Dawn
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Dawn - 18:06 Jan 20, 2026
KARACHI: A committee formed by the Sindh government to investigate the circumstances that led to the devastating fire at the Gul Plaza shopping mall initiated its probe on Tuesday as the death toll reached 28. The Sindh chief secretary had formed the body on Monday, comprising Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi and the Karachi additional inspector general, directing that a report be submitted within seven days. Sources told Dawn that the committee held its first meeting on Tuesday, led by the Karachi commissioner. They said the committee called officials from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Fire Brigade, Rescue 1122 and the owner of the mall and sought details from them. Meanwhile, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said that based on the KMC’s audit of various buildings, the SBCA had started to “take action”. “A letter with a list of non-compliant buildings has been sent to the Association of Builders and Developers (Abad),” he said on X. The SBCA letter a... -
Dawn - 17:50 Jan 20, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday arrived in Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF). In a post on X, PM Shehbaz wrote that he arrived to advance Pakistan’s engagement at the WEF with global trade and investment partners. A video included with the post showed him disembarking from his plane, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar. “Pakistan’s ongoing economic reform journey is unlocking profound opportunities, driven by a resilient and entrepreneurial workforce and significant potential across energy, agriculture, minerals, and emerging technologies,” PM Shehbaz said. He added that Pakistan was “ready to harness this potential into mutually beneficial economic cooperation and long-term investment”. A separate post from the Foreign Office (FO) said that Dar, in addition to participating in WEF sessions, would also hold “sideline bilateral meetings with counterparts to advance Pakistan’s diplomatic and economic prio... -
Dawn - 16:57 Jan 20, 2026
Hours after he was notified as the opposition leader in the Senate on Tuesday, Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas met lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha, expressing solidarity with them and ruing that “dissent has been made a crime” in the country. The meeting took place at the office of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) president, following which a statement on Abbas’s X account detailed his media talk after his interaction with the lawyers. The post quoted him as saying that Pakistan was currently going through a “severe crisis”. “Unfortunately, the country seems to be heading in a direction where fundamental rights of people, constitutional guarantees and human dignity are being continuously violated. The real tragedy is that those who have the power and authority are the ones ruthlessly crushing the state’s soft power. “Today, civil society, lawyers, human rights organisations and every other voice that raises awareness and questions is being p... -
Dawn - 15:32 Jan 20, 2026
Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik on Tuesday announced his retirement from Pakistan Super League (PSL). In a post on social media platform X, Malik said, “I cherish every single moment and friendship I have made on and off the field throughout my 10 years of the PSL as a player. It’s time to call it a day. “My passion and motivation to serve for the betterment of cricket will always stay. Thank you, PSL,” he said. Last year in May, Malik had announced his resignation from the role of Domestic Cricket Mentor, saying he believed it was “time to move on” to ensure fairness and pay attention to multiple personal and professional responsibilities in his life. During his PSL career, he represented Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators, playing a total of 93 matches and scoring a total of 2350 runs, according to ESPN Cricinfo. -
Dawn - 15:24 Jan 20, 2026
The Federal Flood Commission (FFC) has issued a flash flood warning for the Kabul River and its tributaries for January 22 and 23, with the possibility of upper parts of the country getting affected In its alert on Tuesday, the FFC said a “strong westerly wave is likely to affect the upper parts of the country from the evening of January 21 to January 24, 2026. Consequently, flows in River Kabul, along with its associated tributaries, may rise from January 22 to January 23, 2026”. The alert said that “on account of expected moderate to isolated heavy rainfall coupled with snowfall over the upper parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Swat, Chitral, Buner, Shangla, Lower and Upper Dir, Malakand, Bajaur, Chitral, Mardan, Swabi, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Battagram, Torghar, Haripur, Kolai-Palas and Kohistan) and Kashmir, the risk of flash flooding cannot be ruled out”. In view of the situation, all organisations concerned, particularly the Provincial Disaster Management Authority in KP, relevant district administrations and K... -
Dawn - 14:39 Jan 20, 2026
