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Dawn - 00:18 Apr 20, 2026
Indian officials called for the swift implementation of a proposed regional energy hub in Sri Lanka at the start of bilateral talks in Colombo on Sunday. The planned oil hub in the northeastern port of Trincomalee featured in a meeting with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, India’s visiting Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters. The project, which also involves the United Arab Emirates, has been under discussion since 2023, he added. “There is no further time to lose in making progress on strategic projects such as these,” said Misri, who is visiting the Sri Lankan capital along with India’s Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan. Sri Lanka, India and the UAE signed an agreement a year ago, following two years of talks, to set up a multi-product oil pipeline connecting the two South Asian neighbours and to establish the Trincomalee oil storage complex. Misri said that in Sunday’s talks, both sides agreed on the need to get the project off the ground quickly. Had the energy hub been completed, ... -
Dawn - 21:00 Apr 19, 2026
President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that representatives from Washington were heading to Islamabad and they would be “there tomorrow evening for negotiations” with Iran. The US president made the announcement in a Truth Social post, where he also insisted that Washington was offering Tehran “a very fair and reasonable” deal. “And I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran,” he warned. “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honour to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years. IT’S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END!” US media outlets reported, citing the White House spokesperson and officials, that Vice President JD Vance would lead the American delegation, and that Trump’s envoy Steve Kushner and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner would also be part of t... -
Dawn - 20:31 Apr 19, 2026
Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon on Sunday dismissed as fake on Sunday a notification announcing that all public and private offices in the federal capital and Rawalpindi would remain closed from April 20 until further notice. In a social media post on X, Memon said, “Citizens are requested to refrain from sharing unverified or fake news. Please rely only on official handles of the district administration, Islamabad, for authentic updates.” However, a late-night Cabinet Division notification said that all ministries, divisions and other federal government establishments located in Islamabad’s Red Zone should adopt a work-from-home arrangement on April 20. “All officers and secretarial staff shall remain at the station and be prepared to attend office when required at a short notice,” the notification said. Similarly, a notification by the Islamabad district magistrate said that entry into Red Zone would remain suspended on April 20, and in view of the development, all public and private offices... -
Dawn - 20:29 Apr 19, 2026
Islamabad’s Red Zone was closed for traffic as the capital braces to welcome foreign delegations, police said on Sunday, with alternate traffic plans issued to facilitate citizens. “Due to the arrival of foreign delegations in Islamabad, Red Zone and Extended Red Zone will remain completely closed for all kinds of traffic,” the police said in a statement on X. The alternative traffic plans will remain in place from today until further directives, they said. The Cabinet Division also said in a notification that all ministries, divisions and other federal government establishments located in Islamabad’s Red Zone should adopt a work-from-home arrangement on April 20. “All officers and secretarial staff shall remain at the station and be prepared to attend office when required at a short notice,” the notification said. Similarly, a notification by the Islamabad district magistrate said that entry into Red Zone would remain suspended on April 20, and in view of the development, all public and private offices and s... -
Dawn - 20:13 Apr 19, 2026
Religious affairs minister Sardar Muhammad Yousuf on Sunday affirmed that the government was providing Haj pilgrims with the best possible facilities as the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) began its Haj operation. Pilgrims were seen off at the Islamabad International Airport by Yousuf and other senior officials at the airport, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. It added that the Road to Makkah project has been expanded to Lahore, in addition to Karachi and Islamabad, and is expected to benefit over 95,000 pilgrims this year. A PIA spokesperson had earlier said that the first flight of the Haj operation (PK-747), carrying over 390 pilgrims, was set to depart from Sialkot for Madina, which took off past 2am. At the Islamabad airport, the Haj operation’s first flight from the capital (SV-5723) took off for Madina with 270 pilgrims on board, along with 10 crew members. The flight took off at 11am, a statement by the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said. Addressing the ceremony in Islamabad, the minister... -
