Today’s outlook: NDMA demolishes Karachi encroachments, PM to visit city

Here are some of the stories we are following today (Wednesday):

• Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has reached Karachi on a two-day visit to inspect the ground impact of urban flooding in the city. He was given a briefing on the rain situation in the city and the destruction caused by it.
• Traders and businessmen in Karachi have said that they have incurred losses in the millions due to the rain. Karachi Chamber of Commerce Chairperson Siraj Kassim Teli said that the city’s infrastructure has been completely destroyed.
• The National Disaster Management authority will start an operation against encroachments in Karachi today. Encroachments will be demolished in more than 12 areas during a ‘grand operation’. An announcement regarding this was also made in mosques near the Gujjar Nullah.
• Prime Minister Imran Khan will head to Karachi on Friday. According Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, the premier will announce a ‘transformation package’ for the city.
• Multiple areas of Defence such as Saba Avenue, Muslim Commercial Area and Khayaban-e-Bukhari are still inundated. Such is also the case in other parts of the city where rainwater and sewage water have flooded roads, increasing the risk of diseases.
• The Supreme Court has ordered a NEPRA tribunal to be formed within 10 days to assess the performance of K-Electric. The court was angry at the company and said Karachi has been held hostage by it.
• The Islamabad High Court has given time to former PM Nawaz Sharif, who is currently in London, to surrender to the court while hearing the corruption cases against him.
• PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif will visit Karachi today and meet PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto and former president Asif Ali Zardari. He will also visit areas most affected by rain.
• The body of the young doctor-blogger from Karachi who died by suicide on August 18 will be exhumed for a post-mortem examination, the police said. A team will be sent to Mirpurkhas for the procedure once the court grants approval.
• A meeting of the cabinet’s economic committee will be led today by Adviser to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Finance and Revenue Hafeez Sheikh. LPG and petrol prices will be reviewed in the meeting.
• A court will hear the case of illegal allotments against former local government secretary Roshan Sheikh. The remand of suspects Lala Fazl-ur-Rehman and Waseem will also be completed.
• The Pakistan cricket team will return to Lahore from England today. Babar Azam, Imad Wasim and Shaheen Afridi will stay in England for county cricket. A press conference of the team management will be held on Monday.
• ICYMI: PIA dismissed 74 of its workers on Tuesday after an inquiry committee found them guilty of taking bribes from customers and having fake degrees or documents.

from SAMAA https://ift.tt/2QS58XH