Dawn
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Dawn - 15:03 Jun 28, 2025
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Saturday warned that there is a risk of urban flooding across the southern district of Sindh, as rains lash Karachi and are forecast to continue tomorrow. Karachi has been experiencing moderate to heavy rainfall since Thursday night, bringing on reprieve from the scorching summer heat. Monsoon rains continue to lash many parts of the country, prompting authorities to release an urban flooding warning for several cities. Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September every year. According to an NDMA alert on X, there is a risk of urban flooding within the next 48 hours in the districts of Sujawal, Thatta, Badin, Karachi, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas. The authority also issued an urban flood warning for “the low-lying areas of Pothohar/northeast Punjab”, including Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot and Lahore. Meanwhile, two people died in rain-related incidents in Karachi, according to police, hospital and rescue officials. Police su... -
Dawn - 14:53 Jun 28, 2025
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday ordered the government to dissolve the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and transfer its powers to the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (MCI), according to a court order seen by Dawn.com. Established in 1960, the CDA is a civic organisation tasked with the development of the federal capital. The authority’s official website said that it plays a “pivotal role in the sustainable development and management” of the city. A day earlier, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard two writ petitions challenging a Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) issued by the CDA in 2015 imposing Direct Access and Right of Way (ROW) charges on petrol pump/CNG stations located on major roads in Islamabad. Today’s judgment said that the CDA charged the petitioners an amount of Rs337,442,856 for payment “under ROW charges”. It said that the “issuance of SRO constitutes an illegal act and is unconstitutional” under Article 77 of the Constitution, which directs that taxation powers must be exercise... -
Dawn - 14:24 Jun 28, 2025
Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan has ordered the suspension of 26 opposition MPAs for 15 sittings of the provincial legislature after their protests disrupted the proceedings, it emerged on Saturday. The members raised slogans and protested during Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s speech in the assembly yesterday, when she responded to PTI leadership’s comments that ex-premier Nawaz Sharif — also an MNA — had been removed from the political arena. According to an order issued by Malik on Friday, the suspended MPAs “became disorderly, beyond all parliamentary reasoning and practices”, including tearing the agenda papers and hurling torn pieces towards the treasury benches as well as using “offensive, abusive, and unparliamentary language and slogans”. The order was issued under Rule 210 of the Punjab Assembly Rules of Procedure 1997 (power to order withdrawal or suspension of member) and stated that the 26 MPAs violated four provisions of Rule 223. These were (c) (shall not interrupt any member wh... -
Dawn - 13:12 Jun 28, 2025
Pakistan is leading the Global Emerging Markets (EM) Rankings, indicating improvement in default risk, Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad said on Saturday. The current government has reassured that the country has moved onto a path of economic recovery and growth, witnessing “economic stabilisation” after a period of turbulence and uncertainty. Some assessments by global rating agencies have signalled gradual improvements in key economic indicators. In a statement on X, Schehzad said, “As per the latest data posted by Bloomberg Intelligence, Pakistan stands out globally as the most improved economy in terms of reduction in sovereign default risk, as measured by CDS-implied probability.” He said that the country has topped the Global Emerging Markets rankings with the “largest drop in sovereign default risk globally over the last 12 months”. The statement said, “[The] default probability [went] down from 59 per cent to 47pc, a massive 1,100 basis points improvement.” “This marks the sharpest decl... -
Dawn - 11:59 Jun 28, 2025
The British government has distanced the incoming head of its foreign intelligence service from her grandfather following reports he was a Nazi spy known as “the Butcher”. Blaise Metreweli will, in the autumn, become the first woman to lead MI6 in its 116-year-old history, the British government announced earlier this month. The Daily Mail newspaper reported this week that her grandfather Constantine Dobrowolski defected from the Soviet Union’s Red Army to become a Nazi informant in the Chernigiv region of modern-day Ukraine. The newspaper said German archives showed Dobrowolski was known as “the Butcher” or “Agent No 30” by Wehrmacht commanders. “Blaise Metreweli neither knew nor met her paternal grandfather,” a Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement. “Blaise’s ancestry is characterised by conflict and division and, as is the case for many with eastern European heritage, only partially understood. It is precisely this complex heritage which has contributed to her commitment to prevent conflict and p... -
