Dawn
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Dawn - 14:37 Jul 17, 2025
Pakistan and the European Union (EU) on Thursday agreed on bolstering cooperation in security and counter-terrorism among other sectors during a bilateral dialogue, according to a press release issued by the Foreign Office (FO). EU Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Riina Kionka in March had announced that European companies recognised Pakistan as a potential business destination and were exploring new avenues for economic partnership. The EU is Pakistan’s second-largest trading partner, with the GSP+ status allowing the country to enjoy duty-free or minimum duty on European exports. According to the press release, Pakistan and the EU held their 10th Political Dialogue in Brussels and discussed key regional and international issues, including multilateral cooperation. Both sides agreed to deepen dialogue and discussions on security during the event. “The EU and Pakistan reaffirmed their commitment to the implementation of the Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP) signed in 2019,” the FO stated. “Both sides aim to further d... -
Dawn - 14:26 Jul 17, 2025
The British government said on Thursday that it would allow 16-year-olds to vote in general elections, a landmark change giving the United Kingdom one of the lowest voting ages worldwide. The ruling Labour Party pledged to lower the age from 18 ahead of winning power last year. It is among several planned changes to the democratic system. Some argue Britain’s democracy is “in crisis”, in particular due to low turnout. The voting age change is contentious, however, with critics previously arguing it is self-serving as newly-enfranchised teenagers are seen as more likely to support centre-left Labour. “I think it’s really important that 16- and 17-year-olds have the vote, because they are old enough to go out to work, they are old enough to pay taxes, so [they] pay in,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. “And I think if you pay in, you should have the opportunity to say what you want your money spent on, which way the government should go,” Starmer added. The government will have to bring legislation before parl... -
Dawn - 12:42 Jul 17, 2025
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Thursday continued its renewed bullish momentum as it crossed the 138,000-point barrier. The benchmark KSE-100 index rose by 1,785.25 points, or 1.31 per cent, to stand at 138,165.21 points at 11:57am, from the previous close of 136,379.96 points. The index closed at 138,665.49 points, up by 2,285.53 points or 1.68pc. Awais Ashraf, research director at AKD Securities, said: “Investor optimism over a potential rate cut in the upcoming monetary policy, expected later this month, has strengthened following a decline in yields during yesterday’s PIBs (Pakistan Investment Bond) auction. “A stable external account and easing inflation further support the case for bringing interest rates down into single digits,” he told Dawn.com. The PSX had staged a modest recovery yesterday as investors resumed buying, encouraged by the formation of a high-level committee to address the business community’s concerns over the recently introduced taxation measures. The development has helped the... -
Dawn - 12:33 Jul 17, 2025
Three “wanted terrorists” were killed during a joint operation between the regional police and the Counter Terrorism Department in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Wednesday night, police said. The spokesperson for the Bannu police, Khanzala Quraishi, told Dawn.com, “The three terrorists, belonging to the Zarar group, had been eliminated in an intelligence-based joint operation conducted in the Bannu city outskirts at midnight.” He said that the “terrorists were wanted for attacks on security forces and the target killing of police personnel”. According to the spokesperson, the terrorists were identified and all of them were residents of Bannu. “Three Kalashnikovs, magazines, pistols and handmade improvised explosive devices were recovered from their possession,” he said. 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. KP has seen an ... -
Dawn - 12:23 Jul 17, 2025
A cockpit recording of dialogue between the two pilots of the Air India flight that crashed last month indicates the captain cut the flow of fuel to the plane’s engines, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The newspaper cited people familiar with US officials’ early assessment of evidence uncovered in the investigation into the June 12 crash of a Boeing Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, India, that killed 260 people. A preliminary report into the crash released by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Saturday said one pilot was then heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel and “the other pilot responded that he did not do so”. Investigators did not identify which remarks were made by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and which by First Officer Clive Kunder, who had total flying experience of 15,638 hours and 3,403 hours, respectively. Kunder, who was flying the plane, asked Sabharwal why he moved the fuel switches to the “cutoff” position seconds after lifting ... -
Dawn - 12:04 Jul 17, 2025
