Dawn
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Dawn - 10:48 May 31, 2025
India’s Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan confirmed on Saturday that his country’s fighter jets were shot down by Pakistan during the four-day conflict earlier in the month. Indian fighter jets were shot down by the Pakistan Air Force on the night of May 6-7 in response to the Indian Air Force’s late-night missile strikes at six Pakistani sites, including Subhan Mosque in Bahawalpur’s Ahmedpur East, Bilal Mosque in Muzaffarabad, Abbas Mosque in Kotli, Umalkura Mosque in Muridke, the village of Kotki Lohara in Sialkot district, and Shakargarh. Pakistan took down six Indian jets, including three advanced French Rafale planes. According to a Dawn report, the recent clash between India and Pakistan marks a significant development in the regional air power constellation. Three Rafales, one Su-30MKI, one Mirage 2000 and one MiG-29 were downed within a 40-minute span. Not one Pakistani jet crossed the border or engaged in close combat. While speaking to Bloomberg at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Ge... -
Dawn - 10:23 May 31, 2025
Hours after Pakistan decided to enhance ties with Afghanistan yesterday, the Afghan foreign ministry welcomed the decision and announced upgrading the status of its chargé d’affaires in Islamabad to ambassador. Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to upgrade their diplomatic relations by exchanging envoys earlier this month — a key step towards normalising ties after years of strained relations due to terrorism concerns repeatedly voiced by Islamabad. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan welcomes the decision of the Government of Pakistan to upgrade the level of its diplomatic mission in Kabul to that of an ambassador,” the Afghan foreign ministry said on its X account late on Friday. “In reciprocity, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will elevate the status of its mission in Islamabad from chargé d’affaires to ambassador,” the ministry added. Zakir Jalaly, an Afghan foreign ministry official, wrote on X that the current chargé d’affaires in Islamabad, Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, will ... -
Dawn - 10:17 May 31, 2025
The Punjab government on Saturday said that Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) will be in place to prevent disturbance of public peace and danger to human life from June 5 to June 11. A notification issued by the provincial government today said that it was reported that during Eidul Azha, random people burned the heads and feet of sacrificial animals which emitted unhealthy smoke and unpleasant smell. “Members of the public throw entrails of sacrificial animals on roadside and drains, which causes smell/insanitary conditions and blockage of sewerage system,” the notification added. It continued that people in different areas swim in the “canals, ponds, lakes, riverbanks and distributaries during Eid holidays”, placing their lives at risk. “Cattle sellers illegally establish sale points for sale/purchase of sacrificial animals within populated areas of districts, which causes hindrance in smooth conduct of traffic and also spread of different diseases,” it read. “The said activities are not ... -
Dawn - 07:59 May 31, 2025
ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Friday raised alarm over the alleged leaking of Cambridge University’s Advanced Level (A-Level) examination papers in Pakistan, warning it has put the academic futures of bright students in jeopardy. The National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education met at the education ministry with Dr Azimuddin Zahid Lakhvi in the chair. The members said there were alleged reports that four question papers had been leaked and were available on various WhatsApp groups. They said reports alleged that the question papers were available for sale a day before the exam and were sold for dollars. MNA from Faisalabad Mohammad Ali Sarfraz, who attended the meeting as a special invitee, informed the committee about the leaked papers. He said leaking of papers had put future of shining students at risk. “My own daughter, who has excellent academic record, was crying after one of the papers as some other students got the question paper in advance and 100pc same questions appeared in the e... -
Dawn - 07:47 May 31, 2025
KHYBER: A student died after he was tortured by the head of a primary school in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber district on Friday, the police said. They added that Waqar Ahmad, head of a private school in Sur Kamar locality, subjected a student of grade 5, Khiyal Mat Khan, to corporal punishment during the morning assembly, leaving him critically injured. The student later succumbed to his injuries in hospital. The police said that the school head used a stick to beat the student on head, neck, face and back, which caused his death. They said that they had arrested the accused when the matter was brought to their notice. Residents of Jamrud demanded exemplary punishment for the accused, and also an end to corporal punishment in educational institutions. Meanwhile, Afghan drivers complained of police torture of one of their colleagues in Shah Kas area on Friday. They alleged that traffic police manhandled an Afghan driver right in front of the police training centre in Shah Kas without him committing any traffic viol... -
