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Dawn - 02:45 Jan 17, 2026
• PTI senators slam ban on meetings with Imran • Law minister says jail superintendent responsible for meetings, denies solitary confinement claim ISLAMABAD: Senators on Friday called for keeping tabs on the use of social media platforms by children under 18, with the chair proposing a special committee to develop safeguards in consultation with relevant ministries. The issue was raised through a calling-attention notice moved by Senators Falak Naz, Fawzia Arshad, Aimal Wali Khan, Saadia Abbasi and Dilawar Khan. Presiding over the sitting, Senator Sherry Rehman said some checks were needed and suggested forming a special committee comprising representatives of the ministries of information technology, interior, education and law, along with parliamentary parties and provincial governments. She said the final decision would rest with Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani. Speaking on the notice, Senator Naz said most platforms were designed for adults and warned that children’s exposure to inappropriate content ... -
Dawn - 02:34 Jan 17, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Friday took up the issue of increasing cybercrimes in the country, which are badly affecting the masses. Members highlighted the problem of fake driving challans, as well as fraudulent messages from educational institutions, banks, mobile phone companies and other entities. It was also informed that in some cases people responded to such fake messages and later faced charges of blasphemy and anti-state activities, resulting in imprisonment. On the other hand, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry claimed that necessary steps were being taken to introduce reforms in the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in order to effectively tackle cybercrimes. PTI leader Sheryar Afridi informed the House that a large number of young people were facing cases and imprisonment after being declared guilty of committing blasphemy and anti-state activities. House told NCCIA received over 150,000 cybercrime complaints in a year “A number of people told me outside Adiala j... -
Dawn - 02:27 Jan 17, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed that pension is a vested constitutional right and not a bounty or something given out of generosity by the employer. The employee earns these benefits through long, continuous, faithful and unblemished service, observed Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui in a six-page judgement that upheld the right of a former civil servant to receive pension benefits despite the fact that he had applied for pension 13 years after his resignation. Justice Siddiqui was a member of a three-judge SC bench headed by Justice Naeem Akhter Afghan, which also comprised Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb. The bench had taken up an appeal filed by Muhammad Usman against the July 3, 2024 rejection of his plea by the Federal Service Tribunal (FST). Sets aside ruling of service tribunal on plea by ex-auditor The appellant was a former senior auditor (BS-11) in the office of the Military Accountant General, Rawalpindi. He was held disentitled to pension benefits on the grounds that he had tendere... -
Dawn - 01:34 Jan 17, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Despite over 35 years of ‘reforms’ and policy interventions, Pakistan’s power sector remains incapable of instilling confidence in the country’s economic growth and in consumers’ trust, leading to gains secured from power producers through renegotiations evaporating amid unending inefficiencies. This charge sheet has been framed by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) against the policymakers and power sector managers in its flagship ‘State of the Industry Report 2025’, while conceding that regulatory powers for correction had been diluted through administrative and legal challenges. It said the inefficiencies of the distribution companies (Discos) contributed around Rs400 billion to the circular debt, while law-abiding consumers paid around Rs235bn in debt servicing surcharge (DSS) in 2024-25, not due to normal business practices but to inefficiencies. It said that despite some structural and policy-level interventions, “overall progress remained limited and insufficient to ins... -
Dawn - 19:57 Jan 16, 2026
Pakistan’s ICC U19 Cricket World Cup campaign got off to a disappointing start on Tuesday as England dismantled the Green Shirts’ top order, taking six wickets for 86 runs to seal a 37-run victory. Winning the toss at the Takashinga Sports Club in Harare, Pakistan U19 team captain Farhan Yousuf elected to field first — a decision that turned out to be in the team’s favour as it bowled out England for just 210 in a fifty-over match. English batter Caleb Falconer scored 66 runs, for which he also got the Man of the Match award later, aided by Ben Dawkins’ 33 and Ralphie Albert’s 25. With the help of the commanding spells by Pakistani bowler Ahmed Hussain, who took three wickets, and Ali Raza, Abdul Subhan, and Moshin Qamar, who grabbed two wickets each, Pakistan established their position, booming in the first innings. While chasing the target, howeve, Pakistan’s top order could not stand England’s Alex Green and James Minto’s bowling attack, as both took a couple of wickets each. Six of Pakistan’s batters were... -
