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  • Iran FM Araghchi says he discussed conditions for continuing US talks with ‘friends in Pakistan’
    Dawn - 14:38 Apr 27, 2026
    Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday said he discussed with “friends in Pakistan” the “path and conditions” under which Tehran could continue its dialogue with Washington during his recent visit to Islamabad. After visiting Pakistan twice in two days and making a trip to Oman in between, Araghchi arrived in Russia on Monday as part of his regional tour. In a statement issued on his Telegram account, the Iranian FM provided an overview of his diplomatic engagements over the past few days. Terming his trips to Islamabad and Muscat as “bilateral”, Araghchi said: “As for Pakistan, this country has recently played an important role in mediating the negotiations between Iran and the United States, and it was necessary for us to discuss the latest developments. “However, there have been developments in the negotiations, and the wrong approaches and excessive demands of the United States have prevented the previous round of negotiations from achieving their goals despite the progress. Therefore, it was ne...
    Tags: Pakistan Iran Araghchi
  • Oil industry seeks extension for imports on CIF basis to ensure continuity of supplies
    Dawn - 14:38 Apr 27, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: The oil industry has asked the State Bank of Pakistan to extend for two months or “until market conditions stabilise” the permission for the import of petroleum products on cost, insurance and freight (CIF) basis — an arrangement under which buyers assume the responsibility of import costs and final delivery following the arrival of commodities at the destination port. The request was made by the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) — an association of more than three dozen oil companies and refineries — to SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad in a letter on Monday, with around two weeks left for the 60-day relaxation to end. It was allowed keeping in view the petroleum import challenges under the prevailing geopolitical conditions, following the OCAC’s call highlighting the difficulty in obtaining adequate marine and war-risk insurance cover. Marine insurers have either withdrawn or sharply increased war-risk coverage for ships operating in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz due to the US-Israel war ...
  • PM Shehbaz signs off on letting fans attend PSL playoffs
    Dawn - 14:03 Apr 27, 2026
    Interior Minister and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced on Monday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had signed off on letting fans attend all three Pakistan Super League (PSL) playoff matches. In a social media post on X, Naqvi said, “Just had a meeting with PM Shehbaz, and I am pleased to share that we have secured his approval for public attendance in all three PSL playoff matches as well.” “However, this comes with an important condition from his side that fans are strongly encouraged to use public transport or minimise fuel consumption while attending the matches, in line with the ongoing national austerity efforts,” Naqvi added. He said that PM Shehbaz had also conveyed his best wishes to all four teams competing in the playoffs. “Looking forward to some exciting and entertaining cricket ahead,” Naqvi said. Three playoff matches are scheduled to be held this week, before the final on Sunday. On Tuesday, Islamabad United will face Peshawar Zalmi in Karachi, while Hyderabad King...
    Tags: Shehbaz
  • FCC suspends LHC decision that set aside govt's authority to render passports inactive
    Dawn - 13:53 Apr 27, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Monday suspended the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) December 23, 2025, decision declaring key provisions of the Passport Rules 2021, which allowed the government to render a citizen’s passport inactive and impose long-term travel bans on deportees and human trafficking suspects, as ultra vires. With the suspension of the LHC order, the federal government’s authority to inactivate passports and slap long-term travel bans stands restored for the time being, until the top court concludes the dispute in its final judgment. Headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, a three-judge FCC bench that had taken up an appeal moved by the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGIP), issued notices to the respondents, including a citizen named Farhan Ali, the additional director general of immigration at the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the FIA Multan Circle deputy director and the director of the FIA regional office in Multan. The dispute arose when Ali, who...
  • Netanyahu's rivals are joining forces. Can they shift Israel's security policy?
    Dawn - 13:30 Apr 27, 2026
    Two of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s top rivals announced they would join forces in an upcoming election to oust his coalition government, with a focus mainly on domestic issues such as military conscription for the ultra-Orthodox. But on issues like Iran, Gaza and Lebanon, the joint party led by right-wing Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid is expected to pursue a security posture similar to that of Netanyahu — who heads the most right-wing government in Israel’s history — meaning Israel’s foreign policy would remain largely unchanged. The new party, called “BeYachad” meaning “together” in Hebrew, has not released a formal policy platform. But below is what is known about their positions on regional conflicts, based on recent public comments. Iran Bennett, 54, and Lapid, 62, have staunchly backed Netanyahu’s decision to jointly attack Iran with the US, reflecting broad public support in Israel for the war. At the start of Israel’s aerial bombardment in Iran, Lapid told Reuters in an interv...
