Dawn
Source:
https://www.dawn.com
Found 8064 news
-
Dawn - 05:26 Dec 29, 2025
China’s military moved army, naval, air force and artillery units around Taiwan on Monday for its “Justice Mission 2025” drills, as the island vowed to defend democracy and mobilised troops to rehearse repelling a potential Chinese attack. The Eastern Theatre Command announced the drills will involve live-fire exercises on Tuesday, in a statement containing a graphic demarcating five zones surrounding the island that will be under sea and air space restrictions for 10 hours from 8am (5am PKT). This marks China’s sixth major round of war games since 2022 after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the democratically governed island, and follows a rise in Chinese rhetoric over Beijing’s territorial claims after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo. The exercises began 11 days after the United States announced $11.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, the largest ever weapons package for the island, drawing a prote... -
Dawn - 03:28 Dec 29, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Sunday asked the provincial government to support the military operations in the province as the security situation had significantly deteriorated due to militancy. Speaking at the National Press Club, he said the KP government should support security operations, as “without stability, development projects could not move forward”. Insecurity has a negative impact on the social and economic conditions of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said, adding that “sustained peace was essential for businesses and investment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”. Mr Kundi blamed Afghanistan for the rise in terrorism and alleged the involvement of Afghan nationals in the attacks in Pakistan. He said those Afghans who did not have documents to stay in Pakistan were “illegal”. The governor said no foreign national could reside in Pakistan without valid documents and the same policy applied to the undocumented Afghans too. He added that those wishing to study or work must en... -
Dawn - 02:52 Dec 29, 2025
• KP CM says dialogue without ‘resistance’ not effective; Karachi his ‘next destination’ • Believes talks can be meaningful if ‘power-wielding individuals’ participate • Azma claims ‘street movement’ failed to attract public, dubs it ‘social media hype’ LAHORE: After spending three days in the provincial capital galvanising party supporters, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said the PTI would not engage in talks with the government without first taking to the streets to demonstrate its opposition to the status quo. His remarks come as party leaders are split into two camps: one led by veterans favouring dialogue, while the other is bent on street agitation as per the directions of the incarcerated founder, Imran Khan. A day earlier, CM Afridi said the decision to initiate talks rested with the opposition alliance, and that he was in charge of the ‘street movement’. CM Afridi, along with other provincial ministers and members of the assembly, had arrived in Lahore to launch a new street movemen... -
Dawn - 02:34 Dec 29, 2025
KARACHI: A war of words erupted between two factions of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Sunday after Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal once again blamed party founder Altaf Hussain for being involved in the 2010 murder of senior party leader Dr Imran Farooq in London. Speaking at a press conference at a park adjacent to the party’s Bahadurabad headquarters, Mr Kamal said if Mr Hussain “truly considers himself innocent, he should approach a London court and file a petition for a transparent investigation into the brutal murder of Dr Imran Farooq”. It may be noted that in 2020 an Islamabad anti-terrorism court had sentenced three men — Syed Mohsin Ali, Moazzam Ali and Khalid Shamim — to life imprisonment and declared Mr Hussain an absconder in the Imran Farooq murder case. The MQM-P leader’s presser came a day after the burial of Dr Imran Farooq’s widow Shumaila, who died a couple of days ago in London. Mr Kamal, as well as leaders of MQM factions, attended the funeral and expressed their condolence with he... -
Dawn - 19:11 Dec 28, 2025
The interim Afghan Taliban regime’s interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, on Sunday extended his gratitude to all organisations and actors extending goodwill and good intentions to Afghanistan, including the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F). The comments, delivered during an event in Kabul, come after JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, on December 23, criticised Islamabad for striking terrorist targets in Afghanistan and Iran and for deporting Afghan refugees. “There comes a point when refugees become a problem, but you come together to resolve it; you don’t expel people who have been living in your country for 40 years,” he said, calling on Pakistan and Afghanistan to maintain friendly relations. A declaration from Dec 23 stated that tension “is not in the interest of either country and will only benefit anti-Islamic forces”, urging Kabul and Islamabad to resolve their issues through dialogue. Haqqani referred to the conference on Dec 23, noting that Fazl and religious scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani “expressed ... -
