Dawn
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Dawn - 18:50 Jul 17, 2025
Section 144 was imposed across Punjab along with a state of emergency in several districts on Thursday as heavy rains triggered flooding and claimed over 60 lives across the province in the past 24 hours, according to authorities. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Monday issued a warning of torrential rains with wind-thundershowers that would last throughout the country till today. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has forecasted that heavy rains will continue to lash parts of the country over the next 24 hours. Data from the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) showed that 61 people were killed and 268 injured in the last 24 hours, warning that more monsoon rains were expected in the coming days. An order from the Punjab Home Department said there was a significant increase in the accumulation of rainwater in low-lying areas, streets and open spaces, posing serious risks to the safety of children who often bathed in standing water. “Dams, rivers, canals, ponds,... -
Dawn - 17:38 Jul 17, 2025
Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan signed the Framework Agreement on the Joint Feasibility Study for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Project in Kabul on Thursday. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar made the announcement in a post on X from Kabul, where he arrived earlier today on a day-long visit for the signing. “I congratulate the people and governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan on the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Joint Feasibility Study for the Naibabad–Kharlachi rail link under the UAP Railway Corridor. “I also thank the foreign ministers of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan for their support and commitment for timely signing of the agreement. We remained closely engaged throughout the negotiation process to finalise the details.” He hailed the UAP Railway Corridor as a major milestone in advancing regional connectivity and economic integration that would connect Central Asian countries to Pakistani seaports through Afghanistan. Dar said the signi... -
Dawn - 17:32 Jul 17, 2025
A French couple went on trial on Thursday, accused of planning to “sacrifice” their five-year-old son in the Moroccan desert, accusations they have strongly denied. The two music teachers were arrested in southern Spain in late 2023 as they were about to board a ferry to Morocco after buying a new four-wheel-drive and subletting their apartment near the French city of Bordeaux. An alarmed relative had told French prosecutors that the father intended to “sacrifice” his son in the desert because he believed he was “possessed”, the investigation showed. The father, Florian L, denies ever having said that, his lawyer Audrey Boussillon said. “Never did he have the intention to harm his son in any way,” she added. The couple, who hold “anti-system” and “mystical” beliefs, vehemently reject the charges of being part of a criminal gang and failing in their duties as parents, their defence team has said. The attorney for the mother, Marie L, Aurelie Filippi-Codaccioni, said the couple had been to Morocco two years ear... -
Dawn - 17:30 Jul 17, 2025
The Punjab Police on Thursday arrested former first lady Bushra Bibi’s son, Musa Maneka, for allegedly attempting to kill his domestic servant by shooting him at his Pakpattan residence. The first information report (FIR) of the incident was registered at the complaint of the servant’s father at Saddar Police Station under Section 324 (attempted murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The complainant said that he and his son worked at Maneka’s residence, adding that the incident occurred at 11am when his son placed two bedsheets outside the bedroom, prompting Maneka to ask his son why he touched the bedsheets. The son responded by saying, “I kept the sheets outside with care,” according to the FIR. “The suspect became enraged and shot my son using a pistol,” it added. “My son was hit in front of his left knee, and the bullet passed through his leg, causing him to fall,” the complainant said. He also stated that two other people witnessed the incident, who reached there after hearing the gunshots. District P... -
Dawn - 17:13 Jul 17, 2025
The White House on Thursday said that no visit of United States President Donald Trump was scheduled to Pakistan “at this time” after widespread reports of a trip. Earlier in the day, some local television news channels reported, citing sources, that Trump was expected to visit Pakistan in September. The news channels said that Trump would also visit India after arriving in Islamabad in September. The channels later withdrew their reports. The White House dismissed the rumours. “A trip to Pakistan has not been scheduled at this time,” a White House official said. Talking to Dawn.com on the reported visit earlier, Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said: “We have no information about this matter.” Similarly, a US embassy spokesperson in Islamabad told Reuters, “We have nothing to announce,” and said that the White House might be able to provide confirmation on the president’s schedule. George W Bush was the last US president to visit Pakistan in 2006. US-Pakistan relations saw a major boost when Trum... -
