Dawn
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Found 7934 news
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Dawn - 04:38 May 25, 2025
LAHORE: A sessions court on Saturday adjourned a Rs10 billion defamation suit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif against incarcerated PTI founding chairman Imran Khan as the counsel for the defendant continued the cross-examination of the plaintiff. Additional District & Sessions Judge (AD&SJ) Yalmaz Ghani conducted the hearing on the suit, while PM Shehbaz and his counsel Mustafa Ramday joined via a video link. At the outset of the hearing, the prime minister congratulated all attendees on winning the battle against India. In response, the judge also said, “Congratulations to you as well.” Advocate Muhammad Hussain Chotia, the counsel for the PTI founder, said this was indeed a matter of joy and it was a victory for the whole nation. During cross-examination, the defendant’s counsel asked the plaintiff whether the alleged defamatory statement had been made in writing. The prime minister said the allegations had been repeatedly made on television. The lawyer then asked PM Shehbaz whether he himself ever made su... -
Dawn - 04:36 May 25, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Access to the social media platform X was gradually restored in Pakistan on Saturday after a global outage, which affected services in several countries. Downdetector, which monitors internet outages in real time, showed a spike in users’ complaints after 5pm. The tally peaked with 372 complaints at 5:36pm, with more than 600 complaints in total reported by late evening. Users said they were unable to log in to their accounts and send tweets. However, the number of complaints reduced by 8pm, indicating the restoration of services. The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) noted that social media platform X was facing a mass global outage, including in Pakistan, but stated that the country’s internet services “remain fully functional”. “PTA’s investigation into the matter has confirmed that there are no technical issues at Pakistan’s internet gateways.” “All other internet services across the country remain fully functional,” PTA said. X was blocked in Pakistan on Feb 17, 2024, after allega... -
Dawn - 04:22 May 25, 2025
LAHORE: Federal Minister for Water Resources Muhammad Moeen Wattoo has warned India that holding the Indus Water Treaty (IWC) in abeyance unilaterally is “absolutely unlawful and an act of war”. He further said that the treaty still exists despite New Delhi holding it in abeyance “unilaterally and illegally”. “The words ‘holding in abeyance’ used by India doesn’t exist anywhere in the law. Therefore, the Indus Water Treaty exist as it is, as these words cannot abolish it,” Mr Wattoo said while speaking at a seminar on Saturday. “Holding the treaty in abeyance is absolutely illegal immoral. It is a violation of all international agreements,” the minister added. Ex-Indus water commissioner warns China and other upstream countries may block flow of water to India Talking about the background of the issue, the federal minister said the correspondence between the two countries were underway since 2024. India wrote a letter to Pakistan, seeking some modification in the treaty under the Article 12 (3) of the treaty.... -
Dawn - 04:11 May 25, 2025
• Both sides to continue discussions on revenue, defence, development, tariff reforms • Next review likely in second half of 2025 • Mission thanks federal, provincial authorities for constructive engagement ISLAMABAD: In a significant development, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Pakistani authorities have reached a preliminary agreement on a comprehensive financial framework, paving the way for continued negotiations on the budget for fiscal year 2025-26. Officials in the finance ministry indicate that discussions are set to advance in the coming days, with the goal of finalising crucial fiscal policies, including the revenue collection target for FY26, development outlay, defence expenditure, and the highly debated tariff rationalisation plan for the industry. The areas where agreements remain pending include tax concessions for the salaried class, an increase in defence budget and policies related to real estate. The discussions will also focus on reducing expenditures, as well as continuing refor... -
Dawn - 04:01 May 25, 2025
LAHORE: The country has unveiled its first Power Equipment Manufacturing Dashboard, a real-time digital tool to monitor localisation progress, assess vendor capacity and identify strategic investment opportunities under the Power Sector Indigenisation Plan (PSIP). The launch took place during the National Consultative Workshop on the Power Sector Indigenisation Roadmap, organised by the National Grid Company of Pakistan (NGC) — formerly known as the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) — in collaboration with the LUMS Energy Institute. Speaking via video link, Energy Minister Awais Leghari said the government was finalising a plan to supply 7,000-megawatt electricity to Pakistan’s export industry at the most competitive tariff in the region. “We are working on providing electricity at a marginal cost to boost exports,” the minister said. He added that power sector indigenisation was vital to shifting the country from an import-dependent to an export-led economy. The event brought ... -
