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Dawn - 03:40 Nov 08, 2025
WASHINGTON: The United States accused Iran on Friday of “plotting to assassinate” Israel’s ambassador to Mexico, in what would be the latest attempt to take the two countries’ conflict to another region. A US official said the Revolutionary Guards’ elite Quds Force initiated the plot late last year and that it was disrupted this year. “The plot was contained and does not pose a current threat,” the US official said. The US official did not provide detailed evidence or say how the plot was contained. The Iranian mission to the United Nations declined to comment. According to the US official, the alleged plot would have taken place after April 1 last year, when Israel attacked the Iranian embassy complex in Damascus, killing several top officers of the Revolutionary Guards. Israel carried out a much more extensive bombing campaign in Iran this year that killed more than 1,000 people. The United States joined by bombing key nuclear sites. Iran has been a critical supporter of Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Stri... -
Dawn - 03:15 Nov 08, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The number of Afghan nationals arrested and detained in Pakistan surged by 146 per cent in a single week, a spike linked to the reopening of border crossings, according to a joint report by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). A total of 7,764 Afghan nationals were arrested and detained in the week ending Nov 1, a significant increase from the previous week, the report said. Of those arrested between Oct 26 and Nov 1, Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders and undocumented Afghans accounted for 77pc, while Proof of Registration (PoR) card holders represented the remaining 23 pc, it added. The report noted that 86pc of the arrests and detentions occurred in Balochistan. Across the country, the top three districts for arrests and detentions between Jan 1 and Nov 1, 2025, were Chagi, Attock and Quetta. Links the surge to reopening of border crossings; reveals Balochistan is epicentre of the crackdown The rate of returns and deportations also rose sharply in ... -
Dawn - 02:37 Nov 08, 2025
• Muslim diplomats parsing US resolution carefully, expect it to ‘evolve’ • Azerbaijan will only send peacekeepers ‘if fighting stops’ WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he expects a US-coordinated International Stabilisation Force (ISF) to be on the ground in Gaza “very soon”. The multinational force — likely to include troops from Muslim countries such as Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye, etc — is part of Trump’s post-war governance plan for Gaza. The plan helped lead to a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on October 10, but the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has not abated. “It’s going to be very soon. And Gaza is working out very well,” Trump said at a White House function with Central Asian leaders. “You haven’t been hearing too much about problems, and I’ll tell you, we’ve had countries that have volunteered if there’s a problem with Hamas.” The force is supposed to train and support vetted Palestinian police in the Gaza Strip, with backing from Egypt and Jordan. It also will be tas... -
Dawn - 02:32 Nov 08, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The International Financial Institutions (IFIs) have raised urgent concerns over Pakistan’s escalating climate vulnerability and environmental degradation, warning that unchecked population growth and dwindling natural resources could deepen the country’s fragility. These observations and recommendations emerged during the closing plenary of the 28th Sustainable Development Conference held on Friday, where experts — including representatives from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) — underscored the need for immediate action. World Bank Country Director Dr Bolormaa Amgabazar said that Pakistan faces alarmingly high vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters, compounded by escalating air and water pollution. At the same time, the country’s rapid population growth — among the highest globally — is placing immense strain on its already depleting natural resources, posing serious long-term risks to environmental and economic stability. She said that the Climate and Count... -
Dawn - 02:22 Nov 08, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Backed by record interest income of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), a 30 per cent surge in petroleum levy collection and strong provincial cash surpluses, the government on Friday reported one of its rare fiscal surpluses — at 1.6pc of GDP — in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, slightly below last year’s 1.7pc. According to the Ministry of Finance’s fiscal operations report for July-September 2025, the overall budget balance showed a surplus of Rs2.12 trillion in absolute terms, up 10pc from Rs1.896tr in the same period last year. As a share of GDP, the surplus slipped marginally from 1.7pc to 1.6pc. Last year eventually closed with a 5.4pc deficit, as rising expenditures gradually offset the one-time impact of SBP profits. The primary balance — the difference between total revenue and expenditure, excluding interest payments — stood at 2.7pc of GDP this year, slightly lower than last year’s 2.8pc. In absolute terms, however, the primary surplus grew 8.4pc to Rs3.497tr, compared to Rs... -
