Dawn
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Dawn - 00:15 Sep 25, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Taking a step towards digitalisation and facilitate victims of fraud cases, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has devised a system for disbursing their recovered money from the fraudulent through online. “Addressing difficulties faced by victims of various financial scams in receiving their amounts, NAB has decided to transfer recovered funds to victims online,” says an official press release issued by the NAB headquarters on Wednesday. The new payment system was launched at a ceremony presided over by NAB chairman retired Lt-Gen Nazir Ahmed. In the first phase, recovered funds were directly transferred online to victims of the B4U fraud. The NAB chief himself initiated the online transfer of funds directly into the bank accounts of victims. In the past, NAB used to return money to a limited number of victims at a time via pay orders, a time-consuming process that required victims to physically visit NAB offices to receive their money. Now, NAB has completely digitised this process so that f... -
Dawn - 20:15 Sep 24, 2025
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday welcomed the landmark mutual defence deal struck between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as the beginning of a “comprehensive regional security system”. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia entered into a landmark mutual defence agreement, under which any aggression against one state will be considered an attack on both. The pact was signed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman at the Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh last week. The timing of the accord, coming on the heels of an Arab summit that signalled a shift towards collective security — in the wake of Israel’s attack on Qatar — hints that it is rooted in current world affairs and reflects the defence concerns of both countries. It also comes just months after a deadly India-Pakistan conflict in May, as well as the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June. The Iranian president praised the defence deal while addressing the General Debate of the 80th Session of the United Nations General ... -
Dawn - 19:11 Sep 24, 2025
The Pakistan women’s team on Wednesday started training for the Women’s Cricket World Cup, in Sri Lanka’s Colombo, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported. The Women in Green arrived in the Sri Lankan capital late on Tuesday as the tournament is set to start on September 30 in India’s Guwahati. The eight-nation showpiece will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from Sept 30 to Nov 2. However, Pakistan — under an International Cricket Council (ICC) hybrid model decided by the ICC due to political strains between New Delhi and Islamabad — will play all their matches of the event in Colombo. “The team on Wednesday participated in its first training session at the Ranasinghe Premadasa Stadium,” APP reported. The session focused on batting, bowling, and fielding under the guidance of head coach Muhammad Wasim, APP added. Before the World Cup begins, Pakistan will play two crucial warm-up matches. Their first encounter will be against Sri Lanka on September 25, followed by a match against South Africa on Septembe... -
Dawn - 18:51 Sep 24, 2025
India secured their place in the men’s Asia Cup final on Wednesday as Abhishek Sharma starred with 75 in a 41-run win over Bangladesh in Dubai. The holders posted 168-6 batting first after stumbling following a quick start, but their spinners helped stifle Bangladesh to 127 all out. The result means Sri Lanka are out of the tournament, with Thursday’s Super Four match between Pakistan and Bangladesh to decide who faces India in Sunday’s final. Abhishek has enjoyed a remarkable start to his T20 international career with 783 runs from 22 matches at a strike-rate of 197.72. The opener set up victory with another brilliant innings, striking six sixes and five fours in his 37-ball blitz, which ended with a run-out caused by a mix-up with captain Suryakumar Yadav. Both Abhishek and fellow opener Shubman Gill, who made 29, started cautiously before the two took on left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed, smashing 21 runs off the fourth over. Abhishek reached his fifty off just 25 balls after Gill fell to leg-spinner Rishad Hos... -
Dawn - 17:16 Sep 24, 2025
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Wednesday decided to amend relevant provisions of the Import Policy Order, 2022 to allow the commercial import of used vehicles. According to a statement issued by the Finance Division, “The ECC considered a summary regarding the commercial import of used vehicles and, after detailed discussion, accorded approval to the proposals.” Initially, only vehicles not older than five years will be permitted until 30th June 2026, after which the vehicle age limit shall stand removed, it added. As per the statement, Federal Finance and Revenue Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb chaired the ECC meeting virtually from New York. The ECC further directed that “such commercial importation would remain subject to strict compliance with prescribed environmental and safety standards”. “The committee also approved the imposition of 40 per cent regulatory duty in addition to the existing customs duties, on the commercial import of used vehicles (less than five years old),” it ... -
