Dawn
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Dawn - 13:17 Jan 04, 2026
Additional staff have been deployed at M-Tag centres in Islamabad as over 120,000 vehicles have registered ahead of the January 15 deadline. The M-Tag is a prepaid radio frequency identification (RFID) sticker for a car windshield that automates toll payments. As a vehicle passes through a toll plaza, scanners identify the vehicle and entry point; upon exiting, the system automatically deducts the fare from the balance, eliminating the need to wait in long queues. To ensure the security of the federal capital and link vehicles with electronic monitoring, the administration has decided that vehicles without M-Tags will not be allowed to enter Islamabad from the now-extended deadline of January 15. With 12 days remaining before enforcement begins, authorities in Islamabad have reported steady progress in the M-Tag registration drive. Officials said 120,447 vehicles have been fitted with M-Tags so far, while 3,392 vehicles were registered in the last 24 hours alone. Excise and Taxation Department Director Genera... -
Dawn - 12:33 Jan 04, 2026
LAKKI MARWAT/ BANNU: Three traffic police personnel were martyred in firing by suspected terrorists in the Serai Naurang area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district on Sunday. Qudratullah, spokesperson for the district police officer (DPO), told Dawn the three traffic policemen were on duty near the Dil Begu Khel area when “unidentified terrorists, who were on a motorcycle”, opened fire on them. As a result, they died on the spot, the spokesperson said. Ticketing officer in-charge Jalal Khan was among the martyred, he said, adding that two other personnel were identified as Azizullah and Abdullah. The bodies were moved to Naurang Hospital, and police have launched a search operation at the site of the incident, Qudratullah said. Later in the day, the funeral prayers of the martyred traffic cops were offered at the Lakki Marwat Police Lines with official honours. Police and district administration officers, the bereaved family members and other residents attended the prayers. Funeral prayers of three tr... -
Dawn - 11:58 Jan 04, 2026
The British Ministry of Defence said it cooperated with France on Saturday night to strike an underground facility in Syria that had likely been used by the militant Islamic State (IS) group to store weapons. “Royal Air Force aircraft have completed successful strikes against Daesh in a joint operation with France,” the ministry said in a statement, using the Arabic acronym for IS. “This facility had been occupied by Daesh, most likely to store weapons and explosives. The area around the facility is devoid of any civilian habitation,” the statement added. The ministry said there was no indication the bombing north of the ancient site of Palmyra had posed any risk to civilians. IS was territorially defeated in Syria in 2019 but still maintains a presence, particularly in the country’s vast desert. Last month, Washington said a lone IS gunman in Palmyra attacked American personnel, killing two US soldiers and a US civilian. US forces said they struck dozens of IS targets in Syria in retaliation. -
Dawn - 11:41 Jan 04, 2026
PESHAWAR: At least six people were killed, including a mother and three daughters, and five were injured on Sunday after the dilapidated roof of a house collapsed in Shabqadar tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Charsadda district, police said. Per the police, most of the victims were guests who had arrived to attend a wedding ceremony at the house where the incident occurred. The event was scheduled for Sunday evening. “The incident occurred at around 4am when the dilapidated roof collapsed on the family and guests, prompting the neighbours to rush to the site and manage to pull out the bodies and the injured from the debris,” a statement from the police said. Rescue 1122 teams arrived at the scene later, launching relief operations and shifting the injured and deceased to the hospital. The bodies and injured were shifted to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Shabqadar, the statement added. Roof collapses are largely caused by substandard construction, use of poor-quality materials, and lack of enforcement of bu... -
Dawn - 11:31 Jan 04, 2026
KARACHI: Police have arrested the prime suspect accused of killing four people whose partially decomposed bodies were found in a pit off Karachi’s Mai Kolachi Road earlier this week, authorities said on Sunday, adding that the suspect had confessed to the crime. According to police, the four bodies — of a woman and her three children — were recovered from a pit off Mai Kolachi Road on Friday night in the limits of the Docks police station. Police said the bodies had marks of torture, and the deceased appeared to have been killed with an axe or another sharp-edged object. A statement by the office of Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar said today the prime suspect in the case had been arrested by Kaemari police and had confessed to the crime during interrogation. South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Asad Raza also confirmed the development to Dawn, saying that digital forensics of the mobile of the deceased woman had established that the suspect had been in contact with her. “He wanted to get rid ... -
