Dawn
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Dawn - 18:51 Jul 15, 2025
Three children were killed and five people were injured as roofs collapsed in two separate incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Malakand division after heavy rains in the region. Last week, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) alerted the district administrations across KP to the possibility of floods due to a new spell of torrential rains from July 11 to 17. Heavy rainfall and flash floods have wreaked havoc in the province in June and are set to continue. Pakistan experiences monsoon rainfall from June to September every year. The heavy rains also trigger deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. Lower Dir Rescue 1122 spokesperson Abdur Rehman told Dawn.com today, “An under-construction mud house roof collapsed, burying four children underneath debris.” He said the incident occurred at the Shahi Moro Barawal area along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Lower Dir. According to the Rescue 1122 spokesperson, the rescue team ... -
Dawn - 18:20 Jul 15, 2025
Incarcerated PTI leader Yasmin Rashid was shifted to a hospital in Lahore on Tuesday after her health deteriorated in Kot Lakhpat Jail, according to her lawyer. Rashid has been in prison for more than two years now in connection with multiple cases against her regarding the events of May 9. She was first detained on May 12, 2023, under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance and later arrested for her alleged involvement in the May 9 riots. She was hospitalised last year in May and July as well. “Yasmin Rashid was shifted from jail to Services Hospital Emergency Department,” her lawyer Rana Mudassar told Dawn.com. He added that Rashid was experiencing severe difficulty in breathing and also suffering from extreme stomach pain. “Dr Yasmin Rashid has also been given oxygen due to her difficulty in breathing,” Mudassar said, adding that she was being tested at the hospital. PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram also confirmed the development in a post on X. “Dr Yasmin Rashid has just been urgently shift... -
Dawn - 17:50 Jul 15, 2025
International human rights organisation Amnesty International on Tuesday called upon Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti to “release all detained Baloch activists”. In March, Dr Mahrang Baloch and other Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) members were arrested for “attacking” the Quetta Civil Hospital and “inciting people to violence”, a day after the group faced a police crackdown while protesting against alleged enforced disappearances. The BYC is a Baloch advocacy group working against enforced disappearances since 2018. “I urge you [Balochistan CM] to release all Baloch activists targeted solely for exercising their rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression,” the sample letter by Amnesty read. It called on CM Bugti to drop all charges and overturn detention orders against Baloch activists targeted solely for exercising their rights. “End the wider crackdown against activists and protesters across the province by allowing them to exercise their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expre... -
Dawn - 17:47 Jul 15, 2025
President Vladimir Putin intends to keep fighting in Ukraine until the West engages on his terms for peace, unfazed by Donald Trump’s threats of tougher sanctions, and his territorial demands may widen as Russian forces advance, three sources close to the Kremlin said. Putin, who ordered Russian troops into Ukraine in February 2022 after eight years of fighting in the country’s east between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops, believes Russia’s economy and its military are strong enough to weather any additional Western measures, the sources said. Trump on Monday expressed frustration with Putin’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire and announced a wave of weapons supplies to Ukraine, including Patriot surface-to-air missile systems. He also threatened further sanctions on Russia unless a peace deal was reached within 50 days. The three Russian sources, familiar with top-level Kremlin thinking, said Putin will not stop the war under pressure from the West and believes Russia — which has survived the t... -
Dawn - 17:05 Jul 15, 2025
Gujranwala court dismisses post-arrest bail plea of Ahmadi man held for ‘distributing Muharram Niaz’
A Gujranwala court on Tuesday dismissed the post-arrest bail petition of an Ahmadiyya community member, who was arrested on blasphemy charges for distributing Niaz (free food and drinks) on the 10th of Muharram (Youm-i-Ashur). The first information report (FIR) against the suspect was lodged with the Satellite Town police station in Punjab’s Gujranwala city on the complaint of a Hafizabad Road resident under Section 298(C) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which criminalises certain acts by members of the Ahmadi community, including calling themselves Muslims or referring to their faith as Islam. In the FIR, the complainant said the incident took place on July 6 at 4:30pm when he saw the suspect distributing free food and drink during Muharram, “posing as a Muslim”. The Ahmadi man was subsequently arrested and sent on judicial remand. Gujranwala Judicial Magistrate Sidra Gul Nawaz presided over a hearing for the man’s post-arrest bail plea today. The court order, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, sa... -
