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KARACHI: The Karachi Traffic Police has announced a comprehensive traffic management plan ahead of the central Chehlum procession on Tuesday, urging commuters to use alternative routes as several major roads will remain closed during the religious event. According to the traffic arrangements, the main Chehlum procession will begin from Nishtar Park at 9:00am and proceed along its traditional route. M.A. Jinnah Road will remain closed to regular traffic for the duration of the procession to ensure the safety of participants and maintain security. Authorities have prepared a series of traffic diversions to minimize disruption across the city. Vehicles traveling from Saddar towards Tower will be redirected through Preedy Street and I.I. Chundrigar Road, while motorists approaching from Shahrah-e-Quaideen will be diverted via Kashmir Road and People’s Chowrangi. Traffic from Korangi, Landhi and the National Highway will be routed through Rashid Minhas Road and the Super Highway. Commuters coming from Nazimabad will be able to use Lasbela, Garden and Nishtar Road, while traffic from Liaquatabad will be diverted from Lasbela Chowk towards Nazimabad No. 10. Motorists traveling from Hassan Square and Shahrah-e-Faisal have also been advised to follow designated diversion routes through Society Light Signal, Teen Hatti and Sher Shah Suri Road. Drivers using Jamshed Road toward Guru Mandir have been asked to use Bahadur Yar Jang Road or Soldier Bazaar Road as alternate routes. Traffic police further announced that heavy vehicles will not be allowed to enter Karachi from 10:00am until the conclusion of the procession. Parking will also be prohibited along the procession route, and any vehicle found violating the restrictions will be removed immediately. Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and the martyrs of Karbala will be observed across the country on Tuesday with mourning processions and religious gatherings taking place under heightened security arrangements.

ISLAMABAD: The Senate witnessed a heated exchange between the opposition and government benches on Tuesday over the medical treatment of PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan. The dispute centred on the implementation of an August 18 Supreme Court order concerning Imran Khan’s treatment. The court had directed authorities to shift him to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad and form a medical board that would include his sister and personal physician. The government, however, took Imran Khan to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), citing security concerns. He was later returned to Adiala Jail after doctors declared him medically fit. The opposition accused the government of failing to comply with the Supreme Court’s directions. The government rejected the allegation and maintained that the authorities had acted within the framework of the court order. The issue came up after PTI parliamentary leader Barrister Ali Zafar sought permission to move a resolution regarding the Supreme Court’s directions. Presiding Officer Shahadat Awan did not allow the resolution, ruling that the matter was sub judice. Opposition senators were instead allowed to raise the issue through points of order. Zafar argued that Parliament must uphold the Constitution and ensure compliance with decisions of the Supreme Court. He claimed that Imran Khan had neither been shifted to Shifa International Hospital nor examined by the medical board mentioned in the court’s order. He also alleged that the required facilities for examining the PTI founder were not available at PIMS. Zafar said political differences should not affect a person’s access to medical care. He urged the government to separate Imran Khan’s political status from his health and medical needs. PTI Senator Azam Swati also criticised the government, accusing it of adopting different standards in dealing with political figures. He cited previous instances in which government institutions had facilitated political leaders. The government defended its position through Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah. He said the state had complied with the Supreme Court’s directions while taking security considerations into account. Sanaullah said the court had also allowed the administration to assess security arrangements. He maintained that Imran Khan was therefore taken to a government hospital where qualified doctors were available. According to Sanaullah, a panel of doctors examined Imran Khan and found his condition satisfactory. He said the PTI founder was subsequently returned to jail. The adviser said the matter was already before the Supreme Court and a report would be submitted on September 16. He argued that the court itself should determine whether its order had been properly implemented. Opposition Leader in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas urged the government to demonstrate political maturity and implement the Supreme Court’s order in letter and spirit. He also proposed forming a Senate committee to visit Imran Khan in jail and assess the situation.

KARACHI: A judicial magistrate in Karachi has granted investigators additional time to complete the investigation into the Gul Plaza tragedy case. The court extended the deadline until August 9 and directed the investigating officer to submit a complete report at the next hearing. During the proceedings, the investigating officer informed the court that the inquiry was still in progress and requested more time to finalize the investigation. He said responses from several government departments had been collected, but information from some key institutions was still awaited. The court was told that six government departments had already submitted their replies to investigators. However, responses from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and the Water Corporation had not yet been received, preventing the investigation from being completed. The investigating officer requested that the court allow additional time so that all pending replies could be included in the final investigation report. The court accepted the request and granted an extension until August 9. The magistrate directed the investigating officer to complete all remaining inquiries before the next hearing and submit a comprehensive report covering all aspects of the case. The court stressed the importance of ensuring that the investigation is thorough and based on complete information from all relevant departments. The Gul Plaza tragedy case has remained under investigation as authorities continue collecting evidence and official records from various institutions. Investigators are examining the role of different departments and reviewing all available documents before reaching their final conclusions.

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.