The Pakistan Airports Authority has extended the airspace ban for Indian aircraft until February 24 for another month, according to a Notam (notice to airmen) issued on Tuesday. The extension in the ban has been notified just three days before the restriction, last extended on December 17, was set to expire on January 23. India and Pakistan have closed their airspaces to each other’s airlines since tensions between them escalated in late April in the wake of an attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 people. According to the latest Notam, Pakistan’s airspace will remain closed for India-registered aircraft until 5am on February 24, extending the restriction that is already in place. The restriction applies to all India-registered aircraft as well as any aircraft operated, owned, or leased by Indian airlines or operators, including military flights. The airspace closure applies from ground level up to unlimited altitude. Pakistan’s airspace is divided into two flight information regions (FIRs) — K... -
Dawn - 13:55 Jan 20, 2026
ISLAMABAD: PML-N Senator Afnanullah Khan on Tuesday alleged that there had to be some involvement of officials in the theft of Pakistanis’ data, saying that it was available on the dark web. The senator made the remarks during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, where he said: “All of Pakistani nationals’ data is on the dark web. And it is the latest data. “And it is such good data that we might not have such well-processed data. For example, they have consolidated data from the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and banks into a dataset,” he said. “And you can get anyone’s data for Rs500, and if you want that of the entire country, you will get it for Rs70-80 billion. Data worth Rs70-80bn is [available] on the dark web,” the senator said. He pointed out that when the data of any individual was stolen, it could be used for any purpose, including obtaining passports and identity cards for others. “Why is Pakistanis’ data stolen time and ... -
Dawn - 13:25 Jan 20, 2026
A diplomatic row has erupted between New Delhi and Warsaw after Indian Foreign Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar took aim at Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radoslaw Sikorski’s recent visit to Pakistan, Indian media reported. According to The Hindu, the visit by the Polish minister was the first since Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Warsaw in August 2024, from where he travelled to Ukraine as well. The report added that Jaishankar, in televised remarks, said he wanted to discuss Sikorski’s “recent travels to the region”, calling it a direct reference to the Polish minister’s visit to Pakistan in October last year. During Sikorski’s two-day visit to Islamabad, Pakistan and Poland had agreed to deepen their political and economic ties during talks in Islamabad, with both countries pledging to transform their relationship into what they called a “comprehensive and mutually beneficial partnership”. The Hindu reported that during the meeting between Jaishankar and Sikorski, the former said, “Poland should disp... -
Dawn - 12:27 Jan 20, 2026
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed confidence on Tuesday that the United States and European countries would find a solution over the US administration’s aim to take over Greenland, brushing off “hysteria” about a possible trade war. US President Donald Trump announced tariffs on Saturday on imports from European allies that oppose the United States taking over Greenland, an autonomous part of Denmark. European countries say new tariffs would violate a trade deal reached with Trump last year, and EU leaders are set to discuss possible retaliation at an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday. One option is a package of tariffs on 93 billion euros ($108 billion) of US imports that could automatically kick in on February 6 after a six-month suspension. Bessent said the issue had only recently emerged and a solution would be found that ensures national security for the United States and Europe. “It’s been 48 hours. As I said, sit back, relax,” Bessent told reporters on the sidelines of the World Econ... -
Dawn - 11:56 Jan 20, 2026
The National Assembly on Tuesday echoed with calls for empowering local governments (LGs) as lawmakers stressed the need for reforms in the wake of the Gul Plaza fire. Besides members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), PML-N’s Khawaja Asif also favoured strengthening LGs for better city administration. Speaking on the floor of the NA today, MQM-P leader Dr Farooq Sattar called for the “creation of more administrative units” for better governance and strengthening local government systems. “Such a huge burden can not be shouldered by a chief minister alone,” he said. “These powers should instead be handed over to the mayor, town chairman, UC (union council) chairman”. He recalled that MQM-P had also advocated for the inclusion of a clause aimed at strengthening local government bodies in a probable 28th Constitutional Amendment. “Creating an administrative unit is not the division of geography; it is an administrative division, a division of justice and resources,” Sattar maintained. He assailed... -