  • Central bank increases policy rate by 100bps to 11.5pc
    Dawn - 12:53 Apr 27, 2026
    The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday raised its key policy rate to 11.5 per cent. In its meeting today, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) “decided to raise the policy rate by 100 basis points to 11.50pc” with effect from Tuesday, the SBP said in a statement. The hike is the first in almost three years, as rising oil prices from the US-Israel war on Iran threaten to push inflation higher in the import-dependent nation. In its detailed statement, the MPC noted that the “prolonging of the Middle East conflict has intensified risks to the macroeconomic outlook”. “In particular, the global energy prices, freight charges and insurance premiums continue to remain significantly above pre-conflict levels,” it added. The MPC highlighted that supply chain disruptions have contributed to the “prevailing uncertainty”. “While the incoming data has been broadly in line with the MPC’s expectations so far, the impact of these global developments will be visible in key economic indicators going forward,” it forecasted....
  • Mild heatwave conditions likely in southern parts of Pakistan from April 29 to May 3: PMD
    Dawn - 12:37 Apr 27, 2026
    The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Monday predicted that mild heatwave conditions were likely to develop in the southern parts of the country from April 29 to May 3. In a weather update, it said that the upper parts of the country were likely to be affected by the westerly wave from the night of April 27 to April 29 and from May 3-5, due to which temperatures were likely to drop 2-4 degrees Celsius. The department said that El-Niño conditions were likely to emerge during May-July. El Nino is a naturally-occurring climate phenomenon that warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. It brings changes in winds, pressure and rainfall patterns. The last El Nino contributed to making 2023 the second-hottest year on record and 2024 the all-time high. “The observed climate suggests that May and June are the hottest months during the year, while south Punjab, upper Sindh, southern/eastern Balochistan are heat-prone areas of the country, with temperatures sometimes shooti...
    Tags: April
  • KP CM Afridi meets with TTAP's Achakzai and Abbas amid reports of rift within opposition
    Dawn - 12:27 Apr 27, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: Amid reports of a rift between the PTI and the Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday met with the opposition alliance’s leaders, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas. The meeting comes amid reports that the TTAP leaders, who are also the opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate, were not being involved in the decision-making process. It took place at Achakzai’s residence in Islamabad. It was also attended by former NA speaker Asad Qaiser, TTAP leader Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, and other leaders. In a statement shared on X, the TTAP spokesperson Hussain Ahmed Yousafzai said, “Upon the directives of PTI founder Imran Khan, CM Afridi had an important meeting with Achakzai at his residence.” “During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on the health and medical treatment of former prime minister Imran Khan, concerns regarding his access to justice, restrictions on signing legal documents, the upcoming federal bu...
    Tags: Achakzai Afridi
  • India names BJP leader envoy to Bangladesh as ties thaw
    Dawn - 12:14 Apr 27, 2026
    India named veteran politician Dinesh Trivedi as its next high commissioner to Bangladesh on Monday, in a rare appointment of a non-foreign service officer as New Delhi seeks to reset ties with its eastern neighbour. Ties between the countries soured after a popular uprising forced Bangladesh’s long-serving Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to New Delhi in 2024, where she remains. Trivedi’s appointment highlights India’s push to rebuild trust with Bangladesh as it faces stiff competition from China for influence and business. Trivedi, 75, a former railways and health minister, joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2021 from a regional party in West Bengal, a border state that plays a key role in India’s ties with Bangladesh and where Modi has been seeking to expand his party’s influence in ongoing local elections. “He is expected to take up the assignment shortly,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement about Trivedi. Relations between the two countries beg...
    Tags: Bangladesh India
  • Islamabad court grants journalist Fakharur Rehman post-arrest bail in Peca case
    Dawn - 11:52 Apr 27, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: A judicial magistrate on Monday granted post-arrest bail to senior journalist Fakharur Rehman, who was arrested over the weekend by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in a case registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca). According to an NCCIA first information report (FIR) dated April 20, the journalist was one of nine accused of spreading “false and misleading information against state institutions” through the social media platform X. The NCCIA had registered the FIR under Section 20 (offences against the dignity of a natural person) and Section 26-A (dissemination of false and fake information) of Peca. During the hearing on Monday, Barrister Ahad Khokhar appeared on behalf of the journalist and argued that, according to the NCCIA report, his client’s mobile phone had already been recovered. He contended that Rehman was a senior citizen who took regular medication. He said that his client had not expressed any personal opinion and had merely shared a state...
