Northwest Pakistani province on high alert as over 100 dengue cases reported in a week

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ISLAMABAD: More than 100 people contracted the dengue virus in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province over the last week, health authorities confirmed on Wednesday, prompting authorities to implement preventive measures in all districts of the northwestern region.

Dengue is an illness spread through the bite of an infected mosquito and can lead to death in its most severe form. People affected by dengue go through intense flu-like symptoms including high fever, intense headache, muscle and joint pain, and nausea and vomiting, typically persisting for approximately a week.

Health experts say the illness spreads because of poor hygiene conditions, and heavy monsoon rain provides ideal conditions for dengue-carrying mosquitoes to thrive in stagnant waters.

Data from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department on Wednesday showed Peshawar, the provincial capital, had registered the highest count with 22 dengue cases in the past week while Mardan documented 13 cases, Swabi nine, Lower Chitral seven, Bajaur six, Kohat four, and Nowshera three. In addition, Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber, Abbottabad, and Lower Dir had two cases each, while Battagram, Hangu, Torghar, Manshera, Lakki Marwat, and Bannu had one case each.

“Several teams have been formed to prevent the spread of dengue in the province and the situation is being monitored in all the districts,” Dr. Riaz Anwar, adviser to the KP chief minister on health, said in a statement from the health department.

He said health authorities were implementing measures to curb the spread of dengue larvae across all districts and “comprehensive facilities” for patient treatment, including medical personnel and medications, were being made available in households.

“Indoor residual spraying (IRS) for dengue has also been started in the affected areas,” the official added.

According to the World Health Organization, Pakistan is considered an endemic region for dengue, with ongoing transmission throughout the year accompanied by seasonal surges. The mosquito population reaches its peak during the initial rainy season, typically around early June. However, the highest incidence of infections in both mosquitoes and humans occurs several months later, usually in late August.

On June 26, KP’s health department reported that at least 40 cases were reported within a week across the province.

The first case of dengue was registered in Pakistan in 1994. There is currently no cure or vaccine for the virus.

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) imposed a ban on a television serial aired by a private entertainment channel on Wednesday after receiving complaints that its story closely resembled a real-life incident involving a woman’s gang rape at a major highway in the country nearly three years ago. The motorway gang rape in Pakistan eastern Punjab province grabbed international headlines in September 2020 after a woman traveling near Lahore ran out of fuel and was sexually assaulted by two men in front of her children. There was a major outpouring of anger in the country which intensified after a senior police official criticized the woman for driving at night without a male companion. Many people used social media platforms to raise their voice against drama serial “Hadsa,” aired by Geo Entertainment, while pointing out that its story was weaved around the harrowing incident in which two men were sentenced to death last year. In a notification issued on Wednesday, PEMRA said it had received numerous complaints from viewers and monitored the television production which was “highly inappropriate, disturbing and not depicting true picture of Pakistani society.” “Broadcast/re-broadcast of drama serial ‘HADSA’ is hereby prohibited immediately under Section 27 of PEMRA Ordinance 2002 as amended by PEMRA (Amendment) Act 2007,” it added. “The matter is further being referred to the Council of Complaints for appropriate recommendations to the Authority for final decision.” Prior to the PEMRA notification, a Pakistani lawyer, Muhammad Ahmad Pansota, said on social media platform X the survivor of the motorway incident had consulted him to explore legal remedies against the broadcast of the television serial. He informed that he had lodged a complaint with another lawyer, seeking the immediate suspension of the program.

Survivor of the horrific #motorwayrapeincident consulted me to explore the legal remedies against the airing of drama serial ‘HADSA’ on the channel “Har Pal Geo”. @khadijasid751 and I have filed a complaint with @reportpemra to seek immediate suspension of the program. pic.twitter.com/jqV2rcOcdh

According to the Karachi-based War on Rape group, less than three percent of sexual assault or rape cases result in a conviction in Pakistan where women rarely speak out after violent sexual assaults, fearing the shame it will bring on them and their families in the conservative Muslim country.

ISLAMABAD: Over the past seven decades, the Pakistan military’s canine center has trained hundreds of dogs that have not only taken part in local military and anti-narcotics operations but also been deployed in search and rescue missions worldwide, the Commandant of the Army Canine Centre said this week.

