Pakistan

Muhammad Sudais Khan, a 17-year-old student from rural Charsadda in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has emerged as a remarkable symbol of perseverance, proving that physical limitations cannot suppress determination and talent. Born as a disabled person, who had both his hands and one foot rendered non-functional, Sudais faced an uphill journey on the road to getting an education. This year, not only did he sit for his Matriculation examinations under the Peshawar Board, but he also shocked the community by scoring an impressive 890 marks, all accomplished with just one toe. Despite all the hardship, Sudais answered each question using the only working toe on his left foot, without ever letting his physical constraints define his potential. His achievement, unprecedented and inspiring, has turned him into a symbol of resilience and a role model for people of all abilities across KP and beyond. “I was not expecting this much appreciation from the people,” Sudais told Dawn.com. He said that his public school was very suppo...

In a stellar display of skill and determination, Pakistan’s national team clinched four bronze medals at the prestigious International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) 2025, held in Bolivia from July 27 to August 3.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday extended his heartfelt congratulations to Lieutenant General (Retired) Muhammad Saeed on his appointment as Chairman of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).

The maritime affairs ministry on Monday approved its first-ever ferry service licence to an international ferry operator, authorising the company to operate routes connecting Pakistan with Iran and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Last month, the ministry announced an ambitious plan to expand Gwadar Port’s operational capacity by introducing additional shipp­ing lines and launching a ferry service connecting Pak­istan with GCC countries. The approval followed a high-level meeting of the licensing committee, comprising officials from maritime affairs, defence, foreign affairs, and interior ministries, along with representatives from the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation as well as port and shipping authorities. According to a statement issued by the ministry, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar Chaudhry hailed the move as a historic step aligned with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s vision and Pakistan’s National Maritime Policy. “This licence creates the opportunity for boosting re...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday announced Rs4 billion for mapping damage to infrastructure in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and reconstruction efforts following recent floods in the region. The prime minister was on a one-day visit to GB to review monsoon damages and distribute relief funds to flood-affected people. The devastating impacts of climate cha­nge became more visible in GB, which has been facing heavy rains since late June. The situation worsened when deadly floods swept across the Babusar area on July 21, causing landslides and damaging infrastructure. So far, 10 people, mostly tourists, have lost their lives, with between 10 and 15 tourists still missing. A statement posted on the X account of state broadcaster PTV News said PM Shehbaz emphasised the need for timely preparation to deal with natural disasters and announced a Rs4bn fund for infrastructure restoration and the activation of a 100-megawatt solar project soon. The PM also laid the foundation stone for a Daanish School. Addressing a che...

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir is aiming to build a sustainable and multi-faceted relationship with the United States, British magazine The Economist reported on Sunday. Relations between Washington and Islamabad have grown deeper since US President Donald Trump took office. On July 31, both nations struck a trade deal lowering US tariffs on Pakistan to 19 per cent, while also establishing an agreement to explore Pakistani oil reserves. In June, the COAS made a five-day official visit to the US, where he met with Trump over luncheon, becoming the first serving army chief to have a face-to-face meeting with a sitting US president. During the trip, Field Marshal Munir stressed the “immense potential for a broader, multidimensional relationship built upon mutual respect” with Washington. The COAS’ visit followed a four-day military confrontation with India in May, after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for the April 22 Pahalgam attack without evidence. A US-brokered ceasefire ended the war. “There...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Gilgit-Baltistan on Monday to express solidarity with those affected by recent rains and floods, offering condolences and promising sustained support for recovery efforts.

Russia urged caution on Monday after United States President Donald Trump said he would deploy two nuclear submarines following an online row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. Trump said he had ordered the deployment in response to what he alleged were highly provocative comments by Medvedev, saying the submarines would be positioned in “appropriate regions”. Trump did not say whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. He also did not elaborate on the locations, which are kept secret by the US military. “Russia is very attentive to the topic of nuclear non-proliferation. And we believe that everyone should be very, very cautious with nuclear rhetoric,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, including from AFP, on Monday. The row between Medvedev and Trump erupted against the backdrop of the US leader’s ultimatum for Russia to end its military offensive in Ukraine or face fresh economic sanctions, including on its remaining trading partners. Medvedev — one of Russia’s m...

Pakistani authorities have resumed the forced deportation of Afghan refugees after the federal government refused to extend a key deadline for their legal stay, officials confirmed Monday.

Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan met with the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Pakistan, Md.

A Karachi court has ordered the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) and District Municipal Corporation (DMC) Central (Shadman) to pay Rs9.

Pakistan gamer Arslan “Ash” Siddique bagged his sixth Evolution Championship Series (EVO) title after winning the EVO 2025 fighting game tournament in Las Vegas on Monday. The Lahore-based player won the Tekken 7 tournament in Japan in 2019 as well as the Evolution Championship Series in the US. In August 2022, he finished third in the EVO 2022 Tekken 7 competition. He won the Tekken 7 competition at EVO Japan 2023 in April 2023 and gained his 5th EVO title in July 2024. EVO 2025 was held at the Las Vegas Convention Centre from Aug 1-3. Siddique repeated history to win his 6th EVO title against fellow Pakistani and a former member of the team founded by Ash himself, Atif Butt. EVO posted the winning moment on X with Ash using Nina Williams and Butt using Anna Williams, characters from the Tekken fighting game franchise who are sisters, terming it “greatness on another level”. “I’m feeling so blessed,” EVO quoted Ash as saying after his win and becoming a six-time title holder, adding that he remains “grateful...

