Dawn

Found 5493 news

  • Karachi police warn citizens against aerial firing amid Pak-India Asia Cup clash
    Dawn - 15:41 Sep 14, 2025
    As excitement builds for Sunday’s highly anticipated Pakistan-India Asia Cup cricket match, law enforcement authorities in Karachi have issued a strong warning against celebratory aerial firing, citing concerns over public safety and law and order. Karachi Additional Inspector General of Police (AIG) Javed Alam Odho has directed all senior police officers across the city to implement strict measures to prevent such incidents. In a statement released by his office today, the AIG emphasised that aerial firing will not be tolerated under any circumstances. “Those found involved in this illegal act will be arrested immediately, face legal proceedings, and be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” the police official added. The Karachi police have appealed to citizens to celebrate responsibly and avoid any form of celebratory gunfire. Authorities warned that aerial firing is not only a criminal offence under the law but can also lead to tragic loss of life and injury. Citizens have been urged to report any ins...
    Tags: Karachi
  • Pakistan, China will continue to expand collaboration in defence production, aviation: President Zardari
    Dawn - 14:12 Sep 14, 2025
    President Asif Ali Zardari attends a meeting in China on September 14. — X/@PresofPakistanPresident Asif Ali Zardari reaffirmed on Sunday that Pakistan and China would continue to expand collaboration in defence production and aviation, further deepening their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, according to a statement issued by the President’s Secretariat. Zardari, who is on a 10-day trip to China, asserted this during a visit to the the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) — the country’s aerospace and defence conglomerate engaged in the design and production of a wide range of military and civilian aircraft, including J-10C fighter jets that Pakistan employed during an escalation with India in May. The use of these aircraft is said to have played a crucial role in shooting down India’s fighter jets, including Rafales, during the four-day escalation that ended with a ceasefire on May 10. The statement by the President’s Secretariat today said: “On the 128th day since the ceasefire with India, President Asif Ali Zardari, constitutionally the supreme commander of the armed for...
  • Calls for boycott in India ahead of Asia Cup match with Pakistan
    Dawn - 13:56 Sep 14, 2025
    Some Indian politicians and former cricketers have called on their country to boycott its matches with Pakistan in the ongoing Asia Cup tournament, as the two arch-rival teams are set to face each other in Dubai today. An India-Pakistan cricket match is always a blockbuster. Still, emotions will run even higher in today’s Asia Cup clash between the nuclear-armed neighbours, who fought a four-day military conflict in May. The countries have been at odds in various matters since then, including claims of downing jets, ceasefire requests, geopolitical narratives and of course, cricket. Several former Indian players and politicians have urged the BCCI to boycott what will be the first meeting between the teams since the recent hostilities. New Delhi only cleared the match in a recently announced sports policy, saying the Indian national team can play Pakistan in multi-national events but not in bilateral competitions. Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, head of the Shiv Sena-UBT party, has announc...
  • Chinese officials hold talks in Spain on trade irritants, TikTok deadline
    Dawn - 13:42 Sep 14, 2025
    US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent arrives to meet Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, to continue discussions on trade, economic and national security issues, in Madrid, Spain on September 14. — ReutersUnited States and Chinese officials began talks in Madrid on Sunday on their strained trade ties, a looming divestiture deadline for Chinese short video app TikTok and Washington’s demands that its allies place tariffs on China over its purchases of Russian oil. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer arrived shortly before Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and China’s top trade negotiator, Li Chenggang, at the baroque Palacio de Santa Cruz, which houses Spain’s foreign ministry in the Spanish capital. The talks mark the fourth time in four months that the delegations have met in European cities to try to keep a fractured US-China trade relationship from collapsing under US President Donald Trump’s tariffs. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent arrives to meet Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, to continue discussions on trade, economic and national security issues, in Madrid, Spain on September 14. — Reuters The delegations last met in Stockholm in July, where the...
