Dawn

Source: https://www.dawn.com

Found 10444 news

  • Government denies rumours of more mosques being razed in capital
    Dawn - 06:37 Aug 13, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry on Tuesday turned the tables on the protesting clerics, claiming that religious elements were spreading rumours about demolition of more mosques in the federal capital. The state minister said land on which Madani Mosque and madressah were built had been cleared in the presence of their management. The minister categorically refuted the reports circulating on social media that the government was planning to demolish another 50 mosques in the middle of the night. Responding to the religious parties’ protest on Monday over the demolition of Madani Mosque, he said action was taken after seeking consent of the head of the madressah. State minister says Madani Mosque demolished after seeking consent of seminary head “We had filmed the entire operation because it was anticipated that such a situation can develop,” he told the National Assembly while responding to a point of order raised by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) MNA Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri ov...
  • New US trade deal to help exporters expand footprint
    Dawn - 05:50 Aug 13, 2025
    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s exporters are poised to gain a significant competitive advantage in the US market after the government successfully negotiated a reduction in reciprocal tariffs — from 29pc to 19pc — the lowest rate in the region. An official statement issued by the Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday noted that the reduced tariff will create new opportunities for Pakistani exporters to expand their footprint in the US. The development was discussed during a high-level meeting on US reciprocal tariffs, chaired by Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan. The meeting was attended by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce Rana Ihsaan Afzal, Secretary Commerce Jawad Paul, senior officials from the Commerce and Industries Divisions, and more than 30 leading exporters and SMEs from key sectors including apparel, textiles, rice, salt, surgical instruments, sports goods, electronics, food and agriculture, and leather. Commerce M...
  • Operation launched in Bajaur after failure of talks: Gandapur
    Dawn - 05:41 Aug 13, 2025
    PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur on Tuesday informed provincial cabinet that security forces were conducting targeted operation in Bajaur tribal district after failure of negotiations between a local jirga and terrorists. An official statement issued here said that Mr Gandapur chaired the meeting of cabinet and talked about law and order situation and condemned anti-state elements attempting to destabilise the country. He said that terrorism was unequivocally unacceptable as it impacted all people equally. He said that provincial government adopted a proactive strategy and established jirgas to build public trust and enlist community support in the fight against terrorism. He said that proliferation of terrorism would not be tolerated and writ of government would be upheld without compromise. The chief minister said that operations and forced displacement of civilians were not his government’s policy. He confirmed that no authorisation was given for such actions. He said that Section 144 was im...
    Tags: Bajaur Gandapur
  • Gang using fake ride-hailing apps busted in Lahore
    Dawn - 05:34 Aug 13, 2025
    LAHORE: Police claimed on Tuesday to have busted a gang involved in looting citizens through online taxi apps and arrested its four members. As per a handout, the gang had been operating by using fake ride-hailing apps to target passengers. According to details, a citizen was robbed of valuables worth millions of rupees after booking a ride on Jail Road, Lahore. The driver fled with the victim’s belongings. The victim quickly contacted Police Helpline 15. A virtual patrolling officer at Punjab Safe Cities Authority immediately traced the suspects’ vehicle using advanced surveillance cameras and AI-powered tracking systems. The data was shared with Lahore police, who swiftly apprehended the suspects. Upon arrest, police recovered vehicles, luxury items, weapons, and more than 200 SIM cards from the gang. Initial investigations revealed that the gang had been defrauding citizens by posing as drivers through fake taxi apps. Authorities have urged the public to use only authentic and reliable platforms when booki...
    Tags: Lahore
  • ‘Serial rapist’ of minors killed in CCD encounter in Faisalabad
    Dawn - 05:30 Aug 13, 2025
    TOBA TEK SINGH: An alleged serial rapist and blackmailer of children, who was arrested on Monday, was killed in an “encounter” with Faisalabad’s Lyallpur Division Crime Control Department team on Tuesday. According to police, suspect Mohsin Yasin, a refrigerator mechanic, residing in Kot Khan Muhammad locality, would rape minor boys and girls, record their pornographic videos and blackmail them. He was arrested on Monday. The police claimed that the suspect escaped from their custody. The CCD teams chased the suspect, who entered a house located on Satiana Road, from where he and his accomplices opened fire on the policemen. A crossfire took place between the criminals and the CCD teams, following which Mohsin was found lying injured in the house, allegedly in the firing by his accomplices, who fled. The police said the suspect was shifted to the Allied Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Meanwhile, as per the police, a suspected cattle thief was allegedly killed in an encounter with a CCD tea...
