Karachi | Pakistan

A woman in the Texas town of Frisco has been sentenced to eight years in prison for making false statements about alleged terrorist acts in Karachi, it emerged on Tuesday. In a statement released by the US Justice Department last Friday, Acting US Attorney in the Eastern District of Texas Jay R Combs identified the woman as 34-year-old Kahkashan Haider Khan. The Justice Department stated that Haider pleaded guilty to making false statements in relation to international terrorism and was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison by US District Judge Amos L Mazzant III on October 7, 2025. “We will not allow the United States to be a launching point for terrorist attacks abroad,” said Acting US Attorney Jay R Combs. “Vigilantly protecting the United States and its interests is inherent in everything we do. This includes aggressively prosecuting those who wrongly believe that they can find safe harbour in the United States while plotting crimes elsewhere.” FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R Joseph Rothrock said,...

One woman was killed and another was injured in a road accident on Karachi’s Super Highway on Monday, according to a statement from the Edhi Foundation. The statement read that a 22-year-old woman was killed in the accident on the Damba Goth bridge, while the injured 37-year-old was moved to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for treatment. Gadap City Station House Officer (SHO) Sarfraz Jatoi told Dawn that the victims were riding a scooter when a speeding car hit them. “They sustained critical injuries and were transported to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where doctors pronounced Sumaira Hakim, 32, as dead on arrival, while Rabia Naz Shahid Ali, 37, was admitted for treatment,” the SHO said. He added that both victims were schoolteachers on their way to work when the incident occurred at around 9am. The SHO further said that the suspected driver had been apprehended and his vehicle was impounded by police. Traffic accidents are very common in Karachi. In the early hours of Saturday, a trailer hit an unidentified pedestrian,...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that the digitisation of Pakistan Railways and the provision of modern facilities would play a key role in strengthening the national economy. He added that the federal government, in collaboration with the Sindh government, would modernise the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) and upgrade all railway stations across the province and the country. The premier expressed these views while addressing the inauguration ceremony of the new Shalimar Express and the newly upgraded waiting areas and lounges at Karachi Cantt Railway Station during his visit to Karachi. The prime minister visited the upgraded waiting area, CIP lounge, dining hall and computerised ticketing system, accompanied by federal ministers, senior railway officials and the railways police chief. The ceremony was also attended by foreign diplomats and Parliament members, senior officers from the federal as well as provincial governments. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi, I...

Prime Minister Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in Karachi on a one-day visit.

Karachi could face a shortfall of 100 million gallons of water per day (MGD) due to a power breakdown at the Dhabeji Pumping Station, which is expected to be fully repaired by tomorrow, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) said on Sunday. The Dhabeji Pumping Station is a key pumping station operated by KWSC, Karachi’s sole water utility, that serves the city’s major areas. Past breakdowns at the facility have impacted supply to the East and Central districts, including areas like Nazimabad, New Karachi, Landhi and Korangi. In a statement today, a KWSC spokesperson said the “major” power breakdown in the second phase of the Dhabeji station was reported at 6:35am. “Due to the sudden power suspension, 72-inch line No. 5 has been affected, while four pumps of the phase shut down,” a later statement by the KWSC said, adding that the issue “severely damaged” the water supply system. “According to initial estimates, the city could face a shortage of 100 million gallons of water due to the pumps’ shutdow...

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday acquitted two brothers, Abdul Aziz Khan and Mangla Khan, who had been imprisoned for 20 years in connection with the deadly 2005 bombing outside the PIDC House in Karachi, ruling that the prosecution failed to present reliable evidence.

New speed-limit signboards have been installed along Karachi’s Shahra-e-Faisal following the rollout of the city’s e-challan system.

Three final year students from Karachi’s Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) drowned during a picnic at Manora, while three others who survived were moved to a medical facility for treatment, a statement by the university said on Wednesday. According to the statement, a batch of 150 university students was on a picnic at Hawkesbay beach, while 15 students from the same batch had planned a separate picnic at Manora. The beach trip is part of a “long-standing tradition” where final-year students spend a week celebrating. “It has been reported that the venue (a hut) was booked by the father of one of the students, where the group went to enjoy their outing,” said the statement. It added that the college administration had arranged for 150 students to travel to Hawkesbay with security guards and all necessary safety measures. “However, the college administration and the principal of Dow Medical College were not informed about the separate Manora picnic organised by the 15 students,” the statement clarified. ...

