Oil-Like Material Washes Ashore on Koh Larn Beaches, Coating Some Swimmers

Two people were killed in separate shooting incidents reported within an hour in different areas of Karachi on Thursday, prompting police to launch investigations into both cases. The first incident occurred in the Boat Basin police jurisdiction near Bath Island in Clifton, where a watchman was fatally shot outside a residential bungalow. Rescue officials shifted the victim’s body to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for legal formalities. According to Chhipa rescue officials, the deceased was identified as 40-year-old Mewa, who sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. Initial information suggested that armed suspects opened fire after encountering resistance during an attempted robbery. However, Boat Basin Station House Officer (SHO) Riaz Niazi said the exact motive behind the killing had not yet been established. He confirmed that the victim originally belonged to the Thar region and was employed as a watchman at the bungalow where the incident occurred. The SHO said police were investigating all possible angles, including personal enmity and robbery, before reaching a final conclusion. Authorities are also attempting to obtain CCTV footage from the surrounding area to identify the suspects and reconstruct the sequence of events. In a separate incident, another man was shot dead near Link Road on the National Highway in the Bin Qasim area. The victim was also taken to Jinnah Hospital for medico-legal procedures. Bin Qasim SHO Faisal Rafiq identified the deceased as 40-year-old Bashir, a truck driver originally from Dera Ismail Khan. According to preliminary findings, Bashir was present at a truck terminal when unidentified assailants, who were allegedly lying in wait, opened fire on him. Police said the victim suffered three bullet wounds, including one to the chest. Investigators recovered three spent 30-bore pistol casings from the crime scene, which have been collected as forensic evidence. Officials believe the second shooting may have been motivated by personal enmity, although they emphasised that the investigation remains ongoing and no suspects have been arrested so far. The two fatal incidents highlight the continuing security challenges in Karachi, where police regularly investigate cases involving violent crime, targeted attacks, and robbery-related shootings. Authorities have appealed to the public to cooperate with investigators and provide any information that may assist in identifying those responsible.

LAHORE: President Asif Ali Zardari has left Lahore after spending around two days in the city without meeting the local leadership of his Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), adding to speculation surrounding the political situation within the party. Zardari departed for Islamabad on Sunday after a low-profile visit during which he reportedly held no formal meetings with PPP leaders in Lahore. His stay has drawn particular attention amid unconfirmed reports that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari may have left Pakistan. A senior party figure close to the leadership said the president’s visit was not intended for meetings with the party’s local leadership. According to the source, Zardari had come to Lahore to deal with sensitive and urgent matters away from public attention. The same source acknowledged hearing reports about Bilawal’s possible departure but said he could neither confirm nor reject them. During his stay, Zardari was reported to have held only one known meeting, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who was accompanied by businessman Gohar Ejaz. The president’s arrival also appeared to catch several PPP leaders off guard, with party members saying they had not been informed beforehand. Some PPP leaders reportedly sought meetings with Zardari but were unable to secure appointments. The president’s visit comes at a politically sensitive time for the PPP, which has recently taken a strong position against the creation of new administrative units and criticised the PML-N government over what it describes as excessive reliance on the establishment. Zardari has also recently withheld his assent to the elevation of judges, adding another layer to the growing political tensions. Attempts were made to contact PPP leaders Nadeem Afzal Chan and Shazia Marri for clarification about the reports concerning Bilawal, but no response was received before the report was filed. Meanwhile, PPP Kashmir leader Chaudhary Riaz said Bilawal had left the Kashmir Valley but added that he did not know where the party chairman was currently located.

  Lahore: A newly issued recruitment advertisement by PECTAA and shared by the Punjab education minister on his social media handles, has sparked strong reactions and disappointment among thousands of job applicants across Punjab. Candidates have expressed their concerns over the decision to announce vacancies that, according to them, had already been advertised previously and for which the recruitment process had already begun. Applicants stated that the same positions were announced in July last year, following which thousands of candidates from different districts of Punjab completed the application procedure and appeared in the recruitment test conducted by PECTAA at Punjab University, Lahore. Many candidates invested significant time, effort, and money in preparing for the examination and completing all required formalities. However, despite the successful completion of the written test, the recruitment process was discontinued without any clear explanation. Candidates who had participated in the earlier process have been waiting for further updates and hoped that the authorities would complete the recruitment procedure based on the test results already obtained. Instead, PECTAA has recently issued a new advertisement for the same vacancies, requiring candidates to submit fresh applications and pay a new processing fee of Rs. 3,000 for each post. The decision has caused frustration among job seekers, who argue that they should not be forced to repeat the entire process or pay additional charges when they have already fulfilled the required criteria. Several candidates have criticised the move, describing it as an unnecessary financial burden on unemployed youth who are already facing difficult economic conditions. They claim that demanding another application fee from thousands of applicants creates additional hardship and raises questions about the transparency and fairness of the recruitment procedure. Responding to the concerns, PECTAA spokesperson Noorul Huda told Minute Mirror that the department decided to initiate another round of tests and interviews after failing to find suitable candidates for the advertised positions. When informed that applicants had already appeared in the written test and those who qualified had also been called for interviews, the spokesperson said that both the written test and the interview are necessary to determine a candidate’s suitability for recruitment. He also defended the decision to charge a fresh application fee for the new recruitment process. However, candidates maintained that the recruitment process itself imposes an additional financial burden, as PECTAA conducts both its written tests and interviews in Lahore. Applicants from across Punjab have to travel to the provincial capital for each stage of the recruitment process, resulting in considerable transportation and accommodation expenses. The affected candidates have strongly appealed to PECTAA officials to reconsider the decision and acknowledge the applications submitted during the previous recruitment drive. They have demanded that the authorities complete the pending recruitment process using the test results of candidates who already appeared in the examination. According to the protesting applicants, restarting the entire process not only wastes the efforts of thousands of candidates but also creates uncertainty about the future of those who have already invested months preparing for the opportunity. They believe that conducting another recruitment cycle for the same positions is unfair unless there is a valid reason and proper justification from the concerned department. Candidates have also requested the Punjab Government and senior officials to intervene in the matter and investigate the issue. They urged the authorities to provide relief by accepting the previous applications, avoiding unnecessary fee collection, and ensuring that the recruitment process is conducted in a transparent and merit-based manner. The applicants said that unemployed youth across Punjab are looking toward government institutions for fair opportunities and expect recruitment systems to protect their time, effort, and financial investments. They called for immediate action from relevant authorities so that the recruitment process can move forward without causing further inconvenience to candidates.