Dawn
Source:
https://www.dawn.com
Found 8064 news
-
Dawn - 16:12 Jan 04, 2026
Gujarat Under Modi: Laboratory of Today’s India By Christophe Jaffrelot Liberty Publishing ISBN: 978-627-7626-50-1 546pp. An extensively researched book by Christophe Jaffrelot, a French political scientist specialising in India and Pakistan — Gujarat Under Modi: Laboratory of Today’s India — deals with the transformation of Gujarat into “a laboratory of Hindu nationalism.” Narendra Modi served as chief minister of Gujarat for a record 13 years between 2001 and 2014, after which he became the prime minister of India. Jaffrelot has written extensively on India and Pakistan and is considered a formidable scholar on the region. Other books by the same author include: India’s First Dictatorship: The Emergency 1975-1977 (2020), Modi’s India: Hindu Nationalism and the Rise of Ethnic Democracy (2021), The Pakistan Paradox: Instability and Resilience (2015), Religion, Caste and Politics in India (2010), A History of Pakistan and its Origins (2002), and his doctoral thesis published as The Hindu Nationalist Movement I... -
Dawn - 15:52 Jan 04, 2026
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday clarified that his “only stance” was to implement PTI founder Imran Khan’s directives to run his province and prepare for the party’s street movement. Afridi had previously announced that Karachi was his next destination for galvanising party supporters after he concluded his three-day visit to Lahore, where he also met with the families of jailed senior PTI leaders. In a post on social media platform X earlier today, the KP chief minister said, “I have only one stance. My leader (Imran) has directed me to prepare for a street movement, along with running the administrative affairs of my province. “God-willing, I will implement them in letter and spirit. Any other news attributed to me would be someone’s personal assumption,” he added. About his upcoming visit to Karachi, CM Afridi said Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, “respecting democratic values and his office’s dignity”, has invited him for a meeting. Afridi said he had thanked Murad for the in... -
Dawn - 15:29 Jan 04, 2026
PESHAWAR: At least three people, including a school principal and Rescue 1122 official, were injured on Tuesday when unknown assailants targeted a private school with “back-to-back quadcopter attacks” in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali, local sources said. For months, banned militant organisations in the region have been using improvised munitions like quadcopters to drop explosives, targeting security forces and civilians. According to local sources, the incident took place in Khasokhel village, where “explosives were dropped from the quadcopter onto the premises of Al-Fatah Public School, injuring the school’s principal and security guard.” Soon after the incident, a Rescue 1122 medical team reached the site to provide first aid and evacuate the injured. However, rescue officials said that while rescue personnel were engaged in relief work, another quadcopter dropped a mortar shell near the scene, injuring a Rescue 1122 worker. “All the injured were provided initial medical treatment and later shifted to Bannu f... -
Dawn - 14:10 Jan 04, 2026
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Sunday termed Pakistan-China friendship “vital” for regional peace and stability as both leaders co-chaired the 7th round of the Pakistan–China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue in Beijing. Dar reached Beijing on Saturday at Wang’s invitation, primarily to co-chair the strategic dialogue. Following the dialogue today, the Foreign Office (FO) in a statement on social media platform X said: “Highlighting the salience of the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership, both leaders reaffirmed that the Pakistan–China friendship is vital for peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and for the two countries. “They also agreed to enhance coordination at bilateral and multilateral fora,” the FO added. The two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of Pak–China relations and discussed “key issues at the regional and global levels”. The FO further said views were exchanged on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), trade, multilateral coop... -
Dawn - 13:58 Jan 04, 2026
KARACHI: Five members of a family, including two children, were rescued on Sunday after falling into an open drain in Korangi’s Mehran Town area, according to Rescue 1122 officials. A Rescue 1122 spokesperson said the Central Command and Control received the alert and immediately dispatched a water rescue team and trained divers to the site. “The rescue team carried out a rapid operation and rescued all five affected individuals, who were heading to attend a wedding ceremony,” he said. The spokesperson said all affected individuals were rescued and taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre by ambulance for medical treatment. However, one of the women rescued from the drain was reported to be in critical condition, the spokesperson added. The spokesperson told Dawn that four people – two women and children – were on their way to attend the wedding ceremony. Upon reaching the corner of the street to board the bus, they ascended over a rain drain near the mosque covered with slabs; however, it could not be... -