Dawn - 18:42 Jan 16, 2026
It was the afternoon of October 7, 1983, and former dictator General Ziaul Haq’s martial law was in effect, when a young man decided to lead a procession in Quetta to demand the restoration of democracy. Despite grave life threats, his stance remained firm, even when four of his supporters were shot dead, and dozens were injured by the authorities. Today, the man, Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai, has been appointed leader of the opposition in the National Assembly. His name for the slot was recommended by incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan last year. In the past few years, Mehmood Khan’s name has appeared in the mainstream media one time too many. But who is this man, and what is his story? Entry into politics Mehmood Khan, whose name and face have been a mainstay of the opposition benches for decades, was born in the village of Inayatullah Karez, Gulistan, in Balochistan’s Killa Abdullah Khan, which at the time was part of the Quetta-Pishin district. He received his early... -
Dawn - 18:19 Jan 16, 2026
US President Donald Trump said Friday he may impose trade tariffs on countries that don’t support his plans to take over Greenland, part of the territory of Denmark. “I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security,” Trump said at a health roundtable at the White House. “I may do that,” added Trump. Trump compared the possible Greenland tariffs to those that he threatened on France and Germany last year over the price of pharmaceutical products. The threat is the latest pressure tactic by Republican Trump as he steps up his bid to acquire the autonomous Arctic island, a goal that he has threatened to achieve by military means if necessary. Trump claims the United States needs mineral-rich Greenland and has accused Greenland of not doing enough to ensure its security against rivals Russia and China. European nations have in recent days shown their support for North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) ally Denmark and Greenland over Trump’s ... -
Dawn - 17:38 Jan 16, 2026
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Friday said PTI leaders were seeking dialogue with the government, but jailed party founder Imran Khan opposed the move even as the party remained firm on its call for protests on February 8. In December, the PTI had denied dialogue with the government until “ensuring a level-playing field” was provided to the party through its ongoing “street movement” — an agitation campaign against the government. Speaking during Geo News’s programme Naya Pakistan with Shahzad Iqbal, Sanaullah said that the government had been in contact with PTI leaders for dialogue, stating that “several of them are in favour of negotiations with the government.” “Whenever politicians come to the table for talks, problems get solved, and a way gets paved,” he said. Sanaullah reiterated that many PTI leaders were in favour of dialogue, but “whenever they meet us, they say that the PTI founder is not in favour of any sort of dialogue with the government,” he added. He further ... -
Dawn - 17:30 Jan 16, 2026
KARACHI: At least 20 containers, mostly containing electrical batteries, were destroyed as a huge fire erupted at the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) on Friday afternoon, but no casualties were reported as workers were away for Friday prayer, according to officials and rescue services officials. South-DIG, Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the police “immediately responded to the fire that broke out in a container at Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT), West Wharf, within the limits of Docks police”, while rescue and fire teams also reached there for fire extinguishing efforts. Rescue 1122 Spokesperson, Hassaan Ul Haseeb Khan, said that the central command and control room “received information of the outbreak of fire in a container at West Wharf, gate-20 at around 1:45pm”. “Another container caught the fire by the time the team reached the spot,” he told Dawn, adding, “The teams then called for back-up rescue teams.” “The container carrying electrical, dry chemical and lithium batteries spontaneously trigge... -
Dawn - 17:21 Jan 16, 2026
NEW DELHI: Responding to renewed US sanctions, India transferred approximately $120 million to Iran to fully liquidate its financial commitment for developing Chabahar port, a key gateway to landlocked Afghanistan, The Economic Times said on Friday. A government source stated that India now has “no liability” in its commitment and that Iran is free to use the funds independently. In October last year, India was granted a six-month exemption from US sanctions on the port. New Delhi and Tehran signed a contract to develop and equip the long-stalled Chabahar project in 2024, giving India 10 years of access. Following the reimposition of sanctions, the state-owned entity India Ports Global Ltd (IPGL) effectively exited the project. Government directors resigned en masse, and its website was taken down to “insulate everybody associated with the port from potential sanctions”. A government source concluded, “India has no choice but to exit the Chabahar port”. The collapse followed US President Donald Trump’s Janua... -
