Dawn
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Found 7934 news
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Dawn - 02:50 Jan 27, 2026
LONDON: In a revealing interview with The Sunday Times, former UK Chancellor Sajid Javid reflected on his life journey from a childhood marked by poverty, domestic violence and racism to a career as a multimillionaire, cabinet minister, and home secretary. He also discussed his family’s complex past and integration in Britain and modern immigration policy. Among the most striking revelations, British Pakistani Javid admitted that under the existing immigration rules, he “wouldn’t allow either his unskilled father or his non-English speaking mother entry today”. “The biggest block to good community cohesion is English. We should have set a requirement that if you want to settle in the UK, you should be able to speak fluent English. We should have done that ages ago,” he said. Javid’s parents arrived from Pakistan in the early 1960s. His father, arriving with just £1, worked as a bus driver, mill worker and shop owner, while his mother who was uneducated and initially unable to speak English, struggled to adapt... -
Dawn - 02:28 Jan 27, 2026
KARACHI: While seeking a single-digit interest rate, businessmen have rejected the State Bank’s decision to maintain interest rates at 10.50 per cent, terming it disappointing and counterproductive at a time when industrial revival and a boost in exports are the need of the hour. The SBP’s cautious approach is baffling, given the ground realities – with core inflation stabilised at around 5 per cent over the past many months and major economic indicators pointing to the need for growth. However, the status quo in interest rates at 10.5pc will continue to hamper the industry’s access to finance, local businessmen said. In contrast, Overseas Investors Chambers of Commerce and Industry Secretary General M. Abdul Aleem told Dawn that the State Bank’s decision to retain the interest rate without a prudent reduction may have surprised many who were looking for a minor cut. However, these are decisions made on economic fundamentals, not on the wishes of some key stakeholders, he said, adding that the economy is doin... -
Dawn - 02:21 Jan 27, 2026
• TTAP may announce ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’, urges people to keep their shutters closed • Forms 10 bodies at international, national and provincial levels to ensure success of strike • JUI-F to stage public gathering in Rawalpindi ISLAMABAD / RAWALPINDI: Opposition parties have chalked out plans for Feb 8 to protest against the alleged rigging in the 2024 general elections, with Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) hinting that it may announce a Jail Bharo Tehreek (court arrest movement) and urging people to keep their shutters closed, while the JUI-F has decided to stage a public gathering in Rawalpindi. TTAP chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai on Monday said that the call for a countrywide protest on Feb 8 — the second anniversary of the 2024 general polls —would not be withdrawn under any circumstances. He urged the masses to shut down everything on that day, which falls on a Sunday. Suggesting that the alliance might announce a Jail Bharo Tehreek, he said it would be just the beginning and that more moves would f... -
Dawn - 02:02 Jan 27, 2026
KARACHI: Mega Motor Company (MMC), in partnership with the world’s leading new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturer BYD, has recently unveiled two electric sport utility vehicles (SUVs), the BYD Sealion 7 and the BYD Atto 2, at a dealership event in Lahore. Addressing the launch event, Lei Jian, Country Head of BYD Pakistan, said the introduction of these vehicles underscored the company’s commitment to transforming Pakistan’s automotive landscape by bringing globally proven technology and innovation to local customers. “We are excited about the future of mobility in Pakistan, which is forward-looking, electric, and built for the long term,” added Danish Khaliq, Vice President — Sales and Strategy at BYD Pakistan — MMC. In a bid to promote sustainable transportation, BYD-MMC, in collaboration with HubcoGreen, is building Pakistan’s first nationwide NEV charging corridor spanning approximately 1,300 kilometres from Karachi to Peshawar, covering major cities and motorways. Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2026 -
Dawn - 20:33 Jan 26, 2026
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday maintained its key policy rate at 10.5 per cent. Brokerage house Topline Securities noted that this “came as a surprise” as a majority of their participants were expecting a rate cut. According to the Monetary Policy Statement released after a meeting of the SBP’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), while headline inflation was 5.6pc in December 2025, core inflation steadied around a higher level of 7.4pc. The external current account posted a deficit of $244 million in December 2025, leading to a $1.2 billion deficit during the first half of FY2026. Weak exports were driven by a sharp drop in food exports, particularly rice, while high-value-added (HVA) textile exports remained resilient. However, sustained growth in workers’ remittances and ICT services helped in containing the current account deficit. As a result of this, the MPC noted that inflation and the current account were broadly unchanged, while the outlook for economic growth had improved. Based on this, the... -
