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Dawn - 12:04 Apr 09, 2026
WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s mediation that helped bring about a temporary US–Iran ceasefire has drawn global attention, with Islamabad’s envoy to Washington reiterating that the breakthrough was the result of “an intense diplomatic effort that was in progress over the past few weeks.” In an interview with CNN, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Rizwan Saeed Sheikh said Islamabad’s role was underpinned by trust from all sides, careful consultations, and a commitment to discretion. The interview on Wednesday came as Washington announced dispatching a high‑level negotiating team led by Vice President J.D. Vance to Islamabad to begin formal talks on ending hostilities following the ceasefire announced early Wednesday. China’s quiet but crucial role While Ambassador Sheikh did not map out specific country roles in detail, he acknowledged Beijing’s constructive stance. “China, from the very start, has also been mentioning the exercise of restraint and affording space for diplomacy to both sides,” he told CNN — a comment th... -
Dawn - 11:36 Apr 09, 2026
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reached a staff-level pact with Sri Lanka, which will unlock financing of about $700 million once approved, the lender said on Thursday, calling for reforms, including in fuel levies, to ensure stability and growth. The deal comes as the island nation recovers from its worst economic crisis in decades, which led to a foreign debt default in 2022 and a $2.9-billion IMF bailout programme. Sri Lanka’s economic reforms have supported the recovery, but it has been significantly exposed to the Iran war and needs to “build back better” after Cyclone Ditwah, the IMF added. The Middle East conflict caused a surge in energy prices, disrupted a key air hub for tourists, and affected Sri Lankans working in the region, said Evan Papageorgiou, the IMF’s mission chief for Sri Lanka. “The staff-level agreement will go before the IMF executive board at the end of May or early April,” he added. Sri Lanka will need to raise power tariffs further and carefully manage its finances to navigate... -
Dawn - 11:24 Apr 09, 2026
The Rawalpindi Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education on Thursday postponed the matric examinations scheduled to be held on April 10 (Friday) — when the federal capital will be abuzz with diplomatic activity during talks between the US and Iran. In a statement, it said that the exams at 64 examination centres across the city had been postponed. However, it said that exams in other districts of Rawalpindi Division would continue as per the schedule announced. According to a statement issued by the Rawalpindi BISE, the postponed exams included compulsory Urdu and geography. A new date for the postponed papers would be announced later, and the candidates would be duly informed, the statement said. The district authorities of the twin cities have declared two local holidays in Islamabad and Rawalpindi on April 9 (today) and April 10 (Friday) to ensure security for the scheduled peace talks between Iran and the United States. Due to the sensitivity and importance of the talks, comprehensive security measure... -
Dawn - 10:29 Apr 09, 2026
Just minutes before a self-imposed deadline — an unprecedented threat to wipe out “a whole civilisation” — was set to expire, US President Donald Trump announced early Wednesday a two-week ceasefire halting the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has engulfed the Middle East. The development, anxiously awaited by much of the world, followed a long night of back-channel diplomacy spearheaded by Pakistan. Now, with a fragile ceasefire barely holding and tensions still flaring, Islamabad is set to host talks between the warring parties this Saturday. In an earlier post on Truth Social, Trump said the US had received a 10-point proposal from Iran, which he described as “a workable basis on which to negotiate”. On the other hand, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi mentioned a 15-point US proposal that negotiators said could end the conflict. But neither of the proposals have been formally unveiled as yet. Versions of both have been leaked and published online, and they seem to be poles apart, making the upcoming neg... -
Dawn - 09:54 Apr 09, 2026
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday assured US Ambassador to Pakistan Natalie Baker of foolproof security for all foreign dignitaries ahead of the US-Iran talks scheduled in Islamabad this week. Pakistan is set to host in-person talks between the US and Iran on Saturday after a two-week ceasefire was announced between the two countries, bringing a pause to the hostilities which broke out on February 28. In a meeting with the US envoy, Naqvi assured her of the security arrangements taken ahead of the talks and stated that the US Vice President JD Vance, US Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner were “our special guests,” according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Interior. “A comprehensive plan has been prepared to provide foolproof security to all foreign guests in every respect,” the minister was quoted as saying. The US envoy appreciated Pakistan’s diplomatic role during the meeting. Meanwhile, the Islamabad Police, in a traffic advisory posted on X, said diversions will be... -
