Dawn
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Dawn - 15:58 Aug 12, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday warned India against any designs on the Indus River, saying that it could not snatch “even one drop” of water belonging to Pakistan amid tensions over the share of hydel resources in the region. India in April held the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance following the attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 — an incident New Delhi blamed on Islamabad without evidence. Pakistan termed any attempt to suspend its water share an “act of war”, noting the IWT had no provision for unilateral suspension. It later said it was considering court action, citing a violation of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. A supplemental award by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague in June held that India could not unilaterally hold the treaty in abeyance. India, in response, said it did not recognise the court or its decisions. A day ago, the PCA issued an “Award on Issues of General Interpretation of the IWT” in the Indus Waters case, stating ... -
Dawn - 14:19 Aug 12, 2025
Twenty-four demonstrators were arrested after several people, including a police constable, were injured on Tuesday following a clash during a protest against power outages in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshera district. A case was lodged by Station House Officer Aqib Khan at the Azakhel Police Station today under Sections 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 324 (attempted murder), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Pakistan Penal Code. The first information report (FIR) said that residents of Pirpai were protesting on the main Grand Trunk (GT) Road against excessive power outages. “Police reached the scene upon hearing that the people had closed the road from both sides to protest against loadshedding,” the FIR reads. It said that the protesters were l... -
Dawn - 14:00 Aug 12, 2025
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday issued a stay order for the appointments of new opposition leaders in the National Assembly and the Senate following the disqualification and removal of PTI’s Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz from their respective roles. On August 5, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had disqualified Ayub and Faraz, along with other opposition MNAs and MPAs, following their convictions in three cases related to the May 9, 2023 riots. Subsequently, on August 8, both leaders were removed from their posts through notifications issued by the NA and Senate secretariats. A division bench comprising Justices Arshad Ali and Dr Khurshid Iqbal took up separate petitions filed earlier today by Ayub and Faraz against the denotification of their parliamentary roles. PTI interim chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan appeared as the counsel for both petitioners. The bench issued notices to the ECP and other respondents, directing them to halt the appointments for the opposition leader in both houses of... -
Dawn - 13:49 Aug 12, 2025
Local police in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Hunza and Gilgit districts on Tuesday suspended 35 of their own personnel and halted their salaries after they staged a sit-in demanding benefits. Last night, hundreds of police personnel, both men and women, protested in front of the Chief Minister’s House, demanding an increase in their daily allowances and continued the demonstration throughout the night. In two separate notifications issued by the Reserve Police (RP) of Gilgit and the senior superintendent of police of Hunza, 26 police personnel were suspended in Gilgit yesterday, while nine more were suspended in Hunza today. The notification issued by RP Gilgit cited “grave misconduct/violation of government servant conduct” as the cause of suspension, while the notification from the Hunza simply cited that they had participated in a protest. Both notifications, copies of which are available with Dawn.com, added that the suspended personnel’s salaries had also been stopped. The GB police claimed on social media that 63... -
Dawn - 13:31 Aug 12, 2025
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Tuesday forecast widespread rain, wind, and thundershowers in most parts of the country in the coming days, with monsoon activity expected to intensify from August 17. At least 312 people, including 142 children, have died and 740 others have been injured in flash floods and torrential rains that have battered several parts of Pakistan since late June, according to updated daily data from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The NDMA said the deluges, which began on June 26, have left a trail of devastation across the country. The dead include 113 men, 57 women and 142 children, while the injured include 243 children, 209 women and 288 men. In its latest weather advisory issued today, the Met Office said monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea were continuously penetrating the upper parts of Pakistan, while moist currents from the Bay of Bengal were likely to strengthen midweek. A westerly wave currently affecting the region was also expected to inte... -
