Dawn
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Dawn - 15:52 May 05, 2026
ISLAMABAD: PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja on Tuesday affirmed his decision regarding the composition of the newly formed Punjab Coordination and Monitoring Committee, saying that no existing member would be excluded and no new name would be added to the body. On Monday, Raja notified a five-member body under the convenership of Amjad Khan Niazi to “coordinate organisational matters between the four regions of Punjab through engagement with the presidents and general secretaries of the said regions”. PTI leaders Naeem Haider Panjotha, Shaukat Mahmood Basra, Ali Ijaz Buttar and Mehr Abdul Sattar were also named as members. However, several PTI members and workers have been criticising Raja’s decision to nominate Niazi as the convener of the body, because he had parted ways with the party in the wake of the events related to the May 9 protests. Speaking to Dawn, Raja said, “I know that some leaders have been criticising Niazi that he left the party, but they should not forget that Imran Khan himself had... -
Dawn - 15:30 May 05, 2026
ISLAMABAD: JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has announced that the party will hold protests all over the country on Wednesday and Friday against the “martyrdom” of prominent cleric Maulana Idrees. The renowned cleric and former Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) MPA was killed on Tuesday after unidentified assailants opened fire on him, police said. “Full and peaceful protests will be held tomorrow (Wednesday) and on Friday against the martyrdom of Sheikh Idrees”, said JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghouri in a statement. He said the provincial and district organisations would arrange protest demonstrations at all four provincial headquarters and across districts. Terming the death of Maulana Idrees an irreparable loss, Ghouri said they were exhausted by carrying the bodies of senior scholars. “How long will the state continue to test us?” Ghouri asked, alleging that the federal and provincial governments have failed to maintain law and order. He asked public to participate in the protests and register their protes... -
Dawn - 14:17 May 05, 2026
The United States is “not looking for a fight” over the Strait of Hormuz, and its ceasefire with Iran still holds, but any attack on commercial shipping will be met with a “devastating” response, the Pentagon chief said on Tuesday. The warning from Pete Hegseth came on the second day of a US effort, dubbed ‘Project Freedom’, to facilitate the transit of commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran had closed in response to the US-Israeli war on the Islamic republic. “We’re not looking for a fight. But Iran also cannot be allowed to block innocent countries and their goods from an international waterway,” Hegseth told reporters. “If you attack American troops or innocent commercial shipping, you will face overwhelming and devastating American firepower.” US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Dan Caine addresses reporters at the Pentagon on May 5, 2026. — AFP The Pentagon chief added that Washington is promising security for commercial vessels with a “red, white and blue dome” over the Strai... -
Dawn - 14:06 May 05, 2026
CHARSADDA: Renowned cleric and former Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) MPA Maulana Muhammad Idrees was killed on Tuesday after unidentified assailants opened fire on him, police said. Police Personal Relations Officer Safiullah told Dawn that Idrees left for Darul Uloom Noumania from his home in Tarangzai. He said that shortly before he arrived at his destination, armed assailants fired at the vehicle in the Tariqabad Utmanzai area. He said that two officials were also injured in the incident, adding that police had obtained CCTV footage of the incident. The cleric’s body was subsequently shifted to the District Headquarter Hospital. His funeral prayers were offered later in the day in his native Tarangzai area of Charsadda, with strict security arrangements in place and a large number of attendees, including prominent JUI-F leaders. Idrees was the JUI-F district ameer and was considered one of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s trusted advisers. The deceased’s father-in-law, Maulana Hassan Jan, who had defeated Awami ... -
Dawn - 14:00 May 05, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s quest to attract over $8 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in Special Economic Zones (SEZs), and to generate 500,000 jobs between 2018 and 2024, remained well below the target, according to the investment minister. As of 2025, only four SEZs have advanced beyond the planning stage with partial implementation, Investment Minister Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh said on Tuesday. Speaking at the ‘Pakistan-China Industrialisation Dialogue’ in Islamabad, the minister explained that the four SEZs are located in Rashakai in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Allama Iqbal Industrial City in Punjab, Dhabeji in Sindh, and Bostan in Balochistan.” “Under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), nine SEZs were designated in the first phase, targeting sectors including food processing, ceramics, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and auto assembly, he added. Sheikh emphasised that Pakistan is now entering a decisive phase of CPEC, shifting focus towards industrialisation, export-led growth, and enhanced business-to-busines... -
