Posts

Ancient royal sewer collapses in Peshawar

The centuries-old Shahi Khatta, a historic royal sewer system passing through the inner city of Peshawar, is rapidly deteriorating, with its walls and roofs becoming dangerously weak. In a worrying incident on Monday, the fragile roof of the Shahi Khatta in the Kohati area collapsed under the weight of a passing tractor, causing the road to cave in. The tractor driver sustained injuries in the accident. According to local accounts, the Shahi Khatta, believed to date back several centuries, has seen its condition worsen significantly in recent years. Built originally for stormwater and wastewater drainage, the historic structure now suffers from widespread encroachments. Shops, cabins, and illegal constructions have sprung up at multiple points along the sewer, particularly in areas such as Kohati, Qissa Khwani, Mohalla Khudadad, Peeple Mandi, the old vegetable market, Reti Bazaar, and Ashraf Road, eventually emerging at Shahi Bagh. Residents say that due to these encroachments and the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pakistan allows transit of foreign goods to Iran through its territory

The government has notified the Transit of Goods Order 2026, formally allowing the transportation of goods to Iran through Pakistan under a defined legal and regulatory framework, a notification said on Sunday. Issued under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, 1950, and in pursuance of the 2008 Pakistan-Iran agreement on international transport of passengers and goods by road, the order has come into force immediately. “The Transit of Goods through the territory of Pakistan Order 2026 shall come into force at once,” the notification stated. Read: Pakistan-Iran transit corridor formally opens According to the notification, new transit routes had been announced under the order, with Gwadar, Karachi and Taftan designated for transit cargo movement. The order defined transit as the movement of goods through Pakistan as part of a journey that began and ended outside the country, and transit transport corridors as specified routes for such movement. It also defined cross...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nice try, critics! Better luck next crisis!

Peace is not just a yoga class word that people throw around in speeches. Real peace is something that actually has to be worked for, quietly, behind closed doors, sometimes without anyone even saying thank you. Pakistan knows this better than most. The critics do not. And the opposition between those contrasting clauses is the entire point of this article. With that in mind, let us talk about the United States and Iran because, honestly, this is the part where the critics should just put their phones down and pay attention. The United States and Iran are not exactly sending each other birthday cards. These are two bitter geopolitical foes that have been at each other's windpipes since before most of us were born. The distrust runs so deep that direct conversation between them is practically a miracle, even to attempt. So who steps in? Pakistan does. Not the critics. Pakistan. Through calls, meetups, and the kind of patient, people-to-people diplomacy that takes weeks to show resul...
Post a Comment
Read more

Twin cities reopen transport, bus terminals following week-long shutdown

The federal capital’s district administration on Saturday announced the restoration of transport services, allowing all types of public and goods transport to enter the city after a temporary suspension imposed for security reasons for possible US-Iran talks that never materialised. The development comes amid a fresh setback in the peace process after US President Donald Trump cancelled a planned visit by envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to Pakistan for talks with Iranian officials. According to a statement issued by the deputy commissioner’s office, all bus terminals across Islamabad were reopened, except for the Faizabad bus terminal, which would remain closed until further notice. Read: US-Iran peace process hits snag as Trump cancels trip of envoys, FM Araghchi leaves Pakistan The Punjab Mass Transit Authority announced the resumption of Metro bus and electric bus services from Sunday. In Islamabad, the Metro bus would operate between Saddar Station and Shaheed-...
Post a Comment
Read more

Govt hikes petrol, high-speed diesel prices by Rs26.77 per litre

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday jacked up prices of both high-speed diesel (HSD) and petrol by Rs26.77 per litre despite no increase being required in the rates of petrol. The premier imposed a nearly Rs27 per litre additional tax on the fuel to push its price higher. Accordingly, the HSD price has been fixed at Rs380.19 per litre, up from Rs353.42 per litre. This marks a 7.5% increase. Diesel prices are still significantly lower than their peak of Rs520.4 on April 10. Diesel is considered the most inflationary fuel due to its widespread use in freight transportation and the agriculture sector. The prime minister approved an increase in petrol prices to Rs393.35 per litre, up from Rs366.6. This shows an increase of 7.3% over the existing prices. Petroleum Division officials said that there was no change in the petrol prices in the international market and the rates had to be jacked up due to an increase in the tax. Read: PM Shehbaz approves Rs32.12 per litre cut in high-speed d...
Post a Comment
Read more

Islamabad Police arrest man over social media post equating Tarnol Phatak to Strait of Hormuz

The Islamabad Police arrested a man for allegedly equating the Tarnol railway crossing to the Strait of Hormuz, it emerged on Friday. Washington has imposed a blockade on Iran's trade by sea, while Iran has prevented ships from sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway at the entrance to the Middle ​East Gulf. Nearly two months after the US and Israel began their war on Iran on February 28, there is little sign of peace ​talks resuming during an uneasy ceasefire. The closure of the strait has disrupted the supply of a fifth of the ⁠world's oil and gas supplies and caused a global energy crisis. A first information report registered at Tarnol Police Station by Sub-Inspector Shahid Asghar on Tuesday under Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant), Section 341 (punishment for wrongful restrains) and Section 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or for a shorter term) of the Pakistan Penal Co...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gaza children find joy through support animals

Light-hearted chatter ripples through a tent in the central Gaza Strip as a boy in a wheelchair gently strokes a white rabbit and another stands entranced by a bright green bird. For a moment, this group of young children who have lived through the devastation wrought by two years of gruelling conflict are captivated by the joy provided by the animals around them. "The natural presence of animals and birds, with their vibrant colours, absorbs negative energy," said Rashid Anbar, who runs animal-assisted psychological support sessions in Al-Zawayda camp. "Interacting with them fosters an atmosphere of happiness and positive energy," he added, saying the children's reactions left him feeling "encouraged" too. Displaced Palestinian children, who fled their homes due to Israeli strikes, play with one of the cats belonging to the Harb family who survived Israeli airstrikes, at a tent camp in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip November 8, 2023. REUTERS T...
Post a Comment
Read more