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Dawn - 13:25 Jan 05, 2026
Sports fans and athletes alike can expect an action-packed 2026 calendar featuring major quadrennial sports events, routine international seasons, as well as plenty of domestic action. The cricket-crazy nation will see both the men’s and women’s ICC T20 World Cups this year, while football freaks across all global timezones have nearly six weeks of FIFA World Cup action. Pakistan is expected to send a sizable contingent to the Commonwealth Games in June, where the likes of javelin star Arshad Nadeem and weightlifter Nooh Dastagir Butt set games records while winning Pakistan’s only gold medals at the previous edition. Although Pakistan’s medal tally at the Asian Games has dropped in recent editions, there is hope for a resurgence at the continental multi-sport event after markswoman Kishmala Talat won a historic bronze in Hangzhou 2022 while the men’s squash team picked up the lone silver medal. Pakistan’s men’s squash team poses with their silver medals at the 2022 Asian Games. — Photo via X/Noor Zaman Janua... -
Dawn - 12:58 Jan 05, 2026
Pakistan and China issued a joint communique on Monday calling for more “visible and verifiable” actions to dismantle and eliminate all terrorist organisations based in Afghanistan, and prevent them from using Kabul’s territory for militancy against any other country. The joint statement came after the conclusion of the 7th round of the Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue, for which Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar travelled to Beijing. “The two sides called for more visible and verifiable actions to dismantle and eliminate all terrorist organisations based in Afghanistan which continue to pose serious threats to regional and global security, and prevent terrorist organisations from using the Afghan territory for terrorism against any other country and to endanger any other country,” the statement said. “The two sides agreed to keep in close communication and coordination on the Afghan issue, work with the international community to encourage the Afghan government to build an inclusive politi... -
Dawn - 12:51 Jan 05, 2026
QUETTA: An improvised explosive device (IED) attack in Balochistan’s Panjgur district on Monday killed one and injured 16 others. Panjgur Assistant Commissioner Amir Jan said the IED was planted in a motorbike and added that three of the injured are in serious condition. “Two children are also among the injured.“ According to local police officials, a Frontier Corps vehicle, which was the probable target, escaped the attack and all personnel were safe. A senior official of the local administration, on condition of anonymity, told Dawn that the motorbike laden with the IED was parked near a pushcart in the main bazaar. Another police official elaborated that the blast appeared to have been carried out through remote control. Despite record militant deaths, Pakistan saw a sharp escalation in militant violence in 2025, with terrorist attacks rising by 34 per cent and terrorism-related fatalities increasing by 21pc year on year, according to data released by the Islamabad-based Pak Institute for Peace Studies. As... -
Dawn - 12:45 Jan 05, 2026
The concept of “martial rule” and the associated ideology of the “martial races” occupy a central place in the colonial and post-colonial history of Punjab. Far from being a mere military recruitment strategy, this theory evolved into a durable socio-political framework that reshaped agrarian relations, state power, and political authority in the region. Drawing upon the works of scholars such as Mustafa Kamal Pasha, Clive Dewey, Tan Tai Yong, and Rajit Mazumdar, one can trace how martial rule developed as an intellectual and administrative project, how it became deeply embedded in the agrarian economy of Punjab, and how its long-term ramifications elevated the military to a decisive force in contemporary politics. The theory of martial rule emerged from the broader colonial construct of the “martial races,” formulated by British administrators in the aftermath of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. As Tan Tai Yong demonstrates, the rebellion marked a decisive rupture in British perceptions of loyalty and governanc... -
Dawn - 12:10 Jan 05, 2026
Iran will offer no leniency to “rioters,” though the public has a right to demonstrate, the head of the judiciary said on Monday, following more than a week of protests. The demonstrations began last Sunday in Tehran when shopkeepers staged a strike over high prices and economic stagnation, but they have since spread to other regions and expanded to include political demands. “I instruct the attorney general and prosecutors across the country to act in accordance with the law and with resolve against the rioters and those who support them… and to show no leniency or indulgence,” Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said, according to the judiciary’s Mizan news agency. He added that Iran “listens to the protesters and their criticism, and distinguishes between them and rioters”. Protests have taken place in 25 out of Iran’s 31 provinces and affected, to varying degrees, at least 45 different cities, most of them small or medium-sized and concentrated in the west, according to an AFP tally based on official statements an... -
