Dawn
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Found 5493 news
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Dawn - 04:39 Aug 22, 2025
PESHAWAR: With the death toll from last week’s flash floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reaching 393, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Thursday issued an advisory for widespread rains in the province from August 22 to 26. A PDMA report issued here said that the tally of deaths from last Friday’s catastrophic rains and flash floods had gone up to 393, with Buner, the most affected district, reporting 234 fatalities as well as injury to 128 people. Also, 42 people were killed and 20 injured in Swabi district, while Shangla district has recorded 36 deaths, Mansehra 25, Bajaur 22 and Swat 20. The PDMA report said that the Pakistan Meteorological Department had forecast the start of widespread rains in the province’s central and upper parts from August 22. Most 234 fatalities reported in Buner district It said that widespread downpour, along with wind and thunderstorms, were very likely in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Kohistan, Kolai-Palas, Malakand, Buner, Mansehra, Battagram, Torghar, Abbottabad,... -
Dawn - 04:07 Aug 22, 2025
KOT ADDU: Villagers carrying their children on their shoulders wade through floodwaters in Ehsan Pur village.—AFP • Fresh spell of torrential rains forecast across the country • PDMA issues high-alert warning for Punjab • Tarbela Dam is at maximum capacity; Mangla Dam is 74pc full LAHORE / RAWALPINDI: Thousands of families in south Punjab have been displaced as floods caused by overflowing Indus and Chenab rivers have destroyed homes, crops and farmland. Districts including Layyah, Taunsa Sharif, Kot Addu, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur and Multan are among the worst affected. In Multan, floodwaters entered several villages, destroying crops and mango orchards. In Kot Adu, residents of Ehsanpur and Hinjrai union councils were forced to evacuate along with their livestock. “Houses are surrounded by water, crops have vanished and land is eroding,” a rescue official told Dawn on condition of anonymity, adding that his team had evacuated over 150 people and their cattle by boat. In Layyah, floodwaters w... -
Dawn - 04:03 Aug 22, 2025
BAJAUR / SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: At least 11 people — including a woman and children — were injured, when heavy clashes erupted between security forces and militants in the Birmal tehsil of Lower South Waziristan district on Thursday morning, officials and residents told Dawn. The exchange of fire took place near Karmazi Stop, as troops were carrying out an operation to take control of a key militant stronghold. Sources said security forces managed to establish two new posts in the area. Officials said that several militants initially managed to take refuge inside a nearby structure, but later fled during the clearance operation. The crossfire left 11 residents injured, who were provided first aid before being shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Wana. Witnesses said intermittent firing continued throughout the day, and residents said the area remained tense throughout the operation, with families confined to their homes for several hours. The Wana-Azam Warsak Road remained closed until around 1pm, dis... -
Dawn - 19:38 Aug 21, 2025
Hours after the PTI announced late Thursday that men in plainclothes had “abducted” the son of Aleema Khanum, the sister of party founder and ex-premier Imran Khan, from her residence, Lahore police announced that Shahrez Khan had been arrested in connection with a May 9 case. Shortly after the ‘abduction’ was reported, police officials had expressed ignorance of Shahrez’s whereabouts and said they could only look into the matter if an official complaint was lodged. Earlier, PTI Lawyer Rana Mudassar Umar had told Dawn.com that Aleema’s son, Shahrez Khan, was “kidnapped” from his home in Lahore. “People dressed in plain clothes entered the house and took Aleema Khan’s son with them,” he claimed. “No case has been registered against Shahrez, nor is he related to politics.” Mudassar said that no information had been given about Shahrez’s whereabouts and that he would approach the Lahore High Court for his recovery. PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram wrote on X: “During an attack, people dressed in pla... -
Dawn - 19:38 Aug 21, 2025
A US State Department official on Thursday said that continuous vetting applies to “all of the more than 55 million foreigners who currently hold valid United States visas”, including those who have already been admitted to enter the country. “The State Department revokes visas any time there are indications of a potential ineligibility, which includes things like any indicators of overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety, engaging in any form of terrorist activity, or providing support to a terrorist organisation,” the official said. In a written comment to The Associated Press, the official said that if a visa holder presents these indications, their visa will be revoked and they will be subject to deportation if they are already in the US. US President Donald Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a focus of his presidency, boosting resources to secure the border and arresting people in the country illegally. Earlier this month, the US government announced that it could require b... -
