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Rare Indus dolphin shot dead in Balochistan

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In Pakistan, where countless people lose their lives in street crimes and other violent activities, one would wonder what a dolphin would have done to be shot dead.

In an unfortunate incident, a rare Indus River dolphin (Platanista gangetica minor), was killed by some unidentified men in Balochistan, it emerged on Sunday.

Sindh Wildlife Department spokesperson confirmed the tragic incident, saying that the dolphin strayed into the Gannang Regulator, Balochistan from Sukkur via the Kirthar Canal of the Indus River.

He said that the irrigation department had informed the wildlife department about the dead dolphin.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto junior, the grandson and namesake of the founder of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who is an animal rights activist and a culture enthusiast, lamented the incident in a video message shared on Instagram.

Heartbroken by the death of the innocent mammal, Zulfikar said everyone should be in a state of grief and mourning.

“If a bulhan [local name for Sindh’s dolphins] is murdered, means you have murdered a part of Sindh,” he said, referring to the ban on dolphin hunting imposed by his grandfather, the former prime minister, in a bid to make the endangered specie a protected one.

He then requested those involved in the brutal murder of the dolphin to refrain from doing such acts again.

“These things [dolphins] are very special and we can’t lose them,” Zulfikar added.

He captioned the video by writing, “I’m in grief and I pray for a kinder society”, on the picture and video sharing site.

Blind, with a snout equipped with two rows of sharp teeth, Sindh’s Indus river dolphins are endangered species and receive global importance due to their conservation status.

It is one of the only four freshwater dolphin species in the world facing multiple threats, which include unsustainable fishing and entanglement incidents, canal stranding and release of untreated industrial effluents to the river among others.

Living for millions of years in the turbid waters, the mammals eventually went blind and use echolocation, or a form of sonar, for navigation.

There was once a time when a large number of blind dolphins would be found in the Indus River. But now, its habitat has shrunk due to the construction of reservoirs, dams, and barrages for agricultural purposes.  

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Over Pakistan, Rain and Snowfall Are Expected Over the Next Three Days

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As a succession of westerly winds sweep into the upper areas of Pakistan, rain is expected to fall during the following three days.

The Meteorological Department forecasts snowfall in mountainous regions and rainfall in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. There will be rain in Balochistan and the Punjabi plains, including Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

In addition, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, Upper Punjab, Islamabad, and Northeastern Balochistan are scheduled to see strong winds, thunderstorms, and partly overcast weather during the course of the next day.

Since last month, there has been mild to severe haze in some portions of the country’s upper regions. The capital of Punjab, Lahore, as well as cities like Multan and Sialkot, are among the areas most severely impacted by dense fog.

Other regions of the nation will see dry weather in the interim. It is anticipated that most of Punjab will see morning smog and fog, which will eventually dissipate by nightfall.

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Dar chairs the CCOP meeting; Blue World’s bid offer of Rs.10 billion is rejected.

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The Foreign Minister/Deputy Prime Minister chaired the Cabinet Committee on Privatization meeting.

Other committee members who attended the conference included the Federal Secretaries of several Divisions, the Ministers of Finance and Revenue, Industry and Food, Commerce, Power, and Privatization.

The CCOP took the PC Board’s recommendation into consideration and suggested that Blue World’s bid of 10 billion rupees for the sale of 60% of PIACL’s shares be rejected. The bid was rejected by the CCOP, who chose to follow the PC Board’s advice.

The government’s determination to sell out PIACL through government-to-government or privatization was reaffirmed by the CCOP.

The CCOP was pleased with the Aviation Division’s evaluation of PIACL’s sound financial standing.

Additionally, the CCOP established a committee, chaired by the Minister of State for Finance, to assess potential transaction possibilities for the privatization of the Roosevelt Hotel and the appropriate modes of adoption in light of existing legal rules.

Prior to its subsequent meeting, the CCOP also ordered that all difficulties be resolved and an agreement for the selling of services to an international hotel be concluded.

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Combating Terrorism: Twelve Terrorists Destroyed in Separate Operations by Security Forces

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Eleven terrorists and Kharijis were killed in two separate intelligence-based operations in Balochistan’s Miran Shah District and North Waziristan. One of the victims was Sana Alias Baru, a high-value target.

In the vicinity of Miran Shah in North Waziristan, security forces successfully fought the Khwarij, leading to the death of eight and injury of six.

The general region of Balgatar, Kech District, Balochistan was earlier the scene of an Intelligence-Based Operation that resulted in the deaths of four terrorists, one of them was a high-value target.

Authorities in Kech District were actively seeking Baru, who had a pivotal role in recruiting members of the so-called Majeed Brigade, particularly suicide bombers.

Among the terrorists’ possessions were weapons and ammo.

In order to eradicate any lingering terrorists in the vicinity, a sanitation operation is currently under progress.

With unwavering resolve, the Pakistani security forces will eradicate the terrorist threat from the nation.

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