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  • Pakistan, Afghanistan recognise terrorism as serious threat in 1st round of additional-secretary talks
    Dawn - 18:47 Jul 07, 2025
    Pakistan and Afghanistan recognised terrorism as a serious threat as the inaugural round of the Additional Secretary-Level Mechanism between the Foreign Ministries of Pakistan and Afghanistan was held in Islamabad on Monday. The talks are the latest in a series of steps between both nations to improve ties, such as the revival of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) and the upgrading of each country’s diplomats from the rank of chargé d’affaires to ambassador. According to a press release from the Foreign Office, the Pakistani delegation was led by Additional Secretary (Afghanistan and West Asia) Ambassador Syed Ali Asad Gillani, while the Afghan side was led by the Director General of the First Political Division at the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor.   “Discussions covered key areas of bilateral interest, including trade and transit cooperation, security, and connectivity. Both sides recognised terrorism as a serious threat to regional peace and security. The Pakistani side emph...
    Tags: Afghanistan Pakistan
  • Newlywed 19-year old girl in coma after alleged ‘brutal sexual violence’ by husband
    Dawn - 17:54 Jul 07, 2025
    A 19-year-old newlywed was admitted to Civil Hospital Karachi in critical condition after allegedly enduring “brutal sexual violence” at the hands of her husband, who has since been arrested, officials said on Monday. Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn.com, “As per the family and the police record, the 19-year-old girl married in Lyari on June 15. She is now in a coma. Her physical examination findings are consistent with sexual violence.” According to the contents of the first information report (FIR) registered at the Baghdadi Police Station on July 5 under Sections 324 (attempt to commit qatl-i-amd) and 376-B (punishment for gang-rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code, the complainant, the brother of the victim, said that he was a resident of Shah Beg Lane in Baghdadi, Lyari. “On the third day of her marriage, my sister was subjected to brutal sexual violence allegedly by her husband. She remained admitted at a private hospital in the city and was later taken to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Trauma Cent...
  • Armed men hijack 3 oil tankers, abduct 7 in KP’s Bannu: police
    Dawn - 17:42 Jul 07, 2025
    Armed men hijacked three oil tankers and abducted seven crew members from the Tuchi bridge area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Monday, according to the police. Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities over the past year, especially in KP and Balochistan, leaving both provinces in a state of uncertainty. The provincial security situation has also been plagued by lawlessness. Bannu District Police Officer (DPO) Saleem Khan Kulachi told Dawn.com: “The incident occurred near Marwat Canal in the Tuchi bridge area and a total of three oil tankers were hijacked and their seven crew members abducted” after the convoy was intercepted while coming from North Waziristan. Kulachi said that a first information report was lodged at the Baka Khel Police Station and a search operation was being conducted in the area. He added that no one had claimed responsibility or contacted anyone of the abductees’ families for ransom. Last week, at least one person was killed and three others were injured after ar...
    Tags: Armed Bannu
  • President Zardari appoints chief justices of high courts
    Dawn - 17:32 Jul 07, 2025
    President Asif Ali Zardari appointed the chief justices to the four high courts on Monday. Letters from the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) last week said that Justice Sarfraz Dogar was nominated as the new chief justice of the Islamabad High Court, Justice Rozi Khan Barrech as the chief justice for the Balochistan High Court, Justice Syed Muhammad Attique Shah for the Peshawar High Court and Justice Junaid Ghaffar for the Sindh High Court. The JCP had held four consecutive meetings to make a decision related to the appointments and, by a majority of its total membership in each meeting, opted to allow the acting chief justices to continue serving the top roles. Four identical notifications from the law ministry said that the president appointed the chief justices, with effect from the date they take their oath of office, under clause (1) of Article 193 of the Constitution. Article 193 outlines the process for the appointment of high court judges. The chief justices are likely to take the oath sometime ...
