Dawn
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Dawn - 02:01 Dec 21, 2025
HYDERABAD: Political conditions and governance in the country was the topic of a session held on Saturday -- the second day of the 11th edition of Ayaz Melo, at the Sindh Museum. Journalist Wusatullah Khan moderated the session titled Saang siyasat ja (Deceptive moves of politics). “Our country is run like a laboratory,” he remarked, observing that powerful elites have captured it. “We will see progress [of the country] only when we are able to rid the country of these people,” he believed. In the past, ‘One Unit’ was introduced by doing away with provinces’ status. It was claimed that this would offer a solution to all ills. Now, once again, there is talk of new provinces, he wondered. Munizae Jahangir pointed out that no dictator could be a ‘progressive’ individual; people have fought a long flight here for democratic values. She said that her mother, Asma Jahangir, led this fight as well. Unfortunately, politicians, as well as the judiciary and other institutions, did not deliver to the masses despite this... -
Dawn - 01:38 Dec 21, 2025
Tariq 180 (left) and Saqib Sanki during a race on the Super Highway in 2024 | Screengrab It’s a situation most drivers on Karachi’s major thoroughfares have experienced, especially on weekend nights and public holidays: a ghost motorcycle closing in at breakneck speed. At first, it is little more than a blur in the rear-view mirror. Then, as it bears down, the driver finally registers the young man lying flat along the length of the motorcycle, his eyes peering forward just above the handlebar. The speedometer is missing. The rider’s arms are tucked tight to the side — either holding the handle or, in some cases, clutching the suspension on the sides and using shoulders to steer the handlebar. His legs lie flat or are scissored tightly at the ankle, his body locked in an aerodynamic pose. Most drivers know what to do when faced with such a motorcycle: hold your line without moving in either direction. Do not brake suddenly. Do not swerve. Almost without fail, the rider veers away at the very last second, zigz... -
Dawn - 01:38 Dec 21, 2025
Zunaira with Unicef's Deputy Executive Director Kitty van der Heijden at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November 2024 Zunaira Qayyum, who will turn 15 in July next year, is currently reading Crime and Punishment, arguably the most well-known work of Russian master Fyodor Dostoyevsky. A voracious reader, the ninth-grade student races and, at times, slogs through the daunting tome, balancing it with her studies and extracurricular activities. “I should be able to finish the book in the next few days,” she tells Eos in a phone interview. Finishing Dostoyesky’s psychological masterpiece is just a stepping stone for the young woman from Balochistan’s impoverished Hub district. Zunaira aspires to become the secretary-general of the United Nations (UN). “There is yet to be a female secretary-general of the UN and I want to change that,” she says with confidence. PUTTING IN THE HARD HOURS Zunaira has already racked up a string of achievements that belie her age. Her research on the impacts of climate change-induced fl... -
Dawn - 19:21 Dec 20, 2025
The sons of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, Kasim and Sulaiman, have stated that their father is being kept in isolation in jail, stating that these were “clear torture tactics”. The two made the remarks in an interview with British journalist Mehdi Hasan, a four-minute preview of which is available to the public on Zeteo’s website. The full interview is behind a pay wall. As court-ordered prison visits stay blocked, Imran’s family and party have expressed concerns about the conditions in which he is being kept inside the prison. A United Nations’ special rapporteur has also warned that Imran is being held in conditions that could amount to inhuman or degrading treatment. In the interview with Hasan, Kasim and Sulaiman, were asked about the government’s claims of treating Imran like a “prince” during his incarceration. “Couldn’t be less true,” replied Kasim. He said that Imran was being held in a cell that was six by eight, “barely enough to stand”. “The conditions are awful. He is washing himself in bro... -
Dawn - 18:07 Dec 20, 2025
KARACHI: Reckless and negligent driving claimed the lives of three people in as many fatal accidents on Saturday, according to police and rescue services officials. According to a statement from the Karachi Traffic Police, a trailer driver was involved in “negligent and careless driving” when he hit a motorcycle on Mauripur Road, injuring its two passengers. An Edhi Foundation spokesperson said they were taken to Civil Hospital Karachi, where one of them died. South Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that, according to the initial probe, the fatal accident was caused by over-speeding, which led the motorcycle to slip and the trailer’s rear wheels to crush the teenage rider. He said the driver was arrested and the trailer seized by Mauripur police. In another incident, a motorcyclist was killed when a trailer hit him on the main Super Highway near the Toll Plaza, according to a statement from an Edhi Foundation spokesperson. Gadap City Station House Officer Sarfraz Jatoi confirme... -
Dawn - 17:29 Dec 20, 2025