  • Former world boxing champion Ricky Hatton dies at age 46
    Dawn - 13:36 Sep 14, 2025
    British boxer Ricky Hatton has died at the age of 46, the BBC reported on Sunday. Former world champion Hatton won titles at light-welterweight and welterweight, before retiring in 2012. He had been due to make a comeback for an event in Dubai later this year. Greater Manchester Police said in a statement that a body had been found on Sunday morning at an address in Hyde in the northern English city. A police spokesman said: “Officers were called by a member of the public to attend Bowlacre Road, Hyde, Tameside, at 6:45am (0545 GMT) today (Sunday) where they found the body of a 46-year-old man. There are not currently believed to be any suspicious circumstances.” Hatton had 45 wins in 48 bouts over his career but in the years after he retired he said he had tried to kill himself several times and had been open about his struggle with depression, drink and drugs. “I was coming off the rails with my drinking and that led to drugs. It was like a runaway train,” he told BBC radio in 2016. Hatton’s best performanc...
  • FM Dar discusses regional, international developments in phone call with Marco Rubio
    Dawn - 12:12 Sep 14, 2025
    Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call on Saturday night, the Foreign Office (FO) said, adding that the two leaders reaffirmed the commitment to strengthen bilateral ties and discussed regional and international developments. “Deputy Prime Minister/ Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar received a call tonight from the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio. “The two leaders expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of Pakistan-US ties and discussed recent regional and international developments. They reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations across multifaceted areas of cooperation,” the FO said. The phone call between Dar and Rubio has taken place against the backdrop of improving Pakistan-US ties and amid significant developments in the Middle East. Last month, it was noted in an analysis published by Dawn that the “positive signals” between Islamabad and Washington, “which began emanating soon after President Donal...
  • Commerce minister reaches Iran on three-day visit to boost economic ties
    Dawn - 11:58 Sep 14, 2025
    Federal Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan reached Tehran on Sunday for a three-day official visit to boost economic relations between Pakistan and Iran, according to a press release from the commerce ministry. Pakistan and Iran share close ties and have signed multiple agreements across sectors such as energy and trade. According to the press release, Khan is expected to lead the Pakistan-Iran Joint Economic Commission and Business Forum during his visit. “He was received at Imam Khomeini International Airport by Mr Amin Tarfa’a, adviser to Iran’s Ministry of Roads and Urban Development,” the press release read. “During the visit, [Khan] will lead the 22nd Session of the Pakistan–Iran Joint Economic Commission and co-chair the Pakistan–Iran Joint Business Forum. He is also scheduled to hold meetings with key Iranian ministers and senior officials to strengthen bilateral trade and investment cooperation.” Khan’s visit aims to give fresh momentum to economic and commercial ties between the two nations through th...
    Tags: Iran
  • Veteran sports journalist Syed Muhammad Sufi passes away at 80 in Karachi
    Dawn - 11:44 Sep 14, 2025
    Veteran sports journalist Syed Muhammad Sufi has passed away in Karachi on Sunday. He was 80 and died after a prolonged illness. Sufi is survived by his wife and four sons. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), among others, expressed grief and sorrow over Sufi’s death in a condolence message. “The PCB management, along with its staff, extends heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family and prays that the Almighty grants the departed soul eternal peace and gives strength to the family and loved ones to bear this irreparable loss.” Separately, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi also paid a tribute to the late journalist, describing his passing as the end of a golden era in sports journalism. Naqvi lauded Sufi’s lifelong dedication to promoting sports, particularly cricket, and said that his journalistic legacy would be cherished and remembered. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah also expressed grief over Sufi’s death in a statement. Former cricketer Shahid Afridi also condoled his death, remembering him as a “man of fin...