  • Iran president says Tehran open to nuclear dialogue with US, accuses Israel of assassination attempt
    Dawn - 16:49 Jul 07, 2025
    Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in an interview released on Monday that his country has “no problem” restarting nuclear talks with the United States, provided that trust can be reestablished between Washington and Tehran, and also accused Israel of attempting to assassinate him. The remarks, made during an interview with US journalist and former Trump confidante Tucker Carlson, came less than a month after Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on June 13 against Iran and the US struck the Islamic republic’s nuclear facilities. The attacks took place days before Tehran and Washington were set to meet for a new round of nuclear talks, stalling negotiations that were aimed at reaching a deal over Iran’s atomic programme. “We see no problem in re-entering the negotiations,” the Iranian president said. “There is a condition … for restarting the talks. How are we going to trust the US again? “We re-entered the negotiations, then how can we know for sure that in the middle of the talks, the Isra...
    Tags: Iran Israel Tehran
  • Ahmadi man in Gujranwala arrested in blasphemy case for distributing free food on Ashura: police
    Dawn - 16:20 Jul 07, 2025
    An Ahmadi man was arrested on blasphemy charges in Punjab’s Gujranwala for distributing langar on the 10th of Muharram (Ashura) and sent to jail on judicial remand for seven days, the police said on Monday. A citizen filed a first information report (FIR), dated July 6, at the Satellite Town Police Station and said that the incident occurred on July 6 at 4:30pm. The case was registered under Section 298(C) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) which criminalises certain acts by members of the Ahmadi community, including calling themselves Muslims or referring to their faith as Islam. Muhammad Irfan, public relations officer to the Gujranwala city police officer, told Dawn.com: “The suspect has been arrested and sent to jail on judicial remand for seven days.” The FIR said that the complainant saw the Ahmadi man distributing biryani at a langar and “identifying himself as a Muslim and speaking and acting like a Muslim.” Langar refers to the tradition of distributing free food, often associated with religious instit...
    Tags: Gujranwala Ahmadi Ashura
  • US revokes foreign terrorist designation for Syria’s Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham
    Dawn - 15:47 Jul 07, 2025
    United States President Donald Trump’s administration has revoked the foreign terrorist organisation designation for Al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, according to a State Department memo filed on Monday, a major step as Washington moves to ease sanctions on Syria. The memo dated June 23 was signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and was published in a preview of the Federal Register before official publication on Tuesday. The move comes a week after Trump signed an executive order terminating a US sanctions programme on Syria, to help end the country’s isolation from the international financial system and build on Washington’s pledge to help it rebuild after a devastating civil war. “In consultation with the attorney general and the secretary of the Treasury, I hereby revoke the designation of Al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (and other aliases) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation,” Rubio wrote in the memo. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, was previously Al-Qaeda’s Syr...
    Tags: Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham Syria
  • Punjab Assembly speaker defends seeking disqualification of PTI MPAs, says ‘gladly’ accepts criticism
    Dawn - 15:38 Jul 07, 2025
    Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan on Monday defended his recent move to seek the disqualification of 26 PTI MPAs for their “unparliamentary conduct”, saying he was fulfilling his responsibility to uphold the Constitution. On June 27, the speaker ordered the suspension of 26 opposition MPAs for 15 sittings of the provincial legislature after their protests disrupted Chief Mi­­nister Maryam Nawaz’s speech and caused chaos in the house. Days later, he filed a disqualification reference with the Election Com­mission of Pakistan against them. Out of those MPAs, 17 were listed as belonging to the Sunni Ittehad Council, which PTI-affiliated candidates joined last year after their party was deprived of its election symbol. At least eight others, however, were stated as PTI MPAs. Addressing a press conference in Lahore today, Malik stressed that his responsibility was to uphold the Constitution and he did not discriminate against any party. “I am someone who brings things into my domain. I will accept ...