Dawn - 11:55 Jan 05, 2026
A judicial magistrate in Karachi on Monday granted post-arrest bail to Armaghan Qureshi, the prime suspect in the Mustafa Amir murder case, in a case involving an illegal call centre and credit card data theft. Amir, 23, was allegedly kidnapped and murdered by his friends — Armaghan and Sheraz — in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on Jan 6, 2025. According to the police, the youth’s friends stuffed his body in the trunk of his car and torched it in the Hub area of Balochistan. A final charge sheet against Armaghan in the murder case was filed in August. Besides multiple other cases, Armaghan had also been implicated in the data theft case in a first information report (FIR) registered with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on April 16, 2025. Judicial magistrate (South) took up Armaghan’s bail plea today. Advocate Khurram Abbas appeared as his defence counsel and informed the court that the investigation against the suspect had been completed in 2025. “Not a single shred of evidence was presented... -
Dawn - 11:54 Jan 05, 2026
PTI Chief Whip Amir Dogar, shared with National Assembly (NA) Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Monday documents pertaining to the withdrawal of cases concerning PTI’s Omar Ayub and again demanded Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Chairperson Mehmood Khan Achakzai’s appointment as the opposition leader. The development comes around a month after the NA Secretariat sent a letter to Dogar, seeking details about the status of cases concerning Ayub. The letter said the provision of the details in writing is necessary for the completion of the process for the appointment of an opposition leader in the lower house of Parliament. According to a post on the NA’s X account, Dogar presented the documents to Sadiq today, and the two also exchanged views on matters related to the appointment of the opposition leader. Dogar “once again” demanded that the Achakzai be appointed as the opposition leader, the post said, adding that Ayaz gave the assurance that “everything will be done in accordance with the law and the constitution”. The sta... -
Dawn - 11:52 Jan 05, 2026
India’s Supreme Court denied bail on Monday for former student leader Umar Khalid, who has been detained for more than five years on charges of conspiracy to trigger deadly riots. Khalid, 38, was arrested in September 2020 under a sweeping anti-terrorism law and has remained in custody since, aside from brief releases to attend family weddings. His case has become a touchstone for critics who say India’s more than 200 million Muslims face discriminatory treatment in the Hindu-majority nation. Khalid was detained after the February 2020 sectarian riots in Delhi when 53 people were killed — mostly Muslims, but also several Hindus. The Supreme Court in New Delhi dismissed his appeal for bail, saying that “prolonged incarceration” was not grounds to grant him release. It also denied bail on the same grounds to another student activist, Sharjeel Imam. But it approved bail for five others in the same case. Khalid, a former student at Delhi’s prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University, was charged with rioting with a d... -
Dawn - 10:16 Jan 05, 2026
The Bangladesh government on Monday ordered an indefinite ban on the telecast and promotion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) following the controversy surrounding the removal of Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad, The Daily Star reported. The development comes after KKR said on Saturday they had released the Bangladesh bowler after being told to do so by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Bangladesh are scheduled to play three T20 World Cup matches in Kolkata next month, with the February 7-March 8 tournament being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. On Sunday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said after an emergency meeting that it had “formally requested” the International Cricket Council (ICC) shift its team’s games to Sri Lanka. A statement from the ministry of information and broadcasting said that it had “noted that no reason was communicated for the decision behind Mustafizur Rahman’s exclusion [from the IPL]” and that the development ha... -
Dawn - 09:24 Jan 05, 2026
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday called on lawyers in Islamabad to stand up for an independent judiciary as he continued his efforts to rally support for the PTI’s street movement. The KP CM made the remarks while addressing the legal fraternity at an event organised by the Islamabad Bar Association. After completing a three-day visit to Lahore, Afridi has announced Karachi as his next destination. “If you do not stand up for the supremacy of the Constitution and the law and for an independent judiciary, then future generations will spit on us and you as well,” Afridi said. He urged them to announce a lawyers’ movement, adding that the youth will support them. “Long live resistance,” the chief minister said. “You must support the PTI founder [Imran Khan] against oppression and barbarity. Whose conscience is even one per cent alive will stand against the 26th and 27th Constitutional Amendments, as well as unfair trials — whether of journalists or politicians — and will demand the relea... -