Dawn - 17:00 Sep 24, 2025
PTI social media activist Falak Javed Khan has been arrested by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in a case pertaining to the fake videos of Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari being uploaded on social media, her lawyer said on Wednesday. The PTI alleged that she was arrested in Islamabad last night. Her lawyer, Advocate Mian Ali Ashfaq, confirmed to Dawn.com today that she was arrested in the fake videos case. “My team and I will appear in Lahore District Court tomorrow in Falak Javed’s case. We will provide full legal assistance in Falak Javed’s case. If NCCIA applies for Falak Javed’s physical remand, we will oppose it. The case is being reviewed from all angles,” he said. The Punjab minister had sought action last year in July against the persons involved in sharing her edited images on social media. She alleged that Falak edited and spread her images on social media. The minister said a request was made to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) under the Peca (Prevention of Elect... -
Dawn - 15:54 Sep 24, 2025
The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Wednesday clarified that no final decision had been taken yet on the issue of withholding tax on money transfers and withdrawals after the body earlier declared it to be “un-Islamic”. The CII made the earlier decision and others at its 243rd meeting today, presided over by CII Chairman Allama Dr Muhammad Raghib Hussain Naeemi, the press release read. “The council declared the withholding tax imposed on withdrawal or transfer of money as excessive and declared it un-Islamic,” the press release said. As per the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), withholding tax is an advance payment of tax deducted at the time of economic activities specified under certain sections of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 and Sales Tax Act, 1990. However, a clarification issued later read: “Regarding today’s meeting of the CII, there was an impression that the council had formed a final opinion on the withholding tax, whereas in fact, a few members had an initial discussion on it, in which the mem... -
Dawn - 15:27 Sep 24, 2025
A shooter killed at least one person and wounded others in a shooting on Wednesday at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Dallas before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, local and federal authorities said. Police responded to reports of the shooting at the office in northwest Dallas at about 6:40am local time (4:40pm PKT), the Dallas police department said on X. The suspect opened fire on the office from an adjacent building, according to the preliminary investigation, police said. Two people were transported to a hospital with gunshot wounds, while a third person died at the scene. ICE officers were not injured, but it was not clear whether the victims included ICE detainees, local security or local law enforcement, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in an interview on Fox News’ ‘Fox & Friends’. Investigators are looking at the possibility that the shot came from the rooftop of a nearby apartment building, McLaughlin added. “Those details are st... -
Dawn - 14:17 Sep 24, 2025
Security forces on Wednesday killed 13 terrorists in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) carried out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district, the military’s media wing said in a statement. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces conducted the operation in the Daraban area, upon the reported presence of terrorists “belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna al Khwarij”. The state uses the term Fitna al Khwarij to refer to terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). It has also designated Balochistan-based groups as Fitna al Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan. “During the conduct of [the] operation, [our] own troops effectively engaged the khwarij location and [as a result], 13 Indian sponsored khwarij were sent to hell,” the statement read. The ISPR added that weapons and ammunition were recovered from the dead terrorists, who were involved in terrorist activity in the area. The statement added... -
Dawn - 13:53 Sep 24, 2025
The Supreme Court (SC) has held that only the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) can investigate allegations of misconduct against judges of the apex court and high courts, it emerged on Wednesday. The observation was made in a detailed verdict, issued on Tuesday, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, in a case pertaining to the contempt proceedings against Additional Registrar (Judicial) Nazar Abbas. Three Supreme Court judges had initiated contempt proceedings against the senior staff member in January for not fixing a case regarding the jurisdiction of regular benches. The case pertained to whether regular benches of the Supreme Court could determine the constitutionality of Article 191A of the Constitution, under which the Constitutional Bench was established after the 26th Amendment. The detailed verdict issued today, authored by Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, said that by virtue of holding a constitutional position, sub-article (5) of Article 199 of the Constitution granted immunity to SC and high c... -
