Dawn
Source:
https://www.dawn.com
Found 5493 news
-
Dawn - 03:11 Aug 08, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau on Thursday sold off one already-sealed Bahria Town property, and received conditional bids for two others — at a combined value of Rs2.27 billion — in a long-awaited auction. The auction of three remaining properties, owned by controversial real estate tycoon Malik Riaz, was shelved due to a “lack of qualifying bids”. Although mediapersons were invited to cover the auction, they were not allowed to witness proceedings, which were held behind closed doors at NAB’s regional headquarters for Rawalpindi/Islamabad. Following the auction, journalists seated in a separate committee room were handed a paper carrying brief details of its outcome. Dozens of private vehicles were seen parked outside the NAB headquarters, ostensibly belonging to the bidders. According to NAB’s advertisement, six properties were scheduled to be auctioned. However, only three were sold: Rubaish Marquee fetched Rs508 million, while the bureau received conditional offers of Rs876m and Rs881.5m f... -
Dawn - 02:47 Aug 08, 2025
• No new offensive on the cards, but Talal Chaudhry says actions under National Action Plan to continue, despite PTI objections • Asad Qaiser demands transparent trial of Imran; Marwat seeks inquiry into ‘attack on parliament’ • Commerce ministry says $1 billion saved after US tariff reduced from 29 to 19pc ISLAMABAD: As the PTI vigorously opposed any potential military operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following a spike in terror incidents, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry on Thursday said action against militants under the National Action Plan would continue, despite their objections. The minister was responding to PTI leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser in the lower house of parliament as the latter vowed to oppose any offensive in the PTI-ruled province to eradicate militancy. Mr Qaiser warned against such attempts, saying they would put up resistance against such plans. His statement is consistent with PTI founder Imran Khan’s stance, who had asked the KP government to oppo... -
Dawn - 18:44 Aug 07, 2025
A search is underway for two suspects accused of assaulting and filming a teenage boy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mardan district, police said on Thursday. Mardan police spokesperson Muhammad Faheem Khan said the force had taken prompt action and launched a search operation to arrest the suspects. “The suspects stripped the boy, beat him with sticks, and filmed the assault before making the video go viral on social media,” Faheem said. Quoting District Police Officer Zahoor Babar Afridi, the spokesperson said he reacted strongly to the incident and said that “no powerful person can target the weak or poor class, the law is equal for everyone.” He said the district police took immediate notice of the incident and directed the Hoti police to take strict action against the culprits. According to Faheem, Hoti police Station House Officer Riaz Khan ordered immediate action and registered a case against two residents of Gali Bagh, Misri Abad Road. A first information report (FIR) was registered at Hoti Police Station o... -
Dawn - 18:03 Aug 07, 2025
US President Donald Trump is expected to sign an order requiring universities to hand over admissions data to prove that they are not engaged in affirmative action efforts, the White House press secretary said in a post on X on Thursday. In her post on X, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not give details on the order, such as the ramifications universities will face if they do not cooperate. Since taking office for his second term, Trump’s administration has attempted to dismantle affirmative action policies at universities, launching dozens of investigations and threatening to cut off funding to schools that promote diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Trump has particularly taken aim at Harvard University since he took office, calling the institution a “joke” that teaches “hate and stupidity” and going as far as to freeze their government funding. In May, Trump’s administration revoked Harvard’s right to enrol foreign students — more than a quarter of its annual enrollment. Though the m... -
Dawn - 17:22 Aug 07, 2025
Cricketer Haider Ali was provisionally suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday due to his involvement in an investigation being carried out by police in the UK, according to a statement. The PCB announced last month that Saud Shakeel would lead an 18-member Pakistan Shaheens squad to tour England from July 17 to August 6 for two three-day and three 50-over matches. Ali was a part of the squad. According to the statement, the PCB was informed about the investigation by the Greater Manchester Police regarding an incident that reportedly took place during the tour. The nature of the incident was not immediately clear, nor were any details provided in the statement itself. “In line with its duty of care and responsibility to ensure the welfare and legal rights of all its players, the PCB has ensured that Haider Ali has received appropriate legal support to protect his rights throughout this process,” the PCB stated. The statement added that the cricket board acknowledged British legal processes ... -
