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  • Karachi-Dhaka flights likely from January, says Pakistan’s high commissioner
    Dawn - 15:31 Dec 29, 2025
    Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haider expressed hope on Monday that direct flights between Karachi and Dhaka will start in January, during a meeting with the Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus. Relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh remained shaky during Sheikh Hasina’s rule. However, following the popular revolt against her government and her subsequent exile, relations between the two countries improved markedly, with Professor Muhammad Yunus leading the interim administration in Dhaka. “During the meeting, both sides discussed ways to expand cooperation in trade, investment, and aviation, as well as scaling up cultural, educational, and medical exchanges to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two South Asian nations,” said a statement shared on X by Bangladesh’s interim leader. Haider, during the meeting, also noted that bilateral trade has recorded a 20 per cent growth compared to last year, with business communities from both countries actively exploring new invest...
    Tags: Pakistan January
  • In letter to Maryam, KP CM expresses ‘deep concern’ over treatment meted out to him in Punjab
    Dawn - 15:24 Dec 29, 2025
    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, in a letter addressed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday, expressed “deep concern” at the treatment meted out to him during his three-day Lahore visit, stating it was marked by “discourtesy and unnecessary hostility”. In a two-page letter, posted on X by the KP government, the Afridi recorded his formal objection to the Punjab government’s conduct, and said, “I write to you with deep concern and strong exception to the manner in which my recent visit to the Province of Punjab was handled, and the events that deliberately unfolded during and after the visit.” He recalled that the “sequence of actions witnessed was neither accidental nor administrative in nature. “It reflects conduct that is wholly incompatible with the dignity of constitutional office and the spirit of inter-provincial respect,” he said. CM Afridi told the Punjab CM that he undertook the visit in his capacity as the chief minister. “Regrettably, the treatment accorded to me was mark...
    Tags: Punjab
  • PTI founder Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi challenge Toshakhana 2 verdict in IHC
    Dawn - 14:00 Dec 29, 2025
    PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, on Monday filed separate appeals with the Islamabad High Court (IHC) challenging their conviction in the Toshakhana 2 case. A special court on December 20 sentenced Imran and Bushra to 17 years imprisonment in the case, which pertained to the purchase of an expensive Bulgari jewellery set, gifted to Imran by the Saudi crown prince during an official visit in May 2021, at a throwaway price. During the proceedings, the prosecution contended that the PTI founder retained the jewellery set, valued at approximately Rs80 million, after paying only Rs2.9m. According to copies of the appeal available with Dawn, the couple’s lawyers contended that the sentencing was politically motivated, arguing, “The overarching objective of the present prosecution appears to be the continued incarceration of the appellant, thereby preventing his participation in national politics and curtailing his political role and influence.” Furthermore, it was noted th...
    Tags: Toshakhana Bushra Bibi Imran Khan
  • Lahore DC gives formal go-ahead for 3-day Basant celebrations
    Dawn - 13:04 Dec 29, 2025
    LAHORE: The Lahore deputy commissioner (DC) gave the formal go-ahead on Monday for celebrating Basant in the district from February 6-8, explaining the terms and conditions, as well as restrictions for the festival and consequences of their violations. Basant is returning to Lahore after 18 years, the way for which was paved by the passing of the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Bill, 2025 by the provincial assembly on December 24. The legislation authorised deputy commissioners to grant conditional permission for kite-flying — which otherwise remains banned in Punjab — on specified days and at designated locations. Subsequently, a notification issued by the Lahore DC today said: “In exercise of powers conferred under section 6(1) of the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Ordinance, 2025 and in pursuance of approval of the Government, it is hereby notified that kite-flying is allowed within the territorial limits of District Lahore on the occasion of Basant 2026,” subject to conditions. The notification, a copy...
    Tags: Lahore Basant
  • Police official martyred as terrorists open fire on vehicle in KP’s Lakki Marwat
    Dawn - 12:19 Dec 29, 2025
    LAKKI MARWAT: A police official was martyred in a gun attack in the Wanda Jogi area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district on Monday. The district police’s spokesperson, Qudratullah, confirming the attack, said that “the official was going to his place of duty in a private pickup when terrorists riding on motorcycles intercepted the vehicle and opened fire on him”. The incident occurred within the limits of the Shaheed Haibat Ali Khan police station in Darra Pezu Town. The police official was identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Mumtaz Ali, and was posted as the muharir of City Police Station in Tank. The assailants managed to flee, while the police have launched a search operation, Qudratullah added. The body of the deceased was shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital for medico-legal formalities, he added. Later, funeral prayers for the deceased were offered at the police lines in the District Headquarters Complex, Tajazai. Recently, many areas of KP have seen a series of terrorist attac...
