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Dawn - 17:01 Jul 30, 2025
United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday imposed a 25 per cent tariff on goods imported from India starting August 1, along with an unspecified penalty for buying Russian weapons and oil, potentially straining relations with the world’s most populous democracy. The US decision singles out India more severely than other major trading partners, and threatens to unravel months of talks between the two countries, undermining a key strategic partner of Washington and a counterbalance to China. In posts on his social platform Truth Social, he said the US had a “massive trade deficit” with India. In another post, he said: “Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the world and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary trade barriers of any country. “Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of ene... -
Dawn - 16:36 Jul 30, 2025
Four suspected members of a banned separatist militant group were arrested in Karachi on Tuesday over charges of killing a man in Matli in Badin district, according to the Counter-Terrorism Department. “The Karachi CTD and a federal intelligence agency jointly carried out an IBO [intelligence-based operation] at Drigh Road Station in Karachi and arrested four suspects,” according to a CTD press statement issued on Wednesday. “They were arrested at a time when they were coming from Punjab to Karachi by train,” the press release added. During interrogation, the suspects confessed that they had gunned down a man identified as Abdul Rehman in Matli on May 18, 2025, where a case was registered under terror charges. “The weapon used in the murder has also been recovered from their custody, which has been sent to the police’s forensic science lab for investigation purposes,” the press release added. The suspects also admitted that they had stayed at a hotel in Hyderabad for five days for the purpose of carrying out ... -
Dawn - 16:22 Jul 30, 2025
German mountaineer Laura Dahlmeier, who went missing two days ago while attempting to scale Gilgit-Baltistan’s Laila Peak (6,096 metres), was confirmed dead on Wednesday, according to officials. Mountains in the north of Pakistan are a popular destination for adventure tourism, with many climbers aiming to summit prestigious peaks such as K2 and Nanga Parbat. However, rough terrain and harsh weather conditions create a challenge, frequently causing deaths and injuries. She was climbing in alpine style with her partner, Marina Eva, also from Germany. Dahlmeier was at an altitude of approximately 5,700m when she was hit by the rock on Monday afternoon, while Eva was below her on the mountain at the time. Despite being injured, Dahlmeier managed to communicate with her partner, but Eva was unable to reach her. A coordinated rescue operation was launched, involving Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters and local high-altitude porters. However, adverse weather and the difficult terrain prevented helicopters from land... -
Dawn - 16:12 Jul 30, 2025
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur announced on Wednesday that a series of jirgas will be convened from August 2 to decide on future steps on a wide array of concerns among the province’s residents. The provincial government has opposed the newly launched military operation in Bajaur unless it is taken into confidence by the Centre and has vowed to lift a three-day curfew imposed in the district’s 16 areas yesterday. Security forces backed by gunship helicopters and artillery launched ‘Operation Sarbakaf’ against terrorists in the Lowi Mamund tehsil on Tuesday. Tribal elders in Bajaur and some other KP districts have long opposed any military operation, citing concerns over displacement. Although not confirmed officially by security forces, sources said that at least four terrorists were killed, around 12 were wounded, and about 10 were captured alive in different areas of the Lowi Mamund tehsil. Locals also claimed that a child was among two civilians who died, and eight others, including tw... -
Dawn - 15:26 Jul 30, 2025
The Punjab Police on Wednesday said they arrested a man suspected of molesting a minor girl in Multan district after a video of the incident went viral online. The video of the incident did the rounds on social media earlier in the week and generated intense criticism with calls for the suspect to be arrested, particularly as it came after the police arrested a man after footage showing him allegedly molesting a minor girl in Kasur district also went viral online. A statement issued by the Multan Crime Control Department (CCD) today said: “The man who attempted to sexually assault a girl was arrested in an ‘injured’ condition.” The incident occurred on July 15 in Mustafa Colony, Rashidabad area, with the limits of Bahauddin Zakaria Police Station when “an unknown person tried to sexually assault a girl in the street and fled from the scene”, according to the statement. A case was registered under Section 377B (unnatural offences with a minor) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) at the BZ Police Station and the i... -
Dawn - 15:20 Jul 30, 2025
