Dawn
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Found 5467 news
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Dawn - 06:20 Nov 02, 2025
WASHINGTON: US Vice President JD Vance has defended saying that he hopes his wife Usha — who was raised as a Hindu — converts to Christianity. A fervent Catholic who himself converted in 2019, Vance said on Friday that pushback against his remarks reeks of “anti-Christian bigotry“. The 41-year-old was asked about raising their three children in an interfaith marriage at a Turning Point USA event honouring assassinated right-wing activist Charlie Kirk at the University of Mississippi on Wednesday. “Do I hope eventually that she is somehow moved by the same thing that I was moved in by church? Yeah, I honestly do wish that,” he said. “But if she doesn’t, then God says everybody has free will, and so that doesn’t cause a problem for me.” Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2025 -
Dawn - 06:11 Nov 02, 2025
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) says that dependent parents have the right to file maintenance suits against their children before family courts, ruling that such cases fall within the courts’ jurisdiction under the Family Courts Act, 1964. Justice Raheel Kamran issued a detailed judgment on a petition filed by one Azhar Ijaz Khawaja who had challenged the orders of a family court of Model Town-Lahore and an additional district & sessions judge, directing him to pay monthly maintenance to his mother, Riffatun Nissa. The family court had ordered Khawaja and his other three brothers to pay Rs5,000 per month as interim maintenance to their mother by the 14th day of each month. When the payments were not made, the family court struck off their defence and decreed the suit under Section 17-A of the Family Courts Act. The appellate court/sessions court also upheld that order, prompting the petitioner to approach the LHC. Accepts a son’s plea against lower court verdict over ‘irrelevant’ section, ‘premature acti... -
Dawn - 05:28 Nov 02, 2025
A supermarket explosion killed at least 23 people in northern Mexico on Saturday, according to local officials, with investigators saying the blast was an accident possibly caused by a faulty electric transformer. “Sadly, a number of the victims we’ve found were minors,” Alfonso Durazo, governor of Sonora state, said in a video message as he announced the toll of 23 dead and another 11 injured. Durazo said the survivors were being treated at hospitals in the city of Hermosillo, where the explosion took place. “I have ordered an extensive and transparent investigation to determine the causes of the incident and figure out those responsible,” he said. The prosecutor’s office said in a statement that “the working assumption is that the incident was accidental, and the investigation is looking into a transformer located inside the store“. “Once the firefighters allow access into the building … it will be possible to precisely determine the cause of the incident,” it added. The explosion happened at a Waldo’s stor... -
Dawn - 04:52 Nov 02, 2025
Babar Azam showed his mastery with the bat after Shaheen Shah Afridi led a sparkling bowling performance from Pakistan as the hosts cruised to a four-wicket victory over South Africa in the series-deciding third T20 International at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday. Shaheen picked up 3-26, being the standout of Pakistan’s bowling attack, in which Faheem Ashraf and debutant Usman Tariq picked up two wickets each, as South Africa were restricted to 139-9 after being put into bat. Babar then provided an anchor in the chase with a brilliant 68, featuring nine fours, as Pakistan eased to victory with six balls to spare. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the team on X, saying, “Very well-played boys in Green!” He also commended Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and his team for their “great efforts”. In a statement, Naqvi hailed Babar’s batting and Shaheen’s bowling skills for playing an “important role” in the win. Conveying his congratulations to Captain Salman Agha, Head Coach Mike Hesson and... -
Dawn - 04:48 Nov 02, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has linked the filing of 892,419 new tax returns for the tax year 2025 to rising public confidence in the government’s reform agenda. The premier’s remarks followed the Federal Board of Revenue’s announcement that the tax department received 5.912 million tax returns for tax year 2025, up from 5.025m returns in tax year 2024, marking a 17.65 per cent increase. The last date for filing the tax returns was Oct 31. An official announcement issued by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat has commended the FBR for achieving a historic milestone. He expressed deep gratitude to the public for demonstrating civic responsibility and trust in the government’s economic policies. Highlighting the inclusion of new filers into the tax net, Prime Minister Shehbaz said this surge reflects growing public confidence in the government’s reform agenda. “We are sincerely thankful to the people for their support,” he stated. PM Shehbaz links surge in new returns to FBR digitisation drive Mr Sheh... -
Dawn - 03:17 Nov 02, 2025
