Dawn
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Dawn - 05:55 Aug 30, 2025
KARACHI: A sessions court sentenced a man to 14 years in prison for throwing acid on his sister over a property dispute. After hearing prosecutor Irfana Qadri, complainant counsel Bahzad Akbar and defence side, Additional District and Sessions Judge Abdul Zahoor Chandio, who was also the presiding officer of the Gender-Based Violence Court (South), found Muhammad Ramzan guilty of throwing acid on his sister Sughra after she refused to give up her share in the inheritance property to her brother. “This case involves a heinous crime, specifically targeting a woman with acid, an act that causes lifelong physical and psychological trauma. Such offences are not merely crimes against an individual but are a scourge on society and an affront to public policy,” the judge observed. The court also handed down additional sentences; two years’ imprisonment for injuring with a knife to the victim and four years each for attacking her sons — Naeem and Waseem — who had rushed to rescue their mother. The court also imposed a... -
Dawn - 05:00 Aug 30, 2025
LAHORE: The Central Jail Rawalpindi, commonly known as Adiala Jail, has reported a massive outbreak of HIV-positive cases, with 148 infected inmates — the highest number recorded in any jail of province so far. This alarming situation has exposed serious lapses on the part of the Prisons Department and the Punjab Aids Control Programme (PACP). Adiala has been in the headlines lately as former PM Imran Khan is also incarcerated there. However, it must be kept in mind that Mr Khan is kept in isolation and is not allowed to mingle with other inmates. The prison is currently very overcrowded as well, housing 4,337 prisoners against its authorised capacity of 1,994. PACP report reveals there are 645 infected individuals in Punjab’s 43 prisons; some of them are already receiving anti-retroviral therapy The presence of such a large number of HIV-infected prisoners poses a grave risk to the health and lives of other inmates if immediate measures are not taken to curb the transmission of the virus. Medical experts exp... -
Dawn - 04:50 Aug 30, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan on Friday said the government is finalising a five-year Textiles and Apparel Policy aimed at making the sector regionally competitive, removing trade barriers and ensuring sustainable export growth. He added that a National Industrial Policy was also in the works to strengthen long-term export prospects and position Pakistan’s manufacturing sector for global integration. Both initiatives are designed to enhance competitiveness and address longstanding inefficiencies. The minister was speaking at a meeting with leading industrialists, including Kohinoor Mills CEO Aamir Fayyaz Sheikh, Aptma Chairman Kamran Arshad, Fazal Cloth CEO Rehman Naseem, and Aptma Executive Director Shahid Sattar. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan also attended. According to an official statement, the commerce minister said the Textiles and Apparel Policy will focus on reducing manufacturing costs, improving productivity, promoting research... -
Dawn - 04:46 Aug 30, 2025
• Govt focusing on completion of ongoing projects of national importance, Senate panel told • Fund’s ‘Diagnosis Report’ flags poor prioritisation, delays, cost overruns as major shortcomings • NHA told to start M-6 work by October or face parliamentary action ISLAMABAD: The government has restricted financing for new projects under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) to just two per cent for the current year, in line with conditions of the ongoing Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This was disclosed by Planning and Development Secretary Awais Manzur Sumra while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Planning and Development, which met under the chairmanship of Senator Quratulain Marri. Mr Sumra said the IMF had demanded that new development projects be limited to 10pc of the PSDP to maintain fiscal discipline, given the already large and longstanding project portfolio. Accordingly, the government decided to prioritise ongoing projects of national importance f... -
Dawn - 04:08 Aug 30, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The flooding in Punjab was made worse by New Delhi’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and the collapse of the gates on an Indian barrage. The middle section of Madhopur barrage, which spans the Ravi River in India, was washed away by surging water, the Reuters news agency reported, referring to video broadcast by Indian media a day earlier. Pakistani officials said that this damage unleashed an uncontrolled flow across the border, flooding some parts of Lahore on Friday. An Indian government source, while confirming that two gates of Madhopur barrage had broken, denied there had been any deliberate attempt to flood Pakistan. Indian authorities say they are trying to stem the flow on the Ravi, despite the damage to the barrage, and the flow was being controlled by the Ranjit Sagar Dam upstream, Reuters quoted a source as saying. The official claimed that India was doing whatever it could, blaming incessant rain for causing the flood. Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2025 -
Dawn - 03:00 Aug 30, 2025
• Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej overflow simultaneously for the first time • Over 429,000 residents evacuated, 20 lives lost across three rivers • Ninth spell of monsoon rains begins • 855,000 cusecs expected at Head Trimmu within 24 hours • Bunds breached to protect Jhang city, explosives deployed on embankments to save Multan • Worst Sutlej flooding since 1955 compounded by Indian dam breach LAHORE: In an unprecedented flood crisis, the Punjab government has initiated controlled breaches of key flood bunds to divert surging waters from the Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers, as all three major rivers overflowed simultaneously for the first time in the country’s history. With 855,000 cusecs expected to reach Head Trimmu within 24 hours, authorities have evacuated over 429,000 residents, deploying explosives and breaching embankments to protect urban centres from catastrophic flooding. Torrential monsoon rains ravaged both Pakistan and India this week, with further heavy downpours forecast for this weekend. Bunds near Ath... -
Dawn - 02:42 Aug 30, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Amid concerns from the main opposition party PTI that the government remains adamant to push forward with controversial legislation, including the 27th Constitutional Amendment, in the coming days, Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq met on Friday to discuss matters of national significance. Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari has summoned a session of the National Assembly on Sept 1 (Monday) at 5pm in the Parliament House, according to a press release issued by the Presidency. According to the Senate Secretariat, Mr Gilani and Mr Sadiq focused on strengthening institutional cooperation between the two houses of parliament and improving coordination on both national and international issues. Talking to Dawn, PTI’s chief whip in the National Assembly, Amir Dogar, expressed concerns that the government intends to introduce controversial constitutional amendments in the near future. President summons NA session on Sept 1 During their meeting at the Senate’s ch... -
Dawn - 02:38 Aug 30, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday disposed of petitions calling for the establishment of judicial commission to investigate the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif, ruling that the matter was already sub judice before the Supreme Court. Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas delivered the judgment on three consolidated petitions filed by journalist Hamid Mir, the Judicial Activism Panel, and Sharif’s widow, Javeria Siddique. The petitioners sought a federal government-initiated judicial commission for a “transparent inquiry” into the circumstances surrounding Sharif’s departure from Pakistan, his stay in Dubai, and his murder in Kenya in October 2022. They argued that the current investigation by a Special Joint Investigation Team (SJIT) was flawed and violated constitutional rights to a fair trial and due process. Deputy attorney general, representing the state, countered, stating that the Supreme Court was actively supervising the case following its suo motu intervention. He stressed that procedur... -
Dawn - 19:07 Aug 29, 2025
Skipper Salman Agha hit an unbeaten half-century and fast bowler Haris Rauf grabbed four wickets as Pakistan upstaged Afghanistan by 39 runs in the tri-series opener in Sharjah on Friday. Agha hit a 36-ball 53 not out with three sixes and as many boundaries, which lifted Pakistan to 182-7 in their 20 overs. Pacers Rauf took 4-31 and Shaheen Afridi 2-21, while spinners Mohammad Nawaz (2-23) and Sufiyan Muqeem (2-25) dismissed Afghanistan for 143 in 19.5 overs before a noisy capacity 16,000 crowd at the Sharjah stadium. Afghanistan matched Pakistan with opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 27-ball 38 with a six and three boundaries, adding 51 for the second wicket with Sediqullah Atal, who made 23. It was Rauf who changed the game with a two-wicket 12th over, sending Atal and Karim Janat back without conceding a run. Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan smashed five sixes and a four in his whirlwind 16-ball 39 but fell to Rauf to end his team’s fight. Earlier, Pakistan was lifted by Agha’s fourth T20I half-century. Agha ancho... -
Dawn - 18:35 Aug 29, 2025
Former Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan will lead the Pakistani delegation aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip, according to posts from his social media account on Friday. Earlier this month, it was announced that Pakistan would be joining the Global Sumud Flotilla to break the Israeli siege of Gaza, according to a post on Instagram by the Pak-Palestine Forum, a platform aiming to advance support for the Palestinian cause. According to its website, the flotilla is a “coordinated, nonviolent fleet of mostly small vessels sailing from ports across the Mediterranean to break the Israeli occupation’s illegal siege on Gaza”. Reuters reports that dozens of boats carrying aid will depart Spain and Tunisia and set sail for the Gaza Strip. Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and Portuguese left-wing politician Mariana Mortagua are among hundreds of people from 44 countries participating in the flotilla. Sumud means “perseverance” in Arabic. Among the participants is a five-member deleg... -
