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Dawn - 05:51 May 15, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, a member of the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench (CB), has questioned why the offices of the president, prime minister and the law division are being dragged into the controversy over the appointment of judges when allegations had been levelled against intelligence agencies for interference in judicial affairs. The observation came when senior counsel Muneer A. Malik, representing five Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges, argued that the real reason behind the transfer of three judges to the IHC was the allegation levelled against intelligence agencies by six IHC judges. In a joint letter sent to the Supreme Judicial Council on March 25, 2024, the six judges had blamed intelligence agencies for meddling in judicial affairs. In response to the argument by the senior lawyer, Justice Afghan asked if the allegations were attributed to the intelligence agencies, why the three high offices were being dragged into the controversy to build a ground of malice. He also won... -
Dawn - 03:28 May 15, 2025
BENGALURU: Indians are cancelling holidays in popular resorts in Turkiye and Azerbaijan after the two countries supported Pakistan during the recent conflict, two booking firms said. Turkiye and Azerbaijan, popular budget holiday destinations for Indians, issued statements backing Islamabad after India’s air strikes last week. “Bookings for Azerbaijan and Turkiye decreasing by 60 per cent (over the last week) while cancellations have surged by 250pc during the same period,” a spokesperson for MakeMyTrip said. EaseMyTrip’s Chief Executive Officer, Rikant Pittie, said the platform had seen a 22pc rise in cancellations for Turkiye and 30pc for Azerbaijan “due to recent geopolitical tensions”. Travellers had switched to Georgia, Serbia, Greece, Thailand and Vietnam, he added. Another ticketing platform, ixigo, earlier said in a post on X that it would be suspending flight and hotel bookings for Turkiye, Azerbaijan and China. EaseMyTrip’s founder and chairman Nishant Pitti said in a post on X that 287,000 Indians ... -
Dawn - 02:58 May 15, 2025
• PM Shehbaz asserts Islamabad ready for both war and peace • Shares with UN chief concerns about inflammatory remarks by Delhi • Pakistan returns Indian border guard ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday invited India to a comprehensive dialogue to address all contentious issues, including the Kashmir dispute and the water distribution, between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. The prime minister floated this offer during his visit to the frontline area of Pasrur Cantonment in Sialkot, where he lauded the armed forces for giving an exemplary response to India under the ‘Operation Bunyanum Marsoos’ conducted in response to Indian strikes inside Pakistan following the Pahalgam incident. Pakistan had struck 26 Indian military facilities, including its airbases, using jets and missiles. He said Pakistan’s response to the Indian attack on May 6-7 caused huge losses to the neighbouring country, in which the Pakistan Air Force downed multiple Indian Rafale aircraft. In reference to the Pakistani str... -
Dawn - 18:23 May 14, 2025
A Dawn.com journalist has become the first Pakistani to win the top prize in the ‘Young Reporters Writing’ category at the International Sport Press Association’s 2024 AIPS Sport Media Awards, which honour the “world’s finest sports journalists”. According to a press release issued on Tuesday, the award ceremony was held in Rabat, the capital of Morocco. Anushe Engineer was chosen as the winner from three finalists in her category, surpassing France’s Louis Boulay and the United Kingdom’s Issy Ronald, for her feature, ‘It’s all or nothing for Arshad Nadeem in Paris’. The finalists were shortlisted from 37 entries initially selected from the total submissions. The award comes with an AIPS Scholarship at a top sporting event. In the quiet, unobtrusive manner that has become his trademark in the elite men’s javelin, Nadeem stormed the Stade de France field to take a terrific, historic gold at August’s finals at the Paris Olympics with a mammoth 92.97 metres off his second throw. It was an Olympic record, erasing... -
Dawn - 17:05 May 14, 2025
One person was killed and 10 others injured when a blast struck the convoy of PPP MPA Ali Madad Jattak in Quetta on Wednesday, but the lawmaker was unharmed. Sariab Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Asif Ghafoor told Dawn.com: “The convoy of PPP MP Ali Madad Jatak was attacked with hand grenades and fired upon on Sariab Road in Quetta. The incident took place near Munir Mengal Chowk. Ali Madad Jatak was unharmed in the attack, but his vehicle was partially damaged.” He said five people were injured in the incident, who were immediately moved to Bolan Medical Complex Hospital and Civil Hospital. Ghafoor said a heavy contingent of police reached the spot and cordoned off the area to launch an investigation that was under way. He said Jatak was heading towards a meeting place along with his convoy to attend a victory rally. However, a statement issued by the Balochistan Health Department said 11 injured were brought to the Civil Hospital Accident and Trauma Centre. It added that after being provided initial ... -