Dawn - 11:19 Jun 28, 2025
The US Supreme Court’s ruling tied to birthright citizenship prompted confusion and phone calls to lawyers as people who could be affected tried to process a convoluted legal decision with major humanitarian implications. The court’s conservative majority on Friday granted President Donald Trump his request to curb federal judges’ power but did not decide the legality of his bid to restrict birthright citizenship. That outcome has raised more questions than answers about a right long understood to be guaranteed under the US Constitution: that anyone born in the United States is considered a citizen at birth, regardless of their parents’ citizenship or legal status. Lorena, a 24-year-old Colombian asylum seeker who lives in Houston and is due to give birth in September, pored over media reports on Friday morning. She was looking for details about how her baby might be affected, but said she was left confused and worried. “There are not many specifics,” said Lorena, who like others interviewed by Reuters asked ... -
Dawn - 09:53 Jun 28, 2025
France will ban smoking on beaches and in parks, public gardens and bus shelters from Sunday, the government said. The decree, published in the official government gazette on Saturday, will also ban smoking outside libraries, swimming pools and schools, and is aimed at protecting children from passive smoking. The decree did not mention electronic cigarettes. Violators of the ban will face a fine of €135 (Rs44,849). “Tobacco must disappear from places where there are children,” Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin had said in May, underscoring “the right of children to breathe pure air”. Cafe terraces are excluded from the ban. Some 75,000 people are estimated to die from tobacco-related complications each year in France. According to a recent opinion survey, six out of 10 French people (62 per cent) favour a smoking ban in public places. -
Dawn - 08:45 Jun 28, 2025
At least two more people died in a rain-related incident in Punjab on Saturday, taking the province’s death toll for the past four days to 14, according to rescue officials and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). Monsoon rains across the region offer respite from the summer heat and are vital for agriculture and food security. Weather-related incidents are common during the season, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity. Two people died while four were wounded in a roof collapse incident reported at 3:20am in the Abbas Nagar area of Lahore’s Shahdara Town, Rescue 1122 said in a statement today. It noted that the house was single-storied and the roof was made of mud. The bodies were taken to Shahdara Hospital, where some of the injured were also taken, while others wounded were brought to Mayo Hospital. Separately, eight children were among 12 dead while 39 others were injured in various rain-related incidents across Punjab since Wednesday, according to a PDM... -
Dawn - 07:04 Jun 28, 2025
LAHORE: Ecotourism, the country’s pioneering initiative, led by the Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department, and developed in accordance with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) criteria, marks the first structured effort that offers a unique blend of nature-based experiences, animal conservation, cultural immersion and education, ensuring sustainable tourism that benefits both biodiversity and local communities. Considering the ecological significance of Changa Manga, Uchali Lake and Chashma for their rich flora and fauna, these sites were strategically selected for ecotourism development, officials at the Forest, Wildlife and Fisheries Department told Dawn. Mentioning initiatives taken under the spotlight of ecotourism, the officials said the proposed ecotourism development. Changa Manga Forest Reserve, located 80km south of Lahore, spans over 12,500 acres and is one of the world’s largest man-made forests. It is home to a rich variety of native flora and fauna. With the proposed ecotourism developme... -
Dawn - 06:42 Jun 28, 2025
China has expanded the economic safeguards for segments of its population affected by flood control schemes in times of extreme rainfall, including pledges of direct compensation from the central government and payments for livestock losses. In China, diverting floodwaters to areas next to rivers is a major step in managing downstream flooding. As extreme rainfall grows in frequency, China is increasingly utilising such areas, some of which have been unused until now and have been populated by farms, croplands and even residential buildings, stoking social tensions. According to revised rules on compensation related to flood diversions released late on Friday, the central government will now bear 70 per cent of all compensation funds, with local governments responsible for the rest. Previously, the ratio was to be decided based on actual economic losses and the fiscal situation of local governments. Livestock and poultry that cannot be relocated in time before the arrival of diverted floodwaters will also be ... -
Dawn - 06:35 Jun 28, 2025
