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Dawn - 16:26 Oct 15, 2025
Justice Ayesha Malik wondered on Wednesday whether Article 191A of the Constitution meant that a full court could no longer be formed as the Supreme Court’s (SC) Constitutional Bench (CB) heard petitions against the 26th Amendment. Article 191A was an addition to the Constitution made under the 26th Amendment to form constitutional benches in the Supreme Court to specifically deal with cases pertaining to constitutional matters, with its judges nominated by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP). The Amendment was passed by Parliament during an overnight session in October last year, with the PTI claiming seven of its lawmakers were abducted to gain their favour as the party opposed the legislation. The Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) also alleged its two senators were being pressured, with both later defying party line to vote in the tweaks’ favour. The legislation, which altered judicial authority and tenure, has been a lightning rod for debate, with both opposition parties and legal experts qu... -
Dawn - 15:35 Oct 15, 2025
Pakistan men’s Test captain Shan Masood said the challenge was to perform consistently after the Green Shirts’win against South Africa on Wednesday in the first Test. Left-arm spinner Noman Ali was South Africa’s chief tormentor as Pakistan won a gripping first Test by 93 runs at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. Set a daunting 277-run target for victory, the visitors and World Test champions were bowled out for 183 on day four. Speaking at the post-match press conference, skipper Shan said: “The message is this — we are playing good cricket against quality oppostions. “But at the same time, the challenge is that we need to consistently perform and win matches against top teams.” He added that talk regarding the first and second divisions of teams in Test cricket would become moot as a result. Shan also said that mistakes were made, and although there was room to work around them in home conditions, there might not be similar chances in away conditions. South African left-armer Senuran Muthusamy took 11-174 in the ma... -
Dawn - 15:33 Oct 15, 2025
Police on Wednesday launched an operation to demolish hundreds of houses vacated by Afghans in Karachi’s Afghan Camp in the Sohrab Goth area to prevent “illegal occupation by rogue elements,” officials said. The land belongs to the Malir Development Authority (MDA). It comprises 3,117 houses, including those of 200 to 250 Pakistani families. Around 15,680 Afghan nationals were previously residing in the camp. Of them, 14,296 have returned to Afghanistan, while the remaining 1,384 are still living there and are being repatriated in phases. West Zone Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Irfan Ali Baloch told Dawn.com, “The government-owned land was spread over 200 acres, with 3,000 houses built to accommodate Afghans.” DIG Baloch further said he had written a letter to police authorities to set up a special committee comprising representatives of the city administration, police and other relevant institutions to prevent illegal occupation of the vacated government land. “It was the biggest camp of displaced Afghans w... -
Dawn - 15:30 Oct 15, 2025
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Wednesday announced that the October 15 deadline for filing income tax returns will now be extended to October 31. A notification issued by the revenue board read that the deadline was being extended following requests from trade bodies and tax bar associations, and was being implemented as per Section 214A of the 2001 Income Tax Ordinance. “The Federal Board of Revenue is pleased to communicate that the date of filing of Income Tax Return for Tax Year 2025, for the persons who were required to file their returns by September 30, 2025 and was extended up to October 15th, 2025 … is further extended to October 31, 2025, in view of the requests from various trade bodies and tax bar associations,” the notification read. This is the second time the FBR has extended the deadline for filing income tax returns despite an earlier stance that it would not do so, signalling that the tax authority yielded to pressure from various quarters and walked back on its firm commitment. At mi... -
Dawn - 14:42 Oct 15, 2025
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday he would honour all past deals struck between his country and Moscow, a pledge suggesting Moscow’s two main military bases in Syria are safe. Sharaa, who once headed the Syrian branch of al Qaeda and who toppled predecessor Bashar al-Assad, a close Russian ally, late last year, was speaking at the start of Kremlin talks with Putin, his first visit to Russia since coming to power. “There are bilateral relations and shared interests that bind us with Russia, and we respect all agreements made with it. We are working on redefining the nature of relations with Russia,” Sharaa, who was speaking in Arabic, told Putin. Putin told him that Moscow was ready to do all it could to act on what he called “many interesting and useful beginnings” that had already been discussed between the two sides when it came to renewing relations. The Kremlin chief also congratulated Sharaa on the fact that parliamentary elections were held earlier this ... -
