Dawn
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Dawn - 08:17 Jun 15, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Vowing to start work on Hyderabad-Sukkar Motorway (HSM) this year, federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan on Saturday said the project had been divided into five segments. The minister also revealed that the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has expressed willingness to fund the project while final decision regarding the loan approval was expected in September this year after its board meeting. Commenting on the media talk of Sindh chief minister regarding the motorways, Mr Aleem said that he takes responsibility for the past year only but does not want to comment on the inaction of previous governments regarding the construction of the HSM and Karachi motorways. He emphasised the corporate importance of connecting Karachi Port to the National Motorway network, highlighting that without this connection, the motorway’s utility for import, export, and business would be of no use. Minister vows to start work on the project this year He pointed out that various political parties, including t... -
Dawn - 07:28 Jun 15, 2025
In 1977, when an alliance of anti-government parties kicked off a protest movement against alleged fraud in the elections, the then prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto made a television address in which he thumped the chair he was sitting on and declared, “Ye kursi bohat mazboot hai [This chair is very strong].” A few days later, a furniture brand known for its chairs, Chairman, released a press ad with the caption, “Humari kursi sab se mazboot hai [Our chair is the strongest].” That one press ad put the brand smack dab in the middle of a political discourse that was raging at the time. Some understood the ad as mocking Bhutto, while others believed it was supporting him. The brand was doing neither. It was simply trying to gain some relevance during a time when a majority of Pakistanis were split into two camps and politics was all they were talking about. Uncannily, Chairman did something that was ahead of its time. There is now enough evidence that in today’s polarised societies, consumer brands and their a... -
Dawn - 06:52 Jun 15, 2025
Seven people, including a toddler, were killed on Sunday in India when a helicopter ferrying Hindu pilgrims from a shrine crashed in the Himalayas, officials said. The fatal accident comes as relatives mourn at least 279 people killed when a passenger plane slammed into a residential area in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on Thursday. The helicopter crash left the pilot and all six passengers dead when their chopper came down during the flight from Kedarnath temple, in Uttarakhand state, disaster response official Nandan Singh Rajwar told AFP. The state’s chief minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, said rescue teams had been dispatched to the scene after the “very sad news”. The crash was likely caused by bad weather, according to district tourism official Rahul Chaubey. Pilgrims flock to Kedarnath temple during the summer when it is possible to access the site, which stands at an altitude of 3,584 metres. A cottage industry of helicopter charter firms has developed to serve wealthy pilgrims who want to visit ... -
Dawn - 06:20 Jun 15, 2025
• CM says plan to manage Sindh’s projects from Islamabad will not work • Inaugurates second phase of first segment of Shahrah-i-Bhutto KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has warned the PML-N government that the PPP will not support the passage of the federal budget in parliament if Islamabad continues to manage development schemes in Sindh instead of transferring them to the provincial government. Although the PPP is not part of the federal cabinet, it is a major coalition partner of the PML-N government and without its support the passage of the federal budget in the National Assembly is not possible. Speaking at a programme held to inaugurate the second phase of the first complete segment of the Malir Expressway, renamed as Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Expressway / Shahrah-i-Bhutto, on Saturday, the CM strongly criticised the federal government, accusing it of discriminating against Sindh and treating the province like a colony. “The federal government has wronged us. They have dissolved the P... -
Dawn - 05:10 Jun 15, 2025
KARACHI: The Pakistan Business Council (PBC) has expressed concern about the excessive powers granted to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), stating that this anti-business decision will further harm the already poor investment climate. PBC Chief Executive Officer Ehsan Malik, in a letter to Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, said the powers do not differentiate between major taxpayers and the informal sector. “We are alarmed at the draconian powers proposed to be granted to the FBR. If past practice is anything to go by, these will most likely be misused to harass the formal taxpaying sector,” he feared. “We are disappointed that the powers proposed for the FBR will do the exact opposite of encouraging investment,” Ehsan informed the finance minister. Pointing out excessive powers to FBR, he said Section 11E enables tax assessment and recovery based on suspicion without proper investigation, while Section 14AE allows arbitrary seizure of business premises and property without adequate safeguards. Section ... -