Dawn - 18:56 Aug 21, 2025
Military spokesperson Lieutenant-General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry clarified on Thursday that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir did not seek an apology from anyone over the May 9, 2023 riots, saying the perpetrators should be “held accountable”, Geo News reported. The remarks come days after it was reported that the army chief had sought a ‘sincere apology’ over the 2023 countrywide protests — apparently from the PTI, which the state holds responsible for the May 9 riots. Suhail Warraich, a senior editor for the Daily Jang newspaper, wrote in a column on August 16 that COAS Munir had spoken to him in person recently in Belgium’s capital of Brussels, where the army chief had stopped over on his return from his visit to the United States. “On a question about politics, he (the army chief) said that political reconciliation is possible only if there is a sincere apology,” the column read, without specifying who the army chief was referring to or who the question was about. “Neither did the army chi... -
Dawn - 18:31 Aug 21, 2025
China affirmed its commitment on Thursday to working with Pakistan on promoting regional peace, development and stability. Pakistan and China share a longstanding strategic partnership with ties ranging across different sectors — including trade, energy, defence and infrastructure. The fifth round of Strategic Dialogue in May 2024 was co-chaired by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing. The Chinese foreign minister is currently on a visit to Pakistan. Wang called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s House, according to a statement from the PM Office. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and senior cabinet members. “FM Wang Yi emphasised that China regarded Pakistan as an ironclad friend and all-weather strategic partner. He expressed China’s desire to elevate bilateral relations with Pakistan to new heights of cooperation and collaboration. Commending ... -
Dawn - 17:34 Aug 21, 2025
A teenager inspired by Adolf Hitler, who planned to set fire to a Scottish mosque, was sentenced to 10 years in custody on Thursday. Police arrested the 17-year-old in January while he was carrying a military-style rucksack as he tried to gain entry to the building in Greenock, on the west coast of Scotland. Inside the bag, officers found a German-made Glock-type air pistol, ammunition, ball bearings, gas cartridges and aerosol cans, prosecutors said. The teen had mapped out the building’s interior on his phone. Investigators also found a list of individuals who had inspired his political beliefs, including Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik. A search of his home found Hitler’s book Mein Kampf, knives and masks, as well as instructions and ingredients for the manufacturing of explosives. The High Court in Glasgow sentenced him after he pleaded guilty to two charges of terrorism, Scotland’s Crown Office said. The teenager — who cannot be named for legal reasons due to h... -
Dawn - 17:24 Aug 21, 2025
At least two people were killed and 33 were injured when a massive explosion took place inside a warehouse in a densely populated area near Karachi’s Taj Medical Complex on Thursday afternoon, according to police and hospital officials. Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn.com that 20 injured people were brought to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, including two with critical wounds, while 14 other men were brought to the trauma centre at Civil Hospital Karachi, with two in critical condition. “The condition of other wounded persons is being evaluated,” she said. Later in the day, she said the police brought the body of a 16-year-old who was found dead at the last level of the warehouse. A statement from Rescue 1122 also confirmed the body’s retrieval. In a subsequent update, she said: “One critical patient has unfortunately expired.” Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan told Dawn.com that there was a three-storey building near Taj Medical Complex in Saddar where families resided on upper flo... -
Dawn - 17:19 Aug 21, 2025
A man was killed in a rain-related incident on Thursday as parts of Karachi received rain again for a third day with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issuing an emergency alert. Tuesday’s rains had severely strained Karachi’s fragile infrastructure, causing stormwater drains and sewers to burst, and also disrupting industrial operations across the economic hub. Several areas experienced extended power and internet service outages, which continued late into Wednesday, disrupting everyday life and adding to citizens’ misery. The rain-related death toll rose to 14. Most of the deaths occurred due to collapsing structures, drowning and electrocution during the past three days, according to hospital officials. Parts of Karachi intermittently received rain today as well, beginning after 2pm. Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn.com that the body of a 30-year-old, who died from an electric shock, was brought from Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority to the medico-legal section of Jinnah Postgrad... -