Dawn - 19:11 Jan 26, 2026
QUETTA: Four bogies of the Quetta-bound Jaffar Express train coming from Peshawar were derailed in a blast on the railway track linking Sindh to Balochistan on Monday night. Railway officials in Sultankot confirmed that the blast occurred on the railway track between Sultankot and Jacobabad in Sindh. “Four bogies have derailed after a blast that damaged the track,” a senior official of the Pakistan Railway told Dawn, adding no deaths or injuries were reported in the blast. The railway officials added that repair on the track had begun after the area was cleared. They said a relief train had also reached the site to resume railway traffic on the main line. The Jaffar Express has come under attack several times over the past year. Last November, it had escaped an armed attack in the Bolan Pass area of Kachhi district, Balochistan. The same month it also escaped a bomb attack in Balochistan’s Nasirabad district. In October 2025, at least seven people were injured after a blast on a railway track derailed ... -
Dawn - 18:48 Jan 26, 2026
Hours-long blockade of roads around Karachi Press Club amid protest against Imaan, Hadi’s conviction
KARACHI: Roads leading to the Karachi Press Club (KPC) were blocked for hours on Monday as lawyers, human rights activists and civil society members staged a protest against the conviction of Imaan Zainab Hazir-Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chatta. The closure of roads slowed down the movement of traffic on several arteries affected by the move, causing inconvenience for commuters. Police barred several protesters, including activist Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior, from reaching the press club — a move that KPC President and journalist Fazil Jamili called a violation of the fundamental right to peaceful assembly. “The siege of the Karachi Press Club today is a blatant assault on democratic freedoms. By cordoning off the KPC and barring citizens, including Zulfiqar Bhutto Jr., from protesting the sentencing of Imaan Mazari, authorities are violating the fundamental right to peaceful assembly,” he posted on social media platform X. Lawyer and human rights activist Jibran Nasir posted on social media platform X t... -
Dawn - 18:27 Jan 26, 2026
President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday night arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a four-day official visit. According to a handout from the Presidency, the president was received by UAE Justice Minister Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi. It said that First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi were accompanying the president on the trip, adding that Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE Shafqat Ali Khan was also present on the occasion. Shortly after arriving, he held a meeting with the UAE justice minister at the presidential flight terminal at the airport. A statement released by the Foreign Office earlier in the day said that the president, accompanied by a high-level delegation, will undertake the visit from January 26 to 29. “During the visit, the president will hold high-level meetings with the UAE’s leadership to review the full spectrum of bilateral ties, especially on the domains of trade and economic people-to-people ties,” ... -
Dawn - 18:06 Jan 26, 2026
A US naval strike group led by an aircraft carrier has deployed to Middle Eastern waters, the United States said on Monday, as Tehran warned it was ready to hit back at any American attack launched in response to a crackdown on anti-government protests. The protests started in late December, driven by economic grievances, but turned into a mass movement against the Islamic Republic, with huge street demonstrations for several days from January 8. But rights groups have accused authorities of quelling the movement with unprecedented violence, shooting into crowds of protesters under the cover of an internet shutdown that has now lasted 18 days — the longest Iran has ever imposed. US President Donald Trump has previously threatened to step in, saying last week that Washington was sending a “massive fleet” to the region “just in case”. The deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group dramatically boosts American firepower in the region. The United States backed and briefly joined Israel’s 12-day wa... -
Dawn - 17:36 Jan 26, 2026
KARACHI: The Karachi police on Monday constituted a special team to make “all-out efforts” to arrest suspects in the Gul Plaza fire and to conduct an impartial probe into the incident. An order issued by the office of South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza stated that the five-member team was constituted for the “arrest of involved accused person(s) and impartial investigation” into the case. “The investigation team shall make all-out and diligent efforts to arrest the accused person(s) by utilising all available resources,” read the notification, a copy of which is available with Dawn. In a first information report (FIR) of the incident, dated January 23, the Karachi police said the fire was an “outcome of negligence and carelessness”. The case was registered against unknown persons as the police have not nominated anyone in the case. The special team will comprise the Garden Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), the Kharadar investigation deputy superintendent of police (DSP), the head of the G... -