Dawn - 00:32 Nov 08, 2025
PESHAWAR: ‘Disparaging’ remarks from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi, regarding ongoing security operations in the province, drew strong condemnation from politicians, religious leaders, and journalists on Friday. The offending remarks came during CM Afridi’s interaction with the media outside Adiala jail a day earlier, after he was once again denied an audience with PTI founder Imran Khan. During his media talk, he alleged that the sanctity of worship places was violated when sniffer dogs were brought there, while also making disparaging remarks about security personnel. However, he claimed that despite everything, they still supported the security forces. Reacting to the statement, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned Mr Afridi’s words, while Awami National Party (ANP) chief Senator Aimal Wali Khan termed it an “attempt to incite religious sentiments”. “I condemn any rhetoric that seeks to undermine the honour and sacrifice of our armed forces,” the governor wrote on X. He sa... -
Dawn - 19:57 Nov 07, 2025
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Friday that the talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan are “over” and have “entered an indefinite phase” as negotiators failed to bridge deep differences between the two sides. “Right now, as we speak, negotiations are over,” said the defence minister while speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’. Earlier, officials and sources said the talks stalled without any agreement. “The talks in Istanbul are deadlocked,” a senior security source told reporters, confirming that discussions had hit an impasse. The third round of Pakistan–Afghanistan talks began on Thursday in Istanbul and was planned to continue for two days. The defence minister added that the Afghan Taliban delegation again came to Istanbul “without any programme” and that they were not willing to sign a written agreement. “They said that they would only respect the verbal agreement, but there is no room to do that.” Asif elaborated that during the earlier rounds, the negotiators urged for a... -
Dawn - 19:05 Nov 07, 2025
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the party would support amendments to Article 243, which defines the powers of the armed forces, in the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment. Addressing the media following the conclusion of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting, Bilawal said the moot debated the matter of constitutional courts for two days and the party “agrees in principle with the idea that constitutional courts should be formed”. “In the 27th Amendment, the amendment to (article) 243 must be accepted.” The party chairperson added that “unfinished agenda items” from the Charter of Democracy were also discussed. View this post on Instagram “We will engage with the government and see which other points we can reach a consensus on,” said Bilawal. He added that if a consensus can be reached with the incumbent government on agenda items not fulfilled under the Charter of Democracy, “it would be a welcome step”. Bilawal further said that they are giving their suggestions... -
Dawn - 19:01 Nov 07, 2025
The United States gathered intelligence last year that Israel’s military lawyers warned there was evidence that could support war crimes charges against Tel Aviv for its military operations in Gaza reliant on American-supplied weapons, five former US officials said. The previously unreported intelligence, described by the former officials as among the most startling shared with top US policymakers during the war, pointed to doubts within the Israeli military about the legality of its tactics that contrasted sharply with Israel’s public stance defending its actions. Two of the former US officials said the material was not broadly circulated within the government until late in the Biden administration, when it was disseminated more widely ahead of a congressional briefing in December 2024. The intelligence deepened concerns in Washington over Israel’s conduct in a war it said was necessary to eliminate Hamas fighters embedded in civilian infrastructure. There were concerns Israel was intentionally targeting civ... -
Dawn - 18:34 Nov 07, 2025
The Sindh Police on Friday eliminated 12 “wanted criminals” during an ongoing search operation against dacoits in Ghotki, including those who had bounties placed on them by the Sindh government, according to a statement. For decades, dozens of dacoit gangs armed with sophisticated weaponry have operated with impunity in northern Sindh as well as southern Punjab. Kidnappings for ransom, extortion rackets that cripple local businesses, brutal killings and robbing people on highways have become a daily reality. The Sindh Home Department’s statement said that the operation was carried out under the supervision of Sukkur Deputy Inspector General Faisal Abdullah Chachar, with Ghotki Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anwar Khetran, Sukkur SSP Azhar Mughal, Obaro Deputy Superintendent of Police Abdul Qadir Soomro, and their teams actively participating. “Twelve extremely dangerous criminals were killed, some of whom had bounties placed on them by the Sindh government,” the Sukkur DIG said. “A reward of Rs5 millio... -