Dawn - 13:22 Jan 04, 2026
Bangladesh will not play their T20 World Cup matches in India after its cricketer Mustafizur Rahman was released by his Indian Premier League (IPL) team amid growing tensions between the countries. Kolkata Knight Riders said on Saturday they had released the Bangladesh bowler after being told to do so by India’s cricket board (BCCI). Bangladesh are scheduled to play three T20 World Cup matches in Kolkata next month, with the February 7-March 8 tournament being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), after an emergency meeting on Sunday, said it had “formally requested” the International Cricket Council (ICC) shift its team’s games to Sri Lanka. “The Board of Directors resolved that the Bangladesh National Team will not travel to India for the tournament under the current conditions,” a BCB statement read. It said its decision was made due to “growing concerns regarding the safety and security” of its players, and based on its government’s advice. “In light of this decision, the B... -
Dawn - 13:17 Jan 04, 2026
Additional staff have been deployed at M-Tag centres in Islamabad as over 120,000 vehicles have registered ahead of the January 15 deadline. The M-Tag is a prepaid radio frequency identification (RFID) sticker for a car windshield that automates toll payments. As a vehicle passes through a toll plaza, scanners identify the vehicle and entry point; upon exiting, the system automatically deducts the fare from the balance, eliminating the need to wait in long queues. To ensure the security of the federal capital and link vehicles with electronic monitoring, the administration has decided that vehicles without M-Tags will not be allowed to enter Islamabad from the now-extended deadline of January 15. With 12 days remaining before enforcement begins, authorities in Islamabad have reported steady progress in the M-Tag registration drive. Officials said 120,447 vehicles have been fitted with M-Tags so far, while 3,392 vehicles were registered in the last 24 hours alone. Excise and Taxation Department Director Genera... -
Dawn - 12:33 Jan 04, 2026
LAKKI MARWAT/ BANNU: Three traffic police personnel were martyred in firing by suspected terrorists in the Serai Naurang area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district on Sunday. Qudratullah, spokesperson for the district police officer (DPO), told Dawn the three traffic policemen were on duty near the Dil Begu Khel area when “unidentified terrorists, who were on a motorcycle”, opened fire on them. As a result, they died on the spot, the spokesperson said. Ticketing officer in-charge Jalal Khan was among the martyred, he said, adding that two other personnel were identified as Azizullah and Abdullah. The bodies were moved to Naurang Hospital, and police have launched a search operation at the site of the incident, Qudratullah said. Later in the day, the funeral prayers of the martyred traffic cops were offered at the Lakki Marwat Police Lines with official honours. Police and district administration officers, the bereaved family members and other residents attended the prayers. Funeral prayers of three tr... -
Dawn - 11:58 Jan 04, 2026
The British Ministry of Defence said it cooperated with France on Saturday night to strike an underground facility in Syria that had likely been used by the militant Islamic State (IS) group to store weapons. “Royal Air Force aircraft have completed successful strikes against Daesh in a joint operation with France,” the ministry said in a statement, using the Arabic acronym for IS. “This facility had been occupied by Daesh, most likely to store weapons and explosives. The area around the facility is devoid of any civilian habitation,” the statement added. The ministry said there was no indication the bombing north of the ancient site of Palmyra had posed any risk to civilians. IS was territorially defeated in Syria in 2019 but still maintains a presence, particularly in the country’s vast desert. Last month, Washington said a lone IS gunman in Palmyra attacked American personnel, killing two US soldiers and a US civilian. US forces said they struck dozens of IS targets in Syria in retaliation. -
Dawn - 11:41 Jan 04, 2026
PESHAWAR: At least six people were killed, including a mother and three daughters, and five were injured on Sunday after the dilapidated roof of a house collapsed in Shabqadar tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Charsadda district, police said. Per the police, most of the victims were guests who had arrived to attend a wedding ceremony at the house where the incident occurred. The event was scheduled for Sunday evening. “The incident occurred at around 4am when the dilapidated roof collapsed on the family and guests, prompting the neighbours to rush to the site and manage to pull out the bodies and the injured from the debris,” a statement from the police said. Rescue 1122 teams arrived at the scene later, launching relief operations and shifting the injured and deceased to the hospital. The bodies and injured were shifted to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Shabqadar, the statement added. Roof collapses are largely caused by substandard construction, use of poor-quality materials, and lack of enforcement of bu... -
