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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to receive another spell of monsoon rainfall from August 13 to 15, with the upper and central parts of the country expected to experience rain, thunderstorms and occasional heavy downpours. The Pakistan Meteorological Department said on Wednesday that monsoon currents were entering the upper parts of the country while a westerly wave was also influencing the weather system. Rain and thunderstorms are expected across parts of Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Several districts, including Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Bagh, Mirpur, Diamir, Astore, Skardu, Hunza and Gilgit, are likely to receive rainfall. Several areas of upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are also expected to experience showers. The affected districts include Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Malakand, Shangla, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Galiyat, Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi and Haripur. In northeastern Punjab, rain is expected from the night of August 12 through August 15. Murree, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib are among the areas likely to receive showers. The weather system is also expected to affect Islamabad, Rawalpindi and the Pothohar region from the night of August 13 to August 15. The Met Office has forecast rain, strong winds and thunderstorms, with isolated heavy falls. Other parts of Punjab, including Sargodha, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan, are also likely to receive rainfall between August 12 and 15. Parts of Balochistan, including Zhob, Barkhan and Musakhel, may also experience showers. In Sindh, partly cloudy to cloudy conditions are expected in southeastern and coastal areas. Tharparkar, Umerkot and Sanghar may receive rain and thunderstorms on August 12 and 13, while hot and humid conditions are expected elsewhere in the province. The Met Office has warned of urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Mardan, Swabi, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot and Lahore. There is also a risk of landslides in vulnerable mountainous areas of upper KP, Gilgit-Baltistan, Murree, Galiyat and Kashmir. Authorities have urged residents and visitors in these areas to remain cautious. Tourists have been advised to take extra care while travelling to mountainous regions during the wet spell. Farmers have also been asked to plan agricultural activities according to the changing weather conditions. According to the National Disaster Management Authority, 155 people have died and 460 have been injured in rain-related incidents during the ongoing monsoon season.

LAHORE: Ten additional judges of the Lahore High Court took oath on Tuesday after President Asif Ali Zardari approved their appointments, bringing an end to a weeks-long delay over their induction. Chief Justice Aalia Neelum administered the oath to the newly appointed judges during a ceremony at the Lahore High Court. The judges who took oath were Ghulam Sarwar Nihung, Muhammad Ajmal Khan Zahid, Aamir Ajam Malik, Shireen Imran, Asad Ali Bajwa, Muhammad Amjad Pervez, Khalid Ibn-i-Aziz, Munawar Iqbal Duggal, Syed Farhad Ali Shah and Muhammad Usman Ghani Rashid Cheema. Justice Tariq Mahmood Bajwa also took oath as a permanent judge of the Lahore High Court after completing his probationary period. The newly appointed additional judges will serve for one year from the date they took oath. Despite the latest appointments, the Lahore High Court still has 10 vacant positions against its approved strength of 60 judges. The number of vacancies is expected to rise to 11 following the retirement of Justice Shahid Karim next week. Earlier on Tuesday, President Zardari approved the appointment of 19 additional judges to five high courts. He also confirmed five judges as permanent members of the superior judiciary. The appointments had remained pending since July after the Judicial Commission of Pakistan recommended the candidates for the positions. The delay had led to a dispute over the presidential approval process. The oath-taking ceremony had initially been scheduled for July 27 but was postponed indefinitely. The issue gained further attention after the president neither approved the appointment summary nor returned it for reconsideration within the expected period. The government had maintained that there was no legal basis for keeping the recommendations pending. At one stage, officials even considered constitutional options to address the delay. Meanwhile, legal teams representing the presidency and the federal government held discussions to resolve the matter. Sources said the talks between the two sides made progress and helped pave the way for the appointments to be approved. The president’s legal team had previously raised concerns about the proceedings of the Judicial Commission. Questions were also raised over the rejection of several nominees and the eligibility of some recommended candidates. The dispute had also raised concerns about delays in filling vacant judicial positions in the high courts.