• Trio visited party vice chairman in hospital to seek his support for ‘release Imran’ campaign • Fawad says leading efforts to pave way for dialogue, get PTI chief released from jail LAHORE: After PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi was hospitalised in the provincial capital, three former PTI leaders arrived in his hospital room, ostensibly to convince the incarcerated party vice chairman to join their ‘release Imran Khan campaign’ — a move rebuffed by Mr Qureshi. According to his lawyer Rana Mudassar Umer, former leaders Fawad Chaudhry, Imran Ismail, and Maulvi Mahmood managed to gain access to Mr Qureshi on Thursday when he was alone in his room. “Shah Mahmood Qureshi was surprised to see them and immediately asked the police on duty to call his lawyer, who had left just a minute ago, and tell him some ‘guests’ had arrived,” Rana Mudassar said, adding by the time he got back, the ex-PTI leaders had already gone. He said the visitors stayed only a little over 10 minutes and left without any political discussion... -
Dawn - 02:52 Nov 02, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The government-backed group has won three out of the five available seats in the Islamabad Bar Council elections, according to unofficial results. Hamid Khan group won one seat and an independent candidate claimed the remaining position. As per the unofficial tally, Abdul Rehman Har Bajwa emerged as the top scorer with 1,369 votes, followed closely by Raja Aleem Abbasi with 1,351 votes, Chaudhry Hafeezullah Yaqoob 1,295 votes, Mohammad Zafar Khokhar 1,288 votes and Asif Irfan 1,126 votes. The candidates backed by the government — Abdul Rehman Har Bajwa, Raja Aleem Abbasi and Asif Irfan — were declared successful. Chaudhry Hafeezullah Yaqoob, representing the Hamid Khan group, also secured a seat while Mohammad Zafar Khokhar won as an independent candidate. A total of 21 candidates contested the elections. Under the rules, five candidates securing the highest number of votes are declared members of the bar council. As soon as the results were announced, supporters of the winning candidates celebrate... -
Dawn - 01:37 Nov 02, 2025
Bilal sat in a Lyari police station in Karachi last October, explaining why he’d murdered four women in his family. It wasn’t about honour, going by what he told investigators. His girlfriend wanted her name on a house deed. His mother refused. His sisters mocked him on TikTok. So, he killed them all — his mother Shamshad, sisters Madiha and Ayesha, and his nine-year-old niece — then threw the dagger into the sea. “He tried to frame it as honour,” says Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) for Karachi’s District South Arif Aziz, who investigated the case. “But it was about property and control,” he continues. “His family was modern and powerful, unwilling to accept male domination,” the investigator tells Eos. According to Bilal’s charge sheet, he’d watched the Indian crime series Crime Patrol to learn how to avoid leaving evidence. The case is still in court. Police say Bilal’s case reveals a disturbing evolution: honour is now a legal shield for murder driven by property disputes, male insecurity and the ra... -
Dawn - 21:01 Nov 01, 2025
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif sidestepped answering a question on whether Pakistan had conducted a test of a hypersonic ballistic missile, saying such matters should not be asked about publicly. “Now don’t ask all these questions. Ask such things in private,” he said while responding in an interview on Samaa TV show ‘Mere Sawal’ on Friday, when asked to confirm whether Pakistan had conducted the missile test or not. The question came in the wake of a “rare lenticular cloud formation” observed over Quetta in the early hours of Tuesday that left the public puzzled over the phenomenon and its origins. Citizens had reported sighting the phenomenon around morning prayers from many parts of Balochistan and speculation was rife about the likely cause. Many social media accounts hinted that the cloud formation was the result of a missile test or a new technology tested by the military. In a post on X later in the day, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said the sight was a “lenticular cloud formation” which was o... -
Dawn - 18:49 Nov 01, 2025
Babar Azam showed his mastery with the bat after Shaheen Shah Afridi led a sparkling bowling performance from Pakistan as the hosts cruised to a four-wicket victory over South Africa in the series-deciding third Twenty20 International at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday. Shaheen picked up 3-26, being the standout of Pakistan’s bowling attack, in which Faheem Ashraf and debutant Usman Tariq picked up two wickets each, as South Africa were restricted to 139-9 after being put into bat. Babar then provided an anchor in the chase with a brilliant 68, featuring nine fours, as Pakistan eased to victory with six balls to spare. Shaheen got Pakistan off to a flyer with two wickets halfway through the first over and almost bagged a third victim two balls later. Opener Quinton de Kock’s stumps were undone on the second ball of the innings with a delivery that jagged back, found an edge and clattered into the woodwork. On the very next ball, Lhuan-dre Pretorious then spooned a catch to Usman Tariq at short fine-leg. Pakis... -
Dawn - 18:40 Nov 01, 2025