  • New Nepal PM vows to follow protesters’ demands to ‘end corruption’
    Dawn - 11:21 Sep 14, 2025
    Relatives of Subhlal Balami, 28, who died in last week’s anti-corruption protests, mourn during his cremation at the premises of Pashupatinath temple along the bank of the Bagmati River in Kathmandu, Nepal on September 14. — ReutersNepal’s new leader vowed Sunday to follow protesters’ demands to “end corruption” as she began work as interim prime minister, after “Gen Z” youth demonstrations ousted her predecessor. Sushila Karki, the 73-year-old former chief justice, has been tasked with restoring order and addressing protesters’ demands for a corruption-free future ahead of elections in six months. Protests, sparked by a ban on social media and feeding into long-standing economic woes, began on Monday and quickly escalated, with parliament and key government buildings set ablaze. “We have to work according to the thinking of the Gen Z generation,” Karki said in her first public comments since taking office on Friday. A fifth of people in Nepal aged 15-24 are unemployed, according to the World Bank, with GDP per capita standing at just $1,447, in the Himalayan nation of 30 million people. “What this group is demanding is the end of corruption, good governance and economic equality,” she added. ‘From the streets’ Karki held a minute’s sil...
  • UK police charge man with criminal damage to Jewish worship places
    Dawn - 11:18 Sep 14, 2025
    British police charged a 37-year-old man with religiously-motivated criminal damage after several attacks on synagogues and Jewish premises in north-west London. Seven Jewish premises have been targeted in separate incidents over the last ten days, police said, including four synagogues being smeared with a substance, while a liquid was thrown towards a school and over a car. The substance and the liquid were bodily fluids, Sky News reported. Police called the acts “revolting and appalling”. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians in Gaza in retaliation for the kidnappings of 251 Israeli citizens by Hamas. According to a February statement from the Community Security Trust (CST) charity, which advises Britain’s estimated 280,000 Jews on security matters, “more than 3,500 antisemitic incidents” were recorded in the country since Tel Aviv launched its onslaught on Gaza. Police said they charged Ionut-Cristian Bold of no fixed address with six counts of racially or religiously aggr...
    Tags: Jewish
  • HRCP condemns decision by elders to ‘expel’ transgender persons from KP’s Swabi district
    Dawn - 09:18 Sep 14, 2025
    The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) issued a condemnation on Sunday after it was reported that an 11-member committee of elders had declared that all transgender persons would be expelled from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swabi district. “The HRCP strongly condemns the reported decision by community elders in Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to form a committee aimed at expelling transgender persons from the district. Such actions are unconstitutional, discriminatory and amount to incitement to violence against an already marginalised community,” the HRCP said in a statement on X. It added that “no citizen can be deprived of the right to reside, work or earn a livelihood anywhere in Pakistan on the basis of gender identity”. The human rights body called on the provincial and district authorities to “immediately ensure the safety and dignity of transgender persons in Swabi and uphold their fundamental rights under the Constitution and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018”. The committee of elder...
  • Supporters of slain US influencer Charlie Kirk shut down critics
    Dawn - 07:50 Sep 14, 2025
    For some Americans on the far right, Charlie Kirk died a “martyr”, and any criticism of the hugely popular conservative activist must be punished. Online vitriol and grassroots persecution have exploded in the wake of the assassination of the 31-year-old who had been an electrifying presence on the US right, with the killing further deepening fraught political divisions in the country. Laura Sosh-Lightsy, assistant dean of students at a university in the southern state of Tennessee, found herself in hot water after posting on social media about Kirk’s death. “Hate begets hate. ZERO sympathy,” she said on Facebook after the killing, which happened Wednesday in front of a large crowd at a university in Utah. Republican US Senator Marsha Blackburn quickly called out the comment — and Sosh-Lightsy. “This person should be ashamed of her post. She should be removed from her position,” the Tennessee lawmaker said. Middle Tennessee State University’s president announced that same night an employee’s firing for a “cal...
