Thai Marine Injured by Landmine During Border Clearance in Trat

The Sindh government has revised the weekly schedule for schools, restoring Saturday and Sunday as official weekly holidays for all public and private educational institutions across the province. According to the School Education and Literacy Department, the updated schedule has been approved by the chief secretary and will be implemented in all government and privately managed schools. Under the new arrangement, schools will operate five days a week, from Monday to Friday. To compensate for the reduced number of working days and ensure timely completion of the academic syllabus, daily teaching hours will be extended by one additional hour. Officials said the revised timetable aims to maintain the pace of academic activities while providing students and teachers with a two-day weekend. The latest decision replaces an earlier directive issued last month, under which all public and private schools in Sindh had been instructed to observe a six-day working week from August 1, with classes scheduled from Monday to Saturday. The change comes shortly after educational institutions resumed classes following the two-month summer vacation, which lasted from June 1 to July 31. Education authorities said the revised schedule will apply uniformly across the province and schools have been directed to implement the updated working days and teaching hours accordingly.

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has directed all provincial departments to prepare verified lists of corrupt, disreputable, underperforming and suspicious officers by August 7 as part of a major governance reform aimed at improving transparency, accountability and public service delivery. According to official directives, officers included on the verified negative lists will not be posted to sensitive positions or offices involving direct interaction with the public. The government has also instructed departments to ensure that all appointments and transfers are made strictly on the basis of merit, performance and suitability. The directives further emphasize transparency in public procurement and financial management, the establishment of an effective public grievance redressal system, the digitization of government services and ensuring that officers deliver timely and efficient services to citizens. Sources said the instructions were issued following a high-level meeting chaired by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah. The meeting was attended by administrative secretaries, director generals and heads of various government departments. According to the sources, if the decisions are fully implemented, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could become the first province in Pakistan to officially maintain a verified negative list of government officers with poor performance records, corruption allegations or damaged reputations. An official document quoted the chief secretary as saying that providing quality public services and ensuring the welfare of citizens should remain the top priority of every government department

At least 11 people have died and 25 others have been injured in rain-related incidents across Pakistan during the past 24 hours. The latest casualties have pushed the nationwide monsoon death toll to 97 since June 26. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said 297 people have been injured during the same period. Punjab recorded the highest number of casualties in the latest 24-hour period. Seven people were killed and 20 others were injured. Sindh reported two deaths and two injuries. One person died and three others were injured in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Another death was reported in Gilgit-Baltistan. House collapses were the main cause of deaths. The NDMA said they accounted for more than half of the fatalities during the latest reporting period. Drowning and lightning strikes were also among the major causes. The continuing rains have damaged homes and infrastructure in several areas. The NDMA said 22 houses were damaged during the past 24 hours. Seventeen suffered partial damage, while five were completely destroyed. Eight livestock were also lost during the latest spell. Since June 26, a total of 447 houses have been damaged across the country. Of these, 338 were partially damaged and 109 were completely destroyed. The number of livestock killed has reached 269. Heavy rain and landslides have also affected roads in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan. Around 0.9 kilometres of roads were damaged during the latest period. Traffic has been disrupted at several locations. Authorities are working to restore affected routes. The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast more rain, strong winds and thunderstorms in several parts of the country during the next 24 hours. The department has warned of possible flash floods in hill torrents in Dera Ghazi Khan and northeastern Balochistan. Urban flooding is also possible in parts of southeastern Sindh. Rain and thunderstorms are expected in the upper catchments of major rivers. Islamabad, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan may also receive showers. Parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan are also likely to experience unsettled weather. The Met Office said flood-generating rainfall is not expected until July 28. However, another monsoon spell could begin from July 29. The expected system may affect upper river catchments, Islamabad, upper Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Authorities have continued relief and rescue work in affected areas. The NDMA said 386 relief items were distributed during the past 24 hours. Rescue teams also carried out five operations. Eight people were rescued. Since the beginning of the monsoon season, authorities have conducted 130 rescue operations. A total of 3,841 people have been rescued across Pakistan. Karachi may receive more rain Karachi is expected to remain mostly cloudy, hot and humid over the next two days. The Met Office has forecast light rain and drizzle at isolated locations. Strong winds may also occur in some areas. The city is expected to remain partly cloudy and humid on Monday and Tuesday. Occasional drizzle is also possible. A low-pressure system over southwest Rajasthan and nearby areas is currently affecting weather conditions. The system is expected to weaken by Monday. However, strong monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea continue to move towards southern and central Pakistan. These conditions may keep the weather unsettled. Several districts of Sindh are expected to receive thunderstorms and rain. Tharparkar, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Sanghar and Matiari may receive moderate rainfall. Heavy rain is also possible at isolated locations. Ghotki, Kashmore, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Sukkur, Larkana and Khairpur are also likely to receive rain. Naushahro Feroze, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Jamshoro, Shaheed Benazirabad and Hyderabad may also experience showers, strong winds and thunderstorms. The Met Office has warned that lightning and strong winds could damage weak buildings and other vulnerable structures. Heavy rain may also cause urban flooding in low-lying and vulnerable areas. Residents have been advised to remain alert. People in vulnerable locations have been urged to follow official weather updates and take necessary precautions during thunderstorms. Karachi received its first major monsoon spell of the season on Friday. Rain was recorded across several parts of the city. The rainfall began in areas including Gulshan-e-Maymar, Surjani Town, Ahsanabad and Manghopir. It later spread to several other parts of the city. Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Johar, Nazimabad, Jamshed Road and DHA also received rain. Several commercial and central areas were also affected. The rainfall brought relief from the heat and humidity. However, authorities remain concerned about water accumulation if another heavy spell hits the city. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had placed the province on high alert ahead of the forecast. He directed local government bodies, the Water Board and district administrations to remain operational around the clock

