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  • Pakistan opposes any use of force against Iran
    Dawn - 02:58 Jan 30, 2026
    • PM speaks to Iranian president; FO says region cannot afford war • Diplomacy the ‘only viable way forward’, Dar tells Araghchi • Iranian army chief warns of ‘crushing response’ to any attack • Turkiye offers mediation; Russia cautions use of force will ‘fuel chaos’ ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday opposed the use of force and coercive measures against Iran, stressing that disputes should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy as Western pressure on Tehran intensified with a continuing US naval build-up in the Gulf and fresh European designations and sanctions. The Pakistani position was articulated across official engagements and public statements, including a telephone call bet­ween Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezesh­kian, con­­tacts between the two foreign ministers, and remarks by the Foreign Off­ice spo­kesperson at the media briefing. In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Shehbaz “underscored the importance of sustained dialogue and diplomatic engage...
    Tags: Pakistan Iran
  • Power bills to bite harder
    Dawn - 02:56 Jan 30, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: The Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) on Thursday reported that power consumers across the country would be paying Rs1.41 per unit higher fuel charges in February bills than in the current month, as industrialists said the base electricity tariff had already increased by Rs2-3 per unit with effect from Jan 1 for the full fiscal year. At a public hearing presided over by legal member of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), Amina Ahmed, the government also reported that it was working on another tariff package under which unutilised electricity would be offered at marginal cost — the actual cost of power supply — to various consumer categories during day time to absorb surplus capacity because of low demand amid rising solar penetration. “The government is currently working on various options to offer an incentive tariff package (as an alternative to growing net metering), and soon we will approach Nepra for approval”, after its clearance from the federal cabinet, said an of...
  • KP seeks Centre’s help amid loss of revenue due to border closure
    Dawn - 02:39 Jan 30, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: The continued closure and suspension of trade at the Pak-Afghan border since October has led to a 53.02 per cent decline in revenues of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, prompting the province to seek urgent intervention from the federal government. The border closure triggered sharp revenue losses for KP as the collection of infrastructure development cess (IDC) fell to Rs3.48 billion, from Rs7.42bn, during the first seven months of the current fiscal year over the corresponding period of last year. Muzammil Aslam, the KP chief minister’s finance adviser, has written a four-page letter to Commerce Minister Jam Kamal, seeking an urgent meeting of provincial and federal stakeholders. The meeting is expected to deliberate on the revenue implications for KP and the challenges faced by exporters and traders, including stuck payments and the loss of business activity. Collection of cess has dropped to Rs3.48bn in 7MFY26 from Rs7.42bn The provincial government has already constituted a revenue review co...
  • EU-India deal a wake-up call, say exporters
    Dawn - 02:33 Jan 30, 2026
    KARACHI: Exporters and analysts fear that the EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will pose serious challenges to Pakistan’s export base and hurt its textile exports. An office-bearer of a traders’ association said India “has now opened an economic front”, after facing defeat on the battlefield, by signing trade deals with several countries and the European Union. Saquib Fayyaz Magoon, chairman of the Businessmen Panel Progressive (BMPP) and vice president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), cautioned that the agreement could erode Pakistan’s competitive edge in European markets. Despite Pakistan’s GSP Plus status, which allows duty-free access for nearly 80 per cent of its exports to the EU, the country’s textile exports stand at $6.2 billion, marginally ahead of India’s $5.6bn exports even though the latter faces a 12 per cent tariff. “Once India secures zero-rated access under the EU deal, Pakistan’s advantage will vanish and our exports could suffer a severe blow,” Saq...
  • Amid uncertainty over Pakistan’s T20 World Cup participation, Iceland quips it is ‘unavailable’ to replace Green Shirts
    Dawn - 19:27 Jan 29, 2026
    Amid uncertainty about Pakistan’s participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup, Iceland has quipped that its team is unavailable to replace the Green Shirts in the tournament. Pakistan is expected to make a final decision by next week, over the cricket team’s participation in next month’s Twenty20 World Cup, keeping open the possibility of a boycott over Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the tournament. Amid the uncertainty, Iceland Cricket had earlier quipped that it needed Pakistan to decide on its participation soon, saying they were “ready to take off”. It is worth mentioning that Iceland is not a member of the International Cricket Council. However, on Thursday, Iceland Cricket’s X account — known for its wisecracks — said: “It is with a heavy heart that we now announce our unavailability to replace Pakistan in the upcoming T20 World Cup. “Regardless of whether they [Pakistan] now withdraw, the short timescales ensure it is impossible for our squad to prepare in the professional manner necessary to compete eff...