    Tags: Faisalabad
  • 50 terrorists killed in 4-day Balochistan operation: ISPR
    Dawn - 05:28 Aug 13, 2025
    • 47 killed while trying to infiltrate from Afghanistan, three neutralised in subsequent operation; PM, president laud forces • Nine personnel martyred in ambush near Iran border; attack on police station repulsed • FO welcomes US decision to declare BLA, Majeed Brigade as foreign terrorist groups • Police vehicles targeted in Sibi, Quetta QUETTA: Security forces have gunned down 50 terrorists over the past four days, as they foiled an attempt by militants to cross over from Afghanistan into Balochistan’s Zhob district, said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement on Tuesday. In the Sambaza area of Zhob district, 47 terrorists were killed following “successful engagements by security forces” from Aug 7 to 9, it said. In the same area along the Pak-Afghan border, three more “Indian-sponsored” terror­ists were killed during a “saniti­sation operation” on the night of Aug 10-11, it said, adding that arms and ammunitions were seized from their possession. The statement referred to these militants as...
    Tags: Balochistan ISPR
  • United States ‘committed’ to countering terrorism in all forms with Pakistan amid growing ties
    Dawn - 00:32 Aug 13, 2025
    The United States said on Tuesday that it was committed to countering terrorism in all its forms with Pakistan amid strengthening ties between the two countries. The statement comes a day after the US State Department added the proscribed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its alias, the Majeed Brigade, to its Foreign Terrorist Organisation list. The US said the move, long-desired by Pakistan, demonstrated its commitment to countering terrorism, while signalling strengthened cooperation and international coordination in the fight against terrorism. A post from the US Embassy in Islamabad on X said the Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism Gregory LoGerfo and Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker participated in the US-Pakistan Counterterrorism Dialogue, advancing their shared resolve to combat the global threat. “We remain committed to countering terrorism in all its forms,” the embassy said. The Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement the dialogue was co-chaired by Special Secretary (UN) Ambassador Nabeel Mun...
    Tags: Pakistan
  • Russia tries to make sudden advance in Ukraine before Trump-Putin summit: report
    Dawn - 18:52 Aug 12, 2025
    Russian forces have made a sudden thrust into eastern Ukraine near the coal mining town of Dobropillia, a move that may be an attempt to increase the pressure on Kyiv to give up land as the United States and Russian presidents prepare to meet. Ukraine’s authoritative DeepState war map showed on Tuesday that Russian forces had advanced by at least 10 kilometres north in two prongs in recent days, part of their drive to take full control of Ukraine’s Donetsk region. The advance is one of the most dramatic in the last year, although military analysts said the Russians were using small groups of soldiers to try to establish footholds and that it was uncertain if they could maintain their positions in the face of a Ukrainian pushback. DeepState said the Russians had surged forward near three villages on a section of the frontline associated with the Ukrainian towns of Kostyantynivka and Pokrovsk, which Moscow is trying to encircle by exploiting Kyiv’s lack of manpower. “The situation is quite chaotic, as the enemy...
    Tags: Ukraine
  • Experts urge advocacy for HPV vaccine uptake after Sindh govt rollout
    Dawn - 18:37 Aug 12, 2025
    National health stakeholders on Tuesday called for greater advocacy and public awareness to ensure the success of Sindh’s upcoming human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign. The HPV vaccine protects against genital warts and most cases of cervical cancer. Estimates indicate that every year in Pakistan, 5,008 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 3,197 die from the disease. It is also the third most common cancer in women nationwide and the second among those aged 15 to 44. The Sindh government recently announced it would launch an HPV vaccination campaign in September for schoolgirls aged nine to 14. Studies and clinical trials consistently showed that HPV vaccines were extremely effective at reducing infections with the types of the virus that can lead to cancer, as well as cervical precancers. An event titled ‘Safeguarding Girls’ Futures’ was organised by Aga Khan University’s Department of Paediatrics and Child Health today, aiming to raise awareness about HPV, share global evidence on the vac...
    Tags: Sindh
  • FM Dar to visit Dhaka on Aug 23 amid rapid progress in Pak-Bangladesh relations
    Dawn - 17:26 Aug 12, 2025
    Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is set to visit Dhaka on August 23 amid a rapid progress and warming in bilateral relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh. The two countries were once one nation but split following a bloody civil war, which saw the territory previously referred to as ‘East Pakistan’ seceding to form the independent nation of Bangladesh. In the years since the split between Pakistan and Bangladesh, Dhaka’s leaders — especially the ousted regime of Sheikh Hasina — stayed firmly in the Indian camp, preferring to maintain close ties with New Delhi and keeping Islamabad at arm’s length. However, ever since a popular uprising that saw Hasina’s government toppled in August of last year, with the deposed premier fleeing to her old ally India, there has been a thaw in ties between the two capitals, with trade and bilateral relations seeing a marked improvement. Dar was previously due to visit Bangladesh in April. Questioned today (Tuesday) by Dawn.com about reports of his visit t...
