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Found 5467 news

  • Jordan, Germany say international force in Gaza needs UN mandate
    Dawn - 09:18 Nov 01, 2025
    Jordan and Germany said on Saturday that an international force expected to support a future Palestinian police in Gaza under US President Donald Trump’s post-war governance plan should have a UN mandate. Under the US-brokered ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, a coalition of mainly Arab and Muslim nations is expected to deploy forces in the Palestinian territory. The so-called international stabilisation force is supposed to train and support vetted Palestinian police in the Strip, with backing from Egypt and Jordan, as well as secure border areas and prevent weapons smuggling to Hamas. “We all agree that in order for that stabilisation force to be able to be effective in getting the job done, it has to have a Security Council mandate,” Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said. Jordan, however, will not be sending its own forces to the Strip. “We’re too close to the issue and we cannot deploy troops in Gaza,” Safadi said, adding his country was nonetheless ready to cooperate with the international force...
    Tags: Gaza Jordan Germany
  • Return of Afghans via Torkham border resumes
    Dawn - 09:03 Nov 01, 2025
    Officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan said on Saturday that the Torkham border crossing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been reopened for Afghan refugees returning to their country. Speaking to Dawn, Khyber Deputy Commissioner Bilal Rao confirmed that the Torkham border crossing had been reopened earlier today for the resumption of Afghan refugees’ repatriation. Khizer Shah, the spokesman of the Pakistani embassy in Kabul, and Afghan officials also confirmed the development. “Torkham gate is now open for refugees. We welcome our countrymen,” Qureshi Badloon, head of the Information and Culture in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, told Dawn. The repatriation of Afghan families with or without any travel or identity documents was abruptly suspended on October 11 following border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which continued for days before a ceasefire was formalised in Doha on October 19. Pakistan had closed all its borders with Afghanistan for all types of movement. Since then, a large number of return...
    Tags: Torkham
  • Not planning to enter politics again anytime soon, says ex-PTI leader Ali Zaidi
    Dawn - 08:37 Nov 01, 2025
    Former PTI leader and ex-federal minister Ali Haider Zaidi on Saturday refuted reports of him “planning a political relaunch”, saying that he had no plans of doing so anytime soon. Zaidi was among the top PTI leadership who quit either the party or politics altogether amid a state crackdown on the party following the May 9, 2023 riots, which witnessed military installations being vandalised in protest of Imran’s arrest earlier that day. “Some [are] suggesting that I’m planning a political relaunch. Let me be clear: I am not planning to enter politics anytime soon,” Zaidi said on X. The first reason Zaidi stated for not rejoining politics was that his “financial circumstances and my personal family obligations” would not allow it. “Secondly, there is no politics in a country where the corrupt, the land grabbers, the extortionists, even those with blood on their hands are gifted power through a rigged election, protected by a compromised judiciary, which even today, fails to deliver justice,” he claimed. “When ...
  • Canadian PM Carney says he apologised to Trump over anti-tariff ad
    Dawn - 07:36 Nov 01, 2025
    Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed on Saturday he apologised to United States President Donald Trump over an anti-tariff ad featuring former US leader Ronald Reagan and had told Ontario Premier Doug Ford not to run it. Trump announced he would be hiking tariffs on Canadian goods by an additional 10 per cent and terminated all trade talks following what he called the “fake” anti-tariff ad campaign. “I did apologise to the president. The president was offended,” Carney told journalists in the South Korean city of Gyeongju, adding trade talks would restart when the US is “ready”. Carney also confirmed that he had reviewed the ad with Ford before it aired, but said he had opposed using it. “I told Ford I did not want to go forward with the ad,” he said. The ad, commissioned by Ford, an outspoken Conservative politician who is sometimes compared to Trump, uses a snippet of Republican icon and former president Reagan saying that tariffs cause trade wars and economic disaster. Carney also called talks wit...