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Saturday that India wanted to keep Pakistan busy and engaged on the eastern and western fronts amid tensions with Kabul and New Delhi. Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed early on Friday morning to continue a ceasefire between the two countries following a rapid deterioration of ties and a brief conflict along their shared border last month. The Istanbul talks followed a sharp escalation in tensions that saw Pakistan launch Oct 9 airstrikes on Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan sanctuaries in Afghanistan, triggering Oct 11 border clashes that continued for days before a ceasefire was formalised in Doha on Oct 18-19. The Istanbul agreement came after days of deadlock that nearly brought the process to a halt, with mediators pulling both delegations back to the table even as Pakistan’s team had already begun preparations to return home. Meanwhile, an uneasy peace persists between Pakistan and India after their May conflict earlier this year that led to a United States-brokered ceasefir... -
Dawn - 18:07 Nov 01, 2025
Former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said on Saturday that there was a dire need to bring down the political temperature, adding that pursuing engagement with other parties and shunning confrontation was the best way to resolve current issues afflicting the party. Chaudhry, who had remained in jail for months after the removal of the PTI government in April 2022, after his release, had condemned the May 9 violent protests by the party’s supporters and, through a post on X on May 24, 2024, had himself announced to part ways with former premier Imran Khan. The PTI had “completely disassociated” itself from him in December 2024, stating that he was not authorised to issue statements to the media or participate in TV talk shows on behalf of the party. Talking to Dawn on Saturday in his hometown of Jhelum, Chaudhry said: “I am a politician by birth and I believe in a political solution to political issues. Confrontation and endless confrontation see no light at the end of the tunnel.” The former information minister s... -
Dawn - 16:20 Nov 01, 2025
A 20-year-old man from Afghanistan suspected of having links to an offshoot of the Islamic State group has been arrested in France, anti-terrorism prosecutors said on Saturday. The man was charged with participating in a criminal terrorist organisation and financing a terrorist enterprise, the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) said. The suspect, who was arrested in Lyon last week, was placed in pre-trial detention. “He is suspected of having been in contact with IS-K (Islamic State in Khorasan),” the anti-terrorism unit said. The man is suspected of “sending funds” and helping translate and relay “the propaganda of this terrorist organisation”, PNAT added. The IS-K, the militant group’s branch in Afghanistan, also operates in Pakistan and former Soviet countries in Central Asia, including Uzbekistan. The group has been responsible for deadly attacks in Afghanistan and Russia, including an attack on a Moscow concert hall in March 2024 that killed 150 people. According to French daily Le Parisi... -
Dawn - 15:14 Nov 01, 2025
At least nine people were crushed to death after a massive crowd surge at a Hindu temple in southern India’s Andhra Pradesh on Saturday, state officials said. The stampede occurred as worshippers crowded into the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in the city of Srikakulam on Ekadashi, a day Hindus consider auspicious, said Pawan Kalyan, the state’s deputy chief minister. “An inquiry will be conducted into the tragic incident,” Kalyan said in a statement, adding that the temple was run by private individuals. He put the death toll at nine. Andhra Pradesh Governor S. Abdul Nazeer expressed his “profound grief on the death of nine pilgrims in the stampede”. As many as 25,000 devotees crowded into the temple, which can accommodate only about 2,000, leading to the crush, state minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy added, while district officials have been told to provide the injured with medical help. A total of 18 injuries have been reported so far, the collector and magistrate of Srikakulam district Swapnil Dinkar Pundka... -
Dawn - 14:34 Nov 01, 2025
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government assigned portfolios to the newly formed 13-member all-male provincial cabinet on Saturday. The 13-member provincial cabinet picked by KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi took the oath of office a day ago in Peshawar. Many on social media were quick to point out that the new KP government lacked female representation. A notification issued today from the Cabinet Wing of the KP government’s Administration Department said CM Afridi assigned the following portfolios to the 13 members: Provincial ministers: Meena Khan Afridi — local government, elections and rural development Arshad Ayub Khan — elementary and secondary education Fazal Shakoor Khan — public health engineering Amjad Ali — housing Aftab Alam Afridi — law, parliamentary affairs and human rights Syed Fakhar Jehan — excise, taxation and narcotics control Riaz Khan — irrigation Khaleequr Rehman — health Aqibullah Khan — relief, rehabilitation and settlement Faisal Khan Tarakai — labour Aides Muzzammil Aslam — finance adviser... -
