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  • Imran to be taken to hospital two more times, will be administered injection on Feb 25: minister
    Dawn - 18:40 Feb 20, 2026
    Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said on Friday that incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan would be taken to a hospital twice in the coming days and that he had to be administered an injection on February 25. The ex-prime minister’s health has been garnering attention in recent days, with his family and party raising concerns since his eye ailment — right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) — came to light in late January. Meanwhile, the government and the opposition have also been engaged in a blame game, with the latter accusing the former of a lack of transparency on the matter, not ensuring appropriate treatment for Imran and not allowing his personal physicians to access him. The government denies these allegations. The matter was raised again during ARY News programme ‘Sawal Yeh Hai’, where Chaudhry was asked what was the obstacle in the way of Imran’s personal physicians gaining access to him. In his response, Chaudhry said: “Our top priority is to provide him the best treatment faci...
    Tags: Imran
  • Over 31m births registered with UCs yet to be added to Nadra’s central database, says report
    Dawn - 16:57 Feb 20, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: Around 31.9 million births registered with union councils (UC) in 2025 are yet to be added to the record in the National Database and Registration Authority’s (Nadra) central database, according to an annual performance report. The report was recently submitted by Nadra to the interior ministry, according to which a total of 227m individuals are registered with the authority. Overall, nearly 97 per cent of Pakistan’s population is now included in the registration system, according to the report, which also shows that 52pc of the registered individuals are males and 48pc are females. As for biometric data, Nadra’s system contains facial records of 170m people, iris data of seven million individuals and 1.68 billion fingerprints, the reports says. During 2025 alone, the report states, some 445m biometric verifications were carried out, contributing to “improved transparency” and “strengthening of digital governance systems”. According to the report, national registration increased by 4pc in 2025, reg...
    Tags: Nadra
  • Babar moved down the order in T20 World Cup game against Namibia for scoring too slowly, says Mike Hesson
    Dawn - 16:34 Feb 20, 2026
    Batting great Babar Azam was moved down the batting order for Pakistan’s final T20 World Cup group game against Namibia for scoring too slowly, said head coach Mike Hesson on Friday. Azam, who is the highest run-scorer in T20 international history with 4,571 runs, was moved down the order for the must-win game against Namibia as Pakistan racked up 199-3 and secured a place in the Super Eights by 102 runs. The 2009 champions face New Zealand in Colombo on Saturday in the opening match of the second phase. “I think Babar is well aware that his strike rate in the power play in the World Cup is less than 100 and that’s clearly not the role we think we need,” Hesson told reporters after Pakistan’s final practice session on Friday was washed out by rain. Pakistan left out Azam for the same reason at last year’s Asia Cup and even after a dismal showing in the Big Bash League, he was still selected for the T20 World Cup. “We brought Babar back in for a specific role post the Asia Cup,” said Hesson. “We’ve got plenty ...
    Tags: T20 World Cup Mike Hesson Namibia Babar
  • 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolts parts of country: PMD
    Dawn - 15:16 Feb 20, 2026
    A 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of KP on Friday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said. The earthquake struck at 6:09pm at a depth of 101 kilometres, with its epicentre located in the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan, the department said. According to DawnNewsTV, tremors were felt in Shangla, Swat, Mardan, Swabi and Nowshera. In Shangla, tremors were felt at the time of Iftar, prompting people to rush out of their homes. No casualties or damages were reported from the district. Pakistan falls on three major tectonic plates — the Arabian, Euro-Asian and Indian — which create five seismic zones under the country. The intersection of multiple fault lines means that tectonic movements remain a frequent occurrence in the region. Earlier this week, a 5.6-magnitude earthquake was recorded 86km northeast of Balochistan’s Khuzdar. Last month, an earthquake of magnitude 5.8 jolted parts of Pakistan, including Gilgit-Baltistan, Peshawar and adjacent areas of KP. The same month, another 5.8-magnitude earthq...
  • PM Shehbaz meets Rubio after Board of Peace summit in Washington
    Dawn - 15:11 Feb 20, 2026
    WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday, with the two sides discussing cooperation in critical minerals, energy, counter-terrorism and prospects for increased American investment, according to a State Department statement. The State Department said the US secretary thanked Pakistan for supporting Trump’s Gaza peace plan and for joining the first meeting of the “Board of Peace” as a founding member. He also offered condolences over the Jan 31 attacks in Balochistan and the Feb 6 bombing in Islamabad and reaffirmed the importance of continued partnership in counter-terrorism. The talks covered Pakistan’s participation in the recent Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington, with the United States welcoming Islamabad’s engagement and discussing cooperation in developing Pakistan’s energy and mineral resources, as well as commercial opportunities for American companies. Separately, as per a press release issued by the Press Information Department (PID), during...
