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  • Multiple lapses led to River Swat tragedy, probe finds
    Dawn - 03:41 Jul 12, 2025
    • Advisories not heeded, warning systems malfunctioned • KP CM orders action against negligent officials PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has ordered action against officials of several government departments over their negligence, which led to the drowning of over a dozen people in a flooded river last month. On June 27, at least 14 people, including 10 from the same family, died after being swept away in a flash flood triggered by heavy rains in the Swat River. The committee, formed by CM Gandapur to fix responsibility, found negligence and shortcomings on the part of the district administration, irrigation and local government departments and Rescue 1122, which resulted in the tragedy. The relevant departments will initiate action against officers found responsible and complete disciplinary proceedings within 60 days, read an official statement issued by the CM secretariat. The 63-page report submitted by the Provincial Inspection Team (PIT) said weather advisories issued ...
  • Foreign Office slams Ajit Doval over ‘successful hits’ claims
    Dawn - 03:04 Jul 12, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday rejected claims by Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval that India had successfully hit all nine identified targets on May 7, calling the remarks “replete with distortions and misrepresentations”. Foreign Office spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan, addressing a weekly press briefing, said Doval’s statements reflected “a deliberate attempt to mislead the public” and violated “the norms of responsible statecraft”. “Boasting of military aggression against a sovereign nation is a grave breach of the United Nations Charter and established principles of international law,” Mr Khan said. “Rather than resorting to fictitious narratives, India should accept the downing of six fighter jets and severe damages to other military targets.” Mr Khan also said it was public knowledge that the so-called terrorist targets attacked by India resulted in the deaths of civilians. To a question, Mr Khan said: “Indian involvement in sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan is very clear, and the international comm...
    Tags: Foreign Office
  • 3 million Afghans could return this year: UN
    Dawn - 18:46 Jul 11, 2025
    Some three million Afghans could return to their country this year, a UN refugee official said on Friday, warning that the repatriation flow is placing intense pressure on an already major humanitarian crisis. Iran and Pakistan have introduced new policies affecting displaced Afghans, with Tehran already having given 4m “illegal” Afghans until July 6 to leave Iranian territory. “What we are seeing is the undignified, disorganised and massive exodus of Afghans from both countries, which is generating enormous pressures on the homeland that is willing to receive them and yet utterly unprepared to do so,” United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Afghanistan Arafat Jamal said during a video press conference from Kabul. “Of concern to us is this scale, the intensity and the manner in which returns are occurring.” Over 1.6m Afghans have already returned from Pakistan and Iran this year, the large majority from Iran, Jamal added. The figure already exceeds the UNHCR’s initial forecasts...
    Tags: Afghans
  • Policeman shot dead, Rangers man injured in scuffle over ‘personal grudge’ in Karachi: police
    Dawn - 18:42 Jul 11, 2025
    A policeman was shot dead while a Rangers man was shot at and hurt as they scuffled over a “personal grudge” in Karachi’s Site area on Friday, according to police. South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza said, “The police constable Waseem Ahmed Abro, 30, posted at Gulshan-i-Maymar police was shot dead allegedly by Rangers sepoy Mohammed Noman, while he (Noman) was also shot in the foot by the deceased constable.” “Initially, the injured Rangers sepoy claimed that the policeman was engaged in a roadside robbery with a passerby, but later on, it transpired that the incident was an outcome of some ‘personal grudge’ between them,” he added. The DIG said during the initial probe, it transpired that both the deceased and the injured, dressed in civvies and riding separate motorcycles, reached the crime scene near Habib Bank Chowk in Site at around 10:45am. Quoting witnesses, the senior officer said that after an exchange of abusive language and a scuffle, they fired upon each other. As a result, policeman Was...
    Tags: Karachi Rangers
  • Saud Shakeel to lead Pakistan Shaheens squad for England tour
    Dawn - 18:19 Jul 11, 2025
    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday announced that Saud Shakeel will lead an 18-member Pakistan Shaheens squad to tour England from July 17 to August 6 for two three-day and three 50-over matches. Pakistan Shaheens, the name for the men’s ‘A’ team, last featured in a match against the Bangladesh ‘A’ side in Dubai in February of this year. “Saud Shakeel is set to lead the team, while he will be joined by three other Test-capped players in Mir Hamza, Musa Khan and Sajid Khan,” the PCB said. The press release added that among other players, Azan Awais and Maaz Sadaqat, who finished as the leading run scorers, respectively, in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy 2024-25, have been selected. Other batters include Ali Zaryab, Haider Ali, Mohammad Suleman, Omair Bin Yousuf, Shamyl Hussain, while Rohail Nazir will perform the wicket-keeping duties. The pace arsenal consists of Mushtaq Ahmed, who bagged 77 wickets in the two most recent first-class competitions (QeA Trophy & President’s Trophy), Fata pacer Shahid Aziz and ...