Dawn - 08:33 Jan 05, 2026
The Pakistan Computer Emergency Response Team (PKCERT) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with global cybersecurity company Kaspersky to enhance cybersecurity in Pakistan through collaboration. PKCERT is a federal government entity responsible for protecting Pakistan’s digital assets, sensitive information, and critical infrastructure from cyberattacks, cyberterrorism, and cyber espionage. A joint press release issued on Monday said that the agreement marked a major step toward enhancing Pakistan’s national cybersecurity posture through collaboration in threat detection, mitigation, and prevention. “The partnership between PKCERT and Kaspersky focuses on strengthening the country’s cyber resilience through a series of coordinated efforts. These include extensive training and awareness programs designed to enhance operational readiness across all levels of government, industry, academia, and civil society,” the statement said. It added that the collaboration also focused on capacity developme... -
Dawn - 07:29 Jan 05, 2026
The United States could raise tariffs on India if New Delhi does not meet Washington’s demand to curb purchases of Russian oil, US President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “Modi is a good guy. He knew I was not happy, and it was important to make me happy,” Trump said on Sunday. “They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly,” Trump said in response to a question on India’s Russian oil purchases. India’s commerce ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The US doubled import tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent last year as punishment for its heavy buying of Russian oil. Despite the hefty tariffs, India’s exports to the US leapt in November. Encouraged by the improved trade data, Indian officials have maintained a firm stance against US trade demands, signalling limited flexibility in areas such as agricultural imports, while data shows India’s oil purchases from Russia have declined. India is asking refiners for weekly disclosures of Russian and US oi... -
Dawn - 07:01 Jan 05, 2026
United States President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the US might launch a second military strike on Venezuela following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro if remaining members of the administration do not cooperate with his efforts to get the country “fixed”. His comments to reporters aboard Air Force One raised the possibility of further US military interventions in Latin America, and suggested Colombia and Mexico could also face military action if they do not reduce the flow of illicit drugs to the United States. “Operation Colombia sounds good to me,” Trump said. He also said that Cuba, a close ally of Venezuela, “looks like it’s ready to fall” on its own without US military action. He also insisted the US was “in charge” of Venezuela after the seizure of Maduro, but was also dealing with the new leadership in Caracas. Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez said at the same time that she was ready to work together with the Trump administration, asking the US leader for a balanced, respectful ... -
Dawn - 03:55 Jan 05, 2026
LAHORE: The police booked a singer for performing a song titled “Qaidi No 804” during a government-sponsored cultural event at the Shalimar Gardens here on Sunday. The suspect, a Qawwal, has been accused of giving the event ‘political colour’ as the song was associated with the jailed PTI founder Imran Khan. In the FIR, the complainant, the Shalimar Gardens in charge, Mr Zameerul Hasan, alleged that the singer, Faraz Khan, deliberately tried to exploit the cultural event and instigate people, as the song was associated with a particular political party. He said a music and cultural night was organised by the Walled City of Lahore Authority, which was a non-political event. However, he alleged the singer and his companions sang the song, associated with the PTI leader, on the demand of some audience. He told the police that the suspect should have kept in his mind that the event was open to the public, and was attended by people having affiliations with different political parties. The controversial song posed... -
Dawn - 02:50 Jan 05, 2026
• People’s Unity alleges privatisation bidding process lacked transparency; employees barred from participation • Claims collective bargaining agent has expertise to turn around loss-making flag carrier ISLAMABAD: In what appeared to be a lost battle, the PIA Employees’ Combined Bargaining Agent (CBA), People’s Unity, has asked the government to put on hold the signing of the airline’s share purchase agreement (SPA) and the transfer of management control to the Arif Habib-led consortium until consideration of its reservations and a counter-offer. In a letter to PIA’s board of directors, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Privatisation, the union alleged that the privatisation process culminating in the bidding was non-transparent, claiming that employees were not allowed to participate. It said the CBA had the expertise to turn around the loss-making national carrier through professional management and a competent board. People’s Unity President Hidayatullah Khan said the government was repeating “th... -
