Dawn
Source:
https://www.dawn.com
Found 5467 news
-
Dawn - 18:07 Nov 28, 2025
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Friday that Pakistan’s hastily adopted constitutional amendments seriously undermine judicial independence and raise grave concerns about military accountability and respect for the rule of law. In a statement issued in Geneva, the human rights chief said the latest constitutional amendment, like the 26th amendment last year, had been adopted without broad consultation and debate with the legal community and wider civil society. Turk warned that the amendments run counter to the separation of powers that underpin the rule of law and safeguard the protection of human rights in Pakistan. “Under the changes adopted on November 13, a new Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has been given powers over constitutional cases, replacing the previous authority of the Supreme Court, which will now only deal with civil and criminal cases,” the statement read. It added that the systems for appointing, promoting and transferring judges changed in a manner raising “ser... -
Dawn - 17:25 Nov 28, 2025
The Russian Embassy on Friday announced that a monument to Yuri Gagarin, the first man to travel to space and return, was unveiled in Islamabad’s Fatima Jinnah Park. Gagarin became the first man in space in April 1961, when he uttered the famous words “Let’s go” as his Vostok rocket blasted off from southern Kazakhstan. After a voyage lasting just 108 minutes, the 27-year-old cosmonaut ejected from his capsule and parachuted down into a field in the Saratov region of central Russia. According to a post on X, the unveiling ceremony was attended by Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev, Power Minister Awais Leghari, Russian Ambassador Albert P Khorev, Pakistani Ambassador to Russia Faisal Niaz Tirmizi and pilot-cosmonaut Elena Serova. “This is the greatest feat in our shared history. A huge number of scientists are engaged in space research. Let this work benefit all countries of the world,” the statement read, quoting Tsivilev. The post added that the unveiling was scheduled to coincide with the 10th meeting... -
Dawn - 17:05 Nov 28, 2025
The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi said on Friday that three Pakistani prisoners in India were repatriated via the Wagah border. The border, which connects Lahore with the Indian city of Amritsar, is the only active land crossing between the two neighbours. It was closed to general traffic following a brief but intense military conflict earlier this year. The high commission identified the prisoners repatriated today as Asghar Ali, Ramzan and Muhammad Idrees, saying that it would continue working towards the “release and repatriation of all Pakistani prisoners in India”. The Foreign Office (FO) told Dawn the identities of the arrested fishermen and when they were taken into custody. Ramzan, 43, from Lahore, was arrested in 2010 by India on charges of illegally crossing the border and possessing narcotics. After receiving consular access, his status as a Pakistani national was confirmed in February 2011. Meanwhile, Muhammad Idrees from Narowal was arrested in 1995 for allegedly crossing the border illeg... -
Dawn - 17:01 Nov 28, 2025
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was on Friday elected chairman of the Economic Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Ministers (ECO-COM), according to the Foreign Office (FO). The ECO was founded as the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD) in 1964 by Pakistan, Iran and Turkiye, before it changed its name in 1985. The organisation’s website states that its purpose is “to create amenable and conducive conditions for the continued promotion of sustainable economic development in the region”. The 10 member states include Pakistan, Iran, Turkiye, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. According to an FO statement, today’s meeting of the COM was held virtually and Dar underscored the body’s important role in fostering prosperity, economic integration and connectivity in the region. “He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the ECO Vision 2025 and expressed Pakistan’s intent, as incoming chair of the ECO COM, to work closely with member stat... -
Dawn - 16:21 Nov 28, 2025
The Foreign Office (FO) said on Friday that the current ceasefire with Afghanistan was not a “traditional” one but contingent on whether any terrorist activity took place against Pakistan from the neighbouring country’s soil. Relations between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban are at their lowest point in the four years since the group came to power. Border crossings between the two countries have remained closed since October 11 and trade has been at a standstill following ground fighting and Pakistani airstrikes across their 2,600-kilometre frontier that killed dozens on both sides in the worst fighting since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover of Kabul. Following those clashes, Turkiye and Qatar stepped in to mediate. The first round in Doha produced a fragile ceasefire, while the second, also in Doha, ended with only a general agreement to develop a mechanism for verifying compliance and a decision to continue talks. The third round concluded without any concrete agreement. The situation deteriorated again followi... -
