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Dawn - 02:26 Jan 13, 2026
• CJ Aminuddin inaugurates building, resumes hearing on super tax petitions • Lawyers complain about lack of facilities • CJP Afridi opens advocates’ room, Litigant Facilitation Centre at SC ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court finally settled into its newly renovated building on Constitution Avenue on Monday, where FCC Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan presided over a bench to resume hearing challenges to the imposition of the super tax inside the refurbished Courtroom No. 1. Before the hearing, Justice Aminuddin Khan inaugurated the new court building in a simple ceremony attended by Justices Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Aamir Farooq, Ali Baqar Najafi and K.K. Agha, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan, Supreme Court Bar Association President Haroonur Rashid, FCC Registrar Hafeez Khan, along with lawyers and staff of the new establishment. The FCC has a total sanctioned strength of 13 judges. Soon after its establishment, the FCC was shifted to the Islamabad High Co... -
Dawn - 18:51 Jan 12, 2026
The government on Monday withdrew an ordinance which the PPP alleged was promulgated without the approval of President Asif Ali Zardari, hours after the latter staged a walkout from the National Assembly to express its displeasure. Sources told Dawn that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had forwarded a summary advising President Zardari to withdraw the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026. In his remarks during the year’s first NA session, PPP’s Naveed Qamar had not specified which ordinance was promulgated without the president’s approval when he led a walkout by the party, saying it would not participate in proceedings until the situation was addressed. Sources in the PPP, however, had confirmed to Dawn he was referring to an ordinance related to special economic zones. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, meanwhile, said that nowadays there was an e-office through which files were approved online. “This ordinance was also approved. Staff to staff, it was considered approved,” he said in a statement. ... -
Dawn - 18:34 Jan 12, 2026
Tech giants Apple and Google on Monday announced a multi-year partnership that will see Apple’s next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) features, including its Siri assistant, be powered by Google’s Gemini technology. The collaboration marks a significant shift for Apple, which has traditionally developed its core technologies in-house. A joint statement said Apple selected Google’s AI technology after a “careful evaluation” determined it provided “the most capable foundation” for the iPhone-maker’s AI ambitions. The announcement represents a rare alliance between two companies that have long competed in the smartphone market, where Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating systems dominate globally. However, the two rivals have maintained a lucrative partnership for years, with Google paying Apple billions of dollars annually to remain the default search engine on iPhones and other Apple devices. That arrangement has faced scrutiny from regulators, with the US Justice Department arguing in an antitrust... -
Dawn - 17:58 Jan 12, 2026
Indonesia has expressed its desire to further expand defence ties with Pakistan across multiple domains, the military’s media affairs wing said on Monday. The development came as Indonesian Defence Minister Lieutenant General (retd) Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin called on Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. “The meeting focused on matters of mutual interest, evolving regional and global security dynamics, and exploration of avenues for enhancing bilateral defence cooperation,” it said. “Both sides underscored the importance of strengthening institutional linkages, training collaboration and defence industrial cooperation between Pakistan and Indonesia,” it added. “The visiting dignitary lauded the professionalism of Pakistan’s armed forces and acknowledged their sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. He also expressed Indonesia’s desire to further expand defence ties with Pakistan ... -
Dawn - 17:49 Jan 12, 2026
An Indian rocket carrying 16 loads of equipment and experiments, including an earth surveillance satellite, went off track after lift-off on Monday in a fresh setback to the workhorse launch vehicle of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was a second disappointment for the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle in about eight months, denting its reputation for reliability, with a more than 90 per cent success rate over about 60 past missions. The PSLV-C62 lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on the island of Sriharikota at 10:18am local time, carrying the EOS-N1 observation satellite and 15 other payloads developed by startups and academic institutions in India and abroad. The ISRO’s mission control said the rocket performed normally for most of the flight before an unexpected disturbance and deviation from its path. “The PSLV-C62 mission encountered an anomaly during the end of the PS3 stage. A detailed analysis has been initiated,” ISRO said in a statement, without giving further details on ... -
