Over 100 stranded as Kartarpur flooded
LAHORE, Aug 27: Over 100 people, mostly staff members, have been stranded in the Kartarpur Corridor in Narowal district of Pakistan’s Punjab province due to floodwaters from the Ravi River. The entire corridor, including Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, is submerged by high floodwater. The corridor links Pakistan’s Gurdwara Darbar Sahib to the Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district. India released water into the Ravi, causing the river to swell beyond capacity. Heavy rains and overflow from drains in Auj, Bayan, and Dek have further worsened the situation, inundating villages and crop fields, forcing people to migrate to safer places. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for improved early warning systems and army troops to help rescue people from flooded areas. Over 250,000 people have been evacuated from flood-prone areas to safer places across Punjab amid rising water levels in almost all eastern rivers. (PTI)
Two militants killed in tribal clash in Pak
PESHAWAR, Aug 27: Two militants were killed in clashes between local tribesmen and members of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in northwest Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said on Wednesday. The gunfight erupted on Tuesday in Naurang tehsil in Lakki Marwat district when militants allegedly abducted four youths from the Takkhti Khel Marwat tribe. In retaliation, the tribesmen mounted an armed attack on the abductors, triggering a fierce exchange of fire. Retaliatory fire from the militants left one tribesman injured and the abducted men were later freed, sources said. In a separate development, tribes in Bannu announced that families and facilitators of terrorists would be expelled to restore peace and security. They warned that if authorities failed to act, they would take the step themselves. Local communities have increasingly taken a stand against militants in Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Swat and the Upper and Lower Dir districts amid growing security concerns in the province. (PTI)
Indian Consulate Chancery inaugurated in Seattle
SEATTLE, Aug 27: The Consulate General of India in Seattle has been inaugurated by Ambassador Vinay Kwatra. The chancery is situated in the historic Federal Reserve Building, which was previously the Seattle branch of the Federal Bank of San Francisco. The mission, which began operations in November 2023, has provided services to 23,722 applicants across nine US states since July 2024. The event was attended by Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson, US Senator Maria Cantwell, and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. The Indian mission in Seattle has a 300,000-strong Indian student community that contributes over USD 8 billion annually to the US economy and creates jobs. The mission began operations from a temporary location in November 2023 and has provided services to 23,722 applicants across nine US states. The Indian mission in Seattle has a strong presence in the US, with about 4.4 million Indian Americans/Indian origin people residing in the country. (PTI)
