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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 ... -
Dawn - 08:14 Jan 12, 2026
The motorway police have said that all motorways under its jurisdiction have been opened for traffic, after dense fog conditions prompted partial closure of several motorways early on Monday. In a post on X, the National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) said, “All motorways falling under the jurisdiction of the NHMP have been opened for traffic upon improved visibility”. Earlier, due to dense and persistent fog conditions, the motorway police had partially closed various key motorways, including sections of the M-2, M-3, M-4, M-5, and M-11. At 10:25am on Monday, NHMP said on its X account that the M-2 motorway had been closed from Thokar Niaz Baig to Sial Mor, the M-3 motorway remained closed from Faisal Pur to Darakhana, and the M-4 motorway is closed from Shershah to Pindi Bhattian. While the M-5 motorway is closed from Shershah to Zaheer Peer, and the M-11 motorway is closed from Lahore to Sambrial. Earlier, the NHMP said that Motorway M-5 was closed from Rohri to Rahim Yar Khan, but it had now been ope... -
Dawn - 07:29 Jan 12, 2026
Australia has tightened checks for student visa applicants from India, moving it to the ‘highest risk’ category along with Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan, according to Australian and Indian media. The Times of India reported on Sunday that the re-rating of the countries was out of cycle, quoting Australian media, while the administration said this was triggered by “emerging integrity risks”. According to the TOI report, the administration did not cite any specific reason for which India had been assigned to a new category. However, it added that the move came after reports of “fake degree busts” in India which had reached international media. “India alone accounts for almost 140,000 of Australia’s 650,000 international students, and the four nations represent nearly one-third of 2025 enrolments,” the Indian outlet said. Impact on students Assessment levels influence not only the documentary burden but also how easily prospective students can plan to study in Australia, according to The Australia Today. “Higher... -
Dawn - 06:40 Jan 12, 2026
US President Donald Trump urged Cuba on Sunday to “make a deal” soon, pledging to cut off all oil and money flowing to the communist-run island after the toppling of Havana’s key ally, Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. The threatening social media post drew an angry retort from Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who said “no one” would tell his country what to do. Washington has imposed economy-crippling sanctions on its island neighbour for decades, but Trump has ramped up the pressure in recent days. US special forces seized Maduro and his wife this month in a lightning raid that left dozens of the ousted Venezuelan president’s security personnel dead — many of whom were Cuban. Though Maduro’s allies have become interim leaders, Trump has claimed the United States now actually controls Venezuela through a US naval blockade of its vital oil sector. “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO!” Trump said on his Truth Social platform. “I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.” ... -
Dawn - 04:51 Jan 12, 2026
PESHAWAR: During ongoing operations against militants in Bannu, the Counter-Terrorism Department’s Bannu region, in coordination with local police, carried out a successful intelligence-based operation (IBO), killing two terrorists. According to police, the operation was conducted within the jurisdiction of Mirakhel Police Station on Jhandokhel Road near Shagi Machankhel. Acting on credible intelligence, CTD Bannu’s Special Weapons and Tactics teams, along with Bannu Police, cordoned off the area and launched the operation. During the action, the terrorists opened fire, prompting effective retaliatory fire by the police and CTD personnel. Following an exchange of fire, two terrorists were found dead during a search operation. They were identified as Suhail Khan alias Sangri and Ismail alias Usman. Police stated that both terrorists were involved in attacks on Sheikh Landik and Fateh Khel police check posts, in which eight police constables were injured. They were also involved in attacks on security forces’ c... -
Dawn - 03:09 Jan 12, 2026
LAHORE: President of the Istehkam Pakistan Party (IPP) and Federal Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has urged political parties to show magnanimity and accept the need for smaller provinces to facilitate the people at their doorsteps. Speaking at a party workers’ convention at Kamoke, around 50km from Lahore, he said that the IPP has launched a movement for creation of smaller provinces as an immediate and sustainable solution to problems of people living in far-flung areas. “We will not change the names of provinces; new provinces should be created like in Punjab as North, South, West, and East Punjab. For this purpose, political parties must rise above narrow-mindedness and show magnanimity as it is in everyone’s own interest,” he said. Welcoming support from MQM and other political parties for the proposal of new provinces, he said this would save people’s time and energy and allow their issues to be resolved closer to their doorstep. Parties must show magnanimity to back the proposal: Aleem He sai... -
