Dawn
Source:
https://www.dawn.com
Found 6698 news
-
Dawn - 02:38 Dec 03, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Turkiye on Tuesday signed five memorandum of understanding (MoUs) and deeds of assignment (DoAs) for oil and gas exploration and agreed to expand bilateral cooperation to mining and equity participation in the power sector. These documents were signed during the ongoing visit of a Turkish delegation led by Minister for Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar that had engagements with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and Power Minister Awais Leghari on Tuesday. Prime Minister Sharif witnessed the ceremony for the exchange of MoUs and agreements between Turkiye and Pakistan in the field of petroleum exploration, including the deed of assignment for Eastern Offshore Indus-C, the Petroleum Concession agreement Ziarat North Block, the Petroleum Concession agreement Sukhpur-II Block, the Petroleum Concession agreement Deep C block and the Offshore Deep F Block. The premier underscored the historic and f... -
Dawn - 02:34 Dec 03, 2025
• Proposed commission to have 18 members from all non-Muslim communities • Govt drops overriding-effect clause, withdraws suo motu powers • Law minister insists bill will not dilute anti-Ahmadiyya provisions • Gohar questions president’s initial refusal to give assent to bill ISLAMABAD: Amid stiff opposition from both sides of the aisle, parliament on Tuesday passed by majority vote a bill to establish a statutory body to protect and promote the rights of minority communities in the country. The opposition was based on fears that a provision giving the law an overriding effect would affect the anti-Ahmadiyya ordinance promulgated in 1984. A motion seeking leave of the House to take up the bill for immediate consideration was opposed by around one-third of the members present in the joint sitting. A total of 160 members voted in favour of the bill while 79 opposed it. The bill was, however, passed with certain amendments, including the omission of the clause giving it overriding effect and a change to withdraw... -
Dawn - 02:33 Dec 03, 2025
BEIRUT: Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday criticised anti-migrant activists who stoke “fears” of Islam and said co-operation between Christians and Muslims in Lebanon should be an example for Europe and the United States. The 70-year-old pope spoke to reporters on the plane at the end of his visit to Turkey and Lebanon — his first trip outside of Italy since becoming head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics in May. Leo said anti-Muslim sentiment was “oftentimes generated by people who are against immigration and trying to keep out people who may be from another country, another religion, another race.” He said his visit to Lebanon was intended to show “that dialogue and friendship between Muslims and Christians is possible”. Leo said stories he heard during the trip of Christians and Muslims helping each other were “lessons … that we should perhaps be a little less fearful”. The pontiff urges halt to attacks in Lebanon as first trip abroad ends The US-born pope spent two decades in Peru as a missionary within the Augu... -
Dawn - 20:09 Dec 02, 2025
Tajikistan is in talks with Russia and a Moscow-led regional security grouping about the possibility of Russia deploying troops to jointly patrol the volatile border with Afghanistan, three Tajik security sources told Reuters on Tuesday. Five Chinese citizens have been killed and five wounded near the border in the past week as a result of attacks launched from Afghanistan. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon held talks with the heads of his security agencies on Monday about the situation and China has advised its citizens, who are engaged in various mining and business activities, to urgently leave the border area. One of the three sources, in the Tajik Security Council, told Reuters that the authorities have held talks with Russia about the possibility of deploying forces from Moscow’s military base in the Central Asian country to jointly patrol the Tajik-Afghan border. The base is Russia’s largest overseas military facility and is located close to the Tajik capital, Dushanbe. “We are currently in talks. I think... -
Dawn - 19:18 Dec 02, 2025
The second and final day of the ‘Pakistan Population Summit’ concluded in Islamabad on Tuesday, with experts urging swift government action to restore demographic balance as fast-growing population strains the country’s health, education and other vital resources. Organised by DawnMedia, the summit brought together politicians, economists, development specialists, private sector leaders, and experts to develop a shared vision as rapid population growth continues to place pressure on health systems, food and water security, and employment. On Monday, policymakers, experts, diplomats and lawmakers had expressed the unanimous view that prosperity was not possible if the number of mouths to feed kept rising. They argued that without managing the population in terms of resources, all of the government’s efforts — aimed at development, progress and social uplift — would amount to nought. View the full agenda here. 2:20pm — Pakistan Population Summit concludes With the second day of discussions over, the Pakistan ... -
