New Gwadar International Airpor t inauguration to attrac t CPEC romanticism

ISLAMABAD S ta f f C o r r e S p o n d e n t

At least 8 killed as van carr ying tourists plunges into ravine in GB’s Diamer

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f r e p o r t

At least eight people, including a child, were killed and nine others were injured on Friday when a van carrying tourists plunged into a ravine near Babusar Pass in the Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan, officials said Diamer Rescue 1122 District Coordinator Shaukat Riaz while confirming the death toll said the accident took place after the vehicle collided with a car Meanwhile Chilas Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Wazir Liaqat said the van, carrying 16 tourists, was headed to Gilgit from Sahiwal “After it fell into the ravine the van caught fire ” he told media adding that the wounded persons were being moved to the Chilas Regional Headquarters Hospital The DSP said one body had been brought to the health facility in Chilas while the remaining were referred to Naran He further stated that the deaths occurred due to severe injuries Liaqat added the wounded included four women, four children and a man Earlier this month six people were killed and 17 others were injured when a bus carrying tourists plunged into a ravine on the Karakoram Highway near the Thalichi area in GB Previously five tourists were killed and 13 were injured in two traffic accidents in GB s Hunza when a van fell into a ravine and another crashed into a mountain Ramshackle highways lax safety measures and reckless driving contribute to Pakistan’s dire road safety record Passenger buses are frequently crammed to capacity and seatbelts are not commonly worn or simply non-existent, meaning high death tolls from single-vehicle accidents are common According to World Health Organisation estimates, more than 27,000 people were killed on Pakistan’s roads in 2018

Inauguration of airbase infrastructure of New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) on July 27 has opened a new chapter of infrastructure development of CPEC that will usher in modern air transport connectivity among regional and international players promoting ripple of economic opportunities in terms of trade business employability and tourism

Undraping of New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) will unleash avalanche of promises of high-octane commerce growth and development headway

It will also set vibrant tone of leading-edge air transport infrastructure and economic upward trajectory, according to a report carried by Gwadar Pro on Friday

Covering an area of 4,300 acres, as the second biggest airport in Pakistan NGIA is designed to accommodate ATR 72 Boeing B737 Airbus A-380 and Boeing B-747 for domestic and international routes

NGIA possesses the role as significant drivers of Sino-Pak and regional economies It will facilitate trade and create jobs for many people directly and indirectly in supporting services

Equipped with advanced facilities including aeronautical and non-aeronautical in coming time, it has the potential to bolster economic growth in Gwadar as well as surrounding areas For this reason

Gwadar Master plan will frame development plans around the entire airport region

In the wave of contemporary globalization, countries need more connectivity The global movement of goods and services requires more advanced infrastructure

Therefore for Pakistan NGIA offers more possibilities for international trade and tourism

Indeed, more visitors mean more money effectively feeding the local economy NGIA is an incredibly good news for all flights to and from Gwadar In order to comprehensively promote the faster development of Pakistan s aviation industry, the new airport will ensure the frequency of flights and maximize the transport efficiency, so as to promote the more efficient flow of people and goods and save more travel time and costs for passengers

I t i s a l s o a m i l e s t o n e s t e p f o r i n f r a s t r u c t u r e d e v e l o p m e n t R a i l and road transport are the two most c o m m o n m o d e s o f t r a n s p o r t a t i o n , b u t r a i l w a y s , t r a c k s , s t a t i o n s , bridges and related facilities require c o m p l e x p l a n n i n g a n d a l o t o f manpower and material resources to c o m p l e t e w h i l e a i r t r a v e l o n l y requires the construction of airports N G I A r e p r e s e n t s a m a j o r s t e p f o r w a r d i n P a k i s t a n ’s a v i a t i o n infrastructure sector enabling more p e o p l e t o s a v e m o r e m o n e y w h i l e traveling by air

In recent years airports have become increasingly aware of the value of their location at the nexus of regional transportation networks In the UK, Heathrow alone is estimated to contribute EUR 6 2 billion to the economy every year In Gwadar case because of the radiation effect of NGIA the economies of surrounding cities and villages will also be boosted, which is good news for Gwadar and Pakistan Energy manpower and other guarantees are ready to ensure the smooth operation of the new airport

In order to keep the power supply of the new airport stable and not be affected by power failures, there will be three transmission lines to continuously supply power to NGIA ensuring the availability of 12 MW of power around the clock On the other hand, China has provided systematic training courses for operating personnel in various departments of the airport

The first human resources training course started on July 8 and ended on July 27 aiming to train personnel in various positions at the airport and help them hone relevant technical, administrative and management knowledge

Meanwhile installation of state of art security features an integral part of NGIA is operational with Installation of hold or hand baggage

Scanning Machines

In addition, in order to ensure airport security, the new airport is also equipped with a series of security equipment including the most advanced hand luggage scanners Pakistani government has also planned to get NGIA inspected by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and other security agencies like European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) and Transportation Security

Administration (TSA) to ensure implementation of security standards

Officials of CAA said that fully ensuring the safety of NGIA will encourage more foreign airlines to open new routes to and from Gwadar which will stimulate the local economy to develop faster

In addition as part of fulfilling the Belt and Road global green practice commitment, NGIA decided to launch the “Green Coverage Initiative” to gradually develop into a new type of comprehensive green airport Information in this article comes from third party providers This website does not provide explicit or implied warranty for such information and is not liable for any losses directly or indirectly caused by using such information

