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Dawn - 12:10 Aug 01, 2025
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir on Friday stressed that the “enduring partnership” between Pakistan and China will continue to play a pivotal role in regional stability. Pakistan and China share a longstanding strategic partnership rooted in mutual trust, economic cooperation and regional connectivity. Over the decades, ties have expanded across different sectors — including trade, energy, defence and infrastructure — with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) symbolising a shared vision for development. The army chief made the remarks at the 98th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China, which was commemorated at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi today, according to a press release by the military’s media affairs wing. “He emphasised that their enduring partnership will continue to play a pivotal role in promoting regional stability and safeguarding shared strategic interests,” said the statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). China... -
Dawn - 11:49 Aug 01, 2025
Data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday showed that consumer inflation accelerated to 4.1 per cent year-on-year in July, up from 3.2pc in June, driven by rising prices for food items, fuels and medicines. July’s consumer price inflation month-on-month was 2.9pc, the bureau said. The finance ministry on Monday had projected consumer inflation for July to remain in a range of 3.5-4.5pc, citing stable prices and improved supply conditions, as price pressures ease further after the previous fiscal year’s sharp decline. The higher inflation reading follows the State Bank of Pakistan’s assessment of a deteriorating inflation outlook, leading it to leave the key interest rate unchanged at 11pc. The bank’s monetary policy committee said on Wednesday that energy prices, particularly for gas, had risen more than expected, and it considered the real policy rate should be adequately positive to keep inflation in the 5-7pc target range. Short-term inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Index, had r... -
Dawn - 11:19 Aug 01, 2025
Five cops were martyred after bandits of the Katcha area attacked a police checkpoint in Rahim Yar Khan, a statement from the Punjab police said on Friday. For decades, dozens of bandit 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 looting people on the major highways have become a daily reality. According to a statement from the office of the Inspector General of Punjab, almost 40 bandits, using rocket launchers and grenades, attacked the Sheikhani police picket in the Katcha area, situated between Chowk Sewetra and Chowk Mahi near the Guddu-Kashmore Road on Thursday night. “During the attack, policemen of Elite Force, including Muhammad Irfan, Muhammad Saleem and Nukhail of Bahawalnagar, together with Khalil and Ghazanfar of Rahim Yar Khan, were martyred,” the statement said, adding that a bandit was also killed when the police retaliated. Following... -
Dawn - 09:58 Aug 01, 2025
A glacier burst in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Bagrot Valley caused the death of one person on Friday, while his father was injured, according to the regional government’s spokesperson. A glacial burst, or glacial lake outburst flood (Glof), refers to an outburst of water from a glacial lake which could lead to severe flooding downstream. Pakistan is home to over 13,032 glaciers, the largest reservoir of glaciers outside of the polar regions. However, experts have warned that about 10,000 glaciers in Chitral and GB have been reported to be receding due to climate change–induced temperature rise. GB’s government spokesperson, Faizullah Faraq, said that the father and son had fallen into a ravine and been buried under the debris of the Bagrot glacier as it burst, injuring both. “Locals and Rescue 1122 saved the father while the son was killed,” he said. Former member of the Bagrot Valley Assembly, Captain (retd) Muhammad Shafi, said that the father and son had been travelling on foot on the glacier in Barchi village whe... -
Dawn - 08:40 Aug 01, 2025
Israel is evacuating most of its diplomatic mission staff in the United Arab Emirates after Israel’s National Security Council sharpened its travel warning for Israelis staying in the Gulf country. The UAE’s Israeli and Jewish community has grown more visible since 2020, when the UAE became the most prominent Arab state in 30 years to establish formal ties with Israel under a US-brokered agreement dubbed the Abraham Accords. “We are emphasising this travel warning given our understanding that terrorist organisations (the Iranians, Hamas, Hezbollah and Global Jihad) are increasing their efforts to harm Israel”, the NSC said in a statement. “They are driven by heightened motivation to exact revenge following Operation Rising Lion, in addition to the anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian incitement which has intensified since the start of Operation Iron Swords, and even more so in response to Hamas’ starvation campaign,” it said, using the names for its military assaults on Iran and Gaza. The NSC statement said “past ... -
Dawn - 07:16 Aug 01, 2025