Dawn - 10:36 Jan 04, 2026
UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency session on Monday amid mounting international alarm over the United States’ military action in Venezuela and concerns that the crisis has now moved beyond bilateral tensions. On Saturday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned that the crisis in Venezuela could undermine the foundations of international law by setting a “dangerous precedent“ for similar actions in the near future. The meeting was requested by Colombia and supported by China and the Russian Federation, with Venezuela also formally appealing to the Council. According to the Council presidency, the session will be held under the agenda item “Threats to International Peace and Security,” and the secretary general is expected to brief the members. In a statement issued through his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, Secretary General Guterres said he was “deeply alarmed by the recent escalation in Venezuela, culminating with today’s (Saturday) United States military acti... -
Dawn - 06:24 Jan 04, 2026
On December 18, 2025, a 25-year-old Hindu garment worker was lynched by a mob of approximately 150 people in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district. Following accusations of blasphemy, the victim was beaten to death. Mob lynchings in Bangladesh, known locally as gono-pituni, have a long history. But this crisis is not unique to Bangladesh. According to the Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2025, South Asia has emerged as a global epicentre for collective vigilantism, with similar violence frequently reported in India and Pakistan as well. The recent surge in mob violence across India, Bangladesh and Pakistan is propelled by similar drivers: a decaying public confidence in the judiciary and the rapid spread of digital disinformation. This combination allows ‘street justice’ to effectively supersede state authority. As American political scientist Paul Staniland observed in a 2020 analysis for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, these patterns in South Asia are not recent developments. They are historical... -
Dawn - 05:29 Jan 04, 2026
TAXILA: Ophthalmologist Dr Pramila Lall, one of Pakistan’s most revered medical professionals, passed away peacefully on Saturday at the age of 93 at Christian Hospital, Taxila, where she devoted nearly seven decades of her life in service to humanity. Hospital officials confirmed her death, describing it as the end of an era for eye care in Pakistan. Dr Lall served at Christian Hospital, Taxila, for over 50 years, providing low-cost, high-quality eye care to millions, particularly the poor. Widely recognised as Pakistan’s first female ophthalmologist, she is also believed to have conducted the highest number of eye surgeries by any woman ophthalmologist in Asia. Born in Nagpur, India, in 1932, Dr Pramila graduated from the prestigious Christian Medical College, Vellore, in 1957. During her student years, fate introduced her to Dr Ernest Lall, a Pakistani national. Their marriage brought her to Pakistan the same year, where she joined Christian Hospital, Taxila. She earned her Diploma in Ophthalmology from Lo... -
Dawn - 05:06 Jan 04, 2026
KARACHI: To keep slow-moving freight vehicles from mingling with faster passenger traffic, the city commissioner on Monday announced that heavy transport vehicles (HTVs) would be restricted to a dedicated lane with a maximum speed limit of 30km/h. A meeting, chaired by Commissioner Hasan Naqvi, deliberated on various issues, including the parking problem of goods transporters, the issuance of HTV licences and registration for insurance. The meeting was attended, among others, by Karachi police chief Azad Khan, Transport Secretary Asad Zaman and DIG Traffic Peer Mohammad Shah, and representatives of the Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance, United Goods Transport Alliance and Karachi Goods Carrier Association. After the meeting, the commissioner told Dawn that the lane would be marked with clear “HTV” signage and painted lines, and heavy vehicles would be permitted to travel only within this lane once the markings were completed. He said that the meeting focused on the persistent parking problems faced by goods t... -
Dawn - 04:58 Jan 04, 2026
KARACHI: The partially decomposed bodies of four people discovered in a pit on Mai Kolachi Road on Friday night were identified on Saturday as those of a woman and her three children. Police said the four bodies, which were found at a desolate spot within the jurisdiction of the Docks police station, bore marks of torture and appeared to have been killed with an axe or another sharp-edged object. South DIG Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the victims were identified as Anila, 35, her two sons, Husain Ali, 12, and Konain Ali, 10, and daughter Kishwara Zehra, 13. He said Anila got divorced from Mukhtar Ali and on Dec 30, 2025 she rented a house in Kharadar. Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said that the victims were killed around four to five days ago. She said the corpses were brought to the Civil Hospital Karachi where medico-legal formalities were completed late on Friday night. The three children suffered multiple injuries in the head, face and neck, while their mother was bludgeoned to death. “All relevant sam... -
