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Dawn - 12:26 Feb 19, 2026
The government is paying compensation totaling more than Rs190 million to the families of 40 people killed in a suicide bombing at an imambargah in Islamabad this month, the Prime Minister’s Office said on Thursday. The February 6 attack, claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group, on the outskirts of the capital was the deadliest in Islamabad since a 2008 truck bombing that killed 60 people at the Marriott Hotel. “Relief cheques have been delivered to the heirs of 36 martyrs belonging to Islamabad,” PMO said in a statement, adding each victim’s family received Rs5m. Cheques will also be delivered to four families of victims living outside Islamabad, the statement said. Although officials have not released a final death toll, the statement marked the first official acknowledgement that 40 people were killed in the blast. On Feb 11, PM Shehbaz had announced compensation for those martyred and injured in the suicide attack while visiting the site of the attack. Speaking on the occasion, he said, “These terrorists ... -
Dawn - 11:30 Feb 19, 2026
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Thursday approved the release of Rs19 billion for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Ramazan package. On February 12, PM Shehbaz had announced a Rs38bn Ramazan relief package, which would benefit more than 12 million families — around 36m people — through direct digital payments. In a post on X, the finance ministry said Finance Minister Muhammad Aurengzeb remotely chaired a meeting of the ECC. The post said that the ECC approved the “immediate release” of Rs19bn for the prime minister’s package to “ensure timely disbursement of assistance to vulnerable families”. “The remaining requirement out of the proposed Rs25bn will be released as and when necessary, in line with fiscal space,” the ministry said. “The prime minister’s Ramazan relief package 2026 is designed to provide targeted cash assistance to low-income households during the holy month, using National Socio-Economic Registry data to ensure transparency and objective beneficiary selection,” the finance ministr... -
Dawn - 10:44 Feb 19, 2026
ISLAMABAD: In a dramatic development in the narcotics and terrorism case against senior journalist Matiullah Jan, a forensic report submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday revealed that the substance allegedly recovered from him was not a prohibited drug. The case — registered at Margalla Police Station on Nov 28, 2024 — had accused the journalist of snatching a government-issued rifle, hitting a vehicle at a police barrier and possessing narcotics. Initiation of legal proceedings against Jan drew strong criticism from journalist bodies and rights groups, who maintained that he was being targeted for investigating reports of alleged deaths during law enforcement action against PTI protesters in November 2024. On Thursday, a division bench comprising Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas heard the matter in a packed IHC courtroom. During the hearing, the Islamabad police placed on record a laboratory report prepared by the Punjab Forensic Science Agency. According to ... -
Dawn - 09:56 Feb 19, 2026
Pakistan issued a demarche to the Taliban regime over the use of Afghan soil for a terrorist attack on security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur that martyred 11 soldiers, it emerged on Thursday. According to a press release by the Foreign Office (FO), the demarche was issued on Wednesday afternoon when the FO summoned the Afghan deputy head of mission. “Pakistan condemned in the strongest possible terms the vehicle-borne suicide terrorist attack followed by a fire raid on Pakistan military and law enforcement agencies’ posts in Bajaur, carried out by Fitna al Khawarij [or] the TTP,” the statement said. Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The FO expressed concern that the group, whose entire leadership is based in Afghanistan, “operates with impunity from Afghan soil”. It re-emphasised that Pakistan had received repeated assurances from the Afghan Taliban regime, “but, regrettably, with no visible or concrete actions”. “The A... -
Dawn - 08:40 Feb 19, 2026
Bill Gates pulled out of India’s AI Impact Summit hours before his scheduled keynote address on Thursday, dealing another blow to a flagship event already marred by organisational lapses, a robot row and complaints of traffic chaos. Gates’ absence, followed by another high-profile cancellation by Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, adds to a difficult opening for a summit billed as the first major artificial intelligence forum in the Global South, where India has sought to position itself as a leading voice in worldwide AI governance. The Gates Foundation said the billionaire will not deliver his address “to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities”. Only days ago, the foundation had dismissed rumours of his absence and insisted he was on track to attend. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for children’s safety on AI platforms as he addressed the gathering on Thursday, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. “We must be ... -