LAHORE: This year’s Asia Cup which among other nations will feature defending champions India and Pakistan, the two major cricketing giants of the continent, is facing a fresh challenge — this time from the broadcaster, Dawn has learnt. A highly exorbitant rate set for Pakistan’s region by official broadcaster of the Asia Cup based in India plus the uncertainty prevailing over the pinnacle clash of the event between Pakistan and India, the chances are bleak that any sports channel in Pakistan could buy the broadcasting rights for the continental showpiece. The Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from Sept 9 to 28 at its new venue — the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — where it was shifted from original hosts India, due to Pakistan-India political tensions and also due to strains between India and Bangladesh. According to well-informed sources, Asia Cup’s official broadcaster has set significantly higher rate for Pakistan’s region. It is learnt that the broadcaster, having secured Pan-Asia broadcast rights in a $170... -
Dawn - 06:35 Aug 01, 2025
Pakistan’s largest refiner Cnergyico will import 1 million barrels of oil from Vitol in October, its Vice Chairman Usama Qureshi told Reuters on Friday, marking the country’s first-ever purchase of US crude following a landmark trade deal. The West Texas Intermediate light crude cargo will be loaded from Houston this month and is expected to arrive in Karachi in the second half of October, Qureshi said. “This is a test spot cargo under our umbrella term agreement with Vitol. If it is commercially viable and available, we could import at least one cargo per month,” he said, adding that the shipment was not meant for resale. The deal follows months of multiple negotiations, which first began in April, he said, after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose 29pc tariffs on imports from Pakistan. On Thursday, Pakistan hailed a trade deal struck with the US, its top export market, and said the agreement would increase investments. The White House said on Thursday the US will charge a 19pc tariff on imports f... -
Dawn - 05:51 Aug 01, 2025
MANSEHRA: The police on Thursday arrested a man who allegedly posted sacrilegious content on social media. “We have arrested an accused under the blasphemy law and started investigation,” Iftikhar Khan, the sub-inspector, told reporters. A group of people lodged the FIR with the city police, stating that an accused who belonged to the city area had posted sacrilegious content on social media. “We have lodged an FIR against the accused under sections 295a and 298a by the order of the district police officer, Shafiullah Khan Gandapur, and arrested him from his residence,” he said. Mr Khan said that following the arrest of the accused, the team, which also collected the evidence, had started investigation. “The police have also seized the record for forensic analysis,” Mr Khan added. FUNDS SOUGHT FOR LOCAL GOVTS: The Pakistan Muslim League (N) on Thursday demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to empower and release development funds to local governments or wrap this system. “This system has become a fina... -
Dawn - 05:44 Aug 01, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) held its multi-party conference on Thursday, appealing for a new social contract to restore the Constitution and democracy, claiming that government officials had blocked access to the original venue, forcing them to relocate. The alliance was forced to move its conference to a private farmhouse after authorities placed barriers at its intended venue, Tulip Banquet Hall, organisers said TTAP leader Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said that when he and other leaders, including Mehmood Khan Achakzai, arrived at the Tulip Banquet Hall, the venue management was absent. “Barriers were placed there and it was made impossible to go there,” Mr Khokhar said. “We held a press conference there and then we decided to move the venue to my farmhouse located in Tarlai.” Urges ‘democratic’ forces to unite and draft a new charter to restore democracy The conference, attended by opposition parties, lawyers, and media figures, criticised what speakers called t... -
Dawn - 05:08 Aug 01, 2025
BANNU: Smoke billows from an alleged terrorist hideout, which was destroyed by security personnel during an intelligence-based operation.—Dawn LAKKI MARWAT: At least six law enforcement personnel were injured in a quadcopter attack on Miryan police station in Bannu district on Thursday amid an ongoing operation against terrorists in the Nurar area. A police official said a joint intelligence-based operation was launched by police, security forces and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) commandos targeting terrorists in the Miryan police station area. The operation followed intelligence about the presence of “Fitna al-Khawarij” — the state’s term for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — in the region. “During the aerial attack, a quadcopter dropped explosives on the police station, causing an explosion that left two army soldiers, three CTD personnel and one police constable injured,” the police official said. The wounded officers were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital and the Combined ... -
Dawn - 03:01 Aug 01, 2025