Dawn - 18:30 Nov 07, 2025
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on Friday that the government will proceed only with those parts of the 27th Constitutional Amendment agreed upon by coalition partners, while disputed matters, including changes to the 18th Amendment and the NFC Award, will remain under discussion. Speaking on Geo News programme Naya Pakistan, Sanaullah said the amendment’s draft was expected to be presented before the cabinet today, but was delayed as the PPP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) had not yet finalised its position. “We thought it better to wait for their opinion before moving forward. Once their input comes, we’ll finalise the draft and take it to the cabinet for approval before presenting it in the Senate,” he said. Responding to a question about PML-N’s agreement with PPP on the formation of a constitutional court, Sanaullah highlighted that the PPP has been committed to the idea since 2005, and both parties are signatories to the Charter of Democracy. “Their only demand... -
Dawn - 18:00 Nov 07, 2025
Pakistan on Friday said it had not conducted any nuclear tests after May 1998, rejecting Indian allegations of clandestine nuclear activities as “baseless and malicious”. Foreign Office (FO) Spokesman Tahir Andrabi, responding to a question from Dawn, said, “For the record, Pakistan’s last nuclear tests were conducted in May 1998. Our position on nuclear testing is well established and consistent.” Pakistan has maintained a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear testing since its last series of tests conducted in response to India’s nuclear tests. However, Pakistan has not signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, retaining the flexibility to resume testing if its security environment, particularly vis-à-vis India, deteriorates. “Pakistan has been supporting United Nations General Assembly resolutions calling for a comprehensive ban on nuclear testing. In contrast, India’s abstentions on these resolutions reflect its ambiguous and questionable intentions on future nuclear testing,” Andrabi said. The state... -
Dawn - 16:13 Nov 07, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday held a bilateral meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the Presidential Palace in Baku, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. The statement added that Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir was also present in the meeting. The prime minister arrived in Baku earlier today for a two-day official visit to Azerbaijan at Aliyev’s invitation, where he will attend the country’s Victory Day ceremony. Victory Day is observed to “commemorate the historic victory in the 44-day-long Karabakh Liberation War against Armenia”, according to the PM’s Office. PM Shehbaz, accompanied by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, was received at Heydar Aliyev International Airport by First Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Yagub Eyyubov, First Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Fariz Razayev, Pakistani Ambassador to Azerbaijan Qasim Mohiuddin and diplomatic staff. The statement read: “The prime minister thanked the President of Azerbaijan for ex... -
Dawn - 16:07 Nov 07, 2025
Pakistan and Iran on Friday vowed to enhance cooperation to eradicate terrorism from the two states and reiterated their commitment to peaceful means of dialogue and diplomacy for the resolution of all outstanding disputes around the world. Pakistan and Iran share close ties and have signed multiple agreements across sectors such as energy and trade. The two sides also expressed eagerness to further foster cooperation with each other in the fields of mutual interest. The commitments were made when Speaker of Iranian Parliament Dr Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a statement from the PM’s Office said. “Both countries condemn state-sponsored terrorism and have always supported each other in the wake of unilateral aggression against their sovereign states”, the statement quoted the PM as saying. The prime minister said Pakistan and Iran had unfortunately been victims of terrorism; thus, they firmly shared the resolve of global peace, prosperity and positive cooperation in the reg... -
Dawn - 15:15 Nov 07, 2025
A demolition operation carried out at a bird market in Lahore’s Bhati Chowk area, near Data Darbar, has become mired in controversy, with shopkeepers accusing the Punjab government of killing dozens of birds and other caged pets, allegations the government has denied. The operation was conducted on Wednesday morning by joint teams of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and the Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency (Tepa) to launch the Bhaati Chowk remodeling project, aiming to reduce traffic congestion and control pollution. “The market consisted of a total of 149 shops, including some tuck (pan) shops. Around 13 to 14 [shops] were situated in the front, where the shopkeepers were able to take out the birds and cages late at night. The other shopkeepers could not do this since they closed the shops in the evening as per routine,“ Bahu Khan, Lahore Bhaati bird association office bearer told Dawn. “Thus, all birds (parrots, sparrows, etc) were buried to death after the field operation teams raise... -
Dawn - 14:21 Nov 07, 2025
