Dawn
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Dawn - 08:21 Jul 05, 2025
IT was an avoidable tragedy. Another residential building collapsed in Karachi’s Lyari neighbourhood on Friday, resulting in a number of casualties, including women and children. Nine deaths had been reported as these words were being written. It was the third structural collapse incident in the city in two days. A day earlier, the third-floor roof of a building had collapsed in the Moosa Lane area, killing two; separately, an entire section of a six-storey building had collapsed under the weight of its rooftop water tank in Ghulam Hussain Qasim Quarters, thankfully without casualties. In each case, the buildings had been previously declared unsafe by the Sindh Building Control Authority, but evacuation orders were repeatedly ignored. A review of the city’s records reveals that there have been multiple structural collapse incidents in Karachi in recent years, with many involving condemned buildings. The question naturally arises: why has the SBCA been so helpless in enforcing its writ? The problem is a multif... -
Dawn - 06:17 Jul 05, 2025
A FORMER security contractor for controversial new Israel and US-backed aid distribution sites witnessed colleagues opening fire several times on hungry Palestinians who had posed no threat. Speaking to BBC News, the contractor recalled one occasion when a guard had opened fire from a watchtower with a machine gun because a group of women, children and elderly people were moving away from the site too slowly. Although the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has denied the allegations, claiming no civilians ever came under fire at their distribution sites, the BBC recorded 24 incidents where aid seekers were killed in large numbers. The GHF began its operations at the end of May after an 11-week total blockade of Gaza by Israel, during which no food entered the territory. Since it started, Israeli forces have killed more than 400 Palestinians trying to retrieve food aid from its sites, the UN and local doctors say. Guards ‘fire into unarmed crowds, then laugh about it’ Describing the incident where guards fired... -
Dawn - 05:47 Jul 05, 2025
• Spokesperson says Islamabad ‘committed’ to working with existing eight-nation forum • Calls upon India to choose between belligerence and talks ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday ruled out the creation of an alternative forum to the already existing South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc). “Pakistan remains committed to the principles and objectives of the Saarc charter. It has actively been participating in different Saarc activities,” the foreign office spokesperson said about the eight-nation organisation, which included Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka. In his weekly press briefing, Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan said Pakistan desires Saarc to function as an “important forum for regional cooperation”. He rejected the reports about the creation of a Beijing-led alternative to Saarc. Regarding cooperation among Pakistan, China, and Bangladesh, the member of the purported coalition, Mr Khan said China was a very important country that enjoys friendly ... -
Dawn - 05:37 Jul 05, 2025
KARACHI: Over 1.6 million children, between five and 17 years of age, in Sindh have been found to be trapped in child labour, revealed the Sindh Child Labour Survey 2022–2024. Conducted by the provincial labour department with technical support from Unicef and the Bureau of Statistics Sindh, the survey also revealed that over half (50.4pc) of child labour victims aged 10-17 worked in hazardous conditions, exposing them to excessive hours, extreme weather and unsafe tools. Labour Director General Muhammad Ali Shah, who is also the project director of the survey, told Dawn that the survey had been submitted to the provincial government. He said that the incidence of child labour has seen a significant decline, reduced by nearly 50pc compared to the 1996 baseline. According to Pakistan’s first and only National Child Labour Survey, conducted in 1996, the prevalence of child labour in Sindh was recorded at 20.6pc of the total child population at that time. The latest survey also revealed that school attendance am... -
Dawn - 05:04 Jul 05, 2025
KARACHI: Microsoft has decided to close its office in Pakistan and laid off five employees, Dawn has learnt. Earlier, media reports suggested that the global tech giant had moved its operations out of the country. These were based on a LinkedIn post by Jawad Rehman, the former head of Microsoft in Pakistan. Citing sources, he claimed the company “is officially closing its operations in Pakistan”. Microsoft had an on-ground presence in Pakistan until recently, albeit with a significantly reduced local workforce. Most of its operations were handled from foreign offices and by partners in Pakistan, people familiar with the matter told Dawn. In response to Dawn’s query, a Microsoft spokesperson said, “We will serve our customers through both our strong and extensive partner organisation, and other closely located Microsoft offices. We follow this model successfully in a number of other countries around the world.” Spokesperson says company to provide services through local partners, offices abroad The decision to... -