Dawn - 17:12 Jan 12, 2026
Greenland’s government on Monday said it could not accept a US takeover of the Arctic island under “any circumstance”, after US President Donald Trump said that the United States would take the territory “one way or the other”. Trump has repeatedly threatened to bring the island under US control, arguing that the Danish autonomous territory is crucial for national security. He reiterated that the United States must own Greenland, an autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark, to prevent Russia or China from occupying the strategically located and minerals-rich territory in the future. “The United States has once again reiterated its desire to take over Greenland. This is something that the governing coalition in Greenland cannot accept under any circumstances,” the Greenlandic government said in a statement. On Sunday, Trump warned that if the United States didn’t take Greenland, “Russia or China will, and I’m not letting that happen”. The US leader said he would be open to making a deal with the Danish self-g... -
Dawn - 16:32 Jan 12, 2026
Iran, which has accused the US and Israel of fomenting the ongoing unrest in the Middle Eastern country, said on Monday it strongly condemned “interventionist statements” by US President Donald Trump and other officials regarding its internal affairs. Trump has warned Tehran of strikes over the crackdown on the protests and also said on Sunday that he was weighing a range of strong responses, including military options, to action against protesters. Iran’s latest condemnation of his statements came in a press release titled “Fact Sheet on Recent Protests in Iran”, which was shared by the Iranian embassy in Islamabad on the social media platform X. In the statement, Tehran expressed “deep concern regarding overt and increasing foreign interference in the country’s internal affairs and recent protests”. “The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns the interventionist statements made by the president of the United States of America and other American officials,” it said. “Such coercive and unlawful positions ... -
Dawn - 16:07 Jan 12, 2026
DERA ISMAIL KHAN/LAKKI MARWAT: Six cops were martyred on Monday as police vehicles were targeted in two separate incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank and Lakki Marwat districts. “Six policemen were martyred in the IED blast,” said a statement from the Tank police spokesperson, adding that their armoured personnel carrier (APC) was targeted within the jurisdiction of the Gomal police station. “The blast occurred while the APC was on its way to Tank from the Gomal police station,” the statement added. The martyred included an additional station house officer (SHO), the police spokesperson said. The bodies were taken to the Tank District Headquarters Hospital by Rescue 1122. Police have sealed off the area and a “massive” security operation was underway, state-run APP reported. Separately, another IED blast took place near Darra Tang road in Lakki Marwat, which injured three police personnel, according to APP. According to a police statement, which did not specify the number of the wounded, a SHO and “police p... -
Dawn - 16:05 Jan 12, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) recommended on Monday that three ad hoc judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and one of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) be made permanent. The decision was taken during a meeting of the JCP — the key judicial body responsible for appointing judges to the superior judiciary — chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi. A press release issued by the Supreme Court of Pakistan after the meeting said: “The commission also recommended, by majority, the confirmation of the following additional judges as judges of the Islamabad High Court … after due consideration of the relevant data form, antecedents and evaluation of material placed before it.” The commission has recommended the confirmation of Additional Judges Muhammad Azam Khan, Muhammad Asif and Inaam Ameen Minhas of the IHC. “Similarly, the commission also recommended, by consensus of the present members, the confirmation of Justice Najamuddin Mengal, additional judge, as judge of the High Court... -
Dawn - 16:04 Jan 12, 2026
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati has requested the Peshawar Corps Commander to give an in-camera briefing on military operations being carried out in the province’s merged districts, it emerged on Monday. In a letter dated January 8, a copy of which is available with Dawn, the speaker said that the KP Assembly had constituted a 40-member special house committee on September 8, 2025 to examine the overall security situation in KP. Swati said that the committee comprised more than 40 members, including the leader of the house, the leader of the opposition, provincial ministers, parliamentary leaders of respective political parties and members of the KP Assembly, reflecting a “broad-based and representative forum of the house”. The speaker said that in pursuance of the committee’s mandate, it had received detailed briefings from key stakeholders — including from the chief secretary, the additional chief secretary of the Home and Tribal Affairs Department and the provincial police ... -