  • Elders form body to ‘expel’ transgenders from Swabi
    Dawn - 07:08 Sep 14, 2025
    SWABI: Elders formed an 11-member committee here on Saturday, declaring all transgender persons will be expelled from Swabi district. The development came after a Wednesday incident when the transgender people and participants of a music programme used “abusive language” against the police over the latter’s bid to stop the event. The police later launched a crackdown, leading to the arrest of 226 people, including two transgender persons. The 11-member committee comprises tehsil president of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl Maulana Abdul Samad Haqqani, religious leader Maulana Abdul Hadi, Gul Nabi Khan, president of Islahi Jirga Maneri Payyan, Bakhtiar Khan, general secretary, Bashir Khan, president, Islahi Jirga Maneri Bala, Gul Rehman, general secretary, Yasir Khan, president of Anjuman-i-Dokandaran, Swabi city, Irsalan Khan, senior vice-president, Zamin Shah Bhutto president of traders Link Road Swabi and two transgender. Maulana Haqqani said: “We don’t want our youth to get involved in wrong activities and wish ...
  • Salman Agha’s fearless aura signals new dawn for Pakistan cricket
    Dawn - 06:51 Sep 14, 2025
    KARACHI: Salman Ali Agha didn’t flinch. He knew exactly what to say. “There’s no such message to the players,” he responded when asked at the Asia Cup captains’ press conference if he had instructed his men to keep their cool against India on Sunday — their first meeting since the brief armed conflict between the two countries in May. “My players are more than welcome to show aggression whenever they want,” Salman went on. “As far as it remains within the field.” It was a breath of fresh air for Pakistan cricket fans — both casuals and diehards. Honesty, assertiveness and an unapologetic tone have defined Salman’s early days as Pakistan’s Twenty20 International captain. His arrival has coincided with Mike Hesson’s appointment as white-ball head coach, and together they’ve tried to instil a structure long missing from Pakistan cricket. “Salman’s appointment as Pakistan’s captain has raised expectations,” Ali Zaki, a 22-year-old fan, told Dawn on Saturday. “Although our team is inexperienced, the intent from th...
    Tags: Pakistan
  • Rising floodwaters in Thatta riverine area force villagers to evacuate
    Dawn - 05:08 Sep 14, 2025
    THATTA/LARKANA: Rising pressure of floodwaters on the Baghar Ochto protective dyke of Indus River has triggered fresh fears of flooding in Mangli area near Ghorabari as Chhachh Lake in the riverine area has already overflowed and submerged several villages. Entire settlements of Ramzan Mallah, Usman Khaskheli, Urs Mallah, Allah Dino Mallah, Haroon Mallah, Ghulam Mallah, Haji Shahdad Khaskheli, Haroon Khaskheli, and Suleman Mallah have been encircled by water, cutting off their road access to nearby towns. The villagers are now using boats to receive food and other essentials. As the lake swells with Indus waters, reverse flow has begun, inundating vast tracts of the riverine belt. The Ghar Marhu canal, which irrigated hundreds of thousands of acres through Udero Lal Barrage on the river, was blocked near the GBU dyke last week in a desperate attempt to preempt damage from the rising floodwaters. But preparedness on ground remained questionable. Near Isa Khaskheli village, the irrigation department has set up ...
    Tags: Rising
  • Shabbar Zaidi warns crypto could serve as hawala alternative
    Dawn - 04:55 Sep 14, 2025
    KARACHI: Pakistan cannot regulate cryptocurrencies within its current financial system, as the State Bank tightly manages foreign exchange, but virtual assets may still serve as an alternative to hawala, said former Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman and economist Shabbar Zaidi. Speaking at a session on Adopting Digital Currency and Cryptocurrency in Pakistan: Possibilities and Concerns, organised by the Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA) on Saturday, Mr Zaidi outlined the risks and opportunities surrounding digital currencies. He said a law enabling cryptocurrency regulation has been passed and is under discussion in parliament. However, he stressed that digital or virtual currencies, by design, are difficult to regulate. “Cryptocurrencies flourish because they leave no trail. A currency born unregulated cannot be regulated,” he argued. While the US market has seen widespread adoption, he noted, the difference lies in the freer foreign exchange regime. In Pakistan, commercial banks canno...
