Dawn
Source:
https://www.dawn.com
Found 6698 news
-
Dawn - 18:50 Dec 26, 2025
Pakistan, UAE hold ‘substantive talks’ during President Al Nahyan’s first official visit to Pakistan
Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday held “substantive talks” focused on further strengthening the longstanding fraternal relations between the two countries, said a statement after the conclusion of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s first official visit to the country. This is the second time the Emirati president is visiting Pakistan this year, having met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Rahim Yar Khan in January. However, Friday’s trip is his first official visit as president, according to the Foreign Office. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets the UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan in Islamabad on 26 December 2025. — Mohammed bin Zayed X The two sides also reaffirmed their shared commitment to continue close coordination on matters of mutual interest and exchanged views on important regional and international developments. The statement added that while expressing satisfaction with the positive trajectory of bilateral relations, the “two leaders reiterated their deter... -
Dawn - 18:41 Dec 26, 2025
In an apparent attempt to offer an olive branch to Pakistan, the interim Afghan Taliban regime’s interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani on Friday said that his country was not a threat to any state and that it was ready to address misunderstandings. Speaking at the graduation ceremony at the Kabul Police Academy, Haqqani announced that the doors for negotiations were open. He said that his government continues to adhere to the commitments made under the Doha Agreement, not allowing Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any country, the Afghan Taliban’s official media reported. However, despite earlier promises and the commitments made in the Doha Agreement, cross-border infiltration and attacks by militants continue in Pakistan. Haqqani said that Afghanistan posed no threat to any country or region and that the Taliban leadership continued to strive to find ways for reasonable and durable solutions to end mistrust and misunderstanding of the international community. “The doors for negotiations to resolve curren... -
Dawn - 18:20 Dec 26, 2025
Nigeria on Friday signaled that more strikes against terrorist groups were expected after a Christmas Day bombardment by US forces against militants in the north of the country, which it said was a joint operation with its military. The west African country faces multiple interlinked security crises, with terrorists waging an insurgency in the northeast since 2009 and armed “bandit” gangs raiding villages and staging kidnappings in the northwest. The strikes came after Abuja and Washington were locked in a diplomatic dispute over what US President Donald Trump has characterised as the mass killing of Christians amid Nigeria’s myriad armed conflicts. A Pentagon official told AFP that “the Department of War worked with the government of Nigeria to carry out these strikes” and that they “were approved by the government of Nigeria”, without saying whether Nigeria’s military had been involved. US defence officials later posted a video of what appeared to be a nighttime missile launch from the deck of a battleship ... -
Dawn - 17:06 Dec 26, 2025
An explosion killed at least eight worshippers at a mosque in a predominantly Alawite area of Syria’s Homs on Friday, state media said. The attack during Friday prayers is the latest on the Alawite community, and the second blast in a place of worship since extremist authorities took power a year ago, after a suicide bombing in a Damascus church killed 25 people in June. In a statement on Telegram, terrorist group Saraya Ansar al-Sunna said its fighters “detonated a number of explosive devices” in the Imam Ali Bin Abi Talib Mosque in the central Syrian city. The group formed after the ouster last year of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, himself a member of the Alawite community, and had claimed responsibility for the June church bombing, though authorities blamed the militant Islamic State group. State news agency SANA reported an explosion in the mosque in Homs’s Wadi al-Dahab neighbourhood and gave a preliminary toll of at least eight dead and 18 wounded, citing a health ministry official. An AFP photographe... -
Dawn - 16:52 Dec 26, 2025
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Friday said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif 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, but emphasised that dialogue between the two sides could only proceed on “legitimate matters”. 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. Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Naya Pakistan’, the PM’s aide stated that 85 per cent of the TTAP is made up of PTI members, who have said they will not participate in negotiations at all. “The remaining opposition includes [TTAP chief] Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s JUI-F,” Sanaullah said. “We are hopeful that either the opposition as a whole will come to the table, or at least the 15pc who are open to ... -
Dawn - 16:23 Dec 26, 2025
LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Aalia Neelum on Friday overturned the decisions of deputy commissioner-led committees that granted the possession of properties to people in 10 districts of Punjab, deciding cases of land disputes. Justice Neelum reversed the decisions after hearing petitions against the Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Act 2025, which empowers deputy commissioner-led committees to decide property disputes. During the hearing, the chief justice remarked that had the “patwaris” (revenue officials) performed their duties promptly, such issues would not have arisen. Rejecting a notion of prolonged pendency of civil litigation, the chief justice observed, “I am well aware of how many old cases are pending before courts.” She asserted that commissioners and deputy commissioners had no authority to remove or restore possessions of properties on their own, and questioned how many laws the government would throw aside. The chief justice regretted that deputy commission... -
Dawn - 16:16 Dec 26, 2025
Security forces killed five terrorists in an intelligence based operation (IBO) in Balochistan’s Kohlu district, the military’s media affairs wing said on Friday. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation was conducted on December 25 on the “reported presence of terrorists belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna-al-Hindustan”. The state has designated Balochistan-based terrorist groups as Fitna-al-Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan. The ISPR statement added that during the conduct of the operation, “own forces effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, five Indian sponsored terrorists were sent to hell”. The military’s media wing elaborated that weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the terrorists, “who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area”. “Sanitization operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian... -
Dawn - 16:04 Dec 26, 2025
PESHAWAR: At least six terrorists were killed and several others injured on Friday in a clash between police forces, Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) commandos and armed locals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat. “The terrorists armed with sniper rifles and quadcopters attacked the police in the rural area bordering Bannu district and located within the limits of Shaheed Asmatullah Khan Khattak police station of Serai Naurang town,“ said a police statement. “The attack triggered a fierce gun battle as the law enforcers returned the fire effectively,” it said. As per the release, the terrorists also targeted the “houses of villagers with quadcopter strikes”, resulting in “civilian casualties”. Although the official press release did not provide any details about police casualties, it stated that “during the armed clash, the law enforcers eliminated six terrorists and several of their accomplices were injured”. “The casualties occurred as a result of explosive payload released by the quadcopters.” Meanwhile... -
Dawn - 14:41 Dec 26, 2025
Buying gifts for men should be easy, right? You walk into a store, grab something in leather or metal — a wallet, a watch, maybe a bottle of perfume that smells “fresh and manly”, and you’re done. Safe, predictable, problem solved. Except, it’s not. Because when it comes to gifting men, there’s this generic paradox. Everyone thinks it’s simple, yet most men end up with things they neither want nor use. Well, we all know the holy trinity of male gifts — watches, perfumes, and shoes, but perhaps it’s time to retire them. So, we decided to ask a few men what they actually want as gifts. The answers were funny, practical, a little bitter, and somewhat relatable. image showing a fancy watch in a box. — Ashutosh Pradhan/ Pixabay Zareef, a part-time cartoonist, began his confession with dry honesty: “I often don’t get gifts. But not getting gifts doesn’t bother me much. What bothers me is getting gifts I can’t use, like fancy mugs or flashy ties. I already have seven fancy mugs gathering dust, and a yellow tie that ... -
Dawn - 14:33 Dec 26, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Players of POPO FC attend a training session on Dec 6, 2025.—Mohammad Asim/White Star ISLAMABAD: At the F-11 Multipurpose Ground the day’s rhythm is set not by a whistle, but by the soft thud of a football. Here, in the heart of the capital, an unassuming patch of grass has become the most fertile ground for Pakistani football. This is the home of POPO Football Club — not a corporate academy, but a volunteer-run sanctuary that has, against the odds, become a national talent pipeline. Two years ago, the nation celebrated a historic 1-0 victory against Cambodia in the World Cup Qualifiers, Pakistan’s maiden win on the global stage. What it didn’t see was the quiet genesis of that triumph. Five of the players on that pitch were products of this single, modest club in Sector F-11. Their work is not only limited to the senior team but the efforts on the players start from the grassroots level. In the last 24 months alone, POPO FC — who works under the patronage of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) — ha... -
Dawn - 14:28 Dec 26, 2025
