Dawn
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Dawn - 16:51 Sep 25, 2025
The PPP and PML-N continued to engage in a war of words over flood relief on Thursday, as PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari asserted that the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) was the “sole method” of providing relief to those affected by the recent floods in the country, while PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz accused his party of “politicising” the issue. The two parties, who are coalition partners in the Centre, have recently been arguing over the means for flood relief, with the PPP insisting on the use of BISP and the PML-N disapproving of the proposition. On Wednesday, after the PML-N questioned the transparency of BISP, the PPP accused its senior partner of showing an “irresponsible attitude” by refusing to use the programme’s data to compensate flood-affected people in Punjab. BISP is a national safety net programme in Pakistan that provides cash assistance to poor and vulnerable families, particularly targeting women. Addressing a press conference in Karachi today, Bilawal said: “Across the country, the a... -
Dawn - 16:46 Sep 25, 2025
PTI social media activist Falak Javed Khan was remanded in police custody for five days on Thursday, a day after her arrest by the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). Javed was arrested by the agency in the case about fake videos of Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari being uploaded on social media, her lawyer Mian Ali Ashfaq said on Wednesday. The activist was presented before a district court in Lahore today before Judicial Magistrate Naeem Wattoo, with the NCCIA requesting 30 days of physical remand. The remand order — a copy of which is available with Dawn.com — states that Ashfaq argued that there was no material on record to justify Javed’s arrest. “There are illegalities in [the] procedure of warrant and proclamation,” the order read, quoting Ashfaq. “There is nothing on record to show any material to support remand … there is no plausible reason for remand. “There is [a] serious violation of Section 40 (forensic laboratory) [of] Peca, 2016,” he added “It was mandatory to establish a... -
Dawn - 16:39 Sep 25, 2025
India skipper Suryakumar Yadav is facing controversy after the International Cricket Council (ICC) acknowledged remarks he made following India’s Asia Cup group-stage victory over Pakistan on September 14, saying that it is reviewing a complaint lodged by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and has had a formal hearing, Hindustan Times reported on Thursday. The move comes after the PCB lodged an official complaint with the ICC against Yadav for dedicating its September 14 win over Pakistan to “the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack”. At least 24 people had been killed in the April attack, which led to a brief military escalation between India and Pakistan, as New Delhi blamed Islamabad for the attack without evidence. The ICC confirmed that it is reviewing a complaint filed by the PCB and a formal hearing took place today, as per Hindustan Times. “[Match referee Richie] Richardson heard Suryakumar’s explanation and is expected to deliver his verdict on Friday,” Hindustan Times added. The outle... -
Dawn - 14:44 Sep 25, 2025
A lady health worker, part of a vaccination team for the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) immunisation campaign for girls, was beaten up by local women in Mandi Bahauddin on Thursday, police said. Speaking to Dawn.com, Kuthiala Sheikhan Police Station House Officer (SHO) Sabir Hussain Sindhu said that the incident took place in Chak No 38. “LHW Ghulam Sughra was beaten up by local women while the vaccination campaign was being carried out at a school,” he said, adding that the health worker was also thrown to the ground during the assault. He said that a first information report (FIR) had been registered on the complaint of the health worker but no arrests have been made so far. The FIR of the incident, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, was registered at the Kuthiala Sheikhan Police Station under Sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code. In the FIR, Sughra stated that she was present along with the ... -
Dawn - 12:45 Sep 25, 2025
Six journalists, including Lahore Press Club President Muhammad Arshad Ansari, approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday to challenge notices issued by the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The petition, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, named the NCCIA director, deputy director and inspector from Lahore as well as the director general from Islamabad as respondents in the case. The petitioners were named as Ansari, Sheikh Mujahid Latif, Sheraz Nisar, Ahmed Faraz, Yasir Shamoon and Waseem Sabir. According to the petition, the journalists’ professional duty was to cover criminal cases and highlight issues and defects in the police administration. Further, it said that the petitioners had criticised the formation of the Crime Control Department, the appointment of Lahore Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Faisal Kamran without merit and the increasing crime rate in Lahore. The journalists contended that this prompted DIG Kamran to “launch malicious social media campaigns ... -