    Tags: Peca Fakharur Rehman
  • India, New Zealand sign free trade deal, cutting fruit tariffs, boosting exports and visas
    Dawn - 11:51 Apr 27, 2026
    India and New Zealand signed a free trade deal on Monday as they seek to boost exports amid global economic uncertainty made worse by the war in the Middle East. Negotiations over the agreement concluded in December 2025, and will see India gain greater access for a range of products, including engineering goods, machinery and textiles, while also protecting its sensitive dairy sector. “This forward-looking agreement will also facilitate $20 billion of investment into India,” New Delhi’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said after signing the agreement alongside his New Zealand counterpart, Todd McClay. New Delhi, in return, has offered to reduce tariff barriers in sectors such as forestry, lamb and wool, while granting quota-based access for fruits such as apples. Two-way trade remains modest. Indian data showed merchandise trade at about $1.3bn in 2024-25, while total goods and services trade was estimated at roughly $2.4bn in 2024. The deal was struck at a time when US President Donald Trump’s tariff war had...
    Tags: New Zealand India
  • Constable martyred in terrorist attack on police checkpost in Balochistan's Pishin
    Dawn - 11:31 Apr 27, 2026
    QUETTA: A police head constable was martyred in a terrorist attack on a checkpost in the Huramzai area of Balochistan’s Pishin district on Monday. According to police, armed militants on a motorcycle opened fire on a police checkpost using automatic weapons, following which police personnel retaliated. “The exchange of fire, which continued for some time, resulted in the martyrdom of a head constable,” a police official who wished to remain anonymous told Dawn, adding that the assailants then fled from the scene. The official said that security forces rushed to the site of the incident and shifted the body to the district hospital, where the deceased was identified as Naimatullah. He termed the incident a terrorist attack, saying a search operation had been launched in the area to trace those involved in the attack. No one group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. Last week, a policeman was martyred and four others were injured in attacks on two police stations by unidentified men in the Dhadar ...
    Tags: Pishin
  • Pakistan, China sign 3 MoUs to boost desalination, agri technology, tea sector cooperation
    Dawn - 10:04 Apr 27, 2026
    Pakistan and China on Monday signed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in water desalination, agricultural technology, and the tea industry. President Asif Ali Zardari, who is on a week-long visit to China until May 1, witnessed the signing of the MoUs between Pakistani and Chinese entities. The MoUs reflect a focused effort to advance practical collaboration in key sectors. The first MoU was concluded between the Sindh local government and Lucion Environmental Technology Group for collaboration on a seawater desalination project in Karachi, aimed at increasing the city’s water supply. The MoU was signed by Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and Lucion Group’s Chairman Yuhui, also the secretary of the Party Branch. Memon also signed an MoU between the Sindh local government and Long Ping Hi-tech Information Company for cooperation in agricultural technology with the firm’s chairman, Chen Zhixin. The third MoU was signed between Meskay & Femtee Trading Company, H...
    Tags: Pakistan MoUs China
  • King Charles jets to US for four-day trip amid Iran conflict, media gala shooting
    Dawn - 09:39 Apr 27, 2026
    Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla will arrive in the United States later on Monday for a four-day trip, a tour which has taken on even greater prominence after the White House Correspondents’ dinner shooting and amid acrimony between the close allies. The state visit, by far the most high-profile and consequential of Charles’s reign, marks the 250th anniversary of the US declaration of independence from British rule, and is the first visit to the country by a British monarch for two decades. It begins with a private meeting with self-proclaimed royal fan US President Donald Trump, and includes an address to Congress and a lavish dinner at the White House. Press dinner shooting just days before visit But the long-planned trip has become enmeshed in the political spat between the two countries over the US-Israeli war on Iran, which led Trump to voice deep displeasure with the British government for failing to support the offensive. The shooting on Saturday at the White House Correspondents’ Association d...
    Tags: King Charles Iran
  • 5.7-magnitude earthquake jolts Islamabad, parts of KP: PMD
    Dawn - 08:40 Apr 27, 2026
    Tremors were felt in Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday as an earthquake of 5.7 magnitude struck the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said. In a statement, the PMD said the quake was recorded at 11:46am. It added that the epicentre was located near Afghanistan’s border with Tajikistan and had a depth of 170 kilometres. According to PMD, jolts from the earthquake were felt in Islamabad, Swat, Shangla and Buner. However, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the earthquake’s magnitude as 5.1 on the Richter scale, with its epicentre having a depth of 105.1km. Residents of Islamabad and KP had last felt earthquake tremors on April 3, when an earthquake of 6.1 magnitude hit the Hindu Kush Region in Afghanistan. Earlier this month, Balochistan also witnessed two quakes. Pakistan falls on three major tectonic plates — the Arabian, Euro-Asian and Indian — which create five seismic zones under the country. The intersection of multiple fault lines ...
