The Sindh police on Wednesday suspended three police officials for alleged mistreatment of Aurat March activists, including Sheema Kermani.

On Tuesday, the activists were detained after they gathered at Karachi Press Club (KPC) for a press conference to demand a no-objection certificate (NOC) for their upcoming annual march in Karachi.

However, the police released all activists after briefly detaining them on the orders of Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar.

“In connection with the arrest and alleged mistreatment of Sheema Kermani and women human rights activists, Karachi Additional Inspector General (AIG) Azad Khan has issued orders to suspend Saddar Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nasir Afridi, Women Station House Officer (SHO) Hina Mughal, and Artillery Maidan Police Station SHO Nadeem,” according to an official press release by Karachi Police spokesperson.

“On the orders of the police chief, a transparent inquiry will be conducted and action will be taken against those responsible in accordance with the law,” the release added.

The police chief also directed that such incidents must be avoided by ensuring professional conduct and full respect for the constitutional rights of citizens.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by the spokesperson for Sindh home minister said, “On the instructions of the home minister, action has been taken in connection with the arrest and alleged mistreatment of Sheema Kermani and women human rights activists”.

“The Sindh home minister has ordered an inquiry into the incident,” the spokesperson said.

“Lanjar said there is a zero-tolerance policy against misuse of authority,” the spokesperson stated, adding that respect for women and protection of their rights would be ensured at all costs.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast heatwave conditions across the country this week, starting in the south and central areas from Thursday.

“Due to the presence of high pressure in the upper atmosphere, heatwave conditions are likely to develop over southern and central parts of the country from May 7-11 [and] in upper parts from May 8-10,” a press release issued on Wednesday by the PMD said.

It noted that daytime maximum temperatures may rise to 46-50°C in Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Ghotki, Khairpur, Nausheroferoze, Jacobabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Sibbi, Turbat and Panjgur.

It also forecast 43-47°C weather in Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Bhakkar, Rajanpur, Kot Addu, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Khanewal, Pakpattan, Sahiwal, Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan; and 39-43°C in the upper regions, namely Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Kohat, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Sargodha, Mianwali, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Khushab, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Okara and Kasur.

Very hot weather is expected in Karachi during the forecast period and the maximum temperature is likely to remain between 35-38°C, the statement added.

However, the Met Office noted that a shallow westerly wave is likely to affect the upper parts of the country on the evening of May 10 and is likely to persist until May 13.

“This system is likely to bring relief from the prevailing hot conditions in the upper parts of the country,” it said.

The PMD advised the general public, “especially children, women and senior citizens”, to be “cautious”, avoiding unnecessary exposure to direct sunlight and remaining hydrated.

It also advised farmers to manage their crop activities and take care of their livestock in view of the weather conditions.

At least 10 people died across Karachi on Monday due to intense heat as the mercury surged to 44.1°C — the highest temperature recorded since 2018 — accompanied by gusts of continental winds that persisted throughout the day, officials said.

The same day, the Nati­onal Disaster Manage­ment Authority (NDMA) issued sweeping emergency protocols and placed hospitals on alert as extreme, above-normal summer temperatures threatened millions across the country.

KARACHI: The Pakistan Meteorological Department has predicted the temperature in Karachi Division to remain hot but below 40°C.

According to the PMD’s weather forecast till Thursday, “hot and humid” weather is expected to persist on Tuesday, with the maximum temperature forecasted to be between 37–39°C.

Similar conditions will persist on May 6 (Wednesday) and May 7 (Thursday), PMD said in its advisory, when the maximum temperature will be between 36–38°C and 35-37°C, respectively.

As per the forecast, “hot/very hot and dry weather” was likely to prevail over most parts of Sindh.

Meanwhile, K-Electric’s Head of Distribution Operations, Khurram Abdullah, said on Tuesday that there will be no loadshedding in “any areas where the ‘feels-like’ temperature reaches 45°C”.

Addressing a live session from the utility’s Facebook account, he added, “maintenance shutdowns have been suspended due to the heatwave”.

He further stated that illegal connections (kundas) caused overloading, leading to localised faults and accidents.

“Cooperation from residents is essential to resolve local faults,” he said.

