Dawn
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Dawn - 07:19 Aug 21, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Authorities on Wednesday warned that heavy rainfall, ranging between 50 to 100 millimetres or more, would batter Karachi and parts of Sindh over the next 12 to 24 hours, raising concerns of urban flooding, waterlogging and disruption to daily life. According to the Zoom Earth weather tracking website, an intense system forming over Sindh would hit urban centres like Hyderabad and Karachi after midnight on Wednesday. The system, which is likely to head out to sea by the morning, might precipitate heavily concentrated downpours in lower Sindh. A spokesman for the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) advised residents in vulnerable areas, including Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas and Sukkur, to remain alert and closely monitor official updates to mitigate potential hazards. Urban flooding is expected to persist in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Mirpurkhas due to continued downpours and poor drainage infrastructure. Simultaneously, districts such as Thatta, Badin, Jams... -
Dawn - 07:11 Aug 21, 2025
KARACHI: Expressing concern over performance of certain local bodies including towns under control of the opposition Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has called upon all political stakeholders to refrain from blame games and fulfil their respective responsibilities to aid the city’s recovery. Talking to the media and responding to a question on coordination and accountability among agencies during a visit to the city a day after heavy rain lashed the metropolis, the CM expressed concern over the performance of some local representatives, including JI’s town chairmen, particularly after the formation of town administrations, which he said had led to division and inefficiency in service delivery. He acknowledged certain shortcomings, welcomed constructive criticism, and announced disciplinary action against officials who failed to perform. He underlined the urgent need for modern and efficient drainage systems to mitigate the impact of extreme weather in the future, ensuring urban ... -
Dawn - 06:45 Aug 21, 2025
Frank Caprio, a retired municipal judge in United States’ Rhode Island who found online fame as a caring jurist, passed away on Monday aged 88. Judge Caprio, host of ABC series ‘Caught in Providence’ was known for his kindness, even while serving justice. According to CNN, Caprio billed his courtroom as a place “where people and cases are met with kindness and compassion“. “Judge Frank Caprio passed away peacefully at the age of 88 after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer,” said a post on the social media-famous judge’s Facebook account. “Beloved for his compassion, humility, and unwavering belief in the goodness of people, Judge Caprio touched the lives of millions through his work in the courtroom and beyond,” the post recalled. “His warmth, humour and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him […] In his honour, may we each strive to bring a little more compassion into the world — just as he did every day.” Videos of Caprio “treating defendants with empathy and respect gained more... -
Dawn - 06:26 Aug 21, 2025
Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif has denied claims made by her former manager that she has retired from the sport, saying she is still training regularly. Algerian Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting were in the spotlight at the Paris Games last year over their eligibility after they had been disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by the IBA, which said sex chromosome tests had ruled them ineligible. However, they competed in the women’s category in Paris after being cleared by the International Olympic Committee, with both winning gold medals in their weight classes. Khelif has not competed since her win in Paris. In an interview with French newspaper Nice-Matin on Wednesday, Khelif’s former manager Nasser Yesfah said she had “left the world of boxing”. In a follow-up interview with the same newspaper hours later, Yesfah clarified he was only referring to Khelif’s boxing commitments in the city of Nice, where she was previously part of the Nice Azur club. Khelif criticised Yesfah’s comments in a post... -
Dawn - 05:36 Aug 21, 2025
• In a letter, two senior judges reject CJP’s explanation about not convening full court on 26th Amendment controversy • Letter says CJP’s response, now in public domain, neither provides valid reason nor legal justification for not convening full court ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court’s decision to make public the minutes of the committee meeting held on Oct 31, 2024 — convened to call a full court session to determine the vires (validity) of the 26th Constitutional Amendment — has caused a considerable stir on the judicial front. Two notes from Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi were uploaded on the SC’s official website on August 14, reviving the debate on 26th Amendment controversy. On Wednesday, a letter surfaced from two senior judges of the Supreme Court, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar. The letter appeared to be a response to the publication of the minutes of the three-judge committee formed under the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023. The two judges had co... -