Dawn - 17:12 Jan 16, 2026
The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Friday warned that Pakistan’s industrial sector was facing a severe crisis due to high energy tariffs and heavy taxation, leading to widespread factory closures and job losses. In December, it was reported that over 100 spinning mills and over 400 ginning factories had become non-operational, triggered by unprecedented taxes, high power tariffs, and a surge in under-invoiced cotton yarn and fabric imports from China and other countries. Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, President FPCCI Atif Ikram Sheikh said, “Costly electricity has crippled industrial activity, particularly in the textile sector.” “Around 150 large textile units had shut down over the past two years,” he stated. Sheikh urged the government to immediately abolish cross-subsidies imposed on the industrial sector and reduce the policy rate to single digits. He proposed that interest rates be cut first to nine per cent and subsequently to seven per cent to revive ... -
Dawn - 16:39 Jan 16, 2026
The US government has said that it decided to pause immigrant visa processing until it ensures new applicants are “vetted to the maximum degree to ensure their eligibility”, according to a Friday statement shared by the US Embassy in Islamabad on the X platform. On Wednesday, the US announced a suspension of immigrant visa processing for Pakistan, along with 74 other countries, effective from January 21, citing concerns that immigrants from these nations often rely on public welfare programmes. “The Trump Administration is focused on protecting the American people by upholding the highest standards of screening and vetting of visa applicants,” the statement said. “Effective January 21,” the statement added, “the Department of State is pausing issuance to all immigrant visa applicants from selected countries, including Pakistan.” The statement said that US State Secretary Marco Rubio had instituted this pause until his government could “ensure that new immigrants have been vetted to the maximum degree to ensur... -
Dawn - 16:29 Jan 16, 2026
Security forces have killed 12 terrorists and effectively thwarted their attempt to create a hostage situation in Balochistan’s Kharan district during multiple operations, the military’s media wing said in a statement. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), on January 15, “approximately fifteen to twenty Indian-sponsored terrorists of Fitna Al Hindustan carried out multiple terrorist activities in Kharan City, District Kharan.” The state has designated Balochistan-based terrorist groups as Fitna al Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan. It said that during the operations, “terrorists attacked [the] City Police Station, National Bank of Pakistan and Habib Bank Limited.” They also looted Rs3.4 million from the banks. “Security forces effectively responded and engaged the terrorists, prompting them to retreat. During the ensuing clearance operation, twelve terrorists were sent to hell in three different engagements,” the ISPR said. “Terrori... -
Dawn - 16:11 Jan 16, 2026
X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday faced a global outage, the second in a week, as users from across the world reported having difficulties accessing the platform. According to a report by The Independent, the website and its app failed to load for users across the globe, with many visitors saying they saw a blank screen. “Some users also saw Cloudflare error pages – though the issue was at X itself, and the problem did not seem to be a repeat of recent Cloudflare technical issues that did take X offline,” the report said. Staffers at Dawn also saw a Cloudflare error page when they tried accessing the website, while the app did not load at all and showed posts from hours ago. Screenshot of a Cloudflare error a staffer at Dawn saw when they tried accessing the website at 8:52pm PKT. Tracking website Downdetector showed a massive uptick in reports of problems at X at 8:15pm, with 315 complaints, before they fell to 245 at 8:45pm. Screenshot showing as spike in reports of problems at X at around 8:15pm in P... -
Dawn - 15:29 Jan 16, 2026
Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori on Friday criticised Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for “inciting acts of vandalism and road blockades” during his recent visit to Karachi, which he said led to “losses worth billions of rupees”. Afridi visited Karachi and other cities of Sindh last week as part of the PTI’s renewed anti-government agitation campaign called the “street movement”. The chief minister decried the treatment meted out to him by the Sindh government during his visit, alleging that the police tried to stop his motorcade and PTI supporters from staging a peaceful protest at Mazar-i-Quaid. The Sindh government denied the allegations, stating that the Jinnah Ground was under the control of the Centre, so it was not entitled to issue a no-objection certificate to the party. Speaking to reporters in Karachi, Governor Tessori said that the PTI had “turned the whole country upside down, but the agitation was confined to social media and had no value on the ground.” Referring to KP CM’s Karachi... -
Dawn - 14:23 Jan 16, 2026
