Dawn
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Dawn - 06:02 Dec 14, 2025
LAHORE: Punjab’s air quality has plunged to alarming levels this week, with Lahore emerging as one of the most polluted cities in the world, according to real-time data from IQAir. The situation looks bad even in the coming days with no rain prediction that may bring some respite. On Saturday, the city recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 527 at 8pm, classified as hazardous, following Delhi (710). Lahore’s three-day average AQI hovered above 300. Some hotspots in the city such as Allama Iqbal Town (802), Bedian Road (674) and CERP Office (672) performed worst. The air pollution crisis in the country extends beyond Lahore. Cities across Punjab reported AQI readings well above safe thresholds between December 11 and 13, prompting widespread health warnings. Khurrianwala registered an AQI of 558, Faisalabad 547, Kahna Nau 350, Gujranwala 284, Gujrat 254, Islamabad 246, and both Bahawalpur and Sialkot at 244. Health experts warned that such high concentrations of PM2.5 particulate matter that penetrates deep in... -
Dawn - 05:39 Dec 14, 2025
Displaced residents rest at an evacuation centre in the Thai border province of Buriram.—AFP BANGKOK: Cambodia shut its border crossings with Thailand on Saturday, after Bangkok denied US President Donald Trump’s claim that a truce had been agreed to end days of deadly fighting. Violence between the Southeast Asian neighbours, which stems from a long-running dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of their 800-kilometre (500-mile) border, has displaced around half a million people on both sides. At least 25 people have died this week, including four Thai soldiers, the defence ministry said were killed in the border area on Saturday. The latest fatalities were followed by Phnom Penh announcing it would immediately “suspend all entry and exit movements at all Cambodia-Thailand border crossings”, the interior ministry said. Each side blamed the other for reigniting the conflict, before Trump said a truce had been agreed. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Trump “didn’t mention whether we should make ... -
Dawn - 05:14 Dec 14, 2025
RECENTLY, I was invited to speak at a conference on artificial intelligence, where a familiar and increasingly urgent question resurfaced: as AI becomes extraordinarily efficient at sourcing, processing, and delivering information, will journalists eventually become irrelevant? At first glance, the idea feels compelling. If machines can scrape information across multiple feeds in real time, summarise parliamentary proceedings, monitor political developments, crunch data, and respond to user queries in conversational language, why would end users still need traditional journalism outlets, or even digital platforms as intermediaries for news? The argument implies a future where individuals bypass traditional journalism outlets entirely and receive information directly from intelligent systems in a conversational, real-time format. Those who make this argument often point to changing audience behaviour, especially among younger users. Consumers are steadily turning away from conventional news platforms and gravi... -
Dawn - 04:48 Dec 14, 2025
KARACHI: Both domestic and foreign investment are at their lowest levels and could set an unwanted record by falling below a 13 per cent investment-to-GDP ratio during the current fiscal year (FY26), analysts and bankers warn. Trade and industry have repeatedly urged the government to improve the investment climate by addressing political uncertainty and terrorism. “How is it possible to invest in a country where uncertainty has a strong grip and is clearly reflected in declining foreign investment?” asked Aamir Aziz, a textile finishing manufacturer and exporter. He said domestic textile groups have begun investing abroad, citing Interloop and Artistic Milliners as examples. As a result, jobs are effectively being outsourced. For the first time in the country’s recent history, domestic investors are actively securing their investments outside Pakistan. Experts cite political uncertainty, terrorism as main barriers A senior banker described the situation as grim for both the economy and the public, saying job... -
Dawn - 04:21 Dec 14, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The country’s top tax machinery is confronted with a big dilemma of nil-filers, which has reached an alarming level of nearly 39 per cent of total income tax returns in the tax year 2025, Dawn has learned from official sources. This presents a big challenge for the government in identifying individuals not paying their taxes, with 2.262 million out of 5.912 million filed up to Oct 31, potentially concealing their taxable income. This means that only 3.650m taxpayers declared incomes in their returns for tax year 2025 (TY25). The pattern of nil-filers are across the three main categories — individuals, associations of persons (AoPs) and the corporate sector. The nil returns are submitted for one-time financial transactions or to take advantage of lower tax rates for placement on the Active Taxpayers List (ATL). Concerns are mounting within the FBR that Pakistan’s income tax system is failing to capture the true wealth of its citizens, as approximately half of taxpayers continue to declare nil income... -
