Dawn
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Dawn - 08:52 Feb 06, 2026
LAHORE: As Basant festivities kicked off on Friday after an 18-year hiatus, at least six kite-flying-related injuries have been reported in the city so far. In December last year, the Punjab government lifted the ban on kite flying and allowed the celebration of Basant with strict regulations. The kite-flying festival was banned in 2007 in Punjab because of an increasing number of deaths and serious injuries caused by sharp strings, particularly to motorcyclists and pillion riders, as well as by celebratory gunfire. In the first incident, a 21-year-old man sustained injuries around his neck after coming in contact with a stray kite string in Lahore’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA). The young man was returning home from a local market on a bike when the string became entangled around his neck, leaving visible deep wounds. However, a police official claimed that the injured person was riding the bike without a safety rod. Earlier, the government had instructed the motorcyclists to install protective steel wire... -
Dawn - 08:00 Feb 06, 2026
The United States on Friday expressed solidarity with Pakistan following recent militant attacks in Balochistan, reiterating its support for efforts to bring those responsible to justice. In a post on X, the US State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) said it stood “steadfast with Pakistan” in the wake of the attacks, which it described as “horrific”. The bureau noted that the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) remains a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO). In August last year, the US State Department added the BLA and its alias, the Majeed Brigade, to its FTO list, according to a press release. FTO designations are made by the secretary of state, following section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), and “are an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to get out of the terrorism business”. “We support efforts to hold the perpetrators of these horrific attacks accountable,” the SCA added. Earlier on Thursday, securi... -
Dawn - 07:55 Feb 06, 2026
QUETTA: Train services were once again suspended in Balochistan on Friday, a day after resuming, following a five-day suspension in the wake of a spate of attacks in the province. Spokesperson of Pakistan Railways Quetta division, Muhammad Kashif, in a statement, said that Jaffar Express (from Quetta to Peshawar) and Karachi-bound Bolan Mail had been suspended again. “The passenger train to Chaman also remains suspended,” he added. A day earlier, train services were restored in Balochistan as the security situation improved. Authorities had also said on Thursday that mobile internet services remained suspended in many parts of Balochistan, but Quetta was expected to be back online on Friday (today). On Thursday, after several days of “mop-up” actions in parts of the province following the January 31 attacks, the military announced that security forces successfully concluded “Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1” in Balochistan, killing a total of 216 terrorists. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said 36 civilia... -
Dawn - 07:23 Feb 06, 2026
Australia and Indonesia signed a security treaty on Friday, paving the way for closer cooperation and new military training facilities in Southeast Asia’s largest economy. The pact will facilitate defence initiatives that include embedding a senior Indonesian officer within Australia’s defence force, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a joint statement after the signing in Jakarta. Australia will also support the development of military training facilities to boost Indonesia’s ability to conduct joint drills, he said. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund Danantara chief Rosan Roeslani show signed document at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, February 6, 2026. —Reuters Canberra has been seeking to bolster its military power in the Asia-Pacific region to counter China’s growing influence. Indonesia has proven more cautious with its foreign policy, not wanting to be seen taking sides and upsetting Beijing, its biggest trading partner. Albanese hailed the agree... -
Dawn - 06:32 Feb 06, 2026
Security forces killed 24 terrorists in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) released on Friday. “On 4-5 February 2026, twenty four khwarij belonging to Indian Proxy Fitna Al Khwarij were killed in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province,” said the statement from the military’s media wing. Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Two intelligence-based operations were conducted in the province’s Orakzai and Khyber districts. During the operation conducted in Orakzai district, troops engaged the terrorists and killed 14. While in Khyber, during the conduct of another IBO, security forces killed 10 terrorists. “On reported presence of khwarij, an intelligence-based operation was conducted by the Security Forces in Orakzai District. During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij location and after an intense fire exchange... -
Dawn - 06:05 Feb 06, 2026