Dawn - 15:08 Jan 12, 2026
The government on Monday took strong exception to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi saying the state should provide evidence of Kabul’s soil being used against Pakistan. In a media interaction at the home of PTI leader Alamgir Khan on Sunday night, Afridi said that the state should give evidence for the claim that Afghanistan’s soil was being used for terrorism in Pakistan. He said that other countries also shared a border with Afghanistan but they did not have the same complaints. The clip was also shared by state broadcaster PTV on the social media platform X. In a post on X, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that Afridi was speaking as Afghanistan’s “spokesperson“ which was highly “condemnable and shameful”. “The whole world has seen evidence of the Afghan Taliban regime’s support for terrorists, and there is also irrefutable evidence that Afghanistan’s soil is being used for terrorist activities,” Tarar said. “Sohail Afridi has reached the peak of lies and hypocrisy. The Pakistani na... -
Dawn - 14:45 Jan 12, 2026
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has rejected claims circulating on social media alleging that Pakistan is being used as a base or launch corridor to support the United States for a possible military strike on Iran, which has been rocked by protests in recent weeks. The ministry’s fact check account on X attributed the claims to “propaganda machineries in Afghanistan“ and Indian accounts, particularly identifying three handles — Khurasan Media Urdu, Baba Banaras and Afghan Defense. Among them, a post by Khurasan Media Urdu claimed that “special American aircraft have reached Pakistan for an attack on Iran”. The post also mentioned “unusual” flight activity of US aerial refuelling and surveillance aircraft between Pakistan and Iran. A post by Afghan Defense repeated the claim. Baba Banaras’ post made a similar claim, stating: “Multiple US reconnaissance aircraft and cargo planes with weapons landed at Dalbandin Airbase and Pasni Airbase of Pakistan. Looks like the game has been set for Iran.” The m... -
Dawn - 14:28 Jan 12, 2026
Noor Zaman surged in the global squash rankings to break through in the Top 30 on Monday and reach a career best after a scintillating performance at last week’s Karachi Open that saw all six Pakistani players at the tournament improve in the PSA list. Noor reached world number 30 on the Professional Squash Association (PSA) rankings, having achieved his previous career best of 37 on October 27 after a series of international wins. The 21-year-old gave former world champion Mohamed Elshorbagy a run for his money as he took the Englishman to five intense games at the Karachi Open quarterfinals before being defeated 3-2, thereby ending Pakistan’s streak at the international championship. Noor, the U23 world champion at the same venue last year, is no stranger to strong comebacks and lengthy, five-game matches. He was narrowly defeated in the fifth game with a match scoreline of 11-2, 11-8, 6-11, 8-11, 11-9. Former world number one Elshorbagy called Noor one of the most focused players he’s ever seen. “It’s grea... -
Dawn - 13:41 Jan 12, 2026
Britain’s media regulator launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s X on Monday to determine whether sexually intimate deepfakes produced by its Grok AI chatbot violated its duty to protect people in the UK from content that could be illegal. “There have been deeply concerning reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to create and share undressed images of people which may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography and sexualised images of children that may amount to child sexual abuse material,” Ofcom said in a statement. The regulator is under pressure to act after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the images produced by Grok were “disgusting” and “unlawful”. When asked for comment on Monday on the launch of the formal investigation, X pointed to a previous statement in which it said it takes action against illegal content on the platform — including child sexual abuse material — by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as ne... -
Dawn - 12:43 Jan 12, 2026
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said on Monday that the Sindh government had not upheld the honour of the ajrak and topi and criticised its treatment of its “guests”. The chief minister is currently on a visit to Karachi, where he staged a rally at the Mazar-i-Quaid on Sunday. In an address to the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) in Karachi on Monday, Afridi thanked all the SHCBA members for their warm welcome and generous hospitality, adding that people from all over Pakistan — including Pashtuns, Kashmiris, Balochis — of every school of thought were present there. In contrast to this welcome from the public, however, he decried the provincial government’s treatment of him and his guests in Karachi, saying that they had “desecrated” the honour of the Sindhi ajrak and topi. “I think every Sindhi will fully condemn this,” he said amid an outcry of support from the crowd. The KP CM also criticised the fact that the constitution and law were being “toyed with,” saying that it was not on... -