Dawn - 03:33 May 25, 2025
THE government of Bangladesh has cancelled a $21 million contract awarded to Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE), an Indian public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Defence, for the construction of an advanced ocean-going tug, The Hindu reported. According to the Indian publication, the cancellation closely follows India’s recent move to withdraw the transhipment facility previously extended to Bangladesh to export its cargo to third countries — a development that analysts interpret as signalling strain in bilateral relations. In a regulatory disclosure submitted to the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd and BSE Ltd under the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, GRSE confirmed that the government of Bangladesh had cancelled the order, originally placed in July 2024. The cancellation adds to a series of geopolitical developments since the change in political leadership in Bangladesh following the fall of prime minis... -
Dawn - 18:13 May 24, 2025
Mountaineer Saad Munawar on Saturday became the first Pakistani to summit the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest (8,848.86 metres), from its northern face. Earlier this month, two other Pakistani mountaineers achieved feats of their own, with renowned Pakistani climber Sajid Ali Sadpara summiting the world’s seventh highest peak, Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), without oxygen or porter support on May 11 and renowned Pakistani climber Sirbaz Khan successfully summiting Mt Kangchenjunga (8,586m), the third highest peak in the world, without supplemental oxygen on May 18. Munawar’s official Facebook account confirmed the feat, writing that he “raised the green flag at the summit of [the] highest peak in the world”. “This is the first time that a Pakistani has summited Mt Everest from the north side,” the post added. “Saad has safely descended back to Camp 3 for the night. Requesting prayers for safe descent back to the base camp during the next days.” According to climbers, the route to summit Everest’s northern face... -
Dawn - 18:11 May 24, 2025
At least 13 civilians died and 92 others were injured as heavy rains lashed several parts of Punjab on Saturday, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). Earlier today, the PDMA urged citizens and provincial authorities to remain on high alert. PDMA Director General (DG) Irfan Ali Kathia directed deputy commissioners and rescue agencies across the province to remain alert amid reports of wind and rain in various districts of Punjab, a statement by the PDMA said. “Relevant departments to be on alert to deal with emergency situations,” the statement read, adding that the provincial control room and all district emergency operation centres have also been alerted. The situation was being monitored 24/7 in the PDMA control room, DG Kathia said. He added, “Citizens should be careful and stay away from electric poles and hanging wires. “Stay in safe places to avoid lightning. Never stay in open places during bad weather and lightning. Avoid unnecessary travel and drive slowly.” View this pos... -
Dawn - 17:05 May 24, 2025
President Donald Trump ripped into diversity and inclusion policies in the United States, knocked Nato and took credit for building up the military on Saturday in a campaign-style commencement speech at the prestigious West Point Military Academy in New York. Trump, wearing a suit and his signature red “Make America Great Again” cap, mixed advice to “work hard” with a list of his top grievances about cultural and political issues while speaking to a stadium filled with cadets, family members and a largely supportive crowd. “The job of the US Armed Forces is not to host drag shows, to transform foreign cultures,” Trump said. “The military’s job is to dominate any foe and annihilate any threat to America, anywhere, anytime, in any place.” Since coming into office for the second time in January, Trump has rolled back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes in the military and throughout the government as part of a larger effort to rescind policies enacted by his predecessor, Joe Biden. “We’ve liberated ... -
Dawn - 16:44 May 24, 2025
Services on social media platform X were restored on Saturday evening as users in Pakistan were able to access the site. According to real-time monitor Downdetector, fewer problem reports were submitted on Saturday evening, with a low of 40 complaints reported by 8:36pm. A graph showing outages on X in Pakistan. — Screengrab via Downdetector Earlier, the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) noted that social media platform X was facing a mass global outage, including in Pakistan, but stated that the country’s internet services “remain fully functional”. According to a statement, the telecom body said that this disruption follows a similar one reported on Thursday, which was resolved by the platform itself. “PTA’s investigation into the matter has confirmed that there are no technical issues at Pakistan’s internet gateways,” the statement read. “All other internet services across the country remain fully functional.” The PTA added that global internet observatory NetBlocks also confirmed that the outage... -
