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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s disaster management agency on Thursday issued an impact-based weather advisory warning of hot and dry conditions in most parts of the country, with scattered rain and windstorms expected in northern and upper regions between June 13 and 18.

The National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC), part of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), said a weak western weather system was expected to affect upper areas of the country and could influence weather patterns across multiple provinces.

“In Punjab, hot weather is expected to persist throughout the week,” the officials statement said.

“However, the Potohar region and upper Punjab, including Islamabad and Rawalpindi, may experience cloudy conditions, scattered rainfall, and windstorms.”

Similar conditions are expected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where mostly hot weather will prevail, but districts such as Chitral, Dir, Haripur, Kohat, Mansehra, Swat, Peshawar and surrounding areas may see scattered rain and gusty winds.

In Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, hot weather is forecast, although areas like Astore, Skardu, Hunza, Shighar, Bagh and Neelum Valley could experience isolated rainfall during the same period.

By contrast, Sindh and Balochistan are expected to remain predominantly hot and dry, with no significant rainfall anticipated during the advisory window.

The NDMA said it was closely monitoring the evolving weather situation and coordinating with provincial and district authorities to ensure timely preparedness and response.

It advised residents in heat-prone regions to take precautions, including staying hydrated, avoiding outdoor exposure during peak heat hours (11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), and checking on vulnerable individuals such as children, the elderly and people with pre-existing health conditions.

“It is also crucial never to leave children or pets unattended in parked vehicles,” the statement said.
The authority urged travelers and tourists visiting northern or hilly regions to stay updated on local weather conditions and to follow safety adviseries.

The NDMA also encouraged the public to use its Pak NDMA Disaster Alert mobile application for real-time updates and emergency alerts.
 

ISLAMABAD: The family of a detained Pakistani Baloch rights activists, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, filed a petition in Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday, seeking to overturn a provincial court ruling that upheld her arrest under public order laws, according to a local media report.

Baloch, a physician and a civil society activists, has been held at Quetta’s Hudda District Jail since March 22 after she participated in protests following a separatist militant attack on a passenger train in Balochistan.

She was arrested under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law, a move her supporters described as part of a broader crackdown on nonviolent dissent in the restive province.

The petition, filed by her sister, argues that the detention is arbitrary and aimed at silencing peaceful activism.

“Nadia Bal­och, the sister of Dr. Mah­­rang Baloch, urged the Supreme Court on Wed­­nesday to set aside the April 15 order of the Balo­ch­istan High Court that rej­ected the plea against her detention under the Main­tenance of Public Order,” the English-language newspaper Dawn quoted from the petition.

The detained activist, who leads the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, also published a letter from prison in the US-based Time magazine this week, in which she asserted that “speaking up for justice is not a crime.”
Pakistani authorities have accused Baloch of promoting the narrative of separatist groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in public. However, her letter in the American magazine maintained the officials had not provided any evidence of her links with BLA or any other militant group while criticizing the authorities for blurring the line between militancy and peaceful protest.

Earlier this year, the Balochistan High Court dismissed Baloch’s initial challenge to her detention, advising her to seek administrative remedies instead of judicial relief.

Her sister’s petition has now asked the apex court to suspend that ruling and review whether constitutional protections such as habeas corpus were ignored in the previous judicial decision.
The Supreme Court has yet to announce when it will take up the case for hearing.