United States President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the US would start imposing tariffs and other measures on Russia “10 days from today” if Moscow showed no progress toward ending its more than three-year-long war in Ukraine. Trump first announced on Monday that he was shortening the initial 50-day deadline he set a month ago for action from Moscow, and mentioned a new deadline of 10 to 12 days. On Tuesday, he told reporters he had not heard a response from Russia. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said he was not worried about the potential impact of Russian sanctions on the oil market or prices, vowing to boost domestic oil production to offset any impact. “I don’t know if it’s going to affect Russia, because [Russian President Vladimir Putin] wants to, obviously, probably keep the war going,” Trump said. “But we’re going to put on tariffs and the various things that you put on.” The US president, who has in the past spoken about having a good relationship with Putin, has grown increasingly frustr... -
Dawn - 14:49 Jul 30, 2025
The Iranian president’s political adviser said on Wednesday that Dr Masoud Pezeshkian was due to visit Pakistan on August 2 (Saturday) for a two-day trip, Iran’s IRNA news agency reported. Pezeshkian will be the second Iranian president to visit Pakistan in as many years. The visit was initially planned for the last week of July. In April 2024, Ebrahim Raisi undertook a three-day official visit to Pakistan. During the trip — which took place a month before Raisi’s death in a helicopter crash — the foreign dignitary also visited Lahore and Karachi. In a post on X, Political Adviser to the Iranian President Mehdi Sanai said Dr Pezeshkian would travel to Pakistan on Saturday at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He said official meetings and discussions with “cultural and commercial elites” were on the agenda. “The relations between the two countries encompass political, economic, religious and cultural dimensions, and the goals of the trip include developing provincial and border cooperation and i... -
Dawn - 13:07 Jul 30, 2025
Rescue teams evacuated 160 stranded tourists from Naran in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mansehra district after flash floods, triggered by heavy rainfall, swept through parts of the region on Wednesday, according to a Rescue 1122 spokesperson. Monsoon rains, which fall across the region from June to September, are crucial to the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security. However, they also wreak havoc by triggering deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. This year’s monsoon rains continue to lash many parts of the country, prompting authorities to release an urban flooding warning for several cities. Mansehra’s Rescue 1122 spokesperson, Amir Khadam Khan, told Dawn.com that 160 tourists were stranded after floods hit Naran, Jalkhad, Barwai and Besar. “Rescue 1122 personnel crossed the flood drain on foot near Besar to access more than 160 stranded tourists and vehicles,” he said. “All the people were safely evacuated and accommodate... -
Dawn - 12:44 Jul 30, 2025
The Foreign Office (FO) on Wednesday assailed and rejected the Indian parliament’s debate on “Operation Sindoor”, claiming that the remarks made in the Lok Sabha “distort facts, justify aggression, and glorify conflict for domestic consumption”. The two countries entered a brief but intense military escalation after India, without evidence, blamed Pakistan for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. On May 6–7, New Delhi launched air strikes that killed civilians, followed by a week-long missile exchange. A US-brokered ceasefire ended the war. During Tuesday’s debate, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that security forces killed three “Pakistanis” involved in the Pahalgam attack in Operation Mahadev, Reuters reported. “I want to tell … the entire nation that these were the three terrorists who killed our citizens … and now all three have been killed,” Shah told parliament during the discussion. In a statement issued today on the Indian parliament debate, FO spokesperson Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan said: “Pakistan ... -
Dawn - 12:10 Jul 30, 2025
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) kept its policy rate unchanged on Wednesday at 11 per cent. The central bank’s policy rate, after being slashed by 1,000bps from 22pc since June 2024 in seven intervals, was cut to 11pc in May. The bank had kept the rate unchanged on June 16 as well. A press release issued by the SBP said its Monetary Policy Committee noted that inflation in June had decelerated to 3.2pc year on year, led mainly by lower food prices, whereas core inflation also declined slightly. However, it noted that the inflation outlook had worsened in the wake of higher-than-anticipated adjustment in energy prices, especially gas tariffs. “Nonetheless, inflation is projected to stabilise in the target range going forward. “Moreover, economic activity is gaining further traction amidst the still-unfolding impact of the earlier reductions in the policy rate. At the same time, the committee noted that the trade deficit is expected to widen further in FY26 amidst the pickup in economic activity and slowdown i... -