Dawn - 02:49 Jan 12, 2026
• Punjab forensic report calls videos genuine, profile photos matched • PTI leaders say clips unrelated to case; Azma terms evidence ‘irrefutable’ PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 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. The report prepared by the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) is based on the footage of the ransacking of the Radio Pakistan office in Peshawar after the arrest of ex-prime minister Imran Khan in May 2023. Last month, the court ordered that the clips be sent for examination and a report be submitted. At the time, the defence had not questioned the relevance or the legitimacy of the footage. The authorities had provided the video clips and the pictures of CM Afridi, former provincial ministers Taimur Saleem Jhagra and Kamran Bangash, and two other P... -
Dawn - 02:36 Jan 12, 2026
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has summoned the National Assembly session on Monday (today), setting the stage to initiate the process of appointing the leader of the opposition. The opposition leader issue is expected to resurface after PTI’s Omar Ayub withdrew his petitions in the Supreme Court and high courts against his removal. Before the petition was withdrawn, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said he couldn’t begin the appointment process as the issue was sub judice. With the summoning of the assembly, Speaker Sadiq is expected to ask the opposition to follow the process for appointing a new leader. The opposition has repeatedly accused the government of delaying the appointment process and nominated Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mehmood Achakzai as the opposition leader. Rule 39 of the “Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 2007” confirms it is the sole prerogative of the speaker to ask the opposition at any time to submit a name, after which the opposition may... -
Dawn - 00:49 Jan 12, 2026
• PM-appointed panel calls for measures to improve ease of doing business • Seeks tariff overhaul to lift exports beyond $60bn in three years • Highlights cross-cutting barriers across 20 export products • Notes ‘policy unpredictability’ undermines investor, buyer confidence ISLAMABAD: A body constituted by the prime minister and led by Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal has called for urgent reforms to improve the ease of doing business and for a serious restructuring and rationalisation of tariffs — both energy prices and trade duties — to more than double exports to over $60 billion within three years. The committee was formed to devise a strategy for avoiding another IMF programme once the current $8.4bn arrangement expires at the end of 2027, amid mounting pressure from persistently weak economic indicators. According to synopses compiled after week-long consultations with public and private sector stakeholders from Jan 5 to 9, the panel concluded that the current state of affairs was not capable of drivi... -
Dawn - 21:24 Jan 11, 2026
India beat New Zealand by four wickets in the first one-day international in Vadodara on Sunday, where the in-form Virat Kohli fell agonisingly short of his 54th ODI hundred. The 37-year-old batting maestro, who had scored 376 in his last four ODI innings, anchored India’s chase of 301 with a sublime knock of 93 featuring eight boundaries and a six, but he was dismissed by Kyle Jamieson when a landmark century was within reach. The Vadodara crowd’s disappointment was palpable as their hero departed, but they rose to applaud Kohli, who achieved another milestone by becoming the second-highest run scorer in international cricket across all formats. With his 77th ODI fifty, Kohli moved on to 28,068 runs and surpassed Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara (28,016) to sit behind only Indian icon Sachin Tendulkar’s 34,357. “If I look back at my whole journey, it’s nothing short of a dream come true for me,” Kohli said on moving one step closer to his mentor Tendulkar. “I’ve always known my abilities, how much ability I... -
Dawn - 20:31 Jan 11, 2026
KARACHI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday briefly addressed hundreds gathered near Mazar-i-Quaid for the party’s rally, while the PTI claimed it faced hurdles in reaching the venue and its supporters were met with shelling by the police. The Sindh government had permitted the PTI to hold a rally at Bagh-i-Jinnah. However, the PTI, citing a delay in receiving the permit, announced a change in venue, saying it would stage the gathering at one of the gates of Mazar-i-Quaid. During the day, PTI supporters gathered at Bagh-i-Jinnah, where the police employed shelling. Disturbances were also reported near Numaish Chowrangi as police dispersed crowds, while media vehicles were also vandalised. “I am deeply grateful to all Pakistanis and the people of Sindh for honouring us with enormous respect and esteem,” CM Afridi said while addressing a huge crowd near Mazar-i-Quaid late on Sunday night. “We can never forget the respect we received from the people of Sindh. But you all must not forgive t...
8064 items