    Tags: Canadian Carney Trump
  • Deadline for new number plates extended for two months in Sindh
    Dawn - 05:35 Nov 01, 2025
    KARACHI: The Sindh government has extended the deadline to replace old number plates of vehicles with new Ajrak-themed plates by two more months. According to a notification issued on Friday, the excise and taxation department “is pleased to extend the timeline for replacement of existing number plates with new security-featured number plates to 31st December, 2025 instead of 31st October, 2025 (in respect of all types of vehicles).” Earlier in August, the Sindh government had extended the deadline for citizens to obtain new number plates featuring the Ajrak design until Oct 31, following instructions from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2025
    Tags: Sindh
  • White House restricts reporters’ access to press office
    Dawn - 05:15 Nov 01, 2025
    US President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday banned reporters from accessing a core part of the White House press office without an appointment, citing the need to protect “sensitive material”. Journalists are now barred if they do not have prior approval to access the area in the West Wing known as Upper Press — which is where Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s office is located. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defended the move, saying without providing evidence that reporters had been “ambushing” cabinet secretaries in the area and secretly recording video and audio. “This memorandum directs the prohibition of press passholders from accessing … ‘Upper Press,’ which is situated adjacent to the Oval Office, without an appointment,” said a memo from the White House National Security Council (NSC). The memo, addressed to Leavitt and Cheung, said the aim was “protecting sensitive material from unauthorized disclosure in Upper Press”. The policy comes amid wider restrictions on journali...
    Tags: White House
  • Israeli military official resigns after leaked abuse video stirs furore
    Dawn - 05:11 Nov 01, 2025
    JERUSALEM: The Israeli military’s chief legal officer resigned on Friday over a criminal inquiry into the leaking of a video that showed soldiers abusing a Palestinian detainee arrested during the Gaza conflict. Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi said that she was stepping down because she had approved the video’s leak in August last year. The abuse investigation led to criminal charges against five soldiers and stirred an uproar. The inquiry drew condemnation from right-wing politicians and prompted protesters to storm two military compounds after investigators sought troops for questioning in the case. A week after the break-in at the bases, a security camera video showing the moments of the alleged abuse was leaked to an Israeli television channel. It showed soldiers taking a prisoner aside and crowding around while holding a dog and blocking visibility of their actions with their riot gear. On Wednesday, Defence Minister Israel Katz said that there has been an ongoing criminal inquiry into the video ...
    Tags: Israeli
  • Blind to Xi-Trump summit, India hails ‘strategic’ US pact
    Dawn - 03:21 Nov 01, 2025
    • Analysts warn warming US-China ties may undermine India’s multipolar world vision, weaken Quad-like groups • Pakistan assessing impact of deal, says Foreign Office NEW DELHI: India and the United States on Friday inked a 10-year defence framework agreement, a deal India’s defence minister described as a “signal” of growing strategic alignment, even as warming US-China ties raised questions about the region’s geopolitical landscape. Indian reports confirmed the defence pact was sealed at a meeting here between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his American counterpart Peter Hegseth. The “convergence” however seemed undermined by a potentially opposite view on the Obama era encircling of China that Chinese and US presidents presented at a globally watched meeting in South Korea. Indian newspaper The Hindu noted that the meeting of US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan “sent ripple effects to India”. Following the talks, US tariffs on China were cut to 47 per cent, leaving India ...
    Tags: India
  • Umrah visa validity to be curtailed from next week
    Dawn - 03:08 Nov 01, 2025
    KARACHI: The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has reduced the validity of Umrah visas from three months to one month from the date of issuance, Saudi news channel Al Arabiya.net reported. The new amendments, which will go into effect from next week, also includes the cancellation of the visa 30 days after its date of issuance in case the pilgrim has not entered the kingdom within this period. Reducing the visa’s validity, however, will not affect the permitted duration of stay after the pilgrim arrives in Saudi Arabia. All those arriving to perform Umrah are allowed to stay for three months. The changes were made to prevent overcrowding of pilgrims in the two holy cities during cooler months, according to Ahmed Bajafar, adviser to the National Committee for Umrah and Visit. Although Umrah rituals are solely performed in Makkah, many Umrah pilgrims seize the chance to visit Madina during their short trip to Saudi Arabia. In October, Riyadh introduced stricter Umrah rules, including mandatory pre-booking of acc...