Dawn - 16:46 Jul 17, 2025
Haripur police on Thursday arrested a madressah teacher for allegedly sexually abusing a visually-impaired five-year-old child in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Haripur area, police said. A first information report (FIR) — available with Dawn.com — was filed by the victim’s uncle at Saddar police station on July 10 under Section 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code (rape) and Section 53 (sexual abuse) of the KP Child Protection Act (CPA). The complainant alleged in the FIR that the child, after feeling pain, told their mother about the incident and said that he was sexually abused by the teacher in his room in the mosque. “The child is visually impaired and just five years old,” the complainant stated in the FIR, demanding legal action against the suspect. According to a statement issued by Haripur District Police Officer Farhan, after the incident, he actively engaged the team at Saddar police station, who successfully arrested the suspect. “Under the supervision of DSP (Deputy Superintendent of Police) Saddar Muhammad Arif... -
Dawn - 15:51 Jul 17, 2025
Ukraine’s parliament appointed the country’s first new prime minister in five years on Thursday, part of a major cabinet overhaul aimed at revitalising wartime management as prospects for peace with Russia grow dim. Yulia Svyrydenko, 39, has been tasked by President Volodymyr Zelensky with boosting domestic weapons production and reviving Ukraine’s loan-dependent economy. In a speech to parliament, Zelensky said he expected his new government to increase the share of domestic weapons on Ukraine’s battlefield to 50 per cent from 40pc within six months. He also singled out deregulation and expanding economic co-operation with allies as other key aims of the biggest government reshuffle since Russia’s February 2022 invasion. Svyrydenko, an experienced technocrat who had served as first deputy prime minister since 2021, pledged to move “swiftly and decisively”. “War leaves no room for delay,” she wrote on X. “Our priorities for the first six months are clear: reliable supply for the army, expansion of domestic we... -
Dawn - 14:37 Jul 17, 2025
Pakistan and the European Union (EU) on Thursday agreed on bolstering cooperation in security and counter-terrorism among other sectors during a bilateral dialogue, according to a press release issued by the Foreign Office (FO). EU Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Riina Kionka in March had announced that European companies recognised Pakistan as a potential business destination and were exploring new avenues for economic partnership. The EU is Pakistan’s second-largest trading partner, with the GSP+ status allowing the country to enjoy duty-free or minimum duty on European exports. According to the press release, Pakistan and the EU held their 10th Political Dialogue in Brussels and discussed key regional and international issues, including multilateral cooperation. Both sides agreed to deepen dialogue and discussions on security during the event. “The EU and Pakistan reaffirmed their commitment to the implementation of the Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP) signed in 2019,” the FO stated. “Both sides aim to further d... -
Dawn - 14:26 Jul 17, 2025
The British government said on Thursday that it would allow 16-year-olds to vote in general elections, a landmark change giving the United Kingdom one of the lowest voting ages worldwide. The ruling Labour Party pledged to lower the age from 18 ahead of winning power last year. It is among several planned changes to the democratic system. Some argue Britain’s democracy is “in crisis”, in particular due to low turnout. The voting age change is contentious, however, with critics previously arguing it is self-serving as newly-enfranchised teenagers are seen as more likely to support centre-left Labour. “I think it’s really important that 16- and 17-year-olds have the vote, because they are old enough to go out to work, they are old enough to pay taxes, so [they] pay in,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. “And I think if you pay in, you should have the opportunity to say what you want your money spent on, which way the government should go,” Starmer added. The government will have to bring legislation before parl... -
Dawn - 12:42 Jul 17, 2025
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Thursday continued its renewed bullish momentum as it crossed the 138,000-point barrier. The benchmark KSE-100 index rose by 1,785.25 points, or 1.31 per cent, to stand at 138,165.21 points at 11:57am, from the previous close of 136,379.96 points. The index closed at 138,665.49 points, up by 2,285.53 points or 1.68pc. Awais Ashraf, research director at AKD Securities, said: “Investor optimism over a potential rate cut in the upcoming monetary policy, expected later this month, has strengthened following a decline in yields during yesterday’s PIBs (Pakistan Investment Bond) auction. “A stable external account and easing inflation further support the case for bringing interest rates down into single digits,” he told Dawn.com. The PSX had staged a modest recovery yesterday as investors resumed buying, encouraged by the formation of a high-level committee to address the business community’s concerns over the recently introduced taxation measures. The development has helped the... -
