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  • In meeting with Nawaz and Maryam, Iranian envoy appreciates Pakistan’s ‘continued support’ toward Iran
    Dawn - 13:12 Feb 04, 2026
    In a meeting with PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday, Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam appreciated Islamabad’s “principled positions and continued support” toward his country in various areas. “Highly honored to call on Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, president of the PML-N, and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif,” Mogahadam said in a post on X about the meeting. He added: “Reiterating the firm commitment of the Islamic Republic of Iran to further enhance Iran-Pakistan relations, I expressed my sincere appreciation for the principled positions and continued support of the government of Pakistan toward Iran in various arenas.” The envoy said he had met the father-daughter duo to exchange views on the latest regional developments, “particularly in light of recent interventions by the United States and the Israeli regime, including their interventionist positions, threats, and escalatory rhetoric”. “We also discussed initiatives aimed at further strengthening t...
    Tags: Pakistan Iran
  • Mobile internet remains suspended in parts of Balochistan
    Dawn - 12:00 Feb 04, 2026
    QUETTA: Mobile internet remains suspended in parts of Balochistan for the fifth consecutive day, with provincial authorities also halting train services in the province in the wake of last week’s coordinated terrorist attacks across the province. “Keeping in mind the worsening law and order situation in the province, mobile internet has been shut down,” said Additional Chief Secretary Hamza Shafqaat while speaking to Dawn about the situation in Quetta. However, he added, “Now that the situation is returning to normal, it has been decided to restore mobile internet service from tomorrow at 12am midnight.” Meanwhile, mobile data services reportedly remained suspended in Nushki and Sibi, as well as in Mastung where services were briefly restored. Mobile data has been inaccessible for those in Kalat, Khuzdar, Awaran, Panjgur and Turbat for varying periods due to prior security concerns. Separately, a spokesperson for Pakistan Railways’ Quetta division, Muhammad Kashif, told Dawn that train services from Quetta to...
    Tags: Balochistan Mobile
  • Bulls sustain rally as KSE-100 rises over 900 points
    Dawn - 11:56 Feb 04, 2026
    Pakistan’s benchmark index, KSE-100, closed in the green at 187,832.08 points on Wednesday. The index rose 931.35points (0.5 per cent) from its previous close of 186,900.73. Topline Securities noted that “overall market participation was robust, with total traded volume reaching 1,193 million shares, translating into a turnover value of Rs44 billion”. The brokerage firm also noted that “market activity remained volatile throughout the day, with the index recording an intraday high of 188,312 points and a low of 187,018 points”. The top active stocks were led by K-Electric Limited with a volume of 590,867,315, rising 13.06pc to Rs8.31, followed by Waves Home Appliances Limited with a volume of 36,307,348, rising 7.89pc to Rs12.04, First National Equities Limited with a volume of 32,938,146, falling 1.15pc to Rs1.72, Bank of Punjab with a volume of 32,471,485, rising 2.15pc to Rs40.90 and Waves Cooperation Limited with a volume of 25,119,030 rising 2.88pc to rs16.44. Top advancers were K-Electric Limited, follo...
    Tags: KSE-100
  • Musk’s mega-merger of SpaceX and xAI bets on sci-fi future of data centres in space
    Dawn - 11:39 Feb 04, 2026
    Seventy-five years ago, the idea of harnessing the power of the skies was little more than a fantasy spun by futurists like Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov. Elon Musk’s mega-merger of his companies xAI and SpaceX this week brings this sci-fi dream a step closer. Nasa engineers and technologists have speculated for nearly two decades about moving energy-hungry computing off the planet. More recently, the idea has captured the attention of Big Tech, including Alphabet and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. The physics made sense; the solar energy was abundant. Still, the challenges seemed insurmountable. Musk, though, known for betting on seemingly far-out theories and getting them to work, may finally be laying the groundwork to make data centres in space a reality. He is armed with the world’s busiest satellite launch fleet, an AI startup, and an appetite for infrastructure that stretches from Earth to vacuum. “In the long term, space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale,” Musk said on Monday. “To harness even...
    Tags: Musk SpaceX
  • Israeli strikes kill 20 more in Gaza, violating US-backed ceasefire again
    Dawn - 11:17 Feb 04, 2026
    In the latest violence to undermine the ceasefire in Gaza, health officials said Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed 20 Palestinians, including four children, on Wednesday. Among the dead was a medic who rushed to help victims of a strike in the southern city of Khan Younis and was then killed by a second attack on the same location, health officials said. Other strikes hit Gaza City in the north, where health officials said a five-month-old boy was killed. The attacks come three days after Israel reopened Gaza’s main border crossing with Egypt, a major step in the US-backed truce. The Israeli military claimed it had launched the strikes in response to gunmen opening fire against Israeli troops operating near its armistice line with Hamas. It said an Israeli soldier was severely injured by the fire. Wednesday’s attacks bring the number of Palestinians killed since the border reopened to 28, according to a tally from Gazan health officials. On Saturday, before its reopening, Israeli strikes killed more...
