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 announces national Islamic scholarship competition focused on youth

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Pakistan announces national Islamic scholarship competition focused on youth

  • Contest invites books, essays, poetry in multiple languages, with awards for men and women
  • Best entries to be published digitally and in print, submissions due by March 31

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs on Wednesday announced a nationwide competition for books, poetry and academic papers focused on Islamic scholarship, as part of efforts to promote religious discourse addressing modern social challenges, particularly among younger generations.

The annual competition will cover works on Seerat — the biography and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) — as well as Na’at, a traditional form of devotional poetry praising the Prophet, alongside broader Islamic research and literary contributions published in Pakistan and abroad.

“Ministry of Religious Affairs ... remains committed to addressing contemporary challenges through the guidance of the Seerat-e-Tayyaba (the life of the Prophet Muhammad), describing the national competition as an important step toward promoting Islamic teachings in society,” the ministry said in a statement.

“The initiative serves as an effective platform to encourage writers and researchers working on Seerat and Islamic subjects.”

For 2026, the ministry has set the central theme for Seerat research papers as “Protection, development and character-building of the younger generation in the light of the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).” 

Officials said the focus aims to encourage scholarly engagement with issues such as ethics, social responsibility and education in a rapidly changing society.

The competition will award separate cash prizes and certificates to male and female writers at national and provincial levels, while selected research papers will be published in both digital and printed formats, the statement said.

According to the ministry, works published in national, regional and foreign languages will be eligible, with eight dedicated categories covering Seerat authors and Na’at poets. Separate categories have also been introduced for women writers, journals and magazines, expanding participation beyond individual book authors.

The ministry said the competition is intended to strengthen Islamic literary traditions while encouraging new voices to engage with religious subjects in a contemporary context.

The deadline for submission of books and research papers is March 31, 2026, it added.