Dawn - 04:33 Jan 04, 2026
North Korea launched ballistic missiles on Sunday, the day the leader of rival South Korea starts a state visit to China, Pyongyang’s chief ally, and just hours after the US attacked Venezuela. The firings of at least two missiles, the country’s first in two months, further heighten global tensions after US President Donald Trump launched the attack that captured President Nicolas Maduro. South Korea said peace on the Korean peninsula would be on the agenda during President Lee Jae Myung’s visit to Beijing, which will include a summit with his counterpart, Xi Jinping. The launches from the capital Pyongyang into the sea between the Koreas and Japan represent “a message to China to deter closer ties with South Korea and to counter China’s stance on denuclearisation”, said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul. North Korea signals ‘we are different from Venezuela’ Eul-chul said North Korea also wanted to send a message that “we are different from Venezuela” — as a nuclear a... -
Dawn - 04:30 Jan 04, 2026
NEW DELHI: Police in India-occupied Kashmir summoned a local cricketer for questioning on Friday after a video showing him wearing a helmet bearing a Palestinian flag sparked online outrage. According to the Indian Express newspaper, police initiated a 14-day preliminary inquiry after the video circulated on social media, purportedly showing Furqanul Haq, a resident of Pulwama, wearing the helmet during a local league match in Jammu. Police said the inquiry was ordered in view of the “sensitivity of the matter and its potential public order implications” and would examine the facts, the cricketer’s intent, and any possible linkages. Under the law, police can conduct preliminary inquiries with prior permission from a deputy superintendent of police for cognisable offences punishable by three to seven years of imprisonment. The controversy occurred during a match of the Jammu and Kashmir Champions League at Muthi, 10 kilometres from Jammu, after Furqan walked in to bat for his team, JK Eleven Kings, against Jam... -
Dawn - 04:05 Jan 04, 2026
KARACHI: Growth in remittances could face a decline or may not show any significant growth particularly from the Middle Eastern countries, said multiple sources. While securing visas for Arab countries is getting tough, local authorities have also adopted strict rules to check the exodus of skilled and unskilled workers. A recruiting agent said getting a visa has become very difficult while double checking for a job seeker on a work visa has made success almost impossible. “For even lowest paid jobs, delegations come to Pakistan for personal verification and they carry out detailed scrutiny, reducing the chance for overseas jobs,” according to an official working for a recruiting agency. The country received record inflows of $38 billion in remittances in FY25, a definitive indicator that most of the 1.5 million Pakistanis who have left the country over the last three years, found jobs in Middle Eastern countries. Growth in remittances is already much lower this year (FY26) than the figures for last year (FY2... -
Dawn - 03:58 Jan 04, 2026
The power of the press has always been a significant force, perceived as a tool that shapes public opinion and that can set changes in motion. For the longest time, in entertainment industries around the world, members of the media were looked at to deliver authentic reviews, to authoritatively certify ‘hits’ and ‘misses’, and to applaud excellence and critique mediocrity. Then the balance of power shifted — or seemed to do so — about a decade ago, with the rise of social media. THE RISE OF SOCIAL MEDIA Consequently, journalists’ interviews with celebrities were no longer the only way fans could get to know more about their favourite actors. They could connect with stars directly via their social media accounts. Danish Nawaz Thus, stars no longer needed a newspaper or any other form of media to announce their upcoming projects. They could do so themselves via their personal social media pages. Journalists — be they print journalists, bloggers or TV reporters — were no longer essential for the promotion of the... -
Dawn - 03:00 Jan 04, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders plan to convene a multi-party conference (MPC) in Islamabad next week in an attempt to reduce political tensions in the country. The conference is being organised under the banner of a recently formed National Dialogue Committee (NDC) set up by ex-PTI leaders, including Fawad Chaudhry, Dr Shahzad Waseem and former Sindh governor Imran Ismail. Organisers said the event would bring together political leaders as well as lawyers, intellectuals and technocrats from across the country. Invitations will be sent to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), PTI, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Jamaat-i-Islami (JI). The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Awami National Party (ANP) and other parties will also be invited. The NDC will also extend a special invitation to Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP). Fawad Chaudhry, Imran Ismail and Mahmood Mo... -
