Stress, emptiness, lack of focus, anger, helplessness, despair: “Anxiety” is the dumpster fire mental health diagnosis that combines all kinds of difficult emotions into one big pile and watches them blaze. The good news is that you might feel increasingly comforted by the fact that many people you know are probably suffering from anxiety.

In fact, in the past few years, anxiety has overtaken depression to be the most common mental illness in the US. Sadly, this is true not just for adults but children as well, with one in five people suffering from an anxiety disorder, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). With so many Americans feeling the pressure, it’s important to know how to manage anxiety.

“This is a big issue because anxiety affects every aspect of your life,” says Ken Yeager, PhD, a clinical psychologist who leads the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Stress, Trauma, and Resilience Program and is an associate professor in their College of Medicine. “Anxiety increases stress, which then brings on physical symptoms—like chest tightness—and increased mental symptoms. These reinforce to your mind that something is indeed wrong, turning anxiety into a vicious cycle,” Dr. Yeager explains.

Different types of anxiety

Anxiety exists on a spectrum that ranges from mild worry to high-functioning anxiety to completely debilitating, and there are many different kinds under the the anxiety umbrella, Dr. Yeager says. The most common types of anxiety disorders are: Generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder and phobias.

How to manage anxiety

While you can’t totally eliminate anxiety—it’s a normal human emotion and does serve a useful purpose in small doses, Dr. Yeager notes—thankfully there are things you can do to manage your anxiety and reduce the negative effects on your body, mind, and life.

“This isn’t something you just have to live with. You can learn to manage it and feel better,” he says.

1. See a therapist

Dr. Yeager’s first tip is to talk to a trained professional. Even if you’re not looking for a “diagnosis,” they can help you put your anxiety into perspective and they have resources to help you deal. “Too many people get caught up with thoughts like ‘everyone worries’ and ‘it’s not that big a deal’ and ‘I should be able to deal with this myself,’ but that just increases the stress cycle,” he says.

2. Look for natural solutions to manage anxiety
Do some self-care with these natural home remedies for anxiety, including tea, supplements, essential oils, baths and other calming solutions.

3. Repeat a mantra
A lot of anxiety comes from getting trapped in thought loops about your worries. Dr. Yeager says you can use some mental tricks to help break those patterns. It can be as simple as repeating a mantra every time you find yourself ruminating, like these phrases that calm anxiety.

4. Watch what you eat and drink
Consumption of highly processed foods, including those high in sugar and fat, have been linked with increased anxiety. Avoiding foods that cause anxiety while eating more healthy mood-boosting foods can help you stay calm and positive.

You may also consider eliminating or lessening your caffeine consumption.

5. Follow the 3-3-3 rule to manage anxiety

If you find yourself on the verge of a panic attack, the 3-3-3 rule is one of the most effective ways to ground yourself in the here and now. Look around you and identify three objects you can see, hear, and touch. Or try one of these 5-second strategies to stop anxiety immediately.

6. Get enough sleep

Getting seven to eight hours a night of high-quality sleep is key for good mental health, but that can be easier said than done—especially as anxiety seems to worsen at night. Set yourself up for sleep success by practicing good sleep hygiene.

7. Surround yourself with loved ones

Having a strong social circle of support is one of the best things you can do to reduce anxiety and depression. At the same time, it may help to limit your time with people who trigger your anxiety, either by worrying a lot themselves or saying things that you should never say to people with anxiety.

8. Consider medication

If your anxiety is impacting your ability to live your life, you may want to consider taking anxiety medications to help you manage your symptoms. This can give you some breathing room while you work on learning new coping skills and management techniques.

9. Remember that anxiety serves a purpose

There are a lot of negative connotations with it, but Dr. Yeager says anxiety can serve a purpose in helping us maintain safety and to recognize possible threats.

He adds that feeling ashamed, embarrassed, or frustrated can make symptoms of anxiety worse and can cause you to spiral. It sounds strange, but remember that your anxiety isn’t bad and doesn’t make you broken. If you manage it gently, anxiety can sometimes help put your worries into perspective.

The Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani says that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman will visit Pakistan soon.

While speaking in a press conference in London the foreign minister Jalil Abbas Jilani said that he came to London to participate in the Youth Ministers Conference of the Commonwealth of Nations.

