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KARACHI – A Karachi court has sentenced a police official to death after finding him guilty of killing a young man in a staged police encounter in the Gulistan-e-Jauhar area.

The Model Criminal Court East handed down the death sentence to police official Shehryar in the case.

The court also sentenced two co-accused police personnel, Nasir and Faisal, to life imprisonment.

Additionally, all three convicts were ordered to pay Rs500,000 each as compensation to the victim’s family.

According to the prosecution, personnel of the Shaheen Force signalled Aamir to stop in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. When he failed to comply, the police officers chased him and entered a residential apartment, where they opened fire on him.

The police officials had initially portrayed the incident as an encounter. However, a case was subsequently registered against the accused at Shahrah-e-Faisal Police Station in 2022.

The court announced its verdict after finding the accused guilty in the case.

The post Karachi court sentences policeman to death in fake encounter case appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.

Sin­ga­porean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan arrived in Islamabad on Friday on an official visit, the Foreign Office (FO) said.

The visiting dignitary is undertaking the trip at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who is scheduled to hold “comprehensive talks” with Balakrishnan on cooperation in bilateral and multilateral domains, according to the FO statement.

Prior to his visit, the FO said the trip “assumes significance as it coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Singapore and comes ahead of Singapore’s assumption of the Asean chairmanship in 2027”.

The initial statement added that apart from bilateral matters, Dar and Balakrishnan would also exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in disaster management between Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Singapore’s Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is also expected to be exchanged.

“Pakistan and Singapore maintain cordial bilateral relations based on mutual respect and longstanding friendship. The visit underscores the shared commitment of the two countries to deepening and diversifying their bilateral partnership,” the statement said.

ISLAMABAD – Electricity consumers across Pakistan could face a fresh financial burden during the coming winter months, as power tariff is expected to rise significantly between December and February, according to reports.

Reports said fuel price adjustments (FPA) could increase by two to three times during these three months, potentially resulting in higher electricity bills for consumers.

The expected increase has been linked to rising prices of liquefied natural gas (LNG), coal and other fuels, which are pushing up the cost of electricity generation.

Officials said local gas availability for power plants could also become a major challenge during winter, as domestic gas supplies are often insufficient to meet household demand during the colder months.

Meanwhile, lower hydropower generation in winter could force power producers to rely more heavily on expensive fuels to maintain electricity production.

Higher international fuel prices are also expected to contribute to increased fuel price adjustments, adding further pressure on electricity consumers.

Reports added that authorities had previously made efforts to limit the impact of fuel costs through measures that included two-hour load management and other steps to control the financial burden.

However, rising international fuel prices, particularly LNG, have made the outlook for electricity costs more challenging.

The post Electricity consumers may face higher tariff during winter months; here’s why appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.

QUETTA – Security forces have foiled an attempted drone attack on a security checkpost in Balochistan’s Kharan district, destroying five drones during the operation.

Reports said terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Hindustan attempted to target a checkpost in an area of Kharan using low-altitude drones.

However, security personnel responded swiftly and effectively, intercepting and destroying all five drones before they could strike the installation.

No casualties or damage to property were reported in the incident.

Security forces reiterated their determination to eliminate terrorism from Balochistan and maintain peace and security across the province.

Earlier this week, security forces have killed nine Indian-sponsored terrorists during two intelligence-based operations in Balochistan.

According to ISPR, security forces conducted two intelligence based operations in Kachhi and Wadh districts of Balochistan, on reported presence of terrorists belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna al-Hindustan.

The first intelligence based operation was conducted in Kachhi district. During the conduct of operation, terrorists hideout was busted by security forces and after an intense fire exchange, seven Indian sponsored terrorists were killed. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered.

In another intelligence based operation in district Wadh, security forces tracked and intercepted terrorist movement and after an intense fire exchange, two Indian-sponsored killed. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered.

Relentless Counter Terrorism campaign under vision “Azm e Istehkam”, as approved by Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan, by security sources and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.

The post Five drones shot down as attack on Kharan checkpost in Balochistan foiled appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.

