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  • Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan agree to boost cooperation in cryptocurrency
    Dawn - 09:50 Aug 02, 2025
    Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan have agreed to promote bilateral cooperation in cryptocurrency, blockchain technology and digital finance, state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) reported on Saturday. The Pakistani government has lately seemed willing to fast-track the adoption of crypto currencies for banks, foreign exchange comp­anies and gold trading. In March, the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC) was launched, which was a government-backed initiative to regulate, foster, and integrate blockchain and cryptocurrency innovations into the country’s financial and economic framework. “A high-level video conference was held between Minister of State for Crypto and Blockchain Bilal bin Saqib and Director of the National Investment Agency of Kyrgyzstan Farukht Aminov,” acccording to PTV. “Both sides emphasised the development of virtual assets, technology exchange, and cooperation in regulatory frameworks,” it added. The Kyrgyz director highlighted the importance of exchanging information, experiences and best global practices. ...
    Tags: Pakistan Kyrgyzstan
  • Over 20 brands of drinking water unsafe for human consumption
    Dawn - 09:04 Aug 02, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) on Friday declared 23 brands unsafe for human consumption due to microbiological or chemical contamination. The government of Pakistan had tasked PCRWR with monitoring bottled/mineral water brands on quarterly basis and publicize the results for awareness of public health. For the second quarter of year 2025 from April to June, 203 samples of mineral/bottled water brands were collected from 21 major cities. Comparison of test results with the bottled water quality standards of Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) had revealed that 23 brands were unsafe for human consumption due to microbiological or chemical contamination. Eleven brands such as New Mehran, Aqua 111, Nice Pure Max, Pure Drinking Water, Logic, Himalya Cool, Natural Pure Life, Natural, Forever Bottled Drinking Water, Drinkly Pure Drinking Water, Qudrat Water were found to be unsafe due to the presence of higher levels of sodium. Four brands — Atco Drinking Wa...
  • Many vehicles swept away by floods found but ‘no clue’ yet of people gone missing: GB govt
    Dawn - 08:42 Aug 02, 2025
    Several vehicles were recovered from wreckage in flood-affected Gilgit-Baltistan, the government’s spokesperson said on Saturday, adding that rescue teams have so far been unable to locate the people who went missing in the floods. Floods swept across GB last week, causing landslides, leaving many stranded, and damaging more than 500 houses, roads and other infrastructure. So far, 10 people, mostly tourists, have lost their lives, with between 10 and 15 tourists still missing. GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said today that a search operation on Babusar Highway is under way during which many vehicles that were swept away by the floods have been recovered. “The vehicles were found but we found no clue as to the missing persons,” he said in a statement. Faraq continued that rehabilitation work has been accelerated in the flood-affected areas. He said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would be visiting GB in two or three days. “Hopefully, the prime minister’s visit will provide relief to the injured ...
  • SpaceX Crew Dragon docks with International Space Station
    Dawn - 08:31 Aug 02, 2025
    An international team of four astronauts aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule docked on Saturday with the orbiting International Space Station (ISS). “Docking confirmed!”, SpaceX posted on social media, along with a video showing the spacecraft making contact with the ISS at 2:27am Eastern Time (11:27am PKT), far above the southeast Pacific Ocean. American astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan’s Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov are joining the ISS on a six-month mission. They lifted off on Friday morning from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, their capsule mounted on a Falcon 9 rocket. It is the 11th crew rotation mission to the ISS under Nasa’s Commercial Crew Programme, created to succeed the Space Shuttle era by partnering with private industry. “We have cold drinks, hot food, and us waiting — see you soon,” the ISS crew told the new arrivals shortly after contact, according to the posted video. “Hello Space Station — Crew 11 is here and we are super excited to join,” Fincke replied...
    Tags: International Space Station SpaceX Crew Dragon
  • Pakistan Army inducts Z-10ME helicopters to ‘reinforce battlefield response’
    Dawn - 08:00 Aug 02, 2025
    The Pakistan Army has inducted Z-10ME attack helicopters to reinforce its “integrated battlefield response”, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Saturday. The Aviation Industry Corporation of China had displayed its Z-10 attack helicopter for the first time outside its home country at the Singapore Airshow in February 2024, according to Reuters. It also noted that as of then, the model had Pakistan as the only known export customer, but no sales had been announced at the air show. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir presided over the induction ceremony and later witnessed a firepower demonstration by the “newly inducted Z-10ME helicopters” at the Muzaffargarh Field Firing Ranges, the ISPR said in a press release, without specifying the number of the craft acquired. “The induction of this potent system marks a major leap in the modernisation of Army Aviation, reinforcing its integrated battlefield response and capacity to deliver decisive effects against potential adversaries,” t...
