Dawn
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Dawn - 07:32 May 31, 2026
Rising fuel prices triggered by the Middle East war are driving a sharp increase in carpooling, with a ride-sharing platform reporting a surge in new users seeking cheaper ways to travel. The world’s largest carpooling platform BlaBlaCar said soaring energy costs have pushed 600,000 additional drivers onto the app this year — 20 per cent more than initially projected — as commuters look to offset the rising cost of fuel. In India, its single biggest market with more than 20 million users in 2025, the number of passengers has increased by 40pc since the start of the US-Israeli airstrikes against Iran on February 28. Last year, the global carpooling leader posted record-breaking figures in the world’s most populous country India — outpacing Brazil with 19m users and France with 7m, according to Benjamin Retourne, the platform’s product director. This trend has been more pronounced in countries where fuel price increases driven by the war have been sudden and significant, combined with limited government support... -
Dawn - 06:56 May 31, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) offloaded 39,786 passengers in 2025 under a “lawful, intelligence-driven and risk-based system” to curb irregular migration and human smuggling, a top official said on Sunday. Speaking to a select group of senior journalists, Immigration Additional Director General Nouman Siddiqui said passenger offloading, often criticised publicly, was primarily a preventive step aimed at saving lives, protecting citizens from exploitation abroad and safeguarding Pakistan’s international image. “Offloading decisions are not arbitrary,” he asserted. They are based on immigration concerns, suspicious travel patterns, document verification, destination-country requirements and established standard operating procedures. The primary objective, he said, was “the protection of human life and prevention of exploitation at the hands of human traffickers”. At least 132 passengers were offloaded from their scheduled flights at various airports across the country in the past year by FIA... -
Dawn - 05:19 May 31, 2026
• Diplomats see high chances of final agreement despite hiccups • Insist both sides want to avoid open-ended conflict • Nuclear issues likely to be handled in later negotiations • Ex-envoy Munir Akram says gaps are more about narrative than substance WASHINGTON: Islamabad remains a leading contender to host the formal signing ceremony of a possible US-Iran peace agreement if negotiators succeed in finalising a deal, diplomatic sources said. Diplomatic sources at the United Nations and in Washington told Dawn that prospects for a final agreement remained high despite delays in completing the draft. “Nine out of 10,” a senior diplomat said when asked to assess the likelihood of a final agreement being signed. “But I cannot say when it will happen.” Another senior diplomat said Islamabad’s role in facilitating the initial contacts between Washington and Tehran had strengthened its credentials as a possible host. “Iranians cannot come to Washington, and Americans cannot go to Tehran because the two countries do n... -
Dawn - 05:16 May 31, 2026
Police on Saturday detained more than 280 people in Paris after violent clashes erupted when thousands poured onto the streets during Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League final victory. Some 22,000 police were deployed across France for the game, including 8,000 in Paris, after unrest marred PSG’s win in the competition last year. Paris tram lines were halted, several metro stations shut and bus traffic halted in places in a bid to minimise disturbances. According to the French interior ministry, 416 people were detained nationwide, including 283 who were apprehended in Paris. It was not immediately clear how many of these individuals were remanded in custody to face further investigation. Interior minister Laurent Nunez said seven officers had been wounded and called the unrest “absolutely unacceptable”. Six vehicles and two businesses were damaged. A group of supporters also stormed the Paris ring road, the peripherique, bringing traffic to a halt for a time and letting off flares, an AFP photographer sai... -
Dawn - 04:33 May 31, 2026
• No time frame given for restoring normal supply • Residents say water shortages always worsen during important events and religious festivals in Karachi KARACHI: Already struggling with a worsening water shortage during the three days of Eid, residents of the metropolis faced another uncertainty on Saturday after an emergency power shutdown at the Dhabeji Pumping Station disrupted the water supply to several parts of the city. This has been the second month of an acute water crisis in Karachi that has left taps dry, created long queues for water bowsers and frayed tempers. The fresh crisis was announced by Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) in a statement on Saturday evening with the most alarming aspect being the utility was unable to provide any time frame for restoring the normal water supply leaving residents uncertain about how long the disruption would continue. According to the KWSC statement, K-Electric informed the utility that a major fault had developed in Transformer No. 1 at the Dhab... -