    Tags: Board Peace Washington
  • Understanding the Culling Game: Jujutsu Kaisen’s most confusing arc
    Dawn - 15:09 Feb 20, 2026
    When the Shibuya Arc concluded with Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 in late 2023, it posed many questions. What did Kenjaku really do? What were his true intentions? What would happen now that thousands of sorcerers were awakened? This article will be a comprehensive guide to all these answers and everything else you need to know before diving into the third and latest season of Jujutsu Kaisen. By neutralising Gojo Satoru within the prison realm, Kenjaku (or faux Geto) was free to set his master plan into motion — unleashing the age of cursed energy. Using Mahito’s “Idle Transfiguration” technique, Kenjaku altered two groups of people he had previously marked. The first group rapidly awakened innate cursed techniques and became jujutsu sorcerers, while the second had been fed sealed cursed objects over the years. When Kenjaku released the seals at the end of the Shibuya Arc, these humans’ bodies were permanently overtaken by the ancient entities inhabiting them, essentially reviving elite sorcerers from hundreds of y...
    Tags: Jujutsu Kaisen
  • SC stays trial of PM Shehbaz’s Rs10bn defamation suit against Imran
    Dawn - 14:51 Feb 20, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) stayed on Friday a trial by the court of an additional district judge in Lahore in a RS10 billion defamation suit filed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif against PTI founder Imran Khan. In his suit filed in 2017, PM Shehbaz said Imran levelled baseless allegations against him. He sought a decree for the recovery of Rs10bn as compensation from the defendant for the publication of defamatory content. The defamation suit said Imran wrongly accused PM Shehbaz of offering Rs10bn to the latter through a common friend in exchange for withdrawing the Panama Papers case. The PTI founder had contended in his reply that he had disclosed the alleged incident for the consumption of the public at large, and an act in the interest of the public good did not constitute any defamation. He maintained that he did not specifically attribute any statement to the PM Shehbaz while narrating the incident. A three-judge SC bench, headed by Justice Ayesha A Malik and including Justices Muhammad Hashim ...
    Tags: Rs10bn Imran Shehbaz
  • Pakistan to tour Bangladesh next month for a 3-match ODI series
    Dawn - 14:47 Feb 20, 2026
    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Friday that the Green Shirts would tour Bangladesh in March for a three-match One Day International (ODI) series. In a press release, the PCB said, “Pakistan men’s cricket team will tour Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series, the Bangladesh Cricket Board confirmed on Friday.” It said that the team would arrive in Bangladesh on March 9 and hold a training session the next day, ahead of the opening ODI against the hosts on March 11. The board added that the second ODI would be played on March 13, while the third and final match was scheduled for March 15. It added that all three matches would be played at the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. “This will be Pakistan’s second tour of Bangladesh since July 2025. Pakistan last toured Bangladesh for a three-match T20I series in July, which the hosts won 2-1. Meanwhile, Bangladesh toured Pakistan for a three-match T20I series in May/June last year, which the Salman Ali Agha-led side won 3-0,” the PCB said. The ...
    Tags: Bangladesh Pakistan
  • PTI assails PM Shehbaz for attending BoP meeting, reiterates objection to joining without consultation
    Dawn - 14:08 Feb 20, 2026
    The PTI on Friday criticised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for attending the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, and reiterating its objection to Pakistan joining the board without consultation. The Board of Peace — formally established last month after being proposed in September 2025 and originally meant to oversee peace in Gaza — held its inaugural meeting on February 19, attended by several world leaders, including PM Shehbaz. In a statement posted on X, the party said it once again expressed “grave concern over the government of Pakistan’s decision to join the Board of Peace without transparency, parliamentary debate, or consultation with major political stakeholders of the country”. “Decisions of such international significance must be rooted in constitutional procedure, democratic oversight and national consensus,” it said. The party maintained that it did not recognise the legitimacy of the present Parliament, formed after the “manipulated 2024 elections”. “Nevertheless, even this Parliament was ...
    Tags: Shehbaz
  • Punjab issues list of proscribed organisations, warns citizens against giving charity to these entities
    Dawn - 13:54 Feb 20, 2026
    LAHORE: The Punjab home department on Friday issued a list of 89 proscribed organisations and unregistered charitable institutions, warning citizens that giving charity to these entities would be treated as a crime under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. According to a statement issued by the Punjab Home Department spokesperson, anyone assisting the banned organisations involved in terrorism or anti-state activities “will face legal action” as it was a crime under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The spokesperson said that charitable organisations in Punjab must be registered with the Punjab Charity Commission, adding that citizens should donate their zakat, charity, and contributions only to registered organisations. “All registered institutions can be verified through the QR code printed on their certificates. Citizens should ensure that their donations reach the rightful beneficiaries rather than terrorists,” he said. The department urged residents to lodge complaints against organisations involved in fraud, terr...