Dawn - 14:28 May 14, 2025
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has commenced budget meetings to finalise the development proposals and their allocations in the province for the next financial year and has also launched an austerity drive to conserve funds for development initiatives. The provincial government is finalising proposals for the upcoming budget for the next financial year. The federal government will unveil the budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 on June 2. In two separate meetings at the CM House of the Finance and Planning & Development departments today, the chief minister finalised the Annual Development Programme (ADP), stressing that rehabilitation of flood-damaged infrastructure must be prioritised in the upcoming budget. He also emphasised the need to reduce non-development expenditures while increasing allocations for development projects. He further instructed that canal and watercourse lining projects be included in the new development schemes, and highlighted the importance of agricultural growth by calling ... -
Dawn - 14:08 May 14, 2025
A special court in Islamabad on Tuesday instructed the Adiala Jail authorities to allow PTI founder Imran Khan to hold a telephone conversation with his sons abroad and also be allowed a medical checkup by his personal physician. Last month, Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand approved two petitions filed on behalf of Imran related to the requests. The court had sought a response from Adiala authorities to provide the facilities. Today, the judge heard a request by the prison authorities against the court order and dismissed it A report to the judge from the jail superintendent on Monday had called for the court’s orders on January 10 and February 3 to be reviewed and set aside due to “being inconsistent and contrary to the basic rights and principle of recognition of the inherent dignity and equal inalienable rights of inmates”, arguing that extending the two facilities to Imran would be against the spirit of the Constitution, as well as Pakistan Prison Rules. A court order issued today, available with ... -
Dawn - 13:22 May 14, 2025
The anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) in Lahore have stepped up the hearing of cases related to the May 9, 2023, riots after directives from the Supreme Court to wind them up within four months. The cases pertain to the arrest of workers belonging to the PTI for their alleged role in attacks on army installations during the riots that followed ex-premier Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9, 2023. The Lahore High Court registrar issued the new amended schedule of the trials of the May 9 cases being conducted at Kot Lakhpat Jail. The hearing of May 9 riot cases will now be heard in jail four days a week — Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The jail trials were earlier being held three days a week but have been extended to speed up their disposal. The ATCs are hearing the jail trials of 14 cases including the Jinnah House attack. In December 2024, the Pakistan Army announced that the remainng 60 PTI activists have been convicted by the Field General Court Martial (FGCM) for their involvement in the May 9 violent pr... -
Dawn - 11:22 May 14, 2025
A couple were burnt to death on Tuesday night as blazing wildfires engulfed the forests of Hasham Khel Dab mountains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shangla district in Martung tehsil, according to police. Pakistan has grappled with an unprecedented surge in forest fires in recent years. Provinces, including KP and Balochistan, have seen huge wildfires in the past three years. Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Usman Munir, while speaking to Dawn.com, shared that a man and his wife were burned to death while they were trying to protect the firewood kept near their home from the fire. The SDFO of the forest department in Alpuri, Zahid Hussain told Dawn.com that the victims — identified as Hakim Zada and his wife Hajiroon — set fire to the bushes near their house. The fire then quickly got out of control due to intense and gusty winds, engulfing the forest. The wildfire has now been extinguished, and the bodies of the victims have been recovered from the site. According to Deputy Commissioner Shangla Mohammad Fawad, ... -
Dawn - 11:10 May 14, 2025
Pakistan has received the second tranche of special drawing rights (SDR) worth $1.023 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme, the central bank said on Wednesday. The amount will be reflected in its foreign exchange reserves for the week ending on May 16, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said in a post on X. It would raise the reserves to $11.355bn. Last week, the IMF had approved the immediate disbursement of about $1bn to Pakistan under the ongoing EFF and allowed an additional arrangement for the $1.4bn Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). In a statement issued last Friday, the IMF had said its Executive Board completed the first review of Pakistan’s economic reform programme supported by the EFF arrangement. “This decision allows for an immediate disbursement of around $1bn (SDR 760 million), bringing total disbursements under the arrangement to about $2.1bn (SDR 1.52bn). In addition, the IMF Executive Board approved the authorities’ re... -