A massive fire in a hypermarket in al-Kut city in eastern Iraq has left at least 69 people dead and 11 others missing, the city’s health authorities and two police sources told Reuters on Thursday. Reuters’ footage of the aftermath of the overnight fire showed the blackened exterior of “Corniche Hypermarket” building, with rescue teams and security forces still at the site. Videos verified by Reuters showed firefighters spraying water on the blazing building overnight and people climbing from the roof with the help of rescue teams. View this post on Instagram “We have more bodies that have not been recovered still under fire debris,” city official Ali al-Mayahi told Reuters. Officials said many people suffocated in bathrooms, while one person told AFP that his five relatives died in an elevator. Several people told AFP they lost family members, including mothers and children who had gone to shop and dine at the mall. The cause of the fire was not immediately known, but the province’s governor said initial res... -
Dawn - 12:03 Jul 17, 2025
The Taliban government said on Thursday it had not arrested or monitored Afghans involved in a secret British resettlement plan after a data breach was revealed this week. Thousands of Afghans who worked with the United Kingdom were brought to Britain with their families in a secret programme after a 2022 data breach put their lives at risk, the UK government revealed on Tuesday. The scheme was only revealed after the UK High Court lifted a super-gag order banning any reports of the events. UK Defence Minister John Healey said the leak was not revealed because of the risk that the Taliban authorities would obtain the data set and the lives of Afghans would be put at risk. “Nobody has been arrested for their past actions, nobody has been killed and nobody is being monitored for that,” the Afghan government’s deputy spokesman, Hamdullah Fitrat, told reporters on Thursday. “Reports of investigation and monitoring of a few people whose data has been leaked are false.” After the Taliban swept back to power in 2021... -
Dawn - 11:18 Jul 17, 2025
Two people died and three others were injured when the roof of a six-storey building collapsed in the Khada Market area of Karachi’s Lyari, rescue and police officials said. The incident occurred almost two weeks after a five-storey building collapsed earlier this month in Lyari’s Lea Market, killing 27 people. This incident raised serious concerns about building safety, prompting authorities to evacuate other dilapidated buildings in the city. Regarding the incident today, Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan told Dawn.com, “Two women have died in the accident, while more than two others are reported to have been injured.” Providing details of the incident, he said: “The building was dilapidated. Some labourers were working on the roof of the sixth floor when it collapsed.” He added that the rescue operation has been completed. Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) South, Asad Raza, confirmed that the two people were killed and three others were injured in the incident. “The top floor of the si... -
Dawn - 08:48 Jul 17, 2025
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa promised to protect the rights of Druze citizens on Thursday as a ceasefire appeared to be holding in the country’s south following US intervention to end fighting between government forces and Druze fighters. Overnight, the government’s troops withdrew from the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, where scores of people have been killed in days of conflict pitting local fighters against the Damascus authorities and Bedouin tribes. The violence in Syria escalated sharply on Wednesday as Israel launched airstrikes in Damascus while pressing attacks on government forces in the south, demanding they withdraw and saying Israel aimed to protect Syria’s Druze minority. Describing Syria’s new rulers as “barely disguised jihadists”, Israel has bombed repeatedly this year, saying it will not allow Syrian government forces to deploy into areas near its frontier. Facing calls from Israel’s own Druze minority to shield Syria’s Druze, Israel has also seized ground in the south. In ... -
Dawn - 06:41 Jul 17, 2025
A contingent of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) featuring the advanced JF-17 Thunder Block-III fighter jets arrived in the United Kingdom to take part in the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) 2025, a statement from the military’s media wing said on Thursday. RIAT, which will run 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. A PAF contingent comprising “state-of-the-art JF-17 Thunder Block-III fighter aircraft and the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, has landed at the Royal Air Force Base Fairford, United Kingdom, to participate in the prestigious” RIAT 2025, a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. View this post on Instagram “PAF’s participation in RIAT, one of the world’s largest military airshows, underscores Pakistan Air Force’s commitment to showcasing its professional excellence, operational capability and the indigenous strength of its aviation... -
Dawn - 06:15 Jul 17, 2025