Dawn - 19:59 Apr 19, 2026
JHELUM: Religious scholar and lecturer Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza survived an attack by on Sunday, police said. The attacker was killed in retaliatory firing. Mirza, known for delivering religious speeches on social media, has over 3.1 million followers on his YouTube channel. He was also attacked earlier this year, and previously survived an assassination attempt in Jhelum in March 2021. The religious scholar was outside the Quran & Sunnat Research Academy where he delivers lectures when a man carrying a 9mm pistol arrived at the premises, lay down on the ground, and opened fire, Jhelum police spokesperson Kashif Kiani told Dawn. Jhelum Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Chaudhry Shafiq said police fired back in retaliation, killing the attacker on the spot. He added that Mirza remained safe and unhurt during the attack and is continuing his lectures at the academy. Kiani confirmed that a policeman on the scholar’s security team was injured during the attack. The constable sustained a gunshot wound to hi... -
Dawn - 19:24 Apr 19, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday, reaffirming during the conversation that Pakistan would “remain fully committed to its honest and sincere efforts to advance regional peace and security”. The conversation, which was detailed in a statement by the PM’s Office, took place after US President Donald Trump confirmed that American representatives were headed to Islamabad for another round of talks with Iran. The first round of historic direct US-Iran talks, held in Islamabad on April 11 and 12, had ended without an agreement, but also without a breakdown. The talks were held as a Pakistan-brokered two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran remained in effect. The ceasefire, which is set to end on April 22, paused hostilities that began with the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. The PMO statement said that during Shehbaz and Pezeshkian’s “warm and cordial conversation that lasted for around 45 minutes, the two leaders engaged in de... -
Dawn - 19:08 Apr 19, 2026
The Israeli military published for the first time a map of its new deployment line inside Lebanon on Sunday, bringing dozens of mostly abandoned Lebanese villages under its control, days after a ceasefire with Lebanon took effect. There was no immediate comment from Lebanese officials or from Hezbollah. Israel and Lebanon agreed on Thursday to a US-backed ceasefire in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The deal, which followed the first direct talks in decades between Israel and Lebanon on April 14, is meant to enable broader US-Iran negotiations, but with Israeli forces maintaining positions deep inside southern Lebanon. Stretching east to west, the deployment line on the map runs 5-10 kilometres deep from the border into Lebanese territory, where Israel has said that it plans to create a so-called buffer zone. Israeli forces have destroyed Lebanese villages in the area, claiming their aim is to protect northern Israeli towns from Hezbollah attacks. It has created buffer zones in Syria and in Gaza... -
Dawn - 16:57 Apr 19, 2026
MARDAN: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said on Sunday that he had conveyed a message to incarcerated PTI founder, Imran Khan, stating that he was ready to “be in Islamabad” — ostensibly to hold a power show in the federal capital. “I conveyed to him that I am ready, the nation is ready, Pakistanis are ready … If you give us the go-ahead, we will be in Islamabad the next day,” he told a charged crowd at a public gathering in Mardan. He said Imran had instructed to consult Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan leaders Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and Mehmood Khan Achakzai as well, and he would be mindful of that. Turning his guns on the incumbent federal government, he said they had been unable to make Imran bow under the pressure of “baseless and fabricated cases”, filed against him and his spouse, Bushra Bibi. He accused the government of committing “cruelty and injustice” against Imran, his sisters and Bushra Bibi. Afridi decried that Imran and Bushra Bibi were being deprived of the right to get medi... -
Dawn - 14:57 Apr 19, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Qatar are in an advanced stage of discussions for the supply of at least four cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which could pass through the Strait of Hormuz, sources told Dawn on Sunday. They also said that after facing criticism over loadshedding even before the start of summer, the Power Division had already placed an order to the Petroleum Division for arranging around 400 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for power generation. LNG imports to Pakistan were disrupted early last month after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid a war in the Middle East, which began with US-Israel attacks on Iran. In retaliatory action, Iran targeted fuel installations in some of the Gulf countries that had US assets and bases. It was against this backdrop that Qatar declared force majeure early last month in all its global LNG contracts, including those with Pakistan. Sources told Dawn that due to the resultant fuel and electricity shortfall, the Power Divisio... -