    Tags: Gaza Israeli US-backed
  • Punjab government notifies public holidays on Feb 6, 7 for Basant
    Dawn - 10:09 Feb 04, 2026
    The Punjab government has notified public holidays in the province on February 6 and 7 (Friday and Saturday) for Basant, said a notification. The notification was issued on Tuesday by the provincial government’s Services and General Administration Department, a copy of which is available with Dawn. “It is hereby notified for general information that 6th and 7th February, 2026 (Friday and Saturday) shall be observed as public holidays in the province of Punjab,” the notification said. On Sunday, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had announced a “long weekend” in the province, declaring a Basant holiday. “Punjab will enjoy a long weekend with Kashmir Day on February 5, a provincial Basant holiday on the 6th, followed by Saturday and Sunday. “We hope people across Punjab take this time to relax, recharge, and make the most of the break,” she posted on X. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has said dry weather with clear skies was expected for the majority of the Basant festival. “Mainly dry weather wi...
    Tags: Punjab Basant
  • Police constable martyred by terrorists in KP’s Lakki Marwat
    Dawn - 10:07 Feb 04, 2026
    Terrorists martyred a police recruit constable in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district, the local police said on Wednesday. Pakistan has seen a surge in terrorism since the TTP ended its ceasefire deal with the government in November 2022, vowing to increase attacks. KP and Balochistan are particularly frequent targets. The constable was killed in the Darga forest in Nasrkhel, near the Sarai Naurang area of ​​Lakki Marwat. District Police Spokesperson Qudratullah confirmed the incident, saying that the martyred constable had been undergoing training at Hangu Training School. “On Tuesday night, terrorists abducted him from his house in Nasrkhel and took him to a forest called Darga and shot and killed him there,” he said. The funeral prayers of the constable were offered with official honours at the Lakki Marwat Police Lines. Lakki Marwat’s District Police Officer (DPO) Nazir Khan, Superintendent of Police (SP) Investigation Murad Khan, police officers, district administration officers and police personn...
    Tags: Police Lakki Marwat
  • Chaudhry Sugar Mills case: LHC directs NAB to approach trial court for closing inquiry against Maryam
    Dawn - 09:39 Feb 04, 2026
    LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to move the trial court concerned after the anti-graft body decided to close the Chaudhry Sugar Mills inquiry against Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. The case pertains to alleged money laundering and income beyond means via “dubious” business transactions of the Chaudhry Sugar Mills, of which Maryam was a major shareholder. A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Aalia Neelum and including Justices Muhammad Jawad Zafar and Abher Gul Khan, heard CM Maryam’s civil miscellaneous application seeking the refund of Rs70 million deposited as a guarantee in the case. During the proceedings, the NAB’s prosecutor informed the bench that following the new amendments, the bureau’s chairman had approved the closure of the probe. Justice Neelum, however, observed that the NAB should have approached the accountability court concerned for closure of the inquiry. Questioning the investigation process, the chief justice...
    Tags: Chaudhry Sugar Mills Maryam
  • UN Security Council condemns ‘heinous and cowardly acts’ of terrorism in Balochistan
    Dawn - 09:14 Feb 04, 2026
    The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has strongly condemned the series of terrorist attacks across multiple locations in Balochistan. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the UNSC said the attacks, which occurred on January 31, 2026, were carried out across the province and described them as “heinous and cowardly acts of terrorism”. The UNSC expressed its “deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the governor and people of Pakistan”. The council also wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured in the attacks. The statement reaffirmed that “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security”. It added that it was crucial to “hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers, and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice,” urging all states to cooperate with the government of Pakistan in accordance with international law and relevant UNSC resol...
    Tags: Balochistan
  • US, India discuss critical minerals cooperation and strategic ties during Washington meeting
    Dawn - 08:36 Feb 04, 2026
    The United States and India have held high-level talks in Washington focused on critical minerals cooperation, trade and strategic ties. The talks were held late on Tuesday against the backdrop of a recently finalised bilateral trade deal that has drawn attention across the region. Diplomatic observers in Washington, however, maintain that the agreement is unlikely to affect recently improved bilateral ties between Pakistan and the US, as those are not linked to India. The observers note that recent developments in the greater Middle East, as well as in South and Central Asia, have further enhanced Pakistan’s relevance as a key regional player in Washington’s strategic calculus. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar during the latter’s three-day official visit to the United States, as both sides moved to deepen economic and strategic coordination in the Indo-Pacific. According to the US State Department readout, Secretary Rubio and Minister Jaishankar d...
