Karachi: The per tola price of 24 karat gold decreased by Rs 500 and was sold at Rs 243,900 on Monday compared to its sale at Rs 244,400 on last trading day.

The price of 10 grams of 24 karat gold also decreased by Rs 429 to Rs 209,105 from Rs  209,534 whereas the prices of 10 gram 22 karat gold went down to Rs 191,680 from Rs 192,072, the All Sindh Sarafa Jewellers Association reported.

The price of per tola and ten gram silver remained stagnant at Rs 2,650 and Rs 2,271.94 respectively.

The price of gold in the international market decreased by $2 to $2,335 from $2,337, the association reported.

Lahore: As farmers gathered outside the Punjab Assembly to voice their grievances over the delayed purchase of wheat by the Punjab government, they were met with a forceful police response, including crackdowns and arrests.

Intending to stage a sit-in protest at Faisal Chowk, near the provincial legislative assembly, the farmers were prevented from doing so by the police, who employed baton charges to disperse them.

Mian Umair, President of Kisan Ittehad, expressed concern over the arrests of their members and the hindrance of their protest plans. He highlighted the genuine concerns of the farmers regarding the delayed procurement and adverse weather conditions.

Kisan Ittehad, led by Vice President Sabir Niaz Kombuh, had called for the sit-in protest in response to the government's failure to initiate wheat procurement, drawing farmers from various cities to Lahore in solidarity.

Several political parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Peoples' Party, and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), voiced their support for the farmers and criticized the government's policies and crackdowns.

In a show of solidarity, opposition members of Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), backed by PTI, staged a walkout from the provincial assembly and protested against the government's actions.

Police presence outside the Punjab Assembly was intensified, with the deployment of prisoner vans and water cannons to deter the farmers from staging the sit-in. President Mumtaz Daulatana of the Kashtkar (Farmers) Foundation Punjab was already in police custody.

Security measures were heightened at entry points to Lahore, such as Thokar Niaz Baig, and surveillance was increased at the Motorway M-3 Interchange to prevent farmers from reaching the city.

While some farmers managed to evade arrest by traveling individually, a group of students expressing solidarity with the farmers was dispersed by the police, who warned of strict action.

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari reaffirmed the government's commitment to genuine farmer representatives, denying any arrests of farmers' representatives. She condemned the politicization of the wheat issue by certain parties and emphasized the need to protect farmers' interests.

Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Malik Ahmad Khan, assured farmers that their concerns would be addressed, emphasizing the importance of dialogue with relevant organizations and stakeholders.

Islamabad: Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Monday forecast more rain-windstorm/thunderstorm with isolated hailstorm for isolated places in upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, upper Punjab, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir during the next 24 hours.

Dry weather with gusty winds is likely in most parts of the country.

According to the synoptic situation, a strong westerly wave was affecting upper parts of the country and likely to persist during the next 24 to 36 hours.

Isolated/moderate to heavy rainfall may generate flash floods in local nullahs/Streams of Dir, Swat, Chitral, Mansehra, Kohistan and Kashmir on April 29.

Heavyfall may cause landslides in upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galliyat, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan may affect the vulnerable locations during the period. Windstorm/hailstorm and lightning may affect human lives, standing crops, loose structures like electric poles, vehicles and solar panels etc during the period.

During the last 24 hours, rain-windstorm/thunderstorm occurred in Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and upper/central Punjab.

Hailstorm was also observed at few places in Potohar region, Islamabad, Murree, Galliyat and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The rainfall recorded was Kashmir: Rawalakot 76mm, Kotli 46, Garhi Dupatta 37, Muzaffarabad (City 32, Airport 31), Gilgit-Baltistan: Astore 49, Chilas 31, Bagrote 21, Skardu 13, Bunji, Gilgit 11, Hunza 06, Gupis 03, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa: Saidu Sharif 49, Kalam 31, Balakot 26, Pattan 20, Malam Jabba, Kakul 18, Cherat 11, Dir (Upper 11, Lower 08), Bannu 10, Mirkhani, Chitral 08, Drosh 06, Parachinar, Takht Bai 05, Bacha Khan Airport, Peshawar 02, Punjab: Jhelum 38, Murree 31, Mandi Bahauddin, Mangla 26, Gujranwala 20, Sialkot (Airport 12, City 04), Attock 08, Chakwal 06, Joharabad 05, Islamabad (Airport 03, Zero Point 02, Bokra, Golra 01), Rawalpindi (Kacheri 03, Chaklala 02, Shamsabad 02), Hafizabad 02, Sheikhupura, Bahawalnagar, Faisalabad, Narowal 01mm.

The highest maximum temperatures recorded were Mithi, Shaheed Benazirabad 41C, Dadu, Hyderabad and Karachi 40C.