Dawn - 10:52 Sep 25, 2025
Meta is expanding ‘teen accounts’ to Facebook and Messenger in Pakistan starting this week, placing both new and existing teen users into “safer, more protected experiences,” the organisation said on Thursday. “Teen accounts are already rolled out globally on Instagram, and now Meta is extending the same protections to teens worldwide on Facebook and Messenger,” Meta said in a statement. Teen accounts were introduced by Meta a year ago, which, according to the statement, was “a significant step to keep teens safe across Meta’s apps”. “Since then, hundreds of millions of teens have already been placed into Teen Accounts across Instagram, Facebook and Messenger.” The statement added: “Teen Account protections were designed to address parents’ top concerns with automatic safeguards that limit who teens can interact with, filter the content they see, and ensure their time online is well spent.” While there’s always more work to be done, Meta says it is “encouraged to see that Teen Accounts are bringing parents mo... -
Dawn - 10:01 Sep 25, 2025
Indian police patrolled the northern city of Leh on Thursday, a day after protests demanding greater autonomy for India-held Ladakh turned deadly when security forces opened fire. At least five people were killed, 30 police officers were injured and several more protesters wounded. The city — usually bustling with tourists — appeared deserted, with most main roads blocked by coils of razor wire and guarded by police in riot gear, an AFP reporter said. Protests erupted on Wednesday, with crowds demanding greater autonomy in the sparsely populated, high-altitude desert region that is home to some 300,000 people and which borders China and Pakistan. India’s Ministry of Home Affairs said that an “unruly mob” had attacked police, reporting in a statement issued late on Wednesday that “more than 30” officers were injured. Protesters torched a police vehicle and the offices of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while officers fired tear gas and used batons to disperse crow... -
Dawn - 09:15 Sep 25, 2025
Traders in Gilgit-Baltistan have decided to continue their sit-in despite the government agreeing to conditionally exempt imports routed through the Sost Dry Port from key federal taxes, trade leader Javed Hussain — who has been leading the protest — told Dawn.com on Thursday. Local traders in GB have been staging a protest sit-in, blocking the port since July. The protest was launched against the government’s taxation policies and suspension of customs clearance at the port. Yesterday, the government agreed to tax exemptions on imports coming through the port — provided that the goods were for local consumption and meet strict eligibility conditions. The total annual value of tax exemptions was capped at Rs4 billion. This was announced after talks between the federal government, GB government and local business leaders in Islamabad. But, Hussain said traders were not satisfied with this agreement. “After the agreement and its announcement in Islamabad, it was suggested to us to end the protest. But we don’t ... -
Dawn - 09:09 Sep 25, 2025
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has hailed the Rs1.2 trillion bank loan secured to settle Pakistan’s circular debt as the “largest financing and largest restructuring transaction” in the country’s history. On Wednesday, the government signed loan facilities worth approximately Rs1.225tr with 18 banks to settle the outstanding dues of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) parked in circular debt. These dues will be serviced through a Rs3.23 per unit surcharge on consumers for a period of six years. The signing ceremony was held at the PM Office, witnessed virtually by the prime minister from New York. No official announcement was made, although ministers confirmed the signing of the agreement. Under the agreement, the government will have 30 days to request disbursements from banks for prompt utilisation to avoid penalties. Today, the ceremony was aired on television, with both the premier and the finance minister addressing the gathering. In his remarks, Aurangzeb said that facility “resolves the structural ... -
Dawn - 08:23 Sep 25, 2025
A police constable was shot dead by unknown assailants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Thursday morning, police said. Bannu’s District Police Officer (DPO) Saleem Abbas Kulachi told Dawn.com that the incident occurred in the Bacha Khan Chowk area of the district’s Domel tehsil. “The police constable was on his way to arrive for duty when unknown armed motorcyclists opened fire on him,” Kulachi said. The DPO added that the constable, Qadus Khan, was critically injured and taken to the Khaleefa Gul Nawaz (KGN) hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The spokesperson for the Bannu regional police, Khanzala Quraishi, told Dawn.com that the constable was the guard of the Wazir sub-divisional police officer. “After the incident, the station house officer of the Domel area went to the crime scene along with a team to investigate the incident,” Qureshi said. DPO Kulachi, meanwhile, said that an operation against the ‘terrorists’ was underway in various locations of the district to eliminate the threat... -
Dawn - 08:14 Sep 25, 2025
