Dawn
Source:
https://www.dawn.com
Found 6752 news
-
Dawn - 11:59 Oct 06, 2025
The United Nations Human Rights Council will decide on Monday on an EU proposal to set up a UN investigation into abuses in Afghanistan, which could enable criminal investigations into suspected violations by both the Taliban and foreign troops. The European Union motion calls for investigators to prepare evidence for future court proceedings and is among the strongest forms of UN rights probe, on par with existing investigations into crimes in Syria and Myanmar. The United States, which had troops in Afghanistan until 2021 within a NATO coalition, has previously opposed scrutiny of its actions, for example, by the International Criminal Court, but backed research into suspected Taliban violations. US President Donald Trump has disengaged from the council and did not take a stance in these negotiations, diplomats said. However, a State Department spokesperson said: “Under the leadership of President Trump, the United States government will not tolerate international organisations that attempt to exert unlawfu... -
Dawn - 11:57 Oct 06, 2025
Former Senate chairperson Raza Rabbani emphasised on Monday that the federal government should “immediately” take parliament into confidence on its “new US policy”, particularly mentioning media reports about the sale of rare minerals and the supposed plan to offer Pasni port to Washington. “The federal government has not taken the people or parliament into confidence on the dynamics of the new relationship with the United States,” Rabbani stated in a press release. He added, “It is the right of the people to know the details and the direction of the foreign policy. In history, the US has never been a reliable friend to depend upon.” On the sale of precious and rare minerals to American metals company US Strategic Metals (USSM), he said it was “unfortunate” that information about the deal had come through the media. He stressed that “real stakeholders” in this matter were the provinces, which should have been taken into confidence through the Council of Common Interests. “The federal government fails to reali... -
Dawn - 11:46 Oct 06, 2025
The death toll from an Indonesian school collapse rose to 63 on Monday, officials said, as workers pulled more remains from the rubble of the building that collapsed last week. Part of the multi-storey Islamic boarding school on Indonesia’s Java island collapsed as more than 150 students gathered for afternoon prayers. Around half a dozen youngsters are still unaccounted for. “We hope we can conclude the recovery today (Monday), and we will return the bodies [to the families],” National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) operations director Yudhi Bramantyo told a press conference on Monday. The collapse was Indonesia’s deadliest disaster so far this year, Budi Irawan, the deputy head of the national disaster agency (BNPB), said. Investigators have been examining the cause of the collapse, but initial indications suggest that substandard construction may have contributed to the incident, according to experts. The families of the missing agreed last Thursday for heavy equipment to be used, after the 72-hour “g... -
Dawn - 09:30 Oct 06, 2025
Saudi Arabia has announced that visitors and residents holding any type of visa will now be permitted to perform Umrah while in the Kingdom, a statement from the Ministry of Haj and Umrah said on Sunday. According to the Saudi Press Agency, the ministry has indicated that people holding “personal and family visit visas, electronic tourist visas, transit visas, work visas, and other types of visas” will be able to perform Umrah in the kingdom during their stay. The ministry said the move was part of the Kingdom’s efforts to streamline procedures for Umrah performers and broaden access to services within the Haj and Umrah system, in support of the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. “This step reflects the Kingdom’s ongoing commitment to facilitating the arrival of Muslims from around the world to perform their rituals with ease and tranquillity,” the statement said. Haj, one of the fundamental pillars of Islam, is performed each year by millions of Muslims worldwide. Pakistan receives one of the highest Haj quota... -
Dawn - 09:06 Oct 06, 2025
An Islamabad anti-terrorism court on Monday issued bailable arrest warrants for PTI leaders Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul and central information secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram in a case pertaining to the Sangjani rally in September last year. On Sept 8, 2024, clashes took place between PTI leaders and the Islamabad police as party supporters rallied on the outskirts of the city, demanding the “immediate release” of ex-premier Imran Khan and criticising the government for marginalising the party. Following that, at least 10 PTI MNAs were arrested on Sept 9 and 10 last year from different areas of Islamabad, including the Parliament House. Today, ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra presided over the hearing, where lawyers Sardar Masroof Khan, Amna Ali and Murtaza Toori appeared on behalf of the PTI leaders. The judge rejected Ayub’s application seeking an exemption from the hearing. “None of them have appeared before the court even once,” Judge Sipra observed. Subsequently, he ordered that the three PTI leaders be arrested and ... -
