Dawn
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Dawn - 02:33 Apr 27, 2026
HYDERABAD: In the wake of a recent visit to the Liaquat University Hospital by Commissioner Fayyaz Abbasi and Deputy Commissioner Zain Ul Abiden Memon, the provincial health secretary has been informed that no fewer than 45 machineries and equipment are lying dysfunctional at the institution — Sindh’s second largest tertiary care hospital. A report submitted to the health secretary on April 17 highlighted the deficiencies that have been impacting the ‘economically disadvantaged’ patients coming to the hospital from across the district and many other parts of the interior of Sindh. “The report has been submitted with the approval of the divisional commissioner,” said an administrative source. The report clearly mentions that 45 machines, in all, are lying dysfunctional. They included three MRI, four CT Scan, six digital X-ray, 10 ultrasound and 17 anesthesia machines. Each MRI machines involves a repair cost of Rs30m that would cumulatively take the cost to Rs90m, if the report’s figures are anything to go by.... -
Dawn - 20:58 Apr 26, 2026
US President Donald Trump reiterated on Sunday that talks with Iran would be held remotely and commended Pakistan, which has been playing a mediatory role between Washington and Tehran, saying that Islamabad would “stay involved” in the process. The US president’s remarks came during a phone interview with Fox News, where he said: “If they (Iran) want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us; you know, there is a telephone … If they want they can talk, but we are not sending people to travel 18 hours to meet.” His remarks come a day after he called off a planned visit of US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner to travel to Islamabad for a second round of talks with Iran. The first round of historic direct US-Iran talks was held in Islamabad on April 11 and 12, following a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire on April 8. It had ended without an agreement, but also without a breakdown. Acknowledging Pakistan’s role in the process, Trump said, “Great respect for Pakistan because they have been t... -
Dawn - 20:49 Apr 26, 2026
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was to head to Moscow on Sunday after a short stay in Pakistan, where he landed for a second time in two days following a trip to Oman as part of his tri-nation tour, a diplomatic source told Dawn. He is undertaking the trip against the backdrop of ongoing diplomatic efforts, notably by Pakistan, to bring Tehran and Washington to the table to talks aimed at ending the conflict that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. The source said Araghchi arrived at the Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi after completing a day-long visit to Oman, adding that he would meet with senior Pakistani officials during his short stay in Islamabad. The Iranian foreign minister would then depart for Moscow, the source added. In a late-night post on X, Iranian envoy to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam confirmed the end of Araghchi’s second trip to Pakistan. “At the end of this round of the visit of the Iranian delegation, Abbas Araghchi, the minister of foreign affairs, to Pakistan … ... -
Dawn - 20:45 Apr 26, 2026
RAWALPINDI: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Sunday that traffic restrictions around Islamabad’s Red Zone and Serena Hotel, which was expected to be the venue for the now cancelled US-Iran talks, had been lifted. “Traffic restrictions around the Serena Hotel and the Red Zone in Islamabad have been lifted today. I extend my heartfelt thanks to the people of Pakistan — especially the residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi — for their patience and cooperation. “Your support enables us to ensure the safety of our guests and to continue our efforts for peace in the region. We remain committed to these goals and are grateful for, and in need of, your prayers and wishes,” Dar posted on X. The restrictions were placed on April 19, with Red Zone being closed to the public as the federal capital braced to welcome foreign delegations for expected talks between the US and Iran. Entry of heavy transport had also been suspended in Islamabad, but authorities later relaxed the restriction for vehic... -
Dawn - 17:44 Apr 26, 2026
President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday expressed Pakistan’s interest in closer collaboration in seed technology, agricultural research and modern farming practices with China as he met the secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Hunan. The president arrived in China on Saturday for a week-long visit to the Hunan and Hainan provinces for engagements related to economic and trade cooperation. He will remain in Hunan’s Changsha city until Monday, and then travel to Hainan’s Sanya from April 28 to May 1. A press release issued by the President’s Secretariat said Zardari held a meeting with CCP Secretary Shen Xiaoming and also attended a banquet by Hunan Governor Mao Weiming. “The engagement [with Xiaoming] focused on advancing practical cooperation in agriculture, health, education and trade, while reaffirming the enduring strength of Pakistan-China relations,” it stated. President Zardari invited Xiaoming to visit Pakistan in connection with the 75th anniversary celebrations of diplomatic relations betwe... -
