Dawn
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Dawn - 17:21 Jul 19, 2025
An Islamabad district and sessions court on Saturday issued an arrest warrant for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, demanding that he be detained and produced before the court by Monday. Last month, Gandapur appeared before the district and sessions court in a hearing related to the illegal arms and liquor case registered at Bhara Kahu police station. The CM appeared before Judicial Magistrate Mubashir Hassan Chishti along with his counsel, Raja Zahoorul Hassan. The defence argued that the Peshawar High Court (PHC) had already granted Gandapur interim bail until July 3, and requested the suspension of the non-bailable arrest warrant issued earlier. The court ordered that Gandapur submit his response under Section 342 (power to examine the accused) of the Criminal Procedure Code. The CM informed the court that he would file the response after the presentation of the KP budget. Following this assurance and his appearance, the court suspended the arrest warrants and adjourned the case until Ju... -
Dawn - 16:56 Jul 19, 2025
An undefeated Pakistan team on Saturday beat Iran 3-2 in the Asian Men’s U-16 Volleyball Championship final to win the tournament that was being held in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. After being 0-2 down earlier in the match, Pakistan made an incredible comeback by winning three straight sets to win the final 3-2. The scores across the five sets were 22-25, 21-25, 30-28, 25-21, 15-10. Junaid was the top scorer for Pakistan with 28 points joined by Faizan in second place with 22 points. Talha and Muhammad Irfan chipped in with nine and eight points each. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the team on their win in a post on X. Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also hailed the victory and commended the Green Shirts on their win. “Proud moment for us all as U-16 volleyball team has won the Asian Championship, defeating defending champions Iran in the final. A moment of pride and inspiration for the entire nation. Well done, champs!”, the interior minister said in a post on X. On Friday, Pakistan beat Ind... -
Dawn - 16:51 Jul 19, 2025
A US tech company placed its chief executive officer on leave after an embrace caught on a big screen at a Coldplay concert — rumoured to involve two of the firm’s employees went viral, multiple news outlets reported on Saturday. In the clip, which initially appeared on a giant screen at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough Massachusetts, two people are seen with their arms wrapped around each other. When their faces appear for thousands to see, the man and woman abruptly duck and hide from the camera. Reports that both are executives at the company Astronomer and rumours of an affair sparked by lead singer Chris Martin’s comment then spread online, BBC News reported on Saturday. On Friday, the company confirmed that its CEO Andy Byron had been placed on leave. Screengrab of Astronomer’s post on LinkedIn According to the BBC, Byron has been with Astronomer since July 2023. He himself has not confirmed himself as being the man seen in the video. The woman was identified online as the company’s chief people officer, ... -
Dawn - 15:34 Jul 19, 2025
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) on Saturday continued its ongoing sit-in on the road leading to the National Press Club in Islamabad, as the route had been blocked by police with barbed wire, preventing its activists from returning to their original protest site. An anti-terrorism court in Quetta on Friday remanded BYC chief Dr Mahrang Baloch and other organisers of the group into police custody for 15 days, in the case of her and other BYC members “attacking” Quetta Civil Hospital and “inciting people to violence” in March. The Islamabad sit-in began on June 16, with BYC leaders and members demanding the release of its activists. Political leaders, journalists and activists have joined the sit-in over the past few days. A Dawn.com correspondent at the scene reported that the demonstrators were not allowed to set up their protest camp outside the press club, so they would leave in the evenings and return to demonstrate in the afternoon. When they arrived today, they found the route to the press club block... -
Dawn - 15:07 Jul 19, 2025
United States President Donald Trump said on Friday that five jets were shot down during the recent India-Pakistan conflict that began after a deadly attack in India-occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam, with the situation calming after a ceasefire in May. Trump, who made his remarks at a dinner with some Republican US lawmakers at the White House, did not specify which side’s jets he was referring to. Pakistan had said it downed six Indian planes after the latter carried out deadly attacks in Punjab and Azad Kashmir, while New Delhi had claimed it had downed “a few planes”. “Something I’m very proud of [is that] we stopped a lot of wars. A lot of wars. And these were serious, serious wars; would have been going on,” Trump said. “You had India-Pakistan that was going, and in fact, planes were being shot out of the air. Five, five, four or five, but I think five jets were shot down actually,” Trump said while talking about the India-Pakistan hostilities, without elaborating or providing further detail. “It was getting ... -
