Day: July 28, 2026

Layyah: Four people went missing after a boat carrying them overturned after hitting a pillar of Taunsa bridge near Mauza Dallo Nashaib, triggering a rescue operation that is still ongoing to recover the missing persons.

According to Rescue 1122 sources, the incident occurred when the boat collided with a bridge pillar and overturned in the river Indus. As a result, four people aboard the boat fell into the river and went missing.

A tractor and 40 bags of fertilizer being transported by the boat also fell into the river.

Rescue 1122 rescue boat rushed to the site from Chandia Wala Patan while an ambulance also reached there.

The rescue operation was continuing, while further details about the incident and the identities of the missing persons would be ascertained after completion of the rescue efforts, officials said.

Mirpur: The Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Monday extended polling by one hour in Mirpur Division following a higher-than-expected voter turnout during the first phase of the 2026 Legislative Assembly elections.

The extension was ordered by Chief Election Commissioner Justice (Retd. ) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, allowing polling stations across Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimber districts to remain open until 6:00 p. m. , instead of the scheduled closing time of 5:00 p. m.

Voting had begun at 8:00 a. m. in all 13 constituencies of Mirpur Division, which is participating in the first phase of the staggered AJK general elections.

Election officials said the additional hour was granted in response to the unusually high turnout of voters, enabling more people waiting at polling stations to cast their ballots before polling concluded.

Mirpur Division comprises 13 constituencies spread across the districts of Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimber. Officials said polling continued until 6:00 p. m. under the revised schedule.

Dera ismail khan: A suspected drug smuggler was arrested and 12. 2 kilograms of narcotics, including crystal meth (Ice) and heroin, were recovered during a major operation carried out by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department here on Monday.

According to the Excise Department, the Excise Bureau of Intelligence and Investigation (EBII) DI Khan Squad B-II launched the operation on the Dera-Daraban road after acting on credible intelligence. The officials intercepted a vehicle bearing registration number (AACZ-761) and recovered 10 kilograms of Ice drug and 2. 2 kilograms of heroin concealed inside the vehicle.

The suspect, identified as Zahir Khan son of Usman, a resident of Quetta, was arrested on the spot. A case has been registered against him at the Excise Police Station in DI Khan, while further investigation is underway to trace the origin and intended destination of the seized narcotics.

The Excise Department reiterated its commitment to intensifying operations against drug traffickers and smugglers to curb the spread of narcotics and protect the younger generation.

Hyderabad: The workers of Hyderabad Water and Sewerage Corporation (HWandSC) held a demonstration outside Hyderabad Press Club on Monday, calling for payment of their unpaid salaries and pensions of 19 months.

Led by Aftab Larik and Aashiq Qambrani, the protesters shared their ordeals and travails about surviving with their families without their monthly income.

They claimed that one of the corporation’s staff, Muhammad Waris, committed suicide due to his financial straits while another worker’s 6 years old son died because he could not afford his medical treatment.

They lamented that there was no shortage of funds for expenditures of the corporation’s top officers but when it came to payment of their monthly salaries, the HWandSC’s coffers were always shown to be empty.

The protesters said the top officers were allegedly exploiting funds of the HWandSC but the workers who were responsible for the city’s water supply and drainage had been kept high and dry.

They warned the authorities that if their salaries and pensions were not paid, they would intensify their protests.

Hyderabad: Deputy Commissioner Zain-ul-Abideen Memon on Monday chaired a meeting of the District Polio Eradication Committee at his office to review preparations for the upcoming polio booster dose (f-IPV and bOPV) campaign, scheduled to begin in the third week of August 2026 across the district.

Addressing the meeting, the deputy commissioner said the campaign was of great importance in the fight against polio and directed all concerned departments to complete necessary arrangements well in advance to ensure its 100 percent success.

EOC Sindh representative Abida Umar informed the meeting that children aged between four months and 10 years would receive the booster dose through a jet injector, a safe and painless method of vaccination.

She said the vaccination campaign would be conducted at schools, healthcare facilities and community vaccination centers, while children would also be administered oral polio vaccine (OPV) drops.

Abida Umar said the booster dose provides additional protection by strengthening children’s immunity against the poliovirus. She added that the IPV vaccine is completely safe and also helps protect children from complications, particularly those who are at higher risk.

She stressed the need to create public awareness about the booster dose campaign so that parents could confidently get their children vaccinated and help secure their future against polio.

On the occasion, a practical demonstration of the jet injector was arranged by administering an IPV booster dose to the deputy commissioner, highlighting the safety and effectiveness of the vaccination method.

Security officials and representatives of all relevant departments also attended the meeting.

Faisalabad: Four people including two children were injured in separate roof collapse incidents here on Monday. According to Rescue-1122, a roof of a dilapidated home caved in at Muzaffar colony, street no 35. Consequently, 12-year-old Rabeel Abid and 75-year-old Shaukat were buried under debris and suffered injuries.

Rescue team reached the site and shifted the injured to DHQ hospital. In a separate mishap, a 5-year-old child and his mother were injured as the roof of their home collapsed in Mohala Hussain Abad, Street no 6. The rescuers rescued and shifted them to Government General Hospital.