Fresh from a widely-celebrated U-19 Asia Cup triumph, skipper of the Pakistan youth team Farhan Yousaf wants his side to show humility as they take on Zimbabwe and Afghanistan in the tri-series that starts in Harare on Saturday. The series will act as a warm-up for the teams ahead of the U-19 World Cup, which is set to be held from January 15 in Zimbabwe and Namibia. Pakistan won the U-19 Asia Cup title after beating an unbeaten India side by 191 runs in the final last week — the achievement sparking raucous celebrations back home with the national youth squad welcomed by a huge crowd at the Islamabad International Airport. The decider saw Pakistan opener Sameer Minhas smash a scintillating 172 and pacer Ali Raza routing the Indian batting line-up with a four-wicket show under the mentorship of former national skipper Sarfraz Ahmed. The achievement added star value to the Pakistan U-19 team, raising expectations ahead of the tri-series and the World Cup, but for Farhan, it is about focusing on what he believe... -
Dawn - 13:24 Dec 26, 2025
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday extended the deadline for submission of nomination papers for local government elections in Islamabad by three days at the request of PTI. The new date for submission of nomination papers is December 30. In an application submitted to the ECP, Secretary Baldiat Committee Anjum Shahzad Tanoli requested the chief election commissioner to extend the deadline for the submission of nomination papers. “With due respect, this is to draw your kind attention towards the schedule of Local Body elections in Islamabad, wherein the last date for submission of nomination papers has been fixed as 27th December. It is humbly submitted that the Government has announced a local holiday on 26th December, which will significantly affect the smooth process of nomination paper submission,” he stated. “Islamabad comprises 125 Union Councils, and in each Union Council at least 9 councillors are required to submit their nomination papers. The announced holiday will create serious ad... -
Dawn - 13:21 Dec 26, 2025
President Donald Trump said US forces conducted “powerful and deadly” strikes on Thursday against Islamic State (IS) militants in northwestern Nigeria, weeks after he warned against any systemic assault on Christians in the country. The Nigerian foreign ministry early on Friday confirmed the air strikes, describing them as “precision hits on terrorist targets” in the country. The Department of Defence’s US Africa Command said “multiple ISIS terrorists” were killed in an attack in Sokoto state conducted at the request of Nigerian authorities, but few details were provided and it was not clear how many people died. The strikes hit IS targets on Christmas Day, according to Trump. View this post on Instagram “I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” he said in a post on his Truth Social platform. “May God Bless our Military,” he said, adding provocatively, “MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Ter... -
Dawn - 11:19 Dec 26, 2025
Fourteen people were injured in a stabbing attack in a factory in central Japan during which an unspecified liquid was also sprayed, an emergency services official said on Friday. “Fourteen people are subject to transportation by emergency services,” Tomoharu Sugiyama, a firefighting department official in the city of Mishima in the Shizuoka region, told AFP. He said a call was received at about 4.30pm (12:30pm PKT) from a nearby rubber factory saying “five or six people were stabbed by someone” and that a “spray-like liquid” had also been used. Japanese media, including public broadcaster NHK, reported that police had arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder. The seriousness of the injuries was unknown, although NHK said all victims remained conscious. Sugiyama said at least six of the 14 victims had been sent to a hospital in a fleet of ambulances. The exact nature of the injuries was also unclear. The factory in Mishima is run by Yokohama Rubber Co., whose business includes manufacturing tyres for t... -
Dawn - 07:55 Dec 26, 2025
WASHINGTON: The Trump administration is planning a sharp expansion of efforts to strip United States citizenship from naturalised Americans, prompting alarm among immigration advocates and strong condemnation from Democratic lawmakers, including a senior member of Congress who warned that the move would undermine the foundations of American citizenship. According to internal guidance circulated to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) field offices and first obtained by The New York Times, the administration has asked the agency to “supply [the] Office of Immigration Litigation with 100 to 200 denaturalisation cases per month” during the 2026 fiscal year. If carried out, the plan would mark an unprecedented escalation of denaturalisation in the modern era. Between 2017 and this year, just over 120 denaturalisation cases were filed in total, according to Justice Department figures cited by US media reports. In comparison, meeting the new monthly targets could result in as many as 2,400 cases a year. ... -
Dawn - 07:29 Dec 26, 2025