Dawn - 09:36 Apr 09, 2026
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a phone call from his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, the Saudi foreign ministry said on Thursday. It marked the first official contact between the countries since Tehran launched strikes against its Gulf neighbours in retaliation for Israeli-American attacks. “During the call, they reviewed the latest developments and discussed ways to reduce tensions to restore security and stability in the region,” the Saudi ministry said. The phone call comes a day after the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Israel. Following the ceasefire, Prince Faisal also held phone calls with his counterparts from the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Turkiye and Jordan, according to statements by the foreign ministry. Saudi Arabia welcomed the ceasefire, with its foreign ministry expressing hope that it would lead to a “comprehensive and sustainable de-escalation”. It further expressed the hope that the ceasefire would enhance regional security and halt ... -
Dawn - 08:50 Apr 09, 2026
Four astronauts travelling back to Earth from the far side of the moon on Nasa’s Artemis II mission spoke of their emotions as they wrapped up the unprecedented flight and prepared to re-enter the atmosphere in a “fireball”, during their first press conference from space on Wednesday. The Artemis II crew, flying in their Orion capsule since launching from Florida last week, are due to splash down off the Southern California coast on Friday evening after reaching the moon earlier this week. They cruised along a path that took them past the shadowed, lunar far side to become the farthest-flying humans in history. On the trip back home, they will reach speeds of up to 38,365 kph as they enter Earth’s atmosphere, a high-risk phase of the mission that will put Orion’s heatshield to the test as it gets battered by intense atmospheric friction. “I’ve actually been thinking about entry since April 3, 2023 when we got assigned to this mission,” said Artemis II mission pilot Victor Glover, when asked how he was feeling... -
Dawn - 04:57 Apr 09, 2026
KARACHI: Raising concern over the mpox outbreak in Khairpur, experts at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) on Wednesday urged healthcare providers and policymakers to treat the viral disease as an immediate public health concern. Last week, an outbreak of mpox was reported from Khairpur when the Sindh health department said lab results confirmed that seven newborn babies had the zoonotic viral infection and four of them died. In response to the situation, the AKUH held a media roundtable, where the experts said that the active outbreak of mpox in Khairpur and the local transmission suspected in Karachi, indicated that the cases were no longer exclusively coming from abroad. They explained that one of the two cases confirmed in Karachi this year pointed to possible local transmission, while the Khairpur outbreak suggested the virus had entered healthcare settings, exposing critical gaps in infection prevention and control beyond major urban centres. Experts urge authorities to treat the disease as an imme... -
Dawn - 04:55 Apr 09, 2026
KARACHI: Although a ceasefire between the US and Iran is in place and there is optimism about a significant reduction in fuel prices, citizens using public transport across the city continue to pay inflated fares as bus owners widely ignored a Sindh government directive to freeze fares in return for a fuel subsidy, it has emerged. The practice of overcharging appears to have become rampant, as transporters — including operators of buses, minibuses, Qingqi rickshaws, school vans and goods carriers — continue to demand higher fares. Following the government’s subsidy announcement, many citizens were expecting transport fares to revert to pre-war levels, particularly after transport bodies reportedly agreed to roll back rates. However, the government’s “comprehensive” strategy to shield low-income commuters from rising transportation costs triggered by global fuel price fluctuations has yet to provide tangible relief. Passengers, parents and businesses say heavy fares unbearable; commuters paying nearly ‘double’... -
Dawn - 03:58 Apr 09, 2026
GUJRAT: Most of the Pakistani immigrants, who went missing in the fresh boat capsize incident off Italy, had left the country in the guise of Umrah pilgrims, while some others were on visit visas of Azerbaijan, Egypt and Uganda. Well-placed sources told Dawn on Wednesday that the missing immigrants had left Pakistan around four to five months ago. Through different routes, they reached Libya, where they kept waiting for their turn to board the boat to reach Italy, the sources say. They say that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had been assigned the task to collect the data of the Pakistanis, who went missing, and trace the agents involved in sending them abroad from different areas of Gujranwala and Gujrat regions. However, an official source says, the families of the missing Pakistanis are reluctant to share any information about the agents involved in sending them to Libya to smuggle them onward to Italy. The official says that as per the initial information, at least six main agents, two each from Ma... -
