Dawn
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Dawn - 16:18 Sep 10, 2025
Shanghai Electric Power Company has decided to terminate its offer to acquire up to 66.4 per cent of K-Electric Ltd due to changes in Pakistan’s business environment, it emerged on Wednesday. KE is the only electricity generator, transmitter, and distributor for Karachi and its adjoining areas, and the only listed electricity supplier. It was privatised in 2005. Shanghai Electric Power had agreed to buy a controlling shareholding in KE from Abraaj Group back in 2016 for a sum of $1.77 billion. The transaction never materialised because the seller failed to obtain the required approvals from different authorities and liquidity constraints as a consequence of mounting circular debt in the country’s power sector. In June 2023, Shanghai Electric reiterated its commitment to the deal. In a statement issued a day ago, the Chinese company said: “On September 9, 2025, the company convened the fifth meeting of the ninth board of directors and reviewed and approved the proposal to terminate and write off the equity acq... -
Dawn - 15:57 Sep 10, 2025
Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik on Wednesday announced that the federal cabinet has approved the resumption of new gas connections across the country, ending the ban imposed in 2021. Briefing the media on cabinet decisions along with Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, he said the government had responded to strong public demand by lifting the restriction on new connections. He said the cabinet took several key decisions, including restoring new domestic gas connections, particularly in newly developed housing areas where residents had been forced to rely on LPG cylinders and alternative fuels. The minister assured that both Sui companies had already completed procurement processes for meters and pipelines, and would immediately begin processing pending applications once the official notification is issued. Existing applicants would also be given the option to convert their requests to RLNG-based connections by paying the prescribed security fee to the Oil and Gas Regulatory ... -
Dawn - 15:49 Sep 10, 2025
Soldiers guarded Nepal’s parliament and patrolled deserted streets on Wednesday amid a curfew in the capital Kathmandu, after two days of deadly anti-corruption protests forced Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign. The upheaval in the Himalayan nation was unleashed by a social media ban that was announced last week, but was rolled back after 19 people were killed on Monday as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to control crowds. The death toll from the protests had risen to 25 by Wednesday, Nepal’s health ministry said, while 633 were injured. Burnt-out vehicles and twisted metal littered the area around parliament, where army firefighters battled to douse a blaze in the main hall, while the building’s exterior was charred after protesters set it ablaze on Tuesday. TV footage showed youths cleaning up some damaged buildings and clearing debris from roads and the areas near parliament. “I have been informed by the (parliament) security chief that the fire has destroyed the entire infrastructure. Nothin... -
Dawn - 14:32 Sep 10, 2025
Poland said on Wednesday it had scrambled aircraft alongside allies to shoot down “hostile objects” violating its airspace during a Russian attack on neighbouring Ukraine, a first for a NATO country during the war. “Aircraft have used weapons against hostile objects,” Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on social media, adding: “We are in constant contact with NATO command.” The incursion came as Russia unleashed a barrage of strikes across Ukraine, including in the western city of Lviv, around 50 miles (80 kilometres) from the Polish border. Russian drones and missiles have entered the airspace of NATO members — including Poland — several times during Russia’s three-and-a-half-year war, but a NATO country has never attempted to shoot them down. A cornerstone of the Western military alliance is the principle that an attack on any member is deemed an attack on all. The operational command of Poland’s military slammed the “unprecedented” airspace violations, saying it had spotted around a dozen dron... -
Dawn - 14:21 Sep 10, 2025
Former US vice president Kamala Harris said it was “recklessness” to let Joe Biden run for a second term as president, in an excerpt released on Wednesday from her upcoming memoir. Harris — who replaced Biden as the 2024 Democratic presidential candidate but lost to Donald Trump — admitted that the then-81-year-old got “tired” and was prone to stumbles that showed his age. She also lashed out at White House staff, whom she accused of failing to support her — and sometimes actively hindering her — while she was Biden’s deputy. “‘It’s Joe and Jill’s decision.’ We all said that, like a mantra, as if we’d all been hypnotised. Was it grace, or was it recklessness? In retrospect, I think it was recklessness,” Harris said in the first extract from “107 Days”, published by The Atlantic magazine. “The stakes were simply too high. This wasn’t a choice that should have been left to an individual’s ego, an individual’s ambition. It should have been more than a personal decision.” Biden stunned the world by dropping out o... -
