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Dawn - 13:05 Dec 27, 2025
Security forces killed four terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Balochistan’s Panjgur district, the military’s media wing said on Saturday. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the security forces conducted an operation on December 26 on the reported presence of “Khawarij belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna al Khawarij”. Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The statement added during the conduct of operation, “own forces effectively engaged the Khawarij location, and after an intense fire exchange, four Indian sponsored Khawarij were sent to hell”. The statement further said that weapons, ammunition and explosives were recovered from the killed terrorists, “who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area”. Following the skirmish, a sanitization operation was initiated in the area to “eliminate any other Indian sponsored Khawarij present in the... -
Dawn - 12:47 Dec 27, 2025
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday hailed Pakistan’s success over India during the military escalation between the two countries earlier this year. “A strong message was sent to the world,” he said while speaking to the media in Islamabad, where he gave an overview of Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts in 2025. “Our international standing has […] improved due to principled, proactive and result-oriented diplomacy,” Dar said, reflecting on the past year. He said Pakistan was “known to be a diplomatically isolated country” at the time PM Shehbaz Sharif took oath last year. Speaking on the May conflict, Dar said India’s claim of regional hegemony and being the net security provider was tested during the four-day escalation. “We did not ask anyone to mediate between us,” the deputy premier asserted. He recalled that Pakistan shot down seven jets of India during the May 7 air battle, which was followed by “incorrect” statements by New Delhi that Pakistan had attacked 15 Indian military ins... -
Dawn - 12:23 Dec 27, 2025
PML-N leaders on Saturday said PTI had been sending mixed signals regarding talks with the government, stressing that democracy could only be advanced through “dialogue and not deadlock”. On Friday, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said that PM Shehbaz would decide on talks with PTI once the opposition party clarifies its stance on negotiations. PM Shehbaz on Tuesday extended an offer for talks with the opposition. The PTI outright rejected talks with the government on the directions of party founder Imran Khan, but Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), of which the PTI is a part, stated its openness to negotiate with the government. PML-N leaders, including Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, made the remarks while speaking to the media in Sukkur. The delegation is headed to Garhi Khuda Bakhsh for the 18th death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhu... -
Dawn - 10:48 Dec 27, 2025
WASHINGTON: History does not always announce itself with thunder. Sometimes it arrives as a decision — taken calmly, consciously and against fear. “I am returning to Pakistan on October 18 to coalesce the forces of moderation against extremism,” Benazir Bhutto said in Washington in 2007. “Our goal, quite literally, is to save democracy in Pakistan.” She made that statement on September 25, 2007, at meetings hosted by the Middle East Institute and later at the Russell Senate Building. It was not a slogan, it was a commitment — one she fully intended to honour. I had met Benazir countless times over the years — in Pakistan, in London and in Washington — across different phases of her political life. She could be warm and disarming, cautious and guarded, sharply analytical and politically defiant, sometimes all of the above within the same conversation. But on that September day in Washington, there was a particular clarity about her. She had already decided. As she was leaving the Middle East Institute, I asked... -
Dawn - 09:24 Dec 27, 2025
United States President Donald Trump urged the Justice Department (DOJ) on Friday to “embarrass” any Democrats who worked with Jeffrey Epstein after it began poring over millions of documents linked to the late sex offender. The DOJ began releasing records last week from the investigation into Epstein, a wealthy financier who died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for trafficking underage girls for sex. The latest disclosures on Tuesday contain numerous references to Trump, including documents detailing flights he took on Epstein’s private jet. Trump was once a friend of Epstein but distanced himself after his crimes came to light, and has appeared reluctant to discuss the case despite strong support in the Republican party for fuller transparency about the deceased man’s associates. “Now 1,000,000 more pages on Epstein are found. DOJ is being forced to spend all of its time on this Democrat inspired Hoax,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Friday. “The Dems are the ones who worked with... -
Dawn - 08:57 Dec 27, 2025
