Dawn
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Dawn - 19:01 May 26, 2026
The Punjab Home Department on Tuesday issued a list of banned and monitored organisations ahead of Eidul Azha, urging citizens not to donate sacrificial animal hides to such groups or their affiliated organisations. According to a spokesperson for the department, “Providing any kind of assistance to banned organisations is a punishable offence under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.” He further warned that individuals found supporting organisations involved in terrorism or anti-state activities would face legal action. According to the list issued by the Home Department, the banned organisations included Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Jaish-i-Mohammed, Lashkar-i-Taiba, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Al Qaeda, Daesh, Jamaatud Dawa, Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation and several other proscribed or monitored entities. “Citizens are advised to donate sacrificial hides only to organisations registered with the Punjab Charity Commission (PCC),” he said, adding that the authenticity of registered organisations could be verified through QR co... -
Dawn - 17:58 May 26, 2026
JEHLUM: At least one person was killed and 11 others were injured after several houses were seriously damaged following a reported earthquake in Jhelum’s Pind Dadan Khan tehsil on Tuesday, the area administration said. According to Jhelum Deputy Commissioner Mir Reza Ozgen, the earthquake was reported in the Jalalpur Sharif area of Jhelum’s Pind Dadan Khan tehsil. Ozgen said around 10 houses were seriously damaged in the earthquake and confirmed that at least one person had died in the incident. According to a press release issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), an earthquake measuring 4.8 on the scale was recorded at 7:06pm on Tuesday. The quake had a depth of 12 kilometres, with its epicentre located 58 kilometres southwest of Jhelum at latitude 32.59 north and longitude 73.23 east, the release added. “Police, rescue teams and the local administration are present at the site. Further search and assessment of the area is underway,” the DC said. Assistant Commissioner Pind Dadan Khan Ayesha S... -
Dawn - 17:20 May 26, 2026
UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan on Tuesday used the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to push for sustained diplomacy in the ongoing United States-Iran crisis, with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar highlighting Islamabad’s role in efforts aimed at reducing tensions between Tehran and Washington. Addressing a high-level UNSC debate chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the UN headquarters in New York, the deputy prime minister warned that another conflict in the Middle East would have serious regional and global consequences. “Another prolonged conflict would serve no one,” he told the council. “It would endanger regional peace, disrupt global energy flows, deepen humanitarian suffering and strain an already fragile international order.” In remarks closely watched because of Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement in the crisis, Dar said Islamabad had consistently advocated for restraint and dialogue because of its ties with both Tehran and Washington. “As a friendly neighbour of I... -
Dawn - 17:12 May 26, 2026
Imam of the Prophet’s Mosque, Sheikh Ali Al-Hudhaifi, on Tuesday prayed for unity among Muslims and better conditions for them around the world while delivering the Haj sermon at Masjid-i-Namirah. Huge numbers of Muslims prayed on Mount Arafat, as a harsh desert sun sent temperatures soaring towards 40°C. The imam concluded the sermon with an emotional prayer, seeking acceptance of the pilgrims’ rituals, unity among the Muslim world, and the safe return of pilgrims to their homes. “Oh God, improve the conditions of Muslims, create unity among them, and set them on the path of the truth,” he said, according to a televised Urdu translation. During his sermon, Sheikh Al-Hudhaifi emphasised that Haj is a fundamental pillar of Islam rooted in absolute monotheism and submission to Allah, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. He underscored that the pilgrimage serves as a vital platform for mutual acquaintance, harmony, cooperation, and unity among Muslims of all nationalities and backgrounds. The sermon also highl... -
Dawn - 16:28 May 26, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) has started registering cloud service providers (CSPs) to ensure that services meet required standards and safeguard national and public data security. The government had announced strict accreditation criteria for CSPs under the Pakistan Cloud First Policy (PCFP). So far, six applications have been received by the ministry for accreditation. IT Minister Shaza Fatima told Dawn that strict security criteria and quality standards have been set for CSPs, and that they must pass a rigorous security check and an audit by a third-party auditor registered with the Pakistan Computer Emergency Response Team (PKCERT) to ensure that the data of Pakistanis and government data remain secure from hackers. “For the first time, the policy ensures that Pakistan’s sensitive data is stored on servers physically located within the country, which will help keep national data under Pakistan’s legal control,” she said. “Under the PCFP, all public sector... -
