Dawn
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Dawn - 14:26 Jul 29, 2025
The government’s crackdown on black market dollar trading has strengthened the rupee, but traders say under-the-counter deals have swiftly shifted to smartphones and home deliveries instead. Many unlicensed exchange shops have been shut since July 22, when the military spy agency summoned representatives of the sector to explain the US dollar’s rising cost in the open market. Soon after, raids were carried out by the Federal Investigation Agency, which tackles financial crime and smuggling. Since the crackdown began, the rupee has rebounded from a sharp fall against the dollar earlier in July. In the open market, it firmed from 288.6 per dollar on July 19 to about 286 in recent sessions. But traders and bankers say the trade continues, suggesting the crackdown’s effects could be short-lived. The black market operates outside official channels and includes unlicensed dealers, personal networks, and digital peer-to-peer exchanges, with customers seeking to skip tax declarations, avoid burdensome paperwork and b... -
Dawn - 14:05 Jul 29, 2025
India’s aviation watchdog found 51 safety lapses at Air India in its July audit, including lack of adequate training for some pilots, use of unapproved simulators and a poor rostering system, according to a government report seen by Reuters. The annual audit was not related to the deadly Boeing 787 crash last month that killed 260 people in Ahmedabad, but its findings come as the airline faces renewed scrutiny after the accident. The Tata Group-owned airline is already facing warning notices for running planes without checking emergency equipment, not changing engine parts in time and forging records, along with other lapses related to crew fatigue management. The 11-page confidential audit report from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) noted seven “Level I” significant breaches which need to be fixed by July 30, and 44 other non-compliances classified which need to be resolved by August 23. Officials said they found “recurrent training gaps” for some unspecified Boeing 787 and 777 pilots, sayin... -
Dawn - 13:41 Jul 29, 2025
The Islamabad Police on Tuesday said that some students were “shifted” during an operation to vacate the hostels of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) that generated intense criticism. Videos circulating on social media since the early hours of today showed police personnel outside the hostels with some of them about students being arrested or taken away. The videos elicited strong criticism with many decrying why action was being taken against students and saying that over 70 were arrested. A statement from the Islamabad police confirmed the development, saying: “At the request of the university administration, [the] Islamabad police provided legal police assistance. The students had vacated 11 hostels, while regarding the remaining four hostels, the university administration stated that some students were not vacating them despite instructions from the university administration and were residing there illegally. “Upon the written request of the Quaid-i-Azam University administration, assistance was provided to t... -
Dawn - 12:51 Jul 29, 2025
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) on Tuesday directed three pharmaceutical companies to recall “substandard” medical devices from the market and advised pharmacists and chemists to stop supplying these products. “[The] Central Drugs Laboratory Karachi informed the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan that the samples of the below-mentioned medical devices have been declared as ‘Substandard’,” an alert issued by Drap stated. The alert identified Zindagi Auto Disable Syringe 5ml, the Ultra Fine SMD Painless Syringe 5ml and Ultra Fine SMD Painless Syringe 3ml as the substandard devices. “Use of these syringes, in invasive or intravenous procedures, poses a significant risk of introducing microbial contaminants into the patient’s body, which may result in localised infections, abscesses, or life-threatening systemic infections, particularly in immunocompromised individuals,” Drap said. “All pharmacists and chemists working at distribution and pharmacies should immediately check their stocks and st... -
Dawn - 12:42 Jul 29, 2025
An anti-terrorism court in Karachi on Tuesday acquitted two Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) workers facing charges of involvement in the 1997 murder case of former Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) managing director Shahid Hamid. The two accused — Mohammad Minhaj Qazi alias Asad, and Mehboob Ghufran alias Athar — along with their alleged accomplices, had been charged with the killing of the then-managing director of the KESC, his driver and a guard in Karachi’s DHA neighbourhood on July 5, 1997. An ATC had already sentenced Saulat Mirza to death in 1999 in this case and he was executed in Balochistan’s Machh jail in 2015. During the proceedings held at Karachi jail today, the court acquitted Qazi and Ghufran for lack of evidence and ordered their release, if they were not nominated in any pending case. Defence counsel Advocate Mushtaq Ahmed contended before the court that Qazi had no connection with the case. He said that according to the first information report, the complainant had only seen Mirza o... -
