ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s new Arabic language Twitter account @ArabicIk has been set up to promote his social media activity among millions of Arabic speakers across the globe, a top government official said on Friday.
The account, which was launched in May 2020, shares videos of Khan’s speeches and interviews along with Arabic messages. Khan has 12.5 million followers on his official Twitter account, the largest of any Pakistani.
“We will be translating the prime minister’s address to the UN General Assembly in Arabic and promoting it through his official Arabic language Twitter account,” Imran Ghazali, general manager of the Information Ministry’s digital media wing, told Arab News.
A team of volunteers, Ghazali said, is operating the premier’s Arabic language account. All materials are translated from Urdu and English and vetted before they appear on the social media platform.
“We have created this account to connect to millions of Arabic speaking people in our brotherly countries like Saudi Arabia,” Ghazali said. “This will help us promote the prime minister’s vision on Kashmir, Palestine and other international issues in the Arabic language.”
Pakistan enjoys close ties with many Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Around 3 million Pakistani expats live and work in Saudi Arabia, while the UAE is also the second largest labor market for Pakistan workers.
“This is the age of Internet and social media, and we want to use them in different languages including Arabic to promote a positive image of Pakistan in the world,” Ghazali said.
Pakistan PM launches Arabic Twitter handle to reach millions in Middle East
https://arab.news/9e2ek
Pakistan PM launches Arabic Twitter handle to reach millions in Middle East
- Khan has 12.5 million followers on his official Twitter account, the largest of any Pakistani
- A team of volunteers is operating the premier’s Arabic language Twitter handle to promote a positive image of Pakistan
Karachi-bound bus crashes in fog, killing five in eastern Pakistan
- Motorway closure forced the bus onto an alternate route, unfamiliar to the driver
- Pakistan weather office reports visibility as low as 30 meters in parts of Punjab
ISLAMABAD: At least five people were killed and around 28 injured early on Wednesday when a passenger bus traveling from Rawalpindi to Karachi plunged into a ravine near Dhok Pathan in eastern Pakistan, after the driver diverted from a closed motorway due to dense fog, police said.
Poor visibility during Pakistan’s winter months frequently makes long-distance travel hazardous, prompting authorities to shut motorways and major roads during severe fog to prevent accidents. However, traffic mishaps involving both light and heavy vehicles are not uncommon during such conditions, sometimes triggering multi-vehicle pile-ups.
“A passenger bus traveling from Rawalpindi to Karachi plunged into a ravine near Dhok Pathan, killing at least five people and injuring around 28 others,” Adeel Sarfraz, a senior police officer and station house officer in the area near Chakwal, told Arab News over the phone.
“The accident occurred at around 2 a.m.,” he added. “Since the motorway was closed due to dense fog, the driver diverted the bus onto the GT [Grand Trunk] Road. However, the driver was unfamiliar with the route, and poor visibility caused by the fog led to the accident.”
Winter fog is a recurring hazard across Pakistan’s plains, particularly in Punjab and upper Sindh, where conditions can deteriorate sharply during late night and early morning hours.
Data shared by the Pakistan Meteorological Department earlier in the day showed extremely low visibility across several districts, with levels dropping to 30 meters in Narowal and Sheikhupura, 40 meters in Gujranwala and 50 meters in Faisalabad, Sialkot Airport and Toba Tek Singh.
Levels of 100 meters were reported in cities including Okara, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur and Sargodha, while some southern Punjab districts recorded relatively better conditions at around 200 meters.
The weather office warned that moderate to dense fog is likely to persist over much of Punjab, upper Sindh and plain areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, advising travelers — especially those driving on highways and motorways — to exercise caution during nighttime and early morning hours.
Road accidents are also common in Pakistan due to poor infrastructure, speeding and limited enforcement of safety regulations, with fog-related incidents adding to seasonal risks during winter.