He added that youth is the future of Pakistan, and the government is working for our youth’s education and employment.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar has set a fund of Rs80 billion for the development projects for youth.

Speaking about the conference the foreign minister said that 50 countries have participated in the conference including 40 ministers.

The conference highlighted the impact of environmental changes and formed a task force to implement the recommendations and precautions.

In response to the question about relations with India, the foreign minister said that Pakistan's relations with India have been severed since the end of the special status of Occupied Kashmir.

When questioned about the visit of the Saudi crown prince to Pakistan, Jalil Abbas Jilani said that the crown prince, Muhammad bin Salman, will visit Pakistan soon.

The Foreign Minister appreciated the efforts of the Caretaker Prime Minister against smuggling, which helped in decreasing the dollar value.

The foreign minister added that the elections will be held at the appointed time.

According to the Finance Ministry, the decision has been taken due to the increase in oil prices in the international market.

The Finance Division said that the price of petrol will go up by Rs26.02 per litre, and the price of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs17.34 per litre. Now, the price for one litre of petrol will be Rs331.38, and HSD price will be Rs329.18.

This is the second time within a month that prices of petroleum products have been increased to take them to a historic high.

On September 1, the caretaker government had jacked up the petrol and diesel prices by over Rs14.

The Finance Division said the hike was due to the “increasing trend of petroleum prices in the international market and exchange rate variations”.

Back then the price of petrol went up by Rs14.91 per litre, and the price of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs18.44 per litre.

Today's hike in petrol prices was expected due to the rise in global oil prices.

“The rupee appreciation will have a positive impact on the petroleum prices, but it will not be enough to offset the impact of rising global oil prices,” an industry official told to private news channel.

According to an internatioanl news agency, Oil prices hit a 10-month high on Friday and were set to post a third weekly gain as supply tightness spearheaded by Saudi Arabian production cuts combined with optimism around Chinese demand to lift crude.

By 12:15pm EDT (1615 GMT), US West Texas Intermediate futures were up 62 cents, or 0.7%, to $90.78 a barrel and Brent crude futures were up 21 cents, or 0.2%, to $93.91 a barrel. Both benchmarks hit their highest since November 2022 earlier in the session, and are up about 4% for the week.

The government reviews and adjusts the petroleum prices every fortnight, based on Ogra’s recommendations. The final decision, however, rests with the finance ministry, which sometimes absorbs part of the increase to provide relief to consumers.

But the government has to raise fuel prices as agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under a $3 billion standby agreement

Video footage published by the newspaper showed a North Korean security official in white gloves scrupulously wiping down Kim’s black chair and spraying around an unidentified substance.

The North Korean sprayed and wiped down the seat, the hands, the legs and even the area around the chair as a Kremlin bodyguard looked on in a slightly bemused way.

Another North Korean guard then gave some sort of order to the guard doing the disinfecting. The nature of the order was unclear.

“The chair turned out to be the subject of the greatest concern of the North Korean side,” wrote Kommersant’s Kremlin correspondent, Andrei Kolesnikov.

The court hearing came after the three were arrested on Wednesday after disembarking a flight from Dubai after spending a month in the South Asian country.

Sara Sharif’s body was discovered at the family’s home near Woking, southern England, on August 10. A post-mortem examination revealed she had sustained “multiple and extensive injuries” over a sustained period.

Sara’s father Urfan Sharif, 41, his partner Beinash Batool, 29, and his brother Faisal Malik, 28, all traveled to Pakistan to stay with relatives before her body was found.

The three appeared in the dock at a magistrates’ court in Guildford, southern England, flanked by police officers.

They spoke only to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses.

All three have also been charged with causing or allowing the death of a child, Surrey Police said earlier in a statement.

No pleas to any of the charges were entered during the short hearing. Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram remanded the defendants in custody.

Their next court appearance will be at London’s Old Bailey on Tuesday.

Surrey Police said previously the trio were thought to have flown to Islamabad on August 9, the day before Sara’s body was discovered.

An early morning emergency call alerting officers to Sara’s death was made from Pakistan by a man identifying himself as the father, detectives said.