Dawn - 04:57 Jul 05, 2025
jeremy Corbyn • Zarah Sultana says their alternative is ‘rooted in justice & equality’ • Group includes MPs Shockat Adam, Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain, Iqbal Mohamed LONDON: In an overnight reshaping of Britain’s political landscape, Zarah Sultana, the MP for Coventry South, has announced she will co-lead the formation of a new political party alongside former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. The move signals a break with the Labour Party, which both politicians accused of abandoning its core values. Sultana declared her resignation from Labour on Thursday evening in a statement that described Westminster as “broken” and accused the two major parties of offering “nothing but managed decline and broken promises.” She urged supporters to join the duo in building an alternative, rooted in justice and equality. Though Corbyn has long floated the idea of a more formal vehicle for left-wing and pro-Palestinian politics, Sultana’s announ-cement surprised many within the Independent Alliance, the loose group of five MPs, in... -
Dawn - 04:48 Jul 05, 2025
KARACHI: Despite a brief military conflict and the continued closure of borders, trade between Pakistan and India persisted in May, with official data showing that imports from India reached a three-year high during July-May FY25. According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), imports from India totalled $211.5 million in the first 11 months of FY25 — surpassing $207m in FY24 and $190m in FY23. In May alone — when the four-day conflict broke out in the first week—imports stood at $15m, slightly down from $17m in the same month last year. However, Pakistan’s exports to India remained negligible. In May, they were recorded at just $1,000, while total exports during July-May FY25 were only $0.5m. In FY24 and FY23, exports stood at $3.44m and $0.33m, respectively—highlighting the highly one-sided nature of bilateral trade. Traders were reluctant to discuss the continuation of imports during the tense period. One trader suggested the goods might have arrived through third countries, with payments made prior to the... -
Dawn - 02:22 Jul 05, 2025
WASHINGTON: With less than a week to go before the July 9 deadline, Pakistan and the United States have concluded a critical round of trade negotiations, reaching an understanding on a deal that could shape the future of the country’s key export sectors. The Pakistani delegation, led by Commerce Secretary Jawad Paal, was scheduled to return on Friday after completing four days of talks in Washington. While both sides have reached an understanding, a formal announcement is expected only after the US concludes similar ongoing negotiations with other trade partners. The delegation arrived in Washington on Monday with the aim of finalising a long-term reciprocal tariff agreement that would prevent the re-imposition of a 29 per cent tariff on Pakistani exports — primarily textiles and agricultural products. Formal announcement expected once Washington wraps up talks with other nations The tariff relief, temporarily paused earlier this year, was at risk of expiring if no progress had been made by the July 9 deadlin... -
Dawn - 19:05 Jul 04, 2025
At least 10 people died and nine were injured after a five-storey building collapsed in Karachi’s Lyari area on Friday, according to the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Institute Of Trauma (SMBBIT). According to data from the institute at Civil Hospital Karachi, seen by Dawn.com, nine bodies were brought to the hospital while one person died during treatment. Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed also confirmed the same number of deaths. SMBBIT Executive Director Dr Sabir Memon told Dawn.com that among the injured people, six were discharged after being provided treatment. View this post on Instagram Today’s incident comes days after a portion of a building collapsed in the city’s Kharadar area. However, no casualties or injuries were reported. The Public Account Committee of the Sindh Assembly had directed the provincial government in December to take urgent steps to evacuate over 570 buildings declared “dangerous” by authorities across Karachi. Rescue efforts were underway at the building situated on Fida Hussain... -
Dawn - 18:48 Jul 04, 2025
Russia pummelled Kyiv with the largest drone attack of the war, injuring at least 23 people and damaging buildings across the Ukrainian capital hours after US President Donald Trump spoke to Russia’s Vladimir Putin, officials said on Friday. Air raid sirens, the whine of kamikaze drones and booming detonations reverberated from early evening until dawn as Russia launched what Ukraine’s Air Force said was a total of 539 drones and 11 missiles. Families huddled in underground metro stations for shelter. Acrid smoke hung over the city centre. Outside a high-rise apartment block damaged by a drone, residents stood around surveying the scene as the clean-up job began. Some cried. Others looked on silently. “I woke up to the sound of explosions, first the Shahed drones started buzzing, and then the explosions began,” said 40-year-old resident Maria Hilchenko. “Then people started screaming outside. The explosions from the Shaheds kept coming.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack “deliberately m... -
