Dawn
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Dawn - 03:50 Apr 10, 2026
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has ruled that the computerised national identity card (CNIC) is not a “movable property” of its holder and cannot be blocked, impounded or attached by civil courts as a coercive measure in civil proceedings. Justice Tanveer Ahmad Sheikh handed down the ruling at Multan Bench, while allowing a writ petition filed by Muhammad Ali Ansari, who had challenged the blocking of his CNIC by the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) on the directions of a civil court in execution proceedings. A civil suit was filed against the petitioner, which came into his knowledge when Nadra blocked his CNIC in pursuance of a civil court order in the execution proceedings. The petitioner’s counsel argued that the coercive measure adopted by executing court/civil court was in flagrant violation of Section 18(2) of the National Database and Registration Authority Ordinance, 2000. The court rules civil court has no authority to direct Nadra to block CNIC as a coercive step He said the civi... -
Dawn - 03:31 Apr 10, 2026
• First one was reported last month • A resident of East district dies from dengue, says health dept KARACHI: As authorities struggle to contain the mpox outbreak in Khairpur, a public health crisis seems to have emerged in Karachi, which saw its second suspected case of local transmission of mpox and the first death from dengue on Thursday. According to the health department, the dengue victim was a resident of city’s East district, while the mpox patient, a resident of Buffer Zone, is currently under treatment at the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital and Research Centre (SIDH&RC). “He is a 20-year-old student. He is stable and has no travel history,” SIDH&RC Medical Superintendent Dr Abdul Wahid Rajput told Dawn. Sources said it’s the second case of mpox in Karachi, indicating local transmission of the viral disease. The first one was reported last month at the SIDH&RC. The patient was discharged after complete recovery. Health department officials shared that a team led by focal person Dr Shankar has been... -
Dawn - 02:36 Apr 10, 2026
• Worshippers describe an ‘indescribable happiness’, one calls it ‘a miracle’ • Tensions flare as police disperse Muslims at Al Aqsa for Jewish visitors JERUSALEM : Just before 5am at Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque compound, a Muslim worshipper prayed in tears. A few hours later, similar emotion overcame Christians and Jews as the city’s holy sites reopened following the truce with Iran. Jerusalem’s Old City contains major holy sites for all three Abrahamic religions, which had been shuttered since the start of the war sparked by the US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28. For the first time in 41 days, Muslim worshippers returned to Al Aqsa Mosque, Jews to the Western Wall and Christians to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. At Al Aqsa, Islam’s third holiest site which was closed during most of the Muslim holy month of Ramazan this year, thousands of worshippers performed the ritual dawn prayer under a heavy police presence. One man stood by the entrance of the Al-Qibli prayer hall, handing out paper tissues to... -
Dawn - 02:32 Apr 10, 2026
• Govt spends only 41.5pc of development budget in first nine months • PSDP already cut by Rs90bn to fund fuel subsidies • Parliamentarians’ schemes see 70pc utilisation in just four months ISLAMABAD: Barring about 70 per cent utilisation of public funds for ruling parliamentarians’ schemes, the government and its agencies struggled with the development programme, spending less than half of the budget allocations for public welfare projects under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) in the first three quarters of the current fiscal year. According to the Ministry of Planning and Development, total utilisation of PSDP funds amounted to Rs415 billion in the first nine months (July-March), accounting for 41.5pc of the Rs1 trillion budget allocation. The utilisation was slightly better than 36.4pc in the same period last year, when PSDP expenditure amounted to Rs400bn against an allocation of Rs1.1tr. Towards the end of March, the government slashed PSDP allocations by Rs90bn to finance fuel subsidies ... -
Dawn - 02:24 Apr 10, 2026
• Vows to support US, Iran in reaching a peaceful settlement • PM, army chief review mediation efforts, arrangements for talks • Israeli strikes in Lebanon threaten to derail negotiations • Iran says it was ready to retaliate before Pakistan intervened • Warns continued attacks could make talks ‘meaningless’ ISLAMABAD: Field Marshal Asim Munir calls on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.—APP ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday vowed to support Iran and the United States in reaching a peaceful settlement as Israeli strikes in Lebanon continued to weigh on the prospects of the upcoming dialogue, with Islamabad stepping up diplomatic engagement to keep a two-week ceasefire between Tehran and Washington from collapsing. The commitment came during a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, where they reviewed the progress of Pakistan’s mediatory efforts and finalised arrangements for the talks. “They expressed satisfaction over the de-escala... -