    Tags: Green Shirts Pakistan T20 World Cup Amid Iceland
  • Bangladesh-Pakistan flights resume after 14 years
    Dawn - 19:02 Jan 29, 2026
    After a 14-year hiatus, the first direct flight between Pakistan and Bangladesh landed at Jinnah International Airport on Thursday night, as Biman Bangladesh Airlines completed its inaugural flight from Dhaka to Karachi. In a statement, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said that the Bangladeshi carrier returned to Karachi after 14 years and was given a traditional water cannon salute upon landing. The authority hailed the flight as “a new chapter” in the relationship between the two countries. Data from FlightRadar24 showed Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG341 landed in Karachi at 11:03pm, having departed Dhaka at 8:15pm. Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori spoke to the press at the airport, stating that cooperation with Bangladesh would not be limited to aviation but would extend to other sectors. “I absolutely want to say that today, after several years, the conspiracies have died,” Tessori said, holding India responsible for “driving a wedge” between the people of Pakistan and Bangladesh. He fu...
  • Trump says ‘looks like’ Hamas will disarm in Gaza deal progress
    Dawn - 19:00 Jan 29, 2026
    US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that it “looks like” Hamas would give up its weapons, a step the group has not confirmed, in what would be a major step forward in the fragile Gaza ceasefire with Israel. “A lot of people said they’ll never disarm. It looks like they’re going to disarm,” Trump told a cabinet meeting. Trump hailed cooperation with Hamas after Israeli forces brought back the remains of the last captive held in Gaza, Ran Gvili. “They did help us with those bodies, getting them back, and that family is so grateful,” Trump said. Trump had asked for an update on the Middle East from his roving special envoy Steve Witkoff, sitting in the side of the room as cabinet members and media listened. An upbeat Witkoff voiced high confidence in Hamas following through. “We’ve got the terrorists out of there and they’re going to demilitarise. They will because they have no choice,” Witkoff said. “They’re going to give it up. They’re going to give up the AK-47s,” he told Trump. Hamas has said that the...
    Tags: Gaza Hamas Trump
  • Jurists’ body and partner organisations condemn Imaan and Hadi’s ‘arbitrary arrest’, conviction
    Dawn - 18:49 Jan 29, 2026
    The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and its partner organisations on Thursday published a joint statement condemning the “arbitrary arrest” and conviction of lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chatta, and called for their release. Imaan and Hadi were sentenced on January 24 under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act’s (Peca) sections 9 (glorification of an offence), 10 (cyberterrorism), and 26-A (false and fake information). They were handed a total of 17 years in jail, with the longest sentence being 10 years, and fined Rs36 million each collectively. The joint statement released on Thursday — signed by the Balochistan Bar Council, the Hyderabad Bar Association, the Karachi Bar Association, the Sindh High Court Bar Association and other global bodies — condemned the “arbitrary arrest and subsequent conviction” of Imaan and Hadi, calling for their immediate release and measures to ensure the conviction was set aside. “Both lawyers have faced targeted reprisals, including harassment th...
    Tags: Jurists Hadi Imaan
  • KP CM Afridi says he will camp near Adiala jail overnight along with PTI workers
    Dawn - 17:48 Jan 29, 2026
    RAWALPINDI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who reached a police picket near Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on Thursday afternoon, announced that he, along with PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and other party members and supporters, would be camping at the spot overnight. Afridi, who has been seeking a meeting with the incarcerated prime minister since he assumed office of the provincial chief executive in October last year, but to no avail. He again reached Factory Naka — a police picket near the Adiala jail — today in yet another attempt to meet Imran, with Thursday and Tuesday being court-mandated dates for meeting with the former prime minister. However, he, as well as Imran’s sisters and lawyers, have been barred from meeting him for the past several weeks — a restriction that has made sit-ins and protests near the prison a usual occurrence. On several occasions, police have also used force to disperse the protesters, who often camp at Factory Naka. Speaking to the media on Thursday, A...
    Tags: Afridi Adiala
  • Pakistan committed to working with EU on trade initiatives, especially through GSP+: PM Shehbaz
    Dawn - 17:20 Jan 29, 2026
    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said Pakistan was committed to working closely with the European Union (EU) on mutually beneficial trade enhancement initiatives, especially through the GSP+ status. According to a handout by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), PM Shehbaz made these remarks while meeting the EU’s Ambassador to Pakistan Raimundas Karoblis, who called on him in Islamabad. According to the EU, GSP+ status is a special incentive awarded to developing countries to “pursue sustainable development and good governance” in exchange for cutting import duties to zero on two-thirds of the tariff lines of its exports. Governments with this status need to implement 27 international conventions on human rights, labour rights, good governance and the environment. According to the handout issued on Thursday, the premier welcomed the ambassador and reaffirmed “Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthen cooperation with the EU in all areas of mutual interest, particularly trade, investment, development,...