    Tags: Islamabad
  • ‘Apologetic’ CM Murad announces reconstruction of Karachi's University Road in 90 days
    Dawn - 08:05 Apr 27, 2026
    • Acknowledges hardships faced by Karachiites due to delay in completion of ADB-funded Red Line along the key arterial link • Mayor Wahab says Sindh govt will finance rehabilitation of University Road as a separate project while Red Line construction continues • Murad says stalled BRT work to resume in two to three days KARACHI: In view of growing criticism and widespread inconvenience to hundreds of thousands of commuters on a daily basis, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, while “apologising” to the people of Karachi, has announced that the deteriorated University Road will be reconstructed within 90 days. While the under-construction Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line is an Asian Development Bank-funded scheme, the reconstruction of the University Road will be undertaken as a separate project funded through the provincial government’s own resources. The move came days after the chief minister had himself expressed “embarrassment” over the inconvenience caused to road users due to delays in the complet...
    Tags: University Road Murad
  • Parachinar Airport becomes operational after long hiatus
    Dawn - 08:04 Apr 27, 2026
    PESHAWAR: Parachinar Airport in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram District has been reactivated and made operational through the efforts of the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) and the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), after remaining inactive for an extended period. The renovation and repair of the airport mark a significant step toward restoring air transport in the region. On April 26, Pakistan Army Aviation conducted trials at Parachinar Airport to assess the quality of construction and upgradation work, as well as runway functionality and overall operational readiness. Pakistan Army Aviation completed six successful landing and takeoff trials, after which the airport runways were declared compliant with professional standards and safety protocols. During the trials, the performance of the airport and runways was evaluated under various operational scenarios. Following the success of these trials, Parachinar Airport’s operational capacity is expected to be further strengthened, significantly enhancing regiona...
    Tags: Parachinar Airport
  • Global military spending continues to rise as European and Asian expenditures surge
    Dawn - 07:28 Apr 27, 2026
    ISLAMABAD: World military expenditure reached $2,887 billion in 2025, an increase of 2.9 per cent in real terms over 2024, according to new data published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on Monday. Military spending declined in the United States but rose by 14pc in Europe and by 8.1pc in Asia and Oceania. The top three military spenders — the USA, China and Russia — spent a combined total of $1,480bn, or 51pc of the global total. Spending in Middle East stable despite ongoing conflicts and regional rivalries Military expenditure in the Middle East reached an estimated $218bn in 2025, just 0.1pc higher than in 2024. Besides Israel, most other major spenders in the region for which data is available increased their spending. Israel’s military expenditure decreased by 4.9pc to $48.3bn, reflecting a reduction in the intensity of the Gaza conflict during 2025 following the ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Israel’s spending remained 97pc higher than in 2022. Military spending by Turki...
  • Iran war disrupts the circuit board supply chain, raises costs for tech firms
    Dawn - 07:03 Apr 27, 2026
    The conflict in the Middle East has disrupted supplies of crucial raw materials and pushed up prices of the printed circuit boards (PCB) used in almost all electronic devices, from smartphones and computers to AI servers, industry sources and executives said. The disruption is a fresh blow to electronics manufacturers which are already grappling with soaring memory chip costs and highlights the broadening impact of the Iran war that has wreaked havoc on supply chains, plastics, and oil supplies. Iran struck Saudi Arabia’s Jubail petrochemical complex in early April, forcing a halt in production of high-purity polyphenylene ether (PPE) resin a critical base material used to manufacture PCB laminates. SABIC, which accounts for approximately 70 per cent of the world’s high-purity PPE supply and operates in the Jubail complex on the Gulf coast, has been unable to resume output, severely tightening the availability of the material worldwide, according to one source. Shipping in and out of the Gulf has also been se...
    Tags: Iran
  • Cargo truck fire shuts Indus Highway in DI Khan district
    Dawn - 05:57 Apr 27, 2026
    DERA ISMAIL KHAN: A fire broke out in a cargo truck at Maahra in Dera Ismail Khan district on the Indus Highway, prompting authorities to shut the road and causing long queues of vehicles on both sides. According to rescue sources, the incident occurred near Dhora Solahn Adda in the district’s Paroa tehsil, where a trailer loaded with cloth suddenly caught fire, and the blaze intensified within moments. Thick plumes of smoke spread across the area, creating panic among commuters and nearby residents. Officials said traffic on the highway remained fully suspended due to the fire, while rescue teams reached the site and launched efforts to extinguish the flames. Rescue authorities confirmed that no loss of life had been reported so far, though significant financial losses were feared. Commuters have been advised to use alternate routes and avoid the affected area until the situation is brought under control. Accidents are common on highways and motorways across Pakistan, caused by reckless driving, speeding, dr...
    Tags: Indus Highway

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