Dawn - 15:31 May 26, 2026
KARACHI: The Central jail authorities on Tuesday requested Civil Hospital Karachi to depute a medical team for the examination of alleged drug queenpin Anmol alias Pinky following complaints of kidney issues. In an application dated May 26, the jail superintendent requested that a medical team be deputed for the prisoner after she was recommended for further evaluation following an initial medical examination at the prison clinic on May 23. “Her ultrasound findings were: an echogenic area seen in one kidney at the lower pole, likely suggestive of a benign ileology (angiomyolipoma),” the application read. The examining physician advised a “re-scan with proper fasting, along with further work-up and laboratory tests.” It also added that the accused needs a gallbladder evaluation for calculi (kidney stones) as well, directing that she be sent to the Sindh Institute of Urology & Transplantation (SIUT). However, the jail administration maintained that, given the prisoner’s “high-profile” status, transporting her t... -
Dawn - 14:54 May 26, 2026
With temperatures hitting 45°C in Makkah this week, Saudi health workers have increasingly relied on drones to supply a vast array of medical clinics treating heat-stressed pilgrims during the Haj. The rituals at the Haj have been a constant for centuries. But technology is rapidly changing the experience for pilgrims and officials alike — with artificial intelligence, drones and mobile apps providing crucial services, logistical support and helping manage the mammoth crowds. Rather than relying on congested roads filled with over 1.5 million pilgrims, drones in particular have proven to be a technological remedy for helping keep the 127 clinics spread across Makkah, Mina and Arafat adequately provisioned. “The main goal is to provide fast service to the guests of God during the season,” Fahd Al-Bathi, the chief operating officer at the National Unified Procurement Company (NUPCO), told AFP. Preparations for the medical needs of the Haj season began nine months ago. Standing before a colour-coded map of medic... -
Dawn - 14:47 May 26, 2026
US President Donald Trump demanded several Muslim countries join the Abraham Accords recognising Israel as part of a deal with Iran, but the plan appears doomed to failure, experts said. Trump’s surprise demand on Monday came at the height of the latest negotiations with Tehran and hours before an American strike on southern Iran piled pressure on a fragile ceasefire. Trump, apparently eyeing a grand bargain to calm the turbulent Middle East, named five countries that already have relations with Israel along with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan — which are considered highly unlikely to take such a step. It was unclear whether Trump really believes the countries will join. Analysts said he may be trying to demonstrate support for Israel or seeking a political win to justify an unpopular war. What are the Abraham Accords? Washington brokered the Abraham Accords during Trump’s first term, seeking to build bridges between Israel and the Arab world. The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco were signatories, ... -
Dawn - 14:14 May 26, 2026
Prince Rahim al-Hussaini Aga Khan V on Tuesday departed Pakistan after completing a week-long visit, during which he met the country’s top political leadership and affirmed his commitment to development in the country. He was seen off at the Nur Khan airbase by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, who posted on X that Prince Rahim’s visit would play an “important role in further strengthening cooperation, friendship, and partnership between Pakistan and the Aga Khan Development Network”. The minister said the Aga Khan was presented with a photo album containing “memorable pictures” from his visit. He added that the government of Pakistan valued the welfare projects of the Aga Khan Development Network in the country and commended the organisation’s services in the fields of education, health, social welfare and economic development. “A strong partnership for shared development, prosperity and public welfare guarantees a bright future,” Chaudhry said. Prince Rahim arrived in Pakistan on Wedne... -
Dawn - 14:12 May 26, 2026
Israel’s military on Tuesday announced the dismissal of its former top lawyer, months after she resigned amid a scandal involving a leaked video appearing to show soldiers severely abusing a Palestinian detainee. The case, which sparked international outrage as well as protests within Israel, focused on footage taken at the high-security Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel in 2024. The scandal led to the resignation last year of military advocate general, MG Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who in her resignation letter acknowledged that her office had leaked the abuse video to the media. “From the moment suspicions arose regarding the former Military Advocate General in the ‘Sde Teiman’ affair, the Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, decided to immediately suspend her from IDF service,” the military said in a statement. “In light of the prolonged criminal proceedings, and given the severity of the alleged actions and suspicions, the Chief of the General Staff has decided to dismiss the ... -