Dawn - 08:30 Oct 06, 2025
The Foreign Office said on Monday it was making efforts for the safe evacuation of former Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) senator Muhstaq Ahmad Khan, who was detained by Israel last week after it intercepted a flotilla of boats carrying aid for Gaza, and hoped that the process could be “successfully concluded within the next couple of days”. Mushtaq led the Pakistani delegation on the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF). The 45-vessel flotilla, with activists and politicians including Greta Thunberg on board, left Spain last month to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza, where the United Nations has warned of famine. However, as it approached Gaza, Israeli forces intercepted it and detained the activists on board. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, through its embassy in Amman, is working tirelessly to secure the safe evacuation of former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan,” the FO said in a statement. “With the invaluable assistance of the Jordanian government, we are hopeful that the process can be successfully concluded within... -
Dawn - 18:55 Oct 05, 2025
Hundreds of trekkers stranded by a blizzard near the eastern face of Mount Everest in Tibet were guided to safety by rescuers, Chinese state media reported on Sunday, as unusually heavy snow and rainfall pummelled the Himalayas. As of Sunday, 350 trekkers had reached the small township of Qudang, while contact with the remaining 200-plus trekkers had been made, CCTV reported. Visitors to the remote valley of Karma, which leads to the eastern Kangshung face of Everest, were in the hundreds this week, taking advantage of an eight-day National Day holiday in China. “It was so wet and cold in the mountains, and hypothermia was a real risk,” said Chen Geshuang, who was part of an 18-strong trekking team that made it to Qudang. “The weather this year is not normal. The guide said he had never encountered such weather in October. And it happened all too suddenly,” Chen told Reuters. Snow, thunder and lightning Snowfall in the valley, which lies at an elevation averaging 4,200 metres, began on Friday evening and pers... -
Dawn - 17:52 Oct 05, 2025
Abyan Amir was reporting live from R. Premadasa Stadium. India eventually finished the match with a comfortable win but at the halfway mark it could have been anyone’s game. The hosts were bowled for a below par 247 but in the end that turned out to be too much for the Pakistani batters who folded for 159. There were plenty of stops in between due to bugs, fumigation and the humidity causing frequent drink breaks. Diana Baig ended up with four wickets and cleaned up India’s tail as well but it was captain Fatima Sana who shifted the momentum after a good start for India in the power play. Pakistan go into the next encounter with Australia on the 8th with losses next to their name. Fatima Sana’s players need some introspection to their batting approach if they are to compete to go into the next stage of the World Cup. India’s players celebrate their victory at the end of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 one-day international (ODI) match between India and Pakistan at the R. Premadasa International Cricket... -
Dawn - 17:45 Oct 05, 2025
United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said he has every authorisation needed for military strikes on vessels just off the coast of Venezuela, allegedly carrying illegal drugs. Hegseth was speaking in a Fox News interview broadcast on Sunday. The United States killed four people in a strike in the Caribbean Sea on Friday, at least the fourth such attack in recent weeks. “We have every authorisation needed. These are designated as foreign terrorist organisations,” Hegseth said in an interview on Fox News’ ‘The Sunday Briefing’. He did not provide more details about the authorisation. Washington has cited the US Constitution, war powers, designation of drug cartels as foreign terrorist organisations, the right to self-defence and international law on unlawful combatants as the legal basis for the strikes. Legal experts and some lawmakers argue that using military force in international waters against alleged criminals bypasses due process, violates law enforcement norms, lacks a clear legal foundation unde... -
Dawn - 17:36 Oct 05, 2025
Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Sunday addressed a massive rally on Karachi’s Sharea Faisal and called on the nation to take to the streets on October 7 as a show of solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. According to a press release from the JI, the participants of the “Gaza Solidarity March” chanted slogans against Israel and its supporters over the ongoing genocide in the enclave. They were also carrying placards and banners and people from all walks of life participated in the event and formed a chain to express solidarity. “Any paradigm shift in Pakistan’s policy on Palestine — [which was] set by none other than Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah — will not be tolerated at any cost,” Rehman said in his keynote address, according to the press release. “On March 23, 1940, two resolutions were passed by the Muslim League — one called [the] Pakistan Resolution and the second one was for Palestine,” he added. “There is only one state and that is Palestine, whereas there is only one l... -