Dawn - 13:54 May 05, 2026
Police on Tuesday released seven Aurat March activists after briefly detaining them near Karachi Press Club (KPC), following orders from Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar. The activists were detained after they gathered at Karachi Press Club (KPC) for a press conference scheduled for 4pm to demand a no-objection certificate (NOC) for their upcoming annual march in Karachi. An Aurat March organiser confirmed to Dawn that seven people, including Sheema Kirmani and Shahzadi Rai, had been released. This came shortly after Lanjar ordered the metropolis’ south zone police to release the detained activists. In a post on X following the release, Aurat March Karachi said: “We will NOT back down from our politics, and we will continue to demand an NOC! “Scare tactics to suppress dissent are shameful!” it said, demanding that the Sindh government issue a statement explaining the reason for the arrests and for the “delay” in granting the NOC. Shortly before 4pm, the rights group said three of its organisers were “pi... -
Dawn - 13:42 May 05, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Health was informed by the health ministry on Tuesday that nearly 20,000 patients who initiated treatment at antiretroviral therapy (ART) centres for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS are now “missing”. The committee also rejected the health ministry’s request to hold an in-camera briefing over the issue of HIV. The NA committee, chaired by MNA Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, had taken strong notice of the rising trend of HIV and AIDS cases in Pakistan and sought a briefing from the ministry. Pakistan has become one of the fastest-growing HIV epidemics in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, with new infections rising by 200 per cent over the last 15 years — from 16,000 in 2010 to 48,000 in 2024. The ministry informed the committee that an estimated 369,000 people were living with HIV in Pakistan, while only 84,000 cases were currently registered, highlighting a significant detection gap. In 2025 alone, 14,000 new cases were reported. In a critical r... -
Dawn - 13:09 May 05, 2026
An Israeli court on Tuesday extended the detention of two foreign activists taken from a Gaza-bound flotilla by six days, a lawyer representing them said. Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Avila appeared before a court in the southern city of Ashkelon for their second hearing, after being brought to Israel for questioning last week. The extension is to allow police more time to interrogate them, the pair’s lawyer said. The two, held in a prison in Ashkelon, were among dozens of activists aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off the coast of Greece early on Thursday. The other detained activists were taken to the Greek island of Crete and released. The representatives of Avila and Abu Keshek have accused Israeli authorities of abusing the two men, who have been on hunger strike for the past six days. The flotilla’s vessels had set sail from France, Spain and Italy with the aim of breaking Israel’s blockade of Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid... -
Dawn - 12:10 May 05, 2026
KARACHI: Ghulam Hussain Soho resigned as chairman of the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK), it emerged on Tuesday, following reports of irregularities and mismanagement at the board. He handed in his resignation late on Monday to the Secretary of the Universities and Boards Department, Abbas Baloch, after learning that a committee report recommended his suspension as BSEK head.” A committee formed on the directives of Sindh Universities and Boards Minister Muhammad Ismail Rahoo has completed its report, revealing that BSEK’s administrator made changes to 170 examination centres during the ongoing matric examinations. The report also recommended that the BSEK chairman be suspended. Learning this, Soho resigned himself. According to sources, Soho, in his resignation, wrote that he had tried to reform the BSEK. This, he noted, included measures such as the complete automation of the system, online payments, grievance redressal system and training of examination staff, which he contended did not sit wel... -
Dawn - 11:58 May 05, 2026
Last year’s military confrontation with India delighted us with something Pakistan rarely experiences: a unified national response. One voice and one direction from a collective will that held under pressure. We have the same reaction, at a smaller scale, during a cricket match against India. And then we watch as it dissolves. A pressing question lies behind this pattern. It is one I have asked for ten years on my podcast and in private conversations. I have asked people from the corridors of power, the circles of military brass, the layers of our Establishment, and the captains of industry. I have asked four Prime Ministers, Generals, CEOs. I have asked them all the same thing, on the record and off it: how do we fix Pakistan? Their answer is almost always the same. We know the problems. We often know the solutions. So why, after a decade of these conversations, does nothing change? We only unite when there is an enemy Pakistan’s capacity for collective action is not a myth. It exists and activates reliably ... -
