Pakistani Kashmir closes seminaries fearing Indian military strikes

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said this week that rainfall in the upper and central parts of the country this week would likely cause the ongoing heatwave to subside. 
The ongoing heatwave across Pakistan is expected to intensify this week, with temperatures in central and southern Pakistan likely to surge to 50°C this week, a report in American newspaper The Washington Post said on Wednesday.
Pakistanis have been sweltering from an ongoing heatwave that has troubled citizens in several parts of the country, especially its southern cities. Pakistan ranks among the top ten countries most vulnerable to climate change, grappling with increasingly frequent extreme weather events from deadly heatwaves to devastating floods. The 2015 heatwave claimed over 2,000 lives in Karachi alone while the 2022 floods left more than 1,700 dead and over 33 million displaced nationwide.
“Wind, thunderstorm (isolated hailstorm) predicted in upper/central parts from May 1-4, 2025,” the NDMA said in a weather advisory on Tuesday. “Heatwave conditions are likely to subside.”
It added that in Punjab and Islamabad, rainfall could trigger landslides in hilly areas, while hailstorms might damage infrastructure and vehicles.
“A westerly wave is likely to approach the upper parts of the country on April 30,” NDMA said. “Moist currents are likely to penetrate Northeast Punjab from May 1.”
The NDMA said that heavy downpours could cause urban flooding in low-lying areas of the southwestern and northwestern provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, respectively, as well as in the Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan regions.
Warning of the possibility of hailstorms, the NDMA urged citizens to remain safe by seeking shelter, staying away from windows, covering vehicles and equipment and avoiding open fields and hilltops.
NDMA also advised people to exercise precautionary measures, especially tourists visiting mountainous areas.
In April, an intense hailstorm and heavy rainfall battered Pakistan’s capital and its surrounding areas, leaving several vehicles damaged and house windows smashed.
Footage on social media showed hailstones falling from the sky in Islamabad, with several residents posting videos of their car windscreens smashed and others sharing images of house windows damaged by the hail.

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has reduced the price of petrol and high-speed diesel by Rs2 per liter each for the next fortnight, state media reported on Thursday.

Fuel prices in Pakistan are reviewed and adjusted on a fortnightly basis. This mechanism ensures that changes in import costs are reflected in consumer prices, helping to sustain the country’s fuel supply chain.

The latest price reductions were undertaken due to the fluctuations in global oil prices. After the latest revision, a liter of petrol will now cost Rs252.63 while high-speed diesel will be sold at Rs256.64 per liter, according to a notification from the Ministry of Finance.

“The government has reduced prices of petroleum products for next fortnight,” Radio Pakistan said. “New prices are effective from today (Thursday).”

Petrol is primarily used in Pakistan for private transportation, including small vehicles, rickshaws and two-wheelers. Diesel, on the other hand, powers heavy vehicles used for transporting goods across the country.

Pakistan significantly increased fuel prices after securing a short-term, $3 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2023. The rising rates also led to spiraling inflation in the country, though the government started offering relief to the people by gradually bringing down the petroleum prices subsequently.

Since then the government has undertaken financial reforms and registered some economic gains in its quest to ensure Pakistan achieves sustainable economic growth.