KARACHI: Sindh Senior Minister Sha­r­jeel Inam Memon has announ­ced that an internship programme for fresh graduates is being launched from next month through the iwork4Sindh platform.

He said that the programme would provide young people with better opportunities to gain practical experience.

He said the Sindh government is taking practical measures to provide employment opportunities to young people and enhance their professional capabilities. “The government wants young people to have an appropriate platform to utilise their abilities and access better opportunities,” he added.

Mr Memon added that the next phase of physical short courses for skilled individuals is also being launched on the iwork4Sindh platform in collaboration with companies.

These courses will focus on developing young people’s skills in accordance with market requirements, he said, adding that in the present era, traditional education alone is not sufficient, as practical skills and professional training are also of great importance to secure employment.

Regarding the performance of the iwork4Sindh platform, the minister said that more than 5.3 million visits had been recorded on the platform so far, while the number of registered candidates had increased to 137,770 and the number of registered companies had reached 726.

The senior minister said that 26,677 active job opportunities were currently available on the platform, while the number of applications submitted had reached 480,000.

He mentioned that during the past three months, 4,800 candidates had completed various courses, while around 6,000 candidates were currently undergoing training in different courses.

He said career counselling was also continuing to guide young people and help them choose better career paths for the future, with 18 to 20 sessions being conducted every week.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2026

• Ex-health officials slam country’s ‘too little, too late’ disaster response; demand climate-proof hospitals, early warnings, heat action plans
• Study calls for climate change to be declared global health emergency
• Heat-related deaths rise 36pc since Paris accord; economic losses estimated at over $1tr

ISLAMABAD: Health and environmental experts in Pakistan have called for urgent measures to address growing climate-related health risks after a Lancet report warned that rising heat-related deaths, floods, droughts and economic losses are outpacing global efforts to combat climate change.

The 2026 Lancet Countdown report, launched at the British Library in London, called for climate change to be recognised as a “global health emergency”, warning that climate-related health risks continue to worsen a decade after the Paris Agreement.

The report found that average annual heat-related deaths worldwide have risen 36 per cent since the Paris Agreement. In 2023, heat was linked to a record 710,000 deaths, with more than 70pc attributed to human-caused climate change. Meanwhile, heat-related economic losses reached an estimated $1.07 trillion in 2025.

Former Punjab health minister Professor Dr Javed Akram told Dawn that the warning was particularly urgent for Pakistan, where the devastating 2022 floods displaced communities, damaged health care infrastructure, disrupted access to essential medicines and increased the risk of waterborne diseases and malnutrition.

“Extreme heat further threatens vulnerable populations, particularly children, older adults, outdoor workers and people living with chronic illnesses,” he said.

Mr Akram criticised Pakistan’s disaster management approach, saying policies had historically been reactive rather than proactive, with preparations beginning only after disasters strike.

“Pakistan must strengthen heat-health action plans, establish effective early-warning systems, climate-proof hospitals, improve disease surveillance, and expand access to safe water and sanitation,” he said.

He urged federal and provincial governments to allocate dedicated funding for climate-resilient health care and called on international partners to provide predictable, grant-based climate finance.

Former special assistant to the prime minister on health Dr Zafar Mirza also warned that climate change had become a growing public health emergency in Pakistan.

“Extreme heat, flash floods, cloud bursts and worsening air quality cause illness and death, while disrupting healthcare, contaminating water, undermining nutrition and deepening poverty and psychological distress,” he told Dawn.

Dr Mirza said Pakistan needed climate-resilient health facilities, stronger disease surveillance, early-warning systems and coordinated action across health, climate, water, energy and finance.

Dr Muhammad Irfan Khan, professor of environmental science and former dean at International Islamic University, expressed concern that Lancet Countdown’s launch statement did not mention Pakistan despite its exposure to climate-related disasters. “Pakistan’s experience should inform global priorities, research and investment,” he said, citing Germanwatch’s Climate Risk Index 2025, which ranked Pakistan as the country most affected by extreme weather in 2022.

He urged international institutions to give greater visibility to vulnerable countries and ensure affected communities help shape climate responses.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2026