    Tags: PTI MPAs
  • Army chief dismisses ‘factually incorrect’ claims of external input in Operation Bunyanum Marsoos
    Dawn - 15:12 Jul 07, 2025
    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Monday dismissed Indian claims of Pakistan receiving external support in Operation Bunyanum Marsoos during the recent tensions with India, terming them “irresponsible and factually incorrect”. The military confrontation between India and Pakistan came as the former blamed Islamabad for the April 22 Pahalgam attack without evidence. On the night of May 6-7, New Delhi launched a series of air strikes on Pakistan, resulting in civilian casualties. Both sides then exchanged missiles, which stretched over the week. It took a US-brokered ceasefire for both sides to finally drop their guns. Reuters reported that the deputy chief of India’s army alleged last week that China gave Islamabad “live inputs” on key Indian positions during the conflict. India fought two adversaries during the conflict, with Pakistan being the “front face” while China provided “all possible support”, Lieutenant General Rahul Singh had said at a defence industry event in New Delhi. “...
    Tags: Operation Bunyanum Marsoos
  • Two men shot dead over ‘honour’ in Karachi’s Mangophir: police
    Dawn - 14:35 Jul 07, 2025
    Two men were shot dead while a third one was injured over ‘honour’ in Karachi’s Manghopir area on Monday, police said. ‘Honour’ killings refer to the murder of individuals, predominantly women and girls, by family members who believe the victim has brought “dishonour” upon the family. Data from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) shows that in 2024, ‘honour’ killings continued to be a serious issue across Pakistan, with particularly high figures in Sindh and Punjab. From January to November, a total of 346 people fell victim to ‘honour’ crimes in the country. Manghopir police SHO Imran Ahmed Khan told Dawn.com, “The victim was in a relationship with a woman from their native town in Balochistan’s Bolan district.” Khan added that the couple had arrived in Karachi about four days ago and were living with the man’s relatives near Gulshan Chowk in Mohammed Khan Colony. He said as per the initial probe, the woman’s brother and other relatives traced the couple and shot the man along with his maternal un...
    Tags: Karachi
  • 3 cops injured in blast on highway police vehicle in Balochistan’s Nasirabad
    Dawn - 14:16 Jul 07, 2025
    Three cops were injured in an attack on a highway police vehicle in Balochistan’s Nasirabad District on Monday, an official said. Pakistan is ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025. Terrorists in Balochistan, previously engaged in a low-level insurgency, have recently intensified their attacks. The banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) emerged as a key perpetrator of terrorist violence in Pakistan in 2024. “Three personnel were injured in a blast targeting a patrolling vehicle of the highway police in Nasirabad’s Rabbi area,” Highway Police’s Senior Superintendent of Police Khadim Husain said. He added that the incident took place when the highway police team was patrolling the area as per routine. Citing preliminary reports, Husain said the blast was conducted through a remote-controlled device. The injured were immediately taken to a hospital in the Dera Murad Jamali town, located 12km from Rabbi, the SSP added. “The police have initiated an investigation,” SSP Husain said. In June, Pakistan wi...
    Tags: Nasirabad Balochistan
  • PTI rejects proposed revival of jirga system in KP’s tribal areas
    Dawn - 13:49 Jul 07, 2025
    PTI leaders on Monday rejected the proposed revival of the jirga system in the merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying that making such decisions was the prerogative of the provincial government. Earlier in the month, a meeting of top federal and provincial government officials discussed and stressed the need to revive the jirga system in the merged districts. A jirga is a traditional form of conflict resolution, primarily found in Pashtun societies of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where a council of male elders gathers to settle disputes based on local customs and traditions The meeting discussed ways to promote an effective alternative justice system in tribal districts. Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad along with other party leaders, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said: “In none of the committee meetings was reviving the jirga system discussed for the tribal areas, and after the 18th Amendment, that right was with the provincial government. “After the 25th Amendment, when the tribal ar...
