Four killed, 14 injured after bus falls into ravine in Pakistan’s Balochistan

Four killed, 14 injured after bus falls into ravine in Pakistan’s Balochistan
Bystanders stand next to the wreckage of a bus after an accident in in Dana Sar, some 80 kilometers away from Zhob city, Balochistan on September 14, 2024. (Photo courtesy: Levis Force Sherani district)
Short Url
Updated 14 September 2024
Follow

Four killed, 14 injured after bus falls into ravine in Pakistan’s Balochistan

Four killed, 14 injured after bus falls into ravine in Pakistan’s Balochistan
  • The incident occurred in Dana Sar mountainous area that lies along the Koh-e-Sulaiman range
  • District officials say the driver of the Quetta-bound bus fell asleep and lost control of vehicle

QUETTA: At least four people were killed and 14 others injured after a passenger bus fell into a ravine in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on Saturday, officials said.
The bus was traveling to Quetta from Islamabad, when the driver reportedly fell asleep and the bus fell into a gorge near Dana Sar area in Balochistan’s Sherani district, according to Sana Mahjabeen Umrani, a senior district administration official.
The deceased included the bus driver, while his assistant was among the critically wounded persons.
“Eight critically injured persons, including women, have been referred to Quetta for better medical treatment,” Umrani told Arab News.




Bystanders stand next to the wreckage of a bus after an accident in in Dana Sar, some 80 kilometers away from Zhob city, Balochistan on September 14, 2024. (Photo courtesy: Levis Force Sherani district)

Dana Sar is a mountainous area that lies along the Koh-e-Sulaiman mountain range, with a curvy and narrow N-50 highway passing through it.
In July 2022, 20 passengers were killed and more than a dozen others injured after a Quetta-bound passenger bus fell into a ravine in the area notorious for fatal road accidents.
Last month, a bus carrying pilgrims from Iran to Pakistan’s Karachi fell into a ditch near the Buzi Top area on the Makran Coastal Highway in Balochistan, killing 12 people and injuring 35 others.
Fatal accidents are common in Pakistan, where traffic rules are rarely followed and roads, particularly in many rural and mountainous areas, are in poor condition.
Such incidents are particularly common in Balochistan where single carriage roads connect various cities and even some highways lack modern safety features.


Pakistan’s unseeded Asim Khan wins Charlottesville Open squash tournament 

Pakistan’s unseeded Asim Khan wins Charlottesville Open squash tournament 
Updated 3 min 21 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan’s unseeded Asim Khan wins Charlottesville Open squash tournament 

Pakistan’s unseeded Asim Khan wins Charlottesville Open squash tournament 
  • Khan beats England’s Nick Wall 3-1: 12-14, 12-10, 11-5 and 11-6 to win championship
  • Pakistani squash star defeated second and fifth seeds to qualify for final against Wall

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s squash star Muhammad Asim Khan defeated England’s defending champion Nick Wall to win the Charlottesville Open tournament on Sunday, making it his maiden PSA Tour World events title. 

Khan’s impressive run in the tournament began after he beat Brazil’s Diego Gobbi in the first round of the tournament before upsetting second seed Yahya Elnawasany in the last eight. He then beat fifth seed Cesar Salazar in the semifinals to secure a berth in the final against Wall. 

In the final, Khan downed Wall 3-1: 12-14, 12-10, 11-5 and 11-6 to lift the trophy. 

“I didn’t expect any of this,” Khan said after the match. “I’ve been playing squash for the last few years – four or five years – and I was struggling a lot, not winning any matches in big tournaments like this.”

Khan said he was confident heading into the match after beating the second seed. He praised Wall for being “an experienced player and a very skillful player.”

“I tried to move him to the front court and the back court and I’m happy that I managed to do that,” Khan said. 

Pakistan has always been counted among the world’s top squash-playing nations, introducing legendary players of the sport such as Jahangir Khan, Jansher Khan, Azam Khan, and Qamar Zaman to the world. 