    Tags: Umrah
  • Punjab orders Imran’s video-link trial in nearly dozen May 9 cases
    Dawn - 02:44 Nov 01, 2025
    • Trials to be held in Rawalpindi ATC • Home dept says move will help ensure PTI founder’s security, prevent untoward incidents RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has notified that all eleven FIRs registered against former prime minister Imran Khan in connection with the violent protests of May 9, 2023, will now be tried in the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Rawalpindi. The trials will be conducted via video link from Adiala jail, where the PTI founder remains incarcerated. According to a notification issued by the Home Department, the decision has been made under Sections 15(2) and 21(2)(b) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The order directs that proceedings in all eleven FIRs — registered at various police stations, including RA Bazaar, Civil Lines, City, Waris Khan, New Town, Morgah, Sadiqabad, Saddar Wah, and Cantt — be held at the Rawalpindi ATC through video link from Adiala jail. The Home Department stated that the arrangement aims to ensure Imran Khan’s security and prevent any untoward incident during the ...
  • After ‘conditional truce’, all eyes on Kabul’s next steps
    Dawn - 02:30 Nov 01, 2025
    • Islamabad says ceasefire with western neighbour not ‘open-ended’; any breach will trigger ‘all options’ • Foreign Office insists Istanbul statement a ‘preface’, not full text of accord • Says Taliban privately acknowledge TTP, BLA presence in Afghanistan • Khawaja Asif hints at multi-nation monitors, says ‘terrorism must stop’ ISLAMABAD: Islamabad on Friday viewed the Istanbul agreement with Kabul as a conditional truce and a step forward, but not an end-state as it awaited the next high-level engagement with the Afghan Taliban regime scheduled for Nov 6 in Turkiye. “Afghanistan should understand that this arrangement is a conditional truce, one which hinges on demonstrable responsibility by the Afghan side,” a senior security source said on condition of anonymity, underscoring Pakistan’s cautious optimism after five days of intense talks in Istanbul mediated by Turkiye and Qatar. The round of negotiations, which concluded earlier this week, produced a three-point understanding — the continuation of the cea...
    Tags: Kabul
  • US seeks Pakistan’s help to balance China’s mineral grip
    Dawn - 02:18 Nov 01, 2025
    • Critical Minerals Forum chief meets Aurangzeb • Islamabad welcomes move; asks team to revert with a detailed framework for collaboration ISLAMABAD: A leading US delegation met with Pakistani officials in Islamabad on Friday, seeking to build secure and transparent mineral supply chains for American industry amid Washington’s growing concerns over China’s upper hand in global rare earth materials. The delegation led by Robert Louis Strayer II, president of the US government-funded Critical Minerals Forum (CMF), “discussed avenues of cooperation in the minerals and mining sector, strengthening supply-chain security, and encouraging responsible and sustainable investment in Pakistan’s critical minerals landscape” with a Pakistani team headed by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, according to an official statement. The meeting took place as the US and India announced a 10-year defence framework agreement. The CMF’s focus is driven by the strategic threat posed by Beijing’s control over key resources. “China’s...