Dawn - 17:32 Oct 05, 2025
Pakistan has recorded one of the “sharpest drops” in sovereign default risk globally and now ranks as the second-best performer in the world, according to Credit Default Swap (CDS)-implied data reported by Bloomberg, adviser to the finance minister Khurram Schehzad said on Sunday. A Credit Default Swap-implied probability estimates the likelihood that a borrower — such as a company or a country — will fail to repay its debt. This probability is derived from the market price of its CDS, which is a type of financial insurance investors buy to protect themselves against the risk of default, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). If the cost of a CDS drops, it means investors see the borrower as less risky. So, when Pakistan’s CDS-implied probability falls sharply, it indicates that global investors believe the country’s chances of defaulting on its debt have significantly decreased. “As per the latest data posted by Bloomberg, Pakistan stands out globally as the 2nd most improved economy in terms of... -
Dawn - 16:42 Oct 05, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in Malaysia for a two-day official visit, according to state broadcaster PTV News. The broadcaster reported in a post on X that he arrived at Kuala Lumpur’s Banga Raya International Airport, being welcomed by the Malaysian information and communications minister and the Pakistani high commissioner to Malaysia. PM Shehbaz was then escorted with a royal protocol to his accommodation, where he was welcomed by his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim. “I am extremely delighted to be in Malaysia; I express my gratitude to the prime minister of Malaysia for the warm reception,” PTV News quoted him as saying. “This visit will further strengthen Pakistan-Malaysia bilateral relations.” Upon his departure, the prime minister said he was looking forward to a comprehensive exchange of views with his Malaysian counterpart on the “common desire” of both sides to enhance trade and economic engagement. “I will be undertaking an official visit to Malaysia [from] October 5-7 on the invi... -
Dawn - 15:38 Oct 05, 2025
Residents of various sectors of Islamabad have demanded that authorities intensify efforts to tackle the rising number of stray dogs in the city. Pakistan faces a worsening stray dog crisis marked by rising dog bites and rabies cases. The problem stems from unchecked breeding, poor waste management, and inadequate vaccination or sterilisation efforts. Authorities’ reliance on culling has drawn criticism from animal rights groups, which call for humane, coordinated strategies focused on vaccination, sterilisation, and awareness. According to a report by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), citizens have reported that several areas — including sectors G-6, G-10, I-8, F-11, and surrounding localities — have been witnessing increased activity of stray dogs, often moving in aggressive packs. It added that multiple dog bite cases have been reported, with children and elderly residents being the most vulnerable. “This is not just a matter of nuisance — it’s a public safety emergency. Authorities must ac... -
Dawn - 15:24 Oct 05, 2025
Mercedes’s George Russell won the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday ahead of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, as McLaren clinched the Formula One constructors’ championship. Oscar Piastri was fourth, which meant his lead over his McLaren teammate Norris in the drivers’ standings was cut to 22 points. The 27 points scored by Piastri and Norris were more than enough for McLaren to equal the record set by Red Bull in 2023 by winning the team title with six races to spare. It was McLaren’s second title in a row and the 10th in the team’s history. Kimi Antonelli crossed the line fifth in a Mercedes, followed by the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Fernando Alonso, Oliver Bearman and Carlos Sainz rounded out the top 10. Russell’s Mercedes was on pole and got away cleanly from Verstappen’s Red Bull at the start, but the drama all happened behind. Norris, from fifth on the grid, darted past Antonelli and dived up the inside of Piastri, who started third, at turn one. Norris was flying and clipped the back... -
Dawn - 14:44 Oct 05, 2025
A 5.0-magnitude earthquake was recorded in Quetta on Sunday evening, the government of Balochistan’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said. According to PDMA, the earthquake was recorded at 06:29pm, approximately 65 kilometres west of Quetta at the geographical coordinates of Latitude 30.19°N and Longitude 66.33°E, with a focal depth of 25 kilometres. The monitoring data were analysed through automatic seismic mode. Tremors of mild to moderate intensity were reportedly felt in Quetta and adjoining areas, it said in a statement. It said that the authority was in coordination with the district disaster management authorities to assess the situation. “As of now, no immediate reports of losses or damages have been received from any district. “The PEOC (Provincial Emergency Operations Centre) [of] PDMA Balochistan is in coordination with DDMAs (District Disaster Management Authorities) to assess the situation,” the authority said in a statement. “As of now, no immediate reports of losses or damages ... -