The house was otherwise empty, and the manhunt continued with Interpol and Britain’s foreign ministry coordinating with authorities in Pakistan.

Five of Sara’s purported siblings, aged between one and 13, and brought to Pakistan with the adults, were discovered at the home of Urfan Sharif’s father on Monday.

The girl’s Polish mother, Olga Sharif, has said she could barely recognise her daughter’s small, battered body when she identified her at the mortuary last month.

She told Polish television one of her cheeks was swollen and the other side of her face was bruised.

Olga and Urfan separated in 2015, and Sara and her older brother had lived with their mother until a family court determined in 2019 that they should reside with their father, according to UK media.

The premier passed similar remarks earlier this week too when he stated that it was for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to decide a date, adding: “We have no intention to prolong the tenure of the caretaker government.”

Concerns on the poll timing have arisen from the ECP ruling out elections this year. It reasons its decision to push elections beyond November 9 on the basis of the notification of results of the new digital 2023 census and Section 17(2) of the Elections Act, which states: “The commission shall delimit constituencies after every census is officially published.”

Speaking at a press conference after a high-level meeting at the PM House today, PM Kakar once again ruled out the prospect of declaring the poll date.

In response to a question, he said, “If I were to announce elections, I would be engaging in an unlawful act, and as a journalist, you should be aware that if you steer us towards illegal actions and pose questions that might tempt us to break the law, then what should my response be?”

Actions against cross-border smuggling
The PM also stated that an effective management plan was actively being implemented to curb cross-border smuggling. “We have zero tolerance for those involved in the smuggling industry and the law will take its course,” he asserted.

Kakar further mentioned that extensive discussions had taken place regarding the Afghan transit trade agreement and the reopening of the Torkham border.

He noted that the commerce ministry had taken a lead role, working in collaboration with border management authorities, including customs, to revise policies governing the allowance or restriction of trade items.

Furthermore, the premier dismissed the notion that cracking down on smuggling would deprive the local population along the bordering areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan of their livelihoods. He emphasised that these provinces deserved a legitimate and thriving trade environment, not smuggling.

Asked about the involvement of Afghan refugees involved in cross-border smuggling, Kakar said an effective policy in this regard had been agreed upon.

He categorised Afghans living in Pakistan into three types: those registered with the government, “aliens with no justification to reside”, and those with “identity theft”.

“We will push the [Afghan] aliens back to their country and no one without the visa regime will be allowed to live here,” he asserted.

Moreover, PM Kakar said he had been receiving “positive news” in the past eight to 10 days from all provinces regarding measures taken by their respective administrations against hoarding and smuggling.

The PM stressed the importance of enhanced coordination in such efforts and highlighted that a collaborative approach would contribute to the improvement of respect for and the authority of government officials.

Concerns on the poll timing have arisen from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ruling out elections this year. The electoral watchdog reasons its decision to push elections beyond November 9 on the basis of the notification of results of the new digital 2023 census and Section 17(2) of the Elections Act, which states: “The commission shall delimit constituencies after every census is officially published.”

With elections potentially just a few months away, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has been engaging in public gatherings and organising party meetings as part of the party’s electoral preparations of late. One such highly-anticipated meeting of the PPP’s Central Executive Committee was held today.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Bilawal said the announcement of an election date and schedule was the only way to dispel the “confusion and atmosphere of instability and insecurity” prevalent in the country.

Reading out the resolution passed during the CEC meeting, the PPP chairman said: “The party had an extensive discussion on constitutional matters, including the urgent need for dampening the cycle of chronic political instability which will only settle down with the announcement of an election date and schedule.

“The party’s lawyers also briefed the leadership on the responsibility of the ECP to announce an election date and schedule immediately as per the constitutional requirement.”

Bilawal reiterated concerns regarding the lack of a “level-playing field” in the current political landscape, saying that his complaint was connected to “one party”.

In this context, he said PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari was empowered by the party’s apex committee to raise these concerns at “appropriate forums” and address them.

During a CEC meeting a day earlier, the PPP had expressed concerns over the inclusion of pro-PML-N men in the caretaker cabinet, the ban slapped on development projects in Sindh by the election watchdog, as well as the delay in the announcement of a date for general elections.