    Tags: Z-10ME
  • Transport dept is not responsible for Red Line delays, Sindh Assembly told
    Dawn - 07:49 Aug 02, 2025
    • Sharjeel terms relocating utility connections a major challenge in construction • Says govt aims to digitise entire transport department by 2026 KARACHI: Replying to lawmakers’ written and verbal queries during the Question Hour in the Sindh Assembly, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon informed the house on Friday that the provincial transport department was not responsible for delays in completion of the much-awaited Red Line-Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. Mr Memon, who also holds the portfolios of transport and information department, said every aspect of the Red Line project was being monitored by local experts and international consultants. He said that work was underway on major development schemes in the city, and progress was being made rapidly on two sections of the Yellow Line BRT with a bridge expected to be completed by August. In reply to a verbal question raised by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan Dr Fouzia Hameed, the minister acknowledged that occasional delays might occur due to te...
    Tags: Red Line Sindh Assembly
  • Industry faces threat from influx of used vehicles
    Dawn - 07:17 Aug 02, 2025
    KARACHI: Local auto parts manufacturers have warned of a potential shutdown of Pakistan’s car assembly industry within the next two years if the government proceeds with plans to liberalise the commercial import of used vehicles from September. Former chairman of the Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM), Aamir Allawala, raised concerns during a media briefing at various vending units, stating that used vehicles already account for 25pc of the market — over 40,000 units annually. In contrast, used car market share stands at zero in India, 0.3pc in Vietnam, and 1.2pc in Thailand, he noted. Allawala said import duties on completely built-up (CBU) units in Pakistan range from 50–100pc, compared to 125pc in India, 52pc in Vietnam, and 80pc in Thailand. The negligible used car imports in these countries are the result of both tariff and administrative measures, he added. He asserted that used vehicles, as a category, now form the second-largest segment of Pakistan’s car ma...
  • US limits official visits to Karachi hotels after threat report
    Dawn - 06:05 Aug 02, 2025
    TORONTO: The US has temporarily limited visits by government personnel to high-end hotels in Karachi after receiving a report of a threat, the State Department said on Friday. “The US Consulate General Karachi received a report of a threat directed at high-end hotels in Karachi,” the department said in a security alert. “The US Consulate General in Karachi has temporarily limited visits by official US government personnel to these hotels.” The State Department said it sometimes declares areas in foreign countries, such as tourist attractions, hotels, markets, shopping malls and restaurants, off-limits to official US government personnel in response to such threats. The security alert urges people to avoid the areas and crowds, keep a low profile and to stay alert in places frequented by tourists and citizens of Western countries. The State Department currently has a travel advisory in place for Pakistan that advises US citizens to reconsider travelling there due to the risk of terrorism and the potential for ...
    Tags: Karachi
  • GB traders vow to continue protest at Pak-China border
    Dawn - 05:56 Aug 02, 2025
    GILGIT: Traders in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) on Friday continued their protest for a 23rd consecutive day, blocking a key trade route with China and vowing to continue until the government scraps federal taxes they call illegal. The protest on the Karakoram Highway has halted all Pakistan-China trade and travel through the border crossing, leaving thousands of people, including Chinese nationals and foreign tourists, stranded in the area. Protesters, who have gained the support of local political, youth and religious parties, argue that the region’s disputed constitutional status exempts it from federal taxation. “The federal government is reluctant to solve the genuine demands of local people,” said Mohammad Ishaq, one of the protest organisers. Protesters argue that federal taxes are illegal due to region’s disputed status “They are just demanding how federal taxes can be collected from the people who are not constitutional citizens of Pakistan and the region is a disputed status area.” He added that protesting...
  • GB Awami Action Committee leader, woman killed ‘in name of honour’
    Dawn - 05:50 Aug 02, 2025
    GILGIT: The Vice Chairman of GB Awami Action Committee, Javed Iqbal, commonly known as Javed Naji, and a married woman were shot dead in the name of honour on Thursday in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Tangir area, the home constituency of Chief Minister Gulbar Khan. This was the second such honour killing incident in the Tangir district within a week According to FIR registered with Jaglot Police Station, Javed Iqbal, his wife and children were washing clothes on a river near their home when two men, Afsar Khan and Dar Khan, reached there and allegedly shot Javed Iqbal dead. The two accused, after killing Javed Iqbal, also killed a married woman in the name of honour. HRCP denounces second such incident in Tangir area within a week In the same area on July 21, a man Bareem from Frori village, allegedly shot dead his wife, the mother of four children, and another man in the name of honour. The incident sparked protest over social media by rights and civil society activists. Local community leaders and activists of politi...
