Punjab’s industrial gas supply halted, millions lose daily wages

Staff Report

LAHORE: Under the National Energy Saving drive, the gas supply of many industrial zones of Punjab has been halted on Monday morning which is causing a huge lost to the millions of daily wages’ workers of the concerned industries.

According to Sui Northern Gas Company (SNGC) source, the gas supply of Lahore, Sheikhupura and Sahiwal regions’ industries will remain closed on November 29-30, and it would resume on December 1 at 6.00am.

The industrialists of the affected zones have rejected this ongoing two-day weekly gas break while saying that this weekly gas closure not only halts the industries, it also turns millions of daily wages’ workers jobless.

Under the weekly gas break schedule of SNGC, more than 2,000 CNG stations of Lahore, Multan, Gujranwala, and Faisalabad regions would remain closed on Tuesday. Trend Pk

UN to hold meeting on Pakistani floods

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations was to hold a special ministerial meeting Sunday aimed at securing emergency aid for the millions of victims of devastating floods in Pakistan.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other top foreign ministers were expected to attend.

On Friday, the international community appealed for a record two billion dollars in aid for the flood victims.

The Pakistan floods are “the worst natural disaster the United Nations has responded to in its 65-year history,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said at the launch of the appeal.

The floods caused by weeks of torrential rain have left less than 2,000 dead, according to an official toll, but the UN said the massive surge has exposed more than 20 million people to homelessness, malnutrition, risks of epidemics and loss of livelihood.

“We simply cannot stand by and watch

Eid celebrated across Pakistan with simplicity

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Eid-ul-Fitr has been celebrated across the country on Saturday with simplicity to express solidarity with the millions of people devastated by the unprecedented floods, Samaa reported Sunday.

People across the country offered Eid prayers on the occasion which marks the end of month-long fasting of Ramazan.

Old and young alike dress in new clothes and greet each other at places such as mosques to offer Eid prayers and seek benediction of Almighty Allah and His forgiveness.

The day began with special prayers for the flood victims.

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, federal ministers and top civil and military officials offered Eid prayers at Faisal Mosque in Islamabad.

President Asif Ali Zardari, Sindh Governor Dr. Ishratul Ebad and provincial ministers offered Eid prayers at the Governor House in

Eid being celebrated across Pakistan with simplicity

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Eid-ul Fitr is being celebrated across the country on Saturday with simplicity to express solidarity with the millions of people devastated by the unprecedented floods.

People across the country offered Eid prayers on the occasion which marks the end of month-long fasting of Ramazan.

Old and young dressed in new clothes greeted each other and thronged to open places and mosques to offer Eid prayer and seek benediction of Almighty Allah and His forgiveness.

The day began with special prayers for the flood victims.

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, federal ministers and top civil and military officials offered Eid prayers at Faisal Mosque in Islamabad.

President Asif Ali Zardari, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad and provincial ministers offered Eid prayers at the Governor House in Karachi.

Flood survivors stalked by disease as waters ebb

ISLAMABAD: A month after torrential monsoon rains triggered Pakistan’s worst natural disaster on record, flood waters are starting to recede — but there are countless survivors at risk of death from hunger and disease.

The disaster has killed at least 1,643 people, forced more than six million from their homes, inflicted billions of dollars of damage to infrastructure and the vital agriculture sector and stirred anger against the U.S.-backed government which has struggled to cope.

Despite generally lower water levels, officials said they were still battling to save the delta town of Thatta, 70 km (45 miles) east of Karachi, in the southern province of Sindh.

Water has broken the banks of the Indus near Thatta and also topped a feeder canal running off the river.

“Thatta will be inundated if this water does not flow into the sea. The situation is very

FIA officials to probe spot-fixing scandal, Mazhar Majeed bailed

KARACHI: Pakistan is sending Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials to London to probe the allegation of the involvement of its cricketers in spot-fixing in the fourth cricket Test match against England at Lords.

The three-member delegation would fly to London immediately as the government had taken serious notice of the latest fixing scandal to involve Pakistan team, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters.

“The FIA delegation will be headed by an additional director and they will not only assist but also carry out their own inquiries into the allegations made against our players,” Malik said.

He pointed out that the government wanted to know the truth about the allegations against the players through its own investigating agency.

“The Scotland Yard is doing its own investigations, our team is there to assist them and also

5 more children die of gastro in Kandhkot

Staff Report

KANDHKOT: Five more children died of gastro in flood-hit Kandhkot, the death toll from gastroenteritis reached to 63 in District Kashmore, said sources Monday.

At least 63 people including 40 children have died of gastro in District Kashmore during last 24 days. But no rescue or medical team has been sent yet in the affected areas.

According to rescue officials, over 30,000 people are affected of gastro including children and women in District Kashmore.

The increasing number of deaths from gastroenteritis is being blamed on unhygienic food, contaminated water and bad sanitary conditions at relief camps situated in the flood-affected areas.

Kashmore district is the worst-hit area by the gastro epidemic, where at least 63 people have died due to the disease in the past weeks. Thousands of people have been affected with various

UNICEF Executive Director arrives Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake, arrives in Pakistan Monday to visit flood-hit areas and see UNICEF operations to assist the millions of flood-affected people, especially the most vulnerable, the children and women.

On Monday, Mr Lake will travel to Charsadda district, one of the worst affected districts in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. He will visit schools being used as shelters by thousands of families where UNICEF is providing safe drinking water, family health and hygiene kits and repairing sanitation systems.

The worst floods in the country’s living memory displaced over 17 million people, including 2.1 million children under five. At least 13 per cent of them are suffering from severe or moderate malnutrition, the UN said.

United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF said that it immediately needs 80 million dollars to provide emergency

Flood-hit Pakistan rejoices at win over England

KARACHI: Pakistan’s top political leaders, under fire over their handling of disastrous floods, took time out Sunday to praise the country’s cricket side after its victory in the third Test over England.

Captain Salman Butt dedicated the four-wicket victory at The Oval to the millions hit by Pakistan’s worst-ever floods.

“The only thing we could do is win a good game to bring some cheer to them,” he said. “We name this victory to the victims of the floods.”

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who face virulent criticism for the government’s faltering relief effort, both sent messages of congratulation to the touring cricketers.

“The team deserves congratulation,” said Zardari’s message to Butt, expressing hope the side would play in the same spirit in the concluding Test at Lord’s from Thursday.

Pakistan Cricket

Zardari urges businessmen to support relief efforts

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday urged the business community to help the government in providing relief and rehabilitation to the millions of people affected by the devastating floods.

During a special meeting with representatives of the business community and Chamber of Commerce here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, President Zardari shared the grim situation millions are facing after the floods.

He said never have such floods occurred in the country in the past; these have been unprecedented in volume and damage.

Zardari said the people affected by the floodd would have to be sustained for a long time.

“We as a nation, should be prepared to sustain them for a long period; with unity we can overcome the problem.”

The President said he too, had lost some of his lands, but the people have lost almost all of their

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