Dawn - 08:02 Feb 19, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday issued notices to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on appeals filed by Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, against their conviction in the controversial tweets case. Justice Muhammad Asif, who heard the appeals, also issued notices on the couple’s applications seeking suspension of their sentence and called for a response from the agency. The IHC then adjourned further proceedings, observing that a date for the next hearing would be fixed. On January 24, Imaan and Hadi were handed a total of 17 years in jail on multiple charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) by a sessions court in Islamabad, sparking outrage among rights groups, opposition parties, and other segments of society. The lawyer duo was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment under Peca’s Section 10 (cyberterrorism), five years’ jail under Section 9 (glorification of an offence) and two years in prison under Section 26-A (false and... -
Dawn - 07:57 Feb 19, 2026
The White House warned on Wednesday that Iran would be “wise” to do a deal with the United States as President Donald Trump once again hinted at military action. The two sides recently resumed indirect talks, mediated by Oman, after Trump repeatedly threatened military action against Iran over a deadly crackdown on protesters last month. A previous attempt at negotiations collapsed when Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran last June, beginning a 12-day war that Washington briefly joined to bomb Iranian nuclear sites. “Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with his administration,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. On Wednesday, Trump again suggested the United States might strike Iran in a post on his Truth Social site, with a US military buildup underway in the Middle East. He warned Britain against giving up sovereignty over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, saying that the archipelago’s Diego Garcia airbase might be needed were Iran not to agre... -
Dawn - 07:22 Feb 19, 2026
KARACHI: The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Wednesday extended the airspace restrictions on Indian aircraft till March 23. The airspace will remain closed for all Indian civil and military registered aircraft till March 23, the Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) said in a new notice to airmen (Notam) issued today. Pakistan’s airspace is divided into two flight information regions (FIRs) — Karachi and Lahore, according to a Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) document from 2022. The Notam applies to both the Karachi (OPKR) and Lahore (OPLR) FIRs. India and Pakistan have closed their airspaces to each other’s airlines since tensions between them escalated in late April 2025 in the wake of an attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 people. New Delhi, without evidence, had alleged that Islamabad backed the attack. Pakistan strongly denied any involvement and offered a neutral probe. Then, in early May, the nuclear-armed nations fought their fiercest military conflict in decades. Pakistan say... -
Dawn - 07:16 Feb 19, 2026
Eight backcountry skiers were confirmed killed and a ninth was presumed to have perished when their tour group was overtaken by a football-pitch-sized avalanche in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains on Tuesday, in the deadliest US avalanche in 45 years, authorities said. Six survivors were rescued after search teams on skis fought through blinding snow, darkness, treacherous terrain and gale-force winds to reach them in the rugged Castle Peak area near Truckee, California, about 10 miles (16km) north-west of Lake Tahoe. A rescue team departs to the site of an avalanche in a backcountry slope of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, where a group of skiers were stranded, in Nevada County, California, U.S. February 17, 2026. —Reuters The group of 15 skiers, including four guides from outfitter Blackbird Mountain Guides, was heading back to a trailhead in heavy snow after a three-day excursion when the avalanche struck around 11:30am PT on Tuesday. The surviving skiers, who took refuge in a makeshift shelter c... -
Dawn - 06:29 Feb 19, 2026
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Thursday strongly rejected media speculations regarding any “deal” between the government and incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan. In a statement shared on X, Tarar said, “There is neither any deal nor any leniency for Imran.” He added that any impression of the government granting the ex-premier concessions was “entirely false and misleading”. “Imran Khan is a criminal convicted by courts, and the reports about leniency for him are baseless,” Tarar asserted. “There is no truth in these reports.” Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a 14-year sentence at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail in a £190 million corruption case and was months ago convicted in another case regarding state gifts. He also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the protests of May 9, 2023. Tarar’s clarification follows recent statements made by Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, wherein he said efforts were made to reach a solution, but Imran was ... -
Dawn - 05:26 Feb 19, 2026
