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Dawn - 06:41 Jul 17, 2025
A contingent of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) featuring the advanced JF-17 Thunder Block-III fighter jets arrived in the United Kingdom to take part in the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) 2025, a statement from the military’s media wing said on Thursday. RIAT, which will run from July 18 to 20, is one of the world’s largest military airshows, has been running for over 50 years and powers the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, according to its website. A PAF contingent comprising “state-of-the-art JF-17 Thunder Block-III fighter aircraft and the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, has landed at the Royal Air Force Base Fairford, United Kingdom, to participate in the prestigious” RIAT 2025, a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. View this post on Instagram “PAF’s participation in RIAT, one of the world’s largest military airshows, underscores Pakistan Air Force’s commitment to showcasing its professional excellence, operational capability and the indigenous strength of its aviation... -
Dawn - 06:15 Jul 17, 2025
A participant speaks at the webinar on investment opportunities at Pakistani ports on Wednesday.—Courtesy US consulate ISLAMABAD: Over 65 US companies joined a landmark webinar on Wednesday to explore commercial opportunities at Karachi Port and Port Qasim. The webinar hosted by the US Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration and the US Department of State, in collaboration with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, part of the ‘Gateways to Growth: South Asia Port Opportunities’ series, has opened new doors for American commercial services in the port sector of Pakistan. The webinar served as a strategic platform for American companies to engage directly with Pakistani port officials and private operators. “US investors have made substantial contributions to Pakistan’s development, and we are confident that the port sector will be another area where we can achieve great success together,” said US Consul General Scott Urbom in Karachi, emphasising the role of partnership in fostering long-term c... -
Dawn - 05:56 Jul 17, 2025
QUETTA: Various political parties have called for the immediate release of all detained leaders and activists, including Dr Mahrang Baloch and other Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) activists, PTI founding chairman Imran Khan and Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leader Ali Wazir. The seminar, hosted by the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) on Tuesday, was attended by leaders and workers from various political parties. Speaking at the event, participants voiced grave concern over the worsening law and order situation in Balochistan, alleged genocide of the Baloch people, the arrest of female leaders and activists, enforced disappearances, human rights violations and the controversial adoption of the Balochistan Mines and Mineral Act. BNP-M President Sardar Akhtar Mengal presided over the hours-long seminar. Political leaders slam human rights violations, call for end to military operations The speakers criticised the military operations, enforced disappearances and the discovery of mutilated bodies in th... -
Dawn - 05:22 Jul 17, 2025
KARACHI: The Karachi University Teachers’ Society (Kuts) has expressed deep concerns and regret over what it called an unfortunate incident in the varsity’s Staff Town where a senior professor “faced verbal abuse and alleged physical assault by an armed personnel”. In a statement, Kuts expressed concern over the attack on Prof Afaq Ahmad Siddiqui of the faculty of pharmacy and called for an impartial investigation into the matter. “It is deeply troubling that a respected academic, who has dedicated his life to education and research, was subjected to such behaviour,” it said. The teachers’ body demanded an appropriate action against those responsible and urged the Rangers’ top leadership to take a serious notice of the incident and play its role in maintaining a peaceful and respectful environment on the campus. Kuts demands Rangers leadership to take notice of attack on Prof Afaq Siddiqui “The teachers of the University of Karachi have always respected state institutions and we expect this respect to be mutu... -
Dawn - 03:40 Jul 17, 2025
KARACHI: President of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Muhammad Jawed Bilwani, on Wednesday categorically denied rumours of any postponement or cancellation of the nationwide strike scheduled for July 19, affirming that the shutdown will proceed as planned. The KCCI has installed hoardings and billboards across major arteries of Karachi announcing the complete strike, with slogans demanding respect for taxpayers “instead of handcuffs”. Despite the formation of a high-level committee by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to hold consultations with traders on budgetary measures aimed at documenting the economy, the KCCI leadership remains resolute in its decision. The committee, comprised of multiple stakeholders, has been tasked with conducting a 30-day consultation process to formulate a consensus-based proposal for submission to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the federal cabinet. Mr Bilwani said the strike decision was reaffirmed following an unproductive meeting with the finance mini... -
