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Found 5493 news

  • In a first, Pakistan to host T20I tri-series; Afghanistan and Sri Lanka to visit in November
    Dawn - 12:34 Sep 07, 2025
    Pakistan is set to host a T20 International (T20I) tri-series for the first time from November 17 to 29, according to a press release issued by the country’s cricket board on Sunday. Apart from Pakistan, the “three-nation tournament” would feature Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, the press release said. It added that the series was organised to “provide all teams with valuable preparation” ahead of next year’s International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup, which will take place in India and Sri Lanka. Detailing its schedule, it further stated that the hosts would take on Afghanistan on November 17, marking the beginning of the series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. It also mentioned that “will be Afghanistan’s first-ever T20I in Pakistan”. “On November 19, Sri Lanka will face Afghanistan at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, while the remaining five T20Is of the tri-series, including the final on November 29, will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore,” the press release said. Tri-series schedule Nov 17: P...
  • 15 school principals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suspended over poor matric results
    Dawn - 12:31 Sep 07, 2025
    The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Workers Welfare Board has suspended 15 principals across the province following poor performance in the matriculation examinations, it emerged on Sunday. According to a September 4 notification seen by Dawn.com, the suspensions were carried out “on account of producing poor results in SSC annual examinations 2024-2025”. The suspended principals include those at schools in Akora Khattak, Aman Garh, Ghoriwala and Haripur-II. Similarly, the principals of schools in Hattar, Karak, Kohat-I, and Kohat-II have also been removed. The action further extends to the principals in Peshawar-II, Mardan, Shehbaz Azmat Khel, Swabi and Swat, along with the principals of an institution in Takht Bhai and a higher secondary school. “The vice principals of the concerned schools shall look after the duties of principal as [a] stopgap arrangement in their own pay scale till further orders,” the notification read. “However, where the vice principals are not available, the seniormost employee (BPS-16/17)/acting...
  • COMMENT: WHY THE INDUS WATERS TREATY MATTERS GLOBALLY
    Dawn - 11:20 Sep 07, 2025
    Picture this: the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, New Zealand, Pakistan, India and the World Bank sitting around the same table with a shared mission — creating one of the world’s most successful examples of international cooperation. This isn’t diplomatic wishful thinking; it’s exactly what happened in the 1950s when these nations came together to forge the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). While headlines today focus on border skirmishes and political discord between India and Pakistan, this remarkable partnership of countries quietly built something extraordinary: a regional public good that has fed 300 million people, powered two economies, and survived the Cold War and border skirmishes for over 60 years. THE STAKES — THEN AND NOW When Pakistan gained independence in 1947, potential water wars in the Subcontinent posed a global threat. Rather than leaving it to chance, the international community acted decisively. Each country brought different strengths — financial resources, technical expe...
  • Kazakh Deputy PM to arrive in Pakistan tomorrow on 2-day visit to further cement ties
    Dawn - 10:57 Sep 07, 2025
    Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu will arrive in Pakistan tomorrow on a two-day official visit to further cement bilateral ties, the Foreign Office said on Sunday. Pakistan and Kazakhstan maintain friendly diplomatic relations, with bilateral trade worth $239 million, according to its envoy Yerzhan Kistafin. Nurtleu will undertake an official visit to Pakistan from September 8 to 9, the FO said in a statement, adding that the trip will serve as a precursor to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit scheduled in November 2025. During his stay, the visiting dignitary will “hold a tête-à-tête” with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, followed by delegation-level talks. Nurtleu is also expected to call on President Asif Ali Zardari and PM Shehbaz Sharif, according to the FO. “The discussions will provide an opportunity to review preparations for the upcoming presidential visit and to deliberate comprehensively on the entire spectrum of Pak-Kazakh bilateral cooperation, ...
    Tags: Pakistan
  • Microsoft cloud platform hit by cable cuts in Red Sea
    Dawn - 10:07 Sep 07, 2025
    Global tech giant Microsoft on Sunday said network traffic for its Azure cloud computing platform was experiencing increased delays in parts of the Middle East due to “undersea fibre cuts” in the Red Sea. Microsoft did not provide an explanation for what caused the cuts to the submarine lines, but noted its network had been affected since Saturday. “Network traffic that does not traverse through the Middle East is not impacted,” the company said in a statement. The internet access monitoring organisation NetBlocks noted that a series of submarine cable outages in the Red Sea has degraded internet connectivity in several countries, including in India and Pakistan. Global internet and telecom cables have followed shipping routes through the Red Sea, but there has been growing anxiety about the state of the lines after Yemen’s Houthi rebels began attacking passing merchant vessels in late 2023, in actions the group said were in solidarity with the Palestinians amid the Israeli war on Gaza. The laying and operati...
