Dawn
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Dawn - 11:07 Aug 20, 2025
The National Cyber Emergency Services Response Team (PKCERT) on Wednesday issued data protection guidelines for organisations handling citizens’ personal information, citing an increasingly insecure cyberspace environment. PKCERT is a federal entity responsible for protecting Pakistan’s digital assets, sensitive information and critical infrastructure from cyberattacks, cyberterrorism, and cyber espionage. The advisory, applicable to companies holding Personally Identifiable Information (PII), prescribes immediate, medium- and long-term measures, which include classifying data sets based on their sensitivity, advanced encryption methods, multi-factor authentication, and others. Organisations collecting, processing, storing, or transmitting PII may include “financial services, telecommunications and internet providers, commerce and logistics [companies], government agencies, healthcare institutions, educational entities, as well as third-party and outsourced service providers,” the notification said. In its re... -
Dawn - 10:49 Aug 20, 2025
Senior journalist and former caretaker information minister Murtaza Solangi has been appointed spokesperson for the President of Pakistan, he confirmed on Wednesday. A former director general of Radio Pakistan, Solangi served as the caretaker minister for information and broadcasting from August 2023 to March 2024. “Mr Murtaza Solangi is appointed as Spokesperson of the President of Pakistan on honorary/pro bono basis with immediate effect until further orders,” said a notification by the president’s secretary, Muhammad Shakeel Malik yesterday. “A little personal news,” Solangi wrote on X today. “I have been appointed the Spokesperson of the President of Pakistan. I will assume my new responsibilities starting tomorrow. Thank you.” During his tenure at Radio Pakistan from 2008 to 2013, Solangi oversaw a workforce spanning 64 broadcasting units and over 3,000 individuals. He also forged partnerships with international news organisations, including Voice of America, China Radio International, and Deutsche Welle... -
Dawn - 07:16 Aug 20, 2025
Iga Swiatek shrugged off lingering weariness to partner Casper Ruud to back-to-back victories in the revamped mixed doubles competition at the US Open on Tuesday. Swiatek — who on Monday had battled through a two-hour tussle with Jasmine Paolini to win the Cincinnati Open — looked full of energy as she and Ruud powered into Wednesday’s semi-finals. Swiatek and Ruud needed just 39 minutes to dispatch the US pairing of Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe 4-1, 4-2 in their opening game at Arthur Ashe Stadium, and then reappeared roughly 20 minutes later to defeat Caty McNally and Lorenzo Musetti 5-3, 4-2 in their quarter-final clash. The victories capped a gruelling 24 hours for Polish star Swiatek, who hot-footed it to the airport after Monday’s win in Cincinnati and only arrived at her hotel in New York in the early hours of Tuesday. View this post on Instagram “Honestly the last two days have felt like one day, but I’m super happy to be here,” Swiatek said. Ruud and Swiatek had just enough time to fit in a quick ... -
Dawn - 07:13 Aug 20, 2025
China will unveil a slate of new domestically produced military hardware that will showcase its “powerful capability to prevail in modern war” at a parade next month, officials said on Wednesday. The event, marking 80 years since the end of World War II, will see President Xi Jinping inspect troops in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and other world leaders expected to attend. Millions of Chinese people were killed during a prolonged war with imperial Japan in the 1930s and 40s, which became part of a global conflict following Tokyo’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The ruling Communist Party has held a series of blockbuster events in recent years to commemorate its wartime resistance. On September 3, China’s military will showcase its latest equipment, “reflecting the evolution of modern warfare”, said Major General Wu Zeke, an official at China’s military commission. “All of the weapons and equipment taking part in this review were selected from domestically produced, ... -
Dawn - 06:16 Aug 20, 2025
The death toll from a collision between a bus carrying Afghan migrants returning from Iran and two other vehicles in western Afghanistan has risen to 76, a provincial official said on Wednesday. “Seventy-six citizens of the country… lost their lives in the incident, and three others were seriously injured,” Mohammad Yousuf Saeedi, Herat provincial government spokesman, said in a statement. Police in Guzara district outside Herat city, where the accident took place on Tuesday night, said the bus collided with a motorcycle and a truck carrying fuel, sparking a fire. The bus was carrying Afghans recently returned from Iran to the capital Kabul, Saeedi told AFP on Tuesday. At least 1.5 million people have returned to Afghanistan since the start of this year from Iran and Pakistan, both of which have sought to force migrants out after decades of hosting them, according to the UN migration agency. The state-run Bakhtar News Agency said Tuesday’s accident was one of the deadliest in the country in recent years. Traf... -