• US president criticises India for doing business with Russia, describing both economies as ‘dead’ • Medvedev brushes aside Trump’s attack NEW DELHI: By declaring the Indian economy as dead in the water on Thursday, President Donald Trump has put Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party in a bind. Until recently, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was canvassing support for the US president’s election. Its supporters were holding special prayers and muttering mystical chants for Trump’s victory. There was at least one temple created where a sculptured image of Trump was worshipped. But Trump has ignored the lavish praise and called out India’s energy imports from Russia and its tariff regime as non-negotiable. The Indian government said it was trying to figure out a response by consulting all the “stakeholders”, a euphemism for angry businesses whose hopes were riding on Mr Modi’s daring ability to play both sides of the street. That appears to have hit a dead-end. Encouraging words have come from former Ru... -
Dawn - 02:49 Aug 01, 2025
GILGIT: More cloudburst-induced floods hit Ghizer and Hunza districts on Tuesday, causing widespread destruction. According to the Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA), the heavy rainfall led to flooding in Khatam village in Ghizer’s Gupis Valley, blocking the Ghizer-Shandur Road and damaging agricultural land and private properties. The floodwaters also caused significant damage to the irrigation channel in Ghalapan village in Gojal, upper Hunza, which provides water for over 50,000 forest trees, according to residents. The Gilgit-Baltistan government has declared 37 villages across the region as calamity-hit areas. According to a notification issued by the GB Home and Prisons Department, the affected areas include 12 villages in Diamer, nine in Gilgit, five in Ghizer, four each in Skardu and Shigar, two in Ghanche, and one each in Nagar and Kharmang. GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said in a statement that the recent floods across Gilgit-Baltistan have caused an estimated Rs20 b... -
Dawn - 19:00 Jul 31, 2025
A girl was rescued by locals while two were still missing after falling into the Indus River in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shangla district on Thursday, according to the police. Puran Circle Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Usman Munir told Dawn.com: “The young girls had gone to the river to fetch water for domestic use, but suddenly, due to the fast flow of the river, the sand and mud collapsed and swept them away,” adding that the incident occurred in the Kamach area. He said one of the girls was rescued by some residents present at the river’s bank in the area. The SDPO said a search operation was launched in the area by Rescue 1122, but the flow of water in the river was too high. Ibadullah Khan, a local activist, said that there was no Rescue 1122 outpost in the area. “Locals had no alternative source of potable water but to fetch it from the river and such accidents were common in the area”, he said. On Wednesday, at least four people drowned, and one child went missing after a seven-seater van fell into ... -
Dawn - 18:46 Jul 31, 2025
The federal government on Thursday night slashed the price of petrol by Rs7.54 per litre while raising that of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs1.48 per litre for the next fortnight. Widely used in motorcycles, rickshaws, and private vehicles, petrol has a direct impact on the budgets of middle- and lower-income households. HSD fuels heavy transport, agricultural machinery, and trains. Its price is considered highly inflationary, influencing the cost of food and other essential goods. In a press release issued today, the Finance Division stated that the price of petrol was set at Rs264.61 per litre and that of HSD at Rs285.83 per litre. It added that it decided on these new rates “following a review of prevailing international market trends” and upon the recommendations from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and the relevant ministries. Sources had previously said that after four consecutive hikes, petrol and diesel prices were expected to fall by about Rs9 and Rs3.50 per litre, owing to lower internati... -
Dawn - 18:06 Jul 31, 2025
Indian state refiners have stopped buying Russian oil in the past week as discounts narrowed this month and United States President Donald Trump warned countries not to purchase oil from Moscow, industry sources said. India, the world’s third-largest oil importer, is the biggest buyer of seaborne Russian crude, a vital revenue earner for Russia as it wages war in Ukraine for a fourth year. The country’s state refiners — Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Hindustan Petroleum Corp (HPCL), Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL) and Mangalore Refinery Petrochemical Ltd (MRPL) — have not sought Russian crude in the past week or so, four sources familiar with the refiners’ purchase plans told Reuters. IOC, BPCL, HPCL, MRPL and the federal oil ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. The four refiners regularly buy Russian oil on a delivered basis and have turned to spot markets for replacement supply — mostly Middle Eastern grades such as Abu Dhabi’s Murban crude and West African oil, sources said. Private ... -
Dawn - 17:28 Jul 31, 2025