  • Italian teen who died of leukaemia in 2006 becomes first Catholic saint of millennial generation
    Dawn - 09:39 Sep 07, 2025
    A teenager who died of leukaemia in 2006 became the first Catholic saint of the millennial generation on Sunday, in a Vatican ceremony led by Pope Leo and attended by thousands of young worshippers from dozens of countries. Carlo Acutis, a British-born Italian boy who died aged 15, learned computer code to build websites to spread his faith. His story has drawn wide attention from Catholic youth, and he is now at the same level as Mother Teresa and Francis of Assisi. Leo, the first US pontiff, canonised Acutis on Sunday along with Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young Italian man who was known for helping those in need and died of polio in the 1920s. In impromptu remarks to crowds in St. Peter’s Square at the opening of the event, Leo said Acutis and Frassati were examples of holiness and of helping those in need. “All of you, all of us together, are called to be saints,” the pontiff told the young crowd, which had spilt out of the square down the main boulevard into the Vatican from Rome. Acutis’ canonisation had b...
  • Air Force Day: Air chief Sidhu says PAF committed to advancing capabilities in electronic warfare, cyber tech
    Dawn - 09:28 Sep 07, 2025
    Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu on Sunday said the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) was committed to advancing its capabilities in electronic warfare and cyber technologies. He made the remarks while addressing the central Martyrs’ Day ceremony held at Air Headquarters in Islamabad, as the nation observes the Pakistan Air Force Day to honour PAF martyrs. “He (ACM Sidhu) affirmed that Pakistan Air Force would remain committed to advancing its capabilities in space, electronic warfare, cyber technologies, niche domains and indigenous defence production to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation,” said a press release by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR). The PAF solemnly observed Martyrs’ Day across all its bases nationwide, ISPR noted. The day commenced with special prayers and recitation of the Holy Quran, “dedicated to the martyrs of the 1965 and 1971 wars, as well as to all those who have rendered the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty since the creation of Pa...
  • First India-Pakistan match since May conflict fires up Asia Cup
    Dawn - 09:07 Sep 07, 2025
    A blockbuster between India and Pakistan headlines the Asia Cup starting on Tuesday as they face off for the first time in cricket since their military conflict in May. Along with regional bragging rights, the T20 competition will serve as a build-up towards the T20 World Cup in February-March in India and Sri Lanka. The eight-team event in the United Arab Emirates begins when Afghanistan play minnows Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi. Arch-rivals India and Pakistan clash in Dubai on September 14, with Pakistan bowling great Wasim Akram saying players and fans from both teams should “remain disciplined and not cross the line”. The neighbours have not met on either side’s soil in a bilateral series since 2012 and only play each other in international tournaments on neutral ground as part of a compromise deal. The two Asian cricketing giants have been clubbed together in the same group and could potentially meet three times in the tournament, which concludes on September 28. There have been tensions in the build-up after ...
    Tags: Asia
  • Nine judicial officers terminated for misconduct, corruption
    Dawn - 05:20 Sep 07, 2025
    PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court Chief Justice SM Attique Shah has dismissed from service nine judicial officers, who were restored early this year, as they were found guilty of ‘misconduct, corruption, and inefficiency’ in a fresh inquiry against them. The dismissed judicial officers include four additional district and sessions judges Malik Amjid Rahim, Manzoor Qadir, Qaiser Rahim and Ms Riffat Aamir; four senior civil judges named Safeer Qaiser Malik, Adil Akbar Khan, Rashid Rauf Swati and Shah Hussain, and a civil judge Tasawar Hussain. The high court had initiated disciplinary proceedings under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2011 on charges of misconduct, corruption, and inefficiency against the said officers, according to a press release issued here on Friday. The inquiry into the charges was conducted by a PHC judge, who found the officers guilty and recommended the imposition of a major penalty. PHC CJ imposes major penalty after inquiry “Upon receipt of the...
  • Sindh, Pakistan Railways to jointly finalise modalities for KCR revival
    Dawn - 04:42 Sep 07, 2025
    KARACHI: The Sindh government and Pakistan Railways (PR) have agreed to collaborate on finalising the modalities for the revival of the long-delayed Karachi Circular Railway (KCR). During a meeting at the CM House on Friday, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah proposed to Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi that technical experts from both Sindh and PR should jointly work out the modalities of the project. According to a statement issued by the CM House, the chief minister stressed the urgent need to revive the KCR and expressed frustration over the project’s continued delays. The statement said that the KCR would serve an estimated 650,000 passengers daily and provide critical east–west and north–south connectivity across Karachi. However, it added, the updated feasibility still awaits approval from Chinese authorities as the project is set to be executed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The chief minister proposed to the minister a collaborative approach, suggesting that the Sindh government and...