Dawn - 18:14 Dec 28, 2025
A man stabbed to death nine people, including five children, overnight in Suriname’s capital Paramaribo, police said Sunday, adding the suspect was wounded and arrested. The man appeared to be suffering from mental health issues, and four of his own children were among the fatalities in the attack, which took place in and around his home, according to local media reports. The suspect had an argument with his wife over the phone before stabbing one of the victims, his 11-year-old daughter, 44 times in the kitchen of their home, local media reported. “A man killed four adults and five children with a sharp object at a residence in Hadji Iding Soemitaweg,” the local police said in a statement. “A sixth child and an adult were seriously injured and were transported” to the hospital, according to the statement. Officers who arrived on the scene had to open fire on the suspect, as “he attacked police with a sharp object,“ the statement said. The man sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and has been hospitalised und... -
Dawn - 17:44 Dec 28, 2025
United States President Donald Trump said on Sunday he had “a good and very productive” phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Florida later today. He did not provide details about what was discussed. Meanwhile, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported that the pair had spoken, citing Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Taking to Truth Social, Trump wrote that the meeting would take place in the main dining room of his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida’s Palm Beach at 1pm (11pm PKT). “Press is invited,” the US president wrote. Zelensky and Trump intend to hammer out a plan to end the war in Ukraine, but face major differences on crucial issues and provocations from Russian air attacks. Russia struck Kyiv and other parts of war-torn Ukraine with hundreds of missiles and drones on Saturday, knocking out power and heat in parts of the capital. Zelensky called it Russia’s response to the ongoing US-brokered peace efforts. Zelensky has told jou... -
Dawn - 17:15 Dec 28, 2025
The year 2025 was found to be “deadliest” for terrorists in Pakistan, with 2,115 terrorist fatalities, while 664 security personnel and 580 civilians were slain, according to a report released by Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS). PICSS said that Pakistan saw a “marked escalation” in 2025, with violence intensifying in both “tempo and lethality”, pushing several security indicators to their highest levels in years. As per the report, the year 2025 has not only delivered a steep rise in overall combat-related deaths, but also became the deadliest year for terrorists since 2015, the most lethal for security forces since 2011, and the worst for civilian casualties in a decade. “Militant attacks climbed to their highest annual total since 2014, and the use of suicide bombings and small drones showed a clear upward trend,” said the report. According to statistics released by PICSS, combat-related deaths in 2025 rose by 73 per cent to 3,387, compared to 1,950 in 2024. Fatalities included ... -
Dawn - 16:00 Dec 28, 2025
ISLAMABAD: To ensure the security of the federal capital, the administration has decided that vehicles without M-Tags will not be allowed to enter Islamabad from January 1, 2026. 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. The decision has been made on the instructions of the Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi. Moreover, actions will be taken against vehicles without M-Tags. The Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Islamabad, Irfan Memon, has ordered that processing at all M-Tag points be expedited so that the maximum number of vehicles can be registered before the deadline approaches. According to Memon, “16 M-Tag facilitation points have been established at various locations across the city.” Since November 14, nearly 100,000 veh... -
Dawn - 15:57 Dec 28, 2025
KARACHI: Bodies of a woman and three children have been found hanging inside a house near Machhar Colony in Karachi’s Sohrab Goth, police said on Sunday. A statement issued by Sohrab Goth police said a crime scene unit had visited the site and further investigation was under way. Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said Sohrab Goth police brought the bodies of the woman, 35 and her children, aged 10, 3 and 2, for post-mortem examination at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. “We have collected all samples for chemical analysis,” said Dr Syed, adding that the cause of death has been reserved until reports are issued. East Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Zubair Nazir Shaikh told Dawn that there was no sign of a quarrel at the site of the incident, nor did neighbours say they heard a struggle. “The husband told police that he worked at New Subzi Mandi and had left for work at around 4am on Sunday,” SSP Shaikh said. “When he returned several hours later, he saw his wife and three children dead.” The SSP said police are wa... -
