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Dawn - 08:02 Jan 29, 2026
Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir noted that the armed forces were “undergoing major transformation in multiple domains”, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday. According to an ISPR press release, the army chief made the remarks while addressing troops of the Bahawalpur Garrison at Khairpur Tamewali (KPT) in Punjab, where he witnessed a high-intensity field exercise ‘Steadfast Resolve’. The corps, based at Bahawalpur Garrison, is a key strike formation of the Pakistan Army. Its area of responsibility includes the southern Punjab desert zone and its order of battle includes multiple divisions. It focuses on modern, technology-enabled, multi-domain operations, often conducting exercises in areas like Khairpur Tamewali. “COAS & CDF highlighted that Pakistan Armed Forces are undergoing major transformation in multiple domains,” the military’s media affairs wing said. “Character of war has evolved massively, with technological advancemen... -
Dawn - 07:03 Jan 29, 2026
US President Donald Trump is weighing options against Iran that include targeted strikes on security forces and leaders to inspire protesters, multiple sources said, even as Israeli and Arab officials said air power alone would not topple the government. Two US sources familiar with the discussions said Trump wanted to create conditions for “regime change” after a crackdown crushed a nationwide protest movement earlier this month. To do so, he was looking at options to hit commanders and institutions that Washington holds responsible for the violence, to give protesters the confidence that they could overrun government and security buildings, they said. One of the US sources said the options being discussed by Trump’s aides also included a much larger strike intended to have a lasting impact, possibly against the ballistic missiles that can reach US allies in the Middle East or its nuclear enrichment programmes. The other US source said Trump has not yet made a final decision on a course of action, including ... -
Dawn - 06:45 Jan 29, 2026
Sri Lanka will deploy elite armed units to protect teams at next month’s T20 World Cup, part of enhanced security measures with a special emphasis on matches between perennial rivals India and Pakistan, officials have told AFP. The island is co-hosting the biennial cricket tournament with India and will hold 20 games between February 7 and March 8. The Indian and Pakistani teams will play each other at least once, in their Group A clash in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on February 15. Cricket matches have long been a stage for expressing political tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours, which fought a four-day conflict last year. Sri Lanka has given the “highest priority” to ensuring the tournament runs smoothly and is “paying special attention to the India-Pakistan matches”, sports minister Sunil Kumara Gamage told AFP late on Wednesday. Elite commando units, usually assigned to guard visiting heads of state, will be deployed to protect all participating teams, police and security officials said. “Fr... -
Dawn - 04:45 Jan 29, 2026
Pakistan has told the UN Security Council that the realisation of Palestinian statehood through a credible, time-bound political process remains the central objective of international efforts. Speaking at a Security Council open debate on the Palestinian question on Wednesday, Pakistan emphasised that the establishment of “an independent, sovereign, and contiguous state of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital” is the ultimate goal supported by the international community and essential for regional stability. Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said the unresolved Palestinian question lies at the heart of Middle East instability. He highlighted decades of Israeli occupation marked by dispossession, repression, and the denial of Palestinians’ inalienable rights, including self-determination. Referring to continued Israeli aggression in Gaza, Ahmad noted that over the past two years, the crisis has escalated to an unprece... -
Dawn - 03:26 Jan 29, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Disposing of a batch of appeals, petitions and transfer cases, the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has upheld the vires of the super tax, holding that Sections 4B and 4C of the Income Tax Ordinance (ITO) 2001 are neither discriminatory nor violative of fundamental rights. In a judgement pronounced on Jan 27 and uploaded on Wednesday, the FCC ruled that Section 4B does not create any unreasonable or hostile classification among persons forming the same class. The court held that parliament was fully competent to impose, abolish, remit, alter or regulate such taxes through a Finance Act as part of a Money Bill under Article 73(2)(a) of the Constitution. The court observed that the classification introduced under Section 4B is income-based, rests on an intelligible differentia and bears a rational nexus with the object sought to be achieved. The provision, it said, suffers from no lack of legislative competence and does not, on its face, transgress any fundamental right warranting judicial invalida... -