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that his country’s relations with Pakistan are “genuinely mutually beneficial” and that Moscow maintains close relations with Islamabad. “We maintain close cooperation with Pakistan, a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the largest regional organisation in terms of economic, technological, and human potential. Russia-Pakistan relations are genuinely mutually beneficial,” the Embassy of Russia in Pakistan quoted President Putin as saying on X. The statement came as Pakistan’s Ambassador to Russia, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, formally presented his credentials to President Putin during a ceremony held on Thursday at Moscow’s Grand Kremlin Palace, according to the Pakistani Embassy in Russia. In recent years, Pakistan and Russia have significantly strengthened their economic ties, driven by mutual necessity. Following Western sanctions related to the Ukraine conflict, Moscow turned toward new energy outlets, while Islamabad simultaneously sought more affordab... -
Dawn - 14:16 Jan 16, 2026
PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday refused to support former party leader Fawad Chaudhry’s National Dialogue Committee, saying he cannot “deviate from PTI’s policies”. The senior PTI leader, incarcerated at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail since 2023 in cases related to the May 9 riots, made the remarks during an informal discussion with a journalist in a courtroom. In response to a question on “consensual” meeting with Chaudhry, the PTI leader said, “While I was in the hospital, he visited to inquire about my health. We both remained in a political party. How could I ask a guest why he came to meet me?” Last year in November, Fawad Chaudhry, Imran Ismail, and Maulvi Mahmood tried to gain access to Qureshi, who was hospitalised, when he was alone in his room, ostensibly to convince the senior PTI leader to join their ‘release Imran Khan campaign’ — a move rebuffed by him. Speaking on the current political situation, he said a solution needed to be found as “the country could only move forward with dial... -
Dawn - 13:43 Jan 16, 2026
A high-level European Union delegation on Friday visited the Sialkot International Airport to monitor the immigration processes and measures to prevent irregular migration, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) spokesperson said in a statement. The move comes after around 66,154 passengers were offloaded last year despite holding valid documents, particularly at Lahore and Karachi airports, amid a post-2024 Greece boat tragedy crackdown on migrant smuggling, which claimed several Pakistani lives. According to the spokesperson, the delegation was given a comprehensive briefing on the “working, performance, and achievements of the FIA Immigration at the Sialkot airport, with particular emphasis on the progress made over the last five months.” The delegation comprised the Frontex officer to Pakistan, an official from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, a representative from the Embassy of Hungary in Pakistan, and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development’s official. “The briefing was foc... -
Dawn - 12:48 Jan 16, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday reintroduced the state-run health insurance programme — popularly known as the Sehat Card Programme — in the federal capital, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan. Speaking at the launch ceremony of the facility in Islamabad, PM Shehbaz said, “Access to health facilities is the right of every citizen, and such facilities should be delivered to their doorsteps.” The prime minister added that through the launch of the Sehat Card, his government had taken yet another swift step to serve the nation. “This step is the revival of the same scheme that my leader, Nawaz Sharif, had initiated in 2016 for the first time,” he said. The scheme was originally introduced in 2016 when the PML-N government was in power. It was made available to citizens in Punjab, Balochistan, and the then Federally Administered Tribal Areas (present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), with expansion plans. In 2019, the PTI-led government relaunched the progr... -
Dawn - 12:30 Jan 16, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday suspended the membership of 159 lawmakers of the National Assembly, Senate, and provincial assemblies who failed to submit a statement of their assets and liabilities by the due date. The commission directed that “they shall cease to function as members with immediate effect until such statements are submitted by them,” according to a statement issued by the ECP. On Thursday, the ECP reminded lawmakers to submit the details of their assets and liabilities, including those of their spouse and dependent children, for the financial year 2024-25, warning of suspension if they fail to do so by January 15. Syed Ali Musa Gilani, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Muhammad Akhtar Mengal are among 32 members of the National Assembly whose membership has been suspended, while Musadik Malik is among nine Senators also suspended by the election regulator. Out of the suspended MPAs, 50 are members of the Punjab Assembly, 33 of the Sindh Assembly, 28 of the Khyber Pak...
10444 items