HT : he death toll from flash floods and landslides triggered by torrential monsoon rains rose to 250 on Friday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said sources.
According to details, Mingora’s communication links with other parts are broken after collapse of Mingora Bridge while flood water entered in the area.
Flash floods and building collapses caused by heavy rains, over flowed canals, thunder lights and stormy drainage Nullahs, killed 48 people in Swat, Shangla, Deer and Dera Ismail Khan.
Two brothers drowned at the bank of Swat River in Khawaza Khela while a father and son died by thunder light strike at Chagum in Shangla district.
So far, 48 people were killed in floods and rain-related incidents in Swat while 15 persons, including a women, have been killed in upper and lower Deer areas.
Separately, two children were died in building collapse while 10 people including women were swept away in different incidents in Charsadda. According to a rough estimate, near about 1 million people are affected by flood in Charsadda and nearby areas.
An old bridge collapsed at University road Kohat and so far the rescue teams have recovered 18 people’s dead bodies from its debris.
At the other side, the local General Secretary of Awami National Party, Asma Nawaz, has been killed in a roof collapse at Dakbetoot area in Noshehra.
BESHAM LANDSLIDE
At least 49 people were killed as the spree of monsoon rains triggered major landslide in Olandar area of the Besham, on Friday.
According to reports the landslide hit a small residential area of Olandar that killed 49 people. Rescue work has been started and 16dead bodies have been recovered so far, 33 are still buried under debris.
By Aziz Ali Dad
The region of Gilgit-Baltistan has remained always an anomaly in the political system of Pakistan. There are several factors that contributed to its status being kept in constitutional limbo. Foremost among these is the Kashmir dispute, as well as regional geopolitics at large. Although the region is not a direct party to the conflict, it remains relevant to the issue because of its strategic location. Various governments in Pakistan have tried to incorporate Gilgit-Baltistan into the country’s political structure.
The announcement of the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-governance Order by the government last year was the latest attempt by the state to bring the region into Pakistan’s political mainstream. Under the current dispensation a newly elected assembly has elected a chief minister and a governor has been appointed by the federal government. It is for the first time that the region enjoys its own setup with an empowered legislature. People have high expectations regarding the delivery of results from the elected members Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly (GBLA).
Effective management of the affairs of the assembly and good governance will require that the leaders rise above petty personal interests. The members of the GBLA and the new setup should master the modern mode of governance. Application of worn out strategies for the management of the new system would be doomed to failure.
Due to heavy rainfall since last two days water level increased at different rivers of Gilgit Baltistan. The heavy rain fall in the valleys of GB increased water level in all rivers, it has been noted that Ghizer River has a storm at Gilgit t and water flow is on high velocity. The river view road has been blocked for traffic for precautionary measures. The various suspension bridges are under risk.
The natural changing is in progress at Hunza, yesterday night a mountain crash by geological happenings at mid night at 12:13 Am at Karim Abad capital of Hunza. The stones rolling downward the karim abad village but the destruction haven’t recorded yet. At early morning on same day the earth quake hit the area, with a magnitude of 6.6 on Richter scale. The natural changing is an ongoing process in the area after natural hit of January at Atta Abad.
SKARDU: At least four persons, including two girls and a woman, died having been drowned into a river after their car sank when a mini-bridge collapsed in Josai locality in Skardu district on late Tuesday, Geo news reported.
Commissioner Baltistan Division Dr. Sajid Chauhan said the car was heading to Galtari from Skardu when it met the deadly accident.
The accident took place as the car was going across river through a bridge hanging over a river when it (bridge) collapsed due to breakage of supporting rope, which in turn, leaved four persons drowned including a mother, her two minor girls the poor driver.
Rescue teams have been dispatched to recover bodies from river
ISLAMABAD (HT): A commercial airbus of a private airline has crashed into Margalla Hills, a mountainous range behind Shah Faisal Mosque, apparently due to rough weather,
According to preliminary reports, as many as 150 passengers including crew members were onboard. Eyewitnesses said people witnessed airbus flying at very low altitude and it might have crashed due to rough weather.
GILGIT: Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Mehdi Shah said that the degrees of all government officials serving in various departments in Gilgit-Baltistan would be sent for verification.
He, however, played down the idea of verifying G-B legislative assembly members’ degrees saying that they had not contested elections on the basis of their degrees.
Shah was speaking at the G-B legislative assembly during its 7th session after an independent deputy, Syed Razi uddin, brought up the degree verification issue. Under the orders of the chief minister, the degrees of approximately 28,000 government employees will be sent for verification.
By Karim Imamdad (Editor Hunzatimes,Paris )
The International conference was held on 20th July in Kabul,the negotiations were focused about the problem of peace,security and economical development for the future stability of Afghanistan.The conference was widely participated by the 70 delegates from all over theworld including the Secretary General of UNO, Bi Ki Moon and also an important delegation of the AKDN headed by the prince Amyn Aga Khan.
HUNZA, (APP): The Assistant Commissioner (AC) Zamir Abbas said due to hot weather inflow to water in Ataabad lake increased. Talking to APP here Wednesday he said water inflow was recorded 21,540 cusecs while outflow of water was 20,845 cusecs. He said the water level has risen by 14 inches in the past 24 hours.
ISLAMABAD, (APP): A high level emergency meeting in the Presidency on Wednesday night considered options available to rehabilitate the Ata Abad Lake in Gilgit-Baltistan and restore the damaged portion of the Karakoram Highway (KKH). The meeting, presided over by President Asif Ali Zardari, decided to resort to controlled blasting to lower the water level in the lake for undertaking the necessary rehabilitation works and restoration of normal life in the affected areas.
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Chief of the Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan (GB), Mehdi Shah, Chief Secretary GB, Babar Yaqub, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Nadeem ul Haq, the Chairman NDMA, Secretary General to the President, Salman Farouqui, Secretary to President, Malik Asif Hayat, Secretary Communication Sharif Ahmad, spokesperson Farhatullah Babar, Director Genral Frontier Works Organization Major General Njibullah Khan and Lt General ® Shahid Niaz Member Planning Commission and heads of technical departments. Continue reading High level meeting in Presidency decides on lowering water level in Ata Abad Lake
Nuqta-e-Nazar