Dawn - 17:40 Jul 04, 2025
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Friday ordered the arrest of two officials and suspended three doctors at Pakpattan’s District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital, following the deaths of 20 infants. An internal inquiry committee — formed to probe the deaths of only five children on June 19 — reported the deaths of 20 children, raising many serious questions. The findings confirmed that 15 of the 20 deceased were neonates and newborn babies, while all 20 deaths occurred between June 16 and June 22. A three-member external inquiry committee was formed to investigate the incident, particularly the reported oxygen failure, links between the fatalities and systemic shortcomings and the hospital’s emergency response. A statement issued today said that during a five-hour visit to the hospital, CM Maryam ordered the arrest of the chief executive officer and medical superintendent. She also suspended and launched inquiries against three pediatric doctors for alleged negligence. Three laboratory technicians were also ar... -
Dawn - 17:36 Jul 04, 2025
PPP Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday said Pakistan had no objection to extraditing “individuals of concern” to India as a confidence-building measure, as long as New Delhi showed willingness to cooperate in the process. Ties between Pakistan and India have remained tense, further strained after New Delhi, without presenting evidence, blamed Pakistan for the deadly April attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam. This led to a four-day military confrontation in May, with both sides dropping their guns after American intervention. The PPP chairman has repeatedly called for India and Pakistan to engage in a dialogue to establish peace. Speaking during an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, the PPP chief responded to a question about extraditing Laskhar-i-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed and Jaish-i-Muhammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as possible concessions and good-faith gestures to India. “As part of a comprehensive dialogue with Pakistan, where terrorism is one of the issues that ... -
Dawn - 17:30 Jul 04, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday urged stronger regional cooperation in the face of increasing geopolitical tensions, including the Iran-Israel conflict and Indian hostility towards Pakistan, stressing that the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) offered the country its “best hope” for a unified response. Addressing the 17th ECO Summit in Azerbaijan’s Khankendi city, the prime minister said two recent events — the Iran-Israel war and the India-Pakistan conflict — showed that “the forces of instability and chaos continue to destabilise our region for geo-political agendas. “The evolving global landscape has made regional cooperation even more essential,” PM Shehbaz said while addressing the 10-nation Eurasian bloc. “ECO represents our best hope, and Pakistan is a proud partner in these collective efforts.” Speaking about the 12-day Iran-Israel war, he said that “the unlawful, uncalled for and unjustified Israeli attack on Iran was the most recent manifestation of this dangerous trend.” According to ... -
Dawn - 16:33 Jul 04, 2025
The finance ministry on Friday issued notifications for a 10 per cent increase in the salaries of federal government employees, as well as granting Disparity Reduction Allowance (DRA) worth 30pc of basic pay, according to documents seen by Dawn.com. The pay hike was announced as part of the budget for the coming fiscal year, where the salaries of federal employees from Grade 1 to 22 would be raised by 10pc and retired government servants would be eligible for a 7pc pension increase. According to one of the notifications, dated July 4, basic pay to armed forces personnel, civil armed forces, and civil employees of the federal government are subject to the pay raise. The notification read that the pay would be “subject to income tax; admissible during leave and entire period of LPR except during extraordinary leave; will not be treated as part of emoluments for the purpose of calculation of pension/gratuity and recovery of house rent.” It further said that the pay would “not be admissible to the employees durin... -
Dawn - 16:00 Jul 04, 2025
More than 5,500 police personnel will be deployed across Karachi on Friday for the security of 8th Muharram processions. Stringent security measures are being taken across the country, such as army deployment as well as a crackdown on sectarian content and hate mongers, ahead of Ashura (Muharram 10), which will be observed on Sunday. According to the Karachi police, as many as 829 processions and 5,227 majalis are scheduled to take place during the first 10 days of Muharram. “Karachi police [are] performing [their] duties at various locations in the city for the security of the 8th Muharram processions,” said a statement from the office of Karachi’s additional inspector general of police. A total of 5,543 police officers and personnel will be present to monitor and secure the central procession, the statement added. It continued that apart from senior officers and 4,957 constables and head constables of the Karachi police, 586 NGOs will also be performing duty for the security of the central procession. Exper... -