Dawn - 12:32 Jul 29, 2025
Social media platform TikTok on Tuesday launched a new search guide designed to help users in Pakistan access authoritative and up-to-date information during the ongoing monsoon flood season, according to a press release issued by its public relations firm. With the onset of the monsoon season, which typically lasts from late June to September, different parts of the country witness heavy rainfall and a heightened risk of extreme weather events like flash floods and landslides, especially in its northern and western regions. “Now, users searching for flood-related updates on TikTok will now see a prominent banner urging them to verify information through credible sources,” the press release read. “This guide connects users directly with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), from where users in Pakistan can access verified information regarding natural disasters,” it added. The guide also connects users to TikTok’s Safety Centre resources and provides a direct link to TikTok’s Tragic Event Support... -
Dawn - 11:43 Jul 29, 2025
Police on Tuesday arrested three suspects over the alleged gang-rape and robbery of a woman in Karachi’s Ibrahim Hyderi area. According to a statement by the Malir Police spokesperson Mohammed Imran, “Police arrested three suspects from the Ibrahim Hyderi area based on technical sources and intelligence information.” The suspects were part of a group involved in the alleged gang-rape and robbery of a woman in the area, the statement said. “The suspects not only looted gold ornaments, cash and valuables from the house but also allegedly raped the woman,” it added. During the initial investigation, the suspects confessed to their involvement with two other accomplices, the statement said. “The suspects forcibly removed the woman’s earrings and fled with them,” it added. Police said that they recovered one loaded pistol from the suspects. It futher said that raids were being conducted at various locations to arrest the other two members of the gang. The statement continued, “The criminal records of the suspects ... -
Dawn - 11:34 Jul 29, 2025
Pakistan on Tuesday signed an agreement with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to provide free cancer medicines for 8,000 children annually. The WHO and the health ministry formalised Pakistan’s participation in the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines (Global Platform) to “provide quality-assured medicines — free of cost — to children affected by cancer in the country, where over 8,000 new cases are diagnosed annually”, said a WHO press release. The agreement, signed by Health Minister Mustafa Kamal and WHO Representative in Pakistan Dr Dapeng Luo at a ceremony in Islamabad, will remain in force until Dec 31, 2027 and “may be extended by written agreement of the parties”. In addition to the provision of medicines, WHO will continue to support Pakistan’s Ministry of Health and provincial authorities with technical guidance, resources, and operational support to fight childhood cancer. The agreement aims to increase the survival rate of children fighting with cancer from 30 per cent to 60... -
Dawn - 11:33 Jul 29, 2025
At least 18 people were killed in eastern India on Tuesday after a bus ferrying Hindu pilgrims collided with a truck loaded with cooking gas cylinders, officials said. Visuals from the site in Jharkhand state showed the mangled wreckage of the bus, with its rear portion almost entirely burnt. Local lawmaker Nishikant Dubey said the pilgrims were travelling to a Hindu shrine to celebrate the sacred month of Shravan, coinciding with the onset of the monsoons in the subcontinent. “Eighteen devotees lost their lives due to a bus and truck accident,” Dubey said on social media. The pilgrims were carrying holy water from the Ganges to offer to the Hindu god of destruction, Lord Shiva. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his “deepest condolences to the families of the devotees who lost their lives”. “The road accident in Jharkhand’s Deoghar is extremely tragic,” his office said on social media. Tens of thousands of people die in road accidents in India every year, according to official data. More than 172,000 die... -
Dawn - 10:51 Jul 29, 2025
Heavy rain killed more than 30 people and forced authorities to evacuate tens of thousands as swaths of northern China were lashed by torrential downpours that sparked landslides and flooding, state media said Tuesday. Weather authorities have issued their second-highest rainstorm warning for the capital Beijing, neighbouring Hebei and Tianjin, as well as 10 other provinces, state news agency Xinhua said. The rains are expected to last into Wednesday, it added. As of midnight Monday, the heavy rainstorms had left 30 people dead in Beijing, Xinhua said, citing the city’s municipal flood control headquarters. More than 80,000 people have been evacuated in the Chinese capital alone, local state-run outlet Beijing Daily said on social media. The death toll was highest in Miyun, a suburban district northeast of the city centre, it said. “This time the rain was unusually heavy, it’s not normally like this,” a resident of Miyun, surnamed Jiang, told AFP as water streamed down the road outside her house. “The road is... -
