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  • MQM founder Altaf Hussain’s condition has ‘greatly improved’: party official
    Dawn - 12:09 Jul 12, 2025
    Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain’s health has been on the mend after he was admitted to the hospital, according to a video by a party official posted on Saturday. Hussain was recently hospitalised in London due to “severe illness”, where he underwent multiple tests. London-based senior party leader Mustafa Azizabadi told Dawn.com that the MQM founder’s treatment was ongoing and “hopefully it’s not something serious”. In a video message posted early on X today, Azizabadi stated that the MQM founder’s health had improved since yesterday. “Altaf Hussain bhai (brother) has undergone some tests and blood transfusion has been given. The tests show that Altaf bhai’s health … has greatly improved,” Azizabadi said. “Doctors are treating him according to the test results.” He highlighted that misinformation had spread about Hussain’s condition, calling it “upsetting”. An update from MQM Coordination Committee Deputy Convener Qasim Ali said doctors conducted a detailed medical examination and agreed ...
    Tags: Altaf Hussain
  • Supreme Judicial Council dismisses 19 complaints against judges for hearing
    Dawn - 11:28 Jul 12, 2025
    The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on Saturday reviewed complaints against different judges of the superior judiciary, “unanimously” dismissing 19 of them. Earlier this week, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi called the SJC meeting to consider around two dozen pending complaints against superior court judges and a set of recommendations to streamline the process of handling complaints and to ensure transparency while probing allegations of misconduct against judges. According to a press release dated today, seen by Dawn.com, the council examined 24 complaints under Article 209 of the Constitution. It said, “19 complaints were unanimously decided to be filed while five others were deferred for the time being.” The meeting was chaired by CJP Afridi and attended by senior puisine judge Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelum and Sindh High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar. The press release also said, “The proposed draft of SJC Secre...
  • Japan police arrest Indian national accused of raping teenage girl in Shiga region: report
    Dawn - 10:48 Jul 12, 2025
    Police in Japan’s Shiga prefecture have arrested an Indian man for allegedly raping a teenage girl last month, local news outlet Kyoto Shimbun reported. Shiga’s Otsu police arrested the man, identified as a 24-year-old temporary worker, on Thursday on suspicion of assaulting and raping a teenage high school girl. The man allegedly assaulted the “girl living in the prefecture, including by choking her, and then having sexual intercourse with her at a hotel in Otsu city”. The incident took place in the early hours of June 21, according to the report, which was also carried by Tokyo Reporter. It quoted the Otsu police as saying that the suspect and the girl did not know each other. The man had gone with her to the front of a hotel under the pretence of asking for directions, then forced her into a room, the police said. The suspect denied the charges and was quoted as saying, “I did not force her.” In May, Japanese police said they arrested a former taxi driver on suspicion of drugging and raping a female passen...
    Tags: Japan Indian Shiga
  • Pakistan, Bahrain pledge to boost cooperation in counterterrorism, anti-human trafficking
    Dawn - 10:13 Jul 12, 2025
    Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Bahraini counterpart Gen Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa have stressed the need to further boost collaboration in counterterrorism and anti-human trafficking efforts between their countries. Pakistan and Bahrain share close fraternal ties based on shared culture and religion, with both countries having cooperation in security and economy. Naqvi met with Gen Rashid in Manama on Thursday, according to the Bahrain News Agency (BNA). Both officials emphasised the need to “further strengthen their security collaboration”, state-run Radio Pakistan reported today. The two sides held discussions on bilateral cooperation in counterterrorism, combating human trafficking and anti-narcotics efforts. They also mulled making the Pakistan-Bahrain Joint Security Committee more effective. The Bahraini interior minister expressed his appreciation for cooperation and coordination between the two countries in various fields, including security, according to Radio Pakistan. “We value t...
    Tags: Pakistan Bahrain
  • Worker in critical condition after US immigration raid on California farm
    Dawn - 09:19 Jul 12, 2025
    A farm worker was in critical condition on Friday, his family said, after being injured during a raid by US immigration agents on a legal cannabis farm in California that resulted in the arrests of 200 undocumented migrants and clashes with protesters. US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, called demonstrators involved in attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents “slimeballs” and said they should be arrested. In another development, a district judge ordered a halt to “roving patrols” in Los Angeles by federal agents who were detaining suspected undocumented migrants without probable cause and denying them due process. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong ordered an end to the arrests, which she said were being made “based upon race alone”, on whether a person was speaking Spanish or English with an accent or because of their place of work. Trump’s remarks and the court order come a day after a chaotic raid on a cannabis plantation in Ventura County, some 56 miles (90 kilometers) from L...