    Tags: Awami Action Committee
  • PTI worker gets life, 50 others declared POs in Mianwali May 9 cases
    Dawn - 05:38 Aug 02, 2025
    SARGODHA/ RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court in Sargodha on Friday sentenced PTI worker Muham­mad Ismail to rigorous life imprisonment in May 9 cases related to attack on judicial complex in Mianwali and declared 50 others, including former opposition leader in Punjab Ahmad Khan Bhachar as well as PTI MNAs Ahmad Chatha and Bilal Ijaz, proclaimed offenders. Judge Muhammad Naeem Sheikh dir­ected the Mianwali police chief to ensure the arrest all 51 fugitives of law within a month and produce them in the court. The ATC in Sargodha handed down a rigorous life sentence to Mr Ismail for his role in the May 9, 2023 riots, which saw attacks on a judicial complex and other government installations in Mianwali. The verdict, delivered by Judge Muhammad Naeem Sheikh, also declared 50 other PTI leaders and workers as proclaimed offenders. Warrants out for arrest of 18 party leaders in Nov 26 protests case Among those named as fugitives are prominent figures such as former Punjab opposition leader Ahmad Khan Bhachar and s...
    Tags: Mianwali
  • Govt issues fresh call for Afghans to leave
    Dawn - 05:32 Aug 02, 2025
    QUETTA: Pakistan has issued a new call for Afghans living in the southwest to leave the country, triggering thousands to rush to the border, officials said. “We have received directives from the home department to launch a fresh drive to repatriate all Afghans… in a respectful and orderly manner,” Meharullah, a senior government official in Quetta, the capital of Balo­chistan province, told AFP. On Friday, there were “around 4,000 to 5,000 people at the Chaman border” waiting to return, said Habib Bingalzai, a senior government official in Chaman. Abdul Latif Hakimi, the head of Refugee Registration in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province across the border, said they were aware of an increase in returning Afghans on Friday. Millions of Afghans have poured into Pakistan over the past several decades, fleeing successive wars, as well as hundreds of thousands who arrived after the return of the Tali­ban government in 2021. A deportation drive first launched in 2023 was renewed in April when the government rescinded h...
    Tags: Afghans
  • Marchers demand peace as North Waziristan under curfew
    Dawn - 04:20 Aug 02, 2025
    • After Tirah tribesmen, Bajaur peace Jirga tries to convince militants to quit the area • Elders assure army, FC of full support for anti-militancy efforts BAJAUR / NORTH WAZIRISTAN: A complete curfew was imposed across North Waziristan in view of the security situation, while a peace jirga tried to prevail upon local militant leaders to leave Bajaur. The moves were part of efforts to restore peace to these merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which have witnessed a spike in militant activity of late, especially along the border with Afghanistan. On Friday, a peace march was held in the Shewa tehsil of North Waziristan district against the deteriorating law and order situation in the area. Tribal elders, representatives of all political parties, the Utmanzai Jirga, Youth of Kabul Khel, and activists of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) attended the gathering. Addressing the participants, Utmanzai jirga spok­esman Mufti Baitullah and other speakers expressed concern over rising lawlessness across the dist...
    Tags: North Waziristan
  • Irregularities found in foreign-funded projects of National Highway Authority
    Dawn - 04:01 Aug 02, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: A Senate panel on Friday announced that it had found serious procurement issues like collusive practices and conflicts of interest in multi-billion-rupee road projects being executed by the National Highway Authority (NHA) through foreign loans. In a detailed report released by the Senate Secretariat, the Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs “uncovered significant concerns” regarding NXCC’s (one of the contractors) prior disqualification, arbitration conflicts, payment discrepancies, document manipulation, and collusive bidding practices. The meeting presided over by Senator Saifullah Abro discussed serious allegations of irregularities, collusive practices, and potential corruption in the awarding of contracts for the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Tranche-III corridor project by the NHA. The panel chief said contracts were initially awarded based on auditor sheets without verifying the credentials of M/s Dynamic Constructors, M/s Rustam Associates, and M/s Ningxia Com...
    Tags: National Highway Authority
  • Maritime ministry mulls ferry service to Iran, Iraq amid land travel ban
    Dawn - 02:48 Aug 02, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: Amid a deadlock in negotiations over the government’s decision to ban land travel to Iran for pilgrims during Arbaeen — the chehlum of Imam Husain — the Maritime Mini­stry is planning to launch a ferry service to facilitate travel of Zaireen (pilgrims) to Iran and Iraq. However, the detailed road map for the service is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks. On Friday, Minister for Mari­time Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry called for the swift launch of Pakistan’s first ferry service, stressing the need for immediate reforms to licensing procedures and financial facilitation for operators. These reforms aim to ensure affordable sea travel, support pilgrims and boost maritime connectivity. In a meeting with Shipping and Ports Director General Alia Shahid, the minister highlighted the benefits of sea travel, pointing out that ferry services could offer a reliable and cost-efficient travel option for Zaireen heading to Iran and Iraq. “Beyond tourism and business, this service can greatly ...