    Tags: Pakistan Shehbaz
  • 3 arrested after woman, daughter die from falling into open sewer line in Lahore
    Dawn - 16:58 Jan 29, 2026
    LAHORE: Police on Thursday arrested all three people nominated in the first information report (FIR) report registered after a woman and her minor daughter died after falling into an under-construction sewer line a day earlier. The FIR was filed by the woman’s father and named the construction project’s manager and safety management. The FIR — available with Dawn — was filed at the Bhatti Gate police station under Section 322 (manslaughter) of the Pakistan Penal Code. In the complaint, the deceased woman’s father stated that his son received a call from his son-in-law informing him about the incident. “Upon receiving this information, I, my son … my son-in-law … and my friend … reached Data Darbar at about 2:30am,” the complainant stated in the FIR. “There, my son-in-law … informed us that his wife … and his daughter … had fallen into the said manhole.” The FIR noted the woman’s husband added that her body had been recovered, but at the time, the daughter’s body was still missing. The complainant named three ...
  • PM Shehbaz congratulates nation on completion of PIA’s privatisation
    Dawn - 16:22 Jan 29, 2026
    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday congratulated the nation on the completion of Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) privatisation as he, alongside Chief of Defence Forces and Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, witnessed the signing of documents pertaining to the transaction. The documents were signed by the government and a consortium led by Arif Habib Corporation Limited at a ceremony in Islamabad, where several federal ministers were also present. The Arif Habib-led consortium had won the auction for 75 per cent shares of PIA in December last year, making a winning bid of Rs135 billion. After the documents were signed, PM Shehbaz said, “I want to congratulate the entire nation from the bottom of my heart on the completion of PIA’s privatisation, the process for which began a month ago.” He commended Arif Habib and his team, terming them “committed business ambassadors of Pakistan”. “Their performance in the industrial growth and progress of Pakistan is very prominent,” he added. He said as Habi...
    Tags: Shehbaz
  • Saim’s all-round show takes Pakistan past Australia in first T20
    Dawn - 16:21 Jan 29, 2026
    Saim Ayub gave an outstanding all-round performance, taking two wickets after a blistering 40-run knock as Pakistan defeated Australia by 22 runs in the first Twenty20 International at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday. This is Pakistan’s first T20I victory against Australia in more than seven years. Winning the toss and batting first, Pakistan scored 168 runs at the loss of eight wickets in the allotted overs. Despite Sahibzada Farhan’s duck in the first over, Saim and skipper Salman Ali Agha managed to anchor Pakistan’s innings with a 74-run partnership. Returning to Pakistan’s T20 side after a troubled Big Bash League season, Babar Azam could score only 24 runs before losing his wicket to Adam Zampa. For Australia, spinner Adam Zampa grabbed four wickets, including the crucial ones of Babar, Saim, and Salman. Xavier Bartlett and Mahli Beardman also took a couple of wickets each for Australia. While defending the target, Pakistan’s decision to include four spinners proved to be vital in dismantling the A...
    Tags: Pakistan Saim Australia
  • Imran Khan underwent ‘20-minute medical procedure’ at Islamabad’s Pims, confirms info minister
    Dawn - 16:14 Jan 29, 2026
    Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Thursday confirmed that incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan underwent a medical procedure for an eye ailment last week at a hospital in Islamabad. Speaking to Geo News, Tarar said the former premier, who is imprisoned at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad for a “20-minute” medical procedure on the night of January 24. “Eye experts examined him in Adiala jail, after which they recommended that it was necessary to take him to Pims for a small medical process. Last Saturday night, he was taken to Pims on the recommendation of these eye doctors and experts,” Tarar said. He added that at Pims, Imran’s “eyes were further examined, and after his written approval, a 20-minute medical procedure was performed”. The ex-premier was then taken back to the Adiala jail with “important instructions”. “During the medical procedure, his vitals and everything were stable. He’s absolutely healthy,” Tarar stated. The ministe...
    Tags: Pims Imran Khan Islamabad
  • Foreign Office ‘does not subscribe’ to judge’s opinion on ‘terrorist states’ in Imaan Mazari case
    Dawn - 15:27 Jan 29, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday stated Pakistan did not “subscribe to the opinion” of the judge — who convicted lawyer Imaan Mazari-Hari and her spouse, Hadi Ali Chattha — on “terrorist states”. In his verdict, Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka had noted: “Currently there are four countries designated as terrorist states, which are Cuba, the Democratic Republic of Korea, Iran and Syria.” Asked about that judgment during his weekly press briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, FO spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said, “This judgment […] is the view of the learned judge. Pakistan, of course, does not subscribe to this opinion. “And frankly, this kind of designation does not exist either under the United Nations (UN) or under international law,” he said. Judge Majoka had made the observation while noting that Pakistan was “not included in the list of terrorist states”. It is worth mentioning that the UN does not maintain a list of “terrorist states”. The United Nations Secu...