Dawn - 07:14 May 31, 2025
LAHORE: Sahibzada Farhan looked keen on making up for lost time. Almost six months since he last represented Pakistan, the flamboyant opener sparkled with a career-best 74 as hosts trounced a hapless Bangladesh by 57 runs in the second Twenty20 International at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday to seal the three-match series with a game to spare. With Sahibzada in full flow — having returned to the national team fold after an impressive show in the Pakistan Super League — and Hasan Nawaz making a quickfire 51 not out, Pakistan amassed 201-6 after electing to bat. The bowlers then came to the fore as Bangladesh lost their way after a bright start; spinner Abrar Ahmed being the destroyer-in-chief with 3-19 as Pakistan bundled them out for 144 with only Tanzim Hasan Sakib (50) offering some late resistance. It was Pakistan’s first series victory since they beat Zimbabwe in December last year. Sahibzada’s poor return in that series had seen him fall out of national reckoning, but on his return, he set the tone for Pa... -
Dawn - 07:08 May 31, 2025
NEW DELHI: An Indian airline has decided to terminate its leasing agreement with Turkish Airlines by Aug 31 after India’s aviation regulator said on Friday it would only extend the deal for three months, a move that will push the carrier to seek alternatives. The agreement between the two airlines has come under public criticism in India after Turkiye came out in support for Pakistan during the recent conflict. The pact has also been opposed by IndiGo’s rival Air India, which has lobbied the Indian government to end the deal, citing business impact and security concerns. India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation said it had denied IndiGo’s request for a six-month extension and approved only three months, citing passenger convenience. The lease was due to expire on Saturday. The regulator said IndiGo gave an undertaking that it will terminate the lease with state-owned Turkish Airlines by Aug 31 and will not seek a further extension. One of the two Turkish Airlines’ wet-leased Boeing 777s operating a fligh... -
Dawn - 07:05 May 31, 2025
KARACHI: A teenage boy reportedly died of heatstroke on Friday as temperature crossed 40 degree Celsius mark in parts of the city on Friday. The boy, aged around 15 years, was brought dead to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi from Moachko. “His post-mortem examination was carried out. It was apparently a heatstroke case,” Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn. Sources said he was a homeless person and the body was found in Murad Kalmati Goth’s jungle area. Meanwhile, the Met department’s data showed that the city’s average temperature was 40 degrees Celsius, though some areas, including Gulistan-i-Jauhar, were hotter (40.1 degrees Celsius). The relative humidity recorded in the morning was 60 per cent. The department has forecast hot and humid weather over the next two days (Saturday-Sunday) with maximum temperatures ranging between 37 degrees Celsius and 39 degrees Celsius. The heatwave persisted in Sindh cities. On Friday, Mohenjo-Daro became the hottest place in the country with the maximum tempe... -
Dawn - 06:47 May 31, 2025
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that representatives from Pakistan are coming to the United States next week as Islamabad seeks to make a deal on tariffs. Pakistan faces a potential 29 per cent tariff on its exports to the US due to a $3 billion trade surplus with the world’s biggest economy, under tariffs announced by Washington last month on countries around the world. Pakistan’s formal negotiations with the United States on reciprocal tariffs started earlier in the day with a phone call between Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, a press release from the finance ministry said. “Pakistan representatives are coming in next week,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews after departing Air Force One. “And India, as you know, we’re very close to making a deal with India. And I wouldn’t have any interest in making a deal with either (Pakistan and India) if they were going to be at war with each other. I went that and I let them know,” the US president stre... -
Dawn - 06:30 May 31, 2025
Ehsan Malik, Pakistan Business Council CEO KARACHI: Business leaders have advised the government to avoid surprises in the upcoming federal budget by proposing significant relief for the salaried class, including a reduction in the general sales tax (GST) and the phasing out of the super tax. In addition to balancing the external account and managing the fiscal deficit, Pakistan Business Council CEO Ehsan Malik stated that there is now an urgent need to augment defence spending through higher export earnings. The PBC’s budget proposals aimed to fiscally incentivise the rapid growth of exports and the indigenisation of inputs. Given the constraints on the fiscal account, the council sought a gradual reduction in corporate and super taxes, as well as the withdrawal of multiple taxation on inter-corporate dividends. Relief was requested for salaried employees, as was a reduction in GST, which at 18pc incentivised evasion. He emphasised that a higher tax-to-GDP ratio should be the result of business growth, not t... -