The Sindh government on Wednesday issued a statement dismissing a false security alert circulating through WhatsApp, which claimed that a high-level security alert had been imposed in Karachi from November 12-30. A day prior, 12 people were killed and 36 were injured in a suicide blast outside the district and sessions court building in Islamabad’s G-11 area, according to officials. Security was tightened in the federal capital and in other major areas like Lahore. The fake warning doing the rounds stated: “Based on verified intelligence reports received from federal and provincial law enforcement agencies, the Government of Sindh has declared a high-level security alert in the Karachi Metropolitan Area, effective from 12:01am on November 12, 2025, until 11:59pm on November 30, 2025.” The alert listed several public places such as shopping centres and schools that were declared “high-risk locations” and to be avoided by the public, including Dolmen Mall, Empress Market, Jinnah International Airport and all sc...

• K-IV pipeline work seals off stretch between Nipa and Hassan Square till Dec 30 • Traffic police advise motorists to use Rashid Minhas Road via Aladdin Park KARACHI: A new wave of road closures is set to cripple Karachi once again as after the much-delayed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line project turned major arteries into construction zones, the Karachi Water and Sewerage System Improvement Project (KWSSIP) is bringing fresh digging, roadblocks and traffic congestion to one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares — University Road. “The closure is necessary for laying new 96-inch and 72-inch pipelines as part of the K-IV augmentation plan,” said a senior official. “This stretch, which is roughly 2.7 kilometres long, will form part of a new network that’s crucial for improving the city’s water supply.” Digging work has already started on a section of the University Road between Nipa Chowrangi and The Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (Fuuast). The second phase will extend from Hasan Square...

A new wave of road closures is set to cripple Karachi once again, as after the much-delayed Red Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project turned major arteries into construction zones, the Karachi Water and Sewerage System Improvement Project (KWSSIP) is bringing fresh digging, roadblocks and traffic congestion to one of the city’s busiest corridors — University Road. According to officials, a section of University Road between Nipa Chowrangi and Federal Urdu University will remain closed from November 10 to December 30. “The closure is necessary for laying new 96-inch and 72-inch pipelines as part of the K-IV augmentation plan,” said a senior official. “This stretch, which is roughly 2.7 kilometres long, will form part of a new network that’s crucial for improving the city’s water supply.” However, for millions of daily commuters, the Red Line BRT’s construction already brought endless congestion, dust, and frustration to residents of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Gulistan-i-Johar and adjoining areas. The first phase of the n...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has issued a clarification regarding the Lahore–Jeddah flight that made an unscheduled landing in Karachi early Thursday morning, emphasizing that the decision was taken purely as a precautionary measure after the pilot noticed cracks in the aircraft’s windshield during.

Commuters returning home from work or heading towards the city centre on Wednesday evening suffered a prolonged traffic jam on Karachi’s MA Jinnah Road, according to officials and citizens. People were stuck in traffic jams for hours during the peak evening rush after the main thoroughfare of MA Jinnah road near Numaish Chowrangi was closed by police for security reasons. The city’s traffic police had announced different diversions after the closure of the route, leading to traffic chaos, prompting Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to take notice. Karachi Traffic Police (KTP) Deputy Inspector General Pir Mohammed Shah told Dawn that all traffic officers were present on the roads. He said a portion of the main MA Jinnah road was closed for traffic, which had caused the traffic jam. The city traffic police chief admitted that the citizens were facing immense inconvenience due to gridlocks. He said the roads near Numaish Chowrangi were closed for traffic because of security reasons, and diversions were provide...

After years of captivity at the Karachi Zoo, 24-year-old female brown bear Rano was flown to Islamabad on Wednesday, where she was moved to a sanctuary for a second chance at life. According to Sindh Wildlife Conservator Javed Ahmed Mahar, Rano was transported to the capital on a Pakistan Air Force C-130 aircraft, which took off at 8:30am and landed at the Nur Khan Airbase a little after 11:30am. From the Karachi Zoo, the bear was first taken to Faisal Base in a wooden brown crate on a cargo pickup truck, which Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) officials said she entered willingly and without having to be sedated. “At just three calls, she walked from the sleeping area in her enclosure and into the crate,” said Sana Raja of the IWMB in a video. She added that Rano did not show any signs of distress and was also eating well. The wooden crate in which Rano is being transferred. Meanwhile, Mahar said that the team continuously monitored the bear on the flight, while Rano, despite the roar of the C-130 e...

Karachi police said on Wednesday that a man had been arrested for allegedly firing on citizens who had torched a heavy vehicle that had struck a young man and injured his wife a day earlier. Angered citizens on Tuesday had set a dumper truck on fire in the city’s Garden area after it crashed into a couple on a motorcycle, killing 23-year-old Shahzeb Shahid and injuring his wife Misbah. A case was also registered against Liaquat Mehsud, the Sindh president of the All Dumper Truck Owners Association, and other suspects for firing on the enraged protesters at the scene. South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza on Wednesday said that police had arrested one suspect, identified as one of Mehsud’s gunmen, on charges of firing on the protesters. The weapon used in the incident was also recovered, he said in a statement. “Raids are being conducted to arrest the president of the dumpers association, Liaquat Mehsud,” he added. Ex-MQM-P lawmaker booked under Peca for threatening Mehsud Separately, Garden poli...