Dawn - 17:30 Jan 26, 2026
LAHORE: With the festival of Basant drawing closer, the Punjab government on Monday imposed a ban on the manufacturing and use of kites bearing images of any political party’s flag for 30 days. In the notification seen by Dawn, the Punjab Home Department notified the imposition of Section 144 prohibiting the purchase and use of kites bearing images of any person, holy scripture, religious place, country’s flag or that of a political party in an effort to “avoid any discrimination or disruption of public order”. The department said that it had been reported that to disrupt the festival, miscreants may use images of holy scripture, religious places and flags of countries and political parties. “Only plain, uni-coloured or multi-coloured kites (i.e. gudda or patang) shall be allowed during kite flying in the district of Lahore from February 6 to 8,” the department said. It asserted that the government had permitted kite flying solely for “recreation and festivity”, while banning “the manufacturing, trade, transp... -
Dawn - 16:45 Jan 26, 2026
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over what he dubbed the Centre’s “persistent failure” to release “constitutionally guaranteed” funds, demanding the “full and unconditional” release of all outstanding federal dues. Since becoming the provincial chief executive in October last year, 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 National Finance Commission (NFC). In a fresh call for the release of funds, the KP CM said: “I am compelled to place on record the deep and mounting concern of the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regarding the persistent failure to release constitutionally guaranteed federal transfers.” This failure, he added, “has now translated into an acute fiscal and governance crisis for the province”. Afridi underscored that KP’s budget for fiscal year 2025-26 was framed and approved “strictly on the bas... -
Dawn - 16:35 Jan 26, 2026
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Monday said that he briefed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the “International Cricket Council (ICC) matter”, saying that a “final decision will be taken either on Friday or next Monday”. According to a handout by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Naqvi had called on the premier in Islamabad earlier today. “During the meeting, he briefed the prime minister on the recent situation regarding ICC T20 World Cup and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB),” the handout said. Subsequently, Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), stated that he had a “productive” meeting with PM Shehbaz. “[I] briefed him on the ICC matter, and he directed that we resolve it while keeping all options on the table. It was agreed that the final decision will be taken either on Friday or next Monday,” the post read. The development comes as questions have been raised about Pakistan’s participation in the tournament following the ICC’s decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotlan... -
Dawn - 15:34 Jan 26, 2026
Saudi Arabia said it hoped to have “strong, positive” ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the kingdom’s foreign minister said on Monday, but stressed that future relations were contingent on Abu Dhabi’s complete withdrawal from Yemen. During a press conference in Warsaw, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said Riyadh was “always keen” to have a “strong, positive relationship with the UAE”. “The UAE has now decided to leave Yemen, and I think if that indeed is the case and the UAE has completely left the issue of Yemen, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia will take responsibility,” he added. “I think that will be the building block for making sure that the relationship with the UAE continues strong and continues to serve the interests not just of both countries but the region,” he said. A public row had erupted between the two countries over Yemen after UAE-backed separatists seized swathes of land late last year, including areas along the Saudi border, infuriating Riyadh. Last month, the UAE had ... -
Dawn - 15:13 Jan 26, 2026
The Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on Monday condemned the prison sentences of lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her spouse Hadi Ali Chatta, lamenting that “dictatorship has been imposed in Pakistan”. The remarks came as a TTAP delegation called on Imaan’s mother Shireen Mazari to “express solidarity” with the jailed couple, according to post by the party on X. The video accompanying the post showed TTAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Vice Chairman Mustafa Nawaz Khokar and the PTI’s Barrister Gohar Ali Khan included in the delegation. Speaking to the media after the meeting, PTI’s Gohar condemned the couple’s arrest, their trial and how “due process was violated”. “We have always been and will always remain opponents of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca). Voices cannot be suppressed. Nations cannot be suppressed by suppressing voices,” he said, “We condemn this judgment. We met her family and mother. They said that they have no contact with her (Imaan),” Gohar said, drawing a parallel b... -