Dawn - 02:12 Apr 10, 2026
• 10,000 security personnel deployed, ‘blue book’ protocol for visitors • Multi-tier security arrangements supervised by military; all roads to red zone, except for Margalla, sealed ISLAMABAD: The federal capital was on ‘red alert’ ahead of crucial peace talks between the US and Iran in the city, with more than 10,000 police and security personnel deployed to ensure the safety of the visiting delegates. Sources said the multi-tiered security arrangement would be supervised by the military, assisted by the paramilitary forces, such as Rangers, and the Islamabad and Punjab police. The Islamabad Traffic Police and the National Highway and Motorways Police will be deployed on roads to ensure smooth traffic flow. About 6,000 personnel of the capital police, 900 Frontier Constabulary, and 3,000 personnel of the Punjab Constabulary, along with the Rangers and Pakistan Army troops, would perform duties. About 1,000 traffic police officials would also be deployed. The army and the Rangers would ensure the protection... -
Dawn - 01:11 Apr 10, 2026
For the longer-term, the new owners have outlined a plan to double the national flag carrier’s fleet to 60 aircraft.—Reuters/file KARACHI: Arif Habib, chairman of the Arif Habib Consortium, which owns Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), has said that the national flag carrier currently has 30 aircraft, of which 18 are operational, and five to six require repair and maintenance. Speaking to industrialists at the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) on Thursday, he said the airline is working to make these aircraft operational, and adding them back to the fleet will bring the total to 26. The long-term target is to expand the fleet to 60 aircraft. Pakistan, he said, had become more economically stable, and that this fiscal year’s figures showed the government had increased revenue, met all expenditure and paid interest on debt. However, he stressed the need to reduce production costs to boost economic growth. He said electricity tariffs remained high because of capacity charges and low consumptio... -
Dawn - 21:24 Apr 09, 2026
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he had ordered his ministers to begin direct talks with Lebanon, pushing for Hezbollah’s disarmament amid mounting concern that its ongoing strikes could cause the fragile US-Iran truce to unravel. A Lebanese government official told AFP shortly after Netanyahu’s announcement that Beirut “wants a ceasefire” declared before starting any negotiations with Israel, a day after deadly strikes across the country. At least 300 people were killed and more than 1,000 wounded in the bombardment on Wednesday, the Lebanese health ministry said, while Hezbollah said it was engaged in close-quarters combat against Israeli forces on the ground on Thursday in the south Lebanon town of Bint Jbeil. Netanyahu’s order for direct negotiations with Lebanon’s government was focused on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peace, according to a statement from his office, but he offered no immediate respite from the bombardment. “Lebanon wants a ceasefire before starting nego... -
Dawn - 20:47 Apr 09, 2026
Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei in his latest written message said that the Islamic republic does not want war with the United States and Israel, but would protect its rights as a nation, state television reported on Thursday. “We did not seek war and we do not want it,” he said in the message read out on state TV, coinciding with 40 days since his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was assassinated on February 28, the first day of the US-Israeli war on Iran. “But we will not renounce our legitimate rights under any circumstances, and in this respect, we consider the entire resistance front as a whole,” he added, in an apparent reference to Lebanon where Israel has been carrying out strikes that it says target Hezbollah. Iran this week agreed to a two-week ceasefire with the United States that could lead to peace negotiations after threats of annihilation from US President Donald Trump. Khamenei told Iranians that they must “not imagine that taking to the streets is no longer necessary” despite the an... -
Dawn - 20:42 Apr 09, 2026
US First Lady Melania Trump made a surprise statement on Thursday denying any knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, or that she herself was a victim of the convicted sex offender. The 55-year-old’s rare on-camera remarks at the White House came out of the blue, in an extraordinary intervention in a scandal that has long haunted her husband President Donald Trump. “The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” she said. “The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect.” It was not clear why the Slovenian-born former model decided to give the public statement, and she did not detail any specific allegations about her and the late, convicted sex offender. Melania and Donald Trump had previously been photographed with Epstein, but she said that she had met her husband independently two years prior to meeting Epstein. “I am not Epstein’s victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump,” Melania said. She said “fake images and statements about... -