QUETTA: The body of a 14-year-old student, Muhammad Musawir Kakar, who was kidnapped for ransom on November 15, 2024 has been recovered by the police, Quetta DIG Aitzaz Ahmed Goraya said on Friday. He revealed that Afghan nationals were involved in the kidnapping. They abducted the boy with the help of local accomplices and later handed him over to the extremist group Daesh, also known as IS, which demanded a ransom of $12m from the victim’s father. The DIG added that after killing the boy, the kidnappers buried his body in the Maro Isplinji area of Mastung district. The grave was located by the police. The body appeared to be over two months old, he said, adding the postmortem report revealed the boy was shot in the chest and head. His identity was confirmed through DNA testing. “We tracked down the kidnappers, raided multiple locations, and eliminated some of them, but unfortunately, we were unable to ensure the safe recovery of the boy, for which we are deeply sorry,” said DIG Goraya. He added that the inv... -
Dawn - 06:08 Jun 28, 2025
NEW DELHI: India is vigilant of developments in its neighbourhood that “have a bearing” on its “interest and security”, the external affairs ministry said of a recent trilateral meeting between Pakistan, Bangladesh and China, adding that it factors in the “evolving context” in its bilateral relations with these countries. According to The Wire, during a trilateral meeting in Kunming, China, on June 19 involving Chinese vice foreign minister Sun Weidong, Bangladesh’s acting foreign secretary Ruhul Siddique and Pakistan’s additional foreign secretary Imran Siddiqui, the three sides agreed to explore cooperation in a number of sectors including trade, ‘maritime affairs’, health and the environment. Asked for comment on the meeting during the ministry’s weekly press briefing on Thursday, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that “we maintain a constant watch on the developments in our neighbourhood that have a bearing on our interest and our security”. “Our relations with individual countries, while they stand on th... -
Dawn - 05:47 Jun 28, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs has been ordered to refund Rs36 billion to aspiring pilgrims who couldn’t perform Haj this year. The money would be returned to over 67,000 Pakistani pilgrims who were supposed to go on Haj through private tour operators but couldn’t over delays in payments. The sub-committee of Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs on Friday directed the ministry to fully reimburse the victims. The sub-committee’s convener, Senator Aon Abbas Buppi, announced that Rs36.43 billion held in Saudi Arabia must be refunded by August 15. There should be no deductions whatsoever, including currency exchange losses or service charges, Mr Bappi emphasised. Religious Affairs Secretary Dr Attaur Rehman informed the committee that Pakistan was allotted a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for the Haj in 2025 by the Saudi government. Of this quota, 90,830 slots were allocated to private Haj operators. However, the Saudi government later revised its policy to only allow operators with a group of ... -
Dawn - 05:25 Jun 28, 2025
• CB’s ruling overturns SC’s July 12, 2024 majority judgement; restores Peshawar High Court’s original verdict • Seven judges accept review petitions by ECP, PML-N et al; three judges ‘partially allow’ them • 77 reserved seats in national and provincial assemblies will be distributed among other parties • Ruling coalition can now comfortably achieve two-thirds majority in NA ISLAMABAD: The Constitutional Bench (CB) on Friday overturned the Supreme Court’s earlier judgement in the reserved seats case — effectively taking away reserved seats from the PTI and handing them to their rival parties in the national and provincial legislatures. The decision, handed down by a majority of seven judges, supersedes the July 12, 2024 majority judgement by eight judges, which had declared the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) eligible for reserved seats for women and non-Muslims in the assemblies. “[B]y majority of seven namely Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, Justice Musarrat Hilali, Justice Naeem Akhter Afghan, Justice Shahid Bila... -
Dawn - 05:11 Jun 28, 2025
• Losses of Rs342bn in six months seen as ‘Rs1.9bn daily drain’ on public finances • Circular debt crosses Rs4.9tr; unfunded pensions, weak governance deepen fiscal strain ISLAMABAD: With relentless financial haemorrhaging of nearly Rs342bn in just six months, the cumulative losses and unfunded pension liabilities of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have crossed Rs7.5tr — almost three times the country’s defence allocation of Rs2.55tr for FY26, and over seven times the upcoming year’s Public Sector Development Programme (Rs1tr). The Ministry of Finance informed the Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises (CCoSOEs) on Friday that total SOE losses now exceed Rs5.8tr — nearly one-third of the recently passed Rs17.5tr federal budget for 2025-26. Presided over by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, the meeting was briefed by the Central Monitoring Unit of the Finance Division on the biannual performance of federal SOEs for the period July to December 2024. The report outlined the worsening state of SOEs, in... -