Reiterating its chairman’s earlier gripe of an uneven playing field in the lead-up to the polls, the PPP had urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold general elections as soon as possible, if not within the 90-day constitutional limit.

The PPP top brass was found in agreement with Bilawal when it came to the timings of the elections. However, some of the members were concerned over the ‘aggressive’ tone of the PPP chairperson in recent public gatherings.

Bilawal and the majority of the members had brushed aside concerns about his “aggressive tone” and vowed to toe the “same line of true and just politics” and take their stance to the election campaign.

In a reply submitted in a contempt petition, the superintendant said that people imprisoned under the Official Secrets Act are not allowed the facility of using a telephone.

The officer also submitted a letter by the Punjab Prison Foundation which says that under the Prison Rules of 1978, overseas calls cannot be allowed to any prisoner.

The superintendant said that since the the phone call was not allowed under any law, no court orders had been violated by not allowing it.

Judge Abu Alhasnaat Zulqurnain has asked for arguments to be presented on the superintendant’s reply on September 18.

Chief Justice of Pakistan anounced the 2-1 decision of allowing Khan’s petition, with Justice Mansoor Ali Shah dissenting.

The judegment said that all cases against public office holders that had been closed by the amendments would be reopened. The judgement will restore all the accountability cases against a host of politicians. The judgement has added that all such cases should be reopened within seven days.

 All decisions handed by accountability courts under the amended law have also been declared null and void.

The decision also struck down a clause that had said that cases involving less than Rs500 million would not be seen by NAB.

Clauses regarding plea bargains and shifting the burden of proof to the prosecution have also been declared void.

The decision also strikes down changes in definitions of assets beyond means and benami properties.

The judgement comes on the last workday of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial’s tenure. A total of 53 hearings were held in the case.

Reserving the judgment on September 5, CJP Bandial had said that the court will hand down a ‘short and sweet’ judgement before his retirement.

A notice issued on Friday morning said that a three-member bench consisting of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah would announce the decision at 12:15 pm. The time was later changed to 12:30pm.

The case is based on a petition filed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan in 2022 against the amendment passed by the parliament during the Pakistan Democratic Movement government’s tenure. The decision was announced after a total of 53 hearings.

The NAB amendments had restricted the bureau’s powers to probe corruption to only include cases involving atleast Rs500 million. The las had also reduced the tenure of the bureau’s chairman and ordered that pending inquiries should be transferred to relevant authorities.

Imran Khan had said in the petition that the amendments had been brought to legitimise corruption and provide benefit to ‘influential’ personalities.

According to details, CJP Umar Atta Bandial is retiring from his post tomorrow (Saturday) and will be replaced by the senior-most judge of Supreme Court, Justice Qazi Faiz Esa who will take oath as the Chief Justice of Pakistan on September 17.

On the last day in the bench of Supreme Court, Chief Justice Umar Atta thanked the lawyers and journalists and said: “Good to see you all my friends”.

Lawyer Mian Bilal stated when it was your first case in High Court, I appeared before you. Today it is your last case in the Supreme Court, again I am appearing.

Speaking to the lawyer, Chief Justice replied: “Your case has become ineffective, but if you give arguments, it is a good idea to keep the heart happy”.

Lawyer Mian Bilal added you always listened to us patiently, to which Justice Bandial said it is our duty to listen patiently to everyone. We always get to learn and support from the bar.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan continued to say that by wearing a black coat, we consider ourselves a part of the bar. “Justice Sahir Ali used to say that bar is our mother, God willing, we will meet in the bar room,” he added.

Justice Umar Atta said: “Thanks to my colleagues in the media who kept me diligent. I welcome the criticism of media. They must criticize the decisions but not the judges as they cannot defend themselves in response to criticism”.

Before criticizing a judge, check whether it is based on truth or speculation, criticism of judges should not be based on lies, added Umar.

The Chief Justice said that he is grateful to Allah who took his service to serve the country and justice, he did the duty for Allah.

According to the police, there was an explosion in the gas pipeline from Sui to Karachi at the village of Ghulam Rasool Malik.

Police officials said that police and officials of sensitive institutions have reached the place of incident and started the investigation related to the incident.