Dawn - 13:38 Sep 24, 2025
Diamond sets and a drone light show at a near-million-dollar wedding have become evidence for tax authorities under a new “Lifestyle Monitoring Cell” tasked with scanning social media for lavish spenders, officials said. A team of 40 investigators from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has started scouring Instagram, TikTok and YouTube posts this week, to match influencers, celebrities, realtors and businesspeople with disproportionate filings. “It’s open-source their Instagram accounts are a public declaration,” one senior FBR official said, adding that tax evasion cases can be opened up in a matter of hours. The FBR did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. The monitoring cell has been formed to address the country’s chronic inability to meet revenue collection targets, and to help meet tougher goals set in this year’s International Monetary Fund-backed budget. Pakistan has one of the lowest tax-to-GDP ratios in Asia, a chronic weakness that has forced the country into nearly two dozen IMF programm... -
Dawn - 13:23 Sep 24, 2025
Pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi has declared that the Green Shirts will reach the Asia Cup final and can beat India if the arch-rivals clash again. Pakistan kept their campaign alive with a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in a Super Four clash in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Pakistan and India have met twice in this edition of the regional competition, but the two teams have never played against each other in an Asia Cup final. The regional tournament, played this time in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under the Twenty20 format, started in 1984, and this is its 17th edition. Bangladesh, who face India on Wednesday and Pakistan on Thursday, stand in the way of the great rivals facing off in Sunday’s decider in Dubai. India are the current holders and beat Pakistan in both previous matches, but Shaheen was in a bullish mood after taking 3-28 against Sri Lanka. When asked about Pakistan and India not facing off in any of the finals of the previous editions and the possibility of both rivals meeting in the final, Shaheen s... -
Dawn - 12:22 Sep 24, 2025
British police said on Wednesday that a man had been arrested as part of an investigation into a ransomware attack against Collins Aerospace, owned by RTX, which knocked check-in systems at airports offline and caused widespread travel disruption across Europe. The National Crime Agency (NCA) said in a statement that the man, in his 40s, was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of offences under the Computer Misuse Act and had since been released on conditional bail. “Although this arrest is a positive step, the investigation into this incident is in its early stages and remains ongoing,” NCA Deputy Director Paul Foster said. It remained unclear which criminal group was behind last week’s hack. An NCA spokesperson declined to provide further details. Ransomware gangs routinely publicise attacks and leak stolen data on dark web “leak sites” but websites that monitor those portals had not, as of Wednesday, detected any group claiming the hack. Ransomware is malicious software used by cybercriminals to encrypt a com... -
Dawn - 11:46 Sep 24, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday stated that Pakistan was steadily meeting its International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme commitments, but urged the lender to take into account the recent flood damage in its upcoming review for the country. The prime minister made the remarks during a meeting with Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the IMF, on the sidelines of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. According to a Topline Securities’ report, Pakistan is on track to meet all seven Quantitative Performance Criteria (QPC) set by the IMF ahead of the September 25 review of its $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF), which was approved in May this year. The review will assess Pakistan’s performance for the March–June quarter of 2025. However, massive floods in the country have struck both the rural heartland and industrial centres for the first time in decades, causing billions of dollars in damage while straining food supplies, exports and a fragile economic recove... -
Dawn - 11:42 Sep 24, 2025
PPP’s Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, the first lady and a member of the National Assembly, on Wednesday asserted that the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) was the “most effective way” to distribute aid to flood-affected people, adding that it would be “irresponsible to not utilise it”. Her statement comes a day after Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said that the provincial government would issue relief cards to the flood victims in their personal names using its own resources instead of using BISP to assist them. Over the past month, the PPP has repeatedly urged the Centre to disburse stipends among displaced citizens via the “efficient and proven” BISP. BISP is a national safety net programme in Pakistan that provides cash assistance to poor and vulnerable families, particularly targeting women. In a post on X, Aseefa said that over four million people had been impacted by the “unprecedented floods” in Punjab. She termed the BISP as the “fastest and most effective way” to distribute aid to those affe... -