Dawn - 15:38 May 24, 2025
The Sindh government on Saturday announced that it is launching a five-day polio vaccination campaign in the province from May 26 to inoculate over 10 million children in the province. Earlier this week, two new cases of polio were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat and Bannu districts, taking the tally for the current year to 10. According to a press release, the campaign aims to immunise more than 10.6m children under the age of five across all 30 districts of Sindh. “The campaign is taking place from May 26 to June 1, 2025, and involves the efforts of over 80,000 trained polio workers going door-to-door with support from 25,539 law enforcement personnel to ensure that no child is missed,” the statement said. “Children between the ages of 6 and 59 months will also receive Vitamin A supplements to help boost their immunity.” View this post on Instagram According to the press release, this new campaign follows two previous drives in February and April. Earlier this week, Sindh Chief Minister Murad ... -
Dawn - 14:58 May 24, 2025
A German woman accused of a mass stabbing attack that wounded 18 people at a train station in Hamburg suffers from mental illness, police said on Saturday. The suspect, a 39-year-old woman, is accused of going on a stabbing spree on Friday at the main station in Hamburg, stunning the northern city in the middle of the evening rush hour. The woman has “very clear indications of a psychological illness”, police said in a statement, without giving further details on her condition. They added that there were no signs she was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the attack, which left four victims seriously wounded. The woman was subdued by two passersby and law enforcement officers before being taken into custody at the scene without resisting arrest, police said. She was due to appear before a judge later on Saturday. Police say they have ruled out a “political motive” for the attack and believe the suspect acted alone. The victims range in age from 19 to 85. The four in serious condition were ... -
Dawn - 14:13 May 24, 2025
Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir has lauded the strategic foresight of the country’s political leadership during Marka-i-Haq that ensured the country’s success in Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos against India, the military’s media wing said on Saturday. Earlier this week, the government promoted Gen Munir to the rank of field marshal in recognition of his “strategic leadership and decisive role” in defeating India during the military confrontation between the two countries that ended with a US-mediated ceasefire. Field marshal is the highest rank in armies modelled after the British Army. In Pakistan, it was awarded only once before, to General Mohammad Ayub Khan in 1959. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally decorated the army chief with the rank of field marshal at a ceremony held at the Presidency earlier this week. According to a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), while hosting a dinner, the army chief expressed profound gratitude to... -
Dawn - 13:32 May 24, 2025
A key Bangladeshi party leader at the forefront of the revolt that ousted premier Sheikh Hasina warned on Saturday that an army-backed leadership could replace the interim government. Nahid Islam, leader of the National Citizen Party (NCP), made up of many students who spearheaded the uprising that ended Hasina’s 15-year iron-fisted rule last year, said he worried about an “anti-democratic” future. Muhammad Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner leading the caretaker government until elections are held, has called for rival political parties jostling for power to give him their full support. Bangladesh has a long history of coups, and the army retains a powerful role. Islam, an ally of Yunus who previously served in his cabinet, told reporters on Saturday that he foresaw a situation similar to January 11, 2007, when a state of emergency was declared, resulting in a two-year-long military-backed government. “There are indications that a 1/11-style military-backed government could re-emerge — one that ... -
Dawn - 13:08 May 24, 2025
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday held a meeting with a World Bank delegation to discuss the launch of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) project and the ongoing flood relief housing efforts as well as other initiatives in the province. The meeting, which took place at the CM House in Karachi, included WB managing director Anna Bejarred, country director Naji Bin Hussein and other officials from the Bank, a statement by the CM House read. Both the Sindh government and WB sides agreed on the effective initiation of the WASH project aimed at improving access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene practices across the province, according to the statement. “The initiative targeted 3,200 flood-affected villages, providing essential facilities to enhance public health and living conditions,” it added. CM Murad highlighted that the WASH project was being launched with a total budget of $270 million, benefiting approximately 1.5m people, with breakdown includes $75m from the World Bank, $13... -
Dawn - 12:41 May 24, 2025