Dawn - 18:49 Apr 09, 2026
LAHORE: A PML-N lawmaker submitted on Thursday a resolution in the Punjab Assembly, calling for the nomination of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar for the Nobel Peace Prize. The resolution, submitted by PML-N Chief Whip Rana Muhammad Arshad, stated that Pakistan’s leadership demonstrated “effective diplomacy” amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel and the United States. The growing tensions, the resolution added, threatened global peace. It said Pakistan’s leadership played a significant role in promoting peace and stability at the international level during a period of heightened tensions. The resolution also commended former PM and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s “guidance” in the matter, further highlighting Pakistan’s “positive and balanced global role”. It called for the nomination of Field Marshal Munir, PM Shehbaz and DPM Dar for the Nobel Peace Prize. Moreover, a... -
Dawn - 18:30 Apr 09, 2026
LAHORE: In a move to dismantle colonial-era legal barriers, a bill was submitted in the Punjab Assembly’s Standing Committee on Minority Affairs on Thursday, seeking a raise in the minimum marriage age of Christians to 18. This bill seeks to resolve decades of hurdles in documentation that have left many Christian marriages unrecognised by union councils and the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra). The proposed ‘Christian Marriage Act Bill, 2026’ was submitted as a private member bill by Falbus Christopher, the chairman of the Standing Committee on Minority Affairs. Under the bill, the age of marriage — previously set at 16 years for boys and 13 years for girls — will be standardised to 18 years. Furthermore, the bill mandates that both the bride and groom must be Christian for the marriage to be solemnised under this specific act, shifting from the current law, which only requires one party to be of the Christian faith. One of the most significant practical changes involved the formal integr... -
Dawn - 16:33 Apr 09, 2026
The world was relieved on Wednesday when Pakistan mounted an overnight diplomatic push to secure a temporary ceasefire and bring Washington and Tehran into direct negotiations. Things, however, were different for Lebanon. Israel launched its heaviest and most coordinated air assault on Lebanon since its conflict with Hezbollah began on March 2 amid the Middle East war hours after the US-Iran truce, killing more than 250 people. The assault proceeded even as the Hezbollah paused its own attacks, abiding by what sources close to the group said it understood to be an inclusive truce. On the other hand, Israel and the US insisted that Lebanon was not part of the temporary ceasefire. But Iranian officials rejected that interpretation, saying partial ceasefires were unacceptable and warning of a “decisive response” if violations continued. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has now said he has instructed Israel to begin peace talks with Lebanon that would also include the disarmament of Hezbollah. Lebanese P... -
Dawn - 15:53 Apr 09, 2026
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects to have to provide up to $50 billion in immediate financial assistance to countries affected by the Middle East war, its managing director said on Thursday, with the crisis likely to have lasting economic effects. “Given the spillovers of the Middle East war, we expect near-term demand for IMF balance-of-payments support to rise to somewhere between $20bn and $50bn, with the lower bound prevailing if the ceasefire holds,” Kristalina Georgieva said, according to prepared remarks shared with AFP. She added that food insecurity due to transport and supply chain disruptions caused by the war was expected to affect at least 45 million people. “Even in a best case, there will be no neat and clean return to the status quo ante,” she said, as a fragile ceasefire appeared to hold on Thursday. The IMF chief was kicking off the annual Spring Meetings co-hosted by the IMF and the World Bank in Washington, which brings together top economic policymakers from around the world. ... -
Dawn - 15:43 Apr 09, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir on Thursday reviewed the “progress of Pakistan’s mediatory efforts to achieve sustainable peace in the region”. In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said CDF Munir called on PM Shehbaz. “The dignitaries reviewed the progress of Pakistan’s mediatory efforts to achieve sustainable peace in the region. The two leaders expressed satisfaction over the de-escalation achieved so far and stressed upon the need for maintaining peace and ceasefire by all parties,” it said. “The leadership appreciated the restraint demonstrated by all sides and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to facilitate and provide all-out support to both sides to arrive at a peacefully negotiated settlement,” the statement said. The statement said the premier lauded the commitment of the parties involved in the process and wished them success in their pursuit of peace. “He also renewed his invitation to the arriving delegations an... -
Dawn - 14:53 Apr 09, 2026