Dawn - 18:46 Dec 02, 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia was “ready” for war if Europe seeks one, accusing the continent’s leaders of trying to sabotage a deal on the Ukraine conflict before he met with US envoys. The comments came as United States envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were in Moscow for high-stakes talks on ending the nearly four-year war, which were preceded by days of intense diplomacy. “We are not planning to go to war with Europe, but if Europe wants to and starts, we are ready right now,” Putin told reporters in Moscow. “They have no peaceful agenda, they are on the side of war,” he added, repeating his claim that European leaders were hindering US attempts to broker peace in Ukraine. He added that European changes to Trump’s latest plan to end the war “aimed solely at one thing — to completely block the entire peace process and put forward demands that are absolutely unacceptable for Russia”. Washington has presented a 28-point draft to end the c... -
Dawn - 17:52 Dec 02, 2025
An Afghan man has been charged in Texas with threatening to build a bomb and carry out a suicide attack, United States officials said on Tuesday, as the Trump administration vows a crackdown on Afghan migrants after a deadly shooting. Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, 30, of Fort Worth, allegedly made the threats in a November 23 video that he shared on TikTok, X and Facebook, the Justice Department said in a statement. In the video, Alokozay allegedly praises the Taliban and threatens to carry out a suicide attack on Americans. “Thanks to public reports of a threatening online video, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force apprehended this individual before he could commit an act of violence,” FBI Dallas special agent in charge Joseph Rothrock said. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said Alokozay “came into America during the Biden administration and, as alleged, explicitly stated that he came here in order to kill American citizens”. He faces up to five years in prison if convicted of making a threatening interstate commu... -
Dawn - 17:47 Dec 02, 2025
Uzma Khanum, sister of PTI founder Imran Khan, said on Tuesday her incarcerated brother was “perfectly fine” after she was allowed to meet him, putting to rest rumours surrounding the former premier’s health. Prison authorities had allowed her to meet the former prime minister today. She was accompanied by scores of PTI supporters who gathered outside the jail as Uzma went inside the prison to meet her brother. In a short talk with the media after the meeting, she said: “Imran Khan’s health is perfectly fine. However, he was very angry and said that they are subjecting him to mental torture.” She added that Imran was confined to his cell throughout the day and was allowed only a short time outside. Uzma further said that he was not in communication with anyone, and the meeting between them lasted around 30 minutes. The meeting took place under strict supervision and without mobile devices, she added, declining to provide further details. In a separate talk with the media, flanked by Aleema Khanum and PTI lead... -
Dawn - 17:39 Dec 02, 2025
A joint session of Parliament passed the National Commission for Minorities Bill 2025 with some changes on Tuesday, which aims to establish a national body dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights of minority communities in Pakistan. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar tabled the bill amid outcry from some members, particularly those belonging to the PTI and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam—Fazl (JUI-F), and with National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq presiding over the session. The bill was supported by 160 members, with 79 voting against it. While the law minister was presenting the bill, several members vocally opposed the bill. At this, Tarar clarified that “neither the law and the Constitution, nor our conscience allows us to make a proposal that contradicts the Quran and Sunnah”. He said four amendments were suggested to the original draft of the bill, and they had been incorporated into the proposed legislation. Saying that minorities were defined as “non-Muslims” in the Constitution, he said: “This is a commissi... -
Dawn - 17:38 Dec 02, 2025
A minor girl died of burns while five of her family members were injured in an explosion in a car in Karachi’s Quaidabad area early on Tuesday morning, according to police, hospital and rescue services officials. They added that six people suffered burn injuries when a liquified petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder exploded inside the car at Quaidabad’s main roundabout. Rescue-1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan told Dawn that the family was filling LPG cylinders from a roadside shop when the explosion took place. Regarding possible reasons, Khan said that generally, “Such explosions take place because of a lack of mandatory hydrostatic tests after a certain period. “Another possible reason was that when the cylinder is filled with LPG with pressure, it triggers an explosion,” he added. Khan noted a similar incident in Shah Faisal Colony recently with human casualties. He added that these roadside shops took no precautionary measures, as they were illegal. “The injured were transported to the burns centre at Kara... -