Dawn - 03:40 Jul 17, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The UN special representative for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, on Wednesday proposed a ‘prioritised’ regional dialogue with Pakistan, Iran and Central Asian states to halt the disorderly return of Afghans and uphold the principle of voluntary, dignified and safe repatriation. The call comes as more than 1.3 million Afghans have returned to the country this year, straining communities where 70 percent of people live in poverty, the UN envoy said in a press statement. “Afghanistan’s stability hinges on shared responsibility,” Ms Otunbayeva said in the statement circulated by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). “We cannot afford indifference; the cost of inaction will be measured in lives lost and conflicts reignited.” Women and children face the gravest risks, returning not only to dire economic hardships but to a context where their access to basic services and social protections remains severely constrained, Ms Otunbayeva said. “Do not turn away,” she appealed to donors, ... -
Dawn - 03:28 Jul 17, 2025
LAHORE: The Flood Forecasting Division on Wednesday warned of “exceptionally high flood” in River Jhelum in the next 24 hours, producing 350,000- to 450,000-cusec stream and asked “all concerned to remain alert”. Although alert, both Indus River System Authority (Irsa) and Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) responding to warning are jubilant and promising to “absorb” the entire stream at Mangla Dam, where such cushion is available. According to Irsa spokesman Khalid Idrees Rana, the authority would do its best to store the entire stream. “In fact, the authority was hoping, and praying, for River Jehlum to swell during this monsoon and yield some additional water. At present, Mangla Dam is standing at 1,186 feet, against its maximum level of 1,242 feet – it still can go up by 56 feet. It is holding 3.41 million acre feet of water, whereas it can go up to 7.3 million feet. “Irsa’s optimism of absorbing the entire flood wave is based on the filling criteria. Unlike Tarbella, where after reaching a cer... -
Dawn - 03:19 Jul 17, 2025
• Gender pay gap at 25pc hourly, 30pc monthly • Women make up only 13.5pc of workforce ISLAMABAD: Women in wage employment earn substantially lower wages than their male counterparts in Pakistan, according to a report launched by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on Wednesday. The ‘Pakistan Gender Pay Gap Report 2025’ estimates the gender pay gap at approximately 25 per cent based on hourly wages and 30pc based on monthly wages. The gender pay gap in Pakistan is also significant by international standards. In comparison, lower-middle-income countries — the income group Pakistan falls under — have an average gender pay gap of 21pc based on monthly wages and 17pc based on hourly wages. While launching the report, Secretary of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis Nadeem Aslam Chaudhary reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to ensuring equal pay for work of equal value. He said the report and accompanying action plan represent a vital step towards identifying and addressing the barriers that hinder women’s p... -
Dawn - 02:46 Jul 17, 2025
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Two police constables were martyred when unknown assailants opened fire near Shahi Gate in the Kulachi tehsil of Dera Ismail Khan district on Wednesday. The deceased were identified as Head Constable Ghulam Muhammad, from Panyala village in Dera Ismail Khan, and Constable Shehzad, from Aba Khel village in Lakki Marwat district. According to a police spokesperson, the constables were travelling on a motorcycle when the incident took place. One of the constables, who had a disability, was being transported to a hospital by his colleague when they were attacked. The assailants fired upon them as they reached Shahi Gate, resulting in the death of both officers on the spot. Police and other law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area after the attack and initiated a search operation. As the attackers attempted to flee, police returned fire, killing one assailant and injuring two others. A Kalashnikov rifle and ammunition were recovered from the deceased militant. The Counter-Terrorism Depar... -
Dawn - 02:38 Jul 17, 2025
PESHAWAR / ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) recent order and subsequent notifications related to reserved seats have led to partial changes in the party positions in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, with the JUI-F losing two and PPP losing one seat overall. While PTI-backed lawmakers maintain their tally of 92 members, opposition parties have experienced slight variations in their seat allocations. The development has not impacted the overall seat count for the opposition, but individual party positions have shifted. The ECP reduced one reserved seat each for JUI-F and PPP, while one has been allocated to PML-N. With the latest notifications, JUI-F and PML-N each hold 17 seats in the 125-member house, while PPP holds 10 seats. The Awami National Party (ANP) and PTI-Parliamentarians (PTI-P) each have three seats. ECP fears delay in oath-taking may affect Senate polls; asks PHC to designate ‘oath commissioner’ The fate of one of the 26 seats reserved for women is to be decided by a draw b... -