Dawn - 02:57 Aug 21, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Confusion arose on Wednesday after different government notifications appeared to contradict each other regarding the donation of federal cabinet members’ salaries for flood victims in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan. The finance division issued a notification suggesting the withdrawal of a directive for cabinet members to donate a month’s salary. However, another notification from the same division stated that the one-day pay of senior bureaucrats from Grades 19 to 22 will be donated to the flood victims. Meanwhile, officials at the Prime Minister’s Office clarified that the decision to donate one month’s salary of cabinet members has not been withdrawn, and that their salaries will be donated to the flood-hit people through another notification issued by the cabinet division. The cabinet division’s notification said: “The prime minister has been pleased to direct that all federal ministers, ministers of state, advisers and special assistants to the prime minister shall contribute one mo... -
Dawn - 19:10 Aug 20, 2025
All public and private schools and colleges in Karachi will remain closed today as heavy rains have left parts of the city waterlogged, the Sindh Education Department announced. Power was nearly restored across the city, and only a few roads had remained inundated after Tuesday’s heavy downpour before a late evening spell of heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds on Wednesday interrupted Karachiites’ hopes for a quick return to normalcy. The Sindh government had ordered all private and public educational institutions across the city to remain closed on Wednesday, after Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab declared a rain emergency. Notifications issued on Wednesday by the Sindh government’s college and school education departments stated that schools will remain closed today due to the heavy rain. The notices are available with Dawn.com. The government notified that the closure will apply to all private and public institutions in Karachi division, which are under the administrative control of the Sindh government’s Col... -
Dawn - 18:23 Aug 20, 2025
Three children were among four more people killed in rain-related incidents in Karachi on Wednesday evening, raising the death toll to 14 as the metropolis was lashed with heavy rainfall for a second consecutive day. Tuesday’s rains had severely strained Karachi’s fragile infrastructure, causing stormwater drains and sewers to burst, and also disrupted industrial operations across the economic hub. Several areas experienced extended power and internet services outages which continued late into Wednesday, disrupting everyday life and adding to citizens’ misery. Due to the severity of the situation, the provincial administration had announced a public holiday in the city today. An Edhi Foundation spokesperson said in a statement that two unidentified children drowned in the Lyari River in Liaquatabad’s C-1 Area and near Al-Asif Square in Sohrab Goth, while Rescue-1122 spokesperson Hassaan Ul Haseeb Khan told Dawn.com that their rescue team continued the search operation until nightfall, but it was halted du... -
Dawn - 18:12 Aug 20, 2025
India on Wednesday test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads, a government statement said, in an apparent show of strength ahead of a threatened US tariff increase. The Agni-5 missile was successfully launched in India’s eastern Odisha state, with authorities saying it “validated all operational and technical parameters.” The test-fire came a week before US tariffs are set to double from 25 per cent to 50 pc, unless India meets President Donald Trump’s demand that it stop buying Russian oil. India last tested the Agni-5 missile in March 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this month that, in the face of US tariffs, India was seeking self-reliance with energy independence and the development of its own defence systems. New Delhi has deepened defence cooperation with Western countries in recent years, including in the Quad alliance with the United States, Japan and Australia as an apparent counter to rival China. But India’s relations with China have wa... -
Dawn - 18:04 Aug 20, 2025
A letter, penned by Supreme Court Justices Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Munib Akhtar, has exposed another deepening rift within Pakistan’s apex court, this time over Chief Justice Yahya Afridi’s failure to implement what the two judges argue was a legally binding decision by a Supreme Court Committee to hear challenges to the controversial 26th Constitutional Amendment before a Full Court. The letter, which has surfaced amid a brewing controversy, reveals a clash over judicial independence, transparency, and the handling of one of Pakistan’s most politically charged constitutional issues: the 26th Amendment, which alters judicial authority and tenure, and has been a lightning rod for debate, with opposition parties and legal experts questioning its impact on the judiciary’s autonomy. The letter states that on October 31, 2024, Justices Shah and Akhtar, members of the Supreme Court Committee formed under the Practice and Procedure Act, 2023, had pushed for a Full Court hearing to address petitions challenging the... -