The center was established in the garrison city of Rawalpindi in 1952 to breed, nurture, and train dogs for deployment in various military units and formations. To date, instructors at the facility have trained thousands of dogs to take part in military operations, anti-narcotics efforts, and post-disaster rescue missions.

“Nine courses are being run at this canine centre and we receive students from army, from air force and navy, as well as from the civilian armed forces and law enforcement agencies,” Colonel Muhammad Hasan, Commandant Army Canine Centre, told Arab News in an interview on Tuesday.

The center’s commandant said the dogs underwent puppy training before being put into specialized training for six to eight months.

“For each course, we require different attributes from the dog,” Hasan said. “Like in guard dogs, we require aggression, and for sniffers, we require agility plus nose work. So, our master trainer picks these dogs and starts training them.”

Hasan said the center preferred three breeds – German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and Labrador Retrievers – and trained them according to their distinct characteristics.

The trained dogs had been an “integral part” of all military operations in the country, particularly to sniff out IEDs and arms and explosives, and perform tracking duties, the commandant said.

“Since 2012 when these dogs were deployed in operational areas [to fight militants], the number of IEDs has reduced by about 90 percent, and the number of incidents decreased drastically,” Hasan said.

In one incident, a chocolate coloured Labrador named Proton, deployed in Khyber tribal district in Pakistan’s northwest, was ambushed and killed by militants after recovering over 100 IEDs and large quantities of ammunition in dozens of operations in 2014.

“To recognize him, the chief of the army staff [Gen Raheel Sharif], on the recommendation of our directorate, suggested a medal for these unsung heroes, and the Proton medal has since been awarded to five dogs in various categories so far,” Hasan said.

The centre had also trained students from foreign countries:

“Mostly they come from the Arab countries and we train them in the art and science of dog handling as well as canine training,” the commandant said.

During last year’s FIFA World Cup, 40 Pakistani dog handlers were sent to Doha with a military contingent to perform security and protection responsibilities.

Dogs from the training center have also performed international assignments, including rescue work in Nepal and Turkey after earthquakes, the colonel said.

“Our urban search and rescue dogs participated in the rescue missions in Nepal in 2022 and 2023 in Turkey,” Hasan said, “where they recovered dead bodies and live humans and animals.”

MULTAN: World number one batter Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed scored punishing hundreds as Pakistan annihilated Nepal by 238 runs in the opening game of the Asia Cup in Multan on Wednesday.

Skipper Azam smashed a 131-ball 151 for his 19th ODI hundred while Ahmed scored an unbeaten 109 in 71 balls for his first as Pakistan piled up 342-6 in 50 overs.

The home team then bundled out Nepal for a mere 104 in 23.4 overs with leg-spinner Shadab Khan taking 4-27 while the pace duo of Haris Rauf took 2-16 and Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-27.

Only Sompal Kami (28), Aarif Sheikh (26) and Gulsan Jha (13) made it into double figures as they struggled against Pakistan's much-vaunted bowling attack.

The win gives Pakistan, who rose to world number one in the ODI rankings last week, an ideal start and tune up for the high profile clash against arch-rivals India in Pallekele on Saturday.

The Asia Cup is being played on a hybrid model this year with Pakistan hosting four matches and Sri Lanka nine after India refused to tour Pakistan because of political tensions.

Pakistan, India and Nepal are in Group A while title-holders Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are in Group B

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh meet in Pallekele on Thursday.

Nepal, playing in the Asia Cup for the first time, had bowled well to keep the home team down to 124-4 in the 28th over but were clueless in the final overs against the onslaught from Azam and Ahmed.

The pair added a robust 214 off 131 balls for the fifth wicket, which took Pakistan to a formidable total.

Azam cracked 14 boundaries and four sixes while Ahmed hit 11 boundaries and four sixes, helping Pakistan to 129 runs in the last 10 overs including 67 in the final five.

Azam was dropped on 55 when Karan Chhetri put down a caught-and-bowled chance, while Nepal's ground fielding also often faltered.

Pakistan lost opener Fakhar Zaman for 14 in the sixth over, while Imam-ul-Haq was run out for five to leave Pakistan tottering at 25-2.

Azam added 86 for the third wicket with Mohammad Rizwan (44) before Rizwan was also run out. Agha Salman fell for five, leaving Azam and Ahmed to mount a rescue operation.

Ahmed's previous best ODI score was 94 not out against New Zealand in Karachi this year.