Dawn - 03:56 Dec 14, 2025
Police in Rhode Island were searching for a suspect late on Saturday after a shooting at Brown University in Providence left two students dead and eight others critically wounded at the Ivy League school, officials said. A ninth person was hurt by bullet fragments, the mayor said. Streets around campus remained blocked and packed with emergency vehicles hours after the shooting and law enforcement officials heightened security around the city as police continued their manhunt. “The individual responsible is still at large,” Mayor Brett Smiley told reporters at a 9:30pm (7:30am PKT) press conference. Deputy Police Chief Timothy O’Hara said the suspect had not been identified. Officials said they are looking for a male dressed in black and were releasing a video of the suspect, who O’Hara said may have been wearing a mask. He said officials had retrieved shell casings from the scene of the shooting, but that police were not prepared to release details. Officials said the gunman escaped after shooting students i... -
Dawn - 03:13 Dec 14, 2025
PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court has temporarily restrained the admission committee for public-sector medical colleges from excluding an Afghan female student from the ongoing admissions process over her inability to produce an Afghan passport and visa. A bench comprising Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Wiqar Ahmad issued notices to the respondents, including the vice chancellor of Khyber Medical University and the chairman of the admission committee, seeking their replies to a petition filed by the student, Ruby, an Afghan refugee holding a Proof of Registration card. The petitioner has asked the court to declare the requirement to submit a passport and visa before admission as contrary to the admissions policy, illegal and discriminatory. She has also sought court directives for the respondents to call her for an interview after the final merit list is displayed and, if she secures a place on merit, to grant her admission to the relevant MBBS or BDS programme. She has also requested the cour... -
Dawn - 02:55 Dec 14, 2025
• Says paternity challenges cause humiliation, stigma and harm to family honour • Warns against judicial intrusion into sanctity of family life and women’s reputation ISLAMABAD: Overturning a lower court order for a DNA test to ascertain the parentage of a petitioner, the Supreme Court has ruled that the right to privacy — recognised as an entitlement to personal sanctuary — requires protecting individuals from undue intrusion into their private lives. “The unnecessary public challenge to the paternity of a person inherently results in societal embarrassment, humiliation, and severe psychological stigma,” observed Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar while accepting an appeal filed by petitioner Khalid Hameed. On Nov 3, 2022, a special judge of the Anti-Corruption Court, Pakpattan, had ordered the respective circle officer to conduct DNA tests of the petitioner and one Mohammad Haneef, holding that the real dispute in an inheritance matter centred on the petitioner’s paternity. The directive was challenged thr... -
Dawn - 02:33 Dec 14, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri is likely to appear as a defendant before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to face accusations that surfaced in a petition that challenged his appointment over a controversy related to his law degree. A division bench comprising Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Azam Khan will take up the matter for further proceedings on Monday (tomorrow). In a detailed written order issued on Dec 9, the IHC held that the question regarding the validity of Justice Jahangiri’s law degree fell squarely within the scope of a writ of quo warranto — his right to hold public office. The two-member bench ruled that the petition was maintainable and set aside the office objection earlier raised by the registrar. The bench had also granted Justice Jahangiri three days to respond to the facts unearthed till date. The registrar’s office served the notice at the judge’s chamber due to time constraints. Sources said court staff of Justice Jaha... -
Dawn - 02:23 Dec 14, 2025
BANNU/LOWER SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Three young boys were martyred and another injured after a quadcopter crashed in a residential area of Mamand Khel in Bannu on Saturday, residents said. Also, the Sheikh Landik police post in Bannu came under attack, where terrorists carried out assaults using quadcopters and sniper fire on Friday, according to police. They said terrorists dropped two quadcopter bombs, while sniper firing was also carried out from another direction. Both quadcopter bombs exploded after landing near the police post building. However, no loss of life was reported. On Saturday, however, locals said the quadcopter crashed in the Pattona Mamand Khel area of Bannu, killing Faisal, 16, Abrar, 20, and Muhammad, 12, and injuring nine-year-old Muhammad Aiman. Afghan girl killed in Lower South Waziristan IED blast Soon after the crash, rescue and security personnel reached the site as locals reached the spot. Security forces cordoned off the area and launched an investigation to ascertain the nature and ori... -