Dawn - 10:32 Jul 29, 2025
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday said the Israel-Palestine question was a “test case” for the United Nations and the world as he addressed a high-level conference on the two-state solution in New York. Dar was addressing a rescheduled global conference on “The Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution” at the United Nations headquarters. The three-day moot, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, comes amid renewed international efforts calling for an end to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza ongoing for over 660 days, with France announcing it will formally recognise the State of Palestine. “The Palestinian question is a test case for the United Nations and the world. Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering and principled support for the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination, including their right to a viable, independent and contiguous State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” Dar tol... -
Dawn - 10:07 Jul 29, 2025
Public entry to Sindh’s museums and heritage sites will be free from August 1 to 14 this year as part of Independence Day celebrations, the province’s Culture, Tourism, Antiquities and Archives Department announced on Tuesday. According to a notification issued in this regard, this year’s celebration theme will be “Marka-i-Haq”, referring to Pakistan’s military response to Indian aggression during May, including Operation Bunyanum Marsoos. The two countries entered a brief but intense military escalation after India, without evidence, blamed Pakistan for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. On May 6–7, New Delhi launched air strikes that killed civilians, followed by a week-long missile exchange. A US-brokered ceasefire ended the war. The list of museums includes several government-owned sites, including Quaid-i-Azam House Museum in Karachi, Sindh Provincial Museum in Hyderabad, Folk and Craft Museum in Sehwan Sharif, Banbhore Museum near Thatta, Kotdiji Museum in Khairpur, and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Museum... -
Dawn - 10:04 Jul 29, 2025
The Gilgit-Baltistan government on Tuesday announced that it would compensate people affected by the recent rain-induced floods that damaged houses and other infrastructure, adding that the search for missing tourists has been intensified. The devastating impacts of climate change have become more visible in GB as unprecedented heatwaves, erratic weather patterns, and glacial melting have triggered cloudbursts and intense floods across the region. On July 21, floods swept across GB, causing landslides and leaving many stranded, and damaging more than 500 houses, roads and other infrastructure. At least 10 people died and four were injured as a result. The Babusar Highway was partially reopened yesterday as the search for missing people continued. In a statement today, GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said those affected by the floods will be compensated for their losses. “The rehabilitation of the affected people is underway in Thak, Niyat village, Batogah, Thor, Kunar, Tangir district and Khanba... -
Dawn - 08:05 Jul 29, 2025
A shaky ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia appeared to be holding on Tuesday, as military commanders met despite Bangkok’s allegations that the truce had been breached with overnight skirmishes. Following peace talks in Malaysia on Monday, both sides agreed that an unconditional ceasefire would start at midnight to end fighting over a smattering of ancient temples in disputed zones along their 800-kilometre (500-mile) border. On Tuesday, the Thai military said Cambodian troops “had launched armed attacks into several areas” in “a clear attempt to undermine mutual trust”, but said clashes later stopped. Cambodia’s defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata insisted there had been “no armed clashes against each other in any regions”. However, both sides said some morning meetings between rival military commanders along the border — scheduled as part of the pact — had gone ahead. Cambodian leader Hun Manet and Thai acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai shook hands over the ceasefire deal on Monday at p... -
Dawn - 06:51 Jul 29, 2025
The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of PTI Founder Imran Khan’s bail pleas in eight May 9 cases until August 12 without issuing notices as requested by the ex-premier’s lawyer. 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 Lahore High Court (LHC) on June 24. Subsequently, Imran moved the apex court last week against the LHC’s rejection of his bail pleas. A two-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi and including Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui took up those applications today. PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja appeared before the court on behalf of Imran, as his main counsel, Salman Safdar, could not attend the hearing due to being out of the country. Raja informed the bench that Safdar has applied for an adjournment of the hearing till next week. He requ... -
Dawn - 06:43 Jul 29, 2025