Dawn - 12:20 Aug 12, 2025
Pakistan on Tuesday welcomed the US’ decision to designate the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Majeed Brigade to its Foreign Terrorist Organisation list, according to a Foreign Office (FO) press release. The US State Department made the announcement yesterday, stating that the designations demonstrated the US President Donald Trump’s commitment to counter-terrorism. In today’s press release, the FO emphasised that Pakistan had proscribed the Majeed Brigade — BLA’s suicide squad — as a terrorist entity since July 18, 2024. The BLA itself was proscribed in 2006, according to the National Counter-Terrorism Authority’s list of proscribed organisations. “BLA/Majeed Brigade is involved in multiple terrorist attacks in Pakistan, including the heinous Jaffer Express terrorist incident and the Khuzdar bus attack that resulted in the loss of precious lives,” the release said. At least 26 hostages lost their lives in the Jaffar Express attack in March, for which the BLA claimed responsibility. In the Khuzdar bus attack... -
Dawn - 12:16 Aug 12, 2025
The National Institutes of Health on Tuesday confirmed the presence of poliovirus in 42 of 117 sewage samples collected from 87 districts across the country in July. Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress. According to a press release issued by NIH’s Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication, out of 127 sewage samples, the institute “confirmed 75 sewage samples as negative and 42 as positive”, while the remaining 10 were still being processed in the lab. The positive results made up nearly 36 per cent of the total samples, compared to 32pc for June, based on NIH press releases. However, the NIH said: “While the overall trend shows a decline in positive detections, reflecting the impact of high-quality campaigns, the virus continues to circulate in certain areas.” “July data shows steady progr... -
Dawn - 12:01 Aug 12, 2025
Robust backing from the government and a desire to stage big-ticket events make India a strong candidate to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, a top Indian Olympic Association (IOA) official told Reuters. The world’s most populous nation is bidding for the 2030 edition of the Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad to boost its bigger dream of hosting the 2036 Olympic Games at the western Indian city. A Commonwealth Sports delegation visited Ahmedabad last week to share their experience from the previous Games and help the Indian organisers prepare a comprehensive bid to be submitted by the August 31 deadline. “First and foremost, the mood of the country is upbeat for sporting activities and there is a strong will of the government to host global sporting events,” IOA executive council member Harpal Singh said by telephone. “India wants to host larger sporting events — be it Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, or Olympics — and we have the full backing of the government. “The existing infrastructure is very good, and the... -
Dawn - 11:32 Aug 12, 2025
Pakistani users on social media platforms X and TikTok have been sharing videos since Monday that allegedly showed the Indian Army chief admitting to the loss of six jets and 250 soldiers in the recent military conflict against Pakistan. However, he made no such statement, and the viral video is a deepfake. During the May 7–10, 2025, clashes between India and Pakistan, both sides issued conflicting claims about aircraft losses. Pakistan initially stated that it had downed five Indian planes in air-to-air combat on May 7, later revising the figure to six, and claimed it had also destroyed India’s S-400 air defence batteries, unmanned aircraft, and disabled several Indian airbases. Pakistan denied losing any of its own aircraft during the fighting. However, on August 9, Indian Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh claimed that India had shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one other large aircraft, possibly a surveillance plane, mostly using its Russian-made S-400 missile system. He further alleged that India... -
Dawn - 11:20 Aug 12, 2025
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday dismissed talk of any potential legislation regarding a 27th constitutional amendment as “baseless rumours”. Even though the 26th Amendment is still mired in controversy, the power corridors in Islamabad are abuzz with talk of a possible 27th Constitutional Amendment, which, according to the insiders, will further “fine-tune” the structure and the functioning of the superior judiciary. With the 26th Amendment, the government introduced sweeping changes to the judicial framework. Sources had said certain contentious matters, such as a separate constitutional court, left unresolved in the 26th Amendment, would now be taken up in the new amendment. Speaking to reporters in Hyderabad about the matter, Bilawal addressed the “baseless rumours”, stating: “So far, no federal minister, prime minister or party member has approached me regarding any amendments.” He also highlighted that the 26th Amendment was passed after reaching a consensus with compromise from political ... -
Dawn - 10:45 Aug 12, 2025