Dawn - 12:04 Jul 30, 2025
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir on Wednesday reaffirmed the military’s resolve to eradicate the menace of terrorism from the country, underscoring the nation’s preparedness to respond decisively to any external or internal threats, a statement from the military’s media wing said. Pakistan has lately seen a surge in terrorism across the country, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. In recent months, the security situation in Balochistan has also worsened, as militants, long involved in a low-level insurgency, have stepped up the frequency and intensity of their attacks. The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), in particular, has adopted new tactics to inflict higher casualties and directly target Pakistani security forces. According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army chief was speaking to a group of stakeholders at the 16th... -
Dawn - 12:01 Jul 30, 2025
A magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, the strongest in the region since 1952, damaging buildings and generating a tsunami of up to 4 metres that prompted warnings and evacuations in Hawaii, Japan and across the Pacific Ocean. Several people were injured in the remote Russian region, while much of Japan’s eastern seaboard — devastated by a powerful earthquake and tsunami in 2011 — was ordered to evacuate as Tsunami waves hit the Pacific coast of the country. Meanwhile, Hawaii recorded tsunami waves measuring up to 5ft, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre. However, no waves of consequence have hit Hawaii yet. What we know so far: 8.8-magnitude quake hit Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula at 8:24am local time (4am PKT) Several people injured, no casualties reported Tsunami warnings issued in Japan, Mexico, Hawaii, Ecuador, China, Chile, Costa Rica Tsunami waves up to 1.7m hit Japan, Hawaii, California; 3-4m recorded in parts of Kamchatka Russian mayor ... -
Dawn - 11:21 Jul 30, 2025
A couple was shot dead by the woman’s family over ‘honour’ in Balochistan’s Mastung district, police said on Wednesday. The incident comes over a week after the killing of a man and a woman in the Degari area of Quetta on the orders of a tribal jirga ahead of Eidul Azha for so-called ‘honour’. The police had subsequently arrested at least 14 suspects for their involvement in the incident. Wali Khan Station House Officer Pir Muhammad Alizai said in a statement today that the deceased couple got married seven years ago. “The couple was travelling from Panjgur to Lakpass in a pickup upon the invitation of the woman’s brothers,” the police said. “The suspects told them to wait at the Noshki Cross, arrived on two motorcycles at about 7am on Tuesday, shot the couple dead with a pistol, and fled.” “Action to arrest the suspects is underway,” SHO Alizai said. According to a first information report (FIR) of the incident, dated July 29, seen by Dawn.com, the deceased were travelling with their two children and brother... -
Dawn - 09:55 Jul 30, 2025
Pakistan has urged a stronger role for the United Nations peacekeeping missions in conflict resolution, stressing that their enhanced involvement is urgently needed to settle long-standing disputes such as Kashmir. Pakistan joined the United Nations shortly after gaining independence in 1947 and has played a prominent role in peacekeeping efforts, contributing to 48 missions in 29 countries since 1960. Islamabad has repeatedly called for enhancements in UN peacekeeping, with Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad in April urging the integration of the use of advanced technologies to boost effectiveness. Ambassador Ahmad, while addressing the 15-member UN Security Council on Tuesday, said: “Nowhere is this more urgently needed than in Jammu and Kashmir, a longstanding dispute on the UN Security Council’s agenda. “This Council, which mandates the missions, must ensure that missions are deployed with an accompanying credible political process that addresses the root causes of conflicts, and that mission mandates are dem... -
Dawn - 08:05 Jul 30, 2025
Britain on Wednesday rejected criticism that it was rewarding fighter group Hamas by setting out plans to recognise a Palestinian state unless Israel took steps to improve the situation in Gaza and bring about peace. The sight of emaciated Gaza children has shocked the world in recent days, and on Tuesday, a hunger monitor warned that a worst-case scenario of famine was unfolding there and immediate action was needed to avoid widespread death. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s ultimatum, setting a September deadline for Israel, prompted an immediate rebuke from his counterpart in Jerusalem, who said it rewarded Hamas and punished the victims of their 2023 cross-border attack. US President Donald Trump said he did not think Hamas “should be rewarded” with recognition of Palestinian independence. Asked about that criticism, British Transport Minister Heidi Alexander — designated by the government to respond to questions in a series of media interviews on Wednesday — said it was not the right way to characterise Bri... -