Dawn - 00:30 Dec 14, 2025
KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) have claimed to have “recovered” and “vacated” the Karachi Cotton Exchange Building situated on I.I. Chundrigar Road in a “joint operation” declaring it a federal trust property. In a joint statement, the FIA and ETPB said that the Karachi Cotton Exchange Building is a trust property as per federal government’s gazette notification and hence the title of this property is vested in the federal government. During the operation, the statement said, it was found that the Karachi Cotton Association had been illegally occupying the premises, keeping multiple tenants inside the building and charging them rent without any lawful authority. The two agencies said the premises were secured in the presence of FIA and ETPB officials and representatives of the Karachi Cotton Association (KCA). “All occupants and tenants were afforded an opportunity to safely retrieve their personal belongings before the premises were sealed under th... -
Dawn - 18:34 Dec 13, 2025
Three United States military personnel, two soldiers and a civilian interpreter, were killed on Saturday by a suspected Islamic State (IS) attacker who targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces, the US military said. Three other US soldiers were wounded, the US military’s Central Command said. In a statement, Central Command said the attack by a lone gunman occurred “as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement” in the central Syrian town of Palmyra. “Partner forces” killed the attacker, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth wrote in a social media post. IS did not immediately claim responsibility, but a senior US official said initial assessments indicate the militant group probably carried out the attack. It took place in an area not controlled by the Syrian government, the official said. The soldiers’ names will be withheld until 24 hours after the next-of-kin notification, the US military said. Syrian state news agency SANA quoted a security source as saying two Syrian service personnel were i... -
Dawn - 18:31 Dec 13, 2025
Norway has termed the presence of its ambassador at the Supreme Court hearing of the husband-and-wife lawyer duo, Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha, “in line with international law,” despite Pakistan’s protest. Norwegian Ambassador Per Albert Ilsaas attended the hearing on Thursday, with his presence during court proceedings causing a stir in court and on social media. The Foreign Office had summoned the Norwegian envoy and urged him to “adhere to the established norms of diplomatic engagement” after his “unwarranted” attendance. “Noting that his actions amount to interference in the internal affairs of the country, the Ambassador was urged to adhere to the established norms of diplomatic engagement, as outlined in the relevant articles of the Vienna Convention,” said the FO statement. Mazari had defended the envoy’s presence during the hearing, saying that “diplomats routinely observe court proceedings — that is not equivalent to them taking a position on any case”. Norwegian media outlet Dagbl... -
Dawn - 17:43 Dec 13, 2025
Congressional Democrats released 19 new images from the estate of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, including photos of now-President Donald Trump, as the deadline for an extensive release of documents related to the disgraced financier nears. Trump is featured in three of the photos shared by House Oversight Committee Democrats, who said they are reviewing more than 95,000 images produced by the estate. In one black-and-white photo, Trump is seen smiling with several women — whose faces are redacted — on each side of him. A second image shows Trump standing beside Epstein, and a third, less-clear image shows him seated alongside another woman, whose face is also redacted, with his red tie loosened. It was not clear when or where the photos were taken. “Everybody knew this man,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday. “He was all over Palm Beach. He has photos with everybody. I mean, almost — there are hundreds and hundreds of people that have photos with him. So that’s no ... -
Dawn - 17:23 Dec 13, 2025
President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday tasked PPP lawmakers and members with commencing preparations for the local body polls in Punjab. The local body polls are likely to be held in Punjab next year after some amendments to the local government law. Under Article 140-A of the Constitution and Section 219(4) of the Elections Act, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is bound to hold elections within 120 days of the expiry of the term of the local government institutions. In April 2019, the then PTI-led Punjab government dissolved the local government institutions, which were later restored by the Supreme Court and subsequently completed their term on December 31, 2021. The elections were supposed to be held by the end of April 2022, but this was not possible because the provincial government kept amending the local government law repeatedly. President Zardari arrived in Lahore on Friday evening and met party leaders today at Bilawal House, directing them to enhance their public interaction. Punjab Govern... -