Pakistan has called for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to be regulated by the United Nations charter, particularly its military use, warning that “AI must not become a tool of coercion.” As artificial intelligence advances without meaningful checks, Pakistan’s call at the UN reflects wider concerns voiced by developing nations that powerful states will shape the rules to their advantage. Earlier this year, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution urging inclusive and equitable AI governance that bridges the digital divide, while countries in the Global South, from Indonesia to Brazil, have warned that unchecked deployment risks deepening inequalities. Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, while speaking at a high-level debate on AI under the agenda item ‘Maintenance of international peace and security’ during the sidelines of the 80th UNGA session in New York, highlighted AI’s potential for misuse and called for the UN Charter and international law to “fully govern the develo... -
Dawn - 08:05 Sep 25, 2025
Hundreds of thousands of people in southern China were clearing up Thursday after powerful Typhoon Ragasa crashed through Guangdong Province, ripping down trees, destroying fences and blasting signs off buildings. Ragasa churned into Guangdong, home to tens of millions of people, with winds up to 145 kilometres (90 miles) per hour, on Wednesday after sweeping past Hong Kong and killing at least 14 in Taiwan. AFP journalists at the impact point around the city of Yangjiang on Thursday saw fallen trees, while road signs and debris were strewn across the streets. A light rain and breeze still lingered as residents worked to clean up the damage; however, authorities have not reported any storm-related fatalities. On Hailing — an island administered by Yangjiang —relief workers attempted to clear a huge tree that had fallen across a wide road. Cars drove on muddy tracks to get around the wreckage as the team worked to saw off branches. A seafood restaurant had sustained heavy damage, its back roof completely colla... -
Dawn - 06:39 Sep 25, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday called upon the international community to honour its commitment on climate finance, stressing that debt-driven finance cannot address the climate catastrophe confronting vulnerable nations like Pakistan. Pakistan experienced unprecedented floods and landslides this year amid record monsoon rains, triggered by climate change. The country’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reports that since late June, more than 1,000 people have been killed, with nearly 1,100 left injured due to monsoon-related disasters. Back in 2022, the country faced widespread devastation because of the floods, which killed 1,700 people, wiped off swathes of agricultural land, displaced millions, and incurred losses worth $30 billion, according to governmental estimates. Following the disaster, Pakistan held an international donors’ conference in Geneva, asking the world to help fund its flood recovery. Earlier this year, the Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs was told tha... -
Dawn - 05:32 Sep 25, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign, which has been targeting 13 million girls aged 9 to 14, has so far achieved only 34 percent of its target, it was revealed on Wednesday. So far, only 4.5 million girls out of the targeted 13 million have been vaccinated against the virus, which causes cervical cancer. The update was shared with State Minister for National Health Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath, who visited the HPV vaccination site at Islamabad Model School for Girls (IMSG), G-6/1-3, to observe the public health effort. The visit was organised by UNICEF in collaboration with the Federal Directorate of Immunisation (FDI). The campaign, which began on 17 September, will conclude on 27 September. Participants at the event included Dr Soofia Yunus, Director General of FDI; Dr Khurram Akram, Director (Technical), FDI Islamabad; Sharmeela Rasool, Deputy Country Representative, UNICEF Pakistan; Ellen Thon, Deputy WHO Representative, Pakistan; Dr Rashida Batool, District Health Officer; an... -
Dawn - 05:00 Sep 25, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is preparing to impose taxes on TikTok content creators, a parliamentary committee was informed on Wednesday during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue at Parliament House. Senator Faisal Vawda claimed that the FBR is finalising a plan to tax income earned by TikTokers, suggesting that the largest share of recoverable taxes would come from Punjab. He urged the tax authority to begin enforcement there. The committee, chaired by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, also reviewed the Pakistan Remittances Initiative (PRI) and the government’s remittance subsidy policy. Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan informed members that the subsidy, originally introduced in 2020 at 20 Saudi riyals per transaction, was raised to 30 in 2024 but has since been reduced back to 20 riyals. Senators question remittance subsidies benefiting banks Vawda criticised the move and described the policy as a “scandal”, alleging that commercial banks were benefiti... -