Fast bowler Kami was the best for Nepal with 2-85.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan exported eight shipments of 35 tons of Himalayan rock salt to China via the Khunjerab border crossing between June and July this year, China’s state-owned CGTN news channel reported on Wednesday.

Situated at 5,000 meters above sea level, the Khunjerab Pass is the world’s highest paved international border crossing and serves as a key trade route linking China and Pakistan, enabling trade for Chinese imports and exports between South Asia and Europe.

Trade activities between the two countries through the Khunjerab Pass go on each year from April to November. Trade activity between China and Pakistan under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) began via the Karakoram Highway, which passes through Khunjerab, in November 2016.

The border point was temporarily closed in 2019 to control the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, but reopened in April this year with a resumption of cross-border trade activities.

“From June to July this year, we received eight shipments [of Himalayan rock salt], amounting to 35 tons [from Pakistan],” China’s customs director at the Khunjerab Port, Zhang Xiaobo, told CGTN.

In addition to rock salt, China also imported copper, wooden handicrafts, and carpets from Pakistan, the official added.

“Import and export volume across the Khunjerab Port stand at 40 to 80 thousand tons per year, while the daily imports are about 471.6 tons,” he said.

Pakistani traders regularly utilize buses plying between the two nations for trade purposes and are granted a tax-free trade quota of $1,100 per day. This growing convenience is increasingly appealing to Pakistani exporters who in the past used the considerably longer sea route to transport goods to China.

Last week, China and Pakistan initiated an international road transport (TIR) route connecting China’s Kashgar and Pakistan’s Islamabad, potentially establishing a model for future trade routes within the CPEC project. The first cargo crossed into Pakistan via this route on August 27.

Longtime ally Beijing has pledged over $65 billion for CPEC infrastructure projects in Pakistan as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) since 2013. The corridor includes a network of roads, railways, pipelines, and ports in Pakistan, linking China to the Arabian Sea and aiding Islamabad’s economic expansion and modernization.

Currently, trade between China and Pakistan exceeds $12.06 billion, up nearly 19 percent compared to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani religious scholars and leaders across faiths on Wednesday called for integrating interfaith education into the national curricula and community policing to prevent and address communal violence.

The leaders spoke through a declaration released after an ‘Interfaith Harmony Conference’ organized by the Ministry of Religious Affairs that brought together religious leaders and representatives from various communities as well as foreign diplomats and members of civil society to discuss attacks on religious sites, desecration of holy scriptures, and the safety of minorities.

The conclave comes nearly two weeks after one of the worst incidents of communal violence in Pakistan in recent memory this month when a Muslim mob ransacked several churches and homes of Christians in the city of Jaranwala over allegations two Christian brothers had desecrated the Qur'an.

“We emphasize the importance of integrating interfaith education into educational curricula at all levels to promote a deeper understanding of various religious traditions and cultivate an atmosphere of acceptance,” a declaration passed unanimously by the participants of the interfaith conference said.

“We urge law enforcement agencies to enhance community policing efforts, preventing and promptly addressing interfaith violence and hate crimes.”

“We support peaceful mechanisms of conflict resolution, such as dialogue, mediation, and legal avenues, to address grievances and disputes among different religious communities,” the declaration added.

Addressing the conference, Caretaker Religious Affairs Minister Aneeq Ahmed said the entire nation stood with Christians against the “Jaranwala tragedy.”

“No Christian has been killed in the incident,” he said, “but we believe that what happened in Jaranwala should not have happened.”

Last week, the provincial government of Punjab province said it had approved compensation of two million rupees ($6,751.05) for each of the affected families. A 24-member committee to foster interfaith harmony was also announced by the Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) and the Church of Pakistan, comprising leaders from both the Muslim and Christian faiths.

Among the sites attacked included the historic Salvation Army Church and Saint Paul Catholic Church, three smaller churches and scores of houses. A Christian graveyard was also desecrated, residents and community leaders said, as a mob armed with iron rods, sticks, bricks, knife and daggers went on the rampage without any intervention by police and administration authorities who were present there for over 10 hours.

Blasphemy is punishable by death in Pakistan but no one has ever been executed.

Numerous people accused of blasphemy have been lynched by outraged mobs in the past. A former provincial governor and a minister for minorities were shot dead for trying to reform the blasphemy law.