Dawn
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Found 6698 news
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Dawn - 04:32 Jun 05, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved a reduction in duties on over 7,066 tariff lines, which include raw materials, intermediate and capital goods aimed at stimulating industrial growth in the country. The premier green-lit the proposals for a formal announcement in the budget speech, which had received earlier approval from the Tariff Policy Board and Steering Committee. However, the premier asked that the implementation committee identify any irritants before the budget announcement. Official sources told Dawn on Wednesday that the government will announce the abolishing of 2 per cent additional customs duty (ACD) on 4,294 tariff lines in the upcoming budget. These are mostly raw materials, which will reduce the industries’ input cost. It was also decided that the ACD will be reduced from 4pc to 2pc on 545 tariff lines, from 6pc to 4pc on 2,227 tariff lines, and from 7pc to 6pc for all products currently subject to a customs duty above 20pc. Orders committee to consult sectors enjoying 1... -
Dawn - 03:05 Jun 05, 2025
• Lender wants agri tax enforced, takes exception to plan to sell surplus power at cheaper rates • Fund calls for strategy to stop tax evasion, financial leakage; opposes provincial energy subsidises ISLAMABAD: Amid final consultations on the budget, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) wants strict compliance with programme requirements, including the coverage of agriculture income tax in provincial budgets to ensure effective collection starting no later than September 2025. The Fund also does not agree with a plan for incentivising enhanced power consumption desired by the federal government to absorb surplus capacity. Informed sources said the IMF wanted a strong commitment from the provinces for expenditure control, notwithstanding expansionary development plans presented by the provinces and approved by the National Economic Council (NEC). The four provinces have already exceeded their development allocations for next year by almost Rs850 billion than the IMF’s estimates. The provinces, on the other ha... -
Dawn - 18:58 Jun 04, 2025
US President Donald Trump said he spoke to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday about Ukraine and Iran, warning that the Kremlin leader had “very strongly” pledged to respond to Kyiv’s stunning drone attack on Russian bombers. Trump said that there was no “immediate peace” on the horizon in Ukraine — which Russia invaded in 2022 — following what he described as a one-hour and 15-minute call with the Russian president. On Iran, Trump said that Putin had offered to “participate” in talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme, as Trump accused the Islamic republic of “slow walking” its response to Washington’s offer of a deal. The call came three days after Ukraine conducted a massive, daring drone attack against Russian military airbases, saying it had destroyed several Russian nuclear-capable bombers worth billions of dollars. Trump said that he and Putin had “discussed the attack on Russia’s docked airplanes, by Ukraine and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides”. “It was a go... -
Dawn - 18:24 Jun 04, 2025
Pakistan was appointed as the vice chair of the UN Security Council’s (UNSC) Counter-Terrorism Committee on Wednesday. The committee was established by UNSC resolution 1373 (2001), adopted unanimously on September 28, 2001, after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. The committee, comprising all 15 UNSC members, is tasked with monitoring implementation of the above resolution, which requested countries to implement several measures intended to enhance their legal and institutional ability to counter terrorist activities at home, in their regions and around the world. Pakistan was also appointed head of the UNSC committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011), which oversees the implementation of the sanctions measures on the Afghan Taliban. In a press release, the Pakistan Mission to the UN called the appointments a “significant diplomatic development”. It added that Pakistan was also appointed as the co-chair of the UNSC’s Informal Working Group (IWG) on documentation (working me... -
Dawn - 17:48 Jun 04, 2025
One of the main suspects of a double child murder case drowned after jumping into a river as he was fleeing custody in Punjab’s Hafizabad district on Wednesday, according to the police. Two boys were found dead in a metal trunk of a house after both went missing in Kassoki village of Hafizabad district. Two uncles of one of the deceased boys, and their three accomplices, were among the suspects and police had arrested two of them. Police had registered a case against four nominated and two unidentified suspects and started an investigation. Hafizabad Crime Control Department (CCD) Deputy Superintendent of Police Ijaz Ahmed told Dawn.com today that one of the uncles was in CCD custody when the incident occurred. “The suspect drowned and his dead body was later recovered from the canal,” he added. The first information report (FIR) of the incident was registered at Hafizabad’s Kasoki Police Station on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Ali Kamran under Section 224 (resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawfu... -