The newly appointed Representative of Unicef in Pakistan, Pernille Ironside, has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to protect and uphold the rights of all children as she began her role in the country, it emerged on Tuesday. The agency supports the government to “accelerate progress for children, work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and help children realise their rights under the Convention on the Rights of Children”, Unicef Pakistan’s official website said. After formally taking up the role, Ironside presented her credentials to Special Secretary (UN) Ambassador Nabeel Munir at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to a press release. “During the meeting, Ms Ironside reaffirmed Unicef’s commitment to protect and uphold the rights of all children in Pakistan,” it read. As the new Representative, she will provide “strategic leadership across Unicef’s country programme”, which “aims to nurture, educate, protect and support children from their earliest moments through adolescence” with... -
Dawn - 08:36 Aug 12, 2025
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi on Tuesday raised questions over some observations made by the Lahore High Court (LHC) on former premier Imran Khan’s bail pleas in eight May 9 cases. 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 LHC on June 24. Subsequently, days later, Imran moved the Supreme Court against the high court’s decision. A three-member bench led by CJP Afridi, which also included Justices Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, resumed hearing the bail pleas today. Barrister Salman Safdar appeared on behalf of Imran, while Punjab Special Prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi was representing the state. During the hearing, CJP Afridi took note of some “findings” issued by the LHC in its detailed verdict of dismissing Imran’s bail pleas. “Can final observations be given in a ... -
Dawn - 08:18 Aug 12, 2025
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Tuesday ordered the confiscation of properties owned by PTI leaders Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudry, Omar Sarfraz Cheema and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed a day after they were convicted in two May 9 cases. ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Gill on Monday sentenced the four PTI leaders to 10 years in prison in the cases pertaining to the Shadman police station attack and burning of police vehicles near Jinnah House. The court, however, acquitted former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cases. Today’s hearing was also taken up by Gill, who ordered the confiscation of the convicted PTI leaders’ properties. The judge issued jail warrants for the leaders and handed them to the jail superintendent. In its verdict yesterday, the ATC had also fined Dr Yasmin, Chaudhry, Cheema and Rasheed Rs600,000. PTI leaders Aliya Hamza and Sanam Javed were sentenced to five years in prison in the Shadman case. In a separate development today, Judge Gill ordered the release of Qureshi in the two ... -
Dawn - 07:05 Aug 12, 2025
United States President Donald Trump on Monday ordered a delay in the re-imposition of higher tariffs on Chinese goods, hours before a trade truce between Washington and Beijing was due to expire. The White House’s halt on steeper tariffs will be in place until November 10. “I have just signed an executive order that will extend the tariff suspension on China for another 90 days,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. The truce on steeper levies had been due to expire on Tuesday. While the US and China slapped escalating tariffs on each other’s products this year, bringing them to prohibitive triple-digit levels and snarling trade, both countries in May agreed to temporarily lower them. As part of their May truce, fresh US tariffs targeting China were reduced to 30 percent and the corresponding level from China was cut to 10pc. Those rates will now hold until November — or whenever a deal is cut before then. Around the same time that Trump confirmed the new extension, Chinese state media Xinhua news agenc... -
Dawn - 06:57 Aug 12, 2025
Italian orienteering athlete Mattia Debertolis died on Tuesday at the World Games in Chengdu, China after collapsing during competition, organisers said. Debertolis, 29, was found unconscious during an orienteering event on August 8 and died four days later, said a joint statement from World Games organisers and the International Orienteering Federation (IOF). The World Games is a multisport event held every four years for disciplines not included in the Olympics. “Despite receiving immediate expert medical care at one of China’s leading medical institutions, he passed away,” the statement said. It did not provide details on the cause of death. Orienteering sees athletes navigate an unmarked course with a map and compass, punching in at designated spots along the route in the quickest time. The event, held about 50 kilometres outside of central Chengdu, took place in intense heat and humidity, with temperatures above 30 degrees. Debertolis, from Primiero in eastern Italy, was taking part in the final of the m... -
Dawn - 06:37 Aug 12, 2025