Dawn - 17:01 Apr 26, 2026
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said on Sunday that the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) had resumed the construction of a section of the long-delayed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line project on Karachi’s University Road. The announcement came four days after the Sindh government cancelled the construction contract for the BRT Red Line, saying that it would be re-awarded on an “emergency basis”. Sindh Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon had told Dawn that the contract had been terminated due to delays in the project’s execution by the contractor. He had said the Asian Development Bank, which funds the project, was unhappy with the pace of work, as were stakeholders concerned about environmental impact. Subsequently, Wahab posted on X: “Happy to inform that work on the University Road has resumed from today by FWO. The Sindh chief minister has given a deadline to have the work on the mixed traffic corridor and drain completed within 90 days. God willing, will keep you all posted with the progress.” In another ... -
Dawn - 16:39 Apr 26, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has notified six routes for the transportation of goods to Iran against an encashable bank guarantee amid reports that thousands of containers destined for Iran are awaiting clearance at Pakistani ports. For this to come into force, the Ministry of Commerce has issued a statutory regulatory order, Transit of Goods through Territory of Pakistan Order 2026. According to the order, following routes have been designated for the transit of goods: Gwadar-Gabd Karachi/ Port Qasim-Lyari-Ormara-Pasni-Gabd Karachi/ Port Qasim- Khuzdar-Dalbandin-Taftan Gawadar-Turbat-Hoshab-Panjgur-Nagg-Besima-Khuzdar-Quetta/ Lakpass-Dalbandin-Nokundi-Taftan Gwadar-Liari-Khuzdar-Quetta/ Lakpass-Dalbandin-Nokundi-Taftan Karachi/ Port Qasim -Gwadar- Gabd Meanwhile, it has been reported that more than 3,000 containers destined for Iran have been stuck at the Karachi port for the past few days. This has been reported as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — which was the route for one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas su... -
Dawn - 16:30 Apr 26, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called a meeting of its executive board on May 8 to approve the disbursement of more than $1.2 billion to Pakistan under two concurrent programmes — $7bn Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), IMF officials told Dawn. Pakistan has qualified for the disbursement of about $1bn after the successful third review of EFF and $210 million under the second review of RSF. The IMF announced on March 27 that it had reached a staff-level agreement (SLA) for the disbursement of about $1.2bn on the successful conclusion of the third review under EFF and the second review under RSF. The two sides have since been engaged in changes to fuel pricing and the elimination of subsidies to meet the petroleum levy target budgeted at Rs1.47 trillion for the current fiscal year. The petroleum levy’s collection has already gone beyond Rs1.2tr in the first nine months of the current fiscal year despite the government’s claim of subsidising diese... -
Dawn - 13:58 Apr 26, 2026
United States President Donald Trump and officials in his administration were the likely targets of a suspect who fired at a security agent guarding the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, US Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Sunday. The incident occurred at the Washington Hilton — the same hotel where Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded in a 1981 assassination attempt — adding to the gravity of the situation at a venue long associated with high-level political gatherings. Over the years, the hotel has also hosted Pakistani leaders, including Pervez Musharraf, Benazir Bhutto, and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. As the sound of shots rang out in the ballroom hosting the dinner, gala attendees, including members of the press, their family members, and government officials immediately fell silent, CNN reported. It was only when security charged into the room, and people started screaming, “Get down, get down!”, that guests dove under tables to take cover. The suspect — who was armed w... -
Dawn - 12:40 Apr 26, 2026
A gunman fired shots in the hotel hosting the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday, causing United States President Donald Trump and his cabinet to be rushed out before the suspect was taken into custody. Here is a timeline of the incident and its immediate aftermath. Around 8:35pm ET (5:35am PKT on Sunday): Guests at the Washington Hilton dinner took cover when shots were heard, video footage showed. Soon after, Secret Service agents rushed towards Trump, escorting the president and his cabinet from the ballroom. U.S. President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and CBS News senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang attend the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, DC, US, April 25,. — Reuters Guests take cover after US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner by Secret Service agents when a man opened fire with a shotgun on... -
Dawn - 12:19 Apr 26, 2026
