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Dawn - 19:55 Mar 13, 2026
KARACHI/ ISLAMABAD: Several routes in Karachi and Islamabad were closed on Friday as part of security arrangements for Al-Quds Day rallies. Al-Quds Day is observed globally every year since it was first announced by Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini. The day is observed on the last Friday of Ramazan to highlight the “atrocities of Israel against Palestinians”. However, with the possibility of Eidul Fitr falling on next Friday if the Shawwal moon is sighted on March 19, the Al-Quds Day is being observed today. Karachi In a statement issued by the Office of the Karachi traffic deputy inspector general of police, citizens were informed that a religious group would organise a “Youm-i-Quds Rally” after Friday prayers, marching from Numaish to Aman Tower. Accordingly, the road from Boat Basin towards Jinnah Bridge remained during the day closed. The road from PIDC going towards Jinnah Bridge on M.T. Khan Road was closed in both directions. Traffic police said, “the closures were being implemented as p... -
Dawn - 18:45 Mar 13, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Security sources said on Friday that two rudimentary drones were intercepted at different locations adjacent to Rawalpindi but were successfully brought down through electronic countermeasures. Security sources said that no damage or casualties were reported and the airspace, which was temporarily closed as a precaution, had now been reopened. Separately, the Ministry of Information posted on X that “two rudimentary drones of terrorist Fitna-al-Khawarij, nurtured by the Afghan Taliban regime, were successfully intercepted by the Pakistan security forces using electronic countermeasures”. It added that “no military or other infrastructure was hit, other than minor damage due to debris of the forced crashing of drones”, dismissing claims made in a post by the Afghan defence ministry on X. It was claimed in the post that a centre of Pakistan’s military had been targeted at Faizabad, resulting in the loss of human lives, as well as material losses. The information ministry said: “The Taliban regime’s c... -
Dawn - 18:07 Mar 13, 2026
All six crew members aboard a US military KC-135 refuelling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq are confirmed to have been killed, the US military said on Friday. The refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, in an incident the military said involved another aircraft but was not the result of hostile or friendly fire. The deaths add to the seven US service members who have been killed as part of US attacks on Iran, which began on February 28. “The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” a statement from US Central Command said. Speaking with reporters at the Pentagon on Friday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said operations against Iran would continue. “War is hell. War is chaos, and as we saw yesterday with the tragic crash of our KC-135 tanker, bad things can happen,” Hegseth said. A US official told Reuters that the second aircraft involved in the crash, which landed safely, was also ... -
Dawn - 17:39 Mar 13, 2026
Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by 128 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in the rain-affected second ODI at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Friday. Maaz Sadaqat was the stand-out performer of the game, blasting a rapid 75 for Pakistan before picking up three wickets. Chasing a revised target of 243 in 32 overs after a two-hour rain and hailstorm delay, Bangladesh collapsed for 114 in 23.3 overs despite a brief counterattack from Litton Das. Bangladesh had already been in trouble before the weather halted play. Tanzid Hasan fell early for one, caught at backward square leg off Shaheen Shah Afridi, while Saif Hassan departed for 12 after offering a catch to short mid-off off Mohammad Wasim Jr. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was bowled by Shaheen for a duck, leaving the hosts reeling at 27 for 3 in 6.3 overs when a sudden thunderstorm accompanied by hail forced the players off the field. When play resumed, Litton attempted to revive the chase with a series of boundaries, including two six... -
Dawn - 17:21 Mar 13, 2026
The Foreign Office (FO) said on Friday that Pakistan strongly condemned the continued closure of the historic Jama Masjid in occupied Kashmir’s Srinagar on the last Friday of Ramazan, calling on the international community to take notice. In a statement, the FO said, “Pakistan strongly condemns the continued closure of the historic Jama Masjid in Srinagar on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramazan. “Preventing worshippers from offering congregational prayers at one of the most revered mosques in the valley constitutes a serious violation of religious freedom and fundamental human rights in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” it said. The FO said that for the seventh consecutive year since India had revoked the region’s special autonomy, occupation authorities had “sealed the mosque and barred Kashmiri Muslims from gathering for prayers on this spiritually significant day”. “Such restrictions on religious practice, particularly during the sacred month of Ramzan, are deeply concerning,” it stated... -