Dawn - 13:42 May 26, 2026
Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik on Tuesday warned against “water aggression” and efforts to undermine international water-sharing agreements, urging India to respect the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960. Addressing a high-level international water conference — the Fourth High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development” (2018–2028) — in Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe, the minister warned that attempts to undermine such agreements could jeopardise the rights of downstream countries. He accused India of seeking to politicise shared water resources in violation of longstanding international commitments. The minister added that unilateral actions affecting transboundary rivers could create serious global challenges related to water security, food production and climate resilience. Malik said water aggression was unacceptable, stressing that no country should be allowed to use water as a weapon or suspe... -
Dawn - 12:37 May 26, 2026
KARACHI: The main suspect involved in the killing of a newly married couple in the Malir area yesterday was arrested by police, according to a statement issued by the Korangi police spokesperson on Tuesday. On Monday, a newly married couple was shot dead when assailants opened fire on their car near the RCD ground in Malir’s Saudabad. They were returning from the court, where the woman recorded her statement, maintaining that she married of her own free will. The couple had also submitted their Nikahnama in the court. “On the strict directives of the Korangi senior superintendent of police (SSP), Saudabad police carried out an operation using modern technical methods and intelligence and arrested the main suspect involved in the murder of a husband and wife, yesterday,” said the police statement. The spokesperson added that the arrested suspect was identified as Sajid, son of Aslam, who confessed during interrogation to opening fire on the couple. A case related to the incident was also registered at Saudabad... -
Dawn - 12:35 May 26, 2026
Ireland aims to pass a law curbing goods trade with settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank by mid-July, with Israel, some US lawmakers and business groups opposing the move, Foreign Minister Helen McEntee said on Tuesday. Ireland’s government, one of the most outspoken critics of Israel’s war on Gaza, first promised to sanction Israeli settlements in October 2024. The legislation has since been held up by pressure from opposition politicians who aimed to extend the ban also to the services trade, on one side, and international company lobbyists seeking to scrap the bill, on the other. Sources told Reuters last October that the bill was set to be limited to goods. Prime Minister Micheal Martin confirmed that last week and said widening the scope to services was neither “implementable” nor “viable”. Limiting the bill to goods only will impact just a handful of products imported from Israeli-occupied territories, such as fruit that are worth just €200,000 ($234,660) a year, Ireland’s Central Statistics Of... -
Dawn - 12:06 May 26, 2026
Western Europe faced another day of record-breaking temperatures on Tuesday as a heatwave pushed the mercury well above normal levels for May. A so-called “heat dome” of warm air from northern Africa trapped under a high-pressure system over western Europe is behind the sort of heat not usually seen until high summer. “It’s a bit worrying because it’s not really normal at this time of year, but unfortunately, I think this is going to become the norm in France,” student Chloe Voisin, 22, told AFP while touring the southwestern city of Bordeaux. Britain and France both reported that Monday was the warmest day in the month of May on record — with the French weather agency expecting Tuesday to be even hotter. French authorities on Tuesday also reported at least seven deaths linked to the heatwave — five of which were drownings, as many people sought relief on beaches and other bodies of water. Scientists say human-driven climate change is amplifying such extremes, with weather events like heatwaves, droughts and ... -
Dawn - 10:49 May 26, 2026
United States President Donald Trump, who turns 80 next month, will undergo his routine annual physical on Tuesday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre, following a year of public attention on apparently minor health issues. Trump frequently casts himself as more energetic and fitter than Joe Biden, his Democratic predecessor who left office last year at age 82 after facing questions about his fitness for the job. Still, recent photographs showing a blotchy neck rash have added to questions about Trump’s health, following images in July 2025 of swollen ankles and a bruised hand concealed with makeup. Trump, whose birthday is June 14, became the oldest person to assume the presidency when he began his second term in January 2025. Trump maintains an active golf schedule, but joked about his relative lack of exercise at a recent Oval Office event where his health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr said the president walks 14.5 kilometres every time he goes golfing. “When I am not using the cart,” Trump s... -