Dawn - 15:54 Jul 15, 2025
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reiterated their commitment to working together with each other for the country’s sake. A statement issued by the Presidency said the two held a meeting today at the President House. “The meeting involved discussions on the country’s political, economic, and security situation. The state of law and order in the country and measures against terrorism were also discussed. “The prime minister briefed the president on the government’s measures to improve the economy. Both leaders reiterated their commitment to work together for the country’s stability, development, and prosperity,” the statement said. The meeting was also attended by Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and PM’s Adviser on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah. The meeting comes in the wake of growing speculation about the upcoming 27th constitutional amendment and it being ... -
Dawn - 14:49 Jul 15, 2025
Indonesia’s Defence Minister Lt Gen (retired) Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin expressed his country’s desire to boost defence ties and explore possible collaboration in defence production as he met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Tuesday. Pakistan and Indonesia maintain strong bilateral relations rooted in shared religion and culture, with both countries cooperating in trade, education, and health. Gen Sjamsoeddin called on PM Shehbaz at the PM Office today, where he reiterated Indonesia’s desire to “further strengthen defence ties with Pakistan and to explore possible areas for cooperation, especially in defence production”, according to a statement from government-run PID. The Indonesian minister conveyed the best wishes of President Prabowo Subianto for the prime minister and people of Pakistan, the press release added. Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz “reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to explore and expand collaboration with Indonesia in joint ventures of investment in mutually beneficial projects”, the state... -
Dawn - 14:10 Jul 15, 2025
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday slammed last month’s attacks by Israel and the United States on Iran as “unacceptable” as he attended a ministerial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in China’s Tianjin. The SCO is a 10-nation Eurasian security and political grouping whose members include China, Russia, Pakistan, India, and Iran. The group’s foreign ministers meet as a precursor to the annual summit of its leaders, which will be hosted by China this autumn in Tianjin. On June 13, Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on Iran that targeted military and nuclear sites as well as residential areas, and killed senior military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. The attacks began days before a planned meeting between Tehran and Washington aimed at reviving nuclear negotiations. The US, which had been in talks with Iran since April 12, joined Israel in carrying out its own strikes on June 22, targeting Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz. Iranian authori... -
Dawn - 14:01 Jul 15, 2025
A camel that lost its leg to mutilation in Sindh’s Sanghar district last year stood up for the first time on Tuesday with the help of a prosthetic leg. The camel, now named Cammie, had her front leg allegedly chopped off by a landlord in June 2024, as punishment for foraging in his field for fodder, for which six suspects were remanded. She was taken in by the Comprehensive Disaster Response Services (CDRS) Benji Project for Animal Welfare in Karachi, where she has spent over a year. Today, the shelter provided an update that Cammie had stood up for the first time since her mutilation, along with a video showing her getting used to walking with her new prosthetic leg. “It’s been a year of tears, setbacks, rehab, pain, and quiet perseverance. A year where we were told to give up, to move on, to stop delaying the inevitable. But we chose to stand by her. And today, she stood for us all.” The shelter thanked its team and supporters, as well as PPP MNA Shazia Marri, PPP Senator Quratulain Marri and the Sindh gove... -
Dawn - 13:11 Jul 15, 2025
A Lahore sessions court on Tuesday discharged an elderly man named Muhammad Sajid, involved in recently using inappropriate language against the Punjab chief minister in a viral video, in a case dating back to 2024. A few days ago, a video of Sajid riding a motorcycle in the rain went viral on social media, in which he could be heard using abusive language against the chief minister. A sessions court on Monday sought a reply from Johar Town police on a habeas corpus petition seeking his recovery. Sajid’s son Muhammad Umar had filed the petition for the recovery of his father. According to the court order, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, “No incriminating evidence is present against the accused person to be sent to judicial remand. “Hence, the request of the investigating officer (IO) has been turned down, the accused person is discharged from the instant case … first information report, and the IO is ordered to release the person forthwith”. The Lahore court discharged Sajid after he was nominated... -