Officials added that according to initial investigation, the explosion in the pipeline was caused due to gas pressure, however, further investigation into the incident is underway.

ATC Judge Abual Hsanat Zulqarnain announced the verdict on the PTI leader's plea and directed him to submit a surety bond of Rs20,000 against the bail.

The PTI president was arrested hours after his release from National Accountability Bureau (NAB) custody on September 1, despite the fact that the Lahore High Court (LHC) had explicitly restricted the authorities from arresting him earlier that day.

The September 1 order was a reiteration of similar orders issued by the high court on July 13, 2023. Elahi has been arrested and detained repeatedly since the May 9 riots.

The PTI president is accused of sending rioters to Islamabad to vandalise the judicial complex along with providing vehicles and batons for the same, the police claimed, adding that the physical remand was being sought to question him about unidentified criminals and recover vehicles.

In the previous hearing, Judge Zulqarnain had sent the PTI leader to Adiala jail on a 14-day judicial remand after rejecting the prosecution's request seeking a 10-day physical remand.

During the hearing today, Elahi's lawyer Sardar Abdul Razzaq told the court that his client's name was added to the first information report (FIR) six months after it was filed.

The Elahi counsel said that others including PTI Chairman Imran Khan and party leader Asad Umar were granted bail in the same case, pleading that his client should also be granted bail.

However, the prosecution opposed the bail plea.

Lawyer Babar Awan told the court that Elahi was not named in the FIR, adding that the police could not recover anything during the three-day physical remand.

"Parvez Elahi was arrested on the basis of suspicion," added Awan.

At this, Prosecutor Raja Naveed said that the provisions under which the FIR was registered are non-bailable. "

The judge observed that Elahi was not nominated in the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) attack case. He added that nothing was recovered during his physical remand.

After hearing the arguments, the ATC judge accepted Elahi’s bail application.

Judicial complex riots

On March 18, PTI workers suddenly began pelting stones at the authorities inside the premises of the Federal Judicial Complex during Khan’s appearance before different courts in connection with multiple cases filed against him.

The former prime minister came with hoards of people — who had wooden sticks and stones in their hands — from the opposite side of the road in violation of Section 144.

The situation resulted in injuring 52 police and personnel of other assisting forces, said the police, adding that the PTI workers also damaged 12 Islamabad police vehicles.

Three police vehicles of the Punjab police and Frontier Corps (FC) were also damaged by agitated workers. Moreover, the workers also set fire to four cars of the federal police which were completely burned, added the police.

Subsequently, a terrorism case was registered against the PTI workers at the counter-terrorism department (CTD) police station for vandalism.

Islamabad police had also registered an FIR against the PTI cheif and other party leaders for their alleged involvement in attacking cops, setting ablaze vehicles and destroying property.

Replying to a comment on X, he said that the problems between Pakistan and Afghanistan are not limited to the movement of patients and trade through the Torkham border crossing.

“The problems are of a very serious nature. At present, the major issue is the use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan. TTP is an ally of Kabul. And being a brotherly neighbour, it is the duty of Afghanistan to ensure the guarantee and promotion of peace,” he wrote.

According to Asif, goodwill and good wishes cannot be unilateral. He alleged that terrorists are entering Pakistan disguising themselves as the caretakers of patients.

“Pakistan’s forces and civilians are martyred. All the background needs to be kept in front,” he stated.

It is pertinent to mention that the Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan reopened to pedestrians and vehicles early Friday, more than a week after it was closed following a gun battle between frontier guards.

“The clearance of trucks is in process and Afghan citizens are entering Afghanistan after clearance and passing immigration processes,” Irshad Khan Mohmmd, assistant commissioner of Khyber district in Pakistan, told an international news agency.

The plea was returned as the former ruling failed to approach the relevant forums before coming to the apex court.

The PTI had also included President Arif Alvi as a respondent but the registrar was of the view that the head of the state cannot be made part of the petition under Article 248.

“The petition did not mention which fundamental right of the petitioner was violated. The petition does not meet the requirements seeking the court’s intervention under Article 184/3,” the registrar of the Supreme Court further said.

Last month, the PTI had moved the top court seeking its directives to hold general elections in the country within 90 days of the dissolution of the National Assembly.