Dawn - 11:52 Jan 20, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas was appointed as the opposition leader in the Senate on Tuesday. Abbas — vice chairman of Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) — had been chosen by PTI founder Imran Khan as the opposition’s choice for the seat, which had been vacant since August 2025. “In pursuance of sub-rule (3) of Rule 16 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012, the chairman Senate has been pleased to declare Senator Raja Nasir Abbas as leader of the opposition in the Senate, with immediate effect,” said a notification issued by the Senate Secretariat. Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani also announced Abbas’s appointment as the opposition leader during Tuesday’s session in the House. As the proceedings began, he said: “I want to give a ruling. Before proceeding further, I consider it necessary to place on record the legal and procedural background relating to the declaration of the leader of the opposition in the Senate. “Rule 16 o... -
Dawn - 10:14 Jan 20, 2026
Chief of Defence Force (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir emphasised that a strong, professional, and people-centric police force is indispensable for ensuring internal security and the rule of law, according to an Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) statement issued on Tuesday. The army chief made these remarks during a visit to the National Police Academy in Islamabad, where he addressed senior police officials, and interacted with officers of the Police Service of Pakistan. CDF Munir also acknowledged the supreme sacrifices rendered by police personnel in the face of terrorism, crime and internal security challenges, it stated. “The field marshal remarked that the duty of the police to enforce law and order is a sacred trust and that the armed forces will always stand fully with the brave and proud police personnel of Pakistan,” said the statement. The senior police leadership, on the occasion, reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening policing standards, enhanci... -
Dawn - 09:50 Jan 20, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said Pakistan was “forced” to halt all trade with Afghanistan due to Kabul’s inaction against terrorists operating from its soil. The Pak-Afghan border has been closed for trade since mid-October 2025, when border clashes erupted. Successive rounds of talks on counter-terrorism mechanisms failed to produce a workable solution despite mediation by Turkiye and Qatar. “There is a complete blockade of Pak-Afghan trade. It should not have been there, but they forced us,” the premier said while addressing a national workshop event in Islamabad. “This time, it must be decided whether Afghanistan wants to live peacefully or not […] They are our brothers and sisters. If the interim Afghan government does not have an interest in this (peace with Pakistan), they should at least have mercy on its people and not oppress them.” “Rest assured, we will keep trying our best,” the prime minister added. While trade data shows that the border closure has hit Afghanistan far harder than Pa... -
Dawn - 08:24 Jan 20, 2026
In the dull glow of a single bulb lighting their tent on the outskirts of Kabul, Samiullah and his wife Bibi Rehana sit down to dry bread and tea, their only meal of the day, accompanied by their five children and three-month-old grandchild. “We have reached a point where we are content with death,” said 55-year-old Samiullah, whose family, including two older sons aged 18 and 20 and their wives, is among the millions deported by neighbouring countries in the past year. “Day by day, things are getting worse,” he added, after their return to a war-torn nation where the United Nations’ World Food Programme estimates 17 million battle acute hunger after massive cuts in international aid. “Whatever happens to us has happened, but at least our children’s lives should be better.” He was one of the returned Afghans speaking before protests in Iran sparked a massive crackdown by the government. Samiullah said his family went virtually overnight from its modest home in Iran to their makeshift tent, partially propped u... -
Dawn - 08:18 Jan 20, 2026
French President Emmanuel Macron told US President Donald Trump that he could set up a G7 meeting in Paris on Thursday afternoon and that he did not understand what Trump was “doing on Greenland,” in a screenshot of the messages that Trump posted on Truth Social and said was a note from Macron. According to the messages, Macron told the US president that he could invite the Ukrainians, the Danish, the Syrians and the Russians to participate on the margins of the meeting, and also invited Trump to have dinner with him in Paris on Thursday. Trump’s replies, if any, were not part of the screenshot that he posted. The White House and the Macron’s office did not respond to a request for comment. A source close to Macron said that the text message shared by Trump was authentic. EU leaders are set to convene in Brussels on Thursday evening for an emergency summit following Trump’s threats to impose new tariffs on several EU countries over his demand to acquire Greenland. Last week, in a post on Truth Social, Trump s... -
Dawn - 06:57 Jan 20, 2026