Dawn - 11:31 Jan 04, 2026
KARACHI: Police have arrested the prime suspect accused of killing four people whose partially decomposed bodies were found in a pit off Karachi’s Mai Kolachi Road earlier this week, authorities said on Sunday, adding that the suspect had confessed to the crime. According to police, the four bodies — of a woman and her three children — were recovered from a pit off Mai Kolachi Road on Friday night in the limits of the Docks police station. Police said the bodies had marks of torture, and the deceased appeared to have been killed with an axe or another sharp-edged object. A statement by the office of Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar said today the prime suspect in the case had been arrested by Kaemari police and had confessed to the crime during interrogation. South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Asad Raza also confirmed the development to Dawn, saying that digital forensics of the mobile of the deceased woman had established that the suspect had been in contact with her. “He wanted to get rid ... -
Dawn - 10:36 Jan 04, 2026
UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency session on Monday amid mounting international alarm over the United States’ military action in Venezuela and concerns that the crisis has now moved beyond bilateral tensions. On Saturday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned that the crisis in Venezuela could undermine the foundations of international law by setting a “dangerous precedent“ for similar actions in the near future. The meeting was requested by Colombia and supported by China and the Russian Federation, with Venezuela also formally appealing to the Council. According to the Council presidency, the session will be held under the agenda item “Threats to International Peace and Security,” and the secretary general is expected to brief the members. In a statement issued through his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, Secretary General Guterres said he was “deeply alarmed by the recent escalation in Venezuela, culminating with today’s (Saturday) United States military acti... -
Dawn - 06:24 Jan 04, 2026
On December 18, 2025, a 25-year-old Hindu garment worker was lynched by a mob of approximately 150 people in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district. Following accusations of blasphemy, the victim was beaten to death. Mob lynchings in Bangladesh, known locally as gono-pituni, have a long history. But this crisis is not unique to Bangladesh. According to the Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2025, South Asia has emerged as a global epicentre for collective vigilantism, with similar violence frequently reported in India and Pakistan as well. The recent surge in mob violence across India, Bangladesh and Pakistan is propelled by similar drivers: a decaying public confidence in the judiciary and the rapid spread of digital disinformation. This combination allows ‘street justice’ to effectively supersede state authority. As American political scientist Paul Staniland observed in a 2020 analysis for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, these patterns in South Asia are not recent developments. They are historical... -
Dawn - 05:29 Jan 04, 2026
TAXILA: Ophthalmologist Dr Pramila Lall, one of Pakistan’s most revered medical professionals, passed away peacefully on Saturday at the age of 93 at Christian Hospital, Taxila, where she devoted nearly seven decades of her life in service to humanity. Hospital officials confirmed her death, describing it as the end of an era for eye care in Pakistan. Dr Lall served at Christian Hospital, Taxila, for over 50 years, providing low-cost, high-quality eye care to millions, particularly the poor. Widely recognised as Pakistan’s first female ophthalmologist, she is also believed to have conducted the highest number of eye surgeries by any woman ophthalmologist in Asia. Born in Nagpur, India, in 1932, Dr Pramila graduated from the prestigious Christian Medical College, Vellore, in 1957. During her student years, fate introduced her to Dr Ernest Lall, a Pakistani national. Their marriage brought her to Pakistan the same year, where she joined Christian Hospital, Taxila. She earned her Diploma in Ophthalmology from Lo... -
Dawn - 05:06 Jan 04, 2026
KARACHI: To keep slow-moving freight vehicles from mingling with faster passenger traffic, the city commissioner on Monday announced that heavy transport vehicles (HTVs) would be restricted to a dedicated lane with a maximum speed limit of 30km/h. A meeting, chaired by Commissioner Hasan Naqvi, deliberated on various issues, including the parking problem of goods transporters, the issuance of HTV licences and registration for insurance. The meeting was attended, among others, by Karachi police chief Azad Khan, Transport Secretary Asad Zaman and DIG Traffic Peer Mohammad Shah, and representatives of the Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance, United Goods Transport Alliance and Karachi Goods Carrier Association. After the meeting, the commissioner told Dawn that the lane would be marked with clear “HTV” signage and painted lines, and heavy vehicles would be permitted to travel only within this lane once the markings were completed. He said that the meeting focused on the persistent parking problems faced by goods t... -