Dawn - 12:23 Jan 12, 2026
Former Test cricketer and chief selector Mohammad Ilyas passed away at the age of 79 after fighting a prolonged illness, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Monday. Ilyas — a right-hand batter and right-arm leg-spin bowler — played 10 Test matches along with 82 first-class and two List-A games between 1961 and 1976, PCB said in a statement as it expressed its grief following Ilyas’s passing. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi also extended his heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the bereaved family, while also paying homage to the late Ilyas for his valuable services to the game of cricket in Pakistan. Ilyas made his Test debut against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 4, 1964 and played his last Test match against England at Dhaka from February 28 to March 3, 1969, according to the national board. Apart from one Test century, the opening batsman boasted a record of 12 first-class tons, having scored 4,607 runs in the format. His solitary Test century came in the third Test match of a 2-0 ... -
Dawn - 11:41 Jan 12, 2026
Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari on Monday refuted claims by PTI leaders that different and unrelated videos were submitted for a forensic report about the May 9, 2023 riots. KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has found himself in the centre of a legal controversy after a forensic report, submitted by the prosecution to the anti-terrorism court in the Radio Pakistan attack case, identified him as one of the suspects seen in the purported video clips of the incident. “There are two separate videos [of KP CM] and they should not be confused. One of the videos must be from Zaman Park. However, the other one showing [him] vandalising and lighting fire has been deleted [from the social media account],” she said while addressing a press conference in Lahore. “When KP chief minister realised that an effort to rebellion which he termed as revolution failed, he deleted the videos [of May 9, 2023] from social media. However, the videos remained in the record,” said Bokhari. She further claimed thei... -
Dawn - 11:35 Jan 12, 2026
President Asif Ali Zardari will undertake an official visit to Bahrain from January 13-16, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement on Monday. According to the FO, the president will be accompanied by a “high-level delegation”. It said that during the visit, the president will hold meeting with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who is also the prime minister. “The discussions will focus on bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest,” the FO said. “The visit seeks to reinforce Pakistan’s longstanding cooperation with the brotherly Gulf nation while expanding opportunities for collaboration in trade and economic partnership, defence and security, and people-to-people ties,” it added. Last year in November, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during a two-day visit to Bahrain, had reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to deepening ties with the kingdom. Discussing economic relations, the prime minister had underlined Pakistan’s desire to exp... -
Dawn - 09:04 Jan 12, 2026
India and the United States will discuss trade issues in their next call tomorrow, Washington’s newly-appointed ambassador to New Delhi, Sergio Gor, said on Monday, at a time when failure to secure a trade deal has roiled their ties and pushed the rupee to a record low. India will also be invited to join Pax Silica next month, Gor said, referring to a US-led initiative to build a silicon supply chain from critical minerals to semiconductors and AI. Trade talks between India and the US fell apart last year and Trump then doubled tariffs on Indian goods in August to 50 per cent, among the world’s highest rates, including a levy of 25pc to punish New Delhi for purchasing Russian oil. The two nations have been close to a deal on several occasions since they agreed to negotiate in February last year, India said last week. “Both sides continue to actively engage. In fact, the next call on trade will occur tomorrow,” Gor said in New Delhi as he formally took charge of his position, adding that the two countries will... -
Dawn - 08:24 Jan 12, 2026
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Monday said that, according to the latest numerical analysis of weather data, temperatures in the coming days will stay within the “normal winter range,” dismissing reports claiming an “extreme cold wave” expected from January 16 to 25. In a rebuttal issued today, the PMD said, “Certain social media platforms are circulating misleading and unverified forecasts claiming an extreme cold wave across Pakistan during the period from Jan 16-25 with record-breaking temperatures in the country.” The weather body dismissed the reports of extreme weather, stating that “No such extreme or historic cold wave is expected during the mentioned period”. “According to the latest analysis of numerical weather prediction models and observational data, temperatures are within the normal winter range, with no indication of widespread or persistent record-breaking conditions,” PMD said. It urged the public to rely on official forecasts, warnings and advisories issued by the PMD. PMD ...
7934 items