Karachi | Pakistan

KARACHI: The bodies of a man and a woman, both riddled with bullets, were found on Monday in the Boat Basin area of Clifton, Karachi. According to police, the deceased were identified as Sajid Masih and 17-year-old Sana Asif. The couple hailed from the same village in Gujranwala. A kidnapping case was registered against Sajid […]

The Consulate General of Germany in Karachi has announced an immediate suspension of all services for non-European Union (EU) citizens, impacting even those with previously confirmed visa appointments.

The German Consulate General in Karachi on Monday announced on social media that it will be closed for services to non-EU citizens “until further notice”. According to the announcement, all services for non-EU citizens have been suspended, including visa appointments. “All confirmed visa appointments for non-EU citizens for an undisclosed time are cancelled and will not be rescheduled,” the notice read. “Applicants will need to register again via our appointment system.” A similar notice has been published on the consulate’s website. The German Embassy in Islamabad has not issued a similar notice. Dawn.com has reached out to the embassy for comment. Last month, United States consulates in Karachi and Lahore requested that all applicants for F, M or J nonimmigrant visas make their social media accounts public for vetting, after similar instructions were issued by the US Embassy in New Delhi.

The unidentified bodies of a man and a woman were recovered from Karachi’s China Port area on Monday, police said. The deceased remain unidentified, but their age was estimated to be between 25 and 30 years old, according to South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza. “There are bullet marks on the body,” he said, adding that two 9mm shells were also recovered from the site of the incident. “Evidence is being collected from the crime scene,” the DIG said. “The identification of the deceased and further investigation are underway.” Situated near Clifton beach, China Port, also known as Oyster Rocks or the South Asia Pakistan Terminal (SAPT) breakwater, is a man-made structure built by China to protect the port from waves. It’s a popular spot for locals, offering views of the port, cargo ships, and cranes. Last month, a partially decomposed body of a young man was found in a desolate area in Karachi’s Scheme 33. Sachal Station House Officer Aurangzeb Khattak had said the body of the man, who appeared t...

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) killed three terrorists affiliated with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) during a raid in Karachi’s Manghopir area, according to CTD officials.

Three terrorists, including the mastermind behind the November 2024 attack on Chinese engineers, were killed during a counterterrorism operation in Karachi’s Manghopir area, officials said on Monday. On November 5 last year, two Chinese nationals were shot at and wounded by a private security guard in a textile mill in Karachi’s SITE area. At that time, investigators had suspected that it was a targeted attack. Following the incident, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement that the attack was being probed, adding that Pakistan was committed to the safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects, and institutions in the country. A first information report (FIR) was registered two days later against the security guard who had fled after the incident. “A terrorist who masterminded an attack on Chinese engineers in November last year has been killed during an operation in Karachi’s Manghopir area,” Additional Inspector-General of Police, Counter-Terrorism Department Azad Khan told Dawn.com. Khan said the ...

KARACHI: The Sindh government on Friday officially abolished all roadside charged parking across Karachi — a practice that had long been seen by Karachiites as a gross exploitation of taxpayers, carried out on city roads for the past 25 years. The decision comes into effect at once. The Sindh local government department, acting on the directives of the chief minister of Sindh, issued a notification announcing the end of parking fees on public roads throughout the city’s 25 Town Municipal Corporations (TMCs). As per the new policy, no municipal body or private entity is allowed to collect any parking fee from vehicles parked on roads anywhere in Karachi. However, the move also granted the councils of the TMCs the authority to designate any ‘specified area’ within their remit as a charged parking space. According to the notification, the Sindh chief minister “imposed a ban on charged parking fees from roads. The charged parking fees can be collected only on plots / plazas / areas specifically maintained by the ...

The main suspect involved in kidnapping a three-year-old girl in Karachi was arrested while the victim was recovered, police said on Friday. According to a first information report (FIR) filed by the girl’s father, seen by Dawn.com, the incident occurred on July 23. The girl went to a shop near her house and disappeared around 9pm, the FIR read, adding that the family tried to search for her but was unable to find her. A case was registered at the Khawaja Ajmer Nagri police station under Section 364-A (kidnapping or abducting a person under the age of fourteen) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). “The police took prompt and effective action by not only recovering the girl safely, but also arresting the main suspect involved in the kidnapping,” a statement by the Central Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) spokesperson Zeeshan Shafiq Siddiqi said. “The police team, led by Station House Officer Khawaja Ajmer Nagri Sarfaraz, conducted a successful operation within 24 hours,” it added. The statement cited police ...

A 19-year-old girl in Karachi’s Lyari succumbed to her injuries after an alleged marital rape at the hands of her husband, police said on Wednesday. Earlier this month, the newlywed girl was admitted to Civil Hospital Karachi in critical condition after allegedly enduring “brutal sexual violence” from her husband, who was arrested by the police. The victim was in a coma and her physical examination findings were “consistent with sexual violence”, police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed had stated. “The rape victim, 19, passed away at the trauma centre of the Civil Hospital Karachi at 10:45am today,” Syed said today. She was admitted to the trauma centre in a “critical condition”, having undergone a surgical procedure at another hospital, she added. “Her initial findings were positive for sexual violence,” she said. The police surgeon told Dawn.com that the hospital informed police and family to conduct a post-mortem examination of the body and was waiting for their response. Baghdadi police Station House Officer Maji...

A couple from Karachi’s Baldia Town has been blessed with quintuplets three girls and two boys born prematurely at a private hospital via emergency caesarean section.