The Sindh government on Thursday constituted a high-level committee to “ensure the execution of the inquiry report” of the Gul Plaza inferno, which claimed the lives of more than 70 people in January. The deadly fire erupted on the night of Jan 17 and took nearly two days to be fully extinguished, leaving the ground-plus-three-storey building of Gul Plaza in ruins, with some of its sections collapsed. Subsequently, a one-member judicial commission was formed to probe the incident, and it handed over its report to the Sindh government on Tuesday. A statement issued by the Sindh Home Department said the decision to form a committee for the report’s implementation was taken during a meeting of the provincial cabinet’s sub-committee, where the report was reviewed. “This decision follows significant progress made after the investigation into the unfortunate fire incident at Gul Plaza Shopping Centre, Karachi,” the statement read. The commission, headed by Justice Agha Faisal of the Sindh High Court, identified the... -
Dawn - 14:35 Apr 09, 2026
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam held a phone call with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday, in which he sought Pakistan’s support for bringing an immediate end to Israeli attacks on his country, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The statement said that during the call, PM Shehbaz strongly condemned Israel’s ongoing aggression against Lebanon and expressed condolences over the loss of thousands of precious lives in these hostilities. “The prime minister said that Pakistan was engaged in sincere efforts for regional peace and it was in this spirit that the peace talks between Iran and the US were being convened,” it said. “While thanking PM Shehbaz for his peace efforts, the prime minister of Lebanon sought Pakistan’s support for bringing an immediate end to the attacks targeting Lebanon and its people,” the statement said, adding that both leaders agreed to remain in contact. PM Shehbaz also posted on X about the phone call, saying, “Grateful to Prime Minister Nawaf Salam who expressed... -
Dawn - 13:21 Apr 09, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) on Thursday warned citizens of additional fees and penalties for those who delay obtaining or renewing their identity documents. In a press release, the authority said that identity documents were issued for a specified time and it was every the responsibility of every adult citizen to ensure the timely renewal of their identity documents, particularly CNICs, before their expiry. “Failing this, essential services linked to these documents, including bank accounts, mobile phone SIMs, and other verification-based services may be adversely affected or suspended,” it said. “Furthermore, citizens whose identity cards have expired may not be able to avail themselves of various government and welfare programmes, such as the Benazir Income Support Programme, government subsidy schemes, including the recently announced fuel subsidy scheme, as well as transactions like property and vehicle transfers,” it added. “This results in unnecessary hardship for... -
Dawn - 12:48 Apr 09, 2026
A key opposition Indian politician has threatened legal action against the election commission after millions of people were struck off electoral rolls, the latest flashpoint over a contentious voter clean-up drive. A sweeping voter registration overhaul — known as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) — meant to remove ineligible voters but which critics say is skewed against marginalised and minority communities, kicked off last year in several states and territories. Many of these regions voted on Thursday to elect local governments, with two other states slated to go to polls later this month. That includes West Bengal, a state with roughly 100 million people led by Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress party, where it has run into furious opposition. West Bengal is also a crucial election battleground, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has never governed. Voting was under way in Assam and Kerala, along with the federally administered territory of Puducherry, while West ... -
Dawn - 12:29 Apr 09, 2026
Security has been beefed up in the Red Zone in the federal capital and local holidays have been declared in the twin cities as Pakistan is gearing up to host talks between the United States and Iran. Due to the sensitivity and importance of the talks, comprehensive security measures have been put in place, involving all law enforcement agencies and security forces. VVIP protocol under the Blue Book will be extended to the delegations during their movement, stay and meetings. Police, paramilitary troops and other security forces will perform duties under strict guidelines outlined in the Blue Book and other applicable standard operating procedures. Separate routes are also being prepared for the movement of the delegations. Journalists gather in front of shipping containers after authorities blocked roads in the Red Zone area in Islamabad on April 9, 2026. — AFP A bus is seen on a deserted street after authorities blocked roads in the Red Zone area in Islamabad on April 9, 2026. — AFP Security personnel inspec...
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