Dawn - 13:02 Jul 15, 2025
Posts from users and Indian accounts on social media platform X on Monday were claiming that China has removed Pakistan from its list of countries allowed visa-free entry. However, no such development has occurred since Pakistan was never included in China’s list of countries with visa-free entry. Pakistan and China share a longstanding strategic partnership rooted in mutual trust, economic cooperation, and regional connectivity. Over the decades, ties have expanded across different sectors, including trade, energy, infrastructure, and media collaboration, with initiatives like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor symbolising a shared vision for development. On July 14, a user, who appears to be a PTI supporter based on his previous posts, claimed in a post on X that China has removed Pakistan from its list of visa-free countries. A social media graphic from a news outlet accompanying the post reads: “China just announced visa-free entry for 74 countries, but Pakistan didn’t make the list.” The post garnered ... -
Dawn - 12:39 Jul 15, 2025
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has advised Pakistan to implement a uniform 5 per cent general sales tax (GST) for all digital transactions to encourage nationwide adoption of e-commerce platforms, reduce cash-related inefficiencies and document the economy. In its latest report on Pakistan’s Digital Ecosystem issued yesterday, the ADB cautioned that steep and inconsistent taxes on digital infrastructure in the country pose a serious risk to foreign investment, growth, and the expansion of digital services. “Pakistan’s digital infrastructure faces a major challenge from high taxation. Taxes on this sector, both federal and provincial, are some of the highest globally and regionally, and the tax policies tend not to be very consistent,” the report said. “The cost of service provision exacerbates the digital divide, especially for women and marginalised groups, who face asymmetric cost and cultural barriers to accessing the internet.” The report further added that the telecom sector in Pakistan “experienced a ... -
Dawn - 12:38 Jul 15, 2025
Five people — four from the same family — were killed in two separate road accidents in Karachi on Tuesday, according to police and rescue officials. The city has lately witnessed a rise in traffic accidents, especially involving heavy vehicles, including dumpers and water tankers, which killed nearly 500 people and injured 4,879 in 2024, according to hospital data. At least four people lost their lives and another six were injured — all from the same family — after their speeding car crashed into a wall next to a nullah on Hawkesbay Road in the city’s Mauripur area, according to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Syed Asad Raza. DIG Raza speculated that the family was most likely returning from the Hawke’s Bay beach. The incident took place at 9am on Tuesday, he added. “The accident most likely happened as a result of speeding,” said the DIG, adding that further investigation was underway. The deceased included a man and woman — identified as Yousuf and Khalida — along with two children, six-year-old Zaina... -
Dawn - 12:14 Jul 15, 2025
India’s opposition parties have called for the governor of occupied Kashmir to resign with an apology to the people of the territory after he admitted to a “security failure” in the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people. On April 22, 26 tourists were killed at a hill station in India-occupied Kashmir’s (IoK) Pahalgam. India has blamed Pakistan for the horrific attack, an accusation the latter denies. Islamabad has called for an international independent probe into the massacre. In an interview with the Times of India on Monday, IoK Lieutenant Governor and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Manoj Sinha said, “I take full responsibility for the incident, which was undoubtedly a security failure.” In response to the admission, numerous Indian politicians slammed him for negligence and for his delay in taking accountability and called for his resignation. The Indian National Congress |(INC) suggested that Sinha intended to shield “unspecified officials” in the union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, The ... -
Dawn - 12:11 Jul 15, 2025
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) plunged over 500 points on Tuesday, failing to continue its upward trajectory despite crossing the 137,000 barrier in intra-day trading. The benchmark KSE-100 index rose by 1,237.03 points, or 0.91 per cent, to stand at 137,739.56 points at 11:39am, from the previous close of 136,502.53 points. Finally, it closed at 135,939.87 points — dropping 562.66 points, or 0.41pc, from yesterday’s close. The market had opened on a positive note, rising by 1,205.1 points, or 0.88pc, to reach 137,707.63 points at 9:45am. It then dropped to 136,498.16 points at 10:15am before regaining its bullish momentum. Earlier today, Samiullah Tariq, head of Research and Development at Pakistan Kuwait Investment Company Ltd, had attributed the early gains to strengthened macroeconomic indicators. “Improvement in macroeconomic indicators and better result expectations, especially in commercial banks, is the primary reason for the increase in the [stock] market,” he told Dawn.com. Awais Ashraf, research... -