Dawn - 19:53 Jan 04, 2026
Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah on Sunday said India’s claim of placing the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in “abeyance” has no legal basis and that the treaty remains fully in force under international law. In April 2025, India held the IWT in abeyance following the attack on tourists in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 — an incident New Delhi blamed on Islamabad without evidence. Pakistan termed any attempt to suspend its water share an “act of war”. In June, the Permanent Court of Arbitration held that India cannot unilaterally hold the treaty in abeyance. Speaking on Geo News‘ programme ‘Jirga’, Shah talked about the legality of India holding the IWT in abeyance and said: “As far as holding the treaty in abeyance is concerned, the word ‘abeyance’ is not recognised under international treaty law. It is a coined term, because we believe India understands that it cannot suspend, breach or terminate the treaty.” However, he cautioned that India’s continued non-cooperat... -
Dawn - 19:48 Jan 04, 2026
The United States is ready to work with Venezuela’s remaining leaders if they make “the right decision”, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday after an audacious US operation removed the oil-rich country’s president, Nicolas Maduro. “We‘re going to judge everything by what they do, and we‘re going to see what they do,” Rubio told CBS News’ ‘Face the Nation’. “I do know this: that if they don’t make the right decision, that the United States will retain multiple levers of leverage.” Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was in a New York detention centre on Sunday after US President Donald Trump ordered a US raid to capture the South American leader and take control of the country and its vast oil reserves. As part of the dramatic operation early on Saturday that knocked out electricity in parts of Caracas and included strikes on military installations, US Special Forces seized Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and transported them via helicopter to a US Navy ship offshore before flying them to the US. ... -
Dawn - 16:42 Jan 04, 2026
Attacks by Sudan’s army and its paramilitary foes on two towns in the western Darfur region over the past week have killed 114 people, medical sources told AFP on Sunday. Since April 2023, Sudan has been gripped by a war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which in October seized the army’s last holdout position in Darfur. The RSF has since pushed west to the Chadian border and east through the vast Kordofan region, where a drone strike on the North Kordofan capital of El-Obeid on Sunday caused a blackout in the key army-controlled city. A medical source reported Sunday that 51 people were killed the day before in drone strikes attributed to the army on the North Darfur town of Al-Zuruq, 180 kilometres (112 miles) north of the RSF-overrun state capital El-Fashir. The strike hit a market and civilian areas, the source said. Al-Zuruq, under RSF control, is home to family members of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the former deputy of his now rival, army chief Abdel Fattah al-Bu... -
Dawn - 16:15 Jan 04, 2026
New deadly clashes between protesters and security forces erupted in Iran over the weekend, rights groups and local media said on Sunday, as demonstrations first sparked by anger over the rising cost of living entered a second week. At least 12 people, including members of the security forces, have been killed since the protests kicked off with a shopkeeper’s strike in Tehran on December 28, according to a toll based on official reports. Overnight, protests featuring slogans criticising the Islamic republic’s clerical authorities were reported in Tehran, Shiraz in the south, and in areas of western Iran where the movement has been concentrated, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) monitor. The demonstrations are the most significant in Iran since a 2022-2023 movement sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code for women. The latest protests have been concentrated in parts of the west with large populatio... -
Dawn - 16:12 Jan 04, 2026
Gujarat Under Modi: Laboratory of Today’s India By Christophe Jaffrelot Liberty Publishing ISBN: 978-627-7626-50-1 546pp. An extensively researched book by Christophe Jaffrelot, a French political scientist specialising in India and Pakistan — Gujarat Under Modi: Laboratory of Today’s India — deals with the transformation of Gujarat into “a laboratory of Hindu nationalism.” Narendra Modi served as chief minister of Gujarat for a record 13 years between 2001 and 2014, after which he became the prime minister of India. Jaffrelot has written extensively on India and Pakistan and is considered a formidable scholar on the region. Other books by the same author include: India’s First Dictatorship: The Emergency 1975-1977 (2020), Modi’s India: Hindu Nationalism and the Rise of Ethnic Democracy (2021), The Pakistan Paradox: Instability and Resilience (2015), Religion, Caste and Politics in India (2010), A History of Pakistan and its Origins (2002), and his doctoral thesis published as The Hindu Nationalist Movement I...
10444 items