Dawn - 14:18 Oct 15, 2025
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari on Wednesday rejected the claims made by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) regarding the government “concealing information” about the Muridke operation carried out to disperse Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) march they claimed was in solidarity for Palestinians. The TLP began protests in Lahore on Oct 9, announcing a march to the US embassy in Islamabad to oppose the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after two years of conflict in Gaza. The demonstrations quickly turned violent, with police using baton charges and tear gas against stone-pelting protesters. The following day, clashes in Lahore’s Shahdara area left at least 40 officers injured, while the TLP claimed over 10 workers were killed. As the group attempted to move towards Islamabad, Punjab Rangers and police from five districts were deployed to Muridke, where trenches were dug and an operation launched to disperse them. Regarding the Mudrike Operation and the violence that broke o... -
Dawn - 13:18 Oct 15, 2025
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi administered the oath to PTI MPA Sohail Afridi as the province’s chief minister on Wednesday. Footage of the event showed throngs of people surrounding the two amid the ceremony. View this post on Instagram Afridi also held up a portrait of PTI founder Imran Khan during the event. After his oath-taking, PTI leader Asad Qaiser extended “heartfelt congratulations” to Afridi. “I hope that, God willing, he will take effective measures to resolve the province’s issues and for the welfare and prosperity of the people […] And that he will also play a role in securing the release of all innocent prisoners, including Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, and Shah Mahmood Qureshi,” Qaiser posted on X. The CM’s focal person on digital media Yar Muhammad Khan Niazi said that upon arrival at the CM’s secretariat, a well-equipped police contingent presented a guard of honour to Afridi. Afridi was elected the new KP chief executive on Monday during an assembly session marred by the oppositi... -
Dawn - 12:07 Oct 15, 2025
Security forces repulsed an attack by the Afghan Taliban along the Balochistan border on Wednesday, killing around 15 to 20 Afghan Taliban, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. According to a statement by the ISPR, Afghan Taliban “resorted to cowardly attack[s] at four locations in [the] Spin Boldak area” in the early hours of Wednesday. “The attack was effectively repulsed by Pakistani forces,” the statement said. It added that as Pakistani troops repelled the attack, 15 to 20 Afghan Taliban were killed and several others were injured. “The situation is still developing. There are reports of further buildup at staging points of Fitna-al-Khwarij and [the] Afghan Taliban,” the statement said. Fitna-al-Khwarij is the state-designated term for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The ISPR said that the attack from the Afghan side was “unfortunately […] orchestrated through divided villages in the area, with no regard for [the] civil population”. “The Afghan Taliban also destroyed the Pak-Afgh... -
Dawn - 11:56 Oct 15, 2025
PPP leader and former speaker of the Sindh Assembly Agha Siraj Durrani passed away on Wednesday at the age of 72, according to a statement by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. In a statement issued by the Sindh CM House, Shah expressed deep sorrow and grief over Durrani’s passing. Murad called Durrani “a sincere, loyal and principled leader of the party, saying he played an important role in strengthening the Sindh Assembly and stabilising democracy. “Agha Siraj Durrani made public service the axis of his politics,” he said, expressing his condolences to the bereaved family. “The services of the late Agha Siraj Durrani will always be remembered,” he said. President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed “deep sorrow” over Durrani’s passing. “The president paid tribute to his political and public services, noting his role in strengthening democracy and serving the people of Sindh,” said a post by the Presidency on social media platform X. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also paid tribute to the late Durrani for his ... -
Dawn - 11:10 Oct 15, 2025
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking the annulment of Sohail Afridi’s election as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, who is set to be administered his oath by the provincial governor, Faisal Karim Kundi, later today. The petition, on which the court had reserved its verdict earlier today, was filed by JUI-F leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman yesterday. Rehman, who was among the four contenders for the KP CM post, had requested the court to “set aside” Afridi’s election and declare it null and void. At today’s hearing, which was presided over by Justice Arshad Ali and Justice Waqar Ahmad, Barrister Yaseen appeared on behalf of Rehman against PTI’s Salman Akram Raja. Addressing the court, Raja pointed out that the JUI-F petition at hand “has become ineffective in light of yesterday’s PHC order.” Responding to his comments, Justice Ali said, “Yes, we are aware of the order, but let’s hear the petitioner’s argument.” Barrister Yaseen told the court, “How was a new chief minister e... -