KASUR: City police claimed to have arrested an alleged robbery suspect who suffered a bullet injury to his private parts when his pistol went off during a “mob attack” at Dhanpat Road on Monday. The police claimed that the suspect had concealed a pistol in his trousers that went off when he tried to take it out, when a mob attacked him after he was caught following a robbery. However, sources say that the suspect, a labourer from Okara, was wanted by police for allegedly molesting a minor girl in a street of Shah Inayat Colony, some three days back. The video of the molestation incident also surfaced on social media, following which A-Division police registered a case against the suspect under section 377 B of the PPC. Police, on Monday, lodged a second criminal case against the suspect under sections 393 of the PPC and 13-2(a)- of The Punjab Amendment Ordinance 2015 on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Ashfaq Ahmed. Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2025 -
Dawn - 05:57 Jul 29, 2025
SWAT: District police officer Mohammad Umar Khan announced on Monday the arrest of key suspects involved in the tragic murder of a minor student at a seminary in the Chaliyar area of Khwazakhela. The main accused, Qari Umar and his son, Ihsanullah, were apprehended following a determined search operation launched by Swat police. The two had been on the run since the incident, which occurred on July 21 and sparked widespread outrage across the region. According to the police, the child was brutally tortured to death at the madressah, allegedly by multiple individuals, including teachers. The disturbing incident led to the immediate arrest of 10 suspects from the site. However, the principal accused managed to flee, prompting an intensive manhunt. DPO Umar said the arrest of Qari Umar and his son was the result of “tireless efforts” by the Swat police. “Justice will be ensured, and all individuals involved in this heinous act will be brought to justice,” he stated. The murder triggered strong public reaction, w... -
Dawn - 04:19 Jul 29, 2025
Four people, including a police officer, were killed on Monday after a gunman walked into a skyscraper in central Manhattan and opened fire in broad daylight, officials said. A fifth victim was also in critical condition after being shot, while the gunman apparently took his own life, Mayor Eric Adams told a late-night briefing at a hospital near the scene of the shooting. The gunman was caught on camera exiting a black BMW carrying an M-4 rifle, then entering the building, immediately opening fire on a police officer before “spraying the lobby” with bullets, police commissioner Jessica Tisch told the press conference. He then took an elevator to the 33rd floor of Rudin Management, which owns the building, where the man continued his spree before apparently shooting himself. He was later discovered by officers next to his weapon. The office tower block at 345 Park Avenue is also home to hedge fund giant Blackstone, auditor KPMG and the National Football League. Tisch told the briefing that the suspect was bel... -
Dawn - 19:24 Jul 28, 2025
United States Chargé d’Affaires in Pakistan Elizabeth Horst on Monday met Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in Islamabad, according to a press release by the Finance Division. The US State Department appointed Elizabeth Horst the acting ambassador to Pakistan on Thursday. Horst, a senior career diplomat, was serving as the principal deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs before arriving in Pakistan to take charge of her position. “Horst welcomed the economic progress and the government’s reform-driven approach, emphasising the US commitment to strengthening economic and trade ties with Pakistan,” the press release said. The meeting served as an opportunity to exchange views on matters of mutual interest and to reaffirm the positive trajectory of bilateral relations between Pakistan and the US. The finance minister expressed appreciation for the longstanding support extended by the US towards Pakistan’s economic development. He particularly lauded the continued US support... -
Dawn - 18:49 Jul 28, 2025
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday said Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was “in contact” with the relevant administration over the incident of protesters being shot in Khyber district’s Tirah Valley. Seven people were shot on Sunday after a demonstration outside the Brigade Headquarters in Bagh-Maidan Markaz against the death of a minor girl in a mortar strike in Tirah’s Zakhakhel. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the “firing on peaceful citizens by khawarij” — a term the state uses to refer to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). However, according to sources and protesters, security personnel guarding the installation reportedly had opened fire to control the crowd. Besides the seven killed, at least 16 others also received bullet injuries, sources said. There has been no official statement from the local administration or the military about the mortar strike or Sunday’s killings. “The chief minister is in constant contact with the relevant administration,” CM Gandapur’s public rel...
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