Dawn - 13:56 Apr 19, 2026
Dozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots showed off their fast-improving athleticism and autonomous navigation skills as they whizzed past human runners in a half-marathon race in Beijing on Sunday, highlighting the sector’s rapid technical advances. The race’s inaugural edition last year was riddled with mishaps, and most robots were unable to finish. Last year’s champion robot recorded a time of 2 hours 40 minutes, more than double the time of the human winner of the conventional race. This year’s contrast was stark. Not only had the number of participating teams increased from 20 to more than 100, but several robot frontrunners were noticeably faster than professional athletes, beating the human winners by more than 10 minutes. Unlike last year, nearly half of the robot entrants navigated the tougher terrain autonomously instead of being directed by remote control during the 21-km (13-mile) race. The robots and 12,000 men and women ran on parallel tracks to avoid collisions. The winning robot, developed... -
Dawn - 10:50 Apr 19, 2026
GILGIT: The Karakoram Highway (KKH) was reopened for traffic on Sunday while the Astore Valley road remained blocked as heavy rainfall lashed parts of Gilgit-Baltistan, triggering landslides across the region. The KKH was blocked after a landslide near the Lachi area in Kohistan late Saturday night. According to local police, light traffic was restored to the KKH after nearly 20 hours. Due to the blockage, thousands of passengers travelling to and from GB to other areas remained stranded for several hours, police said. District administration has urged the public to take precautionary measures in light of the weather. As per the police, landslides have also blocked the Shounter Road in the Astore Valley. Last week, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) had predicted rain, wind, and thunderstorms — with isolated heavy falls and hailstorms — in the upper parts of the country from April 16-19. A westerly wave was expected to enter the northwestern parts of Pakistan on April 16 and is likely to persist i... -
Dawn - 09:37 Apr 19, 2026
Police in Austria said late on Saturday that rat poison was found inside a jar of HiPP baby food, following a recall of the product from more than 1,000 SPAR supermarkets in the country over safety fears. Police in Burgenland, Austria, said in a statement that a sample from one of the 190-gram jars of “Carrots and Potatoes” baby food reported by a customer had tested positive for rat poison. HIPP had said on Saturday that it could not be ruled out that a dangerous substance was introduced into the product and that its HiPP Vegetable Carrot with Potato jars may have been tampered with. Consuming the contents of jars could be life-threatening, HiPP said. The police statement said the affected jars had a sticker with a red circle on the bottom of the jar and a lid that had already been opened, damaged, or missing a safety seal, or had an unusual smell. They said initial lab tests on similar jars seized by police in the Czech Republic and Slovakia showed the presence of a toxic substance. The statement gave no fu... -
Dawn - 08:19 Apr 19, 2026
Britain’s government is set to announce legislation next month to move the country closer to the European Union, as the Iran war sours the United Kingdom’s so-called special relationship with the United States. US President Donald Trump’s unpredictability and stream of insults towards America’s historic ally are adding impetus to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s bid to deepen ties with the 27-nation bloc, a decade after Britons narrowly voted to leave the EU. “We have a government that is already eager to move closer towards the EU, and the events in Iran provide an opportunity to speed up that process,” Evie Aspinall, director of the British Foreign Policy Group think-tank, told AFP. Starmer’s administration is preparing an EU “reset” bill that will give ministers powers to align UK standards with EU single market rules as they evolve — something called “dynamic alignment”. King Charles III will announce the legislation on May 13 when he reads out Starmer’s legislative plans for the coming months, a government ... -
Dawn - 07:19 Apr 19, 2026
KARACHI: In light of continuing regional conflict and vigorous peace promotion efforts in Islamabad, DawnMedia, the organisers of the Breathe Pakistan International Climate Change Conference, announced the temporary postponement of its second conference, which was originally scheduled to be held on April 22-23. The conference is now scheduled to be held on May 6-7 at the Jinnah Convention Center in Islamabad. The organisers regret any inconvenience caused to national and international speakers, partn-ers, and participants. Further details on the updated agenda will be shared by the organisers over the next few days. Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2026 -
Dawn - 06:17 Apr 19, 2026
