Blaze News - Pakistan

At midnight, the city reverberated with the crackle of gunfire as hundreds of people resorted to aerial firing to celebrate Independence Day. Unrestrained aerial firing and fireworks disrupted the city's peace, turning festivity into tragedy. Three people, including an eight-year-old girl and a 70-year-old man, lost their lives, while 81 others sustained injuries. According to police, 51 men, 23 women, six boys, and one girl were among the injured. Police arrested 39 suspects across various areas of the city and recovered a variety of firearms used in the illegal celebratory firing. In a particularly heart-wrenching incident, eight-year-old Naaha was shot and killed by stray gunfire in Azizabad Block Eight. She lost her life while standing on her balcony with a Pakistani flag pinned to her chest. Read More: Pakistan celebrates Independence Day in spirit According to a family friend, Naaha sat down in fear as gunshots rang out but was fatally struck in the back of the head. Her fami...

Karachi residents were left stranded on the city's roads during the Independence Day celebrations Wednesday due to poor traffic management by the local police. The central Independence Day event, held at the National Stadium, saw a large turnout. However, the event was overshadowed by traffic gridlock as major roads were closed in the evening, leaving citizens struggling to reach their destinations. The closure of routes such as Sir Shah Sulaiman Road and University Road led to long queues of vehicles, while areas like Ghareebabad, Jail Chowrangi, and Natha Khan Bridge saw significant congestion. By the evening, the situation worsened as the track leading from Shahrah-e-Faisal to Karachi’s airport was also shut, further exacerbating the traffic jam. People attempting to travel to the airport were especially affected, with some waiting for hours in their vehicles. Closed* - Time: 22:15 PM - Location: Main Shahrah-e-Faisal Carsaz left turn towards Habib Ibrahim Rahmatullah Road - Rea...

Preparations for Independence Day and Marka-e-Haq are in full swing at Karachi Central Jail. The jail has been vibrantly decorated with lights, green crescent flags, and buntings. Walls are adorned with slogans celebrating Independence Day, Marka-e-Haq, and expressing support for the Pakistan Army. Jail Superintendent Abdul Karim Abbasi and other officials attended various events that have been organised. Quran recitation ceremonies were held, accompanied by prayers for the country's progress. Sports competitions are also being arranged inside the jail as part of the celebrations.  Over the decades, as part of the ongoing jail reforms, the provincial governments in the country are focused on making the prisons reformatories.  “Hate crime not the criminal,” is written in bold letters at the entrance of the Karachi Central Jail as well as other penitentiaries of Sindh.  Besides conducting schools and skills classes for the prisoners, the jail administrations celebrate natio...

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja on Tuesday said that Shah Mahmood Qureshi will continue to follow the instructions of party founder Imran Khan after his release and will not act independently of party policy. Speaking to the media near Adiala Jail, he said: “Only the founder’s word holds weight within the party.” He declined to speculate on Qureshi’s future role, stating that no decisions could be made without the founder’s direction. Raja’s comments came after an Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore issued two separate release warrants for Qureshi, addressed to the Superintendent of Central Jail Kot Lakhpat. The senior PTI leader had been acquitted on August 11 in connection with cases linked to the May 9 riots, which followed the arrest of Imran Khan. Read More: ATC orders Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s release after acquittal Raja further clarified that the PTI’s August 14 programme was not a political protest. “It is a celebration of Pakistan’s independence, wh...

Pakistan and the United States have reaffirmed their intention to work together closely in multilateral forums, including the United Nations, to advance effective and enduring counterterrorism strategies. A joint press statement confirmed that the latest round of the Pakistan-US Counterterrorism Dialogue took place on Tuesday, where both sides reiterated their shared commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. The dialogue was co-chaired by Nabeel Munir, Special Secretary for the United Nations, and Gregory D LoGerfo, Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the US Department of State. Delegations from both countries underscored the importance of developing effective counterterrorism measures, particularly in relation to groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army, ISIS-Khorasan, and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). We remain committed to countering terrorism in all its forms. Today, Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism Gregory LoGerfo and Chargé d’Affa...

Iran could hold direct nuclear talks with the United States if conditions are suitable, First Vice President Mohammadreza Aref said on Tuesday, according to state media. However, he dismissed US demands for Tehran to drop uranium enrichment entirely as “a joke.” A sixth round of talks between Tehran and Washington was suspended following Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June. Both powers accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, an accusation Tehran rejects. “Iran is ready for negotiations under equal conditions in order to safeguard its interests... The Islamic Republic’s stance is in the direction that people want and, should there be suitable conditions, we are even ready for direct talks,” Aref said. Also Read: Iran threatens planned Trump corridor envisaged by Azerbaijan-Armenia peace deal Previous rounds of negotiations, which began in April, were indirect and mediated by Oman. Washington maintains that uranium enrichment in Iran is a pathway to developing nu...

Firefighters in Turkey are battling wildfires in the centre of the northwestern province of Canakkale, fanned by strong winds, and hundreds of residents have been evacuated as a precaution, local authorities and media said on Monday. Airplanes, helicopters, vehicles and around 700 personnel are fighting the blazes, city Governor Omer Toraman said in a post on X. Authorities launched precautionary evacuations, including a university campus, and military and residential areas, urging residents to avoid unnecessary travel to keep roads clear for emergency vehicles. Read More: 6.1-magnitude quake hits western Turkey The city’s airport and the Dardanelles Strait, as well as part of the highway, were shut for several hours on Monday before reopening after sunset due to the wildfires. Reuters images showed flames consuming swathes of forest with thick smoke billowing into the sky. Helicopters were seen scooping water from the Dardanelles Strait and dousing the blazes, while water-spraying pol...