    Tags: California
  • Centre’s policies hindering development of Sindh’s energy sector: Murad
    Dawn - 09:02 Jul 12, 2025
    KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday expressed concern over federal policies that were “creating major hurdles” in the development of Sindh’s energy sector and said that despite the province’s vast potential to serve as a key contributor to the nation’s energy needs, current federal approaches were obstructing progress on multiple fronts. Speaking as the chief guest at the Sindh Energy Diversity Conference, Mr Shah described the province as the country’s “energy basket,” endowed with rich reserves of coal, natural gas, wind and solar energy. However, Mr Shah pointed out that federal policies had created ongoing challenges that hindered energy sector development in the province. He also recounted historical setbacks, including investor reluctance after the 1996 government change and federal opposition to wind power projects in Sindh. Mr Shah urged the gathering of stakeholders, experts and policymakers to discuss the province’s vast energy resources and the urgent need for sustainable energy s...
    Tags: Sindh
  • Shaza Fatima meets Google team, stresses govt’s focus on AI training in education, workforce
    Dawn - 08:42 Jul 12, 2025
    Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja stressed the government’s focus on artificial intelligence (AI) training in education and the workforce, Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday. The interest shown by children in AI tools has doubled during the past year, according to a report, with businesses also employing them on a wide scale. However, experts have warned that AI’s development should not be guided by market forces alone and stressed its regulation. Khawaja met with Google’s Regional AI Developer Ecosystem and Communities team on Friday to explore strategic collaboration in advancing Pakistan’s AI landscape. In the policy discussion, the minister emphasised the government’s strategic focus on AI training across three critical domains: mainstream education from kindergarten to university; workforce development, including freelancers; and industrial innovation. According to Radio Pakistan, the minister also stressed the need for inclusive access to tools such as the AI Seekho programme, sandbo...
    Tags: Google
  • Air India crash report shows pilot confusion over engine switch movement
    Dawn - 08:19 Jul 12, 2025
    A preliminary report depicted confusion in the cockpit shortly before an Air India jetliner crashed and killed 260 people last month, after the plane’s engine fuel cutoff switches flipped almost simultaneously and starved the engines of fuel. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London from the Indian city of Ahmedabad began to lose thrust and sink shortly after takeoff, according to the report on the world’s deadliest aviation accident in a decade released on Saturday by Indian accident investigators. The report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) about the June 12 crash raises fresh questions over the position of the critical engine fuel cutoff switches. Almost immediately after the plane lifted off the ground, closed-circuit TV footage showed a backup energy source called a ram air turbine had deployed, indicating a loss of power from the engines. In the flight’s final moments, one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel. “The other pilot r...
    Tags: Air India
  • Over 270 students receive counselling on pursuing studies in US
    Dawn - 07:11 Jul 12, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: Over 270 students gathered in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi this week in preparation to travel to the United States to begin bachelor’s, master’s and PhD programmes at US universities, a statement issued by organisers said. “EducationUSA at the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) hosted these annual pre-departure orientations (PDOs) to prepare students for the educational and cultural journey ahead. Discussion topics included classroom and campus life, resources for international students, and adapting to new cultural experiences,” the statement read. Parents, school counsellors and alumni of US institutions also joined the discussions to help ensure the students’ successful transition. According to the Institute of International Education’s 2024 Open Doors report, nearly 11,000 Pakistanis were enrolled at US institutions last year—an all-time high for Pakistan and an 8.1 per cent increase over the previous year. “Pakistan is home to thousands of alumni of US colleges and unive...
    Tags: Over
  • Lahore police avert mob attack on Ahmadi worship place
    Dawn - 07:06 Jul 12, 2025
    LAHORE: The police reportedly thwarted a mob attack on a worship place of the Ahmadi community in Samanabad here on Friday. A strong contingent of force from several police stations responded to the emergency 15 call from the community when local residents were about to march towards their (Ahmadi) worship place. “Six SHOs, a DSP, a divisional SP and an SSP rushed to the site along with armed policemen on the direction of Lahore Operations DIG Faisal Kamran to rescue members of the Ahmadi community at any cost,” a police officer told Dawn. He said some women and children were also among the worshippers. As the mob tried to surround the worship place, the police launched a major operation and rescued women, children and other worshippers, shifted them to a secured area and increased security of the worship place. Police high-ups also engaged known local figures, including religious leaders, to maintain peace. An Ahmadi worshipper told Dawn his community had built a worship place on Poonch Road and got it regis...