K-Electric (KE) Chief Executive Officer Moonis Alvi on Friday stepped down from his position, according to a disclosure submitted to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX). In July last year, the provincial ombudsman for protection against harassment of women ordered the removal of Alvi for harassing a former chief marketing and communication officer of KE and also directed him to pay Rs2.5 million to the complainant in compensation. Alvi, however, had denied the charges and vowed to challenge the decision of the ombudsman before an appropriate legal forum. “Syed Moonis Abdullah Alvi has tendered his resignation from the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of K-Electric Limited,” stated the disclosure, dated February 6, submitted to the PSX and available to Dawn. The PSX was informed in “accordance with Section 96 and Section 131 of the Securities Act, 2015 and Clause 5.6.1(a) of the Rule Book of Pakistan Stock Exchange Limited”. “You are requested to disseminate the information to the TRE Certificate Holder... -
Dawn - 05:10 Feb 06, 2026
LAHORE: Former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ihsan Mani has called on incumbent Jay Shah to play a role in defusing tensions after Pakistan decided to boycott its match against arch-rivals India, scheduled to be held in Colombo on Feb 15. Speaking to Dawn from London, Mani — who has also served as the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) — said that being the current ICC chief, Jay Shah should not only speak to Mohsin Naqvi to defuse tensions, but also save world cricket from potential financial losses. “He should go to Pakistan to convince the government to end the boycott and also listen to their grievances,” he said. Asked about media that the ICC had appointed Deputy Chairman Imran Khawaja to negotiate with the PCB, Mani said that Khawaja represented associate member Singapore, and was not the right man to deal with the matter. “It is better for the ICC chairman to deal with the government of Pakistan on his own.” He was of the opinion that if the government of Pakistan had taken such ... -
Dawn - 03:39 Feb 06, 2026
LONDON: British police have charged three more men in an investigation into a series of violent incidents targeting Pakistani dissidents in the United Kingdom, according to a statement released by the Metropolitan Police on Wednesday night. The latest charges bring the total number of people arrested in connection with the investigation to seven. The charges relate to attacks on properties in Cambridge and Chesham in late December 2025 and form part of a wider counter-terrorism investigation being led by Counter Terrorism Policing London. Although the police statement did not name the victims, earlier reports indicate that the arrests are linked to attacks reported by former Imran Khan adviser Shahzad Akbar and YouTuber-blogger Adil Raja. Adil Raja’s home was targeted on December 24, 2025, while Shahzad Akbar’s residence was attacked on December 24 and 31, 2025, and again on January 10, 2026. Following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service, Asaf Afsar, 38, of Birmingham; Liam McGarry, 24, of Warwic... -
Dawn - 03:23 Feb 06, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Even though the country’s electronic media regulator has been without a chairperson since October, a summary for the appointment of Ambreen Jan as head of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) has been pending with the Prime Minister’s Office for over a month. Ms Jan, a former federal secretary for information, was selected by the parliamentary panel as Pemra chairperson. If her appointment is approved, she will be the first woman to head the authority. According to a reliable source, Ambreen Jan’s confirmation has been held up due to “objections regarding security clearance”. Ms Jan is a former Grade-22 officer and has served as information secretary, the director general of Radio Pakistan and as managing director of PTV. She also served as press counsellor in Bangladesh from 2011 to 2018, when Islamabad-Dhaka ties were under strain. She was among the five shortlisted candidates considered for the Pemra job, along with retired Brigadier Anwar Ahmed, journalist Mateen Haider, I... -
Dawn - 02:34 Feb 06, 2026
LARKANA: The management of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU) has urged the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council to review the admission criteria for admissions to MBBS and BDS for the session 2025-26 to help fill the vacant seats in private medical and dental educational institutions of Sindh. It was learnt on Thursday that the SMBBMU registrar had last month approached the PMDC and drew his attention to the seats in the private institutions going vacant as candidates failed in meeting the criteria of the admission. In a letter, he stated that approximately 350 MBBS seats remained vacant due to the failure of aspirants in meeting the existing PMDC criteria. It said the SMBBMU, Larkana, has received multiple requests from private medical and dental colleges, expressing serious concern over the inability to fill those seats despite repeated admission rounds. SMBBMU seeks 10pc reduction for MBBS and BDS programmes The registrar said that during the previous academic year, the passing cri... -
Dawn - 01:44 Feb 06, 2026