Australia’s lower house of parliament has passed new laws for a national gun buyback, tighter background checks for gun licences and a crackdown on hate crimes, in response to the country’s worst mass shooting in decades at a Jewish festival last month. Two bills for stricter gun control and anti-hate measures passed on Tuesday by the House of Representatives in a special parliament session will now go to the upper house Senate for debate. The gun control laws are expected to pass with the support of the Greens party despite opposition from the conservative Liberal-National coalition. The anti-hate laws are likely to pass with support from the Liberal party. Introducing the gun reforms, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said individuals with “hate in their hearts and guns in their hands”, carried out the December 14 attack at Bondi Beach that killed 15 people. “The tragic events at Bondi demand a comprehensive response from government,” Burke added. “As a government, we must do everything we can to counter bot... -
Dawn - 04:54 Jan 20, 2026
CHITRAL: A snow leopard was found dead in the pastures of Wakht village of Garam Chashma valley here on Monday afternoon. The animal was spotted in the area about two months back after its long disappearance for more than 10 years. The deputy ranger of wildlife department, Shafiq Ahmed, and regional programme manager of Snow Leopard Foundation, Jamigh Sherazi, told Dawn that after receiving a report about spotting of the snow leopard carcass, they reached the spot along with a team. They said the carcass was frozen, which meant that the animal had died many hours before their arrival. They said the cause of death of the wild cat would be ascertained only after the postmortem was carried out in the veterinary hospital, where the body was being shifted. Earlier, the leopard was spotted in Wakht, Munoor and Beghusht villages, which attacked the goats of the local people. The people had also been voicing concern about their losses. The area has recently received snowfall forcing the animal to come to lower altitu... -
Dawn - 03:52 Jan 20, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Alarm bells were rung in the Senate on Monday over the recently launched military operation in the Tirah area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Khyber tribal district. Speaking on a point of public importance, ANP chief Senator Aimal Wali Khan accused the federal government of being in a “deep slumber” over the ongoing operation in KP, leaving the people helpless and clueless. He said such “processes” had been carried out in the past in KP with all stakeholders on board. “But this time, the Centre is sleeping, whereas the provincial government is unbothered about what is going on,” he added. “The federal government is behaving as if KP is out of its jurisdiction, and the provincial government is headed by one who is openly talking against the system and is not ready to accept any operation,” he contended. “Please leave aside day-to-day things and talk about this operation, as the KP government is not even bothered to arrange tents for the displaced people,” he said. Senator Palwasha asks for her privilege mo... -
Dawn - 03:32 Jan 20, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court, in a poignant observation, has called out society for its apathy towards victims of domestic violence, noting that despite sustained maltreatment by their husbands and in-laws, women are still forced to return to the same abusive environments. “With a heavy heart we state that in similar cases, where daughters are subjected to sustained maltreatment by their husbands or in-laws, it is the sad state of our society, though with a few exceptions, that families still compel them to return to the same abusive environment,” observed Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim in a six-page judgement regarding domestic violence in an abusive marriage case. Headed by Justice Muhammad Hashim Kakar, a three-judge SC bench had taken up a jail petition of Khursheed Ahmad against the Feb 1, 2022 rejection of his plea by the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi bench. The SC, however, upheld the conviction of the petitioner for the murder of his wife, Gulshan Bibi. Husband’s conviction upheld as no evidence of natural d... -
Dawn - 03:17 Jan 20, 2026
Chipurson Valley (Gilgit-Baltistan): Vehicles are buried under the rubble of a structure that collapsed during the 5.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the region on Monday.—Photo by the writer • Several homes and cattle sheds damaged or collapsed • Landslides block Karakoram Highway and several link roads GILGIT: A 5.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Gilgit-Baltistan on Monday, killing one person, injuring four others and damaging dozens of homes, cattle sheds, and public and private properties. The quake also triggered landslides that blocked the Karakoram Highway (KKH) and several other roads. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the earthquake struck at 11:21am at a depth of 10 kilometres, with its epicentre located in northwestern Kashmir. Meanwhile, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), which reports magnitude using the Moment Magnitude Scale, recorded the quake at a magnitude of 5.7 at a depth of 31 kilometres. The EMSC said the earthquake was recorded about 58 ki...
10444 items