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has urged Arab and Islamic countries to stand together to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque and defend the rights of the Palestinian people amid the worsening situation in occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank. Speaking at a ministerial meeting on Jerusalem in Amman, Jordan, Dar said Muslim nations must adopt a united and coordinated approach to preserve the sanctity of Jerusalem’s holy sites. He stressed that immediate action is needed to stop violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque and maintain the site’s historical and legal status. Dar said the international community must ensure unrestricted access to Jerusalem’s holy places and prevent any attempts to alter their religious or historical character. He added that continued Israeli actions threaten regional stability and undermine prospects for a lasting peace. The foreign minister strongly opposed Israeli settlement expansion, annexation efforts, forced displacement of Palestinians and demographic changes in the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem. He said such measures violate international law and several United Nations Security Council resolutions. He also called for the complete implementation of the Gaza peace plan and all relevant UN resolutions. Dar welcomed diplomatic efforts by the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye, expressing hope that all parties would honour their commitments and move the peace process forward. Referring to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Dar said the ceasefire had brought limited relief, but conditions remained critical. He noted that millions of Palestinians continue to face severe food shortages, displacement and insecurity despite recent progress. Dar urged Muslim countries to strengthen diplomatic efforts to ensure international protection for Palestinians and hold those responsible for violations of international law accountable. He said justice and respect for international law are essential for achieving sustainable peace. Reaffirming Pakistan’s longstanding support for Palestine, Dar said Israel has no sovereignty over occupied East Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites. He reiterated Pakistan’s support for the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. The minister also warned that continued attacks on religious sites could inflame tensions across the Muslim world and increase the risk of wider regional conflict. The ministerial meeting concluded with a joint declaration by Arab and Muslim foreign ministers announcing the creation of a permanent mechanism to document Israeli violations in Jerusalem and at its Islamic and Christian holy sites. The mechanism will include a media platform to record incidents involving worshippers and religious sites and present documented evidence before international organisations and the global community. The declaration reaffirmed that East Jerusalem remains an occupied territory and rejected all unilateral measures aimed at changing its legal or demographic status. It also stressed that a two-state solution remains the only viable path to lasting peace in the region. On the sidelines of the meeting, Dar held separate discussions with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye, Jordan and Somalia. The meetings focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, reviewing regional developments and coordinating diplomatic efforts on the Palestinian issue.