Dawn - 17:31 Jun 04, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has invited the opposition leader for consultations on appointing the next chief election commissioner (CEC), months after the incumbent’s term expired in January, it emerged on Wednesday. The constitutional deadline for the appointment of a new chief election commissioner and two members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) expired on March 12, with no action from the government. The 26th Amendment allowed the CEC and the members to continue till their successors come in. As per Article 215(4) of the Constitution, the appointment of the CEC and members must be completed within 45 days. In a letter dated May 16 and addressed to Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub — seen by Dawn.com — the prime minister noted that the term of the incumbent CEC, Sikandar Sultan Raja, expired on January 27 this year, adding that he was holding office in accordance with the second proviso to clause 1 of Article 215 of the Constitution (term of office of the Commissi... -
Dawn - 17:16 Jun 04, 2025
The world’s largest gathering of people, and perhaps it’s the world’s largest test of communication, takes place in holy sites in Saudi Arabia, where more than two million pilgrims from 180 nations converge for Haj. With those pilgrims come hundreds of languages, dialects, and customs, making effective communication profoundly challenging. According to a press release from the Saudi Ministry for Haj and Umrah, the kingdom is “rewriting the rules of communication at Haj”, making broad use of AI translation tools at the core of a pilgrimage built on clarity, access, and spiritual depth. “One of the most powerful examples came during the Arafat sermon, a central and emotionally resonant moment of Haj,” the press release read. “This year, the sermon was translated in real-time into 35 languages, allowing millions around the world — and every pilgrim on the ground — to hear the message of unity, compassion, and faith in their own tongue”. According to the ministry, the broadcast was enabled by advanced AI systems ... -
Dawn - 16:56 Jun 04, 2025
Beijing hit back on Wednesday at US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for saying the world will “never forget” the deadly Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, describing his remarks as an “attack” on China. Troops and tanks forcibly cleared peaceful protesters from Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, after weeks-long demonstrations demanding greater political freedoms. The exact toll is unknown, but hundreds died, with some estimates exceeding 1,000. China’s communist rulers have since sought to erase any public mention of the crackdown, with censors scrubbing all online references. Police were seen by AFP on Wednesday at the entrance to Wan’an Cemetery, a site in west Beijing where victims of the crackdown are known to be buried. Officers were also posted at several intersections leading into Tiananmen Square. On Wednesday evening, a line of buses and a cherry picker partially blocked screens at the German and Canadian embassies showing images of candles, a symbol commonly used to pay tribute to Tiananme... -
Dawn - 16:55 Jun 04, 2025
At least 11 people died on Wednesday in a crowd surge outside a cricket stadium in the Indian city of Bengaluru, where fans were celebrating Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s first Indian Premier League title win, authorities said. Thousands of people, some waving the home team’s red flag, lined the streets around the Chinnaswamy Stadium as the team arrived in a bus in the evening, TV channels showed, with some climbing trees and the stadium wall for a better view. As the celebration proceeded, some people outside without passes tried to push through gates and there was further trouble between the perimeter and main arena, police said. Images from the scene showed people climbing over others. At least 11 people were killed and 47 were injured in the incident, Karnataka state chief minister Siddaramaiah, who uses only one name, told reporters. “At a time of celebration, this unfortunate event should not have happened. We are saddened by this. The fans that showed up were beyond our expectations,” he said. One poli... -
Dawn - 16:00 Jun 04, 2025
Nowshera police on Wednesday arrested the prime suspect in the murder of three children last month, with the alleged killer revealed to be the victims’ grandmother, according to a statement issued by Nowshera police. In May, a family suffered from health problems after consuming food believed to be contaminated, resulting in the death of three children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshera district. Nowshera police spokesperson Turk Ali Shah told Dawn.com, “The family had consumed Mithai [sweets] with tea at night, after which their condition deteriorated. Three siblings died after consuming poisonous food. Their mother was in critical condition.” According to Wednesday’s statement, police formed an investigation team to probe the case, which was registered on May 19 upon the complaint of the victim’s father. An inquiry was launched under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) (police to inquire and report on suicide, etc). “District Police Chief Abdul Rashid formed an investigative team led by SP (S... -