Dawn - 04:05 May 31, 2026
QUETTA: Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) Chairman Nasrullah Baloch has expressed deep concern over the alleged enforced disappearance of 38-year-old Abdul Rauf, a local farmer, and demanded his immediate and safe recovery, according to a statement issued on Saturday. He said Abdul Rauf, son of Haji Abdul Razaq and belonging to the Yousafzai tribe, was taken into custody by personnel from the FC and intelligence agencies. The incident reportedly took place around 3:00am on May 29, 2026, in the Aminabad area of Chagai district. He was subsequently moved to an undisclosed location, Nasrullah Baloch claimed in his statement. The family of the missing man said that no information regarding his whereabouts or status has been provided. The VBMP chairman said Abdul Rauf was previously detained by security forces on Sept 8, 2018, and remained missing for nearly two and a half years before being released. Published in Dawn, May 31th, 2026 -
Dawn - 03:58 May 31, 2026
• US consul general meets Senate chairman • Regional peace, economic ties discussed LAHORE: Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani has expressed concern over India’s unilateral actions regarding the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), saying that “any attempt to use water as a tool of coercion undermines regional stability and threatens the livelihoods and food security of millions of Pakistanis”. He was speaking to United States Consul General Stetson Sanders, who called on him here on Saturday. Mr Gilani called upon the international community to support the restoration of treaty obligations and adherence to international law. Following the unilateral suspension of the IWT in April 2025, in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, India escalated dam construction and began heavily regulating water at existing facilities such as the Baglihar Dam, posing a threat to Pakistan’s water supply. Mr Gilani and Mr Sanders exchanged views on matters relating to Pakistan-US ties, trade and investment, besides regional peace and sec... -
Dawn - 03:30 May 31, 2026
• Foreign Minister Fidan says platform may include Pakistan, Turkiye, S. Arabia, Egypt, Gulf states and potentially Iran • Gaza death toll nears 73,000 with seven more killings in a day TURKIYE’S Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, has said that Israel can join a cooperative “regional platform” if it recognises a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders, according to an Al Jazeera report. “If that problem is solved, I think the security of Israel will be very much assisted by the regional countries, too,” he told Nikkei Asia. Fidan said this framework could include Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, other Gulf countries, and “when things come [back to] normal, maybe Iran should also be part of it”. “All the countries in the region should be committing to each other’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and security,” Fidan told Nikkei. These comments come as Turkiye is expected to host a pivotal Nato summit in July in Ankara. On Monday, Trump laid out his vision for expanding the Abraham Accords, a series of no... -
Dawn - 03:00 May 31, 2026
• Prolonged agitation threatens AJK’s upcoming elections • Abolishing 12 assembly seats for Pakistan-based refugees remains key stumbling block • Govt says talks still on MUZAFFARABAD: Marathon talks between a federal ministerial team and the core leadership of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) ended without a breakthrough late on Saturday night, prompting the latter to announce that its June 9 strike would proceed as planned. The lengthy dialogue, convened to persuade the JAAC to withdraw its strike call and resolve differences over its charter of demands, stretched for more than nine hours with intermittent breaks. The outcome has heightened concerns over political stability in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), where general elections are expected in the last week of July. “Today, we held talks with the representatives of the governments of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir throughout the day on all issues, including the 12 refugee seats,” JAAC core member Shaukat Nawaz Mir told reporters... -
Dawn - 02:51 May 31, 2026
• Pentagon chief says Trump is ‘patient’, wants to make a ‘great deal’ to ensure Iran doesn’t have nukes • US military fires on Gambia-flagged ship ‘violating Iran blockade’ • War secretary asserts Iran under pressure to open Strait of Hormuz with or without deal • Iran asks vessels traversing vital waterway to comply with its regulations • Hegseth lauds PM Shehbaz, CDF Munir for role in US-Iran peace talks, says ‘true friendship’ developing with Islamabad SINGAPORE: As negotiators from Washington and Tehran worked to bridge major differences blocking an agreement to end the weeks-long war, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday warned that the US was ready to restart attacks on Iran if a deal was not reached. “Our ability to recommence if necessary…we are more than capable,” Mr Hegseth said while speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. “Our stockpiles are more than suited for that, both there and around the globe, so we’re in a very good place,” he claimed. The Pentagon chief said President Don... -
