3 days of rains in Pakistan kill 90, disrupt life in Karachi
Karachi: Three days of monsoon rains have killed at least 90 people and damaged at least a thousand homes across Pakistan, the country's national disaster management agency said Tuesday, as another spell of heavy rain lashed the port city of Karachi.
Streets and homes were flooded with sewage water in Karachi, where the drainage and sewage systems are outdated.
Of the total rain-related casualties, 31 deaths were reported in southern Sindh province, while 23 people died in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to the agency.
It said 15 deaths were reported in southwestern Baluchistan province and eight in Punjab province. Thirteen more people died elsewhere in northern Pakistan, including three in the Pakistan-administered sector of Kashmir.
Troops, rescuers and volunteers from the radical Islamist group Tehreek-e-Labbaik were seen evacuating people from inundated residential neighbourhoods in Karachi as some families waded through waist-high water.
Hundreds of rain-affected people went to the houses of relatives in the country's largest city. According to the National Disaster Management Authority, troops using boats evacuated 300 people from rain-hit district of Dadu in Sindh province, while 1,245 people were evacuated from Karachi's rain-hit areas, where residents said they were still waiting for help.
Scores of vehicles were seen submerged in water in Karachi.
The rains are expected to continue this week in Karachi, where Prime Minister Imran Khan earlier this month sent troops to help local authorities in pumping out rainwater from inundated residential areas.
Monsoon rains are lashing Pakistan at a time when authorities are trying to contain the spread of the coronavirus, which caused more than 6,200 deaths since February when the country reported its first case.
Pakistan reported nine more COVID-19 deaths Tuesday, one of the lowest numbers of daily fatalities since March.
Every year, many cities in Pakistan struggle to cope with the annual monsoon deluge, drawing criticism about poor planning. The monsoon season runs from July through September.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
CT Ravi seeks impartial probe into Ballari clash, firing incident
_vb_49.jpeg)
Chikkamagaluru: Legislative Council member C.T. Ravi on Friday called for an impartial and fair investigation into the banner-related clash and firing incident that occurred in Ballari.
Speaking to reporters in Chikkamagaluru, Ravi said the incident must be investigated thoroughly without prejudice or hatred influencing the probe. He said it was important to clearly establish who opened fire and who was responsible for the killing.
Referring to Valmiki Jayanti celebrations, Ravi said it was the BJP government that began officially observing the occasion, while the Congress, he alleged, had earlier denied the existence of Lord Ram and indirectly questioned the legacy of Valmiki. He recalled that during the Ram Setu case, the Congress had told the Supreme Court that Ram was a fictional character and not a historical figure.
On the Ballari incident, Ravi said registering cases or taking action with malicious intent was not appropriate. He added that whether banners were put up with permission or without it, forcibly removing them was wrong. If banners had been erected without permission, a complaint could have been filed instead.
Ravi also questioned how the government could justify people going near the residence of G. Janardhan Reddy to display strength. He said these circumstances suggested that the banner issue may only have been a pretext and that there could be other factors behind the violence.
_vb_57.jpeg)