Dawn - 05:05 Jun 15, 2025
• Defence minister warns each Muslim country could become target if Ummah fails to act together • Asad Qaiser says it is Pakistan’s moral duty to support Iran ISLAMABAD: Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif on Saturday called on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to hold an emergency meeting to map out a joint strategy in the wake of Israel’s ongoing aggression, warning that if the Muslim Ummah does not unite, every Muslim country’s turn will come. “The way Israel has targeted Yemen, Iran, and Palestine shows a larger game plan,” he said while speaking in the National Assembly. The remarks came as another war in Middle East has sparked a global turmoil. The defence minister pointed out that most of the Muslim nations were already facing security risks. “Strong leadership is needed now,” he remarked and described Israel’s brutal actions, particularly its military aggression against Iran as a serious threat to regional and global peace. Regretting the apathy of the Muslim world over the aggression... -
Dawn - 04:58 Jun 15, 2025
• For third year, no new mega project announced for the country’s economic hub • Meagre allocations for Sukkur motorway and K-IV projects deplored KARACHI: Trade and industry leaders on Saturday strongly criticised the federal and Sindh budgets for the upcoming fiscal year, calling them deeply disappointing and discriminatory towards Karachi, the country’s economic nerve centre. Businessmen Group (BMG) Chairman Zubair Motiwala and Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Jawed Bilwani expressed serious concerns over the sheer neglect and denial of essential development funds to Karachi and the province of Sindh as a whole. In a joint statement, they also demanded that before the approval of budgets, necessary amendments be made by significantly enhancing allocations for Karachi-centric development projects. Highlighting the gross underfunding of the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway, a strategic infrastructure project vital for the economic connectivity of Sindh and Karachi, they said despite the pro... -
Dawn - 04:39 Jun 15, 2025
• Lawmakers warn misuse to hurt businesses, turn country into police state • FBR chief says tampered vehicles to be seized and destroyed • IMF to review tax authority’s performance every week • Average annual income of top 1pc households is Rs10m ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Saturday pressed senior tax officials to drop proposed provisions in the Finance Bill 2025 granting arrest and money laundering notice powers to tax commissioners, warning the move would create unnecessary obstacles for businesses. The Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, chaired by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, convened for a second consecutive day to examine the Finance Bill 2025. Lawmakers debated the implications of enhanced powers for the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and discussed measures to curb tampered vehicles. Senator Mandviwalla warned that there is a grave risk of misuse of the power to arrest or issue a notice. Even a junior FBR officer sending a notice could create chaos, he warned. He also emphasised t... -
Dawn - 04:23 Jun 15, 2025
WASHINGTON: Two important visits from Pakistan to the United States — one by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the other by a trade delegation — have been postponed due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, official sources told Dawn. Mr Dar was scheduled to travel to New York next week to attend a United Nations conference on Palestinian statehood. But on Friday, France and Saudi Arabia — co-sponsors of the event — requested the UN to postpone the gathering. The request followed Israeli air strikes on Iran. Speaking in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron said the conference, which aimed to advance a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, had been delayed but would still take place. “While we have to postpone this conference for logistical and security reasons, it will take place as soon as possible,” President Macron said. The changing situation in the Middle East has also delayed another planned visit — that of a trade delegation from Islamabad, which was to hold tal... -
Dawn - 03:47 Jun 15, 2025
• Hamas accuses Tel Aviv of turning aid centres into traps of mass deaths • Egypt blocks activists’ bid to march to Gaza border CAIRO: Israeli firing and air strikes killed at least 45 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, many of them near an aid distribution site operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation on Saturday, local health authorities said. Medics at Al-Awda and Al-Aqsa Hospitals in central Gaza areas, where most of the casualties were moved to, said at least 15 people were killed as they tried to approach the GHF aid distribution site near the Netzarim corridor. The Israeli army said in a statement that an aircraft had opened fire on a person “to neutralise the threat” after he advanced towards troops and ignored warning shots fired near a group. Last week, the army warned Palestinians not to approach routes leading to sites of the GHF between 6pm and 6am local time, describing these roads as closed military zones. The GHF said none of its distribution centres was opened on Saturday. The ... -