After weeks of uncertainty, indirect talks between Iran and the United States are set to open tomorrow in Oman’s capital, Muscat. The very survival of the process is notable, even though expectations of a breakthrough remain low. The road to these talks has been uneven; plans were repeatedly disrupted by military incidents, disputes on the venue and disagreements over the scope of engagement. At one point, Washington was said to have walked away altogether. Each time, the process was revived. Not because of confidence, but because the alternatives appeared to be far riskier. From what we know so far, Washington’s attempts to expand the agenda was one of the straws that nearly broke the camel’s back, so to speak. While Iran had agreed to discuss its nuclear programme – given its stance that it isn’t interested in nuclear weapons – the US instead insisted on putting ballistic missiles, regional proxies and internal governance on the table. For Tehran, this confirmed long-held suspicions that diplomacy was being... -
Dawn - 19:09 Feb 05, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The leadership of the PTI and the Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on Thursday unanimously announced that they would not compromise on the health of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, and urged the nation to join the nationwide shutter-down strike scheduled for February 8 (Sunday). The remarks were made during a meeting of the PTI’s joint parliamentary committee at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad. The meeting was attended by prominent political leaders, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, TTAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, and PTI stalwarts Asad Qaiser and Taimoor Saleem Jhagra, among others. The meeting was closed off to the media. Addressing the participants, Qaiser said that the meeting was called because of Imran’s health. He said that representatives of 40 million people were in attendance and unanimously announced that they would not compromise on the health of the PTI founder. “Don’t push us against the wall; other... -
Dawn - 19:07 Feb 05, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Thursday signed a protocol for enhancing bilateral trade between the two countries to $2 billion within the next five years. This was one of the several agreements reached between the two sides on the first day of President Mirziyoyev’s two-day visit to Pakistan. Under the protocol, the two sides shall constitute a joint working group to formulate an action plan for identifying sectors for enhancing bilateral trade and economic cooperation through mutual consultations, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. It is worth mentioning that last month, the two countries had agreed to expand bilateral trade to $2bn as PM Shehbaz met with President Mirziyoyev in Tashkent. Taking to X on Thursday, PM Shehbaz said he was “delighted” to welcome President Mirziyoyev to Pakistan. “We had a warm and most productive round of talks, covering the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, with special focus on trade and investment, regional connectivity,... -
Dawn - 18:49 Feb 05, 2026
Sri Lanka’s cricket board on Thursday asked Pakistan to reconsider its decision to boycott their first-round encounter with arch-rival India in the T20 World Cup co-hosted by the island. Pakistan decided not to play India on February 15 in Colombo to express solidarity with Bangladesh, who were excluded from the tournament after refusing to play their matches in India. Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for more than a decade and meet only at global or regional tournament events. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) told the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that a boycott would result in a financial hit and also hurt the island’s tourism industry, which is still recovering from the 2022 economic meltdown. “Any non-participation will have wide-ranging implications, including substantial financial exposure for SLC and the potential loss of anticipated tourism inflows,” the board said. It recalled that Sri Lanka had toured Pakistan to express solidarity and revive international matches there when other nations ... -
Dawn - 17:22 Feb 05, 2026
KARACHI: One person was arrested on Thursday for the alleged involvement in explicit videos being played on digital advertising screens in Karachi’s DHA. South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza confirmed to Dawn that one person was arrested in connection with the incident. He had earlier stated that police were investigating whether the screens were “hacked through Wi-Fi” or whether an insider indulged in mischief. On Wednesday evening, several reports had emerged on social media, alleging that digital advertising boards of a private company was displaying obscene visuals. Subsequently, a case was registered against unidentified employees on the complaint of the company’s legal adviser under Section 292 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which prohibits the sale, distribution, public exhibition, or circulation of obscene books, pamphlets, papers, etc. According to the FIR, the complainant said that on Wednesday, he received information from the company’s operation director that explicit videos were being displ... -
Dawn - 17:14 Feb 05, 2026