The PTI’s UK chapter has deleted a post on X which showed a video of “provocative” statements against Pakistan’s military leadership, saying it did not endorse unlawful behavior of any kind and advised “independent citizens” to “measure their remarks to avoid any misunderstandings”. On Friday, the Foreign Office (FO) had summoned Acting British High Commissioner Matt Cannell to receive a demarche over the “provocative” statements and “incitement to violence” against the military leadership. Informed sources said the British government had formally been asked to identify, arrest, investigate and prosecute those who used UK soil to “issue direct threats” against Pakistan’s military leadership. Sources said that a video posted on PTI UK’s official X account on Dec 23 showed demonstrators — outside the Pakistani consulate in Bradford — openly threatening the military leadership while surrounded by people holding PTI flags. The post has since been deleted. In a post on X early on Saturday, PTI UK said it had remov... -
Dawn - 08:03 Dec 27, 2025
LAKKI MARWAT: District police said on Saturday that a wanted terrorist commander was killed during an ongoing operation in the Lakki Marwat district’s Takhtikhel area. On Friday, six terrorists were reportedly killed and several others injured in an intense exchange of fire with police backed by Counter-Terrorism Department commandos, armed villagers and members of peace committees. In a statement released on Saturday, district police said that a major success had been achieved in the ongoing joint operation with the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) against Fitna al Khawarij. Fitna al Khawarij is a term that the state uses for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. Police said terrorist commander Nusratullah, alias Nusrat Wazir, was killed during the operation conducted in Takhtikhel. Police said the terrorist was wanted by the Bannu CTD in relation to 28 cases registered on terrorism charges. “Nasratullah was among the most wanted on the terrorism list in the region,” police said, adding that the governmen... -
Dawn - 07:55 Dec 27, 2025
This piece was originally published on December 24, 2017. Sarwar Khan struggled to breathe as he opened his eyes in the suffocating darkness. Only a few hours earlier he had been at his desk in Islamabad finishing up an ordinary day’s work. Now the Ahmadi businessman was nailed inside a coffin, gasping for air. His captors had injected him with sedatives and were attempting to transport him out of the city in an ambulance, disguised as a corpse — but the dose was wearing off, giving way to Sarwar’s blood-curdling screams. As the kidnappers stopped to subdue their human freight, a taxi driver on the highway witnessed the suspicious activity and called the authorities. The police action that followed that day in February 2009 led to the capture of one of the most influential AlQaeda strategists and ideologues in the organisation’s history. Major Haroon Ashiq was arrested from the outskirts of Peshawar while trying to smuggle Sarwar Khan into the tribal areas. A former Special Services Group (SSG) commando, Haro... -
Dawn - 07:25 Dec 27, 2025
A fighting England won their first Test on Australian soil in 15 years Saturday, restoring their battered pride with a gutsy four-wicket victory to clinch a chaotic fourth Ashes clash that was all over inside two days. The pumped-up tourists dismissed Australia for 132 soon after lunch in front of a bumper 92,045 crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, following the 20 wickets that tumbled on day one. It left them chasing 175 to win, with Harry Brook unbeaten on 18 and Jamie Smith on three seeing them home for the loss of six wickets to huge roars from their travelling “Barmy Army” of fans. Jacob Bethell contributed 40 and Zak Crawley 37. “A good feeling, a tough tour up to now,” said England skipper Ben Stokes. “After the build-up to the Test, a lot thrown our way, to put in a performance on the back of all that, and beat a very good Australian team, a lot of credit has to go to players, staff and management for keeping the focus on cricket. “Very proud. We showed bravery and were courageous.” England crashed... -
Dawn - 06:36 Dec 27, 2025
Israel became the first country to formally recognise the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state on Friday — a decision that could reshape regional dynamics and test Somalia’s longstanding opposition to secession. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would seek immediate cooperation with Somaliland in agriculture, health, technology and the economy. In a statement, he congratulated Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, praised his leadership and invited him to visit Israel. Netanyahu said the declaration “is in the spirit of the Abraham Accords, signed at the initiative of president Trump”. The 2020 accords were brokered by Trump’s first administration and included Israel formalising diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, with other countries joining later. Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Somaliland’s president signed a joint declaration of mutual recognition, the Israeli statement said. Abdullahi said in a state... -