Dawn - 15:13 Jul 04, 2025
The Karachi Police on Friday said they had arrested the primary suspect allegedly involved in the gang-rape of a girl in Ittehad Town. In a statement issued today, Keamari Senior Superintendent of Police Captain (retired) Faizan Ali said that the Ittehad Town Police had registered the gang-rape case a day ago. He said the incident had occurred on July 1 when the detained suspect had forcibly taken away the victim on his bike to his dera (sitting place) in Ittehad Town, where he gang-raped her along with his friends. “The rape survivor managed to escape from the place at night and reached the home of her maternal uncle and later on informed the police about the incident,” he said, adding that her medical examination was carried out at the Civil Hospital Karachi and a case was subsequently registered. “The main suspect was arrested within hours after the registration of the case, while efforts are underway to arrest other suspects. “Such beasts are cancer for the society and they will be taken to task,” the SSP... -
Dawn - 14:23 Jul 04, 2025
Six members of a family were killed in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Friday when their car veered off the road and plummeted hundreds of feet, crashing onto the right bank of the Neelum River, officials said. The accident occurred at a sharp bend on the Neelum Valley road near Chilyana village, approximately 50 kilometres northeast of Muzaffarabad. Chilyana is located across from the Indian-occupied village of Titwal on the opposite bank of the Neelum River, a point that once served as a foot-crossing under the cross-Line of Control (LoC) travel arrangement before activity came to a halt in 2019. “Shortly after Friday prayers, a vehicle … went out of the driver’s control while negotiating a dangerous curve near Chilyana,” Akhtar Ayoub, the Neelum Valley District Disaster Management Officer (DDMO), told Dawn.com. “It rolled down the mountain slope but stopped just short of entering the river; otherwise, it would have been swept away by the violent current,” he added. Ayoub said that upon receiving reports ab... -
Dawn - 14:19 Jul 04, 2025
Syria said on Friday it was willing to cooperate with the United States to reimplement the 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel, which created a UN-patrolled buffer zone separating the two countries’ forces. In a statement following a phone call with his US counterpart Marco Rubio, Asaad al-Shaibani expressed Syria’s “aspiration to cooperate with the United States to return to the 1974 disengagement agreement”. Washington has been pushing diplomatic efforts towards a normalisation deal between Syria and Israel, with envoy Thomas Barrack saying last week that peace between the two was now needed. Speaking to The New York Times, Barrack confirmed this week that Syria and Israel were engaging in “meaningful” US-brokered talks to end their border conflict. Following the toppling of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel deployed its troops into the UN-patrolled zone separating Syrian and Israeli forces. It has also launched hundreds of air strikes on military targets in Syria and carried ou... -
Dawn - 13:26 Jul 04, 2025
A pet lion escaped and chased a woman and two children down a busy street in Lahore, police said on Friday, with dramatic footage showing the big cat leaping over a wall before pouncing on them. CCTV footage released by the police showed the lion jumping the barrier around its home and pursuing a woman carrying her shopping on Thursday night. The lion jumped on her back, knocking her to the ground, the footage showed. A police report quoted the father as saying the lion then turned to his five-year-old and seven-year-old children, and clawed their arms and faces. All three were taken to the hospital but were not in critical condition. View this post on Instagram The owners who ran out of the house were “amused to see their lion attack” the passersby, the father added in the report. Police said on Friday they had arrested three men. “The suspects fled from the spot, taking the lion with them. They were arrested within 12 hours of the incident,” the office of the Lahore Deputy Inspector General Operations told ... -
Dawn - 12:19 Jul 04, 2025
Flash floods and landslides after torrential rain over the last two weeks killed at least 69 people and injured 110 others in India’s northern Himalayan regions, officials said on Friday. Scores of people die each year during the rainy season due to flash floods and landslides across India, a country of 1.4 billion people. Rivers swollen by lashing rain, including the mighty Beas, which starts from the region’s glacial peaks, disrupted several routes in the state of Himachal Pradesh. The “cumulative damage” includes 69 people dead, and 110 others injured in different incidents over the past two weeks, the state’s revenue department said in a statement. India’s meteorological department on Thursday issued a fresh alert for “heavy to very heavy rainfall” in Himachal Pradesh and neighbouring Uttarakhand, another picturesque Himalayan state popular with Indian tourists. India’s annual monsoon season from June to September offers respite from the intense summer heat and is crucial for replenishing water supplies, ...
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