A search operation for tourists who went missing after rain-induced floods in Gilgit-Baltistan’s (GB) Babusar area concluded on Monday after 14 days, while their funeral prayers were held in absentia. Pakistan has been grappling with severe flooding caused by cloudbursts, glacial lake outburst floods (Glofs) and intense monsoon rains since June. These extreme weather events have resulted in several deaths and injuries across the country, with the GB region among the hardest hit. After deadly floods swept across GB’s Babusar area on July 21, the deaths of seven people had been confirmed but 12 remained missing. Besides the missing, the region’s death toll stands at 10. In a statement today, GB government spokesperson Faizullah Firaq said, “The funeral prayers of the missing persons were offered in absentia in Babusar.” He said that the search operation on Babusar Highway, which had continued for 14 days, has now ended. “All vehicles have been removed from the debris, but no trace of the missing persons could b...

The pilot engine of the Jaffar Express was fired upon near Kolpur in Balochistan on Monday, though no injuries were reported in the incident.

Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub combined for a 138 opening partnership and Pakistan defeated the West Indies by 13 runs on Sunday to capture their T20 International Series. Pakistan won the series opener by 14 runs but dropped the second match by two wickets to set up a Sunday night decider at Lauderhill, Florida. After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Pakistan were rewarded with a powerhouse performance by Farhan and Ayub. Pakistan went 189 for four as Farhan hammered the hosts for 74 runs on 53 balls, smashing five sixes and three fours, while Ayub lasted 19 overs, finishing on 66 from 49 balls with two sixes and four fours. Farhan was caught by West Indies captain Shai Hope at long off from a delivery by Shamar Joseph on the second ball of the 17th over. Hasan Nawaz entered but was retired after only 15 runs, caught by Romario Shepherd at long off from a delivery by Roston Chase on the penultimate ball of the 18th over. Mohammad Haris was run out for only two runs by Gudakesh Motie to start the 1...

Since July 3, multiple Indian users on the social media platform X have been sharing a video of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, claiming that he said “our people are sitting in India’s parliament”. However, the audio in the clip is doctored. On July 31, an X user, who seemed to be Indian from previous posts, shared a video that showed a split frame of Bilawal in the National Assembly and Indian politician Gaurav Gogoi in the Lok Sabha. In the clip, Bilawal could allegedly be heard saying: “Who attacks in the dead of the night? We can easily do propaganda in front of the Indian prime minister. Our people are sitting in their parliament.” The caption of the post said: “Our people are sitting in India’s parliament — Bilawal Bhutto. Hello Gaurav Gogoi Asm ji, who are those ‘our people’ of Bilawal Bhutto sitting in the Indian Parliament?” It gathered more than 100,000 views and was shared 5,200 times. The same video was also shared by other Indian accounts, as can be seen here, here and here. The video was al...

Mohammed Siraj was the hero as India beat England by just six runs in a thrilling fifth Test at the Oval on Monday to end the series level at 2-2. England, set 374 to win, were bowled out for 367, with fast bowler Siraj taking 5-104, including a sensational burst of 3-9 on Monday’s final morning. It is India’s narrowest winning margin in a Test match. “To be honest, it is so amazing,” Siraj told Sky Sports. “From day one to here, everyone fought so hard, so we are very happy. “I just wanted to make sure I hit the right areas, the wickets would fall, and anything else would be a bonus. “When I woke up, I believed I could do it.” After resuming on 339-6, England lost four wickets for 28 runs on the final morning of a dramatic series. The home side were soon 354-8 after Siraj, the leading bowler on either side this series, struck twice to remove Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton. When injured England last man Chris Woakes came in to bat with his left arm strapped up owing to an injured shoulder, England still needed...

The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has issued a new international tender to purchase 100,000 tonnes of white refined sugar, European traders said on Monday. The quantity is double the earlier procurement target of 50,000 tonnes. The deadline for submission of price offers is August 11. The announcement is believed to indicate that Pakistan will make no purchase in its previous tender for 100,000 tonnes of sugar on July 31, traders said. On July 8, Pakistan’s government had approved plans to import 500,000 tonnes of sugar to help maintain price stability. Market analysts said that retail sugar prices in the country have risen sharply since January. Traders said three companies had participated in the July 31 tender, with the lowest price offer assessed at $539.00 a tonne cost and freight included (c&f). Pakistan reportedly received no offers in a previous tender to buy 50,000 tonnes of sugar on July 22, with traders saying the requirement to load shipments from August 1-15 was too short notice for reali...

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Monday paid heartfelt tribute to the brave officers and personnel of the Pakistan Police who embraced martyrdom in the line of duty, marking Police Martyrs Day with solemn reverence.

Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, on Monday, directed that the speedy disposal of confiscated/tampered vehicles, digitisation and outsourcing of the auction process, as well as the adoption of international best practices to enhance transparency and efficiency.