Pakistan starts rounding up undocumented foreigners, mostly Afghans, ahead of deadline
Peshawar, Pakistan Reuters Pakistani authorities began rounding up undocumented foreigners, most of them Afghans, on Wednesday, ahead of a midnight deadline for them to leave or face expulsion. The removal of people to temporary holding centres began a day earlier than previously announced. The interior ministry said 140,322 people had already voluntarily left after days […]
City limits: Pakistan’s poor return to villages as prices spiral
As Pakistan’s cost-of-living crisis deepens, some poor families leave cities to eke out cheaper existences in village homes. ZOFEEN T EBRAHIM and WAQAR MUSTAFA, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, report…
Pakistani Christians hold Sunday services at churches burnt by mob
Lahore, Pakistan Reuters Pakistani Christians held services on Sunday at churches that were vandalised and torched by a vigilante mob last week after two Christian brothers were accused of desecrating the Quran. Members of the Christian community chant slogans as they gather to condemn the attacks on churches and houses in Jaranwala town of Faisalabad, […]
Cyclone Biparjoy damages power lines, uproots trees as it makes India landfall
Mandvi, India/Karachi, Pakistan Reuters Strong winds, heavy rain and high tides lashed India’s Gujarat coast late on Thursday as cyclone Biparjoy made landfall after authorities there and in neighbouring Pakistan had evacuated more than 180,000 people to safety. Deserted coastal towns were battered in the dark in parts of Gujarat as power went out after […]
India, Pakistan brace for fast approaching cyclone
Mandvi, India/Karachi, PakistanReuters Authorities in India’s western state of Gujarat evacuated more than 75,000 people from vulnerable coastal communities with cyclone Biparjoy expected to whirl in from the Arabian Sea and make landfall by Thursday evening. Early on Thursday, the storm, classified as a very severe cyclone, was centred 180 kilometres off Jakhau port in […]
Seven die as cyclone barrels towards western India, Pakistan
Ahmedabad/Mumbai, India Reuters Four boys drowned in rough seas off the western Indian financial hub of Mumbai on Tuesday as India and Pakistan began evacuating people from coastal areas, two days before a cyclone is expected to make landfall. Classified as a very severe cyclonic storm, Biparjoy is expected to land around Thursday evening between […]
Pakistan begins restoring power after second major grid breakdown in months
Islamabad, Pakistan Reuters Pakistan’s government began restoring power to millions of people on Monday after a breakdown in the grid triggered the worst electricity outage in months and highlighted the weak infrastructure of the heavily indebted nation. An inquiry has been launched into the outage, which began at around 7:00am local time and has so […]
Heightened vulnerability: South Asia’s poorest city dwellers bear brunt of worsening floods
ATHAR PARVAIZ, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, report on fears marginalised city dwellers across South Asia face even harsher threats ahead as rains becomes more erratic and intense…
Pakistan foreign minister says help needed after “overwhelming” floods
Islamabad, PakistanReuters Pakistan needs financial help to deal with “overwhelming” floods, its foreign minister said on Sunday, adding that he hoped financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund would take the economic fallout into account. Unusually heavy monsoon rains have caused devastating floods in both the north and south of the country, affecting more […]
Pakistan appeals for international assistance after floods
Karachi, Pakistan Reuters Pakistan has urged the international community to help with relief efforts as it struggles to cope with the aftermath of torrential rains that triggered massive floods last month, killing more than 800 people, officials said. Funding and reconstruction efforts will be a challenge for cash-strapped Pakistan, which is having to cut spending […]