Dawn - 11:00 May 14, 2025
Pakistan’s market has captured the attention of global investors amid its heightened tensions with India, US publication Barron’s reports. Over the past two years, the country has seen a “macroeconomic miracle”. While inflation was down from 40 per cent annually to near zero, Eurobonds maturing in 2031 rose from 40 cents on the dollar to 80 cents. The KSE-100 index has also tripled. The government reached a “stabilisation agreement” with the International Monetary Fund last September with the lender approving a $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Over $2bn has already been disbursed. “Pakistan is a good story,” Genna Lozovsky, a chief investment officer at Sandglass Capital Management, was quoted by Barron’s as saying. “So good it’s not risky enough for us anymore.”’ The media outlet further stated that the recent conflict with India “won’t likely knock Pakistan’s recovery off course” but the “country’s own shaky underpinnings might”. “Pakistan has been known for boom-and-bust cycles throughout its histo... -
Dawn - 09:26 May 14, 2025
United States President Donald Trump met with Syria’s president in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, after a surprise US announcement it would lift all sanctions on the Islamist-led government, and said Washington was exploring the possibility of normalising ties with Damascus. He made the comments during a summit between the US and Gulf Arab countries. Trump met Syria’s Ahmed al-Sharaa before the summit. Photos posted on Saudi state television showed them shaking hands in the presence of Saudi Arabia’s crown prince. Trump also urged Sharaa to normalise ties with Israel, a White House spokesperson said. Despite concerns within sectors of his administration over Syria’s leaders’ former ties to Al Qaeda, Trump said on Tuesday during a speech in Riyadh he would lift sanctions on Syria in a major policy shift. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan joined Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MbS, virtually in the meeting, Anadolu News Agency reported. MbS told the summit Saudi Arabia commends Trumps... -
Dawn - 08:33 May 14, 2025
An improvised explosive device (IED) detonated outside the residence of MNA Mubarak Zeb in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district, partially damaging the house, police said on Wednesday. Bajaur District Police Officer (DPO) Waqas Rafique told Dawn.com, “An IED was planted at the main gate of the MNA’s house and it exploded late at night.” He added that Zeb was not at home at the time of the explosion. The police reached the site and a search operation was under way to “track down the terrorists”, he said. Zeb said in a statement that his family and neighbours remained safe in the explosion, but it would not affect their resolve through such tactics. “I would continue my martyred brother Rehan Zeb’s mission,” he added. National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq condemned the incident, expressing best wishes for Zeb and his family. He directed KP’s relevant authorities to conduct a transparent investigation into the blast, saying the elements involved in the attack must be brought to justice. Zeb was one of the PTI-bac... -
Dawn - 06:29 May 14, 2025
ISLAMABAD: With up to 14 per cent reduction in regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) prices notified for the current month, the electricity rates for Karachi and petroleum prices across the country are expected to come down in coming days. With a reduction of Rs3 to Rs7 per litre in major oil products estimated for the next fortnight, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on Tuesday notified a 14pc reduction in the price of RLNG on Tuesday for sales at the transmission stage by the two Sui gas companies for the current month. The Karachi-based Sui Southern Gas Company Ltd (SSGCL), which serves consumers in Sindh and Balochistan, has seen its system losses at the distribution stage drop from 16.16pc to 10.6pc. On the other hand, the Lahore-based SNGPL, which provides gas to consumers in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saw its system losses at the distribution stage drop to 7.47pc from 8.6pc until February this year. According to a notification, the RLNG’s sale price for SNGPL at the transmission stage h... -
Dawn - 05:18 May 14, 2025
• Perpetrators must be dealt with iron hand, bench tells authorities • Dismisses appeal against life term for man who killed his wife KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has expressed concern over the killing of innocent people in the name of so-called honour and ordered the state to stop this “uncivilised, barbaric and abominable practice” and deal with perpetrators sternly. Terming honour killing a severe type of domestic violence, a single bench of the SHC said that such practice was unabatedly increasing with every passing day and there was a dire need to stop it immediately “before it gets out of hand and creates total anarchy in society”. Justice Nisar Ahmed Bhanbhro of the SHC stated that the offence of “karo-kari” had been declared as Fasad fil Arz (mischief on earth), which is a serious offence under Islamic teachings and described as disobedience to God. “Thus to avoid fasad on earth, perpetrators are required to be dealt with iron hands,” the court said. “The honour killing has stained the society where ... -
