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Dawn - 05:14 Apr 17, 2026
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Friday signed an agreement to extend a $3 billion deposit from the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD). Saudi Arabia, earlier this week, pledged an additional $3 billion in deposits for Pakistan and extended its existing $5bn facility for a further three years. “The agreement, signed between the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), provides for the extension in the maturity of a USD 3 billion deposit placed by SFD with the State Bank of Pakistan,” said a post on X by the Ministry of Finance. The ministry said that the agreement was signed between SBP Governor Jameel Ahmed and Chief Executive Officer of the SFD Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad. Minister for Finance and Muhammad Aurangzeb witnessed the signing of an important financial agreement in Washington, DC, in the presence of Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States. The development took place on the sidelines of the World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings. The ministry added that the extension of the... -
Dawn - 03:48 Apr 17, 2026
KARACHI: Setting aside a conviction in a sexual assault case, the Sindh High Court (SHC) has deplored that the underage victim was subjected to trauma by both the police and his own father. A two-judge SHC bench, headed by Justice Omar Sial, observed that the victim’s father and the investigating officer had weakened the prosecution’s case to the extent that reasonable doubt was created. The court further noted that the investigation was not conducted with the sensitivity required in a case involving a juvenile. The bench also remarked that the prosecution had been callous in attempting to prove the charge of sodomy during the trial while lawyers for the parties displayed insensitivity during the recording of the victim’s statement. It emphasised that the primary duty to regulate proceedings lay with the trial court, which should have exercised greater care given the involvement of a minor, particularly as the medical evidence did not support the prosecution’s allegations. In October last year, a sessions cou... -
Dawn - 03:27 Apr 17, 2026
PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim shake hands in Doha; and (right) Field Marshal Asim Munir meets Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Tehran.—Reuters/AFP • Claims Iran has accepted ‘almost everything’ in talks • Nuclear issue remains key sticking point; US presses for complete dismantlement • Pakistan-led diplomacy, CDF’s Tehran visit gain global attention • FO says Pakistan maintaining ‘open channels’ with both sides • Massive security deployment planned in Islamabad, Rawalpindi WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he may travel to Islamabad if a final agreement with Iran is signed there, while claiming that Tehran has accepted “almost everything” currently under negotiation. Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn before departing for Nevada and Arizona, Trump expressed optimism about Pakistan-led diplomatic efforts to end hostilities and secure a settlement before the current ceasefire expires. “If a deal is signed in Islamabad, I may go,... -
Dawn - 02:35 Apr 17, 2026
• Recommends tax reduction for sake of affordability; Qamar likens income tax on phones to sales tax • Senate committee questions high SMS alert charges ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on Thursday expressed concern over the high tax burden on mobile phones, directing the Tax Policy Office (TPO) in the Ministry of Finance to submit a detailed report on the existing taxation structure for both imported and locally manufactured devices. The National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance, chaired by MNA Naveed Qamar, observed that income tax on mobile phones was effectively being treated as a sales tax and directed the authorities to review the practice. The committee also asked for a detailed written note outlining the rationale, revenue implications and policy objectives behind the current tax regime. FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial briefed the committee on the mobile taxation. After a presentation, the committee recommended a reduction in mobile phone taxes. Tax officials assured the committee that ... -
Dawn - 02:28 Apr 17, 2026
• Duration nearly three times more than what was announced earlier • Minister cites LNG import disruption, Middle East crisis as key factors • Shortfall estimated at 3,400MW • Demand spikes from 9,000MW to 20,000MW in days • Nuclear plant maintenance postponed to boost supply ISLAMABAD: Power Minister Awais Leghari on Thursday confirmed six to seven hours of load management — almost three times higher than the government’s public commitment — citing a sudden surge in demand, non-availability of imported gas and lower water discharges for irrigation. Speaking at a news conference, the minister said power shortfalls had been caused by disruptions to LNG imports due to the Middle East crisis and by lower provincial irrigation water requirements, both of which he said were beyond the government’s control. However, he insisted that the government was making every possible effort to minimise both outages and potential tariff increases arising from the use of expensive alternative fuels. In this regard, he said the ... -