Dawn - 02:49 Jan 04, 2026
• UAE issues call for restraint; Saudi Arabia summons factions to Riyadh for ‘comprehensive’ talks • FM Dar speaks with Saudi counterpart about regional situation MUKALLA : Yemen’s Saudi-backed and internationally recognised government said on Saturday it had retaken control of Mukalla, the key eastern port in Yemen and capital of Hadramaut province, from separatists who seized it last month. The rapid government gains since Friday have reversed many of the advances made by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and cast doubt on viability of its intention to hold a referendum on “independence”. As the fighting threatened to upend the regional order, the United Arab Emirates urged de-escalation, saying it was “deeply concerned” by the violence. Saudi Arabia appealed for factions to convene for talks in Riyadh. Saudi-backed forces said on Friday they had made advances and taken control of key locations in Hadramaut, a large province with stretches of desert along the Saudi border. By Saturday, military offici... -
Dawn - 02:40 Jan 04, 2026
TEHRAN: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed on Saturday Tehran “will not yield” following US President Donald Trump’s threat to aid protesters, while warning that domestic “rioters” must be “put in their place” amid swelling unrest over soaring inflation. Speaking in a recorded television appearance marking a holiday, Ayatollah Khamenei addressed the mounting crisis facing Iran’s leadership. He adopted a dual approach to the demonstrations that have flared across more than two dozen cities since Sunday, acknowledging legitimate economic grievances while drawing a hard line against political dissent. “We will speak with the protesters, but talking to rioters is useless,” Khamenei said. “Rioters should be put in their place.” Khamenei’s defiance came just one day after Trump warned that the US was “locked and loaded and ready to go” regarding the situation in Iran. Although Trump did not specify what action he might take, the threat adds to the pressure on Tehran following US and Israeli airstrik... -
Dawn - 02:32 Jan 04, 2026
ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad court on Saturday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi over his repeated absences in a case registered against him under the cybercrime law for allegedly making online remarks against state institutions. Senior Civil Judge Abbas Shah observed that the CM had repeatedly ignored summons and remained absent from proceedings without any lawful justification. The court noted that despite being given multiple opportunities to present himself before the court and respond to the allegations, the accused failed to comply with judicial directions. The court took a serious view of the persistent non-appearance and termed it a deliberate attempt to evade the legal process. Consequently, the judge ordered law enforcement authorities to ensure Mr Afridi’s production before the court. Following the issuance of the arrest warrants, the court adjourned proceedings till January 17. According to the case record, the matter stems from a complaint register... -
Dawn - 02:21 Jan 04, 2026
LAHORE: A constitutional petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) challenging the recent privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). Filed by Advocate Nabeel Javed Kahloon, the petition seeks to set aside the sale of the national carrier, describing it as illegal and unconstitutional. The Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCoP) had endorsed a Rs135 billion bid from an Arif Habib Group-led consortium for a 75 per cent stake in the airline. The winning bid was approximately 35pc higher than the government’s reference price of Rs115bn. The consortium has pledged to invest an additional Rs80bn to Rs125bn into the airline for fleet modernisation and operational restructuring. The petitioner argues that the privatisation process, specifically the Expression of Interest (EOI) published on May 7, 2025 and the subsequent sale on Dec 23 violates the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (Conversion) Act, 2016. Petitioner says Dec 23 move is in violation of law governing the airline He ... -
Dawn - 00:35 Jan 04, 2026
Strawberry plant in a clay pot | Photos by the writer They are the jewels of romance: plump, heart-shaped strawberries, dipped in chocolate or shared by hand, their scarlet hue evoking passion and their sweetness a classic gesture of affection. For centuries, they have served as an edible symbol of love. But the strawberry is not just a token of love. It is also one of the most forgiving and rewarding plants that you can cultivate at home. And a ripe strawberry is more than just a sugary treat, offering a slew of health benefits. It is an excellent source of vitamin C and contains manganese, potassium, folate and fibre. These antioxidants strengthen the immune system and improve heart health. For those growing at home, strawberry cultivation begins with planting seedlings or runners in well-draining, nutrient-rich soil. As the plants mature, they enter the flowering phase, where white or pink blossoms appear, each containing both male (stamens with pollen-bearing anthers) and female (pistils) reproductive par...
6698 items