    Tags: Ahmadi
  • Massive Bara rally opposes military operation in Tirah Valley
    Dawn - 05:50 Jul 12, 2025
    KHYBER: Thousands of peace campaigners from the restive Tirah Valley and Bara tehsil of Khyber tribal district on Friday staged a rally, opposing an imminent military operation in Tirah and forcible displacement of the residents. Organised under the banner of Bara Siyasi Ittehad (BSI) at the Minara Jumaat Chowk, the peace rally, which later turned into an anti-military operation demonstration, was attended by thousands of people from all parts and corners of Bara and Tirah with parliamentarians, tribal elders, political parties’ representatives and civil society activists also in attendance. Amid vociferous sloganeering, the BSI president Hashim Khan Afridi declared that people of Tirah and Bara would not submit to any pressure regarding the start of a new military operation, forced displacement or formation of armed lashkars (peace committees). He called upon the government to reconsider its policy about Qabayal (residents of the seven merged districts) as it was a flawed policy and had thus failed. “The gov...
    Tags: Tirah Valley
  • Govt inaction irks Islamabad High Court in Aafia Siddiqui case
    Dawn - 05:44 Jul 12, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has expr­essed dissatisfaction over the federal government’s failure to submit a report in the case concerning the release, health and repatriation of Dr Aafia Siddiqui. Dr Siddiqui, a neuroscientist, has been imprisoned in the United States since 2008 after being convicted on charges of attempted murder of US personnel in Afghanistan. When the petition filed by her sister Dr Fawzia Siddiqui came up for hearing, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan grilled Additional Attorney General Rashid Hafeez over the delay in submission of the government’s response to the case. The court noted that the government had been asked in June to submit a response but it did not file it till date. “If the federal government’s report is not presented in my court, I will summon the entire cabinet. Why not initiate contempt of court proceedings against all ministers in the federal cabinet, including the prime minister?” he remarked. However, the additional attorney general requested for five mor...
    Tags: Aafia Siddiqui
  • Punjab govt to give Rs350bn for railway track upgrade
    Dawn - 04:36 Jul 12, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi on Friday informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways that the Punjab government had expressed willingness to finance Rs350 billion for the upgradation and dualisation of railway tracks in the province. Briefing the committee, Mr Abbasi said that during a recent meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in Lahore, she showed interest in supporting the infrastructure initiative, which aligns with the broader goals of modernising Pakistan’s railway network. The Main Line-1 (ML-1) project, being carried out under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is a key part of this effort and aims to upgrade the country’s primary rail corridor from Karachi to Peshawar. With an estimated cost of $6.8bn, the project is expected to enhance transport efficiency, reduce travel time, and facilitate freight and passenger movement, particularly as part of Pakistan’s regional connectivity strategy with Central Asia. Meanwhile, Mr Abbasi announced that Pakista...
    Tags: Punjab
  • Multiple lapses led to River Swat tragedy, probe finds
    Dawn - 03:41 Jul 12, 2025
    • Advisories not heeded, warning systems malfunctioned • KP CM orders action against negligent officials PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has ordered action against officials of several government departments over their negligence, which led to the drowning of over a dozen people in a flooded river last month. On June 27, at least 14 people, including 10 from the same family, died after being swept away in a flash flood triggered by heavy rains in the Swat River. The committee, formed by CM Gandapur to fix responsibility, found negligence and shortcomings on the part of the district administration, irrigation and local government departments and Rescue 1122, which resulted in the tragedy. The relevant departments will initiate action against officers found responsible and complete disciplinary proceedings within 60 days, read an official statement issued by the CM secretariat. The 63-page report submitted by the Provincial Inspection Team (PIT) said weather advisories issued ...
  • Foreign Office slams Ajit Doval over ‘successful hits’ claims
    Dawn - 03:04 Jul 12, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday rejected claims by Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval that India had successfully hit all nine identified targets on May 7, calling the remarks “replete with distortions and misrepresentations”. Foreign Office spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan, addressing a weekly press briefing, said Doval’s statements reflected “a deliberate attempt to mislead the public” and violated “the norms of responsible statecraft”. “Boasting of military aggression against a sovereign nation is a grave breach of the United Nations Charter and established principles of international law,” Mr Khan said. “Rather than resorting to fictitious narratives, India should accept the downing of six fighter jets and severe damages to other military targets.” Mr Khan also said it was public knowledge that the so-called terrorist targets attacked by India resulted in the deaths of civilians. To a question, Mr Khan said: “Indian involvement in sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan is very clear, and the international comm...
    Tags: Foreign Office
  • 3 million Afghans could return this year: UN
    Dawn - 18:46 Jul 11, 2025
    Some three million Afghans could return to their country this year, a UN refugee official said on Friday, warning that the repatriation flow is placing intense pressure on an already major humanitarian crisis. Iran and Pakistan have introduced new policies affecting displaced Afghans, with Tehran already having given 4m “illegal” Afghans until July 6 to leave Iranian territory. “What we are seeing is the undignified, disorganised and massive exodus of Afghans from both countries, which is generating enormous pressures on the homeland that is willing to receive them and yet utterly unprepared to do so,” United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Afghanistan Arafat Jamal said during a video press conference from Kabul. “Of concern to us is this scale, the intensity and the manner in which returns are occurring.” Over 1.6m Afghans have already returned from Pakistan and Iran this year, the large majority from Iran, Jamal added. The figure already exceeds the UNHCR’s initial forecasts...