Dawn - 17:20 Dec 02, 2025
The Foreign Office (FO) said on Tuesday that India was preventing humanitarian assistance from being sent to Sri Lanka by air, prompting Islamabad to send aid by sea to the south Asian island, where severe flooding and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah have claimed more than 400 lives. In a post on X, the FO said: “India continues to block humanitarian assistance from Pakistan to Sri Lanka. The special aircraft carrying Pakistan’s humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka continues to face a delay of over 60 hours now awaiting flight clearance from India. “The partial flight clearance issued by India last night, after 48 hours, was operationally impractical: time-bound for just a few hours and without validity for the return flight, severely hindering this urgent relief mission for the brotherly people of Sri Lanka.” A statement issued later by the Pakistan High Commission in Sri Lanka said aircraft were awaiting clearance to fly and accused India of blocking the humanitarian relief operation through “shenani... -
Dawn - 16:44 Dec 02, 2025
Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC) Chief Executive Officer Bilal Bin Saqib has stepped down as special assistant to the prime minister on blockchain and cryptocurrency, it emerged on Tuesday. He continues to serve as the chairman of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA). A notification from the Cabinet Division, signed October 13, said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif accepted Saqib’s resignation from the position with effect from August 21. He was appointed to the role on May 26, with the status of a minister of state. Saqib was appointed the PVARA chairman with the status of a minister of state on a pro bono basis for three years on August 1. PVARA is an autonomous federal body governed by a multi-stakeholder board including the governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and the chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue. Its mandate is to curb illicit finance, protect consumers and unlock opportunities in fintech, remittances and toke... -
Dawn - 16:35 Dec 02, 2025
The Punjab chief minister’s office said on Tuesday that the provincial government had, in principle, decided to issue motorcycle licences and smart cards to 16-year-old motorists. The traffic police’s crackdown on traffic violations across the province left motorists in turmoil when they lodged over 4,600 cases and arrested around 3,100 citizens, including a large number of schoolchildren, during the last 72 hours, creating a criminal record for a majority of them. Parents lambasted the Punjab government for making criminal profiles of these children, saying it would have long-term consequences on their careers and declaring it an overreaction by the traffic police. According to a statement from the office, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed her displeasure over minors being handcuffed for violating traffic rules. “A decision has been made in principle to issue smart cards and motorcycle licences to 16-year-olds,” the statement read. “Traffic police across the province will also host an aware... -
Dawn - 15:55 Dec 02, 2025
Security forces killed seven terrorists in two separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, the military’s media affairs wing said on Tuesday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the two operations were carried out on the reported presence of khawarij. Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “An intelligence-based operation (IBO) was conducted by the security forces in [the] general area [of] Mir Ali,” the statement read. “During the conduct of [the] operation, own troops effectively engaged the khawarij location and after an intense fire exchange, six khawarij were sent to hell.” Another terrorist was killed in an IBO in Spinwam, the ISPR said, adding that weapons and ammunition were seized from the terrorists who “remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces, law enforcement agencies and target killing of innocent civilians”. “Sanitisation oper... -
Dawn - 14:36 Dec 02, 2025
At least seven people were injured in an explosion, caused by a gas leak, within the premises of Islamabad’s National University of Modern Languages (Numl) on Tuesday, according to the police. Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IG) Ali Nasir Rizvi, speaking to the media, said the explosion occurred around 4pm and was caused by a gas leak ignited by a short circuit. “When summer ends, the university turns off its gas connection. They turned it on at 3:30pm, but there was an accumulation of gas and a short circuit somewhere,“ the IG said. “A gas leakage caused the explosion.” The IG outlined that the explosion occurred in a prayer room, which was near a clerk’s office. He stated that seven people were caught in the explosion. “Five students were there with a clerk and a junior assistant,” IG Rizvi explained. “The clerk sustained 60-65 per cent burn injuries, the clerical assistant was burned and the students suffered minor burn injuries. Seven people are under treatment; of those, six are out of danger as p... -
Dawn - 14:20 Dec 02, 2025