Dawn - 04:30 Aug 20, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an independent probe into the controversial Rs50 billion gas billing dispute involving influential consumer groups and the gas utility sector. The investigation will be led by former federal secretary Shahid Khan, following complaints from industrial and CNG consumers who received sudden bills for past gas dues, dating back to 2015. Sources confirmed that the prime minister has constituted a special inquiry committee to examine the matter. The dispute centres around the Lahore-based Sui Northern Gas Company Ltd (SNGPL), which issued revised bills for the period between April 2015 and June 2022. These bills were based on updated notifications from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra). According to these notifications, the industrial sector owes Rs14.4bn, the power sector Rs40bn (ultimately payable by electricity consumers), the CNG sector Rs3.8bn, and the fertiliser sector Rs2.4bn. The total payables amount to Rs59.8bn, including Rs51.3bn in different... -
Dawn - 03:58 Aug 20, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The government on Tuesday announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s upcoming visit to China later this month will mark the formal launch of the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC-II), focused on industrial cooperation, after a delay of about five years. “Prime minister’s upcoming visit will mark the formal launch of CPEC Phase-II, with both sides expected to set clear priorities and agree on tangible, measurable outcomes,” said an official announcement quoting Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, focal person on the multi-billion-dollar bilateral initiative, as saying at a high-level meeting. The meeting was convened to review preparations for the forthcoming session of the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of CPEC, as well as the prime minister’s scheduled visit to Beijing. While the JCC is expected to meet in October, official sources said the prime minister will travel to Beijing at the end of this month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit (Aug ... -
Dawn - 02:51 Aug 20, 2025
• Country’s internet connectivity drops to 20pc after major PTCL, Ufone outage • Other telcos also experience data service disruptions ISLAMABAD: Heavy rainfall in Karachi caused widespread disruptions to PTCL internet and Ufone services, affecting subscribers across the country. Since other telecom operators purchase wholesale internet from PTCL, users of Jazz, Zong and Telenor also experienced data service disruptions. Netblocks, a global internet watchdog, confirmed a major disruption to internet connectivity across Pakistan, with PTCL being significantly impacted. National connectivity dropped to 20 per cent of ordinary levels. Responding to a query, a PTCL spokesperson acknowledged the issue. “Our teams are diligently working to restore the services as quickly as possible. We regret any inconvenience caused,” the spokesperson said but did not mention the cause for the nationwide outage. Sources in the Ministry of IT and Telecom suggested that the disruption might be due to a technical fault at the landin... -
Dawn - 19:40 Aug 19, 2025
After the National Assembly, the Senate on Tuesday also passed an amendment to the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997, which reinserted powers granted to law enforcement authorities (LEAs) and the armed forces to detain individuals for up to three months, amid the opposition’s uproar. Last week, National Assembly had passed the amendment to the ATA. Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Control Muhammad Tallal Badar moved the Anti-terrorism Amendment Bill 2025 to amend the ATA in the House, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan. A copy of the bill, available with Dawn.com read: “The government or, where the provisions of section 4 have been invoked, the armed forces or civil armed forces, as the case maybe, subject to the specific or general order of the government in this regard, for a period not exceeding three months and after recording reasons thereof, issue order for the preventative detention of any person.” This amendment was made to sub-section (1) of Section 11EEEE of the ATA. Any person s... -
Dawn - 19:36 Aug 19, 2025
The Sindh government has declared a public holiday on Wednesday in Karachi following heavy rainfall lashing the metropolis. In a separate notification, the Sindh government’s school department has ordered all private and public educational institutions under its purview in the city to remain closed today due to the heavy rainfall. With citizens experiencing extended power failures, traffic jams and general mayhem as heavy rain on Tuesday, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab declared a rain emergency amid warnings of more showers to come. According to the Met Office, as of 8pm Tuesday, Gulshan-i-Hadeed had recorded the highest level of rain at 170 millimetres, followed by Airport Old Area at 158.5mm, Jinnah Terminal 153mm, Nazimabad 149.6mm, Surjani Town 145.2mm, Keamari 140mm, Saadi Town 140.2mm, Defence Housing Authority Phase VII 134mm, University Road 133mm, PAF Base Faisal 128mm, North Karachi 108.4mm, Korangi 132.2mm, Gulshan-i-Maymar 98mm, PAF Masroor Base 87mm, Orangi Town 66.2mm and Bahria Town 4.8mm. It cont... -