Dawn - 06:18 May 31, 2025
• Justice Mandokhail issues 36-page dissenting note against majority decision to uphold civilians’ military trial • Regrets govt opted to burden military courts instead of improving judicial system ISLAMABAD: Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail of the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench on Friday issued a 36-page dissenting note challenging the majority verdict that upheld the trial of civilians in military courts and raising questions about the use of military courts for civilian cases. “Nowhere in the world, courts martial try terrorism-related cases,” said Justice Mandokhail, a member of the seven-judge constitutional bench, in the dissenting note. Justice Mandokhail and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, in a minority judgement on May 7, set aside intra-court appeals against the Oct 23, 2023, five-judge judgement that had declared the military trials of civilians illegal. While brushing aside the perception that civil courts had failed to tackle the menace of terrorism and courts martial were the only solution to th... -
Dawn - 05:03 May 31, 2025
GILGIT: Local traders involved in Pakistan-China trade via Khunjerab Pass launched an indefinite protest sit-in on Friday, blocking the Karakoram Highway (KKH) at Pissan in Nagar, stranding thousands of local and international travellers on both sides of the route. The protest call was issued by the Pak-China Traders Action Committee, an alliance comprising the Gilgit-Baltistan Importers and Exporters Association, the Nagar Chamber of Commerce, and small trade associations from Nagar, Hunza, and Gilgit. Protesters chanted slogans against Pakistan Customs and the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) government. According to the protesters, the primary grievance is the suspension of customs clearance for imported consignments from China at Sost Dry Port for the last six months, effectively halting Pak-China trade. According to traders, 257 consignments imported from China have been stuck at Sost Dry port since December last year, causing “billions of rupees losses” from expired items, daily port charges, and other expenses. T... -
Dawn - 18:52 May 30, 2025
Pakistan’s formal negotations with the United States on recirpocal tariffs started on Friday with a phone call between Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, a press release from the finance ministry said. The increase in trade tariffs on Pakistani products announced by US President Donald Trump, which were paused, could have a devastating impact on Pakistan’s important exports and served as a wake-up call for diversification, according to a state-owned think tank. The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics warned that these tariffs would have a “devastating impact” on the country’s export sector, translating into an annual loss of $1.1-1.4 billion. According to the finance ministry, Aurangzeb and Greer “exchanged their view point through a constructive engagement, with the understanding that technical level detailed discussions would follow in the coming few weeks”. “Both sides expressed confidence in advancing these negotiations for successful conclusion at the ... -
Dawn - 18:45 May 30, 2025
French scientist Etienne-Emile Baulieu, the inventor of the abortion pill, died at the age of 98 at his home in Paris on Friday, his wife told AFP. The doctor and researcher, who achieved worldwide renown for his work that led to the pill, had an eventful life that included fighting in the French resistance and becoming friends with artists such as Andy Warhol. “His research was guided by his commitment to the progress made possible by science, his dedication to women’s freedom, and his desire to enable everyone to live better, longer lives,” Baulieu’s wife Simone Harari Baulieu said in a statement. French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to his life, calling him “a beacon of courage” and “a progressive mind who enabled women to win their freedom”. “Few French people have changed the world to such an extent,” he added in a post on X. Baulieu’s most famous discovery helped create the oral drug RU-486, also known as mifepristone, which provided a safe and inexpensive alternative to surgical abortion to mi... -
Dawn - 18:09 May 30, 2025
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir on Friday emphasised the need for a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir dispute, assailing India’s “unlawful and legally untenable hydro-terrorism,” a statement from the military’s media wing said. His statement came during a visit to Quetta Command and Staff College where he addressed student officers and faculty of the college. The comments followed a recent military confrontation between India and Pakistan over New Delhi’s allegations against Islamabad, without evidence, about a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam. New Delhi, based on the allegations, launched a series of air strikes in Pakistan in early May, killing civilians. Islamabad retaliated by downing five Indian jets. It took American intervention on May 10 for both sides to finally reach a ceasefire. India, however, is still weaponising the Indus Water Treaty — a water distribution deal between the two countries — saying that it will no longer abide by the treaty, placing the agreement i...