Dawn - 02:31 Jul 17, 2025
• Karachi-based Sabri qawwals were supposed to perform at a wedding in Quetta • Major leading Awaran operation martyred QUETTA: Just days after the deadly bus attack in the Zhob area of Balochistan, another passenger bus came under attack that claimed three innocent lives, including two Karachi-based Sabri qawwals, and left 13 others injured on the outskirts of Kalat on Wednesday. SSP Shahzad told Dawn that three people who lost their lives in bus firing Kalat included famous qawal Ahmed Hussain Sabri, his son Ahmed Raza Sabri, who left for Quetta along with other musicians of the group in a bus. “My brother, nephew and one musician killed in the armed attack,” famous Karachi-based Qawal Majid Ali Sabri said on the phone. He said his brother, nephew and other musicians were travelling to Quetta for performance at a wedding ceremony. “My close relatives and musicians are among the injured,” added Majid Sabri who along with his wife is due in the provincial capital on Thursday (today). Officials said the armed ... -
Dawn - 18:49 Jul 16, 2025
In Syria’s Druze-majority city of Sweida, residents said they have been living in terror since the arrival of government forces who have been carrying out what witnesses and a war monitor have called summary executions. Syrian government forces entered the majority-Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday with the stated aim of overseeing a ceasefire agreed with Druze community leaders following days of fighting with local Bedouin tribes. Syria’s Druze community follows a religion derived from Islam and is part of a minority group that also has members in Lebanon, Israel, and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. In Syria, the community is concentrated in the Sweida region bordering Jordan, in areas adjoining the Israeli-occupied Golan, and in Damascus’ Jaramana suburb. Echoing arrangements for the Alawites, French colonial authorities established a state called Jabal al-Druze centred on Sweida until 1936. Members of the Druze community demonstrate before Israeli forces by the barbed-wire fence separating the Israeli-an... -
Dawn - 18:25 Jul 16, 2025
For years, United States President Donald Trump and his Republican allies benefited from conspiracy theories that fuelled the conservative MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement and targeted his political enemies. Now the persisting furore over files related to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein has forced Trump into an unfamiliar role: trying to shut a conspiracy theory down. Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender, was facing federal charges of sex trafficking minors when he died by suicide in jail in 2019. He had pleaded not guilty, and the case was dismissed after his death. The saga burst back into the news last week after the Trump administration reversed course on its pledge to release documents it had suggested would reveal major revelations about Epstein and his alleged clientele. That reversal has enraged some of Trump’s most loyal followers. To contain the fallout, Trump and White House officials are weighing a range of options, including unsealing new documents, appointing a ... -
Dawn - 17:55 Jul 16, 2025
The United Kingdom on Wednesday removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List, thereby allowing Pakistani airlines to now apply to operate flights to the UK, according to a statement from the British High Commission in Islamabad. Debt-ridden Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was banned from flying to the European Union, UK and the United States in June 2020, a month after one of its Airbus A-320s plunged into Karachi’s Model Colony, killing nearly 100 people. The ban on operating to Europe was lifted in November last year. Today’s development comes after a team from the UK Department for Transport concluded an aviation security inspection at Islamabad International Airport on Thursday, declaring Pakistan’s security arrangements “satisfactory and in line with international standards”. “Following air safety improvements, the UK’s Air Safety Committee has lifted UK restrictions on Pakistani carriers,” said a statement from the British High Commission. “Individual airline carriers will still need to apply for ... -
Dawn - 17:11 Jul 16, 2025
Three people were killed and seven others were injured as a passenger bus was fired upon in Balochistan’s Kalat, according to the provincial government spokesperson. A statement from Shahid Rind said: “Three passengers were martyred and seven were injured in the tragic incident” when a shooting occurred on a passenger coach coming from Karachi to Quetta in Kalat’s Nemargh area. He said the injured were being moved to the District Headquarters Hospital Kalat for treatment, adding that an emergency had been imposed at the facility. Meanwhile, an update from the EdhI Foundation rescue service put the number of injured at 10, saying they were taken to Civil Hospital Quetta for treatment. “Security agencies, district administration and rescue teams have immediately reached the scene. Security forces have surrounded the area and a search operation is underway. Security forces are pursuing the attackers,” Rind said. Speaking to Geo News, he said Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti had taken notice of the incident and sough... -