Dawn - 16:05 Mar 13, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The PTI on Friday expressed grave concern over the deteriorating health of its founder Imran Khan and reiterated its demand for his immediate transfer to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital for specialised medical treatment, saying that he was a former prime minister and the most popular leader. In a press conference, party stalwarts condemned what they described as the government’s “criminal negligence” with regard to Imran’s health and demanded the immediate transfer of the PTI founder to Shifa International Hospital for specialised medical treatment. They also called for his personal physicians to be provided immediate access to him and for unhindered meetings with his family members and the party leadership, warning that any further delay could have “serious consequences”. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, flanked by senior party leaders, criticised the federal government’s conduct on the matter, as well as what he called politically motivated cases against him. “The PTI fou... -
Dawn - 14:34 Mar 13, 2026
PML-N stalwart Nehal Hashmi on Friday was sworn in as the new governor of Sindh, following his surprise appointment a day earlier. Sindh High Court Chief Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput administered the oath at a ceremony held in Karachi. Senior leaders were present at the televised ceremony, including PPP leader Saeed Ghani and Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah. The newly-appointed governor spoke to the media after the oath-taking ceremony, where he said, “I want to give a message to the people of Karachi [..] that we will move forward with political struggle, faithfulness and honesty.” Hashmi reiterated that his party’s message was that of peace, love, and development. “We have an entire department for laptops for youth, programmes for their training, loan schemes, and other facilities,” he said. “All the federal institutions here will become functional and work for progress in Sindh,” he said. He said the provincial government would “follow in the footsteps of our sister, Punjab Chief Minister ... -
Dawn - 13:50 Mar 13, 2026
Deadly explosions rocked Tehran close to a pro-government rally attended by top officials on Friday, as Israel and Iran unleashed fresh strikes in a war that has ignited the Middle East and threatens to torpedo the world economy. Since erupting on February 28 with US-Israeli attacks on Iran, the war has cascaded throughout the region, drawn in global powers, and sparked a major oil shock. AFP journalists in Tehran reported loud blasts over the city skies, as Israel’s military said it had hit more than 200 targets in western and central Iran in the past day. Black smoke rises following an airstrike, as Iranians take part in the Al-Quds Day rally, a commemoration in support of the Palestinian people on the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in Tehran on March 13, 2026. — AFP Iran’s state media said at least one woman was killed when blasts hit an area near a demonstration, where large crowds had gathered waving flags and brandishing banners reading “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”. “These... -
Dawn - 13:27 Mar 13, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Data from Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Programme shows that a majority of the environmental samples for poliovirus, which causes the crippling disease, collected during the first two months of 2026 have tested negative. Moreover, a comparison of the first two months of 2025 with the current year shows a more than threefold reduction in positive environmental samples. However, ongoing Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions could create an opportunity for the virus to rebound during the upcoming high-transmission season, which may begin next month. According to a document from the Polio Eradication Programme, available with Dawn, 111 environmental samples out of 126 tested negative across the country in February. It is worth noting that sewage samples are a key indicator of whether polio vaccination campaigns are being carried out successfully. After samples are detected, polio campaigns are launched in the area to eradicate the virus. A polio case can be reported in any city due to the frequent movement of p... -
Dawn - 13:13 Mar 13, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday decided that the prices of petroleum products would not be increased this time despite the uptick in the global oil market. According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), PM Shehbaz was quoted as saying that prices were not being increased to reduce the burden on the common man. He said that as per his “promise”, he would provide relief to the people as much as possible. “The global economy is currently under pressure due to regional tensions, which is likely to have a profound impact on Pakistan’s economy,” the premier said. He said that because of timely policy-making, austerity measures by the government and financial discipline, efforts were being made to deal with this situation effectively. The premier further added that provincial governments were also supporting the Centre in its austerity measures, which was welcome. He said that due to the efforts of the diplomatic and economic teams, adequate quantities of crude oil were available for t... -