Dawn - 15:11 Aug 21, 2025
A collision between a bus and a rescue ambulance on Thursday killed six people, including four rescue personnel, and injured two others in Punjab’s Rahim Yar Khan district, according to officials. A statement issued by Punjab Rescue Spokesperson Farouk Ahmed said the accident occurred on the Rahim Yar Khan Road in the Kot Samaba area. “Six people, including four rescue personnel, died in the accident,” he said. According to Rescue 1122 spokesperson Adnan Shabbir, the incident took place at 3:21pm. He said the two injured people were taken to Sheikh Zayed Medical College Hospital for treatment. Rahim Yar Khan District Police Officer Irfan Ali Sammon had reached the spot to monitor the relief activities. Deputy Commissioner (DC) Khuram Javed condoled the families of the deceased rescue officials and sought a report from concerned officers. The Rescue 1122 statement added that the emergency services secretary instructed the district rescue officer to provide an immediate report of the accident. “Provincial Minis... -
Dawn - 14:43 Aug 21, 2025
Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan held productive discussions with Bangladesh’s Adviser for Industries Adilur Rahman Khan in Dhaka on Thursday to explore avenues for industrial cooperation between the two countries. The two countries were once one nation but split following a bloody civil war, which saw the territory previously referred to as ‘East Pakistan’ seceded to form the independent nation of Bangladesh. In the years since, Dhaka’s leaders, especially the ousted regime of Sheikh Hasina, stayed firmly in the Indian camp. However, after Hasina’s government was toppled last year, there has been a thaw in ties between the two capitals, with trade and bilateral relations seeing a marked improvement. The commerce minister is currently on a visit to Bangladesh. He was received upon his arrival in Dhaka by Bangladesh’s Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashiruddin. “Looking forward to engagements with officials and business leaders,” he said. Kamal and Rahman discussed the importance of leveraging their economies and ind... -
Dawn - 14:12 Aug 21, 2025
The Supreme Court on Thursday accepted the bail pleas of former prime minister Imran Khan in eight cases related to the May 9, 2023 riots. On May 9, 2023, PTI supporters, protesting Imran’s arrest, staged violent protests throughout the country, vandalising military installations and state-owned buildings, while also attacking the Lahore corps commander’s residence. Following the riots, thousands of protesters, including party leaders, were arrested. In November 2024, a Lahore anti-terrorism court had denied Imran bail in the cases related to the May 9, 2023 riots, including an attack on the house of the Lahore corps commander. The incarcerated PTI leader’s plea challenging that was also rejected by the Lahore High Court (LHC) on June 24. Subsequently, days later, Imran had challenged that dismissal before the apex court. A three-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi and comprising Justices Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and Hasan Azhar Rizvi resumed hearing the petitions today. Barrister ... -
Dawn - 12:54 Aug 21, 2025
India’s sports ministry on Thursday declared that India and Pakistan would not have any bilateral sporting ties even on neutral venues as per an unprecedented new policy but the cricket team would not be stopped from playing the Asia Cup next month as it is a multi-lateral engagement, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported. Political tensions between the two nations over the years have cast a shadow over bilateral sporting events, causing major tournaments to hang in the balance. The countries’ teams have previously refused to travel across the border for sporting events, electing to play on neutral ground via a hybrid model instead. Last month, the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) instructed all national sports federations to seek prior consultation and approval before participating in any sporting events held in India due to ’“security concerns”. According to PTI, India’s sports ministry unveiled the new policy with regard to India’s international engagements with emphasis on Pakistan. It added that a well-p... -
Dawn - 10:54 Aug 21, 2025
A clash broke out between police and protesters in the early hours of Thursday, leaving several injured, protest organisers claimed, as traders continued to block routes in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Sost Valley. Last month, Pak-China Tajeer Etihad Action Committee launched a protest against the suspension of border trade via the Khunjerab Pass, blaming the federal government’s inaction over unresolved tax-related issues, which have inflicted heavy losses on importers and exporters over the year. One of the organisers, Muhammad Ismail, claimed that the police had launched a crackdown against peaceful protesters, stating: “Police resorted to tear gas and aerial firing to disperse protesters from the venue.” Speaking to reporters, Hunza Superintendent of Police Nabeel Ahmed said that there was no plan to launch a crackdown on the sit-in. “Police were deployed only to arrest a suspect who is allegedly extorting traders at the customs and immigration area upon their return from China,” he said. “The sit-in organisers had... -