Russia is trying to sever Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday, following days of ramped-up airstrikes on ports and energy facilities in the Odesa region and a critical route to the Moldova border. Russia has unleashed an almost continuous drone and missile campaign against a region where ports key to Ukraine’s foreign trade and fuel supplies operate, after Moscow threatened to cut “Ukraine off from the sea”. Strikes have escalated even as the United States pursues an uphill diplomatic drive to coax a deal to end the war. Ukraine held talks with the US team on Friday, and American negotiators were set to meet Russian officials in Florida today. “The situation in the Odesa region is harsh due to Russian strikes on port infrastructure and logistics. Russia is once again trying to restrict Ukraine’s access to the sea and block our coastal regions,” Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv. Russia’s aim is “to sow chaos, to exert moral pressure during winter … so that there is n... -
Dawn - 17:04 Dec 20, 2025
ISLAMABAD: A special court on Saturday sentenced PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years imprisonment in the Toshakhana-2 case. The case pertains to the purchase of an expensive Bulgari jewellery set, gifted to Imran by the Saudi crown prince during an official visit in May 2021, at a throwaway price. During the proceedings, the prosecution contended that the PTI founder retained the jewellery set, valued at approximately Rs80 million, after paying only Rs2.9m. The verdict was delivered by Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand during a hearing held at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, where Imran is incarcerated. Imran was sentenced to a total of 17 years in prison; he was awarded 10-year rigorous imprisonment under sections 34 (common intention) and 409 (criminal breach of trust) of the Pakistan Penal Code, and seven years under Section 5(2) (criminal misconduct by public servants) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Bushra Bibi was also sentenced to a total of 17 years’ imprisonment under the... -
Dawn - 17:02 Dec 20, 2025
LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday sentenced PTI leaders Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudry, Omar Sarfraz Cheema and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed to 10 years in prison terms in two more May 9 cases. The latest court verdict comes a day after a Lahore ATC acquitted PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi, while sentencing four other leaders, including Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Omer Sarfraz Cheema, Mian Mehmoodur Rashid, and Ejaz Chaudhry, to 10 years in prison in another case related to the May 9 riots. Rana Mudassar, the counsel for the PTI leaders, confirmed the development to Dawn, saying the cases are related to the burning of police vehicles in Lahore’s Gulberg and the burning of a container near Kalma Chowk during the nationwide riots on May 9, 2023 following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan. On that day, supporters and workers of the party, reacting to founder Imran Khan’s arrest, vandalised and torched military installations and government properties. The state subsequently launched a crackdown against Imran... -
Dawn - 15:45 Dec 20, 2025
PESHAWAR: After weeks of protracted deliberations with security and administration officials, tribal elders from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s restive Tirah valley finally agreed to start vacating their homes from January 10, ahead of an operation against militants, after reaching a written agreement with the district administration. The deadlock had persisted between the valley’s tribal elders and government officials over the launch of a military operation in the valley as well as the relocation of families to prevent collateral damage. Sources among the 24-member jirga, who negotiated the written agreement on the displacement process with the district administration, said that the entire Tirah valley would be vacated by January 25, 2026, thus paving the way for the long-anticipated military operation against all proscribed militant groups currently holed up in the valley. Spelling out the terms and conditions of the written agreement, the jirga said that the district administration agreed to pay Rs3 million to thos... -
Dawn - 15:32 Dec 20, 2025
Jeffery Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking of underage girls. He held close associations with several influential people, including business tycoons and celebrities. The US Department of Justice on Friday released a new cache of documents from its investigations into the late convicted sex offender. The Epstein files have been a significant political problem for President Donald Trump, with many of his supporters and Republicans in Congress demanding their release. It remains to be seen if this partial release will satisfy Trump’s critics on the issue. Former US President Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson and Diana Ross are seen in this image released by the Department of Justice in Washington, DC, US, on December 19, 2025 as part of a new trove of documents from its investigations into the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. —Reuters Sarah Ferguson, at the time Britain’s Duchess of York, is seen in this image releas... -