Dawn - 11:09 Oct 15, 2025
Pakistan Telecommunications Limited (PTCL) on Wednesday said the international cable consortium had completed the repair of a repeater installed in the submarine cable, which had affected internet speeds across the country. Yesterday, internet users, already facing disruptions in parts of upper Punjab and the federal capital due to law and order situation, experienced slow connectivity. PTCL had said that a maintenance activity was planned on one of the company’s submarine cables to repair a faulty repeater by the international cable consortium. “The repair process began at 11 am on October 14 and has been successfully completed,” PTCL spokesperson Amir Pasha said in a statement today. “Internet service speed and connectivity have been restored across the country.” The state-owned PTCL manages three undersea optical fibre cable networks that provide international internet connectivity to Pakistan. The combined capacity of all six submarine cable systems serving the country, including three PTCL cable system... -
Dawn - 10:33 Oct 15, 2025
The Pakistani passport has ranked the fourth worst for the fifth straight year, according to this year’s Henley Passport Index, a ranking of the world’s 199 passports based on the number of destinations their owners can access without a prior visa. In the latest global ranking issued on October 7, Pakistan’s travel document was placed at 103 in the list — tied with Yemen — and ranked higher than only those of Iraq (104), Syria (105) and Afghanistan (106). Per the ranking, Pakistan and Yemen’s passports permit visa-free access to 31 countries only out of 227 travel destinations, Iraq’s allows travel to 29, Syria’s gives access to 26 destinations, and Afghanistan’s travel document only affords the bearer access to 24 destinations without a visa. Pakistan’s passport has been declared the world’s fourth worst since at least 2021 on the Henley index, which calculates countries’ “visa-free score” — the number of destinations travellers can access without a prior visa, or with a visa on arrival. The travel docume... -
Dawn - 10:21 Oct 15, 2025
Apple is lobbying India’s government to modify its income tax law to ensure the company is not taxed for ownership of high-end iPhone machinery it provides to its contract manufacturers, an issue seen as a hurdle to its future expansion, sources say. The push coincides with Apple’s growing India presence as it diversifies beyond China. Counterpoint Research says iPhone’s share in the Indian market has doubled to 8 per cent since 2022. And while China still accounts for 75pc of global iPhone shipments, India’s share has quadrupled to 25pc since 2022. India is the world’s second-largest mobile market. Apple’s contract manufacturers Foxconn and Tata have pumped in billions of dollars to open five plants, but millions of those expenses go into acquiring pricey machines for iPhone assembly. Experts say Apple potentially faces billions of dollars in additional taxes if it changes its business practices without convincing New Delhi to change a 1961 law covering foreign ownership of equipment used in India. In China,... -
Dawn - 10:17 Oct 15, 2025
Pakistan’s space agency on Wednesday announced the upcoming launch of the country’s first hyperspectral satellite (HS-1) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in China, scheduled for October 19. Hyperspectral imaging is a type of advanced camera technology used in satellites to study the Earth and space, according to a study published in the Journal of Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience. Unlike regular satellite cameras that capture only a few colours (like red, green, and blue), hyperspectral cameras capture hundreds of very narrow colour bands. This means they can detect tiny differences in light that the human eye, or even normal satellites, can’t see. Because of this, scientists can use hyperspectral images to identify materials, detect changes in vegetation, find minerals, monitor pollution, or even study the atmosphere in much greater detail than before. According to a statement from the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco), the launch is a “landmark mission [which] repre... -
Dawn - 09:33 Oct 15, 2025
Left-arm spinner Noman Ali was South Africa’s chief tormentor as Pakistan won a gripping first Test by 93 runs in Lahore on Wednesday. Set a daunting 277-run target for victory, the visitors and World Test champions were bowled out for 183 on day four. Man of the match Noman finished with 4-79 and 10-191 in the match for his third haul of ten wickets or more in Tests. With the weary Gaddafi Stadium pitch taking sharp turn and low bounce, the 39-year-old Noman exploited the conditions well despite a stubborn 73-run stand between Dewald Brevis and Ryan Rickelton in the morning. In all, spinners from both sides took 34 wickets, with just six going to fast bowlers. South African left-armer Senuran Muthusamy took 11-174 in the match. Pakistan made 378 in their first innings, with South Africa scoring 269 in reply. On a deteriorating surface, the hosts collapsed in their second-innings 167 but it proved enough. On Wednesday, with the tourists 137-6 at lunch the writing was very much on the wall, then Sajid Khan dis... -