Dawn - 02:57 Apr 09, 2026
SINGAPORE: India has withdrawn its offer to host the United Nations annual climate Conference of the Parties (COP33) in 2028, two government officials familiar with the matter said. India communicated its decision to not host the conference this month, the officials said, but it was not immediately clear why the government had pulled out. The officials declined to be named as they are not authorised to speak to the media. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had proposed hosting the summit in 2023. The federal ministry for environment and climate change did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Climate Home News, which first reported the news, said India withdrew after a “review of its commitments” in 2028, citing a letter written by an Indian official to the chair of the Asia-Pacific Group. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment. France emissions cuts slow France’s cuts to greenhouse gas emissions slowed for a second ... -
Dawn - 02:42 Apr 09, 2026
• Negotiations follow Pakistan-brokered two-week truce • US vice president, Iranian foreign minister to lead their delegations • PM Shehbaz calls talks ‘historic moment’ for lasting settlement • Iran warns of withdrawal from ceasefire if violations continue • US says truce excludes Lebanon, but Iran disagrees • Iran’s speaker says key clauses already violated before talks ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to host in-person talks between the United States and Iran starting Friday, even as a fragile ceasefire between the two sides showed signs of strain following Israeli strikes in Lebanon and renewed military exchanges across the Gulf. The negotiations follow a two-week ceasefire announced late Tuesday — the 39th day of the war — after Pakistani mediation. The truce, which averted imminent US strikes, was based on a 10-point Iranian proposal accepted by Washington as a general framework for talks. Delegations are expected to arrive in Islamabad on Friday, with formal negotiations scheduled for Saturday. Sources told ... -
Dawn - 02:41 Apr 09, 2026
KARACHI: Despite turbulence stemming from the ongoing Middle East conflict, the country received 17 per cent higher remittances in March compared to February, the State Bank of Pakistan announced on Wednesday. The $3.8bn inflow was the highest so far this fiscal year, but it was 5pc lower compared to $4bn in March FY25. The war did not impact remittances from the Middle East, as inflows from almost all countries experienced positive growth. Currency experts said that the higher inflow in March was also due to Ramazan, but the war in the Gulf was more significant than anything else. Pakistanis working in the Gulf countries did not return home; instead, hundreds of Pakistanis have been applying for UAE visas. Pakistan gets fiscal year’s highest inflow of $3.8bn The SBP data showed that the country received a total of $30.321bn during July-March FY26, indicating an increase of 8.2pc or $2.29bn. The country received $28bn in 9MFY25. Remittances are the backbone of the country, as it largely relies on inflows to c... -
Dawn - 21:07 Apr 08, 2026
Israel carried out its heaviest strikes on Lebanon since the conflict with Hezbollah broke out last month, even as the Iran-aligned group paused attacks on northern Israel and Israeli troops in Lebanon under a two-week US-Iran ceasefire. Consecutive explosions shook Beirut, sending smoke billowing across the capital, as Israel’s military said it had launched the largest coordinated strike of the war. More than 100 Hezbollah command centres and military sites were targeted in Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon, it said. The strikes killed 182 people and wounded 890 across the country, Lebanon’s health ministry said. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has declared Thursday a national day of mourning after Israeli strikes shook the country. In Beirut, Reuters reporters saw people on motorcycles picking up wounded and transporting them to hospitals because there were not enough ambulances to get them in time. A group of firefighters worked to put out flames in a car park after one strike left more tha... -
Dawn - 20:47 Apr 08, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Barrister Salman Safdar on Thursday met PTI founder Imran Khan at Adiala jail, a day after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed authorities to arrange the meeting. However, the lawyer departed from the premises without sharing any details with the media. Meanwhile, PTI information secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said that Imran had directed the party to postpone its public meeting scheduled for Thursday (April 9) at Liaqat Bagh. He said that a message had been given by Imran that the protest should be postponed due to the prevailing national and international situation. “Imran Khan has said that he will himself inform about the new date of the protest,” he said. Later, Safdar said in a series of posts on X that he had meet Imran at 3pm, but the ex-premier’s spouse, Bushra Bibi, “was not called from her cell to join the attorney-client meeting for crucial instructions” despite requests and court orders. He said the meeting lasted for 60 minutes, during which Imran was comprehensively briefed on all ... -
Dawn - 19:48 Apr 08, 2026