Dawn - 14:30 Oct 05, 2025
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet has recommended the withdrawal of several “false cases” related to the May 9, 2023 riots against supporters of the PTI, which rules the province, it emerged on Sunday. At the time of the May 9 riots, a caretaker government with Mohammad Azam Khan as the chief minister was in power in KP, after the PTI had dissolved the provincial assembly as rifts with the Centre grew. “For the public’s information, I want to inform that 29 false cases were registered on May 9, 2023 in anti-terrorism courts that were based on political victimisation, lack of evidence and misuse of authority,” said KP Advocate General Shah Faisal Uthmankhel in a video statement seen by Dawn.com. Uthmankhel said KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur took notice of the matter as “courts had already acquitted all suspects in most of the cases”, while some suspects were discharged and some cases were sent to ordinary civil courts. It could not be confirmed whether the cabinet had recommended withdrawing all 29 cases mentioned by t... -
Dawn - 14:11 Oct 05, 2025
Landslides and floods triggered by heavy downpours in Nepal and neighbouring India have killed more than 60 people, officials said on Sunday, as rescue workers raced to reach cut-off communities in remote mountainous terrain. Torrential downpours have lashed Nepal since Friday, leaving rivers in spate and many areas in the Himalayan nation inundated. At least 44 people have died in rain-triggered disasters and five are missing, Shanti Mahat, spokeswoman for Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, told AFP. At least 37 were killed by landslides in the worst-affected eastern district of Ilam. “Heavy rains overnight caused the landslides,” said local district official Sunita Nepal. “With roads blocked, some areas are difficult to reach. Rescue workers are heading there on foot.” Rivers in the capital Kathmandu have also swelled, inundating settlements along their banks. Security personnel were deployed to assist rescue efforts with helicopters and motorboats. “There is some damage, but... -
Dawn - 13:57 Oct 05, 2025
Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah of the Supreme Court (SC) has observed in a recent judgement that an employee’s pension is not a matter of bounty, charity, or benevolence but a right protected under Articles 9 and 14 of the Constitution. Article 9 entails that no person shall be deprived of life or liberty save in accordance with the law, while Article 14 protects the dignity of a person. He made the remarks while hearing a petition filed by Shakeel Ahmed Kayani challenging an Islamabad High Court judgment (IHC) dated February 2, 2022, which had dismissed his plea seeking entitlement to an additional pension. The SC heard the case on Sept 17, 2025, while the order of the judgement was released this week. “[Pension] is inseparably linked with the right to life, dignity and livelihood, for without sustenance in old age, these rights ring hollow,” Justice Shah observed in his judgement. According to the order, a copy of which was made available to Dawn.com today, the petitioner joined the erstwhile Oil and Gas Dev... -
Dawn - 12:54 Oct 05, 2025
The latest accusation in the ongoing rift between the PPP and PML-N came from Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Sunday when he alleged that the Punjab government was taking his party’s cover to “target” the federal government. Memon’s PPP and the PML-N, who are coalition partners in the Centre, have been engaged in a war of words for the past many days over issues from flood compensation to water rights in the context of the Cholistan canals project. The PPP, which is in power in Sindh, has been particularly incensed by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s remarks, whose party is also leading the federal government. As the row continues between the two sides, Memon alleged while addressing a press conference in Karachi that on the face of it, the Punjab government was “indirectly targeting” the PPP, but their “actual target is the federal government”. “They are taking our cover to settle their own issues with the prime minister or the federal government. Or they are trying to create an environment ... -
Dawn - 12:37 Oct 05, 2025
The eight Muslim countries that worked with US President Donald Trump’s administration on a plan to end Israel’s genocide and invasion in Gaza have welcomed the “steps taken by Hamas” in this connection, the Foreign Office said on Sunday. On Friday, Hamas said it would agree to some of the terms in Trump’s plan — which was announced on Monday after a meeting between the US president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — and seek further negotiations. While the Trump administration worked with eight Muslim countries last month to bring the Israeli invasion of Gaza to an end, reservations have been expressed from that latter’s side that the plan unveiled by the White House was not the one originally agreed upon. Nevertheless, they see Hamas’s partial agreement to the plan as an opportunity for a ceasefire in Gaza after an onslaught of around two years. “The Foreign Ministers of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the R...
6752 items