KARACHI: Frustrated residents took to the streets on Tuesday to protest against a prolonged power outage in Liaquat Ashraf Colony (LAC) in Karachi. Demonstrators burned tyres and chanted slogans against K-Electric (KE), blocking the road at Mehmoodabad No. 6, which led to a traffic jam in the area. Protesters claimed that large parts of LAC […]

The loud echo of hammering fills a wide, desolate compound littered with piles of debris, as labourers carefully demolish the remaining structure of a collapsed five-story building in a neglected neighbourhood of Karachi. Until recently, this building on a pothole-ridden street in Lyari town was home to multiple families, playing a central role in the neighbourhood’s daily life. But decades of neglect and structural deterioration led to a tragic collapse earlier this month, resulting in the deaths of 27 people and injuries to several others, leaving dozens homeless. Most of the victims belonged to the Hindu community. “It felt like a bomb exploded over my head. All I recall is being pulled out of the rubble by people, and there was a lot of screaming,” Rashid Ali, who miraculously survived a fall from the rooftop with a fractured right leg, told Anadolu. Another resident, Chaman Meshuri, described two distinct jolts that shook the building moments before it collapsed, allowing some residents to escape. “I was...

KARACHI: A major water theft has been uncovered in Karachi, where three private textile factories were found extracting thousands of gallons of water by pumps connected illegally to the Haleji water line, ARY News reported on Sunday. The operation was exposed near Landhi Labour Square Hospital Chowrangi in a raid executed under COO Engineer Asadullah […]

• Business community warns of escalation as govt fails to meet tax reform demands • Islamabad, Rawalpindi and a few other cities remain normal KARACHI/LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Karachi and Lahore — Pakistan’s two largest commercial cities — witnessed a near-complete shutdown on Saturday as traders observed a strike against what they described as harsh and anti-business taxation measures introduced through the Finance Act 2025-26. The strike, called by the Karachi and Lahore Chambers of Commerce and Industry, marked one of the most widespread protests by the business community in recent years. In Karachi, nearly 90 per cent of commercial activity remained suspended, including wholesale markets, retail shops, industries, and fruit and vegetable markets. KCCI President Jawed Bilwani told Dawn that this was the first time in the chamber’s history that the city’s entire business community had voluntarily shut down operations in protest. Mr Bilwani said industrial production had come to a halt in all seven industrial zones...

KARACHI: A fearless citizen foiled a Karachi robbery attempt successfully, demonstrating exceptional courage in the face of danger, in Azizabad, Gulshan e Shamim area of Karachi, ARY News reported. The CCTV footage of the incident has gone viral, emphasising the rising street crimes in the biggest city of Pakistan. According to reports and obtained CCTV […]

Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Saturday announced the establishment of an aquaculture park in Karachi’s Korangi Fish Harbour to bolster Pakistan’s blue economy. The government aims to develop the maritime sector and tap the economic potential of the country’s over 1000-kilometre-long coastline. Under the recently launched “Maritime at 100“ Vision, the country aims to grow the sector into a $100 billion economic force by 2047. Chaudhry announced the establishment of a “state-of-the-art” aquaculture park at the Korangi harbour at an estimated cost of Rs3bn, according to a press release issued by the ministry. The development came as Chaudhry chaired a high-level meeting on the development of a blue economy. The meeting was attended by Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) Chairman Noorul Haq Baloch, as well as representatives from the Korangi Fisheries Harbour Authority (KoFHA), the Marine Fisheries Department (MFD), and the Balochistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The estimated annu...

The business community in Karachi observed a partial strike on Saturday against the tax measures and arrest powers of the federal tax authority under the Finance Act FY26. The call for a countrywide strike was issued last week by the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), backed by trade bodies, industrial area associations, petroleum dealers, transporters, and chain store operators. The KCCI protested against what they described as anti-business measures and proposed provincial labour policies. “A partial strike was observed in Karachi on the call of industrialists and supported by traders of markets against enhancing FBR’s powers to conduct raids and arrests of businessmen,” All Karachi Tajir Ittehad Chairman Atiq Mir told Dawn.com. All Karachi Tajir Ittehad is an association of markets and shopkeepers in the metropolis. Mir said that the markets at Gul Plaza, Teen Talwar in Clifton and Nursery remained open. However, the majority of traders have supported the strike, though some of the traders ha...

KARACHI: The business community in Pakistan exhibited division regarding a planned nationwide shutter-down strike, as the Karachi and Lahore Chambers of Commerce announced the closure while the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) decided to abstain. The business community had opposed the expanded powers of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and […]

A 59-year-old milk supplier was killed when a dumper (loaded truck) ran over his motorcycle in Karachi’s Saudabad on Friday morning, police said. Saudabad Police Station House Officer (SHO) Ateeq Rehman told Dawn.com, “The victim, Basit Saeed, had left his home to supply milk on a motorbike when a dumper hit him. He sustained critical injuries and died on the spot.” The incident angered area residents who damaged the heavy vehicle and beat the errant driver, he said. “However, the police arrived on the spot, preventing the situation from deteriorating. The driver was arrested and the vehicle impounded. The body was taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for legal formalities.” Karachi has lately witnessed a rise in traffic accidents, especially involving heavy vehicles, including dumpers and water tankers, which killed nearly 500 people and injured 4,879 in 2024, according to hospital data. Earlier this month, at least four people lost their lives and another six were injured after their speeding car cra...

Two people lost their lives and three others were injured after a building’s roof collapsed in Karachi’s Lyari area on Thursday.