Dawn - 17:33 Aug 29, 2025
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday confirmed that Afghanistan issued a demarche to Islamabad’s ambassador in Kabul, after they alleged that Pakistan carried out drone strikes across the border. At least three people were killed and seven wounded in two separate incidents in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar and Khost provinces, which Afghan authorities claimed were strikes carried out by Pakistan. There was no official word from Islamabad, and Afghan authorities did not provide any evidence of Pakistan’s involvement in the incidents. Fielding questions after a press briefing in Islamabad today, Dar said that he had just returned from travelling and was still “going through the system”. However, he added that had received a copy of the letter to Pakistan’s ambassador but did not elaborate on why it was issued. “I’m still going through the system, but they handed our ambassador a letter, which is called a demarche,” the foreign minister said. “This needs investigation, to look into the situati... -
Dawn - 17:05 Aug 29, 2025
The tickets for the Men’s Asia Cup 2025 — including the much-awaited Pakistan-India clash — are now available for sale, the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) said on Friday. According to the board, the tickets are being sold starting from 40 dirhams (PKR 3,069.51) for the matches in Abu Dhabi and 50 (PKR 3,836.89) dirhams for the ones in Dubai. “Tickets for the most sought-after India v Pakistan match will initially be available in a seven-match tickets package starting at 1,400 [dirhams] (PKR 10,743.28),” the ECB announced. It said fans could buy separate (standalone) tickets for each of the remaining matches not included in the seven-match ticket package. The board said that, in the coming days, tickets will also be made available at the ticket booths at both the Dubai International Stadium and Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi — the details of which will be announced in due course. The Salman Ali Agha-led Pakistan are set to compete in the Asia Cup that runs from Sept 9 to 28 in the UAE. The Green-shirts are in ... -
Dawn - 17:02 Aug 29, 2025
Perched on her neighbour’s rooftop, Ghulam Bano gazes down at the remains of her home, submerged in murky, foul-smelling floodwater that has engulfed much of Punjab province. Monsoon rains this week swelled three transboundary rivers that cut through Punjab, the country’s agricultural heartland and home to nearly half of its 255 million people. Bano moved to Shahdara town last year, on the outskirts of Lahore, to avoid the choking smog pollution of Pakistan’s second-largest city, only to have her new beginning overturned by raging floods. “My husband had started coughing blood and his condition just kept getting worse when the smog hit,” Bano told AFP, walking through muddy streets. A doctor checks an evacuated resident from her submerged home, as she takes shelter at a government school after floodwaters entered from the overflowing Ravi river in Shahdara, Lahore on August 29, 2025. — AFP Pakistan regularly ranks among the world’s most polluted countries, with Lahore often the most polluted megacity between ... -
Dawn - 15:03 Aug 29, 2025
Turkiye has decided to bar Israeli vessels from using its ports, forbid Turkish ships from using Israeli ports and impose restrictions on planes entering Turkish airspace, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday. He provided few details in comments to parliament, which appeared to summarise steps that Turkiye has already taken against Israel over the conflict in Gaza or has started to implement. Turkiye on Friday fiercely criticised Israel’s offensive in Gaza and accused it of committing genocide in the Palestinian enclave and halted all trade with Tel Aviv, called for international measures against it and urged world powers to stop their support. Sources told Reuters last week that Turkish port authorities had also started informally requiring shipping agents to provide letters declaring that vessels are not linked to Israel and not carrying military or hazardous cargo bound for the country. A source had also said that Turkish-flagged ships would be prohibited from calling at Israeli ports. “We have tota... -
Dawn - 12:54 Aug 29, 2025
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday said that Pakistan has agreed to consider establishing diplomatic relations with Armenia. “Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia, H.E. Ararat Mirzoyan @AraratMirzoyan and I held a cordial conversation on phone today, and agreed to consider establishing diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Armenia,” FM Dar posted on X. Meanwhile, Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan also posted on X, saying, “Had an important call with DPM & FM H.E. Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 today. Following recent developments & in line with the vision of cooperative engagement both bilaterally & on multilateral platforms, we discussed establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia & Pakistan.” Pakistan and Armenia do not have formal diplomatic relations so far. The relationship is characterised by a regional geopolitical rivalry, with Pakistan supporting Azerbaijan against Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as per the Press Information Depar... -