Dawn - 12:41 Mar 13, 2026
On March 10, as the US-Israel war with Iran entered its second week, the Bahrain government announced the arrest of six persons hailing from Asian countries — five of them Pakistanis — on charges of filming, publishing and reposting “videos related to the effects of the treacherous Iranian aggression”. The Iran conflict — which broke out on February 28 after the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on the Islamic Republic and assassinated then-supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with other top security officials and hundreds of civilians — has now spiralled into a Middle East war. Today, the entire region is on fire as Tehran continues to retaliate with attacks on Israel and at least seven Gulf states, including Bahrain, which has reported intercepting 114 missiles and 190 drones since the beginning of the war. In an X post on March 8, Bahrain had issued a warning against the photographing of “vital sites and facilities” and publishing them on social media. Two days later, a statement issu... -
Dawn - 12:40 Mar 13, 2026
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Friday that Pakistan successfully targeted terrorist affiliated locations in Afghanistan overnight. In a post on X, he said, “It is pertinent to mention that on the night of 12/13 March 2026, Pakistan successfully targeted terrorists’ affiliated installations in Afghanistan.“ He said that terrorists and their support infrastructure, including logistic bases, and camps, were targeted. His post also showed the strikes, with the minister saying that Pakistan “precisely targeted only those installations which directly/indirectly support terrorism from inside Afghanistan and terrorist camps”. “No civilian population or civilian infrastructures were targeted as falsely propagated by Afghan regime officials and media,” he asserted. The statement by the minister came hours after security sources said that in overnight strikes against terrorists and Afghan Taliban targets, the armed forces destroyed training camps and support infrastructure in Afghanistan. “Pakistan’s Armed... -
Dawn - 12:37 Mar 13, 2026
Abdul Malick sat among mourning relatives in his village in southern Pakistan, receiving condolences from neighbours after his nephew, Muzaffar Ali, was killed in Dubai last week. Ali, a 27-year-old labourer, was one of two Pakistanis killed in retaliatory Iranian strikes against Gulf countries since the start of US-Israeli attacks on the Islamic Republic two weeks ago. Debris fell on his vehicle when a projectile was intercepted. “It is a great tragedy for a family whose sole breadwinner was lost,” said Malick, flanked by Ali’s three young children. “We have nothing to do with this war. It is unfortunate that the poor are being used as fuel for a conflict they have no part in,” he told AFP. Ali moved to Dubai from Jamshoro four years ago. Relatives offer prayers on the grave of Pakistani national Muzaffar Ali, who was killed in Dubai amid the ongoing Middle East war, after his funeral in Jamshoro in Sindh on March 12. — AFP Another victim, Murid Zaman, a 48-year-old father of five from Bannu, had been workin... -
Dawn - 12:06 Mar 13, 2026
On the 14th day of the US–Israel war against Iran, the conflict entered a more grinding phase in which neither side was closer to a decisive military outcome. Yet, the cumulative pressure generated by Iran’s asymmetric strategy was increasingly shaping the broader strategic balance of the confrontation. The highlight of the day was the downing of a US air refueller over western Iraq while conducting aerial refuelling operations. It was the first-ever incident of any air force refueller being shot down. Iranian-aligned militias in Iraq claimed the attack in which all four crew members on board were killed, while another tanker was said to have been damaged in the same attack and forced to divert. The loss, therefore, represents one of the most serious operational setbacks suffered by US air support assets since the conflict began. Alongside these reports were Iranian claims about US naval forces in the region being attacked, including assertions that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln had been struck and... -
Dawn - 11:30 Mar 13, 2026
Sunrisers Leeds are facing a fierce social media backlash after the Indian-owned Hundred franchise signed spinner Abrar Ahmed this week. A longstanding political stand-off between India and Pakistan means the two nations only play each other in major global cricket tournaments. Cricketers from Pakistan have not featured in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2009 because of diplomatic tensions between the two nations. There was speculation that the players from Pakistan involved in this week’s inaugural Hundred auction in London would be subject to a “shadow ban”, with the IPL-affiliated teams refusing to bid for them. Four of the franchises — MI London, Manchester Super Giants, Sunrisers Leeds and Southern Brave — are at least part-owned by companies that control IPL teams. But the Leeds-based Sunrisers clinched a deal for leg-spinner Abrar, paying 190,000 ($252,000) for his services. Usman Tariq, the only other Pakistani player bought in the auction, was picked up by American-backed Birmingham Phoenix. Th... -