Dawn - 16:57 Jul 16, 2025
Israel bombed the Syrian army’s headquarters in Damascus on Wednesday after warning the government to leave the country’s Druze minority alone, as authorities announced a ceasefire in the community’s southern heartland after deadly sectarian clashes. Syrian government forces entered the majority-Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday with the stated aim of overseeing a ceasefire agreed with Druze community leaders following days of fighting with local Bedouin tribes. However, witnesses reported that the government forces joined with the Bedouin in attacking Druze fighters and civilians in a bloody rampage through the city. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said that the violence in Sweida province since Sunday had left more than 300 people dead, including government forces, local fighters and 27 Druze civilians killed in “summary executions … by members of the defence and interior ministries”. The Syrian presidency vowed to investigate the “heinous acts” in Sweida and to punish “all those proven to... -
Dawn - 16:32 Jul 16, 2025
Astronomers said on Wednesday they had observed the moment when planets start forming around a distant star for the first time, revealing a process that sheds light on the birth of our own solar system. The new planetary system is forming around the baby star HOPS-315 — which resembles our own Sun in its youth — 1,300 light years from Earth in the Orion Nebula. Young stars are surrounded by massive rings of gas and dust called protoplanetary discs, which is where planets form. Inside these swirling discs, crystalline minerals that contain the chemical silicon monoxide can clump together. This process can snowball into kilometre-sized “planetesimals”, which one day grow into full planets. In our home Solar System, the crystalline minerals that were the starter dough for Earth and Jupiter’s core are believed to have been trapped in ancient meteorites. Now astronomers have spotted signs that suggest these hot minerals are starting to solidify in the disc surrounding HOPS-315, according to a new study in the jour... -
Dawn - 16:04 Jul 16, 2025
PTI founder Imran Khan has prohibited his party members from publicly discussing the party’s internal matters, according to his conversation with his family and lawyers at Adiala Jail shared on his official X account on Wednesday. On Sunday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur seemed to throw a wrench in the works of a nationwide protest, announced by Imran, which is expected to climax on August 5, marking two years of the former prime minister’s imprisonment. At a press conference on Sunday, where party leaders were expected to announce the plan for this protest, CM Gandapur caused confusion when he came up with a new 90-day timeline for what he called ‘a final push’, with PTI Punjab chief organiser Aliya Hamza Malik later expressing her reservations over this announcement. “Publicly airing internal matters or individual concerns before the media is entirely unacceptable,” Imran’s post read. “My instruction is firm: whether a senior officeholder or a junior member, no one is to express inter... -
Dawn - 15:30 Jul 16, 2025
At least 28 people were killed and 90 others injured in rain and storms across Punjab in the past 24 hours, provincial rescue service spokesperson Farooq Ahmed said on Wednesday. Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat and replenishing water supplies and agriculture. They are crucial to the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security. However, they also trigger deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. In the last 24 hours, roof collapses killed 12 people in Lahore, eight in Faisalabad, three in Sheikhupura, two in Okara, and one each in Pakpattan, Nankana Sahib and Sahiwal, according to the spokesperson. Those seriously injured in rain-related roof and wall collapses across Punjab were immediately transported to the hospital, the spokesperson added. PDMA issues Jhelum River flood warning The PDMA has issued a flood warning for the Jhelum River, reporting that “exceptio... -
Dawn - 15:28 Jul 16, 2025
Evidence so far shows that actor Humaira Asghar’s death was accidental or due to natural causes, according to a police investigative report released on Wednesday. Last week, police formed a special investigation team to probe the actor’s death, whose body was found in a Karachi apartment on July 8. According to the report by South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, “Evidence so far suggests no signs of foul play or suicide. “Circumstances indicate a possible accidental or natural cause of death while she was engaged in household chores.” The report added that the double-locked door and the presence of all keys inside support the conclusion of no third-party involvement. There was also no evidence of physical assault, struggle, or weapon marks as per the initial post-mortem report. The final confirmation of the cause of death awaited toxicology, chemical analysis and forensic findings, according to the report. “A foul smell was reported by neighbours in Decembe...
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