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Three people, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), were martyred in separate attacks across Balochistan, officials said. The incidents were reported in Barkhan, Kech and Chagai districts. A truck driver was also injured during one of the attacks. Six labourers were abducted in Kech. Meanwhile, five trailers and two gas bowsers were set on fire in Chagai. In Barkhan, DSP Rakhni Murid Bugti was killed when armed men opened fire on his police vehicle. The incident occurred near Khatta Chowki on Tuesday evening. The DSP was reportedly patrolling the area when the attackers targeted his vehicle. Police, Frontier Corps (FC), Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel and other security forces reached the area after the attack. The security personnel launched a search operation to trace the attackers. Authorities also increased security around the area. Another deadly incident occurred near Kalatak in Turbat, the district headquarters of Kech. According to officials, armed men stopped a vehicle carrying seven labourers on Monday night. The attackers opened fire on the vehicle. Javed Khan, a resident of Swabi district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, was killed in the attack. The attackers then abducted the other six labourers. Four of those abducted belong to Punjab, while two are from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. A passer-by was also caught in the crossfire. Abdul Razzaq, a resident of Solband, was killed in the incident. Police and security agencies launched a search operation after receiving information about the abduction. Efforts were underway to locate and recover the missing labourers. In another incident, armed men blocked the N-40 highway in Chagai during the same night. The highway connects Quetta with Taftan and is an important route in the region. The attackers reportedly blocked the road at Padag. They also opened fire outside a roadside hotel. The assailants later set five trailers and two gas bowsers on fire. A truck driver sustained injuries during the firing. Law enforcement personnel reached the area soon after the attack. Police and other security agencies launched a search operation to locate those responsible. Investigators also cordoned off the affected area and began collecting evidence.

Sindh Senior Minister for Transport Sharjeel Inam Memon has said that 80 to 85 per cent of the work on the corridor along Karachi’s University Road has been completed. He said the remaining work is expected to be finished by September 15, after which the road project will be fully completed. Sharjeel Memon made the remarks during a visit to the BRT Red Line project. He reviewed the ongoing construction work and the traffic situation along University Road. The minister said traffic is currently moving smoothly on the road and that there are no major disruptions to the flow of vehicles. He also announced that a large number of double-decker buses are expected to arrive in Karachi next month. Electric vehicles will also be introduced as part of efforts to improve the city’s public transport system. According to the minister, the Sindh government has already approved 500 electric buses. He added that Pink Scooties would soon be made available for women as part of initiatives aimed at improving mobility and transportation options. Sharjeel Memon said the provincial government was working on several public service projects across different sectors. He maintained that the Pakistan Peoples Party comes to power through the public mandate and focuses on completing development and welfare projects after assuming office. Speaking about Thar, the minister said the region has extensive coal reserves that can be used to generate relatively inexpensive electricity. He said Thar coal could also be utilised to meet the energy requirements of power plants across Pakistan. He further highlighted what he described as the Pakistan Peoples Party’s contribution to the country, including its role in Pakistan’s development as a nuclear power. Discussing the performance of the Sindh government, Memon said work was continuing around the clock in different departments. He said significant progress had been made on a housing programme aimed at constructing 2.1 million homes, with a large number of houses already completed. The minister described the housing initiative as one of the largest projects of its kind in the world. He also referred to the Shahrah-e-Bhutto, saying heavy traffic on the newly constructed road demonstrated its importance and success. He claimed Sindh was the only province focusing on practical development rather than political propaganda. On Karachi’s transport needs, Memon said public transport services would be expanded across the city without discrimination. He said voters could support any political party, but the government would continue to provide transport facilities in every part of Karachi. The minister also highlighted developments in Sindh’s healthcare sector. He said the provincial government was providing free and modern medical facilities and had introduced several initiatives before similar measures were adopted elsewhere. Memon also pointed to the province’s air ambulance service, saying the facility had already been operational for some time.

The Sindh government has approved the introduction of a Facial Recognition Attendance Monitoring and Evaluation System (FRAMES) in public schools as part of a broader effort to improve governance, transparency and accountability in the education sector. The decision was taken during a meeting of the School Education Department chaired by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. The meeting was attended by Education Minister Sardar Ali Shah, the chief secretary and other senior government officials. During the meeting, the education minister gave a detailed briefing on the proposed system and informed participants that all technical preparations for its implementation have been completed. He said the project is designed to introduce data-driven governance and improve monitoring of teachers and non-teaching staff across government schools. According to the briefing, the first phase of the project will begin in six districts, with one district selected from each division of Sindh. Registration of teachers and non-teaching employees in these districts has already been completed, paving the way for the system’s launch. Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced that the new attendance system will become operational in the selected districts from August 17. If the pilot phase is successful, it will be expanded gradually to all districts across the province. Under the FRAMES system, attendance of teachers and school staff will be recorded through facial recognition technology. Officials said the system will automatically record employees’ arrival and departure times, creating a secure, accurate and tamper-proof attendance record. The education department also informed the meeting that geo-tagging of government schools has been completed. Officials said the system has been designed to function effectively even in remote areas with weak internet connectivity, ensuring uninterrupted monitoring throughout the province. Murad Ali Shah said improving teachers’ attendance is essential for raising educational standards and ensuring quality education for students. He said every child has the right to receive quality education, and achieving that goal requires teachers and school staff to perform their duties regularly and responsibly. The chief minister emphasized that the use of modern technology would strengthen accountability and improve discipline within the education system. He said digital monitoring would help eliminate irregularities, increase transparency and provide education authorities with reliable data for decision-making. He directed officials to establish an effective support and monitoring mechanism during the initial implementation phase. He also instructed the education department to provide schools with all necessary technical assistance and training to ensure the smooth operation of the new system. Officials said information collected through the facial recognition platform will help education authorities evaluate attendance patterns, improve administrative oversight and identify areas requiring further reforms. They added that the initiative is expected to enhance institutional discipline, strengthen governance and improve the overall performance of public schools.