Dawn - 02:32 Jan 29, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Power Minister Sardar Awais Leghari on Wednesday withdrew an order issued by the Power Planning and Monitoring Company (PPMC) that had completely deprived net-metered solar consumers of the benefit for electricity exported to the grid. In a statement, the power division said the minister had taken notice of the “non-crediting of units of net-metering consumers under PPMC instructions”, which had been reviewed “with immediate effect”. Informed sources said power distribution companies (Discos) had complained that some net-metered solar consumers — commonly referred to as “prosumers” — had installed solar systems significantly larger than permitted under the rules, which allow generation capacity up to 150 per cent of sanctioned load. The Discos argued that such installations created challenges for grid stability and financials. They said the PPMC had directed Discos and the Power Information Technology Company (PITC), which handles billing for all Discos, to stop counting export units for consumers ... -
Dawn - 01:58 Jan 29, 2026
WASHINGTON: The US State Department has urged American citizens planning to travel to Pakistan to reconsider their plans, citing security concerns. The department updated its travel advisory for Pakistan on Jan 26, advising travellers to think twice before visiting due to crime, civil unrest, terrorism, and the risk of kidnapping. Pakistan has been placed under a Level 3 advisory, a category that indicates a high risk where terrorist attacks may occur without warning. According to the State Department, typical targets include “transportation hubs, hotels, markets, shopping malls, military and security sites, airports, trains, schools, hospitals, places of worship, tourist locations, and government buildings”. Some regions, including parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have been designated Level 4: Do Not Travel areas. The advisory urges US citizens not to travel to Level 4 areas “for any reason”, warning that assassination and kidnapping attempts are common, particularly against government officials and private citi... -
Dawn - 20:53 Jan 28, 2026
LAHORE: Officials said early on Thursday said that the body of a woman who fell into open an open sewerage line along with her minor daughter near Bhatti Chowk had been found. Speaking to the media, Lahore Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Operations Faisal Kamran said that the body was found from the disposal station on Outfall Road. Asked about the various reports about the water flow not being fast enough to carry away a person, he said, “You should also look at the time difference. When it happened, the water flow was fast; those are peak hours.” He said that the water flow receded as the night progressed. Asked whether the family would register a case, Kamran said, “Whatever the family says and whatever their opinion is, we will act according to that.” Meanwhile, Lahore Operations SSP Mohammad Tauqir told Dawn that police had taken the woman’s husband into custody, adding that he was the one who had alleged that his wife had fallen into the sewerage line along with their minor daughter at around 7... -
Dawn - 18:57 Jan 28, 2026
Amid reports about PTI founder Imran Khan suffering from an ailment that could permanently damage his eyesight and being taken to a hospital for treatment, the opposition on Wednesday demanded that a meeting be arranged between the ex-premier and his family. A day prior, the party said it had learned through credible reports that the ex-premier was suffering from an ailment that could cause permanent damage to his eyesight if not treated promptly. According to a senior doctor at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Imran was brought to the hospital under strict security on Saturday night for the procedure, which took quite some time. Another doctor, however, has denied this and said it was better not to discuss it as the PTI would make an issue out of such a development. During a press conference in Islamabad, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan said that Imran was allegedly taken to the hospital over the weekend before being taken back to jail. He called the situation “distressing for the nation, the party an... -
Dawn - 18:49 Jan 28, 2026
At least two federal agents who were involved in Saturday’s fatal shooting of a US citizen in Minneapolis have been placed on administrative leave, two US media outlets said on Wednesday. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the two immigration agents who discharged their weapons during the deadly encounter with Alex Pretti were put on leave as part of standard procedures, Fox News reported. MS NOW earlier reported that agents involved in the shooting of Pretti were being put on leave, citing an unnamed source. Representatives for DHS could not be immediately reached to confirm the reports. Immigration agents on Saturday fired multiple shots at Pretti, an ICU nurse at a hospital for veterans. His death was the second fatal encounter between Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and US citizens in Minnesota this month, sparking a national uproar. US review of Pretti’s killing does not mention him brandishing firearm Meanwhile, an initial US government review of the fatal shooting of Pretti made ... -