Posts from multiple users on social media platforms on Wednesday shared a video, claiming it showed women in Bajaur protesting against the recent military operation in the district. However, the video is old from a 2021 protest over the killing of a party activist. Security forces imposed a three-day curfew at 16 places in the district on July 29 and initiated an operation against militants in the areas. Scores of people, mostly youth and political activists, gathered at Shago Village Chowk to protest the operation. They alleged that a number of innocent people were killed and wounded during an exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists. On July 30, a Pakhtun rights activist posted a video on X showing a crowd of burqa-clad women walking through an alley with some holding black flags. The caption of the post said: “Pashtun women have also stepped out of their homes, calling for peace in response to the Bajaur operation. The protest rally has begun. Across the entire Pashtun region, youth, elders,... -
Dawn - 17:20 Jul 31, 2025
Authorities abandoned efforts on Thursday to recover the body of German Olympic biathlete Laura Dahlmeier, who died in a mountaineering accident while attempting to scale Gilgit-Baltistan’s Laila Peak. Dahlmeier was confirmed dead on Wednesday, having been hit by falling rocks while climbing at an altitude of 5,700 metres on Laila Peak in the Karakoram range. Attempts to recover her body were abandoned due to “dangerous” conditions at the site, Dahlmeier’s management agency said on Thursday. In consultation with the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the agency said her relatives would “continue to monitor the situation … and are keeping the option of arranging a rescue at a later date”. Several of Dahlmeier’s colleagues confirmed the two-time Olympic gold medallist had said she did not want her body recovered if it put any would-be rescuers at risk. German mountaineer Thomas Huber was part of a team that had attempted a rescue but told reporters on Thursday: “We have decided she should stay, because that was her wish.... -
Dawn - 16:25 Jul 31, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said the government was implementing a comprehensive and effective strategy to “completely eliminate” the menace posed by the proscribed Fitna-al-Hindustan, Fitna-al-Khawarij and other terrorist outfits to the country. Pakistan has seen a surge in terrorism since the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire deal with the government in November 2022, vowing to increase attacks. In response, the government labelled the group as Fitna-al-Khawarij and directed use of the term khariji for attackers. It later designated Balochistan-based groups as Fitna-al-Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan. A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said the premier chaired a meeting of the Steering Committee on Counter-Terrorism and Establishment of the State Writ (Harden the State) today at the PM House. The meeting was attended by Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff (CO... -
Dawn - 15:28 Jul 31, 2025
The Utility Stores Corporation (USC) on Thursday formally ceased operations, in compliance with the July 31 deadline established earlier this month to close the state-owned enterprise (SOE). Established in 1971, USC was an SOE tasked with supplying essential commodities at subsidised rates, primarily targeting low-income households. It operated over 4,000 retail outlets nationwide. According to a USC notification from the Ministry of Industries and Production, available with Dawn.com, the decision was taken in compliance with directives issued by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on June 28 and a meeting of the board of directors earlier this month. “All the sales and purchases at utility stores have been closed with effect from July 31, except shifting of stock from stores to warehouses and returned to vendors and handing-taking of stores’ inventories,” the notification reads, instructing strict compliance with the order. Additionally, sales through the business-management suite Odoo have been permanently discon... -
Dawn - 15:14 Jul 31, 2025
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Faisalabad on Thursday sentenced PTI leaders, including Omar Ayub Khan, Shibli Faraz, Hamid Raza, and Zartaj Gul Wazir, to 10 years of imprisonment for their involvement in the May 9 riots. On May 9, 2023, PTI supporters, protesting the party founder Imran Khan’s arrest, staged violent protests throughout the country, vandalising military installations and state-owned buildings, while also attacking the Lahore corps commander’s residence. Following the riots, thousands of protesters, including party leaders, were arrested. Out of 185 PTI workers accused, 108 have been sentenced by the court today. PTI’s Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA), Junaid Afzal Sahi, was sentenced to three years in prison. Meanwhile, MPA Khayal Ahmad Kastro, Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Zain Qureshi, and former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry have been acquitted in the cases. Reacting to the development, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the party will challenge the decision in the high...
10444 items