KARACHI: Authorities in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province said on Sunday they have declared 10 districts in the region as “calamity-hit” after heavy monsoon rains led to flooding and claimed two more lives in the past 24 hours.
Balochistan, the largest province of Pakistan in terms of land mass, is sparsely populated and one of the least developed regions in the country.
The absence of strong infrastructure makes it particularly vulnerable during monsoon seasons, leading to significant losses as seen two years ago when heavy rains submerged much of Pakistan and nearly 1,700 people were reported dead by state institutions. According to a senior Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) official in Quetta, the two latest casualties in Balochistan included a child who was swept away by floodwaters in the Killa Saifullah and Chaman districts on Saturday. He added this took the number of total rain-related casualties in the province to 31 since monsoon began in July.
“The provincial government has declared 10 districts as calamity-hit following the torrential rains and floods, but three more districts, Harnai, Killa Saifullah and Khuzdar, are likely to be declared disaster-affected as well,” Younus Aziz, in charge of the PDMA control room in Quetta, told Arab News over the phone.
He said the Quetta-Chaman railway track was destroyed due to heavy rains and flooding, while a historical 3.91-kilometer tunnel in the mountainous area of Shela Bagh had been blocked by flood water and mud, suspending train service between Quetta and the Chaman town on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Asked about the situation in the coastal region after the Pakistani authorities warned fishermen in Balochistan to stay away from the sea due to Cyclone ASNA, he said the weather conditions was gradually normalizing.
“The situation in the coastal areas of Balochistan is normal but rains and thunderstorms are expected in Gwadar, Jewani, and other places along the coastline,” he added.
Ten districts in Pakistan’s southwest declared ‘calamity-hit’ as rains claim two more lives
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Ten districts in Pakistan’s southwest declared ‘calamity-hit’ as rains claim two more lives
- Total number of rain-related casualties in Balochistan have reached 31 after two people were swept away in flood
- Authorities in the province are also planning to declare Harnai, Killa Saifullah and Chaman disaster-affected districts
Pakistan president meets UAE counterpart, explores trade, investment opportunities
- Asif Ali Zardari is in UAE on four-day visit to strengthen bilateral ties, review bilateral cooperation
- Both sides discuss regional, international developments, reaffirm commitment to promote peace
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari met his UAE counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday during which both sides explored new opportunities in trade, investment, energy and other sectors, Zardari's office said.
Zardari arrived in Abu Dhabi on Monday evening with a high-level delegation on a four-day official visit to the UAE to review trade, economic and security cooperation.
"The leaders discussed ways to further deepen the longstanding and brotherly relations between Pakistan and the UAE," a statement from Zardari's office said about his meeting with the UAE president.
"They reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and explored new opportunities in trade, investment, energy, infrastructure, technology, and people-to-people exchanges, highlighting the significant potential for expanding economic and strategic partnership.
Zardari highlighted the significance of Al-Nayhan's visit to Pakistan last month, the statement said, expressing appreciation for the UAE's continued support for strengthening bilateral ties.
It said both sides also exchanged views on a range of regional and international developments, reaffirming their commitment to promoting peace, stability and sustainable development.
The meeting was also attended by Pakistan's First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, the Pakistani president's son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistan's ambassador to the UAE.
ZARDARI MEETS AD PORTS CEO
Zardari earlier met AD Ports Group CEO Captain Mohamed Juma Al-Shamisi to discuss the group's investment initiatives in Karachi.
"Both sides agreed that the expansion and modernization of port infrastructure would strengthen trade flows and support Pakistan’s broader economic development and country’s seaborne trade," the President's Secretariat said in a statement.
It added that Zardari described the AD Ports Group's long-term investment and expanding role in Pakistan's maritime and logistics sector as a key pillar of Pakistan–UAE economic cooperation.
Pakistan and the UAE maintain close political and economic relations, with Abu Dhabi playing a pivotal role in supporting Islamabad during periods of financial stress through deposits, oil facilities and investment commitments.
The UAE is Pakistan's third-largest trading partner, after China and the United States, and a key destination for Pakistani exports, particularly food, textiles and construction services.
The Gulf state is also home to more than 1.5 million Pakistani expatriates, one of the largest overseas Pakistani communities in the world, who contribute billions of dollars annually in remittances, a crucial source of foreign exchange for Pakistan’s economy.
Beyond trade and labor ties, Pakistan and the UAE have steadily expanded defense and security cooperation over the years, including military training, joint exercises and collaboration in counter-terrorism and regional security matters.
