ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday expressed satisfaction over his country's effective border management amid the prevailing political uncertainty in Afghanistan.
According to a statement released by the military's public relations wing, ISPR, Bajwa was presiding over a corps commanders' conference in Rawalpindi that took a comprehensive view of the global, regional and domestic security environment.
Thousands of Afghans tried to flee their country after the Ashraf Ghani administration collapsed and the Taliban captured Kabul last month.
Many Afghan nationals also gathered at their country's border with Pakistan, raising fears in Islamabad of another refugee influx.
"The forum was apprised on prevalent situation in Afghanistan, especially along Pak-Afghan border and effective safeguards in place against various threats," said the ISPR statement. "The COAS expressed satisfaction over efficacy of the comprehensive border management regime due to which Pakistan’s Borders and Internal Security remained intact amid a crisis situation in the region."
Bajwa reiterated his country's firm commitment to peace in Afghanistan, saying the world must continue its constructive engagement and sustained humanitarian support for the war-torn country.
Pakistan's top military forum also emphasized close cooperation among all regional stakeholders to bring about stability and prosperity in the neighborhood.
It also paid homage to Syed Ali Shah Geelani, a Kashmiri leader who died in Srinagar earlier this month.
Pakistan's army chief satisfied with border management amid Afghan political turmoil
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Pakistan's army chief satisfied with border management amid Afghan political turmoil
- General Bajwa chaired the recent corps commanders' meeting on Friday which reviewed the overall security situation in and around Pakistan
- The forum paid homage to Syed Ali Shah Geelani, a Kashmiri leader who died in Srinagar earlier this month
Death toll in Karachi mall fire rises to 73 after two more bodies recovered — rescue service
- Authorities have yet to confirm the cause of the fire at Gul Plaza which housed around 1,200 shops
- The identification process has been slowed by the condition of the remains recovered from the site
KARACHI: The death toll from a devastating fire at a shopping mall in Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi climbed to 73 on Sunday, the Edhi rescue service said, following the recovery of the remains of two more persons.
The development came as rescuers and volunteers continued to comb through the debris at Gul Plaza, a densely packed commercial complex in the heart of Karachi where a deadly fire erupted on Jan. 17, for remains of the victims.
Over the past week, family members of more than a dozen missing persons have stayed near the destroyed plaza and hospital even after providing their DNA samples for testing, with some relatives also criticizing authorities for the slow pace of rescue efforts.
“The death toll in the Gul Plaza tragedy has reached 73,” the Edhi rescue service said in a statement on Sunday night. “The remains of two more bodies were shifted to the Edhi morgue today.”
There was no official comment on the increase in death toll.
“We have processed 71 sets of remains, of which 20 have been identified,” Chief Police Surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed said on Friday.
The identification process has been significantly slowed by the condition of the remains recovered from the site, according to Syed. Many bodies were found in fragments, complicating DNA analysis and prolonging the process for families waiting for confirmation.
Authorities have yet to confirm the cause of the fire at the building, which housed around 1,200 shops. Traders say the blaze caused more than $53 million losses.
Fires are common in Karachi’s markets and factories, which are known for their poor infrastructure, but a blaze on such a scale is rare.
The provincial government has announced that it will give Rs10 million ($35,720) to each family of the deceased. All 1,200 shopkeepers will also be compensated.