KARACHI: The traffic police on Wednesday informed the Sindh High Court that e-challan system had only been initiated on the corridors of the city where road infrastructure, lane marking and signage were fully operational. It also submitted that the under-construction thoroughfares were excluded from e-ticketing system till the completion of development work and installation/upgradation of road infrastructure. The comments were filed on the behalf of deputy inspector general of police (traffic) in one of several identical petitions filed against implementation of e-challan system in Karachi. It further said that the provincial government had already provided relief by allowing 50 per cent discount if the challan was paid within 14 days and traffic courts were also being set up to ensure transparency. After taking the comments on record, a two-judge constitutional bench of the SHC headed by Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed adjourned the hearing till March 12 as a provincial law officer sought more time to file comment... -
Dawn - 02:35 Feb 19, 2026
ISLAMABAD: After a period of relative stability, power companies have sought additional fuel cost charges of over Rs1.78 per unit from consumers across the country in March bills, as demand appeared to pick up and power generators returned to furnace oil. The Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) demanded a higher fuel cost on account of power consumed in January, even though almost 60 per cent of the power was generated from domestic, cheaper sources. Electricity consumption was reported to be around 12pc higher than the same month last year and 8pc higher than December 2025. Once approved, the power companies would charge an additional amount of about Rs16bn to consumers of all the power companies, including ex-Wapda Distribution Companies (Discos) and K-Electric, in the billing month of March. The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has called a public hearing on February 26 to examine the request for fuel cost adjustment (FCA). The CPPA, which filed the petition for a higher FCA for Janu... -
Dawn - 02:27 Feb 19, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for banning PTI leader Imran Khan from contesting elections for a period of five years following his conviction in a concealment of assets (Toshakhana) case. Headed by Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar, a three-judge bench that had taken up a number of cases moved by the PTI founder. National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Senate Opposition Leader Raja Nasir Abbas, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, PTI interim chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Barrister Ali Zafar and others were present inside Courtroom No. 2. During the hearing, Justice Salahuddin Panwhar wondered why the petitioner had not challenged the ECP notification, which had disqualified him. Justice Kakar observed that it would be better to summon the ECP to explain the disqualification. Apex court adjourns proceedings in cipher, defamation cases against PTI chief Sardar Latif Khosa argued that in the concealment ... -
Dawn - 02:22 Feb 19, 2026
WITH a spate of terrorist attacks occurring in the country, a national-level response is required to address the issue. The latest atrocity has occurred in Bajaur, where a suicide bomber reportedly belonging to the banned TTP attacked a checkpost in Bajaur on Monday. At least 12 people were martyred in the incident — 11 security personnel and one minor girl. Meanwhile, on the same day, a motorcycle rigged with explosives was blown up outside a police station in Bannu, causing two fatalities. Furthermore, law enforcers said on Wednesday that terrorists attacked a police station and a customs office in Dera Ismail Khan, martyring a policeman and a customs officer. They added that the terrorists also fired at passenger buses in the area. Several acts of deadly violence have occurred in this area over the past few weeks. Following the Bajaur attack, the prime minister commented that “under the vision of Azm-i-Istehkam, security forces are gaining major success in the fight against terrorism”. While that may be so... -
Dawn - 18:47 Feb 18, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said on Wednesday that 5G spectrum auction would be held on March 10 and no changes were likely to be made in the schedule, saying that the sale was likely to fetch between $300-$700 million. The authority is offering 597 megahertz (MHz) in several bands in the upcoming auction and three existing telecom operators have been mandated to obtain a minimum of 100 MHz in the auction process. “With the prescribed rate, even if 300 MHz is obtained by the telecommunication operators without any competitive bidding, the government will get $300 million,” PTA Director General Licensing retired brigadier Aamir Shahzad told a media briefing. “And if all the 597 MHz is sold at auction at a slightly competitive rate, $700 million will be available for the government, but this scenario is less likely to happen,” he added. Shahzad said that the auction would be conducted using a multi-round electronic clock auction format, with the main allocation stage starting on Ma... -
Dawn - 18:43 Feb 18, 2026
Ahead of inaugural Board of Peace meeting, Asif says recognition of Israel ‘not on the cards at all’