Dawn - 15:25 Jun 04, 2025
More than 200,000 Afghans have left Pakistan since the government renewed a deportation drive in April, with Iran also stepping up expulsions of Afghans. Generations of Afghans have fled to Pakistan and Iran during decades of successive wars, seeking safety and better economic opportunities. Both governments have grown weary of large migrant populations and ordered millions to leave under the threat of arrest. Pakistan has launched a strict campaign to evict more than 800,000 Afghans who have had their residence permits cancelled, including some who were born in the country or lived there for decades. According to the interior ministry, more than 135,000 Afghans left Pakistan in April, while around 67,000 departed in May and more than 3,000 were sent back in the first two days of June. The number of returnees has slowed ahead of the Eidul Azha holiday later this week, but some Afghans were still crossing the main border points from Pakistan today. “We left behind our orchards” and livelihoods, 21-year-old far... -
Dawn - 15:04 Jun 04, 2025
A tanker driver attempted to kidnap a traffic police officer in Karachi’s Manghopir, resulting in a clash which injured three cops, police said in a statement on Wednesday. According to District West Police spokesperson Nabeel Ahmed Rajput, “A tanker driver attempted to kidnap a traffic official near the Malik Chandio Chowk area of Manghopir Police Station. “Instead of stopping at the checkpoint, the tanker driver tried to kidnap the traffic policeman,” he said, adding that the noise prompted a nearby police mobile to chase the tanker to stop it. The statement also said, “An angry group of people, accompanying the driver, launched an attack, injuring three police officers by assaulting them with sticks and stones.” The injured have been shifted to the hospital for immediate medical attention, the spokesperson said. He added that the police were present at the scene and the situation was under control. The city has lately witnessed a rise in traffic accidents, especially involving heavy vehicles, including d... -
Dawn - 14:39 Jun 04, 2025
The high-powered delegation, led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, has reached Washington after concluding its two-day visit to the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Wednesday. Pakistan had launched a broad-based engagement campaign in the United States to present its perspective on the recent spike in tensions with India, and counter New Delhi’s growing lobbying presence here. The delegation comprises Senator Rehman, former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Dr Musadik Malik, Engineer Khurram Dastgir, Faisal Subzwari, Tehmina Janjua, Senator Bushra Anjum Butt and Jalil Abbas Jilani. In New York, the delegation “drew attention to India’s illegal use of force and violations of international law, including the UN Charter and International Humanitarian Law, particularly targeting of civilian areas and killing of innocent civilians, including women and children”, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office. It added that the delegation rejected India’s allegations regarding t... -
Dawn - 12:46 Jun 04, 2025
A law banning the marriage of children under eighteen years of age has been challenged in the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) in Islamabad, arguing that it was against the Constitution as well as the tenets of Islam and should be abolished. The bill, which sought to protect the rights of children and eradicate marriages of children under the age of 18, was signed into law by the president on May 27 after sailing through both houses of parliament. However, the move attracted strong opposition from the religious segments of society, with the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) — a constitutional body responsible for giving legal advice on Islamic issues to the government and parliament — ruling that “classifying marriage under the age of 18 as rape did not conform with Islamic law”. A citizen, Shahzada Adnan, filed a petition through his lawyer, Advocate Mudassar Chaudhry, against the recently enacted Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Act 2025. The petition has been filed against the Ministry of In... -
Dawn - 12:42 Jun 04, 2025
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that abandoning uranium enrichment was “100 per cent” against the country’s interests, rejecting a central US demand in talks to resolve a decades-long dispute over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. The US proposal for a new nuclear deal was presented to Iran on Saturday by Oman, which has mediated talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. After five rounds of talks, several hard-to-bridge issues remain, including Iran’s insistence on maintaining uranium enrichment on its soil and Tehran’s refusal to ship abroad its entire existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium — possible raw material for nuclear bombs. Khamenei, who has the final say on all matters of state, said nothing about halting the talks, but said the US proposal “contradicts our nation’s belief in self-reliance and the principle of ‘We Can’”. “Uranium enrichment is the key to our nuclear programme and the enemies h... -