Dawn - 21:57 Apr 16, 2026
A 10-day ceasefire deal agreed between Lebanon and Israel took effect on Friday while US President Donald Trump said he was trying to set up the first-ever meeting between the leaders of the two countries. The ceasefire was announced by Trump on Thursday. Israel has been carrying out deadly attacks in Lebanon against the backdrop of a now-paused US-Israeli war on Iran. The war spilled into Lebanon on March 2, with an attack by Hezbollah against Israel. Israeli attacks have killed more than 2,100 people in Lebanon since and forced more than 1.2 million to flee, Lebanese authorities say. Israel says Hezbollah attacks have killed two Israeli civilians, while 13 Israeli soldiers have died in Lebanon since March 2. Trump announced the agreement between the two sides on a ceasefire in a Truth Social post, saying that he had “excellent conversations” with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “These two Leaders have agreed that in order to achieve PEACE between their Countri... -
Dawn - 20:34 Apr 16, 2026
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that if a deal with Iran to end the war was reached and signed in Islamabad, he might go there, claiming that Iran had agreed to almost everything. He also said that the US and Iran were “very close” to signing a peace deal. Trump struck an optimistic tone about Iran as he spoke with reporters on the White House lawn on his way to a trip to Nevada and Arizona. Pakistan’s civil and military leadership has been engaged in feverish diplomacy, seeking to bring the US and Iran back to the negotiating table after the Islamabad Talks over the weekend yielded no result. Now, there are reports that the negotiating teams from the US and Iran could return to Islamabad. The talks were held as a Pakistan-brokered two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran remained in effect. The ceasefire paused hostilities that began with the US-Israeli strikes on February 28. During the conversation at the White House, Trump was asked if he would go to Pakistan to seal the deal himself, t... -
Dawn - 20:04 Apr 16, 2026
After wrapping up visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday arrived in Turkiye’s Antalya on the third leg of his tri-nation tour, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The PMO later said that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, paid a courtesy call on PM Shehbaz, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi were also present at the meeting. “During their cordial conversation, Foreign Minister Fidan extended a warm welcome to PM Shehbaz and thanked him for his participation in the upcoming Antalya Diplomacy Forum. He said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was looking forward to his meeting with the PM on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum,” the PMO said. It added that PM Shehbaz thanked FM Fidan for the warm welcome and traditional hospitality. “He said it was a pleasure for him to visit Turkiye, his second home. He was looking forward to the opportunity to participate in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum and sa... -
Dawn - 19:55 Apr 16, 2026
HARIPUR: At least eight people, including children, were killed and 11 others were injured after a Sui Northern Gas supply line located near a factory burst and caught fire in the Hattar Industrial Estate of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Haripur district, officials said. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Dr Munawwar Afridi from Haripur district headquarters hospital (DHQ), who is also associated with the rural health centre (RHC) in the Kot Najibullah union council, told Dawn that three of the bodies were brought to the DHQ and five others to the RHC. Haripur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Waseem Ahmed told Dawn it appeared that the deaths were mainly caused by suffocation. He separately told the media that three to four nearby houses located within a radius of 200 kilometres of the factory had been affected by the fire. Muhammad Amir, an official of the Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL), told Dawn that the affected supply line had a diameter of 16 inches and supplied gas to industrial estates up to Ab... -
Dawn - 17:48 Apr 16, 2026
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Thursday his country was “ready” for a possible US attack on the communist island following months of mounting pressure from President Donald Trump. “We don’t want that (confrontation) but it is our duty to be ready to avoid it, and if it were unavoidable, to win it,” Diaz-Canel told thousands of people attending a rally in Havana to mark the 65th anniversary of the failed US invasion of the island at the Bay of Pigs. Cuba has been bracing for a possible attack following repeated warnings from Trump that Cuba is “next” after he toppled Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro and went to war against Iran. Washington and Havana have held talks on de-escalating tensions, but the discussions between the arch-foes have failed to make significant headway, according to US media reports. Mariela Castro, daughter of late president Raul Castro, said Cubans “want dialogue” with Washington but “without putting our political system up for debate”. She said her 94-year-old father — who o... -