Dawn - 11:34 Jul 15, 2025
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that Beijing and New Delhi should work towards mutual trust and “win-win” cooperation, after talks with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, state news agency Xinhua reported. China and India should “adhere to the direction of good-neighbourliness and friendship” and “find a way for mutual respect and trust, peaceful coexistence, common development and win-win cooperation”, Wang said, according to Xinhua. The two foreign ministers met in Beijing on Monday as the two rivals seek to repair ties following a 2020 clash on their border. The world’s two most populous nations are intense rivals competing for strategic influence across South Asia, and their 3,500-kilometre frontier has been a perennial source of tension. The 2020 clash between their troops led to a four-year military standoff, but they agreed in October on patrols in disputed areas. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China’s President Xi Jinping met for the first time in five years late... -
Dawn - 09:23 Jul 15, 2025
The United Kingdom’s government on Tuesday launched e-visas for Pakistani students and workers as part of an “enhanced” border and immigration system. The announcement came just a day after the two countries formally signed the Trade Dialogue Mechanism Agreement and decided to establish the UK-Pakistan Business Advisory Council to institutionalise bilateral economic cooperation. In a statement today, the British High Commission (BHC) in Islamabad said: “The UK Government is replacing physical immigration documents for most student and worker visas with a digital proof of immigration status, an e-visa.” British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said on X that the facility was for “most students and workers applying for more than 6 months”. An e-visa is an online record of a person’s immigration permission in the UK and will make the visa process easier and more secure, the BHC noted in its statement. “E-visas are tried and tested, with millions of people already using them on select immigration routes,” it highl... -
Dawn - 08:30 Jul 15, 2025
Tesla unveiled its first showroom in India on Tuesday, marking its entry into the world’s most populous country, as Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company seeks new customers amid sagging sales in the United States and Europe. The store opened its doors to select visitors after its inauguration by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in India’s financial capital Mumbai. Tesla has for years signalled its interest in India but held back due to the country’s steep tariffs on electric vehicles. Musk, who once described India as having “more promise than any large country”, has also criticised its import duties, calling them among the “highest in the world”. New Delhi has offered to cut import taxes on electric vehicles for global automakers only if they commit to investing hundreds of millions of dollars and make cars locally. Tesla has yet to announce plans to set up a plant in India. For now, local media reports say, the company will likely sell cars imported from China, with deliveries projected to start... -
Dawn - 06:07 Jul 15, 2025
A divided United States supreme court gave US President Donald Trump the green light on Monday to resume dismantling the Education Department. The conservative-dominated court, in an unsigned order, lifted a stay that had been placed by a federal district judge on mass layoffs at the department. The three liberal justices on the nine-member panel dissented. Trump pledged during his White House campaign to eliminate the Education Department, which was created by an act of Congress in 1979, and he moved in March to slash its workforce by nearly half. Trump instructed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “put herself out of a job”. Around 20 states joined teachers’ unions in challenging the move in court, arguing that the Republican president was violating the principle of separation of powers by encroaching on Congress’s prerogatives. In May, District Judge Myong Joun ordered the reinstatement of hundreds of fired Education Department employees. The supreme court lifted the judge’s order without explanation, ju... -
Dawn - 05:49 Jul 15, 2025
• Writes to KP governor, chief minister; says delay in oath taking would prevent it from holding Senate elections on schedule • Commission reserves verdict on plea seeking redistribution of reserved seats in provincial assembly ISLAMABAD: With Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) just a week away, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has written to the province’s governor and chief minister, asking that the provincial assembly be convened immediately so that new members can be sworn in on reserved seats. Also on Monday, the ECP reserved its verdict in a case related to reallocation of reserved seats in the KP Assembly. The letter, addressed to the KP governor’s principal secretary, stated that the commission was obligated to conduct Senate elections in the province, which had been set for July 21. “But the matter of administration of oath is still pending and delayed,” it said. The correspondence noted that the KP Assembly speaker was requested to administer the oath to the newly returned can...
6724 items