    Tags: Lakki Marwat
  • NA Secretariat writes fourth letter to opposition chief whip seeking details of cases involving Omar Ayub
    Dawn - 12:05 Dec 29, 2025
    The National Assembly Secretariat on Monday wrote a fourth letter to the opposition’s chief whip, Amir Dogar, seeking a written reply detailing court cases pending against former opposition leader Omar Ayub. Since Omar Ayub’s disqualification by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the seat of the opposition leader in the lower house has been vacant. Meanwhile, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had maintained that the matter of the nomination of the opposition leader in the house is “sub judice”. According to the press release issued by the NA Secretariat spokesperson, earlier letters on the same matter were sent on November 19, December 5, and December 19, 2025. “However, no response has so far been received by the National Assembly Secretariat,” it said. The statement said that the “provision of this information is essential to fulfil the constitutional requirements for the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition”. “The [National Assembly] Secretariat has been made a party in certain subjudice cases involving th...
    Tags: Omar Ayub Secretariat
  • LHC judge hears PTI-backed MPAs’ pleas against property protection law, says matter ‘should not be politicised’
    Dawn - 11:03 Dec 29, 2025
    LAHORE: Lahore High Court’s Justice Faisal Zaman Khan said on Monday that the matter of the new property protection law “should not be politicised”, as he took up a petition filed by two PTI-backed lawmakers challenging the Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Ordinance, 2025. The ordinance, which empowers deputy commissioner-led committees to decide property disputes, has become a point of contention with LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum suspending its operation on December 22 and the provinicial government voicing opposition to the court decision. Today, Justice Faisal Zaman Khan took up a petition filed by two members of the Punjab Assembly against the ordinance. The petition was filed by MPAs Imtiaz Mahmood and Ijaz Shafi — who are both backed by the PTI, which is in the opposition in Punjab — on Saturday. Their lawyer, Azhar Siddique, appeared before the court at the hearing where the judge asked him whether the petitioners had raised their concerns against the law in the Punjab Assembly. T...
  • Appeal filed against ex-spymaster Faiz Hameed’s conviction by military court: lawyer
    Dawn - 09:33 Dec 29, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: Former chief of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Faiz Hameed‘s lawyer confirmed to Dawn on Monday that an appeal had been filed against the ex-spymaster’s sentencing by a military court. “Yes, we have appealed his sentencing,” Hameed’s lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, told Dawn but did not share any details about the appeal. Hameed was sentenced to 14 years rigorous imprisonment by a military court on December 11 after being convicted on four counts related to violating secrecy laws, engaging in political activities, misuse of authority and causing harm to others. He had a 40-day window following his conviction and sentencing to appeal against the Field General Court Martial (FGCM) decision, according to Section 133B of the Pakistan Army Act. The appeal is first reviewed by a Court of Appeals, led by a major general or higher, as designated by the army chief. The chief then holds the authority to confirm, revise, or overturn the sentence. Historically, the military’s appellate process has stretched over s...
    Tags: Faiz Hameed
  • Speaker says law enforcement agencies to probe chaos during KP CM’s visit to Punjab Assembly
    Dawn - 08:35 Dec 29, 2025
    Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan on Monday announced that an inquiry conducted into the chaos that marred the arrival of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to the provinicial legislature’s building over the weekend would be sent to the law enforcement agencies. During his three-day visit to Lahore over the weekend, the KP chief minister had given an address at the Punjab Assembly to opposition MPAs on Friday. However, the visit was marred by altercations between members of his entourage and security officials, while heated exchanges between PTI leaders and journalists were also witnessed. Addressing the incident at a press conference in Lahore today, Khan said that the report on the unrest was being sent to the law enforcement agencies, which would conduct an independent investigation into the incident. He said that he had informed the KP chief minister that a special permit was required to enter the assembly premises, and that in the absence of any other documentation, “at least...
    Tags: Punjab Assembly
  • Pakistan expresses concern over persecution of minorities in India following reports of vandalism marring Christmas festivities
    Dawn - 08:23 Dec 29, 2025
    The Foreign Office (FO) said on Monday that the persecution of minorities in India was a matter of “deep concern” following incidents of vandalism reported in the neighbouring country ahead of Christmas. Last week, mobs armed with wooden sticks vandalised Christmas decorations at a shopping mall in central India, while right-wing groups disrupted school celebrations and burned holiday merchandise in the northeast, according to Indian media. The incidents occurred in the states of Chhattisgarh, Assam, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh ahead of the holiday. In a statement released on Monday, the FO said, “The persecution of minorities in India is a matter of deep concern. “Recent condemnable incidents of vandalism during Christmas, as well as state-sponsored campaigns targeting Muslims — including the demolition of their homes and repeated lynchings, notably the case of Muhammad Akhlaq, in which the state worked to shield the perpetrators from accountability — have deepened fear and alienation among Muslims,” it said. A...