Dawn - 17:22 Apr 16, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Not a single PTI leader arrived at Adiala jail on Thursday to meet incarcerated ex-premier Imran Khan, despite the names of the party’s heavyweights being sent to the prison administration. The Islamabad High Court has allowed Imran twice-a-week meetings — on Tuesdays and Thursdays — with his family, lawyers and other associates. Despite the order, the ex-premier has been largely restricted from meeting visitors for several months. Party leaders have been facing severe criticism for the last few months as they usually nominate the second or third-tier leadership for meetings with Imran on Thursdays. Meanwhile, on Tuesdays, Imran’s sisters consistently reach Adiala jail in an effort to meet their brother, regardless of the fact that such a meeting has not been allowed in recent months. For Thursday’s meeting, the party had decided to include PTI heavyweights to curb the criticism being levied against the leadership. The list of names sent to Adiala jail Superintendent Sajid Baig, available with Dawn... -
Dawn - 16:51 Apr 16, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Security arrangements in Islamabad were in overdrive on Thursday as speculation continued about the federal capital possibly hosting a second round of talks between the US and Iran. Speaking to Dawn, senior police officials said a meeting — chaired by the deputy inspector general of logistics — was held last night, during which a shortage of manpower in connection with the security arrangements came to light. Officials have also begun carpeting the Islamabad Expressway to remove bumps and potholes in a bid to ensure a smooth drive from Nur Khan Airbase to the Red Zone, they said. Meanwhile, police in the federal capital have also sought 7,000 personnel from Punjab police, 3,000 of whom reached Islamabad on Thursday, the senior officials said. Accommodation for the additional force has been arranged at different locations, including Liaqat Gymnasium and a school in F-7, they added. The remaining force from Punjab was likely to be sent from different districts, including Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranw... -
Dawn - 15:18 Apr 16, 2026
AN HIV outbreak among children should have been a turning point for Taunsa’s main public hospital. Instead, an investigation by the BBC suggests that little has changed. Undercover footage from the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, filmed about eight months after the government’s crackdown in March 2025, shows syringes being reused, injections administered through clothing, and unqualified volunteers treating children with contaminated vials — each lapse a potential death sentence. HIV is not like any other infection. It is a lifelong, incurable virus that weakens the immune system, leaving children vulnerable to repeated illness and dependent on continuous treatment to survive. The scale of the crisis in Taunsa is staggering. At least 331 children tested positive for HIV between November 2024 and October 2025, with infections continuing even after official intervention. Fewer than one in 20 parents tested positive, pointing strongly towards transmission within healthcare settings. Some children have died; others... -
Dawn - 14:57 Apr 16, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The capital administration on Thursday issued an amended notification regarding the closing time for markets, extending the restriction to bakeries and sports facilities. In a notification issued via the office of Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon, the previous April 6 order was slightly amended. Under “partial modification”, bakeries were told to close at 10pm, and sports facilities, including clubs and gymnasiums, to close by 8pm. According to the notification, effective April 16, “all shops, markets, and shopping malls shall be closed at 8pm throughout the week”. However, it added that pharmacies, medical supply stores, medical laboratories, hospitals, petrol pumps, CNG stations, and milk/dairy shops were exempt from the restrictions. “There shall be no restrictions on takeaway and home delivery services,” the notification read. Hotels, restaurants, food outlets, tandoors, grocery stores, kiryana stores, meat shops, vegetable vendors and bakeries will close by 10pm. Meanwhile, the ... -
Dawn - 14:36 Apr 16, 2026
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) confirmed on Thursday that Pakistan has received $2 billion from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The central bank said the funds were received “in the value date of April 15, 2026”. The development comes amid Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia to push diplomatic efforts to promote peace in the Middle East. A day earlier, the kingdom pledged an additional $3bn in deposits for Pakistan and extended its existing $5bn facility for a further three years. On Thursday, the Saudi Press Agency also reported that Saudi Arabia had extended the $5bn deposit with the central bank and announced an “additional $3bn deposit”. “This assistance aims at supporting Pakistan’s economy and strengthening its resilience amidst evolving global economic challenges, and comes in accordance with the leadership’s directives to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood between the two countries, affirming the kingdom’s commitment to fostering the economic growth of Pakistan, which is expected to ... -