LAHORE/ MOHMAND: Heavy rains and storms in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the past 24 hours have left at least five people dead and several others injured, officials said on Wednesday. In Punjab’s Bhakkar, two separate roof-collapse incidents left one person dead and four others injured, a Rescue 1122 spokesperson said. In a separate incident, two people were injured when a house roof caved in due to rainfall in Khanewal, while in Muzaffargarh, two individuals sustained injuries in separate incidents —one from a roof collapse and another from slipping in the rain. In Sargodha, the wall of a house collapsed, injuring one person and killing a livestock animal, a rescue official said. In the district of Taunsa, five people were injured when a hotel shed collapsed. In two other incidents in the same area, roof collapses left one person dead and two others injured. In another incident, a person died after receiving an electric shock from a pole in Toba Tek Singh, and in Chiniot, one person was injured in a sli... -
Dawn - 19:36 Apr 08, 2026
District administrations of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have announced local holidays in the twin cities on April 9 (Thursday) and 10 (Friday). In a post on the social media platform X, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Irfan Nawaz Memon said, “Local Holidays Announced in Islamabad – 9th & 10th April.” He also shared the notification by the office of the Islamabad district magistrate. However, he added, essential services will remain operational. According to the official, these included the Capital Development Authority, the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration, Islamabad police, the Islamabad Electric Supply Company, the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd and hospitals. “Citizens are advised to plan their activities accordingly. Thank you,” he said. Separately, a notification issued by Rawalpindi DC Hassan Waqar announced a local holiday in the territorial jurisdiction of Rawalpindi on April 9 and 10. “However, all emergency dealing departments/ institutions/ authorities shall remain operational,” the notif... -
Dawn - 19:05 Apr 08, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Mehmood Khan Achakzai on Wednesday extended “unconditional support” to the government in its efforts for peace in the Middle East. Responding to Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar’s speech, in which he requested the opposition to defer its protest planned for Thursday, Achakzai said that in his speech on Tuesday, he had called for former premier Nawaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari and Imran to sit together in the current situation and move the country forward. He said that he, along with Opposition Leader in the Senate Allama Nasir Abbas, would convince Imran to engage in political dialogue. “I had also said earlier that we should not point fingers at each other. At the very least, we should agree on democratic principles,” he said. “I don’t know why you people think we are mad. Only a mad person would not be happy with today’s success of Pakistan,” he said, lauding the government’s mediatory role in the Middle East crisis. “We will provide you with uncon... -
Dawn - 19:01 Apr 08, 2026
Less than 24 hours after the announcement of a ceasefire, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that delegations from the United States and Iran would visit Pakistan on Friday for talks aimed at a peaceful settlement to the war in the Middle East. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, during a conversation with PM Shehbaz, had earlier in the day confirmed Tehran’s participation in Pakistan-offered peace talks, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Addressing the federal cabinet, PM Shehbaz said that the war had been delayed for the time being. “A ceasefire is the first step. But our destination is lasting peace… Day after tomorrow (Friday), at my invitation, a US delegation is coming to Pakistan. In the same way, an Iranian delegation is also coming to Pakistan,” he said. During his address, PM Shehbaz also called the current situation a “shining moment” in Pakistan’s history. He also praised Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir for their role... -
Dawn - 16:51 Apr 08, 2026
Pakistan on Wednesday expressed concern at the storming and vandalism of Kuwait’s consulate in Iraq’s Basra, saying the act was “inconsistent with established diplomatic norms and international law”. In a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO) on X, Pakistan called for a thorough investigation into the incident and bringing those responsible to justice. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has noted with deep concern the reported storming and vandalism of the Consulate General of the State of Kuwait in Basra, and the violation of the sanctity of the consular premises yesterday,” the statement said. “Pakistan strongly condemns such acts, which are inconsistent with established diplomatic norms and international law, particularly the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations,” it added. Pakistan emphasised the importance of ensuring the security and inviolability of diplomatic and consular missions, the FO said, adding the country called for a “thorough investigation into the incident, as well as bringing those ...
10418 items