Dawn - 16:58 Jan 28, 2026
President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday met the vice president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the two discussing ways to further strengthen bilateral relations, with a focus on expanding economic, trade and investment cooperation. According to the President’s Secretariat, Zardari met Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also the ruler of Dubai, at Zabeel Palace. “The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations, with a focus on expanding economic, trade and investment cooperation between Pakistan and the UAE,” the handout said. Ït went on to say that President Zardari congratulated the sheikh on his two decades as Dubai’s ruler and “commended Dubai’s remarkable transformation into a global centre for tourism, finance and emerging technologies”. It further stated that both sides exchanged views on “benefiting from Dubai’s development experience, particularly in ports, logistics, infrastructure, information technology and digital financial services”. During the meeting,... -
Dawn - 16:53 Jan 28, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday decided to enforce “strict and enhanced health surveillance” at all entry points in the country with immediate effect in order to prevent the cross-border transmission of Nipah virus. Nipah, carried by fruit bats and animals such as pigs, can trigger a deadly brain-swelling fever in humans and can also spread directly from person to person through close contact. Several vaccines are in development but remain in testing. It is classified as a priority pathogen by the World Health Organisation (WHO) because of its ability to spark fast‑moving outbreaks, its fatality rate of 40 per cent to 75pc, and the fact that there is no approved vaccine or cure. The measures taken by authorities in Pakistan coincide with those taken multiple other countries — Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand and Malaysia — after India confirmed the detection of two cases in December last year. In this connection, the Border Health Services-Pakistan (BHS-P) — an ancillary department of the Ministry of National ... -
Dawn - 16:39 Jan 28, 2026
Two cases of the deadly Nipah virus in India have prompted countries in Asia to step up airport screening to prevent the spread of the infection. But what is Nipah virus, and how worried should people be? What is Nipah virus? Nipah is a rare viral infection that spreads largely from infected animals, mainly fruit bats, to humans. It can be asymptomatic, but it is often very dangerous, with a case fatality rate of 40 to 75 per cent, depending on the local healthcare system’s capacity for detection and management, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says. An undated image of fruit bats in Kerala, India. — Reuters/File However, while it can also spread from person to person, it does not do this easily, and outbreaks are usually small and fairly contained, according to experts and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Candidate vaccines are under development, although none have been approved yet. How common is it? Nipah was first identified in Malaysia in 1999. Since then, there have been small ... -
Dawn - 16:24 Jan 28, 2026
ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Wednesday in a case wherein he has been accused of making misleading statements against state institutions and tarnishing their reputation. The case has been registered with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Authority (NCCIA) under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca). Senior Civil Judge Abbas Shah presided over the case’s proceedings and observed that the KP chief minister had failed to appear before the court despite being summoned. Subsequently, he ordered the Afridi’s arrest and directed relevant authorities to produce him before the court. The case’s hearing was adjourned till February 10. The court had issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Afridi in the case at a previous hearing on January 4 as well over his repeated absences. During that hearing, Judge Shah had observed that the CM repeatedly ignored summons and remained absent from proceedings without any lawful ... -
Dawn - 15:58 Jan 28, 2026
United States President Donald Trump’s newly formed “Board of Peace” on Wednesday announced 26 countries designated as founding members of the initiative, including Pakistan. A week after Trump formally introduced the initiative at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the body launched an official account on the social media platform X. A post on Wednesday said that the Board “welcomes Pakistan as a founding member of our growing international organisation”. The list of founding members also includes Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Albania, Bahrain, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cambodia, El Salvador, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Mongolia, Morocco, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam, spanning the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caucasus. Notably absent from the list are major European countries such as France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, amid sharp disagreements with Trump on issues including Greenla... -