    Tags: Saud Shakeel England Pakistan Shaheens
  • Bodies of slain passengers in Balochistan bus killing sent to Punjab hometowns: official
    Dawn - 17:45 Jul 11, 2025
    The bodies of nine bus passengers who were kidnapped and killed in Balochistan’s Sardhaka area last night were recovered and transported to their hometowns in Punjab on Friday morning, officials said. Last night, at least nine passengers travelling on two Punjab-bound coaches were abducted and killed by unidentified armed men in the Sur-Dakai area, situated on the border between Balochistan’s Zhob and Loralai districts. Provincial government spokesperson Shahid Rind also confirmed the incident and said that Fitna-al-Hindu­stan — a term the government uses for terrorist organisations in Balo­chistan — had carried out attacks at three different places — Kakat, Mastung and Sur-Dakai. The Balochistan Liberation Front, a banned outfit, later claimed responsibility for the attack. A spokesman for the group said it had killed the nine individuals after blocking the highway between Musakhail-Makhtar and Khajuri. Assistant Comm­issioner (AC) Naveed Alam told Dawn.com today that the bodies of all nine passengers were h...
    Tags: Balochistan Punjab
  • Paris prosecutors ask police to join investigation of Musk’s X
    Dawn - 17:26 Jul 11, 2025
    A French probe into Elon Musk’s social media platform X deepened on Friday, when the Paris prosecutor’s office said it had enlisted police to investigate suspected abuse of algorithms and fraudulent data extraction by the company or its executives. The move adds to the pressure on Musk, a former ally of US President Donald Trump who has accused European governments of attacking free speech and has also voiced support for some of the region’s far-right parties. French police could conduct searches, wiretaps and surveillance against Musk and X executives, or summon them to testify. If they do not comply, a judge could issue an international arrest warrant. X did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Paris prosecutors launched a preliminary probe in January, after receiving complaints of alleged foreign interference by X from a lawmaker and a senior French official, Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a statement. On July 9, after preliminary findings provided by researchers and French public inst...
    Tags: Musk Paris
  • Judicial top brass forms body to devise ‘institutional response’ to enforced disappearances
    Dawn - 17:18 Jul 11, 2025
    The National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC) constituted a “dedicated committee” on Friday to devise an institutional response to the emotive and chronic issue of enforced disappearances in the country. The NJPMC was set up under an ordinance in 2002 to coordinate and harmonise judicial policy within the court system and in coordination with the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP). The committee also makes recommendations for bringing about an improvement in the capacity and performance of the administration of justice, setting performance standards for judicial officers and persons associated with performance of judicial and quasi-judicial functions, improvement in the terms and conditions of service of judicial officers, court staff and to ensure skilled and efficient judiciary. A press release issued today from the Supreme Court said the committee’s 53rd meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi and attended by the high court chief justices, ...
  • US State Department starts firing over 1,350 workers in Trump’s shake-up of diplomatic corps
    Dawn - 15:55 Jul 11, 2025
    The US State Department began firing more than 1,350 local employees on Friday as the administration of President Donald Trump presses ahead with an unprecedented overhaul of its diplomatic corps, a move critics say will undermine Washington’s ability to defend and promote its interests abroad. The layoffs will cover 1,107 civil service and 246 foreign service officers based in the United States, according to an internal State Department notice sent to the workforce and seen by Reuters. “The department is streamlining domestic operations to focus on diplomatic priorities,” the notice said. “Headcount reductions have been carefully tailored to affect non-core functions, duplicative or redundant offices, and offices where considerable efficiencies may be found,” it added. The total reduction in the workforce will be around 3,000, including voluntary departures, out of the 18,000 employees based in the US, according to the notice and a senior State Department official. The move is the first step of a restructuri...
    Tags: State Department
  • Police conduct probe as unidentified attackers booked for ANP leader Maulana Khan Zeb’s murder
    Dawn - 15:27 Jul 11, 2025
    A first information report (FIR) was registered by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur area against unidentified attackers involved in the assassination of Awami National Party (ANP) leader Maulana Khan Zeb, it emerged on Friday. The ANP leader was shot dead on Thursday by unidentified assailants in KP’s Bajaur district, according to the police. Bajaur District Police Officer (DPO) Waqas Rafiq told Dawn.com that the politician was shot dead in Shindai Mor while campaigning for the July 13 peace parade, adding that a policeman was also killed and three other people were injured in the attack. According to a copy of the FIR — dated July 10 and seen by Dawn.com — the unidentified attackers were booked under Sections 302 (murder), 324 (attempted murder) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of Rs50) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 (terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The FIR states that Khan Zeb was returning home from campaigning for the July 13 peace p...