A participant speaks at the webinar on investment opportunities at Pakistani ports on Wednesday.—Courtesy US consulate ISLAMABAD: Over 65 US companies joined a landmark webinar on Wednesday to explore commercial opportunities at Karachi Port and Port Qasim. The webinar hosted by the US Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration and the US Department of State, in collaboration with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, part of the ‘Gateways to Growth: South Asia Port Opportunities’ series, has opened new doors for American commercial services in the port sector of Pakistan. The webinar served as a strategic platform for American companies to engage directly with Pakistani port officials and private operators. “US investors have made substantial contributions to Pakistan’s development, and we are confident that the port sector will be another area where we can achieve great success together,” said US Consul General Scott Urbom in Karachi, emphasising the role of partnership in fostering long-term c... -
Dawn - 05:56 Jul 17, 2025
QUETTA: Various political parties have called for the immediate release of all detained leaders and activists, including Dr Mahrang Baloch and other Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) activists, PTI founding chairman Imran Khan and Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leader Ali Wazir. The seminar, hosted by the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) on Tuesday, was attended by leaders and workers from various political parties. Speaking at the event, participants voiced grave concern over the worsening law and order situation in Balochistan, alleged genocide of the Baloch people, the arrest of female leaders and activists, enforced disappearances, human rights violations and the controversial adoption of the Balochistan Mines and Mineral Act. BNP-M President Sardar Akhtar Mengal presided over the hours-long seminar. Political leaders slam human rights violations, call for end to military operations The speakers criticised the military operations, enforced disappearances and the discovery of mutilated bodies in th... -
Dawn - 05:22 Jul 17, 2025
KARACHI: The Karachi University Teachers’ Society (Kuts) has expressed deep concerns and regret over what it called an unfortunate incident in the varsity’s Staff Town where a senior professor “faced verbal abuse and alleged physical assault by an armed personnel”. In a statement, Kuts expressed concern over the attack on Prof Afaq Ahmad Siddiqui of the faculty of pharmacy and called for an impartial investigation into the matter. “It is deeply troubling that a respected academic, who has dedicated his life to education and research, was subjected to such behaviour,” it said. The teachers’ body demanded an appropriate action against those responsible and urged the Rangers’ top leadership to take a serious notice of the incident and play its role in maintaining a peaceful and respectful environment on the campus. Kuts demands Rangers leadership to take notice of attack on Prof Afaq Siddiqui “The teachers of the University of Karachi have always respected state institutions and we expect this respect to be mutu... -
Dawn - 03:40 Jul 17, 2025
KARACHI: President of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Muhammad Jawed Bilwani, on Wednesday categorically denied rumours of any postponement or cancellation of the nationwide strike scheduled for July 19, affirming that the shutdown will proceed as planned. The KCCI has installed hoardings and billboards across major arteries of Karachi announcing the complete strike, with slogans demanding respect for taxpayers “instead of handcuffs”. Despite the formation of a high-level committee by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to hold consultations with traders on budgetary measures aimed at documenting the economy, the KCCI leadership remains resolute in its decision. The committee, comprised of multiple stakeholders, has been tasked with conducting a 30-day consultation process to formulate a consensus-based proposal for submission to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the federal cabinet. Mr Bilwani said the strike decision was reaffirmed following an unproductive meeting with the finance mini... -
Dawn - 03:40 Jul 17, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The UN special representative for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, on Wednesday proposed a ‘prioritised’ regional dialogue with Pakistan, Iran and Central Asian states to halt the disorderly return of Afghans and uphold the principle of voluntary, dignified and safe repatriation. The call comes as more than 1.3 million Afghans have returned to the country this year, straining communities where 70 percent of people live in poverty, the UN envoy said in a press statement. “Afghanistan’s stability hinges on shared responsibility,” Ms Otunbayeva said in the statement circulated by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). “We cannot afford indifference; the cost of inaction will be measured in lives lost and conflicts reignited.” Women and children face the gravest risks, returning not only to dire economic hardships but to a context where their access to basic services and social protections remains severely constrained, Ms Otunbayeva said. “Do not turn away,” she appealed to donors, ... -
Dawn - 03:28 Jul 17, 2025
