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Dawn - 04:10 Jun 07, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The minister of state for crypto and blockchain, Bilal Bin Saqib, met with top US lawmakers and the New York City mayor this week to strengthen cooperation on digital assets, blockchain regulation and financial innovation. The minister held discussions with Senator Cynthia Lummis, a key architect of US crypto legislation, as well as senators Bill Hagerty, Rick Scott, Tim Sheehy and Jim Justice in Washington, DC. Mr Saqib also engaged with members of the House Financial Services Committee and White House advisers, according to a press release issued on Friday. He said Pakistan is “here to lead” the world of crypto and blockchain. “From Capitol Hill to the White House, I shared a new face of Pakistan: one driven by youth, innovation, and global partnerships.” Mr Saqib’s discussions with US officials focused on Pakistan’s recent initiatives, including plans for a strategic bitcoin reserve, a virtual asset regulatory framework and stablecoin adoption to streamline remittances. With $36 billion in annua... -
Dawn - 03:38 Jun 07, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has thanked the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Bin Salman, for his role in ending the conflict between Pakistan and India last month. The prime minister, accompanied by his delegation, including the army chief, deputy PM and federal ministers, also performed Umrah on Friday when pilgrims performed the last major ritual of Haj — the “stoning of the devil”. The PM, who is on a two-day official visit to Saudi Arabia, met the Saudi crown prince in Makkah, according to an official press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office. “The prime minister expressed appreciation for the kingdom’s proactive role during recent tensions between Pakistan and India, and its steadfast commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region and beyond.” Performs Umrah alongside army chief; Haj winds down with pilgrims ‘stoning the devil’ in Mina PM Shehbaz also underscored Pakistan’s policy of responsible restraint in the face of Indian aggression, emphasising that “sustain... -
Dawn - 03:20 Jun 07, 2025
KARACHI: As the government prepares to unveil the federal budget for the next fiscal year, the upcoming National Tariff Policy 2025-30 — designed under IMF guidance — is triggering alarm among local auto assemblers. The plan proposes gradually lowering import duties, liberalising used car imports and permitting commercial imports of used vehicles. Industry stakeholders warn these measures could destabilise the local auto sector, erode foreign exchange reserves and widen the current account deficit. Under the proposed tariff rationalisation, duties on completely built-up (CBU) vehicles would be slashed to 15 per cent over five years, down from the current 20pc. Additional Customs Duty (ACD) and Regulatory Duty (RD) will be phased out, and the number of tariff slabs reduced from five to four. The government also plans to eliminate the fifth schedule and lower the maximum slab rate to 15pc. This sweeping overhaul of the trade regime is apparently aimed at fostering export-led growth, but the auto sector sees it ... -
Dawn - 01:49 Jun 07, 2025
• Ex-foreign minister says threshold for war in South Asia ‘lowest it’s ever been’; his stark assessment highlights tenuous nature of ceasefire • Calls on US to help bring New Delhi to negotiating table after Trump acknowledges presence of ‘strong leadership’ in Islamabad WASHINGTON: Warning that the current ceasefire between India and Pakistan was quite tenuous, former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that the world is now a less safe place than it was before the crisis in the Subcontinent. The statement comes a day after US President Donald Trump acknowledged the presence of “very strong leadership” in Islamabad as being one of the contributing factors to a recent de-escalation of tensions with India. In meetings with US lawmakers and think tanks, the PPP chief, who is currently heading a high-powered Pakistani delegation to the US, said the ceasefire was “a welcome start”, but cautioned that “South Asia, India, and Pakistan, and by extension, the rest of the world, are less safe today than ... -
Dawn - 23:39 Jun 06, 2025
TOKYO: Japanese company ispace said its uncrewed moon lander likely crashed onto the lunar surface during its touchdown attempt on Friday, marking another failure two years after an unsuccessful inaugural mission. Tokyo-based ispace had hoped to join US firms Intuitive Machines and Firefly Aerospace in making successful commercial moon landings amid a global race that includes state-run lunar missions from China and India. Although the failure means another multi-year pause in Japan’s commercial access to the moon, the country remains committed to the US-led Artemis programme and a wide range of Japanese companies are studying lunar exploration as a business frontier. Resilience, ispace’s second lunar lander, had problems measuring its distance to the surface and could not slow its descent fast enough, the company said, adding it has not been able to communicate with Resilience after a likely hard landing. “Truly diverse scenarios were possible, including issues with the propulsion system, software or hardwar... -
Dawn - 23:39 Jun 06, 2025