Dawn - 11:19 Mar 13, 2026
“I am worried,” a sailor stuck in the Gulf told AFP on Friday, his vessel unable to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, blocked for nearly two weeks after US-Israeli strikes on Iran. “Every day on the ship, I can see missile launches and hear explosions, making me feel like I was in danger,” said Wang Shang, 32. Wang, a Chinese national from the landlocked central province of Henan, works on a foreign ship used to transport liquefied petroleum gas sourced from the energy-rich region. Since navigation in and out of the Gulf essentially came to a halt, Wang has shared his experiences by posting videos on Douyin, the Chinese domestic version of TikTok. “We cannot leave at present,” he said. “If we wanted to depart now, it would be impossible.” In one video from February 28 — the day that the United States and Israel launched the war — the ship’s receiver is shown as the strait is declared shut by Iranian authorities. “Attention all ships, this is Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy. For your information... -
Dawn - 10:46 Mar 13, 2026
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Assam on Friday, announcing multi-billion-dollar investments as part of a tour of states heading into elections, including the key political battleground of West Bengal. The Hindu nationalist leader launched infrastructure projects in Assam — including land holdings to tea plantation workers, a dam project and a major train and road corridor — worth over $5 billion. The northeastern state of about 32 million people is controlled by his right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). On Saturday, Modi will visit neighbouring West Bengal, a state of 105 million people led by his political rival Mamata Banerjee, of the All India Trinamool Congress party. During the visit, he is expected to inaugurate “road infrastructure, railways, port and shipping” projects worth roughly $2 billion, which his office says are aimed at “accelerating economic growth”. State elections this year will be held in the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, both under opposition parties, as well ... -
Dawn - 10:09 Mar 13, 2026
PESHAWAR: An attack on a police vehicle martyred seven policemen, including an officer, in the Bettani subdivision of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district on Friday. The spokesman of the district police officer, Qudratullah, said that a squad of the Shadikhel police station was on routine patrol duty in the area when the terrorist attack occurred. The vehicle was targeted with an improvised explosive device (IED). The official said that terrorists had planted an IED along the Shahdikhel-Mastikhel road to target the law enforcement personnel. Six policemen, including a station house officer (SHO) and five constables, lost their lives in the explosion, he said. The bodies of the martyred and the injured policeman were taken to the hospital. The injured cop later succumbed to his wounds, bringing the total fatalities to seven. A large police contingent reached the area and launched a search for the perpetrators of the attack. President Asif Ali Zardari, in a statement issued by the President House, condemn... -
Dawn - 09:42 Mar 13, 2026
Pakistan’s benchmark KSE-100 index fell 555.27 points, or 0.36 per cent, to close in the red on Friday, extending the market’s recent volatility. Shortly after opening around 9:20am, the index climbed to an intraday high of 155,002.10 points before sliding to an intraday low of 152,780.79 points by 11am. Trading activity remained on the lower end, with 113,043,219 shares changing hands, while the traded value reached Rs11,734,798,583. Among the most actively traded stocks, Dost Steels Limited led the volumes, rising 3.64pc to Rs5.70 on 27,793,436 shares. It was followed by Hascol Petroleum Limited, which gained 3.04pc to Rs17.99 on 25,429,776 shares, and The Bank of Punjab, which fell 1.66pc to Rs27.26 on a volume of 16,327,842 shares. The top negative contributions to the index came from ENGROH, FFC, LUCK, HUBC, and MEBL, contributing -649 points to the index, according to Topline Securities. The market’s cautious tone comes as global oil prices climbed back above $100 a barrel, while equities came under pre... -
Dawn - 08:46 Mar 13, 2026
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has initiated investigations into what it considers unfair trade practices in 60 economies, including Pakistan, according to a press release issued by the USTR on March 12. According to the statement, the investigations will focus on whether governments have failed to impose and effectively enforce bans on the importation of goods produced with forced labour. The economies subject to the investigations include many major US trading partners including the European Union, China, Japan, India, Mexico, South Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Pakistan, and Vietnam. This comes as Pakistan and the US expressed a desire to enhance economic cooperation last month during a meeting in Washington between Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and US Commerce Secretary Howard A. Lutnick. This probe may open the door to potential penalties such as new tariffs as President Donald Trump seeks to replace duties struck down by the Supreme Court. Economists noted that the 29pc...
10418 items