Dawn - 12:33 Aug 29, 2025
An 87-year-old former minister was among 16 people ordered by a Bangladesh court Friday to be detained in custody on charges of plotting against the government, police said. The South Asian nation has been in turmoil since a mass uprising toppled Sheikh Hasina’s autocratic government in 2024, with political parties vying for power ahead of elections scheduled for February. The 16 were arrested on Thursday after attending a meeting at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), a journalists’ association, where they accused political parties of conspiring to undermine the constitution. Witnesses said a mob stormed the venue, heckled the participants, and later handed them over to the police. “They were arrested under the anti-terrorism act,” said Khalid Mansur, officer-in-charge of Dhaka’s central police station. Among those held was Abdul Latif Siddiqui, a former minister under Hasina. Police told the court that the accused were “hatching conspiracies and inciting unrest to destabilise the country and topple the government”... -
Dawn - 10:53 Aug 29, 2025
The federal government on Friday constituted a special committee to provide legal aid to address the issues of families of missing persons, a press release said. The committee aims to provide legal aid to those families whose cases are being investiged by the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances (COIOED) in family law-related matters. The commission was set up in 2011 to trace the missing persons and fix responsibility on the individuals or organisations responsible. In the first half of 2025, a total of 125 missing persons cases were submitted there. “The families of missing persons having any such issue, especially relating to National Database and Registration Authority regarding issuance of Computerised National Identity Card/Form-B for various purposes, may submit their grievances, in writing, to the Special Committee through any mode of communication, including email (coioed@gmail.com) or WhatsApp (0321-5101070), followed by submission of hard copies,” the press release read. It added that t... -
Dawn - 10:12 Aug 29, 2025
Thailand’s Constitutional Court dismissed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office on Friday for an ethics violation after only a year in power, dealing another crushing blow to the Shinawatra political dynasty that could usher in a new period of turmoil. Paetongtarn, who was Thailand’s youngest prime minister, becomes the sixth premier from or backed by the billionaire Shinawatra family to be removed by the military or judiciary in a tumultuous two-decade battle for power between the country’s warring elites. In its verdict, the court said Paetongtarn violated ethics in a leaked June telephone call, during which she appeared to kowtow to Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen when both countries were at the brink of an armed border conflict. Fighting erupted weeks later and lasted five days. The decision paves the way for the election by parliament of a new prime minister, a process that could be drawn out, with Paetongtarn’s ruling Pheu Thai party losing bargaining power and facing a challenge to shore u... -
Dawn - 09:51 Aug 29, 2025
A Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed during a rehearsal for an airshow in Radom, central Poland, and the pilot died, the army said on Thursday. “A Polish Army pilot died in the crash of an F-16 aircraft — an officer who always served his country with dedication and great courage. I pay tribute to his memory,” Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on X after arriving at the crash scene. The General Command of the Armed Forces said that the accident involved an aircraft from the 31st Tactical Air Base near Poznan and that there were no injuries to any bystanders. “Rescue operations were immediately initiated at the scene,” it said in a statement. Footage obtained by Polish media showed the F-16 performing a barrel roll aerobatic manoeuvre, and then crashing in flames as it slid on the ground. Local media said the aircraft crashed into the runway around 1730 GMT and damaged it, and the Radom Airshow planned for the weekend has been cancelled. -
Dawn - 09:47 Aug 29, 2025
A high-level delegation from the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) reviewed the country’s progress during a visit on Aug 24-28, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Friday. CERN, one of the world’s largest and most respected centres for scientific research, was established in 1954 on the principle of “science for peace”, according to its website. Pakistan became CERN’s associate member on July 31, 2015, contributing to the centre’s projects as a “significant partner”. The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) is the lead agency for the Pak-CERN collaboration. “During the visit, a team of five top experts from CERN met with the chairman of the PAEC and toured various science and technology institutions,” a statement from the FO said. “The purpose of these visits was to assess Pakistan’s progress in the field of science and technology.” The institutions include the National Centre for Physics, Heavy Mechanical Complex-3, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Pakistan Institute of...
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