Dawn - 06:38 Jul 30, 2025
• IHC bench explains reasons for suspending earlier order directing govt to form probe body • Mysterious woman accused of ‘trapping’ accused men surfaces in court ISLAMABAD: A two-judge bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has said any commission formed to investigate the alleged misuse of the blasphemy law could interfere in cases pending before other courts. The judges on Tuesday explained the reasons for suspending a single bench’s order in the high-profile case. The now-suspended judgement was issued by Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan after 42 hearings in the case whose proceedings were streamed live, in a divergence from the norm. It directed the federal government to establish an inquiry commission within 30 days to investigate the allegations of entrapment, custodial deaths, flawed investigations and violations of fundamental rights. The order, issued on July 15, said nearly 400 FIRs and around 700 individuals were implicated for allegedly committing blasphemy online. The court also flagged irregular... -
Dawn - 06:23 Jul 30, 2025
• Panel told recent price fluctuations yielded Rs300bn profit for mills; chairman says ‘only 42 families’ benefitted • Officials’ reluctance to share names of mill owners with lawmakers draws rebuke • Committee told Rs150m spent out of Rs1.95bn allocated for flood awareness campaign, rest of the money diverted ISLAMABAD: Amid a hike in sugar price, the Public Accounts Committee was informed on Tuesday that the sugar mills have earned Rs300 billion due to recent fluctuations in the rates of the essential commodity. The Auditor General of Pakistan made these revelations during the meeting of the apex parliamentary panel, which convened the high-stakes session to review the sugar import and export policy, rising prices, and the lack of transparency in the sugar industry. The PAC met under the chairmanship of Junaid Akbar Khan and it was briefed by Industries and Production Secretary Saif Anjum, who stated that price regulation and relevant laws fell under provincial jurisdictions. He revealed that from 2013 to 2... -
Dawn - 06:11 Jul 30, 2025
UNITED NATIONS: Arab countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt joined calls on Tuesday for Hamas to disarm and end its rule of Gaza, in a bid to end the devastating war in the Palestinian territory. Seventeen countries plus the European Union and Arab League threw their weight behind a seven-page text agreed at a United Nations conference on reviving the two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians. “In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State,” said the declaration. It followed a call on Monday by the Palestinian delegation at the United Nations for both Israel and Hamas to leave Gaza, allowing the Palestinian Authority to administer the coastal territory. The text also condemned the Hamas raid against Israel of Oct 7, 2023. France, which co-chaired the conference with Saudi Arabia, called t... -
Dawn - 05:39 Jul 30, 2025
LAHORE: Thousands of people from more villages of Taunsa and Layyah had to leave their homes to find safer places on Tuesday due to medium level flood in the Sindh river. The people had to leave different villages in Taunsa, including Mauza Moor Jhangi, Bait Kachhela, Panj Darain, Bait Channar, Bait Ashraf, Jarh Leghari and Mouza Baloch Khan. In Layyah, the people were evacuated from Mouza Lohaj, Thori, Samra Jhok Khan, Basti Kanjo Mohana, Darkhan Khokhar, Panwar, Alliyani Basti, and Rakhwan. A double-storey police check post built in Rakhwan was also submerged completely by floodwater and all its structure demolished. A high school in Basti Alliyani also submerged by water and cracks appeared in its building. In Karor Lal Esan, Bait Mongar was also flooded and all its houses and mosque were also destroyed. The floodwater entered cultivated lands, making it a part of the river in Layyah and Karor Lal Esan. In Dera Ghazi Khan, several villages were submerged by floodwater including Jhok Utra, Kot Chuta, Malkan... -
Dawn - 02:57 Jul 30, 2025
• No notices issued to respondents • Omar Ayub complains to CJP about ‘procedural violations’ in May 9 trials ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has postponed the hearing of a set of challenges instituted by PTI founder Imran Khan over being denied post-arrest bail by the Lahore High Court (LHC) in eight cases related to the May 9 violence. Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, the two-judge bench took up the matter on Tuesday, but adjourned proceedings until Aug 12, although PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja informed the bench that senior counsel Salman Safdar, who had filed the appeals, had requested an adjournment until next week. Mr Raja also asked the bench to issue notices to the respondent, mainly the state, through Punjab’s prosecutor general. However, the court adjourned the case for Aug 12, ignoring both requests to push the hearing date to next week and for the issuance of notices to the respondents. In his plea, Imran Khan had argued that contrary to the prosecution’s accusatio...
7960 items