    Tags: Christmas India
  • NDMA tells authorities to ensure preparedness ahead of expected cold wave
    Dawn - 07:50 Dec 29, 2025
    The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), in a weather advisory issued on Monday, asked authorities to ensure all necessary preparations and response measures ahead of an expected cold wave in the country. The NDMA said that a “westerly wave” is likely to approach the western parts of the country from December 29 (today), resulting in rain and snowfall in various areas from tonight till January 2. It said that the system was expected to grip “most upper and central parts of the country on Dec 31 and persist in the upper regions till the morning of Jan 2“. According to the NDMA, “snowfall may lead to road closures and slippery conditions in Naran, Kaghan, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Shangla, Astore, Hunza, Skardu, Murree, Galiyat, Neelum Valley, Bagh, Poonch and Haveli from the night of Dec 30 till the morning of Jan 2.” It also projected a likelihood of “landslides and avalanches in the hilly areas of upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir during the same...
    Tags: NDMA
  • YouTuber Rajab Butt physically assaulted at sessions court in Karachi
    Dawn - 07:21 Dec 29, 2025
    KARACHI: YouTuber Rajab Butt was physically assaulted at a sessions court in Karachi on Monday during the hearing of a case registered against him for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. Butt appeared before the sessions court (Central) upon the expiry of his interim bail, which was granted to him on December 20. The hearing, however, was marred by violence and chaos as Butt was attacked. Butt‘s counsel, Mian Ali Ashfaq, alleged in a post on social media platform X that his client had been attacked by “some lawyers” at Karachi City Courts’ premises during the hearing of a case. He said the attack was carried out in his presence, in which Butt was injured. “[They] continued to beat him despite being repeatedly asked to stop,” Ashfaq said, terming “such conduct by the lawyers unprofessional”. He added, “Taking the law into their hands is weakening the reputation of lawyers in the country.” Ashfaq further stated that if “lawyers will become a party [in cases] every other day and continue to attack private li...
    Tags: YouTuber Rajab Butt Karachi
  • ‘Weaponisation of water neither sane nor acceptable,’ Sherry says after India approves hydel project on Chenab
    Dawn - 07:04 Dec 29, 2025
    Senator Sherry Rehman on Monday said that the “weaponisation of water was neither sane nor acceptable” after Indian media reported that New Delhi had approved a hydel power project on the Chenab River. In a post on the social media platform X, the PPP leader said, “In flagrant violation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), India has just given approval to the Dulhasti Stage-II hydropower project on the Chenab River in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K). “As per the IWT, which cannot be unilaterally revoked, as recent UN rapporteurs have confirmed, Pakistan has control over the waters of the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers, while the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers fall under India’s control,” she said. “Following the illegal suspension of the treaty, India has decided to fast-track several disputed hydroelectric projects in the Indus Basin. These projects include Sawalkot, Ratle, Bursar, Pakal Dul, Kwar, Kiru, and Kirthai-1 and 2. Dulhasti Stage-II is considered part of this strategy,” she said. ...
    Tags: Chenab India
  • Bondi Beach attack hero says wanted to protect ‘innocent people’
    Dawn - 05:37 Dec 29, 2025
    Bondi Beach shooting hero Ahmed al Ahmed recalled the moment he ran towards one of the attackers and wrestled the gun from him, saying in an interview published Monday with a US outlet he wanted to protect “innocent people”. Father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram are accused of targeting a Hanukkah event on Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 14, killing 15 people and wounding dozens in what authorities have described as an anti-Semitic terrorist attack. Despite the tragedy, tales of heroism emerged of those who tried to stop the two gunmen during their deadly rampage. Among them was Ahmed al Ahmed, a fruit seller, who went viral for ducking between parked cars as the shooting unfolded and then wresting a gun from one of the assailants. “My target was just to take the gun from him, and to stop him from killing a human being’s life and not killing innocent people,” he told CBS News in an interview that airs on Monday. “I know I saved lots, but I feel sorry for the lost.” Ahmed was shot several times in the shoulde...
    Tags: Bondi Beach
  • China launches war games around Taiwan as island vows to defend democracy
    Dawn - 05:26 Dec 29, 2025
    China’s military moved army, naval, air force and artillery units around Taiwan on Monday for its “Justice Mission 2025” drills, as the island vowed to defend democracy and mobilised troops to rehearse repelling a potential Chinese attack. The Eastern Theatre Command announced the drills will involve live-fire exercises on Tuesday, in a statement containing a graphic demarcating five zones surrounding the island that will be under sea and air space restrictions for 10 hours from 8am (5am PKT). This marks China’s sixth major round of war games since 2022 after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the democratically governed island, and follows a rise in Chinese rhetoric over Beijing’s territorial claims after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo. The exercises began 11 days after the United States announced $11.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, the largest ever weapons package for the island, drawing a prote...