India’s imports of Russian oil may decline for only “a brief period” as Moscow plans to boost supplies, using sophisticated technology to avert the impact of Western sanctions, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. His remarks came ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s two-day visit to New Delhi from Thursday, looking to restore defence and energy ties as India is set to trim its Russian oil purchases this month to at least a three-year low. Russia’s top buyer of seaborne oil, India has cut crude imports from Moscow under pressure from Western sanctions, particularly by Washington, on Moscow’s top oil producers Rosneft and Lukoil. “There can be, for a very brief period of time, insignificant decreases in the volume of oil trade,” Peskov told Indian journalists, in response to a question about the impact of sanctions. Working to build the necessary environment for buyers Russia is the top oil supplier to India, the world’s third biggest oil importer and consumer. Moscow is working to build the “nec... -
Dawn - 14:10 Dec 02, 2025
Miranshah Assistant Commissioner Shah Wali and two cops were among four martyred after the official’s vehicle came under attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu on Tuesday. Bannu Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Sajjad Khan confirmed the number of casualties. “The attack was sudden, and after opening fire on the vehicle, the assailants also set it on fire,” he said. The DIG said the area was cordoned off after the incident and a search was underway to locate the attackers. “Security forces and police are conducting a joint operation. Security in the area has been put on high alert and investigations are being carried out from every angle,” he said. Meanwhile, Bilal Saqib, the assistant commissioner’s secretary, told the media that the incident took place at around 10am. He said the assistant commissioner was on his way to appear before a court when he was “ambushed” near Mamash Khel’s Masoomabad. Giving details about the deaths, he said that two constables and a civilian, who was working in the fields, were martyr... -
Dawn - 13:53 Dec 02, 2025
Nawaz Nashra recalls grabbing her three-year-old daughter, wrapping her in a bedsheet and running out of their home in central Sri Lanka as a landslide struck, triggered by a deadly cyclone that killed 410 people in the worst floods in a decade. Nashra and her pregnant sister, who lived with her, spent the next 20 minutes scrambling down the hillside from Alawathugoda village on Friday night, sometimes knee-deep in mud, until they reached a mosque at a lower altitude, where they spent the night. “It was pitch dark…We could only hear a sound like thunder,” she told Reuters. “The house next to ours collapsed as we watched. There was no time to warn anyone.” About 10 houses in the neighbourhood were swept away by Cyclone Ditwah and at least 25 people are feared dead, residents said on Tuesday, when they returned with long poles to dig through the mud and search for bodies. Deadly storms have swept across South and Southeast Asia in recent days, devastating large parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand and clai... -
Dawn - 13:47 Dec 02, 2025
Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu on Tuesday noted that Pakistan had emerged as a regional stabiliser after the May conflict with India. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) chief made the remarks during the passing out parade at PAF Academy Asghar Khan in Risalpur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshera district. “In the wake of Marka-i-Haq, Pakistan has successfully emerged as a net stabiliser in this part of the world,” ACM Sidhu said. “As a responsible nuclear power, our relations with key global and regional powers have further strengthened, which is a testimony to the untiring effort of our diplomatic strategy and credible military prowess.” The Pakistan Army had named the period of conflict with India, from the April 22 Pahalgam attack to the May 10 conclusion of Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, as Marka-i-Haq in May. “The rising global relevance of Pakistan remains a growing concern for our adversary, and it exploits every opportunity to malign and destabilise Pakistan on the international front,” said the... -
Dawn - 13:19 Dec 02, 2025
The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), which is responsible for appointing judges to the superior judiciary, elevated Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb to a permanent judge of the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday. Presided over by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, the JCP held its first meeting following the passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment and the establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC). The JCP had appointed Justice Aurangzeb as an acting judge of the Supreme Court in February after elevating him from the Islamabad High Court (IHC), The forum also approved the elevation of Justice Zafara Ahmed Rajput as the chief justice of the Sindh High Court (SHC), and Justice Kamran Mullahkhail as the chief justice of the Balochistan High Court (BHC). During the meeting, held at the conference room of the SC building, the JCP had considered the appointment of the SHC chief justice from among the three senior-most judges of the high court. Those considered for the office included J...
6698 items