  • Sweden to resume visa services in Pakistan: FO
    Dawn - 13:23 Jul 07, 2025
    The Foreign Office (FO) on Monday announced that Sweden has resumed visa services in Islamabad and Pakistani nationals will be able to apply for a Schengen visa from today onwards Sweden in April 2023 indefinitely closed its embassy in Islamabad, citing the security situation as the reason. As a result, the Migration Section was unable to handle requests, nor could any documents be sent to consulates, Gerry´s, or applicants’ addresses. “We understand that this will cause inconvenience; however, the safety of our applicants and staff members are of highest priority,” a notice placed on the embassy’s website had read at the time. The embassy reopened in April this year, according to its website. According to the FO, the Swedish and Pakistani foreign ministries held bilateral consultations in Stockholm on July 2, where the decision to resume visa services was announced by the Swedish side. “Effective July 7, 2025, Pakistani nationals can apply for a Schengen visa from within Pakistan for visits to Sweden of up t...
    Tags: Sweden Pakistan
  • Punjab govt confiscates 18 big cats kept as pets in crackdown after lion attack in Lahore
    Dawn - 12:56 Jul 07, 2025
    Some 18 lions kept illegally as pets have been confiscated in Punjab, authorities said on Monday as they launched a crackdown after one escaped from a house and attacked a woman and two children in Lahore. The woman suffered scratches and bruises, and the two children, aged five and seven, were hospitalised after the attack last week, but their injuries were not life-threatening, provincial wildlife officials said. The lion, which was kept without a licence in a house in Lahore, was confiscated and sent to a local safari park, said Mubeen Elahi, Director General of the Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department. The owner was later arrested, police said. Keeping exotic animals as pets has been fueled by social media, with owners often showing off their animals online as status symbols. “According to the new regulations for keeping big cats, no individual is allowed to keep a lion without a licence, without adhering to the required cage size and without following other standard operating procedures,” Elahi said, add...
    Tags: Lahore Punjab
  • Sindh govt suspends SBCA DG over Lyari building collapse
    Dawn - 12:27 Jul 07, 2025
    The Sindh government on Monday suspended Sindh Building and Control Authority (SBCA) Director General Ishaque Khuhro over the recent building collapse in Karachi that claimed 27 lives. The five-storey building on Fida Husain Shaikha Road in Lea Market collapsed on Friday morning, with the rescue operations concluding yesterday. The building had already been declared uninhabitable by authorities due to its dilapidated structure, with the SBCA saying it had issued multiple prior notices to residents to vacate the structure since 2023. A notification issued by Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, stated that the SBCA DG’s services were “placed under suspension with immediate effect for the reason of misconduct and inefficiency”. It added that Khuhro’s headquarters during the suspension period would be at the Services, General Administration and Coordination Department. He would “draw his salaries and allowances during the suspension period as admissible under the rul...
    Tags: SBCA
  • One dead, 15 injured in separate Swat incidents: rescue official
    Dawn - 11:32 Jul 07, 2025
    A person was killed and 15 others were injured in two separate accidents on Monday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district, rescue officials said. According to Rescue 1122 Swat spokesperson Niaz Khan, “Eleven seminary students were injured when a pickup vehicle lost control and crashed near the Kedam police checkpoint in Swat’s Bahrain town. “The students, who hailed from Kalam, were on their way home after their holidays in Batkhela Town.” He said the Rescue 1122 medical team swiftly arrived at the site of the incident after receiving a report. “After administering initial medical aid, the injured were transferred to nearby hospitals. Three students, who were declared severely injured, were safely transported to the Civil Hospital in Madyan.” In another incident, he said a man was killed while four others sustained injuries when a three-wheeler plunged into a deep ravine after its brakes failed. The driver died on the spot, Khan said. Fatal accidents are common on roads in the mountainous regions of the countr...