Dawn - 17:29 Aug 20, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday visited the flood-affected districts of Swat, Buner and Shangla in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as 14 more bodies were recovered from debris in Swabi’s Dalori. Record rains in KP, which started on August 15, have wreaked havoc on different parts of the province. Last week, the provincial government declared an emergency as torrential rains ravaged homes, displaced families, and left a trail of destruction across Buner, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, and beyond. “Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by federal ministers and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, visited the flood-affected districts of Swat, Buner, and Shangla,” the Press Information Department said in a press release. Separately, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar, while speaking to the media in Peshawar, expressed gratitude to the federal and provincial governments, Pakistan Army, political parties and their organisations, as well as all individuals and institutions that came forward to provide a... -
Dawn - 16:19 Aug 20, 2025
The national men’s T20 squad arrived in Dubai for the upcoming Asia Cup and Tri-Nation series, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Wednesday. The tri-series against Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates, which starts on August 29, and the Asia Cup from September 9 will both take place in the UAE. In a post on X, the PCB said the team arrived in Dubai in four groups, adding that it would participate in a pre-series training camp from August 21-27 and take part in a training session at the ICC Cricket Academy tomorrow. The squad departed from Pakistan in four different groups “to ensure a smooth and organised arrival of players and support staff in Dubai”, state media PTV reported. While the ICC Cricket Academy will serve as the “primary training facility” for players, the team was scheduled to play a T20 practice match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the state broadcaster said. All training sessions and practice matches will take place in Dubai according to the official schedule, PTV stated... -
Dawn - 16:05 Aug 20, 2025
Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Danyal Chaudhry on Wednesday met British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott to discuss cooperation between Islamabad and London. Pakistan and the United Kingdom have been engaged in the Enhanced Strategic Dialogue (ESD) since 2011, which has deepened and broadened the dialogue between the two countries, covering areas such as trade, economic growth and development, cultural cooperation, security, and education. During the meeting, held in Islamabad, Chaudhry highlighted Pakistan’s ‘democratic trajectory’ and emphasised that constructive dialogue and strong institutions were essential for a sustainable democracy. “The meeting also touched on matters concerning Pakistani-origin citizens in the UK, including taxation and general facilitation,” the press release read. “Marriott welcomed ongoing efforts to support overseas Pakistanis and expressed interest in further collaboration to enhance services for the diaspora.” Chaudhry stressed, during the ... -
Dawn - 15:59 Aug 20, 2025
Pakistan, China and Afghanistan on Wednesday committed themselves to bolstering joint efforts against the menace of terrorism and deepening their collaboration in key spheres. A statement to this effect followed the Sixth Trilateral Foreign Ministers Dialogue held in Kabul between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Chinese and Afghan counterparts, Wang Yi and Amir Khan Muttaqi, respectively, on the topics of political, economic and security cooperation. “The three sides committed to strengthening joint efforts against terrorism. They also reaffirmed their commitment to deepening collaboration in trade, transit, regional development, health, education, culture, and combating drug trafficking, as well as extension of CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) to Afghanistan,” the Foreign Office (FO) said on the meeting. Before the meeting, Dar met FM Muttaqi on the sidelines and the two are said to have noted the positive movement in political and economic ties between Pakistan and Afghan... -
Dawn - 15:38 Aug 20, 2025
Incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan has nominated Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai for the post of Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja said on Wednesday. “Azam Khan Swati has been nominated as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate,” Raja added. He also said Imran has asked for five names to decide on his nominee for the opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly. The announcement comes after the Election Commission of Pakistan earlier this month disqualified PTI’s Omar Ayub Khan as the NA opposition leader and Shibli Faraz from the same role in the Senate, along with other opposition MNAs and MPAs, following their convictions in May 9 cases. Both PTI opposition leaders were formally removed from their posts on August 8. Speaking to reporters outside the Supreme Court, Raja said that Imran had nominated Achakzai, who currently leads the Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), to take Ayub’s place. “The PTI founder has entrusted the ... -