The petitioner, who is PTI's Secretary General Omar Ayyub, requested the apex court to direct President Alvi to give a date for the polls and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to issue an election schedule accordingly.

The petition was filed under Article 184(3) of the Constitution prays to declare as illegal and void ab initio the decision of the Council of Common Interest (CCI) dated August 5, 2023, approving the census.

This was the second petition filed with the apex court.

Earlier, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Abid S Zubairi had filed the same petition in the apex court.

Filed through Barrister Ali Zafar, the PTI petition also seeks that the notification by the Bureau of Statistics dated August 8, 2023, be declared illegal, unlawful, and void ab initio, while the delimitation exercise proposed to be taken by the ECP, dated August 17, 2023, be declared illegal, unlawful, and void ab initio as well.

“Section 57(1) of the Election Act, 2017, providing that the date of elections is to be fixed by the ECP may be declared to be ultra vires the Constitution and being contrary to Articles 48(5)(a), 58(1), 105(3)(a), 112(1), and 224,” wherein it is stated that the president or governor is to set the date of elections after dissolution by them on the advice of the prime minister or chief minister, the PTI had prayed.

The PTI had made the ECP, the federation, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, the Council of Common Interest (CCI), the chief secretaries of Punjab, Khyber, Sindh, Balochistan, and other respondents.

The PTI had further prayed to the apex court that the Sindh governor may also be required to announce the date of elections within 90 days of the dissolution of the Sindh Assembly and the ECP be directed to issue the election schedule accordingly, and same for the Balochistan province.

Meanwhile, the elections to the Punjab and KP assemblies may be held according to the judgments of this court and within a time frame fixed by the court, it had added.

The PTI had submitted that, vexatiously, the census is being used by the ECP as an excuse to delay the elections to the National Assembly, as shown by the ECP in its reply dated August 24, 2023, to the letter of the president dated August 23, 2023.

A day earlier, President Alvi had suggested a cut-off date for the holding of polls in a letter to the chief election commissioner (CEC). He said that in the light of Article 48(5) of the Constitution, he has the authority and mandate “to appoint a date not later than 90 days from the date of dissolution [of assemblies], for holding of a general election to the assembly.”

The president had said that the National Assembly was dissolved by him on the advice of the then-prime minister Shehbaz Sharif on August 9, 2023.

[…] in terms of Article 48(5) the general election to the National Assembly should be held by the eighty-ninth day of the date of dissolution of the National Assembly, i.e. Monday 6th Day of November 2023,” the letter had stated.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led (PML-N) coalition government dissolved the National Assembly on August 9 while the Sindh and Balochistan assemblies were also prematurely dissolved to allow the electoral authority to hold elections in the country within 90 days instead of 60 days if the legislature completed its constitutional tenure.

If the elections are to be held within the 90-day limit, then the polls are due on November 9, 2023.

However, before dissolving the assemblies the coalition government in a Council of Common Interest (CCI) meeting had unanimously approved the 7th Population and Housing Census 2023.

According to Article 51 (5) of the Constitution, the seats of the National Assembly to each province and the federal capital shall be allocated on the basis of population as per the new census.

Following CCI's approval, the ECP on August 17 announced the schedule of new delimitations which exceeded the November 9th 90-day constitutional limit, almost making sure that the elections are likely to be held post the 90-day mark.

The directives from the provincial chief executive came a day after Sindh’s caretaker Minister for Law and Human Rights, Muhammed Umar Soomro, issued a stern warning that any feudal lord or politician found to be associated with dacoits would be subject to legal proceedings.

During today’s Sindh cabinet briefing, it was informed that a total of 218 individuals had been abducted in the riverine areas of the province in 2023 so far. Among them, 207 have been successfully rescued, the provincial police chief informed the meeting.

He further disclosed that out of the 11 individuals currently held captive, seven were from Larkana, three from Shaheed Benazirabad, and one from Sukkur.

The IG mentioned that the initial count of abductees was 57 when he assumed his position, but this number had now reduced to 11.

Responding to this, the chief minister instructed authorities to take immediate measures to secure the release of the remaining abductees.

The CM was informed that the riverine areas had a total population of 0.4 million, comprising 238 villages, eight police stations, and 20 checkposts.