Dawn - 16:32 Aug 07, 2025
A massive blaze at a factory in the Karachi Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) near Landhi that injured eight people and damaged at least three other factories was brought under control on Thursday after hours of rescue efforts, officials said. Fire incidents are common in the metropolis due to the absence of adequate fire safety measures in buildings. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan told Dawn.com: “A total of 20 fire tenders with two snorkels, five ambulances and water boozers were engaged in the fire that was controlled at 4pm.” The rescue official detailed that they received information about the incident at 10am, following which hectic efforts remained underway till the fire was put out in the evening. However, cooling work continued. “Some repair/construction work was also underway at the factory, whose structure ostensibly appeared to be weak,” Haseeb said. He added that eight factory workers who were removing goods, despite warnings from firemen not to do so, were injured as part of the build... -
Dawn - 14:41 Aug 07, 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday confirmed his country’s role in providing support to India during Operation Sindoor in May, when India attacked Pakistani sites under the guise of targeting “terrorists”. The nuclear-armed rivals exchanged artillery, drone and air strikes in May, after India, without evidence, blamed Pakistan for a deadly attack on tourists in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam. The four-day confrontation came to an end when US President Donald Trump announced a surprise ceasefire. In a post on X, Netanyahu announced that he met the Indian ambassador to Israel, JP Singh, in Jerusalem today, where the pair “discussed strengthening and expanding cooperation between Israel and India, particularly in the fields of security and economics”. “Afterward, I held a meeting with a group of senior journalists from India and answered their questions,” the Israeli leader wrote. According to Indian television channel NDTV, Netanyahu confirmed the use of Israeli weapons during India’s military o... -
Dawn - 14:30 Aug 07, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for an immediate national policy to address Pakistan’s rapid population growth rate on Thursday. Pakistan is home to a vast population of over 251 million, according to World Bank figures. In 2023, the population growth rate was reported to have reached around 2.55 per cent. However, almost forty-five per cent of Pakistan’s population lives below the poverty line, according to a World Bank report. The prime minister termed the high population growth rate an “alarming trend” and said that immediate and coordinated policy action was required at a national level to address the issue. The World Bank reported Pakistan’s annual growth rate for 2024 as 1.5pc. The statement came during a high-level meeting chaired by the premier at his office to review the challenges posed by Pakistan’s rising population and deliberate on effective strategies to manage it, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. The meeting was also attended by Federal Minister for Planning and ... -
Dawn - 14:22 Aug 07, 2025
Police on Thursday said they had arrested suspects for allegedly raping a deaf-mute and mentally disabled girl in Punjab’s Muzaffargarh district. Muzaffargarh police spokesperson Wasim Khan Gopang told Dawn.com that the incident occurred in the Rohilanwali area on Aug 4. “Two suspects had been arrested within 24 hours of the incident.” He said the 17-year-old girl was in the fields when one of the suspects allegedly caught her and raped her. “The suspect fled when locals reached the spot after hearing the girl’s voice,” he added. In a first information report (FIR) dated Aug 6, seen by Dawn.com, the victim’s brother said that his sister was born deaf-mute and mentally disabled. He said, “She went out of the house to relieve herself in the fields on Aug 4 around 05:30pm.” The complainant detailed that the suspect, who was standing near the field, “forcibly grabbed the victim and raped her under a tree.” The FIR named two passersby who heard the victim’s voice and caught the suspect raping her. “Upon seeing the... -
Dawn - 14:02 Aug 07, 2025
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday he would not compromise on the agriculture sector, a day after United States President Donald Trump announced 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods. Washington announced the hike in levies on Wednesday, citing New Delhi’s purchasing of Russian oil, a key revenue source for Moscow’s war in Ukraine. For New Delhi, one of the main sticking points in trade negotiations has been Washington’s demand to access India’s vast agricultural and dairy market. India has remained steadfast about its labour-intensive agricultural sector, unwilling to risk angering farmers, a powerful voting bloc. “We will not compromise with the interests of our farmers, our dairy sector, our fishermen,” Modi said during a speech at a conference in New Delhi, his remarks widely seen as his first public response to the tariffs. “I know I will have to pay a personal price for this, but I am ready for it,” he added, without giving further details. India has also refused to allow the import of genetically... -