    Tags: Maulana Khan Zeb
  • AFP news agency to reduce headcount, foreign network costs
    Dawn - 15:03 Jul 11, 2025
    The chairman of Agence France-Presse (AFP) outlined his plans on Friday to cut costs at the news agency with a retirement incentive scheme and a reduction in spending on expatriate journalists. Fabrice Fries warned last month that the group needed to save 12-14 million euros ($13.8-16.1m) by the end of 2026 due to a fall in revenues. Speaking to employee representatives on today, he said he hoped to save 4-5m euros a year with a retirement incentive plan in which 50-70 employees would leave and not be replaced. Costs linked to AFP’s foreign network of journalists would also be cut by around 3m euros a year, or around 10 per cent of the total, he said. This would be achieved by reducing the number of jobs with expatriate conditions, which typically include housing benefits and school fees. “AFP is committed to expatriation,” Fries said — but “not at any price”. An experienced journalist working in Germany on expatriate conditions costs the same as four locally employed early-career reporters, he added. Funding...
  • Bosnia commemorates Srebrenica genocide 30 years on
    Dawn - 14:59 Jul 11, 2025
    Thousands of mourners on Friday commemorated in Srebrenica the genocide committed 30 years ago by Bosnian Serb forces, one of Europe’s worst atrocities since World War II. The remains of seven victims were laid to rest during the commemorations, which mark the bloodiest episode of Bosnia’s inter-ethnic war in the 1990s. They included those of Sejdalija Alic, one of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys killed by Bosnian Serb forces after they captured the eastern town on July 11, 1995. His granddaughter Anela Alic, whose father was also killed in the massacre and was buried earlier, came to attend the funeral. “I never saw my father … and today, my grandfather is being buried, just some of his bones, next to his son. “It’s a deep sadness… I have no words to describe it,” the 32-year-old added, in tears. She was born in early 1994 after her pregnant mother was evacuated in a Red Cross convoy from the ill-fated town. The victims of Srebrenica, which was at the time a UN-protected enclave, were buried in mass grav...
    Tags: Bosnia Srebrenica
  • Rubio meets China’s Wang amid trade tensions, says good chance of Trump-Xi talks
    Dawn - 14:41 Jul 11, 2025
    United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that he had “positive and constructive” talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as the two major powers vied to push their agendas in Asia at a time of tension over Washington’s tariff offensive. The top US diplomat was in Malaysia on his first Asia trip since taking office, seeking to stress US commitment to the region at the East Asia Summit and the Regional Forum of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), where many countries were reeling from a raft of steep US tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump this week. Rubio had his first in-person talks with the Chinese foreign minister, which came after Beijing warned the US against reinstating hefty levies on its goods next month and threatened retaliation against nations that strike deals with the US to cut China out of supply chains. Wang has sharply criticised Washington during talks with Asian counterparts in Malaysia, calling the US tariffs “typical unilateral bullying beh...
    Tags: China Wang Rubio
  • Fact check: Absar Alam did not advocate recognition of Israel; viral clip is incomplete
    Dawn - 14:05 Jul 11, 2025
    Posts from multiple users on social media platform X on Thursday shared a video clip, claiming it showed journalist Absar Alam urging Pakistan to explore the benefits of recognising Israel. However, the viral clip is incomplete and he is actually questioning whether recognising Israel would bring any real benefits to Pakistan. The Abraham Accords, brokered by the United States in 2020, are landmark agreements for diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. These accords paved the way for formal ties, such as embassies and trade deals, underpinned by mutual interests in security, economic collaboration, and technology exchange. While celebrated as a diplomatic shift in the Middle East, the accords also sparked debate and resistance in Pakistan. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif have both affirmed that Pakistan will not join, asserting that any recognition of Israel would contradict its longstanding supp...
    Tags: Absar Alam Israel
  • Defeat inflicted by Pakistan has been difficult for India to digest: Dar
    Dawn - 14:05 Jul 11, 2025
    Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that the defeat inflicted by Pakistan has been difficult for the Indian political leadership to digest, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. As New Delhi launched deadly air strikes on Pakistan in early May over allegations about the Pahalgam attack, which Islamabad denied, PAF downed six Indian jets in its response. After tit-for-tat strikes on each other’s airbases, it took American intervention on May 10 for both sides to finally reach a ceasefire. According to the Foreign Office, Deputy PM Dar is leading the Pakistan delegation at the 32nd ministerial meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Regional Forum (ARF), being held today in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Addressing the Pakistani community in Kuala Lumpur, Dar said on the military side of matters, there was no issue between Pakistan and India as the armed forces had gone back to the mutually decided positions. However, he added that the defeat inflicted by Pakistan has...