Dawn - 15:35 Jan 28, 2026
KARACHI: A seven-year-old boy was killed on Wednesday when a truck ran him over in Korangi’s Mehran Town area. According to a statement by the traffic police, the truck driver was reversing the vehicle when he ran over the boy. The statement said the boy died on the spot while the driver fled the scene along with the heavy vehicle. It added that the driver was a resident of the same area and had intially parked the truck outside his home. The statement said that “carelessly driving the vehicle”, the driver killed the son of his neighbour. The body was shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for legal formalities. In December, the Sindh government banned the daytime movement of heavy traffic vehicles in Karachi for two months as the city had witnessed a steep increase in traffic accidents, with many resulting from collisions with heavy vehicles such as dumper trucks and water tankers. Earlier this month, in an effort to keep slow-moving freight vehicles from mingling with faster passenger traffic, th... -
Dawn - 15:12 Jan 28, 2026
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Wednesday blamed statements by the PTI-led provincial government for the recent evacuation of residents from Tirah Valley in the province’s Khyber district. The federal and provincial governments have recently traded barbs over who authorised the evacuation process after hundreds of Tirah residents vacated their homes ahead of a planned military action against terrorists. Speaking to reporters in Khyber’s Bara tehsil — where families displaced from Tirah have arrived — Kundi noted that while there was typically around 20 per cent “migration” during winters, it was between 50 to 60pc this year. “It is 50 to 60pc this time because statements were repeatedly made that perhaps an operation will be conducted in Tirah, so people vacated [their homes].” “In my opinion, people are suffering today due to the failure and weakness of our province’s government,” he said. The governor noted that the KP government had issued a “barrage of statements and compelled these peop... -
Dawn - 14:03 Jan 28, 2026
The last year was supposed to be the one in which Pakistan were supposed to redefine their approach towards Twenty20 cricket. It didn’t come. Despite the promises of more aggression with the bat and the subsequent change in personnel, the team scored at just 127.47 – more than a run (1.37 to be precise) slower than the year before. There was a record for the most wins in a calendar year — 21 — but 18 of those had come against lower-ranked or weaker sides in Bangladesh, West Indies, Afghanistan, Oman, UAE, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The attempted reinvention — that brought in new captain and head coach — focused towards ensuring Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign this year does not look similar to 2024, when they were knocked out in just the group stage following embarrassing defeats to the United States and India. There are some positives though. Pakistan look more settled as a team with the roles for each player well defined as the selectors and team management have persisted with the same core for the last 10 m... -
Dawn - 13:57 Jan 28, 2026
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday renewed threats to attack Iran, saying “time is running out” to make a deal on nuclear weapons, after Tehran rejected talks. “Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS — one that is good for all parties. Time is running out,” the US leader said in a social media post, noting that “a massive armada is heading to Iran.” “As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse!” The dialling up of threats came after Iran’s top diplomat said the country would not come to the table under the shadow of military action. “Conducting diplomacy through military threat cannot be effective or useful,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in televised comments on Wednesday. “If they want negotiations to take shape, they must certainly set aside threats, excessive demands and raising illogical issues.” Trump has repe... -
Dawn - 13:50 Jan 28, 2026
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday dismissed a plea seeking student union elections at the University of Karachi (KU) and imposed a Rs10,000 fine on the petitioners for frivolous litigation. A two-member SHC bench, presided over by Justice Adnanul Karim Memon and Justice Zulfiqar Ali Sangi, heard a petition filed in May 2024. During the hearing, Justice Memon questioned the need for lifting the ban on student unions and remarked, “Education is already in ruins, why do you want to make it worse? “What is the purpose and benefit of a student union?” the judge asked the petitioners’ counsel, Advocate Usman Farooq. At this, the lawyer replied that a student union’s purpose was to provide representation to students in policy-making. “Just as there are labour unions at factories, do students now want to threaten their vice-chancellors?” Justice Memon remarked. Noting that the case file had documents dating back to 2021, he inquired whether the petitioners were still students. The bench then announced ...
9012 items