Dawn - 13:20 Aug 07, 2025
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Thursday notified a decrease of Rs1.89 in the uniform tariff for the next three months. A notification dated August 7 and available with Dawn.com said that the authority “decided to allow the application of instant quarterly adjustments on the consumers of K-Electric as well, with the same applicability period. “Accordingly, the instant quarterly adjustment of negative Rs1.8881/kWh (per kilowatt hour) shall also be charged from the consumers of K-Electric except life line and prepaid consumers, to be recovered in a period of three months [from] August 2025 to October 2025.” Nepra stated that this discount will be applied to bills for the applicable period issued before the notification, adding that distribution companies (Discos) will comply with court orders. Meanwhile, Nepra also notified a negative fuel cost adjustment (FCA) of Rs0.78 per unit for consumers of all ex-Wapda distribution companies (XWDiscos) except for K-Electric (KE) in their bills... -
Dawn - 12:50 Aug 07, 2025
United States trade partners such as Switzerland, Brazil and India were still scrambling to get a better deal on Thursday as President Donald Trump’s higher tariff rates on imports from dozens of countries kicked in, raising the average US import duty to its highest in a century. The US Customs and Border Protection agency began collecting the higher tariffs of 10 per cent to 50pc at 12:01am EDT (09:01am PKT) after weeks of suspense over Trump’s final tariff rates and frantic negotiations with major trading partners that sought to lower them. The leaders of Brazil and India vowed not to be cowed by Trump’s hardline bargaining position, even while their negotiators sought a reprieve from the highest tariff levels. The new rates will test Trump’s strategy for shrinking US trade deficits without causing massive disruptions to global supply chains or provoking higher inflation and stiff retaliation from trading partners. After unveiling his “Liberation Day” tariffs in April, Trump has frequently modified his plan... -
Dawn - 12:43 Aug 07, 2025
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Thursday issued a warning for heavy rain across Azad Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and advised citizens to stay alert. Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies. However, heavy downpours also trigger deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. In a post on X, the PMD said at 3:30pm that a “rain-bearing weather system” was forming in the Poonch, Bagh, Haveli and Sudhnoti areas of Kashmir. According to the post, the system was likely to cause “heavy rain with strong winds and thunderstorms” during the next 2-5 hours in the above-mentioned areas as well as Azad Kashmir’s Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Rawalakot, Bhimber, Mirpur and Neelum Valley. Other areas that could come under the rain spell were KP’s Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur and Kohistan, along with Murree, Galyat, and surrounding areas. The ... -
Dawn - 12:27 Aug 07, 2025
The National Assembly passed the Pakistan Land Port Authority Bill 2025 on Thursday to facilitate the movement of goods and people across border crossing points. With the bill’s approval, Pakistan would become the third South Asian country, after Bangladesh and India, to have a land port authority. The Bangladesh Land Port Authority was created in 2002, while India did so in March 2012. “The House discussed and passed the Pakistan Land Port Authority Bill, 2025,” the NA’s official X account said. The bill was moved by Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry on behalf of Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi. Once approved by the Senate and signed by President Asif Ali Zardari, the bill will establish the Pakistan Land Port Authority, which would function as a statutory body responsible for inter-agency coordination to facilitate the movement of goods and people across border crossing points. As MNA Ali Zahid, who was chairing the session, ordered the clause-by-clause reading of the bill, PPP’s Syed Navee... -
Dawn - 12:20 Aug 07, 2025
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) maintained its record-setting spree for a fifth consecutive session as it gained over 550 points on Thursday. The benchmark KSE-100 index rose by 992.53 points (0.68 per cent) to reach an intraday high of 146,081.02 points at 12:37pm, from the previous close of 145,088.49 points. However, the shares soon declined slightly, standing at 145,613.09 points at 3:09pm, gaining 524.60 points (0.36pc) from yesterday. Witnessing fluctuations throughout the day, the index finally closed at 145,647.13 points, gaining 558.64 (0.39pc) from yesterday. Awais Ashraf, research director at AKD Securities, told Dawn.com: “Investor interest in companies posting strong corporate results or anticipated to report robust profitability has propelled the index to a new record high. “Additionally, the recent imposition of an additional 25pc tariff on India has further bolstered market sentiment,” he added, referring to the United States’ recent levy on New Delhi, which will raise duties on some Indian ... -
Dawn - 11:27 Aug 07, 2025