Dawn - 19:17 Aug 19, 2025
At least seven people were killed in rain-related incidents as heavy downpours lashed Karachi on Tuesday, leaving commuters stranded for hours in massive traffic jams as rainwater accumulated rapidly on the main thoroughfares of the megacity. According to the Met Office, as of 8pm, Gulshan-i-Hadeed had recorded the highest level of rainfall at 170 millimetres, followed by Airport Old Area with 158.5mm, Jinnah Terminal 153mm, Nazimabad 149.6mm, Surjani Town 145.2mm, Keamari 140mm, Saadi Town 140.2mm, Defence Housing Authority Phase VII 134mm, University Road 133mm, PAF Base Faisal 128mm, North Karachi 108.4mm, Korangi 132.2mm, Gulshan-i-Maymar 98mm, PAF Masroor Base 87mm, Orangi Town 66.2mm and Bahria Town 4.8mm. Visuals shared widely on social media showed main roads and arteries of the city submerged during rush hour, with traffic gridlocked as a result. Those who had managed to reach work earlier in the day reported reaching home after several long hours navigating the city’s flooded roads. Lives lost Rescu... -
Dawn - 18:12 Aug 19, 2025
Flight operations were affected at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport on Tuesday as the city received heavy rainfall, according to a statement issued by the Pakistan Aviation Authority (PAA). Karachi received heavy rainfall in several areas over the day, triggering power outages throughout the city as the authorities advised citizens to take precautionary measures. According to a statement issued by PAA spokesperson Saifullah Khan, several flights were affected due to inclement weather during the day. Affected flights included Pakistan International Airline’s (PIA) PK 304 from Karachi to Lahore, which was scheduled for 2pm but was delayed till 5pm. PIA’s flights from Karachi to Quetta and Sukkur were also cancelled, whereas the flight to Islamabad was delayed an hour till 5pm. The national flag carrier also confirmed in a separate statement that its flight operations were affected due to bad weather in Karachi and Islamabad. Flight path of Flydubai flight FZ335 from Dubai to Karachi diverted to Multan on ... -
Dawn - 12:50 Aug 19, 2025
South Africa’s Aiden Markram hit 82 before left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj tore through Australia’s new-look batting order as the Proteas claimed the One-Day International series opener by 98 runs in Cairns on Tuesday. Sent in to bat, Markram — opening for the first time in ODIs since 2021 — crunched nine boundaries in his 81-ball knock to power South Africa to a formidable 296-8. Skipper Temba Bavuma (65) and Matthew Breetzke (57) also helped set the tone for the three-match ODI series. In reply, openers Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head flattened South Africa’s pacemen as Australia raced to 60-0 after seven overs. But the match flipped after the introduction of spin, with Maharaj conjuring rampant turn, and he picked up four wickets in his first 15 balls. He finished with career-best figures of 5-33 from 10 overs as Australia were dismissed for 198 in the 41st over. It was a strong bounce back from South Africa after their 2-1 defeat in the Twenty20 series between the teams. “I just tried to utilise the condit... -
Dawn - 11:53 Aug 19, 2025
The interior ministry informed the Senate on Tuesday that of the 567 cases of sexual abuse registered in Islamabad between 2021 and June 2025, 200 of them involved children. The data reported by the interior ministry was presented in a written response to Senator Shahdhat Awan during a Senate session today. Of the 200 cases of child sexual abuse reported, 93 of the child victims were male and 108 were female. The ministry added that 222 accused parties were arrested, of which only 12 were convicted. 163 remain under trial, while 15 have been acquitted and 26 remain at large. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said in the written statement that “as per reports obtained from all police stations of Islamabad through (the) Zonal Superintendent of Police, during the period from January 1 2021 to 20 June 2025, (a) total 567 cases of rape were registered and 625 accused were arrested”. “Out of 567 cases, 485 cases were challaned, 80 accused were convicted, 23 accused were acquitted and accused in 406 cases are still fac... -
Dawn - 10:41 Aug 19, 2025
At least 358 people died as a result of heavy flooding and downpour in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the last three days, while rehabilitation efforts are still underway as the province recovers from the record deluge, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said on Tuesday. Record rains in KP, which started on August 15, have wreaked havoc across 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. According to the latest data from the KP PDMA, 358 people have died in rain-related incidents since August 15, with Buner reporting the highest toll at 225. Another 181 people were injured, while the dead included 287 men, 41 women and 30 children. Buner was the worst-hit district in the province, where flash flooding and building collapses left 225 people dead, including 193 men, 23 women and nine children, according to the report. Another 120 people sustaine... -