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday that recognition of Israel by Pakistan was “not on the cards at all” as he highlighted the country’s support for the Palestinian cause. The minister made the remarks in an interview with France 24. The comments come as the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, led by US President Donald Trump, will be held in Washington on February 19. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar will be attending the meeting. In the interview, Asif was asked about Pakistan’s decision to join the Board of Peace and if the country would contribute troops for a military force in Gaza. “I don’t see any problem in that. It all depends on what sort of terms of reference are drafted for that peace force,” he said, highlighting that Pakistan was a part of UN peacekeeping missions. “So we have that experience. Palestine is a cause that is very close to our hearts. We have been demonstrating solidarity with them for many, many, many decades,” he said. He said that... -
Dawn - 17:11 Feb 18, 2026
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari on Wednesday said that the Basant festival, which was revived by the provincial government earlier this month in Lahore after an 18-year hiatus, would now be celebrated in February 2027. “I want to state categorically … that Basant will be celebrated in February 2027. No suggestion for celebrating it before that is under consideration,” she said in a video message posted by the Punjab government’s official account on X. She also noted that people in a couple of cities had celebrated the festival over the last few days. “We did not give a harsh reaction at that as there were no losses reported,” Bokhari added. The Punjab minister highlighted people’s “excitement” for the festival and said she shared the same sentiment. Bokhari reiterated that the Basant would be celebrated in February 2027 and would be “bigger and better than the one held this year”. The three-day Basant festival was celebrated in Lahore from February 6-8, following the Punjab government’s decision to l... -
Dawn - 16:22 Feb 18, 2026
Shadab Khan said Pakistan believed they could go on and win the T20 World Cup after their best performance of the tournament secured the last Super Eights berth on Wednesday. Pakistan bowled out Namibia for 97 to win by a colossal 102 runs in Colombo and bounce back in style after a defeat to arch-rivals India had left them in danger of elimination. Pakistan rode on an undefeated maiden T20 international century by opener Sahibzada Farhan to post 199-3. Spinners Usman Tariq and Shadab Khan then shared seven wickets to rout Namibia in 17.3 overs. “We didn’t take this game lightly after so much talk about one match against India,” said Shadab, who scored a brisk 22-ball 36 and grabbed 3-19. “We are on the right track to achieve the goal of winning the World Cup and we are following a process,” he added. Shadab warned that the Super Eights, which Pakistan will begin with a match against New Zealand in Colombo on Saturday before facing England and co-hosts Sri Lanka next week, will be a step up. “There are eight ... -
Dawn - 15:58 Feb 18, 2026
The Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee announced on Wednesday that the Ramazan moon was sighted, and the holy month would begin in Pakistan on Thursday (February 19). The announcement was made by committee chairman, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, as it met in Peshawar for the moon sighting. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Azad said that the skies were clear in some areas and cloudy in others. He said that testimonies were received from several parts of the country, including Quetta, Islamabad, Waziristan, Dir, Karachi, Buner, Mardan and Tando Allahyar. “Therefore, it was decided with consensus that the first day of Ramazan would be on Thursday,” he said. Separately, according to the Daily Star, the crescent moon was sighted in Bangladesh, while The Hindu reported that it was also spotted in India. Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan observed their first day of fasting on Wednesday after the crescent moon was sighted on Tuesday night. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended “hea... -
Dawn - 15:43 Feb 18, 2026
United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has appeared in a meeting with US Senator Lindsey Graham for the first time after rumours about his health spread following a now-deleted Turkish presidency statement. Earlier this month, Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan went to Saudi Arabia and was meant to later visit the neighbouring United Arab Emirates, amid an ongoing rift between the two Gulf powers. But on Sunday, Erdogan said he was postponing his Abu Dhabi trip because the Emirati leader had a “health problem” — in a statement that was later deleted. The incident fuelled rumours online about Sheikh Mohamed’s health, with his Wikipedia page even briefly being edited to say he had died. On Wednesday, the presidential court shared video footage of the Emirati president, smiling alongside powerful US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham during a meeting at Qasr Al Shati in Abu Dhabi. The UAE’s official WAM news agency also shared photographs of the meeting, in which Sheikh Mohamed app...
7934 items