    Tags: Washington India
  • Gold extends rally, jumps over 2pc as US-Iran tensions flare
    Dawn - 06:50 Feb 04, 2026
    Gold prices extended gains on Wednesday on safe-haven appeal, as renewed geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran added to the yellow metal’s recent upswing that saw it mark its best day since 2008 in the previous session. Spot gold gained 2.7 per cent to$5,071.79 per ounce as of 03:53 GMT, after surging 5.9pc on Tuesday, its biggest daily gain since November 2008. Bullion scaled a record high of $5,594.82 last Thursday. US gold futures for April delivery climbed 3.2pc to $5,092.0 per ounce. “Gold has climbed back about the key $5,000 level, … (as) geopolitical tensions have lifted the metal’s safe-haven appeal after US forces downed an Iranian drone,” said Jigar Trivedi, a senior research analyst at IndusInd Securities. The US military on Tuesday shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, the US military said, in an incident first reported by Reuters. Nuclear talks between the US and Iran are expected to take place in Oman on Friday...
    Tags: Gold
  • Human Rights Watch warns US heading to ‘authoritarianism’
    Dawn - 06:41 Feb 04, 2026
    Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned on Wednesday that President Donald Trump was turning the United States into an authoritarian state as democracy declines globally to its lowest ebb in four decades. Trump’s return to the White House has intensified a “downward spiral” on human rights that was already under pressure from Russia and China, the New York‑based advocacy and research group said in its annual report. “The rules‑based international order is being crushed,” HRW said. In the United States, the group said, Trump has shown “blatant disregard for human rights and egregious violations.” In descriptions that would have been unthinkable in the US section of its previous annual reports, the group pointed to the deployment of masked, armed agents — the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency — which has carried out “hundreds of unnecessarily violent and abusive raids.” “The administration’s racial and ethnic scapegoating, domestic deployment of National Guard forces in pretextual power grabs, repeated a...
    Tags: Human Rights Watch
  • Spin-heavy Pakistan hit form, but India boycott risks early T20 exit
    Dawn - 06:21 Feb 04, 2026
    Pakistan’s spin-heavy squad are in winning form ahead of the T20 World Cup, but a controversial decision to forfeit their marquee clash against India could still trigger another early exit. Pakistan came close to withdrawing from the tournament in solidarity with Bangladesh, who pulled out after refusing to play in India, citing security concerns. The Pakistan government eventually cleared the team’s participation but it barred them from facing India in Colombo in a blockbuster clash on February 15. With two points for a win, a forfeit of the match will leave Pakistan with no margin for error if they are to progress as one of the top two from a five-team Group A. It means they must win their opening game against the Netherlands in Colombo on Saturday and beat the United States three days later to stay in contention. Their final group game will be against Namibia on February 18. Captain Salman Agha said the move to boycott the India game was out of the team’s hands. “That is not our decision. We have to follow...
    Tags: India
  • Qadhafi’s son Saif shot dead in Libya
    Dawn - 05:37 Feb 04, 2026
    TRIPOLI: Saif al Islam, the most prominent son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi, was shot dead at his home on Tuesday. Abdullah Othman Abdul Rahim, a relative, told a TV channel that Saif al Islam was killed in his house by a group of four unidentified men. “Four armed men stormed the residence of Saif al Islam Qadhafi after disabling surveillance cameras, then executed him,” Abdul Rahim said. While Saif al Islam was well known in the north African country, especially for his role in shaping policy during his father’s rule, his public profile receded in recent years. In 2015, a Libyan court passed a death sentence in absentia on Saif al Islam for suppressing peaceful protests during the country’s 2011 revolution that ended his father’s rule. He was also provisionally charged by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity. In 2021, Saif al Islam registered as a presidential candidate for a December vote that eventually collapsed amid a political deadlock. Saif went from being ...
    Tags: Saif
  • PTI accuses police of crackdown on protesters near Adiala jail as access to Imran remains out of reach
    Dawn - 19:01 Feb 03, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: The PTI accused police of subjecting its workers to violence and arresting them near Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, where they were staging a sit-in on Tuesday. The IHC has allowed Imran twice-a-week meetings — on Tuesday and Thursdays — with his family, lawyers and other associates. Despite the order, the ex-premier has not been allowed any visitors for weeks, including his sisters and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. Therefore, protests and sit-ins near the Adiala jail, where Imran has been incarcerated since September 2023, have become a usual occurrence on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On several occasions, police have also used force to disperse the protesters, who often camp at Factory Naka — a police picket near the prison. Imran’s sisters and supporters again staged a sit-in near the prison today while a PTI post on social media platform alleged that police had inflicted violence on party workers and arrested them as well. A livestream on the PTI’s YouTube channel showed one of Imran’s...