Dawn - 13:16 Nov 01, 2025
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung sought Chinese President Xi Jinping’s help in efforts to resume talks with nuclear-armed neighbour North Korea on Saturday, while Xi told Lee he was willing to widen cooperation and jointly tackle the challenges they face. Lee hosted Xi at a state summit and dinner after an annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) in the South Korean city of Gyeongju, marking Xi’s first visit to the United States’ ally in 11 years. Beijing attaches great importance to relations with Seoul and sees South Korea as an inseparable cooperative partner, Xi said ahead of the summit, according to Lee’s office. Lee, who was elected president in a snap election in June, has promised to strengthen ties with the US while not antagonising China and seeking to reduce tensions with the North. “I am very positive about the situation in which conditions for engagement with North Korea are being formed,” Lee said, referring to recent high-level exchanges between China and North Korea. “... -
Dawn - 12:57 Nov 01, 2025
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Saturday that a fisherman from Pakistan was arrested by the Indian Coast Guard and was coerced into carrying out tasks for the neighbouring country’s intelligence agency. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhary, Tarar said that the Indian media was creating a false narrative in the aftermath of the four-day May conflict with Pakistan. The minister said that law enforcement agencies had recently apprehended a fisherman named Ijaz Mallah while he was out fishing in the sea. “In September this year, when he was out fishing, he was arrested by the Indian Coast Guard and after the arrest, he was taken to an undisclosed location and was coerced and forced to do some tasks for the Indian intelligence agency,” he said. “He was told that he would be compensated and if he did not comply, he would have to stay imprisoned for two to three years,” the minister said. “So this common fisherman was eventually released by... -
Dawn - 12:41 Nov 01, 2025
Thousands of civilians are feared trapped and in imminent danger in the Sudanese city of El-Fasher after its fall to paramilitaries, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Saturday, as Germany’s top diplomat described the situation there as “apocalyptic”. At war with the regular army since April 2023, the Rapid Support Forces seized El-Fasher on Sunday, pushing the military out of its last stronghold in Darfur after a grinding 18-month siege marked by starvation and bombardment. Since the city’s fall, reports have emerged of summary executions, sexual violence, attacks on aid workers, looting and abductions, while communications remain largely cut off. Survivors from El-Fasher who reached the nearby town of Tawila have told AFP of mass killings, children shot before their parents, and civilians beaten and robbed as they fled. The UN says more than 65,000 people have fled El-Fasher since Sunday but tens of thousands remain trapped. Around 260,000 people were in the city before the RSF’s final assault. “Large nu... -
Dawn - 11:27 Nov 01, 2025
President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) had brought new opportunities to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). “The CPEC has brought new opportunities for livelihood, trade and connectivity to GB. Our collective task is to ensure that these opportunities reach every valley and every village, creating shared prosperity for all,” he said, while speaking at a ceremony marking the 78th anniversary of the region’s freedom from Dogra rule. “As we celebrate your independence day … let us renew our collective resolve to make GB a model of development, justice equality. Your region offers the best to the rest of the country and the world at large,” he said. He also talked about the people of occupied Kashmir, saying: “While you enjoy liberty and rights under the flag of Pakistan, they continue to face occupation … we stand with them until they too can live in freedom in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and the aspirations of the Kashmiri peopl... -
Dawn - 10:29 Nov 01, 2025
Militants in Pakistan suffered their heaviest losses in ten years during the month of October as security forces intensified counter-militancy operations across multiple regions, according to data compiled by an Islamabad-based think tank. This comes after militants were put on the back foot in September, with 69 attacks recorded and a 52 per cent decline compared to the month of August, as per the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS). In its latest monthly report issued today, PICSS stated that 355 militants were eliminated in October, while 72 security personnel and 31 civilians, including a peace committee member in Bannu, lost their lives. Another 92 security personnel, 48 civilians and 22 militants were injured across the country, the PICSS Militancy Database showed. While the think tank recorded a 29pc rise in militant attacks from 69 in September to 89 in October, overall human losses in these attacks declined by 19pc. The report highlighted that militants kidnapped 55 people la...
5467 items