Seven dead, six injured as passenger van crashes into truck in Pakistan’s Punjab province

Residents and rescue workers at the site of a deadly bus accident near Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan, on July 19, 2021. (AP/File)
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Updated 10 August 2023
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Seven dead, six injured as passenger van crashes into truck in Pakistan’s Punjab province

  • All seven victims of the collision were family members heading to a relative’s funeral
  • Fatal road accidents persist due to dilapidated roads, disregard for traffic rules in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: At least seven people from the same family were killed and six others injured after a passenger van collided with a truck in Chaubara city, located in the Layyah district of Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province, on Thursday, as reported by the police.

According to details provided by the police in Layyah, the passenger van was traveling from Bhakkar to Mian Channu when the collision occurred near the Hafizabad bus stop. The injured were rushed to the district hospital for treatment.

“District Police Officer Asadur Rahman immediately visited the hospital upon receiving the information of the tragic accident at Chaubara’s Hafizabad bus stop and expressed deep sorrow, regret, and heartfelt sympathy for the loss of seven precious lives in the passenger van accident,” said the Layyah police in a post on the X messaging platform.

“Rahman also visited the injured in the hospital and issued instructions to provide the best possible treatment to them,” it added.

A spokesperson from Punjab’s Rescue 1122 informed Arab News over the phone that the seven individuals killed in the accident were en route to attend a relative’s funeral. The spokesperson added that the accident occurred due to the van’s excessive speed.

Fatal road accidents remain a common occurrence in Pakistan, where adherence to traffic rules is often lax, and roads, especially in many small towns and rural areas, tend to be in poor condition.

According to the Punjab Emergency Services Department’s website, at least 11 people lost their lives in various road accidents across the province in the last 24 hours. During the day, Rescue 1122 teams also responded to over 1,125 road traffic incidents.


Pakistan forms committee to negotiate financial advisory services for Islamabad airport privatization

Updated 18 February 2026
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Pakistan forms committee to negotiate financial advisory services for Islamabad airport privatization

  • Committee to engage Asian Development Bank to negotiate terms of financial advisory services agreement, says privatization ministry
  • Inaugurated in 2018, Islamabad airport has faced criticism over construction delays, poor facilities and operational inefficiencies

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Privatization Ministry announced on Wednesday that it has formed a committee to engage the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to negotiate a potential financial advisory services agreement for the privatization of Islamabad International Airport.

The Islamabad International Airport, inaugurated in 2018 at a cost of over $1 billion, has faced criticism over construction delays, poor facilities, and operational inefficiencies.

The Negotiation Committee formed by the Privatization Commission will engage with the ADB to negotiate the terms of a potential Financial Advisory Services Agreement (FASA) for the airport’s privatization, the ministry said. 

“The Negotiation Committee has been mandated to undertake negotiations and submit its recommendations to the Board for consideration and approval, in line with the applicable regulatory framework,” the Privatization Ministry said in a statement. 

The ministry said Islamabad airport operations will be outsourced under a concession model through an open and competitive process to enhance its operational efficiency and improve service delivery standards. 

Pakistan has recently sought to privatize or outsource management of several state-run enterprises under conditions agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of a $7 billion bailout approved in September last year.

Islamabad hopes outsourcing airport operations will bring operational expertise, enhance passenger experience and restore confidence in the aviation sector.

In December 2025, Pakistan’s government successfully privatized its national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), selling 75 percent of its stakes to a consortium led by the Arif Habib Group. 

The group secured a 75 percent stake in the PIA for Rs135 billion ($482 million) after several rounds of bidding, valuing the airline at Rs180 billion ($643 million).

Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said this week the government has handed over 26 state-owned enterprises to the Privatization Commission.