Five people were killed in an armed clash on the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan, Tajik state media said on Thursday. Citing a statement by the Border Troops of the Tajik State Committee for National Security, state news agency Khovar reported that three people crossed into the country late on Tuesday in the Shamsiddin Shohin district of the country’s southwestern Khatlon region, and were later located on Wednesday. “The terrorists refused to obey orders from Tajik border guards to surrender and offered armed resistance. They intended to carry out an armed attack on one of the border posts of the Border Troops of the State Committee for National Security of the Republic of Tajikistan,” the statement said. “As a result of the combat operation, all three terrorists were neutralised,” the statement said, adding that two Tajik border officers were killed during the clashes. According to the statement, this was the third “armed attack, terrorist act, and border crossing” from Afghanistan in the past mont... -
Dawn - 06:49 Dec 26, 2025
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal reacted to the speculation surrounding the brief disruption of his interview with ARY News’ Waseem Badami the previous night, saying, “I hope we can avoid unnecessary politicisation of this”. On Thursday night, the minister joined ARY News programme ‘11th Hour’, which was being broadcast live, via a video link. As the minister discussed the matter of talks between the government and the opposition, the conversation was disrupted when a person — not seen in the video — yelled in an aggressive tone, “Shut this”. Following that, Iqbal’s call was disconnected. It prompted the host to wonder aloud if Iqbal was alright. “I hope everything is well. I don’t know what just happened,” he said. Later, the minister rejoined the programme, confirming that “all was well”. The incident sparked widespread speculation across social media, with many people suggesting that it was political in nature. The planning minister, however, clarified on X early today morning that “a brief disruption occurre... -
Dawn - 06:25 Dec 26, 2025
PFUJ condemns violence, arson, vandalism targeting media houses in Bangladesh during recent protests
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned the recent surge of violence, vandalism, and arson targeting media houses in Bangladesh. A joint statement issued by PFUJ President Afzal Butt, and Secretary General Arshad Ansari on Friday said, “Silencing the press through physical intimidation is a direct violation of the constitutional right to freedom of expression and the rule of law.” The statement comes days after Bangladesh saw violent protests following the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a key figure in last year’s student-led uprising that toppled longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. was shot in the head by masked assailants in Dhaka on December 16 while launching his campaign for an election due in February. He died in Singapore on December 18. Following his death, violent protests broke out and several buildings, including those housing leading newspapers Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, were set on fire and vandalised. Protesters accused the newspapers of enabling Hadi’s killing, calli... -
Dawn - 03:48 Dec 26, 2025
WASHINGTON: China continues to strengthen its position as a major global arms supplier, with Pakistan emerging as its most significant and trusted partner in the air combat domain, according to a Pentagon report sent to the US Congress this week. The report states that as of December 2024, China remained the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter, relying primarily on state-owned defence companies such as the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and North Industries Corporation (Norinco). It notes that China’s arms exports are closely linked to its broader foreign policy and development outreach, including initiatives associated with the Belt and Road framework, and are particularly attractive to developing countries due to affordability and flexible terms. According to this report, Pakistan figures prominently in China’s aviation exports. Beijing currently offers three fixed-wing combat aircraft for export: the fifth-generation FC-31 stealth fighter, the fourth-generation J-10C multirole combat aircra... -
Dawn - 02:47 Dec 26, 2025
KARACHI: The government’s borrowing from banks in the first half of FY26 has marked a sharp reversal from last year’s pattern, with Rs672 billion raised against net debt retirement during the same period of FY25. Latest data from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) showed that, as the first half of FY26 draws to a close, the government borrowing remains limited to Rs672bn, compared with debt retirement of Rs1.7 trillion in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year. Bankers expect heavy borrowing in the second half of the current fiscal year as the government faces liquidity constraints due to revenue shortfalls, which they say remain below target. Financial market sources said the government continues to rely on banks to stay within its targeted fiscal space. Bankers noted that dividend payouts to the federal government surged sharply in FY25, with around Rs2.7tr transferred to the national exchequer, providing significant fiscal relief. Another SBP report shows that banks’ investments stood at Rs36.7...
6698 items