be independent,” said Shahzadi, who now contributes to the household alongside her brother.
Bushra Khaliq, executive director for Women In Struggle for Empowerment (WISE) which advocates for political and economic rights for women, said that Pakistan was “witnessing a shift” among urban middle class women.
“Up until this point, they had been told by society that taking care of their homes and marriage were the ultimate objective,” she told AFP.
“But an economic crunch and any social and economic crises bring with them a lot of opportunities.”
In this photograph taken on August 18, 2024, a homemaker Farzana Augustine prepares lunch for her son at their house in Karachi. (AFP)
Farzana Augustine, from Pakistan’s minority Christian community, earned her first salary last year at the age of 43, after her husband lost his job during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“My wife had to take over,” Augustine Saddique explained to AFP.
“But it is nothing to be sad about, we are companions and are running our house together.”
The sprawling port metropolis of Karachi, officially home to 20 million people but likely many millions more, is the business center of Pakistan.
It pulls in migrants and entrepreneurs from across the country with the promise of employment and often acts as a bellwether for social change.
In this photograph taken on August 16, 2024, childminder Zahra Afzal heads to work, in Karachi. (AFP)
Nineteen-year-old Zahra Afzal moved to Karachi to live with her uncle four years ago, after the death of her parents, leaving her small village in central-eastern Pakistan to work as a childminder.
“If Zahra was taken by other relatives, she would have been married off by now,” her uncle Kamran Aziz told AFP, from their typical one room home where bedding is folded away in the morning and cooking is done on the balcony.
“My wife and I decided we would go against the grain and raise our girls to survive in the world before settling them down.”
Afzal beams that she is now an example for her sister and cousin: “My mind has become fresh.”