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Saturday said that Pakistan will raise its defence budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2025-26 keeping in view the recent escalation with India and New Delhi suspending a key river water-sharing treaty with Islamabad. Earlier this month, the minister had announced that the federal budget would be presented on June 2, however, Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad said yesterday that the budget would be presented on June 10, while the Pakistan Economic Survey would be released a day earlier. Meeting a delegation at the Institution of Engineers Pakistan (IEP) in Lahore, led by IEP Secretary General Engr Ameer Zameer, the planning minister told reporters that the budget had not been delayed due to any pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but because of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s upcoming visit to friendly nations and the Eidul Azha holidays. “We had very good negotiations with the IMF,” Iqbal said. “As you’ve seen, they acknowledged our government’... -
Dawn - 11:54 May 24, 2025
Monsoon rains hit the coast of India’s southernmost state of Kerala on Saturday, eight days earlier than usual, marking the earliest arrival in 16 years and providing the promise of a bumper harvest and relief from a gruelling heatwave. The monsoon, the lifeblood of the country’s $4 trillion economy, delivers nearly 70 per cent of the rain that India needs to water farms and replenish aquifers and reservoirs. Nearly half of India’s farmland, without any irrigation cover, depends on the annual June-September rains to grow a number of crops. Summer rains usually begin to lash Kerala around June 1 before spreading nationwide by mid-July, allowing farmers to plant crops such as rice, corn, cotton, soybeans and sugarcane. The onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala on May 24 is its earliest onset since May 23, 2009, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday. The monsoon has covered Kerala and parts of neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, as well as parts of the northeastern state of Mizoram, ... -
Dawn - 11:14 May 24, 2025
Four tourists from Gujrat who went missing in Gilgit-Baltistan on May 16 were finally located on Saturday morning at the bank of Indus River near Istak village in Skardu’s Roundu valley. Family sources said Wasif Shahzad, 36, and Umar Ehsan, 20, both cousins from Kot Gakka near Mangowal; Salman Nasrullah Sandhu, 23, of Jassoki village; and Usman Dar, 23, of Saroki had arrived in Gilgit on May 13. Gilgit range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Raja Mirza Hassan said that according to police records, the four friends had started their travel from Hunza to Skardu on May 15. On the way they had stayed in a hotel near Karakoram at Danyor in Gilgit. The four friends had resumed their journey to Skardu on May 16 and since then their mobile phones could not be reached. Skardu Deputy Commissioner Arif Ahmad today confirmed that the location of the missing tourists’ vehicle has been traced near Satak Nala. The vehicle had fallen into a deep gorge on the bank of the river below the Baltistan Highway after an accident. Resc... -
Dawn - 11:06 May 24, 2025
The National Accountability Bureau recovered and disbursed over Rs88 billion during the first quarter of 2025, state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday. This was announced during the 24th “DGs Conference” of the bureau, a three-day event that concluded at NAB headquarters in Islamabad. According to a press release, these recoveries included direct recoveries worth over Rs2bn and indirect recoveries amounting to Rs86bn. The recoveries were made from public and private lands associated with cases of illegal transfer and occupation, Radio Pakistan said, adding that the disbursed amounts were returned to the relevant affected entities. Regarding indirect recoveries, NAB Balochistan retrieved state land measuring 340 acres of Chiltan Park and 250 acres of forest department which translate into Ra6.45bn. NAB Lahore recovered Rs70.87bn in three mega cases including Employees Cooperative Housing Society, State Life Insurance Employees Cooperative Housing Society and Sarwar Omega Villas. NAB Multan recovered Rs13... -
Dawn - 10:14 May 24, 2025
PPP Secretary General Humayun Khan has supported the inclusion of all stakeholders, including the PTI, in the diplomatic delegation set to represent the country in important world capitals following the rise in hostilities with India. Last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided to send a “high-level diplomatic delegation to important world capitals to expose Indian propaganda” in the aftermath of the recent military escalation with India. Speaking on DawnNewsTV programme ‘Doosra Rukh’ on Friday night, when asked if PTI should also be included in the delegation, Khan said: “All stakeholders are welcome to get this country out of this crisis.” “We need to be on one page and fight the country’s case. Prime Minister [Shehbaz] sahib has made the right choice by choosing Bilawal [Bhutto-Zardari] sahib to continue fighting Pakistan’s case in international forums,” Khan added. The military confrontation between New Delhi and Islamabad came as tensions over last month’s Pahalgam attack continued to build up, as I...
7934 items