    Tags: Dhaka
  • ‘You cannot snatch even a drop from Pakistan,’ PM Shehbaz warns India on restricting water flow
    Dawn - 15:58 Aug 12, 2025
    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday warned India against any designs on the Indus River, saying that it could not snatch “even one drop” of water belonging to Pakistan amid tensions over the share of hydel resources in the region. India in April held the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance following the attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 — an incident New Delhi blamed on Islamabad without evidence. Pakistan termed any attempt to suspend its water share an “act of war”, noting the IWT had no provision for unilateral suspension. It later said it was considering court action, citing a violation of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. A supplemental award by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague in June held that India could not unilaterally hold the treaty in abeyance. India, in response, said it did not recognise the court or its decisions. A day ago, the PCA issued an “Award on Issues of General Interpretation of the IWT” in the Indus Waters case, stating ...
    Tags: Pakistan India
  • 24 arrested as several injured in clash during protest against power outage in KP’s Nowshera
    Dawn - 14:19 Aug 12, 2025
    Twenty-four demonstrators were arrested after several people, including a police constable, were injured on Tuesday following a clash during a protest against power outages in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshera district. A case was lodged by Station House Officer Aqib Khan at the Azakhel Police Station today under Sections 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 324 (attempted murder), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Pakistan Penal Code. The first information report (FIR) said that residents of Pirpai were protesting on the main Grand Trunk (GT) Road against excessive power outages. “Police reached the scene upon hearing that the people had closed the road from both sides to protest against loadshedding,” the FIR reads. It said that the protesters were l...
    Tags: Nowshera
  • PHC halts appointments of new NA, Senate opposition leaders
    Dawn - 14:00 Aug 12, 2025
    The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday issued a stay order for the appointments of new opposition leaders in the National Assembly and the Senate following the disqualification and removal of PTI’s Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz from their respective roles. On August 5, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had disqualified Ayub and Faraz, along with other opposition MNAs and MPAs, following their convictions in three cases related to the May 9, 2023 riots. Subsequently, on August 8, both leaders were removed from their posts through notifications issued by the NA and Senate secretariats. A division bench comprising Justices Arshad Ali and Dr Khurshid Iqbal took up separate petitions filed earlier today by Ayub and Faraz against the denotification of their parliamentary roles. PTI interim chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan appeared as the counsel for both petitioners. The bench issued notices to the ECP and other respondents, directing them to halt the appointments for the opposition leader in both houses of...
    Tags: Senate
  • 35 police personnel suspended in GB over protest for daily allowance
    Dawn - 13:49 Aug 12, 2025
    Local police in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Hunza and Gilgit districts on Tuesday suspended 35 of their own personnel and halted their salaries after they staged a sit-in demanding benefits. Last night, hundreds of police personnel, both men and women, protested in front of the Chief Minister’s House, demanding an increase in their daily allowances and continued the demonstration throughout the night. In two separate notifications issued by the Reserve Police (RP) of Gilgit and the senior superintendent of police of Hunza, 26 police personnel were suspended in Gilgit yesterday, while nine more were suspended in Hunza today. The notification issued by RP Gilgit cited “grave misconduct/violation of government servant conduct” as the cause of suspension, while the notification from the Hunza simply cited that they had participated in a protest. Both notifications, copies of which are available with Dawn.com, added that the suspended personnel’s salaries had also been stopped. The GB police claimed on social media that 63...
  • PMD forecasts more rains, thundershowers across country from Aug 17 as monsoon activity intensifies
    Dawn - 13:31 Aug 12, 2025
    The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Tuesday forecast widespread rain, wind, and thundershowers in most parts of the country in the coming days, with monsoon activity expected to intensify from August 17. At least 312 people, including 142 children, have died and 740 others have been injured in flash floods and torrential rains that have battered several parts of Pakistan since late June, according to updated daily data from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The NDMA said the deluges, which began on June 26, have left a trail of devastation across the country. The dead include 113 men, 57 women and 142 children, while the injured include 243 children, 209 women and 288 men. In its latest weather advisory issued today, the Met Office said monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea were continuously penetrating the upper parts of Pakistan, while moist currents from the Bay of Bengal were likely to strengthen midweek. A westerly wave currently affecting the region was also expected to inte...