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Dawn - 17:53 May 30, 2025
Four armed robbers hijacked a Qingqi rickshaw carrying three sacrificial sheep at gunpoint in Karachi’s Ayesha Manzil area, police said on Friday. According to a first information report (FIR), the complainant Mohammed Rashid Saleem said that he had purchased three sheep and was carrying them in his Qingqi rickshaw on Thursday when the incident occurred. “Four suspects riding on two motorcycles snatched the rickshaw along with the animals at gunpoint and fled,” the FIR read, adding that the suspects also snatched cash and a cell phone from the victim. According to a statement from the Karachi Police spokesperson, the Additional Inspector General of Police (AIG) Javed Alam Odho took notice of the incident and ordered action against the Azizabad station house officer for negligence, issuing orders to suspend his service for one year. The AIG ordered that the suspects involved in the incident must be arrested within three days, with the recovery of the animals and rickshaw, otherwise, strict legal action will be... -
Dawn - 17:34 May 30, 2025
World Boxing will introduce mandatory sex testing for all boxers in its competitions, the body said on Friday, adding that Paris Olympics women’s welterweight champion Imane Khelif will not be allowed to compete until she undergoes such a test. The governing body, which will run the boxing competitions in the 2028 Olympics after being granted provisional recognition by the IOC, said it aims to deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women. “Imane Khelif may not participate in the female category at the Eindhoven Box Cup, 5-10 June 2025 and any World Boxing event until Imane Khelif undergoes genetic sex screening in accordance with World Boxings rules and testing procedures,” World Boxing said in a statement. All athletes over the age of 18 will have to undertake a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) genetic test, which can be conducted by a nasal or mouth swab, saliva or blood, World Boxing said. “The PCR test is a laboratory technique used to detect specific genetic material, in this case, the SRY ... -
Dawn - 17:23 May 30, 2025
A district official was killed when his house was attacked by terrorists in Balochistan’s Surab city on Friday, a statement from the provincial government said. Balochistan Government Spokesperson Shahid Rind, in a statement, termed the incident a “nefarious attempt to challenge the writ of the state”. “A bank was looted and the homes of several government officials were attacked, including Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Hidayatullah Buledi. “Buledi was martyred while defending his home during the attack,” Rind said in the statement, adding that the official “set a new example of bravery” through his sacrifice. “Women and children were also present at the residence during the attack,” he added. The spokesperson added that “Indian-sponsored proxies have taken action on (India’s) behalf”, adding that a search operation was underway in the area. “We are determined to thwart efforts of anti-state elements,” he said, according to the statement. Frontier Corps and Levies personnel had arrived at the scene... -
Dawn - 16:04 May 30, 2025
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad on Friday sentenced PTI members, including Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Abdul Latif, to 27 years of imprisonment for attacking a police station during the violent May 9 riots. On May 9, 2023, PTI supporters, protesting the party founder Imran Khan’s arrest, staged violent protests throughout the country, vandalising military installations and state-owned buildings, while also attacking the Lahore corps commander’s residence. Following the riots, thousands of protesters, including party leaders, were arrested. ATC Special Court-II judge Tahir Abbas Sipra handed down the punishment under different sections of the Pakistan Penal Code after finding the accused guilty of attacking the Ramna police station during the May 9 riots. The accused were sentenced to a total of 27 years in prison along with a fine worth Rs327,000. The sentences shall run concurrently, the judge said. MNA Abdul Latif, who was elected from NA-1 Chitral, was not present in the court when the... -
Dawn - 16:02 May 30, 2025
At least 117 people have died and several others are still missing after heavy flooding destroyed thousands of homes in Nigeria’s Niger state, an emergency official said on Friday. The death toll is a sharp rise from Thursday’s figure of 21 people, Ibrahim Hussaini, head of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, said, adding that some 3,000 houses were submerged in two communities in the north-central state. Nigeria is prone to flooding during the rainy season, which began in April. In 2022, Nigeria experienced its worst wave of floods in more than a decade which killed more than 600 people, displaced around 1.4 million and destroyed 440,000 hectares of farmland. The flooding incident in Niger state occurred on Wednesday night and continued into Thursday morning, Hussaini said, with a number of people still in the water.
6698 items