Dawn - 16:23 Dec 13, 2025
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced on Friday an extension of the deadline for submitting bids for the two new franchises in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), citing growing interest from investors in Europe, the United States, the Middle East and beyond. In a post on X , Mohsin said the original deadline of December 15 had been pushed back by one week to December 22, to accommodate the surge in inquiries. “Witnessing growing interest from Europe, USA, the Middle East and beyond in acquiring new HBL PSL teams, we have decided to extend the bid submission deadline by one week to 22 December 2025,” he wrote, while quoting an earlier PSL announcement about a promotional roadshow in New York. “Good luck to everyone excited to welcome our new franchise owners to the HBL PSL family,” Mohsin added. The announcement came on the very day the PCB hosted a high-profile PSL roadshow in New York City, featuring current Pakistan players including T20 captain Salman Ali Agha, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashr... -
Dawn - 15:41 Dec 13, 2025
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar accused the PTI of promoting “character assassination and politics of hatred” in the country. He also blamed the opposition party for “conspiring to mislead the young generation”. “There had been a tradition of decency and respect in Pakistan’s politics before the PTI. PML-N President Nawaz Sharif always promoted a culture of tolerance in the country. But contrary to this, the PTI promoted character assassination and politics of hatred,” Tarar said at a book launch ceremony in Lahore on Saturday. Recalling the 2013 elections, the minister said when PTI founder Imran Khan, who has been in jail for over two years in multiple cases, got injured after falling from a crane, Nawaz Sharif immediately cancelled his public rallies as a “gesture of sympathy”. “Politics of hatred and division have ruined Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) over the past 12 years under the PTI rule as well. The PTI government in KP has no performance to show. Not a single hospital in KP can be compared to Lahore’... -
Dawn - 15:33 Dec 13, 2025
RT India has deleted a post on social media platform X about Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “waiting to meet” Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that it “may have been a misrepresentation of events”, it emerged on Saturday. The development came as PM Shehbaz was in Ashgabat to attend an international forum. On Friday, the premier met a host of leaders on the sidelines of the gathering, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov and Putin. “Great interactions with world leaders. Pakistan shining at the global stage,” said Information Minister Ataullah Tarar on X on Friday night, sharing a video of PM Shehbaz shaking hands with Putin as the two stood in what appeared to be a hallway. He also termed the meetings with Putin, Erdogan and Pezeshkian “warm and cordial exchanges”. Prime Minister’s Spokesperson for Foreign Media Mosharraf Zaidi also shared the same video, saying PM Shehbaz had “pr... -
Dawn - 15:31 Dec 13, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday that the country had exited a period of economic turmoil and jeopardy, with its key indicators now showing “wonderful” performance due to the government’s efforts. The latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) projections for Pakistan suggest that the immediate risk of an economic free fall has eased, but the country remains locked into a narrow stabilisation path, marked by weak growth, heavy debt, and limited relief for households. Projections by the Fund, released early on Tuesday alongside the statement announcing a fresh disbursement of around $1.2 billion to Pakistan, showed that the country’s economic growth was projected to inch up from 2.6 per cent in FY2024 to 3.2pc by FY2026. Addressing the launch ceremony of the National Regulatory Reforms in Islamabad, the prime minister said the national economy was in a very difficult situation when the current government took the reins. “Through our outstanding teamwork, excellent planning and untiring efforts, I c... -
Dawn - 14:13 Dec 13, 2025
Germany will host US and Ukrainian delegations over the weekend for talks on a ceasefire in Ukraine, before a summit with European leaders and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Berlin on Monday, a German official said. A US official said President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner were travelling to Germany for talks involving Ukrainians and Europeans. The choice to send Witkoff, who has led negotiations with Ukraine and Russia regarding a US peace proposal, appeared to be a signal that Washington saw a chance of progress after nearly four years of war since Russia’s 2022 invasion. The White House had said on Thursday Trump would send an official to talks only if he felt there was enough progress to be made. Show of support for Ukraine “Talks on a possible ceasefire in Ukraine are taking place in Berlin this weekend between foreign policy advisers from, among others, the US and Ukraine,” a German government source said on Saturday when asked about the meetings. On Monday, Merz is ...
6698 items