Information Blog

KABUL: Taliban on Thursday attacked a security company in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, killing 30 people and wounding 17 others, local police said Friday.

Around 100 Taliban insurgents launched an attack on a local private security company in Sungin district of the province early on Thursday, police said.

The gun battle lasted for several hours, claiming lives of 30 Afghan security guards and injuring 17 others, said the police.

Casualties on the Taliban were not clear.

Sungin district is the Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan.

SHAHDADKOT: Creation of a breach on the main road linking Shahdadkot and Qabo Saeed in a bid to save Shahdadkot from flood has cut off the two areas.

Meanwhile, water level is witnessing a rapid surge at Thatta-Kotri downstream. 700,000 cusecs water is passing from Kotri Barrage and 500,000 cusecs from Thatta district.

Flood has been diverted toward Qubo Saeed Khan by making leakages at 17 points through different roads in Sajawal Junejo, Garhi Khero and Shahdadkot. The flood has reached to the protective dyke built outside Shahdadkot.

Some of the shopkeers have erected concrete walls in front of their shops to save their livelihoods from flash floods. Hundreds of thousands of people have already shifted from these cities to safer places.

The flash flood running through Thatta has started putting pressure against the foundation of embankments in Manarki, Sorjani and Sona Allaya while the entire Kutcha area has been inundated.

Villages and ripe crops in Kutcha areas have been swamped.

According to DCO, 90000 people have been evacuated from Kutcha areas.

Experts fear that high tide in sea might push back the water flowing toward it through Indus River, raising a risk of further devastation.

BEIJING: China said on Friday it would send 1,000 tents and other emergency equipment to Pakistan to help with the nation’s devastating floods.

The news comes as Richard Holbrooke, the US point man on Pakistan, called on China, which has already sent 60 million yuan (8.8 million dollars) in aid, to “step up to the plate” with regards to helping the flood-hit country.

The United States has pledged a total of 150 million dollars to Islamabad.

China’s defence ministry said that the aid, which includes 69 sets of machines such as generators, draining and water-purification devices, would be airlifted to Pakistan “in days,” according to a report on its website.

Nearly 1,500 people have been killed by the devastating floods in Pakistan, whose Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Wednesday that 20 million people had also been affected.

China is itself battling with its worst floods in a decade, which have left thousands dead or missing.

MULTAN—Though the super Flood tide has lost much of its intensity in River Indus and Chenab yet authorities have warned that flood water with a discharges of 2,66,000 in River Chenab would pass though Muzaffargarh and Multan within 24 hours.

Met Department said that 0.25 cusecs water flow would pass through Marala which could affect Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Hafizabad and Mandi Bahauddin. Floodwater of 2, 66, 000 cusecs in River Chenab would pass through Multan and Muzaffargarh. High flood is also reported from Jatoi which submerged around 25 villages. A 8,000,00 cusecs water is flowing in Taunsa at River Indus while the flood tide would reach Mithan Kot this evening. In Sindh, floodwater inundated Tehsil Thal of Jacobabad while water flow is rising in Kotri Barrage with expected inflow of 10,968,56 cusecs posing serious threat to Kotri.

Water inflow in Guddu Barrage is 9,96 978 cusecs while the outflow is 9,96 400 cusecs. In Sukkur Barrage, inflow is 11, 13, 210 cusecs and outflow is 10,89,510 cusecs. A huge flood tide is passing through Naushehro Feroze, Nawabshah, Dadu and Moro. The water would likely to pass through Dadu Moro Bridge where water surged above 10,000, 00 cusecs. According to Irrigation Department, water level in Kotri would rise to 800,00,00 to 900,00,00 cusecs.

In Jacobabad, three children and a woman were swept away while 20 villages have been submerged including Sohrab Channu. River Kabul is in high flood at Nowshehra while River Indus is in exceptionally high flood at Kalabagh, Attcok and Chashma areas. Meanwhile, UK pledged an aid of 313million pounds for the flood affectees.—Agencies

UMARKOT: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Thursday  appealed to the international community to help Pakistan tackle huge damages  wreaked by the worst ever flood in the history of the country.

Addressing a gathering of flood-affected people in Umarkot area of Balochistan province here, he said that hundreds of people had lost their life and millions others had been made homeless after heavy monsoon rains   hit large swathes of land.

“Flash floods have caused devastation at a large scale and alone Pakistani government could not tackle the tragedy until international community comes forward to assist it. Although, we are utilizing our all available resources to rescue and help the flood-affected people however friendly governments would have to play their role in this regard”, he said. 

He said that meeting of the Council of Common Interests would be convened so that all four chief ministers, federal cabinet and other stakeholders could review situation and evolve a strategy to resolve grievances of people of flood-hit areas. He maintained that development funds would also be used to provide relief to the affected people if needed. He emphasized the need that federal government as well as the provincial governments would have to change their priorities keeping in view the destruction caused by floods.

Gilani recalled that Finance Minister had been directed to issue DATA of foreign aid on website which was being received for rehabilitation of flood-affected people. He added the federal government would provide total details of utilization of the foreign aid to its citizens. He also appealed to overseas Pakistanis to come forward to help their flood waters-stranded sisters and brothers.

He gave away a worth Rs 50 million cheque to Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Muhammad Aslam Khan Raisani. He said that he had planned to bring 10 trucks loaded with relief goods to the Balochistan “flood-hit areas, adding but due to disconnection of land links, those could not be brought.” He said the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had been assigned task to provide relief items to all food-hit areas of Balochistan. He asked the Balochistan government to inform the NDMA about its requirements.

The Prime Minister further said that Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had been asked to remain present in Sindh province to monitor the water flow situation in Indus River. He said that instructions had been issued to take immediate rescue measures if breach occurred in spurs.

He resolved the federal government stood by the grieved people adding all out measures would be taken for their rehabilitation. He said the government was making efforts to stop more loss of life in calamity-hit districts. He said that Interior Minister Rehman Malik had been asked to conduct survey of flooded areas to form the plan to launch rehabilitation efforts there. He maintained that steps were being taken to prevent waterborne diseases in the affected areas. He urged the nation to stand by the government to rescue the affected people.  He vowed the federal government would not leave the people of Balochistan alone.
 
Later, he distributed relief goods amongst the locals. Chief Minister Balochistan hoped that Prime Minister Gilani’s visit to Balochistan would result in overcoming difficulties of grieved people.

Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Federal Information Minister Qamaruz Zaman Kaira, Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Deputy Chairman Senate Mir Jan Muhammad Jamali, Senator Raza Rabbani, Provincial Ministers Mir Sadiq Umrani, Sardar Muhammad Aslam Bezinjo, Mir Muhammad Ameen Umrani, Mir Saleem Khosa, Ms Ghazala Gola and tribal elders were present.