    Tags: Pakistan China
  • Govt hikes petrol price by Rs2.43, high-speed diesel by Rs3.02
    Dawn - 20:13 Oct 31, 2025
    The federal government on Friday night increased the price of petrol by Rs2.43 per litre and that of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs3.02 per litre for the next fortnight. In a late-night announcement, the Ministry of Finance said the revision followed movements in international markets and recommendations from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and relevant ministries. According to the notification, the price of petrol now stands at Rs265.45 per litre from Rs263.02 per litre. Meanwhile, the price of diesel has increased to Rs278.44 per litre from Rs275.42 per litre. Most of the transport sec­tor runs on HSD and its price is considered inflationary as it is mostly used in heavy transport vehicles, trains and agricultural engines like trucks, buses, tractors, tube-wells and threshers and particularly adds to the prices of vegetables and other eatables. Petrol is primarily used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws, and two-wheelers, and directly impacts the budgets of the middle and lower-middl...
  • PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi hospitalised in Lahore due to gallbladder complications
    Dawn - 18:36 Oct 31, 2025
    Senior PTI leader and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was hospitalised at the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute in Lahore for gallbladder stone complications, his daughter stated on Friday. Shah Mahmood has been indicted in multiple cases pertaining to the May 9, 2023 riots and has remained behind bars since August 2023. In July 2024, the PTI leader was indicted by a Lahore anti-terrorism court in a case registered by the Shadman police over allegedly attacking and burning the police station. Meher Bano Qureshi took to X today to announce that the PTI leader was undergoing baseline tests for the stones, which he had “lived with … for years”. “In 2023, while incarcerated in Adiala Jail, doctors had advised surgery after his condition deteriorated. He chose not to undergo any procedures, then unwilling to do so while in solitary confinement,” she wrote. “Since then, the stones have increased in size and surgery is now unavoidable. We await the doctors’ final report and a confirmed date for the op...
    Tags: Shah Mahmood Qureshi Lahore
  • Saim smashes half century, pacers run riot as Pakistan thrash South Africa to level T20I series
    Dawn - 18:31 Oct 31, 2025
    Opener Saim Ayub hit a blistering half century after pacers starred as Pakistan thrashed South Africa by nine wickets in the second Twenty20 International of the three-match series to level it 1-1. Saim smashed an unbeaten 71 off 38, hitting six fours and five sixes, to help Pakistan chase down the paltry 111-run target in the 14th over. Earlier, Faheem Ashraf and Salman Mirza had kept South Africa quiet with a brilliant pace bowling show. Pakistan openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim had seen the side cruise to 49-0 by the end of the powerplay with a measured approach with no pressure on them whatsoever. But right at the end of the period, Corbin Bosch trapped Sahibzada lbw with his pace. However, the incoming Babar Azam triggered raucous roars among the capacity crowds, getting off the mark with a scintillating cover drive. Saim too carried on, launching Ottneil Baartman for a huge six over long-on as Pakistan edged closer to the small target. The southpaw followed that up with a powerful cut through the off-s...
    Tags: Pakistan Saim South Africa
  • Govt awards 23 offshore oil exploration blocks after 18 years
    Dawn - 17:22 Oct 31, 2025
    The federal government on Friday said it has awarded 23 offshore exploration blocks to four consortiums led by local energy companies, some partnered with foreign firms, including Turkiye’s national oil company Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO), after an 18-year gap. A recent basin study conducted by the US firm DeGolyer and MacNaughton (D&M) has indicated a significant yet-to-be-found potential of hydrocarbons in Pakistans offshore basins. Building on this encouraging assessment, the Offshore Bid Round 2025 was launched in January with a view to offering blocks that allow companies to undertake systematic exploration efforts to test various geological plays across both the Indus and Makran basins. In Pakistan’s first such bidding round in nearly two decades, the energy ministry said that the bids were awarded for 23 of 40 offshore blocks offered, covering around 53,500 square kilometres. The energy ministry listed state-run Oil and Gas Development Co. Ltd (OGDCL), Pakistan Petroleum Ltd (PPL) and MariEner...