Dawn - 15:01 Dec 20, 2025
QUETTA: Baloch rights activist Abdul Qadeer Baloch passed away on Saturday in a Quetta hospital after a prolonged illness. He served as the vice chairman of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), which set up a camp years ago on Quetta’s Adalat Road, a site that has long stood as a symbol of protest against enforced disappearances in Balochistan. VBMP Chairman Nasrullah Baloch confirmed the rights activist’s passing to Dawn, saying: “He had been ill for a long time and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Quetta for the past two months.” The group’s chairman added that the funeral prayers and burial would be performed on Sunday in Shaheed Sikanderabad district. Baloch said the deceased’s struggle had remained prominent in human rights circles across the country. In November 2011, Qadeer received the mutilated body of his son, Jalil Reiki, who was the information secretary of the Baloch Republican Party. The kidnapping and subsequent death of his son further galvanised the advocacy group, st... -
Dawn - 14:19 Dec 20, 2025
The United States Justice Department released thousands of heavily redacted documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Friday that made scant reference to President Donald Trump but extensively featured Democratic former president Bill Clinton. The absence of references to Trump was notable given that pictures and documents related to him have trickled out of previous Epstein releases for years. Trump’s name appeared in flight manifests listing passengers on Epstein’s private plane that were part of a first batch of Epstein material the Justice Department released in February, for instance. The partial release was intended to comply with a law overwhelmingly passed by Congress in November that mandated the disclosure of all Epstein files, despite the Republican president’s months-long effort to keep them sealed. The scandal surrounding Epstein has become a self-inflicted political wound for Trump, who for years had promoted conspiracy theories about Epstein to his su... -
Dawn - 13:41 Dec 20, 2025
The United States (US) is facing a delicate balancing act in defining the mandate for a proposed International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in Gaza. Any plan must address the concerns of potential troop-contributing countries while also satisfying Israel’s security demands — a combination that has so far proven elusive. As diplomats gathered this week in Doha and Miami, it became clear that clarity on legal authority, rules of engagement, and operational responsibilities is a prerequisite for any country, particularly Muslim-majority nations, to commit troops. Until these questions are resolved, phase two of the Gaza peace plan risks remaining largely a blueprint on paper rather than an actionable plan. Consultations in Doha and Miami Earlier this week, the United States and its partners convened a conference in Doha, Qatar, bringing together representatives from more than two dozen countries to discuss key aspects of the ISF, including leadership, rules of engagement, and operational structure. The meeting, how... -
Dawn - 13:39 Dec 20, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Mahmood Khan Achakzai, head of the Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) and chairman of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, lamented on Saturday that the Constitution and the law “have been torn to shreds” in the country and asked that the sovereignty of Parliament be acknowledged. He expressed these views in the inaugural address at the two-day national conference titled “Protection of the Consensus Constitution: The Need of the Hour and a Way Forward through Collective Wisdom”, organised by TTAP - an alliance of opposition parties. The opposition alliance had announced the national conference after Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry assailed Imran Khan for creating and spreading an “anti-army” rhetoric, stating that such narratives were now out of the realm of politics and had become a “national security threat”. “The current situation in the country is such that the Constitution and the law have been torn to shreds, and raising one’s voice agai... -
Dawn - 11:23 Dec 20, 2025
Tens of thousands of Bangladeshi mourners, including the country’s interim government leader, attended the funeral on Saturday of a slain youth leader and election candidate amid tight security. Sharif Osman Hadi, 32, a key figure in last year’s student-led uprising that toppled longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was shot in the head by masked assailants in Dhaka last week while launching his campaign for an election due in February. He died on Thursday in Singapore after six days on life support. His death has prompted a wave of unrest in the South Asian nation that included coordinated mob attacks on major newspapers and cultural institutions. Police and paramilitary forces were deployed across the capital for Saturday’s funeral, but there were no reports of any renewed violence. A convoy carrying the body of Sharif Osman Hadi, a student leader, who died after being shot in the head, moves along the crowd after the funeral prayer, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, December 20. — Reuters Interim government leader Mu... -