    Tags: Afghans
  • Policeman shot dead, Rangers man injured in scuffle over ‘personal grudge’ in Karachi: police
    Dawn - 18:42 Jul 11, 2025
    A policeman was shot dead while a Rangers man was shot at and hurt as they scuffled over a “personal grudge” in Karachi’s Site area on Friday, according to police. South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza said, “The police constable Waseem Ahmed Abro, 30, posted at Gulshan-i-Maymar police was shot dead allegedly by Rangers sepoy Mohammed Noman, while he (Noman) was also shot in the foot by the deceased constable.” “Initially, the injured Rangers sepoy claimed that the policeman was engaged in a roadside robbery with a passerby, but later on, it transpired that the incident was an outcome of some ‘personal grudge’ between them,” he added. The DIG said during the initial probe, it transpired that both the deceased and the injured, dressed in civvies and riding separate motorcycles, reached the crime scene near Habib Bank Chowk in Site at around 10:45am. Quoting witnesses, the senior officer said that after an exchange of abusive language and a scuffle, they fired upon each other. As a result, policeman Was...
    Tags: Karachi Rangers
  • Saud Shakeel to lead Pakistan Shaheens squad for England tour
    Dawn - 18:19 Jul 11, 2025
    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday announced that Saud Shakeel will lead an 18-member Pakistan Shaheens squad to tour England from July 17 to August 6 for two three-day and three 50-over matches. Pakistan Shaheens, the name for the men’s ‘A’ team, last featured in a match against the Bangladesh ‘A’ side in Dubai in February of this year. “Saud Shakeel is set to lead the team, while he will be joined by three other Test-capped players in Mir Hamza, Musa Khan and Sajid Khan,” the PCB said. The press release added that among other players, Azan Awais and Maaz Sadaqat, who finished as the leading run scorers, respectively, in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy 2024-25, have been selected. Other batters include Ali Zaryab, Haider Ali, Mohammad Suleman, Omair Bin Yousuf, Shamyl Hussain, while Rohail Nazir will perform the wicket-keeping duties. The pace arsenal consists of Mushtaq Ahmed, who bagged 77 wickets in the two most recent first-class competitions (QeA Trophy & President’s Trophy), Fata pacer Shahid Aziz and ...
    Tags: Saud Shakeel England Pakistan Shaheens
  • Bodies of slain passengers in Balochistan bus killing sent to Punjab hometowns: official
    Dawn - 17:45 Jul 11, 2025
    The bodies of nine bus passengers who were kidnapped and killed in Balochistan’s Sardhaka area last night were recovered and transported to their hometowns in Punjab on Friday morning, officials said. Last night, at least nine passengers travelling on two Punjab-bound coaches were abducted and killed by unidentified armed men in the Sur-Dakai area, situated on the border between Balochistan’s Zhob and Loralai districts. Provincial government spokesperson Shahid Rind also confirmed the incident and said that Fitna-al-Hindu­stan — a term the government uses for terrorist organisations in Balo­chistan — had carried out attacks at three different places — Kakat, Mastung and Sur-Dakai. The Balochistan Liberation Front, a banned outfit, later claimed responsibility for the attack. A spokesman for the group said it had killed the nine individuals after blocking the highway between Musakhail-Makhtar and Khajuri. Assistant Comm­issioner (AC) Naveed Alam told Dawn.com today that the bodies of all nine passengers were h...
    Tags: Balochistan Punjab
  • Paris prosecutors ask police to join investigation of Musk’s X
    Dawn - 17:26 Jul 11, 2025
    A French probe into Elon Musk’s social media platform X deepened on Friday, when the Paris prosecutor’s office said it had enlisted police to investigate suspected abuse of algorithms and fraudulent data extraction by the company or its executives. The move adds to the pressure on Musk, a former ally of US President Donald Trump who has accused European governments of attacking free speech and has also voiced support for some of the region’s far-right parties. French police could conduct searches, wiretaps and surveillance against Musk and X executives, or summon them to testify. If they do not comply, a judge could issue an international arrest warrant. X did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Paris prosecutors launched a preliminary probe in January, after receiving complaints of alleged foreign interference by X from a lawmaker and a senior French official, Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a statement. On July 9, after preliminary findings provided by researchers and French public inst...
    Tags: Musk Paris

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