Dawn - 06:24 Dec 27, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Amid improving fiscal space, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected a declining Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), rising defence spending and generally stabilising interest payments from the current year onwards through the fiscal year 2030. IMF projections show that interest payments for the last fiscal year (FY25) were originally estimated at 7.7 per cent of GDP but ended at 7.8pc. For the current year, the Fund has revised its estimate to 6.5pc of GDP from 6.7pc in view of lower policy rates. For the next fiscal year (FY27), markup payments are estimated to drop further to 5.9pc of GDP, to be followed by 5.2pc of GDP in FY28, 5.1pc in FY29 and finally settling at 4.8pc in FY30 amid falling policy rates and resultant lower debt payments. In absolute numbers, interest payments are estimated to slightly decline to Rs8.225 trillion during the current year, down from Rs8.88tr at the close of FY25. This would remain almost static around Rs8.2tr in FY27 and FY28 and then incre... -
Dawn - 06:15 Dec 27, 2025
Pakistan has expressed its full support for the efforts being undertaken by Saudi Arabia for ensuring peace and stability in Yemen, it emerged on Saturday. In a statement released late on Friday, the Foreign Office (FO) said Pakistan was closely following recent developments in Yemen. “Pakistan expresses its full support for the diplomatic efforts being undertaken by the kingdom of Saudi Arabia for ensuring peace and stability in the Republic of Yemen. We also commend the efforts of the United Arab Emirates in this regard,” it said. “We underscore the need for upholding the unity and territorial integrity of Yemen, and express the hope that the Yemeni stakeholders will avoid any unilateral steps that may result in further escalation of the situation,” it said. “We also call on all Yemeni parties to engage constructively and in good faith towards an inclusive, negotiated political solution based on the agreed parameters,” the FO said. “Pakistan expresses its hope that the ongoing diplomatic efforts will result... -
Dawn - 06:01 Dec 27, 2025
Thailand and Cambodia agreed on Saturday to halt weeks of fierce border clashes, the worst fighting in years between the Southeast Asian countries that have included fighter jet sorties, exchange of rocket fire and artillery barrages. “Both sides agree to maintain current troop deployments without further movement,” their defence ministers said in a joint statement on the ceasefire. “Any reinforcement would heighten tensions and negatively affect long-term efforts to resolve the situation,” according to the statement released on social media by Cambodia’s Defence Ministry. The agreement, signed by Thai Defence Minister Natthaphon Nakrphanit and his Cambodian counterpart Tea Seiha, ended 20 days of fighting that has killed at least 101 people and displaced more than half a million on both sides. The clashes were re-ignited in early December after a breakdown in a ceasefire that US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim helped broker to halt a previous round of fighting in July. Fo... -
Dawn - 05:51 Dec 27, 2025
KARACHI: A sessions court has ruled that any conviction under the provision of the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act 2013 does not render the marriage void or invalidate the nikkah. “It is making clear that any conviction under the provision of Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act 2013 does not render the marriage void or invalidate the Nikkah from a personal law perspective. The Act is a restraint and penal statue and it does not contain provisions for annulment,” observed Additional District and Sessions Judge Zahoor Ahmed Chandio while sentencing a man to two years in prison for marrying an underage girl. “The validity of the marriage contract (Nikkah) is a separate issue to be determined by the appropriate forum under the relevant personal law or the family courts and this court’s jurisdiction is limited to determining criminal liability under the penal sections cited,” observed the judge, who is also the presiding officer of Gender-Based Violence Court (South). The court found Zulqarnain, alias Cheeko, gu... -
Dawn - 04:26 Dec 27, 2025
LAHORE: The Punjab government has announced helmet exemption for Sikh community in respect of turban, an important practice of their religion. The Sikhs were finding it hard to follow the traffic regulation of wearing helmets and a Sikh man had approached Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz with a request for exemption. The CM made the announcement the other day while addressing the minority community. A clip of her speech was shared on the PML-N’s X account. “The Sikh community’s turban is their identity and their religious belief. With this respect in mind, the traffic department has, for the first time, been instructed to grant Sikh citizens an exemption from wearing helmets,” said the CM in her speech to the minority communities. She said Punjab had made minorities a crown of its head. Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2025 -
Dawn - 02:50 Dec 27, 2025