National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Friday told a PTI delegation that the matter of the nomination of the opposition leader in the house is “sub judice”. After the conviction of Omer Ayub Khan in the May 9 cases, the party nominated Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai as opposition leader in the National Assembly. The speaker stated that the matter is under consideration during a meeting with a parliamentary delegation of the PTI — led by party chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and comprising former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser and other PTI members — at Parliament House. An official handout issued by the NA Secretariat also said that “during the meeting, detailed discussions were held regarding the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition in the House and the speaker informed the delegation that the matter was currently sub judice.” The speaker emphasised that the Parliament was the most important and credible institution of democracy, and all political parties s... -
Dawn - 14:09 Nov 07, 2025
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Friday that his party would oppose any proposed amendment that seeks to reduce the powers granted to the provinces under the 18th Amendment. A day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held consultations with ruling allies to secure support for the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment, with the government expected to table the bill in the Senate within days. “The provinces have a constitutional right to an increased NFC (National Finance Commission) award, not a reduced one,” he said, warning that if provincial rights were stripped, the JUI-F would “strongly oppose it.” Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Fazl said his party had agreed on certain points in principle, but would only comment further once a draft of the 27th Constitutional Amendment was presented. Commenting on proposed changes to Article 243, he said the matter must be viewed in two ways: “If it is used to affect democracy, the Constitution or politics, we will not accept it. But if it is purely... -
Dawn - 13:43 Nov 07, 2025
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday condemned remarks by the province’s Chief Minister, Sohail Afridi, “disparaging the security forces and assailing counter-terrorism operations in KP.” Speaking to reporters outside Adiala Jail a day prior, the CM alleged that security forces in KP would bring dogs into mosques and tie them down there, thereby violating the sanctity of holy places. “When we would go and tell them that they are violating the sanctity of the mosque, they would tell us ‘you and these dogs are no different’,” CM Afridi said. “Despite this, we still support them … but do they know the pain of my people?” Taking to X and posting a video of the CM’s remarks, Kundi wrote that he condemned any rhetoric that undermined the “honour and sacrifice” of the armed forces. “The brave sons of our soil lay down their lives to protect our province — questioning their intent in sensational terms only damages morale and public safety,” he wrote. Kundi affirmed the importance of intelligence-b... -
Dawn - 13:28 Nov 07, 2025
For nearly a year, engineers working at Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), represented by the Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan (SAEP), have been raising their voices over what they describe as unfair treatment and safety concerns within the airline. Recently, however, the matter has escalated, turning into a protest, resulting in the delay of flights and leading to the suspension of a few SAEP officials. On Monday night, the aircraft engineers refused to issue clearance certificates to aircraft, because of which hundreds of passengers were stranded at different airports due to long delays in the flights, especially those scheduled for Saudi Arabia. Why are engineers protesting? According to SAEP representatives, the protest was carried out over two primary issues: salary disparities as well as safety and the unavailability of spare parts. SAEP members claim that while pilots receive salary hikes, engineers’ pay remains stagnant. Moreover, the engineers claim they are often told to reuse old aircr... -
Dawn - 11:58 Nov 07, 2025
Explosions at a mosque in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta that injured dozens of people during Friday prayers could have been an attack, officials indicated, with a 17-year-old identified as the suspected perpetrator. Police said 55 people were in hospitals with a range of minor to serious injuries, including burns, after the blasts at the mosque inside a school complex in the Kelapa Gading area. “The explosion was loud, so loud that I could not breathe because I was shocked,” said Luciana, 43, who was working at the school canteen at the time. She described multiple blasts and panic as dozens fled the complex. “I thought it was a short circuit or the sound system which exploded — we were so afraid, so we rushed out.” Deputy House Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, speaking to the media after visiting a hospital, said the young male suspect was undergoing surgery, without giving more details or a possible motive. President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his condolences over the incident in a post on X, offering prayers for t...
5467 items