Dawn - 11:31 Sep 24, 2025
Eight people were arrested on Tuesday night after a gun battle broke out between two groups of people at a call centre in Karachi’s Gulshan-i-Iqbal neighbourhood, it emerged on Wednesday. The first information report (FIR) of the incident was filed at the Gulshan-i-Iqbal Police Station a day ago against the eight suspects under Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 337A (punishment for assault), 337H(ii) (punishment for hurt by rash or negligent act), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 25 (use of a firearm to commit a criminal offence) of the 2013 Sindh Arms Act. The incident occurred because workers at the call centre took the complainant’s daughter, another employee, hostage, according to the FIR. ... -
Dawn - 11:30 Sep 24, 2025
Tech companies, including WhatsApp and Reddit, as well as streaming giant Twitch and gaming firm Roblox, could be among more than a dozen sites added to Australia’s social media ban for under-16s, the country’s regulator said Wednesday. Platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube were already included in the ban — a world-first. But the head of Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, has written to 16 more companies to “self-assess” whether they fall under the ban’s remit. The list also included Pinterest as well as Lego Play, streaming company Kick and gaming platform Steam. Companies will need to make a case if they believe their platform should be exempt from the ban, the national broadcaster ABC said. Inman Grant told the network that while some cases were “pretty clear”, the regulator would “give them the due diligence process”. “We need to hear them all out,” she said. The regulator said it will initially focus on platforms with the greatest number of users, where there are hig... -
Dawn - 11:17 Sep 24, 2025
Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Dr Farooq Sattar on Wednesday took aim at the Sindh government and Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab over the delay in development projects in the metropolis. Karachi’s key development projects —from the long-delayed K-IV water supply scheme and Red Line bus corridor to stalled roadworks like the Karimabad underpass and Malir Expressway—remain stuck due to chronic funding gaps, utility relocation issues, regulatory hurdles, and weak inter-agency coordination, leaving the city’s residents waiting years for essential infrastructure. Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Sattar said, “They cannot conceive a development project, nor can they deliver it.” During the presser, the MQM leader talked about the Green Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. Recently, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), backed by the PPP-led Sindh government, halted the federally funded Rs6 billion project of the Green Line Bus extension, citing the PIDCL’s failure to obtain a no-objec... -
Dawn - 10:47 Sep 24, 2025
EVERY year of my journalistic career of nearly half a century, I have known only a free and independent press in the United States. My professional start was in the 1970s. Those were years when Americans could see clearly how the press served democracy. With the publication of the Pentagon Papers, first by The New York Times, the American public learned of the failures its government had covered up during a long war in Vietnam that cost so many lives. Then there was Watergate, an investigation spearheaded by The Washington Post. US citizens learned how their president had weaponised the government against his political adversaries, abusing his powers and sabotaging the Constitution. In the decades since those revelations, I took for granted that my country would always enjoy press freedom — and that the First Amendment of our Constitution would guarantee it. We now live in a time when people are unable, or unwilling, to distinguish between ‘true’ and ‘false’; we cannot even agree on how to determine ‘a fact’ ... -
Dawn - 10:14 Sep 24, 2025
French police arrested 101 Roma fans, some with weapons, in Nice on Tuesday, a day before the teams were due to meet in the Europa League, the local prefecture announced. A separate source told AFP that the Italian supporters were carrying sticks, shovels and knuckle dusters around the city centre on the French Riviera. The prefecture said that more than 400 police officers will be present for Wednesday’s group stage match. “Since yesterday, more than 200 personnel, including two mobile units, were deployed in the city centre of Nice to prevent all types of public disorder and proceeded with the arrest of 102 individuals identified as Roma ultras, carrying weapons,” it said on Wednesday, before later revising the number of arrests down to 101. “These individuals were taken into police custody,” it added. The local authorities have banned Roma fans from displaying visible signs of their allegiance in the city between 1300 GMT (6pm PKT) Tuesday and 1000 GMT (3pm PKT) on Thursday.
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