Dawn - 14:49 Jul 19, 2025
Nine terrorists were killed and three security officers injured in an exchange of fire during an operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu district, police said on Saturday. Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities over the past year, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. Earlier, a statement by KP Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zulfiqar Hameed said that security forces and police carried out a joint operation in Hangu’s Zargari Shinawari area. “Nine terrorists killed in Hangu operation, District Police Officer (DPO) Khalid Khan is undergoing treatment at the Kohat Combined Military Hospital,” a statement issued later by Kohat Regional Police Officer DIG Abbas Majeed read. “The operation is continuing successfully and full action is being taken against the terrorists,” the statement added. It further read that DPO Khan was out of danger now. Federal Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi tele... -
Dawn - 14:20 Jul 19, 2025
Pakistan men’s three-match T20 International series against Bangladesh will begin on Sunday with the remaining two games to be staged on May 22 and 24 at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Saturday. Last month, Pakistan had whitewashed Bangladesh in a home three-match T20I series at the Gaddafi Stadium. Litton Das-led Bangladesh will take the field on the back of an away 2-1 T20I series triumph over Sri Lanka last week. Pakistan are visiting Bangladesh for the first time since December 2021 as they arrived in the country on Wednesday, after taking part in an extensive training camp in Karachi, the PCB said. “Pakistan and Bangladesh will lock horns in a three-match T20I series beginning on Sunday, May 20,” the press release issued on Saturday said. “Salman Ali Agha, who has so far led Pakistan in 12 T20Is, will marshal the side in fourth T20I series,” it added. The pace duo of Ahmed Daniyal and Mohammad Salman Mirza are the two uncapped players in Pakistan’s squad ... -
Dawn - 14:04 Jul 19, 2025
A glitch in Malaysia’s self-service border control machines hit tens of thousands of travellers, the immigration department estimated on Saturday, causing delays at the capital’s airport and land crossings. Among major gateways affected since Friday afternoon are Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s two main terminals, as well as southern land crossings with Singapore. “It should be more than tens of thousands of travellers who have to wait longer at the manual counters to clear immigration,” estimated Zakaria Shaaban, the director-general of Malaysia’s Immigration Department. Zakaria was unable to give a precise number of people affected when asked by AFP. “We don’t have many manual counters over in Johor because we have converted most of them into autogates,” Zakaria said, referring to the southern state that neighbours Singapore. Malaysian daily The Star said that the breakdown has been described as the “worst ever”, involving over 200 machines and affecting only foreign passport holders. Singapore’s Immig... -
Dawn - 12:54 Jul 19, 2025
Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Saturday announced the establishment of an aquaculture park in Karachi’s Korangi Fish Harbour to bolster Pakistan’s blue economy. The government aims to develop the maritime sector and tap the economic potential of the country’s over 1000-kilometre-long coastline. Under the recently launched “Maritime at 100“ Vision, the country aims to grow the sector into a $100 billion economic force by 2047. Chaudhry announced the establishment of a “state-of-the-art” aquaculture park at the Korangi harbour at an estimated cost of Rs3bn, according to a press release issued by the ministry. The development came as Chaudhry chaired a high-level meeting on the development of a blue economy. The meeting was attended by Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) Chairman Noorul Haq Baloch, as well as representatives from the Korangi Fisheries Harbour Authority (KoFHA), the Marine Fisheries Department (MFD), and the Balochistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The estimated annu... -
Dawn - 12:41 Jul 19, 2025
Fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) won top awards in two categories at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) 2025 in the United Kingdom, state-run PTV reported on Saturday. RIAT, which runs from July 18 to 20, is one of the world’s largest military airshows, has been running for over 50 years and powers the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, according to its website. On Thursday, a PAF contingent comprising “state-of-the-art JF-17 Thunder Block-III fighter aircraft and the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, landed at the Royal Air Force Base Fairford in the UK to participate in the prestigious” RIAT 2025, a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. The JF-17 Block-III was awarded the “Spirit of the Meet Trophy” for its “striking livery and the incredible journey from Pakistan with non-stop air-to-air refuelling,” PTV reported. According to ISPR’s press release earlier this week, the JF-17 Thunder Block-III fighters executed successful Air-to-Air Refuelling operations en rout... -
Dawn - 12:15 Jul 19, 2025