CM Baqar emphasised the deployment of reputable police officers to all these stations and sought the immediate replacement of underperforming cops. He stressed the need for regular reporting on abducted individuals by the authorities.

The chief minister also called for the swift reopening of the Ghotki-Kandhkot bridge, highlighting its potential to enhance the law and order situation.

The meeting also reached a decision to take decisive action against the drug mafia in collaboration with the Anti-Narcotics Force.

Expressing concern over street crimes in parts of the province, the chief minister remarked that individuals should not fear carrying a mobile phone in hand while moving freely, saying “such a situation is unacceptable”.

He instructed the provincial police chief to initiate a “comprehensive operation” against street crimes.

The meeting reached a consensus on deploying Rangers in Karachi for a period of six months.

“Rangers will maintain their presence in the metropolis from September 14, 2023, until February 2024,” the meeting decided.

According to the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan (ECAP), the rupee recovered to 298 against greenback after gaining 3 in the open market.

Raids on black market operators began earlier this month after the rupee plunged to a record low of Rs333.7 on September 5.

The army-backed campaign came after dealers requested Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir to take action to curb the rocketing dollar.

As a result of the campaign, the Pakistani currency recovered to below 300 per dollar in the open market earlier this week and tens of millions of dollars have poured back into the country's interbank and open markets, dealers say.

At a meeting last week with officials, including heads of law enforcement and security agencies, ECAP Chairman Malik Bostan and colleagues said the matter needed to be urgently escalated to General Munir.

"The army chief took notice, and the restoration of supply in the open market is credited to him," Bostan told an international news agency.

"A task force was made that is now cracking down on the illegal market."

A security official, who requested anonymity, hailed the success of the crackdown.

"The reason is the initiation and enforcement of administrative measures against hoarders, black marketeers and smugglers of dollars," the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "The government has issued strict orders against unauthorised money changers and other mafias."

For the past week, the hundreds of currency shops in the usually bustling lanes of Peshawar's Chowk Yadgar bazaar have been closed.

"A few days ago, some people, believed to be law enforcement officials, came here and arrested senior members of this market and put them in their vehicles with tinted glasses and drove them away to an unknown location," said Haji Luqman Khan, an aged trader, told an international news agency.

Controlling the open market rate is critical for Pakistan following the $3 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that was agreed in July to help avert a sovereign default.

An IMF demand that the difference between the interbank and open market does not exceed 1.25% will be a key part of discussions set to begin later this month, before the release of the next tranche of the bailout.

Giving an indication of the scale of the problem posed by the parallel markets, Sheikh Allauddin, the president ECAP, reckoned annual transactions in the black market were roughly $5 billion, compared to $7 billion in the regulated open market.

The PPP’s secretary general Nayyar Bukhari has issued the show cause notice to Latif Khosa.

“Latif Khosa has been a member of the People’s Party’s CEC but without informing the party assisting the head of another party in legal cases, who has been convicted under corruption charges,” according to the show cause notice.

“You have criticized the state over cipher in lawyers’ convention.”

“Deliver your reply of this show cause notice within 7 days, in case of no-reply, action will be taken as per the rules and your basic membership of the party can be terminated,” Khosa has been warned.

Latif Khosa and Aitzaz Ahsan, have been at odds with the party leadership over their support to former prime minister Imran Khan in his legal troubles.

Earlier, both senior lawyers were invited to attend the CEC meeting in Lahore on September 14 (today).

The estimated number of deaths in the Libyan city of Derna after a catastrophic flood could reach 18,000 to 20,000, Derna's mayor has told an international newspaper.

Abdulmenam al Ghaithi told the Saudi-owned television late on Wednesday the estimated number of deaths in the city could reach 18,000 to 20,000 based on the number of districts destroyed by the flood.

It comes as Libya continues to reel from a massive flood that left nearly 4,000 dead and thousands more missing, wreaking havoc in the eastern city of Derna, where bodies wrapped in blankets lined the ravaged streets.

Relief missions gathered pace with Türkiye, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates among the first nations to rush aid to the war-scarred country after the disaster that also displaced tens of thousands.