    Tags: Punjab
  • Michael Vaughan calls for probe into reports Pakistan stars to be sidelined by Indian-owned teams in Hundred competition
    Dawn - 13:51 Feb 20, 2026
    Former captain Michael Vaughan has urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to “act fast” on reports that Pakistani players will be overlooked by Indian-owned teams in the domestic Hundred competition. Longstanding political tensions between India and Pakistan have led to the border rivals only playing each other in international cricket events, although their recent Colombo showdown at the ongoing T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka only went ahead after Pakistan called off a boycott. It has been claimed that politics has also led to an effective ban on Pakistani players participating in the Indian Premier League, world cricket’s most lucrative T20 franchise competition. And with several IPL owners now owning teams in several different countries, opportunities for Pakistani cricketers to participate in various leagues are in danger of being reduced further. The BBC has now reported that the issue could be a factor during next month’s player auction for English cricket’s Hundred, a 100 balls-per-side ...
    Tags: Pakistan Indian-owned Hundred Michael Vaughan
  • One arrested after 15 killed in building collapse triggered by gas explosion in Karachi’s Soldier Bazaar
    Dawn - 13:11 Feb 20, 2026
    KARACHI: Police on Friday arrested the builder in connection with the deaths of 15 people in a building collapse triggered by a gas explosion in Soldier Bazaar a day earlier. Soldier Bazaar Station House Officer (SHO) Rizwan Patel confirmed that the owner-cum-builder Mohammed Irshad had been arrested after the registration of a first information report (FIR). He said the held suspect had rented out the building to the victims. The FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn, was registered on the complaint of sub-inspector Khalid Mehmood at the Soldier Bazar police station under sections 322 (punishment for qatl-bis-sabab), 288 (negligent conduct with building), 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 337-A (punishment of shajjah) of the Pakistan Penal Code. According to the FIR, police received information on early Thursday morning about the collapse of a building in Gul Rana Colony, in which several people were kille...
    Tags: Soldier Bazaar
  • Punjab govt tells public school teachers to don black gowns during work hours
    Dawn - 11:00 Feb 20, 2026
    LAHORE: The Punjab government has directed all teachers working in public sector schools across the province to wear black gowns during school hours while performing academic duties, introducing a standardised dress code aimed at promoting uniformity and professional identity. A notification issued by the Punjab School Education Department on February 19, available with Dawn, stated that the new dress code will come into effect from February 23 (Monday). The department directed all chief executive officers (CEOs) of district education authorities (DEAs) to ensure the implementation of the directives across Punjab. The notification said that teaching was a profession that commanded respect, authority and moral leadership in society, and the dignity and credibility of teachers was reflected through their “conduct and appearance”. It stated that a “well-defined dress code” would enhance respect for teachers among students, parents and the community, while also promoting discipline, equality and a focused learnin...
    Tags: Punjab
  • US negotiating with India on Venezuelan oil sale, US envoy says
    Dawn - 10:26 Feb 20, 2026
    The United States is in “active negotiation” over the sale of Venezuelan oil to India, to help India diversify its sources of crude oil, US Envoy Sergio Gor said on Friday. The US has made diversification away from Russian crude a condition for cutting tariffs on goods imported from India, the world’s third-biggest oil importer and consumer. “The Department of Energy is speaking to the Ministry of Energy here, and so we’re hoping to have some news of that very soon,” Gor told reporters on the sidelines of an event in New Delhi where India joined the US-led Pax Silica initiative aimed at building a silicon supply chain for high-tech products. US President Donald Trump this month agreed to cut tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent under an interim trade deal. He also removed a 25pc punitive levy after India agreed to end the purchase of Russian oil, which the US said helps fund Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He said India would buy more oil from the US and potentially Venezuela. A final trade deal with India wi...
    Tags: Venezuelan India
  • Policy efforts taken by Pakistan under EFF helped ‘stabilise economy, rebuild confidence’: IMF
    Dawn - 10:11 Feb 20, 2026
    Policy efforts undertaken by Pakistan under the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Extended Fund Facility (EFF) “helped stabilise the economy and rebuild confidence,” the lending agency’s spokesperson said on Thursday. IMF Communications Director Julie Kozack made the statement during a weekly press briefing. In response to a question regarding Pakistan’s progress in meeting terms set by the Fund, Kozack said, “Pakistan’s policy efforts under the EFF have helped stabilise the economy and rebuild confidence.” She further said that fiscal performance had been “strong”. Kozack said that Pakistan currently had a primary fiscal surplus of 1.3 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), which was “in line with programme targets”. “Headline inflation has been relatively contained. And Pakistan posted its first current account surplus in 14 years in FY25,” Kozack added. She also said that an IMF staff team was expected to visit Pakistan starting February 25 for discussions on the third review under the EFF and the...