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will visit the United States next week to attend high-level events of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and “certain” other engagements in Washington, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Saturday. Earlier this month, Pakistan assumed presidency of the UNSC, marking the country’s eighth term on the 15-member body and its first presidency since 2013. Islamabad began its current two-year term as a non-permanent member in January 2025 and will serve through the end of 2026. Dar will visit the US to “attend the high-level signature events of Pakistan’s UN Security Council (UNSC) Presidency in New York, as well as for certain engagements in Washington”, the FO said in a statement. The statement, which did not specify the dates of Dar’s visit, mentioned at least four UNSC-affiliated events that he will attend. His expected engagements in Washington, the hub of the White House, come amid ongoing trade talks between the countries. To express Pakistan’s “strong commitment a... -
Dawn - 12:06 Jul 19, 2025
The business community in Karachi observed a partial strike on Saturday against the tax measures and arrest powers of the federal tax authority under the Finance Act FY26. The call for a countrywide strike was issued last week by the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), backed by trade bodies, industrial area associations, petroleum dealers, transporters, and chain store operators. The KCCI protested against what they described as anti-business measures and proposed provincial labour policies. “A partial strike was observed in Karachi on the call of industrialists and supported by traders of markets against enhancing FBR’s powers to conduct raids and arrests of businessmen,” All Karachi Tajir Ittehad Chairman Atiq Mir told Dawn.com. All Karachi Tajir Ittehad is an association of markets and shopkeepers in the metropolis. Mir said that the markets at Gul Plaza, Teen Talwar in Clifton and Nursery remained open. However, the majority of traders have supported the strike, though some of the traders ha... -
Dawn - 12:00 Jul 19, 2025
The body of local mountaineer Iftikhar Hussain who lost his life when his four-member international expedition team was caught in an avalanche on the K2 peak was brought to his hometown of Gilgit-Baltistan’s Skardu on Saturday, officials said. K2, standing at 8,611 metres above sea level, is the second-highest peak in the world, attracting a host of local and foreign tourists. Last summer, GB authorities issued a total of 175 permits to climbers aspiring to conquer the mountain, despite the treacherous climb and harsh weather conditions. The senior vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP), Karrar Haidri, told Dawn.com that at approximately 12:30pm on Friday, an avalanche struck Camp 1 on K2, located about 500m above the base camp. Four climbers were caught in the avalanche. “A foreign climber sustained minor injuries, while two others successfully returned to the Advance Base Camp,” Haidri said in a statement. However, high-altitude porter Iftikhar Hussain from Sadpara in Skardu lost his life in th... -
Dawn - 11:40 Jul 19, 2025
Syria’s interim government said its security forces were deploying in the predominantly-Druze southern city of Sweida on Saturday and urged all parties to respect a ceasefire, after days of factional bloodshed that has left hundreds dead. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, in a separate speech, said that “Arab and American” mediation had helped bring calm, and criticised Israel for airstrikes against Syrian government forces in the south and Damascus during the week. Sweida province has been engulfed by nearly a week of violence, which began with clashes between Bedouin fighters and Druze factions, before Damascus sent in government security forces. Israel has carried out airstrikes in southern Syria and on the defence ministry in Damascus, saying it is protecting the Druze minority, of whom there are a significant number in Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. In a statement on Saturday, the Syrian presidency announced an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire and urged all parties to end hostilitie... -
Dawn - 09:58 Jul 19, 2025
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has said the government aims to follow the ongoing trade talks with the United States by discussing investment, terming it a potential “game-changer” for economic ties between the two countries. He made the remarks after meeting with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer on Friday as part of a critical round of trade talks aimed at securing tariff relief and expanding bilateral economic cooperation. “One thing we discussed was that we have to move beyond the immediate trade imperative, which is obviously very critical, but besides that, for the Pakistan-US relationship to be brought to the next level and bring in a real step change, [there is] an investment imperative that will hopefully emerge,” Aurangzeb said in a video statement. “Areas [for investment] have already been identified,” the minister said, mentioning minerals and mining, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and cryptocurrency. “We feel this will... -
Dawn - 08:52 Jul 19, 2025