Between themselves, Jansher Khan and Jahangir Khan won the World Squash Open title 14 times for Pakistan during the ‘80s and the ‘90s.


Peshawar-bound PIA flight from Muscat diverted to Karachi after technical problem

Peshawar-bound PIA flight from Muscat diverted to Karachi after technical problem
Updated 29 September 2024
Follow

Peshawar-bound PIA flight from Muscat diverted to Karachi after technical problem

Peshawar-bound PIA flight from Muscat diverted to Karachi after technical problem
  • PK-260 flight landed safely at Karachi airport, says Pakistan International Airlines spokesperson 
  • Planes with technical problems are brought to Karachi as it has repair and engineering facilities

KARACHI: A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight headed toward the northwestern city of Peshawar from Muscat, Oman, was diverted to Karachi on Sunday after it experienced a technical problem, the airline’s spokesperson said. 

The national flag carrier’s spokesperson said PIA’s PK-260 flight had departed from Muscat and was on its way to Peshawar when it experienced a technical problem, prompting the pilot to divert it to the southern port city of Karachi. 

“Planes are brought to the Karachi base as it has repair and engineering facilities,” the spokesperson explained. 

He said the flight landed safely in Karachi and all measures to ensure air safety were adopted. 

“Passengers were taken care of at the Karachi airport and they are being dispatched [to Peshawar] via the PK-368 flight,” the spokesperson said. 

Pakistan plans to sell more than 51 percent of its stake in the loss-making airline as part of the economic reforms suggested by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which approved a long-awaited 37-month $7 billion bailout deal on Wednesday for the South Asian country. 


Pakistan PM condemns Israel’s attacks in Lebanon, demands ceasefire in Gaza

Pakistan PM condemns Israel’s attacks in Lebanon, demands ceasefire in Gaza
Updated 29 September 2024
Follow

Pakistan PM condemns Israel’s attacks in Lebanon, demands ceasefire in Gaza

Pakistan PM condemns Israel’s attacks in Lebanon, demands ceasefire in Gaza
  • Israeli airstrikes killed 32 people across Lebanon on Saturday, including Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah 
  • Shehbaz Sharif hails improvement in macroeconomic indicators, says country heading toward progress

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Israel’s recent air strikes in Lebanon, calling on global powers to intervene and put an end to the Jewish state’s war in Gaza that has killed over 41,000 people. 

The Pakistani premier’s condemnation came hours after Israel’s airstrikes in Lebanon killed Hezbollah’s longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah in a Beirut suburb. The bombardment triggered condemnation worldwide and alarmed several countries as fears of a wider war in the Middle East continue to loom. 

Israel’s airstrikes in Lebanon killed 33 people on Saturday, the country’s health ministry said in a statement. 

Sharif told reporters at a press conference in London, where he had arrived after attending the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, that he had presented Pakistan’s stance at the summit on key global issues, including the Palestine crisis. 

“I made a humble effort to carry the voice of the people of Pakistan in front of the world, about the injustice and barbarity in Palestine,” Sharif said.

“Over 40,000 Palestinians have been martyred, thousands of children have been martyred. In the same way, we have also strongly condemned the attacks in Lebanon.”

The Pakistani prime minister said he had demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza at the 79th UNGA session, calling on the “global conscience” to awaken. 

Speaking on the country’s economic situation, Sharif said Pakistan is now moving toward stability and progress, adding that the same has been acknowledged by international institutions. 

The premier expressed his satisfaction over the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) approval of a $7 billion loan for Pakistan this week. 

He said the country’s inflation rate stood at 9.6 percent currently compared to 32 percent in September last year, noting that the rates of daily commodities were showing stability as well. 

“Everything is not hunky-dory,” he cautioned. “We have to sweat hard and broaden the tax net without burdening those already paying it.”