Dawn - 12:33 Jul 17, 2025
Three “wanted terrorists” were killed during a joint operation between the regional police and the Counter Terrorism Department in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Wednesday night, police said. The spokesperson for the Bannu police, Khanzala Quraishi, told Dawn.com, “The three terrorists, belonging to the Zarar group, had been eliminated in an intelligence-based joint operation conducted in the Bannu city outskirts at midnight.” He said that the “terrorists were wanted for attacks on security forces and the target killing of police personnel”. According to the spokesperson, the terrorists were identified and all of them were residents of Bannu. “Three Kalashnikovs, magazines, pistols and handmade improvised explosive devices were recovered from their possession,” he said. Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities over the past year, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. KP has seen an ... -
Dawn - 12:23 Jul 17, 2025
A cockpit recording of dialogue between the two pilots of the Air India flight that crashed last month indicates the captain cut the flow of fuel to the plane’s engines, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The newspaper cited people familiar with US officials’ early assessment of evidence uncovered in the investigation into the June 12 crash of a Boeing Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, India, that killed 260 people. A preliminary report into the crash released by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Saturday said one pilot was then heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel and “the other pilot responded that he did not do so”. Investigators did not identify which remarks were made by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and which by First Officer Clive Kunder, who had total flying experience of 15,638 hours and 3,403 hours, respectively. Kunder, who was flying the plane, asked Sabharwal why he moved the fuel switches to the “cutoff” position seconds after lifting ... -
Dawn - 12:04 Jul 17, 2025
A massive fire in a hypermarket in al-Kut city in eastern Iraq has left at least 69 people dead and 11 others missing, the city’s health authorities and two police sources told Reuters on Thursday. Reuters’ footage of the aftermath of the overnight fire showed the blackened exterior of “Corniche Hypermarket” building, with rescue teams and security forces still at the site. Videos verified by Reuters showed firefighters spraying water on the blazing building overnight and people climbing from the roof with the help of rescue teams. View this post on Instagram “We have more bodies that have not been recovered still under fire debris,” city official Ali al-Mayahi told Reuters. Officials said many people suffocated in bathrooms, while one person told AFP that his five relatives died in an elevator. Several people told AFP they lost family members, including mothers and children who had gone to shop and dine at the mall. The cause of the fire was not immediately known, but the province’s governor said initial res... -
Dawn - 12:03 Jul 17, 2025
The Taliban government said on Thursday it had not arrested or monitored Afghans involved in a secret British resettlement plan after a data breach was revealed this week. Thousands of Afghans who worked with the United Kingdom were brought to Britain with their families in a secret programme after a 2022 data breach put their lives at risk, the UK government revealed on Tuesday. The scheme was only revealed after the UK High Court lifted a super-gag order banning any reports of the events. UK Defence Minister John Healey said the leak was not revealed because of the risk that the Taliban authorities would obtain the data set and the lives of Afghans would be put at risk. “Nobody has been arrested for their past actions, nobody has been killed and nobody is being monitored for that,” the Afghan government’s deputy spokesman, Hamdullah Fitrat, told reporters on Thursday. “Reports of investigation and monitoring of a few people whose data has been leaked are false.” After the Taliban swept back to power in 2021... -
Dawn - 11:18 Jul 17, 2025
Two people died and three others were injured when the roof of a six-storey building collapsed in the Khada Market area of Karachi’s Lyari, rescue and police officials said. The incident occurred almost two weeks after a five-storey building collapsed earlier this month in Lyari’s Lea Market, killing 27 people. This incident raised serious concerns about building safety, prompting authorities to evacuate other dilapidated buildings in the city. Regarding the incident today, Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan told Dawn.com, “Two women have died in the accident, while more than two others are reported to have been injured.” Providing details of the incident, he said: “The building was dilapidated. Some labourers were working on the roof of the sixth floor when it collapsed.” He added that the rescue operation has been completed. Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) South, Asad Raza, confirmed that the two people were killed and three others were injured in the incident. “The top floor of the si... -
Dawn - 08:48 Jul 17, 2025