GWADAR: The prime minister has appointed Shah Irfan Ahmed Gharsheen as the chairman of the Gwadar Port Authority. An official notification issued by the Establishment Division on Friday said the Ministry of Marine Affairs had recommended the appointment of Mr Gharsheen. Mr Gharsheen, a grade 20 officer of the Balochistan Civil Service, has been appointed to the post for two years. Previously, he had worked at numerous posts, including the Rakhshan division commissioner, public relations director general and information secretary. Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2025 -
Dawn - 17:49 Jun 06, 2025
Two terrorists belonging to Indian-proxy were killed after intense fire exchange in Balochistan’s Kachhi district, military’s media wing said on Friday. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) today, security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in the general area Kolpur of Balochistan’s Kachhi district on reported presence of terrorists belonging to “Indian proxy Fitna al Hindustan.” “During the conduct of operation, own forces effectively engaged the Fitna al Hindustan terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, two Indian sponsored terrorists were sent to hell,” ISPR said. The statement said that weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the terrorists, who remained “actively involved in numerous Indian sponsored terrorist activities in the area”. “Sanitisation operation is being conducted to eliminate any other terrrorist found in the area,” ISPR said, adding that the security forces were determined to wipeout the menace of Indian spon... -
Dawn - 16:17 Jun 06, 2025
The Foreign Office on Friday firmly rejected the “baseless and misleading remarks” made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his first visit to the Indian-held Kashmir after the Pahalgam attack. The indian premier arrived in occupied valley today to open a strategic railway line. According to Indian news media outlets, Modi, during his visit, said that Pakistan attacked ’insaniyat’ and Kashmiriyat’ (humanity and the Kashmiri identity) in Pahalgam. The Indian premier alleged that Pakistan was “also the enemy of poor’s bread and butter”. He warned that anyone trying to derail the development in Indian-held Kashmir would have to “face Narendra Modi first”. Responding to the Indian premier’s remarks, the foreign office today said: “Pakistan firmly rejects the baseless and misleading remarks made by the prime minister of India regarding the situation in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.” It added that such statements represented a “deliberate attempt to deflect international attention from the grav... -
Dawn - 16:15 Jun 06, 2025
In a bid to tighten traffic regulation enforcement, the Sindh government on Friday approved a set of legal changes, including a ban on four-seater rickshaws, mandatory third-party vehicle fitness checks, and sharp increases in traffic violation fines, as part of an overhaul aimed at improving road safety and accountability. The decision comes as Karachi witnesses a surge in traffic accidents, particularly involving dumpers and water tankers, that killed nearly 500 people and injured 4,879 in 2024, according to hospital data. The spate of deadly incidents triggered protests over citizens’ deaths, prompting the provincial government to ban heavy vehicles during daytime hours and require them to obtain fitness certificates. According to a statement from the home department, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar chaired the meeting to discuss necessary amendments to the Motor Vehicles Rules in light of the alarming increase in the number of accidents in the province. Briefed by the secretaries of law and transp... -
Dawn - 16:11 Jun 06, 2025
The Foreign Office on Friday “unequivocally” condemned the Israeli airstrikes on Beirut and southern parts of Lebanon, urging the international community to hold Tel Aviv accountable and take immediate action against the offensive. According to Al Jazeera, the attack on Thursday targeting Hezbollah marks the fourth time Israel has bombed Beirut after a ceasefire was signed in November 2024. The Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, in a statement after the strikes, voiced “firm condemnation of the Israeli aggression,” calling the attack — carried out on the eve of Eidul Azha — a “flagrant violation of an international accord.” Israel and Hezbollah started trading fire on Oct 8, a day after Hamas attacked communities in southern Israel and sparked the Gaza offensive. Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, says its attacks aim to support Palestinians who are under Israeli bombardment in Gaza. The Foreign Office, in a statement, extending solidarity to Lebanese people during “this difficult time” and highlighted that “the reckless ... -
Dawn - 14:15 Jun 06, 2025
Veteran journalist and news director of the Associated Press for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Kathy Gannon on Friday said that the presence of various militant groups on Afghan soil posed a significant challenge to regional security. Speaking at an event titled “Geopolitical Shifts and Security Challenges: Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Regional Power Play” organised by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) in Islamabad, Gannon — who in 2014 was attacked and wounded while reporting from Afghanistan — said, “While Afghanistan might not want all the militant groups on its territory nor did Kabul invite them all, but they were still there.” According to a press release, Gannon emphasised the importance of restoring trust between Pakistan and Afghanistan, appreciating the recent positive developments in relations between the two neighbours. She said that “Pakistan could better influence the Afghan government by treating it as an equal and a partner in pursuing its regional objectives.” “She also urged Islamabad to... -