QUETTA: Train services were restored in Balochistan on Thursday, after five days of suspension, as the tense security situation eased following a series of counter-terrorism operations in response to a spate of attacks in the province. However, mobile data services remained suspended for the sixth day in Quetta and some other districts. “Train services within Balochistan and to other provinces have been,” Muhammad Kashif, spokesperson for Pakistan Railways’ Quetta division, confirmed to Dawn. He particularly mentioned that the services of the Jaffar Express train on the Quetta-Peshawar route and the Karachi-bound Bolan Mail had been suspended since January 31. The railway official added that both had been restored now. He further said that operations of the Quetta-Chaman passenger train had also resumed, and it departed today at its scheduled time. On the other hand, mobile data services remained suspended in the provincial capital for the sixth consecutive day. The mobile internet was still inaccessible in Q... -
Dawn - 17:13 Feb 05, 2026
Security forces have successfully concluded “Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1” in Balochistan, killing a total of 216 terrorists in the days-long clearance actions against “Indian-sponsored terrorist elements”, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday. “Security forces have successfully concluded Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1 in Balochistan under which a series of coordinated, swift, and intelligence-driven operations were conducted against Indian-sponsored terrorist elements seeking to disrupt peace and development by targeting innocent civilians, including women and children,” the ISPR said in a press release. The development comes as security forces responded to a spate of attacks across Balochistan on January 31, which brought parts of the restive province to a standstill for several days. “As a result of these well-coordinated engagements and subsequent clearance operations, 216 terrorists have been sent to hell, significantly degrading the leadership, command-and-control structures and operation... -
Dawn - 17:03 Feb 05, 2026
The nation is observing Kashmir Solidarity Day today with a renewed pledge to support the just struggle of the Kashmiri people for their inalienable right to self-determination. The day will feature rallies, demonstrations and seminars throughout the country. Human chains will also be formed at all entry points of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). One-minute silence was observed across the country at 10am to pay homage to the martyrs of the Kashmir freedom movement, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. In his message to mark the occasion, President Asif Ali Zardari reiterated Pakistan’s steadfast moral, diplomatic and political support for the Kashmiri people, reaffirming their “inalienable right to self-determination” as enshrined in the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The president said the people of Pakistan across the globe stand united with their Kashmiri brothers and sisters in their just struggle. He recalled that the observance of Kashmir Solidarity Day was initiated 36 y... -
Dawn - 16:32 Feb 05, 2026
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held an “important meeting” with Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong in Islamabad on Thursday and told him that providing “maximum security” to Chinese nationals was Pakistan’s top priority. A press release issued by he interior ministry detailed the exchange that took place during the Chinese envoy’s visit to the ministry, where Naqvi also briefed him about the situation in Balochistan. The province saw a spate of attacks on January 31, which brought parts of the restive province to a standstill for several days while security forces carried out retaliatory action. Meanwhile, Chinese citizens and projects have also come under attack multiple times in Pakistan in the past, including in Balochistan. According to data shared by the National Counter Terrorism Authority in December 2024, as many as 20 Chinese citizens had been killed and 34 injured in terror attacks in the country from 2021 until then. During his meeting with Naqvi today, the Chinese envoy condemned the terrorist attac... -
Dawn - 13:54 Feb 05, 2026
The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) on Thursday said it was increasingly “alarmed” by reports of AI-generated sexualised images involving children, calling on governments and the AI industry to prevent the creation and dissemination of such content. In a statement, the UN agency said, “The harm from deepfake abuse is real and urgent. Children cannot wait for the law to catch up.” “Deepfakes — images, videos, or audio generated or manipulated with Artificial Intelligence designed to look real — are increasingly being used to produce sexualised content involving children through ‘nudification,’ where AI tools are used to strip or alter clothing in photos to create fabricated nude or sexualised images,” Unicef said in its statement. It added that the “unprecedented” situation presented new challenges for “prevention, education, legal frameworks, and response and support services for children”. But, current prevention efforts were “insufficient when sexual content can be artificially generated”,...
10444 items