Dawn - 07:24 Oct 15, 2025
The military on Wednesday said that India was attempting to “mould history to its liking by inventing outlandish, Bollywood-style scripts” in the aftermath of the May conflict between the two countries. The May conflict between Pakistan and India was sparked by an attack on tourists in occupied Kashmir, which New Delhi, without evidence, linked with Pakistan. Islamabad strongly denied responsibility while calling for a neutral investigation. After New Delhi launched deadly air strikes in Punjab and Azad Kashmir on May 7, Pakistan said it downed five Indian planes in air-to-air combat, later raising the tally to seven. After tit-for-tat strikes on each other’s airbases, it took American intervention on May 10 for both sides to finally reach a ceasefire. Islamabad has denied any losses of its planes and said it hit 26 Indian targets after its three air bases were targeted. However, Indian political and military leadership have continued to make aggressive statements, repeating terrorism allegations that Pakista... -
Dawn - 07:22 Oct 15, 2025
PTI founder Imran Khan said on Tuesday that his party had been given a mandate by the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and would not act against their interests. Imran’s remarks come after Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Friday vowed the country would not ‘mortgage’ the security of its people with any country. He said “appeasement of terrorists and their facilitators was not and never would be a policy”, while addressing KP’s security situation in Peshawar. Responding to Imran’s call — from jail — for talks with the Afghan Taliban to end bloodshed, the DG ISPR said the state and forces would not be swayed by political distortions. He added that no single person — “most responsible for bringing terrorism back to KP” — could dictate national security. He also cited “governance gaps” in the province’s infrastructure and counter-terror funding. In a post on Imran’s official X account last night — which he does not operate himself — the PTI founder congratulated ... -
Dawn - 02:01 Oct 15, 2025
Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have reached a staff-level agreement (SLA) on reviews of the implementation of the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and $1.1bn Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), the Fund said on Wednesday. Last week, an IMF mission led by Iva Petrova concluded talks with Pakistani authorities on the second review of the EFF — agreed in 2024 to shore up the economy after a severe financial crisis — and the first one of the RSF climate loan. “The IMF team has reached a staff-level agreement with the Pakistani authorities on the second review of the 37-month Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the first review of the 28-month arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF),“ Petrova said in a statement issued by the IMF. The SLA is subject to approval by the IMF Executive Board, Petrova added. Once approved, Pakistan will have access to about $1bn (SDR 760 million) under the EFF and about $200m (SDR 154m) under th... -
Dawn - 19:11 Oct 14, 2025
Fighting flared up again on Tuesday night between Pakistani forces and the Afghan Taliban in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reported state media. “Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij opened unprovoked fire in Kurram. Pakistani Army responded with full force and intensity,” reported state broadcaster PTV News, quoting security sources on X. Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. It added that Taliban regime posts suffered heavy damage and a tank caught fire after being hit, with Taliban fighters fleeing from their posts. In a subsequent post, PTV said: “Another post and tank position of the Afghan Taliban destroyed in Kurram sector.’’ PTV added that a fourth tank position at Shamsadar post was destroyed. “There are reports of the killing of an important commander of Fitna al-Khawarij in this important operation of the Pakistan Army.’’ Earlier today, the Foreign Office (FO) said that Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch gave... -
Dawn - 19:07 Oct 14, 2025
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said on Tuesday that the government has decided to take a firm stand against the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), and that action against the protesters will be taken in a manner similar to that of May 9. Speaking to Geo News show ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, the state minister said that since the formation of the current administration under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, TLP has attempted to march on Islamabad twice. “In every march, the government signed agreements with them; many of the terms of were not favourable for the state,” he said. However, he added, the state has taken a decisive stance. “We have to move forward and learn from past mistakes. We will not be blackmailed anymore. Those who bring extremism and violence into politics, whether it’s May 9, November 26, or the TLP dharnas, will not be tolerated. Action against them will be similar to what was taken after May 9,” he said, referring to the 2023 protests f...
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