Dawn - 02:40 May 31, 2026
QUETTA: Pakistan Railways resumed train operations from Balochistan on Saturday, restoring services after a three-day suspension, railway officials said. According to the officials, train operations from the province have been fully restored, with the Jaffar Express departing from Quetta for Peshawar. They said that the return service of the Jaffar Express will also depart from Peshawar for Quetta as per the timetable, restoring connectivity between the province and other parts of the country. The Jaffar Express, the only train service from Quetta to Peshawar, was suspended last Sunday following a vehicle-borne suicide bombing that targeted a shuttle train near the Chaman railway crossing. The Jaffar Express, which was ready to depart for its destination, was immediately stopped and later cancelled. Passengers were asked to collect refunds. However, after two days, the train service was restored, but on Wednesday it was again suspended. Railway authorities have not mentioned the reason for the suspension of ... -
Dawn - 01:56 May 31, 2026
• Dismisses husband’s appeal against lower courts’ decisions • Rules technical objections over ordinary stamp paper cannot defeat proven matrimonial rights LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has upheld concurrent judgements of two lower courts granting a divorced woman possession of a house as dower (haq mehr), ruling that a separately executed dower agreement was valid and enforceable even though the property was not mentioned in the nikahnama (marriage certificate). Justice Sajid Mehmood Sethi of the LHC dismissed a petition filed by Muhammad Khan, who had challenged decisions of a family court and an appellate court in Chiniot in favour of his former wife, Anwar Bibi. The woman claimed that on the day of their marriage in 2017, the petitioner executed an agreement promising her a constructed five-marla house in Canada Colony, Chiniot, as dower and also undertook to pay Rs300,000 in the event of divorce. After the marriage ended in 2021, she sought recovery of the house, its market value, maintenance for the idd... -
Dawn - 21:33 May 30, 2026
Paris Saint-Germain claimed back-to-back Champions League triumphs with a 4-3 shootout win over Arsenal following a 1-1 draw after extra time in Budapest, with Eberechi Eze and Gabriel missing from the spot. Mikel Arteta’s Premier League champions showed great resilience to take the game beyond 120 minutes, but fell to a second final defeat, 20 years after their first in Paris against Barcelona. Luis Enrique’s side became only the second besides Real Madrid to win the competition in consecutive years in the Champions League era. PSG’s first triumph was 55 years in the making, 14 of those under Qatari ownership, the second could start what they hope is an era of dominance and dynasty-building. Luis Enrique rebuilt the team swiftly and efficiently, removing the club’s superstars and building a cohesive and committed attacking side, capable of shredding opposition with terrifying pace. It was the Spaniard’s third Champions League triumph, making him one of only five coaches to complete a hat-trick – the first co... -
Dawn - 18:39 May 30, 2026
United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Saturday said Washington and Islamabad were developing a “true friendship” as he lauded Pakistan’s role in the ongoing US-Iran peace negotiations. With Pakistan acting as the official interlocutor between Washington and Tehran in the ongoing peace negotiations that resulted in the April 8 US-Iran ceasefire, Trump and his top officials have hailed Islamabad’s role several times. At the three-day Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hegseth was asked about former director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s remarks on Pakistan’s future missile capabilities potentially posing a threat to the US, and whether India’s Agni-VI missile programme posed a similar threat. The question was posed after Hegseth, in his speech, had lauded US defence cooperation with Indo-Pacific and Southeast Asian countries, as well as India, which he termed a “critical anchor to hold the line”. “I mentioned India here, but I very easily could have mentioned Pakistan and the role that th... -
Dawn - 18:39 May 30, 2026
Pakistan out-spun Australia by five wickets in the first one-day international in Rawalpindi with spinner Arafat Minhas becoming the first home bowler to take five wickets on ODI debut on Saturday. Minhas finished with 5-32 as an under-strength Australia were bowled out for 200 in 44.1 overs before Pakistan chased down the target in 42.3 overs for a memorable win in their 1,000th ODI. Babar Azam notched a 94-ball 69 while Ghazi Ghori hit an impressive 92-ball 65 as Australia’s inexperienced spinners failed to match Pakistan’s slow bowlers on a dry spin-assisting Pindi Stadium pitch. Azam and Ghori added 127 runs for the third wicket after Sahibzada Farhan (28) and Maaz Sadaqat (eight) fell with the score at 49. Azam hit four boundaries and a six while Ghori’s knock had eight hits to the rope before both falling to pacer Nathan Ellis, but with just 16 to win that did not hurt Pakistan. Minhas smashed a six to complete the victory. Australia’s Matt Renshaw (L) is clean bowled during the first one-day internatio... -