  • No talks ongoing with government, establishment: PTI’s Gohar
    Dawn - 17:20 Oct 31, 2025
    PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Friday said that there are currently no negotiations or talks between the party and the federal government or the military establishment. Last year, talks between the government and the PTI commenced in the last week of December to bring down political temperatures, but despite weeks of negotiations, the dialogue process hardly moved forward on major issues — the formation of a judicial commission and the release of PTI prisoners. From December into January, the PML-N-led coalition and the PTI accused each other of derailing the negotiations and lacking seriousness. A highly demanded meeting of the PTI team with party founder and ex-premier Imran Khan in Adiala Jail on January 12 paved the way for a third round of talks. However, the PTI decided to boycott the fourth round of talks with the government, a day after it announced that Imran issued directions to call off negotiations due to a delay over the formation of judicial commissions. Speaking on Dawn News programme...
  • Defence Minister Khawaja Asif rubbishes contentious remarks about disarming Hamas
    Dawn - 16:59 Oct 31, 2025
    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday rubbished and strongly condemned the contentious remarks made by government spokesperson Danyal Chaudhry regarding the role of Pakistani troops in the Gaza peace force, which also included the disarming of Hamas. Addressing the remarks by the federal parliamentary secretary for information and broadcasting in an interview on Geo News show ‘Naya Pakistan’, the defence minister said: “I will say God forbid on all these three remarks; what kind of statement has he given. Nothing from this is our target or suits us.” In an interview on Tuesday on Ary News show ‘11th Hour’, Chaudhry had said regarding the mandate of the Gaza peace force: “Pakistan and the other countries that will be chosen will make sure there is no extremism or violence … or that there is no cross-border attack. Pakistan will enforce that.” Chaudhry also said that the security of any Pakistani soldier deputed for duty in the force would be the utmost priority. “We will fulfil our duty and protect Muslim br...
    Tags: Hamas Defence Minister Khawaja Asif
  • Punjab govt under fire for ‘manipulating’ air quality data
    Dawn - 16:39 Oct 31, 2025
    The Punjab government is facing criticism and allegations of data manipulation after climate analysts and social media users accused the Environment Protection & Climate Change Department (EPCCD) of deliberately shutting down air quality monitoring stations in Lahore during peak pollution hours. The controversy erupted when climate and public policy analyst Dawar Hameed Butt posted a series of tweets on X, alleging that the EPCCD had turned off several monitoring stations, particularly those in the more polluted northern and eastern parts of the city. “EPCCD Punjab has turned off Monitoring Stations in Lahore,” Butt tweeted. “The ones left on are still ‘Beyond Index’. These are PAS officers, PhDs and ‘educated’ staff, and they think closing their eyes will solve the problem. Absolute failure unfolding now.” He supported his claims with screenshots from the official government website, aqipunjab.com, which showed that data from multiple stations had not been updated for hours, still displaying readings from Oc...
  • Corruption, extortion case: Lahore court extends physical remand of 6 NCCIA officials by 3 days
    Dawn - 16:36 Oct 31, 2025
    A Lahore court on Friday extended the physical remand of six National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) officials by another three days in a case pertaining to the alleged misuse of authority, extortion of money, and acceptance of bribes. The first information report (FIR) of the case was registered with the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle Lahore on the complaint of Aroob Jatoi, the wife of YouTuber Saadur Rehman alias Ducky Bhai, who has been arrested in a case pertaining to promoting gambling apps on social media. The FIR was registered against a total of nine individuals, including eight NCCIA officials. Among them, the six remanded in the FIA custody were said to be missing for several days before the FIA announced their arrest on Monday. Lahore NCCIA’s Additional Director Sarfraz Chaudhry, Lahore NCCIA Deputy Director (acting in-charge) Zawar Ahmad, Lahore NCCIA Sub-Inspector Ali Raza, Lahore NCCIA Assistant Director Shoaib Riaz, Lahore NCCIA Sub-Inspector Yasir Ramzan and Lahore NCCIA Assistant Direct...
    Tags: Lahore NCCIA

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