Dawn - 04:58 Jan 04, 2026
KARACHI: The partially decomposed bodies of four people discovered in a pit on Mai Kolachi Road on Friday night were identified on Saturday as those of a woman and her three children. Police said the four bodies, which were found at a desolate spot within the jurisdiction of the Docks police station, bore marks of torture and appeared to have been killed with an axe or another sharp-edged object. South DIG Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the victims were identified as Anila, 35, her two sons, Husain Ali, 12, and Konain Ali, 10, and daughter Kishwara Zehra, 13. He said Anila got divorced from Mukhtar Ali and on Dec 30, 2025 she rented a house in Kharadar. Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said that the victims were killed around four to five days ago. She said the corpses were brought to the Civil Hospital Karachi where medico-legal formalities were completed late on Friday night. The three children suffered multiple injuries in the head, face and neck, while their mother was bludgeoned to death. “All relevant sam... -
Dawn - 04:33 Jan 04, 2026
North Korea launched ballistic missiles on Sunday, the day the leader of rival South Korea starts a state visit to China, Pyongyang’s chief ally, and just hours after the US attacked Venezuela. The firings of at least two missiles, the country’s first in two months, further heighten global tensions after US President Donald Trump launched the attack that captured President Nicolas Maduro. South Korea said peace on the Korean peninsula would be on the agenda during President Lee Jae Myung’s visit to Beijing, which will include a summit with his counterpart, Xi Jinping. The launches from the capital Pyongyang into the sea between the Koreas and Japan represent “a message to China to deter closer ties with South Korea and to counter China’s stance on denuclearisation”, said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul. North Korea signals ‘we are different from Venezuela’ Eul-chul said North Korea also wanted to send a message that “we are different from Venezuela” — as a nuclear a... -
Dawn - 04:30 Jan 04, 2026
NEW DELHI: Police in India-occupied Kashmir summoned a local cricketer for questioning on Friday after a video showing him wearing a helmet bearing a Palestinian flag sparked online outrage. According to the Indian Express newspaper, police initiated a 14-day preliminary inquiry after the video circulated on social media, purportedly showing Furqanul Haq, a resident of Pulwama, wearing the helmet during a local league match in Jammu. Police said the inquiry was ordered in view of the “sensitivity of the matter and its potential public order implications” and would examine the facts, the cricketer’s intent, and any possible linkages. Under the law, police can conduct preliminary inquiries with prior permission from a deputy superintendent of police for cognisable offences punishable by three to seven years of imprisonment. The controversy occurred during a match of the Jammu and Kashmir Champions League at Muthi, 10 kilometres from Jammu, after Furqan walked in to bat for his team, JK Eleven Kings, against Jam... -
Dawn - 04:05 Jan 04, 2026
KARACHI: Growth in remittances could face a decline or may not show any significant growth particularly from the Middle Eastern countries, said multiple sources. While securing visas for Arab countries is getting tough, local authorities have also adopted strict rules to check the exodus of skilled and unskilled workers. A recruiting agent said getting a visa has become very difficult while double checking for a job seeker on a work visa has made success almost impossible. “For even lowest paid jobs, delegations come to Pakistan for personal verification and they carry out detailed scrutiny, reducing the chance for overseas jobs,” according to an official working for a recruiting agency. The country received record inflows of $38 billion in remittances in FY25, a definitive indicator that most of the 1.5 million Pakistanis who have left the country over the last three years, found jobs in Middle Eastern countries. Growth in remittances is already much lower this year (FY26) than the figures for last year (FY2... -
Dawn - 03:58 Jan 04, 2026
The power of the press has always been a significant force, perceived as a tool that shapes public opinion and that can set changes in motion. For the longest time, in entertainment industries around the world, members of the media were looked at to deliver authentic reviews, to authoritatively certify ‘hits’ and ‘misses’, and to applaud excellence and critique mediocrity. Then the balance of power shifted — or seemed to do so — about a decade ago, with the rise of social media. THE RISE OF SOCIAL MEDIA Consequently, journalists’ interviews with celebrities were no longer the only way fans could get to know more about their favourite actors. They could connect with stars directly via their social media accounts. Danish Nawaz Thus, stars no longer needed a newspaper or any other form of media to announce their upcoming projects. They could do so themselves via their personal social media pages. Journalists — be they print journalists, bloggers or TV reporters — were no longer essential for the promotion of the...
8064 items