    Tags: Imran Adiala
  • Kazakhstan president arrives in Pakistan on 2-day visit
    Dawn - 18:49 Feb 03, 2026
    Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday for a two-day official visit as the two nations seek to bolster bilateral ties further. The two countries maintain friendly diplomatic relations, with Kazakhstan being Pakistan’s top export destination among Central Asian countries. President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy PM Ishaq Dar received President Tokayev at Rawalpindi’s Nur Khan Base. According to state-run Radio Pakistan, a 21-gun salute was presented to the visiting dignitary. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later posted on X that he was “delighted” to welcome the Kazakh President to Pakistan. “I look forward to our meaningful and productive engagements tomorrow. The Pakistan-Kazakhstan friendship is a time-tested partnership that continues to bring our peoples closer together. This visit marks a new milestone in our glorious journey,” he said. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, who also welcomed the Kazakh preisdent at Nur Khan Base, also said on ...
    Tags: Pakistan Kazakhstan
  • US shoots down Iranian drone ‘aggressively’ approaching aircraft carrier, official says
    Dawn - 18:33 Feb 03, 2026
    The US military on Tuesday shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, it said. The Iranian Shahed-139 drone was flying toward the carrier “with unclear intent” and was shot down by an American F-35 fighter jet, it said. “An F-35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defence and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board,” said Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson at the US military’s Central Command. No American service members were harmed during the incident and no US equipment was damaged, he added. The incident came as diplomats sought to arrange nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, and US President Donald Trump warned that with US warships heading toward Iran, “bad things” would probably happen if a deal could not be reached. The Lincoln carrier strike group is the most visible part of a US military buildup in the Middle East following a crackdown against anti-government dem...
    Tags: Iranian
  • Federal Constitutional Court disposes of Arshad Sharif suo motu case
    Dawn - 17:37 Feb 03, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Tuesday disposed of a suo motu case initiated on the killing of prominent journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya, ruling that judicial oversight of the ongoing investigation was impermissible under Pakistani law. The court emphasised that the matter was being handled through diplomatic channels and a mutual legal assistance (MLA) agreement between Pakistan and Kenya had also already been reached. The 14-page judgment was authored by Justice Aamer Farooq and disposed of all pending applications. “We acknowledge and share the grief felt by our nation and the journalist community over the death of our citizen,” the judgment said. “Needless to observe that in case the legal heirs of Sharif have any specific grievance in the matter, they can approach the court(s) of competent jurisdiction,” it added. The judgment said that in the present case, the MLA had been signed between Pakistan and Kenya, adding that both countries were coordinating at a diplomatic level to imp...
    Tags: Arshad Sharif
  • Organiser of political moot at Karachi Press Club says participants detained; police deny arrests
    Dawn - 16:58 Feb 03, 2026
    KARACHI: Eight leaders and workers from different left-wing political parties were detained outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC), reportedly to prevent them from attending a multi-party conference called by the Popular Left Alliance (PLA), according to organisers. However, police denied the claim. Imdad Qazi, the secretary general of the Communist Party of Pakistan and the convenor of the PLA, told Dawn that the 10-party alliance had called the moot to debate democracy and authoritarianism in Pakistan. However, police contingents were already deployed in the area, he said. “Five veteran political workers, namely Husain Fatimi, Dr Hasan Nasir, Ramzam Memon, Shaheena, Mohammed Farooq and three other activists were apprehended by the police outside the KPC, to prevent them from attending the conference,” Qazi alleged. Meanwhile, South Senior Superintendent of Police Mahzoor Ali denied the claim that arrests were made outside the KPC. In a statement, the PLA said, “Complete authoritarian rule has been imposed in ...
    Tags: Karachi Press Club
  • Achakzai seeks PM Shehbaz’s intervention for Imran’s medical examination by ‘trusted’ doctors
    Dawn - 16:14 Feb 03, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai on Tuesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, seeking his “personal intervention” for the medical examination of PTI founder Imran Khan by the jailed leader’s “trusted” doctors. The letter was shared by the Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on the social media platform X. In the letter, Achakzai said, “I am writing with utmost urgency to bring to your immediate attention a serious matter concerning the health of former prime minister and PTI Chairman, Mr Imran Khan, who is currently detained at Adiala jail, Rawalpindi.” He went on to say that it had come to his attention that recent medical check-ups were conducted “without the knowledge or presence of his personal medical team or family members”. “His personal doctors, who are fully aware of his medical history, were not informed,” Achakzai said. “A full medical examination and tests by his trusted doctors is critically needed without any delay to properly ...
    Tags: Achakzai

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