Dawn - 05:07 May 14, 2025
LAHORE: The Punjab government on Tuesday banned the use of newspapers with Quranic verses for packaging. The home department issued a letter about imposing an immediate ban on the use of rough papers or newspapers containing verses of the Holy Quran for packaging or preserving commodities. The order, enacted under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, aims at preventing potential disturbances to the public peace and tranquility. The directive, signed by the home secretary, cites concerns over the misuse of religious texts in everyday trade practices, which could offend religious sentiments. The ban will remain in effect for 90 days across the entire province, starting from May 12. The authorities were directed to ensure widespread dissemination of the order through official channels, including the gazette, newspapers and broadcast media. The Punjab Police, divisional commissioners, and deputy commissioners have also been directed to enforce the prohibition strictly. Published in Dawn, May 14th, ... -
Dawn - 05:07 May 14, 2025
• PPP’s Khar says India has crossed red lines, misread Pakistan’s restraint as weakness • Insists ceasefire after face-off between nuclear powers should be celebrated ISLAMABAD: Amid India’s dangerous war rhetoric, Pakistani lawmakers on Tuesday cautioned that New Delhi could again resort to military misadventure out of political desperation, warning of the grave consequences such an escalation could bring between two nuclear-armed neighbours. Addressing the National Assembly during a discussion on recent tensions with India, several members lambasted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a “certified terrorist” and warning that he could go to any extent for political gains as his politics thrived on corpses. Former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar said that India’s crushing defeat at the hands of Pakistan was nothing to celebrate. “We must all be unapologetic as a country that celebrates a ceasefire. Why not celebrate the ceasefire? Yes, we absolutely will,” she said. Ms Khar warned that Indi... -
Dawn - 04:47 May 14, 2025
• New law proposes real-time monitoring of stocks • Imposes up to Rs100m fine on sale of smuggled petrol ISLAMABAD: The government has introduced a landmark bill in the National Assembly aimed at digitally tracking petroleum products from import and production to retail sales in a bid to curb smuggling and adulteration, which cause massive revenue losses estimated at Rs300-500 billion annually besides affecting environment and vehicle engines. The Petroleum (Amendment) Act, 2025 — moved by Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik on Monday — seeks to amend the 1934 Petroleum Act. The draft law envisages new clauses for information technology-based tracking of petroleum products to curb smuggling and to initiate strict actions against illegal transportation and decantation of petroleum products, along with actions to be taken against illegal petrol pumps. All local refineries and major oil marketing companies have been demanding — both individually and from their collective forums — that the government take str... -
Dawn - 04:47 May 14, 2025
QUETTA: The bullet-riddled bodies of four abducted truck drivers from Punjab were found on Tuesday in the Galangoor area of Noshki district, approximately 100 km west of Quetta, officials said. The drivers were transporting LPG imported from Iran on May 9 when armed men intercepted their trucks in the Ahmedwal area on the Quetta-Taftan highway. The assailants burst the trucks’ tires and abducted the four men at gunpoint before security forces arrived at the scene, according to authorities. Local residents informed the administration about the bodies, prompting Levies and other law-enforcement agencies to rush to the site. The bodies were taken to the district hospital in Noshki. Hospital officials confirmed all four men died from multiple bullet injuries after being shot from a close range. The deceased were identified as Moin and Huzaifa, residents of Pakpattan, and brothers Imran Ali and Irfan Ali, residents of Rahimyar Khan. Their bodies were sent to respective hometowns after legal formalities were comple... -
Dawn - 03:55 May 14, 2025
NEW DELHI: While Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s harangue about India’s victory over Pakistan dodged the question whether US President Donald Trump did intervene in bringing about the ceasefire, it was stalking him on Tuesday. The Wire said that Indian opposition parties asked whether the ceasefire was a result of US mediation, marking a clear departure from India’s longstanding policy of ‘no third-party mediation’. Opposition parties have demanded to know why Modi remained silent on Trump’s claims, whether India has changed its longtime policy of no third-party mediation and if the US president’s claims of trade being used to end the conflict is true. In a statement, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said Modi’s “much-delayed address to the nation was upstaged by President Trump’s revelations”. “The prime minister was completely silent on them. Has India agreed to US mediation? Has India agreed to a ‘neutral site’ for a dialogue with Pakistan? The prime minister should immediately have a meeting with leaders of all...
5467 items