  • Changing habits reshape food delivery baskets
    Dawn - 04:53 Sep 14, 2025
    KARACHI: Inflation and changing consumption patterns are reshaping online food and grocery orders in Pakistan, according to foodpanda Pakistan CEO Muntaqa Peracha. “During Covid-19 we expanded rapidly, launching four verticals in 18 months instead of one in two years,” he recalled. “Impulse purchases defined that period — snacks, cigarettes, small-ticket items.” Average order sizes have since increased. Grocery baskets have risen from Rs800-900 during the pandemic to Rs2,000-2,200, while food deliveries average Rs1,200. The blended average per order now stands at Rs1,400-1,500. “The pandemic was about habit creation. Now we’re working to shift customers from impulse buys to weekly grocery missions,” Mr Peracha said, adding that monthly shopping is still largely done offline. Online orders move from impulse to grocery top-ups Food delivery continues to generate about 70pc of the platform’s topline, with groceries contributing the remainder. The company is active in 35 cities for food deliveries and 12 for groc...
  • Fed­e­ral Constabulary HQs to be shifted to capital; CDA asked to allocate land
    Dawn - 04:38 Sep 14, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: The government has decided in principle to relocate the headquarters of the Fed­e­ral Constabulary from Pe­­shawar to Islamabad, ap­­proximately two months after the civilian paramilitary force was officially renamed from the Fron­tier Constabulary. Federal Interior Minis­ter Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday instructed officials to identify suitable land for the new headquarters and sought a master plan for the facilities, according to a statement released after a meeting at the Capital Development Authority. He emphasised that while identifying the land, the requirements for both headquarters and training facilities should be given special consideration. The meeting was also attended by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, the federal secretary of interior, the chairman of the CDA and senior police and constabulary officials. “The Federal Constabu­lary will be developed on modern foundations with the aim of transforming it into a well-structured and highly effective force,” Mr Naqvi said. The mo...
  • Islamabad court moves to declare Malik Riaz, his son as absconders
    Dawn - 04:15 Sep 14, 2025
    ISLAMABAD. Addit­ional District and Sessions Judge Nasruminallah Bal­och has ordered the initiation of proclamation proceedings against Bahria Town founder Malik Riaz and his son Ali Riaz Malik in two cases pertaining to alleged money laundering of the housing giant’s funds abroad. During Saturday’s hearing, the court adjourned further proceedings aga­inst the real estate tycoon and his son until September 30, while moving to formally declare them as absconder in the cases. Last week, the same court distributed copies of the challan among three other accused, including retired Colonel Khalilur Rehman, personal staff officer of Malik Riaz, along with Mushtaq and Imran. According to court proceedings, Mr Rehman received the challan in person. Mushtaq appeared physically, while Imran’s attendance was marked via video link. Both Mushtaq and Imran are expected to appear in person at the next hearing. The FIA’s money laundering wing registered the case, alleging that the accused illegally transferred large sums abr...
  • Supreme Court scales down CJP Afridi’s security to cut expenditure
    Dawn - 04:13 Sep 14, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has scaled down the security detail of Chief Justice Yahya Afridi from eight official vehicles to two, freeing a significant number of personnel for regular policing duties. The move, announced on Friday, is part of efforts to ensure prudent use of public resources and to rationalise security arrangements in line with official entitlements. The security regime for serving judges has also been regulated suitably, making it rational and aligned with the entitlements under the rules. In the same spirit, security for retired judges has also been regulated in accordance with applicable rules, established security protocols and entitlements, including the relevant presidential order that provides lifetime security to retired judges, considering the sensitive nature of their past office and continuing security concerns. In order to operationalise these security protocols, without conferring any extraordinary benefit, added concession or privilege, a circular has been issued to scale down...

5493 items