The Mediterranean coastal city of Derna was hit by a huge flash flood late on Sunday that witnesses likened to a tsunami after two upstream dams burst when torrential rains brought by Storm Daniel battered the region.

Footage broadcast by state media showed an apocalyptic landscape in the city, with debris littering streets and people lifting sheets off bodies lying on sidewalks to try to identify them.

Satellite images of Derna after the surge of water showed coastal neighbourhoods almost entirely submerged.

The United Nations has pledged $10 million in support for survivors, including at least 30,000 people it said had been left homeless in Derna.

The wall of water ripped away buildings, vehicles and the people inside them. Many were swept out into the sea, with bodies later washing up on beaches littered with debris and car wrecks.

Flooding amid heating planet and war

Traumatised survivors have dug through the mud-caked ruins of shattered buildings to recover bodies, scores of which were lying out in the open before being buried in mass graves.

The confirmed death toll reached 3,840 by Wednesday afternoon, said Lieutenant Tarek al Kharraz, spokesman for the eastern-based government's Interior Ministry.

The figure includes 3,190 victims who have already been buried and at least 400 foreigners, mostly from Sudan and Egypt, Kharraz told an international news agency, adding 2,400 people were still missing.

Some media reports have quoted officials giving higher tolls.

Tamer Ramadan of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on Tuesday "the death toll is huge" and is likely to grow.

He added the organisation had independent sources saying that "the number of missing people is hitting 10,000 persons so far".

Oil-rich Libya is still recovering from the war and chaos that followed an uprising which toppled and killed long time ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The country has been left divided between two rival administrations — the UN-brokered, internationally recognised administration based in Tripoli, and a separate administration in the disaster-hit east.

Rescue teams from Türkiye have arrived in eastern Libya, authorities said. Algeria, France, Italy, Qatar and Tunisia also pledged to help.

The UAE sent two planes carrying 150 tonnes of aid.

The European Union said assistance from Germany, Romania and Finland had been dispatched.

A Kuwaiti flight took off Wednesday with 40 tonnes of supplies, the IFRC said.

Palestinian media reported a rescue mission had left from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, and Jordan sent a military plane loaded with food parcels, tents, blankets and mattresses.

Climate experts have linked Libya's disaster to a combination of the impacts of a heating planet and the country's years of political chaos and underinvestment in infrastructure

Judge Abu Alhasnaat Zulqurnain announced the decision on Umar’s bail against surety bonds worth Rs50,000.

Umar, who served as finance minister and planning minister in the PTI government, appeared in person before Islamabad court to secure bail.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi are on remand in the same case until September 26.

Umar had gone ‘missing’ from Islamabad on August 20, hours after Qureshi was arrested in the cipher case.

On last Tuesday, it was reported that Asad Umar had been arrested in a cipher probe, but he refuted the news and appeared on the scene to secure bail in the case after the arrest of party leaders.

The first information report (FIR) was registered on August 15 under the Official Secrets Act. It was registered on the complaint of Home Secretary.

Former prime minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi were nominated in the report, while names of former principal secretary Azam Khan and former planning minister Asad Umar were also mentioned.

According to media reports, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) is expected to announce new prices for petrol, diesel and other petroleum products on September 15, based on the average international crude oil prices and exchange rate fluctuations in the first 15 days of September.

The petrol price may jump by Rs16 per litre in the next fortnight review of the petroleum prices, while the price of high-speed diesel (HSD) is likely to go up by Rs13.66 per litre, industry estimates showed.

The ex-depot price of petrol has been calculated at Rs321.35 per litre for the next fortnight compared to its existing price of Rs305.36 per litre, showing an increase of Rs15.99, while the ex-depot price of HSD has been worked out at Rs325.50 per litre compared to its current price of Rs311.84 per litre, indicating an increase of Rs13.66 per litre.

The prices of kerosene and light diesel oil (LDO) are also expected to rise by Rs10.02 and Rs4.45 per litre respectively.

The increase in the ex-depot price has been mainly caused by the rupee depreciation as well as the increase in the international prices of petroleum products.

The oil industry has worked the ex-depot price of petroleum products for the next fortnight at the average exchange rate of Rs304.21 versus one dollar compared to Rs299.77 per dollar average exchange rate for the existing price of petroleum products in the country.