Dawn - 09:30 May 26, 2026
Medical school graduates pose with a performer in a gorilla costume at their farewell dinner in Karachi | FAS Events Comedian Tabish Hashmi once joked that the wedding of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s son should be a humbling experience for all those flaunting their lifestyle on Instagram. That ‘us’ nobodies should sit on the side and simply observe what actual affluence looks like. He wasn’t wrong, given the kind of muscle the Ambanis were able to pull, from Hollywood to Bollywood. The spectacle was less a wedding and more a reminder of how far wealth can stretch the idea of celebration. Just the images of celebrities such as Mark Zuckerberg, David Beckham and the Kardashians casually drifting through the venue like guests at some lavish exotic retreat was nauseating to most — and perhaps deeply inspiring to the local elite circles, who must have spent the endless wedding feeling painfully ordinary by comparison. However, the masses, Indian masses in particular, weren’t moved by that. The masses continu... -
Dawn - 09:26 May 26, 2026
China and Pakistan have reached a new broad consensus on deepening their strategic partnership, according to a joint statement issued by the countries at the end of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Beijing. The statement, shared by the Foreign Office (FO) on X, said, “The two sides engaged cordially and reached a new broad consensus on further deepening the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and on international and regional issues of mutual interest.” The statement was issued as PM Shehbaz concluded his four-day visit to China. He was seen off by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Hua Chunying at the Beijing airport. The joint statement said that the two sides shared the view that the ties between the two countries were an “important wealth and a strategic asset”. “Throughout the 75 years of diplomatic relations, this friendship has remained rock solid no matter how the international and regional situations evolved, and the two countries have always trusted, respected and support... -
Dawn - 09:14 May 26, 2026
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shafi Jan on Tuesday dismissed reports of PTI MPAs forming a group against KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, terming them “fabricated and baseless”. The statement comes in response to media reports claiming that around 50 PTI MPAs had formed a group against CM Afridi over dissatisfaction with his performance. It was also reported that the division may impact the passage of the upcoming provincial budget, due to which CM Afridi had met with Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for his “support”. In a statement posted to his X account, Jan said that the reports of assembly members forming a group against CM Afridi were “false, fabricated, and baseless,” warning that “those who dream of sowing division among party assembly members have failed”. Jan clarified that all members of the KP Assembly remained “united under the leadership of CM Afridi and were determined to serve people”. He said that “organised and baseless propaganda” had been carried out... -
Dawn - 09:02 May 26, 2026
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said in a statement on Tuesday that nations in the Middle East would “no longer serve as shields for US bases”. Mojtaba, who has not appeared publicly since being named as the supreme leader on March 8, made these remarks in his Haj message and hours after the US carried out fresh strikes in Iran despite a fragile ceasefire and the two sides engaging in negotiations for a deal to end the almost three-month-long war. “The hands of time will not turn back, and the nations and lands of the region will no longer serve as shields for US bases,” the supreme leader said in his message, which was shared on his X account and reported by Iranian media. He said that the US “will no longer have a safe haven for its mischief and for establishing military bases in the region“, adding that it was “growing more distant from its former status day by day”. “The future belongs to the Muslim ummah and the new Islamic civilisation,” he said. He further stated, “The Muslim ummah an... -
Dawn - 07:55 May 26, 2026
LAHORE: The Punjab government has deferred its decision to restore original historical names of roads and streets in Lahore apparently on the pressure of some “extremist elements.” The Lahore Heritage Areas Revival (LHAR) held a huddle last March jointly presided over by PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. The meeting had approved restoration of original historical names of roads and streets in Lahore and and its neighbourhood. Nawaz Sharif is the head of the LHAR. However, some extremist elements including vloggers took on CM Maryam on the decision by giving it a religious colour. The Punjab administration appears to have gone on the back foot and deferred the decision to avert backlash. “No such decision has been taken as yet,” Lahore Deputy Commissioner retired Capt. Muhammad Ali Ijaz replied to Dawn’s queries on Monday. Lahore DC insists no decision has been taken as yet When asked that both Nawaz Sharif and CM Maryam had given approval to restoration of original (pr...
10391 items