Dawn - 09:58 Dec 20, 2025
The Ministry of Finance said on Saturday that the federal government released provincial shares under the National Finance Commission (NFC) on a fortnightly basis, adding that “no outstanding liabilities exist in this regard”. The statement from the ministry came a day after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi accused the federal government of stalling development in the merged tribal districts by not disbursing funds under the NFC resource-distribution formula for the current fiscal year. In the statement released on Saturday, the ministry reaffirmed the federal government’s “continued commitment to ensuring timely, transparent, and sustained financial transfers” to KP under the NFC Award and beyond. It said that under the 7th NFC Award, KP’s share was determined at 14.62 per cent of the provincial share in the divisible pool. “In recognition of the extraordinary burden borne by the province during the war on terror, an additional one per cent of the undivided divisible pool was allocated exclusi... -
Dawn - 09:22 Dec 20, 2025
A passenger train smashed into a herd of elephants in India’s northeast, killing seven animals on the spot, officials said Saturday. No travellers were injured in the accident in Assam state, home to more than 4,000 of the roughly 22,000 wild elephants in India. Senior Assam police official V.V. Rakesh Reddy told AFP that seven jumbos were killed, and one elephant sustained an injury. Five coaches of the train, which was headed to New Delhi from remote Mizoram state, were derailed. Authorities have introduced speed restrictions along routes designated elephant corridors, but the latest accident occurred outside of these zones, Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, an Indian Railways spokesman said. “The loco pilot, on observing the herd of elephants, applied emergency brakes. However, elephants dashed with the train,” he said. Deforestation and construction activity near their habitats force elephants to stray further afield for food, often bringing them into conflict with humans. According to parliamentary figures, 629 p... -
Dawn - 08:31 Dec 20, 2025
Pat Cummins skittled England’s top order and Nathan Lyon spun out their soft underbelly to all but seal another Ashes series victory for Australia on day four of the third Test at Adelaide Oval on Saturday. Chasing a world record 435 runs to win, England were reduced to 207 for six at stumps, still 228 runs short of victory and having played no small part in their predicament through batting misadventure. Jamie Smith, on two, and Will Jacks, on 11, were left to try to salvage something from the wreckage of another demolition day for the tourists. With holders Australia 2-0 up in the five-test series after eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane, they need only draw the match to retain the urn. View this post on Instagram But there is little prospect of a rousing comeback win from an England squad that have failed to live up to expectations. “Obviously very disappointing. Uphill battle from here,” England opener Zak Crawley told reporters. “We came here to win the Ashes and we’re staring down the barrel now ….... -
Dawn - 07:53 Dec 20, 2025
The World Bank has approved $700 million in financing for Pakistan under a multi-year initiative aimed at supporting the country’s macroeconomic stability and service delivery, it emerged on Saturday. The lender said the funds will be released under the bank’s Public Resources for Inclusive Development — Multiphase Programmatic Approach (PRID-MPA), which could provide up to $1.35 billion in total financing. Of this amount, $600m will go for federal programmes and $100m will support a provincial programme in Sindh. The approval follows a $47.9m World Bank grant in August to improve primary education in Punjab. A separate statement issued by the lender quoted Bolormaa Amgaabazar, the World Bank’s country director for Pakistan, as saying, “Pakistan’s path to inclusive, sustainable growth requires mobilising more domestic resources and ensuring they are used efficiently and transparently to deliver results for people.” She said that through the MPA, the bank was working with the federal and Sindh governments to “... -
Dawn - 06:34 Dec 20, 2025
Alphabet’s Google has advised some employees on US visas to avoid international travel due to delays at embassies, Business Insider reported on Friday, citing an internal email. The email, sent by the company’s outside counsel BAL Immigration Law on Thursday, warned staff who need a visa stamp to re-enter the United States not to leave the country because visa processing times have lengthened, the report said. Google did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Some US embassies and consulates face visa appointment delays of up to 12 months, the memo said, warning that international travel will “risk an extended stay outside the US”, according to the report. The administration of US President Donald Trump this month announced increased vetting of applicants for H-1B visas for highly skilled workers, including screening social media accounts. The H-1B visa programme, widely used by the US technology sector to hire skilled workers from India and China, has been under the spotlight after the Tru...
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