The Kremlin said on Thursday that a summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin was set for the “coming days”, with the two sides already having agreed the venue “in principle”. The summit would be the first between sitting United States and Russian presidents since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021, and comes as Trump seeks to broker an end to Russia’s military assault on Ukraine. Three rounds of direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv have failed to yield any progress towards a ceasefire, with the two sides appearing far apart in their demands to end the more than three-year-long conflict. Trump said on Wednesday he was likely to meet Putin face-to-face “very soon”. “At the suggestion of the American side, an agreement has been reached in principle to hold a bilateral summit in the coming days,” Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov was quoted as saying on Thursday by Russian state news agencies. “We are now starting to work out the details together with our American colleagues,” Ushakov said. The K... -
Dawn - 11:17 Aug 07, 2025
Two people were killed while 20 others were injured in a bomb blast targeting a police vehicle in the Wana tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lower South Waziristan district on Thursday. Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks, especially in KP and Balochistan, predominantly targeting the police, law enforcement agencies’ personnel, and security forces. Attacks increased after the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke a ceasefire agreement with the government in 2022. “The blast was caused by a remote-controlled explosive device planted near a police vehicle [in the Rustam Bazaar],” Deputy Superintendent of Police Imranullah was quoted as saying by the Associated Press of Pakistan. Data from the incident report from the Wana District Headquarters Hospital showed two dead with 12 people with major injuries and eight with minor injuries. A list of casualties issued by South Waziristan police spokesperson Anayat Khan identified two wounded policemen as Zubair Salaam Khan from the district’s Dabko... -
Dawn - 10:46 Aug 07, 2025
The Pakistan Navy and the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) on Thursday seized about 1,250 kilogrammes of illicit drugs worth $38 million from smugglers near Balochistan’s Pasni coast, the navy’s media wing said. The navy and ANF have previously worked in several intelligence-based joint operations to counter unlawful activities along the coast. “The value of the seized consignment in the international market is approximately $38 million,” a press release from the navy said. “The consignment was being smuggled via the Arabian Sea to international destinations.” It added that the seized items, comprising 1,100kg of hashish, 50kg of crystal meth, and 100kg of heroin, have been handed over to the ANF for further legal proceedings. “This successful operation by the Pakistan Navy and ANF, resulting in [the] seizure of a large quantity of drugs, is a testament to PN’s resolve to fight against illegal activities as a national obligation,” the statement said. “Pakistan Navy will continue to shoulder its responsibility to es... -
Dawn - 10:32 Aug 07, 2025
Thailand and Cambodia agreed Thursday to extend a shaky ceasefire deal that followed five days of deadly hostilities along their border last month. At least 43 people were killed in the conflict that ended last Tuesday, after a long-standing dispute over border temples boiled over into violence. A truce was brokered by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim — chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) regional bloc — after cajoling by United States President Donald Trump and a team of Chinese mediators. The deal dictated a ceasefire, followed by a meeting of rival regional commanders, before defence officials held three days of talks in Kuala Lumpur that concluded with a joint statement on Thursday. “Both sides agree to a ceasefire involving all types of weapons, including attacks on civilians and civilian objects and military objectives of either side, in all cases and all areas,” it said. “This agreement must not be violated under any circumstances.” In the first days of the truce, both Tha... -
Dawn - 09:50 Aug 07, 2025
Four workers trapped 900 feet underground in a Swat emerald mine were rescued during an operation, Rescue 1122 said on Thursday. On Wednesday evening, a major rescue operation was launched after a section of the emerald mine collapsed, trapping multiple workers underground. According to initial reports by Rescue 1122 Swat, the mine caved in suddenly during extraction activity. “Rescue 1122 medical teams are providing immediate medical assistance to the rescued workers,” Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmed Faizi told Dawn.com. “The operation continued for several hours after the mine collapsed, in which more than 40 personnel participated.” The rescue operation was led by District Emergency Officer Swat Rafiullah Marwat, as per Faizi. “The trained personnel and modern equipment of Rescue 1122 made the operation successful,” Faizi said. Meanwhile, the army was also involved in the rescue operation, according to state-run Radio Pakistan. “As soon as the incident was reported, Pakistan Army teams were immediatel...
5493 items