North Korea fired ballistic missiles into the sea on Sunday, accelerating its missile launches amid Iran war tensions and talk of possible meetings with the US and South Korea. Pyongyang’s intense missile activity — this was the fourth such launch this month and the seventh of the year — is meant to display its self-defence capabilities while gaining international leverage, some experts said. “The missile launches may be a way of showing that — unlike Iran — we have self-defence capabilities,” said South Korean former presidential security adviser Kim Ki-jung. “The North also appears to be exerting pressure preemptively and make a show of force before engaging in dialogue with the United States and South Korea,” he said. Iran war, Trump visit loom over launches The seven-week-old US-Israeli war against Iran, which Washington says aims to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme, could reinforce Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions, experts and former South Korean officials say. US President Donald Trump, preparing for a summ... -
Dawn - 05:51 Apr 19, 2026
KARACHI: Salman Mirza, the left-arm pacer who burst onto the international scene last year, has set his sights firmly on representing Pakistan at the 2027 ODI World Cup. Having broken into the national T20I setup just last year at the age of 31, Salman has never looked back, transforming himself from a late-blooming domestic grinder into a reliable performer for the green jersey. In his short international career, Salman has already made a strong impression. He made his T20I debut against Bangladesh in July 2025 and quickly showcased his accuracy and variations. A standout moment came later that year when he was selected ahead of Shaheen Shah Afridi and delivered a match-winning spell of 3-14 against South Africa in Lahore. By the time the 2026 T20 World Cup concluded, he had featured in 17 T20Is, claiming 23 wickets at an impressive average of 16.13 and a strike rate of 15.04. His economy hovered around 6.43, underlining his ability to control proceedings with late swing, in-swingers and stump-to-stump accur... -
Dawn - 05:10 Apr 19, 2026
RAWALPINDI: As the Rawalpindi Ring Road is set to be completed by the end of May, the provincial government has decided not to start work on the Thalian interchange on the motorway and instead make the road functional with a two-way carriageway. A senior official of the divisional administration told Dawn that work on the Ring Road had entered its final phase, as the road had taken shape and horticulture work had started along the main corridor. He said work had begun to widen the Thalian section, where the Ring Road merges with the motorway, as more than 18,000 vehicles will enter the motorway from the Ring Road. At this point, it is necessary to widen the road to avoid long queues of vehicles. Official says work on Rs5 billion Thalian interchange project will not start immediately Talking to Dawn, Deputy Project Director of Rawalpindi Ring Road Ashfaq Sulheri said that the Rs5 billion Thalian interchange project would not start immediately. To make the Ring Road functional, authorities have decided to use a... -
Dawn - 04:46 Apr 19, 2026
LAHORE: Police claimed on Saturday to have arrested the prime suspect involved in snatching a mobile phone from a girl riding a scooty. According to police, suspect Adnan Yousaf was arrested from the Chung area after being injured. The suspect was involved in snatching a mobile phone from a girl two days ago. The social media users criticised the government for failing to ensure the security of women. Earlier, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also took notice of the incident and directed police to arrest the suspect. Police spokesperson said Adnan was riding a motorcycle with an accomplice at the time of the crime. Using geofencing and human intelligence, police tracked his movements and set up checkpoints across multiple locations. According to the DIG Operations spokesperson, when police signalled the suspects to stop at a checkpoint, they attempted to flee and opened fire on the police party. During the exchange, Adnan was struck by a bullet fired by his own accomplice, leaving him injured. The accomplice manag... -
Dawn - 04:36 Apr 19, 2026
GUJRAT: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday arrested a group of four persons, including three women, at Sialkot airport for being involved in beggary in Saudi Arabia. A senior FIA official said the group of passengers, namely Shah Nawaz, Shahzia, Sonia and Farzana Bibi, all residents of Islamabad, arrived at the Sialkot International Airport from Saudi Arabia via Oman.They were questioned by immigration officials due to suspicious travel history and upon inquiry, they admitted to engaging in organised beggary in Saudi Arabia. These passengers had obtained visas and tickets through an agent, Muhammad Siddique Akbar, a resident of Saudi Arabia, who arranged their travel for Rs250,000 per person. The amount was paid to the agent through the money earned from begging. FIA Gujranwala zone Director Muhammad Bin Ashraf told Dawn these beggars had travelled to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on umrah visas. He added that the FIA would approach the authorities at the KSA Embassy for deportation of the...
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