A day earlier, the metropolis witnessed its highest temperature since 2018 at 44.1°C accompanied by gusts of continental winds that persisted throughout the day, claiming the lives of at least 10 people.

Despite the record temperature in eight years, it was notable that the “feels-like” temperature did not exceed 40°C due to relatively low humidity.

A PMD official said the maximum temperature recorded in the city on Monday was 44.1°C with 17pc humidity.

Based on current trends and data, he said, the temperature was expected to start declining from Tuesday (today) as dry winds subsided, and would gradually drop further over the week.

The Nati­onal Disaster Manage­ment Authority (NDMA) on Tuesday also issued sweeping emergency protocols and placed hospitals on alert as extreme, above-normal summer temperatures persisted throughout the country.

El Niño conditions are likely to develop during the 2026 monsoon season in South Asia, alongside higher-than-normal minimum and maximum temperatures across most of the region, according to a statement by Pakistan’s meteorological office on Friday.

El Nino is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. It brings changes in winds, pressure and rainfall patterns. Conditions oscillate between El Nino and its opposite La Nina, with neutral conditions in between.

The last El Nino contributed to making 2023 the second-hottest year on record and 2024 the all-time high.

The climate outlook for the 2026 southwest monsoon season (June to September) was finalised during the 34th session of the South Asian Climate Outlook Forum (Sascof-34) held in Malé, Maldives on Tuesday.

According to the spokesperson of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), Anjum Nazir Zaighum, and a statement issued by the PMD, below normal rainfall is most likely during the 2026 southwest monsoon season over most parts of South Asia, particularly across the central parts of the region.

“However, some areas over the northwestern, northeastern and parts of the southern region are likely to experience normal to above normal rainfall,” the statement noted.

It highlighted that minimum and maximum temperatures during the upcoming season are expected to be above normal across most of South Asia.

The forum deliberated on various observed and emerging climatic features that influence the performance of the southwest monsoon such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation (Enso), Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), winter and spring Northern Hemisphere (NH) snow cover and land surface temperature anomalies.

Currently, Enso-neutral conditions in the equatorial Pacific are transitioning toward El Niño conditions, the Sascof-34 statement added.

“Based on the global climate model forecasts, there is strong consensus among experts that the El Niño conditions are likely to develop during the 2026 monsoon season,” it added.

It also stated that neutral IOD conditions currently prevail over the Indian Ocean, and that “climate models indicate that a positive IOD phase is likely to emerge later in the monsoon season”.

The statement further noted that global climate prediction models around the spring season “generally have noticeable uncertainty” in their predictability and that the seasonal climate patterns may also be affected by other regional and global factors, as well as the intra-seasonal features of the region.

Experts from the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) of nine South Asian countries attended the forum session, along with representatives from several global and regional climate organisations. These included the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), WMO Regional Climate Centre Pune, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), United Kingdom Met Office (UKMO), Regional Integrated Multi-hazard Early Warning System, Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), WMO Lead Centre of Seasonal Prediction (WMOLC), Korean Meteorological Administration (KMA), and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, among others.

The PMD spokesperson told Dawn last month that El Niño was expected in the coming summer and was expected to become ‘super El Niño’ by the end of August to September.

He noted that El Niño suppresses the summer monsoon in the subcontinent.

“If super El Niño forms, then 2027 might be the warmest year in records,” Zaighum added.

KARACHI: After throwing out the Karachi Cotton Association (KCA) from the Cotton Exchange building, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is set to turn the historic structure into its city headquarters, Dawn has learnt.

In December 2025, the FIA and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), acting on the orders of the apex court, had claimed to have “recovered” and “vacated” the Karachi Cotton Exchange building situated on I.I. Chundrigar Road, declaring it a federal trust property.

The matter regarding ownership of the building is currently pending adjudication before the Sindh High Court.

Sources said on Tuesday that the FIA and the ETPB had reached an agreement under which the former would pay rent to the latter for use of the premises.

They said that the process of relocation of different sections of the FIA had already begun with the Anti-Corruption Circle had already been moved to the building. The Corporate Crime Circle was in the process of shifting, they added.

An official, requesting anonymity, said the building had an estimated 200 to 300 rooms, which could accommodate all FIA offices in Karachi.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2026