United States President Donald Trump sued media magnate Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal for at least $10 billion on Friday over the publication of a bombshell article on his friendship with the infamous alleged sex trafficker of underage girls, Jeffrey Epstein. The defamation lawsuit, filed in federal court in Miami, saw the 79-year-old Republican hitting back at a scandal threatening to cause serious political damage. “We have just filed a powerhouse lawsuit against everyone involved in publishing the false, malicious, defamatory, fake news ‘article’ in the useless ‘rag’ that is The Wall Street Journal,” Trump posted on Truth Social late on Friday. The Journal reported on Thursday that in 2003, the then-real estate magnate wrote a suggestive birthday letter to Epstein, illustrated with a naked woman and alluding to a shared “secret”. The lawsuit, which also names two reporters, the Dow Jones corporation and Murdoch’s parent company News Corp as defendants, claims that no such letter exists and tha... -
Dawn - 06:30 Jul 19, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Five senior judges of Islamabad High Court (IHC), who challenged the transfer of the incumbent Chief Justice Sardar Mohammad Sarfraz Dogar from the Lahore High Court (LHC), have been sidelined in the recent reshuffling of key committees. The IHC has constituted a new administrative committee, comprising four judges, in the light of amendments to the High Court Rules that have significantly reshaped the court’s internal power structure. According to a notification issued by the registrar’s office with the approval of the chief justice, the newly-formed committee will be headed by Justice Dogar himself, while Justice Arbab Mohammad Tahir, Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro and Justice Azam Khan will serve as members. The formation of the new committee follows a major administrative reshuffle at the IHC which has notably curtailed the powers of senior puisne judge Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani. Previously considered one of the most influential judges in the court, Justice Kayani has been excluded from the a... -
Dawn - 06:00 Jul 19, 2025
WASHINGTON: The United States said on Thursday that it opposed Israel’s strikes in Syria, a day after Washington helped broker a deal to end violence. “The United States did not support recent Israeli strikes,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters. “We are engaging diplomatically with Israel and Syria at the highest levels, both to address the present crisis and reach a lasting agreement between the two sovereign states,” she said. She declined to say if the United States had expressed its displeasure with Israel or whether it would oppose future strikes on Syria. Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced concern when asked about the Israeli strikes, which included attacking the defence ministry in Damascus. Fresh clashes rock Druze heartland He later issued a statement that did not directly address the Israeli strikes, but voiced broader concern about the violence. Israel said it was intervening on behalf of the Druze community after communal clashes. Fresh clashes Meanwhile, Bedouin tribes an... -
Dawn - 05:16 Jul 19, 2025
SUKKUR: A bunch of unarmed women fought off a gang of dacoits armed to the teeth merely with sticks and bricks when the criminals stormed two houses in Sheikh locality near Pir Zahir Zakria in Bagarji town, Sukkur district, late on Wednesday night. Shocked and frustrated at the unexpected resistance, the dacoits’ associates standing outside vented their anger at the walls and fired indiscriminately at all houses in the locality, wounding a passer-by, said local sources. The sources said that over 15 members of notorious Rajab alias Rajjo Jatoi gang barged into the houses of Mohammad Ali Sheikh and his brothers and tried to rob the inmates when the men were at work. However, to their utter surprise, the unarmed women bravely resisted them by using sticks, bricks and anything they could lay their hands on. Finally, they succeeded to push back the intruders and lock themselves up in their houses, they said. During the ensuing commotion, the other dacoits standing outside fired indiscriminately at all the houses ... -
Dawn - 05:07 Jul 19, 2025
KARACHI: Confusion gripped the business community on Friday as key trade and industry bodies appeared divided over whether the countrywide strike scheduled for Saturday would go ahead or had been postponed. Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Senior Vice-President Saquib Fayyaz Magoon claimed that chambers and trade associations had agreed to defer the strike following a meeting with Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Industries Haroon Akhtar Khan, attended by various chambers via Zoom. The strike call was initially issued by the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), backed by trade bodies, industrial area associations, petroleum dealers, transporters, and chain store operators. “We have not supported the KCCI strike as it was announced by one chamber alone,” Mr Magoon said. He maintained that the FPCCI, representing chambers from across the country — including Faisalabad, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Multan, Khanewal, Sheikhupura, Sargodha, Quetta, an...
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