Dawn - 13:48 Aug 20, 2025
The federal government officially established the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA), appointing a chairperson and one other member to the body, it emerged on Wednesday. As one of three bodies formed under the Digital Nation Bill — approved by the federal cabinet in June — the PDA will comprise a chairperson and two members, who will work to develop, implement and monitor the national digital master plan. The authority will also establish a monitoring and evaluation framework for digital transformation projects. The Digital Nation Bill aims to create a digital identity for citizens in order to centralise social, economic and governance data, and to provide for the transformation of Pakistan into a digital nation, enabling a digital society, digital economy and digital governance, according to its stated objectives. According to a pair of notifications from the Cabinet Division — dated August 19 and available with Dawn.com — Dr Sohail Munir has been appointed as the PDA chairperson, while Dr Muhammad J. Sear has... -
Dawn - 12:25 Aug 20, 2025
Massive, sudden downpours of rain known as cloudbursts have struck Pakistan and India during this monsoon season, killing hundreds of people in the flash floods and landslides they have triggered. Rescue workers and residents gather after cloudburst following the heavy rains and floodings, in Jibrari village in Salarzai Tehsil, Pakistan on August 15, 2025. — Reuters Why are cloudbursts and why do they occur? By a widely accepted definition, a cloudburst means more than 100 mm (4 inches) of rainfall in one hour, over a small area. This year, the monsoon, which originates in the Bay of Bengal and then sweeps westwards across northern India to Pakistan every summer, has brought deadly cloudbursts. Weather studies say cloudbursts typically occur in South Asia when warm, monsoon winds, laden with moisture, meet the cold mountain air in the north of India and Pakistan, causing condensation. With a warming planet, the monsoon has hotter air, which can carry more moisture. India’s weather department data shows cloudb... -
Dawn - 12:14 Aug 20, 2025
Iran “cannot completely cut cooperation” with the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog but the return of its inspectors is up to the country’s security chiefs, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday. The remarks come nearly two months after Iran suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) following its 12-day war with Israel in June. Iran has cited the IAEA’s failure to condemn Israeli and American strikes on its nuclear facilities as the reason for its decision, which saw the watchdog’s inspectors leave the country following the passing of new legislation by parliament. “We cannot completely cut cooperation with the agency,” Araghchi said, noting that new fuel rods need to be installed at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant in the coming weeks, which will require the presence of IAEA inspectors. “Under the law passed by parliament, the return of inspectors will be possible through a decision of the Supreme National Security Council,” he told the official IRNA news agency in... -
Dawn - 12:14 Aug 20, 2025
India and China agreed on Tuesday to resume direct flights and step up trade and investment flows as the neighbours rebuild ties damaged by a 2020 border clash. The Asian giants are cautiously strengthening ties against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy, staging a series of high-level bilateral visits. The two countries would resume direct flights and boost trade and investment, including reopening border trade at three designated points, and facilitate in visas, the Indian foreign ministry said. Direct flights have been suspended since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. No date was given for their resumption. The latest statements came at the end of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s two-day visit to New Delhi for the 24th round of talks with Indian National Security (NSA) Adviser Ajit Doval to resolve their decades old border dispute. The border talks covered issues related to pulling back troops both countries have amassed on their Himalayan border, delimitation of border... -
Dawn - 11:12 Aug 20, 2025
Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik has said he expects negotiations between the PTI and the government to start in a few days, but Imran Khan’s release from jail would not be part of the discussion. Since Imran’s incarceration last year in several cases, PTI’s relations with the government and the establishment have deteriorated sharply. Last year in November, protests by the party had escalated into violence amid state repression. Subsequently, in December last year, Imran Khan had formed a five-member committee to hold talks with “anyone”, prompting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to set up a counterpart panel. Despite several rounds, however, the talks ended abruptly and without results. Ties have been further strained after several PTI leaders’ recent convictions in May 9 cases. In an interview on DawnNews TV programme Doosra Rukh, aired on Tuesday night, the minister said that he saw negotiations “starting in a few days”. “PTI leaders have contacted us as well as other leadership, ...
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