Security forces have eliminated another three terrorists attempting to infiltrate via the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Balochistan’s Zhob district, the military’s media wing said on Tuesday. The military’s anti-infiltration operation, which began on the night of August 7, has so far killed 50 terrorists. “On night [of] 10/11 August 2025, a deliberate sanitisation operation was conducted in surrounding areas of Sambaza along [the] Pakistan-Afghanistan border,” the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a press release. “During the conduct of the operation, three more Indian sponsored khawarij were hunted down and successfully neutralised. Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the killed khawarij,” the ISPR added. Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The ISPR highlighted: “The number of khawarij killed in four days’ anti-infiltration operation has risen to 50.” It noted that “47 khwarij were sent to hell” pre... -
Dawn - 05:47 Aug 12, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Various religious groups joined hands on Monday to protest against the demolition of a mosque in the capital. The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) along with other groups held a protest at the site of the demolished Madni mosque near Rawal Dam Chowk. The protesters also uprooted the saplings planted by the CDA on the place. The mosque had been demolished late Saturday night. The JUI-F Member of National Assembly, Naeema Kishwar, also submitted a resolution condemning the demolition of Madni mosque. Addressing the protesters, JUI-F Islamabad chapter Emir Mufti Owais Aziz announced that legal proceedings would be initiated against the demolition of the mosque. He said the government was planning to raze 50 mosques in Islamabad and vowed to resist the move. He said the religious groups have unanimously agreed to get an FIR registered against Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and other officials under blasphemy laws. “If the police refuse to register the case, we will consider them enemies of Islam,” Muf... -
Dawn - 05:42 Aug 12, 2025
PESHAWAR: Around 55,000 people have been displaced from different areas of Mamund tehsil in Bajaur tribal district due to the military operation, while 400,000 residents remain hostage to the suddenly-imposed curfew, local lawmaker Nisar Baz told the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday. During a debate on the law and order situation in the province with Speaker Babar Saleem Swati chairing the session, Mr Baz of the opposition Awami National Party insisted that the people displaced from his district due to a military operation against terrorismfaced multiple problems due to the government’s failure to cater for them. He said that neither the provincial government nor the federal government had made any arrangements to meet the needs of displaced residents. Mr Baz urged authorities to lift curfew to enable people to shift to safety. Opposition demands end to curfew to help residents move to safety “Almost the entire population is literally hostage to the curfew, which halted their migration. It’s astonishing ... -
Dawn - 05:20 Aug 12, 2025
TOBA TEK SINGH: Faisalabad’s Lyallpur division Crime Control Department (CCD) police claimed to have arrested a paedophile serial rapist on Monday, who allegedly raped several minor boys and girls, recorded their videos and blackmailed them. According to CCD sources, the suspect ‘M’, a refrigerator mechanic residing in Kot Khan Muhammad locality on Satiana Road, had allegedly been raping minor boys and girls at gunpoint. The sources say the suspect would also record videos while raping children through secret cameras and later blackmail the victims. More than two dozen pornographic videos of eight to 12-year-old children were recovered from his mobile phones, besides other objectionable and obscene videos. The sources say that around a year ago, the suspect was caught red-handed raping a child, after which he fled to Multan. However, he returned to Faisalabad after six months and again raped an eight-year-old girl and made her pornographic videos. According to sources, the suspect had also allegedly electrocu... -
Dawn - 05:13 Aug 12, 2025
WASHINGTON: The 50 per cent tariff imposed by the Trump administration on Indian goods, including basmati rice, has reshaped trade flows in the United States, providing Pakistan an opportunity to expand its share in the American aromatic rice market. Pakistan’s basmati rice exports have witnessed steady growth in recent years. According to the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), the country exported approximately 772,725 tonnes of basmati rice in FY24, generating $876.9m — up from 595,120 tonnes worth $650.4m in the previous fiscal year. The average export price per tonne also increased from $1,092.93 to $1,134.86. Data from Volza’s Global Trade platform shows that between November 2023 and October 2024, the United States accounted for 24pc of Pakistan’s total basmati exports through 1,519 shipments. Italy and the United Kingdom followed with shares of 14pc (908 shipments) and 11pc (716 shipments), respectively. Together, these three markets consumed nearly 49pc of Pakistan’s basmati rice exports. ...
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