  • Pakistan welcomes US designation of BLA, Majeed Brigade as foreign terrorist organisations
    Dawn - 12:20 Aug 12, 2025
    Pakistan on Tuesday welcomed the US’ decision to designate the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Majeed Brigade to its Foreign Terrorist Organisation list, according to a Foreign Office (FO) press release. The US State Department made the announcement yesterday, stating that the designations demonstrated the US President Donald Trump’s commitment to counter-terrorism. In today’s press release, the FO emphasised that Pakistan had proscribed the Majeed Brigade — BLA’s suicide squad — as a terrorist entity since July 18, 2024. The BLA itself was proscribed in 2006, according to the National Counter-Terrorism Authority’s list of proscribed organisations. “BLA/Majeed Brigade is involved in multiple terrorist attacks in Pakistan, including the heinous Jaffer Express terrorist incident and the Khuzdar bus attack that resulted in the loss of precious lives,” the release said. At least 26 hostages lost their lives in the Jaffar Express attack in March, for which the BLA claimed responsibility. In the Khuzdar bus attack...
    Tags: Pakistan Majeed Brigade
  • Poliovirus found in 36pc samples across 87 nationwide districts tested in July
    Dawn - 12:16 Aug 12, 2025
    The National Institutes of Health on Tuesday confirmed the presence of poliovirus in 42 of 117 sewage samples collected from 87 districts across the country in July. Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress. According to a press release issued by NIH’s Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication, out of 127 sewage samples, the institute “confirmed 75 sewage samples as negative and 42 as positive”, while the remaining 10 were still being processed in the lab. The positive results made up nearly 36 per cent of the total samples, compared to 32pc for June, based on NIH press releases. However, the NIH said: “While the overall trend shows a decline in positive detections, reflecting the impact of high-quality campaigns, the virus continues to circulate in certain areas.” “July data shows steady progr...
    Tags: July
  • ‘Strong candidate’ India upbeat about 2030 Commonwealth Games after delegation visit
    Dawn - 12:01 Aug 12, 2025
    Robust backing from the government and a desire to stage big-ticket events make India a strong candidate to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, a top Indian Olympic Association (IOA) official told Reuters. The world’s most populous nation is bidding for the 2030 edition of the Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad to boost its bigger dream of hosting the 2036 Olympic Games at the western Indian city. A Commonwealth Sports delegation visited Ahmedabad last week to share their experience from the previous Games and help the Indian organisers prepare a comprehensive bid to be submitted by the August 31 deadline. “First and foremost, the mood of the country is upbeat for sporting activities and there is a strong will of the government to host global sporting events,” IOA executive council member Harpal Singh said by telephone. “India wants to host larger sporting events — be it Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, or Olympics — and we have the full backing of the government. “The existing infrastructure is very good, and the...
    Tags: Commonwealth Games India
  • Fact check: Video of Indian Army chief admitting to losing 6 jets, 250 soldiers during May conflict with Pakistan is a deepfake
    Dawn - 11:32 Aug 12, 2025
    Pakistani users on social media platforms X and TikTok have been sharing videos since Monday that allegedly showed the Indian Army chief admitting to the loss of six jets and 250 soldiers in the recent military conflict against Pakistan. However, he made no such statement, and the viral video is a deepfake. During the May 7–10, 2025, clashes between India and Pakistan, both sides issued conflicting claims about aircraft losses. Pakistan initially stated that it had downed five Indian planes in air-to-air combat on May 7, later revising the figure to six, and claimed it had also destroyed India’s S-400 air defence batteries, unmanned aircraft, and disabled several Indian airbases. Pakistan denied losing any of its own aircraft during the fighting. However, on August 9, Indian Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh claimed that India had shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one other large aircraft, possibly a surveillance plane, mostly using its Russian-made S-400 missile system. He further alleged that India...
    Tags: Pakistan Indian Army
  • Bilawal blows off ‘baseless rumours’ about legislation on 27th amendment
    Dawn - 11:20 Aug 12, 2025
    PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday dismissed talk of any potential legislation regarding a 27th constitutional amendment as “baseless rumours”. Even though the 26th Amendment is still mired in controversy, the power corridors in Islamabad are abuzz with talk of a possible 27th Constitutional Amendment, which, according to the insiders, will further “fine-tune” the structure and the functioning of the superior judiciary. With the 26th Amendment, the government introduced sweeping changes to the judicial framework. Sources had said certain contentious matters, such as a separate constitutional court, left unresolved in the 26th Amendment, would now be taken up in the new amendment. Speaking to reporters in Hyderabad about the matter, Bilawal addressed the “baseless rumours”, stating: “So far, no federal minister, prime minister or party member has approached me regarding any amendments.” He also highlighted that the 26th Amendment was passed after reaching a consensus with compromise from political ...
    Tags: Bilawal

10444 items

Popular Tags