Heavy rainfall disrupted routine life across Lahore on Saturday, leaving several roads, underpasses and low-lying neighbourhoods inundated and causing difficulties for motorists and pedestrians. The downpour led to significant water accumulation in different parts of the city, slowing traffic and making several routes difficult to navigate. Residents in low-lying areas faced particular inconvenience as rainwater gathered on streets and roads. According to rainfall figures recorded by the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), Lahore received an average of 24.6 millimetres of rain. The highest rainfall was recorded at Lahore Airport, where 104mm was reported. Kahna received 75.6mm, while 62.6mm was recorded at Hadiara Defence Road and 58.6mm at Manawan. Rainfall was also recorded in Tajpura, Mughalpura, Shadipura, Defence Phase-VI, Farrukhabad, Saggian, Lakshmi Chowk, Chowk Nakhuda and other areas. Although the rain provided relief from the prevailing heat and brought cooler weather, waterlogging created problems for commuters and once again highlighted the challenges faced by Lahore’s low-lying areas during heavy showers. Wasa Lahore mobilised field teams and heavy machinery to remove accumulated water from affected locations. Officials continued drainage operations at several underpasses, major roads and low-lying points across the city. Wasa Managing Director Ghufran Ahmed inspected drainage activities at several key locations, including Mubeen Shaheed Underpass, Noor Jehan Road, MM Alam Road, Main Boulevard Gulberg, Qaddafi Stadium and Liberty Chowk. He also reviewed operations at Kalma Chowk Underpass and other emergency drainage facilities. Officials said disposal stations in areas affected by power outages were being operated with generators to ensure that drainage work continued without interruption. Wasa Vice Chairman Chaudhry Shehbaz Ahmed also inspected water drainage arrangements at several locations, including Shalimar Link Road, Bhagwanpura, UET and nearby areas. Meanwhile, Chief Traffic Officer Abdul Rahim Shirazi directed traffic officials to remain present in the field and closely monitor traffic flow and vulnerable points during the rainfall. Traffic police coordinated with Wasa teams to facilitate the removal of standing water and advised motorists to drive carefully on slippery roads. Drivers were urged to maintain a safe distance, avoid sudden braking and reduce speed. Motorcyclists were advised to wear helmets and avoid unnecessary overtaking. Citizens were also warned against entering roads where floodwater appeared deep or unsafe.

The Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) is accelerating plans to establish Pakistan’s first luxury medical tourism model centre in Islamabad, with the aim of capturing a greater share of the rapidly growing global medical tourism market. Pakistan is seeking to benefit from the global medical tourism industry, estimated to be worth around $144 billion, while the country currently accounts for only about 0.5% of the market. The initiative gained momentum after plastic and cosmetic surgeon Dr Muhammad Salman Khan approached the SIFC Secretariat seeking up to 25,000 square feet of land or a built-up facility for a five-star luxury medical centre with room for future expansion. In his proposal, Dr Khan said cosmetic surgery and dentistry together account for around 35% of global medical tourism activity. He argued that Pakistani specialists can provide international-standard services at significantly lower costs than those charged in countries such as Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom. The SIFC subsequently convened a high-level meeting at its secretariat on August 5. Representatives from the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Jinnah Medical Complex and medical professionals participated in the meeting. According to the meeting minutes, Dr Salman presented a phased plan for the project. The initiative would initially introduce premium “Med Suites” in Islamabad, followed by a dedicated medical tourism centre and eventually the development of a comprehensive Islamabad Medical City. Participants identified several advantages that could help Pakistan compete in the international medical tourism sector. These include significantly lower treatment costs, a large pool of qualified medical specialists and a sizeable overseas Pakistani community that could form an initial customer base for the proposed services. The meeting also highlighted the distinction between aesthetic tourism and broader medical tourism. Officials agreed that establishing a dedicated luxury aesthetic tourism centre in the federal capital could help create the foundation for a new high-value industry. The proposed facility could attract thousands of international patients to Pakistan and generate valuable foreign exchange for the country. Islamabad was considered a suitable location because of its relatively secure environment, scenic surroundings and high-quality residential infrastructure. The proposed model would combine specialised medical services with a five-star hospitality experience for patients and their accompanying family members. The meeting concluded with several directives to move the proposal forward. The CDA was asked to arrange a follow-up meeting within a week involving Dr Salman Khan, the CDA chairman and other relevant stakeholders to examine the proposal in detail. Medical experts were also directed to prepare a comprehensive investment, commercial and financial feasibility study for the proposed project at the Jinnah Medical Complex. Separately, the SIFC was asked to arrange meetings between leading medical specialists and representatives of major five-star hotels in Islamabad. The discussions will assess commercial interest and examine the practical feasibility of developing dedicated medical tourism facilities. The project has now entered an initial implementation phase, with several government institutions involved in evaluating the proposal.