    Tags: SWAT
  • Yet another record high as PSX soars past 133,000 points
    Dawn - 11:31 Jul 07, 2025
    The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) soared to new highs on Monday as shares crossed the 133,000 barrier, with analysts attributing the optimism to a “favourable” taxation regime for equities following the passage of the federal budget. The benchmark KSE-100 index rose by 1,771.48 points (1.34 per cent), to stand at 133,720.54 points at 11:21am, from the previous close of 131,949.06 points. It reached an intraday high of 133,862.01 points, before closing at 133,370.14 points — 1,421.08 points (1.08pc) higher than yesterday. The PSX commenced the new fiscal year on a bullish note last week, as the KSE-100 index posted a robust 6.1pc gain during the outgoing week. Continuing that momentum, the market extended its record-setting rally for the seventh consecutive session today. Awais Ashraf, director of research at AKD Securities, noted: “A favourable taxation regime for equities and the increasing likelihood of equities outperforming other asset classes, amid improving macroeconomic indicators and lower inflation, ...
  • India captain Gill hailed back home after ‘brilliant’ Test win
    Dawn - 09:42 Jul 07, 2025
    New captain Shubman Gill was hailed on Monday for leading from the front after India recorded their maiden Test win at Edgbaston to level the series against England 1-1. Gill, who notched a century in a losing cause in the first Test at Headingley, hit new heights in scoring 269 and 161 to set up a crushing victory by 336 runs which leaves the five-match series finely poised. It was India’s first win in nine Tests at the Birmingham venue, following seven previous defeats and one draw. “New captain, new India”, The Indian Express newspaper splashed across its front page. Gill, 25, became the youngest Indian Test skipper to register an overseas win in just his second match in charge following the retirement of Rohit Sharma. He eclipsed Sunil Gavaskar, who was 26 when he led India to victory over New Zealand at Auckland in 1976. Gill came into the series with concerns over his batting average overseas, which had been less than 30, but he has shut down all the noise by stroking a remarkable 585 runs from four inn...
    Tags: Gill Test India
  • ICC names top Indian broadcaster JioStar’s Sanjog Gupta as CEO
    Dawn - 09:41 Jul 07, 2025
    The International Cricket Council on Monday named Sanjog Gupta as its new chief executive officer, a senior official at India’s key broadcaster of the game. Gupta, the ICC’s seventh CEO, succeeds Geoff Allardice, who resigned from the post in January after four years in office. Gupta was broadcaster JioStar’s chief executive for sports and live experiences. ICC chairman Jay Shah said Gupta “brings extensive experience in sports strategy and commercialisation, which will be invaluable for the ICC”. The role attracted more than 2,500 applications from candidates across 25 countries, the ICC said. “These are exciting times for the sport as marquee events grow in stature, commercial avenues widen and opportunities such as the women’s game scale in popularity,” Gupta said in a statement. “Cricket’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and the rapid acceleration of technology deployment/adoption could act as force-multipliers for the cricket movement around the world,” he said. According to the ICC’s web...
    Tags: Sanjog Gupta JioStar
  • KP police use drone jamming technology for first time during Ashura
    Dawn - 08:06 Jul 07, 2025
    For the first time in their history, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police used drone-jamming technology as part of security measures during Sunday’s Ashura processions in Peshawar. Yaum-i-Ashura processions in major cities across the country concluded peacefully on Sunday evening amid tightened security. A total of 4,836 processions and 5,480 majalis were carried out, with 12 processions taking place in Peshawar. Thousands of police personnel — including constables and police snipers — were deployed across major cities alongside emergency rescue personnel for the safety and security of mourners carrying out processions. Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Qasim Khan told Dawn.com that drone-jamming technology was used for the first time by Peshawar police. “A drone-jamming gun was used for the first time during the Ashura procession,” he said. “With the help of Peshawar Anti-Drone System, drone cameras helped in jamming.” He noted that drones had been used by terrorists in the southern districts of KP. “Now KP police...
    Tags: Ashura

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