LAHORE: The Flood Forecasting Division on Wednesday warned of “exceptionally high flood” in River Jhelum in the next 24 hours, producing 350,000- to 450,000-cusec stream and asked “all concerned to remain alert”. Although alert, both Indus River System Authority (Irsa) and Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) responding to warning are jubilant and promising to “absorb” the entire stream at Mangla Dam, where such cushion is available. According to Irsa spokesman Khalid Idrees Rana, the authority would do its best to store the entire stream. “In fact, the authority was hoping, and praying, for River Jehlum to swell during this monsoon and yield some additional water. At present, Mangla Dam is standing at 1,186 feet, against its maximum level of 1,242 feet – it still can go up by 56 feet. It is holding 3.41 million acre feet of water, whereas it can go up to 7.3 million feet. “Irsa’s optimism of absorbing the entire flood wave is based on the filling criteria. Unlike Tarbella, where after reaching a cer... -
Dawn - 03:19 Jul 17, 2025
• Gender pay gap at 25pc hourly, 30pc monthly • Women make up only 13.5pc of workforce ISLAMABAD: Women in wage employment earn substantially lower wages than their male counterparts in Pakistan, according to a report launched by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on Wednesday. The ‘Pakistan Gender Pay Gap Report 2025’ estimates the gender pay gap at approximately 25 per cent based on hourly wages and 30pc based on monthly wages. The gender pay gap in Pakistan is also significant by international standards. In comparison, lower-middle-income countries — the income group Pakistan falls under — have an average gender pay gap of 21pc based on monthly wages and 17pc based on hourly wages. While launching the report, Secretary of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis Nadeem Aslam Chaudhary reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to ensuring equal pay for work of equal value. He said the report and accompanying action plan represent a vital step towards identifying and addressing the barriers that hinder women’s p... -
Dawn - 02:46 Jul 17, 2025
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Two police constables were martyred when unknown assailants opened fire near Shahi Gate in the Kulachi tehsil of Dera Ismail Khan district on Wednesday. The deceased were identified as Head Constable Ghulam Muhammad, from Panyala village in Dera Ismail Khan, and Constable Shehzad, from Aba Khel village in Lakki Marwat district. According to a police spokesperson, the constables were travelling on a motorcycle when the incident took place. One of the constables, who had a disability, was being transported to a hospital by his colleague when they were attacked. The assailants fired upon them as they reached Shahi Gate, resulting in the death of both officers on the spot. Police and other law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area after the attack and initiated a search operation. As the attackers attempted to flee, police returned fire, killing one assailant and injuring two others. A Kalashnikov rifle and ammunition were recovered from the deceased militant. The Counter-Terrorism Depar... -
Dawn - 02:38 Jul 17, 2025
PESHAWAR / ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) recent order and subsequent notifications related to reserved seats have led to partial changes in the party positions in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, with the JUI-F losing two and PPP losing one seat overall. While PTI-backed lawmakers maintain their tally of 92 members, opposition parties have experienced slight variations in their seat allocations. The development has not impacted the overall seat count for the opposition, but individual party positions have shifted. The ECP reduced one reserved seat each for JUI-F and PPP, while one has been allocated to PML-N. With the latest notifications, JUI-F and PML-N each hold 17 seats in the 125-member house, while PPP holds 10 seats. The Awami National Party (ANP) and PTI-Parliamentarians (PTI-P) each have three seats. ECP fears delay in oath-taking may affect Senate polls; asks PHC to designate ‘oath commissioner’ The fate of one of the 26 seats reserved for women is to be decided by a draw b... -
Dawn - 02:31 Jul 17, 2025
• Karachi-based Sabri qawwals were supposed to perform at a wedding in Quetta • Major leading Awaran operation martyred QUETTA: Just days after the deadly bus attack in the Zhob area of Balochistan, another passenger bus came under attack that claimed three innocent lives, including two Karachi-based Sabri qawwals, and left 13 others injured on the outskirts of Kalat on Wednesday. SSP Shahzad told Dawn that three people who lost their lives in bus firing Kalat included famous qawal Ahmed Hussain Sabri, his son Ahmed Raza Sabri, who left for Quetta along with other musicians of the group in a bus. “My brother, nephew and one musician killed in the armed attack,” famous Karachi-based Qawal Majid Ali Sabri said on the phone. He said his brother, nephew and other musicians were travelling to Quetta for performance at a wedding ceremony. “My close relatives and musicians are among the injured,” added Majid Sabri who along with his wife is due in the provincial capital on Thursday (today). Officials said the armed ...
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