Dawn - 11:34 May 05, 2026
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Tuesday announced a province-wide pen-down strike tomorrow (May 6) over the federal government’s alleged “discrimination” against KP. In a statement, CM Afridi contended that the Centre was discriminating against KP because the province has a government led by former premier Imran Khan’s PTI. “The federal government is deliberately discriminating against the province in the NFC (National Finance Commission) Award, electricity and gas,” the chief minister claimed. Since becoming the provincial chief executive in October 2025, Afridi has repeatedly accused the federal government of stalling the release of funds allocated for KP, particularly those committed for the merged districts under the NFC Award. In his announcement, the KP CM said that emergency services would be exempt from the pen-down strike. He urged all lawyers “who uphold the Constitution and the law” to participate in the strike. He also lamented that Imran and his wife Bushra Bibi were not being ... -
Dawn - 11:16 May 05, 2026
LAHORE: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on Tuesday launched a crackdown on ‘anti-state’ social media activities, arresting 13 individuals in Punjab. “In a province-wide crackdown against anti-state social media activities, the NCCIA has arrested 13 individuals from different cities of Punjab during the last couple of weeks,” a spokesperson for NCCIA told Dawn. He said the crackdown has been launched on the instructions of NCCIA Punjab Director Muhammad Ali Waseem, who recently took charge. Those arrested were involved in running a campaign against the state, particularly the army and government functionaries, across various social media platforms, he added. Two of them were also allegedly involved in posting content targeting Gulf countries. The arrested suspects have been booked under different sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016. According to the spokesperson, social media activists Usman, Qamar, Abbas, and Tahir Mushtaq have been arrested from Lahore; Hami... -
Dawn - 08:39 May 05, 2026
Vietnamese President To Lam is expected to discuss expanding defence ties with India during a visit to New Delhi this week, including the potential purchase of BrahMos missiles jointly developed with Russia, two sources said. India, which has been building up domestic defence manufacturing for local use and exports, has already sold the supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines and signed a contract with Indonesia in March. A deal with Vietnam could be worth about 60 billion Indian rupees ($629 million), including training and logistical support, said one of the sources. India considers Vietnam a key part of its strategy to ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific region amid China’s growing influence. A third source said some defence cooperation announcements could be made during To Lam’s May 5-7 visit, though no signing of a weapons deal was expected. To Lam arrived on Tuesday in the eastern city of Bodh Gaya, a Buddhist pilgrimage site, on Tuesday. All the sources declined to be identified as they were not... -
Dawn - 08:29 May 05, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday strongly condemned missile and drone attacks on civilian infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), expressing complete solidarity with the country’s President Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan. “Pakistan stands firmly with our Emirati brothers and sisters as well as with the government of the UAE at this difficult time,” PM Shehbaz said in a social media post on X. “It is absolutely essential that the ceasefire be upheld and respected, to allow necessary diplomatic space for dialogue leading to enduring peace and stability in the region,” he said. On Monday, the UAE said it was targeted by Iranian strikes, including one on its vital Fujairah energy hub that wounded three Indians. Fujairah lies beyond the Strait of Hormuz, making it one of few export routes for Middle East oil that does not require passing through it. “These attacks represent a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable transgression,” the UAE’s foreign ministry said, adding that the country res... -
Dawn - 08:07 May 05, 2026
KARACHI: The Pakistan Meteorological Department has predicted the temperature in Karachi Division to remain hot but below 40°C. According to the PMD’s weather forecast till Thursday, “hot and humid” weather is expected to persist on Tuesday, with the maximum temperature forecasted to be between 37–39°C. Similar conditions will persist on May 6 (Wednesday) and May 7 (Thursday), PMD said in its advisory, when the maximum temperature will be between 36–38°C and 35-37°C, respectively. As per the forecast, “hot/very hot and dry weather” was likely to prevail over most parts of Sindh. Meanwhile, K-Electric’s Head of Distribution Operations, Khurram Abdullah, said on Tuesday that there will be no loadshedding in “any areas where the ‘feels-like’ temperature reaches 45°C”. Addressing a live session from the utility’s Facebook account, he added, “maintenance shutdowns have been suspended due to the heatwave”. He further stated that illegal connections (kundas) caused overloading, leading to localised faults and accide... -
Dawn - 08:01 May 05, 2026