    Tags: Pakistan India
  • NDMA expects moderate to heavy monsoon rains in multiple parts of country
    Dawn - 13:06 Jul 11, 2025
    The National Emer­gencies Operation Centre (NEOC) of the National Disa­ster Management Authority (NDMA) on Friday issued a weather alert warning that moderate to heavy monsoon rains are expected to affect multiple regions of the country for a three-day period commencing from July 13 (Sunday). Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat and replenishing water supplies and agriculture. They are crucial to the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security. However, they also trigger deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. The NEOC advised the public to take precautionary measures in anticipation of rains. The forecast indicates moderate to heavy monsoon rainfall across various regions of Pakistan due to intensified moisture inflow from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, coupled with an active westerly wave system. As a result, substantial rises in river flows are expected ...
    Tags: NDMA
  • Islamabad court suspends order banning YouTube channels of Matiullah Jan, Asad Toor
    Dawn - 13:03 Jul 11, 2025
    An Islamabad district and sessions court on Friday admitted two revision petitions — submitted by journalists Matiuallah Jan and Asad Ali Toor — against the judicial magistrate’s order blocking 27 YouTube channels, suspending the ban for the two petitioners. An Islamabad court recently ordered YouTube to block 27 channels for disseminating “fake, misleading, and defamatory” content against the government and armed forces. The sanctioned accounts were being run by journalists, political commentators and social media in­­fluencers in Pakistan and overseas. On Wednesday, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said that the owners of these channels would face criminal action. Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka heard the two revision appeals and ordered the suspension in a one-page written order for each petition. According to the order dated today, seen by Dawn.com, the petitioners contended that they were not even given a prior notice and that the ban violated Article 10-A of the...
    Tags: Islamabad YouTube
  • MQM founder Altaf Hussain hospitalised in London after ‘severe illness’
    Dawn - 12:57 Jul 11, 2025
    Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain is currently hospitalised in London due to “severe illness”, according to party officials. Previously known as the Mohajir Qaumi Movement, Hussain founded his party in 1984 to represent the Urdu-speaking community, which had migrated to Pakistan amid Partition. Hussain currently lives in London, where he has been in self-imposed exile since 1992. He was later granted British citizenship. From London, Hussain played an active role in politics, regularly broadcasting political speeches to his followers in Karachi. “The founder and leader of MQM, Altaf Hussain, has been admitted to a hospital in London due to severe illness, where various tests have been conducted on him,” said senior London-based MQM leader Mustafa Azizabadi. He appealed to people to pray for the MQM founder. In a subsequent video message, he said Hussain’s health deteriorated last night and he was hospitalised upon a doctor’s inspection and recommendation. “Doctors have conducted various tes...
    Tags: Altaf Hussain London
  • Pakistan book place in Hockey U-18 Asia Cup final with 4-3 victory over Malaysia
    Dawn - 12:54 Jul 11, 2025
    Pakistan on Friday secured their place in the finals of the U-18 Asia Cup in Dazhou, China with a penalty shootout victory over Malaysia, extending their unbeaten streak in the tournament. According to a post by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Instagram, both teams drew 3-3 in regular time, forcing the game to a penalty shootout, which Pakistan clinched 4-3. “Phenomenal goalkeeping and nerves of steel in the shootout — the boys in green are through to the final against Japan this Sunday!” the PHF wrote. “Let’s bring the trophy home.” View this post on Instagram It said the national team was “charging into the final” with “unstoppable spirit and fierce determination”. View this post on Instagram On Wednesday, Pakistan beat hosts China 2-1 to qualify for the semi-final. They also defeated Bangladesh (6-3), Sri Lanka (9-0) and Hong Kong (8-0) during their campaign. Squad: Mohammad Usman, Atif Ali, Asam Junaid, Mohammad Abdullah Farooq, Abdullah Awan, Zubair Lateef, Mohammad Yaseen, Mohammad Ali Taj, Ghul...
    Tags: Pakistan Malaysia
  • President, PM urge responsible parenthood on World Population Day
    Dawn - 11:11 Jul 11, 2025
    President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged awareness on responsible parenthood and family planning to address population growth on the World Population Day on Friday, state-run Radio Pakistan reported. Established by the then-Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989 and observed on July 11 every year, World Population Day seeks to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues, including their relations to the environment and development. The president, in his message to the nation, said that the challenge of population growth continued to hinder the country’s national development process which necessitated a comprehensive, and inclusive approach, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported. “When community leaders, elders, and civil society organisations promote the benefits of responsible parenthood and support access to family planning, societal attitudes begin to change. The media also has a central role to play in raising awaren...
    Tags: World Population Day

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