Japan has deployed 1,400 firefighters and 100 Self-Defence Force personnel to battle mountain blazes in the northern part of the country, with the fires, now burning on Sunday for a fifth straight day, continuing to threaten a picturesque coastal town. The area consumed by the fires reached 1,373 hectares as of early Sunday morning, up seven per cent from a day earlier. A helicopter conducts firefighting operations, as wildfires continue in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan on April 26, 2026. — Reuters The fires threaten residential districts of Otsuchi on the Pacific Coast — a town that lost nearly a tenth of its population in one of Japan’s worst disasters, the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Evacuation orders are in place for 1,541 households or 3,233 residents, roughly a third of Otsuchi’s population. A firefighter works as wildfires continue in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan on April 26, 2026. — Reuters “Although the Self-Defence Forces are fighting the fires from the sky (with helicopters), t... -
Dawn - 12:18 Apr 26, 2026
WITH the global order breaking down, wars have erupted in various parts of the world — especially in South Asia, Europe and now the Middle East. Force is being used against adversaries unilaterally with utter disregard for international law. The most recent use of illegal force occurred during the 40-day war waged by the US and Israel against Iran. Resorting to proactive diplomacy, Pakistan’s leadership played a critical role in facilitating a ceasefire and then bringing to the table high-powered delegations from the US and Iran in Islamabad a couple of weeks ago. This was no small feat: for the first time in 47 years, the US and Iran sat face to face, and, as per the Iranian foreign minister, resolved many of the differences between them. Although disagreement persists on some issues, including America’s blockade in the Arabian Sea and Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, there are signs that both sides want to reach a peace settlement. It is encouraging that Pakistan’s leadership, particularly the prim... -
Dawn - 11:34 Apr 26, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s exports to major Western and Northern European markets have recorded negative growth in the first nine months of the current fiscal year compared with a year ago, despite the continuation of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) status, raising concerns about weakening demand for Pakistani goods. The development comes against the backdrop of a shifting global trade environment, as the US-Iran conflict sends shockwaves through the Middle East, impacting global goods transport, accelerating the fall in exports to European markets. Additionally, earlier this year, European Union preferential market access was offered to India, one of Pakistan’s key competitors in textiles. Earlier this month, the EU Ambassador to Pakistan Raimundas Karoblis also warned Pakistan that access to the GSP+ — which allows duty-free entry into most European markets — was neither guaranteed nor automatic, signalling a more conditional approach from Brussels reliant on Islamabad’s progress on human rights iss... -
Dawn - 10:38 Apr 26, 2026
China’s top diplomat Wang Yi said Beijing will “firmly support” Myanmar in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security, in a meeting with junta chief-turned-president, Min Aung Hlaing. Wang has been on a three-country visit to Southeast Asia this week, travelling to Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar, seeking to strengthen ties in the face of “risks” and present Beijing as a more stable alternative to the United States. Beijing supports Myanmar “in forging a successful development path that aligns with its national conditions and enjoys the support of its people”, Wang told Min Aung Hlaing during a visit to capital Naypyidaw, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout published late on Saturday. “As this year marks the first year of the new Myanmar government’s tenure, both sides should seize this opportunity to carry forward and promote their traditional friendship, [and] open up new prospects for bilateral relations,” Wang said. Min Aung Hlaing was sworn in as president this month, continuing his ru... -
Dawn - 10:21 Apr 26, 2026
Swiss International said that a flight from Delhi to Zurich had to abort its takeoff early on Sunday after an engine issue, adding that four passengers and one crew member were injured. The airline did not elaborate, but the Economic Times reported that one of the engines had caught on fire as the plane was accelerating down a runway and that the passengers were injured during an emergency evacuation. “Shortly after 1am local time on April 26, an issue occurred with one of the engines during the takeoff of flight LX147 in Delhi. The crew aborted the takeoff and, after assessing the situation, decided as a precaution to evacuate the aircraft,” Swiss International said in a statement. Pathway tracing the aborted takeoff of Swiss International’s flight LX147 at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on April 26, 2026. — screengrab via FlightRadar24 It said that it had set up a task force to look into the incident, adding that the injured passengers were taken to a hospital, while the crew member had sustain... -