An Indian pilot group has submitted a letter to the aviation ministry suggesting that electrical failure, and not pilot action, could have caused the deadly Air India crash last year. The submission by the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), which has more than 5,000 members, comes ahead of the expected final report into the crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that killed 260 people shortly after takeoff on June 12, 2025. As required by international law, India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) published a preliminary report on July 12, one month after the disaster, when the plane exploded into flames shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad in western India. That 15-page document said the fuel supply to the jet’s engines was cut off moments before impact, raising questions about possible pilot error. It did not mention whether the turning off of the fuel switches could have been caused by pilot manoeuvre, or by any kind of malfunction. The FIP letter, dated May 1 and seen by AFP, offers what it cal... -
Dawn - 07:44 May 05, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Former Nadra chairman Tariq Malik has been named one of the world’s top 25 identity leaders by US-based company Okta. The list, by Okta Ventures, the venture investment arm of Okta, is a “diverse compilation of forward-thinking developers, strategists, business leaders, and public servants”. “The honorees are being recognised for their tireless efforts in software creation, standards evolution, and strategic implementation to keep digital transactions safe and seamless. Their work tackles some of the most pressing challenges in the digital age,” it said. To mark the honour, Malik has been featured on the Nasdaq billboard in Times Square, New York City, alongside 24 other global leaders. In his featured interview, Malik said: “Digital identity succeeds or fails not on technology, but on whether its governance can withstand political pressure.” He argued that identity systems must be treated as core governance infrastructure, supported by institutional independence, legal safeguards, and accountabili... -
Dawn - 06:43 May 05, 2026
A blast at a fireworks factory in China’s Hunan province has killed 21 people and injured 61, prompting a call from President Xi Jinping for a thorough investigation, state media reported on Tuesday. The explosion in Liuyang, under the administration of Hunan’s capital city of Changsha and a hub for fireworks manufacturing, occurred on Monday at around 4:40 pm (0840 GMT), according to reports by CCTV and Xinhua. Social media footage showed massive plumes of smoke billowing up into clear blue skies against a backdrop of lush, green mountains. Reuters verified the location shown in the footage, which was posted on social media on May 4, as Changsha. A Xinhua video showed thick clouds of smoke rising from a large site littered with collapsed buildings and debris. Five rescue teams of nearly 500 personnel, together with three rescue robots, were dispatched to the scene, adopting a “human machine coordinated approach” to conduct grid-style searches, according to Xinhua. Two black powder storage warehouses within t... -
Dawn - 02:46 May 05, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court’s 2019 verdict, which provided legal cover to the otherwise controversial One Constitution Avenue project, significantly boosted its market value and attracted around 70 new high-net-worth investors. Former prime minister Imran Khan was also among these investors, but sources told Dawn that the cricketer-turned politician had already sold his apartment (C11E) in 2022 and this property is now registered in the name of Shahid Naseer. The Supreme Court bench, headed by then chief justice Saqib Nisar and comprising Justices Ijazul Ahsan and Faisal Arab, in its verdict had directed the defaulting construction company to pay Rs17.5 billion to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in eight annual installments. Before becoming a judge, Justice Ahsan had also served as a lawyer of the said company. The company deposited first installment of Rs1.7 billion, but later reneged on its commitment. SC’s 2019 ruling triggered investment surge in contested high rise According to the sources, the ... -
Dawn - 02:34 May 05, 2026
• Verdict authored by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani declares Council’s 2025 opinion against Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza ‘null and void’ • Judgement says advisory body overstepped its constitutional mandate under Articles 229 and 230 ISLAMABAD: In a landmark verdict, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ruled that the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has no legal authority to issue opinions on the criminal culpability of individuals. In a detailed order written prior to his transfer to the Lahore High Court, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani declared the CII’s 2025 opinion, which labelled cleric-turned-YouTuber Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza a blasphemer, as “illegal, without lawful authority, and null and void”. The court held that the constitutional body had grossly overstepped its mandate by entertaining a reference from the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) against him. The judgement stressed that under Articles 229 and 230 of the Constitution, the CII’s advisory jurisdiction is strictly limited to p...
10418 items