  • Sindh govt announces judicial inquiry into deadly Gul Plaza blaze
    Dawn - 15:09 Jan 29, 2026
    Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Thursday announced that a judicial inquiry will be conducted into the Gul Plaza fire. “To further probe this and to promote departmental transparency, the sub-committee decided … a letter is being penned to the honourable Sindh High Court (SHC) chief justice,” Memon told a press conference in Karachi. He added that the SHC top judge will be requested to appoint a serving judge to “review everything and decide on it”. A cabinet sub-committee — chaired by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and including ministers Memon, Nasir Hussain Shah, Saeed Ghani, and Ziaul Hassan Lanjar — reviewed a report submitted by a two-member team. “The meeting with the chief minister went on for four to five hours and important decisions were made in light of the commissioner and additional IG’s report,” Memon noted. The senior minister then listed the decisions taken by the sub-committee. He observed that the Civil Defence department conducted fire safety audits of Gul Plaza and other buildi...
    Tags: Gul Plaza
  • India should consider age-based curbs on social media, adviser says
    Dawn - 12:22 Jan 29, 2026
    India’s chief economic adviser proposed age-based limits on access to social media platforms he said were “predatory” in their approach to keeping users online, signalling a potential blow to Meta and YouTube in their largest user market. Such a shift would pull India in line with a growing global trend, after Australia became the first nation last year to ban social media for children younger than 16. On Monday, France’s National Assembly backed legislation to ban children under 15 from social media and Britain, Denmark and Greece are studying the issue. The adviser, V. Anantha Nageswaran, recommended in India’s annual economic survey that families promote screen-time limits, device-free hours and shared offline activities. “Policies on age-based access limits may be considered, as younger users are more vulnerable to compulsive use and harmful content,” he wrote in the survey, which was published on Thursday. “Platforms should be made responsible for enforcing age verification and age-appropriate defaults.”...
    Tags: India
  • No appetite for war
    Dawn - 11:44 Jan 29, 2026
    WITH the threat of a new American attack on Iran persisting, many of the Islamic Republic’s neighbours have said they will not allow their territory to be used against Tehran. This is significant as a number of Iran’s neighbours host thousands of American troops, and these states realise that if their territory is used to mount fresh aggression, regional US bases will become targets for Iran. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian have discussed the situation, with the latter saying that Iran welcomes any process that will avoid war. The prince, on the other hand, reiterated that Saudi territory will not be used against Iran. Earlier, the UAE had also said that it will not allow its facilities to be used against its neighbour across the Gulf. Meanwhile, the Turkish foreign minister has observed that a new American war would be “wrong”, while calling for a diplomatic resolution of the crisis. But diplomacy does not seem to be on top of US President Donald Trump’s agenda,...
  • KSE-100 sheds over 6,000 points
    Dawn - 11:35 Jan 29, 2026
    Pakistan’s benchmark KSE-100 index remained under pressure on Thursday, closing in the red at 182,338.12 points, a sharp slip of 6042.26 points, or 3.21 per cent, from its previous close of 188,380.38. Trading activity hit a volume of 413.82 million shares and a total traded value of Rs52.45 billion. All commercial banks, fertiliser, automobile assemblers, close-end mutual funds, leather and tanneries, oil and gas exploration companies, synthetic and rayon companies, tobacco, transportation, vanaspati and allied industries, along with woolen industries, were trading in the red. Maaz Mulla, vice president equity sales at Topline Securities, noted that “the sharp decline was primarily triggered by Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited’s result, which disappointed the market as earnings came in below industry expectations due to lower-than-anticipated gross margins”. Top decliners included Kohinoor Power Company Limited, which dropped to Rs44.60 followed by Said Textile Mills Limited, which fell to Rs36.61, and Kohin...
    Tags: KSE-100
  • At least 3 terrorists killed after security forces launch large-scale operation in Bannu’s Domel
    Dawn - 11:03 Jan 29, 2026
    PESHAWAR: At least three terrorists were killed on Thursday after security forces launched a large-scale operation in the Domel tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district. A police statement said several terrorists were also injured in clashes with security forces. The operation was launched in the tehsil’s Sperka and Kotka Akbar Ali Khan area. During the operation, security forces have targeted militant hideouts with more than 25 quadcopter strikes, while a heavy exchange of fire continues in the area. The operation is being supervised by senior police and security officials who are also present in the field. Security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to arrest terrorists attempting to flee, which is still ongoing. Continuous surveillance by drones and helicopters is being carried out in the region, indicating the sensitive nature and importance of the operation. The objective, security forces said, is to completely clear the area and restore law and order. Meanwhile, local...
    Tags: Bannu Domel

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