Dawn - 15:10 Jan 26, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) MNA Noor Alam Khan on Monday called for barring bureaucrats from holding dual nationality. Presently, Article 63 (1)(c) of the Constitution states: “A person shall be disqualified from being elected or chosen as, and from being, a member of the Majlis-i-Shoora (Parliament), if he ceases to be a citizen of Pakistan, or acquires the citizenship of a foreign state.” On the other hand, bureaucrats can be dual nationals. But, amendments have been proposed to the Civil Servants Act for a restriction on bureaucrats’ dual nationality. The matter came under discussion on Monday during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, where the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2024 — which was moved by Khan — was taken up. The bill, seen by Dawn, says: “This private bill seeks amendment in Section 5 of the Civil Servants Act, 1973 with a view to lay down an enabling provision so that a civil servant holding dual nationality or citizenship of any f... -
Dawn - 14:21 Jan 26, 2026
E-commerce giant Daraz on Monday announced an initiative to help sellers affected by the Gul Plaza inferno, saying it would launch a dedicated section on its website to sell their products and goods. The deadly inferno, which erupted on the night of January 17 at the mall and took nearly two days to be fully extinguished, claimed at least 73 lives and left over 1,100 shops in ruins. Efforts to scour through the debris for the remains of the dead are still underway. In a press release, Daraz said it was mobilising platform and ecosystem support for the affected traders by providing “onboarding, storage solutions, marketing enablement, and dedicated incubation over the next three months”. “Daraz Pakistan, under its Daraz Cares arm, has announced a dedicated support initiative for sellers impacted by the recent fire at Gul Plaza in Karachi, aimed at helping affected businesses regain stability and continue serving customers across Pakistan,” the press release said. “Through this initiative, Daraz Pakistan will l... -
Dawn - 14:10 Jan 26, 2026
Indonesia has received three Rafale fighter jets from France in the first deliveries from a multi-billion dollar defence deal between the two countries, a defence ministry official told Reuters on Monday, marking a major upgrade to the country’s ageing military hardware. Jakarta, France’s main arms client in Southeast Asia, has placed orders for as many as 42 Rafales, built by Dassault Aviation, as well as French frigates and submarines, as the archipelago steps up defence spending under President Prabowo Subianto, a former special forces commander. “The aircraft have been handed over and are ready for use by the Indonesian Air Force, Defence Ministry spokesperson Rico Ricardo Sirait said in a message in response to a Reuters query — the first confirmation that Indonesia has possession of the advanced military aircraft after striking an $8 billion deal with France in 2022 and expanding it last year. Sirait said the three aircraft arrived on Friday and were stationed at Roesmin Nurjadin Air Base in Pekanbaru, ... -
Dawn - 13:58 Jan 26, 2026
In many South Asian households, the instruction comes early and often. A boy falls, scrapes his knee, and starts to cry. Before the pain is addressed, the correction arrives: “Boys don’t cry.” Sometimes it’s said gently, sometimes sharply, often jokingly. Rarely is it questioned. Yet, according to child and adolescent psychiatrists, this single sentence can quietly shape a child’s emotional, cognitive, and social development in ways that last a lifetime. Dr Helal Uddin Ahmed, Professor of Child, Adolescent and Family Psychiatry at Faridpur Medical College, explains that childhood development is never just physical. “We usually give importance to physical growth,” he says, “But emotional, cognitive, and social development are equally important.” When one is disrupted, the others do not remain untouched. Emotional suppression starts early From a psychiatric perspective, emotional development depends on one simple but crucial skill: recognising emotions and responding to them appropriately. “A child needs to und... -
Dawn - 13:32 Jan 26, 2026
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Burmese counterpart Than Swe held “very productive and comprehensive” discussions in Islamabad on Monday, as both Pakistan and Myanmar seek to revitalise ties. FM Than Swe arrived in Islamabad on a four-day official visit on the night of January 24. The Foreign Office (FO) had said the visit “aims to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries”. Addressing a joint press conference alongside Than Swe, Dar said, “Our discussions were very productive and comprehensive.” He highlighted that the Burmese FM’s visit reflected the “importance that both countries attach to revitalising and strengthening Pakistan-Myanmar relationship”. Noting that their meeting went for over an hour, Dar said the discussions covered the “full spectrum of bilateral relations”. “We also exchanged views on regional peace and security and agreed that all […] issues should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,” the deputy prime minister added. He stressed that both countries had historic...
7934 items