Dawn - 14:05 Jun 06, 2025
Posts on social media platforms X and Facebook since Wednesday were sharing an alleged threat alert from the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) of a possible terror attack in Karachi during Eidul Azha. However, the threat alert is fake. On Wednesday, a post on X by a user claimed that Nacta had issued a threat alert on the same date regarding a possible terrorist attack in Karachi during Eidul Azha. The caption of the post said: “Intelligence warns of a potential terrorist attack in Karachi during Eidul Azha. Law enforcement on high alert. Citizens urged to stay vigilant and report anything suspicious.” The same notification was circulated by other users as well as can be seen here, here, here and here. It was also widely shared on Facebook, as seen here and here, and circulated in various WhatsApp groups. A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim given its close proximity to the upcoming holiday and its potential to cause undue worry and panic in the public. Analysing the do... -
Dawn - 13:54 Jun 06, 2025
US President Donald Trump is not interested in talking with his former ally Elon Musk, amid a bitter feud over the president’s sweeping tax-cut bill, a White House official said on Friday, adding that no phone call between the two men was planned for the day. A separate White House official had said earlier that Trump and Musk were going to talk to each other on Friday. Earlier, Donald Trump threatened to cut off government contracts to Elon Musk’s companies and the world’s richest man suggested the US president should be impeached, marking a stark end to an unlikely alliance and leaving onlookers wondering what was next. The hostilities between the former allies intensified when the president criticised Tesla CEO Musk in the Oval Office and the pair then lobbed verbal barbs at each other on their social media platforms: Trump’s Truth Social and Musk’s X. “The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,” Trump posted. ... -
Dawn - 13:48 Jun 06, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, currently on a two-day state visit to Saudi Arabia, performed Umrah on the night of Thursday and Friday, offering prayers for the country’s success in Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, the government said on its X account. The delegation arrived in Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman for a visit from June 5 to 6, according to a statement from the Foreign Office. The visit is focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in key areas between both nations. PM Shehbaz is also expected to thank the Saudi leadership for its constructive role in de-escalating the recent Pakistan-India conflict. PM Shehbaz was accompanied by Army Chief Field Marshal General Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, and Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar, who also performed the Umrah. The gates of the Kaaba, the holiest site in Islam, were specially opened for the delegation, where th... -
Dawn - 13:19 Jun 06, 2025
The Kremlin said on Friday that the Ukraine war was “existential” for Russia, after it launched a wave of retaliatory drone and missile strikes that killed at least three in Kyiv. AFP journalists heard air raid sirens and explosions ring out over the capital throughout the night as Ukrainian air defence batteries intercepted waves of Russian drones and missiles. Kyiv announced that Russia had fired 45 missiles and 407 drones in the barrage, after Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed retaliation for an audacious Ukrainian attack on several Russian airbases. President Volodymyr Zelensky in response urged allies to “decisively” ramp up pressure on Russia to halt the war, which has left tens of thousands dead over more than three years of fighting. “We heard a drone — we heard it coming very close, and then there was an explosion,” Ksenia, a Kyiv resident, told AFP outside a multiple-storey housing block that was left with a charred and gaping hole. “Our windows and window panes were blown out, but we got away ... -
Dawn - 13:03 Jun 06, 2025
Pilgrims on Friday were performing the last major ritual of the Haj — the stoning of the Jamarat, also known as the “stoning of the devil”, which symbolises the rejection of evil, as Muslims around the globe celebrated the beginning of Eidul Azha. Pakistan will celebrate Eidul Azha tomorrow (Saturday). Starting before daybreak, the more than 1.6 million pilgrims taking part in the Haj threw seven stones at each of three concrete walls symbolising the devil in the Mina valley, on the outskirts of the holy city of Makkah. Droves of pilgrims had already set out from their camps and accommodations in the sprawling tent city in Mina before dawn, taking advantage of the shade and cool temperature. The ritual commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s stoning of the Jamarat at the three spots where Satan tried to dissuade him from obeying God’s order to sacrifice his son. “Our experience in Mina was easy and simple. We entered and within five minutes we had completed the stoning of the devil at the ‘Jamarat’,” said 34-year-old ...