Pakistani designer Faraz Manan earns coveted spot on Business of Fashion 500 list 

Pakistani designer Faraz Manan earns coveted spot on Business of Fashion 500 list 
Updated 29 September 2024
Follow

Pakistani designer Faraz Manan earns coveted spot on Business of Fashion 500 list 

Pakistani designer Faraz Manan earns coveted spot on Business of Fashion 500 list 
  • Business of Fashion magazine list acknowledges most influential people in global fashion industry
  • Manan has styled Bollywood A-listers such as Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt

ISLAMABAD: Prominent Pakistani designer Faraz Manan was included in the prestigious annual Business of Fashion (BoF) 500 list this week that acknowledges the most influential people in the global fashion industry. 

The BoF 500, compiled by The Business of Fashion magazine, acknowledges the works of a wide range of professionals from across various sectors of the fashion ecosystem such as luxury brands, high street fashion, media, technology and sustainability.

Manan started his career in 2003 as a fashion designer and since then has established himself as one of the country’s leading designers under his eponymous label, Faraz Manan. Several leading Bollywood actresses such as Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Sridevi, Alia Bhatt and Kiara Advani have worn his dresses in the past. 

“Honored and delighted to be a part of The BoF 500: people shaping the global fashion industry,” Manan wrote on his Instagram profile on Friday. 

The BoF 500 said in a post on its website that the designer is one of the leading figures in Pakistan’s fashion industry and a “go-to for buyers of couture bridal and formal wear in the wider South Asia region.”

“Manan quickly rose to prominence, distinguishing himself with a signature style that combines intricate embellishments, lavish fabrics and a contemporary sensibility,” the BoF 500 said.

In 2015, he became one of the first South Asian designers to open a boutique in Dubai and by 2024, his business had amassed over a million global followers on its Instagram account.

Admiration for Manan’s work from the Bollywood elite has turned his brand into a cultural bridge between India and Pakistan, the two neighboring countries where cultural exchanges are rare due to political hostilities. 


Gunmen kill 7 laborers from Punjab in southwestern Pakistan 

Gunmen kill 7 laborers from Punjab in southwestern Pakistan 
Updated 29 September 2024
Follow

Gunmen kill 7 laborers from Punjab in southwestern Pakistan 

Gunmen kill 7 laborers from Punjab in southwestern Pakistan 
  • Unidentified gunmen storm residential compound in remote Panjgur district to kill laborers, say police
  • No group has claimed responsibility for attack but separatist outfits have killed Punjab-based laborers in past

QUETTA: Unidentified gunmen stormed a residential compound in southwestern Pakistan late Saturday night and shot dead seven laborers who all hailed from Punjab, police said, in the latest ethnic attack to take place in the country’s restive province. 

Pakistan’s Balochistan province, which shares porous borders with Afghanistan and Iran, has been the scene of a low-lying insurgency for decades. Ethnic Baloch nationalists have long accused the central government and Punjab of monopolizing profits from Balochistan’s natural resources. The state denies these allegations. 

The overnight attack took place in Khudabadan area near the remote Panjgur city, Panjgur District Police Officer Syed Fazil Bukhari told Arab News. He said the laborers were sleeping in their residential compound when the attackers shot them. 

“Seven laborers and residents of Shujabad village in Multan district were killed in the attack and one received severe bullet wounds and was shifted to District Headquarters Hospital,” Bukhari said. 

He added that the gunmen had managed to flee after carrying out the attack. 

“Security forces have launched a search operation in the area to hunt down the attackers involved in the recent killing of laborers from Punjab province,” Bukhari said. 

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the separatist militant outfit Balochistan Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for killing Punjab-based laborers in the past. 

BLA militants claimed responsibility for killing at least 23 residents of Punjab in Balochistan’s Musakhel district last month. The victims were forced out of their vehicles by the militants, who shot them after checking their identity. 

Simultaneous attacks were also launched on the same day that killed over 50 in one of the deadliest attacks in Balochistan in recent years. Militants also destroyed a key railway bridge that connects the southwestern province to other parts of the country.