Dawn - 10:43 Aug 21, 2025
A Lahore man accused of “sextortion” of a minor via social media platform Snapchat was handed over to police for a five-day physical remand, the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA) said on Thursday. As per the court order given by a district and sessions court in Lahore, it was notified that the accused should be handed over to the police for a five-day investigation. According to NCCIA’s application for the remand, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the accused was arrested after NCCIA received a tip-off from an international organisation. He was booked for sharing pornographic material via the social media application Snapchat and engaging in “sextortion” of a minor. Upon arrest, NCCIA confiscated the phone of the accused and found pornographic material on the phone, in its “screenshot” and “screen-recording” folders. During the initial interrogation conducted by the NCCIA, the accused confessed to the crimes. Subsequently, a first information report (FIR) was registered against the ... -
Dawn - 10:18 Aug 21, 2025
Meta Platforms has paused hiring in its artificial intelligence division after bringing on more than 50 researchers and engineers, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The move comes amid growing global concerns that investment in AI is moving too fast. In July, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg had pledged hundreds of billions for AI data centres in a “superintelligence push”. The social media giant is among the large tech companies that have struck high-profile deals and doled out multi-million-dollar pay packages in recent months to fast-track work on machines that could outthink humans on many tasks. “The hiring freeze, which went into effect last week and coincides with a broader restructuring of the group, also prohibits current employees from moving across teams inside the division,” according to the WSJ report. “The duration of the freeze wasn’t communicated internally.” “All that’s happening here is some basic organisational planning: creating a solid structure for our new superintelligence efforts af... -
Dawn - 09:57 Aug 21, 2025
The restoration of mobile services in Balochistan was underway on Thursday after the Balochistan High Court (BHC) ordered their immediate resumption, ending a 15-day suspension. Earlier this month, mobile data services in the province were announced to be suspended until August 31 over “security reasons”. Balochistan’s Consumer Civil Society chairman, Khair Muhammad Shaheen, had filed a constitutional petition against the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and others regarding the suspension of mobile phone internet services. The petition argued that the mobile phone services were a basic mode of communication for businessmen, students, educational institutions and others. It added that the suspension constituted a violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 9 (security of person), 15 (freedom of movement etc), 18 (freedom of trade, business and profession), 19-A (right to information) and 25 (equality of citizens) of the Constitution. A two-member BHC bench, comprising Chief Justice Rozi Kha... -
Dawn - 08:51 Aug 21, 2025
HYDERABAD: A provisional report of the second post-mortem of deceased DawnNews reporter Khawar Hussain Bajwa has described head injury by a ‘contact shot’ of a firearm as cause of his death on Aug 16 in Sanghar. The report was signed by all three experts, Dr Waseem Khan, police surgeon of Liaquat University Hospital (LUH) as chairman; Prof Dr Waheed Ali Nahiyoon of Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences (LUMHS) and Dr Mohammad Adeel Rajput, additional police surgeon LUH, as members of the committee probing the death. “Firearm head injury causing displaced chip fractures of right and left parieto temporal and occipital bones with damage to brain matter is sufficient to cause death in ordinary course of nature. The distance of fire: contact shot,” an opinion part of the report said. Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2025 -
Dawn - 07:23 Aug 21, 2025
LAHORE: Thousands of villagers in low-lying areas of Layyah, Taunsa, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur and Muzaffargarh are compelled to leave their homes after rising level of Indus River washed away all the protective guide bunds and dykes constructed to support the Layyah-Taunsa Bridge as heavy rains continue to lash several many parts of Punjab. The severe flooding destroyed earthen homes and agricultural fields in Sumra Nashaib, Dulu Nashaib, Lohanch Nashaib, Mirani Paka, Loni, Darkhan, Chadhar, Mohana, and Mosan Shah, leaving families displaced and without shelter. Many struggle to save livestock amid the rising floodwaters. In Taunsa, several villages such as Bait Lakho, Jarh Leghari, Jarah, Urra, Bodu Manaan, Thulla Chaki, Eida Arain, Basti Habib, Lal Shah, and Kotla Miran have been submerged, with houses reduced to rubble. Thousands of acres of crops in these areas are underwater and entirely ruined, leaving the displaced population without shelter or livelihood, forced to live under the open sky. In Muz...
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