The Kashmore police on Friday claimed to have killed eight dacoits during a shootout in the katcha area of the district Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amjad Ali Shaikh said the dacoits were killed in an encounter with the police in the katcha area of Kashmore The dead dacoits were entering Sindh s katcha area from Punjab when they met an encounter with the police he added Janu Indhar, leader of the Indhar gang was also amongst the dacoits killed in the encounter, the district’s top cop said, saying that he was carrying a huge bounty Rs10 million was his head The dacoits were wanted to police in heinous crimes like dacoities kidnapping for ransom and murders SSP Amjad Shaikh said A search operation is being carried out in the area Earlier on May 24, the Sindh government gave go-ahead for a military operation against bandit gangs in Shikarpur ’s katcha area

PML-Q leader dies after falling off four-storey building in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD S ta f f r e p o r t

A local leader of the Pakistan Muslim LeagueQuaid (PML-Q) has lost his life after falling from the fourth floor of a building located in a private housing society within the federal capital, Express News reported on Friday According to Express News, the mysterious incident took place in the remits of Lohi Bhir police station

The deceased was identified as Mian Allah Yar Gadgor a district-level PML-Q leader Gadgor had come to the housing society for some business-related work The police have taken possession of the body and transferred it to the post-mortem facility at a local hospital Authorities are currently investigating the incident to determine whether it was a murder or an accident SHO Lohi Bhir confirmed that Gadgor was present in the society with four other friends at the time of the incident All four individuals have been taken into custody for further questioning, he added The police official refrained from commenting on the specific details of the ongoing investigation citing its sensitive nature adding that further updates on the case are expected to be revealed after the post-mortem and subsequent investigations

Cour t sends former PTI MPAs to jail for identification parade

RAWALPINDI S ta f f r e p o r t

A Civil Court on Friday sent Pakistan Tehreeki-Insaf (PTI) former member Punjab Assembly Seemabia Tahir and two other party workers for an identification parade to Adaila jail

According to details, the three accused Seemabia Tahir Shakir Hussain and Munsif Alam were presented before the Civil Judicial Magistrate Khalid Hayat in police custody The Judge after hearing the arguments from both sides sent the three accused for an identification parade to jail and ordered their appearance in the court on August 3 The accused were arrested in the case of allegedly setting fire to a metro station and attack on a sensitive institution during the May 9 2023 protest against the PTI chairman s arrest

Hub D am fills up, bringing hope for 100m gallons of daily water supply to K arachi

HUB

S ta f f r e p o r t

The recent rains have resulted in the filling of the Hub Dam, a development that brings hope to the citizens of Karachi

The dam is now expected to provide 100 million gallons of water per day to the residents of Karachi for a duration of three years Abdur Rahman the Project Director of Hub Dam expressed optimism about the potential water supply He mentioned that the dam has the capacity to deliver 160 million gallons of water to both Karachi and Balochistan Highlighting another crucial aspect Abdur Rahman stressed that ensuring the proper repair of the Hub Canal and putting security measures would be instrumental in enabling Karachi significant relief for the water-scarce city of Karachi, and the increased water supply is expected to alleviate the ongoing water shortage in the region The Hub Dam constructed in 1981 on the arid plains north of Karachi serves as a critical water supply source for irrigation in Lasbella District and provides domestic and drinking water to the city of Karachi At its current capacity, the dam can supply the city with up to 100 million gallons of water per day However the actual supply is restricted to fifty million gallons per day due to the dilapidated condition of the Hub Canal, which limits its full potential As authorities work towards maintaining the water infrastructure and curbing any illegal activities affecting the water distribution the citizens eagerly await the improved water situation that the dam promises to bring to their daily lives

PA K I S TA N C A L L S F O R I S R A E L T O B E H E L D A C C O U N TA B L E F O R I T S ‘ C R I M E ’ I N O C C U P I E D PA L E S T I N E

UNITED NATIONS

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Pakistan has urged the UN Security Council to “fully and forcefully” implement its resolutions on the Middle East conflict that give the right of self-determination to the

Palestinian people

Speaking in the 15-member Council Ambassador Munir Akram also strongly condemned the recent large-scale Israeli military operations in Jenin in occupied Palestinian West Bank and called for holding Israel accountable for its grave human rights violations and crimes in occupied Palestine Unfortunately, the Pakistani envoy said, “the killing of children, women and men continues in occupied Palestine with complete impunity ”

He added The rule of law can be upheld only if it is applied universally and consistently without exceptions or double standards Ambassador Akram regretted that the Security Council has not been able to exercise its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security in occupied Palestine “Given the erga-omnes character of the right of self-determination ” the Pakistani envoy said it is also incumbent on all States to ensure that any impediment to the exercise of the right to self-determination by the

Palestinian people is immediately terminated

He said that on 5 July three Special Rapporteurs of the United Nations Human Rights Council stated that Israeli attacks against the Jenin refugee camp may constitute a war crime and had no justification under international law

T h e i m p u n i t y t h a t I s r a e l h a s e n j o y e d f o r i t s a c t s o f v i o l e n c e o v e r d e c a d e s o n l y f u e l s a n d i n t e n s i f i e s t h e r e c u r r i n g