Dawn - 14:14 Apr 16, 2026
LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution on Thursday, which called for awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir for their efforts for peace amid the war in the Middle East. The resolution, a copy of which is available with Dawn, was tabled in the assembly by Punjab Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman. It commended Pakistan’s political and military leadership for what it described as a “highly effective diplomatic role” in promoting a ceasefire between the US and Iran, and fostering peace amid a tense international situation The resolution paid tribute to key figures, including PML-N’s Nawaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, PM Shehbaz, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and CDF Munir. It expressed “deep appreciation and pride” over their leadership in navigating complex global challenges. According to the resolution, their “unwavering leadershi... -
Dawn - 14:12 Apr 16, 2026
Crowds gathered for the funerals of eight children and a teacher in southern Turkiye on Thursday, who were killed when a 14-year-old opened fire at a school in a crime that has plunged the country in to shock and the community into grief. As family members and mourners flocked around coffins draped in the Turkish flag in the province of Kahramanmaras, people also placed roses on the steps of the school that was attacked, locals still reeling at what unfolded a day earlier when the teenaged attacker arrived at the building with five guns and opened fire. “We have a tremendous pain,” said Vezir Yucel, whose son played football in the same academy as 10-year-old Bayram Nabi Sisik, one of the students killed at school on Wednesday. “He was such a good kid, respectful and very hardworking,” he told AFP outside the mosque after the funerals. His 11-year-old son Yusuf – standing next to him, was shaking and crying. Authorities said nine people died in Wednesday’s attack — eight children aged 10 and 11 and their teac... -
Dawn - 14:11 Apr 16, 2026
PESHAWAR: A man was “miraculously” found alive on Thursday from the site of a mine collapse 16 days after the incident took place in the Rustam tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mardan district, the Rescue 1122 said. The rescue service said in a statement that the man was rescued from a tunnel in the Darang area. Eight workers were killed in the marble mine collapse on March 31 while three others were injured. One labourer, identified as Khyber from Mohmand district, was also reported missing. In a video statement, Rescue 1122 media coordinator in Mardan Syed Abbas said that the man found alive on Thursday from underneath the debris had been identified as Abdul Wahab. He pointed out that one of the deceased was also identified as Abdul Wahab, hailing from Mohmand, initially. He said that it was now being feared that Khyber had been killed in the incident. Abbas said the rescued man was being provided medical treatment at Mardan Medical Complex, and the Mardan deputy commissioner and Rescue 1122’s district emerge... -
Dawn - 13:59 Apr 16, 2026
No dates have been decided for the second round of talks between the United States and Iran, FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said on Thursday. “Nuclear issues are among the subjects being discussed by the countries,” he said while responding to a question during his weekly briefing. “We will not comment on the positions of Tehran and the parties involved in the negotiations. This is part of the parties’ trust in us,” Andrabi said, urging the media to refrain from speculations. The FO spokesperson further noted that the talks were ongoing with a high level of trust and “secrecy”. “It is essential for us to keep the negotiations confidential,” he added. When asked about the arrival and composition of the delegations for a second round of dialogue, he said, “Who will come, how large the delegation will be, who will stay, and who will leave — this is for the parties to decide.” “The details and information of the negotiations that we had were entrusted to us by the negotiating parties,” he added. He further stated,... -
Dawn - 13:21 Apr 16, 2026
Power Minister Awais Leghari on Thursday reiterated the government’s apology for excessive loadshedding, explaining that the external factor of the fuel supply crisis due to the Middle East war was one of the main reasons. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Leghari reiterated the apology for higher than promised “load management”, which the government had blamed on lower water availability for power generation. “If the public is facing any inconveniences due to us not providing electricity at night and during peak hours, I am directly answerable,” he said. “We apologise too but […] the circumstances are such that they are not in our control. Even then, we ought to apologise,” the minister noted. He said the country had a total shortfall of 4,000 megawatts (MW) due to two reasons: the shortage of fuel imports due to the ongoing Middle East war and reduced hydropower generation. Leghari said the required liquified natural gas (LNG) “stopped coming from abroad after April 1”. He pointed out that Qatar’s...
10418 items