    Tags: Policy Pakistan
  • PPP’s Raza Rabbani calls for placing pact with US for redeveloping Roosevelt Hotel before Parliament
    Dawn - 10:02 Feb 20, 2026
    PPP stalwart and former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani on Friday said that the deal inked with the United States to redevelop the Roosevelt Hotel in New York “must be placed” in Parliament. In a press release, Rabbani said, “The strategic economic initiative, including collaboration with the US General Services Administration, regarding the operation, maintenance, renovation and redevelopment of the Roosevelt Hotel has been signed without taking the people into confidence.” Rabbani said the hotel was “prime property” in New York and dealings pertaining to it must be transparent. “Parliament should have been taken into confidence before signing such memoranda of understanding (MoUs),” he said. He further highlighted that earlier, a deal with the US relating to minerals in Balochistan was “broken by international media”. “Till date, the details of this deal have not been made public,” he said. Rabbani further said that the PPP should move a private members’ bill, wherein all foreign agreements, once signed, would...
    Tags: Roosevelt Hotel Raza Rabbani Parliament
  • Interim PHF president lifts ban on hockey team captain amid Pro League controversy
    Dawn - 09:44 Feb 20, 2026
    The newly appointed interim president of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani, announced the lifting of the ban on the national team captain, Ammad Shakeel Butt, state-run APP reported on Friday. On Thursday, former president Tariq Hussain Bugti imposed a two-year ban on national captain Butt, citing findings of a committee regarding alleged misconduct. He also announced his resignation amid controversy over the national team’s tour of Australia for the FIH Pro League. In a statement issued today, the interim president lifted the ban, stressing that “transparency and fairness would guide all decisions under his tenure,” APP quoted him as saying. Wani, who was the Secretary of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC), also vowed to “revive and strengthen the country’s national game”. He gave assurances to the stakeholders that a comprehensive plan would be developed, “aimed at stabilising the federation, rebuilding trust and revamping team management to restore Pakistan’s lost glory in interna...
  • Incarcerated PTI leaders call for halt of protest activities during Ramazan
    Dawn - 07:41 Feb 20, 2026
    Five incarcerated senior leaders of the PTI urged the party to halt protest activities during the holy month of Ramazan, according to a joint letter sent to the media on Friday. The letter was written by Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry and Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, all incarcerated in Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore. It was sent via their lawyer, Advocate Rana Mudassar Umar. The letter also criticised President Asif Ali Zardari’s recent comments on incarcerated PTI founder and ex-premier Imran Khan. Last week, President Zardari had said it was the duty of leaders to fight and go to jail to protect their party and safeguard the people. Without naming Imran, he added that they had already started complaining about conditions in jail after an 18-month detention, while he himself had spent 14 years in prison without losing courage. “We strongly condemn Asif Ali Zardari’s recent rhetoric on the founder of the PTI,” the letter said, adding that Imran was currently serving his jai...
    Tags: Ramazan
  • Tarar says Pakistan earned ‘great recognition and honour’ at Board of Peace meeting
    Dawn - 06:49 Feb 20, 2026
    Minister of Information Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan had received “great recognition and honour” at the Board of Peace meeting, terming it a moment of pride for the country and its people. In a video shared on X by Radio Pakistan on Friday, the information minister said that the way US President Donald Trump praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, and appreciated Pakistan’s role, had added to the country’s prestige and enabled it to gain wider global recognition. He added that the praise had raised Pakistan’s stature and that the country had “emerged as an important player on the global stage”. Tarar described the development as a success of Pakistan’s foreign policy and “the result of teamwork between the prime minister and field marshal”. He added that PM Shehbaz had consistently raised the Palestinian cause at every platform, especially at the United Nations (UN) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). “Today, he stated three points: that Palest...
    Tags: Pakistan Board Peace Tarar
  • Australia coach defends World Cup planning, puts blame on players
    Dawn - 05:53 Feb 20, 2026
    Australia head coach Andrew McDonald put the blame for the team’s humiliating T20 World Cup exit squarely on the players, rejecting criticism of their preparations and a “false narrative” that the nation is not taking the format seriously. Australia crashed out of the group stage following losses to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, triggering acrimony on the home front. Former players and pundits have zeroed in on Australia’s preparations for the tournament which saw members of the squad arrive late to a warmup series in Pakistan after prioritising the Big Bash League. Australia were thumped 3-0 by Pakistan before failing to qualify for the World Cup’s Super Eight phase. McDonald dismissed criticism that Australia had not prioritised the tournament, saying the team had been “fully locked into (it) for a period of time”. “I have heard that sort of narrative that T20 World Cups don’t matter to us,” he told reporters. “I think all that is a response to the performances of Australian cricket teams in these competitions. “...
    Tags: Australia World

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