Dawn - 15:12 Nov 28, 2025
Pakistan is probably the only cricketing nation where the discussion around pitches becomes bigger than debates on team selection or performance. This obsession did not appear recently. It really took shape three years ago, when Pakistan went through a painful home stretch. They lost a Test series to Australia with two dull draws and one defeat, were whitewashed 3-0 by England on lifeless tracks, and drew both home Tests against New Zealand. These series exposed a major flaw. Instead of being an advantage, Pakistan’s home conditions had become neutral or even harmful. Flat pitches were presented as good for batting and supposedly good for long term development, but they killed any chance of producing results. When the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman at the time, Ramiz Raja, defended this philosophy by saying it would take a year for Pakistan to be able to prepare proper five-day Test pitches, fans felt even more frustrated. Pakistan was not only losing matches but also losing identity. The shift that ha... -
Dawn - 15:00 Nov 28, 2025
Police on Friday detained 24 PTI leaders and workers following a protest at the Karachi Press Club (KPC), held to demonstrate the party’s concerns over former prime minister Imran Khan’s well-being. Reports about Imran’s ill health had swirled on social and foreign media a day ago, prompting both government and PTI leaders to dismiss the rumours and state that the former prime minister — currently held incarcerated at Rawalpindi’s Adial jail — was doing well. Several PTI workers, including women, carried banners bearing slogans in favour of the former premier as they moved towards KPC today. The party workers and leaders chanted slogans and delivered speeches. Authorities had sealed all routes leading to the KPC by placing barricades and parking vehicles. A sizeable police presence was noted at the KPC and in the surrounding areas, supported by women personnel. PTI Sindh spokesperson Mohammed Ali Bozdar said 20 PTI workers and leaders were detained; however, South Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Syed... -
Dawn - 13:55 Nov 28, 2025
The lowest price offered in the tender from the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) to purchase 100,000 metric tonnes of rice for supply to Bangladesh was estimated at $394.95 CIF liner out, European traders said on Friday. CIF liner out terms include cost, insurance, and freight shipping to a port in Bangladesh, as well as the seller’s unloading costs. No purchase has been reported and offers are still being considered, they said. Reports reflect traders’ assessments, and further price and volume estimates are still possible later. The lowest offer was reportedly submitted by the company Jhulay Lal. There were 11 participants in TCP’s tender, with other prices ranging from $397.25 to $424.80 a tonne CIF liner out, traders said. Bangladesh has been undertaking a series of import tenders in the past weeks to cool local prices. The TCP tender seeks long-grain white rice to supply to Bangladesh. Price offers have to be valid for 21 working days after submission. The rice must be available for shipment within 4... -
Dawn - 13:55 Nov 28, 2025
A Nasa rover has recorded evidence of lightning on Mars for the first time, its microphone picking up the sounds of tiny “zaps” whipped up by the dust storms constantly sweeping across the planet. Scientists have long debated whether electrical discharges could be sparking in the dusty and little-known Martian climate - but proof has been hard to come by. It turns out that Nasa’s Perseverance rover, which has been roaming the red planet since 2021, was inadvertently recording the sounds of lightning, according to a study published in Nature this week. These are far from the thundering, kilometre-long lightning bolts we see on Earth. Instead, they are “little zaps” similar to “what you might feel in dry weather when you touch your car door and there’s a bit of static electricity,” lead author Baptiste Chide of France’s CNRS research centre told AFP. While low in energy, these discharges are happening “absolutely all the time — and everywhere” on Mars, the planetary scientist said. The process starts when tiny ... -
Dawn - 13:45 Nov 28, 2025
The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has launched a project to build a new air traffic control (ATC) tower and a modern rescue and firefighting station (RFFS) at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, a PAA press release said on Friday. According to the press release, the design phase of the project is expected to be completed within six months, with a two-year construction period for the tower and the station. “The facilities will be designed and constructed by MM Pakistan in [a] joint venture with CEMOSA and Fairbanks Architects from Spain, bringing international expertise in airport planning and communication and navigation/air traffic management (CNS/ATM) systems integration,” the press release read. A photo of Jinnah International Airport in Karachi from December 26, 2024. — Abyan Amir It added that senior architect Bruce Fairbanks and CNS/ATM specialist Juan Cruz Canabate participated in a four-day workshop at Jinnah International, where they interacted with local aviation professionals to establish d... -