    Tags: Iran Iraq
  • Haripur police arrest suspect in young man’s gang rape after honey trap
    Dawn - 19:44 Aug 01, 2025
    The Haripur Police on Friday arrested a suspect in a honey-trap case that involved the gang rape of a young man after luring him. The incident occurred within the limits of Haripur’s City Police Station on Wednesday, and a first information report (FIR) was lodged upon the victim’s complaint under Sections 355 (assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour a person) and 375A (gang rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code. Shaukat Ali, a muharrar at the police station, told Dawn.com: “One suspect has been arrested and raids are underway to apprehend the other two. “The victim said in his statement that he had struck up a friendship with a girl, who called him from Abbottabad to meet her in Haripur.” The FIR said that when the young man reached the location where he was called, “three men caught me and beat me up. They took me to one side of the orchard by gunpoint and then forcibly took off my clothes, forcing themselves upon me turn by turn while the third person was recording videos of the ordeal.” The complain...
    Tags: Haripur
  • Kasim says Trump ‘can make a difference’ on Imran’s situation
    Dawn - 18:27 Aug 01, 2025
    PTI founder Imran Khan’s sons on Friday said that United States President Donald Trump was a figure who “can make a difference” in their incarcerated father’s situation. Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence at the Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the protests of May 9, 2023. Sulaiman Khan, 28, and Kasim Khan, 26 called attention to their father’s incarceration for the first time publicly in May. Last month, Imran’s sister Aleema Khanum said they would go to the United States before coming to Pakistan as part of a movement calling for the ex-premier’s release. The siblings visited the US and engaged US lawmakers on the issue of their father’s incarceration. In an interview on ‘Piers Morgan Uncensored’ aired today, Kasim was questioned on whether he had any message for Trump, to which he said: “If anyone can make a difference, he (Trump) can.” Kasim said the two had met Trump’s key aide Richard Grenell — kno...
    Tags: Imran Kasim Trump
  • Senior lawyer gunned down in Karachi’s DHA: police
    Dawn - 18:21 Aug 01, 2025
    A senior lawyer was shot dead while his son was hurt in a suspected targeted attack in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority on Friday afternoon, according to police. South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza told Dawn.com that the firing took place after a funeral prayer at a mosque in DHA Phase 6. “As advocate Khawaja Shamsul Islam and his son [Khawaja Daniyal, 25] were about to leave the mosque, a lone gunman apparently resorted to firing on them and fled,” the DIG said. “Both father and son were shot and transported to a private hospital in Clifton, where Islam succumbed to his injuries.” The DIG added that during the preliminary investigation, it transpired that a complainant nominated the slain advocate in a murder case, while in a later incident, Islam sustained injuries in Clifton. Elaborating on the cases, DIG Raza recalled that in 2021, the complainant filed a first information report (FIR) with Boat Basin police against six to seven unidentified suspects for allegedly killing his father. “T...
    Tags: Karachi
  • At least 29 hurt as Islamabad Express derails near Kala Shah Kaku: Rescue 1122
    Dawn - 18:19 Aug 01, 2025
    At least 29 people were injured as the Islamabad Express passenger train derailed near Kala Shah Kaku in Punjab’s Sheikhupura district on Friday, with rescue services completing their search operation. According to Punjab Rescue 1122, five bogies of the train were derailed near a chemical plant in the Kala Shah Kaku area, with the control room receiving reports around 7:32pm. The rescue service later said that 22 people were administered first aid at the scene of the incident, while seven were transported to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Muridke for treatment. “Two people were trapped in the bogies, but they have been rescued and moved to the hospital,” the statement read. “One of them sustained hip injuries. “The initial rescue operation has been completed and there is no information about anyone being killed in the accident yet,” it added. An earlier statement quoting Punjab Rescue Spokesperson Farooq Ahmed read: “Six emergency vehicles and 25 rescuers were immediately dispatched to start the rescue opera...
    Tags: Kala Shah Kaku Islamabad Express
  • Opposition alliance calls for grand national dialogue between political parties, new charter of democracy
    Dawn - 17:56 Aug 01, 2025
    The opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on Friday called for a grand dialogue between all political parties of the country and a new charter of democracy between them. The TTAP had held its multi-party conference on Thursday, appealing for a new social contract to restore the Constitution and democracy, claiming that government officials had blocked access to the original venue in Islamabad, forcing them to relocate. The alliance was forced to move its conference to a private farmhouse after authorities placed barriers at its intended venue, Tulip Banquet Hall. The coalition of six opposition parties formed last year, had formalised its organisational structure last month and declared blanket support for all anti-government protests. Addressing a press conference today on the second day of the conference held at his farmhouse, TTAP leader Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar presented the alliance’s resolution. “The parties participating in the TTAP and its All-Party Conference (APC) agreed that ...

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