Dawn - 12:03 Sep 10, 2025
PTI leader Hassaan Khan Niazi, party founder Imran Khan’s nephew, on Wednesday moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) against his military custody, a court martial carried out against him and the full operation of the military court. Niazi was handed over to the military for trial in 2023 over his alleged involvement in the May 9 riots at Lahore’s Jinnah House. He was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment last December. Niazi filed a petition with the LHC today through his lawyer, Faisal Siddiqui, contending that after being arrested in the May 9 case, he was not presented in a civilian court. “The transfer of the petitioner’s custody directly to the military authorities without any judicial oversight is patently and wholly without jurisdiction,” the petition, available with Dawn.com, argued. “No application under Section 549(3) (delivery to military authorities of persons liable to be tried by court-martial) [of the] CrPC (Criminal Code of Procedure), 1898, was filed before any court, including the ATC (... -
Dawn - 11:12 Sep 10, 2025
Nepal was plunged into political uncertainty after its prime minister resigned on Tuesday following widespread anti-corruption protests, triggered by a social media ban, that killed at least 19 people. As the poor Himalayan nation once again stands at a crossroads, here is a look at what could lie ahead: What is the immediate next step? The army has asked protesters to take part in talks to reach a solution. With the protesters — most of them young people belonging to “Generation Z”, implying they were born between 1997 and 2012 — having no single leader, however, it is unclear exactly who authorities can talk to. “Gen Z should set up a negotiation team,” constitutional expert and former Supreme Court judge Balaram K.C. said, adding that the president should then hold talks with the team and others, including civil society members and the army. What does the constitution say? Under Nepal’s 2015 constitution, a successor must be appointed from the party that has a majority in parliament. If no party has a majo... -
Dawn - 10:57 Sep 10, 2025
Apple unveiled its iPhone 17 lineup on Tuesday, featuring its thinnest smartphone ever, as the tech giant works to prove it can keep pace in the generative AI race. The Silicon Valley powerhouse held its annual iPhone release event amid mounting pressures: the White House is pushing the company to reduce its dependence on Chinese manufacturing, while investors question whether Apple is truly ready for the AI age. Adding to these challenges, the company faces headwinds from United States President Donald Trump’s high tariff policies. Apple shares have dropped more than three per cent since the Republican took office in January. Against this backdrop, Apple is betting on a product that it hopes will spark a super-cycle of iPhone purchases and reverse the trend of customers holding onto their devices longer before upgrading. “The event shows Apple sidestepping the heart of the AI arms race while positioning itself as a long-term innovator on the AI hardware front, with silicon and device-level integration,” said... -
Dawn - 10:07 Sep 10, 2025
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday summoned National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman Lieutenant General (retired) Nazir Ahmed Butt in a contempt of court case on September 15. According to a copy of the petition dated June 16, available with Dawn.com, a writ petition filed in December last year sought the conclusion of an inquiry against former Punjab finance minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht. However, the anti-graft body neither responded to nor disposed of the plea, in violation of the law. “This honourable court directed … respondent number one (Lt [retired] Gen Butt) to decide the pending application expeditiously within one month and strictly in accordance with law under intimation to DR (Judicial) of this honourable court vide order dated May 6,” the petition read. “Neither the petitioner was summoned by the respondent nor [was] provided any opportunity of hearing to the petitioner. Besides that, more than one month has lapsed, and the] petitioner has become [a] rolling stone at the hands ... -
Dawn - 09:34 Sep 10, 2025
A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Wednesday reissued an arrest warrant for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in an illegal arms and liquor case after he failed to appear before the court. The case, which dates back to October 2016, accuses the PTI leader of possessing illegal arms and liquor after Islamabad police claimed they recovered five Kalashnikov rifles, a pistol, six magazines, a bulletproof vest, alcohol, and three tear gas shells from his car outside Bani Gala. Gandapur has denied the police allegations, asserting that he was travelling with two licensed Kalashnikov rifles and that the vehicle contained a valid arms licence. He further claimed that the liquor bottle in question actually contained honey. According to the court order — a copy of which is available with Dawn.com — Judicial Magistrate Mubashir Hassan Chishti directed that the KP CM be arrested and presented in the court on September 17. The judge issued the order after no representative appeared on behalf o... -