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Dawn - 12:03 Jun 06, 2025
From dangerous diet tips to disinformation, cyberbullying to hate speech, the glut of online content harmful to children grows every day. But several European countries have had enough and now want to limit minors’ access to social media. The European Union already has some of the world’s most stringent digital rules to rein in Big Tech, with multiple probes ongoing into how platforms protect children — or not. There are now demands for the EU to go further as a rising body of evidence shows the negative effects of social media on children’s mental and physical health. Backed by France and Spain, Greece has spearheaded a proposal for how the EU should limit children’s use of online platforms as fears mount over their addictive nature. They were to discuss the plan on Friday with EU counterparts in Luxembourg. The proposal includes setting an age of digital adulthood across the 27-country EU, meaning children will not be able to access social media without parental consent. France, Greece and Denmark believe t... -
Dawn - 11:30 Jun 06, 2025
China called on Friday for steps to improve bilateral ties with Canada, saying there were no deepseated conflicts of interest, following a spike in trade tensions with many of Beijing’s Western trade partners this year. China is willing to work with Canada to put ties on a healthy and stable path and find solutions to address each other’s concerns through enhanced dialogue, Premier Li Qiang told Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in a phone call on Friday, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. “There is no fundamental conflict of interests between the two countries,” Li said. Li’s talks with Carney followed a highly-anticipated phone call between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, which Trump said led to “a very positive conclusion” and offered hope the trade war between the world’s two largest economies might start to de-escalate. As the effects of trade frictions start to make their way into the already soft Chinese economy, Beijing has stepped up engagement wi... -
Dawn - 10:46 Jun 06, 2025
Former federal minister and Senator Abbas Afridi on Friday succumbed to burn injuries sustained in a gas leak explosion a day earlier, while three others were wounded. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Ahmad Faizi told Dawn.com that their team had rushed Afridi and three others to Kohat Combined Military Hospital, from where Afridi was taken to a burn centre in Kharian, Punjab, in a helicopter. Nouman Ali, spokesperson for the Kohat police, told Dawn.com, “Afridi was in a critical condition and succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. His body was brought to Kohat today.” He said the three others had been transported to a divisional headquarters hospital. The police spokesperson said Afridi and his friends, Dilnawaz, Javed Afridi and Nadeem, were in the Hujra when a gas leak caused an explosion. The intensity of the blast damaged the walls of the Hujra. Afridi’s funeral will be held today at 5pm at Babri Banda, Kohat. KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi expressed deep sorrow and grief over Afridi... -
Dawn - 08:07 Jun 06, 2025
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Indian-held Kashmir on Friday, his first visit to the contested Himalayan region since a conflict with arch-rival Pakistan last month, and opened a strategic railway line. Modi is launching a string of projects worth billions of dollars for the occupied Muslim-majority territory. India and Pakistan fought an intense four-day conflict last month over an attack in Occupied Kashmir’s Pehalgam, with New Delhi blaming Islamabad without evidence. This was the two countries’ worst standoff since 1999, before a ceasefire was agreed on May 10. His office broadcast images of Modi at a viewing point for the Chenab Bridge, a 1,315-metre-long (4,314-foot-long) steel and concrete span that connects two mountains with an arch 359 metres above the river below. “In addition to being an extraordinary feat of architecture, the Chenab Rail Bridge will improve connectivity,” the Hindu nationalist leader said in a social media post ahead of his visit. Modi strode across the bridge wav...
7934 items