Dawn - 04:50 Sep 25, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The government on Wednesday signed loan facilities worth approximately Rs1.225 trillion with 18 banks to settle the outstanding dues of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) parked in circular debt. These dues will be serviced through a Rs3.23 per unit surcharge on consumers for a period of six years. The signing ceremony was held at the PM Office, witnessed virtually by the prime minister from New York. No official announcement was made, although ministers confirmed the signing of the agreement. Under the agreement, the government will have 30 days to request disbursements from banks for prompt utilisation to avoid penalties. Any withdrawal request not fully used within the period will lapse. After the request is made, the government will have three months to draw down the approved funds. The servicing of the Rs1.225tr debt would be serviced through a Debt Service Surcharge (DSS) at the rate of Rs3.23 per unit. Of this, Rs659bn would be used for loans payable by Power Holding Ltd (PHL) – a shell subs... -
Dawn - 03:53 Sep 25, 2025
• Residents say controlled breaches can give floodwaters a path back to Chenab • Several parts of Jamshoro remain under water LAHORE / DADU: A vast reservoir of floodwater continues to rise along the eastern side of the M-5 motorway, inundating farmland and threatening to erase entire villages in Multan’s Jalalpur Pirwala tehsil. Fifteen days after breaches first appeared at the Noraja Bhutta embankment on the Sutlej River, residents in union councils across Multan, Bahawalpur and Lodhran remain stranded, with many clinging to embankments as the water swallows their homes. To prevent damage to the highway, the National Highway Authority (NHA) has blocked culverts and bridges with heavy stones, effectively turning the motorway into a dam. But this is preventing floodwaters from draining away and causing water levels to rise on the eastern side, creating a dam-like effect from Noraja Bhutta embankment to the motorway. Communities in Noraja Bhutta, Bahadurpur, Basti Lang, Kanu, Dipal, Tarut Basharat, Daily Rajan... -
Dawn - 03:00 Sep 25, 2025
NEW DELHI: The Mumbai police registered a case against 81-year-old business tycoon Nusli Nevil Wadia, the grandson of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah, and some of his family members among others for allegedly using forged and fabricated documents in their court proceedings against Ferani Hotels Pvt Ltd, news reports said. According to Hindustan Times, the FIR was registered following orders by the metropolitan magistrate court at Borivili, which directed the Bangur Nagar police to register an FIR against Nusli Wadia, Maureen Wadia, 78, Ness Wadia, 54, Jehangir Wadia, 52, H.J. Bamji, 75, K.F. Bharucha and R.E. Wandewala, 65, for alleged cheating and forgery. The case revolves around a 30-year-old development agreement between Wadia and Ferani Hotels on a plot of land in Malad, which Ferani Hotels was to develop with builder K. Raheja and pay Wadia 12pc of the gross sale proceeds. Disputes arose in 2008, leading to legal battles over Wadia’s share of sales and the management of the land. The case has involve... -
Dawn - 02:56 Sep 25, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Sardar Mohammad Sarfraz Dogar has been inducted as a member of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), the top forum for judicial accountability, as the SJC will meet next month to examine complaints against superior courts judges including the IHC. Under Article 209 of the Constitution, the SJC consists of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, two senior-most judges of the Supreme Court, and two senior-most chief justices of high courts. CJP Yahya Afridi heads the forum, while Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar represent the Supreme Court. Among chief justices, LHC’s Chief Justice Alia Neelum was already a member, and the seat vacated following the retirement of SHC Chief Justice Junaid Ghaffar has now been filled by Justice Dogar, who ranks as the most senior among the sitting high court chiefs. The Constitution says that seniority among chief justices of high courts is determined by their dates of appointment as permanent chief justices... -
Dawn - 02:42 Sep 25, 2025
• Allowing judges to target peers would lead to ‘internal conflicts’, Justice Mandokhail warns • Ruling underscores principle of judicial equality, places emphasis on judicial discipline; affirms that judges cannot ‘pick and choose’ cases • IHC judges’ pleas ‘still under review’, says SC spox ISLAMABAD: Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail of the Supreme Court, in an 11-page verdict, has ruled that judges cannot initiate contempt proceedings against their peers, establishing that only the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) has the constitutional authority to probe misconduct allegations against the judges of both the apex and high courts. He explained that judges within the superior courts share equal power and status, with no individual holding superiority or inferiority over another. He warned that allowing judges to take such punitive measures against one another would cripple the judiciary. The ruling formally justified why a six-judge Supreme Court bench on Jan 27 disposed of an Intra-Court Appeal (ICA) filed by ...
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