• US judge grants order barring any action without hearing • Ahmed sues Rubio, Bondi A FEDERAL judge on Thursday temporarily barred the US government from detaining or deporting a British social media campaigner Imran Ahmed, blocking the Trump administration’s attempt to revoke the residency of a critic accused of pressuring social media platforms to censor Americans. According to BBC, US District Judge Vernon S Broderick granted a temporary restraining order sought by Center for Countering Digital Hate’s Founder Mr Ahmed. The ruling prohibits federal officials from detaining Ahmed, a US permanent resident, without a hearing while his legal challenge proceeds. A complaint was filed by Mr Ahmed on Wednesday against Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Attorney General Pamela Bondi regarding the decision to sanction him. The lawsuit challenges a State Department move to block the visas of Ahmed and four others over accusations that they sought to “coerce” technology companies into restricting free speech. “I will... -
Dawn - 02:33 Dec 27, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Former Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri is set to challenge his removal from office before the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) next week, sources close to the development told Dawn on Friday. His legal team has finalised a constitutional petition to contest the IHC’s December 18 verdict that declared his appointment unlawful on the basis of an allegedly invalid LL.B. degree, the sources said. A division bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Azam Khan had issued a short order directing the law ministry to de-notify Justice Jahangiri. President Asif Ali Zardari subsequently approved the de-notification on the advice of the prime minister, and Justice Jahangiri’s name was removed from the IHC website. Sources indicate the upcoming petition will argue that the IHC verdict was premature and violated principles of judicial propriety. A key contention will be that the Sindh High Court (SHC) had already suspended the Karachi Unive... -
Dawn - 02:25 Dec 27, 2025
• Sohail Afridi’s entourage arrived in city around 4:30pm; PTI workers complain of harassment, arrests en route • Engagements at Punjab Assembly marred by altercations, confrontations with journalists • Govt provides ‘foolproof security’; Azma ‘welcomes’ chief minister to Punjab LAHORE: Although Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi managed to reach Liberty Roundabout on Friday night, he was unable to deliver a planned speech at the venue as a heavy contingent of police had blocked all roads leading to area by setting up pickets. Videos posted by PTI on social media showed a large number of party supporters, including Imran Khan’s sisters, Aleema Khan and Noreen Khan Niazi, present near Liberty Chowk. The chief minister, who was due to launch the PTI’s street movement from Lahore, had earlier spent the day greeting and addressing PTI supporters, who met him at different points en route to Lahore. His convoy eventually entered Lahore around 4:30pm, from where he made a bee-line for the Punjab Assemb... -
Dawn - 22:36 Dec 26, 2025
The Foreign Office (FO) on Friday summoned the United Kingdom’s acting high commissioner in connection with a protest outside the Pakistani consulate in Bradford, where “provocative” statements were made against Pakistan’s civil and military leadership. FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said that the acting UK high commissioner was summoned and issued a démarche. “The demarche was issued after provocative statements were made against Pakistan’s civil and military leadership from British soil,” the FO spokesperson said. The FO urged the UK to “hold responsible elements accountable in accordance with the law”. Earlier, two ministers of state from the PML-N said that the Pakistan government had written a letter to the UK authorities, seeking action over “inciteful” statements, particularly in reference to a video that was circulating on social media. Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry and Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani confirmed that development to Geo News, with the latter particularly... -
Dawn - 19:00 Dec 26, 2025
LAHORE: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who arrived in Lahore earlier today with PTI leaders and workers, led a rally at Liberty Chowk in the provincial capital. Afridi arrived in Lahore to spearhead PTI‘s plans to launch a street movement and to meet the party’s local leadership. As of 11:43pm, PTI workers and supporters were participating in the rally, with the KP CM joining them in sloganeering. The PTI posted a video showing CM Afridi amid a crowd of supporters raising his fist and chanting slogans. At 10:18pm, the PTI’s Lahore chapter posted a video on X showing CM Afridi leaning out of a car and sloganeering, while supporters showered his vehicle with flowers. KP Minister for Higher Education and Local Government Meena Khan Afridi could also be seen chanting slogans. Another video posted at 10:37 showed the KP CM mingling with crowds of supporters chanting slogans. PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters, Aleema Khan and Noreen Khan Niazi are also present at Liberty Chowk. PTI Secretary Genera...
6698 items