Dawn - 09:53 Apr 26, 2026
KARACHI: The body of a boy who drowned after being swept away while swimming in a major water line in Scheme 33 was recovered on the third day of the search operation, rescue services said. The boy, Zahid Mohammed Khan, was swept away around 2pm on Friday while swimming in the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC)’s line in Scheme-33 near Al-Azhar Garden. Rescue 1122 and the Edhi service issued separate statements, confirming that the boy’s body has been recovered. The Edhi statement said the deceased child was 12 years old. The body was shifted to Edhi’s morgue in Sohrab Goth. Lifeguards from Rescue 1122 and the Edhi Foundation searched until Friday night, but were unable to recover the boy. Subsequently, the operation was paused due to a lack of visibility. With the help of the district administration, rescuers had resumed their search efforts on Saturday at two separate locations, near Samama Shopping Mall and Continental Bakery in Gulistan-i-Jauhar. Last year, the drowning of a three-year-old boy ... -
Dawn - 09:17 Apr 26, 2026
The suspect arrested in the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner shooting on Saturday was identified by a law enforcement official as Cole Tomas Allen, a Los Angeles-area man who appears from social media sites to be a Caltech graduate working as a part-time teacher and game developer. The official said Allen, approximately 31 years of age, is a resident of Torrance, California, a coastal town that is part of the South Bay area adjacent to Los Angeles abutting Santa Monica Bay. The chief of the District of Columbia Police Department said investigators believe the suspect was a guest at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the annual dinner was taking place, but that no motive had been determined. Meanwhile, Facebook posts appearing to relate to Allen show that he had been designated Teacher of the Month in December 2024 by the Torrance office of C2 Education, a nationwide private test-preparation and tutoring service for college-bound students. A LinkedIn profile in the suspect’s name described him as... -
Dawn - 08:50 Apr 26, 2026
The tickets for this year’s HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) are set to go on sale from April 27, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Sunday. The final — with teams yet to be decided — would take place at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on May 3 (Sunday). The final would also have a reserve day, which is May 4. In a press release, PCB said the tickets will be up for grabs online at pcb.tcs.com.pk from 4pm on Monday, while physical tickets will be available at 18 designated TCS Express Centres in Lahore from 10am on Tuesday. Fans can buy tickets for VIP enclosures (Fazal Mahmood and Imran Khan) for Rs6,000, while the premium enclosures (Rajas and Saeed Anwar) will be available for Rs4,000. First-class enclosures, which comprise Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Abdul Qadir, Javed Miandad and Sarfaraz Nawaz, are priced at Rs2,000. Seats in Hanif Mohammad, Imtiaz Ahmed, Saeed Ahmed and Inzamam-ul-Haq, which are categorised as general enclosures, will be available for a minimum of Rs1,500. The PCB noted that the “thrilling”... -
Dawn - 08:10 Apr 26, 2026
Facing severe public criticism for “taxing sunlight”, the Power Division on Sunday directed the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) to abolish the requirement of a licence and licence fee for solar prosumers below 25 kilowatt capacity. In a statement issued on Sunday — a weekly holiday — the Power Division said that on the directives of Power Minister Awais Leghari, it has “formally asked Nepra for a review to abolish the application fee and remove the license requirement for solar consumers of 25 kilowatts and below”. The Power Division recalled that it had previously alerted Nepra about the adverse effects of this decision and requested that it be aligned with the old regulations. Announcing the decision on X, Leghari said, “Our government is pro-solar, pro-consumer, and committed to clean energy. We want to remove unnecessary barriers, reduce costs, and provide as much relief as possible to the people of Pakistan.” Under the previous 2015 regulations, distributed generation facilities of 2... -
Dawn - 07:58 Apr 26, 2026
RAWALPINDI: A monument is being constructed in Baggi (horse carriage) Park at Kutchery Chowk in front of Fatima Jinnah Women University, and is expected to complete in the first week of May. The Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) has been assigned the task to establish the Marka-i-Haq Monument on The Mall. “It is a replica of the monument in H-8 Islamabad. However, Marka-i-Haq Monument is unique as it is being constructed in an established park and additional land will not be acquired for it,” said a senior official of the district administration while talking to Dawn. He said the project was likely to complete before May 10, the first anniversary of the Maraka-i-Haq. He said the monument was being constructed on the direction of the provincial government which provided funding for the project. Structure being set up on direction of Punjab govt which has provided fund for project, says official “The main purpose of this project is to commemorate victims and honour the sacrifices of martyrs and ghazis of the op...
10418 items