KARACHI: At least 17 people are dead and 13 others injured in Balochistan as heavy snowfall and downpours in the last two days wreaked havoc in the southwestern province of Pakistan, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) confirmed on Monday.
The spell of heavy snowfall that started Saturday night, continues to hit the main districts of Zhob, Qila Saifullah, Ziarat, Qila Abdullah, Kalat, Mastung, Khuzdar and other northern parts of the province.
"14 had died during the first 24 hours but the exact figure of fatalities can be shared once the deputy commissioners, who are overseeing relief activities in their respective districts, reach offices,” Imran Khan Zarkoon, director general of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority earlier told Arab News.
Emergency was declared in the most affected districts of the province on Sunday amid rising death toll.
The PDMA is trying to provide relief, and rehabilitation to those stuck in snowfall, Zarkoon said.
The Quetta-Karachi highways, he said, has been cleared but passengers are advised not to travel until the emergency is lifted. “Work is still underway on other major thoroughfares, including Quetta-Zhob highway,” he added.
Heavy rain in northwestern parts of Balochistan may continue to generate flash floods in districts which may also receive heavy snowfall today, according to Pakistan Meteoroidal Department.
Daud Khan, an official at the Pakistan meteorological department, said the province has recorded highest snowfall heaviest snowfall of the last two decades. “Qilla Saifullah has recorded up to four feet snow, whereas Ziarat had 18 inches of snow on Sunday,” Khan said.
Meanwhile, Malik Musleh ud Din Mengal, a focal person for chief minister Balochistan, said that district administration, communications, local bodies and irrigation departments as well as Frontier Corps, and Levies are on ground to assist PDMA in relief and rehabilitation activities.
17 dead as Balochistan receives record high snow
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17 dead as Balochistan receives record high snow
- Pakistan Meteoroidal Department has warned of flash floods amid heavy snow in most districts
- Emergency has been declared in six districts of the province
Pakistan says Indian minister initiated handshake in Dhaka, first contact since May conflict
- Pakistan’s Ayaz Sadiq and India’s Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met on the sidelines of Khaleda Zia’s funeral
- The National Assembly of Pakistan says Islamabad has consistently emphasized dialogue with New Delhi
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Wednesday Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar initiated a brief handshake with Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in Dhaka, marking the first high-level contact between the two nuclear-armed rivals since their military conflict in May.
The encounter took place on the sidelines of the funeral of former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia, attended by senior officials and diplomats from multiple countries.
Ties between India and Pakistan have remained frozen since a four-day military confrontation in May, during which both sides exchanged missile, drone and air strikes before a ceasefire brokered by Washington.
“During Speaker NA Sardar Ayaz Sadiq’s visit to the Parliament of Bangladesh ... the Indian External Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar approached the Speaker National Assembly and [shook] hands,” Pakistan’s National Assembly said in a post on social media platform X.
It added that Jaishankar introduced himself to Sadiq during the brief interaction. India has not commented publicly on the exchange.
“It is noteworthy that Pakistan has consistently emphasized dialogue, restraint, and cooperative measures, including proposals for peace talks,” the post continued.
Tensions between the two neighbors escalated in April after a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed more than 20 tourists. New Delhi blamed Pakistan for supporting the attack, an allegation Islamabad denied, calling instead for an independent and transparent investigation.
Officials from both countries have largely avoided public interactions since the conflict, with senior figures refraining from handshakes or exchanges at international gatherings.
Sadiq was in Dhaka to attend Zia’s funeral and to convey condolences from Pakistan’s leadership and people. He also met Zia’s son Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, according to Pakistan’s high commission in Bangladesh.
Speaking to Pakistan’s Geo TV, Sadiq confirmed that Jaishankar approached him in full media glare and exchanged pleasantries.
Responding to a question about being photographed with the Indian minister, he said: “Cameras arrived with them. Our people took the photographs later.”