Dawn - 13:37 Nov 28, 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will discuss all aspects of their countries’ “privileged strategic partnership” when Putin visits New Delhi next week, the Kremlin said. India, a major buyer of Russian oil, has also bought its weapons for decades, though a top defence official said the country had bought US arms worth nearly $30 billion in the past decade and aims to produce more of its own equipment. “They (the Russians) have been our friends through both fair and foul weather, and we are not going to sort of stop our defence cooperation with them anytime soon, but I do want to stress that India follows a policy of strategic autonomy,” Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said in New Delhi on Friday. India was diversifying its suppliers, he told an industry event, adding: “But more than anything else we are trying to ensure that we increasingly do spend the bulk of our money within the country.” Putin last visited India in December 2021, just a few months before Russia... -
Dawn - 13:32 Nov 28, 2025
The Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) has observed that the November 23 by-elections were marred by “recurring violations” of campaigning restrictions and “gaps” in results transparency. The ruling PML-N secured close to 64 per cent of the total votes polled in the by-elections for six National Assembly constituencies held on Sunday as it emerged victorious on all seats. Five constituencies were located in Punjab and one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These seats, except for one, were vacated due to the disqualification of the opposition PTI MNAs. The PML-N also won six out of seven Punjab Assembly seats in the province by securing 82.41pc of the polled votes. On the seventh seat, it had not fielded its candidate in PP-269, Muzaffargarh, against PPP nominee Alamdar Qureshi. The elections monitor had issued its by-election observation report a day earlier. In an accompanying press release, it noted: “The November 23rd by-elections for 13 National and Punjab Assemblies constituencies, though largely well-managed, ... -
Dawn - 13:02 Nov 28, 2025
Noor Zaman staged a stunning 3-2 victory over compatriot Hamza Khan to retain his title at the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Serena Hotel International Squash Championship in a battle of the junior world champions. Hamza dominated the first two sets 11-9, 11-7 before second seed Noor flipped the script and took the next three games 11-7, 11-4, 11-8 to win the final and retain his title at the Mushaf Squash Complex on Friday. Noor kept his cool as he began his comeback in the third game before demolishing Hamza in the fourth. The final remained relatively smooth-sailing as both players accepted the referee’s rulings and kept arguments to a minimum. Noor dominated the fifth set with a massive 6-1 lead over Hamza before he scored another point, only for Noor to switch gears and take the score to 9-2. Hamza was inching his way back to victory at 8-10 when Noor won the game and match, dropping his racket and throwing his hands in the air in celebration. The two embraced in a long hug and exchanged words before walking ... -
Dawn - 13:01 Nov 28, 2025
The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Friday fixed a date for the Arshad Sharif murder case, where the request for an independent probe into the killing would be heard. Prominent journalist Sharif was shot in the head when Kenyan police opened fire on his car in October 2022. He had left Pakistan in August 2022 after multiple cases of sedition were registered against him in different cities. The suo motu case was taken up by a six-member constitutional bench headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan in the Supreme Court. However, after the passage of the 27th Amendment and the formation of the FCC, it was granted jurisdiction over both constitutional and suo motu cases. On Friday, the FCC cause list showed that a hearing had been scheduled for December 3, with the attorney general, the Islamabad inspector general of police (IG), and the foreign secretary among other respondents. It will be heard by a two-member bench comprising Justices Aamir Farooq and Rozi Khan Barrech, regarding an “independent and transparent ... -
Dawn - 12:49 Nov 28, 2025
National Assembly (NA) Speaker Ayaz Sadiq again ostensibly made an offer of talks to the opposition, telling a group of parliamentarians visiting him on Friday that dialogue was the way to resolve issues. He made similar offers to facilitate dialogue between the government and the opposition, the PTI, in the past as well. But, no substantial headway has been made so far, and differences between the two sides largely remain unresolved. A handout issued by the NA Secretariat today said Sadiq met with opposition members of both houses of Parliament in his chamber in Parliament House soon after the adjournment of the NA session due to lack of quorum. The visiting opposition members included Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Senator Faisal Javed, former NA speaker Asad Qaiser and PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan. MNAs Iqbal Afridi, Atif Khan, Sardar Latif Khosa and Jamal Ahsan Khan. “Our bond of brotherhood and mutual respect is greater than politics. I have been in contact with you brothers since 2014. Politi... -
Dawn - 11:50 Nov 28, 2025