Dawn - 08:16 Sep 10, 2025
• Restrictions imposed on online discussions, forwarding messages containing opinion on political issues • Judicial officers asked to exercise caution in accepting friend requests • Curbs aim to ensure impartiality, dignity and independence of judiciary KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued guidelines for district judges, judicial officers and their staff on the use of social media in order to uphold the highest standards of judicial conduct and ethics. SHC’s Member Inspection Team (MIT-I) Haleem Ahmed issued a letter to district and sessions judges as well as judicial officers across the province, stating that Chief Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar had expressed deep concerns about continued violations of earlier standard operating procedures (SOPs), issued in 2022 by the SHC, on the subject matter. Thereafter, it said that the chief justice had issued additional SOPs/guidelines for strict compliance and stated that any violation of such instructions would be deemed misconduct and result in disciplin... -
Dawn - 07:52 Sep 10, 2025
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday his administration is continuing negotiations to address trade barriers with India and that he would talk to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a sign a deal may be imminent after weeks of diplomatic friction. Trump, in a marked shift of tone, said he looked forward to speaking to Modi in the “upcoming weeks” and expressed optimism that they could finalise a trade deal. “I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries,” he said in a post on social media. Modi reciprocated the optimism in a social media post on Wednesday, saying Washington and New Delhi “are close friends and natural partners”. He said teams from both countries are working to conclude the trade discussions at the earliest. “I am also looking forward to speaking with President Trump. We will work together to secure a brighter, more prosperous future for both our people,” Modi said. The latest comments from both the leaders drove India’s ... -
Dawn - 07:43 Sep 10, 2025
As floodwaters carve relentless paths through South Punjab, submerging villages and livelihoods, and now approaching with higher intensity through the Indus to Sindh, Pakistan stands at a crossroads. The 2025 floods — perhaps as devastating as the 2022 disaster but with even bigger dimensions, making them among the worst in recent history — have claimed over 842 lives (some sources estimate over 1,000), displaced 1.2 million people, affected more than 4m, mainly in Punjab, and threatened economic losses between $6–10 billion thus far. Yet, amid the chaos of rescue and relief, a powerful opportunity emerges to document the crisis in real time, harnessing community voices — especially women’s — to build a resilient future. By blending local insights with global best practices, Pakistan can transform this disaster into a catalyst for systemic change. A nation under water Perhaps, this is bigger than a war — those have dry spaces and pauses. But here, the battle is against water that advances like a warfront; it ... -
Dawn - 07:14 Sep 10, 2025
LAHORE: Olympic javelin throw champion Arshad Nadeem on Tuesday said that he was looking to produce his best as the star athlete gets ready for a top-level competition at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. The 28-year-old Arshad, who stunned the athletics world by throwing the javelin at an Olympic record 92.97 metres distance to achieve glory for Pakistan at the 2024 Paris Olympics, was seen preparing for the Sept 13-21 global spectacle at the Punjab Stadium in Lahore just a few hours before leaving for Tokyo via Bangkok. And the celebrated player during practice attempted throws at distances above 85 metres, showing he is in good shape for the challenge in Tokyo. “I always target to do my best in every event and I am going to Tokyo with the same mission with high hopes. And rest is on my God; He will do better,” Arshad told reporters after completing his final practice session. Answering a volley of questions about his competition against India’s Neeraj Chopra, Arshad said: “My competition is alway... -
Dawn - 07:00 Sep 10, 2025
• Hamas says its five members killed, Gaza chief survives • US distances itself from attack, though White House says it was ‘informed’ • Qatar PM warns Doha reserves right to respond • Pakistan calls for holding Israel accountable for destabilising already-volatile region • World leaders flay Tel Aviv for ‘violation of international law’ • Aid flotilla defiant after being hit by drone DOHA: Expanding its web of unlawful military actions in the region, Israel launched a surprise airstrike against Qatar — which has been instrumental in trying to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza — that claimed the lives of five people. The strike, which the US had advance information of, targeted the Hamas negotiating team, drawing widespread condemnation and sharp reactions from global leaders and states. Qatar’s prime minister warned his country reserved the right to respond to Israel’s deadly attack, calling it a “pivotal moment” for the region. “Qatar… reserves the right to respond to this blatant attack,” Prime Minister Sheikh... -