Dawn - 18:28 May 30, 2026
The European Union’s (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas will visit Pakistan on June 1 (Monday) to take part in the 8th EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, the EU announced on Saturday. According to the statement issued by the bloc, Kallas — also the European Commission’s vice president — will also hold meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir. “This is the eighth round of the Strategic Dialogue between the EU and Pakistan, providing an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations under the Strategic Engagement Plan, signed in June 2019,” the EU said in the statement. “HR/VP Kallas will hold a joint press conference with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan Mohammad Ishaq Dar at 12:30 local time.” The EU is Pakistan’s second-largest trading partner, with the GSP+ status allowing... -
Dawn - 16:32 May 30, 2026
PESHAWAR: At least eight militants, including two Afghan nationals belonging to the banned Tariq Gidar group — an affiliate of the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — were killed on the second day of an ongoing operation against militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Darra Adamkhel area on Saturday, security sources said. A total of 13 militants have now been killed in the operation, with five killed on Friday, when the operation commenced. Sources added that the operation was launched on the reported presence of a group of militants in the area, adding that the offensive was ongoing and that the area had been cordoned off. “The dead militants include Daud from Zorh Kalay, along with Hamza, Qari Zeenatullah and Qari Lawangin,” the sources said. They added that Afghan nationals Zeenatullah and Lawangin were among the dead, while the identities of the other dead militants were being ascertained. “Security forces have cordoned off the area, and the operation is still underway,” they said, adding that the op... -
Dawn - 15:46 May 30, 2026
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Saturday wrote to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Appellate Court of Gilgit-Baltistan, urging immediate judicial intervention to ensure transparency in the upcoming GB elections amid what he described as an “alarming” deterioration in the electoral environment. The move came amid a series of reported incidents involving PTI leaders during the ongoing election campaign in the mountainous region. PTI senior leader Asad Qaiser on Saturday claimed he was prevented from reaching Islamabad airport, resulting in him missing his flight to Skardu in connection with the election campaign. The incident followed the expulsion of PTI MNA Junaid Akbar and his team from GB a day earlier, while they were campaigning for the upcoming elections scheduled for June 7. In the letter, the chief minister said reports emerging from GB regarding the electoral process were “extremely concerning”. CM alleged that one political party was being subjected to undue obstacles in carrying o... -
Dawn - 15:14 May 30, 2026
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka and four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka on Saturday set up a blockbuster last-16 meeting at the French Open, while defending champion Coco Gauff seeks to join them in the second week. Sabalenka beat Australia’s Daria Kasatkina 6-0, 7-5 in just 76 minutes to stamp her ticket to the fourth round. After racing through the first set, Sabalenka went an early break down to her 53rd-ranked opponent before battling back. “I was happy in the tough moments, I never gave up,” she said on court as Roland Garros goes through the last day of the heatwave that has sat over Paris since the beginning of the tournament. Aryna Sabalenka plays a backhand return to Australia’s Daria Kasatkina during their women’s singles match on day 7 of the French Open tennis tournament, on Court Suzanne-Lenglen at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris, France on May 30, 2026. — AFP With victory, the Belarusian world number one has set up a meeting with her fellow quadruple major winner, Osaka. Sabalenka and Osaka, bot... -
Dawn - 12:50 May 30, 2026
UN health chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus landed on Saturday in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) province worst-hit by a severe Ebola outbreak. The World Health Organisation’s director general told reporters in Bunia, capital of Ituri province, that the international community was helping the DRC government cope with the outbreak, but “at the same time, community ownership is important”. He said that was the reason for his trip: “We are here to discuss with the community, to see how the response is running and if there are challenges to help.” The highly contagious haemorrhagic fever is already present in three eastern DRC provinces and in neighbouring Uganda, where nine confirmed infections, including one death, have been recorded. There have been at least 1,077 suspected cases of Ebola in the DRC since the outbreak was declared on May 15, including 246 deaths, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday. The true reach of the outbreak in the DRC, which is thought to...
10391 items