Dawn - 01:03 Jun 15, 2025
GWADAR: In another significant development regarding regional trade and transit facilities, a second cargo ship under the Afghan Transit Trade successfully docked at Gwadar Port. The vessel, MV ASL ROSE arrived from Australia carrying 20,000 tonnes of diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertiliser destined for Afghanistan. Previously, the first ship under the Afghan Transit Trade, MV Beyond 2, berthed at Gwadar Port on Feb 4. The current consignment was imported by Agven Private Limited, further highlighting Gwadar Port’s growing role as an emerging transit hub for Afghanistan. This progress in Afghan transit trade became possible after the Economic Coordination Committee of Pakistan abolished the requirement for bank guarantees on Afghan trade — a policy aimed at facilitating smoother trade and strengthening economic ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Gwadar Port Chairman Shah Irfan Ahmed remarked that the successful berthing and swift unloading of MV ASL ROSE demonstrate that Gwadar Port is now fully equipped fo... -
Dawn - 19:01 Jun 14, 2025
Iran’s state TV said on Saturday that “heavy and destructive” attacks against Israel were expected within the coming hours, as the Israeli military continues its air campaign and talks between Tehran and the US over its nuclear programme were cancelled. The development comes a day after nearly 80 people, including top army officers, were killed while civilians were among over 300 wounded in Iran as a result of Israel’s strikes on military sites and private residences, according to the country’s UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani. Israel’s military announced earlier it was launching attacks on several sites across Iran as it kept up its campaign targeting Tehran’s military and nuclear sites, following earlier threats that the Iranian capital “will burn” amid the latter’s retaliatory strikes targeting Israel. What we know so far: US-Iran nuclear talks cancelled, says Omani FM Military officers, scientists, civilians among 78 killed in Israeli strikes on Friday; 320 injured Tehran retaliates with ‘Operation True Promis... -
Dawn - 18:26 Jun 14, 2025
Police found the body of a young man on Saturday near Karachi University’s Teachers Society. Sachal Station House Officer Aurangzeb Khattak told Dawn.com that the body of a man in his mid-20s was recovered from bushes outside the wall of the society near Super Highway. “The victim sustained injuries to his head,” he added. Khattak highlighted the possibility that he might have been thrown there by suspects travelling in a car. He also said that the body was shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where his identity could not be ascertained immediately. Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn.com that although the victim was in the advanced stage of decomposition, there were head injuries. “The cause of death was a head injury,” Dr Syed said, adding that samples had been collected. Earlier this year, Mustafa Amir, a 23-year-old youth, was kidnapped and allegedly murdered by his friends in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA). According to the police, the youth’s friends stuffed his body in the trunk of his ... -
Dawn - 18:20 Jun 14, 2025
Tens of thousands of Americans attended rallies on Saturday to protest United States President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown in major cities from New York to Atlanta to Los Angeles, on a day marred by the assassination of a Democratic lawmaker in Minnesota. The protests marked the largest outpouring of opposition to Trump’s presidency since he returned to power in January, and came the same day that thousands of military personnel, vehicles and aircraft would march through and fly over Washington DC in a parade celebrating the US Army’s 250th anniversary. Saturday is also Trump’s 79th birthday. The Republican president has ordered National Guard troops and US Marines to Los Angeles, a heavily Democratic city — a deployment that California Governor Gavin Newsom has challenged in court. Anti-Trump groups planned nearly 2,000 demonstrations of varying sizes across the country to coincide with the parade. Many are taking place under the theme ‘No Kings’, asserting that no individual is above the... -
Dawn - 18:03 Jun 14, 2025
Uzbekistan Airlines on Saturday flew its inaugural Pakistani route from Islamabad to Tashkent, marking a key moment in connectivity between the two nations, a statement from the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said. Uzbekistan announced earlier this year that air routes between Karachi, Samarkand and Bukhara would be launched, describing it as a significant step to foster closer ties between the two nations. According to a PAA statement, the flight took off at 1:09pm with 126 passengers on board, with Zone 1 of Islamabad International Airport specially adorned with colourful balloons for the milestone. “The event was graced by the esteemed ambassadors of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan,” the statement read, adding that the Chief Operating Officer of Islamabad Airport, the managing director of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation and the Country Manager of Uzbekistan Airlines also attended. “Guests warmly welcomed passengers at Stand 3 and a formal cake-cutting ceremony was held in the ... -