Dawn - 10:39 Aug 19, 2025
India’s National Sports Governance Bill has become an Act after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the legislation, which promises to overhaul India’s sports administration, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported on Tuesday. The development comes days after India said it will bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, seen as part of a wider push by the cricket-mad nation to host the 2036 Olympics. The presidential assent came on Monday, stated a gazette notification by the central government. The legislation has been described as a path-breaking reform by Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, PTI reports. “The following Act of Parliament received the assent of the President on the 18th August, 2025 and is hereby published for general information — The National Sports Governance Act, 2025,” the legislation stated. The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) on July 23 and passed on August 11. A day later, it was passed by the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament). The bill provides... -
Dawn - 10:00 Aug 19, 2025
We’ve seen these headlines before. Heard anchors screech body counts as if they’re in a competition for the highest number. Hundreds of lives lost, thousands displaced, homes swept away and losses that won’t ever be compensated. Pakistan is once again in the midst of a ruthless monsoon season, which began in late June, and on the radar is the country’s mountainous north — Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Last week, unprecedented flash floods left behind a trail of wreckage in Buner, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, and beyond. A week before that, Muzaffarabad bore the brunt of monsoon rains. Almost a month back, 37 villages across GB were declared calamity-hit. Visuals coming out of the region are terrifying; monstrous rivers unleashing their wrath and sweeping along anything in their way, from main city bazaars to entire villages. According to a report by the National Disaster Management Authority, at least 392 people have died in KP from June 26 to August 18. The number of fatalitie... -
Dawn - 08:51 Aug 19, 2025
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to visit the country this week for the sixth Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Tuesday. 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 in Beijing. According to the FO’s statement today, “On the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar … Mr Wang Yi is visiting Islamabad for co-chairing the sixth Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue on August 21, 2025.” “The visit is part of the regular high-level exchanges between Pakistan and China to further deepen their ‘All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership’, reaffirm support on the issues of respective core interests, enhance economic and trade cooperation, and reaffirm their joint commitment to re... -
Dawn - 08:12 Aug 19, 2025
Indian police have exhumed human remains in a temple town in Karnataka, officials said, as part of an investigation into allegations that hundreds of murder and rape victims were secretly buried there from around the mid-1990s. The probe centres on Dharmasthala, home to an 800-year-old temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva in the state of Karnataka and is drawing headlines in media nationwide. A former cleaner at the temple told police last month that he had been forced by superiors to dispose of hundreds of bodies over two decades, many of them women and girls showing signs of sexual assault. His allegations were made in a police complaint dated July 4 and seen by Reuters. The man, whose identity authorities have withheld for safety reasons, fled Dharmasthala in 2014 but said he was compelled to speak out now because of lingering guilt. “If the skeletons now exhumed receive respectful funeral rites, those tormented souls will find peace and my sense of guilt could also decrease,” he wrote in the complaint.... -
Dawn - 08:07 Aug 19, 2025
A 5.2-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday jolted Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Seismic Network of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said in a statement. According to the statement, the quake was felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, KP’s Peshawar, Swat, Chitral, and Abbottabad. The PMD’s press release said that the earthquake originated at 10:20am PKT. Its epicentre was the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan, at a depth of 190 kilometres. Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority reported that the earthquake was also felt in the province’s divisions of Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Lahore, Multan, Sahiwal and Sargodha. No casualties have been reported so far, and according to KP’s Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Faizi, an emergency has not yet been declared. Pakistan falls on three major tectonic plates — the Arabian, Euro-Asian and Indian — which create five seismic zones under the country. The intersection of multiple fault lines mean...
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