  • World number one Sabalenka defeats Anisimova to retain US Open crown
    Dawn - 04:18 Sep 07, 2025
     Amanda Anisimova of the United States returns against Aryna Sabalenka during their Women’s Singles Final match on Day Fourteen of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre on Sept 06, 2025 in New York City. — AFP World number one Aryna Sabalenka overpowered Amanda Anisimova to defend her US Open crown on Saturday, defeating her American rival in straight sets to clinch the fourth Grand Slam title of her career. Sabalenka ruthlessly attacked Anisimova’s shaky service game to complete a 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) victory on Arthur Ashe Stadium, which cements her status at the pinnacle of women’s tennis. The 27-year-old from Belarus had gone into Saturday’s final knowing it was her last chance to grab a Grand Slam crown in 2025 after agonising losses in the Australian and French Open finals. Sabalenka duly atoned for those defeats to end Anisimova’s hopes of a remarkable redemption just two months after her traumatic 6-0, 6-0 thrashing by Iga Swiatek in the Wimbledon final. “It’s crazy, all those tough lessons were worth it for this one,” said Sabalenka after becoming the first woman to successfully defend the US Open since Serena Williams in 2014. “I’m speechless right now.” Anisimova had won six of nine previous encounters against...
  • Punjab housing dept cancels leaves of all officials
    Dawn - 03:29 Sep 07, 2025
    LAHORE: In view of the flood situation and anticipated rains, the leaves of all officers and staff of subordinate institutions of the Punjab Housing Department have been cancelled. A notification has been issued in this regard on the directions of Housing Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal. According to a spokesperson for the housing department, development authorities, horticulture agencies, and Wasa agencies would provide resources for relief operations in the affected districts. The notification said that development authorities and horticulture agencies would extend all possible support to the districts. Uninterrupted supply of clean drinking water in flood relief camps would be ensured, while officers had been directed to remain present in the relief camps of the affected districts round-the-clock. The spokesperson said that officers and employees of development authorities and horticulture agencies would work under Wasa’s disposal so that relief operation could be made faster and more effective. Published in ...
  • 17 booked for attempting to breach dyke in Chishtian
    Dawn - 03:26 Sep 07, 2025
    BAHWALNAGAR: As many as 17 people were booked by the Shehar Farid police in Chishtian on Friday for attempting to break a temporary protective dyke in the Kamiraan village which is surrounded by floodwater. According to the FIR, seven residents of Kamiraan village, along with 10 unknown persons, were breaking the temporary protective dyke around the village with heavy machinery and tractors at 7pm on September 4. When the locals intervened, they beat them up, fired in the air and threatened to kill them. However, the men fled when a large police contingent arrived at the scene after being informed by the local residents. It is pertinent to mention here that many temporary protective dykes built by locals at various places in the 160 kilometer-long Sutlej belt in Bahawalnagar have broken. Due to this, thousands of acres of land have been submerged and dozens of villages of Minchinabad, Bahawalnagar and Chishtian have been affected by the river and they have been cut-off from the cities. On Thursday night, anot...
  • Senate body criticises costly delay in new lodges’ construction
    Dawn - 03:05 Sep 07, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Friday observed that the prolonged delay in the construction of 104 new lodges has not only multiplied the cost but also created avoidable financial burdens on the public exchequer. The subcommittee of the Senate House Committee headed by Senator Nasir Mehmood met on Friday. The participants stressed that there was no justification for further delay. Senators Danesh Kumar, Hidayatullah Khan and Poonjo Bheel also attended the meeting. The committee noted with concern that although the project was approved as far back as 2009 to meet the growing accommodation needs of parliamentarians, it has remained plagued by repeated delays. CDA says work stalled several times due to lack of funds and political gatherings near site CDA officials said work stalled several times due to lack of funds and political disruptions near the site. In 2015, the contractor demanded a steep cost escalation, leading to prolonged litigation. The committee was told that in 2025 a revised PC-I was approve...
  • FIA arrests six suspects on charges of corruption, fraud
    Dawn - 02:52 Sep 07, 2025
    RAWALPINDI: The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Anti-Corruption Circle Islamabad have arrested six suspects, including a government official, for being involved in corruption, bribery and fraud. A spokesman for the FIA said in a statement one of the suspects was posted as Deputy Director at FGEHF. Other suspects are beneficiaries of funds obtained through corruption and fraud, said the spokesman. According to the initial investigation, the suspects are involved in forgery and fraud by abusing their authority. They were involved in forgery and corruption in the supplementary award of built-up properties (BUPs) of sub-sectors of Mouza Thala Sayedan G-14. The accused allegedly illegally showed private individuals as co-owners of 5 BUPs, along with the BUPs given to the original owners. Private individuals received funds based on false information. The FIA said that the accused committed the forgery with the connivance of government officials. The aforementioned fraud caused a loss of millions of rupees to t...