Dawn - 16:22 Jun 14, 2025
MILITARY parades are not uncommon in many parts of the world. Lines of tanks, contingents of marching soldiers, missiles, along with fighter jets and helicopters flying overhead, create just the sort of martial theatre that makes watching crowds feel nationalistic and strong. When the fates of leaders and their armies rely on such a spectacle, it follows that they are not infrequent. This is not the case in the US, at least not until now. Since the end of the Cold War, America has projected itself as the world’s diplomat. Even as it has waged wars all over the world, the domestic population remains largely disconnected from the military and its hardware. It may also be the case that when you know you are the superpower and have the deadliest weapons in the world, you need not show them off. It would not be incorrect to say that American projections of power have not been parades but actual decades of wars and occupations. This is about to change. On Saturday, a military parade is supposed to take place in Was... -
Dawn - 15:07 Jun 14, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday expressed “complete solidarity” with Iran amid heavy exchanges of missiles and airstrikes between Tehran and arch-foe Israel, while former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that Pakistan cannot afford the conflict in Iran turning into Iraq 2.0 or World War III. There were reports of new Israeli strikes in Iran earlier today as Tel Aviv warned “Tehran will burn” after the Islamic Republic continued its barrage of overnight missiles in response to Israeli onslaught on its nuclear facilities that killed its top generals. The missile exchange comes a day after nearly 80 people, including top army officers, were killed while civilians were among over 300 wounded in Iran as a result of Israel’s strikes on military sites and private residences, according to the country’s UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani. According to PTV News, the PM spoke over the phone to Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian, informing him that Pakistan stands in complete solidarity with the “broth... -
Dawn - 14:17 Jun 14, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday ordered that the National Electric Vehicles (NEV) Policy 2025 be finalised in consultation with all stakeholders and immediately presented before the federal cabinet. The NEV policy includes a subsidy of Rs50,000 for electric motorcycles and Rs200,000 for rickshaws, with a total subsidy allocation of Rs4 billion. In addition, the policy provides for subsidies and support to establish electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, such as charging stations. The PM issued these orders while chairing a high-level meeting today to review and discuss the policy framework. “[Pakistan needs] swift and priority-based measures to promote electric motorcycles, scooters, three-wheelers, cars, and buses,” PM Shehbaz emphasised. He also underscored the importance of establishing charging infrastructure, including charging stations and battery swapping facilities, to support the expansion of the EV ecosystem. “Relevant industries should be facilitated to enhance the local manufacturing ca... -
Dawn - 13:55 Jun 14, 2025
Nationwide protests against President Donald Trump, tensions in the Middle East amid Israel’s strikes on Iran and expected rainy weather in Washington on Saturday could dampen spirits at a military parade on the US Army’s 250th anniversary, set to feature tanks on the streets and aircraft flying overhead. Trump, whose 79th birthday is also on Saturday, will preside over the parade. Week-long protests in Los Angeles against Trump’s immigration crackdown have spread to multiple cities including Chicago, New York, San Antonio, Texas, and Washington. The Republican president has ordered National Guard troops and US Marines to Los Angeles, a heavily Democratic city — a deployment that California Governor Gavin Newsom has challenged in court. Anti-Trump groups are planning to hold nearly 2,000 demonstrations of varying sizes across the country to coincide with the parade. Many are taking place under the theme “No Kings,” asserting that no individual is above the law. The protests, if they go as planned, would repre... -
Dawn - 12:36 Jun 14, 2025
South Africa won the World Test Championship on Saturday, completing a remarkable turnaround to beat Australia by five wickets as they successfully chased down an imposing 282-run target. But it was an edgy finish as they took 27.4 overs to slowly score the 69 runs needed to secure success on the fourth day at Lord’s after resuming at 213-2 overnight. In so doing, South Africa completed a successful pursuit of the joint second-highest winning fourth-innings total in test history at the London venue. It was a first major cricket triumph for South Africa, who had earned an unwanted reputation for failure when on the cusp of victory over the last decades in limited overs competitions. This was their first appearance in the WTC final, with opener Aiden Markram delivering a heroic innings of 136 to ensure success. Markram, who reached his century late in the third day, added 34 more runs on Saturday, accumulating carefully before falling to a sharp catch by Travis Head with six runs needed to win. Kyle Verreynne h...
5467 items