Dawn - 11:47 Jun 04, 2025
Shares at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) climbed by 1,300 points on Wednesday ahead of the budget announcement on June 10. The KSE-100 index climbed 923.71, or 0.77 per cent, to stand at 121,374.58 from the last close of 120,450.87 at 1:31pm. The index closed at 121,798.86, with a gain of 1347.99 points or 1.12pc. Sana Tawfik, head of research at Arif Habib Limited, attributed the bullish momentum to the news of the approval of a new financial package between Pakistan and Asian Development Bank (ADB). The ADB approved an $800 million programme to strengthen fiscal sustainability and improve public financial management in Pakistan, according to a statement issued by the Philippines-based lender. The statement read that subprogramme 2 of the “Improved Resource Mobilisation and Utilisation Reform Programme” includes a policy-based loan of $300m, and ADB’s “first ever policy-based guarantee” of up to $500m, which is expected to mobilise financing of up to $1 billion from commercial banks. Additionally, Tawfik ... -
Dawn - 11:43 Jun 04, 2025
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to make his first visit to occupied Kashmir since the conflict between the country and Pakistan began last month, inaugurating a ‘strategic railway’ service to the mountainous region, his office said on Wednesday. Modi will visit the valley on Friday to open the Chenab Bridge, a 1,315-metre-long steel and concrete span that connects two mountains with an arch 359m above the river below. “The project establishes all-weather, seamless rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country,” the Indian Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. Modi is expected to flag off a special train. Last month, nuclear-armed India and Pakistan fought an intense four-day conflict, their worst standoff since 1999, before a US-brokered ceasefire was agreed on May 10. This military confrontation took place after New Delhi, without evidence, blamed Islamabad for backing terrorists who killed 26 tourists in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam and launched a series of airstr... -
Dawn - 10:51 Jun 04, 2025
US federal prosecutors have accused two Chinese nationals of smuggling a dangerous biological pathogen that had the potential to be used as an agricultural terrorism weapon into the United States for research. The US Department of Justice on Tuesday identified the pathogen as Fusarium graminearum, a fungus it said was classified in scientific literature as a potential agroterrorism weapon. In a statement, it said that the fungus causes “head blight” in some crops and is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses globally each year. According to an FBI criminal complaint, Zunyong Liu, 34, a researcher currently in China, brought the fungus into the US while visiting his girlfriend, Yunqing Jian, 33, in July 2024. He admitted to smuggling in the fungus so he could conduct research on it at a University of Michigan laboratory where his girlfriend worked, according to the complaint. The university did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to the complaint, an examination of elect... -
Dawn - 10:25 Jun 04, 2025
‘In the quiet hours just past midnight on May 6, a battle unfolded above the clouds that rewrote the rules of modern air warfare. It wasn’t marked by dogfights or dramatic barrel rolls seen in past conflicts between the two arch-rival South Asian neighbours. Instead, the skies over Pakistan and India became a silent battlefield of invisible forces — electromagnetic pulses, jamming beams, satellite interference, and beyond-visual-range missiles slicing through the night.’ This excerpt from a Dawn report describes the recent aerial clash between Pakistan and India, which has been termed as a significant development in the regional air power constellation. This military confrontation took place after New Delhi, without evidence, blamed Islamabad for backing terrorists who killed 26 tourists in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam and launched a series of airstrikes on different Pakistani cities. In its response, the Pakistan Air Force took down six Indian jets, including three advanced French Rafale planes, one Su-30MKI,... -
Dawn - 09:56 Jun 04, 2025
Tump Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Hanif Noorzai was abducted from Balochistan’s Kech district on Wednesday, an official told Dawn.com. According to Kech Deputy Commissioner Bashir Ahmed Barich, unidentified militants kidnapped the AC, who was posted at Tump, near the Iranian border. He said Noorzai was on his way from Quetta to Tump on Wednesday morning, but did not provide further details. Noorzai is from Quetta and has previously served as AC in different areas of the province. In September 2016, Asad Khan Tareen, son of then-Balochistan’s Minister for Local Government Sardar Mustafa Tareen — who had been kidnapped in May that year — was recovered from an area of Qila Abdulla district close to the Pak-Afghan border. Armed men kidnapped Asad Tareen in Pishin town on May 21 when he was returning from Cadet College Pishin, where he worked as a warden. He was reportedly taken across the border in Afghanistan. This is a developing story
6698 items