  • At least one killed in KP’s Bajaur blast during cricket match: police
    Dawn - 19:02 Sep 06, 2025
    At least one person was killed in a bomb blast while a cricket match was being played in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district on Saturday, according to the police. Bajaur District Police Officer Waqas Rafique confirmed the incident to Dawn.com in Khar tehsil’s Kausar Cricket Ground and said the blast was carried out through an improvised explosive device. “It appears to be a targeted attack,” he added. Last Saturday, two people, including a police official, were wounded after terrorists attacked a police station in the district’s Laghari area of Lowi Mamund tehsil through a quadcopter. Sources said police constable Mohammad Habib and civilian Najeeb Khan were injured in the attack, which also damaged a vehicle parked on the premises. Israr Khan, a public relations officer of the district police, had told Dawn that the injured were immediately shifted to the district headquarters hospital in Khar. He also said terrorists launched another attack on the police station through a quadcopter but it missed the targe...
    Tags: Bajaur
  • Five drown as Rescue 1122 boat capsizes in Multan amid flood evacuation: officials
    Dawn - 18:41 Sep 06, 2025
    Five people drowned as a boat capsized in the Chenab River in the Jalalpur Pirwala area of Punjab’s Multan district on Saturday amid a flood evacuation, according to officials. Multan Deputy Commissioner (DC) Wasim Hamid Sindhu and City Police Officer (CPO) Sadiq Ali Dogar later reached the site for an inspection and were briefed by officials present there. “The causes of the boat accident are being carefully examined. Initially, five deaths, including children on board the boat, have been confirmed,” DC Sindhu was quoted as saying in a statement. A statement from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) also put the toll at five. He ordered the rescue authorities to immediately intensify the search operation. “Rescue operations are being carried out to search for more people on board the boat,” Sindhu said. Meanwhile, CPO Dogar said police teams were providing full support to Rescue 1122 and the initial reasons for the boat accident included the darkness and flooded routes. The initial report from...
  • Trump back in sports spotlight at US Open final
    Dawn - 18:06 Sep 06, 2025
    Donald Trump will become the first sitting United States president to attend the US Open in a quarter-century on Sunday, as he joins the legions of fans in New York to catch a highly anticipated showdown between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Republican Trump has attended numerous sports events to meet with his supporters, but he may not receive the warmest welcome at the US Open in deeply Democratic New York City. He was once a fixture of the tournament before taking office and in 2015 was booed by some tennis fans not long after launching his presidential campaign. Ticketholders can expect extraordinary security measures at the sprawling Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre in Trump’s home borough, Queens, where the final tennis major of 2025 is on track for a fourth straight year of record-setting attendances. While the pricey playground for tennis fanatics and designer-clad social media influencers regularly brings in an array of A-listers, the tournament has not seen a sitting US president since Bi...
  • Civil, military leadership pay tributes to soldiers and martyrs as nation observes 60th Defence Day
    Dawn - 15:16 Sep 06, 2025
    A contingent of Pakistan Air Force personnel performs a parade to mark Defence Day at the Mazar-i-Quaid in Karachi on September 6. — AFPThe country’s top military brass, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari have paid glowing tributes to soldiers and martyrs from the armed forces as the nation observes the 60th Defence Day today. The Defence Day is observed every year on September 6 to commemorate the legacy of the 1965 War, “when the Indian forces crossed international border in the darkness of night to attack Pakistan but the nation foiled [the] nefarious designs of the enemy,” a report by the state broadcaster Radio Pakistan recalled. The report said the commemoration began with a 31-gun salute in Islamabad and 21-gun salute in provincial capitals. “Special prayers were offered in mosques for the progress and prosperity of the country, and independence of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir from the clutches of India,” it added. Karachi marked Defence Day with a changing of the guard at Quaid-i-Azam’s mausoleum, performed by a contingent from the Pakistan Air Force. DawnNewsTV broadcast images showing personn...
    Tags: Defence
  • Nation celebrates Eid Miladun Nabi in commemoration of Holy Prophet’s 1,500th birth anniversary
    Dawn - 14:38 Sep 06, 2025
    The nation celebrated Eid-i-Miladun Nabi on Saturday as this year’s festivities gained greater prominence with it being Holy Prophet Muhammad’s (Peace Be Upon Him) 1500th birth anniversary. Muslims around the world celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), known in Arabic as the Mawlid al-Nabawi holiday, on the 12th of Rabiul Awwal — the third month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The nation also celebrated Defence Day today with the two events coinciding on the same date. State-run Radio Pakistan reported that the day — a public holiday announced by the government — began with a 31-gun salute in Islamabad and a 21-gun salute in all provincial capitals. It added that special prayers were also offered after the Fajr prayer for the unity of the Muslim world and Pakistan’s progress and prosperity. The people celebrated the day with religious fervour and devotion, as mosques, streets, and public spaces across the country were adorned with colourful lights, green flags and decorations. Special prayers, Seerat...

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