    Tags: China Taiwan
  • Kundi says KP security situation has ‘deteriorated significantly’
    Dawn - 03:28 Dec 29, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtun­khwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Sunday asked the provincial government to support the military operations in the province as the security situation had significantly deteriorated due to militancy. Speaking at the National Press Club, he said the KP government should support security operations, as “without stability, development projects could not move forward”. Insecurity has a negative impact on the social and economic conditions of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said, adding that “sustained peace was essential for businesses and investment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”. Mr Kundi blamed Afghanistan for the rise in terrorism and alleged the involvement of Afghan nationals in the attacks in Pakistan. He said those Afghans who did not have documents to stay in Pakistan were “illegal”. The governor said no foreign national could reside in Pakistan without valid documents and the same policy applied to the undocumented Afghans too. He added that those wishing to study or work must en...
    Tags: Kundi
  • PTI will use protests to push govt for talks: Afridi
    Dawn - 02:52 Dec 29, 2025
    • KP CM says dialogue without ‘resistance’ not effective; Karachi his ‘next destination’ • Believes talks can be meaningful if ‘power-wielding individuals’ participate • Azma claims ‘street movement’ failed to attract public, dubs it ‘social media hype’ LAHORE: After spending three days in the provincial capital galvanising party supporters, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Min­ister Sohail Afridi said the PTI would not engage in talks with the government without first taking to the streets to demonstrate its opposition to the status quo. His remarks come as party leaders are split into two camps: one led by veterans favouring dialogue, while the other is bent on street agitation as per the directions of the incarcerated founder, Imran Khan. A day earlier, CM Afridi said the decision to initiate talks rested with the opposition alliance, and that he was in charge of the ‘street movement’. CM Afridi, along with other provincial ministers and members of the assembly, had arrived in Lahore to launch a new street movemen...
    Tags: Afridi
  • Muttahida groups in war of words over Dr Imran Farooq’s murder
    Dawn - 02:34 Dec 29, 2025
    KARACHI: A war of words erupted between two factions of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Sunday after Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal once again blamed party founder Altaf Hussain for being involved in the 2010 murder of senior party leader Dr Imran Farooq in London. Speaking at a press conference at a park adjacent to the party’s Bahadurabad headquarters, Mr Kamal said if Mr Hussain “truly considers himself innocent, he should approach a London court and file a petition for a transparent investigation into the brutal murder of Dr Imran Farooq”. It may be noted that in 2020 an Islamabad anti-terrorism court had sentenced three men — Syed Mohsin Ali, Moazzam Ali and Khalid Shamim — to life imprisonment and declared Mr Hussain an absconder in the Imran Farooq murder case. The MQM-P leader’s presser came a day after the burial of Dr Imran Farooq’s widow Shumaila, who died a couple of days ago in London. Mr Kamal, as well as leaders of MQM factions, attended the funeral and expressed their condolence with he...
    Tags: Imran Farooq
  • Sirajuddin Haqqani thanks JUI-F’s Fazl, other Pakistani ulema for ‘extending goodwill’ towards Afghanistan
    Dawn - 19:11 Dec 28, 2025
    The interim Afghan Taliban regime’s interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, on Sunday extended his gratitude to all organisations and actors extending goodwill and good intentions to Afghanistan, including the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F). The comments, delivered during an event in Kabul, come after JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, on December 23, criticised Islamabad for striking terrorist targets in Afghanistan and Iran and for deporting Afghan refugees. “There comes a point when refugees become a problem, but you come together to resolve it; you don’t expel people who have been living in your country for 40 years,” he said, calling on Pakistan and Afghanistan to maintain friendly relations. A declaration from Dec 23 stated that tension “is not in the interest of either country and will only benefit anti-Islamic forces”, urging Kabul and Islamabad to resolve their issues through dialogue. Haqqani referred to the conference on Dec 23, noting that Fazl and religious scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani “expressed ...
    Tags: Afghanistan Sirajuddin Haqqani Fazl JUI-F
  • Man in Suriname stabs nine to death, including five children
    Dawn - 18:14 Dec 28, 2025
    A man stabbed to death nine people, including five children, overnight in Suriname’s capital Paramaribo, police said Sunday, adding the suspect was wounded and arrested. The man appeared to be suffering from mental health issues, and four of his own children were among the fatalities in the attack, which took place in and around his home, according to local media reports. The suspect had an argument with his wife over the phone before stabbing one of the victims, his 11-year-old daughter, 44 times in the kitchen of their home, local media reported. “A man killed four adults and five children with a sharp object at a residence in Hadji Iding Soemitaweg,” the local police said in a statement. “A sixth child and an adult were seriously injured and were transported” to the hospital, according to the statement. Officers who arrived on the scene had to open fire on the suspect, as “he attacked police with a sharp object,“ the statement said. The man sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and has been hospitalised und...
    Tags: Suriname

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