Aleema Khan, the sister of PTI founder Imran Khan, has filed a contempt of court petition against the Adiala jail superintendent and others over their failure to comply with an earlier Islamabad High Court (IHC) order that reinstated a twice-a-week meeting schedule for the incarcerated former premier. The petition was filed after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, along with several other PTI members, staged an overnight sit-in outside Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, where Imran has been imprisoned since 2023. The sit-in was staged as CM Afridi was denied a meeting with Imran for the eighth time on Thursday. Previously, Imran’s sisters, including Aleema, had also staged sit-ins outside the prison in Rawalpindi on multiple occasions after they were barred from meeting the former premier. The PTI ended its latest sit-in on Friday morning, with the KP CM announcing that they would be approaching the IHC, where Aleema has now filed a contempt plea. View this post on Instagram Apart from Adiala Jail Super... -
Dawn - 10:00 Nov 28, 2025
The power supply of four housing projects in Bahria Town Lahore has been cut over the non-payment of bills amounting to more than Rs682 million, it emerged on Friday. The move has prompted an outcry from residents, who have planned a demonstration in front of the Bahria Town offices after Friday prayers. Muhammad Ramzan Butt, the chief executive officer of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco), said that Bahria Town had defaulted on its payments. “They have failed to pay a total of Rs682m on four bulk power supply connections,” he told Dawn. “We will not restore the power supply till the bills have been paid,” he asserted. According to him, the initial deadline for paying the bills was November 21, which was then extended to November 23 at the request of the Bahria Town officials. However, they continued to file for extensions till November 26 (Wednesday), he said. The Lesco official said that the last deadline was November 27. “Instead of paying the bills, they have reportedly approached the court,” he ... -
Dawn - 09:34 Nov 28, 2025
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday published for the first time directives to improve the prevention, detection and treatment of infertility, which affects millions across the globe. “One in six people worldwide experience infertility during their lifetime,” said Pascale Allotey, the global health body’s head of sexual and reproductive health. “The condition affects individuals and couples across all regions and income levels. “And yet access to safe and affordable care remains highly inequitable.” Allotey told reporters that the issue of infertility had been neglected “for far too long”. The new guide would provide a “unified, evidence-based foundation” to ensure care is safe, effective and accessible for all, she added. According to the WHO, infertility is a condition of the male and female reproductive system, defined as the inability to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual relations. The situation can lead to major distress, stigmatisation and financial diffic... -
Dawn - 09:27 Nov 28, 2025
The National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), a statutory body working for women rights, on Friday condemned the “misogynistic and irresponsible remarks” made by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi on the Noor Mukadam case, saying that they reflected a “harmful mindset that shifts responsibility away from the perpetrators of violence and onto women themselves”. Justice Najafi — a member of the three-judge bench of the Supreme Court that had upheld the death penalty awarded to Noor’s murderer — attributed the ghastly 2021 murder to what he described as a vice prevalent in society. In his additional note, which surfaced on Wednesday, Justice Najafi upheld the sentence handed to Zahir and observed that “the present case is a direct result of a vice spreading in the upper society which we know as ‘living relationship’ [sic]”. It appeared the judge was referring to a live-in relationship, where two unmarried individuals in a romantic relationship cohabitate. The judge also observed that societal compulsions in such... -
Dawn - 07:54 Nov 28, 2025
PTI MPA Anwar Zeb Khan has said that one person has been injured after his home in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district was targeted in a “drone attack” last night, it emerged on Friday. In a video statement posted on his social media account on Thursday, the provincial lawmaker said, “My house in Raghagan, Khar tehsil, was targeted by a drone (quadcopter) attack by unknown individuals tonight, injuring one of my security guards.” Khan, who said he was in Peshawar at the time of the incident, strongly condemned the incident. He also identified the injured as Zair Muhammad, saying he was rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in Khar. Following the incident, police personnel arrived at the scene and initiated an investigation. However, local police have not yet released any official statement regarding the nature of the incident and those responsible. Meanwhile, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, in a statement, condemned the incident, terming it an act by “anti-peace elements”. As per the statement, CM Af...
5467 items