Dawn - 15:50 Dec 28, 2025
A report on journalism in Balochistan has highlighted how pressure, intimidation and violence from multiple actors have caused the space for press freedom to shrink in the province. The report, titled State of Media Freedoms, Access to Information and Safety of Journalists and Media Professionals in Balochistan – The Way Forward, was released by Freedom Network (FN) on Sunday and examines Balochistan’s overall media landscape, threat actors, service structures, gender dynamics, legal cases and challenges, including censorship, harassment, intimidation and dismissals from service. It notes that national television channels and newspapers have steadily reduced their bureau presence in Quetta, as digital distribution becomes the norm, leaving coverage outside the provincial capital sparse or non-existent. “Drawing on desk research, focus group discussions and key informant interviews, it (the report) finds a chronically constrained information environment in which local media are financially brittle, structurall... -
Dawn - 14:46 Dec 28, 2025
Three more Iranian satellites were sent into space on Russia’s Soyuz launchers on Sunday, Iranian state media said, as the two US-sanctioned nations extend their space collaboration. Iran has increasingly relied on its ally Russia to put satellites in orbit in recent years, with the latest three intended to help with monitoring agriculture, natural resources and the environment. “These satellites were designed and produced by Iranian scientists … despite all the sanctions and threats,” Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, told state TV in reference to Western measures over Tehran’s nuclear programme. “We are working together (with Russia) in different areas. Some are evident, and some we don’t like to clarify.” Iran’s official IRNA news agency said the three satellites — Paya, Zafar 2, and a second Kowsar —were for low-earth orbit. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Iran and Russia have deepened ties, with Western countries accusing Iran of providing missiles and drones for Russian attacks. Teh... -
Dawn - 14:29 Dec 28, 2025
Security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Balochistan‘s Kalat district, killing four terrorists, the military’s media wing said in a statement on Sunday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Saturday’s IBO took place on the reports that terrorists belonging to Fitna al Hindustan were present. The state has designated Balochistan-based terrorist 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 forces effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, four Indian sponsored terrorists were sent to hell,” the ISPR said in the statement. It added that weapons and ammunition were seized from the dead terrorists, who had been actively involved in terrorist activity in the area. “Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian sponsored terrorist found in the area. [The] relentless counter-terrorism campa... -
Dawn - 14:26 Dec 28, 2025
Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Multan Sultans will be operated by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) itself during the upcoming 11th edition of the tournament, the board’s chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced on Sunday. The decision comes amid a protracted dispute between the board and the franchise’s former owner, Ali Khan Tareen, whose agreement was not renewed after he was deemed non-compliant due to public criticism of the league’s management. Multan Sultans, introduced as the sixth team in 2018 and historically the most valuable franchise — acquired initially for a significantly higher fee than others — won the PSL title in 2021 and reached multiple finals. However, tensions escalated over the past year as Tareen repeatedly voiced concerns over transparency, governance and communication within the PSL setup. The PCB responded with legal notices, accusing him of breaching contractual obligations, while Tareen threatened counter-legal action and ultimately decided against renewing ownership, citing princip... -
Dawn - 13:57 Dec 28, 2025
The PTI on Sunday denied opting to engage in dialogue with the government as an underdog but said that it will do so “after ensuring a level-playing field is provided to it through street movements“, according to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and the PTI Secretary-General, Salman Akram Raja. CM Afridi, along with other provincial ministers and members of the assembly, was in Lahore to launch a new street movement, as per the directives of incarcerated party founder Imran Khan. He left for the motorway at about 6:40pm. In a discussion with senior journalists at a private residence in Lahore’s Defence Housing Authority earlier in the day, Afridi asserted that reconciliation was impossible without resistance. “We will be at a loss if we enter into dialogue without resistance. So, the protest movement will continue until the rulers come to the table after recognising the opposition as an equal partner,” he said. Responding to a question whether the party had perpetually been protesting without y... -
Dawn - 13:27 Dec 28, 2025