Dawn - 06:54 Sep 10, 2025
LAHORE: In what appears to be a unique criminal case, a special investigation team of the Lahore police is desperately trying to resolve the six-year-old kidnap case of a woman who is believed to be abducted by a djinn (a supernatural being). Headed by Lahore Investigation DIG Zeeshan Raza, the team was formed on the directions of the Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelam to take up the task of recovering the missing woman, Fouzia Bibi, and submit a report to the court on Sept 18. The complainant, Hameedan Bibi, the mother of the woman, had claimed that her daughter had suddenly gone missing in May 2019. She said Fouzia’s in-laws claimed that she had been ‘kidnapped/taken away’ by a djinn, leaving the police groping in the dark since the launch of the FIR. Lahore Investigation DIG Zeeshan Raza told Dawn the chief justice took ‘strict notice’ of the incident when the police high-ups informed that the woman could not be recovered despite all possible efforts. LHC summons CCPO on 18th In the last hearing ... -
Dawn - 06:34 Sep 10, 2025
GILGIT: Hundreds of Chinese nationals, foreign tourists and students remained stranded on the second day on Tuesday at Sost as protesters blocked Khunjerab Pass Immigration Office’s entry and exit points on the Pakistan-China border. Officials said a large number of Chinese nationals, students, foreign tourists couldn’t travel to China through Khunjerab Pass on the second day as the GB protesters did not allow travel at KKH between the two countries. The stranded Chinese nationals and foreign tourists protested with local police for not arranging their departure to China. Officials said a large number of Chinese nationals protested and exchanged hot words with officials. The GB people and traders have been staging a protest sit-in and blocking the Karakoram Highway for the last 51 days against collection of Sales Tax, Income Tax and Excise Tax by the federal government from the GB people. They say that collection of any tax from the GB people by the federal government is illegal as they have no representation... -
Dawn - 05:53 Sep 10, 2025
KARACHI: In a significant development for Pakistan’s organised auto sector, Yamaha Motor Pakistan Ltd (YMPL) has announced the discontinuation of its motorcycle assembly operations. The decision comes as part of a change in the company’s business strategy. According to a letter posted on the company’s website and sent to its authorised dealers, Yamaha will continue to supply spare parts through its authorised network, ensuring adequate stock to meet dealer requirements. The company also reiterated its commitment to providing warranty services and customer support under the existing warranty scheme. YMPL had been producing four models with prices ranging from Rs429,500 to Rs493,500. The Yamaha YBR125, initially launched at Rs129,400, saw its price rise to Rs471,500 due to the devaluation of the rupee and escalating production costs. In 2012, Yamaha announced plans to invest $150 million in a new assembly plant at Bin Qasim Industrial Park in Karachi. The plant was initially expected to produce 45,000 units ann... -
Dawn - 05:32 Sep 10, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s strategic ports are attracting increasing international attention, with both the United States and Kazakhstan expressing keen interest in investing and enhancing regional connectivity. Following a recent agreement to harness natural resources, a US delegation visited the Ministry of Maritime Affairs on Tuesday. Federal Secretary Syed Zafar Ali Shah briefed the delegation on Pakistan’s port facilities, operational capacities, and investment opportunities. The delegation was informed that Karachi Port handles 54pc of Pakistan’s trade, with an annual capacity of 125 million tonnes. The port’s infrastructure includes three private container terminals, bulk and liquid cargo facilities, and dry cargo berths. It has recently improved its global ranking to 61st among 405 container ports, and successfully managed the country’s largest vessel, measuring 400 metres. Discussions also centred on investment prospects at Port Qasim, particularly in bulk, break-bulk, containerised cargo handling, and of... -
Dawn - 19:25 Sep 09, 2025
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Tuesday notified a negative fuel cost adjustment (FCA) of Rs1.79 per unit for consumers in September’s bills for power consumed in the month of July. According to a notification issued by Nepra today, the authority “decided to allow a negative FCA of Rs1.7859/kWh for July 2025, to be passed on to the consumers in the billing month of September 2025”. Nepra said the negative FCA would apply to all consumer categories of K-Electric and XWDiscos (ex-Wapda distribution companies) “except lifeline consumers, domestic protected consumers, Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS) and prepaid electricity consumers of all categories who opted for pre-paid tariff”. The adjustment would be shown separately in the consumers’ bills on the basis of units billed to the consumers in the respective month to which the adjustment pertains, it said. “In case any bills of September 2025 are issued before the notification of this decision, the same may be applied in th...
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