As many as 29,609 tickets have been issued for traffic rule violations since the newly implemented e-ticketing system was inaugurated in Karachi, according to data from the police. Sindh Chief Minister inaugurated the Traffic Regulation and Citation System (TRACS), commonly known as the e-ticketing system, at the Central Police Office (CPO) last week. He explained that the new system replaces the outdated manual ticketing process with a fully automated e-ticketing mechanism, utilising advanced AI-integrated CCTV cameras to detect violations such as speeding, red-light jumping, and helmet non-compliance. Of the 29,609 tickets issued, 17,639 of them were issued to drivers not wearing a seatbelt, while 6,362 were issued to motorcyclists not wearing helmets, the data shows. Another 1,967 tickets were issued for speeding, while 1,655 were issued for running through red lights. Meanwhile, 943 tickets were issued for using mobile phones while operating a vehicle and 298 were handed out for having tinted windows and ...

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Monday termed Pakistan a “natural maritime bridge” between the East and the West as he inaugurated the second edition of Pakistan International Maritime Expo and Conference (PIMEC) in Karachi. The event is being held from today to November 6 (Thursday) at Karachi’s Expo Centre, and will see the participation of 45 countries, including Pakistan. It has been organised under the overall responsibility of the Pakistan Navy and with the support and patronage of federal and provincial departments. Addressing PIMEC, Iqbal highlighted that Pakistan had a unique geography as the regions of South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa converged here, which positioned the country as a “natural maritime bridge between the East and the West”. However, despite these advantages, the maritime sector contributed less than 1pc to Pakistan’s GDP, compared to 4-7pc in several other maritime nations, he lamented. The planning minister pointed out that Pakistan had a coastline of over 1,000...

Jamaat-i-Islami emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Sunday criticised the Sindh government’s e-challan initiative, calling it a “drama” meant to burden citizens instead of improving the city’s transport and road infrastructure. In June, the Sindh government decided that e-challans for traffic violations would be delivered to vehicle owners’ registered home addresses. Vehicles with unpaid fines would not be allowed to be sold or transferred. Last month, the system was officially inaugurated, drawing a mix of praise and criticism from the public. Speaking at an event in Karachi today, the JI chief said, “While the government was issuing challans worth Rs5,000, Rs10,000, and even Rs25,000 to Karachi’s commuters, it had failed to provide the city with a viable transport system.” “When the same challan is Rs200 in Lahore, and Rs5,000 in Karachi, isn’t the criticism on the Pakistan People’s Party valid?” he questioned. Citing World Bank reports, he said Karachi required around 15,000 buses, but the Sindh government had br...

The Sindh High Court (SHC) court on Friday ordered a committee formed by the Sindh chief minister to visit the Karachi Zoo on November 2 and prepare a report on the condition of the animals there, including Rano, the brown bear. The case of Rano, a female Himalayan brown bear who stirred public outcry over her ailing health in the zoo, has brought into sharp focus the neglect of animals kept in captivity in Karachi. She will be relocated to a bear rehabilitation centre under the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, before being moved to Gilgit-Baltistan on the SHC’s directives. In a previous order dated October 17 — available with Dawn.com — SHC Justice Iqbal Kalhoro ordered the committee to visit the Karachi Zoo in the company of petitioner Jude Allen Pereira, Dr Nazeer Hussain Kalhoro from the Sindh Institute of Animal Health, Advocate Jibran Nasir and wildlife photographer Zafeer Ahmed Shaikh and prepare a detailed report highlighting the “number of animals, their physical and mental condition and the circ...

The Sindh government has introduced a new e-challan system that aims to improve the city’s traffic while minimising the traffic police’s interaction with the public. Under the new system inaugurated recently, at least 5,500 challans have already been issued to traffic rule violators throughout the city. Here is what you need to know about the system. What is the e-challan system? Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Admin Karachi Traffic Police Kashif explained that the system has been introduced as part of the Karachi Safe City Project. A total of 1,076 cameras have been installed on main thoroughfares in the first phase. When phase 2 and 3 of the initiative are completed, up to 12,000 cameras will have been installed in all areas of Karachi as well as on toll plazas. Once a challan is initiated, it will be sent via Pakistan Post to an address linked to the number plate issued by the Sindh Excise and Taxation Department. While the total time to pay off the challan is 21 days, if it is paid within 14 days, t...