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa promised to protect the rights of Druze citizens on Thursday as a ceasefire appeared to be holding in the country’s south following US intervention to end fighting between government forces and Druze fighters. Overnight, the government’s troops withdrew from the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, where scores of people have been killed in days of conflict pitting local fighters against the Damascus authorities and Bedouin tribes. The violence in Syria escalated sharply on Wednesday as Israel launched airstrikes in Damascus while pressing attacks on government forces in the south, demanding they withdraw and saying Israel aimed to protect Syria’s Druze minority. Describing Syria’s new rulers as “barely disguised jihadists”, Israel has bombed repeatedly this year, saying it will not allow Syrian government forces to deploy into areas near its frontier. Facing calls from Israel’s own Druze minority to shield Syria’s Druze, Israel has also seized ground in the south. In ... -
Dawn - 06:41 Jul 17, 2025
A contingent of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) featuring the advanced JF-17 Thunder Block-III fighter jets arrived in the United Kingdom to take part in the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) 2025, a statement from the military’s media wing said on Thursday. RIAT, which will run from July 18 to 20, is one of the world’s largest military airshows, has been running for over 50 years and powers the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, according to its website. A PAF contingent comprising “state-of-the-art JF-17 Thunder Block-III fighter aircraft and the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, has landed at the Royal Air Force Base Fairford, United Kingdom, to participate in the prestigious” RIAT 2025, a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. View this post on Instagram “PAF’s participation in RIAT, one of the world’s largest military airshows, underscores Pakistan Air Force’s commitment to showcasing its professional excellence, operational capability and the indigenous strength of its aviation... -
Dawn - 06:15 Jul 17, 2025
A participant speaks at the webinar on investment opportunities at Pakistani ports on Wednesday.—Courtesy US consulate ISLAMABAD: Over 65 US companies joined a landmark webinar on Wednesday to explore commercial opportunities at Karachi Port and Port Qasim. The webinar hosted by the US Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration and the US Department of State, in collaboration with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, part of the ‘Gateways to Growth: South Asia Port Opportunities’ series, has opened new doors for American commercial services in the port sector of Pakistan. The webinar served as a strategic platform for American companies to engage directly with Pakistani port officials and private operators. “US investors have made substantial contributions to Pakistan’s development, and we are confident that the port sector will be another area where we can achieve great success together,” said US Consul General Scott Urbom in Karachi, emphasising the role of partnership in fostering long-term c... -
Dawn - 05:56 Jul 17, 2025
QUETTA: Various political parties have called for the immediate release of all detained leaders and activists, including Dr Mahrang Baloch and other Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) activists, PTI founding chairman Imran Khan and Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leader Ali Wazir. The seminar, hosted by the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) on Tuesday, was attended by leaders and workers from various political parties. Speaking at the event, participants voiced grave concern over the worsening law and order situation in Balochistan, alleged genocide of the Baloch people, the arrest of female leaders and activists, enforced disappearances, human rights violations and the controversial adoption of the Balochistan Mines and Mineral Act. BNP-M President Sardar Akhtar Mengal presided over the hours-long seminar. Political leaders slam human rights violations, call for end to military operations The speakers criticised the military operations, enforced disappearances and the discovery of mutilated bodies in th... -
Dawn - 05:22 Jul 17, 2025
KARACHI: The Karachi University Teachers’ Society (Kuts) has expressed deep concerns and regret over what it called an unfortunate incident in the varsity’s Staff Town where a senior professor “faced verbal abuse and alleged physical assault by an armed personnel”. In a statement, Kuts expressed concern over the attack on Prof Afaq Ahmad Siddiqui of the faculty of pharmacy and called for an impartial investigation into the matter. “It is deeply troubling that a respected academic, who has dedicated his life to education and research, was subjected to such behaviour,” it said. The teachers’ body demanded an appropriate action against those responsible and urged the Rangers’ top leadership to take a serious notice of the incident and play its role in maintaining a peaceful and respectful environment on the campus. Kuts demands Rangers leadership to take notice of attack on Prof Afaq Siddiqui “The teachers of the University of Karachi have always respected state institutions and we expect this respect to be mutu...
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