KARACHI: The launching ceremony of the Pakistan Navy’s latest gunboat, PNS Sahiwal, was held on Thursday at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW).
The vessel, currently under construction, has been indigenously designed by the Platform Design Wing (PDW) of the Pakistan Navy, according to a press release issued by the Directorate General Public Relations (Pakistan Navy).
Equipped with high-performance, long-range semi-automatic guns, the state-of-the-art gunboat is expected to significantly enhance the Navy’s operational capabilities in a range of maritime security missions.
Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ovais Ahmed Bilgrami, attended the ceremony as chief guest. In his address, he praised the collaborative efforts between PDW and KS&EW, calling the project a key milestone in advancing the Pakistan Navy’s policy of self-reliance and indigenization.
He also thanked the Ministry of Defence Production (MoDP) for its ongoing support to the shipyard and emphasized that the new vessel would be capable of executing a wide spectrum of maritime security tasks.
Vice Admiral Bilgrami further revealed that the Navy is considering additional gunboat production, which would not only reinforce operational capacity but also contribute to the growth and modernization of KS&EW.
The ceremony was attended by senior naval officers, officials from the MoDP, KS&EW, and representatives from the national shipbuilding sector.
200 stranded tourists rescued
Meanwhile, In a large-scale rescue operation, over 200 stranded tourists were safely evacuated from Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district following severe flash floods triggered by torrential rainfall.
According to Faizullah Faraq, spokesperson for the GB government, the rescued individuals have been moved to Chilas and provided shelter in local hotels and guest houses. Many had been cut off for hours before finally establishing contact with their families.
The flash floods, which ravaged the Babusar area, have left a trail of destruction and loss. At least five lives have been claimed since Monday, with one more casualty confirmed by Diamer Deputy Commissioner Attaullah Kakar.
Search operations remain active, as authorities believe up to 30 tourists are still missing. Rescue efforts are being carried out with the support of the Pakistan Army, which is deploying helicopters to provide food, medical assistance, and evacuate those stranded.
The Diamer administration has declared a state of emergency on the Thack-Babusar Road and suspended all tourist movement from Zero Point to Babusar Top. A formal notification urged both tourists and locals to immediately move to designated safe zones, warning against travel on the severely damaged road.
The devastation includes the destruction of over 50 homes, a wheat depot, a girls’ school, police checkpoints, and key infrastructure such as bridges and mosques. Authorities have deployed heavy machinery to restore the road network and begin rebuilding critical links, including parts of the Karakoram Highway.
In Skardu, similar flash floods stranded hundreds of tourists. According to Rescue 1122 and the Baltistan Division Police, nearly 413 tourist vehicles were trapped on the Deosai–Sadpara road. The road was cleared overnight, and all stranded individuals were rescued by morning.