Dawn - 04:53 Jun 28, 2025
• Reiterates firm support for two-state solution to Israel-Palestine conflict • Insists Trump’s Nobel nomination a joint civil-military decision • Dismisses claim Islamabad sought ceasefire ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday ruled out the possibility of Pakistan joining the Abraham Accords, stating that such a move would effectively mean abandoning the country’s longstanding support for a two-state solution to the Palestinian conflict and recognising Israel. Speaking at a news conference at the Foreign Office, Mr Dar, who also serves as deputy prime minister, reiterated Pakistan’s firm support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His comments came in response to recent remarks by US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, who suggested that more countries, which were not previously “contemplated”, were preparing to join the US-brokered accords, which normalise ties with Israel. Witkoff had joined President Donald Trump at the White House lunch for Army Chief Fie... -
Dawn - 02:47 Jun 28, 2025
• Additional burden on consumers to be offset by disbursement through BISP • Committee approves supplementary grants worth Rs856bn; passes the buck on sugar import to minister-led body ISLAMABAD: The government has increased the price of gas by 50 per cent in an apparent move to meet the demand of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the federal cabinet approved the hike in fixed gas charges for all consumers from July 1. The rate for non-domestic consumers has been increased by 29pc to cumulatively raise an additional Rs72 billion. The ECC meeting on Friday, chaired by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, also approved supplementary grants of Rs856bn. However, the committee failed to reach a decision over the import of sugar and passed the responsibility to a political committee led by the National Food Security and Research minister. Increase in gas price The summary for the revised natural gas pricing structure for the fiscal year 2025–26 was moved by the Petr... -
Dawn - 02:36 Jun 28, 2025
• Court of Arbitration rules that New Delhi’s decision to hold Indus treaty in abeyance doesn’t affect its competence to hear and decide disputes • Islamabad welcomes, India rejects ‘supplemental award’ as it exposes Kishenganga and Ratle hydel projects to Pakistan’s objections ISLAMABAD: In a major boon for Pakistan in its dispute over the ‘one-sided’ suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague has ruled that India’s actions have no bearing on its competence to adjudicate the matter. The court found that its competence cannot be affected by the unilateral decision of a party taken after the initiation of arbitral proceedings, regardless of whether India’s recent decision was characterised as a suspension of the treaty, or otherwise. The court further found that it has a continuing responsibility to advance proceedings in a timely, efficient and fair manner, notwithstanding India’s position on “abeyance”. It also declared that these findings also apply to the N... -
Dawn - 18:41 Jun 27, 2025
The Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench on Friday dismissed the petitions filed by the PTI in the reserved seats case, declaring that the party will not be eligible for them in the national and provincial assemblies. The verdict came as an 11-member bench of the SC, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, resumed the hearing of the reserved seats case today. However, Justice Salahuddin Panhwar recused himself. The bench previously had 13 members, but Ayesha A. Malik and Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi had declared the applications inadmissible and were not part of the subsequent proceedings, with the CB head judge noting they had stepped back voluntarily. Among the remaining 10 members, the review petitions were accepted by a majority of seven judges, including Justices Aminuddin Khan, Musarrat Hilali, Naeem Akhter Afghan, Shahid Bilal Hassan, Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar, Aamer Farooq and Ali Baqar Najafi. The judges who rejected the petitions today included Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and... -
Dawn - 18:39 Jun 27, 2025
United States President Donald Trump said on Friday that he is calling off trade negotiations with Canada in retaliation for taxes impacting major US tech firms, adding that Ottawa will learn of their tariff rate within a week. “Based on this egregious tax, we are hereby terminating all discussions on trade with Canada, effective immediately,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. He added that Canada will soon find out the levy it needs to pay to do business in the United States, calling his country’s northern neighbour “very difficult” to trade with. Washington has previously taken issue with Canada’s digital services tax, requesting dispute settlement talks last year over the matter. While Canada’s digital services tax is not new — it was enacted last year — US service providers are “on the hook for a multi-billion dollar payment in Canada” by June 30, noted the Computer and Communications Industry Association. While Canada has been spared from some of Trump’s most sweeping duties, such as a 1...
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