LONDON: A demonstration outside the Bangladeshi High Commission in London on Saturday briefly turned tense when pro-Khalistan Sikh activists and a small group of Hindu protesters confronted each other, prompting police intervention. The Khalistan Movement wants an independent Sikh state carved out of India and dates back to India and Pakistan’s independence in 1947, when the idea was pushed forward in negotiations preceding the partition of the Punjab region between the two new countries. The protest was held in connection with reports of violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. During the gathering, Paramjeet Singh Pamma, identified by organisers as a coordinator of the Khalistan Referendum campaign, was involved in a brief scuffle with an Indian Hindu protester. Metropolitan Police officers on duty intervened quickly, separating the individuals and dispersing the groups from close proximity to the mission building. No injuries were reported. Following the incident, pro-Khalistan Sikh protesters formed a cordo... -
Dawn - 13:14 Dec 28, 2025
Pakistan has joined 20 other nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in rejecting Israel‘s recognition of self-declared Republic of Somaliland, with a joint statement saying that Tel Aviv’s measure reflected its “full and blatant disregard for international law”. The statement also registered the countries’ rejection of any “potential link between such measure and any attempts to forcibly expel the Palestinian people out of their land”. The joint statement has been issued by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, Gambia, Iran, Iraq Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Nigeria, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkiye, Yemen and the OIC. Israel became the first country to formally recognise Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state on Friday, with Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, saying his state will join the Abraham Accords. Somaliland has enjoyed effective autonomy — and relative peace and stability — since 1991, w... -
Dawn - 12:43 Dec 28, 2025
At a Thai university-turned-shelter for displaced people, Kanlaya Somjettana is reluctant to go home even after a truce halted weeks of border clashes with Cambodia, fearing the violence may not be over. She said some people forced to flee the fighting began returning home on Sunday, a day after the ceasefire was announced, but many evacuees on both sides of the border preferred waiting for an official word that it was safe. Some cited a lack of trust that the neighbouring country would respect the truce, after previous ones had been broken. “I really hope this ceasefire will last long and we can return home,” 21-year-old homemaker Kanlaya told AFP from the university campus in Thailand’s Surin city. “But I will not go back home as long as authorities do not confirm that it is safe,” she said, adding that the evacuation centre was now less crowded, although hundreds remained there. On the Cambodian side, 35-year-old So Choeun said she expected to give birth within days and hoped to then take her baby home, ab... -
Dawn - 12:41 Dec 28, 2025
PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari highlighted on Sunday the significance of the politics of reconciliation, urging the opposition to play a “responsible” role and also called for the ruling party and its allies to take the necessary steps in this regard. Bilawal expressed these views while speaking to the media at the inauguration ceremony of the Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology in Larkana. View this post on Instagram He recalled that former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had given the message of “truth and reconciliation” and “reconciliation in politics”. Linking it with the country’s progress and economic prosperity, he said the ruling party and its allies would have to play their part for this while the opposition would also have to play a “responsible role”. “If stringent [measures] are taken in response to the politics of extremism, then there should be no complaints,” he remarked, quoting the English idiom “if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”. He added, “If you (the P... -
Dawn - 11:53 Dec 28, 2025
Bangladesh police on Sunday said the alleged killers of popular student leader Sharif Osman Hadi had fled to India, in comments likely to further strain relations with its neighbour. Hadi, a vocal India critic who took part in last year’s mass uprising, was shot by masked assailants in Dhaka earlier this month and later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Singapore. His death set off violent protests with angry mobs torching several buildings, including two major newspapers deemed to favour India, as well as a prominent cultural institution. With protests being held across the country almost daily, pressure has been growing on Bangladesh’s interim government to arrest the killers of Hadi, who was set to contest the general elections in February next year. “The killing was premeditated. Those behind it have been identified,” Nazrul Islam, a senior Dhaka Metropolitan Police officer, said at a news conference. He added that the suspects left Bangladesh through the Haluaghat border with India shortly after...
8064 items